FPHL: Beyond the Glass
A journey through the fastest growing minor professional hockey league in the U.S.A.
FPHL: Beyond the Glass
Playoffs Rd. 1: Playoff Analysis with A.J. Galante
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
A.J. Galante is back with @swancommander to build off of last week's episode. The two discuss the first round of playoffs and look ahead to the second. Dave Jackson gives the suspension report.
The conversation continues in the Discord — join free here: https://discord.gg/7UVWaJyR4d
Morning. Morning. This is the globalized though. Globalized. Testing the right speaker. Right. Testing the left speaker. Left. Sound successfully recovered. Swan commander. Connected. And now, and now the countdown has begun and has begun. And now, and now. Are you ready for a journey that goes beyond the norms? The Federal Prospect Hockey League just celebrated its 15th anniversary. With the footprint and fan base rapidly expanding. One hockey is now bringing you behind the scenes. Beyond the arenas, beyond the glass. This is FPHL.
SPEAKER_04What's going on, everyone? Welcome back to another episode of FPHL Beyond the Glass. I'm your host, Eric Swanics One Commander on social media. This is the official podcast of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. And we are joined once again by Danbury Hattrix general manager, AJ Galante. AJ, what's going on, man?
SPEAKER_01What's up, buddy? Glad to be back.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we had a lot of fun the episodes we've we've done. So I figured, hey, let's uh yeah, we're gonna run through another playoff preview, playoff review now at this point, and have uh yeah, I don't think the crazy first week of playoffs wasn't uh wasn't on a lot of people's bingo cards.
SPEAKER_01Well, listen, I got absolutely smoked. Um, and I've been hearing about it from a lot of people. You know, after we did our our um after we did our episode last week, I kind of posted my own little bracket, and uh I I I got absolutely destroyed. That's why I don't gamble, I don't do any gambling whatsoever, and that's exactly why um hey, I stand on it, I stand on my picks. Uh Binghamton, I still got winning it all. That was they were the only guys that came through for me. But um listen, Port and um Port Huron and Blue Ridge went three games, which I had Blue Ridge winning in three, could have gone either way. Um Columbus and um Columbus and Monroe, same thing. Um, three games. I had Monroe winning in two, so you know, apologies to Columbus. I I underestimated you, I guess. And uh man, I've been hearing a lot about Athens and PD because I had Athens sweeping PD two games, and um which is funny because I I I think PD has to give a little credit to Dan Barry because we have a lot of hat-tricks on that team. So I I I'll say that you know the PD hat tricks beat Athens. Um so you're welcome, PD. But no, listen, uh, I definitely was way listening. I I I wouldn't have been surprised if PD pulled it out, but to beat Athens the way they did, I don't care what anybody says, nobody saw that coming. Um, you know, so I I don't even think P, I mean, I'm sure PD thought they would win, but I don't think anyone saw that series going. And it's kind of like what we were saying last week a three-game series, so many things can happen. Um, but credit to PD, man. They they proved me way wrong. I did not see I didn't see uh a beating like that coming. So yeah, you know what?
SPEAKER_04That was crazy. That was crazy. I mean, like, like I'm not surprised they won. It's just but the way they won, right? Because we've been talking about it on the show all season. How like PD PD was probably a very a very big underdog. Like, I don't think a lot of people realized how tough their schedule was. They got off to a very rough start at the beginning of the season. That team is a lot better than what their record showed. Yeah, and you know, but you know, so again, I'm not surprised, but I mean, what 8-2 and 7-2, that was like, no, I don't think anybody really saw that coming.
SPEAKER_01No, no chance, and like I said, I mean, I dealt with PD all year. We had a lot of trades back and forth. I love you know, Coach Graham and Nick Graham down there, great people. Kevin, one of their, you know, owners. Love those guys, and there's a lot of expatricks down there, so uh I knew they had a team. It's just yeah, Athens this year was uh, you know, a seemingly a juggernaut, and um, that's why we play the games, man. And um, I did not see it coming like that. So I've been getting a lot of grief, but I still got Binghamton winning it all. But uh, you know, it's it's been it was a crazy first week, and that's why I I love the Fed playoffs. I mean, um, you know, I'd love to be involved right now, uh, you know, with the hat tricks in the playoffs, but it's kind of fun to sit back and watch, man, because it's been wild.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and what's interesting too, so like we've talked a lot about getting hot at the right times, and you know, especially with the short series and just with getting hot for that back part of the season and playoffs. What's interesting is Athens, I believe they've lost. If you take these two playoff games, they've lost six of their last 11, which is interesting, right? So, like if you cool off at the wrong time, too. I mean, losing six of the last 11 and three of their wins was against, I guess they match up really well with Monroe. So they were in the last 11, I think they were three and one against Monroe.
SPEAKER_01So like a rough structure. It's listen, all year long. I mean, especially in the beginning of the year, you know, I believe the hat tricks, even when we were struggling, I thought on paper we were a better team than Watertown. However, the first half of the year, Watertown had our number. And you're right. And listen, I'm doing this podcast from my boxing gym. You know, it's like boxing, there's matchups. You can have the best fighter in the world, and sometimes there's just a matchup that doesn't translate for your guy. And um, like you said, training camp, you know, boxers, we try to peak at the right time, go into go into the fight strong. Some guys peak early. Um listen, Blue Ridge was the hottest team in the league the last going into the playoffs. And you know, maybe they peaked just a little too early. I don't know, but um, it's it makes it you know, the whole thing is so fascinating. And um, you know, I'm kind of on the fence how I feel about three game series, but as a fan, I I love it because you have a lot of Cinderella stories. But you know, as we discussed last week, man, I mean that that continental division, any team there is is is a monster one way or the other. That that division is stat.
SPEAKER_04So sorry, go ahead, AJ.
SPEAKER_01No, no, no. I'm saying any team in that division, you know, like you know, uh Harrison said last week. I mean, anything could happen.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and like let's not forget, too, like um, you know, the Monroe series, Monroe Columbus wasn't upset, right? Monroe was the two seed, right? So the one and two seed are now gone from the Continental. Like it's crazy. Like that, and that's again, that's another thing we've talked about all season long, was just like how competitive that pod is, and you have these different, you know, the with the unbalanced schedule in the league, strength the schedule kind of plays a part or you know, creates an illusion. And you know, and the biggest one we saw is like with um, you know, I think the strength that I think maybe you said it last week, but the strength the schedule really showed in the Bighamton Topeka series, right? That was a clean sweep and Topeka. They played, I mean, Topeka played a lot of games against Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Indiana, and nothing against those guys, just is what it is, right? Those guys this year, and Topeka played them a lot. Um, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean, uh, listen, man, again, it's it's no shade towards Topeka. Like I said, I mean, Robbie Nichols is a friend. I love him. Um, you know, they got a lot of brand name guys on that team, but like you said, man, it's uh schedule does matter. And I know, listen, it's not their fault. I mean, they're in the middle of nowhere, so their travel, you know, there's only so much they can realistically do that makes financial sense. So I get why their schedule was set up that way, but yeah, it kind of reared its head.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. So it's just yeah, it's just um, yeah, very interesting. And I wonder, I wonder if it's kind of like a little like a load off Bighamton's mind, right? Because like I think that a lot of people would say that Bighamton's toughest competitor would be Athens, right? So now seeing them like that's kind of like a Christmas gift to Binghamton, like, okay, they're gone, right? And then you have the number two seed, Monroe, they're gone. Um, and and like obviously Bighamton still has to get through Port Euron, which Binghamton almost got upset by port Euron last year, right? So let's not dismiss that either, right? But there's just a lot of moving pieces, and I mean, you know, this is the fun part about the the three-game series. I mean, like anything, like literally anything could happen.
SPEAKER_01Listen, port is is like port Huron is a team that sometimes you don't know what you're gonna get, but you know you're in a fight. Not literally, but port is a team that listen, you know, after we made our predictions last week, I wouldn't have changed anything. I'm not trying to waffle here, but I thought about it. You know, port picked up some real high-level college kids, you know, at the end of the year. And I I don't know if I necessarily took that into I mean, I did, and I look, I wouldn't change my, I really thought Blue Ridge was gonna win, but you know, you really think about you know, top to bottom. I mean, a goalie can steal you a game, like I said about Dominic Tamey. I mean, the same thing about Cooper and Port. I mean, that kid's a monster. So it's good, you know, sometimes when you play each other so many times too, like Port and Binghamton has, you kind of know each other. Um I don't think that series, let's put it this way, I think Binghamton was rooting for Blue Ridge. You know what I mean? I I think um realistically, they're probably rooting for Blue Ridge, and now they got to Portal Better. That's not Port and Port and Binghamton is gonna be an interesting one, but again, I'm sticking with my guns. Binghamton is just so stacked, and um it's not just a skill thing, you know. They play hard, they they they they play, they get under your skin, they're 200 feet, they forecheck back, they do it all. So that's why I'm sticking with it. And and they have the experience. When but when the going gets tough, you know, bingo's been there before. And honestly, Port has too. I mean, they were there last year, like you said. Um, anything could happen. I it's it's I'm still sticking with Binghamton, but I don't think it's gonna be it's not gonna be a Topeka series, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, and and you have to, I mean, how could you really not stick with Binghamton? I mean, you know, champions last two had a you know hundred was 143 points this year. Um, you know, I think you know, how could you not stick with Binghamton? So I mean I got I got Binghamton as well, but again, we could see you know the upset, like right, not taking anything away from port. It's just you know, how could you not go with Bighamton you know, right now? Um but so like um I I didn't mean to interrupt you.
SPEAKER_01I had players from teams that I picked against last week after they clinched, heckling me, chirping me. Thank you, keep bet against us next week, bet against us next week. So, no, I'm not changing anything. Um, you know what? Like if it's a curse, so be it. I'm going with Binghamton. And uh as far as the other way, God, that's hard. I gotta go against, I mean, I I I'm gonna I'm picking the PD hat tricks to be uh Columbus. Let's put it, let's put it that way. And and you know what? PD again, you know, we did a lot of business together, and uh, you know, a lot of fans in Danbury, oh, you know, uh listen, we made deals we had to make, it helped both teams. So I I I think PD is an extension of Danbury, so I'm going for PD uh this weekend.
SPEAKER_04All right, yeah, that that's like that one, that's gonna be such a good. I mean, they're both gonna be a great series. Um, you know, but there's I mean, yeah, like a 3-4 matchup in the division finals. I mean, like, how do you not how do you not love that? And you know, two teams that kind of like I mean, you know, you got the underdog factor there with PD and everything, and then what's interesting too, like Columbus, you know, like we talked about goaltending could steal a series, and you know, Babin, big underdog story, right? Like, don't count that kid out for a second of stealing a series. Like, so like it's gonna be a good one.
SPEAKER_01Babin's my guy. I talk to him a lot. That that's my guy, I love him, and uh it's hard to go against Columbus after what they did too. I mean, the the reality, and then we forget that Tyler Barrow's the number one point guy in the league. I mean, that's their guy, so it's like that division is so stacked that a 3-4 team is a one-two team in the con you know, in the empire, you know what I mean? So it's like, ah, man.
SPEAKER_04It's gonna, it's gonna be it's gonna be pretty crazy. And yeah, Columbus is kind of just like laid low, they've done their thing, yeah. Like, you know, not no real like you know, big extracurricular stuff this year or whatever, like you know, like obviously there was you know different dramas at different points, like they've always kind of just been like marching forward.
SPEAKER_01They do, they they definitely definitely lay low and uh ah man. I'm going for the PD hat tricks, I think they're gonna take it ultimately. And uh yeah, man, I'm I'm I'm excited to watch. I mean, I was watching the streams, I had a stream going on my TV, I had a stream on my phone. So I I I love the playoffs in the Fed, man. It's it's it's just non-stop excitement.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it really is. And Columb, Columbus is gonna need the goaltending. I mean, if PD, I mean, seven, you know, 15 goals in two games. I mean, you're not you're putting up seven, eight goals a game, like you're not gonna lose. Like, yeah, like at least you shouldn't, right? So that's gonna be like I know we've talked a lot about defense and defense winning championships and everything right now. Like, and I guess that's what it's gonna come down to for Columbus, but like, you know, I mean, I mean, like they're PD's offense right now, just with how high it's firing. I mean, you could almost be sloppy defensively, and you're still not gonna lose. Like, so they gotta, you know, Columbus definitely needs to, you know, shut that down quick.
SPEAKER_01Um, well, that's that's where you know, I think Babin's experience, you know, whether he has the most spectacular numbers or not, he's been there, he's seen it all really. The but you know, then you start wondering, did they did they score all those goals in the first half? You know, the first round, are they gonna have all those goals the second round? You know, there's so many things to think about right.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because yeah, like don't peek early, right? Like what we were saying.
SPEAKER_01Like so, so it's like, man, P, you know, look, P D there was never a question on their skill guys, on their they're gonna score, you know. It's just I didn't think they were gonna hold Athens to what two goals. Um, I I mean I did not total, I think it was two each two each game. And listen, I don't care what I mean. I got heckled badly the past few days, but there's no way anyone predicted the series to go that way. Um, no disrespect to PD. I love those guys. It's just um man, PD and Columbus. The more I think about it, it's it's hard. But uh, you know, I got sick with my guns. Uh and uh yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be it's gonna be explosive that series.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, and PD's flying high right now. So like, you know, like we just you know, if they peaked, like you know, like you're saying, like, hey, hopefully they didn't use up all their goals last weekend. But if they didn't and they're on a trajectory up, I mean they're gonna be flying, they're gonna be flying high.
SPEAKER_01Listen, what people don't understand is the confidence factor, right? Like, you know, I I go I bring back to Danbury. I mean, our last 16-17 games, we were almost 70% win percentage. We just dug ourselves in. So when the confidence is there, it's not something you could see, like you know, like stats, you know, but like the confidence and the comfort level amongst the locker room. PD had like you see it, like you can see that they have the confidence is built, the the comfort, the guys play for each other, they all seem to love each other. Um that goes a long way, you know. And uh, I think PD right now, they're just they just um they got that inaugural season kind of kind of magic going, man. And uh, you know, it's just they they they um they're looking sharp.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well, and like you said, the confidence. I mean, there's no doubt in any of their minds right now that they can go beat Bighamton easily, right? Or not not easily, but I but I mean realistically, right? Like, not like it's gonna be a Cinderella story, right? Like they're flying so high right now, like, and they just proved so much to themselves. Like them going to the finals and beating Binghamton in their minds is no longer like a Cinderella underdog story. They're like, hey, like, yeah, like totally realistic. Well, did PD play bingo this year? I'm sorry, I feel like I think they did once. I think they went up to I think they went up to Binghamton. In fact, they may have swept them. Now I want to look it up. I think they may have they may have swept them, or was that I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I I I can't remember because I know we went down to PD this year, Dan Barry did. But uh no, you you're right. Look, if Binghamton handles business and gets through Port, which is definitely, you know, I feel like the I feel like um PD and and and and Columbus are gonna have a real entertaining series. It's I think it's I actually think it might be high, high flying, high scoring both sides, where Port and Binghamton is gonna be a dog fight. And um, if Binghamton handles business and they end up with a PD, that's gonna be very interesting.
SPEAKER_04They they split in Binghamton. I'm looking at it now. So they split. They didn't they didn't sweep them, they shut them out, though. That's what that was the thing that was clicking in my head. Like, oh, they did something you know very impressive. They shut Binghamton out for nothing. So they they played up from what I'm seeing here, they played two games in Binghamton. Binghamton won the first one 6-3, and then PD won the second 4-0.
SPEAKER_01Well, listen, I mean, if you kind of it's like if you put all the names in the hat, whatever the whatever whoever comes out of these, you know, division finals, I feel like the finals are gonna be great.
SPEAKER_04I mean, even Columbus, I mean, imagine it's Columbus and and port, and it could be like there's no like anything could happen. Like, there's four really good teams, and just I mean, they're they're really like these are gonna be awesome series.
SPEAKER_01It's gonna be awesome, man. I I love it, and uh, I mean, what you look for on paper, I mean, paper only tells you so much, but I mean, it's gonna be fun watches. I mean, um, you know, it literally can go either way. Sticking with Binghamton, though, I just think it's not even so much the skill they have and every you know, personnel, it's just the experience. I think what a lot of people I I feel like what people underestimate is yes, teams and players have been there before because it's like a video game, right? You know, sometimes you're playing my career and you're at a you're at a pressure spot, your your your pressure meter goes up, you know, your heart rate goes up. Bingham 10, they've they've been there, you know what I mean? They've they've been there, and those are those little, but again, Port's been there. Columbus, you know, been there, you know, PD hasn't, but PD is is you know, they're they're riding high. So there's so many factors. So we're gonna we're gonna see, man. I'm I'm excited.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it yeah, there's just so many different dynamics. Like even look at the coaching, right? It's like Brandt Sherwood, coach of the year, right? Then you look at you know, you look at the Continental, you know, Jerome, maybe the most experienced coach in the league, right? Then Gary in PD, ton of experience, higher levels. And you know, he's he's done a lot of, you know, like I know he's done a lot of coaching this year with different personalities on his team. And you know, him and I talked about that the last up, I think it was the last episode that he was on, or one of the previous episodes that he was on, in terms of like, you know, his mentality of working with what he had, you know, with where he was recruiting from and how that was different from previous years. Um, you know, and then you got Matt Graham and Port Euron, right? The last player coach that's been doing something totally unique and been doing an awesome job. So you have like four different high-level coaching dynamics coming into play here, too, which it's it's it's like one big melting pot, which is really, really cool.
SPEAKER_01And and fan bases, right? Like port is not a fun place to play. Bingo, bingo's not a fun place to play. Um, you know, uh, you know, as far as like PD goes, you know, they just right now they have an atmosphere that that you know nargor season, there's always that boost with fans, and now they're getting confident.
SPEAKER_04Their crowd was loud too this weekend. I had the second game on in the in the car. I was listening to it, and it was just like, I mean, sounded like an NHL game at times.
SPEAKER_01Listen, we played them in Danbury, we played them on New Year's Eve, and I would figure, like, ah, New Year's Eve, it might be a small crowd, loud down there, you know what I mean? And um, and Columbus, you know, same thing, fans that have have experience. they've been to the top of the mountain and and i mean you got great fan bases um it's gonna be electric man and it's it's really it's really uh it's really hard to really map out but um i'm just excited to watch and and you know just kind of scout and learn and see what see what the difference is you know playoff wise in this league what what's you know because next year we will be there and i want to see like what it's gonna take to to get to that next level yeah yeah and the other thing like we kind of touched on it before but the other cool part about this first um about this the empire matchup it's like a repeat of last year right these two teams met last year almost an upset and you know it's kind of uh you know kind of a re you know it is a rematch there too it's like that's another that's another dynamic that's you know again it's just really cool the the playoff dynamic right now poor poor here on you know they're like the junkyard dogs man i mean they're not going anywhere they're gonna if they if they are to lose you know i'll say this if binghamton handles business what a lot of people think is gonna happen if binghamton handles business if they're not going into the finals uh healthy or happy or they're gonna be coming out of a dog fight and that may also play into the finals because I'm telling you you go to port you play port a few times in a row nobody comes unscathed and uh it it's it's um it is a physical they they and and they got what I love about port is they got a chip on their shoulder you know what I mean out looking nah they're not scared they're not you know what I mean like um they're not scared and and that's what it takes you know it's it's uh you know I mean I think bingo's winning but if we're sitting here you know in a week or so and poor advanced I'm not gonna say oh my god I'm shocked you know what I mean I'm gonna have to read the fan mail on here well listen I've had you know shout out to my buddy Noah Robinson who started with in Danbury and you know we ended up making a mutual move to PD and he said hey man I'm gonna be honest we got fire you know a bunch of us down here were fired up when we saw your picks I said well listen I stand by those picks you guys just proved me wrong and uh you know it's uh you know it that's what that's what's fun about sports yeah for sure awesome any any final thoughts aj hey listen I'm just excited if you're a fan of hockey you got to be watching these Fed playoffs man it's just it's just that's what I love about the Fed man you know it's just for better or worse it just those three game series are wild and it's like you got to leave it all out there you know this there could be nothing left in the reserve and um I just can't wait to see like I mean I don't know if there's really an underdog right now I mean the in the in the Continental I don't think there's an underdog or favorite. I think it could go either way.
SPEAKER_04I think on paper Binghamton is the favorite but I'm telling you port is yeah anything it's wild man I I think port you know those young D1 guys they got um you know Cooper to goalie I mean um you know old man Graham and and and Johnson man they make it happen when it counts so uh Reggie Millette I mean we're acting like you know I'm just here talking like it's a given bingo's winning but man port is port is stacked it's just um it's just gonna see who's got the dog in them the most you know yeah yeah well it's gonna be it's it's gonna be great um if anybody's here for the first time and you're like what are these guys talking about watch the playoffs it's very very entertaining and it's all free you can watch on YouTube you can go to the Federal League website and get the sport fee you can watch these games for free that's one of the really cool things that the Federal League has done is that they broadcast the games for free um so yeah AJ sounds good and we'll be right back right back at it next week one let's go i'm I'm ready to go see we'll see uh where we're going and uh I'm excited man thanks for having me yeah thanks for thanks for coming on and uh we'll go over to Dave Jackson now what's going on Dave how are you Eric how you doing doing doing good doing good I thought things were calming down well we've got uh you know it's playoffs uh playoffs is controlled mayhem it's chaos everywhere uh just you know four games in NHL last night and they none of them disappointed they uh they kept me busy uh there's been times we talked about me being the Maytag repair man have nothing to do well had my hands full last night so you're paying for that now yeah yeah and uh you know the we had some good hockey this weekend in the Fed uh real exciting playoff games and um you know we still got another two rounds to look forward to so looking forward to it yeah for sure um suspensions from the non-Maytag repair man what what do you heard just suspensions stuff to deal with the chaos you know what chaos a little bit ago it might be a good um balancing suspensions with uh with common sense reactions and assessing fines is is a very fine line and uh yeah I don't um you know I don't take it lightly um I I try really hard to to do what's fair to do what's right and and we had an incident unfortunately in the Monroe game on Saturday game two uh we had a player toss a water bottle in the stands uh it wasn't thrown very violently it was it was tossed and by the by the letter of the law the the player broke the rule and um I used some judgment I was afforded some judgment um it was it was directly a result of the lack of security behind the Monroe bench um not sorry behind the Columbus bench in the Monroe arena uh I watched a half a dozen videos showing fans getting up out of their seat coming down five six rows dumping beer on the Columbus players uh throwing soda bottles from the stands on the Columbus players uh zero security uh there was there was no security in place people were doing whatever they wanted and going back to their seats with zero repercussions uh I always look at it like if a player were coming off the ice and got punched I would allow that player to defend himself yeah if during the game a match penalty occurs and a fight happens because of the match penalty we don't penalize a third man in.
SPEAKER_00Even though we shouldn't be jumping in the fight we don't penalize him for third man in because he's responding to an egregious act um you're not allowed to fight after the original altercation so if a fight's going on and then you decide you're gonna start another fight during that fight then you're ejected for a second fight on the same stoppage. But if the other guy starts that if the other guy starts that fight then just because you fought even though it's against the rules you're not ejected because the other player instigated it and I I use that logic right or wrong I I can't sit here and tell you I'm 100% sure that I made the right decision. There sometimes are no right decisions when it's a gray area yeah I felt that what the player did was in a direct response almost self-defense direct response to having an object and objects and liquid thrown at him he tossed a water bottle back maybe going forward I need to be tougher um I've had discussions around the league I've talked with the board of governors and I might modify my opinion going forward but I did what I did in the moment and I believe that had there been adequate security had there been security personnel or police officers enforcing and protecting the Columbus bench none of this would have happened. And then that opens a whole can of worms to say if we are going to tacitly condone that type of behavior why not send a whole bunch of agitators over to the visiting team's bench to try and provoke them into doing something that'll get them suspended.
SPEAKER_04Right yeah we're just getting into a stupid category now.
SPEAKER_00Exactly and and I'm not for one second accusing Monroe of doing that but I'm saying that that could be going forward that could be a strategy let's have let's have people behind the visitors bench agitate them and make sure there's no security around whatsoever until they do something stupid enough that they get suspended. Yeah and we can't we can't condone that either so maybe there's no right answer. Yeah this is just this breakdown in the chain before the water bottle got tossed just the whole situation preventing exactly exactly and what what I will say is I had a long conversation with Russ Perant the coach on Sunday morning and he assured me that there would be security behind the bench for Sunday's game and he was true to his word uh we had zero issues and and for that I really appreciate Russ is a professional um he's a good man and and I respect the fact that he did what was needed uh to put to put security there behind the bench so that was great and then we went on the Sunday's game um hard fought game Columbus uh went up a goal late uh shorthanded goal I believe actually um and then we had a bit of chaos near the end um player got boarded into the boards it was a penalty it's two minute minor uh nothing more than that the player was a little shooken up but he managed to get up and get involved in the scrum and then you know I'm not a mind reader so I have no idea but you're on your feet you're involved in a scrum and then you decide that you need some medical attention and you go and park yourself right near the goaltender's crease not just any goaltender's crease but a goaltender that's been known who's been suspended in the past who has a bit of a short fuse but I'm gonna go park myself in his crease to possibly elicit a reaction well he got a reaction yeah going has no problem getting involved yeah and he he he got a reaction and I've been made aware of stuff that's been said on the internet that it was a vicious cross check to his neck no no it wasn't it was a push in the upper back with his glove there was zero zero need for players' safety to get involved in that it's not a suspendable play it's not even a play worthy of a fiver or a game misconduct in a perfect world I would have liked to have seen a 10 minute misconduct assessed and they would have lost somebody a player on the ice for 10 minutes because of the goaltender's actions but at best it was a misconduct or or possibly want to call two minutes for roughing have at it but for people saying that it rose to the level of a dangerous um a dangerous violent act it was nothing of the sort um so I think people maybe might need to look at that in slow motion and um basically put things in perspective here.
SPEAKER_04Yeah no crazy uh crazy crazy weekend there um you know I saw a lot of it going around on Facebook and everything and just uh like I said I thought I thought we're gonna be calming down now because it's playoffs and obviously playoffs high motion a lot of uh you know a lot of frustration as well but um yeah I thought I thought we're gonna see I thought we're gonna see less um player safety and suspensions needed but guess not yeah well I think I think for us as a league we need to be consistent on our building security we need to uh we need to set up a the framework to where when teams enter uh an opposing team's building they're not worried about their own security having beer dumped on them being hit in the head with with soda bottles it's just yeah that that that can't be happening and um we're on it there's some great discussions happening and we've made great strides in the last two or three years I think we've really upped our game in the Federal Hockey League.
SPEAKER_00I think we I think people that come and watch our games people that come and play in our league now realize that we are a serious league and we want to become even better. And I think it's just gonna it's gonna take you know things aren't built overnight. They they they take some time and I think we're moving in the right direction.
SPEAKER_04Yeah yep and and I say suspensions before I know you didn't you know give out any suspensions but you know part of the part of the job right just as important of knowing when to give them as when not to give them well there'll be some fines being assessed though they'll be going out today.
SPEAKER_00Okay as always we don't disclose the amounts but there will definitely be some financial um accountability.
SPEAKER_04Yeah all right awesome Dave um well I guess uh I guess I'll see you next week let's hope so let's hope I get nothing to report sounds good to me all right thank you Dave I'll see ya all right take care and that's gonna do it for this episode let's do our proof of attendance token code the proof of attendance token code for watching this episode is FPHL enter the code at swanhockey.io on the podcast page and you'll be eligible to receive your proof of attendance token for watching this episode codes must be entered by 9 p.m eastern the night that this show air Wednesday night our magic number is five collect five or more of these tokens and you will have access to the member only chat inside Club Fed in the Swan hockey discord server.
SPEAKER_02And that's gonna be it for this episode and until next time I'll see you guys soon thank you for being the best part of this episode of FPHL Beyond the Glass by Swan Hockey. We will see you soon we will see you soon
