The Athletic Hockey Show - Paul Maurice amped up to coach Florida Panthers, NHL Free Agency primer with Pierre Lebrun

Episode Date: July 12, 2022

Paul Maurice, the new head coach of the President Trophy Champion Florida Panthers joins Craig and Sean and settle back, because class is in session! Maurice, a master communicator, talks about his excitement in getting to coach one of the NHL's most dynamic teams, what Bill Zito said to get him to take the job and what led to his decision to leave the Winnipeg Jets last winter.Pierre Lebrun returns to discuss the rebuild in Chicago, the future of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in the windy city and trade rumours involving Brent Burns and Jeff Petry. Pkus, Pierre provides his analysis on NHL free agency, including where top free agents Claude Giroux, Nazem Kadri, Johnny Gaudreau and Evgeni Malkin might end up as cheque books open up on July 13 at 12 noon Eastern. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey everybody and hello to Sean Gentilly. I am Craig Custin. Oh, hi, Sean. Sean and I are coming off. I don't want to say it's a bender because for me, you have to be somewhere more than I was only in Montreal for like a day and a half. But it was a bender because then I went to Vegas for NBA Summer League. Sean put in the full, did the full NHL draft experience in Montreal. It was good to see everybody, but now we have to somehow find the energy. Because, by the way, huge free agency is happening all around us.

We're all acting like, congratulations, everyone. We did it. The draft is over. Happy summer. See at the cottage. I don't think it occurred to me that I was going to have to write about free agency until about 36 hours ago and I had 8,000 words of work. Sean just tweeted out 8,000 words on team's cap scenarios.

So if you're wondering how the president. are looking. Wait a second. I have to do this. And I have heartburn. And I'm just from eating nothing but smoked meat and hot dogs for fin for five days, drinking and working, almost literally, literally nonstop. I was like, wait a second.

That's right. I have more work I have to do. When do the markets? When are the markets open? It's in like, it's in like 29 hours. Yeah, we're close. And it should be fast and furious and a lot of fun. And we'll get to that.

We've got Pierre LeBron on, again, another person we got to spend some time with over the last few days. He's going to break down the latest. And hopefully we can turn it fast enough so that you all can listen to this before some of the things that Pierre predicts actually happen. Also, producer Jeff is just cramming and guess hard at work in our second to last episode of the season. Paul Maurice, head coach of your Florida Panthers. How many times have you almost referred to him as head coach of the Jets? He was there for so long that it's just like... I've turned the page.

It's like, it's heavy. I only think of him with the Panthers. Like, when I picture Paul Marys. He bleeds. He bleeds. He bleeds. He bleeds. He bleeds.

He bleeds. Or whatever. Is there a color? Do they have a color? What's the, what's the victory green in Dallas? Yeah, victory. I guarantee it's like sunrise red and pineapple and pineapple and whatever. So if we're slap happy and tired, it's only because we enjoyed seeing each other so much.

Sean and I only got in one massive fight in person. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't a fight. We were yelling at each other. Brothers yell at each other sometimes. Sometimes. It was great.

Let's start with a story close to you in Pittsburgh, Genie Malkin and the Penguins. from what I could tell he chose Ricard Raquel over of Gennie Malkin is that is that what's happening there and now where do we see this is fascinating

I love when stuff like this happens because this is now changes the play by the way that Pierre could be in ball in here at any moment it will oh yeah be ready

any moment we're hoping actually so my so my thought and this is called an educated guess because whatever it happened

it happened last night I think that they were, I wouldn't be surprised if they were caught off guard by Malkin saying, by the Malkin camp saying yesterday, like, we're going to market. That's it. Yeah. And I don't think they anticipated that happen. I really think that they underestimated how upset he was and how hurt he was by the way this had gone. And I thought they're going to, and I think they thought they were going to be able to squeeze him.

When they find out yesterday that he's going to hit the market, do I think that the Raquel thing was or it was, I was like, a direct response to that, like, maybe. And it might have been, it might have been, I don't know if it was spite, but I would, I would definitely say there was probably an element of panic where you're like, okay, like, we might have more money than we anticipated here. Yeah. What do we do with it? But I still think they, I think that they think that they can move, Mark, Patterson,

or someone off the left side of that defense, whether it's him or Brian Dumlin, each the mix about $4 million. They have a ready-made replacement and P.O. Joseph to come in and play on the left side. I think they think that if push came to shove and they needed to create space for whatever reason that they could move one of those guys. And I think that that's why you're seeing publicly.

I know Pierre reported it. The team doesn't think that they're out on Malkin. I think part of the reason is because they think that they can because they can create space. But yesterday to me was about, it seems like it was more about them getting maybe not caught flat-footed, but at least surprised a little bit, unpleasantly and then trying to figure out how to save some face

with some of the money that freed up that they probably weren't anticipating. Because he's, like, he's upset. And I don't think that, I don't think the front office, like, quite understood. the ramifications of how upset it was, which is like, it looks like, it looks like it's over.

Like he's, and he, and he is, he's a proud guy. And he's, and he's proud enough to, you know, say,

all right, see you later. If he, if he sincerely felt like he was, he was being disrespected with, whether it was three years or four years or, or whatever, the final offer might turn out to be.

I hope they're all subscribers to the athletic because Rob's piece, if you weren't, if the alarm bells weren't ringing about where this was headed with Malkin and the Penguins. He wrote a story over the weekend. It was basically Malkin wondering, do they even want me on the team? I'm like, look, I've no contract negotiating expert, but that's not a good... When that's when that's what, when that's the vibe coming from the other side of the table, from either side of the table, really. And like, and like, you know, then the question turns into like, how much did Ron Hickstall and Brian

Burke actually want if Kenny Malkin? Like, yeah, they tried, but like this could be a, and that's not an invalid course of action. If you look at, at him just as a hockey player and you strip out the meaning of of getting him welcome to that franchise or whatever. I don't know if I would want to play. If he put a bag over that guy's head and showed me his injury history and showed me the way the way things has gone the last four years or the last few years for him, I don't think I would want to pay him $6 million a year for four years either. But that's not that's not quite the case. And so like isn't that the advantage? And we've talked a bit about this of having GMs that have

no emotional ties to the championship years where they can actually make the cutthroat decision here and say this is we're still trying to win here we're not we're not rewarding uh players for success from five years ago this isn't the this isn't the body of work contract that maybe they maybe think it is going to be and those never work out by the way i've done here in detroit where i've lived some of those um watch them watch them just age horribly the reward deals i think the the best argument for them signing Malk and for doing them more player, whatever, kind of maybe not giving them what he wants, but coming over to his side a little bit more. I think the best, the best possible argument for that is that because of the way they've approached this, because of, you know,

the moves that they've made, even whether, even with its record, even whether, even whether, if it's with Ricardo, or Kell, or Brian Rust, who's not a kid, he's, he's, he's almost 30 years old. In three years, it might not matter anyway. Like, so if you're, if you're, if you're, if you're paying one legate of Ganyi Malkin for one more year at 39 instead of 38, like, I don't, I think it turns, I think it turns into splitting hairs. So like, so you're, so you're, that would be the correct course of actions is if you just accept wholly the four years from now, that team is that team is toast. But, but, but does of Gany Malkin, even if he's on borrowed time, give them the best chance to. And, give them the best chance to. And, if he's, win a cup in the next two or three years. I think there's a very compelling argument that he does. Pierre LeBron's name has popped on the door screen. He didn't say anything. How was that possible? I thought he was just going to cannonball in. Say something. You thought he would just start talking? I don't even turn his screen on.

He just started because he's a pro. He hears us in the middle of a thing. His screens on because he's not wearing a TV makeup, baby. Is that way? I think so. I'm at the cottage and I haven't shaved yet. I'll shave before I go on TSN later today. But until I get back to the city, there will be no video of me. Wow. Here, I've seen you unshaved.

It's not that bad. Like, don't be so hard on yourself. Wait, so what's the time? Okay, so this is 1006 that we're recording. Like, what's the time frame here? Like, I, I truly appreciate every second. Okay. As soon as we're done, I get in the car, drive to Toronto.

should take about two hours and 20 minutes from the cottage and then keep working the phones. And then insider trading airs at the top of her show on Sports Center around six. Cottage address, of course, by the way, is 112.2. Boki-woogie Avenue. Yeah, we're the cottage that we talk about every episode, Pierre. It looks great from here in the Zoom camera off. It's a beautiful place.

Pierre, please tell us what's going on. going on. Yeah. It's just, I don't know, like, I'm looking at the list of names. Like, we, you know, we've talked about, we already just talked about Malkin and there's all these, the goalie situation and what in the world of the Blackhawks doing it. And then you're like, oh, yeah, one of the best American players right now in Johnny Gujarro is out there. Oh, and a guy who just won a cup and Azam Khadry. Like, it's, it seems way more interesting this year with legit players up for grabs. Yeah. No, it's, um, I mean, again, there is depth there.

I think there's also recipe for disaster in terms of overpaying and getting too much term to some of the older free agents. So, I mean, this is honestly a day tomorrow where more mistakes remain than any other day on the Aitchell calendar for a gentleman. Right. But the reality is you've got ownership breathing down your neck and you're forced into decisions is the reality of it. So it'll be fascinating from that perspective. You know, obviously you start with Johnny Gujarro. I mean, he's had an eight-year offer sitting on his lap for six weeks from Calgary and a pretty significant offer, one that I believe of Flames have been willing to to improve over the last

week. But how much is too much? I mean, how much more money can Calgary justify paying Johnny Gujarro if he's, in fact, willing to sign than what Nashville gave Philip Forsberg, even with the tax, different tax situations involved, you know, Forsberg at 8.5, can you pay Johnny Gujarro 10-5? 11 million? I mean, I guess you threw a right as a lot.

That's a lot. Yeah. You know? I don't know. Mine maybe 10 would be my walkaway. Right. If you're, I, and like, even from a more player,

from the player end of things. Like if you're Johnny Goodrell, like, how much money could you even realistically, how much more could you expect them to realistically tack on? Because you're what almost less than, you're a little bit more than 24 hours away from losing, you know, losing the eighth year, which is just that that's that,

that's such a huge variable to me. So like, I don't know. Like you would think, I know this has been hard for them. Like I've, I've heard enough to know that it really does seem like Godreau is struggling with this. But like,

at some point, if you're him, you think he would say, like, all right, this just isn't, that you would move on and just say that this isn't going to happen. Because at some point, the number just gets untenable, especially for the flames, who are in an insanely complicated situation themselves. When you look at the $9 million Quito for Matthew Kuch and all the questions that have always swirled around what the next phase in his career is going to be, like the flames have major, have, it's a catch-22 because everything they do hinges on Johnny Goodrow, but also Johnny Goddrow's decision might hinge on on other stuff that goes on there too. That situation is just

unbelievably complex. Yeah, there's no doubt that Matthew Kachuk and his Newport Sports are sitting back and waiting to see what happens on the Johnny Gujow front before they respond to Calgary. You know, he's RFA and the UFA, it's different, but at the same time, he essentially has a decision to make the summer, which is do I sign long term with the flames or do I force a one-year bridge to UFA, which could force other things? So, yeah, there is a domino effect to this whole Johnny Gujarro situation. And I guess if you're joining Gujarro this morning, you know, you're thinking hard about how your teammates in Kyrie are feeding with you to sign and stay.

And there's more money on the table in Calgary than there'll be anywhere else solely because of the eighth year in terms of total dollars. Yeah, total dollars. But on the other hand, are you hoping that your hometown flyers clear some cap room in the next 24 hours? I mean, New Jersey seems like the obvious one, right? In terms of having the space and the need and the money? Yeah, I think there are possibility. I think Seattle, which makes less sense geographically,

I mean, if Johnny Gujar was going to stay west, you'd think it would be Calgary. But I think Seattle intends on being a big player tomorrow in one way or another. I mean, maybe it's, oh, wow. Maybe it's, as I tweeted yesterday, maybe it's more on John Klingberg. John Klingberg ends up in Seattle. But I think I can want to make some noise tomorrow. They were one of those teams yesterday that you saw, even on the margins, just saving money with QOs, right? They didn't offer Ryan Donato.

They didn't offer Hayden Flurry. That's three extra million potentially. They've been hard on Kevin Fiala. So I always say try to connect thoughts when you know those things. So Seattle will be interesting But yeah I think Philly and New Jersey I mean

Was it Kevin Kerr's I wrote a piece For the athletic On Lou Lamarillo Being a sneaky player On Johnny Woodrow The one thing I'll say there Is Alou Amrello

And the agent Gross have done a lot of deals Together over the years So there is A relationship there But the islanders don't have That much cap room So I don't know how that would happen

But you know Teams are great They have no They have no At some point at no Adobson extension probably to worry about too there's but there's yeah there's not a ton that's on their plate i i read what i read what curds wrote yesterday and it does make a lot of sense because if they

need if they need to if they need to clear space even considering you know whatever dobs and then ends up getting you know there's there's there's there's the potential to clear there that that is that is super interesting are the other thing to consider between now midnight eastern and we have really not seen this very often or or if ever i can't remember now but i know we've talked about it often but is whether if the flames at some point today think that their last efforts just aren't going to do it on Johnny Gujaro, do they try to trade his rights to what they perceive to be the frontrunner

so that that team before midnight can sign him to an eight-year deal. So that's so. But we've talked about this before and it just doesn't seem to happen. I mean, you know, it would have really benefited the Leafs years ago to trade for John Tavares the night before. Yeah.

And get him and lower the AEV over eight years. Lower the hit. Yeah. But it didn't happen. And I can probably see why, given the dynamics, Lemrello on one side and Caldivis on the other. But that's, I guess, even if it's a low-end proposition, something else to file away for tonight.

Arthur Staple just tweeted out that the Rangers are out on Andrew Cop. And we thought, you know, no coincidence that that, that happens right after getting Malkin, you know, Shakespeare. The Rangers, you know, they now have a need down the middle. And, you know, Malkins is an interesting one because you still wonder if the penguins are completely done there and how much of this is her pride and where is a good spot for him. How do you see this playing out? This is the fascinating one to me.

Yeah, I mean, first, as far as the Malkin bombshell, you kind of feel. coming in the last couple of days, I got to tell you. Yeah. Because the reality is they, as I tweeted yesterday morning, there had actually been progress in talks finally between Malikin and the Penguins, not to the point where a deal is getting close to being done, but certainly to the point I would argue where the path was starting to illuminate itself. And yet Malikin just shut it down.

It was basically what happened. And I think that he was upset about how this process has played out. and he's the one who shut this down and announced that he was going to market. So it's a pretty unbelievable story, actually. And one where you see both sides. You understand that he's one of the most important players in franchise history and feels that this should not have played out this way. But I'll be honest, there's also a reason Ron Exelaw was hired.

He was hired just to keep everything the same. So, you know, he's trying to fight on term and fight against the deal they would regret. And so I see both sides of this. But yeah, I mean, Malkin hitting the market. And again, there's nothing against the fact that the penguins, I think, will still try to sign him, by the way. Sure. But whether or not getting Malikin is receptive to that, certainly as of last night seemed doubtful. So now you got this, this Hall of Fame name on the market out of nowhere.

I texted the GMs today. We're like, holy cow, we got to, you know, we've got to look at this. And a lot of teams will. I think a dozen teams will have that conversation this morning. Yeah. But then I think what's going to happen for Ganyi Malkin is this. He's going to have to balance the most alluring offers in terms of winning a cup again versus the more financially beneficial offers.

I don't know how many of those will overlap. Because the best teams have very little of cap room. Makes sense. I mean, he's got some cups. Like if he wants to cash in one more time, like he certainly, I mean, that's, you know, he has that option. We are, Sean pointed out how sneaky, interesting this cap situation is in Washington. Like, that's a team that could spend if they really wanted to. How do you, you know, we've heard Darcy Kemper's name attached to the capitals.

Yeah. You know, they're making some moves and goal. Like, how do you see their approach? There's no question in my mind. I've hit this a few times over the past four days. I think. Yeah. Caps are the front runners for Kemper.

Again, that doesn't mean they'll necessarily get him tomorrow, but that's my information. I did read, I think, Sean, I was reading your cap piece, which was a great read. And I think you mentioned about Nick Baxter, I will tell you that I literally had that conversation

with GM Brian McClellan in Montreal. And he's absolutely, matter of fact, he said he cannot LTIR, back from all that I think he can. But that boxer has indicated to him that he plans to be back for the end of the regular season. So they can't, you know. That's interesting. So that cuts in dramatically to the space they would potentially have tomorrow.

Yeah. Now that conversation happened last Wednesday. The gym meetings have the caps on time to convince Baxham that his recovery will take longer. Yeah, that's right. If they can sign Malkin and say, say, hey, Nick, boy, you don't look good. Yeah. Anytime a guy has a surgery that I have to Google because I think the word is incorrect is usually a bad time.

Like when I was like hip resurfacing, I've never heard of that one before. But maybe by maybe by cutting ties with Sansonoff that gives them enough room. I mean, I certainly wouldn't count Washington now. But again, who would you count out? I mean, I think Florida this morning is talking about Alken internally, I bet. of course. I bet the Colorado Avalanche, who will probably lose an awesome cadre or wondering, how about a cheap deal that will come and help us win another cup?

I mean, like, what team could you not make the argument for Afghani Malican? But again, what does Afghani Malikin want at the end of this 24-hour period, right? I mean, and I don't know that for sure. Can we talk about the Blackhawks for a sec? Yeah, you took the word. And specifically, like, I don't want to get lost in the fringes of who they didn't QO or whatever and the trades they made, whatever. To me, let's not miss the main event here,

is that Patrick Kane and Jonathan Taves, now who might have thought they want to play for the Blackhawks the rest of their lives, are probably looking at this and saying, why in the world? Like, we could play for the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow if we, you know what I mean? Like, why would we go through this?

And I know it's probably too early. I don't know, you know, if CA and the Blackhawks have gotten too far into the weeds here on any of this. But you know those players well, you know both sides of this equation. I feel like this is something that's going to become a bigger story. The first thing we have to do, and I say this with amazing respect for Jonathan Taze, who is, man, as good as they

I don't think you can group both in and Kane the same place right now. Yeah. Because the reality is there's a much bigger market for Kane than there is for Taze at this point. So I think it's important to start there. And the other thing would say is that so much of this, even though Patrick Kane and Jonathan Tase knew that this was a rebuild coming,

the realistic impact of what this actually looks like now really didn't start until the Debrinket deal. Yes, it's less than a week old. And so my point is, you know, there are steps that happen before a divorce happens. And I don't know there's enough time for these steps to materialize on the cane front. where, you know, like if he wakes up in three weeks and says, okay, yeah, I realize now I've got to get out of here.

Well, is that too late for teams that have already made all their moves under the cap? Right. Like that agrees at the lake. A certain rhythm to the offseason in terms of when the team can act and how they fill out the roster. And I guess I would argue there are a lot of teams that would move heaven and earth anyway and just make it happen. And that's probably true. But I guess what I'm waiting to get light on is,

you know, is King ready to react in real time now? I don't get that sense yet. I think that you're still trying to digest all this. And because of that, I don't know that we'll have clarity on that in this particular window this week when so much is happening. Do you have any sense of how other teams have reacted to what the Blackhawks have done? Even yesterday with the QO stuff. Like there's like you said, there's one thing.

between hearing that it might happen and theorizing about it and then seeing them go scorched earth and just be like, no, Strom, out of here. Yeah. Goodbye, goodbye. Like, is the level that they've taken is too surprising to anybody around the league? I think, yeah, I think everyone knew they're going to rebuild. And again, Cal Davidson's defense, he literally back and look at some of his quotes from when he took over his GM, he predicted a pretty massive rebuild.

but even within those words, what does that mean? Now we know. I think the janitor's in trouble there and then the Blackhawks organizing, everyone can look back. But no, I think, I think, you know, the teams I've talked to around the league are not only surprised at the depth of this tear down, but also hoping to get in on it.

Sure. What else that can be? And not so much, is there any, is there that many attractive assets still to pick off the roster? But probably more so, teams that are in cap trouble hoping now, you know, as I was Arizona, Arizona, when you have a cap issue like Montreal trade and Chew Weber's contract or try to trade at Arizona. But, you know, Arizona is always a team. You would dump things on. Maybe Chicago becomes that team now for a couple of years because the Hawks can gain assets out of that. even with the Duncan Keith cap or capture penalty, which is, which had only become a thing,

you know, officially, oh, really only became a thing officially in the last couple of days. The Blackcocks can't trade either Taves or Cain without retaining salary on their end so they can hit the cap floor. Like, that's how, that's how much they've just shed in the last, in the last week. That's pretty amazing for a team that was like squeezing players in. I would argue if a Patrick cane trade ever materializes at some point, either later this summer or, you know, even during the season next year,

I would argue that instead of looking at it, like, well, the Hawks have no choice but to retain on a cane trade because of this 10.5 cap it. I would argue the Hawks actually would make that a prerequisite themselves because they would get more, retain and get more. Yeah.

So, Kane at five and she. change or whatever. Holy cow. What one year of Patrick Kane at five in a quarter? Yeah. What kind of return over in? Yeah. Now, again, remaining to be seen, Pat Brissan is the agent for Patrick Kane, really

smart dude, been around a long time, has had a lot of control over big trades, right? I mean, yeah. He pretty much controlled the purebubus situation out in Columbus. So my point is on Patrick Kane, but we don't know, again, we still don't have 100% answer in whether Kane wants to go now. So that's number one. Number two, if that moment comes, is Pat Brissan going to announce to teams that if you want have, you got to extend them?

Does that make that deal different? Yeah, I mean, they're calling the shots, right? Like, he doesn't have to go anywhere. He's got full control. Yeah. He's, yeah, this is, this is, he just has to decide. wherever he is right now. But boy, like,

the thought of reuniting him in Panarin, probably the most dynamic, like watching them play together was so much fun. And the idea of Patrick Kane in New York with Artemi Panarin. It's just like... Just stick everybody in New York, Malkin, Kane.

Well, you know, they got to do something. And they're the Rangers. You know they will. But I just, if you're Patrick Kane, like, why is it there in Dynne? the vine in Chicago. Like, so if you're listening, Patrick, which I know you are. Yeah.

Chicago's great. Chicago's a great place. Chicago's great. Like, there's no better place right now, maybe Montreal. Listen, I will admit, I texted with Patrick Payne probably within an hour of the Dubrinquet trade, which probably wasn't the ball of me.

And he was very polite, but it was clearly not in a position to share any, any thoughts yet. At least he was polite. Well, no, I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll, I have a decent relationship with them. But I think that one thing that we underrate with a lot of these athletes that have played in one place is how much that means to them. And, you know, Patrick Kane has loved being a Blackhawk.

And clearly that's being tested right now more than ever. But, you know, he's all over the team record book. There are things he can still attain there that he could own that record book. I know it sounds like no one wants to hear that, but I'm just saying like before, if he ever gets to a point where he wants to get moved, I think he's got a lot to get through mentally in terms of getting to that point,

which I think we underrate as, like we all want to get to from A to Z in a hurry with that, this is, but I think on many levels, it's, you know, Chicago's home. I mean,

I think Claude Juru is a good comparable in that. Like, I don't know how much you talked to, to Claude about this, but like, I'm sure part of him was the idea of, Leaving Philly was really hard to get around. But, you know, once you get into a playoff race, once you're on a, you know, a team is talented as Florida or whatever, I think it, you know, once you just get out of that environment and change your mindset, it's, you're like, oh, yeah, this is what I should have done all along.

And I don't know if that was Claude's conclusion. Yeah, I know. And I have talked to, you know, to clothe after the trade and everything. And you're right. That's actually a very good comparison because I think that Cole Drew was probably one of the last people involved. in that whole process that got himself to a place. He was like, I'm ready to leave Philly. Yeah, we were doing it three months before him.

That's right. We've been talking to him. But Philly was his only team. It was his home. You know, playing in that thousandth game as a flyer was important to him. And everyone else is like, really, is it that important with everything going on? But it was. And again, that just shows you that I think we sometimes underrate those things in the mind of an athlete

because we're busy trying to make. make trades as media stick them anywhere else but you know what he loved he loved this time in Florida big time despite the emotional and dramatic change in his life and would have absolutely wanted to stay there

if the Panthers have more cap room yeah he's not over yet I got 24 hours but I think through is probably going to move on all right so for all the stuff we've seen this morning like we've got Rangers

potentially moving on on from Andrew Cop, all these, all these like, you know, granular sort of things moving with Jack Campbell, all that stuff. What stories are going to last until tomorrow? Like when it's Wednesday at noon, like what stuff is not going to actually be settled? Is there like an outstanding kind of question there? Yeah, well, Kane, I think for sure won't be settled. Yeah, we've just established that.

There are some trade scenarios that may not be settled. I mean, listen, you know, Jeff Beatry. still wants out of Montreal in a very civil way like everyone's on the same page there but you know does you necessarily have to be traded the next 24 hours i don't know i mean you know maybe is the gamble from montreal that they actually wait to see who gets clingberg and who doesn't and then react on the other side of it um so that's an example um i'm intrigued about what san Jose does with brent burns um you know my career was quoted locally talking about it and it's kind of opened that door and Brent Burns has a lot of control over it.

I think he's got only a three team no trade list, i.e. three teams that he can be dealt to without his consent. So he's got a lot of say in what happened. But I think he might be open to it. You know, and I think it was Elliot Freeman who mentioned Dallas as a possibility. I'll throw you another one. I think the Carolina Hurricanes. I've talked about Brett Burns internally after training Tony DeAngelo.

So, you know, keep an eye on that one. But does that have to have the next 24 hours? Not necessarily, right? I mean, the off-season's all summer. If the Dallas starts winning us to end up the cup, do the sharks put up a banner in their rink? That's what I think. Will Pete Moore, Joe Bevelsky there? Yeah, Joe Pavel.

I feel like everybody ends up in Dallas, really. I'm just thinking of Tom Holi more than anybody. Oh, right. It's started with Tom Hohley. Naturally, yeah, right. You see that's the top of the list. I love that. I like that idea of Brent Burns and Dallas.

And, you know, Klingbird's a guy that's kind of flown under the radar. You'd mention him. The one guy who had a monster year, won us down the cup in Nazan Khadry. I feel like he's kind of been under the radar. Right. And what's that deal there? You know, let's mention another name for the Rangers maybe. Yeah, yeah.

Let's just put them all. Well, I mean, the Rangers want to go and get to center. So how could they have investigated the Cadry situation? for sure they have. But let me bring his name up in conjunction with Calgary, which would be ironic because he turned down to trade to Calgary from Toronto years ago. But if the flames can't retain Nugro, Brad Trilving's not sitting in his hands and saying,

oh, well, that sucks. No, he's going to move heaven on earth to move some other names in there. And I wonder if a guy like Cadry and not only his offensive skill, but his two-way game and his sandpaper, just the whole package. You know, I covered the ballot Alberta, which was the highlight of my ear to be there for it.

But I got to tell you, Calgary went out pretty timidly in that series. And I know a lot of it had to do with the greatest player in the world deciding he was going to be even better than that. But that series, I think, left the bad taste in the mouth of the

Calgary Flames because they, for some parts of that series, didn't show up. And a guy like Cadger's, man, I'd love to see him. He shows up. Another bow, Alberta, yeah. But again, the list of teams on Conjury would be really long. And so much to this will depend for Godry, obviously, on his, really, his first payday of his career.

He's coming off the bargain deal. He's signed in Toronto. But also the fit for his family. It would be very important. So we'll see where that goes. All right. You've got to get to Toronto here. So this will be it for me.

But is there an American team, since we're staying on theme here, that you, that we haven't talked about because we want to put everyone on the Rangers or that you suspect might make a move, either a trade or something that shakes things of, that we, you know, might be blown away by or surprised by. Just somebody being active that we're not talking about. Well, I don't know what's talked about them, but I mean, I just mentioned them.

I think Carolina is on the clock. Like they're losing Neiderider and Trocheck to market. They've traded DeAngelo, who's our top point producing D. They're on a lookout to replace him. They're on a lookout for a top six four. They're on the lookout to do a lot of things. And their playoffs ended with a deep roster with a team that couldn't score when it mattered. So I think they're up to, I think they're trying to do a lot there in Carolina.

That would be my answer to that. Well, Pierre, thanks for joining us during your busy time. Oh, great to see you in Montreal. I was having fun for my favorite Americans. Safe trip to Toronto and we'll catch up soon. Right on, right on. See, boys. All right, that was great.

Pierre's about just, like, I just like to sit and grill him. Where's this guy going to go? I feel like, hey, where's this guy going to go, Pierre? Hey, hey. Um, all right, let's, let's wrap up this segment and we are going to go. We have Paul Maurice coming up in the next segment. Now the head coach of the Florida Panthers in the sunrise, red, pineapple, what is he, yellow, team colors. American blue.

We'll be right back. We are now thrilled to be joined by new Florida Panthers coach, Paul Maurice. Paul, thanks for doing this, first of all. How are you? Yeah, pleasure. Excellent. Thanks for having me. Oh, where to start here.

So, like, Sean and I were talking, you know, a few minutes ago about, I would say there was probably an element of surprise that this is where everything landed for you, for the Panthers. I think there was some assumptions made about where they might go. And like, and I'm sure you've shared the story, but when did. Florida looked like an intriguing option to you. Like when did they catch your eye? And how did, like,

how did this come about? So it was a complete surprise on my end. Yeah. Like totally. So right to the back to the start, I'm flipping through the channels watching seven games at a time, you know, not really what in January.

And my wife said, is there anybody that you're interested? Because I hadn't said much about what was going to happen in the future. and the qualifier to all this is I wasn't going back unless I could get all fired up about it again. And that goes to kind of the decision to step off the bench. It was from just a hockey point of view, it was the right time. Almost nine years in the Canadian market, unless you win in the Stanley Cup, you need a change. And they did.

The players did. But the two years of the whole COVID experience for me just kind of sucked my love of the game. It just, I just stopped all the juice you get out of the game, whether it's the crowd, the fans, the normalcy, whatever it is, not being in the same hotel for seven straight days, kind of in your room, you know, you weren't even able to, just, I stopped loving. So, I'm flipping through and it just, I'm on flipping them watching the Panthers play and she says, is there any team that interesting? I said, yeah, that one, but they're going to win the president's trophy, so we don't have to worry about that. Yeah. Well, that's it. We don't talk about it again.

Well, two months after that, my youngest walks around the corner and says, I just got into the University of Miami. So I'm, you know, I'm saying nothing to him. I don't want to, I don't he's got a bunch of other schools up in the Northeast, fine, fine, but I'm thinking two-bedroom condo, your mom and I slip down there for four months a year. This is perfect, right? So he picks it. He decides this is the place he's going to go. And then, I don't know, mid-June, my wife and I are driving back from the cottage and the phone rings. It's a number. I don't know. It was Bill Zito. And he said, I think the words were, I'm just kind of seeing where your interests are. And I said, I'm interested in the Florida Panthers.

And it was out of my mouth, you know, before I'd processed it. And then that just started kind of communications. And I would think by about, we had some long interviewing sessions, but early on in the first one, I thought, I want to work for this guy. Yeah. He is fired up, smart, active, very involved in what's going on. We had, we had a great session, got to meet the. people. And then and then by day two, I'm going, okay, I'm back and I need to coach this team. This is, this is something I want. So this was all just to get in-state tuition for college.

I thought there was, I figured we could get a lot of work. Miami's, Miami is a private school, my friend. You're out of luck. Yeah, I think, I think my kid gets into really good schools in the States because he can come in as a foreign student, but he's actually born in the state. So he's easy, right? No immigration issues. There's no problem. they can charge us full price. It's perfect for everything. I'd say,

yeah. So I had seen, I had seen you say that you and Bill hadn't cross past much over the last, which is, it's, it's, it's, it's,

it's, I think for his, for as, for as many of his players, I'm, I'm sure is, is your coach that, you,

that you hadn't, that you hadn't crossed past much. But what, I mean, I know you said, he got it, you got him, he got you fired up and,

and, and, and, but, I mean, what's, what's, you know,

the last, been like since you got the job and as you've kind of taken it more head on and gotten gotten some more time with him in that working official relationship. So what's what's kind of interesting is the sidebar is there are a bunch of guys that play here that I used to coach. So Brian McCrabs are in player development. Tuomo Routu is on the coaching staff. I had him. Mike Ryan's here. So we've got a bunch of of X kind of connections that we have. And then it just in truth, it goes flat out. So I agree to terms on a Wednesday. The house doesn't go up on the market.

My wife calls the realtor. She sells it Thursday. So she's kind of that good. A week later, we're both down here. She just bought a house. And then it is all phone calls. And I'm not much of a phone guy. But I know what it's like to be out of work and be trying to get a job.

So basically, everybody that's called me or sent me a resume, I try to call back and talk to and tell them where I am. Now, they're probably all very frustrated with me because I can. I take my time in all of these. So when I hired Jamie Compon in Winnipeg, he was my 17th interview. So there's a huge time cost in terms of calling everybody reaching out. And then we've got our development camp here. It's all about learning who this team is.

So last year we'll do an entire review and that'll be analytics video, talk to management, talk to pro scouts, talk to the players too. That was another piece to it. I've gotten through. I've at least made contact with all of the players on our roster. So you start to do, I don't know if triage is be the right word, but you certainly autopsy everybody's last season, and then you just start prepping forward.

What was it about, you know, Florida was a fun team to watch just as a fan, right? Like they were one of them, you know, as you're flip, you must watch. But from a coach's perspective,

what was it about watching them that kind of got you fired up? Well, the same as you as a fan. Yeah. Truly, If I'm not pre-scouting a game, I'll go down the list of games and find the two most fun teams to watch and just watch it for fun. And it's surprising the number of times you go on, oh, Florida's playing Toronto tonight. This is going to be a burner.

Right. So you watch those games. So the fan of the game, I'm no different than you guys, anybody else. You turn on the game that there's something kind of cool might happen, right? And it just so happened. So that would be driver number one. They're a whole lot of fun to watch. There's something really good about coaches actually is the practices, is getting on the air.

ice with guys like that. So I've got a handful of kind of amazing moments in my life and they're usually all great players, but they'll do something on the ice and you see it and you can't believe they just did that. And at that point, I'm a five-year-old kid. I'm going, oh my God. I mean, I had a Sammy Cappan moment like my second practice. He took off in front of me and I've never seen anybody skate that fast in my life, ever. And a Blake Wheeler moment, same thing. He turned the corner on one and he just shaved me going by. I don't think he would have killed me had he hit me. Or whether it was Paul Coffey, I had Ron Francis, his ability to anticipate a play and just, just, you know, where is he going? Oh, oh, that's where he's going. He's going to get the puck because that's where it came five

seconds later, but I couldn't see it. Right. Evgeny Malcon, I have what had over in Russia. The stuff that some of these guys can do that that doesn't even get seen in a game because the game takes it away is awesome, right? They're incredible. athletes really skilled. So excited about getting up in the ice with them. I've got a handful of things in my mind that I think we need to add to the game some direction we need to go to. I think there's a,

I got a little bit of a historical perspective. You know, Craig, like you, my time coming through Detroit, watching the Red Wings right from the mid-80s when I play junior wins or straight right through till they beat us in 02 and they kind of finish that dynasty. Yeah. The progression of great teams.

And they all, they all go through the window that Florida is going. through now, and I'd like to be a part of that going out the other side. The challenge is, I mean, there's a lot of versions of those teams that don't get there, right? Like you sit there and say, oh, this team is on the cusp. You can say Carolina or some, you know, that have gone through it. Florida, you know, the big thing with them was getting out of the first round or whatever. And then, you know, then they run into a team that knows how to take care of business in the

post-season. There's no other, like that lightning team is, they know what to do. other than experience, which you can't rush that, how do you teach them to take that next step? Right. So we have to do overarching ideas that we have to increase their capacity to endure hard times. They almost, their success, you know, almost worked against.

And they almost had no adversity during the year. They stayed pretty darn healthy. I mean, I asked one of the questions, how many man games did you lose last year? and nobody knew the answer, which is an awesome thing. No, that's a good thing. You ask Pete Gore? Yeah, right around 500.

He knows. He knows. If anybody knows him, yeah. Right, no, he cost him his year and his job. He knows exactly. So they stayed pretty darn healthy all year. They were behind 24 times and came back at 16 points in a part of a game that's never played in the playoffs.

So there's a little fool's gold in there. But at the same time, there's just a whole lot of good. So let's go back to the question, original question. How do you kind of get them to the next level? So there are two things that you hit Washington and you hit Tampa and you're a rush team. Those are like those are the two worst neutral zones for you to hit, right? They got lobbies run on that one three one. Coup's got that wing lock and they're good with that wing lock.

Their neutral zone is tight to get through. So you got to develop a plan for those kind of teams and understand the game's not going to look the same way. think about Tampa. I mean, they were exciting to watch for years, right? Went to the finals, missed the playoffs, but still unbelievably exciting to play. And then it's kind of Coleman and Gudrow that come in. And all of a sudden now they've got an added an element to their game that they didn't have before. So that's roster construction as much as it is.

No, I know. Right. Like I don't, maybe maybe that wasn't, but they brought a difference. But everybody does that. Steve Stample with blocking shots because that's the next direction. So they always say, you know, you got to lose before you win and the question is why? Because if Lance Armstrong and I get on a bike side by each and we go flat out as hard as we can for 10 minutes and I'm pukin and he's pukin, we both work just as hard except his capacity is so much better, he's three miles down the road, 10 miles down the road, right? But we both work just as hard.

So the loss forces you and drives you to increase your capacity. And even with that understanding, and you guys will remember this, Pittsburgh beat us for Cobb in the conference final in 2009. And we were all talking about dynasty. Like possibly a dynasty greater than the oil. You had Malcolm Crosby and Stalled down the middle. Like unbelievable strength. You got the goal.

You got flurry in the net. He's going to be great forever. you got all of these pieces, and yet they become one of those teams that you're talking about, really skilled. The interview after every kind of series lost and game loss was the same. We had our chances, right? Well, we had our chances. And then all of a sudden, and I think you really got to give Mike Sullivan credit there,

they started to grind and compete. He is top shelf at getting that. With the injuries, maybe even the most important about his coaching isn't just the two Stanley Cups. It's the injuries that those teams have battled through and still better. relevant in the late. It's just surprised me that he hasn't wanted Jack Adams, especially in the last couple of years when you look at the injury stuff.

That's always a hobby horse for me. It's crazy that he hasn't want one. Is there, okay, so you don't want to go ahead. No, no, no. No, no. He's not nice enough to you guys. I keep telling him. It's got to be nicer to the media.

It's not true. Mike's actually good. Mike's a, a, Mike's fine. B, you can blame the broadcasters for that. We are, we are, we are. It's not our word. You know what the truth. The truth of the matter is, is that you get at some,

he got probably taken for granted because of the quality of his lineup. It's just the truth. You win those cups and he's done a masterful job with lineups that a lot of coaches would say, how do you expect me to win with this and drive on? Yeah, he's done a brilliant job. Okay. So you said, you know, yeah, it's about, you know, teaching those guys how to deal with deal with adversity and also maybe

deal better with a one three one or whatever those system things. How do you is there a secret sauce between you implementing lessons like that and teaching them how to get better in those areas without detracting from what made them the president's trophy team and

help them score all those goals? And yeah, there were a ton of comebacks down the line. But is there a way to teach them the important stuff while also helping them kind of retain the identity that's at least that has at least gotten them, you know, this far. Yeah.

So there's, that's the question that I'm going to try to answer before right up to the camp, right? There's too much good here to change everything. Why would you want to? And some of it is your compete. Like I'd almost feel better if they, if I watched them and thought they were lazy, because that I can fact, you know, but there's a lot of good compete there. I think they were almost a victim of their own success in that, that, that they started to believe, and rightfully so, in a style of game that disappears in the playoffs.

And then they brought that game into the playoffs and it didn't work because you got two veteran teams, both knew how to win, the hard things come to the forefront and they hadn't quite, they had had so much success. So it's why isn't this working now? Right. And then some of it is the luck of the draw for them. They just, those two teams are going to be hard grinding, even though they're very skilled. they're very difficult to play through.

So they take away your strength right away and then frustration builds, right? So you've got to get yourself comfortable, they're comfortable and uncomfortable situations. Those are all general terms. What I tried to do in my answer with the neutral zone is that's the specific of it. So when you go in and you play those teams, you've got to be mentally prepared that your game is going to look different. So the idea is we got a game, we just got to play our game.

I understand that. But the other team gets paid too, right? And they have the same kind of idea. So when the two of you meet, you're going to look different than you and another opponent. So I don't know. I mean, I would pay money to see Florida Toronto play all day long. Florida, Edmonton, which is, you know, with those two guys, it's exactly what we did to Edmonton when we beat them the year prior, right? You got, I mean, those two guys are freak shows on the ice.

They are so dominant. So those are the things those kind of teams got to learn, right? So I was trying to give you, we can fire all the adages, but anybody can say that. The specific is we have to be able to play against different teams.

When you play against the team that scores as much as Florida, your main game plan is making sure you don't let that happen, right? That's your focus. So your opponent almost has the advantage on you because the defensive game in the playoffs is easier.

It's harder to play. but it's an easier path. So they took away Florida's strengths, and that was frustrating, right? The power play really struggled. So the defensive part of the game is where they got them. But that's true of everybody that didn't win, right? Like all of those teams are good teams.

It's human nature when you've come back 24 times a win in the season or whatever it was, where you're at least going to carry some of that over into the playoffs. You're like, well, okay, this worked before. Well, you're playing against Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs. It's like, the recipe might need to change. No, you're right.

It just, and it would have worked. It just works at less frequency. And now you're in a seven game series. So if you don't hit that number, right, you lose, right? But the question then is, and you want that confidence in your team to have the ability to come from behind. That's like a really crucial piece. But the real question is why, as a president's trophy winner, are you behind in 24 of those games? Right, right.

How did you get there? So the other team is playing you. They know you're really, really good. They've got some good structure. They choke you down. And then the next, you know, they're up 3-1. Well, here come the Florida Panthers. And now almost the restraints off.

We got to go, boys. And you're holding it on. They're going to beat you. Right? You kick in the puck out to the neutral zone on the Florida Panthers with the lead. They're going to counter on you. And they're going to beat you. They're going to beach in transition.

They're going to beat you in ski. So it was, I think a whole bunch of things kind of added up. And I also think it was maybe worse than it really was, right? We beat, we beat Edmonton four straight. And three of them went into overtime and one of them triple overtime. And they could have blown our doors off four straight in every one of those games. Right. It's that, it's that close.

And I felt watching the series, there's one that got away from them, I think, pretty good. But for the most part, it's not a mile. It's just a couple of hard inches, you know. Paul, you said something interesting about Winnipeg and you're kind of the timing there for you in knowing it was it was time. Like that's something that doesn't, you don't just wake up one day, you don't feel it. How did you balance like, I'm sure last summer at this time you were having those thoughts and I don't want to project it.

I know I would have. Like you're talking about COVID. You're talking about Pat. You know, like how, what was that process like, you know, trying to get to a goal you wanted to versus doing what you kind of know in your heart is the right thing. And we talked about it. I talked about it with both Kevin and Mark Chippman, the owner in the summer. I just said, I'm not, you lose eyes.

When you say, I'm not sure I'm your guy. Then it's in your head. And I had two years left on my contract, right? And I didn't, I didn't want to work. I need to be good at what I'm doing, good at my job to get paid for it. Like it's just not right to kind of grind through it. And yeah, you know what's a lot of money. I get that, but that's never been a driver for me.

I drive a used pickup truck and I'm trying to figure out how to get it down to Florida, you know, so let me. So I knew it. I knew it in the summer. And if that's my regret there, I don't regret, I don't regret stepping off the bench. I mean, I needed to. And but I regret not doing it the summer. But, but, you know, they're real positive.

You know, coach your. long. I know I can coach a long time, but, and then we got the two defensemen. We get Smith and Dylan and you get fired up again and you'll go, okay, let's go, let's go. And you got into the year and I went, oh, man, you know, we were, I like that team. I, and I love some of the players on it. I like the team. The management and ownership there are as fine of people as you'll ever meet. So now you feel like you're letting them down and you are. You know, I would say that I rarely ever walked off the bench and thought the player screwed this thing up. We lose a game.

I'm figuring I missed something. I didn't push a button. I didn't get to the right guys. It didn't set the right tone. I couldn't. Which is, in some ways, it's foolish because you're not winning in 82 if you just do your job, right. But my performance was starting to weigh on me real heavily. I didn't think I was good.

And I didn't have an answer. I couldn't get them going. I couldn't push. Like you're rolling into the ninth year, eighth or ninth year. they need a new voice. They need somebody else driving the bus. That's just the fact. I mean, you're either winning Stanley Cups

or you're developing from an expansion team. Those are the only two ways, I think, your message. You get a lot of transition when you're an expansion team, a lot of roster turnover. So it's still kind of fresh or you're right there and you're winning. But, I mean, that's, you know, you go through the Canadian division that year. And all you, I mean, those are playoff games every night. The scrutiny.

It's not the pressure that got to me. It's the, they need a new idea to push them forward to keep the fans excited, to keep the building full, you know, forward motion is what those Canadian teams need. And when you look at the number, I mean, every guy, every other Canadian team went through a whole bunch of coaches through my tenure there up in Canada. I mean, three and four, there's a reason for it, right? That you, it's a different market. It's a different, it's a different world up there in terms of the hockey. So I think they got, that's, that's why coaches get changed. The interesting thing to me was the players coming out of exit interviews in Winnipeg saying,

I mean, this is what you expect from players, that it was on that, like, they weren't playing the right way. Like, there seemed to be some accountability of like wherever went sideways. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like there was something off or whatever was going on there. And I don't know how much you can. I just was thinking about you were saying about. I'm going to take a pass on comment on that.

And the reason is that I really truly didn't watch it. Okay. And I did not do one interview from the time I left the bench until I got this job here. And even with that, I stayed away from Winnipeg interviews until they hired Rick. It's not my team. It's not my place to talk about the Winnipeg Jets unless they're an upcoming appointment other than truly love those people. And they need a new coach and they got a good one. He's got a great sense of humor bones.

He's going to get that back end up the ice. He does. You look at the transition in that Tampa Bay process. He was a big, big part of that. He'll be grateful. He'll be grateful. All right, you kind of alluded to it. I was a writer here, Murat, covers the Jets.

And I said, hey, we're having Paul on. And he goes, I have a great Paul Marie's story. He said, it was one of his first ever press conferences. And he's nervous. He's just a kid. Doesn't know anybody. Like, there's, you know, working up the nerve to ask a question. that setting when it's all these, you know, the Canadian media, all the things you've referenced Paul.

Yeah. And he finally at the end, he's like trying to reach for a mic and it's awkward and weird as it always is. And you're when you're in those situations. And PR guy says, all right, we're all done here. And that's when normally everyone just scatters. And he's like, Marat said, I'll never forget Paul saying, hey, no, we've got one more. Like, you know, you pointed to him. And he's like, yeah.

Like, I, like, that's Paul Maurice. And I just love that story. You talked about your relationship with the media or just being able to have conversations about hockey. And I don't know if that's your personality, Paul, or if that's something you're intentional about. I like the sport and you think it's important. But I don't know. I think the answer to that is I've got about 26 years in this league and I'm still an outsider in a lot of ways. And I don't mean that what was me.

I'm not. It's, I didn't play. Right. So I came into the league as a 28-year-old kid, and there's about four or five guys that would talk to me, right? I think everybody else thought, well, this guy's going to be out in a weekend. They would have been right. Daryl Sutter sat down on one of the coaches' meetings beside me when I was real young and took me through the entire Hartford Whaler season. Now, he's coaching in the West Coast, and he knew every single thing that happened to my team.

So I've always been a huge Daryl Sutter fan, e.g. Eddie Johnson, who, I mean, we have a generation between us at least, and he would come over and talk to me, and it meant the world to me at that time. Paul Holmgren, who I actually started in the NHHL with kind of, he was great to me. So I understand being new, being young, and being an outsider. And I also know that I'm just a fan of the game anyway, just like all you guys are. we love the game and then you get into those situations especially between media and people in it where you get i don't know how much language i can use you get pissing anything you want right so so you know we get mad at the media and the media has got to get fatigued it sometimes with me like what was the last

book you read man and you know like you don't mean like there's a okay so that's part of my mine just a kind of a fan of it i also have a son that wants to work in media So I look at it completely different now. So my middle one wants to be a play-by-play guy. He's a play-by-play guy for the Winnipeg Blues in the Manitoba Junior Hockey. He's done it for the last two years. He loves the game. The idea that he would step into an NHL room or an American League room

and put a mic in a coach's face and the coach would be disrespectful, I mean, I want to kill thinking about it. Right? You know, I mean, that would offend me at such a personal level. so I try to be respectful of you guys in the job you're done because in Morat I see my kid right nervous on his first day you know it's the NHL man it's it's part in part dream job and at the same time God you're you're you're you're you're nervous so the idea I want yeah right you guys get that right so when my kid gets his chance and he's interviewing Pete DeBores I want that coach

to be nice to him. Because I love that kid and I want you to love him too. That's all I feel about that. I'm sure Pete will be. I'm going to just, I think Pete's in the kid well. Pete's in the can for that one. I hope so. Well, Paul, thanks for doing this. Great to see you. Congratulations on the new job and fun team. It's going to be fun to watch. So we appreciate the time. Best luck. Enjoy moving the boy into the dorms and Coral Gables or whatever. whatever's whatever's up coming there. Life's pretty good for him now.

He gets his own spot. Good life. Here we go. Yeah. There you go. Okay, guys. All right. Thanks.

Thank you. Yeah, my pleasure. This is the only good segment on the show. It's when we dive into the comments in the athletic app on our episode page, read all of the wonderful, very funny, very mean things you guys say about us sometimes. It's been, it feels. I don't know if it feels like more time or less, but it's been two weeks since we've had any show come out whatsoever.

The last one, I don't know where you were. Max was around. You ever, do you know him? Max Bolton? Yeah, we're best friends. We meet at Tifty McStaggers for good times. You know that about me and Max. You've just tried to steal him.

We had Max on it. He was great. He was better than you. Certainly better than me. Brought some, info on the Redder Wings coaching update before that was all settled and it was right in the wake of all the hockey

All of Fame. Voting debacle with only allowing admitting one woman when they could have admitted to and just the whole that whole mess that's turned into. We also talked to Shapiro about

I think it's safe to say it was a recap of the leagues of the league's first year on ESPN and TNT and just got some insight from him. It was a good show. It was way better than what do you and I typically put together. But these are the comments off that.

All right. I want to address Michael D. Well, first of all, Michael K, he likes to show up and just trash the fact that I went to Michigan State. I see you, Michael K. Michael D. says, it really feels like Max is the Tuesday show's top prospect that the fans feel is podcast ready,

but the pod still is the old veteran Craig above him on the depth chart on the insistence that Gentile needs to be surrounded by a veteran presence to continue to develop. There's a lot to impact there. This is probably more true than you even realize. Yeah. So where do we start? First of all, Max is ready. Max is the top.

The fans have been clamoring for Max. He's been at the top of the prospect list. Max is beyond the top prospects. Max is already a star. So he's like, so he's already, he's the good young player who we think could play first line minutes. if like the cagey veteran would just get out of the way.

Who is? This is, okay, that's, yeah, that's, that's probably better. I was going to say he's like,

he's like, he's like, he's like, he's a draft pick who goes to college and then. And I'm like Eric Johnson. And everyone. That, I think that makes Sam,

or that, that makes, that makes Max, more like Sam Gerard, maybe or Bill and Byron. No, I, I like the Cal McCarer,

Eric Johnson cop. And look, Gentilee, does he need a veteran presence? I didn't, I didn't, I didn't listen to that episode. I'm sure it was fine.

It was good. You know, I think, I think Sean is ready to, he doesn't need my parents. Got out of everybody's way. I set up, I set up Max. I set up, I set up Shapiro. It didn't even did fun. Michael D. When it's Max and Sean on the Tuesday show, when the season returns next year, you can take

full credit for it. One more. Let me do one more here, Sean, because, look, I think producer Jeff is the best in the business. I would never say anything about Jeff that would be critical or even second guess like he lines up Pierre on the biggest day of the year for Pierre

and we got Paul Maurice we load it up like this is he's great at it but this is some fair fair question from Adam P why does the outro music start playing three whole minutes before the episode ends on Tuesday episodes only and I can only assume

it's like signals that are that are dumb asses are about to be done talking That's right. I love it. I think that's great. I think it's because Sean and I never end it as quickly as we should. And Jeff is doing you the listener of favor by saying, hey, they're going to be done here soon. It'll be over soon. They're going to promo two more Mike Russo podcasts, make a couple more dumb jokes.

We're almost that. Like, it's, I'm just waiting for him to do it while we're talking. Like, we're at the Academy Awards and the band starts playing. Like, at some point, Jeff is just going to hit play. One of us will be actually on screen, on screen, on Zoom. And there will be like a Broadway cane that comes out of, it comes out of screen and yanks us off like Showtime at the Apollo. Max E's is so typical of the NHD hop on a trend as it's dying out.

The NFTE thing is so dumb. Because we talked at length about NFTs. You did. Sad I missed it. I agree, Max E. I think it's very funny that they're hopping. on the NFT thing. It's becoming more and more obvious that it is not just a scam that is guaranteed to lose the people involved most closely. Very funny. Slearns McKenzie's here.

Hey, Slearnes. Since it sure looked like it was his last game, can we get some appreciation for the career of the Condor, Eric Johnson? Also, that 06,07, University of Minnesota team had four players McThell that were still playing this damn year. It's Blake Wheeler, it's Kyleok Poso, So it's Golgoski and it is Alex Golgowski and Eric Johnson, four guys in the league after 15 years. That's crazy. Is this Eric Johnson's last game? Is that confirmed? So I was reading, as you were talking, I was Googling this because I, as we, you know, I'm the Eric Johnson podcast.

So this really, this touches home for me. I read earlier that he said he thought he had a couple years left. But he's not that old. Eric Johnson, is he? he's like as old as I am so yeah he's pretty he's pretty old um I mean he's dealt with some injuries he's Eric Johnson is an 88 play if you you can play if he wants to yeah Eric Johnson is 88 oh my god he's he's okay so he's he's gonna play a few he's gonna play a few he's gonna play a few ones too he got a cup so he gets he's got a cup more years like

even if he even if he can't skate by the end of it they're just gonna keep saying a cup leadership, a couple leadership. And they won't be wrong. He's the man. Remember with the golf cart thing? And then the trade in the middle of the night? I think about that all that. Do you just constantly think about that?

The stark day is, I woke up this morning just staring at the ceiling and a cold sweat. The time Eric Johnson mangled his knee doing idiot shit on a golf cart 15 years ago. That's when we start chanting one of us. One of. I will say, that's one of those. thing, but if that happened when Twitter was in like full freight, if that happened, if the golf cart thing happened in 2015, let's say, instead of when it did, it would have been a minute by minute ordeal for three straight days. What to start to that dude's career? And he's made so much money and

been so solid for so long. Least me he's been healthy. And then he's the first guy taking the cup. We love it. We love Eric Johnson. He's, uh, Yes, I mean, it would be the number one overall pick blowing out his knee and a golf. Like, that's news for, we would get so much out of that. And what a career he's had. Candid L said you had the perfect chance to say that Craig was at Peters Cottage. 112-2-2-Bow-2-Bow-2-Bow-Gavno and missed it. I'm disappointed, Sean.

We don't, like I said, I don't worry, it was not sweet or two weeks ago. I don't have to tell you everything, do I? Might be there right now. You know what? That's why Pierre didn't turn his camera. Because I was right behind him. We were sharing a mic. We were both leaning in sharing a mic.

You guys were face to face at the pier breakfast nook. Best view. His deck has the best view in the world. I've seen the photos. Maybe one day I'll be able to see it in person. Sean, let me tell you, every day at about three o'clock, he makes a Caesar and all his guests get a Caesar, and we pull out the chairs,

and we watch and we spend the next several hours slowly watching the sun go down. And boy, it's wonderful. And drinking more Caesars and then you move beyond the Caesars. And then we go back up a board. Is it just one? Is it just one Caesar? I feel like that's about the one.

Well, I mean, we all have our limits, right? Like, Caesar's not a drink. You're pounding. Which I do enjoy them, by the way. I do. They're better than Bloody Mary's, by the way. I hate to. I mean.

I kind of, I kind of agree. Yeah. Did it take you both, like, when did you start liking? Bloody Mary's and Cedars. Like, how old are you? Were you, like, well into your 30s by the time that happened? Because I feel like that's a pretty reason development for me. The Cesar's over bloody, it just became when I got into the hockey space.

No, I mean period. I mean period. Like, I didn't like Bloody Mary's five years. Oh, no, like, I came out of the world. Just that the general. Oh, really? Mm-hmm. Missed it.

I don't know. Like, that was my, I would like my, that was breakfast. But Cesar's, I had to get over Clamato as a concept, the Climato juice portion. Because it's as a concept. Because it's as a concept. stuff it's disgusting. I remember the first time we were, I want to say in Vegas or something at an award or some NHL, I was with hockey people.

And they're like, you have to. And it was like, oh, let's get back on and let's get some, I got a Bloody Mary. And it wasn't me. I remember who it was. And they were like, no, if you're going to be doing hockey stuff, you got to have a Caesar. I'm like, oh, why don't you tell me what's in it? Like, what's the difference? And it was, well, it's made with Clamato juice.

I'm like, we're not going to tell you that. Like, what's clavato juice? And they're like, just have it, stop it. It took me a couple. And then now I'm a convert. Do you have to turn in my passport? No. Like some version, whether it's a bloody or a Caesar, that's like my, that's like my airport trick now, I feel like.

Yeah. But in Montreal, on the way out, to continue my weekend of eating like a complete psychopath, I ate some airport putteen. Oh, my God. Well, I was waiting for my flight. Yeah, a wreck. And, you know what I drank with it? a bud wiser. Good for you.

They had a bud bottle. And I figured I need to balance this out if I'm eating Putin in the Montreal airport after four days of whatever. I need some sort of, I need a gigantic domestic beer that pretends to be made in America when it is natural.

I got a text from a colleague of ours as they were leaving Montreal at the airport. And the text was, my body is revolting. And then they just sent me a picture of a bloody Mary that they had ordered at the airport bar that was all done. And they're like, what are you going to do? I think I have a couple guesses as the who is. I think you know who that was from.

All right. Jen F says the correct pizza toppings are pepperoni and olives and green peppers. I'm okay. Not opposed to the banana peppers either. I don't know. You guys have a pizza argument. I missed you, Craig. Hey, Jen F.

It wasn't. No, it wasn't arguing. Me and Craig were bar. Or me and Craig. Who? Marty. Marty doing that. What's his name again?

Max. Me and him were kind of an agreement that pepperoni and banana peppers, I believe, are, is a S-tier pizza topping. I don't know if you agree with that or not. I'm a... Don't like banana peppers? I love banana. So I'm like a green olives, banana peppers,

mushrooms, onions. I try not... I'm trying, you know me. I don't want to eat pepperoni. You know, nitrates are on the carcinogens list in the United States. Good for me since a... None of those are... A half dozen of those completely mediocre bell-centered hot dogs, by the way.

Overrated thing on Earth. Just toast. Pretty calm down. I know. I almost sent out a company mandate to say, hey, guys. Listen. You know what? You know what the...

Still late enough to get sick. I think that does it for us here. I want to thank Pierre LeBron and Paul Maurice for joining the podcast. Producer Jeff for lining both of those up. A couple... I'm sure the music's already been playing for hours now, so... But before I do want to promote Rob Pizzo, Sarah Savian, and Jesse Granger.

They're doing the Wednesday roundtable as they do. Are we doing the Athletic Audio Plus on Apple Podcast? I don't think we are. but somebody really good much better than us is doing it and you can get all the bonus content from our entire network it is us and shut us it is us it can't be us i don't have time oh gosh um hey good good news everybody sean and i have been preparing for weeks and it's us you guys you guys don't even know it's going to be so cool it's our turn this week so if you want to

subscribe to the athletic audio plus and apple podcast you start a 30-day free try with our episode that's coming up right now, or it's already published, who knows? Then it's just 99 cents a month after that. And right now, and only now, can you get an annual subscription to the athletic for just $1? This will be running out for six months. At date redacted, this offer.

Trust us. Next week is our season finale, maybe even the finale of me and Sean together. Why would you say something like this? I think it may be. I'm starting to suspect it was a good run. You got to know when to hold them, Sean. I want to hold them.

I want to walk away. I want to run. Next week, our American Awards that you, the listener, came up with all of them. So not too late to get in the comment section. Suggest some American Awards for our final episode of this wonderful season. And what a season it's been for the end. American Tuesday. Like just setting records.

You guys are all the best. Unbelievable. We're going to go out on top, folks. I don't know. I don't know. We'll see. I'm just tired. Also, hashtag, oh, just put in the hashtag because we, I'm not, I'm not,

HHS Tuesday boys, threesies. Threesies. Sean, good to see you. It's been so long. I know. Good to see you back on Zoom where we all belong. This is so depressing. We just had it.

It was so much fun. It was such a good few days. Now we're back to this bullshit again. All right. Thanks. Good bye. Thanks for this to get rid.