Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 277: Featuring Rob Schremp

Episode Date: July 2, 2020

On Thursday’s episode of Spittin’ Chiclets the guys are joined by Rob Schremp. Rob joins (27:20) to talk about his time playing for the London Knights, his NHL career, and how he is helping young hockey players. The guys also talked NHL draft lottery, Chiclets Cup, new CBA and more. The boys wrap up with Ryan talking about the worst 30 minutes of his year and a good TV show recommendation from RA and Grinnelli.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

Hey, Spittin' Chicklets listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Hello, everybody. Welcome to episode 277 of Spittin' Chicklets, presented by Pink Whitney, from our friends at New Amsterdam Vodka here in the Barstool Sports podcast family. Lots of stuff going on since we last chatted. We'll get to all that in a few. But first, happy Canada Day to the lone hoser on the show, Paul Biznasty. Biznet, let's go to you first, buddy. How's your Canada Day? It's going awesome.

Got up early today. Saw everybody in Canada celebrating. Of course, a little upset that I'm unable to go there. Because if I did, I'd have to quarantine for two weeks. And then I'd have to be heading right back down. But what a beautiful country i'm blessed to have been born there and uh everybody in canada i know it's a day after canada day but uh i hope you guys celebrate it properly uh you're social distanced and uh

yeah i love you canada wouldn't have to quarantine if you were still in the nhl though we'll get to that shortly next up our producer mike producer, Mikey Grinelli. What's up, buddy? What's up, guys? Happy Canada Day to everyone from Canada out there. I love Canadian people, the nicest people on earth. Chicklets Cup has concluded, so I'm relaxing a little bit down here in the Jersey Shore. I'm going to do some fist bumping, but what's going on, boys?

Not much, man, not much. Let's go to the last member of the crew, the golf wizard, Ryan Whitney, the wit dog. What's up, brother? I wish I had the power glove to golf like the wizard in the movie biz. Yeah. I don't know if Timmy remembers a couple episodes ago. 2012 release. I was 14.

You idiot. I was allowed to watch it on my birthday as my gift. Okay, what's going on? I think it's been, once again, what feels like three months since we chatted. So the week, I'm enjoying it. There's plenty to catch up on. We actually have hockey news. And Canada, I love you.

I love you, A. Although Canada didn't love you back, you love Canada. No, that's not necessarily true because that's past tense, and they're coming around on me up north. They really are. Pink Whitney, the podcast. I'm switching some hearts and minds up in Canada, and that's why I love you.

So happy Canada Day. You guys deserve to have a great one. And, that note wit I have to talk about the fact that the LCBO has 40,000 cases on the way so it's starting to trickle more and more into Canada and also other provinces but LCBO was the big question mark just given the rules so thank you LCBO. Thank you to New Amsterdam Vodka. Thank you to Erica and Deirdre for getting that in or more of it, at least into Ontario. So you guys will have some, and hopefully you got some for Canada Day. We love you. Yeah, I definitely want to chug it down.

Big weekend in the States here, too, Fourth of July. So I'm sure the pink Whitney will be flowing down here as well. Of course, Biz, Canada Day is usually free agency day. It's a big, big thing we always look forward to. Of course, we don't have it free agency day. It's a big, big thing. We always look forward to, of course, you don't have it this year, but I think Canada probably got the next best thing. And that was more news about the NHL's return to play. And this is all from our buddy, Bob McKenzie.

After a long night of negotiations, hard work between the NHL and NHL PA, it appears to have resulted in agreement on most issues on phase three and four return to play the CBA extension transition rules. Still a couple of items to finalize today nothing of course is actually done until both sides ratify a tentative deal and barring any last minute complications and we have seen some of those the two nhl hub cities will be edmonton and toronto so huge news up north i'm sure uh i did like i said i didn't

write a blog about 800 words about i. I heard it through the grapevine. It might be Vancouver. Obviously, my source reached out to me. I said Vegas. I said, I think I guaranteed Vegas. I mushed the whole city. No, Vegas fucking mushed itself. Let's get that straight.

That's true. They screwed that up themselves. They shot themselves in the foot. That's another story for another day. Biz, let's go to your reaction as the Canadian. Well, I mean, one of the few things I actually got right on this podcast, and I thought, you know, given the fact that Canada has been so responsible with what's been happening.

Who's your source, Biz? Who's your source? I know you didn't. Shut up. I don't have a source. Somebody gave you that, bro. You're not smart enough. Bob McKenzie.

I had my buddies kidnap him and water him. His son that you're working with? I guess you did have a source. That's true. Yeah, that'sford. His son that you're working with? That's true. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that was my scoop. But, no, I mean, now they're going to actually have a Powerball similar to the draft as to which teams have to go to Edmonton and which get to stay in Toronto.

That's what I'm saying. They're going to open up a couple of the nightclubs for the boys, maybe get music back to the Sundin days. But, no, I think that it's the right call. And I think that once they hammer out the final details, it's definitely going to be the safest place for these players. And, I mean, where else should hockey live, boys? In Canada.

That's what I'm talking about. Can I give my personal opinion on everything? Like, I think it makes sense, right, the cities they picked. I think they're doing whatever they can to make this happen but if I'm still playing I'm kind of thinking at this point like are we really pretending that this is going to work because there's a there's going to be a thousand people in this bubble right dude you're around teammates all the time i've seen golf guys are dropping like fives with covid you you don't even these guys are testing positive boom they're gone two weeks

and then they test again and they're they're negative it's like i don't know like guys are gonna drop down all of a sudden a team gets it and what like seven guys on the team can't play i i'm just i'm i just it's crazy to me and i'm also thinking like there's guys who love hockey this is what there's guys who love hockey and there's this is what they should be doing this is their job right but in the end everyone knows this stanley cup is going to be looked at differently it's just so weird to me right now to try to think and imagine that this is going to go looked at differently. It's just so weird to me right now to try to think and imagine that this is going to go down. I'm probably bringing the mood down here,

but I have to speak honestly on, I don't, I can't picture this whole thing working. I'm a pessimist in this topic, but I'm just being honest with you guys. Fuck this guy. Yeah, I think we've said all along with it, you know,

we are excited about it, but there's so many hurdles. And we've talked about what Devin Dubnik said. We talked about what Anton Straumann said. Those guys raised those concerns back in May. And, you know, they're going to be there. And we don't know how that's going to be. Replacement players. I'm going to be like Joe Flacco.

That's what we need. That's what we need. I'm coming back, baby. I'm going to get my bionacco. That's what we need. I'm coming back, baby. I'm going to get my bionic knees ready. We're fucking going. In this vote that they do, you know how many guys have been saying to other guys, I really have no desire to come back playing, but they won't vote. They won't vote against it because the money is the entire issue, right?

So I understand, guys. You kind of feel like you have to. And you want to go win a Stanley Cup. But I don't – if it goes down, I'll be shocked. And it also pushes back to next year. I don't know, dude. I'm just – I would not want to be playing hockey. All i get where you're coming from all right what do you got to say i was gonna say i mean even if it's all for not i think we do get a round of applause or

kudos to the nhl the nhlpa don fair gary bevin all these guys this is stuff that usually takes months and months they talk about they're cramming all of this in in such a short short amount of time i guess it shows they could do it that way all the time if they really wanted to but you know like now it looks like we're gonna get the olympics in 22 and 26 oh baby finalize the cba they're doing so much shit so yeah even if big time if the players a couple guys get sick and they have to scrap the whole thing you know what at least we know like the nhl did every fucking thing they can the nhlpa did everything they could to make it happen unlike other leagues we won't mention. Okay, so why don't we segue this into the Panarin comments,

which led to, of course, more CBA talk. I don't think that... Fire comments. I mean, he high-kicked that fucking... The CBA, right, with that skate when he gets that goal celebration going. He did a high kick. What's up, John? I'm like a grandfather. I got to put my glasses on to read it.

Panarin, yeah, he tweeted, for nearly two decades, the players have protected the owner's income What's up, Sean? I'm like a grandfather. I've got to put my glasses on to read it. Panera, yeah, he tweeted, for nearly two decades, the players have protected the owner's income with escrow, including throughout this pandemic crisis. Even as owner's equity continues to grow exponentially, it is time to fix the escrow. We as players cannot report to camp to resume play without already having an agreement in place. We are all in this together.

And of course, Ryan Kessler, who may have been our return to an hli surface again really doesn't give a fuck he's been unleashing on twitter which has been pretty funny um but this stuff obviously they're gonna have it settled if they're gonna sign though biz well okay so one of the things that they have been hammering out in these talks is the fact that they're going to cap escrow at 20 for next year and that it'll slowly decrease after that one of the other conversations that came up of course given the fact that they're going to cap escrow at 20% for next year, and that it'll slowly decrease after that. One of the other conversations that came up, of course, given the fact that they're not going to be generating the revenue

that they anticipated to, was salary cap. And, I mean, I don't know how much that's going to affect certain teams moving forward, but obviously you project on a certain range here as to what you can spend, and you kind of tiptoe that line. One team, of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had $40 million in wire fees sent out. What a day today. I mean, if this wasn't a pandemic and this was normal living,

imagine being with Kevin Hayes today. I think you'd get five, just a quick five in the bank. So over $300 million was supposed to be paid out July 1st. That was one of the question marks. But actually, all the teams ended up sending out the money. All those guys who had those signing bonus stipulations in their contract, they did, in fact, get paid. And, I mean, we'll go down the list of of what some guys got but more and more

of these cba negotiation topics keep getting figured out and the fact that we might be getting the olympics back with the top end guys and getting to see mcdavid and and crosby probably have you know that that might be their only and last chance to play together i can't see sid playing you know more than another five years right or? Or four years? I think you just guaranteed he may. I think you just changed the course of history. Fizz, you

heard about when he found out when I said he'd never get 50 in a season. You just said he's done playing in four years. Reverse psychology. He just might have won two more cups. What are you crushing there? Oh, some water. Oh, nice.

Also, too, we did want to note, any player who wants to opt out can. Nobody has to play. I mean, we've seen that a lot in the NBA. If guys don't feel safe for health reasons, family reasons, whatever, they can opt out. They won't be penalized. And, Biz, you mentioned the salary cap.

Stuff to look forward to. This is per our buddy, Elliot Friedman, the salary cap, stuff to look forward to. This is per our buddy Elliot Friedman. Flat salary cap. Unless changed, the numbers are 81.5 million for the next two years, 82.5 million for 2022-2023. There will be a cap on escrow starting at 20% next season, moving down after that. And like I mentioned, the Olympics, 10% of next season's salary

will be deferred. Language for right to opt out of return to play, like I just mentioned. And our buddy Chris Johnson said, it's still an if, but the way that negotiations are going, if things can proceed on a timely basis, it's possible camps could open the 13th and teams could be in hub cities by the 25th. Obviously, like we just said, with a lot hinging on that, but you know, it's, it's all wait and see, but the NHL has set up everything that to be in a position to wait and see and just what people want to hear outside of boston on this podcast you look at the team friendly deals they have moving forward and the fact that the cap

isn't going up of all the teams that had to give out bonuses on july 1st guess which one guess who had the lowest one bergeron right boston ber Boston, Bergeron, $1 million in signing bonus. Look at these other teams. Eichel and Skinner on Buffalo, $7.5 million each. I mean, the list goes on and on. I mentioned the Toronto situation with them sending out 40 sheets, but I tell you what, man, this whole situation might hurt some teams long-term if they're going to have to unload a few guys, given the fact that the cap is not going to go up and or they're going to have a harder

time keeping some so the things are continuing to get more and more interesting uh who uh i would imagine imagine the owners writing those checks like every year you don't win a cup take off again scrooge mcduck got him again scrooge McDuck, the guy for the Bruins, he must be loving that, only having to give up $1 million with that team moving forward. Hey, like Sid said, you know, take unless doesn't work, unless everyone does it. That's true. That's a good example of it.

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with the doctor and your first order is just five dollars once again that's get roman.com slash barstool eligibility requirements and additional terms apply fortunately I haven't had much problems with the acne lately biz I feel like we glanced over the Olympic situation. As excited as I am to see McDavid and Crosby play together at the Olympics, which I would imagine happens if they go unless

barring anything crazy, the U.S. Olympic team, they've got a lot of good young Americans right now. I'm not just trying to create conversation here with what do you think with all these i mean matthews would of course be one of the top guns in the league by next year yeah good joke chuck it the the game you could picture or put on paper you know with usa canada all the all the sweden all these countries. I'm so fired up that the Olympics will be back.

That is great news. But I got to mention that Grinnelli makes his Team USA. And I got a text from Kevin Hayes who says Grinnelli's dead to me. I'm like, why? He goes, you didn't put me on Team USA. I said, wow. And I looked right away. Mikey, what were you thinking on that?

That's one of the best PK guys in the league. I think you say. So, okay. So, wait, you know this firsthand. You got to carry a few extra guys on the Olympic team. I want Hazy in Beijing. There's no question I want Hazy in Beijing. Hazy in Beijing, I could see that being a movie.

Maybe he's thinking from a GM standpoint where he doesn't want Hazy dragging the boys out for a good time in Beijing. It'd be like that hangover sequel. Hey, Hazy is the fucking guy who gets everybody in trouble. They're taking the ecstasy and shit. But I texted Hazy and I just said, I love you. And he sent me back the gif of the guys dancing with the coffin. So I got some,

I got some making up to do to hazy. That's great. That's funny stuff. Of course, the main story we were going to talk about originally guys, it got bumped because we got some new info on the return to play. It was the draft lottery. We were actually going to come on just to talk about this.

Cause it had everybody buzzing Friday night. Of course, we now know the number one pick is going to go to a loser from the qualifying round, which technically isn't a playoff round. The NHL has always had 16 teams in the playoffs, and they will this year. But one of these qualifying teams is going to drop down and get the first overall pick. Detroit dropped all the way down to fourth. Right now, Team E is going to be the first pick. Then L.A., Ottawa, Detroit, Ottawa, Anaheim, New Jersey, Buffalo. to be the first pick then la ottawa detroit ottawa anaheim new jersey

buffalo those are the first seven picks uh hey it's called the lottery for a reason because i thought a lot of people just assumed detroit was going to win uh but hey man that's the way the cookie crumbles the way the ball bounces and i know everyone's crying and bitching about it and i saw andrew raycroft former bro and he tweeted this is the best scenario for the nhl and then i thought for a minute i'm'm like, you know what? He's right because if Detroit or whoever wins the draft and all the slots get filled Friday, it's a story. It's dead the next day. Instead, everyone's pissed off.

Everyone's fuming about it. Now the playoffs matter just a little bit more because one of these teams, I should say the qualifying round, one of these teams is going to get the first pick. So there's an added drama there, not to mention the NHL is going to have another draft thing to put on TV. So I think it's win-win for the nhl there's no such thing as bad publicity same here and like i mean there are some red wings fans complaining i'm thinking to myself you don't get rewarded for sucking you go into the draft at a certain percentage and what is it 12 and a half percent that if you if you finish last in the league that you have the opportunity to get the first overall pick i mean it's really unfortunate

that they slid to fourth but looking back a few years ago mccarr was picked at fourth sometimes it's a blessing in disguise because your scouting staff is you know makes a mistake and they pick the wrong guy scouting staff oh yeah yeah i know, yeah, I know. Oh, what did you think I said? So I knew you somewhat tried to say it, but you fumble-fucked your words, so I was just chirping you. But I agree with you, Biz. I agree with you in one sense that you can get a great pick at four or five. You're talking to one?

It's got Chris Coon. It's because of me. But, dude. Stouting staff? You know how many points you know how many points, um, Ottawa who finished 30th had more than Detroit. Do you know?

No, I don't. I'm 23. That's how bad Detroit was. And man, I'm not saying that they deserve the first overall pick because of that, but I think it should have been the teams who, well,

how many teams are, are, are not playing in this play-in round? Eight. It should have been those eight. And so, like, I don't really understand how that went down. I will say it's exciting. And then people tuning in this – it's created so much for the future of the excitement when this all ends up happening

in terms of who's going to get number one but uh to be that bad and drop to four man it's not like they i don't i think they've changed it where teams aren't tanking do you remember buffalo and arizona tanking for mcdavid that was like that just – the Buffalo fans were cheering one night when the Coyotes beat the Sabres. It was a tank job. So they've kind of fixed that, and I think it just shows Detroit could use help. So I'm not saying they deserved one, but to go to four, I think they at least should have been guaranteed the top three.

Well, I mean, you kind of touched on it. I mean, you get Detroit, who made the playoffs all those years in a row. They have four cups to show for it. For Christ's sake, I think they had 10 Hall of Famers on their team in one season. Could you imagine, if you're a Red Wings fan and you were complaining on social media about this, I hope that you fucking wake up tomorrow, instead of having Brett Hall on your poster on the wall and maybe Stevie Y, I hope you wake up a fucking Sabres fan. Not only do they get fucked with no playoffs,

they end up getting the eighth pick, and you're thinking, you know what, maybe we'll end up drafting someone because our scouts will do a good job. And then you remember you got none because you fired them all. So for you Red Wings fans complaining, shut up. You could be a Buffalo Sabres fan. They're in a living nightmare right now they got the eighth pick and they didn't get to make playoffs that's like the worst

case and and we know what the rest is going on with the pagulas and that gong show situation biz do you know you just you just had a great example of of a good expression i know like you know people say comparing yourself to others, it's not worth it. It's not a good thing to do, Biz, right? Do you know what I'm saying? Right. You don't want to do that, but it's human nature. If you're going to be comparing yourself to others,

instead of looking up at what you wish you did have, you should always look down. That's how you should compare and think about how much harder your life could be. That's pretty much how you just – that's the perfect example in the hockey world of my expression that means a lot. Well, there's another one too. Do you agree?

I agree with that. And, R.A., I'll throw it over to you. Ottawa, looking back at that Carlson trade and, you know, maybe what they thought that that Colorado pick would turn into, God, they fall to three and fifth. Now, Elliott Friedman, he talked about it. The significant drop off after one and two is is very drastic so even ottawa looking back now you think that they're in the

driver's seat and they get another kick in the nuts yeah they could also end up with another eric colson you never know that's that's what the draft is it's a crap shoot number one i mean this lafreniere we're hearing a lot about him but his numbers in the queue are great but you know nothing's nothing's guaranteed, man. I mean, some teams might be, like you said, it could end up benefiting in the long run. Another thing that's been driving me crazy is all these people saying that teams in the qualifying round are going to tank on purpose

so they'll get a 12% chance at a fucking maybe a stud. Even though, like, these guys, some of them are 30 years old, 32 years old, but they're unrestricted. They don't give a shit what their team that paying them now is going to be doing in three to five years. Like they're not going to tank probably their best chance at a cup. I mean, this is the most level playing field. We're probably ever going to see for, for a team's 12% shot.

Get the fuck out of here with that stuff. All right. That's fair. Cause actually now that you say that, you know, I, I kind of jumped the gun and I feel back cause I'm a coyotes employee and I'm saying we're going to get first overall. That's going to be awesome. The biggest fleece job

we've seen in a long time. Then I see Phil Kessel talked about it in the media, how he's feeling good. He's rested. Then I said, Jesus Christ, maybe the Coyotes will go on a run here. It's any team's ball game right now. I think that's a good

point, Ari. Thank you. Hey, we haven't mentioned our guest yet today. We have longtime professional Rob Shrimp on. He's a longtime buddy of yours, right, Biz? Robbie Shrimp, yeah, buddy of mine. Guys, it's a real interesting career he had. He was very highly touted, put up

crazy points in junior, maybe fell back a little deeper in the draft than he would have liked, but I don't think he had the career that everybody expected. But it's nice to see him have a very positive mindset given what he's doing in his post-career. And he talks about that in the second half of the interview.

And, you know, just, I guess, a good lesson for some of you kids out there. And also great to see that he's doing more for the game now that he's retired. Yeah, I enjoyed talking to him. We'll get to that in a little bit. I want to go back to Kessler for a second. Did you see his tweet about the two locations? He said, please say we're playing in Toronto. Please be Toronto.

Like, quote, every NHL player. And Edmonton's all over him, like, giving him shit. It's like, dude, I mean, if you honestly, if you're honest with yourself, if you could play in Toronto or Edmonton, it's kind of a no-brainer. You're going to go to Toronto. And that's not a diss toward Edmonton. But Toronto's a fucking world-class city, man. Yep.

And I made a mistake here about the signing bonuses. Winnipeg actually has nobody on active contract who should be getting a wire transfer July 1st. So they actually have the lowest. Sorry, I'm actually, I have a legit question, all right. But they can't go anywhere in the cities, right? No, but I think they're going to have a certain amount of restaurants that they can go to during this bubble thing.

Oh, they're going to shut down restaurants for all the boys. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. So, yeah, they're going to take care of it. What a trip. Every cactus club in Toronto is open. This is like a full-blown – this is like one of the Vail trips we used to go on.

Dude, watching the playoffs, we're going to feel like that guy who ranked all 370 point stars on his Twitter feed the other day with 85 different screens going on. What a creep, huh? Crazy list. It was a little off. I got fucking 50 names into it before we had one name from the golden era, a.k.a. the VHS era. That's like – you've got to respect your elders in a list like that i think it was your all-time favorite ra um probably christy canyon yeah that's way that's an old school i'm google imaging her right now i'll ask cornelli this uh you're married so i don't know if you can answer it but like if i had my one porn

star that i could only beat off to the rest of my life. Oh, well, like, yeah. I know. I'm kidding. You were also getting Playboys at 13 years old sent to the house, so I felt that that was open season for you. Minus six years? You were seven, dude. I was off like the Wizard movie.

All right. What's yours? My what? What is the girl i'm google image oh christy canyon yeah this this could be a dangerous she was the original debbie does now getting stung by a horse um i would probably have to go to uh probably rachel star yeah i recognize her uh her road is great too you guys you guys are uh hey we sound like a bunch of dudes right now what was the one i can't think of her name a lot of them hey boys let's send it to the interview but first we gotta tell you this interview was brought to you by dude wipes

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So those dude wipes are great. What else do we have to talk about? Well, that was before we're going to kick it over white, baby. Yeah. So those dude wipes are great. What else do we have to talk about? Well, that was before we're going to kick it over to Shrimpy. Oh. Yeah. So without further ado, let's send it over to Rob Shrimp. Well, our next guest is a well-traveled and cultured individual, a 2004 draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers.

He helped the London Knights win their first ever Memorial Cup in 2005. He played for three teams in an nhl career span in five seasons before heading overseas to play in five different european countries he officially retired in november of 2018 and is currently working with an online coaching platform welcome to the spit and chiclets podcast rob shrimp thanks for having me thanks for the intro i. I appreciate it. How you guys doing? And of all the people we've had on, all right, maybe the dirtiest sets of myths for non-hockey people, just filthy hands, I'll say it like that, of anyone to ever come on. So it's great to chat with you, buddy.

How you been? Been doing well. Doing well. How you been? I mean, I've been seeing you, I think, it's been a while. I think the first time, when was it we met? The Chowder Cup? Yes, I don't know if it was Chowder Cup. I think I fired off a photo of you. It was me, you, and Henny. We took the Prospect show to speak back then. I went from Prospect to Suspect pretty quick. But I saw that photo going through some old stuff at my parents' house last summer.

going through some old stuff at my parents' house last summer. I remember. I remember before the championship game of that tournament, like my dad even had my mom make me some pasta, a little steak and chicken. It was like a legit pregame meal. I was like, oh, like I know, I know I have to play good today. This means this thing matters.

So, yeah, it's been quite a while. And so you're living in Latvia right now. You married a Latvian girl, I was told. Bet you she's real ugly. Yeah, beautiful place and beautiful women. And, you know, it's not really – it's actually, you know, it's well-talked about, it's well-known that they are – it's like something they breed beautiful women tall, beautiful blonde girls. So the scenery is nice, the architecture and the women.

It's a great place to be. And the hockey here is a pretty cool culture for hockey as well. um you know i played here in the khl my experience that year so got myself i say i picked up a souvenir she doesn't like that too much but i picked up a souvenir rob we had elvis merzlikens on earlier this week i do you know him were you familiar with his game at all before he blew up this season for Columbus? I wasn't, actually, to be honest with you. I knew a little bit. I think he was in – he might have been in Swiss when I was there.

I think he was in Switzerland for Lugano maybe. Is that correct? Am I right? Is it the same guy? Yep. Yep. I remember him. I remember they were talking about him, talking him up,

and didn't know that he had that in him, obviously. But, wow, what a performance he was putting on this year. That was special. What a goal. I noticed you played with Ivanis, the guy who was playing in L.A. He was a fighter there. You played with him back in Latvia. Did you make good buddies with him when you were playing there?

Actually, Biss, I'd known him a long time. We had the same age in Scott and Lauren growing up and doing camps and stuff in, uh, Chicago. We always had big camps there in the summertime. A ton of pros out there, a lot of Blackhawk guys, uh, good guy, Nello, uh, Nello Ferraro was always out there and, uh, um, brightest was there and I met him as a kid and he was such a nice, gentle giant and such a good dude. So to come kind of full circle when I came over here to have that familiar face was definitely helpful.

And Rytus is such a good dude, and what a tough customer, man. Wow. He's a big dude. I remember meeting him when I was like 14, 15. He's 6'5", 260-ish. He was a monster and pretty, like, not much flab there. No, he was a monster and pretty like not much flab there no he's shredded pretty cut so when you when you get there like now all of a sudden you don't speak the language very well was he bringing you around the town to bring you all the good restaurants like kind of making you feel at

home yeah he was such a good dude he was uh it was such a good teammate obviously he knows he went the other way right coming over to amer America and having that experience of just not having your home cooked stuff or whatever that kind of, you know, expression. But he definitely knew what we were going through. So for all the imports, he was really a good guy for us and made sure we were included and felt like, you know, we could settle in a little bit and had a friend here. So it's a great city.

Riga is a beautiful town, beautiful city. And like I said, brought us us out showed us the spots and yeah he had a family wife and stuff like that we were a little bit younger kind of having some fun and um showed us the right places to go and and the wrong places to be so stay away from there and go here so that's leadership. Rob I mentioned the Memorial Cup but London uh in your intro you played for Dale Hunter for just about three seasons. Were his players cognizant of just how crazy a guy he was when he played? Yeah, I mean, absolutely.

And I think in that time, you know, when I played for Dale, we won the championship back in those times. It was a little bit more, I don't think that long ago, but it was actually 15 years ago. It was more like he kind of had, I felt like a lot more guys knew history of the game a little bit and knew the rivalries and the kind of guys like Dale and what, you know, we had the stat packs before the games. You'd go in the bathroom and read up on who was doing what

or had stats and that kind of thing. Guys kind of studied the game a little more, in my opinion, of the past. So guys knew who Dale was, for sure. I mean, he was, I mean, 3,000 penalty minutes and 1,000 points is something pretty special. That's pretty crazy. And he didn't know Terjean scored,

dude. He didn't know. Yeah, I love that story, man. It's unbelievable. I mean, the guys, when he tells the story, it's nothing better than having Dale tell that story. Oh, hey, you got to love – sorry to interrupt. You got to love how stubborn he is. That's just beautiful. I love hearing that.

And that London team or one of the London teams, I mean, before your last year where you lit it up 145 points, the year before you were on that best junior team of all time, people try saying, right? What a year that was. It was awesome it was it was electric uh it was such a build-up because the year before uh we had a big rivalry with guelph uh marty saint pierre callahan uh klein cam jansen and then we had a pretty

stacked lineup too so we the year before we were supposed to we were supposed to get to the mem cup and we we actually lost in a game seven uh series at home to go off of that was like that's what really fired that next year because we all came in really like that ain't happening again and we came off like pissed off and we came out guns blazing uh teams weren't beating us and then it took 31 games for us to finally lose the game and that was when everybody um went to world Juniors in December. I think they do their camp like two weeks early, right? Like everybody goes there and they have their final cut.

So we lost Pairs and Sivy, a couple other guys. So we finally lost the game in December. That was fun. I mean, what a ride. 31 games. You come to the rink every night and you're like, yeah, no problem. We got this, boys. Yeah, we're going to win, boys. and it's going to be really fun after.

But I don't know if it was the case for you. I don't know. I know your last year this was probably the case, but what was your ice time like? Because, I mean, there's the best players on London, 25 minutes, right? That's fair to say a game for the top forwards. In the Mem Cup cup year it was very spread because um pairs pairs ate up pairs got loaded up because he was the stud we you know

pairs was unreal like that year he year before he's just pretty good player to be honest with you like good hockey player but like that year he was sick like he was posterizing guys like some guys on kitchener man i felt bad for him he had some of those toe drag goals that he scored against kitch were so sick and he just he took it to another level you know and it was so he played both units on the power play kind of a um quarterback on one side and then on the left hand of power play he'd play the one-timer backdoor so like kind of high you know we spot almost um so but everybody else I mean we had Pritchie we had Boland we had uh maybe go down Dylan Hunter we had we had a lot of guys Drew Larm is a really good player really strong player for that team we had a stacked team like there wasn't many holes

there wasn't holes at all actually to be honest be honest with you. They put a team together. And it was all draft picks and trades. So, you know, contrary to everybody, all day ball, everybody, we made $50 a week, and we got $10 for gas, and we got taxed on it. I promise you. Oh, this is like the memo. You guys had a higher salary cap than some NHL teams that year. Anyway, next question. No, listen, from an outside perspective,

I was playing with Owen Sound that year, and it just felt like Perry had developed that chip on his shoulder as well that eventually led him to be so good in front of the net at the NHL level. But going back to you, you end up coming over from Mississauga to London. Were there things about your game that Hunter wasn't crazy about, that he was very stubborn in trying to teach you a more well-rounded game? Because in Mississauga, you were the man, and you got to basically do whatever the fuck you wanted.

Yeah, no, I took a harsh lesson, man. And that's something that was hard at the time, but that's Dale. And he was, you know, he's going to teach you the right way. And he always says it, and he always says that. You're going to learn the right way. That's it. Because I know some days it's going to teach you the right way. And he always says, and you always said that you're going to learn the right way. That's it. I know some days it's going to hurt. Sometimes not what you want, but you're going to learn.

And I learned that I got, you know, I took it the year of that Western Conference finals, actually, that we lost. I sat the bench for most of the series, like literally sat the bench. So it was like, he was willing to do that to prove me to, I got to play defense and play the right way buy in so it was it was a rough you know that in the beginning obviously i came over you know draft year and our first overall draft pick that like it wasn't easy to swallow um but then you know what you take your lumps come back the next year and we won a cup

so what do you say you know was it hard to eat? Like I said, yeah. But like the end result, I actually was second to pairs in scoring in the OHL playoffs. And the guys like, you know, Mike Richards in the league and stuff like that, it says he taught me a lot. And playoff hockey is important and you got to play the right way. And, you know, I respect him. I still respect him to this day. I still talk to him to this day. There's no hard feelings.

It sucked at the time. Don't get me wrong. I was a 17-year-old, very cocky kid. Wasn't easy for me to swallow my pride. But at the end of the day, I got a Memorial Cup ring, and I'm part of what was actually honored as the team of the century. So, you know, I think he did, yeah, to this day, he did what he thought was right, and he taught me how to play hockey.

Do you think he came up at the wrong time day, he did what he thought was right, and he taught me how to play hockey. Do you think you came up at the wrong time, given that I feel like these young skill guys are maybe getting a little bit more leash in the way the game, in where the game's headed, excuse me? Well, at least in some organizations? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it was, in my time coming up, it was really like, pay your dues and, you know,

eat some bench and, you know, grind it out and just don't say much. If you try the lacrosse move, you're going to get suckered by a veteran. Yeah. Not a guy on the other team. Like someone on your own bench might literally punk kind of thing. And it was, it was a weird time with trying that creativity and stuff. And it was, uh, and now you see just even,

I came back from Europe for just a quick, you know, tour back over here and take another shot at the show and, and play me a, and try to grind it out to Portland. And, and I went to the all-star game and it was, I was like,

I'm looking at a line of me and Borky were like, let's let the kids play. I guess. Hey, look at this. It's like 20, 21, 22, 29, like so many young guys. Even at the minor league, you know, the veteran rule really keeps it young. So the game's kind of, yeah, it's a lot quicker.

I think things happen a lot quicker for the kids now. Back when you were 17, 18, you must have had some college offers on the table, no? Honestly, I was really early going to the OHL. I think my track was pretty, like 14, I was playing Tier 2. I was pretty close. I think I was second or third in the league in scoring. At 15, I led the league in scoring. I grew up around Tim Conley, who was like my idol.

Him and Merles were – I used to love watching those guys. I went to every single – every game up there, Lysand Arena, and I skated all the time with Don Kern and those guys that grew up. So I kind of wanted to follow Timmy's path, and I think it was well-known. Even, like, when we got the draft meetings and OHL, they're kind of like – maybe we'll say you're going to college.

He almost spit your water out like, buddy, I think everyone knows I'm not going to college. You know, it was kind of writing on the wall. Yeah. You seen this contract I got offered? Yeah, I sleep in the arena. No, so I wanted to go into that because I talked to Merles today. He said that on a team

of 16 to 20-year-olds, Syracuse Junior Stars or whatever, Crunch, him and Conley and himself were the two best players and Rob Schrempf, 11 years old, that practiced with you guys was the third best player. So he actually worded it that you were the best

player in the world, bar none. It said one year you had 300 goals when you were 11. Yeah, I had a good year. You were this phenom. I mean, it was one of those things. Yeah, go to the OHL and then first-round pick and then NHL. I don't even think anyone even considered sending you a letter in those days from schools. I got you.

I got one. I put them on. They were from the Chowder Cup because I went there. They're going from, I don't know, got what i put them on they got this from the chowder cup because i went there they're going from i don't know it was a really serious letter but from yale my dad was just like i don't know i did all right it was funny no i never really i mean if i would have went i would have been honest what i remember was i would when i thought about that when i was a kid it was like boston college I don't know why it just stuck out to me. I wanted to go to BC when I was like, you know, whatever, 12 years old, 13 years old, contemplating at some sort or Michigan because their buckets, I love their buckets.

I thought they were sick. And then BC was just a rich history team. I don't know. I just, yeah, those would have been the spots I would have picked if it ever got to that point. But like I said, 14, it was kind of pretty clear where I was going to go. I met with pretty much every agent by the time I was 13. It was, yeah, Mission sponsored me.

So it's kind of had this track going forward, right? So, yeah, we were going, we were pretty much going to the OHL early. The season after the Memorial Cup, I mean, absolutely unreal numbers. You played 57 games, scored 57 goals, had 88 assists, two and a half points per game. Was that the easiest the game ever was for you? Like, was it just simple going to the rink every day? It's hard to answer that, but honestly, it was. I was really, really pissed off.

I was really pissed off because I thought I could have made the team that year and show honestly I put a really good camp together I thought I made it like papers were like writing stuff and that's you know I kind of learned a lesson there too just stay focused and don't listen to outside factors because I kind of bought I thought I was on the starting roster I got sent down I'm like I'm gonna I'll prove you know I'm gonna go prove you why I should have and I came down mad and uh also it's another thing too, it's just around the league, everyone talking about how we were going to kind of be shit that year

because we lost everybody. So as a team, we had some gas left too from the guys from the year before. And with that fuel, I was like, and me and Bolin were chirping back and forth because he had a big start too. He had like 20 or 25 points, first 10 games. And it was like kind of a it was like a rabbit for me to chase you know I'm like I'm gonna catch it and then I think the first 10 games I put up like between 50 and 60 points and it's just the rules changed so we got a lot of power plays and

uh having that time I mean that was my third year with Dale power play he's a he's a brilliant mind as far as that and the setups and how to get the guys dialed in. You got the puck and you already knew where your three options were and they were all successful. If one wasn't there, the other one was an option. It was an apple or a goal. The other option, same thing.

It had ways of finding its way. There was a structure in place where this puck was going in the back of the net or the goalie would have to make a six eight. Brent B much like Merles was given with his information we were hearing about you coming up even in Canada obviously God-given talent but what other things were you doing as a kid to get your skill level to where it was because like no one had ever seen it like that at that young of an age like we're talking Crosby-esque. And so like were there things you were doing off the ice

or was it maybe just the leash and the rope you were given by your coaches? No, yeah, a little bit of both. I think I had – we played a lot of hockey. I play – I love the game. I mean, I spent my life at the rink. I literally did. That was like – that was my passion. And I just, I played lacrosse.

I played multi-sport, played baseball. I just played baseball to the point where I got, again, it sounds terrible to say, but I got to the level where it wasn't fun anymore. Like walking up, hitting a home run every time, you know, and then playing shortstop and I'd snag one and rip it to first base and the kid's ducking. I'm like, okay, like this isn't fun anymore so i started playing lacrosse and that was fun it was good time challenging to pick up that and that that's what translated most to hockey um if you know uh best i saw you you know you got your trial

van that was sick it was hilarious i was getting started some tips but lacrosse is so much like hockey yeah bad agent bad agent, bad agent. Lacrosse goes everything. If you take your hands like a lacrosse stick and start cradling, if you don't cradle it, the ball flies out of the net, right? So if you take that and you start learning how to roll your wrist, and then you take your hands down, right, to a hockey stick and you roll it, it's the same motion, right?

So then you start talking about shooting. In lacrosse, if you grab it and you go plant your foot, you go to throw the ball. If you don't snap your wrist to your target, you throw the ball a mile high. Right. And like all the weight transfer, everything comes off. And like I played attack. So a lot of the shimmies and the moves to like beat a defender, it all translated to hockey. So and then all of a sudden, one day when I was like 11, I was like, why not just pick the puck up? Like, like play lacrosse hockey puck. And I started doing it. Everyone on when I was like 11, I was like, why not just pick the puck up, like, like play the cross hockey puck.

And I started doing it. Everyone on the ice was like, Holy shit. And I was like, I like that reaction. You know, I can't, I think I was, I'd like to be an entertainer too. And that, that was not a time like to, uh, what I think you said that earlier, it wasn't a time for it. You know, it was kind of like, like hey punk like just keep it on the ice like well it's fun up here um and just trying to be innovative and be different and also growing up

like watching Michael Jordan entertain like I had some pretty cool you know I guess people I looked up to that's who I saw I saw Michael Jordan dunking with his tongue out like that was I guess people I looked up to, that's who I saw. I saw Michael Jordan dunking with his tongue out. Like that was, I don't know. That resonated with me. I wanted to be that and just make people like, and in hockey, it's like people sit in their seat, sit in their seat.

Something happens, they get out of their seat. I want to be the guy that brings you out of the seat. And that's what I, I don't know. I had that passion with hockey. And it was just, as I was younger, I was just, I kept doing it and things I did on the ice were, I don't know. They were different and higher level, but I practiced all the the time always had a stick of some sort my hand for sure hand-eye coordination throwing a ball to wall catching it always something for hand-eye or with a stick in my hand you think that your creativity and the way you wanted to play the

game led to maybe a little bit more stubbornness and the fact that you didn't want to adapt to the old school way? Yeah, I think I just, I just, I was confident and I knew that it could work in my heart. You know, so it's hard to accept and being stubborn and being immature and being, I guess now I see it in a different light is arrogant is not the answer uh sometimes adapting and and you know it's okay to swallow your pride is important like i stood on my principle for too long and and you know there's not a problem there's a time and place you know you could have adapted and i learned something from dan balsma he said you know one thing he said was you know learn one thing from every one of your teammates. It doesn't matter what it is. Even if it's how he eats his pregame lunch, like doesn't matter. And that's one thing I took away from Dan. And I try

to try to use that. And maybe if I put that system into me younger, just, just when people come, because sometimes it felt like being back into a corner a little bit, you know? So it's like, kind of like, screw you, man. Like I could play lacrosse with a stick and you tell me to like, keep it on the ice. Like I'll show you, but that's, that's the mentality of, you know what I mean? Swallow your pride and just listen, I guess. That's how I, it was hard to do it. Cause I could do the things with the puck that I knew that I practiced.

I knew I practiced, I put the time in and I knew how to make it successful. I knew how to, what's the word? I knew how to execute it successful. I knew how to – what's the word? I knew how to execute it. So it was hard to like, okay, yeah, I won't do it. Rob, I want to mention you're part of NHL history as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers in their final season, but I wanted to ask, did you have any overlap with our buddy Tim Stapleton while you were there?

Yes, yes, I did. Tim Stapleton, he's part of the DAC-5. He's a great guy. What a guy. Uh, he can light up a room. Um, tremendous hockey player. He's got sick skill. And, uh, I know you, Timmy is a great dude. We had, we had a bunch of good times, a bunch of good laughs, him, uh, Anthony Stewart. Uh, yeah, that was, we had some fun. It was, it was cool. What was he a member of? What five? We had some fun.

It was cool. What was he a member of? What five? Daiquiri Five. We went out one day. We had a long lunch. We were out of playoffs by a mile, and the boys were just pounding. Just having a few daiquiris.

We weren't sitting there for a couple hours. So that's how we always check in with each other, the Daiquiri Five. Kind of corny, but whatever. It's something to remember each other by. You know those days where you just laugh at just some things and it's just maybe all the stress goes away for a minute. And it's just, you know, like I said, we're at a playoffs by a mile. So it's not a mile, but like mathematically out. So it's just a moment to just enjoy each other for a little bit

and laugh at stupid shit and whatever. Just have a good time. So it always kind of stuck with us all. We were like, hey, the back five. I know you weren't there all that long. Well, the team wasn't there all that long. But what was your impression of hockey in Atlanta while you were there? Yeah, it was tough.

You know, like having experience in London, I got an NHL experience at like 17 to 19. And then, you know, some of the places I came up on the next stops were not so much. And it was tough. It's really hard to to get fired up in a 19 000 seat building that's pretty sick actually if it would have been full and there's you know there's three or four thousand people it's you know what i mean i had

that junior experience like that's excitement and i want like i mentioned i want to be an entertainer but like it's just there's not much energy in the building it's tough to uh yeah it's really tough to fire it up 10 milligram to get it up for that fucking barn maybe maybe a 20 milligram 10 for a job yeah right the pulse is down man but it was it was it was a great group of guys i'll say that you know they went to winnipeg a lot of the same pieces went to winnipeg and like guys like boss i like Boff, I got to know, and Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, who I played with at the top prospects game. So that was, like, getting back with him.

And it was a great group of guys. It would have been sick in the sense of, like, sticking with those guys. It was a great move going to Winnipeg, obviously, for the league, for revenue, all that other stuff, top business. But, you know, it just wasn't working there, to be honest. Three, 4,000 people in the building. With that kind of talent, it's kind of – it sucks because it's a waste, right? Yeah.

It's like a wheel. I mean, Boffin always – whatever's going on, I hope he's getting all right. But, you know, there's so many good players there. If that doesn't sell, then you got to move. Getting all right, but there's so many good players there. If that doesn't sell, then you've got to move. You mentioned London and how that was an NHL experience, being the toast of the town. Now, did I hear wrong?

Did you have a radio show when you were playing there? Yeah, we did every morning. FM96 with Big D, Mindy, and mindy and gordon and i would go in there let's hear about this would you be a clown would people call in and talk to you it was but it was yeah people call in we had like they they kept us like kind of um they kept us kind of on the wraps you know because it's not much filter between Presti and I. And it was a family show, and it would sometimes get off track. But it was great, though. I mean, that was the kind of stuff that we did in London.

You fired up. You fired up the community. You're part of it. People are driving to work and hearing Presti and I chirping Kitchener at freaking 7 in the morning. We've got a game in 12 hours, you know. Presti and I would be in there just shooting the shit chirping bobby's always back and forth with each other's competition and beat

each other and who could get the best chirping when we had our two minute segment but those guys were awesome big d mini and gordon they were so cool and they built they helped build the the you know the vibe in the in the feel of the city for us and and as players and then obviously me and presti and Presti, Presti and I get to go in there every Friday morning and get our coffee and shoot the shit. And then it was game day, right? And then you go out and you get to entertain.

You entertain them in the morning and entertain them at night. And then Jim Bob raised. Well, I was going to ask if there was one story in particular that was pretty wild that you could think of off the top of your head, but that's put you on the spot. no on the show yeah well one time i mean it's kind of it was a little inappropriate but i i just wasn't even thinking and they said something about the team we were playing and i was like yeah i don't think we even have to show up i could stay at home with like a bottle of lotion and tissues and wouldn't

even be a problem. And I'll like, I just was like, I was literally looking at the paper and then I looked up. So cocky dude. Yeah. It was cocky. And the expression that you were like, not for a family show. I was like, oh yeah, we're going to go to air.

Well, let me say this. He had two or two that night. Yeah. Hold on. Shrimpy. Shrimpy. I'm going to go out on a limb and blame the guy who thought it would be smart to put on two kids that knew they were playing in the OHL at age 10 to host a radio show when they were 18 years old. So if they didn't think some inappropriate things were going to be said, they're crazy.

We were good for rating. I went around and I went to the producer, hey, I got these two guys, they're going to be a hit. You probably knew you were going to be line matched against me that night. It was Owen Sound coming into town. That's why I was minus four in that fucking building. You were always drooling, man. I didn't try to stay out of your corner. I knew

what you were up to. I knew you were gay. Yeah, drooling out of my nose because Prusty broke it every fucking time we played. Hey, you know, I remember that scrap very well. And it was just – I don't know if it's going to make you feel better about it or not, but, like, that scrap, like, I felt like catapulted him to feel like he could get a big W, you know? Like, that made him feel better about, like, most of his scraps, and I'm being serious, though, but, like, most of his scraps, he fought bigger, like Cam Jansen and stuff like that.

Like, I felt bad for you, buddy. You were gushing all over. I catapulted Brandon Prust's fighting career, so you're welcome, Prusty. I'm just saying. I'll get the check in the mail. What do you got for him, R.A.? I was going to say, looking at where you're from in central New York, upstate New York, you must be a Bills fan, no?

No, yeah, we grew up Bills and then Rangers for hockey. But my uncles and I was mostly hockey. My uncles and my dad were really passionate about football. Football season, get in there and just yell and scream TV. I'd be flipping pucks around somewhere. I was going to say, at this stage, you'd be a capo in the Bills Mafia after this many years. Dummy

at the table. We haven't even dived into your professional career much already. You get drafted by Edmonton. Were you expecting to go that late, or were you thinking you were going to get drafted before 25th overall? I was

slotted higher. The draft didn't go well. my draft year was really tough demanded the trade out of mississauga which threw flags up and then i you know i got you didn't play in playoffs so a lot of flags and um yeah i didn't do myself any service in my combine meetings i was very like you know very defensive and kind of still confident in my ability and kind of had so that then i did myself no sir no service there at all and you know the expression uh perception is reality so i wasn't given off a great perception so the draft slipped for me and a lot of my own doing and uh yeah so a little and then that it was almost a stinger too but it was kind of like i had a lot to prove you know i i think i even said it all i came off the stage and they put

a mic in front of my face and how do you feel i said i don't know i'm really uh excited about this opportunity i got a lot of i got about 24 other teams that i gotta prove something to or something along the lines of that or i almost wanted to say like shove it up their ass this came out really bad i was just fired up and like like i guess the word would be arrogant but confident in my ability so um it was a wild day too yeah like the whole time like i said i was kind of slotted to go higher and we got a camera and he's got a camera in front of my face and it's like every pick it's you're eager you're in and you don't go and then you know one of the couple of meetings are like if you're there's no way you're going to be at this pick and then the pick comes i'm like i'm going i'm going boom nope and it was like kind of like all on film was like damn this sucks like

this at one point like that i'm on like i'm gonna like let me know if they call my name like he's like hey relax i was it was a it was a kind of stressful day if i think back to it i blocked that one out but it was it was weird it just uh kind of stressful day if I think back to it I blocked that one out but it was it was weird it just uh yeah I thought I was going to go higher and didn't and but it's so then it's the other thing is to be grateful for the opportunity what's the big deal like now I'm older and obviously you can absorb and think a little bit clearer but like just a young kid punk kind of and uh I was kind of frustrated that the mt teams would pass on me kind of thing instead of like i got a great opportunity so if i could go back i guess that that would be

probably right up on top of the list of how to approach this situation so when you got to the nhl level it was kind of still a little of the the arrogance or the confidence and just or was it more that that you don't think you were putting roles where you kind of need to be in to succeed? Like, you know, Edmonton, there was times, you know, you looked incredible out there. And then times you wouldn't even be playing much. So looking back now, as you say, you get older.

And I know for me, I get more of you kind of look at things a different way. And do you now look back and think the same thing that you did then at the time when you, you ended up getting shipped out of Edmonton? Yeah, no, I think it was a situation trying to, you know, fit a square into a circle kind of scenario. I don't think it was, I didn't, it just didn't have the right feel. I never felt good there. I never felt myself. I didn't, you know, I just didn't feel, I didn't feel a good fit, you know,'t know that's how it was um to your point with honestly

not really you know it's kind of like more like I if I would make it like a third fourth line I'm like I think we all know that I'm not banging bodies you know when I go and hit the you know usually a guy like this that's what I say stay away from this I know it's good if he catches me that's energy for them but when I go make a hit you know, usually a guy like Biss, that's what I say, stay away from Biss. I know it's a gig. If he catches me, that's energy for them. But when I go make a hit, it's embarrassing. Like everyone's like, oh, it should be maybe not. Like just stick to your game kind of thing, you know. So knowing that role and like plodded in and training camp coming in

and, you know, you see where you're at. Like you can kind of do some quick math, right? So it just didn't feel like a fit. So when I got a chance to get picked up by on waivers you get those rights on your second deal uh it was a relief and and just like start new i'm not mad not angry who cares like it's over had some tough tough goes like in the a my last year's a lot of losses and coming from a team that won all the time like i said london gave me that feeling of win and joy when everything around when you win and that's what dallas instills a lot is when you

win you get i don't want to say treated but like that's what you get a reward so to speak if we lost the one year the year we lost the guelph we lost only 11 games or something like that maybe maybe 11 12 games and we would bag on monday monday uh skates instead of having a day off because we and we only lost like once in a while it didn't matter if you lost sunday boom monday was like a bagger basically no pucks and if you won day off enjoy yourself boys you earned it so having some lot losing seasons in the minors was was pretty tough to swallow. And then when I got a chance to move on, it was kind of just like, okay,

clean slate, let's go try to fire this thing up and make the, you know, quote-unquote show. I want to be a show guy. I want to be in the show, not playing kick around the minors. Switching to a more positive subject, New York Islanders. Yeah, get deep in it. When you ask, I'll give you the full, you know, I kind of give you the full. Oh, I had to get the whole thing, Shrimpy.

I'm interested myself. You know what I mean? Seriously. I don't know how it all went down. I'm listening. I'm a listener and an interviewer right now. I could do it all. I think, Shrimpy, one thing I wanted to take away from this interview was,

you know, maybe kids are a little bit stubborn in their role, and it's nice to hear you acknowledging the fact that you were maybe a little bit stubborn in your role and it might have worked against you and for people to hear that I think it you know might change their perspective on things now as I was saying I wanted to switch to a little bit more of a positive note when you got shipped off to the Islanders you had a pretty good little stint there I think you played in 89 games and 47 points, so obviously feeling it a bit more offensively. That was clearly your most positive time at the NHL level, correct? Yeah, absolutely.

You know, we got into a good little roll there, a good little rut with Blake Como, and Johnny Sim was on our line. We had a good line, good third line, and we got rolling. It gave me a chance and i had to earn that too and that's the thing i took my lessons from edmonton to long island because when i first got there it was one of those things you get the meeting with the coach okay well what position are you i played center my whole life okay well if you had to pick a wing which wing would it be i only played right really show the first game, I'm on the left wing, fourth line. I'm like, oh, shit.

Disaster, yeah. So I'm like, my first four games were pathetic, you know. And I knew, I'm not stupid. And they're like, listen, you know, clearly this isn't your spot. You're going to have to wait for, A, someone to play themselves out of the lineup or, you know, if there's an injury, you get in. So, I mean, I wound up waiting like 20 games, healthy scratching. And Scotty Allen was bag skating us every day after practice.

Every day we get it and stay ready. And then finally I got my chance, you know, I think a couple of guys went down and I got to get in my role and it was like second or third game in, I got my goal against Boston. I felt good. And then I scored a baseball goal. That was kind of like, all right, let's go. And, uh, you know, I took what the point of that was from Edmonton when I was in the locker room in Long Island said, no, I didn't sulk. I just tried to be a good guy. I just tried to, I don't want to say a clown. I wasn't a clown. I just was making sure it was always easy when you're around me. I don't want you to pity for me i don't want i'm happy to be here i much rather be here than riding a bus eating this shitty soggy sub this is great i'm fine don't worry about me boys so when i got in the excitement was there from the boys right like the boys were pulling for me instead of like you know there's the piss poor baby that's been

pouting for two months that's something about being a team guy you just you baby that's been pouting for two months. That's something about being a team guy. You just, you gotta, that's so important. It goes a long way and not letting your emotion, if it's bad, carry over. Cause that's, it's a team game. And you be the rotten guy that no one wants to be around. You won't be around long. You played for Scott Gordon for a couple of years in the Island. I thought he was, you know, he had some pretty decent success in the island,

and then he got the interim tag in Philly. Is he a guy you're surprised hasn't latched on with an NHL team for a longer time? I don't know. I think Gordo or Flash, he's kind of a systems guy, and he does well with a certain type of team, so it's got to be the right fit. Sometimes that works in system structure and in place.

Some guys thrive in. And sometimes, you know, with creativity, it can be a push and pull. So it's about the right fit. And seeing how that looks on a long-term basis, I'm not a general manager. I can't make that call. But that's the only thing I can say. That's, you know, just as I was stubborn, sometimes the coach can be stubborn.

So it's a lesson for everybody, maybe not just kids, but, you know, anybody in the game really. There's value add in learning from, you know, how to absorb sometimes, not always push. And the system things, like I said, sometimes there's room for creativity. And with Gordo, he was good with me, and he allowed me to play in the beginning it was tough um but i kind of started showing him that i could execute and i wouldn't take more than i was i wouldn't

take a mile you know if he gave me an inch i would take two inches not a mile so it was a push and pull and we got along really well and that's when i finally got to thrive a little bit and it's just unfortunate the next year we came out terrible i think it was you know 14 losses in a row it's just there was no other choice but to fire the coach like 14 games in a row in the show is it's not a neat thing to do yeah it's funny i remember he was you know a young up-and-coming coach with providence ages ago and i'm looking at his page and he's 57 years old i haven't felt this old and he was he was unreal those teams in providence were were like well-oiled machines i was in springfield we played them all the time and they would kick the shit out of us like it was frustrating to play against

his system 100 you know when he had those guys dialed in and breathing down the d getting the deep breathing down the d all night long all night long and our you know i didn't play d i didn't so i can't say like why didn't you make a better play i would probably do the same thing when i had guys breathing down my neck all night long you got nothing to do with the puck but the thing is when it transfers to the show you dump it in marty bedore stops it or you dump it in and chris barger gets to have the first pass. It's a different story. My vision of it, at least, I hope it's not, I don't mean to throw a splash on the bus.

It's just that's what happens. Those guys that are getting the first touches, they're like nasty. So they make sick play. You're just giving it back to them sometimes. You don't want to give it to them. Make them earn it. But when you keep giving it to them, Marty's freaking throwing sauce up the middle of the ice for breakaways off the dump, and it's like,

eh, we probably shouldn't do that. Shrempie, 2011, you finish off that season in Atlanta, and obviously you make the decision to go overseas. Were you at peace with the fact that you'd given it a fair shake at trying to make it to the NHL, and at that point, you were more just trying to go secure maybe some finances and just have a nice home base for once no i was confused really to be honest i got the first kind of touch when winnipeg was like

well we'll rob take a two-way kind of thing and i was like oh here we go i'm a waiver pickup and i did maybe too much math and jumped to too many conclusions probably um but i'd be honest with you this I was like I'm not climbing that again let me go to school prove them and that I can play even on the other side you know because I went to Sweden which is it's a lot of the stuff that's coming back with feedback with the skating we needed skating so I said let's go to somewhere where the skating is great and I'll play my game and prove that it's calculated skating. That's how I felt about it. And it was kind of like, go have a good year and come back. I didn't want to jump in.

I had two offers. I had one in Russia and one in Sweden. And I didn't know anything about the other side of the pond at that time. And it turned out it was Minsk or Modo. And I saw Minsk on a map with my agent at the time. And I didn't know geography. Kind of painted myself with a nice brush here. i had no idea where minsk was and it looked like it was in the middle of nowhere on the map and i was like nope i'm like i'm taking moto i'll go to sweden i remember hearing moto was naslin sedins uh all these names that came out of there and i just

thought like this place must be absolutely sick you know i'm like we'll go there have a good year and try to come back and And that was the thought process. So it wasn't really something of like, it's over here. And then it just, it just happened that way. No, no sniffs the next year back in North America. Not, not even, not even close. Yeah. I just was like, I put up 20, 20 talks.

Actually 19, 19, because. A little, 19 because the last game of the year, we had a shootout and we already, so the way it works over there is there's the relegation round, right? There's a playoff team and then there's a relegation round. So both, we made the playoffs and the team we played against didn't have to worry about relegation. So we had a shootout in that last game and we both knew it didn't mean anything.

So I did a, I did a lacrosse style on there. And if I would've went in and took it serious and buried, it would have been my 20th goal of the year. So I went in, I come in on the cross and I throw it right off the elbow and it just goes out. And I come back and Alfie was like,

you fucking, you fucking, what are you doing? I'm like, it doesn't even matter. He's like, fine. So then our goalie makes a save. We need another one. And he's like, you're not going. He's like, sit the fuck down.

He said, no, what about our defenseman? I was like, come on, man. It totally goes down in barriers. He was like, whatever, Alfie. He's like, relax. He's like, you know about that? He's like, you would have got 20. I was like, whatever, Elfie. He's like, relax. He's like, you know about that? He's like, you would have got 20. I was like, whatever.

Wait, you would have got a goal for a shootout goal? Yeah, a game-winning goal in the shootout is a goal towards your total. Oh, that's kind of a scam. It's fair value. I guess you're right, but you could then have your goalie make a save and you still get the game-winning goal and you get a goal and a stat. You said that you were thinking you were going to get picked again. Could you just roll the same shooter every time?

After three, you can go. And then in a penalty shot, you can pick your shooter as well. NHL should do that. I think after three, they go. Is NHL does three or five? Holy shit. Three, yeah. So then they should be able to hockey podcast they they should do um no russia was five russia was russia was five and that was my last hockey uh they should be able to like one guy should be

able to go every single time after the three i think it's it's a fair point right like the point of it is entertainment value it's not that that's my opinion of it okay so take it for think it's it's a fair point right like the point of it is entertainment value it's not that that's my opinion of it okay so take it for what it's worth but like it's entertainment so as if you as a consumer i want to watch patty kane go eight times right i no offense to the rest of the guys i love watching during the game they all have their part of the puzzle but when it comes down to this part of it and this i had a discussion about shootouts recently it's some guys aren't good at it because some guys are good out of the system the system creates and helps them organize when it comes down to iso hockey and it's me and you me and the goalie you got to get the goalie out of the net

like it's way harder to do that in my opinion again that the goalie has the advantage right they got the angles and they just have to wait you out you got to get you got to sell him you got to get him to bite and you got to get him out of the net or you got to pick a hole that you know you're talking on each other goalies they know their angles pretty well it's not that big so back to the story it's i would rather watch patty kane just keep going, like Oshie in the Olympics. Like, how sick was that? Jonathan Tays and Peter Mueller back in World Junior Day. Like, that's an entertainment piece.

And when you start rolling into, like, some guys hate it, right? Like, you get into the seventh, eighth round, and the guy just goes down and fires a five-hole on top of circles. Clearly, he did not want to be a participant in the shootout, right? Like, I'm going to give it the five-hole from the top of the circles on a free breakaway. Clearly, he did not want to be a participant in the shootout. I'm going to give it the five hole from the top of the circle on a free breakaway. I think that my opinion, again, I would go with just keep running them. Rob, I mentioned in the intro you played in five different countries in Europe.

At one point, you played in four countries in four straight years. Was that about the deals you were getting, or were you just trying to get as many life experiences as you could at that point? Yeah, just kind of trying to build and go try different things, learn different parts of the game and play in different leagues. And, you know, I didn't have one spot where I was really that comfortable. So I wasn't like, yeah, let's sign an extension or let's sign a multi-year

so it's more just kind of like i'm pretty easy going to pick up and leave and go somewhere i'll meet 20 new guys love it new friends new city new new country um pretty easy going that way so it's more about just kind of venturing and trying new hockey and at that point it was kind of like pretty much set in stone i wasn't coming back to the show, so why not? So in five years or six years, whatever it was, playing in Europe, if people listening don't know, the national team breaks happen, I don't know, two or three times a year, and everyone pretty much gets a week off. Do you have any memorable traveling experiences?

Because guys that are over in Europe, you can shoot all, you know, you can go anywhere. You have so much time, and it's so easy to travel. So did you enjoy those national team breaks? Those were awesome. Honestly, those were being away from home and different parts of the world.

Those breaks were huge. You give you a chance to meet up with buddies, go to some spots and just kick back. Get after it. Enjoy a couple wobbly pops and speak some English and feel okay about it. And, and, uh, kind of reset. It really was a reset. Those, those breaks were great.

And one year I got to go to the Dushman cup when I'm out with Chris Collins, we had a blast. Jan Stasny was there. Um, great group of guys, uh, Chelios, Billy Guerin, and Don Waddell were the coaches. And so we had a great crew. It was a lot of fun. And being in Munich, it was – the beer houses were awesome, those big jugs of beer. And listening to Chelios and Guerin tell some stories.

I mean, those guys are – they just – they have that – whenever they speak, they just have that – you know what I mean? Everybody just shuts up and wants more and more and more. The stories are great, and they're – just the way they say it, the way they talk, and obviously having the respect for both what those guys have done in the game. It was sick to go out there. And that was my – yeah, that was my first year in Sweden,

so I needed that break and just to have a little bit of America around you. And I went back, and having Merle's not too far down the road was actually pretty helpful. I went out a couple of times in the local casino, throwing the dice. Not Merle's. So that was helpful having Merle's close. Trimpy, you've been fortunate enough you get to stick around the game.

Like, keep everyone up to date on what you got going on because it sounds amazing yeah so i started off uh with on a platform instat i got an account and i just started playing around on it and figuring the system out and and i started grabbing players like random players and started whipping them up and started studying like i just go through and watch nhl power plays and see like who's doing that well and start breaking them down through my eyes and i just randomly just i'd start flipping them like here take these like don't care like there's no message at the end of it it's not like hey i want to be a power play coach like hey this guy is not like changing the

angle or anything like that so just giving tips and then i started thinking i was like you know i think this would be a cool way to get into it because i didn't want to get back in the rat race and climb in the ladder that way you know having a two-year-old daughter i want to be around her i want to be stable to the point of moving around like you've seen on my resume i want to be kind of solid so i decided to build this platform and through instat i can do it i can see leagues all over the world and i can put my input into it so So then I thought about, okay, that'd be cool. But that's, if you think honestly, that's, I can only impact maybe 20 people, 30 people. If I'm honest with it, if I'm trying to gouge money, I can say I can do 60,

but if you're giving an honest opinion and honest effort, I think that, so then I was like, I should, I want to try to build a team. So I started seeing guys around in the game and people in the game. And then I thought about the women's game so i started circling in the women's game and i got some pretty cool people together and i just told them what i thought let's try to help grow the game at a large scale i can do this on my own use my own name and whatever is my experience and do it but i would like to do it as a team and all of us giving our knowledge back to the game and like this unique level like

i don't need you to come in if you don't want to if you want to do things where we go on site you can but like from your computer you can take your as a woman olympic knowledge olympic team member knowledge and experience and now you can insert that back into the game would you want to do that and the girls were like yes so i'm i built this platform and then i started just building on i got guys like team backed up with danny savrette who i get you know uh freddie meyer danny savrette i think he's a brilliant guy like the way he sees the game talk systems he's he he loves it and loves hockey loves talking systems love talking you know the why and the what so bringing guys on that that have value mike motto freddie meyer uh got some cool go eddie lock

i just tried to build out like a really solid i was just thinking build knowledge build as much knowledge okay who has value as far as knowledge played a lot knows the game has something to get back and then i got together and we're at 30 30 coaches right now with all have resumes in the game and now we're going in and through players and there's at 30 30 coaches right now with all have resumes in the game and now we're going in and through players and there's all the technology out there now and the one thing i'll say is like when i was playing i would come off and i talk a ton right like just always like hey man you see the d like watch his feet like can't pivot like look at his stick blah blah blah or i had to be drawing diagrams up on the on the freaking chalkboard i draw like a two-year-old

so my line may be looking at me like i was like an idiot like having it within with this inset thing you can like take what's in your mind and you can put it on the screen so it's like here watch this look at the d's feet and you see now on the show they have ipads on the bench and we like during the game this is much better than chicken scratch on the chalkboard so for us we're going back to like the, all the youth games have cameras and we got a TV contract with that. So we can have those players and have the access to be able to help them. So my mindset was a lot of players.

And I think in the women's game, not specifically, but a lot of it is for them is they're kind of stuck to their community, right? Whatever the, whatever the resource in that community is, is what they got. Now with this, we open the door and you have very good resources that can be anywhere in the world. Like I think it's unique. We'll see.

But all these players care. All these players, like I'd like to do a mentorship too as well so they can teach us what it takes to be an Olympic woman athlete, what it takes to be a professional hockey player, the life lessons that I've learned. You can hear them in this podcast. I mean, I'm pretty open about them. And I had a lot of them, uh, went from, you know, having something as a sure thing to gone to circling back and saying, here's, you know, here's where the kinks are and here's where you can, here's the hurdles. And here's how you can maybe get around them a little easier.

A lot of value to that. And that's the mission of it. And my heart is growing the game of hockey, and I have a big passion for the women's game of it. A couple summers, Bolin and I trained with Bailey Bram and Rebecca Johnson, and the dedication and passion that they came in every single day with. And I gotta be honest, some days we came in and the whole gym could probably, you know, we stunk and to see like what we were kind of taking for granted and what

those girls wanted gave me a memory that I'll never forget. And now that I have a chance, I want to help build that part of the game. So this is my way of trying to do that. Well, that was long story long. No, that was, that was well said. That was well said. It makes sense exactly what you're doing. You kind of seems like you were born to do this.

I just want to go back to one thing you said about, you know, talking to people about what it takes and women wanting to make an Olympic team. And if you need somebody to help teach that course, I'm available. My going rate's pretty cheap, but I just wanted to let you know. And I think it's great you brought up Freddie Meyer. Freddie is my boy. I loved him.

Before I went to BU, he went before me, and I watched him. I said, I can't wait to play with this guy, just animal, tough as nails, so skilled. And then he played in the NHL for a long time, undersized defenseman. Before, it was easy to make it as an undersized guy. So I love Freddie. I love hearing he's involved. He's going to come on the show soon.

He finally agreed to come on, so we'll get that done. But I love hearing what you're up to, man. I'm really happy for you, and that sounds like it's got the bones to be seriously successful and something that people are just going to love to get involved with because you're hearing from people who know the game and know what it takes to get there and also knows what can happen along the way that can derail things.

So I'm pumped for you. Well, that's the thing I appreciate. The thing, I went back and I put the pieces together. So I was like, hey, what was my problem? I was stubborn, my mental. And I got, I started doing market research and I came to this place called mind body fusion. And I saw literally through, I think it was, uh,

the guy from the Chicago steel Hardy tweeted about it. And I was like, let me check them out. And I check them out. And I just got on the phone with them and I'm like, wow, this stuff's intriguing. So I took their test. They have a test you take for like mental resilience. And I'm like, let me take it. Cause I'm not doing things just to do things. Right. So everything that I do as a partnership goes, uh, get to like, goes to a scholarship and I want to circle it all and have the game all together. Right. So, so mind body fusion, it was like a mental resilience test. I took the test and it, the message I got back nailed me to a T.

And it was like about my emotions. I cared what people thought. And then a mistake would happen and then I just crumble. And it was like, holy shit. Like while I wasted like a ton of time, like not knowing myself, you know what I mean? So I was like, that is value add. And these guys are out of Toronto. So I was like, I want to do a partnership.

Let's get the resources. So then I thought about other resources. So a good friend of mine, Jeff Lubecchio, I see what he's up to. I'm watching him, paying attention to him, bring him on the fold, make a partnership with his ripped gym. And then it's about helping players

have all the resources that all are kind of validated on our, you know, we don't say we validate it, but I i look into them like we've been around everywhere right like we know what's in the game and having traveled so many countries knowing what has value and what doesn't is it kind of sticks out to you so these things are where that's where it's like kind of helping the player and then also then what you talk about i came came from a small town, my dad was a hardworking factory worker. My mom works her ass off, still works her ass off, not having much cake price. That is what I talk about. I don't want to be elite and I don't want to be a privileged

platform. I want to be for everybody platform. So that was important to me to like actually be able to hit everybody. And it's not just for the person that has you know can fly anywhere in the world on on on a pj it's for like literally the guy that can't so all these partnerships i don't take the commissions or whatever they do the affiliate codes go towards a scholarship and the scholarship is going to be inserted to the coaches the coaches are going to submit who they think would benefit from this platform and who they think is deserving and that way it keeps the coaches in the game because i don't want it to be like us versus the coaches we want to help them with their individual players and send them back in their system the next you

know little tommy goes from 10 goals a year to 15 to 20 he feels good coach looks good we got scholarships going out everybody feels good it's like uh i't know. I'm getting really pumped up about it. But sorry, guys. Long story long. No, no worries. Shrimpy, I wanted to ask you one thing though. With talking with the female hockey players, what do they think is the biggest hurdle that they need to overcome

in order to get their league to a point where it's not only like self-sustainable but where these women are being paid appropriately? You know, yeah. I think it's somewhere where know, yeah, it's, I think it's somewhere where you're talking how it's going to be sustainable and you got to talk consumers and, and having that somewhere meet in the middle, you gotta, you gotta find the consumer. And in my opinion, and this is my opinion on the game and from my experience on the game,

and I'll say it and I'm not sure how the game and from my experience on the game and i'll say it and i'm not sure how the reaction will go but it is it is my opinion and it's from my experience but i in my opinion i think that if you were to make the rink smaller it would allow the visual test of the consumer to appreciate how good the women are okay Okay. So in my opinion, when you're a consumer and you have the eye test, let's call it a thing, a six foot two thing, 220 pounds thing, explosive and does all this, whatever. Okay. Take that out. You insert a, let's call it a five, seven, five, eight, 140, 150 pound thing. And you compare it as a consumer. You're,

you can't make the consumer do it, see what he sees, right? And I think with the rink smaller, so for my experience, when I went over to Europe, it was so far away from the net, in my opinion, and not in my opinion, my experience. In the NHL rink, when I would walk off the half wall, I'd get up about the top of the circle, I could rip a clapper and comfortably know, if I hit my spot, I could score. When I did it in Europe, it's six feet further out, seven feet further out. The angle's way different. It's way off.

It was like playing catch with the goalie. I felt like when you're in tighter, there's a lot more action around the net. And I think for the women, when you're comparing, so like for me, it's like comparing. How do you compare something against like Patty Kane to a consumer? You know what I'm saying does that make sense yeah you're trying to put them in that situation more by by shrinking their yeah and it's and it's not about my opinion my genuine opinion on it is that you're bringing equality in because you're you're allowing the consumer to be like not compared to patty kane you got man i'm shit compared to patty kane you got man i'm shit compared to patty kane a lot

of us are shit compared to patty kane like you don't compete with the same you know because it's about the vision and what the consumer likes and the entertainment right so don't be stubborn if i had an idea sorry go ahead what i was going to say is like don't say stubborn and traditional the way it was done traditionally maybe maybe change the concept a little bit inform it to where it's more consumer appropriate where you will have more people consuming it which if the ultimate goal is to make it more financially sustainable you that your your goal should be money and a business i think so too i think and then when you talk about venues so i think then you can tailor make your your venues to what your to what your you know your market is and you're not playing like i said i

played in front of 10 000 people and whatever 9100 people in london and packed house and had the energy and i also played in front of 2 000 people in an 18 000 building and felt felt pretty shitty but like when you tailor make the venues it's like imagine having the scenario of all the venues and the women being like a Joe Louis experience where it's right over the top and that energy is so electric and the action's going on. I just think you could have a chance to Taylor make the rinks as well.

And what we're seeing from market research is there's a guy over in Sweden that's's being revered as you know very smart guy and what they ask him what he's doing small ice games so small ice games it's huge to be way more skilled think about when you're in a smaller ice to how much skill it takes you don't get to push the puck around and then skate into it when you're tight you got to have touch feel vision you have to keep your head up and you got to be able to maneuver your feet uh a lot goes into it so when you bring it in it's a lot more skill and that's my opinion i'm not sure how how that'll go but i think it's it brings equality in in my opinion um not saying like you're not as good it's not that way in my i think it's more about appreciating how good they are because they are sick. I watched Kenna on a coin do her lap, skate her lap live at the NWHL All-Star Game,

and it is unbelievable. There are some amazing girls in this game. And how to maximize it, I just think try to be creative and, like, think of ideas of what's different. Don't, like you said, don't compete with that same thing and try to shove it in there, be different and unique and maybe a little more flexible and with ideas. But I, who knows where that goes? I also don't have a couple hundred million dollars in my bank to build all those venues or bring the boards in. It's just an idea. Well, shrimpy, I think that you've proven,

you've proven your case, done a good job of kind of explaining what's going on and your thought process behind all of that. So I wish you all the luck. I thank you very much for coming on. And, dude, it was a pleasure to watch you play at a young age, man. That was some crazy shit that you were able to do. So I'm pretty pumped you're going to be teaching it to youngsters, and good luck in the future with everything.

We'll be talking to you soon. Appreciate you guys. Thanks for having me on and thinking of me. And good luck with the pod, and I'll be listening. Rob, is there a website you wanted to share for the people, or is there one out there you need to share? Yeah, we're launching really soon. www.44visionhockey.com is where we'll be at.

And we'll have all the coaches up there. So, yeah, it's exciting. We should put our Barstool Pond Hockey team through this program. Buddy, we'll get you diagrammed up. I you walking that blue no problem barstool you were young you were the top prospect game i tweeted at you about that i remember yeah i was actually uh yeah i was like you were yeah you you were entertaining my friend you had everybody going what a night to be on here what a night to be entertaining too with every single scout in the world watching yeah that's decent thanks buddy I appreciate you coming on this

is awesome no problem thanks guys have a great night big thanks to Rob Shrimp for joining us that was a fun interview we got some good stuff out of him of course he spent quite a few years in the AHL and there's a little bit of news on that and AHL president Dave Andrews hung them up after 26 years.

He did an incredible job really putting the AHL even more on the map than it was. He did announce a few months back this would be his last season. Unfortunately, they weren't able to award the – call the cup for him his last season. Scott Housen has been a GM for a couple different teams, been in a few front offices. He'll be taking over for him. Bez, you're an AHL alumni. He was pretty big for the league, eh? Awesome, and I touched on been in a few front offices. He'll be taking over for them. You're an AHL alumni. He was pretty big for the league, eh?

Awesome, and I touched on it in a few podcasts ago about the Western Division. I thought it was a beautiful way for him to cap his presidency off as an AHL president. And like I said, that Western Division has continued to get bigger. Henderson coming in and Palm Springs as well. So congratulations to him on a wonderful career. Well said, Biz. And of course, speaking of career changes, hiring can be difficult. But if you're a company that's currently trying to hire, you face new difficulties

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That's ZipRecruiter.com slash chicklets. I know who won't be looking for a new job is the photographer who took a photo that we recently unearthed on Twitter. We've obviously goofed on wit about being beheaded by Tim Jackman many moons ago in that famous hockey fight photo. Well, it turns out you actually fought him as well, and there's a picture of you with your head in your

jersey. I mean, what are the odds? The two of my co-hosts on this podcast both have beheaded in photos by Tim Jackman. The spit and chiclets killer. He's coming for you, R.A. Yeah, Tim Jackman was a tough customer. I had to fight him a few times.

And underrated player, too. He could play on that fourth line. And I think he was probably averaging about eight to ten minutes a night where that was a lot more than me. So congrats to him on a great career and beheading me and Witt. Imagine if he was on the West Coast Wagon Tour and he already ate his food after he fell asleep at the bar. He would have dummied him.

That would have been number three. Yeah, I mean, this guy, he's a killer. He could fly, Biz. That's why he played a lot. He was fast. He could fly, Biz. That's why he played a lot. He was fast.

So, Biz, I mean, the only issue is you were in the midst of trying to just return a monster right, and I was on the ground looking like I lost contact. I was looking like Manny when he lost his diamond earring in the minors and he made the whole game stop and people helped him look for it. Oh, yeah, Manny Ramirez. That was a tough look for me. Both teams got out and looked for that diamondeer when he slid. Yeah, I think so.

I think he slid at the third base. That's an old wives' tale. Yeah. What I mentioned in the entry, you're a big golf guy. Of course, everybody knows that. I was wondering, how do you set your tee times? How does that work all the time? I'll tell you.

We got some golf talk, guys, but before we get into that, I got to talk about Supreme Golf. Everyone knows that hockey guys love playing golf. Hockey girls, too. You play hockey, you play golf. And if you're not at the rink right now, it's the summertime. Now, granted, some guys are getting ready to play. You go to Supreme Golf. You're an absolute peasant if you don't go to Supreme Golf to book your tee times.

It is a totally redesigned website and mobile apps that make it incredibly easy to find the best tee times and great rates. They have the brand-new Supreme Golf Rewards Program. You heard it right, Biz, the Rewards Program from Supreme Golf. Talk about that not getting you fired up. Basically, they're paying you to play golf. It's like you win a big money match. They're paying you to just go swing the wrenches. Book your tee times using Supreme Golf and earn reward points for every round booked and turn those points into credit towards your next tee time. And what else can I say about Supreme

Golf, guys? Because this is a great advertiser for us, right? This is golf. This is what I'm talking about. This is what people love, except for some of you. And you're an idiot if you don't like my golf talk and you don't book your tee time to a Supreme Golf. So get there right now. Sign up at SupremeGolf.com slash Barstool today.

Speaking of golf wit, I'm going to be heading to lake tahoe for the first time ever i've never been there and i'll be staying at the hard rock hotel and they got that ed edgewood tahoe golf course there that's where they have that celebrity pro-am and it's actually going on while i'm there really i don't know they're not they're not doing it they're not oh yes uh mj plays in that. So does Charles Barkley do it. Have you seen his swing? Yeah, but he's Charles fucking Barkley.

You're Paul Bissonnette or Paul Missonnette. Oh, how are you? So I got to thank my girl Rachel Q for hooking me up. Although there's no spectators at the golf situation, there will be other things going on. They got a Q&A with Dennis Rodman one night. Oh, Jesus. I might get on the mic for a few questions. They're just handing out, like, condoms and drinks,

as Dennis Rodman's telling the story. Hey, Whit, how many tee times would you have booked at once? Like, what's the most, like, tee times you have in the chamber, so to speak? I pretty much know what I'm doing like five days out, so I'm always five days ahead. But things change, and then there's some days you're like, all right, I'm not playing today. And then you're like, oh, it's so nice out.

I got to go play golf. So I just think that as long as I stay ahead of it, when you have a family, and I was – before Ryder was born, I just – every day I knew I was just going there. Now you got to do more planning. I'm learning that a calendar really helps. So, R.A., you know, I never used a calendar really. Turns out women and wives out there love having calendars.

So I've learned to get better with that stuff. But golf talk, boys, just in a time right now where you're just trying to build the game up, you know, you want to play your best at the biggest moments. So I got the Mass Am two weeks from now. The week after that, I got the New England Am. The week after that, I think it's the We Met, a very good local tournament. So I'm just preparing right now, and I've been playing nice. I went out, though.

I shot even par at a course, Braeburn in Newton. Beautiful course. So fun. It's just a track. The greens were lightning. Shot even. Played great. It was three under on the front, three over on the back.

So that was a disappointing end. But I missed, like, a four-footer to shoot one under. So I hit it great, you know. I was happy. The next day I went out and played. I shot 78, which is five over at TPC Boston because that's a par 73. When the touring pros play it for the playoff event in the PGA Tour, they actually play it as a par 71.

We have five par fives. They play only three of them as par fives. Two of them go to par four. That sucks. I like when there's more par threes. Par threes are tough, man. I actually looked at my scoring. My par three scoring is my worst number.

I hit it okay, but five over, I could have been a little better. I lost a ton of money that day. I took two days off, and then I played a course, Black Rock Country Club in Hingham. Beautiful track. Great, great. The course is in just pristine shape. The greens are lightning. And we played, I shot one over, played nice too. Four birdies, five bogeys though that was yesterday that was tuesday

so that's just too many bogeys because you can't plan on making four birdies every round at least i can't and then uh what did i do today on uh wednesday i went and i played catancet where the mass ams being played this track dude is one of the top courses in in the country in new england it's it's sick i love it it's on the coast in marion massachusetts you get some water views it's just a track and i got a practice round in and i shot 77 six over that will not work at the you know you got to probably shoot six over for two days at the mass am to get into match play. So we'll see. I, I put it poorly, but my game feels good. My game feels solid. So I'm going to in a, in a nice spot here, fellas. I'm trying to say what I said before, zero expectations anymore.

I've realized golf is a game. You literally never feel the same day to day. The next day you do not feel this day the way you did the day before it's it's crazy so you just instead of getting frustrated you got to find you got to find your feel you got to find your swing a little bit and i'm not expecting anything going in which makes it uh easier i think good luck that's the golf talk thanks guys you know what i get from your golf talk you've never played a bad course every every course gorgeous course oh my good oh gorgeous course yeah i play tracks i will you end up playing courses in qualifiers and sometimes tournaments that you don't maybe consider the nicest course but that just shows dude just because you're playing nice course

this doesn't mean you're gonna do shit in an've got to be able to play all types of courses. All right, that's what I'm going to do when I play them heads up. I'm going to bring them to like a goat ranch, like one of my tracks where I can fuck with them. You know when the ice is shit? That plays into my hand. You don't get to stick out on much. You think that it plays into your hand to just have bear lies all over the course,

putting through fucking moss? So, Biz, you can think what you want, but use Supreme Golf to book your tee times. They're on our team now. I used to play a par 3 up in Middleton. Did you ever go up to that years ago with that little par 3 right up in Middleton,

Mass Pass, Danvers? No. I'm talking fucking 30 years ago back when I golfed. It's still a little place to kill a day. You should pick up the clubs again, R.A. We should get an R.A. sandbagger going. Yeah, I might as well pick up my street hockey goalie equipment while I'm at it. I was fucking better at that. We got a big weekend down here, Biz.

I know you want to talk about it. Fourth of July down here in America with Saturday on the weekend. It's always a raucous time down here. I was asking R.A. before we started recording. I see him as like the biggest fourth of july guy i mean he's going to daytona and shit like florida i i picture i picture ra the guy like shoving uh you know fireworks up his hoop and roman candle shooting him out of his ass and stuff could you not see ra being that type of guy celebrating fourth of july oh yeah man for

sure he's ripping he's ripping fireworks off. He's probably one of the people in the city that is just shooting fireworks off every night, keeping me awake. Keeping me awake. Yeah, that's a hashtag chicklets myth. I've never actually been set foot in Daytona Beach. But, no, Biz, I used to be a big party guy. I told you, my aunt and uncle, they were married for years.

They had a huge palace. It was like a family party every year. Then they split up probably 15 years ago, and the family party kind of went by the wayside but i used to tie one on i almost broke my nose diving in the pool when i was 18 and i skinned the bottom it was a cement line it was not a line it was a cement pool and i come up my cousin's like uncle you're bleeding i had like blood pouring down my face i thought it was just the water so they were like i heard they had drunk diving jokes for the next 20 years of the cookout. What about you,

Whit? Do you do any 4th of July shit? I spend some family time down at the beach. I love the 4th of July. I actually always think my family, I just always remember having great 4th of Julys. It was so fun. Being around family, cookouts, beach.

It's just – and that's coming from someone who hates the beach. I'm a pool guy. But just being outside and, you know, in a time where it seems that you're hearing from a lot of people who aren't proud to be from America. I mean, I certainly am, and I love the 4th of July. I've just always had amazing memories, and I can't wait for this week to happen, for this weekend to happen.

I plan to crush a bunch of those Pink Whitney minis this 4th of July. Those things are unbelievable. The nips. The nips are unreal. It's perfect. You just go to the garage, bank. When you get away from the wife. Imagine you're just sneaking booze

in the garage. I'm going to take the garbage out. Someone's listening in their AirPods, doing stuff around the house right now, literally swigging on a Pink Whitney. I'm like, shit, I'm actually hiding this from my old lady. We had a couple more things to talk about, didn't we, RA?

Yeah, absolutely. I know, G, you wanted to give us a Chicklets Cup update. We do have our first Chicklets Cup champion from Davao Foods. Daddy Padre is the first ever Chicklets Cup champion after defeating Nasher. Nasher was some slander before the game about the song, Daddy. He didn't really appreciate that. But going forward, Daddy Padre, he will be joining the team.

We have a lot of big matches planned in the future against some professional gaming teams. So Daddy Padre is going to take us to the promised land. But overall, Chicklets Cup was a big success. Thank you to everyone that helped out. It's been fun. We're also going to play some other games too. Wierenski's a big COD guy, isn't he?

Oh, yeah. Pasternak's huge too. Pasternak's a big gamer game or two the kachuk brothers i see they're always streaming so we're gonna start streaming and and tweet me tweet me what you guys want me to start streaming because i'm gonna get into cod i'm gonna get into fortnite i'm gonna get into everything you guys want just just let me know and and biz you said you're gonna get a system as well right i'm gonna get a setup here especially if we're still in quarantine, for Christ's sake. I mean, fuck, I'm going to be like the new ninja. I'm going to dye my hair.

I'm going to dye my hair pink for the Pink Whitney. Should I do it? Become some nerd online gamer? For the brand, baby. Gee, also, we got some Blade Game merchandise dropping as well. You've been rejuvenating, role- get some, uh, blade gang merchandise dropping as well. You've been a rejuvenating role blade down in Manhattan, brother. Yeah.

Now I'm, uh, I'm blading all over the Jersey shore. Now we just dropped some hats. We got some really cool t-shirts so you can buy those at store. Barstool sports.com. And, uh,

yeah, we're just, we're trying to encourage people to get out there and roll a blade. It's a, it's, it's really fun. It's a fun way to exercise. And dude,

I owe you a huge, thank you. Grinnell, you've given me some recommendations over the years. I know we have a huge age disparity, it's really fun. It's a fun way to exercise. And dude, I owe you a huge, thank you. Grinnell, you've given me some recommendations over the years. I know we have a huge age disparity, so sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. Last time we recorded before the show, you said to watch Dave on Hulu, the little Dickie show. It's fucking tremendous.

The best show I watched all quarantine. I watched eight episodes in a row until five o'clock in the morning to finish it. Cause I was so like sucked in by it. The writing, the acting. This guy never made a TV show before. It's so brilliant in so many ways. I think it's like I said, not think it's the best thing I've watched on TV. You're talking about Little Dicky, the rapper. Yeah. Little Dicky. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, wow. Check that out. Do you show on Hulu called Dave? And it's unbelievable. it's stories like his it's kind of like a mockumentary

like you kind of did with the business he does bc just mocking his whole come up and rap it's really funny yeah he's a jewish kid from philly who became a rapper and a well well-renowned one yeah he's like semi-autobiographical it kind of has that awkward stuff but like because it's him that he's there's something endearing about him where it never gets offensive. Well, not offensive, but you've got to watch it, basically. It's a fucking brilliant show. Love it. And also, too, there was another documentary series.

I'm all set with murder docs for the most part, but it debuted first part on a Sunday night. I'll Be Gone in the Dark about the Golden State Killer. I don't know if you're familiar with Patton Oswalt. He's an actor, comedian, writer. His late wife was basically internet sleuth in this killer and was 80% down with a book, and then she dropped dead suddenly. So he had to finish the book, and HBO was making a documentary,

or they made a documentary series about her investigating it, basically trying to close on this killer. And part one dropped Sunday. Can't recommend it enough. It's six parts. I watched part one. Yeah. Can't recommend it enough. It's six pots. I watched part one. Yeah. What'd you think?

Uh, I thought it was, it was good. It was, it's also like kind of horrifying hearing what that guy was doing. Like that's some dark shit. So I was, so I,

I, I can admit I was into the show, but sometimes I was just like, Oh, I'm just going to go on my phone a second. Like they're talking about what he would do to these people yeah it's hard to listen to in that sense it is that's why murder porn i kind of got away from it for a while it's just depressing to watch that listen to it all the time it's like oh my god that what a fucking sick human it was just so

but but what's really good about it i will say is it's not all that the whole time at all because i'm interested in the fact that they really go into her life. Yeah. And, and you know what, which you could see both the sides of, of, of,

of both of it. So that makes zero sense. What I just said, we got, we got three mass holes on the show. So we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that our home, our hometown Patriots went out and got themselves a quarterback. Cam fucking Newton, dude.

I can't believe the Pats got him for basically cents on the dollar. I know teams can't work him out. Other teams might think he's still banged up. This guy basically hasn't played in a year. Former MVP, still only 31. I had to pinch myself with. I can't see how this guy's not starting for the team by, I don't know, October? Yeah.

I don't know enough besides that he won the MVP, right? And he's always hurt. So, if you get him on the year that he's able to stay healthy, I don't think anyone would be shocked if he was really good. I also, as a

Pats fan, just was, I was like, they can't go in with Stidham and Hoyer. It was just seemed like even just on paper, which maybe Belichick knows way more than anyone else, which is the case, but it looked just horrific. Like they were going to legit be horrible if those were the two QBs. Maybe Stidham turns out to be sick and even is the starter this year but i think that cam newton being in new england just changes the storyline like now you're looking for them to win and compete this year where i think before

fans didn't know what to expect yeah there's there's no risk and a ton of upside i'm actually excited to see how the experiment works out and what where do they pay them a million bucks it's like the BAM. 1.7, but then I think he has a lot of incentives, or 1.5 and tons of incentives. Well, if he can earn it, give it to him. It's all incentive. And then I think they can franchise him, and if they were to lose him next year to another team,

then they would get a third-round compensation pickback, which they just lost for getting fined for the latest record by the team. I remember him at Auburn, though. He was a horse at Auburn. Did he make you a few bucks? Was I gambling then? What year was that, R.A.?

Ten years ago? How long has he been in the NFL? Probably, what, nine, ten seasons? He's 31, so I'm not sure what year he left. So he's 27, yeah. That's a long career in the NFL? Probably what, nine, ten seasons? He's 31, so I mean, I'm not sure what year he left. So he's 27, yeah. That's a long career in the NFL. It is a long time, but I was, like I said, I was surprised they got him for that cheap, and you know, and it's not a knock

on Stidham, but we've only seen him in garbage time. You're talking about a guy who's never really had any NFL start versus a guy with Newton's resume. I don't know. I'll be surprised if he can't pick up on Belichick's system. But what else we got, boys? Anything else before we wrap up?

Can I tell you guys about maybe like the toughest 15-minute stretch in my life? Yeah. The other day, come home. With the pool, we have this cover where you put the cover on whenever you're not in the pool so it's a flip you switch and that way when it's covered it holds the heat and you don't have to spend as much money to heat the pool whatever and it's safer you actually don't even legally need a fence anymore if you have this cover which is shocking we still got a fence don't don't worry so when it rains this thing it's it's soft it's like a tarp and so there's when rain

goes on it you can't if you flip the switch it's it's you got to get rid of that water before the the uh the pool cover can go back right so you buy this pump that you stick on there hose goes on there you put it way in the garden and then it pumps all the water off you then are able to take the pool cover off and get in the pool correct so it's kind of a battle well i always kind of lazy man and i would get out what i thought was enough water sure as shit because i want to get in the pool so bad sure as shit you go back and it gets it's moving it's moving i'm like it's a little slow well it gets towards the end all the water gets up you know towards the towards the end of it that has to shut and it doesn't shut and my wife came out one day she said ryan you gotta get the water off it's

gonna bend down you know how expensive it'll be to fix that and you you understand it could take like a week we wouldn't be able to cover the pool or get in it i I'm like, Oh, you're right. You're right. Next time. You're right. So the other day I come home and I could have sworn in my head that I took enough water off the pool cover because it had rained. Well, dude, obviously I was way out to lunch because the pool covers going back. And before even the end halfway halfway, it's like. And I'm like, oh, my God, there's a huge bottle of water. This thing's sinking.

This is going to break. I rush out, right? I rush out and I get the pump and I put it in the pool cover. And I'm like, all right, get water off. Oh, my God. But it's bending, right? But at this point, you got to go inside because there's nothing you can do. Like, I got to get inside. I got to start making dinner. It was before chicklets cup. It was Tuesday night.

You're packing a bag. Cause you know, your wife's going to kill you. That's at least pumping out. That's at least pumping out. I'm going to need to at least give it to five minutes. I'm going to go, go throw the oven on, put my pizza in because I wanted a pizza before chicklets cup. I was eating at the beginning. So I'm putting the oven on and I put my pizza in. And all of a sudden I hear my wife, Ryan, the basement.

So Monday, we got to go back to Monday. We went down, we saw there was water in the basement from this fucking, this flash flood, this rain. Now I had this thing done in the basement in which the guy said, you can't get water in here. I said, great. We did it. We did all this stuff.

There was an unfinished part of the basement. I'm like, what about this? I was like, no, water won't get in there. Well, water got in there. So there's a ton of water down there. But at this point, it was late when we noticed. 9.30 Monday night, we were just starting the show R..A.'s talking about till gone in the dark, whatever it's called. What's it called? I'll be gone in the dark.

I'll be gone in the dark. So I'm like, hey, babe, I'll just do it tomorrow morning. Right. Because this is just so lazy. Like there's water in my basement, Ryan. Like get some fucking get some like elbow grease in your life. And I was like, I'll do it in the morning. I was like, besides, if we were away and we came home,

that was my – I was like, if we were away and they came home, it would be the same thing. Who cares? I'll do it in the morning. So Tuesday night now I'm putting the oven on while panicking because the pool cover is breaking. Ryan, the basement. I forgot.

I forgot to do it Tuesday. The basement now smells all moldy it's hot the water it's a disaster so in the process of breaking the pool cover putting the oven on then realizing that i didn't do what i said i would do tuesday morning so much time passes that i burned my pizza to the triple whammy. The pizza was in there. Cause I was down on my hands and knees trying to vacuum. So I thought it was the pool cover in the basement.

No triple whammy. My last frozen pizza from town spa burnt to a crisp. So that's a tough 25 minutes or whatever. I had no idea how you're going to end that story, but it was marvelous. Triple whammy. And I actually said, walking up to Chicklets Cup, I was like, that was the worst 30 minutes of my year.

Oh, my goodness. So I thought I'd share that. Well, that was a good, good, good, good, lighthearted story to end the podcast. A few things, though, we got to mention. We dropped a couple interviews on YouTube. J.B. Spizo, Matt Murley. We're coming out with a new wave after July 4th. This is kind of a down week.

And next week, guys, we're going to do a best-of episode. We don't have much to talk about. I haven't been as creative as we are during the course of the season. And I don't know. I think we just kind of need some time away and a little bit of a break here because I'm a little worn down and given with everything's going on and the uncertainty of life moving forward it's just uh it's just a very eerie time would you guys agree yeah and also to piggyback what you said because this is the week most well Boston traditionally

takes off but because of the the draft happened and then the return to play stuff we had to talk about it so we basically just bumped up a quote unquote vacation week a week. So, you know, we want to get on the top of the big stories, man. A lot of stuff happened since the last episode. So we want to get the latest for you. And you guys know we're trying to bring some lighthearted humor and take your mind off things. It's just that we, yeah, we just, I'm just drawing blanks lately.

So we hope you enjoyed today's episode and Rob Schrempf. We love you guys. Happy 4th of July. Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians. on blanks lately. So we hope you enjoyed today's episode and Rob Schrempf. We love you guys. Happy 4th of July. Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians. I know I'm a little a day late here with the podcast

coming out Thursday, but enjoy that Pink Whitney, Ontario. Thank you to the LCBO again. Thank you. Have a great weekend, everybody. Enjoy your 4th. Enjoy your Canada Day weekend.

Enjoy your Pink Whitney too. Happy 4th of July and Canada Day. Love you guys. Peace. As always, we want to say thanks enjoy your fourth enjoy your canada day weekend enjoy your pink whitney too happy fourth of july and canada day love you guys peace as always we want to say thanks to our tremendous sponsors here on spit and chiclets a big thanks to everybody at new amsterdam vodka and pink whitney a big thanks to our newest addition to the family supreme golf big thanks to everybody over at roman we appreciate what you're doing big thanks to everyone at dude wipes for taking care of us during this humid summer and a big thank you to everyone at Dude Wipes for taking care of us during this humid summer. And a big thank you to everyone at ZipRecruiter for matching people up for the appointment. Have a great weekend, everybody, and we'll see you next week.

Olé, olé, olé, olé. Olé, olé, olé, olé. Feeling hot, hot, hot. Feeling hot, hot, hot. Feeling hot, hot, hot. Bye.