September 23, 2025 • 19 mins
The 13th year Head Coach of MHOC starts over after the Huskies first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where the expectations are high
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, the offseason went too quick, as it normally does,
but we're excited to be back, you know, after finishing
the way we did last year. I think there's a
lot of excitement in the room, and I feel like
there's probably some unfinished business we have. But the one
thing that we've been able to do is turn the page.
And if anyone understands I do that last year has
(00:25):
no bearing on what this team's going to do. We
have great leadership coming back, we have goaltending coming back.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
We've got some experience on defense.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
But it's a new season and we're going to have to,
you know, play very well to be.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Successful in this league.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
This is not a league that you can bring a
B game and expect to win. So, as I said,
two weeks, well not even two weeks, less than two
weeks from now, we'll be teeing it up out at Colorado,
and I'll be looking forward to seeing what we have
under the hood.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, Lobis said.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Last year about what I've seen you kind of.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Create a stand of the culture.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Did that stay in tact?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Was that passed along to.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I think so?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I think so. You know, Ryan Taddle and Hudson are
from the same area. They're very close. Taber Heaslip was
a captain last year. You know, Joey muldowney's new to
the leadership group, but he's another one though who understands
and certainly respected what Hudson and John brought. And I
think they're trying to pick up right where they left off.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Can that can that door shut or no? I said,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
You had a chance to sit back and think about
last year, was doing one thing about the season, the
development that surprised you, and has that carried over.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
Into this year so far?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Development from from what standpoint joe from start to finish. Yeah,
I think that.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Uh, there was a lot of belief in that locker
room last year, I said, but we also understood, just
like we understand this year, that just because we didn't
fare as well the year before that didn't mean that
we weren't going to have a good team last year.
And just because we had the year we had last
year doesn't mean that this year is going to be successful.
(02:19):
If you look at you know, I look at I
think twenty three to twenty four, Merrimack came off their
first trip to the National Tournament, and they had pretty much.
They had both goalies back and a lot of their
team back, and they would pick third in the conference,
just like we were, and they finished tenth, you know,
when we were pitched fifth in the conference and we
finished eighth.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
So it has no bearing on what we're going to do.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
It just matters whether that team in there is going
to gel as a team and play connected and play
for each other and rise to the occasion. In this league,
you got to be comfortable playing in one goal games
or tight games in the third period and find a
way to win them.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Are there any tells that you've been able to pick up.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
When you're in the locker room that over.
Speaker 6 (03:04):
The years to say a team that when you reflect
back said, oh, this was really a connected team. I
saw this from them early on. Like, are there any tells.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
In that not this early?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
You know?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I think you can reflect back maybe and say that,
But for me to sit here and tell you, oh,
I saw something last week, I know we're going to
be good.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I can't do that. I'm not a chemistry.
Speaker 6 (03:26):
Like the chemistry.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Again, Like we haven't played a game yet, you know,
So what did Mike Tyson say? Everybody is a play
until they get punched in the mouth, and then we'll
see what happens. So, you know, we haven't played a
game yet, we haven't got punched.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
In the mouth. So I don't know how this team's
gonna respond.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Last year when we got swept by Merrimack, we responded
in a great fashion. I don't know how this team's
going to respond if that happens.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
What have you seen that makes you feel confident? Like
you said earlier, that they've turned the page from last year.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I think the fact that we have seven seniors and
they've been through a lot of wars.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
They've been good, down good. I think they also understand that.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Rankings and where people predict you to be not an
indicator of your success. It's how hard are you gonna
work every day in practice? Are you going to take
care of yourself away from the rink? Are you gonna
hold guys accountable? That's all stuff that's yet to be seen.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Has anyone of the attorneys taken a would have been
jumped more than you might expect in your growth, either
on or off the ice?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Again, you know in the weight room, yeah, you know
some of our numbers, I mean, most of the kids
were here this summer, and mo did a fabulous job
with him, as she always does. So as I look
at where our numbers were a year ago in the
weight room to where they are now, yeah, they've taken
some great jumps. But does that translate onto the ice,
(05:03):
I'm not sure yet. You know, Like Jerry Jerry Yorkis
always say yeah he's on the all bus team. He
gets off the bus, he looks great, but the game comes,
I don't know what's gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Yeah, a lot of newcomers, seven new covers. How if
they blended in cabin, is that give you the ability
to kind of start.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Faster because most of the guys.
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Have d his system.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yeah, well they were all here this summer. So for
those guys, I think it's been a seamless transition. They
understand what the expectations are of this team. And I
think when you have leaders, uh like we have up
front with Taber and Ryan Taddle and on defense with
Thomas Sineo and Moose and net you know, because we
(05:50):
have new goalies coming in, we have new defensemen coming in,
we have new forwards coming in, they've been able to
tutor them all in that position, pretty well.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Every rule has different every sport has different rules, and
hockey was a place where you could get drafted, maybe
go to a developmental camp, and then come back.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But how do we get.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
From that to where now AHL players could come back
and play in hockey.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Do you have any thoughts on that? Yeah, that's a
good question, Tom, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
You know, there's part of me. There's part of me
that says, how are we any different? I mean, there's
kids getting paid a lot of money to play college sports,
so how is that any different than a kid being
paid in the East Coasts? So part of me wants
to say I do think there needs to be an
age limit though, So up until you're twenty one, I
don't care where you've played, you know, really I don't,
(06:45):
because we can be considered professional. But when kids are
twenty three, we're twenty four coming in to be freshmen
and they've played pro hockey, it just doesn't seem right
to me. It doesn't seem like that's the spirit of
where we want to go in college athletics.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
But I'm not making those decisions kind of in that
same dame.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
But if this is the first year you got major
junior kids. What impact do you expect that to have
on the sport, and then how have you navigated that
as a program.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah, I mean we're certainly out there recruiting those. I
don't see a major difference honestly between the Major junior
kid and the USHL kid.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I really don't.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
I think the leagues are very comparable, and I hope
at some point that they all become one league, you know,
and that there's not infighting in between leagues, and there
should be a development process where you go midgets to
juniors or prep school, you know, to juniors, to college
to pro.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
That's what I'm hoping.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I think there are some people still buying for their turf,
and I think it's childish and sophomoric, and we need
to move away away.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
From that and all work together.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
That's what I think, because it really it should be
about the player and what is the best development path
for that player to achieve the goals they want to achieve.
And we're certainly going to need help from the NHL.
The NHL is going to have to intervene here at
some point and say this is the development path we
foresee for the NHL. And I think if they step
(08:25):
in and do that, it'll be a lot more a
much smoother ride going forward in the future.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
So what's it been like just opening that recruiting territory
Because you recruited a ton in BCCHL, you had those
connections to the USHL. What's the process been like just
building those connections in those leagues, kind of figuring out
each team, each league and all of that for bringing
in guys for yourself.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Well, the travel hasn't been any different. I mean, I
was in Victoria this weekend watching a couple of our
kids play, and I was there a couple of years
ago watching players play. So the travel really isn't any different.
It's just the relationships with those coaches. They're not all
happy that colleges are coming in to recruit their players.
(09:12):
So where in the.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Past the BC coaches would work with you.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
And it's a fact of life, Like the NHL is
going to come in and take our players, and I
understand that, and that's what they should do when the
kid's ready, and I think it should be the same
for us. There are some junior players that are playing
junior hockey right now that have no business playing junior hockey.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They should be playing collegiate hockey.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
But there's still a little bit of a as I said,
turf war between.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Both leagues.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Jerys, he's not necessarily trying to replicate his twenty nine
goals from last year, but improving in other things, maybe
getting more assistant stuff. Are you encouraging that you want
to a more well rounded game or just let the
goals come for him.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I'd like to see him put up another twenty nine goals, certainly,
but I'm not going to put any pressure on him
to do that. I think we're going to take the
same tact I took with him last year. It is like, Joey,
I want you to become the best two hundred foot
player you can become. And the thing about Joey was
when he was scoring his twenty nine thirty goals, he
wasn't cheating on the defensive end to do it. So
(10:21):
he's one player I don't have to worry about. He
comes out here every day and works on his craft
and he's committed to playing at both ends of the sheet.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
And whether he gets twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Nine goals, thirty nine goals, or nineteen goals, I'm not
concerned with that as long.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
As he's given us a great effort at both ends.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
There's something you want to see him prove his game?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
I think everybody can improve. I don't know if there's
one specific thing in his game. He shoots the puck
pretty well, he competes, he can make a play.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
So.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
I don't know if there's one specific thing we want
to see him improve. I just want to see him
get better in all areas. Did you notice any added
buzz to the program after the defending the tournament last
year just out of the recruiting trail or out of course, Yeah,
talk about kind of how I noticed it. Yeah, Well,
you know, I've tried to tell people that that wasn't
(11:22):
Everybody seems to seem like, Wow, what a season that
came from out of nowhere.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Not really.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
You know, six of the last eight years we finished
in the top five in this league. Three of the
last four we've had twenty win seasons and finished in
the top four.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So to me, that wasn't a one off.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Like we've been building to get there for a long time,
and I think that's what I.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Envisioned for this program.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I knew it wasn't going to happen overnight, but now
I think the next step for us is let's get
in the top three, let's get in the top one.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
You know, let's win.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
A conference championship. Those are all things that now we're
aspiring to do.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
To that point, what has it been like to see
maybe that people outside of these walls are seeing what
you've been working on four years at years.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
And years, I'm sorry, I'd like.
Speaker 6 (12:17):
To see that people outside of this building are starting
to recognize what we talk about it every year, write
this chip on your shoulder, and their disrespect and that
sort of thing. But now people outside the walls are
starting to see it because you did hit that next.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yeah, And I think more importantly than the people outside
the walls or the people inside the walls, and those
are the guys that I'm really focused on. And those
guys know what our expectations are, they know what they
have in that room, and they know where we want
to go as a program. That to me is way
(12:53):
more important than the people outside the walls and what
their impressions are of our program.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Do you have any goalie coach, Yeah, what do you
like about him?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Why, how did you find him?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
And what are you expecting from him?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Well?
Speaker 1 (13:07):
The first person that tipped me off on him was
Vince Stilletti. He said to me, I think this is
a guy that you should look at. You know, Detroit
let go of their whole staff, and I've known him
for a while and I didn't realize it was nice
to have a coach that's my age, you know. Nick
Carusi was putting me in the same breath with his
parents today, and I guess I am. I'm old enough
(13:30):
to be his dad. But that kind of hit home
a little bit. So it's nice to have another approaching
fifty year old on the staff for one. But he's
got a I remember coaching against him when he was
at Yale. He was an outstanding goaltender and you know,
he's worked eight years in pro hockey, so I think
he brings a different.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Set of experience than we've had in the past.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
You know, Andrew Raycroft brought a little bit, but he
was only here a couple of years and he was
a volunteer. Westy's full time, and he can talk to
the kids what it's like at the pro level. Haven't
been there for the last eight years, and being in
Detroit and working with you know, a Dylan Larkin type player.
You know, he's seen all types and what it takes
(14:22):
to succeed at that level. So I think that's really
beneficial for our current players who have those aspirations.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Your last two assistants have had a lot more experience
than pretty much every other one that you hired. Was
that intentional and wanting to have more established guys or
is that just a coincidence.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
I think I'm always looking to hire the best fit
for our program, and with Nick, at the time, I
thought he was the best fit. And with Westy, I
thought he was the best fit. So I don't really
listen Joe. When I hired Joe Perreira, he didn't have
a day of recruiting experience at all, but I thought
at the time that's what we needed. And you know,
(15:01):
you're going to make mistakes in hiring, and you're going
to make good hires hopefully, you know. I think we've
made a lot of good hires here over the course
of thirteen years, and I think the last two are
going to fit that bill as well.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
How does the speed still as good as last year wise?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
I think so, you know, the kids we brought in
can all skate, and we've got a lot of returners.
I think it's important that you have a good It's
not only how fast you skate, it's about how fast
you think the game. So, you know, Jake Rashard might
not be a burner, but he probably thinks the game
faster than anybody on our team, so he can make up,
you know, what some guys might have, and you know,
(15:44):
god given natural speed, he makes up with his brain.
So not that he doesn't he skates poorly, but if
you're going to race he and Joey Muldowney, Joey's going
to win ten out of ten. But Jake thinks the
game pretty quick.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
To that point, having a veteran defense come back to
and the familiarity they have with each other, they able
to sort of think faster without familiarity and allow you
to do what you want to do in.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Your system play.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, and I think having a veteran team, you know,
also knowing we didn't have to spend a ton of time.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
On systems here early in the season. It was more about.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Trying to get into game shape quickly, into you know,
that first game. We're not going to be a finished product,
you know. And I also understand Colorado College isn't going
to be a finished product, but that night, I'm hoping
that we're further along than they are.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
We'll see, we'll see on October third.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
I don't know if that's going to be the case
or not, but that's why you play the games. But
that's kind of what we've been focusing on, getting really
into game shape and playing at the pace we want
to play at game one. And sometimes that's you know,
certainly not the easiest thing to do right out of
(17:05):
the gate because you want to continually be getting better
and better, and that's going to be our goal throughout
the season. But when you have a veteran team, you
want to try to play as close to the pace
we want to play at in game one.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Kevin Hitzderal doing Yeah, he's doing great. You know.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
A credit to Ed Blair and our medical staff, and
credit to Kevin because he really worked at it.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Last year.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Some of you guys who were around saw him doing
putting in the work and so far, knock on what
he's he's been healthy and he's been playing really well.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
So he's like full back. He's full back.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
How about anyone else?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Everyone else doing good? Ah? Yeah, we should have a
full practice today. In like long term terms, I think so,
I think we're fine as of right now.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Yeah, before we end, coach was just announced that you
commonly be playing in Belfast twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Yeah, just get a statement from you on that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I we're super excited about that. That's we were there.
What year it was seventeen or eighteen, eighteen nineteen. It
was such a I think great experience for our team
being able to go over to a foreign country learn
about some history. You know, a lot of kids, a
lot of our kids had no idea about the conflict
(18:25):
and the troubles that went on in Ireland, and I
think that was eye opening.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
You know, when we went to.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
The Wall and Belfast and.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Then playing over there.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It's always a very energetic, enthusiastic crowd when you're playing
over there, and it's a trip that you know, I think, yeah,
we're going to be playing for a trophy, but I
think it's more than that. I think it's a it's
a life experience that the kids will never forget. So
we're really grateful that they asked us to come back,
(18:55):
and we'll be excited to go back there.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Thanks coach. Thanks, alright, it's okay.
Well, the offseason went too quick, as it normally does,
but we're excited to be back, you know, after finishing
the way we did last year. I think there's a
lot of excitement in the room, and I feel like
there's probably some unfinished business we have. But the one
thing that we've been able to do is turn the page.
And if anyone understands I do that last year has
(00:25):
no bearing on what this team's going to do. We
have great leadership coming back, we have goaltending coming back.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
We've got some experience on defense.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
But it's a new season and we're going to have to,
you know, play very well to be.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Successful in this league.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
This is not a league that you can bring a
B game and expect to win. So, as I said,
two weeks, well not even two weeks, less than two
weeks from now, we'll be teeing it up out at Colorado,
and I'll be looking forward to seeing what we have
under the hood.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, Lobis said.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Last year about what I've seen you kind of.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Create a stand of the culture.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Did that stay in tact?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Was that passed along to.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I think so?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
I think so. You know, Ryan Taddle and Hudson are
from the same area. They're very close. Taber Heaslip was
a captain last year. You know, Joey muldowney's new to
the leadership group, but he's another one though who understands
and certainly respected what Hudson and John brought. And I
think they're trying to pick up right where they left off.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Can that can that door shut or no? I said,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
You had a chance to sit back and think about
last year, was doing one thing about the season, the
development that surprised you, and has that carried over.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
Into this year so far?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Development from from what standpoint joe from start to finish. Yeah,
I think that.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Uh, there was a lot of belief in that locker
room last year, I said, but we also understood, just
like we understand this year, that just because we didn't
fare as well the year before that didn't mean that
we weren't going to have a good team last year.
And just because we had the year we had last
year doesn't mean that this year is going to be successful.
(02:19):
If you look at you know, I look at I
think twenty three to twenty four, Merrimack came off their
first trip to the National Tournament, and they had pretty much.
They had both goalies back and a lot of their
team back, and they would pick third in the conference,
just like we were, and they finished tenth, you know,
when we were pitched fifth in the conference and we
finished eighth.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
So it has no bearing on what we're going to do.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
It just matters whether that team in there is going
to gel as a team and play connected and play
for each other and rise to the occasion. In this league,
you got to be comfortable playing in one goal games
or tight games in the third period and find a
way to win them.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Are there any tells that you've been able to pick up.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
When you're in the locker room that over.
Speaker 6 (03:04):
The years to say a team that when you reflect
back said, oh, this was really a connected team. I
saw this from them early on. Like, are there any tells.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
In that not this early?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
You know?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I think you can reflect back maybe and say that,
But for me to sit here and tell you, oh,
I saw something last week, I know we're going to
be good.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I can't do that. I'm not a chemistry.
Speaker 6 (03:26):
Like the chemistry.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Again, Like we haven't played a game yet, you know,
So what did Mike Tyson say? Everybody is a play
until they get punched in the mouth, and then we'll
see what happens. So, you know, we haven't played a
game yet, we haven't got punched.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
In the mouth. So I don't know how this team's
gonna respond.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Last year when we got swept by Merrimack, we responded
in a great fashion. I don't know how this team's
going to respond if that happens.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
What have you seen that makes you feel confident? Like
you said earlier, that they've turned the page from last year.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I think the fact that we have seven seniors and
they've been through a lot of wars.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
They've been good, down good. I think they also understand that.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Rankings and where people predict you to be not an
indicator of your success. It's how hard are you gonna
work every day in practice? Are you going to take
care of yourself away from the rink? Are you gonna
hold guys accountable? That's all stuff that's yet to be seen.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Has anyone of the attorneys taken a would have been
jumped more than you might expect in your growth, either
on or off the ice?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Again, you know in the weight room, yeah, you know
some of our numbers, I mean, most of the kids
were here this summer, and mo did a fabulous job
with him, as she always does. So as I look
at where our numbers were a year ago in the
weight room to where they are now, yeah, they've taken
some great jumps. But does that translate onto the ice,
(05:03):
I'm not sure yet. You know, Like Jerry Jerry Yorkis
always say yeah he's on the all bus team. He
gets off the bus, he looks great, but the game comes,
I don't know what's gonna happen.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Yeah, a lot of newcomers, seven new covers. How if
they blended in cabin, is that give you the ability
to kind of start.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Faster because most of the guys.
Speaker 6 (05:27):
Have d his system.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yeah, well they were all here this summer. So for
those guys, I think it's been a seamless transition. They
understand what the expectations are of this team. And I
think when you have leaders, uh like we have up
front with Taber and Ryan Taddle and on defense with
Thomas Sineo and Moose and net you know, because we
(05:50):
have new goalies coming in, we have new defensemen coming in,
we have new forwards coming in, they've been able to
tutor them all in that position, pretty well.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
Every rule has different every sport has different rules, and
hockey was a place where you could get drafted, maybe
go to a developmental camp, and then come back.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
But how do we get.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
From that to where now AHL players could come back
and play in hockey.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Do you have any thoughts on that? Yeah, that's a
good question, Tom, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
You know, there's part of me. There's part of me
that says, how are we any different? I mean, there's
kids getting paid a lot of money to play college sports,
so how is that any different than a kid being
paid in the East Coasts? So part of me wants
to say I do think there needs to be an
age limit though, So up until you're twenty one, I
don't care where you've played, you know, really I don't,
(06:45):
because we can be considered professional. But when kids are
twenty three, we're twenty four coming in to be freshmen
and they've played pro hockey, it just doesn't seem right
to me. It doesn't seem like that's the spirit of
where we want to go in college athletics.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
But I'm not making those decisions kind of in that
same dame.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
But if this is the first year you got major
junior kids. What impact do you expect that to have
on the sport, and then how have you navigated that
as a program.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah, I mean we're certainly out there recruiting those. I
don't see a major difference honestly between the Major junior
kid and the USHL kid.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I really don't.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
I think the leagues are very comparable, and I hope
at some point that they all become one league, you know,
and that there's not infighting in between leagues, and there
should be a development process where you go midgets to
juniors or prep school, you know, to juniors, to college
to pro.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
That's what I'm hoping.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I think there are some people still buying for their turf,
and I think it's childish and sophomoric, and we need
to move away away.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
From that and all work together.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
That's what I think, because it really it should be
about the player and what is the best development path
for that player to achieve the goals they want to achieve.
And we're certainly going to need help from the NHL.
The NHL is going to have to intervene here at
some point and say this is the development path we
foresee for the NHL. And I think if they step
(08:25):
in and do that, it'll be a lot more a
much smoother ride going forward in the future.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
So what's it been like just opening that recruiting territory
Because you recruited a ton in BCCHL, you had those
connections to the USHL. What's the process been like just
building those connections in those leagues, kind of figuring out
each team, each league and all of that for bringing
in guys for yourself.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Well, the travel hasn't been any different. I mean, I
was in Victoria this weekend watching a couple of our
kids play, and I was there a couple of years
ago watching players play. So the travel really isn't any different.
It's just the relationships with those coaches. They're not all
happy that colleges are coming in to recruit their players.
(09:12):
So where in the.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Past the BC coaches would work with you.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
And it's a fact of life, Like the NHL is
going to come in and take our players, and I
understand that, and that's what they should do when the
kid's ready, and I think it should be the same
for us. There are some junior players that are playing
junior hockey right now that have no business playing junior hockey.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They should be playing collegiate hockey.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
But there's still a little bit of a as I said,
turf war between.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Both leagues.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Jerys, he's not necessarily trying to replicate his twenty nine
goals from last year, but improving in other things, maybe
getting more assistant stuff. Are you encouraging that you want
to a more well rounded game or just let the
goals come for him.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
I'd like to see him put up another twenty nine goals, certainly,
but I'm not going to put any pressure on him
to do that. I think we're going to take the
same tact I took with him last year. It is like, Joey,
I want you to become the best two hundred foot
player you can become. And the thing about Joey was
when he was scoring his twenty nine thirty goals, he
wasn't cheating on the defensive end to do it. So
(10:21):
he's one player I don't have to worry about. He
comes out here every day and works on his craft
and he's committed to playing at both ends of the sheet.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
And whether he gets twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Nine goals, thirty nine goals, or nineteen goals, I'm not
concerned with that as long.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
As he's given us a great effort at both ends.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
There's something you want to see him prove his game?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
I think everybody can improve. I don't know if there's
one specific thing in his game. He shoots the puck
pretty well, he competes, he can make a play.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
So.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
I don't know if there's one specific thing we want
to see him improve. I just want to see him
get better in all areas. Did you notice any added
buzz to the program after the defending the tournament last
year just out of the recruiting trail or out of course, Yeah,
talk about kind of how I noticed it. Yeah, Well,
you know, I've tried to tell people that that wasn't
(11:22):
Everybody seems to seem like, Wow, what a season that
came from out of nowhere.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Not really.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
You know, six of the last eight years we finished
in the top five in this league. Three of the
last four we've had twenty win seasons and finished in
the top four.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So to me, that wasn't a one off.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
Like we've been building to get there for a long time,
and I think that's what I.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Envisioned for this program.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I knew it wasn't going to happen overnight, but now
I think the next step for us is let's get
in the top three, let's get in the top one.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
You know, let's win.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
A conference championship. Those are all things that now we're
aspiring to do.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
To that point, what has it been like to see
maybe that people outside of these walls are seeing what
you've been working on four years at years.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
And years, I'm sorry, I'd like.
Speaker 6 (12:17):
To see that people outside of this building are starting
to recognize what we talk about it every year, write
this chip on your shoulder, and their disrespect and that
sort of thing. But now people outside the walls are
starting to see it because you did hit that next.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yeah, And I think more importantly than the people outside
the walls or the people inside the walls, and those
are the guys that I'm really focused on. And those
guys know what our expectations are, they know what they
have in that room, and they know where we want
to go as a program. That to me is way
(12:53):
more important than the people outside the walls and what
their impressions are of our program.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Do you have any goalie coach, Yeah, what do you
like about him?
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Why, how did you find him?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
And what are you expecting from him?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Well?
Speaker 1 (13:07):
The first person that tipped me off on him was
Vince Stilletti. He said to me, I think this is
a guy that you should look at. You know, Detroit
let go of their whole staff, and I've known him
for a while and I didn't realize it was nice
to have a coach that's my age, you know. Nick
Carusi was putting me in the same breath with his
parents today, and I guess I am. I'm old enough
(13:30):
to be his dad. But that kind of hit home
a little bit. So it's nice to have another approaching
fifty year old on the staff for one. But he's
got a I remember coaching against him when he was
at Yale. He was an outstanding goaltender and you know,
he's worked eight years in pro hockey, so I think
he brings a different.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Set of experience than we've had in the past.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
You know, Andrew Raycroft brought a little bit, but he
was only here a couple of years and he was
a volunteer. Westy's full time, and he can talk to
the kids what it's like at the pro level. Haven't
been there for the last eight years, and being in
Detroit and working with you know, a Dylan Larkin type player.
You know, he's seen all types and what it takes
(14:22):
to succeed at that level. So I think that's really
beneficial for our current players who have those aspirations.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Your last two assistants have had a lot more experience
than pretty much every other one that you hired. Was
that intentional and wanting to have more established guys or
is that just a coincidence.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
I think I'm always looking to hire the best fit
for our program, and with Nick, at the time, I
thought he was the best fit. And with Westy, I
thought he was the best fit. So I don't really
listen Joe. When I hired Joe Perreira, he didn't have
a day of recruiting experience at all, but I thought
at the time that's what we needed. And you know,
(15:01):
you're going to make mistakes in hiring, and you're going
to make good hires hopefully, you know. I think we've
made a lot of good hires here over the course
of thirteen years, and I think the last two are
going to fit that bill as well.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
How does the speed still as good as last year wise?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
I think so, you know, the kids we brought in
can all skate, and we've got a lot of returners.
I think it's important that you have a good It's
not only how fast you skate, it's about how fast
you think the game. So, you know, Jake Rashard might
not be a burner, but he probably thinks the game
faster than anybody on our team, so he can make up,
you know, what some guys might have, and you know,
(15:44):
god given natural speed, he makes up with his brain.
So not that he doesn't he skates poorly, but if
you're going to race he and Joey Muldowney, Joey's going
to win ten out of ten. But Jake thinks the
game pretty quick.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
To that point, having a veteran defense come back to
and the familiarity they have with each other, they able
to sort of think faster without familiarity and allow you
to do what you want to do in.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Your system play.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, and I think having a veteran team, you know,
also knowing we didn't have to spend a ton of time.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
On systems here early in the season. It was more about.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Trying to get into game shape quickly, into you know,
that first game. We're not going to be a finished product,
you know. And I also understand Colorado College isn't going
to be a finished product, but that night, I'm hoping
that we're further along than they are.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
We'll see, we'll see on October third.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
I don't know if that's going to be the case
or not, but that's why you play the games. But
that's kind of what we've been focusing on, getting really
into game shape and playing at the pace we want
to play at game one. And sometimes that's you know,
certainly not the easiest thing to do right out of
(17:05):
the gate because you want to continually be getting better
and better, and that's going to be our goal throughout
the season. But when you have a veteran team, you
want to try to play as close to the pace
we want to play at in game one.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Kevin Hitzderal doing Yeah, he's doing great. You know.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
A credit to Ed Blair and our medical staff, and
credit to Kevin because he really worked at it.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Last year.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Some of you guys who were around saw him doing
putting in the work and so far, knock on what
he's he's been healthy and he's been playing really well.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
So he's like full back. He's full back.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
How about anyone else?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Everyone else doing good? Ah? Yeah, we should have a
full practice today. In like long term terms, I think so,
I think we're fine as of right now.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Yeah, before we end, coach was just announced that you
commonly be playing in Belfast twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Yeah, just get a statement from you on that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
I we're super excited about that. That's we were there.
What year it was seventeen or eighteen, eighteen nineteen. It
was such a I think great experience for our team
being able to go over to a foreign country learn
about some history. You know, a lot of kids, a
lot of our kids had no idea about the conflict
(18:25):
and the troubles that went on in Ireland, and I
think that was eye opening.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
You know, when we went to.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
The Wall and Belfast and.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Then playing over there.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It's always a very energetic, enthusiastic crowd when you're playing
over there, and it's a trip that you know, I think, yeah,
we're going to be playing for a trophy, but I
think it's more than that. I think it's a it's
a life experience that the kids will never forget. So
we're really grateful that they asked us to come back,
(18:55):
and we'll be excited to go back there.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Thanks coach. Thanks, alright, it's okay.
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