September 29, 2025 • 8 mins
The Senior Defenseman is now the veteran of the Huskies blueline
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Yukon Hockey Coaches Show, and our
first player interview of the new season is an old guy.
Well he's a senior now, Thomasinho, who we've had on
many times. Westwood Massachusett's back for his senior season with
the Huskies. You know, when you get to campus as
a freshman, you say, I got four years. But man,
it goes fast, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, I mean it flies and you always have people
telling you to like, enjoy it flies by, and you
listen to them, but you don't really believe them. And
then all of a sudden you're hearing You're like, damn,
where'd all that time go? But yeah, I mean it
definitely flies by.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
All right before we started rolling, It's game week and
you've probably been going at it since you step back
on campus. Do you feel like, I don't know if
caged animal is the proper word, but you guys are
probably chomping at the bit to actually go out and
hit somebody other.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Than your own teammates to practice. I would say caged
animals right on the money.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
No, I mean, it's been a great training camp, been
a great few weeks, but we're definitely excited for game meet.
Like we've been looking forward to this week for you know,
since I guess April around then, So I mean we're
excited that it's finally here and we're looking good with
filing ready.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So but yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I mean you're practicing hard for weeks on end looking
for this the summer too.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Take me through the summer of mol Butler. What kind
of things does she put you through and how's it
changed in your four years at UKUN.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think she's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I mean her programs are really good, and I think
it shows like when we have a lot of guys here,
when the season comes around, we're ready to go.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So she pushes us.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Hard during the summer and we usually do some conditioning,
usually twice a week.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
But yeah, she loves it.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
She loves running. We do a lot of hill stuff,
but it's fun. I mean, it's like tough experiences that
we go through together. So I think it's great for
our momentum.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
All right, you mentioned hills. What hills are you running
around the stores area? We got Cemetery Hill and Horsebarn Hill. Okay,
we're hitting it.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
That'll do it.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Okay, I'm going to age myself here When the football
players used to get in trouble, the used to run
the stairs at the old Memorial Stadium, which does not
exist anyway. That's where the worst Champions Center is now,
all right, I have to ask. I was in Spokane
when the Penn State broke the hearts of the Huskies
getting ready for a women's game, and then I guess
with the regional finals. I was in my hotel room.
(02:13):
It happened on a great goal, but still it's the flating.
It ends the season. How long did it take you
personally to kind of get over that after everything that
this team accomplished last season.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I mean, it's tough, especially when you feel like you're
playing a game that you know, you think should go
your way. But I mean that's the sport. But I
mean you don't really get over it. You just kind
of use it to move forward and use it, I
guess as fuel and as a learning experience to come
back and make it farther and you know, win something
the next time around.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So I mean it's tough.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
We watched the game over and you always go back
and you look at things and it's just it's a
hard experience to go through, but I think there's a
lot of value that can be taken from it, so
it's not a complete failure. I mean, I think it
can help you actually win in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So I tell my friends that close from Saint Louis,
Joey Shocklus that far and said, yeah, for sure, Okay,
we mentioned conditioning. How much better shape are you? Like,
let's go, even in the season, you're gonna be obviously
put some weight on, muscle weight, good weight. How different
is your body from even last season, if at all?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I mean a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
You know, I think like being here in the summer,
like our program's pretty dialed and everyone's training back home too,
but those summer months are really where you kind of
make a difference in the weight room.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Like during the year, you're working out.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
To maintain usually and I mean it's you're practicing all
the time, so you got to give your body rest.
It's hard to push weight. But during the summer that's
when you can really make improvements. So usually coming back
this is kind of when you feel ready to go,
and I feel like we're all in a good spot.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
And do you feel like, Okay, you've been on the
ice for a month now, do you see some of
that paying off, at least from a practice standpoint of
what you put in?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I mean just I mean in terms of like conditioning,
you feel great out there that like by the time
the first game rolls around, so we're already we're already there.
But yeah, I think definitely, like putting on weight in
the summer and building that muscle. It helps when you
know you're getting into this beginning stretch. You know you're
ready to go, so you don't have to make up
(04:17):
for time that you lost or anything.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You are now the old man of the of the
blue line, the veteran. Last year, you spent a lot
of time with Nick Carabin. Give me some of the
defensive combinations. I'm sure you've played with everybody, but who
are you anticipating the you have as you're a defense
mate on Friday night when you guys go to Colorado.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
College with the group we have where it's really flexible.
I mean, we've been changing it up pretty much every week.
We're still trying new combinations. So come Friday, I mean
they could the parents would kind of be with anyone.
But that being said, we're also comfortable all playing together,
so there's really no wrong combination. It's just just a
(04:55):
matter of what they see working. But yeah, I mean
we've been out different combinations and we're lucky. We have
a lot of good skaters, a lot of guys that
can move, talks, different like abilities. So I think any
of the combinations will work. It's just kind of finding
what meshes, and I'm sure as the season goes on,
it'll change and we'll find it works best.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Tell me about Kevin Fitzgerald.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He kind of was a forgotten guy last year toward
his acl in last September.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
He's back. What can fans expect from this young man?
He's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I mean when he was injured, he was so dialed
and focused on rehab. And he's still around the team
every day, traveled everywhere. He was helping us with a film,
so I think he's learned a lot mentally from that
and he came back. He's in great shape. He's a
beast in the gym and on the ice. He's a
really good puck moving guy, great first pass. He's more
(05:48):
of like a stay at home but he has a
lot of offensibility. But I think he's gonna be really good.
Like Lock it down on the back end, move puck's up,
play quick. What's the communication been like with your new goalies.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I mean, we know ties back, but you also have
a couple of the other young guys between the pipes
this year.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, I mean it's been great.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
We've been going over like goalie retrievals and touches and
kind of working with them on I mean, every goalie
kind of has different preferences and what they like, so
we've been working with that. But I mean, yeah, they
fit into the team great, and I think they'll they won't.
I mean they're already like ready to go. It's not
like there's not that much of a learning period for them.
They're they're into it.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
So okay.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
One of the reasons for the success special teams last season,
I mean, the power player was outstanding.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
But your role is more of a penalty killer. What
do you see from the penalty kill early on? And
I know one thing that when you when you're able
to skate, you can be aggressive and take chances and
really put pressure on the opposing power plays.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah, I think that our aggression is definitely what makes
our penalty kill effective. We don't like to give teams
you know, free out, so if they bobb La Parker
they mess up, you know, we want to be on them.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
But yeah, I mean, our our down ice is really good.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's hard for teams to get set up in our
zone and that's kind of where we can get them. Like,
once a team gets set up, it's hard to initiate
pressure unless they force a mistakes. So it's really our
down ice is really good, and that's kind of what
we've been working on a lot is getting up ice,
working on my rush principles, taking rushes, how to close
them out at the blue line so they can't get
set up, working on room retrievals, stuff like that. And
(07:22):
then our end zone is the same. You know, it's
dialed and we've been going over a lot of different sets,
so we're prepared for whatever they have to throw it
us good.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Finally, is altitude going to be an issue going to Colorado?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And how do you adjust if it is.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I've heard a lot about it, but I've also heard
that it's not high enough that it will make an impact.
But I mean, if it is well to Suggesst, we'll
figure it out. But I don't see you think an issue,
especially with the amount of focus that we have on.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Our conditioning and staying.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Healthy and being prepared for this game, so I don't
think it'll be an issue.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
There you go. Tom is always thanks for the time.
Both socks appreciate you. Tama sitting with us on the
Coaches Show.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Stay tuned, Ryan Tattles Next, this is Yukon Hockey Coaches
Show from Learfield.
Welcome back to the Yukon Hockey Coaches Show, and our
first player interview of the new season is an old guy.
Well he's a senior now, Thomasinho, who we've had on
many times. Westwood Massachusett's back for his senior season with
the Huskies. You know, when you get to campus as
a freshman, you say, I got four years. But man,
it goes fast, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, I mean it flies and you always have people
telling you to like, enjoy it flies by, and you
listen to them, but you don't really believe them. And
then all of a sudden you're hearing You're like, damn,
where'd all that time go? But yeah, I mean it
definitely flies by.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
All right before we started rolling, It's game week and
you've probably been going at it since you step back
on campus. Do you feel like, I don't know if
caged animal is the proper word, but you guys are
probably chomping at the bit to actually go out and
hit somebody other.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Than your own teammates to practice. I would say caged
animals right on the money.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
No, I mean, it's been a great training camp, been
a great few weeks, but we're definitely excited for game meet.
Like we've been looking forward to this week for you know,
since I guess April around then, So I mean we're
excited that it's finally here and we're looking good with
filing ready.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
So but yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I mean you're practicing hard for weeks on end looking
for this the summer too.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Take me through the summer of mol Butler. What kind
of things does she put you through and how's it
changed in your four years at UKUN.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I think she's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I mean her programs are really good, and I think
it shows like when we have a lot of guys here,
when the season comes around, we're ready to go.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So she pushes us.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Hard during the summer and we usually do some conditioning,
usually twice a week.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
But yeah, she loves it.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
She loves running. We do a lot of hill stuff,
but it's fun. I mean, it's like tough experiences that
we go through together. So I think it's great for
our momentum.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
All right, you mentioned hills. What hills are you running
around the stores area? We got Cemetery Hill and Horsebarn Hill. Okay,
we're hitting it.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
That'll do it.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Okay, I'm going to age myself here When the football
players used to get in trouble, the used to run
the stairs at the old Memorial Stadium, which does not
exist anyway. That's where the worst Champions Center is now,
all right, I have to ask. I was in Spokane
when the Penn State broke the hearts of the Huskies
getting ready for a women's game, and then I guess
with the regional finals. I was in my hotel room.
(02:13):
It happened on a great goal, but still it's the flating.
It ends the season. How long did it take you
personally to kind of get over that after everything that
this team accomplished last season.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I mean, it's tough, especially when you feel like you're
playing a game that you know, you think should go
your way. But I mean that's the sport. But I
mean you don't really get over it. You just kind
of use it to move forward and use it, I
guess as fuel and as a learning experience to come
back and make it farther and you know, win something
the next time around.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So I mean it's tough.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
We watched the game over and you always go back
and you look at things and it's just it's a
hard experience to go through, but I think there's a
lot of value that can be taken from it, so
it's not a complete failure. I mean, I think it
can help you actually win in the future.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So I tell my friends that close from Saint Louis,
Joey Shocklus that far and said, yeah, for sure, Okay,
we mentioned conditioning. How much better shape are you? Like,
let's go, even in the season, you're gonna be obviously
put some weight on, muscle weight, good weight. How different
is your body from even last season, if at all?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I mean a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
You know, I think like being here in the summer,
like our program's pretty dialed and everyone's training back home too,
but those summer months are really where you kind of
make a difference in the weight room.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Like during the year, you're working out.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
To maintain usually and I mean it's you're practicing all
the time, so you got to give your body rest.
It's hard to push weight. But during the summer that's
when you can really make improvements. So usually coming back
this is kind of when you feel ready to go,
and I feel like we're all in a good spot.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
And do you feel like, Okay, you've been on the
ice for a month now, do you see some of
that paying off, at least from a practice standpoint of
what you put in?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I mean just I mean in terms of like conditioning,
you feel great out there that like by the time
the first game rolls around, so we're already we're already there.
But yeah, I think definitely, like putting on weight in
the summer and building that muscle. It helps when you
know you're getting into this beginning stretch. You know you're
ready to go, so you don't have to make up
(04:17):
for time that you lost or anything.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
You are now the old man of the of the
blue line, the veteran. Last year, you spent a lot
of time with Nick Carabin. Give me some of the
defensive combinations. I'm sure you've played with everybody, but who
are you anticipating the you have as you're a defense
mate on Friday night when you guys go to Colorado.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
College with the group we have where it's really flexible.
I mean, we've been changing it up pretty much every week.
We're still trying new combinations. So come Friday, I mean
they could the parents would kind of be with anyone.
But that being said, we're also comfortable all playing together,
so there's really no wrong combination. It's just just a
(04:55):
matter of what they see working. But yeah, I mean
we've been out different combinations and we're lucky. We have
a lot of good skaters, a lot of guys that
can move, talks, different like abilities. So I think any
of the combinations will work. It's just kind of finding
what meshes, and I'm sure as the season goes on,
it'll change and we'll find it works best.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Tell me about Kevin Fitzgerald.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He kind of was a forgotten guy last year toward
his acl in last September.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
He's back. What can fans expect from this young man?
He's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I mean when he was injured, he was so dialed
and focused on rehab. And he's still around the team
every day, traveled everywhere. He was helping us with a film,
so I think he's learned a lot mentally from that
and he came back. He's in great shape. He's a
beast in the gym and on the ice. He's a
really good puck moving guy, great first pass. He's more
(05:48):
of like a stay at home but he has a
lot of offensibility. But I think he's gonna be really good.
Like Lock it down on the back end, move puck's up,
play quick. What's the communication been like with your new goalies.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I mean, we know ties back, but you also have
a couple of the other young guys between the pipes
this year.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, I mean it's been great.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
We've been going over like goalie retrievals and touches and
kind of working with them on I mean, every goalie
kind of has different preferences and what they like, so
we've been working with that. But I mean, yeah, they
fit into the team great, and I think they'll they won't.
I mean they're already like ready to go. It's not
like there's not that much of a learning period for them.
They're they're into it.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
So okay.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
One of the reasons for the success special teams last season,
I mean, the power player was outstanding.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
But your role is more of a penalty killer. What
do you see from the penalty kill early on? And
I know one thing that when you when you're able
to skate, you can be aggressive and take chances and
really put pressure on the opposing power plays.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah, I think that our aggression is definitely what makes
our penalty kill effective. We don't like to give teams
you know, free out, so if they bobb La Parker
they mess up, you know, we want to be on them.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
But yeah, I mean, our our down ice is really good.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's hard for teams to get set up in our
zone and that's kind of where we can get them. Like,
once a team gets set up, it's hard to initiate
pressure unless they force a mistakes. So it's really our
down ice is really good, and that's kind of what
we've been working on a lot is getting up ice,
working on my rush principles, taking rushes, how to close
them out at the blue line so they can't get
set up, working on room retrievals, stuff like that. And
(07:22):
then our end zone is the same. You know, it's
dialed and we've been going over a lot of different sets,
so we're prepared for whatever they have to throw it
us good.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Finally, is altitude going to be an issue going to Colorado?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
And how do you adjust if it is.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I've heard a lot about it, but I've also heard
that it's not high enough that it will make an impact.
But I mean, if it is well to Suggesst, we'll
figure it out. But I don't see you think an issue,
especially with the amount of focus that we have on.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Our conditioning and staying.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Healthy and being prepared for this game, so I don't
think it'll be an issue.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
There you go. Tom is always thanks for the time.
Both socks appreciate you. Tama sitting with us on the
Coaches Show.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Stay tuned, Ryan Tattles Next, this is Yukon Hockey Coaches
Show from Learfield.
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