Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 516: Featuring Brock Faber + Jason Strudwick

Episode Date: July 30, 2024

On Episode 516 of Spittin’ Chiclets, the guys are joined by the newly signed Brock Faber. He discusses the ups and downs of a successful rookie year. The guys discuss the latest flurry of league signings, the Paris Olympic as well as Stan Bowman’s reinstatement. The show finishes strong with Whit’s ex-teammate Jason Strudwick joining to share countless hilarious stories. 00:00:00 - Start 00:00:30 - Biz & Whit Updates 00:15:45 - Olympics Talk 00:37:10 - Stan Bowman Reinstatement / Oilers Talk 00:50:15 - Brock Faber Interview 01:40:15 - League Signings 01:50:45 - Necas Resigning / Canes Talk 01:55:35 - Patrik Laine Talk 02:02:25 - Jason Strudwick Interview 02:54:18 - ETC 03:02:10 - Reinhart’s Cup Party Support the Show: PINK WHITNEY: Take Your Shot with Pink Whitney CREMO: You can find the new Cremo men’s body wash at Walmart or Walmart.com 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/schicletsYou 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. It's my duty to please the booty. And Muzz got mad at me. The coach said, he goes, Jesus Christ, why don't you just work two nines? And I went, okay. Ah, I'll switch the car. Please, please, please never do that. Yep.

So. What up, what up? It's Wit here. And yes, there is no hello, everybody, because I've received some chirps about using R.A.'s line for my own benefit. But we are now episode 516 of Spitting Chicklets. I'm joined by my boy, Paul Biznasty Bissonette, out in the desert, as R.A. says. Firstly, though, this show is presented to you by New Amsterdam's own Pink Whitney. Thank you so much for their support.

Thank you so much for all of you drinking it. Go out and grab the big old bottle. That's why we're here is because of Pink Whitney helping us all out. Catch a buzz. Have a good time. Enjoy summer. Enjoy everything that goes along with crushing some Pink Whitney in the summer. So shout out to New Amsterdam and to spit and chiclets.

As I said, episode five, 16 biz, how you doing buddy? And can you believe that people like stop saying hello, everybody? That's our race thing. So I went back to what up,

what up? I used to do that all the time. It made me laugh. Every time you did it, we were, hello. And then seeing that some people were offended. Those are the true diehards.

Those are the people that pay our salaries. So we have to listen to them, right? They're like, hello. And seeing that some people were offended, those are the true diehards. Those are the people that pay our salaries. So we have to listen to them, right? They're like, yes, you're suspectful to R.A. What the hell? They're probably DMing R.A. complaining about it. Or R.A.'s DMing them to be like, or they're all his burners. And he's like,

I got to make a couple more Gmail accounts. I'm going after wit. We get a cease and desist from R.A.'s lawyer during his time off about using his catchphrase. But then his lawyer's like, I haven't been paid yet, so do whatever you want. You said I was in the desert. Were you just saying it as if though R.A. was going to say it? That's what he used to say. Out in the dirty desert, we got a whole business, isn't it?

Well, I'm currently in Vancouver. And to be quite frank with i'm a little tired because i've started my training for chicklets cup oh i'm i have taken a straight nose you won't retire like as i've been trying to tell you you just you won't give it up i knew you were gonna fucking come in and say that well first of all i'm i'm a healthy scratch i'm going in myself in the on-the-bench guys. Well, it's going to be off-the-bench guys now because us three are going to be healthy scratch to start the tournament.

So I have a call with Terry Ryan, who's actually, I think, at the end of this week making his way up to Subree to start the filming for a new season of Shorzy. So we're going to establish our roster later this week. We're going to hop on a phone call. He's going to go off for six weeks to subreddit to the bush to film that. And then boom, he's going to come right back as soon as they're done filming to,

to chicklets cup with whatever team he decides we need to bring. Now he sent me a couple of names, uh, via text. He, he likes to do those, uh, those voice memos.

So if you text them all of a sudden and they're like 10 minutes long obviously those voice memos dude seeing people do those voice memos in like the airport and stuff you want to take their phone and smash them over the head with it like if you're in your office or your car 100 your car obviously but if you're anywhere where there other aren't people around you want to do the voice, obviously. But if you're anywhere where there aren't people around and you want to do the voice memo, do it. But if you're standing around others and you're speaking into your phone loudly

or on speakerphone in a public setting, you're a scumbag. And I know that sounds harsh, but it's rude as hell and I'm not going to stand for it anymore. Hey, don't call my captain a scumbag, you fucker. I do love the healthy scratch aspect, though, because it's like, then... Go ahead.

No, you're fired up, and I love this. You have a lot invested, too, to the point where you've quit our team, Rick. So now you're neutral. No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm still coaching. Oh, you are? Okay, I thought you said

that you were handing in your coach's whistle after that disgusting performance we had in Buffalo where we didn't even end up meeting the finals against nose face Christ nose face this team didn't even get there but uh to go back to to to the accountability aspect now that I'm handing it full over reins to Terry Ryan if we can't get the job done then he's the only one to blame and then maybe we look to change leadership now as far as me being accountable and wanting to stay ready in case i go from healthy scratch where maybe there's an injury maybe another guy is getting a little too banged up and shows out uh shows up overweight

con man maybe i maybe i get thrown in so i started last week every single morning 6.2 kilometers gross run what gross grind no that i'm doing monday to fridays i'm doing just flat out runs around the seawall 6.2 kilometers i've been averaging miles um uh 1.6 kilometers is a mile so i'm probably running about three and a half to four miles a day i I don't know what the exact, so not bad to start out my body. When I feel like I got in a car accident, you know, when you first get back into training. No, I know. Oh, well, I remember back in the day, but it's been so long, but I got, I got creatine L glutamine, whey protein collagen. I went and picked up all the vitamins, magnesium magnesium anything to help my old body

recover from what i'm putting myself through now you asked me about the grouse grind i do it every friday so i'm going to be doing it once a week i did it for the first time last friday with a good buddy dan mader mine we did it in 59 minutes i broke the one hour mark so if you're in the vancouver area every friday morning let's fucking go do the grind I'm even texting with Bedard to where he might come join me for a session and then the pressure's on him because he has to I mean he has to beat

you by at least like five minutes I'd say or else it's like a young NHL superstar he can't be tying you no offense you're in amazing shape but you're a washed up bum and this is conor bedard so if he were to meet you there and not beat you by a significant amount i feel it could be a tough look for him i feel like he'd be a disgrace if he didn't beat me by at least 10

minutes given the size of his quads um the size of him too because if you're a little smaller and lighter it's to your benefit like i gotta lug up 220 pounds he's probably what rocking a buck 95 maybe oh i don't is he a buck 95 that's i don't know man he's got those martin saint louis legs going right now yeah the crosby saint louis uh you're right the similar to mine similar to mine did you see the clip or the instagram i don't remember even how old this is but since the sedins retired they showed up one year like the vancouver canucks had their prospects there and they did the gross grind and both sedins dusted everyone every prospect apparently my understanding is is the sedins

were getting it done in the mid 30s i did it in 59 out of shape, but my understanding, they were in the 35 to 38 minute range, which is fucking nuts, man. Like there's some guys, though, when I'm there doing it that are just bolting by where I would assume that they're at least in the 45 to 40 minute range. I think the record for the grouse grind is 23 minutes. So you have to be running to obviously do it in 23 minutes but you're well you're not you're you're you're basically doing a stair master the entire time it's a straight it's probably even worse than a 45 degree angle you're probably looking at about a 60 to 65 degree angle the entire way up so you're just going straight glute quad every single muscle in your body uh from a lower half perspective is toast by the time you finish it and not only am i doing the runs and the cardio

in the morning i'm doing weights in the evening now your one gripe last time was biz if you're going to be effective at ball hockey you eventually have to pick up a stick before you show up to the tournament it's the candle i gotta get i know i'm gonna get the soup cans out there along the sea eventually have to pick up a stick before you show up to the tournament. So I got to get, I know I'm going to get the soup cans out there along the seawall. They got some basketball hoops where there's like a, a gravel area. I'm going to bring out the soup cans and go old school, maybe start with the golf ball and then proceed to,

to, to that, to like the heavier ball, maybe a lacrosse ball and anything to soften up my myths in that. I'll probably start that regimen uh late august so i'm taking it very seriously i know a lot of guys on our ball hockey team in the last few tournaments haven't they think it's some drinking excursion but not this year because if we don't at least get to the finals i'm pretty sure we're going to be the laughing

stock of our own fucking ball hockey tournament again and now uh quickly grinelli just just chimed in here on the on the private chat we have the Sedins once did the gross grind 11 times in one day so that seems that seems pretty impressive based on what you're talking about that's what he just wrote also I did I would go in a cardiac arrest if I try to do it 11 times in one I bet you if I bet you my legs would seize up before I even got to five at at this point well i don't know why they would have done it 11 times in a day that's just that's just fucking that's just flexing that that's just showing off in a fight with my wife um and i'm

not coming home and and i cannot be the only fan listening right now that that for a second thought you were going to be stick handling soup cans when you said you're going to bring the soup cans out so i'm glad to hear you will have a golf ball and you won't actually be stick handling soup i think most people like when when you grew up didn't you put the soup cans down to go around that's what you used as the like the little pylons in your i used to put um i i used to just like put my hockey gloves and i wouldn't wear my gloves and then figure eight with the golf ball each way. Right. And it was always easier as a lefty when you're going around the left glove,

toe dragging in and then bring it backhand around the right glove. When you then go have to do the backhand toe drag around the right glove. And then it's very difficult that way for me. So, you know, I mean, I even had trouble turning to the right when I was skating. So there's obviously one side that affects people a little tougher than the others. There's a little more definition here to the Sedins. The event took place on June 21st with 70 participants taking part to help raise money for North Shore Rescue. The goal is to run the grouse grind as many times as possible from dawn to dusk with June 21st chosen because it is the longest day of the year.

Give participants as much time as possible so they did it for charity that's pretty amazing actually of course they did it wasn't a battle with their old ladies they were there doing it out of the kindness of their heart wit what the hell hey so there's a guy that's working on our house right now because I don't know if you've heard but my house is a money pit and all i do is just spend money to try to fix it there's a reason they painted it yellow it's a lemon no no yellow's great buddy yellow's great i didn't paint it yellow and i remember first seeing i'm gonna change it it's grown on me but you're right it's a lemon it's a lemon uh it was a little for a little foreshadowing from the old owner hey uh this i saw the owner i saw the owner and and i wasn't really sure it was him the old

owner and he's like how's the house doing i'm like really sure It was him The old owner And he's like How's the house doing I'm like fine And I wasn't really even sure And he's like Not by the sounds Of your podcast I was like yeah

It sucks actually But the back So right now The backyard is dirt It's dug down About six feet And we're Completely redoing

The drainage system Because if it rained For twenty minutes In my backyard For two weeks It was sludge Like you couldn't Even walk if it rained for 20 minutes in my backyard, for two weeks it was sludge. Like, you couldn't even walk in it. So a real kick in the dick when you have young kids and you're looking to get them out of the house.

So this guy, Jeff Deedy, he owns Game On. It's an unbelievable business that he has where he does rinks, he does sport courts, he does everything. Putting greens, all this stuff. So he's doing it. He also does the drainage. He's out there by himself. The reason I bring this all up is he's heading out to Denver,

and he's doing 100 miles through the mountains, and I think he has 36 hours to do it or something. One of these crazy ass. And I said to him, I'm like, what's your training been like? He's like, he gets up at 3 in the morning, and he does about 10 miles. He's done like 20 miles once. And the problem is you get to the altitude.

But I asked him, what do you eat? What have you been eating? Right? Because I'm trying. And he's like, dude, I've been eating absolute trash because I'm just burning so many calories. I'm hammering McDonald's, burgers, candy, ice cream. It doesn't matter because he just needs to get stuff into his system. It doesn't really matter what.

So it makes the gross grind look like a walk around the park with Yoshi. So I think that I'd love to get out there because I think I could be decent at it because my only workout I do is treadmill 12.5 speed. I'm up to 12.5. I used to be 12 speed 3. Now I'm inclined 12.5 speed 3 a half and and i do 30 minutes would you ever would you ever think about maybe training and and i know you're doing it every day but obviously not to this level would you ever consider uh going with a bunch of buddies and

try to tackle like let's say k2 or mount everest like would you ever do a trip like that k2 bro i'm just gonna say blue hills i live next to the blue hill it's like half a mile up k2 funny there's like 60 people a year die on that mountain i think k2 fuck that what do me and me and a shirt maybe after an argument with the old lady you'd be like fuck it let's do it all right dude i'm like 200 pounds right now i'm like skinny fat but i almost i need to get some muscle so i actually texted a friend i want to get a trainer and i want to really because that's another thing i suck at golf and i think at some point maybe it has something to do with like how weak i am and stuff so i'm like i really really

want to get because army did it too army's got a trainer now. I believe he's four weeks, four days a week at 9 a.m. I need to just get back into the problem is mornings in this household. If you can imagine chaos, it's it's it's I know everyone with kids knows it. But the morning, it's just you can't. I want to go at 7 a.m., but then I'm not around for breakfast, getting out of the house, all that. So I can't do till nine. So I'm making excuses for a long time yeah i know it sounds like it and i keep the i know and i keep thinking that i i will do it on my own i can't work out alone it's it's it's it's just been how my entire life has been i need somebody be there pushing me

giving me the exercise i think we need to do like a chicklets group chat where we're all keeping each other accountable i mean that's that to me is what I think we all need to get in shape. I mean, that goes for even people listening. It helps out with the mentals as well. And sometimes it's hard with like you, you go your whole life training and working out. And then finally, like you're retired and you're like, I don't have to get up and go do this every day. And it's kind of nice. Right. every day and it's kind of nice right i think that's the comfort zone that i've even found myself in to where now i'm going full the other way where i need these like these side accomplishments

i i i i would like to do even like a mini triathlon just to test the waters i'm not a great swimmer are you a good swimmer uh i i i really think that i wouldn't be that out of place in an olympic swim event i can swim my dick off get the fuck out of here you should see me swim i am long limber and fast as shit in the water you have good technique too you got oh i got everything i buddy i got the ear plugs i got the goggles i would think that the ears in general would slow you down. Like the amount of like friction. That's why you wear the cap. Okay. So you're a cap guy.

That's why you wear the cap. Okay. You got to cover up the balding fro I have and you got to cover up the ears because we can't have these things slowing me down. Yeah. I mean, now the issue is like it's the wind, right? Like swimming is very difficult. Swimming is an incredible workout it really is but i think if you just put me in the 100 meter which is there and back after a dive

i just because i've been watching the olympics speaking of the olympics the worst opening ceremony i can ever i could i mean oh i knew we were gonna have all those people on those boats in that river it was the first opening ceremony not in a stadium i mean let's keep it in the stadium where you hear the noise and the crowd and one by one the groups coming in together no they're on these like rafts coming in it's raining they're not that's not the olympics fault but the whole idea was ridiculous and then a lot of discussion on terms of like the uh the extracurricular stuff I think there was pictures of some guy and his balls were kind of hanging out.

It looked like it was a very odd situation, the opening ceremonies this year. Very odd situation. I'm just here for the triple jump. I was like, yeah, I just want to see Simone Biles maybe win on the floor. I don't need a Smurfs ball bag on my television right now.

It looked like Ace Ventura at the end when like finkel is einhorn i know his finkel type thing so that was a little shocking to see but swimming yes i can do and obviously folks i'm exaggerating i would stand out in the olympics as being the worst guy but i can swim this i would race you there's probably nothing athletically i can beat you in besides golf and even now in golf i'm so bad but swimming i can dust you in besides golf. And even now in golf, I'm so bad. But swimming, I can dust you. I think I could beat you by it. I would love to see this. I would love.

I'm not a great swimmer, so I guess like my standard, if before I actually would try a triathlon, I at least got to keep up with you to some regard. I got no mobility. I got no range in those little muscles that you need in order to swim. And you also have to keep your ass up close to the water. Now, since we,

I don't have one pizza box ass. Since we're on the Olympic discussion, we talked about the opening ceremonies, not the biggest scandal to open up the Olympics. What's up with your country, bro? I mean, come on.

You can't, you can't film with drone footage anymore You don't think I got Fucking guys in Boston Filming nose face on the courts I wanted to come after you When I saw this story Because it's a business country

What a disgrace But I root for the New England Patriots And a long time ago There was a thing called Spygate And it's one of those things that if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying a little bit, and they were just trying to get a leg up,

and they got caught. Now, I just wonder how long it possibly goes back, because I believe the coach has been let go, right? From my understanding, this has been happening in prior tournaments. That's the word that's coming out right now. At first, I think they let go an assistant coach and then someone in like the analytics department or or maybe like a pr person so i

think that they were kind of putting the blame on them at least to begin with but then the head coach is obviously now taking the fall as well sent home i think i want to say soccer canada has been fined like 313, which is probably their entire budget. And then they get docked the six points coming into the tourney. But so far with they've won their first two games. Did you see the finish in game two? No, I didn't.

When they were, they were tied one, one and their goalie makes this ridiculous save in extra time. And then they go back down the other way and they score the winner and like the dying minute. So technically to write as of right now, they have to fully win out in their in their in their division in order to get themselves a spot in the next round. But they've won the first two games. But as far as the punishment, like I get just trying to get a leg up.

But like the formation, like couldn't you just have watched the 28th seed in the world in new zealand last couple games and how they form out there or if you're any type of good coach wouldn't you be able to see the first four or five minutes of the game and understand what their formation is like this just sounds like so stupid to me and another thing we were filming biz does bc in victoria bc and pasha almost ended up in handcuffs. You can't be flying drones everywhere. Paris is probably the most like, like heavily guarded city in the world right now, like on the planet bar none with security.

And you think you're going to put up a fucking drone in the air and not get busted like that's just lunacy. So the stupidity of even trying it with the security going on there. I mean, I guess you deserve, you deserve the one year suspension that she got. just lunacy so the stupidity of even trying it with the security going on there i mean i guess you deserve uh you deserve the the one year suspension that she got and it kind of sucks for the players on the team if they had no clue what was going on which is my understanding yeah that that that does suck and and it's not on the players i just picture like hockey i mean uh soccer canada and hockey canada just sitting in like a dark, dreary bar, just like, man, we can't get anything right these days.

So it's an unfortunate situation. But a tough couple of years for, you know, it's one of those things where like, I understand what they were thinking, but you had to know you were getting caught. And what you said about the coach is true. But you had to know you were getting caught. And what you said about the coach is true. Maybe a little self-conscious in his actual coaching ability to have to do that. Because you would think you see a team early on and you'd be able to adjust. What do the best athletes and coaches in the world do?

They adjust on the fly. That's what happens. What's going on in this game? We've got to change this. No, we'll just fly a drone up in the sky over the weirdest opening ceremonies of all time and watch New Zealand practice doing like PK shots. Like it made no sense. It was a bizarre story, but I can't talk because the New England Patriots videotaped. I think it was the 2001 season, maybe Spygate 2002. I'm not exactly sure. An ugly situation that Patriots haters still often will bring up.

My wife was watching this show leading up to the Olympics all about the sprinters. And so she's very fired up for the track and field part of the Olympics. Yeah. I think they follow around all these different sprinters, Jamaicans, Americans. It's amazing Jamaica's that good. It's just incredible.

And you remember Usain Bolt? I remember being like when he was doing his thing. Based on population? Yeah, just population. And it's just like it's their one thing. Well, that and the bobsled team. Great movie, by the way. You ever seen that movie?

Oh, yeah. Cool Runnings. Cool Runnings. Oh, a couple times every year. Feel the rhyme. It's bobsled time. I've been to Jamaica. It's incredible.

I don't know if you remember. I did a show from Jamaica. Oh, yeah. You were there a couple weeks, weren't you? You rented a house. You got the butler. It was like 50 bucks a day. Wagwan, man.

Wagwan, yeah. Yeah, I often say that when I meet Jamaican people. Wagwan, the Wagwan, man. They like me. They give you that little look in their eye when you say Wagwan. What's up, white boy? I've always been a winter Olympic Over summer Olympic person

Because now especially There are some sports We got speed walking There's some foolish sports Saw skateboarding on the other day That was kind of cool They're doing the half pipe thing They've really taken on basically a lot from the X Games

Which is smart You bring that whole crowd over That's a wise move. A lot of people care about skateboarding on the planet rather than some of the stuff they have going on. My only gripe with the Olympics is sometimes they take out the actual traditional sports in which they had in the first years of creation of the Olympics.

They should never get rid of the original sports. I actually think that, and I think Carlo Koliakovo tweeted out about it. They got to have ball hockey in there. I don't know why ball hockey is not in there. Is flag football in or is that going in? Grinnelli, can you look that up? I'm pretty sure at one point flag football will be in the Olympics if it isn't yet. I think they have break dancing in the Olympics now.

If you got break dancing, you got to have ball hockey. That's probably the most ludicrous of the sports. Break dancing? They should put like ass scratching in there and RAs just triple gold medal winner just running amok throughout Paris. Flag football, 2028. The next summer Olympics will have flag football.

That's kind of cool. Nowadays, at least around me, flag football is so big with younger kids. I think parents who don't really want to have their kids get into regular football like Pop Warner, at least early on because of the concussions and the hitting, they're doing flag. And it's incredible. It's pretty cool. You see the athleticism and you can kind of learn the game of football a little bit without getting pounded in the head. Yeah, Baby Gronk's into it.

What? Baby Gronk's a big flag football player. Is he? You don't know who Baby Gronk is? I do know who Baby Gronk is. I think that I don't even really get the whole thing. Is it real? He's in seventh grade and he says he's been offered by all these schools.

I know the Bustin' with the Boys have had big time beef with Baby Gronk's dad. So Baby Gronk is basically like a 7th grade Instagram influencer who's apparently an amazing football player. But if there's any sport where you can't tell how somebody's going to be, I feel like football, like 7th grade, what if you don't grow? Yeah, it's a little early. You've got to be a monster. An absolute monster. I had this written in my notes with side story i was at a cottage this weekend with some friends and my buddy sean dean john told me

a story about a a friend we had call him evan ray uh sean dijon d-i-j-o-n sean that's a hilarious name sean dijon sean dijon mustard he was golfing with another one of our buddies, Evan Davies. We call him Evan Rabies because when he used to get banged up, he used to get the foam on the side of his mouth. I got a buddy who had foam. I got a buddy who had foam. You get foam sometimes. Oh, yeah. I get foam sometimes, too.

I think you just got some. And then you go to the bathroom and you're like, what? I think you just got some. No, no. I'm like, I wiped on purpose. So, yeah, it's bad when you're like how what i think you just got some no no i'm like i wiped on purpose so uh yeah it's it's bad when you're out at the bar and then like you could tell the the look in a girl's face change where she's kind of grossed out yeah you go to the bathroom you're like i had foam it's like having a big zapper like with the puss just staring at them oh you're like why don't

you give me the heads or like something in your teeth a white head yeah so sean and rabies are out golfing and uh puts one tight on a par three uh ends up birding it bring out the birdie juice a couple holes later hole in one the birdie juice got him going evan rabies first ever hole in fucking one one of our buddies after slamming pink whitney they all they all support me and they they all buy it and bring it on the golf course. So to hear that that got the mojo swing going, how cool is that? He goes, Biz, we took a swig of it. We were celebrating the birdie, and then next thing you know, we're celebrating a hole-in-one.

Hole-in-one, man. What an experience. Well, you're never going to get one. No, never. I was golfing last week, Biz, and after the 17th hole, me and my friend we were down 1100 to the two guys we were playing against so on so on the 18th hole we we hog pressed them that's what we call it hog press double or nothing we tie the hole we lose the 1100 we lose the hole

we lose 2200 we win the hole we're even okay i go out there i hit the fairway another guy my buddy bisco hits the fairway he hits a good shot i'misco, hits the fairway. He hits a good shot. I'm like, oh, we're in one. I dunked it. I fucking dunked it from 160 yards for a two. Get the fuck out of here. For a two on an $1,100 hog. Eagle, $1,100 hog. Still shot 80 with that eagle.

And then this weekend, big tournament, second round. First round, shoot 76. Actually played good. Nope, shoot 86 the next day so it's just pathetic so listen though so we get all the money back i'm like yes that's nice bisco leaves wags was with us wags was on the other team he was disgusted he was disgusted i mean he was already counting his money so me my partner and wags we go back out for an e9 let's just do one-on-one matches.

And I don't even know how I was able to play 27 holes. Why do you call it an E9? Just like emergency nine. I don't know why people call it an E9. Just emergency nine. I need nine more. I need nine more. I proceed to lose 2,400.

So all I had to do was leave. Even if I lost the hole, I still ended up losing more. So just a pathetic display. In case of emergency, break glass. Yeah, and on the final hole of that one, I had about a five-footer for Birdie to get all my money back with those two guys too. And it didn't even sniff the hole.

So the only way I can get it in is by making it from the fairway. So pretty cool experience for me to make an eagle when I've been down in the dumps about the game of golf. But that's what happens, right? When you kind of shut your mind off. I wasn't thinking swing. I wasn't thinking body. I was just thinking, get this thing close to the hole. And it worked. Yeah, I'm hitting shots that... I'm hitting tee balls, three woods that are legit. I'm hitting three inches behind the ball. And then the ball's going like 10 yards to the right. Like, it's, I have like golf, like depression, like I want to play golf, and then I go and I suck, and I don't even want to be there,

and then I'm like, I should be at home with the kids. It's a mental grind right now. I'm the gross grind in my head of golf. So what are you going to do? You know, it is what it is. You should do like the sedins and play 11 rounds in the day i'm sure brio love that uh but hey speaking of uh speaking of golf we talked about it last podcast spit and chicklets youtube channel uh august 22nd uh ourselves eat daddy

on twitter i'm sure most of you guys know who gucci man is and then uh jordan schmaltz so we have a great uh 18hole sandbagger, and we'll leave it up to that. It was an interesting ending. What did you think of the round we played at the win? I just don't really know how to wrap my head around what that entire experience was like yet. I think I need to see the edit once Pasha puts this thing together.

I'm going over this week to sit down with Pasha. If we can even keep any of the things Heat Daddy said. Heat Daddy is a wild card. And then Schmaltzy they have their own language. It was a lot of fun. The ending's very bizarre. I'll say that. But it was just about the Heat. And I know we already brought this up.

But I think people are going to like that video. Heat Daddy, he's a monster. He's a monster on social media. They let us get to Friday. I think that's what he says every Friday. I can't believe they let us get to Friday. I think that's what he says every Friday. I can't believe they let us get to Friday. Yeah, the left is furious. The other day he tweeted out. He tweeted.

I was like, this kid. He just tweeted out a screenshot of his STDs tests all coming back negative. Going into the weekend. That's a good thing. Set the tone. Set the tone, eh? Set the tone. I think it was no for gonorrhea, no for everything. I was like, okay, that's the heat daddy for you.

What else did I have for you? All I had left was just my weekend. And I was going to actually ask you because we talked about the kid thing and how I was starting to get the itch. And then all of a sudden uh on the unnamed show you guys ended up start talking about the kid subject with the portnoy did it come up because of our conversation on our pod or was that just random in the fact that you were grilling him about him being 65 years old no kids and a miserable old man um that that was an older clip because i wasn't on the unnamed show this week

cal had a doctor's appointment me and my wife both really you know i wanted to be at that um and that was prior when he tried saying that cal's a try hard name or calin is a try hard name and then it's just like buddy your name's dave like your name's dave like so and he's going at me and he was going at me about Cal's name. And then I just kind of turned into, like, you're a miserable. You're going to be a miserable old man. And then he's like, well, I can pay for somebody to hang out with me as I die. I won't die alone.

I'll just pay for somebody to hang out. Okay. So he's just, he hates kids. He hates kids. But Dave's been very, very nice about texting me, asking me how Cal's doing and things. So I really appreciate that. He's been very nice. As texting me asking me how cal's doing and things so i really appreciate that he's been very nice as is kirk kirk the entire time's awesome so i missed this week's show but um yeah dave just said as of right now he's got no desire for kids like kind of like

you like even though you're well no buddy i'm getting the itch i'm getting okay and then this past weekend i was hanging out with our friends mike mckay sophie o'connor sophie uh mike's wife sean dejean sean dejean was there with their their dog delicious and char so there was uh there was four couples eight kids and one bun in the oven and then one dog and it was uh i mean yeah there's a lot of yelling and screaming but but i was able to on saturday through all of this, take like five naps. I saw that you had four. I thought it was four naps. That's amazing.

I'll tell you right now, Biz, if you want kids, you ain't taking any more naps. So that's not something that you should be. Well, what do you mean, dude? The fact that I can meditate and shut it all down while they're crying and screaming is like, that's like, I should be teaching parents this to just block it all out. Yeah, but most of the time you have to go do something when they're screaming and crying. Not if you're meditating and napping. They can solve it themselves.

Part of being a parent is like instilling at the fact that they have to have their independence and do things on their own. I mean, if it's got the water wings on and it can't swim, it's going to be all right. As much as it wants to kick and scream, it's going to be okay. Okay, let me take you through a scenario that actually happened today. Okay. Bree walks in with Cal. I'm over dragging Wyatt off of Ryder who was holding a Bauer stick, like basically like how you'd like.

Crosscheck somebody in the like he was on top of him holding the stick in his mouth, like pushing down to like he's screaming, then Ryder's like punching up at him and like it was a real disaster. And I'm in the midst of really chucking them and breaking it up. What do you think would have happened had Brie come home, heard that screaming and crying, and then I was just on the couch doing namaste in a meditative moment? That's probably not going to happen, right? I think you have to get up many times and really address the reason for the screaming and the crying. I think it's incredible you were able to really have an outer body of experience. I'm not listening to these kids. But meditation and parenting, you got to do it at 5 a.m. or 9 p.m. when they go to bed. There's no meditation time for me middle of the day.

No meditation time. I'm hammering coffees. It's the opposite of meditation. Like, oh, hey, you want to meditate while the kids are crying? No, give me a Red Bull and then give me like a muzzle to stick on one of them. That's more what you're kind of looking at. Now, Biz, it's funny you said that, though, about being around the kids and enjoying it. Because down in Nantucket, Bree's brother came with one of his buddies.

And he was there for three nights. And there was my three and then my three nieces, nephews, one nephew, two nieces. So six kids running around, one newborn. And it was madness, but it was great. And we went to the beach the last day. And he said, I've never wanted kids. But these past three nights has really made me want to be a parent. And I took it as a big-time compliment.

I took it as like, because he was like, it's just a lot of fun. That's how I felt after this past weekend. Yeah, it's like it's madness. So I know we talked about R.A. doing it. He was playing sports the whole time. So it was cool. I think you'd be an amazing dad. I've told you that before, dude. I really do.

I think it's time to start my search. I think, I know we talked about the R.A. Dayton show know we talked about the RA Dayton show. Maybe we do a biz Dayton show this season. Maybe get a couple candidates up there. No? How many of those women do you think are looking to get in there and meet you to have your babies

as opposed to just like live the life of luxury and travel and superstardom that comes with being with you. I feel like girls on dating shows, they're maybe at times looking for a husband and a family, but a lot of them are looking to maybe up their Instagram numbers and become a little bit more famous and then just probably get pounded out by the guy.

Well, that's the magic of the search, right? You have to see through that. And that's what the cameras will tell you. And ultimately spending time with these ladies. So enough of that. Enough of that. We probably got to get to hockey unless there's anything else you wanted to talk about as far as your personal life. I know your golf game is struggling right now.

But ultimately all eyes on the Chicklets Cup moving forward here for me. And really look forward to talking to Terry Ryan to see what roster he put together. And last thing, because that just reminded me. I meant to say it earlier. What about, because this is combining the stick handling and the feeling of the ball and the workout. And getting in a ball hockey league once a week for the next four or five weeks. I'd rather just enjoy my downtime a little more. Maybe we could arrange a street game, tweet out the address and get a few going.

I don't know if there's any organized leagues going on right now in Vancouver in the summer. Now that we've mentioned it on the pod, I'm sure somebody will reach out, but that's probably not a bad idea. Just a couple of warm-up exhibition exhibition games get used to the ball get used to the in-game action elevating my heart rate from a from a shift standpoint as opposed to just strictly cardio um the interval training will begin at some point but just not right now i'm getting my base so i appreciate you looking at us uh i'm still on the sauce but september one done september one i'm done again i'm taking the full 10 months and maybe even beyond that because maybe next summer we do uh we do everest together

i don't think i'm going to talk you into that one uh hockey news wit i didn't think i had anything else yes yes hockey news the big news i say, well, there's a bunch of big news, but I guess we can start off with the Edmonton Oilers announcing that Stan Bowman is the new general manager of the Edmonton Oilers and their cup aspirations. And the responses were probably what I think a lot of people would have guessed they'd be like. I saw a lot of responses, very guessed they'd be like. I saw a lot of responses

very upset that the Oilers would hire him. After Gary Bettman announced that Joel Quenville and Stan Bowman were allowed to be a part of the NHL again as a GM and a coach or whatever they want to do, you knew that they'd both be hired. I don't really know

what to say about this. There's one side of it that Stan Bowman was there for three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, right? There's another side of it that he didn't really build the core of the teams that ended up getting done what they did in Chicago. I don't think he was there to get Keith, Seabrook, Kane, Taves. It was like the early guys for Stig. A lot of that was GM Mike Smith and then GM Dale Tallon.

And many Blackhawks fans will tell you that Stan Bowman was the reason that it all fell apart as quick as it did. Not as quick as it did. I think every GM makes some bad moves. But I mean, what would you say the most notable one was? Panarin, probably. Tara Vinen, maybe. Tara Vinen was very bad. You can't criticize the length and term of deals

in which the big boys got. I don't want to hear about that. I don't want to hear about how the last three years of the Seabrook deal, blah, blah, blah. Three Stanley Cups, we ain't talking about the bad contracts. We're probably talking about the bad trades. I would say that right up there was Philip Deneau. Trading Philip Deneau was a little crazy for me.

In what he's turned out to be. Like such a good. I guess second or third line center. But an awesome shutdown center. Who can produce points and be great in the playoffs. That's one you look at. He traded Nick Letty. That was also kind of bizarre. He traded Nick Letty.

That was also kind of bizarre. He traded a ton for Seth Jones. And Seth Jones, I think at times, gets questioned for what he makes and what type of defenseman he is in the league. I believe the trade for Seth Jones, he gave up the first round pick in 2022 that turned into that Juracek, that Columbus pick, that defenseman who's supposed to be an absolute stud, even though he was pissed this year.

He's in the minors. I don't even remember that. So. I there's something to be said, though, that he was a part of those. I think it was Panarin for sod was the other one. Was it Panarin for sod? Yeah, that's a tough. Yeah.

Oh, oh, oh, oh. I. Yeah, I don't tough one. Yeah. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I... I... I... Yeah, I don't... Any more? I haven't... I haven't spoken...

Ugh. I haven't spoken to anyone in Edmonton that has really told me, like, how it went down. I don't know if Jeff Jackson and Stan Bowman are close and why they ended up hiring him. I was surprised. I'll say that. With all the amazing young talent out in the league, and there is something like it's a fraternity. You become a GM once, and you're getting another job as a GM,

it seems like, no matter what. We've talked about new coaches coming in. We've talked about how they recycle coaches, but GMs, it's even crazier. Yeah, like Shirely was in Boston, recycled to Edmonton didn't do a good job see you later like just like that type of pattern yeah like dubas in toronto like yeah the teams were good but they couldn't get out of the first round and now he makes seven and a half million for seven years on the penguins it's just like it's a fraternity where you do it once and then all of a sudden you're you're in so i don't know if they they looked at it like we have a team that we know

can win the stanley cup and this guy's one stanley cups pieces yeah yeah so it's gonna be it's gonna be a storyline to see how it plays out but i mean they also did a lot of awesome damage before they at least announced that they'd hired them i would assume that you know that none of those decisions that were made as far as like bringing in skinner and who they brought in re-signing like the holloways whatever the five guys they ended up bringing back and or uh signing from free agency i would assume that was so like right now it's kind of like what just kind of like watch the team until the deadline and then know what final pieces to add? Maybe that's what they're kind of looking towards.

As far as the hire, I guess I was a little surprised when I initially heard that it was going to go down. But given that winning pedigree and everything you talked about, that's probably the reason as to why they did it. As far as how everything went down in Chicago, I wasn't in the rooms during these meetings, right? So I don't know who is actually to blame for the fact that all that Kyle Beach stuff wasn't addressed right away. It seems, though, as if he has taken the initiative to take responsibility for it. He has worked with the league on how to rehabilitate

and learn from this to eventually be reinstated. Also, my understanding is he's had long, drawn-out conversations with Kyle Beach, and it seems as though Kyle Beach has essentially given it his blessing where he's like, everybody is going to have to move on, but it's more they're recognizing what the know, what, what the mistake was. And once you recognize it and work on it, then you should be able to continue to do what you love.

Um, I guess as extra, right. Based on what had happened. So to me, like I, if Kyle beach is okay with it and giving his blessing, I'm not saying this isn't something that has scarred, um, him for the rest of his life. But if the fact that he can give it his blessing,'m not saying this isn't something that has scarred um him for the rest of his life but if the fact that he can give it his blessing i i would imagine that everybody else who who is is is passionate about this can maybe back off from it at this point like i know that they had a petition going where 5 000 people sign where they want the the resignation of stan boma and blah blah people you know but the tiki torch is out out. But I think it seems like it's time where everybody has healed enough to where the reinstatement process can occur.

I don't know what this means for Quinville now. I would assume that if now Bowman has been reinstated, if Quinville wants to, and maybe he already has, take the same process that Stan Bowman has, because it seems as if, though, that's the case. Like, Stan Bowman was his superior in that situation. I put way more on Stan Bowman than Quinville. Like, he's in the cup finals, and I'm not saying

that there isn't guilt to be thrown around. I mean, Quinville's getting ready for the the cup finals and he's like, alright, the guys up top will take care of this. And they did say they were going to take care of it. That's why he just... If you're looking to lay blame, Quenville's less than Bowman. If you're out there

and you're thinking neither one of these guys should ever be able to be involved with an NHL team again, that is 100% your right to feel that way. And I'm not going to judge you personally, though, like especially if Kyle Beach has said, like, I think that they should be given a second chance. Then I kind of feel the same way. You know, if you're if you're going to go on who went through all of this and go by his opinion, if anyone, it should be like if he's okay with it you're okay with it now right like i said if you want to think that these guys should be banned forever that is your right to feel that way so it's going to be a storyline though to see what he does because i think the

frustration with some oilers fans was that the free agency they had with arvidson and with skinner and all these great moves that was all Jeff Jackson. Everyone's like, can you just stay on as GM? Right. That's kind of where I was at, where I'm like, it seems like all the heavy lifting and thinking had already been done.

Now, I don't know. Maybe there's like a process in which he's in, he's in limbo or purgatory waiting for it to get clearance. Where do you think he's maybe helping out in that regard? Or would that be like illegal as far as the process do you think that he got any advice Jeff Jackson I'm talking about from I wonder what day he was reinstated I don't know what I don't know what day he was actually reinstated by the league but considering you knew beforehand well beforehand actually that he was going to be hired,

I'm assuming that means that other people knew and maybe, yeah, there was some discussion. But I certainly wouldn't think that Bowman would be calling those guys agents before he was hired. Do you know what I'm saying? Right. So maybe he's like, hey, do you like these guys?

Like, we know you're bringing them in. This is who we want to bring in. And then he's like, yeah, I like those guys. You know, yeah. You got to think there was probably some discussion going on between those two guys. But I don't know. I don't know. So I can't answer that.

But yeah, so that was interesting news. There was some ugly Twitter responses. I'll say that. I saw sometimes when you see like a tweet and then you see like 1400 responses usually it's a bad thing usually that means the tweet didn't go over that well um on to other news happy news great news for minnesota wild fans brock faber signs an eight-year max extension at eight and a half million per year and really i know i think i said i think i said over nine and you kind of were like what and i ended up getting it wrong i ended up getting it wrong i was wrong by mr

adamas he called it he called it eight and a half times eight great deal i think this kid has proven number one defense i mean he was their number one d-man this year, and he's only going to get better. He's so young. He will be on Team USA in the Four Nations face-off this year. He will be on Team USA in the Olympics in 2026, and it's going to be amazing to watch him grow and to do what he did this year

with the ice time and the responsibility and offensively and defensively, your rookie season. I can't imagine where he goes, and it's only going to get better. Cool video that the Wild released of Billy Guerin in his office with Brock Faber and his mom and dad, and he was signing the deal, and Guerin said, listen, I told you this already.

Don't you fuck this up. You fuck me over. I'm going to make you look stupid. That's one way he could have approached it. Maybe back in the day, that's what a GM says. You little motherfucker. You just got $67 fucking million. You fucking puke.

You better not fucking make me look like a little dumb motherfucker. Fucking league makes me sick. But he said, don't change a thing. And I like what he said. He said, many hockey players, the great thing about hockey players is they want to earn their money. They want to earn their money, but you can't earn it in one game. You can't earn it in one season. You just got to not change a thing about who you are as a person. Don't change a thing. Don't try to be someone you're not. Don't try to do too much. Just do exactly what you've been doing because that's why you signed this

deal because you've earned it. And just seeing his parents, kind of similar to seeing the parents of the Olympians in the events I've watched, and just thinking back to when they're youngsters and their dreams and aspirations, and then sitting there and watching your son become generationally wealthy, and that kid's grandkids, grandkids are set for life now if he's smart with his money,

and to know that he earned this. Like, if you're looking at your son or you're thinking like this was all his hard work and yes parents have so much to do with it the rides to the rink the driving everything the support system that you have to be but knowing that there was nights that that kid just skated at the outdoor arena or shot pucks in the basement and constantly was focused on one singular goal that just came true with a lifelong eight-year deal with life-changing money. What a cool little video to see. And I'm very happy for Brock Faber because I think with Ziv Bujem coming

and Brock Faber there and Spurgeon as captain, once Capel ends and Kaprizov locked up and all these pieces with a great fan base it's a great time to root for the Minnesota Wild it really is well said Whit yeah and like just from interviewing a lot of these young players now so beyond his years we had the pleasure to sit down with him we interviewed him over zoom probably about four to six weeks ago and it was part of the summer plan to release him and when we found out he signed, it was obviously a no-brainer

and you guys can listen to that right now coming up. I think we sat down with him for about 40 minutes, so I hope you enjoy the interview. An awesome, calm, cool, and collected kid with a lot of money coming his way in the near future. Rock Faber.

Enjoy. Well, it's a pleasure to bring on one of the league's terrific young defensemen. This Minnesota native was taken 45th overall at the 2020 draft. He won gold at the World Juniors in 2021, played for Team USA at the 2022 Olympics, and he went pro after three years at the University of Minnesota. He just completed his rookie year with the Wildway. He led NHL rookies in ice time, tied for the most assists, tied for the second most points,

and also led the Wild defensemen in goals, assists, points, and ice time. It's great to welcome to the Spitting Chickens podcast, Brock Faber. Congrats on helping you. Let's go. Here we go. Here we go. Minnesota is going fucking bananas right now. Wild fans are real.

I saw you sent out that tweet about questions for him. There's about 600 replies. I'm like, Jesus Christ. They love the local boy. Yeah, we're fired up back here. We're fired up. Maple Grove. Maple Grove native.

Yes, born and raised. Born and raised. You played the last two months with fractured ribs, Billy G just told the world. I mean, kudos to you for doing that. How much pain were you in? How hard was it to get geared up every night? Take us through that whole thing.

Yeah, it was off of back-to-back. It was the night after we played Vancouver when we beat them 10-7. That game was nuts. We played Winnipeg the next day, I think, Monday. I could have this all wrong. It's all blurred. Perfect for this show. I think it was the next day after.

I just got hit weird, and I knew something was up, but I didn't. I don't know. We were on a road trip from then on, so we to i think edmonton seattle was a long one uh and then ended up getting mri when i got back home and that's you know two that might bump you up to the top of the calder voting i don't have a vote i actually rescinded my vote but wit you do now would you take him over bedard knowing that he played the last two months with broken ribs when bedard had a broken jaw and and he sat out a couple weeks. No, I mean, I got to shoot people straight.

I think a lot of the years you win it, I voted for Bedard. I mean, you're going to make a ton of money. You're probably going to be in a lot of all-star games, but I went with Bedard. You were my number two. But I was actually going to ask you about this season in that, do you think it helped as much as i i kind of thought it might that you played the games last year you hopped in got the couple regular season and then six games in the playoffs i was like holy shit this kid he's not being shielded on his minutes he's playing a

lot playing great like going into this year that must have helped you kind of be at ease with the locker room and the guys and just the nhl pace, right? Absolutely. I mean, it was the playoffs is a whole new beast, obviously. And, you know, after the college season, it was, you know, two games and I was told I was in for playoffs. So it was just, yeah, that was a huge jump. That was hard. I mean, I wasn't, you know, perfect. You know, a lot of people saw some nice plays I made,

but there's definitely plenty of questionable ones too. But, yeah and then just like getting to know the guys and like being able to like spend the um end of the year party with them and spend the summer with them and train with them like um that helped me a ton for sure getting to know the guys having fun with them getting to know them off the ice and then obviously um like I said train with them and get better with them on so well you you kind of referenced it so i'll go back like you ended up playing in the national championship game unfortunately you guys lost what like 10 seconds into overtime and it was kind of a whirlwind because i i watched this behind the scenes uh documentary they did on you with the wild and you're very emotional on the ice after and then you go talk to your parents

after the game and then you said said, I'll see you Monday, which you probably already gotten word that you were going to get called up. So just talk about that 48 hours and quickly ending your college career on maybe a downside. And then the world went into experience. One of the greatest things you have and which is your first NHL game. Right? Yeah, no, it's it was, that was the worst.

It was the, like I had known before the weekend, but I honestly could have cared less at the time. Like, it was fucking go for national championship. That's the only thing I cared about. So, yeah, it was, I hadn't talked to my parents. I hadn't talked to no, none of my buddies, nothing. And, you know, it was – ended up losing, obviously. And then it was – you know, went up and saw him, and it was brutal, obviously. And I just told him that, you know, Monday's the night in Chicago. So, yeah, I mean, I say it all the time. I've had a thousand interviews on that national championship game. But it's, you know, pretty lucky kid if that's the worst thing I've ever gone through in my entire life. So, you know, try and look back on it. Think of the good times, not that time.

So I got to ask you because, and this is a way lesser scale, obviously. I left after my junior year right away. I went to the AHL, and they were getting ready for the playoffs, and I was kind of like, oh, I don't know if I'll be in the lineup. So for you, you must have been like, I'm'm gonna get my game Monday against the Blackhawks but you must have no idea you're gonna play such a big role once the first round started yeah no not not at all right it was like I knew you know the way I played the game and I knew um kind of you know in the past I've you know been able to be able to step into roles that, you know, weren't really expected of me.

But, you know, at that certain time, it was, you know, I thought I was just going to get the little taste and it was going to be done from there because they already knew they were in playoffs. So it was, you know, basically they were shut it down a little bit to get to game one. So, you know, I end up playing one Chicago, scratched the next game, and then played one in Nashville. And then, yeah, found out the day before game one. So I, you know, call my buddies, call my parents, get tickets lined up, the whole deal. So when you got scratched, was it just almost to kind of just give you a little minute after that first game? Like, did they bring that up when you got the scratch on that? No, they never really talked to me about it.

It was Winnipeg, and we don't like Winnipeg here, and, you know, they don't like us. So, you know, and I obviously knew that. Growing up a Wilds fan, you see, I watched every Winnipeg game, you know, that I can remember. So it was, I think, I don't really know the the thought process behind it but it was a it was a pretty crazy game I think you know tensions were were high so I yeah I took that one off and back in Nashville the next night you're obviously

extremely hockey focused and um I would say kind of a phenom coming up. You know, you always, you played under 17, under 18, Olympics already kind of gave the full rundown. But from that playoff experience, what did you have to do in the summer in order to prepare yourself to have the year that you had? Because like, I don't think anybody expected the jump in what you were able to provide. And there was a few injuries on the back end this year for the wild.

I want to say both Brodine and Spurgeon got injured. So all of a sudden you're like the 1A guy, and you fucking crushed it, kid. Oh, thank you. Yeah, again, those two are fucking awesome. Those two are guys that I've, again, looked up to, and the way they play the game I think is similar to how I want to play the game. They both skate so well. You know, no one knows about Jonas Brodine and Jared Spurgeon, how good they really are. I think obviously I'm biased, but yeah, they go down and it's kind of, you know,

I, again, I had the summer here, so I was able to train and I knew I needed to get bigger and stronger and faster, like everyone says. But for for me i think it was just confidence and um you know knowing my ability and um taking that step in my game offensively that i never really knew i had i never played you know power play in college i never not an mtp usa none of that so um yeah i think it was just kind of confidence in my game and being able to look up to guys like that leaders like that and the whole decor we have uh you know it's a it's a tight group so um you know i credit you know a lot of that to them when you say the confidence like how was that built like in order to get acclimated to the systems and playing power play

like were you watching video from the prior year of like what they're doing like how how did it how did you how were you able to absorb all of that including the power play that you'd never even played before right yeah so andy ness is our skills coach back here um skate with him in the summer and again i think you know i i knew i was always capable of it but it was um you know it was just kind of putting yourself in that situation and then going from there, right? So it was, like, it's not like I was working on, you know, my power play breakouts over the summer. It was more so just skill development.

And then, you know, when I get opportunities to, you know, not try and not shy away from them more so in a sense. But, yeah, I don't know. You know, again, I have a lot to develop in the offensive side of my game, but I see my game, you know, that side of my game, definitely getting better for sure. Love it. Brock, I know you played with Jake Middleton quite a bit.

Did you give him some grief because he's had the best offenses numbers of his career since he played with you? That was fucking awesome. He had like, I think he had uh he had he had like i think he had seven pretty early in the year and um kevin gorg um you know he does everything here with a while but he uh he goes he goes up to midsy and is like you know talking about 15 and midsy's like well fuck i need to hit eight first i don't know if you finished with seven but i don't even know if you got to eight

yeah you got there yeah you got there but it was early in the year where it was like you had seven we were like holy shit midsy it's the goal scorer but no it uh ended at eight i guess so you didn't follow suit on on what he wears under his gear did you no he likes he likes to free ball it doesn't he go yeah he says he runs hot yeah, that was a pleasant surprise to walk into in Chicago last year. That was a little different from anything I had seen growing up, for sure. Brock, I want to go back to college quick. Talk about Bob Motzko. I followed him pretty closely at St. Cloud,

but what was it like playing for him, and why do you think he's found so much success at the college level? And why did half the people ask me why you didn't start in the national championship game in overtime? I got about 25 messages about the coach not starting you. I'll answer that one first because it's so dumb, right? Because you match up. You're at a level where you match up with guys certain lines, certain pairings. We were playing that

way the whole game. We were playing that way the whole year. I wouldn't have started if it was game one of the year or the last game of the year. It didn't make a difference. It was a matchup thing. Alright, he's off the hot seat. I see that all the time. It fires me up and off.

And then Motts, he's he's awesome he's um you know he's an incredible human being off the ice I think the way he's kind of pushed gopher hockey into a you know not necessarily a run and gun program but you know he wants these young freshmen coming in and making mistakes and kind of throwing them into the fire and um I think when I was kind of put in that role it you know it's hard right but I think that's that's how he he's built so so many good teams and obviously so many good players coming from his teams because I think he's put a lot of trust in his you know big freshman classes um which and again like I said an incredible human and um you, we still talk to this day all the time. So, you know, he's great.

All the guys love him, for sure. If I asked you who are the crew of Ducks, would you know what I'm talking about? The crew of Ducks? No, I have no idea. I guess you and your roommates, they refer to you guys as Ducks, because the minute that one guy at college

would do something, the rest of you guys as ducks because the minute that one guy at college would do something, the rest of you would follow. Yeah, maybe. I mean, my freshman class was COVID year, so I had three other guys. We had two rooms side-by-side in 17th, the dorm, and there was maybe nine other kids on the whole floor. So it was great. It was awesome.

That's all we need to hear. I was going to ask, what was the, because since they referred to you as ducks, what was the stupidest thing that a guy decided to do and then the rest of you followed? Yeah, I don't think. It might be putting you on the spot. It puts me on the spot.

I don't know if I, too many, too many dumb things done, but probably not too many I could say on the spot that it puts me on the spot i don't know if i too many too many dumb things done but uh probably not too many i could say on the pot here did you did you kind of dream of playing at minnesota forget the wild playing for the local nhl team like when you were 14 15 even younger was it like i want to be a gopher yeah i mean when i was seven or eight it was i wanted to play high school hockey in minnesota that was the state tournament was the Super Bowl growing up. When it was state tournament weekend, it was who got to miss school, who got to go to the games on Thursday. That was the biggest thing. When I got older, it was Gophers, obviously.

Gopher hockey jerseys everywhere. That was always a dream. And then obviously the Wild, too. So, yeah, it's crazy. It's a crazy thing. I heard a crazy thing, Whit. This guy didn't start playing D until he was, what, 13, 14 years old?

Like, he used to be a right winger? Yeah, right winger. I was, yeah, when I was 14, I think, I was, yeah, I was playing right wing, second, third line right wing. And I had always played right wing growing up. I just could just skate fast. That was really the only thing I could do.

But, yeah, and then moved back to D towards the end of games when I started getting older. If we were up a goal, then I'd play D. And then I just liked D way more because I hate getting scored on. Like that's the fucking least favorite thing I have. It's the worst. So that was kind of the reason that I liked playing D. I felt like I could control that more.

Was there one coach who was like, hey, I think you should go back? Or was it you that said, I kind of want to play D full time? No, it was my dad. I don't know. My dad never played hockey, but he was just telling me I'm a defenseman. He would always say it. Yeah, for a time there I didn't want it, but then I started to agree with him. And then, yeah, a few coaches too, but it was actually my dad, I think,

for the most part. Him and a coach named Curtis Janicki, they had this master plan, I guess. That worked out okay. I actually did the same thing. I was a forward. I think I was 12. And I actually, looking back, I think it's a good thing because you kind of learn the offensive part of the game.

And then you're able to figure out. It's easier to figure out the defensive side. But if you're able to realize where forwards are going to be and stuff, it almost helps you when you fall back. And then getting to be the fourth man in the attack, which everyone sees you like hopping in the rush, it makes it a little easier vision-wise. Yeah, you'd think.

Like if you kind of dive into it deeper, like you think development-wise, it for sure has some sort of positives you know moving back to d after playing forward for sure and yeah it helped me i thought i always felt more comfortable at d but um you know when i got back there it definitely definitely took a lot of things from that forward side of the game for sure they moved me the other way brock we don't like getting scored on either yeah you gotta think less up there i think hey so uh you mentioned your father uh jay uh would he dress up in a chicken suit when you were in high school to get your team fired up before games or something yeah who is telling

you this information this is coming on twitter so that might that might have been a bot fucking with me no i think that was because i'd never i don't think he ever put a costume on in my whole life i don't think good to know but he fired he was no he ran the door he was he would do the opposite though he would uh he would sit me if i might i ran on the ice when we were changing you know the dads run the doors if i had my stick turned the wrong way when i stepped on the ice when we were changing you know the dads were on the doors if i had my stick turned the wrong way when i stepped on the ice you're fucking done sit down you're done that's he was the yeah he was that he was but he knew nothing about hockey so it worked until i was like 14 but i was like then i started to kind of realize that he's just going crazy on me what did he play

uh he was a football player he uh played football. He played basketball, baseball. He played hockey for one year, I think. He grew up with Tommy Peterson. I don't know if you know the name, but they were Bloomington Jefferson. He played for the Sharks, Tommy Peterson, and the Gophers. So that was really his only thing he had to do with hockey. Growing up in Maple Grove, people were asking, what makes it such a hockey

hotbed in in the way that you guys are able to produce guys who eventually go on to the nhl like what was the you know like what's the foundation there good coaching like yeah yeah for sure i think coaching for sure so i had a coach growing up curtis janicki his name was he was coaching with my dad um you know we had from my like 15 i don't know since i was like 14 or 15 years old off that team there's like i don't know seven or eight guys playing d1 um five draft picks just off our specific team um and so yeah this curtis janicki was great he was the uh he's definitely when i when i get asked he's been my favorite coach. It's him for sure. He pushed us hard.

And I think he, you know, kind of from a young age, he set us on the right path and the way you should think about – treat your teammates, you know, think about the game, go about the game. I think that was all, you know, credit to him. So you talk about the Minnesota high school tournament. We were out at the Frozen Four. Everyone's like, you guys got got to come out and we've seen the videos and how packed the arena is but knowing how much the the high school hockey means to you guys it must have been harder for you to go to the national program maybe i'm wrong and getting the invite there is obviously

incredible but was there a part of you it was like i kind of want to finish it out here with my boys or is it just a no-brainer? I got to go with the best in the country my age. Yeah, I mean, it was hard. That was a really hard decision for me. It was, you know, again, because it was still at that point, it was like I was bought in. I just wanted to play with my boys, you know, win state tournaments, you know, that was the goal. But so this Curtis Janicki I'm talking about, his older son, Trevor Janicki, two years older than I am, he went to NTDP from Maple Grove. And he had a good team growing up, and he ended up going there,

and I was talking to him, and he was just like, if you're serious about this, then you've got to come here. This is the place to go. So then from there I was you know bought in and obviously i don't regret the decision at all you know it was incredible decision but um you know it was definitely tough having to having to leave the fellows for sure brock two years after you get drafted you get traded to hometown minnesota did you have uh a any idea what's happening and b what was your initial reaction to the deal yeah no. No, I was in my college apartment with the chickens or whatever you guys were calling them.

The ducks. The ducks. No, the chicken's your dad. Yeah, the chicken's my dad. Right. No, I was doing homework, and I had my phone across the room, and it kept buzzing. So I ended up picking up, and I had a few missed phone calls from Rob Blake, and then it was, you know, he told me, and there it was.

So I called my parents right away. I think I just got traded to the wild, and my dad didn't believe me. My mom was, you know, screaming, whatever. And then, you know, Billy calls me and, you know, made it official. I thought maybe you went full cutter and just said, I ain't fucking signing with the company. I see that stuff on Twitter. Like he said he was, you know, becoming a free agent, staying with many.

It's that. I was locked in with, like, LA was awesome. It was, you know, I visited out there once. You know, I got to know a few of the guys. Their whole development staff was incredible. and I was all locked in. Yeah, awesome. But then when I got traded, it sucked, but it just happened to be the Wilds. So then I was like, okay, yeah, can't complain about that.

So it was Billy G who traded for you? Well, I don't know how it went down. I don't know who was calling who or when it started, but Rob just told me that he just wanted me to you know find out before it came out on twitter or whatever and then you know billy called me right after so well yeah the reason i say that is because we were going to do a little role playing um later in the the interview about me sliding over an offer at eight times eight if i'm billy g right now i don't know if you want to call your agent on FaceTime right now and get him involved.

His agent's like, shut the fuck up, man. What if I'm Billy G and I slide over eight times eight? You played one year in the league. Shh, right over to your side. Yeah, well, you know what? I've tried not to think about anything contract-related for a while. Don't let this idiot bully you. He's trying to get the quote.

He's trying to get the clip. Yeah, no, I'm staying out of this conversation. That's one I haven't thought about. I'm letting these ribs heal up, so that's what I'm focused on right now. Were you prepped on me potentially asking that? You know what? I've been asked a lot, so I wasn't prepped for it, but I feel like that's the only answer.

Eight times eight and a half. I'm sliding it over right now, final offer. Eight times eight and a half. Next question. All right. Nathan, it's getting. It's Maple Grove, boys. They're like, sign it.

I want you to vote for us. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we need to do a bass boat. What do you do in the summer in Mini? Are you a big fisherman? You just hang out by the lake like most people do there yeah so i'm in the city here in minneapolis so um you know a lot of the guys a lot of the younger guys my age they're all here it's called

the north loop um so there's restaurants bars it's awesome like the the summer we have a great time the patios and then i'm actually right across the highway here from campus still, so I didn't leave my boys too far. But, yeah, and then just I have a cabin up north, about an hour and ten north of here. So, you know, spend days on the lake, whatever, fishing, you know, just chilling. But, yeah, that's it.

That's really it. And that and training, training and skating, that's it that's really it and that and training training and skating that's it did your family have that house like you grew up going there in the summers i feel like that's kind of similar to cape cod in massachusetts like everyone's going to the lake on the weekends all summer and did your family have a place as you were when you were younger uh yeah so i've had that place in my grandparents place had that place my whole life so i've been going up there since I can remember. And then same, same home I grew up in Maple Grove.

So, um, yeah, I, you know, the more I talk about it, you know, it's, I got pretty lucky. I got everything right around me. It's easy. It's easy. Why do people keep asking me about Sally's on campus? Is that the breakfast spot? No, that's a, that's a bar. Yeah. on campus is that the spot no that's a that's a bar yeah that's a that's a one of the two two

main big bars that we would go to were the the college club and salads so um we talked a lot about uh flurry throughout this season thinking it might have been his last year and i told some different stories throughout the years of this podcast and i figure he had to have pranked you a young rookie coming in hot shot like he must have got you at least once no he he did it and i get asked that all the time but it's the same i don't think he he doesn't go out of his way to start it i think for the most part from what i've seen i think if someone tries to get him or does anything wrong to him then it's go time and it's he He gets it done. He didn't touch me once this year.

The more I talk about it, the more scared I get he's going to do something. He's going to wait until his final week next season. I know. You guys are putting ideas in us all. I think now that you said that, you've opened a whole can of worms. It's going to be a whole

big deal now. Were you there when he got Duhame? I'm not going to say who did it. Oh, yeah, you did. I think the flowers on the hood of the

car might have given it away. Or was it a decoy? No, it was you know i was just when we were on the bus we were discussing you know it was stupid to do him he comes to minnesota they play us first time he's back here and he doesn't we fucking play in colorado two weeks later and he messes up flowers car with whatever toilet paper whatever was so he was asking for it. But I think we're starting to think that he just likes kind of being in the spotlight with Flower.

Feels good to him. But no, yeah, it was definitely dumb on his part. So he's a clout chaser is what you're saying? I'm not. However you want to take that, you can. So Wild fans are psycho and they love Kirill the Thrill. What's the most Russian thing about Kirill the Thrill? Oh, gosh.

Well, on the ice, I'd say just his style, right? He's got the old helmet. He's got the weird-looking pants with kind of like falling-apart pants, the skates with no tongues on them. It's like if you looked at him, like, yeah, that guy's a Russian. That guy is. But, I mean, he's great, and everyone loves him. Off the ice, though, I don't know.

I don't know if I could think of one on the spot for you here. All right. Brock, I know you had two different coaches uh dean everson and john hines did your role change at all or did each guy kind of keep you doing the same thing when there was a switch over uh yeah pretty it was pretty similar um you know it was different injuries at different times of the year so whether i was playing a little bit more playing a little bit less i think but for the most part um yeah it's it stayed pretty pretty similar I mean did you know you're going to be playing close to 25 minutes a game this year

did they give you a heads up or did it just sort of work out that way uh I think power play kind of is what did that because I I expected to be on the penalty kill but um you know when I started playing power play then it obviously got up there um But, yeah, I mean, and injuries, right? It's, you know, you lose guys like Spurge and Ambrodeen and, you know, guys are going to be playing more minutes than maybe they're used to or expecting. So, yeah, I expected to, you know, play a big role, but maybe I didn't quite see it the way it is now. But, you know, that's just how it goes. From a national team perspective, like you, you went and lived in Ann Arbor, like, did you go away for a few years?

Uh, yeah. So I was, uh, it was in, when I was at NTDP, there was the Plymouth and Northville Plymouth, Michigan is the new USA hockey arena. So it was, uh, I was in Northville and yeah, the two years, um, Northville and Plymouth. So. Did you ever get homesick at all like what was you how was it adapting to that lifestyle and kind of moving away from home and not being in Maple Grove yeah uh so I was actually yeah when I decided to leave I was committed to Notre Dame um for college uh and that's because of that Curtis Janicki he was a Notre Dame alum

the older Trevor uh Notre we got like four guys off myicki he was a Notre Dame alum the older Trevor uh Notre we got like four guys off my team that was at Notre Dame right now so it was like the that it was kind of just like from a young age that's what I wanted but then when I left home uh I called my my mom and I was like mom I uh I don't know how to tell dad this but I want to play for the Gophers I I want to come home and then i was but yeah that was had a lot to do with the the homesickness for sure brock so i do this series called chicklets university where we visit different schools across the country check out their facilities you know their locker rooms all that outside of minnesota who would you say has the best barn in the big 10 or and and who is the where is the toughest place to play in the big 10 outside of minnesota

um gosh it was a little different this year um but in the big 10 it was always you know we were when my three years i was there it was michigan was also a big team they had you know the luke hughes and then they had power and veneers um so we would always battle it out so it was fun going there um it's actually my least favorite rink in the big 10 is yost though um but then when we go to wisconsin it was like we get a big you know minnesota versus wisconsin we get a big crowd so that was always fun but um yeah i'm pretty biased i think ours is the best by quite a big crowd, so that was always fun. But yeah, I'm pretty biased. I think ours is the best by quite a bit. Do you watch that college series that G's doing?

He's done with some pretty awesome schools. Yeah, I've seen clips on it for sure. And then obviously NODAC, right? It's wild. Yeah, it's ridiculous. I didn't realize how much the North Dakota fans hate Minnesota people. Oh, yeah. Anywhere we went, the first thing they said was go Sue

and then immediately fuck the Gophers. Yeah, no, it's the greatest rivalry, man. It is. Have you been to like a NODAC Gopher game at either Barnes? No, no. That's something you got to do. Well, next year they don't even play. It's insane. I know.

I know. But that is, those were always the funnest games. Those were, we played them twice at home. Um, and then I played them twice my sophomore year, their place.

And it was fucking awesome. If you had to, if you were talking to a 15 year old kid right now and you had to pitch him on, and he's right now, he's deciding he's got OHL offers. He's got WHL offers, and he's got NCAA offers. What would you say to him to take the NCAA route? Or or even taking a step back? Would you even tell him to take that NCAA route? Yeah, well, 100% I would. You know, and it's different, right? It's like, there's, there's plenty of positives of both. You know, you're playing 30, you know, low forties, high 30 games in college

the whole year. So, you know, I think that obviously maybe hinders, you know, the way people look at the college hockey game, if you're an NHL scout or whatever, but, you know, I think the competition is incredible. If you're going to a school like the University of Minnesota, you're playing first-round picks every night. You're playing guys that are then third-liners that are 25 years old that are physically so much more mature than you. And you're playing in front of incredible crowds.

You know, when I was at my sophomore junior year i don't there was maybe four games we didn't sell out the mariucci which holds 10 000 people it's rocking every friday and saturday so it's like i you know i feel like people kind of talk about um you know he hasn't played in many big games but it's like playing north dakota on a friday night in north dakota that's a fucking that's the national league yeah that's a big physical real playoff style hockey game regular season game that's probably louder than most nhl barns a hundred percent of this that was the loudest game i ever played with was uh when we were at home in mariucci the rink holds 10 000 there was like 12 50 there or something crazy and it was the loudest I'd ever heard the place ever it was incredible that's so Brock did you ever hit

hit like yeah I feel like you hit that wall you always hear about the wall rookie season did you ever feel like you hit that at all or was the season just kind of humming along nicely for you uh you know it's it's like individually I think the the ribs you know i think it got to me a little bit right it was because if you get hit once and then you're just like like not playing the same the whole game you're scared to go back and get a puck you're maybe not breathing um you know the way you'd normally be breathing so just little things like that that lingered obviously the whole year for me individually, and I think that kind of wore me out, changed my game a little bit.

But, you know, and then as a team, there's injuries, and, you know, we were fucking battling for a playoff spot, and we just, you know, couldn't take that next step. So that obviously sucked. But, yeah, I think, you know, towards the end of that year, it was definitely ribs for sure. Would you consider yourself a hockey nerd in the sense of you like to consume hockey even when, for instance, playoffs right now?

Are you dialed in? And growing up, I know you didn't switch to D until a later age. Who did you grow up wanting to emulate? Which players were you watching where you said, I like that about his game. I want to be that player. Right. Yeah, right now

like oh the games are on like oh maybe turn them on um but you know it honestly sucks to watch right because you just want to be playing in the playoffs but um yeah and then growing up it was you know i was i was brent burns fan who you know played for andy obviously played for the wild Burns fan who, you know, played for Andy, obviously played for the wild. So I was a fan of his. And then I like Cedar, obviously. And then now that I got older, it's always been McAvoy. I think that's someone who I love the way he plays. Who you kind of looked like a little bit.

It looks like McAvoy. The baby face. I know everyone says it. I get a little laugh. I get a laugh when you hit, too. Yeah, we actually got a gift from you. You started an eyewear company where I wore the shades to the IceCon, and they're great.

So congratulations on your adventure. You're always wearing them. Always, yeah. If I'm not playing hockey, I'm wearing my glasses or working out. I don't know if two years ago you would have thought that next year with best on best starting in the olympics the following season if you'd be a part of that team now it's pretty evident that that you will be was there a part of you that wanted to go to world championships even with the ribs and billy g's like now you got a healer do you know right now

it's like i'm not ready to go play three weeks of of an international event you know yeah no i mean for sure you know you're not in playoff playoffs is always the number one goal obviously as you guys know and then it's you know from there it's um you know with these tournaments coming up and being able to represent you know team usa that's something i obviously really care about um so you know i i think I obviously wanted to go, knowing that, you know, they're sending top guys and it's, you know, obviously a goal of mine to be playing in that, you know, best-on-best tournament

and, you know, four nations and then Olympics as well. So, but I do, I just think I needed the time to let these things heal. And I didn't want to prolong, you know, my summer training and things like that. So it sucks, but, you know, I think it's the best decision for me. And you already have an Olympics under your belt. I don't know if it was hard to go,

because you're probably away from the Gophers for quite a while. But was that something when you're asked, like, even Motzko said, hey, you got to go do this, even though we'll miss you? Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's, you want to be there for your, for your team, um, obviously, but it's also the Olympics. So it's, you know, um, you know, I was more than happy to, and that was, you know, one of the greatest things I've ever done in my life. Um, but yeah,

there's definitely two sides to it, right. There's leaving the guys when, you know, your, your mind is not even thinking about that until you get the call and then it's like, okay, I'm going. So it's definitely two sides to it for sure, yeah. I know you had an old assistant, Paige. You said she's been like a role model to you, just kind of showing you how to do the right thing.

You want to talk about her for a little bit? Yeah, so she's part of this class as you know, with me. So she's got the page frames or what is what they call them and um then mine are the whatever the brock frames um the fades frames um but yeah so uh alex who we were talking about before he came with this idea to my agents with a brand called huxley which is just just a Minnesota-based, you know, glasses company. You know, and the idea sounded great. You know, some of the proceeds go to Minnesota Special Hockey, which is a league that Paige plays in. And then Hendrickson Foundation as well,

which is another league she plays in, which is, you know, adapted hockey, blind hockey, sled hockey. So, you know, it worked out great, and it's been really fun. If you had to be stuck on a desert island with either Moose or Middleton, who are you picking out of the two of them? Oh, Moose. That's a good question. You're going to be staring at middleton's ass cheeks yeah is it true he wears that jockstrap thing that they wore in the 70s

our media guy sits in the locker room waiting till he till he's ready and then he's like all right media's coming in before because it's explicit yes but i'm thinking i think i'm picking midzy because I don't know about Moose as much about his outdoors, if he's outdoorsy or not. But I know Midzy just drives up north on his motorcycle and just fucking camps. So I'm going to take him because I can do that myself, I don't think. I would love to do a content piece with Midzy going on a camping trip.

I will get a hold of him. He'll be happy to take you out on the bike bring you up north so uh i want to know your your welcome to the nhl moment or maybe the first time you faced off against a guy growing up that you idolize where you were like holy shit man i'm fucking matched up against uh alexander ovechkin or crosby or who was that that welcome to the nhl moment for you? Yeah. Well, yeah, McDavid going against McDavid. It's stupid.

And McKinnon. I mean, I just had a welcome to the NHL moment against McKinnon two weeks ago. He scored four goals against us. But, yeah. But then Ovechkin, I think, is another one where you're on the right D-man on the side of the PK, and you're just standing like this, and it's like, oh, fuck, here we go. I'm going to have to eat this one. Yeah, that's definitely one.

I mean, all three of those guys. And Crosby, I mean, you know, the list goes on and on about who you watch and the jerseys you had growing up. So it's a lot of those for sure. A pretty awesome picture came out of you. And I don't know if it was what year you were at Minnesota, but your front row on the glass and Kaprizov scored. You're going nuts.

You got your Minnesota shirt on. It's like the fact that this kid a couple years later is starring for the Wilds. Hilarious. Did the Wilds give you guys those tickets? You were that fired up. It just kind of proved you were a Wild fan. Yeah. No, I was with LA at the time.

Oh, really? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was. That's probably what got you dealt. Fuck, I know. Horrible picture. Blakey saw that. He was like, get this fucking guy out of town. See you later.

I was on Minnesota Sweat John too. It was the worst case. But yeah, no, it was our buddy's debut, Ben Myers. So after our season ended, my sophomore year, he signed with Colorado, and he's playing in Minnesota. So me and my buddies were all on the glass because my cousin has tickets there. So he just gave them to us for that game. So, yeah, and Curl scored right in front of us,

and I'm a wild fan, not even thinking about it, jump up and yell and whatever, and then the picture comes out not even two hours later. Hey, and your buddy Myers is like, dude, I got a minus on that play. Why are you going to bananas? Seriously, seriously. Brock, I know you mentioned Lake Australia.

Any postseason vacations on tap? I know some guys like to go down to Mexico or Caribbean. Anything lined up? Yeah, no, I got nothing. I stay here all summer. You know, I'm biased, but I love it in summer here. It's, you know, going up north. There's a place up north for, you know, college people go to.

You know, guys, people my age. Gull Lake, it's called. I have buddies that have cabins on Gull. That's three hours north. We go there a bunch. My cabin. If not, we're just around here. It's perfect here. I don't feel the need to take a vacation.

RA's got a timeshare in Daytona if you want to use it. $100 a night. He goes to Maine or New Hampshire. Is it Maine or New Hampshire you go to? You're close, Vermont. Oh, Vermont. He goes there too if you want to join him this summer.

I do get asked, is your dad a fan of the movie Animal House by any chance? I have no idea, to be honest. That's the name of the college. It's Faber College. I didn't know if he if he was a fan oh my god i had a favorite college okay i had a favorite college sweatshirt like crew neck growing up i think my whole family got them for christmas once once okay oh there we go yeah yeah college and animal house that's why there was shotgun appears in the favorite college

crew neck just in honor of the movie. Okay. That's why we're doing it. Are you much of a golfer? Yeah. I'm dialing in my game this summer. I just ordered new clubs. They just got here a couple weeks ago, new bag, new head covers, everything. Who's the best player on the wild? Some of that 8 million already.

I just texted Billy G. I said I got him to agree to 8 times 8. I said send over the paperwork. I'm still waiting for his reply. Yeah, you guys sent me this before so we can clip it down. Clip that out of there. No, yeah, I'm dialing. Boldy is the best.

I forgot about Bold's, dude. That guy stripes it. He was playing in – I don't know what the tournament was called, but it was like a legit professional tournament up north on Gull Lake, what I was just talking about. So, like, five of us drove up there and just walked along with him for one of the rounds. Yeah, it was a Canadian tour event.

Yeah, it was. Because I played with him before he was going and i was like buddy you gotta light it up i think one of the rounds he like shot 80 it was funny because that kid he probably hits it as far as most of the guys that play on the canadian tour he smashes them i know yeah he does but yeah so he's the best and i golf with him a lot over the summer he ordered every club for me i didn't know what the fuck so he dialed that in for me but is juicy lucy a minnesota staple drink like a cocktail a juicy lucy i thought that's a burger burger isn't it oh is it okay it's a burger it's a burger with like cheese inside of it like inside the i don't know and it could be a drink and probably is somewhere here okay

somebody was asking me to ask you who makes the best juicy lucy in minnesota so i was like oh i thought maybe that was like a fancy cocktail yeah no i never i've never had a juicy lucy to drink i don't think some of these fans are brutal with their questions at least it's just so funny to me that you believe like they could have been like ask him when he got arrested and biz would have been like so talk to us about the arrest. He's just going on any question that he's getting back in the reply. Well, I'm putting the onus on the home crowd. They're the ones who have been pumping this guy's tires all season long.

Seriously. Sure have. They want some in-depth analysis on shit that they're lying about. The chicken dance his old man's doing to get the. Yeah, that's a weird one. I did get the KK, the weird i didn't get the kk the college club and then you talked about sally so those i would imagine are the two best places for you to go in town to grab a cold one that's that was in college yeah that was we'd go there

every every weekend in college um sal's and kk and then now it's um well i guess i still go back to the kk but no but i try and i try and stay out of there as much as possible now um we'll come back in the summer uh yeah i think he'll he'll be back um nice will be back um nice a bunch of the group we go on also we go on a golf trip uh in the middle of summer like 20 20 or so guys go for go for alumni so that's uh i don't think cool is not a part of that but lacombe on anaheim he goes the ben myers nyes where are you going this year we're going to grand rapids just up north in minnesota here um we have this airbnb on a lake pontoon to the course great you gotta check out uh if you're into golf now dude aaron hills in wisconsin buddy awesome guys trip they got they got the cabins to stay at a party i've heard about that night

yeah i've heard about that 100 i will check that one out for sure following the t-wolves at all back in the playoffs this year absolutely yeah they're on at 6 30 here uh i don't know what time it is yeah they just started here so um but it's been awesome we went to a game and i've never been to a basketball game and it's electric especially in there and the playoffs the white outs it's great we sit right down low on the floor there uh, I wasn't able to get those tickets. I tried, but I was not. Once you sign business extension, that'll be no problem. I don't know.

I think that's still a little out of the price range, those tickets on the floor. I love it. Man, this has been great, guys. Do you have anything else? No, I appreciate it, man. It was a pleasure watching you play, buddy. Just the beginning for you.

So heal up and looking forward to watching your career take off even more and hopefully see you next year representing Team USA at this Four Nations thing in Boston and Montreal. So good luck with everything, dude, and we appreciate it. Awesome. Yeah, thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it. Before we continue, I need to talk to you about Cremo.

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Walmart or Walmart.com. Once again, that's at Walmart or Walmart.com. And that's all about Cremo. Thank you so much to Brock Faber. As you said, Biz, just wise beyond his years, very mature. And now he's so rich. He's filthy rich.

I'm rich, bitch! Shout out the Dave Chappelle show, one of the all-time classic shows. So I think that Wild fans already love the guy. He's from Mini, plays for the Wild. And now it's going to be special eight years with him patrolling the blue line for them so we appreciate him coming on um quick uh maya culpa apparently it was just daniel sadeen who did the gross grind 11 times in one day henrik was not there so just just just daniel so he was the one arguing with his wife

since we're talking maya culpa might as well get into it now we got duped by the internet ryan whitney everybody was all over fanatics fanatics takes a lot of heat online for sometimes the quality of their merchandise they're fucking up the name bars on the back it's not sticking uh properly enough it's coming unglued on stitch whatever it may be steven stamko that was we got duped somebody did that who doesn't like fanatics we read it off as It's coming unglued, unstitched, whatever it may be. Stephen Stamko. That was, we got duped. Somebody did that who doesn't like fanatics. We read it off as if though it happened.

It was false. It was fake news. We got the tinfoil hat people duping us online. So I just want to apologize to fanatics. And they do take a lot of flack online. I did get a chance to see the new jerseys, and I think that they are handling that with care. And the top-of-the-line jerseys in which the NHL players will be wearing this year will not be far off from the Adidas ones.

They won't have the ribbed shoulder. They actually have a part now underneath where the elbow pad is, for when guys end up hitting the boards or whatever or not. They double-layered it because it was getting ripped too easy and then it was being exposed. So there's actually improvements that Fanatics has made to the new NHL jerseys, the authentic ones, and they're making them available for people to purchase online.

I think they're very expensive. I want to say they're close to 500 bucks maybe four and a quarter a lot of money for the authentic ones that these guys are rocking but that's exactly what the players are wearing where i don't know if they made those fully available in the past maybe adidas did from my understanding is you couldn't get the the actual authentic jersey that the players wore it was kind of just a different slight variation. Once again, though, we'll be doing a Maya Culpa next week about this exact same subject,

because I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about. But my apologies to Fanatics. My first ever jersey, 1993, red, Steve Eisenman, had the C on there and the fight strap. That thing was authentic as hell. Authentic as authentic comes. And I remember being like, this is the jersey that he wears. So that is cool.

That is cool. You want to give people the chance, even though it is a ton of money. If really somebody wants the actual jersey now, they can get it. I didn't know that you couldn't. So I'm sure you probably couldn't, and we will owe another mayor call. But on to the signings around the league. Buffalo Sabres, the kings of just handing out big deals

when guys are very young and I think considered unproven, signed Ukapeka Lukunen to a five-year contract with an AAV of $4.75 million. Now, I think this could turn out, as is the case with all these young and early signings, to be a bargain, okay? As of right now, though, it's confusing. I could say it's confusing because Devin Levi's probably like, ah, I thought I was

going into last year I was the starter. I ended up in the minors. Now, granted, like he wasn't ready to be the NHL starter. So I get that. But now this guy's making 4.75 for the next five years. Where does that leave me? So I don't know what you took away from this signing, but I was just like, once again,

a little early and maybe not necessary at this moment in time. Oh, if I'm Devin Levi, I'm saying this is awesome because if this guy fucking takes three, four months off and I go on a ripper, I'm going to be getting the same contract. Because, listen, this guy's a great goaltender. I think he's got all the potential in the world.

But sample size was half of a season last year. The first half, the team really struggled. People would argue he was probably the only bright spot in the first half so even call it a full year of really good numbers but with no type of leverage and then if you're if you're if you're the vancouver canucks are you not saying oh my god we got she loves who ended up doing this in playoffs too and we got them locked in at under a million and then all of a sudden, this guy's making four and change. So you said it's four, right? Or is it five and change?

It's 4.75 for five years. On a five-year deal. So I just thought it was a lot. I did get a chance. Like, even with TNT, we had quite a few Buffalo games. Like, he was really good in the second half of the year. Probably the only reason that they even came close to striking distance on maybe getting a wild card and off the top of my head my assumption would be he just had just over a i think he had like a 2.2.12 goals against average maybe 2.2 so anytime you're in

that two range it's excellent and then i think he was a not like a 915 save percentage so those are the types of numbers nowadays if you're willing if you're able to play long enough and sustain those numbers that's probably the type amount of money that you should be getting paid but not until you're an unrestricted free agent like just the lack of leverage is i just that's what i don't understand with this deal where why not just give it a few other years at like a way lower number, see what you have with Devin Levi, where if he all of a sudden is the guy in a year or two,

what if he commands what Swayman would command? And you got to pay him seven. Now all of a sudden you have close to 12 million locked up in goaltenders. Maybe it's more at that time. So just the timing of it, as you mentioned, are at the hop. Just a little odd at why you would slap that down this quick, given with the guy you have else in the system.

So a little bit confusing, but I hope he plays up to it even better. So a very big goalie, as you see with most of these guys now, 6'5", or 6'4", 6'5". Yeah, he's a mutant. It wasn't 2- though it was two five seven was his goals again okay two and a half and it wasn't 9 15 it was 9 10 not that far off that is a big difference in the ga but yes tons of potential makes it look easy when he's on so the deal could be genius but that remains to be seen. And the team hasn't been great defensively, so there's also that part of it.

Well, I mean, his numbers were way better this year in the NHL than the season prior when he played nine games in the AHL that season prior, and his numbers were much improved this year from the NHL games he played last year as well. So I think that there's something there. But now you're like, how many games has he played? I think he played 100 games. 100. 100 games.

I think right now the Buffalo Sabres, which I don't know whether you think they're going to make playoffs next year. I'm going to guess that they will because it has to eventually crack. They have to fucking break this. The ugliest streak in pro sports going on right now they will 13 years in a row now has it been since they haven't made playoffs them in the new york jets i think that that they have a lot of guys that they've handed a lot of money to that need to take that next step and i don't know if that's a good place to be in i don't know i don't

know if that's a good precedent to set. Because listen, and I don't want to be too hard on him. He's got a lot of runway here left. Owen Power, he didn't play up to what he got last year. I know he was still on his entry level, but he's going to be making $8 million this year. So a lot more eyeballs on how Owen Power starts

off the year. Now this goaltender. Who else has gotten big deals there? Cousins? Well well Darlene has kind of earned it I would say I would say he's earned it but that's all a he's gonna have the eyes on I'm making 11 there's no room for error when you're making 11 sheets yes that's so they got a lot of money paid out to guys who need to bring this team to the next level so I don't know how I don't can Lindy Ruff bring them there can Lindy Ruff bring them to the next level so i don't know how i don't can lindy ruff bring them there can lindy ruff bring them to the promised land yeah like i'm looking at their roster right now like benson

at 30 points as an 18 year old can he step up to 50 60 points his second year which sometimes can be more difficult yeah cousins i love his game 47 points can he jump up to 65, 70? A lot of question marks. I, right now, off the top of my head, don't think they make playoffs. But I kind of totally forgot that Lindy Ruff was their new coach. And he's been around this league long enough. And you saw what he did pretty quick with New Jersey. So we'll see what happens at Buffalo. But they got a goalie signed up long term.

So otherwise, around the the league signings wise travis connect me signs a monster deal in philadelphia pretty cool way that uh that that i oh he earned it and i saw the travis sanheim uh tweeted out uh according to my sources um travis connecting will be staying in philly on a long-term contract and that said my source with an arrow pointed down, it was a picture of Travis Konechny. So teammates breaking news. And I think Konechny was asked about it.

And he said that Sanheim was going to do that during the year. He's like, I'm going to announce when you sign. So pretty cool way to see a guy get his contract announced to the Twitter sphere. And this deal, he's earned every penny. He is elite offensively. He's in your face. Tortorella loves him, and he doesn't love many players, and he's somebody that you can win with.

Now, do they have enough otherwise? Oh, Matvey Michkov also is here. I saw Keith Jones and Daniel Breer picked him up at the airport. And Breer was carrying his sticks and Jonesy's carrying his bag or whatever. So they're all ready and they need this guy to light it up. But that's exciting for the Flyers because you get your best player signed long term, big dough. And then you bring over the future superstar, the flashy Russian that everyone's heard so many great things about on the ice. So I just was kind of surprised that he ended up resigning there.

You heard a lot of rumblings around the deadline. Will Konechny get traded? And maybe that has something to do with Tortorella. Tortorella is one of those coaches that's very involved with the front office as well. Well, I think he's actually talked about once he's done there, he will join the front office. I feel like he's almost considered a member

of the front office there. Yeah. I agree. I agree. So you know that he's sitting there and he's given that deal his blessing because he's like, this is a guy that if we want to get to that next level, we surprise so many fans and teams all season being in the

race as long as they were till a huge collapse at the end. I mean, if you remember what happened in the press conferences, they had it locked up. They had a playoff spot. And a main reason was Travis Konechny and the season he had. And I think just being a Flyer his entire career and playing the way that the city and those fans want to see Flyers plays has something to do with them saying, we can't lose this guy.

This is a guy that, yes, this is a ton of money. He's a cultural guy. Yes. Culture guy. You need those. Because I think most people thought it was going to be, they were going to kind of start tanking and do a whole facelift. But it seems like way more of a retool now.

I think they believe in this quick retool. And how quickly they can reestablish Flyer Nation. That Michnov kid. He started out last year with one of the big teams in Russia. And then moved off to kind of like a second tier. Top league team. Sochi I think. I think he was in Sochi where I played.

Yeah get a little bit more ice time. Because I think he was in sochi where i played yeah i get a little bit more ice time because like i mean i think he was going to get lost in the shuffle and not really get those pp reps where he was at i think it was either ska or the other big dog one every time i like hear about a russian now and they show the video of them walking in i could just picture andre wa who we had in the podcast where he's like you know he did that yeah no that's good man fire nation represent let's go but biz i think that some people that were dogging on the deal mentioned you know 8.75 for eight years um 68 points this past season was his career high, 61 points the year prior. Now, the 61 points two years ago was in 60 games. This year, 68 points in 76 games,

but 33 goals, 31 the year prior. Yeah, but I think he's playing penalty kill, power play. He's playing all situations. He's solid defensively. He's in your face. He's a leadership. So, guys, we're sitting here talking about these fucking guys who have played two years in the league who've maybe had that many points

who are softer than puppy shit and then you're finally handing it over to a guy who's gotten what didn't he have 40 goals last year or maybe the year before 30 30 he's never his highest was 33 this season oh 33 okay so fuck 30 goal. He's proven it a few times. Give him the money, man. Give it to the vets. Not these little munchkin new guys. Who else signed? Was it Martin Natchez?

Woo, the drama, baby. I thought he was getting dealt. I can't believe this one. I thought this guy was done in Carolina. I think everyone thought. I think that I've read things or read I did read things before saying a trade was imminent a trade would happen this week certain well no more Donnie Waddell though maybe it was hard negotiating with him Don Waddell ends up ends up giving the press conference at one point this summer when he said, say hi to his dad for me,

after his dad was very vocal in a check paper, I think, saying, like, my son wants to be traded, my son should be traded. I think the issue with Netschus was that he wanted more playing time. He wanted more power play time, and he wanted more chance, because he had a dip in his numbers this season.

This season, he had 77 games, 53 points. He had been coming off the year prior, 82 games, 71 points. Now, in the playoffs, he was great. He had nine points in 11 games. I think the best thing about Netsch is his skating. He's big, and he flies. One of the most fun players to watch in three-on-three overtime. He gets curling along the wall, and boom.

He is buzzing by people. He's got great hands, creative. So I just thought with all the rumblings from his dad and all the insiders saying the trade's imminent, and now he's back on a two-year deal. G wrote it here. I believe it's six-and-a-half AAV. Yeah, just kind of like a prove-it deal. You want to be the guy?

You know, no more. Well, we were talking about it beforehand with G and he said no more, no more Gensel. So there's, but he also mentioned, and I think that G pulled this up as well, that one of his complaints is he wanted to play center, more of a full-time role. Now you talk about his skating as an ability like if you're

a type of guy who is actually responsible and you have that much speed where you can keep momentum a little bit more he can be more valuable and skilled throughout the middle of the ice now i don't know if rod trusts him that could be a conversation that he was having with the gm saying like i'm not going to be putting in this situation so if you pay him like that it's not going to make a difference for me so maybe that's where the this situation. So if you pay him like that, it's not going to make a difference for me. So maybe that's where the arguing was going on, where now I feel like that's a respectable number, two years at six and a half.

And he might get that opportunity to prove if he is that next guy. So I don't mind it. And another note that she had in the outline too, was when we had Seth Jarvis on, he said that he's the most skilled guy on the team. So let's see if we could see it. I mean, he's got a nice little cushion here the next two years for him to be able to prove that.

And under that suffocating system, I'm interested to see how much Rod would let him kind of flourish in that role. You know what I'm saying? You get where I'm coming from? Do you think you can trust him in the middle of the ice? He's going to have to, I think, because I'm looking right now. I mean, Ajo leads the team in points. Next, Seth Jarvis had a great year.

He's there. Next was Tara Vinen. He's gone. All right? You lose him. Then you got Netschist, then you got Svechnikov, then you got Brady Shea. He's gone.

Then you got Brent Burns, then you got Stefan Nosen. He's gone. So it's going to be a different season in Carolina, right? And obviously, Gensel is gone, and he wasn't even considered one of their leading scorers because the stats I'm looking at were just for Carolina's numbers. He had 25 points in 17 games and then nine points in the playoffs. So it is going to be for the first time in a while, I think a season in which the expectations for the hurricanes aren't necessarily as high as, as they have been the year prior, right?

Like this year it was like cup or bust cup or bust. And it had been that way the year prior and they kept improving and kept winning their division and then would flame out in the playoffs. Now it's like, we got some question marks. And we got guys who've been a huge part of this team for a long time that aren't here now can net just step up and get back to that closer to point per game guy and become like a star in the league.

I think at moments he's a star, but it's not consistent enough. And maybe if he's able to play center the entire season, he thinks I can be an 80, 90-point player. Remains to be seen. But the number, I love the number. If it pans out, pretty lethal, 1, 2, 3. Jordan Stahl's coming back, right? Jordan Stahl, Martin Uckelby, and who did they sign?

From Carrier. So that's a hell of a third or fourth line. I think third line, I guess. So they're, they, they have a great team still, but I don't think going into the season previews,

NHL season, it's going to be the same expectations that were there last year. Agreed. Agreed wholeheartedly. Other than that, the Columbus blue Jackets forward, Patrick Laine, has been cleared to return from the NHL-NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The team was informed, per the Athletics-Aaron Ports line.

Laine is still recovering from shoulder surgery. And Elliott Friedman noted, his timeline is unclear. It was reported that Laine and the Blue Jackets were working together to facilitate a trade. His release from the player assistance program could potentially expedite the process as teams want to speak with Line A before engaging in trade discussions. No team, including the Blue Jackets, could talk to him directly while he was in the program. I get that. I think if teams are out there and he wants to be traded

and Columbus said, we're going to do our best to trade you, they want to talk to him, see where he's at mentally, see how he feels, see basically his thoughts on his game and his career and everything. Because if you're coming out of something that he's been going through, before you make a trade, you've got to have a serious conversation with the guy and really kind of try to learn his personality a little bit because it's going to be a valuable asset or player that goes back to Columbus

if they are going to trade him. And this is a guy, as a fan and doing what we do, it's like when he is on, oh my God. When he's giving it everything, he's got the shot, the release, he's big, he can skate, he's got the shot, the release. He's big. He can skate. He's got everything to be a 40, 50 goal guy in the NHL. It's just, it's the motivation factor.

And it's the nights off and the shifts off where players and coaches are like, he doesn't have it tonight. He's got no desire to be out there. When he ain't bringing the offense, I don't think he's really bringing it many other areas. He's not a guy who's emotionally invested most nights. He's not a guy who, when he's not getting those opportunities, he's saying, you know what, I'm going to win all my wall battles tonight. I'm going to get in front of that shot in the D zone,

make sure I get that block and get out in that lane. I don't know, I guess the other question I have for you is, is let's say line is, is back to playing the best hockey of his career. Where do you think he would fit in the best right now? I want to say some people mentioned Carolina would be a good fit because they lacked a little bit of size on the wings, you know, and that natural goal goal scoring ability. That's why they brought in Gensel. So now you could probably be having Columbus eating half his salary, if not even maybe a little bit more, if they get enough asset return.

Where do you think he can go flourish? Do you think Edmonton would poke on him? They can't. No, I don't think Edmonton needs him. I think the way Edmonton's forwards look right now and the free agents that they had with Arvidsson and Skinner, no. I think, honestly, dude, that if somebody's going to trade for him, it would kind of be like a team like Calgary

or a team that really doesn't have cup aspirations that needs maybe a little offense. Because how, if you're a team that is thinking going into this season that you can win the Stanley Cup, how is this guy going to be the addition that you think will put you over the top? Now, if he somehow doesn't get traded... Well, you're hoping to do so at a very discounted price. I want to say he's making around the $8 million mark, maybe $8.4.

That would be my guess off the top. I think he's at 8.4, maybe 7.6. In between those two. Come on. Yeah, so there'd have to be. No cap friendly. We just all have to guess now. 8.7, dude.

Yeah, okay, okay. What did I say? 8.4? Yeah, you said 8.4, and I thought you were over. Wow. I didn't even realize that. What's crazy is, dude, his rookie year, he had 36 goals. You remember him and Matthews had that dueling hat trick game.

I remember that. Yeah, Jets fans took the L on that. They said that he was better than Matthews. That's a tough one. The next season, he popped off for 44. Then he went to 30. Then he went to 28. And then it's like, whoa.

He got traded from Winnipeg. He had 12 goals the 2021 season in 46 games. Then he had 26 in 56 games with Columbus three years ago. Two years ago, 22 goals in 55 games. And then last year, six goals in 18 games. So it's like he hasn't been close to goal scoring like those first two or three years but if you're but if you are columbus given the fact of where you are like they're not going anywhere next year they're not going to make playoffs they're not

there yet you could eat salary for the last two years of his deal and make out with probably a decent return if you eat a lot of money for a team willing to take a flyer on him. Based on his goal scoring. You're going to have to. At 8.7 though. You're going to have to eat at least two thirds of his deal. To get any type of thing in return. So should be interesting to see where line A ends up.

And glad to hear that he's doing better. Don't tell me Leafland. No. I don't know why. And people may chirp. But a team that needs goals. And Leafland. No. I don't know why, and people may chirp, but a team that needs goals and needs offense, that has some scoring ability but not a ton, like the Red Wings?

What if he went to Detroit? Detroit has Larkin and they have Kane and they got Debrinket, and they have Kane, and they got, you know, Debrinket. But, like, they don't strike me as, like, a hugely offensively talented team. And they lost Perron, too. I could be talking out of my ass right now. We are. I'm just thinking of, like, every team. We usually do.

Maybe Colorado, if what's his name? Who's the big Russian? Yeah, maybe if the Chushkin ends up not coming back. So we're just speculating, but that's always fun. What else you got for me, Whit? What else do I got here before we wrap things up? We do have one of your former teammates coming on, Jason Strudwick, who we interviewed in Edmonton.

Oh, yeah, we've got to throw it to Struddy now. So Struddy was excellent, and I think people got their first taste of Strudwick, who we interviewed in Edmonton. Oh, yeah, we've got to throw it to Struddy now. So Struddy was excellent, and I think people got their first taste of Struddy when he came on during, was it one of our live shows? I think it was one of our live shows. It was one of our playoff shows where some people were confused. This year we were doing two pods a week, and one of them was prerecorded. Some of them turned into more live shows,

and then the audio was a little bit different, but he hopped on one of those to talk about Edmonton and what they'd started doing differently throughout. I think it was the second or third round of playoffs. So we obviously needed to get him on just from that small taste of him insulting Witt for a full breakdown of his career and what it was like playing with Witt. And we had the fortunate ability to sit down with him when we were in Edmonton for the Stanley Cup final. So without further ado, Witt's former teammate, Jason Strudwick.

All right, it's time for our next guest. This demon from here in Edmonton was taken by the Islanders in the third round of the 1994 draft. After a quick stint with the Isles, he played in Vancouver, Chicago, on Manhattan, and finished up here in Edmonton. Total in 14 NHL seasons, and he's been highly sought after since we had him on a couple weeks back.

It's so nice to welcome to the Spit and Chicklets podcast Jason Strutt. I might be crying by the end of this. Just the wit roast, number two. As soon as he came in swinging, I'm like, we're getting this guy back on asap it was funny it's like rippling it welcome our new co-host here jason strug i get fired today for strutting it was funny because i i started out and i was like i gotta be ready and all my

buddies like you were pretty mean to wits i thought you were friends like we are but like i didn't know what we're friends i thought you were coming out to you so i was like i was ready to go right i knew you did. And I was listening because we mentioned Guy, You're Back, which is a great pod that Strutty and Rashag and Brown are on. We had Brownie on. Oh, the best guy. And I was listening after and they were like,

you were hard on me. I was swinging first. I wasn't getting hit first. You go in there, you start swinging. I was dying. How about Mike Milbury as a first NHL head coach? That must have been a dream. Oh, yeah.

So yeah, we had Rick Bone, bonus, and he got fired, you know, like let's say two months in. And I spend most of my time with the owners and the minors, right? Two and a half years. Is it Bridgeport or no? No, Worcester. The armpit.

I think they call that the armpit. You're from there, aren't you, Wits? I'm not from Worcester. I'm from Worcester. Dollar 25. That's exactly it. That's exactly it. So I, and then, So he gets fired and then Millbrae takes over.

And Mike, I think, meant well, but I don't think he really was a patient guy. You look at the trades he made, the guys he traded away were like elite players. I mean, the trade of Bertuzzi and McCabe, I mean, those are cornerstones of your organization, right? Yeah. And you trade them in Vancouver. And then I always trade for Gino Ogic, which I don't think it was quite as lopsided. But I go to Vancouver.

But you keep trading away all these guys. And it's tough. It's tough. So Mike, yeah, he was there a long time. A lot of owners, I think, Biz, they didn't really know what he was doing. Did you grow up right around here? Yeah, right in the west end of Edmonton.

I grew up, if you saw me play at 10 or 12, you weren't going to be like, holy shit, there goes, you know, the grace it might be. I wasn't that good. Like I was mean. I liked, I liked hitting and I wasn't very friendly.

My cousins are Scott and Rob Niedermeyer, right? So, you know, you could argue Scott's one of the greatest defensemen of all time. Something skipped a gene with you. Well, the problem is, no, my dad cheaped out. My dad cheaped out. I'm like, those guys would go to six, seven hockey schools.

My dad would be like, oh, we got you in one. I'm like, one? Are you kidding me? Like, you got to get me in there all the time. Look at these guys skate. Into one and a paper route. Yeah, yeah, that's it. Yeah, you can deliver the Crestwood Gazette,

and I'd get like 25 cents an hour. And so my cousins are going to all these things. And you know what? Like I chased them all my life and I'm so lucky they're my cousins because I could see like, you know, I never thought I'd play in the NHL and I'd go to hockey school. I don't think I went with Scotty, but with Rob. And we'd go to hockey school and I was like,

where's Rob Niedermeyer? I'm like, he's over there. They're like, do you know him? I'm like, that's my cousin. That's why they talk to you? Seriously? like, where's Rob Niedermeyer? Where's, I'm like, he's over there. They're like, do you know him? I'm like, that's my cousin. Like. That's why they talk to you. Seriously? Yeah.

I'm like, yeah, that's my cousin. And, uh, so I chased them and it was a good thing to have it. Cause you know, like the way they practiced and then even working out, like working out, like this is 1987. No one is working out as a, as a 13 year old. Now everyone's pumping iron, right?

Doing the deep squats, something you jumped over with. And, um, and, and so I, I, I kind of figured it out. Right. And, and so I was chasing them. I was able to make it, but it was because of them.

I, I, I'm never jealous of those guys. I mean, obviously I'm, they're better hockey players, but I'm like, well, it's better looking and funnier. Like they're, they're kind of, now they're, they're aging quick. Like I'm talking like. That's what he got on Scotty now.

Oh Scotty, like who's, who's a funny man now, right? Like he, he looks like Arnold Babar, two B's and on the row, you know what I mean? So it's kind of tough. Hey, so he seems like a pretty quiet guy. Like when, when you get behind the scenes with him and you get a couple, get a couple of pops in him, does he just open up and just starts like.

Well, he didn't drink. He didn't drink. So I played in Worcester, I think, when I was 20 and then they were in New Jersey. So his wife, Lisa, at the time was girlfriend. So why don't you come down for the all-star break, like the HL. I didn't make it that year, biz.

And so I go, I drive down there and like, they have games. So I'm like, hey, do you want to go over some beers? And he's like, we don't really drink. I'm like, what? This is my all-star break. Are you serious?

What do you think I'm here for? So she and I go over beers and after he takes me to a diner in New Jersey. A diner. I'm like, buddy, you're in the NHL. Like, can we go somewhere a little bit nicer? Like an IHOP or something? And so we had like two, three beers and we went home and that was it. And he's like, I got to get ready for the next game.

I'm like, what? He's a simple man. He just wanted to go for a hike. But like, he is an amazing guy and so nice. And I truly think when I played him, he told his teammates not to fight me because I was running around trying to prove that I was better than my cousin to my grandpa. He's like, Jason, no.

I was like, you need some therapy. No, it's true. And I'd go visit my grandpa and my grandpa. And he's like, Jason, no. I was like, you need some therapy. Oh, no, I know it's true. And I go see my grandpa and my grandpa be like, why do you fight? I'm like, cause I'm not as good as that guy. Like I, that's what I gotta do. Like, who do you think? I help him sleep at night.

Right. And, and, but I'm sure he, I'm sure he told him not to fight me. I guarantee it. Yeah. I tried my grandpa at the time he tried to explain, tried to get me not to fight. And it's like, ah, it doesn't really work like that, Gramps.

I don't really have a choice, buddy. Yeah, if I could score a mom, their dad, sister? It's my dad and their mother. Okay. And a great relationship. But like, you know, everyone has their own path to the NHL. And mine was just chasing those guys, right? And I was so, and then they went to the Western League.

And again, like, no one is even looking at me. Like they were like, who is this guy? Like, you know, you know, ruggedly attractive, obviously, but couldn't, couldn't play the game. And then someone found me and I went, I followed my cousin to Kamloops and then, and played there.

But it's just, you know, everyone's path to whatever great, if you want to call it greatness or the NHL is different. Yeah. Were you there for the, the, the mem cups? Yeah. I actually, I left, I, so I finished, I it greatness, or the NHL is different. Yeah. Were you there for the Mem Cups? Yeah. I actually, I left, so I finished, I played midget hockey in the worst,

one of the weakest teams in history in Empton. And then crushed all year. Crushed. Yeah, we won our, I think we won four, our first four or five games, and then I, and then we didn't win again. I was a D man. I was, I was wheeling and dealing, guys.

Pretty good. Minus 50. Yeah, well, see, this, I'd be generous. And a Ginla was on St. Albert. So every time we played a Ginla, I'm like, buddy, we lose 10-1, but I was plus one. And he didn't want to hear that. But we, we, we'd play.

And then they found me one night and I went to council next year and I went from the worst team and then draft, won the Memorial Cup, drafted, then won the Memorial Cup again, then signed the contract. Like that's how quickly it can happen, right? And you're trying to explain that to kids today and they're like-

They want the instant gratification. Want to be in the best team. They want to be in the best team all the time. And I don't know that that's always the best. I think struggling is a healthy- You know, it's an adversity at a young age. It's better to have it then than have it your first time when you're 20, you don't know how

to handle it. No, you don't. So you're obviously a stay at home defenseman also in the Western League. You were developing where beforehand and like what, like who helped you understand what your role was going to be? And were you okay with that?

Just being that, you know, fifth, sixth defenseman? Yeah. Like I, when I played, I enjoyed like making people have a bad day. Like I wanted offensive players to have a bad day. Even when I retired from hockey, I played men's league. I just see, I watched him warm up like,

who's the best player? Oh, I'm going to torture him. 27, I'm going to make him have a bad day. And that's all, I enjoy that. Like I, I wish I could have scored more, you know, and I, I try to coach kids to score more, but that's how I'm wired. I wanted you to have a bad day and I wanted you

to hurt while it was happening. Right. And that's, um, so I had wanted you to have a bad day and I wanted you to hurt while it was happening, right? And that's, so I had a midget, so U18, I think they call it now. I had a guy who was a former NHL coach.

I mean, I was an underage and he's like, you're actually can play pretty well. This is what you have to do, but make people suffer. And, you know,

a lot of stick work, you know, the odd, you know, hit from behind or cross check someone in the front of the net and they go down,

blocked a shot with their back. probably makes it unlikely they're going to come back to the front of the net. But these are all things you learn, right? And you kind of figure it out as you go. Like sticks on pocket, he was teaching you sticks and all the little detail work and you, and you just kind of absorbed it and you ran with it.

Yeah. And I think that, you know, those are things that I think that are important at any level, right? I think that you, there's such a focus in minor hockey on, on, uh, skating, skating, I won't deny, but like, um, handling the puck and making plays and I get all that, but still when you're in your own zone defending the puck,

like you think of, uh, you know, Hedman. Yeah. He's a very offensive player, but he's got a really good stick or Ekblad or, uh, you know, all these guys, they've got really good sticks and they're really hard to play against. And so the more, the harder you defend, the quicker and more likely you are to get the puck back quickly. The thing is that that stuff's harder to do

than it is to make a nice breakout pass. So it takes a certain level of commitment to be like, all right, well, the, the playing defense, anyone can do, but not anyone has like the balls and the grit to do it. And that's what's, that's what's hard for young kids. Well, it's consistency. I think it's consistency is we want to do it. And that's what's, that's what's hard for young kids. Well, it's consistency.

I think it's consistency is we want to do it. And, and, and honestly, like no one puts, like if, if Ryan Woody makes an amazing defensive play, the parents aren't putting that on their Instagram. Yeah. They want to see him wheeling up and faking it, sliding a backdoor for a tap in, right? But I think like as a coach, I know I embrace those things

because you're going to get the offense. If you, if you're coaching that or working with kids on that, you'll get it. And like, I never, I never had that. I never had that mentality, but a lot of players do now, but still, you know, if you can score, defending is probably the next easy, is a pretty easy thing to, to, to add to your game.

Yeah. You know, you look at a guy like Evan Bouchard and he, he, he's so talented and moves the puck so well, and he's learning how to defend. It's a lot of fun to watch, to watch play. And that's kind of the next step in winning. I think in, in becoming a truly great player. When you were in Kamloops, was that like 20

fights a year? Was it that often? Yeah. So I, I, you know, at that time. It was no third round. I mean, that's pretty. Yeah. So I think my first year in junior, I had maybe

eight fights, but to give you a sense, like our, our sick boy had about 10. He was really tough. He was a about 10. He was really tough. He was a tough kid. Evan, really tough. And so like, I wasn't a fighter. Like I grew up here in Edmonton and I, um, like I never gone to fight a recess.

Uh, my parents. You seem like a lover. I am. I am. And I, I am very friendly guy. And I, I, I used to, I live right when here at West Edmonton mall, the big mall in Edmonton. I would carry my, I played trombone in high school.

It doesn't get a lot, the ladies, right? Before that, I played organ. So I'd carry my trombone and these kids from this school called Rosh Shabbat would always chirp. And they're like, what the fuck? I can beat the shit out of you. Buddy, I'm just carrying my trombone. Play my instrument.

I'm not trying to make a statement. My mom's making me play. I'm not making a statement here. So one day they finally jumped me. And I remember I'm like. I'm not trying to make a statement. My mom's making me play. I'm not making a statement here. So one day they finally jumped me. And I remember I'm like, I'm fighting these guys off, trying to hold on to my trombone. And I remember thinking, I'm fighting these guys over a trombone. Like, what am I doing, right?

So I wasn't a fighter. I'd never gotten to fight except the time I was like, let it go, let it go. What am I doing? That's my trombone. I got my bus pass like, hold on. You can't do anything to these guys. Let it go. What am I doing? That's my drudger ball. I got my bus pass like, hold on. I'm going to be there. And you got 20 days with these guys. It was embarrassing.

Embarrassing. So anyway, so, um, and then I go to junior and I'm not really a fighter. And my first fight ever was against a guy named Rocky Thompson. Oh my God. Jeez. What?

Yeah. Yeah. And I honestly, like he, I, I knew like guys before the game, like, Hey, just so you know, this guy's pretty tough. And Tyson Nash gets into, he was the most annoying guy. Tyson Nash is very annoying.

And he, he knows Rocky. So I jump in there and Rocky's like, I swear to God, I thought the linesman was punching me. I'm like, Hey, I'll deal with you in a second. I'm getting beat up by these, this guy right here. And I'm like, what the hell? So I, I, I did not know how to fight.

I didn't know how to fight. Right. And it really wasn't until pros where I started to learn how to fight. Cause you're not, now you're not fighting, you're 18 or fighting a 17 year old. You're 20 fighting a 30 year old. Was there anyone you played with that helped you or was it more on your own learning it?

Yeah. You know, my first year junior, I, or first year pro, I walk into our dressing room in Worcester, the Ice Cats. And our coach was a guy named Jimmy Roberts. And unfortunately he's passed away, a great guy. And he was a, he was a character I had on a slap shot. And he's like, do you want to play in the NHL?

I'm like, yeah, I do. He's like, you know, what are you going to do? I'm like, I'm going to work hard. You know, you give all the same. He's like, don't give me that shit. You gotta like, you're going to learn how to fight. I'm like, what'd you say?

And so he sent me to a guy, a boxing guy. The guy had like one eye. It was like a patch. And like, we're, me and this other guy, Jed Feeblecorn are learning how to like jab. And I'm like, oh my God was like a patch. And like we're me and this other guy, Jed Feeblecorn, are learning how to like jab and I'm like, oh my god. What am I doing? Yeah, this is crazy. Give me a trombone again. It was, it was. Yeah, yeah. If you can

dodge a wrench, you can dodge anything. So I'm like I'm fighting. So I fought 22 times that year and I probably had like one tie. All losses, right? And I learned, but you learn like the only way, I don't know Biz, if you've had the only way is to fight. You have to do it.

And they'd say like, we have to look to learn to look through a punch. Yeah. That's easy for you to say you're on the bench, like just having a dart, you know, like nothing. And I'm in there scrapping for my life. So yeah, I mean, it was, it was hard learning how to fight. It was really, really hard. Cause I'm not an angry guy, but I, I like playing mean, but you know,

fighting wasn't really necessarily in my DNA. Yeah. Well, he said Bonvey helped him a lot. So he took care of the guys. Yeah. No doubt was fortunate to have guys like that along the way.

Like Dennis Bonvey was probably like the OG. Yeah. Especially from the AHL perspective. Yeah. And that's really where I had to start doing it. In the coast, it was a little bit, there's a story about when I was on the five on three fighting lane, man.

I said, we don't need to get into it, but well, that's awesome. That's, I mean, I don't know if you had anything already to hop in here. No, I know you, it looks like you burned off the one game for the, get that one, one game with the Islanders, 95-96. I don't know, seven penalty minutes, so you must not fight that for us game.

So, you know, I wasn't exactly like, yeah, I wasn't a silver spooner, so I wasn't sure I was going to get back. So I get called up from Worcester, my first year, I'm 20. And the guy says, uh, you know, my coach Jimmy Roberts says, you're going to get called up.

So I'm like, okay. So I go there. I'm like, I'm going to get in a fight. Like for sure. So I drive from Worcester to Hartford. I sleep in my, the room, my roommate doesn't wake up. I wake up the next morning.

I'm just like a disaster. I'm so excited to play, but I'm like, I'm nervous. I'm going to fight somebody. So I look over there. I'm like, Kelly Chase, I'm going to to play, but I'm like. Nervous. I'm going to fight somebody. So I look over there. I'm like, Kelly Chase, I'm going to fight this guy. Yeah. So, you know, I hadn't learned how to fight yet.

This is the year of the 22 fights where I lost all of them. So like we get into a little scuffle and it's a bit of a fight. And I'm like, yes, like I got five minutes, right? I want my parents to see it. They went to watch it like a Boston pizza. This is before you had it on every TV. So I go in there and get into the box and Kelly Chase is like, we're going again.

I'm like, why? I did it already. The rest, like two minutes of wrestling. I'm like, what? Are you kidding me? Two minutes? So I'm looking at the clock and it's ticking down. It's like a bomb.

I'm like, oh my God, this isn't going to happen, right? Two minutes. And then we have to get out at the same time. We come out and bang, right back into it. And we have another fight. And then after he's like, good fight, rookie. I'm like, you're welcome. What are you going to say?

I didn't even know. I'm like a virgin. I have no idea what's going on out there. But I wanted to like leave my mark. And then it would be almost two years again until I got into the NHL again. There's no guarantee. The next year I didn't play at all.

I didn't get called up at all. Were you rad? Was that hard for you? Yeah. I mean, I think I knew I had to improve. You know, what I think that it's important for young players to kind of get a taste and see where you're at, then you get pulled back.

And I knew that you're, we had a guy named Zidane Wachara, pretty good player. Of course. Yeah. He was, he was also there. So I was like, well, it doesn't look good for old uncle Strutty. But you know, then, then, then you get, then

you kind of just work on your game and you try to get better. But you know, I knew I of just work on your game and you try to get better. Um, but you know, I, I knew I had to learn how to fight and, and learning how to fight is difficult. It's not easy. Not that I'm an angry guy, but you know, you want to have that in your skill or your toolbox

so you can still make plays, but then when trouble comes, you can fight it still the same time. Were you going out with all these guys for pops like early in your career? It was still kind of that old school. Were you a big, a big drinker? Yeah.

I mean, I, you know, I had a good time. He was the guy though that'd be in early. Like you worked out a lot after you were in early. Like I think if you went out and had your fun, you were always like the Chelios model. Yeah. I mean, to me, I don't think I ever missed a workout when I was playing.

Like I felt it was important, but I mean, you know But when you're 20, it's a lot different than 30. I think when I played with you, Wits, I was probably close to 30. You were old balls. Yeah, and I was married. And I love my wife, but it's not quite the same as being 22, wheeling and dealing. What up, Sean? Yeah.

So yeah, I loved it. I loved going out with the guys. You play for a long time and you have to have some memories to take home with you, right? And then just good times. Like most of my best times are post game and then hanging out with the guys.

It's not like, you know, being out with a bunch of ladies or anything crazy. It's just being with the guys, right? And maybe after a big win, like you just remember those feelings and that's, that's what I, I guess I missed. And who were the grizzled vets, vets who were going out for, for the pops and

like who you were just like in awe of maybe talking about old time hockey and like when you stepped in, the older guys. Yeah. So when I, when I arrived to Vancouver, I got traded for my others to Vancouver and Mark Messier was there. Oh.

My idol. Like my, you know, you, you see him all the time, this, you know. How about the suit story? Yeah. So yeah, he, so yeah. So the suit story. So I, I get, I arrived. So yeah, he, so yeah. So the suit story. So I get, I arrived there and I guess I didn't

have a very good suit game. So mess is like, we're going to, you know, my buddy's coming to make suits. He's from wherever. So I'm like, all right. So I walk in and I have no idea. Like I'm not a good dresser, obviously. And Kevin Weeks is with me.

He's like, you know, you should get a green suit. I'm like, that sounds great. It was all of green. I didn't have a blue suit, a black suit, but I had a all of green suit. And I called it a road warrior. That thing I could take with me anywhere and it'd be like, it would last forever, right?

But Mess, you know, I loved Mess. He was my favorite player growing up because he would take care of his own business. So, you know, we get to Vancouver and, you know, Saturday at the Rocks, he's a pretty popular place. So, you know, after a Saturday game, I'd feel good about myself, maybe played well.

And I'd be kind of, kind of dressed and all of a sudden it'd be a little, a head over my shoulders like, hey, what are you doing tonight? I'm like, whatever you want. My guy's like, where are you? You tell me. Yeah, yeah. I don't care.

I'll go. He's like, I'll meet you later at the Rocks. I'm going for dinner. I'm like, I'll be. So I just like beeline to Rocks. Like, okay, we got to get five seats. Mesa's coming. This is Mesa's seat.

Yeah. I'd be waiting for everyone. I'd just be waiting. Like, and then he'd come in like, oh, here Mesa, you know what Iesa's coming. This is Mesa's seat. Yeah, I'd be waiting for everyone. I'd just be waiting like, and then he'd come in like, oh, here Mesa, you know what I mean? And he'd come in and maybe hang out and like, he was such, you know how good, he's the best guy and he was my idol.

And then you get to play with him. And, uh, you know, there didn't be times on the, on the ice where I remember one time that, uh, this guy, Jason Marshall was running a Todd Bertuzzi and he was on a line with Messier. And, um, and so there's often his own face off and Mesa comes, skates back and he's like, hey, if Marshall even looks Todd Bertuzzi and he was on a line with Messier. And, um, and so there's often his own face off and mess come skates back. And he's like, Hey, if Marshall even looks at

Bertuzzi, jump him. Like I got it. And sure enough, like right off the face off, I jump in and I'm just like going crazy. And Mike Keenan's like, Hey man, you can't do that. Mess is like, I got him. He's like, okay, we're good.

And that was it. I heard mess ran his show. Oh, he, well, he, he mess was the best. So we were playing San Jose, uh, right after Christmas, you know how hard those games are after Christmas, right? You feel like a thousand pounds. So we were playing San Jose back to back. Ola Nolan's the captain of San Jose.

So we fly all the way down there and like, I want to say the 26th, play San Jose, opening face off, Ola Nolan cross checks Mess, like a hard guy. And so myself and this guy, Chris McAllister are chasing him around, but he won't fight us. Like he's scoring 50 goals and you know, we get destroyed 5-1.

So afterwards, Mark, Keaton walks in, he's just like, you fucking guys, you never let your captain get hit like that. And, and Keaton, and mess like, I got it. He's like, no, all you got to do is like, I got it. So now we're playing them two days later. We fly home to Vancouver, we play in the

next day or the, you know, two days later and We fly home to Vancouver. We play them the next day or, you know, two days later and mess off the face off. Chiss crunches that guy and we just destroyed him, right? Like, that's our guy. Like, we were so excited. Messier. He legit, in the locker room, as Keaton's saying this, puts his hand up and said, Mike, I got it.

Yeah, he's like, that's enough. I've got it. And you're just. Like, I don't need someone to fight my battles. No, no. And he's like, I got it. And you're just like, yeah, he's got it. Six cups.

But you would have done anything. Like for Mark Messi, playing with him, I mean, I can't imagine playing with him in the 94 run when they won the Stanley Cup. Like, you know, I arrived in New York later and talked to a bit like Leach and Richter and those guys and what he did. I mean, that is legendary status.

The cap, I think the cap here in 90 was impressive, but to me, the cap, the cup in 94 with the Rangers is like elite, elite level, right? It's incredible. Yeah, he got four and then his next two were like almost even more impressive. No Gretzky.

That's right. Yeah. And no disrespect to Wayne. I mean, Wayne's an amazing player, but to win it without him on a team that people didn't think could win and then going to New York where it's like been how many years?

It was like a thousand years. But you didn't even mention with the green suit, he ended up buying it, right? Yeah. No, no. I paid for it. Oh, I thought you bought it for me. Yeah, I know.

Don't, he probably owes, tell him it was going to be 500 bucks. 500 Canadian. I have heard stories of him buying rookie suits though. Might've been, might've been somewhere else. Maybe in New York when he first got there. He's like, sorry to be around that long.

I don't really buy this. No, no, this is the achievement. But he like, like my, I can't tell you, Mark Messi was, he was so important in my career, like learning how to be a leader. You know, he'd make a bad play and he'd skate off the ice. Like he just made the best play.

You know, you see guys and they just slam their stick on ice. He skates off. No problem. Right. Oh, he didn't show his emotions like in a bad way. Never.

Well, yesterday we, we interviewed him and he actually talked about that. He would watch the other team and see how guys body laying, which would, so it makes sense that he's not going to show you anything. No, and he never did. And so I tried, like, I always felt when mess was on the bench, things are going to be okay.

Right. You always felt to me. Okay. And then I go to, I mean, I wasn't even close to level player is, but I wanted things to be calm when I was on the bench. Like, Hey guys, we got this. Like just calm down. Cause sometimes the coach would be losing their mind and he never,

he was such a good influence on me and so many other young players right the way he behaved and uh led by example and included everyone that we go to uh you know after uh let's say we had a couple days off like hey we're um everyone's invited my house on whatever friday or i guess it'd be a sunday night usually on a friday night and be like okay so i remember calling my parents and like, what do I bring to Mark Messi's house? You know what I mean? Like get a bottle of wine. So I had no idea about wine. I'm 22.

I'm like, I need a hundred dollar bottle of wine. I just grab it off the shelf and just go by price, right. But he would invite all of us to his home and like, and, and he was so inclusive. And I think, you know, that was one of the greatness of the, of the Rangers and Oilers teams.

I think teams that are close, they, they do better than, than you should. We've talked a lot about like coaches giving specific guys chances and like, you always kind of need a coach in your corner. And like Rob Scuderi, for example, Michelle Terrian saw something in him and realized like how good of a player he was.

Two Stanley Cups in the career he had. I felt like Tom Rennie for you. Yeah. He, he saw something in you, right? Yeah. Yeah. Tom, I mean. Tom with him in three. In New York andie for you. Yeah. He, he saw something in you, right? Yeah. Yeah. Tom, I mean. Tom with him in three.

In New York and Edmonton. Yeah. Two. So, but there's no better feeling than when a, when a coach understands you. And, you know, when I was in New York, I remember one time I asked, I said, I think I need more ice time.

He's like, okay. And so we went out and played and I think I played 23 minutes. And after that game, I'm like, you know what? I think I'm good at 15. You know what I think? I take it back. Yeah. you know what? I think I'm good at 15. You know what I think? I take it back. You know what?

I'm not that good actually. And, but just understanding and appreciating what you did and, and, you know, let's be honest, I wasn't the most skilled player, but I, when there was a rough game, he was always like, you're going to be front and center. Right. And he always understood that.

And I came to Edmonton and same thing. I like Tom a lot. I, I, I like Tom as well. I think that, you know, he, he was, he, you know, I would have loved to heard that you're going to play in the power play, but it was more like,

you're going to be mentored these young players. You're going to help and then make them feel safe. Right. And then I was fine with that. Like they, when someone understands you, it's truly, it's a beautiful thing.

And then, and for a lot of players, I don't think you get that feeling where they understand what makes you tick and how to support you, make you feel valued. It's happening more now, I think, which is good. Yeah. Yeah.

I think, I think it's helping, but if you, you know, if you're on a team and you're not sure what your role is, whether you think you're further up or maybe the coach thinks you're further down, when they put you in the right place, it feels so good. Cause you're like, this is where I should be, right?

This is where I need to be. Yeah. I go back to your minor career. You played in Kentucky, Louisville, I'm sorry, Lexington, Kentucky for two years. What was it like back then? I mean, it's hockey was still relatively new down the south in general. Yeah. I go back to your minor career. You played in Kentucky, Louisville, I'm sorry, Lexington, Kentucky for two years. What was it like back then? I mean, hockey was still relatively new down the south in general.

Yeah, it was unbelievable. It was. Crowds? Yeah, we had like 10,000 fans and. That's cool. It was unbelievable. It was fun. And there was University of Kentucky there.

And it was a lot of fun. That could be an East Coast league city. I know, we're scouting right now. We want to. Is there a team there? There might be, I don't know if there's a team there. No, I know, we're scouting right now. We want to try to get a team in the coast. Is there a team there? There might be, I don't know if there's a team there. No, I think it's been moving.

Was it the Thoroughblades? Thoroughblades. Kentucky Thoroughblades. It's a great name, actually. Yeah, so I was single when I was there, and so they made a date. You could win a date with me. Oh, come on.

Jumbotron, Jackie Moore. So obviously there was a lot of interest. Let's be honest, there was a lot of interest. Like, let's be honest, there was a lot of interest. And horse farmers. Yeah, well, it doesn't matter. There's still interest, right? And I remember the lady who won it, she had,

what's it, kissing disease? Mono. She got mono, so I could never go out there. And, but it was like, it was so much fun. Like, that's a huge university there, right? Like the basketball program is huge. Father, what? That's right.

In Rupp Arena. Rupp Arena, right? Yeah, Rupp Arena. And I, I, we loved it. We had a really, really tough team and we, everyone would fight all the time. And then the fans. Oh, they loved it.

They, they loved the fighting. The cock fighting. Oh yeah. Yeah. It's no business. It's not. I had to get the shackles off. Yeah.

There is nothing like that. There is nothing like that. But we had like, it was so much fun. We had, and like, we had a lot of guys there that I think four or five guys married girls from that area. Like it was, yeah, yeah. A couple of southern bells.

A couple of southern bells. It was great. They're so welcoming and like happy to have you there. And I'm like, what is going on? And horse racing was fun. Not that I got it back. I was their jockey, but like it was, it was so

much fun. A lot of fun. So I was just going to, it must've been a blast when in that Vancouver time, it was a resurgence there. You guys had Bertuzzi, Naslin. You guys had some pretty relative teams. Crawford was your guys' coach.

That must've been a pretty fun thing to be a part of when you were there. Yeah. So I got traded there, you know, at the end of the one season and they were, they were dismantling the 94 team. Right. So that like Linden is loved there, right?

Long gone. Kirk McLean traded, Yurki Lume, David Babbage. Where did Linden go from there? He went to Islanders for Cave and Bertuzzi. So all these guys, and then I arrived there for Gino Olcik and Gino is like a star. It was a God there. And Pavel Bray was his best friend.

So you can imagine Pavel and I didn't have a lot of relationship. And, um, Mike was there for maybe another five, six months and they finally brought in Mark Crawford. And they traded for, um, you know, uh, Brandon Morrison, uh, McGillney was there and all these guys. And we really, they, they were really, they were a good team. And that's, that's a fun city. We saw it, you know, when they were in their run this year was Rick Talkett, another one of your buddies.

Crawford was tough, right? Oh. Oh. Yeah. Crawford I always heard was. He was a yeller. He was a yeller. He kicked guys, right?

Yeah. Yeah. He, he kicked, he kicked me a few times. Yeah. Get the shackles back on. Am I back in Kentucky? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. You know what? I'll send you back to Lexington. But he, he was a, you know, he was a really good coach. Um, I think he really understood the game and he understood how I had to be successful. So he would push me to be, you know, more

aggressive. Like I remember we'd be playing Colorado and be like that. He'd come down like that. Gino Rogers is, uh, or Jeff Rogers really having his way with you tonight. I'm like, what? And the guy's like, calm down, calm down. Don't even, Jeff Rogers really having you tonight. I'm like, what? And the guy's like, calm down, calm down.

Don't even, Jeff Rogers is really having your way. I'm like, what? What are you talking about? And Jeff Rogers is going out and I just come flying up like, let's go buddy. He knew what he was doing. He'd be like, uh, what's wrong?

I'm like, I don't know. It's like two, not even. We haven't even been out there together yet. And we fight and he, but he knew, he knew that he understood that part of the game. Right. And he, but he really was good at learning the game and that team was elite.

You know, I was there when the Sedins arrived. Was Jovo there? Yeah, the Jovo cop. Yeah. You know, Danny Sedin, him and Henrik lived in my building. So you saw their struggles? Yeah.

And maybe it's not fair to say struggles, but it took them a while. We were talking about it. Yeah. Nine years or 10 years till they had their first significant playoff run. Yeah. So they, they're,

they lived in my building. We lived right in like Yaletown and, and I, you know, and listen, I wasn't like an altar veteran, but I was a few years old and I said, guys, you got to get in shape.

They came over a little bit doughy, right, from Sweden. So I'd be like, you know, they got it, you know, lay off on the ice cream and all that. So they lived in my building and we had a day off.

So I come out and we had this unreal ice cream shop right in the bottom of our building. And I come, I'm wheeling out there and at that time, my girlfriend and I'm just standing there and who walks out of the ice cream shop? Daddy Sadeen, just lower it up. And he looks at me, he's like.

And just slams into the car. No, he doesn't. And just walks away. He was so mad. I'm like, what, what is your problem? And his girlfriend's like. And now his wife is just howling, right? But like, you know, that's part of what you

have to like help those young guys, right? Like, you know, it's, eating ice cream is the worst thing, but you know, you kind of got to get to that level of shape. Now, I mean, they were, they were, they were elite, elite conditioning, right? At the end. They turned into that for them.

Oh, they did. Yeah. I heard they would do the gross grind in like 35 minutes. Yeah, they ran. I think they got under 30 actually. They were really well conditioned and they still run.

I think I do an hour. Yeah. 50 minutes. Yeah. On the ride up, you take the ride up. On the bong and fucking doing it. These guys are lapping me. Could you tell them apart?

I could. Yeah. Danny was a little bit chubbier face and Henry was a little bit leaner. Oh, the ice cream. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't help Danny.

Did they ever get any of, um, at the beginning when it wasn't that easy to him, like the fans getting on him at all? Or did they, were they patient with those guys? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think they were a little bit, I mean. At market?

Yeah. And, and it's tough cause they played with a guy named Trent Cladd, right? That was kind of, and then Anson Carter, another guy. Everyone's going back to you. So they play with those guys named Trent Clatt, right? That was kind of, and then Addison Carter, another guy. Everyone's going back to you. So they play with those guys. But I found that, you know, it's the speed

and the tempo you play with. The bigger ice is a little easier. The smaller ice, you have to really keep moving quickly. And they, the second half of their career, they had to nail down, right? Yeah. The first half, they were trying to find

that tempo and how to use each other. So yeah, I think, I mean, that market is tough. You know, if you're not winning, it's just not the most. Tell me more ice cream spiking stories for the city and it's like, what other shit were they up to? Like not hockey wise, tell me what these guys

were doing. So we, we, they're drafted, right? They traded Brian McCabe to get these, the first, I want to say second or third draft. Second and third. Yeah. So we fly all the way to, we have our training camp in Sweden.

Oh God. And so, you know, I love Elton John, great singer. And he had that song, you know, Daniel, right? So they're, they're both on my team for training camp. And there's only like, there's this basically a team.

And I kept playing this song, Daniel, my brother, cause you know, there's a part where he's like waving. I'm like, what if one of you makes it and one of you doesn't? You know, like imagine if Daniel, you make it and Henry, Henry doesn't make it. He didn't get talking.

Like just waving goodbye to you. And he, and like, I was crying. I'd be stretching on the ground, crying, laughing. And they're like, what is wrong with this guy? Like, I'm like, I don't know. There's something wrong with that. Yeah. Yeah.

Like they were never knocking to make it right. But like they were, they were 19 and they were just kind of like, you know, doughy little guys. They, and we expect so much, well, it's a little different now, but we expect so much from a 19 year old. Yeah. And you think about like at 30, I still really

understand the league, right? Yeah. It was so good. One other guy, I feel like he's super underrated, doesn't get talked about a lot, Marcus Naslin. Hell of a player, man. Yeah, the best guy. Dude.

Yeah, great guy. So, you know, we, you see like all our, you know, when we used to have roommates, my roommate was Todd Bertuzzi and his roommate was a guy named Andrew Castles. And it was always linked. Our rooms are always linked and we'd open the door.

And every time we'd get into a wrestling match and like Bertuzzi and I would probably weight him by like 150 pounds. So we'd go in the room and just stuff him under the beds, right? Ah, stop it. Stop it. And they'd be like, you gotta buy us lunch.

Don't do it anymore. Stop it. You know? We used to be stopping him. You bully him at the lunch? We would. And they'd have to buy us like supper, right? And like, why didn't we open our door?

Like, I don't know. Don't open your door anymore. But like he is, so Messi was a huge part of that team. As soon as he got traded, Naslin was like free to open up. And, uh, you know, he was an amazing Canuck and just a great guy.

So skilled, so dangerous and such a professional, right? Always ready. And, and playing the Canadian market is different than the American market, right? You gotta be ready. You know it. It's not.

It's just. It's hard to describe too to somebody who hasn't done it. You're like, you just see when you get there. There's nowhere to hide. Yeah. It's hard to describe too, to somebody who hasn't done it. You're like, you just see when you get there. There's nowhere to hide. Yeah. There's nowhere. Even now, like I walk around Empton and like, I'm like, I wasn't even that good.

You know what I mean? I beat up a couple of guys. I get up a few times and like, you still get noticed and recognized. Right. So when you're the captain of an NHL team at its peak, you know, in Vancouver was really good. And now it's, you know, there's other guys in Vancouver. It's, it's a lot to take in and, and to manage that is, is difficult.

And Matt Marks did a great job. Yeah. What did you think about New York? Like being a range? Oh, I wanted to ask just about Bert before Tyler. Yeah. Yeah.

Berkey, you know what? I, yeah. You call him Berkey? Yeah, Berkey. I, he, I love them. I know, you know, I like Berkey. He told me the truth. You know, I think. Oh, he said Bertuzzi. I said Tyler. Oh, Bertuzzi. Oh, Bertuzzi. Yeah, Berkey. I love them. Nobody, no, I like Berkey. He told me the truth. You know, I think.

Oh, he said Bertuzzi. Oh, I said Tyler. Oh, Bertuzzi. Oh, Bertuzzi. Yeah, no, Bert. Like he, yeah, he, we, he and I, so we had a road trip. I think it was six or seven games out east.

And, uh, yeah, I wasn't playing a lot that I was like, you know, I was either healthy scratch or playing like 10 minutes. So we decided before we rode out after every single game. And I remember, I think it got to game six or seven and I was so tired. And this guy, he, we woke up after a night

out and it was before our last game. I think he took like a four minute pee. It was the longest pee I've ever heard. He's like, I got one more night of me. I'm like, so do I buddy. So do I. And we reeled out at the best time. Like it was just him and I, like no one else would go,

whoa, we're like, what are you, what are you guys doing? Like, I'm not really playing. And this guy's on fire. Like, and he was playing. No, he's scoring. Yeah. And you know what? Like he's such a, he was such a big, strong beast of a player.

Right. And we, I think it was six or seven game and we went out after every single game where like we decided before. And it was a pretty good road trip for us. So what is the coach going to say, right? Yeah. It was just him and Bert and I. Bert and I going out. And I love that guy.

But he's strong. Like he was a genetic freak. He was, I never wanted to wrestle that guy. He was so, so strong. I just got to know him through these golf trips. We've become good buddies. And his sense of humor, like the drive sense. No.

It's just hilarious. Like very quiet, but his one-liners, it's just hilarious. Like very quiet, but it's one liners. It's just classic. No, he. And he's a moose. Oh, he's, he's a guy. And he, so he, he, yeah, he, him and Crawford don't always see eye to eye.

Right. And, um, there was a time we had a disagreement. So Crawford sent him home from practice for a couple of days. And like, so Crawford calls me and he's yelling at me. I'm like, I'm not Todd Bertuzzi. Like I'm doing what you want me to do.

I'm just going out with him. Yeah. So he's like, you got to like tone him down. I'm like, what do you, how do you tone down a guy who's going to probably score 50 goals in the NHL? Like I'm, I'm just trying to get, you know, 50 goals in practice. And he, he was, he was such a good player and

played, he was well over a thousand games, I think. And so strong. He was an absolute beast. And, and, you know, that whole incident in Vancouver, like. Were you there then? No, I left a year before. And, you know, it was, it was an unfortunate

incident for everyone involved, but I think that tainted him a little bit, but he was such a good player. He was like so strong and he's, you know, he was amazing. One of my favorite players. M. Morrison and Naslin, that line.

I think I was in like college. You see late games and highlights. It's like, this is must watch TV, those three. Well, like Morrison was the center. And so he's sitting in the middle. And then Burt would stand at the door and Naslin would be in the middle. And they'd both be yelling at Morrison

to pass to the puck. And he'd be like, what? And Mo has a little story. He's like, what am I supposed to do? You know, I can't get the puck here. I can't get the pass to both guys. And he's just, he? And Mo has a little story. He's like, what am I supposed to do? You know, I can't, I can't get the puck here. I can't get the pass to both guys. And he's just, he tried to pass to the guys, right? And I'm like, just pass to one or the other.

Like, it doesn't matter. But like, they, that was a massive line. Then he had the Sedins right after those guys, right? And then Kessler started coming in. Like, they were a good team. Yeah, they've had three years. Not a lot of downtime in Vancouver. No.

You brought him up, Brian Burke, when you thought I asked about Bertuzzi. Straight shooter, awesome guy. Obviously, he loved his drinks too and probably a few amazing stories about him. Yeah, you know what? I loved him. And, you know, one of my first couple of

years in the NHL, you know, no one wants to be the NHL PA rep, right? No one wants that job. So I think I was maybe sick that day and I was voted in as the PA rep. So I show up on the mic, oh, IHL PA rep, right? No one wants that job. So I think I was maybe sick that day and I was voted in as a PA rep. So I show up and I'm like, oh, I'm the PA rep. And I'll never forget, it was our first game of the year against the Rangers.

And I'm decided I'm the PA rep. And one of the guys comes out and says, hey, Berkey wants to see you in the room in his office before the game. I'm like, why? So I walk in and I barely sit down and he's like, you're the P-Rain rep. You better understand.

We don't need clubhouse lawyers. We don't need you like advocating for all this stuff. I'm like, buddy, I'm just here to like do the job. I got voted in. Yeah, I got a free track suit. Like he's just giving it to me. I'm like, hey, thank you, Berk. And I walked out.

And I was like, I don't think I ever talked to him about it again, right? But he's just that big blustery guy that just gives it to you all the time. But all I wanted as a player was the truth. I didn't have to like it. You know, and there was other GMs I had that

wouldn't, wouldn't tell you the truth. Right. And just tell me the truth. Like you're not good enough or this is what we think, or we have another player or we want to move in a different direction. Like just instead of like, well, we're trying to figure it out.

You know, like, don't tell me you don't know, like all the GMs. They know. They know. They know what they got planned ahead. They know everything. Heading into July 1st, you know. You know what you want to do.

So don't try to, like, BS me. I hated that. I hated that time. I know you were in Chicago for a couple seasons, but you went from Keenan to Crawford to Brian Sutter. Did it ever get like, wow, where is Simone? He loved it. He loved it.

Did you thrive on coaches like that? Yeah. You know, I was fine. When someone would give it to me, I would get mad, and I'd play Yeah. You know, I was, I respond when someone would give it to me, I would get mad and I'd play better. Yeah. You know, Brian Sutter, tough position.

We had Mike Smith. I think his name was his GM. Was that when you guys were horrible? Horrible. Horrible. I mean, out of that. Was there a point on that team? No, he wasn't there yet.

So we had, I think, I think the first year I played, we got Seabrook and Keefe. Okay. And then the next year they got, I think it was either Kane or Taze. Like it was, it was really good. Bam, bam. Yeah, for the Hawks. We weren't very good, but we had a GM who believed in more European flow style than Brian Sutter, who wanted to play more North American style.

Right. And that's, that's a recipe for disaster. And yeah, if they're not seeing eye to eye. It was, it was a, it was a real mess. And you know what? Teams at the bottom go through it, right? disaster. Yeah, if they're not seeing eye to eye. It was a real mess. And you know what? Teams at the bottom go through it, right? You go across the league, you see it all the time.

And we had Theo Fleury, a great guy. I was just going to bring that up. That's probably the most interesting name that popped up. Yeah. Theo had a lot of challenges in his career and he was great. I loved him.

He was there. He was so chatty, but he was near the end of quite, you know, he wasn't, he was near the end of his career and we all get there. Right. And you're not quite as committed to maybe what you need to do. Um, but we had like Zamnov who was a really good player, but again, like, you know, just

you're on the best team. So what are you, you know, what are you doing? What are we doing here? Right. And, and so. He's probably like, I need some more talent to play with. Yeah.

Well, yeah, for sure. And, and, you He's probably like, I need some more talent to play with. Yeah. Well, yeah, for sure. And, and, you know, I played for it a bit that year. I played with, uh, uh, Kovalev who unfortunately passed away in that tragic accident in Russia. And then Chris Simon was my other winger. And, uh, I felt pretty good.

I'm like, Hey, this is a pretty tough line. And, and Cy, who also passed away. Great, amazing guy. And, uh, sometimes he'd be like, Hey, you got this fight tonight. Look over. It's like Christophe Oliver. I'm like, Ooh, no, no, no, no. like, hey, you got this fight tonight. Look over. It's like Christophe Oliver. I'm like, ooh.

No, no, no, no. No, I think you got this tonight. But that's who he was, right? Like he was that guy. Like he was such a good guy. So yeah, unfortunately, both those guys have passed. But we had a,

it was a lot of fun, but like it's, you know, when a team's at the bottom, you know, when you arrived there, everybody wasn't quite there, but we,

we were close. It was, yeah, it's hard. Like you're trying, you just look around the room, you're like when you arrived there, it wasn't quite there, but we, we, it was, it was, yeah, it's hard. They could try, you just look around the room and you're like, there's not enough talent in them. I even talented enough for this business right now too. Yeah. Sean Dunn was on that, those Hawks teams too.

Thought he, yeah. I was with him, but all I know is brief. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing guy. And he would just fight anybody, right? Oh yeah. Um.

He was technical too. Yeah. I remember we played, Kevin played in Edmonton and they had George Rock on that team, who I think is, you know, it's not the toughest guy if he's here amongst the top two or three. I said, Thorny, don't, don't fight him tonight. So we skate out there and I'm, I'm on the D

and he's like, I got, and George is on right wing. He's like, I got this guy. I'm like, you're crazy. And they had a great fight. And I think he, he didn't beat George, but he didn't lose, which is. A win.

A pretty good outcome when you find that. I mean, we were pretty heavy Oilers last pod and we probably will get you on again. I got to talk about this New York Rangers team you were on. Yager, Brandon Shanahan. Like what was Yager like? He had, so you had some funny Yags at practice.

Yeah. Like he, like I, I played with some pretty good players, but he was the best of them all. Like so talented. And I don't, you didn't realize how big and but he was the best of them all. Like so talented. And I don't, you didn't realize how big and strong he was. He's like 6'4", 230. And his legs are the size of like craters.

So I arrived there and I'm like, you know, everyone hangs out team shorts and I can slip him on, no problem. Like it's not, I don't have very big legs. And he would get him and he'd have to cut a slit up the side. Like he was like, you know, a girl golf. A little rigged though. Yeah. So I said, how'd big legs. And he would get him and he'd have to cut a slit up the side. Like he was like, uh, you know, uh, a girl golfing.

Yeah. So I said, how'd your legs get so big? He's like, when I was eight years old, I was playing with kids three, four years older than me. I was getting pushed off the puck. So his dad, he asked his dad, like, how do I get stronger legs?

And his dad's like, you, uh, you know, you need to do squats. So he didn't tell him a number. So he decided that age at eight, he would do a thousand squats a day. And so he'd get up and do a hundred, then brush his teeth to a hundred, hundred, hundred, hundred, you know,

over the day, then finish off a hundred. So he thinks over 10 years, he did 300 days of a hundred squats. Thousand, thousand squats. Yeah. So yeah, sorry. Yeah. So a thousand, sorry, a thousand squats.

So you do the math on that over 10 years. So I'm like, I'm going to do that. He's like, it's too late for you. Don't worry about it. You're not. And my legs, it was embarrassing. We'd go in the shower and wear a towel, right? Yeah.

But he was so strong. And the skill he had. He'd be fighting two guys in the corner. He'd come and help him. He was like, get away. You'd be yelling, get away, get away. He's like, I'll be open. Just get open.

I'll pass you the puck. And those guys are that level of elite. I think he's one of the top. Like you just, just get open. I'll pass you the puck. And like those guys are, that level of elite, like he's one of the, I think he's one of the top 10 best players ever. Oh yeah. Play the game. No doubt. At his peak, couldn't get the puck from him.

No. Well, but in practice, wouldn't he sometimes just be in his own world a little bit? Yeah. So he, he, we'd go for practice and be like, Tommy, Tommy Rennie, how many minutes of practice? Like 32.

So he'd look at the clock, it'd be 11 o'clock. So like 11, 32, like practice done. And he'd just be like gone. Right. And like, I'm like, I'll stay out, Tom. You know, like what are you going to say? He was like. No extra time on the ice.

He was gone. Well, funny, he would want to go out early. So my first training camp with him, you know, within two weeks he comes out to me. He's like, Hey, do you, do you want to come back to the, we had a practice, um, facility like just North of New York. Do you want to come on and practice?

And we go, I'll come out. So I pick him up and drive him out to the practice facility. He's like, we're going to work on shots. So, you know, I'm just, I'm feeding him shots. Like he's, he's moving here, top of the circle here and here. So after 20 minutes, I'm like, Hey man, can I

shoot? He's like, no, no, you're here to pass. And so he would take a different guy out every night and just shoot like a thousand shots. And that here, he scored 54 goals. And you got to keep in mind, He's like, no, no, you're here to pass. And so he would take a different guy out every night and just shoot like a thousand shots. And that year he scored 54 goals. And you got to keep in mind, that was like a pretty hard time to score. Like there weren't 50 goals, goal scorers.

Who took you to practice the days he wanted to deal with some maybe chunky shots. Yeah, they were, I mean, they were pretty. I need some bad cats. I'm going to shoot these ones off my back foot today. But I mean, that's who, that's who he was. Like he just, and he, he worked, he would

work on his time, right? Like, you know, he had a girlfriend at the time and, uh, he didn't necessarily always want to go out. My wife and I were, you know, just married. So he comes up to me and was like, hey man, like, are you going out tonight? I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna go with my wife.

It's Saturday night, whatever. We'll go to a whatever dad's bar. He's like, well here, you know, my girlfriend like to come. He's like, kids make a thousand bucks. He's like, take her out. He's like, well, here, you know, my girlfriend liked to come. He's like, kids make a thousand bucks. He's like, take her out. I'm like, oh, you got it. So we go out and then take her for dinner,

you know, on his money. Go over drinks out there and they're all dancing. She's an amazing dancer. My wife and I'd go and break up, you know, push the guys back. And then like at two o'clock in the morning, like, okay, we're done. And so we jump in a car and I'd take her home.

I'd call you. I was like, hey, we're coming. I was like, okay, thank you. And she'd go up. That is so fucking fun. And be like you were escorting his girlfriend i was and he's like next one he's like do you have enough money like yeah we were good i mean i kept a little for myself like a lot for the little something effort hey change shreddy any change yeah yeah next time you're like uh 1500 about inflation yeah i gotta hop up just a couple minutes, but you mentioned your wife and kind of a crazy story.

You have three kids, 11, 12, and 13. Can you explain like the whole story on your kids? Because a lot of people don't know. It's pretty wild. Yeah, it's pretty emotional, you know, and you were there for that. And, you know, my wife and I, we got married at 30. You know, you expect you're going to have kids right away.

And we were trying, trust me. You know, like I was, you know, doing all the normal things, you know, flowers and chocolates and all that stuff that it wasn't happening. So, um, you know, we decided we're going to have to need some help. So we started going through some treatments and, um, that didn't work either, which,

you know, you think it's going to be so easy to get some medical intervention with whatever and didn't, didn't work. So we come to Edmonton and now I'm there for a couple of years, still not working. So we got an Edmonton, and now I'm there for a couple years. It's still not working, so we got an adoption list. And at the same time, we started going through using an egg donor. And that's, I think, when you came in.

And I remember my roommate at the time, Tom Gilbert, he said, do you guys want to have kids? I'm like, yeah, but it's really hard. It's really emotional. You know, like, everything's going great. We had a great life. I was playing NHL. My wife had a successful business. And you're happy, but you're not having kids.

So she'd cry herself to sleep at night. So my last year in the NHL, you know, we have a bunch of things fail. And then my, my wife gets pregnant at Christmas, but he can't tell me what, because we've been pregnant before and it fell off or didn't work out. So towards the end of the year, I think it was like a, maybe a month left. I don't know if you remember this, but I walk in the room and I told the guys, and I still get emotional at the time when I go to put, and I wasn't one to put a lot of money on the wall.

I think I maybe put $2,500 on the wall and said, guys, like we're pregnant now. And I was crying, like, you know, it took us so long to get pregnant. Here we are. And if we won, here's the money. And then, you know, a week after my last game in the NHL, we went on a trip and my wife's

pregnant. We got a call about my son and we flew all the way to, to where we got him to the States and we dropped on my son. So we had my son, we, he was, he was a week old and we got him. And then a week after my last NHL game, and then my daughter was born in August.

And then we got, you know, pregnant naturally a year later. And, uh, so three kids in 22 months. And you know what? And I. Whoa. Yeah, it was pretty crazy. Like, I was like, Ooh, man, that was fast. And, you know what? And I. Whoa. Yeah, it was pretty crazy. Like I was like,

ooh man, that was fast. And you know, and you're trying to, you know, I share this story because I think a lot of your listeners, I bet you a lot of the people

listening have had trouble with fertility issues, right? And it's really hard. And I can't tell you the number of times I've been stopped by, you know, someone I'm playing hockey with

or someone on the street saying, you know what, why aren't you, you know, can you talk to me about what you went through? And so now we have, you know, someone I'm playing hockey with or someone on the street saying, you know what, why aren't you, you know, can you talk to me about what you went through? And so now we have, you know, three kids, they're 11, 12 and 13 and they're, they're amazing and they're great. But I, I mean, I still get really emotional thinking about it because it's, you know, we,

we went through so much. It was five years, five years of treatments trying to get, uh, trying to get pregnant and we, we finally got it. And, uh, now we have a beautiful family, but it's more to support others. And out here in Alberta, we're trying to support others that need help to try to

understand. It'll come, but it's tough. I bet you a lot of your listeners, I'm sure, have been through. You were obviously the fortunate case where some people probably need conversation and help where it didn't work out for them. And hopefully they're able to adopt and

plenty of kids out there who need love. Oh, for sure. And a family. So. Well, we went to, you know, we went to see a psychologist. I remember the first time we sat down with them and I've been very open with the story.

We, we sat down and, you know, we were so wound up and if anyone, you know, you've ever been wound up about anything, you just unload on a psychologist, right? And he's like, okay. After about 10, he's like, hey, slow down. I'm like, just calm down for a second. We did.

And we kind of went through, you know, gave us some techniques to help deal with it. And that was probably the turning point. But I mean, you know, infertility is something not just, you know, Canadians, it's everywhere across the globe that people are having a challenge. And it's just something almost at times you feel

like it's, you know, you should be feel like it's, um, you know, you should be embarrassed because it's not working. Right. And it's not from lack of effort. Trust me, I'm a passionate guy, but you're, you just, it just doesn't work out for whatever reason. You've reinforced that.

I think we have like a Viagra ad coming or something or. Yeah, right. Actually Felix, Felix Health. That's our sponsor. They show at the Felix. Yeah. But, uh, you have a few more.

Just going to ask about Hank. He was, you were there for his rookie year. Did you know he was going to be a Hall of Famer someday? So I arrived in New York and I had no idea who he was. And I'm not, that's not big wheeling, but usually as an experience on each other, you don't really know the rookies, right? Except for Al Pick, too, yeah. And so we had Kevin and Henrik and Kevin Weeks. Weeks is the best.

Yeah, great guy. And we, you know, the first couple of days with Henrik, I'm like, oh, this guy's having a good, you know, good day. And then you have a couple of exhibitions. He's like, holy Jesus, this guy might actually be legit. And then he played a few games and like,

this is the guy. And that first year we were supposed to, we were picked to finish last with the Rangers and, you know, Henrik got us in the playoffs. And that year he won Olympic gold with Sweden as a goalie. He was unbelievable how good he was. And yeah, he, I mean, I still communicate

with him and give him a hard time every now and then, but I mean, he was such a good NHLer and I've, you know, probably one of the most competitive people I've ever met. Oh yeah. In my life. Well, you see him. Oh yeah.

Everyone I know, you know, it's crazy. Hey, geez, like old home week. It's a hockey world. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, but just, yeah, he's extremely professional

and he, to be able to do what he did in that market. Yeah. Like how difficult then physical that market could be. I mean, to have your name chanted night in, night out. And there were not many down years for Henrik

Lundqvist when he had his, his, his time there. I don't think, I don't, I mean, I'd be hard pressed to find one, right. Yeah, exactly. But what I think that he, what I respected most about him and I kind of learned is that he took care of all of his, his like on ice and hockey business first.

Yes. And then dealt with everything else. Yeah. Because there's a lot coming out of him. There's a lot of distractions. He's the fucking best looking guy I've ever seen. Yeah.

He, he, well, him and Sheldon Surrey. I walked, I could walk into a room naked and those, one of those guys beside me are like, they don't even notice you, right? At all. But, and I, and like, it's easy, you know, when you're a guy like myself or yourself who's further down the lineup, you can do all of your

stuff. There's no distractions. But for him, there was massive distractions. Yeah. Even for Jags, like he didn't have the same distractions Henrik did, right? Right. He, Henrik had some massive distractions and

he was always like, I'm, you know, I'd leave, let's say we get to the rink at whatever, 845, I'd leave at, you know, one, he wouldn't leave until two or three and he would do extra things. And yeah, I guess I could have done more, but that's how he functioned and he did it. And he, he, his career was incredible. And, um, you know, towards the end when he

had the heart issue, obviously that was not a deal, but like he is a hall of fame goaltender. Um, one of the greatest to ever wear that jersey, uh, right up beside Mike Richter. Well, hey, we appreciate your time. We've gone kind of long here. Yeah, yeah. So you're going to be a regular.

People are just horned up for struts. They want you chirping wit every fucking opening time. It's an easy target, isn't it? Wit, wit is an easy target. Yeah. I remember one year I went to Penguins camp and I was standing next to Brooks

Orpik and, uh, I think wit was on the ice. I'm like, Hey, wititt, Witt had been done doing money cabraises this summer, eh? And like, obviously Orp's. Yeah, yeah. That big chuckle. And then what's Orp's do? He goes over and tells Witt when he gets off the

ice. Oh no. Oh yeah. Witt was just all over me that whole training camp. I opened up a can of worms, but I realized exactly what we had here in a comedian. One of the best, honestly, he lived in my

house and like he, he was one of the funniest guys. Like he, so you know, you have 12 spoons when you go like, and you buy like a set, right? And you put it in your drawer. I came home, there's like one spoon. So I call him like, Wits, where are all my spoons? I'm like, well, I fucking told him to, took him

to practice. I'm like, yeah, but you don't bring them back? Like he just said, he was like, threw the bowl and the spoon in the garbage. I'm like, wait, they're not disposable. So I charged him like $'s an all $18 like $18 like i made him pay for this i'm like i'm gonna pay for those spoons i guess i'm just charging his charging but that's all he doesn't give a fuck he doesn't even think he doesn't even enter his mind but yeah no i

it was a lot of fun which i a big fan and uh yeah thanks for having me on boys that was a good time thank you so much to jason strudwick the strud man strutty funny funny human being i think that's uh very evident after listening to that and the times i spent in the locker room with that guy oh my god he chirped he chirped hard he chirped very well i had nothing for him he just ripped on my clothes he ripped on my ears he ripped on everything. But he was funny and he was a great teammate. So thank you to him. Before we wrap up, a couple just quick notes here.

Very, very sad news. Former Ottawa Senators assistant coach Bob Jones died after his battle with ALS. The team announced this on Friday. He was only 54 years old, man. He was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease in December 2022 during his fourth season in Ottawa, but he continued to work with the team into this season's campaign. The worst disease, heartbreaking stuff, so young. I want to shout out his family and his friends and just a horrible disease and horrible news so we're thinking of him and the senator's family um also another really

kind of heartbreaking heartbreaking thing to read was the the wildfire in jasper alberta yeah apparently 33 percent of structures were burned. I've been to Jasper. We went to Jasper for training camp with the Oilers one year. And I think many people think of Alberta and you hear of Banff, but Jasper was so beautiful. Just incredible. An amazing place in the winter and probably even more beautiful in the summer. And I remember playing golf there and there was a moose. It was the biggest moose I've ever seen standing on the putting green.

It was like, where are we right now? Like the beautiful wilderness of Western Canada. And those wildfires, Biz, you've told me about them before out west. They're petrifying. Yeah, it's brutal. It seems like every summer now, just because of the dry climate. And last summer, Kel colonna dealt with them and now jasper and it's just terrible people getting evacuated with you know losing everything

they have and and and along like you said just like the the beauty of it it's such a tranquil place and there's not many places in the world like it so our thoughts and prayers going over to everybody in jasper and really anybody even in california they're dealing with the wildfires non-stop so i don't know exactly like what to say obviously you don't be flicking your cigarette butts out the window don't be starting campfires and then not putting them out properly like follow whatever the rules and guidelines are and in some cases with because it's so dry it could just be lightning that strikes and the next thing you know these things get so out of control. I had a buddy, Jeff Cullen, who's a firefighter.

And I've had other buddies, firefighters, who at some point in their careers went up and fought these things in the summertime. Where they're trying to put these things out nonstop. So that's just kind of the world we live in right now. And it's very unfortunate so follow the rules dude i i actually i mean this is pretty embarrassing i kind of always thought it was lightning and how it would start naturally i never even realized like stupid me that it could be just flicking a cigarette out of your car or something just such as just a dirtbag move like yeah it's just crazy and obviously you're just throwing a cigarette out the your car or something just such a just a dirtbag move like yeah it's just

crazy and obviously you're just throwing a cigarette out the window it's innocent enough but when you're in those type areas actually one of the saddest movies i've ever seen but an incredible film only the brave um about some of the hot shots passed away in arizona years ago and just a heartbreaking movie but it was an unreal film. But those guys, yeah, you think of firefighters in the city and going up into huge buildings,

but these guys who are out in the wilderness and trying to save homes and people and land, it's an amazing job. So all you firefighters, if you are listening, whether you're in New York City

or Boston or you're a hotshot and you're roaming around campsites and things, it's honorable job that we really appreciate. So I think the last thing is that news broke

that Jeff Marrick's no longer with Sportsnet. Our good friend Jeff Marrick, great guy. How I got my start into the media industry was with Jeff Merrick. I'd go up Monday nights for, I think I did a season, if not two seasons at Sportsnet with him. And he was so nice to me.

And I think we've talked often, Biz has mentioned, when you're on TV, especially at the beginning, you're nervous, you get this energy, you don't know what to say, you don't know how long you should be talking. And especially, I was going to Canada. And being an american i know what what sports net and hockey means to canada and and he just took such good care of me dude he was like so easy to talk to he made it feel so natural when i was on with him and so i was always very close with him from then i'd love shooting the

shit and catching up with them and then elliot and him, their 32 thoughts just took off. I think these guys, they did such a great job. And I don't think 32 thoughts is going anywhere, but nobody really knows what's happened, what happened. That's up to Jeff at some point if he wants to, to explain his scenario. And I don't know where he'll end up, but I know wherever he does end up,

those people are going to be very lucky because he is talented. He is a hockey encyclopedia. He's like a genius. He remembers everything. I love that about him. You know, when the conversation goes to him, he usually has like a crazy nugget that he dug up or a part of hockey history that you're like, oh, my God.

Like, how do you store all that in your brain? So he's meant so much to, I mean, not only the hockey world, but the sports world, working at Sportsnet as long as he has. And you mentioned a 32 thoughts, an absolute juggernaut. And it kind of sucks. Like I'm disappointed because I thought the chemistry between those two guys was incredible. And as you said, just like a very kind soul

where you work with a lot of people in the industry and he's known as one of the nicest guys and he makes your job very, very easy as one of the nicest guys and he makes your job very very easy as one of the best bus drivers there is going so uh he'll land on his feet very talented guy and uh yeah it's uh it's a little uh it's sad man it's emotional i was i know i i went to i kept i kept going to listen to their free agency recap because they're they're so much different than our show like they they elliot and and even jeff too they just have so many different sources and insider knowledge that their show it's like we almost end up breaking down a lot of the stuff that they're

breaking news for so it's like or make up something completely different yeah exactly so they're actually probably putting out the fires that were created that's i mean that's true very true well i mean i think brady kachuk was was saying he had to shut off his social media because the fucking rumor boys are trying to get him out of ottawa that's that's grinelli grinelli has been the br Brady Kachuk uh I was taking shrapnel for it online I'm like I've never once created that fucking rumor I stand by it I stand by it might not happen this summer but I stand by it oh my god well Grinnelli is now Grinnelli is being a master of being able to like in 10 years if Brady Kachuk goes somewhere else, he's like, told you. Yeah, what's the statute of limitations on these rumor boy trades? Yeah, if you're correct, it has to be this season or next season.

Like, he can't be a senator in three years. The deadline should be next year's draft. I'll give you until end of next summer. End of next summer. Is that fair? No, next year's draft. Next year's draft. That's fair.

Same thing. Same thing. I did see him, though. I did see him a couple months ago, and he just looked at me and was like, the people in Edmonton want you dead, man. Ottawa. Ottawa. Ottawa.

The people in Ottawa want you dead. I think all of them do. I think all of them do. The rumor boys has to retire soon. Morales is sitting somewhere right now. Oh, speaking of other guys behind the scenes mr pasha mr devil man himself he went to sam reinhardt's cup party last night all day actually so i don't know if he's too hung over to hop on i want to know how this was he scored the game-winning goal in game seven what

were you doing hey there he is what's up he's got the hat on. Got the champion hat on. You look great, buddy. You look – you're glowing right now. Thank you. I don't feel great, but I appreciate you saying that. It looks like you're in a giant trash bag. Yeah, the new Wolf's got vitamin D in it in Vancouver. That's right where I belong with. That's right where I belong. But, yeah, Sammy Boy had his cup day yesterday.

Brought it home to West Van um started off in the morning he took it to hollyburn country club where he grew up playing hockey i wasn't there for that part of it but a lot of hockey players come out of there morgan riley uh his other two the reinhardt brothers as well uh kerfoot so kind of where it all started uh he gave a speech to a bunch of little kids there so that was really cool uh to show it to them. Then he took it down the road to Kaplan, a golf course, which is kind of his home course and played a couple of holes.

He was using the Stanley cup as a ball marker on, on the course. So played 17 and 18 in front of a few hundred people. And, and he was striping it. He birdied the one hole and then, and then part of the other. So still had that clutch gene in them.

Good to see. Good to see. And then, then yeah brought it home to his parents place and um probably about 75 people there i want to say um and it was just awesome exactly what we'd expect you know everybody's drinking espresso martini out of the stanley cup and fives are high cigars are going around everybody's laughing telling stories um so it was kind of one of those things you know the moment he got drafted all of us in West Van are dreaming of the day that he'd bring it home and get to party with it. So super cool to see. And as I mentioned before, just so happy for him.

And then he signed that fat ticket. So he is just laughing. What a summer. What a summer. Pasha, did you – He's a good-looking kid too. He's a handsome bastard. He might be the best-looking of the three kids too,

although Griffin's got some size to him. We're just going to shit on Max or what? Yeah. Max right now is just like, what the fuck, biz? I think he's in third. Kasha, the coolest thing about when you see the cup is like, you go through and just reading all the names and like, did you notice one of the years,

I think Peter Pocklington in edmonton he i think he put his son's name on it and there's x's through it like they can't get rid of the name but they'll x through a name and stuff like all the different things that have happened to the cup and the dents and it's pretty sick to just sit there and like look at everything he was cross-eyed by noon there's no way he was reading the names on the cup. No, because I mean... No, he's sitting there with a chisel. He's trying to put his name near the Devils. Yeah, exactly. Next year, New Jersey Devils, Jack Hughes.

Yeah, no, I was looking at the empty slot for next year, just picturing how nice it'll look to have the Devils on there, but it was cool to go back and look at the Brodeurs and kind of all the classic cup winning teams, the Devils, in the midst of the shit show the night they won it, obviously there's no time to sit down and kind of really read the names

and all that. So really cool to just be able to kind of spend some time with it up close and kind of look through all the history and what it means to all those people. So, yeah, very, very cool experience. Well, we're glad that you got to experience that, and Ryan Hart's a great person. And, yeah, what a summer. Huge money, game winning goal. And then he's got Pasha and Espresso Martini's in his backyard. So final thing, the cup final vlog and the Vegas draft vlog episodes

of Chicklets TV are live on YouTube and Rumble. I thought those were very funny. Fish, Pasha, G, all you guys did a great job. And check those out on our channel. We appreciate that. And we appreciate you guys for listening. I know it's summertime, but Biz, Pasha, it's great catching up with both you guys. I miss you guys. And I can't wait to see you again

once we get to London, Ontario for Chicken's Cup. And I'll put a bow on it too. I know we had all the kids chatter at the beginning of the podcast. Congratulations to my friend and Pasha's friend, Jackie Carls. And Elaine Rivera on the birth of their baby girl, Sloane. Sloane, what a cutie. Another baby in the friend crew.

So it's awesome to see she battled through her. And we got a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I love it. Well, you know what? I just want to shout out Sean Dijon again because Sean Dijon is one of the best names I've ever heard. So, Chicklets fans, we love you guys. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next week.

All right, see you. We'll be right back. I'm out. Outro Music you