Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Christine Simpson: Toronto Mike'd #887

Episode Date: July 20, 2021

Mike chats with Sportsnet's Christine Simpson about her Western connection, her family's athletic prowess, her work at the Hockey Hall of Fame, her two tours of duty at Sportsnet and more.

Welcome to episode 887 of Toronto Mic'd, a weekly podcast about anything and everything. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. for free local home delivery and the GTA. McKay CEO Forums, the highest impact and least time-intensive peer group for over 1,200 CEOs, executives, and business owners around the world. StickerU.com,

create custom stickers, labels, tattoos, and decals for your home and your business. Palma Pasta, enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Ridley Funeral Home. Pillars of the community since 1921. And Mike Majeski.

He's the real estate agent who's ripping up the Mimico real estate scene. Learn more at realestatelove.ca. I'm Mike from torontomike.com and joining me this week is Sportsnet's Christine Simpson. Welcome, Christine. Hello, Mike. Do you have any idea where you are right now? have any idea where you are right now? Well, I'm in a backyard in the Etobicoke area. Do I need to be more specific? No, no, no. That's actually, that's perfect. But I guess I'm curious. So this is episode 887 and I'm so happy you're here. What took you so long? That's my bad. I just assumed you'd say no way. It's alphabetical, I guess. S? Takes a while to get to S.

Making my way to S here. But did you sample, like, did you say, oh, let's hear what, I'm going to make it up. What did Ron McLean sound like on Toronto Mic'd? What did Stephen Brunt sound like? Did you have any thoughts of like sampling one to see what you're in for? To be honest, I specifically did not because I kind of didn't want to have a preconceived notion. So I started to follow you so I could sort of see the people that you interview and some pictures. Okay. But I, I literally,

and so don't be offended. No, no, no. This is literally just decided I don't want to have a preconceived notion. We have never met before. No, we have not.

So I have no idea. See, I find that I find it exciting, like that Christine Simpson's here and she's not sure what this is about, but obviously you, you felt comfortable coming over maybe because you did learn that, you know, a lot of your colleagues have been over, et cetera. Well, the 886 that came before me certainly include a pretty illustrious, long lineup of people that I admire and respect. So I figure, you know what?

You can't be all that bad. Can't be so bad. I think you're going to have a good time. And you're going to leave with some awesome gifts. Better gifts on this show than you got on Just Like Mom back in the day. I like the sounds of this. I'm looking at it right now. You got some parting gifts.

Love it. So you're going to get, in fact, I'll do it real quick here. Some fresh craft beer is going home with you from Great Lakes Brewery. They're a local craft brewery. That's awesome. But you can get them in LCBOs across the province. They're good people too. I got to, are you, I'm going to ask this question backwards.

I'm going to ask you now. Do you eat meat? I do. Oh, okay. Oh yeah. I should have asked that before you arrived. I have a frozen meat lasagna. It's delicious.

It's from Palma Pasta. That sounds amazing to me. You're going to love it. It was worth the drive to Etobicoke already. I could actually just walk out right now. Do you want me to play the theme? We can just close this right now. Thanks for coming, folks.

Yeah. There is a little more here. There's a Toronto Mike sticker for you. It's on top of the red box there. Awesome. I see it. I'm going to slap that on your car before you drive away. That's from stickeru.com.

And if anybody out there needs stickers or decals or temporary tattoos or anything of this sort, stickeru.com. It's global. It's an e-commerce site. But they're in Liberty Village, so I like to support the local business. Supporting local to me is more important now than ever before.

There's nothing more local than my local funeral home, okay? There you go. Ridley Funeral Home. Shout out to Brad Jones there because he attended TMLX 7, which took place last Friday. So I want to just say thank you to everybody who came to the Toronto Mic Listener Experience No. 7 on Friday. It was awesome to meet people and a bunch of new faces, which is always fun when you're at your seven.

There's a few people still who are seven for seven. So shout out to Rush Mike and Al Grego. And who else is in that esteemed company? I got to get this right. This is really important, Christine. Hold on here. Who else is? It's not James Edgar.

He lost his street title. Oh yeah, it's Michael Lang. Of course, Michael Lang. So shout out to those who are batting a thousand at the TMLX events, but that was great fun. And again, Brad Jones is a great supporter. He's at Ridley Funeral Home. And if you're looking to move to this hood, Christine, we're doing this all off the top because we're going to go hard and heavy here. You got to talk to Mimico Mike. I call, his name is Mike Majeski, realestatelove.ca. And he's ripping up the Mimico real estate scene. And last but not least, I feel like this would be key for you. McKay's CEO forums have a great podcast.

So I urge people to check out this podcast. It's fireside chats with, you know, inspiring CEOs and thought leaders. The podcast is called the CEO Edge Podcast. I have links at torontomike.com. McKay CEO Forums, thank you for your support. Okay, Christine, before we get into it, which you're going to love, we're going to pay tribute to someone who just passed away here.

So I'm just going to play a little song. Tell me if this brings back some good memories here. I'm going to look into your eyes and see when it clicks in here. Oh, yeah. The Centennial song from Expo. Do you know who composed this song? This is funny because I know I saw something on Twitter

and I was surprised that this person also composed it. Oh, Dolores Klayman. Dolores Klayman, correct. Correct. Close enough. Close enough. So, yeah, everybody knows Dolores Klayman. Delores Clayman, correct. Close enough, close enough. So yeah, everybody knows Delores Clayman. She composed the old Hockey Night in Canada theme.

Absolutely. But I did not know until her recent passing that she also composed this. And she passed away 94 years old. So just wanted to give some props to Delores Clayman. And you mentioned the song that people know her best from here. Although that was pretty big jam. For the younger kids.

So here's the original. Come on. So this is the original. I'm trying to remember what year it went to Bell Media. Do you remember? I do remember it. It's like, wow, yeah, because that was interesting. And everyone thought, oh, my God, you can't replace it.

Right. And to me, I will still say it sounds weird to hear it on TSN. Like, to me, it's, it never kind of fit them. Right. But, you know, things change. Well, good on Dolores. Apparently she went on the record to say she was low-balled. I guess it was the CBC who controlled Hockey Night in Canada at the time.

Yeah, at that time, yeah. And she got low-balled and then she took the better offer. Good on her. Go Dolores. Right. So, yeah, I guess during this recent tenure on Sportsnet with Hockey Night Canada, you don't get to hear this

every Saturday night, but a lot of us still hear this song and think about Saturday Night Hockey. Absolutely. Brings back our youth. Well, actually, I was going to play another jam for you, but before that, I just want to recognize something that I think it took place yesterday, I believe. Luke Prokop. The 2020 third round draft pick of the Nashville Predators, has come out as a proud gay man.

So that's the first, I think. Awesome. Absolutely. Yeah. Good for him. And I mean, seeing the interviews with him yesterday, too. My word, he's wise beyond his years. He's so well-spoken. And just, you know, give him props for living his real life and knowing, you know, obviously not only, as he said,

you know, this weight that's been lifted off his shoulders, but just imagine what it's done for so many other young people who, you know, don't, maybe don't feel like they have the courage to do that. Hopefully it does encourage them to do.

The goal here, in my humble opinion, the goal here is that these moments are no longer big news. I know. Isn't that well, and actually, cause this morning, uh,

you know, I was listening to the fan five 90 and listening to Scott MacArthur, right. You know, who has his own story of waiting to, he said, you know, and he was saying good for Luke at 19 to have the courage to come out. He said, it took me till I was 40 to come out and just, you know, what a

difference it might've made for, for him. And so what a difference Luke is going to make for a lot of people. Yeah. I know sometimes, you know, obviously I would, I would imagine it's toughest to be the first, like, and then, then I ideally easier for everyone thereafter but scott macarthur i'm glad you brought him up he came over to tell his story shortly after he came out as and that that term proud gay man actually is tattooed on in my cranium because in that video scott released when he came out he used that expression proud gay man and i actually don't think i say i i never say gay man anymore without adding the proud to it like Like it just seems so natural to flow there. So shout out to, well, much love to Luke Prokop.

Absolutely. I know you're a young woman, Christine, but when you hear the name. Thanks, Mike. I appreciate that. When you hear the name Luke Prokop, do you think of any other name in like Canadian music history? Does any other name pop into your head when you hear Luke Prokop? Canadian music history? Right.

Wow, you're testing me here on this morning. I can bail you out here, don't worry. I'll bail you out. It is very early. I always think, when I heard the name Luke Prokop, I thought of Skip Prokop. Do you remember Skip Prokop? I don't.

He's the founding member of Lighthouse. Passed away a few years ago. Shout out to Lighthouse fans. Had a few big jams, but I think founding member, drummer, I believe, and then went to work in radio. So he worked at CFNY and some other local radio stations. Yeah, and his later life. But, yes, I wonder if there's any relation there.

Maybe when you talk to Luke. Good question. I do hope to sit down with luke at some point and i will be sure to make sure that's my first question that number one a and you don't even have to tip your hat to me you can just ask that question any relation to the late great skip pro cop if it if it is if he is then i i will take full credit if it's not i'll say, well, Toronto Mike had this crazy idea. If he looks at you funny like, who the hell is that? What are you talking about, lady? You can be like, oh, sorry, Toronto Mike made me ask that.

That's right. I apologize. Okay, here's another song. Okay, you didn't realize this was like a trivia show. No, I did not, but this is fun. Let's see if this one resonates with you at all. Western Mustangs? Yes. Yeah. Okay.

Now, I didn't go to Western. I went to U of T, but I understand. I'm sorry for your loss. Some of us wanted an education and didn't just want to party for a few years. Damn, there are fighting words. So this, in my research,

it tells me this is the Western University fight song. Absolutely is. All right, Christine, you probably know where this is going here.

But there's so much to cover here by starting at Western. You went to Western. I did indeed. Did you party hard? I had a good time, but I studied hard as well.

I think like everything, everything in moderation. I was a well-rounded student who enjoyed everything there was to enjoy in being a student of Western. Are you reading that answer? No, I'm just kidding. Yeah, yeah. It's in the code book that we all had to get. Okay, let's talk a little bit here about your family ties to Western.

Was it natural? Were you always going to ties to Western. So you, it was a natural, like, were you always going to go to Western? Yeah, it really was. And it's funny because my parents went to Western. They met at Western. Right.

My aunts, my uncles, my grandparents, most of my cousins and all of my siblings, except for Craig. So he was the black sheep of the family because he went to Michigan State University on a hockey scholarship. Oh, sure.

Yeah. So, but no, it just seemed like the place to go. And actually, it's funny because my other brother, Dave, teaches there. He's at Ivy Business School. So we still have the Western connection. And I mean, Dave, because we'll talk about Craig in a moment, but Dave was a heck of a player too. He was. I was Dave Simpson's sister before I became Craig Simpson's sister to many people. Because, yeah, he was captain of the London Knights and still holds the record for most points in a regular season.

And when you consider a lot of the players that have worn the London Knights jersey, that is pretty impressive that Dave Simpson still holds that record. pretty impressive that Dave Simpson still holds that record. But yeah, he had the, I guess, fortune or misfortune of being drafted by the New York Islanders as they were about to start their dynasty of Stanley Cup. So it was a pretty tough lineup to crack. So he never did make it to the NHL, but was, yeah, a great, I remember Dave Branch,

former commissioner of the Canadian Hockey League, said that Dave Simpson may be like the best junior player to never make it to the NHL. Well, that's, and one of the recognitions that kind of proves that point, I think, is he was a CHL player of the year one year. He was, yep, he was. So that's Dave Simpson, and I want to give props to Dave Simpson.

And he's teaching at Richard Ivey at West Western now? Yep. He's at the Ivey Business School teaching sort of family business and entrepreneurial business. Yeah. And who's this Craig Simpson guy? Well, he's a kid that had a cup of coffee in the NHL, you know, a couple of Stanley Cups. And he does that broadcasting thing I hear. Yeah.

He's in my living room periodically. Yes. Yes. Not in the flesh, I should point out. On the old tube. Yes. Would Craig Simpson do what you're doing right now and sit in this backyard and chat? Well, I'm sure if he were anywhere near here, the fact that he lives in Edmonton makes it

probably a little difficult right now. We'll have to zoom it then. We'll have to zoom it. Exactly. And just shout out your nephew too. Yeah, Dylan. Dylan, Craig's son Dylan, who was actually drafted by the Oilers a number of years ago,

but right now is part of the Columbus Blue Jackets family. He plays for Cleveland, the Cleveland Monsters, their farm team. And we're going to get back to your parents here, who met at Western University. But I'm just thinking this, the genetics, the Simpson genetic pool here is pretty awesome. Well, thank you for saying that. I'm a pretty proud member of the family. All right.

Let's go back to your mom and dad for a moment here because we'll start with your mom here. So I played that fight song, actually, because your mom was a cheerleader. She was indeed. She and her sister both were cheerleaders at Western, kind of around the same time that their brother played for the Western Mustang football team as well. So yeah, that's why that fight song is intelligibly inked into my brain. My mom can still, and my mom has dementia, so she doesn't remember a lot of things, but she can still sing the Western Mustang fight song. Doesn't that tell you something?

That's the power of music. It is. I love, yeah, sometimes just music from your youth and you're right back there. Just stays with you. Amazing. And your dad was playing football for the Mustangs. Yes, yeah, he was as well.

So yeah, two uncles and my dad were were mustang football players but here's a tidbit i don't think people maybe people don't know it i learned it that so your mom's a cheerleader fine but uh also an olympic sprinter so it's a funny story because i know on there are things on my wikipedia page that are not true okay let's put this on the record now i know and and someone needs to show me how I can. Well, actually there is a Rosie Gray TO, a person who listens to Toronto Mike.

Okay. And then goes to Wikipedia to update the record with things that are clarified. Like literally that happens. So Rosie Gray TO will be making edits to your Wikipedia page based on what you say next. Fantastic. Well,

it is a wonderful story. So my mom was a sprinter in London, Ontario, like just with school and on the playgrounds, like she was just a great athlete. And so it was leading up to the 52 Olympics in Helsinki. And the Olympic trials were in Hamilton that year. And her brother, who just mentioned Murray Henderson was his name, and he basically said, Marian, you're going to the Olympic trials. Your times are so good, you have to. So she goes to the Olympic trials as a 16-year-old, and she uses starting blocks for the first time in her life. She uses spikes for the first time in her life, and comes out of nowhere and qualifies for the Canadian

Olympic team. Well, at the time, the Canadian Olympic team had pretty much already decided who was going to the Olympics. So the fact that Marian Henderson came out of the blue and actually qualified threw a wrench in things. So they had to kind of go away and say, well, like, what are we going to, we'd already gotten visas for the people that needed to travel. So, and it's funny because mom has scrapbooks of articles in the London Free Press. Bob Gage was the big sports writer at the time. And it was a real controversy because the Canadian Olympic team came back and said, yeah, she did qualify from her time, but she's too young. So they said she can't go to the Olympics at 16 because she's too young.

Now, my mom didn't really care. She was like, oh, hey, that was a fun experience. I don't need to go to the Olympics. It's great that I, you know, ran quick enough that I qualified. Do you know the time by any chance? I don't. But you know what? She still has the

little medals that she got from the olympic trials um but yeah i should i should so okay so now that we can clarify the wikipedia so she did not actually compete in the olympics but she did qualify for the olympics and some yeah some silly rule for the 52 helsinki olympics yeah okay and she was 16 she was 16 at the time. Wow. Okay, wow. So I produce a podcast for Dana Levinson, who worked 17 years in this market.

I don't know if you caught her on CTV News at some point. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Dana's father, and I wish I could remember his first name right now. Obviously, Mr. Levinson, we'll call him. He's passed away, sadly. But was like an Olympic sprinter representing Canada in the Olympics. Like apparently for a while was, I think there was a period of time, I believe that he was the fastest man in the world.

Dana Levinson's father. Yeah. So your mom qualifies for the Olympics. Anyways, it's some, I just love these FOTM fun facts here. But wow. Okay. So yes, there is the story. We can set the record straight.

She qualified for the Canadian Olympic team for the 52 Helsinki Olympics. So I'm speaking now to Rosie Gray TO, who is a user on Wikipedia. You know what you need to do. You have your marching orders. Let's get this on the record and clean this up. While we're at it,

because there's something else that's on there that I have no idea why it's there, is that I was in an episode of Friends. It's on my Wikipedia page. Oh, I saw it there. I know. Where did that come from? How many people come up to you and ask you

what episode are you in or whatever? Yeah, I will say quite often if a situation like this where someone is interviewing me about my past and of course, like you, the first thing I do is go to Wikipedia, but I know all too well that you can't always take it for its word.

But that's, how does that, I mean, there is an audit trail in Wikipedia, but you'll just find a white user. But it's amazing that stood the test of time. So there's this like, we'll call this an urban legend that Christine Simpson appeared on an episode of Friends. But you have never appeared in an episode of Friends.

I have never. Because you wouldn't forget that. No. I've met Matthew Perry from Friends. Okay. That's a cool story. But no, I have never been on an episode of Friends. I have, however, been in a movie.

So that part is right. Saw. I was in the movie Saw. I saw them film in that. There was like an AT&T Brulee Park, which is by the Humber River. They had up like tombstones and stuff everywhere. And they said they were filming, I don't know what number.

They do all, yeah. They shoot all the saws here. Yeah. Can you tell me, since you weren't on Friends, all these edits for Rosie Gray TO, but how did you meet? Tell me about meeting Matthew Perry.

Well, it was the coolest story. So at the time I was working at the Hockey Hall of Fame. And so I would sometimes travel with the cup and it's fun because I, you know, Phil Pritchard and Craig Campbell, the two guys that bring the cup out to Santa Rice. So we're colleagues of mine back then and traveled with it for most of the time. But there were times when Phil would ask me to go. So two great stories came out of being able to travel with the cup. But one was asked me to go to LA because the NHL was shooting promos with the cup for the playoffs. And this would have been in 95, I think it was 93, 95. Because I was at the hall from 92 to 97.

Okay. Anyway, So the idea was, Hey, Matthew Perry is going to be shooting these promos. Like, can you, can you take the cup to LA? I'm like, sure.

Because friends had just been, I know if I must. So it would have been, I think the second year of friends. So when did it start? 92, 93. You're in your,

I think you went to LA in 1995. Okay. There we go. Cause friends might've started in 94. I believe it started in 94. Okay, there we go. Because Friends might have started in 94. I believe it started in 94. Okay. So anyway, I'm just there with the cup, right? So the Kings were practicing.

It was the old LA Forum. So the Kings are practicing. We had to wait until they got off the ice. And then the whole point, taking the cup to center ice to shoot promos with Matthew, but then also some fun promos that they did in the stands with extras in the audience. So I'm just standing there with the cup and like with the case of the cup. And so the Kings start coming off the ice and, you know, I know a lot of them like, you know, Kelly Rudy's.

Hey, hey, Chris, what are you doing here? Right. And so the guys are. And so Matthew comes over and he goes, how does everybody know you? And I said, oh, well, my, you know, my brother plays in it. Some of these guys are former teammates of my brothers. And, you know, who's he? Oh, your brother's Craig Simpson? Like he thought that was so cool.

And I'm thinking, okay, you're Matthew Perry. You're on this show called Friends. That's pretty cool. So anyway, shot the promo. I ended up actually being in one of the promos because they were looking for extras to play the scenes that they

shot in the stands. So anyway, I ended up being in a background extra in a Matthew Perry NHL. That's where the confusion came in. Somebody saw that video and said, oh, she was on Friends. Well, clearly, you know, Matthew and Chris are best buds

from when they used to be on Friends together. So I don't, you know, you're right. I don't know. Did that somehow morph into I was on an episode of Friends? It's gotta be. I was an extra in an NHL Stanley Cup

playoff promo. Some can play, unless they're confusing you with Angela Dorman. No, that's actually, that's Seinfeld actually. Nevermind. I'm revert.

That's not, not even friends. Okay. So I don't want to confuse my Seinfeld. I never liked friends. Did you like, straight up,

did you like friends? Absolutely. Loved it. I just watched the reunion show. I watched it too. Did it mean anything to you if you didn't like the show? I would be curious

about that stuff anyways. Yeah. It's like an event. It's an interesting, it was. Like I'll watch, I'll watch like, I'll watch anything if's like an event of sorts. It's interesting. It was. I'll watch anything if it's an event. I'm not a big soccer guy but I was glued to the Euro Cup

for example. No, it's true. Because you know everyone's going to be talking about it. It's just something about the whole world sharing something. And yeah, so I definitely, definitely watch that. But I also watch it with my daughter and wife who are big Friends fans. Well, it's amazing how the younger generation today are huge Friends fans.

Because I guess it's all over Netflix or YouTube or wherever you can find it. So there's a whole new generation of Friends fans. Without a doubt. My daughter turns 17 in a couple of weeks and she's a big fan. Wow. It's definitely reaching the younger demo. Okay, Christine, how did you end up though at the Hockey Hall of Fame? How did you manage that?

Good question. Yeah, I had worked for IMG for a while, the sports marketing agency. Okay. I worked at Roots doing PR for them. And so a lot of the sports things that we were involved with, because I worked at Roots when the baseball all-star game was here. 91. Yeah, so when the Canada Cup was here, right, in Hamilton at Cobbs.

Yep, 91. And when John Candy, Bruce McNall, and Rocket Ismael bought the Toronto Argos. Well, not Rocket. They brought him in, but it was... Right, sorry. Yes, yes. He was the big guy. It was Gretzky, McN Well, not Rocket. He was, they brought him in, but it was. Right, sorry. Yes, yes. He was the big guy.

It was Gretzky, McNall, and Candy. It was Gretzky, McNall, and Candy. Right. And so Roots was very involved in it. So it was a real fun time.

What a time, right? Because there were so many sports ties, tie-ins to what they were doing. Anyway, so I just heard somebody, I think it was somebody

at IMG, might have been Blake Karosky, if I'm not mistaken, who said, hey, Krista, the Hockey Hall of Fame's looking for someone to work in marketing. And I think you'd, you know, with your hockey background, you'd be perfect for it. And at the time, though, the Hockey Hall of Fame was a dingy little museum down at Exhibition Grounds. Yes, yes. Remember?

I used to work at the Ex, so I used to line up. Oh, so you would know. To meet, like, Ed Olchek would be there signing autographs. Absolutely. Yes, yes. Remember? I used to work at the Ex, so I used to line up. Oh, so you would know. To meet, like, Ed Olchek would be there signing autographs. Absolutely. Yeah, Bob McGill. But it was a tiny little spot.

Like, it wasn't at all what it is now. And I was sort of like, oh, really? Like, that's a job I might want? And he said, no, no, no. They're hiring because they're about to move

to this great new location right in downtown Toronto at the corner of Young and Front. It's going to be a state-of-the-art facility. I really think it's something you should. So, went in for an interview and got the job as marketing manager. Scotty Morrison, the former referee-in-chief, he was the chairman of the hall at the time. And so, yeah, it was started in, in fall of 92 and we opened, um, in June of 93. And it, again, it was just a really great time to be a part of the hall of fame because it was exciting. I mean, we had, you know, camera crews coming from all around the world to do stories on this brand new hockey hall

of fame and the whole state of the art technology and everything, all the bells and whistles that it included. Hey, was Kevin Shea doing work with the Hall of Fame at that time? Yeah, so Kevin, it's so funny, at the time, Kevin would be researching his next book, and he would be in the resource library all the time, so he kind of became a fixture at the Hall, and obviously did end up doing work with the Hall, but originally, he was working in the music industry. He was like chaperoning around Motley Crue and Weird Al Yankovic. Absolutely. His music stories are better than his hockey stories.

Absolutely. But I also feel like he put together the first compilation CDs of hockey songs. Do you remember that? Oh, probably. I'm a big Kevin Shea fan here. Oh, Kevin is wonderful. He's a dear friend. He's a sweetheart of a guy.

So yeah, I definitely first met Kevin there, but he was still working in the music industry, but always researching some book or something Bill's sister, Anne, was also around all the time. And Anne was just wonderful. And to be able to sit there and hear stories about her brother, Bill, was amazing. She was just a wonderful, wonderful person. I always wonder, though, because I think that would have been a legendary story, regardless, of course, scoring the overtime, right? But the winning goal, overtime winning goal,

and then sadly disappearing on a fishing trip and uh this will be on the story song yeah but yes i always wonder uh does it have the same impact with us without the song like that song brings that story i learned that story from the song so true the details of it too like literally to just he stole that from a hockey car that he kept tucked under his 50 mission cap. It's Canadiana. Shout out to Gord. And we got a Leafs song there,

which is good because Gord, of course, was a diehard Bruins fan. Bruins, big time. Absolutely. Well, Harry Sinden's his godfather. Yeah, that was the connection. Yep, that's true. Wow, there's a great piece in The Athletic

where they talk about Joe Thornton's relationship and i didn't understand that really from through his brother right yeah and i like i didn't know the connection was that tight um but yeah no i read that too in the athletic and thought okay that's cool just when you think you know every story right there's always another one there's always another story so here i'm going to take a moment to just cross promote something real quick here so kevin hearn who is probably most famous for being keyboardist for the Barenaked Ladies. I did a two part episode.

So two different conversations with him. This is all in the past month. But the second part was all about his work on the secret path and his relationship with Gord Downie. And honestly, just when you're finished listening to this wonderful Christine Simpson episode, Simpson episode, listen to that. Well, listen to both parts, but part two with Kevin Hearn.

Man, it really got me. Like even just us two connecting and just hearing these stories about Gord in his final years. I would love to, because when you talk about Gord telling stories that we as Canadians didn't necessarily know all the details about, his Cheney Wenjack. I mean that, and even to think that, you know, the impact that that had then and to where we are now, where everyone I hope feels that we need to educate ourselves more if you didn't know about residential schools and everything that happened. Like Cheney Wenjack was one of thousands of kids that went through. And Gord was the one saying, wake up, Canada.

You need to understand what our history is all about. I get chills when you mention that. Absolutely. And, you know, you mentioned your brothers in Edmonton. My wife is from Edmonton. And she took this free course, free course from the University of Alberta. The one that Dan Levy is talking about? I only hear Monica talk about it, but probably.

It's probably one and the same. It's a free course on Indigenous history in Canada, and it really goes into great detail. And it's free for all of us Canadians to educate ourselves. I literally had a person last night telling me they had just taken the course, and I want to do it. Yeah, okay. We got to do it, Christy.

My wife did it. She jumped in first, and then she said, Mike and I want to do it. Yeah. Okay. We got to do it, Christy. My wife did it. She jumped in first and then she said, Mike, you got to do this. And I will do that without a doubt. Okay. So you're a marketing manager at the Hockey Hall of Fame, which is really damn cool. And you're there. But you're also, this is wild, the first in-arena host for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yes.

Wow. And the funniest story about how that came about, Bob Stelic, who many of your listeners may know, his brother Gord. Of course. So Bob Stelic was working in marketing for the Leafs at the time. And of course, for me being marketing

at the Hall of Fame, we dealt with the Leafs a lot. So got to know Bob well. So back in those days, if you phoned the Hockey Hall of Fame, you would get a recording of, you know, you've called the Hockey Hall of Fame. If you'd like to speak to marketing, press one. Well, it was my voice. And so Bob, obviously calling the Hockey Hall of Fame a lot, started to think, hey, her voice is really good. That's the reason why one day Bob Stelic says to me, so Chris, we're thinking of it,

because Paul Morris, of course, was the voice. Well, scored by number 93, Doug Gilmore. That's pretty good. That's pretty good. I've been working on it. He was the voice of Maple Leaf Gardens. And, you know, he called the goals, the assists, the penalties, and that was it. So 95, as you'll recall, the Toronto Raptors were coming to town.

And I think in many ways that kind of got the Leafs thinking, boy, NBA is all about entertainment. We maybe need to, you know, we are still the Toronto Maple Leafs, so we can't become the NBA, but we maybe need to kick things up a little bit from an entertainment standpoint. So Bob, I just remember him telling me, you know, we think we're going to bring in, you know,

Paul will still be the voice of the goals and penalties and assists, but we need somebody else who can actually be the voice of our promotions and try to make things a little more interactive. And of course, every NHL team has that in Arena Host now. But at the time, it was like, oh, really? Okay. So I'm thinking he's sort of bringing this up to me from a marketing standpoint.

And I'm like, that's a great idea. Like, I think your sponsors are going to be thrilled because they're going to get, you know, more profile. The spotlight will be on them a little bit more. Great idea. And Bob goes, goes great because I want you to do it and I'm like what are you like really and so it was kind of like all right so for three seasons beginning in 95 I would work at the Hall of Fame all day and every Leaf game night, I would take the subway up to college and do my little gig as the in-arena host.

Welcome to the A.M.J. Campbell move of the game. Two lucky fans are going to go from the grays down to the golds. Like, it was that kind of stuff. And, you know, it was fun to do, but it also put a microphone in my hand for the first time. Talking in front of a live audience, which, you know, little did I know then would help prepare me for the broadcasting career that was to come. So that's your gateway

to broadcasting, essentially, is the in arena host at Maple Leaf Gardens. Yeah, I would say that the combo of that, but also at the same time, being the marketing manager at the hall, and as I said, especially with us being the new shiny toy, not only were all of the networks in Canada and really around North America coming to do stories on this place, but like Good Morning America came to do a story. NHK Japan came to, like we had so many media come and they would kind of push me, hey, Chris, Good. America's here. They want to do something, you know, or the national wants to do something. Right. And so I kind of de facto became the unofficial spokesperson for the hall. So I got very used to taking television hosts or producers on tours of the hall and explaining the history of the game and the history of the cup and showing them around.

the history of the game and the history of the cup and showing them around. And I would often have producers say to me, boy, you know, you really know your hockey and you seem really comfortable in front of a camera. Have you ever thought of doing this for a living? I'm like, no, of course not. I could never do that. Like I didn't go to school to do that. But yeah, you do it enough. You have enough people say that. and I started getting opportunities in the television side of things and yeah kind of push came to you're in the right place at the right time but

yeah of course none of that would would have mattered if you weren't uh so articulate and uh well I guess in theory I didn't drop the ball when it was passed to me I suppose you could say no I mean I've done this 800 and 87 times. I can remember it. Sidney Crosby wears 87. So that's how I'll remember your episode. But yeah, no, I'm listening to you in the cans right now. And yeah, no wonder you went into broadcasting. I can't imagine you not in broadcasting. So Sportsnet's just starting up. I can't imagine you not in broadcasting. So Sportsnet's just starting up.

I guess they were calling it CTV Sportsnet. CTV Sportsnet at the time. And this is 98. Yes. And are you a day one-er? I am. Yeah. Wow. I'm a day one-er and there aren't many of us left anymore, but I am a day one-er.

Can you shout out any other day one-ers? I'd love to hear. Yeah. I'm actually going to think of those who aren't anymore because we had, of course, Nick Kiprios was there. Darren Millard was there. Darren Dreger was there. Sunil Joshi was there. And I'm even thinking, though, of those who came,

like John Garrett would have been, I'm pretty sure, a day-wonner. Boy, I'd really have to go back and look at who literally were, because then a lot came, like Jody Vance came a little later, Hazel May came a little later, but day one, so it was funny because there were only two

reporters hired, and it was myself and Trevor Thompson. Trevor works still in the business. He's a great sports reporter in Detroit. It's so funny when we pass each other on the road at times. So Trevor Thompson and I were the two reporters. And because it was CTV Sportsnet, so of course we were affiliated with CTV, we would often use the beat reporters in all of the other markets

to sort of rely on them to do things for us as well. Well, that's how you get like a Sunil Joshi, for example, right? Yeah. Part of the CTV family. Or when he came over, he was wearing a Baten broadcasting system shirt. Oh, that's right. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, that takes you back for sure. Well, and it was CFTO at the time too, right? Of course. Yeah. Okay. Sorry, go on. So, yeah, so I remember it was Scott

Moore at the helm at the time. And as I said, by that point, I, I had been interviewed. Um, I wasn't really doing much in the way of interviewing, but I cobbled together a VHS tape that I don't know how many of your podcast listeners and viewers will remember what VHS tapes were. But it was, you know, me being interviewed. I remember one of the clips was Phil Pritchard and I on Canada AM with Valerie Pringle with The Cup, just talking about what it was like to travel with The Cup. Shout out to Valerie Pringle, who used to host Midday with my man Ralph Ben-Murgy back in the day. Ralph's got a great podcast, Not That Kind of Rabbi. used to host Midday with my man Ralph Ben-Murgy back in the day. Oh, Ralph Ben-Murgy. Yeah, that's a name I haven't heard from in a long time.

Not that kind of rabbi. Oh, neat. Produced by a certain company called TMDS. So you know it's good. There you go. It has to be. But I also had a clip from, again, finding yourself in the right place at the right time.

I had made my ESPN debut in 95, again, when I had to take the Stanley Cup to Bristol, Connecticut, because they wanted it on set for their playoff coverage. And same sort of thing. I got there early because, of course, they wanted all of their staff to get a chance to get their picture with the Cup.

So I'm standing beside the Cup as the staff are coming up. A lot of people asking, you know, stories, asking for stories or asking questions. And so same thing. I'm just doing my job. I'm kind of answering questions. And finally, the coordinating producer, Larry Christensen, I'll never forget, kind of came up to me and said,

yeah, we'd like you to go on with the cup at intermission. Steve Levy is going to interview you kind of about what you've just been talking about all afternoon, what it's like to travel with the cup at intermission. Steve Levy's going to interview you kind of about what you've just been talking about all afternoon, what it's like to travel with the cup. Next thing I know, I'm being whisked into the makeup room. Barry Melrose is beside me and I make my ESPN debut. Wow. So that was another clip. So I cobbled together this, this VHS tape and, you know, send it into CTV Sportsnet. And what do you know? it into ctv sports net and what do you know i get a job and i'm like oh wow for you you know but it really was uh right place at right time so okay i'm trying to figure out i think it's a red squirrel okay but i've never seen this i've

never seen a squirrel that color before interesting because i thought it was a chipmunk at first too but is it too big to be like a red. And it's funny cause you see interesting things. I record at night. Yeah. Cause you know, we're not far from like Sam Smith park and there's a lot of like wildlife in there, but right. Um, as long as it's not a skunk, I'm fine with whatever it is, but I record at nights and sometimes I'll be sitting right where I am now and I'll be recording at night and like families of raccoons would just walk along the fence here. I mean, Toronto's home of the raccoons. That's my first red squirrel.

Wow. So you'll remember episode 887 for a lot of reasons. Okay, wow. Okay, so let's just reset here. So you're at Rogers Sport. You got the gig, as you said, Gate Day One-er.

And you were there, what were you there, 10 years? 10 years, yep. Wow. Yep. And you were there, what were you there, 10 years? 10 years, yep. Wow. Yep. And you had a show at Showtime with Chris Simpson. Oh, yeah, that's right. That was during the lockout.

You know, once you're a hockey reporter and there's an NHL lockout. Right. Speaking of pivoting, which I think we've all learned how to do very well during this pandemic, you have to sort of come up with something. And I thought, you know what, there are so many connections, as you would know from the people that you talk to between the entertainment and the sports world. So I just thought, you know what, I'm going to pitch that I do stories that involve sports and entertainment. And I remember pitching,

you know, I'm going to go out to LA because I can get a bunch of interviews. And like I was ready to pay my way out there just because I have to prove that I can do something that will be entertaining content. And that first trip to LA, I mean, I was fortunate to know people that like, for instance, Kevin Frazier, who people who watch Entertainment Tonight would know Kevin. He's he's co-host of E.T. and he had been like an NBA commentator. So he was a sports commentator turned entertainment commentator. And he had worked with my brother Craig for a time when Craig first retired. He worked for Fox Sports in L.A.

for Fox Sports in LA. So I kind of called up Kevin and, hey, Kevin, could I come to ET and do a story on, again, what it's like for you going from sports to... He said, sure, no problem. Wow. I reached out to Bruce McNall, who obviously, like,

he's one of my favorite all-time interviews. Obviously, not only former owner of the Toronto Argos, but former owner of the LA Kings. And Howard Baldwin, who also had been former owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. And at that time, he had just produced a little movie called Ray that had come out the Ray Charles story, obviously. And so anyway, I found a bunch of stories to do, and it kind of started a segment I got into with a couple of L.A. people who would do movie junkets for sports movies. So, like, I got to interview, and there were a lot of sports movies at that time. I remember interviewing Brad Pitt and Billy Bean for Moneyball.

I interviewed George Clooney and John Krasinski for Leatherheads, the football movie. I interviewed Billy Bob Thornton for the Bad News Bears. They did a remake of that. I interviewed Burt Reynolds and Adam Sandler for the Longest Yard remake. Anyway, it was so. But those are monster names. Yeah. And here am I finding myself in, you know, these movie junkets interviewing some pretty famous people. But so, hey, it just, it filled the gap of content when hockey wasn't played.

So I was thrilled to be able to do that. So when you're in LA doing all this stuff, was there an opportunity to work south of the border? Like, I feel like you would be recruited somewhere. I had. And it's funny because from that time in 95, when I got to know Larry Christensen at ESPN, I always kept in touch with him after that

and would send him VHS tapes of what I was doing, eventually in the broadcast world here, because again, in 95, it was three years before I started working at Sportsnet. But we always kept in touch. And I remember out of the blue, getting the phone call from him saying, kiddo, we'd love you to work with us.

And it was great though, because I could do a combo. I mean, again, ESPN and ABC, when they had the rights, they didn't even start their games until halfway through the season. And even then, like, so they'd say, hey, we want you to do X number of games.

And Sportsnet was great with that because the deal that was struck is, And even then, like, so they'd say, hey, we want you to do X number of games. Right. And Sportsnet was great with that because the deal that was struck is, hey, if ESPN sends her to Philadelphia to do a Flyers game while she's there, she can stay an extra day and get a feature out of it for Sportsnet. Right. So everyone was on board. So that happens. So I did work for ABC and ESPN. I eventually also worked for Versus. Right. which was the cable. Actually, we started it was OLN. Outdoor Life Network.

Yep. And that became Versus. Renamed Versus, which then became NBC Sports Network. Right. fascinating to see what's happening with the cable rights and the U.S. rights, obviously. I think everyone's interested to see what happens now with ESPN getting the rights back this fall, as well as TNT. But anyway, so I was fortunate enough to do a lot of work south of the border, but never had to move south of the border. But would you have considered that? If I was to move anywhere in the States, I think New York would be place.

It's just a place that I've always loved, but I always loved the fact that I could come home. Like I was not one that, oh, it's way better south of the border. It's like, no, there are great opportunities. You are working with people who that was the dream was to work south of the border because either maybe because the money is bigger or maybe just because the country is bigger, 10 times bigger. But you know what I would say,

what I often found and it really was, I mean, I was thrilled and fortunate to work for those US networks. But what I often felt was, you're sitting in your hotel room in whatever US city, you've just been all excited doing some big game. And you can't find hockey highlights on your TV. You know, so the thing that I realized is when you come home,

there is something about, specifically for me working in hockey, there's something about living in the place where hockey is the number one sport. And it's wonderful that, you know, basketball has become bigger. And obviously our Blue Jays having the success that they've had too. But still, I feel Canada is hockey. And in pockets in the States, you would feel that. But I never really felt that overwhelming sense of, hey, everyone else is as excited about hockey as I am in whatever U.S. state.

So I was always happy to come home and just know this is kind of where it's all happening, you know, in Canada. Well, if you want a barometer for like, what does hockey mean to this country? You get a very good one in 2010, which we're going to put you there. Like we're going to put you in Vancouver for this and the aforementioned Sidney Crosby scoring a golden goal. So we'll put you there like we're going to put you in Vancouver for this and the aforementioned Sidney Crosby scoring a golden goal so we'll put you there but to get you there uh what was captains so it's funny so at the time so in 2010 there so there was a shift in management at Sportsnet and the new management wasn't so interested as Scott Moore was with storytelling. They weren't so interested in that.

And it's like, okay, well, that's what I do. I do features. And so didn't really see that that was going to be my future at that time there. You read the tea leaves. I read the tea leaves. And at the same time. But was this when, I'm trying to get my cable conglomerate. Yeah, we were Rogers.

So TSN, there was a moment where the company that Rogers bought Sportsnet. Yes, because the CRTC. But they already owned TSN, am I right? Yeah, and so they had both for a while and then the CRTC ruled that that's a monopoly. Yes. That, Bell, you can't own both. Both of them. And that's when Rogers bought Sportsnet.

So then it became Rogers Sportsnet. So Bell Media had both. Is it Bell Media had both? I don't even know that it was called Bell Media then at the time. But yeah, exactly. Whatever it was at the time. So they had to sell Sportsnet because you can't have TSN and Sportsnet. You have to choose one.

We've seen this in the market with CFTO and City TV. Like, okay, you got to choose one. Or CP24 and City TV. So they decided they sold Sportsnet to Rogers. Is that the change in management? Does that coincide with this? I guess around the same time.

Yeah, it would have been around the same time and Scott Moore leaving. So yeah, there was just a lot of change. But at the same time as Yeah, I would have been around the same time and Scott Moore leaving. So yeah, there was just a lot of change. And so, but at the same time as this, John Shannon was the head of the NHL network. And so he had been saying to me, Chris, come with us, come with us. You're a storyteller. They're not so interested in storytelling. You need to come with us. And I'm like, yeah, you know what? in storytelling. You need to come with us. And I'm like, yeah, you know what? Maybe this is the right time. So I went and actually I was still doing, I was still doing games for versus. And then John Shannon was like, Hey, we, we want you to do a show, um, called captains. So the idea

was a half hour show, basically devoted to each NHL team captain. And that was so cool to be able to like go around the league and do sit downs with all of the captains of the teams. So did that. And of course, at the time, John Shannon was the head of the NHL network. And I'm thinking, great. So captains will be the show this year. And then next year we'll do something else.

And, you know, sort of thought, oh, this could be cool. And at the same time, still able to live in Toronto because, again, I was never in studio there. I was just going to the different NHL cities. So then that first season was great. And then John Shannon left the NHL network. And so, again, like it's so much, it's so much has to do with any young people getting into this business. You just have to understand there are so many things that have to happen for you to be in the right place at the right time. And even when you can look and think, this is exactly where I should be and I can map out my future.

It can just all change because different people come in with different ideas and have their different favorites. And that's when you just have to move on and find something else. Yeah, that is lousy, though, that something that you have no control over could have such an effect on your career. But that's life, isn't it? I suppose that's true. Because what are your options? You could build your own sports net or build your own. Yeah. But you're right. That's rather difficult. So you pivot and you find out what's going to be next. So your champion, I suppose we'll call him,

your champion there at the NHL Network leaves. And then I know you did some work just to get you to the 2010 Olympics here, but you did some work with Bill Waters on 640. Oh, yeah. I think I was still at Sportsnet when I was doing that. Just hits into that. You're like the hockey insider. Right.

I think that was when Bill Waters was going after a Bobcat show. I think he was trying to take down primetime sports. I guess I won't spoil it for you, but, uh, Bill did not win that battle, even though Bill was armed with the great Christine Simpson. Oh, there you go. Okay. 2010 Olympics. Yes. Uh, that's amazing. You were a part of that. Like every time I talked to anyone who was a part of that from Stephen Brunt, you name it. It's like, because that was the first time the conglomerate, right? It was CTV and Sportsnet sort of did it all together. No, my role there was the coolest job at the Olympics. I was at Molson Canadian Hockey House. And that was, you know, a big pavilion set up.

Jordan Bitov actually was sort of my in to that. He and David Kynes, who used to be with Much Music. He's been on the program. There you go. So I worked with David and Jordan and basically we were the place where you know music acts would come to perform where athletes would come after they'd won their medal like it was the place to be so much so, it was almost the toughest ticket at the Olympics, which is crazy to say, given it's an Olympics. Like three weeks ago, sitting in the seat you're sitting in now,

was a gentleman named, his name is Mike Bogusky. Okay. He's the keyboardist for Blue Rodeo. Okay. So he's telling this story. I believe Blue Rodeo was at the aforementioned Molson Canadian Hockey House. But they were there for the golden goal so they were going to play after that hockey game

USA versus Canada and I guess Jim Cuddy and the guys they realized that hey if Canada loses this game in overtime they still got to play yeah that could be not so good but apparently the way that Mike tells the story is Crosby scores the goal and Cuddy kind of just tears right into it right away

and it became that magical moment. But it sounds like, yeah, that was definitely the place to be. It was the place to be. And after that, I was actually lucky enough. So my role there, I was basically doing one-on-ones, like Q&As with alumni and any current plays we could get too. But, I mean, I was at center stage with Wayne Gretzky with Mark Messier

with Brett Hall, with Jeremy Roenick I mean it would just be these one on one conversations And those first two guys know you as Craig's sister Exactly, I've known them for oh a few decades so those are the most fun and easy ones to do so by day I would sort of do that but by night

it would be the musical acts and any athletes that would come and it was so fun. So the Golden Goal, I was lucky enough to be in the arena in a private suite watching that and then, because then all of Team Canada came to celebrate at Molson Canadian Hockey House. So it was quite a party that night. Honestly, it's like you scripted it. I'm just saying, if you could script the 20,

almost perfectly scripted because the ladies win gold. Yeah, which was amazing. Which was amazing. And then, you know, just the Iggy. Exactly. I'm here, I'm here. Give it to me. Holy smokes. Yeah, that was just the jubilation.

And it's funny because, you know, you felt it in Vancouver because then I walked from the arena back to Molson Canadian Hockey House. And just the streets were just celebrating. And then you could start to see, like only after that, you're seeing, you know, the stations showing you all across canada and how everyone across canada was celebrating in a way that we certainly hadn't seen for a long time we're still celebrating i think what is it 11 years later it was so fun wow shout out to steven bryant who i think had to put together that final essay thing before the golden goal like i feel like that was packaged up before the golden goal so it couldn't get in there right no but uh still amazing it was all amazing everything but i didn't love that like i got tired of the song i'm just i know a shout out to alan fru yeah alan fru who's a good friend yeah yeah who i'm

trying to get on this program oh we did talk on the phone and was gonna happen and then the pandemic and all this stuff it'll happen but right yeah he's good people uh i saw him actually i saw him that i mentioned sam smith park earlier uh and i saw him, actually, I saw him, I mentioned Sam Smith Park earlier, and I saw him, it wasn't Glass Tiger, it was just Alan Froop, but he played all the Glass Tiger hits. Stuff, yeah. It's like you're seeing Glass Tiger.

Oh, I know. But I saw him, I don't know what that was, maybe seven summers ago now, six summers ago, but amazing, amazing. Yeah, and they're getting back on the road. I follow him and see that, isn't it great, that bands are starting to book gigs again. Very exciting.

Very exciting. Very exciting. Very exciting. Okay, so I want to get you back to Sportsnet here. So maybe quick note that I guess you did some MSG+. Oh, yeah, that's right. I worked for MSG. I'm here to remind you about your impressive career here, Christine. I was going to say, thank you for walking me through.

What did I do next? This is your life, Christine Simpson. It seems like it, yeah. So that's the Devils broadcast. Yeah, Devils broadcast. And again, just lived in Toronto and flew to wherever the games were. That's the way to go. That's Shulman's move.

He doesn't move. Exactly. You don't have to. You don't have to. You have an airport. Worked for Lou. I mean, worked for MSG, but Lou Lamorello at the helm. GM of the year, Lou Lamorello.

Is that who that is? Holy smokes. No kidding. So yeah, did that for a year. And then things, as we say, things change all the time. Well, management changed at Sportsnet

and got a call saying, and actually from a dear friend who had been there before, Scott Woodgate, he kind of came, Scott Moore came back, Scott Woodgate, and I just remember the call from Scott Woodgate saying, Simmer, because of course,

everyone needs a nickname if you work in hockey. And so, Simmer. That's my real original nickname that all the boys I work with gave me many, many years ago.

And he just said, look, we are putting a focus again on storytelling and we love how you tell stories and would love to have you come back. So, came back in what september 2011 okay so okay that's before the nhl deal is announced am i right yeah yeah

that's right and yeah so i'm back at sportsnet and thinking hey this is this is great to be back well and then things just got a whole lot greater i will never forget that day because obviously there were a lot of people within Sportsnet who knew that this was coming. Sure. None of us on air were those people and it was such a shock. We just couldn't believe our ears. It was

wild. Oh yeah, I know. That's a big I mean, David Schultz has been over multiple times just to discuss this deal. Oh, I'll bet. Absolutely. What a deal. And James Duthie came over and I asked him, I had, why you had Bob McCowan and Darren Drager over? Because there was a rumor, I think there was kind of a rumor

just out there that Sportsnet was pursuing those three guys. I heard the same rumor. So McKenzie looks me in the eyes and says no one ever approached him. Really? Never. And Drager, nobody approached him. But Duthie, that's a strombo job. That was Duthie. So? Never. And Draeger, nobody approached him. But Duffy, that's a Strombo job. That was Duffy.

So Duffy was offered the, I guess, well, there's a Bettman-McClain issue, I guess, at play here. And there's going to be a new host replacing Ron McClain. This is a movie. It really is. Honestly. Or a book, as David Schultz can tell you. Sort of like Game of Thrones, I feel, like this whole thing here. Survival of the fittest.

But Duffy basically is a loyal guy. He was comfortable with his TSN crew. And I think also TSN took care of those guys. I was going to say, I think he wins in the end too. I mean, he can do it all. Mackenzie and Dregger win because they got the same loyalty package without getting the offer. Without even getting a call. Yeah, they weren't even called by Scott Moore or whatever.

Scott Moore, oh, and Scott Moore's been over a couple times too, so he confirmed this Duffy story. Oh, there you go, okay. But Duffy was, they wanted Duffy to be the new host of Hockey Den Canada on Sportsnet. Well, instead we got Sean McKenzie instead of Bob though, so I think we did pretty well too. If I see another photo of Sean McKenzie without his shirt off on his, okay, I'm so, I know, we realize because he's been over too.

Yeah. Sean, I like the guy. Yeah, he's good. we know you're working out I'm just just to make guys like me feel bad like I if I if I worked out like that I bet you I could do this show without my shirt on too I would probably you know in this pandemic there are some that do the COVID-19 meaning you know gaining 19 pounds and there are some like Sean McKenzie or CJ, Chris Johnson, who starts becoming Forrest Gump running every day. Yeah, I saw he does a marathon. Yeah, CJ. Amazing.

As we call him, CJ. I always think the best thing he did. I think he looks really good in a beard. Yeah. Because when he came over, he didn't have the beard yet. It was pre-beard. But that beard, like he just looks cooler with the beard. He absolutely does.

He rocks that beard. Yes, indeedy. Okay. So, so many things to cover now. So you're back at Rogers Sportsnet. You get the NHL deal. You're still in the midst of that thing for better or worse. Maybe when teams like the Montreal Canadiens make the final, it's a much better thing. But okay. So I have a few, few questions here. I'm used to seeing you as like, I guess, I feel like this playoffs, correct me if I'm wrong, but this playoffs, it was a lot of Kyle Bukoc, Koskis. Yes. Yeah. Who I got in trouble when I had him on. I talked too much about his hair. Like I literally got like, why are you talking

so much about his hair? But meanwhile, I'm thinking like, have you never heard Toronto Mike before? Like I wanted to talk about that hair. Yes. That's pretty much the reason for having you on. Right. Okay, gotcha. So if, you know, these newcomers who float in to hear Kyle talk, like what's with all the hair talk? Although Kyle didn't mind at all. But where were you? So I was closer to home.

I loved that. I'll give credit where credit's due. So Sportsnet at the beginning of this. So let me go back to return to play last summer right with the in the bubble so i was able to do games at scotia bank arena uh you know obviously without having to travel um and also being very safe because as a rinkside reporter we were actually three levels above rinkside i mean we were nowhere close to the rink we were nowhere near the players it was about the safest environment that you could have. And so return to play, I did games. When things started up again, though, in January, Sportsnet basically said to everybody, we are not going to make anybody do anything that they're not comfortable with. So if you are not comfortable yet in traveling anywhere, put up your hand and let us

know. And that's totally fine. We will not hold it against you. So I put my hand up and said, I am not comfortable traveling because A, I really wasn't comfortable, but B, I'm also a caregiver for my mother who I mentioned has dementia, lives in a long-term care home in London. Right. So I was going to see her once we were allowed as caregivers every week and just was not going to put myself in a position to risk anything. So we're talking about pivoting. So, okay, if I'm not going to be doing ringside, if I'm not going to be hosting games, what am I going to do? And again, features being the things that I going to do and again features being the the

things that I love to do the most anyway but also knowing you're not going to be in the same room with a hockey player it's all zooms but one of well two of my producers sort of came up with this idea which I was so thrilled that they did Jeremy McElhaney and Michael Attic and said there's this screening room at CBC on our floor. It's this little private little theater. And they said, you know, what if we did Zooms in there? So like, you know, kind of the Siskel and Ebert, for those who remember that, you know, sitting in the theater. I love Siskel and Ebert.

I know, right? That takes you back. I miss those guys. So we thought, okay, it'll still be Zooms, but at least from a production value standpoint, we can make it a little bit more. So we did that, and that ended up being my gig for this season. And I felt very safe, obviously, only ever went down to the CBC to do it from there. And it still gave us the opportunity to talk to people wherever and whenever we could. Well, I commend you for this decision because you put family first.

Yeah. And who, and like, I also commend your employers who made you feel comfortable without like some kind of like, well, if you don't want to work, you know, it was more of like, just let us know.

I will say that. And, you know, I don't always wave the company flag, but I will tell you, they have treated us so well. I mean, you know, a lot of companies say, oh, your health and safety is our priority.

Right. And I'm not sure that a lot of companies really mean that. But in this case, absolutely. I felt comfortable in saying that, A, because I knew I needed to, but B, because I knew from them that it would not be held against me. And it was the right decision. So if all goes according to plan here and there's no freaky variants that don't like our vaccinations,

we don't have that crystal ball. But if all goes according to plan, next season you'd be back ringside? It's a good question. It's a good question. I mean, and none of us have had that discussion yet because it's partly what the NHL's protocol will be. I mean, we know there's not going to be

a Canadian division anymore, right? And so that's the only thing that made it possible for us to have, you know, people like Kyle in an arena because you could travel from Canadian city to Canadian city. It's not going to be that way anymore. So travel to the States, travel up here. So whatever the NHL protocol is going to be. So whatever the NHL protocol is going to be. But in addition to that, what is our Rogers and Sportsnet protocol going to be? To even know what it's going to look like to decide what makes sense. So, yeah, you need to understand what it will be before you can commit to something like that.

Because there's another familiar face or voice more so than face even that was missing from this season, Jim Hewson. So Jim must have also put up his hand, I'm guessing. Yeah, and actually I didn't really speak to him this year, but I think there were a few people for whatever reasons. Probably very similar to mine is that, you know what? This just is not worth the risk that you have to take. Let's hope this is like a once in a hundred year thing. Let's hope. I'm with you there.

We have to deal with here. Okay. So many things going on at Sportsnet. So you weren't on the, obviously you weren't rink side, but you were doing your features. Doing some features. Yeah.

Hopefully your things, well, we'll see. You can't commit because we don't know what the heck it's going to be. And you haven't heard yet from Rogers on, when does the season start? Like October? That's an October thing. Yeah, I feel what the heck it's going to be. And you haven't heard yet from Rogers on, uh, when does the season start? Like October? That's an October.

I feel like the schedule is coming out this week. I think the NHL schedule. It's going to come fast. Just, I mean, here we are. We're raw. I can't believe we're almost July 20.

Yeah, I know. Like most of the summer's done. Didn't it just start? Like it's just, it just did officially just start. And we're excited though, too.

We've got a brand new studio that's being built. Oh, yeah, because you were in CBC's place. So the hockey department moved down to the CBC when we got the NHL rights, the national rights, built that beautiful studio there. So that's been my home for the last seven years when I am in studio or in an office. in studio or in an office. And now we're all going to be back at the Rogers Complex with, again, a brand new high tech with all the bells and whistles studio. So that's exciting too.

Which Rogers though? Is this the like the Jarvis and Bloor one? Yeah. Okay. Yes. Yes. That whole campus there. Yeah.

So very excited. We've seen sort of the artistic renderings of what it's going to be, but I can't wait to walk in there for the first time. Well, I can't wait to see it. But I will say when I first saw the, I guess it was 2012, the new, I just remember it was like part like Superman 2 maybe with the crystals. Oh, yeah.

The puck wall. Oh, I know. And I think I remember Elliot would stick a puck in something. That's right. And it was like. And stats would come Oh, I know. And I think I remember Elliot would stick a puck in something. That's right. And it was like, I was like. And stats would come up. I know. It didn't, I don't know how long it lasted, but I don't know.

Just, you know, kudos for trying stuff, right? And that to me these days, especially is what it's all about. Just trying new things, seeing what sticks and then, you know, moving on if it doesn't and trying something else if, you know. Well, so much as a person, I won't hit you with anything too hard here at all, because I know you're happily employed there and you've just praised your employers. And I have also commended your employers and I respect your employers. It is legit. It really is legit.

In this case, I will absolutely go to bat for them because I sadly hear stories from other people working at other companies where I really don't feel that they have the health and safety of their employees, number one. It's funny how so many of the on-screen personnel decisions become such major news in this country. That's how much we like hockey. As I said, right? In Canada, as if these things would be blips in the radar south of the border. But you're right. The, for example, Cherrygate was huge news, of course.

And then even things like, should Ron McLean be asking Gary Bettman about the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault allegations, etc. And then Ron saying he chose not to ask the questions and should he have. And is that because Ron knows what happens when you piss off Bettman because that's why they were trying to bring Duthie in and I know you'll tread lightly here or anything but I'll just say as a consumer of the media it feels like there's always drama behind the scenes as well as on the screens. Well and that's what makes it interesting. That's what makes people tune

in because you just never know what may or may not get discussed. And again, not that he needs me to defend him because he's had that job. Well, he's had that job for a very long time, except for a brief period where he didn't have the job and then he came back.

But Ron McLean came over once. He did an episode. He used to be in the basement before the pandemic. And he got, I guess i had a work thing this is before this is what i was doing full-time and he was uh you know he got there i was on a zoom call with germany about web development and it was kind of important with this german and he sat in the couch and kind of listened and he quite a long time ron mclean just listening to my chat with

the germans about web development then he had all these questions afterwards like he just seemed like such a good dude you know what i mean like he didn't make me feel bad for me i'm the do you know who i am i'm the great ron mclean and you're making me sit here that guy and very thoughtful discussion and i could tell he took the questions very seriously and i know ethics ethics is important to him and i actually kind of i wish ron was here and i would ask him like uh any regrets about not asking that question because i feel like he would he would think within his heart and soul and he would answer it

like he wouldn't give me some BS line. Like I feel like he would answer it. And I just want to say I had a great experience with Ron McLean. Yeah, well, and I will say this much too because I feel for us as a network too, we've come a long way when it comes to equity

and women's rights in particular. And Ron has been a big champion of that. And ironically, the last game I worked rinkside before the NHL shut down in March of 2020 was March 8th in Calgary, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Calgary Flames. It was International Women's Day and it was our first ever all-female broadcast of an NHL game. And the fact that we were even able to do that when a couple of years even before that, it would have been such a non-starter.

And, you know, we went from the year before that and Tara Sloan, I must shout out to Tara Sloan, my colleague, my soul sister. Speaking of sports people who have a music background. Yes. Joy Drop. There you go.

She, I mean, I knew her from Joy Drop before I ever got to meet her from, uh, hometown hockey. And we have become fantastic friends, but you know, we were the ones sort of wanting to push to do more on international women's day.

And it kind of, and obviously hometown hockey,ockey they do I'm just so proud of what both she and Ron have created there with with Alison Redmond who's their executive producer and the guests that they have and the themes that they talk about is great so just pushing for more of that on Hockey Night in Canada and it went from the year before having an all-female panel as part of the pregame show on International Women's Day that, you know, Ron very much supported to the next year to have, you know, Cassie Campbell-Pascal, Leah Hextall, and myself,

let alone a production crew of women behind the scenes to make that happen. So Ron, you know, his voice carries a lot of weight, as you can well imagine, not just generally in our industry, but certainly within our company. And he is always a supporter. And so I thank him very much for that. And I do think it's become clear. I watch a lot of hockey and that means I watch a lot of sports.

Yeah, I guess. That's how it works. It kind of is. Yeah. We've got you. You've got me. You've got me. You've got me where you want me. But, you know, diversity, you mentioned diversity,

and not just women, but just, and I mean, I've had episodes of Toronto Mic'd with Scott Moore and Shorali Najak. Shorali is the best. And we, like, over, just to discuss, you know, diversity in sports, and I've had these chats of people like David Amber, et cetera. But it is definitely improving. It is.

And heading in the right direction. It is. And I think it just starts with it being like the spotlight being put on it. And I'll say for me as a woman in the industry, the Me Too movement was where, you know, the discussions at least started. And so you didn't feel like you couldn't bring something up. Right. That probably in the past, you felt like you couldn't, because maybe you are the only woman in the room,

which quite often I have been the only woman in the room. But now it's just broad. I mean, and we've seen it time and time again, you know, with last summer, the George Floyd murder and everything that happened at the HDA being created. And I just feel like a lot of dirty little secrets are now being come to light, which are ugly and painful. But if you can, if something positive can come from it it's all good and the whole point is to move forward and to yeah to be able to give everyone the opportunity I mean I never sat at home watching Hockey Night in Canada thinking oh I want to do that someday because there were no

women on Hockey Night in Canada doing what I then ended up doing decades later now there are and trust me because I get calls all the time from young women who want to do what I do ended up doing decades later. Now there are, and trust me, because I get calls all the time from young women who want to do what I do. And I just love that, you know, if myself, and obviously now so many more other women are in this industry, and it just makes people, you know, from where I sit as a woman, make them realize that is an opportunity that is open to you. Is there a woman who did what you do before you? Well, it's funny because when we were getting ready for International Women's Day

and obviously wanting to pay tribute, so Helen Hutchinson, when we're talking about, she was with CTV many, many years ago, but apparently, and Joel Darling has a book, The History of Hockey Night in Canada. She did do, like, there's a picture of her with the blue Hockey Night jacket. So she did do some

things for Hockey Night. Obviously, Brenda Irving has been with CBC for years and does everything. But yeah, I mean, specifically for me starting, like when I started in 98 at Sportsnet, I would say, not necessarily hockey in particular, but like there was Teresa Hergert, right?

At TSN, Lisa Bowes. I mean, there were some women in the sports broadcasting area, not a ton of them. And I'm just always so happy to see more and more. And do you think there's more work to be done in this regard? Like we're heading in the right direction, but do you feel there's still some work to be done when it comes to on-screen diversity? Yeah, I don't think you ever sort of sit back and say, okay, great, we fixed it. You know, I just feel, and I'm sure David Amber, Shirely Najak would say, like, there's just always more work to be done. And I think that's true of our society in general. But in our little microcosm of hockey

night in Canada and the NHL on Sportsnet, sure, I do feel that. Now, Simmer, you already off the top. I'm calling you Simmer now. I feel like now that you're an FOTM, I can call you Simmer. I'm calling you Simmer now. I feel like now that you're an FOTM, I can call you Simmer. It's all good. The funny thing is I actually loaded up, now I can tell you.

So I loaded up a song. Oh boy. Well, it's not going to mean anything now, but I'll play it anyway. Because I caught this Wikipedia entry here. So everyone knows what I'm playing here. So, everyone knows what I'm playing here, but. So, I loaded it up because this is how

detailed it is. It says, for those, because it might be gone by the time people go there. Yeah, let's hope. Because Rosie Gray Tio

is on the ball, but you made, it says you made a guest appearance on the hit TV show friends in 2002 in 2002 it actually says that yeah as a female pilot named martha mathers what oh i hadn't even seen that i clearly haven't looked at my wikipedia page but then i'm like i need to find this clip like i need to find to see the video evidence and to find Christine Wright. To see the video evidence.

And I couldn't find it anywhere. There's a reason for that. It's a figment of somebody's imagination. But that's so specific. Like they know the year and the episode. Are you 100% sure you didn't appear as Martha Mathers on Friends? Because you had a friendship with Matthew Perry. I did have a friendship.

And he didn't say, hey, Simmer. Simmer, you want to guess a spot on our show? This is wild to me that that could just live there. So I've never seen that. I did see some, and she was on Friends,

an episode of Friends. I've never seen something like that. But do you have a doppelganger maybe? Maybe I do. Maybe I do. Wow. Wow. But you know what?

For young aspiring journalists, lesson to you. You can't always trust Wikipedia when you're doing your research. Right. And I think all of us do. But yeah. You've got to corroborate. Double and triple check. And that's what this is right now.

This moment was me confirming with the Christine Simpson about her performance on Friends, which does not exist. Did not exist. You've never had discussions with the people behind Friends her performance on Friends, which does not exist. You've never had discussions with the people behind Friends? I have not. Well, you know, Jen Aniston and I often chat about it, but no, that is just a total joke. That is so randomly specific and untrue.

Martha Mathers. And then I hear Martha Mathers, it sounds almost like... Like Marshall. Marshall Mathers. Do I know Emin Martha Mathers. It sounds almost like. Like Marshall. Marshall Mathers. Right. Do I know Eminem now too? Wow. Okay.

Okay. That's wild. That is so bizarre. The button's got to work. You know, this thing got really wet on Thursday. Oh dear. Thursday night. It got soaked.

With the downpour. That's why we had to. It was. This audio was captured, of course, on the pandemic Friday with Stu Stone and Cam Gordon. But just it was pouring

and it was drenching all my gear. Yikes. I just saw it's like $6,000 worth of stuff dying. Anyway, it all survived, but that button was sticking there.

But Christine Simpson, your Toronto Mike debut was great fun. Is there anything I didn't ask you about that you wanted to talk about um I feel like we've kind of covered my life let me know when Sportsnet uh tells you the rules of the road going for the next season and where we'll find you and everything I would love to share that I I'll tell you, you were missed. I co-host a sports podcast with Mark Hebbshire called Hebbsy on Sports. And he's very critical about sports media because he was at, you know.

Hebbsy was with us. Yeah. Jody Vance took his job, I believe. I believe that. Scott Moore has a story he's saving for the book about firing Hebbsy. So I'm looking forward to reading that when it comes out. I'm looking forward to reading that book too. You know, he works with Drake now. I guess you know this. I'm talking, not Hepsi.

No, yes, I am well aware. Yep, good old Uninterrupted. So, has he ever tapped you on the shoulder and says he want to work with Drake? Has that happened yet? It's funny, I was at the launch that they did for Uninterrupted and LeBron and Maverick. It was pretty cool. That was pretty cool.

Well, Simmer, you're really cool. I hope you had a good time. I had a great time. Thank you so much for, after 886 people before me, you finally gave me the nod. Well, there were some repeats in there, so we'll call it 700 even. Okay.

No, it was fun. Thanks so much. And that brings us to the end of our 887th show. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Christine, how can we follow you on Twitter? Oh, I'm at SN Chris Simpson. SN Chris Simpson.

You can guess what SN stands for. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery. They're at Great Lakes Beer. McKay CEO Forums. They're at McKay CEO Forums. Palma Pasta. They're at Palma Pasta. Sticker U is at Sticker U.

Ridley Funeral Home. They're at Ridley FH. And Mimico Mike's not on Twitter. He's on Instagram at Majeski Group Homes. See you all next week. This podcast has been produced by TMDS and accelerated by Roam Phone. Roam Phone brings you the most reliable virtual phone service

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