Spittin Chiclets - Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 529: Featuring Bobby Holik

Episode Date: October 29, 2024

On Episode 529 of Spittin’ Chiclets, The guys are joined by 2x Stanley Cup Champion Bobby Holik to talk about how tough you had to be back in the day, hall of fame devils players, and how jersey fans hated him when he signed with the Rangers, but first the NHL has been nothing short of electric. Alexis Lafrenière re-signed a long term extension, the Winnipeg Jets remain undefeated (sonk, they just lost to the leafs), and the flames are off to a hot start. Will Squanto ever stop asking for his leafs jersey? Is Pasha less deranged than we think? All this and more on this weeks episode. You won’t want to miss it. 00:00:00 - START 00:00:25 - Sports Equinox 00:24:05 - Alexis Lafreniere re-signs a long term deal 00:32:42 - The Winnipeg Jets are on a roll 00:42:50 - The Calgary Flames are off to a hot start 00:54:30 - Murls predicted the Vegas Golden Knights will be back in the finals 01:16:02 - Bobby Holik Interview 02:38:44 - Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller are beefing 02:51:20 - Around the league Support the Show: PINK WHITNEY: Take Your Shot with Pink Whitney GAMETIME: Download the Gametime app today and use code CHICLETS to easily score great deals with the new Gametime Picks! LABATT BLUE: Find Labatt Blue Light at labattusa.com/finder JACKPOCKET: New customers, get your first ticket FREE using code: “PUCK” ($2) https://jackpocket.onelink.me/sY17/CHICLETS GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, NY Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY. 18 or older (19+ in Nebraska, 21+ in Arizona). Void where prohibited. Promo code required for $2 non-withdrawable credit. Prize amount may differ at time of drawing. Terms jackpocket.com/tos/free-ticket-promo/ DRAFTKINGS: Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use code CHICLETS.  GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, [phone] or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet. Max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 10/31/24 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

Hey, Spittin' Chicklets listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Me and Ryan have been officially welcomed to the jungle that is Boston Sports. Our white whale, Sidney Crosby. Shave his head! Shave his head! Shave his head! Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, R.A., Mike Grinnelli, Spittin' Chicklets! What is up, folks? We are back. Episode 529 of the Spittin' Chicklets podcast presented to you by New Amsterdam Vodka and Pink Whitney.

Shout out Pink Whitney. Shout out the fall and football weather and hockey being back and the Pink Whitney birdie buckets and the shot skis that go around bars that people send me videos of that me and Merle's were forced to do in London, Ontario.

And I say forced. It's not that I was forced to drink the Pink Whitney. I was forced to have one at like 10 a.m. sitting down trying to have a coffee. So shout out Pink Whitney. Shout out the big old bottle. That's Biz's favorite. I believe one of the episodes he was like tugging it off.

Probably not the best look we've ever had. But it's Pink Whitney and it's New Amsterdam and it's spitting chiclets. And we're back. What an amazing week of hockey we had. But Biz, how are you doing, buddy? How are you getting settled in Scottsdale? Well well don't forget to mention Merle started putting uh Pink Whitney in his coffee instead of Bailey's that's kind of a new thing I guess and if you run out of treats for Halloween just give the kids some nips just put it right in the all right in there right in there what do you

what do you put them in now those little pumpkins the carved out pumpkins yeah exactly or or just like you know you even maybe even pour some in like a different bottle. So the, you know, it's like apple juice, but it's pink apple juice. Don't worry. Don't worry, Mr. Reynolds. Don't worry. And then his kids just waffled and walking around the neighborhood. This is probably not ideal either. I think you had mentioned another time, not only to, to really be Zen and to, to maybe meditate while my kids are screaming in the house, but there was another thing you mentioned recently to do with kids that was, I think, was it edibles? Was it give a kid an edible? Yeah, the 100 milligram. Well, if you want to

get some work done around the house, maybe you want to paint one of your bedrooms, just shut them down for a couple of days. How much painting you think i've ever done in my house me personally i don't know i don't know have you have you have you never painted before uh i got i got stuck painting something growing up as a punishment um i don't i actually yeah i think it was because i for some reason like was like trying to hack down a tree in my front yard it was a beautiful like maple tree too and then my dad saw me and then, you know, the, the, the, the woods ruined forever. And I had to paint something as a punishment. I have a, you know, a vague recollection of that. I thought maybe you had damaged it. It kind of, Oh, it just reminded me. I remember my

dad got this brand new green arrow star van. remember the ford aerostars you gotta bring those back classy van and uh i i had a bike and he used to hang them on a hook in the garage and and i said hey dad you might get my bike down he's like yeah give me a minute i'm doing something else well i got impatient i took the bike down myself and i was wheeling it out the garage and the handlebars on both sides. Right on the Astro van? On the brand new van. And then my mom's car, he was not happy. You got both cars? Oh, both cars with the handlebars trying to split the D.

So your impatient side has been around long before pro hockey. Exactly. They're very impatient. But as far as my weekend it was pretty relaxed i think i was in bed uh at about what 11 o'clock 11 30 on on saturday that was after going to see the the sun's home opener i got to see them play the dallas maverick so i've gotten to see that joe guy who ended up winning mvp last year and then um is it Donchik Don Luca Donchik Luca Donchik what a fascinating player so I just is at my one game I was at I was watching the Dallas Mavericks against the Celtics

he's like chubby he's like a big chubby guy but so silky yeah I was it was kind of crazy he played most of the game like normally guys are subbing in and out i would say that if any of the star players he was on the court the longest it felt like he dropped a 40 piece but he just had his hands all over the game and what was yeah he it never really felt like his heart rate got super elevated although maybe the the movements didn't look fast the way that he was able to stretch out and just maneuver out there, it was fascinating. Kind of like Jojic as big guys,

but both guys have a little bit of chubbiness to them. But if they're able to kind of throw their weight around, get rebounds, great mitts on the guy too. And then it was cool seeing Kyrie Irving and his handles. And then Devin Booker wasn't playing the first game I'd ever went and watched. That was last year. So all the stars were on display. Kevin Durant had a huge night for them. And it was a good time. I went with my friend, Coach Dar, and she treated me to the game. So it was a great experience. But other than that, a very relaxing weekend.

And throughout that whole process, got to watch that Leafs game. I went to Rafi's hockey game beforehand, was watching the Leafs game on my phone, and then obviously saw that they tied it up late and then lost to the Bees. But a little disappointed in my Leafs lately, dropping three in a row now. But we don't need to start there. We're on a positive note right now. No, let's go into the Oklahoma City Thunder starting five, and then we can go through the rest of the

NBA. And that was breaking down the NBA. Actually the best NBA, some of the best, funniest sporting news of the weekend came out of the NBA. And when I got to see Dwayne Wade's new statue, Keith Yandel texted the group today, like, can we not do something about statue technology? Like how in this day and age are the statues this bad i think somebody sent a ronaldo a cristiano ronaldo one where he just looks homeless like yeah it looks like he's missing a chromosome in that one the duane wade one though i saw somebody on twitter kind of put the statue as a meme on the on the famous picture of him throwing that alley-oop to LeBron.

But that was great in the NBA. And then before we really get into hockey, and I do have something to say about my weekend or week, one of the best bloopers I've ever seen in my life, Tyreek Stevenson of the Chicago Bears. Oh God, this is brutal. I mean, I can't get over this video. And for anyone who doesn't know, I think he's a safety or a cornerback on the bears and the bears are up a couple of points. I think two points, whatever, three points against the Washington commanders.

There's no time left. It's a hail Mary play. And this clown is in the back of the end zone, talking shit to the commanders fans, just laughing at him going like this. We got you enough where, where he ends up having to sprint over once the hail mary's that was the craziest part doing it Before the snap. Okay Maybe maybe that was their fan section where there was a lot of them and he's trying to hype him up to

To close out the win, but the fact that he's still doing it He turns around and the wide receivers of halfway down the field ran their routes. And then he's like, Oh shit. And then he sprints over with the fact that he gets his hand on the ball and it's the best moment ever. That was worse than any of those touchdowns where the guys dropped the ball

at the one way worse, way worse, way worse. Because in that you're, you're, you're, you're, it's a,

it's a bonehead play it's a stupid play but you're also like so excited to score and celebrate this one you're blatantly like the game's over and the best part of the clip is you could see some bears like pointed bears fans pointing to him like buddy the play the play and then like after it came out that he was apparently supposed to be following it was like noah brown or nolan brown the guy who caught it like that was his guy the whole place just in all time all time nfl blooper and and i had i saw your tweet because i was off i was off twitter for the last 24 hours and then i opened it up today and saw you'd posted about it now did the coach say anything post game i guess he apologized on twitter like immediately after the guy um i i don't know i

actually i i did i didn't i'm not following up like bears post game reports i just i've watched the clip a hundred times like and he and like then like at one point he just does this one like now we good and the ball hits his hands it's like oh it's just so beautiful so beautiful well i think that's also a nice way to bring up uh we're talking football and basketball uh 31st ever sports equinox is happening uh to work recording on monday but that's going to happen tonight i think uh i think i forget who's playing the steelers i think it's actually the giants playing the steelers and then the dodgers yankees like that's awesome like that fre Freeman story of him hitting jacks and back-to-back games. I didn't realize that both of his parents are Canadian.

His mother who unfortunately passed away. She was, I think she was born or raised in Peterborough, Ontario. So he actually represents Canada when he plays internationally to, you know, obviously represent his family and where they're from. So just a fascinating story. And what was it? The first ever walk off grand slam. First ever grand slam walk off in world series history.

Incredible. I couldn't believe that. I couldn't believe it. And it was, I watched that game because I was, I was over a buddy's place. There's this thing you want to hear the dumbest? Maybe the dumbest thing that I've ever heard of an elementary school doing was Friday night.

This is around where my son goes to school. There's a little pond. I'm going to say to walk around the pond is.75 miles. Three quarters of a mile. Oh, three-eighths, baby. Let's get back to that three-eighths, baby. So three quarters of a mile. Oh, three eighths, baby. Let's get back to that. So three quarters of a mile. So they, the week before Halloween on Friday, you meet at the playground. There's a DJ, there's pizza, the whole school's there.

And I believe it includes another school because there's so many people. And then they decide, all right, let's walk around the lake. You know, the water of body, very safe for kids. Just to set the scene, like know, the water of body. Very safe for kids. Just to set the scene, like how many soccer moms are we talking here? I'm talking there's 500, 400 to 500 kids like running around the playground in the field. But then let's walk around the pond. But let's not do it right at 515 when the whole bang starts. Let's wait till it's pitch black.

So we're going to do that. So just the dumbest. I'm like, we're walking around a body of water with kindergarten to fifth graders, and there's no parents around. Hilarious, ridiculous move. But long-winded. I'm over at my buddy's house. And this all leads back to the World Series.

Jesus, Whit. So we're at my buddy's house. And my buddy goes, just put in the bed on the Yanks. I love the Yanks tonight on the road, getting money or plus 120 or something like that. And then my other buddy sitting down, buddy, two seconds ago, I pressed the Dodgers. So they're immediately going against each other. Now I'm invested. Now I have no money left because Merle's game of the year in the Swedish League lost this past week. He's been very hot. I believe his game notes picked for Saturday were undefeated, but he screwed me over. So I had no money, so I couldn't bet. That game, that game. I mean, Giancarlo Stanton hits this bomb. Yankees are looking great. All of a sudden it's tied up.

And then like the way it ended with a grand slam and game one of the world series dodgers yankees is very cool too like some people probably hate the fact that it's these two super mega it's it's what it's what baseball needed i feel like baseball was a little bit ever since they implemented the shot clock or the the pitch clock and then now you get this like i haven't been invested in baseball in a long time i care what's happening in this this world series and just the the oshanti factor and the fact that he's a gambling addict oshanti oshanti are you thinking of ashanti ashanti and shohei otani shohei otani i get i struggle with the japanese names that's okay. That's okay. She had some bangers. That's a new one. She had some bangers, man.

Oh my God. Jeez. Rest in peace. But I think that summarizes the sports equinox very well. We kind of touched every sport. We touched football, baseball, basketball. And now before we get on to hockey, golf, sandbagger. Oh, dude.

For anyone who hasn't watched yet, I don't really want to give it away, but I think we have to at this point. I mean, who cares, right? We got sandbagged. We got sandbagged. But beyond what, like sandbagging is one thing. To sandbag the way Rob Schrempf did, to do us that, and sometimes you tip your cap because after he told us he's laughing by the way when you watch the video he's winking after he's like

hitting par fives and two like he knew the whole time but he's like yeah I got you guys I got you that's what the London Knights do wit exactly they fucking sandbag the whole OHL we got sandbagged at red tail now there was a lot of first the first time we've ever been sandbagged the whole ohl we got sandbagged at red tail now there was a lot of first the first time we've ever been sandbagged probably the first time we've played a course that nice like a private course people are telling me that uh sean connery's passed away correct yes i think it's probably good for him that he's passed away by now too he had some tough clips back in the day talking about domestic violence but go ahead those those we won't we won't get into that but no gee we just took a bit of a right turn but apparently his favorite course where he would just fly in bring the chopper in and play there and then take off

so the exclusivity of this course and the fact they even let us on the track now i had a putter toss i was so frustrated with these goddamn greens on top of the pin placements in which i've had a few members reach out since watching the video saying not only were the greens tough they hosed you guys with the pin placements i said it to the guy walking off one of them well i'm the second hole i said it to yeah they're gonna catch me a near point in the future doing donuts on these greens that's how frustrated i am and there's no way they're ever going to let me back given this putter toss. But talking about the sandbagger and the, and the story specifically,

one of my favorite ones, it was a blast hanging out with Prusty and shrimp. Probably the, the most surprising story was the fact that a hunter put Brendan Prust to shadow Sidney Crosby in the memorial cup no no brandon yeah yeah brandon shanti brandon o'shanty the fact that he had him shadowed crosby the whole game with prusty was unbelievable like i i i couldn't believe my fucking ears when he told me that story yeah i love that prusty's a funny bastard. Like I kind of forgot when I said

the one hole, I'm like, right before he had a big shot, I'm like, chirp, I'm chirping biz. And it's a sure as shit, like great job on the editing, Pasha. The video was awesome. And then you chirp his barrel. And then he's like talking about my cock, like very quick. It was just classic here. And then the again,la story he told us. So for anyone who hasn't checked it out, we got owned. I think it ended up being that we lost six straight holes to lose five and four. So we were in the middle of the match. And then my dad's all over me. He's like, you took his shot away because you were so bad.

I'm like, yeah, I took a shot away. The guy had no business getting any shots. I should have been getting shots. I took a shot away. The guy had no business getting any shots. I should have been getting shots. I took a shot away and I still hit it in the woods. What really sucked for me, and I just want to apologize again, was you were unreal in that bagger, dude. Like you're irons.

One time we were 175 and usually that's like, I'm hitting four, you hit a seven, pin high. I'm like, I am a generational uh performance by biz and so i'll try to get you back i feel like i wasted it myself by three and four putting everything that's how how i felt about it but if you haven't checked it uh checked it out go on our spit and chicklets youtube channel make sure you subscribe up to 355,000 subscribers. Now, witty dog giving you the update.

And why don't we bring on one of the most talented members of our team, Pasha to talk about not only the edit, but maybe a few other things that are going around. Oh, I got something else I want to ask him about, but talk about the sandbagger and how you think it went first. I thought it was a great sandbagger. Like you mentioned, it was one of sandbagger, like you mentioned.

It was one of my favorites. Old school hockey guys telling good stories. And it's fun. I believe if you count the two scrambles, that was our 25th one we've done. And, you know, I love them. They're just such fun productions. You guys make my job easy with how silly you are. So, you know, it makes the editing process easy.

But, yeah, like you guys said, if you haven't checked checked it out go watch because i think it's a really good one i was gonna say the fact that he's able to put together these masterpieces are probably the only reason our fans still somewhat like him but the reason i love getting them on the podcast and then when we cut these clips is just reading all the comments is get this fucking guy off the podcast and it just yeah well no if you click those profiles, they all say NYC or Connecticut or what? It's all these Rangers fans that are rattled. Well, Pasha, I do want to say from from the first sandbagger to where it's at now in 25. I mean, you're improving at an amazing like you're getting better and better and you were good to begin with.

So so that's the good news. And great job. Worth every penny we pay your stupid ass. Bad news. Jack Hughes, I'm going to say posterized a little bit. And now the Devils got off to a flying start and then they're giving up loads of goals

to the Capitals and the Lightning. They really figured things out Sunday night, but in Detroit, Rasmussen decides to wrap a goal around to empty into the empty net. Let's seal this thing. And Hughes makes a great attempt as a leader to go back and try to finish his hit and stop

this goal from going in. Well, he runs into a fucking train. And then not only does he get bodied right in front of the net, rasmussen stands over him and flexes and i i texted the group chat within two seconds biz i said pasha what is this where is your team where is the fire do you think if patrick kane got ran over and stood over like that in the blackhawks days somebody wouldn't have jumped them so i'd love to hear your response jack hugh jack hughes had to get up and do something.

I know, he got up and was most angry. Maybe it's time to hit the gym a little bit more. I know he likes to skate a lot, but maybe it's time to put a little bit more muscle on. Rasmussen is twice his size. In business words, this is the biggest nothing burger story ever. Like Jack is making a hard play back for the puck. If he didn't didn't he get chirped for why didn't he go and try and save it

runs into a guy twice his size obviously gets knocked over and then raspison he's all hyped up because he got his first point of the year stands over him like you know let him enjoy his 15 minutes of fame i had to google him to even figure out who he was what is he a forward is he here we go he just signed an extension last year he just signed an extension last year this is the biggest nothing burger story ever okay like he ran over a guy half his size he fell over sweet like why are you don't you don't you don't care about the answer the answer i told you in the group chat this morning all the devils jumped in the refs pulled him away it's 10 seconds left in the game and then they didn't put him out or any of the detroit stars out the rest of the game.

And I guaranteed you next time these two teams play November 29th, I guarantee you Curtis McDermott fights Rasmussen. What about the Trouba train leaving the station again? Your boy, he's been playing well. What do you think? He's playing great. And Pasha, I really, really miss your take on this hit. He's playing solid dude he's he's playing okay like he racked up a few points in the first few games but he's not paid to get points

from what i understand last night you texted me asking questions you are now trying to figure out under the hood metrics and if you look at his under the hood metrics they are still not good but going back to that hit clean hit clean hit oh i love big hits i love fighting in the game that was never my beef with him we don't need to you know beat a dead horse but clean hit the guy put himself in a vulnerable position head down no awareness i had no problem with the hit so it was all right once for once wasn't a dirty hit from truba wow pasha's kind of pulled his head out of his ass and rangers fans might take a liking to you at that you said that now uh we're gonna let you leave but before we do uh we gotta ask you one more thing about the rangers and you could be nice in your approach to this one uh pretty big bargoon contract for

lafrenier lafrenier yeah exactly more more reasons to you know butter up the rangers fans hell of a player hell of a deal i love that deal for the team. This guy is a rising superstar. I love his game. And the fact they got him for, what, 7.45? Hell of a deal. He took a team-friendly deal. And then, you know what? The money you saved on that, give it to Igor. Give him 17, maybe even 18.

I think it's about time to say goodbye to Pasha. Take a hike, Pasha. I just wanted to talk about the sandbagger for a second. Also, this week, before we get back quickly into the hockey, geez, Chicklets U at Chicklets University at Army's dropping, which the way he described to us,

I'm very excited to watch. Sounds like it's funny, gets emotional, just very impressive what those guys do at West Point for Army hockey. And he was at Michigan at Yost. What is it? The Kids of Yost?

Why don't we get him on? Jump on, G. The Children of Yost is what they call them. Crazy, crazy fan section. Yeah, we were at Michigan this past week, and it was pretty cool. Got to go to the big house. First college football game, Michigan versus Michigan State. We were down on the field, hit Yost Arena, traditional unreal barn.

Got to chat with Red Berenson, which is legendary Michigan coach. First guy to wear a helmet in the NHL. So it was an unreal video. That's coming out in a couple weeks. But we do have, like you just said, we have Army coming out this week. Very emotional video. I'd say moving is the right word. Hit the Trail of the Fallen at the end of the video.

But yeah, that'll drop Wednesday around noon. What's the Trail of the Fallen? So Trail of the fallen at the end of the video but yeah that'll drop wednesday around what's the trail of the fallen so trail of the fallen is unbelievable so the whole video all day everyone keeps saying you gotta hit the trail of the fallen you gotta hit the trail of fallen so at the end of the day we did this two mile hike and it was like a i think i believe two and a half mile hike up uh really it's a really directly up mount uh up like you're like basically climbing a rope up this uh during this hike it's really And when you get to the top, it is the most scenic view you've ever seen. And there is an American flag at the very top of this mountain. And all under the flag are these rocks.

And on each rock, you're supposed to carry a rock up the mountain when you do the trip. If you know someone who has fallen in the line of battle. And you write their name on the trip. If you know someone who has fallen in the line of battle and you write their name on the rock and if you have their dog tag still or something along those lines, you put that there. So it's really moving to be up there to see someone's name, Vietnam War with their dog tags hanging on there and all these different rocks and all these different stories of all these different people who served our country, who,

who made the ultimate sacrifice, which it's, it's, and then the coach, just like right when we're up there, it's sun setting and coach, coach Brian Riley, it's his final season,

21 years, just gave like out of nowhere gives the most like emotional, like inspirational. And this was filmed? We filmed it all. Yeah. It was incredible. This will be all dropping on the dropping on the Chicklets YouTube channel.

Yeah. That's awesome. It was unbelievable. So yeah, Wednesday around noon, that's dropping. And yeah, Army, those guys are a different breed. So it'll be a fun video. People are loving these Chicklets U videos. So great job, G.

Glad you had a great weekend at the University of Michigan. I'm sure they handled you a nice duffel bag to promote their university and getting all the top recruits. And let's keep her moving, baby. Keep moving the chains. Yeah, we got a bunch of stuff to get to. But you did bring up quick to Pasha the extension or Alexis Lafreniere. I love it.

I was shocked at the responses I got on Twitter. I said, what a deal. I don't exactly remember my tweet word for word, but then there was a ton of, what do you mean this is a good deal? Look at the points. I mean, what a ridiculous question. Everyone knows the answer, but it's just, I said, this deal is insane. What a bargain. Chris Drury doing God's work for the New York Rangers. And a bunch of response coming where I have to write, how dumb are some of these replies? When the cap is over a hundred million in four years, this guy will be getting 75 to 90 points while making 7.45. Wake up. I think that this deal is exactly, exactly what the Rangers needed. Like the Rangers are looking like this is an enormous win for us.

You've seen what this kid has done. And I was hard on him at the beginning. Biz, do you actually, do you know who his trainer is back home? No. Do you remember? You remember Steph Dubé from when we were in Pittsburgh? Oh, Do you actually, do you know who his trainer is back home? No. Do you remember? I was going to try to guess.

Do you remember Steph Dubé from when we were in Pittsburgh? Oh, back in Wilkes-Barre. Yeah. I think he was, he was good boys with Talbot and obviously with, yeah, with Tarian as well. Tarian loved him. Oh yeah. And brought him and Nazardine, they're very close as well. So I didn't know that, but that's his trainer.

And two years ago, after they had lost in seven to the Devils, he had no points in the playoffs. And like reading about this a little bit, he starts training. I think it was 10 days after they lost. And just Dubé is talking about it and saying this. It just something clicked, something changed. He was so pissed off and so angry at how poor he had played in the playoffs, how he hadn't popped off yet. He then goes back last year. It's his third coach

in four seasons, right? So, cause he came in with David Quinn, then Gerard Gallant was there. Well, Laviolette's there. Phillip Hedl goes down. They put him with Panarin and Trocek. They've turned into a dominant line. Last season, they played more minutes and scored more five-on-five goals than any other line in the league. I think after what he's proven and how he keeps getting better and every year is more points,

this year it's eight points in eight games. He doesn't play power play. That's the key right there. These are regular. People don't realize how how hard it is to score five on five in today's nhl and i i couldn't agree with you more everybody was messaging me after i said it was a bar goon like guy hasn't even hit the 60 point mark the biggest thing for me is like maybe he wasn't producing especially early on but he learned

like the fundamentals of the game where he's a responsible player like he's nowhere near a liability out there so if you're getting 30 and 30 every year and you're paying a guy seven and a half who's not playing power play and he's getting that many points that's a fucking bargoon contract and if you've watched any rangers games over the last half of a year going back to last year when obviously last year things started really clicking for him and he gained that confidence and even into this year where i know he's playing with some pretty high talented players but you watch certain shifts where he's the one driving the line he's the one making the the big play to to separate the guy from the puck to get it back and to keep it alive in the offensive zone like going back to the other night like sometimes

sean avery does great breakdowns on his Instagram. He does. And I like watching him, right? Because he's bang on and he's played the game. He does it for Tampa. He does them a lot for Tampa, the Rangers in Toronto, I think.

Oh, no, Tampa Rangers. Yeah, and he was doing it for the Rangers the other night, and he did a great breakdown of how Lafreniere, he separated the guy from the puck. Then he was the F3 up top, keeps the play in the zone, moves it down low, takes a hit, and then he separated the guy from the puck. Then he was the F3 up top, keeps the play in the zone,

moves it down low, takes a hit. And then he's the guy to go to the net, score a goal on a given goal. So he is just firing on all cylinders. And I don't necessarily, when guys play the way that he does, care if they get 90 or 100 points. He is a very well-rounded player. And this is going to be a bargoon contract,

like you said, in three, four years. I even think it's fair market value right now if not a little bit of a bargain and and great job for him like you said sometimes like players when they have that type of off season and year or not when i mean off season a post season and they they struggle maybe they go poopy pants and they don't go work harder in the gym. And it's everybody else's problem and their fault. Oh, I'm not playing with the right guys. And I'm not in the right situation. He took it upon himself to go and dig in in the offseason to have the ability to come back and have a bounce back year like he did last year.

He's earned everything he's got. And it's very hard when you're the first overall pick to overcome those demons and we actually have a story uh later on about the dylan macklerath the guy who was drafted 10th overall in the first round that's a very fun story but we're going to save that for later and and you almost hope to see the same thing for um uh for for shane right as well who was supposed to be the first overall pick who went out and going fourth overall. And he spent time in the minors. So it's not always going to click right away for these guys.

And you got to give them a little bit of time to season. And this is a guy where it's finally clicking. And I couldn't be happier for Rangers fans there. I said it. All right. I said it. All right. Well, there's also some news with the Islanders going around a little bit, but guess the final thing is he was drafted he didn't play for like nearly a year because it

was covid then he came into the league in the bubble and you've seen him take off i'm i'm easily ready and and willing to eat my words that this guy didn't really have what i thought a future star would have he's looked phenomenal um well there i mean if we're talking teams off to a hot start here at the beginning of the podcast i think if we're talking rangers like i know we talked about igor rejecting that contract extension the longer he keeps playing this way the the more the dollar is going up right now i think he's got what a a two point what's his goals against average right now this season 2.4 maybe even a little bit lower with an ike right now maybe i think he's got a 940 save percentage over six games so

i don't think that the 12 and a half 13 million dollar mark is is out of this world and i know people think i'm crazy because maybe he's only going to play 60 65 regular season games but there's no way that the Rangers are lifting a Stanley Cup if it's not for Igor. And his play has proved that so far this season, just like the last. And he's kind of numbers. He right here. He is 916, 926 save percentage, 2.16 goals against.

There you go. And he's got a shutout. And it's kind of funny that he's actually doing the exact opposite of what Lafreniere is doing. Because granted, he's UFA. It's different in that sense. But he's like, I'm going to prove and up my worth game by game. Where Lafreniere could have easily done that. I mean, if he thinks that he has

reached a different level, he's point per game right now. Like what if I go get 75 points this year? But it was more like, I like the security. I like where I'm at. I want to do it. Igor's not looking at it like that. He wants to break the mold. And he actually has already been offered the largest contract, the gold ending history. And he's like, no, no, no, no, no. Niet, niet. I show you more. So it's been incredible to see what they've done. I was an idiot about them. I think in the season previews, I maybe was looking at like, who do I think can win the Stanley Cup?

And I didn't think of them. And then now I'm back to thinking like they could if Igor got that hot. Now, Pasha's probably losing it. And Rangers haters are like, they can't get by the big dogs in the East. They can't beat the Panthers. But we'll see, because you know they're going to be there right in the end. And they are the regular season champions, of course.

Don't forget their banner. That's true. Don't forget their banner. You know, we love talking stats here at Spit and Chicklets. Here's one that's super simple to remember. Discover automatically doubles the cash back you've earned on your credit card at the end of your first year with cash back match that means with discover you could turn 150 bucks cash back to 300 that's right you could put it

towards some memorabilia you've had your eye on or treat yourself to a premium sports network you earn and discover doubles see terms at discover.com credit card what else oh winnipeg oh mea culpa baby i think i just gotta keep saying mea culpa every episode until they lose i was wrong i was wrong last year i'm wrong this year your team is a wagon i believe that they've now won 16 regular season games in a row over the course of two seasons. They finished with eight last year, then they got rocked in five games by the Avs. But then now they got eight in a row this regular season. The record is the Penguins, 17 in like 92, 93 of across two seasons winning games in a row.

So maybe they tie that. What do you see? Do you think it'll continue? I will say the power play is around 40, 45%. So you know that's going to level off. I mean, yeah, it'll level off a little bit, but we've also said that about the Oilers sometimes in the past where they were clicking at that high of a rate. Don't compare those two teams.

You don't want to do that. Buddy, I'll tell you right now, I like their top nine way better than I like the Oilers' top nine. I think they have so much skill distributed on their top nine. You're crazy. And I think they have the best third line

in hockey going right now. I agree with that. With the chemistry. I agree with that. Nino Niederreiter, that trade's looking like a steal. Appleton, and then, of course, Lowry, who, if he keeps playing like this, buddy, he's a shoe in for

that four nations tournament. You you'd be so stupid to not even have him as a fourth line center. Hold on him or Tom Wilson. I think they're not both. They're both not making the team. I don't know. What do you mean? They're both not making it.

You could have one guy as an extra like, well's it could be an extra to start the tournament man and given the fact that the the u.s team especially up front they got some disruptors there you're gonna need some guys pushing back even on the back end they got some guys who physical they got mcavoy you got to disrupt that back end for team usa so i think that if i'm looking at it you always don't want to go too one-dimensional with skill skill skill out the wazoo you need some guys who are gonna you know be a thorn in those guys sides now going back to Winnipeg I mean we we touched on them last week man they're getting incredible goaltending right now they got that good one-two punch on the back end with with Pionk who's played incredible so far this year you always know what you're gonna get from Morrissey but I think it just comes back to Arneal and their team overall I think that early in the season sometimes some

teams get a little bit sloppy with their their coverage and their d-zone and not playing in structure I think that they took that momentum they'd gained last year over the course of the regular season and they brought it right in to start this year. And they don't give up as much as other teams do. They know how to score in different ways. I think it was Army last year who touched on how good they are off the offensive zone cycle and how they can generate offense there. You're talking about their power play. Well, I mean, you talk about one-dimensional.

You can't be one-dimensional just scoring there. So they found a way to incorporate their whole lineup as far as providing offense. They're getting it from the back end. They're getting Vezna caliber goaltending. And it just seems like the culture has kept going the way that it was established with Arneal taking over as head coach. So I like him, man. That's the biggest myoclopo going right now as far as teams that I had missing the playoffs. But I do think that they play tonight.

It will be their ninth game. So by the time this podcast comes out, they might have suffered their first loss. But to start the season 8-0 after whatever happened in playoffs last year, it's just kudos to them and the leadership that that group has. Now, I think that we actually have rick bonus coming on tnt this week so he'll probably touch on what it was like coaching there and and the group and he says we made it very clear to those guys if you don't want to play here and you don't like being in winnipeg let us know we'll get you the fuck out of here and everybody who's playing there is bought

into playing in winnipeg and listen it ain it ain't for everybody. It would, in some guys' cases, be a very difficult place to play. It's cold. It's dreary. The dog days of the season could be extra extended. Chris Drury? Is it Drury? Is that how you say it?

I think it's Dreary. Dreary? Yeah. I'm French fucking Canadian. Would you give me a goddamn break here? Oh, Shanti Drury. Shanti Drury Shanti Drury baby Drury did play in the

Little League World Series Hooked on phonics didn't work for me but Overall very impressive from the Jets so far This season Woody what do you got on them So I guess Nikolai Ehlers is the only guy Who they try I guess they're trying to sign him to an extension

But he's like no no no I'm going to wait Till the year. So he might be the only guy that maybe doesn't enjoy playing there as much as the other guys, or he's like Igor and he's waiting for his payday. Ehlers is a, is a water bug out there. He's got 10 points in eight games. Yes. Oh, they're playing Toronto this evening. And I want to let everyone know there's eight games tonight, which is not common for a Monday. Usually, it's a pretty, I feel like, slow night in the NHL. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturdays being the big dogs. If anything happens in any of these games, we'll be hopping back on. I'll be getting back on here later.

So, obviously, we're through Sunday. But in terms of the Jets, this article, and it's written by Murat Ates, A-T-E-S. I'm so bad with names. I butchered it for sure, but it's good. It's on The Athletic, and it's talking about Scott Arneal and his analytic summit and his aim to evaluate. I'm chirping you. I can't even read. Oh, yeah.

You want to fucking come at me, eh, you piece of shit? There you go. I was like the guy talking shit and then the ball going off his fingertips, karma. Karma, motherfucker. Inside Scott Arneal's analytics summit and his aim to elevate unbeaten Winnipeg Jets. So it goes into this,

that he had this entire group summit this summer talking about analytics. And it stems from last year. The Avalanche had dismantled the Jets in the first round of the playoffs and Colorado's head coach, Jared Bednar, was loud and proud about his team's analytical advantages. Bednar said Colorado changed its forecheck as a direct response to its preparation for the series. So Colorado used analytics so to perfection against them last year.

And Arneal was like, we need to get better at this. We need to use this better. And we need to simplify it, where they went in all confused about... The article goes into a way better explanation of what they did, but it's interesting. Pasha's probably got the Juergens and the Kleenex out right now.

Oh, yeah, he loves his analytics. Began all analytical. But talking about figuring out what's a slot shot, what isn't to really dial in their entire game and who they play against and how other teams play i thought that was interesting like to see that they're starting this strong and arneal also mentioned that he kind of thought he had to do it all in columbus that's where call me call me he's been rough on scott arneal before i think he was a little bit on the, on that.

People can learn and grow and evolve. That's what he says. He says he, he tried to do everything and he had to be a part of everything. He talks now about trusting his assistants way more, which makes sense to me. Like your, your stress level,

trying to control everything would, would kill you. Like you got to have belief in the guys you hire. And it seems like they really do have something brewing there. Now, can the playoffs be different? Because Winnipeg Jets fans, they're successful in the regular season. It's playoffs. It's sun.

See ya. Kapoof. And now let's see if it could be different. But Hellebuck's unreal. Hellebuck, I guess, starting goalie for Team USA. It's not a stretch, but that's a tough competition. You're talking about Team Canada and Wilson and Lowry. Goaltending in Team USA is crazy.

You got Hellebuck, Ottinger. There are so many different options for that team. Whereas Canada, who's Canada's starter, Biz? Who's your starter? I'd go crazy Bennington. I'd give him a bag and say, go out there and do your thing, brother. That's what I'd do.

I would fucking, I trust. He's a way, he loves it. When the competition is at its highest, that's when Bennington shows up. And the Blues are good, buddy. They do, they compete hard. They compete hard. And obviously Robert Thomas going down is not ideal.

I think he's got like a fractured ankle or something. Hopefully it's not too long, but yeah, man, that's a great double wrister for the jets and a team that we probably don't talk enough about. And maybe we can get one of the, maybe we can get Kyle fucking Connor,

the electric factory back on and talk about how the season's gone so far. But I mean, it, we'd be hard pressed not to mention Shifley as well. Who's, who's been off to a great start. So a lot to prove for that Jets team. I also, going back to your comment about the four check,

I also thought that they got roasted off of the rush. I thought when Colorado's D were joining the rush, they were giving up the line easy, and they were getting so many scoring chances off the rush. So they said in the same article that they started the series off putting it in deep because they said they they thought of winnipeg as having uh like defensemen that were a little bit on the slower side which i could agree with so they got it in deep and they got them backing up and then they took over the the possession and the offense they were exposing them back and then got all the room they needed yeah that second layer coming in most of the time it's a defenseman activating like go back and watch the goals from last year's first round i bet you they get throughout the whole series

probably six seven goals off the rush in a five game series they just open up the floodgates on them so uh but that ain't this year no more fraud squad as of right now, unless our guy behind the scenes has to say anything about it. Maybe we'll get a text after this pod comes out. No more fraud squad. But I guess I'm talking about history with the winning streak throughout two seasons, kind of a joke when you get trucked in the playoffs. But we also are looking at history in another way, Biz, and that's in a bad way.

And that's the San Jose Sharks who I believe are trying to become the first team to start an NHL season with nine consecutive losses two years in a row hey man if you're gonna do it go big okay well this is that that leads us into the flames and we'll get into that like I I know what you're saying but when you hear about Craig Conroy and the flames and we'll get into that. Like, I know what you're saying, but when you hear about Craig Conroy and the flames talk about like them not wanting to be a part of that, there is an argument to when it gets that bad with young guys, it is, it's, it crushes you, dude. It really. And if you don't have a strong core of veterans, which I'm not talking about their, their veterans specifically at all, like that wears guys. That can change development.

And you just hope that they get it turned around a little. It sucks. Celebrini goes down like that. They had the excitement. They had a three-goal lead in the first game of the year against the Blues and blew it. No pun intended. So now it's like they got to get a win. I think that if you're a fan of the Sharks and you're in that organization, you want to make it as miserable as possible for two, maybe three years.

And I get what you listen. I get what you're saying, buddy. Like you look at Chicago and I like the moves that they made this offseason to surround Berdara with competent players, learn how to win some championship pedigree in there bring in more veterans that he can snap it around with so the power play could be overall better and you're not dealing with like a 15 20 win season but buddy make it quick make it extremely painful get those first and second overall picks because those are the players that are going to change the foundation of your organization that's what's going to do it. Smith, you got Celebrini and maybe add in one more special player.

Like, I forget the kid's name, the kid playing at BC. Dude, there was a fucking clip that came out of this kid. I thought it was AI generated. I sent it to you. Was that Jack Eichel playing in his gear? It looked like it was Jack Eichel.

But was there some sort of editing where his head is that still? He was looking at the banners playing in his gear it looked like it was jack eichel but was there some sort of editing where his his head is that still he was looking at the banners and the rafters while controlling the puck the whole fucking shift so if i'm the san jose sharks i'd be putting pucks in my own net in order to get this guy so as much as we want to be critical and as much as it's miserable for sharks fans just be dog shit for one more year, get this kid. And I think your guy's future is going to be so bright. So keep doing what you're doing.

Fuck off with this limbo nonsense and tank, tank, tank at the shark tank, baby. You can tank and not get 47 points. Like I wouldn't win 65 points. You're tanking, bro.

You're horrible. if 47 last year if that clip was not ai generated i would try to lose all 82 games what if you don't get it doesn't guarantee you get it and then you're stuck with some some bust that's just tanking in the tank he's drinking in the tank he looks like a dead shark in the tank by the end of his career because he won nine games a season for four years. It gets exhausting. It gets exhausting. You got to be not 47 points bad.

That's when you just got to trust the process, and you got to trust Bettman and the fact that he pulls out that magic ball. But you did mention the Flames. Do you want to move off to them or do you want to keep talking about the tanking? No, the tank at the tank. That's going to be an interesting follow this season. And everyone knows they'll probably be last.

I just think you hope for some of these guys, you get a little bit of a run. You win seven of 10 at one point throughout the year. Just something to build on and gravitate towards as you're looking to the next season and remember how we played some good hockey at that one stretch not just business tanking at the tank saturday night ten dollars come watch the the sharks tank at the tank and then just lose 10 nothing make sure celebrating gets his one and, make sure the other guy gets his one and one and just lose every goddamn game.

Now shifting over to Calgary. Here's what I'm feeling from Calgary. I'm feeling like they're this year's Philadelphia flyers. I feel like they're going to, Oh, when did you say that? I believe I said it last, last episode,

if not two episodes ago, or it was on the group chat. So I feel bad right now. Interrupt me. Okay. I'm going to hand it off to you. I don't want bad right now interrupt my g okay i'm gonna hand it off to you i don't want to steal your thunder no no you take i don't want to steal your thunder you're not you're not i don't know why my ego got in the way there and i there probably isn't

even evidence of me saying it on the pot i know i thought it though so i'm more giving you a tap tap on the back good job all right ray um but But speaking of young talent, been very pleased with that Zari kid. Like, I love the way that he controls the puck. He's got good offensive ability. But I think the story right now is Rasmus Anderson leading their team in points. He's got 10 points in eight games right now. And every time he's scoring,

he's doing stare downs with fans in the crowd. Have you been seeing this? Yes. It's a great celebration. What do you make of it? I think it's amazing. And it's only if a fan nearby has the opposing or that team's jersey on, correct?

Correct. I think he did it to the Pittsburgh Penguin guy, and then all of a sudden there was maybe a little battle going on the rest of that game where they ended up coming back and beating a shootout. But it's a great story to start the year. They're the kings of Alberta right now other than you're obviously because your oilers are dog shit how are they dog shit biz what how

are they dog shit well just compared to what we're expecting out of them i mean they went to the stanley cup finals and they're not exactly that hot coming out of the gate to the point where they're not even the best team in alberta they're not even the best team in Alberta. You're, you're, you, you actually have serious, like mental, mental problems. If you're thinking that the Edmonton Oilers right now aren't turning a little bit of a corner and looking a lot better, you're crazy. You're crazy. Yeah. They're not 10 and oh, I mean, okay. Like it's a long season built toward the playoffs. Look at last year and what happened. They're figuring it out. They look good.

Leon, two goals and an assist on his birthday. They win in Detroit in overtime. Like, things are happening. Work the Penguins. Go ahead back to Calgary, Biz. Don't bring my Oilers into the mix. Your Leafs have plenty to worry about. Yeah.

Yeah, they do. Okay, we won't go there yet. But as far as Rasmus Anderson I mean probably could potentially be a nice deadline pickup for somebody I don't know what the future is in Calgary they've why are you laughing because nobody needs him more than the Edmonton Oilers you think that he might go there down I don't know if that will ever get done if Craig Conroy would ever end up agreeing with Stan Bowman and like, I thought that was a faux pas to make it.

It's happened before. I think Grinnell, will you look it up, please? It definitely has, but Rasmus Anderson, I only laugh because he's exactly what the Oilers need at right D like to a T. So if it could ever happen,

I think his cap, it's 4.4 for the next very cheap. It's crazy. Very cheap. It's cheap for what he's doing right now. And he's got a certain edge to his game, not a liability defensively at all. And the fact that he can do this offensively,

I don't know if he's going to sustain this. Although he, I think his career high is 50 points. So it's not like he's not accustomed to putting up decent numbers, but I think that overall, he's probably been the catalyst to their team right now uh very happy for hugo and what he's doing after you know you have the year last year that he had and then you see your old team go off and win a stanley cup and then he's doing what he's doing uh cadre has been off at the start another guy who maybe they could part ways with if the team's willing to offer a big enough return

at the deadline i think he could help so many teams up immensely i would love love to see him back in toronto don't think that's going to happen the way things left um i think that the other story too is the the 1a 1b that's my favorite saying when it comes to the net and minors with ladar and wolf and you know they don't I don't think Calgary has a ton in the pipeline that is as a proven prospect. We mentioned Zari, but this Wolf guy, he went down to the American League.

I think he was goalie of the year back-to-back years in the AHL. And then so far, his number so far in his four games that he's played and shared the net with Ladar, he looks fucking awesome. So things are definitely looking in the right direction for Calgary.

But like you said, last pod or on the group text, I think that there's going to be a, yeah. Or in your own brain, Ashanti, I think that at some point they are going to fall off a cliff and, and they're going to have to do what they need to do in order to prep for

the future. But it's gotta be fun being a fan. They're getting off to this unexpected start and being the Kings of Alberta. So do you believe that those fans, because I've seen rumblings that the fans are actually like, no, stop winning. There has to be a fan base at least divided, or if not more so wanting them to win, but some of them being like you and say, no, no, no, no, no, get better odds for first overall. some of them being like you and say no no no no no get better odds for first overall my understanding is the moves that they've made over the last couple years especially last year were incredible in preparation for the future i think having those like the anderson around and and kajri around to

to rub off on some of these other young players they do have on the team and and make things a little bit less painful for the fan base and and around the city I think it's perfect what they're doing now at the early part of the season but I think that you have to look towards the future and if there's a big enough return which I think that there will be for some of these pieces they do have especially given Rasmus Anderson's cap hit i think you have to look towards the future like that is that building up their value to get good assets in return is just as important as what they end up doing at the draft and these draft picks that they accumulate so you got to get

a lot for you got to get a lot for them then you're gonna you're gonna get a lot so i think that they're in a good spot now and man there's no there's nothing better than starting out the season hot when you had no expectations the mojo and the feeling around the ring like have you seen clips of the bench like huberto smiling again he looks so happy when's the last time we've seen that i know the guy could probably go to tim hortons and and and not get mobbed about the fucking power play for christ's sake. The Justin Kirkland story too is so cool. It's awesome. It's just like 10 years later, we talked about it already. The serious injury he had from, was it a car accident?

I believe Grinelli mentioned. It's like, this kid's getting his chance. The team's having success. I do agree with you though. In the end, they will. Remember I used to say the in the end all the time. time then memes gave you i still say that memes gave you the lincoln park treatment memes speaking of memes just a a disgusting tweet of you on the face of all these club goers and partiers in the 1980s when i see going to knock them out when I see them for posting that. I almost

threw up. I was like, oh, this is bizarre. Just business everywhere. Women, men, he, she's, different hair, different mustache. I was like, oh. And memes has a sick mind to do that. You've done worse. So, Calgary,

good for them. Good for them. But yeah, we'll see where that ends up going. Are you feeling lucky? Well, get ready to try your luck with Jackpocket, America's number one lottery app. With Jackpocket, you can order Powerball and Mega Millions tickets right on your phone. They even have official state lottery games.

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Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. New York, call 877-8-HOPE-NY or text hope ny 18 or older 19 plus in nebraska 21 plus in arizona void where prohibited promo code required for two dollar non-withdrawable credit prize amount may differ at time of drawings terms jackpocket.com slash tos slash free dash ticket dash promo slash about i don't know september 15th-ish, started really talking NHL futures. Matt Murley said the Vegas Golden Knights are crushing everyone this year. And he has been repeating it over and over and over. And he looks like a genius right now. And he's really bullying us in the chat

just after every box score at home. They put up 17 goals. Here you go, boys. Vegas still 18 to one. I wonder if that's changed on the DraftKings sports book. I think that getting that first round loss and actually rest was the biggest thing for this group. They're healthy. Mark Stone leads the league in scoring biz. But I want to talk about the Shea Theodore extension, which this guy, what a find. What a deal. What was Anaheim thinking giving up on him?

And I think there was more that went into it back at the time. And I don't know. I think that they gave up Montour too at that time. It's like they didn't protect any of their good D. Like, what the fuck? What were they doing? I don't know. What was going on he's one of three original

Vegas Golden Knights players that were there for the first year in the run to the cup final do you know who the other two are one's easy I don't know if you'll get that that are that are still there yes there's three of them I would guess McNabb yes that's the one I didn't think you'd get or wasn't sure you'd get. And then Colasar wasn't there. Maybe Roy? Nope. Wait up, wait up, wait up.

Oh, Carlson. Carlson. Wild Bill. Yeah, so you got all three pretty easy. So he's been since he got there just the smoothest skater puts up points. I think defensively, his numbers get like questioned a little bit, but the way he's actually moving the puck, getting it out of his own, jumping into the play right now, he's running the power play that deal while being 37 at the end of it, maybe at the end,

it hurts right now.'s awesome and it gives them hannifin locked in at i think 7.5 ish he's 7.4 and petro's 8.8 for the next six years up after next year correct that'll be his last year at the end of next year but the fact that you have this year and next year of those two guys yeah i think pet Petro's up at the end of the 25-26 season. But the fact that you're paying none of them more than $9 million and you're able to spread around to have a 1-2-3 punch on the back end like that, you'd have to say that they're probably at this point maybe the best decor in the league, if not top three. It's crazy. And then each of them takes the focus off of one another,

where maybe a Hannah Finn last year when he came in and even in playoff time, it seemed like he'd taken up that power play and maybe a little bit too much of that time away from theater, where I feel like each of them slotted in the perfect spot now. And I think the one other thing with it's like health, like he's been healthy over the last year and a half. And that's been important. I want to say in his last 82 games, he has 71 points.

Jay Theodore. So that's crazy. His top end offensive ability is incredible as far as getting production from the back end. And you mentioned his defensive side. Well, he doesn't really need to be unreal there. He's not a very overly physical defenseman either, but another bargoon contract for the Vegas Golden Knights, which was conducted by Pinky and the Brain. I'll always go back to McPhee.

Have you seen the clip that just went viral? No. Of McPhee snapping. Him and McCrimmon are there with the owner foley and i it's probably a first period turnover and mcphee's fucking losing his mind probably ready to try to what's that from a recent game like this past week i think this clip came out like three days ago if g can send it over to you send it it's just the pinky in the brain aspect of these two and how they work and how, look at, look at their top scorers right now, outside of Shea Theodore. You got Eichel, Stone, Barbashev, Hurdle. You got, look, might as well throw Hannafin in the next, Petrangelo.

All these guys were acquired via big time trades. So this GM and president, they put their fucking nutsacks on the line and they make very hard, difficult decisions. And boy, do they get it right every goddamn time because Hurdle even looks like himself again after he didn't last year come playoff time. So they are just all systems go, baby. Hurdle does look great. And Theodore has 296 points in 450 games on the Golden Knights.

He's got eight points in eight years and their power plays at 36%. Also, the final one that I wrote down was that they're paying the fifth most money to defensemen in the NHL in terms of cap percentage. And it's only actually going to be more so next year when, when Theodore's deal kicks in. But I get that like pay money to have a good defense, to have three legit guys that can move the puck and play PP, PK, like spread it out. I love that. And it's worked for them so far. And now if Merle's is correct, they're going to do it again this year. I believe their philosophy is the back end and strength down the middle. And I think that that's kind of the formula in order to win now. And then those centermen can distribute to the puck,

to the guys in the wings. I mean, fucking Barbashev might be a point per game player this year. Guys making $5 million and he'll put you through the end wall. Petro has two more years after this year. Oh, I thought he was done 25, 26. Good for them. shit you're 26 27 and then he'll be 38 years old um you wonder like can that's that's a long time

from now but he is doing it unreal for what is it 12 13 years now he's's a tank. So, the wild biz, my squad kind of this year, I like watching these guys. I just, such a Billy G fan that now, and Kaprizov, every episode,

I'm going to keep talking about it, one of the most fun players to watch in the league. He's dominating when he's out there, but it's Gustafson. It's their goal. And he,

apparently, was very close to getting traded last off season or maybe the summer before that. I don't remember exactly. I got to check this out. Gee, look it up for me. Apparently there was a very good chance he was going to be traded.

And then now he looks, he looks phenomenal. And he snored, he scored a goal. I just, I think the team's fun. I think that Zuccarello has always entertained me the way he flies around out there. Hartman's a rat. Like Foligno is awesome. Foligno was

chirping biz. You sent over some words he had, right? Who was that for? I think it was a Hathaway. He was saying, yeah, he's got to do like, do stuff like that on the ice to stay relevant in this league so he's getting a little bit spicy that was a barn burner that they ended up losing against the flyers i think that's the flyers only win of the season but i agree with you with they just kind of seem to have that mojo right now uh flurry the perfect backup uh gufson is playing a lot more this year like he did two years ago when he had that incredible run and when he first ended up coming on the scene uh capri soft is a human fucking highlight reel and can drive any fucking line he could drive he could drive a line with me me as uh me as his other

line mates if there's two of me but um i haven't watched a ton of their game but the fact that they're doing this uh and they they had the absence of um their captain Spurgeon he's still out he's still out and the fact that they have the 14 million going against them on those buyouts it's just remarkable I think it just speaks to the culture they have going there and and the mojo they have in the locker room I haven't caught a lot of their games I've been watching a few other teams instead, but I would have to rely on you for what more of what you've seen from the rest of the group. I haven't seen that much of them either,

but the games I have watched, it's been good. I couldn't believe they lost to Philly like that. And the Philly, Mishkov continues to produce points. He's actually like a piece of shit out there too. I love it. He's kind of, he gets,

so now it's like, oh man, I got a war with Flyers fans, but I actually like watching this guy play, even though I don't think he's the smoothest skater and I would never compare him to Kaprizov, the way he glides through the ice, but I actually love his game and he's going to get a ton of points, but I hate the Flyers fans.

So now I'm like all in on him as well, Cause I've created this entire thing in my mind. So the wild though, I just, I don't know if it can continue all year without Spurgeon. Like you need to, my friend in Minnesota said, I don't, he almost shouldn't be captain. He's never playing. I mean, this is just one fan's opinion, but he's never in the lineup. I don't think that they'd ever think about something like that, but they do need him. They need him to actually get into the playoffs and make a run if they want any chance. And Boldy, Billy G, what do you say? He thinks he could be a 50-50 guy? Yeah.

He looks great out of the gate. So it's a fun team to watch. I think his pushback was just like more consistency. And that's going to come with overtime and maturing as a player. And the fact that he's off to a hot start where he really struggled early on last year. I mean, that's huge for them. That's like that's their up and coming superstar up front along with Kaprizov. So the fact that they have both guys clicking on all cylinders, just huge for that lineup right now.

So good mojo in minnesota that's for sure happy for those guys um biz dylan macklerath did you see did you see this guy firing up the team before the game last week that was the first game of of a back-to-back where we ended up having them on the wednesday broadcast so tuesday they went uh I think the game was in Philadelphia in order to get the boys going he had an incredible lineup read and you could just tell that there's something brewing in Washington right now I had them missing playoffs I actually said they looked better on paper but I didn't think given the fact that New Jersey was going to be in and then we would probably see a push from the Islanders and also the penguins that they would be the odd guys looking out. But right now,

early on these moves that Washington's made along with McElrath being up and, and, and bringing that element to the team on the back end. And of course it goes without saying Carberry. I think it was Elliot Friedman on his podcast was just raving about him. And Carberry, I just feel like he's got that magic, man. he was a

guy who he actually won a championship in the coast with the South Carolina Stingrays guess who his coach was who Bednar a lot of a lot of NHL coaches have gotten their their start with the South Carolina Stingrays so they Ryan Wasowski yeah there you's another one, right? So he won it as a player there. And then he ended up coaching there. I actually wrote it down, kind of like his journey. He won it as a player. He spent five years there as head coach after that. Then he was three years in Hershey as the head coach.

So he was already in the organization. Went to be an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs for two years and then now last year obviously his first year there was I think it's at a certain point getting consideration for winning coach of the year the Jack Adams didn't end up making the final three but early on this year man right back to his winning ways and firing up this group and if you saw the clip after those back-to-back wins against the Flyers him giving Pierre-Luc Dubois the puck scoring his first goal as a capital it was pretty moving like you could tell how happy he was for Dubois and then just to see the smile from Dubois and the hug and the embrace they had it seems like now he's found a comfortable home after having a nightmare last couple seasons or at least last year so it just feels like and even with Ovi having a slow start the fact that they've they've gotten

off to this hot of a start is I think it's a testament to Carberry and what he's been able to do there I mean he's one of these young up-and-coming coaches that maybe people didn't expect to be hired where he's taken the reins and run with it, man. And he's got these guys playing hard. They took a tough loss to Tampa three, nothing Tampa. They look phenomenal. Vasilevsky hasn't even been that great, but Kucherov and the rest of the lineup that's hopped in Gensel fits in

perfect, but it's Hagel. It's that Brandon Hagel deal and how good he's been since he's been over there and like looking why did the blackhawks ever trade him i mean looking back now it's so stupid was that so he was making like a million and a half last year in the year before it was uh i did i want to say there was two first rounders going back the other way so that is pretty enticing but shout out to tamp Tampa scouts and the way that they're able to pry these guys making nothing they got Blake Coleman a few years back when he was

making nothing with New Jersey they just are able to go scout and pry those guys and I know first round picks are you know they value them high but they use them very very very wisely Tampa just continues to to retool. Like I did think it could be a struggle this year, but Gensel's actually money. And, and then it leads you, it leads you into Stamkos and his struggle and how he's going back.

He's there tonight. Well, last night, as you're listening Tuesday morning, and it's probably tough going back and, and, and kind of having to go through the emotions and the questions from the media and the standing ovation which he all deserves and i'm sure he'll definitely appreciate

but if you're doing it as your team's winning and you're lighting it up now granted the team has turned it around a little bit i think they've won three straight but his numbers haven't been great that's what probably makes it hard going back there do you know what i'm saying do you think it could even help him after this game's over with to just really move on yeah maybe it's one of those things that's been lingering in his mind and once he gets this off his chest it's like now they can just refocus and they have they have been a little bit better ever since starting out oh and five and uh yeah sometimes these things could be more of a distraction but a lot of emotions going into this one and i'm sure you know he wants to win one for his squad

and prove his old team wrong. Just to go back to that Dylan McElrath story, we ended up getting him on the post game. It was an awesome interview, but a guy who was drafted 10th overall by the Rangers and wasn't ever really able to crack an NHL roster. I think he's played, now that this podcast, I think by the time it's over with, he's going to be just over 80 games in the NHL roster I think he's played now that this podcast be required I think by the time it's over

with he's going to be just over 80 games in the NHL but that's over the course of what I think it's been 14 years since he was drafted so for first overall pick and I actually played against him in the AHL and and you know man if you're a high draft pick and you're playing in the AHL you're getting chirped every game about being a high draft pick and not making it all bust this bust that. So the fact that he was able to play as long as he did down there and continue to develop and continue to add to his bag, he ends up going over to Detroit's organization, winning a Calder cup with grand Rapids. Then last year ended up going to to Washington capitals camp and ended up signing a two-way, right? He ends up going down to Hershey.

Well, boom, they ended up winning two years ago when he went to camp. He got sent down. He was the captain of the Hershey Bears. They win another, you know, he wins his second Calder Cup. Well, they ended up winning it back to back. So the guy's got three Calder Cups. And then finally this year, after, you know,

doing so much for the organization, he finally gets his chance to establish himself at the, at the NHL level with this team. And he's been great so far in the, in the, in the time that he's played, he ended up having two assists in that game against the flyers and that back to back. And that's why we ended up getting them on. So just to hear his story and through all the resilience and the effort he's put in to finally get his chance at this age. It's just a really, really cool story. And among all the other ones going on, you talk about Jacob Chikrin trying to find a

home and he's on a contract prove it year. He's off to a hot start playing with John Carlson, which maybe some people were a little bit confused by because they're both very offensive. But that pairing has worked out great so far that they've been playing together uh that mcmillan finally having a breakout season and coming through for mcmichael i call mcmillan for christ's sake ashanti ashanti what the fuck i got going on today dylan strome buzzing it's so dreary out it's so dreary it's so goddamn dreary out um but it's just cool it's a cool story and they're off to a hot start. So I figured they deserved a little bit of love along with Dylan McElrath. So if you haven't heard that interview,

go check it out online or dive into his story in general because it's a fascinating one. I maybe think for him getting chirped in the minors, it wouldn't have been as bad because he'll punch your eyes shut right i fought him twice did you how'd those go good i would say even you could go watch him yourself and is this you saying you want them and you're just trying to be nice no i would say they were both pretty even okay i'm gonna pull those up i'm gonna be modest sure biz marshall responded brad marshall captain of the Bruins, responded to the discussion about Monty kind of snapping at him on the bench. And we chatted about this. But

the one thing we did forget to mention is it is surprising Monty's lame duck coach right now. Like he hasn't signed an extension. He doesn't have a deal after this year. Like that has to be definitely weighing on him a little bit. Even if you say it doesn't, you're still thinking to have security as a player or a coach. It matters. Right. So I don't know if that that maybe ups his stress level a little bit. I know him a little bit. It doesn't seem like it would. But Marci ended up saying it was no big deal and he totally understood and and would have would have wanted no other way than montgomery also snapping on him like he would anyone else yeah i think we saw a few of these examples over the course of the last week you saw berube going out at the top line for toronto uh you saw uh uh sealers is it

sealers am i pronouncing this properly sealers and uh torts and torts were going at it so i just think that these are nothing burgers that sometimes like social media clips people are trying to pop off with with posting about it oh my god the coach and a player arguing like i talk about mike stothers all the time he was one of the favorite coaches i i ever had and he would fucking snap on guys he kept guys accountable non-stop if you want to win a stanley you don't think fucking pa think fucking Paul Maurice is calling guys out and keeping guys accountable? Obviously, the stress level is a little bit down when you have a lineup that good and not a lot of mistakes are being made. But maybe in the early season struggles that Boston has had, you know, something needed to be said.

That was in the game against Utah where the goal ended up getting disallowed back but Marshawn had a turnover at the blue line so fucking Monty gave him an earful and I mentioned that we got Rick Bonus coming on TNT and we were going to talk about him with that and he talked about it where he's like man he goes when when I ended up getting the job with Winnipeg the conversation I had with the players on the phone before I even got there was, we want to be held to a higher standard and we need to be held accountable. And if you're not doing it to your top guys,

what does that tell your bottom six? And you can't just tell your bottom six and not hold your top guys accountable because then you end up losing your bottom six. So you have to treat all of them, especially the guys at the top, the way that Monty has, the way that Berube has, your top guys accountable because then you end up losing your bottom six. So you have to treat all of them, especially the guys at the top, the way that Monty has,

the way that Ruby has, and the way that torts has, where it's like, if you're not playing the way that the systems have been explained to you and the way that your approach to the game is from a team perspective, give them a fucking earful. That's these guys are, these guys are paid enough money and they're grown enough men where they can handle a fucking tongue lashing in public.

If they're playing the way that they're playing. Am I, I mean, you used to get your fucking cage grabbed at BU and all you were getting was free tuition. That's what I was. Well, and books.

I think I look back looking at the Montgomery Marshall one. It only made any news because they were like, he put his hands on the players. There was actually people like, yeah, it's actually touching the player. He barely, he put like a little hand on his shoulder. They're like, imagine back in the 60s and like coaches probably choking guys out on the bench. Like, let's go wake the fuck up like big deal big deal if you gotta if you have a coach that like flicks the guy's shoulder like we're not talking i love the cage i got what did i call it jack parker used to get cage treatment

you just be shaking it and i loved it all of a sudden i'd be ready to go so i gotta love the comments online it's like oh if this happened in a regular workplace it's like what are you talking about yeah like i'm looking for a stapler behind the behind the coffee machine from hr at the fucking bruins facility and explain her that one and see what happens i i it's just like to compare it to real life is crazy. So the Nothing Burger, your comment of Nothing Burger, I agree with. And I think keeping it old school, not that we promote coach violence on players, but keeping it old school, Biz, we interviewed an old school beauty and a Stanley Cup champion. And talking to you after, I think we agreed it was one of the most interesting, entertaining

interviews we've ever done. I mean, these old school European guys, they're amazing with how they became so successful in the stories of their lives growing up. So anything anything you have to say or do we throw it to Bobby Hulik now? Yeah, just basically to piggyback what you said, just, you know, raised in a difficult time. And just the fact that he was able to play as long as he did and make it to the NHL, you're going to hear some of these stories where, you know, you guys enjoy your new twigs and your new skates and getting decked out with your new gear. This guy came up a different way in mad respect to Bobby Holic.

And we can't thank him enough for coming on and also spending as much time as he did getting interviewed. I think we went well over an hour and some just crazy iconic chickled stories and and he might be might be one of the my top 10 favorite interviews i've ever done so uh enjoy it bobby holic whip before we go any further i gotta talk to you guys about draft kings the quest for the Stanley Cup starts now. The pucks dropping on the 24-25 season. Get in on all the action right now at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the National Hockey League. It's super easy for first-timers to get started. Try betting on something simple like picking a team to win.

Go to DraftKings Sportsbook app, select your team, and place your first bet. And if you're new to DraftKings, listen up. New customers bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now and use code CHICKLETS, that's code CHICKLETS, for the new customers to get $200 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks. Only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem?

Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In New York, call 877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPE-NY-467-369. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. We are now pleased to be joined by a veteran of over 1,300 regular season games, over 140 NHL playoff games, and a two-time Stanley Cup champion, born and from the Czech Republic, Bobby Holik. Thank you so much for joining the show.

How are you doing today? I'm great. Thank you for having me. So where are you coming from? Because Biz and you have a little connection. Biz met your friend out in Jackson. I don't know if you're out there or Florida. Where are you at? I'm in South Carolina right now. We've been, yeah, Jackson

has been our home for 30 years now. Spent some off-season during the play times. Lived there full time. This is the retirement. I mean, full time, you know, excluding the travel and all that. But yeah,

I haven't seen Biz there at all because he's, I think he's hanging out with a different crowd. The only thing we have in common is our friend Arthur. Yeah. I've been hanging out with a million dollar cowboy. You're out in the backwoods trying to shoot stuff so you could, so you could feed your family. Yeah,

I know. Yeah, definitely a million dollarboy Bar is not my thing. And yeah, I like the outdoors there. Definitely great place. It's been a great place for our family to go home. I've never been lucky enough to go. I want to go out at some point, but it feels to me like it's really popped off last 10, 15 years. But you mentioned 30 years ago, you started going out there.

How did you even first hear about it or decide to visit? And I guess you were early to the game. Yeah, we were. Not as early as some, but not as late as others or as recent. But we heard from a friend and this is way back before we had our daughter. We had an adopted, just two of us, my wife and I, we just drove out and we immediately found the community being the best part of it.

You know, there's a lot of beautiful places, but it was a great community then. And we just, we were there for a week. We bought a little house and we spent our off seasons there. And it's been a great ride since. Also, Bobby, my understanding is you had like a brand deal with a with a gun company from czech republic so were you into hunting before you went there and

like were there other things other than the community that drew you into it like were you hiking maybe back home in the czech before like what what was it that really drew you in from like the like the hunting side well i was always outdoors I was always outdoorsy, even in Czech Republic. We have some mountains there. We lived in a beautiful, I grew up in a beautiful part of Czech Republic, which is not that well known. It's called, direct translation is highlands,

along the rivers. We had some beautiful woods and hills and we camped and hiked and did everything outside as kids. And I always liked the outdoors. And the hiking part was, I mean, it's limited in Czech Republic, but it's good opportunities for that.

But coming to United States and being able to go to Jackson Hole, obviously you take it to another level. But I was never much of a hunter because I just was outdoorsman. And I don't think I'm still much of a hunter. I just was outdoorsman and I don't think I'm still much of a hunter. I just, actually my favorite part is bird hunting, you know, because it's a challenging, it's a, and there's some great challenging terrain and great challenging opportunities for you to do that in Wyoming. But I didn't start it until I retired because as you know, probably, or a lot of listeners will know, most of the hunting seasons are in the fall.

And I was busy, you know, with training camp and the season. So, and yeah, I worked for a company called CZ USA. These are, you know, Czech Republic made firearms. And they import them here as a, and I was a spokesperson. And I, you know, I participated in the fundraisers and shooting tournaments, mostly. Sporting clay, trap, and skied. And it was fun. About 11, 12 years I did that.

It was a hobby to turn into a part-time job that kept me pretty busy with other things that I did. It's funny you mentioned bird hunting. We just interviewed a couple of days ago one of your former teammates, Pat Verbeek, the current GM of the Ducks. Biz is actually into bird watching, but Pat mentioned that he's an enormous bird hunter. He was talking all about his dogs. He said he's got two amazing

dogs. One flushes them out, one goes and gets them. Do you get a dog that helps you out with that? No, he gets the horses. Because of our work with horses, I don't have the bird dogs. I have friends with amazing bird dogs, and I usually hunt with them. I have some friends in Louisiana, in Arizona, in Wyoming, and I'll bring them along.

I have the spots, and I'll bring them along, or they bring me along in other states. And we kind of worked that way. I just didn't have time to properly train and, and keep a bird dog or two. Was horses something that you were always in love with? Because like when you ended up moving to Jackson, eventually you got a ranch where you had quite a bit of horses on property. Well, I didn't, I never loved horses. I just fell in love with my wife and she did it all of her life. So I just kind of married into it. And then our daughter was born and I was busy playing. They were spending time together. So our daughter fell in love with riding and they did it for a very long time until very recently. Our daughter just graduated from medical school. So she started her residency. And that's when it kind of, quote unquote, fizzled out for her because being a doctor is kind of a busy time.

And being in medical school was very busy. But she tried for a couple of years. She showed and competed. She still loves it. But again, I kind of, I fell in love with the women that ride the horses, like my wife and daughter, not necessarily the horses. But it was a great transition for after the retirement. I had so much to do. We had two horse farms and I just kept, you know, I was the farm hand and it was long days and every day and just awesome time to do it.

Because when you stop playing, you know how it is. It's like, what do I do now? So awesome time to to do it because when you stop playing you know how it is it's like what do i do now so i had plenty to do and we kind of slowing down now and downsizing but that's just life but it's been amazing to see my family enjoy it so much and being part of it after i retired where could you imagine sea biscuit just chilling in the stall and all of a sudden Bobby Holi comes over for a ride. He's like, no, no,

no, no, no. He's like, my back hurts trainer. No, no, he speaks English.

The horses sense your intensity. And I was fairly intense. I am, but I'm trying to be less intense. And the moment I walked in the barn in their stalls, even though I was having good intention, whether to take care of them or clean the stalls or whatever it is, or load them on a trailer to ship them, drive them somewhere. They knew when I was around because they all tensed up. But my wife and daughter did the show jumping, which is those big jumps. There was no racing.

There was no ranching. It was a really, you really define English equestrian riding. So that's what they did. Show jumping. Well, you mentioned your playing career and what an amazing run you had in doing some research for our interview with you. I noticed that your father, Yaroslav Holik, he was a great player himself. He won the world championship in 1972.

And I didn't know, like, did he push you? Is that who you looked up to? Did he play mean and hard-nosed playoff-style hockey the way you did your entire career? Pretty much. We were the same type of players. And he was probably more reliant on that intensity spoken intensity and and the kind of at the time he was way ahead of his game as a a rough player but he also was very skilled but for him to be successful he had to find a way and you know it was basically be the meanest son

of a gun on the ice this way he's got a little more time and space to display his skills. His brother, my uncle, was far more skilled and better skated and everything. But my dad felt like, I've got to play this way to really create the time and space I need to show what I'm all about. And I felt the same way. I wasn't the physical part of my game. Basically, setting the stage had to come first for me to be able to utilize my skills i didn't have the skills of steve eiserman or joe sacking or even patrick elias or martin host uh marion hosa i had i had good enough skills but i had to set the stage first that it's not gonna be easy and then most of the teams most of the players kind of backed off a little

bit and i had an opportunity an opportunity to have some success. So right from the beginning, you were like that at an early age. Did you always have the size or was there a growth spurt? Because like even from talking to Arthur, the first time he met you, he's like, Biz, I thought I was walking up on a fucking bear. Like this guy looks like a bear. And then you even alluded to the intensity where he said, when you would jump on the drills with the kids kids he said that something would just like turn in you where your intensity

would go to a certain level where it was almost like it was instilled in you and you didn't know how to shut it off when you were on the ice it was the hardest thing of it all to be coach a volunteer coach for more than 10 years with whether it was the high school or junior years on any you know i well more more, more recently, I wrapped up another season of the trap shooting club for age in Wyoming. And that's, that's by far the hardest thing was the, to moderate my intensity.

Because when I do it, when I did something, I did it like the best I could. And not that I didn't do it best. I could with the coaching, but to work on that intensity in that, yeah, you're right. The moment somebody passed me the puck or a jump in the drill, it just pulled it out of the world. And I consciously worked on it.

And sometimes it was too hard. I couldn't do it. it but I was aware of the that was like my what I'm called shortcoming as a coach where the intensity sometimes was probably higher than it should be but I was well aware that I have to my expectation of players have to be all of the players I coach have to be a little lower or different than an expectation of myself and was that something that was kind of instilled in you like from a very early age? I mean, I know you talked about your father saying you need to play aggressive in order to gain a lot of space for yourself.

But was it always that switch when you hopped on the ice? It was time to work and it was time to focus and no fucking around? Absolutely. My dad was an awesome teacher. And of course, he was a great father father but also a teacher and coach and he said you know when you do hockey you give it everything you got but it's not everything so i i developed this ability to when i lace up the skate and grab the stick as you walk into the ice i was just like in the zone and it was awesome but that's not good for life so i had to work he also taught me as a

mentor or as a father that, you know, in life you have to, you would take the skates off, you put the stick on the rack and you walk out of the ring and you have to be a husband and a father and a teammate and a friend. So I, I got it early in life so I could manage it in a,

and I thought I had a pretty good, I've done pretty good job doing it, but yeah, I had a great example. So genetics played a good job doing it, but yeah, I had a great example. So genetics played a huge part of it. And also my dad being, uh, being so wise and learn, not only being great at what he did, but he would, he never stopped learning. And then he relayed the messages to me.

So I'm grateful for, to have, to have dad like I did and, and I owe him a lot. And so he's passed away almost 10 years ago, but when I do something, I do it the best I can because I want him to be proud of me. And no matter what it is, whether it's cleaning our stalls or playing hockey or coaching kids, no matter what it is, you do the best you can. That's a great message. Talking to my son, it's just like, hey, I don't really care if you're good or bad. Just try your hardest. So hearing that that's how you were raised, it makes sense to hear and know about all your success. I'm curious about your dad. So in 72, they won the world championship. That same year is when Russiaussia played canada in the amazing summit series the

eight game series so i mean that that czechoslovakian team was so good that they beat russia in that world championship like they must have had some incredible talent with your father and other players so my dad was part of that world championship but he was a little too old and then the czechoslovakia world one and another World Championship in 1976 and also 1977 they also played really competitive games against

the team Canada I believe was the 1976 Canada Cup I think they were in the finals and it was very

very close and my uncle was on that team and another gentleman who was my mentor way back then

I played with his son as kids. And he also got a few world championships as a player and also as a coach of the national team, he won a few world championships. So the 60s and 70s era, or the generations of my dad and my uncle and their peers, they were just phenomenal, phenomenal hockey players. Unfortunately, the world was, there was two worlds.

There was the West and there was the East, and very few times their paths crossed. So not enough people knew until one of their teammates, Václav Nedomansky, came over and showed the world that there's a lot of good hockey players in Czechoslovakia. Bobby, what were the resources like you as a kid? I want to say we talked to Zeno Chara, and he had to have stuff handed off to him from the bigger club.

So did you have two or three sticks on the rack, new skates every year, or was it hard to get supplies from a hockey standpoint at that time in check or because your father played you had access i had access but it was still you better take care of it i mean skates or sticks and he would he would have access to it but no no nothing like he was here in the united states or canada or even sweden finland it was very you had to be very resourceful one of the things that I keep telling, the story I keep telling people is like,

my grandmother would sew a little pocket on my hockey pants because I had a one puck and I brought the puck to the practice ring and everybody else had a one puck. And if you lost the puck, you went home without a puck. Because when you were doing drills without a puck, you put the puck in your pocket. It was in the front of your hockey

pants. That is unreal. Yeah, so, and to this day, when I'm at the ring, I was just recently, what, in April, May, at a Wyoming select, kind of an event where you select the U16, U18 for state of Wyoming, and I go

around the glass, I pick up all the pucks that were when it went over the glass and fell up all the puck that it were when it went over the glass and fell behind the boards to this day. Because I'm like, you know, I had one time, I only had one puck. And a lot of times we got into fights with kids because we were fighting for a puck just to be able to practice with the puck. Who wants to skate without a puck? That is unreal story. You would have puked when one of my good buddies, Christopher Stieg, Stanley Cup champ, he was healthy scratch for the Panthers with me one

day and was just flicking every puck out of the arena. He wasn't happy about getting bag skated. Next time I'm at the ring, one of the first things I'm going to do is walk around there because there's so many pucks. And you can end up with 10, 15 pucks just walking around the rink once.

You just throw it on the ice and it just feels good to see multiple pucks out there that everybody has more than one. Do you have any other crazy stories about having to maybe walk to the rink a certain amount of miles just to get ice time? Any other hardcomings, I should say? You know what? Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia is a hockey country. It's a national identity.

People love hockey. We, people love hockey. I, we actually traveled with my family and I, we traveled in, uh, early late May the day we landed there the day after they won their most recent world championship,

which was in Prague. So, and it was just like, yeah, people have massive stuff. That's crazy. You know, this and that.

I'm like, no, it's that's, that's what the country lives for. In the 60s, during the Cold War, in the 70s, even 80s, they provided such a hope to the whole nation. If the national team did well, if we got medals, even the world juniors, you go home and you're like,

that's what you do because you represent a country. You represent the underdog. So it's one of the motivating factor was that we were going you know and jagger jerem jagger and reichel and even dominic hashi there's a bunch of players that we play together as as youth as they say or juniors and you go somewhere and you pull together even more than ever because you're representing small country. You're not representing yourself or the team. You're representing the country. And I firmly believe that was part of the motivating factor where we all excel in the international stage because we represented something that we represented on the adult country.

We interviewed Jagr once. He told some great stories growing up. And I noticed you were drafted the year before him. You just mentioned him and and and uh any other guys like that were of your age that you came up together that made it to the NHL and even with Jagger there must have been memories of him at such a young age already so dominant that you were like oh my god like this kid's gonna play in the NHL I think I can play in the NHL being a year older than him even. Were you on a squat plan? He was doing a thousand squats a day. No,

I was on a different program. Yeah. Not easy either. Like I was at a cottage. Again, we were there in the end of May. I was showing my daughter and son-in-law. There was a river at the bottom of the hill where our cottage was.

And we wouldn't, when, when we couldn't get any rain because we had these tanks holding rainwater and it didn't rain for a while, it was dry. You would just take two buckets. You would go down to the river, fill them up, walk up the hill, dump them in a tank and did that all day or a couple of days until you had enough water in the water tank. So not necessarily squads, but carrying buckets of water up and down the hills. It was the same effect. What about him just like playing with

him growing up like like you talked about how your skill maybe came a little bit later was it evident not only did he have the size but his skill was just at another level for that age yeah absolutely i remember i actually remember very very clearly the first time i ever saw him play and he was younger than myself and my peers and so we were in i don't know if it was in clondon in his own town and you think oh it's hour and a half away but you know when you're a kid in a small country like that it's it's a long ways away so one time we were in a same play same tournament saw him skate and everybody knew the difference between good players and i was pretty good young youth player but the difference between good players. And I was a pretty good youth player,

but the difference between good players and the great one. He was the great one. I'm not taking anything in regrets, but at the time, you're like, wow, I can see the difference. This kid might be really good. And then three, four years later, we ended up on the U16 team together

and U17, U18, U19. And we were teammates and friends and world juniors and the national team and then we played against each other for a long time and almost two decades and then a little bit together in New York and that was incredible to be playing

again with a player that you played 10-15 years prior as a kid for U16 or U17. Again, I remembered it very well. And I'm not that much of a hot historian or remembering all these stories, but certain things you just don't forget because it's that special. So a lot of guys your age or a little bit older even that grew up in Europe

that we've talked to, they mentioned the NHL really wasn't even on their radar or in their dreams. It was playing for the national team and the club teams like your father and your uncle did. When for you, at what age were you like, I can get to the NHL, guys from around here are playing in America and Canada now, and I think I can do this. Is that when you're 10, 11, or is that actually closer to the draft for you? No, I was in a different situation because my dad was very outspoken. He was an anti-communist, very outspoken because of his childhood memories when the communism

was established and they took over his dad's business and all that. So he had a terrible, terrible experience as a child with communism. So all his career, he was very outspoken about the regime. And at times he was persecuted. Not at times, all the time. But there was a, you know, during the prime of his career, he was

too good for the regime to kick him off the team. So for me, it was day one. The goal was to play in NHL, to leave for United States or Canada, preferably United States, land of the free, land of the opportunities.

And because of the country didn't treat him or the regime didn't treat him well or good. Not that he didn't deserve it, but that was just the times they lived in and he would not, he was all about honesty and integrity

and communism is all, everything but that. So he caused trouble. There's actually a book out there now, it's called Freedom to Win, a gentleman from California, Ethan Shiner, he wrote it about my dad's struggles

against the regime in the 60s and 70s during his career and the way they grew up and what happened to my grandfather, his father. And again, it's called Freedom to Win. Not that I'm really selling stuff, but I have to say that that story is so good that if you read it, you'll get it. And I came from a little different background. I wasn't really embracing the national team or the Olympics and all that. I was embracing the opportunity to defect as soon as I could. And my sister did that in, I believe, 1987. She was a professional tennis player at the time. So we were raised with the idea of, there's a better world out there for us. And that's America.

That's incredible. And I wouldn't consider that selling at all. It sounds like it'd be an amazing read for what your dad went through. And just to go a little deeper into it, what was the business that your grandfather owned and what happened? They came in and just took it away? Yeah. owned and what happened they came in and just took it away and yeah well he was a lifelong lifelong dream of owning his own butcher shop in a small town where they from where my dad and uncle were

born and so he eventually i don't know the years exactly but it was like mid 40s uh maybe early 40s 1940s and he finally had the opportunity to buy one and he he had his own shop and him and my grandmother ran it and and my dad was born 1942 and you know they were successful at their business in 1948 the communists came and as if you know anything about the the type of regime they are they nationalize everything that means they take your store they put somebody else some party loyalist to run the store and you're out and he ended up working in a brick factory or something there just to be able to provide for his family but it's a really really great story and that kind of when my dad was six years old it it kind of traumatized him so much that he was he was such a fighter against the communists and as i said he

had secret police had the files on him and and all that stuff so we i grew up in a little different environment and uh so my goals were a little different than other players you said that your father was outspoken obviously he had a platform because he was a player was there any consequence for him speaking out like would they yeah he suspended a couple of times from the national team in his prime. And at the time, players didn't play that long. So any year or any time in a tournament, any Olympics you miss, then it's costly. But he cared, but not enough. What he cared about was to be true to himself and to stand up for what he believed was right.

And the regime was wrong. It just makes like what kids go through in America and Canada now and all over the world a little bit, just you appreciate so much what your dad went through and his dad. And like nowadays kids don't have enough sticks, so they don't like the time of their practice. It's like, no, we were fighting against a communist government. And it's incredible to see him fight through that and always stick to himself. And for you, so leading up to the NHL draft, considering you'd always wanted to defect and become an American citizen someday and play in America, you must have been so excited

for the 89 draft. You went 10th overall. Did you know going in you were going to go that high? Where were you for it? And you must have been ready, right, to get to Hartford once you found out they selected you. curtain. We couldn't just really go to America or to any Western country to participate, you know, to attend a draft, an HL draft. So I was home. My parents were somewhere at a cottage. I'm like, you know what? It's Saturday. I went for a bike ride, not a motorcycle, a bicycle, not an electric bike, bicycle, just a regular bicycle. And I paddled for most of the day. I went, you know, we lived in a very hilly part of the country it's so much fun

still remember those days and I get back home and I'm in the kitchen the only phone we had was hanging on the kitchen wall and some of the listeners won't understand that

that there was these things attached to the wall with a cord and and phone rang and I pick it up and somebody said

I don't even know where he was and if there was English in Czech or Czech and they said oh oh, you were just drafted by Hartford Wales 10th overall. I said, great.

Thank you. I hung up. I had no idea. I really didn't really think about it that much because I was still behind. I would have to defect. Okay. And I was just going for my mandatory military service because I wanted to serve those two years and then defect after. The consequences were a little less if you serve the country, at least for the mandatory service.

But six months later, the revolution came, the freedom came. So I was released and i was fortunate enough people say you were lucky i'm like well uh lucky is when preparation meets opportunity so i was prepared and opportunity came but that's not my quote that's magic johnson of the la lakers but so i came over here and and you know things were great but if But if the revolution didn't happen, if the freedom didn't come to Eastern Europe, I would have to serve my two years in the military, pray for the army club,

like, you know, right, the army in Russia, we had a team like that. And after I served, I would defect after if nothing's changed. So that was the plan. I spoke English at the time, or at least I thought I did, and I was ready.

If you had defected prior to the military service, is that something where you can't go back? Is your family affected? What would have happened to those people? So for me, it was like, if I played in that two years there in an elite level and a national team, it helps me to become a better hockey player. And i also kind of check this box of serving it would the consequences you probably couldn't go back i i don't know we didn't want to take that chance because ultimately to play with the top players in the country and a national team world championships or you know it was beneficial so there was like i'm just gonna be patient i'm gonna go when i'm ready but things changed and then i went and i was ready anyways who else there like helped you

prepare you for that next level his name is joseph augusta he played for the national team he ironically he him and my dad didn't really get along they were kind of not necessarily rivals but just my my dad didn't get along with anybody you know so and then Josef Augusta was

I played with his son growing up as kids for a long time he played I believe on the left wing and we played together

for a year and then I kind of moved along faster and I started playing for the professional team at 16 and Robert Reichel you guys remember

from Toronto and Calgary, he played the same thing. We were like the same generation. And Yags was after us. But this gentleman, Josef Augusta, who he meant, I didn't realize that there's something about it because I came to the NHL. I had number 24 in Hartford, you know, good couple of years.

Other great things happened. But then I get to New Jersey, part of my career, and I got number 24 in Hartford, you know, good couple of years. Other great things happened. But then I get to New Jersey, my part of my career, and I got number 16. And looking back now, 30, 35 years later, that's what the gentleman that I'm talking about, he wore number 16. And he helped me so much as a mentor. And not necessarily prepared me for the NHL. They didn't know what NHL was going to be like. But they prepared me, you know, my dad and my uncle, this gentleman, Josef,

they prepared me to be the best man I can be and best hockey player and just be able to handle life. And yeah, it was just ironic that him and my dad were never best friends or not even much of a friends. In the book, there's a story why they didn't, they didn't have a best relationship, but he helped me so much that I have to mention him along my dad and uncle because he was dad influential.

Again, not necessarily knowing what NHL, what he's going to take to play in NHL, but just preparing me, giving me the skills to be the best I could be. When you got over to Hartford, I imagine it was just excitement. I'm going to play in the NHL. Was your first game maybe a little emotional because you know how much it meant for your father to be over there and his son was able to do it. And maybe he could have played at the NHL

at a different era. Was it an emotional time when you made your debut in the National Hockey League? Of course, it was exciting. And again, one of my biggest challenges even then was just to contain my excitement, contain my intensity. Because I was just naturally so, not necessarily wound up, but so naturally. I love the game so much. I love playing the game that you get this natural high. But it's not always being about the most wound up like it's it's a composure control your i consider those my strength but you also have to be in control of them you can't let them control you you know

and eventually i believe i got pretty good hold of it or balance where i could be more consistent but it doesn't happen you know with the first couple of years, no matter if you hide drafts big, whatever, you have some great games, you have some good games, but there's games where you're just invisible. And it's because you cannot handle, you cannot find a balance. You know, you have to learn that. You have to watch older players.

You have to watch how they prepare, what they do after the game, or what they say after bad game, what they say after good game. There's got to be consistency. And it takes a while, but by my, probably not, but the cup year in 95, I think I was in a really good place where I consistently provided the team what the team was asking me to do. What's wild to me is that a 19 and a 20 year old in the NHL at your size in the power forward era, back to back 20 goal seasons at that age, and you're traded. The Whalers acquired Sean Burke for you. You must have been kind of shocked, I would say, because that's two really good years for a guy who's only going to get better and better as he gets older. Yeah, it happens all

the time. You know, I always said I was at Brian Burt's office and he was telling me that I was a big part of the team's future. And two weeks later, I was traded. And I said that story many times. And eventually I was watching some junior hockey in Canada after I retired and Brian was there. He's like, I, you know, I really didn't intend to trade you, but it just came up and the trade and the players, you know,

in the return of trading you were I believe that they're going to make our team better I'm like yeah I understood that it was business and I almost felt fortunate that it happened to me early on in my career because you're like okay I'm here to do a job nothing personal and if they

think they can get more for me it's actually a good thing because the other team wants you more than the third team. So it just kind of puts it in perspective. And again, it's a lot of, a lot of things that young players don't know. They know how to train.

They know how to eat. They know how to sleep nowadays. They know how to sharpen their skates or what they should be sharpened at, but they don't know that it's still a big business. And sometimes there's, you know, coach won't play you as much because he needs to play somebody else who's being showcased or there's so many things that young players don't know and it

takes a lot of times too long or they never learn the kind of insight of the game and that's i think it's important to teach skills conditioning it's all great but everybody teaches that or everybody coaches that but the inside of the game like how you, what do you say after you win the game? What do you say after you lose a game? What do you say when you have a great game or a bad game? You have to be consistent, you know, and because that's going to kind of put you some on the next level. And there's just not enough of that, whether it's in junior hockey or even with the prospects today. Before we move on to your time in New Jersey, you played one AHL game for Utica, Utica Devils. I had a bad fracture. I had a hand surgery, and I was out for

in my third year, first year in New Jersey, and then Herb Brooks, great Herb Brooks, he's like, you know what? You need to warm up or get used to the game speed again after so many weeks. Like, you should go to Utica. Lou flew me to Utica for one game.

We had weather delays. The plane got stuck in the snow, whatever. It was horrible. And I played. I didn't know where I was coming or going. And I got on the plane and flew back and I played in New Jersey the next day. It was just Herb Brooks. And I didn't know where I was coming or going. And I got on the plane and flew back and I played in New Jersey the next day. It was just Herb Brooks.

And speaking of Herb Brooks, he said, you need to work on your skating because legs feed the wolf. And you'll never forget that. It's Herb Brooks. It was Herb Brooks. And he was ahead of his time with some of his things, but we had him for a year

in New Jersey and it was great to be coached by him, but not necessarily great results. What was your first impression of Lou? I thought Lou was great from the day one. And I think he was my best boss to this day because he was from the same mold. Work hard, pay the price, good things will happen. more, work hard, pay the price, good things will happen. And then as a general manager, he was so

awesome because he eliminated all the distractions that come to young players or professional hockey players' world. And all we did was show up at the rink, we trained, we practiced, we traveled, we played, and he's like, that's your job.

That's all you do. I'll take care of everything else. We had the best travel schedule, we had the best travel schedule we had the best meals we had the best hotels everything it was and then then we just didn't worry about it we just i think everybody who who was good team player loved playing for lou because he puts the team for you know like 35 years later or 30 years later i gotta explain that we have to wear socks a certain way or tape them a certain way or the pants or the jerseys or the helmets. And people are like, it's about control. He's a control.

No, he's not control free. You're on the team. The team comes first. And if the team has policies, self-imposed policies, you follow them. If you don't follow them, you're not a team player. You're not going to last. Work for us. Works for the team. Losing it is ranch

right now in Jackson. He still makes you shave, doesn't he? Yes, I shave all, but I don't I feel like it's my responsibility to look the best I can and getting a haircut, dressing better.

It's all part of it i came from that background my dad was the same way to me it was not people like you know uh this guy this coach is gonna be tough i'm like after growing up in czech republic my dad being my coach and my mentor is gonna be walking the park i want it it hard. I want demanding environment. I want discipline. I want responsibilities. Makes you a better man and makes you a better hockey player. Do you ever get called in one time to get yelled at for a pee-pee whack from Lou? Not off the ice activities because I was just too, you know, I don't drink.

I don't party. I read books. I go to museums on the road. Like, you're not going to get in trouble for that. I got in trouble because of my lot of ties and because of evolution of your career. Things happen, but off the ice, playoffs, losing the first round. But I'm wondering if you could see what was to come. Because the following year you lose Game 7 with the Stephon Matou wraparound. Then you win the Stanley Cup. Right when you got there that first season, could you see the pieces in place and everything moving towards a dynasty type situation in Jersey?

Herb Brooks was a great, great person. He's accomplished great things. But it was not the match. We started adding the players and, you know, the optimism and just atmosphere, enthusiasm. Everything was going up, but it just wasn't quite there. And then following summer, it was a big, big, big deal hiring Jacques Lemaire.

And that turned the franchise around and following, even though Jacques was there only for five years, it just turned... Jacques' prodigies like Larry Robinson, you know, they carried on that franchise for 10-12

years of success, of Eastern Conference dominance and ultimately three cups for them. I only won two with them. But you could tell that Jacques Lemaire was what that organization needed. Jacques Lemaire and his philosophy on life, philosophy on hockey,

and everything else. And there are certain things that I believe, I don't know, that Lou had to compromise with Jacques. But to have Jacques as a coach, that was the key. Without that, it wouldn't happen, as I said. And Larry Robbins, and his prodigy,

and these guys were not only great coaches, they were great teachers, great mentors, and other people in the organization learned from them, and it just went on for 10, 12, 15 years. I think what's wild is people think of Jacques Lemaire and his coaching career and winning the cup with you and coaching the Canadians and the wild. But he won eight Stanley Cups as a player. And it's just wild to think about.

So I'm guessing as he was your coach, the things he would tell you guys, little things that would just help you win a game that weren't necessarily all structure-based. It must have been so impressive because of the success he had as a player, just passing that along as a coach. Coaching is one thing. Teaching is another. And Larry and Jacques were both amazing teachers. And they brought Jacques Caron for to be... He was not a goaltending coach.

He was Marty Berdour's coach. And that was all good for us because it kept Marty going at his best. And again, not only great coaches, but great teachers, great mentors, because there's more to it than just like, okay, this is how we do two on one, or this is how we come back check. That's just part of it. Just being able to learn how to handle the grind of the season.

And again, it's not only when you lose, you're like, okay, we need to do better. But when you win and when you start winning, that's even harder. How do you stay balanced when you have all that success? And those guys had some success, you know, multiple, multiple upbringings. So we kind of like listen to them because they've been through it. Not once, not twice, eight times or so. And I don't know how many Larry has has as a coach and a you know as a player as a larry robbins is a coach player and assistant coach i mean 10 11 so you those

type of people again a lot there's other people who have that kind of success but these guys were just amazing teachers and to this day to this day i i think about what they taught us and I try to use it when I coach youth. That next season when Herb Brooks is gone and Lemaire comes in, what was the thought like going into that series against the Rangers? Because it's the Easter Conference final. They got the 1954 curse and then all of a sudden you're up 3-2. Messier makes the guarantee. We interviewed him recently. He kind of talked about saying that before game six. What do you guys remember when you read on the paper like

Messier guarantees a win? Well, he had nothing to lose. If they lose, we move on and they go home. Nobody's going to go to his house and say, hey, Mbass, you guaranteed that he's going to win. I'm not taking anything away from his Hey, Bass, you guaranteed that he's going to win. Okay?

I'm not taking anything away from his performance on the ice. It was amazing. But you can, you know, like you guys in the media or between the Air Mission reports or whatever you guys do there, you know, during the playoffs, like you can say whatever you want.

If it doesn't happen, nobody's there with microphones like, hey, you said this. That's not true. I guarantee everyone remembers everything. The internet's undefeated. I guarantee the chicklets cup win last year. And what's been all over me ever since.

So people do remember it sometime. Oh, so when he said that, I'm like, you know, you say a lot of day, he had to, he was a great,

he's a great leader or he was a great leader. He had to inspire the team and then also inspired it by his performance I gotta give him credit there going to the game 7 it was like okay we still have a chance but when we actually lost I thought you know what

maybe it was our time and then we learned from it and the next year we were just dominant in the playoff there was no way of not winning it. So because maybe we had the difficulties the year before. But you know what? You have to learn from it. If you don't learn from it, you're going to repeat it next year.

We didn't. We went through. And we set the record at the time with 10 road wins, I believe. I think it's been done before. But we played 16 wins, 4 losses in a playoff run. So that was a pretty good run, you know? Unbelievable. And you swept a powerhouse in Detroit.

And people were picking the Red Wings, and it was their time and all their skill and the Russians. And, I mean, it just turned into domination. I was actually YouTubing one of your goals in that series. Nice little give and go. And what was the message going into that series on how to shut that team down and how to take away all the weapons they had?

No time. You know, nowadays, I've been out of the game for a while, but everybody's time and space, time and space. Back then, we were like, let's get after them. And the moment they touched the puck, one of us was on them. Not the moment they touched the puck, one of us was on them. Not only straight hit, just good angle. So

you either had to line up for a good hit or angle them to the boards. And I remember that. We would just give them no space because we were just like bees, just constantly getting going at them, going at them, just working and working and working.

And every one of us, no matter how good the player or how talented they were, we all played the same way. And then when you have, you know, Scott Niedermeyers and Neil Brodton at a time, these are game-breaker type of players. So, as long as

we played as a team and played as hard as we could, we had the players to put us on the top and that's what happened and I always say about the 95 team that was the best team I've ever played on there was no better team as a team and we've had better players on a team

like in 2000 or 2001 but we strictly won in 95 because of the team effort and team play. So we were following around Edmonton for the playoff run and Wits, a big Oilers guy, played there and they go all the way losing game seven. And you just mentioned like, you know, maybe it wasn't our

time. So you said the next year you guys had figured it out. What was it that you figured out in order to finally win the Stanley Cup? Yeah, it was, we need to be tighter. We need to be stronger. We need to be more consistent. You know, going to the conference finals,

game seven against heavily favored team was not good enough. There's so many more things you need to do better. And the mistakes you make, or maybe it was the seven games against Buffalo Sabres in the first round that caused us not to have enough energy in the conference finals. We learned that and it actually happened again. We won in 2000 and in 2001, we made not similar mistakes, but other mistakes that we all learned from. Unfortunately for the franchise, they won again in 2003.

But like those are, you know know we played seven games against sabers no that was for 94 i don't know i don't know just sometimes you play too many games instead of putting putting the series away you just uh you play another game or two you know instead of sweeping or doing five games you play seven you know it's uh you play in some games you play too many shorthanded situation you might kill them, but you have the same players on the ice wearing out, and they might not have the juice when it comes to next series. It's so much is involved in a playoffs

that you really, really have to be on top of everything, every step of the way, every single day, whether it's practicing, whether it's traveling, whether it's games. So you learn. If players and teams will learn, they have traveling, what is game. You learn. Players and teams who learn, they have more success down the road. Was Scotty Stevens the most intimidating guy to play against during that era? In practice,

if you were coming through the middle, would he bury you the same way he buried Lindros? Yeah. He would. Me especially because we were extremely competitive. I remember the days next time you have Gomez, I know the players on from that era asked him what it was like to practice when we were doing drills and Scotty and I were going at it, just all out.

Because you know what? You practice the way you play. You play the way you practice. So maybe that's a little too old school because nowadays it's different. But that's what makes you better because you practice. Sometimes the games were easy because I didn't have to play against Scott Stevens. I didn't have to shoot on the net against

Marty Berdour. Every game, I asked Marty and I talked to him. I was very, very competitive. I would... As I crashed the net in the games during my career, you know, against opposite goalie, I would do that to Marty in the game, in practice. Just not for his betterment, for me.

That's what I do in the game. I'm not going to stop doing it in practice. You know, some peers, some teammates, they're like, this guy doesn't ask. He works too hard or he plays too hard. I didn't know any other way, you know? So, again, I didn't have enough skills or talent to just rely

on that. I had to set the stage, be physical first, and then I had some time and space to use my skills. But not one or the other. I had to do it all every single day to even be competitive, to be

consistent, to be helping the consistent to be you know helping the team to win and the year after you guys won it you missed the playoffs you were really coming into your own your three best years in the regular season were those final three before the next cup but as sakura came and elias and gomez did you start seeing like all right there's something else brewing here like it's not a one and done for this organization. You know, that's what I came up with the saying. I'm your first line center. We don't make the playoffs.

I'm your third line center. We win the cup. Because, you know, I believe if I play on the third line, you have a pretty deep team. And, you know, they got Arnaud and Gomez came and towards the late 90s. And finally, I find myself playing a third-line center. I didn't feel any better because I thought I was the best third-line center in the world or in the league. So you can only do what you can do. And I thought that was my role.

That was my spot. And that was my sort of sweet spot. I think we all have to realize what our roles or kind of limitations are and play with you can still be great but you just have to be you at being great yourself not not playing somebody everybody wants to be a 50 goal scorer biz does don't they hey but it's just one in five i would have taken three. But only a few of them can be. So I was like, I don't want to be a 40, 50 goal scorer.

I can be a player that contributes a different way. Well, Bobby, you've been dropping a lot of quotes this podcast, and I got one for you. Don't score too much because then they start expecting it.

That was one that was passed on to me from Dennis Bombie. Yeah. Well, that happened to me. I had 29 goals in 97, maybe 97, 98. It was 16 games left.

And they were like, well, you're going to be 30 goals. But I was like, no, I won't. No, just kidding.

I just couldn't score for us for the year. And I ended up with 29. So I never became a 30 goal scorer and it still worked out for me. Oh no, that, that was your closest opportunity to get the 30? Yeah. I want to...

What made Marty Brodeur so good? I've heard stories that he was able to... Anytime the puck was coming, he would control where it went with the rebound. Well, he controlled with his rebound because he worked on it. That's a skill. That's not a...

You can only do that when you are able to do that. His strength was the work ethic and his desire to be the best he can be. Not necessarily best in the world. He ended up being best in the world, if not best ever. But it's that, if I'm going to put this gear on and I'm going to go on the ice, I'm going to be the best I can be. And you do that day in, day out for 20 something years, you're going to get a good result. That's what kids, I work with kids a lot, don't understand that when they're like, oh, doing my hardest every single day, don't worry about tomorrow.

There's plenty to worry about tomorrow. Worry about doing it today. Be the best you can be today. And I think Marty had that approach as he first put his pads on when he was probably four or five years old. And Scottie Stevens had that approach since he first put his pads on when he was probably four or five years old. And Scottie Stevens had the same approach. And Nita Myers and Eliash and Hossa. I mean, Hossa.

I got to play with Marion in Atlanta. And that's one hardworking hockey player. And he was a complete player because he was just, yes, he had talent and everything, but there's a lot of talent guy, but man, he was a, he changed Chicago Blackhawks. They had a lot of great players,

but he made them, he made them Stanley cup contenders, but not, I don't know, saying single handedly, but they needed a player like that without him. I don't think they could have won. You must feel blessed to have gotten to play with that many guys in one locker room.

I'm sure most championship teams have that, but looking at that roster and all the guys that you had in and out, and you're staying with the mentality that they brought to the rink every single day, it must have made it so enjoyable. There was no anchor. I absolutely agree with you. I was blessed with the opportunity to be next to the guys in the same locker room. Not only players, the coaches, the trainers, everybody. It was my time in the NHL.

My time in hockey was, it couldn't be better. I feel the same way. I was blessed. It was just, you know what? Was it because I got lucky? Again, if I wasn't, I believe if I didn't give hockey everything I had, I wouldn't be the same. But it's always just like life.

It's not what you get out of life. It's not what you get out of hockey. It's what you give it. That's what you have to start with. And I felt comfortably retiring because I had nothing more to give. You're like a motivational speaker. I'm really enjoying this. And it makes sense as to why you had so much success.

But going into 2000, you guys meet Dallas in the final and they had an offensive juggernaut as well, right? And so it was your job, I believe from reading, like you were going to shut down Madonna and you were able to win the Stanley Cup, shutting him down. And Socorro got injured and Elias was there. So you got to win it with other Czech guys. Like, what do you remember about that series? Was it a similar message going into that as when you played Detroit?

I think we were more mature, more experienced team than we were at the time. And we still have a bunch of players on the team from the 95 championship. There was additions. It was young play. You know, that was a, 95 was just like amazing team to get in this. 2000 was,

the team was, we had much better players. Gomez, Elias, Sikora, who else? Rafalski, Madden,

Colin White. That's a lot of youth on the team. And the combination of veterans, the mid, middle, middle players, you you know mid-level players and the young players made that team what it was and yes it was great uh i was in prague month ago we uh had a meeting with or sat down for coffee with patrick and we've been friends

for a long time he his first year, he played on our left wing, Randy McKay, myself, and Patrick. We always say, we kid around, he had such a great career because he got a great start. And some great, great players. But they were young. We, as veterans, had a responsibility

to not only play a certain way, but practice a certain way and act a certain way. So they stayed focused and kept act a certain way so they stay focused and, you know, kept an eye on the ball, so to speak, because it's a long, long, long game. So bring me through the locker room when you find out with about a week to go in the season in first place that Robbie Futorix fired

and Larry Roberts is going to be head coach because that was not just shocking for the entire hockey world, but I'm guessing for you guys. That's a crazy move. That's a Lou move. And it worked. I'm not kidding. I said,

what took so long? Wow. You could tell. I could tell. I'm sure other players wanted to tell. I just was more vocal about it. What was missing? Robbie was a great teacher. But I go back, Robbie and Tom Rennie were very similar in what they do.

They help so many young players become better players. But sometimes you need something else, different personality, different style to go to the next level. Different message almost. Yeah, just handle the player between Scott Stevens. You have a big difference. You have players like Patrick Deleage who was like three years in the league or Peter Sikora

or Scott Gomez who was a rookie and then you have a Scott Stevens who's been around for maybe 15, 18 years at the time, you can't treat them the same way. You have to know how to treat these players differently. I remember coaches coming to the locker room saying in training camp, I'm treating everybody the same.

And I'm like, oh shit, we're in trouble. Because you need all kinds of players. You need rookies you need veterans you need guys who just came up from the minors you have to know

who you what your who and what your players are and then deal with them that way Robbie was great but we had

you know quite a few it was a veteran team with young players and he just again same thing with

Harry Brooks great guy great coach, but it wasn't the right time. And Robbie was great for all of our young players, but there's more to the team than that. As the pressure went up towards the end of

the season and going into the playoffs, just before the playoffs, I think he was not quite comfortable with leading the team. I always had a tough time in being confident enough in myself to maybe call out other guys. I didn't fight. I wasn't overly physical, but it seems like you were opinionated enough. And in your style, were you confident in saying to somebody in the room at an intermission, you got to get going. we need more from you? I was, but what I had to do first is to give my best.

I couldn't do that. I know some players wanted to do that when they did that, but they were at times maybe thinking a little more about their personal statistic and all that. I can honestly say today, 15 years after I hung up the skates, I said, I always put the team first. It didn't maybe come across always the best way, but I never really had intentions of like,

oh, I'm going to play a certain way because I need to pad my statistics or I'm going to be free agent. I said, you know what? I'm here to play hockey. It's a team sport. And that's how I grew up. That's all my dad was. So it wasn't like a stretch.

It was just, it's in my blood. And, but to ask my blood. And, but, to ask others to do more, you have to do absolutely the best you can. And, so that makes it a little easier because they see that,

Kosti, when he was great at it, he wouldn't, he wouldn't say anything for the longest time because he would just lead by example. But then when it came down to it and he said something that was necessary

then he said it and everybody's like okay we're putting our tail between our legs and i'm gonna do gonna do more we have to do more yeah that seems like a type of guy when he talks you listen and you shut the fuck up uh who is who is the craziest guy you've ever ever played with well let's go back to new jersey like were there any wild cards where you're like damn with the way they run things around here like how is he kind of getting away with doing everything he's doing like like scotty gomez seemed like a bit of a wild card to me scotty was a he's a great friend he's i think he's doing really well he's a he's coaching up in yeah he's buzzing. He was himself. He wanted to be himself. He wanted to be Scotty Gomez. And suddenly people would be like,

you know, who is this guy? Why is he so happy-go-lucky? Does he need to care? Is he lazy? But I could see the goodness in him. He was a team player. He wanted good, but he was just different personality.

And sometimes in hockey, especially because it's a very kind of an old traditional game, especially the Canadians, the old school boys, they're like, you've got to behave a certain way. You have to, otherwise you're lazy or you don't. I wasn't that way. I came from Eastern Europe. I came from Czech Republic. I wasn't, you know, grew up in Saskatchewan or Toronto, Mississauga, you know, and they looked at me.

I had a little bit of issues with my own teammates off the ice because of you're not the way we are there's something wrong with you or you don't care or you don't like us well Stadi was the same way but he was opposite of me like different so I immediately I remember that there was no hesitation

I was like I know what this kid's going through I'm gonna be there for him and we became great fans throughout the years. And yeah, what he was going through is where people were judging him on his kind of outgoing personality. And they thought that it applies

or it makes him not as good of a hockey player or not as good of a teammate. But opposite couldn't be true. So I related to it. And again, I was couldn't be the truth. So I related to it. And again, I was trying to be there for him throughout his first few years. The following season, I mean, you guys run into Colorado

and I would say, since you'd already won two in the past, whatever it was, five years, it's Ray Bork going for a Stanley Cup. I think nobody was rooting for the Devils besides Devils fans. You must have felt part of that and not necessarily being the underdog, but being the bad guy and then dealing with all that and having just won it the year prior, how tired you guys were.

Even though it went game seven, did you feel like you were just a step behind in that series? Yes, and I'll tell you why. Because a lot of people, that's why I'm sitting here in my living room and not working in hockey because I'm probably a little more analytical and cerebral. And I think for myself more than most hockey people. So I'll tell you why. We played too many games early.

It was a back-to-back finals. We won the year before going all the way to the finals. But it's not the finals that caused us. It was the previous few rounds where we played, again, too many games against teams we shouldn't have. We played at least an extra game against Carolina. We played Philly. We were down 3-1 in the conference finals.

We pulled out of there. I don't even know. Just too many, you know, examples like that is just sometimes you play one extra game in a series. Then you play it on an extra game. Then you play overtime because you just didn't have a best game. You play double overtime. And then when you do the back-to-back finals,

you're like, you know what? Game six, I remembered like very well. First period, we overwhelmed Avalanche at home. We were up three, two. We won in Colorado, came remembered like very well. First period, we overwhelmed Avalanche at home. We were up 3-2. We won in Colorado, came home for game six.

First 20 minutes, we were all over them. With a minute left, they scored kind of a weak goal. I'm not saying it was Marty's fault, but it wasn't like they outplayed us and completely dominated us and won the period. No, they scored scored and I could tell on the bench I could we were deflated we because we

tried we gave it everything we had and after that we lost game six then we lost game seven we were just we were just done you know like uh Panthers last year you know they played a lot of tough games the year and when and then when they got to the finals, they weren't even

competitive because you just run out. That's why you have to learn and do the right things all the time because the playoffs will kill you before you get to the end. And sometimes you're up to nothing. You end up tying 3-3. You go to overtime. You play tight overtime for a period

and a half or two or three, whatever it is. That's going to get you down at the end. Did you have any feeling or inclination that that following season would be your last as a devil? Did you realize maybe that Lou wouldn't be willing to pay what you could get on the open market? Or did you go in thinking, I might be able to resign here? That was my priority. I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay in New Jersey for a long time. But again, I learned it by two years in when I got traded. I kept reminding, it's business.

Sometimes you just, there was no salary cap, but I believe Lou had his own. Sullivan Post has salary cap where it's Marty, it's Scotty, and it's everybody else. And I thought that, you know, we, my agent contacted him and I wanted to stay desperately. But at the same time, it was my only opportunity to really maximize my earning potential. So I couldn't afford to stay for a lot less. I would have loved to stay for less, but not a lot less. So Ren just came through. It was a great signing.

Yeah, they did. Great decision. Were you shocked when they paid you that much dough? Like, no offense to you, you had an incredible career, two Stanley Cups at that point, but what'd you get,

like nine a year at that time? Yeah, yeah. No, it was that, and Toronto was very close. New Jersey was very close, but the way they structured it because of the potential lockout and all that.

So it was a great decision for us as a family. It was a great decision for a lot of things. Unfortunately, I'm very, very, not disappointed, but sorry that it didn't work out. I would have loved to have success in New York because it was a great place to play. Great people, great fans, great city. It was fantastic. Everything about it except the results, but you can't always get what you want. Devils fans, you must

have heard from them, right? You're going to sign anywhere you go to the Rangers. And it's a business decision, like you've mentioned. But God, that must have been tough for Devils fans to deal with. You must have kind of felt some of that heat. Winning a cup next year is their pain. They won the cup in the following year.

Very true. That's how life works. You know, everybody gets what they want if they work for it. And they won the cup. And I got the financial security that I was looking for, you know, from New Jersey initially because I really, really wanted to stay there. Your payroll was over $100 million. No, it wasn't a hundred. It was like in the seventies. I believe in the seventies, I don't know. It was crazy. Yes, it was only Detroit

and New York had it, but I'll tell you what happens with players. Players don't change. I signed as a two way center, probably the best third line center in the league. I signed with New York Rangers for big money, the big signing bonus and, you know, opportunity to play in New York. And, and as I said,

the money in Toronto was very similar. So I had other choices. I wanted to play in New York. It didn't work out, but what, what changes is the, the, the media perspective,

the fans perspective. They look at you, you know, six months prior to, not even four months prior to that, I was a two-way player in New Jersey doing what I was doing for whatever salary I had, and everything was great. And then the same player, you know, going into camp in the fall, but they're like, well, but he's making four times as much as he was the year before. He's got to be four times the player no that doesn't work

that way it's just it's and media gets into it and fans get into it it's just like it's same old player that

that was making this but the way the free margin was free free agent market works you get more

because you got that far with the success you had so and it happens all the time you see players maybe not as much now because they get young players to long-term deals because of the salary cap and all that but at the time it happened all the time where players sign contracts and everybody perspective changes and you don't change as a player you could you could do exactly the same thing you could have the same numbers and it like, oh, he's not the player he used to be.

In your press conference when you signed it, were you trying to remind everyone, like, hey, guys, I know I'm making nine here, but I'm a third line, two-way center here. Let's not get crazy. You know what? I was crazy enough to think that people would think that way, that they would kind of like, okay.

You would have gone ahead of it. Yeah, I should have. And then I'm looking back, and I'm like, okay. You would have gone ahead of it. Yeah, I should have. And then I'm looking back, I'm like, okay, this is what happened. Everybody's perspective changes because your contract changed. You could be the same player. You could do exactly the same thing, which my second year in New York

that I didn't get hurt. I had the same numbers. I had the same kind of statistics that I would have previous seven years. Was it ever tough mentally for you in New York? The team's not winning that much. Did you struggle a little bit with dealing with all that stuff?

The bad part was that I thought that would have been a great place to have success. Not because you're famous, but because the city embraced the team so much. The fans, and they were so loyal. And the garden, especially the pre-renovated garden, was a great place to play. That's what I thought.

The energy of the city was amazing. So I was like, if we had only a little success, this would be really, really fun. But it did happen. It happened. Life is such, and we're all moving on. You ever seen the Woody Harrelson meme? No, I'm not into memes much and I can't really tell

on this small screen, but maybe next time. That's Woody Harrelson wiping his tears with $100 bills. Okay. I didn't do that and I didn't cry either. I just wanted really for the team to be better and maybe have some success and just didn't cry either i just wanted really for the team to be better and maybe you know have some success and just didn't happen that's okay and uh i guess we got it now because

we're there uh atlanta you got to spend three seasons there or the better part of three seasons what was it like playing in a non-traditional market like that all of a sudden going from like harvard you're basically in that whole New York, Connecticut, New England area your entire career. And all of a sudden you're down in the non-traditional market in Atlanta. I loved it. I loved Atlanta at the time. Great people. I think the organization was good. I think the problem was the ownership was there was multiple owners who couldn't agree with on anything. So kind of a misdirection, but i didn't regret it at all it was a great opportunity to experience different market staying in the east i i was in the eastern conference all my career

so i i felt again felt bad for the city because people were supported it was just kind of mismanaged and that's what happens you you you know a lot of times you look at the teams and like oh these players they gotta get rid of this know what? They need to get rid of the general manager or the owner or the coaches or the general manager, you're like, wow, how can that be happening over and over again? And it just either trade players or they release them. It's much easier to get rid of or change players than it is the GMs or the coaches, I guess. When you realized that maybe your career was coming to an end, I know you mentioned just with what you had off the ice, it really helped you your first year away.

But was it hard to realize like, all right, I don't know if I have this anymore. I don't know if I have the passion or want to do this. It wasn't about the effort. What came to me, it was just like, you know what, this is not going to get any better. I'm 38 years old. I had such a great career,

probably far beyond that I ever thought I would get. And again, I was not going to ask for more. I got far beyond that i ever thought i would get and again i was not gonna ask for more i got far more than i ever get ever thought i would out of hockey so it was just like you know what it's time it's time to go and as much as i love playing and as much passion i had for the game it was never everything in my life. So there was other things in life that you want to experience and be around. And you move on. I would have to be a player or former player to constantly rely on what I did in 1998 or 2003.

That's a long time ago. I wanted to be somebody who's, okay, I've done this. I've learned. I'm financially secure now. I want to be there for my family and help them out and support them, whatever, as well as they supported me during those were easy decisions.

I was like, as I said, I got far more out of hockey than I ever thought I would. And I had nothing else to give. So it wouldn't be fair to the game for me to stick around. Bobby, um, outside of family, um, and obviously retiring, like, was there any other goals that you had when you came out that you were able to achieve? Like what else have you done in your, in your post-retirement saying that you had other

things that you wanted to go move on to? Well, the first and foremost, I retired. The priority, the first and foremost reason was to be there for my wife and daughter because they were in the midst of our daughter's riding career and career in quotation marks. And she just something that she loved doing. And we did it as a family. You know, it was a hobby, but she went really, really far with that. And the following, you know,

about 10 years, 12 years, it was all about horses and competing and her going to school and being able to compete throughout college and medical school.

And eventually they came to the end too because as I said, she's a, she just graduated from medical school and she's in residency. So it's,

and that was the priority of when I retired. And it was the priority when I retired. And it was phenomenal being with them and seeing them work so hard and being dedicated to their passion like I was to hockey. So that was that.

And then I got the opportunity to work for the gun company, which was great because I always liked firearms growing up. I couldn't have any in the communism and here in this country. And then I became a youth mentor for firearms and safety and skills. The teaching, I had a part-time coach. I coached high school

hockey in Wyoming as well. That's where I know Arthur from. A lot of different things, but most of it was about giving instead of getting because I felt so fortunate to be able to play hockey since I was like organized hockey from 5 to 38 and then professionally

for 21 years, including the three years in Czechoslovakia, that I'm like, the fun is to give. And whether it was to give to my family or give to youth in Wyoming, teaching them, coaching them, and I'm still the same way because I've done everything I could and beyond for me. I really, really appreciate opportunity give.

And teaching and coaching is something that I never thought I would have so much fun um one other thing you mentioned uh earlier on in the interview was that you like to read and visit museums now when you read now do you read in english oh yeah yeah actually uh my morning routine is like when i first get up i get up really early too and i read 5 a.m i heard yes every day i read I read a couple English publications not necessarily American

I read an American publication Israeli publication Czech publication and then I read books real books and then I

do some Spanish and at 7 I get get on with my life before we let you go what kind of doctors your daughter becoming

she's working to be a pediatric neurologist. She worked very hard to get there and she's working very hard to continue her education. I just wanted to know any book recommendations for our listeners that you think are ones that you maybe even go back to once you're to read that would help them through life or anything that they might be going through uh dennis brager he's a he's a he has a radio show he's a i call him a philosopher of modern times he helped me a lot in my in my adult life or in last few years to kind of stay focused on what's really important he's a he's a radio personality

he's been i used to listen to him when we traveled. He wasn't on the East Coast. And then when we traveled to like Southwest, like Arizona or California, I would listen to him on the radio. This is, you know,

a long time ago. And he's just a very interesting person. As far as book goes, you know what? I have a hard time remembering the titles. Sometimes I remember the title, sometimes I remember the author.

But every book that I read is full of, what do you call it, earmarks and underlining. So I have to go back. And sometimes I screenshot certain parts of the book because I'm going to need it eventually. So I'm a big nerd as far as learning. I love to learn so I try to... Not a typical hockey player. And my last question is if you could recommend any

museum on the planet, which one would it be? What's your number one? It would be definitely... I would start with Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. and then Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. It's also a Holocaust. That will put the world in perspective.

And a lot of people today have a hard time defining evil. They will help you tremendously because there's a lot of evil out there. Jen, we appreciate this because it's been a blast hearing about your life, who you are as a person, and your family. So thank you very much, Bobby. Thank you for having me.

And perfect timing here before we stop the recording. Scotty Gomez says, smartest guy off the ice, had the best shit talking line to a whole bench I'd ever seen. You remember what he's talking about? Oh yeah, but that's not me anymore. That was me as a player. I've worked very hard to get away from that.

Most people hockey remember only that. But as you can tell, there's more to me than what I was like as a player. We'll leave that to people's, what do you call it? He's moved on, Biz. He's moved on. Thank you so much, Bobby. Your imagination. Thank you so much.

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labatt blue light at labattusa.com slash finder thank you so much to bobby holick i think what i'll remember forever about this interview. One puck. That's crazy. Yeah, one puck. The pocket in his pants. Kids are shooting pucks and missing the net in their backyard and not even going and getting them out of the woods and just leaving them. And this guy had one puck carried around in his pants pocket.

Amazing. That's hardcore. Amazing interview. He deserved everything he got. I forgot to mention earlier, Biz, and considering Bobby Hulik was a devil, but I'm wearing the Mr. Ice necklace. I have mine.

The Mr. Ice necklace from IceCon. Elio, Mr. Ice, he was awful, awful, making people pour on his over bets to start the year. So he hopped on a plane this past week, 5 a.m. flight to Detroit, where they played the Devils because he said he had to go live to get some goals and the game went over.

And I just figured after you got to experience Ice Con and the Ice People, I'd rock the necklace and kind of remind you that he's back. So I think the funniest part about it is once they tied at 3-3, he didn't even watch the end of the game. He just left. He just left the building.

He just finally got off the schneid. Oh, my God. What a crazy man. I said the same thing. He said to the video, and it was going OT. He's like, oh, not even OT. It was done. It was just like the game.

He decides to leave. I'm like, oh, I thought he'd at least be invested on the wings, pulling it out. Nope. He's all about goals. Unbelievable. So that cracked me up. to leave i'm like oh i thought he'd at least be invested on the wings pulling it out nope he's all about goals unbelievable so that cracked me up so uh now last year they did ice con or we did ice con because we ended up doing it at the coyotes game um unreal showing we went to the draft king sports book um right by tpc scot beforehand. Now, I'm hoping that we do an IceCon every year. We are doing one this year.

I'm trying to convince Portnoy and Elio and the rest of the crew, I think that we should do it at the Winter Classic. It makes way too much sense. There's a DraftKings Sportsbook right attached to Wrigley. It's right there. We can all march over we could all have our white mr ice gear on and you could be at the winter classic it's probably going to be snowing out it's basically going to be literally ice con outside so why wouldn't we do it there

i love the idea just it's in nashville oh he's already decided. I didn't know it either until just last week. Cause I, I said to Dave, I said the portal or he, he texted me. Ice is a disaster. I said, there's not even to be able to be an ice con, nobody to be able to afford flights. And then I said, when is it? Where is it? He said, Nashville this season. So I didn't know because Chicago to me would have been perfect, but I'm at least happy he won a game. All right. Well, congrats to Elio and Mr. Ice and all the ice people who finally won a bet. And now they can hopefully pay their rent. What else do you got, Woody? Well, considering Holik also bringing it back to him was a real prick in practice and played hard

and practiced hard. We went out West. We go out West, I should say, Vancouver. And apparently JT Miller and Elias Patterson got into it. This relationship has seemed like it's not gone over well since basically the minute Miller got there. Yeah, it was worse when Talk It wasn't there. And I think that last year it seemed to have been repaired a little bit. And listen, everybody could say, oh, this is a nothing burger, like no, no issue here. But with the way that Petey had been playing to start the year, he finally scored his first five on five goal since Christ was a goddamn cowboy. goddamn cowboy and maybe that was the spark that it needed but i just think that when you got a guy who competes as hard as jt miller does not only in games but in practice it could be a little bit

frustrated when you have the the guy who's been paid all this dough and maybe he's moping around a little bit the intensity is not there to be fair totersson I think over the last three games his compete level he's looked a lot more engaged he's looked a lot better I think it all started with that game against the Flyers in which they smoked him I mean who doesn't look good against the Flyers these days but that's when it started turning the corner but sometimes these things boil over in practice where you're not seeing that reciprocation and energy from a guy who's being paid the big bucks and he's not helping pull the rope given the course of a regular season 82 game schedule what are your feelings what are your thoughts on it you saw Darlene do it earlier in the year and that sparked the Sabres they're three and one I think they're three three one and one

since he ended up scrapping with uh with Kre Yeah, and that was actually like a low hip check that started the entire thing. This one, I have no idea how it started, but you said it all perfectly. I hate to agree with you this much, but I think JT Miller is a little psychotic on the ice in practice and in games, and that's a compliment. Kind of the way you look at like,

this guy is a competitive dog that never does the same shit. Exactly. And I think he looks at at Peterson and in his his car, like his how good he how good he can be. And then to see him not give it at all, it just probably drives him insane. I wonder where Quinn Hughes is on this thing, because he's the captain, right? What? Reading books. He's reading books. But obviously, when there's division like that or disagreements like that and how two people play or how two people view playing with each other on a team, the main leader, they're going to lean one way or the other. I would, I would tend to think he's probably like, we need to see more out of you,

PD. You know what Quinn Hughes is thinking? I ain't fucking winning shit if, if JT Miller's not here. So I better, I better agree with what JT Miller has to say about the situation. And it seems like, like the reason that Quinn Hughes is captain is because he's calm demeanor, right?

And you need that from a captain. It's the same reason that Landis Cog was captain and McKinnon was an assistant. Nothing against how either of them lead because you need both types of guys in the locker room. But you also need that JT Miller to go to a guy who doesn't mind confrontation to a guy like Petey and saying, listen, motherfucker, we need you all invested. We need you going 10 out of 10 at practice and in games. And we need you setting the tone because this is a hard cap league and you're making 11 goddamn sheets, buddy. That's what is happening right now. A little bit more. He's making what? 11, five. Yeah. I think right around there.

Jesus Christ, it's even worse than I thought. But going back to the way we started the podcast about Lafreniere, you got to get to a point where something snaps, something switches. And if that switch goes off in Petey's head, he'll be a beast because he can skate like the wind. He's got an incredible shot. His skills are out the yin yang. What I think is missing in him is that dog. And when you pay a guy 11 and a half million, he fucking better have that somewhere inside of him. It might take a few more years to untap, but it better be in there because if it ain't and you're fucked paying a guy like that 11 and a half million so i look forward to seeing those those memes or the memes where it's petey and

then a look inside his stomach where you got three different pitbulls and then with the caption saying he got that dog in him boy you think that's where it's going? You don't think he got it? No, no. I think it's in there. Based on how he looked when he came over and dominated this league the beginning of last year, I was raving about him before he came over. I think Merle's or it might have been Jeff Marrick

who originally told me about him. Whoa, whoa, whoa. But if... Hold on. Listen, as much as I love Mitchie Marner, he could put up 100 points, but I also can't say he's got that dog in him. So that's what Petey was doing.

I don't know if he had that dog in him. You know what I'm saying? Well, I'm going to say dogs, the guys with the dog in them, they don't care what anyone thinks about them outside their teammates and themselves. And Elliot was talking on his podcast about, I don't know if he was told or he maybe thinks, I don't remember the exact way he worded it,

but that Pedersen's somebody who is reading everything about him. And that's interesting to me, hearing Elliott say that, who knows what's going on with this entire league and all the players. And whether or not it's him reading it or he said friends sending it to him dogs Crosby's McKinnon's legends of the game they

they're not they're not reading press clippings about themselves or articles Crosby's listening to spitting jiggles or articles I hate to say it, Biz. Sid ain't listening. And if he does listen occasionally and then his name comes up, he shuts the thing off. Those players, and this is coming from somebody who didn't do that, who did it the other way, who was always worried about what everyone thought about me. Fans or message boards growing up. Shit that is just looking back so disappointing that I took part in and caring what anyone, like what truly successful person is going to be listening and caring about all these different comments from outsiders about them? I can't see it being common within

truly successful people and champions in sports because they're about their business and they don't care what's going on on the outside. And if Pedersen is doing that, that is something that will hinder him. This was, I had no clue about any of this and Elliot was talking about it and he said the same thing. But to me, after doing the opposite of that and knowing my experience with caring about the outside. He said that he's aware of the fact that he does read into it or that's his assumption based on what he's heard?

How is it framed? Because I didn't listen to that part. That's what I wish I could remember. That sucks. That's okay. Probably not. I guess that's the difference between rumor boys and true sources. All those concussions guess that's the difference. Well, that's from all those concussions.

True sources. All those concussions that Squanto has been giving you, you probably lost a little bit of memory in that regard. I had Squanto on the ice today. He's kind of buzzing around there. He always skated with one foot. Just push his left foot, but he'd get going pretty quick, but his right foot wouldn't move. It was like me at the end, turning like a Titanic.

So he had the Georgia Rock on? He did. I got him out there today. I said, hey, just run to me as fast as you can. Bing, bing, bing, bing. And he starts kind of running on the ice toward me.

I'm like, Squanto. And then he goes against the boards. Go Leafs go, go Leafs go. And then immediately he's like, Spook Lee, this song. Oh my God, Grinnell, I might need you to add this song, this Spook Lee pumpkin song about not fitting in. And Spook Lee's a square, but the rest of the pumpkins are circles. And he doesn't fit in.

We're officially off the rails. Where did he get this song from? Spook Lee, Spook Lee. That's all day with go Leafs go. Spook Lee, Spook Lee. I Where did he get this song from? That's all day with go, go, go. Spook, leak, spook, leak. I need to pull up this song. I might have him come up here and sing it. Bring him up.

Bring him up. We need Squatto appearance right now. I'll see if he can come up, and at the end, we'll see if he can sing it. And by the way, I wasn't going to bring it up, but the reason the fucking Leafs are on a three-game slide, it's because you're a motherfucker and you won't give him the goddamn jersey. Give him the fucking jersey. Give him the jersey right now. Live on fucking on this podcast. Give him the goddamn jersey right fucking now and have him sing the song. It's a birthday

gift, Paul, and his birthday is coming up. Buy your own fucking birthday gift for your kid. That's my gift. I determine when he gets the gift. You i determine when he gets the gift you don't here's the thing you don't understand when the kids are three i determine everything no everything everything hey i determine everything look at me i'm the captain of the parents if grandparents sneak in you can't do shit from out in scottsdale i'm not giving him the jersey yet you i'll get on a one-way flight motherfucker i'm the captain of the ship now i'm squanto's dad i'm squanto's dad right now there's a reason he's got that dark skin color buddy yeah you yeah my life falls apart what happened imagine imagine that house no Imagine that drama. You get the Nantucket house. No. Oh, no.

I'm driving your Escalade. No, good. I want that thing to get stolen. I'm trying to get it stolen. I actually can't say that. If I ever get stolen insurance, I won't pay. Oh, great. You'll just have to buy a new one, you rich fuck.

Staying around the league. Staying around the league. What were we just talking about? Oh, going back to Pettersson you don't know exactly how you heard about that but if he is listening and he does listen he reads everything they're playing the Carolina Hurricanes

next that's tonight so maybe he gets an early pod drop I would just go out there go ask Brent Burns to go just go go up to whoever carolina's toughest guy is tap him on the shin pads throw down even if you get beat up i did my whole fucking career you'll get back to the locker room every player in the locker room will be like fucking right it's pd fucking right that's the spark that he needs and then he'll go on an absolute heater.

That's my theory. He needs to drop the mitts and get everybody back on Petey's side. I don't hate it. You got to go right up to Brent Burns. Because it would be just a weight off his shoulder at the end. Get some of the stress out. And the teammates, he'd probably go on like a 20 point and 10 game run. I would go up to Brent Byrds.

I drop my glove. I'd pull on his beard and then boom, you're off and running. Before we continue, guys, hockey season is back. It's in full swing and we can't wait to get out to some of the games this fall with the help of Game Time, the official ticketing partner of Barstool Sports. There's no feeling like seeing a breakaway goal in person and game time can help. You know how much we love game time. Now with their brand new game time picks features, they're making it even easier to get to a game. Game time picks filters out the fluff to

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That's CHICKLETS for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. What time is it? Game time. No surprise whatsoever down in Florida.

The Panthers. Signed Paul Maurice to a multi-year extension. This guy, Amazon star, turns into a media darling, wins a Stanley Cup after what felt like forever in this league without being able to get one after losing in the finals. Maybe the biggest no-brainer or nothing burgers you like to put it news because it was just so obvious it was going to happen i mean the ride from him resigning as jets head coach to finding the perfect landing spot with the perfect group of guys in florida and you mentioned him being a media darling probably the most entertaining head coach in a

long time i mean you could maybe give that to torts but from at least a positive perspective and not completely carving his team all the time the clips from the amazon series of him getting down with the the trapper and the blocker on like what an unreal guy and and he was so entertaining throughout that entire stanley cup run well-deserved extension now you didn't mention a number did they mention a number. Did they mention a number? I don't know the number. I think that he's a guy who should be being paid north of $5 million. And if at this point his contract is structured where he's the highest paid coach in the NHL, well-deserved because he's finally hit his stride and finally found his team.

And I would say that most people have them potentially returning back to another Stanley Cup for their third season in a row so just a wagon of a team and they they lock down think about the players and and now him that they've locked up long term they got Forsling they got Verhage they got Reinhardt you know Bennett's coming like this is a this is an incredible core that they have going in Florida and something special brewing. So the state of hockey in the state of Florida is absolutely buzzing right now between Tampa and the Panthers. If all the players' salaries are out there, then we should know his.

I think the coach's salary should be made public as well. Do you agree with that? Yeah, I don't know if it's up to him for discrepancy. Oh, I'm not saying it is, but it should be made public as well. Do you agree with that? Yeah, I don't know if it's up to him for discrepancy. Oh, I'm not saying it is, but it should be announced publicly if players' salaries are out there. So I know that the Islanders, and we will be getting to them shortly,

Lou does not announce what the players sign for. They just say the amount of term, but then eventually it comes out. So I'm sure if we dug hard enough that we could find out exactly what he's getting paid. But what would be your guess if you had to put a number on it? I would think five years, $25 million. Yeah, maybe we're so off base here, but that's why I want to know. That's why I want to know.

And Verhege, you mentioned him. He got his first of the year, kind of a slow start. Well, his boy Barkov is back in the lineup, i'm sure he's gonna be potting a few more so all all things looking up for the florida panthers and congrats to paul maurice and bobrovsky biz bobrovsky gets his 400th win i had i was shocked to see the quickest to ever do it in games played it only took him 707 games. I knew he had the Veznas, now the Cup, and everyone says Hall of Famer.

Quickest to 400. Did that not surprise you as much as... I was shocked when I saw that, especially at the fact that he started his career. He started in Philly and then moved over to Columbus, and he was in Columbus for a decent amount of time. So the fact that he was able to rack up those wins. Now people also might argue, well, when he was there,

he had to play fucking all 82 cause you know, he was there, he was their whole team. Well, I mean, it maybe makes a little bit more sense now, but just talk about a guy who's been been through it all and so happy that he's back at the top of his game and, and kicking the way that he once was, um, after going through a few tough years there in Florida after signing that big ticket, but he will, he will probably by the time it's all said and done be a hall of famer. And my understanding, his work ethic is second to none. He's the first guy at the rink every day,

last guy to leave and just like works relentlessly. And he's a machine in the gym. I think Yans was telling us about it. Yeah, it's pretty cool. And to actually see him come back from being that lost and losing the job and Alex Lyon getting them into the playoff, like it was just such a wild story. And to see the roller coasters in pro sports and especially goaltending, you're up, you're down. And he's done it for a long time. And I just couldn't believe that he was the guy to do it quickest in the history of the league. And we talk sometimes about how different the live game experience of the NHL is between watching a television. If you ever have tickets to a Florida Panthers game, go to watch

warmups and watch Bobrovsky in warmups from the minute he steps on the ice. It's one of the funnest, silliest routines you will ever see in your life. And the way that he can move his body and his ankle mobility and everything else, it's like the fucking ninth wonder of the world it's nuts so go check that out if you ever have the chance to get early to a florida panthers hockey game the maple leaves biz the maple leaves well just kind of shit in the bed lately they make big news today though they signed jake mccabe who you like i like him you talked you've you've kind of you've raved about them a little bit they signed to a five-year extension 4.51 AAV and like Seth Jarvis he actually deferred some money to make the cap hit a little bit lower so what did you think about the deal were you surprised do you do you like

where the team's headed so um I've I say this every year or at least the last three, four seasons. It's like the Leafs will be 500 after 10 games and then the world will be falling where they got a new coach. They're implementing new systems. There's a new direction and it's going to take a little bit of time to figure things out. But I still believe that they have the right pieces and that they will figure it out. So that's from the team perspective. And what I have to say, my understanding is Berube is trying to get them to play a little bit more

direct, a little bit less East to West and getting those top end guys to maybe play a little bit more physical. That's not easy changing those things up in your game when you've been doing it as long as they've been doing it in the NHL. Have they been successful and very good in the regular season and been able to put up crazy amounts of points? Absolutely. So I don't want to hear about maybe early season struggles from some of their

big guys when they're trying to implement a little bit more physicality into their game and then play a little bit more direct where maybe it hasn't necessarily been like that in years prior. And that's a lot of the reason for Berube's snapshot. And it will probably take about 20 to 30 games for them to really hit their stride. Hey, once again, going back to the TNT call with Rick Bonas, he said sometimes it could take years to establish that.

Let's hope not. 1967 was a long time ago. We're hoping not for that long. We hoping for months here not years but um going back to the mccabe deal i like him he's big he's solid i think for a big player he's a decent puck distributor is he all of recman larson moving the puck is he maybe as good as morgan riley No, but just a solid defender. He's physical. He ain't shy to drop the mitts. And given everything else they have on the back end,

I think this is a fair market value for a guy who's going to probably play in your middle pairing once things are all said and done. So yeah, I think that Tree Living's done an exceptional job since being GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, including signing him to this extension. I don't remember your preseason preview or pick.

Do you have them winning the division as of right now? I don't necessarily care so much about them winning the division. I might have said that being all excited about the regular season, but I more care about the process and how they're getting their wins uh going back to the game I watched against Boston like them giving up those two quick goals at the end of the second period and then having a bullshit push in the third period that's not something I want to see I would have much rather see them play a little bit more physical and and and make a better push when they were on their heels come the crunch time of the game,

especially having given up that lead so quickly. Happy with Marner's performance? Yeah, am I happy they end up getting the point out of it by getting that late goal? I thought that Austin Matthews was a beast come that last three, four minutes of the game, but not happy over the course of the last three games from what I've seen from a full body of work team-wise. Their power play is not great. It stinks. It makes no sense. Part of it is like, I don't know if Morgan Rielly and I know Ekman Larson's done it, are true power play QB quarterbacks. I know Morgan Rielly's had years with- b quarterbacks um i know morgan i don't know if you know this but um oliver eckman larson had

back-to-back 20 goal seasons in the nhl i don't know if i've ever said uh 10 was it eight eight years ago nine years ago i know what you're saying i think that oliver eckman larson is more of a true power play one defenseman than morgan riley i think i agree i think it's kind of goes back to where in playoffs last year maybe Hannifin was the guy controlling it rather than Shea Theodore where I'd much rather see Oliver do that and then let Morgan Riley be that number two guy and let him figure out other areas of his game and that's where he contributes so I still don't think either of them are elite number one power play defenseman they're no kale mccarr they're no quinn hughes but i think that the way

that oliver is able to walk the line and find lanes to the net and it doesn't ever need to be a big clapper with him it's just a quick flick of the wrist and him finding his lanes and if you have good enough net front presence that's where I feel that he can be effective on the power play for them. He's not that big shot. You got Greenlander who's got the big shot. You got Marner who's the distributor most of the time. And then obviously Matthews.

My biggest issue with it sometimes is Marner is a little bit too one dimensional in the fact that he's always looking to pass it. The other game against Boston, as much as their power play has been struggling, he gets it. Swayman still hasn't set a cross yet. He had half the net to shoot at, and he's more worried about bumping it back to give Nylander the shot where Marner has to become a threat shooting the way that Sidney Crosby added that to his game. He's got to add that to his game to be a dual threat. The power play will figure itself out. I agree with you.

It's been dog shit so far this season, and that's been one of their, their, their problems. I've been long winded enough. Leafs are still going to win the cup. We can all. Yeah,

sure. Yeah. Yeah. We know that. We know that it was actually the change was, um, it was Nylander and Tavares on basically what looked like the second unit

because Matthews is on the first unit. So you think that they changing it up to kind of spreading them out a little bit. We'll see what happens there. And quick tidbit, because you mentioned Quinn Hughes and Kael McCarr and the dominant offensive power play QBs. I think a lot of people look at Miro Heskin and like that.

I don't know if he has a point yet this year. Kind of crazy like the d and dallas haven't done anything and it hasn't slowed them down at all they're still i think he's so effective on being a one-man breakout he could shut down other teams top lines he can kill penalties uh he might not be the the second assist guy on the power play but he's probably the reason it's getting up the ice in a clean zone entry so there are so many offensively skilled players there where they're collecting the points he's just going to go about his business he's already gotten his payday i think hayes can in i i would i wouldn't even be concerned if he didn't get a point in the first 20 games i must have read an article from right when we finished last week's episode because he has three assists

in nine games okay well there Well, there you go. There you go. That's, that's, that's not even close to being true. What I said. So panic button, panic button time, may a culpa.

Um, God, that's, that's classic right there. Uh, the St. Louis blues. Okay.

You talked about their hard work in their old school, Jake neighbors, they signed. And I mentioned, I think in one of the summer episodes, him and Kevin Hayes became good buddies. So he was out here doing something for Bauer and we played golf with him.

You talk about a hardworking old school team. I said it then, I'll say it again. He's basically from the 1980s, just old school. Loves playing hard, physical, can score. And they signed him to an extension. So it's actually a two-year one, 3.75. Bridge deal. Go out and get 30 again the next couple of years,

and then you're hitting a big payday. So pretty cool to see. Then you're getting what they paid the other two guys. But what I have to say most about the Blues, Broberg is who Broberg was in the finals. I knew that was coming. So, and so did I. And do you remember Paul Coffey's son

in Daryl Cates' box at Edmonton, the second box that we were spending time in? He told me, his dad said, I think this kid's going to be a star. Like he's going to be unbelievable. And then to see what he did in the playoffs. And I'm like, yes, like this guy, like he's going to be a star. Like he's going to be unbelievable. And then to see what he did in the playoffs. And I'm like, yes,

like this guy, like he's going to take all like you just adding a big time player to this decor with Bouchard and Ekholm and they, the blues and army. What a move. It turns out right now. He's got seven points in nine games. He's playing a ton.

His skating is so good and he looks phenomenal. That's a kick in the dick to Edmonton. Kick in the dick. I don't like being critical oftentimes about like GM moves and like not doing one thing or the other. The fact that they didn't find a way to bring both those guys back is absolute lunacy. What was crazy is at the time, most people were saying, yeah, you can't match Brober, but you should match Holloway. time most people were saying yeah you can't match Broberg but you should match Holloway now it's like I guess with their with their current cap situation and the Leon deal wasn't done yet like maybe they couldn't have matched Broberg but figure it out do something I'm Monday morning

quarterbacking right now but to see what to see how he looked in the finals where he was arguably the best defenseman on the Oilers to just lead right into this year playing 20 minutes a game and looking this smooth and confident out there. It's like we saw this in the toughest games of his career. It's disappointing to say the least, Biz. And I'm trying to look it up right now, Witt. I'm a bit of a...

What are you looking up? I lose track of these things is he a right-handed shot no he's a lefty okay i was gonna say he was a righty i think they would i would have fucking i would have hung up i would have been off the zoom you're gonna be trading trading the future to try to get rasmus anderson when you had your rasmus anderson who's who's way younger and probably more offensive upside. So I just think I think the Oilers are the second best team in Alberta. And I'm sticking to what I'm saying.

Well, we're going back to New York now and the Islanders. Oh, the interesting, same old boring Islanders. And I've had a love hate with this fan base. I hate them. And then I loved them. And then they hated me and they never loved me. But now it's kind of turning into a little bit of a comedy

show there. Their third period leads, they've blown four three goal leads dating back to November 2023 from Rob Taub in Biz's DMs. Attendance issues and we'll let you go into everything, but

today or yesterday, Patrick Waugh has asked about the recall of Pierre Engvall, who I think signed a seven-year deal. He was put on waivers. He's in the minors. He comes back up. Matt Martin signed. Matty Martin's been there forever. What a career he's had there. But people are like, these are the two moves. And Patrick Waugh, when asked after the the game he pretty much made it clear I thought that it was Lou decisions because he talked about what each guy did and Lou thought it was a good time for

Engvall to come up and you know Matt Martin brings leadership and toughness stuff we need and Lou thinks we need that too just weird comments to throw to maybe seem make it seem like it wasn't his idea to make these moves no uh i think that he's a smart guy and he knows how to choose his words i'm interested to hear if like he backs off

of them but to automatically say that they were oh you know lou thinks this and lou thinks that that is uh how do i put this well that didn't take long. You thought Patty wall was going to come in. It was going to be smooth sailing. He's a changed guy, boys, that fire runs deep in that belly and it's hard to change. What's the saying about you can't, you can't change a leopard stripes. The fact that I think that's wrong, but I'm also, I don't know. The answer is just this show in a nutshell, I guess. What is it? This one?

You can't teach an old dog, new tricks. And Patty was probably fed up with what he's seeing from Lou Lamorello. And if you don't think I'm ready to stir this pot, I would love it. It doesn't even need stirring right now though. To see this escalate a little bit more. And I'll tell you, it just might take a few more blown leads

because you just said it the other day. I talked at the beginning of the year, and even some of their fan base is coming at me like, oh, it was one game. Why are you being hyperbolic about the fact that they blew a third period lead? What are you talking about? It's literally their MO. They're up three nothing on the Florida Panthers and give up six unanswered goals.

That's all they do is give up these leads. It dates back to last season where go to Rob's Rob Tobbs Instagram or Twitter. Excuse me. He'll tell you every fucking lead they've given up. They snuck into playoffs last year, thankfully, because Patrick Waugh came and saved the day. Barlamov saved the day. Well, yeah, he probably goalie whispered to his goalie saying,

just get us in, just get us in. And the same problems haven't been solved. They keep giving up these leads after leads. And according to patty waugh it has a lot to do with personnel and who's responsible for the personnel that would be lou that would be lou that would be lou now i'll throw it back at you this guy is a hall of famer he's done it all multiple stanley cups he will go down as a legend in the game, but has lose time passed? I'm not willing.

We interviewed Jay Pandolfo. Have some balls and fucking tell me what you think, bro. Forget like that he's older. It's more that this team is just now they signed Horvat. They made that deal. They're hanging on to like the the Eastern Conference finals

appearances and and like the, the Eastern conference finals appearances. And, and like the core that got them there has gotten older and there just hasn't been much change. There isn't much excitement there. Horvat's been great. But if you look at the game against Florida, I don't know which goal in the game it was,

but it's Kachuk in the crease, dude. He skates from behind the net. The puck's coming in from the point. He cross-checks before the puck is even near the net. He cross-checks for them off. It's incredible. No call.

Like, just Kachuk being Kachuk. Well, Dobson's not going to do anything. Then he gets right in the crease. Pretty much, you know, causes a screen. There's havoc in front. He steps in there. He gets about three whacks, buries it. And, like, Mayfield and the Chowalski, Chowalski. I in front. He steps in there. He gets about three whacks, buries it. And like Mayfield and the

Chowalski, Chowalski, I'm sorry, I don't know. He was a first rounder with Detroit years ago because I looked him up and I don't know his name exactly. I'm sorry. They're just like standing there and Kachuk's just like, they just bitched him. That was the game. That was like, you're

up 3-0. We don't care. Boom. Here's six. It was the Panthers bullying him and the Islanders kind of doing their thing. So like, as it, as the game passed by Lou, like who the fuck am I to say? It just seems that the team right now, what direction are they headed? And the attendance issues are weird. I asked Frankie about it last year. He's like, it's hard to get to that area at 7 o'clock. I don't know if that was brought up to you as well.

Yeah, they did a Glendale. They did a Glendale. It's at the Belmont. When we went to that rink for FDY NYPD, getting there and getting out of there, it was like, it's just in the middle of nowhere. Now, with all this said, they're probably going to turn around and go on a run because we're grilling them.

But like you said, it seems like they're really hanging on the fact they should have won the Stanley Cup when they lost one nothing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, in which they would have went on to play the Montreal Canadiens. Yes. And they would have a ring. They would have a ring. Do you remember who scored that goal for Tampa? Yanni Gord. Yanni Gord. would have a ring so they would have a ring do you remember who scored that that goal for tampa yanni gourd yanni gourd unless he made the pass to somebody out of the corner here we go here we fucking go yanni gourd actually does it we should call this the maya culpable podcast he does not have a goal yet this year nine games zero goals kind of surprising there uh we'll see what happens

in long island but you know biz you're you're loving that. You're loving that drama. McKinnon presented Jokic with the MVP trophy, just like Jokic did for him. The Avs are the first team since 42-43 to open the season losing four straight in regulation and then winning their next four. They got it going. Kale McCarr is on, I think, 110-point pace. The dog is the dog. Middle stat's flying now. Maybe the worries and the judgment of the Avs right off the hop were just a little overblown. Yeah, no, I mean, they've been incredible.

They flipped the switch. And, I mean, you just got to go back to Kale McCarr. And actually, I think he's, like, went on an insane run since he called himself out after they started. He was he was very hard on himself. And in the media said, I think our team would have been better without me on the ice. Well, that's not the case moving forward after those comments, because he's a freak of nature. He's the best defenseman in the world. And I think his start to the year just exemplifies that.

What a word by me. Ex exemplifies is top notch for you i'll give you serious credit on that one um oh shanti but ross ross colton did you see this would you call him in the group chat just a lightning bolt or lightning rod just he's a lightning rod him and cotter i think he's even got maybe a little more goal-scoring ability than Cotter, but both, like you're saying, just pain in the ass to play against, like just compete out there and can also have some scoring touch. Well, yeah, and Colorado's a team that likes to play with pace, and he has unreal wheels.

And sometimes you find guys who have unreal wheels where they're better in a checking role and just, you know, get it turned. But they don't have that finish. Well, now that he's getting to play on the top line and he's getting distributions from McKinnon and those other guys. I mean, he's making he's he's making the best of a situation right now. And it's awesome to see. It's and a much needed spark that they needed without Nachushkin, without Lekkonen. I think Lekkonen is back now, but without Landeskog.

So anytime you can have a guy unexpectedly come in and pop off the way he's popping off, I mean, good for him. And I don't know if he's up for contract or he just signed with them, but what a year, what a year, what a start to the year for that guy. Speaking of wheels, Miles Wood, when he gets... He flies. He might be one of the fastest players.

He can get breakaways like I've never seen. He doesn't bury them, really. He's like a Grabner. Modern day Grabner. Yeah, Grabner. That's a good one. But he's also a tank. He's enormous.

So that's a nice guy that they got there flying around. I still see Lekkonen on the IR on this site. Okay, no, he's not back then. But Drew ends out, and obviously Natchushkin and Landeskog. Colorado's figured it out. Colorado now is flying and buzzing. Tage Thompson. So I guess in 2022, they started recording.

Not sure of the exact date. They started recording NHL stats, how fast shots were going, how fast players were skating. Tage Thompson set the record for the fastest shot in a game, 104.9. Rocket. He's that big and long, just uses his leverage. He's like a tall, long drive guy in golf that just is so big that can bring the club or the stick back so far and rips it. So he's off to a good start.

I think he uses a fairly short stick based on his size, too, based on his size. And I could be completely wrong, as I usually am. And then it goes back to Martin Baran coming on and saying that he's he's back to himself again with no shoulder injury last year he was dealing with that shoulder injury and even even when he was he came back from it and he is still a little bit tentative to shoot it and then finally he started unleashing it because he felt more comfortable and and the way that it had healed and now you could just see that he's himself. And he said that you asked him, is he more of like what we saw last year

or what we saw when he almost had 50 goals? And Martin Baran said that he's a 50 goal guy. He is him, as they say. And it looks like he's back to his old ways and Buffalo's back in the winning ways too. They're coming back in the picture. It's crazy. The two Florida teams are sitting up top,

Panthers, Lightning, and then I think every other team is 500. Four, four and one, three of them, three and three or whatever, four and four. So kind of going to be a wild year in that division, I think. No surprise there. The Four Nations biz, I am so fired up for this. We're going to be in Montreal. We're going to be in Boston. Cannot wait. Little tune up, little appetizer to next

year's Olympics. The jerseys were released. No surprise at all. The guys in the picture, USA is Austin Matthews wearing the jersey. We got Crosby in Canada. We got Aho for Finland and Hedman for Sweden. I have a bet with a random listener and a few other people as well, but a random guy through Twitter, I think, a thousand bucks, US-Canada to win the next best on best. Might've been made two years ago. I've never been more confident than now. Your jerseys stink.

I don't like your jerseys at all. I tend to like Canada when they're a little bit more traditional. I thought that this one through is just weird. Yeah. I wasn't crazy about them. I would say of all the jerseys, I probably like them the least. Sweden's are the best. I would probably put Finland as next best. And then USA, Canada, you can flip them out either war. I just don't like the fact that it says Canada. I'm pretty sure people are aware that big red maple leaf in the middle of the Jersey is Canada. It's pretty self-explanatory.

What international Jersey have you never seen the name of the country on the front? No, just in the fact that it's, it's in, it's in the maple leaf. I don't like that. It should be above the maple leaf. I don't like that it's in- It should be above the maple leaf. Yeah, and or below or just, yeah, or if it's- I more think it's the lines,

the white lines through the middle. If it was just the red jersey with that leaf, I wouldn't dislike it as much. I do agree though. Sweden, is it the Trey Kroner? That could be. Gee, look up the symbol name of the Swedish three crowns. That's always been sick.

I actually, Hedman's wearing the yellow. They're blue jersey. I believe I got a Lidstrom one from my dad one year when I was very young. Or maybe Sundin. It might have been Sundin. A 13 blue. Oh, okay. Yeah.

See how all of them are below it and not right through the middle of it? Yes. That's Canada. He's showing for the YouTube people. Trey Croner. I guess I had it. Gee, thank you. And Sweden doesn't have the name on the front. I just asked you what team doesn't have the name of their country on the front of the jersey and gee helped you out with Sweden. As I was looking at the picture, I asked that. That's how dumb I can be sometimes. Jesus Christ. Crosby, no doubt in my mind, is the captain of that team. Connor McDavid came out and agreed just with the same thing. And he said he should be the captain. And I assume you're in the same boat here. This is Sidney Crosby here, guys. No doubt. Why was that brought up? Did they announce Connor McDavid as captain?

Oh no, they just, I think McDavid was just randomly asked about it. I think it was because in the original post that was released, it was, it was Connor in the graphic. It wasn't Sid. And then when they released the Jersey, it was, it was said. Okay. Yeah. I think that this is like the, the, the single dumbest discussion we've ever had in this

podcast. If you don't think Sidney Crosby should be captain of team canada where he's already won them gold um i just yeah put him in a put that person in a rocket ship and shoot him out in outer space as we wrap up here biz kind of a cool story from the sale of the tampa bay lightning jeff vinick is paying out about 20 million million in bonuses to the organization's more than 300 employees following his sale of a majority stake in the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Each full-time employee will receive $50,000 to $66,000. That's awesome. That is like pretty cool to see that happening. And you see how much he appreciates everyone that's put everything into this. I don't know if it was the, is it the 300 employees of the lightning or of like,

I think anybody that helped him get to the, to the place that he's at, where he can sell a majority stake in that team and make a, a very handsome return. I think a lot of it also has to do with the development around the arena. And this is an owner who, when all all the all the chaos was happening with the hurricanes a few weeks back he flew all the families of the tampa lightning including pets like cats and dogs to carolina to get out of the the chaos that that was going down so this guy is just the ultimate owner uh that's what in order to win championships you need owners that are all in mike like we saw with

the vegas golden knights florida panthers you talked about their owner and how dialed he is and he makes their lives so easy where they don't have any worries outside of just worrying what they need to worry about on the ice so just a an all-time move and taking a page out of mark cuban's book and doing the same thing where know, those are the people that got him the success financially and helped with that. So kudos to him and just an awesome story. And yeah, couldn't couldn't be happier for those people.

I'm sure that in some cases that's like, it's like winning the lottery for some of them pays their mortgage for a couple of years, allows them to go on a big family vacation, take a little bit of financial stress away. Nice big bonus for those people who deserve it. Before we wrap up, I do want to remind everyone, this is kind of the last chance to buy the breast cancer awareness merch that we have. You can go to barstoolsports.com slash chicklets. It went to the Breasties. Biz is rocking the hoodie right now. I'm sure G is as well or has been. I got a nice one he gave

me. There it is right there, the black one. Help out a great cause. And subscribe to the YouTube channel. You'll see the last sandbagger from last week, Brandon Prust and Robbie Shrimp. Dummied us, sandbagged us, owned us in every which way. We got one coming out soon with Tuca Rask and Andrew Raycroft that was a lot of fun to do.

And the YouTube biz has already told us 300, is it 55,000? 355. Wow, so we of fun to do. And the YouTube biz has already told us 300, is it 55,000? 355. Wow. So we might get to 400. You think we can get to 400 by the end of the season? I think if the chicklets use and the sandbaggers keep bumping

and people don't hate Pasha's guts that bad. Throw some balls. I think, yes, we can hit it if people stop hating Pasha's guts so hard. So he was nice to all you Rangers fans this pod. He said the true bit was clean and that the Laffy Taffy, get that Laffy Taffy. The deal was a bargoon.

So do Pasha a favor and subscribe to the Spittin' Chicklets YouTube channel, baby. The army version of Chicklets U, Wednesday at noon. We love you all. Thanks for listening. See you next week. Peace, biz. Peace, peace, peace. Thank you. The other way This feeling is so hard to break I'll get you someday