Luc Robitaille Interview

Luc Robitaille checked in with The Sports Dude to talk about the Kings season, his Charity Work & which Kings players deserves a statue outside Crypto.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
It was good jobs Devine, JimHayney, and you're checking in on the
Cruise Show podcast. Make sure tosubscribe, rate and share. All right,
it's Real ninety two three, LA'snew home for hip hop Jeff Garcia
along with the legend Luke Robotie.How are you Sartin doing great? You
good? Happy holidays too, Yeah, happy holidays, see you too.
And before we start with all thehockey talk, I want to commend you
and your wife first of all forall the charity work that you guys do.

(00:21):
I think, like I'm we doCruise carriacs. You can see all
these toys in the studio right now. We do with the Boys and Girls
clubs. So that's something that's verynear and dear to my heart into the
show's heart. So thank you foryou know, doing that in what you
and your wife does, y'are welcome. I think it's great when we have
a chance, you know, someof us do we do entertainment or thing
and we have a chance that wecan make a difference and help kids.

(00:43):
And you know, for us,we've helped those kids that live in foster
home or at risk youth and it'sbeen amazing to see them graduate and get
jobs and make a difference in theirwell. I have a I always think
that's the greatest thing. Where canpeople find out more information and help?
Oh, it's easy. Our websiteis called it's Echoes of Hope dot org,
so you can get there and justtake a look at all the stuff

(01:04):
we do. And you know,from year to year we help about ten
thousand kids. We got an amazingcomputer. Some of them like we see
them all the way through college.Let's see idea, we see them through
college. That's good, that's amazing. And you know, it's always tough
when you have teens and they getinto the foster care system and stuff.
It's very difficult sometimes for them toget out of that. So the fact

(01:25):
that they have guidance from people likeyou to see them all the way through
the college is really amazing. Well, yeah, because we know a lot
of those kids they get out ofthe system, they end up homeless.
It's really hard, and so ifthey want to go to school, there'll
be people that'll support them. There'sa few other programs that we all work
together, and it's awesome to seethem thrive and see them get through school.
And like I said, they getjobbed and then they help other kids.

(01:48):
Yeah. No, and the that'slike giving keeps continuing. Kings are
playing well, yeah, third inthe Pacific. I like to see that
as we're talking right now, rightthe road record. It just blows me
away. Still. I was bumpbecause we had a little bump in the
on the road, I know,and damn it. Yeah. But at
the same time, I mean,what do you attribute that to? You
played a lot of years. There'sgot to be a mentality or something going

(02:10):
on. It's a it's definitely amentality thing. It's kind of funny.
We started in Australia this year andthen the way our schedule is today,
it's a little bit different than twentythirty years ago. There's no time for
the players to get together because theyfly into a city, they go eat,
they have the game, and they'retogether on the plane. But everybody

(02:30):
that's their same season. When wewere in Australia for the first time in
about ten years, they had sixdays together to bond, to bond,
and the players kept telling me wenever have time to do that, you
know, And we let them freein Australia. I'm glad. Nothing bad
happened. Yea, anywhere that's dangerous. But then you know, they got

(02:53):
to play God. They went todinner as a group the whole week,
and all of them kept coming backgoing, you know what, Look,
we've never had chance to do it, and I forgot about it. So
I think that really helped our teambond to start the season, and I
think that's why when they go onthe road they feel together. It's been
it's been a lot of fun tosee him play that way. For you,

(03:13):
personally, what was sweeter winning theCup as a player or winning it
as an organization? You know,I think winning as a player made me
understand what it takes to really win, and so you understand it takes everyone
behind the scene. You know,it takes the guy that might only play
one shift in the playoffs to winit all. And but then winning in
LA you know, when I wasworking like for the with the organization,

(03:38):
and and to see like the differencein making people's lives that've been like our
fans for years, it had beenforty five years, that was truly incredible
and amazing. So I'm glad Idid both because I know, you know,
as a player, what it whatit took, but I'm glad I
got to see him be part ofwhen we want it, and I hope
to be part of many more metoo. Hope there's more to the city

(04:00):
we could I know we have too, but we could use some more,
yeah, you know, And Inever get tired of that when yeah,
I mean, I remember every singlething about that first one. I mean,
man, like I shed it tears. It's you know, when you
go through it and you're a fan, I mean, you know, you
put your heart into it and youvest into it. And to see that
was just such an amazing moment.And then to do it relatively quickly again
was pretty nice. Right. Itwas amazing we could have done in thirteen

(04:23):
to two and to do it infour, And it was two different ways.
I remember in the first year intwelve, we were up through nothing
every series, and I remember likewe'd be like celebrating after a Game three,
like, oh my god, wegotta get ready for the next round,
like the odds are we're going towin. And it was truly an
incredible run. Then the next serieswe're always down, you know, like,
and then we kept coming and winningin game seven. So it was

(04:45):
two different different ways to win it, which was incredible. I want to
talk to you about Quentin, youknow, and his impact like on on
the team and his impact at large, you know, for diversity in the
league and I think for the citytoo. It's a really great thing.
How are you feeling about that andany insight on how he is as a

(05:05):
person and a player and how he'staking that on. You know, well,
he's a great kid. He's avery special kid. I mean,
you know, it's kind of funny. He had some pressure in the last
couple of years, and we knewhe's really young. He's only twenty one.
He's a big kid, super strong, and we knew he's coming.
We understand what he could bring forour franchise. I think the sky's the

(05:26):
limit for him. He's going tobe very impactful the next four or five
years for us, and we're reallyexcited about him. What makes him very
special, He's just like a kid, you know, he wants to be
a kid. He likes to playa video game. He understands that he
can make a difference, he reallydoes. He's very serious about that.
But he understands too. He alwayssays, well, let me play my

(05:48):
game, Let me be the bestI could be. And then whenever we
ask him to help us or todo something, he's always there. But
I think he's so aware that ifhe becomes the player he believes he could
be, the difference he'll be ableto make, and whether it's this city
or this in North America and soforthies. So it takes a certain maturity,

(06:11):
even though we say he's just akid, to understand that at that
age. Yeah, And it's noteasy to take on at that age either,
you know, the expectations and thepressures and different things. But I
hope, yeah, I mean Ilove watching him and I think he's going
to be you know. I hopehe continues to have a great career,
and I hope it's in the King'suniform. He will, he will as
long as possible. How about CamonGold. This season, it's been amazing.
He leads a lot of stats.Mean, yeah, he's been very

(06:33):
special for us. We're real happy. I mean last year when we got
him, we thought if he couldjust play a certain way that fits our
team, we'd be okay. Buthe's gone above the expectation. He's done
really well. Injury for him,the last couple of years has been the
thing that hurt him. And hewas healthy this summer and we knew that

(06:56):
and that's why it made sense forus to go get him. Yeah.
No, it was great play onthat end, man, Like we need
that and stability is importance. Hopefullyyou can stay healthy. Next statue outside
of Crypto, which Kings player isgoing to get it? Well? I
the way I feel is I liketo have hockey statues out there so too.
Fighting for the kids. Yes,so if you would ask me,

(07:19):
I mean, we've had some veryspecial players. I thought Dustin Brown holding
a cup first captain was very important. Yet four Kinks fans our organization.
Yes, I think you know youasked me today. Anse Copeitar, Jonathan
Quick and Drew Dowdy are very veryspecial for this franchise. They brought the
first Stanley Cup and they've been around. So, like I said, I

(07:41):
let's just say that I like tohave as many hockey statues as possible out
there. Yeah, no, forsure. And all those names that you
said, they're all perfectly fit tohave a statue out there because of what
they did for those two cups.Anyone, No, no, no,
I was gonna say I said KobeDowdy and then quick of course, and
then so I mean that that's thesame people I would have said. And
like the Dustin I didn't think ofthe Dustin Brown moment where he's holding the

(08:05):
cup, but that what an epicstatue though, That's what the statue is
about. Like, you know,he meant a lot to our franchise at
the time. He was the mostgame played and the captain most hits.
But he's the first captain to holdthe Stanley Cup. And I think that's
that's the memory our fans remember themost, especially after all those years.
How does Kopatar keep doing it overand over and over. He's a special

(08:26):
athlete. He you know, islife, you know, off off the
ice is like he takes care ofhimself. He does everything right, and
he's a very special player. Andyou know, like there's very few of
those guys that could keep doing ita year after year and so forth.
But it's incredible what he's doing.And you know, I give him all
the credit and we're certainly glad thathe keeps doing it for us. Yeah,

(08:50):
no, thank goodness. Yeah,I'm so glad he stayed in the
King's uniform. It means everything.I want to thank you for taking ten
minutes to talk to me. Man, this is very cool. I mean
I love you, love what you'vedone for the organization, and I just
uh am thankful to have you bea part of it and uh anything that
the Kings fans need to know thatare listening right now? Yeah, well
we we what what Amanda was wearhere? What's what's our big days that

(09:11):
we got? We got done?Yeah, that's right. January four,
we got Dodgers Night. So yeah, you gonna be there, Luke,
you got it, you got it. We gotta ask him to come over.
I hope he's in town at thattime. We're gonna try him.
So Dodgers Night. What else?Oh yeah, January twenty is always a
fun one. That's a good one. That's right, that's good. Okay,

(09:33):
So those are a couple of nights. Get all your tickets all the
Kings dot com, right, andI guess we're gonna give them away right
now? Yeah, all right,cool, we'll do a caller number ninety
two eight six six two four sixeight ninety two three. These are Luke's
personal tickets. Yeah right, allright, there's good tickets. They're good,
they're good. They're all my personaltickets. I was gonna say,

(09:54):
when you're the boss, I mean, they're all your tickets, right,
So eight six six two four sixeight ninetywo three collar number ninety two,
gonna go see the La Kings.Luke, thank you, man. I
appreciate everything so much. You're talkingabout any dude,