This episode is truly inspiring.
It’s no secret that The GIST of It co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are huge hockey fans…but this episode truly takes the cake. After the gals preview tonight’s PWHL draft, El sits down with blind hockey player Joe Fornasier for a wide-ranging, super-interesting conversation that will take you inside the world of blind hockey.
Fornasier is an inspiring hockey content creator whose videos have captivated millions online — and that’s why he’s Canada’s Next Great Hockey Creator. ICYMI, we partnered with Truly to find and support a passionate hockey storyteller with intuition for moments that matter, like Joe. Trust us — you’re going to love this conversation.
Show notes:
Canada’s Next Great Hockey Creator
Joe Fornasier’s InstagramJoe Fornasier’s TikTok
More on The GIST:
☎️ Leave us a voicemail! Call us at 1-437-564-5579 or hold down on this link
🎧 Subscribe: thegistsports.com/subscribepod
✉️ Email: pod@thegistsports.com
📷 Instagram: @thegistca @thegistusa
🐦 X: @thegistpod
It’s no secret that The GIST of It co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are huge hockey fans…but this episode truly takes the cake. After the gals preview tonight’s PWHL draft, El sits down with blind hockey player Joe Fornasier for a wide-ranging, super-interesting conversation that will take you inside the world of blind hockey.
Fornasier is an inspiring hockey content creator whose videos have captivated millions online — and that’s why he’s Canada’s Next Great Hockey Creator. ICYMI, we partnered with Truly to find and support a passionate hockey storyteller with intuition for moments that matter, like Joe. Trust us — you’re going to love this conversation.
Show notes:
Canada’s Next Great Hockey Creator
Joe Fornasier’s InstagramJoe Fornasier’s TikTok
More on The GIST:
☎️ Leave us a voicemail! Call us at 1-437-564-5579 or hold down on this link
🎧 Subscribe: thegistsports.com/subscribepod
✉️ Email: pod@thegistsports.com
📷 Instagram: @thegistca @thegistusa
🐦 X: @thegistpod
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
What's Up Fam?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome and welcome back to another episode of the Gist
of It. Today is June twenty fourth, Tuesday, June twenty fourth,
If you will, we're.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Your co host.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm Ellen Hisslap and I'm Steph Rotz. Before we get
into the podcast, today is what's up?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Fam? Is FAM still in?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Girl?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
I don't know. I keep saying Sleigh Slaigh? Is it
still in?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
No?
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Slay is in FAM? What's up Fam?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
What's up Fam?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
It feels hang out with young people? It feels a
little twenty twenty three, you know what?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Let me live if it is. That's what I say.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We have a ton of gen Z listeners call us out,
like call us out, but do like we actually want
to know because I do identify as gen Z. So
the minute I feel like I'm yeah, and that's too
bad for you. But as a gen Z who isn't
a gen Z? I want to say in the no,
but I don't want to be high school gen Z.
I want to be early to mid twenties gen Z.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
And that's what I am. I am a early to
mid twenty gen Z.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
That makes sense because you also write content and or
like oversee content for those people, so I understand why
you need to stay in the note.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It's not a need, it's a want.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Okay, sorry, it's a want.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Thank you anyway, let us know in a fanvam.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
We have a very hockey podcast today, but it's really
special and guys, I this is probably my favorite interview
I've actually ever done.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Shut the Front Door.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
I'm not kidding.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We have interviewed some truly incredible people on this very podcast,
Asia Wilson, no Fisa Collier, Christine Sinclair, Brianna Stewart, Abby Womback.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
The list goes on, and this might be one of.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
My favorites, and so I'm really excited for everyone to
listen because it's something that it's an interview that we
haven't really done before. And I left it feeling like, wow,
there's so much that we can learn and there's I
don't know, there's just awesome. So the Florida Panthers won
the Stanley Cup, we talked about it and we hosted
(02:14):
during the Stanley Cup playoffs a contest with our pals
at Truly, the alcohol beverage brand, and we worked with
them to find Canada's next great hockey creator in order
to elevate underrepresented voices in the hockey community.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So first and foremost, Stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
When that opportunity came across our desk to be able
to work with a big brand like Truly to elevate
underrepresented voices in hockey.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
That is so cool that we get to do that work.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And then our winner, Stuff is who we interviewed today
and he is incredible. Canada's next great hockey creator is
Joe Farnasier. He is a blind hockey player Stuff and
he is inspiring hockey fans all over the world to
follow their dreams on the ice off the ice, no
matter the circumstances. He's a young man, he's a young dude,
(03:03):
but he's lived a lot of life. He's gone through
a lot of things. And as a someone who's a
similar age him, I I loved our conversation like there
were there were so many there were so many questions
that I had to ask that were off course because
I was like, wait.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I need to keep on talking to this guy.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And so I'm really excited for everyone to listen today.
I will say my Internet was so bad during it too,
so like Joe had to battle through. But Joe being
a blind hockey player too. It's just it's it's just
so I don't know.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I listen to the episode. I will, we'll get to
it a minute. It's just he's incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
The hockey world certainly needs more people like like Joe.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
We need more people like Joe.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Shout out Joe. So that's what we're getting into today.
But of course we have to call an audible. We
also have our personal training session, so we have some
PWh oh content later coming as well.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yes, because we had hockey podcasts and we mean it.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
We were going to talk about the ped up at
the end sire out and I one one thing. Okay,
I guess you're going to call an audible, but I
just want to say one thing. First, NBA Finals is
over Oklahoma City. Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers. Two sad
things coming out of it.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Those stuff.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Oh not yea for that, I know. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Tyrese Haliburton achilles tear very reminiscent of when Kevin Durant
was with the Golden State Warriors kind of injured his calf,
then fully tore his achilles and everyone was like, well,
what have the Warriors beat Toronto, blah blah blah. Kind
of it kind of took away from Toronto's win. It
kind of did the same thing for Oklahoma. I think
(04:45):
se for Okay See because did you see the videos
of the locker room after Okay See one?
Speaker 4 (04:51):
No, I haven't seen those yet.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay, So journalists, we're sharing some of the videos. I know,
so cute.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So journalists, we're sharing some of the videos. And maybe
you haven't seen it because it wasn't a banging party.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Apparently the vibes were like a little bit low. There's
barely any champagne being flown around. The athletics shared.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
One of the athletic journalists shout out was basically like
he had never seen a locker room like that after
the NBA Finals, and his thought was that it was
because of just Tyrese Halbert and tearing his achilles, and
that it was kind of an anti climactic finished to
an incredible seven game series.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Just they're just too empathetic, those men.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Those were just it's about time.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I'm like, I hope that they just went to a
bar where they didn't want any cameras around and there
was no Yeah, maybe they're a little camera shy so
but shoudowed. Okay, See, they were dominant from start to
freaking finish. They deserved that Larry O'Brien trophy one hundred
and ten times over.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Shout out to Hamilton, Ontario and Shay Gill.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Just Alexander'll bring it out home for Canada even though
he's not playing for Toronto.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
But you know what I mean. Yeah, metaphorically speaking.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Anyway, any useries, you go ahead, I.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Would love to call him audible. Sorry, a new segment
and you know this Audible, It's going to be related
to sports. Shocker, I know, but specifically how I feel
so passionately about sports that are held outside versus inside,
because I've created quite the pro on list for hockey
versus soccer. Those are the two sports that I play,
(06:22):
and I had to play SOCCERCA had to is like
really aggressive.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I had the privilege too.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I had the privilege to play soccer on Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Sorry.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
I know Ellen can't play soccer and it's her favorite sports,
so I feel really sorry.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Sorry, let's just correct that. You're right.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
I had the privilege to play soccer on Sunday night,
but I was doing a heat wave and I already
didn't play the previous week because I was too hungover
for my.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Friend's wedding to go, so I was busy watching fever pitch.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
I couldn't do that to my team two weeks in
a row, so I said I have to show up,
and I couldn't help.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
But wonder the entire time, what if this was endorsed?
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Because I was sweating he read me and the other
pasty wiker will sipping on and off for each other
all game, just struggling, and I constantly think about all
of the people who complain NonStop about winter. But at
least in winter, I can keep my blinds open during
the day and look at the sunshine and not have
to close them to make sure my ac still continues
(07:20):
to work. I can still take my dog out for
a walk without being terrified that she's going to burn
her little pause on the pavement. And I can still
play sports in a comfortable setting inside.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
All of those things you can still do.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
But in summer, you there are certain days of the
weird because I live in Toronto and we get massive
heat waves, which is I know, a huge shock or
just so many people where you just have to stay
inside or suffer the consequences.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I don't know what to say, do you.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
When we were talking about last called teresays, you know,
and they get it. They give people a minute, and
they give people a minute to do.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I don't think so, honey, that's what you just did.
You know what I just I don't think so, hunh Summer.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Summer it is so overhyped.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
And if you play sports outside in the summer, you
understand also you have to play in the rain, you
have to play in the heat. There are so many
things versus if you play basketball, or if you play
hockey or another indoor sport, you know you can just
show up and be comfortable.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And that's when parents say it's good for you, build resilience.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
It gives me people want to come and watch my
soccer games. I don't want to come watch my hockey games,
and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
What's up for that?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
You you don't.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Know where you're gonna get with the summer weather, but
you're willing to sit through it.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
And all you have to do is bring a jacket
to my hockey games.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
I hear, alrighty, We're back and ready to share an
amazing interview with Joe far Nasier, Canona's next great hockey
creator in this episode is brought to you by Truly
(09:00):
because in addition to winning ten k from our pals
at Truly, Joe also was able to attend a Stanley
Cup final game to capture content, which is so elite.
So Ellen discussed his experience at that particular game as
well as his journey to becoming a blind hockey player
in this particular interview, and.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I would say we definitely focus on the latter of
his experience as someone who could see, and then what
happened when he eventually lost his eyesight and how that
really impacted his experience with the game and his experience
with life and that journey that it brought him along.
And I think that's kind of the main things that
(09:38):
we go through in this podcast today. So again, I
just want to thank Truly so much for introducing us
to Joe, which also we're.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Saying for Naca.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
We do have a tendency to francophone name, so Joe's
name could be four Nascier or for a Naca.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I didn't do my journalistic job.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Which I should have, so asking how to say his
last name, we just went immediately to for ya.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
So you know what.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Joe's great.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
We love Joe and in the show notes too, you
could find a link to his Instagram and a link
to his TikTok. Please go follow him. He has really
amazing content.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
So once again, thank.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
You to Truly for hosting Canada's Next Great Hockey Creator
contest with us. It was such a joy to be
able to help elevate underrepresented voices in the hockey community
and to find someone as.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Awesome as Joe. And I'm so excited for you all
to listen to the interview. Joe, Welcome to the gist
of it. We are so excited to have you on today.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
Yeah, I'm super excited to be here, super excited to
be here.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
And congratulations on winning the competition. It was so fierce
and you deserved it so much and I just love
everything about your story. Okay, we are all major hockey
fans over here. At the gist of it, Joe, how
did you fall in love with the game. Who's your
favorite NHL team?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (10:57):
My favorite NHL team, unfortunately, is the leaf I spent
a lot of years of suffering. I didn't choose them.
My dad was a Leafs fan. He's the guy who
got me into hockey. Kind of played his whole life,
and then when I was three years old, he built
a backyard rink for me and kind of like one
of my earliest memories is just going out every day
playing on that backyard rink.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Pretty much my entire life.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
So kind of playing on that backyard rink and then
eventually playing in a league was kind of how I
fell in love with the game through my dad.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Very cool. I have a similar story to you.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
My dad unfortunately made me a Toronto Maple Leafs fan
and we are tormented to this day. Tell us about
your relationship with hockey, Joe, and how it changed after
you started losing your eyesight at the age of ten.
Speaker 6 (11:42):
Yeah, so studying on that backyard rink, playing every day,
absolutely fell in love with the game, you know, going
to school, talk to my buddies about hockey. It kind
of was my entire life. My whole persona, my room
was covered in hockey. Everything was Toronto Maple Leafs or
me playing hockey. Eventually, kind of I had to rise
my way up the ranks of playing minor hockey again,
(12:03):
completely in love with it, and then at ten years old.
At a hockey tryout in August, I started to miss passes,
kind of start running into other players.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
I wasn't really sure what was happening.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
I thought maybe my skates were dull, or I needed
a new stick, and I literally had no idea what
was going on. I ended up getting cut from the
team and was devastated. And then September came around and
sitting in class, I covered my left eye looking at
the board with my right eye and I couldn't see
directly in front of me. And I was sitting in
(12:34):
the first row of my class, and I was like,
something's going on here. I guess I need glasses. So
I went to the eyed doctor. He ran some tests
on my left eye twenty twenty vision. With my right eye,
I couldn't even read the big E and none of
the lenses worked. We weren't sure what was going on.
Long story short, two months later, I got diagnosed with
(12:55):
a rare eye condition called Liber's hereditary optic neuropathy, say
genetic disease, but we don't know who in my ancestry
has it, so it was super unexpected. And in those
two months where I was waiting to get diagnosed, I
lost ninety six percent of my vision. That dot in
the middle of my right eye spread to my left
eye and just kept expanding. So sitting in the doctor's
(13:17):
office as I got diagnosed, I remember him saying, you're
no longer going to be able to play hockey, like
it's just not safe for you. And I think from
that point I just hated everything.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
To do with hockey.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
I didn't want to watch the Leaf, didn't want to
turn on the game. You know, I couldn't really watch
the Leaf, so I was against using the radio. All
my friends were still playing hockey, and I was honestly
just kind of envied them, like they didn't realize how
lucky they were to play the game. And I also
think a lot of the hockey community kind of turned
on me and were some of the people that kind
of made fun of me during school. And I never
really realized how toxic the community was when I was
(13:51):
in it, and then being on the outside looking in
no pun intended, was just.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
It was devastating.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
So I kind of just hated hockey, completely fell out
of love with the sport. And four years later, after
not playing at all, my dad said, Hey, I see
this thing called blind hockey, you got to give it
a try, and like, I was just done with the sport.
I told my dad, you know, I played hockey, I'm
done with it. I'm not playing blind hockey. I was
(14:17):
kind of taught by my peers and you know, people
around me that a disability was bad, being blind was bad.
So I was like, I don't want to associate myself
with those type of people, even though I was one
of those people, I.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Just want to stay away from it. I was done
with the sport.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
But my dad, he's an Italian guy and a little
bit older.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
He doesn't really.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Take no for an answer, so he pretty much threw
me in the car and kind of forced me to
just get out of the house and get myself out
of this rut. And it was the best decision that
he ever made. I was complaining the whole way until
I put on my skates and stepped on the ice
and was able to actually play hockey, but this time
not with my eyes, with my ears. It was a
whole different way to experience the game. So from that
(14:59):
point on, it felt like being on my backyard rink
all over again. This newfound love was something that I
never expected. After losing my eye, I said at ten
years old. And you know, from that time trying out
blind hockey for the first time, I was able to
rise my way up those ranks and be the youngest
player on the Canadian national blind hockey team and ever
since then been a huge advocate for the sport, huge
(15:20):
advocate for disability and hockey and love the game. Look
at him when I was three years old again, So
it's been amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Joe, that's
so spestraal, And thank goodness for your dad for pushing
you in the right direction. I feel like that's also
really tough to do in your teen years, listening to
your parents, but oftentimes they do know what's best for us.
What was that adjustment like in the way that you
were playing hockey and kind of approaching the sport in
(15:49):
this brand new way when you were fourteen and now
that you're twenty one.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
Yeah, it was it was like relearning how to skate again.
Almost as much as you know, it's still hot, you're
still skating, you still have power plays, penalty kills, scoring goals,
you still have that team around you. The way that
I approached the sport was completely different because I had
to use my hearing in a way that I had
never done in my whole life. I kind of just
(16:14):
stopped playing sports. I was against kind of playing blind
soccer in all these different visually impaired sports. Now it's
completely different. I kind of try to put myself out
of the box and try everything. But at that time
I had never done anything like this, So I think
adjusting to the.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Speed was the biggest thing.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
Now you kind of think, oh, it's blind guys playing hockey,
they're not going to be moving at all. But on
the national team, we've got guys that played Junior B
Junior A and then lost their eyesight, or guys that
kind of were still visually impaired while playing Junior B
and then it got a bit worse. And now they
qualify to play on Team Canada and they have not
lost a step at all. So I didn't really expect
(16:51):
that coming in.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
And I think.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Adjusting to that speed while also using my ears, I
call it like instead of hand eye coordination, hand ear coordination.
So that puck got one with me, I could try
to find it in a second, but the puck it's
five times bigger than a regular hockey puck, and it's
made it of metal with ball bearings inside, so you're
(17:16):
hearing it rattle on the ice instead of primarily using
your eyes to see it. So catching passes was definitely
a huge thing at first, just kind of like listening
to it and adjusting my hands and my stick to
find the puck. And also hitting the net was definitely
a difficult thing because obviously you can't see it. It's a
lot different than regular hockey. Before I could kind of
(17:37):
see the top corner and shoot it in. Now I
kind of have to just keep shooting and shooting from
different spots on the ice and have a coach tell
me how far it was wide or how far it
was over the net and where the puck's going, so
then I can kind of visualize that net in my
brain even though I can't see it. And that just
takes hours and hours and hours of practice. So it
(17:57):
definitely wasn't like I stepped on the ice, played on
time and.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
It all clicked.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
It took a long time, but again, I just newly
found this love for the game again, and I was
willing to put in those hours, so I'm no complaining
at all.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
It's like a completely different.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Sport exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Oh well, I'm really happy for you, and I love
the way that you speak about your story and also
the way that you are encouraging people to play hockey,
encouraging people to be part of the community. You do
this a lot on social media. I'm a big fan
of your TikTok. You have a handle that's called blind Betsy.
If I am saying that correctly, what.
Speaker 6 (18:35):
Does that mean?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Is this story kind of what inspired you to start
making hockey content on TikTok?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
What does that look like to you?
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:45):
I had been making like social media videos probably since
I guess summer going into first year university about like
fitness stuff, you know, because I was really into training
for hockey. But I didn't think anyone would care about
blind hoalkey. I think it'd be weird, you know, to
post about that stuff and people would judge me for it.
(19:08):
So I just kind of talk about, like you know,
working out and things like that, and it wasn't really
gaining much traction. I was like, I should use my
disability to an advantage. So I had this handle called
jacked blind Guy. That was my original handle, and I'd
make fitness videos kind of making jokes about being blind.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Thing.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
I grew into like a thousand followers and I was
super happy with that. But you know, being in university,
I wanted to be in media. I was in a
media study, and I kind of realized, you know, I
wasn't really getting acculmminated by my professors, and they were
saying it might be hard in the workforce doing different things,
and I'm like, I might have to kind of just
create my own path and like really dig into this.
And I was trying like every single idea, and then
(19:47):
one day I posted a video, you know, talking about
blind talking for the first time, and they got like
three hundred thousand views with my most viewed video, and
I was like, wow, like people might find this interesting.
So over the next couple of years, every single day,
I'd post one to two videos a day talking about
my journey playing on Team Canada and playing blind hockey.
And I had a fish bowl. A lot of guys
(20:10):
were chirping me. I had this chrome cage, and I
had been out of the hockey loop for a while,
so I didn't really know the sty in the hockey
community with the young kids and back when I played
in like twenty eleven, twenty twelve, chrome cage was like
the best thing. So when I started playing blind hockey,
I got this chrome cage and everyone's like, well, you're
playing like it's twenty twelve, Like get that chrome cage off.
(20:31):
So I was like, all right, Like I don't know
what to do. And I saw Connor Bdard wearing the
fish bowl, so I switched to the fish bowl. And
everyone started commenting on my videos blind bedsy blind bedsy
every post, and I eventually just kind of stuck and
everyone started saying it. So I changed my handle to
blind Bedsy, and I've kind of used that to my
advantage and it's it's super cool, but that's kind of
the origin story of blind Bedsy. No one has actually
(20:52):
heard this is this is the first time anyone's ever
heard that story.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
So I love it exclusive.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
It's an exclusive to the gist.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
I also love how you saying back in the day
and you're twenty one years old is really making me
feel some type of way.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Joe, what is the difference.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
We have a lot of hockey fans, but not always
people who played hockey. What's the difference between this chrome
bucket that you're talking about in the fishbowl bucket, like,
you know, give me details on that.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
So the chrome cage, I think it looks super cool.
I don't know if we can get a picture of
it or not, but it's the cage that you put
on your helmet and it's fully chrome reflective.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
And when I was playing minor hockey, that was always
the coolest thing. But everyone started saying it looked like
a bird cage and all these different chirps in my comments,
and I was like, this is insane. And the fish
bowl is just a full clear helmet that's just like
a face shield over top of your face, okay, and
makes me show off my mustache a little bit better.
(21:49):
So I let the clear uh the clear face shield now.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
So yeah, yeah, hockey style or hockey steeze, as one
might say, is very interesting to me.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
It's something that has its own unique subculture. I would say,
for sure, yes, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I love it, though I'll always love it.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Oh my gosh, I can only imagine.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So, Joe, I'm really curious, now that you've won this contest,
how do you plan to use your platform as Canada's
next great hockey creator? To lift up people, help bring
people into the hockey community.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
What's your plan?
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Someone sent me this contest.
Speaker 6 (22:26):
Me and my buddy were looking it over and right
away we said, the GISTs values and my values align perfectly.
So this is just the best fit, the perfect fit.
And what I plan to do is keep spreading this
word of disability in hockey and that we're still athletes
too and kind of the speed that we can play
the sport, and hopefully to get other blind and visually
(22:47):
impaired people involved in the sport, because there's a lot
of people again like me, who didn't know how competitive
the sport was and didn't even know about the sport,
and they're blind or they're disabled, and they've lost the
love of hockey, and I don't realize that there's other
options still out there and even though there's a hurdle
in your way, you can still play the game and
love the game. At the end of the day, it's
(23:09):
all hockey, and the community is honestly bigger than the
game in my opinion. So I just want to get
as many people, and not just the blind hockey community,
but in the disabled hocking community as possible.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
We play at a lot.
Speaker 6 (23:20):
Of disabled hockey festivals, sledge hockey, hearing impaired hockey, Warrior hockey,
and everyone has that same joy for the game, no
matter what journey or path they've taken. So I just
want to get as many people on the ice as possible.
That's my goal.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Oh that's so great, Joe, and I can see why
so many people resonated with your story. It really sounds
like you're someone who goes out there, you try new things,
you're consistent at trying those new things. You're really all
about welcoming people and inviting people into space where they
might not have felt comfortable beforehand. And I think that
you touched on this a little bit earlier in our
(23:53):
conversation too, where hockey culture isn't always the best and
it can be a little bit of a toxic place,
especially on the men's side, and so I think that
is so cool that someone like yourself, a young man
in the space, is trying to change hockey culture for
the better. So I really appreciate that and thank you
so much for doing all of that work too.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Yeah, No, it's it's definitely a journey. I remember when
I was in school and I was in grade eleven
when I first made the national team, and I was
scared to even tell anyone about it because I told
one person and they made fun of me, and I
was like, I don't even want to talk about blind
hockey with anyone. I would be leaving school for like
a week at a time, and I would just tell
people I'm sick, even though I was going out to
(24:35):
go play in an international hockey tournament, and I was
just so scared about that. So now I'm kind of
looking at the younger generation of kids coming up, and
a bunch of kids in their high school already know
about blind talckey and they're coming over to me and saying, like,
my classmates are gonna be so jealous. I got a
picture with you, and I'm like, this is like I
never had someone like that. You know that people kind
of knew of. There's really just like no awareness for
(24:57):
the sport.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Joe, we talked about before the podcast that you went
to Game two of the Stanley Cup, which we know
ultimately the Edmonton Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers. We
were also talking about if you were to host your
own watch party sponsored by Truly, because you get Truly
for the entire summer.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Who would be the three.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Hockey players that you would invite to that watch party?
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Oh man, oh man. Okay.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Firstly, I gotta go with Austin Matthews, the hometown guy.
You know, some people say we look a little bit similar.
We both got the mustache, so you know. Joseph Wall
actually told me that I met him last year and
I said, do you think I looked like Poppy?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
And he said, if I had to.
Speaker 6 (25:43):
Tell you, you look like anyone on the Leafs, I
would say Poppy. So I'm taking that to the grave.
I'm Poppy's twin. I got to bring my twin, Poppy.
He's gonna be there. Next up, this is tough.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
This is tough.
Speaker 6 (25:56):
I'm gonna go Jack Hughes. Okay, there's a lot of
great players the NHL, but I want someone with a
lot of personality. I feel like Jack Hughes and Poppy.
They both kind of bring that energy and I like that.
And lastly, I gotta go with my other twe I'm
bringing Bedsy. You know, I'm the blind version of him,
so I feel like it'd be great. I thought he'd
be great at the watch party. He's not the most
(26:16):
exciting guy ever, but you know, a couple of trulys
in him, and I feel like we'd have a good laugh.
So I'm gonna go to Bedsy last guy, Connore Bedard.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Oh my gosh, it sounds like a great time and
a good party, and hopefully that'd be a party i'd
be invited to.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Thank you so much and all of our registers too.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Joe, congratulations again on being named Canada's Next Great Hockey Creator.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
You so deserve it.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
We have been having so much fun getting to know you,
watching everything that you're doing, and we will be constantly
cheering you on from the sidelines with everything else that
you're working on. Thank you so much for joining us
today on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Awesome. Thank you so much for having me Elan. This
has been amazing.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Ugh, I'm so grateful for people like Joe. Hockey needs
more Joe's you know what I'm saying. So thank you
again for coming on the pod, and thanks again to
truly for hosting the Canada's Next Great Hockey Creator contest
with us.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Next time, Steph we need you to chat with Joe
because there was so much in that hockey culture where
I was like, oh, I wish Steph could have been
on this podcast too and would have helped me interview him,
because you would have had such amazing questions for him,
and probably better questions than I did.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
But next time, you.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
Know what, it's probably better that I wasn't there for
my uh you know, it's for my mental piece.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yeah, yeah, maybe the interview would have been forty minutes long.
Everyone would be like, wrap it up, and wrap it up.
But next time, we're gonna have to find a way
to connect you and Joe.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Oh, I think you I'll follow, Hopefully he falls back
follow like subscribe. It's time for our personal training Sash.
This is where we answer your heart hitting questions about anything,
and we mean anything in the sports world.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
We introduced this segment a few months to go, and
we had some feedback from some of our just saying,
could you accept me typing to you as opposed to
me having to call in?
Speaker 4 (28:08):
And to that we say, yes, why don't you just
call Taylor A.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Why don't you just go ahead and call tailor up?
Speaker 5 (28:20):
But yeah, I totally understand the need to not hear
your own voice sometimes and to want.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
To type yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Unfortunately, you have to hear hear ours every day regardless.
So we're gonna give you all a few options to
send us your hard hitting questions, your hot takes, your
corrections of the podcast, what you want to see, whatever
the hell you want to talk about. You can call
us still one four three seven, five six four five
five seven nine. But you can also email us pod
(28:47):
at the Just sports dot com or and this is
our maybe favorite way because it's so easy. You can
DM me and Snuff on Instagram. We keep our Instagram
dms open. I will say I'm really bad at responding
because sometimes they get caught in the request thing. But anyway,
I will respond to any podcast listeners, and we did
this week, which was really exciting.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
But you could d M me and Steph.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
So I am Ellen at the gist, Steph is Stephanie
rots DM your favorite just kidding.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Were chat.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Whoever? You feel more comfortable with you.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
At the end of the year, we tally how no,
but literally DM your favorite and we'll get back to you.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
So Ellen.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Stephanie literally both like checking every day, like, oh, do
you have any tube STU just like I have ten.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
I'm like, oh fuck no, group us.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
You literally group us no, no, I'm such a that
was such big sister energy.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
I'm so sorry. I always just like you have to
have fun, you know you literally have.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Yes, but we're looking forward to answering your heart hitting cues.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
So do do you? In alteriousness?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (30:01):
And so Mollie DMed me, Oh, okay, you are the brand,
all right, Molly.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Me this weekend, Molly, Yes, shout out And this is
what Molly said. And I love this message because it
got after us, it corrected us, and it was like,
can you do more of this? Which I loved, So
shut out Molly, She goes, Hi, Hi, love the pod.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Two quick things. I was thinking it was you.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Sorry if it was Steph, I was cycling to work
and not hearing that well, But it was me. I
was wrong explaining the difference between first and third and baseball,
and I agree that it's not such a hot take
that third base is harder than first because most players
are right handed and pull the ball towards third. I
gave an example of Vladimir Guerrero for the Toronto Blue Jays,
(30:52):
and she said, but Vladdie can absolutely play third and
did so throughout the miners and debuted in Major League
baseball at third. So Mollie shout out, call us out
back check us say, yeah, you were mostly right, but
you gave a really bad example because Laddie could be
playing third in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
So A love that, Mollie. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
If you ever looking for a fact checking role, DM me. Second,
I'm sorry we're back to Mollie.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Second.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
I've noticed there hasn't been any PWHL talk since the
expansion happened.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Is this because we're getting a whole episode dedicated to it?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
You two are my number one go to for PWHL
hot takes, and I've been dying to hear your thoughts
on how the expansion teams did.
Speaker 5 (31:38):
And then she did know that she's a Vancouver girly,
so she's pretty pumped. So I'm gonna start with Vancouver,
and I am so jealous of Vancouver.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
I think y'all cleaned.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
Up, and I am so excited to see how this
team shakes out. I think you have one thing to
be really really excited about. If you're a Vancouver fan,
your defense is going to be amazing. You got Sophie
Jakes and Clara Thompson, amazing duo. So for Minnesota. I
when I saw that, I was like, defense wins championships.
(32:10):
They want that, Minnesota, They're coming to Vancouver. You guys
are so lucky, like And there's been like additions to
that as well, like an ash Bell you go everyone,
you're going down.
Speaker 4 (32:20):
Who is who? Yeah, you're going to be going deep.
But I'm just like really excited for y'all.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
And you got Hannah Miller and Sarah Nurse give her back,
thanks and Sarah Nurse, yeah, give her back to please
thanks to Toronto.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
But yeah, you guys are so lucky.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
So you think that Vancouver went over Seattle.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
Based on uh my biases?
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Yeah, because I really love that Hillary Knight is going
to Seattle. I do think that that is someone who
you want to be building a franchise around. I do
think that Sarah Nurse is there potentially too, But I
think that there is just there's a difference with someone
like a Hillary Knight. There's a difference with someone who's
captained a national team and who has been a part
(32:59):
of this kind of growth, especially in the US, to
have her on that Seattle side.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
So I do really like that.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
I have a question for you, Steph who do you
think was the biggest loser of the original six teams
with this expansion.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
I will say I know that Auto is very upset,
Like Autawa fans are hurting right now because they've a
lot of their goalscorers I think have have left. They've
like they're they're going to be missing a couple of
folks for sure, But I don't know. It's hard to
say because a team, when you look at the roster,
you can be like, oh, this is gonna this team's
(33:32):
gonna win, but then you have no idea how they're
actually gonna play. Because when Toronto first started in oh god,
what was two.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Years ago or twenty twenty three, this roster.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Is stacked, is what I said.
Speaker 5 (33:47):
Like how many players on Team Canada are on the
Toronto Scepters or phial Toronto at the time, and they
had a really hard time finding their footing at first
they lost consecutively.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
So chemistry, but.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
It's also like love Island on paper, he's on my Papa.
So that's the expansion. And then Mollie, we heard you.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You want more PWHL, and so we're gonna give you
more PWHL. Because the PWHL draft is literally happening tonight.
I believe it's Tuesday night, and for the second straight season,
the New York Sirens have the number one pick. What
we will say, in comparison to years past, there isn't
(34:28):
really a consensus for who will go first overall in
this year's draft, But there are three players consistently topping
the draft boards and three players that our producers picked
out and that stuff gave her blessing too.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Isn't that exciting? Though?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Yeah, there isn't a clear because it also is going
to mean it's whoever the team needs to fill the
gaps as they've been pillaged throughout this good.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
Worsion so far.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
So the first we're gonna mention is Christina calton Kova.
She's coming from Colegate. She's a forward, absolute elite goal scorer.
She hasn't been compared to MPP Marie Feeley playing in clutch,
but so let's see how that kind of shakes out.
That's what I don't know how I feel about that, honestly,
because I think that's a lot of pressure for a kid.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
You know, it's gonna happen to anyone. Everyone's always coming here.
Everyone loves to compare.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
But She's the first player in Colegate program history to score.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Pressure is the privilege?
Speaker 5 (35:25):
Oh yeah, so is playing locker in a heat wave.
You got to keep me on lock girl.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
And when Steph says Colegate, she doesn't mean the toothpaste,
she is referring to the school. So we're going to
mention the school. And all of these schools are American schools.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Shout out full right scholarships.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
Yeah, a lot of the folks that you're going to
see in the entrance draft are coming from in MC
double A hockey. But of course there will be exceptions
with international players and Canadian players, but these three are
all NC Double A players that we're gonna mention. So
the next one is Casey O'Brien. So she played for Wisconsin.
She's a forward and she was this year. Is Patty
Kasmar Award, which is given to the best college women's
(36:03):
hockey player.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
And that's good company.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
Like the people who have won this award, you just
would love to scroll through the list. O'Brien was a
three time nominee for that award before finally winning it
in her senior season. So talk about momentum, right time
for the draft.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Talk about momentum and also talk about consistency, you know, true,
I think that that's also the story with being nominated
that often.
Speaker 5 (36:26):
And then the last one is Haley Wind. She's coming
from Clarkson a defender, so I'm a little bit by
and she's an elite puck handling defender and she's tough,
she blocks a lot of shots, and she's just had
like an amazing past college season. So I'm interested to
see who the Sirens will pick up. It it depends
on what strategy they're going for, whether or not they
(36:47):
want to go for, you know, a goal scorer or
forward replace their top center and Alex Carpenter who now
plays for Seattle after the expansion draft. Who knows it Really,
it depends on what the GM wants to do.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I was a betting woman, I would say, Casey O'Brien, hmm,
you really like she's playing against these other women and
she won MVP, so that would.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
Be I mean, yeah, okay, yeah, but who when?
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
So, Mollie, thank you so much for dming us. Thank
you so much for kicking us off on this new
personal training session journey again. Call us at one four
three seven, five six four five five seven nine, email
us at pot ofth thejissports dot com or dm Ellen
at the Gist or Stephanie Rotts on Instagram.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
And with that, I'm mixing in today's episode. Thank you so.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
Much for tuning in for being on this ride with us.
We'll be back in your feed with the new podcast
on Thursday. In the meantime, if you enjoyed today's episode,
of course, as always, we would love if you could rate, review, subscribe,
and dm us.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
This episode was edited by Savannah Held and produced by
Lisa Mantillo and Alexander Puccio.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Again, I'm Ellen hit Slap
Speaker 5 (38:01):
And I'm Steph Rott's and please do check out our
show notes to find Joe's Instagram and TikTok, and keep
up with Truly Canada on social and we'll chat with
you again on Thursday.
What's Up Fam?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome and welcome back to another episode of the Gist
of It. Today is June twenty fourth, Tuesday, June twenty fourth,
If you will, we're.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Your co host.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm Ellen Hisslap and I'm Steph Rotz. Before we get
into the podcast, today is what's up?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Fam? Is FAM still in?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Girl?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
I don't know. I keep saying Sleigh Slaigh? Is it
still in?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
No?
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Slay is in FAM? What's up Fam?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
What's up Fam?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
It feels hang out with young people? It feels a
little twenty twenty three, you know what?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Let me live if it is. That's what I say.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
We have a ton of gen Z listeners call us out,
like call us out, but do like we actually want
to know because I do identify as gen Z. So
the minute I feel like I'm yeah, and that's too
bad for you. But as a gen Z who isn't
a gen Z? I want to say in the no,
but I don't want to be high school gen Z.
I want to be early to mid twenties gen Z.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
And that's what I am. I am a early to
mid twenty gen Z.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
That makes sense because you also write content and or
like oversee content for those people, so I understand why
you need to stay in the note.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It's not a need, it's a want.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Okay, sorry, it's a want.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Thank you anyway, let us know in a fanvam.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
We have a very hockey podcast today, but it's really
special and guys, I this is probably my favorite interview
I've actually ever done.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Shut the Front Door.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
I'm not kidding.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We have interviewed some truly incredible people on this very podcast,
Asia Wilson, no Fisa Collier, Christine Sinclair, Brianna Stewart, Abby Womback.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
The list goes on, and this might be one of.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
My favorites, and so I'm really excited for everyone to
listen because it's something that it's an interview that we
haven't really done before. And I left it feeling like, wow,
there's so much that we can learn and there's I
don't know, there's just awesome. So the Florida Panthers won
the Stanley Cup, we talked about it and we hosted
(02:14):
during the Stanley Cup playoffs a contest with our pals
at Truly, the alcohol beverage brand, and we worked with
them to find Canada's next great hockey creator in order
to elevate underrepresented voices in the hockey community.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So first and foremost, Stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
When that opportunity came across our desk to be able
to work with a big brand like Truly to elevate
underrepresented voices in hockey.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
That is so cool that we get to do that work.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And then our winner, Stuff is who we interviewed today
and he is incredible. Canada's next great hockey creator is
Joe Farnasier. He is a blind hockey player Stuff and
he is inspiring hockey fans all over the world to
follow their dreams on the ice off the ice, no
matter the circumstances. He's a young man, he's a young dude,
(03:03):
but he's lived a lot of life. He's gone through
a lot of things. And as a someone who's a
similar age him, I I loved our conversation like there
were there were so many there were so many questions
that I had to ask that were off course because
I was like, wait.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I need to keep on talking to this guy.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And so I'm really excited for everyone to listen today.
I will say my Internet was so bad during it too,
so like Joe had to battle through. But Joe being
a blind hockey player too. It's just it's it's just
so I don't know.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I listen to the episode. I will, we'll get to
it a minute. It's just he's incredible.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
The hockey world certainly needs more people like like Joe.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
We need more people like Joe.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Shout out Joe. So that's what we're getting into today.
But of course we have to call an audible. We
also have our personal training session, so we have some
PWh oh content later coming as well.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yes, because we had hockey podcasts and we mean it.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
We were going to talk about the ped up at
the end sire out and I one one thing. Okay,
I guess you're going to call an audible, but I
just want to say one thing. First, NBA Finals is
over Oklahoma City. Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers. Two sad
things coming out of it.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Those stuff.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Oh not yea for that, I know. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Tyrese Haliburton achilles tear very reminiscent of when Kevin Durant
was with the Golden State Warriors kind of injured his calf,
then fully tore his achilles and everyone was like, well,
what have the Warriors beat Toronto, blah blah blah. Kind
of it kind of took away from Toronto's win. It
kind of did the same thing for Oklahoma. I think
(04:45):
se for Okay See because did you see the videos
of the locker room after Okay See one?
Speaker 4 (04:51):
No, I haven't seen those yet.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay, So journalists, we're sharing some of the videos. I know,
so cute.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So journalists, we're sharing some of the videos. And maybe
you haven't seen it because it wasn't a banging party.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Apparently the vibes were like a little bit low. There's
barely any champagne being flown around. The athletics shared.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
One of the athletic journalists shout out was basically like
he had never seen a locker room like that after
the NBA Finals, and his thought was that it was
because of just Tyrese Halbert and tearing his achilles, and
that it was kind of an anti climactic finished to
an incredible seven game series.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Just they're just too empathetic, those men.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Those were just it's about time.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I'm like, I hope that they just went to a
bar where they didn't want any cameras around and there
was no Yeah, maybe they're a little camera shy so
but shoudowed. Okay, See, they were dominant from start to
freaking finish. They deserved that Larry O'Brien trophy one hundred
and ten times over.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Shout out to Hamilton, Ontario and Shay Gill.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Just Alexander'll bring it out home for Canada even though
he's not playing for Toronto.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
But you know what I mean. Yeah, metaphorically speaking.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Anyway, any useries, you go ahead, I.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Would love to call him audible. Sorry, a new segment
and you know this Audible, It's going to be related
to sports. Shocker, I know, but specifically how I feel
so passionately about sports that are held outside versus inside,
because I've created quite the pro on list for hockey
versus soccer. Those are the two sports that I play,
(06:22):
and I had to play SOCCERCA had to is like
really aggressive.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I had the privilege too.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
I had the privilege to play soccer on Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Sorry.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
I know Ellen can't play soccer and it's her favorite sports,
so I feel really sorry.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Sorry, let's just correct that. You're right.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
I had the privilege to play soccer on Sunday night,
but I was doing a heat wave and I already
didn't play the previous week because I was too hungover
for my.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Friend's wedding to go, so I was busy watching fever pitch.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
I couldn't do that to my team two weeks in
a row, so I said I have to show up,
and I couldn't help.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
But wonder the entire time, what if this was endorsed?
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Because I was sweating he read me and the other
pasty wiker will sipping on and off for each other
all game, just struggling, and I constantly think about all
of the people who complain NonStop about winter. But at
least in winter, I can keep my blinds open during
the day and look at the sunshine and not have
to close them to make sure my ac still continues
(07:20):
to work. I can still take my dog out for
a walk without being terrified that she's going to burn
her little pause on the pavement. And I can still
play sports in a comfortable setting inside.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
All of those things you can still do.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
But in summer, you there are certain days of the
weird because I live in Toronto and we get massive
heat waves, which is I know, a huge shock or
just so many people where you just have to stay
inside or suffer the consequences.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I don't know what to say, do you.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
When we were talking about last called teresays, you know,
and they get it. They give people a minute, and
they give people a minute to do.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I don't think so, honey, that's what you just did.
You know what I just I don't think so, hunh Summer.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Summer it is so overhyped.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
And if you play sports outside in the summer, you
understand also you have to play in the rain, you
have to play in the heat. There are so many
things versus if you play basketball, or if you play
hockey or another indoor sport, you know you can just
show up and be comfortable.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And that's when parents say it's good for you, build resilience.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
It gives me people want to come and watch my
soccer games. I don't want to come watch my hockey games,
and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
What's up for that?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
You you don't.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Know where you're gonna get with the summer weather, but
you're willing to sit through it.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
And all you have to do is bring a jacket
to my hockey games.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
I hear, alrighty, We're back and ready to share an
amazing interview with Joe far Nasier, Canona's next great hockey
creator in this episode is brought to you by Truly
(09:00):
because in addition to winning ten k from our pals
at Truly, Joe also was able to attend a Stanley
Cup final game to capture content, which is so elite.
So Ellen discussed his experience at that particular game as
well as his journey to becoming a blind hockey player
in this particular interview, and.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I would say we definitely focus on the latter of
his experience as someone who could see, and then what
happened when he eventually lost his eyesight and how that
really impacted his experience with the game and his experience
with life and that journey that it brought him along.
And I think that's kind of the main things that
(09:38):
we go through in this podcast today. So again, I
just want to thank Truly so much for introducing us
to Joe, which also we're.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Saying for Naca.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
We do have a tendency to francophone name, so Joe's
name could be four Nascier or for a Naca.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I didn't do my journalistic job.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Which I should have, so asking how to say his
last name, we just went immediately to for ya.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
So you know what.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Joe's great.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
We love Joe and in the show notes too, you
could find a link to his Instagram and a link
to his TikTok. Please go follow him. He has really
amazing content.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
So once again, thank.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
You to Truly for hosting Canada's Next Great Hockey Creator
contest with us. It was such a joy to be
able to help elevate underrepresented voices in the hockey community
and to find someone as.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Awesome as Joe. And I'm so excited for you all
to listen to the interview. Joe, Welcome to the gist
of it. We are so excited to have you on today.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
Yeah, I'm super excited to be here, super excited to
be here.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
And congratulations on winning the competition. It was so fierce
and you deserved it so much and I just love
everything about your story. Okay, we are all major hockey
fans over here. At the gist of it, Joe, how
did you fall in love with the game. Who's your
favorite NHL team?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (10:57):
My favorite NHL team, unfortunately, is the leaf I spent
a lot of years of suffering. I didn't choose them.
My dad was a Leafs fan. He's the guy who
got me into hockey. Kind of played his whole life,
and then when I was three years old, he built
a backyard rink for me and kind of like one
of my earliest memories is just going out every day
playing on that backyard rink.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Pretty much my entire life.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
So kind of playing on that backyard rink and then
eventually playing in a league was kind of how I
fell in love with the game through my dad.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Very cool. I have a similar story to you.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
My dad unfortunately made me a Toronto Maple Leafs fan
and we are tormented to this day. Tell us about
your relationship with hockey, Joe, and how it changed after
you started losing your eyesight at the age of ten.
Speaker 6 (11:42):
Yeah, so studying on that backyard rink, playing every day,
absolutely fell in love with the game, you know, going
to school, talk to my buddies about hockey. It kind
of was my entire life. My whole persona, my room
was covered in hockey. Everything was Toronto Maple Leafs or
me playing hockey. Eventually, kind of I had to rise
my way up the ranks of playing minor hockey again,
(12:03):
completely in love with it, and then at ten years old.
At a hockey tryout in August, I started to miss passes,
kind of start running into other players.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
I wasn't really sure what was happening.
Speaker 6 (12:14):
I thought maybe my skates were dull, or I needed
a new stick, and I literally had no idea what
was going on. I ended up getting cut from the
team and was devastated. And then September came around and
sitting in class, I covered my left eye looking at
the board with my right eye and I couldn't see
directly in front of me. And I was sitting in
(12:34):
the first row of my class, and I was like,
something's going on here. I guess I need glasses. So
I went to the eyed doctor. He ran some tests
on my left eye twenty twenty vision. With my right eye,
I couldn't even read the big E and none of
the lenses worked. We weren't sure what was going on.
Long story short, two months later, I got diagnosed with
(12:55):
a rare eye condition called Liber's hereditary optic neuropathy, say
genetic disease, but we don't know who in my ancestry
has it, so it was super unexpected. And in those
two months where I was waiting to get diagnosed, I
lost ninety six percent of my vision. That dot in
the middle of my right eye spread to my left
eye and just kept expanding. So sitting in the doctor's
(13:17):
office as I got diagnosed, I remember him saying, you're
no longer going to be able to play hockey, like
it's just not safe for you. And I think from
that point I just hated everything.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
To do with hockey.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
I didn't want to watch the Leaf, didn't want to
turn on the game. You know, I couldn't really watch
the Leaf, so I was against using the radio. All
my friends were still playing hockey, and I was honestly
just kind of envied them, like they didn't realize how
lucky they were to play the game. And I also
think a lot of the hockey community kind of turned
on me and were some of the people that kind
of made fun of me during school. And I never
really realized how toxic the community was when I was
(13:51):
in it, and then being on the outside looking in
no pun intended, was just.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
It was devastating.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
So I kind of just hated hockey, completely fell out
of love with the sport. And four years later, after
not playing at all, my dad said, Hey, I see
this thing called blind hockey, you got to give it
a try, and like, I was just done with the sport.
I told my dad, you know, I played hockey, I'm
done with it. I'm not playing blind hockey. I was
(14:17):
kind of taught by my peers and you know, people
around me that a disability was bad, being blind was bad.
So I was like, I don't want to associate myself
with those type of people, even though I was one
of those people, I.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Just want to stay away from it. I was done
with the sport.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
But my dad, he's an Italian guy and a little
bit older.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
He doesn't really.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Take no for an answer, so he pretty much threw
me in the car and kind of forced me to
just get out of the house and get myself out
of this rut. And it was the best decision that
he ever made. I was complaining the whole way until
I put on my skates and stepped on the ice
and was able to actually play hockey, but this time
not with my eyes, with my ears. It was a
whole different way to experience the game. So from that
(14:59):
point on, it felt like being on my backyard rink
all over again. This newfound love was something that I
never expected. After losing my eye, I said at ten
years old. And you know, from that time trying out
blind hockey for the first time, I was able to
rise my way up those ranks and be the youngest
player on the Canadian national blind hockey team and ever
since then been a huge advocate for the sport, huge
(15:20):
advocate for disability and hockey and love the game. Look
at him when I was three years old again, So
it's been amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Joe, that's
so spestraal, And thank goodness for your dad for pushing
you in the right direction. I feel like that's also
really tough to do in your teen years, listening to
your parents, but oftentimes they do know what's best for us.
What was that adjustment like in the way that you
were playing hockey and kind of approaching the sport in
(15:49):
this brand new way when you were fourteen and now
that you're twenty one.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
Yeah, it was it was like relearning how to skate again.
Almost as much as you know, it's still hot, you're
still skating, you still have power plays, penalty kills, scoring goals,
you still have that team around you. The way that
I approached the sport was completely different because I had
to use my hearing in a way that I had
never done in my whole life. I kind of just
(16:14):
stopped playing sports. I was against kind of playing blind
soccer in all these different visually impaired sports. Now it's
completely different. I kind of try to put myself out
of the box and try everything. But at that time
I had never done anything like this, So I think
adjusting to the.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Speed was the biggest thing.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
Now you kind of think, oh, it's blind guys playing hockey,
they're not going to be moving at all. But on
the national team, we've got guys that played Junior B
Junior A and then lost their eyesight, or guys that
kind of were still visually impaired while playing Junior B
and then it got a bit worse. And now they
qualify to play on Team Canada and they have not
lost a step at all. So I didn't really expect
(16:51):
that coming in.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
And I think.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Adjusting to that speed while also using my ears, I
call it like instead of hand eye coordination, hand ear coordination.
So that puck got one with me, I could try
to find it in a second, but the puck it's
five times bigger than a regular hockey puck, and it's
made it of metal with ball bearings inside, so you're
(17:16):
hearing it rattle on the ice instead of primarily using
your eyes to see it. So catching passes was definitely
a huge thing at first, just kind of like listening
to it and adjusting my hands and my stick to
find the puck. And also hitting the net was definitely
a difficult thing because obviously you can't see it. It's a
lot different than regular hockey. Before I could kind of
(17:37):
see the top corner and shoot it in. Now I
kind of have to just keep shooting and shooting from
different spots on the ice and have a coach tell
me how far it was wide or how far it
was over the net and where the puck's going, so
then I can kind of visualize that net in my
brain even though I can't see it. And that just
takes hours and hours and hours of practice. So it
(17:57):
definitely wasn't like I stepped on the ice, played on
time and.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
It all clicked.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
It took a long time, but again, I just newly
found this love for the game again, and I was
willing to put in those hours, so I'm no complaining
at all.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
It's like a completely different.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Sport exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Oh well, I'm really happy for you, and I love
the way that you speak about your story and also
the way that you are encouraging people to play hockey,
encouraging people to be part of the community. You do
this a lot on social media. I'm a big fan
of your TikTok. You have a handle that's called blind Betsy.
If I am saying that correctly, what.
Speaker 6 (18:35):
Does that mean?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Is this story kind of what inspired you to start
making hockey content on TikTok?
Speaker 1 (18:42):
What does that look like to you?
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (18:45):
I had been making like social media videos probably since
I guess summer going into first year university about like
fitness stuff, you know, because I was really into training
for hockey. But I didn't think anyone would care about
blind hoalkey. I think it'd be weird, you know, to
post about that stuff and people would judge me for it.
(19:08):
So I just kind of talk about, like you know,
working out and things like that, and it wasn't really
gaining much traction. I was like, I should use my
disability to an advantage. So I had this handle called
jacked blind Guy. That was my original handle, and I'd
make fitness videos kind of making jokes about being blind.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Thing.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
I grew into like a thousand followers and I was
super happy with that. But you know, being in university,
I wanted to be in media. I was in a
media study, and I kind of realized, you know, I
wasn't really getting acculmminated by my professors, and they were
saying it might be hard in the workforce doing different things,
and I'm like, I might have to kind of just
create my own path and like really dig into this.
And I was trying like every single idea, and then
(19:47):
one day I posted a video, you know, talking about
blind talking for the first time, and they got like
three hundred thousand views with my most viewed video, and
I was like, wow, like people might find this interesting.
So over the next couple of years, every single day,
I'd post one to two videos a day talking about
my journey playing on Team Canada and playing blind hockey.
And I had a fish bowl. A lot of guys
(20:10):
were chirping me. I had this chrome cage, and I
had been out of the hockey loop for a while,
so I didn't really know the sty in the hockey
community with the young kids and back when I played
in like twenty eleven, twenty twelve, chrome cage was like
the best thing. So when I started playing blind hockey,
I got this chrome cage and everyone's like, well, you're
playing like it's twenty twelve, Like get that chrome cage off.
(20:31):
So I was like, all right, Like I don't know
what to do. And I saw Connor Bdard wearing the
fish bowl, so I switched to the fish bowl. And
everyone started commenting on my videos blind bedsy blind bedsy
every post, and I eventually just kind of stuck and
everyone started saying it. So I changed my handle to
blind Bedsy, and I've kind of used that to my
advantage and it's it's super cool, but that's kind of
the origin story of blind Bedsy. No one has actually
(20:52):
heard this is this is the first time anyone's ever
heard that story.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
So I love it exclusive.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
It's an exclusive to the gist.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
I also love how you saying back in the day
and you're twenty one years old is really making me
feel some type of way.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Joe, what is the difference.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
We have a lot of hockey fans, but not always
people who played hockey. What's the difference between this chrome
bucket that you're talking about in the fishbowl bucket, like,
you know, give me details on that.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
So the chrome cage, I think it looks super cool.
I don't know if we can get a picture of
it or not, but it's the cage that you put
on your helmet and it's fully chrome reflective.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
And when I was playing minor hockey, that was always
the coolest thing. But everyone started saying it looked like
a bird cage and all these different chirps in my comments,
and I was like, this is insane. And the fish
bowl is just a full clear helmet that's just like
a face shield over top of your face, okay, and
makes me show off my mustache a little bit better.
(21:49):
So I let the clear uh the clear face shield now.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
So yeah, yeah, hockey style or hockey steeze, as one
might say, is very interesting to me.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
It's something that has its own unique subculture. I would say,
for sure, yes, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I love it, though I'll always love it.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Oh my gosh, I can only imagine.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So, Joe, I'm really curious, now that you've won this contest,
how do you plan to use your platform as Canada's
next great hockey creator? To lift up people, help bring
people into the hockey community.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
What's your plan?
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Someone sent me this contest.
Speaker 6 (22:26):
Me and my buddy were looking it over and right
away we said, the GISTs values and my values align perfectly.
So this is just the best fit, the perfect fit.
And what I plan to do is keep spreading this
word of disability in hockey and that we're still athletes
too and kind of the speed that we can play
the sport, and hopefully to get other blind and visually
(22:47):
impaired people involved in the sport, because there's a lot
of people again like me, who didn't know how competitive
the sport was and didn't even know about the sport,
and they're blind or they're disabled, and they've lost the
love of hockey, and I don't realize that there's other
options still out there and even though there's a hurdle
in your way, you can still play the game and
love the game. At the end of the day, it's
(23:09):
all hockey, and the community is honestly bigger than the
game in my opinion. So I just want to get
as many people, and not just the blind hockey community,
but in the disabled hocking community as possible.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
We play at a lot.
Speaker 6 (23:20):
Of disabled hockey festivals, sledge hockey, hearing impaired hockey, Warrior hockey,
and everyone has that same joy for the game, no
matter what journey or path they've taken. So I just
want to get as many people on the ice as possible.
That's my goal.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Oh that's so great, Joe, and I can see why
so many people resonated with your story. It really sounds
like you're someone who goes out there, you try new things,
you're consistent at trying those new things. You're really all
about welcoming people and inviting people into space where they
might not have felt comfortable beforehand. And I think that
you touched on this a little bit earlier in our
(23:53):
conversation too, where hockey culture isn't always the best and
it can be a little bit of a toxic place,
especially on the men's side, and so I think that
is so cool that someone like yourself, a young man
in the space, is trying to change hockey culture for
the better. So I really appreciate that and thank you
so much for doing all of that work too.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
Yeah, No, it's it's definitely a journey. I remember when
I was in school and I was in grade eleven
when I first made the national team, and I was
scared to even tell anyone about it because I told
one person and they made fun of me, and I
was like, I don't even want to talk about blind
hockey with anyone. I would be leaving school for like
a week at a time, and I would just tell
people I'm sick, even though I was going out to
(24:35):
go play in an international hockey tournament, and I was
just so scared about that. So now I'm kind of
looking at the younger generation of kids coming up, and
a bunch of kids in their high school already know
about blind talckey and they're coming over to me and saying, like,
my classmates are gonna be so jealous. I got a
picture with you, and I'm like, this is like I
never had someone like that. You know that people kind
of knew of. There's really just like no awareness for
(24:57):
the sport.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Joe, we talked about before the podcast that you went
to Game two of the Stanley Cup, which we know
ultimately the Edmonton Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers. We
were also talking about if you were to host your
own watch party sponsored by Truly, because you get Truly
for the entire summer.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Who would be the three.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Hockey players that you would invite to that watch party?
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Oh man, oh man. Okay.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Firstly, I gotta go with Austin Matthews, the hometown guy.
You know, some people say we look a little bit similar.
We both got the mustache, so you know. Joseph Wall
actually told me that I met him last year and
I said, do you think I looked like Poppy?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
And he said, if I had to.
Speaker 6 (25:43):
Tell you, you look like anyone on the Leafs, I
would say Poppy. So I'm taking that to the grave.
I'm Poppy's twin. I got to bring my twin, Poppy.
He's gonna be there. Next up, this is tough.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
This is tough.
Speaker 6 (25:56):
I'm gonna go Jack Hughes. Okay, there's a lot of
great players the NHL, but I want someone with a
lot of personality. I feel like Jack Hughes and Poppy.
They both kind of bring that energy and I like that.
And lastly, I gotta go with my other twe I'm
bringing Bedsy. You know, I'm the blind version of him,
so I feel like it'd be great. I thought he'd
be great at the watch party. He's not the most
(26:16):
exciting guy ever, but you know, a couple of trulys
in him, and I feel like we'd have a good laugh.
So I'm gonna go to Bedsy last guy, Connore Bedard.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Oh my gosh, it sounds like a great time and
a good party, and hopefully that'd be a party i'd
be invited to.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Thank you so much and all of our registers too.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
Joe, congratulations again on being named Canada's Next Great Hockey Creator.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
You so deserve it.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
We have been having so much fun getting to know you,
watching everything that you're doing, and we will be constantly
cheering you on from the sidelines with everything else that
you're working on. Thank you so much for joining us
today on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Awesome. Thank you so much for having me Elan. This
has been amazing.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Ugh, I'm so grateful for people like Joe. Hockey needs
more Joe's you know what I'm saying. So thank you
again for coming on the pod, and thanks again to
truly for hosting the Canada's Next Great Hockey Creator contest
with us.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Next time, Steph we need you to chat with Joe
because there was so much in that hockey culture where
I was like, oh, I wish Steph could have been
on this podcast too and would have helped me interview him,
because you would have had such amazing questions for him,
and probably better questions than I did.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
But next time, you.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
Know what, it's probably better that I wasn't there for
my uh you know, it's for my mental piece.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Yeah, yeah, maybe the interview would have been forty minutes long.
Everyone would be like, wrap it up, and wrap it up.
But next time, we're gonna have to find a way
to connect you and Joe.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Oh, I think you I'll follow, Hopefully he falls back
follow like subscribe. It's time for our personal training Sash.
This is where we answer your heart hitting questions about anything,
and we mean anything in the sports world.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
We introduced this segment a few months to go, and
we had some feedback from some of our just saying,
could you accept me typing to you as opposed to
me having to call in?
Speaker 4 (28:08):
And to that we say, yes, why don't you just
call Taylor A.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Why don't you just go ahead and call tailor up?
Speaker 5 (28:20):
But yeah, I totally understand the need to not hear
your own voice sometimes and to want.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
To type yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Unfortunately, you have to hear hear ours every day regardless.
So we're gonna give you all a few options to
send us your hard hitting questions, your hot takes, your
corrections of the podcast, what you want to see, whatever
the hell you want to talk about. You can call
us still one four three seven, five six four five
five seven nine. But you can also email us pod
(28:47):
at the Just sports dot com or and this is
our maybe favorite way because it's so easy. You can
DM me and Snuff on Instagram. We keep our Instagram
dms open. I will say I'm really bad at responding
because sometimes they get caught in the request thing. But anyway,
I will respond to any podcast listeners, and we did
this week, which was really exciting.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
But you could d M me and Steph.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
So I am Ellen at the gist, Steph is Stephanie
rots DM your favorite just kidding.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
Were chat.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Whoever? You feel more comfortable with you.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
At the end of the year, we tally how no,
but literally DM your favorite and we'll get back to you.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
So Ellen.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Stephanie literally both like checking every day, like, oh, do
you have any tube STU just like I have ten.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
I'm like, oh fuck no, group us.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
You literally group us no, no, I'm such a that
was such big sister energy.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
I'm so sorry. I always just like you have to
have fun, you know you literally have.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Yes, but we're looking forward to answering your heart hitting cues.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
So do do you? In alteriousness?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (30:01):
And so Mollie DMed me, Oh, okay, you are the brand,
all right, Molly.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Me this weekend, Molly, Yes, shout out And this is
what Molly said. And I love this message because it
got after us, it corrected us, and it was like,
can you do more of this? Which I loved, So
shut out Molly, She goes, Hi, Hi, love the pod.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Two quick things. I was thinking it was you.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Sorry if it was Steph, I was cycling to work
and not hearing that well, But it was me. I
was wrong explaining the difference between first and third and baseball,
and I agree that it's not such a hot take
that third base is harder than first because most players
are right handed and pull the ball towards third. I
gave an example of Vladimir Guerrero for the Toronto Blue Jays,
(30:52):
and she said, but Vladdie can absolutely play third and
did so throughout the miners and debuted in Major League
baseball at third. So Mollie shout out, call us out
back check us say, yeah, you were mostly right, but
you gave a really bad example because Laddie could be
playing third in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
So A love that, Mollie. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
If you ever looking for a fact checking role, DM me. Second,
I'm sorry we're back to Mollie.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Second.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
I've noticed there hasn't been any PWHL talk since the
expansion happened.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Is this because we're getting a whole episode dedicated to it?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
You two are my number one go to for PWHL
hot takes, and I've been dying to hear your thoughts
on how the expansion teams did.
Speaker 5 (31:38):
And then she did know that she's a Vancouver girly,
so she's pretty pumped. So I'm gonna start with Vancouver,
and I am so jealous of Vancouver.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
I think y'all cleaned.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
Up, and I am so excited to see how this
team shakes out. I think you have one thing to
be really really excited about. If you're a Vancouver fan,
your defense is going to be amazing. You got Sophie
Jakes and Clara Thompson, amazing duo. So for Minnesota. I
when I saw that, I was like, defense wins championships.
(32:10):
They want that, Minnesota, They're coming to Vancouver. You guys
are so lucky, like And there's been like additions to
that as well, like an ash Bell you go everyone,
you're going down.
Speaker 4 (32:20):
Who is who? Yeah, you're going to be going deep.
But I'm just like really excited for y'all.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
And you got Hannah Miller and Sarah Nurse give her back,
thanks and Sarah Nurse, yeah, give her back to please
thanks to Toronto.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
But yeah, you guys are so lucky.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
So you think that Vancouver went over Seattle.
Speaker 4 (32:35):
Based on uh my biases?
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Yeah, because I really love that Hillary Knight is going
to Seattle. I do think that that is someone who
you want to be building a franchise around. I do
think that Sarah Nurse is there potentially too, But I
think that there is just there's a difference with someone
like a Hillary Knight. There's a difference with someone who's
captained a national team and who has been a part
(32:59):
of this kind of growth, especially in the US, to
have her on that Seattle side.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
So I do really like that.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
I have a question for you, Steph who do you
think was the biggest loser of the original six teams
with this expansion.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
I will say I know that Auto is very upset,
Like Autawa fans are hurting right now because they've a
lot of their goalscorers I think have have left. They've
like they're they're going to be missing a couple of
folks for sure, But I don't know. It's hard to
say because a team, when you look at the roster,
you can be like, oh, this is gonna this team's
(33:32):
gonna win, but then you have no idea how they're
actually gonna play. Because when Toronto first started in oh god,
what was two.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Years ago or twenty twenty three, this roster.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Is stacked, is what I said.
Speaker 5 (33:47):
Like how many players on Team Canada are on the
Toronto Scepters or phial Toronto at the time, and they
had a really hard time finding their footing at first
they lost consecutively.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
So chemistry, but.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
It's also like love Island on paper, he's on my Papa.
So that's the expansion. And then Mollie, we heard you.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You want more PWHL, and so we're gonna give you
more PWHL. Because the PWHL draft is literally happening tonight.
I believe it's Tuesday night, and for the second straight season,
the New York Sirens have the number one pick. What
we will say, in comparison to years past, there isn't
(34:28):
really a consensus for who will go first overall in
this year's draft, But there are three players consistently topping
the draft boards and three players that our producers picked
out and that stuff gave her blessing too.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Isn't that exciting? Though?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Yeah, there isn't a clear because it also is going
to mean it's whoever the team needs to fill the
gaps as they've been pillaged throughout this good.
Speaker 4 (34:52):
Worsion so far.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
So the first we're gonna mention is Christina calton Kova.
She's coming from Colegate. She's a forward, absolute elite goal scorer.
She hasn't been compared to MPP Marie Feeley playing in clutch,
but so let's see how that kind of shakes out.
That's what I don't know how I feel about that, honestly,
because I think that's a lot of pressure for a kid.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
You know, it's gonna happen to anyone. Everyone's always coming here.
Everyone loves to compare.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
But She's the first player in Colegate program history to score.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Pressure is the privilege?
Speaker 5 (35:25):
Oh yeah, so is playing locker in a heat wave.
You got to keep me on lock girl.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
And when Steph says Colegate, she doesn't mean the toothpaste,
she is referring to the school. So we're going to
mention the school. And all of these schools are American schools.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Shout out full right scholarships.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
Yeah, a lot of the folks that you're going to
see in the entrance draft are coming from in MC
double A hockey. But of course there will be exceptions
with international players and Canadian players, but these three are
all NC Double A players that we're gonna mention. So
the next one is Casey O'Brien. So she played for Wisconsin.
She's a forward and she was this year. Is Patty
Kasmar Award, which is given to the best college women's
(36:03):
hockey player.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
And that's good company.
Speaker 5 (36:05):
Like the people who have won this award, you just
would love to scroll through the list. O'Brien was a
three time nominee for that award before finally winning it
in her senior season. So talk about momentum, right time
for the draft.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Talk about momentum and also talk about consistency, you know, true,
I think that that's also the story with being nominated
that often.
Speaker 5 (36:26):
And then the last one is Haley Wind. She's coming
from Clarkson a defender, so I'm a little bit by
and she's an elite puck handling defender and she's tough,
she blocks a lot of shots, and she's just had
like an amazing past college season. So I'm interested to
see who the Sirens will pick up. It it depends
on what strategy they're going for, whether or not they
(36:47):
want to go for, you know, a goal scorer or
forward replace their top center and Alex Carpenter who now
plays for Seattle after the expansion draft. Who knows it Really,
it depends on what the GM wants to do.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I was a betting woman, I would say, Casey O'Brien, hmm,
you really like she's playing against these other women and
she won MVP, so that would.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
Be I mean, yeah, okay, yeah, but who when?
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
So, Mollie, thank you so much for dming us. Thank
you so much for kicking us off on this new
personal training session journey again. Call us at one four
three seven, five six four five five seven nine, email
us at pot ofth thejissports dot com or dm Ellen
at the Gist or Stephanie Rotts on Instagram.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
And with that, I'm mixing in today's episode. Thank you so.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
Much for tuning in for being on this ride with us.
We'll be back in your feed with the new podcast
on Thursday. In the meantime, if you enjoyed today's episode,
of course, as always, we would love if you could rate, review, subscribe,
and dm us.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
This episode was edited by Savannah Held and produced by
Lisa Mantillo and Alexander Puccio.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Again, I'm Ellen hit Slap
Speaker 5 (38:01):
And I'm Steph Rott's and please do check out our
show notes to find Joe's Instagram and TikTok, and keep
up with Truly Canada on social and we'll chat with
you again on Thursday.
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