September 13, 2024 • 49 mins
Former NHL player Brent Sopel joins us to share his incredible journey from the ice rink to becoming a passionate advocate for those with learning disabilities. Brent, who played over 700 NHL games, reveals how his and his daughter's diagnoses of dyslexia led him to establish the Brent Sopel Foundation, aiming to support youth facing similar challenges. Through heartfelt anecdotes, Brent discusses how ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia affected both their lives, stressing the importance of early diagnosis and individualized learning approaches.
With raw honesty, Brent opens up about the emotional highs and lows of his career, including winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, and the profound sense of isolation he felt despite his success. He shares his struggles with addiction, the intervention by his family, and the ongoing journey toward sobriety and self-acceptance. This episode dives deep into the mental health challenges athletes face, the impact of different coaching styles, and the universal theme of inner struggles masked by outward success. Brent's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of self-reflection and human connection in overcoming life's hurdles.
Finally, we explore Brent's experiences with the NHL's salary cap era, the friendships and challenges of playing in Russia, and the financial sacrifices players make for the betterment of the game. We also touch on the stark contrast between past and present athlete lifestyles, the scrutiny they face, and the resilience required to transition to life after retirement. This candid conversation is not just about the glitz and glamour of professional sports but about finding purpose, understanding oneself, and advocating for mental health and learning disabilities. Tune in to be inspired by Brent Sopel's journey of adversity, resilience, and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact.
Powered by Perfect Sports Supplements use "AP20" to save 20%!
--
Want to see more of the AP? Subscribe to the AP YouTube channel.
--
Check out Brent Sopel's stuff:
Instagram
Website
--
Check out Dave's stuff:
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
--
Try Can-I-Wellness Sleep Product
--
Get 20% off Caldera Lab Men's Skincare Products
--
Get your Vivobarefoot Shoes 20% off by using the code: ATHLETESPOD20
Check out our Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Tiktok | Spotify | Apple | Google | Youtube l Save 20% on Perfect Sports Supplements
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
See, I had a problem.
Santa Claus never brought mehands in my stocking.
You know Santa brought hishands, so Welcome back to the
Athletes' Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
This is the 240th episode of the show.
We're here to educate, entertainand inspire the next generation
of athletes.
Thanks for joining the showToday.
We're powered by Perfect SportsSupplements.
If you haven't heard of them,they have the number one protein
in Canada.
My favorite flavor Canadianmaple.
Because we're all Canucks, wehave national pride.
Today we feature Canuck on theshow.
(00:32):
His name is Brent Sopel.
If you haven't heard of him, hewas selected 144th overall at
the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by theVancouver Canucks, my hometown
team, hence why we're reppingthe jersey.
He also played for the New YorkIslanders, the Los Angeles
Kings, the Chicago Blackhawks,the Atlanta Thrashers, the
Montreal Canadiens, most notablywinning a Stanley Cup in 2010.
(00:53):
Now fast forward.
After that hockey career isover.
After his daughter wasdiagnosed with dyslexia, sopal
was also diagnosed with alearning disability.
After the symptoms that he wassuffering from sounded similar
to what his daughter was goingthrough, so this inspired him to
create the Brent SopalFoundation, which ultimately
aims to help promote and raisefunds for youth with dyslexia.
(01:14):
Brent is an inspiration to meand so many others, having grown
up watched him on the ice as Iwas a young buck here playing
the sport of hockey.
It was amazing to be in thedressing room with Brendan
Morrison, marcus Naslin, toddBertuzzi, and one of the things
that, fortunately enough, withthis podcast, that we're able to
do is now impact peoplepositively, spread the word
(01:34):
about what people are doing, usethis as an incredible platform,
and it only happens thanks toyou folks who are listening,
sharing these episodes andbringing forward amazing guests
that we feature on a weeklybasis.
So thank you for that and,without further ado, you folks
know I'll be participating inthe Toronto Marathon here in
just over five weeks.
One of the aspects that Iwanted to integrate is some
(01:56):
charitable part, and because ofthis, I want to raise funds for
the Brent Sobel Foundation sothat more folks who are
suffering from ADHD, dyslexia,among other learning
disabilities, get the supportthat they deserve.
So I'll link the links todonate down below.
I appreciate you for tuning in,I appreciate Brent for jumping
on the show and I can't wait foryou folks to let me know what
(02:17):
you think, because it's anamazing episode.
Thanks for tuning in.
The 240th episode of theAthletes Podcast, here we go.
You're the most decoratedracquetball player in US history
, world's strongest man, fromchildhood passion to
professional athlete, eight-timeIronman champion.
So what was it like making yourdebut in the NHL?
(02:38):
What is your biggest piece ofadvice for the next generation
of athletes, from underdogs tonational champions?
This is the Athlet the athletespodcast, where high performance
individuals share theirtriumphs, defeats and life
lessons to educate, entertainand inspire the next generation
of athletes.
Here we go, my set of notesquestions.
Uh, that I I get to rip through, but the fun part is that we
(02:59):
just get to chat, chop it uplike we were before and, uh, I
get to learn a bit more aboutbrent.
So peel back the layers of theonion of the former.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Vancouver, canadiens.
Oh, I'm starting to use mylines now, eh.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
You know you got to do your research.
You know the former, the Hab,the Chicago Blackhawk, who won a
Stanley Cup in 2010, who I grewup watching the West Coast
Express as a kid Vancouver, likeI, talked about White Rocks.
So an honor to feature you onthe show, brent.
I'm excited to learn a bit moreabout what you're doing now
post-career, how you've beenable to become an advocate for
(03:32):
those who are suffering fromADHD, dyslexia and more so.
Just having a conversationaround it, honestly, because you
were able to have a 700-pluscareer NHL game Freaking
incredible really, what you wereable to have a 700 plus career
NHL game have freakingincredible really, what you were
able to overcome.
I was actually speechlesswatching that documentary
(03:53):
earlier this morning and I'mdoing a decent job introducing
what some would call is awarrior on the ice, someone who
ate pucks for a living and wasable to basically do whatever it
took.
How do you like to start theseconversations?
Because you've been asked amillion questions.
You've been on a ton ofpodcasts.
I wanted to start with somefacts that were shared during
(04:15):
that documentary.
The fact that 30% of self-mademillionaires are dyslexic 50% of
people who work at NASA.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Is it now 40?
It's 30 to 40, yeah, 30 to 40.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Okay, see, now I'm learning.
You're going to correct me here.
The next one mind-boggling 50%of people who work at NASA are
dyslexic.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
And then 50% of people in the world in prison
are dyslexic.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So when you see stats like that and you go
undiagnosed for the first almostfour decades of your life, how
does that make you feel?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
my story.
You know it's not about me.
Everything happens for a reason.
In my life, everybody's like oh, I wish I could go back in
hindsight 2020.
You wouldn't be who you aretoday if I didn't have you know.
So I would say I had to gothrough anyone's lessons, every
road, every pain, to get heretoday.
So I'm good with it.
I've made peace with it.
(05:09):
Once I got sober, I tried tobasically commit suicide with
the drugs and alcohol I wasdoing before 40.
So I'm good with my journey.
My story is not about me.
It's who might hear it.
Who might resonate with it, whomight go it?
Who might resonate with it?
Who might go?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
oh, somebody understands for those who are
just listening to the athletespodcast, you're not getting to
see brent's shirt that uhdisplays big dickslexia energy
and uh, it's one of my favorites.
I've seen you wear it on acouple different shows.
I'm gonna have to cop some ofthat merch as well.
I also saw you were doing a $25giveaway for your Stanley Cup
(05:49):
dinner, which is amazing.
Tell me about the Brent SobelFoundation Before we dive into
your career.
Obviously, this is somethingyou want to enact change in.
You want to change the world.
I've heard you say that let'smake this happen here in the
first five minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, you know, and that's why I call it the
documentary here to change theworld because, obviously, being
diagnosed at 32 and reading at agrade four level in high school
, I never want a kid.
That's why I started thefoundation.
I never want a kid to feel theway I do every day.
So I'm an open book.
I'm honest because I'm not theonly one.
It's the second most commonthing in the world and it's
(06:23):
hereditary.
So you know a lot of people.
Autism I think autism is 1 in40, 145 now not hereditary.
Dyslexia is 1 in 5 andhereditary.
So I'm trying to advocate forevery dyslexic out there,
because going to school foreight hours a day, it was awful
when you just you know listeners, just think how many times a
day you read, try strugglingwith those.
(06:45):
And the hard part is I alwayscall it you're dumb, you're
stupid and you're lazy.
And I think when I wake upevery single day, I think I am
dumb Because I was told that somany years, no matter what I've
accomplished, I always say youtell a girl in high school that
she's fat every day, she's goingto believe that.
That's trials and trauma.
And I've got that.
(07:06):
So you know, I'm just trying tobe here, advocate for every
dyslexic.
I understand you're not alone.
Addiction I've been in there.
You know 60 to 65 percent of usare addicted to drugs and
alcohol.
Suicide been there 89 ofsuicide notes left have dyslexic
traits.
So so my story is definitelynot about me.
It's who might resonate with it, and you're not alone.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I just had to give you some space there because
it's also the passion that youspeak with that I think people
need to hear and see that youknow now, after your career,
despite all odds being able tosee success, let's start WHL.
Swift Current, born in Calgary,let's start maybe having some
fun here.
I'm sure you've got some crazyWHL stories.
(07:53):
I just spent the week two weeksago up at the Kelowna Hockey
Performance at Kelowna HockeyFest and Brent Seabrook, who was
someone who mentioned your nameafter I saw a zoom call when I
was doing this research and hetalked about the fact that soaps
was black and blue after everygame and he's someone who
deserved a shout out and I wishI had done this research prior
(08:16):
when I was talking to brent aweek ago in colonna.
Because, man, what you wentthrough during your career
saying that you played half orthree quarters of your games
injured you know you wouldn'thave known that watching as a
kid playing when you're playingfor the Canucks you had a broken
hand with the Habs that hookcast played a game during that.
Your whole season in LA.
(08:36):
You had a cast on Like how wereyou able to?
Were you on the Russian gas?
What were you?
What was keeping you aliveduring those two moments?
And I guess it was the drive.
I guess this is part of yourstory, right?
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Well, you know, to be honest, it wasn't the drive, it
was the fear, the fear of thereal world when you struggle
with the simplest things.
So we'll go back to I've gotthe four Ds.
So ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia,which is the writing portion,
and decalculia, which is themath portion.
So anything, school I struggle.
(09:08):
So the fear of my career endingis what drove me.
There was no pain playing thegame.
That was significant enoughthan the thought of the game, my
career ending, if that makessense.
Yo, I didn't care what thatinjury was, I didn't care what I
had to do, I didn't care whatpuck, because that was nowhere
(09:30):
near the pain of the thought ofmy career being over and having
to enter the real world with no,obviously, learning degrees, no
education, no work experience.
What was I going to do?
Speaker 2 (09:42):
So it was a driving passion, but it was more the
fear when you look back at whatyou've been able to accomplish
despite all of these things, andnow you're trying to help that
next generation.
I feel a similar way.
You know, our goal is toeducate, entertain and inspire
that next gen here on theathletes podcast, and I think
(10:04):
some people have a better way ofdoing it.
Through their written word,through their vocabulary,
through in-person events, somepeople are able to read better.
I think one of the superpowersabout individuals who have
dyslexia, adhd, is the fact thatthey're able to adapt to
different situations, maybe notin an ideal way.
(10:25):
I have family members who I'mdealing with this on a daily
basis and it's probably alearning experience for you when
you had your daughter diagnosed, and that was really ultimately
what led to you being diagnosedas well.
Right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So you know, I got her tested when she was in grade
two, but now she's a senior incollege.
I had no idea.
You know, growing up inSaskatchewan nobody talked about
dyslexia.
You know.
And go back, you know, back totheir mental health.
Nobody knew ADHD is, you know,autism?
That wasn't around back then.
So people like, oh, are youupset that it wasn't?
(10:58):
No, you know, I want to changethe next generation, so that's
why I'm speaking out.
And I didn't even know what theword was like dyslexia, what is
that?
So I dove in there to get theunderstanding, to take care of
my daughter.
I didn't care about me, I wasjust focused on her and thank
God, if it wasn't for her, Istill would be.
You know, I think I'm dumbevery day, but it would have
(11:22):
been to a whole new level.
I would have killed myself along time ago if it wasn't for
that diagnosis.
100%, you know, I've looked atit, I've sat in front of the
train time and time again, I'vedone more drug.
I've done it all Because whenyou're, you know you're
different.
And you just mentionedsomething.
Everybody learns differently andI always refer back to, like,
(11:42):
the love languages.
There's five love languages.
Your love language, probablynot the same as mine, but that's
okay.
It's understanding how youlearn.
You know is is that by reading,is that by visual, you know?
For an example, for a hockeyplayer, is that seeing the coach
drawing the, drawing it up onthe board, or is it a guy who
can sit on the bench and havethe coach say, hey, you need to
(12:04):
do this and this you know?
I always say you know, you know,as a teacher, sam drove 10
miles.
I'm like I got no idea wherewhere Sam is, because in my
brain I can't do that.
So are you a visual learner?
Are you an audio learner?
So there's different ways tolearn and I think, as your
podcast, I think athletes don'tknow that and I think in the
(12:26):
generation of coaches, theydon't know what that means
either, because everybodydoesn't learn the same way.
You said you know, some guys,you need to yell out on the
bench some days, you gotta pullaside and do it quietly.
Same thing.
They don't learn the same way.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So as as humans here, as athletes, we have to know
and learn how we learn the best,how we need to get that message
from the coach you mean, maybehaving your head coach and Mark
Crawford telling you you'llnever play a game in the NHL
Wasn't something that you needed, but you also ended up playing
like 400 games under them, rightLike, but you know it was funny
.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
You're funny.
You mentioned that that workedfor me.
You know, so I you know, as youtalk to hockey players, I think
I'm the only hockey player inthe world that's never taken a
pregame nap.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, I was going to bring it up at some point.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
But so why?
You know I figured this outwithout even knowing what I had
the more tired I was going tothe rink.
So, like my day was normal, youknow, if we're in Anaheim, I go
to Disneyland, the guys aresleeping.
I'm in Disneyland or I'm in themall, or I'm home in Chicago or
Vancouver Pick up the kids fromschool or go to the mall get
groceries.
My day was normal Go to therink.
(13:37):
So the more exhausted I wasgoing to the rink, the less my
dyslexia and my ADHD worked.
Now go back to McCrawford.
When he got my wires to cross,where I got so angry at him, I
just played.
I didn't think.
So it was, you know.
Would that style work?
(13:57):
No, it worked for me Withoutyou know.
Again, the old school coachingway worked for me because it
allowed me to get so mad that Ijust played hockey instead of
thinking and playing hockey.
Because if you think you can'tplay and that's what my problem
was and my dyslexia, my ADHD,you know, hyperfocus then I was
horrendous.
(14:18):
But I look like you know Ishould be playing junior when I
was playing in the NHL, you know, west Coast Express, when my
brain started working.
So I needed to find ways toshut my brain off.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Was there anyone within the organization or that
had like, dealt with this prior,that could tell or that had any
kind of understanding of whatyou'd been with?
Like no one within the NHL, I'mflabbergasted that this wasn't
something that someone had comeacross in the past prior.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Well, you know, and that's why I speak out.
You know, in my mind, I thinkless than 20% of the world
actually know what dyslexia is.
So if you and I are walkingdown the street near Kelowna, if
we stopped 20 people on thestreet of Kelowna great city had
so much fun there.
If you said anything aboutdyslexia, the one thing
everybody says, hey, it's justflipping your B's and D's and
that's about 5% of it.
(15:09):
Like, if I need to read anemail, I have to print it out.
I can't retain it off there.
I can't retain a text message.
You hand me a business card, Ican't take it.
So basically, you guys are bornwith your left brain wired.
You read with your left,careful careful lumping me in.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
I got a little bit, don't worry, it's one in five so
I'm not lumping anybody.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So, as dyslexic, we start reading with our rights.
So, basically, as theinformation goes to the top, it
gets jumbled.
So that's the big misconception.
So you know, am I going to saybad organizations, bad coaches?
No, not at all.
I'm not going to say any ofthat because nobody understands
that right now.
It's still so new.
That's why I talk about it,that's why I'm always trying to
talk to anybody possibly can,because there's not the
(15:56):
awareness out there now.
Hopefully I can change this.
And in 15 years, if we had this, you know we had this
conversation.
It's a different conversationwhere organizations are more
aware of what adhd is.
You know that dopamine,dopamine, what that all means.
So, um, again, it's a differentconversation 15 years down the
road.
But go back 20 years ago,nobody knew what that was.
(16:18):
So no hard feelings, that'sjust that was part of my journey
and I believe that you know ahundred percent.
Uh, my journey in NHL hasallowed me to have these
conversations with you.
The NHL has allowed me to havethese conversations with you.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Hey, just in the middle of this episode, I wanted
to come in, give a shout out toour sponsor, Perfect Sports
Supplements.
Use the code AP20 at checkoutto save 20%.
And while you're at it,wherever you're listening
Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcastsdo me a huge favor.
Hit that subscribe button Ifyou want to go even one step
further rate, review, comment,share this on your social media
(16:52):
platforms.
I will be sharing with you,giving away a couple of gifts,
unique opportunities here as welead up to the Toronto Marathon.
I fly out in less than a week.
I appreciate you folks tuninginto this episode.
Here's to the rest of it.
Enjoy it.
Uh, I am feeling honored to beable to have these kind of
(17:14):
conversations.
Right, like I said, I've beendoing this for five years.
I grew up watching you playwith guys like matthias olin,
fredden morrison actually funnystory.
I have a picture of me with doncherry, ron mclean and my
brother and we went into yourguys' D room.
I was probably I don't evenknow 7, 8, 9, 10.
I was a little chunkier thenbut was in awe, speechless,
(17:35):
couldn't even talk.
I'm pretty sure BrendanMorrison came up and said hi to
my dad and I couldn't even speak, so that might have been what
spurred on this podcast.
Who knows Professor AdamNichols, who I've had on the
show in the past?
He's a professor of psychologyat the university of hull who's
also dyslexic, and we talkedabout some of the challenges
that athletes face.
He'd be someone who I'd love toconnect you with.
(17:56):
He's a one researcher over inthe uk.
Um, but one of the things thatyou also talked about, the no
pre-game knack, having peoplekind of spur you on, get those
wires, wires crossed, for lackof a better term.
I've also heard you bring upthe topic of playing guilty, and
the first time I heard this wasZach Rinaldo mentioned this to
me in Hamilton.
(18:17):
Shout out to him and the JuniorB Pelham Panthers They've been
crushing it.
He's been coaching for a coupleof years now down there, but he
brought up playing guilty andhe said that some guys need to
go out the night before and tohave a couple drinks so that
they play better the next gameor the next day so it's.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It goes back to understanding.
You know the anxiety you'regetting.
We're an all those tough guy,right.
You know you want to sit thereand sit there and think, laying
your bed, sitting your stall allday that, knowing you've got to
go out and fight.
It's a tough career.
So it's understanding yourself.
Players nowadays understandthemselves a lot more than they
(18:59):
did.
They're out there eating theircarrot sticks and doing yoga
when we were out at the barsdrinking and smoking darts a
little bit different.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
At the.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Roxy Own that place, sean O'Brien.
You know he's the owner now buthe took it away from some of us
, but it's the way the game was.
You know drinking was Comiratiwas like that.
You know the game nowadays isvery it's not as team oriented
as it was, you know, it's moreindividualized.
(19:30):
So it it was with the gamethat's.
Uh played guilty many times.
Um, my career was.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
You know I had ups and downs but uh had some good
times, that's for sure yeah, Imean, when you have three
herniated discs for 30 years,you probably have to suck back a
couple just to be able to playthrough those games.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I used to say I'm used to say I'm icing from the
inside out, but that's what keptme alive but almost killed me
too.
So I understand.
I just hit your soul over it.
The real world's a scary place,and the more you understand
yourself, the easier it will be.
It's going to be hard 100% butit's a lot easier when you've
(20:10):
got some understanding.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Yeah, I'm glad you bring that up because I try and
highlight, obviously, theamazing benefits that
professional athletes get andwhat comes with being
world-class at your sport.
But I also want to showcase thefact that there's lows and not
every day is sunshine andrainbows.
And especially after you'vebeen living this rock star life
(20:33):
lifestyle for 10, 20, 30 years,after that, how the heck are you
dealing with real life?
To your point, you know, andthat's so.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I always like you know, trying to uh your terms
for anybody and you know afteryou go to high school and if you
go to college, you answer theworld like shit.
This place is a scary place.
I did that at 40.
So I was told where to be andwhat to be and how to be for 40
years.
You took that away from me.
And what dyslexia is?
(21:01):
And what I didn't have wasself-esteem.
Only place I got my self-esteemwas hockey.
I wasn't good at reading.
I wasn't good at anything else.
That's why I spent hours in it.
That's why I did the crazythings so I could get my
self-esteem.
You took that away from me andthat's when I wanted to die.
(21:24):
You know, I think the longeststretch six weeks never got out
of bed, never left the house was100% alone.
Like everybody sees the outside.
You know, look at social media.
Oh, soapy, you suck.
Like we're human too.
You know we all put our pantson the same way.
(21:46):
Women, you jump off the bed toget your little lemons.
But we're all human too.
You know we all put our pantson the same way.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Women, you jump off the bed to get your little
lemons.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
But we're all human too.
I cry, you know.
Everybody thinks that we're not.
We're, you know, shopping atcertain grocery stores.
No, we're born the same way.
You know.
I could go, you know, into deep.
We're human too.
Do we want to screw up?
No, could go, you know intodeep, we're human too.
Do we want to screw up?
No, no, there's many times, youknow.
(22:09):
I've gone home and you know,look in the mirror and what am I
doing and why am I here and whyam I doing so?
Just as somebody thinks it's ajob for us, no matter if you
worked at royal bank orlululemon or starbucks, it's a
job.
So is this?
But try having a job where youhave millions and millions of
eyes on you.
(22:30):
Every move you make isscrutinized.
You know that mental healthdefinitely can take a toll.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Yeah, and you got guys like Peter Forsberg
pottying you all day, holy frig.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
I chased his ass around.
I could never catch him.
He was phenomenal.
Unfortunately, the injuriescaught up to him.
But God, that guy was a tank.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, I mean, like we mentioned the West Coast
Express, luke Gazdik, who I'vehad on the show a couple times,
talked about watching ToddBertuzzi growing up and seeing
how he was like the ideal powerforward.
What was it like practicingwith him, watching him on the
ice?
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Todd, you know what?
You know, obviously massivebody, massive.
But he had ridiculous hands.
So you want to combine boththose.
He could hold you off with hisstrength, right, he could.
And then if he's in hands, so,um see, I had a problem.
Santa claus never brought anyhands in my.
You know my stocking, you knowhe, you know santa s, santa
brought his hands, so he was theideal pilot for it because he
(23:32):
had both that big body andplaying that style then, and
then you put him in tight, hecould go bar down easily, he
could stick handle three withspeed.
So that's a complete packagethat Santa never brought for me.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
You got to play with some absolute legends in
Vancouver those first couple ofyears you arrived.
Can you share any stories LikeMessier Naslin?
Young Sedin Was Bure.
That was early.
Yeah, I was early.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I had a couple of training camps with them.
I lived in Vancouver a coupleof summers after I got drafted
to skate with them Early in mycareer.
It's different than I was.
I was told be seen and notheard.
So, rookie, just shut up andlearn.
And you also some mass and youknow Marcus Naslund and Yerke
(24:22):
Lume, kirk McCoy, like TrevorLinden, obviously Matias Olen
the list goes on.
All the Swedes.
I just kind of sat back andwatched and listened to their
advice.
I didn't say too much.
Obviously you talked about theSedins.
We were rookies together.
Just phenomenal human beings,obviously, how they represent
(24:43):
their country, represent theirname, but how they represent
Vancouver Canucks just amazinghumans, just to sit back and be
on the ice.
Their country, represent theirname, but how they represent the
Vancouver Canucks just amazinghumans, just to sit back and be
on the ice with West CoastExpress.
Obviously Brendan Morrisonbeing a local guy, and what he
was doing on that line to beable to get the puck.
I didn't want the puck here.
You guys have it, take off withit.
So to be on the backside of it.
(25:08):
Ed Jovanovsky when he played.
The list goes on and on the guysthat I was with.
You know, it was part of myjourney, part of my career
Elevated me to able to win aStanley Cup.
So every guy I played with inthe NHL I learned something from
.
They helped me elevate to win aStanley Cup.
And I think somebody said I'mone of 1,500.
(25:28):
I think there's like 4,000people have ever won the Stanley
Cup Certain percentage of oneat once, twice, three, you know.
So, again, it allows me to behere today and talk about the
foundation and be here toadvocate for, for every person
in mental health, every man.
For you know, mental healthaddiction Um, that's.
That's, at the end of the day,what my purpose in life is.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Um, that's that's, at the end of the day, what my
purpose in life is.
Can't thank you enough fordoing that.
Um, I also want to highlightthe fact that you've brought up
that that, despite what shouldbe the most memorable moment in
your life, was also one of thedarkest.
Can you share more about that?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
yeah, you know, stanley cup I would was the most
amazingest, worst feeling of mylife, because I didn't
understand myself, I didn't knowmyself, I didn't connect with
any of my teammates.
It took me 46 years to connectwith a person Because I didn't
even understand myself.
(26:22):
So, you know, as you ask yourquestion, hey, you know, did you
have a GM, do you have a coachthat could help you?
They couldn't help me if Icouldn't help myself, you know.
So I won that Stanley Cup.
Obviously, you know, a Canadiankid won the Stanley Cup millions
of times, you know, on theoutdoor rink.
But I stood there around myteammates, not connecting to one
(26:43):
of them, and I can look back onhow empty I was one of them and
I can look back on how empty Iwas, um, yeah, so the fact that
I did win it and we're able tohave these conversations, um is
because I won that Stanley Cupand able to get in different
places on, you know, and use myplatform, you know, for good,
but you know, um, it was darkand empty pretty legendary
(27:10):
career, despite all of theseobstacles.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
We'll call them, because I think many people are
faced with different obstaclesbut I think, more than anything,
this was something that you hadto deal with from day one,
right and uh, I imagine when youtalked about I've heard you
reference like eating pucks, theAdam Sandler just wearing them
in the batting cages was betterthan facing that real world.
(27:37):
I guess, once you came to termswith facing the real world,
when hockey was over, what youhad known for so long, was there
anything in particular, atransitional moment?
I know you had your parents andfamily, or you had your family
come and take you out, give youa bit of a.
Oh, I had an intervention youknow through rehab.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
So, um, yeah, like I said, I was almost dead before
40 months.
Drugs and alcohol was doing.
So, um, if they didn't comeacross at the time, if I didn't
mess up that uh guy's wedding atthat time, um, I wouldn't be
here today.
So, um, obviously, they, theysaved my life.
But I guess I had to get soberto understand all myself and
(28:21):
what I, when I talk to people,is.
I had to go back and clean outmy closets.
I had childhood trauma, whichwhen you struggle reading.
So I had to go back, as I'mdescribing it.
I had to clean out my closetsfrom zero to five years old that
closet.
Six to ten, that closet.
Eleven to fifteen, that closet.
It's not how it goes, but I hadto be okay with who I am.
(28:45):
I had to be okay with thisjourney to be able to stay sober
.
You know, if not, you know, Ilove drugs, I love alcohol,
because I had I could escapefrom this feeling of not
connecting and beingmisunderstood every single day.
Uh, so, um, it was a grind, itwas, it wasn't easy, but every
(29:06):
day I got to self-reflect Okay,what did I do wrong in this
situation?
What did I do right in thissituation?
Was this me, and obviouslyconnecting with Juliet, who's my
co-host on my podcast, and nowmy wife.
It took me 46 years to connectwith my first two human beings.
Now, if your listeners want tokind of take a second to second
(29:28):
to listen, that took me 46 yearsto connect with somebody.
It's a long, long lonely life,um, but I'm.
I'm here today and um, happyand grateful for our
conversation.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
As am I and so many others.
I was almost tearing up goingthrough that youtube video,
watching, listening, readingsome of those comments.
I don't know if you've gonethrough that.
If you haven't, uh, if you'reever feeling down, that's the
place to go, because I was likeman, this guy's touched so many
people and you like kudos to you.
Um, and as a goalie, I canconfirm that sometimes you feel
(30:08):
alone and people can't resonatewith how you're feeling.
You know and I have no qualmsabout admitting that, and you
know I've had days where it'slike man, what am I doing here?
Even with this podcast?
Right, like it's one a week forfive years.
You just put in the reps and,to your point, when you're
growing up you win the stanleycup.
How many times on that rink asa kid?
(30:29):
And it only happens once, andsometimes, even if that moment
might look amazing on theoutside, you don't know how that
person's feeling on the inside.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
And that's every single one of us, right?
You know nobody.
You know we don't know.
Everybody wants to judge a bookby the cover.
You don't know, somebody cut me.
Judge a book by the cover.
You don't know, somebody cut meoff.
He didn't wake up that morningand say I'm going to find Brent
and cut him off.
You know he's an asshole.
That's not how this works.
This world's a tough place, solet's not judge a book by the
cover.
(30:59):
You know we all bleed red andyou never know.
Did somebody have a bad day?
Somebody's strugglingfinancially?
Is there a divorce?
Is there something happening?
We don't know.
So there's not enough love inthis world, and before somebody
can love you, you've got to loveyourself.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And I've heard you talk about how coaching has also
helped you.
I felt that recently startingup coaching some high school
basketball kids some strengthand conditioning very basic
level but I've heard youreference the fact that coaching
got you out of bed at night.
Coaching some high schoolbasketball kids some strength
and conditioning very basiclevel but I've heard you
reference the fact that coaching, you know, got you out of bed
at night and continues to dothat 100 you know everybody.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
You know, when you're going through depression,
anxiety, alcohol, you alwaysthink you're alone.
You know so, first, you knowall your list is you're not
alone.
I'm here with you.
So reach out if you're ever inanything.
But you've got to have apurpose.
Every one of us have to findthat purpose.
Is that to work with the highschool basketball team?
Is that to work with kids?
Whatever that is, we need tofind a purpose.
(32:01):
And I didn't have a purpose andI didn't want a purpose.
The only purpose I wanted wasdeath because I didn't love
myself.
And still, you know, I alwayssay you, look in the mirror and
say I love.
You know it, feel it, believeit.
You know I'm working on thatevery day.
You know, 47 years old, I stillcan't say that 100%.
(32:22):
So working there.
But you know the kids gave mepurpose to come there and see
that smile on their face andthey got me out of bed and they
got me going and messing aroundwith them.
It's definitely got me.
You're gone there.
I mean, you know everybody hasroller coasters in life.
Life isn't.
What's that TV show?
Desperate housewives, whitepick fence.
That's not reality.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Ryan Phillips, former guests on the show as well,
someone who you're connectedwith.
What's with hockey playershaving to deal with this?
It seems like we take on.
We're also like I shouldn't saywe.
I'm loving it.
You guys are able to withstandsome absolutely insane
conditions, both on and off theice.
What is it with hockey playersthat makes them a special breed?
(33:04):
Do you know?
Have you?
Speaker 1 (33:08):
identified that, seeing so many guys over the
years.
Well, you know, um, everyathlete is wired differently.
Yeah, to make it, you know.
You take a look at golf or youtake a look at football, you
know what we have to do to makeit.
Um, we're all wired differently.
But I always say hockey's.
You know, hockey is a littlebit different because you know
baseball, basketball, football,those sports golf you don't have
(33:32):
to move away from home.
Some of us move away home at 12, 13, 14, 15.
We grew up in a different way.
We parent ourselves so verydifferent.
You know.
You go back to you know again,here in the US, college football
is massive.
I was just starting.
Those guys don't graduate fromhigh school.
(33:52):
How many players in CHLgraduate from home high school?
Not very many.
We have to parent ourselves.
We grow up in a faster way anda different way than the most
world.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Is there any supplementation that you can do
for dyslexia?
I've heard like kefir with adhdcan be beneficial, like in the
gut microbiome, like I'm sureyou've done more I think of a
guy like daniel carcillo withwhat he's doing, like is there
people that are out there doingresearch, learning about ways we
can mitigate it?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
you know, first off, you can't mitigate something you
don't understand.
So that's the first andforemost, and understand that.
And you know, obviously 40 ofthe sexics have adhd.
So it's understanding and nomatter what that is, no matter
what what it is, it's alcohol,you know, depression, you know
you're chasing it till youunderstand it.
(34:51):
And the first and foremostthing is obviously it is the
diagnosis.
You know you get diagnosedearlier, just kind of like
cancer.
You want to find that stage onerather than stage four.
So you know again, I always sayand then you know, my purpose
is I've got to educate everybodywhat it is before I can
(35:12):
advocate change.
So it's, it's understandingthat I, you know that is the
biggest thing is understandingand understanding what comes
with it and cause everybody'sdifferent, Every human's
different.
You break a wrist out of yourfour to six weeks.
There's a reason why they sayfour to six weeks, because every
person is different.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Uh time over in Russia.
Anything in particular thatcomes to mind when I bring that
up, other than the gas, I loveit yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
No again.
I made some great friends um,you know, 10, 11, 12 different
countries but it allowed me tocontinue my career.
It.
I made some great friends in 10, 11, 12 different countries,
but it allowed me to continue mycareer.
It allowed me to keep playingthe thing where I got my
self-esteem.
I was treated great.
I met some amazing peoplefriends I'm still friends with
(36:04):
but obviously I was able to make1,000 regular season games pro.
Obviously, I was able to make1,000 regular season games pro,
but it was part of my journey toget here.
The rush of gas was right.
I can go into many scenarios.
I was actually when the localmotor plane went down and I was
living in.
I was over there, I wasactually sitting in the Moscow
(36:24):
airport, but it allowed me forme to continue playing, continue
searching and receiving, uh,self-esteem, which you know.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Once that ended, it took me down quickly you were a
victim of this salary capcasualty.
We'll call it uh and like 0405,um put up some good numbers and
then you know, know, that was afact of the matter.
What was the consensus likearound the league when that came
(36:56):
in?
Like, I'm sure you weren't theonly guy that impacted, and is
it?
I guess I'm curious if you wereto rewind.
Take me back 20 years.
But that was like.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Yeah, I know it sucked.
You know, obviously playing forfor a whole year and um again
the biggest thing, whatever ithas to remember it's a bit, it
was a business.
You know, hockey we'reentertainers, it's not a sport,
you know, did it suck 100%?
Did it screw me 100%?
A couple million bucks.
(37:26):
Yeah, and it cost me.
You know, actually short in mycareer.
You know, I think after thatlockout there was, if I remember
correctly, like 350 playersnever played another game that
forced them into retirement.
So that was the differencebetween now, I find, and then
(37:48):
today.
We sacrificed for the better ofthe game.
Right, did I want salary cap tocome in?
Absolutely not.
But we tried to get otherthings to make the game better,
to make the union stronger.
So we kind of took a kick inthe nuts for the guys now.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
To sign $14 million contracts as of today this
morning.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
That may be the dumbest thing ever.
I have a hard time sitting herelistening to him, to Stephen
Stamkos talk about you knowtheir teams.
You just want to sign Max.
How are you for your team,stephen Stamkos?
You wanted to be a Tampa Bay.
No, you didn't, because youknow, I don't obviously rumors,
(38:34):
we can't say.
But if you cared about theTampa Bay Lightning that much,
you would have signed this.
Six years, $3 million.
That's dedication.
Leon Dreissel, you want to win.
You don't win now because youjust signed for $14 million.
That's the difference betweenthe game.
Now Everybody's talking aboutthe Stamast situation.
(39:00):
If you cared, you made enoughmoney, but you wanted more money
.
You were more important than aTampa Bay Lightning, leon
Dreissel.
You were more important becausethe Salad Cap, as you just said
and referred to that, only goesup so much.
You can only fit and you winStanley Cups with your third and
fourth line and your four.
You're four, five, six, seven,demon and you just alignment.
(39:23):
You know those guys justeliminated that and don't tell
me you're for the team.
You were the furthest thing forthe team.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I think of like a Dave Boland and and like even a
guy like you in 2010,.
Like you don't win those thatcup, if you don't have elite
guys rounding out your core.
Everybody's got a first line.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Your top teams have the first line and second line,
but do you have that depth?
Obviously, our third line couldhave been some team's second or
first line.
We had that depth.
So you go third line to thirdline, we're winning.
Fourth line to fourth line,we're winning.
That's why we won the StanleyCup.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
I think of Crosby taking a pay cut, McKinnon
taking a pay cut 100%.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Yes, you can make Leon Dryson if you took $10
million.
Yes, it's a lot of money, 100%big money, but you still have
made $60 million.
So you tell me you want to winit.
What's more important winningthe Stanley Cup or having that
extra $10 million in bankaccount?
You?
Speaker 2 (40:24):
just told me, and the argument that I would also add
to that is okay, give up 4million per year for those eight
years.
Ensure you're giving up a bitof cash.
But imagine the amount of moneyyou could make from endorsement
deals, from brands, fromsponsorships, if you won two,
three, four Stanley cups, withConnor McDavid by your side,
(40:46):
putting up a hundred plus points, 30 plus power play points,
like.
Imagine a world Whereas nowyou're scrutinized because you
have a $14 million contract andyou've got two guys who are
going to now be making 30million dollars on your payroll.
And how the heck are yousupposed to support a team with
23 other guys?
Look at the toronto maple eastit physically can't work that.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
So now, leon, you want to be the highest paid, so
you just one up.
So what, connor?
He's going to one up you.
You know he's already 12 and ahalf, so that jump from 12 and a
half to say 15, three milliondoesn't matter, he doubles his
salary.
So now you can take away.
I think the difference is, youknow, like Evander Kane, he's
(41:30):
making five million.
So you eliminate Evander Kane,who can slide.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I think he obviously was- First to third line
anywhere Anywhere.
He clearly wasn't healthy.
Who can slide?
I think you know he obviouslywas first to third line anywhere
anywhere.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Um he clearly wasn't healthy.
Um, again, you know, clearlywasn't healthy, but now you
might have to remove him fromthat team moving forward, which
you know again the year beforehe put up, where you know how
many goals that's you justchanged your whole team and,
like you just said, sidneyCrosby, I'm going to say 8.7 for
home these years.
He was a tall million-dollarplayer all these years.
(42:01):
That's a guy who cares abouthis team.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
And it's actually crazy because the Lightning were
basically put together as ateam of a bunch of former
captains.
I don't know if you've seen alllike they were sniping, for I
think that was probably duringthe whatever era it was, that
Stevie Y was pulling in for theLightning and it was like they
(42:27):
had 15 captains, 15 or 16previous captains on their team
of 25 rostered guys, becausethey knew if you've got leaders
on your roster, you're going towin games.
So it's shocking that I guessat a certain point you've got to
cut your losses.
But I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I am a huge advocate for loyalty.
Hedman's been the best teamerfor years.
What was he making?
Yeah, that's true, he took apay cut right.
Vasilevsky, you know andeverybody can talk about.
You know no state tax and thatkind of stuff, but you went and
(43:04):
took $8 million in Nashvilleinstead of staying in Tampa
where you've been all theseyears.
You could have been retired asa Tampa Bay Lightning.
You won two cups.
You were a hero in playingthose three minutes.
What year?
That was 9-18 or whatever thatwas when you scored.
You know you had a legendarycareer set up.
(43:24):
Now you took it off thatlegendary in my mind for money.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
It doesn't happen often that athletes stick with
the same team throughout theentire career, like I think of a
Dirk Nowitzki, kobe bryan, likeyou know, in the nhl it doesn't
happen often at all nowadays,right, but few and far between,
and I think it's again partbecause you mentioned it earlier
.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
it's a business you know, in the salary cap era has
has done that.
Yeah, right, so I think thatmight be a?
U might be.
You asked that question alittle bit earlier.
I still kind of backtracked.
I think that's probably thebiggest portion of it is that
players cannot stay or don'tstay with their teams very often
(44:11):
.
You know, obviously ChicagoPatrick Kane there's very few
now because that salary caplimits them to what they do.
Obviously, I came in the rear.
There's no salary cap.
New salary cap limits him towhat do you know?
I said I came in the rear,there was no salary cap and new
york rangers are going to signwhoever, it didn't matter.
But now I think it makes itvery, very hard and it's going
to be moving forward.
Very, very rare but somebodystays with that team their whole
(44:33):
career was that?
Speaker 2 (44:35):
uh did.
I was watching that netflixdocumentary about joe sackett
getting offer sheeted by theRangers.
What went down?
There's got to be some D-Rimchats from that.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Again, you take a look at the salary cap.
Error, right, there's alwayscircumventing, there's always
way.
Obviously talk about Tampa Bayalways circumventing the cap.
No, they're smart, they getoutside the box thinking
different ways.
Vegas, right, you know, youknow it's um.
You know, obviously, edmonton.
(45:07):
You know those two offer sheets.
You know st louis, yeah it'ssame.
You know it's, it's a businessand you have to, you, you have
to attack it.
You know.
You take a look at, you know,fortune 500 company buying
somebody else, or Amazon buyingsomebody else.
That's what it was.
There was no limitations.
They had the money and theyforced their hand, and that's
(45:31):
the business side of things.
I remember those days.
Well, we were still gettingpaid Canadian dollars and then'd
go to the US and lose 30%.
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Yeah, that's tough.
I feel that pain.
Now, 2010, 2011, with the Habsprice top goalie you ever played
against.
If he wasn't, who was Again?
Speaker 1 (45:53):
I played some amazing players.
I was against Patrick Waugh inMarty.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Berner, and you grew up emulating him in your
basement.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Yeah, yeah, for a while we had a basement that
wasn't finished.
So I'd stand on one side of thebasement with a hockey stick
and a golf ball and a baseballglove and I take a slap shot at
the concrete stick, my stickover here and glove save, yeah,
not coming back.
You know, whatever it was, noequipment on, I do that for
hours.
But Terry Price, a phenomenalhuman being, phenomenal goalie,
(46:26):
you know the wear and tear onthe body when you rely on
somebody heavily, like you know,like the Montreal Canes did for
years and years, it's a teamgame and I think that what is
very different from the othersports?
You don't win with onesuperstar.
You got to have everybodypulling on the same rope and you
know Carey Price was counted on.
You know too much time and timeagain.
(46:48):
And that body, you know again,we all have bodies.
At some point it's going tostart breaking down.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
Favorite place to play that hockey brought you
over the years.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
Favorite arena, city, favorite place to play that, uh
, hockey brought you over theyears favorite arena city, you
know, probably have to say youknow, in new york, msg, just you
know the history that comes byit, obviously, uh, you know
montreal stands there, um, youknow, I missed, I just missed
all the old barns.
You know the forum and maybeleaf gardening, you know, um, so
, so the newer buildings don'tbring what they used to.
(47:21):
But I have to say obviously MSGwalking up the ramp or
obviously Molson Center, andthen Vancouver during playoff
time.
Dude, that building was rocking.
I missed Jam Place.
It was that song the White Oats.
No memories that I'll neverforget, grateful for all my time
(47:42):
in Vancouver.
My youngest daughter was bornthere, who's now second year in
college.
Love my time there.
Fans love me.
The fans hated me, but I'llnever forget my time there.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
Hey, I know one fan for sure.
Actually, there was four of ushere in the Stark household that
were all fans of Brent Sopel.
So, hey, I want to thank youfor coming on the show man.
This has been great.
It's an honor to chat with you.
I'm grateful that I am able toprovide this platform to share
your story.
I know it's going to impact somany, even if it's just one
person.
Everyone listening knows thatboth Brent and I are here with
(48:15):
you and, hey, I always leave abit of space here at the end for
people to share their biggestpiece of advice to the next
generation of athletes.
Whether that's a quote, whetherthat's a book, whether you want
to simply say that you're heretoday to help someone, whatever
that is, I want to give you thatspace and say thank you again
for coming on the show man.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
Yeah, no, I appreciate you.
There's only one thing you cancontrol is yourself.
You can't control your coach,you can't control your mom, your
sister, your girlfriend.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
So make sure you look at yourself first in the mirror
before you start projecting outWise words.
Brent.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Silpel, thank you so much for coming on the show,
appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
Thanks for having me.
I want to say thank you againto brent for coming on the show.
Thanks to perfect sports, oursponsor, for continuously
providing us with the number oneprotein on the market, as well
as keeping us hydrated withhydro splash creatine glutamine
all your essential supplementsfor you.
Folks.
Make sure to use the code ap20to save 20 at checkout at
perfect sportscom.
You might as well, because it'sthe best stuff on the market
(49:19):
and you might as well be doingthe best you possibly can to
perform your best.
That includes hitting proteingoals.
Thank you, folks, for tuning in.
I hope you have a great rest ofyour day.
We'll see you next week foranother new episode.
Bye.
See, I had a problem.
Santa Claus never brought mehands in my stocking.
You know Santa brought hishands, so Welcome back to the
Athletes' Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
This is the 240th episode of the show.
We're here to educate, entertainand inspire the next generation
of athletes.
Thanks for joining the showToday.
We're powered by Perfect SportsSupplements.
If you haven't heard of them,they have the number one protein
in Canada.
My favorite flavor Canadianmaple.
Because we're all Canucks, wehave national pride.
Today we feature Canuck on theshow.
(00:32):
His name is Brent Sopel.
If you haven't heard of him, hewas selected 144th overall at
the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by theVancouver Canucks, my hometown
team, hence why we're reppingthe jersey.
He also played for the New YorkIslanders, the Los Angeles
Kings, the Chicago Blackhawks,the Atlanta Thrashers, the
Montreal Canadiens, most notablywinning a Stanley Cup in 2010.
(00:53):
Now fast forward.
After that hockey career isover.
After his daughter wasdiagnosed with dyslexia, sopal
was also diagnosed with alearning disability.
After the symptoms that he wassuffering from sounded similar
to what his daughter was goingthrough, so this inspired him to
create the Brent SopalFoundation, which ultimately
aims to help promote and raisefunds for youth with dyslexia.
(01:14):
Brent is an inspiration to meand so many others, having grown
up watched him on the ice as Iwas a young buck here playing
the sport of hockey.
It was amazing to be in thedressing room with Brendan
Morrison, marcus Naslin, toddBertuzzi, and one of the things
that, fortunately enough, withthis podcast, that we're able to
do is now impact peoplepositively, spread the word
(01:34):
about what people are doing, usethis as an incredible platform,
and it only happens thanks toyou folks who are listening,
sharing these episodes andbringing forward amazing guests
that we feature on a weeklybasis.
So thank you for that and,without further ado, you folks
know I'll be participating inthe Toronto Marathon here in
just over five weeks.
One of the aspects that Iwanted to integrate is some
(01:56):
charitable part, and because ofthis, I want to raise funds for
the Brent Sobel Foundation sothat more folks who are
suffering from ADHD, dyslexia,among other learning
disabilities, get the supportthat they deserve.
So I'll link the links todonate down below.
I appreciate you for tuning in,I appreciate Brent for jumping
on the show and I can't wait foryou folks to let me know what
(02:17):
you think, because it's anamazing episode.
Thanks for tuning in.
The 240th episode of theAthletes Podcast, here we go.
You're the most decoratedracquetball player in US history
, world's strongest man, fromchildhood passion to
professional athlete, eight-timeIronman champion.
So what was it like making yourdebut in the NHL?
(02:38):
What is your biggest piece ofadvice for the next generation
of athletes, from underdogs tonational champions?
This is the Athlet the athletespodcast, where high performance
individuals share theirtriumphs, defeats and life
lessons to educate, entertainand inspire the next generation
of athletes.
Here we go, my set of notesquestions.
Uh, that I I get to rip through, but the fun part is that we
(02:59):
just get to chat, chop it uplike we were before and, uh, I
get to learn a bit more aboutbrent.
So peel back the layers of theonion of the former.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Vancouver, canadiens.
Oh, I'm starting to use mylines now, eh.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
You know you got to do your research.
You know the former, the Hab,the Chicago Blackhawk, who won a
Stanley Cup in 2010, who I grewup watching the West Coast
Express as a kid Vancouver, likeI, talked about White Rocks.
So an honor to feature you onthe show, brent.
I'm excited to learn a bit moreabout what you're doing now
post-career, how you've beenable to become an advocate for
(03:32):
those who are suffering fromADHD, dyslexia and more so.
Just having a conversationaround it, honestly, because you
were able to have a 700-pluscareer NHL game Freaking
incredible really, what you wereable to have a 700 plus career
NHL game have freakingincredible really, what you were
able to overcome.
I was actually speechlesswatching that documentary
(03:53):
earlier this morning and I'mdoing a decent job introducing
what some would call is awarrior on the ice, someone who
ate pucks for a living and wasable to basically do whatever it
took.
How do you like to start theseconversations?
Because you've been asked amillion questions.
You've been on a ton ofpodcasts.
I wanted to start with somefacts that were shared during
(04:15):
that documentary.
The fact that 30% of self-mademillionaires are dyslexic 50% of
people who work at NASA.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Is it now 40?
It's 30 to 40, yeah, 30 to 40.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Okay, see, now I'm learning.
You're going to correct me here.
The next one mind-boggling 50%of people who work at NASA are
dyslexic.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
And then 50% of people in the world in prison
are dyslexic.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So when you see stats like that and you go
undiagnosed for the first almostfour decades of your life, how
does that make you feel?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
my story.
You know it's not about me.
Everything happens for a reason.
In my life, everybody's like oh, I wish I could go back in
hindsight 2020.
You wouldn't be who you aretoday if I didn't have you know.
So I would say I had to gothrough anyone's lessons, every
road, every pain, to get heretoday.
So I'm good with it.
I've made peace with it.
(05:09):
Once I got sober, I tried tobasically commit suicide with
the drugs and alcohol I wasdoing before 40.
So I'm good with my journey.
My story is not about me.
It's who might hear it.
Who might resonate with it, whomight go it?
Who might resonate with it?
Who might go?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
oh, somebody understands for those who are
just listening to the athletespodcast, you're not getting to
see brent's shirt that uhdisplays big dickslexia energy
and uh, it's one of my favorites.
I've seen you wear it on acouple different shows.
I'm gonna have to cop some ofthat merch as well.
I also saw you were doing a $25giveaway for your Stanley Cup
(05:49):
dinner, which is amazing.
Tell me about the Brent SobelFoundation Before we dive into
your career.
Obviously, this is somethingyou want to enact change in.
You want to change the world.
I've heard you say that let'smake this happen here in the
first five minutes.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, you know, and that's why I call it the
documentary here to change theworld because, obviously, being
diagnosed at 32 and reading at agrade four level in high school
, I never want a kid.
That's why I started thefoundation.
I never want a kid to feel theway I do every day.
So I'm an open book.
I'm honest because I'm not theonly one.
It's the second most commonthing in the world and it's
(06:23):
hereditary.
So you know a lot of people.
Autism I think autism is 1 in40, 145 now not hereditary.
Dyslexia is 1 in 5 andhereditary.
So I'm trying to advocate forevery dyslexic out there,
because going to school foreight hours a day, it was awful
when you just you know listeners, just think how many times a
day you read, try strugglingwith those.
(06:45):
And the hard part is I alwayscall it you're dumb, you're
stupid and you're lazy.
And I think when I wake upevery single day, I think I am
dumb Because I was told that somany years, no matter what I've
accomplished, I always say youtell a girl in high school that
she's fat every day, she's goingto believe that.
That's trials and trauma.
And I've got that.
(07:06):
So you know, I'm just trying tobe here, advocate for every
dyslexic.
I understand you're not alone.
Addiction I've been in there.
You know 60 to 65 percent of usare addicted to drugs and
alcohol.
Suicide been there 89 ofsuicide notes left have dyslexic
traits.
So so my story is definitelynot about me.
It's who might resonate with it, and you're not alone.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I just had to give you some space there because
it's also the passion that youspeak with that I think people
need to hear and see that youknow now, after your career,
despite all odds being able tosee success, let's start WHL.
Swift Current, born in Calgary,let's start maybe having some
fun here.
I'm sure you've got some crazyWHL stories.
(07:53):
I just spent the week two weeksago up at the Kelowna Hockey
Performance at Kelowna HockeyFest and Brent Seabrook, who was
someone who mentioned your nameafter I saw a zoom call when I
was doing this research and hetalked about the fact that soaps
was black and blue after everygame and he's someone who
deserved a shout out and I wishI had done this research prior
(08:16):
when I was talking to brent aweek ago in colonna.
Because, man, what you wentthrough during your career
saying that you played half orthree quarters of your games
injured you know you wouldn'thave known that watching as a
kid playing when you're playingfor the Canucks you had a broken
hand with the Habs that hookcast played a game during that.
Your whole season in LA.
(08:36):
You had a cast on Like how wereyou able to?
Were you on the Russian gas?
What were you?
What was keeping you aliveduring those two moments?
And I guess it was the drive.
I guess this is part of yourstory, right?
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Well, you know, to be honest, it wasn't the drive, it
was the fear, the fear of thereal world when you struggle
with the simplest things.
So we'll go back to I've gotthe four Ds.
So ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia,which is the writing portion,
and decalculia, which is themath portion.
So anything, school I struggle.
(09:08):
So the fear of my career endingis what drove me.
There was no pain playing thegame.
That was significant enoughthan the thought of the game, my
career ending, if that makessense.
Yo, I didn't care what thatinjury was, I didn't care what I
had to do, I didn't care whatpuck, because that was nowhere
(09:30):
near the pain of the thought ofmy career being over and having
to enter the real world with no,obviously, learning degrees, no
education, no work experience.
What was I going to do?
Speaker 2 (09:42):
So it was a driving passion, but it was more the
fear when you look back at whatyou've been able to accomplish
despite all of these things, andnow you're trying to help that
next generation.
I feel a similar way.
You know, our goal is toeducate, entertain and inspire
that next gen here on theathletes podcast, and I think
(10:04):
some people have a better way ofdoing it.
Through their written word,through their vocabulary,
through in-person events, somepeople are able to read better.
I think one of the superpowersabout individuals who have
dyslexia, adhd, is the fact thatthey're able to adapt to
different situations, maybe notin an ideal way.
(10:25):
I have family members who I'mdealing with this on a daily
basis and it's probably alearning experience for you when
you had your daughter diagnosed, and that was really ultimately
what led to you being diagnosedas well.
Right, yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So you know, I got her tested when she was in grade
two, but now she's a senior incollege.
I had no idea.
You know, growing up inSaskatchewan nobody talked about
dyslexia.
You know.
And go back, you know, back totheir mental health.
Nobody knew ADHD is, you know,autism?
That wasn't around back then.
So people like, oh, are youupset that it wasn't?
(10:58):
No, you know, I want to changethe next generation, so that's
why I'm speaking out.
And I didn't even know what theword was like dyslexia, what is
that?
So I dove in there to get theunderstanding, to take care of
my daughter.
I didn't care about me, I wasjust focused on her and thank
God, if it wasn't for her, Istill would be.
You know, I think I'm dumbevery day, but it would have
(11:22):
been to a whole new level.
I would have killed myself along time ago if it wasn't for
that diagnosis.
100%, you know, I've looked atit, I've sat in front of the
train time and time again, I'vedone more drug.
I've done it all Because whenyou're, you know you're
different.
And you just mentionedsomething.
Everybody learns differently andI always refer back to, like,
(11:42):
the love languages.
There's five love languages.
Your love language, probablynot the same as mine, but that's
okay.
It's understanding how youlearn.
You know is is that by reading,is that by visual, you know?
For an example, for a hockeyplayer, is that seeing the coach
drawing the, drawing it up onthe board, or is it a guy who
can sit on the bench and havethe coach say, hey, you need to
(12:04):
do this and this you know?
I always say you know, you know,as a teacher, sam drove 10
miles.
I'm like I got no idea wherewhere Sam is, because in my
brain I can't do that.
So are you a visual learner?
Are you an audio learner?
So there's different ways tolearn and I think, as your
podcast, I think athletes don'tknow that and I think in the
(12:26):
generation of coaches, theydon't know what that means
either, because everybodydoesn't learn the same way.
You said you know, some guys,you need to yell out on the
bench some days, you gotta pullaside and do it quietly.
Same thing.
They don't learn the same way.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
So as as humans here, as athletes, we have to know
and learn how we learn the best,how we need to get that message
from the coach you mean, maybehaving your head coach and Mark
Crawford telling you you'llnever play a game in the NHL
Wasn't something that you needed, but you also ended up playing
like 400 games under them, rightLike, but you know it was funny
.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
You're funny.
You mentioned that that workedfor me.
You know, so I you know, as youtalk to hockey players, I think
I'm the only hockey player inthe world that's never taken a
pregame nap.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, I was going to bring it up at some point.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
But so why?
You know I figured this outwithout even knowing what I had
the more tired I was going tothe rink.
So, like my day was normal, youknow, if we're in Anaheim, I go
to Disneyland, the guys aresleeping.
I'm in Disneyland or I'm in themall, or I'm home in Chicago or
Vancouver Pick up the kids fromschool or go to the mall get
groceries.
My day was normal Go to therink.
(13:37):
So the more exhausted I wasgoing to the rink, the less my
dyslexia and my ADHD worked.
Now go back to McCrawford.
When he got my wires to cross,where I got so angry at him, I
just played.
I didn't think.
So it was, you know.
Would that style work?
(13:57):
No, it worked for me Withoutyou know.
Again, the old school coachingway worked for me because it
allowed me to get so mad that Ijust played hockey instead of
thinking and playing hockey.
Because if you think you can'tplay and that's what my problem
was and my dyslexia, my ADHD,you know, hyperfocus then I was
horrendous.
(14:18):
But I look like you know Ishould be playing junior when I
was playing in the NHL, you know, west Coast Express, when my
brain started working.
So I needed to find ways toshut my brain off.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Was there anyone within the organization or that
had like, dealt with this prior,that could tell or that had any
kind of understanding of whatyou'd been with?
Like no one within the NHL, I'mflabbergasted that this wasn't
something that someone had comeacross in the past prior.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Well, you know, and that's why I speak out.
You know, in my mind, I thinkless than 20% of the world
actually know what dyslexia is.
So if you and I are walkingdown the street near Kelowna, if
we stopped 20 people on thestreet of Kelowna great city had
so much fun there.
If you said anything aboutdyslexia, the one thing
everybody says, hey, it's justflipping your B's and D's and
that's about 5% of it.
(15:09):
Like, if I need to read anemail, I have to print it out.
I can't retain it off there.
I can't retain a text message.
You hand me a business card, Ican't take it.
So basically, you guys are bornwith your left brain wired.
You read with your left,careful careful lumping me in.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
I got a little bit, don't worry, it's one in five so
I'm not lumping anybody.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So, as dyslexic, we start reading with our rights.
So, basically, as theinformation goes to the top, it
gets jumbled.
So that's the big misconception.
So you know, am I going to saybad organizations, bad coaches?
No, not at all.
I'm not going to say any ofthat because nobody understands
that right now.
It's still so new.
That's why I talk about it,that's why I'm always trying to
talk to anybody possibly can,because there's not the
(15:56):
awareness out there now.
Hopefully I can change this.
And in 15 years, if we had this, you know we had this
conversation.
It's a different conversationwhere organizations are more
aware of what adhd is.
You know that dopamine,dopamine, what that all means.
So, um, again, it's a differentconversation 15 years down the
road.
But go back 20 years ago,nobody knew what that was.
(16:18):
So no hard feelings, that'sjust that was part of my journey
and I believe that you know ahundred percent.
Uh, my journey in NHL hasallowed me to have these
conversations with you.
The NHL has allowed me to havethese conversations with you.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Hey, just in the middle of this episode, I wanted
to come in, give a shout out toour sponsor, Perfect Sports
Supplements.
Use the code AP20 at checkoutto save 20%.
And while you're at it,wherever you're listening
Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcastsdo me a huge favor.
Hit that subscribe button Ifyou want to go even one step
further rate, review, comment,share this on your social media
(16:52):
platforms.
I will be sharing with you,giving away a couple of gifts,
unique opportunities here as welead up to the Toronto Marathon.
I fly out in less than a week.
I appreciate you folks tuninginto this episode.
Here's to the rest of it.
Enjoy it.
Uh, I am feeling honored to beable to have these kind of
(17:14):
conversations.
Right, like I said, I've beendoing this for five years.
I grew up watching you playwith guys like matthias olin,
fredden morrison actually funnystory.
I have a picture of me with doncherry, ron mclean and my
brother and we went into yourguys' D room.
I was probably I don't evenknow 7, 8, 9, 10.
I was a little chunkier thenbut was in awe, speechless,
(17:35):
couldn't even talk.
I'm pretty sure BrendanMorrison came up and said hi to
my dad and I couldn't even speak, so that might have been what
spurred on this podcast.
Who knows Professor AdamNichols, who I've had on the
show in the past?
He's a professor of psychologyat the university of hull who's
also dyslexic, and we talkedabout some of the challenges
that athletes face.
He'd be someone who I'd love toconnect you with.
(17:56):
He's a one researcher over inthe uk.
Um, but one of the things thatyou also talked about, the no
pre-game knack, having peoplekind of spur you on, get those
wires, wires crossed, for lackof a better term.
I've also heard you bring upthe topic of playing guilty, and
the first time I heard this wasZach Rinaldo mentioned this to
me in Hamilton.
(18:17):
Shout out to him and the JuniorB Pelham Panthers They've been
crushing it.
He's been coaching for a coupleof years now down there, but he
brought up playing guilty andhe said that some guys need to
go out the night before and tohave a couple drinks so that
they play better the next gameor the next day so it's.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It goes back to understanding.
You know the anxiety you'regetting.
We're an all those tough guy,right.
You know you want to sit thereand sit there and think, laying
your bed, sitting your stall allday that, knowing you've got to
go out and fight.
It's a tough career.
So it's understanding yourself.
Players nowadays understandthemselves a lot more than they
(18:59):
did.
They're out there eating theircarrot sticks and doing yoga
when we were out at the barsdrinking and smoking darts a
little bit different.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
At the.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Roxy Own that place, sean O'Brien.
You know he's the owner now buthe took it away from some of us
, but it's the way the game was.
You know drinking was Comiratiwas like that.
You know the game nowadays isvery it's not as team oriented
as it was, you know, it's moreindividualized.
(19:30):
So it it was with the gamethat's.
Uh played guilty many times.
Um, my career was.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
You know I had ups and downs but uh had some good
times, that's for sure yeah, Imean, when you have three
herniated discs for 30 years,you probably have to suck back a
couple just to be able to playthrough those games.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I used to say I'm used to say I'm icing from the
inside out, but that's what keptme alive but almost killed me
too.
So I understand.
I just hit your soul over it.
The real world's a scary place,and the more you understand
yourself, the easier it will be.
It's going to be hard 100% butit's a lot easier when you've
(20:10):
got some understanding.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Yeah, I'm glad you bring that up because I try and
highlight, obviously, theamazing benefits that
professional athletes get andwhat comes with being
world-class at your sport.
But I also want to showcase thefact that there's lows and not
every day is sunshine andrainbows.
And especially after you'vebeen living this rock star life
(20:33):
lifestyle for 10, 20, 30 years,after that, how the heck are you
dealing with real life?
To your point, you know, andthat's so.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I always like you know, trying to uh your terms
for anybody and you know afteryou go to high school and if you
go to college, you answer theworld like shit.
This place is a scary place.
I did that at 40.
So I was told where to be andwhat to be and how to be for 40
years.
You took that away from me.
And what dyslexia is?
(21:01):
And what I didn't have wasself-esteem.
Only place I got my self-esteemwas hockey.
I wasn't good at reading.
I wasn't good at anything else.
That's why I spent hours in it.
That's why I did the crazythings so I could get my
self-esteem.
You took that away from me andthat's when I wanted to die.
(21:24):
You know, I think the longeststretch six weeks never got out
of bed, never left the house was100% alone.
Like everybody sees the outside.
You know, look at social media.
Oh, soapy, you suck.
Like we're human too.
You know we all put our pantson the same way.
(21:46):
Women, you jump off the bed toget your little lemons.
But we're all human too.
You know we all put our pantson the same way.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Women, you jump off the bed to get your little
lemons.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
But we're all human too.
I cry, you know.
Everybody thinks that we're not.
We're, you know, shopping atcertain grocery stores.
No, we're born the same way.
You know.
I could go, you know, into deep.
We're human too.
Do we want to screw up?
No, could go, you know intodeep, we're human too.
Do we want to screw up?
No, no, there's many times, youknow.
(22:09):
I've gone home and you know,look in the mirror and what am I
doing and why am I here and whyam I doing so?
Just as somebody thinks it's ajob for us, no matter if you
worked at royal bank orlululemon or starbucks, it's a
job.
So is this?
But try having a job where youhave millions and millions of
eyes on you.
(22:30):
Every move you make isscrutinized.
You know that mental healthdefinitely can take a toll.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Yeah, and you got guys like Peter Forsberg
pottying you all day, holy frig.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
I chased his ass around.
I could never catch him.
He was phenomenal.
Unfortunately, the injuriescaught up to him.
But God, that guy was a tank.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, I mean, like we mentioned the West Coast
Express, luke Gazdik, who I'vehad on the show a couple times,
talked about watching ToddBertuzzi growing up and seeing
how he was like the ideal powerforward.
What was it like practicingwith him, watching him on the
ice?
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Todd, you know what?
You know, obviously massivebody, massive.
But he had ridiculous hands.
So you want to combine boththose.
He could hold you off with hisstrength, right, he could.
And then if he's in hands, so,um see, I had a problem.
Santa claus never brought anyhands in my.
You know my stocking, you knowhe, you know santa s, santa
brought his hands, so he was theideal pilot for it because he
(23:32):
had both that big body andplaying that style then, and
then you put him in tight, hecould go bar down easily, he
could stick handle three withspeed.
So that's a complete packagethat Santa never brought for me.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
You got to play with some absolute legends in
Vancouver those first couple ofyears you arrived.
Can you share any stories LikeMessier Naslin?
Young Sedin Was Bure.
That was early.
Yeah, I was early.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I had a couple of training camps with them.
I lived in Vancouver a coupleof summers after I got drafted
to skate with them Early in mycareer.
It's different than I was.
I was told be seen and notheard.
So, rookie, just shut up andlearn.
And you also some mass and youknow Marcus Naslund and Yerke
(24:22):
Lume, kirk McCoy, like TrevorLinden, obviously Matias Olen
the list goes on.
All the Swedes.
I just kind of sat back andwatched and listened to their
advice.
I didn't say too much.
Obviously you talked about theSedins.
We were rookies together.
Just phenomenal human beings,obviously, how they represent
(24:43):
their country, represent theirname, but how they represent
Vancouver Canucks just amazinghumans, just to sit back and be
on the ice.
Their country, represent theirname, but how they represent the
Vancouver Canucks just amazinghumans, just to sit back and be
on the ice with West CoastExpress.
Obviously Brendan Morrisonbeing a local guy, and what he
was doing on that line to beable to get the puck.
I didn't want the puck here.
You guys have it, take off withit.
So to be on the backside of it.
(25:08):
Ed Jovanovsky when he played.
The list goes on and on the guysthat I was with.
You know, it was part of myjourney, part of my career
Elevated me to able to win aStanley Cup.
So every guy I played with inthe NHL I learned something from
.
They helped me elevate to win aStanley Cup.
And I think somebody said I'mone of 1,500.
(25:28):
I think there's like 4,000people have ever won the Stanley
Cup Certain percentage of oneat once, twice, three, you know.
So, again, it allows me to behere today and talk about the
foundation and be here toadvocate for, for every person
in mental health, every man.
For you know, mental healthaddiction Um, that's.
That's, at the end of the day,what my purpose in life is.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Um, that's that's, at the end of the day, what my
purpose in life is.
Can't thank you enough fordoing that.
Um, I also want to highlightthe fact that you've brought up
that that, despite what shouldbe the most memorable moment in
your life, was also one of thedarkest.
Can you share more about that?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
yeah, you know, stanley cup I would was the most
amazingest, worst feeling of mylife, because I didn't
understand myself, I didn't knowmyself, I didn't connect with
any of my teammates.
It took me 46 years to connectwith a person Because I didn't
even understand myself.
(26:22):
So, you know, as you ask yourquestion, hey, you know, did you
have a GM, do you have a coachthat could help you?
They couldn't help me if Icouldn't help myself, you know.
So I won that Stanley Cup.
Obviously, you know, a Canadiankid won the Stanley Cup millions
of times, you know, on theoutdoor rink.
But I stood there around myteammates, not connecting to one
(26:43):
of them, and I can look back onhow empty I was one of them and
I can look back on how empty Iwas, um, yeah, so the fact that
I did win it and we're able tohave these conversations, um is
because I won that Stanley Cupand able to get in different
places on, you know, and use myplatform, you know, for good,
but you know, um, it was darkand empty pretty legendary
(27:10):
career, despite all of theseobstacles.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
We'll call them, because I think many people are
faced with different obstaclesbut I think, more than anything,
this was something that you hadto deal with from day one,
right and uh, I imagine when youtalked about I've heard you
reference like eating pucks, theAdam Sandler just wearing them
in the batting cages was betterthan facing that real world.
(27:37):
I guess, once you came to termswith facing the real world,
when hockey was over, what youhad known for so long, was there
anything in particular, atransitional moment?
I know you had your parents andfamily, or you had your family
come and take you out, give youa bit of a.
Oh, I had an intervention youknow through rehab.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
So, um, yeah, like I said, I was almost dead before
40 months.
Drugs and alcohol was doing.
So, um, if they didn't comeacross at the time, if I didn't
mess up that uh guy's wedding atthat time, um, I wouldn't be
here today.
So, um, obviously, they, theysaved my life.
But I guess I had to get soberto understand all myself and
(28:21):
what I, when I talk to people,is.
I had to go back and clean outmy closets.
I had childhood trauma, whichwhen you struggle reading.
So I had to go back, as I'mdescribing it.
I had to clean out my closetsfrom zero to five years old that
closet.
Six to ten, that closet.
Eleven to fifteen, that closet.
It's not how it goes, but I hadto be okay with who I am.
(28:45):
I had to be okay with thisjourney to be able to stay sober
.
You know, if not, you know, Ilove drugs, I love alcohol,
because I had I could escapefrom this feeling of not
connecting and beingmisunderstood every single day.
Uh, so, um, it was a grind, itwas, it wasn't easy, but every
(29:06):
day I got to self-reflect Okay,what did I do wrong in this
situation?
What did I do right in thissituation?
Was this me, and obviouslyconnecting with Juliet, who's my
co-host on my podcast, and nowmy wife.
It took me 46 years to connectwith my first two human beings.
Now, if your listeners want tokind of take a second to second
(29:28):
to listen, that took me 46 yearsto connect with somebody.
It's a long, long lonely life,um, but I'm.
I'm here today and um, happyand grateful for our
conversation.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
As am I and so many others.
I was almost tearing up goingthrough that youtube video,
watching, listening, readingsome of those comments.
I don't know if you've gonethrough that.
If you haven't, uh, if you'reever feeling down, that's the
place to go, because I was likeman, this guy's touched so many
people and you like kudos to you.
Um, and as a goalie, I canconfirm that sometimes you feel
(30:08):
alone and people can't resonatewith how you're feeling.
You know and I have no qualmsabout admitting that, and you
know I've had days where it'slike man, what am I doing here?
Even with this podcast?
Right, like it's one a week forfive years.
You just put in the reps and,to your point, when you're
growing up you win the stanleycup.
How many times on that rink asa kid?
(30:29):
And it only happens once, andsometimes, even if that moment
might look amazing on theoutside, you don't know how that
person's feeling on the inside.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
And that's every single one of us, right?
You know nobody.
You know we don't know.
Everybody wants to judge a bookby the cover.
You don't know, somebody cut me.
Judge a book by the cover.
You don't know, somebody cut meoff.
He didn't wake up that morningand say I'm going to find Brent
and cut him off.
You know he's an asshole.
That's not how this works.
This world's a tough place, solet's not judge a book by the
cover.
(30:59):
You know we all bleed red andyou never know.
Did somebody have a bad day?
Somebody's strugglingfinancially?
Is there a divorce?
Is there something happening?
We don't know.
So there's not enough love inthis world, and before somebody
can love you, you've got to loveyourself.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And I've heard you talk about how coaching has also
helped you.
I felt that recently startingup coaching some high school
basketball kids some strengthand conditioning very basic
level but I've heard youreference the fact that coaching
got you out of bed at night.
Coaching some high schoolbasketball kids some strength
and conditioning very basiclevel but I've heard you
reference the fact that coaching, you know, got you out of bed
at night and continues to dothat 100 you know everybody.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
You know, when you're going through depression,
anxiety, alcohol, you alwaysthink you're alone.
You know so, first, you knowall your list is you're not
alone.
I'm here with you.
So reach out if you're ever inanything.
But you've got to have apurpose.
Every one of us have to findthat purpose.
Is that to work with the highschool basketball team?
Is that to work with kids?
Whatever that is, we need tofind a purpose.
(32:01):
And I didn't have a purpose andI didn't want a purpose.
The only purpose I wanted wasdeath because I didn't love
myself.
And still, you know, I alwayssay you, look in the mirror and
say I love.
You know it, feel it, believeit.
You know I'm working on thatevery day.
You know, 47 years old, I stillcan't say that 100%.
(32:22):
So working there.
But you know the kids gave mepurpose to come there and see
that smile on their face andthey got me out of bed and they
got me going and messing aroundwith them.
It's definitely got me.
You're gone there.
I mean, you know everybody hasroller coasters in life.
Life isn't.
What's that TV show?
Desperate housewives, whitepick fence.
That's not reality.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Ryan Phillips, former guests on the show as well,
someone who you're connectedwith.
What's with hockey playershaving to deal with this?
It seems like we take on.
We're also like I shouldn't saywe.
I'm loving it.
You guys are able to withstandsome absolutely insane
conditions, both on and off theice.
What is it with hockey playersthat makes them a special breed?
(33:04):
Do you know?
Have you?
Speaker 1 (33:08):
identified that, seeing so many guys over the
years.
Well, you know, um, everyathlete is wired differently.
Yeah, to make it, you know.
You take a look at golf or youtake a look at football, you
know what we have to do to makeit.
Um, we're all wired differently.
But I always say hockey's.
You know, hockey is a littlebit different because you know
baseball, basketball, football,those sports golf you don't have
(33:32):
to move away from home.
Some of us move away home at 12, 13, 14, 15.
We grew up in a different way.
We parent ourselves so verydifferent.
You know.
You go back to you know again,here in the US, college football
is massive.
I was just starting.
Those guys don't graduate fromhigh school.
(33:52):
How many players in CHLgraduate from home high school?
Not very many.
We have to parent ourselves.
We grow up in a faster way anda different way than the most
world.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Is there any supplementation that you can do
for dyslexia?
I've heard like kefir with adhdcan be beneficial, like in the
gut microbiome, like I'm sureyou've done more I think of a
guy like daniel carcillo withwhat he's doing, like is there
people that are out there doingresearch, learning about ways we
can mitigate it?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
you know, first off, you can't mitigate something you
don't understand.
So that's the first andforemost, and understand that.
And you know, obviously 40 ofthe sexics have adhd.
So it's understanding and nomatter what that is, no matter
what what it is, it's alcohol,you know, depression, you know
you're chasing it till youunderstand it.
(34:51):
And the first and foremostthing is obviously it is the
diagnosis.
You know you get diagnosedearlier, just kind of like
cancer.
You want to find that stage onerather than stage four.
So you know again, I always sayand then you know, my purpose
is I've got to educate everybodywhat it is before I can
(35:12):
advocate change.
So it's, it's understandingthat I, you know that is the
biggest thing is understandingand understanding what comes
with it and cause everybody'sdifferent, Every human's
different.
You break a wrist out of yourfour to six weeks.
There's a reason why they sayfour to six weeks, because every
person is different.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Uh time over in Russia.
Anything in particular thatcomes to mind when I bring that
up, other than the gas, I loveit yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
No again.
I made some great friends um,you know, 10, 11, 12 different
countries but it allowed me tocontinue my career.
It.
I made some great friends in 10, 11, 12 different countries,
but it allowed me to continue mycareer.
It allowed me to keep playingthe thing where I got my
self-esteem.
I was treated great.
I met some amazing peoplefriends I'm still friends with
(36:04):
but obviously I was able to make1,000 regular season games pro.
Obviously, I was able to make1,000 regular season games pro,
but it was part of my journey toget here.
The rush of gas was right.
I can go into many scenarios.
I was actually when the localmotor plane went down and I was
living in.
I was over there, I wasactually sitting in the Moscow
(36:24):
airport, but it allowed me forme to continue playing, continue
searching and receiving, uh,self-esteem, which you know.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Once that ended, it took me down quickly you were a
victim of this salary capcasualty.
We'll call it uh and like 0405,um put up some good numbers and
then you know, know, that was afact of the matter.
What was the consensus likearound the league when that came
(36:56):
in?
Like, I'm sure you weren't theonly guy that impacted, and is
it?
I guess I'm curious if you wereto rewind.
Take me back 20 years.
But that was like.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Yeah, I know it sucked.
You know, obviously playing forfor a whole year and um again
the biggest thing, whatever ithas to remember it's a bit, it
was a business.
You know, hockey we'reentertainers, it's not a sport,
you know, did it suck 100%?
Did it screw me 100%?
A couple million bucks.
(37:26):
Yeah, and it cost me.
You know, actually short in mycareer.
You know, I think after thatlockout there was, if I remember
correctly, like 350 playersnever played another game that
forced them into retirement.
So that was the differencebetween now, I find, and then
(37:48):
today.
We sacrificed for the better ofthe game.
Right, did I want salary cap tocome in?
Absolutely not.
But we tried to get otherthings to make the game better,
to make the union stronger.
So we kind of took a kick inthe nuts for the guys now.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
To sign $14 million contracts as of today this
morning.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
That may be the dumbest thing ever.
I have a hard time sitting herelistening to him, to Stephen
Stamkos talk about you knowtheir teams.
You just want to sign Max.
How are you for your team,stephen Stamkos?
You wanted to be a Tampa Bay.
No, you didn't, because youknow, I don't obviously rumors,
(38:34):
we can't say.
But if you cared about theTampa Bay Lightning that much,
you would have signed this.
Six years, $3 million.
That's dedication.
Leon Dreissel, you want to win.
You don't win now because youjust signed for $14 million.
That's the difference betweenthe game.
Now Everybody's talking aboutthe Stamast situation.
(39:00):
If you cared, you made enoughmoney, but you wanted more money
.
You were more important than aTampa Bay Lightning, leon
Dreissel.
You were more important becausethe Salad Cap, as you just said
and referred to that, only goesup so much.
You can only fit and you winStanley Cups with your third and
fourth line and your four.
You're four, five, six, seven,demon and you just alignment.
(39:23):
You know those guys justeliminated that and don't tell
me you're for the team.
You were the furthest thing forthe team.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I think of like a Dave Boland and and like even a
guy like you in 2010,.
Like you don't win those thatcup, if you don't have elite
guys rounding out your core.
Everybody's got a first line.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Your top teams have the first line and second line,
but do you have that depth?
Obviously, our third line couldhave been some team's second or
first line.
We had that depth.
So you go third line to thirdline, we're winning.
Fourth line to fourth line,we're winning.
That's why we won the StanleyCup.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
I think of Crosby taking a pay cut, McKinnon
taking a pay cut 100%.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Yes, you can make Leon Dryson if you took $10
million.
Yes, it's a lot of money, 100%big money, but you still have
made $60 million.
So you tell me you want to winit.
What's more important winningthe Stanley Cup or having that
extra $10 million in bankaccount?
You?
Speaker 2 (40:24):
just told me, and the argument that I would also add
to that is okay, give up 4million per year for those eight
years.
Ensure you're giving up a bitof cash.
But imagine the amount of moneyyou could make from endorsement
deals, from brands, fromsponsorships, if you won two,
three, four Stanley cups, withConnor McDavid by your side,
(40:46):
putting up a hundred plus points, 30 plus power play points,
like.
Imagine a world Whereas nowyou're scrutinized because you
have a $14 million contract andyou've got two guys who are
going to now be making 30million dollars on your payroll.
And how the heck are yousupposed to support a team with
23 other guys?
Look at the toronto maple eastit physically can't work that.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
So now, leon, you want to be the highest paid, so
you just one up.
So what, connor?
He's going to one up you.
You know he's already 12 and ahalf, so that jump from 12 and a
half to say 15, three milliondoesn't matter, he doubles his
salary.
So now you can take away.
I think the difference is, youknow, like Evander Kane, he's
(41:30):
making five million.
So you eliminate Evander Kane,who can slide.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I think he obviously was- First to third line
anywhere Anywhere.
He clearly wasn't healthy.
Who can slide?
I think you know he obviouslywas first to third line anywhere
anywhere.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Um he clearly wasn't healthy.
Um, again, you know, clearlywasn't healthy, but now you
might have to remove him fromthat team moving forward, which
you know again the year beforehe put up, where you know how
many goals that's you justchanged your whole team and,
like you just said, sidneyCrosby, I'm going to say 8.7 for
home these years.
He was a tall million-dollarplayer all these years.
(42:01):
That's a guy who cares abouthis team.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
And it's actually crazy because the Lightning were
basically put together as ateam of a bunch of former
captains.
I don't know if you've seen alllike they were sniping, for I
think that was probably duringthe whatever era it was, that
Stevie Y was pulling in for theLightning and it was like they
(42:27):
had 15 captains, 15 or 16previous captains on their team
of 25 rostered guys, becausethey knew if you've got leaders
on your roster, you're going towin games.
So it's shocking that I guessat a certain point you've got to
cut your losses.
But I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
I am a huge advocate for loyalty.
Hedman's been the best teamerfor years.
What was he making?
Yeah, that's true, he took apay cut right.
Vasilevsky, you know andeverybody can talk about.
You know no state tax and thatkind of stuff, but you went and
(43:04):
took $8 million in Nashvilleinstead of staying in Tampa
where you've been all theseyears.
You could have been retired asa Tampa Bay Lightning.
You won two cups.
You were a hero in playingthose three minutes.
What year?
That was 9-18 or whatever thatwas when you scored.
You know you had a legendarycareer set up.
(43:24):
Now you took it off thatlegendary in my mind for money.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
It doesn't happen often that athletes stick with
the same team throughout theentire career, like I think of a
Dirk Nowitzki, kobe bryan, likeyou know, in the nhl it doesn't
happen often at all nowadays,right, but few and far between,
and I think it's again partbecause you mentioned it earlier
.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
it's a business you know, in the salary cap era has
has done that.
Yeah, right, so I think thatmight be a?
U might be.
You asked that question alittle bit earlier.
I still kind of backtracked.
I think that's probably thebiggest portion of it is that
players cannot stay or don'tstay with their teams very often
(44:11):
.
You know, obviously ChicagoPatrick Kane there's very few
now because that salary caplimits them to what they do.
Obviously, I came in the rear.
There's no salary cap.
New salary cap limits him towhat do you know?
I said I came in the rear,there was no salary cap and new
york rangers are going to signwhoever, it didn't matter.
But now I think it makes itvery, very hard and it's going
to be moving forward.
Very, very rare but somebodystays with that team their whole
(44:33):
career was that?
Speaker 2 (44:35):
uh did.
I was watching that netflixdocumentary about joe sackett
getting offer sheeted by theRangers.
What went down?
There's got to be some D-Rimchats from that.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Again, you take a look at the salary cap.
Error, right, there's alwayscircumventing, there's always
way.
Obviously talk about Tampa Bayalways circumventing the cap.
No, they're smart, they getoutside the box thinking
different ways.
Vegas, right, you know, youknow it's um.
You know, obviously, edmonton.
(45:07):
You know those two offer sheets.
You know st louis, yeah it'ssame.
You know it's, it's a businessand you have to, you, you have
to attack it.
You know.
You take a look at, you know,fortune 500 company buying
somebody else, or Amazon buyingsomebody else.
That's what it was.
There was no limitations.
They had the money and theyforced their hand, and that's
(45:31):
the business side of things.
I remember those days.
Well, we were still gettingpaid Canadian dollars and then'd
go to the US and lose 30%.
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Yeah, that's tough.
I feel that pain.
Now, 2010, 2011, with the Habsprice top goalie you ever played
against.
If he wasn't, who was Again?
Speaker 1 (45:53):
I played some amazing players.
I was against Patrick Waugh inMarty.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Berner, and you grew up emulating him in your
basement.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Yeah, yeah, for a while we had a basement that
wasn't finished.
So I'd stand on one side of thebasement with a hockey stick
and a golf ball and a baseballglove and I take a slap shot at
the concrete stick, my stickover here and glove save, yeah,
not coming back.
You know, whatever it was, noequipment on, I do that for
hours.
But Terry Price, a phenomenalhuman being, phenomenal goalie,
(46:26):
you know the wear and tear onthe body when you rely on
somebody heavily, like you know,like the Montreal Canes did for
years and years, it's a teamgame and I think that what is
very different from the othersports?
You don't win with onesuperstar.
You got to have everybodypulling on the same rope and you
know Carey Price was counted on.
You know too much time and timeagain.
(46:48):
And that body, you know again,we all have bodies.
At some point it's going tostart breaking down.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
Favorite place to play that hockey brought you
over the years.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
Favorite arena, city, favorite place to play that, uh
, hockey brought you over theyears favorite arena city, you
know, probably have to say youknow, in new york, msg, just you
know the history that comes byit, obviously, uh, you know
montreal stands there, um, youknow, I missed, I just missed
all the old barns.
You know the forum and maybeleaf gardening, you know, um, so
, so the newer buildings don'tbring what they used to.
(47:21):
But I have to say obviously MSGwalking up the ramp or
obviously Molson Center, andthen Vancouver during playoff
time.
Dude, that building was rocking.
I missed Jam Place.
It was that song the White Oats.
No memories that I'll neverforget, grateful for all my time
(47:42):
in Vancouver.
My youngest daughter was bornthere, who's now second year in
college.
Love my time there.
Fans love me.
The fans hated me, but I'llnever forget my time there.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
Hey, I know one fan for sure.
Actually, there was four of ushere in the Stark household that
were all fans of Brent Sopel.
So, hey, I want to thank youfor coming on the show man.
This has been great.
It's an honor to chat with you.
I'm grateful that I am able toprovide this platform to share
your story.
I know it's going to impact somany, even if it's just one
person.
Everyone listening knows thatboth Brent and I are here with
(48:15):
you and, hey, I always leave abit of space here at the end for
people to share their biggestpiece of advice to the next
generation of athletes.
Whether that's a quote, whetherthat's a book, whether you want
to simply say that you're heretoday to help someone, whatever
that is, I want to give you thatspace and say thank you again
for coming on the show man.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
Yeah, no, I appreciate you.
There's only one thing you cancontrol is yourself.
You can't control your coach,you can't control your mom, your
sister, your girlfriend.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
So make sure you look at yourself first in the mirror
before you start projecting outWise words.
Brent.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Silpel, thank you so much for coming on the show,
appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
Thanks for having me.
I want to say thank you againto brent for coming on the show.
Thanks to perfect sports, oursponsor, for continuously
providing us with the number oneprotein on the market, as well
as keeping us hydrated withhydro splash creatine glutamine
all your essential supplementsfor you.
Folks.
Make sure to use the code ap20to save 20 at checkout at
perfect sportscom.
You might as well, because it'sthe best stuff on the market
(49:19):
and you might as well be doingthe best you possibly can to
perform your best.
That includes hitting proteingoals.
Thank you, folks, for tuning in.
I hope you have a great rest ofyour day.
We'll see you next week foranother new episode.
Bye.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.