Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 451: Featuring Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson & Ryan Leonard

Episode Date: July 6, 2023

On Episode 451 of Spittin’ Chiclets, the guys are joined by top draft picks Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Ryan Leonard. Adam joined (00:43:11) to discuss his decision to go to Michigan, his father and his brother’s impact on his game, and tons more. But first, the guys recap their crazy week in Nashville. Was RA the drunkest human on planet earth? Did he set up the greatest dinner of all time? The boys break it all down. The guys also break down the NHL draft, NHL Free Agency and tons more. Leo Carlsson and Ryan Leonard join next (02:03:22), the two top draft picks discuss their path to the NHL draft and what the whole process has been like. The guys wrap up with a HUGE thank you to the fans for an amazing season.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 451 of Spittin' Chicklets, presented by Pink Whitney, from our friends at New Amsterdam Vodka, here in the Barstool Sports Podcast family. And now, the end is near, and so I face... Thank God, R.A.'s been in the weirdest mood for the last two weeks. R.A.'s a fucking menace to society. It's over, man. The season's done.

Free agency status. I mean, a little whistle. It's nice to get some time off. But how are we feeling, Merle? Let's go to you first. Well, let's talk about you having conversations with yourself in the spit and chuckle group chat. At like three in the morning. What's up with you, R.A.?

Have you stopped drinking since you left Nashville? Yeah. Oh, okay. Saturday, I said to the group, I was like, boys, if we need one tonight, I think I had one more rabbit in the hat. I couldn't believe how fucking good I felt when I got home considering the week down there. And I'm an old man.

The hangover gods didn't hit me at all. I deserved one of them. Never got one. Well, yeah, you've been training all season for it. That was your big shebang bang at the awards, the draft, and then you just kept going right into the sandbagger. Of course, he was the drunkest guy on the golf course. If you guys could see this dude at this golf course.

Will we have footage of it on the sandbagger? Like for sure. What do you mean? He is the sandbagger? Like for sure. What do you mean? He is the sandbagger. We're just playing golf around his drunken befoolery. At one point, I want to say, I think it was the 10th tee and we started on two. So it was our ninth hole.

He's got the sweat rag on him right now, Wynn. Show us your sweat rag. Because my AC's not on. It's 100 degrees up here. My wife's fucking freezing on the AC's My Barry White rag I'm waking up In the middle of the night and ironically I wake up

And he's texting the group talking to himself But I'm waking up to a nightmare Of that sweat rag dude Oh yeah he showed me the secret Tip of the pros when he was in Nashville He stole He stole one of the towels from his hotel room yeah well borrowed he brought it back for sure but like he's using it he goes tip of the

pros you take a hotel room towel and use it as a sweat ray ra invented the gatorade towel he brought he snuck into one of the stanley cup rooms with it and they're like what's that he's like it's my sweat rag and the trainer was, that's a genius idea. How many minutes did you play tonight? He's like, not one. We have this all in the sandbagger, but at one point, Getzlov asked R.A. to use his towel. He takes his towel, spits in it,

hucks a loogie in it to clean his ball, gives it back to R.A. I think R.A., I don't know if he was so drunk or he forgot, two seconds later, wiping his face with it. With all his spit in there. Safe to say my job as commissioner of food and beverage

for the Sandbaggers is safe. I don't know. While being the most fucked up person in Tennessee, he was getting shit done. Yeah, Merz, you're the sandbag guy. In terms of his first appearance, I think he got an A-plus and an F-minus at the same time. I don't even know how to describe it.

But on the 10th tee, Grinelli comes up to me and, all right, he's like, hey, the fans want R.A. to hit a shot. So he's going to hit a shot for every single guy. Oh, my God. You decide when he has to hit a shot for BX or Getze. And I was like, no. I said, absolutely not. It was the worst idea he'd ever heard in his life.

The look of disgust on your face. And I felt bad because G presented the idea. It's a great idea. I like that. Yeah, I think I fucking hate it. I was on your face, Whit. I thought you were going to fire me on the spot. No's a great idea. I like that. I fucking hate it. I was on your face, Whit. I thought you were going to fire me on the spot. No, you didn't. That's what the fans want.

The fans want it, but no, okay. I probably would have striped it 350 straight down the middle of that condition. If there's anything like your basketball abilities that everyone was roasting you for in Nashville, I mean, guys, it's known as the

it was the 2023 Conor Bedard draft, but the real storyline was R.A.'s basketball shots and multiple like NHL GMs, presidents, all-stars like, dude, what's up with your basketball skills? I had to tell him it was a medicine ball.

Here, I can run a clip right now of Ryan Reeves chirping him at the bar from nashville all right i know everybody's ragging on your basketball skills i think your your real sport is marathon walking and you were were raving, raving about what your, was it your whoop bracelet? Like what bracelet's telling you how much you walked over the course of? He was ordering Ubers and they wouldn't let him get in. He was too fucked up. That's the only reason he walked everywhere. The one they spring load on the Apple.

I don't get any extra ones. And I look just curiosity. And I almost shit when I added them up. 40.7 miles between Sunday and Friday.iday i didn't count saturday because when he went to the airport like almost 41 miles that's crazy amount of r.a was justifying the 30 drinks a day by saying that when you had to go to like tootsies and these other bars well hey all you kept talking about was the fact that you had to walk upstairs. He's like, you don't have any fucking stairs in this city. All you kept talking about were the stairs.

But it was the positive part of it because you're getting buckled. You're eating good food all week. But it really is. You're getting exercise because there's so many stairs. You don't need the elevator. There are a lot of fucking stairs at that old Dean's. So I also think one of my favorite moments of the week was R.A. did a hell of a job.

He lined us up at dinner. Oh, yeah. And he got us a great table. And, you know, he ended up getting a standing ovation from the entire restaurant during this dinner. Now it's officially the dinner heard around the world. We're going to talk about it still. It's been on the last supper right now, the way this story's going. And so R.A. and R.A.'s on.

He's ordering the food, too. So he's like, I think everyone wants a big old seafood tower. Oh, great. I think we got two of them. And he started really crushing some lobster cocktail. Now, at some point, it went down the wrong tube. So it's here we start. I'm like, oh, fuck.

Merle's is next to him. So Merle's has to get up and hose. While Merle's was up in the bathroom, I said, are you going to figure this out? Are you choking or not? No, I'm fine. All of a sudden, dude, a piece of lobster, I'm telling you, it was the thing's entire tail, comes flying out of his mouth

and just buries Merle's chair. If Merle's was sitting there, It would have hit him in the nose. Even I was like, holy shit. And I was like, Jesus Christ, that was in your throat? He's like, oh, I feel better now. Instead of fucking shelling it back. That's such a great story. And he reached down in the chair and he ate it.

There were actually quite a few highlights. One of my favorite ones was Merle's. You've talked about Sheldon Keefe on this podcast before and how he tried to kick you in the midst of a hockey game, so you've always mentioned how you think he's a lunatic. Well, we end up walking to one of these bars on, what's the main drag there? Broadway.

Broadway. How the fuck could I not remember that? He always said, if I ever meet that guy, I'm bringing that up. That was bullshit. He eye gouged me. He eye gouged me after a fight

and then he got suspended for the rest of the series. So then he couldn't play in the game so he tried to fight me in the snack bar after game six before game seven.

So he was trying to be in the series still. Whit, you have to tell it, you tell it better if you were walking. So we were at uh that was at kid rocks kid rocks and um so merles had always mentioned that when i see that fucking guy i'm

gonna say something to him i'm like yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah well i'm walking down the stairs and i'm about 50 yards away and i see merles and sheldon keith talk and i'm like wow i wonder if he's just like absolutely actually stepping to the plateater and as i walk by all all i hear is you fucking i go to me and try to kick me in the fucking head what the i'm like holy shit he's doing it first thing made a beeline for shelby right for him by the way i gotta do it i've been all over that guy that guy guy's the man. He was awesome. Great dude. Did you guys see when he first, I was with Busy and we kind of like got broken up. Like I feel like I was working it with Busy. He came right off the award.

So he's still in his gear. Like the jean jacket with the fur. Yeah. Brokeback Busy. Yeah. And anyways, I wheel into a kid rocks with him. We're looking for you guys. You guys are like, where are you guys texting us?

And stuff like Busy. they're in here and here. Busy hasn't hit Broadway the entire time pretty much too. So he's like a kid in a candy store. He's going nuts. There's people everywhere. It's a gong show. He's ready to let it rip. First night I drank.

Yeah. So we come out of, what's a main place everyone's talking about? Everyone's giving shout outs. Tootsies? No, no. Tootsies. Tootsies. We come across the street.

It's a cage match. We're working our way across like the streets are shut down still busy he's got his cowboy hat on he's six four everyone's looking at him he's just a star of broadway we get in there we walk right to the back there's like you know other coaches there's hack stalls there other guys are in there that just coming off the awards too everyone's kind of lingering mingling having a good time busy we walk right into sheldon keith at the back he's there with like david laguan who like was oh yeah he was more buckled than all right yeah i i've never met him before but that's the first time i met him but anyways we walk in there busy

goes belly bumping him you wanna fuck with me's belly bumping keifer right away we're belly bumping buddies now i'm off the doobie train and i'm on the shelvin keith train i was so thrilled after not only meeting him but the fact that they did they extend them or they just basically said that he's not going anywhere he's not going anywhere not going anywhere i'm i'm love that they're sticking hey full-fledged beauty are you are now buddies, Merle? Are you guys your belly buddies too? We put our 60-year-old battle away, and I had a great time talking with him, and he was such a fun guy. So I'm back on the Leafs a little bit.

The only thing he had to do was he got the fish hook him back. So they went to the bathroom, and right inside the door, he just gave a little fish hook back, and they were even. Merle's just like is like all right on three i'm gonna do it for seven seconds and then after that they hugged it out um army you you had vegas voice pretty bad you were you were nervous wrecking the group chat because you had to do a sports net hit at the draft yeah so the night before the great ra dinner the great ra like can we talk by the way remember when we got to the dinner place he's

like i swear to god it's just up here it's just up here we're trekking that hill three miles up a hill yeah so we get there that's where you got all your walking and you idiot when you brought us that fucking restaurant he's like best filet i swear to god filet filet greatest filet ever it was we get in there and we're like where are we we don't know and then r.a's like sketching around this like lobby and then he wheels over to the wall. There's like a crack in the wall. And he like sticks his little like shmeagle fingers in there. And he just claws the door open.

And it's like a secret wall doorway into this restaurant in the back door. I was like, this is unbelievable. He's like, I know it's somewhere around here. He didn't know. He didn't know. He goes, where's the front door? I go, you were here last night, R.A. What do you mean? He's like, I don't know. I thought it was right here. Yeah, I know. He didn't know. He was like, where's the front door? You were here last night, R.A.

What do you mean? He's like, I don't know. I thought it was right here. Yeah, I forgot there was a front door. That was when R.A. went to go see his buddy

and then another guy saw him and he's like, no, no, I just saw R.A. ripping around Broadway. What was that, Burles? He's like,

I gotta go see my buddy for dinner. And I go, oh yeah, he went to find his pot guy or something. That was Sunday. Let's also say that when we chatted with everyone last week, his pot guy or something. Are we? I can't go right then. That was Sunday.

Let's also say that when we chatted with everyone last week, that was after one night in Nashville. That's the best party city in the United States. That is,

that dummies Vegas. I mean, if you've never been to Nashville, I'm with my brother-in-law. We're over in Nantucket right now. I'm telling him like, dude, there's 150 bars.

They all have four floors. Every floor has got a different live band going on. And they're all within, what? I don't know, less than a mile, it seems like. So in terms of, like, a place to have the awards and the draft, they should actually have it every year there. Agreed. Incredible party city.

And the amount of people, though, at the draft awards combo that you end up running into from the past, like even a few days after I left Nashville, my memory was like, oh, yeah, like Eric Goddard we bumped into. I saw Goddard. I saw Goddard. He scouted for Golden Knights, I think, right? Yeah, I think, yeah, he's scouting now.

So just to get to bump into all these guys you've ever either played with or who have coached you or coach your favorite team who you've never met and you're now belly buddies, it was just a remarkable five, six days. And we haven't even touched on the draft because, as you mentioned, we recorded right after that awards ceremony, so we never even got to the first round of the NHL draft on Wednesday. I'll say this, though. You asked me, Busy, to the, you know, the first, uh, the first round of the NHL draft on Wednesday. I'll say this though. You asked me busy about, about the draft day.

Whit and I left early. This is now, this is now Tuesday night. Whit says, I got to go home. I'm like, yeah, it's still kind of early. It's like 1230. So he's like golf speed walking out of the place. I'm trying to catch up. I catch up to him, like, like a block from the hotel finally. And we walk in the hotel together. I go to my room, wake up in the morning, boys. I catch up to him like a block from the hotel finally, and we walk in the hotel together. I go to my room. Wake up in the morning, boys. I got Vegas voice. I couldn't even talk.

I was freaking out. I went for lunch with Wit and our boy Benny Boma. Benny Boma ran into him on the sidewalk, went for lunch. Full mind freak for the rest of the time. I'm freaking out. I don't know if I can do my work. I have to do a YouTube live stream for Sportsnet for like four like three hours straight and my voice was just struggling so I

was on the Merle's cough drops I was on the tea I was trying everything to get it back and I know you guys stayed longer I well I had no voice like when you see the sandbagger my intro it's actually pathetic like it's 40 years old and not be able to talk, it's so ridiculous. And I got home, and Ryder's like, Dad, what happened to your voice? And I just heard my wife in the kitchen. She's like, don't even ask. But that's a thing there, too, right, Busy? So you played it professional the first few nights.

I don't know how R.A. doesn't get Vegas voice. Have you ever heard his voice? Neither do I. And he's yelling because he doesn't speak because he's just marble mouth that's why he sounds he doesn't use his throat he just uses his tongue but that's the thing there too busy you have to yell because it's so loud in every bar, every honky-tonk. There's a live band on every floor, and they're small. So any guy you talk to, and like you said, you ran into so many guys

that you played with that are scouting or wherever that you have to lean in and pretty much yell into their neck so that they could hear you. That was the problem. That was the problem. That video of the guys playing with my bald head when I was screaming zombie cranberry song, where was that? Who were those dudes i kind of somebody look at ra just look at them that was the message and i played the video i'm like holy shit was that like 250 in the morning too the thing about ra is so tuesday night when i left early with an army you followed me yeah i i

was wrecked i was wrecked and i was talking to to Rick Nash, and I realized, like, I was sweating. I needed R.A.'s sweat towel, and I could tell, like, Nash who had just come from, like, meetings prior to the, you know, night before the draft. He was just kind of like, ah, this guy's kind of wrecked. I was like, oh, you got drafted first overall in 20 years. That was crazy. And then I could just, you know,

you could tell people's reaction when you're talking, like, hey, like, give me some space. So I was like, all right, I was crazy. And then I could just, you know, you could tell people's reaction when you're talking like, hey, like, give me some space. So I was like, all right, I'm done. All right. I don't even get how you get worse than I was at that moment. And then you go for like five more hours. Like, how are you still out when you marble mouth and sweating everywhere? I don't even get how you're able to stay in the public. I have a theory, and I think the Nashville adrenaline.

I know jokes when I'm like, no, I smoked a couple bones down there, drank beers, put tequila. That's all I did all week. I swear to God. That's the adrenaline. Not one key toke. Not one key toke. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah.

Good for you, R.A. And that's like, I just keep going. Honestly, with the music Good for you, R.A. Just keep going. Honestly, with the music, the band, it's just so lively and active. It just keeps your adrenaline going. I mean, I stayed out pretty late five out of six nights, and then Thursday was the only night I stayed in because we had the sandbag the next day. There was no way

I was going to fuck that up, and so I had to get drunk twice on Friday to upset this on Thursday. Hey, boys, I was just looking through the group chat, and Busy was chirping them. Saturday at 10.40 p.m. Over, under on the miles I walked by me Sunday to Friday in Smashville. 33.4.

Any action? No action. No one says a word. Zero replies. No one says a word. Then the next day in the afternoon at 1.30 in the next day in the afternoon, over cashes. There's been no bets, sir.

There's been no bets. We took that off the board yesterday, sir. Let's also not forget that, as Biz mentioned, he'd been sober for four or five months. Can anyone turn it on like me? Biz. Unreal. I need you to go sober again.

I can't be around you like that. In terms of people being rusty drinking, you may be like the McDavid of just drinking again. I would say you slept in the five nights I was there a combined nine hours, I would say. Yeah, that's probably right. When you go, you go. After the awards, he was ready to rip.

He was speed walking. He was strutting. He was smiling. He was like just ready to go. And I was talking about this week for months, too. He's like, that's what I'm letting. Even Friday. As we're leaving.

He's like, OK, back on the wagon. Yeah. Back on. Back on for a little bit. But Friday, even after the sandbagger and how hot it was and how buckled we got, I got hour nap when I got home and I just floored it because I knew my flight was Saturday morning. I'm like, ah, fuck it. I'm going to join RA and go all in.

All right. That was probably the most we've hung out on the road in a long time. And I'll say it's a blast. You just, you never know what you're going to get. No. You're putting your life in his hands and it's it's like going on a fucking roller

coaster ride to death you texted me Wednesday afternoon like three like I just get up like wrap one meet me at the corner let's go get some beers I was like alright I was like we were like hand and chewy walking around well the case is that and that leads into the draft which we should probably get to.

Is that the first thing we're going to be talking about? Guys, Witt's here, and I'm back to talk about Pink Whitney, the drink of the summer. And we just had a sandbagger. We've already mentioned it. We do birdie juice on birdies. We actually even did a couple net birdie juice shots, and we were ripping it. It was 110 degrees, yet an ice-cold Pink Whitney shooter still tastes better than ever.

So I'm telling you, I'm talking golf. I'm now over on Nantucket. It's a beach spot. Everyone's out on the beach. Last night, 4th of July, I had the Pink Whitney going right, you know, you get the Pink Whitney bottle with the fireworks and the American flag. Or maybe on Canada Day, you guys had your big old Canadian flag up there. And you're just enjoying the water, the weather, the sand, your friends, alcohol.

Pink Whitney is that alcohol. I already told you guys, too. You got the rest of the summer to bring it to the lake. I'm not ever going to forget the lake people again. The pontoon people. They love drinking. Don't be drinking and driving a boat. That's a no, no, no, no, no, no.

But if you're just riding the boat and getting a ride, hammer that Pink Whitney down your guzzle. Keep on drinking it. Keep on supporting us. We can't thank you enough. It is the drink of the season, no matter the season, and it is also named after me. So thank you so much for your support and shout out to pink whitney it was so fun to get banged up and go to the draft and like see all these kids live out their dreams and there was some i don't want to say like a ton of chaos

as far as trades but maybe some surprise that were off the board picks and in a very deep first round well can we talk about uh your club biz or one of your clubs, the Arizona Coyotes, and everyone dressing like the Hamburglar from fucking McDonald's? I mean, not to mention they take two Russians that everyone thought would go way later in the first round with their two high picks. They're dressed in whatever color that is

in the same suit to all of them. I mean, that organization can't get out of their own way. It's unbelievable. I'm kind of upset I didn't get a suit. Who's idea was it to dress like that? Those are the pledges with. I'm upset I didn't get a suit. Last year, they did all like blue, like baby dark blue,

kind of like a Leafs blue. I don't know why. And they look like Delta. It was my recommendation. Was that you? Yeah, the Leafs blue. This year, they got 10% off on all the suits. And they look like Delta. It was my recommendation. Was that you? Yeah. The Leafs blew. This year they went. They got 10% off on all the suits.

Yeah, they went raspberry this year. It's kind of a little gimmick. Not to mention where we were sitting, Bettman could hear and see us yelling at everyone walking up, and you could tell he's like, what the fuck? Get these boons out of here. What is Chicklets doing there? Get these guys out of here.

But yeah, let's get to the draft. Then we will tell you we have Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlson, and Ryan Lennon coming up a little bit later. Carlson and Lennon at the same time. Our buddy Matt Cade is their agent. So a couple of the draftees coming up, but Chicago Bedard, no surprise there. But Merle's, Leo Carlson, you've been talking about

for what, two years now? Goes number two. You're a proud papa there. Yeah, a couple of clicks for EBR, boys. Wow. What a year Merle's had. Most improved player for sure. We should give out our own fucking awards here.

Yeah. I mean, by the end of it, I was truly surprised that he went number two. I mean, what Fantilli did, Hobie Baker as a freshman leading scorer. We talked about it. The two guys had done it before, Curry and Eichel. And I thought it was done deal. Fantilli had set two, but then as we were there, we had our boots on the ground. Everybody started telling us Will Smith is going to go number two. So then all of a sudden I'm

like, all right, well, he's going number two. It still leaves Carlson at, at, at three. But then I heard they didn't want them at three. So then I, all over the board. I made two 20-to-1 bets. I had Will Smith at two and Fantilli going to four. And they all messed in it. And I should have stuck to my guns. My original EBR draft rankings ahead, Bedard, Carlson. I'm an idiot. But congrats to Carlson.

Congrats to Sweden. And congrats to the Ducks ducks who got a hell of a player hell of a player and we actually we have him on this podcast correct we're dropping him later and um i mean what a brave kid too uh uh you know obviously he's got the stutter in english uh from my understanding he had one in swedish but worked with a speech therapist and has kicked the stutter in swedish so for him to like you know have the balls to do it and you know not be shy to come on the pod and rip it i fucking love it so congratulations to him and uh i wish him all the best there and he got the model off their new jerseys after

or bringing him back to the ogs wasn't crazy about him at all like i thought that those were kind of lame duck was he wearing two two? He was wearing a development camp. Development camp, he was wearing USA skates. Did you see that, Murr? Really? No, that was Will Smith, wasn't it? I wasn't sure. It was Will Smith. It was Will Smith. It was Will Smith. Take a lap,

take a loser lap. That's what we do here. All I'm hearing is Carlson's kind of like Kopitar 2.0. Like just a giant center and being from Sweden. He talks about it in the interview how crazy defensive oriented like the development and the SHL is over there where we mentioned like very rarely are there odd man rushes.

If you're not good defensively, you're not going to play. And so you got this big center with all this skill and then they're also seeing a guy who can play defense selkie trophy nominee type guy and i mean i think it was kind of like a a camp it seemed like the top five or top four at least were can't miss like you're kind of you're kind of winning either way i think will smith's gonna be a stud got to hang out with him. Oh, what a guy. All-American. This guy is the smoothest cat I've ever met for that age. He's just a great kid. We're going to play golf later this summer.

But I'm saying, like, obviously, Bedard was one. After that, I mean, you're getting an awesome player either way, all of them being centers. So I think that the Carlson-Vantilli thing, you can look to the future now and Will Smith also, like, who will be the best in 10 years. But like I said, I think it's a win-win for all those teams. Well, and it was cool to get to hang out with Fantilli after going third to Columbus. And from my understanding too, he really wanted to go to Columbus. You know, I think it was Kevin Bieksa we were talking to on the golf course

during the Sandbagger who said it would be hard to start your career as a young guy going from like, let's say, playing at Michigan and all of a sudden you're in California where when you leave the rink like you don't really feel like a superstar you don't really feel like you're in the mix of an NHL season given the weather and and even like I said like the fandom like being recognized out in public right so he's going from Michigan right to Columbus that's a quick rip and talk about a kid Columbus has to be thrilled to have a guy who's thrilled to be in Columbus because, you know, guys, that's not always the case. You got

Johnny Goudreau signs there and wants to be there. You got Fantilli. You got Wierenski locked in. This Columbus team is looking excellent for the future and they're just going to keep adding pieces around these young studs. A lot of Michigan Wolverines on that Columbus team. Yeah. Penn Johnson, Blackenberg. There's a bunch of Michigan guys studs. A lot of Michigan Wolverines on that Columbus team. Yeah.

Penn Johnson, Blackenberg. There's a bunch of Michigan guys for him. Bunch of guys coming up. So thanks, G. And then we got to hang out with – And they picked his best friend. They got his best friend, Brindley, 33rd overall, I believe, or 34th overall from Michigan.

So he came to the party. They were talking shit about sandbagger action. I'm like, guys, don't even talk to me right now. We'll worry about you once you prove yourselves in the show. But then getting to meet Fantilli's dad, who he talks a lot about in the interview, you guys will hear, who kind of meant so much to his career. I could totally tell talking to him for 10 minutes. I was with Michigan coach Brandon, is it Narotto?

How do you say it, G? Yeah, that's correct. Yeah, so he's honestly a great guy. He was saying, like, yeah, hopefully he comes back, but he is ready, and, like, we don't really expect him to be. And obviously since then he's already signed with Columbus. But he's a great kid, and I think you'll hear in the interview, like, a truly mature 18, 19-year-old, whatever he is,

and his maturity, you could tell tell comes from his family and his friends And getting to meet all those people, it was exciting So I had a blast being down there And what really was cool for me In terms of the draft is I remembered my draft and Army You'll say the same, Merle's biz You're so excited, it's the best time of your life

It's all you've thought about since you're Whatever, 12, 13 years old So then you see all these kids who their dreams come true and they're basically as high as you could ever get. Not like RA high, but just high on life. And you get to kind of experience that and almost bring back memories

to when I was younger and had all that enthusiasm and optimism looking towards the future. So that's what I really enjoyed about meeting all the kids. How about drinking with all the guys, the third and fourth round picks, the fifth round picks, I think it was Kid Rocks after and all of them showed up in their jerseys. These kids all from the national program. So we were with

I think the national program had, I don't know, like 12, 13 kids drafted. They're all together. They all have their jerseys on. Will Smith didn't, but everyone else has their jerseys on. All of a sudden they get kicked out. After I said the fake ID thing, after I said the fake ID thing to Bedard, I made about $6,400 printing fake IDs for all these young kids who got drafted.

It's a racket. You could make some good money at the drafts. Those guys want to go out and celebrate. I think eventually the bar caught on that all these kids had jerseys on. They're like, ah, you guys got to go. So I guess sorry to throw these guys under the bus, but hey, if you're looking for an NIT deal, I'll get you the big deal brewing sponsorship in no time.

Is that what they call it, NIT deals? NIL. Guys, before we move on from the draft, I do just want to say I think the steal of the draft was the New York Rangers at 23 getting that Gabe Perot kid. I mean, he was breaking records at the U.S. program. He just seems like an absolute stud. We got to talk to him for a bit after as well,

and he seemed super excited to get to New York. Was he the kid who looked like he was 40 years old? No, that's not him. Colby. Who went to the Jets? Barlow. Barlow. He was 40 years old.

Yeah, I saw Chris Murray on my flight, and I told him, I go, Witt's calling your guy to steal the draft. I'm like, great draft great draft he looked at me like Jesus get get home kid so these guys most of them you're right Merle's that's one thing Witt and talking about the draft I was like I was just like holy shit these guys are so young

you know like even younger now I know I'm like geez I'm not that young holy god you look pretty young dude and your draft picture, you look young. Yeah, I got a baby face, but they're just so young, like little Will Smith's little cute smile. I was just like, damn, this guy's like 15.

I'm like, what the hell is going on here? And then, of course, the shake up at the top with the Swede going second. Okay. And then there was what? Fifth with Carerie price and the habs come up and they take david reinbacher i'm like who is this guy where'd he come from austrian kid and he already signed he already signed an entry-level contract i know but he's already he's already in um he's two years he has to play at least another year in in switzerland yeah that's

correct so correct and and let's get ahead of of or talk about the Cary Price fumble. I felt so bad for him. Because you could tell he felt horrible. And then Kent Hughes, the way he's like, oh, we meant to do this. It kind of shriveled him even more. Maybe just whisper the name in his ear. Why didn't someone yell the name? I was convinced. At that point, you're just panicking

because his brain was screwed. But someone in the line of all the 40 guys standing behind him just go, Reimbacher. We could have yelled it. We were sitting close enough, and it was like time stopped. We could have yelled it to him. Can you imagine all the Davids sitting there,

like all the Davids in the draft? They're all like, he's like, David. And then they're like, David. And then he double-clutched again. We're like, all right, sit down. Your name's Ryan. But I've done this probably six times, guys, on national TV, never mind having to deliver french off the get-go uh so he came up he said hello in french of course with the montreal contingent and then he was moving on to call the to call the the name of

the player they're going to select and i think you could see his face kind of glitched i felt bad because i've done that like five times on national tv where my brain blanked out completely and you're just like you're you're you're dying you're literally panicking dying you're stuck your brain isn't working and that's what he was doing and no one gave him a life raft no one and then kent hughes had to come yeah we meant to do this we meant to make him look like an idiot elliot freeman said he was pretty broken up about it. And I'm a fan right after I asked for a picture. And he went right over, like, you know, wasn't a dick.

So I took a picture. He's having those real low moments, though. You know, he took the picture. But, Biz, would you rather completely butcher anything like that or totally forget it? Forget it like he did or you butcher it? Like I just said, the amount of times that's happened to me on national television where Liam has to come in and save me.

I say, sometimes I say, hey, two things here. And I say the first thing and I'm like, ah, I completely forgot. I like, I have to stop saying two things here. I just, or write, write them the fuck down. So yeah, no, I mean, RA, but yeah, maybe a little bit of an embarrassing moment if you're not getting up and doing that much public speaking, but Hey, it's all gets water under the bridge. I bridge i and and you said you weren't very gullible when it was kent hughes who came up and said oh we planned that yeah i i wasn't you i looked i said oh okay it makes sense like maybe they're trying to make a little joke and you're like no biz he's just trying to fucking help him out i was like of all the people too i thought with the nashville theme pricer known to dress up pretty

country western wear the cowboy gear he was looking polished he was looking gm material he was looking management material i will say should we yeah rumor mill i mean he's making the picks he's got the nice outfit on he looked the part just uh He'll be working player development now after fumbling that name. Nicer suits than the next team up. So that was a – Hey, are you guys actually ragging on the matching suits? I'd be curious to know how many people listening would dress in matching. I kind of liked it.

R.A., what do you make of the matching suits? What matching suits? I just had to – Will those guys pledge in like the coyote fraternity hires on the state where all the all the same clothes I don't know I mean I don't know it's grown man I get the team spirit and all that but at the end of the day it really doesn't change anything it's not you're not going to do your job any better but it's team makes it the draft and then just something to get ranked on uh and then the last I'd say the last major storyline

of the draft was uhishkov falling to seven. And apparently, I think he made it clear what teams he wanted to play for. That's a little bit of listening to rumors. But Philly was one of them. And I kind of loved him going to Montreal or Philly because I think maybe in three years, they'll be real good. And that's when he'll be coming over. Kaprizov style that we've talked about.

So I think that's a pretty sick pick for Philly because if this kid's what they say, and three years ago it was like him and Bedard as possible number one competition, and then he's got all this skill and all this ability and the whole Russian factor obviously changes things, but Philly gets a guy, and by that point, torts will be long gone, and hopefully in three years

when he does come over, he's ready to dominate right away. So I did like that pick a lot. Well, we got to talk about him a little bit. So he was the second best scorer in the draft, more than likely dropped back, not just because of the amount of time he still has to spend in Russia, but there is some character issues here that have been coming up. Have we talked about the fact that apparently he kicked one of his teammates?

Have you guys heard that story, Merle? You're a European correspondent. No, I haven't heard the kicking part. I gave up on Russia this year because of the political climate, but no, I haven't heard that one. Diddy's a bit of a loose cannon. Listens to nothing, Biz. I guess

coaches are telling him stuff, veterans fuck off. There was big time rumblings. I guess coaches are telling him stuff. Veterans, fuck off. So there was big-time rumblings. And even I was able to kind of read a message from a guy he played with this year that was like, this kid, as much as I'm trying to give him a shot, is a piece of shit. So I've never met him. Which makes me love him and want to follow him even more. We are now on Mieczkow Watch.

That's how you say it? Mieczkow? Well, my brother is a director of player development, Follow him even more. We are now on Michkov Watch. That's how you say it? Michkov? Well, my brother is a director of player development, so he'll have his hands full a little bit. Obviously, with the language barrier, I interviewed him after the draft also down there, and he came with like this, like the guy was his translator, and we did the interview through translator.

It was just like a rough one. It's just hard to do it through a translator, obviously. What do you mean? They just hired R.A. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. He asked you to pay him after the time he took it. Just speaking fluent. R.A. drinks a case of big deal brew.

He's speaking fluent with Michkov. But hey, Michkov, too, had like, I think he had, they were saying, and maybe G will know this more, averaging more goals per game or something than ovi like he was putting up better numbers than ovi's draft year so this this guy's electric factory he's attacking all the time he's kicking i fucking love this guy before this russian war he before this russian war he was a clear number two it was it was even almost number one he was doing these michigans two years ago and then this year everybody nobody followed the khl including the ebr crew because you couldn't gamble on it but he ended up moving up to the khl and he was

scoring more in the khl than he did in the junior league he was doing michigans there so hey how about nobody's following the khl not because like the war and killing innocent Ukrainians, because you can't gamble on it. You can't get the under. No need to watch. Just back to Montreal real quick for a second. Another name people struggle with. Abba Jack, his brother Florian, was taken in the fourth round by the Canadians. Pretty cool story there.

And also, did you see what went on with Tommy Fitz? That whole thing there? One of the best moments I thought of the draft. Seventh round, final round of day two. The Preds didn't have a seventh round pick. They traded it away two years ago. New Jersey's on the clock with the 218th pick. Tommy Fitz, first captain in Nashville history.

David Poyle signed him as a free agent. Played for Barry Trotz down there. He traded that pick to the Preds for the seventh and 24th, which allowed David Poyle to go up and make the final pick as a Preds GM. Just a real cool moment. That's corruption. That is corruption. Gary, you need to step in. Yeah.

You're on the clock. Aiden Fink's going to go to the Hall of Fame after this, and they're going to blame 15th and Jersey. So you could just give a pick away like that? Did they get anything in return? They made a trade because Jersey didn't have a 7th round pick because they had traded away years ago. But it was Poyle's last draft. They wanted to give him one last pick.

What did they trade the pick for? I think another seventh rounder. Yeah, seventh rounder in 2024. I would like to keep an eye on who the guys were just in case something ends up hitting, right? Yeah, Aiden Fink, that was Poyle's last pick. And I think he stayed the whole draft I read online, that kid. He waited it out, every pick, and he ended up getting rewarded. He was there to be drafted at the last pick.

No fucking shit. But I'm not 100% on that, I'm pretty sure, but I'm 100%. My favorite moment of the whole draft was our guy Billy G before his pick. Did you guys hear that? Oh, yeah. I wanted to thank Tootsies for keeping the entire NHL hydrated because it was. It was the whole NHL like we talked about.

Oh, yeah. But unreal to lead off like that. Oh, and just to give you guys an update. So I've told the story many a times on the podcast about the fact that that was where I had my draft in Nashville in 2003, so 20 years prior. Wow. And I went around to every single hotel in Nashville and asked to see the lost and found.

And they have, there's no suit to be found. So suspect number one has to be Danny Fritchie, who was my roommate and shared an agent with him at the time. So I'm still on the, I'm still on the hunt for that fucking suit. Danny. Was it wrinkle free? Was it one of those ones you can't wrinkle? It was immaculate. It had this very subtle, it was like a navy blue with a very subtle pinstripe.

Oh, it was fucking unbelievable. Your draft suit. Oh, man. My grandfather bought it for me. Brand new suit. That's big time. Wore it one time. Didn't get draft.

Pigeon toss. First three rounds. Obviously, the fourth through, I think it was nine at the time, or on the second day. And then I went there with my who shot the couch, who shot the couch shoot that I used to throw. Hey, can I ask you guys? That I used to throw in the washer and dryer. Dress pants.

Dress pants in the washer and dryer. I wore day two. Do you guys think, uh, speaking of that, like your grandfather bought you a suit. I got a suit for the draft too. I never had like these. I see these kids now, like I seen kids with Gucci loafers and stuff. What the fuck is this? Well, they're being paid in college. They're all fucking Michigan players.

These kids have the nicest clothes now. And we were throwing shit together to try to get there. It was like a special occasion. You got a special thing. And now these kids are just always ankles out. Look at Witt's draft suit. He looks like he went NBA 2000. I look like Shawn Mendes.

99 with Iverson. I only have two kids instead of 14. But, yeah, I had no style, dude. My shoes were like the box toe, and they were like shiny. Oh, shit. So you were an Aldo guy. That's why I went to Edmonton later on. I was an Aldo guy.

But, Bizz, remember when you ran into those kids going from Tootsies to Blanco to eat? There was like seven of them all dressed up. I don't know if Fantilla was one of those that had all the nice suits on. Chop-looking kids. No, the way that they tailor them now, they look like they're straight out of the Mad Men show. They just look completely dialed. Hey, Whit, shout out to Blanco.

Oh, Blanco. If you're ever in Nashville, you want some good Mexican, the tacos, the tequila. They got those frozen margaritas. I'm still pissing out on my ass. I went to lunch there every day. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, post-Sandbagger. Wrecked, by the way.

Had to go to the airport. Went in there, ordered a big thing of chips and street corn, and sat there alone with my sunglasses on, scooping up the street corn with the chips. And I was getting looks. I was like, I need to go. I was actually like this. I need to go home.

I need to go home. You guys know who had the best suit on the whole thing, though? Was our next guest. He had the names of all the guys that helped him, all the coaches, the teachers. Oh, yeah, until he had that. The brothers, sisters. I think 140 names he had. guys that helped him all the coaches the teachers he had that the brother 140 names he had people who helped him get to where he was they were all there seriously no that was that was wicked cool 150 people there right didn't he or something 120 he had a party and we went to it after so we might as well imagine being like the guy who

didn't get on the suit you're like oh like I thought I was really important to him it's on there somewhere it's on there somewhere unless you want to like take a look and read all the names I swear man you're on there it's bottom left near my horn before we bring

him on Biz I just want to give a shout out to USHL Youngstown Phantoms and congratulations to Coach Ryan. They had six players drafted. We bumped into these guys on the way into the draft. So it was the most ever by a USHL team for guys that were actually on the team that year. So pretty proud moment for those guys. We bumped into some awesome crew.

Like, I mean, everyone we met was just teams from all over the place, coaches, agents. It was awesome stuff. But anyways, we do have Adam Fantilli coming up right now. So we're going to send it over to him. This interview is brought to you by Chevy. Chevy's working to make charging simple. Over 110,000 charging stations across the U.S. and Canada and growing. With the MyChevy app, your smartphone becomes your co-pilot when using the My chevrolet mobile app with energy assist the app allows you to access vehicle information like battery status and charging settings from anywhere

the energy assist feature intelligently plans your routes can you imagine that that's so easy it's just you look it up and it's like where am i going it tells you how to get there how many times how many things you have to use i think that amazing. It tells you where and how long to charge up, and it gives you real-time data about charging stations availability. Beautiful. Home charging. Guess what? They can do that too.

Three different levels are available. Chevy electric vehicles offer great options for charging, all of them as simple as just plugging in your smartphone. You just do that to your car. To learn more, go to chevy.com slash electric. That's chevy.com slash electric. Folks, this is an exciting one right here. We got one of the most electric prospects to come through the ranks in quite some time.

Not only did this guy win the world juniors and the world championships, he led his college team as a freshman to the frozen four at Michigan and he won the frigging Holby Baker. Paul Correa, Jack Eichel, and our guest, Adam Fantilli, the only three freshmen to ever win that award. Thank you so much for joining the show, buddy. How are you doing? Wow. Thank you so much for having me. How have you guys been? We're doing awesome. We're doing awesome. So life's crazy for you right now. A whirlwind trip, I'm sure, over to Europe. You get the gold medal. You're second of the season. What's the plan now leading up to these next three weeks before the draft? Where are you at?

Will you be staying? What's going on? Yeah, it's been pretty crazy. Just got back like two days ago from overseas and had a couple of days at home. And then I got to fly out over to Vegas. We're watching game two over there. Um, and then after that, you got the combine in Buffalo. Um,

June's going to be a bit hectic. I got my cousin's wedding after that. And then the draft. That's awesome, man. So I, I, is there any nerves about the combine?

We were actually talking earlier, us three, about when Sam Bennett couldn't do a pull-up. I don't know if that's really heard of these days, but are you worried at all or are you just kind of looking forward to it almost? Yeah, I'm super excited. Everybody I've talked to said it was a good time there. They're there for quite

a bit of time. Because I was at World Championships, I'm not sure if I have to do all the physical testing. Um, I heard that was a thing. I don't know if it's for sure or not yet, but, um,

I might, I might not be doing that stuff, but either way, I'd be excited for it. They're like, Oh my God, he tested like so high for Latvian schooner beers at worlds. Like,

he's good. Hey, what a year though. Like, well, what do you, what do you say about your year about about everything like the like college that experience the frozen four the hobie baker leading on into you know playing for your country and and winning there as well like like what a

whirlwind yeah it was it was nuts from from start to finish um. At the beginning, I didn't know what was going on when I first got to campus. It was so much fun. That campus is amazing. And then the first half, you're trying to make the world junior team. So you're trying to chase that. And then after that, you're trying to chase the national championship or the big time championship. So it felt like you were just always chasing something you weren't really thinking about

at the time. But looking back, it was an amazing year. And I loved it. It was amazing. You like you were just always chasing something you weren't really thinking about at the time. But looking back, it was, it was an amazing year and I loved it. It was amazing. You lit up Chicago Steel, you go to Michigan. We'll kind of get into those decisions in a little bit, but you had these high aspirations and goals going in. Like, did you think it'd be that easy? And I mean, just to light it up like that, there had to be some doubt in your mind a

little bit before your first few college games or, or skating with the guys in preseason stuff. Did you know, like I'm really ready to dominate this level too? Not really. No. Yeah. There was obviously certain levels of doubt. I was in,

I was in the gym with, with Luke Hughes going into the season and then he was bugging me. Like kept asking me, how many goals are you going to score this year? Cause he had 17 or something his freshman year. Something stupid as a, as a freshman defense there. I was like,

I don't know. Like I'm hoping hoping for 15 like try and contribute um to do the best i can he just kept asking for a number it was it was nuts but uh we got out there with the guys they were all so welcoming our seniors and upperclassmen were amazing we had 12 freshmen which was a stupid amount of guys so they they helped us acclimate so well. But yeah, the year ended up going great. My coach gave me a lot of opportunity, which was awesome, and kind of bouncing ideas off him, which was great. So yeah, looking back, it was awesome. I think I was talking with Shane Doan, and you play with Josh with the Chicago Steel. Yeah.

And it just seems like that organization is able to really produce a lot of good quality players coming out. It seems like they really invest in the players. Is that why you decided to go maybe that route as opposed to going to play in the OHL? And we'll get to the whole drafting and then getting traded at that level, but more specifically just the USHL and Chicago Steel. Yeah. So when I kind of made that decision, I was playing prep school down at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire. That's where you played? Yeah. So you played in the Flood Mar. That's the tournament just where I live in Milton. Yeah.

No shit. I didn't know that. Absolutely. It was amazing. Is Tim Whitehead the coach there still? He was my coach, yeah. Yes, yes. Coach at Maine for a long time, Biz.

He coaches this high school program. They've turned into a powerhouse. How did you end up down there from Ontario? Yeah, how do you end up there? Yeah, so I played with the Toronto Red Wings in minor midget with the 2003 year. And then I tried to go back down for my own age and JRC and play back where I was. But my brother had just moved down to Kimball. So I started own age and and uh jrc and play play back where i was but my brother

had just moved down to kimball so i started the year and i was like i missed my brother like this this he looks like so much fun down there he's loving it so i i kind of left the gthl and went down to kimball union for the rest of the year i was about two weeks late yeah the coach just said there was an opening spot uh on the forward side of things and he wanted me down that weekend so i just packed up my bags jumped in and moved into a single dorm at at 14 it was it was kind of nuts but um i i couldn't get couldn't wait to start playing with my brother um that's incredible that's this is such a good thing to hear because i i feel like you know from your neck of the woods ontario area tor Toronto area, GTHL, that's like, you know, the mini NHL.

Like, people will sell one of their kids so their other kid can play in that league. Oh, yeah. It's insane, right? The coaches make like 80 grand. Yeah. They fire the child. Yeah. The envelopes are dumb in GTHL.

It's crazy. It is crazy. And then you just say, screw it. I want to go down where my brother's at perhaps it's great for people and kids that are chasing it that listen to the show and follow you uh they all watch you on clips i'm sure like every kid i got a 12 year old uh we're i brought up the frozen far he's loving it loving you loving all the guys loving cooley uh pittsburgh guy where we live so it was it was really cool but it's so

cool for kids from that area to hear your story of that because i think it's gone so nutty crazy and it's been like that for a long time that there's other ways to do it which is really cool the gthl is a madhouse and it's it's getting even crazier i from what i've heard um i've been outside of it for quite a bit but i heard it's ramping up even more i had already played that minor midget year so um i didn't really want to do it again and then i found out that was an option i found out that that tase did that in his draft year i found out that uh mckinnon did that in his draft year i was like yeah like why not like go play u20 for a bit like try and play with bigger stronger guys either way you're going to be more ready for the ohl at that point

anyway if that's where you want to go. And then COVID happened right at the end of that year. So the OHL didn't start at all and USHL was going to play. So I went down there and I probably would have gone down there anyway with Owen Power went through there, Brendan Brisson, Matt Coronado, Sean Farrell, all those guys were in there. And I was like, this place seems like an absolute factory. So I had to go down there and check it out.

And it was amazing. I stayed for two years. I was thinking about going to the O after that first year, but I loved it so much. I had to stay for a second year. And then at that point, I wanted to go to college. Was it a factory? And what type of resources were they providing you

where you could keep taking these massive strides in your play? It's crazy. It's a lot like the US NTDP in a sense. Their only focus is themselves. They don't worry about who they're playing that weekend or anything like that. They kind of hammer you in the gym quite a bit. And they bring in, I don't know if you guys know who Adam Nicholas is.

They bring him in and he does a ton of skills work like twice or three times a week after practice. There's free ice all the time. And then they're dialed in with their heart rate monitors and load management, everything. It's the way they structure it is phenomenal down there. Yeah, they really have. I remember hearing years ago that the owner had a ton of money and was willing to really start an amazing program.

They've taken over as the number one team you want to be on in the USHL. They actually had a kid this year, I think, Max Celebrini, who's going to be a real high pick like yourself. He's going to BU. So they keep getting these studs, even Canadians. But I wanted to go back because you said minor midget. You were playing with the 03s. You're actually October 04. So you, I mean, it's almost like playing up two years. And Biz mentioned to me before the interview that you were on skates at like two, three years old. So it's always been a progression of you being a really good player, a top end player, even even through your younger days. I was I was always kind of mediocre up until like puberty, everybody started to get bigger and stuff like that um i just loved playing and my

brother always let me go out with with his age group and stuff like that so i was always kind of chasing him and chasing his teammates uh and stuff like that he was amazing about letting me come out with his teams and stuff like that so that's that's kind of the way it went yeah yeah this is right i did start a little bit young my loves it. So he wanted to get us on the ice pretty quick. But, um, yeah, it was kind of average up until a certain point and tried to realize I could

go somewhere with it and tried to work as hard as I could after that. Your dad was like, get him on the ice. He's got to play in the GTHL one day. Yeah, exactly. Two weeks after his second birthday, this guy had been flying around.

I want to play in up a year too. He's got to be with the Vaughn Flyers. I got to get him on the Vaughn Flyers. Yeah. Yeah. Your father's a carpenter, correct? He has a carpenter business? Yeah.

He took it over from his father. They make kitchens, like custom kitchens and cabinetry and stuff like that. Can you do this stuff? Are you handyman? Yeah. Are you like the rest of us? I used to watch this show called The New Yankee Workshop. I just

like watching carpentry and things be made. Isn't it unbelievable? Yeah, and I would be remiss if I didn't get a chance to get Villa Kitchens and find cabinetry to show it out on the pod. Can we give them a Biz20 promo code? Yeah, we got it. Just make sure you tell the old man i don't want him getting these phone calls being like what 21 off for what the hell i'll let him know i'll let him fucking adam jesus christ

yeah i had to pay for your skates coming up thousand bucks a pop now i already have 20 discount code but um is um, is that, uh, all I keep reading about and hearing about is like, obviously your skillset, but your work ethic, where, where did that come from?

Is that something that was instilled from your parents? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, both my, both my parents work and they both, they both grind. My,

my mom's commute every morning was, was not, but she was always kind of a, uh, like my dad would drive us around because my mom's hours were pretty nuts and growing up i never like had like to see those guys that have like naturally nuts hands or a nuts shot or anything like that but i always wanted to catch the guys that did um and i was fortunate enough my dad made me like a little mini uh

synthetic ice and a net in the basement so so i was able to go out on there and work on that stuff quite a bit like the hands and the shots out of it so he kind of instilled that and me and my brother from a pretty young age you're shooting at the dryer like sid my mom would have killed me she uh she made us like go through a ton of canadian iron net okay there you go um this year at the world like when did you find out you were going to be on the team like did you know i'm assuming you knew it was a possibility and and when did you decide you wanted to do it right i mean i know the draft's coming up you've already kind of proven everything that you need to prove and you go over there like i'll say a little bit of

a risk in terms of some things but just represent your country when did you find out you made the team and and take us through that yeah there, there was like a bit of a buffer period where I found out I could be on the team. And I wasn't hearing much for a little bit. And then I decided, they said, they want you on the team, do you want to go? Obviously, it's a little unorthodox to head down there right after your draft year and go play against men.

And like you said, there could be that added element of risk per se. But I was looking at it as like i could get a full year of learning what the locker room's like their preparation the practice habits and kind of get that edge mentally and and get learn the environment uh before stepping in if that's what i want to do next year i'd be able to learn and kind of get the environment and the atmosphere a little bit better and get a feel for it. And then anytime you get to play for your country, obviously it's an honor. So being able to play

for Canada was awesome. Hey, the Latvian women didn't play a factor at all? No, not at all. I'm just asking what a scout would ask. You never know with these pre-draft interviews. You're going to get grilled at the combine. Biz will get you ready. Biz, this guy's this guy's too

way too modest too modest he's the only player him excuse me he's one of two players himself and Jonathan Taves to ever win

the world junior and the world championship at the same year and ironically Army was on that team with Jonathan Taves right? yeah

at the world's for men the men's one so yeah he won so yeah we're like kind of like eskimo brothers a little bit the hockey style i love it oh i wouldn't want to tap that nose just let's rub noses buddy hey what was luch like over there oh man he was a guy huh

he was amazing i uh the bruins were my favorite team growing up so my dad would always take us down there and uh he brought us down to go watch the 2011 final and i got like pictures with him and everything they're like they were framed in my basement from from a while ago and when i found out he was gonna be on the team i was super pumped and i ended up getting to be on the line with him which was sick and he's an animal so it was it was awesome walk us through that goal you scored too like walk us through that goal you scored too like walk us through your goal didn't luch pass that to you as well and you just went crazy on that yeah i uh i was kind of on the backtrack but uh it was like a weird extended play and

baron came around made a really nice play on the breakout and i stretched it all the way up to luch at the red at the red line and i was of curling through. And he hit me right in the middle, and it was kind of a one-on-one situation. I tried to make a move, got a little bit too confident, I guess, but it ended up working out. I got through, and the shot went in. But, yeah, to be able to have him pass me that puck, that was amazing. I saw this year, I think it was at Michigan State.

I don't know if it was tossed out of the game, but in an altercation. And it seems, talking to people who see you play a lot you do have that like nasty streak to you like the wick the wick a short dog in them and and and that's a great thing to have like is that something that almost your dad told you need to be a part of your game or it was just natural for you to lose your temper a little bit out there and it's going to serve you well i'm thinking yeah my dad always kind of... Weird. Like, you're seven years old and your dad's saying this type of stuff,

but he's, like, always wanted a five-fool player, is what my dad would say. Like, if I scored three goals but was dashed four, he would lose his mind. And I think it was actually really good at a young age, but he always idolized guys like Messier, guys like Wendros. I loved watching that type of stuff. Looch.

Exactly, Looch. And obviously, fighting is not as much of a part of it anymore. But I never wanted to be able to be scared to go if I had to. I know it's part of the game in some senses. So I do have a small temper sometimes out there. But I think it's part of the game i think it's sometimes just getting a little bit competitive and it helps and it helps drive games sometimes so i think it's part of it i guess we were kind of wondering too that being

said now that you have the uh experience nhl coaches guys right like yeah how do you make the decision here yeah what's gonna happen with you know i mean i guess you gotta get drafted first hopefully you get exactly yeah yeah hopefully you don't break the news here we're gonna break your face is what they're saying i'll just put it bluntly it's uh yeah that's that's pretty much what i've been waiting to see where i go and what the team says uh what i've been pretty much saying is like if if they want me to sign and like, hey, like might be up and down throughout the year and might spend quite a bit of time in the A, I might want to go back to school and try and go for the national championship and why not go back and help my team there. But all the opportunity in the world is there and they want me there. Kind of hard to say no to your childhood dream, right?

And you got to see Luke Hughes this year, which as cool as it is to see a teammate and a friend go go into the NHL play great right away he's in the playoffs it's also probably like wow like I play at the same level as this guy like I know I can do it like I'm watching one of my buddies from this year do it it's almost got to just be great for your confidence too yeah I mean first of all to watch what he did was amazing uh we were all sitting on our couch watching him play those games and we scored in overtime uh we were we were losing what he did was amazing. We were all sitting on our couch watching him play those games, and we scored in overtime. We were losing our minds.

That was amazing. But yeah, like practicing against guys like him and guys like Sam Miskevich was on my team that year. So yeah, it gives you a sense of confidence to be able to say, yeah, I practiced with these guys. These guys are going in and succeeding. So it's a little bit of reassuring in that sense, but also those are phenomenal hockey players as well and they're they're gonna

go through their own battles but yeah to see them see them all do that is great i kind of want to ask about the decision to go to michigan like were there any other schools in the mix was it because you played at the chicago steel with the owen powers the brendan besans who were already going to michigan like how did that michigan decision to be? Did they buy your parents a double wide? It was the Kimball Union too. His brother was there. Yeah. So I got to play with my brother from Kimball to Chicago to Michigan. But while I was in Chicago, I was pretty much looking at North Dakota and Michigan. Those were the main two that I wanted to do. So I wanted to follow Jonathan Tate as much as possible growing up. And so I fast-tracked high

school as well. And I wanted to be able to go in a year early to college. And that opportunity came up to go to North Dakota because Weatherby had signed and they needed a player like last minute to go in there but when i was kind of put in the actual situation i i realized how much i loved chicago and wanted to go back there for the for the second year so i i headed back and then for that two months first two months of the season my brother was really on me about going to see michigan and checking out the campus and stuff like that and once i went up there to see what everything was like and go on campus and see the rink and meet all the guys, I fell in love with it. It was four hours away from home.

My brother's there. The campus was awesome. Everything was just pointing me that way. Have you gone to any football games? Oh, yeah. It was amazing. Our first few nights, they did the Big Ten ring ceremony for the guys the year before and the

guys were nice enough to let all the freshmen this year go out with them so it was it was awesome like we were right on the end zone and uh jj mccarthy threw a touchdown like right in front of us and the guy like bowed to our whole team it was it was so cool we were losing our minds so you were loving the college experience and i was going to, like, you had to make these significant jumps to go into playing the UCHL to college and then college. Why are you laughing? You can't say USHL, but I don't blame you because you have so many leagues in your brain. But you call it the UCHL. I think you called it the ESHL.

What's it called? The USHL. So I said it right this time. No, you said the UCHl oh fuck okay so whatever you get what you get what i mean fantilli i'm the dummy of the podcast and then and then going from college to going to the uh world championship with grown men like how have you had to prepare your body like your your regimen in order to like get up to that caliber and then also going to the world championships how hard was it adjusting to playing against these grown men for the first time and even the time off so you kind of going

from the ushl to the to the ncaa you kind of have that mix of being able to play that 62 64 game schedule and then also play the i only played 36 but like 40 game schedule that it might be in college so you kind of get both and then then in the summer, you try and make that transition. And at the end of the year, I was playing against guys that were 22, 23 years old, like legit men. And they were strong. Even older on Quinnipiac. Yeah, their average age is like

27 or something. Guys with families and jobs. Guys working at the steel mill. Your dad's like, wait, that's my old carpenter pal holy shit we built a couple houses together what the fuck's he doing here he's great at the sink work he got his apprenticeship under me he's doing the fucking baseboards before the game in the room

that's awesome yeah yeah and then by the end of that year like right after uh right after our we kind of lost the Quinnipiac and in the in the semifinals there we took quite a bit of time off and uh our our freshman class took our trip and while we were on our trip in Florida that's kind of when I figured out I was going to be going to overseas so I had to book a flight back and they nobody told me, but they took the ice out at Yost in Michigan. So as soon as I got to Detroit, I was like, what's going on? So I jumped back in my car, drove down to Chicago, and the Steel let me skate with them again for about a week before heading over there.

And yeah, the jump was actually pretty crazy with how good everybody's sticks were. And I wasn't expecting everybody to be that good defensively uh at that level it was it was a little bit of a jump to be honest i want to ask about the whole like all this stuff that you're talking about like i wanted to jump up a year i wanted to finish high school quicker i wanted to do all this stuff is that is that you is that like help from your parents and in kind of deciding some of this stuff or is or is this like um like you're you're driven this much to understand how this all works or is there an advisor that's helping you kind of decide your career path or your path through hockey there's a lot of different ways to do it but you seem pretty driven and like want to go

go places obviously a lot of personal sacrifice yeah, I think it's a bit of both. I was really fortunate to have a great group of people around me when I was young, people that had been around the game for so long. Jim Hughes and another guy who advises me, Dave Demete, so these two guys were kind of with me when I was younger, and they kind of helped me navigate through wanting to send me down to the States to play prep school and then saying, hey, yeah, you can go to the o if you'd like to we're not saying you can't but the ushl in chicago is

an option for you even because covid's going on like see how you like it for a year and then if you don't like it go to the o why not like and they would just show me these options and show me these different paths and i always found it pretty interesting the the pathway that you could take and people that have taken it before and not a lot of people pay attention to it with with like owen power doing the pretty much the same thing and going uh through chicago and into michigan and doing the same thing being from toronto so i thought it was interesting and i was like how how can you not get better playing against guys that are 22 23 and legit men in college to try and prepare for the pro. We got Colby's kid.

What? Should we do it now, Witt? Colby's kid. I think he's right next to him. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You got a fan here that's got a question for you. We had him draw one up. He's a big fan.

All these young kids coming up, right? You're that next wave and next generation, so he's pretty fired up to ask one. Oh, look, he looks nervous. I love it. I love love it let's hear it this is cruz cruz armstrong nice to meet you cruz yeah nice to meet you uh i just got one question for you um if there was any memories or like greatest experience in your life like full of hockey like what would be the greatest one like you've won the hobie baker and frozen four and world juniors world champions and just like what's the greatest one you've had yeah that's a that's a great question man he doesn't get it he doesn't get

a job security i'm out of here buddy all right he's fucked yeah yeah that's a great one yeah in terms of like events like that uh with with teams and stuff like that anytime you're fortunate enough to win a championship at this level it's amazing they don't come around very often uh once you get past minor hockey and stuff like that so the world juniors was phenomenal the way they did it in halifax over there i've never seen an environment the way that building was it was awesome i don't think i'm ever gonna forget the way they did it in Halifax over there. I've never seen an environment the way that building was. It was awesome. I don't think I'm ever going to forget the way that sea of red was looking after we won.

It was phenomenal. I'd probably say that World Junior win was pretty special. And speaking of the World Juniors, maybe the tournament didn't start out for you personally as you'd hoped a little bit. I don't know if I'm incorrect in that, but if that if that was the case like that's probably like a little adversity for you throughout a year that's been just so outstanding like did you feel the same did you feel you had more to give after the

first few games first few games i obviously i didn't produce the way i wanted to but and kind of shuffled around the lineup and whatever happened because there's a lot of amazing guys on that roster but i was like hey like what are you gonna do now like you gotta you're gonna play a role and just try and win a gold medal at this point you're here so i kind of tried to accept that role and i was like hey like might as well be able to show that i can play up and down a lineup and and try and contribute in that sense so i kind of was checking as much as i could or checking as hard as i could and when i could could, tried to contribute offensively. But yeah, from the outside, I didn't have the most productive tournament.

But I felt I was still able to contribute and do what I could to help us win. Hold on, Cruz is going to say bye. Oh, he's got a follow-up. No, I'm done. Thank you. Nice to meet you, Cruz. Thank you. Thank you very much. Attaboy, Cruz. There you go. you. Nice to meet you, Cruz. And good luck in the draft. Thank you. Yeah, it was nice to meet you.

Thank you very much. Attaboy, Cruz. There you go. Cruz are coming in with a great question. God, this guy. You mentioned Saginaw picked you in the first round, and I think sometimes they'll pick a guy hoping they can kind of sway him to come to the O.

But then they ended up trading your rights to North Bay for also like another first-round pick. So you're kind of catching the heat from both teams. So you're having to say no two different times, right? Yeah, I ended up going to see Saginaw actually. I was thinking about it. Like I said, after that first Chicago Steel year, I was like, maybe I'll still go to the LN.

I went to go see Saginaw. I remember after the draft had happened, I was sitting on my couch here and I had signed my tender with Chicago already. And my dad was like, hey, like what if Biz reaches biz reaches out like do you think you'll go to sega dad's testing you he's like if you say yes you're done you're not going there yeah exactly so i was like i don't know maybe if this reaches out uh might have to but yeah it was and then the trade happened um the north bay i got some buddies that play on that team and they became a bit of a powerhouse the last little bit they had a great playoff run there but

yeah like why i was loving it in chicago too much i couldn't wait you know i played for north bay too right that's where saginaw came from so if I would have called you from North Bay would you have gone hey I don't know maybe you're pretty convincing biz a little colder up there that's that's awesome oh yeah we dove into like you know what you've had to do in order to get to where you're at and we talk about that personal sacrifice like you know what is it do you do for fun though when you're able to finally get away because we know so much your life is devoted to the game of hockey at this point well whenever I get to come home i'm always pumped to see my family i don't get to see them too often and i'm really close with my immediate family and my extended family all my cousins and stuff like that we're super close so i love getting to see them

but whenever i'm home i golf as much as i can and just hang out with with my buddies as much as possible um pretty much just trying to live a normal summer. Whenever you get out of the gym, go hit the track and then do whatever you can with your buddies after. I know what you're thinking. Sandbagger. Future guest, I think, right here.

Can you golf? Are you a golfer? I'm not bad. I'm not bad. I'm definitely not anything special, but I can make my way around the course. If you tell every team that's going to draft you ahead of the Coyotes that you're not coming and you want to go to Arizona and then sign with the Coyotes for next season, we would consider you for a sandbagger. Really? There's the Saginaw pitch you were waiting for. It's the only way I'm getting out there.

It's basically a threat yeah i i did read though that you're a big avengers fan although uh those types of movies that's that's what gets you going what's the appeal did you grow up on that well recently i gotta throw a disclaimer recently the last couple movies have been not as good i've been a little disappointed but um i just i just loved them growing up i was a huge fan I was over in while we were overseas I kind of figured out Cody Glass and Devin Levi were both massive Marvel fans as well

we were all kind of talking about it my parents came in so I had to go to dinner but them two went out to go watch the new Doctor Strange movie in Latvia so it was kind of crazy but yeah I just kind of grew up loving those type of movies hey luch comes in with a cigar and a beer he's like what up nerds

yeah yeah exactly when he gets drafted you're gonna have like member taveras in the leafs uh pajamas in his bed he's gonna have like the hulk on his fucking iron man iron man costume in bed oh geez probably got a couple questions for you well yeah i kind of just want to go to the Hulk on his fucking bed. Iron Man Iron Man costume in bed. G's probably got a couple questions for you. Well, yeah. I kind of just want to go to the Hobie Baker award. Winning that, for the Canadian listeners who don't know, it's the best player in college hockey. Obviously,

you won it as a freshman. Only Paul Correa and Jack Eichel, only two others to do it. What was that day like? What was the celebration like after? Were you shocked that you won it? Kind of walk me through that whole day. It was a crazy day. We had just kind of lost to Quinnipiac.

So everybody was a little bit down. And I was lucky enough that my team was allowed to stay around for the ceremony. They did the whole Mike Richter and all that stuff as well. They had us staying in kind of an air-conditioned room because it was the first time they've ever done it publicly and like outside because we were in tampa it was so hot they didn't want us sitting outside but we came out like the most intense music ever was playing and they made us go up on stage and just sit beside each other and wait for the envelope to come out it was it was super intense but uh yeah when i heard my name called it was it was amazing i was it was awesome

gee we miss that we were like hat tricks having a having a big deal brew party i think we didn't make it to that one did we we were crippled that half just sucking down wings and big deal bruce is like i should have won the hobie sophomore year but I hurt my finger in the second week. Oh, Merle's did want me to ask if you are aware of the EBR draft rankings. Are you aware of his EBR draft rankings and where you stand on them? I don't know. I don't think so. So he's had you at one at some points at this year, and he's had you at two. I don't think he's fallen below two. He had yet one. Wow, he's too kind. We were walking out of the rink. We were yelling at some

scouts that he was saying, you're number one to some scouts and stuff. He's like, I'll do your job for you. Fantilli number one. He's too kind for that. The only other name that gets brought up as a possible second pick instead of you,

would be the Leo Carlson. He was over in the Worlds at Sweden. Do you catch yourself kind of, like, eyeing him up, like, seeing how he plays, or are you more just focused on your game? I actually hadn't watched them at all up until this point. I was sitting in my room, and they were playing Finland, I think. So I threw that game on.

I was like, might as well, like, Let's see how good he is. He's a great player. He's really smart. He's big. From what I saw, he's great. And he's going to be flying over to Vegas for game two as well. So I'll get to meet him and get to know him a little bit. So I'm excited for that. But yeah, he had a great tournament as well. He was

playing with Raymond and Nylander. So he must have had a crazy experience there learning from those guys. I'm excited to ask him about it do you have your draft suit picked out uh yeah i'm working on it right now you got the ankles showing are you going to ankle guy are you short pants are you sure with the loafers you got the fendi fendi belt the gucci are you practicing a hug with mom and dad or what no i haven't thought about any of those things yet i gotta i gotta get on that we uh my dad's making me go classic dress shoe he's like when in 20 years you don't want to look back and say i look like an idiot so he's got the car heart suit your old man's got the car

heart suit on yeah why doesn't your suit have one of those loops where you put your hammer stage together before the carpenter's gonna be making it uh yeah he's got his hammer in there yeah exactly they uh they're they're letting me uh do a few customizations on the inside stuff like that so that'll be my creativity spot but other than that they're they're making me go pretty classic so wear a top hat fuck it just wear a top please do it for us yeah that would be kind of does that get me on the sandbagger or no i'll i'll stop signing with the coyotes and and waving your college uh yes if you wear a top hat you're invited to a sandbagger hey how about at my draft too uh this russian guy i remember his name igorg and kanaya zev or something a d-man d-man yeah big thick dude when he went up i don't know if he i don't think he ended up playing any games but he got drafted like

pretty high first round my ear he came up full tuxedo with like a cummerbund on it everything straight out of moscow that's awesome rental you should comb your hair like a Russian. You should go straight bangs right across. Hey, remember our year? That was probably to cover the fucking bombs they had on their forehead. Remember Kostitin's draft? I want to ask center or wing. I know you can play on any. What's your favorite?

This is a draft question too. There you go. Yeah, I prefer to play in center. I was bouncing around all year. Like at World Juniors, I was left and right. World Championships, I was left and right. At Michigan, I was center. I prefer playing center, but yeah, I kind of bounce around.

More money, more money. Good answer. My second answer, Cruz poked his head in, and I'll go with this one, too. Another Cruz question. Oh, I got to ask another one. Ask him who he thinks is going to win the cup. There you go. That's a good one.

This might air after. I don't even know. Well, like Biz was talking about, Florida's had that 10-day intervention or whatever it was called with Memorial Day down in Fort Lauderdale. However that went for those guys. But the way they've been playing has been awesome. Kachuk's been lights out. Bobrovsky's been lights out.

So if they can keep going the way they've been going, I'd say Florida. But you never know. Vegas has also been hot. There you go, G. You got to update our thing. Got to put a Fantilli head on there and then put his pick under me. Do you chat with Bedard quite a bit?

Yeah, we were actually just texting two days ago. Tell him we want to get him on. You guys got a side bet going on? I just hung out with him a few weeks ago. You got to tell him we got to get him on. I'll let him know. He's a good kid. He's an amazing guy.

Well, you got to spend time with him at World Juniors. I mean, you guys joke around. Maybe got a side bet going as to who might go first overall? No, I don't want to take that bet. amazing guy well you got to spend time with him at world juniors i mean you guys joke around maybe got a side bet going as to who might go first overall no i don't want to take that bet um he's uh yeah we uh we always joke around and stuff like that our first thing at world juniors was just bury one of us from behind like just kill somebody and i just see what the media says and just like see what stories they write um yeah he's he's awesome he's a really funny guy that you admire like playing with him there that you got to see him he's not like the tallest guy

uh his shots amazing but like what what about his game when you're playing with him there and you get to see him in practice you got to see him day to day that you know you were like wow okay wow this guy's legit maybe the jealousy crept in a little bit. You're like, motherfucker. Yeah. This guy is really good. You're like, make a save, goalie. Holy shit. Yeah, I don't know. When he had that eight-point game or something,

I was like, all right, come on now. Settle down. He's got an amazing work ethic. Oh, he's really dialed into everything he does. His shot is stupid. I know everybody talks about it, but he's like 5 10 i think about 5 9 5 10 and our sticks are the same length i don't know i don't know what's going on but the way the way he can rip that thing is is awesome it's so cool to watch well buddy we can't thank you enough for

coming on we wish you the best of luck moving forward here in the draft looking forward to seeing that top hat and uh you you have to promise if you get grilled by any of these GMs in some of these meetings they have before the draft, you got to come back and tell the stories about what they asked you that was so ridiculous. Absolutely. I'm excited to do so. That's going to be cool. And if Stevie Y asks

you if you smoke pot, just make sure you say no. Just make sure you say no. That's the one I'm most nervous about. Oh yeah, he'll get you. That's what happened with'm most nervous about oh yeah he'll get what happened with doc yeah that's crazy all right buddy it's gonna be a special night we're rooting for you so we appreciate it have a great time thank you guys so much i appreciate it hello canada this episode is brought to you by the score bet sportsbook and casino the score bet is the best sportsbook for the hockey obsessed

with a wide variety of markets and daily specials from us here at spit and chiclets it's got you covered for everything on the ice so if you're in ontario only download the score bet app and create an account today you can build and follow your bets directly from the score sports app for the best possible experience with the play playoff push coming up, you don't want to miss anything. And the Score bet also has you covered for all your other favorite sports and players, plus there's tons of iCasino games any day, any time. That's the Score bet. Download today and see how the best sports app, period, does sports betting.

Please play responsibly. 19+, Ontario only. Gambling problem? Call Connex ontario at 1-866-531-2600 huge thanks to adam for jumping all with us man awesome kid wish him the best going in the future but uh biz lots of stuff going on free agency trades we got to go to you one of your 17 teams the maple leafs i mean brad tree living with the big boss man bre Brendan Shanahan.

They get down to brass tacks right away. Let's see, Max Domi, one year for $3 million. Tyler Bertuzzi, one year, $5.5 million. Revo, Ryan Reeves, three years he got, a little over $4 million. Dylan Gambrill got a year, $775,000. $775,000. And then John Klingberg, one year, a little over $4 million. I guess fans were kind of antsy the first day of free agency but by the end of it sunday biz they

were like much happier with what that tree and jenny had done which i take as the leaf superfan yeah i think they upgraded on the bunting situation which i thought bunting was a great player uh for the few years he was with toronto he obviously how much did he get with carolina i think he got three years, just over four, which is, I think he's a great compliment to a top two line, right? Net front presence. I think he's going to get you 20 goals, 20 assists. He'll be good on that team, too.

Yeah, he'll be good. And they need a little bit more grit. But they're still not that big. They need to get bigger. They're all small, and they won't really get away from that. But going back to Toronto, I thought Bertuzzi was an excellent signing. Clearly, he's waiting for that salary cap to go up next year and really capitalize,

which is crazy, though, because he had such a good playoff. Did you see that coming, boys? Did you see Bertuzzi coming with the Leafs at all? No. I thought Bruins were clearing some space. Yeah. I don't know. Would Boston have still traded Hall? like what no I thought no Bruins were clearing some space they're trying to yeah yeah like I don't know would Boston have still traded Hall had they thought well that's what I'm saying is like once you saw that happen you're like oh okay they're definitely making room for Bertuzzi because

he was obviously the I think he other than Hall he was probably one of the best playoff performers they had if not the best playoff performer they had So for them not to be able to offer me anything of substance where, I mean, you got to imagine if Bertuzzi goes to Toronto and he lights it up, they try to make it work there. And I would also assume that at a certain point throughout the season, he can then re-up with Toronto and then that won't affect their cap for this season. It would going forward. But with everything that happened in Toronto and all the awesome't affect their cap for this season it would going forward but with everything that happened in Toronto and all the awesome moves they make they're still over the salary cap and right now the name that keeps popping up is William Nylander and his camp are

asking for north of about nine and a half even in some cases people are saying it's over 10 million what's what he's asking for there's not a there's not a chicken dick's chance that they can pay him that. Unless, of course, Matthews is Sayonara, but all signs are leading to them signing him. But as a Toronto Maple Leaf fan and supporter of the organization, if you have to part ways with one guy, and I think that the haul you can get based on what his cap is going to be this year

coming up in this hard cap ridiculous situation that the league is dealing with the haul that you can get and the areas that you can address that you're having problems with with Toronto I think that you can figure it out by getting rid of Nylander it sucks because even like from from his standpoint and what he's making I would say most Leafs fans would agree, come playoff time, he's been their best player and risen to the occasion, especially in that second series. And even going back to last year, I think he was probably their best playoff performer. But you just saw what Dubois ended up getting the haul for.

Could you imagine what William Nylander coming in at $7 million for this season for some desperate teams looking for a cup, what they'd be willing to part ways with? That's kind of all the chaos that's happening. I love the Max Domi signing because I feel like he's a good middle six guy. I think that with him going back there with his old man's legacy, I think he's going to have a little extra pep in his step and more physicality to his game. And I think we saw that with Dallas, where he really embodied that team, so he is capable of it. And then Klingberg, there's no risk there.

You relieve the offensive pressure on the power play off of Morgan Riley. Yeah, that's big. And he gets to worry about playing just like shut down D and also being that second layer of offensive defense that they need on whatever power play. So excellent, excellent job by Tree and the boys to fill in some holes.

And hey, is there still work to be done? Absolutely. But do you guys not agree that with Nylander making what he's making, they could really go out there and finally get another big Dame D, maybe another great middle six, maybe even potential top six forward, and then maybe even a prospect? So what are you thinking? They just wait this year out, right?

Like they just say, okay, you know, we'll hold off on extension on Nylander. Maybe, I don't know, maybe the landscape shapes out better. Maybe they can afford it. Maybe he's out of their range to make a quality team and he's one of the guys that they might look to trade do they is this the year is this a year you're saying that they could still do some stuff and sit with that seven mil like you said with him this year and well i think that so right right now as it sits there they're one of five teams that are like drastically over the cap yeah they're eight mil over the cap right now, currently. So they've got to trade them.

So something's got to bend, right? And I would imagine with him saying, hey, we're not going to get anything done less than $9.5 million with the agency on an extension. His value is so much more valuable now given this season coming up and how everybody's jammed up and how much he brings to the table and he's only making seven million bucks so that's a very difficult decision for for tree living and crew to make moving forward but overall a plus put it being put under the gun they did a great job um this is the

problem though in terms of the guys taking as much as they can get because then Nylander's sitting there like I'm not taking any sort of discount none of those guys did where we've talked about like the Pittsburgh model like it was always just everyone a little bit less and so when you get Matthews and Marner at these huge numbers it's like Nylander who rightfully so is, I'm not taking a discount here. Nobody else took a discount. So if he really wants to be in Toronto, he'll have to. But I agree with you, Biz.

Like you just brought in Bertuzzi. That's big time offensive help. Like look to see what you get right now. A sign and trade and an extension and trade and try to bring in some stuff. The only thing is a team who would maybe want him that's like competing or thinks they'll compete for the cup. I don't know if they're going to give you any big pieces of their current

team, right? Like they almost want to bring him in, in terms of like just adding to what they already have. But you could definitely get a boatload in return for, yeah, you're going to, you're going to need a high draft pick.

You're going to need, um, uh, a competent top pick you're gonna need um a competent top four defenseman who's on a really good contract who's not making much money and then hopefully you can get one more player that you can add who can make a difference and that's what about calgary who do you got merles now i i I think, not to get too far ahead of us, but I thought one of the strangest signings of the whole day was Orlov going to Carolina. And Witt is on record many times.

Carolina needs an offensive superstar. So did Carolina sign Orlov, one, to maybe trade him, or knowing they're going to trade one of their other top fours to Toronto? Everyone's saying Pesci's up. So Brent Burns is up for contract, right? Not this year, I don't think. Okay, so they have Burns, Orlov, they have Slavin. What's his name from Philly that's going to kick in?

And then D'Angelo's coming back. D'Angelo. Yeah, I could see them potentially parting ways with one of those guys and Snag and Nylander, and he's already got the bunting connection. I don't know how many other teams make sense, and I haven't gone over it yet because this whole situation just happened, but as far as him going anywhere, boys, do you guys have any other teams? No.

I don't know. I always say expect the unexpected with a lot of these guys. Who needs them the most? Who can give them up? Like you said, Carolina, they got all those top 4D guys. I don't think they're going to be able to pay all those dudes. By the way, Bunton, three years, 14 and a half mil. Okay.

That's who asked a few minutes ago. But anyways, what about Ryan O'Reilly? How about everyone in Leafs land loved him. He goes to Nashville, four-year, $18 million deal. Then all of a sudden, like, oh, he sucks. He has a locker room cancer. We don't want him anyways. It's like, dude, you're stroking him off.

Get off the internet, R.A. Get off Twitter. A lot of people were whining about it. But, Biz, I kind of thought, like, all right, so Barry Trotz, he got rid of Duchesne, he got rid of Johansson, the two highest paid forwards on the team. I kind of compared that to maybe Billy Guerin, what he did with getting rid of Parise and Suter.

He maybe had to reboot the whole culture of the locker room. Do you think that might be a good comparison? Yeah, I would imagine that's exactly why. I mean, I think we were all shocked, though, that Duchesne did get bought out. Yes. You know? Yeah, I am.

Like, I mean, you look at that lineup there that they had, and those are their marquee guys. And I mean, their team played well down the stretch and they didn't have him they didn't have um johansson they didn't even have uh sorry what's the captain freaking yosi yosi in the lineup down the stretch forsberg was out and they're just running with these young guys that were just almost played their balls off into the playoffs and you know i think you know barry Trotz is trying to come in with, with some pop. He's been saying it like crazy. And I know he was at home in the draft boys, but tell me if I'm wrong, but like Barry Trotz made some bold moves by doing that. I didn't, I didn't see it coming. I think, I thought he's worked out fairly well in Nashville for a guy that seems to go everywhere he goes is like the team loses, but he's, I mean, for the most part, seemed to fit in pretty well there.

So a bold move, I think, Busy, in that buyout and changing the look of their lineup completely with new guys coming in. And as far as Ryan O'Reilly is concerned, the Toronto experiment didn't work out. He went there. He played well. I thought he was solid in playoffs for him. And he's already won his Stanley Cup, right? So sometimes the appeal to go back home and dealing with all that media nonsense

is just like, ah. He's a country and western guy. Yeah, he likes to play guitar. He's cool. He likes a beer. Not to say that he's afraid of pressure or anything like that, but like Biz said, he won. Now he's in an area and a team

that you know there's one reporter in the room it's just so such a different vibe in terms of like what you're dealing with away from the away from the rank being able to go places so it kind of made sense to me that he got his shot toronto and probably was just like i don't know i don't know if i want to deal with this daily grind every single day. Yeah. You know? If I had Ryan O'Reilly's career and you would have asked me what I would have done, I'd say, I'm not going back to fucking Toronto. And I think that fans and or media members are naive to think that if they don't think that that added part of it makes guys roll their eyes

and they're like, we want no fucking part of this, especially guys who have already won before, you're out of your minds. Like him and Shanner. Him and Shanner both. Hey, listen, and then the rebuttal is, well, it takes a special type of person to want to play in Toronto and succeed here

to handle the media pressure. It's like, ah, there's also a lot of nonsense that comes along with it. And it's gotten worse since the quote-unquote heydays, in my opinion, with the ridiculousness of some of the reporting and what these guys are getting asked day in and day out and what they're trying to create drama out of.

So it's like the last two, three years, I think they've started out 500 out of the gate after 12 games and everybody's ready to sell the fucking farm. And I thought, hey, I thought they were going to bring back Shen in Toronto too. I mean, he played awesome in the playoffs. He's that's you know revived and revamped his career and played really well and he follows o'reilly right from the leafs room right down to smashville ras and their new agent i think down there you'll be setting up shop but two two good veteran guys like you said busy with cups there is uh speaking of culture in toronto

oh we almost forgot you mentioned Revo. And Revo gave an amazing interview right when he was brought in. He's kind of talking, yeah, I go into locker rooms and I kind of chirp guys right away. I'm not a quiet guy. And on the ice, I want guys to feel safe. I'll go beat up somebody and that'll be the end of that. And just kind of like announced his presence. And like obviously like the analytical people and some people were dogging the deal but like i i just

can't stress enough how important it is to have toughness in your lineup and and for a toronto team that is just kind of soft like they've never really had that that or at least recently had that like warrior in their room where it's like, all right, if anything goes down, we got this guy. Like, yeah, he's not going to play a ton of minutes, not going to score a ton of goals, but in the room, he keeps everyone alive. He keeps all the jokes fine.

And then on the ice, it is like a feeling of safety and kind of doing whatever you want. We got Revo. We're going to chuck him on the ice, and nobody will do a thing. So I like that move. I mean, granted, three years I was surprised at it. I thought maybe two, but I was happy for him because he's the man and now he gets the chance to go somewhere where like

with the media nonsense he doesn't give a fuck and i care at all and let me tell you this uh well it's gonna it's gonna help his career because it's gonna it's gonna be a after hockey too oh big time and you know who else it helps it helps guys like tyler bethusey and max domey and a few other guys in that lineup who need to play with a little bit of sandpaper where now they they're like well batuzzi wants to play like that and be an asshole in front of the net he doesn't have to worry about fighting that night he says oh you want to fight there's revo and revo's gladly gonna do it right and then and then in some cases in the national hockey league now there's probably about 10 teams in league that don't even have any signs of remote toughness

where, yeah, maybe Revo's not in the lineup that night and you insert a different guy, but he's not going to be the guy in the press box or in the locker room being healthy scratched fucking kicking up dust because he's the odd man out. So I view it as such a, like you said, with a culture signing, the protection, and just having a great guy around to

help continue to gel that team together well this is what i always hear guys and you can tell me this and merles put your coach's hat on a great mind for hockey when you're in you need and all of us have it we got personality but when you're day to day every day in that dressing room what did revo said i like to plan the parties i like to get the team together i like to do the dinners i like to do this i'm gonna come in i'm team together. I like to do the dinners. I like to do this. I'm going to come in. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that.

You need guys like that. We need skill. We need speed. We need, uh, you know, dynamic, uh, forwards and we need, yeah, you need personality in your room too. And he's got plenty of it to go around and he's a guy that's going to stir the drink and he's a guy that's going to be in there every day when it's february 3rd and it sucks and the media is hard on us boohoo revo's gonna face it head on and he's gonna rally the

boys he's gonna get them going the stuff that you don't see and we lots of people don't talk about this shit but that shit's important ryan riley's a guy like that too but it's that's why it's that's what brings value way more value day to day i don't need a fucking toe drag i need somebody to hand out the march madness brackets yeah we could all get our money in time and collect it and have it organized called it glue guy you got to have glue guys around you need eight you need guys like ra booking dinners all of us coming in where's the restaurant value i thought it was here but actually we got it right Right here behind this secret door. And look at his impact on Minnie last year.

I mean, he got like a huge bump when he got there. I know they fanned out in the playoffs, but also because of the five guys they signed. He's the only one who signed for more than a year. He's the oldest one at 36, but it'll be money well spent for them. Just back to O'Reilly real quick. Four and a half million he's going to make. Makes him the highest paid forward on Nashville this year. Also, you mentioned Luke Shen.

What about Forsberg? I'm pretty sure he's... Is he on the LTI right now? Yeah, he is. He was at the end of the year. If he still is, I didn't scroll down. He's in their lineup now. He's out now. Let's not forget, that's probably why both of those guys

went there instead of Toronto. There's no way Toronto would have offered them them kind of deals. I can't see that. That's great money down there, tax-free, and all the other stuff.

They're getting paid for more of their culture bringing, I would guess, than their hockey. Forsberg makes 8.5 for about five more years. He's technically not in the roster right now,

so he's not up that high. I don't think. Dash one. Also, Gustav Ny technically not in the roster right now, so he's not up that high, I think. Dash one. Also, Gustav Nyquist, they signed two years, 6.37, and Chen signed for three years, 8.25 million. You already mentioned Pierre-Luc Dubois-Biz. Did a little sign-and-trade action. We're starting to see these a lot more in the NHL.

The Kings finally got him after a lot of negotiating, and it wasn't cheap either. The Jets extended him with the eight-year, $68 million deal. And then they got back Alex Iafallo, Gabe Velarde, Rasmus Kupari in a second and 24. I mean, is that price too big, Whit? I think so, your own Whit. Oh, we kind of went over this Monday because we heard that was kind of what was going to happen, and we mentioned the names.

And I think Biz mentioned he wasn't too worried about losing an eye and follow. Velarde definitely hurts. I mean, a young guy who could score. But in terms of, like, just lining up the middle of the ice, that's what we talked about last week. It's like, oh, my God. Kopitar, Deneau, and Dubois. Like, you're now looking at not only are they all good defensively

and they all can score, but they're all big and you saw you saw um vegas and the size and like i i i'm still not scared and not petrified like biz thought i would be of la in terms of me being an oilers fan but they're a better team now than they were and that's what's most important the amount of off the amount of columbus fans and Winnipeg fans all over me about like oh like you're saying this guy's a superstar he's all this and all that it's like uh that's not what I said last podcast what I said was is as far as guys through the middle of the ice that are available and who can make an impact in your lineup who I think I would say that Dubois is a second line center on most teams in the National Hockey League, if not at least 28 of them.

There might be a few teams that have a better one-two punch when Pierre-Luc Dubois is playing his game. So they need it to solidify the middle of their ice. They need to hedge the bet on what's going on with Kopitar. My assumption is Kopitar ends up signing like a three, four year extension with LA at a decent home discount in order to keep that team together. But Rob Blake has done an excellent job of making them relevant again quickly in the fact that you got Doughty and Kopitar on the back nine right i still think that they're going to be set up decent now when those guys are gone but you had to push your chips in the middle to say these guys have brought the organization two cups i still think they got a little bit of gas left in the tank and now it it just solidifies your middle of the ice so do i think that dubois is he got i think he got paid eight and a half million correct do i like that Do I like that amount of money that he's being paid now? No, I think he's a little bit overpaid, but you got to look past this year as far what

you're going to do for the, for the, for your team and how, how the center ice position is so important and how you have to look in order to win championships. Look at what we just saw. You just mentioned Vegas, right? Merles and what they did. Look at their top three center, all legitimate top three center. And I believe that that's what LA went out and solid's? And what they did, look at their top three center. All legitimate top three center. And I believe that that's what LA went out and solidified. And if they have to overpay for the first few years based on what we've seen so far from Dubois, sure. But that's definitely where the market is for a guy like that.

And considering that any team that has a guy of his caliber, they're locking him in at that number anyway. Well, think about those three too busy. Teams don't let centers like that walk anymore. They fucking lock him in the long-term big boy type contracts. And so in two, three years, if he's able to, for the 40 games you get out of Pierre-Luc Dubois year where you're like, holy fuck,

this guy could be a number one center in the league. And then the other ones you're like, ah, he might be a third line center on a Stanley Cup winning team. I think that that number ended up being in the perfect place, and it was a must-make deal for Rob Blake, in my opinion. Think about that, those three-headed monster they have there too. Not only are they good players and can produce, they check.

They check. They're unbelievable at checking so you've got three guys down the middle normally like good players they're they can throw as as busy would say a wet blanket on you big time and all three of them are known to be able to do that too to be able to check and also produce so that you know two years in a row two years in a row losing to edmonton it's kind of like it's like tor of like Toronto when all they thought about was beating Tampa. Right now, LA's entire goal is we just got to get through Edmonton, right? Obviously, Vegas is in that division.

They just won the cup. But you come off two years where you couldn't shut them down defensively. It's like, all right, let's just get another big body in here that can skate. Busy. You guys feel okay about Talbot in there? They got Talbot to come in too. And that, you feel okay about him? Cheap money.

I think that what we saw was when you have a good enough team, like we talked about the copycat league where it's like, ah, if you're not giving up that many scoring chances, you're able to generate and you're shutting down the middle of the ice, I think that you could put a fucking shooter tutor in there and win a Stanley Cup. We just talked about with Witt. They have to beat Edmonton and Vegas for the next five years.

That's who they got to beat. Neither one of them have an all-star goalie, really. I guess Skinner was considered an all-star, but not an all-world goalie. So all three of those teams are trying to be built the same way almost. I could believe Corpozalo got five years times five or whatever it was. Oh, he was excellent for LA in the beginning. I think that's huge for Ottawa, right? Ottawa, yeah.

It's unbelievably huge for them. I know. I know. Ottawa and Detroit are those teams who need to take the step this year. They need to. And Buffalo. And as you see what happened to Boston, it's kind of like this is the time where one of those three teams has to be in the playoffs next year. They need to. And Buffalo. And as you see what happened to Boston, it's kind of like, this is the time when one of those three teams

has to be in the playoffs next year. We thought there was a chance this year it would happen. Hey, Colorado too. They got Johansson. They got that Ross Colton from Tampa Bay. I just think like... Miles Wood. Yeah, Miles Wood. Look at their team

right now, what they've done too, Joe Sackick Hello, they're still right there as well So there's another team in the West that LA Has to worry about as well Cam Talbot, one year, $1 million David Riddick for backup $875,000, right now they only got Under $4 million on three goalies

Obviously only going to keep two Tab will start, the other two will fight it out for backup But not a lot of money. Like you were just saying, put a shooter tutor out there. See what happens with those boys. Our buddy Kevin Hayes, we were waiting on that trade for a long time. He ends up going to St. Louis. Let's see, for sixth round pick,

they got back. Philly's going to eat half that salary. Got three years left in the deal. Do you think it was solely because of the torch relationship or maybe other factors within the organization? I think the team's looking i mean they're looking to kind of completely start over and obviously um torts was not a fan of hazy um i was lucky enough so hazy flew down he had his bachelor party he came down to nashville for wednesday um and he

went and did all his media availability uh availability and he did his physicals and all that. And then we went and played golf and just talking to him, he's so excited. I mean, like we've said many times that the downtown of St. Louis isn't exactly beautiful. That's probably putting it lightly. But the outer, the outskirts and where guys live and how so many people play there and never leave,

it's actually an unreal city to play in. So I think Hazy's super excited. And when I look at his game, like he's an all-star last year. I mean, now you're getting him at three and a half. I mean, that's a pretty good deal for St. Louis, right? They should give up a six rounder and you're paying them three and a half. It's like, I think that's a great move for him and the team. Army was super excited. Doug Armstrong, excuse me, in terms of talking about getting him. And when he talked to Hazy, how pumped he was for him to be a part of the organization. So I'm just happy he got away from Torts. And Torts has a lot more power in Philly than people realize.

He's got managerial decisions there. I mean, he's up on press conferences sitting next to Breer and Keith Jones when they're doing things. Like somehow, someway, Torts is like partly running the show there. I don't really get it. But we'll have Hazy on at some point to discuss everything discussed last year and moving forward. Yeah, he won't be able to wear the new slash old jerseys. Philly released three versions.

They kind of just look like the old ones. They make these little subtle touches to them and all that shit. Of course, to make them some dough. But Philly, they signed a couple guys too. Mark Stahl, one year, 1.1 mil. Garnett Hathaway, two years, 4.75 mil. And Ryan Poling. Danny Breer, he's kind of doing the slow thing.

But do you think, I mean, there's a sense of optimism maybe creeping in with the fans here just a little bit? Like, you know what I mean? They've been so down for so long. Well, I just think the only thing is, is like, you've got some young guys that they're trying to bring along. And it's gone full-blown sell-off, rebuild. You know, they're going to make some, they've made plentyblown sell-off rebuild you know they're gonna they're gonna make

some they've made plenty of massive moves and moving you know some big-name guys out of there and and you know so that i i think if you're if you're a flyers fan which i don't give a shit about because i live in pittsburgh and i and go pens go but it's it's it's it's they've kind of pulled ripped a band-aid off with some of the moves that they've made in in trying to shed off guys and give it a new look and give some of their young guys a chance to a chance to go so you know you look at like frost uh tippet had a good year for them last year they've got some other guys coming up um that are their forester they've got cutter goatee they've got a russian kicks guys russian that kicks guys. They've got Cutter Gauthier, another kid.

Can I ask about Gauthier? John Clad Van Dam of Russia. I don't know if you guys saw, but Gauthier was like, I'm not coming to development camp. We're not fucking talking about these Flyers anymore. They're going to stink for two, three years. Come on. Until Mieczko gets over here, we're no longer talking about the Flyers.

I love you, Jonesy. I love you, Breer, but you guys stink. And you treated our boy like shit, Torx. Which is the goal. Fuck I love you, Jonesy. I love you, Breer, but you guys stink. And you treated our boy like shit, Torch. Which is the goal. Which is the goal. I would say. Finally, they're going to be real bad. They're going to be bad. We talked about it on Game Notes. G had it.

He would love Mitch Koff to go to the Flyers because they are. They're three or four years away. So keep sucking. Get a top three pick again this year and keep piling them on and then bring them all in together. Yep. All right, before we go any further, here's a word from our friends at Shady Rays. Take on the sun with gear built to last.

Our friends at Shady Rays have you covered for the warm weather ahead with premium polarized shades at an affordable price. I got my Shady Rays on right now. They're the baddest sunglasses out there. And Shady Rays is an independent sunglasses company that offers a world-class product that's just as good as any expensive pair we've won. Durable frames and extremely clear optics for all your outdoor adventures. And that's not all. Shady Rays offers the most insane protection in all of eyewear. Every pair of sunglasses is backed by lost and broken replacements. It doesn't stop at the quality. Shady Rays offers the most insane protection program in all of eyewear. Each pair of the sunglasses are backed by their lost and broken program. If you lose or break

your pair, even on day one or year two, they will send you a brand new pair. Unbelievable. Together with their customers, Shady Rays is providing much needed support to non-profit partners across the u.s through shady rays impact from building play sets for pediatric cancer patients to providing young adults with ms the outdoor adventure of a lifetime shady rays is making an impact in your community and others like it now and for years to come if you don't love them exchange for a new pair or return them for free within 30 days. There's no risk when you shop with Shady Rays. Their team always has your back. And exclusively for our listeners, Shady Rays has given out their best deal of the season. Go to ShadyRays.com and use the code CHICKLETS for 50% off two or more pairs of polarized sunglasses.

I got mine on right now. They're the best out there. Shady Rays, go get some. All right, the Colorado Avalanche, they sent restricted free agent forward Alex Newhook to Montreal for the 31st and 37th picks in the draft last week, as well as prospect Johnny Fairbrother. Then they took that 37th pick,

flipped it to Tampa for restricted free agent forward Ross Colton. So they basically swapped out Newhook for Colton and two prospects. That's some pretty savvy GM work, huh, Whit? Yeah, real good. And Alex Newhook kind of had a big, not resume, but the future looks super bright coming out of Boston College. And Kent Hughes used to be his agent, actually. They're very close.

So I believe that there was a lot of personal connection in bringing him to Montreal and believing that he could still be a top two line player I mean he's still real young but it kind of wasn't working in Colorado so you feel as though if Hughes has known him his entire life and knows what he can do that it's a good move for them I was shocked at what what they had to send back for him right I mean you that's two pretty high picks and and and you got to believe that that hughes knows that he's got a pretty special player on his hand so montreal is it's interesting now it's like how good is kirby doc going to be had a great year last year right can he continue to get better

you got him you got a new hook now kind of looking to get things going again a fresh start and you have a team that with the pick of i I think it was Redenbach or whatever his name was, the Austrian D-men, like the future's bright in Montreal, I think. It's all about can the fans stand it? Because last year, I think they were pretty cool with going this route and trying to rebuild and they got Caulfield signed to that nice deal

and St. Louis there, but it is an antsy, antsy fan base. So it's like, all right, maybe this year they can struggle. After that, you're going to start hearing the chirps and the boo birds and the Montreal natives in terms of them being frustrated if the team doesn't continue to get better. But it's kind of wait and see for Montreal with me right now. All right. He just answered your question from earlier for you. Would you rather forget the guy's name or just make up one? Orville.

There you go, Merle. Good call, Merle. Thanks to New Hope, too. That was probably exactly what was in Carey Price's head, too. It was like Orville Redenbacher. 100%. No free ads. Yeah, I got to thank Alex New Hope. He actually did give me an invite to his cup party last year. Didn't have to sneak into that one, so pretty good time.

But I want to say thanks for that. Avalanche also re-upped RFA D-Man Bowen Byram, two years, $7.7 million. And how about this deal? Miles Wood, six years, $15 million. Does this kind of catch you off guard like a bunch of other people? I just thought that the length,

given the length that everybody else was getting, but I mean, it's hard to find guys that big who are willing to fight, who can move and play like him. So he's kind of a, I would view him as like a poor man's Tom Wilson. So I guess not, I guess I feel like the number came in at a decent spot. So I think that it's definitely a swing and I like Miles Wood and I like what he brings. And I think that because he skates so well that it works in Colorado. And they needed to bolster up some toughness up front.

And they're so fast to begin with, Biz. He, like, fits in their team perfect, I think. Yeah. Like, I mean, I don't know what's going on with Achushkin, but if he's able to come back and then land a scog, like, then you're looking like, holy fuck, we got a lot of big meat up front to, to, um,

to play off all that talent. But even if they'll like, let's say, I don't know what's going on in the true skin. I don't know what's going on with Landy's knee. So at least it's a reserve on having some bigger guys in the lineup who can move and, and,

and can help chip away. Now I would probably say he's a hybrid between a third and fourth liner. Like he could probably move up to the third line as he progresses and maybe gets better as the years go on. Or would you label him as a fourth liner? I would just say I think you know what he is. I think you know he's a fast, straight line guy. He plays physical.

He gets on four checks. He hounds pucks. He can take pucks to the net. He's an in-your-face guy. And if you get him at a good price and you know what he is, if he can stay healthy, what's wrong with the six years? You know what I mean? I would say that if you're making that,

you got to get between 10 and 15 goals and you got to be helping out on the penalty kill. If he's making that much money, he's got to be a top four forward penalty killer. I agree. They're going to miss JT Confero, man. Yeah, he's a beast. I like that

signing by Detroit. Five years, I think it's 5.1 a year. It was his best year of his career. He was a monster last season. He was a monster in those playoffs too when they ended up winning it. You look back to the Newhook thing. They were hoping Newhook, he started he started the year last year second line center they thought he was going to

progress in that position after they lost cadre whereas i felt like confer had to step into that second line yep center role and he did an excellent job with it so if you got if you got jt confer as your third line center you're you're you're in really shape if you've got two guys that are better than him ahead of him. But I would imagine in Detroit next year, he's probably playing second line center. Yeah. No doubt. Well, Miles' former team, the Devils, Pasha's team,

they made a move for goal scoring and experience. They got Tyler Toffoli. They sent the restricted free agent, Igor Sharangovich, in a third to Calgary. Sharangovich then signed for two years 6.2 million with Calgary so Foley's in the last year of a deal paying him 4.25 million I'm not sure if the the price was too high they also signed Timo Meyer eight years 70.4 million 8.8 a year was that too high you think Merles for uh for Timo Meyer yeah you know guys I made

it clear about my Timo Meyer but he didn't make me look like a fool when they beat the Rangers even though he didn't do too much um you know Pasha had all the analytics when this all went down at Nashville he knew everything that the dollar amount for the goals and the size that New Jersey needed so I go to Pasha on this he loved both signings he loved Toffoli because of the experience you're're trying to build a cup-winning team, those young guys. We saw all those guys down in Nashville. I was trying to get on the New Jersey bandwagon. I was rubbing shoulders with Jack Hughes and Lindy Roth and Fitzy,

and I was like, I'm in on the Devils. But Pasha said, no, no, no, you can't come. So I'm out as them. I think they're great signings. I really like the Devils. That's such a crafty signing to bring to Foley over as another guy who could maybe get you 30, 35 in that line. Pasha wasn't sure. Busy. Yeah.

He's like, really? He didn't like it till we told him. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, he's going to get like 30. Like, that's what he does. I think New Jersey looks dangerous.

I think they're so good. They're so good. They're so dangerous. Even, like, and then it's Vanacek or Schmid, and Schmid was so good coming in the playoffs. I do think, like, the defense maybe takes a small step back, which Pasha came on and mentioned, like, Severson being gone and, you know, having some young guys step in. I don't necessarily – I don't think that the Graves is as big as a loss

as people think. I know, but when you lose two of your top four, I feel like it's just a little bit of a question. But the Devils up front, and that's what I'm saying about the contracts. So Meyer, I mean, their highest paid player is Hamilton. But up front, now Meyer, he makes more than Hughes. He makes more than Brad. It's like they have guys at reasonable numbers,

let alone next summer, a year from now, when the cap jumps up $5 million. So it's like I think that team this year could easily – I mean, I'm not going to say easily, but they're going to compete for the Stanley Cup, I think. I think they're right there. Yeah, and if Luke Hughes – that's probably why they moved away from those two guys. If Luke Hughes can progress the way that Jack Hughes did and Quinn Hughes,

buddy, look out. They got that guy on entry level for fucking three years. Are you out of your fucking mind? I just want to party with their dad. I think it would be two. Two years because that last game, that burns a year. They got another kid from Europe, Slovakia, Nemec, too. He's like the second best rated prospect in the world right now.

Yeah, Pasha's laughing, boys. He might take my seat on the podcast now. Uh-oh. Yeah, they also picked up defenseman Carl Miller from Dallas for a fifth in 2025, and they traded Mackenzie Blackwood. He was an RFA goalie to San Jose for a sixth round the last week. San Jose then gave him a two-year $4.7 million deal. San Jose also traded for Anthony Duclair.

They got him from Florida for $3 million. They sent back Steven Lorenz in a fifth of Florida. What a tough bounce for Duckey, man. He fit in so good there. The guys love him. He found a place that he truly loved, you could tell. And then he gets shipped off from the San Jose. But the good news is he's got one year left on his deal at $3 million,

and he's easily going to play in that top six and be relied upon. So he'll be given the ice time to go earn probably what would be his biggest deal. But I would imagine they moved off of him to sign Rodriguez. I was surprised to see Rodriguez get what he got. He got four years at 3 million a year, 12 million, didn't he? Uh,

and, and from a guy who played in Pittsburgh army, uh, what did you like about his game? He's got some wheels on him. Well, they lost him, right?

He went to Colorado last year and thankfully they had him because they had some injuries and he is able to, which what he did in Pittsburgh, Gino got hurt and he popped up in there and he can play wing, he can play center. He loves ripping the puck. He's got good engine. He competes hard and he's versatile through the lineup.

So I think a good kind of, I guess I'd say like a Swiss army knife type of guy that can bounce around all over your lineup a little bit. But I think generally wants to be like a, I think, you know, if you could, he could float around at a second line, third line situation. around all over your lineup a little bit but i think generally wants to be like a i think you know if you could he could float around at a second line third line situation um but i think he could play with good players too for stretches so um yeah i think he kind of lost out on on when he didn't sign back in pit i think he wanted more and then had to go and you know prove it again in

colorado and have a have a good season, and he did. He was a big-time player for them down the stretch and a big-time guy for them that filled in really nicely. So I think earned his money and earned his contract with that deal he had because he's been a guy that's been able to produce. And very interesting time in Florida because you got Montour out. You're going to have Ekblad out, you lost Gudis, you lost Mark Stahl.

It's going to be one of those things where you just got to quickly retool and regrow from having this amazing run that they just went on to all of a sudden losing the heart and soul of your D and the fucking barbarian Gudis who goes to, I believe he went to Anaheim, correct? Yeah, he did.

He goes out to Anaheim and then? Yeah, he did. So he goes out to Anaheim, and then Mark Stahl, obviously he's gone now, so it's going to be a weird start of the year for them, I think. But we'll see if Ekman Larson can play well. That's what I was going to say. Do not fear. Oliver Ekman Larson is here. What did he get, $2 million?

I think that he's going to go there and figure it out, buddy. What's he get? $2 million? I think that he's going to go there and figure it out, buddy. One year. What's he going to do? He's going to get those reps early on, and with Montour out of the lineup, he's going to be snapping it on the peeps with all those guys. Yeah, he could do that. Fine. He's going to find it.

I know we talked a little bit about Carolina earlier. Demetri Orlov, two-year deal, $15.5 million, $2.65 million raise. So imagine being 32 in the NHL to get that big of a raise. That's pretty good stuff, huh, Ami? Well, he didn't get the term, right? So they got to pay him. Carolina likes those. They like the short deals.

They don't want to commit too much to certain guys. And like I said, Bunton, three years, $14.5 million. I mean, he was probably the ball's east. I love when guys get paid. I love it, R the ballsiest player. I love when guys get paid. I love it, R.A. Great. I love when guys get paid. I mean, Bunton went from $950,000 up to fucking $4.5 million.

That's a dynamite bump. Plus, he's the ballsiest guy. I thought he was like, I just said, ballsiest player that Toronto probably had last year, last couple years. I mean, they weren't the prettiest fucking team out there. He owes you. Biz, he owes you. What's the agent fee these days?

4% or 5%? You've been on him for three or four years now pumping his tires. Yeah. I'd send that invoice over. I should be getting a sliver. If we're all one time at the same restaurant, he better be paying my tab. Kane's also bringing back the same goalies from last year. Freddie, two years, $6.8 million.

And Ronta's getting one year, $1.5 million. And they also re-upped Jesper Fast, two years, $6.8 million. And Ronta's getting one year, $1.5 million. And they also re-upped Jesper Fast, two years, $4.8 million. He'll be back. So, I don't know. They got a little stronger than they were last year. See what happens with them. The Capitals picked up Joel Edmondson from the Habs for a third and a seventh and 24. Habs have eaten half that deal. They also signed Max Pacioretty, two-year, $4 million deal. Didn't quite work out for them in Carolina with the injuries. But the big news for the Capitals was getting the Western Mass stud, Ryan Leonard, with the eighth pick last week in Nashville.

And we were lucky enough to sit down with him. And the number two pick from Sweden, Leo Carlson. So, boys, we're going to send it over to them right now. All right, before we go any further, here's a few words from our friends at Sport Clips. Gentlemen, we want it all. We want to play it by ear and have definite plans. We want to overshare life stories and remain mysterious. We want to be hip and wear the same sweatshirt every day.

But sadly, we can't have it all. Unless we're at Sport Clips Haircuts, where we can tune into the game and tune out work pings, where we can put our hair in the hands of pros and put our brains on do not disturb. At Sport Clips, we get an unbeatable haircut and some uninterrupted downtime with the MVP experience complete with massaging shampoos and hot steamed towels. In other words, we get to have it all. Walk in or check in online. Sport Clips, it's a game changer.

All right, next up, we have two for the price of one. These young men are in town for the NHL draft, and both of them will hear their names probably pretty early in the program. Talk much? From Sweden, we have Leo Carlson, and from Massachusetts, Ryan Leonard. Thanks a bunch for joining us on the Spit and Chicklets podcast.

How are you enjoying Nashville so far? It's been good. I mean, kind of good. I had a 13-hour car drive from New York here, but otherwise, it's been good. Yeah, I want to ask about that. Your flight was canceled from Newark, so you got an up-close and personal look at the U.S. travel system here. Had to get a minivan and drive down overnight. Is that true?

Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I mean, I think I slept like one hour, and then I woke up one hour. Yeah, back-to-back all the time, so kind of rough, but it's worth it. There you go, absolutely. He just got to catch up on all the spit and chiclets he told me, so that's nice. Listen to all our shows on the way down.

Exactly. Learn some good American profanity, no doubt. Listening to R.A. talk the whole way, he's like, Jesus Christ. He's like, I'm going to stay in Sweden. What about real Ryan, huh? Not as tough a commute, I'm guessing. No, I actually didn't have the easiest thing either. Last night, the plane, we got on.

It was delayed 40 minutes originally, and then got on the plane, said there was going to be another 90 minutes at the gate. So we got off, and then, yeah um got back on the plane left went to atlanta and then sprinting off the plane trying to get to our next flight to get to here and then you didn't even have a one way no no you're going in the first round the man who gave us big z one of the super agents in the league, and he's getting his guy a frigging connector. He should have a wheels-up plan.

Hey, Chicklets Air. We might have to do the draft, too. We might get another trip. Hey, boys, they knew they were coming on Chicklets, so they went like rate par for the course Chicklets travel stories. Yeah, exactly. I was saying this is music to my ears. I was stuck in Toronto for 24 hours.

I still have PTSD from it. Hold on. It shows the team they could deal with adversity. Was it Spirit? No, no, not Spirit. I was stuck in Toronto for 24 hours. I still have PTSD from it. Hold on. Spirit Airlines? They could deal with adversity. Was it Spirit? No, no, not Spirit. Just making sure. He had to pay to use the overhead compartment.

Leonard, start with you and both you guys. I mean, is it nervousness right now? Is it excitement? Is it just kind of like, I can't wait for it to be over after all the discussion? How are you feeling? Yeah, I think probably all what you just said is true um there's a lot of nerves that go into it but then it's also a lot of excitement um it's been a long year with all the interviews and all that but you just gotta like embrace it and kind of make the most of it anybody any teams grill you no i was i mean you hear all those combine stories and then like

you go into every interview like when when am I going to get ripped? I think they're on their P's and Q's now that we've been calling them out. You know, the Stevie Von Rick story. I got nothing, yeah. Eisenman just has a gravity bong in there for his favorite prospect. San Jose would legit have an older guy in there challenging prospects to oil wrestle and stuff like that. Pretty wild.

What about you, Leo? I mean, same. I mean, I'm nervous. I mean, not that nervous, but I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I mean, I just want to see what teams pick me, to be honest, and then go from there. Were you always projected to go pretty high in the first round or have you moved up quite a bit over the last year?

I think Merles has really launched him into the strategy. EBR, EBR, we moved him up. Merle's, you might be getting kicked back for agency duties now. Merle's has been talking about him since last August, so I respect it. So that's when you kind of came on the radar of knowing that you were probably going to be drafted at the top of the first round? I don't know. I think the start of this season. I think I had

a pretty good first 10 games. So after those games, I kind of knew that I was going to high. Were you in the Elite League last year? Yeah, I played 35 games and then 14 in the Un20s. Are you familiar with this league

that he's in, Merle? Yeah, it's SHL. His team actually knocked out my team in the playoffs. It was a 7- game series so i watched him all year i tried to get some interviews on him and power agent caters like no no no leave the kid alone during the playoffs we'll get him we'll get him at the draft so here we are i knew about him last year i mean you're 16 years old i think you had a cage on you gotta wear the cage that's how young he was you gotta wear a cage because he's so young in the men's league. This is the top league in Europe.

Outside the KHL, the Swedish league is the best league, and he was 16 playing in it and holding his own. And did you get to play lots? I find Sweden, too, is really kind of old school. They play four lines a lot. Well, no, they don't play young guys that much when they come in. And it's the men's league, and it's hard. I played with a guy, Malte Stromwell,

in Vecla, and he was young. He left the WHL to come back to play. He's a good player. He could fly, too, but he'd play like four shifts a game. I mean, it depends on the team, I think. Oru is good with young players, I think. They bring up a lot.

I mean, as you said, four lines that just go hard pretty pretty boring hockey to be honest with you defensive hockey it really is it is national in the khl and i went over and asked him rose because he played in 14 different leagues and he's like it's actually there's no two-on-ones like no it's just very defensive hockey and it's like way harder to play in than the khl so i mean it'll be good to get you ready for the nhl in terms of like having to be goodly, but that's true. That's why Swedes can always just come over and just plug right in.

They're like scared to lose. He was running the five-on-three for their team. He's the guy down near the post running the whole thing. He's out there against the top lines. Whoever drafts him this week is getting a complete player. That's the tire pump. Then I'm going to fight you after knocking Timmer out.

I think I had like maybe three two-on-ones the whole season. No, I know. The shot blocking, there's no room. I thought I was going to go there, I was going to dangle for once in my life. No. No, just

defense shut down. I did this my whole life I would say usually as a top prospect they kind of say what your strengths and weaknesses are what would you say

the biggest part of your game that they want you to advance as far as where you are in your career what are you lacking maybe I think my first three steps in my skating has to be faster

I think my top speed is good but the first three steps has to be better and then I can shoot more I think my top speed is good but the first three steps has to be better and then I can shoot more I think those two things

that I have to give up you have the past first mentality right now yeah I have right now so that needs changed

to both and Lenny for you I mean what I've heard in talking to scouts is especially with how the playoffs

kind of went down this year I guess every year you're hard nosed and that's why guys want that's why year, you're hard-nosed. And that's why I think you're really going to be wanted to be a high pick is because you're willing to play that physical style you get in people's face. Has that always been your game growing up? You are a Western Mass kid.

Basically like a Western leaguer. And he's a little brother too. He's a little brother, exactly. But has that always been your game, just hard-nosed? Yeah, it's kind of just like what made the game fun for me no shit waiting for like that you know growing up you can't hate all that you got that like one age group when you can finally smash people i was kind of waiting for that and then i just kind of like made the game fun for me and then yeah that's just kind of like who my identity has kind of been like do you have a quick wick

like have you been scrapping too no no, no, I'm not there yet. A couple scraps in the summer, like my brother, Frank Petronio, just ripping my helmet off and trying to beat the crap out of me. That's because he heard you were getting the same tattoo of the Springfield Skyline. Oh, I was going to ask.

How old is that tattoo? I like it. Of course you do. Yeah, you're from Springfield. That's why. That is disgusting. It's awesome but I want to ask

I was talking to you before about your dad and a lot of guys you know they get into hockey because their dad played and your dad was actually drafted

in the NBA coached high school basketball forever so was he like kind of staying away in terms of trying to teach you the game

because he didn't know much or is he all well versed in hockey as well at the start he kind of thought he knew what he was, he kind of thought.

He knew what he was talking about. He thought he knew what he was talking about. Kind of give you some pointers and then, yeah, like basketball. Stuff like that. We're not playing a zone defense, Pop. Shut up. Yeah, but no, he's come a long way with all the rules. And they've kind of just been, him and my mom, just been kind of supportive their whole way.

Awesome. Now, you're going to BC, right? Yep. Was the family all over you for not going to the zoo down the street? No. I'm sure my dad was a little bit bummed because when my brother was there, he would always have the pregame parties there and everybody always there. But, yeah, my parents were pretty supportive wherever I went.

And BC's, I mean, Will Smith, yourself, and there's a few, how many other guys from the national program are going? Me, Will, Gabe, Will Vogt. Sounds like some super team stuff. I don't like it. I don't like it. Because everybody goes to Michigan usually.

They all recruit. They all like, it's like LeBron. What, LeBron? Yeah, the super team. Yeah. But that's got to be exciting, right? All you guys won the gold medal. Incredible game too, by the way. I remember watching that. You, the super team. Yeah. But that's got to be exciting, right? All of you guys won the gold medal. Yep.

Incredible game too, by the way. I remember watching that. You had to come back and then all you guys are going there. So it's got to be pretty exciting like in terms of knowing all the guys going in. Are there any other freshmen that aren't from the national program? Yeah, I think we have four or five others. Oh, okay. So we got a big incoming.

You know who their assistant coach is? the buck was he big on your recruiting there yeah um i think just all of them that was when um coach york was there and kind of met him and kind of built a good relationship with him but yeah they were all awesome buck ripped my shirt off on the bus one time. He had enough of the old arm dog. Someone cracked a joke and I was like, ha, ha, ha, ha. He snapped. He came running back, grabbed my shirt, just boof, ripped it off me. Buck was the one who taught me my favorite bar move, I think,

is we were chatting one time. There was like three of us. And literally, like middle of the conversation, all of a sudden, he's like, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. I die laughing. I'm like, what are you doing? He's like like just make it look like we're having so much fun everyone will want to hang out with us i'm like this is amazing people like why are they having so much fun i want to hang out with those guys so you're in for a good treat with my wheel for the first time pick the square didn't work i'll give you an awesome compliment too My dad loves hockey

Sent my son who's 13 Just starting contact this year as well All these clips of Lenny All these clips watch this kid Who was your guy growing up that you loved In the NHL Is there a particular player No it wasn't just kind of like the Bruins

Really So Looch maybe Yeah I loved when Looch was there Just kind of like the Bruins. Really? Yeah, just kind of just watched the Bruins. So Looch, maybe? Yeah, I loved when Looch was there. Do you still like the Bruins, or did you jump off the bandwagon like R.A. did? No, no, no. Still love the Bruins, though, yeah. And Leo, did you have a player growing up, maybe a Swedish guy in the NHL, that you kind of tried to patent your game around?

He's like Jared Olin. No, it was Sid. Or a bro guy. What? Sid. Wow, you were a Sid guy what sid wow yeah yeah big figure well you said you're a pass first mentality right and like he was similar when he came in but you have that awesome story of uh when talbot came in well talbot shriveled me max talbot i told him

i go sid will never score 50 he's a straight stick wooden blade with a sherwood i was like and then of course talbot told him and then he got like 54 next year. Well, didn't he bet you 10K? You're like, yeah, I never paid him. Oh, okay. But he would have scored more that other time except for he got like concussion, right?

He was like 26 goals in 26 games. He was on fire. Yeah. Good guy to pick. Yeah, he was unbelievable. Oh, he is. Have you guys battled against each other in international?

No. So last year he was on the Swedish team at U18s, but he didn't play in the exhibition game, and then in the gold medal game, he was hurt. That would have been the only time we would have crossed paths. Wow, really? Unfortunately, no. That's all right.

You got one on the option. I'm good. Yeah, I'm all set. Ryan, you got the OT game winner on the 18 there. Was it a little Ned Braden sell? He just started ditching all the equipment right there? Didn't know what to do. You think about that moment your whole life,

and then the puck goes across the line, and you're like, what just happened? So, yeah, kind of just threw everything as high as I could and kind of jumped in the glass. Guess that was your biggest tuck up to this point so far, huh? Yeah, yeah, that's for sure. Do you like, both you guys, how now internationals, three-on-three in overtime of the elimination games?

I think it's kind of brutal in a gold medal game. I don't know, really, to be honest. I think it should be five-on-five. Yeah, finish it the real way. It's more fun to play three-on-three. It's kind of weird. I mean, it's more fun to play 3-on-3, for sure. But it's kind of weird. Who's been the most influential person in your life for your career?

Who have you leaned on the most coming up and gotten the most advice from? Yeah, my father. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, he coached me since I was like 6 until 14. So he's kind of an easy choice there. But yeah, it was hard on me on the rink, but then it was, yeah, a dad back home. So that was perfect. He played a little pro, your dad, didn't he, in Sweden?

I don't know if pro, but he played like... He played a little bit more old school. No, he played in the second division in Sweden for a couple of years and then played one year in some league that's no longer existing, like FPA in Texas, like FPA Western. Oh, they got paid in Western Pro League. Yeah, Western Pro League. That was a great city. You got paid in the rib-eyes.

I was like, no. He's a bit of a league fuck. Yeah, he fought a lot. Oh, really? I mean, he didn't fight. He was kind of a coward, but he was... He tried to be hard, but yeah. So he would stir it up and then he would come and he'd turtle?

No, no, but he fought, but he was more like a wrestler. Okay. Oh, he's a great fighter. Yeah, I like that. He's just like... Yeah, that's all the boys care about. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is he big like you?

Is he big like you too big guy yeah I'm like 6'2 something 6'2 like 187 or something so that's why you said

hey don't don't be a wrestler don't be a fighter work on your game yeah kinda attaboy well I guess both you guys

so like I guess like second third or fourth for you Leo I mean you're here in what like 6th to 10th kinda like hopefully the coyotes snag you. We need a little bit of this.

I pray to God that hasn't happened to you. Shut the fuck up. You get to play in front of 3,000 people. He's already getting to BC busy. He'll get to go to BC and then he'll get to go to ASU. Plays in front of more at BC. He transfers it. There you go.

How are you approaching tomorrow night? Just kind of like try to stay patient? Or do you have a team in mind that you're like, I think I had a good interview with them. That could be my spot. Yeah. I think I kind of built a pretty good relationship with like all those teams like in the range. But then again, it's like draft day.

Anything could really happen. You never know. Yeah. But yeah, probably a little bit of nerves once you really get in that seat and kind of. Yeah, the moment kind of comes. But yeah, I'll be a little bit of nerves once you really get in that seat and kind of yeah the moment kind of comes but yeah i'll be probably a little bit nerve-wracking though that's for sure i remember having a great interview with pittsburgh and we did this like funny little gambling thing with my whole family where we get the i like who thought where i would go i picked pittsburgh and i ended up winning the pool was there a team that you had like a really strong interview with where you're like yeah i think i've i'm almost like hopefully they picked me you're hoping so not really um

honestly they're kind of pretty easy going and kind of all got like we're pretty easy to like talk to and like i said nobody in the combine really ripped you so pretty easy and yeah don't really did you guys have a ton of interviews too uh i was like later than you guys, but I did like everyone. But I think everyone's like trading around. We're hearing all these rumors about trading up. I don't know how many you had at the combine, but I didn't interview with. I think I interviewed with just a little bit over half.

Yeah. Yeah, I had 11 meetings. 11. How many pull-ups did you do? I did 10. I didn't do the test. You didn't do any of it? I'm going to take the option. Oh, what a bummer.

I kind of got you this option. I kind of got you this option. How do you do it? Including flying down here. I wish my agent told me to take the option on the combine. I would have embarrassed myself up there. I threw up. And that was when we had the loose-fitting tank tops,

and I was so skinny, it kept falling off my shoulder. I kept having to pull it up all the time. They're like, why is the trainer's kid working out? As we're talking about the draft and stuff, do you guys have a guy, a buddy of yours, or just somebody you played against that's kind of off the radar that maybe we'll see in the later first round or second round that you're like,

this guy's actually really good, but he's not getting any... Yeah, I have my friend back home called Milton Oscarson. Yeah but he's not getting any yeah my friend fresh friend back home called him Milton Milton Oscars in this yes Senator Senator with me he sounded my line in playoffs against the left you know I didn't know if you watched him but yeah he's we were on Skelleftea the whole series yeah who's money talks I think I mean I mean he's going late, I think. But he's a good player. He's big. He's like 6'6", or something.

Oh, really? Yeah, so he's a unit out there. What about your, you mentioned, is it Gabe Perrault? Yeah. Yeah, so he broke a record this year, didn't he? Yeah, all-time points in one year. So he's still, is he going to um top 15 like are they do you know what they're saying for him i don't know gabe i don't really know with like where gabe's gonna end up

but he's he's so smart out there really ridiculous yeah so just hockey iq yeah it's tough i mean the guys who've played there to break the all-time point yeah i know amazing i think yeah because then will took the will's now now second for the single season. It's Gabe and then him and then I think Jack Hughes and then, yeah. Did you play against Will Smith growing up in Massachusetts? Not, we played in like our different leagues during the year. And then in the summers we would play on like the Blue Chips or the Boston Junior Bruins for like the summer tournaments. Did you play other sports growing up or was it kind of all hockey?

Yeah, pretty much everything but football. My mom said no football. Really? I went to one practice for football. So did I. Yeah, it's just dumb. Did you do lax? I had a buddy break his ankle.

Yeah, I played lacrosse, yep. A little lacrosse, hey? Yeah. I love that sport. I like baseball more though. Oh, really? Yeah, baseball is awesome. Yeah.

What about you, Leo? A lot of soccer? Yeah, I played the Swedish sports. Soccer and floorball, basically. What is floorball? It's like floor hockey with these sick little sticks. Yeah, it's kind of hockey without ice, basically. And with the ball, kind of.

They use those weird dangle sticks. Think about your gym class in high school when you played floor hockey. Oh, the curved ones. Yeah, you can curve them. It's like with a little wiffle ball. The goalie doesn't even have a stick. He just plays on his knees. It's kind of like knee hockey with your kid at the curved ones. Yeah, you can curve them. It's like with a little wiffle ball. The goalie doesn't even have a stick. He just like plays on his knees. It's kind of like knee hockey with your kid at the same time.

They show these sports on TV. They're like real sports. I don't know. I've played it for like a year. That's it, eh? So, yeah. Maybe. I don't know.

Maybe. Now, do you hope to play in the NHL next year? Would you be open to staying? How are you going to approach it? I guess you don't know until you get drafted, but in your mind, are you like, I want to be in the NHL next year? Would you be open to staying? How are you going to approach it? I guess you don't know until you get drafted, but in your mind, are you like,

I want to be in the NHL next season? Tough question. I mean, I think I can, but it's just, it's just, if I'm ready, to be honest. I mean, I think a good option

would be to go home again. Yeah. But at the same time, I can do it. So, yeah, it's kind of, we haven't really, haven't really decided yet. One more year, come to Timra.

I'll talk to the guys. Against Timra, yeah. You can live in my upstairs room. I got a new kid coming. You can watch her during the day. Yeah, my best friend, Forsmark is there. See him at Forsmark?

Here we go, Timra. We're going to get him here. We're going to get him back. I was going to say, it's just collusion. He should come over and test out the dub a little bit, eh? Get a little work in the dub.

Oh, no. You know, travel, ride the bus, you know? No, no, no. Red Deer? He's being over and test out the dub a little bit, eh? Get a little work in the dub. Oh, no. You know, travel, ride the bus, man. No, no, no. Red Deer. He's getting overage by this point. Oh, no. All you get one year in him, then you go right to the show. Get used to the schedule, like bang around.

Yeah, right. Lenny, who was the first of all those guys at National Program to commit to BC? Me, Drew Fortescue, and Aaron Menedian. So then you had to get on will smith that's when that's when the selling really started so will i don't know if you know but basically everybody in his whole entire family has gone there and for some reason he committed to northeastern at the start yeah um and then he decommitted brown i don't know last Christmas maybe, and then committed to BC, and then Gabe. And then Will Vote was also committed a couple weeks after me,

and then Gabe was committed this year. They'll all be in the portal after this year anyway. Where are we going next year? So with all that, have you gotten sponsorship dollars yet? Yeah, there's a couple of NIL deals, but yeah. It's probably slim pickings for a hockey player. You're like, Cater, come on, buddy. I want to sign with a Goodyear tire.

Give me something. Get a little Dunkin' Donuts. You and Pasta in a commercial together. That'd be nice. Good smile. Your nose isn't on your cheek yet. Like, hit it when it's hot. Yeah, exactly.

When it's hot, baby. You look like Busy Boy. Yeah, in no time. In no time. We always ask guys about their college visits. Yeah, exactly. Hit it when it's hot, baby. You look like Busy Boy. Yeah, in no time. In no time. We always ask guys about their college visits. Like, did you go there? Did the boys take you around and maybe get you a little bit gooned up in order to convince you? No, I didn't take the official visit.

We tried to every single weekend this year when our schedule freed up, but nothing worked out with going on official. and our schedule freed up, but nothing worked out with going unofficial. We all wanted to go with six guys on our team, and I don't know if Coach Muse kind of just said no to that. You can't just have a quarter of our team leave and kind of just be empty. Wait, so your coach, was it Dan Muse? Yeah. So he just took the assistant job at the Rangers, right? Correct.

Yeah, he's a good kid. He's a local guy as well, right? Yeah. So what was he like this year for you guys i mean is it is he hard nose did he kind of let you guys play with how much skill you had how was it with him a little bit of both um he kind of had a really good mix of it um when things weren't really going he kind of let you know but if you but he also lets you play and kind of lets your style kind of kick in. And when Leo said that his dad was so important to his development, do you look at your brother?

I mean, he's older, played in the NHL. You always looked up to him? Yeah. John's kind of been like my mentor and kind of always been there for me. Like obviously picks on me and beats me up like as a young kid and kind of sticks me in the net as a kid and firing tennis balls at your face. But now, yeah, he's awesome. That's great.

You said right when you hit the campus at BC, you just knew right away. Yeah, that place is special. Yeah, it just kind of felt like home. Leo, did you get to watch a lot of the playoffs over in Sweden this year? What do you mean? NHL playoffs. Everybody's not a psycho like me and stays up. The games come on at 1 in the morning.

This guy's eating smoothies and actually sleeping. Yeah, I know. I didn't. I watched the highlights the morning after on YouTube. That's basically it. Did you have a favorite team, NHL team, growing up or just Roof of the Swedes? I had a piece of Penguins when I grew up. Okay.

I did, I did, I did. The Generation X? Yeah. That was when all these guys were on the flyer. The Generation X. And that's why they were picking first overall for Marc-Andre Fleury. They were all from Pittsburgh. And they started shifting out, and the other guys started shifting in,

and then things went up for them. So Merle says complete player, all-around player. Yeah, everything. Can do it all. Look at the size of them. Durable. Saw the-around player. Yeah, everything. Can do it all. Look at the size of him. Durable. Saw the playoffs this year.

Big guys win. This guy, I don't know. I'm looking at Lenny's paws. Look at his fucking hands. I mean, I'm looking at him, and I see a Matthew Kachuk. Like, he almost looks like him. His style of play on the scouting reports. Those are the players you need. You saw it.

New Jersey Devils need guys like that. They're far and few between now. A lot of teams need that grit and that stuff. NHL, you're listening. Did you meet the team in penalty minutes this year? No, not me. Really? I talked to Brady Cleveland.

Oh, okay. So Brady's getting shriveled. He was the guy taking the minors. Yeah, yeah. He's a big boy. When you guys play USHL, were you guys fighting? Brady took his helmet off and beat the piss out of somebody. In Green Bay, yeah.

The wild story is one-one hockey game, and he decided he was going to go with somebody that night. Middle of the second period. We might have been. No, we weren't killing a penalty yet. But, yeah, it was a one-one hockey game, and this kid pissed him off and threw his helmet off and just kind of jumped the guy. Dummyed him?

The guy had no chance. Yeah. Where's he going to school? Wisco. Okay. All right. Anything else? You guys got anything else for these guys?

Leo, you have any Swedish friends in the NHL that might have reached out to you, give you a little advice in the whole process? I mean, I worked out with just Brad last week, I think, and he just gave me some tips and stuff. But nothing more than that, I think. I mean, I played with someone in the World Championship, with Raymond and those guys, but not so much, actually. Was that the hardest level of competition you've ever played at the world championship?

I think so, against Finland and USA It was some tough games Yeah, because I mean You're basically playing against men over there in the league That you're in, but then obviously that's a better problem In the level of play How do you feel like you competed at that level? I think it was good

When we played against The Rantan it was good. I mean, when we played against the Rantan, it was impossible. I mean, it couldn't get blocked for me. He's a beast. Yeah,

I mean, it seems like it was like 6-6 to 40, but I mean, that was hard. He reminds me of like Malkin in Malkin's Heyday.

That's kind of what I think. Just a big guy. Yeah, he's so skilled, great shot, but that's cool that you get to play

were you surprised to make that team or was that like were you knowing throughout the year I'll make the men's world championship I mean I knew

after the playoffs it was gonna go to the to the like pre-tournament game yeah yeah yeah cause we had like 8 pre-tournament games and that was pretty

pretty good against against I mean in those games so then after the Swiss game I think we had then I thought yeah yeah, yeah, sure.

Nice. You didn't take the option on those ones. No, no, no. You got a 30 team. Get out of here, pigeons. Don't go to Riga. Well, guys, I mean, we appreciate it. It's a special weekend.

You know, we've all been there, and you kind of look back, and it goes by so quick. So take it all in, and good luck with everything. Thanks so thank you good luck thanks guys before we go any further here's a word from our friends at bolero bolero is the world's largest owner and operator of bowling centers with over 325 locations throughout the united states currently located in 34 states bolero is known for reinventing one of America's oldest pastimes into a new and unforgettable experience with modern and beautifully designed venues, expansive arcades, premium signature cocktails, and a creative menu. Now we're here to introduce

the Barstool Bolero Invitational, this summer's most anticipated event. Joining the Invitational is easy. Simply enter your name and visit any Bolero near you and bowl for your chance to be entered to win one of our ultimate prizes, including limited edition Barstool bowling gear, an event at any Bolero, and the ultimate grand prize, which includes tickets to the Super Bowl and NBA Finals,

plus a trip to the Barstool Bolero Invitational Finale in Chicago on August 9th. The fun doesn't stop here. Enjoy a guaranteed spot on the lanes when you reserve a lane or book an event at Bolero near you. Visit bolero.com using the promo code BASTL for 15% off your next lane reservation. This offer is only valid through August 31st. Visit www.bolero.com slash BASTL learn more about the bastu bolero invitational starting

july 12th participation is open until july 23rd no skill is required all participants have an equal chance of winning to find a participating senate in au visit www.bolero.com slash bastu and that's b-o-w-l-e-r-o bolero.com slash barstool huge thanks to leo and ryan for coming on with us man we wish them guys the best future they should be doing all right with those draft picks but uh said earlier he's going to be the first guy to wear that ducks jersey that biz didn't like too much pad for a beak bake some big moves though how about that he brings in radical we just said three year 12 million dollar deal and you want to talk about this one biz the jet ski legend two-time cup champ alex cologne comes at anaheim's highest paid forward four year 25 million dollar deal says by the tamp he was pretty beat up about

it played there 11 years but you think this is the best deal of the draft i'm the draft free agency so far biz i think that uh cologne benefited the most from his experience in his Stanley Cup wins. And for Verbeek, you have all these young guys and these assets. They need to learn off somebody how to carry themselves, how to chuck in weights after the game, team camaraderie. And I just think Kalorn's an A-class human being. I think he works his bag off. It's proven that he's, in playoff time, willing to play through anything.

Fuck, didn't he take a warm-up with a broken fibula? They just put a goddamn rod in. So he just brings everything in for a team that has to get to the floor and probably won't be spending that much money. Why not go give it to a Wiley Vettel and his experience like that where I think we can all agree there's some better players who got less term and less money than than alex colorn did like look at what look at what tyler bertuzzi signed for right so look at look at tarasenko

can't get a deal can't get a deal right so i have a deal i think that uh i think when you're a good guy i think sometimes good things happen to you, especially come money. And, uh, army, I think you said it earlier. Like I love when the guys get paid. I absolutely fucking love when guys like Alex Cologne get paid. I think Cologne's made, Cologne's probably made over 65 million now. Yeah. And well-deserved.

Yeah. And, and, and this is, was, this was this free agency, right? It's either you're Bertuzzi, you go to a contender and you're going to do a one-year thing or you're going to try to make it work on something like that or because the money was tight

and some of these teams that aren't as good that are young and half their team or almost all their team are on entry-level contracts and they have to spend money, you go to a team like that and you're rewarded with a bigger contractor they can pay you a little more which gudas and colorn um were happy to do and be

veteran guys in that room help these guys along and play significant important roles in that dressing room and around these teams and another another instance of like colorn having cups you know being willing to maybe go to a team who's going to struggle for a little bit knowing like i've already won i'm going to get as much money as i can and and by the way anaheim i think could be pretty good pretty quick right it's not like it's not like so it's good yeah it's good for cologne because in years three and four it's like oh maybe we're a playoff team all of a sudden and these young guys really pop and i'm lifting another Stanley Cup. So as far as trending in the right direction, what a great signing for him and his family. Just they won't have a goalie, but time will tell on that.

Nice segue there, Ami. John Gibson, he's been getting under barraged the last couple seasons, just getting pummeled every other game. He's got four years left at $6.4 million. Now, Frankie Savarelli, good friend of ours on the show, he came out and said that. He said, I'm not at 6.4 million. Now, Frankie Savarelli, good friend of ours on the show, he came out and said that. He said, I'm not playing for this team anymore. The agency came out with a statement, which is kind of a rare thing,

like saying, no, Frankie's full of shit, basically. He came over the top with receipts. I love these agent fucking journalist fights. I love it. Yeah, so what did he say? Move over, Alan Walsh. There's a new agent in town. So I think it's Kurt Overhart.

Is that his name? I think it's KO Sports. Is that what it name? I think it's K.O. Sports. Is that what it is? Yeah. It was the statement from the agency. But yeah. So like he had called him out before and then Frank proved that like exact whatever he reported was 100% true. So he stuck by this one. And what he

said was that Gibson came out and said, I will not play another game for the Ducks. So Sarah Volley said, hey, you challenged me once i made you look like a fool if you're trying to challenge me again i'm sticking to my gun which is bizarre happened because then fucking gibson goes on uh cam and strick and bait listen he said in a way more diplomatic way where it's like he basically wants out of anaheim so what the fuck is this guy doing what's his agent doing well the player could have said, get that.

I don't want that out there. I don't know. I'm just guessing, right? Is Overhart just mad at the quote of him saying that he refuses to play one more game for the Anaheim Ducks franchise? Is that what's being argued here? Maybe it's a move that it's strong-arming Anaheim to go, this guy wants out no matter what. So it kind of puts you in a negotiating spot of, well, what are you going to do?

We know he doesn't want to be there. You're going to have to move this guy. We're not giving you any more than we've offered. In terms of an agent saying that, why would an agent even care if the player isn't like, hey, fucking take care of this? Do you know what I mean? It's not like that would piss the agent off. It would be the agent responding to the player isn't like hey fucking take care of this do you know what i mean like it's not like that would piss the agent off it would it would be the agent responding to the player like hey i didn't say that or that's not supposed to be there something like that

yeah i i mean basically i think it was either merles or army just saying that the the reason as an agent i'd be pissed off if that quote gets out is all of a sudden it maybe makes it harder for your client to move somewhere. So that's why he was trying to put fires on it. But RA, what were you about to say? The exact same thing? Well,

you know, they, they said he never said that, that, that quote or those words, but like, that doesn't mean he didn't say it in different words, but the same point, you know what I mean?

That they were emphasizing the words, what was actually said, but he probably said the same thing just in a different way. You know what I mean? So I don't know. I was bugged. It's like, if I didn didn't say nothing it wouldn't be a fucking story playing another game for this back end trade me right but which is which is weird to hang up the phone which is which is weird though because we were just talking about this team all of a sudden like

gathering some good assets and they're going to start trending in the right direction and then now you want you want off the ship? It's like you've just fucking went through all this dog shit for two, three years and now you want off the ship? So I guess a bizarre time. Maybe he's sick of the state tax and people shitting on his sidewalk outside. I don't know.

I go to Florida and I get the money. Yo, RA, you're sick of the dog poop outside of your front door. Maybe he's sick of the human shit outside of his. That's actually R.A.'s shit. He forgot that he took it, though, stumbling home from the bar. Took it Monday night when he got home from Nashville. What other big things have we not talked about?

The penguins. The penguins. Kyle Duvis throwing out the penguin emoji. No, he just texted Army, start fucking talking about us right now. Yeah, what do you want to talk about, Army? Get his fucking dick out the penguin emoji. No, he just texted Army, start fucking talking about us. Yeah, what do you want to talk about, Army? Get his fucking dick out of your mouth. They reloaded.

They did some good stuff. I think they got Smith a massive trade. I really like him. If he's going to come in and replace Zucker. Zucker had a great year last year, but Smith's 200-foot game, kills penalties, plays with good players, can keep pace up and down, gets to hard areas. I love that pickup.

I think you guys would all agree with me. He's a great pickup. I was very surprised to see it. I mean, obviously Vegas has all these cap issues, but I say, oh, pretty good move for Dubas. Pretty good first move there. He might be the best winger Sid ever got to play with. Yeah, if he plays with him, I mean, they got Denzel on that.

I'd rather him than Zucker on him. Zucker, kind of like hot and cold, can get hot. Zucker always has good years when his deal's coming up, which is an amazing talent to have. But in terms of defensively and the cup and Riley Smith, yeah, I think he fits in great there. Are you saying, Merle, your tone was saying maybe like Kunitz 2.0 here? Yeah, exactly.

A lot like that. I was just trying to get out of Army's skin a little bit, but he missed it. I like him as a player. He's my kind of player, this Riley Smith. I like the way he plays. He can kind of bounce around everywhere. He plays the game the right way. He's a hard guy to play this Riley Smith. I like the way he plays. He can kind of bounce around everywhere. He plays the game the right way.

He's a hard guy to play against. He can keep pace. He can score. He can get put in different situations, penalty kill, put him in front on the PP. Bro, just say Swiss Army Knife. Swiss Army Knife. I should have said Swiss Army Knife. He's the one that's got all the things.

He's got 20 things. He's got that little scissors, the little scissors that you just barely have to clip like that it's got a spring i called myself a swiss army knife i had the knife and then like just the pair of scissors there's not a chicken nail file that's it yeah he's got the thing that'll file your income tax you know this will clip your toenails this will pluck your eyebrows army i feel like. The Fernando cheese out of your foreskin. Army, what are you hearing in the 412 about EK-65 possibly? Oh, I know.

Those are swirling. Oh, you know, Dubas is, oh, you know, he wants EK-65. He wants to make some noise. How would they ever do that? I don't know. I don't know how they would do it. I don't know. Army's gone.

I don't know. They might need for EK65 down there in San Jose. Me and Drew Ramenda are just holding it down. He's like, wait, what? He doesn't play anymore. Can you imagine if he pulls that off, too? I mean, he gets Jari done. Okay, Army, that deal is bizarro world to me.

Why? That was the one. Five years? Yeah, five years. He can't even walk. He's never stayed healthy one year. Yeah, I agree. I agree.

The best ability is availability, boys. We all know that, right? Yeah. And he hasn't shone in moments that he could have and had seasons together, but he has been an all-star a couple of times. But when he's healthy, he's pretty good, right? He's really good. He's excellent.

He's really good. Okay. And who else are you going to get to at this point? They brought in Adelkovich. They signed him as a little extra flavor in there with DeSmith and Charlie. I heard he tried to bring Murray back. He tried to bring him.

Murray and Campbell. He tried to bring murray back you try to carry in campbell's he tried to what is that is that the suit connection for you right there busy yeah is that the suit connection so yeah and he did a good job they call it the suin soup you know it's it's it's it's so it's also like look at the suin soup it's it's the reason why dubas also you know when he got fired and let go that they came and got him because you know he was the best available gm and they wanted to get him he was their guy same with jari who else you gonna get if you don't get jari and he's been at you know he's had moments where he's been injured and hasn't been that good but he's when he's been good he's been really fucking good so uh yeah i know I know a lot of people, even in Pittsburgh here,

are like, oh, six years, that's a lot. Or five years, that's a long time. What the hell? What has he proven? But, I mean, he's a pretty good goalie. If he can stay healthy, I think that'll add to it. But Heller, Achari, Nieto, Graves. Pittsburgh fans are the most fickle with their goaltenders.

Yeah. Oh, the conversation on... Unless it's Fleury. They were trying to trade Fleury for 10 years. What do you mean? Well, they either loved Fleury, and then there was half that loved Murray, and then it was back and forth.

I mean, there's Pittsburgh fans who hate Malcolm. It's not exactly smart to maybe call out... I think he upgraded the bottom six, though, boys. Bottom line, I think the Riley Smith trade was huge, and they got their goalie done, which is who else was out there. And I think Jari's a good goaltender. And Lars Eller Army. I actually think when Washington won the Cup,

do you guys remember how good Eller was? Now, granted, that was like five years ago now. But last year, he was horrible. Remember at one point we were talking about how he had like 1.30 games. I think it was. So it was like a run of just horrid hockey. But if he slides in there, third line kind of finds the game again, he could be a monster. So that's like a wait and see, but kind of big time upside on that, on that.

Okay. If, if they miss playoffs this year, do you put that more on the the last regime or more on dubas last regime wow okay so you think he well they still have your buddy pass well the funny thing is so dubas like it was they're gonna hire a gm but they haven't but like he's smart enough to be like i want to be president because then in three years if this thing actually all went to hell i'll fire whoever i I hire as a GM and I'll remain here as president. Like, president is the job you want. I mean, you could see R.A. coming out of a fucking elevator and shit on his basketball shills if you're a president like Shani.

I mean, the president, they have those guys are laughing. It's the GMs who get thrown to the curb. Yeah. And you know what? Let's look at some of those teams, right? Let's look at even the Metro. Like, who's the top three to finish in this division now? And where are the pens realistically going to be?

I think Carolina wins it again. Because I actually think Carolina's even better than last year. Jersey. Jersey's going to be right there. 1-2. Carolina's even better than last year. Jersey's going to be right there. 1-2. And then you look at Rangers,

Penguins, kind of question marks in terms of what's going to happen. I think the Islanders are going to be fucking horrible. They signed Mayfield to seven years. I feel like Lou's just given up. I saw Lou outside of

Blanco in Nashville, and he was leaning up on the building. He was like that lady in that meme who's keeled over when she's just been working a 14-hour shift. Lou has completely given up. It's fucking... He is on tilt. Lou is on tilt right now. No?

So basically with Pittsburgh. Engvall got a seven-year deal. I got news for Islanders fans. At least you can go out and buy that Engvall jersey. They just give Butch Goring a five times five. Lou is on tilt, man. He's in his mankini, sipping on Bellinis in the south of France again after the Nashville trip, and he has checked the fuck out. He's done.

The Islanders are going to get relegated after this season. That's how bad they're going to be. Word is Lou even pours enormous bags of pretzels into Ziploc bags. Oh, not the fucking gold Oh, not the goldfish. Goldfish, baby. Can we talk about this stupid goldfish argument that we had with R.A. and the Uber ride on the way home from the golf course? Well, it all starts with the fact that R.A.

very like, I guess, thought that counts R.A. and R.A. knows I love cake. Not with you. Just wine. And R.A. at the end of the sandwich, on like the seventh, I was like, I have the biggest surprise for you. Win or lose

after. I was like, what? Alright, cool. We get in the car. He's like, I almost forgot. And he whips out a body armor bottle. A water one. Body armor water bottle that is filled with Caymus. Dude, hey, it was 110.

I'm not kidding. It was the hottest day in Tennessee of the year. I was letting him breathe. And it had been in his backpack all day. He's like, drink it. I was like, no. He's like, you fucking spoiled prick. You fucking.

I'm like, all right. Fucking 110 degrees. The Caymus is in body armor bottle, and it's fucking... I don't want your wine right now. He got it from some random guy on the street, too. Some random dude on the street. So you know what I already did, Armie?

He fucking chugged the whole bottle of wine, dude. I mean, I try to do something nice for once for wit. Put a glass of water in a microwave for two minutes, and that's how warm this wine is. It's red wine. It wasn't like it was fucking Chardonnay. Red wine's supposed to be whatever the temperature is. Buddy, listen. Room temperature, R.A. It was 100 degrees.

100 degrees. This is like a high school move. This is a high school move. No one lives in a fucking sauna, R.A. It's not room temperature. I was walking back to the room Thursday when we ended up having that interview canceled. I was going back for a nap. And this guy we met in St. Louis, he's like, oh, what's up, R.A.?

He was going to the airport. And he had, like, however much was left in the canvas. I was like, oh, shit, I'm going back to the room. I knew we met the guy before. He's a hot shit. He's from Boston area. So I'm like, I'll take it back to the room. And, you know, if I have a drink later, blah, blah, blah.

So I end up crashing. Didn't need it. I'm like, oh, what? Love is famous. I'm like, I don't go to fucking golf course at all. I don't know if you could just pull a bottle of wine out, whatever. So I have the empty body. I'm a water bottle.

I'll pour it in that because it's not like there's anything in there. Fuck it, man. It was his piss bottle beside the bed first. He rinsed it out the wit. Yeah, wit. No, it's a little extra salt in there. It's a new brand. It's like blood. You don't even know what it was. It helps with the oxidization

of it. Really brings out the talons. Yeah. I was trying to do something nice either way, but. Well, back to the Metro. Yeah, back to the Metro. So, Carolina Jersey. Wagons. Pittsburgh. Rangers. No, we're not fucking done. You didn't mention the goldfish thing

Oh yeah fuck So R.A. has a fucking Giant like I'm talking Like a three pound bag Of goldfish It was a garbage bag size Ziploc bag R.A. why don't you just keep the goldfish

In the goldfish container And he starts yapping in my face, spitting all over me. Spitting orange chunks all over with. That security at the airport is going to take your goldfish. If they're not in a Ziploc bag, I'm like, all right, they're not going to do that. There's not a knife in the gold. If there's not a weapon in the goldfish,

they're getting through security in the goldfish bag. And you couldn't give me a reason. Finally, I said, Ari, is it because maybe you don't want to not have to eat all the goldfish at that time, and then you can't shut the goldfish container, so you put it in a Ziploc bag to stay fresh? And Biz is like, oh, maybe that's it. And Ari goes, no, no, I thought I had fucking security. Do you want me to show you the box that comes in? It's fucking huge.

They're huge. They do make smaller bags, RA. I buy a couple smaller. They make the singles. What the fuck's wrong with putting a Ziploc and putting it in your fucking travel bag? I'm a travel veteran, guys. Some things, they might not look aesthetically pleasing

to fucking Whitney. Is it shake and bake, RA., by the end of the trip? It's a standard Ziploc fucking big bag. Yeah, I know. So your goldfish are in there, and they're getting crushed. They're getting crumbled. They come in a cardboard container. Two-piece.

It's all goldfish. This was a top five chicklets argument of all time. I think I filmed the whole thing, so it's going to be on the vlog that we drop next week. I'll tell you that. Oh, my God. You were so drunk. He's like, you fucking prick. I fucking bring you.

That's the best part. I bring you Yamis. I'm like, what the fuck is Yamis? He's like, whatever the wine you like is. If I was the Uber driver, I would have barrel rolled out of the car with it still moving. He wanted to. Should have just let me sleep? Would you rather eat goldfish out of the box it comes

in, like that milk jug box? Or would you rather feel grosser sticking your hands in an RA's Ziploc bag that he prepared himself? Option B, buddy. I'd rather eat the goldfish out of the sewer than reach into this fucking Ziploc bag that he's been holding on to. Arby, It was the same ziplock bag he had in Florida

on the way to the autograph signing. Dude, it was a ziplock bag. I'm not kidding you. There was pretzel crumbs, a million goldfish, a couple shrooms at the bottom, and some wheat. There was some belly button lint in there, too.

He's like, hey, wait. he wants some of these goldfish don't mind the stems. Some of Lou's pubes were in there from the night before when they were hanging out. I was like, all right, wait, you want to fuck with me? So I called my friends at TSA. I'm like, yep, you can get them this time. I'll take care of them.

Oh, yeah. What happened here? Okay, so R.A. always talks about TSA because he doesn't know why he gets stopped in line because he's basically having a seizure holding his 14-pound bag of goldfish along with his crack pipe and his 14 bags of edibles. With a sign on his forehead that says, I'm a fucking crackhead. It's brisk me down.

I'm a dealer and a consumer yeah i'm not only the president i'm also a client um i got two briefcase here um but but he talks about constantly getting frisked and and wit you always kind of shrug it off and unfortunately you had your own incident you turned into ra on the way home from Nashville. Yeah, and so I told you, like, that was the day we had, I think there was nine birdies, and we did a shot for a net birdie by BX. So, like, 100 degrees, 10 shots, at least 10.

Drunkest I've ever been on a golf course. Like, we were wrecked. So I get to the airport, but I was fine, like, walking through. I had sunglasses on, but, I mean,. Like, we were wrecked. So I get to the airport. But I was fine, like, walking through. I had sunglasses on. But, I mean, I was, like, mangled. And I go through. And now, R.A., you've many times talked about this. I've never experienced it.

So I didn't really get where you were coming from. And I was so happy that somebody sent me a tweet. I think I retweeted it. Like, somebody was like, I just watched you get, like, R-worded by the fucking security guy. So I walked through. No, so they made me stand in the one where you go like this. You put your arms up, and it swivels in front. And I walked through, and I look back at your body scan image,

and there's just all red around my package. I'm like, dude, I have nothing on me. I was like, oh, actually, he's like, try try the sack in the league take the belt off so i take the belt off i go back through same all red around my package he sends me back in again at this point i'm like dude i i'm like opening it's all that duck butter in there i don't have anything on the world is in there yeah i'm like my head is my entire hog like what do you want me to say so he's like all right i gotta pat you down do you want to go in a private room i'm like why would i need to go in a private room by the way this is it why would

i need to go in a private room and he's like all right dude all right that is fucking nuts is it dude he he's like i'll use the back of my hand he He rubbed my hog. Dude, I came. I came. I'm just kidding. I didn't come. Hey, you look down. He's like, oh, oh, oh, oh. No, so he goes back of his hand up and down my hog.

Up, down, up, down. He then, with the back of his hand, moves my beanbag over. He's in my grundle and upper groin area. Up, down, up, down. He then, with the back of his hand, moves my beanbag over. He's in my grundle and upper groin area. Up, down. Up, down. I was like this, holy shit. That's what I was saying. Holy shit. He goes, you didn't want to go in the private room. I go, oh my God. He moves my beanbag over

the other way. Up, down. Up, down. Has me turn around. Dude, gives me the credit card up the back of my asshole all the way to the top of my back. I was like, oh! And in my head, I'm like, R.A. does this every time? Oh, yeah. No wonder

he shows up acting like he's fucked up. Could you at least have a female do it for me, please? He's like, that's not allowed, sir. I go, I couldn't believe it, R.A. It's crazy. R.A.'s trying to save a hundred bucks. The TSA is the new rub and tug ever since Robert Kraft got them all busted in mass. He was just practicing like he's opening up a rub and tug, this guy.

It's like, Mr. Whitney, please bend over and cough. A bunch of goldfish come out of his asshole. R.A. is so proud that this has happened. But it just, like, that's what it looked like after five days in Nashville. So is that how you always look? That's what happened. He sees his victims. He just goes right up.

He's like, private room, please. He critically swiped my cornhole. I was like, oh, my God. That's unreal. If I didn't have like I had jeans on, too. I'm like, imagine wearing like sweatpants with no one. Do you think it was because all all the sweat and shit from Nashville? That's what sets it off, right?

R.A. gets in a private room, opens the door, which is how some TSA agent on the metal table. Gee. Colby, I got a DM from a TSA agent, and he said that the reason R.A. is always getting picked out is because he said he must have really sweaty balls, that liquid is one of the things that can set off the detector or whatever. So he's like, if you have sweaty balls,

that's what's going to make us have to search you. That's why he was swiping your credit card. R.A.'s got his fucking... Hey, R.A.'s going to put another towel in his crotch area now. He's got my fucking ankles at this point anyways. He's going to be... Hey, I go into the TSA room, it's R.A.'s going to put another towel in his crotch area now. He's got my fucking ankles at this point anyways. He's going to be – the Gatorade towel is going to be following his ball sack. R.A.'s spinning a basketball in his hand, munching on old pretzels. He's like, your time's now, bitch.

Stop listening. Where were we, boys? Holy shit. Fucking Planet Zoo. Oh, back to the Metro before we go. Oh, yeah, Metro. Carolina's a wagon. Jersey's a wagon. You can't tell me as a fan base of the Metro before we go. Oh, yeah, Metro. Carolina's a wagon. Jersey's a wagon.

You can't tell me as a fan base of the, well, Rangers are good, but ah. Rangers, Capitals, Penguins, Islanders. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what the fuck any of those teams are going to be, if they're going to be good, if they're going to be bad. There's just a million question marks over there. I think Penguins will be better in caps.

And you have to look, if they're not going to be in the top three you have to be a wild card right and then you have to look at other teams right murr you gotta look at detroit your team you gotta look at buffalo your team buffalo is getting in the playoffs yep i'm telling don't don't in the metro don't worry about columbus i got the new coach warrenski is going to be healthy fantilli is the player we all think he is. I'm all in on Buffalo this coming season. Oh, I'm in Buffalo. I already talked to a guy with the organization. This Levi kid's going to be shooting Roman candles out of his

ass in that crease this year. We got Chicklets Cup out there to get us ready for the Sabres. Buffalo's two goalies though are Levi and bring Anderson back for 50th year. 50-year-old goal. No, who's the other guy there?

He's like a Finnish guy. The nickname guy, yeah. Oh, Ugo Pekka Lokenen there. Ugo Pekka Lokenen. That's two pretty young goalies, one coming out of college. So that's kind of the question mark. They got to get Gibson. They got to get Gibson there.

I don't know. Or Hellebuck. Hellebuck's on the move, too. By the way, boys know. Or Hellebuck. Hellebuck's on the move, too. By the way, boys, talk to Hellebuck. Almost took a lot of offense in terms of, I thought we'd asked him

to be on. He took offense that he's never been on Spitting Chicklets. He will be a member, or not a member, he'll be a guest of Spitting Chicklets.

Hellebuck said that? Yep. What'd he say? He's like, I can't believe you guys never asked me to come on. And he's the man, too. I'd never met him. Great guy. Anybody else you guys? He's like, I can't believe you guys never asked me to come on. I got a man too. I'd never met him.

Great guy. Anybody else you guys talk to that wants to come on? Bedard's been banned by the way. We've we we we had a powwow about it.

Conrad. Love already got Lou is cracked for the weekend. So he's coming on now too. We can get Islanders guys now.

Hella buck real quick on Broadway one night that fucking said hello to him. I don't really chat with him much though. He's like, oh, Broadway one night. I fucking said hello to him. I didn't really chat with him much, though. He's like, oh, a homeless guy just said. Who else did you guys talk to on the red carpet? I talked to Bajard.

I talked to Pasta. I talked to Monty. Who else did we have? Letang. We got Letang. Kachuk. We got Pasta. We got Pasta.

Then we got Clayton Keller. Clayton got pasta then we got uh clayton keller clayton keller was it going i went on oilers tv um i want to see how that came out i was feeling pretty good during that interview um so we kind of got dribbled by a bunch of guys but darts really banned i put the ban on bedard yeah okay and if anyone should not put the ban on him it was me considering he picked you over me to start a team. Well, that's why we all decided that he was on the bans list. Do not fly. Okay.

Oh, well, do you want to talk about how he's no longer with Bauer? That was big news. I don't think it's official yet, though. He hasn't signed the deal. So apparently Sherwood's offered him a million bucks. And Sherwood has kachuk so like i remember when kachuk like was using those sticks and gloves i was like wow this is where it fucks you up boys though this is these side deals this is what the trainers used to tell

me exactly hey listen side deal was me signing for combat hockey sticks making 10 grand cash and also the fact that jogger was using him at the time i was like fuck it i'll use what jogger's using to make an extra 10 grand but if you're used to using something all the time and you're an elite guy take the money for that or stick with what you like stick with what got you there yes i agree especially if you're connor bedard but sherwood ain't no like they've been around for a long time, right? So maybe they figured out the one-piece stick. But you got to think, that's his tool.

That's his thing that makes him his bread and butter. So switching sticks is not exactly the, maybe the smartest decision is what you're saying for even if it's a million bucks a year. Yeah, it's going to be rich. And I was talking to someone at Bauer who mentioned that he has an incredibly complicated stick. Like, he's very, very, very particular about his stick.

So, he was saying, like, they were so, so shocked that he went to Sherwood just because of, like, how, like, anal he is about his stick. So, I think that's something you should see in the first 10 to 15 games of the season if he struggles a bit. Okay. So, under over this year. I don't think it's been. 28 goals. Over struggles a bit. Okay, so under over this year. I don't think it's... 28 goals. But dad, way over. Give me a lightening bet.

You guys think he's going to hop in? I don't think. I think he'll get 25. Alright, I think 30 would be a... I would be surprised if he breaks 40. Everyone says about his shot, dude. He's going to play 22 minutes a night. I think he's going to get 22 minutes a night. He's not going to be that good.

I think he's going to get 35 goals. I said today on the checklist tweet they sent out, he's going to do, what, 40? I think I said 42 goals, 46 assists, 88 points. What? What are you crazy? I'm like, I got to go in the other way. He's going to have way more goals than assists for the reason that he's not playing with anybody.

And everybody's just going to be looking to feed it to him on the power play. I would go 30 and 20. How about Perry getting 4 million? 30 and 35. Yeah, like how many points there are, Murr? How many points? I guess I would go 35 over under.

I'd go 35 and 30. So 65 would be my pick. 65? I mean, the last, what, say 30 years? He's like the number two prospect of the last 30 years. You see his highlights. How could you not know this kid's been enjoyed? I mean, he should translate well over.

Well, he's more anticipated, but you would assume a better statistical season than Matthews coming into his first year? Yeah, I mean, yeah. I wasn't taking Matthews into account. He's that good. They're probably going to pick up a few more guys. I know the team's not great now, but he's the type of player who makes everyone around him better. I mean, team, I wasn't taking Matthews into account. He's that good. They're probably going to pick up a few more guys. I know the team's not great now, but he's the type of player

who makes everyone around them better. I mean, team with Solani's good. 76 goals when he was a rookie. You look at all those guys that are, I know, scoring. The regular season was a beer league this year. They're scoring. It's all power plays. It was a beer league the regular season.

We forget because the playoffs got back to old school hockey. How many did Matthews get his rookie year? He had four first game. I remember that. Yeah. I would say 32. I was going to ask you guys, what do you think the under over is set at Bedard for next year? Would it be more like 32?

I said 28 as the under over. Is that too low? Matthews had 40 his first year. Suck on that. So if Matthews can get 40. You know what? Matthews sees in 40 and 29. That kind of sounds like pretty legit, right?

More goals than assists like Merz saying. Right around 65, 70 points and gets his 35 to 40 goals. That's kind of what I'm expecting. So I'd say the over-under on goals for him is 31. And then over-under on points is like 69. That's a of what I'm expecting. So I'd say the over-under on goals for him is 31, and then over-under on points is like 69. That's a great number. We should get this on the Barstool Sportsbook. All right.

Just go chicklets odds. And if he's as good as everyone says, we just all pound the over and laugh as we watch. So let's look at this. You'll be playing with Taylor Hall, right? They got Hall. Who else is there that he's going to play with? A worm.

A worm got $4 million. Corey Perry will go up to the first line with those two. Two skilled speedsters with a skilled net front guy. Jones running the top on the PP, walking the line, opening the hips. Starting to look a little bit better, actually. Starting to look okay on special teams. Time at the end of games, pulled the goalie. Yeah, he's going to get a lot of minuses, but he'll pick up some extra goals there.

You know who we got to get into is um and i would say we could talk to ra about him but he's he's a fugazi fan is the bruin i mean i know ra is a panthers guy now but the bruins kind of look like shit right now no biz um i love lutz going back they got, they got goaltending. They got a strong top four back end. They got a lot of holes up the middle now that assuming that Krejci and Bergeron don't come back. If they don't come back, they're fucked. I would say they're a team that could fight for their playoff lives and be a wild card.

Here goes the fanboy. He came in too. Well, are they that fucked, though, Wicks? I think the best they looked all season, not all season, but the best they looked in the playoffs was games three and four when Coyle and Zaka were up the one-two up the middle. Yeah, when they had Hall and Bertuzzi lighting it up. Yeah, they don't have those two players anymore.

They brought in JVR. They lost Orlov. But they're still playing alongside guys like Pasternak and Martian and DeBrus. It's still a loaded roster. Dude, if it's Coyle, Zaka is your number one and number two center. They'll bring back Bergeron. They'll bring back Bergeron and we'll go Bergeron, Zaka, Coyle. I think you're fighting for...

You'd say they're not going to be fighting for a wild card and they're guaranteed in the top three of that division? No, I think they'll make the playoffs, but I don't think it's... I see wildcard. Yeah, I can see them being a wildcard team. So what's that division? I can see one of those goalies still being moved, too. They're still up to something.

Those Bruins are doing something. It sounds like that's not happening. Toronto's winning that division. I think, actually actually two of the three, Detroit, Ottawa, Buffalo, will get in. If not all three, man. Corpus Allo and Ottawa is huge. Ottawa is good, man.

Fuck. Tampa looks different, too. Although, the thing about Tampa, like Sorelli, Kucherov, Stamkos, Hedman, Cernak, Vasilevsky, they're fine. They're top three in Atlantic still, no doubt in my mind. And then that third team, I don't know, man.

It's such a crazy year based on the cap restrictions and all the changes going around that it's hard to judge right now. And it'll be a little easier come September when the rest of the signings and things get figured out. But I don't know. I just think there'll be big jump- come September when the rest of the signings and things get figured out. But I don't know. I just think there'll be big jump-ups from those three teams. It's still only July 5th. I didn't expect anything much out of the Bs.

I mean, JVI, it's obviously a low-risk, high-return possibly if he can get a little form back. He's been in Philly, what, seven years, six years? They've been terrible. You've got to lose your passion for the game a little bit. Chad and Kirk, probably a depth move. I didn't expect a ton. But like Grinnell just said, you've got Posner, you've got Marshawn. You've got to lose your passion for the game a little bit. Chad and Kirk, probably a depth move. I didn't expect a ton, but like Grinnell just said, you've got Pazda, you've got Marshawn, you've got Lindholm,

McAvoy, two good goalies. I mean, they're not going to fall off the face of the earth here. They're going to try to tank her. I mean, they're in cap jail right now because they've been going for the last fucking decade, giving up all the draft picks, but I'm not waving the white flag or anything yet by any chance. All right.

Let's see here. The big rig got traded. We got to mention that. Our buddy Pat Maroon and our prospect Maxime Kajovic went to Minnesota. Tim is going to keep 20% of the salary. He's basically going to essentially replace Revo. Would you agree with that, Ami? It's that kind of locker room glue guy we talked about earlier.

Oh, yeah, totally. Fight when you have to. Fight when you have to, be a beauty, eat it up along the boards, jump out in front of the net, circling around down there, setting up the next shift. That's his move.

That's what he does. They hang on to pucks. They play ugly hockey a little bit that way. They will lose a little bit in regards to skating. I think Revo can get going a little bit better, obviously, than the big rig with his legs. But still the same kind of presence i think billy g will be looking for um in in replacing that there for sure merles we got to

talk about the rangers rangers they didn't do any big thing at moose frauds i'm off the rangers frauds uh well let's see what i had blake whaler cheap money year, 1.1 mil after 13 years with Winnipeg slash Atlanta. Could be a great deal. Yeah, great deal. 55.72 games last year. Also brought in Nicky Bones, Gustafson, the defenseman from Washington, and Jonathan Quick for one year. $925,000 deal to back up Shesterkin. I struggle with that name.

But you take on all these moves, Merle. Yeah, I mean, Drury's a genius. He's a winner. He knows what he's doing. Quickie, he's going home. He gets to play for his hometown team for another year, but I am off the Rangers because of the coach hiring that's been well documented,

but the Rangers will be back. They'll be a playoff team again, but I will not be fanboying them this spring. All right, a little further upstate. Saban's nice move. Eric Johnson, one year, three and a quarter million. This is a great deal with Owen Powell, Rasmus Deline. He's got the cup pedigree.

He just seems like a great teammate, like a hot shit type of guy you want in the locker room. Yeah, I love this signing. It's perfect for them. Older guy, veteran guy. He loves horse racing. He had his horse McKinnon run yesterday. Didn't do the job for us, but he'll be up in Saratoga this summer. If he's up here and listening the next two weeks,

invite me into the owner's box with you. I'll come and talk Sabres hockey with you because I'm officially Sabres guy for next season. Great signing. I know he had a hard time leaving Colorado. He was a little sad about it, but he knows the business. He named a horse Pink Whitney. I saw him in a horse Pink Whitney. Is that who is?

I saw him in a horse, Pink Whitney. Is that his, too? Yeah, that's his horse. A little legend. I think its first race was the other day. Yeah. Merles, what'd you think? Iconic Clifton, three years, 10 mil.

A little more than you thought of. I would have thought so. I mean, as an old Bruins guy, you got to tell me more about him. I thought he was okay, but that's a lot of money. I think their D looks pretty good, though. I like it. Sabres did great. Samuelson, Darlene, Power, Clifton, Labushkin, and Johnson.

I mean, that's pretty rock-solid top six guys right there. We're kicking off the season there for Chicklets Cup 2. This is going to be a great start to the year. I mean, we look back on this last year, like going to Pittsburgh for the live show. We did the Boston live show at the Winter Classic. Like, it was a pretty fun year. We got some real fun shit planned for next year.

Kick things off with Chicklets Cup in Buffalo. We got All-Star in Toronto. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. It's July 5th. And I'm already petrified of Buffalo. Me too. Me too. Me too.

All right. We talked about Riley Smith earlier going from Vegas to Pittsburgh. Vegas got a third-round pick in 24 for him. They had to make room to get him out of there for what's-his-face. Aiden Hill and Ivan Bobashev, two playoff heroes for them. He'll get two years, 9.8 mil. I don't think he's got that much. Bobashev, two playoff heroes for him. He'll get two years, 9.8 mil. I don't think he's got that much. Bobashev, five years, 25 mil.

That was a guy, the cigarette machine. Did you expect him to get about that? A little more, a little less? Yeah, I thought it was a great deal for both sides. He's a good, solid top six guy who can do a lot of things. He's a playoff proven player. And this is a guy a couple years ago who had 60 points in the regular season. Like that's a fucking, that's a big year.

And now that he's got the chemistry with, uh, with Marchie and Eichel, like who knows, maybe he could be a 60 point guy during the regular season and you got a guy at 5 million. So I love it. Um, as far as Hill, I mean, you just never know what these goalies, right? So you probably don't want to commit as long, but yet, you know, try to get away with not paying them too much. But what's he going to be pulling in? Just over 4.5?

4.90, yeah, two years. Yeah, so, you know, I mean, if you can have two good goalies and come in around that 8 million, 9 million number, I think you're really laughing given the amount of games that both goalies play now. So you don't want to be overcommitted. So to get him locked in at that number I think is great. And I could see why some people would say like,

ooh, that's a little bit higher amount than I wanted, but I'd rather have him shorter term for any of these goalies nowadays. It's a fucking zoo. Agreed. We talked about Vegas when they won the cup free lap dances or something like that at one of the strip joints. Well, TMZ reported Vegas sex workers offered

the cup champs a free orgy. I'm not sure if you caught this one. Yeah, it was at the Chicken Ranch. They said, hey guys, anything you want, come by anytime. The brothel's all yours, free of charge. It's on me. Literally. During my playing days, if I was a Stanley Cup winner in the Vegas Golden Knights, I probably would have went to this.

You'd be a sex worker by now if you won the cup. Remember the house of no return? Yep. Oh, God. Biz, I saw you party in Nashville for five nights after being off for six months. I would not want to see you celebrating for a cup party. Oh, God. Yeah.

Alice Little. She claims to be the highest grossing sex worker in Nevada history. She's offering the most extravagant, orgiastic sex party the champs will ever experience. How is she? I didn't get a good look at it, but noastic sex party the champs will ever experience. How is she? I didn't get a good look at her, but, you know. What's the name? What's the name? You've been tugging it off to her since you read this article.

You sure you play for the team? Yeah, I'm the backup goalie. So, yeah. Fish stains all over his horn. Wait, you look a lot like that TSA agent that Witt had. Shit. Let, shit. Let's see. Oh, she also said the she threw out the idea of creating VIP cards specifically for Vegas, which will give them year round complimentary

access to the brothels invite only events in its eyes wide shut style sex breeze. So, you know, balls in your court, Vegas-style sex breeze. So, I don't know. Balls in your court, Vegas. Holy shit, what a fucking town. All right, I'm not sure if you guys caught it earlier, but this is the last time this season we're going to have Biz InWit on the show. We go to interview only after this.

So, boys, I mean, what a fucking slob in our current season. You just talked about the Pittsburgh trip, Biz, the Boston trip. I mean, we got some interviews that have bumped other interviews out of the top 10, Forsberg, Yaga, Barkley. We got one coming up soon that might knock another couple of interviews out. So, Biz, let's go to you for some comments on the season before we make a few more announcements. I mean, yeah.

I mean, when the season starts, boys, we're dialed in for the entire time. So, it's a good nine, nine-and-a-half-month rip where we're just kind of zoned in but it's nice to when we finally finish all the hockey and the free agency to kind of dial out a little bit uh go enjoy life go see family and friends so i'm super pumped for all that shit go hiking wit go on some fancy fucking hikes mr granola busy boy um but uh like you said already like an incredible year a lot of fun trips a lot of amazing content captured sandbaggers uh the behind the scenes stuff uh a real cool thing is is merles and army you guys brought this new element to our podcast world as well so just very grateful uh very

fired up and then now with this time off it gets us a little bit of time to focus on other ventures. Like, like I was off the sauce for a bit, but boys, we launched the beer this year. Big deal brewing baby. And you know, we got more of these beers coming and, uh, I'm going to be going on a couple. Oh, there it is. Merle's got the merch out. Shout out to Grinnelli for putting that together. Uh, I'm going to be creating a lot of ideas in order to continue to grow this Big Deal Brewing brand

during my off-season we are going to have a couple live events one of which might be in my hometown of Welland, Ontario so I will see you guys there but all in all, thank all you boys Witt, R.A., Grinelli, Fish, Quader, Pasha, Sean Apuzzo we did the FDNY NYPD broadcast and you know it was

a lot of their ideas in which it ended up even happening so just an amazing team Julia Pink Whitney girl we have so many amazing people on this staff that helped this podcast run so from the bottom of my heart we had a great year we love you guys for

joining in. And we're going to make good changes and come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever. So there's always room for improvement. So I've been long-winded here, but there was a lot to get off my plate. And another big announcement before I hand this over. Big Deal Brewing is now available in Ontario, my home province. Boom. Fucking rights. It's on the shelves. That's the fourth province now we have ontario we have nova scotia that was just launched uh i believe about 10 days ago we got alberta yeehaw and beautiful british columbia where i'll be spending

a lot of my downtime in vancouver and victoria so ont, big deal brewing the original golden ale. Biz, great job with the recap. It was a hell of a season. I think it is important to mention, like, Merle's came on, now Army's on. Game Notes was awesome. Game Notes, baby. Playoffs, what you guys did.

Like, it's pretty cool to all of a sudden have this daily show at noon. I, when I wasn't on, I was checking in, I was watching all of them later that night if I was busy during the day. And we're not going to announce anything yet, but some pretty exciting ideas and possibilities for game notes next year

after the way the playoffs went. So I'm pretty pumped up to have you guys in like the fact that I get to do this or we get to do this. It's like so amazing to think about after you play trying to find stuff being lost a little bit and like we have this and like meeting all the players i played with or against in nashville they're like you guys are doing such a good job like it was it's i give them like true thanks like it means a lot like if you listen once if you listen every week it's just amazing to have something to be like driven and enjoy doing when you're done playing.

And so I want to thank you two guys. I want to thank all the teammates. Biz, RA, G, you do a great job. All the guys behind the scenes. It is honestly like the best job in the world. It's so fun. I was sitting on the beach last night. We had the fireworks sitting with Ryder and Wyatt.

Kind of just like one of those moments. You're just so appreciative for everything you have in life and very thankful for what we've kind of grown here and built. And I'm not even close to thinking this is a finished product. I mean, none of us are going anywhere anytime soon. We love doing this show. I swear, like any job, right, there's times. And I'm not trying to say we're working nine to fives here but there's times where you're just like i don't know but 90 of the time when

we're recording i'm so fired up right before the show to give out some fire hot takes to talk some shit tell some old stories that's why merles you and army being around like last week telling those ahl stories it's so fun so the fans without guys, like literally this doesn't exist. So all you guys listening, I hope everyone enjoys their summer and we appreciate it. Never ever will we be able to describe how much we appreciate your support, truly. Here, here, here.

Have fun at Passages in Malibu this summer. Yeah, yeah. Hey, we forgot to shout out Memes as well. Do his voice, do his voice. Holy fuck, boys. I just want to say thanks because i was in london and like some days i was just packing a lipper and playing and playing shell and like all of a sudden i make these memes and like i do the twitter and it's kind of pretty sick because like my mullet's growing and i'm getting recognized up there so i really love you guys and wit tell your wife thanks for making me that meatloaf that time i actually

saved some of it and i'm still eating it back home i'm trying to save it yeah boys thank you guys too for for me and merles merles hey unbelievable run unbelievable ride started off as an idea bringing us in and it turned into something that we didn't believe Yeah, boys, thank you guys, too, for me and Merle's. Merle's, hey, unbelievable run, unbelievable ride. Started off as an idea, bringing us in, and it turned into something that we didn't believe. And G was with us every day during that, too, through the playoffs. It was so fun. I mean, you're walking down, me and Merle's are walking down to our seats

in game four in Florida, and everyone's yelling, EBR, game notes. It was fucking, it was crazy. So thank you for the ride on the first year. What it will be. Just the beginning, boys. Just the beginning. Our army, you became an American citizen. Since then.

Celebrated that with you guys. Yeah. By the way, I was thinking in terms of some people say, like, how long will this go? So I was saying last night, actually, a thousand games played is like, if you play a thousand games in the NHL, I feel like even NHL players, that's the thing where you're like, holy fuck. Like guys who played in the NHL have so much respect for people who played a thousand games. It's just a crazy number.

This is episode 451. So I just like to say I'd love to get a thousand of these things, boys. We none of us. I don't think our games combined reach 1,000 in the NHL. So let's try to get that number in our heads now in terms of Chicklets Nation. This year will be episode 500. So I don't know what we got planned yet for that. The great fans will find out.

I want to thank you guys for bringing me in. Thanks to all the fans. I mean, it's crazy how big Chicklets is. I was on the kiddie fishing trip out in cape cod and i'm walking on with my big deal brew and this girl sam is goes oh what i wouldn't do for a big deal brew and i'm like oh yeah i didn't bring any with me and then she's like wait a minute like merle's and i'm like so she was all fired up like she was asking me all about is there a new Big Deal brew coming? We've got to get some more out here, blah, blah, blah.

So it's really amazing what you guys have grown. Thanks for being a part of it. What a family. And Vegas and five. What a Big Deal brew. Shout out to Merle's, too. They're going to get you sponsored. All right, guys. A couple last ones here.

Thanks to Church and Union. That was the other restaurant that took care of us. We mentioned Blackfish. Look at this dinner. I can't hear more about this You better get the fucking 25% promo code Tie at the Apple Store In Nashville

What the fuck And as we previously announced Chicklets Cup Is coming back to Buffalo Gonna be the October 5th through 7th Registration info G's coming soon

Right Is that correct Yep Yeah Chickletscup.com. Stay tuned for more info. And just one last word on the fans.

I mean, you guys already said kind of what I wanted to, but it's not only like the great fans that support us too, like we've done so many things over the years,

what, seven and a half years, dozens of events and like, they're fucking great people, man. And I'm not like being a corny or a kiss ass.

We never have any bullshit. We never have any drama. There's never any fights. And we hang out with these people we meet them on. They're just fucking good shits. I think the vibe fights. And we hang out with these people. We meet them all. And they're just fucking good shits. I think the vibe of the show conveys to the people. I mean, we love

our fans, man. We never get enough of them. So thanks for letting us do this. Because without you guys, gals, we're nothing. So thank you for being who you are, supporting us. And we love you. We're going to have our first fight at Chicklets Cup in Buffalo in October. Me and fucking Noseface when I'm pounding his face into the fucking cement, baby.

I'm coming back. Back for vengeance. As I thank you all, I'm also looking for a favor. My passport expires August 19th. I'm going to Ireland September 23rd. If anyone out there could help me expedite that process. Buffalo. I got you, Whit. Right now, it's 13 week wait, Whit.

I can teach you. I got you, Whit. I got you. This happened to me right before I went to Italy. I got you. I promise you I got you. I know a senator. I'm going Ireland golf trip Saturday to Saturday, September 23rd to 30th. Then I'm going the next day to Rome for the final round of the Ryder Cup.

Then I fly home Tuesday because we have to record Monday. And then I go to Buffalo. So I'm going to have the same voice I had at the end of Nashville when I get to Buffalo. But I'm still excited. I know that I would do anything when you go to those. First vacation of the year. All right, boys. See you guys.

See you. Love you all. What a season. Bye-bye. Thanks.