Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 321: Featuring Mark Madden + Brenden Dillon

Episode Date: February 23, 2021

On Episode 321 of Spittin’ Chiclets, the guys are joined by Brenden Dillon and Mark Madden. Mark joined (31:53) to discuss his radio career in Pittsburgh, his beef with RA, the Penguins and tons more. The guys also break down the NHL outdoor games in Lake Tahoe, the NHL TV Rights rumors, and the Artemi Panarin news. The boys are then joined by Brenden Dillon who joined (1:42:22) to talk about his new team in Washington, playing with Ovechkin, Jumbo Joe stories and a bunch more. The guys wrap up talking some NHL news, Max Homa/Golf Talk, and Brad Marchand dusting it up with people on twitter.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. I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world. Life in plastic, it's fantastic. You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere. Imagination, life is your creation. Come on Barbie, let's go party Come on Barbie, let's go party Weekend, had a great time out at Lake Tahoe. We'll get to that shortly. Let's say hi to the boys like we usually do.

Producer Mikey Grinelli. What's going on, buddy? What's going on, guys? Biz, hope you enjoyed your Aspen trip. Six days until I see you guys down in Florida. We're still looking for some courses. So if you know any courses in the Jupiter area, hit me up. But boys, I'm excited for another trip.

Always get a ton of stuff done. Me and Biz had a nice long call the other night. So I'm ready. Daytona, here we come yeah i haven't flown into west palm beach in like 35 years so i'm looking don't even know what that means where it's the airport yeah oh you don't just fly into florida you just they don't call it they just airdrop you right in biz yeah drone drop like just like at the grove 23 actually wet the width we'll go to you next uh you're pretty much a florida resident lately no oh yeah i'm just looking for that no state tax biz finally convinced me uh i'm having a blast

down here uh i think that the weather everywhere else in the country is kind of a disaster uh needless to say i mean like you you see Texas, what's going on? Florida is beautiful. I was in Tampa playing in a golf tournament. The Gasparilla showed up, Palma, see a golf and country club. We can talk about that at the end. Golf talk. Suck on that one.

And I was I was right involved in that game Saturday between Vegas and Colorado. We're going to go into what happened then, but the original view and the original thought I had right when it came on screen was one of, it was one of the coolest looking rinks I've ever seen. So it's exciting to talk to you guys. There's a million different things we can talk about for the next two hours or however it may be,

but we also have two fun interviews. So I appreciate everyone listening. Let's get this thing going. We're going off the rails 20 times this episode. Yeah, there's nothing. When I said there's a lot to talk about, none of it's hockey. So get used to that. It'll be a 40 minute soccer segment for all you pigeons out there

who complain and whine to me. I know it'll be it'll be uglier than Batman going against the sun toe to toe. Well, speaking of off the rails, I mean i i had to put this up top you did anything but go off the rails your first time skiing you made the video i and i had said you know skiing and skating is similar you are a pro athlete but i was thoroughly impressed uh your first day on the slopes i gotta say horizontal trail hey take it back what you said i was on the bunny hills no word of a lie i did a one diamond. I went down one of the hills at Snowmass. That was not the video I sent you.

Yeah, you think that thing was legit like a highway with maybe a little bit of a hill at the bottom going towards the water. Where's Pasha to hop in and make that thing look a little steep? It was like I think my my likes on my tweet on Twitter might have just five times yours. It was like, Jesus, everyone knows you're on a bunny slope. I couldn't get Pasha because he's actually in the process. You mentioned golf a little bit earlier. We got a sandbagger coming out this week. It's looking like Thursday.

We're back. Live chat. We are back. Back on YouTube. Witt's going to be doing the live chat. It's looking like a Thursday night drop, so we're going to do that live thing again thursday yeah yeah yeah i don't know why i just did that um you got me talking like this um we're going to drop that on thursday what's going to be in

the live chat i think that i'm able to hop in because i'm signed up to youtube now like one of these young bucks and we got got Tyson Nash and Shane Doan. So three Coyotes employees. Let's go, baby. Aside from that, though, the skiing, guys, listen, I don't get to vacation much because obviously I work, you know, especially during the hockey season. But you're forced to put your phone down and your adrenaline gets going kind

of like it did when you were playing. I have now found my top passion. you know how you found golf wit i will be oh you're you're you're that's what you're saying here i am starting a pink whitney uh ski team yes all right you're all on board i'm gonna put the tour de france just on hold for for a couple more years here pink whitney ski team we're gonna get the one the one suits or the what do you call them uh the one piece suits the one piece suits yeah all pain and his hip stick um but yeah it was it was a blast so uh the guy who took care of me out there was that sheldon willensky guy talked about him he was the one who uh he used to play um for hunts uh alabama is it what's the alabama huntsville the- Alabama Huntsville.

Alabama Huntsville. He played university hockey there. He's a Canadian guy. And then he ended up donating to the ECHL Player Relief Fund just because he's got that connection to, once again, I talked about it last podcast, the program that was struggling. And he also helped raise a bunch of money for that.

So we connected. He showed us all the cool spots to eat. Aspen is absolutely stunning. And I can't thank him enough for a wonderful trip, him and his family. So what did you like? Were you surprised at how easy you got it? I mean, because it is it is similar to skiing. I mean, skating already was right. But when you went down, whatever the green square, whatever the easiest one is first, were you like, oh, i kind of have this or did it take a while i would completely agree with what you told me is it's it it's hard to do the buddy hills to get going the first one was not steep enough when as i went up and got a little bit steeper then i realized like what edges i need to take yes yeah he kept saying it's all edges it's all edges right and from being a hockey player i was all i was in my head trying to say is like okay but like which one at first i was kind of going a little bit like knees in like pizza style and and working

the inside ones but in order to go back like if you want to turn right i would get on my far right outside edge and and you kind of yeah you think well yeah i know but wait i'd never skied just learned no i know i know but keep in mind towards the end of my career i couldn't really skate either so it's been a while here it's been a while here but it was great thanks for asking all right and then what about what about the um the post scene like the pretty cool to have drinks right at the bottom like that's always a praise is it a praise beer pray i think a pray like a ski great i'm guessing aspen was top notch yeah it was it was great the the snow mass place that i went to was

maybe a little bit more like family oriented i think there's a couple other uh joffrey loophole was in town there he was skiing at a different hill didn't end up getting to connect with him but uh i the the one that was i think it was called Base Camp, and it was cool. There was a couple of Chicklets fans there. You can grab a couple of pops at the bottom. Yeah, I loved the entire experience, but the biggest aspect was getting my adrenaline back up, the fresh air, of course,

and the fact that you're off the technology for a little bit. You're forced to be anyway. Yeah, good mental break. If you don't want to die. Yeah. Whit mentioned we have two guests coming up a little bit. You're forced to be anyway. If you don't want to die. Yeah. We have two guests coming up a little later. We have Washington defenseman Brendan Dillon. Had a great chat with him. And we also brought on Mark Badden of

Pittsburgh Radio Fame. You guys were very familiar with him back in your playing days there. I had a little Twitter dust up with him back in the day, but we had fun. It was a nice chat. He's certainly an entertainer, so we get that a little bit later. First off, I want to say now that hockey is back, you're going to have to find your shot. And what better way to do that than with Pink Whitney?

From January 1st through March 26th, we are giving Chicklets fans a chance to win a custom Pink Whitney shot machine. All you have to do is post a picture of you and your Pink Whitney and use the hashtags, hashtag Pink Whitney, hashtag take your shot hashtag sweepstakes make sure you use all three we will be picking winners from the u.s and canada every other week so make sure you get creative with your submission the boys down the men's club were asking me if i could find one of these because i told my poke around see what i can do for them i'm gonna be given my i'm gonna be given mine away when the competition's

over. But, you know, they're a special edition. We've had some great submissions as far as people sending in creative things. So keep them coming, folks. And you weren't the only one shredding the gnaw on the internet this week. Gritty, man. Gritty was snowboarding up a storm. I mean, honestly, that's impressive as hell to do

in a mascot costume, especially with a big hula hoop around you. He was absolutely killing it. Of course, Gritty was out in Lake Tahoe where the NHL was this weekend. The NHL outdoors at Lake Tahoe was kind of a last-minute thing that was put together because the schedule's been effed up. We weren't able to get to Minnesota for the Winter Classic. I thought the NHL took a great initiative here. Let's do something on the fly.

These things are usually planned out years in advance. They only had about two or three months to get it done and of course you know the sun come out like you know the enemy of the people like mr burns and the simpsons and you know they had an eight hour delay between uh the first and second period and everybody you know big cat got his jokes in and everybody had fun but you know the second game went off without a hitch they pushed postpone the start till nighttime we got the beautiful scenic views that looked like Roger Deakins was directing the show. I thought overall the weekend was a success despite the eight-hour

intermission between the first two periods. I think that it was very normal and probably right to be chirping the NHL. I mean, just a crazy look. And then the quote, the quote that maybe we could put on a t-shirt from Gary Bettman. But if you look up at

the sun the cloud cover is everywhere but where the sun is and it did a number on the ice yeah so usually the sun's up there and then it goes away at some point and it gets a little cooler and then it comes back out the next day but i understand like people are gonna laugh and make fun of the entire ordeal. But like I said, at the beginning, just the visual right away when you saw it and you knew they'd finished the games and then you move into the next night, we don't have to get to the Bruins flyers,

but like the sunset at that time, cause we didn't get to see that. Once the delay happened, those guys in Vegas, Colorado, they didn't come back till later. Well, we got to see the sunset, some pictures Grinnelly. I know you tweeted a bunch out as McAvoy scores. Just one of the coolest settings we've seen for an outdoor classic, possibly the best one, the best looking one. So you got to think, I mean, they're never going to move forward when fans are allowed back and say no fans at outdoor classics anymore.

But this one time it worked perfectly and perfectly is probably not the right word to use there. But visually and overall at the end, it was awesome. I mean, you had the main event of Gary going against his son. I mean, that's a battle on its own. I know. Like he went to his shoes. They're like, no, retreat, retreat.

Going back to Gritty. I mean, he's a, you know, coke fiend, deadbeat dad loser. But he's the Mcid of mascots right now he is just so versatile just when you think you know it's it's maybe he's at his peak he just brings it to another level so stick taps uh for gritty um yeah both teams uh petro and mckinnon got interviewed after the game and they were like they were all so positive about what was going on so it's like as shitty as it was and as silly as it was, I mean, all press is good press. Is that, is that a,

is it fair to say in this circumstance? No press is bad pressed. Is that it? I don't know. I don't know. I think I like mine better. I'm going to go back to mine. There's no such thing as bad press. Boom. Boom. Nice. How are you? Head and knuckles. But you know they give them they gave

us a little appetizer and then they came back for two periods it kind of set the stage for the next day everyone wondering what's going to happen then all of a sudden the bruins roll up in these retro tracksitos and apparently it was it was patrice bergeron's idea look the whole, which to me, you know, made it an overall, I love the entire experience, was Poster not coming out postgame in the postgame interview. Now, Grinelli, can you please roll the audio and just visualize him in these macho man Randy Savage shades with just an unbelievable attitude walking out from the dressing room after a big win why are you wearing the glasses now i assume it's i assume it's not sunny uh or is it just just you enjoy you enjoy having them on well we were listening barbie girl before you guys asked me to the media so i was kind of dancing with these glasses out in the locker room and then you guys ruined it and i had to go answer the question so i missed the barbie girl song and uh you know who knows what's going to be on when i come back so to me to me the whole social media experience of the whole weekend which is kind of how i consume a lot of my stuff it was entertaining and i think that ultimately you would

have to consider that a success and i mean for people who hate gary i get they got to see him get knocked out by the sun so everybody won also i Also, I said on when I'm part of my take, shout out big cat PFT, those guys. And they asked me about the whole weekend, basically the delay. I'd never had to go through anything like that. And I know we saw, we saw delays Pittsburgh, Washington at one point.

I think that was the night Crosby originally got injured with Steckel hit him years back. So there's been issues, but starting the game was the craziest part but when you bring up mckinnon and petro and not really complaining it's like this year's been such a gong show to begin with and the season's kind of miserable for these guys in a sense they're on the road they can't go anywhere they're in eight buildings all year seven or eight buildings well this was just something different so it's certainly weird to

like take your gear off. Everything needs to dry. Laundry needs to be done. And then you got to get back in. But they, all they did was just approach it as a restart, like a whole new game. So yeah, it was,

it was comedy levels were high and then nothing beat Petro seeing McKinnon full tilt coming at him and just being like, Oh God, just winding it up. Hey, do you say, Oh boy, Oh boy.

Like that, that shows, I'm sorry, biz. That's perfect. That shows. I'm sorry, Biz. That shows. You guys think NHL players are so focused during the game always? No. There's times when you see somebody coming and you know you're fucked and you actually visually, verbally get it out there.

Yeah, Petro was on his edges like me on the bunny hill my first go around there. It was like, ah. And listen, it's fate. McKinnon got to watch the 1,000th game ceremony for his future teammate, Sidney Crosby. So everybody wins here. I'm just fucking around. Pittsburgh fans were pissed at me for considering that.

And we address it later on in the episode with Mark Madden, so just hang tight. But overall, R.A., what did you think of the whole thing? I call this enemy the sun. Fucking Mr. Brands from The Simpsons. He says those literal fucking words. It's great. do you think of the whole thing i call this enemy the sun fucking mr brands from the sims yeah he says those literal fucking words it's great it's basically a coin flip every time you do one of these remember you guys went to the one in colorado they had the issue with people driving in and out i'm glad you brought that up is that was much more of a disaster for people who went to the

game and the nhl kind of was able to keep it quiet. That was a clusterfuck. This was a case of the NHL taking a risk. Now, we were in Dallas last year, New Year's Day. We got great, perfect weather for an outdoor game. It could have just as easily happened down there last year. I think the risk was worth it. Yeah, the NHL is going to have to spend the money and do a lot of hard work. And if it was sunny and 60 all weekend and they had a fucking, what do you call it, dump it, then you just got two more post-potent games.

You've already had fucking 30 or 40. What are two more? I think the risk was well worth the reward. The comedy also was like the one clip where I think you see one player fall, then the ref fall, then like another player fall. It's like me and Biz at camp for the blues. That was us at blues camp. Yep, that's it.

Yeah, I just so I think that, oh, fuck, I wish I tweeted that. I think that it was a success, as weird as that sounds to say. And I just had a blast watching last night's game. The way the sun was set. Big time. Big time vibes. My only criticism of this moving forward would be there's enough nice looking cold places where you can do this, where you won't have to worry about the sun and the weather. There are people out on boats and t-shirts.

And then there was a stoner 19. The stoner 19. It was Gooch one of them. Oh yeah. David, David Gooch made airways. What, what are not there? That was me.

Like Dusty R Gooch. Dusty R Gooch. Dusty R Whitney. There it is. Middle name, Ryan. My first name's actually Dust. I was catching heat online from people

that it was just my ears, my eyes, and I was the one actually at the game. The stoner 19 on the jet ski with the Red Wing jersey and then the Red Wing flag. Memes posted that Stevie Y doing scouting from Lake Tahoe. Oh, my. he's been on fire lately. And one of our listeners

had a picture of him inside Joe Louis, but Stevie Y's retired number and they wrote Stoner over there. He probably hates, hey, Heisman, he's a pretty serious guy. He guarantee hates our guts. But he had a nice tribute video to

Crosby. Did you guys get to check a lot of that stuff? I did. Oh, you want to jump to the Crosby stuff? Yeah, I was able to watch all the pregame stuff. Yeah. No, I just want a couple closing things on Tahoe Biz. I thought it looked great on TV because they didn't have the constraints

of a normal stadium. Like, there was no crowd there. There was nothing overhead. So they were able to use all these new cameras and angles and stuff i mean basically a lot of the stuff we saw on the sunday night game we hadn't really seen a lot of those angles and shit before so uh visually i thought it was pretty good we got the reverse retros busted out um i tweeted i like the vagus one and everyone from colorado was fucking crying about it it's like i didn't say i didn't like the colorado one i i just said i like the vagus one it was like you can't say you like something and

then without people fucking taking it personal these days. Hey, did you see Bednar's jacket? His jacket was a 12 out of 10. I'd pay two grand to get that jacket. Or one like that with the Coyotes logo would look cool now that I'm thinking about it. Maybe I'll have to sandbag one off the Coyotes. And did you see when Yaro Halak went on the rink,

he still had the mullet from the 90s fucking get-ups they had on him? He wore the mullet onto the fucking rink. I think it was Pete Blackbird who said it looked like a scene at a hot tub time machine or something. Yeah, there was Saved by the Bell feelings of at least five or six of them. And I think Trent Frederick might have heard you calling him out with last episode. You got to call him out.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That was busy boy here saying that creating a little bit more space. I think the offense is going to now come and then bingo. Very, very happy for the guy, because as I said, I said he was changing, you know, the way the Bruins played. Like he added that element that the past Bruins that you've seen just pump guys and be willing to fight anyone. But he had to score. Maybe I did technically call him out. Good for him. That was somebody I was rooting for. Bruins, everyone, I think, R.A., you were on them.

I mean, what a what a it seemed like just a guarantee. Philly has so many guys out with COVID. The Bruins lost two in a row. It was a great night to win a bet. Yeah, it was definitely easy money for sure. And also to Bizda, going back to pasta for a minute, he was giving the media shit. He's like, you guys made me miss Bobby girl. I had to do media. He was like dead serious, dead pan.

He was obviously kidding, but he's like, I miss Bobby girl. Cause I had to talk to you people. Like Bobby girl. He is a look talk to you people. Like Bobby girl. He is a look at Grinnelly space right now. He's like, I, we already played the clip. Yeah. That's the clip. I know.

Well, I know. Well, just for the audience, we don't play it on while we're sitting here. So I didn't, it didn't run all here. I, I, listen, I've made far worse mistakes than that. What was the, what was the last thing I was going to chime in there with? In two minutes, business is going to be like, did we talk about the outdoor game in Tahoe? Grinelli.

So Grinelli tweeted, texted the group chat after Pasternak scored his first. He goes, I put a bet in that he's going to get two because he strolled in with a macho man, Randy Savage stage. Plus 600. One other note before we get to, actually two more notes before we get to actually two more notes before we get to Sid Biz uh Mike Tirico this is a guy he's I think he's in that Jim Nance

Al Michaels Joe Bakhtiar where he can call any sport and pretty much do it effortlessly he was fantastic for a guy who hasn't done hockey a long time I think he's pretty good at it I I'm glad you brought that up fantastic job and the fact that him and Edzo had to delay when all that stuff was going on, they crushed it. There was no dead air. And getting thrown a curveball like that when you're on live TV is an absolute dick punch, okay? And those guys knocked it out of the park.

So tip of the cap. Yeah, Tirico, I don't know the list. He's pretty much done everything, though. I can hear his voice doing pretty much done everything though. I can picture, I can hear his voice doing pretty much every major sport. So to hop into quick hockey that quickly and make it seem like he's that much of a natural, especially,

especially because they had to replace Doc, right? I mean, he had done such a good job for so long. It was like, who's going to come in and do it, but good for him. And that goes into our next point.

Our buddy, Chris Johnston was on the air the other night, and he said it looks like ESPN will be one of the league's TV partners when a new deal is signed this offseason. Quote, word is seeping out right now that ESPN has stepped up, and it looks like they will get at least part of this contract. NBC is thought to be the other network that the league's going to air on. So it looks like they're going to have a couple different networks. So, you know, hopefully they'll keep Tariko going forward.

And ESPN, obviously they used to have Gary Thorne and Bill Clement years ago. Everybody's clamoring for Gary Thorne. Bill Clement just retired. Gary Thorne just lost his job with the Baltimore Orioles network. So he's available. If you could have Tariko on one, Gary Thorne on the other, that'd be great. But either way, I know people have their issues with ESPN and hockey because the big thing is they weren't in bed together.

They weren't business partners. So ESPN didn't pimp their product as much like they do with the NFL and NBA. If they're in bed together with a contract, then, yeah, you're going to see a lot more NHL on SportsCenter, a lot more highlights, and, you know, ideally get some more fans. And that's what this is all about. Bring back the puck tracer. That was Fox.

Fox tracks. Our boy, Bucci Gras, I actually had to get on him, and he gave it right back to puck tracer. That was Fox. Fox tracks. Our boy, Bucci Gross, I actually had to get on him, and he gave it right back to me on Twitter. I said, you better get that highlight in tonight of the pass. Who made that dish? One of the sickest plays. Huberto. That was the Huberto pass.

Oh, my God. If you didn't see this Huberto dish. And it was number one play on SportsCenter. So, hockey being on ESPN, I don't care what you say, is huge. You need that. Bucci basically already offered me a color job commentating. I said, no, Bucci, thank you so much. I got chicklets.

I got the golf. I'm going to stick with that. But, you know, it's just once we see them on a major network, it's only going to make it more popular. I'm convinced, especially how good the game is right now. The game's healthy. Everything's going great. So ESPN does really help the NHL. It's the year of the the game is right now. The game's healthy. Everything's going great. So ESPN does really help the NHL.

It's the year of the Spinarama right now. Everybody's doing the Spinaramas. We just saw Alex Tuck do it in the outdoor game. Patrick Kane, he's been doing it for years, but he had a nice sick one the other night. And how about, it wasn't a Spinarama, but that goal by Pedersen last night. The one where he batted it.

His back was to the net. He batted it between his legs. Top cheese. How's your mama? The Polish Prince is back, baby. And Van lost and Van still lost that game. They were winning all game. Tied it late. But yeah, we're going back to ESPN. It's built in marketing. I mean, every time you go in a barbershop or a bar or restaurant,

ESPN's always on the TV. So if those highlights are playing, man, people, you know, they just got to see hockey then they fall in love with it so uh also too i sent that old article out from like 93 the tv deal the nhl had back in the 91 92 season was worth 5.5 million dollars total and it was only a sport channel okay so i didn't i wasn't as like florida blown away as you were. Like, what were the deals then for, like, the NBA? 91? 5 million seems – It was at least 10 times more with the NBA.

10 times even then? 20 times more. Yeah, yeah. I mean, the sports channel was a tiny channel too. R.A., have you ever heard the story of the NBA? And there's, like, two guys who ended up selling, like, half of their pro league to the NBA and there's like two guys who ended up selling like half of their pro league to the NBA but part of the contract was they would always keep a certain percentage of TV rights and these

guys it's more like the best business deals in sports history I think it's the St. Louis Hawks I believe you're talking about it's either the Hawks or the St. there's a St. Louis based NBA team yeah I'm familiar with that story they had They held on to a small percentage of the TV rights and ended up getting a huge windfall years later, like multi-millions of dollars. Yeah, crazy story. That's why you always hire a lawyer to look over those contracts. The other note, yeah, Biz, you already teased it.

Sid played in his 1,000th game. Glad you're not in the Penguins this weekend. He became the 350th NHL to hit 1,000 games played. They did a really nice pregame presentation. He got a little misty-eyed during the ceremony there. The team gave him a nice Rolex. I don't know if it was as nice as Grinelli's, but a painting. He got the silver stick.

It was pretty cool. The whole team came out in jerseys with 87, and they all tied their skates in unison before the game like Sid does. Of course, he went out, got himself two assists. Go to you first. You were a longtime teammate of the kid. Yeah, it's kind of crazy to think he was just getting to 1,000. I mean, I don't know.

I think, Grinnell, you sent us or there was a tweet of how many games he's actually missed. But not only does it seem like he's been in the league for so long that he would have reached 1,000 sooner, but you also realize and think back to the games he did miss. There was a time like you didn't know if Sid was going to be, be good, be healthy. And you didn't know what type of player he'd be able to be. It missed so much time. And of course, now looking back, it was all,

I'm not going to say overblown by any means, because there were certainly scary times for him as a player and, and as a person, but what he's done since and the questions that arose then just fell so flat. I mean, he won two more Stanley Cups. He's been as dominant as ever. And I think that when you look back on this guy, and I see he's top five player of all time,

and you look at his points per game, it sits up right, I think, in the top five. If not that, definitely the top 10 and the way he's gone about it is just like there's nothing there i mean there's people who don't like crosby it's fans of other teams there's never a penguins fan that's ever said a bad word about the guy so i think the only people who do dislike him are just jealous that he's lit up their favorite club over the years and i think that like doing the things off the ice that he's done so quietly you never he he doesn't want things that he does for other people to be made public. You hear that about a lot of athletes, but somebody like him who's super private and into like keeping things private, you know, he's not looking to get every every news, every piece of info that he has out there.

He's just like really happy with just being the best possible player he can be. He's always been that way, the best possible player he can be he's always been that way the best possible teammate and and like a true leader so i mean you talk about oh like a a discussion about the top players his name's always going to come come to a forefront and and part of it is the way that he has approached the game and like people just all look up to him you saw the video that the penguins made i I mean, you got guys, superstars around the league, Kane, others that are just like, yeah, we've always looked up to him. So to hear every single person, all your peers speak that highly about you, it was just it was a cool thing to see a thousand come to a head. He's not done yet, not by any means, but still, I thought it would have been sooner.

So it's great to finally have happened. And how about he's the only or first Penguin to reach a thousand games with the organization crazy no no one had ever done that before i forgot that mario was even shorter than that so um that mike committo sent me over a bunch of like crazy stats about sid he's the one who's got that high hockey 365 book like just some of the things uh youngest player to score 100 points in a single season crosby was also first rookie to record 100 points and rack up. I think you're around for this. 100 penalty minutes.

Like his first year, he was getting dimed up, wasn't he? Oh, he was getting teed up by refs all the time. He chirped refs, hated them. I think he's kind of relaxed on that. More stat guy business here from Mike Comito here. Crosby was youngest player to win the art ross he won his first in 2007 with 120 points 19 years old that season crosby was second youngest to player to win heart he won his first in 2007 19 years old

only player to win it younger was wayne gretzky there's like he's got 11 hat tricks two six-point games one against philly december 13th 2006 another against the islanders on january 19th 2010 i mean he kept sending me over this this when crosby recorded his 500th career assist on october 18 uh 18 2014 he did it in just 504 uh 554 games becoming the sixth fastest player to reach the milestone. The only players racked up 500 assists faster were Gretzky, Lemieux, Stastny, Bobbior, and Peter Forsberg. So like, it's just like the shit that he's done throughout his career is just like,

it's like, like Madden's going to say later on, he's, he's top five all time. That 120 point season was his second year. It was also my second year. That was my biggest year. I had 59 points. And I said, I probably had 10 assists on the bench when the goal was scored. That year, I've never seen a player like that. I know McDavid's done some crazy things.

But I think just witnessing it in person and practice in every game, it was nuts. I remember the six-point game against Philly. It was just like there were certain nights you could not stop him still the same but then that year oh he just ran away with the he ran away with with with everything in that league it was just like second year first year he came on hot second year was like oh my god this is even different level that tweet you were referencing earlier it was injuries a lockout was from brendan burke it said injuries a lockout in a pandemic have cost him 240 games so far which is roughly 306 points at his 1.27 point per game average we also had that prop to um if sid scores in the pens win 10 to 1

we got some nice play in the barstool sports book unfortunately he couldn't talk one for for the people who backed him yeah he did get two helpers but he didn't? Yeah, he did get two helpers, but he didn't get the goal. But thanks, everyone, for playing along with the sportsbook. We've been trying to bring a little fun to there. I know not everybody hockey gambles, so we're trying to branch out. And the adjusted odds are nice. Yeah, absolutely. And also, too, we get to this with Mark.

We're going to get to it very shortly. Sid also did reiterate his desire to stay in Pittsburgh, going back to the Darren Drager stuff. Penn's inside scoop had his quote, nothing's changed. Trade room is definitely a new subject I've had to deal with and hear a little bit about. I love playing here.

This is where I love to play for the rest of my career. He made no bones about it. So let's bring in Mark Madden. He had a lot more to bring on to the subject. But first off, I want to mention that times are tough and worrying about your student loan payments don't make things any easier. That's where refinancing with earnest could help.

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San Francisco, California 94107. Visit earnest.com slash licenses for a full list of licenses. Once again, go to earnest.com slash chicklets for more details. All right, gang, and now we're going to send it over to Mark Madden. All right, gang, and now we're going to send it over to Mark Madden. We are now pleased, pleased to be joined by a longtime buddy of myself and Paul Bissonnette's, a staple on the Pittsburgh sports media landscape, a host of on 105.9 The X from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Fridays, a columnist with the Tribune. He used to work for the World Championship Wrestling. WCW as a color commentator. Mark Madden, Juju Smith-Schuster's number one fan.

Thanks for coming on the show. Not for much longer, Biz and Whit and R.A. Great to join everybody here, Mike. Like I've said to a million hockey players, and I like hockey players. I was here before you arrived I'll be here after you're gone same applies to Juju Smith Schuster can't wait till he leaves all mouth all branding all hat no cattle all right well I love that you're getting right into it this is how he

does things and for folks wondering at home who maybe aren't familiar with Mark's work a big hockey fan. I'll say I don't necessarily know if you're a huge sports fan. I know you love soccer and Liverpool, but a hockey fan. And when I met you, you were nice enough to have me on your show. I was a guy who I think you enjoyed having on maybe because I was able to give a quote here and there. But how long have you actually been in the Pittsburgh market? And what was the beginning to you having your own radio show?

Well, you and Biz both great talkers. And that's why you're doing what you're doing currently with Barstool. It's more important to have good talkers on a show than it is to have great players, great players who were boring, slow the show down. There are guys who elevate above that. Not that Sid's boring. I get a lot out of him, as do you guys. But on some interviews, Sid just spits his cliches and just isn't what you would hope he would be. But I lived in Pittsburgh my whole life. I am a weather-beaten 60 years old now. And I wrote for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for years, covering high school sports, being like the backup hockey writer to Dave Molinari, who you guys are very familiar with. But then at 36, I just was

so used to being, you know, second fiddle at the Post-Gazette, I quit. I took a job with a publication called Penguin's Report, which was founded by Tom McMillan, who Biz and Whit both know. And I stayed there for two years, but in the interim, I got a job doing radio just as a fill-in. And honestly, I don't want to blow my own horn, but toot, toot. It took off like overnight. And I've been doing it now for 25 glorious years. And I wasn't sure that would be my calling when I started, but in retrospect, it's what I'm best at by far. And I was at ESPN 1250 for a long time,

got fired there in the middle of the 2008 Stanley Cup finals, might I add. And then was it the X with Clear Channel and iHeartMedia a year later. And that's where I've been ever since. And honestly, and I think every time has a guy like this. I'm the guy who doesn't care if people like him or not, at least of all the athletes. And you were right with before. I love hockey. I love hockey.

I love soccer. Everything else can go kick rocks. I just am not a big fan of much else. I watch it because I have to. I love pro wrestling, too, obviously, because I worked in it. But football, I mean, why would anybody like football? Why would anybody like football players? There's a lot of people who do.

Well, a lot of people do, but a lot of that's gambling and a lot of that's fantasy league, too. I'd love to see what kind of ratings in the tennis football would get without gambling and fantasy league, especially on TV. I just don't like the players. I don't like when, again, Juju Smith-Schuster is all about branding and he, you know, couldn't make a catch in a big game to save his life. I don't like when Chase Claypool tells the Browns they suck after the Browns kick their ass in a playoff game. That's just not how sports is in my book, and if that makes me sound old and crotchety, so be it.

That's how I came in, and that's how I'm going out. Branding himself and not making plays, that sounds like my career, Mark. Well, it's worked better for some than others, Ben, because we worked with what we got right i want to know how you got fired during the playoffs that year uh see this is something you guys should be familiar with a lot of new englanders here i made a i made a joke at the expense of the late senator ted kennedy and uh and disney owned espn owned my station. So they got rid of me, but that was okay because the reason they got rid of me and nobody ever used

the punchline of the joke, by the way, they, they only had part of the joke. The punchline was, I wonder if the Copec knees will send them a get well card because Ted Kennedy got away with what he got away with because he's pretty much. So, but the funny part about that is disney had just bought espn and they didn't like that they were paying me too much quite honestly because they tried to get me to take a a pay cut when they came in on a guaranteed contract which was there was no hope of that happening so they were looking for a way

to get rid of me and for better or worse actually for better because i got a better job i gave them one but uh but the funny part is when they called my lawyer about terminating me after the fact they had already told me they said well we'll give them whatever three months severance and that's it and my lawyer goes you haven't read the contract they assumed it was a standard espn contract that they bought i had a contract negotiated by my lawyer with the company, and there had to be three warnings in my file before they fired me, and there were none. So they were on the hook to pay me for three more years if I wanted. And I sat out eight months until I went to iHeart,

but they were on the hook, and they didn't even bother to read their own contract before they tried to get rid of me. And we offered to go back, I mean, but they weren't having any of that at that point. So, but, but I got a catchphrase out of it for my show. I always use when something is written in stone, I always say, like my lawyer said with great gravitas to Disney, I think if you read his contract, you will find it's iron clad.

And that was that. I i mean you know i waited eight months got hooked up with the x and that's great because it's the penguins flagship and that's where i belong with the flagship i mean you're used to controversy now i think kind of like the avery situation we got to get sweet this one under theA., what happened with you guys back in 2017? Yeah, I was a dust up. I mean, like I said before the show, a Twitter fight in 2017 might as well have been the Civil War because it was so long ago, especially the way the last year has gone. I honestly forgot what it was about initially. I know Mark was talking about Boston and kind of, you know, having some fun with the facts. And I don't I just looked at his entertainment.

Obviously, if I had a real issue, I wouldn't have wanted him on. So, I mean, I it was so long, if I had a real issue, I wouldn't have wanted him on. So, I mean, I, it was so long ago. I have no real issue with it. I got the Twitter fight one time with Reby Hardy, who's Matt Hardy, the wrestler's wife. Right. And then we ran into each other at a, like some kind of, you know, independent show when Matt was between WWE and wherever.

And I expected Reby to like take my head off. And she said, don't worry about it it's only Twitter yeah and that's like a slogan for me now it's only Twitter I mean who cares Twitter is the most disposable of mediums the world little notes nor long remembers I think you guys do a good job I was impressed I kind of became a bit of a convert the Sid interview because you guys got so much out of Sid which ain't easy to do and I pride myself on doing the same with him you guys you know did what I do you don't treat him like he's made of glass like a lot of people who deal with Sid do so I thought that was good stuff the

only thing that always stuck in my craw about podcasting in general was I paid my dues I went through you know a river of shit I was like Tim Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption before I came out the other side of my career. And now guys get the, you know, put up some microphones and declare themselves podcasters. Yeah. But I know what you're saying, where it's like, you did pay your dues, but people can say they're podcasters, but until you get listeners, you're nothing. I will say though, I still think

you guys, I would bet you guys are horribly underpaid. You need to form a union. Mark, I take offense to you saying that Twitter's disposable. That's where I get all my trade information. It's better than Darren Drager. Oh, we gotta get into that. Hold on, though.

Hold on. Before we get into current Pittsburgh Penguins ongoings, I need to have you tell the boys and get into that yeah we got hold on though hold on before we get into current uh pittsburgh penguins ongoings i need to have you uh tell the boys and all the listeners the story of lemieux and the face-off goal because when you told me this my rookie year i remember laughing out loud well mario came back and you know i i get along you know well with mario he's he's meant as much to my career in my show as anybody, him and Sid. And Mario came back and he kept trying to score right off the draw, like whack it in off the draw, right?

And I went on my show and I said, well, because he, I don't know if he still does, but he listened then certainly. And I said, well, we finally found something the greatest player of all time can't do. He's trying to score right off the draw and he can't even come close. Oh, Jesus. And so I see him like a game later and he goes, you really don't think I can do it, do you?

And I go, honestly, no, you're not coming close, big man. And he goes, do you want to bet on it? And I go, what? Like, I'm joking, 66 bucks. He goes, no, 6,600. And I'm like, at that point, you've got to do it. You've got to do it. So I go, okay. So we agreed it would go to whatever charity the winner picked. Although I could have used the money, not him so much. But boy, I'll tell you one thing about him. He loves to win a bet no question ask michael jordan when michael jordan came to the mario w celebrity golf invitational a couple times and i don't know the exact amount but mario beat him for some for some money no question about that although to be fair mario never confirmed nor

denied so i'm as bad as darren drager on that one he's like the evil bob mckenzie so but so we we made the bet and you know he scores the goal and he turns the press box and waves to me. And I said, afterwards, I go, listen, and there was a big newspaper article about it in the post-gazette. And I talked about it obviously on my show. And I go, listen, to be acknowledged immediately after a goal by the greatest hockey player of all time, I'll pay 6,600 bucks for that anytime, every time. So that, that was tremendous. But the,

but the little sidebar to that is the game before the game before he whacked the puck out of the air on the draw and hit it off the crossbar into the stands. And as he went back in for the face-off, he skated around the circle and glared up at the press box and like bob airy said he's like it's coming mark it's coming bob airy said i think we know who that's for it's like robert devol in the natural mario is a he's wait you know you guys know biz he's a great guy oh yeah and you know he's he's so much fun to deal with here's here's a good mario story guns and roses came to pittsburgh and it was the faux version with axel and all the all the rentals right and so axel wears a gun a lemieux shirt for the encore and the next day at

the game the media goes you know mario what do you think of axel rose wearing a lemieux shirt for the encore last night for gnr and he goes well you know it Mario, what do you think of Axl Rose wearing a Lemieux shirt for the encore last night for GNR? And he goes, well, you know, there's always a big pleasure and honor when these rock stars, they, you know, and blah, blah, blah. Right. And I'm in the scrum and I go, hey, what's your favorite Guns N' Roses song? And he looks at me and he's like shaking his head just imperceptibly. I go, what's your favorite Guns N' Roses song? And he like cracks up and goes, I don't know. your favorite guns and roses song and he like cracks up and goes i don't know and then after the media clears i go you don't know any guns and roses songs because he listens to frank sinatra and celine dion okay and he goes no i don't i go how can you not know welcome to the jungle

it was the national anthem in 1987 and he just didn't know it. That's just a man that just sticks to what he does know and listens to the tunes he wants. So Darren Drager's name comes up immediately, and that's because he's had a lot of different reporting in terms of the future of the Penguins. You talk about Crosby, Malkin, Letang, the big names, what will happen, where will this organization go? And he's kind of been pretty adamant in terms of there's a possibility

that Crosby could be moving on I don't think he's come out and said it for sure but you seem to think the exact opposite and he's not going anywhere tell us your thoughts and and how you're kind of approaching the future of this team well first off Sid said as much the other day on the occasion of his thousandth game that he plans to finish his career in Pittsburgh here's what Darren Drager does Darren Drager puts himself in the shoes of the Colorado GM and the Pittsburgh GM and says, what would make sense for me to do? He basically makes a trade with himself and that presents it as a legit possibility without talking to certainly nobody in Pittsburgh, certainly not to Sid's management, certainly not to Sid.

He basically says, here's what I would like to see happen. Here's what makes sense for me to see happen. And that presents it as possibility. And before you know it, it's got legs and it's everywhere, but it's utter bullshit. You know, it's not that he made it up. He just took what he wants to see and said, you know, I could see this happening. I think Pittsburgh management needs to sit down with Sid at the end of the year and have a serious talk about where this goes. And he says it with such gravitas that people buy into it. When he said it the first time, Burke and Hextall had been in their jobs for a week. You think the first thing they thought

about was, well, we better sit down with Sid and have a serious conversation about his career let's make a splash he just janked it out of thin air and it spread like wildfire Adrian Dater who writes for some fanboy website in Denver he had a Crosby Avalanche 87 jersey mocked up and put it on his website that was for me I actually custom ordered that by by the way. Well, they are available, I think, at NHL.com. But it's just crazy how stuff like that that has no basis in fact, at least certainly not now, spreads. And Sid's an Iserman guy, and he's a Lemieux guy. And those guys finished their careers with one team.

And I've got to be honest, as long as you've won, that's the way to do it. That's how you have a jersey. That's how you have a legacy. You Boston guys tell me, do you really look at Ray Bork the same when he pimped himself out to Colorado to win a Stanley Cup he didn't really earn? Because that's what happened. He was in Boston for 21 years and couldn't win. Same like Jumbo Joe. Jumbo Joe's what happened. He was in Boston for 21 years and couldn't win. Same like Jumbo Joe.

Jumbo Joe's never won. When you're in the league that long and never win, that's not coincidence. You're part of a reason for that. And as somebody who saw Mario Lemieux spin Ray Bork into the ice like a drill bit back in the 91 and 92 conference finals, I can attest from what I see, the video does not lie. Well, all right. Well, tell me this. What do you think that they should do what is the future do they need to trade malcolm then like how do you approach the end of these guys contracts and possible careers like you've been you've been all over malcolm on twitter lately well i how could i not be he has three

goals in 16 games that's that was a career That was a career for me. Well, I lowered my expectations for you, Biz. No, like, well, what they should have done was trade Malkin in 2018 after they lost to Washington in the second round, because Netsov scored in overtime. And that's no knock on Malkin, but if you're going to reload, that's the time to do it. He was 31. He just had 90-some-odd points.

He's going to get huge return then. Now you're not going to get any return for him. Now I'm not counting the guy out. I think he may well, you know, snap to and get going again, but he needs to do it because Gino's at a crossroads. He has one year left in his deal. If he wants extended here and at a decent price too, he's got to play better. I mean, you want to, you know, preserve legacies, but you want to move forward too. And one thing that Geno fans don't want to get, Geno ain't Sid. Sid's a top five player of all time. Geno might be top 50. Sid has meant as much to the franchise, close anyway, as Mario. Geno's the next tier Don with Yager. Geno just doesn't get the same deference, to my mind, that Sid does. Sid is going to be here forever. And anyway, when is Sid going to slack off? Geno, the effort, I don't see it. Sid's

always a goal line to goal line Tasmanian devil. Geno's still got to earn it. He got to earn that next contract. And especially with Hextall and Burke who have no allegiance to him from past glories with Rutherford maybe with Hextall and Burke no and people think I'm anti-Gino because I think he's not Sid but he's just not Sid I'm glad you mentioned Jim Rutherford because you know going back to the Draga stuff now Draga I don't think he has a reputation as a rumor monger. I think he's getting this from somewhere. But when you put that in combination with Jim Rutherford just up and leaving out of nowhere, very abrupt, it does look from the outside perspective that something is afoot in Pittsburgh in the front office there.

Now, I don't think so. First off, Drager is a rumor monger. He is. He just, you know, when you say Sid might get traded to Colorado with no basis in fact, that defines being a rumor monger. Or whatever the plural is. He just, you know, when you say Sid might get traded to Colorado with no basis in fact, that defines being a rumor monger or whatever the plural is. That's where I got my Johnny Goudreau information. From who? Dreger? I think Dreger ended up reporting it because I think Eric Francis, is that the guy's name from Calgary RA?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But, but, but I, it's my understanding Rutherford had a series of disagreements with upper management, you know, the level between the owners and him that he just got tired of. And I think Jim had cabin fever to how this affected his, you know, feeling about his job. I do not know, but he hadn't left his house in like a year because of COVID. So that was an odd circumstance. And I'm not i i and i'm you know relatively close to the situation i'm not sure i know yet exactly what happened but in a way it might turn out better for the penguins

uh ra because i think jim would have been loath to trade a malkin to make a move that has to be done to get us pointed in the right direction whereas like I said Hextel and Burke have no such allegiance but the timing of it was strange and in a way I feel bad for Hexie and Burke because they're basically serving as their own interim GM for a year because you can't come in in mid-season and get your structure truly implemented and you can't hire guys that you want to hire to work underneath you because a lot of them probably aren't available but but i think and don't get me wrong jim rutherford was a godsend of this franchise i thought the window

would close before pittsburgh won two more cups but now i think the window is closed and i think it might be better to have fresh eyes to try to dig the club's way out. I had one question about wrestling. What's your favorite wrestling era before I forget it? The one where they paid me to be on TV. That is by far my favorite era of wrestling. No, probably Mid-Atlantic in the 80s with the Four Horsemen, Jim Crockett promotions.

Oh, the old 80s? Yes, that was my favorite to watch for sure. But I loved working in it. It was the time of my life. I just had so much fun. You know, and I'm friends with Ric Flair to this day. I've known him for even since predating when I worked in WCW. But like I said, the time of my life, I don't think I could do it now. The travel was brutal but uh but you know i i would never trade those memories for anything and most important it paid for my house period paid for my house was it the lemieux era that like sucked you into the hockey world is that what made you oh no no i've been going since i was six years old deck hockey right weren't you a deck

hockey guy uh yeah but that's that's not indigenous to why I got into hockey. My mother, my late mother, was a big hockey fan. She went to see the Pittsburgh Hornets play back in the Tim Horton era when he was playing there before he went to Toronto and became a Hall of Famer. And when I was born, she loved hockey so much, she took me to a game in 67, 68, and 68, 69, and 69, 70, when I was, you know, like six, seven, eight years old. So I could say I went every year.

And then after that, we had season tickets for a long time. And I started covering the Penguins for UPI when I was 20 years old. So I've been involved one way or the other for a long time. It's just always been my passion in a in a football time I was the hockey guy and still am so um kind of a two-part question uh first maybe not even a question the first part a statement that you do 15 hours a week and you do it alone and it's like you see all these radio shows that have partners and granted you do interviews and take calls here and there but it's but you're by yourself so for mark mad to be by himself it's

no big deal but explain to me what you would say on your show describing lemieux is the greatest of all time how does he out trump gretzky how does he out trump or what is your definition there i'm not sure he does and by the way doing radio by yourself is the best way to become a star does and by the way doing radio by yourself is the best way to become a star yeah but it's hard as fuck oh no question i'll tell you a quick story steve austin started doing his podcast and we happened to talk before he started doing it and i said to him steve i go you need to prepare you know like you know really thoroughly and and he i he i found out later he didn't really buy into it because he like ran out of stuff like 10 or 15 minutes in. I got that second hand. Maybe that's that's not true. And certainly he does a great podcast.

Why? Because he's Steve Austin, for God's sakes. But no, I don't necessarily think Lemieux is better than Gretzky and Orr. That's just my opinion. I think no matter how you rank the top three, Lemieux, Gretzky, or I don't think you can be wrong. But I think leaving any one of those out of the top three, it should be a criminal offense subject to flogging. I just don't think that like, you know, whether it's Sid, because my top five in order are Lemieux or Gretzky, Sid, Gordie Howe. And you can make an argument for Rocket Richard over Gordie Howe, but I never saw Rocket Richard, so it's tough for me to do that. But any order you put Lemieux, Orr, and Gretzky in, I have no problem. I just ranked Lemieux first because I saw him play, and I never saw anything like that. Gretzky kind of like cerebraled you to death.

Lemieux was like, okay, okay here I come and you can't do anything about it and Bobby Orr just changed the game absolutely changed the game and just was I mean I was a like 10 12 years old when he was in his prime and to witness that even as a penguin fan I mean the Bruins used to come to the arena when I was a kid and beat Pittsburgh to death and Bobby Orr was the biggest part of it just to watch the way he played he was so different than anybody else since uh since uh sid just has his thousands game uh celebration i know you watched it pretty closely like what are some of your fondest memories of sid like through his come up when he first got there and maybe some of your interactions with him? Well, he's always great.

You know, he's – I always hesitate, and I say this on my show, whenever I say somebody's like my friend that I work with in the media, like a hockey player, I always say you'd have to ask them. You know, you just never know from the media standpoint because there's a line there that's difficult to cross. But, you know, I consider Sid a friend, you know, at any rate. And like I said I don't treat him like he's made of glass I I mess with them like uh you know I was berating him

one time in the locker room just in fun after a game a few years back and Jake Gensel I think it was Jake I'm not 100% sure was like looking at me with his eyes wide open like I can't believe this fat bastard's talking to Sidney Crosby that way you know i think it was jake but uh but sid's just a great guy to work with to get along with his family's great you know i thought he was going to propose to his girlfriend during the during the 1000 game ceremony but then i thought no that's definitely not sid tanger i dm tanger about this is now that's not sid maybe maybe she should have proposed to him. I don't know. Here's a Sid story with, I don't know if you remember this, probably not because it's just a minor laugh, but

when Sid was a kid, he was like, I don't want to say easily embarrassed, but like there were certain things he didn't like to talk about. So one time I'm talking to wit, because Whit's, you know, a lascivious, you know, bastard like I am. Brianna Banks was in town, the porn star. Do you remember this, Whit? I mean, Whit and I are talking about Brianna Banks, the porn star, who is, you know, quite the looker and she's cool too.

And so Sid's like kind of, you know, in on the conversation. And Whit goes, hey, Sid, what do you think of Brianna Banks? And Sid goes, wouldn't that be like throwing a hot dog down a hallway? And I go right away, Sid, she uses more than one hallway. And Sid looked like he wanted to laugh and throw up at the same time. And that was the end of the conversation. That was great. Speaking of top fives where does

she rank in your top five mark see i'm not the pornophile people think i kind of aged out for one thing well you used to be back in the day you were retweeting you were retweeting i said i've aged out i was a younger man doing that by agris for um i don't know my top three are probably in order riley steel alexis for brianna banks all veterans of the mart madden show mart i had wit i could see you nodding in agreement i'm on the same show as these girls this could be an opener at some point so do you like do you like study game tape mark like is it like are you like biz please you're trying to make me into this 30 old man i keep telling you i have aged up all right what's that he's aged out i'm saying i'm backing you up he's in the analytic porn

community nobody puts mad in a porn corner biz emphasis on the first two syllables biz uh now uh here here's here's a story from the, though, and it's from when I got fired. I'm underneath the arena in the concourse during the 08 final. And this involves a favorite of the Spittin' Chicklet Show, by the way. And I'm talking to Big Dan, Witt's dad, who's the greatest guy. And Witt's brothers are in town. And when they came to town, they hit Pittsburgh like an invading army. They didn't so much visit as they occupied.

I don't even know if my brothers were there. My buddies were there this time. I think I know which one you're telling. I'm pretty sure at least one of your brothers. Yeah, a bunch of Whitney's. Yeah, Colin was there. Colin was there. You're right.

So I'm talking to Big Dan. and Keith Yandel's there, okay? And it's like before the game, and he's literally blackout drunk. He's blackout drunk, and he's slumped in an aluminum folding chair in front of the parents and friends room, right? Blacked out. He's like, you know how like when you get put under, like for laser surgery you're in twilight yandel was in self-imposed twilight so which brothers or his

friends or whoever they get the penguins patrol girls these like girls who were dressed in like you know faux penguin junies and they would roam through the arena and they get the penguins girls to paint yandel's face black and gold and they cover him with like these spray-on penguins decals like his forearms his face he looks like this fanboy maniac who's passed out in a chair and after they're done yandals there you know by himself clear view clear view nobody near him so you can't mistake you know what shape he's in or who he is and what he looks like he's arizona's property at the time the entire arizona hockey ops department led by wayne gretzky comes marching by and as they walk by they're moving but their eyes stay riveted the angle they're like is that a prospect

and i and i look and i look at you right, he's like one of their top prospects. I look at Big Dan, and he looks at me and goes, that's not good. And boy, were they wrong. Boy, were they wrong. Hey, this was the same cup final that Foley, who's another one of my buddies who's been brought up many times in this show, after the game, Lidstrom's walking by, like just going to the

boss, and Foley gets in his face and he just goes, Boo! And Lidstrom's like, What the fuck? He's like, My friends couldn't even go to the wives' room anymore. It was ridiculous. Yeah, that was a classic Gandal moment, but here we are all these

years later, he's still in the league never missed a fucking game that animal yeah that's right i think he i think that was toughened them up i that was right around the time that could have been the summer that he like changed everything like training and his whole like mindset to being a real pro he's thanks shane don't a lot maybe maybe it was donor that next year who taught him what you can't get blacked out at a cup final event when you're at the well yeah yeah he hadn't changed right then and there and i'm thinking to myself you know i just got fired but it was worse off than me right now hey so um i always i always thought it was um i'm not gonna say honor honorable but it made sense

that you would you would go after players whether whether it was hockey, football. I mean, guys that didn't play well, you'd go at them on your show. That's what you do. You still do. But then you'd be in the locker room. And I think a lot of times it's changed where nowadays people just kind of throw shots and they're not there in front of the people to face them. Had you ever in all your kind of runs with different teams had a guy come up to you and go at you after hearing what you said about him uh barrasso all the time and i didn't even have to say anything about barrasso he just

hated the media barrasso swung his stick at my head once i was uh i used before i worked for the x uh i did uh work for the penguins game night show on DVE when they were on DVE, another station here in Pittsburgh. And I would do the post-game interviews in the runway afterwards. So one time I'm waiting after the game to do the interview and Barasa walks by and the butt end of the stick just misses my head. And I figured it was an accident. You know, he was trying to like get by. I mean, as big a jerk as he was and I'm sure

still is I didn't think he would swing his stick at my head so later on and this is how Tommy was liked by the superstar players on the team because they deferred to him everybody below a certain line hated him as evidenced by by this because somebody ratted him out another penguin came up to me a little bit later and said, I can say who it is now. It was Tyler Wright, who later worked in hockey management. And he goes, hey, did Tommy just miss you with his stick? And I go, yeah, why?

He goes, it wasn't an accident. Watch yourself. Because I guess he was laughing about it inside. One time, and I thought you were there for this with maybe you remember maybe you don't i i used to talk of like how george larocque was just useless as a player which he was absolutely useless as a player he was just this heavyweight fighter who wasn't even getting meaningful fights he would fight the other guys heavyweight that each tipped their helmet to each other he was a show one to himself and he didn't help the team and he thought he could play and he couldn't so one time at practice he put a tape

measure around my waist from behind trying to measure how fat i was and i told him like to f off and you know and he like his eyes got big and i i didn't back down i just don't back down but but full disclosure though like i ripped juuju Smith-Schuster to shreds, as you know. I've never met him. So, you know, what I do with hockey, I do go in the room. I just don't like football enough to even go to the games. So I do give those guys a hard time.

I never have to deal with them, but I'd be willing to. I just – that would mean going to football, and I ain't going to football. Any funny Jagger stories that stick out to you? He was great to work with. Yeah. People love him. I mean, it's just – he's like Manny Ramirez. Like some stories, you're just like, oh, my God.

Jags would have like great one-liners too. Like when he was in Russia for the KHL in Siberia. And by the way, that was when Jags confirmed he was in uh russia for the khl in siberia and by the way that was when the ags confirmed he was a true mercenary he gets nine million tax free to go play in siberia i mean the old soviet empire sent people to siberia to punish them the ags went there for nine million so he comes back and he's playing for Philadelphia. And you guys know Staggy, of course, Paul Steigerwald, right? And everybody goes in to talk to the Ags, and he looks at Staggy and goes,

you're still alive? And, like, everybody just cracked up. My biggest jogger memory of him playing was in 99 playoffs. Pittsburgh was the eighth seed, barely made it in. And that was a time pre-cap where Pittsburgh needed to like make the playoffs and go as far as they could to survive financially. So we're playing Jersey. They're the number one seed in the first round. And Yags didn't play a few games.

He had a groin problem. He plays game six, scores the tired goal late, sets up the winner to Straka. Then we win game seven, and he played and had a contribution. He could barely walk afterwards. He had to be helped in and out of the dressing room afterwards. You could see when he was in his shorts, you could see the bruise on his leg. And it was grotesque. So whenever people said,

well, Yags floats sometimes, well, he didn't dead. He didn't dead. He, you know, he really gave everything at a time when the Penguins really needed it. And one thing about Yags, I kind of feel bad about, we were talking before about guys who switch teams. Yags has played for nine NHL teams and, you know, the team in the KHL, right? I feel bad because he doesn't really have a jersey. You know, like he spent his longest time and his most legendary time here. But when he comes back, he gets booed all the time. And that's wrong. That shouldn't happen.

But it does. And, you know know he really isn't embraced anywhere because he moved all over the place because again he is a mercenary and I always felt that kind of detracted from Gretzky too as great as Gretzky is he played for five different teams and I don't think that reflects as well as it could or should is the Boeing maybe out of deference to Mario more than it is anti-Yaga? No, I don't think so, because Yags and Mario got along fine. I think Yags will get his number retired at some point if he agrees to come back to do it.

I think that's part of the deal, that he needs to come back for it to happen. The only guy who you've got to beg for him to come to your actual own jersey retirement. Like, please, Yags, just come on the ice for a couple of minutes. Yeah, but don't forget he has to come all the way over from. True. From check where he's still playing, which is tremendous. Yeah. Well, Mark, we appreciate you coming on.

This has been a blast. And for people outside of Pittsburgh, you can check this guy out online. Check him out on Twitter. And let me say this before we finish. Liverpool fucking stinks. You chirp me, you chirp me when I pick Chelsea. They stink right now. We still might finish ahead of you.

When Van Dyke and Gomez got hurt, you know, the two center defenders, maybe I should have lowered expectations, but honestly, here's how I am as a fan. Penguins might struggle for a while, you know, in this era, I'm so grateful for what struggle for a while you know in this era i'm so grateful for what i've seen you know liverpool just won england last year europe the year before i'm so grateful for what i've seen and i gotta be honest i think that makes me different than most sports fans i gotta tell one story on biz too before we go i've told a couple wet stories biz totally

blew me off in vegas one time well he's probably balls deep yeah what's that i was probably looking for cialis that's exactly right i can tell you what happened biz was i ran into biz at caesar's palace and he had like these five girls with him who were all super hot and so we just happened to see each other he got rid of me as quickly as possible and biz i get it what are you going to say? Hey, girls, here's my old bald fat, my old fat friend with bad teeth. Let's hang out with him. So I get it because I've never helped anybody in that regard.

I'm the worst wingman ever. But it did happen. I'm just saying. I tried to sell it. I said five on two, no back checkers. And they just, it wouldn't fly. I got one question for you. By the way, I'm not bald.

That's the one thing I've going for me. If you had to compare Sid to one Hall of Fame wrestler, who would you compare him to? Hall of Fame wrestler. Or even any wrestler at that regard, but you have to say Hall of Fame because it's Sid. Dynamite Kid. Workaholic.

Unmatched in-ring performer. Puts himself at risk to make plays for the team. Sid's dynamite kid. Or as they call him in Japan, dynamite okido. All right. I love it. All right, Mark. Hey, thank you for joining us.

And keep on, dude. Keep crushing it, man. Are you eating during the show? You picked that up for me, didn't you? Exactly. Well, what do you think? I'm just not going to like actual actually do what you do. You sort of taught me this whole game, bro. Thank you, guys. Very enjoyable. I appreciate it. Thanks. Have a good day, brother. Thank you very much to Mark Madden. I believe he calls himself the super genius. 105.9 The X, 3 to 6 in Pittsburgh.

Every afternoon, Monday through Friday. So also, I think that we need to mention when he was fired and he talked about he made a joke about Ted Kennedy. The joke was, I always wished that Ted Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated. So, you know, I think he had a lot after that. He told, I think nowadays those jokes don't fly. I don't think Ted Kennedy was a great person, but still had to give you some, I guess, backstory to what the actual line was. Yeah, perspective.

Yeah, a little context. Yeah, a little context. That was the word I was looking for. Thank you. I'm also here. I want to talk to you guys about G4. I don't know if you listeners have heard of the brand G4. These guys have the best golf shoes.

There's some golf shoes out there that have all the fancy bells and whistles, but look like a grandpa's shoe. You don't want those. Then there are the other shoes that look sweet, but they do nothing for your game. You don't get any traction. You may look cool, but you need to actually use the spikes sometimes in your golf shoes.

Then there's G4. They have fused technology with a sleek modern design to make some your golf shoes. Then there's G4. They have fused technology with a sleek modern design to make some incredible golf shoes. Check out their site, g4.com slash chicklets to leave you 10% off your first order. And I'm telling you, you're going to love them. Biz is all about these things. There's a golf shoe for everyone. If you want the classic look, you get the gallivanters. You want the waterproof, you get the waterproof leather. It's an amazing cleat design on the bottom that gives you insane traction on the course with no need to replace annoying spikes um they also have

the mg 4.1 it's a crossover shoe you can golf in it but it also is a great workout shoe if you want to head to the gym first or an everyday shoe if you want to go grab a drink wearing the g4s it has nubs on the footbed so you can still get an all-day massage while wearing them they're made with a knit material. So it's super breathable and comfortable. And the MG four plus offers the most for your golf game. It's sleek, athletic looking stability,

comfort, flexibility, 3d molded external heel cap. You got that right for lateral support and it's all waterproof. So no matter what kind of statement you're trying to make with your look, G4 can hook you up. Check out g4.com slash checklists for 10% off your first order. I mean, everything you just said is accurate

because I wore them in both the sandbaggers coming up, and they gave me a pair of the fancy ones and then the runner ones. I like the runner ones because they're a little bit more, like, you know, everyday-ish and comfortable. Ray Whitney was wearing them in the sandbagger too. So other than that, I didn't – I got to kind of defend Dragger a little bit because – well, not defend him. I drank the Kool-Aid, so I was just as guilty as he was.

Well, I'm sure Darren would have things to say. Maybe he'd want to come on. He does have his own podcast with Ray Ferraro, Ray and Dregs. But I don't know if he's just making them up. Madden seems to think he is, but he could have sources. It's like very hard to just say who's actually correct in this. Okay. Well, I still thought there was a possibility.

That's why I jumped on the bandwagon. And we weren't here to refute Mark either. I mean, he has his opinions. I wasn't here to stick up for Ray Bork. What he said about Bork, that's his opinion. I don't agree with it, but, you know, he's definitely an entertainer. What did he say?

He screwed him into the ice? Well, he thinks anyone who ever, like, hasn't played for the same team their entire career, who's a legend, isn't a legend. Yeah, I mean, the Bruins were a mess at the time. I mean, I think anybody would have done the same thing. But he's a super genius.

All right, Biz, we're going to send it over to the West Division and finish up that. We already talked about Vegas and Colorado, obviously. Defenseman Colton Pareko on St. Louis. We had talked about him recently. He had looked a little bit out of sorts. Well, he was pulled from the lineup. He does have a back injury he's been struggling through.

That's why he hasn't been the same dominant player we've been used to over the years. So I hate to pick on a guy when he's hurt. Well, it makes sense a little bit. You were questioning kind of how he was moving, Biz. You watched all those Blues games in a row, right? He looked like he'd lost the step. I'm like, what's going on here?

So are they saying that it was something that was lingering that he had to sit out for? The plan is rest right now. They don't know if they're going to need surgery for it, so they're going to rest him, and hopefully that works. It had to be. Yeah, he just hasn't looked like himself but like i love him as a player he's a beast and when they won that cup he was just as big a piece as anyone man he was a horse back there absolutely no doubt about that uh moving right along here biz uh hate to bring this up but there

was a huge article in the athletic about the arizona coyotes we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about it here on spit and chiclets uh it was a pretty damning article i think you'd say it was about the organization the way the coyotes are running things the katie strang who is an outstanding reporter her credibility is really not in question anywhere she's been doing this for a long time uh there was a big story about unpaid bills the team not making payroll not given per dms there was even one story that they didn't want to approve pizza for an overtime game in the bubble. Katie Strang did give the Coyotes an option to speak to her. They declined.

Then when they declined, they actually released their own statement afterwards. And just from a personal perspective, I thought it was a bad look. I mean, she offered them the talk. They didn't want to. And then they kind of gave a statement, kind of attacking. They said she was harassing them. And then they listed a bunch of the owner's accomplishments over the years, which is kind of irrelevant to the lecture at hand.

Because I know it's uncomfortable probably for you to talk about, but it was just, again, from my perspective, nothing to do with you. It was just a tough look for a team trying to get its footing. And, you know, lashing out the media, it might work for other people, but it doesn't work within the world of hockey when you don't like the report. It was just a tough look. And again, it's Katie Strang. Her reputation speaks for itself when it comes to hockey journalism. Yeah. I mean like, but guys,

my experience in the organization has always been like extremely positive as a player and then transferring into like the media side of it. It's just like, not my my world i'm not in the office like i i don't know like i can only speak on my experience obviously it sucks that it's kind of like another another like you know taking one off the chin again hasn't necessarily has been the the biggest hot street going here but i mean i don't know if you know learn from it let's get better let's fucking you know let's go here fuck come on yeah they just you know to just black eye after black eye it's like you got to get things figured out which what well i was gonna say which kind of sucks because like i don't know what the expectations were coming to

the season but the boys have been playing hard and they've been they've been fun to watch and they haven't i mean they've had like i think one bad game and then in a couple games you've had like a few bad periods but other than that man, they've got a great first line going right now. Things are going pretty good, and I think the fan base is happy. They're starting to see growth. So, I mean, I hope from an outside perspective it doesn't reflect on what's going on inside the locker room because I think Talkett's doing a good thing.

I was kind of going to say that, too. It seems like it's – and even when Chico was there, it was issues with the, you know, they got in trouble. They lost the draft picks for whatever that thing was with draft prospects. And it's always kind of away from the team. It's the players and the coaches are showing up doing their jobs. This other news, it's like, figure it out. Yeah.

The ownership is different than the guys on the bench. I don't, I don't think anyone's holding their feet to the fire as they should. But I also haven't had a conversation with them asking like what, like, you know, what's going on here. Like I have, I, you know, I don't talk to them, so I can't just like, you know, she, she obviously wrote what she wrote. Cause she did some digging and talk to some people who were very unhappy

with their circumstance here. I also wasn't in the room for that. So I don't know. I don't, I don't, I don't know what's going on. And the last statement I will, the last sentence of the statement did from the, the owner said, as we will be exploring all of our legal options in response to the athletic, we will not have any further comments,

which is kind of funny after 10 paragraphs of comments. And I know anytime when they're threatened, legal, legal options like that, I will keep an eye on it, but I doubt anything will come to fruition there because, you know, unless it's liable and proven to be liable, then you don't have a case.

I'll say this. I probably wouldn't have wrote a letter like a public letter back. Yeah. Yeah. Especially when you refuse comment and then you come out over the top. It's just kind of like, you know, he who doth he doth protest. Hold on. Give me 10 minutes to give you a comment. Yeah. OK. I can move on. All right. Yeah, we can move on. Give me 10 minutes to give you a comment. Yeah, okay, Harold. I can move on. All right, yeah, we can move on. Dude, the LA Kings, a 4-0 week. This is a team nobody really had much to say good about.

I know it's early, but 17 points. They're right in the mix out in the West Division. You know, we've been talking about Florida, Bobrovsky having a tough year, and Chris Dredge coming out of nowhere. Well, how about in California? Cal Peterson, 2-4-3 goals against, 9-2-6 save percentage. He's kind of basically, well, not stolen it completely yet,

but Jonathan Quick, he's basically stealing the crease from him. You guys have been catching much of the Kings. I know they're on kind of late for us. Quickie's been playing a little bit better lately. He had a shutout, I think, three games ago. He played solid against the Coyotes because they just played back-to-back against the Yotes. Yotes lost in a shootout, I think, three games ago. He played solid against the Coyotes because they just played back-to-back against the Yotes.

Yotes lost in a shootout the first game. And I'll say this. They have a very young decor. Dowdy's playing solid. He's putting up some points. Jose Kopitar looks great. Dustin Brown is leading their team in scoring. I think he's got eight tucks now.

The old guys are contributing, and they care, and these younger guys are adding a little bit of spunk the one guy the one young guy who was coming in as the first rounder who I play with Adrian Kempe I feel like he's really starting to find his groove now there was a lot of 23 too he's only 23 right and he was highly touted and you know he was he was a consistent NHLer in the sense of he was up, and he would disappear for four or five games, and then, oh, okay, there's the flashes of brilliance. He's starting to really put it together and get comfortable at the NHL level. L.A., I underestimated them coming in, and you mentioned their goalie, Cal Peterson.

I think he went to Notre Dame, ended up going to the Ontario Reign with my old coach, Mike Stothers, and I noticed that they were shutting teams, shutting teams out quite a bit. And I called him and asked him about this kid. He said he's just like a throwback. He's very aggressive. To me, he plays very, like, outside of his net. He always, like, really challenges the shooter.

And I love watching him play. So as far as the Coyotes are concerned, if we can shift it over there. Quickly, though, I think you misspoke. You meant Dustin Brown had the most goals. He's got eight goals. Did I say points? Yeah, you said scoring, but whatever. I knew what you meant.

And then I have followed, too. That's a kid, four-year college player at Duluth, and you've seen him get better and better. He's somewhat near a point per game. So, yeah, they're not going to be an easy team to play against right when you have that many young guys that many players looking to prove themselves and and then with still like Kopitar and Doughty it is cool to see because those runs they went on when they won the cups they were just so dominant you could tell it the fans the fans that's a hockey market when they're going uh just to go back about that series they played St. Louis

seven in a row and throughout the course of those seven games you could tell because garland's been playing so well and getting a lot of attention he started to take a lot of abuse and when they ended up playing la it kind of continued dustin brown took a few shots at him hey that's hockey and some teams play the bully and and i i like old school hockey they need to find a way to try to protect him like he's taking far too much abuse you end up taking a pretty nasty cross check to the neck what's hard in today's NHL especially with the team on the cusp of playoffs right they're going to be fighting for that fourth spot is you can't be going out there and trying you know taking

selfish penalties because one of your guys got stuck or hit you know you can't you can't afford losing a game three two where the you know that goal was on the power play so you're between a bit of a rock and a hard place is maybe a bottom six aggressor type player but for me the coyotes need to fucking address that because if if this goes another you know 30 games even if they do make playoffs they're he's going to be so banged up you won't even even have any juice left. So I don't know. And RA, I mean, I'll throw it to you because you're a bees fan. Like they've never had an issue with that. I would say maybe a year or two ago,

they were having an issue where they weren't responding when Tuka got hit a couple of times, you know, they had char in the lineup, but he wasn't necessarily doing that role anymore. I mean, he's 42 years old. He shouldn't have to be throwing hands. They didn't have Kevin Miller, but I think they have that thump back now. Kevin Miller, he's 42 years old. He shouldn't have to be throwing hands. They didn't have Kevin Miller, but I think they have that thump back now. Kevin Miller, he's not playing every game,

but yeah, you, I don't think you're going to be pushing around too many Bruins goalies or superstars this year, not paying the price and gallons lightened up, man. He's the team leading scorer and he is a little guy. And yeah,

you do need some muscle there, Biz. And that element isn't going to go away. So hopefully the coyotes clean it up. I was just talking about the Kings. I want to talk about their neighbors to the south a little bit, Anaheim. They placed Adam Enrique on waivers. This was a bit of a surprise.

The 31-year-old led the team in scoring last year with 26 goals and 17 assists in 71 games. He still has three more years left at 5.825 million. He's got three goals and one assist in 16 games this year. The Ducks had a bad week they had an 0-3 week they went from fourth in the division down to last uh you got to think maybe with that gm bob murray is kind of greasing the skids for a move here and honestly enrique i mean it's not like he lost his fastball i think a change of scenery could be perfect for this kid

if somebody is willing to take on this deal i may be incorrect I think it's Henrique. I like Henrique Iglesias that you're giving him. Sam, Sam. Let's go with Henrique, but... I will be your hero, baby. And who was in that? I will take away your pain. Oh, he was with Kournikova. What's the other one?

Oh, yeah. You know what? Like, listen, that guy, he was sick on the Devils, and then that trade happened, and he scored that all-time great goal against Fatten. And we've talked about that. I was surprised to see it. I know his numbers are down.

But Anaheim's just in that process of kind of retooling, trying to rebuild without being really bad. It's an exciting time for them tonight with our boy Trevor Zegres making his NHL appearance. Making his debut in Arizona. It's a Monday night against the Coyotes. Let's see how that goes. But Henrique Iglesias, it sucks to get that news, right?

It doesn't matter how long you play in the league. It doesn't matter who you are. I mean, to be put on waivers and have that type of money coming forward, it is a little embarrassing. It sucks to say, but hopefully he figures out what's going on and ends up still playing a role somewhere if it's not Anaheim. Well case ontario he would go to um would he not go to san diego i mean come on wales vagina not a bad spot to end up no escrow and no escrow exactly in a year like this year i'll blame my pronunciation on on ray rashad because i'm so used to saying on ray pocket

rocket rashad. All right, we got to move it over to the North Division. Always something going on here. Toronto, oops, to get to jump on your Britney Spears from last week. Oops, they did it again. They blew a 5-1 lead, rather, 4-1, 5-1 lead, lost 6-5 in OT after Dadunov scored in a breakaway. I mean, they were the laughingstock of the week,

but of course they rattled off three wins after, had a seven-point week, still at the top of the NHL, 30 points. Austin Matthews on an absolute fucking tear. He had more points last week than the fall when players had all season. This is from Luke Fox, Jukebox. More points last week than Malkin, Hall, Line A, Anders Lee, Matthew Kachuk, Evander Kane, Phil Kessel, David Pasternak before last night, Miko Rantanen, Claude Giroux, and Dylan Locken have all had

in this whole season. He's got 12 goals off a carry price. That's the most off any goalie. 174 goals in 299 games. Already the most scored by any U.S.-born player in his first 300 games. I mean, we stroke him every week, but if a guy keeps scoring like this,

what else are we going to do, Biz? It's fucked it's it's just he's he's he he like can single-handedly win them games and it's sometimes like you watch these highlights and it looks so effortless too isn't it like weird how effortless it looks with like if you compare like mcdavid's like buzzing around all the ice and all of a sudden you just see like this little sniper, like our big sniper, I should say. Like he just kind of gets it, pulls it in. It's like next thing you know, it's shelf. And everybody's like, oh fuck, there was a goal. Like half the guys on the ice are still like playing it out.

Yeah, he is. It's like must watch right now. And I have this feeling, I know it's so early, but he could chase 50 and 50 so he's at 18 goals through 18 games and it seems like it's impossible but I don't know man like right now he's so when you talk about like looking easy and like slow motion he just comes in the zone with so much ease and then right around the net he's so good at getting the shot off he needs like no time whatsoever to just flick the wrist on his backhand.

He's good. And Marner who's playing sick. I mean, he's like so good at setting them up and the Thornton quote, I don't have the exact quote on me, but it was great. It was like, I think that Austin Matthews deserves to literally be in the running for every major trophy right now in the NHL. It's like Selkie hard. It doesn't matter because he's making that much of a difference every single night and i think that you've seen toronto look like a team muzzins out again which sucks i think

he broke broke a bone in his face or something but that team is like built to actually make some noises your thornton simmons it's like this team could actually get it done and when you have matthews who's never looked this good even his four goal first game it didn't matter in his career it's like this is reaching this other level first game, it didn't matter in his career. It's like this is reaching this other level of greatness. And so to have him in his prime, Toronto looks for real. I don't care how weak people say the North Division is. I mean, and not to take any focus away from Marner

because he's been lights out too, but you mentioned Thornton. Like from him and Spezza, they're two older guys who are making 750. I think Thornton's got nine points in nine games, and Spezza isn't far off a point-per-game pace either. So they're looking great right now. And it was funny, he goes back-to-back four-point games, and I would say at that point, and I know McDavid's McDavid, but you're probably thinking for what he's doing for his team

and the fact they're in first place, he's probably at the top of the conversation for MVP. Well, after the second four-point game, think mcdavid checks the box score before he goes out and he went he went off man three goals two assists the one goal where he just you know pick pockets the guy goes down does a little chop suey beats the puck into a square so it could slide it in a little easier looks at where he's going to pass it to and it's off his stick in no time markstrom couldn't even react and uh the crazy little highlight reel for our spit and chicklets page the crazy thing about that goal mcdavid grabs it he kicks it to himself

right in it right near the red line and then he's probably the only guy in the world who you're like did he mean to put that puck on edge like because it's like impossible any goalie will tell you when a puck is on its edge and being shocked goalies don't know how fast it's coming out they don't know where it's going it's a legit knuckleball and it's like i don't think he did but that's one guy who probably could pull that off if you wanted tanev was playing the two-on-one perfect he was like taking away the pass just basically praying the the petro oh god when you see somebody like that coming down on you oh boy god oh boy um What's that song?

Feeling like a track star. Oh, holy by Justin Bieber. Great song. I can be your favorite song. So, yeah, it was just it was just McDavid seeing. Oh, well, somebody's making some noise over there. And now Edmonton sits in second in the north. So there's a couple of teams that are really hurt right now.

We'll get into the calgary flames but that division up top looks fun still we've been saying it before we get off toronto i do want to mention we have the battle of ontario tour shirts we've been coming out with these are sort of a grateful dead theme style uh one last note on toronto before we move over to calgary with um alex galchenyuk who had been traded last week, well, he never left Canada. He stayed there, and then Carolina shipped him to Toronto, so he never had to quarantine anywhere. They sent him to Toronto for Igor Korshkov

and local kid David Wasowski, so basically some organizational depth. They had no intention of keeping Galchenyuk, so he can add another team to his resume. And yeah, Calgary, they had a one-in-three week. They've lost three in a row. Matthew Kachuk didn't interview resume. And, yeah, Calgary, they had a one-in-three week. They've lost three in a row. Matthew Kachuk did an interview.

He said, quote, he was hearing from friends at home. He said, quote, more fans than media are all over me than previous years. They loved me once. I just got to start playing better. Personally, I'll give up scoring a goal for the rest of the year for a Stanley Cup. Confidence is a big part of me, and I obviously still got that. You know, I think the fans kind of maybe turned on him a bit. This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business,

not just for the front office, but for fans also. You know that. Yes, I know that as well as anyone in terms of being just hated by pretty much every fan base I've played for. And I think that the tough thing about this was he addressed this talking on the media, and then they got dusted 7-1 by Edmonton. So then he had to come back in after and say that was basically the lowest moment we've had since I got here. And people are looking at the entire core in Calgary. And it's, you know,

there's Backlund, there's Giordano, Monaghan, Goudreau and Kachuk. And like they go on a trip. I think they go play Ottawa three times and Toronto twice this week in this upcoming few days. It's like, let's kind of make a break. For where they're sitting right now, you have to wonder what's going on because this year they got Mark Sherman. They brought Tanev on the back end, who both looked good. They've kind of held up there under the bargain.

And the rest of the team, I'm not going to say struggled, right? Goudreau's been good. There's moments when this team looks in sync, but then at other times, there's not much life there. They've had four coaches in the last six years, and it seems to be that it's always the same questions, no matter who's behind the bench. So Matthew Kachuk right now is getting it,

and it really goes back to, I don't ever expect, I would never expect fans to feel bad for anyone that is playing pro sports. Never at all. Like you, they make millions of dollars. They do what they dreamed of doing for the most part growing up. But when you talk about being a pro athlete, like there's so many things that go into it that you don't think about when you're a young kid, just like praying and hoping you make it. And it's like, when you're not playing well and you're making money,

you got to be ready to deal with legit pressure. And I know everyone at work has pressure and they have pressure making way less money. So somebody that, that every day has to get their job done, right. To put food on their family's table is like laughing at me. But for people who have been really good, like Matthew Chuck and so many stars out there, their entire lives, who have been really good like Matthew Kachuk and so many stars out there their entire lives, once you start getting heat and once you start feeling the other side, the hatred that can kind of spew out of ridiculous fans mouths and especially online, you understand like, all right, this is way harder than I thought it was or way harder than it was when I came in and things were a breeze. So you really learn a lot about people's character i think when they first get their their dose of uh fans telling them that they suck right and we'll see how matthew kachuk

responds i think that he he's a hell of a player with many many years ahead of him of being a great player in the nhl but right now it's probably his first real example or yeah time when he's probably the first time he's at like while making money or really in his entire career being handed that much criticism now as far as his production's concerned i don't think his numbers are terrible i haven't watched them enough to well he's on pace for like less than 50 points but it was an 82 game season i know for him like he had 77 points and he dropped down whatever 65 is so i think offensively he's not himself. Okay. So, okay.

Well, that's fair. Cause I haven't watched enough to, to, to be able to criticize his game, but I just think overall as a whole, that team right now is struggling. Like they've, they've apologized to their goaltenders for hanging them out to dry. And like you said, it's like right now, I'm very interested to see on this road trip, how they respond. Hey, against Ottawa.

It's one thing. Let's see what they can do against Toronto. But it's saying that. Like, Ottawa, they beat Montreal, what, 200? They beat Montreal the other night in overtime. Right. R.A. Yes.

So Ottawa isn't necessarily easy, but they got to win games, Calgary. R.A., you think Kachuk meant to pass it off to D-man? I 100% did. Brady. I think, though, R.A., there's a guy far side. There's a guy far side. There's a righty that it would have been right on his tape. Yeah.

I watched the GIF a hundred times, and it's funny. I don't usually – I DM'd him a couple times. I actually DM'd him, nice dish, and he's like, hey, thanks. And I goes, no, I meant to yourself because he might have thought his i meant there's a sister in the game i watched it 20 times and i don't think that guy was low enough i i don't think he sauced it too hard to put too much mustard on it it looked to me like he was almost waiting for it to come off i could be wrong maybe we'll get some clarification we gotta talk we gotta get a some truth serum before we ask him this i think it tells truth truth the sillen um all right i'll

i'll say this it he was so close to the skate when he released it and he was so ready for it when it came back i'll i'll be willing to to give it like i'll say all right i could see where you're coming from at first though i agreed with wit though the guy was back door tickling that he was tickling one of the uh one of the band the banners in the ceiling just waiting to eat that thing watch just watch the angle of the pass and like i said that didn't seem like i had enough mustard or the right angle to go because the whoever was might have been passed to it they weren't they didn't look like they were moving they were stationary so either way it was a it was a hell of a hell of a fucking goal the kids scored um and you brought up the canadians they had a tough week oh one and1-1, 5-3 loss to Toronto, then the overtime loss to Ottawa.

They dropped down to fourth. And since starting the season off 5-0-2, the Habs have gone 4-5-0, and all five of those losses have come at the bell center, where Montreal is now 3-5-0, as opposed to 6-0-2 on the road. And 11-19-6 since November 16th of 2019. In that span, the only team with a worse home record is the Detroit Red Wings than Montreal. Obviously it's a huge factor.

If anybody misses a crowd, it's probably that building, especially on a Saturday night. But I don't know, man, Gary Price, he's, he's struggling a bit right now. Jake Allen's actually been the better goaltender of the two thus far. What? I didn't know. I couldn't tell. I'm giving you a pass like Brady.ady well you're giving me a pass i mean i haven't heard from all these canadians fans that were ripping me going nuts on me uh

right when the season started they looked unbeatable now that they've kind of come back to life i did immediately come out and say that they were a way better team than i that gave them credit for in the little season preview we did but they don't look like the world beaters that they came out of the gates looking like. I'll say that. And another thing, too, is like they got some young guys who, you know, this is their first time being that guy. Suzuki had a bit of a tough stretch there.

I think he had maybe one assist in five games. I think he ended up finding the back of the net last game, though. So, listen, we're going to see guys go through these types of waves. So I would imagine in the next little stretch here, they're going to bank some wins. Biz, we were just talking about old school protection, and we saw a good example of it with the Vancouver Canucks. Yeah.

Derek Forbort, he grabbed a hold of Nils Hogland a late Friday night. Hogland had hit him earlier. He thought it was a little bit high. Forbort did. I thought Forbort might have been leaning a little toward it. I don't think it was necessarily an intentional high hit. But he did go after Hoglander at the end of the game, led to a huge pig pile.

And then the next game, which was Sunday night, he fought Zach McEwen. So I think this is a good example of what you're talking about. Vancouver not letting one of their young stars or potential stars getting fucked with, and we're going to protect the kid. Yeah, so here's what I fucking hate, though. vancouver canucks fans stormed to forbert's instagram and just start slinging mud at adam in the in the d in the comment section these people are lunatics man

100 worst fan base as far as the bottom feeders vancouver canucks he thought he hit him high earlier then towards the end of the game he took another little bit of a run at him. Hey, all good for Hoglander to play his game and do his thing. Yeah, he gets in your face. So Forbert retaliates. Yeah, I get that he's a smaller guy, but he was still willing to handle his own business the next game against, what's his name, sorry? McEwen.

Zach McEwen. McEwen. So it's just like fucking rights. I love that. I love it all other than the fact that these degenerates got to go harass Forbert in the comment by the way uh my teammate when we win the calder cup not a big deal uh hoglander though play piss and vinegar yeah yeah he's got the you've seen the skill level but he's also like right in the mix i i read something quickly like travis green loves the guy so uh he'll get his nose in there and forward did a good job and i i think

that the the scrum at the end was a great symbol for vancouver though because things haven't gone well but there was five guys immediately in there immediately and that's what it's all about and i'm not going to say there's teams out there that wouldn't do that i'm not going to name certain teams names that i don't think would necessarily respond but vancouver did a hell of a job there hey and if hoglander is going to run around and be that guy which i i love those types of players we talk about all the time well you love playing with them you hate playing against them but but you know at some point someone's going to attack they're going to dummy them yeah they're going to try to grab them and the fact that the fact that the guys are like hey go play your game and we're going to back you up that's a

that's a great feeling for hoglander yeah that means he must be popular with the fellas. Yep. And Forbort's quote was, it wasn't like it was a dirty hit or anything. I was just kind of pissed off and I gave him a couple cross checks. So it wasn't like he was, you know, crying a foul or anything. It was just hockey. Good old hockey, baby. I can get you. I'll stick in the face.

Winnipeg had a two-in-one week. They're sitting third in the conference, I'm sorry, in the division right now. They've been playing some pretty solid hockey. Pierre-Luc Dubois made his presence known Sunday night. Two big goals, including the overtime game winner, also had an assist. Whit, did you catch any of that game? He was a pretty big force for them Sunday.

I did. Van had the lead for a lot of that game. And Dubois, really a little bit of a coming out party for him there. I think it's been hard with all the time he had to rest and quarantine when he got up there. And that was a powerful statement by him. I mean, to get that winner in OT puts Winnipeg right in the top four, who look like they should be able to get the playoff spot this year, especially as he plays better and better, as he gets more comfortable with that system in Maurice and his teammates.

But I still think that there's probably more he can give. I would say he's not comfortable saying he's played his best yet, but a game like that could just get anyone rolling. I wasn't really going to comment anything. I think you nailed it. Actually, you know what I was thinking of? We've got to start the episode with Dog Days Are Over for Sid. That's what I was just thinking.

Is that fair? That's the song that he forced Joey to play? Or Barbie Girl because of Pasternak. Is that, is that song that he forced or, or Barbie girl? Cause, cause it passed her neck. See, this is the tough spot of the, these are the hardest decisions we have to make behind the scenes,

folks, tough decisions. And it's up to Grinnelly. Don't let us down. I was going to say, we, I was going to say, we, what do you mean?

Oh yeah. Yeah. Well, you decide all of it. This one, I'm a Barbie girl. Do you know that one? Wit such a bad, come on Barbie. Let's go party. Well, you decide all of it. This one, I'm a Barbie girl. Do you know that one, Whit?

Such a bad story. Come on, Barbie. Let's go party. Ow, ow, ow, ow. Definitely fucking 16 hits off fucking Molly doesn't have that shit. Did I say that? Edmonton, three in one week. They jumped into second place. Mike Smith has really shored up their net.

I know it's a small sample size, but in five games started, he's got four wins a 1.83 goals against a shutout 9408 percentage if he can kind of recapture that form he had a few years back you know edmonton they're going to be a tough out uh also connor mcdavid congrats to him he got his 500th nhl point uh it was the eighth quickest to get to that number and he tied sid crosby did it in his 369th game a little bit bit of symmetry there. NHL scripted. Fucking Wizard of Oz, Gary Bettman, going against the sun. That nut.

I killed his enemy, the sun. All right, we're going to get to the east and central after. We'll be getting to Brendan Dillon shortly. But first, I want to talk to you about Bruch. Bruch is redefining what it means to have a perfect smile because a healthy smile is a perfect smile. And when it comes to a toothbrush, you should be going digital and not analog because dentists recommend more effective electric brushes. That's why you ought to be using a Bruch like we do. It has six unique modes to

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That's 15% off using the promo code CHICKLETS, C-H-I-C-L-E-T-S, at bruch.com. That's B-R-U-U-S-H.com. And now we're going to send it over to Brendan Dillon of the Washington Capitals. Well, our next guest is a defenseman who just started his 10th season in the NHL and his second with the Washington Capitals. Though he wasn't drafted by an NHL team, he played in the 600th NHL game last season. With many more to go, I'm sure. It's a pleasure to welcome to the Spittin' Chicklets podcast, Brendan Dillon.

Thanks for joining us, Brendan. How's it going? Thanks for having me, R.A. Appreciate being on here. Absolutely. Our pleasure. We're talking to you on Inauguration Day here in the States. You're in D.C. Is there a little buzz in the air down there today? Similar to like a big game when, you know, the whole city's kind of revved up? I'll be honest. I'm not in the mix down there today, similar to like a big game? You know, the whole city's kind of revved up. I'll be honest. I'm not in the mix right now. Security's getting a little tightened up here around D.C., Arlington.

We're a little bit out. I'm still hotel living here. Oh, okay. Looking to get settled in my spot post-camp. So 15 minutes out, and, yeah, I'm staying safe. Well, the Caps, you got six points in your first four games. I know it's early, but how are you liking the sort of baseball style schedule so far?

Yeah, it's been, it's been a little different. I mean, we were, you know, a couple of days in Buffalo, a couple of days in Pitt. It's nice to think early on the boys can be together in the hotel. Not that we're doing much there. DoorDash has been a hot commodity for uh for in between games and whatnot but a lot of ping pong um gaming boys have been heavy on the college who's number one so who's oh we got a bunch uh oh she's pretty deadly he's got like the pc pc setup going um always been been getting into it too a lot of the russians don't have their family out yet so

they've been gaming up a storm and taking it on the road too. You hit a winner against Ovi, dips the ball and catch up. He tuck and takes a bite out of it. He's just the farm animal. What a fun team though. So much stuff, social media especially, comes out with your team. And we just see Ovi going nuts before the game in the room. And you dapping everyone up.

Seems like the whole group just gets along as well as any, any team out there, huh? What a, what a crew. I mean, when I, when I got traded here, I, I'll be honest, I knew nobody and coming into the room, I mean, yeah, like, like doing it, doing a couple of Google searches. What can I talk to this guy about? Hopefully get on the golf course or something to break the ice but i mean i was more nervous for my for figuring out a handshake with all the fellas than my first game i mean it was a little little touch and go for the first one i had to

get dressed a couple minutes earlier as uh as we got going and uh just just a great group i mean i think that's the biggest thing that they've created culture-wise here is from the top down, Ovi to Johnny Carlson, Osh, Wilson. You go through the lineup, these guys, they work their bags off on the ice, but they love to have a good time. They love to keep it loose in the room, practice days. You guys know how it is. It's a long season when you're in the trenches, so to have a couple laughs, it's the good stuff.

They work their bags off before the game starts with all those cup checks they're doing in warm-up this guy showed up with a fucking uh chastity belt on because he didn't want to lose his horn first day first day after getting dealt oh the equipment guy's a little busy with all the new sticks i mean uh it's it's unbelievable those guys have a blast though it's going to be like a bondage outfits next day. Like the next level, you step inside the Washington room. They got the nipple. I had to make sure I was staying on the boards just in case. I mean, some of those ones, I mean, they got some bruises coming in. They're like, what did I do?

Did I block a shot? No, no, I was just, oh, just give me a whack. Well, I mean, you had a long run with San Jose. You get traded last year, played 10 games, and then, you know, shit hits the fan, Corona comes. So you probably never got a place. You still don't have one. It's just been such a whirlwind, I'm guessing,

with you not having a set place in stone in D.C. yet. Oh, it's been a gong show. The last year, well, coming up on when do we shut down, first or second week of March. Where'd you go then? Yeah, so I'm born and raised just outside Vancouver. So Biz and I had a couple of good times in Vancouver when he was a West Coast guy for a little bit.

Yeah, we can keep those for another time. But yeah, so I obviously coming from San Jose, West Coast guy, didn't know much about the East Coast and travel and whatnot. What a dream it is out here. I mean, I could maybe play an extra couple of years with the hour travel. But yeah, the shutdown happened, was in a hotel.

Me and Ilya Kovalchuk having some nice dinner parties together, the two of us here in the hotel. Head back to San Jose. I was there for a few weeks just in my place. I had a condo there, beautiful Santana Roll, I'm sure. Boys have stayed there before. The most boring place in the league, I used to say. You'd get in there, you're like, oh, boy.

Hey, business called it before, man, Jose. I mean, I'll be honest, there's not much going on nightlife-wise. October Fest. So I was back there, and then my gal's from Minnesota, so we made a pit stop in there. It's got some skates and on the, on the route back, but a lot of driving miles logged due to the, the old pandemic. Didn't want to be getting any positive tests and having to sit out extra.

So finally made it back this way grinding. I mean, there's all these restrictions with when you're going in to view homes look at homes condos the whole nine yards so finally we've found a place and hopefully be moving in in the next week or two here would have been your early impressions of Zdeno Chow as a teammate so far I mean just legendary I don't know where else you can go. Obviously a big human in himself. Here I was thinking I was a big guy at 6'4", and I've got to see the Cairo a couple extra times just looking up at him in the room.

But there's a reason why he was a captain, and he's going to be a Hall of Famer. This guy, when he speaks in the room, you listen up, works his balls off in the gym too. I mean, his first couple days, I feel bad for the Czechs and Slovaks on the old wash here because they were just brought right into the full Z workouts first day of camp, and I'm sure they're still sore after those ones. And here the guy is at age 43, still playing 20 minutes a night,

blocking shots. It's even in a team, we got a pretty veteran veteran team here in in Washington and I still think a guy like him coming in has been huge for the group for the leadership and whatnot and I mean he's big Z um you got your big ticket this past summer I mean that for a guy like you who's had the career path you've had like how you know how how exhilarating was that finally get basically recognized as far as the finance is concerned basically what you've put into the game yeah i mean it's uh it's been nice to let you know when we get a paycheck what it looks like it's been a while for for the boys but it's uh it's it's something where i think going into free agency this past summer

there there was a lot of question marks you talk to guys around the league that were coming up on their contract year and uh just so many unknowns we didn't even know if there was going to be a season if guys were going to have to start going over to europe what it was going to look like and um i think for for myself you kind of talk to guys that have gone through the process before it's kind of like oh yeah you know test the market pick your city pick your beach house whatever you want to be but um i don't think it was going to be that way for myself. And I think from being in Wash for the couple weeks and seeing what the squad's like, how much fun they have, great area, great city.

So I was happy it worked out. And to be here for another four years, this is going to be a blast. I thought maybe since you were hanging out with Kovalchuk, he helped you negotiate it. Yeah, well, I was actually going to talk to Backy about it. Nick Backstrom just no agent right no agent he got it done in february right before we were all shut down i was like geez smartest agent there is out there yeah yeah exactly so we go back uh a lot of times in this

to earlier in your life in your hockey career and like first thing everyone kind of notices when when looking up you and your stats is like you weren't drafted and it's kind of shocking like your size and how well you skate were you were you shocked then or did you become such a better player at 2021 how did that all go down you know it was it was a weird kind of hockey career for me to start at the very least um you know being being a Canadian kid I mean hockey was eat breathe, live everything. And growing up, especially being a Canucks fan, Pavel O'Berry is a young kid and the Sedin twins. I mean, we were pretty lucky there in Vancouver to have some of the players roll

through and, you know, you play your minors and then you go through and there's the junior drafts and these types of things. And a lot of the guys I still skate with back home all got drafted and I just remember when when I didn't get picked at age 16 and you know these guys are wheeling around I'm like geez I feel like I can feel like I can play with these guys feel like I can keep up at least and I was very fortunate to get on in the the WHL there in Seattle and we had geez it was I think, five or six first round picks my, my first two years. And I was like, wow, you know, you're actually talking about like NHL scouts coming in here.

You're talking about these things. And, um, that was very fortunate. I had a great 20 year old year, um, signed on with Dallas and, um, just, just was very, very lucky to have some awesome veteran guys. I mean, Ray Whitney, um, Brendan Morrow, Jamie Benn, Trevor Daly. I mean, the list really went on. And I think as a young player, I'm sure as you found out too, to have those guys kind of bring you along, teach you how to be a good teammate, teach you how to learn. And, you know, when you have those,

there's a reason why some of these guys have been playing for, you know, 15 years in the league and how they just come to the rink and and just just have fun and realize you know you're playing hockey you're getting to be in the best league in the world and um you know at the end of the day just get better every day too going back to your bantam draft i was reading something it might have been a typo were you very undersized when you were 14 years old because i know ohl it's a little different you get drafted the year before you go. Usually in the band of draft, it was two years before in the WHL, correct? Correct, yeah.

Yeah, I was just a little wee lad, 5'2", at age 14. Jesus. Yeah, mom and dad. I mean, my dad's 6'2", mom is 5'9", and it was just kind of like, hey, is this kid going to start eating his breakfast? Is he going to have his Wheaties and sprout up eventually and kind of just just the old cliche stick with it and I was was fortunate enough to have the growth spurt I think when I was 18 I ended up kicking like 6'2 or 6'3 when it was my draft year and they weren't calling me Bambi on the ice so I could actually have some

sort of coordination and yeah here we are you You had to sleep with an inversion table. Your parents were like, yeah, we're not. Yeah, we don't we don't want any young, young or small lads in our household. Yeah, exactly. It's embarrassing. The Dylan name. Like, come on, kid. Let's go.

What are you doing? Yeah. Your dad. This mine, honey. Yeah. The milkman was lurking around or something. But it must have it must have been, like, shocking almost. I mean, was there one year when there was a huge growth spurt

or was it just kind of over 2-3? Yeah, no, I'd say it was probably, like, 17, 18. So I was a late birthday, so draft year was 18. And I think that summer, like, after my first year of junior, I came home and, like, my buddies kind of said it, you know, like, you'd be going to the golf course or hanging out at the rink they'd be like hey like Dilly did you did you grow or something I shrink and I'm kind of like I don't know and then you know you're at home every day with your parents so they're not really saying anything and the next thing you know you're kind

of like as tall as your dad and then he's like okay so you know something's going on and it was just uh just just weird you know everyone's different different growers and and everything happens and um just glad it finally did for me you're just patting your buddies on the head nice to see you again bud well it's nice until z's patting me on the head now so i i noticed as uh your your uh junior career progressed especially in your last year you finally put some numbers on the point. Now, was that something you had to do just because you're the older guy and there weren't many other guys on the team?

Or is that something that you eventually added to your bag in junior because of the coach's decisions? Yeah, I think it was a little bit of both. I mean, I've been telling my coaches for years, hey, get me on the peeper here. Like, you know, get me something. I got a showcase for these scouts that are coming in. And, I mean, I think it's a lot of things involved with your hockey career right is this place in time or time and place opportunity and I had some great coaches

there in junior uh Turner Stevenson played a long time in the NHL uh Rob Sumner who's one of the head scouts with Calgary now and it is every every year I was just trying to get better I know it sounds so you know everyone wants to do that but finally my last year I was just trying to get better. I know it sounds so, you know, everyone wants to do that. But finally my last year, it was kind of like, all right, either you're, you know, heading to hopefully UBC next year and, you know, going to be trying to make something with school or let's try and do this thing with pro. You know, I was fortunate to put up some numbers played with some great players,

other drafted guys, and got, got some looks started talking to some NHL teams. And, you know, yeah, I've been trying to get on the power play ever since. You kind of just answered my next question. It's like there had to be, at that point, a bunch of teams that were interested. Were you really choosing with going with Dallas against some other options or were they kind of the leading candidates? I mean, I'll be honest. I was pretty lucky. I was able to talk to probably, I don't know, 10 or 15 teams

throughout the course of the year. And I think that's one thing that I was, again, very, very lucky to be is not drafted in a sense. And it was such a heartbreak thing at age 18 where, you know, you go through the tears and you're sitting there with your buddies and your parents and you're so bummed out. And looking back on it, I mean, think about it. If you're a centerman drafted to the Pens in the last 10 years,

like, you know, good luck, right? Or, you know, for the longest time, a defenseman with teams that were great on the back end. It's just you're kind of locked in there, unfortunately. And to be able to kind of talk to those teams and just see where you might be able to fit in and look at some depth charts. And again, my coaches that I had in junior were really good with me on that.

And, you know, hey, look, you can maybe go and try and, you know, live on the beach in L.A. or you can try and make a good, you know, honest NHL career in a place where you're going to get opportunity. And I spent some time in the American League, a year and a half, and really learned from another, you you know more veteran guys and good coaching staffs and um you know next thing you know you get a crack and that was my big thing is I once I got up there I just wanted to stay there uh Texas Stars Austin probably one of the most undercover best places to play what was it like living there yeah I don't know if it's undercover anymore it's it's got to be

destination in the american league i mean what a spot i came up there from junior um we we had an awesome an awesome group young single guys that were just you know playing hockey and having fun and the the downtown area for sure could have an nhl team i mean you think about the support that i mean they have for the the Longhorns down there. We might be second fiddle no matter what NHL team goes in as long as that school is around. But lots to do. I mean, for a 20, 21-year-old guy to go to that city, you know, had a lot of fun with the guys. I think we were, our home record had to have been pretty lights out because every team seemed to have their rookie party there.

Yeah, the Vegas of the AHL.. So the Vegas, the HL, the Vegas, the HL, exactly. And I think when teams are, you know, going through the Rockford's and the Peoria's and then they stumble upon an Austin,

Texas, you're, you're, you're probably trying to have a good time there. Your second year with the team, second season, Jeremy Yaga comes in 40 years old. I think he only was there for 34 games,

but that must've been just like having a rock star in the room though. Oh, I mean, the, the players I've gotten to play with, these guys, I mean, legends from Brendan Morrow to Yermer Yager, obviously. Then, you know, I go to San Jose and you got Jumbo Joe, you got Patty Marlowe, Brent Burns. I mean, the list really goes on. And I think for Yagerager that was the first time I was really like oh wow like this guy is I mean it's Jeremy Yager his resume speaks for himself

he um you know he I think one of the nights it was probably a couple weeks in I was still at the hotel and he actually stayed at the hotel the whole year so the practice rink in Dallas is out in Frisco a a little ways out from downtown. And he's like, hey, what are you doing tonight, kid? I was like, I don't know, eating dinner, playing video games, just trying to stay in the league. And he's like, great, well, we're going across the way. And I kind of thought he was kidding.

And then there was another Czech guy, Thomas Vincur, who we were the same age, both first year up. And he's like, no, Dilly, he's serious. We're going over there like 11 o'clock and uh sure enough you know 10 45 uh knock on my door we get over there to the rink and um i don't even i don't know he must have had a key because i don't even remember how we got in everything was locked up and um sure enough ankle weights on his skates where we're doing these cutback drills and um it was yeah it was it was insane and he actually actually assisted when we played vancouver he assisted on my like first

goal i think it was my second goal ever but it was like the biggest goal i've ever it was like him and jamie ben had the assist and i'm like this is was it in van too but in van first game at home playing playing for free like it was just like it was 30 tickets in a lower ball just bending you over oh my i played for free that whole week that whole paycheck was gone so i was uh well worth it though obviously jamie bent seems like he has like an aura mystery around him i mean he's a superstar but it doesn't seem like people know a bunch about him. Is he like that in the room as well, real quiet? Yeah, I think Benny, when guys get to meet him and you get around him as much as his teammates and his buddies are, he's the best.

He's such a good dude. He's funny. Again, another guy that's just, like you said, kind of undercover until you get to see him every day and play against him you're like all right this guy's this guy's the real deal and um you know a good bc boy too i feel like when you know those western canadians tend to gravitate a little bit towards each other and he was really good for me one of the actually been a funny story my first game we're up we're

playing st louis at home and um i knew ge Jordy pretty well from playing with him in the American League. And so we kind of had a close relationship. And Jamie was still Jamie Benk, captain of the Dallas Stars. And, you know, you're kind of like, oh, you're on this guy. And so we're walking into the rink at whatever it was, 430. And he looks over at me. He's, Dilly, first game of the night, eh? I was like, yeah, man.

He goes, you nervous? I was like, yeah. He goes, you should be. It's the NHL. I was like, oh, great. Here we go. And I mean, he made me kind of settle in after that. And we made some jokes once we were playing soccer and all that. But, you know, here I am, 21 or 22, going to my first game and, you know, captain the team. I was like, oh, boy, I'm in one. But yeah, got away with it unscathed and no dashes, I don't think,

so I was okay. You think Jamie Benn would come on our pod? Biz, you said you chatted with him. I got a million questions. Every time I've asked him, he hasn't answered me back. So he's maybe a retirement guy? Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure, Benny. I'm sure you could convince him to get on eventually,

maybe do Brothers Ben or something. I don't know. Yeah, Jordy would definitely take the focus off of him. I think he's a little bit more outgoing. I mean it sounds like you had such good relationships with all those guys so the one year where you get traded for Jason Demers you end up getting sent over to San Jose was there any rumblings that you might be a guy would get moved when it happened were you like you know were there tears were there's the devastation was it excitement because you're going over to a bit of a wagon in San Jose? Yeah, it was a little bit of everything, all those kind of combined.

I mean, here you are, your first team. And I think for a lot of us, you know, the team you're drafted by or the team you first signed with, you're like, oh, I'm going to play 20 years here. I'm going to ride off into the sunset to be the mayor of the town. And, you know, life's going to be good. And I think that was my kind of vision. I'm like, I love it here in Dallas. We got a bunch of young guys, came up together, all kind of, you know, life's going to be good. And I think that was my kind of vision. I'm like, I love it here in Dallas. We got a bunch of young guys came up together.

All kind of, you know, you see each other's first game or first goal or, you know, first nights out together, time on the road. And you get super close. And I think that trade was kind of the first time where I'm like, wow, this really is a business. You know, we're not just playing hockey here. And this is just a lot of things are kind of out of your control. And when I went over, it happens quick, right?

You get traded. You're told at the rink. I think it was whatever, right after practice, 1 o'clock. And you're on the 530 out to San Jose, different part of the world, different part of the country where, you know, you really only know the Fairmont downtown San Jose and the rink and you know going in there too as you'd said a really veteran absolute wagon of a squad with with you know Burnsy, Marlo, Jumbo these you know cooch legends of the game that are still putting up numbers and

I think when I walked through that room, it was really an eye opener that, you know, when I come here, I want to be here for as long as I can and try and just, just be a piece of the puzzle. Was there a guy with more of a, like a quiet presence than Trevor Daly? I know you got it.

You mentioned him early on. Like I, I got the chance. I first started playing against him probably at 14, 15 under 17. I remember he was the best player in the tournament just unreal talent but then i got to know him a little bit and just a cool cat off the ice like a true pro um sick skater but i know you you become pretty

good buddies with him oh dale still still texts me still reaches out when he uh when he retired this year i mean what a career for for a a guy that worked for everything he ended up achieving. Two-time Stanley Cup guy, beat us in the playoff, beat us in San Jose there the one year. So I don't know if I was super happy for him then. But, you know, someone who was just good to the young guys too. You know, he comes in and he played however many hundreds of games. And it was so good to, bringing him out for dinner,

having him over to his place. Yeah, Trevor Daly, one of the best, still working with the game. I'm sure the Penguins, I think he's hockey ops of some sort there. We're really lucky to have him. So you've been fortunate your whole career where you're going to these teams and these guys are taking you under their wing. There was one story I heard about a jumbo Joe, when you did get over to San Jose,

I don't know if it was around Christmas time when you guys were on your break or something. Oh yeah, this is a, yeah, this is a good one. I thought at least. So December 23rd in Anaheim wheeling around pregame skate. I just gotten traded there maybe three weeks prior. Still the quiet guy in the room. There's a few of the younger guys around my age that I was starting to bond with and still in the hotel the whole nine yards.

My parents had already planned. They were already down in San Jose. They were there December 23rd waiting for me. We were flying back after the game, have a couple days, Christmas time, whatever. So, yeah, pregame skate again. I'm wheeling around, and one of the younger guys, I think it was either Tierney or Barkley Goodrell, come up and like, hey, like, Dilly, what are you doing for the break?

And I'm like, I'm just going back to San Jose. My folks are coming down. Sister's flying in from Toronto. We're just going to, you know, have a couple days and kind of get to know San Jose. He goes, well, oh, okay, never mind. And he skates away, and I'm like, like well he can't leave me cliffhanger like this and so then jumbo comes over he goes ah too bad dilly huh that sucks bud and i'm like what sucks like hey so i skate over and i'm like goody what's going on and he's like well yeah there's like five

or six of us jumbo's uh jumbo's got a pj we're heading out to vegas after the game i'm like like after like tonight's game here we're in anaheim like like on the tarmac ready to rock and roll and uh he goes yeah like after the game like well we'll have to see if we're you know if we go into overtime we might have to push it back but um we should be all good so um i kind of skate over i go hey jumbo like i've spoken two words to him maybe like in the three weeks right like hey jumbo like nice to meet you jumbo i'm like hey jumbo is uh you got room for me if you know if i hop in with you like like i don't know boys just said that we got a little pj set lined up for vegas and i think i'd been there once and

you know with a few of the dallas guys and nothing crazy but i mean here we are like legend of the game joe thornton invited me to go to vegas you know for christmas break and so sure enough um literally finished the game. I think we won shootout or something like that. Of course, it goes to extra innings. And here I am walking by, like, the new coaching staff. Been there for three weeks. Todd McClellan's looking at me like, why are you not going on the bus kind of thing?

Walking up the, you know, the Anaheim little, right by all the cars, right by the bus and the six of us hopping to an Uber. Like, this is like kind of like the water league moment for me gregory here we are we got sitting on the plane playing cards with jumbo like joe thornton heading to vegas and sure enough we got there had a great time of course you know paid for everything for all of us took care of the boys and oh my i think that's just just one thing you know when it comes to jumbo and why he's still playing and still having success is i mean i never saw the guy miss an optional skate in san jose here he is at age 42 he's now i see in toronto he's playing with

with those young guns and kind of bringing them along not so much bringing along i mean i think they might be having to keep up with him um so I think it's, you know, it's those little things that you'll always remember as a player. And especially when I just came to the team and go on to be fortunate enough to play another five, six years with him, which was pretty cool. Austin had brought him in to pay for the PJs when they go party with Biebs. That's probably why they fucking signed him. Eh, Whit? Oh, imagine like Biebs is looking at Jumbo like you'd look at Jesus if you were a hardcore Catholic oh it's like get that beard a legend I mean there's so many different stories

of guys playing with them of him just totally hey boys why don't you join with me and the way he said to you like I got too bad he's non-stop ball busting right oh he's he's the best i mean and that's the thing again whether you're you're a guy coming up to play your first game your fourth line your score he's he's still treating you the exact same way um and there's a reason again why it's pretty cool when you see that the career he's had i mean i remember watching this guy play in in vancouver team canada olympics, you know, win the gold medal. And here he is inviting me to hop on a plane with him to have one of, like, you know, best times of my life and come back right after Christmas

and do it all over again on the ice. We've had Brent Burns on the show before, Brent. Obviously a real character of the game. Is he maybe the most unique teammate you've ever had anywhere? I mean, I think Burns is one of those guys where, I mean, of the game is he maybe the most unique teammate you've ever had anywhere i mean i think burns he's one of those guys where i mean norris trophy winner one of the best team man ever and you could sit sit at coffee or have a beer with them and might not cocky might not even come up in a full 24 hours like he's uh i mean he's just into so many different things um he's got his ranch

which again you could talk to him about that for days. I mean, it didn't matter on any bye week. I mean, the guy had to play in all the All-Star games, so he missed those extra couple days. But he got a chance. He's flying back home. He's on that ranch. He's chilling.

He's running. He's doing hunting, fishing, whatever it is. You know, Burns is in it. And I think, I i mean i still remember we were going paintballing as a team kind of like a little team bonding thing and this is just burns it to a tee but he's not just gonna do something he's gonna do something like all in and we're like hey boys paintballing tomorrow team's renting the you know the guns for you and everything just to have some fun and he shows up the next day with like, it looked like he was going into an absolute war and he's got the body armor.

He's got the head to toe. He's probably, his suit was probably about five grand, everything all in. He had his own gun. This thing is probably semi-automatic shotgun. Like, so it was, yeah, Burns, he's Burns. He was an awesome, awesome guy. Awesome teammate and someone I'm still able to call a good buddy. Now you got traded to Washington, the deadline of february with your deal expired i'm guessing

that was a deal you were probably expecting to go somewhere at that point no yeah i i think when from from what the expectations were for for the team for us in san jose last year as as to how things played out um definitely definitely wasn't as as we we saw it coming and i think come christmas time when we were we weren't winning games uh you look at yourself in your own position as being a guy whose contracts up and you know there wasn't really any any negotiations going on you're assuming and i'm not that san jose is a big uh big media market but i was starting to get you know more and more that i could be traded. And I think in those instances, you're just hoping that it's a team that has a chance. And I think when,

when I did find out that it was Washington Eagle from the, you know, the sadness and the kind of frustration of, of, you know, the last six hockey seasons being somewhere and having some success and the guys that you're building the relationships with all those kind of things are now going to be changed whether you like it or not. Coming to Washington and having the guys in the group that we do here really made it that much easier to make the transition. As I said, it was more so worrying about my handshake

than getting in there. How soon did you know that you wanted to stay in Washington for your next deal? As soon as they offered him fucking what? 60, 20 sheets? How much did you get? You got a nice fat one, didn't you? Four-year deal. Four-year deal, Biz.

Hey, look it up on Google if you want, Biz. I'll check it out. If you're on a podcast, you'd come on and talk about how much you make, dude. That's not what we're all about here. Okay. My apologies. Yeah,

it was, uh, I think just coming and seeing, seeing the boys, seeing how much fun they had. Um, and then on top of that, having,

having team we do, I mean, I think every year that you got Alex Ovechkin leading the charge, you got a chance to win a cup and had something that I, I haven't been able to, to, to do yet. And, um, I think even with some of the other pieces that they were they were talking about adding I mean at the time you know Hank Lundquist was was being intoxicament and obviously

unfortunate everything that's that's gone on for him the last couple months but I think the the big thing here is is it's great hockey city um great hockey market, good group of dudes, and, you know, I think at the end of the day, that's all you want. What'd you make of the Cobra Kai player, the defensive player of the game? Because I think you were awarded it game one. Have you seen that new show, and were you guys disappointed that that was, in fact, the MVP trophy for the game?

Well, I'm a couple episodes in now, because when Lavi was kind of having that after game one, I think a few of the boys were looking around like, you know the characters in this one? You know, I watched the Karate Kid, so I kind of had a bit of it, a bit of kind of an intro. But I think when Lavi brought that out and kind of just talked about, you know, the mentality we want to have here, it was pretty fitting for the group and just staying on track, a lot of stuff going on in the world. Yeah, Osher and I got to share that one after game one

and hopefully be many more wins where we can keep dishing it around the room. Have you seen any sauce crossing by Ovi yet? He's a known double dipper, but with different sauces. I heard he just annihilates the toilets in the road rooms too. I mean, it's Obi's world. We're just living sometimes when it comes to those. And I think when it comes to the sauce dipping, we've got ourselves a pasta bar now on the road,

so no one has to worry about the Alfredo having anything extra. It's a different league here in Washington. They put it at opposite sides of the room after looking at our podcast yeah yeah exactly he's like hey like come on boys like what's going on that noise uh yeah the the toilets definitely i mean i don't know maybe he's cleaned that act up because i haven't had to uh i mean we all got our own room so who knows what happens behind closed doors okay all right fair enough. Fair enough. What have you noticed, like, Ovi in the room? Was he kind of what you expected going in, or did you have no expectations at all of what he'd be like around the boys?

Yeah, I think when I first got to Washington, it was kind of almost similar with Jumbo. You know, when you look at these guys on, you know, from afar, just from playing against him like this, this guy's a legend, right? And you're thinking it's, okay, come in, practice hard, you know, from afar, just from playing against him like this, this guy's, this guy's a legend, right? And you're thinking it's okay, come in, practice hard, work hard. And, and, you know, that's kind of all it is like, like how else could this guy be so good at hockey? And when you actually get to see, you know, kind of peel back the layers of the Joe Thorns

and the Alex Ovechkins and see just the other things, how, how good they are in the room with guys. And I think for Obie specifically, I mean, I mean uh just just always a smile on his face and an absolute mutant right like I mean this guy is just like scoring goals is is is just like to do what he's done I think it was my third or second game when he scored 700 last year I mean you would have thought that was his first goal how excited he gets and and I think he still brings that attitude in practice, like in games too. And I mean, you don't score 700 by, by fluke, that's for sure. And have all the boys love you while doing it.

So you get your Mariners hat on that as a Seattle Mariners hat, right? It is. Hey, it's Mariners. Let's just, let's keep it. That's not good. Yeah. Yeah, no rumors getting started here. All right. What's even going there? What's up, guys? I mean, considering we have to follow so many different teams, who's a guy on the team this year who might not be a household name who you think is going to be popping off in the next few years?

Well, I think he's already popping off, but I think Tom Wilson's a guy who, who's obviously known for his physical play and, and, and, you know, how, how, you know, speaking of mutants, six, four, two 20 wheeling around, but you know, I think he just is his mentality on the ice too. He's a guy that's just always getting better. I think he's got what four or five points already in the first couple of games. He's, you know, PK power plays. He's kind of the heartbeat. I think of our team when he's he seems to be going he

brings guys with him and I think a lot of the guys on the team feed off that like anybody there's no fans right now the atmosphere and whatnot's not what a normal NHL game is you know there's there's some young guys too I mean this McMichael guy we were calling him McJesus but we haven't seen him on the ice yet since World Juniors so I don't. Maybe if he can come in and be a quarter of the Connor McDavid, I mean, we'd be happy with him and wash. So I was pumping that kid's tires. I also, I had the chance to, I think maybe twice, have been away on a golf trip with Backstrom.

And you brought up him getting the deal done on his own true legend status. But man, what a, what a, from just spending a couple, a couple different trips, time with him on trips, I would love to get the chance to play with him, only because he is the quietest guy yet always chirping, if that makes any sense. It's like he's got that dry sense of humor, right? And I'm guessing the guys just,

after seeing what he's done throughout his career, couldn't have more respect for him. Oh, and that's just another guy that just flies under the radar. You know, we talked about Jamie Benn earlier, and I think for Backy, I'm sure O would be the first one to tell you, you know, like a lot of those goals are, I mean, you know, finding a wheelhouse, crossing passes. I mean, I'm just thankful I'm not on the PK against those guys these days.

But I think Nicky is just, you know, you're constantly a pro. And another guy that's, you know, those Swedes sometimes, you you know they're just kind of like they kind of do it you're like oh you know he's not listening to this conversation or whatever he comes in and a couple days later he's got a good joke about everything that was going on or um he's just he's a he's an awesome teammate awesome guy who the boys love um he likes to get the guys together and get another one who it doesn't matter who you are on the team. He's treating you with tons of respect, bringing you along.

You don't put up that many apples unless you're doing something right. We used to train together at Forteus with Nugent Hopkins' brother. Is it Adam Nugent Hopkins? Adam Nugent Hopkins, yeah. Actually, Forteus RIP actually just shut down as of January 1.

Oh, that's where I was trying to keep my career going. And you were kind of just on the like leveling up. Where are you spending most of your time training in BC now? Yeah, so I mean, I've been there the last couple of years. I mean, I still remember. I mean, I don't know how many times you told me about you. You went in the Calder Cup and you know how big of a warrior you were along the way. I think that was the summer after the sports hernia surgeries how big of a warrior you were along the way I mean I think

that was the summer after the sports hernia surgeries I mean here you were and walking around with that maybe it was just having the cup I don't know what it was but yeah I was lifting the Calder Cup that's what that's what hurt that's why I had bilateral sports hernia surgery you're you're I met you around my shitty Cindy days. Perfect. All the craziness in Vancouver was because of you. Hey, the Beattie Street condo, I mean, not that I'd ever, you know, we had a good time there, and a bunch of the fellas. We're not allowed to mention his name on the podcast. He gets all weird about it.

He likes to fly very under the radar, and those were our heydays, Witt, where there were a few. Don't even bring my name up, he said. Yeah, he's like. Hey, you can cut that one out then. We don't want to get caught.'t even bring my name up he said yeah he's like you can cut you can cut that one out then we don't want to we just actually bleep the name we have to bleep the name so we leave the mystery of what is but uh he was my co-worker on the business nasty does bc like we were the guys hogging the steam uh steam clock there whatever i mean why doesn't he want the recognition he did a great job yeah yeah exactly we were out there almost

scrapping uh you were i think at the time you yeah, exactly. We were out there almost scrapping. I think at the time you were training with Tanner Glass out there and a few other guys? Tanner Glass, Eric Brewer. Again, just a bunch of beauty. Oh, yeah. Awesome, dude. That guy was nasty.

I mean, there's another guy almost like flying around. Actually, I was talking with Z about him the other day because they both were Prince George Cougars in the Western league. And two guys that, I mean, Bruce played a thousand games, had an awesome career kind of, I think he's just living his best life right now.

Golf ended up in Vancouver area, but those, those two guys, our group kind of, they, they were the ones bringing myself and, you know, Morgan Riley,

a bunch of us, young, young crew, Shay Theodore along. And so now the group the last couple of summers was myself, Morgan, Shea Theodore, we got Ryan Johansson in there. So we got a good group. And then obviously Nuge and his brother, he's got a couple of guys that they're doing their thing and then just pop over to the rink next door.

So a good little setup for the boys. They wouldn't let me train in the big boy group, would had to go after them in the ahl group but that's why i used to mention no it's always before so you got to be up even earlier i thought the calder cup would put me in the big group for fuck's sake oh business telling everybody like the physio is like working on you after training they're like like hey this paul besnet guy like he's like how many games has he played again? I mean, he keeps telling us about how good he is. He just kicked me off the table. I borrowed some of Brewer's games. Yeah. I just added some of his.

Once he hit 1,000, I took the rest of them, added them to my totals. Yeah, Brewer had more than enough to share with anybody. Nice to hear you guys were chatting about being behind my back, though, about my Calder Cup. Suck it. Yeah, this is when Biz thought that he was a little more important than he actually was. I think we could both say that we had issues with that occasionally, Biz. Yeah, this is when Biz thought that he was a little more important than he actually was. I think we could both say that we had issues with that occasionally, Biz.

Yeah, exactly. Did you end up becoming pretty close with Eric Brewer just through the training and him kind of bringing you along? Or is it now that you're out of touch a little bit? No, I still like Brewer. Brewer texted me after I signed my deal. He texted me through playoffs and, you know, when I got traded. And I think, I mean, when you retire, I'm sure it's something where it's,

you know, you want to stay involved with the game, but it's different. And I think for Brew, he's got a family now. He's pretty involved with it. I remember he'd have some funny stories. He was picking up women's, well, his six- or eight-year-old daughter's soccer. And he's going through the trials and tribulations of that and then i remember he still would pop into the gym the odd time like one time i think he was he was doing like mountain biking and he came in and his his his shoulder was absolutely dinged up and i'm like brew you just act like

looks like he just got run over in the corner. He goes, this might be the worst injury I've had. And it wasn't even playing hockey. Here I am retired and I'm coming in with an AC hanging off the bowling. Separation. Exactly. I mean, along with Luongo and Bertuzzi, there's a long list. He was a horrific trade by the Islanders. Top five pick.

They got rid of him early, went on to have just a fantastic career. But that was a name from the past. I always up to that guy oh yeah definitely right i only brought up seattle not not not to do it ross just because you're from there you played there for 40 years from right over the border were you were you excited for the region to get that 32nd nhl team oh it's it's gonna be awesome for that city, for the league as a whole. I think guys will see when we go there on the road. It's an awesome city. I usually make a trip out of it in the summer with my buddies. We'll go down when the Blue Jays would roll through town. And I'd be one of the maybe 100 people in the entire 20,000 or 30,000 people

wearing a Mariners getup. But I kind of got to stay true to my guys. Like you said, I was there for a couple of years and, you know, my first MLB game, first NFL game was all in that city and in a lot of good times. But it's the area where the rink is, that was my first two years we played at the Key Arena. So it's going to look a lot different when we go through town there next time

with all the renovations being done. But, you know, even for the, for the rivalries with Vancouver, how close it is at whole, whole Western kind of Pacific division or whatever it is, the Honda division this year, you know, I think is is ultimately going to be better for it in the long run. Did they, did you guys draw pretty well with fans when you were there? We did great. It was was being in that key arena.

Like I think, you know, it was there for the Seattle Sonics where they were getting 18, 19,000. And so that one didn't look so great. But when we were 30, 40 minutes south of the city and they built an unreal facility for us. Now, you know, Barzell was just lighting it up there a couple of years ago, Theodore and those guys. So yeah, definitely, definitely good hockey town. Love it up there a couple years ago, Theodore and those guys. So, yeah, definitely, definitely a good hockey town.

Love it. I want to ask about your number one. Sorry, Biz, one last quick one. You've been able to win number four in three different cities, which doesn't happen a lot because it is retired in a lot of places. Is that number an homage to somebody or just something you always wore? I kind of always wore it growing up. I remember, I don't know what year it was.

I'd ask for it. Bobby Orr was my dad's big, big favorite. And then being the Bruins, you know, I've watched the goal of him going through the air how many times. And so that was kind of why I wore four. And over the years, even guys that I wore, you know, the Scott Stevens and other number fours that I've kind of just watched. It was cool to be able to get that.

And I actually wore five and junior because our captain at the time, Thomas Hickey, he was, you know, he was a first round pick and had a great career. He was wearing number four and there was not a chance. I was asking for that when I got there. So like you said, very fortunate that, you know, I, I feel like when we go through some of these teams like Montreal or Toronto or, you know, the Rangers, you're like, geez, how do the boys pick a number?

There's so many retired, but they've been very lucky. You get them a Casio instead of the Rolex. There's a two-year warranty on that, by the way. Calculated. Just keep the receipt. Colby was saying that he was in Montreal for how many games last year, and he bought that Kulak or Rolex, I think, for his number. Oh, I know. That was crazy.

That's classy. That's classy. He just has to get rid of some of that dough. That Montreal trip worked out for him, and the team ended up getting a high draft pick when they got rid of him. How did that end up working, Ari? You were saying that. Yeah, they picked him up, and then they flipped him for a couple picks, and basically, yeah, it was a pretty beneficial move by the Berger van, yeah. Berger van, GM of the year.

Well, Dylon, we appreciate you coming on. I didn't have any more questions, but you guys have a very good team. I don't even know if Witt picked you guys to make playoffs this year. Did you pick him to make playoffs, Witt? No, I didn't. We'll have to change that one. Yeah, well, that's a good thing when you hear that I picked against you because that's usually the opposite of whatever I pick happens.

And I said right away, after the first week, I said Pittsburgh and Washington. I kind of wish I could flip them, but I'd never do it because that's the ones who gave me my big ticket. I was just going to say a former Penn can't say that. It's like, yeah, you'd be. Penns will be getting in every year the rest of this podcast as far as I'm concerned. Biz picked Phoenix to go on, Arizona to go undefeated.

Yeah, I might be in his contract or something. Yeah, they can pay for me. Well, we appreciate it, man. And I know you're a golf guy, sandbagger in the future. Biz mentioned that. So we look forward to it. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me, boys.

Thank you so much to Brendan Dillon doing a hell of a job playing for the Washington Capitals. They currently sit in second in the East. So we appreciate him coming on. Great chat. And I need to talk to you guys about TaylorMade.

You've seen TaylorMade and Chicklets form a little partnership here. It's because TaylorMade is the best in the business. The Sim Clubs have now been released. February 19th was the day, my birthday. Thanks for the well wishes. You can now get the Sim too.

Listen, they've dropped the Driver, the Fairway, the Rescues, and there are three new sets of irons. I think Biz just recently got sent one of those sets. So what good is a new Driver or Fairway wood or iron without a good ball? So now the tour performance ball is not a high-priced ball, but it's still very high quality. And the tour response for those people who have always wondered what those high-priced tour balls are like,

and if you're afraid to pull the trigger, these ones are for you. And you can even get them branded with the Chicklets logo if you want to. So what are you waiting for get yourself fit for the new sim family of clubs as as soon as possible you can do it in in store you can do it anywhere and you got to figure out your game by using the sim too so shout out to tailor made nice can't wait to try them out maybe i'll get back on the golf train uh maybe on par with skiing, once I start cranking these TaylorMades. I can't wait to get to Florida, man. We're going to have to go check out a zoo or do some little off-the-beaten-path content.

Gator Farm, baby. Any of you former NHLers, or I guess because the current ones can't get together with us, if you guys are down there, hit us up. Maybe we can go out and grab some food. What other things could we do around here? Maybe go to a gator farm. Everglades. There's a ton of stuff in Florida.

Maybe we could do a sandbagger down here with some guys. Let us know if you're in. Where do you live? Jupiter? Florida? You can drive. So depending on where we are, what area are we staying in? Because we need recommendations on very popular dining spots

if you guys could throw them out to us on Twitter. What area are we in? I got the dining spots. We are in Jupiter, Florida, Biz. Okay. Biz, I got a couple of buddies coming out your neck of the woods soon. I got to get a list of restaurants and clubs. They're asking me to hit you up for some VIP places. He does them three.

The new bar. Fuckfest 21 starring Ari. Biz this is gonna this is gonna drive drive him home like those kids he met at the club last time as one guy was getting a hand doogie don't fly 2 000 miles to fuck somebody else's wife just come to scottsdale heatism three nightclub in the Viagra triangle. Oh, yeah. Print it. That was fucking great. Oh, man. Speaking of the golf, too, that Genesis Open was this week.

I mentioned before, Barstool Banks. I don't know if you've been reading him. He's been crushing these fucking golf blogs, dude, lately. He's been like a hidden gem at Barstool. He has just started writing a lot on golf lately. but even these generic tournaments that you don't really follow, he's been killing them. What's his name? Homer, 144.

Yeah, this guy. If people don't know Max Homer, Biz got to play golf with him. He's the person who just roasts people's swings online. He's very funny. I was really happy for him because he's a local kid. I think his tweet was at Riviera. He grew up years. He tried to get a high five from Tiger just going to the tourney,

and then by winning Tiger's tournament yesterday or Sunday, he gets a three-year exemption on tour and was handed a trophy from Tiger Woods. So it was an honor. I was super happy for him. I've chatted with him a little, like, on DMs. I've never met him. I know you did. You said he's a solid guy, huh?

Unreal guy. Every time. It was drive at 320, hits it to 10 feet and he just like putts it it was fucking nuts it doesn't make any sense i mean mind you that course we were on was probably like a mini putt course for him yeah but uh couldn't he was so emotional after around and when i don't know i'm sure you saw it on the 18th he had a three foot putt where he could have iced it in quote-unquote regulation and then it had a three foot putt where he could have iced it in quote unquote regulation.

And then it had to go to extra holes because he'd missed that. But you know, he, he, he'd learned throughout the last couple of years to kind of collect his thoughts, put it in the past. He ended up icing it in, in extra holes. And I think he said that his wife texted him afterward and he's like, she was like, Hey, stick to the plan. Cause they, you you know the mental

aspect of golf is in a whole different realm it's all mental it's when at that level it's it's crazy and you know what's funny is if you think about sorry go ahead i didn't mean to interrupt you oh no i was i was gonna more throw it over to you and i think another thing he said is he had this bad habit of always after hitting bad shots saying oh i suck and he kind of had to train himself to stop doing that because eventually if you keep saying it you're going to believe it right you're going to get so down on yourself and he stopped saying it and he's just man it's like and what's awesome about it too wit is he's been very vocal about that kind of like when we had mckinnon on and talking about those mental struggles early on well the cool story about

homer and it is he was a big time college player you know a highly ranked amateur golfer and then he got on tour and i think he had some success i don't exactly remember how the beginning went but then he got the driver yips and for people don't know what that is you've heard putting yips like he couldn't hit his driver he's missing left he's missing right he said like some of the you know he's at the rock bottom where he lost his card and he's able to come back on tour that's his second win it just shows like golf is so insane for the mind and like the things that you can tell yourself and the things that you can trick yourself it's just a crazy sport and for him to come back and get that w after missing that putt now the hard thing is you miss a three-footer to win a tour event.

This is a guy who dreamed of winning this event. But you're in a playoff still. So, like, can you tell yourself, well, what if I just buried a 15-footer to get into the playoff? I'm in the playoff. Like, you just have to find the excitement. So, I think he did a great job. And there was a lot of people watching.

He was on the range, and he was on his phone. i didn't know his wife texted him because we started an interview uh with jody shelly that'll be coming out that was great oh i know we just talked about we went all over his career so we were that was starting as it was kind of ending last night in la and it probably was just easy for him all right he's talking to his wife whatever he's doing he's like i'm in a playoff i still have a chance and then he had to dodge a bullet on the playoff hole. Tony Fina, who finishes top five every week, but like can't win. He had about a five footer to win seven feet, I think, and missed it. After home, I made a miraculous shot, stuck up next to a tree.

So it was an exciting PGA Sunday for sure. That tournament's awesome. Yeah. If I get a 44 to one shot tour, I mean, that's a nice little bomber. Yeah, probably even higher. I saw a lot of people have them at, like, plus 6,600, and not to copy off of what Madden said, but seriously. And then I saw a lot of them at tickets at plus 6,000.

Yeah. I saw a few at 6,600. So that's higher than the number you just said, right? Right, yeah. I mean, there's so many shops out there in different states you're gonna see a bunch of different numbers but point being is that that's a fucking real nice pup if you had a couple hundred on them or even a dime which i didn't know about the the three-year exemption like that in itself right there yeah so most events uh you get a two-year exemption after winning. But there's elevated status tournaments where like the Genesis Tigers tournament and some others. I think Arnold Palmer's tournament, you'd get three.

You get that extra year. So, I mean, that's just huge. I think he's looking good now, but still, for any guy to have an exemption where you don't have to worry about losing your card, it takes so much heat off. All right, boys, moving right along. This story came out over the wire just about an hour or so ago.

Big news out of Manhattan, the New York Rangers. This is from Emily Kaplan at ESPN. The New York Rangers star, Temi Panarin, is taking a leave of absence for the team for personal reasons. The news comes after a Russian newspaper published allegations from Panarin's

former KHL coach, Andre Nazaroff, noted spit and chiclets fan. He claimed the winger got into a physical altercation with an 18 year old woman in Latvia back in 2011. Nazaroff's interview said Panarin quote center to the floor with several powerful blows. According to a translation provided to ESPN, Nazaroff has previously criticized Panarin's outspoken beliefs toward Russian

president Vladimir Putin. That's a huge part of the story. The Rangers had a statement, Temi vehemently and unequivocally denies any and all allegations in this fabricated story. This is clearly an intimidation tactic being used against them for being outspoken on recent political events. Temi is obviously shaken and concerned

and will take some time away from the team. The Rangers fully support Temi and will work with him to identify the source of these unfounded allegations. Now, it should be worth noting there was no woman has come forward. These allegations are coming strictly from Andrei Nazarov, who has a history in Russia of supporting Putin. He's a Putin loyalist. And, you know, let's loyalist. Putin's a mobbed up dictator. He's trying to upend democracy around the world. He has these people who fall in line with him and they they support him for whatever reason. Temi Panarin is not one of these people. I think his grandfather, if he wasn't punished by Putin, he's not a fan of his. And he takes a huge risk to

speak out like this because Putin poisons people around the world he poisoned this guy navalli who uh who panarin supports because this guy supports a more free and open russia uh and the idea of being poisoned is not that much of a stretch of it of a belief to have when putin is involved so panarin's probably scared for his life i know i'm rambling a little bit here this is a huge story it's dude this is fucking crazy man like i don't even know what to say about it other than, like, that's, like, so sad, man. This kid seems like such a great kid. And, like, like you said, he's obviously speaking out because he, like,

you know, he's in a circumstance where he can. And, you know, I'm sure a lot of people in Russia are supporting him big time, but they can't say shit. Right. are supporting him big time, but they can't say shit. Right. You hear people who like, don't like the United States that live here. You want to see issues that like really make you think how lucky you are to live in the United States. He,

he's probably actually so worried about family members at home. Right. I mean, like at this point, it's like you're making statements. And I've seen people online. This is why athletes shouldn't get into politics. It's like, all right, well, you could say that. You have the right to say that. But this kid's speaking up for millions of people. And from what I've read and seen, a lot more Russians are now.

I would say Putin's, I don't know if he's going anywhere. I don't know enough. But there are a lot of people who are vocally saying the same things Panarin are. And for him now to be like, almost sort of like getting them, like, is this him like getting the message? Like, Hey, shut up. But when you have family and people you care about that are still there, it's like, it's such a scary time for that kid. I can't even imagine. And for the Rangers to come out and really back him,

that shows kind of what you, what, what of what at least they think of this story. I mean, this is like this could be completely fabricated. Yeah, I mean, the Rangers, yeah, they did make a statement. I mean, maybe they could have been a little bit more specific in there, but maybe they don't want to wade into too many political waters. But yeah, there were huge protests recently in Russia. Tons of thousands if not i don't know if not hundreds took to the streets to protest and then they try to do it again and all of a sudden they barricaded all moscow it looked like soviet era people were

afraid to come out because the police force works for putin man it's like this is what happens when you know a country crumbles into fucking a dictatorship is everybody wants the curry favor with with the dictator um I don't know, man. I think Russia might've been better off back in the eighties under the Soviet system than rather having a guy like Putin in charge. And there was a Twitter account. It's at Slava Malamud Malamud. I'm not sure exactly how to pronounce it. He's a former Russian citizen. He teaches in America. Now he has probably the best insight onto these

situations. He grew up in Soviet Russia. He knows all the factors in America now. He has probably the best insight onto these situations. He grew up in Soviet Russia. He knows all the factors in these things. He's got great insight. He said today regarding the Panarin situation, one, it may or may not be true. Latvian police records will tell. Two, there is, and he wrote, no doubt Nazarov's motivation is political. Three, Nazarov may or may not be acting on his own accord. Four, the likeliest motivation is to remove Panarin from the Olympic team.

Again, this is Slava's opinion. Number two is a fact, i.e. Nazarov's motivation. He said Nazarov implied so himself by inserting a bit about, quote, Panarin's provocative social media posts for no apparent reason. As far as Panarin with the Olympic team, that's Slava speculating. But he said it would be in character for putin's cronies to use nazarov to eliminate a potentially problematic player uh obviously nazarov is a notoriously loose cannon known for not being not known for being smart subtle or cautious again this is not me saying it and this might be just his way of trying

to ingratiate himself to the powerful so either way it's a shit storm for Panarin the kid just you know wants to see people in his homeland have the freedom he he now has in America I think that may be simplifying it but uh Putin's a bad man he's a bad actor and he's probably shitting his pants that his family might be in danger right now so it sucks that this stuff wades into hockey but again when you deal with a former KGB guy running the country and he's uh in bed with all the oligarchs and he's mobbed up, this is the type of stuff that happens, man. So, I mean, well said, R.A.

I know you went long there, but like you pretty much, you pretty much nailed it all. So wish him the best. Fuck, this is a terrible scene. Yeah, yeah. Obviously, we wish him the best. And one, actually, this just popped up on Melenwood's Twitter feed. For what it's worth, the way Nazarov's story reads,

in original Russian, with all the strange details, it is absolutely reminiscent of old Soviet propaganda pieces, my opinion strictly, but this is at the very least grossly embellished. And again, it's not like there's a woman making a claim, saying she was beat. It's coming from Nazarov. So, you know, we wish Artemi the best by all accounts. He's a nice kid, and he's in a real shitty situation.

So, meanwhile, we've got a much happier story. We're going to go to New Jersey Devil Travis Zajac, also played in his 1,000th game. Played it on Sunday versus Washington. Finally got it done. There was a bunch of COVID-related affairs. Zajac was the 20th overall pick in the 0-4 draft. He's in his 15th season.

Going to be 36 in May, man. His career has flown by. Only 66 guys in NHL history have played 1,000 games with one team. He's the fourth devil to do it after Brodeur, Danico, and Elias. And this was interesting. He was supposed to play Saturday, but again, the COVID shit kind of bumped it around. It was supposed to be against Eric Stahl, who was the only active player left from his NHL debut.

He ended up playing his fifth, I'm sorry, 1,000th against Ovi, who was the only other member of the 0-4 draft class to hit that number so far. So a little bit of, what's the word I'm thinking of there? What's that? I don't know. I'm not. I usually ask you those those vocab questions and um oh i know what you're talking oh you wouldn't ask me yeah shocker uh we'll get the french one i i i think it it should be brought up that bruce bedro recently has been on nhl network i don't know if he still is um but he was talking about uh when he was coaching parisi in

minnesota and Parisi talent and the best center he ever had was Travis Zajac. So I think like, I don't think the numbers were ever enormous, like offensively, but he, he played over 80. He played 82 games full, you know, full sketch, full season, I think four years in a row early on in his career. And then he's gotten 80 games quite often. So he's very durable

and he's good defensively and he was also way more skilled than people thought like first round pick two years at North Dakota one of those guys that was on the fast track and he's just had an unreal career and I know that the devils have had some some tough years he got to go to the cup final in 2012 uh but definitely an underappreciated player. Oh, I think that's a sneaky thousand games, man. Yeah, nobody talked. No, what? Yeah, exactly.

Remember, who was the guy I thought had played like 300 games in the last year? He's Josh Bailey. Bailey. When he hits a thousand, it'll be so much. Did he get drafted last year? Wasn't he a second rounder? What the hell? Well, you look at that.

Well, you look at that. The Devils, very, very good draft selection looking back that he's still there. Fourth player to ever do that with that team, that's impressive. That word's driving me crazy. I can't think of it. Nostalgia? Not nostalgia nostalgia not symmetry

like when things come together um not kismet but it's gonna come it's gonna drive me fucking deja vu got it let's move on all right yeah we'll definitely move on but yeah we're definitely one of the more durable players i was looking at his games played he's missed very few games so again congrats to him uh let's see a couple other notes here elvis merzlikens he's week to week columbus goaltender um well that kid former Elvis Merzlikens, he's week-to-week Columbus goaltender. Well, that kid formed a guest for spit and chicklets. He's going to be off a little bit. Florida had their season-opening road point streak snapped at seven games

to the Detroit Red Wings. A little bit of an upset there. Any other notes, boys, you want to jump in before we get to the fun stuff at the end? I mean, Yans is still putting up some points. Yeah, he had three apples the other night. That little group of haters in Florida, they've been pretty quiet online.

Oh, those people are fools. Fools. They don't know anything, I tell you, Biz. They don't know anything. I love that they're listening, just screaming, too. You don't know anything, Whitney. I got the mic, you muppet. He took a penalty last night.

He was on for a call against. He's got 12 points in 16 games. He's a plus player. Oh, but he turns it over once in a while. Oh, my God. He's a riverboat gambler. He's fucking winning, baby. He's cashing his chips in. Yo! All right, gang.

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Whit, I got a trivia question for you. How many players in NHL history have played 1,000 games? Didn't Ari just say this too? Fuck. Oh, man. You just said it, right? Ari? I thought, yeah, I thought I did.

351 players. Crosby was at was gonna say 600 well oh yeah i said i said i had another one that's right i had another one written in my phone here for the oilers oilers had lost 28 games in a row when either mcdavid or dry sidle didn't have a point they've since won but they won they've won two in a row now when they had when they hadn't gotten a point before that pop-off by McDavid. So that's pretty crazy. 28 games they hadn't won if those guys didn't cash in.

You get home, your wife's like, how'd it go? McDavid and Conor didn't have a point. She's like, oh, okay. We'll get them next game. I had one right now. Stack-eye biz just dunking on wit here. Had another one for Huberto.

With a three-point performance against Carolina, two goals and assists, Huberto reached 20 points in his 14th game of the season, setting a franchise record for the fastest Florida Panther player to reach 20 points in a season. This guy is getting into that 1A class now. No? Why are you laughing, G? That was just a sick stat, dude.

It was a stat guy, dude. Wait, whoa, are you being sarcastic? I was being a little sarcastic there. Okay, all right. Well, maybe I'm a fucking idiot then. Good news, Whit, I found the word. What is it, R.A.? Very serendipitous.

Oh, hell of a movie, Serendipity. Check it out. Who's the rocket that's in that movie, R.A.? Was it... Fuck. Oh. Blonde. Sharon Stone?

No, John Cusick. He meets... Oh, she's like the number one MILF in the game. Like, Portnoy was trying to DM her and stuff. Jessica Biel? No, she's older. it i love mini driver no oh my goodness okay yeah and that's and so she meets cusek and like they have a cup of coffee and she's giving him her number her number and then the number blows away and she's all into like um what's the word biz like all into i don't know you've been looking for a lot of fucking words this galaxy yeah i'm

struggling with my vocab she's all into like basically like whichever way the wind blows no pun intended and so she won't she won't give him the number again but she signs a book and then she goes and puts it in a book she says i'll put this in a bookstore somewhere if you ever find this book my name and numbers there you'll call me and then the movie and puts it in a book. She says, I'll put this in a bookstore somewhere. If you ever find this book, my name and numbers there, you'll call me. And then the movie's about him find her. He's with another girl, Tom Brady's baby's mama. It's just a great romantic flick that I think anyone would enjoy.

It has my seal of approval. Tom Brady's got a baby mama? Yeah. What's her name? Bridget Moynihan. Bridget Moynihan. Yeah. The first one. Yeah. Before he married Ari Gold's in the movie is John Cusack's best buddy. I didn't know Brady had a kid before. Yeah, Bridget Moynihan before he got with Giselle, yeah.

Yeah, because, well, she wasn't pregnant all that long before they parted, but whatever. That's another story for another day. We'll move right along. Either way, serendipitous. Me and Whit had a brain transplant. He can't remember any words now. Seriously, I'm struggling.

I can't even remember anything. Bob McKenzie was on NBC earlier this week. He brought up the idea of the draft being pushed back a year because of the pandemic. Teams aren't playing. Guys aren't developing. Kids ain't playing. He did say a couple of GMs brought it up.

They're pushing for it because, again, potential draftees not getting to work in. But the Players Association would have to sign off on it because the draft is a collectively bargained thing, as we all know. I don't know if it's going to happen, but we'll keep our eyes on it. Either way, that's out there. Sad news out of Brampton. Brampton Beast of the East Coast Hockey League folded operations

citing the effects of COVID. You must have played there during your coach days, no? Yeah, like dash two every time, 400 people in the arena. Stan Bowman, or not Stan Bowman, Stan Butler, no sideburns, just sending out his top line to eat me up. Yeah, I remember it. Okay, all right. Sorry that they lost their team.

Hey, speaking of folding, Daft Punk broke up today. How long have they been together? A long time, man. That's sad because I was hoping for one more album after. What was their last one? Something about memories. See, now I'm looking for the words. You guys are rubbing off on me.

No, that's just you rubbing off on yourself by rubbing your brain. It was Random Access Memories. What an album. The one with the pharrell tune um that what was uh there was there was get doing it right doing it right i like that song i like that song along that album i like that song along i can't even say a lot all right holy shit how long have we been going we're going a long time yeah we're almost done those those are the guys look like battle stock galactic right there's like the robot fucking you know yeah i'm surprised you're We're going on a long time. Yeah, we're almost done. Those are the guys who look like Battlestar Galactica, right?

There's like the robot fucking uniform. Yeah, I'm surprised you're not a big Battlestar Galactica fan. I'm fucking old. Mike Babcock, he's going to be back with a coaching role at the University of Saskatchewan. He was helping out the University of Vermont before. He's not taking a paycheck here. He's still unemployed, but he's still getting those fat checks from the MLSC. He makes like 80 a year,

doesn't he? Yeah. He's got some nice cabbage coming in. Yeah, he's probably just, I don't know, fucking getting paid, poking around, help out some kids. I would think he wants to coach again in the NHL and maybe I'm crazy for thinking that probably couldn't happen without something like this. Just a little bit of like a

rehab venture. Maybe he doesn't want to coach in the NHL again, but this is a start where I'm getting back in there. I'm going to get guys that are saying not horrific things about me as my former players were, and maybe I can get back to the National Hockey League and in the meantime make my 56 million.

One weekend, he's like hooking guys up to lie detector tests and shit. I mean, yeah, it's what he's been accused of or talked about. It's nothing insurmountable. I mean, yeah, it's what he's been accused of or talked about. It's nothing insurmountable. I mean, you know, I think he might have just adjusted. He's a hard-nosed coach that guys hated. Mental warfare. Took it over the line probably

a few too many times, but I would be very surprised if he doesn't coach again in the NHL, but this being the first step makes sense. Yeah, absolutely. Commodore hates him still. I think he's got to apologize to uh Franson before if he wants to get a job just go fucking apologize face to face give him a phone call yeah um Saturday night time Saturday night on Twitter gotta love Brad Marchand uh I had tweeted

the gif of him walking by Rask kind of like making the face during Rask presser, you know, didn't think nothing of it. And then, you know, some clown who I had previously muted to a Leafs fan basically was like, oh, Bergeron needs to retire. He butches his name. And Mashaun, God bless him, like mixing up with absolute Twitter trolls, tells the guy, shut the STFU, bud. And it's like, you got to love the loyalty because he's a fucking pro athlete taking Twitter troll, troll bait.

But it's all to defend Patrice Bergeron. Like, I think he would go to the ends of the earth. You got to love the loyalty because he's a fucking pro athlete taking Twitter troll, troll bait. But it's all to defend Patrice Bergeron. I think he would go to the ends of the earth to fucking defend his name. What did he comment back? He's like, yeah, I got a lot of commas or something. Was that yesterday? He might have dragged it into Sunday. But then people were sending memes to Masha. And then he was retweeting the memes like, this is me tweeting from under your skin.

And it was like a picture of him at a keyboard and shit. He was probably having a couple of glasses of vino out in Tahoe, having some fun with it. I'm thinking. That's how they keep themselves occupied inside their own little bubble. Just goes to show, man. Fucking even the pro athletes get sucked into stupid fucking Twitter trolls, too. But what's funny, Biz, is if you mute an account,

like you don't hear them unless someone else replies to them and then it gets pulled up into your feed and it'll say, this is from an account you've muted. I wouldn't even have seen it if Marshawn hadn't replied to them. Then my feed was a sewer for the rest of the fucking weekend, bud. Actually, a couple of us guys appeared on a few

other Barstool Network shows. We want to let you know. Whitney was on Pardon My Take. That dropped, what, today? Monday, Whit? Yes. Check it out. Always a big hit there. other um bostle network shows we want to let you know whitney was on pardon my take uh that drop what today monday wit yes yeah check it out always a big hit there and i went on uh twisted history with my boy lodge if you haven't listened to it uh it's exactly what it says it is he takes a history of something and get goes a deep dive on it and uh we did about two hours on ice hockey the other night uh on the game of ice hockey not just the nhl yeah the history of the sport and how it came to and you know obviously get into the nhl and yeah me and lodge had had

a great time doing that so check that stuff out if you want to hear us in another forum and i don't know if you did any playing this weekend with the the gambler but imagine if saturday you pollied buffalo the ranges the red wings the kings the shocks and the predators all underdogs and handily won those games. All underdogs. 100 to win 40 grand. Oh, would have been a monster one. Oh, my God.

Well, before we wrap up, so I played at the Gasparilla. I mentioned at the beginning. So I got down to Florida. Was it February 2nd? I don't remember. Started playing horrible, horrible bits. So mad, like getting so pissed off. Yeah, you were cranky on the phone.

I'm just like, fuck, my game's shit. I was like, all of a sudden, it's just like the driver's awful, the putting's awful. Now, you haven't played in a while, and you come down the floor, these courses are hard. There's wind. But I was still so down, and then finally did some soul search and talked to people.

And it's just like, what am I doing with my mental game in golf? It's like, what are you doing? You're putting all this emphasis on like, you have to play good. You have to play good. You're wearing if you're going to play bad. It's all such useless, wasted energy. So I drive to this tournament. I shot 74 at die one day.

I shot 76 at Trump Jupiter. And then I had a couple 84s. I had an 86. Where was that? Just playing awful golf. And so I'm driving to this tournament, Tampa. It's like three hours and I'm doing the soul search and I'm thinking like, man, you can't keep like putting so much emphasis. Like you started playing golf because it's fun. Like you cannot worry about like every round and having bad swings it's like you talk to people who've played golf their whole life which i haven't you learn like dude some days you just don't have it there's pga tour guys who show up to the range you don't have the same feel it's a weird game we talk about being mental

so i get to the tournament i show up i'm late for the practice round i literally show up to my group from the practice round had already teed off one because there's groups all day. So they're on like the green. I'm like the group's waiting to tell if I can, I just hit the ball. So I get like this hole in birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, one, two, and three in the practice round. I'm like, Oh my God.

And I just had a total different attitude. I was like, I don't, I was going into the ball, still not knowing where it's going, but I was like, I don't care. I don't care. Not being the right word. I was more like, doesn't matter, man. Yeah. I could hit, but I was like, I don't care. I don't care not being the right word. I was more like, doesn't matter, man. Yeah, I could hit this thing off the planet or I could hit it nice.

So that practice round, I got some nice feels, totally just having a good time, taking it all in, like not worrying about the outcome, not worrying about the scores, just enjoying what I was doing. Had a good practice round. Tee off in the first round the next day. Shoot 71.

I think I had four bogeys and one birdie it was a par four bogeys and three birdies it was a par 70 in great shape right and I was like this is great like and I wasn't even hitting it good my misses off the tee I didn't hit I probably hit two good drives like in the center of the fairway but the misses were like rough or right side of the fairway where I had shots. And then when I didn't hit the green, I was getting up and down and I wasn't worried. I wasn't grinding so hard. So it was really nice. I just enjoyed it.

Even though I didn't play, even though I didn't hit good, I scored well. And that also proved like, you don't always have to hit it nice to score. So then I wanted to make the cut last year in this tournament. This is a top like mid amateur tournament in the country, probably like a top five, eight event that they have for, I've always said mid amateurs are over the age of 25. So to make the cut would have been a big deal last year. I was like 80, 79, didn't even sniff the cup.

Might've missed it by 10. Well, I go to the second round. That's I'm, I was in the morning wave on Thursday, the second round Friday in the afternoon wave weather's horrific. It's raining, probably rained like eight or nine holes. Not a real heavy rain for the most part, but just like cold rain and a lot of wind. I bogey the first hole on an awful chip. I missed the green.

I chunked the chip. I then get up and down bogey. And then I go on like a nice little run. I actually made a couple. I'm sorry. I made a couple other bogeys where I was three over through my first like six holes. I think I started on 11 or 12. I get to 18 par five.

I hit it just long and two. There's about 50 people out there. This tournament's great. The members come out and watch. They set up chairs. There's beers. Palma Sia Golf and Country Club does the classiest thing in the world with the gas oil event.

It is the sickest tournament. So everyone's out there. Chip it in for Eagle. I'm like, y'all place is going nuts. of boy whitney fucking tipping my cap i got my picture on the scoreboard they got scoreboards with your picture it's a sick event that's awesome so i grind through the round i'm through 32 holes it's a 36 hole cut through 32 holes i am three over so i'm two over for the day i I'm playing nice. It's shitty weather. I'm like, when I'm, I'm not hitting greens, I'm getting up and down. I'm just grinding it out.

And I get to seven, which is my 15th hole of the second round. And I pull a drive left. And Oh, this is the other thing. I decided not to check the scoreboard. I was like, I was talking to my buddy the night before kid kid Matt Parziale, I brought him up, US Mid-Am champion, played the Masters, two US Opens, great guy, great player. And he was like, I never look at scoreboard. He's like, I don't want to know. It's like, I'm doing what I'm going to do no matter what,

which I had an argument with him about, like, if you have to make birdie, like you should know, blah, blah, blah. Be more aggressive, yeah. Yes, but he said like, dude, I don't know. I just don't look. So I was like, I'm not going to look all day. I also knew being at three over with four holes to go, that I was fine.

I was like, I'm inside the cut line for sure. The weather was awful. I pull a drive left on seven. I have, like, 185, but I'm blocked out. But, like, the wind's right to left, so I'd have to hit it, like, right of the green. If it doesn't draw or take the wind, it's probably in a greenside bunker. It was a very doable, makeable shot. I pull this like six iron a little bit too much and it hits a tree.

That's overhanging. I had to get it out to the right. Stupid mistake. It hits the tree direct drops directly like down and like backwards into this bunker. So now I'm like 105 yards, so much wind, hard bunker shot. These greens are grainy Donald Ross they roll off they fall down and I hit it up just short actually hit a decent shot just short I chip it up to like five feet I missed the putt double I'm like fuck I'm like whatever I didn't still didn't check the score I'm like dude you were gonna make a double throat I knew I was gonna make a double in the tournament so I get to eight my my 33rd hole yes um i hit it in the green side

bunker i make a really nice up and down no worries i get to nine i got two holes remaining i push a drive right right it was a bad drive it was pushed into the tree line i was like 190 short of the green i had a window same thing where I had to hit right of the green on seven and draw it in. This time I had room. I had to look at the left part of the green, which is really defended or has a bunker there. I was like, if I hit it there, it's fine in the bunker.

If it cuts, like it should cut left to right, it could be on the green or the front of the green, get up and down. Well, it doesn't cut and it goes into this bunker. Now I'm back in front of the clubhouse. There's not a ton of people watching. It's this bunker it's no problem bunker shot i fucking blade this goddamn bunker shot dude i blade this bunker shot it goes over the green i'm like are you kidding me but i was not like i was not the same as i would have been before the drive to tampa i was just like oh come on dude get this up and down.

Like make bogey. Like, come on. Well, I chip it. I don't hit a great chip. I was like long. It was a hard shot. I like 10 feet. I miss it.

Double. So now I'm a double two of my last three holes. And I like, I got to see the scores. I pull up the scoreboard, the cuts plus six. I'm sitting at plus seven. I'm like, are you kidding me double double so the 10th hole which is my 36th hole is this like short dog leg right with this vicious green and i'm like all right i gotta make birdie at least i know now i'm glad i looked gotta make

birdie hit a four iron middle of the fairway i got like 115 yards in and the wind's howling, it's raining. And I hit it like 20 feet, 20 feet short, maybe 25 feet, like makeable, but you wanted to stuff it. And I just missed the pot and I missed the cut. So a disappointing, listen, I was very disappointed at the time. I had a good attitude. I'm like, I can't believe I just did that. I doubled two of my last four to fucking miss the cup by one. There's no worse feeling feeling like now i'm new to competitive golf three years in like missing the cup by one is awful shitty feeling there's so many shots you can go back and make up but i then looked at it as you know what i missed the cup by 10 last year i only missed the cup by one this year so it's improvement but my competitive nature was so fucking rattle and not to mention this was on my fucking rattle this was on my birthday

i'm happy birthday to yourself ryan but once again i want i'm gonna i want to thank palm i'm gonna go do donuts on those greens when i get there oh the bunkers are perfect too i'm gonna take it i had 60 it was i'm gonna take a shit in that bunker no don't do it man don't do it i love palmacy i i had i had a 60 degree but it was a long bunker shot and i grabbed my 55 and i was like no i just used the 55 and oh i hadn't hit a 55 in a out of a bunker all tournament uh two rounds whatever not all tournaments oh that sucks so disappointing end but i'm on the bright path 71 76 at 76. At least the game's feeling better. The mental attitude's going to be better. But still. If that happens at a sandbagger,

I'm going to take your head off. Yeah, I know. I know. I know. So speaking of sandbaggers, Thursday night, we're coming at you live. I think everyone's going to really enjoy Donor, Nasher, Biz, and myself.

The chirps were flowing. The birdie juice was flowing. And I think, I think, we might be able to maybe get to 10 K concurrent again. I know it was Yans and hazy last time, but if we can get 10 K watching live again, we're really growing something with the sandbagger invitational. So we appreciate you checking that out and listening as always.

And listen to me basically talk to myself and be like a psychiatrist for myself in talking about golf. So have a great one, everyone. We love you. I got one. I want just one last note. I want to send best wishes So have a great one, everyone. We love you. I got one. Just one last note. I want to send best wishes out to a great local kid, Anatoly Berezuk.

He's a soccer player at BC High. He was just diagnosed with brain cancer. He's going through a medical situation. So I have a GoFundMe. I'm going to tweet out from my account. I want to send best wishes. Great local kid. He's from Quincy.

So Anatoly, we're pulling for you here at Chicklets. Get well, buddy, and hopefully we'll see you soon back out in the pitch yep we're thinking about you good job all right thank you thanks great work boys all right boys see you peace see you guys on on the floor As always, we'd like to thank our sponsors here on Spittin' Chicklets. Big thanks to our friends at Pink Whitney and New Amsterdam Vodka. Huge thanks to our friends at pink Whitney and new Amsterdam vodka. Huge. Thanks to our friends at earnest for taking care of those student loans. Big.

Thanks to our friends at Peter Malaf for helping us out in the golf course. Huge. Thanks to our friends at Bruce for keeping our chiclets cleaned. Big. Thanks to our friends over at Taylor made as well. Also helping us out in the golf course and a huge thanks to our friends at zip recruiter. If you're hiring by all means,

check them out. Have a great week, everybody.