July 2, 2026 âą 21 mins
EITM interviews Alex Tuch
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Please welcome one of your newest members of the Washington Capitals.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Please say hello to mister Alex talk Alex.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Hey, how's it going.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hey, I'm doing great, man, How are you good?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Good?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Has it Has it settled in a little more?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah, a little bit. I think we're trying to uh
go like Emily and I right now trying to uh
we're moving down at the end of the month and
trying to find a house. And my wife's pregnant with
her third child, so she's gonna she's about two months out.
So we got to find a hustle and it'll be
and everything like that. So it's a lot of moving parts.
(00:40):
But uh, yeah, I'm getting excited watching Capitals make some
big moves yesterday. It's it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
So let me ask you, like when you talk about
having to pack up the entire Tuck family and then
obviously get down, well, I mean you got to get
down here before camp starts. I get that, But now
you're looking at hospitals. That's whoa man that came out
of that came out a big time, didn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Yeah, No, definitely, it's uh it's a blessing that during
the off season I've been traded mid season. I was
lucky enough last time I was traded to be injured
so I didn't have to go right away, and I
was still like rehabbing my uh my shoulder after surgery,
and so to be able to have to pack up
and move like in the middle of the season they're
(01:24):
on the trade deadline and or leave your family behind
would be that'd be really tough. So I'm glad I'm
able to help my wife, especially when she's seven months pregnant,
because it would have been it would have been tough
for sure. But we've had a lot of help and
a lot of people reach out from the Capital's organization,
the players are helping us, helping us out too. My
husband talking to Taylor show about where where she had
(01:48):
had their kids and everything. So it's been it's been
an easy transition.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah, I guess, I guess Taylor.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I mean she popped one out not too not too
long ago, so yeah, no, I mean that's a good
one to lean on.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Hey, can I can I ask you this, Alex?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So obviously a lot has happened within the last week,
but if you go back to when you were when
when the deal was made, for for you to come
to the Caps. I know that you said that it
was it was very bittersweet. Buffalo's home, like that is
that's home for you, that's where that's the team you
always wanted to, always wanted to play play for, and
(02:24):
you get back there. And there was something early in
the year, Alex that I that I loved and obviously
Buffalo went on a great run this year, and I
can't remember it was somebody from the press had said
to you, like, hey, is this the year you guys
are going to make the playoffs? And it and your
response wasn't cocky, but I love the answer of we're
not here to make the playoffs, We're here to go
(02:45):
to the Cup. But it just that's how much that
that that situation and especially being your team, that's how
much that that that scenario meant to you.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, No, it definitely did. And it was right around
the time when we started tying of turning the season
around and we started pushing our way back into a
playoff picture. And I think it was it was a
little bit like mea kind of blew it up a
little bit, But at the same time I probably should
have kept it in more internal and everything. But at
(03:17):
the same time, I was sitting there saying, like every
team going into training camp is like trying to win
the Stanley Cup, no matter what, even no matter what,
And so you're trying to make a team better, You're
trying to get better. You're hoping the players can play
as well as they can to get to hear ultimate dream.
(03:37):
And that's that's the host Stanley Cup. And so I
don't think it was a seeker or anything like that,
just not many people have said it, and especially in
the last fifteen years in Buffalo. And so to be
able to say that and to be able to say
that we took a shot at it and we made
the playoffs. We made the second round, we were one
goal away from making it to the third round is
it's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
And I will say this, and had been a drought,
and you know that for Buffalo. We did a show
trip up there a handful of years ago. Alex and
I had never been to a game up there. What
a great experience, and that was when the Sabers. This
is predates you being there, but man, what a great experience.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
The city was awesome, loved the city.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And then go into a game I can't imagine if
it was we went up for a Caps Sabers game.
I can't imagine what it would be like to be
there with that team on fire and making a push
towards the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
It was a great experience.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, really passionate fan base, blue collar town. But they
do they bleed, They bleed blue and gold, and they
really they really care and they know hockey too, so uh,
they know when you're not trying, they know when the
teams will be playing better. They also really respect.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Hey Alex, did I lose you?
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Oh? There you are?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Sorry?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Hey, so no, that's okay, that's all right.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Hey when when when when you finally knew that there
a deal wasn't going to be made between Alex Tuck
and the Sabers.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Had the Capitals been on your radar at all?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Or and then obviously the Caps come in and there's
the sign of trade.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
We'll get to that in a second.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
But once you once it kind of dawned on you
that it's just not going to work out here.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
We're was Washington on It's not.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Like you had a list, Like I feel like everybody's
heard about, like whether it's Dylan Larkin, or we're ren scared.
Whatever it is were they were they top of mind
for you.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So going through and it's a longer extensive process because
it's you're just talking your agent every day or every
other day and trying to figure out like all what
teams have castidayce, what teams are looking to do this,
what teams need right wingers, what teams are just like
are looking to retool or rebuild or or contenders, And
(06:01):
you have to put You do actually make lists, but
it's not the list of like this is. It's not
the list that everyone sees online. So it's more of
a list of like for between my agent and I,
between my wife and I have trying to figure out
like what the best destinations for us and our family
would be if if we weren't going to be able
to re sign in Buffalo. So because you're kind of
(06:23):
trying to figure this out, it's like, Okay, today, it
doesn't look like it's going to happen, so talk about
this the next day. Oh they're actually like talk to
picking up again. So it's it's a day to day basis.
It was it was like that all year long and everything,
and so I didn't really know and then when I mean,
(06:43):
when we we came down to it, you got four
on our on our lists of like, okay, this is
the handful of teams that we could see this happening
in the cast were in there, So it was I
was really excited when they when when I got traded
and uh negotiated a deal on everything and just everything
they said and the meetings of my with my agent
(07:06):
was incredible. And talking with them and seeing how the
excited they were after the fact too was it has
been awesome. So just really excited. I can't wait for October.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Hey, Alex, let me ask you this, Like I listen,
I love hockey.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think it's the greatest sport in the world.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
And as a fan and somebody watching it like going
through that process and going like, oh where will Alex talk?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Where would he fit in? And that could be with
any player.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Like that's fun on my end as a player though,
And you just said like that had gone on all year.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Does it really take a toll?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You know what? I think it does if you don't
have the right support system around you. So I think, like,
first and foremost, my wife and my kids have been
unbelievable through the whole process and super support and just
I liked to when I come home from the rink,
I don't like to bring the rink home with me,
(08:07):
and so that was that's difficult during a time like this,
But I think that like my wife, my kids did
a really good job, and my boys are my socially.
My oldest one's obsessed with hockey now, so he just
wants to play knee hockey and pretend to be me
and it's a lot of fun. But my agent was great.
It just keep me out of the loop when I
(08:27):
needed to play hockey, and keep me in the loop
when I had a break. And then like honestly, my
teammates and Buffalo were great about it too. They see
it as a business and they would make jokes and
everything like that. But it was to keep it light
and loose in the room. But for the most partly
it was it was easy and I was just able
to kind of separate business from the like the non
(08:49):
business side of things, and it was Yeah, it wasn't
as hard as I thought, but like for the most part,
and at times it was wasn't the easiest, especially when
I came down the crunch time.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Hey was the was the the way that it came together,
not to get too into the woods, but getting the
signed trade, which was works out where you could re
sign with with Buffalo, get that eighth year, and then
get traded and come with that eighth year. I feel
like that would have been that's that's a nice little
pat on the back, whatever you want to call it
from the Caps to so, hey, listen, we are that invested,
(09:23):
we are that interested, please signed the eighth year as
a as because they could have waited and gone to
actual free agency and tried to do it, but I
thought I would at least feel like that's a nice
little pat on the back.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yeah. No, the fact that they were they were all
in for it was Yeah, it was really Uh was
a special feeling. They really meant a lot, and my
family and I it's not always easy to look at
a thirty year old and be like, here's an eight
year deal. Even though I see some six written, six
year deals now right, I don't feel I don't feel
(10:00):
I'm going to be too old at thirty eight nowadays,
but especially with all the advancements and sports science and everything.
But yeah, no, it felt it felt really good and
I just like I said, I heard, I saw how
excited they were to have me, and I was really special.
And yeah, being able to keep the AAV lower two
(10:22):
and in the eighth years I think hopefully helps the
team out and in the future. And yeah, no, it
was awesome.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Hey, other than your when you were in Vegas with
Logan Thompson. Other than other than Logan, do you are
you close with anybody on the on the.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Capitals other than Josh Dunn that they just signed yesterday,
the guys that have played a game for the Capitals. No,
I only I barely crossed bass with LT as well,
right with Tom or there, so he I was injured
when he was playing up and he was in the organization,
(10:58):
so I got to know him like the through training
camps everything like that. But yeah, I mean i've I
was at a wedding with Tom Wilson and a different
wedding with Dylan Strome and so I had a few
beers with them. But other than that, I don't. I
didn't really know anyone on the team. So it's it
would be pretty fun to get to know the group.
(11:19):
And like I said, they all have reached out and
I already made my wife and I feel really welcomed
and I'm just excited that I get it going.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Hey, total side note, how great was it playing in Vegas?
Speaker 3 (11:32):
It was? It was awesome.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
And that was correct me If I'm wrong, that's I mean, yes,
I know that's pre kids, right.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Those three kids. Yeah, yeah, I was. I met my
wife during my third year there and my third year there.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Okay, so the first two years were really good.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
No, they got better, got Yeah, it was a lot
better when my wife came in the equation, that's for sure.
I was no, she was. I lost like ten pounds
of fat when I started dating my wife. It was crazy.
I had like I had to caut some injury problem.
My wife came in during a time when I was
like pretty injured throughout the season, and then like I
(12:17):
hit like right before the bubble. I was like rehabbing
and then we were living together and she was cooking
my meal. I lost ten pounds and I had a
great I had a great time.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
In the bubble.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
There hadn't had a lot of goals star I was like, Okay,
this is gonna work out.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Yeah, no, wonder you lost ten pounds because I beg
you were eating at every fancy restaurant on the strip
and probably having more than just a quote couple of
beers out with the guys just at that time because
it was new and it was the Misfits. My god,
that had to be a blast.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
It was fun. And you always had people wanting to
come into town too. So I had to learn over
the first year or too how to how to mitigate
that and be like, Okay, we gotta, I gotta. I
got to stop having everyone come in every other weekend
and wanting to go get drinks and everything. And uh,
he used to start taking it a little bit more seriously,
(13:11):
and you get older you realize like, okay, like you
gotta even take care of your body more and more too.
So but no, it was a lot of fun. I
really enjoyed it. It was Uh it was yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
I feel like I was gonna say, I feel like
there were more than a couple of teams that would
be like, oh, it looks like so and so who's
got the Vegas flu today and just a little off
their game.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Anyway, let me get to something else.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
You had mentioned that the Caps made a couple of
moves yesterday through free agency.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I do want to go back though.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
When we when we acquired you, we also acquired Jordan
Cayrou from the from the Blues. I really like him
a ton really really fast guy, an experienced guy. Yesterday
we go out, we get Boon Jenner and we get
that that horse out of San Jose, Vincent Darnay. You
are you are you? Obviously you've played against all of them.
(14:04):
Were you happy to see some of the moves that
were made yesterday?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Yeah? No, they were. They were great. I was. I
was in. They were a fine home I mentally to
the life I had just I was slowly refreshing buck
Petia the whole time because that was the only that
was the only website that was working. I was like, okay,
keep going. And I saw them. I knew we were
potentially going to get Jenner. I heard that they were
high on him, and I was excited about that one.
(14:29):
The Kyri trade I thought was incredible. I mean, that's
that's he's an elite, elite player, and uh, hopefully I'm
able to play with him because he's he's a great
guy to play with. And yeah, I was just just
talking to someone about the Vinie d Rna signing was good.
So I'm gonna have to probably eat some of those
(14:50):
cross checks that I was eating last year and practice.
But I can't wait to see him do it to
somebody else in a game, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
But if you look at it.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
And then someone no, I was gonna say, then there
was there. There was a couple of other pieces that
that that we signed. But I was gonna say, if
you look at this roster right now, I mean, listen,
you're a big man.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
You have both pro toss brothers.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You've got Tom Wilson, day are Nay, It's not like
Strone's a any bitty little shrink and Violet. We are
a big, massive, meaty team.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah. No, I don't think anyone's gonna come into Washington
and and uh they're they're gonna. I don't think anything's
gonna push us around next year, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Hey have you and listen, I know that everybody is
waiting to see what's gonna happen with.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
OV and I.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Whether you know or not, I'm definitely not gonna ask
you because you wouldn't tell me.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
But does he go?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
I believe I was just gonna ask, does it go
through your head and go? God, damn it Ov please
come back.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Yeah, I would love that kiddy, who wouldn't want to
play with Ov seriously, would be incredible to play with
the greatest goal scorer of all time. Uh, I mean,
I really all he comes back. I heard he's an
un He's just a great guy to be around. And
I bet that guy's got stories for days. And I
would love to just just go out to dinner with
(16:12):
them and just listen to them.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yesterday or going back to the draft over over the weekend,
we took another big kid.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Did I read correctly?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Were you one of the first guys from the Caps
to reach out to him?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Yeah, I do that kind of everywhere ever I've been,
I like to text all the draft picks. There was
something that when I got drafted, Zach Parize and Ryan
Seter reached out to me. Today I got drafted, and
it's something that's always stuck in my mind, and so
I was like, Ah, that'd be really cool if I
started doing that. So Ever, since I I became a
(16:48):
full time in ICLA, I've always texted the draft picks.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Oh that's awesome and I and listen, we've seen players
do that in the in the past. And I mean
we just were talking about Ovechkin. He would do that
all the time. Is I think I think it just
caught me off guard because you've been here. You've been
here for a cup of coffee, all right, Like they
haven't even skated yet with the team.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I thought it was a classy move to see though.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
I mean, yeah, it's there was more just I I
didn't really care if anyone knew. It was more just
for the players. It was like, could I think that
these guys could potentially be my future teammate too? And
I think that goes a long way. And yeah, I
just it's, uh, you want to be bought into an
organization right from the start. And I think that that
(17:35):
also shows the players that are getting drafted that like
they're part of this organization right away. They're part of
the team and they have to work to make but
once they do that, they'll be right in the fold.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Hey, do you look back at your your draft?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Like I know it was a it was a while ago,
but like hearing that and obviously, like you said, you
get texted by Pere easy is do you remember your
draft night?
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Were you a nervous wreck?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
It was horrible horribly until I got drafted. I think
I went to the bathroom like ten different times between
picks one and eighteen, like sprinting up the stairs. I
had a migraine all morning long, Like I hadache all
morning long, Like I was just so stressed out, didn't know, like,
didn't know what was going on, had no idea who
(18:21):
I mean I was going to get picked between like
eighth overall to like twenty fifth overall. I was all
over the first round and it was like, yeah, I
had no idea, So I had no idea where I
was gonna go where, Like, yeah, I don't know. I
think back then I was a lot more stressed out person.
(18:41):
My wife probably says, I'm still probably really stressed out person.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
But dude, you had a good draft class. Though you
had a great draft class. Ye had dry Cidle in there,
Bennett was in there, Elers was in there. You know
what it went because I went and looked, can you
believe Pasta fell to twenty fifth?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
No?
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Because okay, so everyone was saying this is going to
be the worst draft class in like fifteen years, and
I was like, okay, like and then looking back, so
now it's now it's twelve years of past, and we're
probably the deepest. We're probably the deepest. I think who
else is in that draft class? Brandon Point was a
third rounder. Carell Caprice office later in that round. Later
in that draft, yeah, passionac of twenty fifth. I think, like,
(19:23):
I mean, you have dryside all you have, I mean
the first three, three out of the first four picks
of like we're on the Florida Panthers Stanley Cup team
or something like that. It was eck glad.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, I think my number one got.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
What a horrible class, What a class of garbage players.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
I know, I know that's crazy. I mean, don't get
me wrong, there's always busts in your draft and everything.
But everyone was like, oh, only half the first round
will be full time NHL players, And I'd say there's
probably kind of on that other shoeing for to be
Hall of famers. At this point, I was, I'm just
lucky enough to be one of them in there.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Can I ask you? Can I ask you a real
stupid nerdy question.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
But you said you were all over puck Pedia yesterday
keeping up with everything. So the one of the big
free agency moves yesterday was Bobrovski going to the Toronto
Maple Leafs.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
He wears He wears number seventy two.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
The first overall draft pick was Gavin McKenna, who goes
to Toronto and wears number seventy two.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Who ends up with the number.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
If it's not Forebroski. I'm going to be really disappointed
at Gavin McKenna because you always you always allow the
older player, the guy that's one of two Stanley cuffs, like,
who's gonna be a Hall of Famer when his goal
he used to ever play. Probably when it's all said
and done, you probably want to give him his number
and you find yourself a new number.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Oh I like that.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Good for you, you know, your first overall. But yeah, yeah,
he won back to back cuffs too.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
So all right, dude, well listen, welcome to town. Very excited
to have you. You are obviously aware you we need
a push back to the playoffs this year.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Oh yeah, I'm excited for it.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
All right, Very good, Alex, I appreciate the time. Welcome
to the Capitals, my friend, of course.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Thanks
Please welcome one of your newest members of the Washington Capitals.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Please say hello to mister Alex talk Alex.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Hey, how's it going.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hey, I'm doing great, man, How are you good?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Good?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Has it Has it settled in a little more?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah, a little bit. I think we're trying to uh
go like Emily and I right now trying to uh
we're moving down at the end of the month and
trying to find a house. And my wife's pregnant with
her third child, so she's gonna she's about two months out.
So we got to find a hustle and it'll be
and everything like that. So it's a lot of moving parts.
(00:40):
But uh, yeah, I'm getting excited watching Capitals make some
big moves yesterday. It's it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
So let me ask you, like when you talk about
having to pack up the entire Tuck family and then
obviously get down, well, I mean you got to get
down here before camp starts. I get that, But now
you're looking at hospitals. That's whoa man that came out
of that came out a big time, didn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Yeah, No, definitely, it's uh it's a blessing that during
the off season I've been traded mid season. I was
lucky enough last time I was traded to be injured
so I didn't have to go right away, and I
was still like rehabbing my uh my shoulder after surgery,
and so to be able to have to pack up
and move like in the middle of the season they're
(01:24):
on the trade deadline and or leave your family behind
would be that'd be really tough. So I'm glad I'm
able to help my wife, especially when she's seven months pregnant,
because it would have been it would have been tough
for sure. But we've had a lot of help and
a lot of people reach out from the Capital's organization,
the players are helping us, helping us out too. My
husband talking to Taylor show about where where she had
(01:48):
had their kids and everything. So it's been it's been
an easy transition.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah, I guess, I guess Taylor.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I mean she popped one out not too not too
long ago, so yeah, no, I mean that's a good
one to lean on.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Hey, can I can I ask you this, Alex?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So obviously a lot has happened within the last week,
but if you go back to when you were when
when the deal was made, for for you to come
to the Caps. I know that you said that it
was it was very bittersweet. Buffalo's home, like that is
that's home for you, that's where that's the team you
always wanted to, always wanted to play play for, and
(02:24):
you get back there. And there was something early in
the year, Alex that I that I loved and obviously
Buffalo went on a great run this year, and I
can't remember it was somebody from the press had said
to you, like, hey, is this the year you guys
are going to make the playoffs? And it and your
response wasn't cocky, but I love the answer of we're
not here to make the playoffs, We're here to go
(02:45):
to the Cup. But it just that's how much that
that that situation and especially being your team, that's how
much that that that scenario meant to you.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, No, it definitely did. And it was right around
the time when we started tying of turning the season
around and we started pushing our way back into a
playoff picture. And I think it was it was a
little bit like mea kind of blew it up a
little bit, But at the same time I probably should
have kept it in more internal and everything. But at
(03:17):
the same time, I was sitting there saying, like every
team going into training camp is like trying to win
the Stanley Cup, no matter what, even no matter what,
And so you're trying to make a team better, You're
trying to get better. You're hoping the players can play
as well as they can to get to hear ultimate dream.
(03:37):
And that's that's the host Stanley Cup. And so I
don't think it was a seeker or anything like that,
just not many people have said it, and especially in
the last fifteen years in Buffalo. And so to be
able to say that and to be able to say
that we took a shot at it and we made
the playoffs. We made the second round, we were one
goal away from making it to the third round is
it's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
And I will say this, and had been a drought,
and you know that for Buffalo. We did a show
trip up there a handful of years ago. Alex and
I had never been to a game up there. What
a great experience, and that was when the Sabers. This
is predates you being there, but man, what a great experience.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
The city was awesome, loved the city.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And then go into a game I can't imagine if
it was we went up for a Caps Sabers game.
I can't imagine what it would be like to be
there with that team on fire and making a push
towards the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
It was a great experience.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, really passionate fan base, blue collar town. But they
do they bleed, They bleed blue and gold, and they
really they really care and they know hockey too, so uh,
they know when you're not trying, they know when the
teams will be playing better. They also really respect.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Hey Alex, did I lose you?
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Oh? There you are?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Sorry?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Hey, so no, that's okay, that's all right.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Hey when when when when you finally knew that there
a deal wasn't going to be made between Alex Tuck
and the Sabers.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Had the Capitals been on your radar at all?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Or and then obviously the Caps come in and there's
the sign of trade.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
We'll get to that in a second.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
But once you once it kind of dawned on you
that it's just not going to work out here.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
We're was Washington on It's not.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Like you had a list, Like I feel like everybody's
heard about, like whether it's Dylan Larkin, or we're ren scared.
Whatever it is were they were they top of mind
for you.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So going through and it's a longer extensive process because
it's you're just talking your agent every day or every
other day and trying to figure out like all what
teams have castidayce, what teams are looking to do this,
what teams need right wingers, what teams are just like
are looking to retool or rebuild or or contenders, And
(06:01):
you have to put You do actually make lists, but
it's not the list of like this is. It's not
the list that everyone sees online. So it's more of
a list of like for between my agent and I,
between my wife and I have trying to figure out
like what the best destinations for us and our family
would be if if we weren't going to be able
to re sign in Buffalo. So because you're kind of
(06:23):
trying to figure this out, it's like, Okay, today, it
doesn't look like it's going to happen, so talk about
this the next day. Oh they're actually like talk to
picking up again. So it's it's a day to day basis.
It was it was like that all year long and everything,
and so I didn't really know and then when I mean,
(06:43):
when we we came down to it, you got four
on our on our lists of like, okay, this is
the handful of teams that we could see this happening
in the cast were in there, So it was I
was really excited when they when when I got traded
and uh negotiated a deal on everything and just everything
they said and the meetings of my with my agent
(07:06):
was incredible. And talking with them and seeing how the
excited they were after the fact too was it has
been awesome. So just really excited. I can't wait for October.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Hey, Alex, let me ask you this, Like I listen,
I love hockey.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think it's the greatest sport in the world.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
And as a fan and somebody watching it like going
through that process and going like, oh where will Alex talk?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Where would he fit in? And that could be with
any player.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Like that's fun on my end as a player though,
And you just said like that had gone on all year.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Does it really take a toll?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
You know what? I think it does if you don't
have the right support system around you. So I think, like,
first and foremost, my wife and my kids have been
unbelievable through the whole process and super support and just
I liked to when I come home from the rink,
I don't like to bring the rink home with me,
(08:07):
and so that was that's difficult during a time like this,
But I think that like my wife, my kids did
a really good job, and my boys are my socially.
My oldest one's obsessed with hockey now, so he just
wants to play knee hockey and pretend to be me
and it's a lot of fun. But my agent was great.
It just keep me out of the loop when I
(08:27):
needed to play hockey, and keep me in the loop
when I had a break. And then like honestly, my
teammates and Buffalo were great about it too. They see
it as a business and they would make jokes and
everything like that. But it was to keep it light
and loose in the room. But for the most partly
it was it was easy and I was just able
to kind of separate business from the like the non
(08:49):
business side of things, and it was Yeah, it wasn't
as hard as I thought, but like for the most part,
and at times it was wasn't the easiest, especially when
I came down the crunch time.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Hey was the was the the way that it came together,
not to get too into the woods, but getting the
signed trade, which was works out where you could re
sign with with Buffalo, get that eighth year, and then
get traded and come with that eighth year. I feel
like that would have been that's that's a nice little
pat on the back, whatever you want to call it
from the Caps to so, hey, listen, we are that invested,
(09:23):
we are that interested, please signed the eighth year as
a as because they could have waited and gone to
actual free agency and tried to do it, but I
thought I would at least feel like that's a nice
little pat on the back.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Yeah. No, the fact that they were they were all
in for it was Yeah, it was really Uh was
a special feeling. They really meant a lot, and my
family and I it's not always easy to look at
a thirty year old and be like, here's an eight
year deal. Even though I see some six written, six
year deals now right, I don't feel I don't feel
(10:00):
I'm going to be too old at thirty eight nowadays,
but especially with all the advancements and sports science and everything.
But yeah, no, it felt it felt really good and
I just like I said, I heard, I saw how
excited they were to have me, and I was really special.
And yeah, being able to keep the AAV lower two
(10:22):
and in the eighth years I think hopefully helps the
team out and in the future. And yeah, no, it
was awesome.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Hey, other than your when you were in Vegas with
Logan Thompson. Other than other than Logan, do you are
you close with anybody on the on the.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Capitals other than Josh Dunn that they just signed yesterday,
the guys that have played a game for the Capitals. No,
I only I barely crossed bass with LT as well,
right with Tom or there, so he I was injured
when he was playing up and he was in the organization,
(10:58):
so I got to know him like the through training
camps everything like that. But yeah, I mean i've I
was at a wedding with Tom Wilson and a different
wedding with Dylan Strome and so I had a few
beers with them. But other than that, I don't. I
didn't really know anyone on the team. So it's it
would be pretty fun to get to know the group.
(11:19):
And like I said, they all have reached out and
I already made my wife and I feel really welcomed
and I'm just excited that I get it going.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Hey, total side note, how great was it playing in Vegas?
Speaker 3 (11:32):
It was? It was awesome.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
And that was correct me If I'm wrong, that's I mean, yes,
I know that's pre kids, right.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Those three kids. Yeah, yeah, I was. I met my
wife during my third year there and my third year there.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Okay, so the first two years were really good.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
No, they got better, got Yeah, it was a lot
better when my wife came in the equation, that's for sure.
I was no, she was. I lost like ten pounds
of fat when I started dating my wife. It was crazy.
I had like I had to caut some injury problem.
My wife came in during a time when I was
like pretty injured throughout the season, and then like I
(12:17):
hit like right before the bubble. I was like rehabbing
and then we were living together and she was cooking
my meal. I lost ten pounds and I had a
great I had a great time.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
In the bubble.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
There hadn't had a lot of goals star I was like, Okay,
this is gonna work out.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Yeah, no, wonder you lost ten pounds because I beg
you were eating at every fancy restaurant on the strip
and probably having more than just a quote couple of
beers out with the guys just at that time because
it was new and it was the Misfits. My god,
that had to be a blast.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
It was fun. And you always had people wanting to
come into town too. So I had to learn over
the first year or too how to how to mitigate
that and be like, Okay, we gotta, I gotta. I
got to stop having everyone come in every other weekend
and wanting to go get drinks and everything. And uh,
he used to start taking it a little bit more seriously,
(13:11):
and you get older you realize like, okay, like you
gotta even take care of your body more and more too.
So but no, it was a lot of fun. I
really enjoyed it. It was Uh it was yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
I feel like I was gonna say, I feel like
there were more than a couple of teams that would
be like, oh, it looks like so and so who's
got the Vegas flu today and just a little off
their game.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Anyway, let me get to something else.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
You had mentioned that the Caps made a couple of
moves yesterday through free agency.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I do want to go back though.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
When we when we acquired you, we also acquired Jordan
Cayrou from the from the Blues. I really like him
a ton really really fast guy, an experienced guy. Yesterday
we go out, we get Boon Jenner and we get
that that horse out of San Jose, Vincent Darnay. You
are you are you? Obviously you've played against all of them.
(14:04):
Were you happy to see some of the moves that
were made yesterday?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Yeah? No, they were. They were great. I was. I
was in. They were a fine home I mentally to
the life I had just I was slowly refreshing buck
Petia the whole time because that was the only that
was the only website that was working. I was like, okay,
keep going. And I saw them. I knew we were
potentially going to get Jenner. I heard that they were
high on him, and I was excited about that one.
(14:29):
The Kyri trade I thought was incredible. I mean, that's
that's he's an elite, elite player, and uh, hopefully I'm
able to play with him because he's he's a great
guy to play with. And yeah, I was just just
talking to someone about the Vinie d Rna signing was good.
So I'm gonna have to probably eat some of those
(14:50):
cross checks that I was eating last year and practice.
But I can't wait to see him do it to
somebody else in a game, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
But if you look at it.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
And then someone no, I was gonna say, then there
was there. There was a couple of other pieces that
that that we signed. But I was gonna say, if
you look at this roster right now, I mean, listen,
you're a big man.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
You have both pro toss brothers.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You've got Tom Wilson, day are Nay, It's not like
Strone's a any bitty little shrink and Violet. We are
a big, massive, meaty team.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah. No, I don't think anyone's gonna come into Washington
and and uh they're they're gonna. I don't think anything's
gonna push us around next year, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Hey have you and listen, I know that everybody is
waiting to see what's gonna happen with.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
OV and I.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Whether you know or not, I'm definitely not gonna ask
you because you wouldn't tell me.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
But does he go?
Speaker 1 (15:43):
I believe I was just gonna ask, does it go
through your head and go? God, damn it Ov please
come back.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Yeah, I would love that kiddy, who wouldn't want to
play with Ov seriously, would be incredible to play with
the greatest goal scorer of all time. Uh, I mean,
I really all he comes back. I heard he's an
un He's just a great guy to be around. And
I bet that guy's got stories for days. And I
would love to just just go out to dinner with
(16:12):
them and just listen to them.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yesterday or going back to the draft over over the weekend,
we took another big kid.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Did I read correctly?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Were you one of the first guys from the Caps
to reach out to him?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Yeah, I do that kind of everywhere ever I've been,
I like to text all the draft picks. There was
something that when I got drafted, Zach Parize and Ryan
Seter reached out to me. Today I got drafted, and
it's something that's always stuck in my mind, and so
I was like, Ah, that'd be really cool if I
started doing that. So Ever, since I I became a
(16:48):
full time in ICLA, I've always texted the draft picks.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Oh that's awesome and I and listen, we've seen players
do that in the in the past. And I mean
we just were talking about Ovechkin. He would do that
all the time. Is I think I think it just
caught me off guard because you've been here. You've been
here for a cup of coffee, all right, Like they
haven't even skated yet with the team.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I thought it was a classy move to see though.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
I mean, yeah, it's there was more just I I
didn't really care if anyone knew. It was more just
for the players. It was like, could I think that
these guys could potentially be my future teammate too? And
I think that goes a long way. And yeah, I
just it's, uh, you want to be bought into an
organization right from the start. And I think that that
(17:35):
also shows the players that are getting drafted that like
they're part of this organization right away. They're part of
the team and they have to work to make but
once they do that, they'll be right in the fold.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Hey, do you look back at your your draft?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Like I know it was a it was a while ago,
but like hearing that and obviously, like you said, you
get texted by Pere easy is do you remember your
draft night?
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Were you a nervous wreck?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
It was horrible horribly until I got drafted. I think
I went to the bathroom like ten different times between
picks one and eighteen, like sprinting up the stairs. I
had a migraine all morning long, Like I hadache all
morning long, Like I was just so stressed out, didn't know, like,
didn't know what was going on, had no idea who
(18:21):
I mean I was going to get picked between like
eighth overall to like twenty fifth overall. I was all
over the first round and it was like, yeah, I
had no idea, So I had no idea where I
was gonna go where, Like, yeah, I don't know. I
think back then I was a lot more stressed out person.
(18:41):
My wife probably says, I'm still probably really stressed out person.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
But dude, you had a good draft class. Though you
had a great draft class. Ye had dry Cidle in there,
Bennett was in there, Elers was in there. You know
what it went because I went and looked, can you
believe Pasta fell to twenty fifth?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
No?
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Because okay, so everyone was saying this is going to
be the worst draft class in like fifteen years, and
I was like, okay, like and then looking back, so
now it's now it's twelve years of past, and we're
probably the deepest. We're probably the deepest. I think who
else is in that draft class? Brandon Point was a
third rounder. Carell Caprice office later in that round. Later
in that draft, yeah, passionac of twenty fifth. I think, like,
(19:23):
I mean, you have dryside all you have, I mean
the first three, three out of the first four picks
of like we're on the Florida Panthers Stanley Cup team
or something like that. It was eck glad.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, I think my number one got.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
What a horrible class, What a class of garbage players.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
I know, I know that's crazy. I mean, don't get
me wrong, there's always busts in your draft and everything.
But everyone was like, oh, only half the first round
will be full time NHL players, And I'd say there's
probably kind of on that other shoeing for to be
Hall of famers. At this point, I was, I'm just
lucky enough to be one of them in there.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Can I ask you? Can I ask you a real
stupid nerdy question.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
But you said you were all over puck Pedia yesterday
keeping up with everything. So the one of the big
free agency moves yesterday was Bobrovski going to the Toronto
Maple Leafs.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
He wears He wears number seventy two.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
The first overall draft pick was Gavin McKenna, who goes
to Toronto and wears number seventy two.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Who ends up with the number.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
If it's not Forebroski. I'm going to be really disappointed
at Gavin McKenna because you always you always allow the
older player, the guy that's one of two Stanley cuffs, like,
who's gonna be a Hall of Famer when his goal
he used to ever play. Probably when it's all said
and done, you probably want to give him his number
and you find yourself a new number.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Oh I like that.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Good for you, you know, your first overall. But yeah, yeah,
he won back to back cuffs too.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
So all right, dude, well listen, welcome to town. Very excited
to have you. You are obviously aware you we need
a push back to the playoffs this year.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Oh yeah, I'm excited for it.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
All right, Very good, Alex, I appreciate the time. Welcome
to the Capitals, my friend, of course.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Thanks
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