Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 366: Featuring Keith Jones

Episode Date: December 28, 2021

On Episode 366 of Spittin’ Chiclets, the guys are joined by Keith Jones. The Flyers legend joined the show (1:07:20) to discuss his media career, his playing career, and some hilarious stories along the way. But first, the guys open the show discussing the NHL’s plan to not send their players to the Olympics. RA also doubles down on the fact no one gave Spittin’ Chiclets credit for the report last week. The guys then dive into World Juniors and some players that have stood out through the first few games. The guys wrap up talking some shows, Mario Lemieux, and some Crypto.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 366 of Spittin' Chicklets, presented by Pink Whitney. For my friends at New Amsterdam Vodka here in the Barstool Sports Podcast family, not a lot of hockey to talk about. COVID has shut the league down, but the boys are very excited. We are finally going to Minnesota. It's been a long time coming. We were supposed to go last year, it didn't happen, so the boys are very excited. We are finally going to Minnesota. It's been a long time coming.

We were supposed to go last year. It didn't happen. So the boys are packing up, getting ready to rock and roll in Minnesota. But let's see how their Christmases, holidays are going. G, let's go to you first. R.A., I'm very excited. I've actually never been to Minnesota before, so I'm super, super excited. But it's the most wonderful time of the year. We got World Juniors hockey every day now from here on out.

And like you said, we're going to the Winter Classic, so it really doesn't get any better than this right now. Our World Junior Hockey insider, Mike Grinnell, is going to have tons of facts about Team USA because I've got to be pumping Team Canada's tires a little later. But I'll let you keep snapping around, R.A. Yeah, well, somebody's got to pump their tires. That's why I've got my Team USA hat on right now

in support of the squad for the juniors. But Biz Nasty, how was your Christmas, buddy? It was good. I was a little tired after visiting the family last pod. You guys carried it home, so thank you very much. But it's been great to be home relaxing in Arizona, obviously with the cancellation of games. But I'll tell you what,

I watched every single World Junior game on Boxing Day. It was great to see these young prospects because normally you've got both leagues to follow around. So we'll dive into that. Some other dramatic news. But all is well here. I think sometimes, despite the negativity of all the shutdowns and how frustrated people are, just specifically over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,

sometimes it's nice to be, and even Boxing Day, it's kind of nice to be forced to you know maybe just hang out at home with the family it really slows life down where i think life in general moves pretty quickly for a lot of people now with technology yada yada yada and the way the world moves in general ra i mean chris you've been around the longest back like the amount of information you're getting on a daily basis now is just it's it's insane so it was good to chill out with the dogs and Katie and relax a little bit.

I got more anxiety now than when my fucking parents split up 40 years ago. So it's a fucking crazy world we live in. But any good Christmas presents, Biz? Okay, so Katie, the gift that she got me is delayed. So I don't know. Thanks a lot, Bezos. But I don't know if supply chain issues,

but I'm not a big gift i don't like getting gifts it makes me uncomfortable i'd rather give me too me too yeah it's like oh great all the attention i don't even think i'll have a big wedding because i don't think i can take the amount of eyes and attention like you know this is a guy who has 5 000 jobs he can't take the eyes and the attention what are you talking about? Well, not when like you're, I like talking about other shit, not when it's just like reading my vows. About you?

Imagine me trying to read vows to her old man being like, we're burying the lead here, Biz. You getting engaged, bro? No, yeah. Oh, pump the brakes here, folks. Pump the brakes. Congrats, man. Yeah, you flooded.

You've been ready, man. You floated, not us. Hey, maybe next Christmas. We'll see. But definitely on the right path, that's for sure. All right. Well, the wit dog, the only member of the crew who has children, so Christmas means a lot more, and it's a different thing for you these days.

How did everything go with you and the little fellas and the wife? It was amazing. Probably one of the most chill Christmases I can remember. I think that Ryder, this is his first year really understanding. And so it was, actually, you know what? I'm not even going to say he's all in yet, though, because he slept till 8 o'clock. That's unbelievable. Dude, he sleeps.

He's always up at like 645 to 715, just comes in our room. And we woke up like, where is this kid? Check the camera. He's like passed out. And we woke up like, where is this kid? Check the camera. He's like passed out. So, you know, you're not all in until you're up at 430 knocking on your parents' bedroom door.

Pink Whitney in the crib next to him. Yeah. It's like, so once we got downstairs, though, he was so fired up and like so appreciative. He loved it. I loved seeing him. And then, you know, Wyatt's just crawling around rummaging through all the different uh you know wrapping paper and all that stuff actually i was laughing out loud at that um barstool's instagram like had like dad mode and the guy's laying there and like right when the wrapping starts he gets the trash bag dude i went out and got a trash bag the second i heard a wrapping piece of wrapping paper get

ripped i was right there with a big black trash bag, chucking it all in, like, recycles over here. So my wife was, like, giving me the eye. Like, can you just sit down for a second? You're such a dad right now. But it was awesome. I got Ryder this. He's been into the Mighty Ducks.

So I got him this Mighty Ducks jersey, like the one they get at the end of one. Like, says D5 district on the dock. But, like, he was so fired up dude i ordered the smallest size now granted riders like probably 3133 pounds so it's like i got him the tiny one this thing is the smallest jersey they had it would be big on shack so you know i'm tucking it into his pants and stuff and i'm rolling up the arms he's's wearing it, but he's swimming in this thing. So that was a great gift.

It was just very special because then that day we hung out. My parents came over. We had gone over to my wife's family's Christmas Eve. It's a barn burner over there. It's an absolute bash. And they do the Yankee swap. Now, mind you, people, there's no hockey to talk about besides World Juniors. We're just going to chat about Ryan's Christmas right now, so bear with me.

So we go over this. They do the Yankee Swap. I don't know the exact terms, but everyone buys a present, and then you hand out the numbers. And if you're 13th, you go 13th. But the number one, they get to pick first, but then they get to take any present they want at the end. So the worst number you can get is number two

because you're picking whatever you want, but then you can get it stolen from every... Because you can steal from everyone that went before you. Do you guys know what I'm saying? Yep. Am I doing a good job explaining this, boys? It's like white elephant, I believe, is another term they call it.

Okay, cool. That's correct, Biz. That's correct. Thank you. Plus one. This is year seven for Ryan at the Bascon Family Christmas. I haven't left this thing. It's $50 minimum.

I haven't left this thing with one remotely good gift, one bit. One year, dude, I ended up with a bag of pasta. Another year, I ended up with a sheet. $50 minimum year, I ended up with a bag of pasta. How many bags of pasta do you think were in there? It was a big old bag with seven different types of noodles and stuff. You got angel hair. You got all the other ones. The penne was ridiculous.

Sounds like a great gift. It's terrible. Then I had the pasta was brutal. Then I had a cheese cutting board one year. So finally, I thought this year was my year. had the pasta was brutal then i had a cheese cutting board one year so it was so finally i thought this year was my year i ended up with complete trash again dude i got actually i got i hate to say this we're a pink whitney podcast i had i got a a candy cane of dr mcgillicuddy's which was like at least helpful for my breath but in the end i left again with a brutal present

and now i'm just looking for scratch tickets I would say up to 20 people playing you know this is only the adults the kids have their own that's a last minute gift on the way over oh fuck what oh we forgot to get okay grab the scratch tickets no the last minute gifts the scratch tickets I don't even get the scratch tickets I don't even get the scratchies so it was still fun though I was I I so it's 50 minimum so I bought um what did I do I forget but i added in the the pair of bows headphones that somebody sent us years ago like the big dogs i never opened them oh they're 400 yeah those are nice 400 i didn't know that so that was part of my gift so jesus

i would have done the abercrombie hiding it i would have done the abercrombie dress shirt re-gift from luca the one you wore i would have got it back from luca caputi and and brought it to the white elephant party but uh a couple veteran moves though out there for the parents what my parents used to do because i was an early riser for christmas is i told you guys i was going to be an architect that didn't happen but they thought it was going to happen so they would hit me up with the legos as the one gift i could get on christmas eve so i'd be up all morning christmas day in my room assembling whatever fucking you know train track or

or spaceship i was going to fly to planet zoltan with and with my legos so i don't know how many of you parents out there have kids who like legos i think that legos is probably as big now as it was back then right they've never stopped being They didn't fuck that up, did they? Legos are fucking huge. They're the best, man. That's why that nerd Stephen Che at Barstool, he's the only adult that still plays with them. So he's up with his kids at 3 in the morning

putting together battleships. They've gotten so elaborate, too, man. Sorry, Biz. They've gotten so elaborate. They used to be like Main Street USA when I was a kid. Now it's like build your own fucking Millennium Falcon in seven days or some shit like legos have really stepped it up in the last several years sorry go ahead biz no no i'm maybe i'll get back into it uh me and shay will start a lego podcast at barstool see you guys good knowing you back to the og tricklets um

what was the other thing maybe maybe rider was sleeping in because he got into like that candy cane of alcohol you got. Oh, no. But speaking of that, oh, my God. I had a panic attack Christmas Eve. So there was the, what are they called? Minis? You know the sour, like the bands?

What are those things called? You know what I'm talking about that you eat? They're like the- Sour straws? Yeah, kind of. Well, there was edibles flying around for all the adults but then there was kids there was kids sour things too sour gummies and they looked the exact same like i didn't see them i didn't even know about them but i saw why it was crawling around right there's so many people he's calling around all night random people are picking them up and i'm'm like, what's in his mouth? And I look and I see a fucking sour strip.

And I panicked. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I'm like, I think why we got to go out to the emergency room. He has an edible in his mouth. They're like, no, no. The kids have the same looking ones.

It's okay. I almost had a fucking heart attack. Oh, my God. I thought my freaking year old son was sucking out an edible, but it wasn't. Thank God. He could have called me. That's where R.A. started. R.A., what's it like being that young doing edibles?

R.A. knows how to like. That's what he got with the Playboy subscription, homemade edibles. Actually, here's a question. A bowl, an edible, and a hustler. Biz, what did I do first, have a Playboy subscription or smoke a joint? R.A. historical trivia. Biz, what did I do first? Have a Playboy subscription or smoke a joint? Oh, wow. All right, historical trivia. Let's let this marinate a little bit so the fans can think about it.

I know. You said 13 years old was when you got your first Playboy or was it 11? I was 14 when I got the Publishers Claringhouse application and I legally subscribed under my own name to Playboy at 14. I thought you were 10. No, Christ, man. I would definitely say you smoked weed before that. Yeah, and it's funny, too.

And, you know, I was 12 years old, and I don't want to say his name. I don't want to throw him under the bus, but an Italian friend of mine, he used to keep it in his suit. Remember Sucrettes, the fucking, before Altoids, they were like throat lozenges. It was the same type of tin as an Altoids. And the first I smoked, I was 12 years old. And there was peer pressure, total like, you know, I grew up in the Nancy Reagan, just say no era.

And I was like peer pressure. And the first two times, nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Like I smoked a cigarette. Beat the wheels off at THC. And nothing happened. And, you know, years later, when I was probably 14 or 15, I was like, okay, this is it.

But I was 12 years old the first two times. And that's very common from what I read. The first couple times you do cannabis, you don't actually get stoned. Your body's not used to it. You just squash everything. Hey, he's still making up for those two times he didn't get to feel anything. Oh, yeah. And then some.

I deserve this one. At least you put the rumors to the fact that it uh it stunts uh brain development to rest yeah well i mean listen i know i said i was tall i wouldn't and i know we have we have a cross-spectrum of listeners of all ages and listen i'm you know i know we have fun with and joke about it and and we you know we're users of it it's it's it's a model he's trying to say he's a role model and you should probably listen to him folks well i'm saying you should you shouldn't you know use it on a regular basis when your brain is still developing like when you're 12 13 you know i know we all try things we experiment but you know i didn't become a regular

user of cannabis until i was like my late teens or early early adulthood and that's what i would say to everybody else because yeah your brain is developing and you know it's not it's not a good thing to start that young but it's a good pA, right? You're like a D.A.R.E. officer right now. Seriously, yeah. Fuck that noise. You know what D.A.R.E. is, Biz? Massachusetts schools have police walking around with D.A.R.E. Drug abuse, distance education, with like a crime dog with them.

So back to me ripping a line on Christmas Eve. That was snow. Dude, my last Yankee swap, it's funny, I don't take pot in them at all. It was a family one. And I got the bum draw. I ended up with a pair of like one pair of crew socks and they had a Boston Red Sox B on them. Like they were probably fucking $4 and a $20 thing.

You went and jerked off on them in the middle of the party? Jesus Christ, man. Fuck, that's business role. I was thinking it. I keep those in now. No, I know. I should have known socks. You either did that

or you're still wearing these socks to this day. That's my guess. No, and I never wore them. I had them in my drawer. I was like, whatever. And then I ended up getting tickets October 20. Was it 20th, 27th or 20th? Whatever.

04, Game 7, Yankees. I was like, I'm going down. And I wore them for my socks. I got tickets for Game 7, Yanke socks, when they were that huge comeback. So I wore them underneath, but I couldn't show anybody because I was petrified to get jacked up in the Bronx, so I only would flash them to other Red Sox fans. And then a week later, I was in St. Louis.

I wore them to St. Louis, and that's it. Those are the only times I wore them. Please credit. It's the Schilling bloody sock and the R.A. Jizz sock. They're next to each other at the Hall of Fame now. I don't know how many of you knew that. One's ketchup, though, and one's real jizz. No, I'm just kidding, Kurt.

I know that's blood. If we don't get credit for that comeback by the Sox by, what, next week, RA, we're coming after them again? Oh, fuck. You're jumping the gun. We'll get there soon, you motherfucker. Yeah, in wrapping up everything, guys, I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas. And, Biz, you said that well.

A lot of stuff just sucks right now. But to be around my family and i'm hoping everyone else was around their family for people who weren't we're thinking of you um it's an amazing time to really appreciate what you have so let's try to be onward and upward here that's me talking to myself for this podcast don't get mad i have a new thing when covid comes up i'm disengaging i'm disengaging i'm disengaging That's what I say over and over. If things get shut down, I'm actually going to start, me and R.A. talked about it on our YouTube channel. We're going to do live

yoga sessions. A lot of fat. Wicked a lot of fat. And we're just going to, like you said, we're going to combat the negative thoughts. Just like Rico Bosco blocks people on Twitter, we're just going to block any negative conversation about COVID. Done with it. Breathe in. We mentioned the classic from the jump. We're just going to block any negative conversation about COVID. Done with it.

We mentioned the winter classic from the jump. We are going to be at Cowboy Jack's meet and greet on Saturday at 2.30 Central Time. It's the location 126 North 5th Street in Minneapolis. So again, we'll be there before the game. Another note, Biz, I understand you have a few

teammates for the Chicklets Cup you want to share with us at this time. right, breaking news. Grinnelli, if you've not posted it yet, for the team, for my ball hockey team at the Chicklets Cup, Terry Ryan and Terry Ryan Sr. are coming in. Terry Ryan Sr. will be coaching, and Terry Ryan, who is a ball hockey legend, will be captaining my squad.

That is the first two announcements. We will continue with more. And, gee, we have even bigger news that hasn't broken yet, and we're going to keep that in the holster for next week? Yes, we'll keep that in the holster for next week. But, Biz, we actually do have a word from Terry Ryan right now. Ooh. Hi, I'm Terry Ryan Jr.

I'm Terry Ryan also, except they call me Senior. And we're happy to be the latest pickups on the Big Deal Selects, part of the Chicklets Cup in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 3rd and 4th, part of NHL All-Star Weekend. Senior, did you see any of my ball hockey swag lately? National Championship, World Championship. See you in Vegas for the Spittin' Chicklets Cup. Well, folks, if you're not excited, I am.

We're going to beat the wheels off anybody in the A division. And apparently there's been some barking online with the kids who won it last year in Detroit. Wait, you're doing foot hockey or roller hockey? Foot hockey. Foot hockey. Did you just say foot hockey? That team.

Foot hockey? And that, what do you mean i don't know what do you foot on your feet or on your rollerblades ra i mean i don't know what the fuck it's ball hockey or roller hockey biz chewed up bubblegum nose kid will dust you guys he was you got you think you have a chance against that we're putting in a we're putting in a legitimate team what yes you're putting in a legitimate team, yes. You're putting in a... Zach Wierenski had a team. You guys are all retired.

He's an NHL all-star. These guys... I've made you look like a fool with your Edmonton Oilers prediction. Oh, really? Oh, really? You could thank the stoppage. And if you want to keep talking about my ball hockey team

that you've heard two people that have been announced, head coach who's a fucking legend out east and then other guy who's won a world championship and i believe uh a north american ball hockey championship and terry ryan who's gonna be the captain i didn't know that okay i didn't know that all right i didn't know that so he's a legitimate ball hockey player. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. All right. And he's helping me assemble the squad. So anybody who wants to show up to Detroit and get bent over, no spit, no loops. Vegas, Vegas, not Detroit.

Oh, I said Detroit. Sorry. I meant Vegas. You can go to Detroit, though. I'll be in Detroit. No, but if you're going to show up to Vegas, we'll fuck you up. Bring your toys. Even that guy with the nose like the half-chewed caramel.

I don't think he would show face knowing the team that I'm going to assemble. I mean, you're playing in the A division, I'm guessing, if you're busting out the big guns like T. Ryan. I love how you said a word from Terry Ryan as if Terry Ryan is capable of saying A word. Love you. We're going to actually have a whole different content crew following him and his old man around just to kind of get everything in.

So it'll be a good time. That nice little special announcement. And one of our major sponsors for that tournament, Pink Whitney, I know we always mention them off the hop. I enjoyed some over the holidays, and I'm sure you did, Whit. And we hope a lot of you did, and you enjoyed it responsibly. Perfect segue because we're in between Christmas and New Year's. A lot of time off, a lot of partying, so make sure you load up in the

old Pink Whitney. Don't be a deadbeat and show up empty handed at your house parties and whatnot. And if you've got no parties and no invites on the agenda, make sure you stop by your local joint like my place, the Warrant Tavern across the street. They carry Pink Whitney and your place should too. So stroll up to the bar and order a little Pink Whitney. your place should too. So stroll up to the bar and order a little pink Whitney. Enjoy for the holidays. All right, boys.

Well, the NHL made it official with the Chicklets crew. And again, not myself. The Chicklets crew broke last week. They announced that its players would not be going to the Olympics because of the havoc that COVID has wreaked on the schedule so far. It'll be the second straight Olympics without NHLs. The last time they played was way back in 2014. So no Sid, Nate Dogg, and McJeez is on the same team. Huge

bummer for fans. Patrice Bergeron said he come out, he said he was definitely going to go no matter what. I honestly don't think, guys, the protocol's really scared these guys. I think a lot of these guys were willing to say, fuck it, I'm going to go, and if it happens, it happens. I think that's scared the owners in turn, but again, other guys, Stamkos and Marchand, these guys

have been champing at the bit for years to get there. And Marchand, he was pretty vocal, very pointed in his comments. Gee, I think we should run that one. It's very disappointing. You know, that's something that was promised in part of the CBA when we last signed the deal. I almost felt like they were trying to get out of it for a while, and they didn't want us to go.

You know, there should be something in place or put in place where we should be able to go and experience that. You know, guys work their entire lives. And I know that at the end of the day, they really don't care about the Olympics. They don't make money on it. And that's ultimately what this is. It's a business. You know, and we're an

asset let's just call a spade a spade um you know and and they don't want to risk us getting hurt over there and and uh you know so that's obviously part of it but um you know it should be the player's option to to go play in the tournament it's the olympics the best of the best and if you've earned the right and you've heard the yeah the opportunity to go there um the tournament. It's the Olympics. It's the best of the best. And if you've earned the right and you've earned the opportunity to go there, you should have the option to go play.

So it's extremely disappointing that the players aren't going. You know, again, I think guys have worked their entire lives to put themselves in a position to compete at that level and that opportunity.

And it should be guys' decisions whether they choose to go or not, regardless of what's happening in the world. If the Olympics are on and they're playing, then the best players in the world should have that option. So it's tough to deal with. I mean, he's, you know, flat out calls it like he sees it. Like it's the owners, it's a business, we're assets, they didn't want to risk it.

And, you know, to that point, I think if the owners don't want this biz, just go back to the World Cup, do it in the to that point i think if the owners don't want this biz just go back to the world cup do it in the summer nobody gets hurt the owners don't give whatever we don't have to fucking pause the season it seems like the obvious thing to do one more thing before i throw to you biz uh mcdavid said i do think we need to find a way to get a best on best tournament done at some point here which just reiterates my last point so go ahead you hit it i was going to talk about mcdavin and he said it in his statement he goes we need a best on best and i think that they really need to to evaluate this world cup of hockey that way they can do it every year maybe every other year i'm not how often uh i'm not sure

how often people would want to see that and how much like wear and tear it is with especially a lot of the best players going deep into playoffs. But I couldn't agree more. And then all of a sudden you don't have to worry about maybe taking it into countries where you're going to have to wake up in the middle of the night to watch it. You can do it in North America. If you decide that you want to go grow it and do it over in Europe or anywhere else, you can do that. I would recommend not going back to the split teams. I didn't really like at the time i

like the fact that they did the young guns and then they did the usa team and then the canadian team but moving forward if they did do a best on best go to how many ever countries you're going to put in it um i would assume probably what 12 wit and and do the best i think if you make your own you could even go smaller and i don't think the olympics and and i'll just touch on one more thing the biggest thing and the reason why i would want them to do that is because then you would be able to monetize it to where then you could grow the salaries to where the top end players are making more of the equivalent to what maybe the other leagues are making i think connor mcdavid his skill set, is underpaid, given the rules of the NHL. You're only allowed as a player to make 20% of your team's cap. By doing these types of

tournaments and doing them, in my opinion, at least to start in North America, the amount of money that you can generate through the revenue of the tickets and the ads will keep bumping up that pool so they can elevate this, help me out here, the collective. Salary cap? Yeah, the salary cap, Jesus Christ. My brain's fried towards the end of this rant here. You think that tournament's gonna make the cap that much? I think that in a short window here,

if they were able to execute it in the next two, three years, if they could put it together, yeah. Because right now I think there's like a, what, at least three four year gap here of the players that are going to be repaying the owners i think this would be a quick way um in order to recoup some of that money so they don't have to pay as much in escrow i think it's a great way to grow the game i think it's a better way to have control of it um i i mean different people have different opinions about the double ihf and how

they run things and i we have to get what is yours um i i i personally don't like the i i think it's odd that you know you get basketball and hockey are the only two sports where you're taking uh professionals and using them in the olympics correct i guess you could kind of say it on the women's side as well because they use wmba players and then there's now professional women's league set up where they could also go play um i think given that in i would imagine in the winter olympics at least for the north american crowd it is easily the most watched sport and generates probably the most revenue and most watched thing. Would you say that's pretty accurate? Yeah, with the best on best or that figure skating and downhill skiing from those three.

Yeah, but ultimately it's a big moneymaker for them, and it's like the incentive that the NHL has to send the players over there is that it does grow the game. That's right, because they're not gaining any financial benefit from it. And, of course, the players in return, they want to go experience that. I don't think that that should be taken away from them. I just think that we should definitely at least have that your own setup of the World Cup and making it legitimate and making people excited about it and doing it over here.

So I don't have an issue with the IIHF other than the fact that there's nothing being compensated back to league for them to go get to use the assets other than, of course, they're going to grow the game. we're not, we're, we're, we're going to get fucked if you guys end up getting stuck over there. And, and then you guys are going to have to pay for it. And then we're the ones who are going to continue to get bitched at. Cause like people obviously aren't mad at the players or mad at the owners more so in the, I would say in the CBA negotiations, I've ranted on a while, but I just wanted to touch on the fact that I think it's adamant that if people are that desperate, which I am for best on best, I think that in two in two maybe three years they could already have one of these out of the gate they could make it successful there's tons of times time to prepare for it it would make up for for nobody getting the experience two olympics in a row now and hey

if maybe it doesn't work out you just go right right back to the Olympics and or you do both. So I don't have beef with the IIHF. What I'm saying is I'm in agreement with the owners here where it doesn't benefit them, and in fact, it fucks them, and they never really see any benefit other than the other argument would be, look at franchise value and how much the game's grown. Well, it's like, okay, well, it's also grown in years that they haven't been to the Olympics, the last two. So just to contradict whoever's saying that.

I think my most memorable, as a fan, moment growing up in hockey was the 96 World Cup. It was this incredible win by Team USA. And they got it done in Game 3 in Montreal. They had lost Game 1 in Philadelphia. Game 2, they won in Montreal. They won both games in Canada to win the little final series. It was amazing how it all worked out. And interestingly enough, that tournament, I remember,

I'm 99% sure this could be off, but I'm pretty sure there was a division in Europe for the round robin, which made it even more special. I remember watching Sweden or Finland play over in Sweden or Finland with an amazing crowd. So this was the NHL. Who technically ran the World Cup in 96? I think it was NHL.

Vince McMahon ran it. That's why Canada lost, right? I don't know, but all your points make sense. And it's great because it's leading up into camp. You know, guys who aren't going, obviously, they're going into camp. These guys who do play, they probably get a little bit of a break after when they get back to their NHL teams. The season gets started.

I'm all down for that. And you could tell truthfully, like, the players like Stamkos and Marshawn are the ones we mentioned, and Crosby and McDavid. And these guys, they were pretty upset. Kyle Conner, U.S., he would have made Team USA. He was really – these guys wanted to go. So when it's so easy for fans and media and even owners to say, what the fuck are we doing?

This is foolish. Like, these guys have dreamt about this since they were born. So I understand completely players being disappointed. I was even a little surprised. this is foolish like these guys have dreamt about this since they were born so i understand completely players being disappointed i was even a little surprised that i thought there'd be a couple more guys that would be like yeah you know what the chance of five weeks in china no chance but nobody had that comment and everyone was pretty bummed out so as long as we get a best on best at some point any way we could make money for the league which then makes money for the players and shortens that time i think what you were talking about biz i thought they said in the summer of 24

they would be completely paid back to the owners the players would be that is before all these games in canada are going to have no fans and cost millions and millions a game so that's going to even get pushed back a little further so when you say the league can make money and the owners can make money that's another reason they write might really truly push right away to get this done yeah and i think my comments even on prior podcasts and today make it sound like i'm like ah fuck the olympics no man like i'm you know i'm bent out of shape for these guys too i wanted to watch that hockey i'm i'm trying to look at it big picture here and what's best for the nhl and the league but you know i

tend to try to look at the positives you are going to get to watch the women play over there um you know and that's going to be exciting and i think we're still going to try to look at the positives. You are going to get to watch the women play over there, and that's going to be exciting. And I think we're still going to end up going to the New Jersey Gambling House and doing something there to watch what hopefully ends up being a Team Canada versus Team USA final. Yeah, one of the best rivalries in hockey right now, no doubt. Those two teams hate each other. Well, I can't really say who I bumped into up in Canada,

but when I was up there last week it was a player on one of the former teams and I I remarked her how much I love watching Canada and Team USA play in the women's division and she was like you know you you talk about hate like there's nothing better than playing someone who not only you hate but they hate you equally and it just brings out the best in you so uh it's good stuff but a couple other notes on that uh Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong and Team USA GM Bill Guerin obviously both stepped down from their positions now that there are going to be no NHL guys.

And it literally just came over the wire a minute ago. John Van Biesbroek is going to be the GM for Team USA. David Quinn is going to take over the coaching duties. And Claude Julien is going to coach Canada. That was already planned if the NHL had to pull out way back when. And it's believed that our pal Shane Doner is going to step in as the GM that hasn't been officially announced yet that's been the scuttlebutt and speculation biz all right didn't you mention that to me via text I think you were you're curious because he did it for the world uh world cup last year yeah I think I had asked you

but as far as legit like officially announced that they haven't said that yet but he's probably the odds-on favorite okay Also, Armstrong did confirm the obvious that Sid was going to be the captain. He said he already had three lines and two sets of D locked in. The going situation was very fluid. Sorry, Ari. Quickly. That's all right, buddy. They should have to release the rosters

that they had picked already. Come on, guys. Help everyone out right now. Do it on Canadian television. Just at least cause a war online. Armstrong should just hammer that tweet out right now. Do it on Canadian television. Just at least cause a war online. Armstrong should just hammer that tweet out right now. This was my team. Yeah. Go ahead and put you two idiots on it.

PK Sluban, first left D. Fucking right. Just stir it up. I love it. Oh, shit. That'd be awesome. Well, I mean, I guess a little positive note, I guess. NHLPA executive director Donald Feer said he expects that players will be back for 2026. You know, obviously a few years away, but at least of that to look forward to if we don't get a best on best in the meantime.

But any other things you wanted to add on this subject before we move along to the NHL portion of COVID? Will we still be here 2026 talking hockey? Oh, yeah. I mean, we have to talk about, like, people being all rattled at R.A. for wanting the credit of breaking the story. I mean, did we not break the story? Am I right? This story, sorry. This story was weird.

It was like we broke it, but I feel like nobody's getting credit for breaking it. Do you know what I'm saying? I haven't seen anyone be like, oh oh this is the guy who broke it so yeah what I'm glad you brought that up and listen to the whole me looking for credit no it was always a we thing I didn't get the scoop I didn't get the text I didn't say I because if I did I would I would have tweeted from my account and wrote the blog I was very much this is a chicklets thing someone else in the group got the text it was confirmed so I always said we got the scoop we we we I wasn't me looking for credit it was was us because, and I know people say, who gives a fuck?

Well, you know who cares is people who do this for a living, people in the media world, people who cover stories. Like I said to you guys years ago, like you score a goal, that's the highlight for what you guys do. Well, nerds like me and Grinnelli who work in journalism, that's a highlight for us, getting a fucking scoop like that, getting a story, put your name on it, and the whole world reacts to what you just broke.

And again, it wasn't me. It was us. So that the the point is just you're supposed to it's almost a professional courtesy and i know like adrian data a long time colorado beat writer he gave me props our buddy nhl rumors daily he gave us props and i think people did think biz that we were guessing it was an educated guess and as far as the andrew peters and craig rave tons of respect they have the after the whistle podcast i know a lot of their fans were chirping at us saying they broke it first. Oh, shit. There was a tweet saying that the NHL players, here's a piece of advice. Don't buy any jerseys.

The NHL players aren't going. So I went back and I listened to the podcast. And they weren't claiming it. They were cool about it. They said they love what we do with the fans. Like, it wasn't them. It was their fans. And I listened, and I think it was the Andrew Peters who said,

I'm 100% of the opinion that the players aren't going to china and this is where nuance of the job comes in and subtleties of journal it's like that's not a report that's his informed opinion i think one of you guys probably said the same thing and other people said the same thing on their on their shows i don't think they're gonna go that's different than having someone who's in the the union texting us and saying it's toast the olympics aren't happening take the report and run with it and that's what happened with us so again those guys not any disrespect to them if they if they had put a report out and said hey we got the scoop here 100 would give credit to them i think they were given their informed opinion based on what i

looked and what i read and you know we were the first ones to say hey we got a source here and we put it out there and i think it was easy for people to say oh we know what's happening well yeah the writing might have been on the wall but we didn't we could have just tweeted that fucking willy-nilly three weeks ago not when we did when we got a fucking tip so i'll tell you what that there's nothing i can't even i can't even argue with that point that was masterful um will ferrell in in old school when he blacks out during the debate with James Carvell. All right. I will say I agree with you, but I still don't give a shit. I wouldn't care.

I don't consider myself a journalist, but you giving me that breakdown, I'm like, I'm Team RA, so I will support you in that statement. So give me my fucking credit, bitches. Yeah. I mean, well you there you go you got the text that's what i'm saying it wasn't about me no i was about us i'm just kidding i just said hey is uh give us i don't care what the credit just don't shit on us when we're wrong which is like usually like 90 of the time yeah well well again that's where like the nuance comes in it's like okay i'm saying it well we heard something pass it along and call it rumor boys as opposed to saying,

all right, no, this happened. We're going to tweet about it, call it breaking news, write a blog about it. There's differences in how you're presenting things. And we had it. And, yeah, a lot of people, frankly, didn't give credit where it was due. But I forgot all about it until Whitney brought it up. So we can move on.

Yeah, sounds like it. I had that pistol loaded because Biz. You know that. He's got the, what's the scene from Billy Madison when he's got the lipstick on and he's got his gun ready to fucking, and he's got the off list and he cries. Thank God I called that guy. Steve Buscemi. That a boy, G.

G, actually, I got one more for you. What'd you get Alana for Christmas? Oh, I went all out. Did you? I went all out. We getting another lead here or what? Yep, yep. I got her a nice Lululemon jacket,

and I'll tell you where I really spilt the bag was. I got her Billie Eilish tickets. No way. Those are tough to come by, boys. Billie Eilish is like the it girl right now. Ocean eyes. I got her Billie Eilish tickets at MSG, so. That's so thoughtful of you, G.

And this isn't like at all a shot. Can you explain to me the love for Billy Eilish? It's really depressing. The songs I've heard, like, but like she's there's no upbeat songs, right? I've gone through Spotify to see if I'm missing something. And it is like, wait, I'll tell you the times you think her fans are hard. Ambien. It's the natural Ambien.

And I'm not even like, I know this girl is super talented. I'm just saying in terms of how popular she is, you see all these high-flying, crazy, upbeat music professionals nowadays, and her, it's just kind of like really dark. Well, there's a demographic for that. I would put her. That big a one? it's just kind of like really dark there's a demographic for that i would put her that bigger one oh i i would say i would put her fandom where like maybe adele's is at uh maybe where beyonce's is at i think she's already had an apple documentary done like she moves the needle this girl i like

that is it ocean eyes song oh yeah can we play and i like some slow music just every song i sing it slow and too sad no it's unbelievable but there's a bunch of remixes to it but i mean we can move on from billy eilish other than the fact that um maybe i'll attend the show with her i don't mind her she seems like a pretty grounded individual for a young woman who's had an crazy amount of success in her teen years like i i watched some of that documentary and yeah yeah, her music's probably not my cup of tea, but she just seems like a pretty down-to-earth person who has a good perspective on life for a kid who's a pretty...

She's super young. I'm a stan. I'm not going at Billie Eilish at all. To each their own. All I'm kind of saying is the biggest acts in the world are upbeat, let's-go music. I've never seen that quiet and slow and soft music be this big. That's what I'm saying.

Give me someone else who's been this big at that tempo. I'm really glad you... John Mayer. Who? I think she's like the John Mayer for girls. That's a pretty good analogy. I'm glad you put out that fire with her fan base, Witt, because if you think the fucking Islanders fans are crazy,

buddy, you're dealing with like... I would body're dealing with like Swifties on four locos. Just put it that way, buddy. You'd be toast. We'd be doing the podcast, just the three of us, guys. All right, boys. Before we get to actually the NHL stuff, I just want to say we got an awesome guest coming up in a little while. We did this interview at his farm down in South Jersey when we were in Philly.

What, November? Keith Jones, Philadelphia Flyers. Yes, I'll call him a legend of Philadelphia Flyers. He's been doing radio, TV for the last 20 years. Absolute beauty of a guy. Tremendous stories. Good stuff coming later. Just want to let you know.

Give you something to look forward to while we cover the rest of the stories here. And as you're all well aware already, the NHL's Christmas break was extended by a few days this year. The games ended on the 21st instead of the 23rdrd there were 14 games scheduled for last night Monday night they've been postponed and then literally the NHL just tweeted a bunch more have been postponed a lot more players have been added to the sniffles list since we last met uh it looks like they're going to pencil all these games in over the Olympic break I don't know it sucks it is what it is uh and then Elliot Friedman tweeted that they're going to um formalize some CBA arrangements or exemptions rather, so they can carry an extra goaltender. There'll be an emergency cap exemption. There's going to be taxi squads, and I'm not going

to burn you with all the boring details. But Frank Cervelli actually tweeted some information. He said that the taxi squads are for, quote, readily available players and not salary cap management tools like teams are kind of finding the loopholes last year. Well, they're not going to allow that this year. And there's another big point, Biz, going back to what we were just talking about with Marshawn and the owners. He said that seems the cost for most everything, emergency recalls, taxi squad stipends, and taxi squad benefits will be borne by the NHLPA

by virtue of the player's share. So in other words, the player's share, 50% of the revenue pie, is going to add to their debt. So the players that take on this one, it's going to add to their debt. And I'm shocked to find out. We went from summer of 2024 to summer of 2028, Witt. We're going to be doing World Cup of Hockeys every six months. Wyatt's going to think his kid has an edible in his mouth

by the time the players have paid back the owners. Did Uncle Ryder give you that? Yeah. Oh, God. I mean, the taxi squad thing makes total sense. You can't. This is not going anywhere. You've got to be able to continue to play these games.

Enough canceling the games. Be able to call guys up. Now, interesting enough, R.A., sorry. I was just checking my phone for some notes. I might have missed you saying you cannot call up players that make more than a million bucks. Did you mention that? I didn't. That was one of the many.

There was a bunch of details. I didn't know. Yeah, no, no, no, no. So it's interesting because you can't try to get this guy who you've buried down in the Myers. I can't think of anyone as an example right now. But you got to bring up a guy who's not making a ton of money and not somebody that's down there for the blatant reason of beating the cap. I'll allow what Tampa Bay did last year.

So that was kind of a detail I noticed in, in terms of the fine print. Yeah. I can't think of one guy who would, who would be making big money in the minors this year. Usually there's a couple who get sent down. I know, but we should be. There's probably 20.

Yeah, there's probably 20. Christmas is taking a lot out of me. You guys do the work. What else you got, R.A.? The last game was Tampa Bay at Vegas Tuesday the 21st. And my pal Derek Lalonde, he actually stepped in for Coop. Coop was tested positive. I don't think he was actually sick, but pal Derek Lalonde, he actually stepped in for Coop. Coop was, well, tested positive. I don't think he was actually sick, but he couldn't coach.

So Derek stepped in, and they got the W. So I texted. I said, I hope you bought Vassie a nice bottle of wine after that game because fucking he stole another one for you guys. He's fucking unreal to watch. Best goalie on the planet. So he has good stuff. But you know what?

Vegas, there's a couple teams that I think this whole layoff hurt, and there's a couple teams that I think it helped. And Vegas being one, if you're getting games delayed, it's more time to get Eichel back. It's more time to get more people healthy, and that team looks great lately. So even though they lost that last game, this is a good thing for Vegas. I don't want to take any type of success away from anyone with it,

but we saw it the last time. Depending on how many teams get slowed down for how long it's, it's totally different coming out of the gate here again. Oh, Vancouver is just completely hosed by this where, you know, Edmonton Vegas, like there's other teams who are loving this.

Toronto gets hosed by this. They were unreal. And they got this long. Not mind you. They're going to get Marner. Marner was injured. So like maybe they look at it differently, but I mean, and listen, like you, and they got this long not mind you they're gonna get marner this marner marner was injured so like maybe they look at it differently but i mean and listen like you you look at philadelphia the year

that everything got shut down and how well they were playing beforehand and and you talk to some of their guys and they said after the break they just weren't able to find their chemistry again they just couldn't find their mojo and and other other factors involve like you know staying disciplined fuck you're around the holidays man like that extra few bottles of wine the getting into all the snacks and shit like that like getting out of shape pretty quick is not a hard thing to do and all of a sudden you're behind the eight ball like that so um coming out of the gate here are a i think we we touched on it last podcast there's legitimate 12 teams that are within four points of that first place

spot. So this is, this is very interesting times. And another reason why I'm happy that the NHL is focusing on the NHL. Cause I think this is going to be a real fun race to the finish. Once everything settles down with the COVID stuff. No doubt. And like you said,

that three week Olympic break, I think they can have a little bit of breathing room now where they can maybe where they might not have postponed it a couple weeks ago. Now, okay, we can postpone it. We got this time to make up. Plus, even if they got a run over schedule into the summer, it's, you know, they're only beholden to themselves and nobody else. Bingo. And not jamming all these games in at

the end of the season and then not getting as good of a product either at the end of the year and going into playoffs. So, definitely R.A. with the rest component. All right. Well, we do got some fun stuff to talk to. And the World Juniors started up Sunday night, let's see, in Edmonton in Red Deer. Shout out, Rick from Red Deer, our buddy.

The USA is looking for its first ever repeat after beating Canada last year for the gold. And they started off with a 3-2 win over a pretty tough Slovakia team that got within a goal with two and a half minutes left. Drew Camesso, goalie for the States. He was under siege in the third, but held the foot. Also, Sens fans, they've got to be drooling at this kid, Jake Sanderson. He played over 22 minutes, absolute stud.

I mean, he's at North Dakota now, but this kid was unreal, and they're going to ride him all tournament. Yeah, he's the real deal. There's a couple guys I saw yesterday. I caught at least parts of all the games, and the talent level is just so ridiculous now, but that Sanderson and the entire USA team, they look good. I think it's going to be really hard to repeat, not just because they got it last year. They didn't have

that many returnees, and just to do that in this tournament, I mean, Canada's been able to do it. Canada's a wagon every year, but repeating is very difficult, so I hope that they can get it done. They look good, but Lehman is a good coach, he coaches at providence this guy is seems very dialed in i think guys love playing for him he mentioned which was you know it's it's a little bit of a cliche but the way he put it's true and that like we're not trying to repeat this is a completely different team like i know like the team that won before it's not like that team's back here that's not that's a repeat this is a different group and i i just love this tournament right i think back to the times i got to play and it was just such a great experience one year i played my first year my draft year i didn't play much my second year after being drafted played a

lot that's where i saw played against ovechkin for the first time there's just so many different things that go into this tournament that give me great memories. So I'm fired up to watch. The guy that really sticks out to me right away just after the first day, this Simon Edvinson that Detroit picked. Well, I was going to hop in there and say what's crazy is how big they are and how well they can move now. It's fucking nuts.

That shorthanded goal he scored. Yeah, the shorty goal, his speed. Even at the high school game I went to, which is not even on a level near the world juniors, kids can move now. And I think the way the game's changed, to become a good player, to play in the NHL, you've got to be able to fly.

So now you're seeing, you know, Biz, it's been a long time since we came into pro hockey generations. New generations are coming up where they all fly. So now some of them, right, they don't have the hockey IQ and the skills that other guys have, but there's no slow guys out there. There's no slow guys with sick hands out there.

Chuck and sauce. You're going to be able to motor. And that's what I noticed about that Edmondson kid. It's like, Oh my, this guy's six, six gazelle. They have him in cider, him mo cider and i just detroit heads up detroit fans got their hands in their pants listen to this right now just working themselves over that kid

was a joke but owen power then same draft he is the hat trick it's just the the amount of talent oh we're gonna hop to owen just like that just that casually the greatest defenseman thinking i'm just watching this russian kid misha this stud play it's like i'm just i'm kind of in my own world right now i apologize i was i was more shocked at the fact that a canadian defenseman had never scored a hat trick in a world juniors before owen power and what a fucking debut by this kid just snapping it around. And I want to say it happened after that third goal where he gets that little rush up the ice, and he gets it close.

And he kind of got jammed off to the side of the net, but he tries to go between the legs just like Tomas Hertel did for the fourth fucking goal. So a very special night. He's going to probably win 10 Norrises unless Buffalo fucks it up like they do everything. Canada looked really good. I was surprised I maybe didn't see as much as I thought I would from Bedard and Shane, right? But these guys are young.

They're going to find their legs and catch up to the speed. Very impressed with Cole Perfetti. Did you see that fucking backhand marinara sauce he handed to, what's the other kid's name I'm forgetting? I actually heard Perfetti's name. I was like, he can still play? So Donovan Sabrengo's mom, they interviewed her after, and she was so overwhelmed. She was crying on air and stuff like that.

But that was the kid, that Perfetti, he drew two guys in and just threw that buttery sauce. I think that ended up tying the game. So a big moment for Canada. They play Czech who, they look great in that first period. If anything, they were bringing it to Canada. They were up 3-1. Canada's coach calls a timeout.

They literally score in that next shift, make it 3-2. Everything got settled down. They tie at 3-3. It was a barn burner of a first. But if you're going to take stupid penalties the way that the Czechs did midway through that second period, you're not going to fucking beat Canada if you're going to take stupid penalties the way that the checks did midway through that second period you're not going to fucking beat canada if you're the czech republic they made him pay and and it was the owen power show man i would say the most impressive part of the first day of world juniors though was uh craig button he went with the fucking tupac hologram

did you see that yeah what so he's not on site and they're just hologramming him in so he's hologramming in from the other rink, I think in Red Deer. So he was hologramming to Duffy and Bob McKenzie's thing on a delay and just snapping it around. And the way he was looking at them, it actually looked very legit. But it's not being talked about enough. So stick taps or clicks for Craig Button. He was a star.

He surpassed Owen Powers as the first star day one at the World Juniors. This is actually an R.A. hologram. The real R.A. is sleeping right now. Oh, nice. Okay. That's all those bong hits you took when you were younger thinking of all these crazy ideas. Those two times, I didn't get anything, man.

One last kid, too, on Team USA. Matthew Nyes, Toronto pick, biz. Second rounder, flying around, dude. Like, plays at Minnesota, has like a point per game. That's the other thing. I'm all over HockeyDB Elite Prospects watching this. I love it. Yeah, I was a little bored by the USA game. I was kind of fading in and out.

Canada was fucking, was very entertaining, though. Oh, yeah. Fuck you, buddy. Guys, can I throw a name out there? What? Plus guy. So Jesper Wallstadt, he's the goalie for Sweden. Last year, I said Yaroslav Askarov, Russia's goalie.

Yes, the next Carey Price. In the tournament. I said he was going to be the next Carey Price. I think he was the worst goalie in the tournament last year. So I'm doubling down this year. I think Jesper Wallstadt. He's still a first-round pick, wasn't he? Yeah. I know. I said he was going to be the next Carey Price. I think he was the worst goalie in the tournament last year. So I'm doubling down this year. I think Justin Walsh... He was still a first-round pick, wasn't he?

Yeah. I know, I know. Or was he picked before the draft? Maybe he was picked. No, I think he had a bad world... No, he was picked before. He had a bad world juniors. He's a little too active.

He's very athletic, but very active. He gets a little spazzy in there. So, G, you're doubling down. Askarov did? Yeah, Askarov got benched today for Russia against Switzerland. I'll say this. I mean, Russia has just been very disappointing.

They're the fifth strongest hockey nation now. It used to be like neck and neck with USA and Canada. They were ahead of USA for so long. Hey, my question, Biz, do you have any idea why why are there kids who are in this world junior that were drafted 2020 isn't it you're only supposed to play after once after your draft year no i think it has everything to do with age it doesn't have anything to do with draft because like some like like ovi ovi was a late birthday so he was drafted he was drafted later on now i had another name written down this kid uh

samuel uh helen yes i'm fucking butchering it for finland he has he had three goals in the first two games uh he was drafted in the second round six six another guy who moves pretty good for a big guy he's got three tucks as i mentioned his old man he actually used to play in the nhl he played with dallas christian right christian helenius? No, his dad's actually named Sammy. So his name's Samuel and his father's name's Sammy Hellenius. I think that's how you say the last name. But he was a fifth rounder of the Flames.

Bounced around quite a bit. But this kid I just mentioned, Samuel, he was actually born in Dallas because his old man was playing in the NHL at the time. So another, he looks like a great second rounder, 6'6", huge frame, some silky mitts. So he's had a great start to the tourney.

And he was one of the guys that popped out to me. But you quickly mentioned McTavish. He looks like a man amongst boys. We talked about him. He's got like a fucking, he had a hairy chest out of the womb. And I don't really have anyone else. Hold on, Grinelli had the Swedish goalie.

Oh, I was just saying Jesper Wallstad. That's it? That's all you got? Yeah, I'm doubling down. I think he's going to be the best goal in the tournament, and I think that Sweden will win the tournament if he plays as good as he can. All right, he's going to get the LVP, least valuable player. Chalk it down.

So I do like Sweden, but I think in the end, it's just too tough to pick against canada uh i also like i don't think oh i really really like logan cooley usa 22 2022 draft eligible plays a development program this year he's unbelievable okay so i got one more topic um owen power going back to him uh did you notice the fact that he's chewing bubble gum out there just blowing bubbles having a good time is he really love it you're asking biz have we seen it it hasn't been common i think it was pretty common in the 50s and 60s and then i remember back when i was watching stevie llama who played for the blackhawks rangers always chewing gum always popping bubbles brian noonan

always chewing gum and i think dude you look, especially you blow a couple quick bubbles there, Biz. A couple gifts going. I can't wait till he fucking buries the winner in OT against Team USA in the final and blows a fucking bubble in that coach he talks about's face in line. You're talking a lot of smack for just losing last year and just not even having any sort of issue

with your team thinking you're just going to get it done again. You guys are the favorites, but you were last year too, and you didn't win. So I'm looking forward to another night on my couch where I can wear my old Olympic jersey and go bananas on Twitter. There you go. The final score Sunday was Canada 6-3 over the Czechs. The Swedes beat the Ruskies 6-3, and the Finns beat Germans 3-1.

And then actually Monday, these scores just come in. The Finns beat the Austrians 7-1 Monday and Russia's up 3-1 as we speak over the Swiss. As your point, it's going to be tough for the U.S. to repeat. When you look at Canada's roster, this is from our buddy Jordi Abastu. They have 12 first first round draft picks on the roster in three possible number one overall picks obviously owen powell we've just talked about taken by buffalo last year number one shane wright is the consensus number one for the next draft and conor bedard is the likely number one in 23 so that the idea they have three top fucking

picks overall yeah it's going to be a tough climb for the U.S. Here's my prediction. Bedard needed one game to catch up to the speed and figure everything out, and he's going to just fucking tear it up now. Hey, man, right. There's a prediction for you. Shove that in your hoop. We'll see. I think that Matija Michkov kick, I think he looks unreal.

Do you see that goal he had where he came down the right side? Oh, wait. One thing we didn't talk about was a couple things with Team Russia. Putin called in that goal. It was not a goal by that high-end Russian prospect. What's his name again, Grinnell? Did you just say it? Yeah, that's what I was talking about.

Matija Michkev. Yeah, Michkev. That was not a goal. But according to the rule book I read, it is. He dangled some compromise. Oh, so the net can come off the moorings before the puck is cross the line so if it was going if it's because of the defender if it's his fault the net came off the moorings okay fair enough putin with so the rule seemed a little

crazy like once you see that replay i actually watched i was like wait a minute this is this isn't a goal but then like if you read the rules, as crazy as it is, it was legit. Okay, so maybe there's some logic behind it. Maybe they should change it in the NHL. Now, the other funniest thing, other than the hologram, Tupac hologram by Button, was Ivan, Ivan, Ivan. The Russian kid. Tony, Tony, Tony.

And everybody thought it was a typo, but apparently someone's like, no, no, that's his name. Ivan, Ivan, Ivan. I actually liked the spitting chiclets. Who did that comment? It was when you're trying to, what was it, Crowley? Did you do that? Yeah, when you're trying to reach the word count. Dale, that's chiclets memes.

He's the best. He's a Russian NASCAR driver. Ivan, Ivan Ivan Ivan alright a couple more notes regarding this I know this isn't on the NHL ESPN the usual drums are beaten about TV coverage but the only way to watch this game is if you were an NHL

network subscriber last night was in front of your fucking TV because there's no app for it like in other words you know if you pay cable you get the NHL network or you get satellite you couldn't go anywhere and watch it streaming anywhere. You had to be in front of your television, obviously, unless you, you know, subscribe to, like, Sling TV, our sponsor, or other competitors.

So, in other words, you're paying for this channel, and you can't watch it anywhere but in front of your TV. Like, I don't know if this is on the IIHF or what, but the fact that it wasn't streaming anywhere legally, that's a fucking joke, man. It's brutal. It's 2022. This isn't my fucking thing about cable companies.

This is like the huge product and you couldn't fucking stream it anywhere. Absolute fucking joke. Another reason to hate the IIHF. Add it to the fucking list, buddy. Just saying. But you don't hate them. No, I'm just saying.

If you were to hate them, that's another example to throw on the list. I wonder if having an app, like, does MLB Network have an app? Because they're all, like, MLB Network or whoever owns NHL Network, and the budget there isn't enormous. I don't know, like, to have an app where you could stream your channel, is that, like, big money for the company? I have no idea. They can afford it.

It's like Clark Griswold's wife going to the back and just slipping on the switch. Just bill the players like they do for everything else. That is the best Christmas movie, by the way. No lines, Russ. Without a doubt, the best Christmas movie. Bad Santa. Bad Santa.

Yeah, I watched that, but that's not... Love Actually. Yeah, you can't watch it with the family. Love Actually. Exactly., you can't watch it with the family. Hey, love, actually. Unless you're white, real white trash. Biz, no, we got another reason to get pissed off at the IIHF. They canceled all January events, obviously not including the World Juniors, but including the under-18 Women's World Championships because of the COVID stuff.

The tourney was supposed to take place in Sweden, but it's going to be canceled, not postponed, canceled for the second straight year. And people are pissed off because last year they held the under-18 men's worlds in Texas. They moved it to Texas. And this year they're still on tap to play in Germany in April. And I think the simple question is, you know, why are the men's 18 allowed to play,

but the women's are being canceled? Again, not even being postponed. They're making it work for the men. They're obviously not making the same accommodations for the women. The IAHF said it wasn't possible to reschedule due to league commitments within Sweden. People think that's full of shit. And, yeah, it seems like it's pretty unfair to these young women

who are putting in the same work as the men and they're just having the opportunity just completely ripped out of their hands. Biz, I'll let you take it because you know you're more well spoken than i am but this is the biggest bunch of bullshit i could ever i i can't even believe for the second year in a row the girls don't get to play i don't even understand where you what's your defense of it like i i agree it's complete bullshit now postponing it one thing different country you know different rules different covert regulations now the ontario women's hockey association has stepped up and offered to basically handle everything from

running a tournament perspective if they have if double ihf had the balls to just come out flat say we don't have we're not going to donate the amount of money to provide the resources in order to get this all rescheduled so the under-18 girls can fucking play, I'm sure that we could find enough money to be raised in order get the planes to take them over whether they're even private and just the the teams uh individuals on those flights yeah i don't know what the fucking regulations are going to be by that point but i'll tell you what if they can get it up and running and they can reschedule it to play somewhere else i'll throw fucking 10 grand of my own money in to get it going like i don don't give a fuck. Let's go. Right. I would imagine that it's pretty, a pretty reasonable number to throw on a tournament for under 18 women's in North America and get them a place where we could figure out to get it played. Even if it has to be played, you know, in February, there's plenty of arenas around,

especially in Ontario, where the Ontario women's hockey association has stepped up and said that. So as I said, if they can get it up and running and they need money for resources, I'll throw fucking 10 grand in. If the lightning went tonight, I'll match. Let's go lightning. Let's go lightning. Because it's a fucking joke.

Because it's like, it is. It's not fair. And people say, listen, if you're some person on the other end listening and saying, I don't think women's is exciting as men. Okay, whatever. Fuck. Have your opinion and go fucking play with your toy.

I think that you've seen what the WNBA model has been and how much help they've gotten from the NBA and how much the quality of a product, it's gotten better. All it needs is the money for resources and eventually it's going to continue to get better and better and i am listen when i watch canada versus usa at the olympics and women's hockey i fucking love it these are exciting fucking games so the more more of these young girls playing at this high level of competition and growing the game and making it you know and and eventually growing it and making it more exciting, let's fucking go.

So I don't know. I hope I didn't misspeak and piss anybody off, but I think that this is a joke. Last year they got it canceled. I can understand with last year. We're well aware how to adapt to these types of situations. Let's figure it out. Let's get the money behind it,

and let's just get the tournament up and running. Yeah, it's bullshit at the end of the day. Bullshit day and that's another one of the list of the double ihf wit they're in your crosshairs dude i represented my country in so many double ihf tournaments biz i'm not like you i'm not i'm not somebody that's gonna sit around and chirp people you don't even know i'm not i know that federation i'm not chirping them i'm saying that hey i'm not i'm not gonna i'm not gonna shame them i'm not gonna shame them because they have to follow the rules in sweden what i'm gonna say is why aren't why aren't why isn't the time and energy being put into figuring out this situation like it was for the

men that's all i'm saying exactly and again it's the it's the whole canceled not postponed if they postponed it even did in the fucking summer or whatever, I think the women would be fine with that. But they're just canceling it again for the second year in a row. And I'm not even going to bitch about them about the accounting situation if they're saying that they don't even want to buck up and pay for it. Because I think that if they had the balls to just come out and say that or it doesn't make sense for them,

that enough people would put money in to get the fucking thing going. So there you go. Yep. moving right along we got the best fellows tit fucker moving right along to a few other news notes before we get to keith jones uh the shitty news for our buddy brandon tanner out in seattle uh the team team confirmed that he suffered a season-ending acl injury on on December 18th versus Edmonton. Just sucks to see for any guy, especially when you know him and friendly with him, and he's such a team guy like Tano.

So, you know, obviously we send our best wishes out to him. Just awful fucking news to see in here. Get well soon, Turbo. There you go. Let's see. No dice on a new Calgary bond, at least for now. The Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, the Flames Ownership Group, and the City of Calgary were, quote, unable to resolve a number of issues

relating to the escalating costs of the project, end quote. So the CSEC determined that there's no viable path to complete the project. The two parties would have split the cost equally, one of those private public ventures. But the Calgary ownership group cited unexpected infrastructure and climate mitigation costs. The Calgary mayor countered back, said the flames are the ones pulling the plug, and, quote, on a project worth over $650 million, to have one party walk away for 1.5% of the value of the deal is staggering, end quote.

That's what it was? That's all it was? Well, again, it's a money fight that's the quick yeah basically there's going no sidewalks and calgary said you're talking about calgary owning edmonton you can't even get a rink bro we got a billion dollar fucking beauty slill up north and you're fucking bitching about a 1.3 million in a 650650 million deal. Talk about taking a loss. Holy shit, Calgary. What do you have to say about that, Biz? We're the type of organization the fans will get out there

and help pour the cement and they'll make the fucking sidewalks themselves, man. We're not like all flu-flu needs to sit in the gold section in your new beautiful barn. And if anything, we'll play at the fucking Saddledome. Why are you laughing, Ari? I didn't know.

Because you said flu-flu, not foo-foo. I know, well, COVID brain. That's how you say it now. That's how you say it. He said flu-flu? I didn't even catch that one. Shocker with those ears.

I was shocked to see, though, that Saddledome's the second oldest building to MSG. Yep. That's crazy. That's called character heard of it that that's called uh it's been a dump for quite a while yeah and like good point with that is going to be their home obviously for the foreseeable future at least it's still playable in um i know you got to think something like this if they got this close it should probably kick back up again a lot of this time a lot of this shit is just posture and you know whether it be the city or the private industry, because everybody wants the other party to pay for it.

But if they got this far along, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets revisited. I love that building. It's not the best away room, so it pisses the other team off a little bit. The other team's sitting pretty uncomfortable on the other side. It's an intimidating building to go into. you know what it is too when you're getting lit up like most teams that go in there this year is they got those uh those flames torches when they score they fucking they get you leaking on the bench don't they wit oh yeah it's a it's a great rink to play and i did really like playing in there i just don't i've never watched the game so i

wouldn't know in terms of like like, you know, the fan base and how they feel about going there. You've got to get something done, though. I mean, it's been that long where MSG's the oldest, but they did a complete redo on the inside. Funny enough, they're 4-3-4 at home this year, Biz. So, yeah, they're really lighting them up with the flames at home this year. And, of course, once Edmonton got a new arena,

the value of the franchise went up exponentially. Of course, Connor has something to do with that. But, you know, the property values around the arena go up. So there's obviously a ripple effect with these things. So, like everything else, we'll keep you posted if anything changes. And it's almost time to bring on our pal Keith Jones. Jonesy, all-time interview coming up. We do want to let you know that the interview is brought to you by Shopify.

Shopify gives entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big businesses. So upstarts, startups, and established businesses alike can sell everywhere, synchronize online into in-person sales, and effortlessly stay informed. Scaling your business is a journey of endless possibility. Believe us, this podcast started out selling and today we're still selling and we're not stopping there, biz will tell you that, because success is a million milestones on a forever evolving path. Shopify powers millions of businesses from first sale to full scale. Reach customers online and across social networks with an ever-growing suite of

channel integrations and apps, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and more. Gain insights as you grow with detailed reporting of conversion rates, profit margins, and beyond. More than a store, Shopify grows with you. So go to shopify.com slash chicklets, all lowercase, for a free 14-day trial and get full access to Shopify's entire suite of features. So grow your business with Shopify today. Go to Shopify.com slash chicklets right now. Once more time for the folks in the back, Shopify.com slash chicklets. And now without further ado, enjoy Keith Jones. All right, it's time to bring on our next guest,

a seventh round pick of the Washington Capitals in the 1998 draft. He played 491 games over nine NHL seasons with three very good teams of that era. And for the last 15 or so years, you've no doubt seen him on TV breaking down the games for us with NBC, and now he's raising hell with biz on TNT. Thanks so much for having us here at your beautiful farm in Salt Jersey and for joining us on the Spittin' Chicklets podcast. Keith Jones, nice pad, Jonesy.

Yeah, it's great to have you guys here. It's been a lot of fun already even before the show starts. I'm gassed from laughing at all the stories I've already heard, for fuck's sakes. So I don't know how many we got left in the tank here. We're going to have to repeat them and give them some fake laughs. I pulled in beautiful property, big farm, and saw some donkeys. I said, all right, we're going to have a time. Donkeys are already making some noise.

How many pets you got here? Well, we got the four miniature donkeys. We've had horses for years, but my daughter's got them down in Florida now. So we've got a nice, friendly dog who you met, Leo. He's famous around this area. He will bite, and there's a warning that comes with that dog. Everywhere you look, there's beware of dog signs. I saw the sign we pulled in.

It's funny. Most people say when you go to meet the dog, don't worry, he won't bite. I went to pet his dog. His wife said, no, no, no, he'll fucking bite. She bite. What breed is it because a lot of he's a cane corso or a bull mastiff okay um they're extremely good dogs but very protective dogs if you see one and he's not yours stay away from him he's gotta be over 100 pounds yeah he's 165 pounds nice little lap dog for jonesy he's like he's a bear like when he's coming for you like it's yeah it's not it doesn't end well that's for sure yeah when you

don't want to make eye contact with a dog it's probably a scary dog all right jonesy i don't know if you want to jump into the tv stuff the career for us we guys want to kick off and this guy's got stories galore i'd kind of just love to just to start with tnt right you and biz work together now and you've been crushing it i've been listening to you for years but it must be pretty exciting to be with a new tv station and just basically see a lot of money going into a product that's looking great so far yeah and it's it's a different role for me now like i'm down between the benches it's fresh know, after doing studio for a long time, I'm happy and was real open to trying something a little bit different. And I've worked with people that during game broadcasts with the Flyers where we've had a guy down between the benches.

And, you know, so I have experience realizing what's important about that job and what you don't need with that job. And I think it's important to try to enhance the broadcast, but don't ruin the broadcast. And I think we've had examples through hockey where that position hasn't been used properly. And being able to watch it from studio for years and then also working from upstairs,

I know what I wanted from that guy. And I'm trying to provide that without overwhelming the broadcast and just having fun with it and getting a different perspective from the players down where we used to sit by the benches. I would imagine the banter is not as aggressive as it once was from bench to bench. It's probably a lot more calm these days. It's interesting.

I mean, it's different. When things get heated, the guys get angry. There's a little bit more. But when I played that that place was i mean that was a hilarious place to be and and you were the guy cracking all the yeah because of luckily i had seven guys that were tougher than me on my own team so it was good to be the funny guy back then right but it was uh it's different there's not as much of that interaction and a lot of those conversations that we had led to, you know,

might not have been me personally fighting, but someone I knew very well on my team was going to have to fight. And that stuff is a little more limited than it used to be, which is, you know, it's probably a lot better. But it was a lot more fun back then. I was going to hop in quickly with working with Edzo. Like I knew that he was really involved with like the horse community and, you know,

he knows like any horse that you could gamble on. He gave us the winning Derby pick, give it, gave us the winning Derby pick on our podcast. But you, you have a pretty big love for horses and your daughter is actually still heavily involved, correct?

Yeah. She's an equestrian down in Ocala, Florida. She is. So she's not coming back here. She's on her way. She's 23. Now the big reason I have like four different jobs is to try

to pay for her horseshit. Anyway, so that's what she's doing. I've had racehorses in the past. Edson and I often talk about the horses. We both had a great love of betting on them. And I've had some good luck with some of the horses that I've owned in the past too. So I had a buddy of mine who passed away, was a billionaire, introduced me to a whole different world on horses. His name was Dan Borslow and kind of opened my eyes to this world I didn't realize was out there and was involved in a couple of really good horses with him.

And it's a great game. It's the one that is more for older people than it is for younger people. It'd be great for that sport if we could bring in some more younger fans. But the old boys still love it, and I've always enjoyed it myself. Breeders' Cup weekend. I saw the OTs got the OTV vets going on in the backyard, pool set up. It's pretty nice.

I know it's not going to drop till after. Who do you like on the breeders? You know what? I haven't even looked at it yet because I've been so busy doing other things that I'll look at the race right before it starts and come up with who I like. And a lot of times Edzo will send me a text and say, hey, this is who I'm going with. And I usually just follow him. Insider trading.

He's like an incredibly good handicapper. Really? He can actually pull it out that easy? I'm telling you, I've never seen anybody handicap horses like him. And as you guys know, there's race after race after race. And being patient, picking the right race. The jockey, right? That's how you survive.

Like, if you want to play every race, if you love to bet, horse racing is going to eat you alive. It's like betting a board in the NFL. It is. You're not going to win. So if you're betting for fun, right, it's really difficult. If you're betting because you're a handicapper and you want to actually keep your money and try to make some money, you've got to be

really patient and you've got to wait for your right spot. And a lot of people are betting because they're having fun with it and they want to watch every game and bet every game. Maybe they got Sunday away from the wife and they're going to play all day and you're going to lose, but you're going to have fun doing it. And that's really what it's all about. It's like the NFL. If there were new games starting every time zone, every 24 hours. I mean,

you could bet races in Australia, Japan all night. You got to be careful with that TVG. I would go back to the between the benches for a sec. Like Jonesy, what else can you pick up there other than the audio element? You know what guys are saying? What else do you pick up at that level that you can't see up high? You can see the conversations with the coaches to the players. You can tell when a coach is irritated, when a coach is happy about something. You also gain a lot of respect for how difficult the job is for the officials. You know, sometimes you're looking at a puck over the glass play. Well, there's one that happened the other night,

and I was positive that it hit the other player, the defending player's stick and went up and over. And after the fourth look, I finally realized that, hey, it didn't. There's a double clutch with Kopitar. Kopitar should have got the 2-4 of the glass, but I hear you. Oh, he didn't get it? He didn't get the penalty, but like you said, it was so close, and it looked like it had hit the defender stick where or or the offensive player because it was in Kopitar's own end and like you said it's just like everybody wants to rag after

watching all these replays but it's like the pace of the game no wonder these guys are making mistakes every night yeah that's that's one thing you really see down there and there's bodies in front moving in front of those guys that's a that's an incredibly difficult job that they have so I guess that's one of my biggest takeaways being down there is just because I could be hypercritical when you're covering it from way above and you can see everything or you're watching on TV. In some ways, in some cases, you have a better look than even official that's at ice level. So it makes me back off a little bit on some of the officials that miss a few calls. And it makes you happy that they have replay reviews like we have now. It's important.

You need it. I think it's important, too, because even if you're Edzo doing color, sometimes I found that game to be a little bit boring at times. And getting that perspective between the benches, when you're sitting there between the benches, it could be a boring game. But it's not as boring to those guys. It's not because it's so fast and there's all these different elements to it that then you can describe on the broadcast so i love the fact that they got you in there you guys have awesome rapport i remember there was a broken stick on the ice at

one point and then they were just giving it to you about how that's how you used to collect points and shit so the the banter when games do get a little bit dull is amazing between all you guys and of course kenny albert's a beauty as well. Yeah, and Kenny started doing, I knew Kenny when he was covering Baltimore Skipjacks games when I first arrived in the minors for my first experience. He called my first goal. That's where he started. Yeah, that's where he was at.

And the guy's been everywhere. Yeah. And one of the great things about those days were the reporters and the play-by-play guys hung out with the players. I mean, they were part of the family. You guys, you did everything with them. They traveled on the bus.

He roomed with Barry Trotz. Barry Trotz was the head coach of the team, and Kenny Albert was his roommate. So, I mean, that's how it used to be, right? And then, you know, Marv Albert would show up at a game. We'd go to dinner. It was just an incredible family-type atmosphere that really, at a minor league level, really made you think, this is something I really want to do. And fortunately, I was able to do that.

Because you have your day-to-day with the Flyers. You're doing the pre and the post, and you're doing the games, obviously. But when NBC Sports was kind of lame duck, and you realized that their broadcast was going to be ending, I don't want to say you might've been nervous, but like, how did you get involved with TNT? Did they reach out first and you were like, Oh yes, I got something else coming too.

I was nervous. I really was. Cause I didn't see it coming. I was kind of in the dark about it all. I just thought, you know, the Olympics are coming, you know, NBC's got that. It would just be, just didn't, didn't see it coming. So I was like, wow, I better get going here.

And I always – you know, Brian Boucher is a good friend of mine as well. We played together here in Philly, and he went on to ESPN, right? And I'd always be telling him, bugging him about his agent, you know, who used to be my agent at NBC. I got rid of him. I can do it myself. You know, I thought it was a big wheel. And I'd always be telling him, you're going to wait to that day

when you're writing those checks. I keep telling right well listen I called that guy I need you back so the first day Boosh is calling me he's going how you gonna feel when you're writing those checks you know but I it was Lou Oppenheim and I needed him and he came up big for me but otherwise you know like it's it was just it was a scary moment for me as and i obviously i still had the flyers i still have radio i've been really fortunate with all the things i've been able to do in my career and post career but it's uh i'm real i was real happy to land a tnt yeah you transferred out unbelievably uh okay so we talked about the american league stick but the fact that you brought up negotiating your own contracts weren't you your own agent even as a player in the NHL? I was. And you would show up to the meetings with an empty briefcase?

It's an incredible thing when I think back on it. Like Ben Affleck in – Good Will Hunting. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, suspect. Retainer. Yeah, I was with the Capitals. I was going on my second contract.

My first agent was a guy named Gene McBurney who was out of Toronto. He used to be Ola Nolan's agent. He was a great guy. He had one eye. He used to take out his glass eye at parties and scare people with it. Put it in their drink? Yeah, you just have his socket sitting there. It was a scary thing. But anyway, he did a great job. He is a

billionaire now. He was not suffering after I let him go, I can tell you that. Thank God. Extremely successful guy. Cover the dead weight. Yeah, exactly. And so I told David Poyle, for one reason, this was the end of the lockout year, the shortened season.

I think I scored like 14 goals in the 40-something games I played, right? So I was thinking I was pretty good, right? And Rob Pearson was on the team. He was traded from Toronto to Washington and he scored one goal all year. And Rob Pearson was a pretty good player in Toronto, goal scorer. I think he had 25 goals or close to it. And he had the one goal, but he was making 500 grand. And was making, I was making 300,000 and I was so focused on this 500 grand that Rob Pearson was making that it consumed me. So I said to my agent, Gene McBurney, I still had another year on this deal. I think at 330 and I'm like, I got to get rid of you. I got to do

this myself. You're fired. He goes, what? I go, yeah, you're fired. I'm doing it myself. So I called David Poyle on the phone. I go, David, it's Jonesy. I'm representing myself now, and I'd like to sit down and talk to you. He's like, yes. He's loving it. He's loving it.

He's going to make less next time. So he's like, you know, we got the unveiling of the Capitals jerseys that turned the blue. Remember they went from the red, white, anditals jerseys that turned the blue. Remember they went from the red, white, and blue, and they turned into the blue, the ugly jersey? Yeah, the Ovechkin rookie year jersey. It was brutal. Yeah, that's it.

Yeah, so they were making the switch. It's got to be 94, 95, somewhere there. It was after the lockout. So I go to this event where they're doing it. It was someplace down in D.C., one of the bars, Planet Hollywood or something. They're unveiling the jersey. So David's there, and I go, hey, is this a good day to get together?

He's like, yeah, this is a great day. Stop by the office. So I drive over to the Cap Center at that time. Are you nervous? No, I'm excited. I'm excited. I went to Western Michigan. I can do this.

I can't wait to do it. It's just a strange thing. So I've got a pair of flip-flops on. I've got Western Michigan. I can do this. I can't wait to do it. It's just a strange thing. So I've got a pair of flip-flops on, I've got a pair of shorts, and I got a t-shirt on, and an empty briefcase. So I walk into his office, and I can just see he's like, he just can't wait to see me. And I'm thinking, he must like me, right? But he's thinking, this guy's an idiot. So I sit down, and he starts bringing his secretary in with notes on different players. And he's discussing. He goes, Keith, this is the hard part of the job.

This is where it's usually important that you have an agent to be a buffer. Because I've got to tell you what you do poorly now, right? And I'm like, David, I'm Keith Jones, the agent. The player is outside the door. And he just starts, I could just see his face, right? He's trying to keep a straight face. And I'm like, yeah, this is happening. You know, this is happening.

So he's like, what an idiot. So he gets a list of all the players, the comparables, Bill Lindsey, Travis Green. He's going over a whole list. Michael Renberg, he says, you can't get Michael Renberg money. Here's his numbers. So some of the players he would name, I'd go, I never heard of him. The guy would have like a 20-goal season, right?

Yeah, I never heard of him. Let me look at this up, and I would open up my empty briefcase. There is not a piece of paper in this briefcase. And I would look in it and I would hesitate and I'd pretend I was really interested in something and I would look back at him and I'd go, David, if I played with Eric Lindros and John LeClair, I would score 25 goals. I'd have 30 goals. You know it.

I know it. And we would go back and forth like this through the meeting. So at the end of it, I finally said, David, if I have to make less money than Rob Pearson next year, this is the only thing that's on my mind. You're back to Rob Pearson. This is the only thing that's on my mind the whole time. That was only written in your briefcase. I should have had that written down.

It's just consuming me, right? So I said, if I have to make less money than Rob Pearson, I will not play hockey again. I will quit. And I thought I meant it, but looking back, I obviously didn't. So anyway, he says, okay, Keith, thank you. This has been a really good meeting.

I'll get back to you. So I shook his hand and I walked out and one week went by, two weeks go by, no phone call, nothing. I'm thinking, I thought he was going to get back to me right now. We're in the middle of the summer. It's like the end of July almost, right? I'm like, this isn't going very well for me. So Dave, Dave Poulin calls me out of nowhere. He was playing for the Caps at that time. He calls me. He goes, Jonesy. I go, yep. I was in Brantford in my hometown.

He goes, are you still representing yourself? And I'm like, yes, I am. He goes, you're an idiot. He goes, you can't do that. You should use my agent. His name's Steve Mountain. And he'll get your deal done. I said, okay.

That's how long you lasted. That's how long I lasted, two weeks. And I hadn't even talked to this Steve. I'd never talked to Steve Mountain. I agreed to a deal with him through Dave Poulin. I said, tell him to go ahead and get the deal done. So I get a call like three weeks later from Steve Mountain. And he says, yeah, I got your deal. You're getting 500 next year. No way. So did they rip up the contract of you making $300,000? I got a one-year deal with $500,000. And I was so happy.

So you didn't have to play through that last year, the contract? That's how it worked back then? That wouldn't happen anymore. That's NFL style. Yeah, so I got the $500,000. Now, I'd like to think that it was my spirited conversation with David, but it was obviously – I think it laid the groundwork to be honest with you. Yeah, same here.

He probably respected you for it. Yeah, well, he knew I was not. Like we had so many things that happened in my days, in the early days of my career where I did stuff I would never do again. And I would. Example? Well, one time I kicked the coach off the ice in practice. And I can all say it because I used to ice in practice. And I'll say it.

I used to say it like I was bragging about it. Now I say it because I'm embarrassed about it. So that was the start of this very season. It was like nine games in. I never did anything during the lockout. I was convinced we were going to be out all year. I skated like twice the whole time, like for four months. Because we went out after training camp. So we had training camp. Oh, time like for four months after because we went out after training camp so we had training camp oh and then then we went out and then it was like

four months and you kept hearing it's gonna be a year we're not gonna be back so i took it like it's probably gonna be a year so i'm gonna have some fun jonesy time yeah so i showed up i wasn't in very good shape nine games in the season i'm struggling and I know it so a lot of times to disguise my poor conditioning I would just cause some chaos and get some distractions going in a different direction right so Jim Schoenfeld's the coach and he says hey the the words you never want to hear as a player as you guys know get a skate in right you're not we're going to play the next night I'm not going to be in the lineup right so? So I'm going to be a healthy scratch. So I'm real, I go livid about that stuff. Number one, I hate skating at the end of practice. Probably the biggest part of it, to be honest with you.

Number two, you're embarrassed because you're getting sat out. So we're doing drills. Olaf Kolzig's in net. Randy Burge is on the ice with me. Ken Klee and a couple other guys. There's like five of us. And I take a shot from the middle of the ice you're supposed to shoot the puck skate to the boards skate back to the middle i shoot again

you know you're working your legs but you're also a true bag skate yeah it is those are the worst ones when you got to the puck try to disguise it yeah yeah the hidden sneaky bags hidden bag skate so i missed the net by like an inch and keith elaine who's the coach at yale now and has had a real good career after he uh comes up to me he goes hit the net by like an inch and Keith Elaine, who's the coach at Yale now and has had a real good career after he, uh, comes up to me and he goes, hit the net, you know? And I'm like, Oh, okay. So the next shot I take, I put it like 30 feet wide and I look over at him. Now I'm like going wild, the head's spinning. Right. And I'm like, is that close enough for you?

And he comes over to me and he goes, you you're you're an a-hole i go yeah yeah i am i said but uh you know you're you're shoney's guy you know like it's just i said some really bad things i i wish i could take you went personal i just went nuts about it and shoney was a guy a fitness not coach and he'd always do his push-ups he was in way better condition than i was and they do sit up so I told Keith I said why don't you go and help Shoney I think he just finished his sit-ups you can help lift him up off the ground you know so it's really terrible things to say so we're going back and forth and now I lose it and I go why don't you get off the F and ice I'll skate

the guys and he left and he went off the ice. And now I'm looking around, I'm going, all right, now what? Right. I know I'm in a lot of trouble. So I think he was going to leave. Yeah. And he left. So I started skating the guys. So all of us are doing the suicide. You know, it's the blue line back, red line, black, blue line back. And I've never hustled and worked so hard in my life. So it ends and I know I'm in trouble, right? So come off the ice. And Todd Button was the assistant coach at that time with Shoney. And Todd's waiting for me. He goes, Hey, Shoney wants to see you. And I'm like, really? That's surprising to me. So I got my shirt off, got my hockey pants on still, my equipment, my guts hanging out over my pants.

And I walk into his office and he's like, did you say that I'm such and such? Like some of the things I said you would never say to a boss and you should never. So I said, yeah, that's correct. And so then he started going over how you get to the point where you're a healthy scratch, and he's explaining it to me. Here's what we rated you the last game, two out of five. Keith had you two out of five. Todd had you two out of five. I go, hold on here.

All three of you guys came up with the exact same number. I can't believe that these two guys have the same number as you have. You don't say. So I'm not done yet. I should have just shut up. So he's like, get the hell out of my office. And I left his office. It turned into a long few days, I can tell you that.

How many games did you end up getting scratched? Just the one. Okay. Just the one. And to be honest with you, the story gets a little bit longer. But we lost the next game in Boston and now we're in New Jersey and we're staying at the um the embassy suites so you can see everybody everybody's room you know you can see where everyone's at Shoney we're but now we're losing so he's like nobody

leave their room until you meet with us in the conference room and then you can go do whatever you want to do in the day. We're not practicing. We had a whole day off. So I'm like, okay. So I sat in my room from 8 a.m. to 11 o'clock at night. So every player went in and this is hanging over my head because I've had this outburst, right? So I get a call from Joe Juno. He says, hey, hey, Shoney asked me who I wanted to play with. And I told him I want to play with Jonesy, right? So two hours later, I got Michael Bavanka calls me. Hey, Shoney asked me who I wanted to play with. I told him I want to play with Jonesy. Another two hours, Dale Hunter calls me. Hey, Shoney asked me. I told him I want to play with Jonesy because I had told him I want to be traded and everything. I just had this crazy outburst.

So at 11 o'clock at night, I get the call to come down to this conference room, and Shoney's an intimidating man. He's right across from me, and he looks at me, and he goes, you still want to be traded? And I said, you know, I did. But since all the guys called me and said they want to play with me, I've decided I'm going to stay. Oh, my. So you've now tripled down. guys called me and said they want to play with me, I've decided I'm going to stay.

So you've now tripled down. I just can't stop myself, right? So he looks at me and he gives me the hand fist. He wasn't a handshaker. He'd give you the little fist thing. The hairy knuckles. He was a germ. He was way ahead of his time.

He was a germ. Germaphobe. Howie Mandel. Oh, that's why he did it? Yeah, yeah. So he gave me that, and I give him this one. Yeah, you're bowing. Yeah, so I walked out of the room. I gave Keith Elaine a wink on the way out of the room,

and I was back in the lineup. True story. Is that the craziest thing? And I was making, at that time, 300 grand a year. I thought I was rich. I thought I had, I don't know, it's obviously great money, but I thought this is like, I'm set for life year. I thought I was rich. Like, I thought I had, you know, it's obviously great money, but I thought this is like, I'm set for life. This is what I was thinking.

I was so brain dead. Now we know why Shawnee went after Coho so hot. He was a fitness nut about the donuts. I was thinking that, too. Have another donut. So did it get awkward when Jonesy the player had to play Jonesy the agent? Yeah, the agent handled it a lot better than the player, that's for sure. The agent chucked the briefcase

and that was it. But you mentioned in that story, Brantford, Ontario, so I guess you're the second most famous hockey player ever from Brantford. There's about nine more ahead of me, man. I've been looking at that list. I told Gretz one night, I said, hey, we're the highest

scoring duo in the history of the NHL from the same town. And then I looked it up. There's like nine guys from Brantford ahead of me. So I couldn't even claim that. Chris Gratton's from there. Doug Jarvis is from there. The Iron Man. It's incredible the number of records are held from guys from Brantford, right? Small town, right? It is. There's 77,000 people. I would say that I was probably the least likeliest to find my way to the NHL. I played junior C hockey. I read at least the beginning of your book.

It takes me a while. You read the forward, Biz. He fell asleep in two seconds. I got the Coles notes. But, yeah, you were never super hyper-focused on it where you would take your summers completely off. You enjoyed just being around the guys, especially during your junior C days. You guys were playing 30 games a season.

So you'd be done by the end of March, and you would take from then until training camp completely off. What was the title of that chapter, Beers and Chicken Wings? I haven't read it. I don't recommend anyone reads it. Well, it was a grade five reading level level so i figured it was right up my alley it is it is yeah so i was uh yeah i played hockey because i love playing hockey and i didn't do anything else i mean never thought of the show never i was playing junior c hockey i was 17

years old then 18 years old i went back you know i tried out for junior junior b on a team that rob blake played for in my hometown called the Brantford Classics. And I thought I'd make the team. I was a good hockey player through midget. I was good, but I wasn't great. I was smaller because I hadn't grown yet. I was a late bloomer, but I just thought I'd make the team and they cut me. And I was like, oh, now what do you do? And then I got a letter in the mail, junior C hockey in Paris, Ontario. It's like 15 minutes outside of Brantford. I'm like, well, I guess I'll try out there and see what happens.

So I tried out for the team, barely made the team, and then all of a sudden started to grow, started to become a better hockey player, got a new pair of skates, which kind of helped too because I kept falling down all the time. It's amazing the little things that had to happen for me to kind of navigate my way out of playing Junior C. But I played Junior C for two years because Brantford was kicked out of the league after the season that I got cut for a huge brawl. What?

I was at the game. It was Brantford against St. Catharines. Half the St. Catharines team left the ice. The other half that stayed got pummeled by every player on the Brantford team. The other half didn't come back to help? Nobody came back. They left. They left their teammates on the ice. Holy shit. And Blakey was on the team. Todd Francis, a guy named Todd Francis, was like a second round pick in the NHL. Was playing junior B after being in the major junior A before that. And I'd never witnessed anything like that.

I felt really bad watching it, to be honest with you. So they kicked that team right out of the league for a full year, the entire – Where did he catch a guy with a drop kick? In the book it says that guys were holding down other guys' arms and another guy would just be wailing on them. I mean, I guess rightfully so. They got completely tossed for a full season.

I've never heard of that. A team getting booted. This really happened. And literally, there'd be guys holding guys' arms behind their back while somebody filled their face in with punches. I mean, how angry do you got to be to do something like that, right? And I'm like, oh, maybe I don't want to play hockey that bad. So that team wasn't available to try out the next year.

I said, I'll go back to Paris and play again. Why not? And I played. Played really well. There was fights every night, but I never was in them. I started them and then I got out of the way. And it's like, I had luckily had friends on my team that I'd like to protect, you know, protect me. And I learned how to kind of play that way. And I'd never had a fight in my life away from the rink or on the ice until I played in the NHL. No shit.

Never had a fight. Not even in the streets? Not in the streets. After your few years in junior C, and I was going to bring up the fact that you actually started your agent days negotiating the contract for gas your second year of junior C. So let's quickly get in that one. But then you went off to play in Niagara Falls near my hometown for Junior B for a couple years.

You would get $10 in gas from John Sunoco. That was the sponsor if you were the player of the game in Junior C. Right? And they tried to divide it up and stuff. I'd have a game where I'd get nine points. I wouldn't get player of the game. I'd be so angry if I didn't get the $10. I need that gas money.

It would drive me nuts the whole time. I went in and I told the guy that was running the team my second year. I said, hey, listen. This is really important to me. I need 50 bucks. Gas money all the time. They agreed to it. The guy that ran the team. You barely got your own sticks.

It's very primitive back then. You rode a school bus to the games. You'd wear sweaters. Girlfriends were allowed on the bus. Yeah, girlfriends were on the bus. Some guys were married. Some 20-year-old guys on the team were married. Their wife would be with them. The beers would be on the bus.

You had sweatpants, a pair of cowboy boots, a T-shirt. It's unbelievable. What is this, 92? This is 1985. Oh, yeah, back it 1985. Oh, yeah. Back it up. 85. Yep.

The year I was born, Johnsy. Yeah, there you go. See, that's a strange thing, man. It is as you get older. But looking back on it, it was just an unbelievable experience. Had a great time. And then got a chance. I tried out for Junior B.

And Gilbert Dion was on that team. The Niagara Falls. The Niagara Falls. Thunder. Thunder. Not thunder, it was Canucks, Niagara Falls Canucks. And the two owners were twin brothers, Tim and Terry Masterson. And they really changed my life, to be honest with you. They were awesome guys, real guys. Like you just, they just wanted you to be a good teammate and play and have fun. So I showed up there, barely made the team.

I remember telling my dad, we went out to dinner. I said, hey, this is awesome. I made junior B hockey. I can tell my kids I'm playing junior B. So he's like, oh, that's great. You know, that's awesome. So we played the year, and all of a sudden I just caught fire. And I think I had like 140 points, 150 points, played in all situations. Our team was awesome.

And about midway through the season, my coach tells me, hey, there's a guy from the Washington Capitals that wants to talk to you. And I'm like. Who's fucking with me? Yeah, okay. Which guy's fucking with me? Because I would go to Maple Leaf Gardens as a fan. I'm 19 years old.

I'm watching Eddie Olchuk play for the Leafs. And I'm not ever thinking in my mind that I would actually have a chance to be on the ice, right? It's not even in the back of my mind. So this guy says, I'm with the Washington Capitals. His name was Jack Button. Todd Button's dad, ironically. He said, I came here to watch a guy play named Jim Sully. He was a guy playing for St. Catharines.

He was like 14. I'm 19. He said, and I can't stop watching you play. He goes, you fall down, you get back up. You fall down, you get up, you score. And he said, like, you can't stand up, but you you're in terrible shape but you just keep doing something right i'm like yeah okay so he tells me this and i think i'm embarrassed to tell anybody i know because i'm thinking this is like this ain't right you know i'm 19 years old he goes no we're really

interested we'd like you to go to college and we're going to set up some visits for you now most kids as you guys know they commit to college the year before. Oh, yeah. 17. I'm 19 years old and this is February and I'm going on recruiting trips for the following season. And I'm showing up and these guys are like, you know, the guys are taking me on the recruiting trip. One guy smoking weed, the other guy, I'm like, what is this all about? You're going to the pack. You know, it's like, this is crazy. You're like, I commit. Yeah, so I go to Western Michigan for my first visit, and I meet the head coach, Bill Wilkinson, great guy.

He became a big factor in my life as time went on. But I meet him. He says, you know, Jonesy, I got to watch you play again, to be honest with you. I've only seen you a couple times. Most times they commit to you right then, right, at the meeting. So I said, okay. So I went back, and I was going to go to Lowell and to Northeastern on visits.

But I really didn't want to because I didn't really enjoy the flight to go to Kalamazoo. I'd never really flown much before, and I'm like, I don't know if I want to do this that badly, right? And I wasn't in school. I was out of school for a whole year. I didn't, I was 19 years old, just playing junior B hockey, making $70 a week. And my mom would give me money. And that's, it was the best time of my life, right? It was, it was awesome. And so now I'm thinking, I don't know how badly I want to go to school because I wasn't a great student and I go back. So I'm getting ready to go to Lowell and I'm going to see Northeastern on the same trip. Just as I'm getting up, I wake up, I'm hung

over from drinking the night before and having chicken wings. And just, this is what I did. We practiced once a week playing junior B. That's it. One practice. Played two games a week, practice once. So I get up and the guy's like, it's Bill Wilkinson, my roommate tells me. So I pick it up. He goes, hey, you know, I've reconsidered it. We want you to commit to Western Michigan. I'm like, yeah, good. I'll do it. So I never ask. Yeah, so I tell him that's how it happened.

So I go there and at the start of the next season, and I've talked about my physical conditioning, right? I've never, now I get, I should back up a little bit. I get drafted that summer. Oh, okay, I was going to ask you. So you were drafted by the Capitals. So they did fall through and they set up the call. You're like, wow, this is, loved you.

So yeah, and I didn't know, there's another guy who loved me named Sam McMaster, as the story goes, but I don't go to draft, obviously. I don't even know when the draft is. So I'm at Flamborough Downs betting the horses, right? I get back and my dad's sitting on the porch of the house and he's all excited. And I'm like, what's wrong with him?

Hit the trifecta. He goes, you've been drafted. And I'm like, are we going to war? He's like, no, you've been drafted. And I'm like, are we going to war? He's like, no, you've been drafted to the NHL. And I'm like, really? He says, the Capitals want you by the phone tonight at 8 o'clock, and they want to talk to you. And I'm a little suspect about it, right?

And I'm like, I don't know about this. So my mom tells me, yeah, they called me on the phone. I go, what happened? They go, so there's a draft list of that time, like 3000 kids. And I'm not on it. I'm not on the draft list. So they call my mother from the draft in the seventh round. And they say, how old's your son? They asked for me and she says, oh, he's not home. So how old's your son? She says, well, he's born November the 8th, 1968. Good. Listen to this. So they held the phone up, and they announced the Washington Capitals

select Keith Jones with the 141st pick of the draft, right? And my mom got to listen to it on the phone. That's awesome. So she's excited, you know, and I get home, and they say, 8 o'clock, be there. They want to talk to you phone. That's awesome. So she's excited, you know, and I get home and they say, 8 o'clock, be there. They want to talk to you. So I go downstairs. Was there not a slight delay because they had to verify that your age was,

in fact, your age because you wasn't on this list? So you probably could have been drafted the year before. Yeah, I was eligible the year before, for sure. So now I'm drafted to the NHL. So at 8 o'clock they're going to call me, right? So this junior B guy that never works out, here they call, right? And I'm like down in my parents' basement. I'm on the phone, you know, and I'm like, this is unbelievable, right?

So Brian Murray gets on the phone at that time, and he's like, hey, we know we drafted you in the NHL. There's one man we want you to talk to that fought for you to be drafted. And I'm like, yeah, put him on. So it comes on. My name's Sam McMaster. He said, you're going to play in the NHL. That's pretty cool.

And I'm like, me? So I'm thinking to myself, and I go, thank you, sir. And he goes, I know that you're going to make it to the of myself. And I go, thank you, sir. You know, and he goes, uh, I know that you're going to make it to the NHL. And I'd look down literally my arms. I don't have a muscle on me. I got no chest. I'm like, I would be,

I would be embarrassed to play in a skins game, like in basketball, you know, in basketball. So I'd be the guy, I'd be like, I'm on the shirts, you know,

like it's now I'm drafted to the NH nhl and this guy's telling me you're going to play in the nhl and i'm like i don't know buddy is all i'm thinking to myself right so i show up at western michigan a couple months later and you got to take your shirt off for the physicals and my coach is standing there he looks at me and he goes what what's going on here you know and i'm like what he goes uh we got some work to do with you. So everyone's getting ready for the fitness test and they're all working the weights, right? They're warming up with 135 on the bar. And I've never left. I've never done bench press. I'm drafted to the NHL. I'm 19 years old. I've been going to my first year of college and I've never done a bench press.

And I go, and this looks pretty easy because they're all whipping it up back and forth, warming up with it. Right? So I get down there, Mike Eastwood, who played in the NHL, he was a sophomore at the time. So he's spotting me and I'm down below that bar and I'm looking up at it. I go, this looks, this looks all right. So I lifted off the bar. I can't get it off my chest to do one rep. I get halfway up and it's tilting and you know, he's grabbing me from, like he's helping me and he lifts it up and I go, I'm embarrassed. Like, I want to go home. Like, I'm thinking this is not for me.

And to his credit, he says, don't worry, man. That was me last year. You know, and he said, and he was. And if you're going to Western Michigan and you're going to make it to the NHL, there's a good chance you haven't lifted weights before. Because you're raw. Like, you're as to make it to the NHL, there's a good chance you haven't lifted weights before because you're raw. Like you're as raw as you can get. Like everyone's going to the big schools. You go to Western, you got a chance if you haven't worked out before.

So that was my introduction to the weight room. And ironically, your first ever viewing experience for an NHL game was at the Maple Leaf Gardens against Toronto versus the Washington Capitals. And I want to say, was it your girlfriend at the time? Her family had tickets? That was later on. But that was my neighbor's parents that had tickets. But they had two by the bench and they had two up in the second bowl. And thankfully, you and your buddy got to sit by the benches.

And that's what really made you fall in love with the NHL. It was incredible, right? So I'd never heard language like that in my life. So we had literally the two seats right behind the bench. The stink of the players' equipment was off the charts, man. It stunk so bad, but it was so good, right? So we watched the first period there. The deal was the parents would watch the

second period there and then we would come back for the third okay we watched the first i mean these guys were animals the language was like off the charts i was so excited i was like 10 or 12 years old you know and i'm like this is this is crazy this is great so now we go up for the second period we're way up top and i keep watching his parents i'm like i can't wait to get back down there so we meet up with them on the way back down they go no no they're like you guys are not going back there nope so we stopped we stopped in our tracks we had to watch the third period up there so that was my first introduction to watching nhl hockey and then my dad would give me for Christmas, a pair of tickets

to a Leaf game. And I would stare at that pair of tickets for hours a day, waiting for that day to get the chance to go watch the Leafs play. And then when you say Western Michigan, you know, being a guy who wasn't highly recruited going there, who can't lift from talking to guys who played college and I did, that's where you get strong right over those three four years you must have all of a sudden changed completely into a man right like without western michigan you don't know if you're ever playing in the show right yeah no i that i would never made the nhl if i didn't go to college and you know your first year you're playing limited minutes you're you know you're lucky if you get a little penalty kill time your role is different

so you learn as a freshman how to play the game that might serve you well later on if you're not as great as every player in the NHL. Second year, power play. Third year, you're doing it all. You know, fourth year. I wanted to leave every year, to be honest with you, but they weren't taking it. You didn't like the school. But I just didn't like the – yeah.

But my coach was great. He allowed me to have the freedom to just get by. Yeah. He didn't like push me to get your grade. You know, he just let me be me, which was – Just stay eligible, Keith. And that was it. And then by my senior year, they came out with a new rule that they said,

we weren't going to do – we weren't going to accumulate your grade point average until the end of the year. Okay? We're on a semester system at Western Michigan. we weren't going to accumulate your grade point average till the end of the year. Okay. We're on a semester system at Western Michigan. So I said, I'm done with school. I can guarantee you that. So I,

I went to like three classes the first semester. I got like a point. I want to say I got a 0.60. Delta telkis. This is a fact. The next, the second semester I got like a 0.43. Right. So I leave. Not all scholastic. No. This is a fact. The second semester, I got like a.43, right?

So I leave. Not all scholastic. No. I could probably have done it. I just never like to read. So it's a problem when you're in college. I literally would get – I was on a scholarship, of course. And you had a book allowance, right?

They would give you your books. So I would go to the bookstore. I would pick up my books. They'd be in a bag. I'd bring them back to the apartment. I'd set them in the closet. And at the end of the semester, I would bring the bag back, and the books have never left them.

And I got through four years of college without ever opening a textbook. Ever. Ever. What did you major in? I started, this is good, I started in phys ed. I thought we'd run around the gym. And then I realized it's all health and education. So I pivoted quickly.

Then I went into communications. There you go. And this is the best part of that story is I thought it would be easy. And then they say, everybody, this is your chance. Get up and talk in front of the class. And I froze. I mean, I mean, I sweated. I sweat through my shirt and I just was so uncomfortable.

Even just, this was just like an easy assignment. Tell us about yourself. And I just, I froze. So now about three weeks later, we have a field trip to a TV station, and we're all going to get to give the news. So I'm in line, and I'm thinking, I don't know, man. I don't know if I want to do this. So it's just a simple project.

I got so nervous. By the time I got to the front of the line, I looped back to the back of the line and left. I didn't want to speak in front of people. Come on. Yep, swear to God. So I dropped out of communications And I went to sociology

Beautiful subject Beautiful thing, right? Study of humans All you do is outright the professor To the point where he gets so bored he gives you a seat That's all I did What a model So I stayed in sociology

But ironically, right? The communication thing Which is bizarre because of what your career has transpired to be. Yeah. You seem like such a natural. I would have never guessed that. When I first retired from the NHL and I started at ESPN, I was brutal. Really? And I was one of those guys that ripped everybody.

Like I'd watch the guys. It's way harder than people think. Yeah, and I'd be like, look at that idiot. You know, like he's terrible. And, you know, just like everyone does for me, right? It's the way it works. But I was one of those guys. So now I'm on there and I know I'm horrible, right?

So it makes it worse. I'm really starting to sweat. Yeah. You know, I got this ill-fitting suit on. I gained like 50 pounds like three months after I retired. I ate everything in sight. Like it's just, I'm just like a monster on there. Right. And I'm like, I'm looking in the, you see yourself on TV and I'm like, it's horrible hearing your voice, just everything you try. It's

true. Like, and then they're saying, well, be yourself, right? Be yourself. Am I that bad? Like I have fun out there, have fun. The worst thing you can ever tell anybody on TV that's just starting after they've done a couple segments is, hey, just have fun out there. Because you're telling the guy you're stiff as a board. Yeah, you suck right now. Yeah, you're terrible right now. And somehow you've got to make me look good that I hired you, right? So that was my first experience at ESPN. And John Buccigas, who wrote the book, was real helpful to me.

Darren Pang came in and saved me and just made me a little more comfortable. I was not ready to do national TV at that time. And luckily, I came back to do flyer stuff, just in a real, you know, like biz started with Arizona. With the Coyotes. Yeah, you're in a more relaxed environment. It's just less intimidating. Oh, even just doing radio for the Coyotes I was intimidated and I'll never forget. We were, uh, you know, you're trying to be positive when you're involved with a team and Rick talking to

just start a head coach. I don't think we won a game the first like 10 or 11 games and we were playing the flyers. Things haven't changed in Phoenix. Shut the fuck up. We were up to nothing in Philly and then they pulled a goalie and they ended up scoring two with the goalie pulled. And when they scored their second, I, on then they pulled a goalie, and they ended up scoring two with the goalie pulled. And when they scored their second, on the radio, I just froze up. Yeah, you're like, I got nothing. I felt like the biggest loser and idiot because I had nothing to say. And those moments were happening a lot in the first probably half a season I started. And it's hard.

But then once you stick with it and you break through it, then you find your rhythm, it slowly gets better. But there there's a very very empty feeling when you first start that job in knowing that you like we know we're not doing good yeah we know it yeah and and that's why i always thank bob heat house because he took me under his wing and always made me feel comfortable and he was the guy saying you know just have fun and like being supportive as opposed to like yeah you froze up and you sounded like shit this is like you want me to be myself do you know, just have fun and, like, be supportive as opposed to, like, yeah, you froze up and you sounded like shit. Biz is like, you want me to be myself? Do you know what I talk about usually?

Yeah. I don't know if you want that. I'm like, that could go the complete opposite way where we're both out of here. Jonesy, this is insane. We haven't even gotten to your career yet, but throughout all of it. Pro career. Yeah, pro career. Excuse me.

You're right, Biz. This is the current career doing what we're doing right now. But you in college, you didn't work out. You didn't really do much you get to the pros you must have thought oh my god these guys are even bigger stronger than when they when i got to western michigan couldn't bench 135 yeah it's funny the uh the summer before i went to washington's camp at the end of my senior year i literally was playing about 30 minutes a night at Western Michigan and I was burned out. Like I was done. When the season ended, I was done. And I took a month off, month off turned into six weeks, six weeks turned into two months. And all of a sudden training camp

was around the corner. And I literally took the summer off. Now I've just signed this contract. I've got a, I got a signing bonus of 75,000. This is a great story. So I get 75 grand. I've just signed this contract. I've got a signing bonus of $75,000. This is a great story. So I get $75,000. I never really had a paycheck before. Like when I went home in the summers in Canada, if you're a college student, they don't take taxes out of your check. So I worked for the school board.

I cut grass. I had this mower I used to drive around town. I'd race other cars with. That was the gas car. He used the gas car from junior year. I was to drive around town. I'd race other cars with it. That was the gas car. He used the gas car from junior to senior. I was in Brantford, so Gretz would drive by in his Mercedes, and I'd be riding my lawnmower. I'm going to get you, man.

This guy's not playing in the show. So anyway, so I get this money, 75 grand signing bonus. This is the best. So I take the trainer on the hockey team with me to the car dealership. I'm going to get a fancy car because I want everybody to know that I'm going to make it. So I go back to Brantford with this sports car. But I take the trainer, Hap Zarzor, his name was. He went on to become the trainer at Duke Football.

So a little tiny guy and i go hey hap come with the car dealer okay so we go in i go that looks like a great car it was a mitsubishi 3000 vr4 twin turbo and i'm like that's that's got my name what color it was red bright red had a fin on the back what a donkey oh it's terrible so i don't know how to drive stick shift right so i said to hap hey you drive it so the trainer drives my the drives the car i'm sitting in the back seat watching him drive it i go how's how is it he goes it's great i go we'll take it i'd never even driven the car before i take it rocky too when he pulls out so i got this red sports car this is the best i go go to Vegas with my buddies.

First time I've ever been to Vegas. And we're having this great time. I brought a few bucks with it from the signing bonus, whatever I had left. Remember, they give you the whole 75 grand. I don't know. I'm not thinking about taxes. I can tell you that. So I spend the whole thing. I think I lost 30 grand in Vegas, right?

I don't have any. That's the first money I've ever had in my life I spend at all. So it actually played into why I made the team. So anyway, so I go to Washington. Now I have to borrow money off my sister to get to training camp because I got no money. And someone's telling me,

you got to pay taxes. I'm like, oh, this is terrible. So now I've put myself in such a position that I got to make the team, man. Like I've got to find a way to make this team no matter what it takes. So I should have done the work in the summer, did not, to the point where I showed up at training camp. My first day I'm standing there, Michael Pavanca, Peter Bondra there,

and they go, hey, kid, can you grab my sticks there? And I'm like, that's kind of a strange request. So I walk over and I get this Pavanca sticks. I bring them over to him and he says, thank you. And I walk away. Don't think anything of it. The next week or so goes by and I'm sitting there on the bench with him during a preseason game. And Bondra's laughing.

He looks over at me. I go, what? He goes, remember when Pivo asked you to get his sticks? I go, yeah, what? He goes, he thought you were the equipment guy. Because you got this milk bag body. And you're in camp. I'd be the first guy off the ice to practice.

And I'd leave. And they're like, where's this guy going? Like, who is this guy number 41 he's not supposed to be here right and I'd jump on the trainers table I'd get on the massage table and all the veterans are going what's this guy doing no you were just

drinking it didn't affect me at all that there was this pecking order of how it was going to work I'm like yeah I'm here I'm done and that's back in the day when it was like you eat last you get all that stuff used to really matter. Do you think that they embraced the fact that you were so naive to it all that they could sense that you were completely naive to it all? Did they ever end up talking to you about it?

Oh, yeah. So now I'm trying to make the team. I got no money, right? I'm making $35,000 in the minors, and I'm $140,000 in the NHL, and I just spent $75,000. So I'm like, what am I going to do, man? So I'm looking around. This tough guy was out of the lineup.

This guy, and I told you guys earlier, I'd never had a fight in my life, ever. So I'm thinking I better start, I better try it, right? So Darren Banks is playing for Boston. He's trying out there, big tough guy, right? And he's skating around. I'm chirping at him. He thinks I'm joking around. He's like, this guy's not going to fight me.

Thank God he thought that because I didn't. And Steve Leach was on the Bruins at that time. And that was my first ever fight. And he punched me in the head hard, man. I'm like, I don't know. I don't know if this is going to work for me. But I'm like, I got to make this team. I need the money. Like,'t know if this is going to work for me, but I'm like, I got to make this team. I need the money.

Like, I got to pay back my sister. So that's the only reason that I ever started to fight in my first year in the NHL. And you were not in debt. Sorry. If you hadn't spent it, you don't think you're going out and fighting that game? No. I think I would have figured it out eventually. Yeah.

But it was so much my incentive to get there was and at the time i feel like organization that was the the extra factor as to why they would keep you 100 it's crazy to think about if i didn't do that i was a scorer in college you know i had 30 goals my last year at western michigan but i was like i gotta do something different here. That's going to give me a chance to make it. I'm number 41. Right? So I made a good impression in camp and then got sent down, had another argument with David Poyle where he's never seen anything like this in his life. I, he said, I was the last cut. I was the last guy cut and all the guys were practicing.

We shared the same practice rink as the Capitals, the Skipjacks. So they're right across from you. You're looking at them, right? And I had a good preseason. So the first game of the season was going to be against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the only meeting of the year that the Capitals would be in Toronto. I told you earlier, Leaf fan. Everything I did was a Maple Leaf fan.

I just want that game. I don't know if I can play in the NHL, but if I'm going to play one game and fail, I want that game to be in Toronto if I never make it. So I have this argument, not argument, but just this convincing conversation with David Poyle about why I made the team. I want to be on this team. I don't know if I made the team. This is just what I'm saying because I want to play that one game. So I leave the meeting, and David tells others later,

I hear that he couldn't believe he's never had a meeting with a player that wanted it so bad. But I just wanted to show my buddies that I made it to the NHL. It really wasn't that complicated, right? I just want to swear so some kid behind the glass like me can go running up and talk about it. Exactly. So I got sent down, and I'm thinking, man, I want to swear so some kid behind the glass like me can go running up and talk about it. Exactly. So I got sent down, and I'm thinking, man, I want to get back up there quick because riding that bus wasn't fun.

I played the first eight games of the season with the Skipjacks. And Friday night game, Saturday night game, busing in between, and then busing to an afternoon game on Sunday. I'm like, I'm 23. My window's small. I got to do this. What are your stats in those eight? I had. I think you were a point a game.

Yeah, what was it? You had seven goals, three assists. Oh. Okay. Yeah. So the last game that I played for the Skipjacks, for Barry Trotz, we lost 10 to 8 against the Utica Devils. Okay?

I had two power play goals in the game, and I was minus seven. Hey, but you had a great one after. If you're in the shower, just do that too. Minus seven. Okay? The last goal goes in the net, and the buzzer went before the empty netter to make it 10-8, and the buzzer went. I empty netter and to make it 10-8 and the buzzer went i'm still upset about it so i'm chasing after the ref right the game's over and

i'm like they're yelling at him and barry trotz grabs me goes what are you doing i go i'm f and minus seven right that's the only thing that's on my mind. So that was the last. Isn't that to the coach? Yes. Jonesy, you're a fucking idiot. Oh, yeah. You were fucking out of your mind. I'm crazy about it, right? So he's like, whatever. So the next day, I had two roommates that I lived with in the minors, Rob Leask and Trevor Halverson.

And Trevor Halverson was a first-round pick of the Caps. And so they were my roommates. I have the loft upstairs in this apartment. I knew the Capitals had injuries, and I'm thinking, I'm getting close, man. I'm arguing with Barry Trotz every day. I got to get called up. I don't know why I was so just crazy about it, right? Every time I'd score, I'd be looking at him.

It's time. You know, it's time. So I'm listening. I had a yellow Walkman. Remember those things? I'm up in the loft because I don't want my roommates to know that I'm such a geek, that I'm listening to the Capitals game hoping that somebody gets hurt or something bad happens that I'm going to get the call.

And they're playing in Vancouver, so it's a late game. So I'm listening on the radio, my Walkman, and all of a sudden I hear Kevin Miller gets a five-minute major Spurrier. And I knew he was kind of in the dog house, you know, and I'm like, that's good. Cause he was just traded for Dino Cicerelli the year before and wasn't playing well. And I'm like, oh, this is all right. So that's good. And then I hear Mark Hunter just leaves the game, Dale Hunter's brother. He's, he blocked a shot. I'm like, oh, this is good. This is good. Still good. Still have my Walkman on, right? So all of a sudden, my roommate's tapping

me on the shoulder. And I'm listening to the Capitals game when my roommate tasks me. He goes, hey, it's David Poyle. He's on the phone for you. As I'm listening to them play a game in Vancouver, he says, I go, hello? He goes, hey, it's David Poyle. Keith, we want you

at the airport tomorrow at BWI in Baltimore. You've got a 7 a.m. flight to Calgary. And I'm like, yes, right? This is amazing to me. I can't believe it. So I'm so excited. I don't fall. I don't sleep the whole night, right?

I get to the airport. I go through the check-in. I look over. There's Steve Konowalczyk. I'm like, damn, he's going too, right? I'm like, am I in or is he in? It's like bugging me the whole way on the plane, right? I fly all the way to Calgary. We get there and Terry Murray's the coach and he's like, brings us both in. He's like, we're not sure if you guys are going to be playing tonight or not. I'm like,

well, what's that all about? He goes, we just don't know. Go get a rest. And I haven't slept on. I'm not going to sleep now. So go back to the hotel. Still don't know if we're in the lineup or not. Get to the game. And he tells us when we arrive, you're both in, you're both playing tonight. And I'm like, this journey to get here is here, right so i get my uh jersey on and i'm like so i i i'm so excited to do this right so i look in the mirror in calgary the little small rink there and i'm looking in the mirror and i'm just like i can't believe this is gonna happen right step on the ice warm up can't they can make a pass drop it was embarrassing game starts shift, go up to hit Theo Fleury. He elbows me, breaks my tooth in half. First shift in the NHL. And I'm like, I don't know about this, man.

Maybe this isn't for me, right? And it really hurt. So I just remember chasing around like Gary Roberts and all these guys that would just kill me, right? But I just wanted it so bad. And you're chirping, right? Chirping all night. That was always part of it.

Oh, really? So it was nonstop, every shift, trying to scrum it up in front of the net. Yeah, and a lot of it, again, was just to try to gain an advantage and make myself more important than just being an average player. And all of that. I played better when I had fear, and it pushed me to another level. Something to play for. Like the money to another level. It's something to play for. Like the money to your sister.

That's it. It was all about, like, I have to stay here, right? Same here. I played scared my whole NHL career. Yeah, and it's not a great feeling. Not a comfortable feeling, but it brings something out of you. It does. Well, it's the saying, like, you're getting too comfortable.

Yeah. I certainly got that way, but you have such an incredible memory. You remember all these. It's the saying, like, you're getting too comfortable. It's just – I certainly got that way. But you have such an incredible memory. You remember all these. It's great. I wish I had that talent. But you've got to tell me about the first goal because I'm sure it was something you'll never forget. Yeah, well, it's true.

It was a game in Indianapolis. It was a neutral site game. They had those? Yes, we used to play two a year. Trying to grow a crowd in Indy? Yeah. So they would try to make – we used to play two a year. Trying to grow a crowd in Indy? Yeah. So they would try to make – we went to Halifax before. They'd play 84 games in the regular season, not 82.

So they would add these two games, more revenue, and try to build the game, right? So it's in Indianapolis. I've never been back. It's the only time I've ever been to Indianapolis. And my puck actually has like the neutral zone, neutral game emblem rather than the team's emblem that you would have if you scored, you know, in Toronto, Maple Leaf, whatever.

So it was my third game in the NHL. I think it was November 3rd, if I'm not mistaken. But anyway, we're playing the Chicago Blackhawks. And in the warm-ups, I have couple of buddies come from college because Western Michigan is not that far away from Indianapolis. And I'm skating around the warmup, no helmet on, you know, I'm looking at myself in the, in the glass thinking I got it going on, you know, like, this is cool and skating around. And my buddy yells over the glass, Jonesy. And as he does that, I look up, I step on a puck and I go head first into the boards. And I'm like, oh, my God, this night's not going to go well, man.

So I get up. I'm okay. And my first shift of the game, I score. And it's against Eddie Belfort. It's a scramble. It's a terrible goal. But it's like it happened. It happened, man.

It happened. And battling with Dirk Graham all night that night. He was a mean bastard. He was tough. As a coach, guys said he was mean too. Yes, he was. And he was mean to play against. But I had to do that, right?

So I ended up getting a goal and two assists in that game. I think we won four to two or something like that. So I'm like, this is awesome, right? This is like my third game. And then I ended up getting nine points in my first 10 games and i remember thinking to myself like is this really the nhl like i'm thinking this this isn't that hard like i can do this right who are you playing with i was playing with dale hunter and pat elnick and uh you know we're the third line we got the good matchups he was getting a little

older by that he was but he was still a great player like and dale was really influential in my career great advice and i took his brother's job mark hurt himself broke his thumb and that's how i got the job when he left that game in van yep and dale took me under his wing and just like he said you can play you know he just told me here we got a two-second rule if someone's on top of me you got to be there in two seconds to make sure, you know, that was the deal. And we both played, you know, a pesky style. Oh, yeah. And neither of us really wanted to be fighting heavyweights. So we would just make sure if there was one out there, we would do enough to distract

them. And then Dale told me a great story, which I'll share with anyone that's listening. When I looked a little hesitant to fight one night, he said, the next day we're at dinner, I'm sitting at his kitchen table at his house. And he goes, Hey, Jonesy, I go, what? He goes, you want to stay in this league? You know, you want to stay here? I go, yeah, I do really badly. He goes, well, here, I want to tell you something. If somebody walked into this kitchen and there's 500 grand on the table, if they grab the money and walk out, what are you going to do? You're going to fight them for it? Or are you going to let them walk out? I said, I'm going to fight them for it or are you going to let them walk out?

I said, I'm going to fight them for it. He goes, good, start fighting. And that was the advice that I – What a veteran to sit there and tell a guy who – and he could probably tell you wanted it. Yeah. And he's like, you know, it's not an easy conversation to have with somebody. No. Something you never forgot.

No. And again, I took his brother – I was taking his brother's job. He was still sent down to Baltimore. At that point in Mark's career, he'd already won a Stanley Cup. He had a great career. And all of a sudden, he's in the minors, and this 23-year-old college kid out of nowhere is playing with his brother on the same line.

Getting massages before me. Yeah, exactly. Dale knows the business already. Yeah, he's the best. Dale Hunter was very influential. Which arena was it in Indianapolis, by the way? That's a great question. I really don't know.

It had to be with Indiana Racers. Well, that's because when we just had our street hockey tournament in Detroit, the Covington, Kentucky, this crew actually went and got the boards from the – oh, sorry, the camera – from the Gretzky Arena, the place where he played in Indianapolis. So I was wondering if it was the same arena. I'm sure it is. It was right downtown.

I think it was Marr. Maybe Marr Arena. It rings a bell, but, I mean, when you're playing, you show up. You're like, here's the locker room. Where's my equipment? Let's go. Were guys like hacking darts when you showed up? Yeah. You had Ally or Freddie on the team? Yeah, I played with's the locker room? Where's my equipment? Let's go. Were guys like hacking darts when you showed up? Yeah.

You had Ally or Freddie on the team? Yeah, I played with Al. The planet? Al would smoke on the plane. This is when we flew charter flights, right? The three rows that could smoke. Yes. Row 14, right?

Yep. And the back rows would be able to smoke. And Al would smoke on the plane and was just an incredible guy i mean because i was a rookie and al was a storyteller storyteller but have your back and pay for everything like extremely generous guy if we went to dinner he'd know that you didn't have a lot you know he'd buy he'd always carried like a lot of cash in his front pocket and would just give it to everybody. He didn't like any clicks on the team.

He was always like, we do this together. He was just an awesome character beyond belief. He'd light his cigarettes after the game of the blowtorch. He'd break off the filter. He'd break the filter off and he'd smoke it. The All-Star game, he brought one stick with him. They asked him, why did you do that? He said, well, my others would get jealous

if I have too many. Some of the craziest answers. He's like WWE with the hair, too. Al was very conscientious of his hair. It was terrible. We were playing. This is unbelievable. We were playing against the Devils. The long boards there that

extend inside the zone on the Devils bench, the glass, the barrier there before they put the curve in there, he gets hit and he's riding the end of the boards on his pants, right? And then he runs into the stanchion with his helmet, his head. His helmet flies off, lands about 10 feet away, right? This guy wore his helmet in the warm-up so people wouldn't see that he was going bald. Like during the national anthem, he would wear his helmet.

So the helmet's 10 feet away and we're all watching, how's this going to play out, right? So he's down on all fours and he crawls 10 feet, right? He gets his helmet and he puts it on his head and collapses.

Then he decided that you didn't need to come. Ten feet he went and collapsed. It was one of the best moments ever. Imagine that being on video now. We could ever get that. It's got to be around. He didn't always, though, because the best picture of him online, he's in warm-ups, you can tell, with no bucket.

With the little ball. He's got the flow at the back, but then he's got the circle ball, a little hair up top. Yeah. To know he cared that much, he must fuck. It looks like a Rorschach test. He literally would show up for practice about five minutes before it started, throw all his gear on.

He was a natural. He'd throw his gear on, he'd jump on the ice, and he was unbelievable. Really fast, right? His shot, he was the guy, right? 105. 105. But he was fast, right? He could skate all day.

So he raced in Washington at our practice rink. He raced a female speed skater. They're going to have this race, Battle of the Sexes race or something back in the day. And he races her. And he loses by like three full trips around the rink. That's like he gets passed three times. And he's a smoker, right? He was good for one lap.

His little feet were going as fast as he could. And it was unbelievable. But he was open and willing to do anything that he was asked to do. So he was another phenomenal teammate that we played with. And they had Kevin Hatcher back in Washington in those days, Al Iafredi, and Sylvain Cote, and all three defensemen scored over 20 goals in that season. First time ever?

Yeah, it had to be. Hatcher had 34. Iafredi had 34 goals one year. We'll have to look it up because that's what my memory is. And I afraid he had 20-something and Cote had over 20. And Callie Johansson had 12. That was our defense. The only other guy that pops to my mind we haven't talked about from Washington

was Berube. Yeah, he's the best. And you play with him a little bit because you were a bottom six, right? Yeah, I play with him. And he did more to defend me than any person in the world. I mean, this guy is one of my – he's my best buddy. He's the best. So I remember when he got traded to the Caps.

It's one of the first TV broadcasts of the draft. It's on TSN, and I'm sitting at home in Brantford, and I'm like, we could use a little more protection around here. One of my second year, right? You called Poyle. My list was getting a little short, right? Yeah, you called Poyle. You're like we could use a little more protection around here one of my second year right you call Poyle my list was getting a little short you call Poyle yeah we need some protection so I'm gonna phone my agent yeah so I look at David I look at David Poyle's I see I read his lips Craig Berube he's talking to the guy from Calgary right the GM and I'm like yeah do it do it man so all of a sudden they announced uh Capitals have a trade to announce they've acquired Craig Berube from the Calgary Flames.

And I'm like, that guy's going to be my best friend. And, I mean, as soon as you meet Craig Berube, he is the consummate teammate. We watched hockey together all the time, Dale Hunter, myself, and Chief. We sat around, you know, grabbing a few chicken wings, drinking beer. And all we did was watch other games. And we'd watch the Sabres a lot when Ray, May, and Barnaby be fighting all the time. And I'd be telling Chief, those guys are going to kick your ass. You know, and it was just, everything was just about the game.

And it was a beautiful time in all of our lives because that's what we did. Like best buddies busting balls? Yeah, all the time. He'd be betting me he's going to score more goals than I am that year. I got him a suspension for 10 games once playing the Rangers. Nick Kiprios, I was due up.

I'm on the bench. I got one leg over. Bondra and Pavanka, my line mates, are already on the ice and Kiprios kind of clipped Bondra. So I say,anka, my line mates are already on the ice and Kiprios kind of clipped Bondra. So I say, Chief, you're up. Right? In the middle of the shift. So he gets up, he jumps on the ice, he skates over to Kiprios and attacks him.

Right? He gets a 10 game suspension for leaving the bench. To get in an altercation. Shoney, the coach, gets fined and they're trying to get him for a suspension as well. It cost Berube like 2525,000 and the thing, but the caps ended up back in those days you could make those things okay. He could even things up, not in the salary cap era, right?

But that was what Chief would do. Anything that the team needed, he did and that's why he's had a great career and is doing such a great job as a coach as well you must have chatted with him since like watching him win the stanley cup like i saw i saw you have the poster with him raising the cup in your in your man cave the outside near the pool like just a great friend forever yeah he is and that was that was for me as close as i came to winning the stanley cup i was there covering it obviously i'm i was being partial but i wanted that i wanted to see him win

that thing. And when he did, it was a great thing. It was the only time I've ever gone downstairs in the locker room after a Stanley Cup championship. And just to congratulate him, it was on the road, so there was very few people there. And just share a Bud Light there and then talk about that experience. That was a great thing. Very, very great moment for him. Oh, go ahead, Ari. I don't know if you have one more. I was going to say closest to the Stanley Cup might be a good segue to the Colorado trade unless you had something else.

Well, I wanted to hear about how the trade went down because I read that story in the book as well. Of course, knowing you more now through the first half of this interview, I understand why it went down the way it went down. So getting traded from the Avalanche to flyers yeah when you were sick where you're very ill for a few weeks oh that's so that's from the that's the capitals that's when i got traded from the caps to the avalanche well that's what i want to hear about yeah so i was shoney and i were fighting again because i wasn't uh wasn't playing well and i was one day i'm laying down

on the ice after practice i'm counting the lights up in the seal and I'm just laying on the ice doing like snow angels, you know, and he's, he comes over, what's wrong now? You know, and I go, I said, I'm exhausted. He goes, that's it. You're going to the Mayo Clinic. I didn't feel that exhausted, but okay. So I went down the street to get blood work taken. It wasn't the Mayo Clinic. It was like the local guy with a stick, a needle in your arm. So I get that that done I'm waiting for these results I am feeling pretty run down right so it's on my mind I'm thinking maybe I hope something's not really wrong I didn't think there was but maybe and I don't hear anything a week goes by I get to the game against the Islanders on the road I've got a toothbrush in my suit jacket that's all I brought it's a one

night trip and I wasn't great, big on packing stuff, and I wasn't a clothes horse. I wore whatever I had, and I would wear it, you know, for a few weeks in a row. Turn your underwear inside out. Yeah, whatever it took, you know. Leave the underwear there in the laundry bag, get it clean, take it out, right?

You know, all the old tricks. So I'm there, and I'm wondering. I keep asking the trainer, staying long. I go, did you get the results yet? You know, no, no, we didn't. So the'm there and I'm wondering. I keep asking the trainer, stay in long. I go, did you get the results yet? No, no, we didn't. So the game's getting ready to start. I'm in the dressing room getting ready for the pregame skate. I go on the ice.

I come back off the ice after the skate. And I've got one skate on. One's getting sharpened. And Shoney walks in. He goes, hey, step in my office. And I'm like, this is kind of, this is bizarre at this time. And now, you know, I'm just getting ready for the game. I'm sitting beside Huntsman. And I, I look over at him and he's, he just didn't know what was happening. So I walk with one skate

on one off and walk in on unbalanced as usual. And, uh, he, he sits me down and I'm thinking to myself, I'm going, he must've got, uh, the results and they're bad. That's all I'm thinking to myself I'm going he must have got the results and they're bad that's all I'm thinking this is bad like it's something my heart is like dropped right in my stomach so he sits down he looks across I look at him he goes I've got some terrible news for you and I'm like oh my god it's it's happening like there's something yeah I'm dying right so he's like uh you've been traded and I go oh thank oh, thank God. And he's like, you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would, right? And I'm like,

this is amazing. To who? And he's like, you're traded to the Colorado Avalanche. I go, oh, even better. Right? He's like, I thought you'd be a little more upset. I go, no, no, I'm not upset. I said, I love you as a person, but as a coach, you know, I had enough.

You know, and he just laughed. So I go, who did I get traded for? We can't tell you. I go, well, I want to know who I got traded for. I want to see what value I have, right? I've been fighting my whole career thinking that I'm a better player than I am. Tell me who I got traded for. So I can't tell you.

So I call my wife, who was my fiancée at that time, Laura, and I'm a better player than I am. Tell me who I got traded for. So I can't tell you. So I called my wife, who was my fiancee at that time, Laura, and I'm like, hey, I couldn't get a hold of her because this is like payphone times. And prior to that, I had no money, right? And so the team's like, go upstairs in the arena, like walking around where the crowd is, and call the avalanche, right? I go, for what? They go, well, you got to get on a flight. You're leaving.

So all the fans are in the corridor walking around. I got my hockey bag on my shoulder. I got three sticks in my hand. And I have a quarter that I borrowed from the equipment guy to call the avalanche. I call Pierre Lacroix. And I'm like, hi, this is Keith Jones. Hey, how are you doing? Uh, we got a flight for you out of JFK. I'm thinking, where's JFK? Like, I, I don't, I wasn't paying attention to anything. He goes, well, you need to take a taxi. You need

to go there, get the plane. So I go back downstairs and I'm like, uh, does anybody have any money I can borrow? The teams are already on the ice. They're playing. The game started. So the trainer gave me like 50 bucks to pay the cabbie, took the cab to the airport, walked up. They're like, here's your ticket. And I look at, I said, this says coach. And they're like, uh, yeah, no, no, no, no. That's a mistake. This is a first class, right? And they're like, no, no, it's going, no, no, it's first class. Okay. So it put me in first class. So I'm sitting there. I'm stopping in Atlanta. I still don't know who I'm traded for. That's all that's on my mind now.

Who do I get traded for? So I'm having a cocktail on the plane. I land in Atlanta. I haven't got a hold of my fiance or wife now to tell her I've just been traded. So we've been traded. So I get there and land in Atlanta. I call her, and I go, hey, I've been traded. She goes, yeah, I know. I go, well, how'd you know? She goes, I saw it and land in Atlanta. I call her and I go, hey, I've been traded. She goes, yeah, I know.

I go, well, how'd you know? She goes, I saw it on the bottom line. My dad saw it on ESPN2 on the bottom line. I go, well, who did I get traded for? She goes, Chris Simon and somebody named Curtis LeCision. I go, well, that's pretty good. Those guys. Yeah, yeah, those guys.

The first rounder went with me, right? So Simon, toughest guy in the league at that time, or one of them. And LeCision was an alternate captain. They just won the Stanley Cup. I'm like, that's pretty good. I like that. So I don't know if the Avalanche liked it by the end of it. But anyway, I land in Atlanta.

So I get on the plane, land a flight to LA, show up there next morning. It's an afternoon game at 1 o'clock. I don't even know what time I got there. So I go down to breakfast. They just won the cup. They've got Patrick Waugh, Joe Sackick, Peter Forsberg, Adam Foote, Valerie Kaminsky, Adam Deadmarsh, Scott Young, Mike Ricci. I mean, this team's awesome, man.

So I walk in. They're all eating breakfast. You know, this is the first time I've ever been traded, and I'm really excited, right? So I come in there. I sit down, and they're all talking. I go, don't worry, boys, I'm here. Cup number two is on the way. They just, like, start laughing.

And you're immediately welcomed into the locker room because I had bothered so many guys in that team for a long time, especially when they were in Quebec, Forsberg included. So they were like, all right, this jerk's on our side. And then they, I think, came to like me as a person. Well, they had two now. They had you and Claude Lemieux. Yeah, and Pepe was there too, and he was hurt at the time.

So anyway, it was just an incredible start. I had like three game-winning goals in the first four games and had my best season ever as far as goal scoring went and all the rest of that. But it was awesome. They – what? I'm glad you – I love you. No, I'm just thinking of that team.

96, they win it. And Lemieux buries Draper from behind. So then you get there the next year. Detroit goes back-to-back. What did that playoff end like? Because one of them, Biz and I were saying on the way out, was seven games, seven nothing, right? Yeah. Was that that year? that was so was that later so that i think could have been that year

so what happened with me is the detroit thing was an incredible story so i arrive i'm not part of that right because i wasn't there right so you're throwing into you get in the midst of it you're throwing into it and the first three games against Detroit that year, we beat them every time. And they were tough, hard-fought games. The Red Wings were a tougher team than us because Simon was gone. Now I'm not fighting those. I'm not fighting Brennan Shanahan.

McCard. They'd love to fight me, but I'm not the guy to go against. We lost that element. So we beat them the first three. Great games. So many talented players on both teams. The fourth and final meeting of the season was that March 27th game. And before, all the hype is coming in, right?

But it was the same hype for every game. But now it's the last game of the regular season. We're in first. We're ahead of them. We've owned them all year. We go up 4-1 in the game. 4-1 we're winning. And then all hell breaks loose.

And it was the most well-timed attack that I've ever seen. And I don't think Detroit wins the Cup that year. I think we do. So many things happened in that fight. Patrick Watt hurt his back. Huey Krupp hurt his back. We had some injuries that came in there. And all the tough guys.

Everyone says the Red Wings, Russian Five, won the cup. They were great players, obviously. But they won the cup because of Shanahan. Biggest reason was Brandon Shanahan. His toughness and his ability to score and get goals, and Darren McCarty and Joey Cole. That's why they won those cups. Those guys were so tough that they put them over the top without them.

That planned attack was by McCarty who jumped Claude Lemieux. Patrick Waugh ended up coming out in his defense. I think Shanahan ended up grabbing Waugh. All-time brawl. Every time you see these clips come out, it's all this stuff and that rivalry. Why did it take until that last game of the season? Because it's that Scotty Bowman

man. He said, we're going to wait to get them all year. If you're going to do it, do it where it's going to change things. Like, why do it in the first game of the regular season? And then it's gone, right? They gained so much momentum from that. We had injuries. And then we started regular season. We're going to get you back. We're going to wait. And then it's gone, right? So they gained so much momentum from that. We had injuries.

And then we started the playoffs. We started with the Blackhawks. And in the fifth game of that series, I blew my knee out. That's when my injury happened. So I was not there playing when the conference finals rolled around against Detroit. And I think it was a 4-2 series win, if I remember correctly. But I was kind of, you know, when you're not playing, you're hurting.

It's the memories of that stuff don't stick with me like they did when you were involved in it. So that was a disappointing end to that season after having a great year in Colorado. So in that game, you went down 4-1. They ended up crawling back after. And then, of all people, Darren McCarty ended up scoring the OT winner. Yep. Wins it in overtime 6-5. So, that's where the history of the Red Wings turnaround happened.

Changed. They were a great team before that. They got swept by the Devils, right? Bingo, 95. The Flyers, the Avalanche and Dallas Stars and Detroit were miles ahead of everybody in the league at that time. Those three teams in the West. No one in the East.

No one was going to come close, and the Flyers found that out when they were swept four straight. Say, Jonesy, prepping for this interview, I was shocked when I pulled up the box from that game and saw no Pims for you and two for Sack again. He go, because they happen to be on the ice at that time. It's a great question. So Mark Crawford, after the game, he's like

the next day he comes up to me. No, on the bench, actually. This is awesome. So he's like, everything's happening, right? And he looks and he goes, hey, to me, if McCarty gets one more fight, he's out of the game. Go ahead, right? I go,

no, no, that's not accurate accurate i said he only got a double minor the first time and he did so marty did right right it was a double minor so that was the biggest thing he should have been out of the game by the end of it because they gave him a double minor for jumping claw the mule and he should have got the instigator all of it and thrown out but he stayed in he got and like all of it and thrown out but he stayed in he got and like you said it was kind of like the turnaround the momentum it completely changed i'll be honest about that situation as as crazy of things i've done in my career i knew we were doing the wrong thing i knew that we did not need to fight that team because we weren't built to beat

them up yeah i played on tough teams in Washington, especially with Ruby, Alan May. I mean, there were seven or eight guys ahead of me to fight. On the avalanche, I'm looking going, geez, there's like four of us that are in the same category here. It was an entirely different team, and it was a big mistake. And I had a conversation with Mark Crawford about it after. I said, we did the wrong thing. we should have let claude get beat up you take a few punches okay and let's move on but the fact that our guys were so competitive and just they were just and

they were invested in it probably more than i was because i wasn't there the year before exactly yeah so it's i had a different perspective on uh what about um i feel like the most interesting man in the world, Peter Forsberg. So many people wonder about him, but he's not in the public eye. But when he was on, he was one of the greatest players ever, and you witnessed that right in the prime. Yeah, I played on the same line as Peter because Claude was out.

So I was my line mate when I arrived there. I've never, I mean, I had so many tap-ins, it was crazy. And he was such a great guy, and he loved when I would get other players going on the opposition. He knew that I'd have his back. I had to fight that Todd Simpson once, a guy in Calgary, because he hit Peter. And I jumped in there

and I got killed, right? But that's what you want to do. I always tell the tough guy on the other team, you want to fight me, hit our best player. I'll be right, I'm going to, I got to fight you. I'm not going to fight you because you're asking me to fight you that ain't happening but you do something i'm gonna fight you and i'm gonna lose but it's okay and that's the way and peter always liked that part of it we were great friends he came to brantford with me once we landed in toronto he goes where you live around here i go yeah just down the road he goes let's

go and we went and stayed the night my hometown hometown. And he went out to the bar, local bars, Woody's Pub and Grub. And there's Peter Forsberg and these guys. And couldn't believe that they would see him in that environment, right? So friendly to everyone. Just the best. You know, he was just a great guy. And I roomed with Joe Sackick and played with Joe. We were on the second line.

There was Adam Deadmarsh, myself, and, of course, Joe in the middle. And then we had Forsberg at center on the top line with Valerie Kaminsky, Claude Lemieux. We had Mike Ricci, Scott Young, and Rene Corbet. I mean, this team is incredible that we didn't get that. The one thing through the book that surprised me was how you said that Patrick Waugh was far and above the best leader that you'd ever played with and probably the most intense guy you've ever played with.

He was. Joe was a great captain because he allowed other people to lead as well. And Patrick was one of the best leaders with Dale Hunter, that's another one, that just commanded everyone's attention. If you had a good game, it wasn't that you scored two goals. It was if you did all the little things right, and he recognized it. You could have a game where you didn't have a goal, and he'd come up and he'd go, hey, you had a great game tonight.

And you did. It wasn't bullshit. So you're saying he would be dialed into the whole play all game long? All game. His mind was what separated from everybody else. Twice coach probably. I think he would be dialed into the whole play all game long. All game. His mind was what separated from everybody else. Right, coach probably. Yeah, and I think he would be such a great coach, especially now that he's had experience in the NHL.

He was phenomenal that way. I have the utmost respect for the way that he handled a locker room, penalty kill he was in charge of. He'd bring the guys in and draw stuff up. I'd never seen that from a goaltender. And I know they've pasted a few C's on goalies before in the past, but he was a true captain. And Joe was a great captain because he allowed other people to lead and he didn't have to be the only voice. And that's a great part of

leadership as well. Is that because guys of who they are or how they say what they're saying? Is it a little bit of a combination? It's about how they say it. Like, it's just the fact, you know when you've done something, a small thing really well that helped the team win. Right. Maybe it's a block shot. Maybe it's a simple play along the wall, getting the puck out of the defensive zone. Or maybe it's staying disciplined at a time where you may have retaliated.

He saw all of that. And I hadn't seen that before. Especially from a goalie. From a goalie, right? And I've always felt like I was a smart enough player to know what was needed at a certain time. And he took that to a whole other level. Actually, do you know one part of that ESPN game?

Well, the Detroit-Colorado game. The replay that night. Remember ESPN used to replay the game later that night? They actually edited out that whole, the whole fight sequence. Cause I was in college at the time and we all watched a lot. Of course we didn't know what was going to happen. This is pre-internet pre whatever.

And we all put the replay on at three o'clock in the morning. Cause we was still in college and they edited the game. Like, and they took that whole fight sequence out of the game. They replayed it later in the night, which is kind of fun. All forgiven. RA high at three in the morning. Fun fact. All's forgiven. A little R.A.

Hyatt three in the morning fun fact. Yeah, I like it. I like it. He can bake with his buddies. No, he actually bet the game, but he forgot who won, so he had to watch it again. There you go. Boys, I don't know if you want to move to the reason we're here in

Philadelphia or if you have any more Colorado questions, but again, it's a shitty one, but you guys had a 3-1 series lead to Edmonton the next season. Well, you guys are still a cup contender. You pull that lead, and you're out in the first round. I mean, that's a fact. Yeah, I have a lot of those memories, actually. Thanks for bringing that up. Well, you've got to go both sides, yeah.

I was on three teams, three different organizations that were up 3-1 in a series and lost. Shit. Wow. It happened to me in Washington. It actually happened. The reason I think it happened is because my first year in Washington, when I started in the minors, I got called up for the playoffs and I knew I wasn't going to get in the lineup and we're just skating every day.

Barry Trotz is skating this and the Capitals are up 3-1 over the Penguins. This is in 92. And I'm like, man, I don't know if I'm enjoying this a whole lot. Like I'm not really part of the team. I wouldn't mind like this thing ending sometime so I can go home and enjoy my summer. So I'm basically doing a little low five every time the Penguins score, you know. So they come all the way back, Pittsburgh, and they win this seven-game opening round series and go on to win the Stanley Cup. That's how close the Capitals were. They're up 3-1.

Dino Cicerelli scores four goals in game four. They win 8-4. They're up 3-1. Dino Cicerelli scores four goals in game four. They win 8-4. They're up 3-1 in the series, heading home. And the Penguins come all the way back, win that in seven, and go on and win the Stanley Cup. Did Mario take over? Yes, he did. And I think they won 1-0 the last game.

They had a new scheme. Anyway, it was amazing to watch. So I'm thinking I hexed myself forever because three, three other times I had it once with the Capitals against the Penguins, uh, they came back and won. And then it happened in Colorado. The second time we were up three, one in Edmonton, I had missed a lot of time after my knee injury. So I was not, I was not at a hundred percent health. And I got ran

over by Mike Greer as well. He hit me from behind and my shoulder went out. I just remember I could barely get out of bed. I actually talked to Mark Crawford going into game seven. I'm like, Crow, I don't, I'm okay if you want to use somebody else because I can't move. And he's like, no, I want you in the lineup. So I took a stupid penalty in the first period. Edmonton scored on the power play. And now he wishes I wasn't in the lineup. Billy Guerin, right? Yeah, exactly.

It's true. It's a fact. And then it happened again with the Flyers. In that conference final, my last ever playoff series was a 3-1 lead. Devils. Yeah, with us a chance to go to the finals and the Devils came back and beat us the year that and they won it

so let's go to the trade to Philly because you're in Colorado in a couple years but how did it all go down when you found out you were coming here so my knee never came back at 100% so we went through a lot of stuff with the islands just trying to get it right

it was never going to be right but it was good enough to play So we went through a lot of stuff with the islands, just trying to get it right. It was never going to be right, but it was good enough to play. So I wasn't shocked that I was going to be traded. I had heard that it was going to happen. We played in Arizona the night before I was traded. I had an A on my sweater. It's the first time in my NHL career I had a letter on my sweater. So I knew I was getting traded the next day.

We've got to show he's a good leader. Swear to God. He had an A on my sweater. And so I skated around that night, and we were playing against Rick Tockett, Keith Kachuk, Jeremy Roenick. They were all on the same line, and I was talking to them all night. I don't even worry about you guys. I'm getting traded. Look at guys. I'm getting traded.

Look at, I'm a leader. I kept telling him, right? And they're just like, this guy is nuts. So anyway, the game ends and we're getting on the plane. And always suit and tie, right? Well, I wore my sweat pants and our sweat shirt and a pair of jeans. And I walked on the plane. Everybody's on the suit.

And Patrick Watt goes, what are you doing? I go, don't worry about it. I go, I wore an A tonight. I'm a leader and you guys can follow or not. Right. And it's like, it's just like, I knew it was going to happen. So the next day I'm at the practice rink and I open up the newspaper and I said, Keith Jones traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Sean Podine. I'm like, really?

So no one's told me. This is a newspaper. So I walk into the practice rink and I go, hey, I've been traded. Hey, guys, I've been traded. No, you haven't. I go, it's right here. It's in the paper. No, you haven't been traded.

I go, it's right here. I'm reading it. You want to see it? Look, it says right here. No, you haven't been traded. So I go to the training room. I got traded to the Flyers. No, you haven't been traded. So I go to the training room. I got traded to the Flyers. No, you haven't.

I go, well, why is it in the paper? We don't know. So two hours go by. They're checking all my knee stuff, like x-rays and filly and stuff. Like it's not official. So I don't know. I'm just sitting there. And so I started getting my equipment on again,

like I did against the Islanders when I was traded the first time. So I'm starting to put my gear on. And Patrick was sitting beside me. He goes, why do you want to'm starting to put my gear on, and Patrick Waugh sat beside me. He goes, why do you want to be traded? I said, Patrick, I don't want to be traded. I've been traded. It's right here in the paper. He's like, I don't think so.

I go, no, it's here. So then Johnny Martineau, the PR guy, comes down. He's like, Pierre Lacroix wants to see you up in his office. I told you guys I was traded. So you're probably smiling at Patty and Zayn. I fucking told you. I'm thinking Lindros and Leclerc, right? I was telling you guys earlier.

If I play with Lindros and Leclerc, I'd get a certain number of goals. The David Poyle. So I go up in his office and Pierre Lacroix, I sit down. We traded you the Flyers. Bobby Clark wants to talk to you. Now, when you hear Bobby Clark wants to talk to you, that's pretty cool, right? So I go in the other room and I'm, hey, Mr. Clark. He's like, hey, Jonesy, we got a game against Florida tonight.

We don't need you for that. But we do need you for tomorrow night we play the Devils. And I'm like, you might want to rethink that. And he's like, what? I go, have you ever seen my stats against the Devils? He goes, what are you talking about? I go, I played them 23 times. I have no goals.

And he's like, what? And he goes, no, I go, I don't know. You might want me to wait a couple more days before I arrive, right? And he just laughs. He goes, no, we need you here for that game. Get in here. And I played Brodeur so many times when I was with the Capitals, I could never score on him.

So I arrived, Roger Nielsen's the coach. I remember flying into Philly, looking down around, going, man, this is cool, another experience, another chance to keep playing. And I was just excited for another chance to put on a different uniform. And I don't know much about the city. And, you know, 25 years later here I'm still here right so as I pull in talk to Roger Nielsen he goes we're going to try you with Lindros and the Claire tonight I go what do you mean try me he goes well we'll see how it works I go Raj

it's gonna work just fine he's like he's like what and he's like yeah I go yeah just don't worry about it so the game starts and it's and it wasn't working fine for the first two periods. Third period comes around. I end up scoring my first goal ever against Marty Brodeur. Picked up a couple assists along the way. We beat him 6-1 with this great third-period comeback. I end up getting, I think, 12 points in the first five games playing with Lindros and LeClaire, and everything's great.

Oh, you're loving it incredible and uh that's the season kind of went like that after because they were struggling at the time they i never practiced like i i they they would put a big lounge chair out for me and i was why because the knee was so bad it was shot but it was just and they just thought i was goofy i just tell them i don't worry like i got away with stuff that a normal normal human being would not. And I would sit there with a cigar in my mouth during practice. They'd all be skating, and I'd have the Gatorades. Get the fuck out of here. There was a picture in the paper.

And it didn't bother guys. No, because the guys in the team, Rod Brindamore, right, workout fanatic, he'd laugh. He would laugh so hard because we were the polar opposite. He'd be lifting every weight, knowing the mankind, and I'd be lying underneath the trainer table, taking a nap, you know, as all this is going on. So it was a real contrast, but had so many great leaders on that team as well. Brenda Moore being one of them. Berube came in. Talkett came in. A lot of these guys, Luke Richardson, a lot of those guys became coaches.

We're going to skip to golf quickly. You told us an unbelievable golf story that involves Rick Tockett. Let's hop into that quickly so we don't miss it. Yeah, so this is post-retirement. And Tock's got a buddy who was a good golfer. And Tock loved to golf. And we would be betting on the course. I'm not a great golfer. But I didn't mind betting a few bucks with a handicap.

Why not? So we're playing. Al Morgani's with us as well. And I'm struggling. I'm all over the woods. And his buddy starts giving it to me verbally during this round. So by the 13th hole, I had enough. And I said, hey, buddy, I'll bet you $1,000 a hole,

and I'll play with my putter the rest of the way. And he's like, yeah, yeah, that sounds good to me. You can't back that up. I haven't hit a drive all day. Okay? So I grab my putter. rest of the way. And he's like, yeah, yeah, that sounds good to me. I haven't hit a drive all day. Okay. So I grabbed my putter. I tee it up. I stand over the ball.

I take my swing back and I crush it 250 yards, middle of the fairway, middle of my only, I hadn't hit the fairway all day. And you've never done this. Never done this. Never done this. And Al Morgani's, and I lift my leg up and farted after I hit the shot. Really loud. Really loud. And Al Morgani's losing it.

So I say to Toc's buddy, and you ask Toc this biz when you see him at TNT. Oh, I'm going to. I said, you're up. So he comes up, this guy, been just all down the middle, just killing me all day. He slices it so far into the woods that you never find it right i walk up to my next shot it's a par four hit with my putter in the fairway roll it up tap it up onto the green and i get my first par of the day first par of the day right and this guy's losing it next hole is a par three i it's over water i t up high with my putter i take the shot with the putter 130 yards and i put it at lands on the green on the green this

guy's panicking oh this guy puts it in the bunker the next shot i went again i won all five holes again with my putter the guy owed me five grand and i told you beat him? It's the best part. Beat him every hole. I told the guy, just keep it, buddy. You buy dinner tonight. And that was it. I disowned you, though. Yeah, that's probably more rubbing it in than anything. He didn't even want his money.

Just pick up the mail, you know? Yeah, that was it. And talk, we'll laugh. It comes up a lot. It's one of those things. It's probably 15 years ago that it happened. So you putting your leg up and farting kind of uh reminded me of the story of when you did the roast for rick tocket oh yeah

and you got to talk before he went on stage and there was another story with that yeah we would give talk we would always rip talk about that he loved those protein shakes right so he had the farts yeah so i told a couple fart jokes that were funny i wouldn't uh not worth sharing here but anyway i would tell him and then al morgani was also part of this roast he got me one of those fart machines so i stuck it under the podium so it was talk's turn to come up and talk and i i was i was about the third speaker so this is like four later but everyone obviously remembers the jokes right so he's up and he starts talking and i hit the thing right and he's like what and he's looking on the next head like eight different very

variations it was a classic and it kept coming out loud so finally he looks over at me and he's like i'm going to kill you and he really meant it like it was like one of those moments where i'm like yeah he means that so that was the last one but i did get him eight times with that we uh we gotta go back to philly two thousand playoffs i know you guys came up short, but very eventful. The Stevens hit on Lindros. You had a front row seat to that, you said. I did, and Lindros had just returned for that game. He had not played in the playoffs.

We had a group of guys that really rallied around each other, and it was kind of us against the world. Mark Recchi was on that team, Keith Primo, Rick Tockett, Berube, who I talked about earlier. We just had a really close-knit group. Luke Richardson on the back end kind of managed everything there, and Eric Desjardins was a great player, LeClaire. It's a long list of talented players on that team.

So we just kind of had this thing, we're going to get this done. We were up three games to one, bringing it home. We lose in game five, and Lindros was not available in that game. And that's the one, that was the game we should have won. And we didn't. We played poorly. They beat us easily. We head back to New Jersey, and Lindros plays for the first time.

And he scores the only goal that we scored. He had another goal disallowed that happened right after the buzzer. We end up losing two to one, if I'm not mistaken. Now we've got a 3-3 series. We're one game away from going to the Stanley Cup. Would have been my first time ever doing it. And now we're playing Game 7. And early in the game, Lindros gets hit by Stevens, and he's out.

And it's ugly. I'm sure most people have seen it. And now we've got to play. We're going to play this game. We had played without him for the whole playoffs and we played a great game. After he left, it was like, I don't know, our team was a very close-knit group of guys.

I played on some really good teams, but this was an interesting group of guys that just got each other. Chris Terry and another guy, a real funny guy. And we came back and we had a a great game talk scored the only goal was for us it was a 1-1 game and then with two minutes something left in the game patrick elliott scored the goal uh against brian boucher and uh they beat us two to one and that was it so we came that close to having this what was seemed like it was just going to be this amazing story, just fall a little bit short. And that was the last playoff game that I ever played in.

But before that, earlier series versus Pittsburgh, five overtimes, Keith Premo. I mean, I looked it up, 37.50 of ice time you had. You must have been talking out. You were on a bum knee. So yeah, talking, I went to the movies the night before in Pittsburgh, right? What did you see? I can't remember. I know we saw Mission Impossible the day before game seven against the Devils, and it proved

that it was too. But we did, I can't remember what we saw in Pitt. So anyway, we come out of the theater, and I'm thinking, I don't play much anymore anyway. Like, I was playing like 12 minutes a night, right? So we come out, we locked the i don't know how we did this we left the rental car running with the keys in it and locked i don't know how that ever happened because it's like impossible to do so then you could you could do that i guess yeah make it so you can't do that yeah so that's why it happened so talk and i were standing outside

the front of a car in pittsburgh at the movie theaters we can't get back to the hotel so we had to wait for a tow truck. It came, we got it. So anyway, we get to the game the next night. I'm playing like, you know, you were saying 12 minutes a night. The game before that everybody wants to forget about, I did have a goal and two assists and helping us come to get the series to two to one on one leg. But anyway, so we get to overtime now.

That game sheet is in my basement, actually. It was a gift to everybody on the team i have no shots on goal zero block shots zero hits it's almost impossible to do what i did in 37 minutes and 50 seconds an absolute non-factor the whole night i was on the ice for the goal the keith primo goal he scores it i'm actually on my way to the bench i never saw the goal to the next day i was staring right at the bench at center ice cutting across looking and rick talk is jumping on the ice for me and all of a sudden they're all celebrating and all i could think is we're going to get too many men on the ice why is everybody leaving the bench and sure enough

primo scored this incredible goal and we all had a great celebration. Now that's that tied the series at two, two, we were down to nothing lost the first two games at home and won the next two in overtime, one being in five overtimes and then won the next two rather easily and beat out the Penguins four games to two and then headed to the conference finals against the devils. Ah, great, great stuff. Now I know you're retired November. We were talking before we interviewed you here, how all your career milestones seem to happen around this time.

You had two trades, and of course, you retired in November of 2000, and Bobby Clark had a very succinct announcement when you retired. Yeah, so remarkably to me, I had a press conference, and I'm like, I didn't know this was going to happen, right? So we're at the practice rank, and Clark, he sits everybody down. All the players came up, which was great. Great teammates. And he sits in front of the microphone. I'm sitting beside him. And all he says, okay, guys, Jonesy's done.

Questions? That was it. That was the end. Everyone gets up. That was the end of my career. So much empathy for your career. Yep. Jonesy's done.

He used to play it on the radio. He's got a way with words, eh, Bobby Clark? Oh, he was the best. He didn't So much empathy for your career. Yep. Jonesy's done it. He used to play it on the radio. He's got a way with words, eh, Bobby Clark? Oh, he was the best. He didn't need a lot of words from Clark. Just utmost respect for him. But it was something they played on the radio here for weeks after. Jonesy's done. I want to ask more of a generic question.

You played such a great era of the 90s NHL. Of course, the video game explosion happened then. But Mario was still around. Big E, who was the toughest guy to play against or defend in that era for you? I would say Lindros. I mean, Forsberg and I, when I played with Peter in Colorado, he would ask me, he'd say to me, you take the draw. Like, he was the centerman.

Lindros would plow you over every time. Like, he would bull you over. And so I would end up going in there to take these face-offs. And we were talking earlier, I actually fought him when I was playing Like he would bull you over. And so I would end up going in there to take these face-offs. And we were talking earlier, I actually fought him when I was playing for the Capitals against the Flyers in a preseason game. And I went on the ice with two minutes left in the game. I had Alan May on one wing, Craig Berube on the other. And I'm at center.

I never played center. I'm like, why am I out here? So it was Lindros, and Lindros was thinking, I'm not fighting Berube. I'm not fighting May. I'm going to fight this stiff. And I end up having to fight him. He hits me with like 18 rights in a row. And at the last second, I kind of pop out this little left,

and the linesman kind of trips him, and he falls down, and I skate it off the ice. I had my arms in the air at the spectrum like I won it. It was the best, man. Gets pumped. Oh, yeah, I lost lost it my head hurt and everything but i got one in booing y'all yes you fucking sandbag it was great so that was my and then david poyle after the game told me he said hey uh maybe you should leave your gloves on like

and i'm like yeah i will i'd be happy to do that i appreciate it thanks for the thanks for the support did you ever uh talk to lindros or give an opinion on if it was nowadays, maybe he wouldn't have come back then? Did he possibly come back a little early? He could have. I mean, I'm sure if you're him. Because he had a few at that time, right? Yeah, and I'm sure if you're him and if you're looking at the run we were on,

you don't want to miss that. I know. Because he'd been a flyer. I know, that's exactly. And the whole playoffs he'd been out. And you're that close to getting the Stanley Cup final. And he's skated with you guys, obviously. And he's probably feeling okay.

In retrospect, it was probably too soon. Did you know that 22 of your 117 goals were game winners? Almost 20% of your goals were game winners. Yeah, that's fluky, though. I mean, some of them were probably made the game. I'm trying to pump your title for you, Jonesy. Some of them would be a couple late goals. I'm trying to pump your title for you, Jonesy. Come on.

It'd be a couple late goals. I'll tell you my best game-winning goal story. I'm playing for the Avalanche. Patrick Waz returned to Montreal. Big night, right? Oh, yeah. So this is when you could put money on the board. It didn't go up against the cap.

There's $30,000 on the board. $25,000 from Patrick. Mike Keane had a couple grand. The GM had a couple grand. It was like 30 grand. And when I was in Washington, you score the game-winning goal. That's your cash, right? So I'm excited. So I get on the ice and I tip a goal in that made the score, I want to say it made it 3-1 at the time. We extended the lead. Now we're up 5-1. And there's like eight minutes left. Montreal scores. Now it's 5-2, right? I'm sitting on it. We extended the lead. Now we're up 5-1. And there's like eight minutes left. Montreal scores. Now it's 5-2. I'm sitting

on it. I got the game winner. I've never blocked more shots in my life. I was diving. I would have bit the puck with my mouth if I had to. You think you're getting the whole 30K? Yeah, I'm fired. So I'm like, this is awesome, man. So buzzer goes, game over.

So I'm the first one in the room. I'm up there taking the money off. They go, what are you doing? I go, game winning goal, boys. It's mine. No, it's not. I go, what do you mean? They go, no, this is a team fund.

We share it with the team fund. I'm like, that's not how we did it in Washington. They go, that's how we do it here. So I lost out on that. The next night was my return to Washington. It was like your signing bonus. You'd already spent it. Oh yeah, I was thinking. Between periods you'd spend it. It was in my mind.

I'm like, yes, I'm going to the casino. So the next night is my return to Washington. My first game back, right? Back-to-back games. So I put a dollar on the board. I go, there you go, boys. You can fight over it after at that team party.

Oh, yeah. We lost. Like, everyone's so fired up for Patrick. My first night back. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Fuck Jonesy. We wasted the good surprise on Patty. I'm like, thanks for the help, boys.

That is such a good way to end this thing. You got to get going. You got to game. Seriously. We'll have to cut. I think that we can just do this again. I mean, you know, just catch up more. Absolutely tremendous, Jonesy.

We can't thank you enough for having us here. It was nice to change it up, boys, the venue and everything. And awesome interview. Everyone's going to enjoy it. Thanks for the hospitality. Yeah, thank you, guys. Keep up the great work, man. Same to you.

Same to you. Thanks, Jonesy. Wow, man. Absolutely the biggest thanks to Jonesy and his wife for the hospitality that day. And an absolutely tremendous interview. And also, big thanks to Al Morg his wife for the hospitality that day and an absolutely tremendous interview. And also big thanks to Al Morganti showing up to show a little chick. Let's love a guy. We used to watch in the douche years ago.

It was great to finally meet him. Never realized he was a Boston area guy. So, I mean, Jonesy, just an absolute all-time interview. I think that's so good. Easily a Mount Rushmore after the feedback for sure. That was, guys, I'm not going to lie. I was in rough shape. I got buckled at Jonesy and I actually hit it with R.A. outside.

That was so much fun sitting down and listening to that guy. I was actually able to read about half his book. That's as much as I could get in in the short time I had to read it. Six years. But Bucciagras talked about it when he was on the podcast and he wrote it folks and give it a read it is fucking hilarious just like him some of these stories where it's the fact that he could get away with it was fucking remarkable it is amazing the stuff that he would pull off and yeah i mean i knew it was going to be a great interview when we showed up biz

al morganti was there i remember watching him those two are really close buddies and all of a sudden we're getting into the story for the interview and that's when i'm like oh my god we got to start recording right now so jonesy did not disappoint he actually exceeded these expectations were some which were ridiculously high to begin with so thank you so much i'm looking forward to catching up with him again yeah hey how about him beating that guy with his putter on the last five holes oh i asked talking about it. And he was like, yep, I was there to witness it.

Son of a bitch. Striping it down the middle. 250 yards down the middle with a putter. Didn't even skip a beat. I don't even think. Didn't he say he didn't accept his money either? He's like, don't even give me your money. No.

He didn't even give it. The cockiest move ever. No. So I think the one thing that Talkett said about it, he goes, he forgot to tell the best part of the story. And correct me if I'm wrong, because he didn't tell this in the interview, is after he drilled it 250 down the fairway

and picked up his tea, he let out the biggest, juiciest fart. No, he told that. He said that. Okay, fuck, fuck. Okay, okay. Never mind. Never mind.

Never mind that, yeah. All-time rack on tour. Because Talkett talked about it. Yeah. Cause I, cause I'm rock on tour. Cause talk, talk, it talked about it. Maybe I retold it and he goes, Oh, did he talk about how you let out the biggest,

juiciest fart? So sorry folks. The brain wasn't clicking as well that day. Fuck. Was I in rough shape? But I was good time spending some time spending with the donkeys and his, and his, and his wife do not break into this man's home.

He has a dog that is a colossal raptor. Fucking, that thing was a T-Rex. I don't know what the fuck it was. Scary as fuck. I mean, if that dog was a person. Yeah, he'll bite you too. They were like, heads up for that dog. If that dog was a person, he'd be 6'8", 380.

Like fucking scary as shit, man. Definitely a tack dog. He'd be dj metcalf but with like a tyson brain mike tyson that is um all right there's one more note uh in addition to that interview this podcast is also sponsored by a better help online therapy we talk about better help a lot in the show and this month we're discussing some of these stigmas around mental health for example some people think you should wait until things are unbearable to go to therapy, but that's not true. Therapy is a tool to utilize before things get worse and it can help you avoid those lows. Many people think that therapy is for quote-unquote crazy people, but therapy doesn't

mean something's wrong with you. It means you recognize that all humans have emotions and we need to learn to control them, not avoid them. And we've been taught that mental health shouldn't be part of normal life, but that's wrong too as well. We take care of our bodies with the gym, the doctor, and nutrition. We should be focusing on our minds just as much. BetterHelp is customized online therapy that offers video, phone, and even live chat sessions with your therapist so you don't have to see anyone on camera if you don't want to. It's much more affordable than in-person therapy and you can be matched with a therapist in under 48 hours. So give it a try

and see why over 2 million people have used BetterHelp Online Therapy. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com slash chicklets. That's B-E-T-T-E-R-H-E-L-P dot com slash chicklets. Don't be shy, folks. Check it out. Never

a problem to ask for help. We all do at certain points, so give BetterHelp a whirl if you need to. Alright, I was going to ask you help. We all do at certain points so give better help a whirl if you need to. Alright, I was going to ask you guys a spontaneous question here about the lady who asked that question to Bill Belichick about his New Year's resolution. I didn't catch that.

I didn't catch it. What was it? I'll play it. Oh my god, you have not seen I want to watch you watch this in real time. This is fucking unbelievable that you haven't seen this. Grinnelli, this in real time. This is fucking unbelievable that you haven't seen this. Grinnelli, roll it for him. Hi.

Football aside, sorry, but I'm doing a story about New Year's resolutions, and I was just wondering if you had any you wanted to share with your fans and our readers. No, not right now. Okay. Thanks. I mean, that's vintage Belichick, but I saw people chirping about this online and talking about it.

That person had to be put up by their boss or something. She said she was working on the stories. I don't know, man. If he had said stop the run, it would have been an all-time ridiculous press conference moment. Yeah, I never thought of an answer. But that would have been him giving in to not being furious as to how bad the team played yesterday.

Yeah, he must have been fuming because it's not like his defense to get ran over like that. Dude, he had – Well, it's his kid's defense, right? Their past two games, their D's brutal, but he just last week I think apologized to the media for being so mean to him. I think that was a very kind reply by him, actually. Exactly.

It could have been a lot worse. And I think he probably realized this isn't someone who's normally here. And she wasn't asking a gotcha question about any of the stupid trumped-up controversies they've had. It was just a silly resolution question. It's probably not the right person to go off on i mean especially after that loss he didn't even crack a smile i mean thank god she didn't ask him that the week before when he actually like had to apologize for how mean he might have exploded yeah he was at boiling point last time he does that after that game yeah what a difference a week could make is that like a is that isn't that like a saying for a brand or something no resolutions are silly anyways

fucking time and calendars are so arbitrary he was like he was like in press conference mode for how you drive like after you get pulled over driving away from the cop you know how you get back on the highway and you just go straight 55 just for like four miles while he's two and ten you know that's him in the press conference right now after his apology yeah yeah you're signaling over the the rumble strips like where else are you gonna go to get back on the road you fucking idiot the cops just laughing as you're driving away every time i go over those rumble strips no hopefully it's not too much but granted you know you hit him once in a while rider whatder, what is that? What is that? I'm like, bud, this is like six months now. It's the rumble strip.

I've told you this. Come on. What is that next day? They work, though. Darn kids. Hey, so I think a guy from Michigan invented the machinery in order to do that. And he patented it and then sold it. So he's fucking not working johnny rumble so

he's on a yacht somewhere um i think uh oh you know who else is you know who else is going to be on a yacht you know who else is going to be on a yacht fucking mario lemieux after the sale of this pittsburgh penguins team and there was a a threat online i know we're out of order ra hates my guts right now no i, I love it, Biz. You keep me on my toes. I'm conducting a symphony here, and you decide to stop playing the violin? I don't expect it.

I love it. Go ahead. I mean, Mario Lemieux's story is as fascinating as anyone in pro sports, given with what he went through health-wise and came back and what level he was able to play. But the business side of how it was all orchestrated and the whole sale of the team, and he kept and the, and the wholesale, the team,

and he kept it out of bankruptcy and forfeited salary to now what he, they sold it for. This is like, I fuck Bravo. The minute magnifique. That's a, that's a fucking boatload of cash, man.

And that is one savvy businessman. Yeah. And to give you a little background, there's a Twitter feed uh at joe pompliano p-o-m-p-l-i-a-n-o he's the cool ravel yes they do the same thing but this guy's not annoying he's not like this guy is so much such a better fall i ravel and cool don't belong on the same sentence together unless you're talking fucking temperature but anyways uh he had an unreal tweet thread about basically how Lemieux became pot owner

after he got stiffed by the previous owners on his paychecks. So he finagled. He come up with a deal, got some investors, and he was able to poly that into owning the Penguins. He's still a minority owner. But, of course, we mentioned this sale recently to the Fenway Group. And Lemieux is basically going to pocket. I don't know if he's going to pocket or's gonna make 350 million off of this steal basically because he took a pot ownership after the previous owners couldn't make couldn't make his check couldn't make his payments on it because

they i don't whatever shitty ownership shitty business practices so he became owner now he's gonna get 350 million but also biz monday was the 21st anniversary of him returning to the game after a three and a half year-half-year layoff. I mean, this is a legit goosebump moment. Mario, I mean, I know I fuck with Penguins fans now, but I was always a huge Mario guy. Loved him. Him coming back after, you thought he was done, man.

You didn't think he was going to play again. Three-and-a-half years, he comes back, gets a goal, two assists, five-nothing win over Toronto. And then it was interesting, boys. That was the last season he played with Yaga. And you think, to that much talent, it's crazy that they only won two cups together when you see how good they were and how much chemistry they had. It's kind of like almost shocking, I guess, that they only won two cups.

Yeah, and I was going to say it's fascinating that given him saving the team, they end up winning three more and getting Crosby and Malkin and Flower in the draft. So, so many things changed when he ended up taking ownership of that team for the better I mean obviously there was some some a couple rough years there what was the Generation X wit were you part yeah I was part of that I was part of that uh me or pick uh Army Flurry and I don't remember who the other guy was. Well, there was a couple super— No, no, I wasn't Generation X. That was like Jackman, Rico Fata, Orpik, Konstantin Koltsov.

But we had another name, I think. Speaking of that year, Lemieux came back. He had 76 points in 43 games. I remember exactly where I was, who I was with when he came back. It was against Toronto. It was snowing that night at the he came back. It was against Toronto. It was snowing that night at the Igloo. He got points right away.

That was a memory I will never forget. And the fact that he was able to do what he did in life, and that thread's pretty cool. The one thing I was confused about was he mentioned on the Twitter thread. He messed up as far as goals and assists, I think there was a mistake somewhere by accident. He mentioned something about instead of choosing to go battle in court for what he was owed from the previous owners and getting pennies on the dollar. And I started thinking, like, even though they owed him 26 million, is there a chance

he would have not gotten that money? Like the league? I don't think it had to get to that point with i think no i know but like imagine if that was the case if i i can't imagine nowadays if somehow an owner went bankrupt guys wouldn't get their salaries i don't know i mean i mean that's why we got to get them on so that's what we're getting there we're getting there next we're backing up the the the excel date to to a summer of 2028 he's top three interview if if i could give my top three he's one of them oh yeah i don't think i don't think he's a big

interview guy although he goes on madden show all the time crosby and neely weren't either we got them so that's true who's the top three for each of you guys i feel like we've never really talked about this before um obviously, Wayne. I would say Mario. I mean, number four. Mine's Orr, Lemieux, and then the third is to be determined. I would say Stevie. Why? Because I know he would never and we can't.

Yeah. That's the thing. A lot of the guys I would love to have on, the stories they really couldn't even tell. So I don't know. I think McGilney would be a great one because the whole, like, defecting from Russia when they're in the middle of the Cold War and, you know, basically under threat of death.

I don't know if we're ever getting a Russian on that. I don't know, man. You were on that for us. We can't do one live. Yeah, live. Yeah, they'll have us in a cell in Siberia. We do one in Moscow. I just get beheaded at the end of it.

R.A.'s like, so, who's the first goal you ever scored against? Guy kicks down the door, bullet in the back of the brain. You've asked that question too many times, Arre. We have been asked to go to Moscow. We have been asked to go to Moscow. You've hit your limit on that question, Arre. It's like a little odd job uh speaking of mobsters i can't keep this secret in because there was one more thing that we were going to release other than

the rest of my lineup for this ball hockey tournament we have coming in vegas on february 3rd and 4th right aligned with the nhl all-star game the danbury trashers have a team they're coming aj galante who by the way thank you aj all class man all class he's been emailing and texting g non-stop so g's g's like basically partners in crime with them now uh he is putting in a team for the ball hockey tournament so things are going to get very very interesting in vegas so and thank you aj for the ball hockey tournament so things are going to get a very very interesting in vegas so and thank you aj for the cookies that he sent for christmas i huge thanks man i i got a package no idea where it's from what it is i open it and nice handwritten card thanks for everything aj and it's like man we're just just all class just a classy gesture no one else sent us cookies

and this kid did and it it was just a tremendous gesture. G, what do you got for us? I was just going to say, and we still do have spots open in the Chicklets Cup, so you want to meet AJ. Not many. They're selling out quick. We've got about 10 to 15 spots left.

I think we're going to have about 60 to 65 teams, and, boy, this might be rude to AJ after I said thank you for the cookies. I did have Katie test them, and I waited five minutes just in case because we are competing against each other at the ball hockey tournament, and we know how this fucking guy rolls, man. He's putting stinky fish in the heaters. We know what these clowns are up to,

so I look forward to... Oh, is T-Bone coming? Probably. Oh, boy. Probably. He's probably going to ask us to book him a first-class flight, too. Imagine T-Bone and Terry Ryan facing off. Oh, Jesus.

I'll have to corral them. We'll see. Get together with them. We'll see. He's probably going to ask us to book him a first class flight, too. Imagine T-Bone and Terry Ryan facing off. Oh, Jesus. I'll have to corral them. We'll see. Get together with them. We'll see. But Katie's all right, and thank you for the cookies, AJ. Biz, that's not the only news you're breaking. We got a big contest winner who's going to get to hang out with you. I have the name right here.

Guys, we did this contest around Black Friday, and this is fun. We're going to start doing more givebacks with our fans. So we did the contest where you entered on the barstool store we were going to fly you and three buddies out to arizona we're going to pay for your hotel and we're going to get you a suite at the coyotes game and i'm going to go play golf with you guys so we're going to have our own little fucking sandbag you better bring your cash and i got the name right here. Oh, Grinnelly, you sent it to me. Connor Keelan is the Arizona Experience winner. This guy is all the way in Virginia Beach.

So we're going to be flying him out. And he's been a hardcore fan for about three years. Grinnelly said, obviously, he looked him up, and he'd been getting merchandise all the time. So for all you hardcore fans that support us and buy merchandise to you know support us like you know filming more things and having bigger budgets to do more crazy things on the youtube side we want to keep giving back to you guys that's why we we did that go puff thing so you know we just want to continue rolling out the red carpet for you fans and you loyal ones at that so uh connor Virginia Beach, bring two good golfers because I'm going to fucking take all your money if you don't, boy.

Bring your cash. Guys, we're doing a $5 Nassau biz nasty special. What's that mean? The most you can lose is like 15 bucks? No, with presses, you could still somehow lose a lot of money if you had a real degenerate playing. Okay. All right, let's see.

Moving right along. We want to send congratulations out to Derek Nesbitt of the East Coast Atlantic Gladiators. I'm playing his 1,000th pro game last Wednesday versus the Jacksonville Icemen. Derek's in his 16th pro season. He's 39-year-old forward. He's sixth with Atlanta.

He's a Ferris State product. Let's see my last note here. Yeah, Ferris State product. He's also played in the Colonial Hockey League way back in the day, the AHL, and Austria. So, Biz, I know you got together with him. You did a little something with him, correct? Yeah, so it kind of segues back to what we just talked about,

like doing more things. And, you know, Derek played in his 1,000th game in Jacksonville the other night. I ended up playing with this guy at the All-Star game, not a big deal, in Boise, Idaho when I was playing in the ECHL. And then all these years later, we've kept in touch. And then sure as shit, when the ECHL season got canceled and then we ended up doing that ECHL Player Relief Fund,

he was a guy where if he wasn't involved in helping out, as many other guys did and people donated, if he's not one of the guys helping out, like who knows if it gets off the ground. So I found out he's going to be playing in his thousandth game. So we sent Sean, a videographer who we've had on now for over a year. You know, he's in the trenches getting the YouTubes up and doing all this stuff. He went out to that thousandth game, got some very emotional content. We didn't want to take away from that night other than just having kind of, you know, Sean be a ninja and take it all in.

We wanted to have a celebratory thousandth game in Atlanta on February 25th, where we're going to try to sell the building there and, you know, correct commemorate. That's the word commemorate you got it at a boy busy boy get it back on the rails uh commemorate him for his thousandth pro game and just kind of like giving back to like a league and you know elevating these these professionals at lower levels who you know they've they've been huge members of their community and provided entertainment and he's a great guy he's's a father, husband, unreal teammate. We have some unbelievable footage that we're going to capture.

So if you are around in the Atlanta area, come on the 25th of February. We're going to do a Chicklets night. We're going to present them on the ice for his 1,000th game, and we're going to do it up right for Derek. And this is going to be all part of this Jungle series that we're going to do. I played life in the jungle. The ECHL is a special place in my heart so we're doing a game with the orlando polar bears we're going to do a pink whitney night we're going to do a night in wheeling at some point we're going to mention these dates and we're going to get special people to show up

we're hoping that everybody could show up to the pink whitney night with the solar bears um we're going to do a fun night with the Wheeling Nailers where we can maybe get KB no swag and the other dude from Wheeling. Nick. Nick. Yeah, he's a beauty. We want to keep doing these fun videos and get some behind the scenes stuff in order to keep

growing the game and doing some fun shit. Congratulations to Derek. Where did you play with Nesbitt? How did you know him? I don't know exactly where he was playing at the time, but he was picked for the All-Star game, and we were on the same team in Boise, Idaho.

So you do the skills comp, and then you do the game the next day. And it was a cool experience, man. I actually, when the Wheeling owners, it was me and Jensen from our team who ended up going, and they were like, hey, we're taking a private plane. So I got to hop in a private plane with the owners of the nailers, and, you know, it took seven hours to get there because we were going against the wind, and, you know, you got to stop for gas.

You had a propeller plane. We took a helicopter. Took us three days, but we got there. Dude, he's still producing, though. He's 1,000 games in the AHL. Yeah, so to see that he's still fucking playing, I'm like, oh, my God, how do you do it? I asked him, how's the body holding up?

So we're going to get some fun stuff with him there. And, yeah, man, we appreciate your guys' support. We want to keep doing more of these fun videos and video projects. He played with Kunitz too, dude. Yeah, because he played at Ferris State. But thank you to Sean, our videographer, who went there and captured all this stuff. He's crushing it.

He's crushing it. There's so much stuff that happens behind the scenes that he helps out with that you guys don't see. So he's kind of like a Grinnelli where he's a man in the – He's a man in many hats He's a direct... Man in many hats? Yeah, there you go. And guys, this will all be released on the Spittin' Chicklets YouTube channel,

and we'd love for you to go like, subscribe, share that channel, because the more you do that, the more we can do video content. Do whatever you got to do. Just show up and subscribe and like it. All right. Well said, Biz, and congrats to Connor.

I hope you enjoy your night with Biz. Yeah. Good luck with that. He's like, oh, fuck. He's like, I won that thing? I'll defer. R.A., and speaking of the YouTube channel, that's where we're going to be doing the Wicked Lotta Fottin yoga instruction.

R.A.'s going to put the nice, speaking of Lululemon, he's going to have a full-blown track suit on, the tight one. Like Pauly Walnuts? There you go., the tight one. Like Pauly Walnuts? Not my brother, the real Pauly Walnuts. Yeah. Oh, yeah, fucking tap is. So, again, congrats to Connor. Good stuff coming.

Let's see. A couple more notes here. Oh, yeah. Did you guys see this clip of Dylan Larkin during warm-ups? He knocked over a fan's beer. So he went over to the locker room attendant, Zuby, his name is, hit him up for a 20 and had him go over, run the $20 over to the fans. But, I mean, if you're sitting in the boards, that's a rookie move,

leaving your glass on the boards on the dash, even during warm-ups. Warm-up? Even warm-up, all right, okay. Yeah, man. Yeah, I mean, a puck comes whacking in, guys bump into it. I think it's so rare behind the net. But I guess a shot could have might have done it but i think that's right away while larkin's like i gotta go buy him a beer what am i doing he just ran he just ran right at him and buried the board maybe subconsciously he's like i just want to fucking crush that thing right now and double fist it and he just he actually tried to get it with his fucking head he got got a broken nose. I don't know if you guys heard.

Hey, Zuby comes back. He's like, where's my beer? He's like, what? I thought you wanted to buy that. No, I wanted one. Exactly. But it was a cool clip because it did highlight Zuby and guys like that who work in the locker room,

the equipment guys who tend to get unheralded. And I've said before on this show, these are the grease and the gears of the NHL. Without those guys, the league does not function. So it was cool to see him get a little bit of love there. Let's see. We've got a follow-up on the Omaha Lances story from several weeks back. Of course, the players had complained.

They decided to boycott a couple games. The USHL launched a third-party investigation. And per the USHL, they said their investigation found that, quote, multiple media reports surrounding the situation in Omaha to be unsubstantiated, end quote. The USHL president and commissioner, Bill Robertson, said that we are satisfied that this matter has been fully and thoroughly investigated to its fullest extent through a neutral third party. Kind of, you know, kind of, well, I don't know if you blame the media,

but he said media reports were wrong. And Chris Peters, who I've been following for a long time, I've never met him, but he's got a pretty damn good reputation as a reporter. He tweeted that he stands by his reporting, what he said, you know, he stands by it. And, you know, and I think this is another case, Biz, where, you know, sort of nuance maybe should be brought up where, you know, if a reporter is told something and they report it, it doesn't mean they're wrong. They're actually being told something.

Now, whether what he was told was somebody's spin on something or their version of events is a different factor. But, you know, I don't think people should beat up on the reporters here. They reported something they were told. The league did their investigation via a third party, and that was their conclusion. So, you know, i don't go beating up the reporters for doing their job i guess is my point here i guess the only time you can uh you can fire back is is was the other side asked about it and i guess was enough journalism done on the other side to provide a case from both sides is that yeah i think i think they got the

probably the typical no comment you know they talked to players i thought they ran in a brick wall i don't think they were getting anything back you know they reported what they were hearing and you know they didn't make it up out of whole cloth i mean i'm sure chris talked to people and those players i don't know if they're going to come out and have further statements but either way it looks like the ushl is going to move on and we shall too uh this is crazy moment guys i don't know if you clicked on the link when i sent it and the swiss league uh players uh i'm saying the name right aren't arnaud montedon or montedon and tyler higgins i uh higgins hit this

montedon dude or montedon they both fell they ended up crashing the doors through they fell into the zamboni snow pit first of all i've never seen that before second of all did you know that pit was that deep that guy was up to his fucking well that one is it's not every every ring okay that was like falling down like a subway crate in nyc it was why is it right off the ice too i've never seen that either is that normal yeah sometimes they dump them right there they just get it over with it depends how the rink's built in their their whole system but oh my god that was funny yeah i mean i hope everyone's all right but that was a funny picture they were it was crazy well the quote from monthandani said imagine and this is translated imagine that at this moment i am in full effort i'm hot my gear is hot in a half a second i go from a temperature from 37 to 38 celsius to i don't know probably

close to zero frank frankly luckily i was on my feet if i had to swim i don't know how it would have ended i mean picture how much you shit his pants in that moment you get checked you go through doors and now you're fucking underwater in a fucking snow in a zamboni pit you know that's like the life before you know life flash before your eye type of moment for about two seconds no yeah no for sure. If you're minus three, though, you're like, oh, yes. Fucking push some snow on, bury me here. Yeah, everybody's thinking about you getting dunked and not your

two pizzas up the middle. Good call, Whit. I was asking if you're okay instead of making me skate the next day when the team's off. I'd be looking for those crates. Get me out of here. Alright, moving on to the etc portion the non-hockey stuff i'm not sure you guys must have seen the staple center they had a name change and dude this is fucking weird like i'm not picking on la or the lakers or whatever but

they played the staple center but i'm gonna but they played the staple center for you know last whatever fucking 15 20 years whatever now they're going to be the crypto.com arena which by the way it's going to cost them 700 million over the next 20 years but they brought out all the trophies all hall of fame players i mean the building wasn't closing or nothing it did change the fucking name of the building i've never seen a ceremony for a fucking built a corporate name change to another i just thought it was i think that what they did was they said let's like if we're going to spend this tag, we're going to roll out the red carpet

so everybody's talking about this name change, and here we are. Fuck. You should have told me that in the fucking reply. I would have left it out. I think it's unbelievable marketing. I wanted to wait to own you on the show. No, no.

I just thought of it. Guys, you think I'm that fucking smart? No, I just thought of it as you were going through, and I'm like, yeah, I just thought of it. Guys, you think I'm that fucking smart? No, I just thought of it as you were going through and I'm like, yeah, they did. And of course, it's a crypto company because I think that they're trying to really tell people that we're going to be around for a while and we're not going anywhere. Whether you if you believe in crypto or not, I'm not very bullish on it. I don't own much crypto. it i don't own much crypto big crypto guy right yeah well i mean i think miles wood said that he was he was heavy into crypto i was talking to him a little bit about it like there are people who are making you know serious investments into crypto and they're transferring a lot of their their net worth into it and i i personally wouldn't have more than three percent of my net worth into crypto i think that you're fucking mad if you do that i actually bought an nft this weekend i bought my first nft is that why you switched your instagram picture to that nft yes i did that nft that stuff i have no idea how these like pictures are worth so much money i

think it's the i i actually think it's amazing if people are making huge dough off these things but to try to explain it to me i don't know what, I don't even know where to start asking questions about this. Like, what do you know about that? So that's a picture that anyone can see. What does owning that do for you? I saw Justin Bieber promoting it, so I said I'm all in.

Anything Bieber touches turns to gold. So you can't even explain it? But they're geniuses for doing it. They're geniuses for doing because they're getting in it at the top of the market and at the top of the food chain. Well, what do you mean? So you're saying you don't think these things will be worth much more money in 20 years? I kind of agree with you.

I think we could be so off on this. Well, I look at it like this. Most people are kind of becoming one with their phones. So it would be like this. Imagine having a whole card collection where you can show everybody your cards on the on your phone and obviously they're you know if you lose your phone they're probably locked where you have the password where you can re-access them with your with your whatever phone you you have that's new but it's kind of something that's it's it's essentially being created out of a thin air and you know

there's obviously a market for it where people are seeing value in this, where you can get one of one. But like, I see them and you look at them and most of them kind of like look like ass. And it's just like, that's what you're paying all that money for. And anyone can see it.

So what is it? What about owning it? I don't, I'm looking at it whenever I want. Well, I think it's, yeah, you're able to look at it whenever you want. It's kind of like in your safe. Some people- Like owning a piece of art. No, I'm saying if you don't own it, looking at it whenever I want. I think it's, yeah, you're able to look at it whenever you want. It's kind of like in your safe. Some people, no,

I'm saying if you don't own it, biz though, I apologize. Oh, can I not look at that picture? I think that you could see what it looks like from a certain distance, but you can't open it the way that the owner can open it and view it. Sometimes they're doing it where it's like a clip,

like a clip of a lebron dump dunk and you own that one clip of that lebron lebron dunk through that company and nobody else owns that one of one and then they'll do one that's like a one of ten they'll do ten of them but i just there's just like so many of the different companies and so many of these different spaces where i'm like i just see this as wasted money i think i there's just it's just rich people with too much money and they don't know what to do with it yeah i said a few episodes we were talking about if you could buy stock and you know future things if i could buy stock and say that there's no way that building will be named the uh crypto.com arena in 2041 i would put a million dollars on it yeah no way i mean

remember the astros new field was called enron field years ago and then you know then obviously i'm not saying crypto is going to go the way that enron did i just don't think that it's going to be the fucking same name in 20 years from now i'll be shocked if that happens right i i think that i personally think this is a phase and i think that there's too much i think there's going to be like a downturn on this but i i the reason why they probably did this whole shebang bang was to for because this is like the crypto uh community saying you know we're here and we're for real and i'm like okay well that's a that's a pretty fucking bold investment to tell us that what what percent of like your

money is is is in not a lot not a The crypto... But I'm just banking off that Bitcoin that we won last year in March Madness. I still haven't received that. I still have mine too. It's gone up and down like a yo-yo. So I actually... Who do I call about that? Ghostbusters.

We'll talk off the air. I'll get it for you. People are probably punching the steering wheel right now about me trying to break down crypto and NFTs. So I'm sorry about me rambling on. That's all right. But I've formed an opinion on it based off enough things that I've read.

Off a tweet in Reddit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, Benz. I love you. No, buddy. Where else are you going to get the information? Books. Anywhere else.

All right. A couple last notes here. I know I asked you guys, you haven't watched the new Leo DiCaprio movie, Don't Look Up. It dropped on Netflix, I believe, Christmas Eve day. It's a purported satire. Basically, Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play scientists who discover

that a comet is going to hit planet Earth in six months, and they're trying to sound the alarm. It's directed by Adam McKay, who, of course, directed Anchorman and Step Brothers and Talladega Nights. Oh, it's directed by adam mckay who of course directed anchorman and um step brothers and uh talladega knights also directed oh it's a comedy well it yeah it's it's a attempt i guess a satire or maybe an attempt at a satire and you know of course he did the big short a couple years ago which was it was a pretty big success normative for best picture did a great job of breaking down the whole economic collapse for like dummies like like me who don't understand that

shit um as far as don't look up i mean i thought it was just okay i know some people are raving about it some people love it i thought it was an attempt at a satire along the lines of um i'm going way back here dr strange love which is a satire of the cold war that stanley kubrick made and directed in i think 1965 at the height of the Cold War, which took a tremendous amount of balls to make that movie at the time. And also like Network, which is a satire in the 1970s, I think 75, about the news industry and how it was out for profit. If you watch them now, they feel like, you know,

they're almost like regular movies. But this movie, I don't think it, I think it missed the mark. I don't think it hit those points like it intended to. It felt like Idiocracy. Remember the movie Idiocracy a few years ago that mike judge directed you never saw idiocracy oh for three holy shit and basically he was kind of like it was a movie about the dumbing down of society and how people are so like you know so just paying attention to other

things that they that they shouldn't be and i felt like it was more like fts and bitcoin yeah like that type of shit basically like, people are out to lunch. They don't pay attention to important things. I just thought it missed the mark. I didn't think it was a great movie at all. I'd be shocked if it gets really any Oscar nominations, but definitely, I think you guys should check it out. We can discuss it more in the next show.

Yeah, sounds like it. I can't wait to watch it. And I'm sure a lot of people, our listeners, did watch it, and I'm sure people liked it. It wasn't a bad movie by any stretch, but considering the cast and the pedigree, by the way the great there was a great cast you know Meryl Streep uh what's her name um Kate Blanchett was terrific Mark Mark Rylance who's uh who was in Bridge of Spies I think he won an Oscar for it English actor he was awesome he played like a sort of a Steve

Jobs Mark Zuckerberg uh Elon Musk hybrid of kind of these billionaire tech guys. And I thought he was probably the best in the movie. It's worth a watch. It just didn't hit the mark, the satiric mark it was going for. Like I said, I think that idiocracy maybe was closer to that. Good job, good effort, but it wasn't that great. You guys catch anything recently or seen anything good? The only Leo movie I've ever watched I didn't like was Shutter Island. Yeah, it didn't do a ton for me

i remember being a little confused and not super overwhelmed with that one yeah it was and it came out i believe it came out after inception or i watched it after inception so i'm like it kind of has a similar premise here yeah way before oh why is it okay well then i watched it after and i'm like inception maybe maybe that jaded my mind of the fact that, because he was like imagining shit on this fucking island. He actually owns a Shutter Island NFT. I was within a half inch collar of being an extra in Shutter Island biz. Yeah, I went to a casting call for that, and I got called back.

What was going to be your, um, your job? I was going to be one of the, I was going to be one of the CEOs on Shutter Island, one of the corrections offices or screws or whatever you want to call them. I, it was like months after they started filming and they say, are you still interested in being in it? I says, absolutely. And I drove all the way down to Plymouth mass for a costume fitting. And I put the screw, the screw outfit on and I put on a size 16 it was like choking me out size 16 collar and then they gave me a size 17 and it was a little little looser but it was comfortable I could have worn it at a wedding it would have been wouldn't look bad and I says well let me see if you have a 16 and a half and she comes back and she's like no I don't

have a 16 and a half uh she's like you're all set and I was like wait what that's it she's like oh that guy and she points like a 70 year old guy who was probably the same height as me, but we looked nothing alike. But because this guy fit the uniform better, that's how particular Scorsese is about his minor details. It's a game of inches. Literally, this guy got the extra gig over me because the collar fit him slightly better than me.

So I was crestfallen. The lady's like, well, you still get paid. I was like, but I wanted to I was crestfallen. The lady's like, well, you still get paid. I was like, but I wanted to be in a Martin Scorsese movie. And then I get in the car, no bullshit, hand to God,

put the radio on and it's the Stones who are always in Scorsese movies and they sing and can't get no satisfaction. I probably told this story before, but it was like the Lord

was playing fucking tricks on me that day. Wow, I would have bet anything you were about to say the song that was playing was You Can't Get All You Want. Is that the same song? That would have been the cherry on top.

Is that the same song? You can't always get what you want. Oh, the name of the song isn't that? You can't always get what you want. You just said No Satisfaction or something. Did I? Holy fuck. Did I really?

No, no. You did? Wit ended your story. This episode is gone. A Rolling Stones story that he fucked up. Wow. Go Fugees win again. Wow.

Now I'm playing it over my head. If Scorsese knew you messed that up too, you would have had no chance anyways. I think that the craziest thing is being an extra. That takes a lot of work. What would you have gotten paid? It was cheap. Oh, okay. Yeah, they don't pay it because you're not in the union if you don't speak like why now i'm thinking like tonight was it satisfaction or you can't always get like hope your memory plays tricks on you 10 years later wow it because you know what it could have

been satisfaction or it could have been you can't always get what you want hey i watched something last night that was pretty interesting have you you seen on Netflix 14 Peaks? RAs matter about this than not getting credit. We got to give them a minute. No, no, no. I'm rattled in my head. Go ahead, Whit. I'm rattled in my head.

14 Peaks? No. Is about one of the most insane human beings, animals, legends I've ever seen in my life. It's a guy who, so there's 14 mountains in the world that are over 8,000 meters. And there was, I think, I don't remember exactly. I believe there's one guy,

the first guy to ever climb all 14 was a dude who did it in 16 years. Yeah, Talkin' told me about this. This guy in this show is trying to do it in seven months and the amount of like footage they have and then i guess this other show the alpinist now this is climbing when you're you know you got a rope and everything the alpinist is a dude who's just free climbing so if he slips he's dead this guy if he slips he might catch the rope. I really liked it. I'm going to watch the Alpinist next, but I recommend it.

If you're looking, and this guy was prior in his life, he's done a million incredible things. So I'll check that one out. It got a little boring towards the second half, but I still enjoyed the overall experience. I think it was an hour and 40 minutes or something. Can I ask a question about television shows? I'm hearing that Succession is either the best show they've ever seen

or some people saying it's the worst show they've ever seen. Well, people say it's the worst show they've ever seen. You can discount their opinion on anything after. It's a great show. I think their first two seasons were terrific. The third season, I thought it kind of treaded water for a little bit, but it finished very strong. It's a tremendous show, and anyone who says it isn't good,

I mean, I know we all have our opinions. They said the acting is not that great. Who the fuck said that, dude? I mean, that's destructive. Who is that bitch? I need to know. Who said that? The writing.

My dog, Lloyd. Seriously. I'm going to tell him. Yeah, I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him to wake the fuck up. Give him another bone, dude. I'm going to put him up for adoption fuck up. Give him another bone, dude. I'm going to put him up for adoption. Cheers.

Great finales in Succession. Another one that I was going to check out that I haven't started. So I'm either going Succession or Yellowstone. I've given Yellowstone one watch, and I've said many times in this show, I think Breaking Bad took me my third time, and Game of Thrones might have been my second or third time in terms of I hated it the first two. Yellowstone, first episode, I've watched once and shut it off 20 minutes in.

I haven't gone for my second try yet. I don't know. Sorry, what? I mean to cut you? No, you didn't. I didn't really have anything else to say. I got to give it that second chance because everyone's telling me it's great. I'll never give Game of Thrones a chance. Succession versus Yellowstone, two vastly different shows.

Yellowstone's kind of a popcorn, it's kind of a Western yawn. It's a story where Succession's deep, plot heavy. If you get up to piss, you really gotta pause it because you might miss a pertinent detail. Succession's a way better show I think. Yellowstone looks good,

but it can be a little cheesy sometimes some of the like the plot can get a little off the beaten path but definitely would recommend watching it by all means and when I'll tell that person who said that they're a fucking idiot no I just want to know who it is because I'd like to ask them like who was bad who acted

poorly in your opinion Katie Katie you're just defending your lady Who acted poorly in your opinion? Katie. Katie. You were just defending your lady. That's honorable. You got engaged last week. Good for you. One other HBO note.

I know I brought up before the show Insecure had this series finale Sunday night. And, you know, I definitely wasn't in the whale house. I'm a middle-aged white guy from Boston. It was a show about, like, young black professional women in L.A. But I think if you were in your 20s and 30s and you're trying to find your way in the world, that's basically what the show is about. It didn't matter what color you are, what you do for a living. It was just about being in post-college and trying to find your footing in life.

And that's how I related to the show. And they had the finale, Sunday Night Man. Terrific show. If you had never seen it, I'm sure you probably heard of it if you're on social media. Highly recommend it. This woman, Issa Rae, she started a web series biz, like just, you know, making her own fucking show on YouTube. It ends up getting reached,

someone from HBO reached out to her, and this show became like a juggernaut. It's a huge show. She's like this multi-million dollar producer now. Got a bunch of other shows running, and they actually have a documentary that they dropped after the finale finale and it's about how this show is like they put all these other people to work who never had chances before in the industry and they give a lot of people their first shots and it's basically it was really a hot woman documentary even if you

never saw the show I mean and I got you know I got a little misty-eyed watching it too because you know you watch the show for four or five seasons, you kind of fall in love with the characters a bit. And, again, it probably wasn't a show that was made for someone in my wheelhouse, but give it a whirl. I thought it was a terrific show. Yeah, that's a great story. Really good show.

And Issa Rae, yeah, she's a tremendous story, making web videos, and now she's, you know, this kind of high-powered producer for HBO and putting a lot of people to work who otherwise might not have gotten work. So just very inspirational from a creative and artistic standpoint. Okay, drumroll. I'm going to grill Katie here. You didn't like Succession. No. Who were the bad actors?

I did not like Macaulay Culkin's brother. He didn't like Macaulay. Or he didn't like Jesus. I kind of hated him at times, but it was almost like showing how goodough or he didn't like jesus i hate i kind of hated him at times but it was almost like showing how good at acting he was i thought i i have to catch up with katie in person because i mean like i i i'm very confused by this okay he says uh that him making you hate him is him doing a good job as an actor and i agree with you whip but but that would so some people uh maybe got annoyed by

who's the guy in uh breaking bad um i'm the the jesse pinkman pinkman like some people were annoyed by that character all right but i would but as wit said i would consider that a great acting job if i'm despising him much like fucking walter white's wife who i hated even more sharon stone and casino is probably the best example of that. Like, you absolutely fucking hated her in that role. Okay, Katie's on waivers. Because she was so goddamn good in it. Agreed, Katie's on waivers.

Cancel that marriage talk from the beginning of the show. Everybody say bye to Katie. Give me that ring back, Katie. It's down to the coast. Yeah, that Chanel bag's fucking going back to the fucking shop. That's for yourself when you say that. Yeah, yeah. Oh, another example of that ra and like if i ever saw her in person i'd probably walk up and tell her i hate her guts

it's penelope cruz from the movie blow oh i still haven't forgiven her for the way she treated him oh she was she called the cops or no she did a blow up in the car he's got he hit me he hit me that's what you did fucking c word C-word. She was riding him. She was trying to ride him. And then at the end when he's picking up his daughter, she's living in like a trash. That was a great movie. Blow that. Dude's from Weymouth, Massachusetts.

Yeah, he just passed away. George Young. Yeah, he just passed away not too long ago. Oh, he went to high school with him. Guys, anything else? Oh, yeah, we got to talk about the Bitcoin conference. Oh, shit. Shit, we didn't go in depth enough on that.

We're actually going to break down every single cryptocurrency. So stick around here, maybe grab a coffee or a piss. We're going to compare every cryptocurrency to forwards on the Russian World Junior Team. It's just another 35 minutes, guys. Bear with us. This is the Ivan coin. Just give me credit. Igor, Igor, Igor.

Igor coin. All right, guys. It's a pleasure catching up with you. I will next see you in mini. Cowboy Jacks, Saturday, 2.30 Central Time. Gee, any other pertinent notes We gotta show the fine folks Of the Twin Cities now

Be there and be ready To drink some Pink Whitney Alright I'm gonna watch Fago Every night between now And then to brush up boys It's been a pleasure This is a fun show

For no hockey I had a fucking blast Hopefully the listeners Did too as well Get the OV coin Now Alright everybody Have a great week Happy to you And I will see you in many Get the OV coin now! All right, everybody. Have a great week.

Happy to you, and I will see you in a minute. As always, we like to thank our terrific sponsors here in Spit and Chicklets. So, huge thanks to our longtime friends over at Pink Whitney. And also, we want to give a big thanks and say welcome aboard to everybody at Shopify. Great to have you by all means, check them out. And again, huge thanks to everybody over at BetterHelp. Don't be afraid to reach out if you need help and try BetterHelp. Have a great week, everyone.