Spittin Chiclets - Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 543: Featuring Jim Nill

Starting point is 00:00:00 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 basketball sports. Our white whale, Sidney Crosby! Shave his head! Shave his head! Shave his head! Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, R.A., Mike Grinelli, Spit and Chicklets. How are you folks? What is going on?

Starting point is 00:00:37 And welcome back to episode 543 of the Spit and Chicklets podcast presented to you by Pink Whitney. 43 of the spit and chicklet podcast presented to you by pink Whitney and oh my god Did we have a pink Whitney filled week last week in Orlando with Bob does sports? Yes, Keith That was us for two straight days of two straight three on three Sandbagger special scrambles an absolute time and a half and the pink Whitney was flowing birdies galore Eagles galore possibly and just Pink Whitney down the hatch after the round before the round. It was all over Orlando. It's all over everywhere. Hopefully it gets back to Canada. These ridiculous tariffs. I don't know what the fuck's going on there,

Starting point is 00:01:15 but I digress. What the hell Trumpet, but we got Pink Whitney. We got love for Pink Whitney. We got the absolute best flavored vodka in the game. So go grab yours today at a liquor store, at a local bar, do a shot, mix a drink, however you like it. However you like it. But thank you so much for your support. Biz Keith, what's going on boys? I would probably say one of our funnest collabs we've ever done with the Bob Does Sports guys.

Starting point is 00:01:41 That was so fucking fun. I mean, I wasn't even drinking the Pink Whitney shooters and you guys were you dumb. What was that? 113 of them in two rounds. Yeah, I was told 123 and then I was told 113 either way, five guys, 36 holes. I mean, I used to be a math guy. I'm a rocket sciatologist, but that's a lot of pig winning. That was ridiculous. Not to mention that they have their drinks. The Haviday is very tasty. It was an unreal couple days with these guys though.

Starting point is 00:02:14 Their comedy, we mentioned they're kind of like one of the kings of YouTube golf. We've talked about YouTube golf and PGA Tour golf and how so many fans now, I think, enjoy watching YouTube golfers. So we wanted to get in the mix. And lucky for us, we were kind of, I think Bob said one of the most wanted collabs he's ever had. So to get to both sides really want to get together for a three on three and to get Keith involved with the Sandbaggers, it was just a classic two days. I think that the first video is going to be for their channel. They mentioned about two weeks and then the rematch, whatever happens on each side, will be our channel and we want to thank DraftKings too because they put it together. It was all because of them to get us together, get us down to Orlando. Beautiful golf course.

Starting point is 00:03:02 The best. I might get a membership. They might move the Masters there. What was it, the Colonial National? Claremont National. Claremont, close enough. So, I really hope everyone enjoys that. I actually think that a lot of the people who watched our Sandbaggers are probably into Bob Does, but I'm hoping they have a bunch of fans

Starting point is 00:03:26 that maybe don't know about us, we can get some crossover and it should be great for us. So Keith, what'd you think? You kind of knew those guys better than Biz and I did. Yeah, I'll just throw this at you. Did you enjoy, I enjoy the scramble element. I find it's a lot less pressure, especially me as a non-golfer,

Starting point is 00:03:42 like you went, like most of the shots you're striping, but I really loved the three man scramble. Like that to me was the best. You could worry about the chirps having fun and not as much pressure on each guy individually. Yeah, a hundred percent. And then when you got with as you're racing the whole Mariano Rivera closing out whole, it was just, I thought it was amazing. I've been a huge fan of those guys for a long time. And I think to do my first one with you guys with them was honestly, it was like a dream come true for something like that for me. So it was amazing. Three great personalities on their side.

Starting point is 00:04:18 I thought they were almost kind of like playing with some hockey guys. We were just giving it to each other back and forth. From what I remember, I don't remember too much from any of the golf rounds. I'm excited to see it, but also have lost a little bit of sleep over it, knowing what the hell we said on that golf course. Hey, Pasha, save us in the editing, buddy. No, I was texting Bob Dawes. I'm like, hey, you guys know what to cut out and stuff, right? He's like, yeah, yeah, we gotcha. I got back from the first day, and we went upstairs, and we were just showering and getting dressed

Starting point is 00:04:52 before we were going to meet for dinner. And I FaceTime Brie, and I was shaving. And she's like, are you OK? And I was like, no, I'm crippled right now. This is not good. She's like, sweet job you have. Great job. I'm here at home. I got a stomach ache. One kid's screaming crying. The other two are wrestling in the other room. So I was just like, I'm sorry, you know, business calls,

Starting point is 00:05:13 sweetie, business calls. But it was just great. And then like to be in Orlando too, we were at this hotel, the Conrad. I got, I gotta say one of the nicest places we've ever been. Shout out to Grinnell, he booked it for us because I had us in a bit of a, I had us in like an AHL East Coast Hockey League hotel in Fort Lauderdale. I don't think Whit was too happy. And then G booked it, but it was actually Yans

Starting point is 00:05:38 who told him to book the Conrad, so my apologies. Sorry about that, Whit. G texted me, he goes, hey, from what I've heard about this hotel that I got to put Whit up at for a couple nights in Fort Lauderdale, you got a better place that we can stay in Orlando. I'm like, yeah, I just stayed at this Conrad with the fam a couple months ago, it's amazing.

Starting point is 00:05:55 So we walked in, it was beautiful, we had a good time. Hey, so I got to Logan on Friday to fly to Fort Lauderdale. It was one of those ones. I'll never get this. They get you on the plane and then they announce a we're not going anywhere for close to two, maybe three hours. It's like what the pilot said, like, I just wanted to get you on the plane. So whenever this is fixed, like something with the brakes, I guess those matter when you're landing. He's like, we'll just we want you on the plane.

Starting point is 00:06:24 So right when it's fixed, we can take off. I'm like, I don't know, man. I think everyone would kind of rather chill in the terminal. Terminal beer, top three beer in the world. And and then I fly down so it's a huge delay. And then it took an hour and 45 minutes to get the bags out, which was crazy. I don't know what was going on in the airport. So I didn't get to the hotel till late Terps I pulled into that residence in and I'm like this mother fuckers it is It was just like trying to check in I'm like ringing the bell for the guy Damn, where are we staying in Orlando? It's what I thought of right away. But it was a great trip. I had a blast.

Starting point is 00:07:06 That's why I had to do my prison workout outside. Yeah, it is his workout. Which fucked up my back. And thank God that you guys came through. Kristen and then a few of Yans' buddies brought me a few muscle relaxers. If it wasn't for those muscle relaxers, it would have been three versus two.

Starting point is 00:07:22 I've actually never seen a recovery like you had. Like you couldn't, you were crippled. I was crippled and I was stretching my hip flexors out like 35 minutes before the round and somehow I was able to manage through it. You said Yanz was- Four hour train ride, he stretched his hammies for three and a half hours.

Starting point is 00:07:44 On the train. So we had the computer up with the Eagles commanders game on stretched his hammies for three and a half hours. So we had the computer up with the Eagles commanders game on and then he's like, Hey, can I watch the game? And I just like turned a little and then after two minutes he wouldn't be watching. He stretches or I turn it back. I think seven times that I watched the game. Here you go. Turn it right back. Yeah. You mentioned it was like playing with a couple hockey guys. So Joey Cole cuts, who's a member of the Bob does sports. He actually played hockey and he lost all of his front jib.

Starting point is 00:08:11 So he's technically is and going over to the hockey player element. I mean, obviously Perez fat Perez never played hockey. I would imagine he didn't, but this guy is a machine. And for those of you who don't know, is like the modern-day in my opinion the modern Day, John Daly golfer is describing as a John Daly not the perfect description He's a cartoon. He's got the smoothest goddamn golf swing

Starting point is 00:08:37 I've ever seen in my life too, by the way I need to apologize I get ahead of this one when the video comes out a lot of pink Whitney I Was calling Joey cold cuts Joey chestnut two straight days Just not and at one point I guess like I think ticket or jet was like one of them said do they know our names Like yeah, I know your name It was just I don't know why Joey chestnut and the hot dog eating and him being on Keith's dozen team. Like I was just messing up the coal cut and chest chestnut. But great dude. And I think people are going to love these videos. I really do. They were a blast to film.

Starting point is 00:09:15 And then to cap it all off, guys, we got to go to the Orlando Solar Bears game. Probably the last Pink Whitney event we'll do there. Maybe not sure. Maybe there'll be like a collab with the Greensboro team, but now that we're affiliated to another team, it'd be weird if we're doing business with the Orlando Solar Bears. But for the three times that we've done it, they've been first class.

Starting point is 00:09:34 They end up pulling off the victory, so they're 2-0-1-1 in the three games that we've done. And one of the guys was bitching because we didn't have money on the board, the captain. And I was like, I at it all, man. It seems like tampering to me. I'm going to put more money up for Greensboro. I'm not going to be doing it for Orlando anymore.

Starting point is 00:09:50 And we've been at the golf course all day. They I'm lucky we we Keith and I got to the arena, let alone put money on the board. Also, I I I don't think I ever played hockey at this point. Like, I'm missing the net on these center-A shots. I'm not even hitting the board. Forget getting in the little puck-size hole. I'm missing the net completely. I'm getting different curves.

Starting point is 00:10:13 It's just pathetic. We all stunk this time. Biz, I think you missed the net. Keith, you hit the net. But ugly showing for us. The fans were booing us. I was kind of imagining it was because we own a different East Coast Hockey League team. I don't know. I think it was just because they're like, who are these idiots at center ice? Oh, that's the pink Whitney guy. That's why his face is pink. I guess I guess these guys never played hockey. That's how I felt, at least. Did you guys watch the Grammys?

Starting point is 00:10:47 Yeah, Keith was kind of texting our group at home about it. I just saw the social clips. The Grammys, man, I don't know. Beyonce gets the album of the year for that country album. That's not, Keith, that's not correct, right? Should she be winning that? Well, she came out with a country album. So yeah, I think being up for that is, I mean, obviously we know her as a R&B singer. You think that was album of the year? It's not her genre is what you're saying. I'm not dialed into the country music. I know nothing about country music, but I don't know.

Starting point is 00:11:18 I knew one of the songs that was on there. I know she had a ton of good collaborations on that CD, but yeah, album of the year, I can imagine that the true down, dirty country fans are probably not happy about it, just because Laney Wilson, I know she's a big star. But even Post Malone, he's not a country singer. He was up for it.

Starting point is 00:11:40 So it's like, what's wrong with him? He dropped the country album. I feel like his transition in a country may be a little bit more natural than Beyonce's not her not exactly her original genre here Very he started as a rapper Yeah with that one tune but he kind of looks he looks more like a country guy with all the tattoos and always tired on his forehead A little little greas, that's for sure. But very diplomatic of you, Keith,

Starting point is 00:12:07 because you don't want the Swifties after you, or the Beehive. Because if you bad mouth Beyonce, you got the Beehive after you, they'll fucking slit your throat with a razor blade. Like you don't fuck around, so congrats on album of the year. We can move on.

Starting point is 00:12:21 Not like us, took home a lot of hardware. How about everybody singing it? Everybody sang it and they did the, I don't know. How do you feel about that? Like you feel like the whole music industry's turned their back on Drake like that? Like that's, I don't know. He must be counting the dumps right now.

Starting point is 00:12:40 I know. I would imagine he was in a different country and did not have the Grammys on. You knew that it was probably gonna be Not great probably worse than expected given everybody was singing along as Kendrick went up and he ended up cleaning house So I mean, are you were you a big Drake guy coming up? Yeah, it's like did you like all the bangers that he was dropping? Oh, I like Drake. I thought he was a little I'm more of like a he's more a little more mainstream than I Really like to listen to for rap. But yeah, I thought he obviously a little, I'm more of like a, he's more, a little more mainstream than I really like to listen to for rap,

Starting point is 00:13:06 but yeah, I thought he obviously has some great tunes. Got to meet him one time at the Ottawa All-Star game, which was pretty cool. He signed my stick and it said OVO, but I thought it said XOX, and I was like, that's kind of weird. But it says OVO, which back then, I didn't know what OVO stood for but um, yeah and

Starting point is 00:13:26 Can't say I'm a huge you thought Drake was trying to get in your pants Yeah, I just didn't I didn't get why he signed it XOX, but he didn't it was OVO October's very own a classy elegant beautiful look on Kanye's girl just oh, yeah Yeah look on Kanye's girl. Just, yeah, like that is what, when you picture like, I wanna marry a woman that'll be an amazing mother, and like that's what you think of, right? Just going with your tito butt naked.

Starting point is 00:13:54 Like Bonnie. Enough of Bonnie, enough. And my thought. She followed me. Yeah, I don't care. I think of all the women you've had on your your workbench if you end up doing that one like I might be out of this show And Grinnelli mentioned Dom Noah Kahane who played at Fennway this summer I didn't know much about him and my dad had actually offered tickets to my wife and I and I was I'm all set I don't know who he is. Turns out the guy's unbelievable.

Starting point is 00:14:26 He's got this on Spotify, his Live from Fenway concert. I'm rocking this playlist constantly. I love the guy's music. He didn't even win one Grammy. I think that was a little shocking. This guy's nasty. I think he's from Vermont. The song Northern Attitude.

Starting point is 00:14:41 This is like the opposite of Keith's style music, but it's great. Great music. He, he just posted a picture. He was in Minnesota and he was with Middleton and Middleton had his tarp off and they, I must've been after like post game in the crowd. I saw that actually. I forgot about that. Yeah. Middleton's up in the stands with no shirt on. No shirt. At the concert? No, no. After one of his games. Considering they've been on the slide lately. Oh my God, he went up to the thing to see like the friends and family?

Starting point is 00:15:08 Yes. Yeah, well it's part of the ticket promotion because they've been struggling a little bit, so they're trying to sell out. So they said they're doing a meet and greet with him, tarps off post game. So he ended up running into this musician that Witt's talking about.

Starting point is 00:15:19 But his tunes are very upbeat, lively, positive. Like they make you move. They make you, positive. They make you move. They make you feel good. They make you feel good. So, Gee, you hopped on. What do you have? Biz, you mentioned Bonnie Blue earlier. Yeah, I did.

Starting point is 00:15:33 And from what I've been hearing is she's been hearing that you've been asking about her and she left a little message for you. Oh, interesting. Hey, Biz, it's Bonnie Blue and I just want to wish you you and all the boys in blue good luck for the rest of the season. That's very classy of Bonnie, the boys in blue. She's on the Toronto Maple Leaf train. Buddy, you know, when I think class, I think of her. That is just like, you know, her and Kanye's girl. Anyone with a daughter, let's strive for that. Would you, would you escort her? Let's strive for that.

Starting point is 00:16:03 Yep. If she was in Edmonton for, Edmonton leaves in the finals, would you escort her out the way that Kanye and his girl got escorted out of the Grammys? They kicked them out by the way. Kanye got the boot? You think? She didn't wear clothes.

Starting point is 00:16:17 They showed up like, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, Her vagina was staring at you in the face when she was on the red carpet. What are you? So they were uninvited and then she wears this big jacket and then she drops it. And then she has that. Well, I mean, you could I guess you could call it a dress. And then they're like, yeah, no, you got to go. Did you see the one picture of like the little kid? He's like 10 years old and he's looking around like the corner at her. No, like, you know, I if I'm 10, I'm probably like, oh, my

Starting point is 00:16:47 God. I mean, I remember at 10 I was or maybe not 10. That's young. Like, say, 12 member like the channels wouldn't come in, but like they occasionally would come in from the snow. And then you're just like, oh, shit, that's a tit.

Starting point is 00:16:59 Like, that's kind of if you're seeing that at the Grammys, that's a little different than Skinimax barely coming in on your cable in in whatever 1995, but I guess we've been all over the map here. We can go back to hockey. But good to know that Bonnie's on the the boys in blue train and I'll leave it at that. It's just good to know. They might not win another game this year. No shit. I might have to have Wyatt quit the Leafs now that she's on that train. Oh, really? Literally, she could be on that train.

Starting point is 00:17:26 Literally. The Biz Bonnie Blue collaboration, the one thing that'll bring down spitting chiclets. And anything else happen other than hockey? Because I mean, there's another big trade to announce. I mean, we still got to go back and dive a little bit into the Rottenen one, because some comments from him and his agent after it all ended up going down and shaking out how surprised they were.

Starting point is 00:17:47 But anything else that we need to cover from this past weekend? Did you have any Squanto stories to share? Anything crazy happening at the Whitney household? What about you, Jans? Nothing really here. I think I made a mistake telling Squanto not to slash people in the head with his stick because ever since he did and that clip like that went viral, like he's kind of just like pretty timid out there. I'm like, damn, I should have just let him keep doing it. I mean he didn't injure anyone. Now he's skating around there like I was, like scared of my own shadow. So Ryder, I'll tell you right now. So Ryder plays on two teams. He's got a travel team and he's got the town team. The amount of hockey that this kid is playing, it's out of control, dude. Like he's so hockeyed out right now, I can tell because... And the biggest thing is that

Starting point is 00:18:34 he has practiced two days a week for the travel, one day a week for the town, and then on the weekend you have like two travel games usually in one town game. This week it was two and two. It's like no wonder he's, like, they don't have the excitement anymore of like, oh, like I got hockey this day, right? And you're like looking forward to it. He's like, I'm trying to get answers out of him. He's, you know, and as anyone who's seven. He's looking for a per diem pack.

Starting point is 00:18:59 Yeah, he's kind of just like, oh, after school, I go to hockey. So, but they did go, they did win all four games this weekend First time on the travel side that the Terriers showed out this lid have won both games on a weekend So I was like that was nice. The kids were all fired up. That was really cool And then and then we won both the town gates, but yeah the amount of hockey it's like holy shit This is out of control. Look I get why don't you just why don't you just pull them from one of the teams? It sounds like a solution that you can.

Starting point is 00:19:28 Because I don't teach my kids to be quitters. You can't quit midseason, but it's like you can't just quit, you know, like next year, obviously, there's a discussion like, do you want to do both? OK, so so time out. So he he he went to you and said, Dad, no, I want to say anything. He hasn't said anything. So it's more just like I'm asking about like before you even signed him up for both. He went to you and said, dad, no, he hasn't said anything. So it's more just like I'm asking about like before you even signed him up for both.

Starting point is 00:19:49 Like it seems like he wouldn't be quitting. It would be you because you were the one that signed him up. Like, was he asking to be on two teams? No, but like he's not even old enough to even like, no, you kind of just like do both because you're with your buddies from town and you wouldn't be on two teams, I think like starting at Squirt, that would be way too much. But Mike, like the town team is your buddies from school and it's not like there's no offsides, there's no icing, it's in like a smaller rink. And then the travel is like legit hockey rules. So he didn't really ask for both. No, he didn't. But I can't like just, you can't quit in the middle

Starting point is 00:20:25 of the year, no matter what he ever does. Like if he signs up for something, buddy, I don't care how much you don't like it. And he's never actually even said I don't want to go. And every time like hey you got practice, he's like okay good, I could just tell by like the slowest. He doesn't want to let you, sounds like you're burnt out, not him.

Starting point is 00:20:42 I am a little burnt out right now. I guess it's a long season. Just passing it on a long season. You were a kid waiting at the door for your dad to leave the house, weren't you? You were like my brother, ready to go to practice. I never was on two teams. You never did the situation. It's one or the other, but yeah, it's a little bit of overkill Summer should be great, you know getting away from it a bit. But I like for example, I took him down Yesterday we hit some golf balls at Old Sandwich like in the winter you there's like four bays you can hit onto the range It's great and getting in the car and leaving he's like this is gonna be so fun

Starting point is 00:21:17 And I was like, oh this poor kid hasn't he hasn't said that once about hockey I'm just like fuck kind of hit me hard In like putting him in that much at this age. It's just a great like I could go on for fucking 30 minutes about the whole. It's got him staying at the Baza night before games. It's all in taking away. Take your vitamins. Yeah, exactly. Eat your way to run the songs.

Starting point is 00:21:41 You run it residents in the presidents in. But back to the NHL where the men get paid and you got to do your job or things will change. Enormous week in the NHL. Oh yeah. Vancouver Canucks involved, New York Rangers involved. Pittsburgh Penguins get in the mix. I'm wondering where you guys kind of want to start with this.

Starting point is 00:22:01 Obviously JT Miller, we've talked about this ad nauseam nonstop when it was going to happen. And at the beginning of all of this, I believe he came out, he's like, there's no riff. There's no riff. Yeah. And Biz doesn't love Bonnie blue. Like there was a riff. It was pretty obvious the entire time. And it finally came to a head when like all of a sudden all these insiders, you know, everything was like, they're shopping Miller and they're shopping Patterson. Like they're shopping both of these guys They had deals in place. They had possible deals. It was just crazy, but the Rangers wanted Miller It was pretty evident right Chris Drury. This was his guy I read an article that even going back to two years ago before he signed the extension with Vancouver Chris

Starting point is 00:22:38 Drury's like I want this guy on this team. No shit. Yeah, and and apparently It you know apparently that that was that was there and then he signed the deal so everything changed and then this year it was just kind of a disaster in Vancouver from the get-go and last year he had this hundred point season, he carried them against Nashville, he played pretty amazing against McDavid, like Barkov obviously was number one against McDavid, after that JT Miller did a good job of somewhat shutting him down in air quotations. Well I think that he went pointless in three of those seven games which was the most of any round throughout the course of all of playoffs and I'll just start off by

Starting point is 00:23:14 saying like we're in the entertainment business like round of applause to the Vancouver Canucks JT Miller, Pedersen and creating all this conversation but it makes our job a lot more entertaining, like we're speculating on trades, but at the end of the day, these are human beings. And like, I'm just, I'm probably just as relieved as J.T. Miller at the fact that this is all over for fuck's sakes.

Starting point is 00:23:37 I felt that it even dragged out for an extra two, three weeks too long. So from like the entertainment and hockey side of it, and like all you hockey enthusiasts like awesome but from the human element like good good for him to fucking go to a place where he's gonna be happy he's gonna play with his childhood friend who he played with growing up in TROCHEC obviously received very well in the fact that Drury had wanted him for four years on end here a place that he is familiar with and where he was

Starting point is 00:24:04 drafted and where he's already now off to a hot start. What four points in his first two games. His first game spoiled by the Bruins finally showing some offense, but they end up pulling off the victory against the Golden Knights and quickie gets his 400th win, which we'll get to. But as far as the return, the fact that they get the first rounder and then they switch it out for Pettersson from the defenseman for Pittsburgh, I feel like all in all a solid return. And Hedl was the question mark because a lot of people were like, okay, this guy's one big hit away for maybe being done constantly on the IR, but has shown a lot of signs this year of growth, playing good hockey, and then now even he had that big goal the other night for Vancouver.

Starting point is 00:24:50 So if he can continue to be a solid piece and they get Pedersen, I'm happy enough with the return given the circumstances, but I just simply don't think that at least right now in his career that Pedersen is as valuable come playoff time as JT Miller. I don't think he has that dog in him. Maybe now that the fact that this guy who he was having issues with is gone, he can go back to being the player

Starting point is 00:25:17 that he thinks he can be and that the organization has paid him to be. Because that's a lot of fucking money to make to be calling the shots from my understanding in some cases not bringing the best work ethic day in day out to practice and then along with you know being very hot and cold with his play so as far as the return if I'm Vancouver I'm happy and now you're away from this whole headache and situation but but be weary about Pederson potentially not becoming

Starting point is 00:25:46 the player that you guys hoped he once was, or what you once thought he could be when he put up the 100 points, and now all eyes on him. And I think that seeing a lot of the outpouring of support from Vancouver teammates for JT Miller on his departure might be a little bit of an unsettling feeling for fans and people maybe on the outside being like, what exactly was going in on the inside?

Starting point is 00:26:12 Like what, where did the players, where did the players lie on this issue? Not so much management and fans. And obviously this deal that, you know, was talked about what what two weeks ago, Millsy going to the Rangers then kind of got shut down for a little bit. And that's when they started talking about shopping both of the guys. And I don't know, like when I think about it, like you got to think that they called around every team about PD and probably weren't getting as much as they hoped to expect. It was like, okay, we got to go back to the well here and trade

Starting point is 00:26:47 Millsy to New York, which I think is a great fit for him going back and like you said, playing with Trotsek. But yeah, a lot of pressure on Peterson here and it's going to show a lot about the rest of his career, what he can do the rest of this year and putting that team on his back. And I think like you said, Biz, the outpour of guys' messages on Instagram, Twitter and stuff like that and even talk saying he's a, what was his quote? I think he said he was a heart and soul guy about Millsy.

Starting point is 00:27:18 It's one of those things that Petey's got to be ready to go come puck drop every single night for the rest of the year. And then for the next, you know, six, seven years, however many years he has left, but that's, that's some big shoes to fill and to do it by yourself when you don't have another one, a one B is it's going to be tough on him. I said, I said long before this deal went down, that if Miller was traded, like, Hey, buckle up, Patterson, because now, buddy, like, you got your wish and you're going to have to show up and play a lot better than you have been.

Starting point is 00:27:51 I tweeted out last night, if I'm a Canucks fan, I'm furious. They traded the wrong guy. I understand the age difference. I also see like the competitiveness and how one guy plays and then how the other guy plays where like Biz said, it's hot and cold. Like, yeah, some nights, Pedersen's, he's involved physically, he's engaged, and then other nights, he's just like floating around

Starting point is 00:28:11 out there, and I think Canucks fans are lying if they don't agree with that. But now, hey, you got everything you wanted. He's gone, and let's see what you can do. I mean, Frank Saravelli reported that there were Canucks players in the room that were like sad to see him go. Now, we we may never know. And obviously, all of us have kind of heard different things that I would never share. Like what actually went down between those two.

Starting point is 00:28:39 And if that's ever made public by one of those two guys, we can discuss it. But that's not our place at all. made public by one of those two guys. We can discuss it, but that's not our place at all. I just look like I, I don't know about why Vancouver then dealt that first round pick that was included by the Rangers. So it's top, I think is it 13 G protected top 13 pick protected this season unprotected next year. Like my mind, like that's like, that's a nice pick to have because who knows what happens with the Rangers, right? Like if they don't make the playoffs this year, I don't know what happens next year. I don't see them like Blowing anything up. They just signed Shusterkin. They they they they have Fox sign

Starting point is 00:29:15 Like they now have Miller signed long term But that pick I was surprised because you get Marcus Pederson who's a UFA get Drew O'Connor Like now you kind of have to sign Marcus Pederson. The amount of Pedersons on Vegas is out of control, by the way. There's three of them now, including another Elias Pederson. But I think looking at Miller to the Rangers, that was a move that makes a lot of sense to me

Starting point is 00:29:39 because this guy, he is driven now. He was there before, he loved it. You mentioned Biz. Him and Trocheck are legit best friends. Trocheck there before, he loved it, you mentioned Biz. Him and Trocheck are legit best friends. Trocheck's put out pictures, they're nine years old, playing hockey together. That's one of the coolest things you could ever imagine, playing with a kid that when you were nine and 10,

Starting point is 00:29:55 you dreamed of being in the NHL, now you're on the same team, so that's awesome right there. And the Rangers, they had to do that. They had to go out, they're not in a time right now Where they can't go try to get some help. I still think they could get in I saw I think they can too I saw an article 36 percent chance that they get into the playoffs I bet fascia posha 500 bucks that they would get in so we'll see what happens there But Miller's look phenomenal the first two games they played like shit against the Bruins on Saturday Bruins whooped them

Starting point is 00:30:23 But a huge win against Vegas on Sunday. Probably one of the hits of the year by Cooley on Petriangelo just rocked him, and then Hegg came over and fought him, but the garden was buzzing. They had a comeback, one in the third period. And I think that, like, looking at the Rangers, if Shasturkin all of a sudden does his thing, and Miller brings what it looks like he might with energy and enthusiasm, and he threw an enormous hit on somebody in the corner too on Sunday. They could end up finding something here and getting in, especially considering Columbus

Starting point is 00:30:53 now they got some injury problems. My guy Marchenko's out with a broken jaw. Montreal, there's some younger teams that I feel like the Rangers with their veterans could end up overtaking for a wild card spot. I wanted to ask you guys, because the life expectancy for GM, like if I'm the GM of Vancouver, I'm thinking three years. I'm not thinking five years, six years,

Starting point is 00:31:17 and I would rather have JT Miller for the next three years. So I agree with you, Yans, and that's why I'm like, fuck man, if like they could have probably then dealt Pederson for Natchez. And then imagine having JT Miller and Natchez as a one two rather than Pederson. And like, I guess would you consider Hito

Starting point is 00:31:36 their second line center right now? Yeah, probably. And I think he could be great base. It's just like the concussions are scary. Like I think Hito probably needed like a change of scenery and he could be great base. It's just the concussions are scary. Like I think he'll probably needed like a change of scenery and, and he could be really good, but that, that like injury concerns, dude, that's petrifying when you're dealing a star player away and you're getting the guy who, like you said, it's like one hit. Like how many concussions is this guy

Starting point is 00:31:59 had? It's it's, I mean, he's missed a lot of hockey. Yeah. I'd rather be able to have Natchez this year, next year at six and a half of Vancouver. And then if he does pan out, end up paying him probably what you ended up paying Pedersen anyway. So that to me was surprising. And then when they got off of JT for what they did, that they didn't end up pulling the trigger on letting Pederserson go for Natchez and understanding what the return was for Colorado

Starting point is 00:32:30 and that exchange. So I would imagine that the fact that that deal that ended up going down was on the table for a few weeks was probably Vancouver trying to work out the Pederson deal with Pittsburgh and making sure they could get that return to solidify their back end. Because another story ended up coming out about Zdorov basically getting what he asked for from Vancouver but the difference in taxes

Starting point is 00:32:53 was three million dollars over the course of the contract and that's why he didn't end up coming back to Vancouver so I really like the way how big and how well Vancouver's back end played last year in order to put them in, you know, win the Pacific and, you know, push Edmonton to seven games. So that was one element of their game that was really struggling this year that they had to help out. So I think I said all in all, I guess, happy with the return given the circumstances, but maybe a little surprised they didn't go the nature's route given given the information now. Also the people who like Pasha who are aren't JT Miller fans or were dogging the Rangers picking them up talking about basically that I think he signed till he's 37 years old like I don't really worry about that much. One, Drury is like his job's like sort of on the line right now in the next year or two, year two or three. I mean, you can't really worry about that.

Starting point is 00:33:48 When you're looking at a team right now that has these like guys signed long term, you're trying to win now or next year, I still think JT Miller, based on how he plays when he's at the top of his game, like I'm not that worried. Like maybe the last two years of the deal. Well, but wait, the numbers just came out, projected cap

Starting point is 00:34:07 and where it's supposed to go. Exactly. And in three years, if it's at 110 million, you're talking about below 8% of the cap for, and if at that point he's a second line center, like he's still a dog, he's still a guy you want to go to playoffs and go to battle with. So the fact that it's jumping up that quick,

Starting point is 00:34:24 I just don't think his contract is that big of an anchor, even if there is a drop off with the way that the cap is going up. I actually think we should get into that right now because when this news dropped this week, I first saw it from Elliot's Twitter about the cap and what it'll be the next three seasons. I was like, holy shit.

Starting point is 00:34:44 And then I find out it might even be higher. So his tweet said that next year it'll be 95.5 million, the following year 104 million, and the year after that 27, 28, 113.5 million. And then he was saying on his podcast, it might actually be 97, 107, 117. So you see after this flat cap and after these stagnant years where it really hasn't gone anywhere,

Starting point is 00:35:09 that's how well the game's doing, which is so cool for us to be able to do this. And I think everyone listening is fans. You want to... Now, I guess there's a worry for some small market teams like, will people not spend up to the cap? Whereas right now, even if you're not to the very end of the cap, you're still competitive enough. Nobody's that far away from the top. You get up to 117. That might change a little bit. But one thing I saw from Justin Bourne on Twitter, and I want to get your guys' opinion on this, which is pretty cool. For so long, we've been talking about, and I'm kind of like paraphrasing all this. We've been talking about, instead of saying like,

Starting point is 00:35:44 oh, and imagining how much a certain player could help a team, your favorite team, or a team you root for, you're more immediately like, oh, but the dollar's in cents and the money doesn't work, and that, whereas it should be like, oh, you could try to get this guy in the system and what he could do, and I think with the cap going up this much, it won't be as much

Starting point is 00:36:01 of like numbers crunching and worrying about contracts and not being able to make a trade because there's just more room now where you're gonna be able to acquire guys as much. It won't be as much of like numbers crunching and worrying about contracts and not being able to make a trade because there's just more room now where you're going to be able to acquire guys. And with the cap stopping so many deals and so many trades over all these years, I think that's going to change a little bit. I feel like hockey and correct me if I'm wrong. I feel like hockey and hockey fans are the only group of fans that think that it's their money. Like it's you talk about a trade in the NBA like whatever guys making 50 million dollars. No one ever mentions like well

Starting point is 00:36:32 that's a big cap hit for this guy like the owners paying these guys obviously the fans are too, but it's it's one of those things where if they want to go out and spend these money make these monster deals like the Rantan deal and get like big guys getting traded. And I think it just adds so much to the league and, and you know, stuff for us to talk about the clickbait boys and I don't know, I just feel like the NHL, like every, every fan base thinks that is just always talking about the dollar and cents and you it's gonna do to your cap and stuff like that. So hopefully jacking up this cap here is gonna maybe make people stop talking about it

Starting point is 00:37:14 and realize just root for your squad. Well, it was just getting too jammed up and it was cock blocking a lot of deals and a lot of situations. But so before these numbers came out, I would have been open to making it like a soft cap as opposed to a hard cap. But with the acceleration of where it's going,

Starting point is 00:37:31 I think that the league's in a great place and a hard cap is fine. I do think that Canadian markets are really, really going to struggle moving forward though in order to compete. That's just not only with the dollar. Outside of like Toronto and I guess like Edmonton, maybe Vancouver to a certain degree, because it's still a strong market and they don't have as much competition.

Starting point is 00:37:54 I mean, outside of that, man, it's going to be tough for some of these. And even like a small market team like Carolina. And it kind of goes back to the Ratanin thing where like a lot of the Carolina fans were like getting angry at me, like, hey, this is my new boyfriend, like leave him alone. I was trying to figure out how I wanted it to work out in Colorado with him. But with the news of where the caps go and like, I don't think Carolina is going to be

Starting point is 00:38:17 able to afford to keep him. They ain't going to be able to front load a car. You're getting a three month rental and you just gave away nature's who's at six and a half or for the neck this year next year that's why I like I know we're gonna make a huge offer like to try to keep him though I this was clearly about money was it not because if it wasn't about money he'd be playing with the the big three him that's why I'm so shocked by this and I know we're revisiting it but like my whole argument about about it being risky is being like well if it wasn't all about money this guy was gonna get to play with McKinnon and

Starting point is 00:38:52 McCarr he's gonna make a hundred grand less than McKinnon you decide for 12 and a half and I'm sure that with where the caps going and everything they would have figured out a way to front load it and make it very juicy on the front end and appealing well by the sounds of where the cap's going, I'm sure he's probably looking at the 14 million range right now. You think, you think Carolina's, you don't think a team like, uh, like New York or a big market team, like let's say Toronto doesn't end up landing Marner.

Starting point is 00:39:19 You don't think they're going to offer the fucking moon and signing bonus over what Carolina can afford to do. That's why I think it was ridiculous. Hey, if he wants his money, but then the news afterward and why we're revisiting it was him and his agent were surprised how all this went down. Am I crazy to think that a guy who has the leverage and who he is and what he means to the Colorado

Starting point is 00:39:46 organization couldn't have walked in there and made it work himself? The fuck does he need an agent for? Yance and Witt, let me ask you this. If you were Miko Renton and you already won Stanley Cup and you have as much chemistry as you do with Nathan McKinnon and you know that your contract's up, would you not have went out to dinner with McKinnon multiple times and had this conversation about making it up, would you not have went out to dinner with McKinnon multiple times and had this conversation about making it work? Would you not have yourself walked into SACCIC and I forget the name of their GM now,

Starting point is 00:40:12 I know that, I think- McFarlane. Would you not have walked in yourself and had a conversation about trying to make that work if it wasn't about the money? And from everything I've heard about that, Chris McFarlane is that he's like a very, you know, personable guy around the guys and yeah,

Starting point is 00:40:31 it does shock me that they didn't have those conversations, especially a guy of his stature, but I don't know, maybe at the end of the day they wanted, they wanted to get rid of them. It was maybe, you know, their time was up. Yeah. That's another thing and trying to get deeper. But Biz, I think that you underestimate how much guys really, really trust and lean on their agent and totally just want to play the game

Starting point is 00:40:58 and kind of you tell me what to do, you tell me where to go, you tell me what to say or what I should ask for, where I... Hey buddy, you're making that face at me, but I don't think everyone's like you, and I'm not saying it's right or wrong, where it's like I can go and I can figure this out myself. And the superstars truly could, they don't really need agents. There are some players in the league that like Miko Rantham, who could go in to McFarlane and say, hey, what are you thinking?

Starting point is 00:41:24 This would be fair to me, this would be fair to you. But there's also guys who want nothing to do with that. They don't. They just want to just play and I trust you enough to tell me what to do. Okay. So then let's say you're doing that as a player. Let's say you're in Rantunen situation and you're blown away and flabbergasted the fact that like, oh my God, I'm packing up my bag. I thought we were going to be making another cup run with this guy that I put up 100 point seasons with. Do you think that that's a failure from the agent

Starting point is 00:41:50 for it to get to that place where you're now shocked as a client? That's where I'm like, I'm not saying once the season starts and he's focusing on hockey, that that's where his mind should have been, but I feel like there should have been sit downs and conversations about this between Rotten

Starting point is 00:42:06 and management at some point. Like, no? Like, you are in control. I'll say this, that if Rotten had told his agent, hey, I'd love to be back here, I'd love to be back here, keep me up to date with the discussions with McFarland, all that, and then all of a sudden, boom, you're dealt, it just hits you like a ton of bricks and you didn't see it coming. That is a failure in my eyes by the agent because you got to let the guy know, hey,

Starting point is 00:42:33 listen, if you're putting me in charge here, you could get traded. Now, I don't know if that was told to him or not, but if he's as shocked as everyone seems to think he was, you would think that there was some lack of communication between the two. Agreed. And I guess where maybe my message that was lost about the risk element, even if he is 85% of what he was playing with Nathan McKinnon in Colorado as he moves over from a point perspective and just overall play, I still think that in free agency, he's probably gonna get that 13 and a half to 14 million dollars.

Starting point is 00:43:09 Oh, now with these numbers? Fuck yeah. Agreed, so now with that information coming out, maybe not as much risk, but to me, when you weigh the fact that, and you gotta remember where he ends up and from a state tax element, I know I always bring up the state tax,

Starting point is 00:43:24 but I honestly thought that it would have been easy for Rodney to get to a place where he was making 100 grand less than Nathan McKinnon. I don't think that they would have moved on from him if that was the number, because I think that that would have been a slight team-friendly deal. And over the course of that eight years, and mind you, if he doesn't sign in Carolina, which I'm, that is my hot take.

Starting point is 00:43:47 I don't think that he's going to sign in Carolina. I think there's not a chicken dicks chance that he's going to sign in Carolina. So you go back to the last two years and the assets they've given up for a rental in Gensel and Rotman. So maybe more so. Well, you can only get seven years from everyone else too. That's what I'm saying. So you you can only get seven years from everyone else too. That's what I'm saying. So now you only got seven years. So when you're weighing all of it from the player perspective,

Starting point is 00:44:10 it's like, yeah, you're making more per year. But you knew this situation was perfect. You were playing with the best player in the world. You were going to be making, we're going to figure out what the numbers are once he ends up signing, boys. But we're probably talking about a difference in 10 million bucks. Like total. Yeah. When you make when at the end he'll make 170 ish.

Starting point is 00:44:31 I wonder if Caroline is going to be having talks with him now and if they can't get a deal done, they ship them again somewhere. I would 100% if you can't, if you can't get a deal done, I would ship him. I would not be left holding the bag like they did with Gensel. I would not. And they got time. Not to change the subject and go back to where we were

Starting point is 00:44:51 because I forgot to say this. If Pedersen doesn't pick it up, he might get dealt too. Because his no move clause kicks in July 1st and they may be like, all right, he's done. He's out outta here also. Just randomly I forgot to mention that. Trade him to the Rangers. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:45:09 Yeah. Oh yeah. One thing that is really cool for certain teams, and maybe players are like a little upset by it, I don't think they would be, but with the cap going up, you got some guys on long-term that are going to be one of the some of the most amazing bargains you've seen in the NHL. Like this list right here from an article

Starting point is 00:45:33 in the athletic is just quick. You got Miro Heskinen at 8.45 million a year till 2029 Lucas Raymond, 8 million a year till 2032. Cole Caulfield, 7.8 till 2031. Tim Stutel, 8.35 till 2031. Jack Hughes, 8 million till 2030. It's like, holy shit. Now, obviously, these guys got they have security. They have enough money for the rest of their lives. But these teams are like, holy shit. Thank God we got them to sign this because these guys are going to be elite star, some superstar players,

Starting point is 00:46:09 and possibly be sitting at four or five on the number of, for what you're making on the roster. It's wild, wild to see that these young guys are going to be that underpaid as this cap continues to rise. Yeah, I wonder if the cap, paid as this, as this contract, as this cap continues to rise. Yeah. I wonder if the cap, if, uh, if, if the cap rising and McDavid have, and what does he have one year after this? Like he, he's going to get 20. July 1st he can sign.

Starting point is 00:46:35 Whit thinks he's going to make 16 and a half million bucks. I think it would be amazing if he comes in at 16 and a half. Yeah, but it could be 20. Like if it's, if it's on one 17 by the time he's a UFA, I know it's just crazy to think that this is where the games at boys. What was the, what was the cap when we came out of that lockout? 23, 23 million. I think it was 36 million or 39 million. Yeah, it was in the 30s. I was gonna say 43. You go 20 years ago, guys got 24% of their salaries

Starting point is 00:47:11 chopped off the block and the cap was at 39. And right now this lead's humming along. Hey, can we get the fucking retired guys some fucking insurance now? That's what Merle's tweeted out. If this is what the cap is. Merle's tweeted that immediately. I just think that like, if you look think that if you look at what the number it

Starting point is 00:47:28 is to pay for this insurance now, you're like, come on. Let's make the sensible decision here. And Glenn Healy is very open to talking about this. He's like, I get this completely. We're going to just beat this drum. This could be our biggest win if it ever happens. Going back, though, to Carolina, if Rotten does sign there, I should be responsible for opening up

Starting point is 00:47:48 like a tab at that bar that we went to for that Pink Whitney event to show some love for Carolina fans and being wrong about my hot take. I hope that he ends up there giving up what you guys gave up and not being able to bring back Gensel. But this cap situation and where it's going, I think has changed everything. So good luck signing your big man. And that's all I got to say about that.

Starting point is 00:48:11 And I appreciate you guys letting me revisit and have that conversation. No, I'm glad I guess you kind of went into it. So you your main reason on thinking and believing he won't resign in Carolina is that they just don't have the dough to give it in signing bonus and to get as high as other teams would. Yeah, I just, I think that with all this information, it just becomes a lot more enticing for a big market team to like front load this. Listen, I think that they offered a significant deal to Gensel and they've kind of slowly but surely came off of that mindset but we're talking

Starting point is 00:48:46 about would you not argue the outside of Marner who I would assume is going to resign in Toronto the biggest free agent going into this offseason? Oh yeah no doubt no doubt I mean think of how many more teams are in play for this guy that need a legitimate top line winger who's put up the numbers that he has. And you hope that those numbers will continue not playing around McKinnon, but also from another team though, if all of a sudden you see a 25% point drop off compared to what you're seeing with McKinnon,

Starting point is 00:49:17 are you a little bit more reluctant to give him that big boy money that we're talking about? I don't think so. I mean, he's a proven winner. He's a proven guy. He's put up's a proven winner. He's a proven guy. He's put up 100-point seasons. He's also so big. Like, I chat that, like, changes something for me.

Starting point is 00:49:30 So you're going to pay a 40-goal, 40-assist guy $14 million with a front-loaded contract? Well, I'm not. But yeah, someone will. OK. No, no, we talked about hockey fans. It's your money. OK, yeah, then I am, yeah. I would, if I was a a Harry Kane fan. Man. Yeah, I guess when you put it that way, 40 and 40 for 14. Fuck to this. Do you think, do you think he's crazy if he ends up signing for even let's say 13 and

Starting point is 00:50:08 a half million AAV where he could have got 12 and a half in Colorado. Do you think he's crazy for leaving that situation? I think the most, like the most insane part is, is that they're going to lock in kale McCarr. I believe it's after next season. What the fuck? And they already have Nate. A million less than McDavid.

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Starting point is 00:51:55 So there was another trade and Keith, I wanna go into this one with you as you played with one of these guys with the Flyers and Flames. They made a trade, they sent, the Flames sent Andrei Kuzmenko and Jacob Peltier, and a second rounder and a seventh rounder to Philly in exchange for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.

Starting point is 00:52:12 Craig Conroy said, basically this team deserves this, what they've done this year. This Dustin Wolf kid's out of control. And I think Calgary's, would you guys say a top two or three shocking team this season based on what people thought going in? And it's been buzzing. It's a hard place to play. And he went out, dude, I was kind of shocked by this deal. Like I, I think Morgan Frost is a hell of a player.

Starting point is 00:52:36 You see the goal he scored against Seattle on Sunday. Sick. I was, I just don't really see the upside for Philadelphia outside of getting Michkov a Russian buddy who can help translate and make life a little easier I don't understand why you get off frost and Farabee now Yans you got a chance to play with Farabee did you play with frost as well? Yeah. Yeah I think that the upside on these guys is unbelievable and this fits perfectly into Calgary's hand for younger players that could take that next step. Yeah, and I think, I wonder if how much of that FU match that Torts and Michkov got in on the bench,

Starting point is 00:53:18 cause then the trade happened that night to bring in another rush and maybe kind of help. And that Kuz, what's his name? Kuzmanko. Kuzmanko. Kuzmanko seems like a fun, silly guy. So maybe kind of help in that Kuz what's his name? Kuz Kuzman Kuzmanko Kuzmanko seems like a, you know, fun, silly guy. So maybe he can help him. He can, you know, help them get acclimated a little bit to the North American life. But if I'm a flames fan and a flames player,

Starting point is 00:53:37 I am all in on Craig Conroy. Like he is absolutely going out. He's showing that locker room. Listen, guys, I know what, I think they're the last place in the wild card right now, or the first place in the wild card. So he's telling his team, I believe in you guys, I'm gonna go out, get two forwards that are gonna help us win games. We didn't have to give up too much to get rid of them.

Starting point is 00:53:59 I think Joel Farabee is gonna have an unbelievable, you know, career there. I think he needed a little bit of a change, Joel Farabee is going to have an unbelievable career there. I think he needed a little bit of a change. Just a guy that's kind of gotten lost in the weeds a little bit in Philly, maybe not being a torts type of player. I think when he's playing at his best, he's a high-end skill guy. He makes a ton of good plays.

Starting point is 00:54:22 I remember him making plays at the blue line, like crazy toe drags that didn't happen when we first started in the game. But just the skill and the hockey IQ on Joel is off the charts. I think he's going to be a monster there. And then same with Morgan Frost. Frosty, he came up and I can't remember if he came when AV was there, but I remember Mike Yo kind of being all over him and kind of, he was kind of his whipping boy a little bit and which I didn't think was fair to Frosty because he's just a young kid trying to make it in the league. And then he gets towards who probably not,

Starting point is 00:54:58 he's not a type of guy, but I have seen him going out there and blocking shots, sliding. So he tried to play that type of game, but I think just deep down it wasn't his most comfortable way of playing the game of hockey. So I think going into Calgary, you got other skilled guys around there with Hugh B, Kadri, you got Weger back there in the back.

Starting point is 00:55:19 And I think they're going to compliment each other so much. And yeah, I tip my hat to Craig Conroy. First time I heard this too, I heard he got on the private plane to pick them up and to fly back with them. That's unreal. To get to know them a little bit and stuff like that. So first class.

Starting point is 00:55:37 Well, they had the sushi platter. That's why I heard that they got the good sushi there. Crazy though that Philly. To take advantage of the nobu. Philly's first rounder for Austin 17 and Farabee in 18 gone in one deal. For a young team, it was surprising to me. And I know Torz does have a lot of say, it seems, he's not just the coach. Seems like he's a part of the front office.

Starting point is 00:55:58 Maybe I'm totally off base there. I just think it's weird though, cause that Kuzmenko like, like defensively and maybe structurally, like he's probably less sound than those two guys. They just know, that was part of the issue in Vancouver and then they, they move them. So like just to return and, and sometimes like you're, you're trying to get rid of contracts too, cause you only have so many under your umbrella to give out. And maybe they have other moves and things set up in place but I just thought

Starting point is 00:56:28 it was a bizarre thing. Now, Jans, what would you hope for from a high-end perspective the way that these two players turn out? Like a dream case scenario for Conroy, where do you think the ceiling is for those two players where they end up in the lineup? I could see, I think they're both second line guys at worst frosty third. Um, but a Beezer can help out at your top six. Easy, easy money. I think he's a 30 goal guy. When it, when it comes down to it, I think he's a guy, if he's on the right situation, the power play,

Starting point is 00:57:00 he can shoot the puck. He can pass the puck really well. You know, he fights, he gets in the mix. Um, you know, he fights, he gets in the mix. You know, so I really do. I see him as a 30-30 guy, frosty, maybe a little bit less with maybe around, you know, 20 goals, 30 assists. But I think just two guys that are really, really gonna help your organization.

Starting point is 00:57:19 And not to mention two unbelievable locker room guys, two great teammates, and they're going in there. And I talked to wigs and huby just to, you know, to look out for them, just cause, you know, that's what we do is hockey guys. But, um, I know they were excited to have them. And you know, when you have two of your best players, just, you know, thrilled to have two guys that they don't even know. I think that's a huge thing. It was also back on the Calgary train boys. Yeah. Ooh. I imagine seeing the battle of Alberta first round Edmonton locks up first overall in the West. I don't think it's possible because Winnipeg and Winnipeg

Starting point is 00:57:56 trans I'm getting your messages. I know we haven't talked about them much right now. They are the number one team in the NHL. I don't know if Edmonton can catch them. I think they're nine points back. Like Winnipeg, you guys are a well-oiled machine. You get the best goalie in the world right now. Schieffel is playing out of this world. So is Kyle Connor. Josh Morrissey, like I really like watching

Starting point is 00:58:17 your team Winnipeg. I don't want you to hate me and say talk about Winnipeg, talk about Winnipeg, but I told you, after last year's first round, I just, until this playoffs happen, I can't really care that much. It's like Bonnie Blue, you just can't trust her. I'm not gonna ever compare the Jets to Bonnie Blue, ever! Because the Jets are a fun ass team to watch play hockey,

Starting point is 00:58:39 but I'm sorry guys, it's a great team, you guys got a solid roster you're playing. You're on pace to win the President's Trophy. You guys show up in the first round and you work somebody over, then boom, then I'm into the Jets, guys. I'm an Oilers fan, but I'll be into talking about your Jets. I'm sorry, guys, listen to me.

Starting point is 00:58:56 Do something in the playoffs. That series against Colorado, that'll turn a man off forever. You can't blame us for not talking about your team. You were money last year in the regular season. So bear with us here. We will get into more jets. We need the playoffs to happen. And you guys have a deadly team.

Starting point is 00:59:13 I think that that first place seed means more to Winnipeg than any other team. I think that they need a layup in the first round. You know what would be a fun first round? Because somebody is going to go over the hump? Them and Minnesota. Because I feel like those are the two teams. They always, you're always amped up, them going in,

Starting point is 00:59:29 they always end up letting you down. So, and the way things are going, the way that Minnesota's heading, they'd be lucky to get that eighth seat at this point. Hey, when you said Kuzmenko brought over to Philly as partly to help Michkov and all those things, it just reminds me of the, the Gonchar and uh, Gonchar with Malcolm and Terian. It's just an all time classic where, where Michelle Terian brings Gonchan. He's like, I'm talking to Gino and you're

Starting point is 00:59:56 telling you, you're going to tell him what I'm saying. And he had sat him down for turnovers and he's telling, he's telling. Can I just get preface that at that point? The system was is no matter who it was didn't matter if it was Sid or Gino when you crossed over the red line you had to dump the puck in and Gino one fucking dump in the wonder why the cap was at 37 So after so many turnovers this meetings that I'm happening all over and back over to you witty So he's talking and then Gantz is talking in Russian and then Malkin's like, he says whatever back

Starting point is 01:00:30 and Terrence is like, what'd he say? He's like, oh nothing, he gets it, he gets it. He's like, what'd he say? He's like, I said, Bencham and Gainn will go back to Russia. And Malkin's like, I don't dump the puck in. Try it. I don't even think pocket. Try it. I don't even think Malkin wanted guys on his line dumping it in. Or he's like, you dump it in, you go get the thing.

Starting point is 01:00:51 I'm not going to get it. That's not my job. And that's when the KHL was making more than us too. So he's probably like, I'll really leave. Oh, fuck. Oh yeah. Jagger was making 10 million a year playing home games over there. Jagger left the NHL to get more money in the KHL, I believe.

Starting point is 01:01:04 Yeah. So. Yeah, he had in the KHL I believe. Yeah. Yeah, he had a rough night at the tables. Yeah, just looking quickly as we talk about, and we have Jim Nill joining us today guys, what an awesome interview this is, great human being. Nail gun. Nail. I didn't realize he was a nail gun back in the day. Oh my God.

Starting point is 01:01:20 And the coolest thing he said was, is like, I didn't like seeing people taking advantage of my teammates. What a fucking guy this guy is. It's like Biz at Houston's. So right now Winnipeg would play Calgary, and what disgusts me is that would give Edmonton Colorado. Oh my God. Talk about a first round matchup you don't want.

Starting point is 01:01:43 G had in the outline that he thought I said that I didn't think the Wild were going to make the playoffs. I didn't say that. He must have misheard me. I don't think the Wild are going to end up a top three team in the Central. I think they're going to be the top wildcard team and Colorado will overtake them as the third place team in the Central. So that would that would leave. I mean, I guess that would leave Edmonton, Minnesota. I'd take that match up in a heartbeat. Oh, you think?

Starting point is 01:02:07 I would take that. Travel wise, like you're laughing at that. You said they need a layup. Yeah, you're laughing at that one. Biz, you said they need a layup in the first round. There are no layups. No, I'm saying for Edmonton, if I'm Edmonton, I'm licking my chops. I'd much rather play Minnesota than go and play LA.

Starting point is 01:02:22 From my understanding is Brant Clark is on the table. I think the LA Kings are in win now mode because of the Copa Tarandati situation. And I heard his name floating around out there. I would not want LA over Minnesota in that case. There are definitely some fun matchups that would happen. Currently right now, I think it would be the Battle of Ontario as well. Yeah.

Starting point is 01:02:46 Ottawa's four points back of Toronto for second in the Atlantic. Ottawa's been playing awesome. They've won four in a row. Now they're going on the road. But last trade to announce in a crazy week seems like a little bit of a pre-Four Nations trade deadline. And then we could have madness with these cap numbers after the Four Nations before the actual trade deadline. But the we could have madness with these cap numbers after the Four Nations before the actual trade deadline. But the Sharks traded forward Mikel Grandlin and defenseman Cody Sisi to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2025 first round pick and a conditional fourth rounder. We talked about Grandlin like a month or two ago and how good he's been with San Jose,

Starting point is 01:03:21 not just this year, but last year. Awesome player. So Dallas brings him in. Dallas brings CCN, who has been a whipping boy everywhere and talk about getting that. I get you, Cody, buddy. I've been there. It stinks. But teammates loved him. They loved him. They heard that when they were going to school. Yeah, I heard Dreyseidle basically nixed the trade of him out of town was like, if you trade him, I ain't resigning here

Starting point is 01:03:46 Yeah, it's I just made that up. It seems like I think that I think there's times too You guys tell me if you disagree where? When there is a whipping boy for a team if that's a good guy if that's a guy Teammates like and respect like they really almost take it a little personal themselves Like they're almost like they feel bad for the guy and they want to carry the guy. You remember Connor Brown talking about darn old Nerson in the playoffs last year. It's like we're one in here. We're a family in here.

Starting point is 01:04:14 This fan base is constantly calling out one of our guys. You're calling out all of us. We're going to have our guys back. Yeah, it seems like Cody Cece is a favorite wherever he goes. But I like these moves for Dallas, man. Dallas has been playing some great hockey. Dallas, just the market, it's quiet and their team's really good. And I think everyone talks about Stanley Cup contenders and they just throw their name in there, but they don't get nearly enough love as they deserve.

Starting point is 01:04:38 Neither do you Jets fans. You're kind of like the Jets a little bit. Like you guys could be there at the end. But Dallas, I mean, they go to the conference finals last year and they look just as good this year Keith had mentioned to the group chat this week that he's really actually rooting for Dallas Because of Jamie Ben you said yeah, Jamie Ben and after interviewing Jim Neal just seems like a salt of the earth guy But yeah, I just think of you know, Jamie Ben in his career and playing against him I remember him coming in as an 18 year old kid. He started on the fourth line.

Starting point is 01:05:08 He was a, I think he was a fourth round pick, I want to say, maybe even fifth round. I could be, he could be a first rounder for all I know. But just really earned his stripes, you know what I mean? Wasn't one of those kids that can't, fifth round, yeah. So came in and earned everything that he's gotten. Started out grinding, playing with Steve Ott, getting, you know, being a piece of shit to play against and then, you know, ends up winning, you know, the scoring

Starting point is 01:05:33 title one year. He's been a stud in this league for a long time, really, you know, helped get that organization to, you know, where they are, obviously with the help of other guys like Madonna and such. But I just think for what he's given the league, I think he's an easy guy to root for. And I feel like there's a couple of those guys every year, even last year with Dallas, with Pavelski, there are those guys that you just want to see win a cup that you really think deserve it, that have played the game

Starting point is 01:06:01 the right way for a long time. And Jamie Benz, one of those guys for me, because nothing was given to him, right? And he's earned everything. And I think it would be amazing to see him lift Lord Stanley. And the way it was going a few years ago with him dealing with all those injuries and the way that he handled himself in the offseason

Starting point is 01:06:17 to get his game back to where it needed to be. I mean, we talked about it actually in the interview with Jim Neal about the PP whack from, who was it at the time, the president of the team? Jim Light. Yeah, and you know, the comments. So just, yeah, I kind of second everything you said, Yance. And also another thing that Neal said in the interview

Starting point is 01:06:37 was that the East is so jammed up that a lot of teams are holding out, thinking, hey, maybe we do end up going on a later season push and find ourselves in a playoff situation. So not a lot of teams are holding out thinking, hey, maybe we do end up going on a later season push and find ourselves in a playoff situation. So not a lot of sellers. So for him to go out and maybe get a Cody Cece who can help out, be that sixth defenseman,

Starting point is 01:06:54 fifth, sixth guy for him, you know, you make that move early enough and you don't have to overpay. And if nothing else ends up coming about, at least you got your insurance policy. So I think a very sneaky move, and I don't think they're done by any means. I just think it was the right one to make at this time.

Starting point is 01:07:11 And one more big one, boys, and poof, you might get your wish, Yans. You might get Jamie Ben hosting Lord Stanley. And is there any possibility, if they go deep enough, that Tyler Sagan returns? I don't know, I haven't seen that. Um, cause fuck man, the chemistry between do Shane Marchment and him, that was like having another first line and the way that they were there last

Starting point is 01:07:35 year, they dealt with injuries as well. So they were only able to play about 40, uh, 40 of the games together. And I remember last year at the time, like, like analytically in any way, you looked at it point production goals producing, like they were NHL first line. So to get that type of depth back, especially with Stank Coven and Wyatt Johnson playing the way they are like, you're you're a fucking wagon. I remember when Sean Horcoff went to Dallas from Edmonton, I

Starting point is 01:08:03 was just asked about the team. I'm like, oh, what's Ben like? And he just wrote, nail gun. I was like, oh yeah, like you know that playing against me. He's like, dude, he's the best guy. He's the best leader, like braving about this guy as a person and a player. So that is somebody that you really want to see, like hoist the Stanley Cup because of how he's done it.

Starting point is 01:08:23 Just look at, when I looked up where he was drafted fifth round, he was drafted out of the BCHL. Then the next season he played in Colona, had a good year. And then the following year he lit it up and then they won the WHL championship. He had 33 points in 19 playoff games. So I think that like, you know, Dallas picks him and two years later, they're like, holy shit, we got a first round talent. We got in the fifth round because he was in the BCHL.

Starting point is 01:08:44 Maybe he was a late bloomer. That's a guy we would love to interview. Seems like kind of maybe after he retires. I think he's a post-career. Let's not forget the biggest ad they have coming back is fucking Glassbanger. Glassbanger will be out of prison right as the Western Conference Finals begin, I believe. Oh, wow. Perfect.

Starting point is 01:09:04 So yeah, he'll be able to bring Bonnie Blue to the game. He can bang Bonnie Blue while she bangs the glass. You don't think he's going to rent her for the day? Yeah, I'm sure that'd be real expensive. So before we go to Jim Neal, bad news for Dallas, Miro Heskinen, to me, it looked totally fluke and just a shitty break. Now, I've seen it's only week to week for Haskin and thank God because it looked like he's, I mean, dude, the guy went down, he's grabbing his knee like, oh no.

Starting point is 01:09:32 But it just says week to week out of four nations, which sucks for Finland. But I don't think Mark Stone's that type of player like where the old accidentally on purpose, I think it was a fluke play, but I didn't break it down. It was twice. It was Rupe Hintz. I saw it twice. It was Rupe Hintz. He got tangled up with him. But Biz, you could take a look at that as we throw it over now to one of the most respected men in the game.

Starting point is 01:09:55 That is not an exaggeration at all. A guy who was an enormous part of building those Detroit dynasty teams and those four Stanley Cups and a man who kind of waited a long time and we get into it a little bit about before he became a GM and in charge of a team and just an awesome guy. So right now we're going to throw it over to Dallas Stars GM Jim Nel. Guys, before we go any further, I want to talk to you about Body Armor. We are so lucky to be sponsored by Body Armor, the best water in the world. Right now, I'm crushing some regular water, but my guy, G, he's got the Flash IV, and this episode is brought

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Starting point is 01:11:32 Give it a shot. Your body will thank you. It's an honor now to be joined by a very special guest. Every person I asked about this man said that one of the best people they've ever met in hockey, the 2023 and 24 NHL GM of the Year and four time Stanley Cup champion in Detroit, the GM of the Dallas Stars, Jim Neal. Thanks so much for joining the show. Gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be on your show.

Starting point is 01:11:59 I follow your show all the time and I know you each individually. I've watched you guys all play. So it's exciting to kind of, we can go back in some old days, back to the old and sound days and BU days and under 18 days and all those. So it's, it's, it's an honor. We appreciate it. And it's been, it's been a good year for you guys. It's been a great run since you got to Dallas and we have so much to ask you about.

Starting point is 01:12:22 I guess right now we could start with this season, right? A little bit of a start that was slower and things have really picked up lately. Like how did you approach going into a year when you had such a great run last year, you know, you're one round away from the cup final and then it all begins again. You've been through that in Detroit. Like how do you talk to the players prior to the year to, we got to get back to the, to the swing of things as the regular season begins? Well, every year brings a, is different and brings us different challenges.

Starting point is 01:12:47 And, you know, we start out the year, we had a great training camp, great training camp. We had that trip to Finland, which was kind of different for us. It was a great trip. We didn't win any games, but still a great trip, you know, it's happy for the Finnish players and for the rest of our staff to enjoy those type of situations, but got off to a slow start. We had some guys injured. Uh, you know, Jason Robertson, uh, missed all the summer. You know, I get a phone call in July from Jason and, uh, he had to come in and see the doctors ended up.

Starting point is 01:13:17 He had a cyst on his foot that needed an operation and he couldn't train all summer, didn't really start training until halfway through training camp. Finally started skating the last week at camp. So not surprising that he had a slow start to camp. And why Johnson got off to a slow start, I think a little bit of the pressure of the Four Nations tournament. You know, young guy going through that. Young guy started to live on his own. You know, there's a story about Joe Pavelski, you know, living with Joe Pavelski. Um, now he's living on his own. He's young now, living on his own and just a lot of changes.

Starting point is 01:13:48 So we had a lot of guys get off to slow starts. Uh, and then we started to get some injuries, but I give a credit to the, the coaching staff has done a great job. We got good structure. We've brought in a lot of young players. The other night we played seven rookies on our team and, uh, that's not easy when you want to be a contending team. And our coaches have done a great job and the players have done a good job of adapting and

Starting point is 01:14:11 getting their games up to speed. So, but a lot of different things going on, but I guess say we're hanging in there. We will hit a little bump in the road, but we haven't lost more than two games in a row all season. And that's a compliment to our coaches stuff and to our players. Jim, you're known as like a player's GM and how close you become with the players. When Wyatt Johnson's going through something like that, do you like call him in the office and talk to him yourself? Do you kind of delegate that to the coaches? Like how do you handle that as a general manager with such a young player?

Starting point is 01:14:40 And you said living on his own now and going through all these changes in pro hockey. Yeah, I'm a big relationship type of guy. I think it's important. You got to build a relationship. It's a different type of athlete than when I played and probably when you guys played it. You know, the game has changed a lot. And so I think it's important to build relationships. That's the same with Pete the Boar is the same way in his staff. And we tried to build relationships. We got an open door policy. So you're always talking to the player. Some of it he has to go through it himself.

Starting point is 01:15:11 It's just part of life. It doesn't matter what you're doing. We've all gone through the good times and the bad times. You got to go through and in the end it makes you stronger. So we're there to help him, but he's a really grounded young man. And he knew where he had to get to and it just took him time. He had to figure it out. And in all your years in Detroit, we'll get into that.

Starting point is 01:15:31 It was like the drafting and finding these gems, maybe a little later, um, that, that like created so much success. And why Johnson's an example of a kid who like, you're like, how did this kid go 23rd overall? Like, do you credit your scouts? And obviously you've been seen at rinks forever and you're doing a lot of that on your own, but is that just another example of a guy who maybe you saw something in him that, that other people didn't?

Starting point is 01:15:53 Well, then I got a great, uh, scouting department, great staff. It's, it's all about the people you surround you with yourself by, you know, that's the one thing I learned in Detroit, uh, Kenny Holland, you know, Jimmy Devalano, Scotty Bowman surround yourself with good people and they make you they can make you look pretty good. So I, that's one thing I learned pretty early in my career. Uh, and Joe McDonnell, I got to give a credit to him.

Starting point is 01:16:15 He's our head scope. Uh, the wide Johnson's a great story, you know, it's it actually was down here in Frisco. It was during COVID and, uh, so they had the under 18 tournament world championships down here. It was the COVID and so they had the under 18 tournament world championships down here. It was the only, you know, Texas, we're one of the few states that could host anything like that. So they brought their tournament down here. Wyatt Johnson hadn't played a game till he got down here. He ended up playing seven games his draft year. All seven

Starting point is 01:16:39 games are played down here in Frisco. Joe McDonnell and the staff, but when we scout, we do a lot of underage scouting also. We do a book on everybody when they're 16, 17, keep a track of them, see their development path and Joe McDonnell just had a gut feeling about him. He played well in the under 18, but he was really a third line type of guy. So it's not like he was, uh, you know, uh, the center of attraction. You're talking Connor Bidard was there. Logan Stan Kovan was there. Uh, I'm like Tabby Shananaheim, some really good players and he was kind of second fiddle, but Joe had just a great gut feel for him. And I remember going to the draft, uh, it was getting close to our pick.

Starting point is 01:17:18 And I said, Joe, are you sure this is the guy? And he said, this is the guy. And, uh, ended up Detroit called, Detroit called us to make a trade. They, they were going after their cost of the goalie and Stevie called and said, we'd like to move up. So I pulled Joe aside and said, is he going to be there when we pick later?

Starting point is 01:17:35 And he said, yeah, he'll be there. He just hasn't had enough exposure. And so we pulled the trade. Now to that, we actually got Logan Stankovic also, so he kind of worked a well for us. But all my hat goes off to our, our scouting stuff. They did a great job of managing that draft. And you got Hayskin and Autinger and Robertson in one year too.

Starting point is 01:17:55 You guys, you must be tipping these guys out big time. Well, you know what? They do a great job. Sometimes you gotta be a little bit lucky and, but you just stick with it. Stick with it. We got a philosophy and you big part people kind of forget about too is you draft these kids, but there's still a process after that. And that's where I give a lot of credit to our development team. We got guys out there all the time working and after you draft a guy, they're with them all the time. They're helping development. They're up in the junior teams and college teams and following them around, going over to Europe.

Starting point is 01:18:29 And then it's our staff down in our farm teams down in Austin, Texas, the Texas stars. And our, our coaching staff does a great job down there. We send kids down there and I'm a big believer in you need to play in the minors. Unless you're a special player, you need to play in the minors. Unless you're a special player, you need to play in the minors. And it's a lot easier to go down there and come back up than to start up in the NHL, flying around in charter planes, staying in five-star hotels and eating whatever you want to eat and then going down. So that's a big part of our philosophy is go down there, play with your own age group and, uh, uh, sow your oats down there. And you know what?

Starting point is 01:19:08 I remember when I was in the miners, it was the most fun I ever had. Everybody's making the same. The best. Yeah, it's the best. Everybody's making the same money. Most of the guys aren't married. You're a bunch of young guys, uh, you know, making $70,000 a year. You making your, I think you're making about $7 million a year.

Starting point is 01:19:24 You're living like a king coming out of junior college and it's a great time. It's the best time. Jim, you mentioned surrounding yourself with good people and obviously you've done a great job with that and is there a, is there a process with the draft? Cause obviously you can't go out and see every

Starting point is 01:19:39 player as much as the scouts and are they helping you make that call on draft day? Are you kind of letting them handle it or are you hands on with that as well? They're pretty well a hundred percent. It's up to them. That's something I learned. I learned that a long time ago.

Starting point is 01:19:53 I used to be that guy when I was in Detroit, Kenny Hawn was the GM and I was the GM. And there was nothing worse and Kenny was good at it too. Kenny let me make the calls for me to come in and see somebody one or two games. And they're seeing these guys 10 or 15 times. I might see them when they're having the worst day of their life. They might've broke up with their girlfriend that day.

Starting point is 01:20:12 They might've been sick that day. It's not the right thing to do. And, uh, and it's a, it's a lot more different here. When I was working on it, Detroit, I could see, Detroit, I could see thousands of games. You know, you got Windsor, Saginaw, Kitchener, Under 18, University of Michigan, you name it. There's games everywhere. Down here in Dallas, I'm on an island. Everything's three, four hours to get to. And the minute I go up somewhere to scout somewhere is the minute that something happens down here in Dallas and I got to get back.

Starting point is 01:20:46 So I've learned, uh, those guys are living it, breathing it every day. And, uh, I got to trust them and they've done a good job. And you mentioned that that was your job and like, and, and feeling trusted and feeling like you have that, that ability to make the pick. It's probably so meaningful to you. And then that brings us back to Detroit. And I think it was 98, 99. You get Datsuk in the sixth round and Zetterberg in the seventh round the year after. What was it about? Now obviously

Starting point is 01:21:10 the Russia thing with Datsuk maybe, but then Zetterberg goes that late. When you look back now, do you think how crazy it is as we do that they fell that much? And what did you see in those guys? Obviously besides the genius in their game, but what were other people missing? Well, Zetterberg was a unique story too. I remember flying over, it was Hock and Anderson, you see in those guys, obviously besides the genius in their game, but what were other people missing? Well, Zarebra was a unique story too. I remember flying over, it was Hawkins Anderson and I were in Detroit. Hawkins famous for being the scout in Sweden and Europe for Detroit all those years, and we went over to watch another guy, actually, it was a guy that the Anders end up drafting and turned out that we, uh, as a tournament is in Northern

Starting point is 01:21:45 Finland, middle of nowhere and watching this tournament and there was this small little kid that just, he was a dog chasing the bone. He just, he was on the puck all the time and we just liked him and we left that tournament and I said, you know what, I can keep an eye on this guy when you go back. He did. And, you know, and it's a funny business, you know, Hawk and these players, when we were watching them, you know, everybody thinks of the finished product

Starting point is 01:22:12 and they're not. Henry Zedberg, the time was about five foot 845 pounds and you're sitting there trying to project what's he going to turn into. And one day you wake up three years later, they've learned how to work out. They've committed themselves to eating better, whatever it is, it's human nature, some of it. And it turns out he ends up being six feet, 185 pounds and a great player.

Starting point is 01:22:34 So a lot of things that goes into the drafting, the developing of these players and the projection that scouts have to have, and that's the tough part of the business. And it's a special feel that a lot of these scouts have. I was just going to say, we've talked to GMs in the past where, you know, they go from being a scout to player development and kind of being in all those roles and how much it eventually helps when you are a GM, knowing what those guys are going

Starting point is 01:22:57 through and like you said, kind of entrusting them when you retired, did you know that you were going to jump into being a scout? Is that what you, what you wanted? Like, did you, did you know you were eventually wanted to be a general manager? You know, as we all know, we got all different paths. We, we follow and stuff. I was with Detroit. The team was really starting to struggle and they were kind of going, starting to the rebuild.

Starting point is 01:23:16 This was back in the late, uh, late eighties, nineties. They're going through it. They had a tough year there. And Jimmy Devolano came to me. He was a GM. I was playing in Detroit and he asked me if I'd like to go down to Adirondack. They're going through it. They had a tough year there. And Jimmy Devolano came to me. He was a GM. I was playing in Detroit. And he asked me if I'd like to go down to Adirondack.

Starting point is 01:23:28 That was our farm team, Glens Falls, New York, Adirondack Red Wings. Asked me, he thought I had a great, he liked how I handled myself, my leadership. And he said, would you like to go down and get into coaching? And I love coaching. And I thought, you know what, what a great way to start my career. So I went down there with Barry Melrose. Everybody knows who Barry is. Barry ended up had success in Adirondack.

Starting point is 01:23:49 Then we moved on to LA Kings and went from there and then famous TV and on ESPN. But Barry was a great coach. I went down there for two years with him, got into coaching, loved it. And then along came expansion and Mel Bridgman, Ottawa Senators. Mel Bridgman became the GM of Ottawa Senators. Mel Bridgman became the GM of Ottawa Senators. They didn't have a franchise yet. I played with Mel in Detroit, both the end of our careers. And Mel said, Jim, I've just been hired as the GM of the Ottawa Senators. We don't have a franchise yet, but would

Starting point is 01:24:18 you like to come on board? And I don't know what role. You know, you got to do some scouting. We had an expansion draft. We're going to have to do if we get a franchise. We didn't even have the franchise yet. Got to do some amateur scouting for the draft. We got an expansion draft. So I joined Mel and what a great experience. Did everything right from we didn't have an office yet. We're based out of Kanata.

Starting point is 01:24:41 The team I give the team had didn't have a lot of money. I still remember the day they were going to do the presentation to the NHL and Mel called me and said, Jim, I don't think we're going to make it. Have you got your expenses in yet? And I said, no, he said, get them in because I don't think we're going to make it. They go do the presentation. It was Tampa Bay and Ottawa did the presentation of the league. It was an amazing presentation. I saw the presentation, amazing job. It was a Randy Sexton and all those guys did an amazing job. Ended up getting a franchise, didn't have the money, didn't have the rink. The rink that's out there in Canada now was not out there.

Starting point is 01:25:18 And the biggest obstacle to that rink was the funding, but also the infrastructure to build the roads to get into it. It was going to cost like $50 million just to build the roads. So we're like, how are we going to get this money? You know, you got to get government support and that. So just a great experience. I went there for three years with them, went through the expansion draft. I went through the amateur scouting.

Starting point is 01:25:43 John Ferguson was kind of my boss. He was running the thing and I got so much respect for John. I played for John in Winnipeg and did that for three years. Kenny Holland then became the assistant GM in Detroit. And Kenny and I played together. He called me and said, I'm looking for a head scout. Would you like to do that? Looked at it and said, what a great opportunity to go back to Detroit.

Starting point is 01:26:07 The rest is history. I got into the scouting a little bit more, player development. Kenny became the GM, I became the assistant GM and here we are today. So it's amazing how your past go. I love coaching. Other than playing, coaching is the best job in the world. You're there, you're on the bench and stuff. But, you know, I had a young family and I really started to enjoy the business

Starting point is 01:26:31 side, you know, the contractual side, the salary cap. I started to really get into that. And here we are today, end up down in Dallas, Texas, somehow. You ever think of Paul and Alou Lamarillo and going from the rooftop down to the bench? Divorce on the hot seat. No, I told people, don't worry about that. think of Paul and Alula Amarillo and going from the. Up top down to the bench. No, no, I told people, don't, don't worry about that. That's one thing I've learned. I probably because I got to coach a little bit, I learned that, you know, what coach it's a tough job.

Starting point is 01:26:55 Coaching is a tough job managing all these players. And I realized that it's easy to sit up top and criticize, but when you're down in the fire, when I hire my coaches, my higher peak door, I said, I'm hiring you to coach the team. That's not, uh, I'm not, you know, we're going to discuss things. We'll discuss players, we'll discuss lineups, but in the end, your call is a final call or I might as well go behind the bench. Uh, you know, that's, that's why I'm hiring you. So that's, that's kind of been my philosophy.

Starting point is 01:27:21 How frequent is the contact? Like, are you guys chatting every day about this stuff or do you try to give them a little bit of leash and not be around them too much? I'm there almost every day. I go down, just drop in. Sometimes I know it, just drop in, say hello. Sometimes get into heavy conversation. I'm around 90% of the time.

Starting point is 01:27:43 Sometimes I'm on with scouting, doing things like that. But I'm in communication daily with him pretty well. And I think it's important. And I'm really there just for sounding board. As I mentioned, Pete's got to make that final call. But he wants input too. It's not easy when you got to sit somebody out or you're going to take somebody off the power play. He wants my input, what I think. And a lot of times he'll also say, Hey, can you go talk to the player after I make this decision, just to kind of calm the water. So, so we, we worked together pretty good that way.

Starting point is 01:28:13 So 22 years in Detroit. And I imagine like with all the mentors you've had, but you and Kenny Holland, it was like these two guys together have just built this dynasty of this team and it has to do with drafting. And then you look at the O2 team, it was like Hashix brought in, Brad Hull's brought in. So is it more, do you think Kenny Holland that that was the biggest thing for you and your relationship with him and helping you grow to where you're at now?

Starting point is 01:28:36 Well, definitely Kenny, Jimmy DeVillano is a big part and Scotty Bowman. I had three, I went to the university of Detroit, you're talking Scotty Bowman. I had three. I went to the University of Detroit, you're talking Scotty Bowman, one of the best all-around coaches there is. And Scotty has such a great mind. He still's got a great mind. I see him every time I go down to Tampa and the way he analyzed the game, I really still believe he's the best bench boss in game action coach there is. He was so quick in the way he analyzed things. It was amazing to watch. You know, we'd go into a game.

Starting point is 01:29:07 Remember we were going into Washington one time and Washington had a big, tough team and we go in there and they, they'd start their top line and who does Scotty Boma put out there? He puts Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov and some other little guy out there. And these tough guys look down at Igor and Igor just kind of looks up at him like, what are you going to do?

Starting point is 01:29:26 They dropped the puck. They keep the puck for about three minutes, change and that's the game. The way they go type of thing. So it just, it's, it's amazing how, I don't know if people remember when we won, when we beat Philly for the Stanley Cup, the big talk, that was Eric Lindos' line. The Legion of Doom. And the big talk was, was how, you know, who was he going to put, who's he going to put out against them?

Starting point is 01:29:49 You know, we had some bigger with Bob Roach, some bigger heavier guys. He ends up putting Brian Rafalski and Nicholas Jermotte against those guys. They ran around trying to hit him, never touched the puck. And it just, it ended, we won the series, I think it was four straight, but just the way he thought the game, he just, good in in-game action, how he managed it. So it's Scotty Bowman, Jimmy Devilow, Hall of Famer. He was a draft wizard out of, you know, with the New York Islanders, came to Detroit.

Starting point is 01:30:18 He really started the franchise, kind of mentored Kenny. And then I got to come on board. I was the other spoke, the four spoke before I spoke with these guys. So I had a great, some great mentors. When I think of those old Redwings teams, you think of a lot of veteran guys and then sprinkled in with some young talent and with how young the league is now, I feel like you've done a great job of bringing in, you know, older veterans and, and keeping guys too, where it seems more nowadays guys are moving off

Starting point is 01:30:45 from their veterans, but you know, bringing in Pavelski, keeping, you know, Jamie Ben around for forever. Like, is that something that you think of purposely that you guys used to do in Detroit or it's just how it's how it's rolling? Well, I'm a big believer in experience and veteran leadership in that. I think it's so important. It's, it's, uh, the league is getting younger than it show. It is a young man's league, but it's still, uh, you know, if it's ventured, I don't want to just say veteran or it's, uh, it's a tough league.

Starting point is 01:31:13 It's not a kid's league. It's still a men's league and you've got to have these guys have been through the wars. It's just so important. Y'all, uh, that's when I, when I heard Joe Pavelski, that was kind of my man, man mindset, you know, I came from Detroit and that's where we, I remember when Scotty brought in Fetisov and he was at the end of his career. And I remember we played him the one playoffs and he was struggling.

Starting point is 01:31:35 And we go down to the tweet after the game and talk to Scotty and say, Scotty, do you think Fetisov is going to get, he's not going to make it. And he said, he'll be all right. He kept playing them and we won the cup. And there's just something that these, the veterans bring the calming influence, the leadership somewhere in a, during the season and in a playoff run, the train's going off the tracks. You're just going to happen.

Starting point is 01:31:58 You're going to go through and you guys have lived it. You guys have all played the game yet. The trains, the trains off the tracks and you don't think it's going to come back. Those are the guys that put the train back on the tracks. It's the things they say, it's the young guys they grab. It's being in the hotel room and grabbing a young kid and taking, going for a walk and buying him a beer or taking him out for lunch or something. Those are the things that a coach and a GM can't do, but a veteran player can do it. And I just think it's so important to have those guys. You know, and the other part I'm big on is the younger guys, they're coming up through

Starting point is 01:32:34 their career and it's, they're building a career. They've made money, but haven't made big money. And they want points and everything else. And when you get these older guys, all of a sudden it's all about winning. Yeah. It's not about maybe I'm not on the power play as much as I should be. I didn't get any points tonight, but we got the win. It's when you get to the part of your career where the two points for the win are more important than the one or two points you get personally, you

Starting point is 01:33:02 know, you got a good team and that's where you want to get to with the veteran guys. That's what they bring. It's so true. And, and, and you just see it remembering myself as a young guy, like, oh, like I had an assist and you're like, dude, we lost. Like it, it is, it's, it's easier said than done. And I think people hear that and they're like, what the hell? It's all about the team.

Starting point is 01:33:18 But you went into talking about like Vitesov and maybe going down as the staff and being like Scotty, I don't know. And it kind of brings up a question for me. I've always wondered and coaches and GMs have a particular relationship and there's times where GMs want to see a lineup that they like and then they see a lineup that the coach likes. Like, how do you approach talking about who's in the lineup, what the lines are? Like, is that all in the coach? Does it have to get really bad for you to go down and say, listen, like, I don't like this guy and his position. Like, that's such a big relationship to have. And how do you take a step away and really give the responsibility to the coach?

Starting point is 01:33:52 And when do you step in and say, Hey, listen, I'm not seeing this right now. Yeah, no, that's the that's kind of the daily battle you live. But, you know, I get back to, I have a lot of respect for Pete and the staff and, uh, I got a lot of respect for coaches period. That's a tough, tough job. They're dealing with, they're dealing with 20 to 24 players. Some guys aren't playing. Some guys are. Some guys aren't getting nice time they want.

Starting point is 01:34:17 Uh, uh, but we, we have healthy discussions and we have our battles. Don't worry coaches and I, we have our battles, but in the end, when it's all said and done, they have to make that final call. They're the ones that have to put the player in the ice. And if I tell them you got to play this guy, they don't believe in it. I'm taking the power of their coaching capability away from them. And I can't do that. They have to have that leverage or the power that they need that power on the

Starting point is 01:34:46 bench to be able to say the player, I got the back in the gym, here's why I'm sitting out or here's why you're, you're playing with this guy, whatever. They need that support. So, uh, it's healthy discussions, but, uh, I think we've got a mutual respect and then we know that we'll go at it. But, uh, when it's all over and done, you shake hands and say, let's go win them. Let's go win tonight and move on. What was it like being around Stevie? Why? Like you hear just about his intensity and how stoic he is and just like the respect he commands. Like it must've been like, like just witnessing

Starting point is 01:35:18 what he was able to do the one year he had, like he was playing on one leg. Like did you marvel at what he was able to do from just an overall perspective? Yeah, no, Stevie's, he was playing on one leg. Like, did you marvel at what he was able to do from just an overall perspective? Yeah, no, Stevie's, he was first of all, amazing, amazing player, but he's an amazing person to go with that. I was fortunate, I got to play with him. And then I got to be on the management side as he's still a player. And then he got, then he ended up working with us.

Starting point is 01:35:41 He got into his management side, retired and followed Kenneanus around. So I've had a great relationship with Stevie. He got into his management side, retired and followed Kenyans around. So I've had a great relationship with Stevie. I respect him so much, but such a determined athlete. It was amazing how he, you talk about in one leg, that was the Olympic year that year. And I remember I think 2002, Salt Lake City. And people don't realize Stevie had his pretty well his leg cut off at the knee and they put a new knee kind of on it.

Starting point is 01:36:09 It, they had to change the angle of it and stuff. Never been done before. It was a doctor of London, Ontario that did it. And amazing what he, what he went through just to come back from that. But then he's playing and he's pretty well in one leg and the Olympics are up. He's never played in the Olympics. He wants to go to the Olympics. We're sitting there saying, Stevie, let's take the Olympics off. We get the playoffs coming up. So let's take that time off. He was going to the Olympics and God bless him. He went there and I think it was Marilyn Mew and

Starting point is 01:36:40 him. They carried that team. That's the year's the year I think the goal-tenning, I think it was Balfour, or not, Joseph and Brodeur, I think they had to make a decision. And he started with Joseph, ended up going to Brodeur. Uh, Pat Quinn was the coach. There was a lot of controversy going on and Stevie and Mario put, and Mario was towards the end of his career then too. And they put the team on their back, those two veteran guys, and won the gold for Canada. And then Steady came back, kept playing.

Starting point is 01:37:12 He'd fall down and he'd have to use a stick to get back up. He was really on one leg. He was on one leg. And he did that through the whole playoffs and it was amazing to watch. Trey Lockerbie That's an example of a guy you're talking about changing to wins, where when you were playing with him, it's 130 points, it's, it's just this offensive wizard, and then you got to witness Bowman. I believe it's been said, like, told them, listen, like to win a cup, like

Starting point is 01:37:33 you need to change your game a little bit. That is that true? That you're dead on that. What I just talked about sooner, that was Steve. He was a, he was a 50, 60, 70 goals every year type of thing. Uh, one of the leading scorers in Detroit wasn't winning and, uh, Scotty came in and kind of laid the groundwork and I don't want to say he, he changed Stevie's game. He, he made Stevie realize that and, and Stevie wanted that too. It's not like Stevie was fighting it.

Starting point is 01:38:02 Stevie just needed that direction and, uh And Scotty made him understand that and away we went and reeled off those four cups. You guys were pretty early with Europeans and I know they had been in the league, but there was always this idea of Russians being soft or Swedes being soft. And it's not true at all, but were you hearing that then when all the Russians were coming in, maybe before the Cups and after the 95 sweep, it's like our fans saying, oh, we need some more toughness. And you guys are saying, listen, it's here.

Starting point is 01:38:34 Like, was that always bullshit to you? The idea of that Russians weren't hard players to play against? Yeah, we were more, we were into the skill. And we, now, I'm gonna talk about and we, and now, and now I'm going to talk about both sides of my mouth. We're fortunate. We had the Bob Proberts, Darren McCarty's, Gerard Galantz, Harold Snaps, Mal Bridgman's.

Starting point is 01:38:55 We had a lot of guys that weren't, weren't carrying roses around on their own either. So we had a good mix and I give Scottie credit towards the end when we started winning those cups. He brought those guys in. Joey Kosher had retired. He had retired from the Rangers and we were kind of struggling and didn't quite have enough toughness and we ended up calling Joey Kosher in. Scottie had a good talk to him.

Starting point is 01:39:18 He brought him back. That's the year we beat Philly. Joey Kosher came back. So Scottie, as much as he loved the skill in that, and we all loved the skill, he knew there was still another element you needed. And, uh, you know, you look at our fourth line, uh, you know, it's Joey kosher's, uh, uh, Kirk Maltby. Those guys played hard, Chris Draper, uh, you know, Brendan

Starting point is 01:39:38 Shanahan, tough as anybody. Uh, we, we, we had a tough team. You know, he, Bob Rose, he brought in Bob Rose, uh, for that little element on the back end. So Scotty had a good team. You know, Bob Rose, he brought in Bob Rose for that little element on the back end. So Scott, he had a good feel for that. He had a real good feel for that. You were a nail gun yourself. We were looking up your hockey DB.

Starting point is 01:39:53 I think the last year at junior, you had 250 PIMs. How are you so calm? Like you seem like you were like- Yeah, did you just snap when you played? Yeah. I didn't like fighting until I got into it, I guess. That makes sense. But I didn't like when people took advantage of people.

Starting point is 01:40:10 I wasn't the type of guy that I'm sitting at the start of the game and saying, okay, I'm going to go out and fight this guy. The guy wasn't that type of fighter. I wasn't big enough to do that. But I, I don't like when people take advantage of somebody or somebody's the underdog and somebody takes advantage of that. That used to drive me crazy. But just, I was competitive. I had to be, you know, you guys know to get in NHL, you got to be competitive. It's about winning battles and just do that and things would happen and the way it went.

Starting point is 01:40:41 We noticed that you were on the 1980 Canadian Olympic team. So you were there for the miracle on ice and, and Whit mentioned that you guys had lost to the Russians for three before they went on to play the States. Yeah. No, a great, great story. We, uh, we played, we were a bunch of, I played junior and my last year, junior, uh, David, father David Bauer was willing to recreate the Olympic program in Canada again.

Starting point is 01:41:06 So, they were starting to scout and they saw some guys in junior and stuff and said, hey, you want to go to... that was back in 78. And they said, we're starting the Olympic program over again. It's got to be amateurs. And instead of turning pro, I was drafted by St. Louis. Would you like to go to college for a couple of years and try out the Olympic team? And I thought, you know what, when are you ever going to get a chance to do this again? So we did that.

Starting point is 01:41:29 We were a bunch of college players in Canada. Some guys were junior guys that went to college like I did. Some guys were in college, you know, talking Randy Greig, Glenn Anderson. We had some good players. You know, Glenn Anderson is in the Hall of Fame. Randy Greig was going to the University of Edmonton. He was a doctor. Paul McLean, Tim Waters. We had a pretty good team. But anyways, getting to these. So we're in the Olympics and we played the US team all the time. That's who we

Starting point is 01:41:56 were kind of. That was our kind of exhibition games. We played them about 16 times. We beat them about 10 on 16. So they were good matches, both good teams. But we're playing the Russians. We have to beat the Russians to get into the medal round. We'd lost the game before to the Finns. We lost in an icing call. If we beat the Finns, we're in the medal round. We lost to the Finns. Finns had iced the puck. There was a race for the puck. Our goalie came out to handle it and he missed it and went in the net. So now we've got to beat the Russians to get the medal round. Played the Russians. We lost 4-3. Trechak was in net Trechak, he yanked against us. And that's why, uh, I think it's Michigan. I think it was the other goalie.

Starting point is 01:42:32 That's why Michigan played against the U S team. So it worked against you guys. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. So that's how that happened. The U S beach, Russia now that wasn't for their gold medal game.

Starting point is 01:42:43 They still had to go beat. Uh, I believe it was the Swedes that beat to win it. But it's amazing. I tell people, I tell people this story. Um, that 1980 Olympics probably is the reason maybe I'm a GM in Dallas right now. 1980 hockey wasn't big in the U.S. Uh, that's the Cold War days. There was no hockey in Anaheim's and Florida's and Dallas's and stuff. Hockey wasn't big in the US.

Starting point is 01:43:13 You had the original six teams, but it wasn't big, big, big. All of a sudden, these young kids play the big Russian monster beat them. And it's in Lake Placid, New York. And bang, they become the, who are these young guys, these college kids, hockey got on the map. And I firmly believe that got Hock two things that the U S team went in the gold medal game, got everybody in the U S jacked up about hockey and Wayne Greske going down, down to LA. And I really firmly believe that's why there's

Starting point is 01:43:45 hockey now in Anaheim, San Jose, Florida, all those Dallas, that got hockey on the map because there's really just original six teams. It was in New York's, Boston's a little bit of many in Chicago. Hockey wasn't big in the U S and that 1980 really with the U S team winning, that's probably a good thing they did. I think that changed the landscape of hockey in the U S and that 1980 really with the U S team winning, that's probably a good

Starting point is 01:44:05 thing they did. I think that changed the landscape of hockey in the U S. Do you think being on the ice with those, that Russian team and all the lore about that team kind of helped you later on being like, we got to take some of these Russian players, like I was on the ice again, they're a different breed here. They, they'd know they were good. They, you know, you're talking Makarov and Petrov and so they were unbelievable. They were so good.

Starting point is 01:44:26 And it made you understand how, just how good they were and how strong they were. They were great, great players. And they are today, all these players. We were lucky enough to have on, uh, Matty Duchenne recently, and it was a great interview and he went into, you know, being bought out and the feelings and how like blessed he is to be in Dallas now. So take us through, like you he is to be in Dallas now. So take us through like you finding out Nashville was buying him out. How did you immediately know

Starting point is 01:44:49 I want to bring this guy in and how good is that worked out? I mean, what a season he's having right now for you guys. Well, it's worked out great for us. It, uh, I remember we're getting ready for July 1st and we got our kind of laundry list, you know, we've got our lists there and it's the night before we're getting ready to get up early in the morning. And, uh, I got up early in the morning, get to the office and boom, I started reading the headlines and Matt Deshane's bought out. All of a sudden it changed our direction, which way we're going. I said, we, we got to dig in here.

Starting point is 01:45:17 We got to see what the options are. So I called his representatives. Yes, it was true. He'd been bought out. Uh, I knew Matt had some interest in us. We talked to him about five years earlier. I think he was coming out of Ottawa. He was a free agent and we had talked to him. He had talked about maybe wanting to come down. That's when he signed with Nashville and

Starting point is 01:45:38 we didn't have the cap room at the time to sign him. So we went to Nashville. So I knew there was some mutual interest there. Um, I was fortunate with team Canada. I worked at world championships. I had him there on a team and got to know him while there and like him as a player, you know, his skill levels off the charts. And, um, so I had a relationship a little bit through team Canada with him.

Starting point is 01:45:58 So made the call and even a little bit more relationship when I was talking to him about Adirondack, it's funny how things all connect. Down in Adirondack and it's funny how things all connect down in Adirondack. And Newell Brown was one of our coaches in Adirondack. Well, Newell Brown is, or Matt Deshane's uncle. And I remember Matt talking about how he came down to Adirondack.

Starting point is 01:46:17 He was about two years old and I remember him being on the ice skating and stuff. He was a little tight skating on the ice and stuff. So we talked about that. So it's amazing all the different connections. And so I get back, get back to July 1st, made the call. There was definitely mutual respect and we had to figure things out cap wise.

Starting point is 01:46:36 And we've been the benefactor of it ever since. I'm wondering going back to, cause things are, things are really good for debt for your team right now. It's a, it's a, it's a great club, good run last year. And I expect the same this year, but back to, because things are really good for your team right now. It's a great club, a good run last year, and I expect the same this year. But back to 2018, like hockey kind of, the world got lit on fire when Jim Leitz came out and kind of went at Sagan and Ben a little bit. And they were on these long-term deals. And how did you approach that?

Starting point is 01:47:01 Like, did you read that and like find out the way we did, or did you know he was going to say something? And I guess you can laugh at it now with how good those guys have been. It sucks that Sagan got injured, but just take us through that day when it was kind of crazy. Yeah, it was crazy. Yeah, I got the fire steams throughout and I got a great relationship with Jim. Jim and I go back to Detroit days. Detroit used to be the president of Detroit Red Wing. It's not more connections. Detroit used to be the president of Detroit Red Wing. So Jimmy was married to Denise Ilitch and, uh, Denise is one of the daughters and stuff.

Starting point is 01:47:34 And, uh, so he was the president. So I got to know him then actually, Jimmy lights getting off the topic here. Jimmy lights was the guy that brought over, uh, Klima and Fedorov. He's the guy that got those guysa and Fedorov. He's the guy that got those guys, he's got, if you ever get a chance, read the book. He's the one that got Klima across the border in a car in a hidden gas tank type of compartment. And he's the guy that got Fedorov over. Was that during World Juniors or something?

Starting point is 01:48:01 I think he lured him with Anna Kornikova. Yeah, yeah, Fedorov was World Juniors, Yeah. During like world juniors or something. I think he lured or lured them with Anna Kornikova. Yeah. Yeah. It was, it was world Fedorov was world juniors. Klima was just during the time of year he was in Czech Republic and, uh, uh, actually a great story. Klima jumped. He was in a team meal and, uh, funny how different connect. So Yuri Hordina scouts for us.

Starting point is 01:48:22 Yuri was on that team and, uh, they had a tea meal after a game and they each got one beer. And they're having the meal and they looked and there's one beer left. And they said, who in the heck. Who doesn't have their beer? They found out it was Peter Klima. He'd gone out the window in another room and was waiting, there's Jimmy Leitz and a guy waiting for him to take him across the border. So it's amazing.

Starting point is 01:48:47 Some of the stories on that, but that's so let's get back to the other part of what Jimmy lights. That's the connection with Jimmy lights anyways. And, uh, yeah, Jimmy, yeah. So that came out. Uh, I did not know what was going to happen. Did Jamie Ben want to kill him? I, Jamie Ben seems like a pretty hardcore, scary man.

Starting point is 01:49:05 Well, they weren't happy and I don't blame them. And you know, the other side is they weren't playing well. They knew it. Uh, and Jimmy was getting frustrated. Ownership was getting frustrated. So those things happen. I think, you know, I've talked to Jimmy, he, he knows he probably went too far with it, but that's the emotions of our game. I guess he was trying to get things rolling and, uh, you know, we dealt with it. I had a good conversation with both players. They understood and they knew they weren't playing well, but, uh, they

Starting point is 01:49:34 handled it well, Jimmy handled it well. And we've all kissed and made up. I was going to ask you like, obviously, obviously you can't say recent, recent stuff, but is there any, you know, big trades, maybe from your Detroit days that, you know, fell through last minute that you thought were going to be a monster deal or even something that happened recently too? Well, the big trade for us, I remember it was Chris Chelyos. That was a big deal. And that was a tough one because Chris, you know, he'd been in Montreal, he was a local

Starting point is 01:50:02 Chicago guy. Now he goes to Chicago Blackhawks and, you know, Chris, he wanted to be a Chicago Blackhawk for life. And, uh, so they were starting to go downhill Chicago. So we called, see if he's interested in coming to us, talk to Chicago. They talked to Chris and at first he didn't want to do it. And then he kind of said, you know what? I'm not going to win here in Chicago.

Starting point is 01:50:24 You know, they were, they were, they were on the downside. So he said, you know what, maybe I got interest. Now we had to get the deal done and we had to resign them. And I just remember that it was a, and we had to convince the iliches too, to get on board. It was going to be a financial obligation. I had to convince them to do it. And it was caught, I think it was two draft picks and another guy, I think it was Anders Eriksson, who was a first round pick and something else went to him. So it was a big cost. And Chris, Chris wasn't 28 at the time. I think Chris might've been, well, he's probably 46, well, probably 50 at the time.

Starting point is 01:50:57 But, but it said he was 35, but, but I think he was about 35, 36. So here we're making a commitment to a guy, a three year, I think it was a three year deal. We signed him to giving up all these picks. If this doesn't work out, this is a disaster. Well, history has shown it was one of the best things we ever did. Amazing individual Chris. I got so much respect for him.

Starting point is 01:51:21 People heard the stories, Chris enjoyed life. He enjoys life, still does. But I'd come to the rink at six in the morning, guess who was in the gym working out, Chris Cellios. And I remember losing in the playoffs to Pittsburgh. We beat Pittsburgh the first year, back to back finals against Pittsburgh. Won the first year, second year we lost. Everybody's decimated.

Starting point is 01:51:41 It was game seven. Nick Lindstrom had the one shot. Fleury made a great save with about 20 seconds to go. We lost. everybody's decimated, it was game seven. Nick Lindstrom had the one shot, Flurry made the great save with about 20 seconds to go. We lost, lost game seven and I came to the rink the next day, everybody's just down. I walk in there and guess what, who's in the gym again, Chris Cellios.

Starting point is 01:51:57 It's seven in the morning. After the playoffs? After the playoffs, he's in there working out. And you hear the stories, I still tell people the stories about a member coming into our dressing room or workout room. And the carpenter is cutting a hole in the sauna. And he said, what are you doing?

Starting point is 01:52:11 Cutting a hole in the sauna. He said, I got to put a TV in here. He said, well, what are you putting a TV in the sauna for? Well, Chris Chelyos puts a bike in the sauna and he'll go in there ride for an hour in the sauna. He wanted a TV in there while he was riding. So we put a TV in the sauna for Chris Chelyos, but he, he puts a an hour in the sauna. He wanted a TV in there while he's riding. So we put a TV in the sauna for Chris Jones,

Starting point is 01:52:25 but he, he puts a stationary bike in the sauna, rides it for 45 minutes to an hour. He's amazing. But, but a great guy just, he would grab scouts, you know, we'd have exhibition games and fly back home after a game and he grabbed the scouts, wouldn't tell us management, wouldn't tell the players, bring the scouts.

Starting point is 01:52:44 He had a celly's bar just by the baseball stadium. He'd have Bob Seeger or somebody in there with him and they'd go sit there and play at two in the morning, playing songs in that. Like he just an amazing, great man. And I got so much respect for him and his family. He's just a good person.

Starting point is 01:53:01 I want to go back to Fedorov quickly. Was that your first time ever experiencing, he was kind of like an international superstar. Like I joked about to Fedorov quick. Like, was that your first time ever experienced he was kind of like an international superstar. Like I joked about the Anna Kornikova thing, but my understanding he was cruising around in Ferraris getting speeding tickets. Like, was that the first time you'd ever experienced a player of that kind of stardom and who also maybe brought that off the ice? Not, not your prototypical hockey player, I guess. Yeah, he was one. Yeah, that was him. He, uh, he had, he had the flare tune, flare on the ice and flare off the ice. He did.

Starting point is 01:53:30 He had, he had, uh, high end cars in that, uh, you know, like you see the Ferraris and that's how he lived his life. And, uh, you know, no secret, but Anna Kornikova, you know, dating her in that. Uh, but also interesting, a real quiet guy when you got to know him. He had this flair to him, but when you really got to know him and sit down with him for a lunch or something, really a quiet, humble guy. And it was just kind of a little bit of his makeup coming from Russia, kind of what he'd created or around him he'd created. But what a player, could he skate and handle a puck? He, well, I remember the one year, Scottie, Scottie played him on defense for half the year.

Starting point is 01:54:09 We were, our defense was a little bit weak and he said, I'm going to put Fedorov back there. And he'd go back there and back in those days, that's when the icing, you know, you couldn't ice the puck back then, you know, two line pass and all that. And so everybody had that neutral zone trap set up. Well, Fedorov, he just ticked tacks through there. He had no problem. He broke that trap down. Like it was, it was nothing to it going through pylons and, uh, he was an amazing

Starting point is 01:54:33 player, play forward, play defense anywhere you want it to. Could you see him as an NHL head coach? That I did not see. Yeah. You know, when you, I know he's coaching Russian, done a great job. He's been coaching the year over there. I did not see that, but he's done a great job. I've been over there and talked to him and seen him and stuff and he loves it. He's got a passion for it.

Starting point is 01:54:51 And, uh, I guess say we all got different paths and that's he's found his path. Do you think that would transition over to the NHL? Do you think you could see him behind the bench of an NHL team? I do now. Yeah. Now after seeing him, what he's done in Russia. Yeah. Yeah. He's done a great job and, uh. Yeah. Now after seeing what he's done in Russia. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 01:55:05 He's done a great job and, uh, get this all about the passion he's got. You know, he's, he's adjusted. He's, you know, it's a different, it's a work ethic now too. You know, you go from being a player and come and practice and for two hours and going home. Now you're a coach and you're there for six, seven hours a day. And he does that. He puts in the time.

Starting point is 01:55:21 So good for him. What was it like negotiating? And I know it was Kenny Holland, but yourself with Pavel Datsuk and like Brett Hull's talked a lot about one of the best players he's ever seen. And like, I've talked about seeing them off the ice. You're like, who is this guy? And he's just like bent over, but as a guy and negotiating with him, was it easy and simple and I guess watching him play night in and night out, you must've

Starting point is 01:55:42 been just as amazed as anyone else. and I guess watching him play night in and night out, you must have been just as amazed as anyone else. Well, Pavel's a great, great player and actually a better person. He's one of the most humble people I know and a good family man. He's unbelievable. Got to know him. I was one of the guys that was Hawking Anderson and then we drafted him, brought him over and he was kind of, I remember picking him up the airport with my two kids, you know, didn't speak any English and we built a great relationship and still are today.

Starting point is 01:56:09 We still keep in touch and just a great man, but he was, he was tough. He knew what he wanted. In negotiations, he was tough. He knew what he wanted, but, but once the negotiations were over with, he moved on and it's time to go play. I still tell a little story about, he held out a little bit in one of the training camps. And so we came in later to training camp. We finally got him signed. It was, it was a battle.

Starting point is 01:56:32 I talked about those tough negotiations. So he's got to get his medical done. So our team doctors got to do the medical and stuff. And he, he puts the stethoscope on his heart to listen to it. And Pablo says, what do you hear doc? And doc says, well, it's beating pretty good. He said, no, no, you hear ching ching, ching ching. Oh yes.

Starting point is 01:56:55 That's Pavel's sense of humor. That's Pavel. That's he had one of the best sense of humor. He still does just a great sense of humor and just, and just a good man. But that's, that's who he was. He had the best one-liners going. He, he would, I loved to watch him around the media. He'd, uh, you know, come in the media, come in to get them and stuff. They'd be all around him and stuff. Uh, and he, he wouldn't understand a word English. Uh, no understand, no understand. And they'd walk out of the room and he'd start blabbing to the players. As good English as anybody.

Starting point is 01:57:25 Oh yeah. Typical Russians. Malcolm was the same. Oh, hey, you got to dump it in. You can't try to go one-on-one against the guy. Amino speak English. Yeah, no speaking English. So he was greater than him.

Starting point is 01:57:36 Or car related. He's fluent. Yeah. To transition it back to Dallas, like what do you think this team needs in order to get over the hump? Like the West is just so tight. Like what do you think this team needs in order to get over the hump? Like the West is just so tight. What do you think this team needs in order to get the job done?

Starting point is 01:57:50 Well, you know, I'm going to be patient here. You know, I got to be careful. You know, people always hear you'd like to get things done earlier. I think we'd all like to, but right now the market's not dictating that. You know, you look at the Eastern standings and you got six or seven

Starting point is 01:58:06 teams are pretty well cemented in. You got another six or seven teams are all within four points of each other. So in the past, a lot of those teams would be sellers. You'd be talking to them right now. They might be buyers of those teams right now. You know, they're for these teams that have been in the playoffs for two, three, four, five, six years to make the playoffs is so important. These teams are playing well.

Starting point is 01:58:28 You're talking about the Montreals, the Ottowahs, the Detroits, the Phillies. These guys, they're in a battle. That market right now is kind of standstill. Which way are they going to go? I don't know. I don't know what the market is. I've got to wait. If I use my bullets up too early and all of a sudden I get two or three injuries, first of March, I got nothing left to go get something I need. So we're going to be patient.

Starting point is 01:58:55 We've been very fortunate. I talked about we had seven young kids, first year guys in the lineup the other night. They're getting better. They're getting experience every night. It's the best thing for us. And so to get back to what I need, I think I need to add depth in both positions. I'd like to add a forward. Uh, if I can get a top nine forward, one or two top nine for just to add some

Starting point is 01:59:15 good depth, uh, can add another defenseman. We'll wait and see where we are injury wise. We just brought Liam Bischel up our young. He's a young Swiss kid. He's the first round pick of ours three years ago. He's been playing great for us. We brought him up for about 10 games, sent him back down just to get some more experience. He's coming back up now. He's 6'6 and really changes your back end quick. Pete and I want to get a good look at him now. Let's see where he's at. Has he taken that next step?

Starting point is 01:59:43 If that happens, I get less worries in the back end. So I just want to add some depth. Bike dad made a little bit of size. Now I say that I'm bringing Bischel in. He's six foot six. Mason Marchman's been injured for the last six weeks. He's coming back. He's six foot four. Rupa Hintz has been injured. He's coming back. He's six foot three. So your size changes kind of quick, but, uh, really, I guess to answer it, really that just adds some depth, uh, top nine forwards and maybe on the defense, you can never have enough defensemen, but I need to wait until I get to end of February, first of March, see what our injury situation is.

Starting point is 02:00:22 Uh, you brought up Mason Marchman. I was actually going to ask about him. Three years ago, you signed him. He spent a lot of time in the minors, including the East Coast Hockey League, wasn't drafted. And I think every good team has guys outperforming their contract and he's making four and a half. It's wild.

Starting point is 02:00:36 Did you know when you signed him, like this guy could, could be better than, than the deal we're getting them for that what we're paying him because the skill with the puck, the size he plays mean, it's like, I didn't even know that much about him and he's come on these last two years in Dallas. Kind of crazy. He's a great story. And he's a good story for younger players that you don't get drafted or get drafted late and got a time, spend time in these coach league and in the minors and worked

Starting point is 02:01:01 their way up. That's has been his path. He hardly played junior hockey. He was playing Noichel, hardly played there. Really got a tryout, probably because a little bit of his dad's name. Got a tryout with Toronto Maple Leafs. They bring him in, mentoring him a little bit. We were fortunate to play against him. Our team down in Austin played in the finals against Toronto the one year they beat us, but he was involved there and he played well. Then Florida signs him.

Starting point is 02:01:29 They actually trade for him. He's in part of a trade and ends up signing in Florida for a couple of years and then became a free agent. And we had a good rapport. Steve Spots knew him well. Pete knows him well. I played with his dad, actually. I mean, he did myself not played with his dad way back in Winnipeg.

Starting point is 02:01:49 He was the first one I picked at Winnipeg. So knew a little bit about him, but, uh, he, uh, he's come in and got to give credit to the player. He's, uh, he's developed his skills. He's always, he's always had the size. His skating's got better. He's got great hands for a big man, great hands, and he's learned to manage his game. He's always lived on the edge a little bit, nothing wrong with that, you need

Starting point is 02:02:10 that on your team, but sometimes he's on the edge too far the wrong way. He's managed to bring that back to where it should be and he's a tough guy to play against. When we started the year, it was Deshaun, Sagan and him might have been one of the best lines in the league. They were unbelievable. Unfortunately Sagan got hurt and then Marshman got hurt, but they've been a real good combination for us. Well, it's time for the rollback. Last question, use code CHICKLETTS at rollback.com for 20% off your first purchase. That's C-H-I-C-L-E-T-S on R-H-O-B-A-C-K dot com. 20% off all hoodies, joggers and more with code CHICKLITS. Jim, my last thing for you is all those years in Detroit,

Starting point is 02:02:53 you're a part of this team that's building this dynasty. And I think people always wondered, how has he not been given a GM job yet? It took a while and now you've been in Dallas 13 years, but were you ever wondering, when am I going to get the call to be a GM? Cause I've done a lot in Detroit with the help of all these guys, but was it longer than you thought you'd have to wait to be the head honcho? When you look back, maybe I interviewed for a couple of jobs. Uh, and you know, when you're younger, I look back and then this is good for now that I'm an older guy, the old wisdom story type of thing. Here I go. Probably the best thing that ever happened to me, not getting those jobs. I probably wasn't ready. I look back now and those jobs ended up being disasters for the guys that took them. And I'm sitting there saying that could have been me and I might've been out of the business. And so in the end, I was probably the best thing for me.

Starting point is 02:03:43 So in the end, I was probably the best thing for me. Um, I was fortunate, great ownership in Detroit. They didn't want me to leave. Uh, we had a good thing going there. Why leave type of thing? And, uh, you know, it just compensated me very, very well. Uh, we were winning and I get back to why I was fortunate all those years, the people I was around and what I learned from. So I knew my time was going to come.

Starting point is 02:04:07 A little bit, it was a family thing. I had young kids. My wife had some health issues. And so I was kind of like, you know what? When you're a player, your wife's got to follow you everywhere. Now here I am, I'm still in the business and I'm sitting there saying, you know what? She sacrificed for me. I think I need to be a little bit considerate of her too of her too, which we, which as a family we did. And, uh,

Starting point is 02:04:27 but then this opportunity came along. She's the one that said, we gotta go. I was sitting there saying, Becky, I don't know if my wife's name is Becky. I'm like, I don't know if we should be going. She said, we're going. Here we are. So got the blessing from her. It's been an amazing career for you. I wish you all the luck and congrats on all your success. It's a really cool story and people speak so highly of you I could see why so thanks for coming on the show and good luck the rest of the season

Starting point is 02:04:48 Yeah, it's a pleasure to be you guys and appreciate everything you guys do. Oh, thank you so much Jim. Appreciate your time Thanks a lot. You appreciate it Guys before we go any further I need to talk to you about DraftKings. And this ain't the little itty bitty teeny tiny bowl. This is the Super Bowl, Super Bowl 59. Get in on the action at the DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of Super Bowl 59. Scoring touchdowns is so important to hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. And you have a shot to score big by betting on them at DraftKings Sportsbook, the number

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Starting point is 02:06:28 slash audio. Thank you so much to Jim Nel. Awesome interview. I hope everyone enjoyed that. I mean, it's just really cool that G just mentioned, he said, hey, I want to get a wing. I want to get a top six wing. I want to grab a defenseman. And and boom since we chatted with him last week he went out and did that and he did mention like How all these teams in the East are involved and maybe he kind of had his eyes on like another guy But he knew like hey all these teams aren't selling out East so I'm gonna go get get

Starting point is 02:06:57 Grandlin who's an awesome player and get CC so pretty cool And he also talked a lot of what he say this the University of Detroit hockey Yeah, man, they had so many legends of the game pretty cool and he also talked a lot of what did he say? Is the University of Detroit hockey? Yeah, man, they had so many legends of the game. I mean, the people that he was surrounded with, like just him even talking about Datsuk and Zetterberg, Stevie Wise, like dedication and willingness to win the pain that he went through.

Starting point is 02:07:19 Remember, I think they tried to tell him, hey, take the Olympics off. And he's like, are you out of your fucking mind? Played the Olympics on one leg and then goes on to win a Stanley Cup. So just, I couldn't imagine being around those teams for that long and just absorbing that much hockey knowledge and being around those legends of the game.

Starting point is 02:07:36 And kind of cool that Detroit in the midst of, since we've interviewed them, have really taken off as well since the coaching change. Oh, they are buzzing. And the other thing he said too that was awesome is when we asked him about not becoming a GM for quite a long time, him bringing up his family and how important it was, that's so cool. It's not always about chasing what's better, chasing the dollar. He was just very happy where he was. He loved where he was and he wanted to be there for his family. You don't hear that that often in pro sports. But yeah, Biz, you bring up the Red Wings and I guess,

Starting point is 02:08:11 you know, for them to go out and make that move, right, and they get a new coach and he comes in and he's talking, play hockey, guys, play hockey. And they have taken off. Like, dude, they just had a road trip. They beat Edmonton. they beat Vancouver like it's just Great hockey that I don't think a lot of people saw coming I I know that like you saw the skill and I didn't know Lucas Raymond was this good and Dylan Larkin has been an absolute Steal his contract biz the fact we spent a couple episodes before he signed that deal like talking about what he's worth like He's worth way more than what he signed for. He ended up looking like it's going to be a great bargain. But I think Sider and Edvinson and the way Lyon and

Starting point is 02:08:52 Talbot have both played in a tandem, I think that might be a worry going forward and into the playoffs. But right now they are proving a lot of people wrong who wrote them off as the season began and got into the middle of the year. Yans, I was pretty critical of their secondary scoring. Last time we had a chance to talk to them. I think that was around the time they made the coaching change. And since then, they've had a few guys come on the scene like that Casper kids pretty nasty and that Bergeron kid.

Starting point is 02:09:17 So the fact that they have these kids starting to come in and contribute offensively, taking a little bit of pressure off those big guys that we've talked about who have been lugging the mail there a long time, but you're starting to see it come through. And how fitting at the fact when they make that coaching change, Stevie Y does the press conference, and he's like, listen, I get that this has taken a little bit longer. Now all of a sudden you're seeing the momentum starting

Starting point is 02:09:39 to build, right? And you just mentioned the cap and these contracts. There's a lot of positive things happening in Hockey Town right now, Shandal. Yeah, I still think of those young guys like Sider and Raymond as young bucks, like they're still getting their feet wet in the league. And I think what they've done this year

Starting point is 02:09:59 is proving why they got those contracts. You look at the minutes, the last six games, I think, Siders played either 25 minutes or above every single game, and just lugging the mail for them, and just being that horse that you need on the back end to win games. Plus player in their last six games

Starting point is 02:10:22 in their win streak, and then Lucas Raymond, same thing. He's been on a heater playing tons of minutes. So I think when you look at a team like that and they're young guys, when they start to play more minutes, that just means they're getting more trust in their coach and their GM and the other players, because you can't lean strictly on Larkin and Kane and your veteran guys all year.

Starting point is 02:10:44 You need those young guys to come up. And just because they're making that big money doesn't mean that they're going to do it every game, but they're finding their stride in this league. And I'm going to say, watch out for those two. Because I think what really sticks out for me is the minutes played by them. And that's just, I mean, we all know how it is.

Starting point is 02:11:02 The more you play, that just means the coaches are trusting you. Your teammates are trusting you. And you're getting out there, you know, almost every other shift and putting in the work. But you touched on a little bit with the goaltending and, yeah, you think back a couple of years ago when Florida needed to, you know, win some games to get back in. And the Lion King came in and, you know, won them games to get in. And I think he might've even started the playoffs for them, right? He did.

Starting point is 02:11:29 Against the Bruins. Yeah. And then Bob took over, but, and then I played with Talbs in, in, uh, in New York in the year that we won the president's trophy, Hank got hurt and Talbs came in and he was unbelievable. And there was, you know, kind of some talks like, do we just stick with, with Talbs here? But obviously when you have a Hall of Fame goal

Starting point is 02:11:47 in the waiting to get his turn again, you're going to give it to him. But I think two capable guys that can get you wins, Talbs I think has won four games in the last six and Lions won two. So you put that duo together, you're going to give yourself an opportunity to win every night.

Starting point is 02:12:05 They were pretty respectable defensively with LeLon but ever since McClellands took it over and you go back to his comments about just play just play it seems like the offense is a little bit more free-flowing so kind of freeing them up from a win category but I looked before the pod I think both guys are over a nine ten save percentage and just around a two and a half goals again. So to have a one, two punch that's putting those type of numbers up, giving them a chance to win every night. I think Cider, too, like. You're looking at one of the best young defensemen in the league and what he's doing, response like responsibility, he's on pace for 50 points.

Starting point is 02:12:42 I mean, like this guy, he's a monster. He can skate. He's mean. He is the complete package. Still remember when he was drafted. I think a lot of people are like, who's this? What is this pick? And holy shit, is this guy going to be a force for a long time? I think the bad news, Petrie's out four to six weeks. That sucks, right? A guy who could, you know, he's older, but he could still move. He could still play big minutes. The best news out of Detroit recently, though, for me is Dominic Shine getting called up. I don't know if you guys saw this, but a kid from Detroit, he's 31 years old, played four years at Northern Michigan in the past nine seasons. He was on the Grand Rapids, Griffins, and he got called up to play for his hometown team at 31 like that is like so sick I mean dude you play six seven years for the same team in the AHL. I

Starting point is 02:13:35 Don't know the odds I don't know the math but the chance of making the NHL is just really really small and he stuck with Grand Rapids nine years Then ends up being up with Detroit as a local Detroit kid. Awesome story there. So very happy for him. Congratulations on making it to the National League. One of the first guys to play his first game and have a bunch of kids there. You know his whole family. He had like two kids on the glass. It's like, holy shit. Fam reunion. Yeah, that was awesome. Good for him. Before we move on, and we talked about JT

Starting point is 02:14:09 at the beginning of the podcast, Grinnell reminded us of a story that you told us when we were in Orlando about you fucking around with JT Miller in his car. Yeah, the porta-potty we used to call his car. He had like a Durango, this guy, but just a, he was a true, true hillbilly when he came into the

Starting point is 02:14:27 those are brutal. Horrible. Yeah. Substitute teacher car. But yeah, no, he, it was the year end meetings and you know how it goes. Like the names on the list is usually by games played. And I was probably at the time, say like seventh or eighth on the list. I get to the rink and like Rick Nash, Marty St. Louis, they're all waiting outside the GM's office. I'm like, why aren't you guys in there? Like, oh, Millsy's in there.

Starting point is 02:14:55 And he was a rookie, but he was like, I had to go home. So his car was running in the parking lot. So I jumped in the car, packed to the gills with all this stuff. He was ready to go home, get in his car, drive it down the street, leave it on the road. And hazy comes and picks me up. He comes and picks me up, drives me back. So we go in there and he comes out of his meeting, hoping to get on the road, get back to East Palestine, Ohio. And he was like, where the hell dude, where's my car? And then, yeah, it delayed

Starting point is 02:15:23 him a few hours. so he learned his lesson. Where is he from in Ohio? East Palestine, Ohio. Oh, I thought you were just fucking joking, like Palestine, like it was like that rough of shape. I didn't know that was an actual place. I was laughing when you said that. I thought you were fucking around with where he's from.

Starting point is 02:15:41 I thought he was from Pennsylvania. It's like on the border, I think. Oh, OK, of all. Actually, yeah, because where I was in Wheeling, West Virginia, you could go and you could be in Pennsylvania and or Ohio within like a 20 minute radius or whatever it was. What a dream. That's funny shit.

Starting point is 02:16:02 Just three, uh, the spring triangle. Unreal states. Guys, another team humming along and just spitting in our face, the New York Islanders. They cannot be stopped right now. They've won seven in a row. Well, they lost last night. New York D'Angelo. They lost last night to end the streak.

Starting point is 02:16:24 Oh, sorry. Sorry. They had won seven in a row. You the streak. Oh, sorry. Sorry. They had one seven in a row. You're right. You're right. And not only did the streak end, but Barzal's out. Lower body injury.

Starting point is 02:16:32 Kick in the dick for the Islanders, but kind of shocked to see them turning around. Now I think it's fair to say that most teams, you know, you're not talking San Jose and Chicago, but even them sometimes, even the really bad teams, you know, you're not talking San Jose and Chicago, but even them sometimes, even the really bad teams, like you can go on little runs. Seems like everyone throughout the season has a little 10 game stretch where they're eight and two or something like that. So I don't know what this means for the Islanders future. The problem is, I think this is worst case scenario of Lew's like, all right, we got a squad here, we got a chance. We're not trading Nelson, we're not trading anyone.

Starting point is 02:17:06 It's like, no, no. And I wonder where Islanders fans, maybe hop in on the comments on the YouTube, like where do you want this team to go? Like are you down with like stripping this all down and figuring everything out? Or are you like, let's give it one more go here with this older group.

Starting point is 02:17:23 But this just makes these decisions for Lula Amarillo that much tougher. I kind of wish that he would keep them and go down with the ship. Like, that's what I'm hoping happens. But I think if you're thinking from a futuristic standpoint, you can't keep him. You need to get assets.

Starting point is 02:17:39 Especially if Barzelt, how long is he out for? Week to week? I mean, if you're losing him for like two, three weeks, man, you got to imagine it gets a little gray again and you got to get some stuff in return and look towards the future, man. Like even just watching this team play. Oh, like I think the Bruins are boring to watch now. Like they're even worse. You're just waiting for something to happen, waiting for something to happen, and nothing ever does. Hey, congrats on a great run.

Starting point is 02:18:07 I feel like Tony D, anything, what do you mean? Like the, laughing at the six game stretch? Yeah, congrats, get him a banner. But sometimes when you bring in a new guy like Tony D, I heard he's a hilarious locker room guy, so it provides a little bit more life. But you gotta look towards the future and just fucking implode this team

Starting point is 02:18:28 and start getting more exciting hockey being played. You think they would move Tony? I mean, he's played well. If they're lose thinking, you know, if they're going to trade Nelson, you might as well trade Tony to a contender, right? I think that now that Islanders kind of absorb the media circus or if that's what you even want to call it, I feel like there's a

Starting point is 02:18:50 little bit of an uproar because it's Tony D now that that's over and done with. Now it's a lot easier for them to move him or for a team to be more receptive to adding them to the roster. I was shocked that not more teams were willing to do it, but you think that since the one team kind of took the would you not agree with that? Like I don't exactly think after the Mitchell Miller situation and some of the stuff the bees have done in the past, they would have been the first guy to sign them even if they needed them. Like you agree with what I'm saying here, witty? Yeah, some teams do not want that like the

Starting point is 02:19:21 headache that comes with with signing a guy who like Vancouver needed a D. I don't think they were going to get Tony D. I don't think they were prepared for that. No, that was not going to happen. I'm looking at the Islanders, like Horvat and Anders Lee lead the team in scoring with 39 points. It's like they've played 51 and 52 games. Like in current NHL, it's like you're leading scores. 2006. Welcome to the big deal selects. That's where I'm at.

Starting point is 02:19:48 Noah Dobson needs a new contract. He had 70 points last year. He's got 25 this year. I don't know what he's going to want a boatload of dough because he's going to finish this year around 40. And then you got 110 points the last two years. It's like he could ask for $9 million. So like,

Starting point is 02:20:08 I think if you pay him nine a year, you're out of your God damn mind. I know it's just such a No disrespect to him. And I know it's an off year and congrats on your 70 points, but that comes with a lot of liability in my opinion, especially from this year standpoint, like defensively it's been a bit of a clusterfuck. At least at the start of the year it was.

Starting point is 02:20:29 God, their leading scorers, the ages, Horvat 29, Anders Lee 34, Paul Mary 33, Nelson 32. That's Simon Holst, Simone Holstrom or whatever. He's 23, but then J.G. Pajot 31. It's an old club there boys. It's an absolute old Club there like these guys they're going back to the cellar having a whiskey and just like talking about all their kids and shit It's a little different a little different being around the Islanders an old team, but shout out, New York You've played well. You've played well ever since we chirped your your building being half empty Biz mentioned the possibility and I think this would be fantastic of a battle of Ontario and that's because the Ottawa senators guys

Starting point is 02:21:14 Holy shit actually before we get into Ottawa They put a beat down on Minnesota slacking six nothing Ryan Hartman, I think he might have an in-person hearing. Check that, G. He slammed or, you know, he pushed Stutsel's head into the ground off of a face-off. Did you see the playbiz or Keith? No.

Starting point is 02:21:37 Okay. So I was looking for opinion. G, maybe send them the video. I've been reading like the league's going to throw the book at him. I guess it does look like dirty's pushing his head down But like I don't know I didn't think like right when I saw it. Yeah, you got an in-person hearing I didn't think when I saw it like holy shit That's a seven game suspension, but it sounds like everything I'm reading he's gonna get a long suspension

Starting point is 02:21:58 Wondering what you guys think about that, but getting to Ottawa 7 2 & 1 in their last 10 pounded the wild like I said and the team actually announced next year they're doing two preseason games in Quebec and I know Michael is having a difficult time with the government right now and so I think these are threats biz I think they're kind of like like tear threats let's hope not fuck these tariffs holy shit what the. What the fuck, Trump? What are you doing, buddy? But Ann Lauer, he didn't close the door for more games in Quebec in the future, and their mascot was actually wearing a half senators, half Nordic jersey at the press conference. Senators fans were losing their mind. I think I think since then to see the team right now sitting in a spot in the Atlantic, top three spot in the Atlantic,

Starting point is 02:22:44 finally winning games. And yeah, I guess though, as the Atlantic, top three spot in the Atlantic, finally winning games. And I guess though, as the owner, you're not getting help with this new arena. It's almost like, Hey, here's what I could do. Like I can, I can move this team. I don't know if he actually could. Hey, thanks for your patience fan base and thanks for driving 30 minutes out to Kanata. We're going to get you the half and half Jersey on our mascot as a thank you.

Starting point is 02:23:04 That's a kick in the dick. That is, and this comes like a week after the Toronto Maple Leafs fans sold out your lower bowl in Kanata. So, tough times and a bit of a distraction off the ice per se, considering what they got going on on the ice. But listen, if you're an Ottawa Centers fan,

Starting point is 02:23:22 you just have to be thrilled that you're back in the playoff mix and not even a wild card right now. Like your top three in the fucking division and looking at a battle of Ontario first round matchup, which would be fucking awesome. I would invite that because I feel like I feel like that that would be a probably a six game series that would favor the Toronto Maple Leaf. So it won't be the battle of Ontario though.

Starting point is 02:23:45 They're playing the postseason in Quebec. Oh, imagine Quebec loses the Nordiques and the Avs just go on to win Stanley Cups and then got the Sens. And then the Sens went on a run. Poor senators fans. I know we're really, we're really reaching here, but you never know. And I get Ann Lauer because after playing against the senators, you're driving out there in a cornfield. You're like, what am I doing?

Starting point is 02:24:10 Like, get an arena downtown. Ottawa is a beautiful city. Get some life down there. Like, I don't I don't know. Sense fans let us know like you want an arena downtown, correct? Oh, yeah, they need something down. How could you not like get that? It's the capital of Canada, baby. Get that place buzzing with an arena down there and a team that's on the rise.

Starting point is 02:24:30 I think the craziest thing about what Auto is doing right now is that it's all without Linus Almark. This Levi Murlainen, this guy's on fire right now. Nine twenty five save percentage, eight three and one and a one nine nine goals against. It's crazy to see that they've been able to do this, but you know what? They've finally been healthy, right? All these years they've had all these different injuries, the Josh Norris injuries. It's just been so hard for them to get a fully healthy lineup.

Starting point is 02:24:58 And then it seems like, knock on wood, they're getting lucky. One guy's going down now. Fuck, sorry Nordique senators, but Stutsel is an unreal player I mentioned his contract what a joke that is you got Batherson severely underrated I'm kind of just going down the points cuz Chuck went through that really dry spell. He's come out of that It's an exciting team, and I think Jake Sanderson fun as hell to watch him play It's just finally nice to see Ottawa like it was Biz they they might have been the captains of the

Starting point is 02:25:27 Viagra Triangle. Oh no doubt. I mean you talked about health. I read off that stat at the beginning of the year. The amount of games that like Stutsel, Batherson and Norris had played together, their winning percentage was through the roof. But the problem is not all of them, all three of them were healthy at the same time. So you just mentioned that mix. Um, I think that with Shabbat having your love child now there and helping him out from an offensive standpoint has helped, you know, it's relieved a little bit of pressure off of him. I don't think that Shabbat was that number one guy and that's no disrespect to him. Like that's a tough role. I think that that's, like I said, helped alleviate a lot of that not only offensive pressure from him but just

Starting point is 02:26:08 like from a you know matchup and having to play so it's been it's been Brady Kachuk went on a bit of a dry spell there he seems to look a little bit more like himself offensively but yeah this team was just poised to make a little bit of a run and finally get things clicking. And it seems like Travis Green has them playing and playing the right way. I think that that coaching staff's done a great job and getting them all on the same page. And you're seeing the result of it. Now, once they get all Mark back, man, and if he's kicking, I know what's so nice is like all Mark who's battled injuries in the past, like you got no rush right now. Like this kid is playing so good.

Starting point is 02:26:48 It takes so much pressure off. I'm not gonna say like the training staff, but the team as a whole to not be like, dude, we need you back, we need you back, we need you back. It's like, hey, get healthy. Then we can really ease you in with the way this kid's playing.

Starting point is 02:27:00 They're going on the road now. They had some success at home. Like you want to finish top three in the Atlantic. You want to be able to continue this, like go win some games on the road now. They had some success at home. You want to finish top three in the Atlantic. You want to be able to continue this. Go win some games on the road. You got to be able to perform when you're away from your building in beautiful Canada and those beautiful cornfields and that one Italian restaurant that we all had to go to. Great spot.

Starting point is 02:27:17 It was the only restaurant and it was awesome. DQ right across the parking lot. No, I think they had Moxie's too, didn't they? Buddy, you were going there for the for the women I mean, we're looking for a nice Italian meal We're going to the strip mall and canada and we're walking all across for a blizzard after Oreo Blizzard every single time Although some people love the Reese's Went to the moxies you fucking idiot. I was the Italian place every time baby

Starting point is 02:27:42 Every time is and remember the farm as long as your arm. What's that resort you stay at? It's like the one nice road street, Brooke Street. Oh, it's just all the parking. Nightmare on Ruck Street. They have a 13000 parking spots. There's like six cars that are there. We didn't play. We played them in the playoffs at Pittsburgh.

Starting point is 02:28:02 And like, remember, like Terrence, hey, you know, make sure you're staying around here It's like where are we gonna go bud? We're not going anywhere. Like this is the Brook Street in we're talking about we played what was the game? We played George the Rock bought the whole team on the PSP's What was that game? Oh Call of Duty? Oh my god game. Call of Duty. Oh my god. So hours and hours and hours just a junkie for Call of Duty on the PSP. All-time move. George LaRock bought everyone. I think he bought like 15 PSPs in the game. So just battling that out. He bought them with the money he went off JR for the lava cake bets. Were you around in AZ Yans when they were doing those? Yeah. He used to race anyone too.

Starting point is 02:28:46 George Leroc, straight ahead, he would race anyone for any amount of money. I took him down. You did? I took him down, but buddy, if we had had five more yards of ice, I could hear him coming like a buffalo behind me. I was like, I got a big lead off the start,

Starting point is 02:29:02 and then it was just, I was listening, thank God. Tarrion was out there at the end. He was like the final like line judge guy. And then I you want and he's like, no, he won. No, no. Yeah. Yeah. Then I came in and I was like grabbing my quads. I'm like, how about these calves? Boys couldn't even call it the correct muscle because I didn't have one. Outside of your golf cart. Yeah. Did you ever have a teammate buy you a gift? Yeah, actually Kujo bought us all those PSPs probably around the same time.

Starting point is 02:29:29 And we used to play on the plane and then I got a watch from my 1000th game in the golf cart. Holy shit, spoiled. Geez, that's nice. But I will say, just to get back to Brady Kachuk, young guys take some notice of what he did when he was struggling a little bit. Did he stop running guys through the wall? No. Did he stop fighting?

Starting point is 02:29:53 No. Did he bring the heat every game? Yes. And just what an ultimate teammate, a guy that is a captain through and through. And you look back at, if they make the the playoffs this year you look back at his stretch of games where he wasn't playing as well as he thought so but or thought he could play and you're like you know what Brady still brought a hundred percent every single shift and and that's what leaders do and that's why he's one of the best in the league.

Starting point is 02:30:18 Yeah that's like people put such an emphasis on points but like you said like how can you how can you make an impact when, when maybe that's not part of your game and that's lacking and completely agree with you, Yans. And I'm looking forward to him and Matthew playing together at the four nations. Like when's the last time, I mean, when's the last time Brady Kachuck played meaningful games at the pro level? Never played a playoff game before, right? And now he gets the fucking play with his brother and go against Team Canada. Billy G just did an interview recently, so. The Bash Brothers.

Starting point is 02:30:50 The Bash Brothers are back. I was actually surprised, we'll get into that in a little bit. Brandon Sodgais, I respect the hell out of this move. Doug Armstrong told him, hey listen, you're going down to the minors and you're going to make five million bucks down in the minors. And he said, please get rid of the contract. That's guys, everyone listening. That's how bad the HL is when you've been in the NHL that long. This guy's, he's given back pro rated five million the rest of the year to just not go down to the jungle.

Starting point is 02:31:26 And I really respect that. I get St. Louis, like not in the plans, we're going younger. They've been struggling lately too, but this guy said, no, I still think I have a lot of game. And he goes out and Vegas picks him up after the contract was terminated. Vegas decides to sign him. And I think he's going to make a difference. I don't know where he'll fit in in the lineup, but like that is, I mean, he's made a bunch of money, right? So it's not the end of the world, but most people like you're going down to the AHO and you're collecting your dough. True cap circumcision. He literally cut it off. Yeah, he cut off the paycheck. That's true. That's the truest form of cap circumcision. So the Vegas gold Knights back at it. Um, I think he's just one of those

Starting point is 02:32:07 guys when put with the right line, like he it's like for Hagee, like streaky, like he, he could be a guy in playoff who ends up having 10 goals for you. I know he and, and, and also one of those guys, it feels like with playing with the house's money, he's got a, what, two cups, the one, two cups with Chicago. Yep. Like he's just like the moment's money. He's got what two cups. He went two cups with Chicago. Yep. Like he's just like the moment's not too big for him. So it's almost like it, like the game slows down for him in that situation. So this could end up paying huge dividends and not a big risk. So ball's he moved by him to leave him a little bit of money on the table. But as you said, those soggy subs are not very good down there. No, dude, you think of that?

Starting point is 02:32:46 You think of that 11 a.m. Kids game where spongebob feel like I ain't fucking going down there boys I think we're going down there bring your pet parakeet of the game. Oh I just I just think for him. It's like it's been ten years since he's won a cup obviously, he's won two and I think there's no amount of money that can persuade you from not wanting to give yourself a chance to win. I think he made it clear to them. He wanted to go to a contender. Obviously, he's a good guy.

Starting point is 02:33:19 They took care of him and were able to do what they did. He gets to have a chance to win another cup. And I think it just goes to show you how much winning means to these guys in the league where he's won two cups, but it's been 10 years and he wants another one bad. So how much did he leave on the table exactly with, given the proration and what he's going to make? So he signed 1.25, prorated. It was at what, 5.425?

Starting point is 02:33:48 So, I don't know. Probably at least a million and a half? Yeah, yeah, probably. G says via daily face off, he's playing on the third line with Brett Howden and Mark Stone. Not bad. And the other thing is he had 26 goals last year. He's probably like, I'm not done here.

Starting point is 02:34:03 And it goes back to the cap going up. They were trying to trade him for a long time, but at that salary, it couldn't get done. That might change as the cap goes up and up. You can trade. That's kind of what I'm saying. You're not talking numbers. You're not talking figuring out the contracts. It's just, we need this player. This player can help. So he made it happen on his own by sacrificing a bunch of dough I'm sure if his wife does the finances like the two-week paycheck. She's like what the fuck What are you doing? Don't worry. Don't worry, babe. I'm gonna light it up in the playoffs I'm gonna make it all back and free agency. Yeah, see what happens for him Before we go any further guys, I need to talk to you about game time game time It's hockey season and we can't wait to get out to some games coming up soon and it's all because of the help of Game Time, the official ticketing partner of Barstool Sports. There's no feeling like seeing a breakaway goal

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Starting point is 02:35:51 Take your guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account and use code CHICKLITS for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code CHICKLITS for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. What time is it? Game time. Guys, the Buffalo Sabres watching Tage Thompson, their best player by 25 miles, get run over at center ice and not one person doing anything. It made me angry.

Starting point is 02:36:23 It actually, Keith sent it to the group. I wasn't watching the game and I watched it. I'm like, are you kidding me? And I'm gonna make this perfectly clear. I hope that all the listeners know like I wasn't even close to a tough guy. Not even remotely close. But I think

Starting point is 02:36:40 I had five or six fights and every single one of them was after a player got buried You just and I'm not trying to like call out guys on Buffalo and Lindy rough after the game said there were guys that Wanted to go at him right away Like he had the players backs But if you're the Buffalo Sabres sitting in dead last in the conference and you got the last 20 years For the last 20 years and Keith you sent the clip. What did Tage Thompson do against Boston a few years ago? I think it was the COVID year.

Starting point is 02:37:11 I think it was Casey Middlestadt gets run by Kevin Miller, who is a killer. Kevin Miller was a tough, tough fighter. Oh yeah. Yeah. I think he broke Joe Vitale's face, right? Like this kid is a bona fide killer and Casey Middlestad, who was not the best player

Starting point is 02:37:30 on their team like Tage Thompson is, gets ran by Kevin Miller and Tage Thompson sheds his mitts and gets beat up because that's what you do as a hockey player. Not one guy came to his aid, not one guy. And I don't know if Lindy Ruffs lost his fastball a little bit, or, you know, I appreciate him

Starting point is 02:37:48 having the guys on his team's back, but someone has to do something. I don't care, and it's not like it was Kevin Miller who hit him, it was Stefan Knowsen, who's, you know, a hard-working, tough player, but he is not a killer, and like, he's not a guy that he is gonna punch your face in. He's gonna obviously answer the bell cause of who he is,

Starting point is 02:38:08 but it's not a guy, it's not Ryan Reeves running your best player where you're a little bit afraid to get in there. You have to get in when your best player is getting his head almost amputated. You have to step in. Doesn't even matter, right? Yans, if you saw the hit.

Starting point is 02:38:23 Like, doesn't even matter. It doesn't matter. The craziest part about it was watching the clip, whether it's right or wrong, you see big hits now, you see guys get jumped. Thompson is laying there, crippled in a ball, and then you just see Sabres players just skating around. It was so wild to not see something happen immediately. It's like, it was so wild to not see something happen immediately. It's like, oh my God, what are you doing?

Starting point is 02:38:49 Just grab somebody, even if you don't see it. I would have rather them go over to Thompson on the ice, how little kids do, and go around him and make sure he's okay than what they did and just kind of circle around and do nothing. It was, it honestly made me, I remember Shane Doane got hit by James Wisniewski. I was in that game. I had to skate two zones knowing I was going to get my head caved in by James Wisniewski who's a lefty. I'm like,

Starting point is 02:39:17 oh well you got to do it. Like your best player gets taken advantage of. It's just, I didn't want to do it like you, Whit. I didn't want to to fight but it's just something you have to do and the Buffalo Sabres haven't played a meaningful game in 20 years it has to start somewhere it has to start somewhere in when your best player like if I'm him I'm like what is this organization doing right now yeah does that make you want to stay there long term biz no I mean you just talked about that with Newski hit on Donner. I was losing it on the bench.

Starting point is 02:39:48 I actually fought Peros the next shift just as a result because I was so angry and I needed to get it out. That's the type of lack of response that if I'm a season ticket holder of the Buffalo Sabres, I'm saying fuck this, man. It's a broken culture. You're not going to fight for your best fucking player when he gets laid out when you're sitting dead last in the in the are they dead Last in the league or just in the East in the world in the way

Starting point is 02:40:13 But you look at Vegas your frustration is is warranted man. It was just like I was I watched the clip and I'm Like at first when people are trying to figure something out like figure out who did it Maybe there's like a little bit of a pause but even after that man There was a lot just a lack of emotion everyone just standing on everybody kind of just grabbing a guy being like alright Let's just drop the puck and get this like just end the season fuck you. But you look at you look at Vegas and What's a Petro gets buried by Cooley, and Haag jumps in right away. That's a winning team. That's what winning teams do.

Starting point is 02:40:48 In the history of this game, that is what winning teams do, and it has to start somewhere in Buffalo. And I'm sorry I'm so worked up about it, but I just hate to see when a young kid like that who is a franchise player and no one has his back. It's sickening to me. I know we always go back to Florida

Starting point is 02:41:08 with these types of things, but could you imagine that happening on the Florida Panthers team? There'd be fucking, there'd be guys getting 10 game sussies because guys would be coming off the bench. Kachaka would be taking his skate off and trying to slice him with it. Hey, hey, going back to Arizona

Starting point is 02:41:23 when Radoslav Klola got lit up in preseason I was fucking one leg over the board over the back's max dome and get off the ice And then I got a ten gamer it got reduced to three because Matt but but then again max did the right thing like he was coming back and then noticed that Klazla got blown up So when I made eye contact that he was coming back I jumped and then he looked and just skated blown up. So when I made eye contact that he was coming back, I jumped and then he looked and just skated over.

Starting point is 02:41:48 So we ended up having too many men. But that's what you do. And Max was 18. And 18 years old and probably had no pro fights under his belt. So just disgusting behavior from the Buffalo Sabres, making the headlines for all the wrong reasons once again. The Buffalo Sabres are truly,

Starting point is 02:42:09 if you wanna talk about having relegation in the NHL, it's the Buffalo Sabre. This is like, Keith, you're right, that was like, oh my God, this is it. This is the final straw. This team, holy shit. At least go up. They can merge them and the Islanders. They can merge the teams,. Like this team, holy shit. At least go up. They can merge them and the Islanders.

Starting point is 02:42:27 They can merge the teams, make a competitive team. Then move them to Quebec. Bad news in Montreal, guys. They've lost five in a row and they lost defenseman Kaden Gouli. He got a lacerated quad, dude. Like, I don't know, freaky, fluky accident. It was surgically repaired, but he's going to be out quite a while.

Starting point is 02:42:48 And the Canadians had that big push. But I was talking to our good friend Billy Ryan, scouts from Montreal, Keith and I, and he was up there. Teddy Purcell actually worked for the Canadians. So they were up there and they were with Marty St. Louis and Gordon and Hughes. And St. Louis was telling Bill, like, I don't think people realize how good this Kaden Gouli is. Like, he can shut guys down, he skates like the wind, can add a little offense. I actually asked Bill what he thought about

Starting point is 02:43:15 a possible, like, comparison to Ryan McDonough. I think Ryan McDonough is more physical, but I think of Ryan McDonough as a shutdown D-Man who could also add a little offense. So take away like the physicality Mack truck part of McDonough. I think Gouli is like that type of player. And when he went down, it's almost like I don't know if they can kind of sustain this push they'd been on. So that just sucks to see a young D-Man. And it was a fluke injury too. I mean, you get cut in the quad.

Starting point is 02:43:42 It's not even nothing you can do on that. I know guys wear the socks now and wear the wrist guards and everything, so that sucks. But- Well, that's negative news for the Canadians, some positive news for Canadians. They paused the tariffs for 30 days. I just got a text.

Starting point is 02:43:58 So they've paused the tariffs. I know it has nothing to do with the Montreal Canadians, but it does with all Canadians. I saw that the Mexico one was paused. The fact we're talking about it, but is the Canada one paused? It's paused. 30 days. So Pink Whitney will still be available at the LCBO as of tomorrow for the next 30 days.

Starting point is 02:44:19 I definitely don't support the tariffs. Don't really understand the going after Canada. Kind of think of US Canada as like one big happy family. Don't love the tariffs. Until the four nations, but you guys get the point. This could add a little. They've been booing the anthem. I know they're pissed off.

Starting point is 02:44:41 We're trying to fucking ruin them through their economy. I don't understand the Canadian tariffs. Let's just say our lumber, you take our fresh water, our your maple syrup players. I think we need oil from you guys, I'm guessing. Yeah, we fuck for whatever reason, we're all buying it from you. How the fuck does this all work? So did I. I mean, no idea. We've been fighting together for years. This could add a little four nations.

Starting point is 02:45:07 I mean, Montreal, God damn, they're going to be crushing the anthem when we get up there for the four nations. Oh yeah. Wow. I never even thought of that. We're going to be at that game, by the way, right? We're going up there. We'll be up there. Our first game will be U.S. Finland on the 13th and then we'll be at both games on the 15th. Very excited to get to Montreal. I've always said Montreal feels like you're in Europe.

Starting point is 02:45:27 I don't think that's the craziest statement anyone's ever heard. It's probably been uttered millions of times. A beautiful city. And Four Nations captains were. Yeah, of course. You got a lot of those, buddy. Four Nations captains, no surprise at all. Sasha Barkov for Finland.

Starting point is 02:45:44 Victor Headman for Sweden. Totally makes sense. No surprise at all Sasha Barkov for Finland Victor Hedman for Sweden totally makes sense no surprise at all Sydney Crosby for Canada that was shocking couldn't believe that decision and Austin Matthews for the United States The only one where I'd say I kind of thought it would be Matthew Kachuk I don't know if you guys lean that way Austin Matthews is the best player on the team So if you want to go that route, I would say that all four of those players maybe I mean Crosby, McDavid and McKinnon has overtaken him but Sid is captain Canada. What did you think any surprise for you with Austin Matthews wearing the CBiz? Yeah I figured he's wearing it in Toronto the biggest market in the NHL he

Starting point is 02:46:19 can handle it with the Four Nations but But I would have been okay with Matthew or even Brady having it. Like, you know, I feel like Matthews isn't exactly the guy in the locker room who's like saying a lot, especially not as much as Matthew Kachuk with behind the scenes and what we've seen with him in Florida. So I think that Matthew Kachuk is a leader of men. Not saying that Austin Matthews isn't.

Starting point is 02:46:44 I would say that maybe Matthew Kachuck is a little bit more proven being a leader of men. Would you agree with that? Yeah, I mean, I think they're both great leaders. Obviously, two different, I mean, we've all played for some guys who lead by example and lead by vocal. I think Matthew does a little bit of both,

Starting point is 02:47:04 but yeah, I have no problem with it. I think Matthew Kachuk's one of those guys, he doesn't need a letter or a C or an A to lead the way that he does. So I don't think there's any issue with any of those. It seemed like every team had like two forwards and a D as their captain, which I like. And obviously every guy on that team is,

Starting point is 02:47:23 on all those teams could be a captain of any team so it's you know it's pretty much pick who you choose and I think they all made the right decision. Crazy to not see Nathan McKinnon with a letter on his shirt but I understand McCarr getting it being one of the defensemen. Fenway Sports Group will put a minority stake in the Penguins on the market this week sources tell ESPN's Emily Kaplan and Kevin Weeks. Fenway Sports Group reportedly anticipates maintaining a controlling interest in the team.

Starting point is 02:47:51 We actually talked about this in Orlando, how maybe they would sell the team after the next expansion fee comes in. Just kind of rumblings and rumors you hear. The Pens are in a world of hurt, boys. They are looking at a Crazy next like ten years possibly if if I'm said I basically say give me a percentage of the team Or I'm not gonna carry you into playoffs this year

Starting point is 02:48:16 Because that's what he's been fucking doing. I think he scored four four games in a row now He's just lighting the world on fire the only reason they have a fucking chicken dick's chance of even sniffing playoffs. Do you think that there's a possibility that Sidney Crosby owns a piece of the Pittsburgh Penguins and maybe that's why he's not going anywhere? I don't think currently he owns any of the Penguins. I would hope someday he does. Like they were, if they didn't get them, they were probably moving. He literally saved the entire franchise. You'd think at the end, it's like, hey, here,

Starting point is 02:48:49 take 5%. I don't know. I don't know how it's gonna work, but I just know that if they're looking to sell part of it now, what's stopping them from selling the rest of it in a few years? I don't know, it's just bizarre, the whole thing, how they got them and then everything that's happened there.

Starting point is 02:49:06 Although I think it was horrible timing for them to buy that team and at what price they did it for. Like I just, I didn't understand the timing. You're just, you know you're about to hit the dog days. Like why do it then? I know, I know, very confusing. Jonathan Quick, guys, is a for sure Hall of Famer,

Starting point is 02:49:29 and he notched his 400th win. I believe he's one of 14 goalies and the first ever American goalie to get to 400 wins. And it was cool, he did it in New York in an enormous win for those guys on a back-to-back after playing in Boston against Vegas He was lights out and I think the celebration guys ran over to him and jumped on him But the career this guy's had it's just been so sick and people thought like he was done

Starting point is 02:49:55 Right the trade to Columbus for two seconds and then to Vegas and then he signs with New York and he's been awesome Since he got there to see him get those 400 that 400 win. I was so happy for him. Yeah, I had the chance to play against him in high school. He beat us in the finals one year shut us out. You knew from a young age, you know, that's what 17 18 years old you knew from a young age he was going to be who he is. And I think he's lived up to it.

Starting point is 02:50:22 And I think he's done it his way to like Like the way that he plays, the saves that he makes, the character that he is, is amazing. But I saw something last night and you never really talk about hockey IQ with goalies. And end of the game last night, they're up by, I think they were up by one, no, they were up by two, shot from the point in the middle of the ice. So he saved it in the middle of his crease,

Starting point is 02:50:47 but as he saved it, he pushes himself over to the left because he knows JT Miller's out there to take the draw on his strong hand side. So just little things like that, that goalies can provide for your team. And you don't think of a hockey IQ with goalies, but to last as long as he has and to play a position where it demands so much on your body

Starting point is 02:51:09 and what he's been able to do is a true testament of his character and his hard work. Obviously, for sure Hall of Famer, and hopefully he has much more success. I just, like Whit said in the chat, I just want a couple of slices of his pizza. I know. Johnny's a pizza.

Starting point is 02:51:26 And like you always hope a guy who's done what he did, even like before he got traded, like he gets to go on his own terms and then he got pigeon tossed, called off the bus. I think they were in Winnipeg when it happened, when he got moved on from LA, he goes to Columbus and then a quick turnaround. He gets to win that cup

Starting point is 02:51:45 and especially after dealing with all those injuries and hip surgeries and maybe having to not play the way that he used to, remember how he used to get so low when he won the Vezin, he was fucking unbeatable those years. We played them in the Western Conference Finals, Jans, but to him to kind of get back to that level of play and then to get to go back to To near his hometown in Connecticut like it's just awesome to see that the way that he was able to kind of turn it all around from that point when he

Starting point is 02:52:11 Got pigeon-toss off the bus to to end up getting to where he is now So just an incredible guy so well liked and along with doing all that also now helping mentor other guys Whether it was Aiden Hill when I remember in one of those, those finals games, he led in a bad goal, I think actually was in the Western Conference finals, it might've been against Dallas. And I heard the story of him pulling in Hill aside. He's like, don't fucking worry about that. Let that shit go. And for a younger goalie to have a guy of that status to lean on and to be a mentor, just like an all time guy. And like you said, a hall of famer, no doubt.

Starting point is 02:52:51 And yeah, I think there was a time when a lot of people thought he might not get to 400 based on like how it was ending in LA. And then he goes to Vegas. It's like, I don't know if he's ever going to get there. So congrats to him. And you talk about being a mentor at the end of your career, like what Marc-Andre Fleury has done for a long time now, not being like the number one guy he was for so long and then to see it all come to a head in his last game in the province of Quebec till he signs with the senators and then plays for the Quebec senators. It was it was it was a clinic, dude dude. I turned on the game and he was standing on his head.

Starting point is 02:53:29 I think it was 2-0. He made this ridiculous kick save, wild go down the other end, make it 3-0. The crowd went amazing. The crowd was going nuts. And then also it was cool to see all the Montreal Canadians players stayed on the ice after, shook his hand. And just I saw Alan Walsh, his agent, after he tweet out a picture, he's like, he's got to be like 11 years old. He's got his glasses on and he's just like posing in his goalie pose. And just to think like what he's done in his career. And for him, Murls called it on game notes. That's what's crazy. Murls called it shut out for his last game in Montreal.

Starting point is 02:54:03 And he ends up pulling it off, just a storybook ending for him in his home province. I think we learned everything we needed to know about Marc-Andre Fleury with the Matt Murray situation in Pittsburgh when he brought them to the Eastern Conference Finals against Ottawa and handed off the reins and just continued to be an unreal supportive teammate despite getting the yank.

Starting point is 02:54:22 And he was playing great up until that point. And just an all-time guy, just like we talked about Quickie, supportive teammate despite getting the yank and he was playing great up until that point and just an all-time guy just like we talked about Quickie and just an incredible ambassador to the game of hockey. The way that even in the back half of his career how he's like taking all the interviews and had fun with it and you know the fun silly pads the. So I don't know how somebody is that good for that long and stays that focused when having that much fun off the ice with the pranking and all the craziness. So just the flower all time. They shouldn't duck those guys at the same time. Like do like a special goal a year when these guys retire. Would that have to retire at the same time?

Starting point is 02:55:05 I think they, I mean, maybe Quick keeps playing, but Flo is trying. I think he might play one more year. I think Quickie signed one more year, but I could be wrong. Oh, wow, he's still going. Which is like, I try to, I think he's had like one or two hip surgeries, like lower body.

Starting point is 02:55:23 I think every goal he gets, it's like Tommy John for pitchers. Especially if you're playing as athletic, the way that, like, he relied more on his athleticism than he probably did like structure from a goalie standpoint, at least early in his career. I don't know enough about goaltending to know how they've transformed their game. I would imagine he's working with that Benoit Allaire, who is a goalie coach for the Rangers.

Starting point is 02:55:48 So maybe he's changed stuff, but yeah, those guys are some of the most athletic goalies to ever do it and transform the game. I just think Flower being a first overall pick and the pressure that comes with that and what he brought to the Penguins and Team Canada and every fan in the NHL because you don't really see a lot of NHL guys get the swan songs that he's getting from pretty much every arena and he deserves every single second of it.

Starting point is 02:56:21 I'm sure he hates all of it. He had his mask on. I'm sure he was teary-eyed and I'm sure it meant a lot to him. But I don't think hockey players are really built like that. Like he just wanted to play his game and but he deserves everything he's getting because of what he's done, helped promote this game and get the cap to a hundred and seventeen million. Yeah, exactly. Quick actually is a UFA at the end of the year. You're welcome, exactly. Quick actually is a UFA at the end of the year. If Quick does retire, I think three years from now you could see him going in in the same class.

Starting point is 02:56:52 I don't know, have two goalies ever gone in in the same year? I want to say the year they did Lundquist they had Mike Vernon went in. So that was same season? I think that, yeah, I think that that was. Maybe it was Luongo and Vernon. Okay, yeah, G can look that up Luang. Maybe it was Luang going burning Okay. Yeah, G can look that up while we it's definitely too gold So my question if it ever happened happened like two years ago. Yeah, so stay hot might have him this year

Starting point is 02:57:16 Utah boys they announced the next step in its pursuit of a nickname The fans will now vote on the three finalsists. Utah Hockey Club, please no, the current name. I don't hate it. What? I just don't, no, I don't. When all these soccer teams have that, I get it. When you're the only team called the Utah Hockey Club, I don't like it.

Starting point is 02:57:37 Yeah, differentiate yourself, that's the whole point. I think that they need to stick with it. I think, so the other one is the the Utah mammoth or the Utah outlaws. It was the was was such I don't I got no clue what a was. It's a mountain range from my understanding. Oh, it's a big mountain range there or something. I hiked it one time. I think the mammoth and biz those possible jerseys that you retweeted, the mammoth sound awesome.

Starting point is 02:58:07 I think that they should have a creature of some sort like that as their mascot. I think they should remain as the Utah hockey club. That's how they came in. They are very focused on growing grassroots. I think it's cool because you talked about all those soccer teams and how like they have programs where like don't they have like under 10, under 12, under 14 and like to grow the game from a new place that there's never been NHL hockey, why not have that? And then do a third jersey with that mammoth logo and then that's your mascot. So you're technically like the mammoth or because they can't say yeti now, but that would be your mascot and what you're known for. But the Utah Hockey Club has a nice ring to it in my opinion. For some, it might be too vanilla. They don't like the soccer type reference and the fact that they all do it. But I think Utah Hockey Club needs to be the name. Stick with it. They did just release the logos as well as to which each team would be, Biz.

Starting point is 02:59:07 And if it was Utah Hockey Club, it would be very similar to what you just said. It would be a Utah HC with a logo like that, but it would be the Yeti logo. I think they originally had before. I like that. It's a really cool logo. I like the Yeti logo better. You could tell they went all in on this Yeti logo because it's a sick logo. So use that as your third Jersey, but keep the one everyone calls them the Yeti. Like

Starting point is 02:59:30 that. That's that. That's where you could maybe get away with it. As as like similar thing to the mascot. But I don't know. It kind of sucks. I thought that Utah Yeti was the name. Okay. So I don't I don't like Utah hockey club so I don't, like Utah Hockey Club, I don't dislike that. I just don't like seeing Utah HC. Like the HC for me, it just doesn't, I don't know, it just doesn't do it for me. Like Utah Hockey Club, yeah, that sounds pretty legit,

Starting point is 02:59:57 but it'll always be HC. You'll see that like on the standings and stuff. And I don't know, I think the Mammoth are kind of cool, but yeah, the original, the Yeti logo that they wanted that would be sweet I don't know. We'll see what happens. I really really want to get to a game out there though looks awesome Especially when that rink has all their What do they call it? Who's their beer their their soda pop?

Starting point is 03:00:25 their beer, their soda pop, their swingers. Guys, Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, he said that he's open to the NBA reducing quarters to 10 minutes and says that the viewer's attention span is more suited for a two hour experience. Baseball has gone to the pitch clock to speed up their games. Should the NHL take steps in steps in somehow? Yes, they should and I've said it before if they don't do it. They're fucking idiots enough with the TV timeouts Reduce them make I think right now they have three TV timeouts during a period. Yeah

Starting point is 03:01:01 Sometimes the way they happen is where you'll have one and then a minute and a half later They'll have another whistle and then they're going to another TV timeout. It's brutal. It's like going to an NFL game So they're all yeah, but the commercials the amount of money you make buddy Make the intermissions a little bit longer You have a little bit longer to grab a beer and then when the game is on and it starts You're fucking dialed in and it's moving. And then some other people make the argument like, oh, we don't come to watch the fourth liners,

Starting point is 03:01:31 that gives the top liners a little bit more time to get rest. Shut the fuck up. Let's go here. Let's get the intensity. That's coming from a fourth liner. It's a fourth, it's a fourth. You fucking, not, Hey, you watch your goddamn

Starting point is 03:01:46 up. Rule changes only three lines. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But Fizz, what about what about they have you seen how much snow they pick up on those timeouts? So do it. You can't do it with two. You can't do it with two. You need three. So you're saying that. So right now it's at the 14 minute whistle, the 10 minute whistle, and the six minute whistle, maybe at like 14 and eight? I think you do one at the 13 minute mark and one at the seven minute mark. Okay, but I don't know, I don't know.

Starting point is 03:02:18 Okay, so if you want to keep the same amount of ads in the two and then just lengthen the intermission, I don't think we're talking about a quicker game. You're talking about the attention span of when the action is on. That's it. That's what I'm trying to do here. And we're not, we're talking about subbing out three minutes of people's time and then moving it to the intermission. Can I get a, can I get a hand count for you people listening? If you're driving right now, make sure you keep two hands on the steering wheel. But how many of you go for a beer

Starting point is 03:02:47 or something during the intermission, and by the time you get back to your seats, there's been a few minutes that have gone by in the period. You need a little extra time between periods to get your snacks and your booze. Because some of these people who are working the canteens, it's their part-time job, they're not necessarily that fast. I wish that they were faster.

Starting point is 03:03:06 They had a faster system. Get them in and out, get them in and out. They don't, it's slow sometimes. They can do the same thing. Are they gonna ID everyone? They're IDing like 70 year old guys. It's slow, it's a brutal process. So give them an extra two, three minutes

Starting point is 03:03:17 during the intermission, and when the puck drops for the period, enough with these lengthy timeouts. I don't wanna see this girl with an unreal tushy, although she's an ankle bender out there clearing the snow. I don't care. All right. All right. I could see that.

Starting point is 03:03:31 Unless it's Bonnie Blue. Isn't there enough advertisement on the boards and on the ice and on the glass that they don't even need an admission? I don't know, guys. We're talking about $117 million cap in three years. I think it has something to do with these TV ads You know what? I don't but biz I don't like is which I didn't realize it and I went to a Bruins game when I was

Starting point is 03:03:53 home for Thanksgiving Pittsburgh was playing so went to watch hazy and You can't go to your seat when the plays going on So you have to sit you have to stand at the concourse, like you're sitting there with your food and your beer waiting. It could be seven minutes. Yeah, because it took too long to get it. And then the period starts quicker because they want to use the timeouts

Starting point is 03:04:12 during the fucking period. It's dumb. It's all stupid. I've said this before in this podcast. We need to put up a poll of, get the fans involved in this. They're selling ads on the jerseys and the boards, like you just said.

Starting point is 03:04:26 They can afford to not have one extra TV timeout. They can use that between periods. No, Whit? Are you on board with my idea or not? I am. I am. Thank you. I am on board with your idea.

Starting point is 03:04:39 I know you've been saying it for a while. And to go back to the original point that you made in Adam Silver, it goes back to attention span. I don't want to be sitting in my seat after I just saw a TV timeout, a minute and a half of action, two minutes of action, and then right back to a timeout. That makes me feel like I'm at an NFL game.

Starting point is 03:04:56 Oh, cool play, all right, let's wait another 45 seconds to the next play. Oh, quick play, oh, let's wait another 45 seconds. Oh, we're going to a TV timeout. Like in the at game action for the NFL is brutal. I'd much rather watch on TV. Make the experience for the fan in the rinks better. Keith, could you maybe give a comparison

Starting point is 03:05:18 to the NHL version of Luca for Anthony Davis? Now, I'm not an NBA guy at all. I saw this news break. I actually was one of the people asleep. I believe it was late Saturday night. I know Luca's unreal. People were shocked though, shocked to see this. So I don't know if you could-

Starting point is 03:05:41 I think because of his age, he's 25 years old, he's the face of that franchise where they've had, you know, Dirk was the face of their franchise as a European guy, then they have Luca come in kind of take over for that. I think to give it, it'd probably be like, I don't know, trading Macar for... Doughty?

Starting point is 03:06:05 Yeah, Doughty, good one. Somebody wrote the perfect example. It's like trading Joe Thornton in his prime. Okay, Luke is that good. Yeah, and he's a fucking reigning MVP. I think he's won one or at least one, maybe two MVPs. I think that this is an overthink by their management thinking that the weight will catch up to him.

Starting point is 03:06:29 That he's not good. He is a little chubby. Buddy, I went and saw him play live. He is so efficient. It was one of the- He just slows the game down. It's like he plays to his pace. It was one of the most magical things

Starting point is 03:06:39 I've ever seen in my life. Really? You were that pressed up close. Him and the guy from the Denver Nuggets. Wow. Yoke. Just how they're and the guy from the Denver Nuggets. Wow. Jokic. Just how they're third. The guy from the Denver Nuggets looks taller and even actually less proportionate.

Starting point is 03:06:53 The guy from the Denver Nuggets, what's his name? Jokic. Jokic. He just looks sloppy, like weird. He's got no biceps. His arms were brutal. The athleticism out of a guy that looked like that I couldn't believe it I just couldn't for for the guy for Dallas um he looked a little

Starting point is 03:07:14 bit more proportionate but he definitely looks like he's probably about 18 to 20 percent body fat that is but but for whatever reason, his steps were long, he was fluid, he never got tired. He always knew the exact move to make or the play to make, whether it was pass, whether it was to sneak underneath the guy and use the backboard on a little layup, like it was so elegant. So for such a big 18% body fat guy,

Starting point is 03:07:44 the finesse on him was just why you laugh it cuz I'm calling out about me yeah kind of cut knock if you've seen you shoot yeah I'm not talking but you're talking like the body oh the arms no biceps but just fluid and 18% body fat I'm like holy shit there's a scouting report on me. I think that the guy from Dallas, I don't know their names, how do you say his name the guy from Dallas? It's Luka Donchik and then is it Nikolaj?

Starting point is 03:08:18 Donchik looks like he competes at the strongman competitions or he looks like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler in his prime compared to that guy who plays for the Denver Nuggets. That guy's body was... But he's way taller, isn't he? Yeah, he's a center. He's just a blob. But, incredible. I wanna shout out, as we finish up here,

Starting point is 03:08:40 totally off topic, off hockey, I guess Jack Besh He played a TCU this year He's a wide receiver and he played in the senior bowl this past week He scored the winning touchdown with no time remaining. He lost his brother Tiger in that terrorist attack in New Orleans about a month ago, and he just obviously got so emotional He went down. He gave this speech after talking about his brother. And I guess thinking of my brother, it was so emotional to watch. And now I'm so invested where he gets drafted.

Starting point is 03:09:16 I think he could be a second, third round pick, but he was the senior bowl MVP as well. And this kid, what he went through a month He is it was his older brother a tiger was his idol and like to be killed in this like Horrific tragedy in New Orleans, then this kid goes out catches the game winner MVP like just an unreal story You could look just Google up. It's spelled B E C H But it's pronounced best Jack bash look up Jack bash It's spelled B-E-C-H, but it's pronounced Besh, Jack Besh. Look up Jack Besh, Senior Bowl MVP interviewer. Oh my God, dude, get the tissues ready. So congrats to him.

Starting point is 03:09:50 And we're ending on a tough note, man. Two different things. Sean Simpson was a former goalie and an Ottawa Senator's radio broadcaster, beloved by so many people in Ottawa and other media members. And I think he had been a real struggle for him, you know, fighting fighting mental illness. And so many people had been there to help him and just love this guy.

Starting point is 03:10:15 And he passed away. And it's just just horrible news in the hockey community. I mean, the the the outpouring of of supports and messages on messages on what he meant to people out there was just really, really hard news for the hockey community and the hockey world. We're thinking of his family and then also that horrific plane crash with the helicopter. There was a lot of people from the Skating Club of Boston on that plane, kids. It's like, can't even think about it. And we want to send our regards and our prayers to those families and

Starting point is 03:10:52 those communities that were affected by that. So we're ending on some really tough news. But we appreciate you guys tuning in again this week. A lot of action this past week. And we'll be back to you next week with more. We've got Four Nations coming up and the trade deadline, so it's an exciting time in this part of the season. We love you all. Love both of you guys, and thank you so much for listening, folks. So have a great week. I don't know any other way

Starting point is 03:11:25 Even if I could go away I don't know any other way This feeling is so hard to wear I don't know any other way Even if I could go away I don't know any other way This feeling is so hard to break I'll get you someday

Spittin Chiclets - Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 543: Featuring Jim Nill

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