September 25, 2025 • 58 mins
Jason Demers finally meets Producer Tal and can't wait to tell Adnan Virk all about it. They then analyze the early preseason action, discuss Anze Kopitar's big announcement and pay tribute to a Flyers icon. Then the legendary Chris Pronger talks about the art of the cross-check, his historic Stanley Cup moment and how he really is a nice guy. Finally, the guys discuss the late Robert Redford, the trailer for the latest season of Amazon's Faceoff series and Matthew Tkachuk's big moment on Saturday.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
NHL Unscripted Coming up, We'll take a Walk in the
Woods with screen icon Robert Redford with Cinephile and sixty
(00:26):
A towering hockey great the Hall of Famer Chris Pronger
reflecting on his mean streets on the ice and count
me as a Bernie bro saying farewell to one of
the greatest goalies of all time, Bernie paruh JD. We're
back here unscripted and you intaligating a little team bonding
it tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, I got it. I had to size him up,
just like I did you. I had to see his height.
It is confirmed. You are the smallest member of the
unscripted team at.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
N five A.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
How big is tal I don't think I tell you
what tal is. Tow projects a masculinity. Some would say toxic,
but I like that toxic, but I like that kind
of masculinely. He walked into there and I said, who
the fuck is that? It's a lot the headphones on.
(01:13):
He was. We had a good little chat. We talked
uh and my wife was there too. We're in town
visiting and it's nice. It's nice to kind of you know,
it's amazing when you do over We've done over fifty
shows I think now, and you're eight for Oh, I
like to say overfit, don't well, who's listening, because then
the fans go, oh, we gotta go watch all of them.
There's so many always over sell, always over self fair enough,
(01:36):
but no, it's amazing to kind of just you know
you Because we're all so busy in our lives, you
don't like get to connect in person. So it's always
nice to kind of kind of talk and you guys
have you know, Towel's only seen mean emails and mean
text messages from me, and it's nice to kind of
get there, give them a hug, and you know, I
put my arm around his shoulder and and just chop
(01:58):
it up a little bit. So it's great.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, me and Taldo on the clock. So the next
time Towels in the East Coast, we have to go
to Hartford. Consider your love of the Whalers and my Connecticut.
We're gonna go to Pepe's in New Haven, Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Je face. That's gonna be great, all right.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
The games don't mean anything in the standings, but there's hockey, folks,
there is hockey. This year's shorter preseason schedule meets plenty
for players trying to make their respective team.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
So it's early, but some exhibition game highlights.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Gabriel Landskock dropping the gloves after you to Mammoth forward
elbowed Kle mccar in the head. That was the Sam
Lipkin first overall pick. Matthew Schaeffer earning an assist in
his first game of the Islanders Sunny Milano four points
of the Caps in his first preseason action. Eighteen year
old Brady Martin scoring twice in his debut with Nashville
eighteen and the Jackie brothers Arbor and Florian scoring for
(02:44):
Montreal with their mom in the crowd, JD.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Which of those standing out for you so far? I
mean Florian Jackie number one. I just got to touch
on that, the Jackuye brothers because you know my dad's
he's a he's very bullish on him. I think Florian's
maybe a year away from playing, but I mean he
had twenty seven goals in the AHL and over one
hundred pen minutes. Like he's tough as nails, fought fought.
(03:07):
De Laurier and also scored a goal. I mean, he's
he's someone to like for Montreal. I like everything where
Montreal's going. But for me, I think, obviously Matthew Shaeffer.
I think everybody was wondering, how will this kid look?
And I mean, he's has advertised he's a smooth skating,
two way defenseman and personally, you know, some people were
(03:29):
talking to me about the numbers of the Calder race
and how Demodops like plus one ninety right now and
everybody else is like six to one are over, And
I'm like, I think Matthew Shaeffer is the opportunity to
kind of steal the Calder and and it's kind of
I wouldn't be surprised if he stays healthy if he
doesn't take it. You know, I think I don't know
where Demodop's going to finish with Patrick lyone there and
(03:52):
how much offensive opportunity is going to get once the
season starts. So but I'm I'm bullish on Matthew Shaeffer.
I love a defenseman that comes into the league young,
eighteen nine eighteen and just so calm and such a
smooth skater. I mean, that whole sequence of him just
rolling around in the ozone overtime and then chasing down
I think it was Mitchkov on the breakaway. It just
(04:14):
looked like he didn't break a sweat. That's just that's
just amazing stuff. And I'm sure it gets everybody in
all the Islanders fans hard as a rock.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah, and the past you're talk but not getting hard
with certain things, and this issue is hard.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
That is when we are getting hard, right hard.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
What do you think about Landiskok dropping the gloves?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I don't love it, but I guess listen, Laniskog missed,
missed so much time. I'm sure he's so excited. And
I saw Tyson Barry, you know, fan of the show.
He posted something being like, you know, fuck around and
find out with Gabriel Lanskog. But listen, it's so polarizing
preseason because you know, you got these guys that are
trying to make the team, and and honestly, for all
the fans out there, there's maybe one to two spots
(04:56):
on the NHL roster. I would say one that's up
for grabs. The rest is already set in stone. So
these kids that are playing are just trying trying to
show out for either an opportunity to play in the
HL or for you know, the team to take notice
and it's nothing against them, but that leads to cheap shots,
That leads to guys getting a little bit over zealous.
(05:18):
And I've never it's always going to be that way.
You know, you kind of as a as a veteran,
you're you have to really once you start, you're established
in the league, you kind of got to be like,
how do I want to play this? Am I trying
to get ready? Or you know, do I have to
go hard and get ready for the season and make
sure that I'm hitting being physical like Atlantiskog fighting if
(05:40):
I need to. So it's tough, man and it but
it is what it is. You got these kids in
I'd like to see them maybe really sit down and
figure out this preseason thing because I think every league
struggles with it. That's in a contact sport football as well.
You know, what do you do do you have two
teams out there and you know you just have you're
only allowed to play your guys that are going to
(06:01):
play in season together and you know, you keep the
young kids against each other or you know, how do
you how do you how do you make it work
so we're not getting some injuries. You look at Logan
Cooley getting hit from behind and getting injured. He's day
to day. It's like, how do you limit those? I
know you can't, but like, is there a way to
maybe figure out and man something that's better and we
(06:24):
could guarantee guys safety, but it is a contact sport.
You can't. You can ever do that.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah, for most sports, I find with training camp, preseason,
exhibition games, whatever you want to call, it's just don't
get hurt. And guys are trying to make the team
on the bubble, show up and show it. And as
you said, rookies, what can they show? What kind of promise?
That's what a noable mention Schaeffer. The other thing when
it comes to preseason, training camp, exhibition, spring training is holdouts.
You don't hear about it too much in hockey, but
there's one notable hold on a team you like a lot.
(06:49):
This year in the Ducks, Mason McTavish remains unsigned. He
has not appeared at the team's training camp. Twenty two
year old without a contract. Duckshi and Papferbeek called it
quote disappointing. Big summer in Anaheim. Joel Quinville's there. They
trade for Chris Quider, they signed Michael Grant, they got
plenty of cap space. How tough is this for the Ducks?
And do you think they consider trading Mason mctabash.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I find him such a you know, a foundational piece
unless you're getting something back in return that's very substantial
and is a good return, meaning, you know, getting a
young guy to come back like another prospect. I think
they're just kind of stuck between a rock and a
hard place. I've said hard way too many times today.
(07:31):
So this is a tough one. This is early in
the morning. But you know Pat Verbeeks kind of you know,
he's he's played these young guys tough, you know, like
he's he's not necessarily just shilling out the dough. And
I do think Mason mctaviash is worth it. I don't
know how far apart they are, but it's a deal
you want to see get done because he's such good
(07:51):
he's such a good forward, he's such a good piece
to this team. I know they got Lil Carlson, they
got a lot of other cutter goats, hee a lot
of big talent, So they can maybe wait without him,
but I think it's prudent. You know, if I'm Mason McTavish,
you want to play, but also you want to get
your money's worth because you see around the league all
these other young kids that have done less than him
(08:11):
getting more money. So for him, he's probably like, listen,
pay the piper, not Roddy Piper, maceon McTavish, baby.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Good reference and tell it. Probably the Ducks are probably
don't want a Bridge deal a McTavish.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Right, That's what the reports seem to be.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I think the issue seems to be term more so
than just money. Like the Ducks this We saw this
with trevor' segres, right, he he held out a few
years ago, and it looks like that was that was
an issue, was term.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
He did not want to sign.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Long term in Anaheim and lo and behold he was
gone within a couple of years. So, uh, you know,
Mason McTavish seems to be in the same situation where
they're not. The Ducks aren't interested in like a two
to three you know, year bridge deal.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
They want him long term.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
They want to lock him in, you know, to see
this thing through as far as turning this team into
a contender.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And my concerns more is like even.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
If they do sign him and he misses the first
week or who have camped, Like how sharp is he
going to be when he finally gets there?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Sharp is a spoon, I tell you that much. But
he's ten times better than Zegras, so can't anyway, moving.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
On, there's huge news in Los Angeles. Is always on
MLB netwhere Clayton kershawt announcing he's gonna be stepping down
as a member of the Dodgers after the season, the
future Hall of Famer, and then everyone's in an up right,
so what they go, there's another la icon stepping away?
So what the are Copetar people were furious in baseball circles, Jadie,
they go, hang, have a feel. Let Kershaw have his
moment tomorrow you can announce it. But on the same
(09:36):
day that Clayton curs as retirement announcement comes out just
into the radar, King's captain Andre Kupetar announces this is
going to be his last season as well. Oh five
first round pick, andering his twentieth season in LA keep
part of the team's two Stanley Cups. He's first in
franchise history. By the way, in notable categories games, assists,
in game winning goals, he's twenty nine points by Marcel
(09:57):
Dion for the franchise points mark, which begs the question,
is Kope the King of Kings? Is he the greatest
player in franchise? Is? I say, no, marceld On the man.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
But what do you think? I mean? And kupatar As you
said so elegantly, I mean, I don't know. You've got
Gretzky that you know, changed the franchise. Yeah, so it's
kind of tough to I would put him as the
greatest king, like, but I tell you what, that guy
has done some amazing things for that franchise. He's been
(10:28):
just the leader of the consumant leader. My question is
in your eyes MLB wise, Yeah, who do you think
retiring is a bigger deal? Clayton Kershaw or Andre copetar As.
You are somebody that lives between both worlds. You are
a cuck in MLB network and you are cocking both sides.
So for you, who do you think is like a
(10:49):
bigger deal in LA I know, I know both will
kind of have their arguments, but yeah, Eileen Coppatar but
I don't know what you think.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I think Kershaw obviously has been the face of the
Dodgers for a long time. He's had incredible regular season
success by the numbers, he's one of the great pitchers
of the last forty fifty years. Now the playoffs, he's
had a lot of notable failures, which is a part
of the resume, right, it's a resume and era. In
the regular seasons two and a half and the postseason's
four and a half. So Copaitar, I think, in many
ways is underappreciated, not only within his city but within
(11:18):
hockey circles. Like for years, if I said you filmed
the Blank j D. The most underrated player in hockey
is I think for years it was are Coptar. Within hockey,
they know how great he is, but I think the
larger world doesn't realize how great this guy's been. First
this long, like twentieth season, that duration, you know, is insane.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It's so nuts, and it's amazing the way he skates,
and you know, he was never the fastest adapted when
the game adapted. You know, I always put like I
did that century show for the NHL where you're ranking
the top hundred players and not say on Jay's in
there or or not, but you know, the way we
ranked it is like can you transcend eros in hockey?
(11:56):
And for me that was a big thing, Like because
hockey's ever evolving, it's ever changing. It's a copycat league,
so you have to as an athlete adapt the way
it's changing. Like you know, unless you're a guy that
is a Conor McDavid or you know, a Leon Dricidle,
a Barkoff, Like you talk about these talents, you know,
Anjie Copetar had that talent, but he wasn't the fastest
(12:18):
and he wasn't necessarily the most skilled. He has a
lot of skill, but like you know, it wasn't this
dynamic jump off the page at you kind of NHL
hockey player. But he adapted throughout the years and he's
just found a way to be a defensive stalwart out
there and contribute offensively. And he's really just been on
top of that, just a great quiet leader and a
(12:41):
great guy. And anybody you ask within that franchise, anyone
you ask that's played within that organization says the same thing.
Anjre Copetar is just a great human being. And a
great guy to root for, So it's just for me
he's up there. And to your point, I think you
hit the nail on the head. He's very underappreciated and
has always been underappreciated. I think even now just by
(13:01):
the way he had, you know, he announced his retirement
so understated. He's like, yeah, this is my last year,
and I just feel like it could have been even
bigger news. But being in LA, it's a little bit
it gets less out you know, it's less out there
being in hockey in LA. But I just think, what
a career, what an amazing guy. And yeah, I just
(13:22):
think you can't say enough good things about him, no
question about.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Hopefully Copetar finishes strong and who knows, the King's title
window could be closing with him saying farewell. Speaking of farewell,
we say goodbye to I think one of the great
underappreciated again goalies of all time, Bernie Perant. Two weeks
after the pass of the legendary Canadians goaltender Ken Dryden,
the sport loses another all time great as Bernie pron
passed at the age of eighty. He played six hundred
and eight games the Bruins Flyers and the Leafs. He'll
(13:48):
always remember those the backstoff for the broad Street Bullies.
They won the Cup in seventy four and seventy five.
His number one was retired by Philly in nineteen seventy nine.
He was inducting the Hockey All Fame in nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
GDI.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
If you look at those numbers, those cup runs, like
he was unbelievable for this team. We know about Bobby
Clark and Dave Shelton, the broad Street Bullies and all
the rest of it, but they don't win without Bernie
Parant And one of my favorite signs ever in the game,
only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parant. He was
unbelievable in Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
I mean, yes, rest in peace. Too many good goalies
getting taken away from us right now. But you said it.
You took exactly what I was going to say. I
think the broad Street Bullies aren't the broad Street Pollys
without Bernie Paran. So just what a career and those
runs were just what a fun team to watch and
he backstopped him so because again a team like that,
that's that on the line, physical dirty. You know, they
(14:37):
take a lot of penalties, and you need a good
goaltender back there to kill the penalties and make big
saves when they're you know, chasing everybody around the ice.
So amazing career, amazing human being. I've heard and didn't
have the pleasure of meeting him, but no rest in
peace to him. One more thoughts.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Making of former Flyer goaltenders Carter Hart considering signing with
the Vegas Golden Knights and killing Hurricanes along with one
or two other unnamed teams is according to Chris Johnson
TSN and the Athletics, so Heart last play the NHL
in January twenty twenty four before he was indicted later
acquitted of sexual assault along with four Team Canada teammates,
stepping from an instant that took place in twenty eighteen.
(15:13):
The NHL ruled Heart and the four other players are
eligible to sign with the NHL teams October fifteenth. They
can begin playing in games on December first. At one point, Gadi,
as you know, Hart was thought to be the next
great Flyers goalten. After all these years of guys who
didn't work out, Roman check Manic Robert ashe name it,
They're like, Oh, Carter Hart's gonna be the guy. So
what do you make of him potentially returning to the
(15:34):
league this season.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Oh, you put me, put me in a tough spot
here and unscripted.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
I think he's gonna sign. I think he's gonna play it.
But I think there's gonna be some backlash.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Oh, I think one hundred percent there is backlash. Especially
I just think every time he goes back to Canada
and and listen, regardless of what happened, what's true. The
justice system acquitted them of these charges, but doesn't mean
you're not gonna catch flack. Because whenever that type of
(16:04):
valigation or that type of process that you go through
gets out there, I mean, it's it follows you the
rest of your life. So for him and these kids
or you know, these adults that played hockey and are
going to continue to try to play hockey at the
professional level, they're going to catch a lot of flak
for this. So whether it's right or wrong, it's it's
(16:25):
really what it is. And I think he, at before
all of this happened, was a huge prospect and was
really finding his game. And I do think a team
will take a shot on him. I think they're going
to really do their due diligence, But I don't see
a team in Canada picking them up, and if they do,
I would assume it's a team way out west. Maybe
Vancouver could be a team that potentially scoops him up.
(16:49):
I know Philly said they're not going to go for them,
so you know, they probably just kind of It's a
tough one because you're the you want to be the
first team to do it, but every team is sitting
in their war room going, this is probably the best
goal available and you don't have to trade for him,
you can just sign him. So we're going to see
what happens. I expect a team out west to maybe
(17:10):
sign him. I could there were some rubblings of the
Edmonton Oilers as well, but I think they're gonna wait
because I just I can't imagine being in Canada, him
living in Canada. I think it'd be really tough. So
I feel like him going to maybe a Pacific Division
team or a Central team where you're not playing a
ton of games against Canadian teams would be the best
(17:32):
place for them to go for Carter Hart. But yeah,
he's out of those guys. He's the nhlready player and
I assume and would bet that he's gonna get signed
maybe the next few weeks, if not a month into
the season.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, I was gonna suggest Edmonton t because he's from
Subood Park Alborda, and we all know the challenges they've
had in NET. But I understand your point, the sensitivity
to it. He's still just a young man. He's only
twenty seven years ago. There should be a lot of
hockey left in Carter Heart's career, all right, coming up
next year an NHL in script, How did Chris Ponger
overcome too much muscle relied to do something no one
has ever done in hockey history? The answer is next,
(18:20):
our next guest to Hockey.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
One of the most dominant and intimidating players of his era,
Collecting six hundred and ninety eight points and one and
sixty seven career NHL games with the Whalers, Blues, Oilers,
Ducks and Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup of the
Anaheim in two thousand and seven, remains the only defenseman
in the last fifty years when the Heart Trophy, which
he did as a member of the Saint Louis Blues
in two thousand walk May Brady, let's get nasty.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
We're Chris Pronger.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Prob's great to see you man, good to be seen.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Thank you. So we had an anti introduction.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Absolutely, it gets even nice. I mean, talk about that.
You know how busy you've been recently in all the
things you're diving into. Just tell us what you got
going on and how much you've enjoyed this kind of
last couple of years of jumping into life, coaching, jumping
into media TV. It seems like you just got it
all going on right now.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Yeah, it's been exciting.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
You know, spent six plus years kind of back in
the hockey space post retirement. I spent a couple of
years getting healthy and then worked with the Nashal Hockeying
and Apartment of Player of Safety. Then I was a
senior advisor in Florida for three years, and then you know,
just wasn't feeling it. When you see how the sausage
is being made on the other side, it.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
Just wasn't for me.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
And you know, that was always something that I thought
I was going to do post playing career, and when
those plans don't mesh together, you kind of need to
do a reboot and spent a couple of years trying
to figure out what was moving the needle. At the
same time as I was leaving the Florida Panthers, my
wife had started a luxury travel company and was kind
(19:58):
of helping her with that, started up a whiskey company
and that kind of and its course, and now just
you know, really started to dig into.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Performance coaching.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
I don't like to call it motivational coaching because I'm
not necessarily there to motivate you. I'm there to help
you improve your performance long term and not have the
blips that we see with motivation comes and goes, it wanes,
but performance should not, and discipline and habit should not.
So you know, that's something that I really dig into
with my coaching. And then obviously I've kind of dove
(20:35):
into TV a little bit here the last couple of years,
and last year did.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
A brief stint in Saint Louis. That's right in Saint.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
Louis, a short drive for my house, so that worked
out well, and and did a couple of Blues games
as well. So then and then did some playoffs with
the ESPN and and sportsnets, so kind of dip my
toe in a little bit, got a little taste, a
little flavor for what's to come this year, and gonna
do probably thirteen or fourteen Blues games.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
It's awesome, man, And sorry, yeah, I would be remiss
if I did not mention that come April there will
book at Chris Pronger.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Book coming out, nice, amazing. A lot of.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Promos and marketing and things like that over the next
six months or so to kind of build that up
in the lead lead up.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
To the book release.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
And there are a few stories that people will be
inquiring about that will be settled in the book, that's
for sure.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Nice O was but to say, I know what a
great storyteller you are, and I cannot wait for the book.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Let's tell a few of those stories right now.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
You go way back with our buddy John Foresland, who's
the voice of Amazon Prime minyed Hockey, because you came
to the league second overall pick of the Hertford Whalers. Now,
Prongs I was at ESPN twenty ten to twenty nineteen,
so I was there and still the Whaler's jersey was iconic.
It's still the best selling thing right in Connecticut. Saved
the whale ever I was going. So I'm going around.
I remember asking Brian Brook where should I live and
(21:58):
he goes, you know you're gonna be working in Bristol.
Don't live in Bristol, West, Hartford, Avon. Those are the
places to go. But you have a different memory of
Hartford back before I was there, Like in the nineties.
What was it like playing in Hartford.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
It is funny because even to this day, to your point,
when I wear my whaler's gear around, which I do
once in a while, yeah, I get so many people,
Oh my god, I love the Whalers, and I'm always like, oh,
you're the one. We had no fans, you know. We
would play Boston on a Saturday night and half the
building would be Bruins fans. We would play the Rangers
(22:29):
on a Thursday or Saturday night and half the building
would be Rangers fans. You know, we had we had
eight to ten thousand die hard Whalers fans and then
the building was scattered with whoever we were playing that night.
But you know, John Foresland was the team services man
for the Hartford.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Whalers way back when.
Speaker 5 (22:51):
So I've known, as you said, I've known John since
nineteen ninety three, and again, you know, he got to
see my rise through my career. I got to see
his rise through his career and kind of how he
took his team services role with the Whalers then Hurricanes
and parlayed that into TV.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
And now look at the great job that he does.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
He's, uh, he's a class act and a great a
great announcer.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I mean he's he's one of the classiest. We had
him on the show. He's fantastic. But you know, you
have your short sin in Hartford and then you're off
to Saint Louis and and I mean talk about that
going from Hartford to Saint Louis, especially you know, first
year there, you got Mike Keenan as a coach, Brett Hall,
Tony Twist, like all those personalities. How was that Tolly Twist?
(23:39):
How was that? And uh, how was that? Kind of
growing up on that team and and and really kind
of finding your footing and becoming just that the superstar
that we all know you were in the league.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Yeah, I guess you kind of got to back up
a little bit.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I think expectations may have been a little high in Hartford.
I think with maybe what fans were expecting, and I was,
you know, a little green, a little raw, and not
quite there yet, but was precipitously booed in Hartford. And
so when I got traded to Saint Louis, I was excited.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
I was like, Ah, this is gonna be great.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
I'm thinking, Oh, I get to play with Holly and
Al mckinnis, and they just signed Fursy and Jeff Courtnell
and all these guys, and back and back then the
geek Carbona and Dale Howard, Chuck and all these guys.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
This is gonna be amazing.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
And I get there not realizing that Brendan Shanahan had
almost surpassed Brett Hall in fame in the city of
Saint Louis and stardom fifty goal scorer, obviously physical.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Presence that he was.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
And I kind of came in not realizing who I
was supposed to replace, and Mike Keenan quickly put me.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
In my place.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
I was not in great shape coming into training camp,
and he quickly told me so.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
As only he can.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
He fired Mike. Yeah, yeah, and then you know.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Spent the better part of that season in the doghouse
with the coach. Last GM some of my teammates, pretty
much all the fans, and tried to figure out a
way to play myself out of it. And it was
a tough year, but one I think that really built
(25:27):
up the grit and resilience that I talk about a
lot in the book that I talk about when I
speak that I think allowed me to meet everything else
that I that I encountered during my career head on.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
You know, the hard incident, you know, the.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
Myriad of injuries, and just all the trades, all the
different things that had kind of gone on, the lockouts,
everything that kind of gone on.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
There was a.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
Great deal of heartache and strife. But I think having
gone through all that early pain and circumstance early on,
I think allowed me to really manage these other stuff
in an easier light and really propel me forward to
try to achieve and get past the term potential, which
(26:14):
is a very difficult label, and kind of reach my
full potential and play to the level that I expected
in the way that I felt like I could as
I came into the league, and uh, you know it
was being paid to do.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
I mean talk you know your life coach now. So
I want to touch on that a little bit like,
what's the one biggest takeaway that you learned from all
of that heartache and adversity that you had to overcome
early in your career to kind of get to where
you you know, the majority of of how successful you
were and how you finished.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Yeah, I would say we are our own worst enemy.
I know I was my own worst enemy, from the
victim mentality, to blaming everybody, to blaming the fans, to
blaming the situation, to blaming my deep partner, to blaming
this guy or that guy. At the end of the day,
you got to look at the person in the mirror
and realize you need to take ownership.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
You need to do more.
Speaker 5 (27:08):
You need to be willing to sacrifice and do all
the things necessary to live a full life and play
to the best of your abilities.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
And it's within you.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
It's in within your control, and what you do moving
forward can dictate how how good you play, how good
you are at your job, how you live your life
and live it to its fullest. And so I try
to explain to people, I'm not there to make people
feel good, you know, I'm there to kind of hold
(27:35):
their feet to the fire and hold them accountable.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
For and ask some serious questions. What do they want
out of their careers? What do they want out of
their life? I have, you know, and I'll walked them.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
I'll put them in my shoes of all the difficult decisions,
all the mistakes I've made, all the things that have
come from taking ownership and responsibility and things of that nature.
And you know, ultimately, those that want to make change
are willing to do what's necessary, and those that want
to stay in that mindset they do. You know again,
that's it's everything is completely in their control. And I
(28:09):
think once people realize that they don't quit as easily
they pushed through difficult moments. They they don't accept failure,
but realize that failure is part of the growth prospects
and and it's a gift because it allows you to
to evolve and adapt and get better in areas of
your life that you need it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Chris Pronger off the ice, affable, charming, self deprecating. So
how is it pronged you were such a mean son
of a bitch on the ice?
Speaker 5 (28:38):
You know, it's get I do get asked that a lot,
you know what, I I just love to play the
game with a physical edge. Always played it, even as
a young kid. That's how I always played. You know,
somebody would take liberties with the teammate. I would make
sure that I knew when that player, like I had
a very good sense of who was on the ice,
(29:00):
when they were coming on the ice, how they played,
where I might be able to get at them, and
then made sure that I was in that position at
some point over the course of that game or a
future game, to make sure I let that person know
that that was unacceptable.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Well, I mean I was a party to one of
your cross checks later in your career, which you probably
don't remember, and those those became famous for just the
ability to find the sweet spot between the shoulder pads
and the elbow pad. And it is an art form.
And is that something you had you learned as you
(29:39):
were playing, like you said, or was it something that
maybe a veteran or somebody taught you early on? Because
it hurt like it hurt, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I studied the game.
Speaker 5 (29:50):
I studied I mean, as silly as it sounds, I
studied players equipment.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Everybody has pads in different areas.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
Everybody adds pads, whether they're adding slash guards or backpads
or rib rib guards or what have you. I would
take note.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
You know, you cross check a guy in the back
and you hit a pad, You're like, oh, that's not
normally there.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
So then you start feeling around with your thing, where's
the hole? And then the next one goes right where
that hole is? You know, Slade, You know, I'd see
a guy off off a draw, and you know, especially
guys that had the short cuffs, You're like, there's a
lot of meat there waiting to be whacked, and you
just give him a little complimentary just to let him
know you're there, just to give him a little food
(30:34):
for thought.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
The next time they're coming down your side, you might
not want to do that.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Yeah, that's so good.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Between Al mckinnessy you mentioned Prongs and Scott Needemar. Are
you played with two the great defenseman hockey history. How
are those guys similar and how are they different?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
I think how they're similar is they're they're both looked
at as offensive players, but both were very good defensively.
I think Al made himself more so into a better defender.
I think Scotty always was just with his skating ability,
but they both had a burning desire to compete and
took offense that they were always categorized I think as
(31:14):
offensive defenseman.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, and and competed really hard defensively.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
You know, you look at you talk about how I
used my stick. Al was pretty vicious with his stick
as well. I think that was kind of a secret,
if you will, Maybe not to opponents, but I think
around the league, everybody looked at the big shot and
his stats and the numbers and everything, but he had
a little bite to his game and Scotty norm.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
As we as we call him nor.
Speaker 4 (31:44):
He had a little little sandpapers game too.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
I used to love when he got mad and you
could kind of see him get a little feisty and
grind on guys in the corner. And you know, I
think that both those guys as leaders on our teams,
that translated really well to the group because they were
quietly aggressive and quietly competitive. And I think that kind
(32:08):
of you have the vocal guys like myself, and then
you have the strong, silent types like them, and I
think that's a really good balance and really worked well
in our.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Locker rooms well, and I mean it didn't work, It worked,
you know so much in Anaheim, especially when you were
at Scotty, you win a Cup. I mean talk about that.
You know, you guys had a great group of veterans,
you surrounded some really good young talent and get slav Perry,
did you know going into that season and like this
(32:39):
is you know we got something here? Or did it
really take some time? And because man Oman, did you
just have I tell a lot of people like that
team come playoff time. Was just one of the most
well balanced Cup winning teams in recent memory. Just top
to bottom, was so dominant, was so good and so
fun to watch on that playoff, on that Cup winning run.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Yeah, right from the jump when I got there, having
playing against him in the Differen's finals when I was
at Edmonton, knew their roster, knew how balanced they were,
knew you know, the kind of missing piece if you will.
So we had a one, A, one B on the
back end with Scotty myself, the depth that we had
up front. As you talked about the youth, we had
(33:21):
the veteran line with the young Chris Kunitz, and then
we had any McDonald at Taymuselane and then we had
the young the young Bucks Penner gets laugh and Perry
then we had our checking line with Mowen, Niedermar and Paulson,
and then we had our greedy fourth line with we
had Brad May, Todd Marshaunt, Sean Thornton, George Parows. We
(33:43):
had some some young guys in Ryan Channon, Joey Motsko
who played in the playoffs, played really well. Mark Cardigan
came in and played. He hadn't played all season with us.
We picked him up at the deadline, played in the minors,
and then we had enough injuries that he got to
play in the Stanley Cup finals. And to have those guys,
you know, I speak of those three guys in particular
Shannon and Hartigan. Shandy played a little bit with us
(34:07):
in the regular season but played a lot in the miners.
The other two played specifically in the minors, and then
they came in in the playoffs we're are black aces
and and played meaningful minutes.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
For us when we had injuries.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
And uh, you know, I think often those are the
types of players in a in a playoff run, they
get overlooked.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
You know. We picked up Brad May, that was our
only trade at the deadline.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
And and what he provided for us from a from
an energy side and a physicality side, and just a
leadership and grit site. You know, obviously George and what
he provided for us throughout the course of the season
once we picked him up early on in the in
the year from Colorado, but overall, I mean, other than
myself and then those few roster changes, that was the
(34:50):
lineup from the year before. So they had a group
that was really coming together. And the moment I got
there Burkie and Randy Carlisle and even the ownership, I
was like, this is our our mission. This team is here,
this team has been put in place to winn a
Stanton a cup.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
Now go out and execute and take action.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
And uh, you know, right right from the beginning game,
you know, we believed in one another, you know, we
it was such a fun team to play on. You know,
we could play tough, we could play finase, we could
play a tight checking game.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
We could play however you wanted.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
And that was the joy in playing with with with
that team is that we sometimes we'd just figure out
now the other team wanted to play, and then we'd
beat him at their own game.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
It's a fun time to be a Philly sports fan
because the Eagles are defending Super Bowl champions three and
Ozer right now. You were there in Philly and O seven,
which was a beloved team because there are number eight
seed prongs and you and Mike Richards and Jeff Carter
and Claw Jerux and Simone Gania and James Van Riems,
like take that team all the way to the Stanley
Cup Final. What memories do you have about that run?
Speaker 4 (35:48):
It was?
Speaker 5 (35:48):
Uh, I mean other than the fact we lost, thank you,
I'm going to bring mad us yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
Whatever, Chicago, Uh No, it was. It was a it
was a miracuous run. We we had.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
Such a great team. You talk about a lot of
the young guys that we had that would go on
to win in LA. You know, I think just getting
into the playoffs, winning a shootout game against the Rangers
to solidify our position and then to go on that run,
you know, beat a good New Jersey Devil's team in
the one eight seed. Then we played Boston down three zero,
(36:24):
came back and won four to three in that one.
Then Montreal, who had just knocked off Pittsburgh and Washington,
you know, going to play them and and kind of
put them in their place, and then you know we
I think we got off to a good start in
Game one against Chicago and then I don't know, I
don't know what it was, just fell apart. It was
(36:45):
a high score. I think six' five might have been
the final score at a couple of. Junctures we had
a lead in that game and kind of lost, it
and then we had a late goal in game two
to lose two to.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
One. Heartbreaker come, home we win a couple of, games.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
And and AND i think WHAT i was trying to
impart on our on our, guys this is.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
It they're supposed to.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
WIN i always tell team they're supposed to win their home,
games like that's why you have home and. Rope they're
supposed to win their home. Games we win our home,
games and then it's the best of three and anything can.
Happen we lose a heartbreaker In game five In, chicago
and then we lose that crazy overtime game Where caine
scores from the.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Corner and it's all.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Over and right before that goal was, scored we had
a couple of great a. Chances Anti yami comes up
with like a couple.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Of huge saves for them And.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
Nemo, yeah the rest is history for The, blackhawks but
that kind of starts their run in the early twenty.
Tens but you know it was you, know you look
at you, know they had a Young buffalo and they
had you, know Taves caane all kind of in their
rising on their initial. Contracts you, know so you look
(37:54):
at kind of where teams try to get to when
they have those young players and they.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
Kind of bottom.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
Out they wanted they want to bottom out and dip
right away and use them as kind of that key
bounce point to to utilize their their rookie contracts and
not get up against the cap right. Away but uh,
uh you, know they had a lot of, good great
players in their team as.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Well they just found a way to. Win like we
got swept by them that the the round, before so
we kind of we warmed them up for you guys
and really kind of well than we took Our we
took our pound and. Flesh but you, know it's just
one of those teams and you know THAT i feel
like the belief and you talked about it With, anaheim
but having that belief so important on AN nhl, team
(38:37):
and when you have, it it can it can really
carry you. Where you, know games you're not supposed to
win their. Games you're not in. It you just find that.
Way AND i feel like you've touched on it a
few times even in your your. Coaching the way you
teach people is like, listen it's it's within, you and
you got to have that belief if you want to
actually win or or be successful in hockey in. Life,
(39:00):
Yeah AND i think as you.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
Talk about that, team they also had some. Failure they
they nine in the conference finals Of. Detroit they had
some learning, lessons some life, lessons if you, will along
the way that allowed them to meet some of that
adversity head, on to really understand what it's going to
feel like and in order to build that belief in one,
(39:21):
another showing up for one another and ultimately come out
on the other side successful and win.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
Championships and you know.
Speaker 5 (39:28):
THAT i think those early losses really helped them create
that great resilience that's going to be necessary in order
to meet some of the adversity that you will face
throughout the course of a long playoffs.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
In order to win a.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Championship, okay one person on this chain knows the. Answer
that person is not allowed to guess. Name the only
player in hockey history to score a goal on a
penalty shot in The cup. Final IMMEDIATELY i said, prongs
which is correct because you AND i have discussed this
two thousand and Six cup final Against.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Carolina talk to, me, yeah you.
Speaker 5 (39:59):
Know what in the lead up to, that every after
every pro, this we would always do.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Shootouts we would always practice shootouts.
Speaker 5 (40:07):
And you, know if you, score you keep, going you,
know one of those, deals AND i would always typically.
SCORE i had my two. Moves the ONE i scored
on In carolina was my main go to. Move but
if the goalie didn't bite on my, angle THEN i
would do something.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Else BUT i would.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
Try to always either get get them to open their
legs or go down or do something early get them to.
Bite but in this particular, CASE i was out on
the ice with the fourth, LINE uh and one of
The carolina defensemen put their hand on the puck in the,
crease which is an immediate penalty. Shot Mick, magoo if
you look at the, video just happened to.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Be like scaring straight down at.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
The situation and, immediately like as Only Mick it could,
do start give them the old belly shot. Signal and
AND i Think mac t had the Most craig McTavish
was our. COACH i think he had the most faith
in me based off seeing me in, practice AND i
think maybe the fact THAT i was out there with
the fourth.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Line. Uh but the but the funniest part about.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
It three days before that first, game we were getting
ready to go To, carolina and, UH i was in
the weight room doing a lift AND i kind of
tweaked my. Back so if you notice during during if
you rewind the whole, CLIP i, SKATED i was on
muscle relaxers AND i skated. DOWN i skated down to
(41:31):
the fore end by our goalie and just kind of
did a lap in the corner and was kind of
zoning out waiting for him to blow the whistles SO
i could. GO i was maybe taking a couple of
deep breaths and trying to get in the dome in
the moment goose broba and, uh you, know do my deep,
(41:52):
breaths do my meditation and kind of get in the.
Zone BUT i had a nice long run up to
grabbing the puck and then kind of did did my
did my, deed and, uh it Was it's. Fun it's
nice to tell people that most. People IF i have
somebody else ask it And i'm not, around they certainly
won't get.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
That oh that's, great great. Stuff they're going to find
all the little, Tidbits especially working in, media you're gonna
get all these little they're gonna pull up all these.
Stories but you, KNOW i wanted to ask you being in,
media you, know and and what was kind of the
biggest surprise for you and something that you didn't expect
kind of jumping into this this industry and have you you,
(42:33):
know you've obviously enjoy it because you're you're sticking with
it and you're just rising up the ranks and doing
so much incredible. Work so for, you, though what was
like your big surprise jumping into the media. World, YEAH
i don't.
Speaker 4 (42:45):
KNOW i don't know if it was a.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
SURPRISE i think the biggest thing THAT i did WAS
i asked a lot of people THAT i knew in
the industry a lot of, questions both you, know in
other sports and obviously in.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Hockey and the number.
Speaker 5 (43:00):
One, is If i'm going to do, Anything i'm going
to do at one hundred percent And i'm to be all,
in and it's, preparation it's making Sure i've got a
full understanding of the, game it's implications kind of what's
been going on with the.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Team and then.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
The, biggest the biggest thing that THAT i tried to
take away from. It Dan dirdorff was telling me the
story when he first, started he was doing a game
With Jack buck and and five minutes In Jack buck
wrote a note and pushed it in front of him
and he pointed down at the paper and he's, Like
(43:37):
and at the first intermission he looked at it and he's, Like,
dan you've Used you've already used the same word four. Times,
wow you need to expand change your, vocabulary you, know
start using a different, word whether we use certainly or
tremendous or, whatever.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
Spectacular whatever word it.
Speaker 5 (43:54):
Is just add a little more depth to what you're,
saying and, uh and what's the how and the?
Speaker 4 (44:00):
Why like how did this? Happen and why did this?
Speaker 5 (44:02):
Happen and and try to have the person listening on
the other end or watching on the other end have
a better understanding of what what they're seeing or hearing
and why it. Happened and then how can that player
either fix it or or why they're so good and
how they created, it AND i think those two Things
(44:22):
I've i've really taken a heart and really try to
study and get better at because it is.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
Hard, yeah it. IS i USED i used incredible every
single time for like my first, month AND i, LIKE
i was, like for fuck, Sakes, jason so like looking up.
Synonyms i'm looking up and Then i'm LIKE i could
JUST i can't get out of my. Head i'm, like,
well that play was oh, GOD i don't say.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
It, yes it was.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Amazing this is amazing as.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Well makes you Follow Chris ponger On instagram at The
Chris Pronger chrisponger dot. Com and the book is coming
out In april as, well so a Fourteenth.
Speaker 5 (44:59):
April, fourteen But i'll be doing a bunch of. Events
i'll be doing a massive a couple of days In
edmonton and the lead up to in lead up to,
that so more to come on all that.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Stuff that's, awesome your beauty, buddy thank, you this was.
Awesome thank.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
You cinephon, sixth you're Remembering Robert, redford one of the
great screen. Icons there was a time where he was
unbelievable box office success and quickly acclaimed the. Seventies obviously people,
know But Butch cassidy and The Sundance, kid which is
where The Sundance Film institute stems from its, Name which
(45:36):
is such an enormous thing That Robert redford did towards any.
Movies thinking about your favorite, filmmakers whether It's Quentin tarantino
Or Paul Thomas anderson of The Coen, brothers all of
them born At, Sundance it's all due To Robert redford
and his. Influence again as an, actor he's. Amazing as a,
director he was. Amazing we're An oscar for Ordinary, people
shocking uposite Of Ober Martin scorsese And Raging, bull but
no hard.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
Feelings years, Later redford Made Quiz show and.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
He Cast scorsese in the, movie playing A jaritol salesman
and a Fantastic Chemi who's wont one great scene With Rob.
MORROW i heard the passing at nine am On. Tuesday
two hours LATER i Rewatched Quiz, show which you haven't.
Seen it came out in nineteen ninety. Four last year
was the thirtieth anniversary Of redford's. Film it Stars Ray,
fines was his first big movie After Schindler's this his
first starring Role Rob, MOORE i previously mentioned From Northern,
(46:18):
exposure and the Great John taturtle Playing Herbie, stemple who's
this much beligned. Guy it's about a quizhow which was
rigged back in the nineteen fifty is a show called twenty,
one and it really is a morality play about truth
and consequences and why they're so. Important tell talk to
me about quiz. Show i'm not sure If jad has seen.
It tell have you Seen? Quisher you're aware of how
great this film. Is he's squinting at.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Me out of my. PURVIEW i actually haven't seen. IT
i have to.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
ADMIT i mean plenty Of, redford Classic, redford BUT i
haven't seen that. Film ALTHOUGH i will say that the
guy who owns the WORKSPACE i work in as kind
of an older, gentleman AND i heard him at another
end of the room the other.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Day he, goes no young people have heard Of Robert.
Redford he was outraged that young people didn't know WHO i.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Like that WAS i like those guys who get pissed
off about they start shaking their fists to the.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Heaven believe.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
IT i mean he he was going on a bit
of a rat like this guy was the biggest star
in the world at one. Point you, know oh my, God,
mas that that dead air of Ad, nan of just
him not seeing the.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Movie THAT i gave it the big build, UP. Jd
here we go, up what a? Layup at least vake.
It do WHAT i just? Vacant did you want to talk? Yesterday?
YES i. Did this guy did good. Things that guy
did good. Things Robert redford was great in that. Movie
i'll kick it to.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
J i'll kick it to J. D, Though Robert redford The,
natural that's a great baseball. Way people love that. Film
he was such a good, ATHLETE. Jd he actually went
to The eurosity Of colorado on a baseball. Scholarship he
played With Don. Drysdale letter become one of the Great
dodgers of all. Time good lefty Swing Barry levi's and
the director, Said i'm not. Kidding there were times you'd
Tell bob you have to. Miss but just as an,
athlete he wanted to swing and hit, it swinging.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
Hitty he goes. Legit good lefty hitter and a good
lefty throw. Right and that's.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
Important right when you watch these sports, movies you don't
buy if the guy can't play.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
A little, Bit Robert redford could play a little, bit,
well oh, yeah one hundred. Percent you know you look
at Also Billy, chapel you, Know kevin another. One but
it's so. FUNNY i feel like the baseball, movies the
actors that play they're always. GOOD i feel like the
majority of the time they're very. Good Bull durham's another,
one but like the Natural Robert redford's. Great AND i
just find when it's the football, movies you can never
(48:19):
get a quarterback that can throw the goddamn. Football no
actor can actually throw a tight. Spiral it all looks
like it's like some, weird awkward. Angles so it's so.
Funny i'm, like why wouldn't You you're spending millions of,
dollars why wouldn't you just bring in a guy to
kind of teach them how to play the sport the
right way at least have the mechanics. Down but, Yeah
Robert redford a true, talent, amazing so many great, Movies,
(48:43):
marvel he was In marvel. Too yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Yeah people Mentioned Captain America Winter soldier tweeting about.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
THAT i, go come, On that's WHY i said. IT
i wanted to see your eyes roll in the back
of your. Head you. Know my favorite movie of him
Is Alec Pearson. Marvel, yeah When Your soldiers. Fantastic i'm,
LIKE i can just imagine Rober referds and how AM
i being remembered? Today?
Speaker 1 (49:02):
Oh they're mentioning my work In captain.
Speaker 2 (49:04):
C g all, right fair, enough that's what you gotta.
Speaker 1 (49:07):
Do Three days of The, condra by the, WAY i
never seen it's a really good. THRILLER i watched It cia,
movie you, know AND A walk in The. WOODS i
have to mention him And Nick nolty came at twenty.
Fifteen it's not a great, film apparently it's a very good.
Book but it was an amiable, watch ninety seven, minutes
an easy, comedy kind of a grumpy old.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Men him And Nick, nolty two ACTORS i like a.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
Lot it wasn't, Great i'll be, honest but it had its.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Charms go. Ahead did you Like The? CASTLE i?
Speaker 1 (49:27):
Do The Last? CASTLE i Mean james Gandel Field.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Last, Castle. APOLOGIZE i really liked that. Movie, Yeah Robert, redford,
Great James gandelfoinie great in. It great. Movie there you, good,
good good, good no good. Good. Good that was. Good.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
Paul i'm, LIKE i don't like JEW i tell you Ship,
Jesus genie's not gonna drop The canadate on. Me but
that's pretty. Good the last, Castle i'll take. It Ganil foene'
is a prison. Warden i'm not turning that, off all?
Right started THE nhl. Season we can't. Wait the trailer
was released this week for season two Of Face Off
inside THE, nhl The amazon series that got every hockey
(50:03):
fans attention last. Year looks like season two could be
just as good as season. One Sidney, crosby The Kachuck,
Brothers Ajre, copetar the, Aforementioned Miko ranton And Seth, Jarvis
Marc Andre, FLEURY. Jd you live the, game now you
live in the. Media how accent are you for this
series when it Returns october?
Speaker 2 (50:18):
Fourth, well it's about goddamn, Time Sidney, Crosby, like how
long do you got to be the face of the
league before you get out and do Something jesus like
come on the biggest show it, well the biggest private
superstars in the.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
League, Right, no you said any other?
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Sport what DO i know?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
About Patrick mahomes of The kelsey's or in THE nba
About Steph curry mc crossby's from the guy for.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
Years you don't really know anything about the. Guy And
i'm all for it at honestly early in his, career
AND i understand what he was trying to. Do and
again it's it's up to. You you do what you
want to. Do but for the longest, time all the
young guys that came in the league had to follow his,
lead and it really DID i, THINK i don't want to,
(50:57):
SAY i mean it kind of stunted the league in
terms of like our media, presence and because you really
If sid's not in, it you, know you can't just
go out and, start you, know cheering and. Yelling and
you look at McDavid's made like an earnest effort to
kind of maybe be a little bit more personal and
be out in the media. Spotlight SO i think it's
a good job For sid to do. It I've i've
(51:19):
heard nothing but great things from, guys like he's an awesome,
guy he's really, funny AND i understand he wants to
be a private. MAN i get, it but there's also you,
know with great power comes great responsibility and nice you
are the face of the league for such a long.
Time you're ushering in the next generation and maybe that's
what THE nhl needed at that, time but it needs
(51:41):
people to be out. There you want to try to
build up the league because you, know the more built
up we, are the more media presence we, have the
more money everybody. MAKES i know everybody, goes, well it's
not about the, money but, yes those guys don't necessarily
need it because they're always going to make the top.
End but you got to think about the guys that
are playing fourth, line third, line that make. Minimum that
(52:01):
minimum jumps up a little. Bit so now you're helping
out the next era and next generation of young players
that are trying to make their their mark in the
league because you're just lifting them all up because of
the media stuff and. Sponsorship SO i, think goodbye, him
AND i think it's going to be. GREAT i can't
wait to watch, it or you, know watch a little
bit of it and then go turn To. Seinfeld but
fantastic to. That the fans are going to absolutely love.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
It, well hopefully he's watched a couple of bus before
you get to a show about. Nothing by the, way
The kachuck brothers being followed At Four, nations which is.
FANTASTIC i mean going out in death Watching keith watching his.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
Brothers what they did is going to be.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
Awesome Spak, TRUCKS i. Agree if you're a hockey like A,
kaswog event ever knows The, kachucks they, wait well know anything.
Speaker 2 (52:41):
Else, matthew you talk about getting out, There he's doing it,
well this is.
Speaker 1 (52:45):
Great he's not gonna be in The panthers lamp Until
december do to a lower body, injury but that did
not stop him from making appearance of ESPN's College Game Is.
Saturday went this is as weak as it gets in
college football to two Time cup, champion appearing as the
show's guest, picker wearing A HURRICANES t shirt and admit
it was the first time doing homework since ninth.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
Grade his football picks went six and. One the guy was.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Awesome he did it with the when he Picked John
sena to win At Russell. PALOOZA i love Seeing Matthew
kachuck at college game did WHEN i worked AT Espnjd
College football And College game d is as big as
a catch you always.
Speaker 2 (53:16):
Wanted who was the guest.
Speaker 1 (53:17):
Picker gonna be you, Know Katie perry one, week whatever
celebrity it might.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Be this is a big deal That Matthew kachuck was the.
Guy it's, awesome it's, huge great for the. Sport that
was when McAfee jump jumped off the diving, board, right that's.
Right that was pretty. Funny oh, Man uh, yeah six and.
One i'm a little pissed he missed On Russell. Palooza
even Though RUSSELL plusa was an absolute. Flop what did
you like about? It it just wasn't all the hype build.
(53:42):
Up didn't love, it didn't love the, match you, KNOW
i just didn't love the way the matches played. Out
AND i just think it it they. Missed they they
swung and, missed and it's not always a, winner BUT
i expect more TO Ww if you're gonna call Some Russell,
palooza got to make sure it's you're, hitting you're hitting your.
Mark but six and, one it was funny what he
(54:03):
said that candid Moment Matthew chuck where he's like this
the first TIME i did, homework and SINCE i was
like In june, HERE i was, like that's, great it's.
Good it's it's good for the game and all that
stuff's good for the. League SO i endorse it one hundred.
Speaker 1 (54:16):
Percent he's got a great personality's willing to show it.
Off now we know you have a soft spopera hockey
of course in the state Of. Arizona So i'm assuming
you're excited to hear. That Andrea, done the wife Of
counties Legend Shane, done the mother Of counties Draftic Josh,
done will be the chair of a new advisory committee
dedicated with THE nhl back to The. Desert what do
you make Of Andrea done's? Selection is there a chance
THE nhl returns To arizona someday where you Played baby come?
(54:40):
Back you could do?
Speaker 2 (54:42):
It oh, Me, yes we're coming. Back it's not a
matter of, if it's, when and we're making it. Back
and the don family they have done more for the
city Of phoenix Than Jackie moon did For, Flint. Michigan,
WOW i tell you what. AMAZING i love that it's
(55:03):
his wife that's gonna kind of beer had this AND
i did reach out To Shane doan immediately and, said
anything you need ANYWHERE i can slot. In i'd love
to be a part of This, uh he didn't answer me,
back so he ghosted. Me but oh, BRUTAL i like to.
Ye BUT i did send the text and the number To.
Pliver the.
Speaker 1 (55:23):
Number the number did Say i'm officially out On Shane.
Done you can't respond to my buddy to, Brs i'm
out On Shane.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
Doone shane's. World Shane done's one of The Shane doon's
one of the. Guys cannot respond to you a million
times and he's still the nicest guy, ever doesn't. Swear amazing.
Guy i'm so. Excited. UH i really THINK i heard
initially when The coyotes left that this was going to
be the you, know it was going to be The
doan family that was gonna really work their. Magic AND
(55:51):
i think it's always been The doan. FAMILY i, Mean
Shane do and his, wife they're so integral to that.
COMMUNITY i think the connections they, have they're the people they.
KNOW i, mean what better face to have other than
that family to kind of bring about miss Your coyote
and Missus Coyote Andrea. Done AND i just think it's it's.
Great now they've a lot of hurdles to. Jump you
(56:13):
gotta we gotta get a. Rink it's gonna take at
least three to five years for, that SO i don't
expect anything before five. Years but we're, coming we're moving and.
Grooving community is. Strong there's a lot of people there
that want. IT i mean within that. Community i'm In,
Flagstaff arizona right, now But i'm typically In, phoenix in
the heart of, it in the, Heartland, graceland and they want.
(56:34):
It the people want. It people want, hockey their kids want,
hockey parents want. Hockey we're gonna get. Hockey give it to.
Speaker 1 (56:40):
Me so the response from the other set would, be,
well it didn't work, before why would it work?
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Now, oh, Stadium well. Not the biggest thing is the
stadium has to be in the right. Area you, know
you cannot put it In, glendale cannot put it in
the worst city to put it, in In. Phoenix, apologies but
you Know glendale is not the spot for a hockey.
Team you gotta get it In. Scottsdale got to get
in the, valley in The East valley where all the fans,
(57:05):
are where the money, is and the fans will come
intros and they will be their. Lockstocked when it was At,
mullet The Moulay arena In, Tempe. Arizona people were. Coming
it was. FULL i know that's only you, know twenty
five hundred, seats but it will fill. Up we will
get eighteen Thousand Flint Michigan. MEGABLE i love.
Speaker 1 (57:27):
The, passion love the passion for the desert, dogs and
perhaps hockey.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
Will return To arizona one. Day thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (57:35):
For checking OUT Nhl unscripted. Again you can follow our
work on social. Media we are looking for someone who
is quote proficient in. Thumbnails let us know in the,
meantime we'll talk to you next. WEEK Nhl unscripted is
(57:59):
a production of THE nhl AND I Heart. Podcasts for
more podcasts From Heart, radio visit The iHeartRadio, App Apple,
podcasts or wherever you get your.
Speaker 2 (58:08):
Podcasts
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
NHL Unscripted Coming up, We'll take a Walk in the
Woods with screen icon Robert Redford with Cinephile and sixty
(00:26):
A towering hockey great the Hall of Famer Chris Pronger
reflecting on his mean streets on the ice and count
me as a Bernie bro saying farewell to one of
the greatest goalies of all time, Bernie paruh JD. We're
back here unscripted and you intaligating a little team bonding
it tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, I got it. I had to size him up,
just like I did you. I had to see his height.
It is confirmed. You are the smallest member of the
unscripted team at.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
N five A.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
How big is tal I don't think I tell you
what tal is. Tow projects a masculinity. Some would say toxic,
but I like that toxic, but I like that kind
of masculinely. He walked into there and I said, who
the fuck is that? It's a lot the headphones on.
(01:13):
He was. We had a good little chat. We talked
uh and my wife was there too. We're in town
visiting and it's nice. It's nice to kind of you know,
it's amazing when you do over We've done over fifty
shows I think now, and you're eight for Oh, I
like to say overfit, don't well, who's listening, because then
the fans go, oh, we gotta go watch all of them.
There's so many always over sell, always over self fair enough,
(01:36):
but no, it's amazing to kind of just you know
you Because we're all so busy in our lives, you
don't like get to connect in person. So it's always
nice to kind of kind of talk and you guys
have you know, Towel's only seen mean emails and mean
text messages from me, and it's nice to kind of
get there, give them a hug, and you know, I
put my arm around his shoulder and and just chop
(01:58):
it up a little bit. So it's great.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, me and Taldo on the clock. So the next
time Towels in the East Coast, we have to go
to Hartford. Consider your love of the Whalers and my Connecticut.
We're gonna go to Pepe's in New Haven, Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Je face. That's gonna be great, all right.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
The games don't mean anything in the standings, but there's hockey, folks,
there is hockey. This year's shorter preseason schedule meets plenty
for players trying to make their respective team.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
So it's early, but some exhibition game highlights.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Gabriel Landskock dropping the gloves after you to Mammoth forward
elbowed Kle mccar in the head. That was the Sam
Lipkin first overall pick. Matthew Schaeffer earning an assist in
his first game of the Islanders Sunny Milano four points
of the Caps in his first preseason action. Eighteen year
old Brady Martin scoring twice in his debut with Nashville
eighteen and the Jackie brothers Arbor and Florian scoring for
(02:44):
Montreal with their mom in the crowd, JD.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Which of those standing out for you so far? I
mean Florian Jackie number one. I just got to touch
on that, the Jackuye brothers because you know my dad's
he's a he's very bullish on him. I think Florian's
maybe a year away from playing, but I mean he
had twenty seven goals in the AHL and over one
hundred pen minutes. Like he's tough as nails, fought fought.
(03:07):
De Laurier and also scored a goal. I mean, he's
he's someone to like for Montreal. I like everything where
Montreal's going. But for me, I think, obviously Matthew Shaeffer.
I think everybody was wondering, how will this kid look?
And I mean, he's has advertised he's a smooth skating,
two way defenseman and personally, you know, some people were
(03:29):
talking to me about the numbers of the Calder race
and how Demodops like plus one ninety right now and
everybody else is like six to one are over, And
I'm like, I think Matthew Shaeffer is the opportunity to
kind of steal the Calder and and it's kind of
I wouldn't be surprised if he stays healthy if he
doesn't take it. You know, I think I don't know
where Demodop's going to finish with Patrick lyone there and
(03:52):
how much offensive opportunity is going to get once the
season starts. So but I'm I'm bullish on Matthew Shaeffer.
I love a defenseman that comes into the league young,
eighteen nine eighteen and just so calm and such a
smooth skater. I mean, that whole sequence of him just
rolling around in the ozone overtime and then chasing down
I think it was Mitchkov on the breakaway. It just
(04:14):
looked like he didn't break a sweat. That's just that's
just amazing stuff. And I'm sure it gets everybody in
all the Islanders fans hard as a rock.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah, and the past you're talk but not getting hard
with certain things, and this issue is hard.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
That is when we are getting hard, right hard.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
What do you think about Landiskok dropping the gloves?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I don't love it, but I guess listen, Laniskog missed,
missed so much time. I'm sure he's so excited. And
I saw Tyson Barry, you know, fan of the show.
He posted something being like, you know, fuck around and
find out with Gabriel Lanskog. But listen, it's so polarizing
preseason because you know, you got these guys that are
trying to make the team, and and honestly, for all
the fans out there, there's maybe one to two spots
(04:56):
on the NHL roster. I would say one that's up
for grabs. The rest is already set in stone. So
these kids that are playing are just trying trying to
show out for either an opportunity to play in the
HL or for you know, the team to take notice
and it's nothing against them, but that leads to cheap shots,
That leads to guys getting a little bit over zealous.
(05:18):
And I've never it's always going to be that way.
You know, you kind of as a as a veteran,
you're you have to really once you start, you're established
in the league, you kind of got to be like,
how do I want to play this? Am I trying
to get ready? Or you know, do I have to
go hard and get ready for the season and make
sure that I'm hitting being physical like Atlantiskog fighting if
(05:40):
I need to. So it's tough, man and it but
it is what it is. You got these kids in
I'd like to see them maybe really sit down and
figure out this preseason thing because I think every league
struggles with it. That's in a contact sport football as well.
You know, what do you do do you have two
teams out there and you know you just have you're
only allowed to play your guys that are going to
(06:01):
play in season together and you know, you keep the
young kids against each other or you know, how do
you how do you how do you make it work
so we're not getting some injuries. You look at Logan
Cooley getting hit from behind and getting injured. He's day
to day. It's like, how do you limit those? I
know you can't, but like, is there a way to
maybe figure out and man something that's better and we
(06:24):
could guarantee guys safety, but it is a contact sport.
You can't. You can ever do that.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah, for most sports, I find with training camp, preseason,
exhibition games, whatever you want to call, it's just don't
get hurt. And guys are trying to make the team
on the bubble, show up and show it. And as
you said, rookies, what can they show? What kind of promise?
That's what a noable mention Schaeffer. The other thing when
it comes to preseason, training camp, exhibition, spring training is holdouts.
You don't hear about it too much in hockey, but
there's one notable hold on a team you like a lot.
(06:49):
This year in the Ducks, Mason McTavish remains unsigned. He
has not appeared at the team's training camp. Twenty two
year old without a contract. Duckshi and Papferbeek called it
quote disappointing. Big summer in Anaheim. Joel Quinville's there. They
trade for Chris Quider, they signed Michael Grant, they got
plenty of cap space. How tough is this for the Ducks?
And do you think they consider trading Mason mctabash.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I find him such a you know, a foundational piece
unless you're getting something back in return that's very substantial
and is a good return, meaning, you know, getting a
young guy to come back like another prospect. I think
they're just kind of stuck between a rock and a
hard place. I've said hard way too many times today.
(07:31):
So this is a tough one. This is early in
the morning. But you know Pat Verbeeks kind of you know,
he's he's played these young guys tough, you know, like
he's he's not necessarily just shilling out the dough. And
I do think Mason mctaviash is worth it. I don't
know how far apart they are, but it's a deal
you want to see get done because he's such good
(07:51):
he's such a good forward, he's such a good piece
to this team. I know they got Lil Carlson, they
got a lot of other cutter goats, hee a lot
of big talent, So they can maybe wait without him,
but I think it's prudent. You know, if I'm Mason McTavish,
you want to play, but also you want to get
your money's worth because you see around the league all
these other young kids that have done less than him
(08:11):
getting more money. So for him, he's probably like, listen,
pay the piper, not Roddy Piper, maceon McTavish, baby.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Good reference and tell it. Probably the Ducks are probably
don't want a Bridge deal a McTavish.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Right, That's what the reports seem to be.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I think the issue seems to be term more so
than just money. Like the Ducks this We saw this
with trevor' segres, right, he he held out a few
years ago, and it looks like that was that was
an issue, was term.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
He did not want to sign.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Long term in Anaheim and lo and behold he was
gone within a couple of years. So, uh, you know,
Mason McTavish seems to be in the same situation where
they're not. The Ducks aren't interested in like a two
to three you know, year bridge deal.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
They want him long term.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
They want to lock him in, you know, to see
this thing through as far as turning this team into
a contender.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
And my concerns more is like even.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
If they do sign him and he misses the first
week or who have camped, Like how sharp is he
going to be when he finally gets there?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Sharp is a spoon, I tell you that much. But
he's ten times better than Zegras, so can't anyway, moving.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
On, there's huge news in Los Angeles. Is always on
MLB netwhere Clayton kershawt announcing he's gonna be stepping down
as a member of the Dodgers after the season, the
future Hall of Famer, and then everyone's in an up right,
so what they go, there's another la icon stepping away?
So what the are Copetar people were furious in baseball circles, Jadie,
they go, hang, have a feel. Let Kershaw have his
moment tomorrow you can announce it. But on the same
(09:36):
day that Clayton curs as retirement announcement comes out just
into the radar, King's captain Andre Kupetar announces this is
going to be his last season as well. Oh five
first round pick, andering his twentieth season in LA keep
part of the team's two Stanley Cups. He's first in
franchise history. By the way, in notable categories games, assists,
in game winning goals, he's twenty nine points by Marcel
(09:57):
Dion for the franchise points mark, which begs the question,
is Kope the King of Kings? Is he the greatest
player in franchise? Is? I say, no, marceld On the man.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
But what do you think? I mean? And kupatar As you
said so elegantly, I mean, I don't know. You've got
Gretzky that you know, changed the franchise. Yeah, so it's
kind of tough to I would put him as the
greatest king, like, but I tell you what, that guy
has done some amazing things for that franchise. He's been
(10:28):
just the leader of the consumant leader. My question is
in your eyes MLB wise, Yeah, who do you think
retiring is a bigger deal? Clayton Kershaw or Andre copetar As.
You are somebody that lives between both worlds. You are
a cuck in MLB network and you are cocking both sides.
So for you, who do you think is like a
(10:49):
bigger deal in LA I know, I know both will
kind of have their arguments, but yeah, Eileen Coppatar but
I don't know what you think.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I think Kershaw obviously has been the face of the
Dodgers for a long time. He's had incredible regular season
success by the numbers, he's one of the great pitchers
of the last forty fifty years. Now the playoffs, he's
had a lot of notable failures, which is a part
of the resume, right, it's a resume and era. In
the regular seasons two and a half and the postseason's
four and a half. So Copaitar, I think, in many
ways is underappreciated, not only within his city but within
(11:18):
hockey circles. Like for years, if I said you filmed
the Blank j D. The most underrated player in hockey
is I think for years it was are Coptar. Within hockey,
they know how great he is, but I think the
larger world doesn't realize how great this guy's been. First
this long, like twentieth season, that duration, you know, is insane.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It's so nuts, and it's amazing the way he skates,
and you know, he was never the fastest adapted when
the game adapted. You know, I always put like I
did that century show for the NHL where you're ranking
the top hundred players and not say on Jay's in
there or or not, but you know, the way we
ranked it is like can you transcend eros in hockey?
(11:56):
And for me that was a big thing, Like because
hockey's ever evolving, it's ever changing. It's a copycat league,
so you have to as an athlete adapt the way
it's changing. Like you know, unless you're a guy that
is a Conor McDavid or you know, a Leon Dricidle,
a Barkoff, Like you talk about these talents, you know,
Anjie Copetar had that talent, but he wasn't the fastest
(12:18):
and he wasn't necessarily the most skilled. He has a
lot of skill, but like you know, it wasn't this
dynamic jump off the page at you kind of NHL
hockey player. But he adapted throughout the years and he's
just found a way to be a defensive stalwart out
there and contribute offensively. And he's really just been on
top of that, just a great quiet leader and a
(12:41):
great guy. And anybody you ask within that franchise, anyone
you ask that's played within that organization says the same thing.
Anjre Copetar is just a great human being. And a
great guy to root for, So it's just for me
he's up there. And to your point, I think you
hit the nail on the head. He's very underappreciated and
has always been underappreciated. I think even now just by
(13:01):
the way he had, you know, he announced his retirement
so understated. He's like, yeah, this is my last year,
and I just feel like it could have been even
bigger news. But being in LA, it's a little bit
it gets less out you know, it's less out there
being in hockey in LA. But I just think, what
a career, what an amazing guy. And yeah, I just
(13:22):
think you can't say enough good things about him, no
question about.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Hopefully Copetar finishes strong and who knows, the King's title
window could be closing with him saying farewell. Speaking of farewell,
we say goodbye to I think one of the great
underappreciated again goalies of all time, Bernie Perant. Two weeks
after the pass of the legendary Canadians goaltender Ken Dryden,
the sport loses another all time great as Bernie pron
passed at the age of eighty. He played six hundred
and eight games the Bruins Flyers and the Leafs. He'll
(13:48):
always remember those the backstoff for the broad Street Bullies.
They won the Cup in seventy four and seventy five.
His number one was retired by Philly in nineteen seventy nine.
He was inducting the Hockey All Fame in nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
GDI.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
If you look at those numbers, those cup runs, like
he was unbelievable for this team. We know about Bobby
Clark and Dave Shelton, the broad Street Bullies and all
the rest of it, but they don't win without Bernie
Parant And one of my favorite signs ever in the game,
only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parant. He was
unbelievable in Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
I mean, yes, rest in peace. Too many good goalies
getting taken away from us right now. But you said it.
You took exactly what I was going to say. I
think the broad Street Bullies aren't the broad Street Pollys
without Bernie Paran. So just what a career and those
runs were just what a fun team to watch and
he backstopped him so because again a team like that,
that's that on the line, physical dirty. You know, they
(14:37):
take a lot of penalties, and you need a good
goaltender back there to kill the penalties and make big
saves when they're you know, chasing everybody around the ice.
So amazing career, amazing human being. I've heard and didn't
have the pleasure of meeting him, but no rest in
peace to him. One more thoughts.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Making of former Flyer goaltenders Carter Hart considering signing with
the Vegas Golden Knights and killing Hurricanes along with one
or two other unnamed teams is according to Chris Johnson
TSN and the Athletics, so Heart last play the NHL
in January twenty twenty four before he was indicted later
acquitted of sexual assault along with four Team Canada teammates,
stepping from an instant that took place in twenty eighteen.
(15:13):
The NHL ruled Heart and the four other players are
eligible to sign with the NHL teams October fifteenth. They
can begin playing in games on December first. At one point, Gadi,
as you know, Hart was thought to be the next
great Flyers goalten. After all these years of guys who
didn't work out, Roman check Manic Robert ashe name it,
They're like, Oh, Carter Hart's gonna be the guy. So
what do you make of him potentially returning to the
(15:34):
league this season.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Oh, you put me, put me in a tough spot
here and unscripted.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
I think he's gonna sign. I think he's gonna play it.
But I think there's gonna be some backlash.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Oh, I think one hundred percent there is backlash. Especially
I just think every time he goes back to Canada
and and listen, regardless of what happened, what's true. The
justice system acquitted them of these charges, but doesn't mean
you're not gonna catch flack. Because whenever that type of
(16:04):
valigation or that type of process that you go through
gets out there, I mean, it's it follows you the
rest of your life. So for him and these kids
or you know, these adults that played hockey and are
going to continue to try to play hockey at the
professional level, they're going to catch a lot of flak
for this. So whether it's right or wrong, it's it's
(16:25):
really what it is. And I think he, at before
all of this happened, was a huge prospect and was
really finding his game. And I do think a team
will take a shot on him. I think they're going
to really do their due diligence, But I don't see
a team in Canada picking them up, and if they do,
I would assume it's a team way out west. Maybe
Vancouver could be a team that potentially scoops him up.
(16:49):
I know Philly said they're not going to go for them,
so you know, they probably just kind of It's a
tough one because you're the you want to be the
first team to do it, but every team is sitting
in their war room going, this is probably the best
goal available and you don't have to trade for him,
you can just sign him. So we're going to see
what happens. I expect a team out west to maybe
(17:10):
sign him. I could there were some rubblings of the
Edmonton Oilers as well, but I think they're gonna wait
because I just I can't imagine being in Canada, him
living in Canada. I think it'd be really tough. So
I feel like him going to maybe a Pacific Division
team or a Central team where you're not playing a
ton of games against Canadian teams would be the best
(17:32):
place for them to go for Carter Hart. But yeah,
he's out of those guys. He's the nhlready player and
I assume and would bet that he's gonna get signed
maybe the next few weeks, if not a month into
the season.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, I was gonna suggest Edmonton t because he's from
Subood Park Alborda, and we all know the challenges they've
had in NET. But I understand your point, the sensitivity
to it. He's still just a young man. He's only
twenty seven years ago. There should be a lot of
hockey left in Carter Heart's career, all right, coming up
next year an NHL in script, How did Chris Ponger
overcome too much muscle relied to do something no one
has ever done in hockey history? The answer is next,
(18:20):
our next guest to Hockey.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
One of the most dominant and intimidating players of his era,
Collecting six hundred and ninety eight points and one and
sixty seven career NHL games with the Whalers, Blues, Oilers,
Ducks and Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup of the
Anaheim in two thousand and seven, remains the only defenseman
in the last fifty years when the Heart Trophy, which
he did as a member of the Saint Louis Blues
in two thousand walk May Brady, let's get nasty.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
We're Chris Pronger.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Prob's great to see you man, good to be seen.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
Thank you. So we had an anti introduction.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Absolutely, it gets even nice. I mean, talk about that.
You know how busy you've been recently in all the
things you're diving into. Just tell us what you got
going on and how much you've enjoyed this kind of
last couple of years of jumping into life, coaching, jumping
into media TV. It seems like you just got it
all going on right now.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Yeah, it's been exciting.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
You know, spent six plus years kind of back in
the hockey space post retirement. I spent a couple of
years getting healthy and then worked with the Nashal Hockeying
and Apartment of Player of Safety. Then I was a
senior advisor in Florida for three years, and then you know,
just wasn't feeling it. When you see how the sausage
is being made on the other side, it.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
Just wasn't for me.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
And you know, that was always something that I thought
I was going to do post playing career, and when
those plans don't mesh together, you kind of need to
do a reboot and spent a couple of years trying
to figure out what was moving the needle. At the
same time as I was leaving the Florida Panthers, my
wife had started a luxury travel company and was kind
(19:58):
of helping her with that, started up a whiskey company
and that kind of and its course, and now just
you know, really started to dig into.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Performance coaching.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
I don't like to call it motivational coaching because I'm
not necessarily there to motivate you. I'm there to help
you improve your performance long term and not have the
blips that we see with motivation comes and goes, it wanes,
but performance should not, and discipline and habit should not.
So you know, that's something that I really dig into
with my coaching. And then obviously I've kind of dove
(20:35):
into TV a little bit here the last couple of years,
and last year did.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
A brief stint in Saint Louis. That's right in Saint.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
Louis, a short drive for my house, so that worked
out well, and and did a couple of Blues games
as well. So then and then did some playoffs with
the ESPN and and sportsnets, so kind of dip my
toe in a little bit, got a little taste, a
little flavor for what's to come this year, and gonna
do probably thirteen or fourteen Blues games.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
It's awesome, man, And sorry, yeah, I would be remiss
if I did not mention that come April there will
book at Chris Pronger.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Book coming out, nice, amazing. A lot of.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Promos and marketing and things like that over the next
six months or so to kind of build that up
in the lead lead up.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
To the book release.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
And there are a few stories that people will be
inquiring about that will be settled in the book, that's
for sure.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Nice O was but to say, I know what a
great storyteller you are, and I cannot wait for the book.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Let's tell a few of those stories right now.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
You go way back with our buddy John Foresland, who's
the voice of Amazon Prime minyed Hockey, because you came
to the league second overall pick of the Hertford Whalers. Now,
Prongs I was at ESPN twenty ten to twenty nineteen,
so I was there and still the Whaler's jersey was iconic.
It's still the best selling thing right in Connecticut. Saved
the whale ever I was going. So I'm going around.
I remember asking Brian Brook where should I live and
(21:58):
he goes, you know you're gonna be working in Bristol.
Don't live in Bristol, West, Hartford, Avon. Those are the
places to go. But you have a different memory of
Hartford back before I was there, Like in the nineties.
What was it like playing in Hartford.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
It is funny because even to this day, to your point,
when I wear my whaler's gear around, which I do
once in a while, yeah, I get so many people,
Oh my god, I love the Whalers, and I'm always like, oh,
you're the one. We had no fans, you know. We
would play Boston on a Saturday night and half the
building would be Bruins fans. We would play the Rangers
(22:29):
on a Thursday or Saturday night and half the building
would be Rangers fans. You know, we had we had
eight to ten thousand die hard Whalers fans and then
the building was scattered with whoever we were playing that night.
But you know, John Foresland was the team services man
for the Hartford.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Whalers way back when.
Speaker 5 (22:51):
So I've known, as you said, I've known John since
nineteen ninety three, and again, you know, he got to
see my rise through my career. I got to see
his rise through his career and kind of how he
took his team services role with the Whalers then Hurricanes
and parlayed that into TV.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
And now look at the great job that he does.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
He's, uh, he's a class act and a great a
great announcer.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
I mean he's he's one of the classiest. We had
him on the show. He's fantastic. But you know, you
have your short sin in Hartford and then you're off
to Saint Louis and and I mean talk about that
going from Hartford to Saint Louis, especially you know, first
year there, you got Mike Keenan as a coach, Brett Hall,
Tony Twist, like all those personalities. How was that Tolly Twist?
(23:39):
How was that? And uh, how was that? Kind of
growing up on that team and and and really kind
of finding your footing and becoming just that the superstar
that we all know you were in the league.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Yeah, I guess you kind of got to back up
a little bit.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I think expectations may have been a little high in Hartford.
I think with maybe what fans were expecting, and I was,
you know, a little green, a little raw, and not
quite there yet, but was precipitously booed in Hartford. And
so when I got traded to Saint Louis, I was excited.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
I was like, Ah, this is gonna be great.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
I'm thinking, Oh, I get to play with Holly and
Al mckinnis, and they just signed Fursy and Jeff Courtnell
and all these guys, and back and back then the
geek Carbona and Dale Howard, Chuck and all these guys.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
This is gonna be amazing.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
And I get there not realizing that Brendan Shanahan had
almost surpassed Brett Hall in fame in the city of
Saint Louis and stardom fifty goal scorer, obviously physical.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Presence that he was.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
And I kind of came in not realizing who I
was supposed to replace, and Mike Keenan quickly put me.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
In my place.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
I was not in great shape coming into training camp,
and he quickly told me so.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
As only he can.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
He fired Mike. Yeah, yeah, and then you know.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Spent the better part of that season in the doghouse
with the coach. Last GM some of my teammates, pretty
much all the fans, and tried to figure out a
way to play myself out of it. And it was
a tough year, but one I think that really built
(25:27):
up the grit and resilience that I talk about a
lot in the book that I talk about when I
speak that I think allowed me to meet everything else
that I that I encountered during my career head on.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
You know, the hard incident, you know, the.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
Myriad of injuries, and just all the trades, all the
different things that had kind of gone on, the lockouts,
everything that kind of gone on.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
There was a.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
Great deal of heartache and strife. But I think having
gone through all that early pain and circumstance early on,
I think allowed me to really manage these other stuff
in an easier light and really propel me forward to
try to achieve and get past the term potential, which
(26:14):
is a very difficult label, and kind of reach my
full potential and play to the level that I expected
in the way that I felt like I could as
I came into the league, and uh, you know it
was being paid to do.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
I mean talk you know your life coach now. So
I want to touch on that a little bit like,
what's the one biggest takeaway that you learned from all
of that heartache and adversity that you had to overcome
early in your career to kind of get to where
you you know, the majority of of how successful you
were and how you finished.
Speaker 5 (26:47):
Yeah, I would say we are our own worst enemy.
I know I was my own worst enemy, from the
victim mentality, to blaming everybody, to blaming the fans, to
blaming the situation, to blaming my deep partner, to blaming
this guy or that guy. At the end of the day,
you got to look at the person in the mirror
and realize you need to take ownership.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
You need to do more.
Speaker 5 (27:08):
You need to be willing to sacrifice and do all
the things necessary to live a full life and play
to the best of your abilities.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
And it's within you.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
It's in within your control, and what you do moving
forward can dictate how how good you play, how good
you are at your job, how you live your life
and live it to its fullest. And so I try
to explain to people, I'm not there to make people
feel good, you know, I'm there to kind of hold
(27:35):
their feet to the fire and hold them accountable.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
For and ask some serious questions. What do they want
out of their careers? What do they want out of
their life? I have, you know, and I'll walked them.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
I'll put them in my shoes of all the difficult decisions,
all the mistakes I've made, all the things that have
come from taking ownership and responsibility and things of that nature.
And you know, ultimately, those that want to make change
are willing to do what's necessary, and those that want
to stay in that mindset they do. You know again,
that's it's everything is completely in their control. And I
(28:09):
think once people realize that they don't quit as easily
they pushed through difficult moments. They they don't accept failure,
but realize that failure is part of the growth prospects
and and it's a gift because it allows you to
to evolve and adapt and get better in areas of
your life that you need it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Chris Pronger off the ice, affable, charming, self deprecating. So
how is it pronged you were such a mean son
of a bitch on the ice?
Speaker 5 (28:38):
You know, it's get I do get asked that a lot,
you know what, I I just love to play the
game with a physical edge. Always played it, even as
a young kid. That's how I always played. You know,
somebody would take liberties with the teammate. I would make
sure that I knew when that player, like I had
a very good sense of who was on the ice,
(29:00):
when they were coming on the ice, how they played,
where I might be able to get at them, and
then made sure that I was in that position at
some point over the course of that game or a
future game, to make sure I let that person know
that that was unacceptable.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Well, I mean I was a party to one of
your cross checks later in your career, which you probably
don't remember, and those those became famous for just the
ability to find the sweet spot between the shoulder pads
and the elbow pad. And it is an art form.
And is that something you had you learned as you
(29:39):
were playing, like you said, or was it something that
maybe a veteran or somebody taught you early on? Because
it hurt like it hurt, you know.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I studied the game.
Speaker 5 (29:50):
I studied I mean, as silly as it sounds, I
studied players equipment.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Everybody has pads in different areas.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
Everybody adds pads, whether they're adding slash guards or backpads
or rib rib guards or what have you. I would
take note.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
You know, you cross check a guy in the back
and you hit a pad, You're like, oh, that's not
normally there.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
So then you start feeling around with your thing, where's
the hole? And then the next one goes right where
that hole is? You know, Slade, You know, I'd see
a guy off off a draw, and you know, especially
guys that had the short cuffs, You're like, there's a
lot of meat there waiting to be whacked, and you
just give him a little complimentary just to let him
know you're there, just to give him a little food
(30:34):
for thought.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
The next time they're coming down your side, you might
not want to do that.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Yeah, that's so good.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Between Al mckinnessy you mentioned Prongs and Scott Needemar. Are
you played with two the great defenseman hockey history. How
are those guys similar and how are they different?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
I think how they're similar is they're they're both looked
at as offensive players, but both were very good defensively.
I think Al made himself more so into a better defender.
I think Scotty always was just with his skating ability,
but they both had a burning desire to compete and
took offense that they were always categorized I think as
(31:14):
offensive defenseman.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, and and competed really hard defensively.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
You know, you look at you talk about how I
used my stick. Al was pretty vicious with his stick
as well. I think that was kind of a secret,
if you will, Maybe not to opponents, but I think
around the league, everybody looked at the big shot and
his stats and the numbers and everything, but he had
a little bite to his game and Scotty norm.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
As we as we call him nor.
Speaker 4 (31:44):
He had a little little sandpapers game too.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
I used to love when he got mad and you
could kind of see him get a little feisty and
grind on guys in the corner. And you know, I
think that both those guys as leaders on our teams,
that translated really well to the group because they were
quietly aggressive and quietly competitive. And I think that kind
(32:08):
of you have the vocal guys like myself, and then
you have the strong, silent types like them, and I
think that's a really good balance and really worked well
in our.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Locker rooms well, and I mean it didn't work, It worked,
you know so much in Anaheim, especially when you were
at Scotty, you win a Cup. I mean talk about that.
You know, you guys had a great group of veterans,
you surrounded some really good young talent and get slav Perry,
did you know going into that season and like this
(32:39):
is you know we got something here? Or did it
really take some time? And because man Oman, did you
just have I tell a lot of people like that
team come playoff time. Was just one of the most
well balanced Cup winning teams in recent memory. Just top
to bottom, was so dominant, was so good and so
fun to watch on that playoff, on that Cup winning run.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Yeah, right from the jump when I got there, having
playing against him in the Differen's finals when I was
at Edmonton, knew their roster, knew how balanced they were,
knew you know, the kind of missing piece if you will.
So we had a one, A, one B on the
back end with Scotty myself, the depth that we had
up front. As you talked about the youth, we had
(33:21):
the veteran line with the young Chris Kunitz, and then
we had any McDonald at Taymuselane and then we had
the young the young Bucks Penner gets laugh and Perry
then we had our checking line with Mowen, Niedermar and Paulson,
and then we had our greedy fourth line with we
had Brad May, Todd Marshaunt, Sean Thornton, George Parows. We
(33:43):
had some some young guys in Ryan Channon, Joey Motsko
who played in the playoffs, played really well. Mark Cardigan
came in and played. He hadn't played all season with us.
We picked him up at the deadline, played in the minors,
and then we had enough injuries that he got to
play in the Stanley Cup finals. And to have those guys,
you know, I speak of those three guys in particular
Shannon and Hartigan. Shandy played a little bit with us
(34:07):
in the regular season but played a lot in the miners.
The other two played specifically in the minors, and then
they came in in the playoffs we're are black aces
and and played meaningful minutes.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
For us when we had injuries.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
And uh, you know, I think often those are the
types of players in a in a playoff run, they
get overlooked.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
You know. We picked up Brad May, that was our
only trade at the deadline.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
And and what he provided for us from a from
an energy side and a physicality side, and just a
leadership and grit site. You know, obviously George and what
he provided for us throughout the course of the season
once we picked him up early on in the in
the year from Colorado, but overall, I mean, other than
myself and then those few roster changes, that was the
(34:50):
lineup from the year before. So they had a group
that was really coming together. And the moment I got
there Burkie and Randy Carlisle and even the ownership, I
was like, this is our our mission. This team is here,
this team has been put in place to winn a
Stanton a cup.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
Now go out and execute and take action.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
And uh, you know, right right from the beginning game,
you know, we believed in one another, you know, we
it was such a fun team to play on. You know,
we could play tough, we could play finase, we could
play a tight checking game.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
We could play however you wanted.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
And that was the joy in playing with with with
that team is that we sometimes we'd just figure out
now the other team wanted to play, and then we'd
beat him at their own game.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
It's a fun time to be a Philly sports fan
because the Eagles are defending Super Bowl champions three and
Ozer right now. You were there in Philly and O seven,
which was a beloved team because there are number eight
seed prongs and you and Mike Richards and Jeff Carter
and Claw Jerux and Simone Gania and James Van Riems,
like take that team all the way to the Stanley
Cup Final. What memories do you have about that run?
Speaker 4 (35:48):
It was?
Speaker 5 (35:48):
Uh, I mean other than the fact we lost, thank you,
I'm going to bring mad us yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
Whatever, Chicago, Uh No, it was. It was a it
was a miracuous run. We we had.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
Such a great team. You talk about a lot of
the young guys that we had that would go on
to win in LA. You know, I think just getting
into the playoffs, winning a shootout game against the Rangers
to solidify our position and then to go on that run,
you know, beat a good New Jersey Devil's team in
the one eight seed. Then we played Boston down three zero,
(36:24):
came back and won four to three in that one.
Then Montreal, who had just knocked off Pittsburgh and Washington,
you know, going to play them and and kind of
put them in their place, and then you know we
I think we got off to a good start in
Game one against Chicago and then I don't know, I
don't know what it was, just fell apart. It was
(36:45):
a high score. I think six' five might have been
the final score at a couple of. Junctures we had
a lead in that game and kind of lost, it
and then we had a late goal in game two
to lose two to.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
One. Heartbreaker come, home we win a couple of, games.
Speaker 5 (36:59):
And and AND i think WHAT i was trying to
impart on our on our, guys this is.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
It they're supposed to.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
WIN i always tell team they're supposed to win their home,
games like that's why you have home and. Rope they're
supposed to win their home. Games we win our home,
games and then it's the best of three and anything can.
Happen we lose a heartbreaker In game five In, chicago
and then we lose that crazy overtime game Where caine
scores from the.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Corner and it's all.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Over and right before that goal was, scored we had
a couple of great a. Chances Anti yami comes up
with like a couple.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Of huge saves for them And.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
Nemo, yeah the rest is history for The, blackhawks but
that kind of starts their run in the early twenty.
Tens but you know it was you, know you look
at you, know they had a Young buffalo and they
had you, know Taves caane all kind of in their
rising on their initial. Contracts you, know so you look
(37:54):
at kind of where teams try to get to when
they have those young players and they.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
Kind of bottom.
Speaker 5 (37:59):
Out they wanted they want to bottom out and dip
right away and use them as kind of that key
bounce point to to utilize their their rookie contracts and
not get up against the cap right. Away but uh,
uh you, know they had a lot of, good great
players in their team as.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Well they just found a way to. Win like we
got swept by them that the the round, before so
we kind of we warmed them up for you guys
and really kind of well than we took Our we
took our pound and. Flesh but you, know it's just
one of those teams and you know THAT i feel
like the belief and you talked about it With, anaheim
but having that belief so important on AN nhl, team
(38:37):
and when you have, it it can it can really
carry you. Where you, know games you're not supposed to
win their. Games you're not in. It you just find that.
Way AND i feel like you've touched on it a
few times even in your your. Coaching the way you
teach people is like, listen it's it's within, you and
you got to have that belief if you want to
actually win or or be successful in hockey in. Life,
(39:00):
Yeah AND i think as you.
Speaker 5 (39:00):
Talk about that, team they also had some. Failure they
they nine in the conference finals Of. Detroit they had
some learning, lessons some life, lessons if you, will along
the way that allowed them to meet some of that
adversity head, on to really understand what it's going to
feel like and in order to build that belief in one,
(39:21):
another showing up for one another and ultimately come out
on the other side successful and win.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
Championships and you know.
Speaker 5 (39:28):
THAT i think those early losses really helped them create
that great resilience that's going to be necessary in order
to meet some of the adversity that you will face
throughout the course of a long playoffs.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
In order to win a.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Championship, okay one person on this chain knows the. Answer
that person is not allowed to guess. Name the only
player in hockey history to score a goal on a
penalty shot in The cup. Final IMMEDIATELY i said, prongs
which is correct because you AND i have discussed this
two thousand and Six cup final Against.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Carolina talk to, me, yeah you.
Speaker 5 (39:59):
Know what in the lead up to, that every after
every pro, this we would always do.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Shootouts we would always practice shootouts.
Speaker 5 (40:07):
And you, know if you, score you keep, going you,
know one of those, deals AND i would always typically.
SCORE i had my two. Moves the ONE i scored
on In carolina was my main go to. Move but
if the goalie didn't bite on my, angle THEN i
would do something.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Else BUT i would.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
Try to always either get get them to open their
legs or go down or do something early get them to.
Bite but in this particular, CASE i was out on
the ice with the fourth, LINE uh and one of
The carolina defensemen put their hand on the puck in the,
crease which is an immediate penalty. Shot Mick, magoo if
you look at the, video just happened to.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Be like scaring straight down at.
Speaker 5 (40:47):
The situation and, immediately like as Only Mick it could,
do start give them the old belly shot. Signal and
AND i Think mac t had the Most craig McTavish
was our. COACH i think he had the most faith
in me based off seeing me in, practice AND i
think maybe the fact THAT i was out there with
the fourth.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Line. Uh but the but the funniest part about.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
It three days before that first, game we were getting
ready to go To, carolina and, UH i was in
the weight room doing a lift AND i kind of
tweaked my. Back so if you notice during during if
you rewind the whole, CLIP i, SKATED i was on
muscle relaxers AND i skated. DOWN i skated down to
(41:31):
the fore end by our goalie and just kind of
did a lap in the corner and was kind of
zoning out waiting for him to blow the whistles SO
i could. GO i was maybe taking a couple of
deep breaths and trying to get in the dome in
the moment goose broba and, uh you, know do my deep,
(41:52):
breaths do my meditation and kind of get in the.
Zone BUT i had a nice long run up to
grabbing the puck and then kind of did did my
did my, deed and, uh it Was it's. Fun it's
nice to tell people that most. People IF i have
somebody else ask it And i'm not, around they certainly
won't get.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
That oh that's, great great. Stuff they're going to find
all the little, Tidbits especially working in, media you're gonna
get all these little they're gonna pull up all these.
Stories but you, KNOW i wanted to ask you being in,
media you, know and and what was kind of the
biggest surprise for you and something that you didn't expect
kind of jumping into this this industry and have you you,
(42:33):
know you've obviously enjoy it because you're you're sticking with
it and you're just rising up the ranks and doing
so much incredible. Work so for, you, though what was
like your big surprise jumping into the media. World, YEAH
i don't.
Speaker 4 (42:45):
KNOW i don't know if it was a.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
SURPRISE i think the biggest thing THAT i did WAS
i asked a lot of people THAT i knew in
the industry a lot of, questions both you, know in
other sports and obviously in.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Hockey and the number.
Speaker 5 (43:00):
One, is If i'm going to do, Anything i'm going
to do at one hundred percent And i'm to be all,
in and it's, preparation it's making Sure i've got a
full understanding of the, game it's implications kind of what's
been going on with the.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Team and then.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
The, biggest the biggest thing that THAT i tried to
take away from. It Dan dirdorff was telling me the
story when he first, started he was doing a game
With Jack buck and and five minutes In Jack buck
wrote a note and pushed it in front of him
and he pointed down at the paper and he's, Like
(43:37):
and at the first intermission he looked at it and he's, Like,
dan you've Used you've already used the same word four. Times,
wow you need to expand change your, vocabulary you, know
start using a different, word whether we use certainly or
tremendous or, whatever.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
Spectacular whatever word it.
Speaker 5 (43:54):
Is just add a little more depth to what you're,
saying and, uh and what's the how and the?
Speaker 4 (44:00):
Why like how did this? Happen and why did this?
Speaker 5 (44:02):
Happen and and try to have the person listening on
the other end or watching on the other end have
a better understanding of what what they're seeing or hearing
and why it. Happened and then how can that player
either fix it or or why they're so good and
how they created, it AND i think those two Things
(44:22):
I've i've really taken a heart and really try to
study and get better at because it is.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
Hard, yeah it. IS i USED i used incredible every
single time for like my first, month AND i, LIKE
i was, like for fuck, Sakes, jason so like looking up.
Synonyms i'm looking up and Then i'm LIKE i could
JUST i can't get out of my. Head i'm, like,
well that play was oh, GOD i don't say.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
It, yes it was.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
Amazing this is amazing as.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Well makes you Follow Chris ponger On instagram at The
Chris Pronger chrisponger dot. Com and the book is coming
out In april as, well so a Fourteenth.
Speaker 5 (44:59):
April, fourteen But i'll be doing a bunch of. Events
i'll be doing a massive a couple of days In
edmonton and the lead up to in lead up to,
that so more to come on all that.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Stuff that's, awesome your beauty, buddy thank, you this was.
Awesome thank.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
You cinephon, sixth you're Remembering Robert, redford one of the
great screen. Icons there was a time where he was
unbelievable box office success and quickly acclaimed the. Seventies obviously people,
know But Butch cassidy and The Sundance, kid which is
where The Sundance Film institute stems from its, Name which
(45:36):
is such an enormous thing That Robert redford did towards any.
Movies thinking about your favorite, filmmakers whether It's Quentin tarantino
Or Paul Thomas anderson of The Coen, brothers all of
them born At, Sundance it's all due To Robert redford
and his. Influence again as an, actor he's. Amazing as a,
director he was. Amazing we're An oscar for Ordinary, people
shocking uposite Of Ober Martin scorsese And Raging, bull but
no hard.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
Feelings years, Later redford Made Quiz show and.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
He Cast scorsese in the, movie playing A jaritol salesman
and a Fantastic Chemi who's wont one great scene With Rob.
MORROW i heard the passing at nine am On. Tuesday
two hours LATER i Rewatched Quiz, show which you haven't.
Seen it came out in nineteen ninety. Four last year
was the thirtieth anniversary Of redford's. Film it Stars Ray,
fines was his first big movie After Schindler's this his
first starring Role Rob, MOORE i previously mentioned From Northern,
(46:18):
exposure and the Great John taturtle Playing Herbie, stemple who's
this much beligned. Guy it's about a quizhow which was
rigged back in the nineteen fifty is a show called twenty,
one and it really is a morality play about truth
and consequences and why they're so. Important tell talk to
me about quiz. Show i'm not sure If jad has seen.
It tell have you Seen? Quisher you're aware of how
great this film. Is he's squinting at.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Me out of my. PURVIEW i actually haven't seen. IT
i have to.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
ADMIT i mean plenty Of, redford Classic, redford BUT i
haven't seen that. Film ALTHOUGH i will say that the
guy who owns the WORKSPACE i work in as kind
of an older, gentleman AND i heard him at another
end of the room the other.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
Day he, goes no young people have heard Of Robert.
Redford he was outraged that young people didn't know WHO i.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Like that WAS i like those guys who get pissed
off about they start shaking their fists to the.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Heaven believe.
Speaker 3 (47:04):
IT i mean he he was going on a bit
of a rat like this guy was the biggest star
in the world at one. Point you, know oh my, God,
mas that that dead air of Ad, nan of just
him not seeing the.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Movie THAT i gave it the big build, UP. Jd
here we go, up what a? Layup at least vake.
It do WHAT i just? Vacant did you want to talk? Yesterday?
YES i. Did this guy did good. Things that guy
did good. Things Robert redford was great in that. Movie
i'll kick it to.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
J i'll kick it to J. D, Though Robert redford The,
natural that's a great baseball. Way people love that. Film
he was such a good, ATHLETE. Jd he actually went
to The eurosity Of colorado on a baseball. Scholarship he
played With Don. Drysdale letter become one of the Great
dodgers of all. Time good lefty Swing Barry levi's and
the director, Said i'm not. Kidding there were times you'd
Tell bob you have to. Miss but just as an,
athlete he wanted to swing and hit, it swinging.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
Hitty he goes. Legit good lefty hitter and a good
lefty throw. Right and that's.
Speaker 1 (47:53):
Important right when you watch these sports, movies you don't
buy if the guy can't play.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
A little, Bit Robert redford could play a little, bit,
well oh, yeah one hundred. Percent you know you look
at Also Billy, chapel you, Know kevin another. One but
it's so. FUNNY i feel like the baseball, movies the
actors that play they're always. GOOD i feel like the
majority of the time they're very. Good Bull durham's another,
one but like the Natural Robert redford's. Great AND i
just find when it's the football, movies you can never
(48:19):
get a quarterback that can throw the goddamn. Football no
actor can actually throw a tight. Spiral it all looks
like it's like some, weird awkward. Angles so it's so.
Funny i'm, like why wouldn't You you're spending millions of,
dollars why wouldn't you just bring in a guy to
kind of teach them how to play the sport the
right way at least have the mechanics. Down but, Yeah
Robert redford a true, talent, amazing so many great, Movies,
(48:43):
marvel he was In marvel. Too yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Yeah people Mentioned Captain America Winter soldier tweeting about.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
THAT i, go come, On that's WHY i said. IT
i wanted to see your eyes roll in the back
of your. Head you. Know my favorite movie of him
Is Alec Pearson. Marvel, yeah When Your soldiers. Fantastic i'm,
LIKE i can just imagine Rober referds and how AM
i being remembered? Today?
Speaker 1 (49:02):
Oh they're mentioning my work In captain.
Speaker 2 (49:04):
C g all, right fair, enough that's what you gotta.
Speaker 1 (49:07):
Do Three days of The, condra by the, WAY i
never seen it's a really good. THRILLER i watched It cia,
movie you, know AND A walk in The. WOODS i
have to mention him And Nick nolty came at twenty.
Fifteen it's not a great, film apparently it's a very good.
Book but it was an amiable, watch ninety seven, minutes
an easy, comedy kind of a grumpy old.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Men him And Nick, nolty two ACTORS i like a.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
Lot it wasn't, Great i'll be, honest but it had its.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
Charms go. Ahead did you Like The? CASTLE i?
Speaker 1 (49:27):
Do The Last? CASTLE i Mean james Gandel Field.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Last, Castle. APOLOGIZE i really liked that. Movie, Yeah Robert, redford,
Great James gandelfoinie great in. It great. Movie there you, good,
good good, good no good. Good. Good that was. Good.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
Paul i'm, LIKE i don't like JEW i tell you Ship,
Jesus genie's not gonna drop The canadate on. Me but
that's pretty. Good the last, Castle i'll take. It Ganil foene'
is a prison. Warden i'm not turning that, off all?
Right started THE nhl. Season we can't. Wait the trailer
was released this week for season two Of Face Off
inside THE, nhl The amazon series that got every hockey
(50:03):
fans attention last. Year looks like season two could be
just as good as season. One Sidney, crosby The Kachuck,
Brothers Ajre, copetar the, Aforementioned Miko ranton And Seth, Jarvis
Marc Andre, FLEURY. Jd you live the, game now you
live in the. Media how accent are you for this
series when it Returns october?
Speaker 2 (50:18):
Fourth, well it's about goddamn, Time Sidney, Crosby, like how
long do you got to be the face of the
league before you get out and do Something jesus like
come on the biggest show it, well the biggest private
superstars in the.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
League, Right, no you said any other?
Speaker 2 (50:31):
Sport what DO i know?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
About Patrick mahomes of The kelsey's or in THE nba
About Steph curry mc crossby's from the guy for.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
Years you don't really know anything about the. Guy And
i'm all for it at honestly early in his, career
AND i understand what he was trying to. Do and
again it's it's up to. You you do what you
want to. Do but for the longest, time all the
young guys that came in the league had to follow his,
lead and it really DID i, THINK i don't want to,
(50:57):
SAY i mean it kind of stunted the league in
terms of like our media, presence and because you really
If sid's not in, it you, know you can't just
go out and, start you, know cheering and. Yelling and
you look at McDavid's made like an earnest effort to
kind of maybe be a little bit more personal and
be out in the media. Spotlight SO i think it's
a good job For sid to do. It I've i've
(51:19):
heard nothing but great things from, guys like he's an awesome,
guy he's really, funny AND i understand he wants to
be a private. MAN i get, it but there's also you,
know with great power comes great responsibility and nice you
are the face of the league for such a long.
Time you're ushering in the next generation and maybe that's
what THE nhl needed at that, time but it needs
(51:41):
people to be out. There you want to try to
build up the league because you, know the more built
up we, are the more media presence we, have the
more money everybody. MAKES i know everybody, goes, well it's
not about the, money but, yes those guys don't necessarily
need it because they're always going to make the top.
End but you got to think about the guys that
are playing fourth, line third, line that make. Minimum that
(52:01):
minimum jumps up a little. Bit so now you're helping
out the next era and next generation of young players
that are trying to make their their mark in the
league because you're just lifting them all up because of
the media stuff and. Sponsorship SO i, think goodbye, him
AND i think it's going to be. GREAT i can't
wait to watch, it or you, know watch a little
bit of it and then go turn To. Seinfeld but
fantastic to. That the fans are going to absolutely love.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
It, well hopefully he's watched a couple of bus before
you get to a show about. Nothing by the, way
The kachuck brothers being followed At Four, nations which is.
FANTASTIC i mean going out in death Watching keith watching his.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
Brothers what they did is going to be.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
Awesome Spak, TRUCKS i. Agree if you're a hockey like A,
kaswog event ever knows The, kachucks they, wait well know anything.
Speaker 2 (52:41):
Else, matthew you talk about getting out, There he's doing it,
well this is.
Speaker 1 (52:45):
Great he's not gonna be in The panthers lamp Until
december do to a lower body, injury but that did
not stop him from making appearance of ESPN's College Game Is.
Saturday went this is as weak as it gets in
college football to two Time cup, champion appearing as the
show's guest, picker wearing A HURRICANES t shirt and admit
it was the first time doing homework since ninth.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
Grade his football picks went six and. One the guy was.
Speaker 1 (53:06):
Awesome he did it with the when he Picked John
sena to win At Russell. PALOOZA i love Seeing Matthew
kachuck at college game did WHEN i worked AT Espnjd
College football And College game d is as big as
a catch you always.
Speaker 2 (53:16):
Wanted who was the guest.
Speaker 1 (53:17):
Picker gonna be you, Know Katie perry one, week whatever
celebrity it might.
Speaker 2 (53:20):
Be this is a big deal That Matthew kachuck was the.
Guy it's, awesome it's, huge great for the. Sport that
was when McAfee jump jumped off the diving, board, right that's.
Right that was pretty. Funny oh, Man uh, yeah six and.
One i'm a little pissed he missed On Russell. Palooza
even Though RUSSELL plusa was an absolute. Flop what did
you like about? It it just wasn't all the hype build.
(53:42):
Up didn't love, it didn't love the, match you, KNOW
i just didn't love the way the matches played. Out
AND i just think it it they. Missed they they
swung and, missed and it's not always a, winner BUT
i expect more TO Ww if you're gonna call Some Russell,
palooza got to make sure it's you're, hitting you're hitting your.
Mark but six and, one it was funny what he
(54:03):
said that candid Moment Matthew chuck where he's like this
the first TIME i did, homework and SINCE i was
like In june, HERE i was, like that's, great it's.
Good it's it's good for the game and all that
stuff's good for the. League SO i endorse it one hundred.
Speaker 1 (54:16):
Percent he's got a great personality's willing to show it.
Off now we know you have a soft spopera hockey
of course in the state Of. Arizona So i'm assuming
you're excited to hear. That Andrea, done the wife Of
counties Legend Shane, done the mother Of counties Draftic Josh,
done will be the chair of a new advisory committee
dedicated with THE nhl back to The. Desert what do
you make Of Andrea done's? Selection is there a chance
THE nhl returns To arizona someday where you Played baby come?
(54:40):
Back you could do?
Speaker 2 (54:42):
It oh, Me, yes we're coming. Back it's not a
matter of, if it's, when and we're making it. Back
and the don family they have done more for the
city Of phoenix Than Jackie moon did For, Flint. Michigan,
WOW i tell you what. AMAZING i love that it's
(55:03):
his wife that's gonna kind of beer had this AND
i did reach out To Shane doan immediately and, said
anything you need ANYWHERE i can slot. In i'd love
to be a part of This, uh he didn't answer me,
back so he ghosted. Me but oh, BRUTAL i like to.
Ye BUT i did send the text and the number To.
Pliver the.
Speaker 1 (55:23):
Number the number did Say i'm officially out On Shane.
Done you can't respond to my buddy to, Brs i'm
out On Shane.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
Doone shane's. World Shane done's one of The Shane doon's
one of the. Guys cannot respond to you a million
times and he's still the nicest guy, ever doesn't. Swear amazing.
Guy i'm so. Excited. UH i really THINK i heard
initially when The coyotes left that this was going to
be the you, know it was going to be The
doan family that was gonna really work their. Magic AND
(55:51):
i think it's always been The doan. FAMILY i, Mean
Shane do and his, wife they're so integral to that.
COMMUNITY i think the connections they, have they're the people they.
KNOW i, mean what better face to have other than
that family to kind of bring about miss Your coyote
and Missus Coyote Andrea. Done AND i just think it's it's.
Great now they've a lot of hurdles to. Jump you
(56:13):
gotta we gotta get a. Rink it's gonna take at
least three to five years for, that SO i don't
expect anything before five. Years but we're, coming we're moving and.
Grooving community is. Strong there's a lot of people there
that want. IT i mean within that. Community i'm In,
Flagstaff arizona right, now But i'm typically In, phoenix in
the heart of, it in the, Heartland, graceland and they want.
(56:34):
It the people want. It people want, hockey their kids want,
hockey parents want. Hockey we're gonna get. Hockey give it to.
Speaker 1 (56:40):
Me so the response from the other set would, be,
well it didn't work, before why would it work?
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Now, oh, Stadium well. Not the biggest thing is the
stadium has to be in the right. Area you, know
you cannot put it In, glendale cannot put it in
the worst city to put it, in In. Phoenix, apologies but
you Know glendale is not the spot for a hockey.
Team you gotta get it In. Scottsdale got to get
in the, valley in The East valley where all the fans,
(57:05):
are where the money, is and the fans will come
intros and they will be their. Lockstocked when it was At,
mullet The Moulay arena In, Tempe. Arizona people were. Coming
it was. FULL i know that's only you, know twenty
five hundred, seats but it will fill. Up we will
get eighteen Thousand Flint Michigan. MEGABLE i love.
Speaker 1 (57:27):
The, passion love the passion for the desert, dogs and
perhaps hockey.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
Will return To arizona one. Day thanks so much.
Speaker 1 (57:35):
For checking OUT Nhl unscripted. Again you can follow our
work on social. Media we are looking for someone who
is quote proficient in. Thumbnails let us know in the,
meantime we'll talk to you next. WEEK Nhl unscripted is
(57:59):
a production of THE nhl AND I Heart. Podcasts for
more podcasts From Heart, radio visit The iHeartRadio, App Apple,
podcasts or wherever you get your.
Speaker 2 (58:08):
Podcasts
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