August 24, 2025 • 50 mins
Trout Talk is back for season 3 as Brendan Lang and Mike Karafilidis discuss the upcoming season. Head coach and General manager of the Brampton Steelheads, James Richmond also joins the program to talk about the offseason and offers some insight as to what his club will look like this upcoming year.
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Episode Transcript
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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 Ka Mike
Carafelita's two broadcasters here for the Brampton steel Heads on
SAGA nine sixty AM and mikey It is season three
of trout Talk here. Season two with the Brampton steel has,
of course the first year with the Mississauga but season
(00:45):
three of trout Talk that's pretty crazy times. The time's
gone pretty fast here.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Unbelievable, unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
I mean we're just around the corner from the preseason,
regular season a little bit earlier start this year.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
It's going to start September.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Eighteenth, actually on my birthday in Peterborough, which is kind
of cool. So yeah, but.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
During twenty five just what's that turning twenty five?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, I like that, thanks so much. Yeah, twenty two,
actually twenty one, twenty two, so but yeah, it's been
it's been a nice summer so far.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Brendan, it's nice to be back here.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Our last episode we went live at the at the
Steelheads Golf tournament in Milton, Mississauga, Oakville, wherever you want
to call it. I don't know in between there, right,
but we had a great time and nice to be back.
And Brendan, summer's been going well.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How about yourself, Yeah, summer's been going well for me too.
You know, it's been uh, it's been a lot of golf.
I've been you know, been golfing, been working, doing some
doing some different things. So it's yeah, it's been a
good summer and I'm really looking forward to getting things
going again.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, it's gonna be awesome. Now, if you're just joining
us for the first time again, we said it's season
three of trout Talk, but if you haven't tuned in before,
this is kind of the show where we're gonna cover
everything steel Eds throughout the entire season. We're going to
have interviews with players, coaches, I guess I can say
right now, coming up in moments, the head coach and
general manager of the steel edg James Richmond, is going
to be here on the program. But yeah, so again
(02:12):
this is kind of kind of going to cover everything
steel EDGs everything LHL throughout the entire season, and we're
gonna have lots lots of great guests, lots of great
player interviews, coaches interviews, possibly some other guests in there
as well at some point. So yeah, again, it's it's
gonna be the place to be if you want to
keep up with everything with the with the steel Eds,
and you can hear the games of course here on
(02:33):
Saga nine to sixty as well. Myself, Mike he K,
my care of Lada, Zach Bodenstein, who isn't on the
show here today, will be on the broadcast as well.
So I know we're really looking forward to it. And
when we were at the at the golf tournament, we
were talking to, you know, quite a few of the players.
It seems like everybody's got a little bit of a buzz,
really really excited to get things going this year.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Yeah, I mean you could you see that the guys
have grown again. I mean, wow, jes see Parkervon Richter,
he just looks bigger and bigger. The defenseman for the
Brampton Steelers, Karen Mkowsky, looks like he's gained about twenty
pounds of muscle. I mean, these guys have really been
working hard. It's going to be a different team this year.
It's gonna be a different team. Obviously, some guys moving
(03:16):
on to the NHL.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Some guys have moved on.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
To the NCAA. But they still have a really really
solid court, really really solid core in the back end.
And we'll get into that more. But you know, and
they just made a great today. We'll talk about that
with the GM and head coach of the Brampton steel
had James Richard picking up Justin botno.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Veteran guy.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
He'll be up there with Sebski played a lot in
Kitchener then he got traded with the Gulf Storm. I
like to steal a lot for the Brampton Steelheads, a
guy that gots a little bit more death up there
as well. So, and we know there's been some players
have been drafted to the NHL of course from the Steelheads.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
We could talk about that as well. We'll get into that.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, yeah, Well, we'll have James Richmond on here in
a moment and we'll talk about that trade. We'll talk
about some of the other trades they've made in the
offseason too. There's been a few of them that have happened,
So we'll kind of get into that, and then maybe
in the last segment we can kind of talk about
the guys who were drafted from the Steelheads and just
as you as you have said and we have said
many times before, and James Richmond has talked about that
they are the best organization the Steelheads are at getting
(04:22):
these players to the NHL, getting them to sign pro contracts,
getting them drafted. So yeah, we'll talk to James Richmond
and then in the last segment we'll kind of go
over some of the guys that were drafted and just
sort of what we what we can look forward to
this year.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, I can't wait for I can't wait for the
year to start.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Folks.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
This is going to be good.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
And you can listen to what You can listen on
SAGA nine sixty one to two pm every Sunday. It
will be but it might be you know, stay tuned
because some of the Sunday games are kind of weird.
You know, the saganaw start five thirty. I think they
might move out to four thirty what not. But anyway,
that's up to our program director. But we're going to
be all seed a long and be here all season long,
(05:00):
and we're looking forward to the season. It's gonna be
it's gonna be a different group, but it's gonna be
a hard working group in my opinion. And you know,
but our guest is going to talk about that, did
you the boss as we call him GM, and head
coach James Richmond, and uh, it's gonna be. It's gonna
be a good year. I really like, I really like
to pick up a Zach Bowne. We'll get into that
as well.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So yeah, one hundred percent, we will get into that
here in mere moments because head coach and general manager
of the Brampton steelez is coming up next again, James Richmond.
On the other side of the break, I'm Brandan Lang,
mikey K, Mike rif Alitis is here as well, and
you're listening to trout Talk on SAGA nine sixty A.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Stream us live at SAGA nine sixty am dot c A.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Hello and welcome back to trout Talk here on Talking
nine to sixty am. Thank you so much for coming
along myself friend and laying here with mikey K, Mike
Carafelitis our first episode of season three of trout Talk.
Here Mikey and we have our guests today, head coach
general manager of the Brampton Steelheads, James Richmond. Thank you
so much for coming on. How are you doing?
Speaker 5 (06:29):
Thanks for having me guys, and I hope that everyone
summer was good.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So yeah, yeah, it's been going well. How's how's it
been going for you? Obviously still busy in the summer,
but but have you been able to take some time
off as well?
Speaker 5 (06:42):
No, not this year unfortunately, you know, with a bunch
of new stuff going on, new rules and everything, and no,
we really didn't didn't take much time off at all
getting ready and we start up this weekend. So I've
been in in the rate pretty much the last few
weeks anyway, So we're gonna get going here.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
That's good, that's excellent. So yeah, I mean, ah, the
golf tournament. You were in a golf tournament. Actually, it's
this is a kind of a funny story. When I
was getting the interview together with j R. I thought
he was playing in a hockey tournament because he said
tournament at first. So I said, oh, I said to him,
I go wow, I go awesome, I go get a
Gordy Hall for it, you know. Yeah, he said, no, no, no,
what golf tournament? He said, I thought, I said, with
(07:24):
cheering him off for a golf But.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
One of the GM's meetings that we hold every year
is first afternoon is is an Ohl golf tournament. So yeah,
so j.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
Which you want.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
At sixteen under? They won the whole alumni tournament.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Talk about that first.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
I mean, that's a huge win.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
I mean for you, well, Jake Wood's a pretty good golfer,
right He's he might be a one or two handicap,
and uh Chachi can really bang it out there off
the tee and and then I just kind of chip
in along the way. So it was it was a
good day. It was a good way to couple legals,
and it was a fun day. It was, you know,
(08:14):
one of the only days that it rained, but we
we stuck it out. Me I played the whole round
in the rain. So it was it was a fun day.
It's always nice to get up with the guys, the
hockey guys. Over the summer. I kind of let them
do their own thing and then when we get going,
we get going. So now we're going, and it was
fun to get out there with them.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
And you talk about getting it going now. I know
you had said that that you didn't really have any
time off this summer, but like, at what point in
the summer does it kind of turn the corner of
like off season duties to kind of moving towards getting
into training camp and getting the season going well.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
This year again because of the new rules and and
players leaving early and other NHL guys signing early, it
was really it was we're go time right after the
import draft, right, So, so we had the import draft
and then we're right at it to get guys, maybe
(09:18):
some free agents invited to camp to share because there's
no more rules about players not being able to or
they lose their eligibility down south. So so our guys
been hard at that trying to find some some free
agents to come to camp and putting the camp together
and dates and itineraries and and getting like I said,
(09:39):
getting players to come in for it.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
So yeah, and you've been talking about you know, some
of the players have moved on.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
You talked about the rule change.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Actually one of them is the new slew foot rule
that actually uh I just saw today. It could be
changed to a four minute instead of a five minute
kicked out after review and whatnot.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Right, yeah, talk about that.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
In the past, we've the gms and coaches sometimes you know,
the referee hands are tied. If it's a little foot
you know, trip from behind, that type of thing, it's
it's an automatic game misconda or automatic two games suspension.
And we just thought that there's some that are less
than others, and and they're all being pedalized the same way.
So so now we've we've made i think the referees
(10:29):
jobs or lives a little bit easier. They can they
can choose what they see and if they do decide
that it's more of a violent kick or in a
dangerous area by the boards where a guy could seriously
injure himself, and how violently does he go back on
his back and his head. And so so we've we've
i think we've made their job a little uh yeah,
(10:52):
a little a little easier for them. There's a few
there's a few real changes, you know with with offside
Now we have to challenge and if you challenge it,
lose the challenge, you get a penalty, just like it
is in the NHL. But there's a there's a few
things coming coming on board and and I think it's
I think it's good. You know, it's we want the
game to be played fast and physical. We don't want
(11:15):
the dirty stuff. We don't want guys going out to
injure guys. But we also know that the game is
is a physical brand brand of hockey, and injuries are
part of the game. We saw that last year. So
sometimes it has nothing to do with with a violent
nature of a of a hit. So so I think
(11:38):
the league has done a great job of of making
the changes. And uh, we'll see how it goes here
in an exhibition right away rule changes?
Speaker 2 (11:47):
What is that? What does the process look like to
do these changes? Like? Is it the league just telling
you this is what they are? Like you saying that, yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Yeah, there's there's committees, you know, gms and and head
coaches are asked for their opinions, and and we discussed
it and amongst our amongst the guys, and and then
we bring that forward to the league, and the league
looks at it, and they go through a lot of
video from past years, and and then and then that
(12:17):
motion is taken up above and and if it's passed,
it's passed, and if it's not, it's not so, but yeah,
it's yeah, it's not just decided in a day or two.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
It's you know.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Guys talk about and get everybody's opinion on it. And
and on this one here, I think it was majority
of us. B I would say almost all of us
said yes to the to the slip foot one.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
So all right, so let's talk about training camp. You said,
you know what's coming up and whatnot a little bit
of a different team this year, of course.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Uh so, Uh, you actually just made a trade.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
You picked up Justin Bontano, which was just announced on
the Gulf Storm site right before.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Actually again I was like, oh, very nice.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
That's a nice pick up from He's a veteran from
the Kitchen Rangers, somebody that can be up there with
Mason Zebaski. But the back end looks pretty good, uh Jr.
But up front, you know, you pick up Botno a
little bit more insurance up there. Uh, talk about talk
about the team this year, probably a little bit different,
but let's let's talk about what we have in training
camp right now.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
Yeah, I would agree. I think our back end is
going to be really solid. I mean, we've got some good,
strong players back there. Obviously, picking up that bone. The
Peterborough or Grotending will be will be good, strong, and
then we'll have a really good competition at training camp
for the for the next two goalie positions up front.
You know, I think that if you look at you know,
(13:43):
look a look at a guy like Shirat, he's scored
twenty goals, not really get a much power play time
at all. Where can he go to? Can he go
to thirty, thirty five, forty? You look at guy like
Cheering with Kelsey coming in his third year, he's had
a big summer. Where can he get to? Can he
get to twenty? You know, Egleton's coming back and and
Aggie missed all last year pretty much with the shoulder surgery,
(14:07):
and he's a he can score, he can put the
buck in the net. And and Zebaski obviously is a zebra,
is going to be counted on heavily. But I think
some of the guys that are going in the third
fourth year, they've had really big summers. We've seen them,
and I think I think they'll get more of an opportunity.
And I think, you know, the names aren't as sexy,
(14:30):
you know, it's it's definitely not as sexy. But I
think we're gonna be really tough to play against. And
I think guys will figure it out and and we'll
manu manufacture some goals. We will.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So and up front of a guy in the in
the import draft, your first pick in the import draft
in stank Covin coming over, what can you tell us
about him and in his game and how that kind
of fits into into your system.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
So so we got Maddie, Maddie stank Covin. We have
our guys over there that I thought this guy was
a real solid two hundred foot centerman. I talked to
a few NHL guys and they have them in next
year's draft. They're not sure they're where before the fifth round,
but not in the first round. We watched some video
(15:13):
autumn Lern and I did. We really like the way
he moves around the ice. He's a super kid. He's
a leader, he's always been a captain. He's really really
pumped to come. So that's that, that's so he should.
You'll take them a while, you know, the first year players,
the first year imports usually take a little bit of
a while to get to get their feet undernath them.
(15:35):
But we're looking forward to seeing the stinky, stank COVID.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
One guy that signed as well, that was a draft
pick that's committed to Penn State. I believe in Zach Nyman, great,
great puck moving defenseman, at least what I've seen. He's
really really rated high in the United States as well
on puck Perhaps he's raided like a four star defenseman
and that's that's huge, like online of what.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah, in his draft year, he would have been a
top ten pick. You know, I mean, gos to play.
One of the best skaters I've seen since Thomas Harley.
He really controls the power play up top on the
blue line. He makes very very smart plays. Not the
biggest guy, so he uses good lines and good stick
(16:21):
position while defending through the nutral zone and di zone.
You know, he played for a little bit out in
the BC League last year, then get hurt at knee surgery,
so he won't be ready to start the season with us,
but he's very very close. He'll be on the ice
day one at camp. Well, I think it's best to
kind of bring him along more more slowly so we
(16:43):
don't go through what we did did last year where
we're losing guys for extended periods. But Zach Diamonds is
a heck of a defenseman.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, and he's one of the names that's added on
the back end. Of course, you draft Peter Green, you
signed David Green as well coming in and there's gonna
be a few, you know, new pieces there. As we're
talking about, now, how much do you have to rely
on guys like Parker von Richter, yakamfib Dragusi, Karigi that
have been there before to kind of help these guys along.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
So you know David Green again, he's another guy that
was committed to the NCAA scholarship right out of or
out of U sixteen, so he went to the ucchild.
But then obviously when things opened up, we get guys back.
There's more guys actually that have come into our league
than have left our league. But everybody is making more
of a story about guys leaving, but there's more guys
(17:32):
that have come back in. And David Green's long a great,
big monster of a defenseman, moves really really well for
a big guy. So we're we're pumped toget him. Obviously
with Peter Green, I mean we thought he was the
best defenseman he's ranked as the top defenseman, and he
went as the number one defenseman, similar to you know,
(17:54):
Harley went pretty late in that first round when we
took him and and he went he did all right,
and he did all right paintail drafts. So not saying
that Serena is Thomas Harley, but you know, our back
end I think is really solid obviously, So you know,
ried Yee is out till November sometimes. He hurt his
(18:14):
knee over the summer in summer training, so he had
knee surgery, so he's out to November sometime. So we've
got some great depth on the back end coming in
and camp is going to be a hack of a camp.
We've got more people coming to camp this year than
we ever have since I've been to the Steelheads. And
the reason for that is is that there's no forty
(18:34):
eight hour rule where guys lose their eligibility to leave before.
So so we've got we've got sixty one sixty two
kids coming in and they're all they're all gonna be
looked at hard. So it's uh, we're looking forward to
kids don't have to leave after two days. Obviously, the
numbers will get down after two days. But we're gonna
(18:55):
look hard at some of these, uh, some of these
guys that have committed down south, Uh that I haven't
played in our league. Julian Dimiglio played last year. He
had already committed to r T, but when the rule changed,
he came in and stepped in and did that right
for us. So so we looked for for good things
out of Dimiglio as well. Jinman looks great through the summer.
(19:17):
There's some guys that are are looking really strong. So
it's uh, I think we'll be hard to play against.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, I really like that.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Second your second pick in the in the Ohl Priority
Selection draft. Keaton arda man.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
This this kid, he's got he can score.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
He can absolutely score what I've seen right, and I
actually met his his brothers on the golf course. Really
nice family too as well. Comes from a good backup
and whatnot. But uh, boy, talk about Keaton ARDA respect
from him.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
You know, he played for j RC and and kind
of from the wing, kind of controlled his line, he
made his line go.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
He he really.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Pushed that line and drove the line. So when you
can do that as a winger, similar to I'm not
comparing the port of Marton. But Marton drives a line
from the wing, and so Keaton ardog our dog is
really really strong along the walls, on the defensive half
wall and in the offensive zone, and he can rip
a puck boil boy. I mean, we were watching him
through the summer here sometimes and I said to one
(20:19):
of the guys on the ice, he shoots it a
little bit like Tippy, did you know tip it? And well, yeah,
I don't want.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
To compare him, though.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
He's a pretty Uh I love Tippy and and the
way he shot a puck was was ridiculous, But Keaton
is really close to that. He really gets up stick
and hurry and there's a lot behind. So so yeah,
we we've worked and we're excited. Played nine games for
(20:52):
us this past year. He's had a big summer. So
these guys are all going to come in a little
bit bigger, a little bit faster, and uh again, we
probably won't be a sexy up front with the names,
but I think we'll be hard to play against.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
And just one name I wanted to go back to
on the on the back end is is Luke Traguska.
Obviously a really tough year for him last year with
the injuries, didn't get into a lot of games, Like,
what are you expecting from him this year? Obviously it's
tough when you miss like a whole year of development
like that, but yeah, just kind of what are you
what are you looking for in him coming into this season?
Speaker 5 (21:25):
He did miss the year of development, but he man,
oh man, if you saw him work over the summer
and you saw him right now, You're like, wow, you
know it's uh, he's put a lot of work in
and that kid is as good as they come. His
heart is huge. You know, he's loved by his teammates
and and his coaches, and we are really really excited
(21:46):
to see Drags come in and play and be that
that physical, mean defenseman back there. He moves really well,
he moves the puck well, he can shoot it from
the blue line, and and he's feared out there. So
we are pretty pumped to get Drags back in. And
I know he's pumped, and he's looked real good over
the summer. He really has.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
That's awesome. You know, Ivan Throggle, He's probably getting bigger
and bigger all the time just to beast like him,
acts like him, well, I mean, what he did to
Apollo Cree. I mean, if anybody's ever seen Rocky maybe
sad you remember that when he what he did what
he did the Apollo Creek.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
You're going way You're going way way back now.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
So yeah, you know, I haven't seen it. I haven't
seen Rocky. I can't.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
You never seen it.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I've never seen it. You've never seen seen it.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Oh man, you got a good movie.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Yeah, it's good. You know, put it on, you know,
late at night and.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
At night.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
We've got some We've got some guys obviously that get
injured last year, like Iggy and and Drags and and
they're excited about coming back. And and they look both
looked like they put on some good muscle and uh
and they're ready to know they're healthy. And we get
some guys returning, they're going to have more of an opportunity.
And and like I said, I mean look at Suat,
(23:13):
I mean he's heart twenty last year and what can
he get to you know, is it is he top
out of thirty? Does he go to forty?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
You know?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
And so we're we're excited for these guys, we really are.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
It's talks about the goal tiding back there with Zach Bowen.
Now you picked him up from the peedbrop piece. I
think he's a guy that's just do and is ready
to take that night, like ready to take the bull
by the horns. It seems like to me. Yeah, and
you tell you and then you have the other the
two backups as well. Lucas Johnson just picked up Klabowski.
I think that's how you say his last name.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Is that what you say, Schlabowski Slobowski?
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (23:50):
As to this Polish Polish thing, I.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Guess you know Bowen is is uh. He's coming from
a tough situation where he's on a really really young
team that gave up a lot of shots and he
kept them middles and won them some games. And I
think coming into here, I know he's excited about it.
He's going to be playing, I think behind a really solid,
solid D group, So he's going to carry the load
(24:15):
for us. And then, like I said, going into camp,
it's going to be open for the It's going to
be an open fight for the second and third spot.
So Johnson was the first really taken. Who was Johnson
was first really taken to ohl draft. He's an O nine.
He may not be ready yet for the ohl By, Sure,
he sure looks good. It's about he's been really really good.
(24:37):
He was down at the u U eighteen US tryouts
in Buffalo and had a real good viewing there. They
really liked him. But he's just outside their top two.
So and then we've got some free agent, some most sixes.
We got some guys we drafted from previous years that
are playing in two two or the OJ or Junior B.
(24:58):
So it's going to be a battle back there or
for those second and third spots for our team. But
I like the way we look back there.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
And in the trade for Zach Bowhen you send Lucas
Karmiraz back the other way you trade did Jack van
Bulson earlier in the offseason for David Green? How difficult
is that? I mean those guys obviously, Carmerace, you draft,
you develop Van Volts, and somebody you brought in into trade. Uh,
just having to see those guys go in that way.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Yeah. Sometimes, I mean, you know, sometimes players want to
change the scenery, right, I mean, maybe they're not happy
with the ice time or whatever it is. So so
sometimes we've got to we've gotta move players that we
really don't want to move and I wish them both
both well, both success and whatnot. But I think bringing
(25:50):
in Green on the trade with with picks for Ben
Wilson will help our organization now and down the road.
And I think with Charmy is you know, I mean,
we got a number one goalie. It's not easy to
find a number one goalie. So it's uh, those are
always tough, tough trades to make. We'll see how they
(26:10):
work out for us. So I know those two guys
will have good years and and I think that Greener
and Bowen will have good years for us.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And you know what's you know what I like the most.
You talk about hard to play against. When you won
Coach of the Year, everybody expected that Steelhead's team to
be absolutely horrid. As I remember, as I remember correctly
right and right, what happened you guys, I mean, made
it pretty good, had a really, really good year. This
(26:41):
team kind of reminds me of that team a little
bit back in the day. This is the underdog team.
And you got the one thing about James Richmond, folks,
he gets the kids to buy in. And I think
this team they're gonna buy in. And I think they're
gonna they're gonna turn a lot of heads, and partly
we talked to Parker von Richter Jr. And he said
(27:03):
the same thing, We're gonna turn a lot of heads
this year. A lot of guys are saying, hey, we're
the underdogs, but we like.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
That, he said, yeah. I mean it's I'd rather be
way up in front and run away from everybody, But
I don't mind under dog spot either. So I mean,
years ago, we're the youngest team league and everybody thought
that we were going to be maybe in line for
one of the lottery picks, and I think we set
a Steelheads record for points in a season. And then
(27:30):
last year we were loaded. You could say our lineup
was loaded, but we're missing ten players for six weeks.
And those ten players were five of them were at
the World Juniors and the other five were pretty darn
good players. So it was a difficult time last year
with everybody in and out and a lot of players.
You know, there were some games we're playing with seven
(27:50):
and nine ap players and that's not always the easiest
thing to do. So our guys did a pretty good job.
I think we ended up two points behind the records.
He's in the year before. But you know, we looked
at it as a disappointing season. Obviously we didn't do
what we want to do in the playoffs. But again
it's not an excuse at all. It's just sometimes in
(28:11):
sports there's a reason for things, and and when you
lose key guys in the playoff time to injuries like
we have, it's very, very difficult. So I think the
guys that were there, they did a heck of a job.
And now we move forward to this group and yeah,
I think that people will look at us being as
(28:32):
a team that's probably not going to do much and
and we'll all be there to prove everybody wrong. But
at the same time, we're there to prove all of
us right.
Speaker 6 (28:42):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
I can't wait to say that.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
The players believe in it, the coaches believe it. So
we're just going to go out and and play the
way we can and prove us right. So the time
that we were missing you know, six weeks there, we're
missing a lot of good players. Our possession numbers were better,
our puck possession numbers were better, our shots against us
(29:07):
were better. We're the lowest part of the season, so
if you can get this group playing night in, night
out with the proper buy in, I'm okay with it.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Okay, it's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Yeah, it's gonna happen. I don't know it.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I can't wait to say it on the air. I
can't wait to see it on the air.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
This team, folks, what do you say?
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Now, what do you say? That's what I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
It's coming, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yeah, yeah, And then that's and that's what I was
gonna I was gonna mention too, like like you were
saying last year, at the time when there was all
these injuries and these different pieces moving in and out
of the lineup, it seemed like the buy in was
there from everybody who was playing on the ice at
that time. And I mean, I think that is going
to be similar, as you're saying, to what we're seeing
this year with with different pieces moving in.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
I agree, I agree. I think sometimes when you lose
your sexiness, you go you fall back to what really
makes a hockey player, and that is the competitiveness in
the player, the buy into the structure and how we
want to play, and we play with speed and physicality,
and I think these guys be prepared to do it.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
I can't wait. I can't wait.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
We all can't wait for the season to start.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
This week, start to start, right, I mean it's a
little bit of an earlier summer.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I mean earlier start.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
This year than the last two years. I don't remember
it being this earlier a start since two thousand and seventeen.
Maybe I think it was when they started on September seventeenth.
They so, oh yeah, rights can't wait.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
They moved it back so we can play more games
on the weekend, which is better for our players and
going to school. So they moved back a week. But yeah,
it's come back to the way it was when I
first started, and I think it's it's tough because we're
going to have players way at NHL camps at that time,
you know, we still got you know, we the most
(31:04):
guys drafted this year, with the most guys drafted last year. Uh,
the most guys signed. It's great for us, It is
great for our program, it's great for the kids. It's
a little bit more difficult, you know, for all the
coaches and doiler and everybody to figure out what we've
got because we're going to have guys away, and some
(31:27):
guys might come back, some guys might not come back,
so a little bit uncertainty, but I can tell you
on Monday, when they hit the ice, it's going to
be full on and there's going to be a competitive
streak out on the ice. And I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Yeah, one hundred percent, really looking forward to it, really quick.
Last thing I did want to ask you about, and
obviously you had talked about it. Of course, with the
with the rule changes and different guys being able to
come in. Now, obviously you said, you know, in the
other direction, there are players going out as well, and
you guys lost a few guys, as did other teams
as well. We're surprised it how many guys left or
(32:03):
is that kind of something that you saw coming with
it with the rule changes.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
I think it's gonna level out after two or three years.
But right now it's kind of a shiny new toy
out there and everybody's trying to rush into it. And
I can tell you that there's no shortcuts. There's some
players I can understand it, but I played that level
I played it. It's it's a tough tough league to
(32:31):
play in. I think while some of our guys are ready,
maybe some of them are jumping too soon. But let's see,
maybe they proved me wrong. Am I surprised a little bit? Yeah?
I can't say I'm disappointed at any of my players
for going, because I think it's a great hockey league.
But I also think that the OHL has been and
(32:54):
will continue to be the number one developer of NHL talent.
When I spoke to NHL guys over the summer, they're
re entering that with me, you know, because I'm trying
to ask them, you know, what can we do better?
Speaker 2 (33:08):
What can we do?
Speaker 5 (33:09):
And they kind of laughing at me because Jr. You
just had the most guys drafted off of one team
in the CHL. You just said the most drafted last
year as well, what do you want to do? So
We're going to continue to pour our resources into developing
our players, and I think our league is still going
to be the number one development league in the world.
(33:31):
I really really do. I think we've got great membership,
you know, throughout the league. I think we've got some
great coaches and some great development guys, and we've got
great players coming into our league. You might have more
high end young players coming in now because they don't
have to make that decision at fifteen years old. So
I think the fans are going to see some really
(33:51):
really high end I mean, and then let's see what
happens in two or three years. Ask me the same
question for or three years. Maybe not to make guys
leaving early, because if you have a runway to make
it to the pro hockey of nine years, four or
five years in our league and four years in the NCAA,
there's eight or nine years to make and it is
not easy to get a pro contract, So why would
(34:15):
you want to shorten up your runway? I mean, there
are no short tests, there are no shortcuts. It's all
hard work. You know. There's a lot of great players.
And I was reading some of the stuff over the summer,
and I remember sitting on the dock, you know, up
up north and guys talking about, you know, I was
(34:35):
so much better than you when we were younger, and
and another guy chimed and I was better than you two,
and you know, and they were, but you guys quit,
You guys stop playing. You didn't want to keep working
like it's hard work. So I didn't get a chance
playing that show. But I got paid for thirteen fourteen
(34:56):
years to play pro hockey. So there's a lot of
great players, and you have to keep going up the
ladder and don't stop, don't look behind you, because if
you stop to look around and taking the sites, taking
the views, somebody's going to outwork you. Somebody's going to
right by on the ladder. So I think that the
group that we have here this year is going to
(35:17):
be one hard working group. I really do. And I
think our league. You let's ask the same question in
for three years and let's see how it all plays out.
But I do believe, as it's been, the OHL is
going to continue to turn out the top players going
into the NHL. And we'll continue to do that because
(35:37):
I believe in I believe in what we do here
with the steel Heads in Brampton, and I believe in
what our membership does, what our cult are doing this league.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
So a twenty four games to sixty eight games, I mean,
that's how many games they play over there compared to
sixty eight K I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I mean, I got mixed emotion about that, But.
Speaker 5 (36:01):
I'm not gonna slag the league because they're going to
the university full time that they've got a lot on
their plate.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
The lot.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
Yeah, I'm not gonna slag any other league. I just
know I just look forward. I don't look behind, I
don't look out in the side. I look forward. What
we've done, the ohl has done. I've seen what the
bandle steel Let's have done. And we're just going to
keep working harder and harder and harder to keep having
that success.
Speaker 4 (36:30):
That's why.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
The most success, the most players drafted are is right here, folks, Brampton, Steele, EDGs.
And you're looking at the coach of the year. He's
been the coach for I don't know, yeah, it seems
like he's been there like twenty five years. It seems
like to me.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Forever.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
I want.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Okay, for the folks listening on the radio, so we're
on YouTube as well to say on your shirt.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
People, oh Steelhea's talking.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
I can't see it all right.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
I thought maybe it was something else, like for the
concert or someth because you got your arms, folks, and
we're trying to get a visual here.
Speaker 5 (37:05):
All right, eight o'clock tonight. The family's out having a
quick bite to eat, and all right, we'll get ready,
but I'll where my wife packed something for me to
wear it tonight.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Okay, that's okay.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
She does it for me all the time too, every
time we got to go somewhere, folks, or you gotta
go somewhere.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Me and the wife, okay, wearing this, this, this for
a week.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
This okay, yeah, okay, all right, there's no point in me.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
There's no point in me because she's gonna tell me.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
We'll take it out.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
I don't know about you, jar, but sometimes we can
take it out and say.
Speaker 6 (37:43):
No, no, no, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Well awesome.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
But we're looking looking forward to this year.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
If there anything you want to say to Brampton Steele
HADS fans right now, what would you say to them?
Speaker 5 (37:56):
You know, I I uh, it can be more thankful
for there's support last year, and I'm trusting and hoping
it continues. We've got some great players coming through the
through the pipeline here and we're going to continue to
to work our butts out on the ice and hopefully
have more success this year than we did last year.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
All Right, that's it. Thank you so much. I really
appreciate you coming on the show and join the concert.
Tonight and we will see you around the rink pretty
soon for me.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
All right, guys, all the best, All right, thank you,
have a great time.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
I was head coach and general manager of the Brampton
Sea Legs James Richmond, and we will be right back
after this here on trout Talk. You're listening here on
Socco nine sixty am New Radio.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Well no problem. Stream is live on SAGA nine sixty
am dot c A.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
And welcome back to trout Talk here on Saga nine
sixty am. We just spoke to James Richmond, head coach
and general manager of the Brampton Steelheads. I'm Brendan Lang,
mikey Kay and mikey K. Mike Carefulitis is here as
well on trout Talk.
Speaker 4 (39:36):
Mike, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
You can you can hear the you can hear the
excitement in James Richmond's voice. He said he was busy
all summer, said he didn't really get any any of
the summer. But he's still excited to back in the
ring because that's the kind of guy he is. He
always wants to be going.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Yeah, oh he he does.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
I mean he goes into a golf tournament and he
wins the ohl n I Golf tournament. Him, uh, Matttano
and Jake would big go one there if they just
everybody's sixteen under. That's hilarious. I love that he just
I love that he described the play though. Hey he said, yeah,
you know, he says, Jakes or the heck of a golfer,
you know, great Handicott, you know, Maddie Chachi, he can
(40:12):
he could hit him, you know, and I just kind
of cleaned up, you know, but we all know who
is the best golfer and that out of that trio,
I can tell you. But when he says cleaned up,
I'll tell you, ladies and gentlemen, folks, James Richmond, Golf
is on his mind all the time and he is
really really good. And if there was a seniors tour,
I would represent that guy. Be a caddy.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
Yeah, I'd be as caddy rich before him. Yeah, oh yeah,
I know. Put him in a golferer, I really would.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
I would put him in a golf tournament and I
bet you he would win big bucks. I'm gonna have
to talk to him about that, you know.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
Yeah, it was good to talk to him. Yeah, great
to great to hear from him. We discussed some of
the trades that that have gone on, and he's really
excited about the back end, and I think rightfully so
because there's a few guys that are coming in. I mean,
we talk about Zach Nyman. Unfortunately he just told us
there won't be ready to start the season, but of
course he'll be there at some point. You bring in
the Green brothers, David and Peter coming in. Yeah, and
(41:16):
then you've got von Richter coming back of course another year, bigger, stronger.
As you're talking about Yako Fibeger, same thing, he comes
back for it for another season. Luke Dragusika, we talked
a little bit in depth about him really looking for
a big season out of him once again. Unfortunately Reid
he not gonna be able to start the year. But
there's so much depth there and I think that it
is going to be really a strong part of this team.
Plus the Zach Bowen move that that we discussed as well.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
Yeah, definitely, you know, and I think Luke drag Usaka
is going to have kind of a chip on his
shoulder this year.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
I mean, he he ran into some bad luck.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
You know, we'd all know he'd had that knee injury.
Last year's kneecap got dislocated and he didn't come back
till late in the year, right, And I, in my opinion,
I think if you would have played the whole year,
it's possible he probably would have been drafted, maybe to
the NHL because that was his draft year, and I
think that's what kind of put him back a little bit.
Obviously it was the injury, right, So I think he
could go back in the draft this year if he
(42:07):
has a good year in the back end, which I
anticipate he will. And James Richmand talks about he's bigger,
he's stronger. Yeah, he's Ivan Drago's I'm telling he's Ivan
Drogo with the hockey stick. Right. He's feared out there,
and it's kind of funny. Uh did you I'm not
sure if you heard who he compared his game to
arbor Jack guy.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
I did, Yes, he says it all right.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
Anyway, I expect him to have a big year back there.
And you know we talked about the back end. That
back end is very solid. Zach Bowen, great goalie they
picked up from the I mean the target get goalies
these days from the Peterborough Petz and you know, James
Richmonds said it right, he was he was getting shot
at like fifty shots a game. Last year, the team
that was like only sixteen years old, one of the
(42:52):
youngest teams in the league.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Right, So it's a little bit of a different team
this year.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
Yeah, I don't think they're young, but they got they
still got a lot of experience out there too.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Right, you got your you got.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
Your eighteen nineteen year olds and Julian d'milio ree back there.
It's the best skie up front Eggleton he talked about. Right,
So to Gabe, you know, I can't forget about Gabe shot.
I mean, these are guys eighteen ninety years old. Yeah,
you're gonna have your Keaton ardas you know, as we
talked about, You're gonna have your date, your uh Peter
Green young player. Of course he's gonna be his first year.
(43:27):
So yeah, it's a it's a mix, and I think
it's a good mix. And I think this team's gonna
work really hard in buying.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Yeah, I mean that's always the biggest thing with with
James Richmond run teams is the buy in. And you
had talked about it in the interview as well. Two
years ago, not last year, but the year before. It
was a team that nobody expected to do anything. They
were I mean, I can't remember how far into the
year it was, but they were in first place in
the Eastern Conference for a good chunk of the season.
They were shot out like a can and like they
(43:55):
hung on off to a great start and and I
think it's something that we can expect this year too.
And like he said, there's not going to be as
many sexy names, big names up front, but they're gonna
buy into the system and that's kind of what he
needs to get the most out of his players.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
Well, here's the.
Speaker 4 (44:11):
Thing, Brandon, I look at the steel As, when I
look around the league too, a lot of there's I mean,
I think that it's wide open. I really do think
the East is wide open. There's not there's there are
some sexy names. You talk about sexy names out there,
but are there a lot of sexy names right Because
there's a lot of guys coming from the us HL.
(44:33):
Now it's a different ballgame now. Yes, us HL guys
that are committed that play in the BHL that are
coming to the OHL as well, it's a good thing.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
It's it's a lot of this lead is going to
be very, very talented.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
So who knows who's gonna be good, who's going to
be thinking, Okay, yeah, they picked this guy up from
the USHL, they picked this guy up from the u
AHL or import drafts. Nobody knows. Nobody knows until you
step out on the IC. You gotta prove yourself, especially
in this league. So this league is a little bit
different from the BCHL and the USHL. So but I
(45:08):
think the East is wide open.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
I think Brenton might turn a lot of heads this year.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Yeah, no, I completely agree. I don't see, you know,
too many teams that are like, yeah, that's a shoeing
to be at the top. That's shoeing to be at
the top, Like you said, because there's so many moving pieces,
it's really hard to tell. Like it's not like past
years where okay, you got your overages going out and
you got a few sixteen year olds coming in. Some guys,
some nineteen year olds are going excuse me, twenty year
olds are going to to pro leagues, the AHL, NHL,
(45:35):
whatever it is.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
Now.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
Because there's so many moving parts, you've got quite a
few younger guys coming in. You have a few top
guys going out. It's really tough to know. It's really
tough to know what it's going to be like. And
I'm really I really like the answer that the James
Richmond gave when I asked him about if he was
kind of surprised if there were players going and how
he said, you know that this is still the best
development league. And I think that he's correct in that,
(45:57):
and I will definitely want to ask him that in
three years because I would like to know what the
what the answer is and how things change, because because
I do think that that the answer he gave was
great and it was really insightful.
Speaker 4 (46:08):
I'll tell you something, you know what, some of the
guys that went to the NCY Double A, don't be
surprised that they come back. Don't be a surprised that
they come back, because James Richmond always said, you know,
maybe some guys went too young. I mean, you know,
Jack Ivan Covid went over right just to name one
another one out of Volentine from the Kitchen Rangers. He
(46:28):
was committed to the Kitchener and then he went he
decided to go to Michigan and that's his choice, of course, whatever,
But don't be surprised because these guys in the NC
Double A, they're older. This is a that's an older league.
So you got a seventeen eighteen year old, you're not
guaranteed a starting spot, right And I'm just saying so
(46:48):
maybe some of the players, they're gonna get mad, they're
not going to develop properly. Like I said, I'm not
going to knock the league.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
Either, the NC Double A.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
It's a good league, but maybe for younger players, maybe
they stay back and maybe a year. That's my point.
That's all I'm saying about that.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
Right, Well, we'll see what happens with that.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
Yeah, again it's well we'll have to kind of see two, three, four,
five years down the road how it how it works,
and how those stories kind of progress. So we will
definitely keep an eye on that. Quickly before we go,
I did want to talk about I mentioned it in
the first segment about some of the players that got
drafted for the for the steel EDGs this year. Of
course martne We knew he was going to be high
(47:26):
in the draft. He gets picked, but one guy is
Gabe Sharon. I was really happy to see him get
picked by Vancouver there. I think it was the sixth round.
I want to say, yeah, I think that's correct. Yeah,
sixth round for Gabe Sharot. I talked to him at
at the golf tournament and really excited to be drafted.
And I just think that that's a guy who the
progression has been so crazy over the years that he's
(47:46):
been with the Steelheads.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
Perma smile.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
Eh. Then you have us perma smile at the at
the golf tournament and he was willing to He's willing
to talk to us and said talk about the experience
and whatnot. You know, he was sitting at home, he
wasn't there and whatever, But really really happy for him.
Speaker 3 (48:01):
A guy that gets the goals and the dirty areas.
Speaker 4 (48:03):
Vancouver Canucks are going to love this kid. And you know,
his cousin, of course is Ben Scharatt, so he's got
a little bit of blood in there too, right, So
don't don't forget about that. But yeah, a guy that.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
Gets to the greasy areas he hits, he does.
Speaker 4 (48:19):
He could do a lot of things, and he for
his progression last year as a seventeen year old. Now
he's going into the year to the league as an
eighteen year old, and we saw him the golf tourin
he's bigger, he's stronger. This is I think he's gonna
have it. Like you know, James Richmond talked about it too.
He thinks he's going to have a big year this
year and I believe I think so too.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. And you know what, it
just talks speaks to the to the work ethic. When
I talked to him, I was just leaving and I
saw him and said, you know, congratulations for getting picked,
like it's awesome, and he and he's the first thing
he said was yeah, it's cool, but the work's not done. Yes, yeah,
he's very Yeah it's like that. Yeah it's cool.
Speaker 4 (48:57):
It works that.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
Yeah, that's a perfect Yeah, so.
Speaker 4 (49:02):
I got to give but yeah, it's props to him.
Prop supporter Martone for getting drafted, of course.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
And yeah, yeah, Guylan.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
Who was with the Steelheads for a little bit now
he's committed to Harvard this year. Jack ivan Covid, congratulations
to him, of course, and you know, another four Steelheads gone.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
That's it, right, drafted. Best developmental team in the league
is right here.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
That's right one, and we're going to be following them
all season long. We'll be in the rink, we'll be
calling the games, Mikey. Of course he'll be on the road,
just like the last few years. You'll be covering that myself.
Zach boden see it will be covering the games at
home in the CIA Center in Brampton. So we're really
looking forward to everything. Mikey, thanks for thanks for being
here today, first episode of season three. James Richmond, thank
(49:49):
you for coming on the program. And we will continue
this throughout the entire season and it's coming up soon.
Training camp just about to get underway. First preseason game
August twenty ninth. Starting a little bit this year, so.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
Let everybody know what we will be on the air.
Our first preseason game will be September thirteenth against the
Barry Colts. Just to let her right know. That game
will be live on SAGA nine sixty, Live.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
On Saga nine sixty, and then we'll have we'll have that,
like you said, Trout Talk one to two on Sundays.
Some Sundays it might be different, but that's the time
you can usually find us one to two here Saga
nine sixty am. Thank you so much for listening. If
you're watching on YouTube, thanks for tuning in as well
for myself, Brendon Lang, for Mikey K again, hope you
have a great rest of your week and we're almost there.
(50:34):
Thanks for listening here on Saga nine sixty am.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
Stream us live at Saga nine sixty am dot CA.
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 Ka Mike
Carafelita's two broadcasters here for the Brampton steel Heads on
SAGA nine sixty AM and mikey It is season three
of trout Talk here. Season two with the Brampton steel has,
of course the first year with the Mississauga but season
(00:45):
three of trout Talk that's pretty crazy times. The time's
gone pretty fast here.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Unbelievable, unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
I mean we're just around the corner from the preseason,
regular season a little bit earlier start this year.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
It's going to start September.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Eighteenth, actually on my birthday in Peterborough, which is kind
of cool. So yeah, but.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
During twenty five just what's that turning twenty five?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, I like that, thanks so much. Yeah, twenty two,
actually twenty one, twenty two, so but yeah, it's been
it's been a nice summer so far.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Brendan, it's nice to be back here.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Our last episode we went live at the at the
Steelheads Golf tournament in Milton, Mississauga, Oakville, wherever you want
to call it. I don't know in between there, right,
but we had a great time and nice to be back.
And Brendan, summer's been going well.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How about yourself, Yeah, summer's been going well for me too.
You know, it's been uh, it's been a lot of golf.
I've been you know, been golfing, been working, doing some
doing some different things. So it's yeah, it's been a
good summer and I'm really looking forward to getting things
going again.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
It's gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, it's gonna be awesome. Now, if you're just joining
us for the first time again, we said it's season
three of trout Talk, but if you haven't tuned in before,
this is kind of the show where we're gonna cover
everything steel Eds throughout the entire season. We're going to
have interviews with players, coaches, I guess I can say
right now, coming up in moments, the head coach and
general manager of the steel edg James Richmond, is going
to be here on the program. But yeah, so again
(02:12):
this is kind of kind of going to cover everything
steel EDGs everything LHL throughout the entire season, and we're
gonna have lots lots of great guests, lots of great
player interviews, coaches interviews, possibly some other guests in there
as well at some point. So yeah, again, it's it's
gonna be the place to be if you want to
keep up with everything with the with the steel Eds,
and you can hear the games of course here on
(02:33):
Saga nine to sixty as well. Myself, Mike he K,
my care of Lada, Zach Bodenstein, who isn't on the
show here today, will be on the broadcast as well.
So I know we're really looking forward to it. And
when we were at the at the golf tournament, we
were talking to, you know, quite a few of the players.
It seems like everybody's got a little bit of a buzz,
really really excited to get things going this year.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Yeah, I mean you could you see that the guys
have grown again. I mean, wow, jes see Parkervon Richter,
he just looks bigger and bigger. The defenseman for the
Brampton Steelers, Karen Mkowsky, looks like he's gained about twenty
pounds of muscle. I mean, these guys have really been
working hard. It's going to be a different team this year.
It's gonna be a different team. Obviously, some guys moving
(03:16):
on to the NHL.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Some guys have moved on.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
To the NCAA. But they still have a really really
solid court, really really solid core in the back end.
And we'll get into that more. But you know, and
they just made a great today. We'll talk about that
with the GM and head coach of the Brampton steel
had James Richard picking up Justin botno.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Veteran guy.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
He'll be up there with Sebski played a lot in
Kitchener then he got traded with the Gulf Storm. I
like to steal a lot for the Brampton Steelheads, a
guy that gots a little bit more death up there
as well. So, and we know there's been some players
have been drafted to the NHL of course from the Steelheads.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
We could talk about that as well. We'll get into that.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, yeah, Well, we'll have James Richmond on here in
a moment and we'll talk about that trade. We'll talk
about some of the other trades they've made in the
offseason too. There's been a few of them that have happened,
So we'll kind of get into that, and then maybe
in the last segment we can kind of talk about
the guys who were drafted from the Steelheads and just
as you as you have said and we have said
many times before, and James Richmond has talked about that
they are the best organization the Steelheads are at getting
(04:22):
these players to the NHL, getting them to sign pro contracts,
getting them drafted. So yeah, we'll talk to James Richmond
and then in the last segment we'll kind of go
over some of the guys that were drafted and just
sort of what we what we can look forward to
this year.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah, I can't wait for I can't wait for the
year to start.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Folks.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
This is going to be good.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
And you can listen to what You can listen on
SAGA nine sixty one to two pm every Sunday. It
will be but it might be you know, stay tuned
because some of the Sunday games are kind of weird.
You know, the saganaw start five thirty. I think they
might move out to four thirty what not. But anyway,
that's up to our program director. But we're going to
be all seed a long and be here all season long,
(05:00):
and we're looking forward to the season. It's gonna be
it's gonna be a different group, but it's gonna be
a hard working group in my opinion. And you know,
but our guest is going to talk about that, did
you the boss as we call him GM, and head
coach James Richmond, and uh, it's gonna be. It's gonna
be a good year. I really like, I really like
to pick up a Zach Bowne. We'll get into that
as well.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So yeah, one hundred percent, we will get into that
here in mere moments because head coach and general manager
of the Brampton steelez is coming up next again, James Richmond.
On the other side of the break, I'm Brandan Lang,
mikey K, Mike rif Alitis is here as well, and
you're listening to trout Talk on SAGA nine sixty A.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Stream us live at SAGA nine sixty am dot c A.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Hello and welcome back to trout Talk here on Talking
nine to sixty am. Thank you so much for coming
along myself friend and laying here with mikey K, Mike
Carafelitis our first episode of season three of trout Talk.
Here Mikey and we have our guests today, head coach
general manager of the Brampton Steelheads, James Richmond. Thank you
so much for coming on. How are you doing?
Speaker 5 (06:29):
Thanks for having me guys, and I hope that everyone
summer was good.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So yeah, yeah, it's been going well. How's how's it
been going for you? Obviously still busy in the summer,
but but have you been able to take some time
off as well?
Speaker 5 (06:42):
No, not this year unfortunately, you know, with a bunch
of new stuff going on, new rules and everything, and no,
we really didn't didn't take much time off at all
getting ready and we start up this weekend. So I've
been in in the rate pretty much the last few
weeks anyway, So we're gonna get going here.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
That's good, that's excellent. So yeah, I mean, ah, the
golf tournament. You were in a golf tournament. Actually, it's
this is a kind of a funny story. When I
was getting the interview together with j R. I thought
he was playing in a hockey tournament because he said
tournament at first. So I said, oh, I said to him,
I go wow, I go awesome, I go get a
Gordy Hall for it, you know. Yeah, he said, no, no, no,
what golf tournament? He said, I thought, I said, with
(07:24):
cheering him off for a golf But.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
One of the GM's meetings that we hold every year
is first afternoon is is an Ohl golf tournament. So yeah,
so j.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
Which you want.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
At sixteen under? They won the whole alumni tournament.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Talk about that first.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
I mean, that's a huge win.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
I mean for you, well, Jake Wood's a pretty good golfer,
right He's he might be a one or two handicap,
and uh Chachi can really bang it out there off
the tee and and then I just kind of chip
in along the way. So it was it was a
good day. It was a good way to couple legals,
and it was a fun day. It was, you know,
(08:14):
one of the only days that it rained, but we
we stuck it out. Me I played the whole round
in the rain. So it was it was a fun day.
It's always nice to get up with the guys, the
hockey guys. Over the summer. I kind of let them
do their own thing and then when we get going,
we get going. So now we're going, and it was
fun to get out there with them.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
And you talk about getting it going now. I know
you had said that that you didn't really have any
time off this summer, but like, at what point in
the summer does it kind of turn the corner of
like off season duties to kind of moving towards getting
into training camp and getting the season going well.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
This year again because of the new rules and and
players leaving early and other NHL guys signing early, it
was really it was we're go time right after the
import draft, right, So, so we had the import draft
and then we're right at it to get guys, maybe
(09:18):
some free agents invited to camp to share because there's
no more rules about players not being able to or
they lose their eligibility down south. So so our guys
been hard at that trying to find some some free
agents to come to camp and putting the camp together
and dates and itineraries and and getting like I said,
(09:39):
getting players to come in for it.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
So yeah, and you've been talking about you know, some
of the players have moved on.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
You talked about the rule change.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Actually one of them is the new slew foot rule
that actually uh I just saw today. It could be
changed to a four minute instead of a five minute
kicked out after review and whatnot.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Right, yeah, talk about that.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
In the past, we've the gms and coaches sometimes you know,
the referee hands are tied. If it's a little foot
you know, trip from behind, that type of thing, it's
it's an automatic game misconda or automatic two games suspension.
And we just thought that there's some that are less
than others, and and they're all being pedalized the same way.
So so now we've we've made i think the referees
(10:29):
jobs or lives a little bit easier. They can they
can choose what they see and if they do decide
that it's more of a violent kick or in a
dangerous area by the boards where a guy could seriously
injure himself, and how violently does he go back on
his back and his head. And so so we've we've
i think we've made their job a little uh yeah,
(10:52):
a little a little easier for them. There's a few
there's a few real changes, you know with with offside
Now we have to challenge and if you challenge it,
lose the challenge, you get a penalty, just like it
is in the NHL. But there's a there's a few
things coming coming on board and and I think it's
I think it's good. You know, it's we want the
game to be played fast and physical. We don't want
(11:15):
the dirty stuff. We don't want guys going out to
injure guys. But we also know that the game is
is a physical brand brand of hockey, and injuries are
part of the game. We saw that last year. So
sometimes it has nothing to do with with a violent
nature of a of a hit. So so I think
(11:38):
the league has done a great job of of making
the changes. And uh, we'll see how it goes here
in an exhibition right away rule changes?
Speaker 2 (11:47):
What is that? What does the process look like to
do these changes? Like? Is it the league just telling
you this is what they are? Like you saying that, yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Yeah, there's there's committees, you know, gms and and head
coaches are asked for their opinions, and and we discussed
it and amongst our amongst the guys, and and then
we bring that forward to the league, and the league
looks at it, and they go through a lot of
video from past years, and and then and then that
(12:17):
motion is taken up above and and if it's passed,
it's passed, and if it's not, it's not so, but yeah,
it's yeah, it's not just decided in a day or two.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
It's you know.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Guys talk about and get everybody's opinion on it. And
and on this one here, I think it was majority
of us. B I would say almost all of us
said yes to the to the slip foot one.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
So all right, so let's talk about training camp. You said,
you know what's coming up and whatnot a little bit
of a different team this year, of course.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Uh so, Uh, you actually just made a trade.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
You picked up Justin Bontano, which was just announced on
the Gulf Storm site right before.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Actually again I was like, oh, very nice.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
That's a nice pick up from He's a veteran from
the Kitchen Rangers, somebody that can be up there with
Mason Zebaski. But the back end looks pretty good, uh Jr.
But up front, you know, you pick up Botno a
little bit more insurance up there. Uh, talk about talk
about the team this year, probably a little bit different,
but let's let's talk about what we have in training
camp right now.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
Yeah, I would agree. I think our back end is
going to be really solid. I mean, we've got some good,
strong players back there. Obviously, picking up that bone. The
Peterborough or Grotending will be will be good, strong, and
then we'll have a really good competition at training camp
for the for the next two goalie positions up front.
You know, I think that if you look at you know,
(13:43):
look a look at a guy like Shirat, he's scored
twenty goals, not really get a much power play time
at all. Where can he go to? Can he go
to thirty, thirty five, forty? You look at guy like
Cheering with Kelsey coming in his third year, he's had
a big summer. Where can he get to? Can he
get to twenty? You know, Egleton's coming back and and
Aggie missed all last year pretty much with the shoulder surgery,
(14:07):
and he's a he can score, he can put the
buck in the net. And and Zebaski obviously is a zebra,
is going to be counted on heavily. But I think
some of the guys that are going in the third
fourth year, they've had really big summers. We've seen them,
and I think I think they'll get more of an opportunity.
And I think, you know, the names aren't as sexy,
(14:30):
you know, it's it's definitely not as sexy. But I
think we're gonna be really tough to play against. And
I think guys will figure it out and and we'll
manu manufacture some goals. We will.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So and up front of a guy in the in
the import draft, your first pick in the import draft
in stank Covin coming over, what can you tell us
about him and in his game and how that kind
of fits into into your system.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
So so we got Maddie, Maddie stank Covin. We have
our guys over there that I thought this guy was
a real solid two hundred foot centerman. I talked to
a few NHL guys and they have them in next
year's draft. They're not sure they're where before the fifth round,
but not in the first round. We watched some video
(15:13):
autumn Lern and I did. We really like the way
he moves around the ice. He's a super kid. He's
a leader, he's always been a captain. He's really really
pumped to come. So that's that, that's so he should.
You'll take them a while, you know, the first year players,
the first year imports usually take a little bit of
a while to get to get their feet undernath them.
(15:35):
But we're looking forward to seeing the stinky, stank COVID.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
One guy that signed as well, that was a draft
pick that's committed to Penn State. I believe in Zach Nyman, great,
great puck moving defenseman, at least what I've seen. He's
really really rated high in the United States as well
on puck Perhaps he's raided like a four star defenseman
and that's that's huge, like online of what.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah, in his draft year, he would have been a
top ten pick. You know, I mean, gos to play.
One of the best skaters I've seen since Thomas Harley.
He really controls the power play up top on the
blue line. He makes very very smart plays. Not the
biggest guy, so he uses good lines and good stick
(16:21):
position while defending through the nutral zone and di zone.
You know, he played for a little bit out in
the BC League last year, then get hurt at knee surgery,
so he won't be ready to start the season with us,
but he's very very close. He'll be on the ice
day one at camp. Well, I think it's best to
kind of bring him along more more slowly so we
(16:43):
don't go through what we did did last year where
we're losing guys for extended periods. But Zach Diamonds is
a heck of a defenseman.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, and he's one of the names that's added on
the back end. Of course, you draft Peter Green, you
signed David Green as well coming in and there's gonna
be a few, you know, new pieces there. As we're
talking about, now, how much do you have to rely
on guys like Parker von Richter, yakamfib Dragusi, Karigi that
have been there before to kind of help these guys along.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
So you know David Green again, he's another guy that
was committed to the NCAA scholarship right out of or
out of U sixteen, so he went to the ucchild.
But then obviously when things opened up, we get guys back.
There's more guys actually that have come into our league
than have left our league. But everybody is making more
of a story about guys leaving, but there's more guys
(17:32):
that have come back in. And David Green's long a great,
big monster of a defenseman, moves really really well for
a big guy. So we're we're pumped toget him. Obviously
with Peter Green, I mean we thought he was the
best defenseman he's ranked as the top defenseman, and he
went as the number one defenseman, similar to you know,
(17:54):
Harley went pretty late in that first round when we
took him and and he went he did all right,
and he did all right paintail drafts. So not saying
that Serena is Thomas Harley, but you know, our back
end I think is really solid obviously, So you know,
ried Yee is out till November sometimes. He hurt his
(18:14):
knee over the summer in summer training, so he had
knee surgery, so he's out to November sometime. So we've
got some great depth on the back end coming in
and camp is going to be a hack of a camp.
We've got more people coming to camp this year than
we ever have since I've been to the Steelheads. And
the reason for that is is that there's no forty
(18:34):
eight hour rule where guys lose their eligibility to leave before.
So so we've got we've got sixty one sixty two
kids coming in and they're all they're all gonna be
looked at hard. So it's uh, we're looking forward to
kids don't have to leave after two days. Obviously, the
numbers will get down after two days. But we're gonna
(18:55):
look hard at some of these, uh, some of these
guys that have committed down south, Uh that I haven't
played in our league. Julian Dimiglio played last year. He
had already committed to r T, but when the rule changed,
he came in and stepped in and did that right
for us. So so we looked for for good things
out of Dimiglio as well. Jinman looks great through the summer.
(19:17):
There's some guys that are are looking really strong. So
it's uh, I think we'll be hard to play against.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah, I really like that.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Second your second pick in the in the Ohl Priority
Selection draft. Keaton arda man.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
This this kid, he's got he can score.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
He can absolutely score what I've seen right, and I
actually met his his brothers on the golf course. Really
nice family too as well. Comes from a good backup
and whatnot. But uh, boy, talk about Keaton ARDA respect
from him.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
You know, he played for j RC and and kind
of from the wing, kind of controlled his line, he
made his line go.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
He he really.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Pushed that line and drove the line. So when you
can do that as a winger, similar to I'm not
comparing the port of Marton. But Marton drives a line
from the wing, and so Keaton ardog our dog is
really really strong along the walls, on the defensive half
wall and in the offensive zone, and he can rip
a puck boil boy. I mean, we were watching him
through the summer here sometimes and I said to one
(20:19):
of the guys on the ice, he shoots it a
little bit like Tippy, did you know tip it? And well, yeah,
I don't want.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
To compare him, though.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
He's a pretty Uh I love Tippy and and the
way he shot a puck was was ridiculous, But Keaton
is really close to that. He really gets up stick
and hurry and there's a lot behind. So so yeah,
we we've worked and we're excited. Played nine games for
(20:52):
us this past year. He's had a big summer. So
these guys are all going to come in a little
bit bigger, a little bit faster, and uh again, we
probably won't be a sexy up front with the names,
but I think we'll be hard to play against.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
And just one name I wanted to go back to
on the on the back end is is Luke Traguska.
Obviously a really tough year for him last year with
the injuries, didn't get into a lot of games, Like,
what are you expecting from him this year? Obviously it's
tough when you miss like a whole year of development
like that, but yeah, just kind of what are you
what are you looking for in him coming into this season?
Speaker 5 (21:25):
He did miss the year of development, but he man,
oh man, if you saw him work over the summer
and you saw him right now, You're like, wow, you
know it's uh, he's put a lot of work in
and that kid is as good as they come. His
heart is huge. You know, he's loved by his teammates
and and his coaches, and we are really really excited
(21:46):
to see Drags come in and play and be that
that physical, mean defenseman back there. He moves really well,
he moves the puck well, he can shoot it from
the blue line, and and he's feared out there. So
we are pretty pumped to get Drags back in. And
I know he's pumped, and he's looked real good over
the summer. He really has.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
That's awesome. You know, Ivan Throggle, He's probably getting bigger
and bigger all the time just to beast like him,
acts like him, well, I mean, what he did to
Apollo Cree. I mean, if anybody's ever seen Rocky maybe
sad you remember that when he what he did what
he did the Apollo Creek.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
You're going way You're going way way back now.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
So yeah, you know, I haven't seen it. I haven't
seen Rocky. I can't.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
You never seen it.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I've never seen it. You've never seen seen it.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Oh man, you got a good movie.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Yeah, it's good. You know, put it on, you know,
late at night and.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
At night.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
We've got some We've got some guys obviously that get
injured last year, like Iggy and and Drags and and
they're excited about coming back. And and they look both
looked like they put on some good muscle and uh
and they're ready to know they're healthy. And we get
some guys returning, they're going to have more of an opportunity.
And and like I said, I mean look at Suat,
(23:13):
I mean he's heart twenty last year and what can
he get to you know, is it is he top
out of thirty? Does he go to forty?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
You know?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
And so we're we're excited for these guys, we really are.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
It's talks about the goal tiding back there with Zach Bowen.
Now you picked him up from the peedbrop piece. I
think he's a guy that's just do and is ready
to take that night, like ready to take the bull
by the horns. It seems like to me. Yeah, and
you tell you and then you have the other the
two backups as well. Lucas Johnson just picked up Klabowski.
I think that's how you say his last name.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Is that what you say, Schlabowski Slobowski?
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (23:50):
As to this Polish Polish thing, I.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Guess you know Bowen is is uh. He's coming from
a tough situation where he's on a really really young
team that gave up a lot of shots and he
kept them middles and won them some games. And I
think coming into here, I know he's excited about it.
He's going to be playing, I think behind a really solid,
solid D group, So he's going to carry the load
(24:15):
for us. And then, like I said, going into camp,
it's going to be open for the It's going to
be an open fight for the second and third spot.
So Johnson was the first really taken. Who was Johnson
was first really taken to ohl draft. He's an O nine.
He may not be ready yet for the ohl By, Sure,
he sure looks good. It's about he's been really really good.
(24:37):
He was down at the u U eighteen US tryouts
in Buffalo and had a real good viewing there. They
really liked him. But he's just outside their top two.
So and then we've got some free agent, some most sixes.
We got some guys we drafted from previous years that
are playing in two two or the OJ or Junior B.
(24:58):
So it's going to be a battle back there or
for those second and third spots for our team. But
I like the way we look back there.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
And in the trade for Zach Bowhen you send Lucas
Karmiraz back the other way you trade did Jack van
Bulson earlier in the offseason for David Green? How difficult
is that? I mean those guys obviously, Carmerace, you draft,
you develop Van Volts, and somebody you brought in into trade. Uh,
just having to see those guys go in that way.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Yeah. Sometimes, I mean, you know, sometimes players want to
change the scenery, right, I mean, maybe they're not happy
with the ice time or whatever it is. So so
sometimes we've got to we've gotta move players that we
really don't want to move and I wish them both
both well, both success and whatnot. But I think bringing
(25:50):
in Green on the trade with with picks for Ben
Wilson will help our organization now and down the road.
And I think with Charmy is you know, I mean,
we got a number one goalie. It's not easy to
find a number one goalie. So it's uh, those are
always tough, tough trades to make. We'll see how they
(26:10):
work out for us. So I know those two guys
will have good years and and I think that Greener
and Bowen will have good years for us.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And you know what's you know what I like the most.
You talk about hard to play against. When you won
Coach of the Year, everybody expected that Steelhead's team to
be absolutely horrid. As I remember, as I remember correctly
right and right, what happened you guys, I mean, made
it pretty good, had a really, really good year. This
(26:41):
team kind of reminds me of that team a little
bit back in the day. This is the underdog team.
And you got the one thing about James Richmond, folks,
he gets the kids to buy in. And I think
this team they're gonna buy in. And I think they're
gonna they're gonna turn a lot of heads, and partly
we talked to Parker von Richter Jr. And he said
(27:03):
the same thing, We're gonna turn a lot of heads
this year. A lot of guys are saying, hey, we're
the underdogs, but we like.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
That, he said, yeah. I mean it's I'd rather be
way up in front and run away from everybody, But
I don't mind under dog spot either. So I mean,
years ago, we're the youngest team league and everybody thought
that we were going to be maybe in line for
one of the lottery picks, and I think we set
a Steelheads record for points in a season. And then
(27:30):
last year we were loaded. You could say our lineup
was loaded, but we're missing ten players for six weeks.
And those ten players were five of them were at
the World Juniors and the other five were pretty darn
good players. So it was a difficult time last year
with everybody in and out and a lot of players.
You know, there were some games we're playing with seven
(27:50):
and nine ap players and that's not always the easiest
thing to do. So our guys did a pretty good job.
I think we ended up two points behind the records.
He's in the year before. But you know, we looked
at it as a disappointing season. Obviously we didn't do
what we want to do in the playoffs. But again
it's not an excuse at all. It's just sometimes in
(28:11):
sports there's a reason for things, and and when you
lose key guys in the playoff time to injuries like
we have, it's very, very difficult. So I think the
guys that were there, they did a heck of a job.
And now we move forward to this group and yeah,
I think that people will look at us being as
(28:32):
a team that's probably not going to do much and
and we'll all be there to prove everybody wrong. But
at the same time, we're there to prove all of
us right.
Speaker 6 (28:42):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
I can't wait to say that.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
The players believe in it, the coaches believe it. So
we're just going to go out and and play the
way we can and prove us right. So the time
that we were missing you know, six weeks there, we're
missing a lot of good players. Our possession numbers were better,
our puck possession numbers were better, our shots against us
(29:07):
were better. We're the lowest part of the season, so
if you can get this group playing night in, night
out with the proper buy in, I'm okay with it.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Okay, it's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Yeah, it's gonna happen. I don't know it.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I can't wait to say it on the air. I
can't wait to see it on the air.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
This team, folks, what do you say?
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Now, what do you say? That's what I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
It's coming, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yeah, yeah, And then that's and that's what I was
gonna I was gonna mention too, like like you were
saying last year, at the time when there was all
these injuries and these different pieces moving in and out
of the lineup, it seemed like the buy in was
there from everybody who was playing on the ice at
that time. And I mean, I think that is going
to be similar, as you're saying, to what we're seeing
this year with with different pieces moving in.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
I agree, I agree. I think sometimes when you lose
your sexiness, you go you fall back to what really
makes a hockey player, and that is the competitiveness in
the player, the buy into the structure and how we
want to play, and we play with speed and physicality,
and I think these guys be prepared to do it.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
I can't wait. I can't wait.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
We all can't wait for the season to start.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
This week, start to start, right, I mean it's a
little bit of an earlier summer.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I mean earlier start.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
This year than the last two years. I don't remember
it being this earlier a start since two thousand and seventeen.
Maybe I think it was when they started on September seventeenth.
They so, oh yeah, rights can't wait.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
They moved it back so we can play more games
on the weekend, which is better for our players and
going to school. So they moved back a week. But yeah,
it's come back to the way it was when I
first started, and I think it's it's tough because we're
going to have players way at NHL camps at that time,
you know, we still got you know, we the most
(31:04):
guys drafted this year, with the most guys drafted last year. Uh,
the most guys signed. It's great for us, It is
great for our program, it's great for the kids. It's
a little bit more difficult, you know, for all the
coaches and doiler and everybody to figure out what we've
got because we're going to have guys away, and some
(31:27):
guys might come back, some guys might not come back,
so a little bit uncertainty, but I can tell you
on Monday, when they hit the ice, it's going to
be full on and there's going to be a competitive
streak out on the ice. And I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Yeah, one hundred percent, really looking forward to it, really quick.
Last thing I did want to ask you about, and
obviously you had talked about it. Of course, with the
with the rule changes and different guys being able to
come in. Now, obviously you said, you know, in the
other direction, there are players going out as well, and
you guys lost a few guys, as did other teams
as well. We're surprised it how many guys left or
(32:03):
is that kind of something that you saw coming with
it with the rule changes.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
I think it's gonna level out after two or three years.
But right now it's kind of a shiny new toy
out there and everybody's trying to rush into it. And
I can tell you that there's no shortcuts. There's some
players I can understand it, but I played that level
I played it. It's it's a tough tough league to
(32:31):
play in. I think while some of our guys are ready,
maybe some of them are jumping too soon. But let's see,
maybe they proved me wrong. Am I surprised a little bit? Yeah?
I can't say I'm disappointed at any of my players
for going, because I think it's a great hockey league.
But I also think that the OHL has been and
(32:54):
will continue to be the number one developer of NHL talent.
When I spoke to NHL guys over the summer, they're
re entering that with me, you know, because I'm trying
to ask them, you know, what can we do better?
Speaker 2 (33:08):
What can we do?
Speaker 5 (33:09):
And they kind of laughing at me because Jr. You
just had the most guys drafted off of one team
in the CHL. You just said the most drafted last
year as well, what do you want to do? So
We're going to continue to pour our resources into developing
our players, and I think our league is still going
to be the number one development league in the world.
(33:31):
I really really do. I think we've got great membership,
you know, throughout the league. I think we've got some
great coaches and some great development guys, and we've got
great players coming into our league. You might have more
high end young players coming in now because they don't
have to make that decision at fifteen years old. So
I think the fans are going to see some really
(33:51):
really high end I mean, and then let's see what
happens in two or three years. Ask me the same
question for or three years. Maybe not to make guys
leaving early, because if you have a runway to make
it to the pro hockey of nine years, four or
five years in our league and four years in the NCAA,
there's eight or nine years to make and it is
not easy to get a pro contract, So why would
(34:15):
you want to shorten up your runway? I mean, there
are no short tests, there are no shortcuts. It's all
hard work. You know. There's a lot of great players.
And I was reading some of the stuff over the summer,
and I remember sitting on the dock, you know, up
up north and guys talking about, you know, I was
(34:35):
so much better than you when we were younger, and
and another guy chimed and I was better than you two,
and you know, and they were, but you guys quit,
You guys stop playing. You didn't want to keep working
like it's hard work. So I didn't get a chance
playing that show. But I got paid for thirteen fourteen
(34:56):
years to play pro hockey. So there's a lot of
great players, and you have to keep going up the
ladder and don't stop, don't look behind you, because if
you stop to look around and taking the sites, taking
the views, somebody's going to outwork you. Somebody's going to
right by on the ladder. So I think that the
group that we have here this year is going to
(35:17):
be one hard working group. I really do. And I
think our league. You let's ask the same question in
for three years and let's see how it all plays out.
But I do believe, as it's been, the OHL is
going to continue to turn out the top players going
into the NHL. And we'll continue to do that because
(35:37):
I believe in I believe in what we do here
with the steel Heads in Brampton, and I believe in
what our membership does, what our cult are doing this league.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
So a twenty four games to sixty eight games, I mean,
that's how many games they play over there compared to
sixty eight K I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I mean, I got mixed emotion about that, But.
Speaker 5 (36:01):
I'm not gonna slag the league because they're going to
the university full time that they've got a lot on
their plate.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
The lot.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
Yeah, I'm not gonna slag any other league. I just
know I just look forward. I don't look behind, I
don't look out in the side. I look forward. What
we've done, the ohl has done. I've seen what the
bandle steel Let's have done. And we're just going to
keep working harder and harder and harder to keep having
that success.
Speaker 4 (36:30):
That's why.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
The most success, the most players drafted are is right here, folks, Brampton, Steele, EDGs.
And you're looking at the coach of the year. He's
been the coach for I don't know, yeah, it seems
like he's been there like twenty five years. It seems
like to me.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Forever.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
I want.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Okay, for the folks listening on the radio, so we're
on YouTube as well to say on your shirt.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
People, oh Steelhea's talking.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
I can't see it all right.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
I thought maybe it was something else, like for the
concert or someth because you got your arms, folks, and
we're trying to get a visual here.
Speaker 5 (37:05):
All right, eight o'clock tonight. The family's out having a
quick bite to eat, and all right, we'll get ready,
but I'll where my wife packed something for me to
wear it tonight.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Okay, that's okay.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
She does it for me all the time too, every
time we got to go somewhere, folks, or you gotta
go somewhere.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Me and the wife, okay, wearing this, this, this for
a week.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
This okay, yeah, okay, all right, there's no point in me.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
There's no point in me because she's gonna tell me.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
We'll take it out.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
I don't know about you, jar, but sometimes we can
take it out and say.
Speaker 6 (37:43):
No, no, no, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:48):
Well awesome.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
But we're looking looking forward to this year.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
If there anything you want to say to Brampton Steele
HADS fans right now, what would you say to them?
Speaker 5 (37:56):
You know, I I uh, it can be more thankful
for there's support last year, and I'm trusting and hoping
it continues. We've got some great players coming through the
through the pipeline here and we're going to continue to
to work our butts out on the ice and hopefully
have more success this year than we did last year.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
All Right, that's it. Thank you so much. I really
appreciate you coming on the show and join the concert.
Tonight and we will see you around the rink pretty
soon for me.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
All right, guys, all the best, All right, thank you,
have a great time.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
I was head coach and general manager of the Brampton
Sea Legs James Richmond, and we will be right back
after this here on trout Talk. You're listening here on
Socco nine sixty am New Radio.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Well no problem. Stream is live on SAGA nine sixty
am dot c A.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
And welcome back to trout Talk here on Saga nine
sixty am. We just spoke to James Richmond, head coach
and general manager of the Brampton Steelheads. I'm Brendan Lang,
mikey Kay and mikey K. Mike Carefulitis is here as
well on trout Talk.
Speaker 4 (39:36):
Mike, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
You can you can hear the you can hear the
excitement in James Richmond's voice. He said he was busy
all summer, said he didn't really get any any of
the summer. But he's still excited to back in the
ring because that's the kind of guy he is. He
always wants to be going.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Yeah, oh he he does.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
I mean he goes into a golf tournament and he
wins the ohl n I Golf tournament. Him, uh, Matttano
and Jake would big go one there if they just
everybody's sixteen under. That's hilarious. I love that he just
I love that he described the play though. Hey he said, yeah,
you know, he says, Jakes or the heck of a golfer,
you know, great Handicott, you know, Maddie Chachi, he can
(40:12):
he could hit him, you know, and I just kind
of cleaned up, you know, but we all know who
is the best golfer and that out of that trio,
I can tell you. But when he says cleaned up,
I'll tell you, ladies and gentlemen, folks, James Richmond, Golf
is on his mind all the time and he is
really really good. And if there was a seniors tour,
I would represent that guy. Be a caddy.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
Yeah, I'd be as caddy rich before him. Yeah, oh yeah,
I know. Put him in a golferer, I really would.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
I would put him in a golf tournament and I
bet you he would win big bucks. I'm gonna have
to talk to him about that, you know.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
Yeah, it was good to talk to him. Yeah, great
to great to hear from him. We discussed some of
the trades that that have gone on, and he's really
excited about the back end, and I think rightfully so
because there's a few guys that are coming in. I mean,
we talk about Zach Nyman. Unfortunately he just told us
there won't be ready to start the season, but of
course he'll be there at some point. You bring in
the Green brothers, David and Peter coming in. Yeah, and
(41:16):
then you've got von Richter coming back of course another year, bigger, stronger.
As you're talking about Yako Fibeger, same thing, he comes
back for it for another season. Luke Dragusika, we talked
a little bit in depth about him really looking for
a big season out of him once again. Unfortunately Reid
he not gonna be able to start the year. But
there's so much depth there and I think that it
is going to be really a strong part of this team.
Plus the Zach Bowen move that that we discussed as well.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
Yeah, definitely, you know, and I think Luke drag Usaka
is going to have kind of a chip on his
shoulder this year.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
I mean, he he ran into some bad luck.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
You know, we'd all know he'd had that knee injury.
Last year's kneecap got dislocated and he didn't come back
till late in the year, right, And I, in my opinion,
I think if you would have played the whole year,
it's possible he probably would have been drafted, maybe to
the NHL because that was his draft year, and I
think that's what kind of put him back a little bit.
Obviously it was the injury, right, So I think he
could go back in the draft this year if he
(42:07):
has a good year in the back end, which I
anticipate he will. And James Richmand talks about he's bigger,
he's stronger. Yeah, he's Ivan Drago's I'm telling he's Ivan
Drogo with the hockey stick. Right. He's feared out there,
and it's kind of funny. Uh did you I'm not
sure if you heard who he compared his game to
arbor Jack guy.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
I did, Yes, he says it all right.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
Anyway, I expect him to have a big year back there.
And you know we talked about the back end. That
back end is very solid. Zach Bowen, great goalie they
picked up from the I mean the target get goalies
these days from the Peterborough Petz and you know, James
Richmonds said it right, he was he was getting shot
at like fifty shots a game. Last year, the team
that was like only sixteen years old, one of the
(42:52):
youngest teams in the league.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Right, So it's a little bit of a different team
this year.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
Yeah, I don't think they're young, but they got they
still got a lot of experience out there too.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Right, you got your you got.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
Your eighteen nineteen year olds and Julian d'milio ree back there.
It's the best skie up front Eggleton he talked about. Right,
So to Gabe, you know, I can't forget about Gabe shot.
I mean, these are guys eighteen ninety years old. Yeah,
you're gonna have your Keaton ardas you know, as we
talked about, You're gonna have your date, your uh Peter
Green young player. Of course he's gonna be his first year.
(43:27):
So yeah, it's a it's a mix, and I think
it's a good mix. And I think this team's gonna
work really hard in buying.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Yeah, I mean that's always the biggest thing with with
James Richmond run teams is the buy in. And you
had talked about it in the interview as well. Two
years ago, not last year, but the year before. It
was a team that nobody expected to do anything. They
were I mean, I can't remember how far into the
year it was, but they were in first place in
the Eastern Conference for a good chunk of the season.
They were shot out like a can and like they
(43:55):
hung on off to a great start and and I
think it's something that we can expect this year too.
And like he said, there's not going to be as
many sexy names, big names up front, but they're gonna
buy into the system and that's kind of what he
needs to get the most out of his players.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
Well, here's the.
Speaker 4 (44:11):
Thing, Brandon, I look at the steel As, when I
look around the league too, a lot of there's I mean,
I think that it's wide open. I really do think
the East is wide open. There's not there's there are
some sexy names. You talk about sexy names out there,
but are there a lot of sexy names right Because
there's a lot of guys coming from the us HL.
(44:33):
Now it's a different ballgame now. Yes, us HL guys
that are committed that play in the BHL that are
coming to the OHL as well, it's a good thing.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
It's it's a lot of this lead is going to
be very, very talented.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
So who knows who's gonna be good, who's going to
be thinking, Okay, yeah, they picked this guy up from
the USHL, they picked this guy up from the u
AHL or import drafts. Nobody knows. Nobody knows until you
step out on the IC. You gotta prove yourself, especially
in this league. So this league is a little bit
different from the BCHL and the USHL. So but I
(45:08):
think the East is wide open.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
I think Brenton might turn a lot of heads this year.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Yeah, no, I completely agree. I don't see, you know,
too many teams that are like, yeah, that's a shoeing
to be at the top. That's shoeing to be at
the top, Like you said, because there's so many moving pieces,
it's really hard to tell. Like it's not like past
years where okay, you got your overages going out and
you got a few sixteen year olds coming in. Some guys,
some nineteen year olds are going excuse me, twenty year
olds are going to to pro leagues, the AHL, NHL,
(45:35):
whatever it is.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
Now.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
Because there's so many moving parts, you've got quite a
few younger guys coming in. You have a few top
guys going out. It's really tough to know. It's really
tough to know what it's going to be like. And
I'm really I really like the answer that the James
Richmond gave when I asked him about if he was
kind of surprised if there were players going and how
he said, you know that this is still the best
development league. And I think that he's correct in that,
(45:57):
and I will definitely want to ask him that in
three years because I would like to know what the
what the answer is and how things change, because because
I do think that that the answer he gave was
great and it was really insightful.
Speaker 4 (46:08):
I'll tell you something, you know what, some of the
guys that went to the NCY Double A, don't be
surprised that they come back. Don't be a surprised that
they come back, because James Richmond always said, you know,
maybe some guys went too young. I mean, you know,
Jack Ivan Covid went over right just to name one
another one out of Volentine from the Kitchen Rangers. He
(46:28):
was committed to the Kitchener and then he went he
decided to go to Michigan and that's his choice, of course, whatever,
But don't be surprised because these guys in the NC
Double A, they're older. This is a that's an older league.
So you got a seventeen eighteen year old, you're not
guaranteed a starting spot, right And I'm just saying so
(46:48):
maybe some of the players, they're gonna get mad, they're
not going to develop properly. Like I said, I'm not
going to knock the league.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
Either, the NC Double A.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
It's a good league, but maybe for younger players, maybe
they stay back and maybe a year. That's my point.
That's all I'm saying about that.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
Right, Well, we'll see what happens with that.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
Yeah, again it's well we'll have to kind of see two, three, four,
five years down the road how it how it works,
and how those stories kind of progress. So we will
definitely keep an eye on that. Quickly before we go,
I did want to talk about I mentioned it in
the first segment about some of the players that got
drafted for the for the steel EDGs this year. Of
course martne We knew he was going to be high
(47:26):
in the draft. He gets picked, but one guy is
Gabe Sharon. I was really happy to see him get
picked by Vancouver there. I think it was the sixth round.
I want to say, yeah, I think that's correct. Yeah,
sixth round for Gabe Sharot. I talked to him at
at the golf tournament and really excited to be drafted.
And I just think that that's a guy who the
progression has been so crazy over the years that he's
(47:46):
been with the Steelheads.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
Perma smile.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
Eh. Then you have us perma smile at the at
the golf tournament and he was willing to He's willing
to talk to us and said talk about the experience
and whatnot. You know, he was sitting at home, he
wasn't there and whatever, But really really happy for him.
Speaker 3 (48:01):
A guy that gets the goals and the dirty areas.
Speaker 4 (48:03):
Vancouver Canucks are going to love this kid. And you know,
his cousin, of course is Ben Scharatt, so he's got
a little bit of blood in there too, right, So
don't don't forget about that. But yeah, a guy that.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
Gets to the greasy areas he hits, he does.
Speaker 4 (48:19):
He could do a lot of things, and he for
his progression last year as a seventeen year old. Now
he's going into the year to the league as an
eighteen year old, and we saw him the golf tourin
he's bigger, he's stronger. This is I think he's gonna
have it. Like you know, James Richmond talked about it too.
He thinks he's going to have a big year this
year and I believe I think so too.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. And you know what, it
just talks speaks to the to the work ethic. When
I talked to him, I was just leaving and I
saw him and said, you know, congratulations for getting picked,
like it's awesome, and he and he's the first thing
he said was yeah, it's cool, but the work's not done. Yes, yeah,
he's very Yeah it's like that. Yeah it's cool.
Speaker 4 (48:57):
It works that.
Speaker 2 (48:58):
Yeah, that's a perfect Yeah, so.
Speaker 4 (49:02):
I got to give but yeah, it's props to him.
Prop supporter Martone for getting drafted, of course.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
And yeah, yeah, Guylan.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
Who was with the Steelheads for a little bit now
he's committed to Harvard this year. Jack ivan Covid, congratulations
to him, of course, and you know, another four Steelheads gone.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
That's it, right, drafted. Best developmental team in the league
is right here.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
That's right one, and we're going to be following them
all season long. We'll be in the rink, we'll be
calling the games, Mikey. Of course he'll be on the road,
just like the last few years. You'll be covering that myself.
Zach boden see it will be covering the games at
home in the CIA Center in Brampton. So we're really
looking forward to everything. Mikey, thanks for thanks for being
here today, first episode of season three. James Richmond, thank
(49:49):
you for coming on the program. And we will continue
this throughout the entire season and it's coming up soon.
Training camp just about to get underway. First preseason game
August twenty ninth. Starting a little bit this year, so.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
Let everybody know what we will be on the air.
Our first preseason game will be September thirteenth against the
Barry Colts. Just to let her right know. That game
will be live on SAGA nine sixty, Live.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
On Saga nine sixty, and then we'll have we'll have that,
like you said, Trout Talk one to two on Sundays.
Some Sundays it might be different, but that's the time
you can usually find us one to two here Saga
nine sixty am. Thank you so much for listening. If
you're watching on YouTube, thanks for tuning in as well
for myself, Brendon Lang, for Mikey K again, hope you
have a great rest of your week and we're almost there.
(50:34):
Thanks for listening here on Saga nine sixty am.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
Stream us live at Saga nine sixty am dot CA.
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