Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 348: Featuring Ken Daneyko

Episode Date: August 17, 2021

On Episode 348 of Spittin’ Chiclets the guys are joined by Ken Daneyko. Ken Joined (07:49) to discuss playing in New Jersey, winning the Cup, and some hilarious Lou stories. RA and Grinnelli wrap up the show talking Malice at the Palace and the White Lotus.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

Hey, Spittin' Chicklets listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Hello everybody, welcome to episode 348 of Spittin' Chicklets presented by Pink Whitney. My friends at New Amsterdam Vodka here in the Barstool Sports podcast family. Well gang, it's just me and G here today for the interview only ups to get you through the rest of the summer and into September a little bit. G, how we doing buddy? I'm doing good RA. I am down the Jersey Shore, Point Pleasant to be exact. But last night I wasn't doing so hot and I wanted to get your opinion on this. Last night I went and got a slice of pizza.

I ended up deciding I wanted to get a full pie. Then I ended up deciding I wanted to get two full pies. Total price, $78. Each pie was $35. Have you ever seen anything like that? Only in like a place where they got you captive, like at an airport or something like that. But no, was it like a yuppie pizza place or just a tourist trap? It was just a, yeah, I was on a boardwalk. Oh, that's ridiculous. $38. It was $38 for a plain cheese pizza. All right. That's brutal. They don't do it.

They didn't do it. It's not like in Detroit. Gee, we were fine in Detroit. Didn't get stiff like that. So no. Well, I did mention we got an interview on the episodes. The season ended. You know, there's not much to talk about.

We did all the free agency stuff and every hockey media outlet takes a break. And ours just happens to be in August this year because of the pandemic stuff. We do a little bit. We have New Jersey Devils legend Ken Danico played his entire season there, has his number on the raft, his three Stanley Cups, absolute legend of the franchise. We're going to bring him on in a little bit. First, though, we do get a few more weeks of summer left here, and then we usually get some nice weather into September.

Well, whenever you declare your summer over, be sure to head over to your local bar and make sure you order some Pink Whitney. It's the perfect shot for you and all your friends gee any pink whitney this weekend down jersey or what too much pink whitney all right too much pink whitney i had a had a blast this weekend down the jersey shore yeah it's such a i think a place that maybe its reputation precedes it from that goofy show a few years back because i had a wedding there a few years ago man i was blown away how beautiful the jersey shore is i'm officially a Jersey Shore stan.

All right. I say this all the time. I actually grew up and my parents, it's kind of funny I say this, but we would drive through New Jersey and they'd be like, all right, going through the armpit of America, like hold your breath, kids. And so I always had the perception. And then the show came out that the Jersey Shore sucked. It was this gross place.

But I've come down here for the past three summers. And I think this place is unbelievable. It's so nice. The nightlife is unbelievable. The food is great and the people are awesome too. So yeah, I can't suggest it enough. Manisquan, Point Pleasant, Belmar, hit up DJs. It's the best down here. Years ago, my uncle brought his new girlfriend to meet the family. And I was like a little jokester, like 10 years old. I was telling jokes. Shocker. Probably shouldn't have been. Learning jokes I probably shouldn't have known. But I was like, hey, what's the difference between trash in New Jersey? So what's the difference between trash and girls from New Jersey? She's like, what? I was like, trash gets picked up. And she's like, I'm from

New Jersey. I was like, I was like 10. I was like, ah, Jesus. She's my aunt now. I think she forgave me in the meantime. So. Well, it's funny too. Cause like anytime in college, someone would be like, oh, I'm from New Jersey. I could be like, oh, I could smell you when you walked in. And it's like, I'm down here all the time now. It's like my girlfriend actually always makes fun of me. She's like, you love the Jersey shore. Cause I do. This place is amazing. And one of the best TV shows ever set in that state too. Sopranos. Can't beat it. Unbelievable. Wait, Ari, what do you think of the prequel? Oh, I can't

wait. The Many Saints of Newark. That first trailer preview got me excited. I think it's a brilliant cast and choice having his son play the younger version of him because you know, that kid, I don't think he trained to be an actor all that much until the last few years, but I've seen him in a couple things and I think he's been impressive so far.

He takes a lot of balls to take that role too, you know, huge. And I think though, he's almost got a, like a genetic advantage because he's just got the same tics as his father. Like he doesn't, he's not a dead ring of farm,

but you can see so much of just the way he talks and stuff. So very, very excited for the many saints in Newark. A lot of other good movies too. But before we do send it over to Mr. Devil himself, we do want to let you know that Cross Country Mortgage is much like us at Barstool. It's a people first group of people. They're dedicated to the fundamentals of mortgage lending, which results in a fast, convenient, and less stressful home financing or refinancing

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Go to crosscountrymortgage.com slash barstool to learn more about your future home buying experience or refinance your current mortgage. Cross Country Mortgage, LLC, NMLS number 3029, all loans subject to underwriting approval www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org all right gang if you are looking CCM cross-country mortgage great folks there unfortunately I wasn't able to bust that mask out in Detroit uh a little tough getting getting together at the last minute but I I think I think the old school mask worked better with the out with the kid I had.

I was going to ask you, how's the body feeling? I know the ribs were hurting. You weren't feeling too hot after it. Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better. I think it was Thursday or Friday where I woke up. And the first thing I didn't think of was was the ribs, because I think travel when you're carrying a bag for all the airports, that kind of re-aggravated whatever I did.

But yeah, today I got up, hadn't even thought about it. So you mentioned it. So whatever whatever I chopped up But yeah, today I got up, hadn't even thought about it until you mentioned it. So whatever I chopped up is feeling good right now. Well, is it officially the end of R.A. and goalie? Will we ever see it again? No.

No, I mean, no, definitely not. No, I think there's probably a better goalie to be had next time we have one of these tournaments. I'm sure there's probably somebody better. I'm glad I did it. I don't know, though, dude. I don't know.

We tried that the next day with Biz, and he stunk. Yeah. Poor guy couldn't go down because of his screwed up knee, but I didn't even know that when I asked him. Oh, I didn't even think of that. I typically don't say never say never, but I typically don't mean it. But, yeah, I don't think I'm going to play Goli again after that. I think that was a fun way to go out.

Went out with a bang. It's been interesting to think about where we're gonna do these next two yeah yeah absolutely it's uh i mean there's so many great cities and like i said detroit was almost like a dry run it was like all right let's let's try this here see how it works and it went unbelievable so i it's it's crazy that and it's it's I'm I feel stupid to say this, but I didn't really realize hockey town was such a hockey town. Like I didn't realize like how many people were going to come out from all across Michigan. Yeah, I was surprised. Not just Michigan, too. I mean, guys from Seattle drove up and far. I mean, people came from all over the place. And that's what I was impressive to make. It wasn't even like we were giving away like a $10,000 prize or anything like that.

It was just, hey, come play hockey. And, you know, people came there, spent their own dime, came there on their own time. And that's what I don't I thought was great over anything is that people, you know, it wasn't even it was a trophy in bragging rights and people came from all over just for that. So it's a it's a tribute to us, I think. And what we lost or what we threw that all these people came. And again, we can't thank them enough. It was an unreal weekend up there.

All right, G, I think that's enough jibber jabber. We said we're going to bring the folks, Mr. Devil Candanico. So without further ado, here is Mr. Candanico. Enjoy. Well, it's a pleasure to welcome our next guest to the show. The second draft pick ever by New Jersey, This defenseman played his entire 20 season NHL career with the Devils. He won three Stanley Cups, had his number three

retired, and he's played more games than anyone else in team history. You can also catch his analysis on both MSG Plus and the NHL Network. Thanks a bunch for coming in to see us. Ken Danico, how's it going Dano? My pleasure. Pretty hard to believe, right? Most games played for the New Jersey Devils.

I knew my role. I understood I was not the most talented, but it was a great two-way street. I feel very grateful and fortunate and great to be with you guys. But to play my entire career with one team means a whole lot to me. The Devils have been family. They've been my everything. And now I still call the games. I've been with them 38 years now, whether as a player or in the organization in some capacity.

Whatever they ask me to do. They've treated me pretty well since a 19-year-old buck who didn't know where New Jersey was when I was drafted. And you guys didn't even have a team name at the time when you got drafted, right? That's true. It was New Jersey. So I get the call. Let's start. Here we go.

So I got some good stories. And I've told this many times, but not on your platform and all the listeners you have. So we'll tell a lot of stories that will be repeated, but a lot of people haven't heard them. Oh, I haven't heard them, so let's go. 1982. First rounder, no big deal.

And I wasn't expected to go there, believe me. And it was a shock. But the Devils, there's no team name yet. You're right, Biz. I mean, they just moved from Colorado. They're the Rockies. Not a very good team organization at the time. And the late, great John McMullen, our owner at the time,

had owned the Houston Astros as well, the baseball team, and wanted to bring professional hockey, the NHL, to New Jersey. So he buys the team, brings them to New Jersey. People are going, what are you doing? There's already two teams in the area. You're paying way too much. And back then I think he was paying $15 million for the team, 1982, and $15 million, which people thought was ludicrous, for the rights

because area rights philadelphia rangers islanders kind of thing so he kind of had to pay five extra million wow oh just because there was already so many teams in the area right right did that go to the other teams i believe so yeah i mean that you know don't quote me on that exactly but in that ballpark and i believe because i was very close with our owner and he was he was such a wonderful guy tree like a second father to me and that's a big reason for my loyalty as well as loyal as they were to me i mean i could do no wrong under the owner's eyes and we'll get in some other stories with that him and lou and everything but um because i was his first pick and i was a guy that wanted to make a difference wanted to be part of a

foundation we weren't good like i said came to new jersey so 1982 the draft june it's in montreal i get a call early i'm all nervous the night before go out with my brother for a few diet cokes you know to ease the tension as they like to say you know i was nervous like any young kid it's been my dream i'm sure you guys guys went through a biz and went as far as. I told my mother seven times a day or ten times a day since seven years old, I'm going to play in the National Hockey League. And that's not a word of a lie. I said it every day to her to the point where my mother used to shake her head

and say, yeah, yeah, Kenny, I know. And she'd pacify me but didn't know if I was being realistic. You know you know there's 10 Ken Danico's where I grew up in Edmonton Alberta on every corner on every pond on every ice rink so she thought maybe I was shooting a little bit high but I kept telling her you know I'm gonna play in the National Hockey League I'm gonna play and and in fact in third grade I'm at school with my my teacher I remember the name now because she was actually related to Norm Allman and her name was Miss Allman and she called my mother up one day and and said uh your son Kenny is pretty good in school he finishes his work relatively quickly the test but he says then he bothers the other students as far as he's disruptive because he

tells every kid in the class he's going to play in the National Hockey League. Say, okay, Ken, you spoke into existence. True story, true story. And my mother says, don't you dare burst his bubble. I'll tell him about the disruption. He's got to take it easy. Even though my mother thought the same thing. Maybe he's, you know, is this kid nuts?

You know, he's really not going to make the National Hockey League. This is a small percentage. I know he's pretty good at his level right now. So I told her that. And to fast forward, obviously, go play junior. Doing pretty good in Edmonton in minor hockey. Go play junior before we get to the draft. So at 15 years old, I developed quickly.

And I'm big physically and played Bantam AA in Edmonton. And they're very competitive. The likes of Kenny Ramchuk, who went seventh overall that year. And Jim Benning was the year before, 1981. Had a lot just, that's just to name a few guys that were just real good players in Edmonton growing up in minor hockey. So there was a lot of competition. But from Bantam AA, I was supposed to go to Midget. Well, your rights are owned by a junior team.

It was the Great Falls Americans at the time. No draft or anything. They just kind of snag you when you're 14 years old and say you belong to us. The big team was the Portland Winterhawks with Gary Nyland and Ken Ramchuk and Maier and guys along those lines. So Great Falls, I mean, now this is a bad team too.

I just, bad teams seem to follow me for whatever reason. But they snag me and, again, giving me an opportunity. And they call me up and say, we'd like you to skip midget, go right to Tier 2 hockey. We're affiliated with a team called the Yorkton Terriers in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. And my mother says, over my dead body, you're leaving at 15 years old. I know times were a little different back then because I know in today's day and age,

I would have never let my 15-year-old kid go leave home. It was 500 miles away. My dad was born and raised in Germany, more of a soccer guy, came to Canada at 22 years old, learned to love the game, but didn't know a whole lot about it, but he was just supportive, a man of few words, still living, hanging in there at 90 years old. Yeah, so, and I want to go see him soon because he's in Canada, you know, with all the travel bullshit.

Our unprecedented times in COVID and the travel crap. So anyway, but he was just one of those guys that took me to those early morning practices, supporting me, not that pushy parent whatsoever. He just saw the passion I had for the game. So when this time came to make a decision, I had two days. I had a weekend to say,

the coach is going to pick you up if you're interested in going on Monday at a gas station and drive you to York in 500 miles. And the coach's name, he's passed since then to Jerry Bullets and just a wonderful man. So my dad goes, what do you want to do? I said, Dad, well, I've said I'm going to play in the National Hockey League

for 50 times a day, 10 times a day, whatever it may be, since 7 years old. So I think this is probably the best thing for me to pursue and I'm willing to go to Yorkton. You know, a lot of guys get homesick. I was like, whatever it took, I'm going to take that next step. I don't care. I said, but there's a problem. You know Mom's not going to be too happy with this decision.

In fact, she's probably going to try to squash it and say, no way. My dad goes, listen, I'm going to drive you to the gas station. True story. On Monday, we're not going to tell your mother he says I'll deal with her because I don't want to tell her right now and it's going to be too much so basically

we're just going to have you leave we're going to just have you leave so I kind of gave her a hug but my wife didn't know Zach was going on I get picked up by Jerry Willis, drive to Yorkton. And obviously, after a couple weeks, my mother got over it. My dad said, you know, explain the whole story.

He's told you since seven years old he's going to play in National Hockey League. If this is the path he thinks it's going to take, let's do it. Now, going to Yorkton as a 15-year-old kid, I was one of two 15-year-olds in the league at the time. It was an older league, man's league, from 17 to a lot of 18, 19 year olds. That's a big discrepancy, as you guys know. So this was survival of the fittest. This is in the

late 70s. This is not that far from Slapshot, this league. And that's not an exaggeration. We all love that movie, right? We all get laughs and look at the way the game was played back then and the craziness. Yeah, there was a lot of great players.

Chris Chalios came from that league with the Moose Jaw Warriors, so I played against him. Dave Tippett, the coach of the Oilers, and I could go on with names. But also the likes of Dave Brown, Joe Kosher, came out of the Saskatchewan Junior League. So I guess you know where I'm headed. So it was survival of the fittest. I'm on a young team in Yorkton, 15 years old, and I'm a baby.

Are you, sorry, quickly, are you like 200 pounds? What's your least size? 15 years old, I'm 190. So big enough to defend yourself, but still a big minnow. And a little squirrely enough to understand that this is what it's going to take. But nervous as all hell at times going into certain games. Because we'd be playing. We were a lot of 17-year-olds.

A lot of teams had 19-year-olds and 18-year-olds. And Melville Millionaires were our big rival 20 minutes up the road. We were the Yorkton Terriers. They were coached by Jerry James. And we swear at times we'd drive up there and they brought four guys right out of prison just to play against us. And, you know, like I said, as much as I'm exaggerating, it was to the big, full beards. And I'm a 15-year-old kid going, what did I get myself into?

They had guys that would skate all the way to our blue line and wouldn't let us. We'd have to warm up from the blue line in. They had a guy sit on our net once during warm-up. I mean, I could go on. Well, you're already pot committed because you told everyone back home you were going to make the NHL. You're like, what the fuck did I sign up for here?

I was pot committed, business. No question about it. 60-game season. So I'm going to high school there as well. After that school, we'd have to go play Melville. There'd be 12 guys on the bus. I go, where is everybody? Oh, didn't you know it's called the Blue Flu?

They don't come to this game. Oh, legit? Like the Tutu Flu. Yeah. Sounds crazy. Sounds far-fetched. True story. I'm going, so we're going into Melville with 12 guys, you know.

He goes, oh, Kenny, and by the way, we're probably going to have 60 to 70 players this year because guys go home, homesick, or can't handle the league. It's just too nasty, too physical, too much fighting, too much craziness. I'm like, great. I'm just sitting there as a young kid. This is just great. This is it?

I'm rolling with the punches. We had Wendell Clark's brother, another he passed way too young, Don Clark, who I lived with. He was a 17 year old. He was the captain of our team. Just a great guy and passed over the last couple of years and it was real sad. But anyway, Don really

took me under his wing and 15 to 17 is a big difference and he was a big physical guy. He was our toughest guy. He was in, no surprise, 15 to 17 is a big, big difference. And he was a big physical guy. He was our toughest guy. He was in, no surprise, his last name's Clark, right? You know how tough Michael Clark was. So he took my name and he was the guy that I'd watch him go into Melville

with that bounce, that cockiness. He didn't care. He was standing up for the team. And I kind of followed him into the battle, into the fray. And I'd get my you-know-what kick many, many times. Were you fighting in minor hockey at all, or was that your first experience of scrapping to that extent? First experience scrapping to that extent,

but I'd had a few tussles as a kid in school and all those kinds of things. And I was always a guy that, and I say this sincerely, I never really was a guy that would start anything. I wasn't an aggressive kid, but believed in myself physically. I mean, I was the guy that hated bullies in school. I hated bullies. And when they would pick on some of the kids that were too weak to defend themselves, I'd be that kid that stepped in.

I just always had that in my DNA, in my nature when I was younger. Got suspended from school once because of it. They called my mother in middle school. You know, there was a group of really smart kids that just, you know, weren't athletic, weren't physically capable. And you'd get certain kids, the morons that would pick on kids for no reason. I hated that. It tore me up.

So I know we're going all over the map here, but this is kind of leading to it. That's what we do here. We go everywhere. I appreciate it, guys. That's where I kind of learned to channel my physicalness, my size, my athleticism, aggression in the right way. So anyway, I walk out so that you know how schools have portable classes as well. I walk out and I see three young kids getting picked on in middle school.

And I think I was eighth grade at the time. And they're getting picked on. And I walk And I think I was eighth grade at the time, and they're getting picked on. And I walk out there, and there's about four of them. And I go, leave them alone. You know, it's none of your business. You know, they knew who I was, obviously, because I was very athletic in the school and pretty good size. So just leave them alone, you know.

And I'm going, what am I doing? Because, you know, there's kids that are probably going to, you know, give me a little bit of a whooping here I was outnumbered and I'll never forget it and sure enough things get a little out of hand I did pretty good by the way and I say that humbly because this wasn't my intention my intention it was all because I I didn't like bowling principal gets the wrong story all the school the wrong story. All the school gets the wrong story. They call my mother a petite little lady who's passed on since for a long time now of 5'1".

Hated fighting. Hated anything to do with that aspect. Even with hockey, she knew I was physical, but didn't like the fighting aspect. I said, Mom, I think I did it for the right reasons, and I know they're suspending me every day. Apparently the whole story came out. Principal called my mother back and said, you know what? We're letting your son back in because we heard exactly what had transpired.

I don't condone it. I don't ever want him fighting in school again. But he was protecting. You're doing it for the right reasons. Doing it for the right reasons. And I still to this day hate bullying. I know that's a big problem with kids in school and on with social media and the internet that is a i'm a big advocate for just hit it and i had that as a young age i'm kind of proud of that because i did have that in my dna because i did have the physical prowess

to do something about it even at a young age okay now we're going to take a little break with a word from our friends at roman now that the world's opening back up so many new thrills are on the horizon and whether you've been in a relationship for years, are just getting started, or excited to get back out there and meet new people, when the moment comes, you'll want to be ready. Roman Ready. Go to GetRoman.com slash Barstool now to talk with a U.S. licensed healthcare professional. With Roman, you can get a free online evaluation and ongoing care for erectile dysfunction,

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hockey so that was my only. No, I like it. I'm all over, Biz. No, it tells us why you always defended your teammates and maybe it stemmed from when you were a young kid. A kid. So I go to junior as a 15-year-old. Now I'm biting off more than I can chew because there's big boys. There's guys that can handle themselves.

But I had a little bit of that just naturally in my DNA, as you did, Biz. I know what you did in your national athlete career. I wanted your talent, brother. I wanted your skill. We could have been a hell of a mixture. We danced with the one that brought us, right? Absolutely. That's what he said.

Absolutely. But you used your stick. I know. I saw you. I played against you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. the ankles that brought me. I saw you. I played against you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, and I had Donnie Clark, who was mentioned Wendell's brother, captain of our team, just always had my back, and he would prepare me for certain teams and certain games. You know, it's going to get nasty, Melvin.

Just, if you have to hang on for dear life, hang on for dear life. Do whatever you have to do to survive. So we were a bad team, but I played all 60 games that year. I knew that was part of my progression. That was part of

my start to, I have to get through this. I can't quit. I can't quit. You didn't miss one game. Did you get homesick at all? You know what? You do a little bit, but I was just so focused and zoned in on making the NHL, what I was going to do. So I was one of those rare guys to know this is my path.

This is my path. I was ready to leave. I was ready to do whatever it took. And, you know, I look back and obviously reflect, and I look at guys that were so much more talented than me or better players, and I always go, or had a cup of coffee at the International Hockey League, I go, how didn't he have a great career?

He was so good in junior. He was dominant. He was way better than me. And you understand, you learn and you reflect and you go, but if you don't have the want and the will and the drive to absolutely, you know, do whatever it took. You're not going to get to this level where, what is it, 1%, 2% make it, guys, of all the kids that actually play hockey and have that dream of playing in the National Hockey League.

So I knew I had to be that guy to go the extra mile, to never quit, to work extremely hard, to do whatever it took to play. Now, going to my, you know, so that started. Then I went to the Western High. I played one year in Yorkton. One other story, too, so in Yorkton about the fighting thing. So I go into Swift Current, and I remember the guy's name even. A guy named Gord Cullum, who's known as the toughest guy in the league,

you know, as far as fighting, but was a very honorable, respectful guy. Wasn't a, you know, wouldn't just grab a guy for the sake of grabbing a guy and, you know, beating the crap out of him. So Jerry Bolts, I'm in Swift Current early on in the season. In front of the net, give him a little cross check. He kind of told my kid, take it easy sort of thing. Well, I proceeded to challenge him and drop my mitts. And so he threw a punch over my, you know to challenge him and drop my mitts.

So he threw a punch over my, you know, grazed my top of my helmet. I'd still be laying there. It was Joe Kosher type, but he was an 18 year old kid that had a lot of experience in the fist to cuff area. And I just survived it, basically.

And he just, like I said, grazed me with one and I fell and blah, blah, blah. So I go back to Ben's. Jerry Bullets goes to me, the. And he just, like I said, grazed me with one, and I fell, and blah, blah, blah. So I go back to Ben's. Jerry Bullets goes to meet the coach. He goes, Kenny. He says, do you know who that is? No, why? He goes, well, that's probably the toughest, best fighter in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League,

and I suggest we start a little bit lower. And I go to him, thanks for telling me now. You're telling me this now. There was no game notes back then. This is Army's checking game notes. They had to like carve it into the stall in the bathroom like, watch out for this maniac.

You may be telling me that before the game. I was kind of naive and a little bit clueless at the time. But you got through it. But I suggest you don't do that again that again I said you don't have a problem with me I'm not I'm gonna wait till I'm 18 if I ever go a Gork column again but only played in Saskatchewan Junior League one year ended up going Great Falls moved to Spokane we were the Spokane Flyers played there a year and a half where one of my teammates was Dave Brown at the time for a short stint and uh he kind of took care of everybody at the time.

But he was a gangly guy back then. Did I hear a story? Was it you guys who basically they had to create the rule where you couldn't warm up with the other team? Was it not Dave Brown who started it one day with another team? He like went down and like stole their net or something? Yeah, very possible. I don't think it was in my time with him

because he was still a young buck kind of crafting his tool at the time. And I liked Dave Brown and I actually fought him a couple times in the early 80s and wasn't very fond of him. I'd go, Brown, we used to be friends and he'd come frothing at me. But that's the Flyers devil rivalry.

But I went to Spokane year and a half and we folded. So, you know, this is a grind here. Here I am moving away at 50 and then I go to Spokane. year and a half, and we folded. So, you know, this is a grind here. Here I am moving away at 15. Then I go to Spokane. We're in a very good team. But we end up folding a year and a half in December. Then there's a dispersal draft.

I end up getting taken by Seattle. So I'm going, you know, I go home over Christmas, have a couple weeks off. My mom goes, is this really worth it? I mean, things haven't gone as smoothly as maybe or transitioned the way we would have. I said, no, Mom, it doesn't matter. I'm going to go wherever they send me, whatever I have to do. And went to Seattle, loved it there. Now they have a pro team, boys.

Yeah, Seattle back there. So I can't wait to get back there because I haven't been there since 18 years old. And, you know, I had a good run there for a year and a half. And my draft year comes 1982 i'm ranked from what i hear you know there's no the internet and no real rankings and yeah back then it was where we know they know when you go to the bathroom now or god what you ate what you drank what you've said what everything about your life weed you're smoking your whole lifestyle they they went by a scout there would be a scout that would watch one in particular guy they put their jobs on the line

so i'm 18 i'm thinking i'm cautiously optimistic i'm gonna be drafted but i'm taking nothing for granted because i don't know you know certainly not ranked in the first round there was 21 teams at the time in the national hockey league back in 1982 drafts in montreal phone rings relatively early so it's maybe 8 40 that the draft went a lot quicker by the way you know they call the names and you move on and only first rounders went to the draft back then your agent wouldn't fly in they weren't wasting i made that mistake i went there and i didn't get picked on the first day. I sat there the whole day, Ken. Well, Edmonton, Montreal, I would have had to pay my own way, but your agent would fly a definite first rounder to the draft back then

in a whole different landscape. So obviously my agent didn't think I was going to the first rounder. Neither did I. But the phone rings early. My mom says, Kenny, wake up. I'm a little groggy. I was out a little late and all nervous before the draft. She goes, just come take this call.

I go, Mom, it's a friend playing a prank or a couple of friends. I look at the clock. One peek out of the corner of my eye, it's like 8-4. I go, no, no, Mom, it's too early. The draft's just started. She goes, just come down here. Kenny, take this call. I pick up the phone.

Groggy voice. Go, hello. Hi, Ken. Congratulations. We've just taken. This is Marshall Johnson. We've just taken you 18th overall in the National Hockey League draft. Wow.

I dropped the phone. Dropped the phone. Didn't ask the team. Didn't know who. I dropped the phone. You know, the excitement like a little kid. You've been saying this your whole life. Waiting for this a little kid. You've been saying this your whole life. Waiting for this my whole life, saying this my whole life.

Tears coming out of my eyes. I go to my mother. I go, you're not going to believe this. I just went 18th overall. My mother, who's never swore in her life, said, you've got to be bleeping me. No way. I swear to God. My mother, I've never heard, I never,

nice Catholic lady, went to church, never had sworn. Like, she was flabbergasted because all she heard and was sick of hearing was, you're going to play in that shot. Now, this is only the first step getting drafted, but to get drafted 18th overall, that high. She goes, well, ask who it is.

I pick up the phone because it's on the floor. I go, oh, by the way, who is this? Didn't care. I did not care. You know how guys pick and choose where they want to go and who they want. that high she goes well ask who it is i pick up the phone because it's on the floor i go oh by the way who is this didn't care i did not care you know how guys pick and choose where they want to go and i didn't care if it was siberia they were going to give me a chance to play you know so i go yeah by the way who is this they go it's new jersey they didn't have a team name i cover up the phone i go to my mother where's new jersey swear to god i'm from western canada you know way out in Edmonton. I knew it's near the big city somewhere, but I didn't know geographically exactly where it was.

I had no idea where New Jersey was, and they didn't either, quite frankly. It was a thrill of a lifetime. I would have ran the 2,000 miles to get the opportunity. What a memory. They were still picking the team name. It was a vote in the paper and eventually became the Devils, obviously. What were the other options? Do you remember?

Generals, Meadowlanders. Oh, Devils is perfect. Yeah, Devils. There was a lot. And the fans were the action ones. That's what I love about it. Fans are part of your family. I never take that for granted, even to this day.

And, Whit, I think you know him. Guys, I just have time for every fan of any team team because of what this great game has done for me. I have a love-hate with him. I see some stuff on social media. I see the love-hate. But I just respect fans because they are your family. And without the fans, we're nothing. And I mean that sincerely.

Even if that sounds all corny or pleading to fans, I do. Every New Jersey Devil fan has probably had a picture with me 50 times. Mr. Double. That's your nickname. Mr. Double. But having said that, I do it because, you know, you come 360. As a player, you don't understand it. And, you know, I kind of think I'm the same guy that was drafted to this day,

even after a long career and fortune to be part of three Stanley Cup championships. But I always look at now, and because of social media and because of what I talked about bullying and things that go on in life now, and it means something to me when a fan comes up or tweets me, says, you made my day because you took that picture. I don't know what's going on. Now I reflect, and I don't know what's going on in that fan's day. They may be having the worst day.

It may be deep. It may be something serious. And if that one picture or that one autograph or interacting with them for 20 seconds changes their mood and what's going on in their life, that means something. That has an impact to me now. So that's why I look at it that deeply now. Because I used to go, oh, God, this person's had my picture probably 10 times, probably 20 times. And then they'll reach out on social media and say, you know what?

I was having a bad day. And when you see that, it's heartwarming because you go, you know what? They may be going through a lot here. And we don't know what's going on in their life. It may be way deeper than I even imagined. And if that helped alter something that could have happened dramatically bad or they weren't doing good, it means something to me.

I drafted 82. I just had to throw that in. I'm going all over the map. Kind of like Scotty. That seems to be the theme with the New Jersey Devils. Imagine the Devils locker room with these guys. They're all just talking to themselves. Something comes to your mind and I want to make sure I got that

out there about the fans. And I could care less who you vote for. Yeah, I bleed Devils red. When fans come up to me, because I do the NHL network and cover the league, and I have so much respect for every organization, fans everywhere, and certainly the incredible talent throughout the league and players. You're a fan of your team. It doesn't mean you have to root for me or my team just because I'm a Dev's guy but i love the passion of fans they're like hate your team hate you i'm

okay that's okay yeah i i have such respect for every fan and you root for your team i'm a sports fan too of of other sports and i root for my team whoever that may be you know what was uh your first training camp like in the nhl uh very Again, we'll go to the Rookie Games, Biz. I'm sure you were involved in a wit. They got a little slap shoddy. Cigarette break. It was great. I mean, I was thrilled to be there.

Obviously very nerve wracking. But I had the attitude I'm going to make the team right now. You know how some 18-year-old kids come in, I know I'm going back to junior. I was going to get noticed. And that's what I relay to kids today. Any devil's prospects come in, I said, don't come in tentative. I'm not saying you have to be arrogant.

The big difference between arrogant and belief and cocky, it's more about, you know, come in there with a little swagger. Show them you belong. You might not make it that year or that year, but you have to get noticed because I see so many young kids come in tentative oh i came in like i belonged like right away and i was going to fight i was going to be physical because that was part of getting noticed we played in those rookie games against the flyers against the rangers i mean a lot of times those were somewhat bloodbaths i remember i go back the rookies on the flyers back then maybe not my first year but the second year

because he came in when I was a ninth. It was Craig Berube, Rick Tockett. So all these guys that I love now, and you become friends, guys you hated when you played against. And I fought them all, and those were the guys that were kind of my arch nemesis at the time because that was our rivalry, so I had to go through all those guys. Or Dave Brown and all them.

And you become good friends because you find out you're a lot alike. Ten years after your career, if I saw them in a restaurant, I wouldn't even – I'd walk out because, you know, the hatred for your – And there was no trades or not many trades going on. People weren't switching organizations like they did. And we've talked to older guys before. Like, they wouldn't – if they were at a charity golf tournament or something and there was a guy from another team, they wouldn't even sit at the same table.

They would – they'd find their way across the room same experience i would walk out i couldn't i couldn't fraternize with the opponent i mean that was just no tummy it was we call it tummy sticks on the podcast but uh and now i can't tell you how rick talking to dear friend broby such respect for these guys and man it man, it's amazing. And come full circle, and I'm sure you've seen a lot of biz guys you battled through your career with that you thought you hated, and then you know they're just a lot like you, and they have the same desire to win, same desire to compete as you do, and you become good friends.

And so that first training camp was physical, was nasty. And, in fact, I had a great camp, and we weren't very good. So I thought I was going to get a good opportunity to play in the National Hockey League by being drafted by a team that wasn't very good. You know, circumstances, everything. Like I said, I believed I was one of the better defensemen in camp. And I say that humbly, but we just weren't good. And so they didn't want to send me down, but they didn't want to play an 18-year-old.

So they had me up for the entire month living in a hotel but not getting in a regular season game. Played every exhibition game. NHL paycheck? Pretty well. NHL paycheck for the first month, yeah. What was it back then, Biz? My first contract, maybe 80 grand, but I felt it was a billion. Oh, for sure.

This is 1982. And the signing bonus you got, too, was like a billion dollars. And they were sending me down. And I was, like, so disappointed. They go, Kenny, we just. I go, are you kidding me? I'm ready. You know, I believed myself.

I was one of those guys. So they were sending me down. And Tom McVie tells a story, one of my great coaches who was a hard ass on me. I thought he hated me. But he told a story in the Star Ledger back in 2006 when they retired my number, and he goes, I've never seen a kid like this Danico guy. He goes, and it wasn't about arrogance. He stood up on the board when we were sending him down.

There was guys in the organization because they had pins of every player's name and all the defensemen. Yeah, they have the depth chart. Depth chart and pins. I stood up and looked at their board, and I go, you've got to be freaking kidding me. I'm the best defenseman you've got. And he told that.

He told him the legend. He says, I've never seen any. And I was not saying it. I believe I wanted to play so bad. I was ready, because physically I was ready. You know, some guys are timid coming to camp, and I want to go back to junior. This is a little overwhelming. No, I wanted to play now bad. I was ready because physically I was ready. You know, some guys are timid coming to camp. I want to go back to junior. This is a little overwhelming.

No, I wanted to play now. I was ready. And they kept me for a month, like I said. And Tom, we laugh about it now. Me and Tom still talk about the story. He's still scouting for the Bruins at 80 years old or whatever. I mean, we'll go on in some stories with him. But he loved it, and he tells it.

And also, you know, I just believed in myself. I wanted to play. Now, I knew where my skill level was at, but we all come out of junior, have some offensive ability, but I just wanted to play that bad. So they all kind of, I see them collectively thinking. They huddle around, and they're going, they look at me, they go, okay, let us think about this. Like, they couldn't believe I was telling them I'm ready to play

and I'm the best defenseman you got right now, so what the hell are you doing? But it was all because of me just wanting to be part of it and play now and not, like I said, because I believed it or anything. But you had to believe in yourself. If you didn't, you're not going to accomplish anything. And looking back, it was probably the wise decision. You went back and developed a little bit more.

Everything does. And then I come – absolutely. You look at the steps and as angry as I was back then, and I got angrier because, as we know, you go through some adversity along the way. So as a 19-year-old, I come back to training camp. Now I'm ready to rock and roll. If I don't make the team, now there's a problem. I'm dying to rock and roll. If I don't make the team, now there's a problem. I'm dying to play.

I feel like I'm 28 and a 10-year veteran because I already had that experience in that first training camp. So sure enough, 19 years old, pretty good camp. I'm in the starting lineup October 6th, I believe it was, or October 3rd, excuse me. 1983, and of all places, Madison Square Garden, most famous arena madison square garden most famous arena in the world sports arena in the world right so what a thrill you know obviously i'm gonna play my first game nervous as all hell obviously my mother and father fly to new york and fly to jersey go to the game my mother didn't you know hates to travel didn't like big cities you know she's an old school was an old school lady.

And she goes, I have to go to this game because this damn kid told me a thousand times he's going to play in Ash Hockey. He's really going to play a damn game. She's beside herself. My brother comes, my older brother who I looked up to so much, five years older than me. They all come to the game. They're at Madison Square Garden. They think it's a zoo-like atmosphere, you know,

because it's just all these people and screaming and yelling. They didn't know what to expect, but it was overwhelming for them too. But their son's going to play in the National Hockey League. I play that night. I think we get spanked 7-3, if I'm not mistaken. Picked up my first point and assist on a goal. Played my first game. Didn't have a scrap, but had a little tussle and

my mother i'll never forget it gloves are still on it was just a big you know those scrums around the net my mother covers her eyes goes to my brother he's not fighting is he i can't my brother oh he's gonna have to do quite a bit of this he's gonna stare hey i heard this is gonna be his life yeah so my mother covered her eyes and she goes to him is she and this is not a word of a lie again you love these stories with your mothers she goes is he on top is he at least on top like at the end i actually read a story that you you tightened your skates too tight because you were so nervous yes oh you guys some one of my former teammates because because they remember more than me.

You're absolutely right. My feet were going to fall off. You were too jacked up ripping the wheels off. I don't know who told you that, Biz, but you're absolutely right. It might have been Gomer probably because he probably heard it from somebody. But true story. Yeah. Blood circulation was cut off, really, and had to adjust that, obviously.

They can't even loosen your skates. It's like I couldn't move out there, but you're trying to just absorb it all. Absorb it all. I was overwhelmed. It was great. I'm playing great. Things are going well in my first 10, 11 games. 11th game, Ed Hospital.

I remember Ed Hospital. We're in Hartford. I think we're 1-9 at the time going into my 11th game. But I'm playing well. Things are going well. I'm getting the experience. I want to be just part of this team and be part of the solution of turning things around one day. Sure enough, another big scrum.

Hospitar kind of jumps me from behind. I still don't think if he knows that. But jumping from behind, it's kind of a five-on-five. I fall awkwardly at the time break leg gets stuck break my fibula oh no i'm like oh my god and excruciating pain i'll never forget mel bridgman was on our team remember mel bridgman the great flyer captain and tough as nails well this is how different the game was back then. So, Hospidor skates by the bench. I'm lying in agony on the ice by the net.

He throws his stick at him like a javelin. No penalty. Nothing. It was all good. He was so pissed because he saw what transpired. And Hospidor kind of got the jump on me to say the least. And didn't even give me a chance. And I fell awkwardly.

Just awkward because his skate didn't go forward me a chance. And I fell awkwardly, just awkward, because the skate didn't go forward, break my fibula, devastated, cast up to my thigh for three months, staying in Jersey, hanging. But, you know, it's devastating. Young kid, you get on the injured list right away. I'm like, oh, man.

So eventually, March rolls around. Team's far out of the playoffs. I'm ready to play again. It was about a four-month period with the cast. They're going to send me back to junior, but Seattle wasn't as good as Kamloops at the time. Seattle said, no, the team asked him, we want to trade him somewhere good so he goes far into playoffs.

We need him to get games in because I was only going to play about 18 more games in junior. And then the playoffs, well, they traded me to Kamloops. Teammates, Dean Everson was our captain. Darryl Ray was the goaltender. Doug Bodger was on defense. Rudy Poschek was our young enforcer. We had all kinds

of guys that, you know, had played in the National Hockey League and it was a great team. Enjoyed it. The coach was Bill LaForge. He liked the physical I played in the National Hockey League, and it was a great team. Enjoyed it. Coach was Bill LaForge. He liked the physical aspect. Well, anyway, played me a ton. We went to the Memorial Cup, won the Western Hockey League,

lost the Memorial Cup, lost to Ottawa. But long story short, so I had 34 points in 19 games when I went down to junior in that span. Yeah. 34 points. I games when I went down to junior in that span. Yeah. 34 points. I'm lighting up. Had a seven-point night against the Victoria Cougars in a 10-7 win. So I'm thinking I'm Bobby Orr, you know. So you forget kind of.

But you can't quite do that in the National Hockey League. And this will lead to. You got a little money in your pocket at this point? You made a signing bonus? Yeah, I made a signing bonus. My first car was a Starsky and Hutch car. Exactly the Starsky and Hutch car. Thought I was the coolest kid ever. Had the white

stripe on the side. But just glad I'm back to playing hockey. So the next year, I think I'm definitely going to make the Devils. No problem. You know, coming to camp, didn't have a particularly great camp, but still thought I'm going to make the team. Sure enough, I get sent coming to camp, didn't have a particularly great camp, but still thought I'm

going to make the team, sure enough, I get sent down to the minors, I am, I'm ready to pack up, I'm devastated, you know, because I already had that experience, think I'm ready to play, team's not very good, again, send me to Portland, Maine, loved it there, played for the Maine Mariners, we had the flyer colors, we had just transitioned from the flyers being their affiliate to the Devils. So I still had wearing flyer colors my first year with the Portland or with the Maine Mariners at the time. But I was disgruntled. I wasn't happy to be there.

You know, a young kid, that's the adversity we're talking about. And, you know, just not playing very well down there. Tom McVie's the coach. He's, you know, just on me all the time. He says, you want to play in the frickin' National Hockey League? I mean, you're closer to Indianapolis, the International League. You know, he goes, Indianapolis is here. Jersey's here in Maine, or Maine's here and Jersey's here.

Well, you're closer to going that way. That's when there was three leagues. You know, the International League at the time was a little lower. It was the coast. East Coast League, exactly. And he was just on me. And so now I'm upset. I'm crazy. I used to walk by his office and go, Tom, anybody call for me? I'd sit there. He goes,

then every once in a while I'd call back. You know, coaches were crazy back then. He'd go, hey, Kenny, come here. He goes, guess who called for you? And I'm all excited. He goes, not a freaking soul. Like, it was just not. He'd do stuff who called for you? And I'm all excited. He goes, not a freaking soul. Like, it was just not. He'd do stuff like that. Some kid would be crying now.

Calling his agent. And I'd be pissed. But then I realized, you know, Tom, I thought he hated me, and I didn't think he played. He was on me because he knew I had potential to be a national athlete player or a regular. But I had to take those steps, you know. And so now I started to focus. Now things got a little better, but still no call up.

And sometimes it's contracts. Sometimes there's a lot of different circumstances. Because 50 grand back then in business was a big difference to organizations. And you hear now when you understand what transpired. So I think I deserved to get called up a little earlier. Probably. But it wasn't happening. But I had to take those steps. So I don't get called up all year.

I'm, again, really down, down on myself, down on am I that good, am I ever going to play. They called me up the last game of the year that year against the Philadelphia Flyers. Just a fight. Yeah, so I'm going, really, guys, but I'm pumped. I want to play. And remember what I said about getting noticed.

Rich Preston I think was Bridgman on the team then he might have been gone by then but there was a few of the older veterans going, this is their last game. They come up to me right away and go I remember Rich Preston in particular and he'll tell the story. All these guys probably tell it better than I do but

he goes, Kenny, we don't need any disruption here. You don't need to start. We're hitting the links. We're having a vacation. We're going to have a nice big team party afterwards. So let's not ruffle feathers. The Flyers.

They've got their trips booked to Cabo. Everybody's ready to go. They've got a lot of nasty guys in that team. I go, I looked Rich in that team, you know. I go, I looked Rich in the eye, and he says he loved it. And that's what they ended up really respecting and loving about me because that's how bad I want to play. I said, if you don't think I'm getting noticed tonight, you got another thing coming.

Good for you. I don't care if I get my head kicked in. I will get noticed tonight. And they're like, oh, no. Because that just means they're they're gonna be involved so had to be a five she said i play a little bit for a while so i i take a leaping run at lindsey carson who's a player the five minute elbow i get big brawl ensues toxin involved in there young rick talkett He kind of jumps me.

Everybody's jumping at me. I get a double majors. I got noticed. I got noticed. Sure enough, out of the game, and all our guys come in life bags. Flyers proceeded to go on down their lineup and kick the crap out of everybody. It goes something like that. And these guys are going going you a-hole

what did you just do you know like i said i was getting noticed and i'm bruised and bloody too and the whole nine yards but sure enough get noticed and i wanted to make sure well the following year again i'm going what is going on they They send me down again. I'm like, oh, my God. Now I'm asked, one of those guys should have asked for a trade, but I love this team. They gave me my chance. Stick it out again. Go do it.

Working hard. Down in the minors, not happy again. Now Tommy's saying, he's being a little nice, saying, bide your time, man. Just don't lose your focus here. Play to your best of your ability. I'm hoping you get your opportunity. They don't know what's going to transpire. He only can send his recommendation.

He knew how bad I wanted to play in the National Hockey League. And for the Devils, the team to draft me, well, it's right around December comes along. I'm out with the boys. Portland, Maine. Great place. Having lobster, a few beers. You know, because lobster was so cheap there. Portland, Maine. Great place. Having lobster, a few beers, you know, because lobster was so cheap there. It's got to be midnight. Steve Tessura was our captain.

Family man. Had a couple of kids. I'm 21 at the time now. Drives to the restaurant bar we were at and says, Kenny, here's a quarter. Call Tommy. I'm going, yeah, yeah. Screw you. Everybody's, because everybody knew how bad I was.

I'm thinking this is another. They're getting me. They're getting me. Another, pulling the wool over my eyes, he goes, Kenny, do you think I'd get out of bed? I go, yeah, no. I got two kids at home and a wife. I wouldn't be here.

Go call Tommy. I put the quarter and called Tommy. Hey, Tommy. You know, he's got a deeper, grufferer voice than i do get your ass out of the bar i'll be picking you up at your house at 6 a.m you got the call up i'm like goose i get goosebumps now thinking about it all right let's go let's go i'm getting called tommy mcvee was he one of the rare coaches don't know if anybody else that always picked his guys up himself and took them to the airport.

That's pretty cool. Said he took about 500 guys in his career. Geez. Again, in the paper in 2006, wrote the story about me. So I was unique in one way. So I get the call up. I have eight bags, everything but the kitchen sink packed from my little apartment.

I ain't coming back. That's where we're going with this. So he looks at me, sour taste on his face. He goes, what the heck is this? What's all this crap? I go, well, how long am I going for? He goes, how should I know? You play good, you'll be there 15 years.

You play bad, I'll see you tomorrow. So I go, and Tommy goes, most guys just have a suit bag. You play good, you'll be there 15 years. You play bad, I'll see you tomorrow. So I go, and Tommy goes, most guys just have a suit bag, you know, over their shoulder. What is this? And he says, tells a story later. He threw it all in the cab, doesn't say anything to me. Or in his car, shall I say, not the cab, in his car and lets me take everything. He goes, that was the only guy I let take everything he says he was too determined he was not and and i looked him in the eye shook

his hand i said tommy i'm not coming back by the way you know that and you never tommy never came back tommy goes i knew he wasn't coming back if there was a kid that wanted it more than him i hadn't seen him he says five he's the only kid that had every bag packed out of 500 players I've picked up at the time. And Tommy loved it too, and I thought he hated me, thought he was hard on me. Well, never went back. And 1,283 games, I humbly say later, and 175 more in the playoffs.

And I was not going to get injured too much anymore either because I had to establish myself and went through some lean years with the Devils and we weren't good. But I always wanted to be that guy in my role, whatever it took. I know who I was. I know I wasn't as gifted and skilled as other guys, but I was going to be part of that team and make a difference and be part of a championship team. And that was another thing. Mark Messier, I grew up with him. He was a mentor mentor of mine i loved the guy i he walked he was i revered him and and he always believed in me too and i trained with him in off season he's five years old of me but i know yeah yeah i knew when

you moved out west you just what you you were in the same town edmonton boy yeah you just started hanging out sorry i went to his hockey school. He knew me since 13 years old. Always loved me as a kid. He was your idol kind of player, right? He was my idol. And he was only like 17, 18 at the time. But the Messier Hockey School was huge back in Edmonton. So I was around them, like always around Mark and just seeing the leadership.

And see, he just had a presence about him, the aura. And Mark always believed in me, too. And, you know, he just loved my passion, my craziness. I was a little bit off the aura. And Mark always believed in me, too. And, you know, he just loved my passion, my craziness. I was a little bit off the wall. And so they were starting to win cups. And I'm just starting to establish myself as an 18, 19-year-old. Played a little bit like I was a 19-year-old. And they were starting to win their, go on their dynasty run.

And I was out with the parties with them. Mark would always want me to drink from the cup, the old superstition. And, come on, Ken, let's have a picture and drink from it. And I said, no, Mark, I can't do that. I'm going to win that on my own, you know. He chuckled because we were winning 17 games a year, I think, at the time. So I'm going to win it on my own, you know what I mean. And so I was one of those kids saying, no way I can touch it now because, you know, I've got to win it.

And lo and behold, you know, when I became an adult, traveled with Mark all over Europe. And his brother, Paul, who were big mentors of mine. And Kevin Lowe, I used to train with them. And I just had such respect for them. And I was always around winners. Around guys that just had the it factor. Knew what it took. Yeah, you need talent.

You need skill as a team. But those guys, I just loved being around them. I just soaked it up. I absorbed it. And like I said, traveled the world. Had a hell of a time, too guys, I just love being around them. I just soaked it up. I absorbed it. And like I said, traveled the world, had a hell of a time too and a lot of fun with them, you know, partying. What do you mean? The off-season you guys were going on trips to Europe?

Everywhere. I went to Greece with them. We planned on going for two weeks, stayed for five. That's our mentality, you know, because it was too much fun and cheap. And did a lot of crazy stuff and all those good things. We were crazy. and all those. I'm sure there were no ladies around. Good things. We were crazy. It was fun. But just being around, I use that as an example,

like just being around Mark when he was 23 years old at the time, I think we were in Greece and I was like 18, 19. I watched, nobody knew hockey, but I watched, when he walked into a restaurant bar, he just had that presence. Oh, yeah. Kind of like the Mario Lemieux presence where you you walk in everybody know that guy's somebody even if you don't know hockey you know that guy's somebody you know and that's leadership that's you don't teach that so you know he'd send me notes when he was with you others him and kevin loeb goofy notes before the game because we'd only play once a year at the time or twice a year

and we weren't good like i said so it was fun and games and i'd compete when we played against it but they were just you know really glad that i was getting my opportunity then in 92 i'd already played oh you know eight nine years and mark messier gets traded to the New York Rangers. Oh, man, this is our biggest rival. We didn't talk for two years. We drilled each other in the face. We laugh about it on the golf course now every once in a while, but when I ever get to get out there with him, but it was just that intense. Instantly, you're like, I just can't associate with this guy? Him too.

I mean, I've got to stop one of the greatest players, and if I don't whack and hack him, and Mark was strong as 10 men. He's going to hack you right fast. Yeah, Mark, you know. So even in the offseason, you wouldn't really couldn't even. You know, once in a while, I shouldn't say we didn't hang, but we hello and laughed a little bit. But then the season came and it just stopped again.

So going to an incident that again we're we're going all over but this is about my devil's career and about influences in my life and and mark was certainly a big one but god i hated that he was a new york ranger and we had the epic series and lost to him in 92 and seven games they were the better team 94 epic series one of the greatest play series ever and i was so proud to be part of that. It was disappointing. We lost, and that was our kind of progression. We won the Cup the following year in 95.

What were you guys saying in the locker room when they guaranteed the victory? Yeah, Mark always tells the story. People, you know, he always says, look, I was just taking the pressure off. Yeah, he put his money where his mouth is. One of the greats of all time. If I reflect now, you're angry, you're pissed, but Mark believed it. And the thing was, we had them down 2-0 in that game, too. And we didn't know how to close the deal. Nerves, that's all about we talk about learning how to win,

learning to go that step further. Have them down 3-2. Have them down 2-0 in game six. Dominating for 30 minutes. Should have been 5-0. Mike Richter, who never gets enough credit, he was as good a goaltender as I've ever seen, stood in his head until the Marc Messier show took over

and second half of the game they came back with a late goal and then they started to roll and we were tight as a drum, couldn't hang on to the puck. Rangers had a lot of Stanley Cup winners on their team, the Kevin Lowe's, the McTavish's, the Mark Messier's. Glenn Anderson was on that team. Glenn Anderson, they knew what it took to win and to come back from a deficit like that. So if I look back now, I'm going, what a missed opportunity.

No, that was all us. We talk about it today in today's game, the experience, what experience means. That won you next year. We were that close. Now we go to game seven and we tie it up with seven seconds left. We think we're a team of destiny, end up losing double overtime. Epic series.

But point being, it was their time. Those are veteran guys that have won cups and knew it. And now a word from our friends at Labatt Blue Light. At Labatt, they don't care if you're good or bad at most things in life. They only care if you're good at beer, being yourself, and not pretending to be someone you're not. And if you are, they're good with you. After all, if you choose Labatt Blue Light,

you're good at the most important thing there is, beer. We already know you're good at watching hockey. Be good at beer, too, with pr canadian pilsner labatt blue light we're going to be working with labatt labatt blue all year we have some exciting content coming up so grab a pack and enjoy the rest of your summer again grab some labatt blue light enjoy the rest of your summer and now we're going to go back to ken danico ironically or not ironically we we win the Stanley Cup the next year. Didn't have a great regular season. We were able to turn the switch on.

It was a short year. Once the playoffs came, we'd already had that taste. We knew what it took. We knew how to close the deal. We knew how to take it, the cliche term, game at a time, period of time. Don't get too high when you're winning a series or losing a series or winning a game or you lose a tough one. We didn't know how to handle it that year.

And it was a minuscule margin. Fair was very minuscule. Knew how to handle it the following season. But Messier was so influential, even though I didn't like him that much in 94. They went on to beat the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup. But all part of our story. But you asked our interaction. Go ahead.

No, I was just going to ask about 95 the next year because, yeah, you guys were ready and had been through the prior season, but Detroit was enormous favorites in that series, right? You guys swept them. Kind of like Tampa Bay, Montreal right now. I mean, Tampa Bay is an enormous favorite going in. I couldn't understand how we were that. None of us really could understand how we were that big underdogs.

Yeah. Because the previous year, but everybody goes goes what have you done for us lately i think we were fifth seed sauntered into the playoffs they won the president's trophy right by a by a mile it was only a 48 game season i think because it was the lockout prior but how soon people forgot that we had 106 points the year before second of of the New York Rangers. We came very close to going to the Stanley Cup final and probably winning it for all intents and purposes if we got by New York. So we were 1-2 in the National Hockey League the previous year.

We had the same team and even added a few pieces, Neil Broughton, and even got better. And so we couldn't understand, but going into the series, because we sauntered in. They were looking at what we did during the regular season. We didn't do much, but we do get to the finals, and we were down a couple series early on. So Jacques Lemaire, you learn from greats,

and Larry Robinson don't have enough hands for the rings on their fingers, whether it's players or in management or executives or coaches, and just that's why Lou Lamorello brought them in. And Lou Lamorello was the man with the instrumental reason why and the architect of why our team ever turned the corner. I mean, we could talk about it for hours. Were you intimidated by him? I'll give you some good Lou stories.

Don't worry. You guys got about four hours. This will be a trilogy. But no, so Tiger won 95, and I just want to throw in Lou there because he just knew what it took. But his first thing was his recognition to bring in Lemaire and Robinson. That was now we're going to understand. We can't listen to these guys to get to that next step

because we'd already started getting to Benz. You had been through a lot of coaches before Jacques, right? Yeah, started to make the playoffs, started to knock on the door before Jacques a little bit. But couldn't win a round, lose in the first round a lot. But Lou knew we needed something else to get to the next step. So 95 comes and getting to that finals where we were complete underdogs to the Red Wings.

Probably two and a half to one, Whit. I don't know exactly what that was. No, yeah. But it was a big dog because they were dominant. They had the great Eisenman and Fed federoff and those guys were unbelievable and paul coffee was on that team and i can go on down the list i'm trying to think of all the star quality players they had but there was plenty of them and then the hit heard around the world that's serious yeah steve so jacques lemare genius you know we talk about these vince lombardi type speeches Newt Rockney once in a

while and they always get blown out of proportion but it wasn't so much a speech as Jacques Lamar and his French accent lines up the board he wanted to make sure we weren't reading the press he knew we had great veteran leadership in the room and Stevens and you know we had Neil Broughton we had Randy McKay myself we just had a just a great mix a young Bill Guerin you know Brian Ross we just had a nice mixture of so many good players Bobby Holeek and and just a real good mix of guys that knew what it took that he believed we weren't gonna think we were overwhelmed here because if you think you're beat defeated even though you can say with words oh no we got a chance but if you don't believe it deep inside that you can beat the mighty Detroit Red Wings,

you're lying. Just like Montreal played a much better game yesterday. I mean, played great, in fact, and dominated. Didn't find a way to win yet, but they were a different team. They were overwhelmed in game one. So Lamara looks at the board, and he lined up every player on both sides, and he did comparables, whether it was his Deno. He put me up against one of the Detroit defense.

I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure you're as good as him and maybe can even outplay him. What do you think? Then we're looking at it, and then it goes, Rish, Stephon Richer and his French accent. My French accent's going to

go, can you outplay that guy? Can you outplay? Yeah, they got some pretty good players, and they got some star players in Eisenman and Federoff, but I kind of think we're better on defense, and I sort of think we're better on defense and I sort of think we're better in goal.

You know, Lemaire's making sure that we aren't defeated before we start this series because you read the play screens enough and say, God, we don't have a chance. You start to believe that a little or it creeps in your mind. But when Jacques did that, it was genius because we're looking at the lineup going, holy crikeys, we're pretty comparable.

In fact, we might even be better in some areas. Yeah, they might have a little bit more star power up front in a couple of guys, but overall, and then the rest is history, and no, we think we'd sweep them, absolutely not, but we win game one and beat them both times, and then we dominated them at home where we won decisive games. I know the great Scotty Bowman said we had no answer. He said he was most frustrated he's been in his illustrious coaching career,

his Hall of Fame career, that I'd never seen a team that was all over us. We had no answer for anything against them. And obviously we were a stifling team. I don't want to use trap because I hate that word because I never heard it in our room. That was a manufactured name by the media. We were great stifling team. I don't want to use trap because I hate that word because I never heard it in our room. That was a manufactured name by the media. We were great in the neutral zone. Because the trap to me is sitting back.

We were one of the top-scoring teams every year. But if you look it up, people don't add that. We were 94. And this is the Jacques Lemaire era. We were one of the top-scoring. I think we were second in the league in goals. 2000, Jacques wasn't even there. We were second in the National Hockey League in goals.

And by the way, we lost the Cup in 2001. We were number one in the regular season in goals four. But God forbid we didn't have a 50-goal score. No, we had a lot of guys that scored 20 and 30. And we were very responsible defensively and had a great goaltender. And you see the more the game changes, the more it stays in. I love the new game. I love the skill, the talent, the lacrosse goals, the toe drags.

These kids are amazing. But come playoff time, word is revert to defense win championships. Look at the Tampa Bay Lightning. They can win any way. And until they adjust it, until they added some of that grit, they're frustrating defensively. But our teams can score. People always – I get offended because it takes away how great our forwards were.

They were just so damn responsible and great on back pressure. We cut the ice in half, and, yeah, we had a good defense, and, yeah, we had a great goaltender. But it wasn't that we counterattacked very well, but we were always a top offensive team in the league. If you don't like the style, it's okay. But that's what goes on in today's game. It's no different.

The results speak for themselves. After Tampa Bay lost to Columbus four straight, what did they do? They adjusted. They can win just as easy one-nothing. And no, they have to sometimes. And that's so good. They have an all-world goaltender. But that was a big part of our lesson in having

Jock Lemare and Robinson. These guys are just you look at them and you go, they just had such respect for them. But that was a real good, I'm not going to say speech, but a good thing a couple days before. The Jock made sure we understood we could beat them. All right, what was the question you were going to have for him about Scott Stevens, how he came over? Yeah, Shanahan signed the free agent deal at St. Louis, and you guys were just awarded Scott Stevens after that.

What was that all about? I know it was a long time ago. Well, genius by Lou Lamorello, right? I mean, obviously, and they had offered two pretty damn good players, Rod Brindamore and Curtis Joseph, the goaltender, I believe. And, you know, I don't know the business aspect back then. We're just players and everything. But, obviously, it was tampering.

St. Louis had slyly offered Brendan Shanahan this outrageous four-year contract. Was he restricted or something? I don't know. Yeah, I figured the rules back then sucked. So basically like an offer sheet kind of before they were offer sheets? Yes, exactly. And how they were going to get him, but it was against the league rules, whatever that was.

So it goes to arbitration court, and they're offering Joseph and Bryn Mawr. I mean, are you kidding me? They're pretty awesome players. Shanahan was going to be a heck of a player, second overall pick, but he hadn't quite established himself, but he was getting there. You could see he was going to be an elite player, scoring 30 goals, power forward, tough as nails. And Lou Lamorello shot for the stars.

He says, no, we want Scott Stevens. Somehow, some way, the arbitrator awarded us Scott Stevens. Wow, yeah. Scott is new. Lou knew. Lou knew. He shot for the fences. I think he would have been pretty content getting Curtis Joseph and Rod Brindlemore at the time.

Yeah, it was a win-win at that point. Guys, again, don't quote me, but I'm almost positive that was the deal initially that they were trying to give us, and two great players in their own right, obviously, right? So we got Stevens, the rest is history. Now we had, you know, that big, tough defenseman on the back end. You know, Scott was drafted my year. He was fifth overall, I believe, in my year, and I played a lot against him in Washington. Couldn't stand him either, but I always wanted to be the I always use that term the poor man Scott Stevens I'm going to be the poor man Scott Stevens not as good offensively but that tough nasty big hitter but you know just

that was I'd be happy with that you know but when we got him I was certainly going can't believe this guy's on our team now. Like now we're starting to become formidable. Now we've got Scott Stevens. Now we've got a real good nucleus of guys up front. And then we get to draft Scott Niedermeyer. He's still underrated to me. The best, most effortless skater I've ever seen in the game, that the game has ever seen.

I love that kid. He's just awesome. He was 19 years, when he was 19 years old and I was 30 and still a little bit of a wild man throughout my career. I'm going, when I grow up, I want to be Scott. Not a word of a lie. We're still real close. Such respect for him just because of the way he carried himself and the way he handled his life on and off the ice.

And as far as a player, I still think he doesn't get enough recognition. I still don't think. I know he's in the Hall of Fame. He's so under the radar. He's such a quiet guy. He's a quiet guy, but just so well thought out. Such an intelligent guy. But had that burning desire to win.

It's just the game looked easy to him, so sometimes it didn't look like he was trying. I've never seen a guy who wanted to win like Niedermeyer. He just did it in a different fashion. Witt said he played with him in Anaheim, and he played 30 minutes, and he'd have one beat of sweat on his chest. No, but he was also a competitor. Yeah. He would get angry out there.

Look no further than he got a 10-game suspension. I never had a 10-game suspension. I never had a suspension. Now, shockingly, Nieder cracked Peter Ruel over the head with his stick. Got 10 games for him. No way. Because he had enough is enough. He kept getting.

Remember he took that slap shot at Alfredson in the cup finals? He was a snapshot. Believe me, he had that little screw. So kept getting. Remember he took that slap shot at Alfredson in the cup finals? He was a snap shot. Believe me, he had that little screw. So I'm going, Needs, he clubbed Peter Royal, one of the toughest guys in national hockey, over the head with a stick. And got 10 games for it. So Needs had that competitive spirit. You don't win four cups.

You don't win everywhere you go. And wherever he goes, they happen to win. Yes, because he's highly skilled. But he has that heart, that will and character. I love him. And you're right. We were like – we roomed together at times. We were like Oscar and Felix.

But he's a guy – he's one of the guys, you know, not many guys – because everybody has their own lives and you move on. You try to stay in touch. You'll always have a special bond. Five guys on those Devils teams won all three cups together. Don't matter if you don't see each other for 10 years, it's like you never left. Who were the five that went home? Niedermeyer, Stevens, Brodeur, myself, Sergey Breland.

Did I name five? Nieder, Stevens, me, Brodeur, Breland, yeah. Sometimes people, Sergey Breland, another guy maybe doesn't. You know, there's always the unsung heroes. He was kind of the Swiss army knife, could do it all. But he was one of those guys you had to have to win. And he was the other guy that won all three. So anytime I see Sarge, he's still working.

That's what we call him, Sergey Brilin. See him in there. He works in the organization. It's like you have that special blow about you, that bond. It's like, yeah, we won three times together. You feel it. You don't have to say it you know what i mean because it means something and and uh but when we got stevens and

then we got nita mar and then we got broder i'm like oh man now we got that all-world goaltender even though you just saw it even though he hadn't established so that you saw the secondary yeah this broder kid's gonna be pretty good because he had a quiet confidence about him that you had to have in the net and and the rest is history we won those three be pretty good because he had a quiet confidence about him that you had to have in the net. And the rest is history. We won those three times, and we always had a chance. You're not going to win every year, but we knew we had the nucleus and core. And they don't stay together that long.

We had five guys that were together 10 years pretty well. It just doesn't happen too often. And three of them are defensemen and a goaltender, so the chemistry you're able to, and the bond, and just on and off the ice becomes an important factor of why we were so consistent defensively and in our zone. And, I mean, and Marty was like a third defenseman. I could peel off, not get my face run into the boards.

I knew the pass would be right on my stick better than any defenseman or the pass that I could give. You know, so it just, all those elements helped so much along the pass that I could give you know so it just all those elements helped so much along the way that uh pretty amazing yeah from a team that couldn't win 20 games to still being around because you usually get traded when you become good and Lou had many reasons off the ice to trade me many times but that's what I loved about Lou Lambert. Dano this is unreal we don't want to keep you all day, though, but we need to hear a couple Lou stories that you've probably never forgot. Look, I said I was grateful to play as long as I did with the Devils

and been there 38 years, and they have treated me like family. Their loyalty has been unbelievable. I don't take that ever for granted because you have different ownership, and they appreciate the history and the guys that are the foundation of how this organization was built and have such respect for our guys, you know, Josh Harris, David Blitzer, because these guys, I don't take that for granted. Yeah. You know, when you get new ownership, when you go in a different direction.

They can decide to clean house. Decide to clean house. You don't know what they're going to think of you or how they respect you. And they have given us, all the alumni, the utmost respect and understand, no, we've got to get back there. We've got to get back to that mentality and those guys. So great respect for the organization and grateful I was there because usually you're not once the team becomes good.

And Lou traded some great players to build the team into a championship from the Kirk Mullers who I love to the Pat for beats I can go on down Billy Garrett but he did one but traded him after and I love Billy one of my favorite teammates of all time by the way on and off the ice just a character and what a player

but yeah you're right but you have to trade good players to get pieces that you feel fit in moving forward. And, you know, because it never stays the same. So for me to stay there, 88 was our turning point. We made the playoffs for the first time. Lou Lamorello, no quinces, that was his first year. Who is this guy out of Providence?

I mean, but as soon as Lou came, you know, I think Biz had said earlier to me on the podcast, he goes, were you intimidated ever by Lou? Are you kidding me? We were horrified of Lou. Right out of the gate as kids. And he had that presence. I talked about it with Messier.

He had that it factor. We had no clue who Lou Lamoureux was. He's, what is he? He came out of college. AD out of Providence College. What's that? You know what I mean? Exactly. I know.

But he came in and we're like, but he had that presence, like going, don't mess with this guy. You know, just don't mess with this guy. Were you guys doing the L on the forehead when he would come in the room? Scotty said at one point they would warn each other. Because he showed up out of nowhere, right? He'd just be there. I mind my P's and Q's.

Out of the gate anyway. I'm like, but yes, we had to be warned because everybody, that fear factor. He had I's and E's everywhere. Everywhere. It was like there were six of them. the gate anyway for with little i'm like but yes we had to be one because everybody he we there he that fear factor he had eyes and ears everywhere everywhere it was like there were six of them you know what i mean but even right away at a young age but but one thing about lou you know about everything's the discipline and you know he he would he was very hard on players meaning he just wanted to win and he wanted guys that had character. He gave you a lot more leeway than people thought.

I raised my hand because I would have been traded 62 times if there wasn't a little leeway with Lou Lamorello. But I will say humbly, Lou Lamorello believed he needed Ken Danico to win in his role. But no, do I need to straighten him up a little bit off the ice, his craziness, and the fun he liked to have? Absolutely. But Lou took me in one time and said, when I was young,

in my many meetings when he knew exactly where I was at 3 in the morning, two nights before, and it was amazing. But the guy knew everything. And you'd look in his face as a young kid trying to pull the wool over his eyes. I'm sure Gomer told you some of those stories. I loved Gomer because when he came to the team, took a little pressure off of me because he was – now Gomer was the whipping boy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He'd be out until 4. You'd get in it too, so he'd be the one getting in it. So, all kidding aside, but Lou, he would – he knew everything. And I'd look him right in the eye and, you know, Kenny, where did that bruise on your head come from? You didn't get in a scrap the other night. Like, you take me in the office.

You know, this is like early 90s. And, you know, something happened at a bar the night before or whatever. I go, Lou, you won't believe this. Drive my car home. You know, deer all over the road. Bam. Hit the deer. Hit my head on the windshield.

And look at it. And really. You're selling it. I'm selling it. Good. Hit the deer. Hit my head on the windshield. And really. You're selling it. I'm selling it good. Because Gomer used to. Gomer, I'm sure he told you his stories. And Gomer, I don't think sold it as good as I did. Because you can see right through Gomer. I swear I'm doing good.

And Lou looks at me. He's sitting there. Very calmly. He goes, you're so full of. I know exactly where you were and what happened. And he heard the incident. He goes, but I heard again for the right reasons. This was about a teammate.

I was gotten a little scuffle and protected. And he goes, Lou might not want me to tell this one, but I'll, I'll, I'll sum it up by saying he looked me in the eyes. You're sticking out for your team is don't ever go there again. I don't ever want to see here that you're in that place again and blah, blah. But I had done something for a teammate. So he heard the whole story because it was bigger than it was. But there was no social media, no internet.

But he said there was an officer near there and told him the whole story. He said, no, Kenny doesn't start things. He finishes them. I didn't look too good. But it was all about a young teammate of mine that had gotten a little brouhaha. So long story short, that's the type of person Lou was. He's, don't you ever go there again and clean your act up and take care of yourself. And, you know, he'd reprimand you, but he knew he had to leave it because he knew my heart.

He knew the game, the team was my everything. But, yeah, i had to juggle wanting to have too much fun hey i'm a kid from edmonton alberta western canada the prairies pretty well coming to new york city it chewed me up and spit me out a few times fellas but yeah but lou you know you guys ever did you ever give it back to him about anything was there ever an argument between you two 20 years you ask lou like he loved lou with me i was very nervous it's not nervous respectful respectful early on but i was a fiery kid i was a hot-tempered kid double-edged sword lou like that lou used to

take me in and go kenny it's you uh it's a double-edged sword with you he goes your biggest asset is your biggest liability. And I kind of didn't get that. And then I thought about it for a while. He goes, yeah, because he goes, that switch is always on. And you'll run through a brick wall for us, but you'll run through a brick wall when you shouldn't be running through a brick wall. He's like, Kenny, there's a door right there.

So I really took that to heart. As I tried to curb my lifestyle a little bit. And don't get me wrong, I's a door right there. So I really took that to heart as I tried to curb my lifestyle a little bit. And don't get me wrong, I had a blast, and we can tell a few stories along the way, but things like that. And then he gave me, I've told this a million times, the orchestra story, where I wanted to be a little bit of everything. Coming out of junior, I had some offensive ability. Even when Lou came, I got a little power play time once in a while. So he knew you like a book, even his first, second year.

And I was a penalty killer, played when we were up 3-2 a lot, all those defensive roles that you have. So I wasn't on the power play, and that was okay. But then they teased me. Bruce Driver got injured. I got on the power play for four games second power play unit four points goal and three helpers now i'm told you guys told you guys yep young player change over need a mile they're a bunch of second assists too dano so it's a bunch of stuff oh yeah like me i would have led the league and says that gomer loves telling that story.

I would have led league and says if they had a third. I don't know if you still hold this NHL record, but you went 255 straight games. Oh, I hold it. Absolutely. And this is a guy that out of junior had 34 points in 19 games. But that kind of alludes to the story of what I'm saying with Lou. So, Lou, I get four points in four games as a young player on the power play, and I hadn't been playing power play, but now I get teased a little bit.

So I'm disgruntled. Lou knew I wear my emotion on my sleeve, and he goes, after practice, he goes, can he come up to my office? Something's bothering you. He knew exactly what was bothering me. So I sit down, and he goes, what's bothering you? He knew what was coming me. So he sits down. I sit down. He goes, what's bothering you? He knew what was coming on my mind. I said, well, Lou, I had some success in the power play.

Four points in four games. Second power play unit. And now I'm not in the power play anymore. And I go, you know, I did so, you know, patting myself on the back. I did so good. Then he goes, Kenny, simple. Bruce Driver's back. And he's the power play guy. Like matter of

factly. I'm yeah butting him as all young kids do. He goes, sit down. He goes, listen to me. He's very calm. And he knows I'm steaming. Because I'm like, I'm not very calm with him. I'm intense. Because I'm like, no, I can do it all. I'm good. Yeah, yeah. He goes, I liken

my team to an orchestra. He says, in order to make beautiful music, that means have team success and win games. Everybody's got to play their instrument to a T. There's violinists. There's pianists. There's drummers. What category do you think you fall in?

Now he's getting uppity. What category do you think you fall in there? Now, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed at the time, but I know where he's going. I'm pretty sure I'm a drummer. So he goes, if you want to be a violinist, he says, I'll call 15 teams right now in front of you and see if they need a violinist. But he says, oh, and by the way, he says, you're a penalty killer.

You kill penalties. You protect teammates. You play physical. And by the way, if you master that drum, you got a chance to play 15 years in this league. If you want to be a violinist, I'm pretty sure your career is going to be short. I'm like taking it back.

Fuck, yeah. So I get up. I throw the chair. I'm talking about do you ever fight back. And believe it or not, and Lou was ready to jump on the desk. Like, he's fearless. He's like a wolverine, you know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah. But he loved the little, because he loved that fighting spirit, even though he wouldn't let you show you that. So I'm throwing the chair. Yeah, but, and F you, and, you know, all the explicatives. I'm just all fired up. So he calms down. I get up.

I throw the chair, ready to slam the door. And he goes, that's when he said, I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself. He says, Kenny, by the way, if you master that drum, I don't care if you ever score a goal. You have a role in this team, and everybody needs to understand the role. You will play 15 years, because he believed in me. So thought for a couple of days, I'm angry, I'm burning inside because you want to be everything.

But understanding, I took it to heart. Like I said, I wasn't the sharpest knife in the tool in the shed, and when I said earlier about way earlier in the podcast that, what happened to this great player? How come he had a cup of coffee in the league? Because you can't do what you can do in junior, and you have to find a role in the National that what happened to this great player how come he had a cup of coffee in the league because you can't do what you can do in junior if you and you have to find a role in national hockey league unless you're scott needamar you can do translate what you did in junior to the pros to the best league in the world but i couldn't so i had to find a role i had to find a niche

that was the message louis saying and he said i can actually be a big part of this team and a big part of what we're trying to accomplish and that's winning and that's he knew how bad i wanted to win and uh that's all i ever cared about but learning you know tunders and i took it to heart and i said he doesn't care if i used to joke he doesn't care if i go over the red line he doesn't care if i he he'd put the dog collar on me and zap me if i he doesn't need He doesn't need you to score. And you didn't. I had a role. For 255 games. No, early on I had five and six goals early on. No, and I didn't care either.

You know what? But I didn't have any worries about that either. I didn't even know the, you know. And now I'm kind of, you know, I look at it and go, hey, I got that going for me. I didn't score for 200. I played 1203 games, 20 years. You're doing something right.

And I look at it more from the standpoint that exactly, they didn't need that from me. Sure, it was fun once in a while. 2000, I scored in the Stanley Cup Finals. My own Stanley Cup Finals goal at home against Dallas. Yeah, I remember. I gave us a 2-1 lead at the time. I remember you jumped up.

You jumped. I thought it was a 40-foot vertical. It was about 17 inches. It was Mickelson after he won the Masters. Yes. I'd never been so excited in my life. And just to see how the bench gets excited, because I always say,

I'm like a defensive lineman, offensive lineman. Do they score touchdowns? No. You have to celebrate it. Yes. So you have to understand your role. And I took it to heart and really understood what Lou said.

So that's why I look at any young kid today or kids back in my day. I really reflect and go, he was so good, but now I see why he didn't have a long career. Because he couldn't quite find his niche. Couldn't find that role. Or didn't want to be put into the adapt to that role because people don't understand all of us. Biz,

you, I'm sure. And you were scoring in junior a little bit, but you had a role in there. I had my role. So many players have to be able to trans, you know, absolutely translate to what they're saying.

And Lou made sure you understood that. And now a word from our friends at TaylorMade. You've heard us talk about them. You've seen Witt and Biz compete with some of the best in the world using them. And now you can get your hands on them. The TaylorMade Sim Family has hit stores and are available now. But what good are some of the best clubs in the world without a great golf ball? Well, the tour response is for those people who have always wondered what those high-pric are and you're afraid to pull the trigger well these are for you and if you want something that is tour ready check out the tp5

and tp5x and brand new you can even get tailor-made's tp5 balls branded with the iconic spitting chiclets logo right on the side and you can find them in the barstool sports store right now visit barstoolsports.com slash TaylorMade to check out TaylorMade and all the Barstool golf gear, including all that Chicklets line of stuff. So give it a whirl if you haven't yet. And now we're going to send it back to Ken Danico. So I love the orchestra story. He still tells it.

He tells me now when I see him every once in a while in the arena or we text each other, he goes, gave one of my Islander kids the Ken Danico speech. I love it. Bar cell every week. He's like an uncle to me. I have such respect for him because obviously won three cups together.

Oh, did we butt heads a lot? No question about it. But he loved it. He would threaten to trade me constantly just to try to curb my appetite for the nightlife. And that was me. I loved life. I loved fans.

I loved people. I was out with them. I didn't care. That was what I did. Yeah, I drank too much and had too much fun. But Lou Lamer, of all people, known as the most disciplined, no-nonsense type of general manager,

doesn't trade Ken Danico in 20 years. So what does that tell you? But no, he still felt he had something to bring to the table. And Lou has a heart. Lou has character. Loyal as loyal can be. And then that's why he was going to stick with me and see it through. And you guys can ask what you want.

And obviously I haven't drank on this night for 10 years. So I was sober a long time. I give Lou Larimer a lot of credit. You guys can ask what you want. Obviously, I haven't drank August 9th for 10 years. I'm sober a long time. I give Lou Lamer a lot of credit. You're coming up on 10 years, Dano? 10 years, August 9th. That's awesome. I can't even joke about my – because I had some blasts in my drinking days, and I'm still crazy, as you guys can see, because I can't shut up.

But point being, just such respect for the game and Lou that stuck with me because loyal. He saw what I had already done for the organization, with the organization. He goes, no, now it's about us being there for Ken. And I don't take that for granted because you're a piece of me. Because mine was public knowledge. I went away in 97. I was during the season when I was playing well.

97 i was during the season when i was playing well you know and and that's kind of how it all happened that you know uh 97 lou had been there what 10 11 years now and the owner john mullen who i said i could the late great john mullen who was like a second father to me because i was his original pick i stuck up for the colors early on and get my head beaten in in Philadelphia. He saw all that. And he was an old school, you know, general type guy that was like, no, I go to war with this guy. I don't care if he makes mistakes. You know what I mean? And so he enabled me to a fault because him and Lou used to battle over it a little bit. But 97 rolls along.

I'm playing really good hockey and getting a little trouble, you know, away from them. When we say trouble, meaning wouldn't be public, but it was, I'm playing with fire now, you know? So I go in, God, November had a good month, October. And I go into Lou and said, Lou, I, I, you know, but I, I, but I, I did have an awareness, you know, of my circle, you know, there's something going on here. I I've got a, I, I, you know, but I did have an awareness, you know, of my cell phone. You know, there's something going on here. I've got to, you know, after 95 we won the cup.

I'd already quietly went away on my own for alcohol treatment. Two months after partying my you-know-what off and having a great time and having a lot of fun and, like, name drop a ton of names for this little Edmonton guy that i was like star struck and hanging out with some pretty cool people and having a great time you know and it was a blast at the time but 95 two months in after that i'm empty i just won the stanley cup used to carry a garbage silver garbage can over my head that was the second dream about winning playing in the national hockey and then winning cup for all us young kids.

Just won the cup two months later, I'm empty. I'm like, there's something wrong with me here. And, duh, well, it's right in front of your face. You drink too much. You have too much for a good time. And I was a guy who burned the candle at both ends because I worked out like a maniac. That's why I was able to maintain.

And also, because I look back 20 years and go, how did I get through that at times with off and on benders and partying and drinking too much and people love that about me by the way because I was not an obnoxious guy I was a fun guy but it was becoming a problem and I

always look at 95 and two months in I'm devastated I'm empty and that's not right I'm going something going I was pretty astute with what right. I'm going, there's something going on. I was pretty astute with what was going on in my life. I'm going, what's wrong with me? Well, duh, you drink too much. But I'm not ready to admit that.

Because, oh, that's going to take away from my fun, the great times I'm having. But I said, I'm willing. So I talked to some family members. Wanted to keep it away from the team because I'm horrified they're going to look at me as taboo. Oh, so such more of a stigma back then. Stigma, taboo. Oh, no, we can't have them around. You have to drink to be around, right? It was that thought.

Go away quietly on my own. And I was a model citizen or a model student because I had an earnest effort. I wasn't trying to just fake it, you know, to go to appease people. This was on my own accord along with some family members talking. Go 95, go full month and get back, come back, play 96. So nobody, or very rarely is there a first-time winner.

I hope guys can get it out of the gate. So my story is everybody thinks when I went public 97, yeah, everything's great. I've been sober for 102 years, you know, ever since. But you have to fall and pick yourself back up again. And I fell a few times. But I had some good brief stints with sobriety that – and the game was so important to me, so I had discipline.

I would curb it for three months where I'd be holding my breath, where I wouldn't go out, wouldn't drink, or I'd just drink club soda going out to, you know, to the restaurants. Must have been hard, though, man. Really hard. But 95, so I went about five months of sobriety. Loving it. That seemed like an eternity.

But I'm hanging on, understanding that it's not my time. I'm not ready. And started going out again because I used as a crutch. I'm not me. I'm not that rambunctious can. It's affecting me on the ice. Yeah, I maybe feel like I'm a little better shape or whatever, but I was always in great shape regardless because I worked my tail off didn't matter I was that's what loose is I don't know how you do it sometimes but he says I've never seen a guy work harder and you're burning the candle both ends at

times and I did but I had that motor that motor go go go so I had some brief stints right then I then now it's all years of juggling then Then 97 or a couple years of juggling. Because team came first. I was one of those guys who would never go out the night before a game ever. That was my cardinal rule, and I stuck to it. Always did. So it was always a couple nights before. But those benders might be strong.

Might as well have been the night before. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I did have my rules because the team meant too much. The game meant too much. And I say that with sincerity. I didn't want to screw with that. But now it's taking over. Now something's like 97 rules and I'm having a good month.

But I'm, you know, certainly drinking too much, way too much. And I know that was, it was a different era and play hard, party hard mentality. But I wasn't happy with myself you know I I just I I had enough acknowledgement going this isn't right man and and whether it's family whether it's your team whether it's I'm starting to feel guilty I'm starting to feel bad about myself and I'm going you know but but if I show any weakness you know I think it's weak to say that I got a problem I can't quite say to say that I got a problem. I can't quite say, even though I went to rehab before, I can't quite admit that this thing has got hold of me. And little do I know now, obviously, because I can laugh at myself.

I can tell stories about myself. Players tell stories about me that know even more stories. It took courage. It takes courage to ask, reach out for help. Take that step. And I did that kind of 95. Wasn't all in yet. Not at all. But the seeds were planted.

Started to understand that I was going in the wrong direction and I was going to need help eventually. Tooth, 97 rolls around, walk into Lou's office. Month in. Lou knew exactly why I was there. He had heard stories. And for me to walk away from the game, and he gently provided that assurance to me that.

We'll bring you back. Well, you're part of this family. Like he was right away, nope, take care of you first, Kenny. So, Lou, I think I got to take care of this problem. And he knew way more than I ever believed. You're trying to hide a little bit, and that's what you do, and sneak around and do your thing. It's part of this problem. And he knew way more than I ever believed. You know, you're trying to hide a little bit, and that's what you do. And sneak around and do your thing. It's part of the game. You know, I remember one time coming off a plane in Montreal.

I'll never forget. Getting on the plane Thursday, you know, no sleep. Going out Wednesday night, Lou knew exactly what was going on. Because, you know, he didn't say nothing to me, but he was burning a hole through my suit. You probably stunk. Obviously, that might have something to do with it.

And you had no teeth. You mean the mouthwash and cologne didn't work? But you think you're fooling everybody. And don't get me wrong, there was other guys too, probably, but no, I was overboard. Didn't say anything to me though but i can feel it i'm nervous so nervous going you idiot slept all the way in the plane good night sleep that night play the canadians

we win 5-1 i think i was third star and i'd never been a star in montreal that was another another dream of mine since young i used to say in the dressing room, my gregarious personality with the guys, they loved it. I'd say it for a year straight. I have to hear the twice. The third star is selected by hockey night in Canada. Ken down.

I didn't want to be first. Had to be third. Cause I loved that. I used to watch hockey night in Canada. Watch the Canadians growing up. Sure enough. It, it happens. And, uh, I think it was in the, it was in Canada, watch the Canadians growing up. Sure enough, it happens.

And I think it was in the new arena or the old form. I can't even remember because it was right around early in Lou's tenure. So sure enough, 5-1. Now I'm hooting and hollering, having a good time on the plane and thinking everything's swept under the rug. Lou's going to forget about it. I performed. I performed.

I had a great game. Get off the plane. It's 1.30 in the morning. Kenny, step in my car, please. I went, oh. Gives me the old finger. I go, oh, no. What now?

He goes, he's going to. So I said, what story am I going to come up with now? He goes, I'm going to keep this brief. And he's an intimidating man when he gets angry. You know, so horrified again i had such respect for i have such respect for him he goes i know where you were wednesday i know how late you were out he says god damn i don't know how you performed to that level the month but if we lost that game you were gone like whether i was really going to be gone, you know. And he was adamant.

And I remember it and sitting in that car. And then I would tighten the boot strings a lot. And then I wouldn't go out for a month. Wouldn't drink. Because I did have that fear. Because I did have the respect to Lou. Because I did love my team, you know. And I had to be part of it.

And now I know I'm playing with fire a little bit um and that was just before 97 and then that's when i went away and now that was on their timeline the league who had you know the base the program they had in the nhlpa yeah but everything's still hushes but i was the first guy actually they had a couple guys that were in you know i got that going for me we joke about it with my buddy dan cronin who's still high stress. But I was the first guy, actually. They had a couple guys that were in. I got that going for me. We joke about it with my buddy Dan Cronin, who's still involved in national hockey. And I still talk to him. Great guy. I thought they were always out to get you, so you got to sneak around.

And you're trying to hide things along the way. And it was different back then because I don't know if they handled it perfectly at all because I always thought I just didn't want them to hurt my career. But then I went away, and now it's their timeline. Now it's a three-month thing. I go away for a little longer than I wanted, but I really said I got to get an earnest effort at getting this thing right. And sure enough, I was like fifth in the program all time of this new program they had. Dan still talks about it.

You're fifth on our charts. We have all the charts, but first to go public. I was the first because it was in season. But Lou always said to the media, leave of absence. So he would not tell why I'm away. But put two and two together, I'm sure it was pretty easy. So now I'm ready to come back, and Lou still wants to wait, wants me to skate more, wants me to bide my time.

I'm a month back, and I'm losing my marbles. I'm frothing at the bit. i'm like a caged lion i'm sober i'm ready to play i'm and he keeps holding off and so i you know the owner john mcmullen got involved a little bit and everybody said doc we called him doc mullen i said i'm ready to play i'm so and he got lewin van luces well it's my timeline we'll all do it and loose Lou says, well, Mr. McMullen goes, I'll never forget it. I was like this, but, and he gave Lou carte blanche.

He had the say of everything because Lou ran everything soup to nuts the ship because he was doing so good, but Doc says, you know, I'm going to side on Kenny's, I'm going to be on Kenny's side a little bit here lou i could feel the steam coming from lou's head you know and eventually it was on lou's timeline but doc was sticking up for me kind of saying for the owner yeah yeah he goes i've never overruled you ever

he says but let's think about this one you know kenny's my guy you know kind of a deal he's been here since day one he's been there for us and you know and lou goes nah but you know it's his responsibility blah blah and he was right lou is lou was the tough the tough uncle doc was kind of a good cop good cop bad cop kind of thing but lou was a perfect balance because he he was real hard on me he had to be he wouldn't enable me, yet loved me, loyal to me, knew I was – I had to be – he needed me to be successful in my role. It's nice to not be treated like a piece of meat. Piece of meat. Especially in an industry where a lot of times that's kind of the case.

I look back. I take none of that for granted. And now the organization – that's why I mentioned the owners today and everybody today in the organization, they treat me like gold. Jeez, I'm starting to like Lou. Yeah, he just hates us. I mean, I could see why you played this long, Dan, and I'm sure people are listening. It's just the guy that loved the game, was loyal to everyone around him,

and it's no surprise at all, honestly, getting to know you. And now you can catch us smoking stogies before games. Stogies, that's my only advice. So I wanted to say to you guys, if you possibly have any, you know, you've got a lot of listeners, a lot of followers, any cigar guys out there, those damn things get expensive. All right, somebody out there. Somebody out there.

Who wants to give me a send-down of some stogies? Oh, I thought you were starting an ad read. No, no, no. I said, let's go. No, I'm trying. You guys get me a cigar dealer. It would save me on... All right.

I'm working on Dreisaitl's cologne and a few other things. So we'll have to get under the cigar. But you know what? Long story short, took me... It's never a long story short, but it took me that. I went away in 97. Best thing that I did again, Se planted, stayed sober for about 15 months that time and started to indulge again.

Couldn't believe it, but my heart was in the right place. You were trying, man. Trying my heart out. Then again on my own, I'd stop for another eight months. And then 2003, for most of the year, somehow just doing the right thing, stayed sober. Then 2003, my last game, a game seven. What better way to go out than go out on top?

I want to say I was watching it. Were you not balling on the bench? Peluso was. No, that was 95. Peluso was balling. No, I wasn't balling, but I was just. Did you know that was it? That was it because I hadn't played.

My roll had diminished. I hadn't played the first six games.... Did you know that was it? That was it because I hadn't played. My role had diminished. I hadn't played the first six games. Yeah, you're a healthy scratch the first six games in the finals. And played every playoff game going into that year. In devil's history. In devil's history. Pat Burns, God rest his soul. We had a love-hate relationship.

We didn't see eye to eye always. Well, you were going out kind of, right? I mean, you're a little older. Yeah, and I got it. Now I reflect coaches have tough decisions to make. But it was just the way it was handled at times. And I played the first, I don't know, first, I don't know, maybe eight, nine games of the playoffs.

And the streak was a streak. It is what it is. Lou had mentioned to me I might be in it. We need everybody. I know you need – I've already learned. I'm experienced. I'm better to know. We need everybody. I know you need. I've already learned. I'm experienced. I'm better to know. You need 26, 27 guys to win cups.

I realized where I was at in my career. It was just the way I handled it. And I was hot because I'm still a competitor. If I look back, no, I didn't handle it perfectly either. But, you know, some things were said in the paper that I didn't have a good game. We played the Bruins. We're up three games to none say and then we he's gonna sit me out game four and i was pissed because i didn't we just won three in a row just won three in a row you could maybe do and i knew

i might be out and and then there was things that was miscommunicated there was well he didn't have a very good game in game four and so me and pat went at it and he's a tough hombre too and lou heard us screaming in boston like at each other like i i still had that fiery temper but lou loved that i had to really get in between us media hadn't gotten there yet blue didn't want to make sure any media side but that's what we loved about our team because we we could go at each other whether it's coach the players because we cared we wanted to win i didn't want for the right reasons pat was probably right to at the time to sit me. But I was angry because we just won three-nots.

And you're saying, how bad could I have played? We shut them out. You know what I mean? Yeah. I wanted them to take the high road at the time and just, you know, we're sliding guys in. But anyway, and what transpired, it was miscommunication, Pat, with the media and Pat as well.

And, you know, we all get our egos involved. So I sit and I told Lou, I said, Lou, I understand this. I'm angry. I should be angry. But, you know, we had Trevadosky. He was a good young talent. And I ended up loving the kid. So then I sit.

Then I come back game five. We close out the series. I'm not saying it was because of us. Then the media got all over Pat. And then that even got him angry. See? You take him out, you put him back in, and we win. So it was like that karma thing.

And I understood because he was a fiery guy just like me. Same personality and a great coach. So I start playing all the other series. Then we play Ottawa. Who has the best team? We weren't the best team that year, certainly not in the regular season. They won the President's Trophy. This was going to be a tough series.

Eastern Conference Finals. I play the first few, sit a few. I'm okay with that. I get it. You know, we're keeping everybody fresh, and I'm a rolesman. So we're up 3-1. They come back, make it 3-3. He puts me in game 6-7.

I play 6-7. Or, no, it was 3-2. He puts me in 6-7. Win at winning the series so now I think I'm starting Stanley Cup finals for sure right I can play against the best team in the league game six and seven well certainly you're gonna let me fall in game one before or change things up but it's matchups it's things he informs me before the Stanley Cup finals you know Kenny you're gonna sit And I was devastated.

But understood it. I was okay because – but I'm stood on. And Lou goes, please, Kenny, be – you know, I said, you know, Lou was being really good to me, you know. Because he got where I was. I said, Lou, you know who I am. I said, I want to win. And I will lead and I will not – I will say the right things to the press,

do the right thing. I just want to win now. And then I made sure I grabbed Trevodosky, and he still tells me the story, which he respected so much. I didn't know he heard. I took him into the trainer's room and grabbed him and said, Trev, do you see me going crazy? Because I could see he was a little fearful because he knew I was such a fiery guy

because he was going to start the Stanley Cup Finals said trev you go play your you know what off play your heart out you're a hell of a player this is not against you bud if you see me angry i need we need you you're loose said to me four years after goes kenny i was there for that i heard was around the corner he says says, that showed me leadership. And I say this humbly. I'm not patting myself on the back, but I was already at that stage. I just wanted to win. I embraced my teammates.

I knew it. His anger is I was not playing. So he plays the first few. I'm staying ready, thinking I'm going to get in. We win the first two. I know I'm not going to get in. We lose the next two in Anaheim. All right, I'm in game five.

Game five, I'm in for sure. Sure enough, he tells me I'm in I know I'm not going to win. We lose the next two in Anaheim. All right, I'm in game five. Game five, I'm in for sure. Sure enough, he tells me I'm in, so I'm disappointed. But I'm not still honest. You know, let's just win. We win game five, three-two, game six, so I definitely know I'm not going to be in. And I already reside in the fact let's just win. I've won cups.

I was part of it. I just wanted guys that had never won the cup to experience winning a cup because there's nothing like it. And game six we lose. Game seven, I'm already decided. In fact, I'm done. I haven't played in two weeks. One game in between, the long travel from Anaheim.

We don't take the red eye. I leave the next morning because it was a Wednesday in Anaheim. Friday night, game seven in New Jersey. Landed about seven at night. Stay at the hotel in Jersey. Team meal. We're ready to walk in. Team meal.

Pat Burns grabs me. Says, Kenny, can you come here for a minute? I hadn't talked to him in two weeks, you know, basically. He's focused on the team players. I'm not playing. I'm one of the black cases. I'm working my tail off just in case. But I'm already resided.

No, no, no. This is good. I'm one of the black cases. I'm working my tail off just in case, but I'm already resided. No, no, no. This is good. I'm content. He takes me, grabs my arm, and goes, you're in tomorrow night. Don't tell anybody. Walks away. That's all he said. Six words.

You're in tomorrow night. Don't tell anybody. Didn't want me to tell the press. And walked away from me. I'm like going, like I'm stunned. Tears in my eyes like I'm a rookie then I'm going call my best buddy, call a family member

I go, you're not going to believe this he goes, you're in tomorrow night you're in tomorrow night, I go, how the hell would you know, I go, because I had no idea, and now I think he's making the wrong damn decision, and I was dead serious I said, there's no way I should be in tomorrow night

two weeks I haven't played it's game seven i'm thinking like a rookie i'm thinking like i've never played my buddy my good buddy charlie cuspino goes i've known dear friend for 28 years goes kenny it's like riding a bicycle you've played in every big game in this team's history. You've played 1,283 hockey games, and you're nervous? Are you crazy? So he kind of had to relax me. He says, he's doing it for a reason. Well, apparently, game 71, every little intangible, and I knew I think I played just under about 11.53 of ice time.

But I just don't want to make a mistake to cost us the Stanley Cup because the guys haven't won the Cup here. That was where my head was going, regardless of the experience, regardless of how long I played. Yeah, then before the game, I was my old self and loud in the room and getting everybody fired up. So all that went away. You know what I mean?

And then when the press did not know, I was just going for a warm-up. And then when they announced right before the game, and I wasn't the healthy scratch, you know, and the fans went nuts. Oh, that's sick. I could hear thunderous in the room, and I'm going, I had goosebumps. I'm ready to cry again because these fans are unbelievable. Like, they were – that's why Pat put me in. I didn't think they'd be that excited, but we're nuts.

First time I touched the puck, every time I touched the puck, they're going crazy. I'm going, shut up. You're making me nervous. Put earplugs in. I just want to do my little part. But Pat goes, Pat, after the series, I said, Pat, you know, I knew that was it for me. And I jumped on the glass and was shaking every fan's hand and thanking everybody in family.

And I stayed on forever. And then I went to Pat's office and said, Pat, you know, I know we didn't see eye to eye, man, all the time. And I know you had tough decisions. And I don't give a damn. We just won the Stanley Cup. And I'm forever indebted to you for putting me in game seven when I damn well thought that was the worst decision you ever made.

And he got a little smile. I handed him a cigar because Pat was a cigar guy too. Like I said, God rest his soul. You know, you find as we had a big hug, and he's a big, gruff guy and not as sentimental at times. And he goes, Kenny, there was no question you were going in game seven. He says, we needed that little edge. Your teammates love you. They needed to see you in the room. The fans were going to what game seven he says we needed that little edge your teammates love you

they i they needed to see you in the room the fans were going to get a little more emotional a little fired up we needed that little intangible regardless how much you played and he says i talked to scott stevens uh on the plane and i said to scotty what do you think i'm thinking of putting daniel back in game seven and scotty said it's a no-brainer put him in so that's a great story man a ton to me and then I said Pat like I said we wanted to slug each other a few times oh yeah storybook yeah storybook because you know I'm done you know I said this is it this was game seven and yeah I had a lot of fun after that where we were going back yeah 2003 and didn't have to be in as good a shape, didn't have to, you know, stay in that game mode, game mentality,

where I did have a lot of discipline and did respect my teammates and Lou and the owner and everybody. So now the fun began. I was still in the organization, but I'm, you know, a lot of late nights, a lot of craziness, a lot of partying, you know, and it just was off and on. And I was one foot in, one foot out. I already knew what I was. Once you're, I always said, you know, my saying is now once you're a pickle,

you never can become a cucumber. And I wanted to go back to being a cucumber. I wanted to be that to being a cucumber i wanted to be that that heavy drinker that had fun i wanted to be that fun heavy drinker and i couldn't get back to that i just could you know i had some successful nights successful to me was when i got home by two in the morning you know what i mean but it's playing russian roulette yeah because the alcohol takes over and i never knew whether it was 10 at night i get home or 10 in the morning you know what i mean and now you're you're playing for now i don't have as much

responsibility i don't have to play and it was a battle and i not to get too long of a diatribe but when it took so people thought you're still sober all of them. And from 2003 to 2000, what is it, 21, no, it's 10 years. August 9th, 2011 is my sobriety date and coming up again. And I had some stints with sobriety from 2003 when I retired to then, but everybody thinks you just get it after I went to rehab in 97. No, those seeds were planted. It took me 20 years to get 10 years, if that makes any sense, of battling and sticking with it and falling down and dusting myself off.

So I always say to anybody that is struggling at all ever, don't give up. Don't think you can't do it. Because if I could, because I was stubborn as a mule, I'm the guy that if I could, because I was stubborn as a mule. I'm the guy that believed I could overcome anything. Finally, because I asked for help, because those seeds were planted, because I became vulnerable and said, you know what? I may be tough.

I'm not tough enough for this. I can't do it. I had told my wife now,, story back in right around the time, you know, 2011. I had a little incident, things that I won't get into, but that was a turning stone. Like, I was off and on. I said to my, she was my girlfriend at the time. She goes, you know, Kenny, you got to make a decision here. What are you doing? I says, screw it.

I said, I got one foot in, one foot out. I just, I'm not comfortable. In sobriety, I'm not comfortable being out all the time. So I'm going to play Russian roulette. I'm going to have fun because I had some fun. It's not like I sat at home. I was an outgoing guy out. I didn't sit at home.

It's all relative, but I didn't sit at home and isolate. I had to be in the party i had to be with people i had to have the action i'm an action junkie so i told that well something happened that kind of curbed that come home scared me enough and they say you can't get scared straight but it certainly helps you and plus I had all the seeds planted and a couple rehabs behind me something happened to transpire and I don't want to get into it but I go I go home that fearful enough I was going to lose everything my family my you know two young kids that I you know her 26 and 22 now my son goes to Berkeley College of Music very talented

tough school to get in I'll throw that in yeah So he has his own passion, found his own thing. But they needed me at that time. They're teenagers. I'm going, you know, I got to be there for them. My team, the Devils, are my family. You know, they're going to stick with me so long. But the light bulb went on. They can't stick with you forever if things continue to snowball, you know.

And an incident happened i come home and i'm scared enough and a little depressed for a couple days and two days go by and i i tell my girlfriend at the time now my wife i go margaret i'm done it's over kind of had that little spiritual awakening call it what you want not to get more moment of clarity something happened the desire was gone and you know got my knees asked the big fella upstairs i can't man i need help i'm done i can't do this you know i can't go back and forth it's just it's draining and you know i'm not gonna live forever if i continue this path but i believed believed it this time. You think you're invincible? You think you're going to accomplish anything? Because I was able to play 20

years. I'm tough. I fought some of the toughest guys in the league. Did what I had to do. I deserve this. No, I didn't deserve this because I was killing my life. And then when this incident happened, I told her and all of a sudden I told my wife, she was, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.

I've heard this a million times. I said, I won't tell you again. I said, I told my wife, she was, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. I've heard this a million times. I said, I won't tell you again. I said, I'm done. I knew something was different. It was great. So I already had the seats planned. Didn't go away again. Did go, you know, to a few counselors, a few things to help me along, to get me back acclimated.

But the desire left, and then a year goes along, I hadn't had a drink. I was responsible. I was doing all the right things. My girlfriend at the time, we were living together. She goes, like I said, now I'm a lawyer. She goes, you weren't shitting, were you? You meant this. I said, no, I told you.

She goes, you've had no desire? I said, no, it's a miracle. I said, it's a miracle. It just left. I said, because that moment of clarity, and yes, I did get on my knees and say, I need help. I can't do this on my own. I've tried it.

I believe I'm a pretty damn tough guy. But it's not weakness to ask for help. You know what I mean? And now I have had many parents and young kids come up, and any time they want to talk about it, I say, no, if I can help you, because I need to give back because that keeps me sober. And I've not had a desire to have anything. And I'm still a nut, as you guys see, and I have a lot of fun. You need to write a book. You need to give back because that keeps me sober and i've not had a desire and i'm still a nut as you guys see and i have a lot of fun you need to write a book

still you need to write a book and we're uh we're very appreciative we have you know a lot of fans who struggle with whatever it is and i'm sure your message whether it's addiction whether it's mental health health health whatever maybe this is my area where i didn't think i could get it i thought i was a goner i think i think it helps people here when a person of your stature can be vulnerable and everything that you've accomplished. And that's in August 9th coming up. I mean, I'm very happy for you, 10 years, and this is an amazing interview. We could probably sit here for six hours, Dan.

Oh, I thought we already had the interview. I think they have the studio. I didn't think it would be this long, but I want to say one last thing. So when we look back at all that, I mean, it is. It's not a – if I can fight through it, it's amazing because I didn't believe I could. And you got it. Well, this story, I don't care how you weave this in. This is the one you – did you hear the Ty Domi story with me?

No. No. Because we talked a lot about everything, but we've got to have a fun story. So this is at a nightclub. All right. Great way to end it. A good way to end it. We have to tell.

I know this is all over. You guys can fit it in wherever you want. No, right now. Because Ty Domi wrote this in his book, and he had a very successful book. I hated Ty Domi, the passion. He hated me. He was a young kid, though. Always come after me as a young kid.

I was already like, every time I went to New York, I'd go, here comes Domi again. Because I was the guy that would oblige. And he thanked me, by the way, when he went to Toronto, lined up against me. And I was getting older. He was, oh, we're not fighting anymore, Kenny. I'm so grateful that you fought me. He gave me that respect. He goes, you let me get my feet wet.

When I had to make a name for myself. And we're great friends to this day. So another guy. So Mark Messier's with the Rangers, as Ty Dome is. Mark's with me. So China Club was the big nightclub. All the celebrities went. I was a regular Monday nights.

This place was hopping. They loved me. I was in heaven. I loved the fact that, you know, starstruck seeing all these celebrities. I drank shots with Sean Penn, to name a few. Yeah, I'll name drop a little bit. So I think I'm dying on him. He's a madman, isn't he?

Back then. Yeah. You know, we all were madmen back in the day. But that was just one name. Just a lot of people hung around. And they loved me because I was just one of those crazy athlete guys. And I was enamored by some of these guys. So it was pretty cool.

So all of a sudden, a bunch of the Rangers walk in. And I'm the – but Mark's there. So obviously I give Mark a hug. And then there's Domi. And I go, oh, God. Brian Leach, who I love, had respect. So there's a few of them walk in. Monday night, both teams didn't play for a while.

We weren't going to play them for a couple weeks. So, okay, I'm going to have fun. Hey, Kenny, how are you, man? Have a good time. So Ty's with them. And Ty put this in his book. And it's great. So Mark goes, Mark's egging us on.

Everybody's having a few drinks. And Mark's going, Ty, I'm telling you, you know, I grew up with this kid, and I'm older than Ty, about 10 years old or whatever, maybe. One of the stronger guys I've ever seen. Talking about me. And then he goes, Kenny, Ty's strong as a bull. And he was like, built like a fire hydrant. He says, you two gotta have an arm wrestle. I want to put a little wager on this.

So, you know, and I think I was a little more lit up than Ty was at the time. I was having a good time, but absolutely, let's go. And I'm a competitor. I competed everything. I hate to lose at anything. So, come on, Mark. Okay, sure. So, we get a table. The bounce is around. Everybody's to lose at anything. So come on, Mark. Okay, sure. So we get a table.

The bounce is around. Everybody's watching. Ty Domi and Ken Danico have an arm wrestle. Goes pretty good. Sure enough, he beats me. So we do the other arm. He beats me again. And Ty's short arm is powerful as hell.

And I can tell you that when I fought him. One of the toughest guys I've ever fought. So I lose both and I'm angry. I'm pissed. Well, I... And you that when I fought him. One of the toughest guys I ever fought. So I lose both and I'm angry. I'm pissed. Well, I... And you're drunk. Not very... Yeah.

Lit and not very smart. I grab him. I say, massive headbutt. Now, who's going to headbutt Ty Domi at the time? I'm pretty crazy and have a pretty hard head. That might be the hardest head in the history. He's a ram. Now, I do it again.

I'm angry. It's an all-out brawl. Punches are starting to get thrown. Hey, Marcos, you, like the parent up top going, you two idiots, stop. Bouncer's getting it. He goes, this was a friendly arm wrestle. Yeah, they're usually really friendly.

Angry at all this. And we totally settled down right away. I go to practice the next day because he heard from our trainer. I got a goose egg sticking out of my head. The welt on my head from headbutt and tie dome was ridiculous. And I had a $100 bet with him that wasn't paid that night because i ended up leaving sure enough we play him two weeks he's just type when he's where he's just can't believe it danico sends a envelope down with the hundred dollar bill and with from a one of the trainers because i had to i had to pay up i lost so angry so here's the

china club there's actors there there's other celebrities there there's the these two young dumb hockey players are headbutting i look back and i go i can't believe i really did crap like that but it's great it was fun at the time yeah yeah can it just it's hard to fathom because i'm such a different person today you know but i laugh at it and when my buddies go out to drink say does it does it bother you when we drink around he said you guys can drink around me all night i spilt more than you guys drank yeah have at it and i'm glad you can do it successfully yeah i said i wanted to be that well i'll tell you what i couldn't we're gonna line up we're gonna line up a rematch with

ty and we're gonna get that arm wrestle oh boy i'm gonna start cranking the weights buddy make sure you tell me about two months advance so I get to the gym a little bit more. Because apparently I found out Ty had never lost an arm wrestle in history. And he probably still has. His forte. And we're still in touch. But he put that in his book, so I'm not telling anyone at school. He spins it that he hammered me. No, they were good matches.

There we go. But I lost. Yes, I lost. There we go. Well, Dano, thank you so much. I know you actually wanted to mention your latest business venture. Oh, jeez. I had that written down.

You know what? You guys are the best. No, like I said, it's very brief. Yeah. Because I'm really excited about a new venture, a new technology platform that's connecting fans and players. So just go to our website, signed.com, S-I-G-N-D.com. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook and at signed, S-I-G-N-D slash lower slash official for the launch details and legendary giveaways.

Now, I want to say this, and I read that because I have to look at everything. It just started, and I'm real excited about it. I've had a lot of things that I've gotten involved with over the years, but this is something where I was at a little function, and we did a little advertising for it. The great Larry Holmes, the champ. O.J. Anderson, who's one of the brains behind the operation. Super Bowl MVP. Many more.

The entertainment world. It's going to be pretty cool. Nice. I hope it takes off, but it's coming out soon where the fans really get to interact. Memorabilia is involved. Personal messages. It's going to be – it's something I look at. A new Facebook.

It could be fantastic. Don't forget the small guys. Their homework. But I mean, we go – I can't remember the names because I'm so bad at it. But from – what's the group I'm looking? Wu-Tang Clan. Oh, okay. All right.

Now we're up. This is the plethora of – I wouldn't have guessed them in a million years. And wonderful guy. Nice. Method Man? No. Name the Method Man? No. Name the baby something face.

Ghostface Killer. Ghostface Killer. Yeah, yeah. And I apologize to Ghostface. This is the first time I met him. Loved him. But they're all involved in this. And it's pretty neat.

Nice. Maybe you'll get a verse on that. The younger generation got it. But what an awesome person. I can't believe you knew. Ghostface. And I apologize to Ghostface because he was a great guy. Won't forget again.

Thanks, fellas. Unreal interview. Thank you so much for your congrats on everything. Really appreciate it. And congrats, more importantly, not the Cups, but August 9th coming up. Ten years. Very happy for you. Thank you, man.

Thank you. Great being on with you guys. Had a lot of fun. Our pleasure, Ken. I want to send a huge thanks to Kenny Danicoico he came in studio met us uh about a month or so back i think it was g unreal storyteller this guy i mean he didn't have high prospects like he said coming up and ended up with a 28 career all at the same team a legendary career great guy and easy for you guys too there nice and easy yeah man yeah he kind of like wind him

up and watch him go yeah he uh he had some had some notes there, but he, it was incredible. The stuff he knew off the top of his head. So great having him. And now we've got a couple more coming up, but we did mention Scott Gomez part two is going to be coming in a few weeks. Absolute classic. That guy is. And also former Canadians goaltender, Jose Theodore, a fantastic interview with him coming as well. So plus a couple other names that we haven't thrown out there yet.

So got some good stuff coming to hold you over until the next season starts. But in the meantime, I want to tell you about Sezzle. Sezzle is a buy now pay later solution that allows you to get what you want today while paying for it over time and for interest repayments over six weeks. Sezzle is now available at the Boston Sports Store and more than 35,000 exciting stores in the USA and Canada. There are no hidden fees and no credit check if you pay on time with zero impact to your credit score. Sezzle is easy to use, offering instant approval decisions

with no long forms to fill out. Just sign up and get an instant approval decision. You can use Sezzle to grab the latest Chicklets merch like bathing suits and tie-dye NBD gear. Yeah, NBD gear. So go to the Barstool Sports Store and shop now and pay later with Sezzle. Gee, I mentioned the bathing suits. It's almost the end of the summer, the tie-dye stuff.

We got a bunch of other stuff coming. Let the folks know. All right, Thursday. Thursday is the big day this week where we have tons of merchandise dropping. Everyone for a long time has been asking me about these NBD hats I've been wearing, and I've been kind of testing them out for the past month or two. It's my favorite hat. So those go on sale this Thursday. We also have this unisex tie-dye set, Pink Whitney tie-dye set that's also going to be on sale. So get it for your girlfriend, get it for your boyfriend. People are going to love it. And then there's also just tons of new spitting chiclets and NBD merch.

Ryan, this whole weekend, this past weekend at Street Hockey, was wearing the new lounge shorts. He dubbed them the comfiest shorts he's ever worn. So barstoolsports.com slash chiclets. Check it out there, and it's going to move quick, so get your hands on it. Yeah, I love the tie-dye shorts you just come out with. Those are super comfy. I think, honestly, I mean, not that I'm the fashion maven of the show anyways, but all

I wear is the gym shorts we make from checklist NBD. Just super comfy, man. Like I said, I look good when I have to G I just haven't had a look good lately. All right. And those, and those pink Whitney tie dye shorts, like I just said, they're, they're unisex. So like, if you want to let your girlfriend wear them, your girlfriend can wear them. You want it, you want to wear them,

you can wear them. So it's, it's pretty awesome, man. And I'm actually really excited for this job. This has been like three or four months in planning. So we're excited. Good job, buddy. And if you want to wear them both at the same time, you can try that as well. Give it a whirl, as they say. Gee, I know this is like a downtime for us. I'm trying to catch up. There's so many movies, TV shows. What are you watching right now, man? Actually, I know this is like the downtime for us. I'm trying to catch up. There's so many movies, TV shows. What are you watching right now, man?

Actually, I take that back. There's not a lot of movies because the pandemic has put such a hold on on the amount of movies that have come out. I did watch that the new Suicide Squad the other day, and I said I didn't think it was good. And the Internet was letting me have it. I'm like, oh, you're too old. You don't get comic book movies.

I'm like, dude, I've been watching these for 40 years and Superman back in the 70s. Like, I do like comic book movies. I just I put dude, I've been watching these for 40 years since Superman back in the 70s. Like, I do like comic book movies. I just, I put it on. I thought the first half hour was decent. And then it was like, ah, man, this is kind of a shit show. And I just, it didn't do a lot for me. I think what happened was the first one was so bad

that the only way to go was up. And I think people like thought this one, it was so much better than the other one. But compared to other movies, I don't know. It's not because of silliness. I mean, it's a comic book movie. I'm not looking for, you know, reality here. But I don't know it's not because of silliness i mean it's a comic book movie i'm not looking for you know reality here but i don't know i'm in the last 80 minutes of it which is meandering all over the place and it lost me i haven't heard like a ton of great stuff about it i mean i heard it was good i haven't seen it yet but i heard it

was good i didn't hear it was great i've seen a few people online saying it was trash so i don't think you're completely in the minority there yeah it's just you know, you know, I know James Gunn made Guardians of the Galaxy, which I thought was better, but I watched it. Maybe I'll give it a whirl again and maybe I'll see a different part. What I have been hooked on lately, no pun intended, Cocaine Cowboys, the Kings of Miami, directed Billy Corbin. He directed the original Cocaine Cowboys, I want to say, back in 2006. There was a second movie he'd come out with, documentary that come out with.

And then this is a six-part documentary series about these two guys the kings of miami they were basically you know late teens early 20s started selling cocaine when it was all the rage over the country and i mean these guys had a billion dollar empire and it goes wait did you say two teens they were i think they were late teens when they started like i think they were in high school and they started selling it and then you know into the early mid-20s they I mean, they were bonafide kingpins. I mean, moving like tons and tons of like literal tons of cocaine every week, the amount of money and like product is absolutely staggering when you see the videos, but it's an interesting history of Miami too. Sort of like the original cocaine Cowboys. Like when you look at the skyline of

Miami in the seventies, Mike, there was a few buildings, but it was like nothing. And then all this like illicit money came in and you know, it made Miami the dazzling place it is today. Like South Beach wasn't even really a thing like in the early 70s. And because all this money and cash and pizzazz sort of built up Miami over the years. Where did that come from, though? Was that was that from the drugs, like the money and stuff? Oh, 100 percent. I mean, I'm sure there's probably a statistics. But I mean, there's probably half of the sky i mean i'm sure there's probably a statistics in but i i mean there's probably half of the skyline i mean it's probably financed by illicit money over the last one years get the fuck out of here so much coming in when you watch this documentary

you could see why when when two guys are making this much money and i mean everybody else working for them and that's only two people in one city you can't imagine like other states other places just how much like how much blow amer was doing back in the eighties, which is, which is probably the real obscene thing of this, but I'm happy. What did you, what, what movie did you say? I mean, not movie, what magazine did you say there was like, it was on the cover of the magazine. Some got someone doing cocaine. Oh, it was like a bowl of cocaine. It was time. It was time magazine, which I know it doesn't have the cache.

It used to, but it was, it was a cocktail glass full of cocaine. I want to say 1980, and it was like, is cocaine bad for you or cocaine dangerous or something along those lines, showing how ignorant people were about just how bad it was eventually going to get for people. But, yeah, it was just a potty drug for rich people that exploded, and then everybody in this system was doing it, seeing back on the day. And yeah, these two guys, man, they made a bundle off it. I haven't finished it yet.

I'm about, I think, halfway through. But I've been watching that. And then I finished on HBO Sunday night, The White Lotus. I've talked about it on the show a couple of times. It's a lot of high praise, a lot of high praise for that show. Yeah, it's a funny little show. It's about six episodes long. It's about this rich people's resort out in Hawaii

and all the interactions between the staff. It's like a social satire. The guy I think I mentioned before, Mike White wrote it. He wrote School of Rock, Orange County, a bunch of other stuff. Brilliant, brilliant writer. It's just like a slow comedy type show. It's just nice and easy for you. Yeah, you realize the first scene of the first episode that they show up a

coffin while getting loaded into a plane. So you right away, you know, from the first two minutes, somebody dies. So that's kind of like lingering over the whole show. And yeah, it's just kind of,

like I said, it's like a, a kind of a satire, like rich people and the people work around them. And I got a kick out of it. I thought it was very entertaining, very well-written. So if you have,

you know what I saw this week was, and I loved it because I was pretty young when this happened was the Malice at the Palace documentary. I don't know if you've seen that on Netflix, but holy shit, that was fucking insane. And I had no idea that it escalated to that level. And I didn't even know that the guy who who launched the beer to start the whole thing, he wasn't even the guy that got bum-rushed. Yeah, it was like slap shot when they go, and is this the guy? He's like, yeah, that's him.

And they beat the guy who didn't even throw the keys on the ice. Yeah, I did catch it. I thought it was very good because they had all the principles involved talking about it, and you didn't realize how easily that could have been avoided. I mean, that guy throwing that drink, it was like a grenade that set everything off. And it was crazy because like Ron Artest said,

like he had stepped away to sit on the bench because like his meditation coach told him, like take five seconds to cool down. And while he's cooling down, some dude just launches a beer on his head. It's like, yeah, well, he did lay on the scores table. Not exactly. Yeah.

Which was unusual. But still, the guy who threw the thing was that was that made it out of control. And then like those idiots, like the two guys who ran down the bench and they're like, oh, somehow we ended up by the bench. It's like, yeah, assholes, you walk down there and fucking try to start a fight with NBA guys. And lucky didn't get your face broken. And he squares up to like right when right when our test looks at him, he like he squares up. So it's like, dude, come on. You were going down there for one reason and one reason only, and that was to start shit. And then, well, that was the guy who Artest slipped,

but the other guy was the one in the interview who Jermaine O'Neal punches, and he was trying to play the victim. It's like, buddy, you're down on the floor during the game. You shouldn't be anywhere near there, especially what was going on. Dude, imagine if O'Neal connected there. Yeah, yeah exactly probably would have busted his face and then even when they're coming off the court all the shit people are throwing them i hadn't seen a lot of that video before it's just it was just a crazy time and then the way the nba reacted after was kind of somewhat of an overreaction and you can't trust this way anymore and it was like uh just like so

shocked to see the the public public outcry against the players. And like, obviously, the players, there's no reason the players should ever go into the stands. That's obviously unacceptable. But like the fact that everyone was against the players just kind of blew my mind. Yeah. And I like to like it was like, you know, O'Neill, Stephen Jackson and I test like three guys are a little bit out there, too. I think one of the players like you do this stuff. Shit might happen. I forget who said I little bit out there, too. I think one of the players was like, you do this stuff, shit might happen. I forget who said, I'm paraphrasing, obviously.

And then even like Reggie Miller, he was like the old veteran kind of from an old school guy, a different mentality from these guys. And, you know, you could see the heartbreak in him because the paces were goddamn good. I mean, they were. That was his final season, wasn't it? I'm not sure if it was,

but it was definitely one of his final shots to be a contender. I mean, and they were going to be a contender that year and that kind of torpedoed their season so you kind of got the reggie miller heartbreak not that i was a big reggie miller fan when he played but it was you know kind of he kind of represented sort of the old school you know he goes back to the bird jordan oh yeah and to have him like guys let's just play fucking basketball here and it didn't play out that way so good call on that one gee that was enjoyable as well but i got a bunch more man i don't want to watch old movies old shows but i'm gonna bury myself in my roku for the next few weeks and catch up on some stuff throw a blog out there all right throw a blog about all these old

ones because i yeah i sit there at night i don't even know what to watch yeah i got i got a couple couple in the chamber um few recommendations well i probably talked about one here too but yeah i'll absolutely have have a few recommendations come out this week so if anyone wants to to tag along feel free but gee any last last thoughts for this episode before we call it a day or what well two things just one that to reiterate you can buy the merch thursday and two for all those people out there listening to this uh via podcast let's give it a try on youtube you can see the guys faces now you can see the interviews in person. It's actually really cool to see, uh, you guys reactions in real time to some of these stories. So, uh, just check us out on YouTube, just type spit and chiclets in on the search bar and give us some subscribe. And I promise there's tons of cool new content there that, uh, podcast provides

also our reactions to each other when I go say some silly things in the face. I think that's what I mean more. Yeah. Yeah. There's definitely some, some doozies there. So, all right, buddy, good job today. And that'll wrap up episode three 48. I hope you enjoyed Ken Danico and we'll be back next week. Have a great weekend. As always, we'd like to thank our awesome sponsors here on Spittin' Chicklets. Huge thanks to our longtime friends at New Amsterdam Vodka and Pink Whitney. Big thanks to our friends over at Cross Country Mortgage.

Huge thanks to our friends over at Roman for taking care of the fellas out there in men's health. Big thanks to everybody over at TaylorMade. If you haven't checked them out in the course yet, by all means do. And big thanks to our friends over at Labatt Blue. We'll be enjoying those for the rest of the summer. Have a great week, everybody.