Dan Bylsma pregame interview in Vegas with Everett Fitzhugh (4/10)

Everett Fitzhugh with Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma on Apr. 10 at T-Mobile Arena, ahead of the final matchup of the season between the Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks Mike. Back with recking head coach Dan Bilsman. Dan,
after a tough game like you saw in Utah, what
are the important lessons that you're gonna take from that
game about bouncing back and moving forward in your road
finale here tonight.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, I think the recognizition that it wasn't very good,
that that's not how we've been playing, and the opportunity
to to write the right that message and write that
story with you know, not just game tonight against Vegas,
but the next three games as well. I think you

(00:34):
you know, we we'd like to look over the past
ten and say we're playing well, and we've played some
good games, and we had some great battles, and we
get a big win in LA in a tough place
to play with, you know, the guys to a man
sacrificing in blocking shots, and yep, Utah is a blip.
Let's get back to playing the way we have, playing

(00:56):
the way we have as a team, and playing the
way we have for each other. And this opportunity tonight
probably wasn't how Victor Osman wanted to make his NHL debut,
but stopping all thirteen fourteen shots he faced cracking won
that period one nothing.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
What did you make of the kid's debut?

Speaker 2 (01:13):
You know, I just saw his interview after the game,
and it's a special moment. Obviously, playing your first National
Hockey League game wasn't in great circumstances for him having
a step in there in the third period, but he
did a really good job. They made, you know, three
or four real nice saves had to stop fourteen looked

(01:36):
really solid. And just the kids come from a long
ways away even this year, from the East Coast League
and to the American Hockey League and to getting an
opportunity to play in the National Hockey League.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
It's a it's a.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Big moment for him and his family, and he stepped
up and did a real good job.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
The NHL lost racure yesterday at a long time administrator
in this league, someone who you said helped give you
your first chance, took a chance on you as a coach.
What did he mean to you personally into the hockey world?

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Uh, you know everything else say, I think you need
someone to take a chance on you as a player,
to give you an opportunity and to believe in you
and to to to give you that chance. For me
and coaching it was. It was Ray, and you know,
whether it was by hook or crook, and the circumstance

(02:35):
of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ray gave me the opportunity to
coach in the National Hockey League and that turned into
six and a half years of experiencing how good of
a general manager Ray Shero is and was how great
of a communicator he was, not only to the coaches

(02:55):
and the staff, but to the organization and building a
family first and in a team atmosphere with with how
he did things as a GM. And and you know,
it's sudden hearing the news and having the loss of Ray,

(03:15):
it's a time to remember and and reminisce about all
the good things that Ray was as a GM. And
that's all I have to say about it.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
H Jordan or Jayden Schwartz pardon me? Was named the
Krakens Masterson nominee. What is he meant to this team?
Not only on the ice, but when you look at
his mentorship of of the Shane Wrights of the world,
the Matty Beneers of the world. How important has he
been to this team? Again, not only on the ice,
but off the ice as well.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Major you know, in terms of the mindset of our
team and how we want to play. He has been
a guy who has been at the front and foremost,
especially with the loss of Ebbs early on in the season, Schwartz,
he was a big voice to the group and that

(04:13):
also came with with what he did on the ice
as well. And you know, time and time again when
you're looking for answers as a coach or he was
the guy that stepped up, you know, Carolina, and is
just clear evidence of it that was he had. He
had a message for the team before that game and

(04:36):
steps on the ice and the first play of the
game is him continuing that answer. And so he's been
uh a big leader in that regard, but also he's
just a he's a consummate working professional to be at
his best every day, be at his best for every game.
And that's a huge of the leadership of our some

(05:00):
of our younger players, Maddie and Shane as they as
they grow