The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Anthony Cirelli

Episode Date: February 27, 2025

Anthony Cirelli discusses the 4 Nations Face-Off, playing for Jon Cooper, the Battle of Florida, Bill Crothers Secondary School, and much more!Shout out to our sponsors!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼 Tim Hortons: https://www.timhortons.ca/rollupReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Flames_Nation🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Learn more at Fizz.ca. Switch to Fizz. He is a champion at the junior hockey level, at the NHL level, and at the international level now as well. He is Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning and he joins me now. Anthony, thanks so much for stopping by and a belated congratulations for the Four Nations Faceoff Championship. Yeah, thank you very much and yeah, no problem.

Thanks for having me. The pleasure is all mine. First of all, there's so much from that tournament. Like, um, I was one of them. Uh, Ryan Getsloff mentioned this on Leafs Morning Take last week. Like we didn't know what this tournament was going to all be about. How hard were the players going to go? What was it going to look like?

How was it going to be played? What type of intensity was this going to be? Like when you first started hearing about this and then your name started popping up and you got named to the team. Like, did you have any of these questions or did you know like from the get-go in this tournament, this was going to be game seven, four times? Yeah, I think just the vibe of it was going that way. I mean, we had a lot of meetings and stuff kind of before we even got there and, you know, we want to win and we want to go there and we want it to be the game. Um, and then I think right when, uh, that first crowd was electric going out there for warmups, remember, and you know, the whole building was filled and it

was packed with fans standing up. So I think right there in that moment, we knew like this, it's game on now. And then we're going, we're going all out. Yeah. Give us some like personal context for, for this, because you've, listen, you scored the Memorial Cup goal, the last goal ever at the Coliseum in Quebec. You've been part of, uh, two Stanley Cup champion teams with Tampa as well. And now this like, give us a sense of like where you would place this on the

sort of ladder of success for you. There's Memorial Cup, there's Stanley Cup, and there's Four Nations, which really kind of took a life, took on a life of its own and jumped off the hockey pages into the general sports pages. Where would you put this one? I think it's right up there with, I mean, probably winning the Cup. I mean, it's such an honor to represent your country and wear that, you know flag on your jerseys and I just think those games like Those were part of the hardest games ever been a part of just wise physicality wise emotional wise

It was up there. I mean everyone wants to win. It's you know best on best and Just the way guy pay men's sacrifice my body and you know The passion to play defense and check and do little things right. I mean, those were the, you know, like I said, the fastest-paced games, you know, arguably faster and, you know, physical than playing the Seneca final, honestly. Those were pretty intense games. Is it kind of sad? I've always sort of imagined like a player like yourself who gets to play in that, kind of looks at this tournament and says, okay, now I get a chance to judge myself

amongst the best in the NHL. And you're out there in the deep end and you're either gonna sink or you're gonna swim. Like, what does that do for you? Like now you've been through a tournament like this and you say to yourself, okay, like this, I can be successful at the NHL level, but like here we are best on best and I'm hanging with all the top dogs.

Like what goes through your mind here? Yeah, I know it was, it was surreal at some points, just being out there and, and you know, the guys on our team, guys you're playing against, I mean, obviously you play against them every single night, but it's all together and just, like I said, just how hard the games were. And I think it's just a confidence boost to I said, just how hard the games were and

I think it's just a confidence boost to be able to go there and you know, try and play my role. Obviously, I know I'm not I'm not there to score a bunch of goals and stuff. It's more you know, being on the beat, not only kill, being physical, the little things. So, you know, I think just going through that experience and playing those games, I think it's helped me, you know, when they come back here and they'll get back to regular games and you know, it'll help to be more confident and a little bit, you know, better offensively. So, um, but yeah, that experience I think helped greatly. I want to ask you about Tampa in a couple of seconds, but a couple more about team Canada, because this is a, a team in a tournament that captured

everybody's imagination. Um, okay. Unfiltered, uncensored. What went through your mind when you saw Brandon Hegel throw down with Matthew Kachak Saturday night, Montreal, all eyes on that game? It was unbelievable. I mean, you know, Hague's isn't afraid of anyone out there and you see that in Tampa and then obviously on the biggest stage of them all and and uh he's talking to him I mean he's all offense he throws hard and um you know couldn't be happy

with him he got our guys going got the bench going got the crowd going it was uh I mean I didn't know that was happening till I mean if you look at me I'm ready to play and then I went on and I look over and Higgs got his gloves off. Um, it takes a lot to do that. Obviously, uh, the fight, um, you know, for him to go in there and throw punches and then get the takedown was awesome. And then obviously the other guys as well, you know, Bennett and Peraintebo doing the same thing right after, I mean, it was an electric, most electric star I've ever had to a hockey game.

Uh, it certainly was wild. Um, so let me ask you about the final play because this one is going to be shown over and over, like we all have the golden goal from 2010, I think burned into all of our minds. Like we're, we're taking that one. We're taking that one to the crematorium, all of us, but let me ask you about that final

sequence, McCarr with the hard rim and Marner picks it up off the boards and the pass to McDavid, no dusting and right over the glove of Connor Hellebuck. At what point did you say to yourself, I can see this going in? Because I think the elapsed time was like under two seconds for the entire play, but there's a moment where you're like, this is going in, it's over. Yeah, I mean, I think as soon as Mitch touched the puck you know it takes I mean it's such a skill of his where he takes off the wall and then point one seconds and you kind of saw a play developer McDavid was in front all

alone and if he you know if he dodged them you knew that you know David was gonna put them in the back of the net and see Mitch make the play and then just kind of a scene in my mind, I was there on the bench. He had a perfect view of it. It's slow motion and, um, it does what he does and he puts in the top corner and, um, everyone went nuts. So it was, uh, I mean, a little pre-skill for us, a great play, obviously great, great players making great plays and, um, back than that.

And then the boys are cheering. You know, John Cooper, um, you've played for John Cooper for so long now. Uh, we've all heard the audio and seen the video. Will someone just be selfish and shoot the puck in the nets? Uh, what was John Cooper like for you and where were you for that moment where he said that? I think it was on the bench and, um, Koop always does like, he always has

those little remarks kind of during the game and, and, and, you know, he's so positive and kind of does confident. So he was just like, let's go, someone just put it in the back of the net and shoot it. And that's what he did. thing here. How much of this, like, are you thinking to yourself, you're playing in this tournament, how much are you thinking to yourself, if at all, I don't know, Olympics, that this is, this is, this is trumming the waters for the Olympics? Yeah, I mean, all you see is to back your mind is about, you know, 12 months away. And I think just going through this experience kind of, of, you know, how hard these games are and how you got to play in them, you know, like I said already, but I, of, you know, how hard these games are and how you got to play in them. You know, like I said already, but I think just, you know,

try and have a good summer this year, you know, come back next season and just try to have a good showing and try and make a case to try and be on that team. Is it tough to adjust coming back? A little bit, a little bit. I mean, just in those games, I mean, everyone's going 110 miles per hour, every second of every shift. You know, and obviously you can't sustain that for a full 82 game season, but, you know, in a tournament like that, you have to do that. Because if you don't, then the other team is going to score.

And then, you know, coming back here, you know, and playing, you know, play two games right now, it's just, you feel like you have a little bit more time with the puck, a little bit more space. But just goes to show like, how committed everyone that tournament was to playing the right way, playing good defense and don't want to screw up. Um, my son goes to Bill Caruthers, your old high school, uh, Zach Phillips, who produces the show, he went to, to Bill Caruthers, uh, it's in Unionville for those that don't know, uh, just a little bit north of Toronto and they put out a big post on Instagram congratulating you. And, uh, I'm curious, like from, like you win something like that. We're just showing this out. Yeah. Bill Caruthers, uh, send it to sell.

Look at that. Hey, look at that young Anthony Sorrell. Look at that. Hey, look at that young Anthony Cerellis. Look at that. You have a quick memory from those days? Yeah, I mean, they're awesome. I was there for three years. It's just such a great school for athletes because they kind of help you out in ways that a regular school wouldn't. You know, you're missing a lot of time kind of when you're going for tournaments and you know, a lot of the practices wouldn't, you know, you're, you're missing a lot of time kind of when you're going for tournaments and, you know, athletics or practices. So, I mean, you did a great job of helping me get to school where, uh, I could

focus on my sports focus on playing hockey and knowing that they'll be there to help me with the, you know, the school aspect of it. Anybody, any surprises for like who reached out to you? I mean, previous high school is an obvious one, but like anyone like, like, you know, all of a sudden, like randomly you wake up one morning and it's like, oh, I didn't expect to get a text from this person. Uh, you know, there's a lot of people. I mean, if you saw the numbers on the games, like everyone watched everybody.

And, uh, it's just nice. You know, people, people haven't talked in a while, just like a congratulatory text. So it's awesome to see how big of a determine this was and how many eyes we got on her. I've always maintained it is the fool who bets against the Tampa Bay lightning. Just when you think, okay, they've lost the one player too many. Tampa comes back and proves every everybody wrong. Right now you guys are playing some great hockey as we all know. What's the secret sauce? It seems like it doesn't really matter. Lose a couple of guys including a franchise icon, no problem.

We got one back in Ryan McDonough and we're off to the races again. What's the secret ingredient here? Yeah, I mean, I think just like management and coaching staff do such a great job. Whoever they bring in seems to just help us, help us win games. I think we have a great leadership in the room with Hedy and Mack and Cooch and Pointer,

guys that have been there and have won. So I think just, everyone kind of buys in. We have a pretty tight network and, you know, everyone kind of puts their USA for the better of the team and stick into our structure, stick to the right way. And then we just have gamers like guys that are willing to do whatever it takes to win. So I think when you kind of add all up together, you know, it's just good stuff. Listen, we talk a lot about you and Point and Hedman,

certainly Kucherov, who are, and Hagel, like who's Vasilevsky, geez, the murderers row you have there. Who are the guys, or is there one guy that you think that us in media miss, totally miss out, and we should talk about more? totally miss out and we should talk about more. I think the two guys is McDonough and Cherenac. You know they play such hard minutes and they play the game so hard and they're kind of like our backbone

back there and in the defensive side of the puck. You know we harp a lot of it on defending well and kind of limiting chances and goals against. And I think those two guys, um, every night going against, you know, the best players and then just the block shots that they have, the minutes they play, uh, they're, they're just stellar back there and how calm they are. So, I mean, you could obviously go around, like you said, of, of every guy in there that, that sacrifice and does that, but those two guys, um, for what they bring to the team, um, and their leadership, you said, of every guy in there that sacrifice and does that, but those two guys, for what they bring to the team and their leadership,

max leadership ability, it's huge for us. You know, I had one person mentioned to me about Ryan McDonough that he said, there's no player, there's no defenseman in the NHL who gets back to position quicker or more efficiently than Ryan McDonough. Agree or disagree? Oh, agree, agree.

He's always in the right spot, and if he isn't, he's there all the time. I mean, he's just so smart with his stick, with his body positioning. He's so calm out there you know when you know we're you know we say when we're out there we're safe with him with him and journey out there because they they just control the game so well but yeah Macri I mean he's she skates like to win too I know he's not the

flashiest guy on the outside of the puck, but I mean, you see him tracking and getting on the back shot. Um, he's unbelievable. Um, uh, I, I do want to ask you about the rivalry with the Florida Panthers. Now you just spent a couple of emotional weeks with Sam Bennett, who for most teams is public enemy. Number one. Um, can you get that same type of animosity up for Sam Bennett after having gone through something like that with him? I don't know. I mean, he's... I've got him actually a couple times before the tournament and he's awesome. But just the way he plays, what he brings to the game, like his physicality, the plays that he makes, he could score.

He's a guy that does it all. Um, and it was nice for a change, uh, being on the same team as him and playing against them, but I don't know, we'll have to see if, uh, you know, we get another playoff match up here. What transpires? Uh, I think the whole hockey world's waiting for one of those again. Thank you very much. I think that's one of those things that now that, you know, two are at the, the height of their powers through Stanley Cup champions.

Um, let me close on this. So, uh, from now, like the next tent pole is, is trade deadline. And then the Stanley Cup playoffs, um, John Cooper is one of the most successful coaches the game has ever seen. I still can't believe he hasn't won a Jack Adams. Uh, you're always in the conversation for the Selke trophy. Um, you know, Braden point remains one of the more underrated players, Kucherov and Harden and everything. Like there's such, Vasilevsky with the Vezna.

Like there's so many individual players. Hedman's a former Norris Trophy winner. So many individual players you can focus on and talk about how wonderful they are. But what is like, is it different this year with Tampa heading into the playoffs? Is there, is it now that, you know, hey listen, hey listen we look you know down the street and the Florida Panthers have the Stanley Cup, does that change things for Tampa? I mean I think you know for us as a team it's always get into the playoffs first and let's see what happens and I think we're a team you know kind of built for the

playoffs and I think the way we're kind of playing well right now and trying to get that game in intact. Like you said Florida is the reigning champs there and I think that I think the last five years it was either it was us for three and them for two. You know two kind of teams going at at it and, and those series against them are absolute battles and wars. Um, but yeah, I think we're excited. I mean, we're excited to push here for the next 20 games and, and no Syria.

We are, you know, obviously we want to push to maybe try and try and win the vision. I think we're a couple of points out, but, um, I think for us, it's just kind of focusing our game and getting it ready. Obviously first securing that playoff spot. That's goal number one. And then once you get in the playoffs, kind of build up for that. This has been awesome.

Congrats again from all corners, from coast to coast to coast in Canada, and best of luck the rest of the way to Tampa Bay Lightning. Thanks so much for stopping by with me today. Yeah, no problem. Thank you for having me guys. I'm black man, you try to give me little medicine I'm black, no man, that's fine I'm not against those methods, but I knew It's me, myself and how this gon' be fixing my mind I do wanna break it

I turn down the music I do wanna break it I turn down the music Hey hockey fans, Tyle Remczuk here and you you're gonna want to mark your calendars because you do not want to miss the most exciting day of the NHL season. The Daily Face Off Trade Deadline Special is coming your way once again on March 7th from 11am to 4pm Eastern. We're going to be live and breaking down every single move as it happens in real time, I'll be joined by the Daily Face Off crew, bringing you instant reaction, expert analysis, and all the behind the scenes drama for the biggest news and trades from around the league. And here's the best part, we've got special guests lined up throughout the show to give you exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game.

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