Spittin Chiclets - Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 548: Featuring Max Talbot & Ryan Kesler

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

On Episode 548 of Spittin’ Chiclets the boys sat down with Max Talbot in Montreal during the Four Nations Tournament to talk about meeting a 13 year old dominant Sidney Crosby, where Talbot's work ethic came from and much more. Later on, Ryan Kesler joins the pod to discuss a viral moment when his sons team beatdown on another team 44-0 and also what it’s like coaching in the youth system nowadays. But first, with the Trade Deadline looming, the guys talk rumors and major possibilities that could shake up the Hockey World. Tons of Chiclets content coming at you in the coming weeks; Four Nations Vlog, Bob Does Sports Sandbagger Rematch and a Chiclets U at Minnesota, so keep your eyes peeled. All this and more on this weeks episode, you won’t want to miss it. 00:00:00 - START 00:00:25 - Chiclets Updates 00:13:15 - Trade Deadline 01:04:05 - Around the League 01:22:16 - Max Talbot Interview 02:40:46 - Quick Hits 02:58:01 - Ryan Kesler Interview 03:35:24 - ETC. Support the Show: PINK WHITNEY: Take Your Shot with Pink Whitney BODYARMOR:  Get your BODYARMOR Flash I.V. today at a local 7-Eleven or on Amazon! https://www.drinkbodyarmor.com/flash-iv-sports-drink/ RHOBACK: Use code CHICLETS on https://rhoback.com for a generous 20% off your first purchase through the end of this week ORGAIN: For 30% off your order, head to https://Orgain.com/CHICLETS and use code CHICLETS. DOVE: Shop now at Walmart. RO: Connect with a provider at RO.co/CHICLETS to find out if prescription Ro Sparks are right for you and get $15 off your first order DRAFTKINGS: Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use code CHICLETS. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, [phone] or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 3/16/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

Hey, spittin' Chicklets listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Me and Ryan have been officially welcomed to the jungle that is basketball sports. Our white whale, Sidney Crosby! Shave his head! Shave his head! Shave his head! Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, R.A., Mike Grinelli, Spitton Chicklets. What is up, folks? Welcome to episode 548 of the Spitton Chicklets podcast presented to you by Pink Whitney and

Pink Whitney boys. It was flowing. I don't know if I should admit this or not, but I had a little shot of pink Whitney before the Amazon coast to coast. We all did. We'll get into that. But just to loosen up. All right. Here's my drink. Here's my drink. Boom. I'm ready to go on TV. Is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? I don't know. You can answer me in the comments, maybe.

But pink Whitney's where it's at, guys. Keith just showed you the bottle. That's the mid- But, Pink Whitney's where it's at guys. Keith just showed you the bottle. That's the mid-range bottle. There's the big dog bottle. There's the little Mickey and then there's the shooters. The shooters is the go-to boys. You want to go have some fun? Go grab a couple shooters. They got the birdie buckets. We have a new golf match coming out pretty soon. What the ball does, they were looking for a little rematch the next day and the Pink Whitney was flowing. So everyone out there, thank you for buying Pink Whitney. Go give it a shot if you haven't. And thank you to Pink Whitney for being the main sponsor of this

awesome show that we're so lucky to be a part of. And boys, it was a pleasure being with you guys in Sikrakish, New Jersey last week for Amazon Coast to Coast. Great feedback. It was only for Canadian people to watch. That's where it's on right now on Thursdays. And I had a great time. Biz, thank you very much for the invite. I know you two had done it before, but it was nice. We were just catching up. Andy Patrillo, amazing host. She did a great job. But what'd you think? How'd you think it went, Biz? Oh, I had a blast. The time flew. I mean, it's a five-hour show. Was it how I described where it's very fast-paced at the beginning and then a little bit more time in the back end to have conversation, dialogue. We talked to Bobby McMahon. We also talked to Boone Jenner who had, you know, suffered an injury coming into the season,

but they were going into stadium series. So just a great experience. That was my second show. As you mentioned, Andy Petrillo does an unreal job of driving the bus. And just want to thank Amazon for having us on board, as well as obviously Jans. And looking forward to another one. I think the next one I'm on is April 3rd.

And a concept that I hope that they adapt to in the United States as well. Like right now you said it's only available in Canada for Canadian viewers on Amazon Prime, but moving forward, I guess you could call it somewhat of like a Manning cast slash red zone. That would be the example that I would use. So Yanz, I had a blast always do with you.

How'd you feel about it? Yeah, I loved it. I think adding the, every time I've done it has been with two people and then Andy and like you guys said Andy's an unreal bus driver. I Think the three guys I think it really helped out and like, you know, like you said cuz it does get long But you're telling stories wits telling hilarious stories So I I had that was the best time I've had doing it

Not that I didn't have good times the first two times, but I thought it was amazing just, just slinging around with you guys and, you know, even just hanging out in the, in the hotel after getting, you know, bottle of wine after the show. It was, it was a blast and hopefully we have the opportunity to do it again. But like we, we just talked to Ryan Kessler and you talk about, you know, the, these kids' attention spans. And I think a show like that is perfect for it, where you're watching the game, but it's a little bit more than the five second clip.

You're actually watching how plays develop and we're touching on it and stuff like that. So I think for the development part of the game, I think it's a great show. And then the entertainment part's amazing too. And for the American people who didn't get to witness, I got just truck-stuck the whole show. It's like, hey, wanna come do this show with us?

Yeah, great, all right, we're gonna make fun of you for five hours. I was begging these producers. It was a roast. It was like, holy. Amazon roast to roast. I'm unreal. I was like, is Nikki Glaser gonna pop out of the door

and just start. I hope so. I mean, I was begging the producers to show one of my goals. I was like, guys, I had 50 goals in my career. You're showing me get lit up by Mike Komasarek. You're showing me fall over by a two by four and Barry Mark Andre flurry. You're ripping on me constantly, but you know what? Sometimes you just gotta be the butt of the joke. Biz, what was you're saying?

Or Keith, if you can't... If you can't take a joke, you become a joke. Yeah, and I guess I am a joke while also being able to take a joke. So I hope at some point... You're double-dippin'. Then they were showing lookalikes of you in the stands. They were all over you.

That was the icing on the cake. Your first show, that's what happens. Even my first show, although, Yans, that was your first show, and I felt like I was getting it more than you were. It wasn't my first. Oh, okay. Did you get tor that was your first show, and I felt like I was getting it more than you were. It wasn't my first. Oh, okay. Did you get torched on your first one?

No, God, no. Yeah, because he's in the producer's pocket. He's like, yeah, he's bringing the producer Pink Whitney. They put a guy, I mean, it looked like a guy from Rockland with a green shirt on, and I had a green shirt on. I mean, how much we looked alike. I was just like, yeah, I got a rollback on that's green. This guy has a green shirt on.

All of a sudden, I mean, you guys, you spit out your drink bits, laughing when they showed this guy on TV. So it was great. I can't even concentrate now that you said Nikki Glaser. She gets me going. Really? Oh, you think?

She had like one of the biggest glow ups in Hollywood over the last 18 months. I think that Brady Rose is actually huge. I think she kind of popped off after that. That's where she's a russian. Yeah, she was big in touring before that, but that Tom Brady Rose put her to a different level, like where every time she's going to a different city,

she has to do like two or three shows because they're all selling out. She's a hot ticket right now. And I feel like comedy really had a resurgence, and it still is. Even with, oh god, how am I drawing a blank on this guy? He's like the main guy now. Just did SNL again with Tate McCray.

The fact that you- Oh, Shane Gillis. Shane Gillis. Shane Gillis. I feel like, like, they're even starting to bring, like, the racial jokes back in, like, which, like, I feel like it's really taking a turn.

Like, the one this past weekend was, like, kind of aggressive, but ultimately, yeah, comedy's getting back to comedy, and people are starting to be able to take a joke again now that COVID's over. The couple of beers segment on SNL was one of the funny. Couple of balls is so funny. Couple of beers and then like, he's like,

he's in the stands, his kid strikes out. He's like, you can't suck at sports and school. What did I need to become a better dad? A couple of beers. How about the wife? The wife, hey, come over here and have a seat, we're gonna talk to you. He's like, nope. Ha ha ha.

Ha ha ha. Feeling drowsiness? Grab a, grab a. Couple of bumps. A couple of bumps. Couple of bumps. Or a key bump. He, and then what was the other,

before he gets the couple of beers prescription, he's like in the office, he comes over and there's like four people working, they're like, what do you want? He's just a loser. The couple of beers change his whole life, but an amazing skit. Check that one online. And during coast to coast, um, we were actually trying to get a JVR on James van Riemestein, Keith had played with him in Philly, um, was telling us some

hilarious stories and if you didn't catch the story, um, on Instagram that we put out, Keith retell the story of when he would sleep on the plane. Yeah. So he was, they used to call our, uh, cause me and him sat next to each other and we both slept on the plane, but he slept more than anyone I've ever met. Soon as he got on the plane, it was his, his winter hat over his eyes, out cold from before you take off, just sleep and mouth open. He's a mouth breather.

Obviously he's sleeping like this. So I just used to lace his lace his mouth with like, you know, Mike and Ikes or whatever candy I had. I think it was mostly Mike and Ikes and, uh, and I just put them all around. The most I ever got in his mouth was seven and he'd be sleeping. And then, you know, he had maybe some of the drool got down his throat, he tasted a Mike and Ike. He would just open his eye, look at me and just

chew away, eat them and then go back to sleep. The guy is all. A dream that would be. And then Biz, we got back to the hotel. Keith and I ordered a pizza, had some wine and we're hanging out. The other story you told had me crying, laughing in the locker room when AV was losing it. Laugh.

JVR sounds like a cartoon. Oh, yeah, he is. He's the best. And, um, so he, he was, he's one of those guys like Brent burns has a backpack full of stuff. He's got like every single gadget you could imagine. He rolls up with everything. His, his locker and biz, you know, how I am. You play with me. I don't like when anyone stuffs over my side. Don't cross the line. I used to put the line like Scott Lawton on the other side of me would come over

the line, so I'd put the piece of tape and just remind them for a couple of days. But so he would just have shit everywhere in his locker, hanging up behind them. Like he's sitting on pads there. I'm like, dude, you got to get rid of some of this stuff. Like it's a bad look. This is the first day of training camp. Coach comes in AV team meeting, going over, you know, what you expect in the year. You know how, you know, this is, we're all bought in, uh, you know, Stanley copper bus was sitting in all of a sudden you just hear, Oh, this dude had so much

stuff in his stall, it broke down and he fell down and I look over and he's looking up at me like, and you know, and like your ass gets stuck down and like your legs are kind of up, you couldn't get up. We couldn't get up. The whole room is crying laughing and AV has one of the best laughs. You can look up his laugh when Vern Fiddler is making front of BXA. You just like, it's an infectious laugh. So he started laughing. He has one of the best laughs. You can look up his laugh when Vern Fiddler's making front of BXA. It's an infectious laugh.

So he started laughing. The whole team starts laughing. He has to walk out of the room. Trainers are coming in to see what happened to JVR. He's still sitting in there. And kind of loosened up the mood a little bit for that first day jitters. But it was every day with this guy.

He was something. He's just all time. You know what that reminds me of is I'm gonna get criticized and I always get tweets like, oh, you sit down to pee. It's like, shut the fuck up. Who cares? I love sitting down to pee.

I don't wanna stand up. But like in the middle of the night when the lights are off and the seat was up, like the toilet, and then you go to sit down and then your ass ends up in the toilet and you got the cold water on your room. That's what it was like. That's kind of what it reminded me of

when I was just thinking of it. Yeah, exactly. I love sitting down to pee, Bish. Love sitting down. Is that considered, are we not men? I'll sit on my phone for 10 minutes after taking a piss. 10 hours. You know, I'm getting up, my legs are asleep.

Yeah. I don't stand up till my feet are tingling. Yeah. I think once you have kids too, it's like oh I gotta go to the bathroom and then like your wife's like Ryan Sorry, sorry. Sorry. I was just I was taking care of business. Sorry. It took me a little while You're like hiding like that movie. What movie is that Paul Rudd? He's just sitting in there his wife's losing He's watching his I this is 40. This is 40. Yeah great flick That's that's me in a couple weeks boys. I know you guys know G. Yeah, G's coming to my birthday party

I'm gonna have a little pink Whitney cocktail and shooter bar. So you'll be there in spirit Are you yeah, how many people I think you said what 30 to 40 people expected? No, I think like 60 are coming down from Canada I think by the are coming down from Canada. I think by the time at my house, I'm going to have about a hundred people and they're just finishing up the backyard now. So yeah, I would say probably about a hundred people, like some local people like Tyson Nashville come by,

Ray Whitney. I don't know if Donor's going to be in town. He's obviously on the road all the time now with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but yeah, I'm excited, man. It's going to be a hell of a way to kick off 40, and I'm pumped. I'm not a huge birthday guy. I'm doing a collab birthday with Jackie the Alien.

I think you've met her, Yans. I don't know if you've met her, Whit. No, I haven't. But, you know, it'd be a good time to see all my friends in the midst of the season, which I usually don't, only in the summertime up in Vancouver. So, super thrilled, got the Pink Whitney stand. I'm not gonna drink, no, I'm off.

I don't even know if I'll ever go back, man. I love not drinking now. Yeah. You just feel healthier. You just feel, until the L5S1 every month goes, you're just a rock. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. I've been all right lately with the L5S1 every month goes, you're just a rock. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. I've been alright lately with the L5S1.

Do you change things up? I just make sure I stretch a little bit more, not going too heavy with the weights. Yeah, no, that's pretty much all I got. This is 40, dude, this is 40. Can't wait, can't wait, Keith's next. Keith's got about three years, though. He's a lot younger than us, I suppose.

For two years, correct? Were you in 88? 86, right? No, I'm in 86. I got, yeah. 86. I got two years. I can't believe that. I'm 42 now, guys. I'm the old man in the group.

Who would've thunk it? Jesus Christ. I feel old. I look older. But you know what? At least we're doing spit and chiclets. And that kind of brings us to this week. One of the biggest weeks of the year, every year, is trade deadline week.

And this week's kind of wild because I think there's so many different names in play. It could be a giant crazy deadline week or it could kind of be a bust. Who knows? But there's a lot of teams that still think they're in the mix for the playoffs. They still have a chance of getting in and going on a run. Actually, GameNotes, they're doing a live show on Friday from 1 to 3 Eastern. The deadline ends at 3, I believe. So those guys are going to have very special guests. They're going to have a ton of people popping in. They're going to be going over what has happened all week and that day. I always feel for the guys,

and I know Biz, you'll be at sports net for their trade deadline special You see the trades go on and happen before Friday and you feel for the guys like you and James Duffy and all these guys Who are hosting all day? Yeah, I feel like they've they've prepared nowadays where they bring in so many different guys Well, though, you know, they'll do different segments. They'll start slinging around the stories like hey, what's your trade story? I'm like, well, no one wanted me so I didn't get dealt. What about you guys? But it's gonna be a great day getting to see all those guys. I love going back up to Canada and especially Toronto and mucking it up with the crew so it'll be good and kind of alluding to what you said Whit like

like Jim Nill talked about it he's like well it might not be as crazy because you have the Eastern wild card race where fucking eight teams think they're in the mix So maybe they're holding on to these assets So I can't wait to go over it with you guys rumor boy boy style who you think teams are gonna move off from who? Has been moved so far obviously a massive trade went down the other day between Chicago and Florida So I'll throw it back over to you with Whit. Let's hop into this bad boy and create some more rumors and stir up some controversy. So the party began and Kyle Davidson in Chicago, he traded Seth Jones. He made it very clear,

didn't want to be there anymore. Came out and the media said it kind of gave the team a tongue lashing after that game. I don't think it was against Vegas. I don't remember, maybe it had been against Utah where he's like, we are the same exact team as game one. And it was just quite obvious that where he was at in his career, he was ready to move on. And dude, Bill Zito in Florida went out and they grabbed him. Chicago traded Seth Jones in a fourth rounder to Florida for a first round pick in 2026. It says 2027. Gee, make sure that. I thought it was 2026, but maybe 2027. I think it's either or. Either or. And Spencer Knight. I thought this was kind of a great deal for both sides personally.

I look at Florida. Now, my first question, Keith, you're kind of around that team and see them a little bit more than us, but it was almost like, oh, why didn't you sign Montor? Now you're looking for Montor's replacement and you got him, but you could have just signed a guy that you won the Stanley Cup with. But for Chicago to retain, I think it's two and a half million. So Florida's getting a $7 million player and Seth Jones plays about 25 minutes a night the past four years. They needed help on D since Montor was gone and Oliver Ekman Larson.

And then for Chicago to get a young goaltending prospect, who's who's had success in the NHL. Keith, I'll start with you in terms of Florida. Like what did you think of the deal and how do you think Seth Jones will fit in there? Yeah. Like you said, I think it's a great deal for both sides, especially the fact that, you know, Seth Jones came out and said he wants to be traded in the fact that they were able to get a young goaltender. It's Spencer Knight's 23 years old.

It's been in the league now for I think four years. So it's like, he's seen it. He hasn't really got the opportunity. I know he missed some time for some mental health issues and stuff too, but. At the end of the day, he's, he's been in Florida around a winning culture around a future hall of fame goalie. I think he's going to bring them a lot of success hopefully. And you know, when you're rebuilding, if you don't have a goal, you can't do shit.

Right. I mean, I know they have Connor Bredard, a first overall pick. Hopefully he's a generational talent, but it's, you have to have a goaltender and to get a 23 year old goaltender who was a first round pick. Um, I think it's great. He's really good at playing the puck, which I think it's going to help them. Um, you know, kind of, you know, not spend as much time in their own zone. Yeah.

Help their brutal D that they just got worse at. But, um, but like just going to the Seth Jones too. It's like, you look at a guy like him, like he's, he's had a great career already. And he's only what? 29 years old and it's, or maybe 30, but it's, it's one of those things he's going to. Especially after being, uh, in Chicago, the last couple of years, he's going to, you know, be like, okay, this is my time to win.

This is my opportunity. I'm coming to a winning organization, a team that's committed to winning. And I think you're going to just see his stock just go higher and higher. Absolutely love the trade. I think they've needed a right-handed D-man, like you said, since losing Montor. Their power play hasn't been great this year. I think it's bottom, you know, five in the league. And it's, it's just one of those things where if you can go out and get an

all-star defenseman, like they did in Seth Jones and you know, he's not just a skilled guy that's going to, you know, give you power play minutes. He he's playing hard minutes. He's playing a lot of minutes. He's really good defensively in really good offensively. So I think it's a home run deal for Florida. Uh, they beef up the backend and I don't think they're done. I think they're going to go out and get another, a depth forward as well.

But really love this trade for the cats. Yeah. Great breakdown hands. Uh, lot going on online, obviously Chicago fans saying that this guy's washed up. They have no clue what it's like for a player of that caliber to be playing 24, 25 minutes a game, playing on a team like that. And it's like, it just shatters your confidence.

He's gonna be a completely different player in Florida. In a perfect world, Chicago has to retain probably 50%. That would have been ideal for the Florida situation. But I would imagine Dallas was kicking tires on this too. So Chicago had a lot of leverage in the sense, I'm sure a lot of teams wanted Seth Jones. So a great trade for Florida. I don't think he's going to be playing 24, 25 minutes there. I think he's going to be slated in the 21, 22, perfect, not as difficult of line matchups, or if he does have the harder line matchups,

at least some nights they can relieve him of that, right? Where there was nowhere to hide for him, he was clearly the best defenseman on Chicago for the last few years. Is a $9 and 1 half million tag ideal for Seth Jones? No, the same way it isn't for fucking Darnell Nurse, but that's the reality. But as a seven million dollar defenseman

and him going to play there and having other guys around him, I think he's going to fit in seamlessly and perfect. Going back to your Montour comment, it's like sometimes, yeah, looking back hindsight, they probably should have signed him and kept him, but they probably thought they could move on from him. They clearly see that there's a hole there. So now they got to refix it again.

And they still have an unreal forward group with really good depth down the middle. And when Kaczuk's healthy, a pretty, pretty lethal top six. Going back to the Spencer Knight thing, I think that that also relieves a little bit of pressure for Chicago where they could probably move on from Merazic. There's gotta be a lot of teams kicking tires on him, man. He's a hell of a goalie. Fuck with your Edmonton or there should be kicking tires on him. He'd be the starter and a fucking heartbeat.

I think he makes like four and a half though, and they can't retain any more money. No, maybe a third party to like take some of the money because that's why Chicago can't retain anything else They did third they did third party retention from Rantanen, correct? Correct, and then they did it with Seth Jones I don't know who their third one is if you could look that up G why they have no no more of that available But I was interested in and and to see Seth Jones go there It did it did make total sense and then also, Zito was in Columbus when he was there. He knows his game.

Now, it was a while ago, but he still knows what he's getting as a guy, as a person. And I think, like, to go from Chicago, just a horrible team, a horrible team, right? There's nothing, and to go to Florida. Ryan Kessler's 15-year-old team might be able to beat them. Yeah, we interviewed Kessler. They're playing next weekend.

Oh, they are? It's a scrimmage for Little Caesars before the Nationals. But to go from Chicago and what that's been like, just exhausting, exhausting to be a guy on the team. I was on a team like that in Edmonton for a couple years. It beats you down. And to now go, not only is he going to a cup contender, last year's Cup Champs, he's going to the weather,

he's going to the way they go to the rink, they got their golf carts, they're driving over to the brand new, beautiful practice facility. You're just thinking about winning a Stanley Cup. It's like, mentally this guy as a player will be in such a different spot. And he doesn't have to completely carry

all the minutes, all the load. And now you go, you go, say you go him and Mikula and then you go Ekblad and Forsling. Like they could just roll the top four all game. That's a big fucking back end too man. That's how, that's what they want. Big mutants, you win your puck battle, your great first pass and then get it into the forwards hands and see you later. That's all they're looking for right now. Jones also played four years with Bob too. And I know even, I know it's a small thing,

but I remember getting traded to New York and having played with Mike Smith for a while. Like the goaltending tendency is how they want to take two on ones, little things like that. Like where they want you if there's a pass coming from the corner, just little things like that, like where they want you, if there's a pass coming from the corner, just little things like that, I think is going to help him immensely too.

And it'll help him early too. I know he's a smart enough player where everything's going to come to him, but I think you're going to see him right away, kind of pick up where he's, where we know he can be. I was just surprised with online to see all these idiots just right off Seth Jones, because his under the hood numbers

as Pasha likes to call it weren't good in Chicago. Like I played for the Saginaw Spirit where we had tough teams, kind of like you mentioned with the Edmonton Oilers. I think in the first half of my last year of junior, I was like minus 21, minus 22, obviously having all the hardest line matchups because I was the top defenseman on that team

Not a big deal at that point in my career. Well, I get traded halfway through the year to the Owen Sound attack I think I finished the season like plus three or four it's it's just like a whole different ball game playing around guys where You know you're around the net you snap the pass to the half wall and they're Executing and making the play to get out of the zone, because they have good center support, where, fuck man, all of a sudden that guy loses his battle, it's back in your end, and then all of a sudden, you're tallying up all these fucking analytics numbers,

where, oh, he looks brutal, he's in his own end the whole time, and, oh, look at his offensive abilities gone down, too. It's just like, buddy, they're a dogshit team. It's going to completely flip all that stuff upside down. And there's no world that exists where Seth Jones, not a $7 million defenseman. He's going to be just fine. He's going to look exactly like he did when he was a prospect coming in with the Nashville Predators. And then the same way he did with the Columbus Blue Jackets. So

a great trade for Zito, but also looking at Chicago, great asset management. They're probably gonna move on from Donato. They're probably gonna move on from Merazic, and they're gonna stockpile picks. They're gonna have a shit ton of cap space, and they're gonna go on, I'm sure, in two, three years and have success.

So that's how you gotta do it. You gotta strip it to the ground and rebuild, especially if you're in Chicago's case. Because they'd already done it with the Hagel, the fucking, who else moved on? Dillon Strollm, like if they took that approach, they're doing it the right way by stripping it to the ground.

Gornelli, thank you for finding this. It's Jake McCabe is the other player that they are retaining on. So that's their three retainments that doesn't allow them to do it any further with Miracic if they do move on from him. We talked about this on Coast to Coast. Interesting to see. I kind of talked about Crosby's second year. Now he had Stahl, he had Malkin, he had Gontsch. It was way different, but to see Chicago be such sellers, Bedard's second year, I think it really crushes

that fan base where it's like all his second year We're gonna be going we're gonna be coming and it's just it's been the exact opposite of that So we'll see where it goes and and we've been very hard before Keith was on this show on Bill Zito Based on kind of what happened with you and possibly being a scratch in Florida Keith, but to give him credit He's now brought in Sam Reinhartt, he's brought in Sam Bennett, he's brought in Brandon Montour, in his time as GM of the Panthers, and I think now they are on the path

to possibly having a chance of repeating. Now, it wasn't all good news. Bill Zito came out and mentioned that Matthew Kachuk is heading to LTIR and will not be back for the regular season. They're just hoping to have him ready for the playoffs. Didn't even sound like he's that confident he'll be ready for playoffs. Now on the bright side, they now have $8.7 million in LTIR cap space. So I don't think they're done. I don't think they're done at all. Now what they end up doing, if it's a

depth player, but they can kind of go big game hunting on a rental as well. I just don't know how the team's gonna fare in trying to win this division at the end of the season without Matthew Kachuck. Hey, winning that Atlantic, by the way, go look at the win streaks right now for each of the top three teams in the Atlantic. Like that is, if you're the Toronto Maple Leafs,

you wanna grab that top spot and have Tampa Bay who's won eight fucking games in a row, and you know they're gonna go find something at the deadline. You know they're gonna go find that Nick Paul or that Blake Coleman or that Brandon Hagel. They're savages. They're pushing all the chips in and going back to Zito, you just won the Stanley Cup last year. Like you're playing with the house's money. This is your window to win now so just keep pushing them in. And what does he have to lose?

Absolutely nothing. Cause even if he does it and he gives them a chance to win and they don't, nobody gives a fuck. He's got a Stanley Cup. He brought him a championship. I believe Zito's first draft, I could be wrong, but I think he took Spencer Knight in the first round and then the goalie Levi and he's traded both those goalies,

one for Sam Reinhardt and one for Seth Jones. Pretty amazing stuff. Like, if you're getting, and I don't think that Levi's kind of been where he, you know, was expecting to be, but he's also playing in Buffalo. And, but yeah, pretty impressive moves by him. And yeah, he's done an unbelievable job down here. So in South Florida,

don't they have a back to back drafts, like five of the top eight picks? Like, so like one year they have two of the top four picks and then the next year they have three of the top four picks. Yeah. Barkey and Seth Jones. And then the other ones like Reinhardt, Echblad, blank on the other one, Bennett, Bennettki and Seth Jones and then the other ones like Reinhardt, Ekblad. Blank on the other one. Bennett, Bennett and Bennett.

Yeah. Crazy. That is real. Collecting Pokemons. Biz mentions Tampa. It's been incredible. They have won eight in a row. They're nine oh one one in their last 10. The Panthers are eight two and oh in their last 10 and the Leafs are eight two and oh in the last five in a last 10. The Panthers are 8-2-0 in their last 10 and the Leafs are 8-2-0 in the last 10.

Five in a row, baby. At one point, it kind of looked like Ottawa had a chance in the top three of the Atlantic. Ottawa ended up losing five in a row in regulation, I believe. So it's pretty set in stone now, the top three teams in the Atlantic. I was amazed looking over numbers today. Tampa Bay has the third best goal differential in the NHL this year at plus 55. Vasileski's kicking boys. They are looking dangerous. You don't want to see him in playoffs.

No. Boys, the rumor boys are hearing Alex Tuck too. Alex Tuck's name is mentioned a lot with the Tampa Bay Lightning. I think that would be a great addition. Yeah. You know who I was thinking is, because we talked about the year they brought in Coleman, they brought in Nick Paul, they brought in Hagel and I think of those three players and I kind of think of

Scott Lawton, you know what I mean? Like a little dirt dog. He could play second line, he could play third line. And one of the funniest goddamn tweets I've ever seen from a player this year, he dropped a picture of the last supper and he said he had no idea it was going to go that viral, but he was out to dinner with all the training staff and it's, you know, I think it's their last road trip before the deadline and they put this picture together that is just the exact replica of the painting, the last supper. Like I don't even know what filter they use to make it look so good.

I think they went fish lens. Yeah, this guy's a cartoon character. Now I'm sure you, like when you were playing there, you knew some of those trainers if they were around. Like, obviously a nice gesture, probably saying his goodbyes, knowing that he's gonna get dealt. Yeah, I don't even know if it was that. I just know he's a good guy and takes the trainers out to dinner.

He's just that type of guy. The picture was absolutely hilarious. And I agree with you, and I think he could be a great fit on any team, but especially Tampa, but I thought Tampa was going to throw the old Pokemon reverse and bring you on Iani Gord back. That, that is, I know. Holy shit. Cause I feel like they, they're the bottom, they love bringing in the bottom six

guys, uh, you know, to kind of revamp their lineup a little bit, but anyone who gets Scott Laudin is going to enjoy him if he does get traded on and off the ice, but in all time. And I don't think he's smart enough to know that it would go that viral or. I don't think he's smart enough to know if he was going to get traded that the last supper that that would kind of be like that. I think it was just him being hilarious. he still doesn't get in the room. You think he didn't throw that up regarding the trade or any trade? No. No, I think he just said.

Get the fuck out of here. He said that he's been, he's like, ah, it's just me having fun after hearing my name and rumors for like three years, I think is what he said. Um, but I sat next to him at Kevin Hayes' wedding. Holy shit, Yance, he is as advertised. Just a hilarious guy. His last two. Fuck that, I want him on the Leafs now. Yeah.

He'd be unreal on the Leafs, too. I mean, considering we bring up the Leafs every goddamn podcast, I think that's a perfect segue. You look at top teams in the East, like Toronto's gotta do something now. Tanev's hurt right now. Matthew's not quite looking like himself. I don't know if he's still battling the back.

But I think all roads lead to Braden Shen. I don't know what the asking price is going to be, but I think that if they can solidify that second line center role and really relieve pressure from John Tavares. And mind you, JT has had an unbelievable season. I've been so happy with him, even going back to last year's playoffs, I thought he was excellent.

Max Dolmy filled in last year at center, given the shenanigans that were going on in the first round with the Leafs too. He was snapping back draws, he was putting up points. But like, if we're looking at truly competing for the Eastern Conference and trying to come out of there, and if they do end up playing, especially if they have to play Tampa or Florida

in the first round, you have to find at least one more piece up front. And to me, I think Braden Shen is the perfect answer. He's proven Stanley Cup champion, he's a honey badger, he'll fight if he has to, he'll block shots, a great locker room guy, fuck, bring his brother in too. Bring the Bash Brothers, because we need all the help we can get

now that fucking Florida's pushing all the chips in again. And, they're the cap circumcisers. Did you bring up Tanev? Did you bring up Brandon Tanev? Well, Tanev's hurt right now. I don't know when he's set to come back, but I- No, Brandon Tanev. Bring Brandon Tanev over.

Oh, buddy. You want to talk about playing Florida and Murls is on the record as saying Florida will fucking eat Toronto. If they play he's, he's, he swears his reputation that Florida will bully them all around the rink. Brandon Tanev is a guy. He's got speed. He's in your face. He hits like a Mack truck. Turbo. That's a guy. Turbo. That's a good one.

That's a guy who maybe Toronto's looking at now. Yeah, there's just so much, so much that could go down this week. Biz, I did see this on Twitter. Lochness Monster, it popped up on my 4U section. In fairness, he's a Canadian's fan. But of the 16 teams currently in a playoff position, the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently ninth in goals against, ninth in goals for, twelfth in Corsi, thirteenth in expected goals for, sixth in expected goals against. These are ranks out of 16 teams. Other than having great goalies, how is this team any good? So now that's a, that's a Canadian's fan, but he's, he's pointing out some things that have

the 16 playoff teams. Like, I don't know how good the Leafs are now. I would just, I would just love if the Leafs lost in the first round. If the Leafs lose in the first round this year, If the Leafs lose in the first round this year, I'll cry, tears of joy. Like Ryder, Wyatt, Cal being born, tears of joy. These scrubs can't even win this year, because I'll say this, this is their best team. This is the best team I've seen the Leafs have. I'll fucking send Squanto to boot camp

if they lose in the first round. He better be pulling his weight too. Yeah, I sent him. I sent him yesterday. It was a long weekend in Enfield, Connecticut. I had enough. I'll send him to play for Ryan Kessler's team. I actually sent him to Mutt Cutts, you know the dogs, you know the dog buses that come

pick up all the dogs. He's in that bus. He's chilling with all of them. So Grunelli's mentioning here that Elliott Friedman said the Leafs will poke around on Ronntonan. Now, that's another guy we could chat about. Actually first. Hold on, one question for Biz.

One question for Biz. Oh here we go. Here we go, stir it up Jens. You fucking asshole. No, no, just, you would put Shin on the second line over JT even though what JT's done this year? I just think that you could switch him up. Like if you wanna escape JT and allow him to play

against a third line center where he could expose him and provide a little bit more offensively, maybe they have a second line center, whoever their opponent is who has a lot of speed, where maybe he's not the fastest afoot. Mind you, Anson brought up a good point on the broadcast. He gets a decent amount of breakaways, and when he gets them, he never gets caught.

So maybe it's just kind of like the yager with the black tux where he looks slow, but he's actually not, and it's deceiving, kind of like me, right? I had a short choppy stride, but I had the quick feet. I had the quick feet, you know? So maybe that's what it is, but I just think that any time you can have strength up the middle, especially if you're going against Florida,

I mean, you got fucking Barkov, one of the best in the league, you got Sam the Bennett Menace, and then who's their third line center, Lundell? Yeah. Fuck, dude, he's big, he's fast, like he's coming into his own, so that's a triple threat. So it's kind of like how LA last year,

they tried to combat having to go against the Vegas Gold Knights where they had Michael they had William Carlson and then and then who was the other one they had who got traded to Seattle was it Stevenson? Waa, he signed he signed in Seattle Chandler Stevenson Chandler's dead, but they had Chandler Stevenson and then And then they had Chandler Stevenson and then they had a Roi. So you're trying to build your roster to who you're gonna end up going against. And in Toronto's case, man, fuck the way that Tampa's going, it might be Toronto and Florida playing in the first round.

Who knows, right? To me, that first spot in the Atlantic, if Toronto can get it, I think that for sure they're going to the Stanley Cup Finals. I think that, buddy, I think that for sure they're going to the Stanley Cup Finals. I think that, buddy, I think that, keep in mind here, okay? I think that if they make a big move, I still think from a top to down roster,

they're gonna be stronger than Tampa Bay is. Maybe if they're not, and they're similar or even a little bit weaker roster-wise than Florida, if they have to go against Tampa in the first round they're gonna beat the wheels off each other and they've played a lot of hockey in the last two years boys Stanley Cup finals the year prior against Vegas all the way last year to the dance to beat the Oilers and now this whole season most of their guys going to four nations like that's a lot of fucking hockey if Toronto can solidify the first place in the Atlantic Division mark my words they are going to four nations, like that's a lot of fucking hockey. If Toronto can solidify

the first place in the Atlantic division, mark my words, they are going to the dance. They're going to the dance. They're going to the dance baby. They got to win us. They got to win the Atlantic. How's that for an answer to your question, Yance? You want to steal my pot, boy? Yeah, I don't think there's, think you could argue the central but those two Clearly are like the divisions that you need to win, right? Because you got a you you got to try to dodge one of the Florida teams if you're Toronto in the first round No, it's just like and and it's kind of a win-win for us fans because you get if Toronto does win the Atlantic

You get Tampa, Florida in the first round, which was a legendary series they played a few years ago. And then if not, you get Toronto against Tampa, that'd be awesome. It's just one thing to have to beat that many good teams starting in the first round. And that's nothing against Detroit, Columbus, and I have a big apology to Columbus fans coming up in a little bit, but yeah, it's very interesting to see what the Leafs are gonna do I love you guys know like my my my darkest thought Could you guys act as my therapist for like just like a one minute here? Yeah, why don't you lay down on that coach the?

My my my my biggest fear is That they draw Tampa or Florida in the first round, they lose, and Mitch Marner has like 10 points. And then all of a sudden, you gotta give him 15 fucking million dollars, we shit the bed, we're the laughing stock of the league again, and we're in cap hell. So that, if that happens, take my shoelaces away,

no more staying at the Four Seasons in Atlanta on any floor above the second floor. And I don't know what else I'll do to myself, but it won't be good. Yeah, that would be crazy, man. But if they lose in the first round, even if he lights it up, it might just be like, we gotta overhaul everything, man.

It might just be like, we gotta let him go, we gotta try to sign Ronton, and if he's not signed, it's, there's so many storylines going into this year's playoff, like any other year. Colorado made a move, though, boys. The Rangers- Wait, wait, I wanna say one more thing. I wanna say one more thing.

If Toronto loses in the first round this year, No, no, no, no, don't do this buddy. You say all these things and you don't do them. So don't do it unless you mean it. I've done everything other than chop my fours off. And that was because the doctor told me not to because of disease, potential disease. Now I'm going to hand back my ambassador jacket to Brandon Shanahan. If Leafs lose in the first round. I thought they already tried taking it back.

They did, but I didn't give it back. And I said that I would be handing it back if they lose in the first round this year. And you're done forever with them? That's what I'm gonna say. No. You should be done forever. You should be done forever. If they lose in the first round this year...

I'm not willing to make that promise. I'm going to text Brandon Shanahan so I don't want to catch him off guard tomorrow when he listens to the podcast, because he listens to every episode. I'll be handing back my jacket. And I just think that I should separate myself. To that degree, not to completely cut ties,

but I feel like I wouldn't be worthy of being basically in management with them. Why are you laughing? You don't think I'm part of the round table? No. Who do you think brought in chief? If you hand back that jacket, if I was you, I would hand back that jacket. I'd FedEx that jacket today after this podcast,

and that's what'll get them to win a cup, is getting rid of you. Because as much as we've talked, like you're a mush, you're a mush. You hop on teams, they lose. I'm on the king's boom, or they'll smash them. Toronto can't win since 90, like you're a mush. The one team you made your name with isn't even a god damn team in the NHL anymore.

Like you're the true mush of the pod, man. So if I were you and I really cared about the Leafs, I'd send that ambassador jacket back, I would send that thing as fast as humanly possible, and then they'd have a chance. You know what I should do with it? Bring it with you when you go to Sportsnet and drive it over to Leafs. What? I should give it to my son.

Squanto? Hockey Illuminati. Who'd you say? Squanto. No. I think I should send it to hockey Illuminati. Dude, they'd still think it was you wearing it. You guys are identical twins. No, no.

He's my love child. He's still looking for signs that it's the year. He's with Jersey Jerry. The signs, the signs, the signs. The Rangers traded Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Veazy to the Avalanche in exchange for Calvin DeHaan, Yusso Parssonen, a 2025 second-rounder and a 2025 fourth-rounder. Pretty funny. Calvin DeHaan does a press conference after traded over to the Rangers and mentions that

basically, if you look at my hockey DB, you're're gonna think I stink. What a great play by him. I know. That's just getting ahead of the storyline. Like, oh, you think I stink? I'll tell you I stink. Go look at my hockey DB. I really stink, but I really don't stink if you watch me play night in and night out. But Jens, you said you had a funny story from him?

Yeah, well, first off, I think he's a great D-man. One of those guys that, you know, a 5' six guy that's going to give you 16 to 18 minutes, break the puck out for you, you know, just show up to the rink every day and play. But, yeah, funny story about him. He was, uh, Mackenzie Weigert had some concussion problems and some, what do they call those? Not migraines. What's the, like, uh, I don't know. whatever they're like. So he used to get the head issues and, uh, you know, he'd like get the spins and stuff, so he was trying everything and he tried that, that pink tint advisor that

was supposed to help you with concussions. I don't know how, but, uh, he was trying it out one game and we were playing. I can't remember what team the hon was on, maybe the Islanders. And face-offs in the D zone and he's the lefties at the point, kind of right next to our bench and Weeks is chirping them, yelling at them, telling them he stinks and whatever the case is, but I think they're buddies.

And he looks at the bench, he goes, shut up Weeks, you look like Elton John out out here in our whole bench, the coaches, the trainers. And Wiggs was standing up yelling at him. He turns around our whole bench has their faces in their jerseys, laughing at him. Just absolute classic line. So you know, he's a good guy and a good locker room guy. So I think he's got to fit in, uh, in New York. Well, I don't, I need to see the sports science behind the pink tinted

visor, helping your concussion. The pink Whitney visor. Yeah. That's really what you need when you have a concussion is just a pink Whitney visor. I don't really get that, but funny line. I mean, the Rangers are now also holding out a Riley Smith is kind of like roster management, so they're able Smith is kind of like roster management, so they're able to trade him.

Seems like they're looking to sell some parts while also being right in the mix. And I guess that leads into the bet with Pasha, I mean. Well, we can go into that later, because I had another one with him that the Rangers are going to make the playoffs. I think they might sneak in. I really do.

Did you guys, did you mention the tweet yet? I just went and took a piss. Did you mention the tweet that we sent to the group chat today? No. I believe that JT Miller and the 10 games that he's been with the New York Rangers has 12 points now, which is actually more, more points than Elias Pedersen has shots since the trade, which Elias Pedersen has eight shots since JT Miller has been traded, no goals, I want to say three assists, so Pasha,

who's been just getting absolutely porch-laced. Nobody's taking more Ls in one season, ever. Oh, they should take his shoelaces away too. That is just like, that's tough sledding. Do you think that maybe they should just shut him down? My understanding is maybe he's battling a knee injury again, like maybe the same one going back to last year's playoffs that he was bitching about.

He's not skating well, he's not moving his feet much, he just doesn't look anything remotely like he looked the season where he had 100 points. Why wouldn't at this point you just shut him down? I think Vancouver still thinks they could make the playoffs, but now Quinn Hughes didn't play the last 10 minutes the other night It's like just a just a disaster season. Like I never saw this season going this way for Vancouver I mean they were so good last year. They win that division. They end up just like Everyone's coming back. It's like holy shit

Like they're gonna be writing it again. And from the hop, it's been a disaster. And the Pedersen stuff, I would hope that he's injured. Like if you're a fan of the Canucks, like that's kind of your own, like, all right, if he's injured, I kind of get it. If he's not injured, then you're like, holy shit. And I think when does his no move clause kick in? Is it this summer? Yeah. So it's like, could shit. And I think when does his no move clause kick in? Is it this summer?

Yeah. Yeah. So it's like, could he be dealt by Friday? I don't know who's trading for him at this point, but it is, I would, I would hope he's injured based on the fact that he looks that bad and that lost. Just a kind of a, kind of a brutal story. You don't want to see that. You don't want to see a guy that that's just lost. It's like when you see PGA Tour golfers lose their game. All of a sudden, they're toiling away in the mini tours after being on the PGA Tour for years.

It's crazy. You don't see it in hockey like you do in golf, but it's wild. It's absolutely crazy to see what's happened to him. And JT Miller's been good, real good for New York. The fans love him, plays hard, brings that dog dog mentality to every game, every shift. So that's working out very well right now for the Rangers. The Wild went out and acquired Gustav Nyquist from the Predators for a 2026 second rounder. I guess Columbus was also kind of looking at him and he had been there,

I guess Columbus was also kind of looking at him and he had been there But Minnesota goes they're battling so many injuries Erickson X out Kapri Sov's out they beat the Bruins 1-0 yesterday had that game on biz that you were doing Brodeans out to unreal shut down D man. Who's the fourth guy they have out to who's a Between them and Boston in that game They had a a couple all-stars, five guys who represented the teams in the four nations were out. So I mean, Marshall was out, Lindholm, McEvoy, like I was like, I was fucking watching the Providence Bruins

against the Iowa Wild for Christ's sake. Who's the other guy that the Wild had out of the lineup? There was four guys missing. But hey, listen, right? NightQuest, unreal year last year with the Nashville Predators. No one's really having a great year there this year, but I think that's a great pickup.

And once they get healthy, man, that could be a very sneaky team come playoff time. Very, very, very sneaky. It will be much like every two three matchup though It's gonna be tough man If they get the second or third seed they're playing Dallas because you know that Winnipeg is more than likely gonna win that division So I said on the broadcast fuck if I'm Minnesota I might even just like tank a little bit and rather

I think I'd rather play the Winnipeg Jets first round than I would Dallas, and the travel's way less. Dude, Dallas, they are scaring the shit out of me. We'll get into the Oilers in a little bit, but Dallas, two trips to the Western Conference final, it's like, this could be the year, and you know that they're gonna do something at the deadline, they look like, how about be the year and you know that they're going to do something at the deadline.

They look like, how about in the last six games? Wyatt Johnson has six goals to assist, Rupé Hintz has two goals and 10 assists. So like something's clicking. Duchenne got his 25th goal of the year. They're getting guys healthy. Heskinen, I don't know if he'll be back before the playoff. I think he's coming back towards the end of the regular season. There is rumblings that Seguin might be ready around that first.

Really? First to maybe second round. I mean, like I said, if you get Hayskenen, Seguin back, the way that Grandlin has replaced Seguin on that second line seamlessly, he looked great last night in that game against, who would they play against? Who they roasted. They beat him. St. Louis. St. Louis. Yeah. Who I think they say I like St. Louis in the way that they're built. They got a good future, but we're getting off the

rails here. If they get second, Hayskinn and make a deadline move along with Grandland, that's a dangerous team. I didn't think they would smoke Minnesota in the first round and then they would look to do damage moving forward. So I'm interested to see what they also do. I think that Dallas, Alexiak, they needed defensemen. Alexiak, Aristolian, who are some other D-men who they could pick up to bolster that back end to combat basically what Florida did? Who are some other D-men who they could pick up to bolster that back end to combat, basically what Florida did?

Who are some other guys? Risto would be a really good one. Well, if you're talking a big guy, like you're bringing up Alexiak, what about Luke Shen? Right? Yeah, I think that Luke Shen on a Stanley Cup team is an awesome number six. I think that you need, you need like a,

Third player, yeah. You need a four to five is an awesome number six. I think that you need, you need like a, you need a four to five guy, in my opinion. Really? Even with Harley and Heiskenen, you still need, I think Rest in the Line would, because you can put him with either one of those guys and he can be in your top four.

That's, okay, well there you go. That's what I'm trying to say, you need a four to five. I think, I think like, I think Shen is, you know, if you can't get anyone else, sure. He's a big body. He'll, he'll fight if he has to, but he seems like on a Stanley cup team, a guy who's like in and out of the lineup as a six, seven.

So I think you need to do something that moves the needle just a little bit more. I, my understanding was they were, they were kicking tires on Seth Jones, but there has to be a guy out there that they can go grab that can fill in and play more of a role. Yeah. And Gene just said in the chat, Connor Murphy,

but I mean, I think Chicago's gotta keep some veterans around, right? He's been there a while. I hope so. He's been there a while. If they treat him too, it's like. He's been there a while, he's an assistant, I know. You need one NHL defenseman. I think of Vlasic, he's nice,

but I don't know if you can move on from Connor Murphy, dude. That's like- No, I know. And I do think that Lindell and Heskinen back healthy and Harley, like those guys can play a ton, dude. They can play a ton. You got Autinger. I know what you're saying, Biz,

but it kind of leads us back into the main discussion coming in is Ronson. And we're coming down to the wire here. I mentioned on Coast to Coast, the night we were at Amazon, he had a goal and an assist. He looked great now. They played Buffalo, so that doesn't really count.

And they were wearing the Whalers jerseys. Fuck, everybody had one and one. True, yeah. Little Caesars. Boys, everybody had one and one. True, yeah. Little Caesars. Boys, what do you do? I mean, I think I agree with a lot of people saying they're in win now mode. The criticism.

They ain't winning shit, dude. The criticism for the last three, four years, oh, they don't have that superstar who could push them over the edge. So you kind of disagreed with me. I think if they keep him past the deadline with, his leverage with them goes up so much more. He could ask them for another million per, and they'd have to give it to him.

I know, and I don't think at that point it matters. I don't think, okay, so say they keep him, and yes, then it's like, hey, I'm gonna tell you what to give me. You can't lose Gentile and then lose me. All right, so we'll give you 15 million and you can get 14 million from six other teams. At that point, what's the extra 8 million bucks? Well, I mean, this was all about money to begin with, wasn't it?

In Colorado? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, fuck. I mean, why did he get traded then? My understanding right now is I think Elliott Friedman reported is they've offered him what McKinnon was is making 12.6 was the offer and he's like, Oh, I want to, I want to test it out longer. Like, I mean, I, I get it. I get that he wants to test drive it before he makes an eight year commitment,

but holy shit, man, this is, you can't tell me that Carolina fans and management aren't fucking nervous about this situation. Like this has to be, like, if you're a Carolina Hurricanes fan, you have to say that this is a catastrophic situation, that if you end up getting bounced in the second or third round, you have no Natchez, no Gensel, no Rottenen, and you gave away everything else you did

with picks or whatever in the meantime. Like Drury also, right? Drury was the one guy. I think Drury's got more goals in Rottenen since they've been traded. So catastrophic deadline moves if they don't end up resigning Rottenen, and is it a win if you end up giving Rottenen 14 million?

Is that a win? Are Carolina Hurricanes fans prepared to sign over a check for 14 million a year for Rottenen? Arya? Well I think with the cap going up it kind of hurts a little less but yeah that's a big number to pay a winger. It's a big fucking tag boys. From what you've seen so far, like, no.

Right, yeah. I think he's a great player, and I think that he's been snake-bitten a little bit, and his numbers are not a reflection on how he's played, but I mean, this is Armie's argument. He's like, fuck the $14 million deals. They gotta start bumping up the league minimum for some of these third, fourth liners,

and I agree with him. As a fellow fourth liner, fuck these big deals. Snap the wealth around a little bit more. What does he want, a million bucks? A million bucks league minimum? I agree with him completely. The league minimum should be at least a million dollars. What is it? I think it's probably $750, $800 at this point.

You would think that could move up. It better. You would hope. It fucking better. Although if it's that move up. It better. You would hope. It fucking better. Although if it's that or our insurance, we'll take the insurance. We'll take the insurance. True.

For morals, for morals. But we deserve both. It's 775, right now the league minimum is 775. That's not bad. Guys, I got some serious worries and doubts right now about the Edmonton Oilers. I don't really know what's gone on like this year and they had this incredible run where they were the best

team in the league for a decent stretch but I go back to the Four Nations ending and McDavid played an afternoon game like 20 minutes later against Philly, like basically Knobloch said like, you can't get him off the ice. He didn't take his gear off. Even today, they gave the option to Arvidsson who played Four Nations, Ekholm who played Four Nations, and McDavid, and he still skated.

It's like, ugh. I get wanting to win that division. They're four points behind Vegas right now. I wish they could rest him. I really do. And Leon is on this path this year. He's just feeling feeling it and you don't need to rest him right now. But I just wish they'd rest him. And I don't know if he is banged up. He came out and said after that,

what loss did they have when we were watching? They got smoked by Philly. They got smoked by Washington. No, it was more recent. 4-3 to Florida. Florida. Florida. And he said, he said, like, I'd be lying if I, if I said, I felt great right now. It's like, Oh my God, we just, and then the Kane situation. So the Evander Kane situation is apparently according to all the insiders,

they are like talking to teams because he has, um, he's given his list of teams that he can go to, or he'd be willing to go to. Now, a lot of Oilers are fans, like, put them on LTIR, you can still trade for someone and then you get them back, but it's not really how it works if you play by the rules. Like, if he's cleared and healthy, he has to start playing. He wants to play, he wants to show that he's still got a lot left to give. So you can't just say like, hey, dude, you're waiting. You have to wait till the playoffs and then we'll get you going. That's not how it works. And I don't really like who would trade for him right now? Like, and if you just try to get rid of them for almost nothing, just so you could make a deal, I'd rather

kind of see what he has because he could be such an impact player. And you've seen it in the playoff runs he's had that and mind you last year in the cup final I don't think he played the last five games like that was a big loss He's physical great on the forecheck now. I don't know what his health's like. It's a different surgeries He's got all these different injuries So you don't know what you're getting but you can't just stick them on LTIR and then go get someone Golden Knights style Unfortunately, you can't do that. I wish you could but now I just I just look at on LTIR and then go get someone Golden Knight style. Unfortunately you can't do that. I wish you could.

But now I just look at Edmonton's season and something's missing. And Stan Bowman has made it clear. He's not in the market for a goalie. Biz, you mentioned Merazic. Gibson's made it clear that he'd go to Anaheim. I trust. You're saying that Gibson would leave Anaheim.

Yeah, sorry. I think that the ship has sailed on the Gibson stuff. This has been rumor mill longer than Scott Lawton. Like this has been three, four years that people have been talking about Gibson. And like, is he even their starter now? Like I feel like that younger kid took over. So like, I think that Mirazic is one of your only answers.

And I don't know, if I'm them, by the way, I think they completely fumbled this whole situation with not bringing back the guys who got offer sheeted from St. Louis. I think it's ridiculous. I still think it's one of the worst moves I've seen in the last fucking 10 years, not bringing those two guys back,

especially with the success they both had in St. Louis. I think you keep Evander Kane, and, because I believe he's up for contract, right? This is the last year of that contract? Yes, I think so. He's playing for a contract. Do you not want a hungry Evander Kane? Hungry, yeah.

When was the last time he was hungry? Was it the year that he had 14 goals in playoffs? Probably, yeah. I thought he might have. Get a hungry Evander Kane. Hungry, healthy Evander Kane, I think that's your only solution to combating the negligence of not offering those,

matching those offer sheets. He's got one year after this. Yeah, he's got another year. Now, Biz, here's what's crazy. At what, four million? Still a bargain for- 5.25. Oh, 5.2.

All right. But, yeah, it goes back to like this summer seems like it was a big mistake. And the Broberg one was one thing. They had Nurse on a huge deal. They had Kulak as a left shot defenseman. They have Ekholm. All of a sudden Broberg's getting offered 4-6. They have to sign Bouchard.

Like, I kind of get that one right now, obviously. I wish they'd match it. The hallway one, the Dillon hallway one's nuts. He's got to he just scored his 20th goal the other day. It was two million bucks, two million bucks. And that one is like, holy shit, you got this young forward who could skate. That was great in the playoffs. And instead. And also, don shit, you got this young forward who could skate that was great in the playoffs and instead and Also, don't forget about Warren Fogel who's been great with the Kings

He was there but now you bring in Arvidsson that hasn't worked out you bring in Skinner that hasn't worked out And then what do we come to find out? They have no move clauses They both have no move clauses So it's like, holy shit, and it's like, I don't really trust Stan, Stan Bowman was brought in to be the guy to get him over the hump. Yeah, I mean, he won the Cubs in Chicago.

Bring Holland back. Dale Tallon built the team, the first one. Does Bowman have a no move? It just seems like this year, I'm obviously not giving up, although last year I did, then they went to game seven of the Cup final. I just, right now the vibes around Edmonton, now it can turn quick. They had a big win against Carolina in a game that they still, dude, with a one goal lead in the final minute, got a power play and gave up a breakaway. Like, what are we doing here? Huge shave. Picard started

that game. So it's just kind of crazy to see they don't really have any room to do anything. That's probably why they're calling these teams about a Vander Kane, but it's a, it's a weird time in Edmonton. McDavid's looked off all the respect in the world to McDavid though, trying to work through this and taking the easy road. We forget that these guys are humans, man. These guys have been just on an insane run. As far as- Well, what did you say to the group chat about McDavid?

Just about how like relentless he is. And it's like, at some point it's mentally exhausting. Yeah. I mean, to put it into, what do you say that? To put that into perspective. No, to perspective, as far as how much he struggled, I want to say since February 5th till now, he's got the worst plus minus in the league. That is gnarly, the fact of how much he's on for goals four,

and he's never, I mean, he's always ahead in that category. So it's just been a tough stretch. He doesn't really have an answer for it. I don't think that he looked like himself even in that final game of the Four Nations. Obviously the big goal kind of erases that, but hey man, kind of like Matthew, some of these big dogs are a little bit fatigued right now

and they'll just continue working through it and they'll probably look like himself in a few weeks once he gets out of this little rut, but or at least you hope. I remember Barkov when Yogs was here, he was on the Yogs program, going to the rink late at night, whatever, skating all the time and his back started hurting him

a little bit and the GM was like, dude, this is done, you gotta stop doing this. Like you're overworking yourself. Like those guys, those elite, elite guys, just have something different in their DNA where they just wanna get better and better and they need someone to just be like, dude, pump the brakes a little bit. Like you just need a little bit time off.

Let your body, let your body catch up to whatever. Cause have you like the last game in the four nations, obviously, like you said, he scored, but I've never seen McDavid fumble a puck. Like he was skating, he was skating stickhandle and like losing the puck. I'm like, must be something wrong with the ice there. And then when he comes back out, there's still the same thing. So he's definitely whether it's fatigue or he's dealing with something, uh, he's going through something right now, but obviously because of who he is, he's

going to snap out of it at some point and go on an insane tear tear like he usually does. He needs Michael's magic stuff. What's that? Oh yeah. From Space Jam. From Space Jam. The body armor. Flash IV body armor. Check it out. So guys this this kind of leads us into the and and there are obviously other topics for the trade deadline. GameNotes guys will have that covered one to three. I'm gonna try to hop on Friday. Where can you watch that wit? That's on our YouTube channel. Bits, how many subscribers do we have now? I wanna say we just hit 388.

388,000 subscribers on our Spit and Chicklets YouTube channel. You can check out GameNotes, you can check out our podcast, you can watch the whole thing. Sandbaggers, Sandbaggers scrambles, you got the ChickletsU. The ChickletsU with Fish and G.

So we just got tons of stuff you can watch and enjoy on our Spit and Chicklets YouTube channel. And this week we will have our Four Nations ChickletsTV coming out. Thursday at noon, check that out on our YouTube channel. That's a great time we We were up there having a blast in Montreal. So guys, I want to go next to an apology I have to make, and that is to the Columbus Blue Jackets. And the apology stems back to last week. When I was discussing the teams in

the race for the final two wild card spots in the East, I didn't say them. I said the Rangers, I said the Senators, I said the Bruins, I said the Red Wings, and I didn't say them. I said the Rangers, I said the Senators, I said the Bruins, I said the Red Wings, and I didn't say Columbus. But you Columbus fans, I hope you didn't take it too personal. It was just, I forgot. I was trying to list off teams, but you were in my head. I didn't say you guys. I've been mentioning even last year how great this fan base is, how awesome it would be to see you guys get in the playoffs, the passion that we saw when you did get in and pulled that amazing upset against Tampa Bay, and then what they've dealt with and what happened before the year with Johnny Goudreau's passing and what this team's done. It would be one of the stories I am rooting for you guys. I apologize

for not mentioning your team. And holy shit, did Columbus show up for that game this weekend. Unreal two games for Columbus. They beat Detroit in Detroit. Awesome win. Then they go to the, what is it, the horseshoe at Ohio State. Awesome game. I caught the third period and I was just like, holy shit, it looked great. It was awesome. Now, Biz, I don't really get what you're... I understand Detroit fans whining. Like, that is a penalty to me. That is a penalty. But that's not what I'm talking about. I was congratulating Columbus on a big win, on a big back-to-back wins, and they're flooding my mentions. It has nothing to do with them. They're saying, oh, the refs gave him the game, blah, blah, blah. It's just like,

get the fuck out of my inbox here. I don't give a flying fuck that the ref missed that call. I don't care. I don't owe nothing to Motown. I'm congratulating a team that deserves it, that's had a loyal fan base, that has dealt with more adversity than any team in the league,

not only to start the year, but losing Boone Jenner. They lost Wierensky for a little bit I believe Kent Johnson was injured they've had injury after injury after injury they had no expectations to make playoffs this year and look where they are in that top wild-card position fighting with the other team in the wild-card position having to win their games and they went back to back and I congratulate. Detroit played a hell of a game. They dominated that game in the first half. They peppered them with shots.

Their goalie stood on their head and they pull off the victory. And listen, was it a bit of a missed call? Sure. I thought that it was a puck battle and he went to lift the stick and yeah, he nicked him in the visor. Do I also think there was a little bit of a sell job?

Yes, I do. I do think there was a little bit of a sell job? Yes, I do. I do think there was a little bit of a sell job. So the fact that it wasn't called, I have no problem with. They go off, they score that goal. Hey, you can go bitch online, but don't flood my inbox when I'm congratulating the Columbus Blue Jackets. You direct all your hate towards the NHL Twitter account or the player safety or whatever you got to do. I don't want to hear about it red wings fans They're insulting me about my my points per game and this basically stealing everything that Chicago Blackhawks Were throwing at me a few weeks ago when I was trying to help their team out

their rival so you guys could you could butter you up with your rival and Come flood my inbox all you want but it ain't gonna change the fact that you drop back to back games and that if you ain't nice to me, I'm gonna throw the hex on you and you won't even get inside that wild card spot. And Toronto's gonna be the only original six team make it playoffs this year. You better watch your mouth, Motown. You think? You better watch your mouth, Motown.

I just think it's a penalty. It's like the guy, he's going to lift up his stick, he catches him up in the face. Buddy, that's called every time. It's called 99% of the time, yeah. Every time, Bizz. Go gargle fucking, hey, go gargle the Izer plans nuts. I don't give a flying fuck. I know, but I want to hear how you think that's not a penalty.

Even if it was a sell job, take them both and get the whistle. I think if you slow it down, it started out as a puck battle, and then, how do you say his last, is it Soderblom, what's the last name? Soderblom? That was Edvinson.

That was Edvinson. Oh, that was Edvinson. My apologies, Edvinson. I don't know. I grabbed the screenshot. It seemed like a bit of a sell job. No disrespect to him at all. He's trying to get the call.

What do you think, Yans? Well, first, I've known Ryan Whitney for 30 years, and this might be the first time I've ever heard him apologize. So Columbus Blue Jacket fans, he means this. Yes. I love the Blue Jackets. I love them. You're better.

You're fucking better. Take. Yeah, I know so Take that that he really meant that blue jackets fans. There's nothing I want more. I I would say I would put it as a tie for Columbus to make playoffs and For Toronto to make it past the first round. I'd put that in a tie right now as far as where my feelings are at yeah, and that's maybe why I got a little bit, a little sensitive with Detroit fans coming at me because I'm a ride or die for Columbus right now. But if, if you, if I get it, we're talking about apologies. If I get an apology from Detroit Twitter,

maybe I'll lay off you guys and not put the hex on you. If Toronto plays Columbus in the first round and Columbus beats him, I need... Oh my god. Oh my god. That's where the story has to end. I would pick Columbus making the playoffs and playing the Maple Leafs and beating them over getting the chance to play Augusta. No joke. If you offered me a one-rounded Augusta, or Columbus gets in, plays the Leafs, and beats him,

I would choose that. And I promise you that, Columbus fans. That's how much I love you guys. That's how much I love your passion. That's how much I love that fucking giant cannon you have that used to scare the shit out of me. And I'll tell you right now, if they beat the Leafs, and just seeing this idiot's face that you're looking at right now,

pausing at and is crying and is whining and Marner getting 16 points and then signing for 16 million, oh my God. If that happens, you could load that cannon up and shoot me right in the arsehole. You could shoot me right in the hoop with that fucking cannon if that happens you could load that cannon up and shoot me right in the asshole You could shoot me right in the hoop with that fucking cannon if that happens. Oh guys, oh we scored again. Oh We got another one just had away from ten away from time. No, no, no, you just got it in a loss Who do they lose to Tampa? Just now it's

lose to Tampa. Um, just now it's six, six, six, six Eastern. They, they had one of those Monday, six o'clock puck drops. He scored first shift. It was stuck. He went end to end. Um, all the kids, the school kids are there Monday. He's 10 away from tying Gretzky's 11 away from breaking them. And capital's fans are, they're making a big stink out of the possibility of their two announcers not calling the record breaking goal. Now, that would be Joe Beninati and Craig Loughlin, who do the Capitals broadcast. I guess there's been a lot of flexing of the schedule to give ESPN more Capitals games and ESPN could end up taking the game that

Ovi breaks the record. It's like, Caps fans, I get it. I mean, what do you think? This is not going to be, like, nationally televised? Like, their complaints on this one's crazy to me. Like... Sorry, it stinks, but those are your guys, and this is an all-time record. A record that would never be broken. Everyone said this record won't even be touched, and you guys are upset your announcers aren't gonna call it Like it's not the end of the world and I get ESPN Whoever figuring out a way to get whatever game he does it on a national broadcast

Yeah I also think that they're still gonna have the local broadcast doing the game or you can watch it locally So you'd be able to get the call. Sometimes it's blacked out and sometimes it's not. It's weird. It would be blacked out but you'd still eventually see the call by them because they're still going to be doing the actual game locally. It just so happens that they're flexing the games and it would be getting televised nationally so majority of people would just see it being called by ESPN and or I guess TNT.

We got them, I think we got them Wednesday. Against the- Well for example, Biz though, I don't think that's true though. Like yesterday the Bruins game was not done by their announcers. I mean, I don't know, I'm pretty sure they could, I'm pretty sure that their local announcers

could still call the game for their local broadcast as it closes up. That's, I guess, where I'm, you're saying that that's not gonna happen? They're not gonna work that game? It's just gonna be the ESPN crew or the TNT crew? I think that's the issue, Biz, is they're saying that they would flex that game

from national and pull it off of the local broadcast. So like, regardless, you can't listen to their broadcasters. Oh, well I guess I kinda disagree where they should probably be doing both. Like at least have them, even if it's just an in-house feed, like have them do it so their fans can kinda, like I don't know, watch it online. So I mean, maybe not something like as a casual fan,

I would be upset about, but if I'm a hardcore Capitals fan who's been following Ovi's career from the beginning, I guess maybe that's why you'd get a little bit poopy pants. That guy's announced every single one of his goals and doesn't get to do the record break one. I agree with you that it needs to be obviously on national broadcast, but yeah, I agree also

with those guys deserve a chance to call it as well. And we've been told, Biz, correct me if I'm wrong, Gretzky, once Ovi's five away from breaking, he will be following him around? Yeah, him and Gary are doubling up. They're going to be rooming together on the road. No, they hit the bunk beds and everything. It's gonna be awesome.

Yeah, they're filming the whole experience. Wayne gets caught. Yeah. Could you just them sitting next to each other at a king size, kind of like Lee and Yans used to do? You asleep yet? Yeah. No. What do you wanna talk about? Biz, Wayno, as a Canadian,

the only Canadian on this show, he's taken a lot of heat. And I didn't know if you wanted to mention something. Yeah, I wanted to talk about it just because it's been going on for like a little over a week now where it's been pretty aggressive online and guys are obviously there's been a lot going on lately in the politics world we don't talk about politics on the show we kind of I mean I know we referenced it with the foreign nations because we couldn't really avoid it with the booing of the anthems I'm not going to get into the weeds on politics obviously as a Canadian I'm not happy about the tariffs or the 51st state comments, because I just feel like we've, as Canadian and Americans, been friends for so long and we've worked

together in order to be successful as citizens and for humanity. And I just think it's ridiculous that people online are questioning Wayne's loyalty to Canada and how much he loves his country. I think it's ridiculous. I know a lot of you are not happy about the fact that he's friends with Donald Trump. I just simply don't care. I'm here to defend my friend and say that he loves Canada

more than anything. Anytime I mention that I'm going to Edmonton or I'm doing an interview for this, he just reminds me, oh, tell people I love the people of Edmonton. He loves Canada. This is the guy at the 2010 Olympics who lit the torch. And it's just ridiculous to me. I don't want to be long-winded about it because I know that people are going to try to use everything I say Politically against me and come at me online, too. I just think it's ridiculous. Yans, you know him

I see you wearing the 99 hat his family loves Canada like like he when you think of canada and you think of the The people that represented and the most famous canadians wane gretzky is one of the first names that come to mind. And every second that I've spent with him, all I've seen him is pour out so much love and support for his country. He loves going back there. And I just, I think it's ridiculous. And sometimes I'm not the best talking about these types of situations, but I just want to show love and support for my friend right now and I think that you know Subaru Twitter's just been going fucking nuts on him and I think it's ridiculous and people oh he came out

through the USA bench at the Four Nations and he wasn't wearing his his pin when he when he was sworn into Canada it's just like it's ridiculous the shit that's being said online. And Yanz, I don't know if you wanna say anything or you did, Whit, but it's just, it's crazy, man. It's fucking crazy. I will say quickly, Yanz, if you told me years ago that there'd be Canadians out there

that hate Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. I told you, you're the craziest motherfucker I've ever heard. Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky, two legendary Canadian people, and you hate them because they're friends with the president of another country? Now I understand there's been so much that's gone into it and the comments and what you said, Biz, and the tariffs. It's Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr, these guys who do anything for their country. They love their country. And just what it's turned into for both of these legendary players and people, it's crazy to me. It's just wild to me. And I really hope it's the silent majority and that if you talk to most Canadians, they wouldn't agree with all the shit I'm seeing and reading.

But it is wild to see. Wild. There's two things I don't I don't I know nothing about politics and I know nothing about Twitter. So I've kind of been, you know, not seeing as much as maybe people on Twitter. But Wayne Gretzky is an all-time human being. It's Wayne Gretzky. He cares about his country. He cares about his friends. He cares about the game of hockey. Honestly, the fact that stuff like this is happening to him, it makes me sad that there's people in the world that think that because he has done absolutely nothing wrong. It's unfair to him for what he's done for, for your country.

You know, whether it's hockey or give him back, like, you know, his house growing up is a museum. He has companies up there. It's just, it's sad to me to think that there's people out there that would, that would try to hurt somebody that, you know, hasn't done anything wrong. And that, you know, in his whole life, he has done nothing, but be proud to be a Canadian and been a good friend. And I had him as a coach and I've got to know him as a friend.

And there is not a guy in the world that just would do of his stature, who he is. He cares about the lesser. He cares about us. He cares about, you know, the people working at the rink, the people working at the golf course. And it's, it really, it's sad to me to think that there's people out there that want to like see him hurting because at the end of the day, like he's, he's hurting from this, I would imagine like there's no one that wants to hear that their

country's turning on them, even if it's a tiny, tiny majority of people, like the fact that there's anyone out there that doesn't, you know, think that his, his, his alliances with Canada in his country and, um, it, it truly, it's sad and it's heartbreaking to me. And I hope this all kind of blows over cause how good of a guy Wayne is and you know, what he's given to the sport and, um, and, and the country in both countries with the hockey that he's the enjoyment that he's given to the sport and in the country, in both countries with the hockey that he's the enjoyment that he's brought to both countries and growing the game. It's just sad to think. And nobody's saying like anybody listening that nobody's saying that you don't have a right to

be frustrated or disgusted with a decision that that Donald Trump has made. You're just directing it at the wrong person right now. And that's what we're saying. This man loves his country. It's all he cares about are people and his country. And I just wanted to speak up for a friend. So I don't think we need to be any more long-winded about this.

I'm sure we're gonna get tons of messages, but to all of our Canadian supporters, and if you're being affected by these tariffs and and and you are really sensitive to the 51st state comments I agree with you I don't like them either and I'm really sorry for for what you are personally going through or how you feel about it that that doesn't need to change and we're okay with you being frustrated with that it's just the the directed hate towards one of the greatest Canadians to ever exist is just being completely

misplaced. So thank you guys for letting us talk on this. And if we've frustrated some of you and some of you don't want to listen to our podcasts anymore, that's fine. That's your right. But our right is to defend our friend and let you know how we feel about the situation too. And speaking of Canada, when we were up there a couple weeks ago, we sat down with Max Talbot, former teammate of myself and Biz. Great guy. I didn't realize we hadn't talked to him in like five, six years almost.

And this guy is full of energies, full of passion for life. We had a great sit down. I hope everyone enjoys this. So without further ado, Maxime Talbot. Guys, it's Whit here. And before we go any further, I need to talk to you about Ro. Let's talk about RoSparks, a two-in-one prescription treatment for stronger, harder erections. That's right. I think Biz should be doing this read, but RoSparks dissolve under your tongue, meaning they hit your bloodstream faster than pills so you can get ready for action

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Maxime had a little friend last night. Yeah, I said, oh, I see. But what a pleasure. We're going to move over to you, the professional chauffeur. Well, but buddy, what's going on? You're living here. We're just talking about all your kids, all busy you've been, but you're covering hockey here. You're covering hockey for the Penguins. How's everything going? Busy. It's good. You want to be busy. I've been done for five years and you want to get into stuff that you love that's going to wake you up in the morning and start two drinks company. I'm coaching my two oldest kids in hockey. I do media here in Montreal, cover the Habs, do

some Habs game, do some TV for the Penns this year too. So it's, you know, daddy duty plus the job. So it's busy. When your kids were a little bit younger, that's when you were doing a little bit of coaching as an assistant in San Diego, right? So you kind of been doing a little bit of everything since you retired and just trying to find out what makes you happy. Yeah, that was that was my goal. Basically, I always tell my wife, like I have a tool belt like around, you know, and you

want to put a couple of tools around there to be able to do some other stuff, right? So I tried coaching and I knew that was going to come eventually in my life that I was going to be interested in coaching. And it was early enough that the kids were young enough to travel to San Diego and change school and everything. But I wanted to try it and I tried in a perfect situation with Joel Bouchard, a buddy of mine, he called me up and you go to a nice city too. Like I don't, I'm not sure I would have went to like,

you know, different places and- Bingo. Yeah, just start, cause it was a tryout. I wanted, but then I realized quickly that, you know, I'm a family man, you know, like it's, it's, it's hard ending. It's hard. It's a, and even I was trying to envision for myself

as an ex player, you have to be very, very, very passionate about hockey to coach. I am, which I am, but likeplayer, you have to be very, very, very passionate about hockey to coach. I am, which I am, but like I love going to the ring, but I felt like I missed so many good moments with the kids. It was busy and sometimes I was in the coaching office. I was loving my job, but I was like, my wife would send me pictures of like my son throwing the football to himself basically and going to catch.

I'm like, I should be there. Right? So, so that was the hard thing about it but I loved coaching but maybe when the kids will and the video tough the video stuff for me I'm like oh those guys are grinding watching video yeah it's a lot of job but I feel like even as the first year I went there I was like my ears open my eyes open trying to learn from Joel and and Daniel Jacob, which is the assistant coach of the Rockets this year. Amazing coach. I was trying to learn,

but at the same time, I feel like if I would go again, I would do it differently, like being closer to the players and bring my personal to it. The first year was like, there's a lot of stuff to learn, like just working and doing PowerPoints. Like I never done that. You know, yeah, even like the computer stuff, presentations, how to present. Would you get nervous talking in front of the players a little bit? Not so much. It was more all the technicalities behind it that my message was going through to start, you know, it's something new. Like we, we all talk hockey, all our career playing hockey, but once you have to explain it to somebody else with a video and like your own PowerPoint. So I was on my computer a lot. And at one point it got like, hey, my kids need me.

And so it's, it's, it's impossible now. Yeah. My thing with coaching is you don't realize how much travel you're a player again, one traveling during the season, but you're jumbling in the last two or three years. And then you're going to have to move the family again. I know. Or when you start in the minors, you're trying to move up.

So you're going to get moved up again. Yeah. So it is tough when you have kids. Was that, was that part of your goal? Sorry to interrupt your members. Was it part of your goal to try to move up to the NHL as a coach? That's almost why after one year I kind of resigned. It was like, I was trying to envision myself, what's the end goal with this? Okay, coach in the NHL to start obviously assistant coach. And I would see myself lifting the cup as an assistant coach. And I was like, I wanted the supplier and I drew blood myself lifting the cup as an assistant coach and I was like, I wanted the supplier and I drew blood and it was my cup. And I remember like Yozi and all the other

assistant coaches, I was very proud for them and happy for them, right? But once you win as a player, I was like, okay, I lived the cup, middle of the ice, I did the power play, whatever, but it's not my cup in some way, in some sense. So it was not to me, the end goal was not like, I'm going to do all those sacrifices and the supreme extreme goal is to lift the cup. I've won it as a player. And to me, there's, yeah, you did. Another little flex here. You literally won the cup.

Whereas, yeah, I know no shit, literally two-one game, I had both goals. But I, whereas you're saying like, I could see players that maybe never got it. All right, I'm going to get it as a coach. I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying. But when you're like, you see the end goal and it's like, it doesn't bring that butterflies in you.

But I loved all about development and talking to guys and getting them better. That's what I live for, basically having relationships. So it was very good. And that's off to all the coaches out there, man. You realize how much job it is, how much passionate you need to be. And so, I mean, I have so much more respect for the coach

now that I've touched it. Yeah. And the job security thing, God, it's just so stressful. This is an insult, but man, does he ever seem so much more mature than when we all played together. And you guys too.

I was going to say, we all better seem a little bit more mature. You were out of our minds for a while. I was roommates with this guy and then we both made a team in Pittsburgh together. We're living at that Marriott Hotel. Nobody else around, just us two clowns going out all the time. This guy would fall asleep in the elevator and I would have to take it. He owes me his whole, he should give me one of his rings. I drag him by the foot down the hallway, open his door for him, put him in bed, tuck him in.

Old school NHL man. Doesn't happen now. I used to do Biz's laundry when he was getting called up in Pittsburgh. Sometimes I you know sleep on my couch and pit and everything. I'd be sleeping in your hot tub on your roof. What was this? Oh that house was unbelievable. Oh on Carson Street. I hate to call it a pussy palace but at the time I think you were you're single and it was the ultimate pussy. It was it was the most it was the most beautiful house in an area where they really weren't beautiful houses.

It was risky. It was risky. I remember my agent saying, like Max, this is like a nice house in like a very average neighborhood. How are you going to keep the value? I was like, I don't know, but I'll have fun in it. It's going to be worth it.

You built that place, right? No, I was there. Oh, was there, okay. You definitely added the hot tub though. It was right beyond Mario. I built the hot tub. I got put a crane there and yeah. Right across from diesel next to Mario's.

What fun days. We were just chatting before you came in too. Like you've been so close with Sid. Pat Persaud, his agent was your agent. So you just mentioned you had lunch. Like how about the fact he's still doing it? I made a video the other night saying like, if there's still one game you need to win,

it's still him you're taking. Yeah. And it's crazy. I would take him before McDavid and McKinnon, how fast and good they are, but he's the guy. I was worried. I was doing the game in Pittsburgh last week when he got hurt.

I was like thinking about that, you know, like, and for me, the commitment that he has that he wanted to be here and everything, it's inspirational. You see Mario with him at the start of the game at the end of the game. Like it was such a can't name. Yeah. And that was like that way.

I was so excited to this tournament because it is the stories are amazing. We're two games in and the stories are already like it's exciting for hockey. And it is still the middle of it. And it's crazy. It's great. Sometimes I'm in Pittsburgh and I see fans and sometimes the upper bowl is not full anymore or stuff like that, they're losing more. But I'm like, the first thing that comes to my mind

is don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. And it's still, he's still there. And Malkin's still there and LaTang. And it's such a good story. Just appreciate every time he's gonna touch the ice until he's done. Yeah, because it's gonna end, yeah, exactly. That's a good way to look at it. And I know he's from Halifax, but I felt because he played in the Q,

he gravitated more towards the Quebec League guys, like you and Flower. So you really bonded with him from the early start in Pittsburgh. I met him when he was 13. My agent was Pat Brisson, and Pat always brings all his prospect to LA for a camp in July and that's like a big before your draft and everything. But Sid was 13 and so he got invited. He was already signed by Pat. So I remember Sid at 13 going like he was going around Chileos and stuff like that. He was slashing him because he was pissed. He was on top of his game. This 13 years old coming and he's going around, you know, celly,

and he's like, you know, celly slashing him. So you could already tell and see. And, you know, after that, I played World Juniors with him and competed against him for two years in the queue. And when he obviously won the lottery in Pittsburgh, I was like, this is, it's a spot less for me. I know. I remember Bro said that.

I was so pissed when they won the lottery. I'm like, God damn it. They're going to bring in everyone too. I want to go back that too. Like Crosby, you were a big leader too. You won the Memorial Cups. But my thing I always talk about, I met Sid the first time. He's 18 years old. I'm 25, 26. His leadership was, it was right away. It was something I'd never been around. Did you feel the same way? Oh, for sure. I mean, if you look at his season at 18 years old, right, you won't, you got a hundred and something. 102. 102 points. And we were in a, it was the, not the start of rebuild, but we had a very old team, right? We had like Lionel the Lion, Recce Leclerc, they were all there and Mario and Ezo was the coach. And it it was kind of like it was all time hockey, right?

We would have a lot of drinks and you know after probably Mandatory drinks after every practice but od playing like that that golf, you know, you know Yeah golden tea, right? I have done the missing finger. Yeah He was shooting 26 under But took 10 grand for me playing that game. But Sid already have like memories of Sid kind of arguing going at it with Rex on the bench. Like he was 18 years old and I remember it would go out a lot after games and sometimes I'd come back with Sid and it's like Sid would say like that's not how it should be. That's not why I envision, you know, the NHL and then, you

know, as we got fired, Craig Patrick got fired. He brought, you know, Shiro. And that's when the year after that we got all the young guys in the team and it became to build the future of the Penguins. But that was all since leadership. You know, about winning cups at those pregame meals when we're last in the league, he's like, we're going to stick together. We're going to start winning cups.

I'll never forget it. It was amazing. And now he's still here. The best player. Oh, crazy. Just look at what he did this week. Like, you know, they played the big game against Sweden and then the next days

there's an option all in these with McKinnon. It's like, dude. And to me as a part, I was so frustrating when we played in pit. You had to skate. You had to skate every optional practice. you know, I played 12 minutes, I'm tired because I had drinks and I'd be full,

there's no option on Sunday and Sid is on the ice and you're like, he played 22 and he's going hard and he's on it and you're like, crap, I gotta skate. I remember coming into the igloo and like optional day and like I'd see him get his gear on. I'm like, no, no. That old ass jock. Sure as shit I'd walk it.

Yeah, his jock was from when he was eight years old. Dana's stitching the thing together. Oh my God, yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy. What were some of the weirdest superstitions you've seen him have? Oh, Sid. Remember throwing the trash away?

Yeah. And he had to hit it and all of a sudden it'd be like 20. You're like, we're not leaving till this kid hits his shot. No, no, no, no, he could, you know, to me it was not so much a superstition, but it was with flower and going like drills, normal drills, like flow drills. And he, he would not stop until he scored on flower. It's like, you know, Basma was with the whistle waiting for them to, but it's a flow drill. He's banging away and flower wouldn't, no, he was never out of it too. He'd be diving across it with his paddle.

He was competing so hard. To me, I was talking to my son on the couch yesterday watching some clips of some highlights of the game and I was like, look at how hard he works and how he talks about his teammate and how unselfish he is and he gives credit to everybody else. And that's why he's there. He's so special. Yeah. It's howish he is and he gives credit to everybody else. And that's why he's there. He's so special. Yeah, it's how humble he is. Yes.

And I think like we talk about it all the time, all the people we've interviewed that played with him, but that's the stuff that like I remember is like the humility and the lack of ego. And it goes so far with teammates. You're just like, oh my God, this guy has the right to be the biggest asshole and rude, and he just never was. Like, waiters, anyone, he just treated

with the utmost respect, so. Just like Mario. You had Mario as a mentor in some way. He lived like, what, 15 years at his house? They were like circumventing the cap at one point. Remember, I think the league was getting involved. But like, it's like you got Mario as a mentor. You're like, you're gonna end up okay.

Yeah. You know, like. Did you see his wink the other night, Mario? Is he the best winker in the world? Well, even Patrick Wall with his famous wink. Yeah, we were just talking about it with the. But like, you look at Mario, it's the same thing as the presence.

To me, it's the aura, it's the, how it presents himself, it's class. It's like, it's such good ambassadors for hockey. It's been since 2019 we've had you on and I always like getting guys on who had very resilient careers and I believe that you were not drafted to major junior, correct?

I was. You were? First rounder, dude. Suck it, bro. Suck it. I know you were an eighth rounder to the show. Eighth round in the NHL. Okay.

Yeah. But I mean, it didn't start out as smooth, but you ended up having an unreal junior career. And I believe that your Jersey was eventually retired from the Hall Olympics, right? Yeah, all Olympics, my major AAA team. And this year I got inducted in the LHJMEQ, like the QMJHL, all of fame, which was for me,

I was looking back at 2024, like with my kids and we did, you know, resolution and in French we call it bilan, like looking back of the year, what, you know, we did good and everything. And to me that that was, I think the proudest have been in a while being, you know, hall of famer of the queue. Like it was big and had a chance to make a speech and kind of look back on your career and thank everybody to help you to, to achieve your dream.

And it was super cool. So yeah, it was, but it was not an easy and automatic career, obviously being an eight rounder and it's not even like seven, like there's seven rounds anymore. You wouldn't even be drafted now. That's crazy. We've talked a lot about Tarian and actually we kind of got a little hook into maybe interviewing him, which would be unbelievable. I had him on my show in Pittsburgh two weeks ago.

He was great. He was my first guest when I knew I was going to do like an obstructed view, like, you know, you can talk to him. I was like, I got to get Michelle and the anniversary, sorry to cut you off. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, the anniversary of his famous rant. It's been 19 years in January, something.

Yeah, we posted it on our social media. Yeah, exactly, we posted it. Five foot eight, whatever, like, but we talked about it, we started the show with that. And, you know, he always had a plan. And I know you guys, as much as, you know, it was tough on us, you know, like. I love them.

I mean. Every year that goes by, like, that's what I was gonna say, is that, you know, I kind of appreciate it more. And I think he, he was an unreal coach. And the way he did things, yeah, while playing it was hard, but you look back and older, you're like, there was a reason for it.

And the reason I started asking the question was like, he came in that year, our rookie year, you'd made the team with Edzo, and then he's fired and Michelle comes in. You gotta think maybe your career isn't the same had he not been your coach. Yeah, I agree. I got very lucky. If he was hard on you. He was hard, but the first move he not been your coach. Yeah, I agree. I got very lucky. He was hard on you.

He was hard, but the first move, and we talked about that too, the first move he made when he got the job in December, me and John Leclerc, I read Jersey, I was in the third line at that time, and me and John Leclerc was in the fifth line. The morning he got the job and he got me after practice like, Max, I'm sending you down. And we had a great season the prior year I'm like this coach gonna love me. He loves me in a minor

It's like it's gonna be great for my career first movie makes is sending me down I'm like the fuck like Mike, you know, he's like go down. I heard rumors about you You're having a lot a little bit too much funny in NHL and go go become a professional down there And then show me that you want to be called back up. And I think they sent me down for four or five games. I got the call back up after. I remember that. I think I was on the team. And Nazardine was there as well.

You came down and you were awesome. You were professional. You played your balls off. And then right back. But that was an ask him like why. And I knew the answer, but it was like, you know, I wanted you to have a long lasting career and not just be like, you know, a guy that likes to have fun. And, you know, so it was a lesson and it ended up like you mean, like you said, it's like I had the chance to have good coaches at the same time.

You have to take your spot. Like I'm looking at Emil Einemann this year and the Montreal Canadiens, he made the team out of camp. It was not like a sure guy. But then he took his chair, like Martin Saint-Louis said, you know, he took his spot and nobody in the minors could take it away. You know what I mean? And that's kind of what, when you play with like,

urgency to keep your spot every night. I was a third, fourth line every night, but I knew that there were better players than me in the NHL. And they were hunting after your job. Yeah. But that's an 11 year thing. It's not like, Hey, okay. Even though you win the cup, Oh, I'm comfortable on a contract. Crap. One week of off hockey, there's someone coming for you. So you know, the way that I say that you made, I made myself indispensable every night in a way where if it's not by playing

good because I don't feel it for a week or two, it's about going to fight, playing with the music, taking the guys out, organizing party around the team. And that's part of the whole social is part of, you know, being a hockey player, I think. Intangibles. You had intangibles. I remember we would do it together, but I always remember the one time in Wilkes-Barre, you were working the red line during the playoff series, pitchfork and McGratton. The guy's twice the size of you. But I remember seeing that. I'm like, well, if this guy's not afraid of McGratton and I'm

not, and we end up winning that series. But you would do little stuff like that. And that's why you won the Stanley Cup. And that's why you played forever. I wouldn't like my son to do that. But you know, like, in a different way. It's crazy trying to put it in kids. It I don't, it's actually a question for you. Like you see kids that are crazy when they're little and like you hear the term,

like it's a lot easier to put out a fire than it is to start one. Did you always have that or was that put in you? You know, I feel I was kind of, I wanted it so bad. I was, you know, I was looking for not a way out because I was not in any kind of, you know, but it was so like, yeah. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be the guy. It was maybe I had something to prove, but it's a good character trait. I feel to, you know, you want to be there. It's not, it's not, it has to be deserved. I was not entitled. I was like, crap, I got to work for it.

But you're talking about young kids, you know, in French, we say the same thing, you know, rather, you know, hold a wild horse than for it. But you're talking about young kids, in French we say the same thing, rather hold a wild horse than push a donkey, right? That's the same kind of allusion you say. Love that. And my son is exactly like that, man. He can't wait, he's 10 years old, he can't wait to hit. And he takes one or two penalties per game. And I'm the coach and I'm like,

dude, stop being undisciplined. But you don't hate it deep down. But I'm like, if he was not my son, I'd be like, yeah, we need Brett. Now he's my son. He's taking penalties. And so you have to have the intelligence. OK, like, hold on. There's ref there. There's everything. And you're you're not helping the team by being in the box. But but it's it's it's good that he has it.

The saying is, is you'd rather hold back a wild horse than push a donkey. That's yeah, I like that. I like that. I'm gonna get that tattooed on my neck. Biz used the same one on St. Catharines last night. He is a wild horse. No donkeys on St. Catharines. Where did did that come from? When was that instilled in you? From an early age, did you just always have that? Because you do have a few brothers, right? Yeah, maybe being the youngest of two older brothers. My dad would work on the road too,

so my mom had the hands full. Oh God, with three Talbot kids? Yeah. Jesus. We were wild, and I remember being on a highway on my bike at nine years old, going to see my, like there was not a lot of rules in the house. Our dad forced, not forced us, but encouraged very strongly to, you know, being paper boys at like nine years old for I did it for three, five years, waking up at five thirty to do the paper. So it was all about work. My dad was the hardest working man I know. And so there was never lessons in words

in a way where I find myself as a dad always trying to bring quotes and inspirational stuff for my kids. And I have to ADHD and I like that. So my dad was more about the way the lessons were made by watching him and working it so hard for his family to be able to pay for the equipment and everything because we're not wealthy. So, like I said, maybe being desperate to actually make my place in the world, I don't know. When I think of Marc-Andre Fleury in my time with him,

I kind of think of you right away. Like it was you two, it was Talbot and Fleury hanging out and the fact that he's still doing it too. And I know how close you guys are. I saw you Was it the last game here in Montreal? And then I saw you somewhere else He recently did something big but talk about your friendship with him what he means to you and another guy who like Truly is everyone's favorite teammate with his sense of humor and his passion too. It's nuts What he's been able to do like I I remember having a conversation maybe four or five summers

ago. He was still with Vegas and he was asking me about like, Max, what do you do? How did you do to stop playing? Like, what do you plan? So he was trying to plan is because he was hurt too. And his problem was a hip, I think, like, and we're looking back like five years ago and he's still doing it, meaning like he's not ready yet. I still want him to play one year. I'm like, I don't want this to be last game in Montreal.

And he could. Third string goal. I know we said that on the show. You know, like he should have been there. But you know, I skate on him with him every August right before he leaves for Minnesota. And I bring my son on the ice and we're four or five shooters. Bo Villier got from Sorrell and Bruno Gervais comes and we shoot on him. You rent the ice like during school hockey camp, you know, in a normal

public ice rink and there's like 100 kids in the stands. And I always say like, so he still have gear, you know, and he signs autograph like an hour after his two-hour ice session. You know, that's how Flower is. And it's amazing what he's meant for hockey. And you look at the perfect, why is he capable to have such a long career? For me is the fun that he brought every day to the rink. I know that guy has, he loves the game. He loves just, And the boys.

Fucking around, he loves the boys. He loves the game, yes, I'm sure he loves to compete. He loves to fuck around on the ice in any way, but he loves to, you know, just the boys. And like that, those saves he made in the game in Montreal, and then they went down to make it three, nothing. Like I forget who he robbed and and then they show him after and he smiled it's like this it's been 21 years and he's doing the same thing it's nuts it's nuts and he was it was 100 people for him after the game and I was in the room with my two kids because Billy G is

the GM so as soon as see me in the stands like max max so I'm in the room and this guy's showering up and he's like he's covering my eyes daughter's and there's guys showering up and he's like, he's covering my eyes, daughter, my eyes, my daughter's eyes. He's like, hey, don't go there. So, you know, Billy is obviously the best. So with flower, and I think that it's a very good, we had dinner actually, because I saw this game, sorry, I'm changing subject,

but I saw this game in Montreal and I was at his last game in Pittsburgh too this year. I was doing the game. So it's two special moments and he had the last game in Pittsburgh too this year. I was doing the game. So it's two special moments. And he had the first star in Pittsburgh also, which is freaking amazing. The night before that game, we had dinner, me, Billy G.

So a player with his GM, which is kind of funny to have dinner the night before a game. Sid, Army was there and Le Tang. So, and we went to a small restaurant red army was the only guy without a cup. Yeah. And he's got a chick. Let's go. He didn't even win that.

Yeah. Oh fuck. Sorry. Ricochet shot. But we, we had, you know, we had a bottle of wine and we chat for a whole night. And it was like, if we're back in 2000, you know, like it was so special where we didn't want to leave, you know, we had a bottle of wine and we chatted for a whole night and it was like if we're back in 2009. You know, like it was so special where we didn't want to leave. You know, guys were at the end, we're waiting for the cars and we're like taking pictures like kids, you know, like these type of nights where you're like way back and it's like all

the stories about the South Side and everything. And it was, it was amazing. So Flower is just to me is like the perfect hockey player that like when hockey's fun for you, if I can say that for the young kids if hockey's fun for you when you have adversity that's when that's what I'm gonna keep you going. Yeah. If hockey's forced on you or you're just like mentally want to do so good or your parents put me through hockey too young and too much when he gets hired you're gonna shut it. What a storybook career he's had too.

And I think that last year, like people weren't sure if it was gonna be his last year. I don't think he played in Pittsburgh and Montreal. He played in Montreal at the start of the year, but in Pittsburgh, because the coach gave him the choice. If you have the choice between Pittsburgh and Montreal this year, which one you're gonna take? And he took Montreal last year.

And this year he had a chance to go. Wow, that's unreal. Given the fact that you were so close, did you get roped into any of these pranks with him or would he keep it hush hush from you too? Well it's funny because in Pitt, the Pittsburgh practice in Cranberry now, but the you know the Wild was practicing in Pittsburgh and so the team was away so they got me Jan Bolano. She asked me to do a prank to Flower because they asked Flower, they were gonna do a prank to Flower because they asked Flower they were going to do a tribute to him. They asked him like hey what do you what do you he's like I don't want it sad I don't want it emotional you know he didn't want to crack it much well yeah you

do you could see he had his ears right yeah so he's like I want something light so they got me to do a prank to him in the morning skate so I taped I taped all the tape his equipment and fucked around with his shit. So they showed that on John Boutron first review with all the prank he did. So it was light, but no flower. I mean, you know why Flower got that? He was always like that, but he roomed with Mark Bergevin.

Oh my God. His first year or so. Oh, before the lockout. Before the lockout, when he was 19. When he had the yellow pad. Exactly. I'll never forget, my first training camp, he would come in between periods, he would get completely naked and go shower.

And from periods, I was like, fuck, I was this guy not exhausted. He was like the most wily veteran I've ever seen. He was the king of the prank, so that's how Flour... So, I mean, Burj would bring like, itching powder in his luggage to go on the road, you know? So he was always thinking ahead. So Flower kind of got that a little bit from the start of his career, but he was great.

He goes all the way. He's praying to Durham. Durham was probably the best one. We took the rims out of his truck when he got traded to Colorado. And Durham was the one who started it. I know. I think somebody with a cane, they were like, what are you doing? Yeah. What are they doing? Wrong guy.

Wrong guy to fuck around with. They're already fighting now. What was that kid's name? Yeah. You're the kid from that family. Wrong guy. Wrong guy to fuck around with. They're already fighting now. What was that kid's name? His house is on the back of a truck. They pull it from the ground, relocate it. It'll happen. Gavin Morgan. Gavin Morgan, yeah.

Check the game notes. Going back to that run with the Penguins, obviously it's probably one of the most, if not the most, memorable parts of your career. What do you reflect on most about it? Fuck just the gratefulness of being there. You know, you look at Harmi, you got traded, but you know, you got traded before.

So you talk about luck to first of all, be in that team because there's, you know, you can get traded, whatever move they're, they're making. But after that, everything that kind of got together at the right time, you know, they are like, unfortunately fired Terian right before the run and got Dan and Dan was that, you know, ex player coach, super fun, super light. So we got all the good mood in the room. And then Billy G, we got to the train, that line two that start fucking around with Sid and showing him to just relax and have fun. Billy G was a big, big help around the team. And then just everything going right, you know, you needed a lot of luck. I remember that game, when Tarrion was fired, remember we were in Long Island, and we had an afternoon game and so we was announced in the morning he was fired and then Bilesma came in, he

addressed us basically right before the game, I think that was the first time he talked and it was just more about like he was totally like changing the tone to go from like serious and hard-on guys to just joking around. We lost that game and then I ended up getting traded was just the only game I played but I was like wow it was just a totally different vibe. Oh yeah. Right off the hog. Change the system a little bit but then it is mostly about the vibe you know X and O's is something but when okay we can read and it's just a change. Remember Fitzie's meeting that game? So Tom Fitzgerald never coached a day in his life

and he fired Andre Savard with Michel. So Fitzie, the coach, the GM of the Devils now, I saw him in Pittsburgh two weeks ago and we talked about that. And so he came in and you gotta run the PK. Never coached, never presented himself. So it's like basically when I started coaching San Diego, but it was like from NHL team.

Like I was being Malcolm. Yeah, exactly. And he's there. And I remember he had like a blue shirt and in middle of the speech, he's like, sorry guys, I'm so, I'm sweating. And he was all wet and nervous. And I think he just, at one point he's like,

fuck it, like just going to have fun. You know, like he was like out of his element, but then we ended up winning and everything. So it was just great. The craziest part about that run was that Hoso was so sick with us in the finals. And then like we're going to see Hoso and he goes to the team that beat us.

And then you play him in the finals again, you're down, you lose that game five. I think you got blown out. Five, nothing. Yeah, and boom, all of a sudden you lose that game five, I think you got blown out. Five, nothing. Yeah, and boom, all of a sudden we gotta go home, we gotta get a win. It was more about going back down three, two, back to Pittsburgh and getting those two in a row.

And against a team who probably was better than the year before. Oh yeah. That Detroit team was better than, at least Danny Cleary said the same thing to me. Yeah, and then they had Adosa, Adosa, Datsu, and Zetterberg, and all these big guys, Littstrom, or Falske.

Like they were a scary team. And it was kind of the same scenario where we go back on game six and we're down by one. You can win the cup that night. And we won that game two, one and went game seven. And we had Mario's text like the right before the game saying, hey, win tonight and we'll see you at center ice. Like he sent us a text message

like the night before game seven is like guys, one game. And we'll see you at center ice. Like he sent us a text message, like the night before game seven is like guys, one game. And you know, we'll see you at center ice tomorrow. And it was like a famous text message that, you know, look at your phone, it's Mario Lemieux. And it's like that the whole inspirational texts. And then it got us go on for sure. And it was just to put like a seed in our mind that I have the vision to basically see ourselves there.

So, but also as yeah, it was a weird it was a weird move by him and I respect that. And it was a one year deal. One year deal and he's like, I think I have a better chance to go. And Sid went on vacation after 2008. He went on vacation with Osa and he was sure that he was going to resign with us. And then what a surprise came. He was so good though, because most people, you're like, you lose to Detroit, I wanna go join them,

then you lose to the team that you left, but he was so good, he got three. Yeah, he still got three. He was nuts, he was so good. He was a great guy too. Was that the year you fought Carcillo as well? Yeah. Where, yeah, you can shush the crowd.

Yeah. You had some very monumental moments throughout that run, eh? They got a bobblehead coming out, or did it come out already? Yeah, February 27th. So in two weeks.

We got a shush bobblehead? Yeah. Oh, man, this is unreal. Yeah, this is like, this is super cool. Like, Jen Bolano called me May of last year. It's like, hey, we're thinking about doing the bubble out of you, are you okay? I'm like, fuck yeah.

Yeah. I got an Obiz one, Kenobi one, a Star Wars one. This guy's getting this. I'll trade you one. I'll trade you one. I'll trade you one. I'll trade you one. But like, yeah, it's, they did five this year.

They did Mario, Jaeger, Oranquis and Kessel, Bubblehead and myself, because it's the five, five is strict moment of the cups. 91, 92, nine, 16, 17. So we'll be like 50 French Canyon party bucks celebrating that. My kids are coming. It's my oldest birthday too that night.

So we'll be- Oh, that's gonna be great. Yeah, and I'm gonna call actually Carcelo because every birthday of that date when that moment happened, there's a lot of traction on social media and Twitter and everything. It's like, oh, anniversary of that moment.

Because in Pittsburgh, it was a special moment. And Car and Kars I feel like he lives well with it now and everything but I just want to because the game is against Philly too right so they're making that bubble at night against the Flyers at home at PPG so it's gonna be a special moment. That part of the series do you remember where the series was at they were obviously up in that game when you did that. Was it an even series or were you up or down? I want to say it was like three nothing at that point. Well yeah, but I'm wondering about the game. We're up 3-2. So we're game six in Philly and Philly has the momentum. Like they're, they really have the momentum. So we lose this game, we're going back home. So we're down 3-2 in the series. We're in the first and the start of second.

So the first period I did a turnover, the first goal was all my fault. And then second goal, third goal. So we're like, OK, we're going back home. But in the room, I'm like, I'm not going to score a goal like tonight. Like, what can I do? And so I asked Kars, which we knew very well from how tough he was. But I'll also like how volatile he was in a way.

So I asked him to go. He said yes, and we fought. Didn't win the fight, but then so he went like this, so I went like this, the opposite, when I woke up I'm like, he's going like this, the crowd didn't feel he's going crazy. You just panicked? Yeah, so I was like, shh, shh.

Get the fuck off. They obviously listened to me. He was being serious. I was like, stop it. You told them. But then I go in the box, and while I'm in the box, we scored three goals. Yeah. You told them. But then I go in the box and while I'm in the box, we scored three goals. Yeah.

So it's three goals, which right? It was amazing. Oh fuck. The first one you're like, yeah. But then second you're like, holy shit, that's great. And then we tied it. I'm like in the box fucking banging my stick. And I got guys on the bench pointing at me like, yeah.

You did this. You did this. Were they? Oh yeah. I mean, it was the kind of like, you know, cause you know, you've fought all your life. Sometimes it can go the other way. Like, Kars beat me up, they're up three nothing. I know.

Fuck, I got this, you know, it's amazing. It's a good story. But then just because my team had such character, we answered with three goals. And then did it end in OT or? No, we won five three. So Sid got the goal in an empty net, Gonsherw at the end tied it, well got the G-dub and then Sid scored the clinch. And then, yeah,

it was after we went in seven games against Washington. I was just going to transition to that. The hat-trick game. Yeah. Ovi's going to break the goal record. I mean, Sid is Sid. These guys have carried the league since they came in the league. And every time that they advanced, they had to play Washington going back to that series. I feel like that was the cup. Oh, it was nuts. It was so big. And like, like you said, like that game where they both had a hat trick.

And it's funny because all throughout the career, I'd be very curious to look at the stats. I think Gino might have more points than Sid against Washington. It's, it's, and I'm not sure, like, but I'm Sid crushed Philly. He might've crushed Washington more. Sometimes, you know, you, you expect Sid and Ovi and then all of a sudden Gino would score big goals, he scored an overtime goals against that series and game seven were in Washington. And I think in the first five minutes, Ovi's got a breakaway on Flurry,

and Flurry robbed him with his glove. And then we, I think we won seven, nothing, or five, nothing, the game seven. But it all started with Flurry save, legendary save. So yeah, it was a great series. Did Washington, when they won their cup, did they have to get through? Did they?

I think they beat Pittsburgh. Yeah, I think like, I think when each of them have won their cups, they had have to get through? I think they beat Pittsburgh. Yeah, I think when each of them have won their cups, they had to go. Oh, what a legendary. And then I think you guys drew Carolina, which was kind of a layup. And then you talk about Gino. I think that was when Gino's parents came to town. He had like, I think he had a Patrick one game behind the net spinner ram. Yeah, that's the one I think of. Yeah. And that that's where probably that series where you want to consmite because he won the Gino won the consmite that year. That series to me always say and it's a very ballsy call with like for one game Max who's

the best player you ever played with for one game dominating like other players. It was Malkin at that moment at his best. I'm like I'll take Gino Malkin. He was big, strong, fast. He would you know when you're Afghani Malkin. He was big, strong, fast. You know when you're Afghani Malkin, you start throwing your body around a little bit like the Four Nations Cup, you see all these superstars going at it. You know, you get inspired on the bench. You're like, fuck me, Malkin's blocking a shot and throwing his body around. Like everybody's got to go.

So Gino was down and I was lucky enough to play on his line too for this series. So it was me, him and Fedo Tankenko, and we were just, I was just going. And you're just driving in the net. Yeah, exactly, yeah. That's what Gino was at, like full superhero power. He'd be flying up the ice, and he'd just throw it under your triangle.

Like he was so sick in that, like you're coming at him, and just like, he'd pass it one foot to himself right through your triangle, your stick, and then be gone. Russian gas. I'll never forget Russian gas Camp the one year he took skates right out of the box He bit I think he might have brought his jock for yeah put all new gear on and he was the best guy I said well this year was the same thing. He started the season fire

Yeah, leading the league for a while and same thing guys were like cuz Minnesota game when we had dinner We're like talking about I was like Gino lost 15 years this year leading the league for a while. And same thing, guys were like, cause Minnesota game when we had dinner, we're like talking about it. I was like, Gino lost 15 years this year. He's like, he was back to his form and you look at him go and it's like, he's a specimen too. He was very special at that moment.

Yeah, he was. I know you were in Pittsburgh, but we're in four nations here. We talked a little bit about McKinnon. I want to transition right to another superstar you got to play with. I think it was early in his career. He wasn't the McKinnon we know now. He was living in my house. Okay.

We had him. Is this his second year? His second year. So his first year went to Jigair's house and then his second year Jigair retired, I think. So he came to live at my house. So I had to see the creature from very very very close and what a teenager he was Oh, you would you know You look at said and Nate the way that they come from the same place and everything and I'm looking at Mario the relationship

Between Mario and said said as their relationship with McKinnon in a way where he was so positive For his development and everything because when Nate got in league league, he was different than Sid at 13, right? He was more like chaotic, like a little bit more like. Yeah, he was more raw. He was very raw. As a player. You could tell though what was gonna come. He was like a wild horse that you had to tame, right?

Exactly, he was exactly that. I'm not even saying that. We're gonna get tattooed. He was the donkey. I was the donkey. But he was, yeah, he was very raw, very, very raw. But it's the first time I saw a player and I'm like, the speed that he has is getting dangerous.

Because I got the question asked actually two nights ago, I was like, how much did the speed evolve since we played, right? And I'm like, you know what, it's a weird question because you look at Sid, hasn't got faster, dowdy, you know, all these guys that we played against, they're not faster than they were, right? But the youth, some specific player are way faster. So they move the puck faster, they move their leg,

the way of, you know, McDavid is, you know, you look at another planet, right? But I think McKinnon and McDavid are two, they're both on different planet compared to the rest of, but McKinnon was the first time like if he steps on a stick right before the net, I'm like he's gonna kill himself. Because he's going so fast. So I think that that's part of the reason why he's doing those pool exercises is you have to get to a place mentally where you're not fearful of going that hard, especially as you're nearing in on the net, other bodies and getting to the end wall.

I think that- Because you know your speed could be, yeah. They said that downhill skiers do the pool exercises and as a downhill skier, you're diving in. No second thinking is like you're taking every cut as hard as you can. The way that he goes, he's ferocious about it. Yeah. Well, think about all the times where you struggle mentally at hockey. To me, it was when I was fearful. When you play with a doubt, that's when you slow down,

you know, a second or two in every play. Like you're hesitating on every play. And that's where you start, you know, doubting. And I would write on my, on my knob, like no fear for a couple of years, you know, like just play with no fear. It's the only way, especially when you're not so skilled, like that's the only edge you got on everybody else. And you had to bring that aspect to the game, like your game. Yeah, exactly, but these guys, for sure, it's-

I used to put no skill on my stuff. It worked well for you. No confidence, no skill. Great guy out at night, though. All fear. All fear, God. Just don't, yeah, just don't turn it over. You'll be out out at night though. All fear. All fear, God. Just don't, yeah, just don't turn it over. You'll be out of the lineup, you fucking idiot.

Oh man, that's, so like getting to see him early stages was pretty fun and see through, was he having, at that point though, he started working with a mental coach. Was he, were you around for that? I was not around, but he was- It was a little later, I think. Yeah. It was a little later, okay. But you could for that? I was not around, but he was a little later. I think. Yeah.

A little later. Okay. But you could, you could tell that he was like, he was so raw that he, he, he was going to develop into something amazing. Right. And we had that little rivalry in the room between Andrew and in Duchenne too. So that was a situation where Patrick Faw and Joe Sackig, they had to obviously pick one because they were always in competition for points a little bit at the start, you know, it was because.

You know, it was third overall. Yeah, it was making points and, you know, and Nate wanted that. And then you had Gabe Landiscau, which was one of the best leaders I've seen too. You know, the kid was like 21. He looks like he's 30 and his maturity and body language is just just amazing. And Tyson Berry was there too. So we had a we had a fun team. and his maturity and body language was just amazing. And Tyson Berry was there too. So we had a fun team.

But yeah, Nate was like a wild horse for sure. That's the definition that I so good on him to mature the way that he's done. Because even a couple of years ago, when snapping his coach a little bit and everything, but that's because he wanted it so bad, right? He likes to compete. So he's a wild horse.

Yeah, he's competitive as shit. I don't think when players move over to rivals, it's as scrutinized as it used to be. Like we talk about the cello stuff. Did you feel weird when you ended up signing in Philly? Like was there hesitation to be like? Huge, huge hesitation. It was such an important decision of your life,

your free agent wants. Usually there's one time that you know Unless you're an exceptional player, you know, yeah, so I'm two years away from winning the cup, you know, we won No, nine of region 2011 and the phones ringing and wanted to stay I wanted to stay but the array it was not gonna work because they were stuck At two years and that we already five years, team calling for five years. So you're like, hey, like I.

And I remember being at 2010 to 2011, we went on vacation with Sid after you went in France and had fun down there. And I remember talking to him in 2011, he's like, Max, like, are you gonna stay? I'm like, I wish, like, I hope so. But at the same time. I'm setting up my family here. Between two and five years, Max, like are you gonna stay? I'm like, I wish, like I hope so, but at the same time. I'm setting up my family here. Between two and five years, you're like,

and then when the phone started to call, it started to call, I was like, start to ring. I was, it was my golfing the night before, but I prepared like an Excel like template with like what are my priorities that I'm looking for as a free agent, you know? And I was member of Maple Leaf for a week too, because-

The rights were traded. The rights were traded because Brian Burke wanted to talk to me before free agency. And it was great, man. I almost signed there and they were offering more money than I got with Philly, but to me, the important thing was to win. And they were not in that, you know. You hear that phrase, Toronto can't win.

No, that was a difficult guy, fuck you. That was the downturn. No, no, no, but nothing. You shot Philly as a chance to win the cup. Exactly. And I had a conversation with Michelle Tarrant, which was not my coach anymore. He called me, he's like, Max, where are you going?

You know, just as a friend. And I'm like, this team, this team, this team, is like, Max stay in the East. He's like, Max, where are you going? You know, I just as a friend and I'm like, I have this team, this team, this team is like Max stay in the East. He's like, you're a guy that likes to perform on a spotlight at 7 PM. He's like, you're going to go on the West. You're going to be there. You're going to lose a little bit of your, your spunk. Yeah. So, uh, it was a great advice, but it was tough for me to leave. And the first year that I signed Philly, we played the Penguins and playoff,

the first round and And we beat them. It was that crazy series where Briskolov. Nobody could stop a beach ball. Flour was, yeah. Oh my God. Briskolov took his 90 sheets or whatever it was and said, peace. And Briz, you know, remember the universe thing on HBO

with, you know, and we gave Bobrowski to sign Briskolov. You know, like if you think about the trouble Philly had with goalies forever, you give away Bobroski for Briss, and Briss was the same as Gino. He showed up to camp, he had new gear, didn't skate all summer. I was like, we signed this guy for nine years or seven years at the time. I'm like, it's going to end the whole season. It was tough. I mean-

Different guy. Yeah. I played with him in Arizona. That was where he came from when he signed that big deal and you know, different guy. And he'd been that good with you guys? Oh, he was, he was exceptional. He, but the thing is though, is he had Sean Burke as a goalie coach and he was the goalie whisperer. And then I think after Briz left, we had Mike Smith and then Mike Smith had that year. And they had Devin Dubnik, he turned his career around and I think there was like two other goalies that he did that for. Yeah, and the system, he would always put the system on this too because when he got to Philly he had excuses of his performance and he still holds the record for the most,

because Jari and the Penguins were almost beating it this year, the most game first shot allowed in a row. That's a killer. Every first shot would get in the net. They're like, okay, we're gonna score two. Yeah. He has a record that year. It was like, come on, man.

Stop the first one. We have a chance. Who did you guys in Philly that year? Did you make it to the conference final too? No, we lost second round against Jersey in five. And they ended up going to the final. I think so, so yeah and part way through that year was that when Mike Richards and Carter got in training no at the right before the free agency in that summer I think I had to draft they got traded okay yeah that's one of the reasons another reason why I signed there you know that

July 1st they signed Jagger they signed Briskalov and then after that I was July 1st but I'm like this team's going in the right direction. They wanted that, you know, I'm Graham. Yeah. Drew was there. So Kachur is where his first year at Vorechek was on fire. Actually, that year you beat was was the year you beat Pittsburgh when Drew had that shift where he can own said, yes, he ran him over.

Yeah. Remember that? Yeah. That was you guys beat him. Oh, yeah. It was a crazy playoff series. I remember after the game, I think some game in Philly, word after the shift, I remember watching the TV and Sid's post game comment were like, I don't like any of these guys on the other side, you know, like the big robbery and everything.

So after the game, I'm like watching the slip and I'm like sad, first of all, you know, so I take my phone and I'm like, even me said it was like, you're okay. Max. The scores in that series, four, three, eight, five, eight, four, 10 to three, three, two and five. One whole. It was not. It was not.

It was not. He had a hat trick too. And playoffs. Yeah. Couture was young. Yeah. too, and playoffs series. Couturier was young. Yeah, and Yaggs was like so cool to play with. Who was the Philly coach? It was Lavi. That year was Lavi, and then the second year was Lavi again, the third year when I got traded

to Colorado, Lavi had three games, then Chief got in. As had Colosia, Craig Burbay. Yager, we gotta get Yager story. Sounds like you got some. I was gonna say, before we get to Yager, when you signed with Philly, who was the first text that you made? Did you text Sid right away?

Who was the first guy? I think they saw it, but then yeah, I think everybody was texting me. Paul McKenzie break. Like, fuck you. Oh, it was a big, I mean, for Pittsburgh, I was scared too because I was so involved in the city of Pittsburgh. You know, my charity, I was trying to build something and you know the next day you're

basically a trader. Like it's really how the Pittsburgh fans took it, right? Like how can you do that? I go somewhere. They don't think of what goes into it. No exactly, but it got me motivated also. Like my first year in Philly I had 19 goals in my career year. I played amazing and I was motivated in playoff. I played good too in that series. So, I was motivated. But then I got there, and it's not to bash anyone obviously, but it was tough to make the transition after six, seven years in Pittsburgh and everything is run so smoothly by Mario being the owner.

It was like an A1 organization. I got to Philly and it was like, it was no protein, no chefs yet. Now they're up to the standard, you know? But back in the day it was like, it was not there yet. So I remember being like uncomfortable at start. Like, hey, can we, and kind of needy, like, hey, can we make sure the guys have this?

You signed me five years for leadership too, and you know, you're 27 and you just won. Like, hey, maybe that's why you signed me to bring a little bit of culture at Pittsburgh to bring to Philly. They're like, you hire the fucking omelet guy. Well, that was kind of it. Like, and we get breakfast, you know, so it was part of like, you know, the moments being there, but.

Did you get the did you get the booze in Pittsburgh when you touched the puck? When you were on Philly? Were the booze? No. Okay. So the booze, I thought you said the did you get the boos in Pittsburgh when you touched the puck when you were on Philly? Were the boos? No, okay. So the boo I thought you said the booze. I got the booze Here and there everywhere but um You know what? I was it was I think december 27th and they made me a tribute video the start of the game and I was like nervous about it, I was like I wasn't gonna turn out. And there were, at the start it was a little bit of both

and then the claps got loud cause it was a cut video, right? So the, the cloud, the, the claps got louder. I was like, okay, peace. You know, it was like, to me it was peace and to be able to be back in Pittsburgh and doing TV there and seeing my jersey still there. And you know how faithful this crowd is

and how proud the city of Pittsburgh is. So it was really, I'm very grateful that he kind of re-accepted me as a penguin. Yeah. That's awesome. Jagger though, we gotta talk about, that was when he was going to the rink at like 10 o'clock at night and skating ankle weights and weights on his stick.

Yeah. He kind of reaches. He's playing. Yeah. He's still playing. He's in Atlantic City all day, Biz. So the only time to get the ice was 10 o all that. Yeah, yeah. He's still playing. He's in Atlantic City all day, Biz, so the only time to get the ice was 10 o'clock. Yeah.

Heat Daddy recently posted his hockey DB page, and he's like, I don't think people understand how insane this is. It's nuts. And we were lucky enough he was at Mario's Fantasy Camp last year, because his season was over in Klangdo in Czech, and he came to play play because Mario's last year was the first time he didn't skate at the fantasy camp.

He does a big thing for his charity, his foundation. He does, you know, you play with sponsors and fans and we're two ex players per team and Kobe's there, Tyler Kennedy, all Mario's friends. And Jagger came to replace Mario kind of, and he was such a legend, like, you know, playing in every team and he retired his jersey last year too and I got invited for that kind of that was a big deal that I was huge it was like peace it was kind of peace because when we signed

in Philly there was rumors he was going to sign back because that's when he was in Russia and he was going to sign back in Pitt so people were kind of excited then he signed in Philly so people are kind of pissed and then they retired his jersey last year and it was an amazing moment. Mario was there, you know, he made the joke about his girlfriend, like, you know, remember that speech where he got on the ice in his ceremonies, like, you know, everybody see, remember me play, but unless,

except my girl, she was too young, she was not even born or something. So. Yeah. But yeah, same. But I, yeah, same. But I sat beside him last year at Mario's fantasy. And it's just like the amount of stories that he, he's got, you know, through life and he's got a different perception

on life and religion and you know, where he's from, the war, extraterrestrial, like he's a very, very deep guy. Like he still reads his Bible before every game. That was something I was like, what are you reading? He sits down his stall, he sits on the floor and reads his Bible before every game. Even when we interviewed him for my show in Pittsburgh this year, he had a Christ jersey. I don't know if he's born again or religion was always part of his life, but he really he wants to spread the good news in that way. So he's a very, very profound and interesting guy.

I mean I signed there and every dinner had a chance to sit by him and just chat him up about life. We had him on the show a year or two ago and he did it at 12 30 in the morning in Czech and he gave us like an hour and 10 minutes. Right in the middle of the night. He was just full of life. Yeah. Yeah, he is. He's a passionate guy. Like in that even the way he went back to play for that team because they were going to like fold. So he bought the team to keep it there. And he does everything with that team too. Like now I think he's getting a little tired about that. He talked to us about how things trying to sell or something. But yeah, he's a, he's a passionate guy. He's a character like still playing on that.

Yeah, I know. I think he lost a tooth recently. You did a denture. Are there any other players that you played with throughout your career where you're just like, it comes to mind right away that were so impactful on you and just like rubbed off on you? I mean, except you, I don't know. Well, Mario, like Mario is a special guy to play with, you know,

our first year he's there and it's like, you know, first game in Jersey, you were there, we had a two on one chance. My first NHL game, I was in the line with Murals and we were killing penalties together. We had a short handed on Boudreaux. He would have played 20 years had this goal gone in. Yeah, probably. Yeah, 100%. Probably. I'm telling you, if they had the stats that they keep now for who gives up the shorthanded goals, like our PK was horrible, but we would play together. We didn't give up any of the goals. It was the other group that gave up all the goals, but it reflected on us. You needed the advanced stats. I needed Fasha back then. We were weapons here. We got the chance. I just couldn't bury. I couldn't do anything. Yeah. I'd say looking back also, Patrice Bergeron, to me, is like the Sine Crosby of Quebec in a way that,

you know, he's so proper and so nice. It must be exhausting to be that perfect. I agree. It's fucked. I think that's just how he lives though. I think it's him. Yeah. There's no act. Oh, no, no, no.

He's just a pro. His family, you know, it's like his beautiful wife and his kids, they're all, you know, like you looked at it like, yeah, he's the type of guy you want to marry your daughter, right? Like he's such a professional leader in the room. It was Sharaz, the captain my last year. But Berge was like, was leading the charge for sure. He's coaching his one of his kids is an 18 birth year, and so my son's a 17 birth year, so we had a game after his team was playing.

He coaches like the junior Eagles. My son Ryder's standing with me, I'm like, hey, you see that guy at the end of the bench for the Eagles? He's like, yeah, I'm like, that's Patrice Bergeron. He's like, what? And some lady, straight out of Massachusetts, it was like a Dunkin' Donuts commercial.

She's like, what? She's like, that's Bergeron? I'm like, yeah, that's him. Holy shit, honey, honey, get over here for three. Bergeron, look how hot he is. He's unbelievable. Get your picture, Jimmy. Get your picture, get your phone. And then after, everyone's like seeing him

and he's just professional, great looking guy, like in great shape. It was like, this is the guy. I was just hopping into the media too, he's slowly getting into it. He's doing that unobstructed views on the nest. Yeah, I went on with him one time, it was cool. He was home for Christmas in Quebec,

but he did a good job and it was cool talking to him because you're watching the game and him talking about like penalty kill or angling, forechecking stuff, it was like, wow, like you forget how good he was and then he talks. You're like, he knows the game so well. Like I could have seen him coaching, but he actually could be a GM too.

It's GM style. One thing I read that I was a little surprised at is how much you loved the KHL. Yeah. You loved it. I did. I did. And I,

That was how you finished your career, right? Yeah. Well, you couldn't get a deal in the NHL anymore. Listen, I was in Boston my last year and it was I was up and down and I just had my second kid and so we're in the month of March, I think, in April. And I'm thinking about the next year. Right. I was doing Providence Boston the whole year. My wife was there.

We just had a second kid and the first phone call in March, I think it was a locomotive Yadav Slavo. And they called me. They were, they had a great offer. And I'm like, okay, what, what are the alternative? I can go PTO. I can go in a two way somewhere else. Like, cause I was up and down.

I'm like, that's insecurity for family. I didn't want to be away from a family. I'm like, my wife was a figure skater too. So she competed in Russia quite a bit. So she's a, she's a warrior. She's like a little lion. So she's like, yeah, let's go, let's try it out. And I said, I was signed, I think before the season was over

right by the season ended. I'm like, let's try it out. And I went there. Did you have to go July 1st? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I did the army camp. I missed that at least. But you're actually the guy who'd be like, I can love it.

At least they had nice facilities. Yaroslav's arena was beautiful. Amazing. I played there under 18. I like playing there. 11,000 people. And I was doing a TV show with Bob Hartley three days ago. And Bob was my coach for OMSC my last year.

And we're talking about stories because I played there two years. It was amazing years. Like I said, the first year living in a shitty little apartment, it was complicated. Second year, they build the Baza. So they built a practice facility. It's the nicest thing you ever seen.

Like for a team, we lived there, all the imports, the five imports, we all the apartment with three bedroom. We had like babysitting, catering food, gym, soccer, football. This is for Omsk? This is for Yaroslavl. Oh, you were both years there? Two years there, one year in Omsk.

Oh, okay. Wow. So it was the Costco across the street and it was like the easiest thing I ever seen. Like we, I could skate with my kid every morning. Like if I wanted, cause it was the practice rink was in the building. There was a spa there. There was like five different type of saunas like in the building just for the hockey team.

It was a very good program. Then I got bowed out right before, two days before I went for my third year because I signed a third year there and the coach, you know, was special there. And yeah, oh crap. Yeah, you don't wanna say anything. You don't wanna get a fucking red dot on your forehead.

Yeah, well, I got scared one time playing against Scott. They just, I'll get to that. But so finally I'm there with David Dernet, Dernet, the guy for the Habs. And so OMS got us, like Bob Artie was his first year there. He's like, he needs French Canadian that know to help him. Cause I was in the league two years prior. And we went there and my first game with OMS

right after I got about it was in Yadoslavo. So we won 4-0. I got two goals. Oh, suck it. And my ex-co that just bought me out. So I got the first star. I got on the ice and Bob, Bob Artley was telling me the story. Like he's like, Max, I had shivers all over. So I got on the ice and he gave me like a Maxim Talbot in

Jadoslavo when I'm playing for OMS and we beat them for nothing, and I'm looking at the coach straight in the eyes and I'm like, dude. You always stepped up when you were in the team. Oh, it was such a, I tell you, that's not the moment. A bigger accomplishment than maybe the Stanley Cup goals is when you can get paid by two Russian teams at the same time.

Oh, yeah, and not be dead, and not be dead. They're probably trying to spike your food. But there's one thing I got scared one time. We're playing SCA, which is St. Petersburg. So the coach, the GM is like the Olympic team coach and GM, and they're the richest team in the league. It's Gazprom that owns them. And we play them in playoff. At one point, there's a goal in playoff that gets kind of taken away. So we score a goal. You know, it hits the round thing right beside the bench, just the round glass. So we scored the goal and like 20 seconds prior, it hits the round thing. And Scott asked the ref to review this, but it's not reviewable.

No, no. Well, there's rumors that they, you know, they go review the goal and they take it away. Like they take a goal away. So I'm fucking furious. So I go in front of their bench and I'm like fucking dingy dingy and money went I'm like dingy dingy and I'm aggressive and the coach of Scott, which is the coach of the Olympic team, you know, he's like, like this, but Putin or whatever. I don't know. But he's like, he looks at me and he goes, yeah, Putin. He gave me the throw slash. The coach. In Russia, that's a million. Oh, hack the back, honey, we're out of here tonight.

So I go in the room, I'm like, guys, should I be where he's like, ugh, duh, duh, duh. It's Russia. Duh. But that's the, I loved everything about my experience. When there was weird things about it, I was like taking and like it, and it's part of the experience.

You know, I went there with an open heart, being like, hey, like, this is gonna be fun. And you know, my kids had fun, my wife had fun. But the third year, with an open heart, being like, hey, this is going to be fun. And my kids had fun, my wife had fun. But the third year with the three kids, it became a little chaotic living in Moscow because Omsk ring broke. So we played in Balashiyah. So the Omsk team, we were located in Moscow, but I lived on a red square street with the

RNA. It was with a baby too. Yeah, a young baby. But it was good. But it's not for everybody. But you have to have the right personality to prove yourself to these guys that you're there for the right reasons. You know, you have to work hard on them and like drink vodka with them.

And once they accepted you after like a week or two or a month, then like they're very they're hard worker. I still have a bunch of friends that are there and I really enjoy. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Guys still text me like at 3am like when they're going out and they you know it's a that's great. Yeah they don't speak English till you have that night out with the vodka then they're all buddies. You realize they speak they

spoke English the whole time. Oh yeah that happened. Did you have any other crazy experiences there that you're able to talk about other than the throat slash? Like I heard that the guys were talking about how if like they went on a gold drought, they would like slaughter a lamb in the crease and they would like cook it. Somebody, one person told us that story. Yeah. I never experienced that. We had Costco, not this. Who told us that story? Oh, I forget. It was like, it was like where the Zamboni leaves the ice.

Yeah. Oh, I think it was, uh, the guy who played for, did he play for the Quebec? Was it Tim Brent? No. Who? Francis Barre? No. No, I think he played for the Quebec Ramparts. He was, we had him on. Hennessy? No. Wasn't Hennessy? Maybe actually. But there was, I mean, I live in Moscow. We could get a clip of all the Russian stories and make a video. We could sell that video. Was it, it was Dahlman. Oh yeah. Dahlman. Yeah, Dahlman has some fun. Who was a, he was like fucking Macar over there. We should do a podcast in Moscow. Yeah, I don't know if I can ever go back.

You can't. That's true. I've been tough on that. You've been tough on the league. Fighter jets videos. But I actually, I have said that I really loved playing the games over there. The crowd, how good the hockey was, some great ranks, it was more of the other stuff,

but I was also single, whereas having your wife there would have made it a lot easier, not being so lonely, but I don't know if I'm willing to step back for the Russian, but Moscow was a hell of a city. Moscow was like New York City on steroids, it's crazy. We had surviving Barstool, we're gonna have surviving Russian.

I already did it, I already won that one. I was just going to ask you like in post, uh, like now that you're not playing anymore, I've noticed that you're like very into jujitsu. I was just going to say, oh, you're going to ask about that. Oh, I was, uh, I got a C no two knee surgery last year from jujitsu. So you can get injured from that stuff. Oh crap. I went there and you know, Were you competing? Oh yeah, I did competition and everything. Yeah. And it was not federated in Quebec.

So we had to go Ontario. So my competition went to Ottawa. Now it got federated in last year, but it was the most fun I had playing a sport. I mean, except hockey, like, I think my medals from my Jiu-Jitsu competitions are in my office and not my small Stanley Cup, you know? Like I was so proud.

Yeah, cause it was something else. Yeah, something new. You learn from scratch and I'd go to gym like five, six times a week and just being so motivated to learn and to get better. And you know, the first week you get strangled by 140 pounds check, right? Well, you were used to that pain in Pittsburgh

with the hot tub on your roof. Yeah, I used to like that back in the days, but when you're growing up, it's not the same. Except with belts. But it was a very cool sport. My three kids were doing it, but then I went to roll December 27 of 2023 and tore my meniscus, got a surgery,

got back training, torn it again, and I got a second surgery. So now I'm kind of like, I'm missing moments with my kids skiing because of a pastime, basically, a passion, so it's like, it's a tough sport, but I encourage everybody to do it. It is awesome. It also allows you to be in the moment and be present, right?

Which is something that's, at least I find very difficult, and something I enjoyed where I haven't done the jiu-jitsu yet. I did that, what's it called? Krav Maga. I did that. It's fun. I would consider also getting into jujitsu and something like that.

Thompson's doing it too. Sean Avery. Avery's big into it. Yeah, when I was getting- Bugsy. Bugsy, yeah, Bugsy. I saw you at the, you know what I played? He tapped me out in the sand bag.

I saw that. I was proud of him. But even when it was getting good, I remember Avery liking one of my posts and stuff and we started messaging quickly because he always has the reputation. I know you interviewed recently that you hated French guys, right, because, you know, whatever.

Yeah, you were the type of of guy like his weight class. Yeah, exactly. You guys had to hate each other. And I tried to fight him once too and you're the rough guy and I went like this and he goes like meow meow. In the box he was fucking around with me. He's a funny fucker. Yeah.

So I was thinking, hey man, can we plan some type of competition like me and him and raise money for fun? But then I stopped and now he would kill me because you kept doing it privately and everything. But yeah, but like you said, being in the present moment was a big thing. But I find that in golf and in pickleball. I'm big on pickleball now. I play like twice a week.

I'm putting one in my backyard. I have one right now because you did it. I have one in my backyard too. Let's go buddy. Yeah, I love it. It's so fun. Yeah, I have one in my backyard too. It's awesome.

It's time for the rollback last question now, Talbot. Use code CHICKLETTS, C-H-I-C-L-E-T-S on rollback.com. For generous 20% off your first purchase through the end of the week, that's CHICKLETTS on rollback.com, R-H-O-B-A-C-K.com. 20% off all hoodies, joggers, and more with code CHICKLETTS. Us being in Montreal, you being a part of the media now, we were saying, walking into the Bell Center,

I need the Canadians back in the playoffs and thinking of a cup final in this building, in this city. Where do you see their team headed? Do you like where it's headed? They had the great run this season. They have Demidov coming over. Like, what are your thoughts on that organization? I trust the leadership.

Yeah, I like Ken Hughes a lot. I feel like Ken Hughes, Gordon, they have the right way, they have a plan. I think they're taking very good care of the players. Jeff Molson is on board with their plan. I think the fans are on board with the plan too. Are the fans getting impatient a little bit? A little bit now. Yes, because you know this year we're the same places standing as they were last year. So we're talking about progression. Going back to the golf tournament this year, we want to be in the mix, right? And they were in the mix in January. They had that amazing run. Everybody's like, Oh, so excited. We got to make the playoff this

year. They lost Gouli though. They lost Gouli. They lost. Enneman was a big loss, bigger loss than we thought also, because since Enneman got hurt, got hit by a car in San Jose. Yeah. Yeah. On the way to the game. Swedish kid, young kid. Yeah. Nice player.

Yeah. Great player. So he was like, they were the best fourth line in league with Evans and Armia. They were playing amazing. And so these two injuries, Dobesh was a great story. Now it was like, you know, the team's not, so the team's getting impatient with Laney right now. But the stories of the year was Hudson. You've like watching him? Oh, how about the motor on that kid? He's like a Quinn Hughes, he's going to be a Quinn Hughes? Oh yeah, like for sure. And he's doing a lot of things, right? He creates like a lot of offense from nothing.

Like he's very a generational talent. Like he's going to be good for... Eric Engel said it's a lazy take about his defensive play. You can see some clips where he gets roasted, but I guess everybody does, but you're lazy take about his defensive play where you can see some clips where he gets roasted, but I guess everybody does, but you're very impressed with even defensive play. He competes. That's the thing.

His compete level is so intense. He's got a great stick. So he competes, his stick is there. Of course he's going to get, you know, he's not the fastest skater in straight line, but he's so agile. He's quick. So yeah, so that's the biggest story of the year. Carrier's trade was amazing.

Alexandre Carrier, that he went to get in Nashville too, helped like very, held the defensive core, having everybody in the right chair. And the guys keep growing. I think they'll have a problem with Evan's contract right now. You know, I think they started the talk because he's a big part of this team. He's becoming a big part of this team. He's going to be free this year, so there's trade rumors. So I'm excited to see what they're gonna do because he's worth maybe four a year right now, four or five year contracts.

So are they gonna take that chance? Because if you lose him, Beck is coming up. He's playing well, Owen Beck, but then you have Suzuki, obviously, but after not convinced with Doc on the second yet. So now it leaves the second, third line center open. So they still have a lot of, I think, you know, moves to make to become that team.

But I like the face of the team in Suzuki's leadership, Caulfield, like- And the prospects are nice. Yeah, I think they have good goalies too. There's the Fowlers coming, there's a Russian goalie too that's doing good. So they have some stuff in the bank, but you need to put it all together.

Hey, there's no guy that can answer this question better than you, this is total rumor, boys, but will we ever see Crosby playing for the Canadiens? Oh, crap, people got excited this week, eh? Oh my God. Imagine that, but man, it's so tough. Like I wouldn't want to be Kyle Dubis, like right now in pet, he's got a lot of work to do, right?

I think he started the process of rebuilt right now with the recent move, but like, I think you just need to address it with Sid. I don't have any ends of that answer, but you need to ask Sid, like what do you want to do? You know, that's the only thing that Dubis can do basically, he's got no move, no trade. But I think to accelerate the build

of the Pittsburgh Penguin franchise, it's one thing you need to consider. It's just fans. You think it's more likely he ends up with the abs than he would with Montreal? That's the rumor, probably, you know, to play and have a chance to win and stuff like that. Cause the, I don't know if Montreal is ready to win in the next two years.

Who knows? But you know, so you go there basically just for the story and the play and for, yeah, we'll call him. If you hadn't signed in Philly, I'd tell you. Are you going to sign for Montreal? I don't know. I mean, as a fan of the game, I mean, I just want them in the playoffs. Like you. Yeah. sign for much I don't know I mean as a fan of the game I mean I just want him in the playoffs like yeah I just want to after last night it was one game so I

can't wait till you know Saturday night with USA it's I had you just miss him in the big games you just miss him in the big I had bloggers and media from Pittsburgh they were not happy with me starting to kick up dust on the Crosby to the yeah when yeah I know but like like you just said I'm a fan of the game like I would love to see said back in the mix and him and McKinnon together. That would be an NHL dream. The fucking cap would go up another three million bucks. I agree.

If he goes, imagine going to New York Rangers. You know a big market or even Toronto, let's say that, but you look at his face, like, can you see him with a different Jersey? Like I can't, I can't, but I can't. No, I can't. But somebody did send me a Photoshopped one of him with the abs one on it. It looks the most normal. You put it over your bed.

Yeah. You haven't even seen one with him with the Habs Jersey on. Imagine that one. It probably looks. Had the chance going the other night. Yeah. Crosby. Crosby. They say that Habs is likely,

because his father was the biggest Habs fan growing up. So, I don't know. Talbot. This was awesome. Any kid who wants to make the NHL, listening to how you approached your life and your career, it was an honor playing with you, buddy, and we appreciate you speaking about it.

This was a blast. And remember kids, it's better to hold back a wild horse than it is to push a donkey. For sure, do that. Do that guys. It's a, and guys, I'm so proud of you guys. Everybody. Thank you. Hey, you guys played with a,

you played with this bitch, guys, you know. Those idiots. Yeah, and I always, I'm so proud of you guys, man. Watching you on TNT, I always say it's fucking the best intermission. I don't miss those, you know? Wow, that's an honor. Oh, for sure.

You guys are doing great job. We should get yonder for one, Talbot. We got Tuqa Rasq coming out on Monday. Oh, that's great. Oh, is he coming? Yeah, Tuqa Rasq is joining in the mix. I think they should, they're going to start incorporating more and more guys.

So just don't take my spot, please. Maxine Talbot. I need a job. Never. Thanks guys. Love you. Appreciate it, boys. Guysine Taler. Never. Thanks guys. Love you. Appreciate it boys. Guys, Whit here.

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I'm so happy to see how well he's doing, and that guy lives life with a lot of passion, man. Like happy to see how well he's doing. And that guy lives life with a lot of passion, man. Like what he's, he's tried so many different things. He's got all his hand and all these different things. And I had a blast playing with him every day. He had energy at the rink. And I hope you could kind of see that or hear that from listening to that interview. So thanks a lot, Max. It was great spending time with you and the guy. We had nowhere to sit. We had nowhere to go for the US-Canada game. And all of a sudden he gets on the phone and

boom, we're sitting in a box and we had a great night. So Max, what a guy. Thank you so much, buddy. I appreciate it. And onto the quick kits, which are sponsored by Dove Men Plus Care. Finally, there is a scrub design for men's needs. Add the new Dove Men Plus Care Body and Face Scrubs to your shower routines. Use in the shower, bath, or at your sink. Apply to wet skin, rinse clean, and follow with your favorite Dove Men Plus Care Body Wash or Cleansing Bar. Scrub transforms how your skin feels, and it's made for your face, your body, and your scalp. So right now, go to Dove Men Plus Care. Check it out.

Get involved. You'll look amazing. If youve Men Plus Care, check it out, get involved, you'll look amazing. If you want to try it, find it at Walmart today. Guys, I did want to mention that with all the talk about Ovi and his goal chase and how cool this story is, there is a Crosby side to this and what he's chasing. And that is that if Sid finishes this year with a point per game or better, he would break Wayne Gretzky's all time record, he would have 20 seasons as a point per game player or better. Wayne did it 19 times as Sid has. So I think Sid needs 16 points to guarantee himself over a point per game

again, which is just the fact that he's knock on wood, going to do it. That is just wild. I mean, 20 years in a row is point per game or better. So that's an amazing thing to see happen. And it's just incredible and unfortunate to see Pittsburgh struggling so much, but to see Crosby still doing his thing. The Washington Capitals have resigned goaltender Charlie Lingren to a three-year nine million dollar contract extension Lingren's contract will carry an average annual value of three million dollars That was interesting to see and also to put things in perspective They're they're both their tent. They're tandem is

Making less than Bobrovsky. I think you know, so it's a pretty good pretty good bar goon for that Washington team with I think, you know, so that's a pretty good, pretty good bar goon for that Washington team with not only Lindgren, but Thompson playing as well as he has. So just a great thing they got going in wash right now. So also Taylor Hall is in talks with the Hurricanes for an extension. What do you think that deal would look like Biz?

I think it goes back to our interview with him and him just being so grateful for playing in the NHL and wanting to win. I would assume he wouldn't be trying to break the bank or anything. No, I'd probably say like a two year, four year. Yeah. Yeah. He scored his first goal with the Hurricanes recently. I was happy to see for that.

Yeah. I think something like that. Two years at four to 5.5 a year. Yeah. He's going to be your fifth to seventh best forward on the team. So he should be making about 4 million bucks if he makes a little more, good for him. But I think that all he cares about, kind of like when he went to Boston,

is just being in a winning culture, being part of a fun group of guys, and riding out like a, I mean, fuck man, the guy got drafted first overall. He's got a heart trophy, came within, I mean, fuck man, the guy got drafted first overall. He's got a heart trophy, came within, you know, I mean, Stanley Cupp's the last thing he needs to add to his mantle. So, you know, it's a good opportunity being in Carolina and he gets to ride it out in a place where he's not under the microscope.

I'm sure it wasn't that fun of a time, you know, his time in Chicago, especially losing as much as he was. So it's all about just your environment now. So good for him. And didn't he just have a kid, right? Yeah, his son. I think he might be approaching a year, but yeah, it was good to sit down with him.

And I'm happy, man. He's got a chance to get into the playoffs and make a little noise. And I hope he resigns. He has moved around a lot too. So I think for him, It's like he's there He probably wants all right. Let me let me sign here, so hopefully that works out for him Oli Mata signed a three-year extension with Utah. That's a 3.5

Av for him you know so Utah has been coming on strong man that Clayton Keller since he didn't make four nations roster He's been on a tear. I think he was first star of the week last week in the NHL. So, Olimata, another guy. Hayden's been playing solid too. He's starting to come along. Schmaltz had a slow start, but he's been buzzing too. So, yeah, they got a lot of jam going there. I actually had dinner the other night with Ryan Smith.

He was in Arizona. Yeah, I brought him to Houston's. No shit. You got him jumped. No, no, no. I brought him there Arizona. Yeah, I brought him to Houston's. No shit. I didn't even got him jumped. Yeah, no, no, no. I brought him there for security reasons. But no, it was good chatting to him, man. And he's thrilled.

And obviously he's looking to make a splash on the off season too, not shy to spend money and really just continuing to integrate the multi-sport. He's gonna get something going with the basketball and the hockey and continue to grow U-sports there in Utah, which is, as he explains, an unreal community to live and he loves it there. Brutal news for Devils fans. I think the Devils are like 9, 12 and 3 in their last 24 games

after an incredible start to the year. And and the most upsetting thing for all is is Jack Hughes was injured against Vegas on Sunday Kind of a scary looking injury We don't really know if it's wrist if it's shoulder He was going off the ice in a in a really awkward position I saw a tweet don't know if it's true or not that Luke Hughes was pretty emotional after the game and Jack Hughes has been through all these different injuries and what an incredible player, but Pasha, I mean this guy and let's go so the bet we made.

Now I hated making this bet. The bet popped up where Pasha was ranting and raving about how amazing he was three years ago and I actually didn't realize how good he was then. I didn't understand. I hadn't seen him play that much. And Pasha's like, you know, he's a superstar. He's going to be top five player in the league. And I said, oh, and this was solely because I was just like, I want to argue with Pasha right now. I said, oh, no, he's not that good. He's not that good. And we ended up making a bet that he had to get a hundred points in one of the next three seasons. Okay? Now, then I started watching more closely and I was like, holy shit, I love watching this guy play. I hate that I have this bet. Now, part of the bet was that I just can't stand Pasha and wanted to bet against him. And then part of it was that he is kind of slight and I was like, I don don't know if he'll be able to stay healthy for 82 games, you know, like,

even though he's as incredible as he is to get 100 points, he got to play at least 75 games, right? Like, and so we made the bet in the first year, he got 99 points. And I was like, holy shit, I'm screwed. I am absolutely screwed in this thing. And I was bumped, holy shit, I'm screwed. I am absolutely screwed in this thing. And I was bummed out because I like watching the guy play and he's American and rooting for him. And now I'm like, oh, I don't want him to get 100 points. But I was like, whatever. And then last year he gets hurt, okay?

He gets hurt, so now I'm two years in. So going into this season, I said to Pasha, I said, listen, dude, I don't want a part of this bet anymore. I love what, the guy's one of my favorite players to watch. So dynamic, fast. He's exactly like a new NHL type superstar. I want to get out of this bet. I'll pay you 2,500 bucks. Now to me, if you make a bet with a buddy, you pay your bets always, but you make a bet with a buddy and he's offering you, what, 90% of the payout just so that I could root him on and enjoy watching him. You'd take it, no? Would you take that bet?

You'd think. You'd think. But as Biz said in the group chat, you know the old saying, Pasha, pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered. And this asshole said no to me. Oh man, this guy is down. Oh, you look like you're down bad. And now looking back Pasha, as friends, as like two, like I love you, and I know we've become close, like 2500 bucks, like what were you thinking? Warning, the following statements are about to be made by a deranged Devils fan

the views expressed are his and his only take everything you hear with a grain of salt because Remember he is a deranged Devils fan. I was just gonna say like don't even bother rolling disclaimer like I I There's nothing to say. I barely slept last night like woke up had five seconds of peace before I remember what happened again. Day ruined. This is just like living in a nightmare. It seems like every year this happens. Like I almost pute watching the game last night and like, wait, I don't give a fuck about the bet.

I don't care about the money. I know, I know you don't. I just care about like this excitement of the season has been sucked out. I was looking at places to rent in Jersey, go for the playoffs. I don't even know if they're going to make it anymore. Even if they do, like they're not going to do shit. I was looking at penthouses in Hoboken thinking not only was going to win your bet, but he was going to ride out this playoff run there being a content factory.

And I don't even know if they're going to make it out of the first round at this point. I don't know if they're even going to make playoffs at this point. They've alternated wins and losses the last 12 games. That's with Jack, like lighting this point. They've alternated wins and losses the last 12 games. That's with Jack like lighting it up They're so I do it. I hey he was gonna he was catching I was like this thing's over Like he was two points a game every game lately. They're so fucked. I just like see seasons over I mean, yeah, I don't even know what to say. I'm in shock. It's a fucking joke Yeah

Now I I did read reports this morning that it maybe wasn't as bad as it originally looked now Is that was that false? I know I saw one tweet from like a team beat reporter that he's flying back to Jersey and he's Heard it might not be as severe as people think that's what what is what does that mean like? Instead of fucking four to six months. It's two months three like you know who knows like well No, I maybe they take a look and it's a month and, and he's ready to go. Yeah. Like to me, like if he's ready for game one of the playoffs, I'll take that as a win right now. But to me, that's, it just looked so scary that even that seems like a big if. Um, and again, like we've seen that with him in the past, even when he comes back

from these shoulder injuries or wrist, I don't know which one it is. It takes him a while to get going and like, they're not going to have enough runway for him to like get back up to speed. They're, they're so fuck boys. The only, only flash of positivity I can see is if it is one of those things where it's six, seven weeks, I think playoffs are seven weeks away. If he's out four or five, six weeks and fits, he somehow uses the LTIR thing to load up. And then Jack comes back and kind of doesn't miss a beat. That's the only silver lining of this, but I am not very optimistic.

I think. So that's what I was going to ask you is probably looks like they're going to end up playing Carolina, right? So not going to be a easy buddy. I think it's more likely that they end up slide to a wild card or even like they might miss dude, like they're, they're so fucked without him. Like they already could not score like They have the goaltending they have the defense even though Seagunthal or their best defensive defenseman's been out

They just can't score scoring has been their problem, which has been the opposite of them the last couple years So you take Jack away. I mean fuck me like so they're eight points up on the Rangers the Rangers do have two games in hand I They're eight points up on the Rangers. The Rangers do have two games in hand. I would think with Markstrom and the D that they'll be okay to hold on to that. And it's like, I don't mind them at all against Carolina. Now granted, that's with Jack Hughes.

But I've kind of seen, and now this is Twitter, this is hockey Twitter, but like, Devils fans seem to be all over Tom Fitzgerald a little bit where I'm like, I don't really see that. That's crazy. They're talking about fire, fitzy, this and that. Like to me, that's crazy. I've loved the moves that he's made. No, no, it's more than Frank. It's morbid. Yeah, like nowadays, like you act like they've lost 20 games in a row. Like I said, they've alternated wins and losses for 12 games in a row now, which is for a team as good as they should be, that's still pathetic.

They're just kind of treading water, but like people are talking fire, fitzy, fire, fitzy. To me, it's crazy. Like they, you know, their biggest needs are top six winger and on a bottom six center. Those are easily addressable with the kind of the resources they have, the picks and prospects. So to me, like when Jack was healthy, this team was a couple of very doable moves away from being an absolute wagon. The fire fits. He stuff is crazy. So crazy.

So I would say that the Palat signing has been underwhelming. I would say that the Timo Meyer trade and signing has been underwhelming. Now Timo Meyer is the type of guy in playoffs. Like he is a power forward. He is solid below the goal line in the offensive zone. He's the type of guy who will go to the crease. Like, are those two that really stand out? What are the other ones that you're not happy with?

No, I mean, I would have liked to see more from Meyer, but I've never in my 20 plus years of being a hockey fan see a guy be a snake bitten as Meyer. I think he's dead last in the league and goals scored under expected. He's driven play the whole season. He doesn't get power play one time. He's been playing third line most of the season.

I think he's one guy that'll benefit from Hughes being out. He'll be put on that first power play. I think he had 15 goals and 19 games in March last year. I think we're going to see a similar offensive explosion or they're going to need that from him to stay afloat. So I think Meyer actually like has been a beast despite the goals not being there. I'm not worried about Meyer. The Palat deal.

Yeah, sure. But again, like to me, that play he made in game seven that won them that against the Rangers, I don't care if he's like, he's the worst contract on the team, whatever, like making 6 million bucks, bury him, buy him out, whatever cap going up, like, and if that's the biggest blemish on Fitzy, whatever. Jason Bahlman What do you think, and he's only 22 years old, but I kind of thought a little bit more from Dawson Mercer this year. Do you see on a cup team, is he a third-liner or do you still think there's more to his game?

Jason Bahlman He's been very disappointing. I will put part of that on his usage. I think the numbers when he plays with Jack have been really good. He's not a play driver. He's a complimentary guy. You know, he needs a guy like Jack to sort of drive the line and he'll finish. But that's no excuse. Like he has been very, very disappointing.

Probably the biggest disappointment of the season, along with Simone Nemitz. Yeah. And then lastly, like this Kova Sevich, who no one really expected anything out of, all of a sudden he starts playing with Seigenthaler and they're one of the best shutdown pairs in the league since Seigenthaler has been out, it's kind of been pretty apparent that he was carrying Kova Sevich a little bit, like that's, that's what I've seen. And, and it kind of, now you're like, Oh, do we resign this guy where before there was a lot of talk about extending him?

Pasha was calling him Kovaeckin. Well, that was Keefe after game one. Oh. But no way you're, you're bang on with that. And I think the expectation was like, okay, well, like, is it going to be him or Nemets? Cause there's only so many slots available in the right-handed side. I think it might help them in the long run, you know, not sort of giving them a big deal based on a really good 40, 50 games. Um, so we'll see.

I think, I think the jury reigns out on kind of what kind of player he truly is for them, but I mean, listen, for what they got him for, he's been great. I feel for you Pasha. And that is no exaggeration. Like if people think we're joking about how much this guy loves the devils, he has never missed a second of a game when I've been with him. He lives and dies with this team. Um, and I was actually like excited for what they were doing at the beginning of

the year too, based, based on how fun they are to watch like that, like Sheldon Keefe came over and it was like, holy shit, like they only good now but they're set for the next five six years I still think that's the case but what has transpired has been has been a disappointment for for Devils fans and and hockey fans they I mean I know if you're a Rangers fan you hate the Devils and also like not to just add to the doom and gloom but like at some point this is a bigger career type concern for Hughes like how many times can you hurt his shoulders we're hoping hoping it's not shoulder. We're hoping it's not shoulder. I'd rather be broken wrist and like he's he's back four to six weeks type thing hopefully, but like, you know

What you start to have to kind of wonder like how many times can this guy hurt his shoulders before it's like a bigger picture concern So maybe that's just my like shock and negativity talking right now, but very very rattled. Good news. You good news. You got Dallas tomorrow. Oh, Jesus. That's just my shock and negativity talking right now, but very, very rattled. Good news, you got Dallas tomorrow. Oh, Jesus. Any consolation, your hair looks incredible, your tan looks great, your beard looks manicured. You look like a fucking, you look like a model right now.

We have another thing that'll brighten your day. A sponsor of ours, betterhelp.com. Oh, nice. Go to betterHelp.com. Oh, nice. Go to BetterHelp.com. I thought it was a meme toy sponsorship. There's over 30,000 therapists online, so check them out and we'll talk to you soon, buddy. We'll talk to you soon.

Poor Pasha. Wow, he was in that dumps. If you think I enjoyed that bet, I was like, this sucks, I hated it. I hated it. I hated it. But I offered him 2,500 bucks. I think he would have rathered his girlfriend break up with him than what happened.

Hey, 1,000%. 1 million percent. Yeah. We're on the road with this guy, and he's got his phone. Oh, oh, penalty. Oh, oh, it's like holy shit. Oh, crypto wallet. Oh.

Buy GreedWid. Buy Greed. So it really stinks. It really stinks. That kind of leads us over. I want to give a congrats to Kevin B. X's son, Cole. He signed with the Cole Quitlum Express in the BCHL. Oh, nice.

Juice is an awesome dude. I think he's also coached his son a little bit. And so it's cool to see his son will be going to the BCHL. I love that guy. I'm rooting for Cole. Good luck, buddy. We interviewed Ryan Kessler, boys. We're going to throw it over to him.

So he is the coach of the 2010 Little Caesars team. They're the number one team in the country. They could beat the Blackhawks right now. They are a wagon, needless to say, like an absolute wagon. And we wanted to have them on because a story went viral. They played bell-tire. They won 43 to nothing. 43 to nothing.

44. And when you listen to the interview, he mentions that there was a goal they didn't count. This is like Alabama playing Davenport University in football. And when you listen to the interview, he mentions that there was a goal they didn't count. This is like Alabama playing Davenport University in football. Yeah. Online school. I, you know, I saw it and I was like, holy shit. And I kind of just immediately felt really bad for the kids on Bell Tire.

But I wanted to talk to Kes and kind of get his side, get his viewpoint of everything. So without us going into it, let's throw it over to Ryan Kessler right now, who is coaching a team who, yeah, they may be in the NHL next season. So, NHL veteran, Ryan Kessler. What up, guys? Time to talk about DraftKings. The NHL season has been as predictable as a puck rolling on its edge. No one knows where it's going. We got the deadline coming up. Who's getting traded where? What assets are getting traded where? Whose favorite player is going to another team? And all that brings back to DraftKings. But there's more time for you now to figure things out because DraftKings is here for you.

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slash audio. We are now joined by Ryan Kessler, 1001 regular season games, many playoff games, hell of a player and now the coach of the number one team in the country for 2010 birth years. That's Little Caesars Hockey Club. They were in the news this past week. They were in the news, hell of a wagon they have here. Kes, how you been buddy? What's going on? I've been good. I took a lot of heat for that one and I wasn't, uh, I wasn't even in the state.

I was, I was, I had some business to attend to in California. So I watched that one at, uh, at Joey's on my phone and, uh, saw that, saw that beating yet it was, uh, it's, it's too bad. You know, that's not a game we set up. It's actually a playoff game. That's our league and we have eight teams in our league and unfortunately, USA hockey and playoffs make you play all 48 minutes and there's no runtime, there's no mercy rule. But in the regular season, there is a mercy rule. So after two periods, if you're up by 15 goals, the game's just over.

And every, like, if you score your 15th in the third period, the game's over. It was, and with it being playoffs, our teams geared up. This is what you play your whole season for, is state playoffs, and you know, we will have some competitive games here next weekend in the semis and hopefully the finals. And then through weeks after that, we're looking to win another state or a, another national championship foot on their throats, man. Don't let up. Can we, can we explain the backstory here? When I feel like it made national news, um,

a lot of conversation these days about minor hockey and how it's handled and maybe some parents Being a little bit too intense about it So when I'll hand it over to you to explain the final score maybe some backlash from some of the parents some of the shots 143 to nothing I saw You should change your name to the No Limit Soldiers. They actually forgot a goal. We actually won 44 to nothing. Okay, okay.

And the shots were 121. Was that Sook in the lineup? All right, well, let's get into that. Well, we got a hell of a staff. Our staffs ran by myself, Alex Tangay, who I think runs a 38% power play percentage with the Red Wings right now, and, and he does our power play as well. We have Brian Sippitz who played like 10 years for the Chicago Wolves.

You got Chris Connor who played 250 NHL games. So our staff is knows what it takes and all these kids are so dedicated. They, they want to win and they want to, they want to make it to the NHL like all of us did. So to have them take a game off is non-negotiable. They have an analytics guy, actually, Posh is doing their under the hood analytics. They have a massage therapist as well that travels with the team. You guys are going to laugh, but we do have iPads on the bench. And that live stream and we do have sensors on the boys. Do you have a video coach?

Well, we have a guy filming. It's low on. And my brother, my brother as well. My brother helps out with us and he does all the tech. I run it and, and our, our staff runs it like a professional organization. And I think that's where all the heat comes from. I take pride in it. My staff takes pride in it and we give the kids as much as we need.

Brian Sipp, it's our D coach runs his own company. That's where all the heat comes from. I take pride in it. My staff takes pride in it and we give the kids as much as we need. Brian Sippitz, our D coach runs his own gym advantage strength. So the boys are dialed in with the workouts. They're dialed in with the video. They're dialed in on the power play nutrition. We have a nutritional coach, which is also Brian Sippitz. So we have everything that they need and we just expect hard work and, and the ability to come to the rink and be coachable.

And that's what they all do. You got them on peptides, like the kids doing injections or anything. Or I heard, I heard about that stuff. I haven't tried it yet. So get back to the game. And, and obviously I've kind of heard a lot about this team, like this, obviously it's the number one team in the country. These kids will be turning 15 in 2025, correct? Yeah, correct.

So I think that it was kind of split, I saw on social media once it went viral. It was like a lot of people are like, hey, this is legit hockey. These kids are 15 years old. It's not like they're eight and nine. And then the other side was like, all right, at 20 nothing, almost make it like, I don't know, like a 10 pass rule or, and it's really hard to just not score. What did the coach tell you after the game in terms of like what he was telling the guys?

Like was there ever a point where you're like, all right guys, enough's enough? They were playing with their sticks upside down when it went to 20-nothing. They should have gone righty, lefty, right. I just feel for the other kids on the other team. I do too. I feel for them. And to be honest, watching that game, none of those kids on the other side gave up, which

is impressive. That's awesome. You weren't seeing kids crying on the ice or upset. Um, you know, their backup goalie actually played D that game. So he dressed out as a, as a defenseman. So they didn't even have a backup goalie that game to, to pull the kid, which I felt awful about. But yeah, the backups, like I ain't going into this game.

I know what's coming. I heard all the things like playoffs at hand. We're in state playoffs. I'm not going to have my team do any of that. I think playing keep away. I think that's, that's disrespectful to the other team. And if you watch the game from goal one to game 43, the only two times that our team celebrated was in the third period when we had two kids that

haven't scored in a while scored a goal. And that was not to throw that in their face. That was because they're happy for their teammate. They scored goal one, they lined up, they did it again. There was no big hits. If you watch the game, there's one hit in the game maybe. So they're not taking other kids' heads off. They're, they're being respectful. They're that chirpy and they understand that, you know, it's going to be a lopsided game, but they, I was proud of the way our boys handled it and, and they're super respectful, um, with, with playing under a name like Little Caesars, and Brian

Ralston's the hockey director and being associated with the Red Wings, I think it's important that, that we, we have the utmost respect on the ice. Did every kid on the team score? Yes. And how many points did the leading scorer in the game get? I want to say like 10, maybe. So it was, it was, it was a lot, but you look at the score and it was spread out throughout the lineup. It wasn't like one line was doing it.

And that's the thing with my team. There's no drop off, you know, from forward one to forward 10, I can, I can play anybody and our staff feels comfortable playing anybody against like we don't match lines, we just go out and next man up. We, we take pride as a staff in developing all 18 kids, a lot of kids. There are a lot of teams in youth that they focus on their five best players and if they don't give them ice time, they're leaving to go to the next team.

And that's just not the way we coach. We coach as we're gonna teach every kid how to be on the power plate. We're gonna teach every kid how to kill because even me, we played different positions too. The first time I played wing was with Matt Sundin in Vancouver and I had no idea how to play on the wall. Like no clue, like I was always a center man.

So the ability to gain these traits and develop over the course of a few years and maybe pick up something that you learned or you have to have in your bag down the road to help advance your career is something that we all believe in as a staff. Should those kids who they played against be playing AAA? And was there any backlash from their coaching staff

or their parents or were they okay with it and saying, hey, sometimes in life your kid needs to get a licking and it's a good learning lesson and you gotta go hit the gym like the other teams do and go pay attention more to the power play and maybe the little details. Because some people might, these kids are turning 15 years old.

It's not like we're talking about eight, nine years olds. Like you're about to hit, getting draft eligible to junior age. Yeah, yeah. You know, they've had a challenging year, to say the least. They've lost some pretty lopsided games and, and I give it to their coach, their coach is a great guy. He talked to me after, after the game and he talked to me yesterday and he wished us nothing but the best and he coached his last game yesterday. I think that team is, I think there's a new team coming in for that team next year. I'm not sure what's going on there, but I don't think that team's

going to be a team next year. So I saw recently that you were hired, um, kind of explained with, with the national team development program. Now I'm guessing, um, with your past playing for you representing your country, playing there and doing all the things you did that has something to do with it and maybe Possibly because there's got to be I don't know what five six kids that Will probably make that team in two years the under 17 team. Yeah that you're coaching now I would say at least five or six I would expect but you never know

We we have some good players and some players that are climbing the ranks quickly. We have some kids that are very dedicated and they work out. They're crazy. Create way crazier than I will. My own son's a nut job. He works out like seven days a week, um, on his own, which is bizarre to me. But looking at that U17 team, if we have five or six guys, I wouldn't be surprised, but I bet you we could have more and we could have less we have five or six guys, I wouldn't be surprised, but I bet you we

could have more and we could have less because I know they like to pick from around the country. And what are you doing for the program? Did I see that correct or no? I used to be a volunteer assistant coach a couple years ago for Adam Nightingale. Adam coaches Michigan State now., he's a great coach. He, he has a, he taught me a lot. It was, it was a great experience. And then when, when he left, uh, the new coaching staff just didn't

want me there, I guess. Oh, really? Yeah. That means, that means Rikers going to the O. No, not so much. They don't want me there. It was more like they wanted me to be a video coach and do a bunch of video and I was fine with that, but it just I didn't like it I didn't like I'd rather be on the ice with the kids and helping them and developing on them

You know, especially watching that Four Nations tournament in that first game. I was I was loving that. That brought back a lot of memories and it makes me, brings you back to playing for the Olympics and playing for your country and I'd love to get in with coaching with the national team again for sure. Kes, how many other programs at that age around the country do you think are running it

the way that you guys are running it? Are you talking to anyone else? Because you just brought up the four nations. There's obviously a resurgence almost of American hockey, right? There's a lot of popularity and buzz going right now and I'm sure we're going to see tons of players coming out of the states because of it. College hockey's growing like crazy, especially the viewership. So are you in contact with these other programs that are running it like you and, and, and it's hardcore and invested? Yeah. Who were the top five 2010s after you guys?

Shadock St. Mary's. So I don't know anything about their program. Um, we haven't played them yet this year. Um, we, we tried to link up it just with, with us being so far away from each other. It just didn't happen. Uh, Mount St. Charles, which is another prep school out East, um, Boston minute men, which

is a, uh, kind of a split season team. They're up there and I can't even tell you after that they changed so much. I know Buffalo's has a good team. Dallas, uh, boss, uh, Bishop Kearney, BK selects has a good team. But I would say out of the top, like the top 10 teams can compete. And then after that, there's a, there's a bit of a drop off. Now, will the, will these kids go and play high school and still play for you? Like how we used to play the split seasons type stuff, or is it there with you?

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. We are, we are full season, uh, out east is still like that. So like, uh, Boston Minutemen, they all go play for their prep schools. I'm not sure how you probably can speak more on that, but I'm not sure how that all works. Um, I know talking to the Boston Minutemen coach, he has a really good team.

Uh, we have one, one goal games all the time with them and he lost his team to split season. So they all like disperse and then they come back together for nationals. Keith, that's like Colin's team, your nephew. Yeah, they, the junior Eagles, the 2009s, they play, you know, fall and spring. And then in the winter, they're all at their prep schools and stuff. So it's always been a little different for Michigan, as opposed to Massachusetts area kids with the full season stuff.

All the tier one teams play under different rules. It's bizarre. So like we are only allowed to have five kids from out of state. You have to be born in Michigan. So we have our five players from out of state, but a team like, you know, Shaddock, I think they only have two kids from Minnesota or another tier one team doesn't have any rules at all and they can have every kid from out of state. So I would wish that

tier one would just have one set of rules for all the teams and make it even across the board. You know, we have a bunch of good Michigan players on our team and people call us an all star team, but we're really not. We're just playing under the rules. Cass, it was kind of a tough back half to your career with the, with the hip injury and getting surgery and stuff like that. And I'm sure you had your struggles in, in, in, in post retirement.

Would you be as invested if your kid wasn't playing and has this whole coaching thing kind of gave you a purpose in the second part of your life? If my kid wasn't playing I don't think I'd be coaching at this level. I think I would be involved in hockey for sure but I don't I don't think I'd be coaching at this level. Saying that, having a son and coaching and and having the career taken away from me and having a tough like at the end of my career, I hated hockey. I did. I, I, I hated going to the rank.

I hated being in pain like that. Um, you know, your mind thinks she can do it and your body's like, nope, next time. So, so I decided, you know, to get, get the hip hip replacement and the ability to. Get offered a job and coach my son. And I didn't know if I was going to like it. I was like, no, even, even to the point where I'm like, don't call me coach, just call me Kes. Don't like, I don't like the word coach. Just call me Kes. Cause I was still in the player mindset, you know? So, but I think it saved me to be honest. Uh, and my passion grew for the game again.

And you look at it, you look at the game at a diff with a different lens now. Um, still, still the player lens, but you look at it as a more of a development aspect on why you do certain things and how can I teach this and, uh, how can you, how, how can you develop hockey IQ? How can you make your kids smarter on your team? And with the staff we have, we collaborate all the time and there's no we goes in that room. We get in a few first all the time and it's, it's great.

Like we disagree, we agree. And, uh, we come out of that room with one message. And coaching has just saved me. I don't even know where I'd be without coaching right now. I felt lost after I was done playing. Obviously I have a young family. I got three girls and a boy and, uh, being an Uber driver wasn't something I thought I'd be doing, but, uh, that's, that's, that's my life.

And, and the ability to have, uh, the ability to have, uh, that was just my girl, she's going to hockey right now. So I got one girl in hockey too. Um, what year birth year what birth year is she? She just started. She, uh, she goes through a skating coach, uh, Stacey Barber. She's, she's great. She, uh, she's really hard on the kids.

It's, it's, it's, uh, I don't even know what birth year she is. What is she have 2017? She's a 2017. So watch out. Okay. Okay. Bit of a late start. You mentioned that your your kids hardcore like he's the one pushing himself Was it that way at an early age too?

Or did you try to instill that in him? He caught it caught the bug and then now he's running his own show like how did you balance that because I obviously you were very Hardcore, you know in your approach to hockey. Yeah, it kind of happened organically. It happened this year. I worked with an exercise physiologist during my career. The guy's out of Vancouver, his name's Ben Spore. And I worked with him for probably the last eight, nine years of my career.

And exercise physiologist is basically, he develops a program for you that you follow. He does your bike rides. It's basically idiot proofs being in shape for camp. So I didn't have to worry. I was a guy that always worried if I was doing too much or if I was not doing enough, I got to be in shape for camp and he I trusted him and he he works with Sam Reinhardt. So like He works with Sam Reinhardt. So like, you just got to be dedicated and you got to trust him.

And I was in the best shape of my life in my thirties. And unfortunately my hip went, but I felt like my game kept getting better as I was getting older up until a certain point. So my son, we went to a Vancouver tournament, he broke his hand, didn't know he broke it. He broke it in the semi-finals, he's like, Dad, I need ice. And his hand's like, Puffy, I'm like, you're fine.

Because that's what dad does, yeah, you're fine. Played the final game completely fine, and like two days later, I'm like, yeah, it's broke. We gotta go get an x-ray. So I just called Ben, I was like, can you give him some bike rides just to keep him in shape? And it kind of happened organically where my son asked if he could do this full time with them and I'm like, ah, I don't know, I think he only works with NHL guys, but, and he took them on and, and his game has progressed so much

since working with him and I, I'm hands off. And that's what I told him. I said, I'm not, I'm not going to push you. If you need help, I'll help you. But if you want this, you have to do it because if you don't want it, like why play for me? Like you, I'm not going to live through you. I want you to succeed. So if you're going to succeed, work with him.

And he did. And I think he's, he learned the first couple couple bike rides that he can see every stroke of his pedal on the stationary bike because he kind of cheated a little bit. And he's like, Hey, what happened on the bike ride? And then he knew like, Oh no. Okay. And he kills it, man. I'm so proud of him. And I'm not a dad that there's dads out there that think their son's better than what they are.

I'm not that dad. I see all his flaws, I don't see what he's good at. Have you ever thought of pulling a Dion Sanders like him, like just kind of going with your son with it during his career? I was kind of gonna ask that. No shit. You're gonna miss it so much.

Wouldn't you rather him learning from you, I mean no offense, there's great coaches out there, but. Let's sign a 15 year old to the gargoyles. We'll let you be the head coach. I would love to. Um, I love doing it. I love spending time with them. Let's just say, I wouldn't say no if I got asked, but saying that

he does take a lot of heat. He takes a ton of heat for me coaching. And, and, uh, with me being who I am, he gets it from not only the kids, but he gets it from the parents in the stance too. And, and, uh, it's just, uh, he's learning how to deal with it and he's doing a better job and he realizes that, you know, it's, it's all because the name on his back and he has to go out and prove them all wrong. And, and he's doing it.

He's doing a good job of it. I mean, I played with Chris Bork growing up and I remember him getting tortured by kids. Everyone wanted to take their liberties on them. Yeah, you know, you hear people in the stands yelling at, it was brutal. But it drove him too. So I can imagine the same way, the way you're talking about your son, that it's going to drive him as well.

Yeah, yeah, it definitely is. It is crazy what comes out of some people's mouths. Fuck, you ever get in a Donnybrook or almost in the crowd? If I had a guy, a grown man, chirping my kid, I'd fucking pump his eyes shut. Let's see who's an Irish travel. No, I've never gotten into a fight. I've gotten into a couple of screaming matches,

but it's more because the parents are screaming at me, telling me like, fuck you. It's like, buddy, I'll put you in a body bag. Like, come on. Let's go. Let's go. I might start watching these games on my phone with. Live barn.

Yeah, I was gonna ask him, with the changing of the rules now that you can go play junior and then you can also go off to college is, is, is the OHL CHL something that you guys would consider? Like what, what do you think the path would be in order for him to keep going here? You know what? I don't know. He really wants to play for the U S national team, like every kid at this age. But, um, if, if he doesn't, he'll probably go to the OHL or USHL or wherever, I just want him in a good situation somewhere where he's, he's living in a great place.

He's playing for a good team, getting coached by a good coach and, and developing. And I think we all know, like, I'm not coaching my kid to make it to the NHL. If he does great, but it's such a small percentage that make it there. I just want him to play as long as he can and have as much fun as he can. Because those are some of my best memories in my life, is sitting around the locker room with 23 dudes and shooting the shit and making fun of each other and going to dinners, all that stuff. That's the stuff you remember at the end of it all.

You mentioned in all these kids, they want to play in the NHL. You just brought up how hard it is to make it. So it's like, how do you balance the line with your son and your team? You never want to remind them how difficult it is going to be to make it and how maybe one or two of those kids will. But you also want them to be like realistic or am I wrong in that? It's more just like you're pushing towards as good as you can become and don't worry about five, ten years from now. Like how does it work with talking to kids about their future?

Is it more just day to day? I'm a big believer in goal setting. So I have them set goals and I'm a big believer in goal setting. So I have them set goals. And, uh, I used to do it in my career, even on a game to game basis, because it becomes monotonous throughout the year. Right. You sit down, you create five points that you want to focus on that game. And it's not goals and assist. It's like, I want to be under the puck. I want to be 65% in the faceoff circle. Something that's not driven by goals and assists, but just playing the right way. Things you can focus on.

Maybe it's a power play system that you're doing that night. Something like that. And I would really just, what I do with the boys is I tell them, win the day. Win the practice. let's get better today. If you didn't get better today, you're going backwards because everybody like we're a target. Our, I mean, our slogan is everybody hates us and we don't care. Like we know that it's true.

Like we walk in the building and that's putting your slogan since you fucking put on the skates cast. Yeah. We're a team that plays hard. We Cass. We're a team that plays hard. We are. We're a team that plays hard. We compete. Uh, we play 200 feet and we can beat you.

We can outskill you. We can out hit you. We can outskate you. And, um, that's a tribute to them by an end. That's a tribute to them working so hard because they, they all go to a hockey academy together and they all do so much effort that there's not a chance that anyone's gonna catch these kids. Like they work too hard.

There's no one that works harder than these kids. It's crazy to me how much work and how much time these kids are on the ice. Kind of what I take away from this wit and Yans is kind of, you know, there's two approaches. Some people might be like, oh, let these guys be kids and just play and have fun. But like some of these kids want to make something

of themselves and they want to approach it differently. And it's also setting a good precedent for life, man. Life's fucking hard. So that's your approach. What are maybe some approaches that you don't agree with or don't like that a lot of minor hockey teams or programs are taking that you disagree with. That might be a vague question or a very long laundry list, but is there anything that you see where you're like, ah, this is no good?

No, that's a good question. He hates the mercy rule. I hate when people are quick to judge for me. I coach to help develop 18 kids and we get a bad rap because we're hard on the kids, but we respect the kids. And we coach not to win, but we coach to like teach and develop. That's why we have the iPads on the bench. We don't have the iPads on the bench to show off to the other team. I think it's the best coaching tool there is.

Um, because you actually see your mistake or you see what you're doing well. Or to be honest, you can see what the other team's doing on the PK. Like here, look at what they're doing. They're pressing three guys high. We had to move the puck low, something like that. Right. I just don't like coaches that play the same five guys in the power play every time, like they're 14 years old.

I think I have six kids with over 180 points this year. Six. That's because I don't have a five guys that are going out on the power play first every time. Our job as a coaching staff is not to develop five kids. That's not my job. I committed to 18 and we have a goalie coach that comes every practice. That's not normal in AAA hockey. to 18 and we have a goalie coach that comes every practice.

That's not normal in AAA hockey. You might see it once a week. If lucky, I thought, why do I have goalies just via shooter tutor? I could just put two shooter tutors in the net and they'd be fine. They're not learning anything. And meanwhile, we have six player coaches on the ice that are developing and teaching. So I thought it was important when I first started to bring in a goalie coach that was full time. I just feel like too many coaches only care about five kids and they want to put the best five kids out there, which I get you got to win.

And but I know I'm here, whatever our record is saying, I don't care about winning. I don't. I mean, we just beat a team to nothing yesterday. Um, and the state playoffs that, uh, you know, they played a good game and we needed it, we got kicked in the teeth. We should, we should have lost that game. And I wish we would have lost that game because it would have reset our group. And, and the last time we lost was November 24th. Who beat you?

Mrs. Saga senators. Grand Rapids, Griffins. Yeah. They played the golden knights. How many of these kids are out of curiosity? Cause like, so I have a 2017 and you wonder, and you see kids that are really

good, right? They're seven turning eight. And then it's funny because some kids like Jack Eichel and Noah, these kids, they were the best when they were six and they're the best when they're 20. And then you see kids who were bad when they're six, seven that turn into good players and then they turn bad again. And then you see, what range have you seen since the kids you're with now were at a very young age? Because that's the thing that you notice is like, it's such a development is not linear, right? It's just so up and down for so many different kids. What have you seen since these kids were much younger?

Like you said, they have ups and downs throughout the year. Some days you're like, wow, this kid can play. And other days you're like, did I make a mistake on this kid? Um, what is he doing out there? But I don't think, I think it's very rare to see a kid that's a stud at 2017 level, like your son be a stud later. I just think if you're good at that level, it's because you, you skate faster than everybody else and you can just go in and then you flick the puck over the goalie's shoulder.

You don't even shoot it. It's like a flick into the top of the net. I see right now what's separating guys is skating ability. Not how fast you are, but just being deceptive and elusive, like skating ability. And then hockey sense Why do you think it's disappearing a little bit when you talk to scouts and you talk to people like they're like God less kids Have it and you're in the midst of you know, 14 15 year olds like what have you seen? I think it's all because of social media. I think it's they get their five second clip That they see the goal scored, but they don't see what lead. And I just don't think kids watch enough hockey games.

I made it a rule for my team this year. Every night you watch one period of hockey, just one. Watch one period of hockey and then don't watch the puck. Watch what's going on in the game. And that's how you learn. Like, you don't learn from turning on Instagram and seeing a five-second highlight reel of your favorite player. Um...

You know, we do kind of like book reports on games. I'll have someone pick their favorite player and watch them and tell them five things he did good and two things he did bad. You are right, I think it is disappearing because the kids are so worried about skills and they don't realize that the best skill you can have is a next level mind. I played with two guys that were brothers

that their minds were unbelievable. Their hockey IQ was off the charts and they taught me so much during my career and just watching them. You can just see how well and how quickly they see the game. Kes, thank you so much. This is awesome. I love getting this insight about the minor stuff. Now, if we can shift topics, if Kessler is in the locker room with the Vancouver Canucks this year and you got JT Miller and Pedersen with whatever was going on there.

How are you handling that when you're in that locker room? Didn't back in the day we used to do helmets and gloves? Oh yeah. Locker box. Locker box. Little locker box. That's when I knew I'm like, oh fuck, I don't know if I got this dude.

Fighting Donnie Grover, getting my head punched in. Hey, I got my face punched in a couple times. Hey, they put me in with Nathan Horton when I was 13. The guy was fucking benching 250 pounds. He looked like a grown man. I got my fucking shit pushed in. But I'll throw it back over to you. I mean, that was just a crazy situation.

Obviously, JT ends up getting traded, but I don't know if you'd ever seen anything like that, but how would you have handled it? You know, I definitely haven't seen anything that's been that public before, right? Like, there's rifts in the locker room throughout the year, but nothing to that scale. I've met both of them.

I don't know them personally. I haven't heard the real story, or I've met both of them. I don't know them personally. Um, I haven't heard the real story or I've heard versions of stories, but I don't even know what happened, but it's a tough one. You have two of your star players that, uh, allegedly can't get along and they go, they go toe to toe basically. And then it gets out in the media and it's, I know that Vancouver market and they definitely, they love the drama, which is fine. Like it's a hockey market and you got to have something to talk about, right? And that definitely grew.

And I think it really hurt their team this year. I watched them play Anaheim when I was in California and they don't look like the same team they did last year. Would you have tried to take them both out to dinner together? Like, would you have tried to mend the relationship? Like, I don't know if that was done with any guys in their team or if you'd heard that,

but would you? I mean, you would think so, right? Like, that would be my first thought is like, let's get these two guys in a room. Let's take them out. Like, let's go have drinks with them. Like it might make things worse, but hey, maybe, maybe that's what we need. Maybe we just need a sucker punch and we're good the next day. I'm guessing they exhausted all options because I'm guessing they did not want to trade JT

Miller. I don't know, but I'm guessing they didn't want to. Um, and they probably didn't want to trade Petey either. When you're watching hockey now, are there any teams that stand out to you? Like, Jesus, they're kind of my horse for this season? Or are you actually, how much hockey are you watching still? I mean, it sounds like you're pretty busy with your own team.

I saw Biz go off the handle last night. I was laughing about that. What do you mean? Oh, let the bodies hit the floor! I'm laughing about that. What do you mean? Oh, let the bodies hit the floor. That band posted on our Instagram and they retweeted it and stuff. Oh, I love it. I love it.

No, I watch hockey. I got a set up downstairs where I can watch four games at once, so I love to be a student of the game still and I love watching it I was never really a hockey nerd when I played but I kind of am now I just love seeing the talent but a dark horse for me I would say Florida but with the injury to Chuck I don't know let's go with the red wings. They're, they're buzzing right now. They're buzzing. It's actually sick to see them good again.

And you're going to be able to get over the penalty at stadium series game. They're fucking all crying online. Edmondson got tripped. He got high stick to the visor. Yeah, they, they lost two important games there, but they've been playing good, man. They they're a well coached team and they I played for Trent Yonning. So and obviously I know tanks, so I'm pulling for those guys. Cass, we can't we can't thank you enough for the people who are upset about the 43 nothing beat down actually 44. The slogan is everyone hates us and we don't care. So good luck to you guys

in the nationals and the state tournament and we'll be catching up with you soon dude. Thanks. Yeah, good talking to you guys. Thank you very much to Ryan Kessler. They have iPads on the bench, boys. Did you tell everyone that next week we're interviewing Doug from Detroit? He's a dad on the Bell Tire team, so we're going to get his point of view on how the game really went.

How about he's like, I wasn't at the game, I was watching on my phone in California. Get him! As Coach Riley said, it ain't worth winning if you can't win big for the Hawks and Mighty Ducks. 43 to nothing is his... 44, sorry. That's a crazy beat down. But you know what the coolest thing about that was? Is that he said that those bell-tired kids, there was zero quitting any of them. So I know that sucks if any of those kids are listening, but good for you. And better times ahead. Better times ahead. So guys, that about wraps it up. So we got Four Nations Chicklets TV. That's coming out this Thursday at noon on the Spittin' Chicklets YouTube. The next Thursday

at noon is the rematch. The rematch heard around the world. Spitting Chicklets vs Bob Does Sports. Please go to Bob Does YouTube. Watch our first match if you haven't so you're ready and prepared for the rematch. That'll be next Thursday on our YouTube and the Thursday after that at noon will be Chicklets U at the University of Minnesota with the Golden Gophers. Wow! We're fucking coming week after week after week with the YouTube. We got three awesome content pieces coming out the next three Thursdays at noon. Thank you so much for listening. Any final words for you guys?

Go Leafs, go. Go Columbus, go. I want to shoot that cannon right at your face. No, he said hoop. Oh, hoop, hoop. Okay, yeah, fair, fair, fair, fair. He does like hoop play. Alright, everyone, thank you so much for listening. Have a great week. Love ya. I don't know any other way This feeling is so hard to wear I don't know any other way This feeling is so hard to break

I'll get you some night