January 5, 2026 • 7 mins
The Defenseman from San Diego, CA with Bob Joyce on the MHOC Show Monday Night
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time now for a second U com player interview. We
thank CARLN Dezayn for joining us in the first one,
and now it's his freshman teammate, Brendan Dunfie six five
two oh seven freshman defenseman from San Diego, California. He
is the second of the bigs that you kind of
has on the back line with Viking Gustavsen Nyberg. First,
(00:20):
let's start there. Brendan, First of all, thanks for joining us.
It's a luxury. Kev's talked about this on previous Coaches shows,
to have two big, long, mobile defencemen on a team.
What's that been Like? How much did you feed off
Viking at least early in the season, just to kind
of get acclimated with the game, the college game and
(00:42):
him using his size the way you do.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
No, it's been really nice to have a teammately Viking,
especially with a similar build to me and being an
older guy. He's definitely taken me under his way and
giving me pointers and you know, help me with the reins,
and it's been really nice.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Big an adjustment from the Western Hockey League to college
hockey for you, I would say at first.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
It was definitely an adjustment with size and physicality of
the of college hockey. But you know, the pace of
the Western League is pretty high, so after I got
through the physical part, it's been pretty smooth.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Speaking of Western Hockey League, that's also where Carlin came from.
Did you two play each other at all last season
in your in your one year in the in the
Western Hockey League.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, we played against We played against each other once
in in Swift Current and he actually had the OT
winner against us and I was on the ice, so
he got he got me there.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Uh, you scored your second goal of the season against
l I U on Wednesday. It was a shorty walk
me through it, which how the play developed.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, their demon had the puck on the point and
he had his head up and he kind of just
lost the puck and then Shahan sol It obviously went
down the ice and that's soon as I saw that,
I just took.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Off and he found me.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
He Canso laid it out there and I, you know,
just one touched it then.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
So it was easy. He made it really easy for you.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Then.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, I know it was round the plotter and I've
never had a shorthanded goal, so that was that was
a nice one to get off the bucket list.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Do you have a big shot for the point or
do you try to finesse it through. I mean, you know,
there's a lot of traffic out in front. Cab says,
sometimes it doesn't matter how hard it goes, as long
as it finds a target. What's your m a here Offensively.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, I'd say I'd say mostly just getting it through,
especially the first guy is the biggest thing. So but
I mean, if I have a wide open shot, like,
I'm going to hammer that, So I'd.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Say mostly just getting it through.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It doesn't really matter the pace, but you know, when
it's open, I'll really hammer it.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And it's a very unique and different pairing you've pinned
up with the kai Jan Veria, a good Shunk of
the year, mobile defensemen quarterback on the power play. How
do you do? How do you too compliment each other
on the blue line when you're out there.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, I think we're a really good match for each other,
with him being a bit more offensive and really mobile,
and obviously I shut it down in the back end.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
So it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Playing with him, and I think we'll continue to grow together.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And it sounds like from the scouting report that I
read online for scouting services. You like to pin people
to the ice, You move people away from the net.
Your size here. Obviously you're always going to have battles.
What's your most fun What's the thing that you really
take pride in most when you're trying to deal with
a forward trying to impede the netminder or a good
(03:38):
heavy check. What excites you most about your job as
a defenseman?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I would say what excites me most is, you know,
making other forwards fear me with my size and making
them not want to come in my corners, whether it's
early in the game getting a good hit, or you know,
just making him scared and make him have a hard night.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Are you an agitator?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I mean I don't really chirp, but I let my
physicality do the talking.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So yeah, that works. Brendan Dumpfy with this defenseman for
the Huskies. All right, how does a young man from
San Diego get involved with hockey? Did your parents have
any any connection with the game or is it just
something you fell in love with?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Well?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, being from San Diego, hockey's not too big out there,
but both my parents are Canadians, So okay, it was
kind of just a given that I would wace up the.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Skates where in Canada they grow up.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
My dad grew up in Calgary and my mom grew
up in Vancouver.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Okay, nice, So that's obviously connection there. So was it
a big adjustment for you going from California to let's
start with the BHL with Langley to start your junior career,
because I mean, you have one sibling, but you know,
you're a teenager and suddenly you're going from San Diego
to a place far far away from your family. What
kind of adjustment was that for you?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
That it was pretty smooth, that it wasn't anything big,
just because I've always, you know, spent the holidays up there,
and I'm familiar with the area. So it actually worked
out really well playing in Langley, which is actually my
grandma lits so I've been there many times.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
All Right?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Where is Wanacchi by the way, that you're one year
in the in the Western Hockey League, where exactly is that?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
It's in central Washington, about two and a half hours
east of Seattle.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Oh okay, all right, And of course the Portland winter
Hawks are up there too. Was that a rivalry with
Portland given the proximity, or more with Seattle if they
still have a junior team.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
We definitely had a rival with them because they were
in a division, but I think Spokane and Seattle were
probably bigger rivals.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Oh Spokane Chiefs, Yeah, I forgot about them. Can you
describe what it's like playing going after the Memorial Cup?
I mean it's the junior version of the Stanley Cup.
The significance especially north of the border.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah, I mean, unfortunately we didn't really get a chance
to make it that far, but I mean that's something
you dream of, and you know, being like the top
team and the whole HL is a really cool accomplishment.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So yeah, that would have been really cool.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Okay, you've got you Maslow coming up this weekend. Really
good start to the second half with the sweep of
l Iu. What's the message from CAV been like, at
least to start the second half. You finished strong with
the sweep of Merrimack and then you come here and
now you're in a four game role. What's the message
been from CAV.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, I mean it's really just stick with our process
and worry about our game because you know, when we
play a full sixth city, We're really hard to beat.
So the biggest thing for us moving to the new
year is just stick with our process and control the
control balls.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Right.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Finally, favorite player growing up being a big Defenseman's.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Funny you say that my favorite player growing up is
Quinn Hughes, even though he plays nothing like me.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So all right, very good, Brennan, thank you for a
few minutes. Good luck this week, and then go get him.
Let's get for it. Let's get the six more points
in Hockey East this weekend.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Let's do it. Thanks for having me, all right.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's Brennan Dumfy, freshman defenseman of the Huskies. We'll wrap
things up with Coach Cavs. The Yukon Hockey Coaches Show
continues here in a minute on Learfield
Time now for a second U com player interview. We
thank CARLN Dezayn for joining us in the first one,
and now it's his freshman teammate, Brendan Dunfie six five
two oh seven freshman defenseman from San Diego, California. He
is the second of the bigs that you kind of
has on the back line with Viking Gustavsen Nyberg. First,
(00:20):
let's start there. Brendan, First of all, thanks for joining us.
It's a luxury. Kev's talked about this on previous Coaches shows,
to have two big, long, mobile defencemen on a team.
What's that been Like? How much did you feed off
Viking at least early in the season, just to kind
of get acclimated with the game, the college game and
(00:42):
him using his size the way you do.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
No, it's been really nice to have a teammately Viking,
especially with a similar build to me and being an
older guy. He's definitely taken me under his way and
giving me pointers and you know, help me with the reins,
and it's been really nice.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Big an adjustment from the Western Hockey League to college
hockey for you, I would say at first.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
It was definitely an adjustment with size and physicality of
the of college hockey. But you know, the pace of
the Western League is pretty high, so after I got
through the physical part, it's been pretty smooth.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Speaking of Western Hockey League, that's also where Carlin came from.
Did you two play each other at all last season
in your in your one year in the in the
Western Hockey League.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, we played against We played against each other once
in in Swift Current and he actually had the OT
winner against us and I was on the ice, so
he got he got me there.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Uh, you scored your second goal of the season against
l I U on Wednesday. It was a shorty walk
me through it, which how the play developed.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, their demon had the puck on the point and
he had his head up and he kind of just
lost the puck and then Shahan sol It obviously went
down the ice and that's soon as I saw that,
I just took.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Off and he found me.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
He Canso laid it out there and I, you know,
just one touched it then.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
So it was easy. He made it really easy for you.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Then.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, I know it was round the plotter and I've
never had a shorthanded goal, so that was that was
a nice one to get off the bucket list.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Do you have a big shot for the point or
do you try to finesse it through. I mean, you know,
there's a lot of traffic out in front. Cab says,
sometimes it doesn't matter how hard it goes, as long
as it finds a target. What's your m a here Offensively.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, I'd say I'd say mostly just getting it through,
especially the first guy is the biggest thing. So but
I mean, if I have a wide open shot, like,
I'm going to hammer that, So I'd.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Say mostly just getting it through.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It doesn't really matter the pace, but you know, when
it's open, I'll really hammer it.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And it's a very unique and different pairing you've pinned
up with the kai Jan Veria, a good Shunk of
the year, mobile defensemen quarterback on the power play. How
do you do? How do you too compliment each other
on the blue line when you're out there.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, I think we're a really good match for each other,
with him being a bit more offensive and really mobile,
and obviously I shut it down in the back end.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
So it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Playing with him, and I think we'll continue to grow together.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And it sounds like from the scouting report that I
read online for scouting services. You like to pin people
to the ice, You move people away from the net.
Your size here. Obviously you're always going to have battles.
What's your most fun What's the thing that you really
take pride in most when you're trying to deal with
a forward trying to impede the netminder or a good
(03:38):
heavy check. What excites you most about your job as
a defenseman?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I would say what excites me most is, you know,
making other forwards fear me with my size and making
them not want to come in my corners, whether it's
early in the game getting a good hit, or you know,
just making him scared and make him have a hard night.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Are you an agitator?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I mean I don't really chirp, but I let my
physicality do the talking.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
So yeah, that works. Brendan Dumpfy with this defenseman for
the Huskies. All right, how does a young man from
San Diego get involved with hockey? Did your parents have
any any connection with the game or is it just
something you fell in love with?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Well?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, being from San Diego, hockey's not too big out there,
but both my parents are Canadians, So okay, it was
kind of just a given that I would wace up the.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Skates where in Canada they grow up.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
My dad grew up in Calgary and my mom grew
up in Vancouver.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Okay, nice, So that's obviously connection there. So was it
a big adjustment for you going from California to let's
start with the BHL with Langley to start your junior career,
because I mean, you have one sibling, but you know,
you're a teenager and suddenly you're going from San Diego
to a place far far away from your family. What
kind of adjustment was that for you?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
That it was pretty smooth, that it wasn't anything big,
just because I've always, you know, spent the holidays up there,
and I'm familiar with the area. So it actually worked
out really well playing in Langley, which is actually my
grandma lits so I've been there many times.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
All Right?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Where is Wanacchi by the way, that you're one year
in the in the Western Hockey League, where exactly is that?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
It's in central Washington, about two and a half hours
east of Seattle.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Oh okay, all right, And of course the Portland winter
Hawks are up there too. Was that a rivalry with
Portland given the proximity, or more with Seattle if they
still have a junior team.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
We definitely had a rival with them because they were
in a division, but I think Spokane and Seattle were
probably bigger rivals.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Oh Spokane Chiefs, Yeah, I forgot about them. Can you
describe what it's like playing going after the Memorial Cup?
I mean it's the junior version of the Stanley Cup.
The significance especially north of the border.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah, I mean, unfortunately we didn't really get a chance
to make it that far, but I mean that's something
you dream of, and you know, being like the top
team and the whole HL is a really cool accomplishment.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So yeah, that would have been really cool.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Okay, you've got you Maslow coming up this weekend. Really
good start to the second half with the sweep of
l Iu. What's the message from CAV been like, at
least to start the second half. You finished strong with
the sweep of Merrimack and then you come here and
now you're in a four game role. What's the message
been from CAV.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, I mean it's really just stick with our process
and worry about our game because you know, when we
play a full sixth city, We're really hard to beat.
So the biggest thing for us moving to the new
year is just stick with our process and control the
control balls.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Right.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Finally, favorite player growing up being a big Defenseman's.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Funny you say that my favorite player growing up is
Quinn Hughes, even though he plays nothing like me.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So all right, very good, Brennan, thank you for a
few minutes. Good luck this week, and then go get him.
Let's get for it. Let's get the six more points
in Hockey East this weekend.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Let's do it. Thanks for having me, all right.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's Brennan Dumfy, freshman defenseman of the Huskies. We'll wrap
things up with Coach Cavs. The Yukon Hockey Coaches Show
continues here in a minute on Learfield
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