January 21, 2025 • 4 mins
West Michigan's Morning News spoke with Griffins Head Coach Dan Watson as they head up to Manitoba.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So imagine heading someplace colder to go to work. Well, uh,
this is West Michigan's Morning News Steve, Kelly, Brett Mechida
and Lawrence Smith. The head coach of the Grand Rapids
s Griffins Dan Watson is doing just that. It's now
negative eight in Manitoba, where the bus is leaving early
because whether is that rotten coach? Thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hey, no problem. We all have our shorts teachers packed and.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Who would have thought coach right? And you don't what
when it comes to the moose we have I think
I told you last time we were on or maybe
a couple of times ago. We have the hated Chicago Wolves,
and we've added Milwaukee after last year as far as
to our hate list, but Manitoba we owe them a
couple right after the last visit here to Van Andelerina.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
All they're climbing up that list, slowly but surely. Even
the first two games we played against and we won
their tight contest and for some reasons don't have ut
scoring against the goalie, so we have to go up
there and and try to get at them and still
remain good defensively. But yeah, they're on that list that's
creeping up there of teams we don't like.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
How are you and the guys doing as far as recovering.
Spitty was talking about the temperatures this weekend from the
Great Skate, and I think I looked and did you
have one of the overnight time slots? Coach?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, I think I took the three to four am,
trying to be nice to the guys, let them sleep
a little bit. Uh, you know what, it wasn't bad.
The win wasn't out yet, so that was good. And
then the time that slot that I got there is
actually probably twelve the fifteen kids out there playing hockey
with their sticks with pocks. It was actually a great
time and a lot of fun and great to see
(01:38):
the kids out there playing hockey and skating around at
that time of night.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Can you share with us a little bit? We touched
on it with events like that, but there's so much
that doesn't go on or isn't necessarily covered by the media.
But the willingness of professional hockey players, and you've seen
it now, I'm sure with the Toledo team, but also
here in Grand Appas the last two years, these guys
are tremendous and you and the coaching staff with your time,
and isn't it cool to see an event like that
(02:03):
take place?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Oh? It is, it is, And it's all about growing
the game. It's all helping, you know. For that event specifically,
it's all about helping kids or people and maybe they
don't have the means to play. Hockey's expensive sport, whether
it's registration, ice time, all the equipment that goes into it,
and you know, everyone needs a little bit of help.
So if we can give back in any way, and
I mean if it's an hour of our time, the
(02:26):
amount of the amount of fans support, we get, the
amount of publicity that our guys get, it's fantastic and
we'll do anything to help and support the community.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Coach. Finally, who is playing well for you guys right now?
I know there's probably quite a list. Elmer's up with
a big club. Marco Kaspre at a goal the other night.
Great to see he's been up there for a while
in hockey town, and you know, tis the season for
that to happen, right?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Oh it is, it is. We got to call yesterday
where you know he's got the truck packed up to
take all our equipment up to Winnipeg and Elmer got
the call up, so good for him. He's been playing
really well. I don't think you look past over our
top performers like Austin Watson, who does a little bit
of everything. He's he plays the great games, he can
score goals, he gets points. If you look at a
(03:12):
guy like Dominic Shine right now, a guy who's you know,
annually on a fourth line, and now he's playing top
minutes and then producing for us too. So those two
veteran guys have certainly stepped up. And you've got a
guy like William Wallander on the back end as a
young kid who's who's playing hard and still growing as
a professional defenseman. But you know, it looks very positive
(03:33):
for his development.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
You'll hear those games with the Griffins on Thursday and
Saturday against the Manitoba Most coach Watson, I hope you
get there by Thursday.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Flow going on the road as we traveled to Chicago
to flight to win a bag. But we'll be safe
and we'll make it.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Oh man, that's the better way to go that. Seriously,
even if you had to take a boat, it would
be thanks man, best wishes. We'll hear you on the radio.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
All right, thanks very much, Take care,
So imagine heading someplace colder to go to work. Well, uh,
this is West Michigan's Morning News Steve, Kelly, Brett Mechida
and Lawrence Smith. The head coach of the Grand Rapids
s Griffins Dan Watson is doing just that. It's now
negative eight in Manitoba, where the bus is leaving early
because whether is that rotten coach? Thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hey, no problem. We all have our shorts teachers packed and.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Who would have thought coach right? And you don't what
when it comes to the moose we have I think
I told you last time we were on or maybe
a couple of times ago. We have the hated Chicago Wolves,
and we've added Milwaukee after last year as far as
to our hate list, but Manitoba we owe them a
couple right after the last visit here to Van Andelerina.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
All they're climbing up that list, slowly but surely. Even
the first two games we played against and we won
their tight contest and for some reasons don't have ut
scoring against the goalie, so we have to go up
there and and try to get at them and still
remain good defensively. But yeah, they're on that list that's
creeping up there of teams we don't like.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
How are you and the guys doing as far as recovering.
Spitty was talking about the temperatures this weekend from the
Great Skate, and I think I looked and did you
have one of the overnight time slots? Coach?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, I think I took the three to four am,
trying to be nice to the guys, let them sleep
a little bit. Uh, you know what, it wasn't bad.
The win wasn't out yet, so that was good. And
then the time that slot that I got there is
actually probably twelve the fifteen kids out there playing hockey
with their sticks with pocks. It was actually a great
time and a lot of fun and great to see
(01:38):
the kids out there playing hockey and skating around at
that time of night.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Can you share with us a little bit? We touched
on it with events like that, but there's so much
that doesn't go on or isn't necessarily covered by the media.
But the willingness of professional hockey players, and you've seen
it now, I'm sure with the Toledo team, but also
here in Grand Appas the last two years, these guys
are tremendous and you and the coaching staff with your time,
and isn't it cool to see an event like that
(02:03):
take place?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Oh? It is, it is, And it's all about growing
the game. It's all helping, you know. For that event specifically,
it's all about helping kids or people and maybe they
don't have the means to play. Hockey's expensive sport, whether
it's registration, ice time, all the equipment that goes into it,
and you know, everyone needs a little bit of help.
So if we can give back in any way, and
I mean if it's an hour of our time, the
(02:26):
amount of the amount of fans support, we get, the
amount of publicity that our guys get, it's fantastic and
we'll do anything to help and support the community.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Coach. Finally, who is playing well for you guys right now?
I know there's probably quite a list. Elmer's up with
a big club. Marco Kaspre at a goal the other night.
Great to see he's been up there for a while
in hockey town, and you know, tis the season for
that to happen, right?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Oh it is, it is. We got to call yesterday
where you know he's got the truck packed up to
take all our equipment up to Winnipeg and Elmer got
the call up, so good for him. He's been playing
really well. I don't think you look past over our
top performers like Austin Watson, who does a little bit
of everything. He's he plays the great games, he can
score goals, he gets points. If you look at a
(03:12):
guy like Dominic Shine right now, a guy who's you know,
annually on a fourth line, and now he's playing top
minutes and then producing for us too. So those two
veteran guys have certainly stepped up. And you've got a
guy like William Wallander on the back end as a
young kid who's who's playing hard and still growing as
a professional defenseman. But you know, it looks very positive
(03:33):
for his development.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
You'll hear those games with the Griffins on Thursday and
Saturday against the Manitoba Most coach Watson, I hope you
get there by Thursday.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Flow going on the road as we traveled to Chicago
to flight to win a bag. But we'll be safe
and we'll make it.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Oh man, that's the better way to go that. Seriously,
even if you had to take a boat, it would
be thanks man, best wishes. We'll hear you on the radio.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
All right, thanks very much, Take care,
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