Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 299: Featuring Brendan Lemieux + The Lightning Are Stanley Cup Champions

Episode Date: October 1, 2020

On Thursday’s episode of Spittin’ Chiclets, the guys are joined by Brendan Lemieux. Pepe Jr. joined (43:12) to discuss growing up with his dad Claude Lemieux, his hockey career, the Hank buyout and more. But first, the Tampa Bay Lightning are Stanley Cup Champions so we broke it all down and gave our thoughts on both the Lightning and Stars as the season concludes. What next for Tampa? we discuss the potential offer sheets, roster changes and more. We also touched on the NHL news and the recent rumors (Jack Eichel) swirling the Internet as well. Whit wraps up with some Golf talk and some depressing zoo talk.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 299 of Spittin' Chiplets, presented by Pink Whitney from our friends at New Amsterdam Vodka here in the Barstool Sports Podcast family. Well, boys, more than a year after the original training camp started, almost two months of isolated playoff bubbles, 96 episodes later, the 2019-2020 NHL season has come to its conclusion,

and the Tampa Bay Lightning are the Stanley Cup champions for the first time since 2004 after beating the Dallas Stars. Tuned up in a game six Monday night. They absolutely suffocated Dallas. We'll get to that shortly. Let's just say hi to the boys real quick out of the routine. Mikey Grinnelli. How you doing, buddy?

I'm doing great. Episode two 99 closing in on 300 here, boys. That's a milestone. Crazy. Don't expect to watch G you fucking asshole. Yeah. Just,

it's just a round number. What's up is how we doing buddy. Doing great. 96 episodes during the course of this entire season. That is fucking crazy. It's been a wild ride. We appreciate you guys for joining us on it. Yeah, nothing really much new in Scottsdale here,

other than the fact it's still 105 degrees outside, and it's about to be October. So global warming is a thing, I think. Yeah. I mean, you're in fucking Arizona in September, too. It's going to be hot there. And last but not least, the wit dog, Ryan Whitney. What's up, guy?

Not much. I believe I said Tampa Bay was going to win the Stanley Cup six years ago when the season started. I said that. I then said in the series they were going to win in six. So just a dominating, amazing effort by a team for the ages. So we'll go into that. But, I mean, I can't believe this season's over.

It really is bizarre. So what was our first episode of this season? Like the previews? It was September 23rd, 2019. The first division we did was the Central Division with Roman Yossi. And the season I did September 29th. So it was a year and six days. Whoa, chicklets bump for Roman Yossi.

Got the fucking... That's the most delayed chicklets bump of all time, is it not? Seriously, man, that's fucking hilarious. I didn't think of that. Well, like I said, man, Dallas, they just got suffocated the other night. I mean, they played with the heart of champions, but I think

they were just losing too many key players, but full credit to Tampa, absolutely suffocated them. Vic, they had to get the con smite. Not a surprise there, but it wouldn't have been surprised if it went to point or cooch with the numbers those guys put up. Whit Dogg, let's go to you first for your take on the game, the series, whatever. Yeah, the game was just domination. It just felt like Dallas never stood a chance.

And let me say one thing. I want to talk about Dallas, like, just domination. It just felt like Dallas never stood a chance. And let me say one thing. I want to talk about Dallas, like, just first, you know, to give them the respect that they deserve. But that game, it made it, I think, the final tally for Vasilevsky. I have it. Yeah. He was 6-0 going into the game following a loss during the playoffs. He made it 7-0.

Javi Boone's the only other goalie in NHL history to have gone 7-0 after a loss in a single postseason, ironically enough, the last time when the Lightning won the Cup. So just an amazing performance by this guy, and that game was the perfect description of how dominant he was. He played every single second for every player, you know,

every single game for the Lightning in this run. So you could talk about the two-goalie system, but he's a beast. Now, Dallas, what an effort. I tweeted out, like, I just felt sick to my stomach having been there and lost in Game 6 of the Cup Final. Like I said before, when I was totally wrong about calling it the Corona Cup and that it was bullshit, it was probably 100 times worse for them

than it was for us because it was your lifelong dream that you're right there. You're so close. And all of a sudden it's gone. And like the whole ride and everything was, was kind of for nothing. Like it wasn't, but it was because the whole, the ultimate goal didn't get achieved. And now these guys have gone through so much more than when I was in Pittsburgh, we're traveling to Detroit. You're on the road,

you're playing in front of fans. Like this was so difficult. And what they did in their effort was just so outstanding. Like I commend all those guys. And I'll tell you right now, like I remember that room in Pitt when Detroit won, when fucking R.A. was like sneaking in Chelios' underwear. Every guy in the room was in tears, you know, whether a guy's just like openly or, you know,

getting changed somewhere else. It was heartbreaking. and then you see Jamie Ben's speech and I think that was the most uh open you could ever you know the the pain that you feel somebody having after losing the Stanley Cup I don't remember an interview like that where he really couldn't even get out words and I understand the reporters they just ask another question it's but it's not like he's not he wants to answer your question he just can't because it's his family and what they did just uh they didn't get it done it's as amazing as the run it was so shout out to that team and shout out to like what they did and and rick bonus what a career and to do that after being in a coach in the nhl that long just Just an amazing series, amazing run for them. They gave it their all, but Tampa Bay, holy shit.

And just more on Dallas too, and, you know, Sagan, who I thought had a great final, especially as it progressed. You find out the laundry list of injuries that he had going through this to the point where right now they're trying to decide on which one they need to prioritize to potentially get surgery on. What can you list those out? I actually think R.A. has it written down. Yeah, I got it right here.

I said he took some criticism during the playoffs for his lack of production. You hate to criticize guys in the third round. At least I do, and this is a good reason why. David Pagnotta from the fourth period. Sago was playing with wrist, hip, groin, and knee injuries. He's going to get checked, like you said, but he's going to see what the priority is for surgery. And you've got to think, I know Bruins guy here, whatever,

but watching Mark Reckie do what he did back in 2011, playing either right after Kidney Stones or with him, and then Bergeron in 13, you've got to think he had to go back to that to get himself out there a little bit, no? Yeah, and this guy in games four and five, I think he had five points total, three assists in the one game. So he gave it his all. You mentioned the Ben interview,

and you're going back to your tweet too, Whit, like just being absolutely gutted for these guys given the circumstances, but some bright spots on that team. Some of the young guys who were hurt, obviously not in the lineup affected them uh but uh between Haskinen and Klingberg and and not having Bishop was was obviously difficult it would have been nice to see at least their their number one but given given that circumstance who'd open was able to make a name for a self-studious run and I'd imagine he gets a nice

fat contract out of this so so I'm sorry I mushed you guys. I was pretty bad these playoffs. Literally every team. You were horrible. Horrible. I don't know if you guys saw the memes post going through that Stargate. It was pretty good. How would you describe that?

You just disappearing into the black hole of nonexistence because you can't pick one fucking playoff series winner. You're out of the podcast and media world forever forever that was the meme of you just withering away withering away so but going to towards Tampa Bay where you talked about Vasilevsky and what he did in those games after following a loss um and and I know we've been harping about this two goalie system I guess he's proved our theory wrong by by the reins. The last time a goalie did that was Corey Crawford, and that was when Chicago won the Cup in, I believe, 2015, R.A. 13 it was.

2013, my apologies. Thomas did an 11, not a big deal. And you mentioned that dominant performance. I have never seen a team four-check like that. Everyone talks about their puck possession and their zone entries and how high-skilled they are. That team worked their balls off and especially for the first

two periods in that game six, every time they dumped it in, it seemed like they went back and retrieved it and nothing was going to deny the Tampa Bay Lightning of winning that Stanley Cup after getting embarrassed last year in the first round. Yeah, and then the buzzer sounds and you know Stamkos is getting in his gear to come out and raise

the cup and I was watching with Keith Yans and Billy Ryan, he's scoped for the Panthers, our buddy. And I was just saying, it would be amazing if he's raising the Stanley cup, but just that one goal in that two and a half minutes he played, it's so like good for his mind, every fan, like, do you know what I mean? Like it was, it, it would have been an awesome thing for him, but not having played, it's just totally different.

You wouldn't have felt like you were a part of it. You just wouldn't, he wouldn't. And I'm, I'm speaking for him, right? Like I I'm not good, but he, it wouldn't have been the same, but not only you get in barely play a game, score a huge goal in a win in the cup final. That's all that had to happen for you to, cause you, you've done this. You've been so good for so long and him raising the cup was so well deserved. And just the fact that that goal happened, it made it so special. And right away, Yand is a, yeah.

Hedman cons might have no doubt. I actually was like, I don't know. Point there. Vasilevsky was true. What's I guess it ended up being an easier decision than I thought was like, I don't know, a point there. Vasilevsky was, it was, I guess it ended up being an easier decision than I thought at least, but you could argue for all three of them. And then seeing the cup passed around, I started thinking right away that it was a couple of years ago. Or, you know, I don't exactly remember when, but veterans started getting pushed out, right?

You're going to get a younger guy. You're going to get them cheaper. And the game started changing. It became faster. It became really tough for like middle-class guys. The salaries there take a hit. You're either making a ton of money or you're down near not making a lot of NHL standards, right?

So as the league changes and everyone gets younger and faster, you look at both the teams and Tampa, especially talk about a veteran presence because you get, you get Shen there. You get Shattencook there. You get these older guys that are on small deals, some of them league minimal. You get Pat Maroon, and look at what happens.

So, yeah, it's a young man's game, but on the other side, Dallas had Perry making less money. You know, he's older, so you can argue for getting younger and getting faster, but I think this series in Tampa proves you still need veterans in your lineup. And there's certain guys you can't pay five, six million to for what they do anymore. But when you're able to get guys that are maybe getting bought out and signing for less and older guys that are willing to take less,

that still makes such a difference in the run for the Stanley Cup. I couldn't agree more. And Breeze, boy, I know Iserman's getting a lot of credit for putting the nucleus of this team together and having a big hand in that. I'd be curious to know if he gets a ring, considering how much of a hand he had in putting this team together. I've always said, would you want it?

I wouldn't want – everyone's like, you have a ring for the Penguins? I'm like, no, I wouldn't want it. Well, it's a little – to me personally, it's a little bit different in management. But moving away from that, the moves that Breezebois made, and I think at the time, people might even question the overpayment, but when you win a Stanley Cup, there's no such thing as overpaying for players that you brought in.

And Coleman, who's got another year left on his deal, and Goudreau, who's a great young asset, and you mentioned those older veterans that they brought in. To me, toughness is still very important, and I thought against certain teams, specifically the Islanders, when there was a little bit of pushing and shoving coming around, I thought that, you know, the maroon pickup is huge because you have certain big guys in the lineup and Shen as well

to take the focus off those skill guys. Mind you, those skill guys for Tampa, they did not shy away from any type of physicality. Yanny, Gord, Palat, Kalorn, the depth. How about Cirelli? Somebody should offer Sheets Cirelli. Oh, yeah. Okay. Oh, yeah. We're getting into the offer

sheet talk. I'm just like this Tampa team, where are they going? Oh, they're not. If you want to cause a ruckus, the offer sheet, you don't want to ruin relationships. How are you going to stop this team? You make a match, a crazy offer, something for somebody because there you have all these guys,

they're going to have to make some tough decisions, but they are set for the future here. Sergeyev too. And, and with, uh, yeah. So apparently Sergeyev, considering a lot of these guys have no move and no trade clause, I mentioned eight of them, eight guys, eight of their top players on that team have no move or no trade clauses but shifting to Sergachev given that you know he's one of the younger assets and he still hasn't signed the big ticket yet he's probably more than likely to be moved and they can get a big asset return if

in fact he wants to go make more of a contribution to another team. He's got his cup. I think at this point now, as a young player, you probably want your payday, right? You already got Hedman and McDonough on the left side there. I don't know where he's going to fall in. Anyway, shifting away from that, you mentioned the Conn Smythe. I agree, Hedman was probably the right choice, although I think it was the closest race as far as the Conn Smythe RA ever.

Who was second? Second was Point in, what do you call it headman had nine first place votes point had eight and they said it was among the closest ever i don't know if it was the closest ever headman was not as close as you can get nine to eight one vote well it's a three three vote system so the total number headman had nine first place votes, eight second place votes, and one third place vote. And Point had eight, eight, and one. So literally it was one first place vote,

which I think contributes three points that separated them. And I don't think either – I don't think anyone would have been upset if either of them would have won it. And you even mentioned Kucherov. But I just felt Point and Hedman were a little bit above that. But I even tweeted it out during the game have you ever seen uh kucherov get a bad pass this fucking guy you could he's like one of those video games you just throw it in his area and it gets batted down and it's on his stick and he's ready to make a play it's it's insanity all

playoffs long he was great even especially on the power play like they the Tampa Bay Lightning one thing that they're very good at in the ozone is they relieve pressure if the puck's on one side of the ice and they feel any type of pressure they'll throw it to the other side and everybody it's it's like watching the siddings they know exactly where it's going they're right there and then if there's more pressure on that side coming they'll throw it right back around until they're able to pull it off the wall and have full control in the ozone so it was it was just gorgeous to watch uh wit you hit the nail on the head with the tweet betman after pulling off the bubble the way you have in the nhl and everyone involved now all of a sudden i think everybody's getting a soft spot

for you the fact that you didn't pour in booze over the fuck over the sound system it would have made every person watching laugh really hard would have been a hilarious move he would have been he would have passed silver and then he could have like he could have been like i you know he could have like wwe'd it up a little bit yeah he looks like paul bear a little bit he could have got a sketcher's deal out of it i know he's been running around those shitty shoes all fucking playoffs i mean inside the bubble you wonder if that's some orthotics is anyone close enough to him like hey yeah you can do it or they have to clear it with betman first you know like if some guy does that like oh they'll love it and the next day he's fucking collecting unemployment if we ever if we ever get him on this podcast that's the first

question i'm going to ask him did you get asked if it would be okay and if he if he nicked you kibosh that did you kibosh the booze that was pumped in i want answers but uh it was it was great to see cooper win his cup i know that was long awaited he'd won a championship at i think every level in hockey up until up until the stanley cup ra i don't know if you you saw that tweet oh dude i i read up on what a crazy story this guy is i know they always say a former lawyer former lawyer well it wasn't just a former lawyer he was a public defender making absolute shit he was playing on a hockey team with a bunch of lawyers he didn't even play in college he played lacrosse in college at hofstra and he got buddy buddy with a judge there and then i think it was his kids team needed

a coach they weren't good he did it on a lock he did it just to help out and he was fucking had a knack for it the team did a total 180 he got another job just kept bumping up bumping up ahl you know fucking nhl now he's won the stanley cup it's absolutely insane he didn't say i want to be a hockey coach and this is what i want to do he just did it on a lock and had a knack for it he said it was like talking he said it was like talking to a jury You basically got to convince the guys in the room, and that's what he compared it to, which I thought was a pretty cool analogy. That's unbelievable. What a great story.

Yeah, it was like high school, junior, a better junior league, AHL, NHL. It was nuts just to read about him. And I think that guys – I mean, did you see the hug him and Maroon gave each other? Yeah, well, Maroon was on that 07 team whatever i think it was a junior team somewhere maroon actually won that title with him back 13 years ago so and his comments about maroon after the game when they asked him about him he says he's got character and he is a character and i thought that summed up the big

rig perfectly we gotta interview the big rig because i'll tell you right now i was crying laughing he they get the camera inside the locker room and there's like 14 guys they haven't taken one thing off but their helmet and gloves around the cup taking pictures big rigs in the corner he's completely undressed already he's like going to the shop like is this dude leaving the bubble to hit up like he played edmonton he's got to have some bar hookups here. Is he going to get the boys set up somewhere, like a speakeasy, because you're not allowed to do anything? But sure, shit, I think he just wanted to be in some drag clothes after his big game.

Of course, he gets an assist. The craziest part is, like, you look back at the year he had and how good he is in the playoffs, the style of hockey he plays. Why did St. Louis not sign him? Like, it's so – he was a low – I don't – if he took what he did with Tampa, I mean, would he have not taken that with St. Louis? They just decided to completely move on. A little surprised looking back.

Now, granted, he just wins another cup, so it seems a lot easier said right now. But he's just a force in the playoffs. He just gets it down low. You can't get it from him. He was showering up to get ready for his DJ skills because he ended up putting the Drake back-to-back tune on, smoking the cigar all over Instagram. I believe he FaceTimed YP as well.

So, congratulate. Like, we've talked about it before, too. He hasn't gotten his payday. There's some talk circulating around. I believe Andy Strickland tweeted something out about the fact that he might be looking at a multiple year contract here. And I've heard rumors Montreal might be interested. Of course, Tampa is looking to bring them back.

And I would assume another couple of teams. People have been throwing Toronto out there because that toughness and character is needed in that locker room. I just don't know if they have the money to slightly overpay a guy to bring a guy in for character reasons. But either way, man, like I hope he gets his payday and congratulations on back-to-back cups. What's that?

I have to tell you one thing about Kucherov. Because we haven't even brought that up. Well, we did, but he's just – the ability to handle the passes, I can't believe I didn't drop this in then. There's three men who've had 26 or more assists in a single playoff season. Let me guess. Let me guess. Yep.

Wayne Gretzky four times and Mario Lemieux. Did you already say that's that? Last episode. Suck it, Whit. Yahoo! Stack that beers in your face, bitch. You got to get up early in the morning. I thought that was the best.

I'm like, what a fucking stat. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux and Kucherov. And biz nasty dropped his nuts in my face last week. Yep, yep. Suck it, man. I actually got a fucking stat for you. Tampa played 220 minutes of overtime playoff hockey, most in history for a single

run. Well, it is a 5-5 OT game. Oh, okay. Now you're shitting on my stats, eh? They went to the finals. It's not shocking they had a 5-0T game. Ari, I don't know if you had this one written down either. Tampa's core group is very unique. Stammer, Hedman, Vasilevsky, Kucherov,

Kalorin, Palat, Paquette, Point, Johnson, Sorelli, and Gord have played a combined 5,781 games, playoff and regular season. All of them have been in a Tampa uniform, not to mention Cooper is longest tenured coach in NHL right now. Oh, NHL right now? What do you mean? Just like the way you just said that you tried to say nhl history then instead you're like nhl right no because i was reading and you know that i'm not a

good reader okay now you're just going to be bullying me all podcasts but the point being is given that they hadn't had that had that stanley cup success until now it would have been easy to blow it up a little bit and trade guys, especially after what happened last year. And then people have been sending this one out there on social media as well. Stan Coase's comments right afterward last year, he was like, no, this is the group. This is a glitch. Something shitty happened. We lost control of the ship, but we need another chance at this. And credit to the brass and everybody in that organization was sticking with that core group because now they deliver and now that they've gotten one out of the way i have no qualms about the fact that they they're going to be one of the favorites to repeat

yeah and and about that it's like the sustained excellence it is rewarded around the nhl washington got their stanley cup pittsburgh's good every year then they get the back-to-back. If you're a top-five team consistently in the league, chances are you're going to get your Stanley Cup. And it takes luck, like what we said. So I love that they didn't really change anything there. They added guys. And also, like, if I look at Tampa next year, there's no chance they're not the favorites to repeat.

It doesn't matter what happens this offseason. It's just they're set up. I love seeing it because it's exciting hockey. So are they having a parade, by the way? Yeah, a boat parade, R.A. Yeah, they got that canal there. And Florida doesn't seem to be too concerned with social distancing and masks, so Florida's going to do what Florida's going to do.

So whatever floats your boat at this fucking stage. R.A., what were the biggest standouts for you in the final specifically? First off, I want to go back to Maroon. I mean, we talked about him with character. Let's talk about that fucking unreal play he made to set up the goal. He picked off Radulov's pass. Boom, boom, boom. And that ended up being the ballgame right there.

So he made a huge play there. The dynamic duo of Kucherov and point uh they produced together 67 points which was the fourth highest total among duos ever after gretzky and coffee lemieux and recce and gretzky and messier i mean you mentioned those names and then those two it it's it's incredible i don't care if you want to include the first three games or not it's still impressive as hell but the swing to me biz special teams oh my god can have Bay, 7 for 18 on the power play. Dallas, just 1 for 19. I mean, that's it.

You've got to take advantage. I mean, 1 for 19, that's, I think, 6% to 7%. You're just not going to win with that. Tampa was deadly. Also, too, Dallas, again, they kind of go, what happened to Colorado versus them? That happened with Dallas versus Tampa Bay. They lost Hintz.

They lost Fox. They lost Comeau. These guys are huge guys in that lineup, man. You're putting in black aces and minor leaguers, and they're just not the same caliber. And I think that really hurt Dallas as well. I couldn't agree more because if you do remember when I picked Dallas going in, I thought Tampa was banged up.

Well, they weren't as banged up as expected. Dallas was healthy, and then they kind of ended up being the banged up team. And then I mentioned special teams. Coming into that round, I believe Dallas was number one on the power play, coming in at 27%. And in every series, they got those opportunistic goals on the power play, even especially when they were coming from behind, because I mentioned that stat a couple episodes back,

where they were on pace to, to at least tie the 2009 penguins for most comebacks in a playoff run. Cause they finished, ended up finishing with eight. And also a couple of times in this series, they got up with leads and they, and they gave them away, which wasn't happening throughout the playoffs. So Dallas fans, I'm sorry I mushed you, but you know,

I think I made the right call coming into the series given what information I had. So fuck you. Well, you reversed mushed Hedman. You said he was pretty much toast when he twisted his ankle there, and then all of a sudden he wins the con smite. That's another question I'm going to ask somebody when they get on the podcast. Cooper, he might have taken some acting as well while he was in law school, some drama classes for his interviews,

trying to fucking sway people's opinions on the guys in the lineup. I'll tell you, these guys must be tuckered out, so hopefully they were using their whoops to get back to normal. Whoop is a fitness tracker that provides personalized insights on your sleep, your body's recovery, and the exertion put on your body throughout the day from both your workouts and just the normal stresses of life. Whoop is worn by some of your favorite athletes in the NHL, but it's not meant for just professional athletes.

Whoop can help anyone improve their performance by providing personalized, actionable data to help you make smarter decisions. Biz, I know you got on this train with me. I'm the lazy man with it. I like tracking my sleep, which I didn't get a ton last night, so I need some R&R. You're the running man. How you doing with your whoop over there? I wasn't sleeping good at the start when I got back,

but I've been sleeping good lately. It tells you... What's the name of it again? I always blank out when I'm thinking of it. REM sleep. No, but the recovery. Recovery. The recovery rate. Just to see in the morning how you're physically doing because it can be really bad it sucks a little bit when you wake up and you

notice that you haven't got a good sleep all right i know when we were recording at the beginning of this episode you had to restart because you guys you said fuck i had a horrible sleep last night so this is good to track it it also you can plug in what type of things you're eating and in the supplements that you take that can factor into your your overall energy levels and how you can recover as far as uh when when you are exerted so it's it's cool it's a cool little unique device all a bunch of pro athletes everywhere i go now i actually just did a golf podcast with that uh colt colt not oh yeah colt nost colton nost excuse me, I drew a blank.

Under par or something it is, right? Yeah, under par. And even they were wearing it. So everybody as far as the athletes and podcasts are talking about right now because it's one of those devices that's really helping a lot of people out. Absolutely. And right now, Whoop is offering 15% off when you use the code CHICKLETS at checkout.

Go to whoop.com, that's W-H-O-O-P.com, and enter the code CHICKLETS, C-H-I-C-L-E-T-S, to save 15%. Unlock your potential today with Whoop. We did mention the big rig. He's the third guy in the expansion era to win back-to-back cups with different teams. Corey Stelman did it back in 2004 and 2006, and Claude Lemieux did it, what was it, 1995-1996. So that's some pretty select companies to be in.

And going back to Koop, he's the eighth coach to win both the Calder and the Stanley Cups. I'm not sure if you saw the dunk from the AHL Twitter account online, but Sportsnet Stats tweeted out that he said he was the seventh, and then the AHL tripped him like, no, he was the eighth. They ended up having to delete the tweet. It was like, like nice i look a little sass like that on twitter one last stat as far as the lightning are concerned palat had 11 goals in the last 16 games i think he was probably their most underrated player during this run he was excellent he was fun to watch and uh and i think he's uh yeah he's a stud. So now it's October 1st right here.

And what are we thinking? Like October, November, they're going to have three months off. Season starts January. January 1. Optimistically. Yeah. So, I mean, I feel like that's realistic. Now, has anyone said if they're going to get 82 games in by the end of June,

like in playoffs? There's still a lot of questions right now. I also read that the NHL lost between, I think, $70 and $90 million putting this on. Ultimately, this was done in order to, of course, they wanted to finish the season. They wanted to get the draft order figured out. But ultimately, next year,

there's going to have to be fans in certain buildings they're also considering doing um a bubble like a bubble experience but in multiple cities at once yeah frank sarah valley wrote about that i mean it's pretty much a trial balloon right now um putting uh guys are like they hear bubble they're just like tweaking no no no that they're there and lies the rub with you know the hybrid bubbles they're calling them four to six cities that it's just a concept right now and he says it's very early stages and worth noting it won't happen if the players aren't down and after a couple guys we talked to i don't know that's any of these guys going to be eager to go in what's called the bubble anytime anytime soon and i

didn't mention it in the last point i was trying to make which is ultimately the reason i brought it up is they had to fulfill the tv situation which especially moving forward that new contract is kicking in so that is that is a massive revenue generator for the nhl and guys ultimately this is a business and they say there might be a little bit of an argument as far as our guys going to get paid for the full 82 game season last year given that they didn't technically fulfill that because there wasn't fans and they didn't play all of them and then the player side of it as well we've eaten enough of it like we're doing the whole escrow thing which is probably going to be 20 and we're not going to see that back so still a lot of things to figure out moving

forward but then again we just finished the season i think everybody needs a little bit of a break other than of course gms who their job seems in today's era to never end yeah definitely going to be a lot of action but i did have a couple more notes biz on the cup i wanted to share oh okay uh well former guests of the show brayden and luke shen are the seventh pair of brothers to win the stanley cup and back-to-back seasons with different teams. That's such a unique stat. I would have guessed that would maybe happen twice,

but seven different times, brothers back-to-back different teams. Half of them were probably the Sutters, no? Yeah, I'm shocked that that's happened seven times. Yeah, and this one from Craig Button. The 2008 draft now has seen the first five players selected all win the Cup. Stamkos, Bogosian, Shen, Drew Doughty, and Petrangelo had already won a previous. So there's a lot of funky little stats.

And personally, I want to give congratulations to, I didn't know his nickname was Gru, but Derek Lalonde, assistant at Tampa. He's a guy I worked with years ago up at North Adams State. He was a 23-year-old kid taking his first college job. I was still in college, and we worked in the same office. Great guy. I would have never thought 25 years later he'd be putting the cup over his head. So, real happy for him.

He's a great person, great guy. Was that hockey team like Plymouth State is, like D3? Dude, North Adams was D3. They were a few years from full. They weren't a good team. They were bad. So, like, you know. And that's where he started.

He started there, got his master's while he was there. And then, boom, 25 years later. Talking about him, got his master's while he was there. And then, boom, 25 years later, talking about him on Chip. Let's congratulate him on a cup. And also, too, congrats to Braden Coburn. He's been a warrior for a long time. He lost two previous cups with Philly in 2010, Tamper in 15. I know he didn't get to see much in the playoffs, if at all,

but he was on the team all season. He'll definitely get his name on the cup. Just want to acknowledge him as well. Absolutely. You're talking about the coaching staff. They his name on the cup. Just want to acknowledge him as well. Absolutely. You're talking about the coaching staff. They all started from the bottom. Now we're here. We had the Drake back-to-back,

and now we got the startup from the bottom. Now we're here. Startup from the bottom. Now we're here. Did you guys see Cooper's press conference when he called all the coaches up at the end and he did that just maniacal evil laugh? Yeah. I did.

That was a classic. That was cool of them. That was really cool of them. They had about, it looked like about 10 guys were crushed in there, just all crushing, probably Pink Whitney,

but they were dummying something. It's phenomenal to see. I got a nice little video of some of the lightning just ripping Pink Whitney out of the cup. Just a great sight to be seen. Somebody was yelling,

it tastes amazing. The best I've ever tasted as a certain leader in the organization was dummying the pink drink out of Lord Stanley. Yeah, it was pretty cool to see. But anyways, we do got a guest coming on shortly. We're not bringing him on right now because we got to discuss some big news first. But we have New York Ranger Brendan Lemieux. We're going to talk to him in a little bit.

But first, we're going to talk about, well, his now former teammate. As it's the end of an era on Manhattan, a very handsome era with a luscious head of hair, but all in all, the end is the same for the guy. Henrik Lundqvist has been bought out. He was a loyal soldier. He wanted to stick through the rebuild. It's still literally the only guest we've had on the show that I've caught myself staring at. We were talking to him. The guy is a handsome MF, but he won a Vezna, a hot finalist, went to the cup one year, slammed dunk Hall of Famer. You know, this,

the writing was probably on the wall for this with the emergence of the other two goalies. But I mean, this guy, one of the best ever, man, you've got a chance to read 610's blog on, on our Boston. Yes, I did a great work right there by 610. Some of those numbers, I mean, I think the sixth most winningest coach in NHL, winningest goaltender in NHL history. So, R.A., you have the rest of them.

Dude, unreal. Lundquist's four-year postseason run ended with insane numbers. This is when they were contenders for that four-year stretch. Over 76 starts that somehow equaled out to a 39-37 record. He posted 205 goals against a nine three Oh say percentage. He won six straight game sevens with the nine seven one say percentage. It was 15 and four in elimination games. Thanks in part to coming back from three one series twice.

Like he was as money a goalie as there ever was like six 10 said, he just didn't get support. He asked him in his blog, how did Hank end up ringless? Look no further than the 2.16 goals per game of support he was given over his legendary run. Imagine that's all they scored for that guy. That's wild. That's the only goal support he got. That is an

insane number that he has. 15 years it averaged out to 2.16. No, the postseason run there, the four-year run there. Sorry about that. No, that's all right. You know what this is? This is a classic case of he's like the Ovechkin now,

where before Ovechkin had his cup, it was always something that was going to be used against his greatness. It had no business being the case. Finally, he got it. Now it's like, oh, yeah, first ballot. Everyone's going crazy this man is a hall of famer his numbers fucking show it which i didn't even know they were that good but it's it's it's very sad that he doesn't get his end on broadway considering that he

deserves it like most these guys will get that have done that for an organization. It sucks. It sucks. Yeah, it's like a sad day for fans, and I think fans know it kind of had to happen. But this guy, I mean, you think about what everyone says that's played with him. First off, never even loosens his tie on the plane. Suit, tie, everything.

You'll never see him looking like a scrub in the, what do they call those? The leisure suits biz that we like to rock. The fart suits? Yeah, and then the hardest working player on the team every year. I mean, like this guy also, you got to understand, if he didn't think somebody was doing their job, he's not afraid to call out anyone. He's a true leader.

He just worked harder than anyone else, was so dedicated to his craft, while also being able to film commercials because he's a legit rocket launcher, and he's out there with the perfect beard, being one of the faces in New York City. I mean, there's plenty of Rangers who can walk around New York City and not get noticed. That guy, no chance. And he was the number one dog in town. I mean mean with hockey

is just i can't believe they didn't end up winning a stanley cup i thought for sure his rookie years you see how good he was like this guy's getting one at some point and to think he did it all and and he was so athletic in that while carrying around that massive hog of his it's fucking how do you how does that happen how do you even move around like that you'd be put i'd have the thing in a fucking wheelbarrow out there on the ice. Maybe it would have helped my balance. Maybe it would have helped my balance. Sometimes life ain't fair.

And as for the numbers, Biz, his cap hit was $8.5 million, but his actual salary was only $5.5 million. So he's going to get a million and a half for the next two years, and the Rags will take a 5.5 hit this year, 1.5 next year. But I don't think the Rangers give too much of a shit about it. Hey, come to the desert. We'll pick you up. I'll be your pool boy.

I'll cut the grass. The Rangers have like $20 million in cap space now. Yeah. Yeah, they're prepared to make moves. I also heard on social media, so it must be true, D'Angelo in Anaheim, potential trade there. I don't know if we mentioned that last podcast. So I think New York is very well aware that in today's NHL,

you can go from being like a shit team to like, boom, we've added a couple pieces because we're the Rangers and we were able to bait in fucking Panarin. And who's the defenseman that's drawing a bit of a blank here? Fox? No, well, Fox is great. But the other one they brought over from Winnipeg come on like they like they got some really good pieces and now with all this cap space if they're able to sign like one or two massive pieces which I don't know if they're going to do because you know you want you don't want always want to just throw cap space and term at guys who are potential depreciating assets.

But now you have the first overall pick, and on top of that, there is also a rumor going around that Eichel. Eichel. Hey, hold on. Eichel. If Bob McKenzie comes on Twitter and starts barking about Eichel and like, oh, yeah, there's nothing going on here. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. nothing going on here. Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah. Nothing going on. Something fucking going on. Hey, I guess that D'Angelo, like Jeff Gordon, the GM in New York, was saying, dude, I'm going to start fining you if you get penalties for yelling at refs or stuff. And he'd walk by and be like, do you owe me any money for any ref abuse? He's like, no, but at the end of the year, you're going to have to pay me a shitload.

This guy doesn't give a shit. Yeah, well, actually, Biz, I got a little bit more on that Eichel stuff later, but I think we should send it over to Brendan Lemieux shortly, because we're going to take on playing with Hank. But first off, everybody is overwhelmed with something these days, so why not reduce some of that stress by using HelloFresh? Say goodbye to packed grocery stores and planning meals for the whole family. HelloFresh saves you not only time, but money when they deliver whatever food options you choose right to your doorstep.

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five boxes, including free shipping on your first order. If you don't think I'm getting a side of Gaelic bread, you're fucking nuts. Did I say that? I don't even know. I can't pay attention. Gaelic bread. Carter Hart. The fishing video is coming soon, and we get behind the Cotter Hot

because Todd Fedorek was busting my balls about it, but I kind of explained the reasoning behind it. I'm looking forward to talking about that. Also, we'll have some sandbaggers out. I think we're going to roll them out one a month, right? That's the decision we made. We got one coming out October, November, and December. Guys, do not message me about the Yans and hazy one. That was the third. I'm sure nobody will know. It was the, it was the third one we did. It's going to come out in December. Yes.

We dangled the carrot. We're sorry for that. Don't message me about it. Anyway, if you don't think we're going to talk about the potential ICO trade, you guys are nuts. New York has the first overall pick. If now all of a sudden this rumor has been created or if there is some truth to it, do you think the first overall pick is going to get the job done or do you got to send over more if you're in New York?

Way more. If I'm Buffalo, and I'm pretty sure that Kevin Adams came out and said, like, you have to take phone calls, but we are not shopping. He's not going anywhere. I think those are exact words. You have to, if you ever even did it, even after saying that, and you just got the first overall pick, people in Buffalo would burn the arena down.

just got the first overall pick people in buffalo would burn the arena down you cannot ever think uh lefrenier is going to be as good as jack ike i'm sorry you can't bank on that you cannot bank on that because i would be considering who he's playing with i would say ike goes easily a top 20 player in the league is that fair statement yeah oh are you shitting me right no no doubt now i i think that when m McKenzie's tweeting about it, there's obviously something there. There's discussions that have been had. Now, I'm not going to say Eichel requested a trade. You hear that he did.

You hear he didn't. But Buffalo would be nuts with what's going on to get rid of him. If there's one dude to keep, you guys stink. If there's one dude to keep, you guys stink. If there's one guy to keep, it's Jack Eichel. So we'll see if he ever got moved and it was just for the first overall pick. It'd be riots. It'd be a gong show

of epic proportions. So I think you'd need a shit ton more than that. Buffalo fans, do not scold me for saying this, but I would love for them to go one for one i go for the first overall just just to see just to see the street just like it'd be like uh it uh people be hanging what's the i'm thinking of a movie scene i'm really drawing a blank i want to hear it i want to hear it we're gonna wait for it i think it's from um it's from fucking Mean Girls.

Have you ever seen Mean Girls, the movie? Oh, fuck. Do you know the scene? Do you know? All right. You know the movie? Oh, fuck. I saw the movie. Do you know the scene when Lindsay Lohan is describing the kids going at each other,

and all of a sudden it switches to kids being animals in a jungle? Yeah. That would be like the city of Buffalo when they're like hanging from the rafters, like monkeys and, and fuck it. Do you know what I'm talking about? Oh,

that was the scene that came into my head. I'm so happy. I just thought of it. I'm just thinking of Lindsay. Oh, my God. Oh, I love McAdams.

Who had a bigger fall off her or the girl in van Wilder? Oh, van Wilder, Tara Reed, way bigger. She was dating Tomer, Tara Reid. Way bigger. She was dating Tom Brady at one point. No way. And then she dropped off from that?

Yeah, Tara Reid, when you're talking like Van Wilder, she was up there. She ended up going down a tough path. You haven't seen, what's her name? Lindsay Lohan's dancing video in Ibiza recently. That was tough. I put her neck and neck with Tara Reid. Dancing like R.A. at that karaoke bar when we were in Philadelphia

singing Rolling Stones. Fucking Jagger. All right, boys, what do you think? Want to send it over to Brendan Lemieux right about now or what? Yeah. Sounds good. Well, our next guest is coming off his fifth pro season after being taken 31st overall in the 2014 draft.

He's currently with the New York Rangers after breaking into the NHL with Winnipeg. He also played not one, but two Quebec Peewee tourneys. Thanks for joining us on the show, Brendan Lemieux. Oh, that's hilarious. Thanks for having me, guys. Big fan. Our pleasure, brother. So what are you doing?

How are you spending your break? I know it's not summertime, but it's been a crazy season. Where do you hold up now? I'm actually full-time in New York. It's been a bit of a change. My parents used to summer in California out there with them, but last year I just decided I wanted to get

some fall golf in the city. I'm really enjoying the New York area for the summer. It's been awesome. some uh sorry biz he just he just he just got in he just got in with me dude you just playing you playing where are you playing at dude you playing some westchester tracks you playing sleepy hollow maybe uh yeah i would kind of fall around my favorites are definitely liberty and uh hudson national oh i've been playing a lot of yeah hudson's gorgeous i love it but you know Liberty and Hudson National. Oh, Hudson National. Yeah, Hudson's gorgeous. I love it.

But you know what? Liberty has grown on me a lot this summer especially. I played a lot out there. Hey, so you know Tank at Hudson National? Of course I know Tank. Tank's not with him anymore, but he's my boy. I love Tank. All right, so he's the man, one of my buddies. He used to work at Hudson National.

So he sets me up one time. The Rangers are playing Washington in the playoffs. And I'm going to drive up in the morning. I'm going to play there at like 11 and then just shoot into the city, go to the game. I'm with my buddy. What a day. What a day.

Absolute day. So I get there. Fucking Tank didn't tell me they punched the greens that morning. I was losing my mind. What does that mean? Punch the greens? Oh, there's big ass holes in the green. They try to aerate them a couple of times a year and all of a sudden it's like putting in a fucking public park.

You're country club ass. Are you kidding? I'd be, I'd thrive on those fucking greens, man. That's what I used to, that would be like me stick handling out there. But can I call you Pepe Jr.? Is that what they call you around the household? Yeah, it's Pep. I've taken the nickname over.

He's just old man now. That's unbelievable because I hadn't had really much of a chance to watch you play in full. And then I watched the playoff game this year and i'm like oh my god i'm like this guy is probably exactly like his old man and as your game's progressing offensively more and more but you are a real piece of shit out there you were fuck i believe you hit the guy three times before the puck had dropped off the face off that was kind of a question but i'm kind of looking for your reassurance that you are a piece of shit out

there. I mean, I don't know if I'm allowed to use those words, but I think, yeah, I try to be, try to emulate my dad's game. I watched, you know, I didn't watch much live. I was too young of his, of his prime, but you know, but I've watched him and, you know, watch guys that like Forsberg and I always wanted to play, you know, but I've watched him and, you know, watch guys that like Forsberg and I always wanted to play, you know, on the edge and, you know, I had a similar skill set to my dad. So I've always tried to play that way, play hard and happens, you know,

to work a little bit better in the playoffs. So that's what I've always tried to do. I think it's kind of my niche and I fit in, especially in New York with the, you know, group of guys that we have. It puts me in kind of a spot where they don't have anybody of that similar breed and gives me an opportunity to play with some really highly skilled guys. And, you know, where maybe if I was just a typical flat vanilla up and down guy that I might not be able to. But it seems like teams like those kinds of guys in the playoffs, especially, and that's what I've always tried to do. And I, it doesn't,

it definitely comes naturally. I don't really have to think about it too much. It's just kind of a competitive spirit that I have. And yeah, I think piece of shit's probably the right word. He took a long way, Vince, but he knows you're right. So, hey, Pep, I'm wondering if you've – I'm guessing, actually, you probably heard those stories prior, but did you get a kick out of listening to Gomez talk about playing with your dad?

You know what? I hadn't heard that perspective. That was outrageous, but it was comedy. I mean, it mean it was comedy like I could not believe that the one on the bus there I was like jaw dropped crying laughing but that was that was outrageous I could not believe that I could I could see it because you know I don't he has a French accent I don't really hear it as much unless he gets on the phone with someone, you know, a French guy or his brother or his family, or we go to Montreal with his family. But, man, that was really funny.

And, you know, my dad would always talk about Gomer, but I wouldn't get it from that perspective. I could totally see it, him being that kind of super vet, can't say anything to him. Oh, man, I laughed really hard. That was great. That was my favorite episode by a mile. Your dad's whole career, four cups, legendary career,

what you could maybe call a win-at-all-costs style of play. Where's the past once you came to playing on the edge and occasionally stepping over that edge? Well, you know, that's kind of – I think my dad was disciplined a few times in his career too. When you play on the edge, you're going to, you're going to step over it, um, a few times and it's not, um, it's not, I don't think a lot of guys it's intentional. It's just, it just happens. You know, you're, you have to walk that line and it's an art form. And sometimes you go over it. I think Tom Wilson's probably

a good example of a guy that, um, similar to the way my dad was where you know when my dad was in his prime and similar he was a modern day tom wilson or an old school tom wilson um and you're going to step over the line but the game's changed a lot and there's a lot more suspensions you've got the slow-mo cameras you got all these hd different angles and and so it's um you can't get away with anything nowadays so you got to be really careful and but i don't think anybody's out there trying to hurt anybody it's just you're playing hard and you're gonna you're gonna catch guys you know if you make three three four hundred i don't even know what in a season how many hits you make but you make um i think the top guys are around 300 and make that many hits and 120 in the playoffs

or whatever it was i think Coleman had um you're gonna catch a guy late you're gonna catch a guy high and you just gotta live with it it's part of the game but uh you want to do your best to you know keep it clean at all times well especially today's day and age do you do you feel that when you make plays like that that that maybe the media has an effect and how you're labeled or does that not even cross your mind like fuck it i'm okay being the villain that's gonna be my job and it's too bad so sad well i i mean i definitely have no issue being the villain um i don't want to spend any games in the press box you know watching that sucks um so it does suck you know um i don't really want to comment too much about my previous suspensions

but yeah I mean there's definitely never an intent there to catch a guy late or catch a guy high or you're just trying to finish plays you want to go back on the ice if I you know skate by a guy because I think he's vulnerable and I don't hit him and he puts it in the back of the net I'm going to be sliding you know down the bench like this was when he played so i love it if he was even in the lineup i was i was i was moving down the bench in the press box for the popcorn that was on the ladies tees yeah yeah that was on the ladies so uh yeah i mean i i just i just want to play and be physical and you know make an impact and um and so if i catch a guy late or high or whatever it is um it's definitely not intentional and i try to avoid it as much as i can but

quick game man especially nowadays there's these kids coming in um they're just flying and it's so fast you just have that you know they talk about it in your suspension hearings. You were 0.5 seconds late. I mean, 0.5 is late. So that's, that's really what it comes down to is split seconds. I was always jealous. Isn't the right word, but I always thought it was so cool when players had kids that were old enough to that were playing hockey and that were, you know, six, seven, eight years old. They could be in the room. It's like every kid's dream.

Your father's in the NHL, but you're interesting and kind of original in the sense that your dad's a little bit on the way out when you know you're six years old he's in phoenix seven years old i'm sure you're going into the room but when did you kind of realize that my dad's only in the nhl but he's this guy that all these teams fans like love to hate and you like you're at a young age when you're learning wow all these teams would have loved to have my dad on their team but if he wasn't on their team they despise him you know what i mean yeah yeah i mean i kind of grew up in that like very early youtube era where like social media was just kind of coming around and so i kind of got like uh i

guess once we started using youtube i think it was probably when i was uh middle school there um we would like look up our like i would look up my dad to see like what what kind of player he was or you know and all i could see on youtube because it's like people or fans post stuff of like their favorite guy it's not like you get a collection of all his goals and it's just like hit from behind rivalry there's like one video like he's fighting in warm-ups fighting in the stands so like i really got like a good grasp of all that just by like going on the internet and then like asking him stories and listening you know jeremy ronick's like my second dad and hearing jr talk about you know the stuff that went on with him and the battles

and the chirping and the, my favorite stories are the warmup fights. Like that's so unbelievable to me. I just can't believe that these guys, these guys fighting in shower sandals before the game and the playoffs, I think it was with Philly and hearing stuff like that. I mean, I think it's really cool. I kind of wish that we had a full team brawl or something like that. You know, like that just doesn't happen anymore. It's, it's almost like gladiator-ish, but it's cool to, you know, hear these guys talk about these old school stories and, you know, it's just such a

different game now. There's, you don't have the guys, you know, going out the night before a game and then getting on the bus and, you know, talking about how hungover they were you know just like it's just a different era but uh it's it's really cool to hear some of these stories um from that era and talk to these guys and I was really blessed and lucky to be around a lot of legendary hockey players growing up Joe Thornton uh was one of my favorites especially at the end of my dad's career there in San Jose this is going to be a long-winded question but at every level you've found a way to generate points, right? Maybe hasn't came natural right off the start. Like looking back to your junior career, you had 41 year,

you start playing pro in the American league. Then you end up, you know, being able to put up some points in your second year. Where do you think your ceiling is as an NHL player? And at those levels, has it basically just came with ice time? And you've been able to figure out you know just how to do it at at every level i think it's hard to put ceilings on guys uh or to predict you know what kind of goal scorer you're going to be or how how good you can be i

i definitely agree with you though um that's a great point you brought up i always have been like i need to get my feet wet i need to to, you know, earn trust, whether it's coach or, or whatever it is, get more ice time, but, you know, find my niche, find my way in each league. It kind of always took me, I never was like a guy that came in and just blew it up and had that great out, you know, first year, it always took me a little longer. I've always felt like my game translates really well to the second half and or playoffs in the NHL season. And what I mean by that is before Christmas, a lot of times it's not the same style of hockey that you saw in the playoffs.

The game is it's a lot more perimeter. There's a lot more plays being made. There's not I mean, if you watch that game six, how many pucks got dumped in? Yeah. And a lot of those guys aren't guys that dump pucks in all year long. So you see, you know, Dallas was dumping pucks in, and they're getting stopped by Vasilevsky every time. And it's like you look at those guys, and they're not used to it. They're just throwing them in because they run out of space, they run out of time, and they dump it in,

and Vasilevsky goes back, gets a breakout clean. If you're on the fourth line or on the third line for a long time, and you dump a puck and the goalie stops it. Coach comes back and goes, well, you spent the whole time in your own end because of a bad dunk. And so, you know, I think that I think that guys that are smart about those simple plays, those simple games have a lot of success in the playoffs. So for me, I've always felt like, you know, my ceiling is I can be a guy that, you know, can score goals on the power play in front of the net. I can be trusted defensively, offensively.

I definitely think I could play up and down a lot of different lineups, depending on the way the coach wants to put his lines together. I know I've always had an ability to score goals and I know I can. Just a matter of, you know, getting your foot in the door, building that trust defensively, starting there and moving it forward. I don't think, like, I'm going to talk numbers with you guys. Anybody can say, you know, you play with McDavid, they're going to score 30 goals.

I don't – I'm not dumb enough to put myself – put a number out there, but I definitely think I got a lot more in the tank as far as offensive numbers. We'll say it for you, 50. To your point, I played with Rafi Torres, and when we signed him, I'd say in the first 20 games of the season, Tippett hated him. And he was like, what is this guy? By the time he got kicked out against Chicago, I felt like – I think as a team we felt that we'd lost our most valuable player.

Because at that time of the season, and as it progressed, he just found a way to be such a factor in games where you were like, where the fuck was this guy at the start of the year? And same thing the next year. And I mean, you guys are very similar players. Yeah, I mean, I like Tom Wilson

right now a lot. I don't like playing against him. I don't like him. I don't know him. I'm not a friend of his. I like Tom Wilson right now a lot. I don't like playing against him. I don't like him. I don't know him. I'm not a friend of his. I like his game. I think that he's a good example of a guy who plays north-south hockey, has a lot of skill, but is a simple type player

and plays up in the lineup and plays big minutes and started out at the bottom and built his way up. Definitely didn't blow the doors off anyone in his first few years. Tough as nails. And I think that guys like that, there's a lot of room in the game for guys like that. And they're rare to find. There aren't a lot of, you know, it's hard to find guys that play hard

in today's NHL, that play physical, that can fight, that can score goals. There's, you know, there isn't really even one on every team now, which is crazy. And, you know, 10 years ago, it was a lot different. So I think that you'll see a little resurgence of guys like that coming up. And I hope for my sake, they're still as valued as they were in the past. But those are the kind of guys that, you know, I try to emulate. Brendan, a few minutes ago, you mentioned some legendary players.

The big news on Wednesday, obviously, was Henrik Lundqvist getting bought out by the Rangers. I know you weren't with him as much as some guys were, but he seems like the type of guy, he only needs two seconds to win you over. You were with him for about two seasons. What's your reaction to that? Well, obviously, it sucks. I mean, I won't mince words.

Hank is a legend in New York. It sucks that he had to go out that way. But, you know, obviously you understand it. Coronavirus, season, salary cap, all of it. Just not a – it's a perfect storm for, you know, what happened. But we loved Hank. He was just a great guy. I always looked up to him even before I ever dreamed of playing for the Rangers. I just – he's a legend, you know.

He's kind of a surreal playing in front of them and a great guy. I was actually just shooting on him the last couple weeks. He's still awesome. He's always in such good shape. Keeps the craziest tan year-round and I have no idea how. He's got a tanning bed in his house. Loves it on the road. I don't know.

He will not confirm or deny that, but you've got to think. He's a beauty. He's a great guy. He's got a great family. I obviously wish him nothing but the best. He was just so, so great in our dressing room, understanding, patient. He was just competitive as hell. So, great teammate.

It sucks. understanding patient he was just competitive as hell so great teammate uh it sucks weird day for the city of new york um losing him but you know obviously part of the business and um you got to look forward we got a lot of young guys a lot of bright future here so i'm excited about the next few years if you took a poll in the locker room do you think more guys would say it's spray tan or it's a tanning bed for Lundqvist's tan? Oh, it's definitely – if it is anything, it's definitely tanning bed. Yeah. It's real. It's real.

And it ain't washing off in the shower. I don't know if you know about mine. I got a tanning – I got a spray tan washed off in the shower. No. No, dude. He's – you know what? I think we talked about it one time. He gets darker after games. Like when he sweats, he's, you know what? I think we talked about it one time. He gets darker after games.

Like when he sweats, he gets like tan. It's the coolest skin thing I've ever seen. He's like a robot. He gets like this awesome bronze when he gets mad. Yeah, he gets, I mean, he's so competitive. He's just an awesome, awesome guy. Best looking hockey player there's probably ever been. Such a beauty.

I mean, it's just such a cool guy. Cool guy to be around. I just want to ask you quickly about his replacements, this young Russian kid. Is it Shosturkin? Is that how you say it? Yeah, yeah. Is this guy the real deal?

Because you look at his numbers in the KHL, and obviously they feel confident. And then this guy at a young age is going to be able to take the reins. Dude, he is nuts. I mean, he is so good. It's stupid. I've never seen anything like it besides in a video game. He's really that good.

And you can really score some goals on him in practice too. He's not one of those guys that's always on, but when the game, when the puck drops and the game starts, I've never seen somebody read the game better. I've never seen somebody. He's just, he's just unreal. Like if you watched a Rangers game, especially one where we played poorly and watched him, he's incredible. So I'm excited to watch, to see him play and how, you know, it was just terrible last year.

He got in a car wreck, you know, and he missed a substantial amount of time before the playoffs there. So, I mean, he's a really freaking good player. He's exciting. Brent, we always like to go back early in guys' careers, as you know, if you listen to the show. Buffalo taking it 31st overall, as I mentioned. Your dad is also your agent. So there's, you know, you listen to the show. Buffalo taking it 31st overall, as I mentioned. Your dad was also your agent, so there's different priorities there.

There were reports you weren't going to sign that no matter what. Was that the feeling right when you got drafted or was something that came later? How did that all transpire? No, no. I've never really talked about that publicly, actually. It was more we just wanted to be patient. We didn't want to sign a contract. You know, if you guys know about entry-level contracts,

they aren't really what they seem. They're not really a three-year contract, especially for a guy that's not a first-round pick. They're more like a seven-year essentially because they could send you back to junior for two years and then even a third year. And then you can play in the minors and then they could, you know, they're not burning years. And so then by the time you play, you play one year or maybe

a half a season in the NHL and then you're RFA until, you know, you're 27. So it's, it's not really just a three-year contract. So we were just conscious of that. And we didn't know what was going on with the coach and the GM. And by the time, I mean, I would have been playing or, you know, or maybe even in my second year, if I played at 19 or 20, they would have had all new everything. So we just knew there was a lot of uncertainty there. So we just wanted to be patient.

If I would have made the team that first year, I probably would have signed a contract right then and there. But that didn't happen. I went back, and then within a month or two, I was traded in that Vander Kain trade to Winnipeg. So it really had nothing to do with Buffalo itself. It was just the kind of uncertain times that they were in as an organization. I'm wondering, like, you get to Manitoba, right? I mean, when you finally leave junior and you turn pro,

and things are going pretty good. I mean, kind of two full seasons in the NHL. You get a chance in the NHL and boom, you're traded. Like, take me through that because it's now a little bit shocking because I think you kind of, at least when I watched you play in Winnipeg, showing the type of player you were going to be, showing the type of player that you were able to play like and consistency and things like that.

And now you're off to a different team definitely a younger team which is good but what were your thoughts and how did you how did you find out about that deal yeah that was wild um I was you know I was I think I was the lowest or one of the lowest consistent guy with like maybe over 40 games or 30 games I played a little bit the year before I played like nine games but I was up for like a little less than half the season so I was in the press box a lot I was really grinding to try to break in and to be honest with you guys it just took a lot longer than I thought it would I knew I was a depth guy I knew I was like a fourth or third line guy breaking in 100% and it just didn't happen as quick as I wanted it to but they

had a great team so I kind of understood it waited my turn finally i made that the team my third year pro and um got going and was playing well and and honestly i mean was producing i think i had you know nine goals and at the four before the trade deadline which for a guy i think my average ice was like seven minutes and 30 seconds oh that much j, I think I would have had fucking 30 with that much ice time in a year. So I was pretty happy. I was pretty happy with, you know, my season, my production and just not my ice time, obviously. So, you know, we were a little uncertain about where what the direction of the team was going as far as like how I was going to be used. And then, but I had no idea, you know, getting ready for playoffs. And I'm pretty much our only physical guy really in that, like that pure physical role in Winnipeg. And then to get traded right at the morning of the deadline,

it was just a shock to get a call at eight in the morning. We were up, you know, up late goofing around, talking about who we thought was going to get traded and i said everyone in the room you know i was with like five or six guys it was like well there's no way you're getting traded and i was like yeah there isn't and then my hotel phone rings i pick it up and it was my dad and my dad's my agent and i pick it up and he goes uh you just got traded to new york and i go what and then my roommate jack rozovich gets up and he goes, you just got traded to New York. And I go, what? And then my roommate, Jack Rosovic, gets up and he goes, where did I get traded to? Because my roommate thought he was the one who was going to get traded. And my roommate goes, I got traded to New York.

I go, I'm going to New York. He goes, I got traded to New York. He was like half sleeping. And I'm like, no, dude, I am. And the look on both our faces was hilarious next thing you know I had uh I had one of the boys knocking on my door like two minutes later I'm like in shambles and then I'm on a plane to New York with my I never went back to Winnipeg I had my stuff in the uh in my apartment in Winnipeg they they sent you know movers to pack it all up but uh I spent

like a month in New York with like a three day road trips worth of clothes, had to go buy all new stuff. Cause you know, we had a game the next day. That's how our apex is crazy. Hey, our a goes for like a 12 day vacation.

He's got his knapsack. He's like, where's all your fucking luggage. I don't, I don't shop in Manhattan. I head out to Staten Island to go buy my clothes. I can't afford Manhattan. Yeah.

One second here, Brandon. I got to talk about this brand called Saks I've been working with. I actually recently sat down, which at this point I've probably posted to social media. I sat down and had a conversation about what it is to have balls today. And you're probably like wondering, why are you talking about balls? Well, Saks is this underwear that's built this hammock-like structure inside their underwear, and it cradles your balls. So it doesn't stick to your leg. You don't get chafing on the side.

I'm sure some of you have heard of Saks. It's S-A-X-X. You can look them up online. Great value. They last a long time. Tons of hockey players wear them, especially you guys with massive wrenches. And as I said, you can check out and watch that interview online. I post it to both my social medias.

And Saks is offering a limited time 10% off for Chicklets listeners who are the first-time consumers. Jesus. Head to saks.com slash chicklets. So that's S-A-X-X dot com slash chicklets to listen to my uncomfortable conversation to try the ballpark pouch for yourself trust me if nothing else your balls will thank me for the rest of your time i would have said for for all of eternity that's how i would have dismounted that ad read so guys check that out sax big thank you guys uh for jumping on board and and uh you know

i had a couple awkward questions one of which i've told the story on this podcast about the read so guys check that out sacks big thank you guys for jumping on board and and uh you know i had a couple awkward questions one of which i've told the story on this podcast about the local girl in phoenix who went on the local radio station and told everyone i had a small horn so whatever we can laugh about it it's in the past i'm a grower not a shower so let's get back to the interview i want to stick with winnipeg i want to stick with winnipeg for a sec paul maurice was your first nhl coach he's been around forever and I think, have had to adjust to maybe a new breed of young player, maybe not necessarily yourself, but in general. Was he an intimidating coach for you when you first got there?

Yeah. I mean, Paul was – he was scary. He had that, like, icy, you know, almost stare to him. And you definitely, you know, didn't want to walk into his office. But he was a great coach. I love playing for him. Even when I wasn't playing, I mean, he was just smart. He was really articulate, was hard on guys when he needed to be.

He knew how to fire guys up, but he wasn't overly hard on you. I mean, he was just like a veteran, veteran coach, but a player's coach. I mean, he really knew what to say to get the boys going. He knew when to cancel a practice, when to, you know, when to step on the gas, when not to. Ran a really good training camp. I love playing for Paul.

Everyone in that Winnipeg organization was great, from the ownership all the way down to the training staff. It really is a first-class organization. They did a great job. That city wanted the team back so bad when they lost it. And they just, I think they just kind of made a deal that they were going to do everything right when they got it back and they, and they've been doing so.

And that's why you've seen them have more and more success. And, you know, it's, it's tough when you develop a lot of really good young, good players, they all got to get paid. So the window in the NHL is just so small nowadays. It really is an art form trying to build up that team kind of like Tampa did. Develop, trade, free agents, kind of the whole picture. It's tough to do, but I think Winnipeg's done a pretty good job of it lately.

You mentioned living in a hotel when you get traded to New York with no calls. But I'm pretty sure your dad, when he played for the Sharks this last year, lived in a hotel the whole season. Like, were you with him at that time or anything? He must have been over 40 that year. Yeah, he was. I was 43 playing and I think it was 08. JR was on the team at the time and they were it was crazy. There were two old guys and and Jeremy's uh son

is my best friend Brett Roenick and so we were both in San Jose and I was homeschooling living with my dad in the hotel um I mean I even got I even went to the minors for like a couple weeks and they put a little stall in the dressing room I mean it was it was the coolest experience for a young kid that wanted to play hockey to get to like be with my dad when he was in the minors and then he gets called up and then you know go to San Jose and go stay in the hotel with him and get to be around Thornton, Marlowe uh you know all those legends that they had in that 08 team it was it was crazy it really was it was it was the only time I really remember watching him play and, like, could visually, like, be smart enough or conscious enough to really know, like, when he did good,

when he did bad, like, what it meant to score a goal. Like, it was just really cool to see. I remember the first game he came back. He was crazy. He was standing ovation. He took the white hair and warm up. It was wild. It was really cool.

We're sticking on the coach's theme with Dale Howarchuk, who you had in Barry. You know, obviously a horrible story. He passes, and I'd never met him. Just from reading everything online, I felt like I knew the guy. Just the salt of the earth human being who you had the pleasure of being coached by for a few years in Barry. I just want you to talk about him and your relationship

and how vital he was to your career. Yeah. Yeah, well, when I said, like, you know, JR is my second dad, you know, I spent a lot more time with JR than I did Dale. But without Dale, I probably wouldn't be playing in the NHL. You know, you never know with those things. But he took a young kid who had no idea how to play really the right NHL style of game

and really gave me an identity. He was the first person to, you know, put me in front of the net and to give me that opportunity to play on the power play and really show me how to do it. Dale was incredible. He was by far and above the best coach I've ever had coaching the power play. He had this mind for the way the power play worked, creating two-on-ones that I think was really unparalleled. But he was a better person, and he'd be watching NHL games in between periods as he was coaching junior games. I mean, he was like that obsessed with hockey. He watched games on the bus.

I mean, he was just always hockey, hockey, hockey. He knew how shifley was playing when he was playing with the Jets. And then, you know, he was coaching and developing all these kids. He loved skating. Every, I think it was Wednesday, he would skate with us in the three-on-three and absolutely light up our goalies at like 55 years old. I don't even, maybe even older, 60. He was crazy good still.

And he was just such a nice guy. And, you know, obviously I pray for his family a lot. And it sucks to lose him. Really, it stings. Couldn't have happened to a better person. He's just such a good guy and it sucks. But I miss him and, you know, yeah, that one sucks. That's really well said and pretty, I think, memorable for people who know him,

the way you spoke about him. That's awesome. I mean, what a guy. And I kind of – I want to go to also in junior, you get the chance to play with Windsor. I mean, did you get traded your last year in junior? Because I look at that roster and, like, I look at what just happened in the cup. You had to play with that Sergeyev, right?

Like, did you see how good this guy was going to be when you were that young? You know what? My dad has always had a pretty good feeling for who's who you know I played with Jose and McDavid um when I was a kid in the Marlies before I played for Dale and Junior and um you know he could tell that those two are special you know it's hard at that age you don't know who's going to end up where you see McDavid, where he ended up and Hulse saying kind of has found, you know, his way or finding it lately. But playing in Windsor, my dad was obsessed with Sergeyev.

I mean, the way he skated, how powerful he was, his shot, his attitude, the chippiness. Serge is a absolute beauty. I'm so happy for him, man. What a playoffs he had too. It was fun to watch. Great player. So I don't want to bring up what maybe was a bad memory,

but I saw you the first overall pick in the second round. So going into that draft, were you kind of planning on being a first? How did that go? Yeah, that sucked. I don't mean to be a dick, but fuck. No, no. That was one of the hardest things I ever had to deal with. And, you know, plenty of kids don't get drafted to the NHL, so who am I to say that?

But I made my dad promise because I knew there was a chance. I was, like, supposed to be a late first-rounder, so I knew, like, I could slip a little and go, like, right on that line. So I made my dad promise like he's like all right we got to have all these people in town let's do your party on Friday night and the second round was Saturday morning and he's like Brendan you're going first round and then I go to interviews or whatever and like a couple teams didn't even interview me they were picking like late and they were like I remember I think it was Lou in in in Jersey he basically was like I forget who it was but someone was just like you're not going to be there put your feet up let's just talk like relax we're not going to get a chance to pick you we love you as a kid but

let's talk we'll talk for a few few years and I'm like okay so I felt pretty good going into it and then you know to sit there and then Jersey like the last pick and it's 30 and I'm like okay like San Jose was like 27 I I really wanted to go to like you know one of my dad's old teams or like I knew kind of those those sections and I felt like I had really strong interviews Colorado pick like 23 and I just went by them all and then finally Jersey comes like when they didn't pick me I was like oh my god like I have to turn and walk up these stairs and I was like low I'm like this is the most embarrassing thing I've ever done in my life and and like so I turn walk up the stairs and

I just remember getting that bus and just like like a bunch of the GMs we waited for them they had to get on the same bus and I was like sitting there like these guys just didn't pick me I was like one I was worried my dad was gonna sucker one of them and two I was like I was like mortified and then so we go whatever and the next day you know my we have the party that night which was terrible and dale as dale always was he was there like i remember i was think i was crying and dale was like there to there he was there for me and jr and my dad and all those guys were all around and they're like you're gonna go early tomorrow and buffalo like kind of grabbed my dad at the hotel and said like we're gonna pick him first tomorrow and so my dad came and

told me that uh in the morning on the way to the next to the draft on the bus and i looked at yeah right dad i don't believe you this fucking time i looked at him and i'm like i won't use the word, but I was like, F off. And I was serious about it too. And so we get there and I'm like slow walking into this place. I'm like, oh, here we go again. Like I'm back. I hate this place. And walk in. And I literally sat down 10 seconds later, Brennan Lemieux.

And the second round sucks so much because it's like, it's not like you go up on stage. It's like Brandon Lemieux. By the time I take three steps, you know, Nikita Sherback or whatever it is. It's like brutal. Wait, where's my jersey there? Like you get a t-shirt.

You don't get a jersey. You get a t-shirt. Yeah, you get to shake the PR guy's hand and you don't even get to meet the staff. That's it. You go to say hi to batman you go to say hi to batman biz and this is security comes flying over hey like wow you don't get a jersey you actually get this two admittance you know buffalo's cult enjoy it yeah yeah oh god so that was uh but you know once you're picked and you and you get through the whole process you really do forget

about that whole first day so it was awesome I was excited but that first night was tough I was going to let you hop in there we were talking about your first contract that you didn't sign in Buffalo but right now you're in RFA I'm assuming you don't want to go anywhere you You want to be a Ranger for the foreseeable future. No. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm excited. I'm sure we'll get something done.

Something done here soon. And I love it in New York. I feel like I've really found a home as a player and as a person. I love I love the city. I love the area. And I, you know, I'm very, very happy and very fortunate, very blessed to be here. And I'm really excited about our team. You know, we got a lot of young skill, a lot of speed, some unbelievable players. And, you know, Mika Zibanejad and Brad and, you know, this new kid we're going to get is supposed to be incredible.

And, you know, obviously we've got a great goalie and some great D-men. And it's exciting, really exciting. What are some Pepe stories that stand out to you about your old man and maybe some of the friendships he has? And is there anything that you could share? Oh, man, my dad has so many stories. It's scary. I mean, I don't know how many I could say

without getting, you know, beat up the next time I see him. But he had some crazy junior stories. I mean, I think one time his coach was drunk. He locked him out of the dressing room and ran the practice himself or locked him in the dressing room um i mean talk about like his coach telling his team to skate as fast as they can around the ice uh so that the other team couldn't get on the ice to go for their warm-ups so like they would they were flying around the outside of the ice and the first guy

walks out gets hammered second guy walks out gets hammered third guy doesn't walk out and they don't have a warm-up said guys were walking in the stands with their skates on concrete to try to go for a warm-up to climb the glass i mean like like stuff that you just doesn't happen anymore oh my god i mean he's got hey you gotta be you gotta say dad you gotta say dad you you owe me for telling me i was going first round that night you're going for sure you're going on with my buddies that's that's how you're gonna pay me back he's he he would uh yeah he would dig himself a hole i feel like on this show you guys are you guys are too tooicing, too easy to talk to. The last thing I was going to ask you was as far as, you know,

playing for the Rangers, a lot of pressure associated to it, but do you thrive for the crowd? Like we've had Avery on before and he said there was nothing like it, especially when you're playing that role. And I feel like Rangers fans really embrace that type of role. It's like that blue collar guy where you emotionally have an effect on the crowd. Yeah, I mean, like this year, that bubble thing was just brutal. You know, you don't have that.

Like playing at MSG is the coolest thing in the world. And to not be able to do that sucked. But, I mean, I love that blue-collar feel. You know, you felt like you have a lot of that in Winnipeg, and I really enjoyed that. You know, like that blue collar type fan. They're really fired up about hockey. New York is like you get that aspect where you get the almost Hollywood feel

to like the bright lights and the city and the, you know, you have stuff to do outside of hockey. But if you go to L.A., you don't get that. You don't have that same passion where, you know, these fans are diehard Rangers fans. They've been Rangers fans for 40 years, 50 years. I mean, it's just, it's so cool in New York. It really is the best place to play.

I absolutely love our, like, firefighter, you know, police officer fans. It's just, you get such a good feeling playing here. It really is awesome. Nothing like it. Yeah, well, we got to thank you for coming on, man. This was great, especially getting a younger guy opening up about a lot of different things and going in depth.

So we appreciate you. Later on in your career, we'd love to have you on, and we wish you the best of luck. I appreciate it, guys. Thank you. I'm a big fan of the show. So, uh, keep it up. Hey, by the way, I just, I was just creeping on your Instagram.

I was creeping on your Instagram there. You're going to money action, left the action. What's your handicap? Oh, I'm a four. Okay. I feel like an ATM at a four, but, but I may, maybe a little newspaper for our sandbaggers. You want to do a sandbagger? Yeah, let's do it. I'll come play some golf with the boys. I'm a 26. All right. Thanks for coming on, buddy. That was awesome.

We'll talk to you soon. Huge thanks to Brendan Lemieux for coming on, man. This kid, like we were saying, he sounds like a veteran. He sounds like he's been in the league for 15 years. Just a well-spoken, articulate kid, very smart, really enjoyed our chat with him. So definitely going to get him back someday. But first, I've always wanted to learn a new language, Biz. I know you're struggling with two, but it can be intimidating,

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That's B-A-B-B-E-L.com, promo code CHICKLETS. C-H-I-C-L-E-T-S. Arrivederci. Oh, my goodness. The fact that you read that as eloquently as you did, and then somebody came in and started talking in the room you're in, and you shooed them away and executed, 10 out of 10, all right. Gorgeous ad read.

Oh, my goodness. Appreciate that. Appreciate that. A few more news items to get to. We want to send congratulations to Chris Stewart on his retirement, Biz. I know your buddies with him. 668 games played with seven teams over 11 seasons, 160 goals, 162 assists. I actually got to meet him when we were down in Philly that night.

Just a great guy. Came from a real hardscrabble background. Even the fact that him and his brother made it to the NHL was against the odds. So we want to wish him the best in retirement. Well, and he came out of nowhere. He didn't start playing hockey until I believe he was like 14 or 15. So I played minor hockey. Really?

He didn't start playing until late. I believe he was playing football and started playing maybe his first year of high school or whatever it was. And he went first round. First rounder. And I played against his brother growing up and i hadn't heard of his brother because he wasn't even playing to that point and for him to have the nhl career he did and then he posted the picture with all the muskoka chairs i mean a

bit of a suitcase kind of funny he had eight different chairs with each team that he's played for but amazing that he played i think he played just just over 670 games. And, you know, he played a solid 200-foot game. Undercover tough too. Yeah. He could chuck them. Yes, he was fucking – one year he had 28 tucks. He was just – and like kind of secretly tough. Yeah, undercover is the perfect way to put it.

We get the chance to hang with him a little bit at that St. Louis camp we were at, Biz, where, I mean, you could tell there like guys loved him and he was him and hitch would battle oh yeah well and uh and and who else uh he was with hazy this year a little bit right yeah he loves the guy and hazy loves him and spent a ton of time with him and the guys on that philly team really enjoyed him so uh hopefully we can get him on at some point to talk about his awesome career, and congrats on retirement. Yeah, enjoy retirement, my man. Let's see, the Blackhawks have acquired forward Brandon Perry from the Golden Knights

in exchange for forward Dylan Sakura. This is kind of a swap of depth guys going into their last year of deals, maybe a little change of scenery type thing. A few notes from our pal Elliot Friedman. Minnesota asked about Big Buff, but his agent doubts he ever plays in the NHL again. Elliot also said Edmonton defenseman Oscar Kleffbaum is weighing his options to deal with injuries from last season. One possibility is surgery that would keep him out long term.

Obviously, Edmonton would need to fill that spot. We'll keep an eye on that. And one other note from him going back to the Eichel stuff, Elliott said the Sabres paid Eichel a $7.5 million bonus this season. 75% of his salary is paid, so it's absolutely senseless for them to

trade Eichel for this season, which I figured that was worth adding as well. And for the record, I heard the same thing, too, that the Rangers were very horny to get him. Obviously, he played under Quinn, Quinn and Fish, boys from BU. But, you know, Buffo would probably be foolish to do it, but the Rangers would do it yesterday from my end. One for one.

Let's go. Hey, come on, Pagoulas. Let's get the party started. Oh, shit. Hey, R.A., are you still waiting for the Bruins to trade Krug's rights? Yeah. Yeah, I checked back. What I did is I the Bruins to trade Krug's rights? Yeah. Yeah, I checked back. What I did is I kind of couched.

I shouldn't have said tomorrow. I was told it was going to happen tomorrow, but I should have known to say it's going to happen, which I did write in the blog. It could be later, but I did check in with a guy a couple days. Isaiah, he said, you know, I mean, it could change. The Bruins could decide to sign him, but from my understanding, it's unlikely to happen.

Hey, you know what I heard happen? I heard that Cam Neely and the boys found out in an order just to sewer you for a few days they're holding back on it, kind of like the Vegas Golden Knights mascot situation. Hey, I consider that too. I mean, it would be fucking hilarious if teams are reacting to stuff like that. But maybe, you know, if I say it, maybe they thought, you know, I was just being a patsy for somebody.

We'll see how it plays out. That could well be the case. I could have been doing someone's dirty work and not even known it. R.A.'s out here cock-blocking trades right now. I love it. He's giving teams their mascots. He's blocking big deals around. He's just a powerhouse in the media game.

Yeah, taking bong rips with Stevie Y, who, by the way, He's blocking big deals around. He's just a powerhouse in the media game. Yeah. Taking bong rips with Stevie Y, who, by the way, we just dropped a new animation on the Spittin' Chicklets YouTube channel. It was when we had Kirby Dock and the infamous GM meeting. I mean, we just talked to Brendan Lemieux about how he talked to some teams. I don't know what scouts were asking him in those meetings, what was happening with Pepe and the boys and JR, but Stevie Y grilling Kirby Doc about doing bong rips.

So check that out on our YouTube channel. Hey, Biz, the boys that spit in chiclets want to wish you a happy anniversary. 11 years ago today, the day we're recording, you were claimed by the Coyotes off of Waves from Pittsburgh. And I would say- Changed his life. Changed the trajectory of your life, no doubt. Very thankful when I saw that today.

Who tweeted out? Mike Camato? Mike Camito. He's a great NHL historian. Yeah, he actually has a few books out, one of which, Hockey 365. There's like a new fun fact for every day. Check it out. But what are you yelling about?

That guy just dropped an article about Alfie Turcotte picking his nose at his son's draft. So he's all over the news. He's on the biz transaction to Arizona, and Alfie Turcotte, was it a pick or was it a scratch? He claimed it was a scratch, by the way. I don't think I've ever told this story on the podcast. So one of my first nights here, there was a guy by the way i don't think i've ever told the story in the podcast so one of my

first nights here there was a guy from my local hometown well in ontario todd b son he was doing some minor hockey stuff so i actually went and met him for uh for a beer at this place called candy store it was a strip club i you know i'd just gotten here i didn't know what areas were good and bad areas well my first experience i go to the strip club we're outside uh you know paying for our entry getting getting our IDs checked. And some guy pulls a gun on another guy. That was one of my first experience right after getting picked up off waivers on that day. So 11 years ago,

I'll never forget the candy store and I never went back. And everyone at home listening, like don't sleep on the fact that this clown gets picked up on waivers. As you get put on waivers, someone picks you up. That's great news. You're not going to the minors today. I got to keep you in the show for a minimum month, but you go there, look at him impress and go there, make it, looking to make an impact and biz the first night goes to the Rippers.

Oh, I didn't think I was going to be there long. I had no business being in the NHL and then I fooled them for five fucking years. Is the penguins also just put out a video of your trip to Sweden with Sid and the boys too. Oh, that was the trip where that was my first introduction to the NHL, where I got to play not only my first game,

but man, that when, when we went to that restaurant and then how Gil lined up that little shindig upstairs, there was like 50 rockets up there i'd never seen anything like it i had surgery late in the summer and i missed the start of that year and you guys were gone for what felt like three months and i was in my apartment just playing video games ice in my cranking yourself ice water so throwing myself around

the room i was so i was like i there was nobody else back there everyone went nobody else was injured i was the worst three weeks of my nhl life the last night we ended up splitting the series each team won a game i've already mentioned a story about matt sundin dropping the ceremonial face off and he got like a eight minute standing ovation which like nobody cared because it was so cool how that many people were going nuts for that long um but what was the point i was gonna make oh then after we finished it all up we went out and partied that last night and i'll never forget daryl sudor doing the worm on the dance floor but somebody had dropped and broken a glass and there was glass everywhere

so he got up and he had all these different puncture holes on his white dress shirt and like with bloodstains. That was like my first experience, like my first week in the NHL. And it was like exactly the way you guys had described Bugsy on whatever it was. Well, Biz, in honor of your anniversary, I'm going to crack myself a nice Budweiser right now. I think the folks in Canada should do the same scene

as you're a Canadian, no? Absolutely. Great segue. And we're here to talk about the Bud Bubble. Now, I was given an ad read, but I could tell you all about the Bud Bubble off the top of my head. It's a contest. They're throwing all Canadians only in Canada. I'm sorry for my American fans out there. You can't win this contest. But in order to commemorate sports, all four of which being played at the same time, given with what's going on in the world, Budweiser decided to do a Bud Bubble, where you could submit a very unique video. They've already picked the first round of winners,

but because of the amount of traction going on it, they're going to pick another winner. So keep submitting your very unique videos as to why you and three friends should go on a paid week-long vacation inside the Bud Bubble. And you're going to have a big projection screen. You're going to have a chef. You're going to have a gym. You're going to be able to do whatever it is you want to do and be paid to watch sports for that period of time. Well, now hockey's over, but you can watch the other ones while you're at it.

You will also be given $5,000 cash. Moolah, moolah, to watch sports, all brought to you by Budweiser and the Bud Bubble. And thank you to Budweiser for being such a long-term, great sponsor of the podcast. And, of course, you want to go to budweiser.ca slash budbubble now to see how you can get into the Bud Bubble. Definitely want to check that out.

Whit, you're off to a little adventure soon, right? Going to a little zoo action with you? Oh, yeah. So I got about five minutes left, boys. The Brendan Lemieux awesome interview, I thought we'd only get 30 minutes. That went long. But there's like a lantern lighting at the Franklin Park Zoo. My son loves the zoo, so I don't know what the hell a lantern lighting is.

I'm imagining it's a little fall activity little halloweenish my thoughts in the zoo are kind of uh how do you you know i'm on both sides of the fence like he loves going to the zoo sees the animals but you go i feel so bad for these fucking animals this is this lion is like on prozac he's so depressed like the no wonder the lions never do one thing they're just laying around like they're stuck in a little. It'd be like being stuck in the loft of my house the rest of my life. Like, these guys should be roaming Africa, running around 30 miles an hour, chewing up a zebra. So I think tonight will be fun.

I feel bad having to leave the podcast a little bit early, but I'll tell you right now, the zoo can be a really depressing place for adults. While the kids scream and look at, like, a big, huge elephant, I imagine that the elephant has to walk around where he shits for the next 40 years. It really is, like, some people hate the zoo. Yeah, I think you get older when you look at it and you realize, I mean, if it's a rehabilitative place where they're trying to nurse something back or it's an animal that can't survive in the wild. But like, I think of the stone zoo,

up in Stoneham, and there was a black panther and he would just pace back and forth. And the caves probably wasn't 20 feet. It's like, that thing probably ended up mauling its feet or someday because it just went fucking crazy being in such a small enclosure.

And a polar bear too. Like polar bears shouldn't be living in Stoneham, Mass. No disrespect to Stoneham, but it's just not a place you should have a polar bear. Okay, listen. All of this is unlike Nantucket, at least. I'm not laughing about the scenario. I'm laughing the way you guys are describing it, because this shit's just funny.

But it is big time depressing. I mean, they did the whale one, too, the whale documentary. What's it called? Which? The one about SeaWorld. Oh, Blackfish? It's called Blackfish? Oh, yeah, Blackfin, yeah.

Like, that shit's brutal. It's awful, and I agree with you. It kind of sucks, and I mean, I can't remember the last. I think the last time I went to a zoo was with you. It was in St. Louis. We went to the zoo? Yeah, when we were on our PTO. Like, on our own, or did we have to go do something there?

No, no, we just went because we were bored. Unless you were one of the guys that didn't go. Maybe that was like the one day we separated. Yeah, I don't think I was going to the zoo during training camp unless, like, we got bathed beforehand. Which we probably did that camp. Well, that's exactly what happened. No, before I go, though.

Hey, it's a shocker we didn't make the team, eh? Can't believe it. What was Doug Armstrong thinking? We're going to ask Bill Armstrong because we got him on next week, and he's one of the guys who was there. So, really interested to get him. Yo, so, before I go, we went golfing yesterday. It was me, Hazy, Jans, and Jimmy Veazey.

So we had a blast. It was a hilarious round, but I really can't go into the whole round. But we're on the fourth hole. Now, we got this caddy. This guy's the man. But he's got no ass. I mean, it's an absolute from his shoulders to his back of his knees a pizza box butt like zero definition ra like similar fashion my ass sponsored by some of the lumber the guy

just nothing there so you know we on the first tee keith he's always like where'd this guy's bum go like i like, I look over, his belt's like halfway down his ass. It's just like pretty funny. So we're playing golf. We get to the fourth tee, and I'm like standing over the ball. I was actually behind the ball trying to visualize

which shot I want to hit. Then I'm standing over the ball. So I'm in like game mode on, game mode here. And Keith says something, and I kind of wasn't even listening. And like three seconds later, like a delay. I, I, I, Kevin Hayes is like, you know, when someone's silently like laughing as hard as possible, but you kind of hear like a little bit.

So I'm like, what the fuck, what did he say about me? I'm like, did he say something about me? And so I, I hit hit i actually stuffed this shot i hit it to like four feet missed the pot like a clown but so i'm i turned back and hazy and now keith's already walking to tee his ball up hazy's still laughing so hard that now i'm laughing so hard when somebody's laughing like i'm like dude what and he's trying to tell me what he said but he's laughing too hard but he can't even get the words out so i'm like what i'm like what well the caddy had said where he worked in the winter because he goes to another course and keith said uh oh yeah dude down there i heard the caddies work their ass off.

So hazy. It took him a little while. It took him a little while, but then once he told me that... Just like here, if I could have a video of him trying to just tell me what he said. Oh my goodness. Oh, shit. It was so good, the comedic timing of this kid.

But with that, I got to run. I got to go see. I knew it was going to be something ridiculous, and it exceeded my expectations. That couldn't have been a better. They worked their ass off at that club. All right, so Witt's off to go free willy, take the boy to the zoo. Hopefully have a good time.

I got a note here. This is definitely a certain demographic. I know you guys aren't familiar with them, but I know we do have some listeners my age. Matt Davis. This guy was a country singer who was seemingly everywhere back in the 1970s. He passed away yesterday at 78. He actually wrote some songs for Elvis, but he actually, how I

know him, he starred in one of the best football movies ever. It's called North Dallas 40. It's on Amazon Prime right now. I know if you grew up watching any given Sunday, Al Pacino, that's like a football movie on steroids, no pun intended. North Dallas 40 was actually based on a book written by a former cowboy. The book was a quote-unquote novel, but it was based on actual events and how the league was.

And when you watch it now, Biz, if you do on Prime, it's crazy. It's the same issues going on now. Guys getting shot up, taking whatever, Toradola pills to get over the pain, to just fight. And Nick Nolte realizes he's just a piece of meat. He stars in it as well. It's a fantastic movie. But anyways, Mac Davis, it was the very first movie he ever did. and i don't know how this guy didn't become a movie star because he was

incredible he was playing a version of dandy don meredith who was the uh the cowboys quarterback at that time so i just want to acknowledge that uh he was a guy who was pretty popular like i said a lot of listeners probably know about him i could listen to you talk about movies like uh wit talks about golf because i could just even though I know nothing of what you're talking about, your passion for it is just radiating. Well, what's interesting, too, is the NFL did not want them to make this movie. They wouldn't license any of the stuff because of how bad it made the league look. But two years before that, the NFL not only let a company come in,

they filmed during the Super Bowl. It was a movie about a terrorist plot to blow up the Super Bowl with a Goodyear blimp, but it didn't make the NFL look bad. So they actually let the actors, Robert Shaw from Jaws, actually on the sidelines during the actual Super Bowl plays. The NFL let them film during it about a terrorist plot to bomb the Super Bowl. They let them do that, but they had nothing to do with this movie

because, again, it made the NFL look like the scumbag we all found out they really were after all these years. Yeah. Yeah, NFL is, like, far more cutthroat than I think any other league. Yeah. And just – This movie is 41 years old, and they were telling you that,

and nothing's changed. You know, it's like Roman Gladiator type shit, you know? Yep. That's exactly what it is. I'm going on a little vacay. Well, I'm going to be a working vacay, but I'm going down to Provincetown, Biz, down the edge of Massachusetts. You know, Cape Cod looks like somebody making a fist. Well, Provincetown's way at the edge.

I've been dying to go there for years. I actually wanted to go after the draft, after free agency, and just decompress, but the ferries from Boston stopped running at Columbus Bay, so I got to get down there before if I want to go. Oh, interesting. Yeah, we've been talking about P-Town already since we started this thing, like three years ago, four years ago, you've been talking about going there. I was, I was gonna, and then I had to get my, uh, what do you call it?

Gallbladder out that kind of torpedo, those plans. And I just haven't had an opportunity. So I'm going to go down. I got a brand new book. Uh, it's a book about the making of good fellas called made men. It just come out. I doubt I'll finish it while I'm down there, but I just want to go melt away. Obviously I'll do the work we need to do, but I think we all need a little decompression

now that the season's over. We still got free agency in the draft, but a little R&R for the old R.A., I guess. Yeah, I know. We talked about it at the beginning of the episode, how long the season has been going on, guys. We're a little burnt out. Some days we were not able to really think of anything entertaining to talk about i thought today was a fun episode we had a great

interview as well but uh november we're just going to be launching out interviews we're not going to be jumping on and you know talking about our lives we need a bit of a break like my brain's fried already you mentioned yours and like grinnelly man grinnelly's up fucking during the nights editing and all that he's our hardest worker so it's just you know guys guys need a bit of a break here we're still going to be able to get some great interviews to roll those out but we're uh you know we're looking forward to you know ending this in style though but it's been a great year so yeah I mean we do have some content coming out as well the we mentioned the sandbaggers and uh you know we we're very grateful for our following guys.

You guys have kept us going through this. The quarantine, I think, hit us all pretty hard. We try not to portray that because this is a place where you guys come to escape as well. But yeah, it's going to be fun to get a little time off and spend some time with me. Start feeling the game. And I love you. And a lot of people have been asking all three of the episode, any special plans. And to be blunt,

we made no special plans for 100 or 200. We don't have any for 300. Cause we'll keep on going, man. Like we'll maybe 500 when we get there, but it's to me, it's just another round number. We're going to keep on grinding.

We didn't do anything for one or two. I don't see why three is any different. So, you know, we're going to keep doing what we do. We'd love the support. Thank you everybody for the support for this year-long season. And, again, kudos to everybody at the NHL, NHLPA, the arena workers,

the health workers, everybody involved with the Bubbles. You guys did an unbelievable job. And, again, our peers in the media, those guys and gals did a tremendous job as well. So thanks to everybody for their tremendous work in the Bubble, getting the season done. Enjoy the episode, and we will see you Monday. Nice dismount, R.A. Enjoy the show, guys.

As always, we'd like to thank our fantastic sponsors here on Spit and Chicklets. Of course, all our friends over at New Amsterdam Vodka and Pink Whitney. Big thanks to you guys. A little shout-out for the Stanley Cup there, too. Big thanks to our new friends at Whoop. I've been getting some great feedback on this. People are really taking to it. Thanks to our friends at HelloFresh. Hopefully you guys are utilizing this. If you

don't like to shop like myself, you get everything dropped off. Boom. Nice and easy. Less messed. No doubt about that. Our new friends at Saks. You need some new underwear? Check this stuff out, man. I mean, guys go through underwear like crazy. You can never get enough of it. So by all means, give them a whirl. Big thanks to Babbel. I'm going to learn some languages eventually. Italian is going to learn some languages eventually. Italian is going to be my first one. You should check them out. Thanks to them.

And big thanks to Bud Canada. Love your support. Love your drink. I am the lord of gravity. I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva. I'm gonna go, go, go. There's no stopping me. I'm burning through the sky. 200 degrees, that's why they call me Mr. Fahrenheit.

I'm traveling at the speed of light. I wanna make a supersonic man out of you. Don't stop me now. I'm having such a good time. I'm having a ball.