That tonight's going on, and that's a nice good. Good night. Hello. Everybody, welcome to Episode two hundred ninety two of Spin Check that's presented by Pink Whitney from our friends at New Amsterdam Vodka here on the Bar Stools Bullets podcast family. We have two weeks down here in Boston. We're on to the semi's. We had three game sevens in two days. Absolute mayhem, a little quiet weekend in the house here. The boys are gallivant around town a little bit.

Let's say hi to the boys first, boys. What's going on, buddy? How's things?

Things are great. I got to ask you guys a question off the top here.

So I was watching a Tour de France highlights and I told him I told my girlfriend. I said, I think if I had eighteen months to train and that's all I did. And I had the top trainers, maybe even a little blood doping, considering everyone in Tour de France is doing it, I could complete the Tour de France if I got eighteen months to train. It didn't matter. Didn't matter on time. But just the fact that to complete it, because there's a lot of climbing, you got to go back to back days.

I think you only get two days of rest in the hole. Twenty one days and you're in, you're basically riding your bike for about six hours a day. What do you think I could accomplish that. I'm confused, though. You're saying there's no timeline, but you have to complete it. When do you have to do it by or do you just have all the time in the world?

Basically, I would have to be in the race, but I mean, if they're completing one of their days and six hours, yeah, I might stroll in at about nine hours. But the day, you know, I have to get up the next day and do it all over again 18 months from now, I got 18 months to train with top trainers and I got the Top Gear.

You could do that in nine months. Are you kidding me? You're an absolute beast in the gym. If you started training, stop boozing, went all in like Olympic training. All they're doing is riding a bike. Buddy, are you shitting me? You played in the NHL and you were like a fucking baby. Any time there was a anaerobic. Is that the word exercise? You crushed it.

Then you take bike. Riding a bike would be more aerobic, but whatever the term is, you know what I'm saying?

Like, when you got to go a long ways, I've seen you do that in the gym. So what the hell couldn't ever stop you from doing bike riding at a high level? She said no way.

She said no way, given the back to back to back and the altitude would fuck with me. But I think if I got the top training, I could do it.

So I think I think I had the right shoes and top training. I had nine months. I could just crush the Tour de France. I used to do 20 mile bike rides as punishment. It be, you know, 20 miles.

Because I think you say the guy who played softball and thinks he can fucking go yard on Nolan Ryan if he gets enough swings and so chalk it up.

So chalk it up. I could outrun a bear and I could also complete the Tour de France. So. All right. Maybe only. All right.

You're comparing hitting a baseball that's going one hundred miles an hour to just riding your bike. I'm comparing a guy on his couch who takes all I could fucking be an athlete. I'm not Kambiz. He's obviously an avid athlete. But I think to say eighteen months of training for some people work their whole lives on, I don't know, I, I question it.

I love this, but I don't know if, you know, that's I mean she said no and she's a smart woman and what's an idiot. So yeah, I'd still be willing to try it. So for all you cyclists out there, let me know. I'm sure you'll be like you're a fucking moron.

You couldn't even last three days forgot how to ride a bike. And I got bad knees too.

So you got to factor that in. And of course, that's the wet dog. How's it going with you? Have a nice weekend. Golf on TV all weekend I noticed.

Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of a trash event. You know, Dustin Johnson starts like minus ten and then it's like handicap. So everyone's already had a certain score.

I understand why they do it. So I haven't really watched any of that. I've watched the hockey and I was away on Nantucket Island, which was just, what, a couple of days and two nights? Three nights, actually. And we just had a time. So I'm a little hurt. And right now, you know, it's Sunday night like the booze blues, but I'm ready to go. I'm excited. And I just got really, really excited thinking to you.

And then, like, a little bike riding outfit in France is running around making content. Yeah.

Next up. Well, speaking of hockey, like I said, we had three game sevens in two days. Absolutely incredible. Three teams clawed back from three to one deficits. The first come first. We're going to go to Dallas Beats Colorado, five, four all the time. This is one of the best games we've seen back and forth. Colorado takes a late lead. Cops it right back up. What's the name while we say Joel here? But Joel Kivi right there.

He was in for Andrew Cogliano, who I believe was hurt, not a healthy scratch. He was hurt, gets a hattrick, including the game winning goal, gets open. And all the time I thought that was a horrible breakdown. I'm not sure who got the horrible breakdown, but we're going to go to you on this one first, buddy.

Really sad to see it go down like that, because you talk about that's a training camp breakdown that's just like three or four guys, even just totally out to lunch. We don't have to go to that right away. Just the overall game. I mean, you couldn't ask for any better of a Game seven. It was back and forth. It was it was you know, what was crazy is that Dallas came on hard and Radula gets that first goal.

Radula is a what did you call this farm animal? The farm animal?

He is he is one of those like hairy pigs. Some of them have the horns of the tusks and they're just going, you, like, stay away from them.

You know, the ones I'm talking about. Oh, yeah. Are a poor howling or Borbor.

That's a good cause. Had shouted boars had Delli plus one for Grenelle plus one for the record.

But he's a boar and so he went to the Nattie. Bankstown really goes nuts and you're like, oh here comes Dallas' now. Domestic of this, I mean, how how proud were you, he was the first you get the first one and that's already enough you on sports that saying he's a huge trade deadline acquisition. He's got a Game seven going round, then he gets that second one, which you thought might be what?

I blew my load and then I cleaned up in Texas, Grinnell. I said, pull the clip. I said, pull the clip. I'm going to make it look like an idiot. And then fucking before you know it, after I write what I had to send you right back. Dallas Holy shit. So, all right, in that game, it's just shocking when you see a team. Like Colorado has that three to lead, you know.

What happens, Roger, Love ties it up, and then you're already dealing with this guy who's so good and he's shaken, hasn't scored, Siggins got one goal.

Now they're getting Geryon up and they're getting all these different guys hopping in. But radula, there's their thought, man, this guy's a game breaker and he ties it up again to get the lead domestically.

If he makes it, it's like, all right, we have another we have another lead in this game. And wouldn't you know, like there's Sean McKinnon who played awesome. But the scoring streak did come to an end in that game. But they're showing him in like you're just they can get it done for him. That's the one night he didn't he didn't dominate. The one night he didn't he wasn't able to just take over, get it done for him.

And Dallas comes back and this Quaranta, I'm sorry if I'm mispronouncing it. I love my Finnish friends. Is that correct? All right. Yeah, I think it's good enough. Have around. That'll play. All right. So he's in the game.

He's already got one. He's in the game for Cogliano, who's just been a force in the league playing wise since he since he came in. He never misses games. He gets suspended that time. Everyone was upset for him, but he's unfit to play. So this kid goes in. I think he had eleven games played this year for Dallas. Yeah. It's this tying goal with three and a half minutes of whatever it was.

You're like, holy fuck, this kid comes to the game, makes this much of a difference and talk about being ready as a player. This is somebody who's just been a black ace for the most part. Actually, I shouldn't say that.

He's obviously practicing play two games so far, but still. But but you know what I mean? Like, you're you're just basically there and you're practicing and, you know, it's probably not going to be your name getting called, but he stayed ready. There's no chance he didn't. He must have been competing his ass off in practice, all doing all the extra work. And he gets to go in and then the OT winner to cap off hattrick in game seven to go to the conference finals.

Dallas, his first trip since 2008 when Detroit just Detroit destroyed them. Excuse my my cat got my tongue today, Junior.

That was the year Detroit destroyed them and then went on to Dommy us Ryan Whitney in the Penguins. Let's talk about Rasoulof. What a what a beast. That series, five goals, three assists and just very timely, rising to the occasion in game seven. You know, Ben and Segan haven't been played up to their level yet, but we talk about that secondary scoring for Dallas and all these guys coming out of nowhere. I thought the storyline coming in this one after seeing Colorado against the Coyotes was going to be their second hand scoring.

And already you have the number as far as production on Colorado side in the bottom six sisters, it was fairly nonexistent. Correct?

The top two lines. Forty nine points. The rest only eight. I mean, that's what's that? 80 percent of the scoring is coming from the top two lines.

And I wonder what the averages, though. Yeah, I'm just curious. I don't know. Maybe the islanders would be best in terms of depth scoring wise, but 80 percent way too much. I'll give you that. Yes.

But just even like lack of sustained pressure and just, you know, not much dominance from the bottom six. Let's go to the injuries now. I thought this was a pretty even series. I think if Colorado is healthy or even remotely healthy, they had the injury bug during the whole season and then they end up getting it again. They lose their starting goaltender to me on the back end. Losing Johnson was then all of a sudden you're relying on I thought Graves' played well.

I thought he definitely elevated his game. But the guy that really stood out to me, other than Cal MCCA was Gerrard, this guy in on his edges, his his mobility, the way he's able to move the puck. And he's just the perfect complement and obviously a big reason why they probably moved Tyson Berry. Right. They felt confident enough in this guy where he could step in in that role. He end up playing I believe it was twenty seven or twenty nine minutes in that last game like this, this kid's going to be a beast.

But ultimately, I think the injuries was the straw that broke the camel's back credit to Dallas and how they're able to find these guys that are nowhere who can contribute. I mean, you know, the list goes on and on, but just. Yeah, tough, tough night for Hutchison in game in game seven. I thought he played awesome in relief of Franciosa, and pretty much they had to go go to him at that point. But Bednarik Bednar just played the shit out of his big guys in that last game.

I thought they put up a good fight. They I think they post at forty four shots in that game and it was just yeah. It was just probably a little bit too much for, for those big boys to carry the load between Kadry Rotenone and and Mack. I mean Lanta Skog didn't play game seven either. So there's there's they're missing a piece of their three headed monster right there. So it's it sucks. Well earned by Dallas. I'm very interested to see how they're going to match up against Vegas.

But I wouldn't I wouldn't say the better team won. I'd say that Dallas took advantage of some big injuries in the Colorado lineup.

No offense and go ahead, but offense. Good. No, no, I was just going to mention, when we talk about what happened on that game winning goal in overtime, it's if you go and watch and you can watch the replay at NHL dotcom, like it's just you all, you cannot have more than one guy looking at the pocket. Right. And if you look at the video, Sekara, or I would say his name wrong, Saqqara, I don't know.

No Sekara. OK, OK, great unhealthy partner. My old partner in on software in Owen Sound. I play with them. They're all good. He would take two minute shifts. You come back to the bench, you would even be breathing heavy. He's fine.

So well he goes down the wall and he makes a great play. He's able to get behind the net and he stops behind.

And if you look, there's four avalanche players staring at him and Zadora just kind of standing in the crease and and Kadry standing there covering Camerata.

And all of a sudden Zadora who doesn't don't don't ever chase the guy behind the net as a defenseman.

He can't score from back there. Well, unless he's fucking switch Niccolò, then he can put it on his twig and just shove it in the top of the roof shelf.

But most people, most people leave him behind there and he goes out of for no reason at all.

Will Kadry loses his man and Jarrad's kind of a no man's land as well. And it is just the biggest. Like it's not a Tapan, but everyone's staring behind them. All he has to do is lift the puck and it's in. And so you just hate to see a breakdown and you see right away discussion. Jesus Christ with minus minus minus one non retaken.

He slams is sticky, so disgusted and how pathetic the coverage was on that goal. So a shitty ending for for a great series and an awesome comeback.

That's a prime example though, when you're playing against, you know, great competition. The minute you have a. Second break down, that is going to shove it right up your hoop and great job by him to find that weak area sprinting out like that, similar to my goal against the San Jose Sharks. How are your knee drops exactly?

Actually, he didn't go down on one knee either, did he?

You know, I know, but I was referring to mine. But all in all, Ray, what was your what was your breakdown of that series?

I was heartbroken. The Mac I mean, obviously, you know, we we met him last year. We hung out to be such a great deal. So, you know, we got attached to some of these guys and I was rooting the hell out of him. I mean, we have twenty five points in fifteen games just to horse every night. When they cut him out to that goal, he was just crestfallen. And it was like, fuck, man, I just want to see him keep on playing.

I thought it was a tough go to lose on it. I mean, credit to Camerata for just finding that spot. Like, you just it was very stealthy move. Everyone was napping on the around. He found that weak spot. I felt awful for Hutchinson because he played the first two fucking playoff games. He started with both elimination games. He went to an all of them almost went three. And I thought he was he was pretty damn good in the fucking position he was put in.

But again, the injuries, man, and not taking away anything. Dallas, I love watching Rudolph until he's a Batla. He'll give up a shit goal too early and then he'll make fifteen fucking fantastic saves in the third period. But no Lindskog, no group Iowa. I mean, who's bonafied number one. Francione couldn't get it done. No defensively. No Johnson. I just Colorado. I think they're probably like, fuck, if we had a full arsenal we would have won this game in six.

But bottom line, Dallas one, they deserved it. They are moving on. And one more note on that. The first rookie with the hat trick in a game seven in NHL history.

So I got another fun fact, too. Who was the last player to score hattrick in a Game seven with? And you caught me on an off night coming off Nantucket, it wasn't message was that I got wet on his heels right now just work at I'm on the forecheck.

What do you mean asking me if I can trivia questions that 90 percent of the people don't know you hasn't. What do you think I'm on my heels for? Ninety nine, Wayne Gretzky was like, oh, well, have you heard of them? Well, Largs, I don't know what the fucking date is. Look it up yourself and Demko want to be part.

Don't even know the date of the stat the last time. So that's the whole point of the stat, you dummy. What want to feel now right on his heels now? I can't picture it, all right. But, you know, you have to bring that. Why are you always bitching when we're up three to nothing? Fuck, I don't know what the fucking data. Let me look it up. Keep in mind, he had one in ninety three against Toronto.

That's probably what it was, messy. I had one the year after against Jersey.

Yeah, yeah. When he guaranteed victory back, couldn't guarantee victories, actually meant something. Now it happens fucking every other week, it seems like. Very true. Very true.

Very true. Victory Darney drama.

Johnny Drama. Also the other game seven in Vegas, a shot of Vancouver, three, nothing. This game was as lopsided as it again could be that should Demko absolutely incredible. This game swung this season. The series swung on what I thought was an awful call. They called M.F. a Hook and it was a routine defensive play that you see one hundred times in a game that may or may not get called. It didn't affect a scoring chance. If I had to watch the fucking gif four times to see what the penalty was and you give them the best team in the league, arguably a power play with six minutes left in a game seven.

I just thought there was no need for that call. Now, I've been trying not to bitch about the refs. I think they're in a tough spot like a lot of other people. I think they've been calling it more regular season style than playoffs. I don't think they're as bad as people are saying. But that call in that spot is I don't know how you make that to fucking basically hand the game to Vegas.

Oh, that that was tough to that point in Vancouver. I had plenty of chances on the power play up to that point, at least get a one. Nothing lead on Vegas. But it was the Vegas show. But I agree with you. I think the ref who called it was behind him. And from that angle, the STICKLE did go up towards the hands, but it did get his stick. So stick on stick contact. Yes. Of a very, very soft call that eventually led to the game winner.

Let's talk about that time out by D'abord de Boer, of course, with the goaltending situation and just the fact that Galore was love there, I don't want to say he's been under fire. He's done an unbelievable job. But you know that if they don't win that game, he is going to be scrutinized till the end. So they pepper Vancouver with shots. And we haven't even talked about Game six and DeMarcus performance yet. But DeMarcus just standing on his head, standing on his head when the fucks are coming, oh, my God, they're going to win this game.

Being out shot fifty to ten. And the worst team is going to move on because Vegas is far above the better team in that series. Well, he calls the timeout he gets his players rested who run on the ice for that. Six on five for about forty five seconds of minutes. And sure enough they were a face off. Theodore walks that line in this kid, man.

Oh. And that's going to be haunting Anaheim's dreams. The ducks let that guy go in the expansion draft and he fuckin zips that thing as he's walking cross body and credit Demko. He read it perfectly. He went to that side and he had to stick there. And it just ends up hitting his butt and going right in the top corner. And that to that to me, as soon as they get that, that's the series. I knew they weren't going to give it up after that.

We got to go back to the we talked about the powerplays for Vancouver and some opportunity to at least take the one nothing lead in that game. They looked like shit. They looked like the coyotes playing against the Colorado Avalanche. They didn't get any type of offense even on that five minute major, which we'll talk about that in a second. I don't think they got a shot on that. And even it was at the end of the second period, it was three and a half minutes and the period ended and you get another minute, a half on fresh ice.

You can go in the locker room, you could regroup, they come out, lay another fucking egg. And they even had a two minute power play after that to even try to get a chance to put one in. And we're unable to do. We'll talk about you guys. Want to talk about the rebo hit now? Yeah, absolutely.

OK, well, you know, any time you dip down off your check and go to make that type of hit, when that guy is already being followed by one of the defensive players, you know, you're putting yourself in a tough spot, especially with how fast the game moves now. And it looked like last second revolt kind of saw what was coming. And he tried to turn like you could see him turn his back. And he ends up basically getting in the head with his with his nameplate, clearly makes contact to the head.

Mark goes down. I have no problem with them giving him five and a game. He ends up getting a game suspension. At that point. I'm like, oh, no, I don't want this to be the reason why they lose. And I thought I had that feeling in my gut. The Vancouver was going to capitalize and take advantage on that. But Vegas, I guess, have learned from their mistakes and taking a five minute major and important game, not giving up three.

So the board's been to the finals with two teams, correct? All right. In his first year of coaching. Exactly. And this is his first year with the Vegas Golden Knights. So there's something brewing and there's something where he's able to come into a team.

And basically you talk about over the years, coaches who maybe run stale after a little while. And I don't know if that's the case with him or not. I don't know what type of guy he is. I actually don't know if guys love playing for him or not because maybe you could hop in there. But first year he's able to get guys going and he's had some good teams. But you cannot think that that the performance in Game six for Demko was going to be easy to just back up the next night.

You know, there's no day off. And granted, you're not traveling, but still you play the very next night and it was domination. Forty eight. Twenty three were the shots in game six. I think it's the kid stands on his head and then right back the next night and it's thirty six whatever. Twenty it's just Vegas was so much better than them and they ran into this incredible goaltending performance.

But that's great sex performance and that was one of the best I've ever seen in the playoffs. He was standing on the deck. He at one point even going into game seven, I think he'd went over over two games in length without giving up a goal. One hundred and twenty minutes. Thank you very much. Quick math. And he saved ninety one consecutive shots. So it was just he was playing out of his goddamn mind to being Pott's, by the way, I think I've already said that, but I'll throw it back over to you.

But overall, in the head, what do you think? The Revo, yeah, I was shocked you didn't get more, I thought I'd get two or three games for that. Well, maybe partly Mort really leaning over matters in terms of the discipline that they were going to give them.

But will it look terrible, especially in slow motion? You see, my I don't know if he's knocked out cold. He just looks like he is, though, flying through midair. And those are the goals of the hits they just won out. So definitely a suspension I thought I actually thought would be two. Then I said I wouldn't be surprised if it was three, but ended up being one. So shocker. I was wrong again.

Do you agree with me in the sense of like he kind of was in that old shit situation and he tried to turn and it was just like too little, too late and got him right on the chin. Yeah, I don't think he meant to just take his head off like that, but that's when that's when when I actually talk about how bad it looks on slow motion. I should also mention the fact that that's how ridiculous slow motion is that is happening so fast when you're on the ice, let alone if you're like a sentiment watching that happen or a winger.

And you're right there. I mean, being a part of something like that, like I've been ran over and I've ran into somebody that didn't really mean to. It's last second thing. And I think Riverwood for sure, try to take it back. But I also think he was like, I am just I am just kind of screwed. He's in the train tracks and I can't really get myself off of the tracks right now.

We got to talk about Mark Stone. This guy is still on the bench, too. He's an animal.

He's kind of in that radula realm, but he just trucking all over the icemaker defensive plays. You'd be hard pressed to find a guy in the league who's better with a stick defensively in the future. Just pick and pucks off like crazy, bringing all ends of the ice. Robin Leonard as well. I know he didn't get much action, which is always hard as a goaltender, especially just sitting there for the first period that he made on Brock Besser.

If that goes if that goes in man move, you know, the arseholes on the bench are going to be puckering up. So tough. Tough to know that you've lost the last two. And who was it? Roberto Luongo had an interesting tweet. He said, you know, a guy who's got a massive list of credibility. He said, if you were going to go to Fleury, you should have done it in game six, because then it gives you the option to go back to your starter in game seven.

And, you know, I was I was nervous for Lenar going into this one, but he tweeted out after the game, he said, never doubt. And he was very confident going around once with the ball in that situation makes the right call again, because I know I would have been going through in game seven, which is I don't know.

I don't know if he can hold on. I don't even know if you've been running around and not on Twitter. But I've just seen that, Mark, we start in game one. So the mad scientist, the boar, who knows what's going on right now?

I think that's genius because you just went three and I wrote a letter while they're all Lasarte, it makes sense. But why wouldn't they have done it in seven? I was just kind of like taking the long way of answering a question. I thought Fleury was definitely going in game seven. Yeah.

And what about you, R.A.? Did you think he was going? Yeah, I didn't think there was much doubt that job is to was leaning more toward Lennon at this point. Like I said, he came in the middle of the season. He has no loyalty to Florida. And it was interesting. A couple of tweets you sent to the thread is that a lot of the media seem like they were kind of clamoring to to get Florida State, you know, and they mentioned in his his stats and his game seven record, but like reference in a game seven from eleven years ago.

I mean, it's pretty relevant to today. I mean, you know, and then they said last year he had a shutout. Yeah. So the team gave up four girls on a shitty power play call. I had no problem going later. I'm glad you mentioned the same. I did have that written down the one on best. I mean, that's that's showing the series. Like you said, he he's there the other way he goes by and that could have been all she wrote.

Also, one of the thing I want to ask you, do you think Travis Green pulled Demko too early? Two and a half minutes left one goal lead. I thought I thought maybe another thirty forty five seconds would have ticked off. What do you think on that one?

Wait, that's what I was gonna say. That's that's a fair a fair criticism. You're giving them a massive payback, but yeah, that might be a little bit early. Depending on where the face off was and remember, IRA, when you're when you're playing in a game like that and you're getting no type of sustained pressure, like they were hemmed in all game long and not touching the puck, maybe he felt like that was an opportunity considering I don't know.

I don't remember the exact play of when they did it. But once they got in the offensive zone, considering they hadn't been doing much of that, you know, he's probably like, I got to go now.

Yeah, it wasn't his own face off, so which is why he did it.

But I'm the best me. You're so good in on the rival hit. Like, no surprise the suspension. I didn't I didn't think it had that kind of maliciousness. I had to hunt the stuff we've seen in the past. And players, I think, said the guy was kind of leaning Beaumont when he hit. I'm glad to see he's already used, obviously, in the game later, but they won't have rival for game one of the Western Conference final, which will be a little bit.

I just want to compliment Vancouver on a great season. Exceeded my expectations. I was critical. I didn't even think they were going to make playoffs for crying out loud. You got to think that the fact Karen Hughes was pretty banged out, that he was getting treatment three times a day played into the factor. They couldn't get, you know, any type of offensive rhythm going. And that just tells you what this guy means to that team. So hopefully it's nothing serious, but a very, very, very bright future for this Vancouver Canucks squad.

They were just outmatched in that series against a wagon.

Exciting time to be a consultant. And I think when Hughes actually was you could tell something was a little off. Right. You seen how him and asking and dominate the games the way they control the tempo. I always say that. And he wasn't he wasn't at that top level. So I figured he was banged up. And then you hear how much treatment he was getting.

It makes sense and a lot of chatter afterward. And, you know, I know that Mark Schrems going to secure the bag. But, you know, this this raises a lot of question about what Vancouver given that there, I don't wanna say they're a cat team, but I think they're you know, they got a lot of guys that they're going to have to pay moving forward. How much is he going to command as far as salary? And if you got a guy like Demko who has shown that he can play, especially in big moments, it's it leaves another question mark in that.

So some difficult decisions in Vancouver, but in a good way.

And Demko, he is under contract for one more year that just over a million dollars. So, yeah, will be an RFA.

They have to set a line in the sand for money that they want to give Mark Stroman. And if he's not, if he if he rightfully so knows he can get more and he moves on, that's it. But when you this Demko, can you how are you going to spend all the money on Marki? You know what I mean? It's I love Markit and that's why I'm not too worried he's going to get paid somewhere. But you have this kid.

Why would you. It's like the Panthers signed, but Borowski and they drafted that Spencer Knight first overall. Well, he's just a prospect. You know, this Demko is legit. Why are you going to spend all the dough on somebody else? It's older.

Yeah, it's a very, very difficult situation. And then you got to think maybe they can get rid of if they were to decide to go with Mark, given how much value Demko has. And he has a year left at a million. If your Vancouver and you feel like your time is now in terms to next year, that's a valuable asset you can get back. And I think that they do need a little bit of help on the back end.

And if they can get another piece, I think that I think that that could potentially put them over the edge. So we'll see. Interesting, tough decisions to make for next year.

And to piggyback what you guys said, hats off to the Kanaks. I mean, this is a team, you know, eight, nine years ago is probably the most hated teams in the league. I'm not just saying as a Bruins fan after that playoffs, everybody kind of hated them and they've kind of had a whole image makeover. Bestor and Pettersen and Huze and their fun team, their rooftops. I don't have that same venom for them that I used to Mandera.

Definitely a team on the upside.

Russels definitely carrying the weight as far as like getting in that team to piece of shit level. He's doing all he can, but very effective player. I thought he had a good playoff. I mean, maybe he didn't look as good against Vegas because they weren't touching the puck as much, but good. That's a good team.

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Free money right now, boys, we got to load up the van, fill up the gas tank and get in the road because we're going to Balis. Oh, we are going to buy her. The island is bludgeoned. Philadelphia game seven for nothing. Again, another one sided game, Philly, eight shots, I think with with ten minutes left in the game, they just choke them out. That was a 60 minute choke out of a game.

Surprising they put Thomas Grayson. I thought they'd keep going with volley. It was only Grice's second style of playoffs. What's he do? He gets a shout out. Trott's hockey. It's grinding hockey. It's winning hockey. What? I know you'll love this team. Let's hear it. Oh. What a barnburner of Game seven, huh, guys, those are fucking awesome game now.

I knew that game was I knew that was over. I'm sorry, because I'm that game was the most typical Islanders game ever where I have 500 tweets.

This is boring. This boring, this boring. Yeah. Dude, your team's really good. But the games they play in, they're so good, they make the games really boring. Is that good enough for you? It's a fair that's a fair analogy. So, OK, I'll say this, dude, that effort by the flyers was pathetic. It was it was like they had nothing. Now, granted, you have to give the islanders so much credit.

But, man, you've got to think they have more than that. I was shocked by that. And the islanders man, the goals were sick that Josh Bailey is something else, dude, that pass that he made the fake shot. He's wound up and he just dishes it over to Nelson man.

And Nelson flies.

I did not realize until this playoff because I hadn't watched them that much because I don't want to go to sleep, that he buzzes up and down the wing.

He absolutely works both ends of the rink and he skates like a fucking horse out there. Horse can. The horses can skate, guys. They could Wicken wheel around and he made that play comes down and he strips drew the puck and then he wheels around the zone and then barely makes him makes that play to him. You're like, holy fuck this team, they never stop coming back. They just make it really difficult and really painful to play against.

It is cool. Twenty six years, the longest running team in the league without being in the conference finals. So that streak breaks for them. I think the last time was ninety three when Montreal beat them up. So they upset the penguins that.

Yeah. You think that like people coming at me like Doug. Congrats once again. I've never said they're bad. I've never said a bad word about the island or somebody find a clip of me saying a bad thing about the island for oh Jesus.

It's going to look like the Mark Stone highlights of him stripping people in neutral zone one after the other.

When I knew that game was over, when Brazil's helmet popped off and warm up and he did the hair flick and fucking all the ladies up Reles Pizza Place were jamming themselves with the double rollers in his cornhole to Brazil's bloody nose.

They all fucked. How about this one? So you know that that clip on the Internet of the the guy playing in the volleyball match where the ball keeps hitting him in the head and his face is just like black and blue, and every time they put it over the net, it comes back and hits the guy in the face. They ended up doing a clip where they superimposed Basel had there, because he's been getting dinged up so much. He's got like a black guy cut here, a cut there.

But he looks like, who is the old goalie who didn't wear a helmet? He's got all the scars everywhere on Rojak plot.

Yeah, well, he didn't win.

And then he started to talk about the talk about the argument, though, for wearing helmets and warm up in no buckets. The best thing about the league that think could have broken is all do it. If he didn't have a helmet and an visor on.

Well, I believe the majority of the league started switching when Taylor Hall went down. And you were on the.

Oh, my God. I actually I was with Horcoff this week and I have a picture before they put the stitches and you can see the scalp that was sharp. And so I do it.

You could see I think you could see his skull. It's fucking insane. So the doctor did an amazing job. You can't even tell now. I saw you just got a beautiful puppy. I was looking at those dogs, those ViSalus diskless, I don't know. Awesome, awesome dogs. He said he never pictured himself as a dog person because I didn't like all those things are awesome. But yeah.

So Kabasele. But no, but then he gets the Everleigh stick in the face. It's like, oh my God, the toughest. He's got the toughest lock at this point and he's still playing through everything. He's just on the bench, disgusted how much more shit can hit my pretty face. But I mean, that line of of him leanly. And then you got the the the the other line I'm talking Nelson Bailey and who's on the who's who else is on that line.

I'm drawing a blank right now. I must have been asleep for part of the game.

I know they all look the same pavilion ESPN. So those top two lines can play, dude. Yeah, they can. This is going to be the I think Tampa wins. It's not going to be easy and it's going to be fucking boring some nights. You've tried this. You've stifled some stars in Philly. Don't try to shut down these stars in Tampa and ruin my Eastern Conference final.

So he threw it even going back to Game six when Philly ended up winning in OT with that overall goal. Beautiful play by hazy, just to put it into that pocket, knowing that there was no one there. That was he had a great playoff, but.

Islanders deserve to win the series. They were the better team they dominated in Game six so far as a short category, kind of hot, had a great game. I thought it was a good move by Trott's to not play Varlamov. I feel like you've been stripped of his confidence game two opportunities to close the series out. And Thomas Grace has been proven to be one of the better backups in the league. And it wasn't so much of what the islanders needed to do or not.

It's what they were going to do, you know, playing. And they just, you know, Barry boo to the fucking the mastermind behind the bench puts puts Philly's offense in a complete chokehold. We talked about Basel. Who, me? Right now the line rushes and you talk about moving forward to Tampa, where you're talking about this boring team to watch those top six forwards for the islanders.

They can move and they can move in transition and make plays off the rush and they are exciting to watch. So I'm going to retract from my statement of saying that they're boring to watch because I feel like Whit's got me drinking the fucking Kool-Aid.

But he's hating on Demko, too, and he's an idiot, so I'll never hate it. I never hated on Demko.

Well, you weren't impressed with the being part of the question that I asked. I was just I'm a B you guy.

You asked me about A, B, C, and you're still not over the Demko thing.

I fucked up. And then in the first round, we talked about the contributions from the back end. You get in game seven, Barry Trotz going in said somebody's going to be the hero and all of a sudden boom, their first two goal scored by the back end. And not the guys I was talking about before. Not Porlock, not teebs. No, you got Drin. The high school was at high school history teacher from Portland who drove his Subaru cross-country to get inside the bubble.

And and then Mayfield. So you got a couple the the the the lesser producing defenseman chipping in and all of a sudden they got that to nothing lead. And you text the group chat, you're like, there's no looking back from here. They're going to they're just going to continue to put them in that stranglehold. And I really, really like the islanders chances moving forward against Tampa.

Wow. Sounds like you're going to pick them. All you got to say is with with them being up to nothing and then seeing what Philly was doing for me is like that's at zero chance. And let's put it this way, how the flies do in game seven. They had to pull that goal. It was six minutes left. That's how they did. It's just and you you say, I actually agree that that starting price made a lot of sense.

I'm interested if he goes back to Varlamov in game one on Monday ten. I think you go back to Grace. I do, too, because they're so even in my mind and I know Varlamov is thirteen games, Grace only has three since they got into the bubble. But those guys to me are just ones as good as the other. Like when they start when you're gambling on the islanders during the season, it doesn't matter who's in the growth guy gives them the best chance to win.

So right now, Grace, one one in a row, let's keep it going. If he loses game one, go back to the home of game two.

So the M.O. for the islanders is they're able to limit the other team's offensive, high end scoring chances. OK, I'm interested to see how they're going to be able to do that against Tampa. Also, can they continue this PK run? They did not allow a power play goal. The entire series against the Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Flyers went all four thirteen on the power play. I just felt like they didn't get enough from their top six. No goals for Connectome.

You know, I thought Jiru, I don't know.

I mean, he's not as dominant as he once was and I think that, you know, putting, being put in that defensive headlock by the islanders really kind of like exposed the top end top six for the Philadelphia Flyers. So I'm interested to see how they're going to be able to rebound because that core group in Philly is not getting any younger up front. So it was great to see Lin Bombach, four games, six and seven. Barry Trotz made sure to comment on it after the game and how inspiring it was.

Guys, that is it is fascinating how he was able to come back to play hockey, given that he was diagnosed with cancer. What was it? Wasn't he diagnosed six months ago, a. I figured it was early in the season, I get the date off him, but it was great to see both teams. I mean, you don't see both teams that happen like like that in those awesome, very, very special moment.

Also, do I love seeing 37 year old Andy Green with the ball? I can say he was a captain of Jersey. Probably a bit of an afterthought, maybe, you know, going in the playoffs. Probably weren't expecting a lot of him. He's got two goals to assist. That was obviously a huge goal. Love seeing all that pull. Pull moves like that was the most watched game in the playoffs. Two obviously two American teams. NBC tweeted that out earlier.

Also for Philly, I mean, the best player was was kind of hot. That's good for the future, but it wasn't good for the playoffs right now. They just didn't like you said, they didn't get much from the big guns. He did lead them in scoring four goals, nine assists in 16 games. But what was outstanding men? I mean, the biggest bugaboo for Philadelphia for the last since Hextall basically has been goaltending nine and five with a nine to six same percentage, two point two three goals against two shutouts.

I mean, as if we had any doubt before, the kind of hot is the real deal for Philly. They know this secure on that net for however long he's in town. I enjoyed the hell out of watching the kid play, but it's they needed more from their role and they didn't get it.

You mentioned that first goal in game seven. That went it from Mayfield, I believe, shot up. Yes, it did hit something. What? I think it hit somebody sharp on the way and it might have been Prova off who was battling out front. But what a great effort from this young goalie. And I'm interested to see what's ahead for him.

And once again, Islanders fans, before we finish up on you guys getting to the conference finals, you should not care one bit.

How it is to watch your team, how you feel watching your team when they're winning, it doesn't matter if it's a very, very boring stuff, you win, who cares? Anyone who calls your team boring, what do you care if you win you dummies? What do you care? So here's the thing.

If that was and I just heard you said the most watched game of this year's playoffs. So that means you have a ton of people who aren't necessarily hockey fans who watched Saturday night on Labor Day weekend. That's not great. One team had 15 shots. Congrats on moving on. Good luck. But you're not that exciting to what sounds like that. Sounds like a Philly problem, not an islanders problem.

I'm part a booster club for game. The islanders are playing and it's a game the islanders are playing. And Tom saying. Interesting to three of the four teams in the finals, all warm weather cities, Vegas, Dallas, Tampa, and you're forgetting another thing as well, are three of the four teams still in the Stanley Cup playoffs come from states with no state tax?

Yeah, the best. You are the best with that. The people think people think I'm crazy and I won't let it go. But I just I think it's an advantage. I think it's an advantage.

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If you can know one other language in the world, which one would it be? I'm pretty sure you asked me this like two episodes ago and I'm pretty sure I didn't know one answer. I'm going to go with Spanish. Fair enough, I think I would say, Amanda, and I think this is exactly the same conversation we had, are get deja vu kind of, except for deja vu was like a dream or this one actually happened.

This is getting trippy right now, guys. A little too meta. I said, well, what's meta mean?

It's like it's like it's like Enya. It's like in your head joke. I don't even know the best way to describe it when something's like shit. It's like I know when I see it, like going to movies better, it's almost like inside its own head. Let's see of a creative work referring to itself or the conventions of a genre self-referential. Actually I'm going to change my English.

I'm I'm although I need to know, I need to read. I think we need Meems on what he just said with Happy Gilmore or no. What is the movie when he goes back to school. Billy Madison, you are now dumber. I don't know what you said. What was that? All right.

I was trying to explain better, but like, I couldn't I was failing to describe it. But were you saying that Medda, like our podcast, today's been better, not just that that whole moment of talking about language and.

Oh, I love it.

I love it myself because I had said I would love to learn one of the romance languages like Spanish or Thai.

And I think when it rolls off the tongue that I don't know, there's a sensuality to it because the the deja vu talk, which I don't even think it was considered deja vu in Christopher Nolan's old movie. What was it? What was the good one? Inception and Inception. But that reminded me of just came out. Apparently these people have been watching it. I don't know if it's been bootlegged. That was a Christopher Nolan movie that I think it's set records for the budget.

Sean Avery, last time he stopped by, talked about how he was on set, I think he ended up getting a few few seconds of screen time in this one, too. Might even I don't know how long, but somebody mentioned that they saw him in the movie, so. All right. We need to sit down and watch that.

Portia, the videographer, my buddy there from Vancouver, massive Jersey Devils, New Jersey Devils, jock sniffer. He said that he saw it and he said that he likes it's a mindfuck. You have to watch it over and over to be able to fully understand it. Was that kind of the way Inception was to? Yeah.

Inception is one of those ones you can watch three or four times and still maybe be unsure. But this one seems like a real mindfuck. I mean, I'm not reading the reviews on it because I don't want to get anything spoiled. I want to go in pretty blind. But I think a lot of people are walking out of this kind kind of baffled as to what's going on. But I mean, Chris Nolan, his record speaks for itself.

How about we do our movie Night this week with Tennet?

But I don't know how well, I don't know how we'll be able to do that, because I don't know if I don't think to play movies in the state. And I don't know, it's a it's a movie I want to see in the theater. I mean, like I would I don't know if we'd be able to get it on the Internet without go fuck myself without violating laws. I don't know. We'll find something. We've been having some fun.

Oh, yeah.

You're going to start following the law stuff. Oh, oh, OK. Breaking news.

The sole lawbreaker on the podcast. Me. Yup, yup. Like, all right. Well, now on all teams, all games are going to be in Edmonton semifinals and finals. All the teams are going to be doing everything. The Western Conference, Finals, Dallas, Vancouver, the season series. Each team won once Vegas went one one zero, Dallas went one zero and once. So one of those games was Shootout Pesaro, Frank Star Valley.

He said not going to be Flurry's, going to start game one, which is pretty interesting. Shapir probably there's a consummate candidate from that team. It's probably him. Six goals, ten assistant, fifteen games we already talked about matched on that clip file Dimitri Filipovic made of them two minutes long with just him still in the pocket sneek check and just an absolute fucking monster out here. He's been great to watch. Of course he's going in. He's by the consummate candidate from Dallas.

Five, six assists in 16 games. Got an eight point streak going on. I think there's a decided advantage. And that's the Vegas going here. I love Auburn, but he has to be off game the off game here and there. The other side, the two headed monster bears. Let's go to you first. Who do you like yet and why? I'm going to pick Vegas and seven and, you know, as good as I think Vegas is and I think that, you know, given that Colorado is out, who I picked as the front runner, once they bent my quixotes over, they just they just keep coming at you in waves and they dismantled Vancouver.

This is going to be a far greater, bigger test given the full lineup of Dallas and the especially the contributions from the depth. So now all of a sudden, Vegas meets its match on the depth. Now, where I think Vegas has the advantage, at least of now, is the high end first talent in the fact that Segan at this point hasn't been able to contribute as what he's expected to. I don't think Ben is necessarily where the Top End talent is for Vegas.

And I just think that that is going to just play a massive factor in in the fact that you're not going to be able to stop Vegas from putting up numbers. And you mentioned it already. They just have, you know, a lot better tandem and net. And I think that ultimately they're the better team. And if they stay healthy, I think that I think that they're going to beat Dallas in seven games. But Dallas right now, I tell you, I thought they were underrated.

I thought they were going to get beat by Colorado, but a very resilient bunch. And they just keep finding ways to win. Well, I got a shout out, I kind of disagree on Jamie Bell, he's got nine points in his last seven games, so he's played well and he's also played physical as hell. And he's really carried that line with Radula Kosygin. Hasn't done anything now. I still love Vegas. I think they went in six just because right now I can't imagine you're able to skate with this team.

In the last nine games, they've averaged 40 shots a game.

It's just and that's and so you look at like their last the last only four goals in the last three games. But you think of how good Demko was. But it is I mean, if you're going to continue to get 40 shots a game and continue to have the puck the whole time and just cycle teams down low and be able to change lines while you're still holding on to the puck in the office of zone, you're going to have nights, you get four and five goals.

So I know that Dallas is a better team than Vancouver. Overall, I believe it's going to be harder for them to play against their older and more experienced. But still, Vegas is just at another level. Yeah, Mark Marion Hossa St..

He's the he's the Today game.

Today's game version of Marion also who was one of the best to ever do it and be a Hall of Famer. So I think that Mark Stone's just got that trade and inside it was so good is exactly what this team needed. Missing Revo game game one hurts. But but I mean, he he'll be right back no matter what happens in that first one. And I think that Dallas like having Hakkinen and him going head to head with Shea Theater will be pretty fun to watch.

I wanted to I wrote down this one has taken in is he is on an eight game point streak right now because there is two defenseman.

Two defensemen in the last 30 years that have owned nine game playoff streaks, their names are Larry Murphy and Brian Leach. I've heard of them. So what were the dates?

The dates were nineteen ninety five for Larry Murphy in nineteen ninety four for Brian Leach. Take that, put it up the pipe and smoke it. Trying to stuff me on a date.

My God. To try their best to try their best for a sequence for me.

Especially with the the the Ben comment. That's a sale. Yeah. That's a great point so far in playoffs.

Jesus I haven't. He's played nice. Yeah. I haven't necessarily noticed them that much and I hadn't been keeping track of his points. But Jesus Christ, I'm going listen to this.

I'm getting Lisa and what. That fucking sequence.

Hey he's so he's got twenty one points. There's only been ten instances of defensemen scoring twenty two or more points in a single postseason. Brent Burns was the last to do it. Twenty sixteen.

And get this, he's the only non Hall of Famer to do it and he'll probably be in the Hall of Fame. So look at Haskett and what he's doing, folks. Interestingly, too, both coaches, midseason replacements, people are obviously relieved Gerard Gallant and Bonus came in when Jim Montgomerie stepped away. So, you know, a couple of guys bonus been around a long time. He actually got the Bruins to the conference MVP back in 92.

What's up is and he had a nice al-saleh after they won game with a double barrel fist pumps. And Grenelle, if I could ask you to send it to the clip of the finish. Announcer Calling ya'll can I get this last name again with your Verant Quaranta. Nice. Can we get that clip.

Thank you sir. But keep up gives you choose to stick it out your money box and give you an update about what it is. Yeah, gamelab. So obviously ecstatic for his fellow countrymen, just buzzing there and even involving this kid here, he was a Late Edition from what I'm hearing to last year's world championship for the Finnish team. And a lot of people had no clue who this guy was, but definitely making strides. And I thought his his postgame comments were so humbling.

He's all he said was like, I I just hope I get the chance to play more games.

So while I think you're going to get that chance, considering you're the last guy to get a Haddy in a playoff game seven since Wayne Gretzky, just don't know the date.

And so last thing I think for me on this series, though, is for Dallas to have a chance. The powerplays got to stay the same. The powerplays unreal. And they've been able to score.

So I think it's going to be a huge test. I think it's going to be a good series. But I like Vegas and six. All right, I think bonuses, one of those easy guys through for, you know, it's always a veteran who plays never got to cut by big bonuses. Kind of that version is you know, I'm saying he's not in the league so long. He's well known as a nice guy. And he'd been an assistant for such a long time after being a head coach, and he kind of got thrust into the role.

So despite that, I don't think he's going to move on. I think Vegas is going to beat them in six. I think the goaltending disparity is is too much for Dallas to overcome. They say they got lucky last round, but they got lucky by not having a face grew. Bawa It's going to be a different story this round. So Vegas and six. And before we get to the next preview, we haven't mentioned that guest yet. Speaking of Stanley Cups and champions, we were lucky to get Christopher Steeg, a.k.a. Steeg licious on Instagram.

He's been given some outstanding commentary. We were able to talk to him the other day. Tremendous interview. I mean, very entertaining. I know he said that a lot, but it was very entertaining. And we did like close to an hour, talked about his career. He's so candid, so open, funny Bastet as well. We're going to be bringing him very shortly. We're going to obviously talk about the E.

And I also think a lot of people will be surprised on how his his career ended and junior to how it started and pro and where he was at eventually what became his full body of work. So, yeah, very, very interesting. Thanks for grabbing him to get him on the pod because that that was a great interview. Yeah, good stuff.

Coming shortly. But first, like I said, the Eastern Conference finals, your whales conference, the islanders versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, they played three times this year, the first to the Isles, one five two, then five one in the third game, Tampa won that one three to one. Tampa has been off since August. Thirty first. So they're going on about a week rest. Stamkos is definitely out for the series. Fuck Koocher off.

We haven't heard. He's not playing. We know he's probably a little bit dinged up. All right. But we'll go to you first on this one.

What do you see here? Who do you like? I like Tampa, they've been my pick to win the Stanley Cup. I just said it talking about the Flyers Game seven, it's not going to be easy. I think the Tampa is going to win in six games. I got Vegas in Tampa both getting it done in six games.

But if you look to the islanders, as good as those top two lines are. Right. And they're able to play with anyone, I still I still think that that Gaud Goodrow Coleman line dude, the way they looked against the Bruins and the ability for them to just turn it on. And it really is no disrespect at all to Pageau and Brassard and Brassard looks so good at the end of that series after being a healthy scratch. But I mean, forget Kuchera, forget point that Kohlman goodrow line exactly what we said against Boston.

They're going to do the same thing. And along with that Victor motherfucking headmen, OK, there's no defender and say on New York that can play like this guy. And if you have a world class best defense in the league, man and the man in the back here, the back of your team and just captaining just the force, every time he's out there, he's controlling whether it's offensively defensive, he's going to do it for close to 30 minutes.

The islanders don't have that. I think the islanders team play has been awesome. I'm happy for their fans, great people. But I like Tampa.

Moving on. I just got a feeling that the islanders are going to win. I can't really explain it other than the fact that they just they don't really have any weak links, and especially given, you know, what's going on with the bubble and the reboot and how you start to see guys get a little bit banged up. You know, if they have one guy taking a lineup, it's not going to faze them. And right now, they're just all clicking.

It looks really good. They're playing that defensive structure. But yet I said creating off the rushes. Well, with that top six. And I, I think I think this is going to come down to whether the islanders can continue what they're doing on special teams, particularly on the penalty kill. And I think that I'm interested to see what what the top six for the islanders can do, keeping up with the pace of the top six for Tampa and so far so good.

I think Brazil's playing at a different high level right now, and I don't think that they're going to be as fazed. Everyone thinks they're thinking there's this there's this boring, defensive minded team. But I'm saying is no, they they put you in that defensive pretzel and then they're now they're able to capitalize and they're able to go play on the offense. So I like Islanders and seven right now.

And I think there's. So go ahead. Go ahead. No, I'm done. I was done. No, it's just like.

Do you remember what you were saying about Tampa? It's like you're so it's I think it's recency watching the islanders do what they did. But, man, do you remember Pallot, have you seen Brayton Point Koocher of it's like Ciarelli and Cologne the way they play. Did the islanders haven't played anyone close to this?

Not even close.

That's why I started off my entire segment with I just got a feeling like something. That feeling. That tonight's gonna be a good night.

Great wedding song. Oh, yeah.

Gets the juice is not gonna be a good night.

But when you got married to it, did you get the deejay. Do not playlist like. Absolutely. Under any circumstances.

Great fucking question. I didn't plan anything from the wedding, but I'm guessing it's kind of a shocker.

His wife was picking out the cake and all the arrangements we had the people all my people know my wedding.

So it is the best wedding of all time. You want to know why it was a surprise wedding? Nobody knew it was an engagement party. Everyone came to go have some drinks, have an engagement party, and this wall opened up. We were standing up front boehme wedding, no bullshit, no nothing. And then you just party and then it's over.

I played golf the morning of my wedding, teed off at nine thirty, got home at like three, threw on my suit, went and surprised the shit out of my family and friends and got married and did a drive by the drive by weddings like in Vegas, like an ATM from weddings.

I played nice that day to the.

But you know every shot. No I actually don't watch you shoot is over three years now. I shot seventy two Lee in Brockton. I won like four hundred two.

I think I gave it to the D.J. one for that. He promised me not to say not to play was all right because I took the long road answering. I did. We did. I now remember like she definitely talked to me about certain songs, like we wanted to make sure there was no like jazz. I hate jazz. I think it's the worst. So if you had a jazzy type song, unless it was jazzy Jeff, don't play it.

So no. Kenny G.

No, I told you I was like a scratch golfer.

That guy with that unreal perm, he looks like he looks like the habanero or something. What's the guy who's always moving his knees in the warm up?

He's a local angle him and they do look alike. I heard it on Real Story is that Miguel Angel Jimenez was like four shots off the lead, the third round of the Masters. Somebody walked in and he is having a monster monster rib eye with a glass of wine and mashed potatoes. And our third round of the masters, you get a cigar, a glass of wine to revive the mashed potatoes. Okay, so how about this? Or when they had the I think they had the US Open in the state of Washington not too long ago, right?

Yeah. They had it at Chambers Bay outside Seattle. OK, so my buddies went and they went and watched them on the practice screen because they heard it or like the practice team, not the practice tee range driving range anyway. Fuck Jesus Christ fucking my words here. But you know how he does that warm up routine when he does the clockwise with his knees and then he switches to go the other way so he, like you can hear the crowd all getting excited and all of a sudden he stops and he looks up and then he starts going the other way.

And it all started erupting and going crazy. You know, you're a boss. He's a boss. He's a boss. He's got a funny Instagram thing. He's always wearing those silly golf shoes. You know, everyone's wearing like the Nike and the the light ones. Now he's got those like an old school. Leather ones are like gater on them and shit. Just an interesting guy. I don't know how we got so far off the fucking rails.

We're in a state right now. All right. I actually want to know what if you could put a top five song request of what not to play at your wedding. What would it be?

I I had the chicken dance was probably no one like that fucking door. I like dancing and I've never seen that at a wedding.

It well, I didn't I wanted to ensure it didn't happen at my wedding. So I put that I had the electric slide like fuck that. I didn't want that at my wedding probably. I think my old lady might have had one or two. I'll tell you though. And when Beyonce come on, put a ring on it all single ladies, it was like a fucking dynamite went off. Every check was on the floor during the fucking day. It was hilarious.

I felt like I landed in a video out of nowhere. What about Consejo?

Yeah, that's another one. I might have had that in the list off.

I might be my come out song. And also and I had a very specific role. I mean, I know Shout is a wedding thing. It's kind of probably played out, especially at The Wedding Crashers. But if you play and shout at a wedding, I know the Isley Brothers are legends, but you've got to play the Otis Day in the nights version from the Animal House soundtrack.

Oh, yeah, it's the best moment. It's iconic. Seen the movie. I mean, and of course, someone's always going to do with Alligator on the floor like Belushi did in the movie during the wedding. So I heard. So absolutely, man, you've got to you've got to give that guy DNP list.

Well, since we're on the subject. I think, Ari, and you're going to married people on the podcast, unless we had an.

We had a is on 90 day fiance. Anyone ever seen that?

How ridiculous is it? It's ridiculous, dude. It's absolutely ridiculous.

But I was going to ask Ari, what was your wedding song like, your dance?

It was Rod Stewart or in my hot or my soul. My I was my old lady's choice. I actually wanted to go to Petty Song, but you got to pick your battles when you plan a wedding. So I'm a huge Rod Stewart fan, so I had no real issue.

Otherwise it was a little bit of a long song, but maybe a three minute or less on Letterman that by like five minutes. It's like I let people get fucking blood, you know.

What was yours? Yours by Russell Dickins Dickerson. Great song. Yours. All right, I hadn't get my prediction yet. Tampa, I think they're going to have just too much for the islanders. I mean, I know I personally am buoyed by the islanders. I don't mind grinding winning hockey, but I think camp is just a little too deep. And also Wesolowski man, I think he's the leader in the clubhouse right now for the consummate trophy.

Ten and three, a one nine one nine three one save percentage. He was stellar versus Columbus. He was outstanding versus Boston. I expect him to continue that level play regardless of who the islanders draw. But I I'm going to go to Tampa in seven. Sorry.

I got a feeling that Tampa is going to be Jim Caite or Jim best you like.

Yes. Are you a jazz guy?

Yeah, I like it in a certain environment, like a bar if you're just having a couple of pops.

And if I was with my lady, I like jazz now, but I love a nice saxophone and a song with a saxophone and I go nuts just klingberg berried one, nothing else.

Three minutes into the game and then we go, let's see. Yeah. Check out Miles Davis, man. He's the best all the time, no doubt about it. But before we get to verse, dig with two more rounds to go. Canadians need to be well nourished. So get mouth-watering seasonal recipes and pre measured ingredients delivered right to your door with Hello Fresh, Canada's most recommended meal kit. Hello. Fresh makes cooking at home simple, planned and delicious so you can enjoy cooking again because I know you're a big health guy like, you know, you use the stuff.

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All right. That's going to do. They're going to do my meal prep when I'm training for the Tour de France already all the time and rest I can get I got just going to pump drugs into your food.

Yeah.

And another thing that regarding the Tour de France, is it true that basically everybody in it's blood doping like it's is that kind of like a I mean, I know when Armstrong was.

Yeah. He was doing what everybody else is doing it well, except everybody wasn't sure and every person in their fucking orbit. But yeah, I would imagine it's probably cheating is probably still a huge part of what they do. I don't I doubt they eradicated it. Couple bumps on the way up the hill. All right, Gangel, you mentioned we got Chris Chris Christie coming on. Great interview. We're going to send it over to him right now.

Hopefully you all enjoy it as much as we did.

I'd like to welcome our next guest, played for 11 NHL seasons in 15 seasons overall, while he suited up for seven teams over six hundred and forty three games, he's most known for his two stints as a Chicago Blackhawks, won the Stanley Cup both times with them. Not a big deal these days. He can be seen opening on the NHL playoff games at Steeg Delicious on Instagram. Thanks for joining us on Spit and Chilcote's. Chris Christie. Yeah, thanks for having me.

I do got to say, when I hear your voice, it's very nostalgic. When I was with Providence, I flew in and they kept saying, welcome to Waldwick, welcome to Warlick. And I'm like, I hope I'm in the right city. But every time I hear you talk, I think of that moment. So thanks for having me on today.

You guys like where the hell's Wallwork? What are they talking about? Yeah, I swear. I was like, whoa, whoa.

Rick and I started looking w o a h I believe w what the hell. Yeah, dude.

Well, thanks so much. It's been a long time coming. We got the chance to play together quick. In my fabulous stint with the Florida Panthers, seven games played zero zero zero minus seven. So I knew right away, like just being around you, I'm like, this guy is hilarious. And then this thing started me at some point. Stiegel, come on. So retirement's now come, dude. It's come to an end. I mean, how is everything going since I know you're you're really big into watching the playoffs would be on Instagram.

I love following you there. Yeah. It's been different, as you know, it's it's a change of pace for me. I was talking to like a couple of the networks about doing some playoff games. And obviously with this happening with SportsNet didn't need me on. So but talking with them and doing Twitter, I've done I don't want to do Twitter because it's too much smart and so awful. So I figured actually I had been watching a little bit and how he was going about it.

So it's almost like if this is going to be the next thing I do, I thought I need to get some reps and I would like to see it like you did NHL Network. How hard is it to form an opinion where you're not pissing everyone off and also make it educational within like ten to fifteen seconds? So I figured this was a good way, just kind of practice and and without using Twitter and do something like that. And so it's been keeping me busy so far during retirement, but it's different and we'll see where it goes from here.

It's also hard not to drop an F bomb when you were doing. Where do I get I'd get on. I'm like, wait a minute, OK, not check.

Let's not check. It's not check. It's not check.

It's articulated in your thought, too, without like seeing what you would say behind closed doors because you have to button it up for the network. And I don't think it was it's exhausting to me even when I do karate stuff because I'm so nervous, I'm going to say the wrong thing and the next thing you know, I'm getting fucking canceled. But as far as their opinion goes, you know, you're pretty credible. You're a really good career and put up some great offensive numbers.

And I feel like you're great at teaching the game. Like when these plays are going down, you're breaking them down as to why, you know, this guy went to his backhand or or that. And four, would you ever consider yourself getting into something like maybe Adam Oates?

You know what? I have talked about that with my brother and another guy from my hometown. We talked maybe about that, like having an app or something where, like, the kid can teach you what he's doing to you know, a lot of this is just a one way street of teaching, but maybe where you can. Right. They can write on the app what they're doing and then you could send it back to them, what you're thinking.

And it would be something kind of like that. So I have thought of something like that maybe in the future or you can teach kids almost like a one stop shop. It doesn't have to be like five game packages. They could just send a clip or something to that or to me and I can try to break it down and tell them to the best of my knowledge. But I think but it definitely is something I like doing now, going into coaching or doing anything like that where I mean, it would take up so much time and the days are so long.

It's nothing that I'm even thinking about now. But on a minor scale, I think it would be fun to do. It's such a grind.

It's just starting out as a coach, specially if you're going to start like the E CHL or Junior, the bus trips, like based on what you're being paid as a hockey player, it's tough to find the motivation unless you truly, truly love it. But towards the end, your career became more popular watching the video and your shifts and it was all tracked through the iPads earlier on your career. Were you like that? Fuck no.

No, it like and where it started for the iPads for me was actually in Florida. I think when you got there, remember, they gave us our own iPad.

They wouldn't give you one that sat in my room the whole time I was watching the PGA app on this flat.

So that that was like the first time where I really like for me to I was playing with Kendall prior to that. And Ron Wilson and those two guys, they're not really big video guys. What they do is they like to show you one clip. And I like that, too, because you can get compounded with so much video. And then even five minutes into some of these video sessions, I find myself sleeping and nodding off and I'm like, what did I just hear halfway through?

So the way Quenneville did it was was so smart. He would show you one clip and then it would it would click in during the game. It's like, oh, that's what he's shown. You where you're not overloaded with information, so then when in 2012 13, when they gave us that iPad and now you're starting to really watch shifts and now you're kind of like you're just overcorrecting everything in your way, thinking about it, and now they're just hammering you with analytics and all these things.

I felt like it was information overload. At times there's too much. So that's why I just put it away and and tried to let Hawkie work itself out. Obviously it didn't.

And I got shipped out, so maybe I should watch the iPad bigger on how how was the relationship dynamic between you and Cringle? I know you spent two stints there. I mean, was it a love hate kind of thing?

It was a love hate. Yeah, for sure. I was I was the whipping boy. Very, very easy to say. So there would be times like I would be on the bench and bowling would be on the first day. Fuck, what the fuck? And I'd like look back and like, cool, I'm right here. It is regardless. Fuck you, you know, like what the hell you know. And then he'd be like snapping on me and then even like little plays.

I remember I came in the league and were playing Colorado one night. And actually back then, like I remember in the minors, I shot the puck through my legs and I had to fight like a shift later. Right. So when I got up to the NHL, I'm like, man, I'm going to put up through my legs one time and everyone's going to see me on that the puck through my legs, you know? So I came down the wall, I snapped it through my legs.

It actually went off the bano. And I heard Quintals on the bench is like, did he just do that? Did he just do that? So I get to the bench, he's like a little shit. Now I do that junior shrug and he's like going off, you know, and and I'm like, holy, he's done.

So we go in for the period. He pulls me in the hallway, starts screaming at me again, junior shit. That's horseshit. You know, then all of a sudden I think it's over. The next day we get to the rink. He shows it on the video. Everyone's laugh and everyone's laugh. And he's like, first day, fuck you, fuck you.

He's like, that's just shit. I'm like, I got yelled at for it for like twenty four hours, you know, and then all of a sudden we get out there for practice and Buff and Kane are snapping it through their legs just to prove a point.

And I can't. So it was we had. But you know what, Quen goal for me was really good because he well he would get in my kitchen for sure, but he was good because when I was hot, he would ride me. And the best coaches do that. They ride their guys, they ride their horses, but they also find ways to get guys to help their horses. And I was one of those guys when I was when I was hot, I could help their horses so he would find the days I was playing good.

And I play like eighteen nineteen twenty, twenty one minutes and the next day I play eight.

So you never take it personal when when you were on the downswing.

No, I definitely did at times that that's why our team was really good about it though. The guys always picked you up, you had Tay's and Mintzer really good buddies. Seebruck, I played Junior Acebes and Keith. We always I felt when a guy was in a shit moment, everyone was there to kind of support him. But also like, you know, I would obviously I'm not close to the player sharpies, but I would be competing with him for ice.

And I'm like, OK, I got to play better and sharp today, you know, I got to play better in this guy who's going to take my ice, you know? So there is also a competition there that we we pushed each other. Obviously, I didn't push sharp as hard as he would push me, but it was there. It was it was a nice, healthy, I thought atmosphere. But also there was a thing where Sharpie would come to me and be like, hey, man, are you good?

Like, whatever. But for the most part, I would brush it off. But there were days where, man, fuck this guy.

That team was so deep to like the healthy competition for four roster spots. Nothing is better than that in terms of growing a championship team. But I got to go. We are going to get into Chicago a little bit because I just want to start like you grew up in Lethbridge, right? Yeah. OK, so undersized kid. I mean, you came in in the WHL pretty much close to twenty years ago, and it's such a different game now.

And you've never really shied away at all from being physical and fighting like right off the hall. Was that kind of who you were or did you just learn that Junior like I can't take any shit, I got to play this way because you were pretty out there?

Well, yeah, it's like I'm not going to beat up anyone, but I felt like like a lot of where I grew up. You know, how you guys talk about Boston, like and and what's the town what's that part of Boston that where is in the movie scene at Charlestown.

And now he makes beers, watch it once a day.

So like I'm from North Lethbridge and it's kind of like the same thing. You know, it's no one has money. It's a very you know, but people need to work hard and it kind of forms you and who you are. And so that's kind of who I always was. I had a I was a kid with a chip on my shoulder. I was pissed off and I was undersized. And again, like my teammates and Junior were like Derek King and Jay King and Derek Parker, like, if, you know, they're like, oh, my God.

And I remember he was like, Ghost. And then I'd be looking across the ice and there'd be like Derek Boogaard and all these guys. And I'm like, I'm I'm going to die tonight. Literally, I might die tonight. But and those days, every game was the line brawl. I was in two bench clearing brawls, one against Vancouver, one against Brandon. And it was scary. But for me, again, I. I knew I had to do something different because I was small and back then, if I remember and I'd see a guy smaller than me I'd like, I'm going after him.

Finally, I get to see a guy smaller in me. So you had to have that edge and tenacity and be able to get in there. And I knew that my dad would always tell me that, too. Like, you're not going to be good enough just to play on skill. You got to be a prick, too. So it was something that it molded me of where I where I'm from. I then took it and I put it into my game.

And then I definitely took it with me into the NHL, especially in the my last year or Olman and Talent told me they're like, you're not going to play ahead of nose and have a at the time, Cain, all these guys, they're like, you got to do some difference. I remember I was fighting and trying to do different things. Obviously I wasn't winning fights, but I was just trying to do different things to get up. And I mean, I look back, I was literally willing to die to play in the fucking NHL at the start.

And by the end, I was I was barely willing to get in front of a snapshot. So it's it's funny how it changed. But like for me, it's crazy what I was willing to do and and willing to play, like in order to play in the NHL. That's just true passion.

And we've talked a lot about guys who probably could have made it if they were willing to switch their games. But it's so, so hard. I want to jump quickly, though. The bench going broke. You remember the moment when the coaches, like, go, go.

Oh, yeah, started those. I was going to ask about the Brandon Ward. What are the chances that two to hit start?

Oh, that was Derrick Parker was chasing two to around the ice. Like chasing him around the ice. Yeah, it was I don't know. It was it was after the game the game was over and he was chasing him around the ice. There's a big brawl going on in Shawn Masae. I don't know if you guys remember him. He was a big guy like six feet, two to thirty to forty. He knocked out someone and that's how the fight ended.

Everyone was like, holy, there's a guy knocked out, you know? Yeah, I was scared. I remember I grabbed Derrick Ranka and but we looked over and he popped him. And that's that's just how it ended. There was no whistle or anything for it to end. And then the next one was against Vancouver. That one was a male. You had Nick turn nasty and trysting grant going at it. All these guys fights and trust.

And Grant made me when I was in Wilkesboro one year I'm missing two or three rounds of playoffs business over it, though.

I'm just like I'm over good as knee and me. Oh let's just ah fuck our guys. Fuck you trust them. Grab your sack of shit. Yeah.

That grant was nuts though. Oh yeah. It was scary.

I didn't do anything about it at the time but he but it was still and I remember even if it was me and John Lammers, we're fighting this out of caution. It's like you're just going crazy, right. You're just grabbing guys. And I remember I came in and I grabbed a Saddam course change chain. I ripped it off. I threw it in. I'm like just acting like a savage, you know? Then you get carried off the ice.

And it was and I think actually Colton or his brother got punched in that exact same instance and Colton got suspended for like twenty games. And then WHL that was like unheard of at that time.

Is it true that Colton was going to in his face and his fists and stuff? He's basically like Terminator.

Yeah, I don't know about that. I did play with Ozzy. I played it. Both of them. I don't know about that. I do know Kanger well. I've I've dealt his fists later on his career. It's like sand. There's like no bone. You know that king.

I just I've told the story before, but when we had Mike on he we were playing Worster like, who are you going to fight Smos. Like, I don't know. There's nobody there. And Kolby Armstrong's like that. DJ Kings kind of a killer heads up. He's like, nah, I think they think I broke.

And all he talked about, I think the kid was a killer bowling ball hands. Oh yeah. Do you know Mitch love.

Remember Mitch love. He's he's coaching and sars-cov-2 now. OK, he broke Williams Tiger Williams penalty record when we're playing in Swift Current and he broke it fighting, joking and joking. I've never seen a guy beat up someone worse in my life. And Mitch love he's like lights out cold on the middle way. He's a, he's a middleweight. He's not a heavy. He then gets up his shirts over his face and pulls his shirt down and they're like, do you just beat Tiger Williams penalty record?

And he starts skating around the ice with his arms in the air and like, what is going on here?

It would be the craziest thing.

So I'm looking at three hundred and twenty seven pounds that year. Yeah. I don't know if it was a year or if it was a career that. OK, ok. Yeah, maybe that makes sense.

I was going to ask you about playing early on with Seabrooke. I was actually when I played on a team, he was our captain in the summer one which was the hardest one to make and just really a natural born leader. I believe you at first. Overall to the left, Richard Dawkins, when it was that bad, the draft.

Yeah, I don't know if it was first or second, but just an unbelievable guy. He took care of me like I was a walk on as a sixteen year old. I wasn't drafted or anything. So I walked on and from day one he took care of me, his billet. It was actually really good friends with my dad. So just such a good relationship and that. When I got to Chicago, I actually do attribute a lot of my success to him because you know what it's like when you go somewhere and you're trying to make a team.

He was like bringing me around like Duncan Keith, and he was bringing me around all these guys and making me feel like almost like I'm not like I belong, but, like, really comfortable.

So the tryouts when I was there, I really attribute a lot to CEIBS, just like you're you're a natural born leader. Amazing guy. And I am definitely great friends with them.

When I was hanging out with them, he wasn't drinking at all. Turned into the sauce first thought after a few weeks you.

No, I remember that to like even at my rookie party he didn't drink so he was 17 and I was 16 and yeah, I don't think it was until maybe in 19 or 20, maybe you started to have a couple beers and I'll get you, I'll cover you on this phone.

I'll drink for both of us. Yeah.

That's pretty much the other thing I want to ask you about. Your junior career was against you when you played for Red Deer. Brandon and Brett Sutter were on the team and then one of the fathers was coaching as well. What was that dynamic like? Because normally you could see like a minor hockey situation where you're favoring the kid. I feel like that would be the opposite.

Yeah, that was opposite. Brent was hard and Brent, he was hard on me. So I played actually my last year in Junior, believe it or not. So I was a demon and he would be like, yeah, the hardest fucking player I've ever coached in my life.

You know, I'd be like he would show me a clip and like I would rush the puck and then all of a sudden there'd be like nine guys back in the screen and all of a sudden I'd be coasting like slowly back in the screen, you know, maybe like you're terrible, you know.

But he also was like that with his own kid, even harder and bred as well. He for me, was I also, again, between Skateboard and Dale Tallon, Brent Sutter was one of those guys for me who I learned a lot from any year. I learned tough love and what I need to do to be a pro. But again, like you're talking about with his son and Brett, he was hard on them. Steger, after four years of juniors, you get drafted by the Bruins, fifth round, one hundred thirty fourth overall, you're with the organization for a couple of seasons.

They traded in your second season. What was your reaction? You're pissed off. Did you expect to take us through that journey? Through it? I was crying, I swear to God. Yeah. On the bus.

And hold hold on, though, because I'm thinking. I'm looking. You had an unreal year. Rookie in the team sucks in Boston. You don't even sniff getting called up. I think you'd be like, what the fuck, man?

So I was working at Sport Chek about a year prior, not even playing defense for the Red Deer rebels. Right. And it's like I'm like my career's done right. And I'm part in whatever, just like with my buddies back home, like I'm not playing hockey probably. So at the end of that twenty year old year or nineteen year old year, they call me up and I actually play lights out and then I'm like playing soldier Kuskokwim and like, Hey Steger, I know where you've been, I know where you come from.

I know everything. I'm going to give you every opportunity to succeed. And so that summer I went home and I put on twenty pounds. I came back at almost one ninety and I and I was playing lights out like no one expected me to. Right. And at that time, Scott Gordon's like, man, I think you're going to be called up. Shaun Donovan just got hurt. I believe Glenn Murray was hurting. He's like, you might get called up.

So we're on our way to Manchester and I'm sitting on the bus and I get called up to the front and Gordon's like, Hey, man, I just got to tell you, you just got traded all. And I'm like, What? So you know how like, you're kind of I'm kind of a messed up kid. And then you're like, you get this opportunity and then all of a sudden it's like they just quit on me, you know, after what I did, like, I was I think I was seventh in the league in scoring in the eight at that time.

And I didn't even have 40 points or 50 points in the year before. So it's like I was really mixed up and confused. And I remember being on the bus, like, tearing up. I couldn't believe it. And also about three weeks prior to that, we were in Norfolk and I was like, fuck, if there's one team I don't want to be us, it's the Chicago Blackhawks. I swear. I was like, there's no way they had all the studs, everyone.

And so when he told me, he wrote it on a paper and he slid it to me and it said, Chicago. I was like, no way. Like, I have no chance to make the NHL. No. So that's that's kind of where my head was at at that time. And I remember even Don Sweeney called me like I had nothing to do with this. And I remember I was distraught. Wow.

That's interesting. So I think players can look at careers on on online and think, oh, man, he finally got a chance by getting traded. And little did you know it was the best thing that ever could have happened to. I don't want to portray. But who was going back the other way.

Have Brandenberg chance to trade for the Boston Bruins.

What?

I think he had thirty six goals at that time or something crazy come off that year. Everybody, this week Larry was scooping ice cream truck and down the street you will lighten up in Chicago and. But not that time, though I thought it was actually even a good trade for them. Like, wow, they got chance for me. Crazy. All right.

So that year you go over to Norfolk and you continue like a point per game player, and then the next year is your first go in the NHL where you at least got called up. But that year in the NHL had to be one of the top players in the league. And what stands out is just how physical you were playing. And that's when you just basically decided, I'm doing anything I can to get there. Like, did you know there was a chance at the beginning of that year in camp you could get called up or you going in?

Like, I got nothing set right now.

I just got to go balls to the wall. I just thought I had to go balls to the wall. And I actually and I usually have good caps. I didn't have that good of a camp that year. And I got sent down and and I was playing horrible in Rockford the first ten games, like horrible. I didn't have one point in ten games. I was actually playing fourth line to and I remember I came into the dressing room and I was like ready to flip my Kaplan's table and me and Mike have an awesome relationship.

And I was like, you motherfucker put me on the ice, put me on a power play. And I remember I went home that night and I called my dad. I'm like, fuck hockey. I'm done with hockey, you know, like I did everything I could last year. Now I'm playing fourth line a year later, you know, and my dad's like, well, come sell tractors with me and stuff or you know what I mean?

I was like and I thought he was going to, like, sympathize and he's like, start coming down tractors with me. And that's where I was like, well, fuck, I don't want to sell tractors, you know, I'll find out. Yeah. So I went back and I actually in the next 15 or sorry, eight or nine games, I had like fifteen points and I was like and I remember little after that I was talking Italian and them and they're like, you got to do something different.

I was fighting and doing everything I could and then believe it or not, I was on my way. I think we were on our way to Peoria and I got a call and they're like, hey, we need you in Calgary tonight. And Calgary's my hometown. So I played my first ever game in Calgary. We obviously got to talk about the Stanley Cup in Chicago, the first Stanley Cup. Take us through that one. I mean, you played a significant role there.

Four goals, eight assists in 17 games. I mean, when you got that town like that, Chicago Hockey had been dead for a long time. Then it got revitalized. That must have been a pretty sick thing to go through this six goals and eight assists. But anyway, it was it was unbelievable. I remember about two years prior to that, the same year as in Rockford, we're sitting in one of the rooms, I think it was at the Sheraton and Dale Towns.

Like I'm telling you, if you guys win the Stanley Cup here, Michigan's going to be full. And we're like, yeah, right. Like, I remember pulling my NHL heart out of the bar and they put me to the back of the line, you know, things like that. So just to see where we were and fans were like eight thousand, seven thousand. And you could anyone could get a seat to where it ended in 2010 with the team we had and the friendships it was it's still a fairy tale.

I look back, I look at videos. It's really incredible. I mean, we got to talk about the celebrations like, holy shit, I mean, that city in general, I'd say it's probably top of the party list on a rookie. Part of it didn't have to stop beatboxing from first.

Yeah. Yeah, I was I had to sleep on my stomach basically after because my kidneys were sore.

We don't want to get too much into it, which is coming back from the Peizer here.

We're going to have about I read that the wrong stat line. I read the bug and come out. I fucked it up. Oh, you get pigeon. Awesome. I love that sometimes.

All right. Just what are you talking about? I'm just wondering, though, like that. So the Chicago team that the first cop when Cain scores, OK, where are you on the bench. Are you considering that like it's not in are you one of the guys? It's like no Cain or knows.

No, for me, he shot the puck and I heard a thunk and I thought it hit late and stick and went into the machine. So I'm looking in the meshing and I think it was brow or he looked over at me and was like, where is it? Where is it? And I'm like, I think it's in the meshing. And then I'll send everyone by. And he's like, I think it's in the net, like it's in the net.

So I jumped over and I remember I threw my gloves off. This fucking better be in the net. This better be in the net. And then I got down to the end of the ice and we're all hugging and everyone's like, is it in the net or is it in the net? And I swear they say they can't find that puck. But I swear, I looked down the ice and I saw the linesman pull the puck over. And that's when I was like, yeah, a bunch of us, like, we just saw the puck out.

And then we got the word from the video guy to the coaching staff and they told us it was in, but I never seen it go in. Like I said, I was looking in the meshing. Yeah, that puck became a big mystery because everybody thought Pronger took it because he was stealing all the pucks them, but they did say a linesman walked off and I refused to answer questions about or something like a thousand percent, I bet I know.

One hundred percent he had it.

No shit. Don't sell that thing at some point.

So going to your end the end of your first time with Chicago. So you mentioned that love and hate with Quinn. What had just gone a little bit sour? What was the reason why you ended up moving on and going to Toronto?

Why we just won the cup. And then I remember we were it was me, Vince Vaughn and Stan Bowman. And we're at a bar and there's like a little alleyway behind the alleyway. And Vince is trying to know we're just talking and then stands like a deer. I think we're going to have to move.

Yeah. And I was like, you know, and then I remember Vince. He's like, you know, how he talks is like, we can't we can't to play for us. You know, he's like, Vince, we got to trade. Chris, you know, it's kind of a funny moment. That's how I kind of knew it was going to happen. And then about a week later, I think it was around the end of June, started July, I was ended up getting traded to Toronto.

So you weren't you weren't a part of that Gong Show with, like the the qualifying offers not getting mailed out? I got a huge contract.

Is that explain people at all and what what actually happened in that situation? And was it Taylor's fault or is that on like somebody else was beneath them?

Dude? Well, who all you got to ask yourself is who's supposed to do the paperwork and how does go? But I don't know who was doing the paperwork or not, but at that time there was me, Fraizer, Bruer, Barker and a few of us. And those couple of those guys already signed contracts. And Bacher then called me the one Daniels. Hey, I think our our qualifying offers are missed by a day. And I was like, what?

And so I told my agent because he didn't. I remember. I'm like, hey, can you check if ours is missed by a day or two? He didn't see that either. No, because we just didn't expect it was your commission. Yeah. So he's like, holy shit, it is missed by a day. And I remember kind of at that time we were talking about like a two year, one point five maybe. And and that is actually the year I was up for Rookie of the Year.

So it was like a good year. But I was it was my first full year. So they didn't want to break the bank for anything. Yeah. And so we're going we're talking. And then all of a sudden my agents, like, I think we can get to you know, I think we can get to so we're at two and it was for two years and all of a sudden it was like we just kept going and all of a sudden my agents, like we're at three point zero eight, three, four, three years, you know, and I'm I'm screaming.

I'm like, I swear to God, I was like Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire. At that point. I was like, show me the money. Like, I couldn't believe it. I went, like I said, three years prior, I'm selling t shirts and rollerblades at the airport. Check it out, you know what I mean? And and now I'm signing a multi-million dollar contract. It was it was surreal. But that's for me how it was.

Obviously, it didn't end well for Dale, for that situation for him. But again, I end up going to Florida and playing it. Dale mean, Dale, I have a really, really good relationship. So it sucked that happened to him. And again, I don't know who files paperwork, but I'm just guessing it's not not Dale.

You're like, Dad, I can buy you tractor not only to work with you. Thanks. Thanks a lot for taking me to the rinks when we got that riding lawnmower. Yeah.

So you like the thing about Chicago that's so great and it's definitely changed with the dynasty that form there. But in terms of media coverage and craziness, it's it's not that nuts. I mean, they have so many teams in that city and then you get to Toronto, it's like, oh boy. So it must have kind of been almost annoying in a sense, where you're coming over as a cup champion and you got to deal with this media like did you enjoy your time there?

Granted, it was brief or you kind of like, I'm all set now. I, I enjoyed my time there. It was tough because I didn't put my skates on till about two days before it can, you know. So I had a bit of a rough start there. I think I had like one, one or two points in my first eleven games. And I had a I bought an Audi R8 actually in Chicago when I brought it to Toronto and in my parking garage, someone spit all over it and they wrote in it like they carved in like you suck and all this stuff.

Oh my God. So I remember I didn't tell the media this is a Babcock Bab's.

It was Twitter, there was a tweet. And in private I'm but no. So I remembered Phaneuf was saying, hey, Steger, how is your R.A.? How's the spin on your right? And all the media kind of like heard it. And then like a few days later, I remember hearing, like, who the fuck is versity think not the fuck, but who is versity think he is complaining about his hundred and fifty thousand dollars car getting spit on.

And I'm just thinking, dude, I don't care if I, I had a five thousand dollar car, it got spit on. But also I wasn't complaining to the media. That was kind of where I really realized like the fishbowl and what is like it's not just about hockey. There's a lot of other things that come along with it. And you got to really understand that and be able to prepare for that. But all in all, like Phil Kessel was my roommate and me and Phil got along well, we.

Also together a little bit in Boston, and there's great guys there, too, so it was a good experience and Burki and me have a really good relationship, too, but it was a good experience. It was just a different one and it was a short one.

Any memories of Phil? I mean, you play with him in two different spots in terms of just how what a natural he is. It's just like, I'm guessing the pregame naps. He's just rolling out of bed at the rink.

Steger, it's sickening. I remember even in Boston, Whiteside's during camp would make me and Matt Lashof take care of him. But like so he would always take the curtains and he would take like a clothes hanger to make sure no son got in. Right. And one day I remember we're in Pittsburgh and the clothesline falls off and it's like 7:00 in the morning and the sun's wearing and he's like, oh, my eyes.

Oh, my God, Steger, turn the lights off. I'm like, stand up, Bill. Like, what the fuck? You know, it just it was like constant stuff like that. Or even if, like, the next day he'd wake up the next day, like, I feel terrible, Steve. I just I feel terrible. Like it could have been that bowl of cheese you ate with pregame. But then he goes out and scores two goals and assists and he comes in the bus.

Sakurako they're not going well. I felt terrible out there. Holy shit. You know, and I just think I want to kill this guy.

Like that is the job of dealing with the media. They're like, yeah, how much flak he took for sure.

He's just an unbelievable guy. I love Phil. Chris, I want to ask you, you get treated like three times in a year, maybe one day longer than a year. What was going through your mind right now? You kind of like what the fuck? I would say one team traded, but that means another team once it was. Was it getting pretty frustrating for you at that stretch? I had to tell myself that a lot. Yeah, it was just it was strange.

You know, you get shipped out because of cap reasons and you go to Toronto and you're not on a great team and then you go to Philly. And I didn't play good in Philly and then I go to Florida. So kind of at that point I'm like, holy, I just want a Stanley Cup. And now I'm I've been traded like three times. I was like, fuck this. It's really hard. It is really hard. And the other hard thing about that is, is playing with new players and and playing confident within a new system.

There's something when I'm a player that is a field player, too, like I make small plays and I need to make these tight plays. And when you're not confident and you're in a new suit, you're in a new system or you're there and you just can't make those plays. And I felt that way, especially in Philadelphia, I wasn't confident at all. But then when I got to Florida, when me and Denine got together, he sat me down and said, you're going to use me in a big role.

And and I played really well for him at the start there and until the injuries and obviously shit kicked in. But yeah, it was psyche wise. I was in a rough spot for sure.

Who are you playing with in Florida where you got things going again? Like who are you vibing with offensively?

We had an unbelievable line. That is Steven Weiss and Thomas Fleischmann. And then at about game forty eight, I remember I tore my hip and then I came back, I think another like fifteen, sixteen games and then playoffs. But that first forty eight games. It was crazy like everything was going in. We were playing so good and there was so much fun. Just Weisse unbelievable center. You didn't have to focus on playing D at all. He was just such a good to a player.

And Fleischman, one of the most underrated skilled oh shooting players I've ever played with, Fleischman was sick.

And you know how you can just let people know how good he was. Just tell him Detroit picked him in the second round. Yeah. Like he was a Red Wings. And that means the guy's probably going to possibly be a Hall of Famer. He battled injuries, but he was so smart. I remember that team you guys had because you lost in Game seven to the Devils. Was that double double overtime? Yeah, man. Like that team was pretty good.

And then you just can't get anything going in Florida. It's so difficult to you look at that team and some young guys. Cool, come on D and you're like, all right, we might get going. And then it just kind of kept fizzling out. Yeah.

For sure that well didn't the lockout happened. Right. And and I had hip surgery. I didn't do myself any favors. I definitely came back out of shape. And then we had I believe it was Jovanovski had hip surgery and we had a couple issues with injuries. And then Garrison left to Vancouver. Am I wrong? I don't know. He left somewhere. So we lost some pieces and we had some injuries. And then the next year. So the lockout happened.

We didn't make the playoffs. And we come back and I was coming off ACL and a couple other things and it just, yeah, you just can find your mojo again. And that was a team we didn't have any superstars are great players, but we had a mojo to us and we we had some swagger and confidence that year and that helped. And after that, it pretty much left.

That was one town was in Florida at that point in time, had they had new ownership and started introducing the analytics stuff because there was a weird point in time there where they went very hard on the analytics and then backed off and then ended up having more control again.

Well, so I was gone in twenty thirteen November. Back to the Hawks. They just got the new owner like a day before I got traded. OK, and the only thing I remember is they had Horachek in there and I think he's a good coach. But I remember he was doing like triangle offense. I was like, what's triangle offense like? It was one of the weirder things I've done. But that was the only thing where when we were playing I thought was kind of strange.

But yeah, after that I guess they brought in all the analytics.

You're like, yeah, that's the NBA on TNT. Dude, this is hockey. We don't do the triangle offense, but I can't let that twenty, thirteen, fourteen season go by without talking about one of my favorite stories. And I'd love to hear your memory of it, but you were, you were such a good player. You were coming back from injuries. But like Denine wasn't playing you, he was furious. And then I just remember thinking, like, this kid's going to snap because we landed in Washington, DC at 3:00 in the morning and he was waiting at the end of the bus, had said, Steger, be at the rink at 10:00 a.m., like, take me through your whole thought process and how pissed off you were that day.

Yeah, I was fucking pissed, but but the whole thing just might be a long story, so cut me.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. I love this shit. Yeah. So I remember. So they thought the whole lockout happens. He's pissed off at me. Rightfully so. I'm not in shape. Right. I then blow my ACL and I come back like five months later to play five. Months after ACL, a fractured tibia like I was a mess and I told them, I'm like, hey, I'm shit right now, like, I can't skate my hips hurting again, which I had surgery on.

And I'm like, I'm not good. But they're like. Get in the lineup, play some power play, try to help. And then when I was playing, like, you know, rightfully so, I'm not playing good. So they're not going to play me in situations. But also I'm like, OK. And sometimes you're like, give me something too. So then I'm pissed by this point. You're like pissed and like we land in Washington.

Three a.m. pulls me off. He's like Steger, you're not in. And I'm like, fuck you, you know, fuck you. So the next day we wake up, I'm still pissed. We get to the there's like me and I can't remember who it was. Four or five guys meet me there. Yes. Oh that's right. That's how right I was. I remember that we're like on the ice. And Gord Murphy, we get out there and there's a bunch of talks and I start flicking pucks in the stands and Gord's not saying anything like he's not, but I'm kind of flicking him in the stands because I want him to say something, you know, so I keep flicking them in the stands and I go down for two on one and says, shoot another angle, shoot it in the stands, you know, so like, what was it, ten minutes into practice?

Maybe there's no pucks left on the ice.

Gerba Like, go, Poggio. There's nothing left. So so I remember Soma's like, I guess practice is over. There's no more fucking pucks left. I'm like, I guess so. Fuck, you know. So that was it.

That was that was the end of practice and all. You actually let you get off the ice. Oh, he was just done. He was done too. I didn't think he wanted to deal with that. He was disgusted. But the best part was like, oh my God, this guy's getting out of here like and then you go to Chicago. Look, what a moment for you. You know what?

I was so happy to go. I remember we were in the room, you and I. Right. And that's kind of like where I tell the story. Like I remember asking you because you're talking about what you want to do after your career. And I was like, don't you want to do radio? And, you know, I want to do a podcast because I can kind of speak and do things. So, I mean, kudos to you.

You followed through that that night, too. But I was I was a little choked because at the time I thought I was going to be in Florida and you signed for less taxes. Right. And so that kind of goes into it. And then out of nowhere, I was traded back to Chicago, which I was excited about. But it was a bit of a mixed emotion, too, because I did want to kind of follow through with what was going on in Florida.

But then I go to Chicago and and in Chicago. When I left in 2010, I was at the top of my game and even prior in Florida, 2011 12, top of my game. And then they get this guy coming back. He has had like knee and hip surgery. And I'm I'm horrible. So they must have been like, where the hell did this guy go the last three years when I came back? So for for the fan base, I don't think it was easy for them and it was very hard for me, especially that thirteen, fourteen year, just the I guess the criticism and everything I was taking, especially knowing what I was going through, it sucked.

But all in all, 2014 15 happens and then you win a Stanley Cup. It obviously comes full circle and you feel pretty good about it for Steeg. I just want to go back to the salt for a minute. Teams down SALT, Nashville, Carolina. All these teams have had success won cups, but it seems like the Panthers are the only one we haven't had in sixteen sustained success since like ninety six. You think they'll ever find it down there?

I know Miami's like a bad sports town, but it just seems like they're the one southern team that just can't seem to latch on like every other team down there. I don't get it. The big thing for their fans is that arena. It's in a horrible area. There's nothing to do out there. So after games, there's nothing for them to go do. So that's a hard sell for a fan base. And as a team, they have pieces.

But I watch them. They're not physical enough. They they lost. I forgot that the right handed shot downs and just they're not in guys faces enough and sometimes might. That might be your point. It's hard playing in front of an empty stadium. So there's not the extra energy there or Tampa. They have extra energy because they've got a great fan base that's that's at every game. And they got, you know, like no taxes and a great team.

So it helps to. But then you go to Florida and it's like an empty building and so it's so different. And there'd be like a one one game, like third period, two minutes left. And I swear, sometimes I'd have to slap myself in the face, like be like, holy shit, like we're in a game here.

So, yeah, at a certain point you got to be like, OK, we understand that, like it's in good financial position because I think when the older owner got it, it was kind of like the arena and land play. Agis values have gone up. But, you know, and I may be coming off as a hypocrite here because I work for an organization who's also had a difficult time sustaining high end success in the coyotes. But arena location is like like such a major piece.

Look at Ottawa like that's a Canadian city where when they're not winning and playing well, people don't want to drive out thirty minutes to Canada. They couldn't sell the fucking playoffs. They can't be in Canada. Yeah, it's crazy. How about after a game you're in the bus because there's one way out of the parking lot like Nick. It's horrible. So, yeah, it's your. You're 100 percent right about the location. So I got to jump to the to Russia because just to know that you got to experience what I experienced over there, like, was it pretty cool for you to get me out of here?

It was just a quick stint. Yeah, it was like six weeks. Dude, I got shingles over there. No. Oh, man. City talk about a panic. Yeah. So I got there and like, they treated me good. It was fine. Obviously it's a lot of lot is different there. Right. A lot different. But I got there and I don't know if it's the bacteria in the food, but I was fucking shit in like 40 times a day.

I'm like, holy hell, like I can't keep anything in my stomach. And I remember talking to Kevin Dollman. Yeah, he was over there. I was like Doleman like a mess. Like, I'm I can't eat. I can't do anything. So then like three weeks later my buddy comes out and I got this rash and I'm showing the doctors and they're like, Exuma, Exuma. My buddy is like, man, there's like blisters. So I send a picture to my doc in Toronto and he's like, and you've got shingles.

I'm like shingles. And I'm I'm now sitting in a hotel in St. Petersburg and I'm telling the team I'm like, I can't I cannot do this. Like, I cannot play. My back is on fire. It feels like someone's burning you with a pen, like literally with a pen. So then and then like there's a little bit of issues with my family's days at that time, too. So I was I was super stressed out about the whole situation.

And and then my wife was just pregnant with our new baby. We're we're trying to. And she got pregnant right before I left. I was going on and. Yeah. And fuck, man, it was just a hard situation down at that point. And that's where I was like, I just got to go. I got to go home. But man, I don't know if any of you guys had shingles wholely. It is brutal.

Yeah. It's caused by stress mostly. Right. Yeah, well yeah. But you went to Sweden after that. You kind of finished up the season in Sweden, right?

Yeah. So about four months later, a Swedish team bought me out. I had a couple of opportunities to go to, maybe a couple of Swiss teams. They were going to pay my Buy-Out for me to come in and one of my buddies was the captain of the Swedish Hockey Club. So I ended up finishing and Fact actually had a really good time. The hockey's like rugby on ice, so it's just it's not hockey and the referee over there, what is in Switzerland?

So Sweden, man, it's physical. They don't call anything like. Would you agree with that? It's rugby on ice. I remember even going to North Americans. I'm like, I might as well just play rugby right now. This is fucking brutal, like the way they don't call anything. And there's so many talented players there, like in that league, that Bocephus brother, I was like, this guy's insane. And then I looked at his point, he had like thirty points and fifty games.

I was like, what is going on? But like the holding to hooking the ref thing is just atrocious there. It's so bad. So but besides that, the living, if they could figure out the reffing in Sweden and the rules, it would be an unbelievable place, especially at the end of your career to go play. But that's something that they've got to figure out because it's just the hockey is is not up to where it should be, I think, in Sweden.

So I just don't understand the rugby reference. Is that the way they're like?

So if a bison shit, if you get boxed out in your own end, like, I remember I, I chipped the puck out of my own zone and a guy came in front of me and boxed me up like from my own zone. There would be like little plays. If you're going into the corner like a fifty fifty and you're holding someone on your back, a guy would just bear hug you, pick you up, move you and then take the puck, you know what I mean.

It was just like and the other thing is in Sweden they played these five man pressures. So it's just pressure points all over. And that's what Chicago's actually trying to do because they have all the Swedish coaches. But you can't do that in the NHL because the ice is smaller. And also the pressure point, if you miss someone in the NHL, it's a penalty or if you hook them or but in Sweden, the slashing like on your hands and all that, that's why you can high pressure there and the ice is bigger, too.

So if you get beat, you can still kind of get back. So that that for me, it was just like it was a it was a scrum all over the ice then to get to the net. No chance. Or get into the net. Sounds like the ninety five devils. Yeah, it was put to sleep by describing it that I'm telling you it's they got to fix that over there because the players that are elite like these guys are set.

I mean, did you guys talk about Calgary loss of our Los Angeles at all? I went to take a piss. So have you guys hit on these teams later in your career?

Not to mention that you you were lucky that you were able to finish your NHL career with the hometown flames? I must have been quite a thrill for you.

Yeah, that was that was awesome. There's no way I could have handled that early on in my career.

So it could have been all over the front page of the paper. It would be so bad to play in your hometown early on in those days. But now at the end of my career, I have my family and everyone. It was it was an awesome experience. Bradshaw, having brought me that was at the Oilers camp and I decided to go to Calgary. It had a bit bigger of a role, I was told by Tre and they followed through.

They gave me a role and it was just an awesome experience. We made the playoffs that year. I remember that. Funny, actually. A little story. We're in a bit of a schneid during the season and I have a buddy I always bring around. His name's nuts and he's a bit bigger. But anyways, everyone thinks that when we turn the corner that year, it was because Golitsyn let us have beers on on the train. But what happened was, is a little bit before that, I put my buddy in the sauna, he got naked and I put them in the sauna and so goodrow and Monohan would go in the sauna every morning and they get in the sun and they're like sitting next to this naked guy like, who the hell is that guy?

So they come out and they're like, Rob Pascals naked in the sauna right now. And then all of a sudden my buddy comes strolling out and it's him. So that was kind of like a moment on that season. I remember that kind of loosened up the boys. And we actually went on a heater after that and made the playoffs. It was it was an awesome time and an awesome experience.

They're all thanks to your DeGennaro buddy. Yeah. What a nickname.

Nuts. That's nuts. Yeah. Oh, my goodness. You do know that at the end of the next year that that was probably it in the NHL. You know, you're going over to Russia thinking maybe I can get back in the league. What's the approach there mentally?

I think a little bit of both that last year in Calgary. So I didn't get allowed to play in Switzerland because my hip was not in good shape. It wasn't good. So I came back from Switzerland and I actually went to Edmonton. So it was like Toruń again, like written. It's actually been torn for about two years, but I was just playing with it. And then that year in Calgary started off. I heard it in camp and then in Dallas and I turned on it and it tore.

And I remember like asking the doc, like, can I play? He's like, yeah, you can play. And it's just not going to be fun. So kind of at that point I was like, well, I got to try to play again. And then going into the next year, there wasn't anyone who was interested really. Maybe I had a Petel possibility with one team. But again, like it it didn't look like a good option.

So then Russia came and had a couple of offers in Russia and Switzerland. So I figured if I go to play in Russia, maybe I play good, maybe I can get back in the NHL. And I went there and obviously just stressed out and it didn't work out. Then went to Sweden and actually I played really well in Sweden. And that's why then I came back the next year. I played with Rockford for a little bit. But man, I was getting hit every shift out there and then the ups and downs.

And I remember talking to Brian Campbell after the game and he's just like I asked him, I'm like, what? When did you know it was over? He goes, when I couldn't deal with the highs and lows anymore. And I'm like, man, I can't deal with them. Like, I can't deal with the highs and lows. I still felt I could physically do it, but I knew my chance in the NHL was over and I wasn't willing to go through those highs and lows and also take a young kid spot in Rockford.

If I'm just going through the motions, it's not fair to those kids either. Knowing what I went through at that point in my career, I didn't want to take that from another kid. So it was just like it made sense for me to wrap it all up there in November and then go actually play the Spangler Cup. And that's when I knew it was done.

Can you describe that to like maybe fans? Like, what do you mean by that? Like, just the pressure, especially as an offensive player to put up points and when you're going through a slump, like how it's affecting your mood and how you are away from at the rink and also the social pressure, especially in markets where the media is a little bit crazier than ours. So it's just like you're riding this constant wave. And I don't think people understand how much it ages you as an athlete.

I've never heard that described the way Soupy did. It makes so much sense because you could when you're younger are the highs are great. The lows. I'll get back and then. Yeah, let's do it. I don't know if I'm going to get out of this low.

No, it's damn near depression almost. You know, you're just you're you're sitting there and then you're waiting for the next game. You're like, OK, if I play good, maybe I can feel good tomorrow. And then you play that game and you play like trash and you haven't got another point in like three games like, oh God, maybe.

And then you leave the rink and Rockford know it well and it was on there. But you're right, it's you're back in the minors and you're supposed to be a good example for these kids, too. Right. So there's a bit of the pressure there, too. And I was just. I just couldn't go through it anymore. OK, you're probably going to give us the best breakdown of any anyone possible event on the show. So you experience Kaner when he's a little bit younger and I'd say going through more of his party years and then you come back the second time around and talk about a guy who just really you just figured it out.

Seems like he completely devoted his entire life to hockey and just like talk about the difference between then and then the second time around and also just watching him day to day and like I mean, he's going to go down as probably one of the best American players of all time, the best man.

So everyone's always like taste, you know, and tases, tases like a workhorse. And he's dialed. But still, I've never seen someone work like Kane, especially on the ice after practice. You know, when practices were over, especially near the end record, I'm like, I'm out. I'm not staying in. But he he stays on long. He works on his game. He even skates all summer, you know, and he's constantly working on his game and doing things to try to either keep up to par or get better.

The second time around, he was just hyper focused. You know, when games would happen, it always be funny things on ice if I ever play them, like, what's your job tonight? I feel like I don't get the puck to me. That's your job. You know, it always kind of stuck with me like that. But like when he's playing, he's hyper focused, especially again later on in his career and even at practice, he definitely wanted to be the best, if not the best.

And it was it was something to watch. I definitely learned a lot from him. And now I got young kids and I see what he did at practice. And I know I'm kind of like a crazy hockey dad. I try to do that with them. Little things that he rubbed off on me. I try to instill in them. But he changed. He changed a lot. But he was also a lot of the same because when he was young, he still worked.

It was just obviously on another level later on. One of the guys I want to ask you about, when you were in Calgary, you shot his first couple of years in the league that you could Chuck. We've got on the show before. What's his feeling in the NHL? Well, it's high. He he's he's a prick, man. He's nasty out there. He's exactly what your team needs to win. He you know, I watch Anton Antoine or so and Aaron's a God.

Tell him to calm down out there. Tell him to stop going against Ryan Reeves. And we can and I love that shit. Like, I love it because the second Acy Reaves turns the clock over, something happens, you can hop on him. But imagine being that annoying and being as good as Matthew Bird.

Right, like your rousselle and like, you know, every guy around the league in the other locker rooms, like, I fucking hate this guy is the biggest loser in the world. But it's just like, no, the minute he gets on your team, you're like, this is what? This is a piece that you need to win.

It's unbelievable. Exactly. And then and then you add the element of to an elite player, an elite player. He's a leader around the net. He has high his hockey IQ is sky high. Obviously, he doesn't have the ability of economist David or those guys. But what he can do in and around the net, below the goal line, he's a lot like his old man like that. He sticks his butt out and he can hold guys off.

The best players can all hold guys off, especially in tight areas. And he's one of them. And he can create so much. And man, it's just you have so many different elements of a player, and that's why you get mad to get and that's why it pisses off everyone. But I love it. I and I remember during that year when he was getting suspended and he was doing some of those things, the elbow doughty, I remember I pulled him aside and I'm like, don't change.

I'm talented, but don't change. Maybe maybe can toe the line a little bit, but don't change because you need to be, you know, in some cases that gets those guys into the game.

They need to be like that in order to gain the juice.

One hundred percent, especially in today's game. Right. It's hard sometimes. Oh, my a I don't I like the old game because I like the emotion involved. I do feel like some of the regular season game becomes a little bit too much like a video game now where it's I don't think so.

This is a fair word to use, but just feel like, I don't know, maybe shorten the schedule to make games more intense. Irkay says something that calls it like a sun skate or it's robotic.

Their robots. Yeah, Mireia, we're talking about this. And when you retired, you kind of had a lengthy what you wrote and were very open about the fact that maybe you had a chip on your shoulder about all that stuff, like looking back now in the way it all went down. Do you have any regrets? Are you are you happy with how it mapped out? And like, what would you have done differently?

Maybe either. The biggest regret I have is not taken that lockout seriously. I did not think we were going to play. I did not. Do I agree with you? Like, I just kind of I don't know.

What was I thinking? Not going to play hockey. Do you didn't go to Europe? Oh, I didn't go play hockey.

See where I was watching the university team back in Lethbridge. Like I was like my buddy was the coach you were having. We'd have drinks and and I didn't skate. I just put my skates on and pushed pucks around, you know, seemed like I should have done exactly what you and I have that regret because you're getting. So much money, but not so much the money part, but the window is so small to do it, and I think I let my guard down a little bit that summer.

I just came off. I had actually double groin surgery, then I had hip surgery. And then I showed up kind of fat and I blew out my ACL. So it was just like karma a little bit. I feel for me.

And what makes it even tougher is you want a Stanley Cup, you're younger, you've made some money. So it's so easy now to look back at the time. You're like, I'm fine. I'm going to light this league up another five, six, 10 years. And it's just so not the case every time.

It seems it's not when you let your guard down, man, especially in this league, it'll catch up to you real fast.

Well, I got to ask you this because I'm using air quotes, but like a kid from last year, you had no chance to play in the NHL and you ended up doing it and you were so successful and like playing against you, playing with you had so much respect that the day you did retire, was it emotional? Like, I remember myself kind of breaking down, calling my dad. Was it was it hard for you?

Yeah, 100 percent. I remember you know, I call my mom. Everything I did was for her, you know, my mom and my grandma and grandpa. I like without them, you know, like we couldn't afford to play hockey, you know? And my grandma to this day says, you know, if it wasn't for hockey, she would probably be dead or in jail, you know what I mean? And that's why they did what they did to keep me and my brothers in the sport of hockey.

So all this stuff near the end of my career, I'm just like, man, I wish I could go on for them mentally and physically, but I just couldn't do it anymore. And I almost felt I was letting them down after what they did. For me, it really tough times in my life. So that's why I broke down, was for her, was for my with my mom and especially my grandparents.

Well, man, I'm so happy we finally got John and I think it's pretty much up to you. Whatever you want to do, hockey media wise, I think the way you've kind of approached what your Instagram does and not just talking about goals, but just stop in little place. I really enjoyed it and I'm pumped. You came on and so congratulations on a great career and looking forward to catching up with you in person at some point, hopefully.

For sure. Bizos, an honor. Thanks for having me on. Thanks so much.

The guy go one more quick one for you. Who do you like for the cup? I like Tampa Bay. OK, yeah. Too bad.

Don't have money on them. I think our fan base is really going to enjoy this man. I'm like, this was this is awesome. Feel free to reach out. You can come on any time and know. Yeah.

Maybe, maybe if you figure out what's next, whatever it is. Come on. We can pump that. You know how to pump your knees up. Yeah. Know for sure when we will meet.

Whoa, whoa. First DGS app. It teaches you how to stick candle and you can get beers delivered and left fridge. So exactly.

I could have the office portion of the app where you teach kids how to put rubbers on and call a growing number and be respectful. That's why they want their money back.

Like what happened? She got her pride, that five. All right, buddy, we'll talk to you soon. All right. Take care, guys.

Tuesday, Chris Christie for joining us because I love the how he made the connection from his hometown to my hometown, I guess I guess it was a pretty rough area he grew up in. And, you know, basically a lot of guys end up dead or in jail if they're not successful. So definitely interesting points you made. I thought he was fantastic.

He was awesome. And looking forward to him popping off on his media career. I feel like he's one of those guys that he presents himself well on camera. He's been doing those Instagram videos and breaking down plays and power plays and shifts from the playoffs. So check him out. Stag licious.

Correct, Steg? Delicious. Delicious, delicious. That's how it is.

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I'm need a new fucking job soon after my my been criticism the first on that Klingberg also 10 points in the last eight games. So I'm getting the sandpaper finish on that one.

I would say I over the wire. We want to send congrats to Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumbo on winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. It's given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and was made significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Obviously, Dume has been at the forefront of ridding this game of racism. He made this very emotional speech that kicked off the playoffs, which is a terrific job. He did. We talked about it before.

So kudos and hats off to Matt Brown, one of the King Clancy trophy, or writes, Absolutely.

One of the cool things we saw on Twitter bounce around the weekend business. That old Ontario blues team. Picture it, Steve Stamkos, John Tavares, Mike Calzado, Alcatraz Angel and Michael Hutchinson on. I looked like they were about eight, ten, twelve years old. Forty nine oh and one. They went to one game. They lost Tavaris missed on a sudden death shootout goal. And he says that Stamkos never lets them forget it. Stamkos, his dad, was coaching the team.

Pretty cool little picture, though, floating around a tough week for JT Islanders. Move on. He's getting criticized on Twitter because he can't fucking finish in a minor league game. I tell you who they want to be fucking well. And Tigers, that's who they want to be.

I just want to mention that those Delgado said, I think on Twitter response to Spit and Chicot, they were forty nine and one in the summer. Playing 50 games in the summer means you're a crazy person, so I guess six, 16 of them made the NHL congrats. But did I misread that? I think you said 50 games in the summer.

So for parents having their kids play 50 games in the summer, you're nuts.

That's a stacked squad. A couple the notes Max offered, he stepped away from the blues bench. She'd been working there as an assistant, just kind of out of the blue. I don't know. They didn't get into why, whatever it's personal, none of our business. But either way, he did step away from the blues, the Coyotes business team there in the market for a new general manager. They've reportedly talked up Maguire and Sean Burke, among others Martin.

They've talked to Peter twice, apparently, and everybody seems to have a problem with this, but, hey, you know me, I'll give everyone a chance. And there's nobody in the world who knows junior hockey players and where guys played more than Peter Maguire. So you already know he's going to be drafting incredibly. He knows what these guys are for pregame meal and juniors. So if he does get the job, I will welcome him with open arms.

Maybe he even needs an assistant. I wouldn't mind hopping back there, Chris. I made him throw my hat in the ring at this point. But there are a few other candidates. Sean Burke is apparently one another guy. I think he had a four hour meeting the other day with them. He knows the organization knows a ton about the league. He's been overseas scouting for the Spangler Cup. So he knows players in Europe as well. Of course, Steve Sullivan, who took over as interim GM when Chaika left because he was the assistant at the time when Jim Tricor was the GM.

So those those are a couple names that have popped up. I don't know who else is has been interviewed. I don't really dive too much into it. I kind of wait for the news to roll out. But, yeah, it should be interesting. Do I think Peter McGuire is going to get the job? No. If he does, will I be surprised? Yes. Do I want it to happen because I want to see fucking Twitter explode.

Yes. And and it would give us another great topic of conversation for this podcast.

I better go and have some fun, Ottilia. What do you mean? That's the that's what the play is every time. Oh yeah, right over your head. How about this? I got a dumb, dumb slide the other day from former Washington capital, Jeff Halpern. He asked permission from Uncle Ziggy if he could make a tribute, donate at his donut shop, Astro Donuts in Washington, D.C. He actually released a special Donut is a Jelly, doing it with the cream cheese glazed in bacon and sesame seeds on it.

Obviously, it's in D.C. I didn't have a chance to try it out, but I was with Oncology's. When I save up for former pro player asking permission, he's like, Yeah, absolutely. He was he was pretty proud, I think G and we're also releasing a full tutorial on the YouTube page of how to make the G.G special.

So keep an eye out for that three. He's like, no GDI. Like how much he's giving. How much is he going to give me.

Nah, not, not at all. He didn't want he didn't he said I don't want to sound. He goes, I think you just was appreciative of the tributes.

I think he just wants to share the greatness that he's created. That's what. Right. That's the best thing you could do if you if you invented this awesome breakfast.

Well, it's funny because his wife, my aunt, she's she's a nurse all mass general. And just there in the break from some a couple of the nurses were talking to each of the girls boyfriends, like requested them to make the special for him. And she's like, that's my husband. Like, so he's becoming like this little. But we still haven't even dropped the video yet. And it's going to be awesome. I mean, he was here for two hours.

Obviously, we'll whittle it down to about ten minutes because he talks more than I do. So I can't wait for that to drop already.

I will say I've written on a few walks through Charlestown. Every time I go for a walk, I see her at some point. Does he just cruise around Charlestown all day?

Yeah, those strolls, he likes to walk all the north and plus Charlestown. So small. Dude, I've got more text from people like to that. There's down CBS was that. I think I just saw Bhishma. Yeah he's he's in town. He's strong around. We got a real life celebrity bouncing around Charles Downs, robbing banks.

I'm going to really adapt. Yeah. Yeah. Well man I played you.

Got anything else you want to show you to wrap this up? One last thing to share. Just just so we're leaving the island yesterday. The boat, the first polar opposite to and then you go to brunch. I have a couple of drinks. The next thing you know, you're going to the beach and it's like twelve thirty lagnado. I got to leave the next one for fifty or whatever it was. Well, what do you know? It's like fifty minutes before the thing leaves and I'm with Ned Haven.

Everyone knows he's a former good guy. Sean Horcoff. Keith. Yeah. We're hanging out having a great day. And Ned had parked like he thought we were at a different beach park, like kind of a mile away, and they were walking the beaches carrying coolers. So at the end of the day, right, like we're now have to go return the rental car, get it downtown, hop on the ferry. So we're going to drive his wife to their car where they parked.

So you drive down this dirt road, then you drive down another dirt road and up another road to the next beach over the next parking area for the next beach. Well, I dropped Ned's wife off and I go back up and just kind of like do a three point turn to get going forward. It's a one lane road, right? And dude, I'm stuck in the sand, I'm going reverse, I'm going forward, so I'm not only stuck, I get out, I look, I'm like, are you shitting me right now?

But I'm sideways.

So the one lane road's blocked, so anyone that's down the beach cannot get there. And my ferry ends up leaving. I think it was leaving in twenty three minutes. And the way I said it was going to take me 17 minutes to get downtown, I'm like, oh my God, now I am so bad with anything like car related, like stuck in the stuck in the dirt it might as well be rider trying to get the car unstuck. My heart is just racing.

I was more worried about how embarrassed I was going to be when all these people were soon going to want to leave the beach in my rental car was walking them.

So all of a sudden these three kids walk out, they're walking down and they're like, oh, do we can help you push? Because I'm like trying to push my wife's in the car in neutral drive. I know nothing about four wheel drive or anything. I'm like, oh, unbelievable.

This one kid, he's like, holy shit, are you running from straightjackets? What the fuck are you doing? I'm like, unbelievable. The kid goes, I thought you'd be playing in private. I'm like, oh my God, I'm a peasant right now. I know, but these kids are awesome. All of a sudden, Ted's wife's gotten in her car. She sees her. She's like, oh, my God, she gets in the driver's seat.

Four wheel drive lo these three B's help me. We push the car out of the sand. We go flying away. I get this kid, Wilma Garcons Navon. No, I'm sending them all this gear. Legendary moves in the middle of helping me was able to chart me and tell me I was a peasant for not flying private and I bombed down the road. I got downtown in 15 minutes or 60 minutes. The ferry left in four. I called the rental car place.

I said I'm leaving a double parked right in front of the gazebo. And he's like one. I just hung up and I just put the thing with the house and double parked, sprinted down my golf clubs and all of our bags.

Last one is there, closing the ferry door. No way.

So Ned's wife was the one to figure out to put it in four wheel drive low and go reverse and forward in this kid, Will McGucken and his two buddies are pushing.

And it was just an unreal, unreal ending to a great little vacation and me being helped out by some awesome people. So, yeah, I thought that was pretty, pretty funny.

And all the while, you being completely useless, useless. I'm the guy who's like directing them push, push buttons. I'm not great with stuff like that. I got one last thing to say. I got a text from ratio and a close family friend to him is going through a difficult time. The whole family is Sam Tourny, who's in the middle of a huge battle and getting bone marrow transplant at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. So to to the mom, Sally to Bob, the father brothers, Bobby and Jack, we just want to on behalf of the podcast, we want to wish him the best and getting through all this and we're going to root for you.

And so they started a hashtag and it's strong with a capital s capital T to start, as in for Santorini. So he's going through something difficult right now. So on behalf, as I mentioned, podcast's and our fan base and everyone, best of luck getting through this difficult time.

Well said. We send our best and that wraps up in a better place that's done. Absolutely.

Well, that wraps up this episode. We'll be back again. Thursday will be a couple of games deep. So everybody enjoy the hockey this weekend. We'll catch up with you Thursday. As always, we'd like to thank our dynamite sponsors here and spit checklists big thanks to our friends over at New Amsterdam. Vodka and Pink Whitney. Huge thanks to our new friends at CrossCountry Mortgage. I hope you folks check them out. If you're looking to buy a house, you want to learn more about the process, do check them out.

Big thank you to everybody. Ababil. I can't wait to learn a new language. Hopefully folks do as well. Big thank you to Hello Fresh. Hopefully you Canadian listeners check them out. Like I said, no mesh, no prep. It's so much easier and big thanks to our longtime friends. It's pretty cool to check them out if you're looking to hire. Have a great weekend. That tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna.