Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Griffin's home for two this week Wednesday against the hated
Chicago Wolves, Friday against the Rockbert Ice Hogs. This is
West Michigan's Morning News, Steve Kelly. That's Brent Pakita and
Lawrence Smith brand new to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Emmitt
Finny on the liveline. Emmett, thanks for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Eman, Welcome back to Grand Rapids. Kind of interesting storyline
for you. Just nineteen years old, you were playing in
the Western Hockey League cam Loops Blazers up in British Columbia.
Your season wraps up. You played three games though with
the Griffins last year. Do you think that experience has
helped you? And obviously you're coming off a big year.
I mean you were a sniper up there man eighty
four points and fifty five games.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I felt definitely that the games last year helped me out,
you know, just getting used to the you know, the
pace and the physicality of this league. I feel like
it's definitely made an impact for this year.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
How hard is it to transition as a center? I
would think it'd be easier maybe like a defenseman or
a wing, but as a center, as you know, you're
controlling your line to come in and play with a
brand new team here as they're wrapping up the regular season.
A lot of those guys that played together for a while.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah, it's a little bit tough, you know obviously. You know,
just like you know, the pacing physicality is a lot different,
so you know, just defendings a lot harder. So you know,
that's one of the main things I noticed.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Hey, congratulations, you get a three year deal seventh round
pick of the Red Wings in twenty twenty three. Now,
you know, we love to just kind of pull down
the curtain a little bit and get to know you guys,
and so I got to be honest with the fact
of we're all on radio. And so when we made
it big, it was like, oh wow, you know, we're
up to twenty thousand dollars for our salary. So we
were thinking of our first paycheck for you. I got
(01:41):
to ask you, was there anything you splurged on after
you got that deal?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, there wasn't really too much.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I guess.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I bought a brand new driver in golf. That was
of the main thing I bought.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Most could be expensively good one. How's the game by
the way, the offseason, I know we're not there yet.
We want a long run of the Calder Cup playoffs
with the Griffins with you, But I mean, how is
the golf game.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I'd say it's pretty good. You know, obviously you know
in the summer it's a lot better. But yeah, I'd
like to say it's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You stay stationary when you drive, It's just a movie
I saw.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Maybe, Yeah, trying to stay stationary when I drive. But
who knows what happens up there?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Now? The Western Hockey League kind of educate our fans
a little bit. I mean some are familiar with it,
some are and the fact it's big time junior hockey
up in Canada, and so the transition here. I mean,
you gotta love Planet Vani and Arena, right, the buildings
double the size that you play in. But I mean
you played some quality hockey there. What's the most exciting
when you come to the AHL from the league like
(02:42):
the Western Hockey League?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, I mean, just like the size of the buildings
in the AHLs, there's like the van Adele's a really
nice strength compared to what we had in cam Loops.
So that's definitely one thing and I feel like the
fans are pretty passionate here too, so that's always exciting too.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
You could be honest now, I know everyone else says, well,
the Red Wings are my favorite team because you're playing
for the Red Wings and they drafted you. But you
grew up in Alberta. So what was your favorite NHL
team before you signed with the Red Wingers?
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Question?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I was actually a Chicago Blackhawks fan growing up.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Oh, hang up the phone? Can we hang up?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
So I'm talking about That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Smitty is our Chicago fan there, So it's okay, and
I've just get so Blackhawks? What was the connection? Was
there a player?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah? I was a big fan of Chris or Steve.
He was from from my hometown Lesburg, so I was
a huge fan of him. So he was playing for
the Blackhawks.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Okay, I gotta tell you now, and I'm sure you've
done your education on this. You're a number nine. It's
pretty famous number nine when it comes to the Red Wings.
You know who number nine is, right, well, of course,
mister hockey Gordy.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
How yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
So was that why you wanted number nine? Was it
just a jersey that was left?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
I was number nine in juniors, and you know, I
didn't know you get to pick my number when I
came here. I just I was given a number, so
you know, it wasn't too mad about it. But obviously
I know if I placed for the Wings, I wouldn't
be able to wear number nine, so that's the only
thing about it.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Listen, welcome to Grand Rapids. Best wishes with the new
team tomorrow night. We'll see you tomorrow against the Wolves
and then on Friday against the Ice. Hodge will have
tickets before nine to give away today to Emmitt Finney
with the Grand Rapids. Griffins. Thank you for your time
this morning.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Griffin's home for two this week Wednesday against the hated
Chicago Wolves, Friday against the Rockbert Ice Hogs. This is
West Michigan's Morning News, Steve Kelly. That's Brent Pakita and
Lawrence Smith brand new to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Emmitt
Finny on the liveline. Emmett, thanks for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Eman, Welcome back to Grand Rapids. Kind of interesting storyline
for you. Just nineteen years old, you were playing in
the Western Hockey League cam Loops Blazers up in British Columbia.
Your season wraps up. You played three games though with
the Griffins last year. Do you think that experience has
helped you? And obviously you're coming off a big year.
I mean you were a sniper up there man eighty
four points and fifty five games.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I felt definitely that the games last year helped me out,
you know, just getting used to the you know, the
pace and the physicality of this league. I feel like
it's definitely made an impact for this year.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
How hard is it to transition as a center? I
would think it'd be easier maybe like a defenseman or
a wing, but as a center, as you know, you're
controlling your line to come in and play with a
brand new team here as they're wrapping up the regular season.
A lot of those guys that played together for a while.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah, it's a little bit tough, you know obviously. You know,
just like you know, the pacing physicality is a lot different,
so you know, just defendings a lot harder. So you know,
that's one of the main things I noticed.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Hey, congratulations, you get a three year deal seventh round
pick of the Red Wings in twenty twenty three. Now,
you know, we love to just kind of pull down
the curtain a little bit and get to know you guys,
and so I got to be honest with the fact
of we're all on radio. And so when we made
it big, it was like, oh wow, you know, we're
up to twenty thousand dollars for our salary. So we
were thinking of our first paycheck for you. I got
(01:41):
to ask you, was there anything you splurged on after
you got that deal?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, there wasn't really too much.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
I guess.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I bought a brand new driver in golf. That was
of the main thing I bought.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Most could be expensively good one. How's the game by
the way, the offseason, I know we're not there yet.
We want a long run of the Calder Cup playoffs
with the Griffins with you, But I mean, how is
the golf game.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I'd say it's pretty good. You know, obviously you know
in the summer it's a lot better. But yeah, I'd
like to say it's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You stay stationary when you drive, It's just a movie
I saw.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Maybe, Yeah, trying to stay stationary when I drive. But
who knows what happens up there?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Now? The Western Hockey League kind of educate our fans
a little bit. I mean some are familiar with it,
some are and the fact it's big time junior hockey
up in Canada, and so the transition here. I mean,
you gotta love Planet Vani and Arena, right, the buildings
double the size that you play in. But I mean
you played some quality hockey there. What's the most exciting
when you come to the AHL from the league like
(02:42):
the Western Hockey League?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, I mean, just like the size of the buildings
in the AHLs, there's like the van Adele's a really
nice strength compared to what we had in cam Loops.
So that's definitely one thing and I feel like the
fans are pretty passionate here too, so that's always exciting too.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
You could be honest now, I know everyone else says, well,
the Red Wings are my favorite team because you're playing
for the Red Wings and they drafted you. But you
grew up in Alberta. So what was your favorite NHL
team before you signed with the Red Wingers?
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Question?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I was actually a Chicago Blackhawks fan growing up.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Oh, hang up the phone? Can we hang up?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
So I'm talking about That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Smitty is our Chicago fan there, So it's okay, and
I've just get so Blackhawks? What was the connection? Was
there a player?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah? I was a big fan of Chris or Steve.
He was from from my hometown Lesburg, so I was
a huge fan of him. So he was playing for
the Blackhawks.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Okay, I gotta tell you now, and I'm sure you've
done your education on this. You're a number nine. It's
pretty famous number nine when it comes to the Red Wings.
You know who number nine is, right, well, of course,
mister hockey Gordy.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
How yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
So was that why you wanted number nine? Was it
just a jersey that was left?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
I was number nine in juniors, and you know, I
didn't know you get to pick my number when I
came here. I just I was given a number, so
you know, it wasn't too mad about it. But obviously
I know if I placed for the Wings, I wouldn't
be able to wear number nine, so that's the only
thing about it.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Listen, welcome to Grand Rapids. Best wishes with the new
team tomorrow night. We'll see you tomorrow against the Wolves
and then on Friday against the Ice. Hodge will have
tickets before nine to give away today to Emmitt Finney
with the Grand Rapids. Griffins. Thank you for your time
this morning.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
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