Jeff Marek discusses Panthers winning back-to-back Stanley Cups

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts.
Welcome on into the Energy Line with Nate JSB. I'm
Julie Stuart Binks and he's former NHLer Nate Thompson. He's

(00:23):
back in the saddle after Let Me Fly solo with
John bouci Grass, who I told should invoice the NHL
for doing that show with me. Nate soilers in seven
prediction did not come true. Energy Line is a production
of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. We have a Stanley
Cup champion, folks, and it is the Florida Panthers for

(00:43):
a second straight season. Repeat repeat. We'll get into it
as Daily Face Off host Jeff Merrick will join us
in just a bit, Nate. Game six this series was
like such a crazy banana sandwich. Any game could have
gone anyway. So I thought, well, Florida by all means
should probably win Game six. So ahead of time, I

(01:05):
was like, that means that Edmonton will win it. So
I put a lot of bets on Edmonton. And let's
just say that's very unfortunate news for me because the
Florida Panthers absolutely, you know, as Bob Bisnett said on TNT,
anaconda choke hold just squeezed the life out of the
Oilers and did it so early, so easily. What did

(01:29):
you think of that Final Cup winning game?

Speaker 2 (01:31):
No, I mean that the analogy is perfect and it
reminds me the other day. I went to jiu jitsu
and I went against a black belt and that slowly
felt like an anaconda coming around me and basically getting
me in submission. And that's exactly what the Florida Panthers
did to Evanson Oi.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
It was just a.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Slow, slow, We're gonna drag you underneath the water and
you're gonna slowly drown, And that's exactly what they did.
It was just as a series went on. It just
they've they got better, They got better as a series
went on. And I know Connor McDavid Lee and they
all kept saying, you haven't seen our best yet, you
haven't seen our yet. But I think if I picked Edmonton,

(02:07):
but we got to give Florida the flowers they deserve,
because I don't know if Edmonton could bring their best. Yep,
if it wasn't for Florida Panthers, Like they didn't allow
them to bring their best because Florida they're just they're
too much. They're for check their d Sergeybobrowski like all
those things. They separated themselves from the Oilers because they

(02:28):
were just so much better in those departments goaltending first off, obviously,
I think they're Here is a stat which is crazy
that I saw the third line of luster Yon, Marshawn
and Londel. They had fifty five points in twenty two games. Wow,
between the three of them, that's first line. That's first
line numbers. So right there, that's that of alone in itself.

(02:50):
If you saw that, you're gonna say, Okay, the Florida
Panthers won Stanley Cup.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
You know that that's a huge difference.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I mean, this team, I want to just say team,
because Florida they when I think about the Panthers now,
they just exude team. The way that they celebrated the
way that they care for each other. You hear about
the interviews, you hear about Paul Maurice talk about how
kind they are to each other, and it's just it's hilarious,
right because you see how kind they are to each

(03:16):
other been on the ice, they're about as mean as
it gets.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
It's just impressive.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Julie, I'm so impressed by Floor just because of the
way they do it. It's funny because like the way
they play now is the way they play in November,
and sometimes in November that doesn't translate to wins. But
they don't change. They just keep coming, they keep doing
the same thing. They believe in their team. They believe
in their guys. They believe in the guy that's maybe
going to step in for Sam Reinhardt, maybe going to

(03:43):
step in for an injured Matthew ku Chuck because they
believe that that guy is going to come in and
do the job.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
And it's just mex man up.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
It's a well oiled machine. We keep saying that, but
and I know we keep talking about how good they are,
but it's they deserve it. I mean, they are as
soon to be dynasty. They can beat you in so
many ways, and then on top of that, they beat you,
and then they psychologically beat you.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Down more after they beat you.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, you know, with all these quotes that are coming out,
and it's just and the way they're partying, and you know,
it's just it's amazing. I think that there's no reason
why this team can't do it again. I mean, they're
set up and if they can keep obviously the looming
free agents that they have on their team, the sky's limit.
I don't see why they could win a third one.

(04:31):
They can't. They definitely can't. It's gonna be up to
Bill Zito. He's got his works cut out. He's got
his work cutout for him right now. But the way
this team it almost seemed like it seemed it's weird.
There was more overtime games, but it seemed like this
was an easier series win this year than.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
It was last year in a way. Yeah, did it
feel like that for you?

Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, because even though they went to overtime in those
like three out of first four games were overtime, and
it was like, it's just gonna be the best Jelly
Cup ever final, and it was like, nope, it's not,
because they even though like Edmondson never regulation, so even
though they got it to Game six and like you know,
they got the wheels blown off of them and what
was it, Game three and then also Game five, so

(05:14):
Edmonton got blown out two games and three overall because
they also got Game six blown out. But it's like,
as you said, as we've said every series Florida seems
to like that Game five, it was like it's like
they got better as a series went on. We'll let
the Leafs win the first two and then let's like
we'll go for it. Edmonton wins, like we're going to
go for it. And I think, like what you mentioned

(05:35):
with Matt Matthew Goodchuck had said, with our system, like
we all believe in it so much that it's like
even if it's not working at one point we lose,
like we know that we just if we just stick
to that and everyone just keeps playing like we're still
going to do our same routine that we have done
all year as like a dance pack, and it's still
gonna win whatever, you know, because it has it's tried, tested, true,

(05:57):
won it last year, got them to the final the
year before, and I think like when I watched them,
almost like blown away by the fact that like, oh
my gosh, this team is so good on the ice,
but then they're also so good as a team. With
like the giving of the cup to the new guys.
They're kind it's like they are the they're psychologically warfare

(06:20):
great at getting in your head. It's like, oh my god,
is this team like just so much better than every
other team because of like all of the they check
every box, And then I just think, how could any
team beat them unless something crazy happens. This team is
the probably like the best team I've ever watched team wise.

Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yeah, I know they are. It's crazy.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
Like I think about this team and I think like
psychologically mentally, like I think obviously skill wise all those things,
but mentally, this might be one of the toughest teams
mentally that I've ever seen, as far as.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
The things they've gone through, the injuries, how.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
They're able to navigate a series when things are hard,
and how they're able to you know, just know and
believe right, Like you go back to the quote with
Paul Maurice. You see him on the bench of last
year and he and he's yelling at him in time
out and he says, fuck the plays, get the puck
behind their D, pound their fucking D because it's gonna

(07:23):
it's gonna matter in Game seven.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
And like, there isn't a more fitting quote.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
For that forloida Panthers team because that's exactly what they do.
And it starts too, like it starts with a guy
like Sasha Barkoff. I want to talk about Barkoff because
this guy didn't have a goal the whole series in
the Stanlea Cup finals. He's their captain, but he was unbelievable.
He was so good in every aspect of the game.
He didn't score, but he did everything else. And it

(07:49):
just shows how selfless.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
This team is. And it starts with him.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
I mean, you see after you know, he's you know,
I'm sure they started with him with every guy that
didn't win a cup. He's carrying the cup first. You know, well,
we'll do our lap after that are done.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
I mean even after two I send it to our group.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Chat, right and he's celebrating with the arena workers by
himself with the cup out there, getting them to cheer,
you know, little things like that.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
You know.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
On top of that, he's going to his neighbor's house
at five am to make sure he can hang out
with him with the cup too. I mean, this team
is just it's full of guys like that. It's not
just Sasha Barkov. It's a lot of guys. And there's
a reason why they're two times Stanley Cup champs, and
they have more that they can win here in the
future too.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah, I know, And what about like the resurgence of
Brad Marshawn too, I mean and seeing him party and
him like, you know, kind of bookending his career. But
he's this year has been massive for him. He wins
it four Nations, you know, he's on Team Canada. Then
he wants to stay with the Bruins, like come up
with some kind of team friendly thing. Nope, goes to
Florida and ends up like he's hoisting a cup at

(09:01):
elbow room and just like they're all, what are they saying?
Thank you Boston? Everyone cheering thank you Boston?

Speaker 3 (09:11):
And he joined in one of the chants.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
To think you I love seeing them party with the
cup there was that was all time. They're having a
great time with it.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
Brad Marshawn is another one. Like if if they don't
have Brad Marshawn.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
I mean, do they win the Cup? Yeah? I know,
I don't know, maybe not right.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
I mean, that's such an X factor and I think
that's another guy like you know, we we I'm sure
we're going to get in the free agents. But I
mean he's a guy that like he could be back
with the Forida Panthers next year. Isn't that wild to think? Like,
if I'm Brad Marshawan, I'm thinking, why.

Speaker 3 (09:39):
Would I leave?

Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yeah, why would I leave? Like it's such a good
fit for him. You know, he's he's in a good
spot there. I mean, they have this dynamic if they
know they've won, they've won, He's won his second one,
they won their second one in a row. Like maybe
maybe they're like, Brad, we're going to find a way.
All all of us are gonna stay here and we're
gonna run this back again. I mean I could see
that happening.

Speaker 3 (09:57):
I really do.

Speaker 1 (09:58):
This team is so good, so I would want to
I would want to play there, Like I would never
have said that in my entire life before. But it's
like they win, they have fun, They are in the sun,
and they have no income tax, state income tax, bingo
bengo bongo. That's a lot better than Edmonton, which unfortunately

(10:18):
is on the other side of this. And I mean,
there's two ways you can kind of look at this.
I listened to a lot of Canadian sports media as well,
and they're kind of like, Okay, second year Conor McDavid
doesn't get it done. I love this like all these
like what is his legacy? You know, it's like he's
twenty eight, He's fucking twenty eight years old. He's probably
going to play for another twelve fifteen years maybe. Like also,

(10:40):
who someone said something the other day podcast as listening
to is like legacy, you kind of forget what anyone
does anyway. You always remember the good stuff regardless. So
it kind of doesn't even matter what you think your
legacy is gonna because you can't really control that. But
what would you say is like the biggest takeaway from
just overall, Edmonton doesn't win it again and this time

(11:01):
they lose it in six games versus Yeah, it's.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
It's just taugh.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
I can't imagine being the Edmonton Oilers losing two years
in a row to the same team. And you could
you could see the difference in last year the interviews
and this year, and you saw like like Connor, like
last year he was devastation, you know, he didn't know
what to say, you know, and this year it was anger.
You know, he says, you know, we keep doing the

(11:26):
same thing over and over again, and I guess he's right,
you know, I mean, you'd keep doing the same.

Speaker 3 (11:29):
Thing over and over again. It's not working. Whether that's
a definition of insanity, right, So I don't know. For me.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
The Oilers, obviously, the big thing that's glaring, and it's
obvious is the goaltending matchup. I mean, when you're having
to switch your goalie in and out in a Stanley
Cup final, back and forth, it's just not a good
feeling for the team. I think that definitely was a factor.
And then on top of that, you know, you have
guys like him and out who I think was it

(11:57):
was extremely evident not having him in the lineup against Florida.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (12:01):
And then I think just there their depth, like Florida's
depth is just better, you know. And I think in
that and and towards the end of the series, I
think some of the df Redmonton weren't as good as
they could have been, like at home and Bouchard I
think struggled the last couple of games.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
Yeah, they had a couple of those intremental moments yeah yeah, and.

Speaker 3 (12:22):
And those things. Yeah, you're just you're just not gonna win.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
You're not going to win a Stanley Cup like that,
and Florida deserve to win it, and Edmonton's right there
they obviously they're right there, one game and two games
away from winning Stanley Cup two years in a row.
But there is a little bit of a makeup they
have to change, like I said, goaltending. You know, maybe
it's one of their core guys that's gone and they
have to make, you know, just shuffle things around a
little bit like we've seen other teams in the past

(12:46):
do before they win a Stanley Cup.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
So maybe it's it's tough.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
It's tough for the Oilers, but maybe it's coaching. I
don't think so though. I don't think now blocks that.
I don't think.

Speaker 1 (12:56):
Okay, one question, I'm going to just interrupt your little
soloquy right there. But like as someone that does soliloquies,
I can call you out on that. Is it? Uh,
what do you think of them pulling skinner like? So
with so much time left in the third?

Speaker 2 (13:09):
You mean like when an empty net? I mean I
might have waited a little bit longer, but I understand.
I mean they're down what three four nothing at the time,
and yeah, I don't think there's any other option.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
It was like double or notough and we got to
get something going whatever with that. Yeah, Okay, and then.

Speaker 3 (13:26):
Second question, they had to they had to get at
least a goal.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
Right, second question, Corey Perry sees a cup raised again
on the other side, is this guy now like disassociating
from that kind of moment or does he actually like
feel it because this is kind of gotten to a
point of like terror for him.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, he feels it.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
I mean, I mean I felt it for him watching.
I mean it was that was hard. I mean, I
can't even fathom you. I can't fathom losing many cups
and the way he's done it. But like at the
same time, like I know it sucks and no, I
pro I wants to hear this.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
That's losing.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
But in a silver lining they I mean, what he
did for the Oilers team. How good he was, not
just in the playoffs but all season. He was so
good this year they don't make this stay like Cup
finals without Corey Perry. And that's crazy to say, but
maybe that's an issue in itself too. If Corey Perry's
one of your best players, maybe that's a problem as well.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
No offense to him, but.

Speaker 1 (14:22):
At forty he shouldn't be like one of the guys
that's your top players. I think no, no, okay, no.

Speaker 3 (14:28):
He shouldn't be one of the top goal scorers.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
I don't think does he say if he was to
hang him up, which he's not going to. But right now,
with what everything he's done in his career, do you
think he would get a call to the Hall of Fame?

Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yes, has to. I mean everything he's done.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
I mean that's not even including him his MVP Heart
Trophy all that, but like everything he's done in the
last five years I think puts him in the Hall
of Fame, going all the Cup finals and his production.
I mean he's won everything. He's won everything, So I think, yes,
he's a Hall of Famer.

Speaker 3 (14:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (15:00):
You know what, as before we take a short break,
remember before Game seven against Chicago, talking to Bruce Boudreau
and he said to me, Hazy and Johnny and we
can say this stuff now because it's ten years ago
or whatever, I mean whatever. He said, this is a
game for Getsy and Perry. That's like, this is a

(15:21):
Hall of Fame type of game, like to get your
team to the Stanley Cup Final, it would be winning
this Game seven against Chicago, and they didn't win it,
but that also was like we could then feel from
Bruce at that moment that you guys weren't gonna win
because of Bruce's demeanor like that was it was like
I think Hazy turned around and was like they ain't
winning it tonight, and that was the morning just based

(15:44):
on Bruce. So I think it's very interesting how coach
can have such an influence on a team. And of
course we love we are big Bruce Gabby fans on
the show, and that's also just an opinion. But look
at Paul Maurice, He's ax murderer, Jeane, the whole team's
ax murders. So I think that's kind of interesting. We
can go into that another time, another player. We have
so many more podcasts that come, as Nate and I

(16:06):
have been discussing, but right now we have got somebody
who loves to talk hockey, who's one of the best
in the biz and works his butt off, and that
is Jeff Merrick, host of the sheet for Daily Face
Off coming up after this. All right, welcome back into

(16:28):
the energy line of Natan jsp and I'm super excited
to be able to have our next guest join us.
A longtime friend. Have known him ever since I had
my first full no, my first paying job in the industry.
I'm gonna say full time, but shot listening at Hockey
Night in Canada was certainly not a full time job
unless you lived down the street. This guy is the

(16:48):
host of the sheet with the daily face off. It's
none other than the one and only Jeff Mark. Jeff,
thank you for joining the Energy Line today.

Speaker 4 (16:55):
When we work together at CBC JSP first of all,
hello and Nate. Good to be with you again. When
we worked at CBC, I was always impressed that we
were all a bunch of slobs, and especially the guy,
and like, there's an open door policy on ugly, there's
an open policy on like dressing like a slob. You
look like a freaking pro. I was like, holy smokes,
like you were like embarrassing the rest of us to

(17:16):
sort of up our game.

Speaker 1 (17:17):
I was trying to dress the Jack for five minutes.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
And already she gets it. Ended up getting you, ended
up getting it like you're a thorough pro from from
day one, and you know what, here's how I'm not
going to be a pro hijack your show.

Speaker 1 (17:29):
JS.

Speaker 4 (17:31):
So So I was talking to and texting with an
ex player from the Ontario Rain last night, and I said,
give me one Nate Thompson story. So here, and I'm
going to read this verbatim. The identity of this person
shall remain anonymous and nameless. So here it is. We

(17:54):
had this the Ontario Rain. We had a team party
at a Mexican restaurant in Manhattan Beach. It has karaoke.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (18:03):
He and his partner were there. I don't think he
was planning on staying long, but right when karaoke opened,
he got on stage belted out a Sinatra song. Ninety
percent of our team had no idea who it was,
and then he left. He said it was one of
his go to songs, Nate Thompson karaoke and I'm out.

(18:25):
Do you guys have your party. I'm here to sing
a song and then I'm out. First of all, do
you remember that night? And what was the Sinatra song?

Speaker 3 (18:32):
I do? I do?

Speaker 2 (18:34):
The Sinatra song was I've got the World on a
string and I can sing it. I can sing off
when when it comes to that song, Oh yeah, I
remember because I don't drink, so these guys obviously were drinking,
having a good time, and.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
And I was, you know, just older guy.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
At the end of my career having fun with him,
and I knew it was time to leave soon. I
think my daughter was not born yet, and so who
I was she was pregnant and we were like all right.
I was like, well, one more song and then I'll
go up there and sing, sing, sing some frank and
then and then we can go and that I only.

Speaker 4 (19:10):
Have one go to for karaoke because I'm a horrible singer.
I'm a bad talker. I'm an even worse singer. Mine
is Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers. That is, you know,
there's a man who leads a life of date. That's
my only jam.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
Powers like secret Agent Man Secret, That's the only one
I can do.

Speaker 4 (19:33):
That's always been my karaoke going karaoke key that I have.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
JSB for sure has a karaoke.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
Song broadcasted on my Instagram. I haven't been to karaoke
since Christmas this year, so it's been a little bit
of time. But I I do first of all, Nate
kudos for doing karaoke without having a single drop of
alcohol in your system. I'm not sure. I'm not sure
if that's a little bit more concerning.

Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, it's probably both. Yeah, you look at both sides.
It's probably concerning too. Yeah, but I sang Frank Sinatra
and then just left.

Speaker 1 (20:10):
Hey, I love that story, Jeff, thank you so much
for doing your research and bringing that one up. I'm
a total clich a heart. But turn the recreation, Bonnie Tyler.

Speaker 4 (20:23):
You like the ones that make them cry.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
I mean people will watch me cry.

Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:29):
Well, we're all co hosts basically, so we're all linemates
right here on the energy line. And Jeff, speaking of
that energy line, obviously we've got depth here and let's
just get it out of the way. Florida Panthers just
absolutely so much better than anyone else. It's it's almost
like we shouldn't have even had a season. We knew

(20:51):
they were good last year. They did it again this year.
What do you think is like what stands out to
you most about how they won this year?

Speaker 4 (20:57):
You know, to me, there there's one thing. First of all,
like we all saw like how hard this team compete,
like Nate played Nate, Like Nate is gonna get this.
Right away you look at the team and right away
you say, like they're winning every race, They're winning every battle.
Everything along the board is like all of it battle
in front of the net. The one thing that really
impressed me here, Like I've been told going back to
two thousand and five when the league reinvented itself, that

(21:20):
this is all about foot speed and this is about
fly zone NHL and speed speed, speed, race, race, race,
that's how you're successful because stuff Foresling's an ice skater
and Tom Ladell is an ice skater. But tell me
who the burners on the Florida Panthers are, Like, it
ain't bark Off, it ain't Sam Reinhard Like, there's not
like a collection of guys that are gonna beat you

(21:43):
with speed, you know. And I don't think it's as
simple as saying this is a victory of will over skill,
because Florida, like everybody on this team has a baseline
of skill that they work from. And then after that
it all becomes about work rate and how hard you're
going to compete in every single situation, How are you
going to stay connected, how you're all going to stay together.

(22:06):
But I'll just be blunt, No one's a fast skater here,
yet no one skates like this. This flies in the
face of everything we fit well, we think we know
about building a successful team that is. And it helps
when you have a Hall of Fame goaltender, get all that.
But to me, that's the one thing that really stood out.
This team didn't do it with skating. And we've always

(22:26):
been told if you can't skate, you can't play. I
don't know that I believe that anymore.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
Yeah, Jeff, it's crazy to me too.

Speaker 2 (22:32):
Like I think about the beginning of the series and
it's funny, like after Game one we were all like, Okay,
this series is, this is so close. It's going to
be It's gonna come down to the wire. And as
the series evolved, it was like, Okay, the discrepancy is just
it's just getting further and further and further and further
away from each other. And I this is the perfect team.

(22:53):
Like we talk about generational talents and McDavid and Leon
Dry said on these guys, but yep, this is a
generational team. Like I think that you know, you talk
about the footspeed and you know all their ability and
skating and all that, but they might be the smartest
team we've ever seen as far as psychological warfare, how

(23:14):
to play, I mean, all those things.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
This team is one of the best.

Speaker 4 (23:19):
So I'm glad you took us there, Nate, because you
know one of the things. And again like when in
a situation like this, there's a lot of people that
don't get the flowers they deserve. Palm Race is outstanding,
Barkops outstanding, Bena wins the consumoy. We all love Brabrowski,
Seth Jones rejuvenated his career, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
It's a couple of things. I think by now we
all have to understand just how good of a defensive

(23:41):
coach Sylvan la Fay is. When you look at all
the work that he's done, like I've never seen or
I shouldn't see never. I haven't seen Nate Schmidt play
this way in a long, long time. Right. We all
thought that, you know, Seth Jones is just going to
sort of string it out and every year on Christmas,
this team was going to be out of the playoffs.
He was fantastic. Look at the work that's been done

(24:03):
over the past years with Gustaph Forsling, who's now all
of a sudden one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
Look what Sylvan la fab did with Oliver Ekman Larson
last year, look what he did with you know, Brandon
Montur and you know, dovetail that into a really nice
payday with with the Seattle Kraken. You know, there's a
lot of secret weapons on this team. I think Sylvan
la Fave is one of them and everybody should know

(24:23):
that by now. And the other is a name that
I don't know unless like a really hardcore analytics person.
You don't know the name, but you probably should get to.
So I think he's going to be a GM one day,
kind of like Eric Tulski in Carolina. And that's Sonny Mata. Now,
Sonny's a fascinating, fascinating story. Was a professional poker player
for a long time, was a professional musician. We're a

(24:44):
couple of best selling books on poker and probabilities. Was
a you know, derivatives trader for a long time as well,
who was a consultant for a couple of different NHL teams.
He's the assistant general manager of the Panthers and he's
also the director of analytics for the Florida Panthers. And
the one thing about all the movie that Bill Zito

(25:05):
has made with the Florida Panthers. As I understand that
there's sort of that there's a sort of filter that
every decision runs through, and that's sunny Mata like even
something as simple as hey, we need some toughness. We
need to find some toughness out there. Okay, who is
out there who's a tough fourth line hockey player but

(25:25):
can also play. We don't still want to plug a
plug a hole here. We don't just want to fill
a spot. There has to be a baseline of skill.
And Joanah Gadjovich appears, So what if you want about
Joana Gadgovitch? That guy can play. AJ Greer can play.
So there and that's why none of these moves are frivolous.
The Florida Panthers don't just fill spots or fill holes.

(25:47):
They actively try to make their team better. You know,
Brad mar Shan worked because that is an improvement based
on what they had previous. We all forget how Sam
Bennett was dying on the vine and Calgary like it
was not working out for Bennett at all. But there's
something there that was recognized by the Florida Panthers and

(26:09):
all of a sudden, you know, now he's in for
a massive pay day somewhere, probably most likely with the
Florida Panthers, although I think if it gets to market,
there's cattle auction. I think Sonny Meta's name is a
really important one here. I think Sylvan le Fay is
a really important one here. And I think the idea
of how you build a team where your baseline is
skill and then after that you fill in and build

(26:31):
an identity. And as we've learned now, one of, if
not the best coaches to do that with is Paul Maurice.
It's a very long winded answer, and I apologize for
sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

Speaker 1 (26:43):
Well that's about all the time we have here right now. No, Jevin,
it's great. I love that because I think it's it's
very interesting for us to understand, like pull back the
curtain all the different how the analytics in how they're
being used and in what way because and that's a
great aspect of it, and how the team is built,

(27:05):
and for people that don't really think about analytics, that's
like a great way to sort of conceptualize it. Building
off of that, everyone at the end of the game
or throughout the whole series is like this is the
best team, Like, these guys love each other all this,
and I really really can't stop thinking about the fact that,
you know, Barkov passing off the cup to Na Schmidt

(27:26):
and then it going around to all the guys that
never won it, to then guys who weren't big, big names,
and I just like I still have like I've never
even thought of that happening before. And I'll ask this
question of both of you guys. Jeff, We'll start with you,
but like, have you is there another moment in your
watching hockey, playing hockey career you've seen a team do

(27:47):
something that is has brought the team together in a
unique way, like what we saw with them passing a
cup round.

Speaker 4 (27:57):
I think Nate's probably more qualified because I think a
lot of that happens behind the scenes. I mean, this
one was this was demonstrative and we all saw what
what what Barkoff was doing, and that's a that's a
that's a collaborative effort by all the veterans on this team, like, hey,
you know, we've been there before. We're gonna get the
cup last. You know, while there's still that immediacy of

(28:19):
the joy of winning the Stanley cup. Let's let these
guys capture it themselves. We've we've we've been there before.
Let's let's make sure that they share it. The uh.
I'm gonna turn this over to you, Nate, though. The
one thing that I that I thought of, I love
going to symphony. I really love going to see Tso
Toronto Symphony Orchestra. I love it at Roy Thompson Hall.

(28:40):
And the one thing, if if you've never been, how
it works is all the all the musicians come on
stage one by one, and the conductor comes out as well,
and usually first violin comes out last, and usually it's
a woman, and usually she's wearing a beautiful a beautiful
black dress, and she sits down last, and somewhere in

(29:06):
the back there's a big guy honking on a tuba.
But the music doesn't start until they all sit down
and they can so whether it's the big guy honking
on the tuba or the woman playing for his violin,
it doesn't start until they all sit down. That was
the first thing that I thought of, Like it's an
old it's an old saying, and the other part of
that saying is yeah. And then the conductor turns us

(29:29):
back to the audience and addresses his musician. It's the
coach modif right, But that that's that's what I thought of.
We don't play until everybody sits down, That's what I thought.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
That's so good that you mentioned that.

Speaker 2 (29:40):
And before we get into that hockey part of it,
it's funny. My dad was a concert violinist, so I
went to you know, you know, I know we were
kindred spirits Marek. Yeah, he's a concert violinist and he
was in the second chair behind the female who was first.
So he was one of the first violinists to play
up front, right, So and I fun fact, I used

(30:02):
to play the cello.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
So hey, Nate, I.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
Used to play the cello.

Speaker 4 (30:06):
I love I love the sound of in the house.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, it's nice. I need to get back into it.
But I digress anyways, but that is a.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
Great wait Nate, before we move on to.

Speaker 3 (30:16):
How how I know she wants to stay on that?
What what?

Speaker 4 (30:19):
No?

Speaker 1 (30:19):
I just wanted to say, I also played cello. But
can we not like, should we not be good coming?

Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yeah, I'll acknowledge that. Did you love it?

Speaker 1 (30:28):
I mean I started air bowing by the end because
I just wasn't practicing. You know, air bowing makes it
look like you're playing.

Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah, it's a beautiful instrument.

Speaker 1 (30:37):
It sounds great, beautiful. Yeah, way better than violent and
learning learning of violin. Yeah, okay, I'll let you go on.

Speaker 2 (30:44):
No, I mean he's You're so right, Jeff. I mean
just it was this team to me, it just seems
so selfless. And I heard a term yesterday and it
was I was listening to another podcast and they said,
what was the term?

Speaker 3 (30:58):
It was serving You know what.

Speaker 1 (31:00):
I'm saying, right, servant say Elliott's servant leadership.

Speaker 4 (31:06):
Servant leadership.

Speaker 3 (31:07):
That's the servant leadership, that's the curtain leader. I've heard
it before.

Speaker 2 (31:10):
I've heard it before, but this team is that they're
the servant leadership. And it starts and you see like
Bill Zito and Paul Maurice and how it just trickles
down to all of them. And I guess my thing
is with Bill Zito and you have Eckblad, Marshawan and
Bennett as your big three free agents if it was you, Jeff.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
Who like who?

Speaker 2 (31:35):
Obviously there's the obvious answers, but who are you trying
to keep and who is realistically are they going to
be able to keep.

Speaker 4 (31:41):
It's a great question. So the first one that I
want to keep is Sam Bennett. I think that Sam Bennett,
there are just some some markets that fit hand to
glove for a player. You know, before we came on air,
I was pointing out this picture I have over my
right shoulder of Joe Malash, who I think is one
of the best goaltenders the NHL's ever seen and should

(32:01):
probably be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The problem
was he didn't as he played through the seventies and
early eighties. He didn't play on the Montreal Canaans. He
didn't play on the Philadelphia Flyers, he didn't play on
the New York Colanders. He didn't play any of those
Dynasty teams. He played on a bad Seals team, he
played on a bad Baron's team, he played on a
bad Stars team. So he never really found his spot.
He never got to find a spot where he could

(32:24):
be at his best. And I still do believe that
every player you played, you can tell me this, every
player has their spot where they're comfortable. Everything around him
just works. And that's why some markets, and some teams
and some systems work for some players. And it just
doesn't for anyone else. For Sam Bennett, the fit is
hand the glove for the Florida Panthers everything, and it

(32:45):
doesn't matter. Like you know, I'm sure everybody in Florida
will say, you know what, I'd rather have fifty Sam
Bennett points in the Stanley Cup than one hundred take
your pick from some superstar points and in a first
round exit in the playoffs. The first guy, the first
guy I'm doing is Sam Bennett. Now, like many of us,
I think we'll look at the Seth Jones trade and said, okay,

(33:06):
is that EC Blad insurance? Much like you know the
Saint Louis Blues go out and grab Justin Fogg from
the Carolina Hurricanes, and we went, that's Petraangelo insurance just
in case. So if they're going to lose AARONEC Blad,
they're fine. Brad Marshaw is Brad Murshan is fascinating. You know,
thirty seven years old. I don't know many thirty seven
year olds who get a raise, but he's about to

(33:29):
the thing about Brad Murshan great, which was a tremendous
playoff run. I always wonder about guys that late in
their career who've had double hip surgery and the wear
and tear of a hockey season, and when it falls off,
it falls off quickly. Having said that, man was he
ever spectacular. But in the salary cap league, you can't

(33:51):
pay for what you did. It's more of a speculator's league.
I'm paying for what you're going to give me. So
I'm comfortable with Bennett. I'd still like eck Blad if
I can get them. I think you never have enough defenseman.
Marshan is going to get a large payday. I just
don't know if it's with the Florida Panthers or not.

Speaker 3 (34:10):
Do you think there's a world where they keep all three?

Speaker 4 (34:14):
I think there is, depending depending on who wants to
who wants to be Sidney Crosby, who wants to take
less right? Like who wants to again? Like I always
think of those guys, And I'll tell you what. Brad
McCrimmon was one of them. Like Brad McCrimmon during the
nineteen ninety four lockout, and you know that was that
was the end of his career. Essentially essentially said, you know, guys,

(34:38):
this is my last year in the NHL. Like this
is the lot. These are the last paychecks I'm going
to ever get, but I'm throwing them all away. So
we try to do the right thing as a union here.
I'm willing to make that sacrifice for the good of
the National Hockey League Players Association. Now that lockout costs
a lot of players his career. But Brad McCrimmon, who

(34:59):
was one of the best and one of the best
people that you ever would have met. Man, the late
Brad McCrimmon was tremendous when he played in Brandon. He'll
play sixty minutes a game like his legendary story's from
junior hockey, and he said, here's my money, here's my money.
We need to do what's right for the next generation.
So I think they can keep them all if if

(35:20):
guys want to come in on a discount here and
keep the band together and keep taking swings to the
Stanley Cup.

Speaker 1 (35:26):
Yeah, speaking of the next generation, Jeff, everyone knows that
Florida is very good, and they understood just sort of
the depth and their ability to just have that relentless fortunck.
We saw that last year, we saw out here before
we see it this year. In what way do you
think The way this team has played and also absolutely
dominated Edmonton will influence even just now coaches's front offices

(35:51):
as they look ahead to the draft and to free agency.

Speaker 4 (35:55):
I'm so glad you got us there because you can
see it right away. And the one player, like the
draft is coming up in a couple of weeks. Here,
the one player who I look at specifically and his
stock has gone through the roof is Brady Martin. Now
Brady Martin in the beginning of the season, Brady Martin's afreard.
He plays center to probably the NHL end up planninging.
Brady Martin is first of all, he's a farm boy

(36:16):
from Almira and he grew up on the farm. He's
got farm boys strength. You know those old pictures we've
all seen, like Gordy and Bobby, like with the shirts
off and they're just like you can light matches off
of them and they're freaking torn up, like bad report cards.
It's like, get a bench and lat Race is like, no,
a farm boys strenth grew up on the farm, didn't
I remember, asked him. I was like, uh so, what

(36:38):
kind of you know, what kind of like skills training
have you done? He's like got a shooting pad. It's
like his shooting and working on the farm, like like
that's him. But he had a great U eighteen and
his stock really went through the roof. And now we
wonder if he could go as high as four. And
he's doing something really smart too, you know the combine
in Buffalo. You know when he was asked, you know

(36:59):
which players he models his game after? Which players he admires.
First player out of his mouth is Sam Bennett. Second
pair out of his mouth is Tom Wilson. And that's
what everybody wants now, right, Like that is that's before
it was just about you know, skial skill, skill, skate
skate skate, skate gate. Now teams want compete and there's
already like a baseline. We talk about baselines. Yeah, there's

(37:22):
a there's a baseline of talent that you have to
have and skill that you have to have to play
in the NHL, Like that's a given. And now managers saying,
what else can you give us? What else can you
do for us? And there's only some guys that bring that,
you know, the physicality, compete like all those all those
things that teams want now because it's the it's the
Panther effect. Right Like listen, we go back to two

(37:45):
thousand and six, right coming out of the lockout Carolina Hurricanes,
whin the Stanley compet's all about footspeed. Two thousand and
seven the Anaheim Ducks. When the Stanley competent, it's all about,
you know, nuclear deterrence on your bench. It is for
you know better or for worse. It is very much
a copycat league. You want to ape whatever is successful
from the Stanley Cup winners. And right now I can't
like if you would have told me that like fifteen

(38:07):
years ago, like I'd be saying this in fifteen years,
I'd say you're crazy. But here I go. Everybody wants
to be like the Florida Panthers. I never thought these
sounds would come out of my mouth, but here I am.
Everybody wants to be like the Florida Panthers.

Speaker 3 (38:22):
They do.

Speaker 2 (38:24):
Yeah, it's it's wild to think that even you know,
we're talking about the Florida Panthers and Dynasty, right, Florida
Panthers in the same sentence as Dynasty.

Speaker 3 (38:33):
It's it's wild.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
And I mean, for how long I played and playing
against Florida, playing in Florida, and now seeing this, it's amazing,
it's incredible. So now I'm shifting towards Edmonton. And since
it's a copycat league, where do the Oilers go from here?

Speaker 3 (38:49):
Now?

Speaker 2 (38:49):
I mean, is it a big shakeup? Is it a buyout?
I mean, what what do they do? Because obviously they
have a ton of skill, but they weren't as good
as the Florida Panthers.

Speaker 4 (39:00):
They weren't I think the first thing, Well, first of all,
I think you always have to lean into your strength,
Like I don't think that there's one way to win
the Stanley Cup. Just I don't think that there's one
way to construct a team. You know, some teams are
constructed through the draft, some are constructed through free agency,
some are constructed through trade. Florida's kind of done it
a number of different ways here. There's first overall draft picks,

(39:22):
there's waiver claims, there's trades, there's reclamation projects, there's free agents,
Like Florida is a really unique team here. So I
don't think there's one way to win the Stanley Cup.
I really do think that you need to lean and
lean into your strength, and their strength are it is
obviously ninety seven and twenty nine, So it's STRICEYDL and McDavid. Now,

(39:43):
you guys are both familiar with the saying if you
have a goaltender, or if you have a good goaltender,
it's seventy percent of your team, and if you don't
it's one hundred. I think the time now, even though
prices may have been very high, and they always are
high for goaltenders, I think it's time very much now.
Like this is there are two games away from winning
the Stanley Cup last year. I think it's it's it's

(40:05):
time they did something with the goaltending situation again. Prices
are high. I know at times, John Gibson, the asking
price in Anaheim was like two first round picks. I
think that price has come down or did come down
a little bit, but still the goalie market isn't exactly robust,
and if you have a good goalie, teams aren't letting
go of them. But if I was Edmonton, I'd be
calling the Buffalo Savers and seeing about Lucnan. That's one

(40:29):
of the first ones i'd be. You know, he's from
he's from Botterlerel's time in Buffalo. He's not a Kevin
Adams guy. That's Devin Levi. Maybe get a veteran and
platoon in with Devin Levi as he needs waivers next
year and you know he's not going to clear. Maybe
you go that route and see if you can see
if you can get Ukapka Lucnan. But I think the
first order of business is one, take a breath, don't
make any moves while you're emotional, and number two, go

(40:51):
about trying to find your netminer. Yeah, those are great,
and try to get Evan Bouchard under ten million dollars.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
Yeah. Isn't that insane that he could get ten million dollars? Okay,
well you know.

Speaker 4 (41:02):
But but you know what, either Edmonton's going to give
it to them or an arbitrator is I like, the
numbers are there, The numbers are there.

Speaker 1 (41:09):
Right, Just one follow up question on Edmonton, Like we
saw them obviously come back last year force the game seven,
and you know it was just very emotional everything this year.
Does it feel as though maybe like as Florida kept
going up and up, Edmonton maybe was going like down.
Does it feel like they actually were I mean, we
know that Zach Hammond was out, Matias com was going

(41:31):
back from injury, but it's like, did they not feel
as good as they were last year?

Speaker 4 (41:35):
I think the injuries were major and Ryan Nu Jim
Hopkins wasn't playing it anywhere close to one hundred percent either.
I know this is a reality for everybody, and listen
to Florida Panthers had their fair share of injuries as well.
You see those shots of Barkoff's hand, did you see
like the stitches and the glue? And I'm like, oh, man,

(41:55):
I hate to be the you know, my sport is
better than your sport guy, But man, if you're a
hockey fan, you see stuff like that, like no content
give you the like, yeah, man, like I picked the
right sport, Like, didn't I get like I picked I
picked the right spot here? Yeah, you know, I don't
know how much to make of one of the things
that Connor McDavid said afterwards. I'm curious your thoughts on
this one because McDavid alluded to the idea of we

(42:17):
kept doing the same thing over and over again that
we didn't change, and I don't know if that's honestly,
I don't know how to read that, if that's like
a shot at the coach, because Connor's not really that guy.
I don't know, but I just wonder how much that
would resonate within the entire organization. I mean, players will

(42:39):
always talk about, you know, if your A game isn't there,
what's your B game. It's funny. I had this conversation
with Zach Hyman and we're talking about Red Bearnson when
he played the Michigan And you know, Zach Hyman came
into Michigan as a Wolverine. First year, he's coming and
playing like with Hamilton and the OJHL and he's scoring
like fifty goals a year. And he said, like in

(42:59):
his first year with Michigan, he had like one goal.
And Red Bearnson said, like, look here, like what you
did in the oj isn't is going to work here
at Michigan. Like you need to come up with a
B game. When your A game is not there, you
need to come up with a B game. You need
to figure that out. And Himon clearly did. That's why
Hymen can play up and down the line up. He's
your Swiss army knife. He's awesome. He can he can

(43:19):
score it off his shin, off his nose, off his chin,
like you can shoot it like he's and he'll hit
everything that moves at one hundred and eleven hits and
he didn't even play like the full playoffs like that
guy's got an ABCD game, so that the injuries certainly did hurts.
But I just wonder if again, that was another lesson

(43:39):
that we're not going to beat the Florida Panthers playing
like this. We need to figure out another way to play.
I'm not sure how to read. Maybe it's just McDavid
being emotional after a loss. And I always sort of
I always grain assault anything that a player says immediately
following a loss, because you're so emotional and you're just
blurting things out. So I always kind of go, like

(44:02):
I give guys pa, like compose yourself, think about what
you want to say, and then talk. But what do
we do We stick microphones in their face right away,
give us your full analysis right now. You're emotional. I
haven't made too many smart decisions, but I've been emotional.
I'll tell you that right now. So I always would
to give it a grain of salt.

Speaker 3 (44:19):
I agree, Nate.

Speaker 1 (44:20):
Did you ever have that, like, say, I, you know,
I stuck the microphone in your face after a loss,
because you were the guy that we always talked to
when you had a loss. Would you say anything ever
that would like you'd regret that.

Speaker 3 (44:33):
I regret it. Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
One time sticks out in my head and it was
after a game against UH.

Speaker 3 (44:39):
I was in Tampa.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
We were playing against the Atlanta Thrashers and Eric Bolton.

Speaker 3 (44:44):
You guys were a tough guy.

Speaker 4 (44:45):
Eric Bolton, Oh yeah, And I.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
Had so much respect for him, but I was mad
at the time. He like kind of takes my knee
out in the game and it was bad. I was
okay and it being all right, but the reporter asked
me after and I said something like, yeah, that's all
he could do. He's I made some kind of disrespectful comment.
But I have to remember every guy NHL is a player,
is a good player. If you make the ANHL, you're
a good player. Well, fast forward to the next game.

(45:08):
I say this, I make a comment about him being
a bad player. He gets a hat trick the next game,
Eric Bolton, and right after that, I was like, fuck,
I'm never saying anything like that ever again. A game
all hot and bothered and that's what happened. So yeah,
there's my story.

Speaker 4 (45:27):
So I'm so glad you mentioned that I remember playing again,
like this is just me, Like I'm a bad hockey player,
but a bunch of my buddies who played in Europe
and played in the East Coast, who played this game
in the West End of Toronto. This is like fifteen
years ago, maybe twenty years ago, called game seven at
seven and it was a Sunday night, seven o'clock. McCormick
Areena in the West End, and it's like, remember my
Camillarry came out a couple of times, and I remember

(45:48):
this one game I was playing. I was lined up
against Pete Sarno. Pete Sarno was a great American Hockey
League player, led the AHL in scoring one year with Manitoba.
Was a great linemate with like Mark Hartigan and then
Joe Motsko with with Syracuse Crunch, like really good player,
and I could do and no one on my team
like good like European player, guys played Europe played UHL

(46:10):
and some guys played the div One and like no
one could do anything against pizzarn No, nothing, nothing, And
I'm sitting there, I'm watching him on the bench and
I'm like, this is the most amazing guy I've ever
been on the ice with, or I've ever I've ever
shared the ice with, and he's never getting a sniff
in the NHL. And it's one of those moments that
reinforced anytime you look at someone in the NHL and say, yeah,

(46:32):
that guy can't play. That guy's so good. You know
how good that guy is? Yeah, Like, do you understand
I always look at like boxers, like you know, the
boxers that are just there and they just get beat up.
You know how tough that guy is even just to
get in the ring, Like, do you understand? That's I
always say. I always catch myself like do you know
how that how great that guy is that you're saying
can't play? And to your point, like Eric Bolton and

(46:55):
by the way, if you want to feel old, this
fun plays with the London Knights of the OHL. That
guy who's like three hundred pims a year, right and
he's there to fire a coconuts off the side of
the wall. That guy's a player. They can all play. Like,
I'm sorry, you do not make it to the NHL
unless you can play. Those guys are all awesome.

Speaker 3 (47:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (47:14):
I was reminded very well by that with the hat
trick from Eric Bolton. But speaking of toughness, uh, you
know he's on the All Quote tour right now, is
Matthew kud Chuck.

Speaker 3 (47:26):
Yeah, you know, he he comes good job every year
he does, he does.

Speaker 4 (47:32):
He did.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
He did this after they won last year and then
that was and now they win this year and it's like,
all right, here comes the quote from Matthew kuld Chuck.

Speaker 3 (47:39):
And you know he talked about you.

Speaker 2 (47:41):
Know, he had the ad doctor issue and rip rip
ripped off the bone. And you know he didn't really
say if it was happening at Foreign Nations or not,
but I mean that's the speculation that it did, and.

Speaker 3 (47:52):
It's pretty obvious it was. And and I think.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
You know, Matthew kuld Chuck, you see the culture of
Florida Panthers, you see where they're at, and you see
how his play developed. You know, what does this guy
mean to the league and the Florida Panthers. I mean,
this guy is just must watch right now.

Speaker 4 (48:09):
What is the one thing the pop hockey this year
more than anything else than any other? Moment? Four Nations
Saturday night, Montreal off the draw both ka chucks, Right,
that was that moment NBA is going through like a
horrible All Star weekend super Bowl, just over all eyes

(48:29):
are on the NHL and that happens off the draw
and everybody starts tweeting and calling you got to watch
this game. It's wild. And at that moment, both Ka
Chuck boys became the most marketable names in the NHL,
right like all of a sudden, all the marketing around

(48:50):
the four Nations had Matthew Kuchuk and every and he did,
and he did the tour and right and rightfully. So
however you feel about the Kachucks is how you feel
about the k Chuck Kuchucks. And that's great. But the
one thing I will always say about they could Chuck family.
And this might just be because listen, second generation player players,
but I don't know anybody else in the NHL who

(49:14):
understands moments more than Matthew Kudchuck and understands what moments
call for.

Speaker 3 (49:22):
Now.

Speaker 4 (49:22):
There have been a couple of times early in his
career when he was a Calgary that is boneheaded plays,
but like your kid, right, like you're a kid. I
don't think that anything Matthew Kuchuck does now is frivolous
or trivial. I think everything is deliberate and has a purpose.
And he plays it off as if he's just like

(49:43):
a rascal, but he's not. He's one of the smartest
guys in the NHL, and he knows what's going to
stand out and he understands that if you stick your
head up above a crowd, someone's going to throw a rock.
And he's fine with that because I think he understands
that as much as hockey's a nice game with love,
you know, a good, decent, respectful man in it, that

(50:04):
also holds it back. And somewhere someone has to be
a villain. Here, someone's got to wear a black cape
and be that guy. And he's really comfortable being that guy.
And he married The thing about it is too like
he's a good player. You know, it wasn't that lining
it long. He was playing on the best line in
hockey in Calgary. And now he's a two time Stanley

(50:28):
Cup champion, And that's what makes it even more painful
for people. At the end of all of it, Matthew
just got his name on the Stanley Cup twice, and
he understands what a moment is and what a moment
needs and you're right, Nate. The minute they won the Cup,
it's like, all right, let's see what he has. And
then he just slides in a shot about convict David

(50:49):
wherever he played, Oh, win the Stanley Cup somewhere wherever?

Speaker 3 (50:52):
That is.

Speaker 4 (50:55):
If you're an Oilers fan.

Speaker 3 (50:57):
Yeah, what about the other one?

Speaker 4 (50:58):
Spearri and dagger right to the chest? I know I
am kidding curtain Like, holy smokes, Matthew.

Speaker 2 (51:05):
What about the other boy where he talks about he
talks about you know, we're a team and we don't
look to one individual, you know, we we we do
it as a TV drop the man, like, let's sprinkle
some more on them after you win, you know, like
on an open.

Speaker 4 (51:23):
I think I think Mary like he's the best.

Speaker 1 (51:26):
Yeah, what you said is interesting because you kind of
said like he's you know, he's wearing that cape, he's
like villain. But then we talked to a lot of
people in the States and they, you know, they love him,
Like you could look at him and say he is
like John Bouchie Gross on our last episode said they're
so both him and Brady are kind to every single
person they meet, every single staff member. The referee. He

(51:49):
did say like you did say, like some of it
is a bit intentional so that they can't get calls
the right way, they can't get almost like treated differently
because you know, there's a little means to an end there.
Does it matter what side of like the border you're
on or what team you cheer for, because like I
am from Toronto, obviously I personally didn't like Matthew Kuchuk

(52:11):
for a long time, but I respect him a lot
and I think he adds a lot of value to
a team. Same with Brad Marshan. I hated Brad Marshan.
I respect the fuck out of Brad Marshan now and
I think, like for a lot of these guys on
the Florida team, I think maybe they've kind of changed
the script that's sort of written about them to how
people view them. I don't know if you feel that

(52:32):
way in Canada, there's.

Speaker 4 (52:33):
A lot there. Okay, let me go back to the
respectful Kuchuks. Let me frame it this way, Nate, how
long did it take you to learn? Okay, who checks
into the hotel first? When you get off the bus,
where do you sit on the bus, Whose hand do
you have to shake every time you get to the rink,
like all of the different protocols that go into being
a hockey player. The Kuchucks didn't have to learn it,

(52:56):
like they grew up around it. There was never that,
never those awkward moments were like oh, sorry, I didn't
know this, this is this is your chair. Oh I'm sorry, sir,
Like they never they never had that, like this is
born in them, Like this is like this is bread
and the bone for the Kachuck family. Like all of
that is like that's how like that that these these

(53:18):
are the people you think, this is how you act respectful,
This is all that, But then all bets are off.
Like the one thing I love about hockey is it
feels like a different world when you're there because there's
no out of bounds, right, there's boards that set glass
that separates the players from the normals from the civilians.
Like it is it is it is. It is a

(53:39):
completely different world with different rules. And for the Kachucks,
they understand that distinction. On the ice, this is different.
This is like a comic book here. But when we're
off the ice, this is how we behave. Like I
got to know Matthew when we play with the London Knights,
and he is one of the most charming, respectful after
every even when he was in Calgatgo like stay, answer

(54:00):
every question from every meeting, wouldn't duck, wouldn't try to
go out the back door after a loss, all those things.
They just grew up in that environment and they know that.
That's why I say nothing that he does is nothing
to can check. Boys do is frivolous. They know what's
right for the moment. They know what's right for when
a microphone is in front of their face, and they
know that before they leave, they got to shake all

(54:22):
these hands and before they're done, they got to thank
everybody in the organization, and they got to be respectful
to to any anybody who's around them at all times.
Because they're born in it. They grew up in it,
and that's that's their parents, Like that's that's the parenting
right there there. It's and it's it's like it is

(54:43):
a real compliment I think to to mom and Dad,
knowing that they understand that a at the baseline, there's
a respect for everybody that you're playing against and work
with and too at the same time understand the part
of this is show business that the minute money changes hands,
it's not the same sport now, it's in entertainment and

(55:04):
these are some of the best entertainers we have in
the game. And yes, Julie, Canadians can't stand the Chucks,
can't stand to compete against the Ottawa fans love Brady
and when Matthew was in Calgary, they absolutely love them.
They are the two that are going to be that
are going to be front and center next year at
the Olympics. Yeah, when the best rivalry in hockey, both

(55:26):
in the men's and women's side, Canada USA gets fired
up again.

Speaker 3 (55:30):
Hands down, that's going to be so good.

Speaker 4 (55:33):
I can't wait. Why not just we just had like
a little teaser at the Four Nations like that that
was just like the Pepper and Parsley so that Canada
won that the meal that is going to be great
next year.

Speaker 1 (55:48):
I don't know if I couldn't.

Speaker 4 (55:50):
It was Connor mcdavida.

Speaker 1 (55:52):
I got it, like Florida can win the Stanley Cup.
If Florida had won the Stanley Cup and USA had
won Four Nations, I'd be done. I'd be like, I
need a new sport.

Speaker 4 (56:03):
Even though it's like everybody from like the g Omja
to play on the Florida Panthers.

Speaker 2 (56:07):
You know, well so so do the Florida Panthers say it?
Do they repeat?

Speaker 4 (56:13):
They could? Why not? Like honestly, like there's what's so saying,
like if you're not hungry, you won't eat, like they
still seem hungry, like they're they're going back men here
they now, it's just about volume volume volume, like they're
already talking about dynasty here and listen in in in
this era solar cap eras, it's hard. First of all,
it's hard to repeat, let alone three in a row

(56:35):
like that hasn't been done in salary cap era. We've
seen a pair, but we haven't seen like we've seen
back to back, but we haven't seen three in a row.
I mean that just for again, Like now you're into
like cementing the reputation for all time, like for all
like for all time. As a player, it seems as
if the motivation is here, like let's let's need let's leave,

(56:58):
let's leave no questions whatsoever. Like okay, so you know,
if if if we played against tam But at the
height of their powers or the Penguins at the height
of their powers, or the Blackhawks or the La Kings
at the height of their powers, like who wins? Like,
I think the Panthers are very much motivated by Let's
end that question too. Let's just remove that question as well,

(57:19):
because there's still the conversation like I don't like man,
I love Tampa, you know, I love that team, you know,
at the height of their powers and they're winning Stanley Cups.
And man, that La Kings team that even though they
would finish eighth, they would hit the playoffs and they
would rip into teams like hogs into truffles, like and
it was just like hot knife into butter. Here we go,

(57:41):
and it was remarkable. So I don't know what the
answer is, who the best team or the salary cap
era is. I think it's still very much in doubt
from the Florida Panthers. Man, I want to erase that
question for once and for all.

Speaker 1 (57:56):
Yeah, they seem like the type of team that would
be doing that as well, and that's the motivation to
keep you going. I'm serious if they can actually do
that physically, right, we talked all year about like the
mile legit they had on them. How many games Bobrovski's
played over like all that. But maybe that's not a thing.
I don't know. Hockey players are seemingly like just they

(58:18):
just keep going no matter what, even if like they're dead,
They're still going to like keep playing hockey. So never
know of how many miles it's going to be.

Speaker 4 (58:25):
But well, Julie, let me tell you from all my
time playing in the NHL, Nate you just I think
that's I think that's a Nate Thompson question more than
a Jeff Marrick question.

Speaker 1 (58:36):
Me answer that, Julie, Oh, I mean like you played,
not me, like, yeah, are you? Would you be tired
right now if you had, if you'd played three straight
Stanley Tap.

Speaker 3 (58:45):
Finals, exhausted, exhausted.

Speaker 2 (58:47):
And I'll tell from experience. I mean I haven't. I
didn't even win a cup. But when I went on
long playoff runs. And I've told you this before, Julie,
like when it's over, it's like your body and mind no,
and everything shuts down, like I know from playing. You know,
I remember when we lost to Icago game seven conference
finals when Anaheim, Right, you were there, Julie after that

(59:08):
series and they ended up going to win the cup.
But after that Game seven, I remember the next day
I couldn't walk to the bathroom, Like I couldn't physically
move and get myself to walk to the bathroom. And
I was like, well, I could do this a day ago,
no problem, But it was like my mind, my body,
everything just shut down. You're like, okay, you're done. You're
not moving, you can't do anything. And I can't imagine

(59:30):
these guys. You know, there have been three Cup finals
in a row, two Cups now, I mean that is impressive,
and it just goes to show you how how good
to shape these guys are, in how tough these guys are.

Speaker 3 (59:41):
So I think it just puts it in perspective.

Speaker 4 (59:42):
Really one of my favorite series of all time. And
again like it didn't it didn't work out for your team,
but I loved every single game and all I could
think about was these guys' bodies must feel awful. Your
Anaheim series against Nashville in twenty seventeen. I have no

(01:00:03):
idea how you guys could even after getting undressed, like
stand up and walk out of the rink. That was
like every shift, every hit was for keeps. Every hit
was like we're not just trying to separate, you know,
man from Park. We're trying to separate, like man from soul.
I love as a fan, I loved it and all

(01:00:24):
I can think about was, God, this must be awful,
this must be I love that series. I know Nashville
one and they went on to face the Penguins and lost,
and it's like a final. But I mean, you guys
took a major, major piece out of Nashville.

Speaker 3 (01:00:39):
Yeah, we did.

Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
And you think about that series, and I just I
think about series and I think a one word.

Speaker 3 (01:00:44):
I just think of mean. It was just every time,
every shift the ice.

Speaker 2 (01:00:50):
You were getting a hack, you were getting a whack,
you were getting chirped. It was just mean. Everything was mean.
And I remember, it's funny this story. Right before the
game was over a game we losing six games. It
was like my last shift of the game and I
just skated by pecke Rene and he hacked me across
the top of my knee and I went down because

(01:01:10):
he got me the perfect spot and huge gash on
my leg. Had to get stitches. Right after the game
and we're in the handshake line. He remembered and just
right away goes, hey, sorry about that slash, right.

Speaker 3 (01:01:25):
Away and I'm like, no big deal, my but my
knees just robbing. Guys. I'm in the handshake line. We're losing,
We're not going to the Cup finals.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
And I had to get stitches on my knee right
after the game because of that slash that have my
last shift of game six. So puts it in perspective
again of just how things can get. And I think
you saw that from board Panthers, like they don't give
a shit shit and that's that's what playoffs is all about.

Speaker 1 (01:01:49):
Yeah, that series, I remember Ryan Kessler and Ryan Johansson
battling it out a lot of like war words too
or on that too. Okay, Jeff ahead of time, you
said that you had you wanted to talk about it at
the end.

Speaker 4 (01:02:01):
Oh yeah, any two minutes from it. And by the way,
like the further to that one, I remember I was
because that was twenty seventeen. That was memorreal Cup and
Windsor and I remember watching that game. It was that
that last game, game game six, So watching it with
with Klobe Armstrong and Todd Warner and Rocky Dundas. I'm

(01:02:21):
not sure if that name resonates with you. Old Tier
played medicine that Tigers and played a tough guy. I
played with the New York Islanders as well. I remember
we're just watching I'm watching it with nh other's and
they're just like, oh my god, like this this is
like a whole new sort of level of violence in
that series. Anyhow, Okay, So I want to ask you.
I want to ask you about a name. I want

(01:02:42):
to ask you about a story. So there's you and
I have a mutual friend. I'm going to tell you
who that is in a couple of seconds, but before
we get there, I want you to tell me about
Nathan Bryce, the Prince. George Cougar's.

Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
Wow, my first ever hockey fight. Yes, ever ever in
junior yep.

Speaker 4 (01:03:05):
Okay, so hang on. So the story that I got
was a lot of it came from So you're playing
with Seattle and in the group text, you're like, because
you hadn't fought before, should I do it? What do
you think? Guys? And the guys were just pumping your tires,
pumping your tires, pumping your tires, pumping your tires, and
you fought this guy just you know, like Nathan Bryce.
I don't think he was like the biggest guy in

(01:03:25):
the Western League. But he, like you, fought everybody like
Robin big Snake, like everybody, big dude, Doug Litche and
Nate pumped him and from there, I'm going to turn
the recreation over to Nate.

Speaker 2 (01:03:37):
Yeah, it's a good story. It was in Prince George
playing Seattle and Dean Channel was my head coach at
the time, and Dean, as you know, is no stranger
to fighting in his career if you've seen some of
the highlights. And yeah, I remember Nathan Bryce, I come

(01:03:58):
around the net and he kind of takes my knee out.
I was okay, and I didn't even think about it.
I just went right after him. I didn't really even
know how tough he was. I just dropped my ship
and just started chucking rights as fast as hard as
I could. And yeah, I kind of I kind of
beat the wheels off of him in my first ever fight.
You didn't know what to expect. And I remember coming

(01:04:20):
back after in between periods or after the game, and
Dean came over to me and he just kind of
smiled and he goes, it felt good, didn't it. And
I was like, yeah, it did feel good, And uh,
that was it.

Speaker 3 (01:04:33):
I remember.

Speaker 2 (01:04:34):
I remember too that it was like a ten hour
bus ride home back to Seattle and my my hand
is just throbbing for the first ever time, you know,
I'm getting a fight like that and my hand's all swollen.
But yeah, a good story, good research.

Speaker 4 (01:04:46):
Yeah, okay, So and then and then so apparently Nate
goes on the spring of like just like dusting guys
for for five or six fights, five or six fights,
like all of a sudden, you turn into like the
king of the jungle in a very very tough Western hockey. Now,
the person that told me this, and this person didn't
mind me sharing sharing his name is your former roommate

(01:05:10):
who I know very well because he's helped train my
kids and he's a coach in the DDHLD. You know
that I'm talking about Zach Fitzgerald. Zach Fitzgerald, who is
one of like the best guys in the world. Shirt
off your back, guy, Julie. You would love Zach and
tough himself too, like a really really to honest guy.
He's part of the one Game Hockey Club, the guy

(01:05:32):
that played the one NHL game in the career of
the couple, the Cup of coffee hockey player. Quick story
about him. I remember I was that he was training
my kids and a bunch of other kids too, and
I had like a million of things to do. I'd
pulled up to the rink and I got a flat tire,
Like I got to do like a couple of radio hits,
and I got to call my wife and get the
kids to like another skate, and I know my car
is messed up, and I'm like running around, running around,

(01:05:53):
and Zach comes into the rink and goes, it's done.
It's done. Like what's done? My car goes, no, No, I
fixed it. They fixed fixed the flat. And I'm like,
oh my god, Like, Zach, this is this is that
you have no idea how much this helped helps helps
me out. I'm like like, let me pay you for this,
Like let me and he's like, honestly, like, Nate, you've

(01:06:13):
probably seen this look. I thought he was going to
punch me. He's like, no, no, Like, this is this
is what people do for one another. We help each other.
So this is what Zach wanted. This is what Zach
wanted me to send. Send to you, Nate. He said,
please send my best, Please send send my best to
excuse me, you read this properly. Please send my best

(01:06:36):
to Nate. I think he'll laugh about that. That was
the story. Otherwise, we spent a lot of time together.
I went to Anchorage and he came to the Luth.
He had mentioned, like, you guys are two American kids
playing in the cochl that's kind of rare. I went
to Anchorage and he came to Duluth. We were in
our buddies, but the hockey life takes you on a

(01:06:56):
journey and it's hard to stay close. I'm proud of
him for his amazing career, the obstacles he has overcome
and now to get energy line and scrum culture is
awesome to see Zach Fitzgerald.

Speaker 3 (01:07:09):
To you, Wow, FITZI. I love that guy. That's been
great in the world. Thank you Jeff for doing that.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
And it's funny I think about FITZI and when I
know we're way over time here, but when when we
were first put together as roommates for the first two months,
and you have to ask FITZI this, we did not
like each other.

Speaker 3 (01:07:30):
We almost fought. Yeah, we almost fought.

Speaker 2 (01:07:33):
We got into it a couple of times, and then
it was weird, you know, I just got guys right.
After a couple months, something clicked and then we became
best friends. But at first we had a rocky start,
so that was really nice.

Speaker 3 (01:07:43):
Thank you, Jeff. I love FITZI.

Speaker 2 (01:07:45):
He's an all time guy and was he was he
tough too, Wow, so tough.

Speaker 4 (01:07:50):
He's a coach.

Speaker 3 (01:07:50):
Now.

Speaker 4 (01:07:51):
I love that hockey hockey in Toronto. And Jeff, thanks
for indulging me.

Speaker 1 (01:07:55):
Julie good, No, great. I mean You've got a big,
big brain with lots of information in there. And I
appreciate the fact that he came with some research because
Nate just asn't a side I asked Jeff to do.
I asked Jeff to do some research on a guy
that I I was going to go on a date
with that had a connection in the in the in

(01:08:18):
the Triple A Toronto area. Yep, and he gave me
good info back. The only downside was that the guy
found out that Jeff was doing some digging on it.
So uh he told me, He's like, did you get
Jeff Meyrick to like ask about me two people for
you guys? Like, uh yeah, yep, that would be correct,

(01:08:40):
because I would that be fake like you know, but
he's got he's got good sources.

Speaker 4 (01:08:45):
Anybody, anybody listening to this podcast, anyone wanted, any anyone
listening right now, I'll offer my services to check your dates.
I'm sure you'll find my rates reasonable because we liked,
as we like to say, in this industry, guys, uh,
there's no iron team, but there's two eyes in invoice,
and I am here to offer my services to audit

(01:09:06):
your dates for you, whether they're respectable or not.

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
Love that private investigator as well, right there. Okay, well, Jeff,
thank you so much for joining us. Absolutely love talking
with you. We could talk with you obviously all day.
You are a beauty, a gem. You know that I've
appreciated you, respected you since day one. I hold you
very high up in my Mount Rushmore broadcasters in Hockey,

(01:09:30):
and I'm really glad to see you doing the sheet
with Daily Face Off and love having you on the show.
We'll have to do it again sometime.

Speaker 4 (01:09:38):
Julie, I'm really impressed you read that exactly the way
that I wrote it. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (01:09:57):
Well, that was Jeff Merrick, who is the all time
incredible hockey story slash encyclopedia that guy's that guy knows
everything and everyone. He is hockey in my mind.

Speaker 2 (01:10:11):
Yeah, I mean I could listen to Jeff talk all
day and tell stories and he's like like, like you said,
I think he's one of the best at his craft.
He's just he's so good and I love talking with him.
His story like I said, he's he's great. I mean
his stories of the research he did on me, Like
what I mean, what a guy.

Speaker 1 (01:10:30):
That's like that's like show him. He would he would
come into an interview and have stuff prepared on you,
like to to ask you about. Like he's not just like, oh,
I'm going to do this podcast, so right, I'll like,
you know, scheduled in blah blah blah. It's like he's
like coming one step ahead. That's why. I I mean,

(01:10:52):
like he mentioned that we were both at Hockey Night
in Canada at the same time, which I love because
I was just as I was, I was shot listing
games so you just log games. And also he didn't mention,
which I'll say, is that everyone said they were going
to dress up for Halloween when I was there, so
I did and nobody did. So I came to Hockey
Night in Canada dressed as a dead prom queen, like

(01:11:15):
I mean, blood everything, and not one other person was
dressed up for Halloween, and it was like one of
the most Like I was like, everyone just looked at
me when I walked into like the production studio and
they just were like they were speechless. I'm like, okay,
first of all, everyone said they're going to dress up. Secondly,

(01:11:36):
it's Halloween, Like this isn't another day of the week
where I'm dressing up like a dead prom queen. Actually
to the point where Don Cherry was like I gotta
go down and see this, like production assistant that's dressed
up like this for Halloween. I was like, great, here
we go. This is the end of my fucking career
right now. But it was nice cuz we me and

(01:11:57):
my other friend Ali Randley, we would go up and
say hi to Jeff on the I desk and and
it was great, like we got to know him and
he was it was like really cool because I didn't
know any broadcasters on TV and he was more than
kind to extend a hand, give me advice, just a
really overall cool guy. And that's why. Since I guess

(01:12:19):
that was twenty twenty eleven, So back when Brad Marshawn
won his first Stanley Cup is when I was cutting
my teeth shot listing as a dead prom queen. And
look at where I am now winning my second Stanley
Cup here on the energy line with Naton JSB.

Speaker 3 (01:12:40):
And all your mmies behind you.

Speaker 2 (01:12:41):
But forgive me for laughing, But all I could think
about was you walking in as a dead prom queen
to a big studio production and Sportsnet and like I
can just think, I can imagine, like Jeff walker By,
you would be like happy Halloween, Julie.

Speaker 1 (01:12:55):
Yeah, yeah, and there's no I mean, it's all dude,
there's no women. It's just me. It's like not only
I already stick out, but then yeah, that happens. So
it's burned into my brain as a lot of unfortunate
moments in my career are okay, so we're done, like
we're done hockey. Hockey's over, but it's not because there's

(01:13:18):
still the draft and then there's and does it feel
like it actually never ends or is there maybe potentially
time for us to take a vacation this summer or not?

Speaker 3 (01:13:31):
I mean a small one.

Speaker 2 (01:13:32):
I feel like there's a small portion of the summer where
there's like nothing going on. There's like a dead time
and it's after free agency. But I mean it doesn't
really ever stop Juels ever, it just keeps going. I mean,
now we have a draft, free agency, like you said,
and then and it's a short time between the next thing.

Speaker 3 (01:13:48):
You know, it's training camp. Let's go.

Speaker 1 (01:13:49):
But yeah, I'm really I was really asking that my
own personal summer vacation plans, which if you'll probably bring
question for yourself, bringing this microphone to Mikonos with me
or something like that as we try to take a
little bit of a vica. But congratulations the Florida Panthers. Honestly,

(01:14:10):
they blew They blew the tires off, they blew the
whole season away. I'm not even mad about anything, Like
there was no contests. In my mind, they're the best
team in the NHL.

Speaker 3 (01:14:21):
No, Yeah, I was.

Speaker 2 (01:14:23):
I was disappointed for Caroen McDavid. Leon Drey said, especially
Corey Perry.

Speaker 4 (01:14:29):
Oh my god.

Speaker 2 (01:14:30):
But I know, I know, but I think you're right.
I think Florida's just too good. They're they're the better team.
It's just they're too good, and they're the best. They're
the best for a.

Speaker 1 (01:14:41):
Reason, Florida too good, best for the reason things we
never thought we would say. But it's twenty twenty five
and everything is crazy town, all right. Thank you guys
for listening to episode twenty seven of The Energy Line
with a Nate and JSB. Energy Line is a production
of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. Thanks to Jeff Merrick
for joining us. Thanks to Jake Brown for producing the show.

(01:15:02):
Subscribe to the show on Apple's if ire, wherever you
get your podcasts, or listen on the iHeartRadio app. Give
us a five star rating, Please and rate a nice review.
I'm Julie Sturr. Thanks. He's Nate Thompson. We'll be back
next week as we get you sit for the NHL
off season, which we will not be taking any breaks,
as Nate just reiterated to me, diving into the draft
and free agency. Thank you for listening to the Energy

(01:15:23):
Line and we'll chat with you next week. Energy Line
is the production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. For
more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Hosts And Creators

Nate Thompson

Julie Stewart-Binks

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

24/7 News: The Latest

Crime Junkie