Offside with Hawes and Maguire
Offside: with Hawes and Maguire is not your typical hockey show. This weekly
45-60 minute show is a potent combination of humour and genuine hockey insights that pushes the envelope.
- Liam is renowned for his photographic memory, lively storytelling, vast hockey knowledge and sometimes over-the-top passion for the game of hockey.
- Chris is known for his unrehearsed humour, contagious laughter and uncanny ability to make even the most serious debates end in boisterous guffaws.
Between the two, there is an infectious enthusiasm and professional chemistry that is evident from the outset. It can only be described as lightning in a bottle.
Offside with Hawes and Maguire
Shootin' the Shot with Phil Esposito, Friday Night Fights and some social commentary.
We find ourselves revealing hospital horror stories, debating the NHL trade deadline. Friday Night Fights! AND we're SHOOTIN' THE SHOT with Phil Esposito That's just a slice of what Hawes and Maguire are serving up in our latest Offside show. We're taking you from the cold grasp of our pathetic healthcare system to the exhilarating chill of the rink, sharing tales that are bound to resonate whether you're a die-hard hockey fan or just in it for the gripping narratives of life's unexpected slap shots.
Joining us is the legendary Phil Esposito, whose stories from the ice will transport you back to hockey's golden years, including his iconic 1972 Summit Series experience. But it's not all about the past—our chat dives into the current state of the NHL, from the implications of the trade deadline to the charm and challenge of team-building under the salary cap. We'll also share personal encounters with the raw endurance of the human spirit, from the power of music in philanthropy to the intimate struggles and triumphs of health and legacy.
When the masks come off and the stadium lights dim, it's the bonds forged and the stories shared that linger. This session traverses the power of community in sports, the thick-skinned culture of Philadelphia fans, and the ever-present tug of tradition in the world of hockey. So lace up your skates, grab your headphones, and let's hit the ice for a podcast session that's about much more than just the game.
It's Offside with Hawes and McGuire. Hey, welcome to Offside with Hawes and McGuire. I'm Hawes, I'm McGuire, all right, how's he going? We haven't we have not done this been together even seen each other in a month. Yeah, gotta be. Hey, it's close to a month. Yeah, yeah, because here's what happened the last time we shot an episode, you were heading off to Newfoundland, right. I was heading to Arizona, right. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then oh yeah, you strung together an episode.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I did put together an episode, but we weren't together. Yeah, right, you're right. Yeah, okay. So then now you were in Newfoundland, which I want to hear about, yeah, okay. So you came back from Newfoundland and I ended up being how do you say this taking a tour of the healthcare system. Okay, again, and fuck, unbelievable.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so then, and then you went to Philadelphia, philadelphia.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and now you're back, so we're finally back together. I am not 100%, so if I don't look like my incredibly handsome self, it's just because there was a lot of blood loss.
Speaker 2:A lot of data, isn't it? Why Fuck no? Man Seriously you've shrunk away to nothing. There's nothing left to you.
Speaker 1:Really Well, you know what? Honest to God, I lost almost three liters of blood, like your body only has like five Wow, and I.
Speaker 2:That's even more than I lost from that brawl in Bell's corners. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Mine had nothing to do with a punch in the nose Right. You know you bleed a lot from the nose, sure do, I can tell you that. So anyways, but we're back and we got this episode and we were not going to talk about the health thing, but I have not even heard about Newfoundland. So I'm sorry to open up. I know that wasn't the plan, but we're opening up.
Speaker 2:No, but you need to share. I'm glad you did, glad you shared with people. People have asked me because I wrote on Facebook the other day that we were going to get finally back together. Yeah, so I had a dye drive after I rehashed Philadelphia and I said, and coming up this week, chris and I yeah, getting together Offside with Hosom McGuire and I gave our fabulous sponsors a plug and shooting the shot and everything. Yeah, and I said, look, you had some health issues and you did man, like three liters of blood. You kidding me? Yeah, it was pretty crazy, chris, I mean Jesus. Well, and this is I'll joke and aside- I'm joking.
Speaker 1:I'll joking aside is one of the things that you don't realize. You know, I had that stroke and then they had me on a couple of different blood thinners and then I had this bleed which then turned into crates because of the blood thinners. So it, but I you know what, Very lucky, and initially, when I got to the hospital, you know, and I was very store I'm a tough guy and I'm not going to lie I, you know, I get there and Evan drops me off I said I'll be fine, Don't worry. And I walk in there. My blood pressure was 84 over 40. And the guy goes. Hang on a second.
Speaker 4:He goes and gets.
Speaker 1:And he goes. He goes and gets another like blood pressure thing to check and see if it got me wrong.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and he goes all right, okay, and the next thing I know in there, and then, honestly, I don't know how much longer it was, but I was in there, but then I lost consciousness. I you know what I mean. So, anyways, I'm back, I'm here. I got to stay in a fabulous fucking tent at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. You know that tent in the parking lot that you think they put like maybe they have some like maintenance equipment and stuff in there or something.
Speaker 1:No, no, that's for patients. That's how bad our fucking healthcare system is that? That? That is just. I got to tell you, liam. We had a pandemic and they spent billions of dollars on a lot of things. Never built one fucking hospital for a pandemic. You know that. That it's. That's the people of Canada and the people of Ontario In particular now, because that's where we are, but should be fucking like marching Okay, and saying like what?
Speaker 2:the fuck they are, but for everything else.
Speaker 1:Well, that's true, exactly, exactly, like I mean, there's more concern, there's more money spent on cutting off a fucking 10 year old's cock than there is about you know me? No, it's true, it's fucking true. Do you know? I just fucking found this out while I was in the hospital. There's a and there's two different schools, one out in Osgoode apparently, where kids who identify as animals they identify as a cat. There's a fucking litter box out there. They have a litter box for this kid who identifies as a cat, apparently. Okay, now I don't know if there's truth to that story or not.
Speaker 2:I don't believe it personally, although I have heard stories that there are people, that that is one of the things, but you're telling me this is in Osgoode.
Speaker 1:That's what I heard. I don't believe it. Well, you know what? There's a whole bunch of stories, anyways, and there's also a Holy Trinity in Stitsville or something like that I've heard a Holy Trinity. I don't know where it is.
Speaker 2:I'm not look. There could be a school there. Look, ottawa's a. I know we're not Toronto or Montreal, but over a million people all in have been included. Yeah, you know what. There's a school.
Speaker 1:If you're a kid, if you're a parent out there. I'm going to say this right now it's all fine. If you're a parent and your kid thinks he's a cat, there's something fucking wrong with them. Like, don't indulge it. Listen, I would like to be six, three, but I got to live with who I am. Tell your kid they're not a fucking cat, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You know what I've been. I've been pent up in a hospital for so long. Okay, let's talk about, let's talk about you going to Newfoundland, nice segue.
Speaker 1:Speaking of 10 inch kippers.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:All right. So so tell me about Newfoundland.
Speaker 2:Hey, you know what You've done more traveling than most people. I know and I've done. I've been fortunate to do a little bit and in the last three, four months, including our fabulous trip to Florida, I'll put that in there. I know Florida is a destination for a lot of people but I don't know if they've necessarily traveled it the way you and I did. But what in the fast?
Speaker 1:lane.
Speaker 2:You're a left lane parker, but we'll save that story for another time. Maybe I got to go to Newfoundland, part two of my tour with the NHL legend company.
Speaker 1:Was this your first time in Newfoundland?
Speaker 2:I'd been at St John's twice, okay, and those were in and out trips, right, you know, two days in a night, or two nights, three days at the most, and they came in 1999 and 2001. So almost back to back years, over 20 years ago. So I went nowhere. We were in St John's. I did the George Street with Gratsky's youngest brother, glenn, because we were part of the tour in 99. And I was there in 2001 on a book tour. Right, you know, for my second book I was there to know the city man. That was it, this. We landed in St John's. We did our first gig in Torbay, I believe it was, which is like a suburb, I guess mostly. I ended up in Mount Pearl the next day, another suburb, to hang with Terry Rines dad for a few hours and then we had a fabulous event in Torbay that night. Actually, it was the only game the alumni guys didn't win. They tied for all. It was a hell of a game.
Speaker 2:And then we got in a plane again and we flew to St Pierre and Michelin, yeah. You went to France, you went to France.
Speaker 1:You had your passport.
Speaker 2:We had to eat at my passport. Yeah, we had to eat at my passport. We did an hour flight, 50 minute flight over this island and of all the gigs, I mean they were so well organized, they were so appreciative, entire talent seemingly came out. There's 2,200 people in St Pierre, 700 in Michelin. There's 2,900 people on the island. That's it Okay. And they've got two rinks. They've got two hockey teams. When I say they've got two teams, they've got two teams that could step into RA Black. Really, yeah, like these are guys. Well, there's probably all else to do. Well, there's the guys that have come back that went out and tried to make the highest level they could. A couple of guys with some pro experience, four or five guys major junior experience. Right, a lot of guys with experience playing in Europe.
Speaker 2:That came originally came from their.
Speaker 1:French Came from there, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, came from there. These guys are all their winged on hockey. I'll tell you something else. Watch, it was so amazing. That was our second night and we come in. We, the guys, do warm up and they play the first period. We're going in the Zambonis on their sign, on autographs. Kids would come in after every intermission and anyway, long story, short game finishes, they bring the big thing of beer which I always made sure I was down there for.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Great big tub of Molson X, got Molson X in St Pierre and Michelin. I said what the hell? Oh yeah, we have some hardcore X-brickers here and Molson X-brickers here. And I said, you're kidding, point them out to me. And so they bring X in from the Providence, quebec. And they had X there and I was in my glory all night with X there. I would have drank anything anyway, it doesn't matter. But that was night two. Then we Next day we get on a ferry, we go back over eight foot waves of things like this.
Speaker 2:We're up in the bridge Incredible experience. And we land, we go to a town of Fortune, go to Fortune, newfoundland, and I mean these little towns in the middle of nowhere, right, and again, another big hockey event, another. Just, we're just treated so well by everybody. You know what the people are like there and they're just so appreciative of these guys coming in. I was with eight NHLers. Chris Nyland was coaching, the other seven were playing. Dale Weiss and Bernie Nichols played on the same line. They just owned the ice, they owned it and they just had fun out there. But they really could turn it up a notch if they wanted. You know the names and it was just fabulous stuff.
Speaker 2:And then we went. Then we had to go up to Northern Newfoundland, take another ferry over to Fogo Island and we went over to Fogo Island and we spent two days there. Two days in Fogo Island Again another hockey game, again just incredible experiences being shown the sights and everything. We didn't see an iceberg but they say it's quite common To wake up in the morning there could be an iceberg in the bay. We're driving back to one of the places they wanted to show us. There's a great big herd of caribou, like literally from here to your couch off the road and you see like you're just startled right. Really, it's just so. They're there all the time and the ocean is everywhere. It's next stop, like West Coast of Ireland.
Speaker 1:And this is the thing. So this is a little anecdote. So my mother-in-law, she tells us she's in Ireland with a friend of hers from Newfoundland. So they're in, and I don't know where they were, but they're there. Well, they said, well, I can't make out exactly where in Ireland you're from. They thought that she was a new fee. But they didn't know she was a new fee. They thought she was from Ireland. They had no idea she was a tourist. They said like I just You've got to be from. You're from Donnegal, you're from Donnegal. And no, I'm not from Donnegal. Well, where are you from? And she's trying to say, well, you are not from Canada. There's no chance in the world. You're from Canada. You know what I mean? Yeah, anyways, it's pretty good.
Speaker 1:But Newfoundland is very, very much like Ireland, like the topography, if you're talking Northern right, like in the north part of Ireland.
Speaker 2:Oh, even large pockets in the south.
Speaker 1:No, no, but I mean sorry rephrase that there's not. You know, in the center of Ireland it's the hills, Just the farmland and stuff like that. You don't get that in Newfoundland. It's pretty much the rugged.
Speaker 2:It is rugged. It is rugged. You know what I? Mean Wild Atlantic waves, farming is not on the.
Speaker 1:It's not on the agenda. No, no, unless of course, you're farming for mollusks.
Speaker 2:Yeah, maybe not, maybe not. You know, the other thing was talking to so many of the local people who are almost all most are involved in the fishing trade and the fishing industry, and this was the same in fortune as well. I met a couple of guys, in fact the guy who drove me home. The nights were late and Really, yeah, somehow they just always ended up.
Speaker 1:Well, it's the time change.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what it was, Because you're zipping across and you're always losing or gaining an hour or an hour and a half, so I never really knew what to do other than order another drink. Yeah, fortunately I had a good company at the bar.
Speaker 2:I mean Dale Weese, darian Hatcher, Lucien Devois, our military guy, jimmy Colley, and a few One maybe other and myself were Brian Scrugland, definitely. I may be forgetting one or two that hung most of the nights, but that group in particular we were good to go. And anyways, I was getting a ride back to the hotel and I was talking to the one guy and he said would you like to see my boat? And I said yes, I would. And he took me to the little marina there these things are. And did you have sex?
Speaker 3:No, Because that's how they get you.
Speaker 1:They say come on and see my boat, next thing you know you're jigging for cod.
Speaker 2:Next thing, you know, old Jed's a millionaire. Obviously the name of the restaurant was the cod digler or jiggler or something, but there was a little bargain behind it. But that was in Fogo Island. This was in Fortune, the guy told me. I said so tell me, how far out would you typically go? He said 120, 130 miles. Hey, are you freaking kidding me? Can you even imagine being out that far in the ocean? I mean, you go out even two or three miles. You don't see any land. I can't even imagine 120 or 30 miles. I said, look, I probably shouldn't bring this up. But I said, just tell me to absolutely like, fuck right off. But I said, what about the movie the Perfect Storm? And he said look it, we have top of the line radar Every one of these boats. We're on our computers, our laptops and our phones before we even set foot in this thing to leave. We've all got families.
Speaker 2:That guy that day he stayed out and stayed in the teeth of it. He knew what was coming. They wanted to try and ride it out, get around it, whatever we now like. He said we. I said but you've lost guys. He said, of course, sometimes you're in the water. Things can go wrong, oh, things can go wrong.
Speaker 2:So, yes, they've lost people. There's been memorials, there's testaments and things of that nature. But I was blown away by that. I mean, there's no doubt about it, I'm a land lover, there's no question. I can't even swim, so you know me in the water, unless it's frozen in my drink or I'm skating on it. It's never really been a big fan of it.
Speaker 1:And I, you know, I like, but I love you, I love you, I know you do, I know you do, it's all it's in my blood.
Speaker 2:I know you do and we're. You know, I just could not be less like that, but I applaud you for being like that.
Speaker 1:You keep eating your fucking potatoes there. I do, I do.
Speaker 2:I do quite well at it. I think everywhere, everywhere I went there was a little bit of a shock and awe, but it I just can't speak enough about the trip. I write about it. If you follow me on social media it's up on my platforms, both New Brunswick and New Uphinland, and I just put one up for Philadelphia.
Speaker 2:Again, it's that was my fourth time back there with the alumni, thanks to Brad Marsh, and again, this one a little bit more near and dear to my heart. It's very violent. It's all about hockey fights. It's called. The event is called Friday Night Fights, right, so it's pretty hard to misconstrue what it's about.
Speaker 1:Well, I used that's what I used to call when my dad would come home from the leisure yeah, yeah, there you go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 3:Oh, you know what that?
Speaker 2:sounds like so so okay. Very lucky.
Speaker 1:So Newfoundland was a wonderful experience. Then you went to Philly yeah Okay, and you had that Friday Night Fight experience yeah Okay.
Speaker 2:And I ran the Rocky steps again, and, and, and we went to an Irish pub downtown he's. I've. I've met some people in Philly, yeah, and, and one is this this woman named Jen. I met her in 2019. So it was the guys who came with me and you know them all Rocket came and Kevin King came, oh, but the last one, oh, this in 2019.
Speaker 2:They came in and they did the Philly tour with me, and so they met Jen and some of her friends as well, and in this case here, jen and her, her girlfriend, noel Noel up, who is right from Dublin Okay, right from Dublin. So it was just awesome meeting them. We, they, they, we had some fun. It's all on my, my social media.
Speaker 1:Well, is is Noel are going to be in Dublin. Can we get her to go to Dublin? You know what?
Speaker 2:She's going to be in Dublin from the September 5th to the 24th.
Speaker 3:Oh, so we're just missing her.
Speaker 2:And she said, well, maybe I'll try and extend or whatever. But I said, well, it's like cause, as you know, I'm going a few days early.
Speaker 1:You are going, and as am I, though, by the way. Oh are you? I'm going a few days early, but I've got work. I, I got prep work to do. Yeah, you're going. You know what I mean. Like that's, I'm going to see cousins, yeah.
Speaker 2:And Beavers coming with me, dougie, here. So we're and we're staying, like one of my cousins and her husband have a place in Dublin. We're going to stay there, yeah, and of course, we'll meet the rest of you guys and our, our, our winner from our fabulous Hosean Brown hockey pool. Well, you know what?
Speaker 1:Perfect jumping off point, okay, so. So let's talk about the Hosean Brown hockey pool, which has it got exciting. So I, while I was in the hospital, I monitor, I very, very closely monitoring the hockey pool, okay, and I'm looking at and so we get between, okay, at one point, first place and second place, a half a point difference. That was it Bullshit. Yeah, half a point. And it's now it's like 15 points now or something. Okay, but it was only a half a point difference, okay. Uh, your son Rory was in third. Yeah, he's since fallen to fourth. Okay, but you know, right in the mix there, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so this I mean you know, for the guys and I and I spoke to the guys, uh, who are, um, in first and second and third place, right as well, because I wanted to make sure I said, listen, listen, you know it's getting tight. Yeah, I want you to. You know what I mean. I want to know what you know you guys think about your plants, right? Yeah, like you know. So we were chatting and I know them right. So, um, so, the one guy who's currently in lead, okay, um, uh, blage of Stiegel.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, great name.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Fine, I'm excited about that. And the room they said Chuck, yeah, okay, and, and he's excited, right, and he might even I have no idea how he's going to get around that wedding if he wins, oh well no, no, no, no. Here's the wedding is on Saturday, and then this we leave Sunday night.
Speaker 2:It's perfect, he's perfect, he just fucking wipes his hands and walks away. His wife will not drag him through the rigor. I have no idea. Wow, you know what?
Speaker 1:Here's the thing they have been together for a long time. She is going to be 100% behind him, being able to go there. Right, that's what wives of that age do they're like. Are you thinking about leaving for a while? Go the fuck away, perfect, just leave me alone.
Speaker 3:That's probably not a bad thing, right yeah.
Speaker 1:No, no, absolutely. And I say that I'm joking, I know that, but but. But you know what I, if you're married for a long time, I can tell you this Most wives are extremely supportive.
Speaker 2:Ah, so that's what it's like.
Speaker 1:Well, listen, you don't stay married if it's not, if it's not supportive of each other. There's no point. Okay, so that's moving on from that. Let's talk about some of the things that we're going to talk about this week on the show. Okay, well, we're catching up, we're playing some catch up.
Speaker 1:We are playing catch up and this may be a little long because we are also adding our very first official part of the Phyllis Pazito interview, when, when we actually said welcome, and then we did that, the other stuff was just behind the scenes, okay, just just chatting, okay. So, to that end, the trade deadline, trade deadline, that's what I was looking at. Yeah, yeah, so what did you think? So let's talk about a couple of things. Vegas Things Okay, you got to talk about Vegas, but when you look at it that way, like great, fucking pick up with hurdle, yeah, oh, amazing.
Speaker 2:Last trade too. You know the entire deadline.
Speaker 1:Well, because they had to. You know they had to build up that whole. You know, long-term disability or long-term injury, whatever the injured reserve. So here's the thing Everyone's going on about Vegas. Okay, I don't think they're faking it.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't think he's faking it either. However, I do think, especially this is the third year in a row that he's done it Last year obviously a tremendous success. He carried off the Stanley Cup Very difficult to repeat, despite Tampa and Pittsburgh, twice in the last, as we know, eight seasons, but still very rare to happen. I believe that this is extremely convenient. I believe that he is injured, but is it really something that necessarily should take it to the end of the regular season? I don't believe it. I personally don't believe it. I think him sitting out and them allowing Vegas to use his contract allowed them to bring in those three players, including, as you say, hurdle at the end, and it's just a tremendous augment. Now, keep in mind Clegg is out right now too, who was probably their most complete defenseman last year, but there's no talk about him not being ready to go.
Speaker 1:No, no, and that was not part of it.
Speaker 2:Having said all that, there are only six points up on a playoff spot. They have fallen down into a wildcard spot, but there's six points up. It takes 10 games on the average to pick up two, maybe three points. That's if the one team that's losing them has to really collapse. Now Vegas hasn't played well. They're under 500. They're last 20 games, 25 games, what have you. But they're still Vegas and they still are winning enough games to have them at 75 points as we take this and to have them six points clear.
Speaker 2:And don't forget those other teams. It's not like they're going to. More than likely, the Islanders are doing it a little bit in the East right now, but inevitably every dog has their day after a big run and you're going to lose a game or two, and that will only help Vegas as well. I think Stone is absolutely going to milk the end of this to stay on long-term injuries or reserve and duplicate exactly what he did last year. However, I do not dispute the fact that he's well. You say he's got lacerations and a screen yeah.
Speaker 2:And I've heard all the guys on the radio. I've listened to all the online radio stuff and these are all physicians, yeah.
Speaker 2:Everybody's a doctor and they're playing one on the radio and I know they're not. But what they're saying is that in today's game the medical reports that have to go to the NHL that you're not falsifying this and that it's impossible to falsify this and that I don't believe it necessarily is. So I'm kind of talking out of both sides here. I'm saying he's legit hurt. I do not believe he probably would necessarily, under most circumstances, be out until the start of the playoffs. I don't think he gives a shit about the points or anything else. He's got the big ticket he's making millions.
Speaker 1:He's got the cup already, his bonus means nothing.
Speaker 2:He's got a cup, he wants another. They all want. When you win, you want to try, especially when you're still of age you want to try and get a second, third, what have you and I think that's what's going on there as a result him going out. Did they have a conversation? You know him and the boys there? Yeah, I think they probably did, and he said you know what? It's pretty easy. Look, I'm hurt. You know, just take, put me on a long-term injured reserve. Use the money, go, get who you got to get I, I, 1000% believe that conversation.
Speaker 1:Okay, so then the question is this why have a fucking salary cap? Then? Like I mean, if you're, if you're not going to because it is effective in the regular season.
Speaker 2:Here's the other thing that people forget. I listened to the guys on radio here today. They're everyone's missing the most important point when discussing all this. Whether it's right or wrong is up for you, or you or anybody watching, to decide, but the playoff rosters are expanded, right, right, you're expanded by like five players, five, six players. So of course, you have to. You can't have a cap.
Speaker 2:Listen, kessel was available. Yeah, kessel's available. Yeah, he'll never play again in the NHL, but you know what. His legacy is set secure. It doesn't matter. He's going to hang around, get a few more hot dogs and see if someone will pick them up for a song. Maybe they will. He wants to go out. I mean, it's like Brian Troce at the end. Some of these guys never want to retire, but at the end of the day, the playoff rosters are expanded and have been for years. So you know and obviously, what Vegas did last year, what Tampa did in 2021, which today is the most egregious at 16 million over, chicago went 2010, started it all. They were five million over and this has become the norm. It's just, it's different degrees and we don't really hear about it now unless it's 10, 12, 14 million.
Speaker 1:So it's like a face off If you're not cheating, you're not trying.
Speaker 2:You're not cheating, you're not trying.
Speaker 2:That's basically what it is. What are you going to do, chris? The rosters are expanded right, which they should be. They want everybody to have the best representation that they can, in a sense that even if you lose a key starter, like you think Philly would have liked to have, or Philadelphia would have loved to have Tim Kerr in 1987. I said that down there. I said imagine the guy scored 34 power play goals. That's the all time record in one season. He's out of the lineup.
Speaker 2:They go to seven games against Edmonton. I tell you right now, if the Flyers got Tim Kerr in 87, if the Habs got Rocket Richard in 55, different years, different times, different errors, but you put those guys in the lineups, those series in the finals went seven games. Those teams win, in my opinion. So they've expanded the rosters, hopefully. So you get a rostered guy who's in your organization. He's not some schmolier picked up hitchhiking, coming from the international league. You got some guy who's probably had more than a cup of coffee in your organization. You can be inserted in, and many of them have. So you can't have a salary cap and a playoffs.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, I understand the playoffs, I get that. You know what I mean. And so this leads me to something just for contemplation, because we've got to talk about it so much stuff, but I want to in our next episode. I want to talk about the top five, or the five kids who are currently in the American Hockey League who are going to come out, have their coming out party in the playoffs for some team, right, you know how that works. There's generally a few guys, because there's always injuries in the playoffs, right? Like that's one of the reasons the roster's expanded is because there's injuries guys. But there are some guys who are really doing well in the American Hockey League that will be making their jump up.
Speaker 2:There will be a few for sure, so I don't have anybody on the field, necessarily, I don't know. I can't think in recent memory, although I need to give it some thought as to who would fit the bill of who you're suggesting.
Speaker 1:What do you mean, like in past?
Speaker 2:Well, who's come up? That's really made a splash.
Speaker 1:Oh well, I didn't, wasn't Caulfield a call up the first year?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean.
Speaker 1:I was referring to, like when they come up. They came up.
Speaker 2:No, I mean he was, he was sent down, he was brought back up. They just didn't even dress them those first two games against Toronto, they just didn't even dress them. And then they put him in the line.
Speaker 1:Right, but he had previously been in American Hockey League player. That's what I'm referring to, those are the kind of guys like, because I listen, I know you have a coffee.
Speaker 2:He had been on the NHL roster for a bit yeah but he was permanently in LaValle.
Speaker 4:He'd been sent down. He'd been sent down.
Speaker 1:That's kind of what I'm referring to, and it's something to consider and anybody listen. If you want to write in and like say shit or whatever about that, we'd love to hear what your thoughts are related to it.
Speaker 2:I would anyway. Yeah, well, maybe there's another player. I just don't know in recent memory who that would necessarily be. I mean, Caulfield is a bibbit example.
Speaker 1:No, but that's just one that I use. Much real, but there are many that have happened in the past where a guy comes out of the American Hockey League and just happens to be full of piss and vinegar and makes an impact in the playoffs I suppose I don't think there's been many.
Speaker 2:to be honest, I think it's pretty rare. I can't think of any others off the top of my head.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it's because I just brought it up out of the blue, and that's why it just occurred to me right now. This is what I do. Like that man. Shit just fucking comes, okay. Okay Changes the subject from that. We're still talking about trade deadlines. Yeah, teres Anko is gone. Yeah, which was I mean? Getting rid of that money was the best thing that Ottawa could do, but they kept some of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it retained some. It's just like Montreal did with Jake Allen. I mean, there was a lot of retention deals actually. Yeah, there was quite a few that were done where parts of salaries were retained. So I mean, look, teres Anko wasn't going to resign, he wasn't going to resign. No, he wasn't coming back to Ottawa, he absolutely. Well, he had one more year, though no, no.
Speaker 1:I thought he has one more year after this. No, I don't think so. Oh, okay, well, I could be wrong. I thought he had still another year.
Speaker 2:No, he needed to be re-upped and he wasn't going to do it, and at least that's the theory.
Speaker 1:Oh, well then no for sure. I thought he had another year, but either way no. I don't think he was worth the money for Ottawa at all.
Speaker 2:Well, you know what? He was damn close. I mean he, you know the rule of thumb 10 points is a million bucks. So you know he was heading to probably close to 50 point season. He's a $5 million player 10 points is 5 million bucks. That's the rule of thumb.
Speaker 1:You know, you got 100 points, you're worth 10 million you know, Now is that work in Men's League as well.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, exact same thing, just different numbers. Yeah, every point means you buy, or out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, you're paid by chicken wings.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so what? Another? Another big.
Speaker 2:But then there was such consternation over that, Chris? Why Sans fans freaking out and some still are. Some are still throwing stales under the bus. Yet he had no other choice but to trade in to Florida. He was only waving his no move to go to Florida. It was the only team you could deal him with, so you had to take whatever garbage they were giving back which is a third round or a conditional fourth, and so they had to take it. They made the mistake in the summer, that's right.
Speaker 1:It was when the mistake was made. That's right. The first mistake. The first mistake the Terrasenko.
Speaker 2:Before Stales got there. Yeah, exactly, this is a Pier Dorian move and, unfortunately, just like Montreal is dealing with it, marc Bergeret's contracts with some of the Josh Anderson, armia, brendan Gallagher some of these guys they absolutely do not belong in the NHL. It's unfortunate. They've had different times where they've been good in their career. They no longer are. They can't contribute, they're massively overpaid and they're in the lineup with no trades and no moves and good luck in the next couple of years, while Montreal continues to try and inch ahead and their hands are tied there.
Speaker 1:That's why they have the body.
Speaker 2:Ottawa's hand was tied there, so they made no other moves and the Sen's fans are. I think right now they're just, they're totally beat up after that last road trip.
Speaker 1:Oh that was sad, but you know. So I want to talk about this, because I for one, because we were talking about this in the dressing room, like before, not you and I, but guys, and everybody was going on about, like you know, chikrin, they're going to. Why the fuck would you trade a stud on defense, your best defenseman?
Speaker 2:Because he hasn't played like a stud. I mean, the best defenseman is Sanderson. Sanderson's got a lot of promise.
Speaker 1:But I like Chikrin better. Okay, you know, I mean Chikrin's tougher Sanderson's. Really, you don't.
Speaker 2:Wow, listen, he really is tougher, he just Well, he's tougher than Sanderson, but I don't think that's saying much. I think Chikrin and I say this with all due respect to his dad, who's a personal friend, jeff, if no one's Jeff, for a long time I wish his son had a little chip off the old man's block. Oh, but we see that all the time. Look at the, look at the bruskin Boston. He sure as hell ain't his dad, but he's got way better hands than his dad. I know he's regressed a little bit, but the guy's still effective and he's going to be hell in a cell come playoff time, settling nicely there. The Bruins going to probably try and make up for that embarrassment last year in the first round and they'll be a really tough?
Speaker 1:Oh they will. I know the Bruins Listen. So here's we can do picks right now, because the trade's dead. Well, we should probably wait until we see matchups.
Speaker 2:Okay, let's see matchups and then we'll have a playoff show. All right, we'll do that. We'll do something like that, because matchups are still on the side, but I don't care what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I'm saying Boston goes. Boston's going to the conference final. Boston's going to the conference final.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm going to pick Florida out of the east. I'm taking Florida out of the east to.
Speaker 1:That's no, but that's Okay. So you're saying that it'll be Boston and Florida in the conference? Oh, I see what you're saying, yeah.
Speaker 2:No, I think. Unfortunately they would meet second round, so they can't play each other All right, but you're picking Florida then I'm picking Florida to win the east to represent the east again.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm picking the Panthers, so we'll see what happens. Like I said, let's see matchups and injuries. I mean, if they lose half their roster injury in the next four weeks, then I won't pick them. But you're asking me here in March and, let's be honest, it's before St Patrick's Day. You're going to get a different answer after St Patrick's Day. I'm going to need a week, maybe two, to recover.
Speaker 1:Gotcha, okay, all right, okay. So we're going to wrap up on some other things that have happened in the last little while. A little kerfuffle over there in New York Rempe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, oh, he's the hottest story in hockey or he was until Tortorella's explosion, but the hottest story in hockey after Terry Ryan's game with the Growlers and I would say, with maybe a little bit of a nod to Alexander Diggs documentary, which garnered a lot of chatter and I did eventually see it. Then I worked with him in Brockville so we had a chance to talk with him. But the biggest story has been Matt Rempe man in New York, the six foot eight giant, coming in, playing six games, four fights, scores a goal, picks up assist, has another goal disallowed and he's just, he's a talk of hockey. And it really came to a head a week ago, saturday in Toronto hockey night in Canada when he went toe to toe with Ryan Reeves at Santa Rice. After turning Reeves down earlier in the game, had to go home after he ran the bushkin and Reese said we got to go now, kid, and they went. And it was a talk of hockey leading up to where they're going to go and they did. And uh, and it's. It's just beautiful.
Speaker 2:Watching the hand ringing on social media from the left wing tree huggers is just been worth the price of admission. And and watch this kid come in and trying to make a name for himself, trying to find a hole for himself. By the way, he's got. He's got not bad hands Like the guy can shoot a puck, he can handle the puck a little bit. He got ripped off the other night. That goal I don't know how that goal is disallowed. It was up on edge, it was fucking in, it was ridiculous. It got called back.
Speaker 2:Anyway, I love it, I love the story, I love him. I don't know what's going to happen when he goes much for y'all, if he's going to go Wi-Fi or not. But uh, you know, we'll see, because Wi-Fi was that was. It was him a year ago, right? So so this is, it's all. All it is, chris, and I'll throw it over to you.
Speaker 2:All it is is that, to me, the pendulum for the last couple of years has been swinging back a little bit to normalcy, to what we all enjoy in the game, to a little bit more of man-o-a-man-o which, which which drove hockey and has for a hundred plus years. And it's being done in the right way as far as I'm concerned. And and there's no bullshit, although, as I told you, after the Gallagher incident and on Pellitch, there's been, uh what, seven, eight suspensions since then. There's one every single week. There's fines and suspensions in the NHL steel, but it's a breath of fresh air to see a lot of what's still is important to a lot of fans in the game. Two guys dropping the gloves and settling it right there.
Speaker 1:I love it. I love the story. I think. I think it's important to to use that. They're settling something or they're, you know, they're protecting somebody, or they're they're making a state. Yeah, Okay, there's no fighting for the sake of fighting. It's not worth it. It's just you know what I mean, Cause you can do that. You can arrange that they're called, uh, boxing matches.
Speaker 2:And hockey it's called stage fights. Right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:But but when you see it in a game where there's a reason, you say you know what that guy, he deserves that right. Yeah, you know, every once in a while someone deserves a punch in the head.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And, and you know what I've, I've been the guy to get it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and.
Speaker 1:I've been the guy to give it right and and you have to have that, and you know what. You know, hank Williams Jr calls it an attitude adjustment. Right, right, cause that's what it is. Yeah, all right, so one last item.
Speaker 2:I don't care if it's staged or not.
Speaker 1:If it happens, it happens yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but there's no passion. If it's staged Well it's, it's passionate from the fan base and and that's my point, that's what we've seen You're not on social media like I am, and and I know that's only representative of a of a of a smaller percentage of fans. Right, the wider it's always the vocal minority, you know, who control most things across all walks of life, the vocal minority now, because of the phones and the ability to go on social media. So I'm really only referencing them. You could maybe sit down here with, let's just say, the group that attended your Christmas party. Okay, yeah, let's say that group came in.
Speaker 2:And if you included the women in the conversation, there would probably be a lot of naysayers to, uh, rampay and and Ryan Reeds. But if you said, okay, show of hands, who's all a hockey fan, let's ask you first, right, and let's say whoever, regardless they were and I'm just using your Christmas party because I think you had a good cross-section of people yeah, right, you know, you know all good friends of yours and already professional, personal, whatever. I was here too. It was a great night. And let's say you asked for hockey fans. Okay, show of hands. Let's say, argumentatively, you got 20.
Speaker 1:There was probably about 80. Like hockey, hockey fan.
Speaker 3:Like hockey Would have been 80.
Speaker 1:Okay, oh, there was like it was probably yeah, Actually you did yeah Tons of guys you played with.
Speaker 2:So there's a lot of guys that played, you know, so 80. So and you said, and, and let you would know your, who you had here. So let's just use, let's use your example. So if I said to you your crew that was here, your, your, your people who were here at your party, if you asked them who had a problem with Reeves and Rampay Saturday night, I don't think they'd be honestly.
Speaker 1:I don't pretty small number right Small number would have a problem with it. Even the wives like the, why? I'll be honest with you, most of my friends wives I know, are I mean they. They don't want their husbands fighting anymore.
Speaker 2:No, Okay, yeah, they don't want that, but they're they're totally right. Yeah, Rampay is 21 years old?
Speaker 1:Well, no, but this is the thing. So they understand that it's part of the game. They've raised our kids who played high competitive level hockey and so they they learned to accept that it's part of the game. Yeah, Partly because we've argued that it's part of the game for so many years. But, but yeah, I know I agree with you. I know you're absolutely right. You know what. I have no issue with it at all. You know what I mean. But but it was quite the big kerfuffle with people.
Speaker 2:Well, and the way it kind of got masked out is because Rampay turned Reeves down and and it was like Reeves wanted to go home. I mean the video was right there. If you didn't watch the game, you see Reeves skating up in the ice. He's telling the kid, let's go. And and you know they didn't go. And and you know Rampay had been in a series of fights. They were good fights but he was losing them. And he's a kid, he's 21. He's big, he's monstrous, he's six, eight, but he's getting beat like he's fighting Deloria and Olivier and these guys are accomplished fighters and they're getting them at the end and they're winning and they're hometown fans.
Speaker 2:I just did that gig in Philadelphia. Brad Marsh on the microphone in front of everybody, hundreds of in attendance, and he says I sure wish the NHL brass had a bit of attendance here two Saturdays ago when the Rangers came in and Nick Deloria and Rampay fought. He said the buzz in this building was something that I have not felt in years, in years. And Brad said this on the microphone. Now he's preaching to, yeah, a group of people that were pretty much in full agreement.
Speaker 2:Let's be honest. They're going to watch hockey fights on a 14 foot screen and the guys are all here to attend and talk about it. So probably not you know a crowd where you're going to get a lot of naysayers. However, it was important enough for Marshy to make that to almost re-energize it, reinvigorate it, you know, and make the statement so definitively the buzz in the building, which is exactly what it was in Toronto. So I love it, because, for all the naysayers and all the pussies out there and all the people crying about anytime someone throws a shot at hockey, let alone all the egregious shit that goes on and so many other sports, like baseball is throwing balls at guys heads and stuff like that you know you cry about hockey because there's a fight, because you never played, you know nothing about it.
Speaker 1:You just want to rail against a fight in hockey and I love the fact that it's coming back, listen and to be fair. To be fair, we've had I listen, there's a whole generation of people that, but I certainly I call it the pussification of the nation. Yeah, okay, the whole nation, a bunch of fucking wusses. Wow, we are. We are Well, you know what, and and I, you know what I'm not saying I want to go out and fight somebody tomorrow, but I was at Canadian Tire. No, but it is. It's the pussification of our nation. It's like my buddy Jimmy playing.
Speaker 2:when he told us one time, I said yeah, geez guys, I was in another fight at Walmart. What's another doing in that statement Exactly? That's probably not good, jimmy, I'll allow us years ago.
Speaker 4:I'll do it, in fact, because he watches the show.
Speaker 2:Jimmy, I know that was years ago, but no, you're right, man, it is. And that comes out on social media again Volca Minority, and they're the ones. They, you know. They wave their, their, their, their flags, whatever they want to support or whatever, and it says they're so anti any type of violence in hockey.
Speaker 2:And you think you can legislate it out or rule book it out and stuff. They just don't know what's inherent in the game. Which is why I always make the point, because there were so many people up in arms about Brendan Gallagher getting his five game suspension, thinking it should have been more. Maybe it should have Give him 10. Doesn't matter. I said you think it's going to stop anything. There's going to be 15 more suspensions before the end of the season and guess what? That's what we're on pace for. So you know it's. It's a big boy game. It's two entities, Chris, it's not you or me or the 20 million on social media, it's, it's the NHL players and it's the NHL owners, and they have a, an agreement that's collectively bargained and that's what runs. The NHL.
Speaker 1:So listen, we're going to change the subject to what's the last thing we wanted to talk about trade deadline.
Speaker 2:Oh torturilla suspension.
Speaker 3:Torturilla Speaking of Philadelphia.
Speaker 2:Speaking of Philly, yeah, Philly in the news. Well, you know, he blew up in that game Now they were playing.
Speaker 1:Now, do you think he should initially the initial start? Do you think he should have been thrown as early as he was, because he lost it after he was thrown Like he went bananas?
Speaker 2:I mean he looked pretty normal after the second goal by the third one he was in. He was already engaged with the referees. Yeah, he was engaged. Now again, I have no idea what he said, right, but it was had to be significant enough, like if you're going to call them out even though the fans can't hear, and everything else, the four-or-nothing goal he lost it.
Speaker 1:I think he skated around him and said I heard your wife's a dyke, yeah, and ran.
Speaker 2:Your wife's a dyke, I know, I know. And one of the greatest, one of the thousand greatest lines in the greatest sports movie ever. But you know, listen, he's not the first coach to be kicked out or suspended. There's been many in NHL history going back to the 1930s. Jack Adams, I mean 42. Jack Adams, I mean, there's been so many. Harry Neal 10 games 1982. He drilled a fan in Quebec City. Don Perry, he told Paul Moby, he out there, don't dance. He got 15 days. Are they extended to eight games? There's been a bunch of other two gamers, three-gamer, four-gamer. So you know Torz is in good company, I guess, if you want to call it a time, you know what?
Speaker 1:here's the thing I like, and apparently most of the guys who have played for Torz are like and it was on.
Speaker 2:It was they were playing Tampa and they were honoring the 2014. That's right, man, coach, coach and all the guys were upstairs and the camera panned up there. They're all watching. They're just laughing their ass off. They were laughing their ass off and everybody on social media was laughing, but obviously the NHL had taken it seriously.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, the thing is.
Speaker 2:Chris, he wouldn't leave the bench.
Speaker 1:No, I know, I know he wouldn't leave, so, but here's the thing.
Speaker 2:The question is how about the flyer owner saying he's paying the fine. How about that?
Speaker 4:Well, I love it.
Speaker 2:I love it. I love it Absolutely and it's been so well received online. Thousands upon thousands, upon thousands of people saying good on. I'm not even a flyer fan I hate the flyers, but I love this. I love this. You know and you know why.
Speaker 1:You know why Because we live in a society where people fucking throw people under the bus all the time. You know what I mean. And when somebody goes up and says you know what, okay, he may have been wrong, I don't know what the deal was, and I don't know. Like, we don't know. Like I said, it seemed odd that he got thrown at the time that he got thrown and then, of course, he lost it right and he wasn't going to, you know. But but you know what, at the end of the day, okay, I mean it was. I know somebody else who had that issue himself and a game as a player not saying fuck, I don't deserve to be thrown out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I heard that story once. It may be somebody in this room. Yeah, it could be, and it's not me, you know.
Speaker 1:And the reality is is that sometimes the rest are fucking idiots.
Speaker 2:No, you just you took the words right out of my mouth. I think that's another reason why it's been widespread that the it's been more revered than than not, because there is no repercussions for these officials. There's no, there's no accountability for their countless obvious errors. Video review can correct some of the technical stuff and maybe overturn a goal and things of that nature. But the referees who end up and sadly be and I don't mean to just say Tim Peel because he got caught on microphone, but you have to think that's a microcosm of what exists when you're talking about 50, 60 officials there's probably a couple at different times are going to get a little bit emotional in a game against a coach who's absolutely railing them, like you're saying the time of the game.
Speaker 2:Listen, it's for nothing. They're collapsing, he's snapping. It could have been 90 seconds in, let alone where it happened. So it it. It's just the fact he wouldn't leave and that's why he's defined as being administered and it's anything more it would have. How do you? Just yelled one more thing and walked off. He gets nothing, he just gets a game, that's it. But now he gets two and a 50,000.
Speaker 1:And a standing ovation when he returns.
Speaker 2:He will get one. Well, look at that city I mean you're talking about. Look, let's be honest, we just did fight night in Philly. It's my third fight night out of the four events I've done there. They're going to keep doing it because Marcy says they don't care. I could probably do it in front of 10 people. These sponsors are still going to sponsor it, they love it so much. I mean. No, they get people out, obviously, but it's a city where they've got no problem selling tickets for this. Like, let's be honest, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:This isn't. I don't know that you could and they did it, but went back and forth with my friends on social media, mark and Janice Kelly. Mark Kelly was part of our. I wasn't on the committee, but I was hired to MC it in Ottawa here in 2008. And Brad Hen looking right there.
Speaker 2:Brad Marsh ran it and it was. Bob Probert was one of the guys who came up, oh really, and I did a hot stove with Bob Probert up on stage and Terry O'Reilly and it was, and Jimmy Kite, it was spectacular, absolutely spectacular, like can I just tell you the line of that entire night when somebody from the crowd and we took questions from the crowd I had a wireless microphone and somebody said Bob Probert, how come you never fought Jim Kite? And he didn't even miss a beat, because Jim Kite's deaf Right and he played with hearing aids and he had to look at this and that and probably didn't even miss a beat. God rest his soul. And he said I asked him to go eight or nine times but he never heard me.
Speaker 2:The whole place just broke up laughing. I don't know if you could do that right now, Chris in Ottawa. What if? You could say that I don't know if you could do a fight night in Ottawa. I don't know if you would get an attendance for a fight night in Ottawa in 2024.
Speaker 1:Why don't we have one? Well, why don't we get some sponsors? I'll tell you, we'll do the outside with Hans McGuire.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you once you get involved if we do one. Who was on stage in Philly? Who's that? Matthew Burnaby? Oh yeah, we used to be the Orleans guys, is it?
Speaker 1:Orleans. There you go. Well, let's listen, ok, so we're announcing I don't even know how we're going to fucking do it, but we are announcing right now that we are going to do a Friday night fight night. We have no idea where, but we want you all of you are out there to send in like a to say hey, I'm in, like, count me up for two tickets, whatever. Wherever it is, we're going to have this fight night. We're going to have a big screen, we're going to show all the fights and Liam and I will be there. Liam will be there, I will be there. We're going to hopefully get Well, you will host it.
Speaker 2:Well, that's what I mean, yeah we'll host it, and then, and then, and then we can also. Hans McGuire will be the host.
Speaker 1:That's right. Ok, now we just need some sponsors for that shit and we're all set, ok. Well, listen, now we've got to plan, all right. Ok, we've got a plan moving forward, all right. So you know what we're going to do right now. What are we?
Speaker 2:going to do.
Speaker 1:You know what we're going to do, given that this is such a monumental historic event that we're going to start, we're going to have the Friday night fight here at Ottawa. Yeah, ok, maybe Marcio will come.
Speaker 2:He would OK.
Speaker 1:OK so we'll have the Friday night fighting in Ottawa. Ok, this is a historic event I'd like to talk about this week in hockey history.
Speaker 3:Hello Canada. It is good it's going to be LaFleur coming out rather gingerly. Back to LaFleur the Bonsie shoots the P-Stoooors.
Speaker 1:But it's a no this week in hockey history. Ok, we're back with this week in hockey history. Liam, this is early March, or actually not quite early March. Almost mid-March. We'll have no mid-March. Almost mid-March God, I'm just OK. It's near days before St Patrick's Day. That it is. That it is. We'll talk about that.
Speaker 2:Peer it up, folks Peer it up.
Speaker 1:So, listen, do you have any insight into things that may have happened this week in hockey history?
Speaker 2:I'll give you two for this show. And then did you say we're going to tape another show this week?
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're going to try to tape another show this week.
Speaker 2:If we tape, another show this week. I can bring you up to St Patrick's.
Speaker 1:All right, ok, so you've got it.
Speaker 2:We're in a big, big month for this week, Right? I think today is it OK to say today's date.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, today, yeah, totally.
Speaker 2:Like we're taping on March 11th March 11th, yeah, and obviously tomorrow being the 12th, so these two dates are just synonymous with two really really significant events in NHL history. On March 11, 1996, the Montreal Forum closed Right, and it was a Monday night and I was there and it was Finally knew somebody who had a seat from there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I can send you a picture of mine I know there's probably other viewers out there that have one as well and I was at the greatest Montreal Canadian man cave in the history of the world in Are you still going there. Well, we can go. They're ready for us to organize it.
Speaker 1:But I thought we had a date and everything. No, we don't have a date, but we don't have a date.
Speaker 2:Pierre messaged me the other day, said one of you guys coming so OK. But I haven't been in town. And you've been in the hospital and I've been drinking, so we haven't been able to solidify a date.
Speaker 1:We're trying to coordinate things. There's something that seems to be always there Either I'm away, you're away or you're drinking. That's right. That's the thing. That's always constant. I can't blame him, it's always. Are you sure? It's like change? It's always to do that math equation?
Speaker 4:I'm not sure that's equally out there.
Speaker 2:But yeah, listen, they want us to come down. We want to set it up so we can do the ideas, maybe get corn away and search the bar to be transported out to it. I have one Montreal forum seat my dear new friend has. I believe he has nine in total, nine forum seats in total. In fact he has one whole row. So it's really, it's beyond impressive. You'll see it, because we're going to get there. But March 11, 1996, the Montreal forum closes. It's a Monday night. They beat Dallas 4-1. Covalenco gets the last goal. The only other thing significant about that, chris, of course it ties in the middle of the 75-year history of the greatest sports story over time in the history of the world.
Speaker 2:Howie Morens' funeral, march 11, 1937. Howie Morens' daughter Marys, boom Boom Géphriand. Their first date, march 11, 1951. The Boom Boom Géphriand number is going to be retired by the Montreal Canadians and this is after the forum closes, march 11, 1996. They're going to retire the boomers number in 2004. They're looking at dates. Nhl says tells all the owners cancel everything. Probably season is going to get canceled. Season gets canceled, they come back 0506. They go back to Boomer pick a date. He looks at the schedule March 11, saturday night, montreal. They're playing the Rangers. I coached them, I used to play for them and they said, ok, march 11, 2006.
Speaker 2:Boomer gets stricken with cancer. It's stomach cancer, spreads like wildfire. He's not going to make the trip, he's not going to be able to attend. He passes away the morning of March 11, 2006. The Montreal Canadians say to Marlene, howie Morens' daughter what do you want to do? We want to go, you can get us there, we'll go.
Speaker 2:They arrange transportation, they fly the family up from Atlanta, they go to Montreal. They bring just like he told his wife, marlene, then his girlfriend Howie's daughter on their first date at the Montreal forum one day my sweater will hang beside your dad's. And they brought down number seven Howie Morens' halfway and they raised up Boomer's number five and then the five seven both went up together into the rafters on the day that Boom Boom Geoffrey-Own died in 2006. Completely, but you're saying it's the same day that Howie Morens died, same day that Howie Morens' funeral, same day as their date, same day as the closing of the forum. And then, in 2012, the Montreal Canadians sign Boom Boom Geoffrey-Own's grandson, blake Geoffrey-Own. They sign him in March of 2012. He scores his first goal as a member of the Montreal Canadians, wearing sweater number 57 to honor his grandfather and his great grandfather, who were both tied into March 11th. And he scored his first goal against the Vancouver Canucks on March 11th, march 10th, oh, march 10th.
Speaker 1:March 10th.
Speaker 2:He missed it by one day.
Speaker 1:Oh no, but you know what the time zone there was three hours difference, I'll go with that.
Speaker 2:It's 75 years almost to the day from Morens' funeral to Blake. Geoffrey-own's goal, with all of that history in between, is the greatest singular sports continuation story ever in the history of mankind. You can't top that. You cannot top that. Well, I can't.
Speaker 1:But no, nobody can, nobody can.
Speaker 2:Nobody can top that. There's nothing that continues.
Speaker 1:There's probably a sumo wrestling family. Absolutely nothing, no, they all ate too much.
Speaker 2:There's nothing, there's absolutely nothing that would have the synergy in and around. And on the same date, absolutely nothing, nothing. And finish on the next one, march 12th, bobby Hull became the first guy to score more than 50 goals. Okay, in one season. In one season, on March 12th 1966, I believe it was a 545 mark of the third period scored on a slap shot, assisted by his line mate Bill Hay and Lou Angotti. They drew the assists on the play. The goalie was Eddie, jackamann was a ranger, was a slap shot, massive ovation. Chicago went on to win a game Pretty significant because Hull had joined the aforementioned Boom, boom, geoffrey and Rocket.
Speaker 3:Shard.
Speaker 2:As the only 50 goal scorers at that time and Hull had done it in 1962. And here he was recording another one in 1966. Only he surpassed 50. The anniversary of that is tomorrow. It's pretty significant date. There's so many, chris those are, I mean the forum ones in old brainer kind of had to go with it because of the story. The other one you know, hull's. I think it's significant, it's pretty historic. And he ended up with five 50 goal seasons, his last one coming in 72. I mean, you could make the case still, he's the greatest left winger of all time. You could make that case where everyone slotting an OV, but it's either Hull or OV, and OV didn't even start as a left winger. So I give the nod to Bobby and there you go.
Speaker 1:So you know what that sounds great. Well, that has been this week in hockey history.
Speaker 3:Hello, canada LaFleur coming out rather gingerly, michael LaFleur.
Speaker 1:This week in hockey history. All right, welcome back. We are now jumping to our next segment, which is Ask Liam, which is where we ask Liam a question. Okay, and if he gets it correctly, then that's great, and if he doesn't get it correctly, then I get a pitcher of beer. We know that. We've established that over here. Now I have just restarted sipping on a logger. Okay, yeah, I was on dry, dry January. Yeah, I didn't succeed. I'm not blaming anybody. Yeah, okay, dry February and I failed February Because out of back end shot it not, not blaming me.
Speaker 1:No, no, not at all. But I failed February too, because when I was out in Arizona, kristen and I went and had dinner and you know, anyway, we got wine, and then the whiskey sours and that's the next thing, you know.
Speaker 2:Did you go out to a nice restaurant?
Speaker 1:Went to a nice restaurant and we stayed at a hotel Beautiful yeah.
Speaker 2:Was it a nice restaurant?
Speaker 1:Do you?
Speaker 2:remember the name of it or anything, do I remember?
Speaker 1:the name. Well, I'm going to tell you a couple of restaurants we went to.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I love stuff like that, all right.
Speaker 1:So it's a restaurant in North Glendale called the Tipsy.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And it's really unique because it's all couches and stuff. Like there's a nice bar area but there's no tables per se. Okay, you sit down at a couch and the food is freaking great Okay.
Speaker 1:And so we had. Anyways, you have a couple of drinks, you know, whatever, and you know what I mean and we were going back, you know, to the hotel, to, you know, to spend some private time, and so I had a few drinks. So I lost February, I failed dry February, and then I haven't had anything, though until just today is my first sip. So I'm just learning, relearning how to have a few beer.
Speaker 2:Like riding a bike.
Speaker 1:Well it's, you know what it is, except that I if anybody who knows me from my childhood you know how many bicycles I wrecked.
Speaker 3:Well as you know, chris.
Speaker 2:I had a dry two hours yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, while going through customs. I like to Saint Pierre and Michelin. Okay, yeah, listen. So what we're going to do, we're going to do the Askly segment.
Speaker 3:Okay, right so here it comes.
Speaker 1:All right, welcome back to our Askly segment of the show. So here's the, here's the question, and I know this. Do you want to explain how the question came up, and then I'll ask the question?
Speaker 2:Well, sure, I mean, I was asked a question and I was on the microphone in Philadelphia and how's I do? Everywhere I go, every time I'm on a microphone for decades, I always say, if anyone wants to come up and talk some hockey after I'll be around till this bar closes, then I'm going to another one. So catch me at this one easier. And some guys came up and we talked some hockey trivia, which is fantastic. And these guys came up, these two younger guys they were, they enjoyed their nights so much and they had a question. They had all written down and everything, because 11 parter, which are tough to get on the spot Right, I can tell you right now I wouldn't have got all. I don't even know if I remember all 11 right now, but I'm going to try. But you want to say the question?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the question. They asked me the question, so they asked you the question. And isn't it a beauty. It's a very good question. Yeah, how many goaltenders in NHL history have been scored on by both Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin? I love it, okay. Yeah, so that's like Gretzkin, ovechkin, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:He threw me for a loop at first. Then you got to think Wayne retires in 99, ovie's first season is 0506. So you just got to start doing the math there of who is around and I'll be honest, I did not get all 11.
Speaker 2:I got five, like almost immediately Okay. And then they gave me a couple of hints on two and I got me up to seven. I had zero, like Mike Dunham is one of them. I wouldn't have got Mike Dunham in a hundred years. No, you know, I mean a couple. You want to say obvious, but I mean I missed Eddie Belfort, I missed Sean Burke. I got with a hint.
Speaker 1:Right, okay.
Speaker 2:There was like Marty Broder, dominic Cacheck, okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I don't know where we're up to, we have four and five.
Speaker 2:But Koalzig is another Dunham, as I said. Sean Burke, broder and.
Speaker 3:What about King Lundquist?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:Henry no.
Speaker 2:Wayne didn't score on Lundquist.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, he did in practice. That's my little addendum. He's put the puck in behind him, so there you go. That's right. Yeah, I'm just being a bit of a dick. That wouldn't count, obviously, it wouldn't count. No.
Speaker 2:But anyway, there's 11 in total. I can't remember them all right now. How many do you think we got there?
Speaker 1:I think he had six. Okay, that's what we had, so we got five more. Got five yeah.
Speaker 2:So there was Mike Dunham. I just remember that one. It was tough as hell, Zheger John's about to say Zheger, okay. Zheger. It's another one so.
Speaker 1:Zheger Well was Flurry around back for Gretz. No, no, okay, no, no.
Speaker 2:He's not in here. Does it matter if I look? No, no.
Speaker 1:Let's look it up, because I listen. I think I have it, we win. Oh, you have it written down. I think so Okay.
Speaker 4:Maybe not.
Speaker 1:This is so you people know that you're not actually your robot.
Speaker 2:Haschick, broder Kozik, berk, zheger, we all got yeah, Dunham. So there's one, two, three, four, five, that's six and bell four is seven. So I miss Dunham, I miss Gar Snow.
Speaker 1:I miss.
Speaker 2:Kevin Weeks. Okay, I missed Habiboolyn.
Speaker 1:He's an Ottawa guy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I missed him, totally missed him. And Chris Osgood, oh really, yeah, so there's the other ones. I miss those guys, not physically missing them right now for my life.
Speaker 1:But I miss them. I'll tell you something I actually miss Kevin Weeks because I played hockey with him a few times. Did you Nice guy? Eh yeah, and then he's super nice guy. Then he got a gig down south. Yeah yeah, he's doing well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so he's doing well, he's one of the 11 guys and there's no other goal he's playing. That played against Wayne, so that'll be the answer forever. Now, 11 parter's pretty tough, as you can tell. I couldn't even regurgitate it down Now. I haven't committed it to memory yet and I will and that'll remember it for all time, but at this point I haven't. So I wasn't able to give you all 11 names.
Speaker 1:No, I was exactly, and you know what I would like you to do two things You're going to commit that to memory and I'd like you to commit that to memory. I will. I would also like you to commit to memory the lyrics to Rapper's Delight yeah, okay, can you do that? Sure, okay, all right, you know how it goes right. Yep, okay. Yep All right, absolutely Okay, all right. Well, that was our segment. Ask Liam Guess who gets a case? Not a case, not a case.
Speaker 2:I got to buy a picture of it. I think a couple of jugs.
Speaker 1:There's a few jugs.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:There's a few jugs in credit. Yeah, it's all in credit, it's all banked. It's all banked, maybe till.
Speaker 2:We will just settle up.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you very much. Hey, welcome back to Offside with Hodgbog Wire. And now we are jumping right to our segment, which is sponsored by the Patterson Group, of Golf Courses Emerald Links, yeah. Anderson Links, yes, sir. And Cloverdale Links, yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, three great tracks out here in the rules. South Ottawa, yeah, that's right. South of the main part of the city, that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's technically, technically, it's Ottawa. Well, cloverdale's not, cloverdale's not Ottawa. Yeah, but yeah we're, maybe is it not Ottawa anymore. Nope, nope.
Speaker 2:No, cloverdale, I don't know. Once you get past Osgood, that's the southern part, that's the one you can go informally in the city of Ottawa, okay.
Speaker 1:So, anyhow, on behalf of our great friend Gib Patterson at Patterson Group of Golf Courses where, by the way, I'm having you don't even know this I'm having my Hickory Golf Tournament, the very first Hickory. Have you formally confirmed this? Confirmed? I've got people registered already. What's the date? It's July the 19th. Okay, and let's not talk about PEI right now. I don't want to fucking hear it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, but but it's July the 19th.
Speaker 2:What day of the week is it?
Speaker 1:It's a Friday, friday, okay, okay. Hickory Golf Tournament, so playing with pre-1935 clubs. We're supplying all the clubs to people, so we've got enough for everybody. It's going to be a small tour only, like 72. So it's not a full 144.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:So, but we're playing this tournament at Amalink, we're doing a. It's a fundraiser as well. Okay, for a, and I'll formally announce the charity another time, because, but it's a local children's charity and it's not the fucking hospital. Okay, because everything's for Chio. This isn't for Chio, this is for the people who, you know, aren't in Chio. It's helping kids.
Speaker 1:But there's a, there's a what do you call that? An element of health and mental and all that other stuff involved in it. So it's, you'll like it. By the way, it's a local, you know anyhow. So we're having that, okay, at at the, at the club, and so pretty excited about it. And you want to hear this. So we've got some prizes, okay, and we have a charity auction after, right, so you get a hole in one. Okay, I want a particular hole. A African safari, yeah, I've got a sponsor to cover the cost. You get an African safari for two, yeah, okay, and that's a that. If you get the whole one, okay, if it isn't one on the whole in one, yeah, it moves to the auction and you can auction and this is a value of $25,000. Holy cow. So, wow, another one, another whole one.
Speaker 2:All right, Is this an invite only tourney, or how are you going to no? No?
Speaker 1:no, no, I, you know what. Here's the thing I the ideal is to people who want to try Hickory golf.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:They want to try Hickory golf. They want to get dressed up, they want to wear knickers, they want to have fun. But they want to play with the clubs that you know Bobby Jones and Harry Varden and those guys played with to see how different it is Right. But you see me play with mine and I know and I and honestly I have never played well when I play with Liam. It is unbelievable.
Speaker 1:You've got some good holes, no no, yes, but I I don't play my game, for whatever reason, I just I something. And now, granted, I was having really issue like back problems, a couple of times yeah, you're back.
Speaker 2:It's hurting, but but it doesn't. Your balls are shaking from left to right.
Speaker 1:So, so, anyhow. So that's you know. Another one is a trip for two to South Gaule. No, no, no, no. Ireland, what A golf. And I, yeah, so I've got a sponsor for that, Okay, and that the value of that trip with everything involved in it is almost $25,000 as well, sweet Jesus, okay. So so then we're going to do a couple. We have auction items we got, so we got money, we got all that. It's really coming together. It's going to be an event. The Society of Hickory Golfers in the United States and actually worldwide, it's the worldwide organization. Yeah, they're, they're sponsoring it like they're part of it. The Golf Historical Society of Canada is going to be in attendance and they have. They have helped me get all the clubs, okay, give to people yeah so good for you.
Speaker 1:Chris, yeah, it's, it's coming along, so I I thank, I thank Gib for all the support there. Now let's talk talk in history here. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Boy, oh boy, buckle up your chin strap for this interview.
Speaker 1:We're very pleased to announce the, the first segment of our interview with the, the number one goal scorer, supply point getter up until Wayne Gretzky broke his record. Okay, is who's who? Our guest is today? The none other than Sue St Marie, native Yep. Okay, oh, then Ontario, chris. Yeah, sue St Marie, native Phil Esposito. I got chills because this was a one of the most exciting moments.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:And as the interview goes along.
Speaker 2:People will see that in you, I think. And it always is for me anytime I'm around them. It was the first time I think you got to meet him yeah he was your father's favorite player, yeah, which comes out late in the interview.
Speaker 2:You won't see it on this part, I don't believe, but but you're going to roll him out here as we do the shows and I really encourage people at your convenience, take the time and and listen to this guy. I know everyone's heard him and seen him. It's not like he's been a shrinking violet. No, for his career such as it is, and he's still working in the business. He's still doing Tampa Bay home games on radio. He's 81 or two 82.
Speaker 1:82 in February.
Speaker 2:February 20th and and he's just, he's just the prince of a man. He's messaged both of us yeah, oh, since, since we've gotten back. Initially, the message was did you guys get home? Okay, yeah, you know, did you get home? Okay, like who does that?
Speaker 1:Well, you know what it just goes to show the quality of the individual. Bought us all lunch, you know, bought us all lunch, kevin Jardine and his brother-in-law were there.
Speaker 2:Names. Kevin gets mentioned on the show here every now and then. Local guy, one of my best friends, gold tender in the area Well, no one in Florida at the time is brother-in-law Larry Monahan, kevin's wife's brother, one of her brothers. They came and sat in on the interview. They joined us for lunch, filled in care, bought us all lunch after and recommended the steak sandwich I remember.
Speaker 3:Larry.
Speaker 2:Monahan was going to have something else and Phil looked at him and Larry went steak sandwich.
Speaker 1:Well, I can tell you I had the steak sandwich and it was great we all had the steak sandwich.
Speaker 2:It was great. Phil said I had the steak sandwich. You're going okay. Okay, I love steak sandwich, but it was fantastic. It was.
Speaker 1:All right, well, listen, let's shooting the shot, shooting the shot, it's shooting. I've been I've been corrected Shooting, shooting with an N.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's not good, not engine yeah.
Speaker 1:Shooting the shot. Yeah, with a husband McGuire. This week we're shooting the shot with Phil Esposito. Hey everybody, welcome to offside with husband McGuire and our new segment, which is called shooting the shot. That's right, shooting the shot. And today our guest is none other than number seven. And if you say number seven, that's all you have to say is Phil Esposito. And so, liam, why don't you give us some stats first?
Speaker 2:Well, we'd be here 10 minutes. But listen, there are some numbers that do that do bear being mentioned. For sure the guy played 18 years in the NHL. Phil, thank you so much. First honor to have you 717 goals, first guy to have a 100 point season, first guy with 550 goal seasons, two Stanley cups, 76 goal season in 1971 was the standard. Until he was broken by Gretzky. No one had even come close to 76 when he broke Bobby Hall's record, his former line-mate and teammate with Chicago.
Speaker 2:And the All-Star Games, 100 point seasons, the Stanley cups, all aside from Team Canada, 72, which we will get to. I think everybody can see I'm wearing a one of the replica jerseys. It was Phil. Just added his name to the list of signatures here and I'll finish on this note because some of his other stats will come out later. But I will finish on this note by way of introduction. Phyllis Pizito played the greatest 20 minutes of hockey in the history of the sport. Third period, game eight, thursday, september 28, 72. That is beyond reproach. It was said by Paul Henderson on national TV when Team Canada was declared the team of the century on November 10, 2000. I was on the set with him when Paul said it and it's, and it's 100% true. So I'll finish on that note. The greatest 20 minutes ever played in the history of the sport by this man who's joining shooting the shot offside of the Hawes and McGuire right now. Phyllis Pizito, what an honor man, what an honor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he will do that sheet too.
Speaker 4:Let me put it this way I wasn't going to lose.
Speaker 2:I know that.
Speaker 4:I'm going to let them be this.
Speaker 2:Listen, we may as well. We're open the door there and we've got some other stuff that we were talking about before. Let's just go to 72 right now. Then, absolutely, phil, you weren't going to lose, can you just? I mean, do you recall them saying that they were going to take victory if the game stayed tied?
Speaker 4:I didn't realize that until I heard somebody come over and whispered in Harry's year or Fergie's year, and then it spread like wildfire on the bench that they were claiming victory if the game was tied. Well, I wasn't. I didn't bother, you know, I didn't care about that. But I'll say this when Henny scored, it's the closest I've ever come to kissing another guy.
Speaker 1:Well, there you have it.
Speaker 4:I did. I mean he, I wasn't coming. Guys were jumping off the ice and stuff and I stayed on it and I know that I teed off a lot of our guys that were behind me. I know that. I know Clark, he was waiting. I know Raddy was waiting, but I just felt myself that I wouldn't lose if I stay on the ice. Does that make any sense?
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 4:I just I felt that, just like Henderson. Why did he call Peter Muhammad's?
Speaker 3:up. I know, I know.
Speaker 4:Yeah, wasn't his turn to come? No, but he called Piedov. There was something, and I really think God has a way of rectifying a lot of wrong, because it was communism against capitalism. That's what it turned out to be, and I blame both countries. Yeah, I do. It turned political. Unfortunately, we were the pawns and I got to be real good friends with Yaka Shabin Tretchak, even Boris Mahalov, who I didn't like at all, I know I know, didn't like that's him you're calling on in the penalty box where you're doing this.
Speaker 4:Well, the son of a bitch speared me, yeah, you know where, and I couldn't. I couldn't get him back because if I did anything I would be in a penalty box and that wasn't where I should be. No, and I knew it. So I had to take it, suck it up and take whatever they gave me because I had to be on the ice. In my mind I had to be on the ice, wrong or right. It turned out right. Yeah, could it turn out wrong?
Speaker 2:But it turned out right, it turned out right.
Speaker 4:I mean, the rest is history, the rest is history.
Speaker 2:Well, like Chris, you would, you would talk, you would talk. So we've got it on tape already about the speech.
Speaker 1:Oh, so yeah, so that was prior. Like that moment the 20 minutes, you know, of the greatest hockey ever played, which, by the way, I don't know Manitick League Thursday nights. Yeah Well, Hatter can attest that, but with all of your accolades, I'm going to take it there, sorry, yeah, all your accolades. With 162 points, 152, 152, 76, and 76. The most prolific scorer in NHL history up to that moment, up to Wayne Gretzky coming along and blowing me away. So one guy, big big deal, One guy in a very different league.
Speaker 1:I know he is, but. But you've had that. You had like the elation of winning in 72. You've had the Stanley Cup that you've hoisted over your head more than once.
Speaker 4:I never did. Oh, you didn't have it.
Speaker 1:I thought you never put it over my head, oh okay, oh, we didn't do that stuff. No, no, we didn't take it home. I mean, we did not been at that time.
Speaker 4:We stole it one time and put it in a bar, but the cops came and got it. Where was the bar 99, down the road from the Boston Garden? That's hilarious, but other than that, no, we weren't allowed to do that. We had it in our dressing room and the difference is, you know, we would fill it with champagne and drink beer. Now they fill it with beer and drink champagne.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know what? That's a great line. That's a great line. Break that down. I will write that down, I'll just remember it.
Speaker 2:But listen the speech. The thing is and we talked about it. But the thing is, phil, because here's where a lot of people get wrong. The team never saw it right.
Speaker 4:No, the team didn't, I never saw it for 10 years, 10 years, 10 years, and I remember it was our 10th anniversary. It came up. I don't know, it was one of the breweries when he went to. Might have been on the bats or he called in. O'keeffe was still around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they were big.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Moulson, of course was around and I don't know which one of those I can't remember, and they played in my first instinct. Be honest, honest, I was embarrassed, I got embarrassed. I'm like, oh man.
Speaker 1:Was it a bad angle?
Speaker 4:No, it was just that I kept saying things like I can't believe it. I can't believe it. You know what I mean? Yeah, and I was so emotional, I felt so bad for Billy Goldsworthy, what they did and how they booed him. I mean, I felt bad for the guys some of the guys in our team I did. I knew that we could never win until we became a team. And after the very first game, when I went with Harry Sinner to the podium, I, as we're walking in Montreal form, I said to Harry Harry, these guys are good, you better pick 20 guys and make us a team. Yeah, and if I'm not on one of them, don't worry about it, it's okay. But you better pick 20 guys and make a team or else we're not going to win this. And unfortunately, everybody was promised to play a game. If we had done that, we would have lost.
Speaker 4:You cannot win in a team sport unless you're a damn team. Simple and telling you the truth, I would have never retired in January halfway through the season if the New York Ranger hockey team was better. Wayne wouldn't have retired halfway through the season if that team was better. If the team is good, you got a chance to win. If the team is bad and you're 38, 39 years old or going on 40, like I was, what the hell are you doing? They've got to replace you with younger people, because if that's the name of the game to get younger and better. And old guys, we're not old, right? We're just hitting the prime of our life at 40. Right, I was loud really, and. But in sport, especially with a hockey, it's over the hill. I hear people talking about Ovechkin now that, oh boy, he's just too old Baloney. His team isn't good around him. You've got to have good people around when you play a team sport.
Speaker 1:Well, you've had experience in upper management of a particular hockey team in Florida. Okay, if you were the GM of Washington right now, what changes would you make to help Ovechkin achieve what he wants?
Speaker 4:You can't, because of salary cap issues you can't make. You don't trade players anymore, you trade money.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:And because of salary cap which, if it wasn't instituted, teams like Tampa, the Panthers, carolina would have never survived, right? I mean, I remember when we first started here in Tampa 92, my budget was $8.5 million for everything, the Rangers were close to 80 million. Yeah, how in the hell could we survive? Can't do it.
Speaker 4:No way, yeah, yeah, you know. So the came in where you had a cap was very, very important. The problem is, guys will go for the Stanley Cup now and trade first round picks and trade this to win now. Because, let's face it, a general manager or coach doesn't have a long shelf life. John Cooper has been here about 11 years, I think. Yeah, that's the longest I ever saw a coach stay in one place In this era.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, very, very since the expansion, yeah, and all that other stuff in this era. So that's good, right, yeah, but we've changed general managers, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's still a fact about the money. Now we go to the cap. In fact, that's one of the things that is a problem. We're at the cap like Toronto. They've got five guys that are going to be about 60 million dollars next year. How, in the hell, at 85 million, 25 million more or 87?
Speaker 2:is it going to?
Speaker 4:be.
Speaker 2:I think it's going up 4 million. It's going to go to 86 and change, 86 and change.
Speaker 4:Yeah, how do you? 26 million dollars for the rest of the team? I know there's no way.
Speaker 2:How do you do it? You can't. You can't win the cup.
Speaker 4:I don't care who the hell the general manager is.
Speaker 1:No, no, I'll be honest, bill, I'm going to double shift.
Speaker 4:Phil, did you know what? No, you do it. You go down to three players and five defenders, like we used to play, and you pay the son of a bitches and you keep on going. Well, that's another way, you know but you can't do that because of the players, so excuse me, the union now, yeah, that's a whole other.
Speaker 2:I mean, you got situation out with the salary cap. In some instances you can't even dress a full lineup.
Speaker 3:You have to play a player.
Speaker 2:That's already happened two or three times this year and you can't even get an emergency recall to you Play a player Short.
Speaker 4:It's all convoluted, the panic of not having 60 fencemen and four lines is ridiculous. I know I know my estimation and people. When I say that to people that are in the game now, I hear the old school you bet your sweet bit by that.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I mean we played with three lines for the 10th. I average probably almost 35 to 40 minutes of game. Bobby Orr probably played over 40 minutes a year.
Speaker 2:I know and look at the success.
Speaker 4:So did Dennis Potman. Yeah, yeah, so come on, did it. I'm still going.
Speaker 2:Scotty routinely double shifted the flirt in the late 70s. I mean he got a ton of advice.
Speaker 4:If you're paying a guy $13, $14 million, he better be playing and he better be producing. Yeah, and this 20 minute rule? I don't understand it. Yeah, oh, 20 minutes. Oh, he's playing 20 minutes. He's got to be tired.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tired after 20 minutes. This is when I know.
Speaker 4:I know it's supposed to be in the greatest shape. I know I know they look good on the beach. They do they don't look so good Back when I laid on the beach, people wanted to harpoon me. Hold on, I get lost.
Speaker 2:I got to go back 72.
Speaker 1:I got to go back 72. I just have one question yeah, Are you? You're fixated on 72?
Speaker 2:No, but we opened the door.
Speaker 1:We did open the door. Yeah, I'm just saying. It's like you know what.
Speaker 2:Am I fixated?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're fixated.
Speaker 2:I just want to point that out, but look who we got here. Yeah, so no, I know, I know, I absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we got to do a couple things.
Speaker 1:Liam's going to ask you some questions about 1977.
Speaker 4:Really, are you going to do it again, chris? Here we go.
Speaker 2:No, listen, you've already said some things. A lot of emotion. Do you have any? Do you have any hard feelings towards Hadfield, guvermah, martin and Peril?
Speaker 4:Absolutely not. If I wasn't playing, I wouldn't have stayed out. Yeah, I wouldn't have stayed in Russia. Yeah, I can't believe guys like Bobby and Wayne, wayne Kasman with that tongue.
Speaker 2:With the tongue, yeah.
Speaker 4:Holy crap, man. I would have been long gone. People hated me too bad. Yeah, I'm not staying in a Godforsaken country. Back in 1972.
Speaker 3:Yeah, now I've been back there.
Speaker 4:Yeah, on 2012,. I went back for the 40th anniversary. He's reluctant to do it. Yeah, didn't want to do it, my brother wouldn't. He wouldn't go near it. I sat right across from Putin at the luncheon, right, and I looked him right in the eye of this guy. I didn't, and he asked me one question why weren't you embarrassed when you fell on your butt? Now, he didn't say butt, he said ass. Okay, and I went. You can either laugh about it or cry about it. Yeah, I chose to laugh about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he did the great thing, like this and everybody, and he says if it were me, through the interpreter, although you understood everything he said I would have buried my hand in the ice like an ostrich.
Speaker 4:And I looked at him. I said that was you, not me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I've seen him play and he should bury his head.
Speaker 4:I played against him. I wouldn't let him score. The guys Kasatov said you're gonna let the president score. I said, like hell, I'm gonna let him score. I did it. I call him Root and Toot and Putin enough. I liked him, I liked the man at that time. He was okay. He looked me in the eyes. He had a twinkle in his eyes. Now, when I see him on television, it doesn't look like the same human being. No, it doesn't look like this, and that's why I haven't gone back.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:In fact my. Let me show you, this is my space saber.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do it to this one and they'll see it better.
Speaker 4:Right here, one minute, let me yeah, that's my thing and that's in Red Square in 2018.
Speaker 2:No way.
Speaker 4:Wow, we used to go there and play. It's not my speed saber by the way, we used to play on Red Square, yakshev and I, because it was like 300 feet long. Yeah, we'd stand at the red line waiting for guys. Come on, yaki and I.
Speaker 2:It was funny, you really have become friends with him, and is he down here?
Speaker 4:No, no, he doesn't speak English very well. I certainly don't speak Russian, but after four or five vipkas we understood each other perfectly.
Speaker 2:So there's nothing there's never been in the history of sports Any sport at any time has ever happened a moment. That happened in game eight when corner way tied it up the goal like didn't go on and Eagleson's going off and a bunch of guys Bergman, little M went over the boards team came around Peter, like Peter was the greatest Derek carrying guns you guys got hockey sticks. Do you remember what you were feeling at that time when that went?
Speaker 4:down. He was part of our group.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Didn't matter my personal feelings, my personal feelings, I would've let him stay there and go to jail, but that's another story. But he was part of the team. Yeah, and I don't care. I often said to Ronnie Dugue, I said it too, I said it to Barry Beck, I said it to Donnie Murdoch and Ronnie Gresna when I went to the Rangers Doesn't matter, I don't like everybody I played with personally, but when I was on that Stinkin' Ice they were my teammate, they were my family.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And nobody was gonna mess. And nobody messes with me and nobody messes with them. We stick up to one another, and that's what a team is. You've got to have that, bondy.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You don't have to go out and have social with them. You don't have to drink with them all the time or go to dinner, but on that Stinkin' Ice boy, that's your teammate. You better stick up with them.
Speaker 2:Did the games against Sweden, those two games. When we talked about Wayne Cashman, I believe he got speared by Ulsterner it was.
Speaker 3:And it was vicious knocked him out.
Speaker 2:He had played decently the games in Canada. I thought when he'd done it, he was terrific. He was terrific, he would have been an incredible asset. Anyways, you lose him, but did the games in Sweden help you guys? Without a doubt, yeah.
Speaker 4:We became a team in Sweden.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah.
Speaker 4:I remember sitting in across from the Grand Hotel. It was like a little park or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, gila Point's wife had just given birth. It's his good birthday.
Speaker 4:We had a couple of cases, or maybe a couple of cases up here, yeah, and we all sat there and we were celebrating and we started to jet.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And I remember Eagelson coming in and telling us that the Russians don't want to allow the women, or anybody, to come over to Moscow.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:They want to change the game plan. They don't want to allow it. And I think it was me that said why don't you and Harry and Fergie get out of here and let's talk? And we all talked about it and we said if they change the deal, we're gone, we're going home. The deal stuck. We shook hands, we made a deal, we all stick by our word and that's as good as you can get. You got to stick by your word and you did it. And so we told Eagelson we either get allow the wives, which in retrospect was a stupid idea. They should have stayed home, yeah, because they couldn't even feed them. Couldn't feed them and we had to have to sneak food to them. Was your food stolen? Absolutely.
Speaker 4:Your beer stolen the beer really pissed us off and it really did, but that's another story. But they did, it was, it was taken.
Speaker 1:I mean, I ate horse meat blackbird.
Speaker 4:I remember that totally correct. I couldn't believe that. And look, I lost 14 pounds of it.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 4:Jesus, I weighed 228, 229 when I was playing over there. When I got back I was about 214 to 12.
Speaker 1:I'm on the next plane.
Speaker 4:Not anymore. No, trust me, they are more capitalistic now than that's changed. They're New York on steroids, really.
Speaker 2:Moscow. Chris and I were talking, driving here, about the fans that went, the Canadian fans, and I said Unbelievable, you would make that statement.
Speaker 4:Unbelievable they were. I think the Russians were shocked, the fans, they were so boisterous and so loud, but for us, man, it was terrific. And the telegrams that lined our walkway into our dressing room.
Speaker 4:That was the other thing. It was really weird. Women would come in and I mean they were older women and all with the mop and the thing, and while we're getting dressed in their mop and the floors, I mean we couldn't understand all that. I remember saying to one Out out, yet she goes yet. In other words, she's got to clean, she didn't clean. Who knows. They sent her to Siberia or something I don't know, and we were like well down it, we left them to it. We just undressed and got dressed and went in the shower. It didn't matter, it just didn't matter.
Speaker 2:I only got two more. Oh yeah, no, no on 72.
Speaker 4:By the way, most of the women had more hair under their arms and under legs than I did Believe it.
Speaker 2:Look at the East German swim team of the 72 Olympics, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:We all know they were men. They can breathe them.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. What did you think when the JP Parise incident happened there at the start of game eight? Like what was your sense of? Because things had been so crazy? And this was the start of the game? You know people don't know. Jp had never received the game of conduct in Harvard and he never received one since. But you know what, phil, after he did that, he got kicked out. If you look at the stats, you watch that game. Game eight, the greatest moment, greatest game. They called it fairly. After that, compel and batter those two useless.
Speaker 4:We believe, or at least I did, that they were in flows because 100%, without a doubt 100% and other families were in jeopardy. Yeah, Not them so much as the families. I mean, that was rampant. Even the Russians admitted to me in that in 2016,. That things were. They were intimidated. Also, their families were intimidated by the political bureau, you know.
Speaker 2:They were all promised new cards if they won and they didn't give them the cards.
Speaker 4:They didn't give them anything. They didn't give them anything. I mean Petrov, coming back from Canada he had on five pair of jeans. Five pair of jeans. They didn't think that he looked everywhere but they didn't think they pulled them off and get into his brother, went to his brother and that's-.
Speaker 3:Unbelievable.
Speaker 4:Yeah, they lived like kings here. Yeah, they got all the equipment, they got everything, you know. I mean we gave them everything, yeah, and they had a taste. They had a taste, if I remember, after the series I said to Yakuza Yaki, come to Boston, I get you $100,000. Playing Boston, you go. No, no, come to Moscow, I get you apartment.
Speaker 1:That's gonna be a hell of a apartment.
Speaker 4:It better be. I'll never forget that I looked at him like are you nuts out of your mind? Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Phil. Gotta finish on 72, unless you have anything else, chris, but gotta finish on this one. You scored seven goals. Yaki Chef scored seven goals. So did Paul Henderson. You got the game winners in the last three. You played against Paul. He came in the league shortly after, like right around the same time as you. He's with Detroit goes to Toronto. You know all this, but let's play it in simple. You've always called this fate a spade. Do you think Paul Henderson should be in the Hall of Fame?
Speaker 4:My honest opinion no, no, but there's a lot of guys I don't think should be in the Hall of Fame right now. Yeah, and that's my opinion.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 4:It's supposed to be on the body of work in the NHL.
Speaker 2:Yeah Period. And now Yaki Chef and Harlem Alb and Tretzhak are all in.
Speaker 4:Body of work in the NHL.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Now they include the world now.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And that's a different thing. But at the beginning, when I went in, it was a body of work in the NHL, 100% yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:So you think, it's watered down. Look, I'm not saying gonna say do guys deserve it? If that's what the people think and that's what the guys that are voting think, who am I to say? No, it's my opinion, but opinions are like you know what everybody has one.
Speaker 1:No, no, no. I'm gonna try to make this fucking jolly now, Okay.
Speaker 4:Chris, no, I can get there.
Speaker 1:So I had started by saying you know you have all these accolades. If you could point to one and I know this is gonna be next to impossible no, it's not. What's the one?
Speaker 4:The greatest thing I ever achieved in my life was getting to Tampa Bay Lightning yeah.
Speaker 4:Ever, they can take me out of the hall of fame as a player, but put me in as a builder, Because I did more as a builder than I did as a player. God gave me talent to play and I exploited that talent. He didn't give me talent to go and raise $55 million in the start of franchise. Yeah, but I did it. I hired good people and I made sure that people around me would carry out what I wanted, because I didn't know how.
Speaker 3:But you built your team and there's always have again people around you.
Speaker 1:Well, it all comes back to that team comment.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. So I had to get a team that would I'd give the ideas and everything else and they had to implement. Because I didn't go to college. You know, I got kicked out of grade 13,. Out of two schools I went through, which ones? One was in Sarnia, ontario. It was a Catholic high school and a mother superior called me a hockey pump and I went ooh.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I said, well, I didn't come here to go to school. Yeah, I came to play hockey. She said, well, you're expelled.
Speaker 2:Now you're playing Junior B the.
Speaker 4:Legionaires.
Speaker 3:I was playing Junior B.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but I was making $10 a week plan. They were paying my. My dad was sending me $10 a week and I got a job for $40 a week as a janitor. I was in heaven, man.
Speaker 1:You know, 60 bucks a week.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was great, they were sure.
Speaker 2:And you had 12 points in a game.
Speaker 4:I bought all the hot hamburgers, all the hot hamburgers Perfect.
Speaker 2:I know you tore that legal.
Speaker 1:So I know it's not a secret how close you were with your brother.
Speaker 3:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:And I mean two kids, Not close enough.
Speaker 4:No, we weren't close enough because of the separation distance. Tony would come back to the zoo and Tony became an American citizen, a native, to play for right. Team USA, team USA. For some reason, I forgot what the reason was Like the 81 Canada Cup.
Speaker 2:I believe yeah.
Speaker 4:I think that's what it was.
Speaker 4:Yeah, okay, and I never did and I never gave up my citizen. I didn't give up. I just got another. I got an American passport and I'm dual citizen. Yeah, so I keep my Canadian passport. Absolutely, I'm born in Canada, I'm a Canadian, can't take that, you can't deny that. And I keep telling people that when they say I'm an Italian-American, I said where were you? Best thing, I'm signing autographs in Chicago. One time this guy comes up and he said he was a black dude. And he says you signed for a brother. I said sure. He says where were you born? He says Chicago. I said so you're an American. He said I'm African-American. I said where were you born? He says Chicago, so you're born in USA. Right? He said yeah. I said so you're an American-African. He said no, I'm African-American. I said where were you born? The guy looked at me and he goes I never thought about that. Politicians don't think about it either.
Speaker 1:But it's very good.
Speaker 4:People on television that do the news. Don't think about it. And personally I think it separates, absolutely. It separates Because you've got to be proud of, from where you were born, your ancestors. Sure you can have some pride with that, but do I know anybody in Italy? No, nobody.
Speaker 2:OK, so you're responsible indirectly for Wayne Gresky wearing 99.
Speaker 4:Because I wore 77?. Yeah, yeah, but he was wearing 99 in the WHA, wasn't he? No?
Speaker 2:He was in the suit wearing the suit, wearing 14 and 12. I mean, even when you went to the Rangers because you couldn't get 70, right, because it's your bear.
Speaker 4:Yeah, fergie actually came up with it. I mean, I was wearing 12, I think. And then John and I, fergie and I, had a little bit of a relationship because of 72. And I really liked John, I liked him a lot and we got along Like he took me with him to Winnipeg to get Anders Hedberg and Nielsen Verace, ok, yeah, and I went with him and but there was a special thing because of Team Canada. Yeah, I said the same thing to Harry Sindit when he traded me and then he never called me to tell me. It hurt me. It hurt me that he didn't tell me. He made Don Cherry tell me and that bothered me, boy, that bothered me big time Because, honestly, harry owed me a phone call For sure To tell me that I got traded. Yeah, and especially since when I 12 games in and we signed it and we shook hands, he said do you want to know trade in your contract? I looked at it and I said do I need it after 72? We lose. He'll never get a job in hockey again.
Speaker 2:Neither would Fergie.
Speaker 4:That's right. Yeah, ok, and I had something to do with Winnipeg. So I figured at least a phone call, harry, and it took me a long time to get over it and obviously I'm still probably not all the way over it All these years later. Because I loved playing in Boston, I did, I got to admit I did. There was something about the old garden and something about that black jersey with the broom crass on it. That was prideful to me, really prideful, and I gave up a lot of money in the WHA to stay there. Yeah, but I can only imagine Crap happens.
Speaker 2:But the trade from Chicago to Boston, I know it wouldn't have been near the same.
Speaker 4:Oh, I knew I was gone, you did eh, oh yeah, Because Bobby Hull used to get me in so much trouble. But in Bobby's defense I learned more about life and about hockey from Bobby.
Speaker 4:Hull than anybody else in the world. Yeah, I'll tell you what, if there was a better guy for me at that time, when I'm 21 years old 22, to learn about the life. I remember going to New York the first time we took the train from Chicago. I'm walking around and I'm looking at these Be careful, you're looking at sunburn on the roof of your mouth, I know. Then I bought a watch. I paid $25 for it. We go to the dressing room. I looked Look at the watch guys. Bobby looks at it. He shakes it. The bottom fell out and there was nothing in it. He said you got rock, kid Robert was.
Speaker 1:Well, we'll get you a new watch.
Speaker 3:I don't have anything inside of it either.
Speaker 2:He says those were the worst trade in Chicago history. Bobby always, God rest his soul.
Speaker 4:Well, it was, but Billy Ray and I didn't get along. I don't know why.
Speaker 2:I think you were seventh in scoring that year. I made no sense the trade Well the three years in Chicago.
Speaker 4:Somebody told me just recently first year I was there I was 11. Second year I was 9. Third year I was 7.
Speaker 3:So I was obviously moving up.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. Boston the first year I ended up. Second, stan beat me up on this last day, yeah, and I remember too. I had 49 goals but I scored 50. Then puck went in the net. To this day that puck went in the net. I had a $10,000 bonus, Nice, and I never got it. What Never gave it to me?
Speaker 1:Never gave me the goal Never gave me the goal. They didn't have a video replay back then, but I know that puck went in the net.
Speaker 4:I see it right now. I'm thinking about it. But oh, it's 68. Yeah, those were the days back then. But look, I am so blessed with being able to sit with guys like you and talk about this sort of stuff and it gets my memory jogging, you know what I mean. And I like that Because I remember things from way back when and I remember some of the stories that we can't even say on.
Speaker 1:Well, actually that's what I want to take you to that direction.
Speaker 4:No, no you can't do that.
Speaker 1:So I have a way of doing it. We can edit all that stuff.
Speaker 4:Oh sure you do. You give it a big wink, Nice try.
Speaker 1:No, what I was going to say is that Tampa Bay establishment was one of your greatest success. So throughout that, tell me some of the challenges that you've had in that that you feel great about. Like I mean, I know that all of the raising money and all that stuff In the first, place.
Speaker 4:It cost me a divorce, Cost me every penny that I ever had in the world, every penny. I was flat busted, flat busted. Eagleson tried to screw me big time. I had more. And a guy named David LaFever tried to screw me. A guy named George Steinbrenner tried to screw me and I fought them all off and, believe me, it was a fight to the finish.
Speaker 4:But I was content on being here. If I had to, I'd go sell cars on Florida Avenue, but I wasn't leaving Tampa Bay. I wasn't, and this is the place I wanted to be and retire here and live here for the rest of my life. I was sick and tired of the Northeast, sick and tired of the cold, and I didn't want any more part of it and I wanted to put this team here. I was on the marketing committee as a player and I was on the marketing committee as a general manager. I knew they wanted to expand, but they told me to stay away from Texas. I told Johnny Ziegler I don't want to go to Texas. See, I didn't know. Minnesota, the next year moved to Dallas See that deal was already been in process.
Speaker 4:So I didn't know that, but I wanted Florida. I wanted Florida. I went to Orlando they threw me out because they had basketball. Went to Miami because they had buildings. They had buildings. Miami threw me out basketball. Then I met a guy named Henry Paul. Henry Paul's father was Gait Paul, who was president of the Yankees Cleveland Indian Baseball Club Tried to bring baseball here early on. I met with him. It met Henry, and Henry's an attorney, and maybe one of the only attorneys I really like, though offense to the rest of the attorneys, but I don't know.
Speaker 4:At the end of this meeting I had with him, I looked at him in the eye and, just like I'm doing to you, chris, I said do you think hockey could survive in this market? He said, well, we love football, we love car crashes, we love boxing and we love wrestling. Seems to me you've got it all in hockey and I went I'm going for it. Are you with me? We shook hands, never had a piece of paper. We're still partners.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's amazing. Wow, and is he still around?
Speaker 4:Absolutely, when Tony and I got bought out and we got bought out in fire. But that lunatic, art Williams, who was a lunatic, should have been in jail for what he did for the people. But that's another story. Henry quit. They wanted him to work with Jock the Mayor, who they made general manager, and Jock called him and Henry said no, I'm going back to my own practice. He's an attorney. He said if Phil and Tony are gone, I'm gone. You don't find loyalty like that in this world. No, no.
Speaker 1:It's very rare. I say that level, very rare, and when you have it you know it.
Speaker 4:You know it. Oh, chris, you know it. And to this day I almost invited Henry here today, but he said he had to go and do some lawyer work. I said oh boring.
Speaker 2:He said I know what it is. That would have been amazing.
Speaker 4:Because he remembers a heck of a lot more about the forming of this. Because, like I said, I used to say this is what I think should be done. Can we do it? I don't want you to tell me, henry, you can't do it, I want you to do it. I remember this guy from the securities of the lawyer Comes in and says you can't do that, phil, they won't allow you with the Securities Exchange Commission and all that. I looked at him and I said to him I said, listen, it was 9.30 at night. Ok, we've been there all day and I said if you don't get it done, don't come back, because if you do, I'm going to throw you through the window. You understand, get it done. I don't want to know how and I don't care how, just get it done. Two days later he says I can't believe it. I got it done.
Speaker 4:I said see, what you can do when you apply yourself.
Speaker 2:Were you surprised Ottawa was in there with you, that they got the thing? Were you surprised the senators came in with Tampa?
Speaker 4:No, I wasn't surprised by the senators getting it, because Hamilton was comsicum sa.
Speaker 3:They were in Toronto.
Speaker 4:I wasn't going to let Hamilton come in on an expense, and Buffalo wasn't either. The television was too great around there. Great, you knew it If you didn't know it, and you didn't know what you were doing. And so Ottawa, I didn't think, was a problem. It was far enough away from Montreal, far enough away from Toronto that they could have their own sphere and everything else. And tell you the truth, Roy Firestone was a nice guy. He really was.
Speaker 3:It was Roy, no Bruce Bruce. Roy was a TV guy. Yeah, a TV guy.
Speaker 4:Bruce, yeah, but I do remember and I say this in all due respect to them at the draft, the expansion draft, they weren't prepared like we were.
Speaker 1:No, they weren't. I think that became evident.
Speaker 4:But they didn't give us, like the third goalie, you know. Or we got to take the 50th bench. No, you got scrubs. The following year, which we were promised they wouldn't expand to 96. Promised Because we would establish ourselves in the Florida market With television sphere, the whole bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a very interesting thing there, if somebody coming into the market.
Speaker 4:fine, but the following year John Ziegler was no longer there. You had that lawyer. Gilstein, that crooked character. And Bruce McNall what can I say about him? He spent time in jail, these two guys, because of the $50 million from Disney and from Heisinga that's a blockbuster, then $100 million split among them.
Speaker 4:They were coming in but then they changed the rules and I remember saying at the meeting I stood up and I said this is wrong and I was told shut up and sit down by Gilstein and I got up and I walked out. There was nothing I could do about it. They changed the rules you could protect and that's how we got Koopa Clark. He got the general manager at Florida, but he had Van Beesbroek, fitzpatrick and Poops Poopa. I had to trade you a third round pick to get Darren Poopa. I mean we got screwed, both us and Ottawa.
Speaker 1:We did, without a doubt, and that's why Gilstein is, I think, worse for you, because now you have a competitive team in your market yeah, and then they divided the television thing and they gave them Fort Myers and Naples and we got the panhandle.
Speaker 4:Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?
Speaker 1:Did you get the teeth to go with the panhandle people?
Speaker 4:I've never been to the panhandle, oh, no, oh, it's never been up there, you know what.
Speaker 3:It's like Arkansas-ish.
Speaker 1:Really, wow, they're tough people. I mean they're, and in knowing this, let's say they're from.
Speaker 4:Well, my wife says Destin.
Speaker 1:I was going to use the sous that's for my own bridge.
Speaker 4:Sudbury copper clip you guys. I used to tell Dougie son bait on the rocks.
Speaker 2:Hey, by the way, we interviewed him yesterday and he said you're his favorite person of all and all of hockey. And he says, as Phil, he used to pick us up for practice.
Speaker 4:Oh, I live vicariously through those years.
Speaker 2:That's what he said he said he did Tell me about last night.
Speaker 4:I married one, right, yeah. So I would go and pick up Murdoch and Dudes Mostly those two. One would have to sit in the front and tell me what they did the night before. The other one could sleep in the back so they would tell me the stories of what they did and I'd go God to be young and single again.
Speaker 3:That's all they.
Speaker 4:Good luck. Hey, I really like Ronnie Dugay. I always have. I just wish he, if he had taken the job of broadcasting like I wanted him to, he'd still be here. He'd still be here doing it. But you never know in life. Right, he's doing okay, yeah, absolutely he's doing alright, he looks good. He looks terrific, he always has.
Speaker 2:He's staying on top of his game. He's still actively involved publicly.
Speaker 3:anyway, he's still doing lots, even though he's not on TV.
Speaker 4:No, no, no, he does a lot. He's a special person. He really is. He came to all my golf tournaments when I was doing this charity for actually sled hockey players.
Speaker 3:We did it for wounded warriors.
Speaker 4:And I raised a lot of money for that. In fact, I took a sled hockey team up to Toronto. Oh yeah, during the Canada Cup the last Canada Cup in the Northern Ontario sled hockey team play against our guys and our girls, because the girls were on it too. You ever sit in one of those. I have I have no ideas, that's not easy, it's unbelievably tough.
Speaker 2:It's unreal how sore or tired your arms get Trying to pick on the ice.
Speaker 4:You don't realize how much your legs need you strapped in there.
Speaker 2:That's how I play now.
Speaker 1:My legs don't go. Anyway. I've just did anecdotal. It's the other night I got a little tossled. I'm still playing.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Three different leagues. I'm playing a lot of younger guys. I use my ass a little bit more than I used to. We're going to the corner and I just ask this guy out and I pick up the puck. He gets furious. He starts coming at me again. I said relax, buddy. I said I didn't even move my legs. He goes. Yeah, you never do. I thought great, I was mad at the guy, but at the same time I thought that was good Come back.
Speaker 4:Bobby Taylor said the same thing. Johnny Busek right. He used to say you've got the fattest ass you ever saw in your life. When he stood in front of you he blacked out everything.
Speaker 2:He was solid.
Speaker 4:I like that, because then I would shoot even.
Speaker 2:Listen, I know we're winding down, but we got to ask about Stanley Cupps with Boston, like specifically Bobby Orr. Because, phil, you must get this all the time, because you're one of the greatest of all time. You've been voted top ten, you're out to your top five all the time, top six all the time, bobby. You played with Bobby as your teammate. Can you share some insight of what it was like with Bobby Orr as a teammate and those Bruin Cupp wins in 70 and 72?
Speaker 4:Well, orr was, without a doubt, the greatest defenseman I've ever played. I don't know, you only played eight years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean you had a couple of injury seasons and it works out to ten and change the guy that did the operation.
Speaker 4:The first operation on him was Butcher. It wasn't Butcher, I shouldn't call him that. He was an ordinary practitioner guy after that did those things. We didn't have specialists back then and they really screwed him up. Because, I think about it, bobby Orr could have played 20, 23 years like Ray Bork did, and Ray was good.
Speaker 4:Bobby Orr would have been better than me. But, bobby, there would be things that no one would ever touch as far as stats are concerned and, quite frankly, the Stanley Cupps would have kept on coming and I probably would have never got traded. But they knew Bobby was leaving. From what I understand, that Eagleson did not tell Orr that he was offered 10% of the Boston Browns and sent him to Chicago. Why? The rumor is no, because of Canada Cups. He needed Wurte, who was the head of the committee, head of the board of directors, and he needed him to get these Canada Cups going, which we're fine. But he sacrificed Bobby and that's why, orr, and I'm telling you, you know the solid goal parts we got solid goal parts Four of us Me, hodgy Music and Bobby Okay for scoring 100 points. It's the second time I have done it, but four of us were in that. There were six of us in the top ten scoring.
Speaker 2:I know Crazy.
Speaker 4:So we got these solid goal parts. I had a Russian offer me $750,000 for it and I said I can't sell it to the Russian, there's no way. I could ever sell it to the Russian.
Speaker 4:I can't do it. But I've been thinking about it lately. Kenny Hodgy and I have ours. Bobby gave his team a way back when Johnny Music sold his way way, way back then and don't know where it is. But Kenny Hodgy and I still have ours and I was thinking, if I don't do something with it, I give it to my daughter. She's just going to sell it.
Speaker 1:What's she going to do with it? Or maybe the hockey hall of fame will buy it. I just know I'm an optimistic kind of guy.
Speaker 2:They almost buy nothing. They expect these guys to give it.
Speaker 4:They want me to give it to them, and I'm not going to do that.
Speaker 2:No, nor should you so, Phil are you suggesting?
Speaker 1:I will hold it for you.
Speaker 2:You're suggesting you may sell it. You're thinking of selling it Absolutely.
Speaker 4:It's 14 carat solid goal Because you don't think it's too soft and mold and all this stuff, but it's solid goal. Kenny Hodgy has his too.
Speaker 2:And you guys are going to be.
Speaker 3:We're going to see Kenny there he may.
Speaker 4:I have mine in the safety deposit box, but I don't know whether Kenny has it around. But it's the thing is I couldn't get a Canadian interest in it and I didn't. I see this Either, a big person in Boston, because he has the broons.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, yeah, he's got the broons.
Speaker 4:You know what? It's got a nice cover and all this other stuff, but I just couldn't take it myself to sell it to a Russian.
Speaker 1:Oh no, absolutely, but they're all in there.
Speaker 4:They're all of fame over there.
Speaker 2:Are they?
Speaker 4:They were I don't know whether they're still doing it. It's on the fourth or fifth ring where they built the rink where they had the World Cup or something one time years ago.
Speaker 2:Oh, they had the Olympics in 2014. We're in Sochi. I think it wasn't so small. No, no, okay, this is on.
Speaker 4:Like.
Speaker 2:Moscow's oh oh, oh, okay, Moscow's in rinks.
Speaker 4:Okay, yes, yes, yes, this is on the fourth ring, I think outside of Moscow.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 4:And they built this big rink, yeah, and they were building a hall of fame there.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 4:And they asked me if I would donate some stuff and they thought about the gold pack and I said I'm not donating anything.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And I said you want to pay for it? And they said how much you want Now? First I said a million dollars. Never hurts to ask, right, yeah? And then somebody came up with around 750 and I'm thinking do?
Speaker 3:I want to give it to them.
Speaker 4:No, I don't think so. No offense to them. Yeah, they're good people. The people are terrific.
Speaker 1:Well, you know it should stay home, whether that be.
Speaker 4:It should be okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I think the soup has got money.
Speaker 4:Are you kidding me, please? You kidding me In Canada really? I mean, there are a few people, I suppose, that do that, but I'm not. Haji and I were both talking about it. Then I said maybe we could give two for one. You know, get one price. I told Kenny. I said but I'm taking more than you, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's it, you're philosophy. You know what.
Speaker 1:You know what I'll tell you right now I don't have the money, Okay, but I would be If I had the money. If I win the lottery, I will personally with a bag of whatever currency you want, it's all my money for my daughters anyway, my two daughters. Well, you know what I'll tell you? It would be.
Speaker 4:I mean take about it, I'm fine, I could. I'm gonna be 82. I mean Jesus, you know.
Speaker 1:Which are a great shape for 82. And I'm not just going to smoke, yes, I am. I feel good.
Speaker 4:I really do. The good thing was that I've lost over the last year and a half about 30 pounds.
Speaker 1:Really Wow. Yeah, I found it.
Speaker 4:Did you? Yeah, my wife. She said, she found it too, and I said really, I said, well, lose it. Find it to give it to somebody else.
Speaker 1:So what's your like? What have you been doing to lose the 30 pounds?
Speaker 4:Well, I was working out quite a bit, but the pandemic and the crap with the stupid COVID. I was around in 1968 with the pandemic of the swine flu or whatever it was in Actet. I mean it's over 350,000 people died in the US alone in 1968. Of that, yeah, and they didn't shut anything down.
Speaker 1:They wanted to listen. This was a. I get to sound like I need to wear a hat, a silver hat or whatever I know, but this was a farce, the whole thing.
Speaker 4:I couldn't agree with you more. I couldn't agree with you more on this flu shot all the time I take a flu shot every year. I never took it, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I had a bunch of COVID shots because I have a son. I have a daughter who lives in Florida and a son who lives in Arizona and there was no way I was not going to see my kids. Yeah, and my wife said dual citizen. Oh, you got it, God. So but you could fly. Yes, Right, but you only had to be vaccinated. So I got all the vaccinations. Still got you still got.
Speaker 4:I still got VD. No, no, no I didn't get COVID.
Speaker 3:They almost passed me by, but I got it.
Speaker 1:We know.
Speaker 2:Massive overreaction yeah.
Speaker 4:But you said about losing weight. There were other things. Like we really started to watch what I ate. You know I'm a pasta freak. Okay, I'll eat pasta every day.
Speaker 1:I can eat it every day of the week.
Speaker 4:You're not doing much for the Italian stereotypes, you know that, I know, that I know, but that's I like it. Hell, I like it with butter, you know. I like it with salt and pepper. It doesn't matter, but my portions are down.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And I eat probably three or four times a day, smaller portions. Yeah, and it helped. Plus, I was working out really well and all of this couldn't go to a gym anymore. I couldn't do this. So I walked a lot. I even skated a lot. You're still skating. I haven't skated since probably 2018 in Russia.
Speaker 2:Okay, where your screen saver shot was taken.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I skated in Russia. Every year I went back two or three times to play hockey and to do appearances. I've been from Ufa, which is way up north, down to every place there is in Russia.
Speaker 1:And when you're there, people still remember, do they?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I saw a picture on the side of a car I got on my phone. On the side of a car I was sitting in a bar with Scotty McPherson.
Speaker 2:You know Scotty. I never met him, but I know who he is. Was he a referee?
Speaker 4:No, no, and Scotty is really a good guy. He lives there in Moscow and he married a girl from Belarus and Scotty is an entrepreneur. He is the president of the Kuhnen Red Stars in the KHL that play in Moscow, and Scotty and I and honestly it's like here it is.
Speaker 2:You're kidding.
Speaker 1:That's it. That's crazy.
Speaker 4:I run out of the bar to take this On the other side was Trechak Really, and they still remember because they play it every year in its entirety.
Speaker 1:I just got that series. I know me too, you know, so I need to say that.
Speaker 2:Let me hold that stuff to the camera.
Speaker 1:That's yeah.
Speaker 4:Can you believe that? That is crazy. That is when I shot. I went holy crap and I ran outside to take the shot at them. You must have been blown away. I was, but they still remember they still remember yeah.
Speaker 3:That's great.
Speaker 4:They play that series yeah, Apparently, according to Vlad and a couple of other guys, in its entirety. Starting on September 2nd, we started he started September 2nd.
Speaker 2:yeah, Till the 28th. Till the 28th.
Speaker 4:They play each game. Yeah, so the people that the kids see it. What do we do in Canada? They didn't even honor us. We couldn't get anything yeah.
Speaker 1:And honestly, what year was that?
Speaker 3:Well, the 50th anniversary.
Speaker 1:The 50th anniversary of what?
Speaker 2:The 50th was last year right.
Speaker 4:It wasn't for Brendan Shannon. Okay, you know why.
Speaker 1:And I say this if we had had Harper as the Prime Minister.
Speaker 4:No problem, absolutely. I had already talked about it with him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he would have done that, and I you know what I honestly I totally agree, ridiculous Tudor wouldn't even talk this.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean, look Kenny Dryden, who's a liberal, you know he ran for politics, yeah. Yeah, him and Serge were supposed to do this after Patty died. Yeah, patty Stapleton was the force. Yeah, right, he was. Yeah, and he used to call me all the time and try to get Tony to get involved. Tony didn't want any part of it. Why he just? He never wanted to go in the first place, me and he never forgave me for it.
Speaker 1:I would have thought, you know, because I have brothers and we've had the opportunity a couple of times, my brothers and I, to play together over the years because there were age differences and stuff, but I would have thought that what a great young, the same team.
Speaker 4:He didn't want to go. We had to give back all our money at the hockey school, yeah, and we never, ever got it back again, never, we lost it. We never got any money for our pension for 25 years and, from what I understand, it was Bathgate and Karl Brewer weren't even on the team that got it for us. You know, we got screwed period. Tony didn't want any part of it. The stress on my brother and the goalies Tony took it different than Kenny took it. Kenny took it a little bit less, I think, although and Tony played that second game against Russia and Toronto. Tony only had eight shots in the first period and they were breakaways.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:You know and he took it my brother you couldn't talk to him before our game. You couldn't say anything. I remember in 77 when we lost, first time I ever missed a play-out.
Speaker 3:So I go to the World Cup in Sweden.
Speaker 4:Yeah, okay, world Championship, that's right. And then the Black Ox lost out to first round. So Tony came over, too Right. So Waller Mckecti comes up to me and Waller was on the team and he says can I go say hi to your brother? It was before our game and I knew that if he did, tony's going to yell at them and tell them they screwed off and all that stuff. I said yeah, yeah, go ahead. So he goes. Hey, tony, I'm Waller Mckecti. Tony said who gives a shit? Get the hell out of here, leave me alone. Waller comes back and he says what's going on? I said can't you see he's focusing man, tony would focus on focus on that game. You couldn't talk to him before the game.
Speaker 4:When we used to go into Chicago. I'd call him on the phone at home trying to bust him, but he came to Boston. I'd bust him. I took him out one night in Boston. We went to home at 5.30 in the morning and I remember this couplet plaza downtown Boston. Tony was bouncing up the wall as he's walking in. He shut us out. The next night 35 shots we had and he shut us out. He said never. The next night it was two nights later. It got me 73.
Speaker 2:I mean Tony, and 73 against you guys was unfreakin' believable. Like look who you had Dryden 71, your brother in 73 and Bernie Perot in 74.
Speaker 3:I know, you know.
Speaker 4:Yeah, those are the things, but without goal-telling, I don't care, you don't win.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you don't win, and I hate to do this, at least as far as the camera goes. We have to stop because we're going to run out of camera.
Speaker 4:No, no, are you kidding.
Speaker 1:One more thing, one more thing, one more thing.
Speaker 2:Do you remember your first goal in the NHL, sure Against?
Speaker 4:Terry Saatcher Against Terry Saatcher. He went down in one knee Up over the shoulder.
Speaker 2:Was that the game where you had with Gordy Howe?
Speaker 4:you guys had Actually no, because I was playing regular with them, but that was my only shift in the game was Howe when he gave me six stitches.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I mean six seconds. I was on the ice.
Speaker 2:He was your hero, right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, the penalty box, and I have a towel and I'm going trying to stop the bleeding. I lean over and I say and you used to be my son, so I only said what you say, Wappo, I went. Ooh, nothing, Mr Howe, Absolutely nothing. Gordy was special. Yeah, he was a special person. Like people always ask me who was the best player I ever played, it's pretty hard to judge a goalie against a defenseman against a forward Pretty hard, but Gordy could play all of them. I believe he could play goal if he wanted to, and so, in that respect, all around Gordy. But how could you knock what Wayne did?
Speaker 2:I know you can't.
Speaker 4:And how do you knock what Bobby Orr did? I know Defense yeah.
Speaker 1:Even though there were other people. So how do you answer it? Can you answer it?
Speaker 4:No, I say the best goalie I ever played against was Terry Satcha. The best defenseman is Orr. The best centerman or best forward I ever saw was Wayne Gretzky. So all around, though, if I needed a guy to play defense and then play wing, and then play center and maybe play goal, it would be Gordy.
Speaker 1:Fair enough, Now I'm going to take this into.
Speaker 4:How do you judge?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to bring this into a very deep journalistic question.
Speaker 4:Oh, that's bad.
Speaker 1:Let's say you're going out with the boys and you go to a karaoke bar. What's your go-to song?
Speaker 4:Well, I don't do that. One time I did it, and you had to.
Speaker 1:There is a recording of you doing a rock and roll song.
Speaker 4:Well, that's a song we did called the Hockey Sock Rock. We raised $750,000 for juvenile diabetes. Alan Thick and another Canadian, one numerous academy award, also Canadian wrote the.
Speaker 4:Hockey, sock Rock. That thing was named Robin Thick, who is a very famous person, now had diabetes, juvenile diabetes. I remember sitting in Alan's home in Los Angeles with Robin Thick bouncing him on my knee when he was like two or three years old, not even, and we did this for Alan, to raise awareness for juvenile diabetes and $750,000. Now I can tell you this with the reverberators and all the background and all that other stuff and the brandy I drank, I sounded like Frank Sinatra and I mean they could make you sound any way they wanted, but we did it and I've gotten people laughing about it and everything else. And on the other side was pardon my misconduct with Marcel and Charlie Simmer and Taylor.
Speaker 3:Really.
Speaker 4:No, they weren't even half as good as we were.
Speaker 1:Honestly, I didn't even know that.
Speaker 4:It was for JDF juvenile diabetes, let's be honest.
Speaker 2:it all stops and starts with Honky Tonk Goose by Johnny Bower. That's right, there's the original.
Speaker 4:You know, as far as karaoke, I did do that one in London Ontario training camp with Jerry Cheever. We got on the Frankie Valley. Oh pretty lady, I pray. Oh pretty lady.
Speaker 1:We did that. That's it we did that.
Speaker 4:We were drunker than a hell-blood.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what you need to have. You know what this has been fantastic. I'm not going to, so I'm going to.
Speaker 3:I'm going to.
Speaker 1:I'm going to gush a little bit because, as I told you before the start, you were my dad's favorite player of all time.
Speaker 1:You did have a good taste and he did you know and no, but you know what and you grow up and watching, watching you play hockey and as a part as a Bruins fan in that era and as part of that I mean you know this is they always say never meet your heroes because you'll be disappointed. I have to say, not only have I not been disappointed, but I'm actually quite emotional about this, so I really quite I don't know how I can say it.
Speaker 4:Well, you know what, chris? That's all I can say is you're editing this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to cut that, make sure.
Speaker 4:I look good. That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Well, listen, you look good, you look good.
Speaker 3:And thank you so much.
Speaker 1:And thank you everybody for watching. Chris has been offside with Haas McGuire. I'm Haas, I'm McGuire and that's Espo.
Speaker 4:Here we go, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you you.
