January 13, 2025 • 50 mins
In this episode of Trout Talk, Brendan Lang and Mike Karafilidis are on for the first time since the holiday break. They talk about the upcoming schedule for the Steelheads and trades from around the league. Macgregor Richmond from the Steelheads also joins the program to discuss the team this year and the new additions to the squad.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The views expressed in the following program are those of
the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of
Saga nine sixty am or its management.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hello and welcome to trout Talk here on Saga nine
sixty Am. I'm Brendan Lang along with Mikey k Mike
Cara Felitis. Thank you so much for coming along here
episode eighteen of this season on trout Talk here. First
one back from the holiday break. We'll get to that
in a minute, of course. Thanks for listening on Saga
iem sixty am or wherever you get your podcasts or
watching us on YouTube as well. Mikey, thanks for being
(00:48):
here today. It was a little bit of an extended
time off for us. The station was closed, we didn't
have any episodes, of course. The players were off for
about a week in there as well, eight days I
guess for them over the holiday break. So what did
you get up to over the holidays, Mikey, it's been
a few weeks since we talked.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well, it was nice. It was really really nice to
get together. I say it all the time, but family.
Good to get on track with the family and stuff,
you know. And yeah, I mean it was good. Day
by day you know, you know, the gifts took care of.
But I think the most stressful part of Christmas is
(01:23):
the holidays is getting the gifts right, get rid of
the gifts. But and you know, make it like Thanksgiving.
That's my favorite part. But I like Christmas too, I
love it. But anyway, so the gifts that took care
of that, and then Christmas Eve a Christmas Day thing,
you know, so it was really really nice just to
see just to see my son and the family happy
(01:46):
and just hanging out and stuff, and that's all that
matters to me. That's that's it.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Glad that you had a good time over the holiday
season about your family as well. For me, Yeah, it
wasn't a whole lot going on. Actually I did. I
went to uh, I went to the simulator. I went
to simulator a few times. Not outside, it's a little
cold right now.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
But I went outside.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
No, no, no, outside. Actually my dad was going to
play because there's one course in in Burlington I think
it is that's open all year round, so when it snows,
even when it snows, they plow the fairways off and
you can you can go play.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I would never play in the snow. I think that's crazy.
But it was I think either New Year's Day or
the day after New Year's Day, and my dad was
actually about to go play outdoors but it ended but
it ended up being like three degrees in raining, so
they decided against that. But no, I didn't get a
didn't get out, went to the simulator a few times. Uh,
(02:44):
I don't think we're we're anywhere close to outdoor golf
Yet's still a little cold here. But other than that, no,
I didn't. Uh, didn't do a whole lot once my
grandparents' house for for Christmas, got the whole family there.
Like you said, that's always the best part. I'm with
you on the on the presence thing, you know, it's
always nice to to see everyone's faces and reaction with
all the with all the gifts. But but of course
(03:04):
just being around the family is definitely the best part
of the of the holiday season. So I got to
do that. Could I hang out with some friends over
a New Year's and stuff? So yeah, No, it was
a It was a good time to have a little
bit of time off, you know, decompress a little bit
and get right back to it because it's a a
busy time for for us and a busy time for
the Steelheads as well at this time of year.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Absolutely. Yeah, Now it's go time. Now, it's go time now,
and we'll talk about all that later on. I guess
we could get the tell the people what's what's up
on this show. I mean, there's lots of trades going on,
because you'll Leeds meet a couple of trades. We'll get
into that more in depth. Our guest is coming up, right.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Yeah, coming up in a few minutes here, McGregor Richmond.
He's going to be on the show this uh this week.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I forgot about the guests.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yeah, yes, yes, well we'll have a guest. He will
be on the show. Yes, McGregor will be here. It'll
be great to talk to him, you know, get an
idea of kind of how the new additions are fitting
into the locker room. I think that's definitely something that
we can talk about with him, and I guess just
quickly we can go over we can go more in
depth about the moves in the final segment. Just want
(04:13):
to say before we get into this. At the time
of recording, the deadline has not passed, So at the
time of recording, the deadline is still about twenty four
hours away, so we will obviously there will be more
news we think coming out. I mean, definitely more news
coming out around the OHL. But for the steal Lets specifically,
we can just quickly go over the moves that they've
(04:33):
made to this point. Bringing in Wilmer Alrikson. We haven't
had an episode since he's been on the team, so
that was obviously a big move a little bit earlier
on before the deadline, bringing him over from the the
Gwell Storman. Then we also get Braden Gillespie in goal
for the Steelheads, played a great game against the oppos
sixty seven's his first start as a Steelhead, and then
(04:55):
just recently Connor Smith coming over as well. So I think,
just as a whole, give me your quick assessment all
the deals and then we can kind of go more
in depth one by one as we get into the
final segment today.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Oh, I love it. I love it. I love these deals.
Where every one of these deals I love so much.
The first one was Bill Marlickson, right, Vancouver Canucks draft pick.
This guy right, and he's big, he's straw. I mean
he I shook his hand for the first time. He
almost took my hand off. Let's just say that. It's
like putting your hand on a vice. That's how like
(05:26):
just picture that in your head. So you know, you
get him from Gwelph. Always approven goal scorer, big, big body,
likes to bang around. Perfect guy for James Richmond's system.
You get him for Branford second in twenty twenty six,
Auto was third in twenty twenty five, and sagan I
was third in twenty twenty seven. Perfect perfect, That was
the first deal, right, and the steel has had the
(05:49):
assets to do these kind of deals. And then yeah,
you pick up Braden Gillespie as you're saying, And you
know he was a starting goaltender for GWELF and he
was good. They called this guy Friday night Lights for
a reason in GWELF. He was really really well liked
over there, and he always did well against the Steelheads.
Always played well against him too. And you know you
(06:09):
got him. People say, okay, you got him for a second,
third and a fifth. Right. Some people were saying, oh
he paid too much, Oh he paid too much, oh
this and that. No he didn't, No he didn't. This
is exactly what the Steelheads needed, was a good backup
goaltender to back up Jack Ivankovic. What happens if Jack
ivan Covid gets hurt?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, I mean, what happens if he gets hurt? Also
talking about going down the stretch, I mean, you don't
want to be playing him every single day, right, I mean,
I think it's really really a luxury to have a
guy like Gilespie that as a backup because you can
fully trust him when he's in the net, and you
know ivan Covic will be ready to go for the playoffs.
So I think it's a it's a great move.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It's a great move. I mean, and as you mentioned,
he played really good against Ottawa. I think twenty six
twenty six out of twenty seven or twenty five out
of twenty six shots he stopped right and uh, I
don't know if you saw that glove steed he made
on Eckberg right the soccer Eckbert thought he had that
open that No, here comes Pilespie with the glove right.
(07:09):
And the way he I just remember it was a
five on three and for Ottawa, and the way he
was positioning himself about five on three, the way Ottawa
was passing the puck around. He never they waited for
him to over commit, you can tell, right, but he
never over committed. He's very good positionally as a goaltender. Uh.
(07:29):
He played really well stopping a lot of good one
timers and whatnot. And he's tough. He's very tough mentally.
Great pickup and.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah, great pickup.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, what can you say about him? Wow?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, again, I'll let you go.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I'll let you go.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
No, yeah, it's it's it's a great pickup. And and
again we'll we'll talk more in depth about it in
the in the final segment of the show today. But yes,
but yeah, Connor Smith of course is a is a
huge addition, especially for this decorp. I think that you know,
when you talk about players that have out in past years,
Chaz Sharp I think was such a big piece of
this team a season to go on the back end,
(08:05):
and now Connor Smith kind of goes into that shutdown role.
He's going to be able to log a lot of minutes.
And he said it about Alricson, but also with Connor Smith,
Fitz James Richmond system really well. So that's great. Another
thing quickly before we get onto the games, echoing just
the strong mentality of Gillespie. So he gets in the
net there yesterday, first start with the Steels, first game
with the steel Its, and the first shot is a goal.
(08:28):
So he let's hit a call in the first shot
and not his fault. I mean, it was a nice
pass out in front of the net. They score, but
he doesn't allow anything after that. There's times where that
could maybe shake you up a little bit. It's your
first game with the team. The first shot goes in,
but he was I mean he shut them out the
rest of the way. So I do think that that
point taken very well. And then we saw that quickly
(08:49):
in his early part of his career here with the
steel Its. All right, So a couple of minutes here
before we get to McGregor Richmond, we'll talk about the
past two games we'll go there. We'll start with the
overtime win against the Flint Firebirds. Mikey, what was I
going to say about that game?
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Nothing really happened to the playoff. Holy holy body's flying.
It was like full time hockey that game, right, kids? Uh? Suspension,
I mean unfortunately Stevie Lestabar got suspension that game. A
coach gets throwed out of the game. Paul Flash of
the Flint Firebirds and he suspended. It's under review right now.
(09:26):
I don't know what he said. I mean, I was down,
you know, in the interviewing waiting for the interview, and
all I saw was the referee just give it one
of these just points gone. That's it. He never said
a word. He just walked out. So anyway, there was
just a little bit of that. Yeah, what a game
it was, right, the Steeledds are down four to three,
(09:47):
coming back like that in the third period, Arleson scoring
in overtime or sorry an overtime in the to tie
the game at four. That tip in front of the goal.
What a perfect play call from James Richard six on five,
clicked the big guy in front of the net right
because he called a timeout right before that, and obviously
that was the game plan. Perfect tip. And then Finn
Harding it overtime. Oh man, how big? How huge is
(10:08):
Finn Harding been to this team, even through when they
had all the injuries and whatnot. You know, he took
the team on his back and what a backhand shot
it was to win against the Fli Firebirds that started
it off.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, it's such a big win. I think in so
many ways for the steel it's because there's been so
many games when everybody was out of the lineup that
they would they would be in one they would be
in one goal games and it would get down to
the end and they just couldn't quite find a way
to get that goal to either tie it or win.
And then overtime we've seen them, you know, I think
they dropped four straight and overtime before that game, so
(10:42):
it's like to be able to get down I think
it was twenty one seconds left. All Archon scores that
goal with the tip in front of the net, so
they get a late goal. They finally break through in
that regard, and then in overtime it didn't even take
a minute for Finn Harding to score that. So I
just think that's such a big win in many ways.
Goals start to buy Martone, take it into the zone,
pass it off to Harding and quick hands by Hearting
(11:04):
to be able to.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Get to the backhand there, and I'll find it.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
So a huge win there against Flint. And then you
can talk a little bit about the game against Ottawa
hero of about a minute before we get to our
guest here at a second. Yeah, but yeah, big win
against the sixty sevens yesterday as well.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Huge, yeah, I mean they got off to maybe a
little bit of a slow start. Ottawa got off to
that one nothing lead, and as you said, you know
that was Bradon Lesslie's first start as a Steelhead, So
maybe you're taking yourself, Oh no, you know, here we
go kind of thing. No, never happened that way. Steelheads
tie it right after that. Gillespie knuckles down played really
really well. You know we mentioned that already. But Parker
(11:40):
von Richter's goal to make it one to one, beautiful
pass for Martone. He's pitching it from the point, power play,
perfect shot over Jadea Nelson's shoulder that made it one
to one. And then it was then Lucas Carmiras, who
really had a nice game last night. Beautiful passa van
Volson on the back door tips it in. I made
(12:00):
a two to one. And then how about the goal
from Kieran Withckkowski right off of the draw, right, It's like,
obviously that's a set play. They work on that in practice,
and Carmeiras wins the draw and with Kowski's a little
up to his right, just a little bit, you know,
up to his right, you know, to his right hand side,
and he does no questions asked, right off of the stick, boom,
(12:21):
glove side. No chance for Jada and Nelson to make
it three to one. And you know, I love and
I said this to I say this to you guys.
I said to he's got such a heavy shot right
and it's hard to save his shot. I mean, and uh,
it was nice to see them outshoot them as well,
and they really outplayed them, so and I shot the
(12:42):
big time. If it wasn't for Jada Nelson, this score
could have been a lot worse last night, a lot worse.
But Brandon Gillespie was steady. He was the first start
of the game, well deserved and on the huge win.
Let's see if the steel Heads to go on a
little on in a big heater now.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So yeah, I mean, of course, with the with the
deadline coming up. You've said it before, you know, the
real season doesn't really start till till around this time
of year. So that's when.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Connor sorry, yes, go ahead forgot to mention connorson excuse
me anyway, Yeah, Concur that was his debut right and solid,
solid back there. Unbelievable, the guy said, just just a presence.
He he's wearing number forty, which is kind of cool.
And the Big Guy interviewed him in the beginning of
(13:27):
the game as well, had him on like for the intermission.
Uh well spoken, comes from a good family, just to
say his father was a cop and windsor and WHATNOTU. So, yeah, anyway,
got a great game. You can see this guy, you know,
he says. He said to me in the interview, I
gotta say this before he said this to me an
interview he said, you know what, he goes, I'm gonna
(13:48):
want to go one last one, last run, you know
kind of thing. Because this is because last year's Anaheim
Ducks prospect and he said he wanted to come to Brampton.
He said in the interview, this is the team I
wanted to come too. And you could just like he says,
I want to win and this is the team I
think that you know, could go far. So that's coming
(14:08):
from Connor Smith, a guy that's won a championship with
the Peterborough Pets and as a peer.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Leader, right right, and obviously gonna be gonna be a
huge piece for the steel Eds going down the stretch
this year. All right, we'll take a break, we'll come
back on the other side and we will have our
guest McGregor Richmond here. You're listening to trout Talk on
Saga nine sixty am.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
No Radio, No Problem. Stream is live on Saga nine
sixty am dot c A.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
And welcome back to trout Talk here on Saga nine
sixty am. I'm Brendan Lang along with mikey K, Mike
care Felitas. Thanks for coming along for we Get your
favorite podcast or watching on YouTube now like to welcome
onto the show, Steelheads Forward. McGregor, Richmond, McGregor, thanks for
coming on the show.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
How are you doing great? How are you guys?
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Oh, very very good. You're awake right now?
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah, it was, it was. It was a late late
night last night. We didn't get back.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
I didn't get back to the Billet house until around
three thirty, so it was definitely a late one. But
it was later practice today at the rink, so still
got a good amount of sleep in which was nice.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Oh I'm still tired. I've been I've been tired all day,
Like look at me, I'm just a mess right now.
So I've been up to day o'clock. You guys probably
would you sleep what times you wake up at?
Speaker 4 (15:52):
I woke up at ten thirty this morning, so that's nice.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
Yeah, went to Better five. We'll come at ten thirty,
so that's good. Yeah, not bad.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Thanks for coming on, man, thanks for coming on.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Yeah, of course. So I guess to just kind of
start things off, we can just talk about the vibes
around the team. You know, you pick up two wins
there against against Flint and against Ottawa and made some trays. Obviously,
you know, the trade deadline still a day away, so
who knows what else is coming, But just what's the
feeling around the around the room right now?
Speaker 5 (16:23):
There's a lot of buzz, a lot of excitement. You know,
this is really the first time almost all season that
we've had close to a full lineup.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Last game we were missing you.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
Know, Zid's Fabi Razor, So there's a lot of excitement
in the room, you know, finally having pretty much our
full team and you know, everyone pretty much being healthy
and finally ready to go World Juniors' past trade deadlines
coming to an end, like we're gonna want to go
on a run here in the second half. There's just
(16:56):
a lot of excitement built up for us to come
the rest of this season.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Ras are back in practice today.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah, yeah, he was back in practice today. He he
looked like he was feeling good. Uh, pretty energetic. So
good to see him.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yeah, i'd say ready to play his kitchen a ring
in his old teeth. My gosh, imagine that. Imagine how
he feels right now. Anyways, Yes, if that was me,
oh my god, I'd be like I'd be Yeah. Good
for her anyway, Gregor, So talk to me about you know,
this year for yourself, right, I mean, you're you're it
(17:32):
seems like you've gotten bigger, you've gotten stronger. Of course,
you know, you've lost a lot of weight, as you
mentioned to us in the golf tournament the beginning of
the year. You're very very adamant, very proud of that,
and I could see that. So talk to me about
your off season training program, what you did.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
I worked out with Benna Are, our athletic therapist all
summer and all credits to him. He he had me,
you know, working hard and and have me doing the
right stuff to help me progress throughout the summer and
carry that into this season. So just like a huge
thanks to him, But yeah, I stayed to you know,
(18:09):
more consistent than I have been in past summers, and
just put it in my mind that I knew we
were gonna have a good team this year, so I
want to be part of that and I love winning,
So you know, I just kept that in mind the
whole summer because you know, there's always days where you're
not gonna want to go to the gym, you're not
going to want to do the stuff, but when when
(18:29):
you get that winning feeling, it all makes it worth it.
So I'd say that helped a lot throughout the summer.
And yeah, just working on rounding out my game as
a whole and off ice and on ice was the
biggest thing.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
And you talk about the of course, like the trading
in the off season, and that's really like your main focus.
But how is it sort of balancing it once the
season starts, because I mean, then you've got games, you
got practices, like, there's just a lot more going on.
So how do you kind of sustain that as the
season goes along.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Yeah, earlier in the week usually is when we do
our lifts and stuff of that sort. You know, if
we have games on the weekend, the closer we get
to those games, you know, the lighter the workouts will become.
We usually still work out the day before a game.
It's just more of activation stuff, you know, bands, lighter weights,
(19:23):
but earlier in the week, you know, we do full workouts.
So it's just keeping that balance of you know, doing
it every week.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
It kind of helps you get used to.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
It at some point, right, So just keeping that same routine,
I'd say, you know, Benn knows what he's doing and
he knows how to get us through it. So I'd
say just doing that and keeping a routine helps a lot.
And getting in that ice bath, using the norm attacks.
You know, using all the resources that we have given
(19:53):
to us is a huge thing. So we're all very
thankful what we get to use at the rink every day.
Not everyone gets to have the resources that we do,
so I'd say taking full advantage of that and just
having that routine is what gets you know, the team through.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
But Gregor, you know, I don't think I've ever asked
you this, or anyone who's ever asked you this. Do
you have any pregame rituals?
Speaker 5 (20:16):
I don't think we've ever asked you pregame rituals. I'm
a big I'm a big music guy. I'm usually controlling
the music in the dressing room.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
You yeah, yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
I'm just saying I love why. I love it all.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Yeah. Yeah, A big music guys, So music all the time.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
You know, whether I'm driving in my car to the
rink or you know, getting into that dressing room, I
I need music on. So I'd say that's probably my
biggest pregame ritual, and that's been there for for years.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Is is always listening to music.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
But I'd say more recently is I like to take
a little, you know, minute two minute ice bath before
a game and just kind of flush the legs out.
I don't know what it is, but you know, when
I get out of that ice path, you know, it's
really cold, but once that goes away, there's a great
feeling that just rushes through your legs, and I feel
that just kind of helps me, you know, keep my
(21:13):
legs moving. And when the legs are feeling good, then
usually the rest of the body goes with it. So
I'd say that's been really helping me.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Recently, I got to take an ice bath.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Yea, we might have to try that.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Nice sounds good.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
So you say the music there, I mean, what what
kind of music is? And I feel like there's a
there's a difference between like, you know, what you would
regularly listen to and like what you're listening to before
the games, right.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I love it. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
I mean today when I was playing music, I'm mostly
playing like, you know, chill country music. If if we've
been playing country the past couple days, I might throw
on a little bit of pop like twenty ten's hits,
But pregame is usually either you know, like dance and
d M stuff like John Summit and stuff like that,
or or rap. I'd say those two are the ones
(21:57):
that get mixed and then a little bit of rock
thrown it there.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Yeah, I love it. You guys were rocking. I'll tell
you you guys were rocking that Ottawa. When you guys
were doing your pregame stuff. I could hear you from
the other side of the arena, man, and I had
to I had to walk over and just like listen
to the music, just walk by. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
I walked it from the dressing room all the way
over to the sewer spot, so I had it all
on my back and I just kept it some people
I can't turn down.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That's awesome, and so I guess I guess the next
thing that we can talk about is the new players
on the team, and we should probably I'll just say,
I mean three guys that we talked about earlier on
the show. Of course, Alarcs in coming over, Gillespie who
gets his first start yesterday against the sixty seven's, and
then Connor Smith, who doesn't really have much time to
(22:50):
prepare for that game, just gets thrown in there. What
can you say about the three guys that have been
added to this team here? Of course, you know a
lot of guys being added back from injury and world
views and all that. But the new players, how have
those additions have been so far?
Speaker 5 (23:03):
They've been fitting in really well. I mean, uh, Ricky
is a is a great guy. He's uh surely one
of the biggest guys I've ever played with, So I
try not to stand next to him too much, but
helf next to him during the anthem, which is makes
it a little hard to see the flag. But he's
a great I was in Ottawa on this road trip,
(23:27):
so it was good to uh get a little closer
with him. And then yeah, b g and uh he
got his first win. It was great to see that.
He's a great guy in the jesting room. And yes,
Miitdi has been fitting in really well. You know, it
was a quick turnaround for him and it was pretty
impressive what he did out there. But yeah, all three
guys are are fitting in super well, and I think,
uh gelling as a group.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Interesting to see, interesting to see. Uh, you know, those
guys have been doing really well. Be interesting to see.
Uh now because as you said, there's a full lineup
and whatnot. You know, everybody's healthy, right, I don't think
there's one injury except Luke Dregusika. So now everybody's healthy,
it's full speed ahead. A McGregor.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Yeah, yeah, it's a it's go time now. You know.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
Second half always, uh, the hockey tightens up and it
becomes more physical, faster, stronger, more desperate. You know, people
people care more in the second half because it's the
push for the playoffs. And you know, we we've got
a lot of ground to make up here. We've we've
been short a bunch of guys for a long time.
(24:29):
So but if there's any team that I think can
make up this ground. It's surely this group here, there's
there's a big task ahead of us, but I think
we're all up for it and uh just juice for
the second half and then ultimately playoffs.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Here, you talk about the intensity in the second half
and into of the playoffs. I mean you can go
got a taste of that season ago going down the
stretch and then of course playing that big first round
series against the Suddery Wolf. So how much does that help,
you know, and that you kind of have that experience
going into this year.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Yeah, I think it's a it's a great it's a
great help experience. You know, it's a big thing in
a league that is so ever changing. Having that playoff
experience with guys always cycling through is always a big help.
And also the motivation. We don't want to experience that
heartbreak like we did last year. I mean, I thought
(25:20):
we could do something special last year and ultimately, you know,
we felt we fell short. And I think a lot
of us are motivated to not have that feeling again,
especially not in the first round. You know, we want
to have playoff success and I think that's what this
team is built for. So I think it's not just me,
a lot of the guys are really excited, you know,
(25:42):
now that we have that experience mixed with the motivation
from prior years. I think it's a good combination to
have going into playoffs.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
And along with that experience, what's maybe something that you
learned that maybe you didn't know, Like going through that
last year, that you learned about the retch run and
even the playoffs in the ohl that you hadn't you know,
experienced before.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
You know, just the magnitude of every game, you know,
not just in the playoffs, but that final stretch leading
up to the playoffs, just the sheer consequences of of
of a win and the loss. The points become super
crucial by that point in the season and it can
decide your fate. You know, we were one went away
(26:25):
from winning our division and being the second seed, and
instead we were we were down to the to the
fourth seed playing our rival Sudbury. You know, a lot
of things can change within that last couple of weeks
of the season and in play So I'd say that
I've never really had that experience before of such an
ever changing seeding and how important every game was really
(26:48):
for that last month and a bit of the season.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Right, So your golf game, what's going on? You've been
giving You've been give it, working on it in the simulator.
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
No, I have not even I haven't even been to
a simulator yet. I'm slacking off high. Uh oh I didn't.
I didn't get to uh stimulator over the winter break.
It was only four days. So, uh, we'll see. Maybe
maybe in the spring I get into the into the
simulator and uh try to get ready for for the summer.
(27:19):
I know, uh JR Is going to be coming at
me hot because I is, so he's going to be
pretty pretty excited to get out there and uh beat
me a few times so he can air that out.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
How far can you hit a ball.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
With my driver? If I connect on it?
Speaker 5 (27:40):
Well, the honest yeah, carry, I mean I could probably
carry it two seventy eighty if I hit it, Well.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
You're got to have a thing then because I could
hit it about that far. But then that's it. Don't
do anything else.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Uh what a good role.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I'd say the best drive I ever hit was probably
three hundred yards maybe a little more. Okay, Yeah, we'll see.
When I get a new driver, then we can test
it out.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
My drivers.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
Uh, my driver's about sixteen years old. So we'll see
when the new new teching it. Maybe it adds a
little bit of pop.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
We'll see, yeah, possibly, right.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
No, I think it will.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
I think it will.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Yeah, I think it's Yeah. I'm a golfer too. I
remember your game was a Your game was in a
pretty good spot last year. According to JR. He was
saying you were playing pretty well.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
Yeah, yeah, yes, he was definitely improving. So we'll see.
I we're can get the handicaps down even more next summer.
I want to try to.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Get what are you what are you saying that right now?
What was the number at the end of the year.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I was sitting at about an eleven, maybe a ten.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
I'm a little bit of a sand bagger, so I'd
like to I usually go around saying I was about
a twelve strokes and end up I'll say I was
around at ten or eleven.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
But I want to get down to single digits for sure.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
You're an animal. You guys are just good golfers. Golf.
You know what I did. I'll tell you what I did.
I go, I hit the ball. I sat in the
kurt the whole time, I didn't even go I didn't
even go to the last three holes.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
No, he's not even joking, dude.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
I drove, I drove up, I drove right up to
the club bells and I just sat there and then
I just talked to Zach.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Yeah, I mean, oh.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Yeah, he was. He was.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
We were playing with him and it was about I
think we were on like the fifteenth hole, and he
was like, see you guys later. I'm young.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Are up there?
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Yeah, exactly exactly. All right, but Gregor, thank you, thank
you so much for coming on here. Really do appreciate it,
U hopping on with us. Obviously really busy time of year,
so uh continued success throughout this season and UH hoping
for a big playoff from Thanks for coming on and
we'll see you around the rink.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Yeah, thanks a lot, guys, have a good day.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Thanks for coming your YouTube buddy.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
All right, that was McGregor Richmond Steel heads forward on
the program here today. We'll be right back after the break.
You're listening to Trev Talk here on SAGA nine sixty.
Speaker 6 (30:01):
Am, stream us live at SAGA nine sixty am dot CAO.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
And welcome back to Trout Talk here on SAGA nine sixty. Am,
I'm Brendan Lang. Thank you so much for coming along.
That's mikey K, Mike Carratt alit us both here as
both here right now listening on SAGA nine sixty or
wherever you get your podcast or watching us on YouTube.
Thank you for coming along. That was McGregor Richmond, third
year forward. Now, man, time flies. That's crazy that he's
(30:59):
in third season right now. I know the first season,
first season he didn't play a ton, you know, he
was kind of back and forth from still playing in
the GDHL. But obviously last year full season, this year
full season, so time's going by quick. But he's kind
of quickly become a bit of a ventron on this team.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
I can't believe it. I was thinking exactly the same thing,
like I just remember when he was sixteen years old
and still you know, or seventeen and he's talk about
a massive Grozburg. Holy Holy, I guess ben. I think
he talked about his off season training program with the
trainer of the Brampton Steele has been a broer. So
(31:39):
obviously it's very dividend for him because he's gotten a
lot bigger, he's gotten a lot stronger and you could
totally see that on the ice too. I mean, he
really works his butt off. He gives one hundred percent
every time he gets on the ice. So could have
scored me, He could have maybe four goals already this year.
But yeah, he really works hard. He's really good on
the cycle, and you know, he's a good intangible to
(32:00):
your team one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
And I mean obviously he's got the leadership qualities as well.
You hear him talking about, you know, playing the music
and like that's obvious. Obviously that's something that like doesn't
necessarily show on the ice, but that's a huge part
of team chemistry and and and just being together as
a team like that is a big part of it
off the ice, and we see it, we see how
close the guys are, and I mean obviously he's a
(32:25):
huge part of that of bringing everybody together. And like
you said, i mean the effort level is always off
the charts every time he's on the ice. There's definitely
never a question about that. We always know in his line.
You know, he played last year with Wikowski and Toronto lot.
Obviously it's got moved around quite a bit this year,
but like those you know, those guys always getting in
on the fore check, always just creating havoc in the
(32:46):
offensive zone. And and yeah, obviously the improvements have been
there year over year for for McGregor.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Yeah, he's got bigger, he's got stronger. He's saying, I
love the way I love the way that he plays
out there. Like I said, you know, he always gives
it one hundred and fifty. Yeah, he's always banging. He's
always trying to be he's banging, he's crashing, he's getting
into the corner. He's really good in the faceoff dot too. Right.
You know James Richmond, he trusts him in the big draws, right,
and he'll win that big draw. So he's probably up
(33:15):
there in face off percentage on the team for wins,
that's for sure. So that's a guy, like I said,
you know, those are the intangibles that you want on
your team, and McGregor Richmond has those intangibles. He could
score the dirty goal in front of the goal. He's
got a really good shot too, he does if he's open,
I mean in the goal it goes so But good
player to have in your team, that's for sure. I
take him my team any day.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yeah, one hundred. All right, so we'll move on here.
We'll talk quickly about the games coming up this week.
I know they will be done by the time this
comes out, but we'll just kind of quickly give our thoughts. First,
we have on Friday night. It's in kitchen Or the
Kitchener Rangers. Carson Raykoff going back to kitchen Or playing
against his former team. You mentioned it. Obviously, he wasn't
in the lineup against Ottawa. He's back at practice though,
(33:57):
he'll be back in the game tomorrow. Teams starting to
get hell healthy here. We'll see you when Slaking and
Fiberger come back back Friday. Okay, so there we go.
So it's gonna be a full lineup. It's gonna be
a full lineup, Like we're really looking forward to that.
I haven't seen a full lineup in so long and
I'm really excited. But anyways, Yeah, so it's it's a
big game against kitchen Rangers and a good hockey team
as well. Going into Kitchener is gonna be tough.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Yeah, always tough game, but full lineup. Carson Raykoff going
back to a team that drafted in, the team that
groomed him. Talk about matching how Carson fields right now.
I mean he would he would. I know he wasn't
feeling well. He's back at practice and stuff. He would
have to think about him. He would have to have
a broken leg not to play in that game. He
(34:41):
probably played with a broken leg. He probably wouldn't say anything,
right he played that game of Kitchener, right, So that's
his first game back in Kitchener ever since a big
trade in the beginning of the season. So you know,
full lineup. As you said. Kitchen Arrangers another good team,
a young team again wasn't expected to do much at
(35:01):
the beginning of the season, but they got really good coaching.
I mean you see a hocus Brad Flynn on the
back end, Jeff kizakos All who we all know the
defensive coach associated coach of the Kitchen Rangers. They have
done an excellent job with this team. They got, you know,
Matthew Adanowski on the back end. Up front, they have
(35:23):
Trent Swick, who's who could score. Luke ellenis up there,
Cameron Reid on the back end. They got a really
nice young player and Hendrick there. I really like Evan Hedrick,
their sixteen year old. This kid actually he plays like
an eighteen year old out there. It's going to be
a really fast game, I think. I feel the Steelers
(35:46):
really have to be physical with this kitchen a team.
They got to be physical. Don't let them get in
their minds. Use their speed to their advantage. Hit them,
get them with the four check, get that puck. You
still has use your speed to be Okay. I got
a good goaltender too. Don't forget about Jackson Parsons. I mean,
this guy's been goaltender of the week I think two
or three times already this year. Right, so expect, you know,
(36:10):
expect jack ivan Covid to get to start against Jackson Parsons.
It's gonna be it's gonna be a great game at
the odd the first of two, first of two, and
then they'll be back, right, I think in a week
or so or something like that.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Right, So right, no, it'll be it'll be a great game.
I mean you mentioned Jackson Barsons. I mean he's been
the best goalie in the HL this year, Like he's
been amazing. So obviously that's gonna be a tough task
and the steel has going up, I would think with
ivan Covic on the other side, it's gonna be a
tough task for uh for Kitchener as well, So it's
gonna be a great goalie matchup. And then you said too,
(36:44):
and then you said to really not allowing Kitchener to
use their speed. I think that's if you get in
and the Steelers have speed, obviously they do, but if
you get into a track meet with Kitchener, it's gonna
be tough. You have to be able to slow them down.
And I think that's where an addition like Connor Smith
just comes in so big, where he is so big
like him, Yes, he's gonna be able to sick exactly.
(37:06):
He's gonna be able to slow that game down. And
not only is he big and great in the defensive zone,
but he has the experience of playing in the big
games too. He knows exactly what's gonna be coming. He's
not gonna be surprised by anything. And it's huge in
these type of games playing against quality opponents coming down
the stretch like the Kitchener Rangers. And then on Saturday,
(37:27):
that'll be the day before trout talk comes out is
the North Bay Battalion. They're coming to town four o'clock
start on Saturday, against the Steelheads. And you know, North
Bay a team that has been selling off pieces. I
think we just saw we saw Wyat Kennedy moved. Obviously
they've been they've been moving around all season long, sitting
(37:48):
in ninth place right now with thirty one points. So
they come into into Brampton. But obviously a team that's
not going forward this year. They're trading off pieces. But
still every game is important. You can't take any opponents.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
No, you can't. That's the thing. That's the thing with
this league. You cannot take any opponents lightly in this league,
in any game. Yeah, they've been selling off pieces. Why
Kenny Doss got traded Van Steetzel and Romani just got
traded to uh to the Barry Colts. Am, I lest
see somebody for that team that got traded somebody else?
(38:20):
Well not here, let me let let's have a look.
Let's have a look. Okay, so we're gonna do transaction
and see those three. I'm pretty sure there's more for
some reason.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Uh oh yeah about earlier in the Oh, yes.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Of course, yeah, I think that's it. So just so
that's four big pieces right there, all right gone from
your team that they still have the LeBlanc twins. They
can score. They still have Ether, the procession guy that's
been a Steelhead killer over the years. Watch this guy.
You got to see on him like glue, like gloop
(38:57):
up there. You can't let that guy get hot. Young team,
they're going the other way. So how the tables have turned,
I guess you would say, because North Bay was the
team going for it before. Now the Steelers are the
team going forward. I remember looking on the bench. I
remember I don't know if I I think I talked
to you guys about this, And look at the North
Bay players back in the day when they were going
(39:19):
for it, how big they were, and when we were young,
when the Steelheads were young, and how small they were
and the national anthem. Well, that's going to be the
other way around. Now Steels are gonna be like this.
And it's just the cycle of the league, right So,
but just to say, can't take them lightly, you got
to keep the pedal of the metal right away, and
they should be okay. But we'll see. Can't take anybody
(39:40):
in this league lately, as.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
You said, one hundred percent, you can. And they're a
young team. They want to prove things as well. For
you know the rest of this season and going into
next season as well. The young players obviously do, so
you know the effort's going to be there every time
they be that the North Bay Battalion play. And remember
the Steelheads, like you said, a couple of years ago,
it was going to the opposite direction. They had a
playoff series against each other, and that was the year
(40:03):
that the Steelheads, you know, traded off pieces. Well, that
was the year that Marton came over and MacDonell and
Van Vohlsen and all these guys. So now to be
able to kind of see it come full circle and
now it's kind of the other way around, I think
is a pretty cool thing to see. But yes, can't
take any team lightly. Still a big game coming up
against the North Bay Battalion. All right, so let's get
(40:24):
more in depth about the trades. I think we should
start off with with Alrics And we know, we know
we'll start off with all and we know about the trade.
But but what have you seen from him in his
first little bit here with the Steelheads that is really
that has impressed you and maybe surprised you that maybe
something you didn't know about him when he came over
in a trade.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Really how strong he is. I mean I knew he
was strong, but I mean, this guy's arms are like this.
He is built like almost Schwarzenegger. Man. I'm telling you like.
I like his I like his personality. He's got it's
in good with the guys as well. I mean he's perfect,
perfect fit. I just love his game, Like he could
(41:08):
take that putt to the net any You know what
I was thinking about this anytime he wants, if he
wants to, he could take that putt putt to the
net to score. Who's gonna stop it? If he bodies
off people? Nobody, I'm telling you, man, nobody. So I
just love his strength. I love his the way he
thinks out there. I think whoever he plays with he
(41:28):
makes better. You can see that already. So yeah, time hotel.
Then I'll keep saying more stuff. He's a Canucks draft
pick for a reason, and the Canucks got a good one.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Yeah, not only a Canucks draft pick, but signed by
the Canucks as well. I mean they know that, they
know that he's going to be a contributor at some point.
And I mean I think the thing that surprised me,
like obviously he's a big kai six six. I think
he's coming into like two thirty something. Oh and obviously
obviously really really strong. I think the thing that surprises
(42:03):
me the most, and j R. Had mentioned this, but
just watching him in a few games, his hands are
really good for a big player, Like around the net,
he's got great hands. He's got great ability to pass
as well. Just a very all around player. And again
we talk about like James Richmond type players James Richmond system,
and I think he fits it perfectly because again he
uses his size in the defensive zone as well, uses
(42:24):
his reach, kills penalties two for this team. Now he's
a big offensive power play guy as well, standing in
front of the net. So he just does everything in
all fasts of the game for the Steelheads. And that
I mean, yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Was gonna say he's got a great personality. He talked,
He talked to the guy for like five minutes here
you'll laugh like he's he's a pretty funny sweet He's
pretty funny Swedish dude. So I love that. That's just
so I wanted to say he fits in perfect as
you said, Brendan, that's it, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Fits in perfectly. And then another guy who who McGregor
talked about there was a Brandon Gillespie, of course, getting
his first start with the steel Heads. We talked a
little more in depth about him in the first segments.
We don't have to go as as much into what
he brings because you know, we kind of said it
all right there. It's just he's a guy who can
be relied upon in big moments. He's got experience. You
(43:12):
know that he can win big games. He was one
of the best goalies in the league last year with
the with the Owens attack, excuse me, with the with
the gwelf storm. So so obviously it's a guy who
is is someone like I said, has experience and can
win a big game for you if you need him,
and you don't have to ride your starter all the
time because you know you got a really good guy
(43:33):
backing him up.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
Yeah, another guy too, right, This is a guy with
a good personality, really really good in the night. As
I said, you know, they call him Friday night Lights
for a reason. I asked him where he got that
nickname from. I think he was saying when he played
with with the Air Centennials something like that. I don't know,
somebody gave it to him and then it just stuck
with him when he was with the gwelf Storm. But yeah,
he makes the flash. He says, he's really good positioning wise.
(43:57):
I mean, you know, it's too bad he didn't work
out with Jaco Gibbons. You know, we wish him all
the best. Ye before you know, uh kept going on
on Braden Gillespie. But yeah, another perfect fit, A perfect
guy again mentally, a good guy that James Richmond likes,
James Richmond, kind of player, good in the locker room
(44:18):
as well, really good with the guys right away right away.
So I asked him, I said, who was the first
person like to you know, meaning greet He said, Mace
is a Beskie. I could totally see that right, and
he's Maces a Beskie's a big team guy. So just
to say, yeah, Love is goaltending good guy. You know
Jack ever gets hurt, God forbid. I'm just saying exactly,
(44:42):
knock on wood, you're gonna need this guy to step
in there and chew up some minutes and even on
the back to backs, right, So perfect perfect fit.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Yeah, one hundred percent, And like you said, definitely wishing
all the best to Jacob Gibbons wherever he you know,
ends up. And obviously he did everything that he was
asked to do when he when he came here the
Steelheads and uh yeah, so definitely want to say that
for sure anywhere he goes. And also I want to
mention Anthony Palini. We haven't you know, mentioned always we've
been back to picking up. I mean, he came in
(45:17):
and in a time when they needed, uh a goaltender
to step up, and and he was great, Like he
stepped in there.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Jr.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Told us, you know, and and and Heleni had told
me myself as well, you know, just just how hard
he's working. You know, he's always the first one at practice.
Anytime the players want to shoot, he's there to take shots.
So congratulates to him for his first win and getting
into a few games there as well.
Speaker 3 (45:38):
Absolutely played great against the Ottawa got that win. Yeah,
he was first start of the game. It's amazing, Like
that's something he's not he's never going to forget for
the rest of his life, right, Good for him. Yeah,
he's a guy that's always, you know, the first kind
of practice. Hey guys, you need you need somebody to
shoot at you know, I'm here. The goal is there,
Like he's always there. He's always wanting to chip in. Uh,
(46:01):
that's huge. That's that's a guy. That's a kind of
guy you want your team. I mean, I think I
thought he played pretty well against Nigriceogs too.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
Yeah, he did.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
Just steards were too shorthanded that game, right, and I
mean how many AP's are up right, I mean there's
only so much he could do. But hey, congratulations to
Anthony Paulini. More to come for sure.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Percent All right, so, uh we got about two minutes
here quickly. Uh, it's only been one game. But connorson,
what did you what did you see? What did you
see for him in the in the game in the
game yesterday.
Speaker 3 (46:35):
Well, he's awesome in his own zone. He's got a
great first pass. He's got a great first pass out
of the zone. Leadership. You could totally tell he's a
leader out there when he's back there. He was playing
with Parker von Richter and he's there, he's kind of saying, okay,
you know over there over there, Okay, you get him,
I'll stay, you know what I mean, Like, he totally
(46:56):
tell he's a leader. Not to James Richmond said that
he's a leader and you could totally see that on
the ice. Big body took a couple of nice shots
from the point, just Jaden Nelson was able to save it.
Very smart, very smart player. Anaheims Anaheim's got a got
a good one. Love his attitude again. Another guy you
(47:16):
know interviewed him and another James Richmond fit looks at
the whole person, doesn't look like, you know, you could
be the best player in the world. If you're not
a good person, you're not gonna be in his team.
This guy's the total package and good to see him.
They gave up a lot for him, but Stilla Steele
has do have some mass that still. We'll see what
happens with that. But well, uh did not. They didn't
(47:41):
overpay for him, That's what.
Speaker 4 (47:42):
No at all.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
That was perfect, not at all.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
And it was a guy that they needed too. They
needed kind of that like steadying presence on the back end.
And I think that he obviously brings that guy shutdown guy. Yeah,
and it'll be interesting to see actually how they work
the pairs, uh the he was playing with von Richtor yesterday.
It'll be in interesting to see kind of where they
end up shaking out of correspond Rictor played with Fibiger
for most of the season before Fibiger left, and Harding
(48:08):
and Sova have played together for pretty much the entire year.
So we'll see Lescafar of course suspended right now after
he came back from injury. And once that all gets together,
I mean they're gonna have and and Luke Drakruzk at
some point will get healthy. I mean, they're gonna have
eight defensemen still a month away. Yeah, so I mean
it's yeah, so it's like, but they're gonna have eight
quality defensemen at some point. So it's a it's a
(48:28):
good problem to have for sure, and it will be.
It's it's a great addition back there, all right, one
minute left in the show, Mikey Life Tips. What do
we have? Give it to me?
Speaker 3 (48:38):
If you do a secret Sanna, and we do a
secret Santa, we do it through the Internet and we
get to ask for you know, what you want for
and all that kind of stuff through this app get
what the person asked for. Please, because I didn't get
what I wanted this year. I didn't get what I want.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
Yeah, man, I was so, I mean.
Speaker 3 (48:58):
Okay, I didn't know up I got a sweater. I
got a Nike swim what's this?
Speaker 2 (49:05):
And what did you ask Nike?
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Whole bunch of other things I asked for, like this
beanbag sitter, one of those big uh what do you
call it those cups or whatever you know whatever to.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
Yeah, like a YETI r yeah, something like stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
I asked for that. I asked for some some tools
or whatever. Oh no, I got a sweater. Well give
me because whoever I have for secret Sannah, I got
them what they wanted.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Yes, okay, there you go, there you go.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
I got my sister she wanted a curling iron. I
got it for her, just to say, there you go.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
You're a great gift giver, Mikey.
Speaker 3 (49:43):
Yes, that's what we're learning.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
That's what we're learning here on Troup Talk today, that
you're great at giving gifts. All right, we're gonna finish
things off on that note. Thank you so much for
coming along with us here on SAGGA nine sixty listening
for every your favorite podcast or watching on YouTube. I'm
Brendan Lang. That's mikey K. Thank you once again, and
have a.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
Grating no radio, no problem. Stream is live on SAGA
nine sixty am.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
Dot C a
The views expressed in the following program are those of
the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of
Saga nine sixty am or its management.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hello and welcome to trout Talk here on Saga nine
sixty Am. I'm Brendan Lang along with Mikey k Mike
Cara Felitis. Thank you so much for coming along here
episode eighteen of this season on trout Talk here. First
one back from the holiday break. We'll get to that
in a minute, of course. Thanks for listening on Saga
iem sixty am or wherever you get your podcasts or
watching us on YouTube as well. Mikey, thanks for being
(00:48):
here today. It was a little bit of an extended
time off for us. The station was closed, we didn't
have any episodes, of course. The players were off for
about a week in there as well, eight days I
guess for them over the holiday break. So what did
you get up to over the holidays, Mikey, it's been
a few weeks since we talked.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well, it was nice. It was really really nice to
get together. I say it all the time, but family.
Good to get on track with the family and stuff,
you know. And yeah, I mean it was good. Day
by day you know, you know, the gifts took care of.
But I think the most stressful part of Christmas is
(01:23):
the holidays is getting the gifts right, get rid of
the gifts. But and you know, make it like Thanksgiving.
That's my favorite part. But I like Christmas too, I
love it. But anyway, so the gifts that took care
of that, and then Christmas Eve a Christmas Day thing,
you know, so it was really really nice just to
see just to see my son and the family happy
(01:46):
and just hanging out and stuff, and that's all that
matters to me. That's that's it.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Glad that you had a good time over the holiday
season about your family as well. For me, Yeah, it
wasn't a whole lot going on. Actually I did. I
went to uh, I went to the simulator. I went
to simulator a few times. Not outside, it's a little
cold right now.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
But I went outside.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
No, no, no, outside. Actually my dad was going to
play because there's one course in in Burlington I think
it is that's open all year round, so when it snows,
even when it snows, they plow the fairways off and
you can you can go play.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I would never play in the snow. I think that's crazy.
But it was I think either New Year's Day or
the day after New Year's Day, and my dad was
actually about to go play outdoors but it ended but
it ended up being like three degrees in raining, so
they decided against that. But no, I didn't get a
didn't get out, went to the simulator a few times. Uh,
(02:44):
I don't think we're we're anywhere close to outdoor golf
Yet's still a little cold here. But other than that, no,
I didn't. Uh, didn't do a whole lot once my
grandparents' house for for Christmas, got the whole family there.
Like you said, that's always the best part. I'm with
you on the on the presence thing, you know, it's
always nice to to see everyone's faces and reaction with
all the with all the gifts. But but of course
(03:04):
just being around the family is definitely the best part
of the of the holiday season. So I got to
do that. Could I hang out with some friends over
a New Year's and stuff? So yeah, No, it was
a It was a good time to have a little
bit of time off, you know, decompress a little bit
and get right back to it because it's a a
busy time for for us and a busy time for
the Steelheads as well at this time of year.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Absolutely. Yeah, Now it's go time. Now, it's go time now,
and we'll talk about all that later on. I guess
we could get the tell the people what's what's up
on this show. I mean, there's lots of trades going on,
because you'll Leeds meet a couple of trades. We'll get
into that more in depth. Our guest is coming up, right.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Yeah, coming up in a few minutes here, McGregor Richmond.
He's going to be on the show this uh this week.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I forgot about the guests.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yeah, yes, yes, well we'll have a guest. He will
be on the show. Yes, McGregor will be here. It'll
be great to talk to him, you know, get an
idea of kind of how the new additions are fitting
into the locker room. I think that's definitely something that
we can talk about with him, and I guess just
quickly we can go over we can go more in
depth about the moves in the final segment. Just want
(04:13):
to say before we get into this. At the time
of recording, the deadline has not passed, So at the
time of recording, the deadline is still about twenty four
hours away, so we will obviously there will be more
news we think coming out. I mean, definitely more news
coming out around the OHL. But for the steal Lets specifically,
we can just quickly go over the moves that they've
(04:33):
made to this point. Bringing in Wilmer Alrikson. We haven't
had an episode since he's been on the team, so
that was obviously a big move a little bit earlier
on before the deadline, bringing him over from the the
Gwell Storman. Then we also get Braden Gillespie in goal
for the Steelheads, played a great game against the oppos
sixty seven's his first start as a Steelhead, and then
(04:55):
just recently Connor Smith coming over as well. So I think,
just as a whole, give me your quick assessment all
the deals and then we can kind of go more
in depth one by one as we get into the
final segment today.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Oh, I love it. I love it. I love these deals.
Where every one of these deals I love so much.
The first one was Bill Marlickson, right, Vancouver Canucks draft pick.
This guy right, and he's big, he's straw. I mean
he I shook his hand for the first time. He
almost took my hand off. Let's just say that. It's
like putting your hand on a vice. That's how like
(05:26):
just picture that in your head. So you know, you
get him from Gwelph. Always approven goal scorer, big, big body,
likes to bang around. Perfect guy for James Richmond's system.
You get him for Branford second in twenty twenty six,
Auto was third in twenty twenty five, and sagan I
was third in twenty twenty seven. Perfect perfect, That was
the first deal, right, and the steel has had the
(05:49):
assets to do these kind of deals. And then yeah,
you pick up Braden Gillespie as you're saying, And you
know he was a starting goaltender for GWELF and he
was good. They called this guy Friday night Lights for
a reason in GWELF. He was really really well liked
over there, and he always did well against the Steelheads.
Always played well against him too. And you know you
(06:09):
got him. People say, okay, you got him for a second,
third and a fifth. Right. Some people were saying, oh
he paid too much, Oh he paid too much, oh
this and that. No he didn't, No he didn't. This
is exactly what the Steelheads needed, was a good backup
goaltender to back up Jack Ivankovic. What happens if Jack
ivan Covid gets hurt?
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, I mean, what happens if he gets hurt? Also
talking about going down the stretch, I mean, you don't
want to be playing him every single day, right, I mean,
I think it's really really a luxury to have a
guy like Gilespie that as a backup because you can
fully trust him when he's in the net, and you
know ivan Covic will be ready to go for the playoffs.
So I think it's a it's a great move.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It's a great move. I mean, and as you mentioned,
he played really good against Ottawa. I think twenty six
twenty six out of twenty seven or twenty five out
of twenty six shots he stopped right and uh, I
don't know if you saw that glove steed he made
on Eckberg right the soccer Eckbert thought he had that
open that No, here comes Pilespie with the glove right.
(07:09):
And the way he I just remember it was a
five on three and for Ottawa, and the way he
was positioning himself about five on three, the way Ottawa
was passing the puck around. He never they waited for
him to over commit, you can tell, right, but he
never over committed. He's very good positionally as a goaltender. Uh.
(07:29):
He played really well stopping a lot of good one
timers and whatnot. And he's tough. He's very tough mentally.
Great pickup and.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah, great pickup.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah, what can you say about him? Wow?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, again, I'll let you go.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I'll let you go.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
No, yeah, it's it's it's a great pickup. And and
again we'll we'll talk more in depth about it in
the in the final segment of the show today. But yes,
but yeah, Connor Smith of course is a is a
huge addition, especially for this decorp. I think that you know,
when you talk about players that have out in past years,
Chaz Sharp I think was such a big piece of
this team a season to go on the back end,
(08:05):
and now Connor Smith kind of goes into that shutdown role.
He's going to be able to log a lot of minutes.
And he said it about Alricson, but also with Connor Smith,
Fitz James Richmond system really well. So that's great. Another
thing quickly before we get onto the games, echoing just
the strong mentality of Gillespie. So he gets in the
net there yesterday, first start with the Steels, first game
with the steel Its, and the first shot is a goal.
(08:28):
So he let's hit a call in the first shot
and not his fault. I mean, it was a nice
pass out in front of the net. They score, but
he doesn't allow anything after that. There's times where that
could maybe shake you up a little bit. It's your
first game with the team. The first shot goes in,
but he was I mean he shut them out the
rest of the way. So I do think that that
point taken very well. And then we saw that quickly
(08:49):
in his early part of his career here with the
steel Its. All right, So a couple of minutes here
before we get to McGregor Richmond, we'll talk about the
past two games we'll go there. We'll start with the
overtime win against the Flint Firebirds. Mikey, what was I
going to say about that game?
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Nothing really happened to the playoff. Holy holy body's flying.
It was like full time hockey that game, right, kids? Uh? Suspension,
I mean unfortunately Stevie Lestabar got suspension that game. A
coach gets throwed out of the game. Paul Flash of
the Flint Firebirds and he suspended. It's under review right now.
(09:26):
I don't know what he said. I mean, I was down,
you know, in the interviewing waiting for the interview, and
all I saw was the referee just give it one
of these just points gone. That's it. He never said
a word. He just walked out. So anyway, there was
just a little bit of that. Yeah, what a game
it was, right, the Steeledds are down four to three,
(09:47):
coming back like that in the third period, Arleson scoring
in overtime or sorry an overtime in the to tie
the game at four. That tip in front of the goal.
What a perfect play call from James Richard six on five,
clicked the big guy in front of the net right
because he called a timeout right before that, and obviously
that was the game plan. Perfect tip. And then Finn
Harding it overtime. Oh man, how big? How huge is
(10:08):
Finn Harding been to this team, even through when they
had all the injuries and whatnot. You know, he took
the team on his back and what a backhand shot
it was to win against the Fli Firebirds that started
it off.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, it's such a big win. I think in so
many ways for the steel it's because there's been so
many games when everybody was out of the lineup that
they would they would be in one they would be
in one goal games and it would get down to
the end and they just couldn't quite find a way
to get that goal to either tie it or win.
And then overtime we've seen them, you know, I think
they dropped four straight and overtime before that game, so
(10:42):
it's like to be able to get down I think
it was twenty one seconds left. All Archon scores that
goal with the tip in front of the net, so
they get a late goal. They finally break through in
that regard, and then in overtime it didn't even take
a minute for Finn Harding to score that. So I
just think that's such a big win in many ways.
Goals start to buy Martone, take it into the zone,
pass it off to Harding and quick hands by Hearting
(11:04):
to be able to.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Get to the backhand there, and I'll find it.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
So a huge win there against Flint. And then you
can talk a little bit about the game against Ottawa
hero of about a minute before we get to our
guest here at a second. Yeah, but yeah, big win
against the sixty sevens yesterday as well.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Huge, yeah, I mean they got off to maybe a
little bit of a slow start. Ottawa got off to
that one nothing lead, and as you said, you know
that was Bradon Lesslie's first start as a Steelhead, So
maybe you're taking yourself, Oh no, you know, here we
go kind of thing. No, never happened that way. Steelheads
tie it right after that. Gillespie knuckles down played really
really well. You know we mentioned that already. But Parker
(11:40):
von Richter's goal to make it one to one, beautiful
pass for Martone. He's pitching it from the point, power play,
perfect shot over Jadea Nelson's shoulder that made it one
to one. And then it was then Lucas Carmiras, who
really had a nice game last night. Beautiful passa van
Volson on the back door tips it in. I made
(12:00):
a two to one. And then how about the goal
from Kieran Withckkowski right off of the draw, right, It's like,
obviously that's a set play. They work on that in practice,
and Carmeiras wins the draw and with Kowski's a little
up to his right, just a little bit, you know,
up to his right, you know, to his right hand side,
and he does no questions asked, right off of the stick, boom,
(12:21):
glove side. No chance for Jada and Nelson to make
it three to one. And you know, I love and
I said this to I say this to you guys.
I said to he's got such a heavy shot right
and it's hard to save his shot. I mean, and uh,
it was nice to see them outshoot them as well,
and they really outplayed them, so and I shot the
(12:42):
big time. If it wasn't for Jada Nelson, this score
could have been a lot worse last night, a lot worse.
But Brandon Gillespie was steady. He was the first start
of the game, well deserved and on the huge win.
Let's see if the steel Heads to go on a
little on in a big heater now.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So yeah, I mean, of course, with the with the
deadline coming up. You've said it before, you know, the
real season doesn't really start till till around this time
of year. So that's when.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Connor sorry, yes, go ahead forgot to mention connorson excuse
me anyway, Yeah, Concur that was his debut right and solid,
solid back there. Unbelievable, the guy said, just just a presence.
He he's wearing number forty, which is kind of cool.
And the Big Guy interviewed him in the beginning of
(13:27):
the game as well, had him on like for the intermission.
Uh well spoken, comes from a good family, just to
say his father was a cop and windsor and WHATNOTU. So, yeah, anyway,
got a great game. You can see this guy, you know,
he says. He said to me in the interview, I
gotta say this before he said this to me an
interview he said, you know what, he goes, I'm gonna
(13:48):
want to go one last one, last run, you know
kind of thing. Because this is because last year's Anaheim
Ducks prospect and he said he wanted to come to Brampton.
He said in the interview, this is the team I
wanted to come too. And you could just like he says,
I want to win and this is the team I
think that you know, could go far. So that's coming
(14:08):
from Connor Smith, a guy that's won a championship with
the Peterborough Pets and as a peer.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Leader, right right, and obviously gonna be gonna be a
huge piece for the steel Eds going down the stretch
this year. All right, we'll take a break, we'll come
back on the other side and we will have our
guest McGregor Richmond here. You're listening to trout Talk on
Saga nine sixty am.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
No Radio, No Problem. Stream is live on Saga nine
sixty am dot c A.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
And welcome back to trout Talk here on Saga nine
sixty am. I'm Brendan Lang along with mikey K, Mike
care Felitas. Thanks for coming along for we Get your
favorite podcast or watching on YouTube now like to welcome
onto the show, Steelheads Forward. McGregor, Richmond, McGregor, thanks for
coming on the show.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
How are you doing great? How are you guys?
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Oh, very very good. You're awake right now?
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah, it was, it was. It was a late late
night last night. We didn't get back.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
I didn't get back to the Billet house until around
three thirty, so it was definitely a late one. But
it was later practice today at the rink, so still
got a good amount of sleep in which was nice.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Oh I'm still tired. I've been I've been tired all day,
Like look at me, I'm just a mess right now.
So I've been up to day o'clock. You guys probably
would you sleep what times you wake up at?
Speaker 4 (15:52):
I woke up at ten thirty this morning, so that's nice.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
Yeah, went to Better five. We'll come at ten thirty,
so that's good. Yeah, not bad.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Thanks for coming on, man, thanks for coming on.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Yeah, of course. So I guess to just kind of
start things off, we can just talk about the vibes
around the team. You know, you pick up two wins
there against against Flint and against Ottawa and made some trays. Obviously,
you know, the trade deadline still a day away, so
who knows what else is coming, But just what's the
feeling around the around the room right now?
Speaker 5 (16:23):
There's a lot of buzz, a lot of excitement. You know,
this is really the first time almost all season that
we've had close to a full lineup.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Last game we were missing you.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
Know, Zid's Fabi Razor, So there's a lot of excitement
in the room, you know, finally having pretty much our
full team and you know, everyone pretty much being healthy
and finally ready to go World Juniors' past trade deadlines
coming to an end, like we're gonna want to go
on a run here in the second half. There's just
(16:56):
a lot of excitement built up for us to come
the rest of this season.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Ras are back in practice today.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Yeah, yeah, he was back in practice today. He he
looked like he was feeling good. Uh, pretty energetic. So
good to see him.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yeah, i'd say ready to play his kitchen a ring
in his old teeth. My gosh, imagine that. Imagine how
he feels right now. Anyways, Yes, if that was me,
oh my god, I'd be like I'd be Yeah. Good
for her anyway, Gregor, So talk to me about you know,
this year for yourself, right, I mean, you're you're it
(17:32):
seems like you've gotten bigger, you've gotten stronger. Of course,
you know, you've lost a lot of weight, as you
mentioned to us in the golf tournament the beginning of
the year. You're very very adamant, very proud of that,
and I could see that. So talk to me about
your off season training program, what you did.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
I worked out with Benna Are, our athletic therapist all
summer and all credits to him. He he had me,
you know, working hard and and have me doing the
right stuff to help me progress throughout the summer and
carry that into this season. So just like a huge
thanks to him, But yeah, I stayed to you know,
(18:09):
more consistent than I have been in past summers, and
just put it in my mind that I knew we
were gonna have a good team this year, so I
want to be part of that and I love winning,
So you know, I just kept that in mind the
whole summer because you know, there's always days where you're
not gonna want to go to the gym, you're not
going to want to do the stuff, but when when
(18:29):
you get that winning feeling, it all makes it worth it.
So I'd say that helped a lot throughout the summer.
And yeah, just working on rounding out my game as
a whole and off ice and on ice was the
biggest thing.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
And you talk about the of course, like the trading
in the off season, and that's really like your main focus.
But how is it sort of balancing it once the
season starts, because I mean, then you've got games, you
got practices, like, there's just a lot more going on.
So how do you kind of sustain that as the
season goes along.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
Yeah, earlier in the week usually is when we do
our lifts and stuff of that sort. You know, if
we have games on the weekend, the closer we get
to those games, you know, the lighter the workouts will become.
We usually still work out the day before a game.
It's just more of activation stuff, you know, bands, lighter weights,
(19:23):
but earlier in the week, you know, we do full workouts.
So it's just keeping that balance of you know, doing
it every week.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
It kind of helps you get used to.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
It at some point, right, So just keeping that same routine,
I'd say, you know, Benn knows what he's doing and
he knows how to get us through it. So I'd
say just doing that and keeping a routine helps a lot.
And getting in that ice bath, using the norm attacks.
You know, using all the resources that we have given
(19:53):
to us is a huge thing. So we're all very
thankful what we get to use at the rink every day.
Not everyone gets to have the resources that we do,
so I'd say taking full advantage of that and just
having that routine is what gets you know, the team through.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
But Gregor, you know, I don't think I've ever asked
you this, or anyone who's ever asked you this. Do
you have any pregame rituals?
Speaker 5 (20:16):
I don't think we've ever asked you pregame rituals. I'm
a big I'm a big music guy. I'm usually controlling
the music in the dressing room.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
You yeah, yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
I'm just saying I love why. I love it all.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Yeah. Yeah, A big music guys, So music all the time.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
You know, whether I'm driving in my car to the
rink or you know, getting into that dressing room, I
I need music on. So I'd say that's probably my
biggest pregame ritual, and that's been there for for years.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Is is always listening to music.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
But I'd say more recently is I like to take
a little, you know, minute two minute ice bath before
a game and just kind of flush the legs out.
I don't know what it is, but you know, when
I get out of that ice path, you know, it's
really cold, but once that goes away, there's a great
feeling that just rushes through your legs, and I feel
that just kind of helps me, you know, keep my
(21:13):
legs moving. And when the legs are feeling good, then
usually the rest of the body goes with it. So
I'd say that's been really helping me.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Recently, I got to take an ice bath.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Yea, we might have to try that.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Nice sounds good.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
So you say the music there, I mean, what what
kind of music is? And I feel like there's a
there's a difference between like, you know, what you would
regularly listen to and like what you're listening to before
the games, right.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I love it. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
I mean today when I was playing music, I'm mostly
playing like, you know, chill country music. If if we've
been playing country the past couple days, I might throw
on a little bit of pop like twenty ten's hits,
But pregame is usually either you know, like dance and
d M stuff like John Summit and stuff like that,
or or rap. I'd say those two are the ones
(21:57):
that get mixed and then a little bit of rock
thrown it there.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Yeah, I love it. You guys were rocking. I'll tell
you you guys were rocking that Ottawa. When you guys
were doing your pregame stuff. I could hear you from
the other side of the arena, man, and I had
to I had to walk over and just like listen
to the music, just walk by. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
I walked it from the dressing room all the way
over to the sewer spot, so I had it all
on my back and I just kept it some people
I can't turn down.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That's awesome, and so I guess I guess the next
thing that we can talk about is the new players
on the team, and we should probably I'll just say,
I mean three guys that we talked about earlier on
the show. Of course, Alarcs in coming over, Gillespie who
gets his first start yesterday against the sixty seven's, and
then Connor Smith, who doesn't really have much time to
(22:50):
prepare for that game, just gets thrown in there. What
can you say about the three guys that have been
added to this team here? Of course, you know a
lot of guys being added back from injury and world
views and all that. But the new players, how have
those additions have been so far?
Speaker 5 (23:03):
They've been fitting in really well. I mean, uh, Ricky
is a is a great guy. He's uh surely one
of the biggest guys I've ever played with, So I
try not to stand next to him too much, but
helf next to him during the anthem, which is makes
it a little hard to see the flag. But he's
a great I was in Ottawa on this road trip,
(23:27):
so it was good to uh get a little closer
with him. And then yeah, b g and uh he
got his first win. It was great to see that.
He's a great guy in the jesting room. And yes,
Miitdi has been fitting in really well. You know, it
was a quick turnaround for him and it was pretty
impressive what he did out there. But yeah, all three
guys are are fitting in super well, and I think,
uh gelling as a group.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Interesting to see, interesting to see. Uh, you know, those
guys have been doing really well. Be interesting to see.
Uh now because as you said, there's a full lineup
and whatnot. You know, everybody's healthy, right, I don't think
there's one injury except Luke Dregusika. So now everybody's healthy,
it's full speed ahead. A McGregor.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Yeah, yeah, it's a it's go time now. You know.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
Second half always, uh, the hockey tightens up and it
becomes more physical, faster, stronger, more desperate. You know, people
people care more in the second half because it's the
push for the playoffs. And you know, we we've got
a lot of ground to make up here. We've we've
been short a bunch of guys for a long time.
(24:29):
So but if there's any team that I think can
make up this ground. It's surely this group here, there's
there's a big task ahead of us, but I think
we're all up for it and uh just juice for
the second half and then ultimately playoffs.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Here, you talk about the intensity in the second half
and into of the playoffs. I mean you can go
got a taste of that season ago going down the
stretch and then of course playing that big first round
series against the Suddery Wolf. So how much does that help,
you know, and that you kind of have that experience
going into this year.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Yeah, I think it's a it's a great it's a
great help experience. You know, it's a big thing in
a league that is so ever changing. Having that playoff
experience with guys always cycling through is always a big help.
And also the motivation. We don't want to experience that
heartbreak like we did last year. I mean, I thought
(25:20):
we could do something special last year and ultimately, you know,
we felt we fell short. And I think a lot
of us are motivated to not have that feeling again,
especially not in the first round. You know, we want
to have playoff success and I think that's what this
team is built for. So I think it's not just me,
a lot of the guys are really excited, you know,
(25:42):
now that we have that experience mixed with the motivation
from prior years. I think it's a good combination to
have going into playoffs.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
And along with that experience, what's maybe something that you
learned that maybe you didn't know, Like going through that
last year, that you learned about the retch run and
even the playoffs in the ohl that you hadn't you know,
experienced before.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
You know, just the magnitude of every game, you know,
not just in the playoffs, but that final stretch leading
up to the playoffs, just the sheer consequences of of
of a win and the loss. The points become super
crucial by that point in the season and it can
decide your fate. You know, we were one went away
(26:25):
from winning our division and being the second seed, and
instead we were we were down to the to the
fourth seed playing our rival Sudbury. You know, a lot
of things can change within that last couple of weeks
of the season and in play So I'd say that
I've never really had that experience before of such an
ever changing seeding and how important every game was really
(26:48):
for that last month and a bit of the season.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Right, So your golf game, what's going on? You've been
giving You've been give it, working on it in the simulator.
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
No, I have not even I haven't even been to
a simulator yet. I'm slacking off high. Uh oh I didn't.
I didn't get to uh stimulator over the winter break.
It was only four days. So, uh, we'll see. Maybe
maybe in the spring I get into the into the
simulator and uh try to get ready for for the summer.
(27:19):
I know, uh JR Is going to be coming at
me hot because I is, so he's going to be
pretty pretty excited to get out there and uh beat
me a few times so he can air that out.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
How far can you hit a ball.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
With my driver? If I connect on it?
Speaker 5 (27:40):
Well, the honest yeah, carry, I mean I could probably
carry it two seventy eighty if I hit it, Well.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
You're got to have a thing then because I could
hit it about that far. But then that's it. Don't
do anything else.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Uh what a good role.
Speaker 5 (27:57):
I'd say the best drive I ever hit was probably
three hundred yards maybe a little more. Okay, Yeah, we'll see.
When I get a new driver, then we can test
it out.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
My drivers.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
Uh, my driver's about sixteen years old. So we'll see
when the new new teching it. Maybe it adds a
little bit of pop.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
We'll see, yeah, possibly, right.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
No, I think it will.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
I think it will.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Yeah, I think it's Yeah. I'm a golfer too. I
remember your game was a Your game was in a
pretty good spot last year. According to JR. He was
saying you were playing pretty well.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
Yeah, yeah, yes, he was definitely improving. So we'll see.
I we're can get the handicaps down even more next summer.
I want to try to.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Get what are you what are you saying that right now?
What was the number at the end of the year.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I was sitting at about an eleven, maybe a ten.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
I'm a little bit of a sand bagger, so I'd
like to I usually go around saying I was about
a twelve strokes and end up I'll say I was
around at ten or eleven.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
But I want to get down to single digits for sure.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
You're an animal. You guys are just good golfers. Golf.
You know what I did. I'll tell you what I did.
I go, I hit the ball. I sat in the
kurt the whole time, I didn't even go I didn't
even go to the last three holes.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
No, he's not even joking, dude.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
I drove, I drove up, I drove right up to
the club bells and I just sat there and then
I just talked to Zach.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Yeah, I mean, oh.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Yeah, he was. He was.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
We were playing with him and it was about I
think we were on like the fifteenth hole, and he
was like, see you guys later. I'm young.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Are up there?
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Yeah, exactly exactly. All right, but Gregor, thank you, thank
you so much for coming on here. Really do appreciate it,
U hopping on with us. Obviously really busy time of year,
so uh continued success throughout this season and UH hoping
for a big playoff from Thanks for coming on and
we'll see you around the rink.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Yeah, thanks a lot, guys, have a good day.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
Thanks for coming your YouTube buddy.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
All right, that was McGregor Richmond Steel heads forward on
the program here today. We'll be right back after the break.
You're listening to Trev Talk here on SAGA nine sixty.
Speaker 6 (30:01):
Am, stream us live at SAGA nine sixty am dot CAO.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
And welcome back to Trout Talk here on SAGA nine sixty. Am,
I'm Brendan Lang. Thank you so much for coming along.
That's mikey K, Mike Carratt alit us both here as
both here right now listening on SAGA nine sixty or
wherever you get your podcast or watching us on YouTube.
Thank you for coming along. That was McGregor Richmond, third
year forward. Now, man, time flies. That's crazy that he's
(30:59):
in third season right now. I know the first season,
first season he didn't play a ton, you know, he
was kind of back and forth from still playing in
the GDHL. But obviously last year full season, this year
full season, so time's going by quick. But he's kind
of quickly become a bit of a ventron on this team.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
I can't believe it. I was thinking exactly the same thing,
like I just remember when he was sixteen years old
and still you know, or seventeen and he's talk about
a massive Grozburg. Holy Holy, I guess ben. I think
he talked about his off season training program with the
trainer of the Brampton Steele has been a broer. So
(31:39):
obviously it's very dividend for him because he's gotten a
lot bigger, he's gotten a lot stronger and you could
totally see that on the ice too. I mean, he
really works his butt off. He gives one hundred percent
every time he gets on the ice. So could have
scored me, He could have maybe four goals already this year.
But yeah, he really works hard. He's really good on
the cycle, and you know, he's a good intangible to
(32:00):
your team one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
And I mean obviously he's got the leadership qualities as well.
You hear him talking about, you know, playing the music
and like that's obvious. Obviously that's something that like doesn't
necessarily show on the ice, but that's a huge part
of team chemistry and and and just being together as
a team like that is a big part of it
off the ice, and we see it, we see how
close the guys are, and I mean obviously he's a
(32:25):
huge part of that of bringing everybody together. And like
you said, i mean the effort level is always off
the charts every time he's on the ice. There's definitely
never a question about that. We always know in his line.
You know, he played last year with Wikowski and Toronto lot.
Obviously it's got moved around quite a bit this year,
but like those you know, those guys always getting in
on the fore check, always just creating havoc in the
(32:46):
offensive zone. And and yeah, obviously the improvements have been
there year over year for for McGregor.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Yeah, he's got bigger, he's got stronger. He's saying, I
love the way I love the way that he plays
out there. Like I said, you know, he always gives
it one hundred and fifty. Yeah, he's always banging. He's
always trying to be he's banging, he's crashing, he's getting
into the corner. He's really good in the faceoff dot too. Right.
You know James Richmond, he trusts him in the big draws, right,
and he'll win that big draw. So he's probably up
(33:15):
there in face off percentage on the team for wins,
that's for sure. So that's a guy, like I said,
you know, those are the intangibles that you want on
your team, and McGregor Richmond has those intangibles. He could
score the dirty goal in front of the goal. He's
got a really good shot too, he does if he's open,
I mean in the goal it goes so But good
player to have in your team, that's for sure. I
take him my team any day.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Yeah, one hundred. All right, so we'll move on here.
We'll talk quickly about the games coming up this week.
I know they will be done by the time this
comes out, but we'll just kind of quickly give our thoughts. First,
we have on Friday night. It's in kitchen Or the
Kitchener Rangers. Carson Raykoff going back to kitchen Or playing
against his former team. You mentioned it. Obviously, he wasn't
in the lineup against Ottawa. He's back at practice though,
(33:57):
he'll be back in the game tomorrow. Teams starting to
get hell healthy here. We'll see you when Slaking and
Fiberger come back back Friday. Okay, so there we go.
So it's gonna be a full lineup. It's gonna be
a full lineup, Like we're really looking forward to that.
I haven't seen a full lineup in so long and
I'm really excited. But anyways, Yeah, so it's it's a
big game against kitchen Rangers and a good hockey team
as well. Going into Kitchener is gonna be tough.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Yeah, always tough game, but full lineup. Carson Raykoff going
back to a team that drafted in, the team that
groomed him. Talk about matching how Carson fields right now.
I mean he would he would. I know he wasn't
feeling well. He's back at practice and stuff. He would
have to think about him. He would have to have
a broken leg not to play in that game. He
(34:41):
probably played with a broken leg. He probably wouldn't say anything,
right he played that game of Kitchener, right, So that's
his first game back in Kitchener ever since a big
trade in the beginning of the season. So you know,
full lineup. As you said. Kitchen Arrangers another good team,
a young team again wasn't expected to do much at
(35:01):
the beginning of the season, but they got really good coaching.
I mean you see a hocus Brad Flynn on the
back end, Jeff kizakos All who we all know the
defensive coach associated coach of the Kitchen Rangers. They have
done an excellent job with this team. They got, you know,
Matthew Adanowski on the back end. Up front, they have
(35:23):
Trent Swick, who's who could score. Luke ellenis up there,
Cameron Reid on the back end. They got a really
nice young player and Hendrick there. I really like Evan Hedrick,
their sixteen year old. This kid actually he plays like
an eighteen year old out there. It's going to be
a really fast game, I think. I feel the Steelers
(35:46):
really have to be physical with this kitchen a team.
They got to be physical. Don't let them get in
their minds. Use their speed to their advantage. Hit them,
get them with the four check, get that puck. You
still has use your speed to be Okay. I got
a good goaltender too. Don't forget about Jackson Parsons. I mean,
this guy's been goaltender of the week I think two
or three times already this year. Right, so expect, you know,
(36:10):
expect jack ivan Covid to get to start against Jackson Parsons.
It's gonna be it's gonna be a great game at
the odd the first of two, first of two, and
then they'll be back, right, I think in a week
or so or something like that.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Right, So right, no, it'll be it'll be a great game.
I mean you mentioned Jackson Barsons. I mean he's been
the best goalie in the HL this year, Like he's
been amazing. So obviously that's gonna be a tough task
and the steel has going up, I would think with
ivan Covic on the other side, it's gonna be a
tough task for uh for Kitchener as well, So it's
gonna be a great goalie matchup. And then you said too,
(36:44):
and then you said to really not allowing Kitchener to
use their speed. I think that's if you get in
and the Steelers have speed, obviously they do, but if
you get into a track meet with Kitchener, it's gonna
be tough. You have to be able to slow them down.
And I think that's where an addition like Connor Smith
just comes in so big, where he is so big
like him, Yes, he's gonna be able to sick exactly.
(37:06):
He's gonna be able to slow that game down. And
not only is he big and great in the defensive zone,
but he has the experience of playing in the big
games too. He knows exactly what's gonna be coming. He's
not gonna be surprised by anything. And it's huge in
these type of games playing against quality opponents coming down
the stretch like the Kitchener Rangers. And then on Saturday,
(37:27):
that'll be the day before trout talk comes out is
the North Bay Battalion. They're coming to town four o'clock
start on Saturday, against the Steelheads. And you know, North
Bay a team that has been selling off pieces. I
think we just saw we saw Wyat Kennedy moved. Obviously
they've been they've been moving around all season long, sitting
(37:48):
in ninth place right now with thirty one points. So
they come into into Brampton. But obviously a team that's
not going forward this year. They're trading off pieces. But
still every game is important. You can't take any opponents.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
No, you can't. That's the thing. That's the thing with
this league. You cannot take any opponents lightly in this league,
in any game. Yeah, they've been selling off pieces. Why
Kenny Doss got traded Van Steetzel and Romani just got
traded to uh to the Barry Colts. Am, I lest
see somebody for that team that got traded somebody else?
(38:20):
Well not here, let me let let's have a look.
Let's have a look. Okay, so we're gonna do transaction
and see those three. I'm pretty sure there's more for
some reason.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Uh oh yeah about earlier in the Oh, yes.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Of course, yeah, I think that's it. So just so
that's four big pieces right there, all right gone from
your team that they still have the LeBlanc twins. They
can score. They still have Ether, the procession guy that's
been a Steelhead killer over the years. Watch this guy.
You got to see on him like glue, like gloop
(38:57):
up there. You can't let that guy get hot. Young team,
they're going the other way. So how the tables have turned,
I guess you would say, because North Bay was the
team going for it before. Now the Steelers are the
team going forward. I remember looking on the bench. I
remember I don't know if I I think I talked
to you guys about this, And look at the North
Bay players back in the day when they were going
(39:19):
for it, how big they were, and when we were young,
when the Steelheads were young, and how small they were
and the national anthem. Well, that's going to be the
other way around. Now Steels are gonna be like this.
And it's just the cycle of the league, right So,
but just to say, can't take them lightly, you got
to keep the pedal of the metal right away, and
they should be okay. But we'll see. Can't take anybody
(39:40):
in this league lately, as.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
You said, one hundred percent, you can. And they're a
young team. They want to prove things as well. For
you know the rest of this season and going into
next season as well. The young players obviously do, so
you know the effort's going to be there every time
they be that the North Bay Battalion play. And remember
the Steelheads, like you said, a couple of years ago,
it was going to the opposite direction. They had a
playoff series against each other, and that was the year
(40:03):
that the Steelheads, you know, traded off pieces. Well, that
was the year that Marton came over and MacDonell and
Van Vohlsen and all these guys. So now to be
able to kind of see it come full circle and
now it's kind of the other way around, I think
is a pretty cool thing to see. But yes, can't
take any team lightly. Still a big game coming up
against the North Bay Battalion. All right, so let's get
(40:24):
more in depth about the trades. I think we should
start off with with Alrics And we know, we know
we'll start off with all and we know about the trade.
But but what have you seen from him in his
first little bit here with the Steelheads that is really
that has impressed you and maybe surprised you that maybe
something you didn't know about him when he came over
in a trade.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Really how strong he is. I mean I knew he
was strong, but I mean, this guy's arms are like this.
He is built like almost Schwarzenegger. Man. I'm telling you like.
I like his I like his personality. He's got it's
in good with the guys as well. I mean he's perfect,
perfect fit. I just love his game, Like he could
(41:08):
take that putt to the net any You know what
I was thinking about this anytime he wants, if he
wants to, he could take that putt putt to the
net to score. Who's gonna stop it? If he bodies
off people? Nobody, I'm telling you, man, nobody. So I
just love his strength. I love his the way he
thinks out there. I think whoever he plays with he
(41:28):
makes better. You can see that already. So yeah, time hotel.
Then I'll keep saying more stuff. He's a Canucks draft
pick for a reason, and the Canucks got a good one.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Yeah, not only a Canucks draft pick, but signed by
the Canucks as well. I mean they know that, they
know that he's going to be a contributor at some point.
And I mean I think the thing that surprised me,
like obviously he's a big kai six six. I think
he's coming into like two thirty something. Oh and obviously
obviously really really strong. I think the thing that surprises
(42:03):
me the most, and j R. Had mentioned this, but
just watching him in a few games, his hands are
really good for a big player, Like around the net,
he's got great hands. He's got great ability to pass
as well. Just a very all around player. And again
we talk about like James Richmond type players James Richmond system,
and I think he fits it perfectly because again he
uses his size in the defensive zone as well, uses
(42:24):
his reach, kills penalties two for this team. Now he's
a big offensive power play guy as well, standing in
front of the net. So he just does everything in
all fasts of the game for the Steelheads. And that
I mean, yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Was gonna say he's got a great personality. He talked,
He talked to the guy for like five minutes here
you'll laugh like he's he's a pretty funny sweet He's
pretty funny Swedish dude. So I love that. That's just
so I wanted to say he fits in perfect as
you said, Brendan, that's it, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Fits in perfectly. And then another guy who who McGregor
talked about there was a Brandon Gillespie, of course, getting
his first start with the steel Heads. We talked a
little more in depth about him in the first segments.
We don't have to go as as much into what
he brings because you know, we kind of said it
all right there. It's just he's a guy who can
be relied upon in big moments. He's got experience. You
(43:12):
know that he can win big games. He was one
of the best goalies in the league last year with
the with the Owens attack, excuse me, with the with
the gwelf storm. So so obviously it's a guy who
is is someone like I said, has experience and can
win a big game for you if you need him,
and you don't have to ride your starter all the
time because you know you got a really good guy
(43:33):
backing him up.
Speaker 3 (43:34):
Yeah, another guy too, right, This is a guy with
a good personality, really really good in the night. As
I said, you know, they call him Friday night Lights
for a reason. I asked him where he got that
nickname from. I think he was saying when he played
with with the Air Centennials something like that. I don't know,
somebody gave it to him and then it just stuck
with him when he was with the gwelf Storm. But yeah,
he makes the flash. He says, he's really good positioning wise.
(43:57):
I mean, you know, it's too bad he didn't work
out with Jaco Gibbons. You know, we wish him all
the best. Ye before you know, uh kept going on
on Braden Gillespie. But yeah, another perfect fit, A perfect
guy again mentally, a good guy that James Richmond likes,
James Richmond, kind of player, good in the locker room
(44:18):
as well, really good with the guys right away right away.
So I asked him, I said, who was the first
person like to you know, meaning greet He said, Mace
is a Beskie. I could totally see that right, and
he's Maces a Beskie's a big team guy. So just
to say, yeah, Love is goaltending good guy. You know
Jack ever gets hurt, God forbid. I'm just saying exactly,
(44:42):
knock on wood, you're gonna need this guy to step
in there and chew up some minutes and even on
the back to backs, right, So perfect perfect fit.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Yeah, one hundred percent, And like you said, definitely wishing
all the best to Jacob Gibbons wherever he you know,
ends up. And obviously he did everything that he was
asked to do when he when he came here the
Steelheads and uh yeah, so definitely want to say that
for sure anywhere he goes. And also I want to
mention Anthony Palini. We haven't you know, mentioned always we've
been back to picking up. I mean, he came in
(45:17):
and in a time when they needed, uh a goaltender
to step up, and and he was great, Like he
stepped in there.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
Jr.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Told us, you know, and and and Heleni had told
me myself as well, you know, just just how hard
he's working. You know, he's always the first one at practice.
Anytime the players want to shoot, he's there to take shots.
So congratulates to him for his first win and getting
into a few games there as well.
Speaker 3 (45:38):
Absolutely played great against the Ottawa got that win. Yeah,
he was first start of the game. It's amazing, Like
that's something he's not he's never going to forget for
the rest of his life, right, Good for him. Yeah,
he's a guy that's always, you know, the first kind
of practice. Hey guys, you need you need somebody to
shoot at you know, I'm here. The goal is there,
Like he's always there. He's always wanting to chip in. Uh,
(46:01):
that's huge. That's that's a guy. That's a kind of
guy you want your team. I mean, I think I
thought he played pretty well against Nigriceogs too.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
Yeah, he did.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
Just steards were too shorthanded that game, right, and I
mean how many AP's are up right, I mean there's
only so much he could do. But hey, congratulations to
Anthony Paulini. More to come for sure.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Percent All right, so, uh we got about two minutes
here quickly. Uh, it's only been one game. But connorson,
what did you what did you see? What did you
see for him in the in the game in the
game yesterday.
Speaker 3 (46:35):
Well, he's awesome in his own zone. He's got a
great first pass. He's got a great first pass out
of the zone. Leadership. You could totally tell he's a
leader out there when he's back there. He was playing
with Parker von Richter and he's there, he's kind of saying, okay,
you know over there over there, Okay, you get him,
I'll stay, you know what I mean, Like, he totally
(46:56):
tell he's a leader. Not to James Richmond said that
he's a leader and you could totally see that on
the ice. Big body took a couple of nice shots
from the point, just Jaden Nelson was able to save it.
Very smart, very smart player. Anaheims Anaheim's got a got
a good one. Love his attitude again. Another guy you
(47:16):
know interviewed him and another James Richmond fit looks at
the whole person, doesn't look like, you know, you could
be the best player in the world. If you're not
a good person, you're not gonna be in his team.
This guy's the total package and good to see him.
They gave up a lot for him, but Stilla Steele
has do have some mass that still. We'll see what
happens with that. But well, uh did not. They didn't
(47:41):
overpay for him, That's what.
Speaker 4 (47:42):
No at all.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
That was perfect, not at all.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
And it was a guy that they needed too. They
needed kind of that like steadying presence on the back end.
And I think that he obviously brings that guy shutdown guy. Yeah,
and it'll be interesting to see actually how they work
the pairs, uh the he was playing with von Richtor yesterday.
It'll be in interesting to see kind of where they
end up shaking out of correspond Rictor played with Fibiger
for most of the season before Fibiger left, and Harding
(48:08):
and Sova have played together for pretty much the entire year.
So we'll see Lescafar of course suspended right now after
he came back from injury. And once that all gets together,
I mean they're gonna have and and Luke Drakruzk at
some point will get healthy. I mean, they're gonna have
eight defensemen still a month away. Yeah, so I mean
it's yeah, so it's like, but they're gonna have eight
quality defensemen at some point. So it's a it's a
(48:28):
good problem to have for sure, and it will be.
It's it's a great addition back there, all right, one
minute left in the show, Mikey Life Tips. What do
we have? Give it to me?
Speaker 3 (48:38):
If you do a secret Sanna, and we do a
secret Santa, we do it through the Internet and we
get to ask for you know, what you want for
and all that kind of stuff through this app get
what the person asked for. Please, because I didn't get
what I wanted this year. I didn't get what I want.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
Yeah, man, I was so, I mean.
Speaker 3 (48:58):
Okay, I didn't know up I got a sweater. I
got a Nike swim what's this?
Speaker 2 (49:05):
And what did you ask Nike?
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Whole bunch of other things I asked for, like this
beanbag sitter, one of those big uh what do you
call it those cups or whatever you know whatever to.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
Yeah, like a YETI r yeah, something like stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
I asked for that. I asked for some some tools
or whatever. Oh no, I got a sweater. Well give
me because whoever I have for secret Sannah, I got
them what they wanted.
Speaker 2 (49:34):
Yes, okay, there you go, there you go.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
I got my sister she wanted a curling iron. I
got it for her, just to say, there you go.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
You're a great gift giver, Mikey.
Speaker 3 (49:43):
Yes, that's what we're learning.
Speaker 2 (49:44):
That's what we're learning here on Troup Talk today, that
you're great at giving gifts. All right, we're gonna finish
things off on that note. Thank you so much for
coming along with us here on SAGGA nine sixty listening
for every your favorite podcast or watching on YouTube. I'm
Brendan Lang. That's mikey K. Thank you once again, and
have a.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
Grating no radio, no problem. Stream is live on SAGA
nine sixty am.
Speaker 4 (50:21):
Dot C a
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