The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Rick Tocchet

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach Rick Tocchet joins to discuss Sean Couturier’s resurgence, Trevor Zegras’ maturity, Matvei Michkov’s development, and how he’s rebuilding Flyers identity and cul...ture from the ground up.Shout out to our sponsors!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Simply Spiked: https://www.simplyspiked.ca/en-CA👍🏼Shark Ninja: https://www.sharkninja.ca/ninja-crispi-4-in-1-portable-glass-air-fryer-cooking-system/FN101CGY.html?utm_source=Better+Collective&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=H2+Air+Fryer&utm_content=EN👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/ca👍🏼Prime Video: https://primevideo-row.pxf.io/c/5560083/3303015/20020Reach out to sales@thenationnetwork.com 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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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, it's Nikaela from the podcast Side Hustle Pro. I'm always looking for ways to keep my kids entertained without screens. And the Yoto Mini has been a total lifesaver. My kids are obsessed. Yoto is a screen-free audio player where kids just pop in a card and listen. Hours of stories, music, podcasts, and more. And no screens or ads. With hundreds of options for ages 0 to 12, it's the perfect gift they'll go back to again and again.
Starting point is 00:00:26 Check it out at yotoplay.com. P-O-P-L-A-Y.com. Hey there, it's Jeff Merrick here. You know, my wife and I both have countless memories from spending time discovering Canada. Well, I always come back to the summer of 2005. We were staying at a cottage on Lake Joseph here in Muscoca, watching the Live 8 music festival in Barry on television. My buddy Jeremy Taggart, former drummer from Our Lady Peace, dropped by after his band's set and stayed the rest of the weekend at the cottage after the band set and told some incredible backstage stories about some amazing Canadian music icons.
Starting point is 00:01:06 I will never forget that. And fast forward to today, I'm a hockey parent and I feel like I'm always on the road with my family, whether that means traveling across southern Ontario hockey ranks during the week or overnight at tournaments on select weekends. But what makes our hockey experience even more special is booking a place on Airbnb when we're on the road for overnight tournaments. All of this traveling got me to thinking, my home's just sitting empty
Starting point is 00:01:34 when I could be hosting it on Airbnb instead. I'd simply put up my house on Airbnb, pre-select dates that I want to host, bam, it's practical, easy to manage, and it enables people like me to make some money while they're not at home. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.ca.com slash host.
Starting point is 00:01:57 With that, well, welcome aboard the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, former member of the Philadelphia Flyers, number 22 in Orange, folks. He is Rick Tocket, and he joins me now on the sheet. Rick, good to see you again. How you been? Thanks for doing this. I like it on the sheet. Yeah, you're right there with me.
Starting point is 00:02:19 Well, listen, at a certain point, we're going to go back to one of my, a day that I still keep talking about, and you did something, I'm going to just be honest, that I still can't leave in that game, April 16, 1992. But hang on, pause on that one. That one's coming. First of all, congratulations on the big win. And there's a lot out of that game that I want to get into. But before we get there, what I really loved is there was a Bernie Perrant tribute that
Starting point is 00:02:43 Philadelphia Flyers did in the preseason and the Flyers also did one on opening night. I thought that was perfect for one of the giants of the game, one of the best goal tenders to even ever do it. The main reason why the Flyers won those two cups in 74, 75. Larger-than-life personality. Do you have a quick thought on Bernie and the mask, you know, the player of the game,
Starting point is 00:03:03 like everything Rick came together so perfect and a big win for your team. Yeah, and when Coots brought them, I didn't know about this mask, the presentation after the game, the player of the game. We didn't know about it. And when he did it,
Starting point is 00:03:17 and I saw the Bernie mask, it got, you know, you get a little emotional. And the reason why is Bernie was such a, obviously we all loved them. But I know in Pat for me as a young kid, you know he was always guys come you come in and he would always smile it didn't matter if you lost the game if you're minus three you played an awful game or you played a good game he was the same
Starting point is 00:03:37 guy and you know he had to say hey guy how you doing guy hey good game and i'm like bernie i was minus four i don't care you still play you know i mean that's bernie and you know he's just a wonderful human being and uh the fabric of one of the big fabrics of the uh the flyers number one behind the net's beautiful uh it's just uh such a just such a gorgeous touch. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's kind of perfect. Okay. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:04:01 To the, to the game itself, and you mentioned Sean Kuturier. Um, no one's ever going to confuse Sean Kuturier for Pavel Bury, but still, man, he's moving this year. And that game, four points, you know, a signature, a signature game here for Sean Kuturier. Uh, what does the coach see? I know this is your, your first time handling him, but what does the coach see in, in Sean Kuturier? I see, I see a, I see a guy that's moving well.
Starting point is 00:04:24 I see a guy that's, uh, didn't like, last year, and he did something about it this summer. He came in really good shape. You know, after games, he's doing his recoveries. Like, he's doing all the right things. I'm not saying he didn't do that before. I don't know. All I know, he looks like a guy that's possessed. Obviously, even though the game's two games before, played him 20 minutes, you know, the hard minutes, right? He's got to take face off, you know, penalty killing. He's getting power play time. So I think he's tired of losing, and I think he wants to be a solution you're on turning things around.
Starting point is 00:04:56 So that's what I see so far. How much does a guy like Sean Guturier mean for Jetlachenko? Like, I don't know how long he's going to play this season. He has to look good. I like that line. You know, I had the mini audition last year. I know Guel from the OHL is hoping you guys send them back, but who knows where it's going to go. But I can't help but thinking having Jet Lechenko in the same room as Sean Guturier
Starting point is 00:05:18 is only going to benefit that young player. Yeah, Jeff, I'm really sensitive when it comes to the young player and the veteran player the relationship and coots is taken upon himself to really teach the young guys i remember as a i remember as my second or third year i thought i thought i made it had the long hair in philly had a good year before and i was lucky i had brad mccrimmon markow and dave pool and uh timmy cur i mean i go down the list of teaching me the proper ways to become a pro how to handle yourself in games off the ice um so i really believe that's a you got to pass patch, pass the torch, and help those guys.
Starting point is 00:05:58 And I think I see that from Coots. And it really excites me when I see veteran players take care of young players because I know it helped my career. You know, I can't help with thinking, you know, even with the Pittsburgh Penguins and, like, how much the penguins want to get, like, a lot of those young kids in the room around Crosby. Like, have that experience, have that rub off.
Starting point is 00:06:16 Like, this is the way, you know, to your point about, you know, with Dave Pool and and with Beast and how and all those guys. Like, this is, this is how we do it. one of the things that I was laughing about and I I'm still like giggling to myself about the game so it's four to too late in the game the Florida Panthers have pulled the goaltender
Starting point is 00:06:35 and there's Christian Devorak in front like he's like he's trying to scream Barbrowski Barbrowski's out Stanheim shoots it and he tips it in the net like I'm sure you I'm sure you've never chiseled a goal from a teammate before Rick but I watch it I'm like what is Devorak
Starting point is 00:06:51 great I love it I can't stop laughing about it that he tipped in an empty net goal? What did the coach think when he saw that? Because I have not stopped laughing about it. It's great. Well, you know, I've been preaching net front presence and all that all camp. I've been preaching the last few of the game, right? So I did a video. I actually just did a team video a couple hours. We do a game review. My last clip, I can't believe you put that in. The last clip was, hey, boys, we're really getting better at this net front presence. Here's one of the best I've seen all year and I showed it. The guys laughed. Debo
Starting point is 00:07:24 Debo was laughing. He got a little red face, but yeah, I think he looked embarrassed after he did it, but I mean, he didn't know. I guess he didn't know. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:07:33 It was awesome. Who shot it from the point? Sanheim. Sanheim shot it, yeah. So if Sandy, if he's one career short of, you know, his all-time high goals,
Starting point is 00:07:44 he's going to have to blame Debo. Back in the old, like, goal bonus days, like you saw that all the time. Like, guys chisling goals. I'm two goals away from $20,000. here. I need to get a goal wherever I can. I have a lot. Oh,
Starting point is 00:07:57 you know what? I remember an old God, this is like from the late 70s, Rick, and it was, I think Lanny had a Lanny McDonnell had like a 10,000 bonus for 20 or 30 goals. It was a two on O. It might have even been an empty net. And Sillers got the yawning cage, and instead of shooting it, he passed it to
Starting point is 00:08:13 Land. You could just see Harold freaking out about having to spend like an extra 20 grand. Exactly. And he passed it to Lanny. I look up to the bunker with him and King. Like, yeah, yeah, 20 grand. Let's go, cha-cha. You're right. That did happen. That happened all the time, Rick. Like, in your era, too, like, okay, before I game,
Starting point is 00:08:29 I'd say, okay, who's close to this milestone? Who's close to that milestone? Yeah, I've seen guys go out of their way, try to get a guy bonus. But also, in the back then, too, Ed Schneider did it. He'd have a brown envelope with money. So say we were, if we got six or seven points out of ten, you got more money, right? So it's a segment of five. If your power play was over a surge percentage,
Starting point is 00:08:53 of your penalty kill and then you get these bonuses in that every month if you got these goals you get a brown envelope of money cash uh and i remember back in the day we had you know we were you know we won the president we had a good team so we made a lot of these bonuses so i mean we're grabbing you know back then like 1100 bucks 1500 cash from the owner he didn't have to do that so yeah that's the stuff they used to do back in the day it's it's uh it's remarkable that that must have been just so much so much fun as a player as well yeah um let me get to what i thought was Like, the Dvorak play was like, that's the one that I'm always going to look back on and just lap. But before that, like the three two goal, the Coturier goal, and the play by Zegrois behind the net. So I'll be honest with you. I see Zegris behind the net with the puck. I'm thinking Michigan. And I think we're all thinking he's going to do something. And he takes a hit from like two beasts, like Aaron Eckblad and Sam Bennett and makes the play, gets it to Coturier, and he scores.
Starting point is 00:09:53 And I'm thinking to myself, like, the guy in Anaheim's going for a Michigan, or he's trying to flip it over the net or something. This guy takes a hit from two guys with Stanley Cup rings and makes a play to Cotruree at the home open. I'm like, it seems like a different Trevor Zegris. I know he didn't have him before, but like, what are the conversations with this young athlete like now? You know, he's honestly, Jeff, a pleasure to coach.
Starting point is 00:10:16 He's a really nice kid. He knows he wants to get his game back. He knows what he has to do. And there's going to be some bumps and bruise along the way. You know, there's some old habits that we're trying to get him away with. But to me, that's a great habit, right? If you look at Kuturi, he gets blown up by Bennett. He gets up.
Starting point is 00:10:35 Then all of a sudden, Zinis gets it. And he knows he's going to get crunched. And he just holds it for another second. If he doesn't, if he throws a puck early, it doesn't go through the Panthers defense. But because he waits, he knows he's going to get hit a little bit, and then he makes that play. So that's good stuff. I mean, that's willing to take a hit to make a play.
Starting point is 00:10:55 And it was obviously a high level, a big moment, right? It's a high level play with four minutes left against a Stanley Cup chip. It's huge. Listen, a couple of other players I want to give you thoughts on. Nikita Grobenkin may not be a headline maker right now. Yeah. But listen, from my perch in media, the guy's gold. Fantastic.
Starting point is 00:11:12 Always a great quote, great personality. What does the coach see in Grebenken? Yeah, I'll be honestly. You know, that's a struggle right now is, you know, we've had five, power, five penalties every game. So we've had 15 penalties. So if you do the math, I mean, that shortens the game up. I've got to get him out there.
Starting point is 00:11:31 He's making things happen. Half wall, I mean, hash mark down, coming up with loose pucks, holding on to pucks, he's really good at. He's a good hockey player that we're going to eat. I think there's another level for him. So right now, you know, he's buying time. But I got to get him out there more because I agree what you're saying. He's a, he's a dynamic.
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Starting point is 00:14:48 it out at yotoplay.com. Y-O-T-O-P-L-A-Y dot com. Hey there, it's Jeff Merrick here. You know, my wife and I both have countless memories from spending time discovering Canada. Well, I always come back to the summer of 2005. We were staying at a cottage on Lake Joseph here in Muscoca, watching the Live 8 music festival in Barry on television. My buddy Jeremy Taggart, former drummer from Our Lady Peace, dropped by after his band's set and stayed the rest of the weekend at the cottage after the band's set
Starting point is 00:15:21 and told some incredible backstage stories about some amazing Canadian music icons. I will never forget that. And fast forward to today, I'm a hockey parent, and I feel like I'm always on the road with my family. Whether that means traveling across southern Ontario hockey ranks during the week or overnight at tournaments on select weekends.
Starting point is 00:15:44 But what makes our hockey experience even more special, is booking a place on Airbnb when we're on the road for overnight tournament. All of this traveling got me to thinking, my home's just sitting empty when I could be hosting it on Airbnb instead. I'd simply put up my house on Airbnb, pre-select dates that I want to host, bam, it's practical, easy to manage, and it enables people like me to make some money while they're not at home. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much it Airbnb.ca slash host. How do you get to, I mean, that's one issue.
Starting point is 00:16:28 And listen, Matvei Michkoff is like one of the elite skill players. Like, what are, what are some of the issues, you know, getting through changing the game? I don't want to say change. Actually, I don't want to say changing the game because I don't think you want to profoundly change the player. I think you want to sort of massage the player for like, this is the way we need to play to be successful. here. Like, this is all about growth and development here. Like, as you look at handling this player, like, what's going through your mind as like, okay, I got to encourage here and I've got to dissuade there. Like, it's, it's, and he's such a skilled player and can be such a, like,
Starting point is 00:17:02 how do you handle that, Rick? It's, it's got to be sensitive. Yeah, it's sensitive. You know, first of all, we all have to understand is a second year guy. He's, he's, there's a little bit of a language barrier. He's coming over here, trying to learn the culture and different things. thing. So right away, he's got that. You know, I'm a big crest guy, you know, a culture guy. We're trying to turn things around here. How do you win? But also, you got to allow this guy to be able to be creative and do his thing. You know, he can make mistakes because the risk reward is there, Jeff. Like, you know, we got to allow him to make some plays because he can make that Zegra's play or he can make a high level play with three minutes. But there has to be also
Starting point is 00:17:41 the confines of the team. You know, you know, he's got to make sure that. You know, when we don't have the puck, you know, you cannot always leave the zone. Things like that, power play. You know, you got to be the guy back, you know, after face off loss, you can't dive in. These are little things that we're just going to have to stay on top of. You know, listen, he got off behind the eight ball a little bit with the fitness. I guess he had a little bit of an ankle problem this summer. He didn't train like he was supposed to.
Starting point is 00:18:05 So, you know, he's in practices. We're getting him up to speed. Like today, I know it's a corny thing, but his last two practices, he looks faster. And there's certain things that we can help him on. to play faster, but in a long story of this, he's a fabulous kid, and the kid is it wants to win, and he's creative, and we got to allow that. I'm not stupid. I want him to dump the puck in, but there's certain times when we tell him, when there's four guys around you and there's no play, that puck has to go deep. I don't care. Connor McDavid does that. I mean, you know,
Starting point is 00:18:36 so I think there's things that we have to give and take with him, but like I said, he's bought in. I mean, he's in with the coaches every day watching video, so. When I look at a skill players like Michkoff. I always think of in terms of percentages. And if he costs you three scoring chances, but he creates eight, I'm good with like, do you
Starting point is 00:18:57 have a number like in mind? Like, yeah, he's going to cost as a couple, but he's also created X amount. Like, is there a specific number? You just go based on on feel for that game. No, but there's something just, what you just said, there's something to that. You know, there's still situational hockey.
Starting point is 00:19:13 You know, there's three minutes left. You're up a goal. I'm not sure a high risk play is the right time. First period, you know, you got him against the fourth line and, you know, he's got a chance to make a high level play. It doesn't work out. Yeah, no problem. That's an okay mistake. I think there's got to be situational hockey involved in that risk of a word. But yeah, if he's creating eight chances, four and three against, that's a good thing. When you took over the flyers, what did you think they needed? Or like, after being with them for a while, did it sort of come to you?
Starting point is 00:19:45 Like, what did this team need as you've realized now? Well, I think at any time when, you know, they've had success over the years, right? And, you know,
Starting point is 00:19:54 everybody knows it's a rebuild, right? We're trying to, they're trying to get, they're trying to get trap picks, and they're trying to keep players. They're also, and they're trying to make the foresters and the Cates and the Yorks,
Starting point is 00:20:03 and they're in that age, right? That 24, you know, how do you get them to lead and be the foundational piece? You know, you know, To me, it's like I said, it's all about the culture and the crest. And how do we, you know, what does it become a flyer?
Starting point is 00:20:17 When we come to the rink every day, you know, what do we do every day to become, you know, first of all, a good hockey player and a good team, but what do the flyers do? You know, how do we handle stuff? How do we handle outside noise? I mean, you know, you know, if you read every day that, you know, flyers are going to be last place or they're not good and they lose every year, you read into that stuff, you know, you're dealing from a negative. My thing is I got some good young hockey players here that have a huge growth potential.
Starting point is 00:20:46 We just got to put them in a good environment every day that we're doing the right things. Whether we win or lose, I don't know, but we have to go through it. I know it's the most overused sports is process, but there has to be a process every day to get there for the results. And that's kind of my goal right now. You know, when you mentioned culture, I think of the Philadelphia Flyers, and we all have our stereotype of, and listen, you played and you're like, we all have our idea of like, well, the Philadelphia Flyer is and what a team is. I was a big fan of Fred Schiro.
Starting point is 00:21:18 Like, I love what Fred Schiro. I don't know if you, have you ever heard the bacon and egg story from Fred Schiro? You ever heard that one? Yeah, what was I? So the Flyers are the best team in the league in 75. They march into Pittsburgh, who are a bad team and they get beaten. The guys are all dog, and I think they went out the night before. Anyhow.
Starting point is 00:21:34 Sure. The next day of practice, not a single puck hits the ice. Fred comes into the room. The guy's tongues are hanging out there. And Fred comes in and goes, I heard all you guys last night. He coming off the ice, I made a contribution. I made a contribution. He goes to the chalkboard and he draws like three strips of bacon and two eggs.
Starting point is 00:21:48 And he goes, this is what I had for breakfast. This tells me everything I expect out of you as a Philadelphia flyer. And the guys are all looking at Fred like, what's he going on? I said, I had bacon and eggs this morning. I heard you guys last night, I made a contribution. I made a contribution. He goes, for breakfast on my plate, the chicken made a contribution. but the pig made a commitment
Starting point is 00:22:08 and that's what I expect out of you as of Philadelphia and all the guys eyes are like oh my God I can't believe we just heard that one from Fred so I think of like Fred and establishing like what that clutch is and when I think of Philadelphia
Starting point is 00:22:21 it's and we just started the conversation by talking about Bernie it's like sacrifice and this goes back to like Ed Snyder you play like you played for Ed or you played for Ed Snyder you know if you sacrifice and you lay out this team
Starting point is 00:22:35 and this team and this town will reward you handsomely. It's one of the best places to play. The rewards in this town, you go to an Eagle game, but you go to Phillies game. I mean, going to Phillies game is one of the most intimidating places to play in.
Starting point is 00:22:51 You know, I know they had a tough in the playoffs. They're still a great year for them and stuff like that. We want, you know, like the other night, you know, I was talking to Danny and Jones, they said the building was loud as they've heard in a couple of years. You know, this is what, we're trying to preach here is like when you come in here it's like all teams i'm not you know it's not in preaching the choir here but everybody wants to make it a comfortable place to play
Starting point is 00:23:14 that's what the flowers are known for when you come here they didn't beat themselves you had to earn it and i think that's what we're trying to do here is create that identity and the fans if you work hard in this town they'll like it if you're if you're a team that i'm not saying dog it but you know if you're you're on your game some nights or there's inconsistencies they don't know what they get from you you're going to have a tough time here so I think that's the one thing with the fans. They drag you in the fight. You better be able to fight.
Starting point is 00:23:39 That's what they want you to be able to fight and scratch and claw for every piece of, you know, ice that there is out there. Okay, with that, perfect segue. I'm going to take you back to 92. I'm going to close with this one. I'm curious your memories on this. April 16th, 1992.
Starting point is 00:23:54 You're playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, your MSG, you're playing the Rangers. Speaking of fighting, you fought Chris King and you had a broken jaw. I don't know what you're thinking, right? And then I think you went after Messier after that, too. Like, holy smokes. Rick, it's the last game of the season.
Starting point is 00:24:07 So, but in that game, I am fascinated with it. So Scotty Bowman's your coach with the Penguins. And he saw, and it probably would have been, I think, Toblake or Dick Irwin, who did this with Charlie Hodge and Jacques Plont. He changed goalies mid-play while the play was going on. I'm really hoping you have a memory of this because Scotty Bowman, it was Wendell Young and Ken Reggett. Scotty had kept changing the goaltenders all game long.
Starting point is 00:24:35 There were eight changes, seven of them were after whistles. And during the play, we got the video here. Puck is in your zone. It's going to squirt out to the neutral zone. And we're going to see the goal. You just miss it in the camera. But I think it's Wendell Young skating off for Ken Regget or the other way around. The puck comes back up the ice, and the goalies have changed.
Starting point is 00:24:57 It's Messi leading the rush. And the goaltender is different. Do you remember, do you, that's Wendell Young. Do you remember, do you remember that? Because I had heard that you guys, you guys in the room before like, guys, you got to do it. You got to do it on the fly. It's a last game of the season. You guys got blown out.
Starting point is 00:25:15 Seven won that game. It didn't matter. Guys, you got to do this. You got to change on the fly. Do you remember that moment watching goalie on the fly? I remember those guys. Those guys were in cahoots. This was honest, Scotty didn't want that to happen.
Starting point is 00:25:27 They just did it. It was, they were in cahoots on that. And let's face it, I mean, we were going to the playoffs. And it was a fun moment. and when they did it, we all kind of laughed about it later. But yeah, that was those guys doing it. I remember it, yes, it was hilarious. I could just imagine, like, the bench going crazy.
Starting point is 00:25:45 Like, you know what it's like. It's like, last game of the season. Let's just get through it. But, like, the bench must have gone crazy scene. When do you see Cole, he's changing on the fly? Yeah, and Wendell was an unbelievable teammate. Wendell Young, he was a guy that kept the room loose. And I think that was just his way of, you know,
Starting point is 00:26:03 his way of having a little bit of hijinks. It was kind of funny, and it was a nothing game. Okay, so let's fast forward then. Let me just do this on the fly here. It's the last game of the season. It's April. It's Tuesday the 14th, you're playing the Montreal Canadiens. Let's say the Philadelphia Flyers have a playoff spot locked up,
Starting point is 00:26:24 and Sammy Erson and Dan Vladar decide the change on the fly. What does Rick Tockett say? Do we lock up a playoff? You've locked? No, that's what I'm saying. Just like that situation, like with you in Pittsburgh, you've locked up a playoff spot. This year? No, I'm saying, like, coming up this year.
Starting point is 00:26:42 April 20, if it happens, you've locked up a playoffs. Sammy Erson and Dan Vladara can do it? Have at it. We just locked up a playoff spot? We're trying to get the playoffs. You got me on that one. Yes, I'll allow that to happen. I don't care what anybody says.
Starting point is 00:26:57 I'll book it right now. All right. Free pass for the goaltenders, change on the fly. We haven't seen it since 1992. Well, we ended up the locked up position. Of course, yeah, of course, yeah, you locked it just like your penguins had it locked. It was a blowout game, too. And, yeah, quick thought on like, why are you fighting Chris King with a broken jaw, Rick, back at 92?
Starting point is 00:27:13 I know you were tough. You got nothing to prove, Rick. We always talk about the last game, like the teams that don't make the playoffs, the team that, you know, the team that makes the playoffs, that last game, that last game, playing a non-playoff team, is probably the worst game in hockey, right? Yeah. And I remember back in the day, I was playing for the Flyers. Craig Roo was on my team, Keith Jones. And we were playing the Rangers.
Starting point is 00:27:32 The Rangers weren't going to make the playoffs that year. So they call up a guy, Dale Puritan, remember him? I remember Dale Puritan, yeah, tough, tough player. He was a very tough guy, and, you know, he's trying to make an eight, he had 500 minutes of the penalty in the minors, and he's skating around the warm-up. And he's, Keith Jones is stretching, and Keith Jones calls him the Purifier. Hey, purifier, why don't you try this guy, and he's put to Craig Barubi. And Chief's like going to Jonesy, I don't want to fight.
Starting point is 00:27:58 I'm going to the playoffs. Like, I don't want to fight. So they're laughing. Well, so anyway, it was the first shift of the game. He's running around. He's looking to fight something. He's trying to press the Rangers, right? So Craig Ruby jumps off the bench, and he goes to the Ranger bench.
Starting point is 00:28:12 A true story, and he goes to Brian Leach. Brian, you see that guy there? I will fight him, but I'm going to fight you first. That's the rule right now. And so Brian Leach goes, I get it. He jumps off the bench, and Leach, he goes to Puritan and goes, cool it. So, anyways, the game went on and nothing happened. But the last shift of the game, I think Puritan went after Primo.
Starting point is 00:28:32 But it's just, I just want to say. segue in the last game of the year sucks. I think when you're a playoff team playing a non-playout team. It's like Marty McSorley told me, like, he went by the leaf spanch and said, like, Clark Wendell's got to stop going at Wayne. And Wendell did, and he said, all right, it's out, Gilmore. And that
Starting point is 00:28:48 was the elbow that started that fight with Wendell. Thanks for the insight, Rick, and thanks for the trip down memory lane back to 1922 and changing goalies on the fly. And Lidar and Erson, you guys got the green light from the coach. All you got to do is make the playoffs and have wrapped up by the time April rolls around. Thanks, Rick. Always
Starting point is 00:29:04 Appreciate it. Thanks, Paul. You'd be good. Nice. Great talking to you, Jeff. I'm not against those men that's pretty new. It's me, myself, and how this is going to be fixing my mind. I do want to back in the music. Hey friends, it's Nikala from the podcast Side Hustle Pro. I'm always looking for ways to keep my kids entertained without screens. And the Yoto Mini has been a total lifesaver.
Starting point is 00:30:21 My kids are obsessed. Yoto is a screen-free audio player where kids just pop in a card and listen, hours of stories, music, podcasts, and more. And no screens or ads. With hundreds of options for ages zero to 12, it's the perfect gift they'll go back to again and again. Check it out at yotoplay.com, y-o-t-o-p-l-a-y-com. Hey there, it's Jeff Merrick here. You know, my wife and I both have countless memories from spending time discovering Canada. Well, I always come back to the summer of 2005.
Starting point is 00:30:55 We were staying at a cottage on Lake Joseph here in Muscoca, watching the Live 8 music festival in Barry on television. My buddy Jeremy Taggart, former drummer from Our Lady Peace, dropped by after his band's set and stayed the rest of the weekend at the cottage after the band set and told some incredible backstage stories about some amazing Canadian music icons. I will never forget that. And fast forward to today, I'm a hockey parent. And I feel like I'm always on the road with my family. Whether that means traveling across southern Ontario hockey ranks during the week or overnight. to tournaments on select weekends.
Starting point is 00:31:34 But what makes our hockey experience even more special is booking a place on Airbnb when we're on the road for overnight tournaments. All of this traveling got me to thinking, my home's just sitting empty when I could be hosting it on Airbnb instead. I'd simply put up my house on Airbnb, pre-select dates that I want to host,
Starting point is 00:31:54 bam. It's practical, easy to manage, and it enables people like me to make some money while they're not at home. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.ca slash host.

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