Devils Insider Summer Series - Episode 3 - Take your pick

On this episode of Devils Insider Summer Series... 

The trio have some fun and discuss who they'd take if they could pick a player from each Elite League team to come and join the Devils, both for last season and also from years gone by!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Today's podcast is brought to you by Minerva Hearing. Hear the cheers, protect your ears. Shemai Powerback Kroysot. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Devil's Insider for another edition of your Devils Podcast. Damn brother alongside Neil Francis and Gareth Hewish. Guys, it's good to be back. And we're here for a little bit of a fun episode today, a little bit of a a different one to what we usually do, with less discussion in terms of current affairs and news and stuff. We're going to play a game. I think this is a really exciting one, and I've set you some homework. So this is your uh this is your challenge for this afternoon. We're gonna talk through it. The challenge is you have to take a player from each team around the elite league, and we're gonna start with one who played in every team last year, and you get to pick one guy, and I want to hear your reasons why, and you can explain what what you're thinking is behind each one, and then we're gonna do an all-timer one because I think you know a little bit of nostalgia is nice sometimes, and we we've got we've got a good cover of of eras between the three of us. You guys bring maybe a little bit further back and then I'll I'll chat more recently. But uh, yes, right, so we'll start very quickly and we'll get on with it. This is the the the thing you're gonna take a guy from every team from this season just gone, and we're gonna start with you guys. I want to hear if you were shopping in the Belfast shop this offseason, who are you picking up?

SPEAKER_03 1:10

I would go for Mike Lee at the back. Uh, I think if you've got a guy who probably was the main reason for them retaining the championship, I think, in the way that he sort of pulled them through, pushed them through. That to me suggests that you're a guy that you want on your roster. And he probably at the beginning of the season didn't feel like he was gonna be that Taliesman, but he stepped up and he made sure that he he kind of, like I say, pushed that Giants team towards what they needed to be. So for me, locked in.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Right, who are you picking?

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Well, I was also considering Mike Lee. Um, like you say, I think he was the difference maker for for Belfast in a lot of the games, and um yeah, he phenomenal points return. He was behind everything, you know, did really well on the power play for them and generated a lot of offense. But since you've picked him, I don't mind going with another one because I I was kind of on the fence between the two, and my pick would be David Goodwin um for the leadership that he's got. And the the reason that I would pick him is when you look back to the last few years, you know, Belfast had won it all, and then they a lot of the players had left Goodwin Pickenich and um Gabe Bast, and then they struggled, didn't they, when they came back the next year with a kind of new uh new look side, and then Keith went out and got uh David Goodwin again, and all of a sudden the team changed, and they looked like the Belfast of old, and I think that says a lot about him is that Keith leans so much on him. Um, he brought him back again this year, and they've won it again, and he just knows how to get across the line, and I think that is such an uh important part, uh, and that's what Belfast did really well this year. I don't want to discredit them, but I don't necessarily think they were the best overall team. Um, but they definitely collectively were the best overall, and I think he's a big part of that in terms of getting the group together in the games when they weren't playing well and finding a way to get them over the line.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Yeah, two very good picks, and uh I'm gonna make it three very good picks, I think, which is nice. So we've had a bit of a bit of variety. I've gone JJ Pickenich. I think Pickenich is a fantastic player for me, not only great offensively, and and and we we know the points he can put up, we know how good he is playing with guys like Conway and with Goodwin and stuff, but also I think his 200-foot game is is great. I think he's really clever, really good hockey IQ, great in his own end. So uh I've gone Pickenich. So between the three of us, we got Goodwin Lee and Piccanix, we're probably the three best players, maybe outside of Conway for the Giants last season. So uh yeah, good good spread amongst.

SPEAKER_03 3:50

Pickenich also has the best name for a commentator in the world to say.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

He does, I agree with that one. Yeah, it's a it's a good one. Okay, we're gonna move along to Sheffield now, and uh we'll start with you guys. Who's your stealer? Who are you picking?

SPEAKER_03 4:02

He can be only be Balmus. He frightens me every single time that we play the Steelers, uh just to have a guy that is just so lethal in finishing, he can influence games, he can change games, he can take games by the scruff of the neck, so dangerous on the power play, so dangerous five on five. Would be top of my wish list from from the entire league, I think. If if I was to pick one uh every season, uh completely annoyed that Sheffield have tied him up for another two years, I believe, uh for this coming season. Uh yeah, just you've got to just tip your hat sometimes to to your opposition, don't you, when they they've got such obvious qualities and obvious skill. So no one else could have been on my list but Balmas.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Franny, was there anybody else on yours?

SPEAKER_01 4:49

I mean, unsurprisingly, Balmas was on my was my pick. Um, yeah, I mean he was head and shoulders the top point scorer in the league. And you know, you don't always get the top point scorer on one of the top teams because they're normally quite deeper. So you sometimes the the lower-end teams have someone that gets all the opportunities on the power play and uh and five on five. But Balmas, you know, for uh you know, he's always up there, isn't he, with massive amounts of points, and he's always scoring big goals. So yeah, I mean I think he's an incredible player, but in the um spirit of variety, I will throw another one at you and I'll go Robert Dowd. Um because you know he's getting on a bit now, isn't he? He's 36, 30, 37 maybe, but he's still scoring 20 goal seasons every year. He's their captain. You know, how do you replace a captain like Jonathan Phillips? Well, upsteps Robert Dowd. Um, and again, like I love the way he plays. You know, he sometimes puts the team on his back. He's probably pound for pound, one of the toughest there is in the league, and surprises people every year when they think, you know, because he's not the biggest of guys, uh, and you know, season tough guys will get into scrap with him, and all of a sudden, you know, doubt will come out on top. Um, he gives you a bit of everything, uh, very, very skilled and you know, a thoroughly nice chap, too.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

Yep, two very good choices, I think, there. And and you know, again, in the spirit of variety, I've gone different because I suspected one or at least one of you would have picked uh Balmas. And I even wrote in my notes could have gone Balmas easily, but went different. And I've decided to go Matt Greenfield in net. I think uh amongst the options, and don't get me wrong, I would never replace the two goalies that we've had here in Cardiff this year. I think they were fantastic in stover and bounce. However, if you're looking at game-changing goaltenders, Matt Greenfield is it, one of the best in the elite league era, I think. And uh yeah, uh it's it's hard to argue. Of course, you could look at Dad, you could look at Balmas, I think you could look at Cormier, I think he's great as well. But for me, Matt Greenfield, great net minder, and clearly very important to Sheffield. You see their form dip a little bit when he is out of the lineup and they struggle maybe a little bit when he's not there and they can't rely and trust on whoever's uh in in net as much as Greenfield. So I've gone with him. So uh yeah, good another good spread of three players there or four players. We'll move on to Nottingham. Franny, we'll start with you for the for the Panthers. Who have you gone with?

SPEAKER_01 7:07

Okay, so for Nottingham. I was hoping one of you would go first and and and pick the obvious one, which is Mitch Fossier. But I I've said it before, I'm a Chase Pearson lover. I think he's absolute quality. I mean, he just he does things that others can't, and you know, I see him as a game breaker. He makes all these little plays, and there probably isn't a more entertaining Twitter account than his.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

I mean, I'll jump in and say I did go Mitch Fossier. Uh I think he's a great player. I think he's got obviously a great amount of skill, really good vision, I think, sees a pass really nicely. I'll forever hate him for the playoff final goal against us a couple of seasons ago, but you know, this season kind of made up for that. Gaz, who have you gone for?

SPEAKER_03 7:51

Well, it variety uh abounds again. My uh pick was uh Doherty, I think, as a finisher. He he's got a good variety of finishing um big goal play as well, you know, big time player. Pops up when he needs to. Uh his scoring record against us is fantastic. Uh yeah, I just think if if you need a uh a goal and you need someone who also works as hard 200 foot uh across the rink as well as Doherty does, uh he got the he got the nod for me.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yeah, good another good three choices by us. There we'll move on now to Manchester, the newest of I guess the arena teams in the elite league after they've moved to the AO over the summer. Gas, your Manchester Storm player.

SPEAKER_03 8:30

Well, I'd just like to caveat this that I didn't pick Nick Roush because we've already poached him. So he was out of my thinking uh in this. So I went for Gilmore uh as uh my my choice. Uh again, that sort of talisman, that that that guy that you look to to kind of pull all your scoring really in a season, the big games, and again, I really like his work ethic uh underpinning that too. So uh Gilmore was my choice. Friendly?

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Yeah, I think every one of us, if we were doing this uh six weeks ago, would have said uh Nick Welsh, but thankfully we've got him. So my one's probably a bit controversial, but I'm gonna go Lauren Yulette. Oh, go on then, give us your reasons. Uh I just think he's got a lot to his game. I think he's got that presence on the ice. Yes, he's the pantomime villain when he plays against you, but I think he's a kind of player when he's on your side that you love in the same way uh that Mike Ware, you know, that kind of ilk of player that you know you you detest them when they play against you, but then you love them when they're on your side. Um, I just think he's yeah, he's a presence, he's so so strong, he's got a great shot on him, he can be physical. Um, he plays center, he plays wing, he can play on defense, so he gives you that versatility versatility throughout your roster. And I think if he was in Cardiff, I think he'd be a huge fan favorite.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Yeah, very good, very good. I I could appreciate your reasons now, having heard them. But um, we're gonna continue on with the uh the the form of of variety amongst the three picks, and I've gone Drew De Ridder, and I think another netminder for me. And and how many netminders do you have him? Well, this is the thing. It's not the last one on the list, trust me. But um I mean I mean you won't get scored on a lot, but I don't think that's a year offense. We're lining up with four of them over the season. But um, yeah, I've gone De Rida, I think he was a real good addition to the storm last season, stole them some big games. I think there was a game against Guildford, and there was another against Coventry where he made, I think, almost 50 saves in the game and and stole them points at times last season. So uh for me, Drew De Rida, partnering Matt uh Matt Greenfield and Ben Bounds and Christian Stover, all of them together on the same lineup. We're gonna go with it.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

You're just making sure that no one else has got a decent goalie, haven't you?

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Exactly, yeah. Um, but yeah, for me, Drew De Ridder. So we'll move on to Coventry and I'm I'm gonna I'll start off this one because we're gonna go for another goalie, and that's Matt Robson. I think you you it's hard to uh when you look through the the Coventry lineup, I actually I kind of struggled in terms of picking exactly who I want because there's guys who, for I don't know the reasons why, just love playing against the Devils. I think of Luciani. For some reason, seems to up his game, specifically when he plays here in Cardiff. But uh, I gone Matt Robson because I think you know you look through similar to uh to DeRida, can steal games, is a big backbone of that team and is kind of a foundational piece of of the Blaze, or was a foundation a foundational piece of the Blaze last season.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

Yeah, it's tough to argue against that, and I think where you can see the logic behind Drew DeRida from Manchester because his coach before that was Matt Ginn, who was obviously the the Storm's ex-coach. Um, I was speaking to Finnna at the playoffs about DeRida, and he said you know he he got lucky that DeRida was just kind of waiting on options and things didn't fall into play, so it was quite a late pickup for them, and I think that was a game changer for their season. So uh yeah, I can I can see the the value in that pick.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Guys, you're Coventry Blaze player.

SPEAKER_03 11:52

Uh I go for Gleason. Yep. Uh I just love uh the way he skates, I love the way he attacks, I love the way he goes to net. I just I think when you have someone with that speed as an outlet uh in your team, it's a huge, huge plus. Uh and I think he had a really good year too. Um they've picked him up again, I understand, which I think is a is a big re-signing for them because I'm sure there was interest uh in and around the league uh for him. But uh yeah, I I just really like the way he plays. I I just I think he's exciting to watch. I think he's someone who gets you on your edge of your seat when he he gets on a rush. So Gleason's my pick.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Franny, who are you taking from the sky down?

SPEAKER_01 12:34

I'm gonna go with variety again and go Grant Mismash. Yes, good pick. Again, one of the best names in the league. Um, I mean, you look at that game, the the one game that we lost in that last 12 or 13, uh, and it was that five-minute power play, and he was such a key part of that. Uh, but I thought all season he's looked really dangerous. I mean, the one caveat that I would say on you know, if we were recruiting for the Devils, it's Belfast didn't take him back, did they? So you look at that and you're like, okay, what was it that Belfast didn't like that they passed on him and then Coventry picked him up? Um, but you know, he's got a good pedigree, had a great college career. Um, you know, maybe didn't get going in Belfast for whatever reason, but you know, I thought he looked absolutely quality all the time for Coventry.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

Yeah, three more great players from us there. We'll move on to Guildford Flames. Gaz, who was your flame? Racine. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 13:34

I uh I just you know, a big physical defense man who's willing to drop the gloves and police again. That's right up my alley for the kind of hockey that I I like to see. Yes, you do have to have a bit of risk and reward when someone gets a little excited with a hit every now and then, but you know, I think sometimes that's the price uh you have to pay. So yep, Racine be mine.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

And and I liked his kind of the chip on his shoulder as well. That you know, he wasn't afraid to kind of gesture to the opposition bench, and I love that kind of stuff. That's a that's old school, isn't it? But yeah, really tough customer. Um, and sometimes too tough for his own good. I mean, we saw that that hit to the head that got him sat out of the second leg of the playoff game. But uh yeah, I thought you made a big difference to Guilford because they had lots of offensive defencemen, uh, and then he came in and sort of shored up that back end.

SPEAKER_00 14:23

Yeah, well, guys, you can uh cover the dopps costs, I'm sure, for any fines that might come as I play my own Franny. Who's your Guilford player?

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Okay, I had two down here, um, but I'll go with Gosslin. Um Gosling, I mean, he's their top point scorer. Again, he was you know, he looked dangerous, but he was one of those that looked very comfortable on the puck. Um, I think he was their go-to guy for uh the offensive situations, and I think he played you know a really complete game, and you know, again played a little bit chippy at times, and uh yeah, I thought he was probably offensively their best player.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

Well, this is really good news and good going because I'm gonna mix it up again and give you another name. I've gone with Jack Jacomb. Uh, the reason I've done that, I think he's a good goalscorer. I like his attitude. He's a smaller guy, but uh a good one. He skates well, works really hard, and I think typifies kind of the style of what you get in Guildford. And yeah, anyone who can put the puck in the back of the net, I think is uh a good pickup, in my opinion. So uh yeah, I think between the three picks there, we've got some some good players. We'll talk now Glasgow, Glasgow clan. Franny, who you going with?

SPEAKER_01 15:34

I'm gonna go with their late pickup in the season, um, Mick Messner. Um he came in, played the last 17 games and got 10 goals, and that's quite a return, isn't it? Uh and I did think they looked a lot better when he was uh he was in their lineup and he straight away went into their kind of top line and played in all key situations, and it was no surprise that he was one of the first names that they've uh brought back for this coming season.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

I have written pretty much verbatim exactly what you just said. Love what I saw in limited time this season, 10 goals and 17 is great. Mick Messner was my pick again. So there we go, we've doubled up. Are we gonna make it three? No, we're not.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

We uh I picked Langan. I thought, especially that first game that they came down uh to this building uh right in September. I I thought he absolutely bossed the the game physically. Um, you know, he's he's not the biggest of guys to look at, but he's very stocky. Uh puts uh puts it around the the ice a lot and just a competitor for me. And uh yeah, I like that sort of hard-nosed type forward. So uh yeah, Langan was my pick.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

Yeah, there we go. Well, we finally hit a double on uh those, and McMesser got two votes from us. We've got two teams to go. We'll start with the five Flyers. Obviously, difficult year for them last season, so it was a little bit difficult maybe to pick one guy in particular. I've gone Keaton Jameson for that. I think got a couple of goals against the Devils over the season and probably look like their best, probably offensive uh output over the year. So I've gone with Jameson.

SPEAKER_03 17:04

Uh don't want you to feel jealous, but I've gone for a goalie for this one, then so yeah, you can't uh take this for Shane Owen for me. Uh as consistent as he's been for years and years and years, you know exactly what you get in uh a top-top goalie uh and a top-top player. So it couldn't be anyone else but Shane Owen, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:21

Okay, well, we're gonna go back to the variety. So I've picked Josh Winquist. Yep, nice. So um we actually made an offer on him in the COVID season that got cancelled. So we were starting to recruit the team, and I was really keen on him. And you know, we're seeing Josh Winquist now in his latter years, um, where maybe he hasn't got the pace that he once had. I tell you what, when I looked at him back then, he was 27, he was absolutely electric. You know, he could do it all, and he still can. I mean, he's still dominant in the games that that we saw him down here. Yeah, he had uh picked up a few injuries over the course of the year, you know. Not surprising when he was playing so much, you know, on a short bench team. Um, but I just think he's a a quality, quality hockey player and plays the game with a smile on his face.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

Yeah, nice little bit of devil's inside a scoop there from from you, Franny. It's good to hear. And yeah, those are our three for the Flyers. Finally, Dundee. Well, uh who's gonna go first? Gaz, who are you taking from, Dundee?

SPEAKER_03 18:19

No question, it's Dryden Dow. You know how much of a Dryden Dow fan I am and have been for many years. A surprise to see him leave uh the other week. Um, but obviously, you know, he's been there for a long time uh in the stars and always just been that dependable defenseman, can score goals, you know, just does everything. Just you can tell he how influential he is uh you know when he's on the bench or on the ice. So always loved Dryden Dow. Never will forgive you, Franny, for not making that happen over the past few seasons. I asked you every offseason, but I'm picking him now.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Franny? Yeah, and I think um a a good kind of yardstick for uh for Nick Welsh actually is Manchester lost their number one defenseman and they went out and got a proven performer like Dryden Dow to sort of fill that gap. So I think that kind of stands Nick Welsh in good stead, is that they had to go out and get you know the franchise player from Dundee to to fill those boots. Um I went with Spencer Nass. Um he was you know, the year previously he was there, um, you know, he's such a danger man, and then they brought him back, didn't they? And he kind of took took up where he left off. And uh yeah, I mean he's Dundee do that, don't they? They sort of load up that top line and they have that explosive pace that they play on that sort of counter-attack. That as soon as there's half a an inkling of a turnover, their forwards are gone, and he's got such pace. And if he's on the end of it, you know, there's a good chance he's in the back of your net. So uh Spencer Mess.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

For any great minds once again on that one. I've also got Nas. Like, like we say, we could go Dryden Dow. I think you know, fantastic player and and great ambassador for Dundee and the stars as an organization. But yeah, I've gone Nas. I think while he struggled a little bit last season, the the stars weren't fantastic, and you maybe in a different system and a different setup, maybe he flourishes and is a great offensive player. So uh yeah, that's who I've gone for that. So that's our current picks. That's everybody who played during the 25-26 season. Now we're gonna go a little bit down memory lane and give you the chance to open it up to say if money were no option, if you could have anything you wanted at any time in all of history, who are you picking from who? And we'll start with the Belfast Giants and Gaz. You've got a lot of history to go through, a lot of trophies to go through. Who are you picking?

SPEAKER_03 20:41

I am actually picking someone that at one point had signed to be a devil and never arrived. Go on, Jason Ruff. Interesting. Was that your pick as well, friend?

SPEAKER_01 20:54

That was my pickest rated.

SPEAKER_03 20:57

I I do have a backup. If uh be to say that, but Jason Ruff for me, he he had signed. Dave Whistle was the coach and they'd worked together in Belfast. He was our first announced signing as well going into that season, and something happened back home with Vamly, and he never uh came and played in Devil's Colours. He did return to Belfast after that in subsequent seasons. Um, but yeah, just a real what could have been uh with Jason Rough.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Tell me a little bit about his game, he was a little bit before my time, so uh yeah, gimme, give me the loading.

SPEAKER_03 21:26

Yeah, he was he was a dependable center, um, who was quite a big body as well from from very big, he was about six foot three, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

And and that's what I like about him is he's that presence at centre, you know, so strong on the face-offs. And I don't I there's something about a big sentiment. I mean, you either get a big sentiment like that who I like, or you get the little wily skilled guys, but he was in you know the big strong sentiment uh uh mold, wasn't he? And yeah, I mean he had just a bit of everything to his game.

SPEAKER_03 21:56

Yeah, like net from presence, loved going in the corners. could pick a pass because he could do everything he was a complete all-rounder and that I think we we might have done something in that season if uh he had come in was John Callan the replacement uh later on in that season now yeah John Cullen was a very good player yeah until Perron hit him with that dude well well I'll never forgive him for that and let me tell you now my prom will never be my pick for any kind of signing Picard out.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

Franny any honourable mentions if you were going to go rough have you got anybody else you would have loved to have seen in Devil's colours um it's hard to tell no uh um I'm gonna go Adam Keefe I think yeah I think again Adam Keefe would have been a great card if devil um I the year before he came to Belfast I was speaking to his agent about Adam Keefe um about him coming in but he stayed in the American League and then you know the next year he signed in in Belfast but um I mean I I don't even know if Keefe was ever aware of that or whether it was just his agent say these are my guys that I've got but uh no I just think the way he played he just gave you everything every night I mean obviously uh again when you talk pound for pound fighters um you know he's not the biggest a guy but took on all comers and did very well and you know was was a captain and somebody that you know galvanized the troops around him and uh yeah and if you're a player like um Daryl Lloyd just makes cheap shots over the ice then you know he's there to clear up your mess every time.

SPEAKER_00 23:31

Yeah fair enough yeah I I've gone somewhat newer being a a little bit younger than you two I've picked someone from the Keith coaching era and for me it's one of the most naturally skilled guys I've seen come across this league didn't actually play a huge amount of games but Patrick Dwyer who played in Belfast uh the year they just picked the Devils to the league title I've gone with I think he was great in in the limited time I saw him was a really good hockey player obviously had the experience he did of playing in the NHL scored one of or didn't score one of the uh most intriguing goals I've ever seen when he put his backside in the back of the net because the puck was down his down his uh shorts which is one of my favourite moments of elite league hockey but um yeah I've gone Patrick Dwyer I I mean you could obviously talk about uh Conway and and Besco Mark Cooper was one I always admired as well I thought he was great in Belfast proper power forward I loved him in Cardiff over the years and uh really kind of you know war wore the Giants uh uh uh on it on his chest with pride so um but yeah I've gone I've gone dwyer we'll move on to the Steelers Gaz uh mine will be Ron Schudre uh now Ron Schoudre to me was a total professional he was a great player had a great shot hence the rocket nickname uh you know great defenceman but he was one of the only opposition players I've ever seen every game that he played in the whether at the Welsh national ice rink or he I think he played some games in the tent as well to patch things up would do a full lap of applause at the end as a kind of like just uh you know appreciation thing and that always stuck with me uh for for some reason so not only was he a great player he was a great pro as well so you know if he were able to have a favourite Steelers player as a devil's fan that would be my shot Fronny I've picked Matua yes goal scorer yeah I mean one of the most natural goal scorers that uh that has played over here and he you know just a warrior as well you speak to his ex-teammates you know I spoke to Jonathan Phillips about him speak to Tomo about him and well the whole time he was over here he was just clinging on with injuries you know he really was because the way he played the positions he put himself in in front of the net he was always taking a battery and I think his his shoulders are pretty much falling off his arms um but uh he would find a way to get that puck in the net and I think that is such a hard to find quality you know getting goal scorers who are going to get you 35 goals every season and he did it for the Steelers. Yeah big reason why they went back to back in league titles I have gone I I didn't pick Cooper for the Giants and I talked about kind of a power forward guy one of the ultimate power forwards from the same era I went guard Debian I thought he was really good. It used to scare me how good he was because not only could he scrap and could he get involved he could put the puck in the back of the net and that was my very early days of of coming to the hockey and I remember even not knowing much about the game I could kind of identify him as a really good player and so he's my pick.

SPEAKER_03 26:29

Yeah the year after he retired as well he came down to watch a Steelers Devil game here and we had a chat with him uh on the website he was such a a a really nice guy and had such a sort of good feel for the game and the way that he presented himself I I really liked him so I think that's a a great but he had a great scrap of batch didn't he in in one he did yeah yeah but no a really good um you know warrior of a player again a bit of everything tough as they come but he could you know he could score as well I just uh my honourable mention from my pick from the Steelers would have been Jeff LeGuis my honourable mention was Joey Talbot so it was the Talbot LeGuy line yeah yeah there you go they were fantastic I yeah I've written honourable mention Zach Fitzgerald as well because I always liked watching Fitzgerald I thought he was very honest guy and and and had some similarly to Davion had some great scraps with with Devils over the years so another tough as nails player.

SPEAKER_00 27:20

We'll look at the Panthers now and this is another kind of more modern one from me I've gone Sam Her because I think you know you look at the the offensive output but also the fact he was the captain he he won the playoffs with them the end of not last season season before and and they they did miss him when he took that gap between playing for them. So uh yeah great hockey player and and and I've gone Sam Her.

SPEAKER_03 27:39

Gaz I I think mine might probably surprise people because he didn't play for a long time but I just distinctly remember being so impressed with the way he skated Lee Jinman he was uh around the end of the Super League the first elite league year um he was just yeah just someone with speed to burn and just a classy player you know when you see someone and they just ooze that kind of class and I think it's because when you're a fan growing up you don't always notice opposition players when you're sort of deep in your fandom and he was sort of the first player in that first elite league year that really kind of broke out for me where I was like genuinely scared of what he could do in harmony this on the scoreboard.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

Fanny I've gone with the Brits because we we haven't put many Brits in well I put Dared in as well didn't I but I've gone with David Clark yep nice good pick yeah I mean from developing you know he played in Peterbrand and he went up to the Panthers as a as a youngster and then developing into a 35 goal scorer year after year you know he had a deadly shot and again you know he was uh a gamer who would come up in the big moments I think he was a captain for a long time um so I do I do like those players that come up clutch when it matters and Clarke he did that and for him to be a a Brit as well as an added bonus.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

Yeah I I the other brit the or the other player that I did note down was was a Brit and Oli Betteridge I think uh partly because similar to a few of the picks earlier on always seems to play well against Cardiff and and so that's enough of a reason for me to to want to to want to grab him.

SPEAKER_01 29:12

And my honourable mention was Paul Aidy who you know from when I first started watching and playing um was an absolute uh legend for the Panthers wasn't he always their top scorer and uh you know his numbers are ridiculous. Okay the hockey wasn't as good but uh I thought he was a really good player to watch I was like Trevor Robbins as well as my honourable mention the goal totally yeah probably the first goalie I hated for thinking he cheated by knocking the goals off his moorings close to a goal which uh I think he definitely did I don't think he was the last one to do that but uh we're gonna chat about Manchester now the storm Franny who have you gone for I just needed to clarify is this modern day storm is it or is this all time you can take old time I think he's from old time that adds things do we need to come back no no I mean I've got names for both I just okay I'm gonna go with all time a guy called Brad Rubacuk so I think he started off in Swindon yeah um and then he went to the Super League for Manchester and again he was he was kind of in the Brabant mould wasn't he that you know he could he was a big scorer but he could hit he could fight he just the total package and I think he's a retired number up there such as the impression that he made uh on the Manchester storm in the super league times when you know hockey was at a very high level I like I like the way that he kind of he got better as the league got better as well um just a a good entertaining player to watch who would be your m the modern day or the the the new era of the storm I like the guy that they had last year Alexis Down he was a league top scorer wasn't he um last year and uh yeah he was a menace against us and um I thought he he the their team wasn't as strong last year and sometimes he carried them yeah recently signed in the third tier in Germany which is a little bit of a surprise because I definitely thought he could he could hack it a little bit higher than that but obviously if you know we've done the reasons he's staying in Germany because he's he'll get nationality over there and I think his wife is German as well there you go that would that would explain that one.

SPEAKER_03 31:23

Gaz your storm player Frank Peterangelo goaltender uh who for me typified the point in which the Super League took a step up I think he's one of those players in that realm where it was now we're kind of seeing players that you've never seen the standard uh before and of course a little bit of a backhanded compliment he's also the goaltender we put five passed in 1999 in the semi-final of the playoffs to which the chant we put five pass Peter Angelo comes from um but he was absolute equality and that's why we sang so much because no one thought you could beat him by that match.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Yeah former Pittsburgh Penguin and uh this was the era you could tell that the elite league took a step up because there was guys being signed in the league that I remembered from uh NHL 94 on the uh on the Sega Mega Drive um there was these names that you recognize for the rosters were all of a sudden appearing in the league and yeah Peter Angelo because I know it's just a a kind of unusual name and uh a former NHL goalie to come over here and he was every bit as good as he should have been.

SPEAKER_03 32:31

And they won the league that year with him and net and they were pretty imperious.

SPEAKER_00 32:35

Uh Kurt Kleinendorst was was the coach at that point yeah so okay well I I kind of have continued on the the goalie path from from you and from my previous picks as well I've gone Matt Ginn uh I I really liked Matt Ginn when he was obviously in net in Manchester a great player and did a really good job.

SPEAKER_03 32:52

They obviously took over as coach and did a fantastic job and a really nice guy from the interactions we had with him but uh yeah Matt Ginn for me great netminder and and uh a of the modern era uh one of the best Manchester players I've written down uh Dallas Eha I've I've always thought has been a a really good player for them Matt Pecker who played for them just before COVID put up a bag of points the year they finished second he was really really good I remember as well and Cam Critchlow current coach I think uh as attitudes go and as a guy goes who kind of embodies being a Manchester storm player Cam Gritlow is is pretty good as well so you can kind of pick from any of those uh we will chat now Coventry Blaze guys who have you gone for well this was uh this was probably my toughest one I think there's a lot of looking around but I settled on uh probably would be in my if I was to pick an all-star elite league team top you know start in line which is a good idea for an episode um I'd go for Neil Martin uh defenceman who again at the time felt like he was a good super league player who ran away the Europe and he came back in an he came back at a time where he was still pretty much in his in his prime years which was unusual at that sort of embryotic stage of the elite league and that Coventry team under Tomo was just steamroller and people and he was just a classy all round part uh of that but he still should have been banned for the Challenge Cup final for kicking Voff between the legs but we'll talk about that another time I'll ask Tom more about that one that's that's a story to come I'm sure Franny who have you gone for well I'm gonna pick a goalie just so you can't because you've got enough of them um I'm gonna go Jodie Lehman uh I and you know again speaking to guys from Sheffield you know because obviously he played there as well um just the the biggest competitor there was would hold his team to account um you know Coventry were winning I think he was the Grand Sam Goalie wasn't he was um there was games and and he did the same in Sheffield as well games when they had no business to win but they'd win it like 1-0 or 2-1 and he would just absolutely be lights out and yeah I just thought you know that competitiveness to have that in your back net that just breeds confidence throughout goal scorer as well who scored a goal in the first elite league yeah empty netter he's in the hall of fame for that I think isn't it I mean I actually had four names written on my list um one of them was Neil Martin I'll let you have your pick and then I'll come back to the other two.

SPEAKER_00 35:24

Okay yeah fair enough um I've gone with a guy who only really had a cup of coffee in Coventry wasn't there for very long but I really liked him and every time I see him play for GB I think he's unbelievable and and every single summer I say to Talk I'm like can we please get Nathal in please because I think he's really really good uh a fantastic player was great in Coventry and and I remember the the first year he played there I was kind of unsure of what I thought of him and then the second year he was absolutely mega um and yeah like I say plays for GB and and he's a really really good defenseman as a reason he plays in the league he does now and uh the other two names I've written down were Matt Robson obviously but I picked him earlier and then uh Ben Lake because I always I I've always thought Ben Lake was a great player and he broke my heart when he scored that empty net goal for Coventry all those years ago.

SPEAKER_01 36:04

So um yeah but Nat Halbert yeah but yeah Halbert you know great shout um I he particularly stood out for me in the playoff series. I think we had two years in a row when we had Coventry um and we would go up and win the first leg and Coventry would come out in Cardiff all guns ablazing and he was never off the ice and he was leading everything and you you again you know there's a theme go I always thought about the competitiveness and the competitive spirit and you know that was just oozing out of him and he was really putting Coventry on his back and yeah I think he's a really good player and I might have tried to sign him you know over the last few years and he wasn't interested in staying in this league unfortunately well if he could continue to do the same hopefully at some point he might yeah pretty Norish as well around that time as well another person I really liked uh in those Coventry teams he someone who just didn't give up just significant no matter what the score was they could be ahead they could be behind by one they could be behind by six and you'd have the same consistent effort uh throughout the thing class classic guy so the other two names I had on my list were the duo of Calder and Carlson um Calder the goal scorer I mean 50 goals in a season or whatever he had Carlson was the one that was supplying him with the ammo you know it's hard to pick between those two and I thought you know honourable mention to those and I actually asked Paul Thompson from his time in Coventry who is his one pick of all the players just to see how we would pick and his pick that he said I think so obviously you know there's a few other names come in Neil Martin. There we go.

SPEAKER_03 37:41

Yeah from the boss that team was just and I mean he had an NHL in it with Wade Belak as well like Andre Payet who was an absolute wrecking ball Jeff Hutchins as well was was a real rat that year that was that was a good time. Just going back to your pick with Jodie Lehman am I right in thinking that when Derek Olofsky dropped out of signing for us that summer and we picked up Peter Aubrey that the recruitment was between Aubrey and Jody Lehman not to my knowledge I I don't know it could be true I don't know but I not that I I've ever heard of that but then I wasn't on the insider at those times. But uh yeah I think it was interesting from what I very interesting what could have been Ed Patterson little insight.

SPEAKER_00 38:29

Yeah one final honourable mention and technically he did briefly play for the Devils but I thought Luke Ferraro was always great when he played in the elite league scored a lot of goals for Coventry as well but um scored in his very first game for the Devils in Belfast we flew him straight there picked him up at the airport and he came in played a game scored a goal I think it might have been our only goal overnight yeah we're gonna talk Guilford Flames now and of course because they've only been in the league since 2017 this is a bit of a shorter kind of period to pick from we'll we'll just go with the elite league era for these guys.

SPEAKER_03 38:56

So there aren't as many players to pick from but guys who are you going with well it's a shame you said that because I've picked someone from before that time you've got someone go for it yeah absolutely of course and uh my British offering is uh David Longstaff as uh the thing just to have a British player of that size of that build but with such a classy way of playing such a goal scoring touch um you know much like Franny played in that super league era which shows you know that that that quality that he had I just always thought he would have been a real cardiff devil's type uh power forward and really liked watching Longstaff play.

SPEAKER_01 39:35

Franny I'll leave it open not just to elite league era then you could pick anyone you know I'm I'm switching mine because uh I did have David Longstaff down um because obviously didn't get the brief as well um if you'd have asked me 12 months ago every day of the week I would have said Brett Ferguson but we were fortunate enough to have him finally on the Devil's team last year. So I'm gonna go with an elite league pick uh and it's gonna be Jesse Craig on D. So again I think he was one of those University of Alberta boys that always seem to end up in Guildford. Uh he might have been captain there before Fergie I think maybe um but yeah I'm looking now 56 games 63 points you know that's a a massive haul for a D man um you know not not a big guy but again you know played the game the right way yeah he was three three years in Guilford and captain for three years where he put up yeah 63 46 and then 30 points.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

Yeah good pick yeah I've gone similar era of of the early kind of elite league uh era for them and and obviously you could pick Craig there was Ian Waters John Dunbar were both great as well and then the one I've settled on is Cruz Reddick Reddick great player. If I had to pick from that era that would have been the one yeah lightning fast player knew knew how to put the puck in the back of the net and and he was and he and all all the guys we've mentioned were a reason that for the first three years the the Flames in the elite league we only had barn burners between the Devils and the Flames I don't know what it was about those games but every game was 6-5 in overtime it was ridiculous.

SPEAKER_03 41:06

As an attacking force I've always really enjoyed Guilford teams just the the way that the forwards kind of have a freedom to kind of express themselves I think always lends itself to a really enjoyable watch.

SPEAKER_01 41:18

So uh yeah I I totally back that Reddick choice yeah bring back those crazy games between the flames and the devils I think Freddy well they they always seem to be crazy no matter what rosters are out there and you know Guildford always seemed to have that you know fast hardworking team and it just brings sparks doesn't it that it does.

SPEAKER_00 41:35

We'll talk Glasgow clan now.

SPEAKER_03 41:38

Gaz who have you gone for for the clan I've gone for John Landry who was absolutely exceptional defenceman who when he left the clan went straight to the AHL and went stayed for about four or five seasons and put up points in the AHL as well. He was a real classy defenceman who I looking back and I don't really know how we landed in the elite league for that season but um yeah really really enjoyed watching Andry and there's another guy that I tried to sign multiple years in a row only to be told he's staying in the AHL.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

So after his time in Glasgow we went after him and uh I think his cousin was an agent um so I'd always ask him any chance with John he's like no staying in the HL he's getting another contract another contract but yeah because he was big frame as well wasn't he's like 6'2 6'3 have skated so well skated so well bum of a shot yeah uh very good pick um I have picked a guy I think he was only there for one year called Ed McGrain so he was a center he came he was playing in the the CHL when there was the East Coast and the CHL were kind of rival leagues um and again in my early years of recruiting he was a guy that I tried to get to Cardiff he just put up 70 odd points year on year in that in that league and that normally translated well he was at the time when John Pelle was uh you know he'd come from there and done so well over here so he was a a guy that I thought would have done really well in Cardiff good personality as well and I think he was pretty popular up in in Brayhead as they were then yep I uh I've picked a guy who was only very briefly in what was Brayhead at the time before it was Glasgow played around the elite league a lot and I I've picked Mike Hammond um big GB contributor as well and a great player around the elite league such a shame obviously he's no longer with us and and and I think would have continued to have had a fantastic elite league career uh had he still been alive which is obviously uh what could have been and it's a horrible thought but I think an absolutely fantastic player and similarly to a lot of the guys I've picked always seemed to play well against the devils always seemed to step up his game when I saw him play in person and of course like I say was a big GB contributor for a number of years as well.

SPEAKER_00 43:44

Yeah very very consistent very very dependable that's a great shot Mike haven't and again always seemed to come up with those big goals for for GB um when it mattered my honourable mention on that one was Nolan Laporte who was very briefly in Glasgow but a very good player similar to Cruz Redikin that he was Very quick and knew where the goal was. Flashy just looked great on the ice as well. So that was kind of my honourable mention for it.

SPEAKER_03 44:05

Yeah, the only one I toyed with was Bruce Richardson, just because I think as a devil's player, people would have loved him just because of how he how he was. You know, he was uh of a nuisance.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

I think is it the polite way to describe him? And my honourable mentions were Scott Pitt, who is I think their record point scorer, but I really like Jordan Krastanovich. Do you remember him? He he had uh he had a few games in the NHL and he was like again quite a big strong body, but uh knew the back of the net.

SPEAKER_00 44:34

We'll move across to Kakordi and we'll start on the five flyers. I'll begin here. Uh I had two that kind of in my head. One of them was a longtime flying Carlo Fenucci. I always thought he was a great player, and then Troy Lajunesse, who was only there for a season, really good player, I thought. And again, this is kind of my more modern the the recent year as you guys, of course, will have, I'm sure, some some maybe longer serving guys. But yeah, those are my two. But Lajuness, I think I went with.

SPEAKER_03 44:56

Uh my pick was uh Greg Kusdik. Uh he was a defenceman who was there for a long time. Put up big numbers as well. He did put up big numbers, but he was also sneaky tough as well. So his frame didn't suggest that he would pound a guy. But the couple of times that I did see him drop the gloves, it was it was pretty bad for the guy who decided to drop with him. And uh, I think it was only because uh the BNL kind of went wayward and Fife were in the wilderness uh of the SNL for a couple of years that he actually left. I don't think he ever wanted to leave. Um, but yeah, he was he was a he was a great player. I really uh enjoyed watching Christney.

SPEAKER_01 45:33

Yeah, good call. Um my pick, and there was only one pick for me, and it was Mark Morrison. So Mark Morrison, he was a player for I think over ten years for Fife, player coach for uh a load of those years as well. Um, let me see, maybe all 10 or at least at least eight or nine of those years, and is now head coach in Manitoba Moose in the American League and has been assistant coach um for Anaheim in the NHL as well. But as a player, he was like one of the fastest players I've ever seen, you know, very, very talented, but just absolutely lightning fast skater.

SPEAKER_02 46:10

He's me on NHL coaching staff now.

SPEAKER_01 46:13

Um yeah, he's a Manitoba American League head coach, but he's been um assistant coach with Anaheim. That's right. Um yeah and in prior to that he was the assistant coach in Manitoba, so they brought him back into the head coach role. Uh so doing very, very well as a as a coach.

SPEAKER_00 46:34

Yeah, some good picks there. And finally, Dundee Gaz.

SPEAKER_03 46:38

Um I've gone for Dan Bacala. Uh great goaltender. Um, sorry Dan. And um yeah, just one of those players where you you knew it would be hard for them to keep hold of him just because of his quality. So uh yeah, Bakala gets in it.

SPEAKER_00 46:56

Funny, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:57

Yeah, and I if I'm right, I think he went to the Finnish Elite League, um, which is quite the path, isn't it? Uh from Dundee to the Finnish Elite League. Uh he had come in to Dundee maybe off the back of uh not playing a season, I think that that rings the bell. But he was like a hell of a college goalie and uh yeah, brilliant bit of recruitment there. Um so the one player that I picked up from Dundee is the great one himself, Tony Hand. Oh, nice as well. Oh, of course. So I thought, how how can you not have Tony Hand? You know, so you could have taken him from Steelers, I guess. Um, you know, obviously Edinburgh no longer in the elite league, but you know, he did go to to Dundee and spent some time there as player coach. And uh funny story about him in Dundee when there was that the protest year of the devil, so we dropped down to the BNL and there was thousands of people outside and a hundred people inside our building. I remember we got up at uh early in the morning to go on a minibus up to Dundee to go and play against the Dundee Stars uh with Tony Hand as the head coach, and we had got rid of all our imports by then, we had a bunch of young kids, and we were just on a hide into nothing. Uh and I remember he had the puck, and you know, he had worked his way through and he went in for a shot on net, and instead of taking that shot, he deked wide of the goal, circled round the back of the net, came straight up to the blue line, and was almost willing us to come and take the puck off him, and we still couldn't get it off him, so he did another lap there because he just didn't want to run up the score, and uh yeah. I mean that that's the different leveling class, even when he was trying to give the puck away to us, we couldn't take it off him. But um, obviously, you know, one of if not the greatest British players of all time, so that's why I would have him in my lineup. Tony Andos, the first ever goal scorer in the Big Blue Ten.

SPEAKER_00 48:57

Great fact. Great fact, that yeah, like it. I guess I'm gonna break your heart, and I've gone Dryden Dow. Uh a longtime Dundee star, of course. And uh and you picked him for last season, I'll pick him for all time. Just, I mean, we you you run out of good things to say about him and and how good of a player he is, and and and what an ambassador again, I said, to to Dundee. I I also liked uh Philip Sonch when he was there and Ryan Valentini, the two more recent guys, uh two guys who put up a lot of points. Combs as well. Combs, yeah, another good pick. Yeah. There was that couple of years where yeah, they had they had that kind of rotation that we talked about of um of those top line guys who who put up a lot of points. So uh yeah, I've settled on Dryden Dow. But yeah, there you go. There's uh some great names in there, I think.

SPEAKER_03 49:37

I was quite surprised how little overlap we all had for those, actually.

SPEAKER_00 49:40

That was uh varieties by salife, as they say. Yeah, it's good stuff. Well, well, we really enjoyed playing that game. If you wanted to get involved as well, do tweet us who you think it is. If it's just one team, if it's everybody, get involved because we we love to hear from it. And of course, with with the all-timers, we love hearing a bit of nostalgic chat about guys from from yesteryear. But uh, yeah, that was kind of our episode of Insider for this week. We really appreciate you listening in, and uh, I'm sure we'll be back again very, very soon with some more fun little quizzes and topics like this. So thank you for listening and goodbye. Thank you very much once again to our sponsor, Minerva Hearing, for today's podcast. And remember, Minerva Hearing, hear the cheers, protect your ears.