March 5, 2025 • 49 mins
Voice of the Roadrunners Jonathon Schaffer and Co-Host Kim Cota-Robles had newest Roadrunner Sammy Walker and the V.P. of Marketing for the Tucson Roadrunners Rob Mattina on this week's show to talk about the 2024-25 season and Walker's experience getting traded at the All-Star break to Tucson from Iowa.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's five o clock. Got yours you days? Two sun
Runners Happy Out from Fox Sports fourteen fifty AF Jonathan, Shit, right, we.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Know the story, but you gotta tell the viewers that starts.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
It's so funny.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
It's our usual Tuesday night get together.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Maybe we should start implementing some breakdance pre games during
the season and see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Right here on Tucson Sports Day yet Fox Sports fourteen
fifty A.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Fox Sports fourteen fifty am our usual Tuesday night get together.
Road Runners Happy are Johnathan Schaeffer with Kim Coder Robles
as always, and right off the top of the hour
are very very special guests, the newest tenured Roadrunner Stammy Walker.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Sammy, welcome to the show.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Just got to tell you one thing we do here
is I asked the boring hockey question, Kim asked the
very off the wall random questions, so be prepared for that.
But how's it going man, how you settling in Tucson?
And again, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, no, thanks for having me on. It's been good.
The weather is obviously pretty great down here, and it's
been good. We've you know, been winning, so hopefully we
can keep that going.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Yeah, and I'm sure it's been asked a million times
for you by everybody, but you know, it's it's never
easy to be traded mid season. You know, you see
it all over you know, in the news during the
trade deadlines any any league. And I don't think sometimes
people doesn't really don't realize how tough it can be
till it happens to you. So you know, just explain
(01:40):
to us what the whole process was like when it's
been for you, you know, getting over here, you said
you mentioned earlier, we were talking earlier, you got your car.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now finally, just what's this whole process been like and
how you settling it?
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Yeah, No, it's definitely you know, it's kind of a
shock when you first get traded.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You kind of just you gotta up and leave.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
Luckily, it was all Star breaks, so I had a
couple of days to kind of regroup and pack my
things up. And you know, coming to a new team,
you don't really know anyone, so you know, it can
be kind of weird since they you know, have been
with each other for the whole year, so.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
You know, it can be a little awkward and weird.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
At first, but the guys have been great and I've
been settling and good and uh, yeah, I know, it's
it's been good.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
You definitely major mark with getting four points in your debut.
And what was harder was you came in the middle
of or to start off the gem Show trip is
what we call it, and it was our longest trip
of the season. What was that whole experience like, coming
to play for a new team and the first game
you had one of the best games of your career.
Speaker 6 (02:54):
Yeah, I know it was.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
It was kind of nuts.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Like the road trip felt like a month and I
was like, I did, I haven't even been to Tucson yet,
But no, it was nice to finally get back here
and play some home games.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
But yeah, it's been good.
Speaker 7 (03:15):
So, Sammy, for people who are just learning about you,
all the fans who obviously are brand new to you,
tell us this Sammy Walker lore. Give us some insight
into where you come from and who you are, you know,
beyond the ice.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah, well, I'm from Minnesota.
Speaker 7 (03:40):
And you're from is it a Dinah, yep, which is
just outside of the Twin Cities area, like a summery.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It's probably like fifteen to twenty minutes from downtown Minneapolis.
So okay, it's it's right there.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Born and raised there, playing hockey my whole life there,
played high school Addie Dina, and then went to University
of Minnesota, played there.
Speaker 7 (04:08):
And what did you study at Minnesota?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Communications?
Speaker 7 (04:12):
Okay, oh, just like just like me.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
But yeah, no, I mean I besides hockey, like I
like to be outside just doing stuff, hanging out with
with my buddies and you know, just staying busy.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I guess in the summers.
Speaker 7 (04:29):
I've heard you talk in the past about golf. Have
you had a chance to golf in Tucson yet? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I went with with the guys a few days ago. Uh,
so it was nice to take it out there. I
was pretty rusty. You hadn't I hadn't golf for a while. Yeah,
so it was kind of a rough round, but it
was still fun to get out there and just hang out.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
With the guys.
Speaker 7 (04:52):
You've you've been really considering that you're a professional hockey player.
Your career has really been concentrated in one part of
the world old, which is really interesting in Minnesota and Iowa.
Did you have any culture shock coming to Tucson or
are you still experiencing things or is there anything like
super different here that you haven't experienced before.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
Yeah, it is kind of crazy, like I you know,
hockey takes you a lot of places, but you know,
I've won't the teams that I've played for have only
been in the Midwest, so kind of.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Being here now, you know, it is it is kind
of crazy just.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
Not going outside and and bringing freezing right. It's it's
kind of weird, like sitting inside, I feel like I
should be outside with this weather. But when you go
back home from the rink, and you know, in Minnesota
or in Iowa, it's you don't really leave much after
(05:57):
that because it's so cold outside.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So that's that's been kind of cool.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
So with you with the team now, we have three
guys from Minnesota and the roster you, Austin Bcganski, and
Jackson Stobber.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Did you know any of them from the past, you know,
just meeting up with them.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
I know you played against Jackson when he was with
Rockford and you were with Iowa as well, So any
connections there and if there are what to like playing.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
With him again.
Speaker 5 (06:23):
Yeah, And I actually played against him in high school too,
so I've known him. I've known him for a while now,
but not like very close, just kind of playing against
each other. So it's been fun getting to know both
of them more. And I used to work out with
(06:46):
Austin a little bit in the summer, so I knew
him a little bit too. So knowing those guys made
it definitely a lot easier with the transition.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Come and to a new team.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (07:01):
I saw an interview with your parents. They are the cutest,
like just so so much so much adoration for you,
which is just beautiful. But your dad had a description
of you that I thought was so amazing. He said,
every day is a Saturday night to that guy, is
how much you love life? And I was curious, like,
(07:22):
do you have a life philosophy or or is that
pretty accurate? Did your dad nail it?
Speaker 5 (07:29):
I mean, I just try to take it day by
day and have fun with it whatever, whatever I'm doing.
I mean, they've been awesome, you know, just just growing
up and how much they've supported me and how much
they've sacrificed and.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
For me, So they've been awesome.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
But yeah, no, just try to try to have fun
with everything, try to take a day by day and
go from there, I guess.
Speaker 7 (07:56):
And you're you're the youngest, right you have two older brothers.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yeah, I also have a younger sister and an older sister.
Speaker 7 (08:04):
Too, So oh my gosh, there's five of you. That's
a lot. Holy Mary, that's a lot of people. What
do all your siblings do? Are any of them at
all physically close to Arizona or is everybody in the Midwest?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
No, No one's really close.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
But you know, I think my dad will probably come
down at some point, so and I get to see
them all a lot in the summers. So we're all
kind of used to being busy and having our own schedules.
So but it is fun, you know, and we're all
back home in the summers.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
I'm curious who your road roommate is.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I was with uh, with Lipper Huh a little bit.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
I was with I was with Downer when he was
down for a few days. But when I first got here,
I had my own room.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
I was kind of like, you know, asking older guys
like do you want to take you want your own room?
Like I felt bad, but yeah, no, it's it's been good.
I kind of like having a roommate.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
On the road and you watch movies at night or
or whatever.
Speaker 7 (09:21):
So okay, so lipkin and done. If you had to
if they were an animal, which animal do you think
each of them would be? I was gonna say a dog,
but I'm just gonna like whatever animal like you could
think of.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
That's so hard, uh, I mean, yeah, donor I would
probably say, you know, something like a dog. I feel
like he gets along with everyone and he's just like
seems like he's always happy, lover.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I don't know, what do you think?
Speaker 7 (10:04):
He's so intense and like locked locked in like all
the time. He's like not pretty quiet, you know, introverted.
But I didn't know, like if you saw a different
side of him than what we see.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
I mean, he's a great dude, and he was. Yeah,
it was fun to room with and we'll see this
this next road trip if I'm with him again or
someone new.
Speaker 7 (10:32):
But did you guys watch movies together or what did
you guys do? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I think we watched The Dark Knight.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Oh that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, and I think that's it.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
I don't know if we watched another one or not,
but yeah, I.
Speaker 7 (10:49):
Think I think for Sam, like I don't, I kind
of want to say a lion. I don't know. He's
kind of like he's kind of like a big presence,
but he's real. But he's quiet, but he's a lot.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Yeah, I'm like like a bobcat or something.
Speaker 7 (11:08):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
I like it.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
Not as big as a lion.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
But if you had, like if you had like longer
hair too.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Oh, that would he wouldn't been in his helmet because
it's so curly. I feel like his helmet he would
need to increase the size.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
You would definitely have trouble, Sam obviously, you know, Iowa
was a great organization and you had a lot of
good years with them, but you know, a tough couple
of seasons. Didn't make playoffs last year. We'll see what
happens this this season. I mean, they're still battling for
it as well. But what's it also like just to
go to a team like the Roadrunners that we're we're
(11:45):
pushing for the playoffs and you've been a big part
of that, you know, because we're on an eight game
losing streak before you came on. We're starting to see
the wins now, but it's still not over yet. We
have three huge games coming up. But yeah, just what's
it been like to join a blocker room mid chaos
trying to make the playoffs, because again, if you make playoffs,
it's anyone's game at that point.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yeah, no, for sure, I mean that's definitely the goal
is to get in and then you know, anything can happen.
So that's obviously what we're what we're working for. And
it's an exciting time. I mean, this is the kind
of where where the fun starts too and it gets intense.
(12:27):
But I'm just trying to contribute as much as I
can and and help get some wins so we can
get in and then see what happens.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Sammy, I want to ask you about your game day
routine and I heard recently, I don't know if you know,
if you've ever heard this before, Johnny, that the reason people,
the reason successful people have routines is because it feeds
a part of your brain that makes you feel good.
Because when you have a routine, you know what's going
(13:02):
to happen next. Like if you're like boom boom boom
boom boom throughout the day in your routine, your brain
knows what to expect and that's like really healthy for you,
and it feels really good, and it like motivates you. Yeah,
it just like triggers all of these wonderful happenings in
your brain. So, Sammy, I was curious, do you have
a game day routine and what does it look like?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Yeah, well, we're usually you know, go to the rink
in the morning and skate, and then you'll have a
pretty game meal.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
And then I liked the n app I'll usually just
come back usually probably just throw something on the TV
until I fall asleep, and then.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
I get up and get ready and go to the rink.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
It's not not really much to it.
Speaker 7 (13:59):
And then are you in the hotel right now? Are
you in the Double Tree?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Yeah, I'm not at the Double Tree, but I am
in you're.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
In the hotel. Oh, in a hotel. And then your
routine when you get to the when you get to
the arena though, because it seems like I don't know
about you, Johnny, but like if you depending on the day,
depending on like you know, who's in the starting lineup
and what that looks like, you could you could probably
(14:26):
set your clock by running into people, running into players
in the arena because they do things the exact same
way every day. Every game day. So do you are
you a sewer ball guy? Like, are you a warm
up guy? Or you a shake guy after the game?
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (14:42):
Well, like I always start by taping my stick and
get in whatever equipment that whatever I needed done, and
then I'll go and we'll have like some medians and
then I'll just go kind of warm up a bit,
get loose, and then yeah, I'll play sewer up until
(15:06):
kind of it's ready to get ready to go out
for warm up.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Sammy, have you heard the Has anyone told you the
story of when I tried playing sewer bar ball yet?
Speaker 3 (15:17):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
No?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Okay, well it's good, but so pretty much.
Speaker 7 (15:22):
We were.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
It was one of our it was our longest home
stand of the season, and guys were out there playing
super ball. I joined them because I guess the rule
is you got to get someone the joy and to
reset the game, which I didn't know. I was just
like Donnor was just like Johnny, come play, and I'm like,
all right, fine.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I tried.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
I start playing with them and someone kicks the ball
high to me and I don't know what went through
my head or my mind or anything, but I just
tried to like do this weird bicycle kick thing maybe
backwards kick and I completely fell and ate the concrete.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Come yeah, and it was.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
It was so bad and like we we had a
few guys on the show after that for a few
weeks and we were just getting all the different perspectives
from it.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
I'm glad no.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
One's told you because it was. I was so worried
that it's like could be like a thing the whole
season everyone talks about.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I must have forgot about it. I'll have to bring
it up to No.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
No, I jumped right up. It hurt really bad, but
I was able to jump right up. I was fine.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
But yeah, so that's why I will never play super
Ball again with the Fellas.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh my goodness. Yeah, it can get pretty intense.
Speaker 7 (16:28):
You can't do it in dress shoes, buddy, Like that's
the big thing. Dress shoes.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I can kill you. The dress shoes slipped me for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
That's funny. Well, glad you're all right from Yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
A hard fault.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
It was.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It was pretty bad, Sammy.
Speaker 7 (16:44):
If you could have a door, I guess in your
hotel room, a door anywhere in the world, where would
you want that door to go?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Right now, your questions are making me think on the spot.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Yeah, min are just like, yeah, you know, basic hockey knowledge,
and then kids just off the wall out of nowhere.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
I don't know. I think like some are cool. Like either.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
If I open up I mana safari in Africa and
I get to see some cool elephants or something, I
don't know, that.
Speaker 7 (17:27):
Would be cool. Oh my gosh, that's such a great answer.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I don't know that. That's that's that's what's coming on
the top of my head right now.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
So a safari in Africa, that's that's amazing.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
And I only say it because I was just scrolling
on my phone the other day and I saw like
someone was on a on like one of those rides,
and it just like looks kind of cool the see
all the animals.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
Oh, like on a safari, like get a jeep out there,
like ye the animals. Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. I can't
even imagine. Have you ever been to Africa? No, I
have one time, but there were no wild animals, Thank goodness.
I don't think I do well in that situation.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah, kind of scary, I guess, yeah, I think it
would be too.
Speaker 7 (18:15):
How long do you think that you would last in
a Zombie Apocalypse.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
You know what's funny because I've actually been watching The Walking.
Speaker 7 (18:26):
Down Oh my god, no way from the beginning.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Yeah, I never seen it before, so I'm just like,
I love that show.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
And if it's the zombies from here, I could last
a while.
Speaker 7 (18:41):
Oh you think so because they're slow.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
Yeah, if it's like World War Z, no yeah, no,
but yeah, I don't know. I just like the people
in the shore are so dumb, like, how are you
getting caught?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
You know, you think it's just run.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I don't, right, it's the hordes too, like I don't know.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
I guess like in the numbers, but yeah, there's some
scenes where it's just like, how does that even happen?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Just be aware, I don't know, have your head on
a swivel or something.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
There's a theory too in that show, because you know
you've seen scenes too where people are like shooting the
guns like next to their ears and stuff. There's a
theory that no one can hear in that universe. So
that's why, like they don't hear zombie creeping up on
them because they they are always following guns around their
ears and they can't hear anymore.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
I guess it kind of makes sense.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I don't know. It was just like Eason one was
really bad about it.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
That's a good theory. I actually used to watch The
Walking Dead when I was on the treadmill because it's
such good motivation to like just run, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, yeah, that's funny.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
I would I would find a big farm somewhere, and
I mean they're mostly in the city, right.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So yeah, I feel like I would be good out there.
And you see some trouble, you run as fast as
you can.
Speaker 7 (20:03):
That was also a Cameron he big answer is just
to go out in the middle of nowhere and wait
it out as long as possible.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:11):
Yeah, do you have a Do you have a favorite
pasta shape?
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Favorite pasta shape?
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah, probably rigatoni or is it bow tie or oh yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:25):
Uh huh, I like that one. What's Rigatoni? What does
it look like?
Speaker 3 (20:30):
It's like.
Speaker 7 (20:32):
It's like a tube.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Yeah, it's like yeah, the tubes, okay, all.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Right, I like that the way the big tube, not
the big tubes, but like the little.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
Yeah, honestly, I like them all. Besides, uh like spaghetti
or like any any of.
Speaker 7 (20:50):
The long ones, Like you don't like spaghetti.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I don't like those long noodles. I think they're like
just annoying to eat.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
It's a really specific dislike.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Well, you asked the question.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
That's a great answer. That's a great answer. I've never
heard anybody say they don't like the spaghetti shape.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
That's really interesting. I'll eat it. But it's just like,
I don't know if I had to.
Speaker 7 (21:19):
Choose, Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, No, you're right. I asked
the question. I gotta I gotta settle with the answer.
What's your proudest accomplishment so far? I know you're only
what twenty five, right, what's so you but you've accomplished
so much. What's your proudest.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Yeah, I would probably say just playing in the NHL
for scoring a goal.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, I would say that probably.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
That's a good one.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Yeah, pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Nice man.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Well, Sammy, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
We're we're glad to have you here. It's it's been
awesome getting to know you these uh this past month.
I know it hasn't been easy, coming in the middle
of a road trip and everything, but you seem to
have a good attitude about it, and uh, yeah, we're
ready to have you for our playoff push as well.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Yeah, no, thanks for having me on. It's been fun
so far, so let's keep the wins.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Coming rolling on here.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Up next, our next very special guest, the VP of
Marketing for the Tucson Roadrunners, Rob Mattina. Rob, how's it
going man, Welcome, Welcome to the Radio of the Roadrunners.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
How you doing.
Speaker 6 (22:30):
I'm doing fine. Thank you very much for having me.
Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
So you have a you have a very rich history
in hockey.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
You've worked with the Detroit Red Wings for a very
long time, You're with the Arizona Coyotes, now with the Roadrunners,
with the whole transition of everything, and just give us
a bit of a more of a background of yourself
for the fans here in Tucson.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
I you know, coming out of high school going to college,
I wasn't sure what I wanted to be. I attended
North Eastern University in Boston originally, and it's a five
year co ops school, and I ended up getting an
internship with the Rochester Red Wings Triple A baseball team
at the Baltimore Orioles at the time. From there, first
(23:13):
basically eight years my career was all in baseball. I
worked for Rochester, then went to the Pittsford Pirates, and
then from there I went to Oklahoma City eighty nine Ers,
which was the Triple A team for the Texas Rangers
at the time and now the Dodgers. And then from
there I went back to graduate school and worked for
the Boston Red Sox when I was at grad school
(23:34):
at University of Massachusetts. And then from there I took
a role with the sports and lifestyle marketing agency in Chicago.
I was there for nine years, went over to client
side for five years. From there I went to Detroit
Red Wings or the vice president of marketing. There a
(23:54):
lot of cool events, you know. We put on the
event of the decade with the Winter Classic in twenty
fourteen at the Big House in Michigan, as well as
I was involved in the executive community helping to build
Little Caesars Arena as well as host a number of
other things. And then from there I went to the
Coyotes and after the cell to Utah. Our ownership asked
(24:20):
me if I'd come down to Tucson and help up
with the organization down here, and I'm more than happy to.
Speaker 7 (24:26):
We're excited that you're with us, Rob, but I have
to back up for a second because I am a
Red Wings fan, so hearing. So you were with the
Red Wings when they were at the Joe and then
they transferred to Little Caesars. I was watching everything on
socials when that happened, and I can't even imagine how
heavy of a lift that was for your marketing team.
(24:47):
What did that look like?
Speaker 6 (24:49):
Well, it's funny. We ended up my team, myself and
I and my team, we ended up winning the Stanley
Award for the Best Integrated Marketing Program exactly for that
last season. It's funny, you know the Red Wings I
first got there were Stanley Cup contenders in the Stanley
Cup two years in a row, and then from there
(25:09):
we just started sliding. And then twenty sixteen, I believe
it was our last year at Joe Louis Arena. We
built the campaign. It's all about the emotion Joe Louis Arena.
You know, we had the last team turned out to
be our largest revenue ever in a season for the
Detroit Red Wings. The last year at Joe Lewis. It's
(25:30):
a campaign I'm very proud about. It was fully integrated
and again you know, we won the NHL Award the
first year they had it. But yeah, it was a
great way to move from going Joe Louis Arena then
moving into Little Caesars and you talked.
Speaker 7 (25:47):
About Yeah, no, that's that's absolutely amazing and congratulations. You
talked about all the places you lived. Did you tell
us where you where you were born?
Speaker 6 (25:58):
I was born in Boston Institusetts.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
Oh, okay, so that's why you're at Northeastern. Okay.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
I went to high school in New York though state
New York.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
Uh huh.
Speaker 6 (26:09):
Okay, and then moved right back to Boston the day
after I graduated to a ten Northeastern.
Speaker 7 (26:18):
Can do people in Boston? Do you have a Boston
accent or do you have a New York accent?
Speaker 6 (26:23):
I'm a mot I have a combination of Yeah, it depends,
you know, certain words come out Boston, some come out
New York. Uh, you know, depends what how many beers
I have in me too?
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (26:38):
So being a full Boston guy, I know you're a
Patriots fan because I am too. We've talked about the Patriots.
You're a Bruins fan too, write and Celtics. You're just
your full Boston right.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
Full Boston Red Sox as well, Red Sox, Browmin Celtics, Patriots,
die youd die had.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
And you've you've seen so much success in sports, right,
just you know as a fan being all Boston and
rit the Red Wings as well. You know what's what's
that been experienced? Like just seeing so much winning in
your lifetime working in sports and also just being a fan.
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Yeah, I mean it's different when you work in the
industry from being just complete fandom, right. It's a business
like anything else. So you're still rude obviously you know
the Red Wings. I work the Red Wings and the
obviously the Coyotes and now the Roadrunners. But you see
(27:33):
sports from a different side than the casual fan does.
And so rather just sitting there and enjoying as I'm
watching a game or I'm attending a game, I'm looking
at everything around, Right, Where can we do a better
job of marketing? What in arena promotions can we be dood?
(27:53):
How can I feel the seats better?
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Right?
Speaker 6 (27:56):
What kind of promotions or food and beverage promotions can
we do? How do I get this crowd excited more
with the internal show? So it kind of takes away
your enjoyment of watching a game because it's it's pure business.
And even when I'm watching like Bruins games or Red
Sox games, even Celtics or I'm always thinking what are
(28:18):
they doing? I'm looking for some of the intricacies that
are going on within the arena or the stadium that
then I can take and apply to our organization. I mean,
that's a big difference. But Yeah, probably my greatest boys
memory outside of working was Red Sox in their first
World Series in eighty six years. That was probably the happiest.
Speaker 7 (28:43):
So Rob you were a lot. I mean, I think
the closest you'd come to Arizona was You're still in
Oklahoma when you moved to Arizona for the first time.
How different was it for you to be in a
place where not only is the weather different, but you know,
like I moved here from DC, people drive differently, people
(29:04):
like look at the world a little bit differently, there's
a lot more sun. How was that for you, not
only moving out here the first time, but then now
moving to Tucson, which is so completely different from Phoenix.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
Yeah, the adjustments from personal level weren't bad. It wasn't bad.
I have two sons. The other one wanted to go
to Arizona State.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
The other one, my younger one, wanted to go to Arizona,
so it kind of worked out great from that standpoint,
and that's where they both are now. Once a sophomore
at a issue, the other freshman at you of a
as far as like, I moved to Scottsville, So it
wasn't much of a difference being that I lived in
the city most of my life. I've always lived downtown
(29:50):
and so I lived in old town Scottshire, so it
was it was easy from a standpoint of adjusting. From
that standpoint. The summers, now that's a little different, and
I would thank god I had to pool right outside
my patio. I could just jump in and cool down
once in a while. The big thing is the market, right,
I mean, Troy, Boston, New York. You have die hard,
(30:14):
true and true markets that are fans of that organization.
I find living in Arizona, like Scott's to a lot
of transients where people moved here from different parts of
the United States and Canada. So it's really getting a
better understanding how do I reach out to those people.
They may not be Coyotes fans, but they're hockey fans,
(30:36):
all right, and find out who my Bruins fans and
it doesn't matter, I want to I just want to
film all at arena. So it was a little different
and try to understand the marketplace and who to go
out after to drive revenue and ticket sales. But you know,
as far as personally, is pretty easy. You know, I
could walk to everything I wanted to walk to, you know,
(30:59):
moving too. So on and again a little bit different
HL team, minor league, a different fan base, very knowledgeable
fan base, very passionate fan base, uh or a lot
of pride in their roadrunners. But again still right, it's
a different demographic, it's a different socio economic uh, clientele
(31:20):
versus what you see in Scottsdale and Phoenix where it
was primarily our ticket market in for the Coyotes. But overall,
again you know, my sons and lives in the dorm.
He's five minutes away, and uh, you know, I can
I'm a chameleon. I can adjust anywhere.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
So you play a big part of you know, our
theme nights throughout the entire season, and we have some
big ones coming up when we come back home after
this road trip. First Responders Night, coming up the the
big Saint Patrick's Day game as well, and uh, you know,
maybe tell the fans a bit about those and what
other big promotions are coming up for us as well.
(31:59):
And what goes into the whole decision of you know,
looking at a schedule and saying, let's do this thing
that day and you know this promotion that day and
just you know, promoting it all out throughout the season.
Speaker 6 (32:11):
Yeah, there's a there's a lot of moving parts, uh
in designing your overall marketing strategy and you know which
channels and how much resources you invest in each channel
to maximize, right, you want to maximize ticket sales.
Speaker 7 (32:26):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
You know, one of my favorite nights coming up, and
it's more of a personal reason is we have a
hospitality bar restaurant service industry night. So I put it
on a Tuesday night knowing that, you know, the bar
industry is usually less and less less employees. I put
myself to undergrad in grad school bartending waitering tables and
(32:48):
cooking a chef. So like, you know, I know what
the work that goes into that is and so I
want to you know, you want to on everybody. So
on March eleventh, versus the Ontario Rain. We have that
by restaurant service industry night tickets as low as fifteen dollars,
and one of the thing to do is that we
(33:08):
have two dollars hot dogs, two dollars sodas, and five
dollars domestic draft beers, so hopefully turned out. We partnered
with a lot of the venues downtown Tucson and on
the outskirts of Tuson to help promote it. A couple
of other things March twelve. You know, everyone, my mom
was a teacher, so this one has a personal appeal
to me as well. But we have Teacher Appreciation Night
(33:29):
on March twelve versus the Ontario Rain. And then probably
one of our favorite events, favorite events of the year
is First Responded this night. You know, I mean a
big shout out where we be this country without our
fireman and EMT and our police officers, and you know,
it's a great way to honor them. And we have
Tucson Flight Apartment playing the Tucson Police Apartment at four
(33:51):
thirty pre game before our game versus San Jose that night,
So anybody with the road run a ticket is welcome
them to come in and watch that game. And cheer
on the fight apartment or the police department. Hopefully we'll
have a couple of good fights in that. Uh, that
would be pretty funny. But yeah, then they just scan
out when they leave. And then and then probably our
(34:15):
biggest one everyone, no matter if you're Irish, you know
Saint Patty's Day, right, we have a we have a
big tailgate party on the Patty outside the TCC. We
have out of Kilters performing food and beverage. Party will
go from two to three thirty out there. And then
we have Saint Patty's Date Day T shirt giveaway, uh
(34:35):
sponsored by Jim Click Curtesy of Jim Click Automotive. But
first thousand fans we'll get Saint Patty's Day specifically designed
T shirt. And then also thanks to our friends at
Box eleven, Uh, they're gonna be putting on you know,
they're sponsoring the team jerseys, a special team jerseys that
we were in that day, and of course we'll be
auctioning those off for after the game for charity. So
(35:00):
so those are four big things we have coming up,
and you know, and then we go in to April.
April first, we have Ladies' Night, so that should be
a big fun night, right, all the ladies and two
saw on all over to come on in enjoy the game.
We have a party for them up in the party
Nest and hopefully they'll be a lively game.
Speaker 7 (35:18):
So for the service industry game, rob, do people have
to prove that they're part of the service industry or
how exactly does that?
Speaker 6 (35:27):
It's an on a system Okay, no, you know, it's
just the way we want to pay tribute to these workers. Yeah,
you know, it's a tough job, man, You have to
deal with people, you know. One of the things I'm
looking to interview with people I look to see if
they have service industry skills because I know they you know,
we're in the service industry and these people they know
(35:49):
how to deal with people on a day to day basis.
You know how to speak with them, they know how
to comfort them.
Speaker 7 (35:54):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (35:55):
And so that's one of the things I look for
in a resume, if anyone has that type of experiences.
I think it's beneficial when you work in in our industry.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Oh yeah, that's why I always include my my Chili's
experience in any resumes I send in because yeah, it's
Chili's but I same thing, Robi.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I worked there for four years. I bartended, I served.
I get it too.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
And you got to pay the bills in college and yeah,
it's uh, it's not easy once you had to do
it for the first time ever. And it does really
help with their people skills. Where did you wrote work
when you worked in a food service industry?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Who me?
Speaker 6 (36:33):
Well, I worked at Joe's American Bar and Grill on
Dartmouth Street. It was a corner of Dartmouth and Newbury
in Boston, downtown Boston. Uh it's since now relocated. I
think it's up on Exeter on Exeter in Newbury Now.
There's also one down on the waterfront right by the aquarium.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (36:54):
So that was my first job, started as a bus boy.
Within three months they maybe a waiter with six months
from that, I was bar attending. I worked at a
couple of the restaurants when I was working for Rochester
Red Wings. My first job as an internship, right, so
I had a PIDs bills. Yeah, and so I worked
(37:16):
at a restaurant called the Springhouse Restaurant in Monroe Ave
in Pittsford, and then I just worked at you know,
a couple other restaurants. When I was in grad school,
I worked at an Italian restaurant and Amherst, mass I
don't know, I just always enjoyed it. I'm a people
person and wanted great money. It's the best money you
(37:38):
can probably make while you're in college. But then also
it taught me a lot of life skills. Is like
I said, you know, you have to be organized, you
have to be able to communicate, you have to be
controlled the situation. You know, you're an entertainer. You're providing
an entertainment for that family or that that couple that
came out to dinner. So I think there's a lot
(37:59):
of great things I think you can learn and carry
on in your professional life, no matter what an industry
you go into.
Speaker 7 (38:07):
I just have two quick final questions for you. Number one,
what is your go to pizza order?
Speaker 6 (38:14):
My go to pizza order? Yeah, pizza Regina in Boston.
Speaker 7 (38:18):
Uh what's on the pizza?
Speaker 6 (38:21):
I go cheese pizza. Maybe maybe I go meet boss.
But I don't like a lot of stuff on my pizza.
I just like a plane, simple and good. I like
to flip it over, let the grease drip off, and
and by yeah, my favorite.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
Okay, all right, and then if you had I know
you live in the Flynn right, if you had a
door in your apartment that led to anywhere in the world,
where would you want it to lead to?
Speaker 6 (38:54):
Yeah, it's a family friendly program, right.
Speaker 7 (38:57):
Yes, yes, yes, I should have made that disclosure.
Speaker 6 (39:05):
Yeah, I don't know. Probably like I'd like if I
could just you know, if I could just walk through
that door and be in one place, you know, whenever
I wanted to, Probably Boston. It's like, you know, my cousins,
a lot of my friends still live there, my family.
But I'd like Italy, you know, like open it up
and go to anywhere in Europe. I love Europe. It's
(39:27):
I've traveled over there numerous times.
Speaker 7 (39:30):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
My wife is from actually Paris in Morocco. Excellentished to say,
but you know, but you know, I've been over there
numerous times. I've traveled all through and I'll tell you what.
Morocco is an unbelievable country to go to.
Speaker 7 (39:46):
Wait where in Morocco? Uh?
Speaker 6 (39:48):
I like Marrakesh is my favorite, yes, but you know,
like Casablanca is cool. It's a big city, right pollute.
But and her family lived in robot which is a
capital where the king lives. Yeah, you know, and that's
pretty cool. But like even tangier right across the street
of your broft or from Spain, that's all built up now.
(40:09):
And then you've got a cool old town Fiord Fees
on the eastern side of the country.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
You know.
Speaker 6 (40:15):
The architecture is unbelievable.
Speaker 7 (40:18):
Yeah, yeah, I love I love Morocco. So gorgeous.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
Yeah, where the kids go every year to see their
grandparents and grandparents still live there.
Speaker 7 (40:27):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
Nice, Well, we're up. Thanks so much for joining us again. Man,
really appreciate giving us your time. Sure, it's a busy
schedule for you, you know, just being the marketing person
for this team, and we're really looking forward to all
the promotions coming up and for the Roadrunners to push
for the playoffs as well.
Speaker 6 (40:46):
Yeah, well, thank you very much. Pleasure to see both
of you again. I see every game day and most
non game days as well. But yeah, come out. We
have ten games left, ten home games left this season,
so fans, we're playing some good hockey right now. We
have really the team starting to come together. It's really exciting.
We have a push for the playoffs. I think what
(41:06):
We're seventh out of eighth right now, so we really
need your support to get down to Song Convention Center,
support us and support the team as we go for
our call to Cup. And I've never been on a
team I shouldn't say that, but Detroit the last couple
of years, but there's wherever I work, we make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
So there you go.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Maybe, yeah, maybe you are a good luck traumers. Well well, Rod,
thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
I just have had Rod Mittina on the show, our
VP of marketing, talking about his past in sports and
what a rich history in sports that this guy has
worked in. He's seen a lot of wins, he's seen
a lot of Cups and maybe he's our good luck
charm for a Cup run this year for us.
Speaker 7 (41:46):
It did all the knocking on the wood when we
were talking to yeah, yeah, hopeful, and and so many
fun games that are coming up, and we this last weekend,
we have so many things happen, even this last weekend
betweeny it's for everyone and then what was we had
faith and Family Night along with oh my gosh, yes, that.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Was a lot of fun. It was. It was a
fun weekend.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
It was a fun week Uh start off with the
uh School of the Deaf and the Blind coming out
and teaching our guys sign language, and you know, some
of them did it last year, which we didn't know, uh,
you know because usually when we do that, So that
we picked we just picked the guys of you know,
most available, and some of them already knew it, like
hers Douglas got it off right at top of his head.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
Mostly very good, super into it. Yeah, so that, Yeah,
that was fantastic having them do that.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Then we went to the Desert Sonora Museum with Max Zuber,
Artem Duda and Maverick Lambreu. Yes, that was a fun
day as well. Lambrue, I don't know what was going
through his head, but he just kept touching.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
The cactus, actual actual children on that.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
It's like these these guys play professional hockey.
Speaker 7 (43:03):
Like what he did, keep touching cactus. It was the
most I don't think he has and his fingertips. I'm convinced.
Speaker 4 (43:12):
I want to and I want I want to go
back there, Kim, because me, Chase and Bennett all came
to and matter our video guy and we only sniffed
the surface of that place. The drive was beautiful. I'd
even know there's so much. There's just so much in
that back end of the mountain.
Speaker 7 (43:25):
Like, I never have you ever been on the other
side of Gates Pass before? Is that your first time?
Speaker 4 (43:31):
That was my first time ever. So, like I saw
Old Tucson on the drive. I don't know how who
Old Tucson is, but like I just want to go.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
To more and check it out. I just I don't
get out enough these days.
Speaker 7 (43:44):
Uh, we recommend the desert. You see me. And we
got to see a road runner, yeah, actual road run.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (43:53):
So yeah, it was It was really fun, really just
fun week overall. It was a fantastic homestand we got
seven of a possible points. You know, it's just that
overtime loss sucked. But I think that we're still in
a really good spot right now. And Kim, this is
a huge road trip right Ontario tomorrow on Wednesday night.
We haven't been them at all yet this season. We're
(44:14):
oh to want to know a believe against them if
I'm not mistaken. So I have a couple more games
against them this year. There's a chance to get the
first win against them. And then also we have a
two game series against the Bakersfield Condors and that series
could very much be in play for the seventh seed.
Speaker 7 (44:33):
Bakersfield is only two points behind us in the standings
right now. Yeah, there's a lot on the line. Let's
not lie, there's there's just a lot on the line.
And unfortunately, you know, some some not productive play, you know,
a month or so ago, has led us to where
we are right now. We'll see what happens. Ontario is
(44:55):
what sixty five points and we're fifty five, so again,
like you said, and we haven't been super productive against them,
but you know, it's you never know what you're gonna get.
That's and that's one of the things when we were
talking to Sammy, when I was talking about the daily
habits and the things that you do that release the
(45:18):
good chemicals into your body. I think that professional athletes
do that more than other people because so much about
their job is such an unknown. And that's one of
the things that you and you and I probably love
about it is that we go into a game you
have no idea what's going to happen, and it's so
much fun to be in the middle of it and
you have no clue. But it's all that's also like
(45:39):
super not good for your brain because you don't know
where you're going to end up on the other side
of it. It could be super stressy like on Saturday night,
or it could be just a fantastic blowout like Friday night.
You have no idea what you're going to get, so
you know, you lean a little bit more on the
routines to help you, you know, get yourself mentally in
a good place.
Speaker 4 (45:57):
So yeah, but there's no routine here, right. We went
on that long road trip back for two weeks. I
feel like we've never I feel like we were not
back long enough, and then all of a sudden we're
on the road again. At least it's a it's a
nice three game trip, not nothing too crazy, but yeah,
it's you know, we say every trip is big, but really, Kim,
(46:17):
with twenty games left, every game is a playoff game,
and it's gonna feel like a playoff game, especially for
us when we're just right there, you know, one bad weekend,
especially against Bakersfield, and then all of a sudden we're
out of the playoffs. So it's fun that we're pushing
Utah's pushing Rob mentioning earlier. Only ten games left at home. Yeah,
(46:38):
it's half and half. That's that's crazy. I'd even realize
that that to keep talking about like, oh, twenty games left,
like just still good chunk, but yeah them or at home,
so there's not a lot left and it'll be tough
for US KIM to get that first round at home again.
Anything still possible, but you know, from most of it,
it's looking like we're gonna be a for the first
(47:00):
round again.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
It's just a two game series.
Speaker 4 (47:02):
We can win it and return back home, but it's
just one of those things you don't want to take
for granted. And it'll be a fun, good stretch for US.
Twenty games left on the docket, and uh playoff push
happens now. It's been happening all seeded in, but now
it's really happening now.
Speaker 7 (47:16):
Yeah we're now we're in it. But I think we're
seeing some fantastic play from both our forwards and our
d which is Kyler Yamamoto absolutely exhilarating to watch him.
Igor had a fantastic weekend, Artam Duda had a fantastic weekend.
Robbi Russo has just been so consistently producing, which is
(47:36):
really interesting, and I almost when I called first goal
on Saturday night, and I said jokingly that it was
gonna be Jackson's Stauber. And then he got called for
an assist in that game.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
Oh yeah, but it half I know it.
Speaker 7 (47:49):
I didn't get to that part yet. I was putting
myself on the back. I was so excited. I was like,
gonna talk to him after the game. And then they
took it away and I don't know if you noticed,
but I didn't call it. Yeah, we were really close
to the end by the time. We were reasonably close
to the end at the time we got the call
that he did not get the assistant. It went to
(48:09):
Russ though, but I was I was. I was big
mad about that one before we go.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
I have a funny story about that too, And I
was so proud of myself and then at this and
then after that, I was like, dang it. So when
I saw Stoppert get the assist, something clicked in the
back of my head. Stopper scored a goalie goal last season. Yeah,
with the Rockford Ice Hogs. So I went back and
I looked up his stats, you know, as if you
would say a Ford He had one goaling for assist
(48:35):
for five points. And then I'm like, Wow, now he's
getting another point against his former team, and I.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
Got so excited. I went back and found that. I
was like, let's go. That is what you do as
a broadcast or mid game. And then they changed and
I was like, I guess it was yeah, yeah, I
was mad. I was mad. So that's what kind of sucked. Well, Kim,
great show we had.
Speaker 7 (48:55):
No. I was just gonna say I didn't make the
announcement because they didn't want to. I didn't want him
to have that in his head. I didn't want him
to hear me that way from him, so I didn't
announce it.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
H fair enough, Yeah, you gotta be dout and well, Kim.
Fantastic show. Sammy Walker and Robert Tina both joining us
this week. In case you missed Dollivan, you're just listening
now and wondering where do I listen to this, go
to two sound rovers dot com, Slash Happier or on
applepodcast dot com as well. We're rolling to Ontario tomorrow
the face off the Ontario Rain and then the Bakersville
(49:25):
Condors later this week. A huge three game road trip
coming up. This has been Rotors Happier. We will see
you tomorrow night. Have a great rest of your night.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
Everybody
It's five o clock. Got yours you days? Two sun
Runners Happy Out from Fox Sports fourteen fifty AF Jonathan, Shit, right, we.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Know the story, but you gotta tell the viewers that starts.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
It's so funny.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
It's our usual Tuesday night get together.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Maybe we should start implementing some breakdance pre games during
the season and see how that goes.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Right here on Tucson Sports Day yet Fox Sports fourteen
fifty A.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Fox Sports fourteen fifty am our usual Tuesday night get together.
Road Runners Happy are Johnathan Schaeffer with Kim Coder Robles
as always, and right off the top of the hour
are very very special guests, the newest tenured Roadrunner Stammy Walker.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Sammy, welcome to the show.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Just got to tell you one thing we do here
is I asked the boring hockey question, Kim asked the
very off the wall random questions, so be prepared for that.
But how's it going man, how you settling in Tucson?
And again, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, no, thanks for having me on. It's been good.
The weather is obviously pretty great down here, and it's
been good. We've you know, been winning, so hopefully we
can keep that going.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Yeah, and I'm sure it's been asked a million times
for you by everybody, but you know, it's it's never
easy to be traded mid season. You know, you see
it all over you know, in the news during the
trade deadlines any any league. And I don't think sometimes
people doesn't really don't realize how tough it can be
till it happens to you. So you know, just explain
(01:40):
to us what the whole process was like when it's
been for you, you know, getting over here, you said
you mentioned earlier, we were talking earlier, you got your car.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now finally, just what's this whole process been like and
how you settling it?
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Yeah, No, it's definitely you know, it's kind of a
shock when you first get traded.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
You kind of just you gotta up and leave.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
Luckily, it was all Star breaks, so I had a
couple of days to kind of regroup and pack my
things up. And you know, coming to a new team,
you don't really know anyone, so you know, it can
be kind of weird since they you know, have been
with each other for the whole year, so.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
You know, it can be a little awkward and weird.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
At first, but the guys have been great and I've
been settling and good and uh, yeah, I know, it's
it's been good.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Well.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
You definitely major mark with getting four points in your debut.
And what was harder was you came in the middle
of or to start off the gem Show trip is
what we call it, and it was our longest trip
of the season. What was that whole experience like, coming
to play for a new team and the first game
you had one of the best games of your career.
Speaker 6 (02:54):
Yeah, I know it was.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
It was kind of nuts.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Like the road trip felt like a month and I
was like, I did, I haven't even been to Tucson yet,
But no, it was nice to finally get back here
and play some home games.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
But yeah, it's been good.
Speaker 7 (03:15):
So, Sammy, for people who are just learning about you,
all the fans who obviously are brand new to you,
tell us this Sammy Walker lore. Give us some insight
into where you come from and who you are, you know,
beyond the ice.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Yeah, well, I'm from Minnesota.
Speaker 7 (03:40):
And you're from is it a Dinah, yep, which is
just outside of the Twin Cities area, like a summery.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
It's probably like fifteen to twenty minutes from downtown Minneapolis.
So okay, it's it's right there.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Born and raised there, playing hockey my whole life there,
played high school Addie Dina, and then went to University
of Minnesota, played there.
Speaker 7 (04:08):
And what did you study at Minnesota?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Communications?
Speaker 7 (04:12):
Okay, oh, just like just like me.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
But yeah, no, I mean I besides hockey, like I
like to be outside just doing stuff, hanging out with
with my buddies and you know, just staying busy.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
I guess in the summers.
Speaker 7 (04:29):
I've heard you talk in the past about golf. Have
you had a chance to golf in Tucson yet? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I went with with the guys a few days ago. Uh,
so it was nice to take it out there. I
was pretty rusty. You hadn't I hadn't golf for a while. Yeah,
so it was kind of a rough round, but it
was still fun to get out there and just hang out.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
With the guys.
Speaker 7 (04:52):
You've you've been really considering that you're a professional hockey player.
Your career has really been concentrated in one part of
the world old, which is really interesting in Minnesota and Iowa.
Did you have any culture shock coming to Tucson or
are you still experiencing things or is there anything like
super different here that you haven't experienced before.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
Yeah, it is kind of crazy, like I you know,
hockey takes you a lot of places, but you know,
I've won't the teams that I've played for have only
been in the Midwest, so kind of.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Being here now, you know, it is it is kind
of crazy just.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
Not going outside and and bringing freezing right. It's it's
kind of weird, like sitting inside, I feel like I
should be outside with this weather. But when you go
back home from the rink, and you know, in Minnesota
or in Iowa, it's you don't really leave much after
(05:57):
that because it's so cold outside.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So that's that's been kind of cool.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
So with you with the team now, we have three
guys from Minnesota and the roster you, Austin Bcganski, and
Jackson Stobber.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Did you know any of them from the past, you know,
just meeting up with them.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
I know you played against Jackson when he was with
Rockford and you were with Iowa as well, So any
connections there and if there are what to like playing.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
With him again.
Speaker 5 (06:23):
Yeah, And I actually played against him in high school too,
so I've known him. I've known him for a while now,
but not like very close, just kind of playing against
each other. So it's been fun getting to know both
of them more. And I used to work out with
(06:46):
Austin a little bit in the summer, so I knew
him a little bit too. So knowing those guys made
it definitely a lot easier with the transition.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Come and to a new team.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (07:01):
I saw an interview with your parents. They are the cutest,
like just so so much so much adoration for you,
which is just beautiful. But your dad had a description
of you that I thought was so amazing. He said,
every day is a Saturday night to that guy, is
how much you love life? And I was curious, like,
(07:22):
do you have a life philosophy or or is that
pretty accurate? Did your dad nail it?
Speaker 5 (07:29):
I mean, I just try to take it day by
day and have fun with it whatever, whatever I'm doing.
I mean, they've been awesome, you know, just just growing
up and how much they've supported me and how much
they've sacrificed and.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
For me, So they've been awesome.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
But yeah, no, just try to try to have fun
with everything, try to take a day by day and
go from there, I guess.
Speaker 7 (07:56):
And you're you're the youngest, right you have two older brothers.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yeah, I also have a younger sister and an older sister.
Speaker 7 (08:04):
Too, So oh my gosh, there's five of you. That's
a lot. Holy Mary, that's a lot of people. What
do all your siblings do? Are any of them at
all physically close to Arizona or is everybody in the Midwest?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
No, No one's really close.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
But you know, I think my dad will probably come
down at some point, so and I get to see
them all a lot in the summers. So we're all
kind of used to being busy and having our own schedules.
So but it is fun, you know, and we're all
back home in the summers.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
I'm curious who your road roommate is.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I was with uh, with Lipper Huh a little bit.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
I was with I was with Downer when he was
down for a few days. But when I first got here,
I had my own room.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
I was kind of like, you know, asking older guys
like do you want to take you want your own room?
Like I felt bad, but yeah, no, it's it's been good.
I kind of like having a roommate.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
On the road and you watch movies at night or
or whatever.
Speaker 7 (09:21):
So okay, so lipkin and done. If you had to
if they were an animal, which animal do you think
each of them would be? I was gonna say a dog,
but I'm just gonna like whatever animal like you could
think of.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
That's so hard, uh, I mean, yeah, donor I would
probably say, you know, something like a dog. I feel
like he gets along with everyone and he's just like
seems like he's always happy, lover.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I don't know, what do you think?
Speaker 7 (10:04):
He's so intense and like locked locked in like all
the time. He's like not pretty quiet, you know, introverted.
But I didn't know, like if you saw a different
side of him than what we see.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
I mean, he's a great dude, and he was. Yeah,
it was fun to room with and we'll see this
this next road trip if I'm with him again or
someone new.
Speaker 7 (10:32):
But did you guys watch movies together or what did
you guys do? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I think we watched The Dark Knight.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Oh that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, and I think that's it.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
I don't know if we watched another one or not,
but yeah, I.
Speaker 7 (10:49):
Think I think for Sam, like I don't, I kind
of want to say a lion. I don't know. He's
kind of like he's kind of like a big presence,
but he's real. But he's quiet, but he's a lot.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Yeah, I'm like like a bobcat or something.
Speaker 7 (11:08):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
I like it.
Speaker 7 (11:10):
Not as big as a lion.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
But if you had, like if you had like longer
hair too.
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Oh, that would he wouldn't been in his helmet because
it's so curly. I feel like his helmet he would
need to increase the size.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
You would definitely have trouble, Sam obviously, you know, Iowa
was a great organization and you had a lot of
good years with them, but you know, a tough couple
of seasons. Didn't make playoffs last year. We'll see what
happens this this season. I mean, they're still battling for
it as well. But what's it also like just to
go to a team like the Roadrunners that we're we're
(11:45):
pushing for the playoffs and you've been a big part
of that, you know, because we're on an eight game
losing streak before you came on. We're starting to see
the wins now, but it's still not over yet. We
have three huge games coming up. But yeah, just what's
it been like to join a blocker room mid chaos
trying to make the playoffs, because again, if you make playoffs,
it's anyone's game at that point.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yeah, no, for sure, I mean that's definitely the goal
is to get in and then you know, anything can happen.
So that's obviously what we're what we're working for. And
it's an exciting time. I mean, this is the kind
of where where the fun starts too and it gets intense.
(12:27):
But I'm just trying to contribute as much as I
can and and help get some wins so we can
get in and then see what happens.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Sammy, I want to ask you about your game day
routine and I heard recently, I don't know if you know,
if you've ever heard this before, Johnny, that the reason people,
the reason successful people have routines is because it feeds
a part of your brain that makes you feel good.
Because when you have a routine, you know what's going
(13:02):
to happen next. Like if you're like boom boom boom
boom boom throughout the day in your routine, your brain
knows what to expect and that's like really healthy for you,
and it feels really good, and it like motivates you. Yeah,
it just like triggers all of these wonderful happenings in
your brain. So, Sammy, I was curious, do you have
a game day routine and what does it look like?
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Yeah, well, we're usually you know, go to the rink
in the morning and skate, and then you'll have a
pretty game meal.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
And then I liked the n app I'll usually just
come back usually probably just throw something on the TV
until I fall asleep, and then.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
I get up and get ready and go to the rink.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
It's not not really much to it.
Speaker 7 (13:59):
And then are you in the hotel right now? Are
you in the Double Tree?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Yeah, I'm not at the Double Tree, but I am
in you're.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
In the hotel. Oh, in a hotel. And then your
routine when you get to the when you get to
the arena though, because it seems like I don't know
about you, Johnny, but like if you depending on the day,
depending on like you know, who's in the starting lineup
and what that looks like, you could you could probably
(14:26):
set your clock by running into people, running into players
in the arena because they do things the exact same
way every day. Every game day. So do you are
you a sewer ball guy? Like, are you a warm
up guy? Or you a shake guy after the game?
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (14:42):
Well, like I always start by taping my stick and
get in whatever equipment that whatever I needed done, and
then I'll go and we'll have like some medians and
then I'll just go kind of warm up a bit,
get loose, and then yeah, I'll play sewer up until
(15:06):
kind of it's ready to get ready to go out
for warm up.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Sammy, have you heard the Has anyone told you the
story of when I tried playing sewer bar ball yet?
Speaker 3 (15:17):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:18):
No?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Okay, well it's good, but so pretty much.
Speaker 7 (15:22):
We were.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
It was one of our it was our longest home
stand of the season, and guys were out there playing
super ball. I joined them because I guess the rule
is you got to get someone the joy and to
reset the game, which I didn't know. I was just
like Donnor was just like Johnny, come play, and I'm like,
all right, fine.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I tried.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
I start playing with them and someone kicks the ball
high to me and I don't know what went through
my head or my mind or anything, but I just
tried to like do this weird bicycle kick thing maybe
backwards kick and I completely fell and ate the concrete.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Come yeah, and it was.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
It was so bad and like we we had a
few guys on the show after that for a few
weeks and we were just getting all the different perspectives
from it.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
I'm glad no.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
One's told you because it was. I was so worried
that it's like could be like a thing the whole
season everyone talks about.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I must have forgot about it. I'll have to bring
it up to No.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
No, I jumped right up. It hurt really bad, but
I was able to jump right up. I was fine.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
But yeah, so that's why I will never play super
Ball again with the Fellas.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh my goodness. Yeah, it can get pretty intense.
Speaker 7 (16:28):
You can't do it in dress shoes, buddy, Like that's
the big thing. Dress shoes.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I can kill you. The dress shoes slipped me for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
That's funny. Well, glad you're all right from Yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
A hard fault.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
It was.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It was pretty bad, Sammy.
Speaker 7 (16:44):
If you could have a door, I guess in your
hotel room, a door anywhere in the world, where would
you want that door to go?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Right now, your questions are making me think on the spot.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Yeah, min are just like, yeah, you know, basic hockey knowledge,
and then kids just off the wall out of nowhere.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
I don't know. I think like some are cool. Like either.
Speaker 5 (17:19):
If I open up I mana safari in Africa and
I get to see some cool elephants or something, I
don't know, that.
Speaker 7 (17:27):
Would be cool. Oh my gosh, that's such a great answer.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I don't know that. That's that's that's what's coming on
the top of my head right now.
Speaker 7 (17:36):
So a safari in Africa, that's that's amazing.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
And I only say it because I was just scrolling
on my phone the other day and I saw like
someone was on a on like one of those rides,
and it just like looks kind of cool the see
all the animals.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
Oh, like on a safari, like get a jeep out there,
like ye the animals. Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. I can't
even imagine. Have you ever been to Africa? No, I
have one time, but there were no wild animals, Thank goodness.
I don't think I do well in that situation.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah, kind of scary, I guess, yeah, I think it
would be too.
Speaker 7 (18:15):
How long do you think that you would last in
a Zombie Apocalypse.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
You know what's funny because I've actually been watching The Walking.
Speaker 7 (18:26):
Down Oh my god, no way from the beginning.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Yeah, I never seen it before, so I'm just like,
I love that show.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
And if it's the zombies from here, I could last
a while.
Speaker 7 (18:41):
Oh you think so because they're slow.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
Yeah, if it's like World War Z, no yeah, no,
but yeah, I don't know. I just like the people
in the shore are so dumb, like, how are you
getting caught?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
You know, you think it's just run.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
I don't, right, it's the hordes too, like I don't know.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
I guess like in the numbers, but yeah, there's some
scenes where it's just like, how does that even happen?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Just be aware, I don't know, have your head on
a swivel or something.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
There's a theory too in that show, because you know
you've seen scenes too where people are like shooting the
guns like next to their ears and stuff. There's a
theory that no one can hear in that universe. So
that's why, like they don't hear zombie creeping up on
them because they they are always following guns around their
ears and they can't hear anymore.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
I guess it kind of makes sense.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
I don't know. It was just like Eason one was
really bad about it.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
That's a good theory. I actually used to watch The
Walking Dead when I was on the treadmill because it's
such good motivation to like just run, you know.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, yeah, that's funny.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
I would I would find a big farm somewhere, and
I mean they're mostly in the city, right.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So yeah, I feel like I would be good out there.
And you see some trouble, you run as fast as
you can.
Speaker 7 (20:03):
That was also a Cameron he big answer is just
to go out in the middle of nowhere and wait
it out as long as possible.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (20:11):
Yeah, do you have a Do you have a favorite
pasta shape?
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Favorite pasta shape?
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah, probably rigatoni or is it bow tie or oh yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:25):
Uh huh, I like that one. What's Rigatoni? What does
it look like?
Speaker 3 (20:30):
It's like.
Speaker 7 (20:32):
It's like a tube.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Yeah, it's like yeah, the tubes, okay, all.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Right, I like that the way the big tube, not
the big tubes, but like the little.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
Yeah, honestly, I like them all. Besides, uh like spaghetti
or like any any of.
Speaker 7 (20:50):
The long ones, Like you don't like spaghetti.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I don't like those long noodles. I think they're like
just annoying to eat.
Speaker 7 (21:00):
It's a really specific dislike.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Well, you asked the question.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
That's a great answer. That's a great answer. I've never
heard anybody say they don't like the spaghetti shape.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
That's really interesting. I'll eat it. But it's just like,
I don't know if I had to.
Speaker 7 (21:19):
Choose, Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, No, you're right. I asked
the question. I gotta I gotta settle with the answer.
What's your proudest accomplishment so far? I know you're only
what twenty five, right, what's so you but you've accomplished
so much. What's your proudest.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Yeah, I would probably say just playing in the NHL
for scoring a goal.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, I would say that probably.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
That's a good one.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Yeah, pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Nice man.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Well, Sammy, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
We're we're glad to have you here. It's it's been
awesome getting to know you these uh this past month.
I know it hasn't been easy, coming in the middle
of a road trip and everything, but you seem to
have a good attitude about it, and uh, yeah, we're
ready to have you for our playoff push as well.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Yeah, no, thanks for having me on. It's been fun
so far, so let's keep the wins.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Coming rolling on here.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Up next, our next very special guest, the VP of
Marketing for the Tucson Roadrunners, Rob Mattina. Rob, how's it
going man, Welcome, Welcome to the Radio of the Roadrunners.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
How you doing.
Speaker 6 (22:30):
I'm doing fine. Thank you very much for having me.
Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
So you have a you have a very rich history
in hockey.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
You've worked with the Detroit Red Wings for a very
long time, You're with the Arizona Coyotes, now with the Roadrunners,
with the whole transition of everything, and just give us
a bit of a more of a background of yourself
for the fans here in Tucson.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:50):
I you know, coming out of high school going to college,
I wasn't sure what I wanted to be. I attended
North Eastern University in Boston originally, and it's a five
year co ops school, and I ended up getting an
internship with the Rochester Red Wings Triple A baseball team
at the Baltimore Orioles at the time. From there, first
(23:13):
basically eight years my career was all in baseball. I
worked for Rochester, then went to the Pittsford Pirates, and
then from there I went to Oklahoma City eighty nine Ers,
which was the Triple A team for the Texas Rangers
at the time and now the Dodgers. And then from
there I went back to graduate school and worked for
the Boston Red Sox when I was at grad school
(23:34):
at University of Massachusetts. And then from there I took
a role with the sports and lifestyle marketing agency in Chicago.
I was there for nine years, went over to client
side for five years. From there I went to Detroit
Red Wings or the vice president of marketing. There a
(23:54):
lot of cool events, you know. We put on the
event of the decade with the Winter Classic in twenty
fourteen at the Big House in Michigan, as well as
I was involved in the executive community helping to build
Little Caesars Arena as well as host a number of
other things. And then from there I went to the
Coyotes and after the cell to Utah. Our ownership asked
(24:20):
me if I'd come down to Tucson and help up
with the organization down here, and I'm more than happy to.
Speaker 7 (24:26):
We're excited that you're with us, Rob, but I have
to back up for a second because I am a
Red Wings fan, so hearing. So you were with the
Red Wings when they were at the Joe and then
they transferred to Little Caesars. I was watching everything on
socials when that happened, and I can't even imagine how
heavy of a lift that was for your marketing team.
(24:47):
What did that look like?
Speaker 6 (24:49):
Well, it's funny. We ended up my team, myself and
I and my team, we ended up winning the Stanley
Award for the Best Integrated Marketing Program exactly for that
last season. It's funny, you know the Red Wings I
first got there were Stanley Cup contenders in the Stanley
Cup two years in a row, and then from there
(25:09):
we just started sliding. And then twenty sixteen, I believe
it was our last year at Joe Louis Arena. We
built the campaign. It's all about the emotion Joe Louis Arena.
You know, we had the last team turned out to
be our largest revenue ever in a season for the
Detroit Red Wings. The last year at Joe Lewis. It's
(25:30):
a campaign I'm very proud about. It was fully integrated
and again you know, we won the NHL Award the
first year they had it. But yeah, it was a
great way to move from going Joe Louis Arena then
moving into Little Caesars and you talked.
Speaker 7 (25:47):
About Yeah, no, that's that's absolutely amazing and congratulations. You
talked about all the places you lived. Did you tell
us where you where you were born?
Speaker 6 (25:58):
I was born in Boston Institusetts.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
Oh, okay, so that's why you're at Northeastern. Okay.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
I went to high school in New York though state
New York.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
Uh huh.
Speaker 6 (26:09):
Okay, and then moved right back to Boston the day
after I graduated to a ten Northeastern.
Speaker 7 (26:18):
Can do people in Boston? Do you have a Boston
accent or do you have a New York accent?
Speaker 6 (26:23):
I'm a mot I have a combination of Yeah, it depends,
you know, certain words come out Boston, some come out
New York. Uh, you know, depends what how many beers
I have in me too?
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (26:38):
So being a full Boston guy, I know you're a
Patriots fan because I am too. We've talked about the Patriots.
You're a Bruins fan too, write and Celtics. You're just
your full Boston right.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
Full Boston Red Sox as well, Red Sox, Browmin Celtics, Patriots,
die youd die had.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
And you've you've seen so much success in sports, right,
just you know as a fan being all Boston and
rit the Red Wings as well. You know what's what's
that been experienced? Like just seeing so much winning in
your lifetime working in sports and also just being a fan.
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Yeah, I mean it's different when you work in the
industry from being just complete fandom, right. It's a business
like anything else. So you're still rude obviously you know
the Red Wings. I work the Red Wings and the
obviously the Coyotes and now the Roadrunners. But you see
(27:33):
sports from a different side than the casual fan does.
And so rather just sitting there and enjoying as I'm
watching a game or I'm attending a game, I'm looking
at everything around, Right, Where can we do a better
job of marketing? What in arena promotions can we be dood?
(27:53):
How can I feel the seats better?
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Right?
Speaker 6 (27:56):
What kind of promotions or food and beverage promotions can
we do? How do I get this crowd excited more
with the internal show? So it kind of takes away
your enjoyment of watching a game because it's it's pure business.
And even when I'm watching like Bruins games or Red
Sox games, even Celtics or I'm always thinking what are
(28:18):
they doing? I'm looking for some of the intricacies that
are going on within the arena or the stadium that
then I can take and apply to our organization. I mean,
that's a big difference. But Yeah, probably my greatest boys
memory outside of working was Red Sox in their first
World Series in eighty six years. That was probably the happiest.
Speaker 7 (28:43):
So Rob you were a lot. I mean, I think
the closest you'd come to Arizona was You're still in
Oklahoma when you moved to Arizona for the first time.
How different was it for you to be in a
place where not only is the weather different, but you know,
like I moved here from DC, people drive differently, people
(29:04):
like look at the world a little bit differently, there's
a lot more sun. How was that for you, not
only moving out here the first time, but then now
moving to Tucson, which is so completely different from Phoenix.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
Yeah, the adjustments from personal level weren't bad. It wasn't bad.
I have two sons. The other one wanted to go
to Arizona State.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
The other one, my younger one, wanted to go to Arizona,
so it kind of worked out great from that standpoint,
and that's where they both are now. Once a sophomore
at a issue, the other freshman at you of a
as far as like, I moved to Scottsville, So it
wasn't much of a difference being that I lived in
the city most of my life. I've always lived downtown
(29:50):
and so I lived in old town Scottshire, so it
was it was easy from a standpoint of adjusting. From
that standpoint. The summers, now that's a little different, and
I would thank god I had to pool right outside
my patio. I could just jump in and cool down
once in a while. The big thing is the market, right,
I mean, Troy, Boston, New York. You have die hard,
(30:14):
true and true markets that are fans of that organization.
I find living in Arizona, like Scott's to a lot
of transients where people moved here from different parts of
the United States and Canada. So it's really getting a
better understanding how do I reach out to those people.
They may not be Coyotes fans, but they're hockey fans,
(30:36):
all right, and find out who my Bruins fans and
it doesn't matter, I want to I just want to
film all at arena. So it was a little different
and try to understand the marketplace and who to go
out after to drive revenue and ticket sales. But you know,
as far as personally, is pretty easy. You know, I
could walk to everything I wanted to walk to, you know,
(30:59):
moving too. So on and again a little bit different
HL team, minor league, a different fan base, very knowledgeable
fan base, very passionate fan base, uh or a lot
of pride in their roadrunners. But again still right, it's
a different demographic, it's a different socio economic uh, clientele
(31:20):
versus what you see in Scottsdale and Phoenix where it
was primarily our ticket market in for the Coyotes. But overall,
again you know, my sons and lives in the dorm.
He's five minutes away, and uh, you know, I can
I'm a chameleon. I can adjust anywhere.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
So you play a big part of you know, our
theme nights throughout the entire season, and we have some
big ones coming up when we come back home after
this road trip. First Responders Night, coming up the the
big Saint Patrick's Day game as well, and uh, you know,
maybe tell the fans a bit about those and what
other big promotions are coming up for us as well.
(31:59):
And what goes into the whole decision of you know,
looking at a schedule and saying, let's do this thing
that day and you know this promotion that day and
just you know, promoting it all out throughout the season.
Speaker 6 (32:11):
Yeah, there's a there's a lot of moving parts, uh
in designing your overall marketing strategy and you know which
channels and how much resources you invest in each channel
to maximize, right, you want to maximize ticket sales.
Speaker 7 (32:26):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
You know, one of my favorite nights coming up, and
it's more of a personal reason is we have a
hospitality bar restaurant service industry night. So I put it
on a Tuesday night knowing that, you know, the bar
industry is usually less and less less employees. I put
myself to undergrad in grad school bartending waitering tables and
(32:48):
cooking a chef. So like, you know, I know what
the work that goes into that is and so I
want to you know, you want to on everybody. So
on March eleventh, versus the Ontario Rain. We have that
by restaurant service industry night tickets as low as fifteen dollars,
and one of the thing to do is that we
(33:08):
have two dollars hot dogs, two dollars sodas, and five
dollars domestic draft beers, so hopefully turned out. We partnered
with a lot of the venues downtown Tucson and on
the outskirts of Tuson to help promote it. A couple
of other things March twelve. You know, everyone, my mom
was a teacher, so this one has a personal appeal
to me as well. But we have Teacher Appreciation Night
(33:29):
on March twelve versus the Ontario Rain. And then probably
one of our favorite events, favorite events of the year
is First Responded this night. You know, I mean a
big shout out where we be this country without our
fireman and EMT and our police officers, and you know,
it's a great way to honor them. And we have
Tucson Flight Apartment playing the Tucson Police Apartment at four
(33:51):
thirty pre game before our game versus San Jose that night,
So anybody with the road run a ticket is welcome
them to come in and watch that game. And cheer
on the fight apartment or the police department. Hopefully we'll
have a couple of good fights in that. Uh, that
would be pretty funny. But yeah, then they just scan
out when they leave. And then and then probably our
(34:15):
biggest one everyone, no matter if you're Irish, you know
Saint Patty's Day, right, we have a we have a
big tailgate party on the Patty outside the TCC. We
have out of Kilters performing food and beverage. Party will
go from two to three thirty out there. And then
we have Saint Patty's Date Day T shirt giveaway, uh
(34:35):
sponsored by Jim Click Curtesy of Jim Click Automotive. But
first thousand fans we'll get Saint Patty's Day specifically designed
T shirt. And then also thanks to our friends at
Box eleven, Uh, they're gonna be putting on you know,
they're sponsoring the team jerseys, a special team jerseys that
we were in that day, and of course we'll be
auctioning those off for after the game for charity. So
(35:00):
so those are four big things we have coming up,
and you know, and then we go in to April.
April first, we have Ladies' Night, so that should be
a big fun night, right, all the ladies and two
saw on all over to come on in enjoy the game.
We have a party for them up in the party
Nest and hopefully they'll be a lively game.
Speaker 7 (35:18):
So for the service industry game, rob, do people have
to prove that they're part of the service industry or
how exactly does that?
Speaker 6 (35:27):
It's an on a system Okay, no, you know, it's
just the way we want to pay tribute to these workers. Yeah,
you know, it's a tough job, man, You have to
deal with people, you know. One of the things I'm
looking to interview with people I look to see if
they have service industry skills because I know they you know,
we're in the service industry and these people they know
(35:49):
how to deal with people on a day to day basis.
You know how to speak with them, they know how
to comfort them.
Speaker 7 (35:54):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (35:55):
And so that's one of the things I look for
in a resume, if anyone has that type of experiences.
I think it's beneficial when you work in in our industry.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Oh yeah, that's why I always include my my Chili's
experience in any resumes I send in because yeah, it's
Chili's but I same thing, Robi.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I worked there for four years. I bartended, I served.
I get it too.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
And you got to pay the bills in college and yeah,
it's uh, it's not easy once you had to do
it for the first time ever. And it does really
help with their people skills. Where did you wrote work
when you worked in a food service industry?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Who me?
Speaker 6 (36:33):
Well, I worked at Joe's American Bar and Grill on
Dartmouth Street. It was a corner of Dartmouth and Newbury
in Boston, downtown Boston. Uh it's since now relocated. I
think it's up on Exeter on Exeter in Newbury Now.
There's also one down on the waterfront right by the aquarium.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (36:54):
So that was my first job, started as a bus boy.
Within three months they maybe a waiter with six months
from that, I was bar attending. I worked at a
couple of the restaurants when I was working for Rochester
Red Wings. My first job as an internship, right, so
I had a PIDs bills. Yeah, and so I worked
(37:16):
at a restaurant called the Springhouse Restaurant in Monroe Ave
in Pittsford, and then I just worked at you know,
a couple other restaurants. When I was in grad school,
I worked at an Italian restaurant and Amherst, mass I
don't know, I just always enjoyed it. I'm a people
person and wanted great money. It's the best money you
(37:38):
can probably make while you're in college. But then also
it taught me a lot of life skills. Is like
I said, you know, you have to be organized, you
have to be able to communicate, you have to be
controlled the situation. You know, you're an entertainer. You're providing
an entertainment for that family or that that couple that
came out to dinner. So I think there's a lot
(37:59):
of great things I think you can learn and carry
on in your professional life, no matter what an industry
you go into.
Speaker 7 (38:07):
I just have two quick final questions for you. Number one,
what is your go to pizza order?
Speaker 6 (38:14):
My go to pizza order? Yeah, pizza Regina in Boston.
Speaker 7 (38:18):
Uh what's on the pizza?
Speaker 6 (38:21):
I go cheese pizza. Maybe maybe I go meet boss.
But I don't like a lot of stuff on my pizza.
I just like a plane, simple and good. I like
to flip it over, let the grease drip off, and
and by yeah, my favorite.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
Okay, all right, and then if you had I know
you live in the Flynn right, if you had a
door in your apartment that led to anywhere in the world,
where would you want it to lead to?
Speaker 6 (38:54):
Yeah, it's a family friendly program, right.
Speaker 7 (38:57):
Yes, yes, yes, I should have made that disclosure.
Speaker 6 (39:05):
Yeah, I don't know. Probably like I'd like if I
could just you know, if I could just walk through
that door and be in one place, you know, whenever
I wanted to, Probably Boston. It's like, you know, my cousins,
a lot of my friends still live there, my family.
But I'd like Italy, you know, like open it up
and go to anywhere in Europe. I love Europe. It's
(39:27):
I've traveled over there numerous times.
Speaker 7 (39:30):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
My wife is from actually Paris in Morocco. Excellentished to say,
but you know, but you know, I've been over there
numerous times. I've traveled all through and I'll tell you what.
Morocco is an unbelievable country to go to.
Speaker 7 (39:46):
Wait where in Morocco? Uh?
Speaker 6 (39:48):
I like Marrakesh is my favorite, yes, but you know,
like Casablanca is cool. It's a big city, right pollute.
But and her family lived in robot which is a
capital where the king lives. Yeah, you know, and that's
pretty cool. But like even tangier right across the street
of your broft or from Spain, that's all built up now.
(40:09):
And then you've got a cool old town Fiord Fees
on the eastern side of the country.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
You know.
Speaker 6 (40:15):
The architecture is unbelievable.
Speaker 7 (40:18):
Yeah, yeah, I love I love Morocco. So gorgeous.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
Yeah, where the kids go every year to see their
grandparents and grandparents still live there.
Speaker 7 (40:27):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
Nice, Well, we're up. Thanks so much for joining us again. Man,
really appreciate giving us your time. Sure, it's a busy
schedule for you, you know, just being the marketing person
for this team, and we're really looking forward to all
the promotions coming up and for the Roadrunners to push
for the playoffs as well.
Speaker 6 (40:46):
Yeah, well, thank you very much. Pleasure to see both
of you again. I see every game day and most
non game days as well. But yeah, come out. We
have ten games left, ten home games left this season,
so fans, we're playing some good hockey right now. We
have really the team starting to come together. It's really exciting.
We have a push for the playoffs. I think what
(41:06):
We're seventh out of eighth right now, so we really
need your support to get down to Song Convention Center,
support us and support the team as we go for
our call to Cup. And I've never been on a
team I shouldn't say that, but Detroit the last couple
of years, but there's wherever I work, we make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
So there you go.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Maybe, yeah, maybe you are a good luck traumers. Well well, Rod,
thanks so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
I just have had Rod Mittina on the show, our
VP of marketing, talking about his past in sports and
what a rich history in sports that this guy has
worked in. He's seen a lot of wins, he's seen
a lot of Cups and maybe he's our good luck
charm for a Cup run this year for us.
Speaker 7 (41:46):
It did all the knocking on the wood when we
were talking to yeah, yeah, hopeful, and and so many
fun games that are coming up, and we this last weekend,
we have so many things happen, even this last weekend
betweeny it's for everyone and then what was we had
faith and Family Night along with oh my gosh, yes, that.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Was a lot of fun. It was. It was a
fun weekend.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
It was a fun week Uh start off with the
uh School of the Deaf and the Blind coming out
and teaching our guys sign language, and you know, some
of them did it last year, which we didn't know, uh,
you know because usually when we do that, So that
we picked we just picked the guys of you know,
most available, and some of them already knew it, like
hers Douglas got it off right at top of his head.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
Mostly very good, super into it. Yeah, so that, Yeah,
that was fantastic having them do that.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Then we went to the Desert Sonora Museum with Max Zuber,
Artem Duda and Maverick Lambreu. Yes, that was a fun
day as well. Lambrue, I don't know what was going
through his head, but he just kept touching.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
The cactus, actual actual children on that.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
It's like these these guys play professional hockey.
Speaker 7 (43:03):
Like what he did, keep touching cactus. It was the
most I don't think he has and his fingertips. I'm convinced.
Speaker 4 (43:12):
I want to and I want I want to go
back there, Kim, because me, Chase and Bennett all came
to and matter our video guy and we only sniffed
the surface of that place. The drive was beautiful. I'd
even know there's so much. There's just so much in
that back end of the mountain.
Speaker 7 (43:25):
Like, I never have you ever been on the other
side of Gates Pass before? Is that your first time?
Speaker 4 (43:31):
That was my first time ever. So, like I saw
Old Tucson on the drive. I don't know how who
Old Tucson is, but like I just want to go.
Speaker 2 (43:40):
To more and check it out. I just I don't
get out enough these days.
Speaker 7 (43:44):
Uh, we recommend the desert. You see me. And we
got to see a road runner, yeah, actual road run.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (43:53):
So yeah, it was It was really fun, really just
fun week overall. It was a fantastic homestand we got
seven of a possible points. You know, it's just that
overtime loss sucked. But I think that we're still in
a really good spot right now. And Kim, this is
a huge road trip right Ontario tomorrow on Wednesday night.
We haven't been them at all yet this season. We're
(44:14):
oh to want to know a believe against them if
I'm not mistaken. So I have a couple more games
against them this year. There's a chance to get the
first win against them. And then also we have a
two game series against the Bakersfield Condors and that series
could very much be in play for the seventh seed.
Speaker 7 (44:33):
Bakersfield is only two points behind us in the standings
right now. Yeah, there's a lot on the line. Let's
not lie, there's there's just a lot on the line.
And unfortunately, you know, some some not productive play, you know,
a month or so ago, has led us to where
we are right now. We'll see what happens. Ontario is
(44:55):
what sixty five points and we're fifty five, so again,
like you said, and we haven't been super productive against them,
but you know, it's you never know what you're gonna get.
That's and that's one of the things when we were
talking to Sammy, when I was talking about the daily
habits and the things that you do that release the
(45:18):
good chemicals into your body. I think that professional athletes
do that more than other people because so much about
their job is such an unknown. And that's one of
the things that you and you and I probably love
about it is that we go into a game you
have no idea what's going to happen, and it's so
much fun to be in the middle of it and
you have no clue. But it's all that's also like
(45:39):
super not good for your brain because you don't know
where you're going to end up on the other side
of it. It could be super stressy like on Saturday night,
or it could be just a fantastic blowout like Friday night.
You have no idea what you're going to get, so
you know, you lean a little bit more on the
routines to help you, you know, get yourself mentally in
a good place.
Speaker 4 (45:57):
So yeah, but there's no routine here, right. We went
on that long road trip back for two weeks. I
feel like we've never I feel like we were not
back long enough, and then all of a sudden we're
on the road again. At least it's a it's a
nice three game trip, not nothing too crazy, but yeah,
it's you know, we say every trip is big, but really, Kim,
(46:17):
with twenty games left, every game is a playoff game,
and it's gonna feel like a playoff game, especially for
us when we're just right there, you know, one bad weekend,
especially against Bakersfield, and then all of a sudden we're
out of the playoffs. So it's fun that we're pushing
Utah's pushing Rob mentioning earlier. Only ten games left at home. Yeah,
(46:38):
it's half and half. That's that's crazy. I'd even realize
that that to keep talking about like, oh, twenty games left,
like just still good chunk, but yeah them or at home,
so there's not a lot left and it'll be tough
for US KIM to get that first round at home again.
Anything still possible, but you know, from most of it,
it's looking like we're gonna be a for the first
(47:00):
round again.
Speaker 2 (47:01):
It's just a two game series.
Speaker 4 (47:02):
We can win it and return back home, but it's
just one of those things you don't want to take
for granted. And it'll be a fun, good stretch for US.
Twenty games left on the docket, and uh playoff push
happens now. It's been happening all seeded in, but now
it's really happening now.
Speaker 7 (47:16):
Yeah we're now we're in it. But I think we're
seeing some fantastic play from both our forwards and our
d which is Kyler Yamamoto absolutely exhilarating to watch him.
Igor had a fantastic weekend, Artam Duda had a fantastic weekend.
Robbi Russo has just been so consistently producing, which is
(47:36):
really interesting, and I almost when I called first goal
on Saturday night, and I said jokingly that it was
gonna be Jackson's Stauber. And then he got called for
an assist in that game.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
Oh yeah, but it half I know it.
Speaker 7 (47:49):
I didn't get to that part yet. I was putting
myself on the back. I was so excited. I was like,
gonna talk to him after the game. And then they
took it away and I don't know if you noticed,
but I didn't call it. Yeah, we were really close
to the end by the time. We were reasonably close
to the end at the time we got the call
that he did not get the assistant. It went to
(48:09):
Russ though, but I was I was. I was big
mad about that one before we go.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
I have a funny story about that too, And I
was so proud of myself and then at this and
then after that, I was like, dang it. So when
I saw Stoppert get the assist, something clicked in the
back of my head. Stopper scored a goalie goal last season. Yeah,
with the Rockford Ice Hogs. So I went back and
I looked up his stats, you know, as if you
would say a Ford He had one goaling for assist
(48:35):
for five points. And then I'm like, Wow, now he's
getting another point against his former team, and I.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
Got so excited. I went back and found that. I
was like, let's go. That is what you do as
a broadcast or mid game. And then they changed and
I was like, I guess it was yeah, yeah, I
was mad. I was mad. So that's what kind of sucked. Well, Kim,
great show we had.
Speaker 7 (48:55):
No. I was just gonna say I didn't make the
announcement because they didn't want to. I didn't want him
to have that in his head. I didn't want him
to hear me that way from him, so I didn't
announce it.
Speaker 4 (49:04):
H fair enough, Yeah, you gotta be dout and well, Kim.
Fantastic show. Sammy Walker and Robert Tina both joining us
this week. In case you missed Dollivan, you're just listening
now and wondering where do I listen to this, go
to two sound rovers dot com, Slash Happier or on
applepodcast dot com as well. We're rolling to Ontario tomorrow
the face off the Ontario Rain and then the Bakersville
(49:25):
Condors later this week. A huge three game road trip
coming up. This has been Rotors Happier. We will see
you tomorrow night. Have a great rest of your night.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
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