MATT IRWIN | Ice Guardians Ep 29

Kelly Chase and Brett Hull sit down with former NHL defenseman Matt Irwin this week. Matty talks to the guys about coming up through juniors and college and training camps early in his career. Hully asks about his time in Worcester and Matty talks about his first call-up. The guys talk about all of Matty's stops in the NHL, including his run to the Cup finals with Nashville. Matty tells the guys about how good their post-Covid Sabres team could have been. The guys ask Matty about Ovi as a teammate, and Chaser tells a story about staying out late one night and still being up before his coach the next morning.

Ice Guardians, presented by Siteman Cancer Center, comes to you from the Window World Studios.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:32

All right, folks, welcome back to Ice Guardians. Special treat today. We got our buddy Matt Irwin joining us, and we're coming at you from the Window World Studios, brought to you by Stytman Cancer Center. And all the way from Victoria, British Columbia. Is that where you're residing now, buddy?

SPEAKER_02 0:48

That's it. Yep. You nailed it.

SPEAKER_04 0:50

Victoria, British Columbia, undrafted, uh solicited by a college in UMass.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

UMass, yep. UMass College. Yeah, UMass Amherst.

SPEAKER_04 0:59

Amherst, and then uh found his way into free agency, signed with the San Jose Sharks, made a career in the National Hockey League. Just one of those guys that are 3 a.m. guys that we talk about all the time. How you been, Matt?

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Exactly. I've been doing really well. Thanks for having me, Chaser. Holly, always a pleasure to see you both.

SPEAKER_05 1:17

You can't uh win without the 3 a.m. guys. Yeah, you can't win without 3 a.m. guys. Yeah, but you need him to get in a few times before 3 a.m.

SPEAKER_04 1:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:24

Well, that was the trouble. And you did, right?

SPEAKER_04 1:28

You made sure that everybody was home at night for Christmas. Made sure everyone was home. I knew that.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

And if they weren't, you got him home at my so yeah, it's all good. I made sure everyone was in.

SPEAKER_05 1:38

Chaser had to teach me how to fold his clothes so a suitcase was ready when he'd walk in and we had to catch the bus.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

So exactly you knew what you were wearing the next day.

SPEAKER_04 1:45

Well, I had it folded at the end of his bed, just didn't come home.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

So you were packing the bag.

SPEAKER_04 1:53

That's all. So Maddie, you grew up playing youth hockey and out in the west coast and uh and ended up playing, I think junior B or tier two, right? In Nanaimo.

SPEAKER_02 2:04

Yeah, yeah. So grew up beautiful.

SPEAKER_05 2:06

I've done real beautiful spots.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

Unbelievable. Uh very fortunate to, you know, played for a handful of teams throughout my career in general. But uh, you know, started in Victoria on the peninsula in minor hockey, played junior B, uh, then went tier two, junior A in Nanaimo with the Clippers in the BCHL, and that's where I got my scholarship to UMass.

SPEAKER_05 2:26

Right.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:26

You know, you both played in the BCHL.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

Yeah.

unknown 2:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 2:30

I played in Pentica.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 2:33

Way before he did in Victoria or Nanaimo.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

Records that won't be broken.

SPEAKER_05 2:38

And I was uh uh buddies with Alistair Cook, and uh, you know, you obviously know the area very well, but his parents owned a resort in Seashelt.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Okay, yeah, and uh Sunshine Coast.

SPEAKER_05 2:51

When we were in high school, we would uh on weekends go down there and take the ferry over and party all the beautiful spot.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

Yeah, off well, not off the grid, but it's quiet. Yeah, it's quiet, yeah. It's peaceful, it's a good spot. Yeah, it was a beautiful for a good time, yeah, no doubt.

SPEAKER_04 3:09

With uh being and growing up out there, was it harder? Like I mean, your your exposure was pretty good to be ending up at UMass and and and playing in that VC league, but was it the exposure when you were younger or you just played?

SPEAKER_02 3:27

I just played to be honest with you. I didn't I didn't know anything about next levels of hockey. The next level when I was playing minor hockey was the NHL. I didn't know, you know, yeah, I knew the Victoria Cougars had a WHL team at the time. That seemed like a pipe dream. I didn't really understand much about you know BCHL until you got older. So for me, it was just play hockey, have fun. Uh, parents always said if you're good enough, they'll find you.

SPEAKER_05 3:53

Exactly true. And they're smart because that, you know, not in every case, because there's a lot of guys that get missed, but for the more majority, if you're if you've got the talent to play, they'll find you.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Yeah, absolutely. We didn't move around. I played baseball in the spring, and best, you know, yeah. So you do your hockey, you play baseball, then you're just you know chomping at the bit to get back on the on the ice, right? Come summertime. So yeah, it like I just played to play. I I loved it, I had fun, and you know, every level you moved up, the next level was the next goal. So didn't look too far past uh too far past that. And fortunately it all panned out.

SPEAKER_04 4:33

When you're playing and you start looking at okay, the next step or whatever, was it kind of the Wild West or it would calm down a lot when you because you just kind of you just left the game.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Yeah, yeah. It's uh I mean the games changed a lot. And I mean, obviously, since you guys played for sure, but you even see it in my you know, 14 years pro 11 in the NHL, like the transition of where the game's gone. Um, you know, when I first started in San Jose, the the California teams were big. It was a gauntlet with Anaheim and LA and San Jose, right? We're always big teams, good teams, and it was a gauntlet. And you know, now it's obviously changed to so much speed and skill. So um that's probably half the reason why I couldn't play anymore.

SPEAKER_05 5:14

I couldn't but speed and speed and skill that that's that's one thing, but there's no more there's no more grit and yeah, grime and and intimidation anymore. There's the only thing you get that might resemble that is cheap shots. Yeah, you know, that's or if you want to call them cheap shots or morons who don't get it and don't know that what's safety and what's not because they're because they like you said, big fast and out of control a lot.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

Yeah, well, there's that, and you know, you with suspensions and everything, everyone that you know was cut from that cloth has to change their game, right? Or next thing you know, they're pulling out their checkbook. And um, where you know, when I first started, even and obviously when you guys played, it was you cut through the middle, your your head's gonna fall off. You better have it up, and it is clean. So that's changed, and uh it's changed a lot of the mindsets of the players, I'm sure. And you know, there's still some guys in the league um that got that sandpaper, obviously, but uh it's just changed, and that's just the way it's been and how it's going, I guess.

SPEAKER_04 6:22

Right. So when you when you think about the game about when you came through the game or whatever, what were some times where in the game you were like, Oh my god, that kid just learned a bad lesson, or was there an incident or something that you remember where you'd go, unbelievable? How'd you go through the middle of his head down like that?

SPEAKER_02 6:41

Yeah, there's a few. I remember Landiscog got popped by Brad Stewart in like my third game. It was a massive hit on the wall, and I was just like, Wow, this is real. Um, and you know, there's just there was always there was always big collisions every game, you know, right? Or not just one, like multiple, like the big hits, you know, you had to be aware. And for me as a young guy, and even all the way till my last year, like I I would always before I hopped on the board or over the boards or at a face-off, I'd look to see who was out there.

SPEAKER_05 7:14

Well, I said it before every single game to the team, you know, because back when we played, there was there were morons out there and some very tough, tough guys. And I would just tell everybody every time you're on the ice, know who's on the ice against you. Yeah, I mean, like if you were out there against me, and I've said it a million times, well, you could just go figure skating out there because I I wasn't gonna hit you, and probably my line mates weren't gonna hit you either. But but like if you're out there and all of a sudden Bobby Bassin and and Lowry and Sutter are out there, yeah, you know, their job is to be physical.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

It changes everything, the whole shift. I mean, for me, like uh I'm thinking off the top of my head, Rafi Torres was one I always like. You'd line up, you're like, okay, Jordan Tutu was another. Um, and then Rafi came to us in San Jose and it was like, oh, thank god. There's one less guy that I have, but you know, he he was so physical and you know, obviously crossed the line multiple times that even as a teammate, you're still aware that he was on the ice. Yeah, you just had you just had to be like football, he'll hit you too.

SPEAKER_05 8:21

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

And so, you know, you that's one thing that uh you just got to be aware of, and I don't think they are anymore.

SPEAKER_05 8:27

Yeah, Chaser, like some of the guys we would we had Marchman, yeah, and uh like Jocelyn Jocelyn Lemieux, one guy Dally Drake.

SPEAKER_04 8:36

He was one of those guys that waited in a game till you were coming around the net, like say waiting the weeds, he invented it almost. Or you're gonna carry the puck behind the net and then come up the wall, and he'd be coming down the wall, and him and Brendan Morrow were two of the best at it, and they just smashed you, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 8:56

Yeah, you know, so it was one of those those things Brendan ended basically McKay's career at that playoff. That's right. I don't know if you were still there and no, I wasn't there at all.

SPEAKER_04 9:06

No, but I remember it. Oh well, it was heard around the league. Sean Burr.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Sean Burr Sean Burr used to hit hard.

SPEAKER_05 9:13

Oh, and he loved it.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Yeah, they they would those those guys, like I mean, they were good at it, right? Like they'd change momentums of games and they would wait, and they would wait, and then they would find that opportunity and absolutely destroy it.

SPEAKER_05 9:26

Just keep your ass on the wall, yeah, up and down. You were okay with that. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 9:32

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 9:32

But then you even had guys like Messier, he wasn't afraid to lay an elbow into the no, and it was an elbow or a butt end, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Yeah, uh I mean it's you know, some of those highly skilled guys, too, like as a deep Forsberg.

SPEAKER_05 9:48

Oh, the reverse shoulder.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Well, and and you know, I played with Phil Forsberg. Um, same thing, he would the reverse hit.

SPEAKER_05 9:56

Pavel Datsuk took it to another level. You're just not expecting it, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:00

Because you see Datsuk, you see Phil Forsberg, you're like, all right, I can go in the corner here. Well, they've already shoulder checked, and next thing you know, their ass is in your chest, and you're looking up at the the rafters, but yeah, that they're sneaky.

SPEAKER_05 10:12

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 10:13

Maddie, who are some characters in junior you played with that stand out that you go, man? That guy was something. And and maybe didn't make it to the NHL, but maybe he did.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Well, we know we know one one guy very well, Brandon Laidlaw, right? Yeah, he he took me under my wing in uh in the Naimo in the BCHL. He was 20. I think he'd been in the league already for 15 years. You'll laugh at that, but uh he did the tour of the BCHL and uh yeah, he kind of took me under my wing in uh my first year. And but yeah, he him on the ice is a bowling ball. I mean, right? What is he 5'10?

SPEAKER_04 10:51

Oh, 5'10, uh 5'10. I think we're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

Are we giving him credit? Is that what we're doing? Man, he was because you work for him now. Is that what it is? Yeah, I don't know what he is.

SPEAKER_04 11:02

Last year he was five six.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Yeah, I don't know what he is, but man, he he played like he was like he was six one in the top. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:12

And where did he end up going?

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Uh he after after the memo somewhere. I went to Utica College.

SPEAKER_05 11:17

Utica.

SPEAKER_02 11:18

Yeah, yeah. Played D3 at Utica College and took a couple of years.

SPEAKER_05 11:23

But every day you wake up, you're still in Utica.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Yeah. Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 11:26

Was Amherst the only school that was looking at you?

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Uh, my that was the first team or school that I talked to. Right. Um I got a booklet, and this was my going back to not knowing the next level really. Holy cross gave me one of those books that they probably don't do anymore. It's all online, but and then Amherst uh assistant coach came up, watched the game, talked to him. Um and then I probably had 10 other schools talking to me, but it was just uh for me, it was like an opportunity. They came first, they liked me, opportunity to play. It wasn't draft.

SPEAKER_05 12:02

Yeah, there's a there's a thing about that first school.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Yeah, you got a soft spot for them. Yeah, absolutely. Just opportunity. There wasn't a lot of high draft picks. Um, so I just wanted to go in and play, and and so you know, they treated me really well.

SPEAKER_05 12:17

I re I remember being in Penticton and uh I got a letter from Michigan State and I I brought it to practice and walked into the coach's office and I go, What is this?

SPEAKER_02 12:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:28

And he likes what? And I go, Well, I got this letter from Michigan State. And he goes, Yeah, they're they're looking at you to give you a college scholarship to go play hockey. And I'm like, Really? And I'm like, I don't, and then you know, I had I uh had so many uh all of a sudden it was this like daily, there would be another one and then you know, I think like Penticton was really well connected for sure, and so they it's like politics, and they're in bed with these coaches, which I didn't realize. Yeah, and of all the schools, you know, and I was asking the coach for help, and he would go, Okay, well, you're all we we'll only let you go to uh on five visits, I believe. Right. And so he goes, This is where you're gonna go. And it was Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, uh Colorado College, Duluth, and North Dakota. And you know, I go to Kalamazoo to Michigan. Uh sorry. Uh it was western Michigan. Oh, western Michigan, okay. And and I go, uh I I look at the coach and I go to northern Michigan and I go, why'd you send me there? I'm not going, I'm not going there. I know. And then and then I went to Colorado College and I go, again, why did you send me there? I'm not that's like Ivy Leaks, you know. I'm not going there to go to school. Yeah, I'm going there to play hockey. Yeah. And then I went to uh North Dakota and and Duluth, and I was like, okay, well, now we got something. Yeah, we're talking. Not that Duluth is like a you know mecca of warm weather and stuff, but they had the program that was perfect for me. And I, you know, that's why I picked Duluth. And yeah, but it's uh it's a it's a it's a neat process to go through, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 14:19

It's cool, it's it's you know, as they start coming in the schools and you're talking, you know, and being so young, it's uh it's overwhelming. And I I talked to Denver, uh, you know, Cornell. The Cornell was funny because you know, Ivy League, you gotta submit all your grades.

SPEAKER_05 14:35

Yeah, my daughter went to Colgate.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

Okay, yeah. And I wasn't a dumb student, I wasn't horrible, but they're like, I don't think we can get you through clearinghouse. And I was like, okay, not a big deal. I'll move on to the next one. A week later they call, we got you through. I was like, I don't think it's worth it. Yeah, if if you're struggling to just get me through admissions, I don't think I'm gonna do well in school. So yeah, UMass was the the first school and got along really well with the assistant coach. Great little town, yeah. Great little town. The town is basically the campus, yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_05 15:05

So it's like Duluth.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, the head coach flew up over Christmas time, and so like all those little things meant a lot to to myself and my family. So yeah, it was a no-brainer. I had a blast.

SPEAKER_04 15:17

So, what was the the stepping stone then? So you you go to UMass. Four years? Two, two years. Two years, me too. I went to Duluth for two years.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

Yeah, two years. You signed yeah, so I I go my first year. I don't think either year I let the world on fire by any means.

SPEAKER_05 15:39

Um well, you're a defenseman.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

A defenseman, and I think I I think it was like I think it was like seven goals or something like that. So not terrible, but um nothing like the kids are putting up now. But um then I just went to San Jose's development camp in the summer, did that gauntlet for a week you don't see outside for all day. Uh they put you through the ringer, and then after that was after my freshman year, uh, we had exit meetings at those. I didn't wasn't anticipating. And Doug Wilson asked if I wanted to sign basically right then and there, and I was like, I just don't know if I'm ready. It more or less caught me off guard than anything, and I yeah, they love to do that. Yeah, I personally didn't think I was ready, so I kindly said I did the same thing in Hartford. Yeah, I'm not ready.

SPEAKER_04 16:26

I could well, I was fighting with these men, and I knew I wasn't ready to fight.

SPEAKER_05 16:31

I'm not sure you were ever ready.

SPEAKER_02 16:33

I don't know if I ever was either, but I gave it a whirl, your own. Yeah, you sure did. Yeah, and so it was basically like, let me talk to my family. Didn't have an agent at the time. Um, I love school. So you're a smart guy, and I was like, why not go back to UMass and play hockey another year, right? Play some more minutes, and um they'll be there next year. And then you know what? That's funny, Holly. You say that. That's exactly what my dad said. He's like, if you play like you did this year, you know, knock on wood, you don't know. There might be other teams, too. They'll be there next year, and sure enough, next year.

SPEAKER_05 17:05

You should have you should have said, Okay, hold on. I'm gonna go back to school.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 17:10

I but I don't want to go through this gauntlet again.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

This is a pain in the ass. I will come here, but I don't want to do the development camp. No, it didn't work that way. I signed, went to development camp, and and you know, thankfully, I went back because that first NHL training camp was oh, it's unreal. Oh my gosh. Well, it's an eye-opener, and I don't even think I like even the the prospects camp beforehand was challenging, and then you go day one and two of camp, and you know it doesn't matter how prepared you are, you're not.

SPEAKER_05 17:41

I was blown away. Yeah, I I remember first uh you know exhibition game after the little bit of warm-up practices, and uh I'm I I line up next to I think it was Bob Bodak. And uh he's like, Okay, take it easy on me, uh Ulzy. And next thing I know, I was on my on my ass staring up, but I'm like, oh, this is how it is.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

Yeah, I mean, there's just so much nerves and everything, and then you're yeah, you're in the locker room with like guys you looked up to, and it's just a whole package of things.

SPEAKER_04 18:16

And I remember doing the skate before, and you know, hard between the blue lines, and you're trying to impress everyone right out of the gate, yeah. You're going. I swear to God, when we were done the drill, the very first hey, warm-up drill, I was like, Are you sure? No wind left. I'm like, oh my god, what the hell is gonna happen here?

SPEAKER_05 18:37

Boy, that kid is a he's a good one between the blue lines.

SPEAKER_04 18:41

Yeah, I better fight somebody quick and get the penny box to sit for hell look there.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

I took some time for sure. At least you had that in you. I would yeah, I would have just died, but it's funny you say that because I remember during that whole process, Doug Wilson was like, if you could practice at the NHL level, you can you can play. The practices are harder than the games. It's like I don't I don't know if I I didn't know because I hadn't played a game. I was like, I don't know if I believe it. But going back to what you're saying, Chase here, I was like, those practices, man, there's not a pass that's missed. Yeah, and you're up and down the ice. It is. And here's the one thing.

SPEAKER_04 19:17

Sorry, go ahead. Don't you think this though, you guys as players, don't you think it's easier to play in the NHL in a game than it is to play in the miners?

SPEAKER_05 19:26

The words right out of my mouth. Because you've got guys who are not gonna be out of position, the structure, the structure, the skill level. Yeah, you go down to the minor, you don't know what the hell someone's gonna do. It's just like if they're gonna miss you when you're wide open for the tap in.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

And yeah, and I mean, uh not that I had a ton of points, but I could probably count 10 assists that I threw 10 feet behind someone and they picked it up clean. And next thing you know, you got a second apple, and you're like, oh, hell of a play, you know. So that's and the structure, everything is just so dialed in that, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:00

And I don't I don't know what like if you were, I'm sure you fought in junior when you needed to.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:08

And then obviously you go to college and there's no fighting. No fighting, no, you know, you're wearing a mask, and and then all of a sudden you get to the uh NHL level, and there's a lot of they they they bring in a lot of tough guys to see who's yeah, and so do you remember your uh first tilt?

SPEAKER_02 20:26

My first tilt was in Dallas. I believe it or not, was on the power plant. I cross-checked Anton Roussel from behind. He was a tough little French, and he was a tough little bugger. Maybe maybe, yeah. I think I figured that out real quick. He had his chin straps tied up so tight, his helmet wasn't going anywhere.

SPEAKER_05 20:46

That's why he couldn't play, he had no oxygen going through his brain. Brain was cut off from air.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

And I uh oh I survived it. I mean, uh it was fine, but uh yeah, I mean, it's just like not even the guys that I fought, but it was just in general, I was like, these guys are breathing down your neck and yelling at you, threatening you. I was like, wow, this is this is the real deal over here.

SPEAKER_05 21:09

So you would have loved being against me every shit.

SPEAKER_02 21:11

It would have been nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 21:12

I'd be chasing and I'd go fight, I'd go, Maddie, I'm on your ass, move the pup.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

That's nice, yeah. You get a few of those guys.

SPEAKER_05 21:19

I don't want you to be mad at me.

SPEAKER_02 21:21

Yeah, it's it you get a few of those guys. You know, I played for six teams, so you build it, be build these relationships. So yeah, you get a few of those guys. I'm coming, I'm coming on heads up, heads up. It's like thank you, barf it up the wall.

SPEAKER_05 21:33

I mean, like, you know, you go to the bars with the guys and uh you buy them a few beers and talk them up, and and then you know, next thing you know, you know, Brian Marchman's yelling at me on the ice to keep my head up.

SPEAKER_02 21:45

Yeah, you know, I'm out here, keep your head up.

SPEAKER_05 21:47

I'm like, Oh, don't worry, I know you're there, buddy. Thanks, though.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

Mushy was actually uh great guy. Awesome guy. He was uh he was um him and Mike Greachy were the uh player development guys. And so Mushy was uh And Reach were the two basically brought me. Yeah, gosh, it was really brought me into San Jose. They're big believers in myself, so I owe a lot of my career to them. Just yeah, that he was like uh they're awesome.

SPEAKER_05 22:10

He was like those ugly rock and roll stars. The chicks loved it. It's like, what the hell?

SPEAKER_02 22:15

What would he always say? He obviously was retired player development. He'd say, uh Maddie, you wouldn't you're not going into any rank without seeing a Ricci jersey on the hot scroll of a building. I'm looking at him. He's got the long hair, no teeth, nose beside his ear, but an awesome guy. Smart good player, too. Yeah, good player. I'll talk about sandpaper, right? Like he was that.

SPEAKER_05 22:37

Right. All right, let's take a break. From Ice Guardians, Matty Irwin, Kelly Chase, Bret Hole. We'll be back.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Now it's time for our get checked moment of the game. And today's topic is lung cancer. Lung cancer often doesn't present symptoms in the early stages, which is why it's so important to make sure you're getting screened if you're eligible. What makes you eligible? You might be wondering, if you're 50 to 80 years old and have a history of smoking 20 years or more, you can get checked. Even if you quit smoking, you can still get screened if you smoked in the last 15 years. If you're wanting to quit and having a hard time doing so, WashU Medicine offers a great smoking cessation program. You can learn more by emailing quitsmoking at wstl.education. And to get screened, if you're in Missouri or Illinois, visit GetscreenedNow.com to find locations near you.

SPEAKER_05 23:31

Wow. Nice hustle. The only time I get to see that much drive is when I feed my dog. Nugget loves every flavor of Diamond Naturals adult formula. Every time I fill her bowl, it's like a breakaway. I think she loves Diamond Naturals almost as much as she loves the blues. They both come from Missouri. Maybe it's local pride. All I do know is to step away from the ball, come feeding time, because she'll rough you up if you get in the way. You're right, Chaser. I couldn't fix a car if it came with a playbook.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

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SPEAKER_05 24:17

My first call is CarShield. And boom, covered. No huge repair bills, no stress.

SPEAKER_04 24:24

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SPEAKER_05 24:35

Welcome back. IceGardians from Window World Studio. Brought to you by Sitman Cancer, Kelly Chase, Brad Hall, and Maddie Irwin. We were discussing before the break about uh your time in going to San Jose and going through the the going back to school and then back. Yeah. And then you signed with them.

SPEAKER_02 24:59

Yep. Signed with them, did two and a half years in in the minors in Worcester.

SPEAKER_05 25:04

Um I got my Worcester, I heard's an alright spot.

SPEAKER_02 25:08

If you have to be in the minors, it's not it's not bad. Then the nice thing about that for me, I was like an hour from school and you're an hour and a bit from Boston. So like your little girlfriend there and there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what a place. Right. Um, but yeah, Worcester was great. It was it was a good spot. But uh my first NHL call-up actually, we're in Albany, New York, and laying in bed having a pregame nap.

SPEAKER_05 25:32

The greatest thing on earth.

SPEAKER_02 25:34

Oh yeah. You gotta have them. And uh, anyways, you the the hotel phone rings. I didn't like we had cell phones, but the hotel phone rings and it's had like the loudest noise you can ever. What is that? You basically jump out. Exactly, like it's an emergency. Getting called up basically. I was I was so pumped, had to get to the airport, fly to Albany. A bird flew into the jet wing, so the flight was delayed. Jesus. I was like, doesn't the bird just get absolutely destroyed in those and we just keep going? Because we do fly in the air, right? Like I'd like to think this doesn't happen while we're in the sky, anyways. Get have to spend the night in New York City, fly the next morning, New York City to San Francisco.

SPEAKER_05 26:20

Oh, they called you up from the other coast.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Yeah, that's what not like if you were there playing the Rangers or something. Yeah, it wasn't super convenient. But the best part was I get off the plane. My I didn't have Wi-Fi on the plane at the time. My phone's blown up, TSN ticker back home saying I'm getting called up. Obviously, told my parents. So I'm looking at all these taxes, it's great. This is gonna be awesome. Playing that night, get a call from the assistant GM saying, Yeah, we're gonna say not Brent Fedick, but it wasn't it was um Wayne Thomas. Oh, Jesus, Wayne Thomas. Yeah, Wayne Thomas at the time. Yeah, he goes, Hey Maddie, uh I just want to let you know that you're being sent back down. Oh no, that's just great. He's like, uh, so grab your bags, walk upstairs, and check in, and yeah, your flight's in a couple hours.

SPEAKER_05 27:11

Yeah, you never want to hear from the assistant because it's never good news. Oh no, the the main guy wants to give you the good news.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

Yeah, he goes, Well, at least you got a day's pay in the NHL. I was like, Oh, that's good. And then he's like, Yeah, but we have a game when you land at 3 p.m. in Providence. We landed at like two in the morning.

SPEAKER_05 27:27

I was like, geez, just continue the pregame setup that they fucked you up.

SPEAKER_02 27:32

So all yeah, so all those text messages, I was like, thanks, but uh, I don't even know what to tell you. I'm going back, but that that was a funny. Well, you don't know what you missed, yeah. That was a very good, just didn't see me out there. Um, so that was my first NHL call-up so you were even, yeah, exactly. Yeah, rare, rare occasion. Um but yeah, so that that was that. And then uh my next time called up was that 1213 lockout where we had that shortened uh training camp. A couple guys went overseas to play and got hurt, and so that was my my opportunity. You gotta take advantage of your opportunities, right? And so I go out for my first skate of training camp of that that shortened training camp, whatever, and just just trying to get out there on time, be early. Um, we start doing like uh half-ice breakouts, and I'm like, I don't even know who my D partner is. Jay Woodcroft comes up to me, he's like, Maddie, do you know who you're playing with? I was like, No. Todd McClellan would always he'd just take one of those little yellow post-it notes, super small, and just post it in a corner of the locker room. Well, anyways, for this practice, or it was right around the door when he came in the locker room. So I walk out of the locker room and just walk to my steps on the ice, like just get me out there. Don't even think to look at anything. He's like, Oh, you're with Dan Boyle. I was like, Oh shit. I was like, All right, well, that's an all right guy to ask. Yeah, this is a good partner for now.

SPEAKER_05 28:58

I don't know what he's thinking, but well, he's probably thinking, I'll stand in front of the net, you work both quarters, and exactly.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

He's like, get in the fucking go. So yeah, I ended up staying up for the majority of that shortened year and got sent down for about a week and then got back up and yeah, stayed up for the next two years after that, and then went into free agency. So um we had good teams, man. I mean, like I was saying before, like the California teams were good. We ended up running into the Kings both years, lost both years in seven. The second year was the year we were up three-nothing in the series, and felt like everyone was playing with the wrong-handed stick at one point, right? It's just incredible, but it's incredible.

SPEAKER_05 29:37

That last game is the hardest mother to win.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Yeah, it was the hardest one to win. And I mean, they were so good, obviously, during that time.

SPEAKER_05 29:44

And yeah, they had the they had one of those teams where they kind of had everything covered.

SPEAKER_04 29:50

Yeah. Well, it's just exactly like the blues were in 19. I mean they're the same. They sort of had you know the defense, they just they were just good at everything. Yeah, and they and they were and they were honestly, they were mean. They were tough, yeah, led by their captain.

SPEAKER_05 30:06

Yeah, Dustin Brown wasn't.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Dustin Brown was one of those guys that you knew he was on the ice. I mean, I mean, they had quick and net, and on D it was like Matt Green and like Voinoff, and then it was like Doughty, and then uh who was the other massive guy on D there?

SPEAKER_05 30:24

Blake didn't come back there either.

SPEAKER_02 30:27

Um just trying to think, I can't think of it all.

SPEAKER_05 30:29

Oh, Donald.

SPEAKER_02 30:30

No, he wasn't there either. Um but they just had massive guys. And I mean, we had a big team too.

SPEAKER_04 30:38

Yeah, you know Martinez there, Martinez really uh back then Dorinoff, um Matt Green.

SPEAKER_02 30:46

Just trying to think of the other massive guy. Oh, Willie Mitchell.

SPEAKER_05 30:49

Oh, there he is. I was thinking number three, Willie.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Yeah, yeah, he was there. So they just uh what a good guy he is. Oh yeah, like and then they just have like depth like all the way through. I mean, it was a heck of a series, and it probably shouldn't have been three-nothing, right? You know, but it was, and then they just they got momentum and off they went, and then uh yeah springboarded him to the cup, yeah, yeah. They won the cup that year, so so that was uh I mean it was a heck of a series, it was good and uh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:20

Tough leaving San Jose. What's that? Was it tough leave in San Jose?

SPEAKER_02 31:24

Yeah, I mean it it's all you knew. I mean, it was three years into my career, and and so like I didn't know anything about free agency. I thought I'd be there. I think I had a I had a pretty good year for me. Um my last I had eight goals, almost I think 20 points or something like that. And you know big slappers? Yeah, that was a pretty good year for me. My first game of the year, I had two goals in like three minutes. I was like, wow, this is this is incredible.

SPEAKER_05 31:52

This is easy, but uh what you know what Gretzky would say to you, right? That was that was a good couple games.

SPEAKER_02 31:58

Yeah, I was gonna say that that was a period, if that. Yeah, but uh no, yeah, you know, it's just one of those things that I I I mean I didn't want to leave, but it's a and so you're a free agent, right? It was on the wall. Yeah, I was a free agent and thinking, you know, I had a pretty decent year that I'd have you know some options. And I tell you, I didn't have a lot of options. I didn't sign January first or July 1st. Um, I ended up signing towards the end of July. And it ended up being between I think Arizona and Boston. Good choice. And you know, I was like, go to an original 16, this would be great. Like went to school out there, played in the minors out there, know the area. Like, you know, obviously a great team to be a part of with the leadership and everything there. It's like this is gonna be great. Go there, everything was good, had a great preseason. Um and then uh the man was I bad at hockey the first two games of the year. I think I I was I I think I put one off of my own teammate shin pads in the net, and then I was just on the ice for it. I was just digging out of my own net. And uh after the second game gets in your brain. Oh, after the second game, I was called into the GM's office, Don Sweeney. You know, that's never good.

SPEAKER_06 33:14

Nope.

SPEAKER_02 33:14

Um especially knowing that you hadn't played well, and so I was waived, no one picked me up, um, and then I was down in Providence for the rest of the year. Um didn't get called up again, and that was a tough year.

SPEAKER_05 33:27

That was uh Yeah, that's uh those are decision-making years.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

Yeah, that was it was like it was a lot of and then I was scratched too.

SPEAKER_04 33:35

Second guessing yourself, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

Second my guess, second guessing myself, like what the hell just happened? I I I know I'm good enough to to play in the NHL. Because you've done it, yeah. I've done it and had some success. And then well, why can't we blame it on your partner?

SPEAKER_05 33:50

Who was your partner in Boston?

SPEAKER_02 33:51

Those are couldn't tell you, I was in another lineup. That's the crazy part. So I was getting scratched down there, and that's when you really the doubt starts setting in. Things happen fast, it just snowbelt snowballed downhill. And you know, at the end of that year, it was uh it was um decision time. It was decision time. It was funny. I won, I mean, it's all I won uh defenseman of the year that year in Providence. In Providence, yeah, and uh it's all voted on by the booster club, right? In the in the minors, and Max Talbot was down, and he was funny, man. He he was when I walked out there in my suit to accept my little glass plaque thing, he is banging on the board. Yeah, Maddie, way to go! Like it's so good, it's so good. And uh, but anyways, yeah, it was decision time, and then at that point I was like, Wow, do I give it another crack and over here or do I go try to collect some money in Russia? And uh God no and had some offers, maybe, yeah. I had some offers over there, and my wife was actually the one that was like, No, you gotta give it one more shot. Yeah, good for her. Yeah, and so she probably didn't want to go over there, so uh I don't blame her, and then uh I signed in Nashville um in the offseason and had an okay training camp, but started in Milwaukee, played two games, got called up, and I think I played a career high like 76 games. Nice, so kind of reestablish myself.

SPEAKER_05 35:18

Good team there too.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

Yeah, we had a good team like that first year um regular season. Man, we were fighting for playoffs, we ended up getting in as yes, I remember that late in the year. Yeah, eighth seed. I think we were 16th overall. Um, and that's the year we went on the run. And we swept Chicago in the first round, and we played the blues in the second round, which was a gauntlet, and then played the ducks in the the conference final, and then lost to Pittsburgh in the finals.

SPEAKER_05 35:49

And the Pittsburgh didn't run over you guys.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

No, we every game was close, yeah. Except for in Pittsburgh, we kind of got blown out a little bit there, but at home we were good. Um, game six when we lost, it was zero-zero till about a minute and a half left, and Hornquist uh chipped it off the back of Peccarini's head from behind the mat.

SPEAKER_05 36:08

I remember that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:09

And uh and and that was that was the end of it. So um, but man, I mean what a good experience. Oh gosh, it was the best. That city was that city was hopping.

SPEAKER_05 36:18

I remember going through there. Oh, that's what Jeremy Rodick was his like you couldn't even walk around.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

Oh, it was nuts. It was absolutely bananas, and during the finals, they had CMA fest there at the same time. It was it was insane. I remember it was it was a really cool experience. Obviously, you'd like to win by it.

SPEAKER_05 36:35

Yeah, and you had the famous people coming out every night doing the anthem.

SPEAKER_02 36:38

Yeah, nobody knew who was singing every given night, so that was kind of a little hidden gem, and um, and and and the fans were fantastic. It's like fantastic. There, they're still are there, yeah, there still are, and they they were just so uh excited for you know, yeah, they didn't know it was a good thing. There wasn't a whole lot of expectation on us. Um, and so I remember getting scored against, and the place would be everyone would be on their feet by the time the rep brought the puck to center ice cheering. It's like we had scored, it was just a really unique experience, it's a great place to play.

SPEAKER_05 37:09

I thought that was uh I thought I thought it was the you know, all the years I played, the coolest thing in that arena when they had those uh pillars up in the corners, yeah. They were painted like uh shaving cream cans. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought that was genius.

SPEAKER_02 37:26

Yeah, no, I mean it's such a cool spot. The rink's in the perfect location. It's yeah, you perfect location. If you fall into the rink, you fall out of it, you know, back to Broadway. That's right. Yeah, it's a good spot. So yeah, I love my time there. That was I played four years in Nashville, so that was the longest stint I had anywhere, other than that. You know, just kind of living out of a suitcase.

SPEAKER_04 37:47

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SPEAKER_05 38:31

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SPEAKER_04 39:52

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SPEAKER_02 41:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 41:10

And uh Twister couldn't you know talk enough about you know guys like you and your determination that you know it it wasn't oh I was drafted and I played a little bit in the minors and then I was up in the NHL, you know, and it was I'm up, I'm down, I'm yeah, and then I almost said, Oh, I'm playing. I'm like, oh, I'm an NHL or yeah, well, and then all of a sudden you're not, and then you're on waivers, yeah, and you stick it out, and then all of a sudden you're in the Stanley Cup Finals against probably one of the greatest players to play the game and Sidney Crosby. Yeah, unfortunately, right to play against him, and then all of a sudden you're you're in Washington, yeah, and you're the beer guy.

SPEAKER_02 41:50

Yeah, yeah. So that that all that it there's two stops in between there, Holly. I uh I started taking on the beer roll in Nashville as I was towards the end of my career or career myself.

SPEAKER_05 42:03

That's when you're you know you're a 3 a.m. guy.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

Yeah, it's like you know what? We had beers on the bus, but like I wasn't playing every game, so I was like, you guys worry about the game. I I gotta have something to do. Exactly. You know, I just got absolutely bag skated in the morning. I worked out, I couldn't imagine. Um let me let me just take care of you guys because you guys are putting the work in, but just let me have a couple in the back. So yeah, started with uh grabbing the beers on the bus and uh kind of took it everywhere I went after that, right? But I went to Anaheim after Nashville. I asked for a trade out of Nashville, and David Boyle, our GM, was great about it because I wasn't playing.

SPEAKER_04 42:36

I was a UFA was that a good move asking for the trade.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

It was, it was because I said through my agent basically is like I would like a trade or resign me. I'm not playing, I'm a UFA. Our coaches had changed, we ended up with John Hines, and um, I wasn't in his in the cards with him.

SPEAKER_05 42:57

Yeah, you're probably too good a player. I don't I'm not sure, but I wasn't playing, so it was like I need to play for next year, and so isn't it funny how those those US GMs they don't know how to hire anyone but a US coach, and they just keep going around in a freaking circle, yeah, for sure. It's like it's like, do you want to win or do you just want to take care of your US guys?

SPEAKER_02 43:21

Yeah, well, you know, I I got nothing but respect for David Poyle. Well, of course, you should, yeah. Um, but yeah, it was funny because he he's like, I don't want to trade you. I was like, well, David, like who said that? He he wanted me for depth for beer.

SPEAKER_04 43:35

Did you give him beer too? Uh in front of the bus guy who was saying that poil or the coach?

SPEAKER_02 43:40

Poil.

SPEAKER_04 43:41

He probably wasn't talking to the coach.

SPEAKER_02 43:43

Um, and and I just said to you, Well, can you just you know understand my situation? Like, I need to play if I'm because I I really like David Poyle.

SPEAKER_04 43:52

Yeah, yeah, of course you do.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

30 games without playing and then go in and you're gonna get what you're gonna get. Um so there's always that trust there, and so that that's valuable when you have one of the playoffs. And um, so anyways, he was great. It made me wait all the way till whatever the trade deadline was, 3 p.m. Packed the kid up and we're going to Costco because it looked like I wasn't gonna trade sure enough. 45 minutes later my phone rang and uh got shipped out to Anaheim where I got to play 10 games and then COVID shut down. But I played 20 minutes a night. Um one night I think I played close to 26 minutes. Like I was gasp. Um but I but I I hadn't been playing, but I I truly believe that's what got me the opportunity the next year in Buffalo, which happened and you know that season started in January or whatever it was. We had a good team, but we were just working right.

SPEAKER_05 44:58

Yeah, it was like it was like they were it was almost like they the the players expected to be shitty, so they played shitty.

SPEAKER_02 45:05

Yeah, it was it was interesting. I I mean you look at our we signed Taylor Hall, we signed Eric Stahl, we had Eichel, we had Reinhardt, we had Dolen, we had Linus Allmark and Nat. Um guys were banged up throughout the year, but we just could not we could not put it together, and I think we lost all in a row at one point. No fans. Um yeah, it was just an interesting year and in and out of lineup there, and then um I went uh free agency again. Well, hold on, let's take a break and we'll get into uh the next year.

SPEAKER_05 45:41

Your move, your move to uh I think it was Washington, the caps.

SPEAKER_06 45:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:48

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SPEAKER_04 46:34

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SPEAKER_04 48:16

Listen, Matt, it's been a pleasure having you on and talking with you and learning a little bit about. Here's the new you got the old culture with the new. Yeah, isn't that the truth? And it's it's a good school, new school. Because you need to have the older guys to just kind of still set a precedent or still like be able to talk to the young guys and the other.

SPEAKER_05 48:35

Yeah, make sure the beer's on the bus.

SPEAKER_04 48:37

Yeah, have a couple beers on the bus and have some fun. And we we don't knock the new. I do. Well, I know, but the play the way it is now, it's not even the players' fault. I mean, it's just the way the culture is now, Matt. Well, who in the hell's fault is it?

SPEAKER_05 48:51

They're the idiots who bring Xbox on the road. It's our fault. No, it isn't. No one ever did that when we played.

SPEAKER_04 48:57

Well, I mean, it's crept in and for whatever reason it's here. And I think a lot of it has to do with the social media. How about the guys?

SPEAKER_05 49:04

How about the guys who have those like stay puff air things on their legs on the plane? It's like, are you shitting me?

SPEAKER_04 49:11

Well, anything you can do to make you better. Ice it from the inside. They don't know that that's what they're told is gonna make them better.

SPEAKER_05 49:19

Yeah, well, someone's lying to them. Well, maybe not. Because the only thing that makes you better is being from the neck up. Getting it between the ears. Oh well.

SPEAKER_04 49:31

In any event, Matty, you you know, you you got to move around and play with some teams. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 49:35

And your last stop was with the the king of goal scoring.

SPEAKER_02 49:40

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 49:41

So after and I've heard nothing but great things about him.

SPEAKER_02 49:45

He's the man.

SPEAKER_05 49:45

I love him.

SPEAKER_02 49:46

He's the best. Um, talk about old school. Um, but yeah, no, after after Buffalo, um you know, free agent again, shocker. Um you know what I did, I did the I did the outreach on this one because um who I had Peter Laviolette, Kevin McCarthy, who I had in Nashville or in Washington, and uh you know, they were great to me, um, kept me around probably longer than I should have been. Um, and then Washington traded Brendan Dillon to Winnipeg, who I know Dilly is. Brendan Dillon, that was in Jersey now, Dallas, right? He's in Dallas. He was in Dallas. He went to San Jose, and that was kind of the writing on the wall for me in San Jose. Um, and so when he left Washington, I texted Lavi and Cato and I was like, are you looking for a I wasn't gonna say a top pairing D-man because we knew that wasn't true. I was like, looking for a seventh guy, and sure as shit. Um I got a call like the next day, and um it was a two-way deal, but I was excited about the opportunity. It's a deal. Um and then, you know, played that one year, I think I played 15 games and back to the beers on the bus. That was that's a Ovi likes his beer, right? He loves his beer. Um, and I think that was uh a big part of it. It was just, you know, at that point in my career, it's just like what can I bring to the team? You know, I'm not gonna be on the ice or uh in a too many games. Um I'm gonna work my bag off in in practice, be a great teammate. Um what do you guys need? 3 a.m. guy. Beers on the bus. 3 a.m. guy is right. And so yeah, that was that was uh yeah, I made sure he Ovi Ovi is the one of the best humans. Obviously, the best goal scorer. Um he he's just he welcomed me in like I had been there for you know the whole culture, TJ Oshi. Yeah, you know, everyone loves him here around St. Louis, John Carlson, Nick Baxstrom. Um, they just welcome me in. I could it's like such a culture there, it's incredible.

SPEAKER_05 51:55

I couldn't believe when the blues traded TJ Oshi. Of all the people they could have traded, I'm like what are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 52:02

Talking about a skill guy that you go into a worked hard and you're like, okay, I'm okay, and then he reverse hits you. Yeah, like that guy played so hard and underrated. One of the best athletes I've ever seen. Unbelievable. He's good at everything. Yeah, he's good at every sport, and he's just a great person. Um, and so yeah, it sucks when a guy like that gets hurt because he can still be playing. Oh, that guy could play probably like if it wasn't for injuries, just the way he thinks the game and his skill and everything.

SPEAKER_05 52:32

We're still thankful. I never like hurting. He could have picked four other guys to move four on him. I would have moved almost everyone before him.

SPEAKER_02 52:40

But what you love about OSH is like that's that's why he had to retire because how yeah, yeah. I'd tell you what, but so, anyways, yeah, it was like, yeah, find find your what you what can I bring to the team? Bring you bring your niche, and so it ended up, you know, they already had beers on the bus, I'm sure. For a fact, so what?

SPEAKER_05 53:02

There's gonna be more now.

SPEAKER_02 53:03

But I was like, I'm gonna, you know, you know, I'm not playing. You guys worry about the game, get the win, and I'll I'll get the beers.

SPEAKER_05 53:10

And you said it right there, and Chaser's got the best story, and he learned it from Cordyow, yeah, when he was a free unsigned free agent and he was going to uh Hartford's camp. I don't know if you've ever heard that story. And then we also have a great Peter Laviolette story.

SPEAKER_04 53:24

So uh yeah, not sure we can tell the Laviolette story, but but but the point is, is like, you know, know what you are and make sure everyone else knows who who you are.

SPEAKER_02 53:35

Yeah, make sure you get noticed. That's it. Exactly. Uh and you know, there it was such an easy thing.

SPEAKER_05 53:40

Make sure the best guy on the team is your buddy.

SPEAKER_02 53:43

And man, like the the amount of like not even going out to bars, but like if we'd play in mostly on the west coast and then we fly out the next day. Like, if we weren't going out to the bar, we'd go to our meal room, and we would stay up in the meal room, right? Sit around the table, and you know, and just talk hockey, talk life, drink beers, and buck up, and the guy would come in and go, We're almost out of beer. Here's here's a hundred bucks, bring us another couple cases, more coming in.

SPEAKER_05 54:16

Well, I don't know if I can do that.

SPEAKER_02 54:18

Yeah, the best calls, no last call, right? You know, they're they're always willing to help, and so but you're sitting around a table with those guys that I mentioned, and you don't want to leave. Oh, it was and Ovi wouldn't let you leave either.

SPEAKER_05 54:30

It was awesome when you get you play with those old guys, and I guess everyone's got old guys, but like the old guys.

SPEAKER_04 54:38

Well, if they get to be an old guy, you better be listening.

SPEAKER_05 54:41

Like Bernie Federico and those guys playing in the 70s, it's like holy mackerel.

SPEAKER_04 54:46

It's like but if you get to Butchy and those guys and they're telling you just sit down and shut up. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_05 54:50

Listen up.

SPEAKER_04 54:51

Bernie Federco, just sit down, just sit down and listen.

SPEAKER_02 54:54

Well, my first team party give your ears a chance. My first year in Washington was our Halloween party. So obviously, earlier in the year, I'm dressed up as Bob. I was gonna watch Dynamite.

SPEAKER_05 55:06

Oh, yeah, it's a I was gonna say what's your go-to.

SPEAKER_02 55:08

It was an awesome costume. I just had a fro, I had my beard, uh the white smock. I did I yeah, I did my own little painting. Uh, we go have our team party, and it's getting to like I don't know, one in the morning or something like that. Ovi comes around grabbing the rookies. I wasn't living in the hotel. Um, he's like, let's go for steak. I'm thinking, where are we going for steak? He's like, Maddie, you're coming. I was like, Well, of course I'm coming, but like what steak place is open at this time, but some Russian. Yeah, he he he found one and it was like a Ruth's Chris or something like that. Sure enough, we're in this back room of an empty restaurant and we're eating ribeyes at two in the morning and practicing next time. Yeah, I was like, the you know, the younger guys are like, oh man, we got practice. I was like, this is you have to go to this. Don't worry about it. Yeah, don't worry about it. We're all gonna be in the same boat tomorrow. So that was super cool. Um, but yeah, so I'll tell you a quick story about New York.

SPEAKER_04 56:07

First time I went to New York, Gino Cavallini and I had a room together. He says, Pack your bag. I said, We don't we don't leave until like 10 o'clock. He goes, pack your bag, get your stuff ready, pack your bag. I'm like, all right. So I pack my bag after the game. We go out. We go to this restaurant, we go to him, walk in the back room, and Cher is standing there. Invites us in, we go and we have dinner with Cher in our. How in the hell did Gino Cavallini know Cher? Gino Cavallini and Cher. Well, I think OT or you said it. I whatever.

SPEAKER_05 56:43

Like a stunt double like from Vegas?

SPEAKER_04 56:46

Yeah, it was like uh, I don't know, like a cool backroom curtains, everyone sitting around talking, like four tables and then you know, a little bar thing. I cannot believe I'm you know, I'm 20, 20 years old. I'm like, oh my god, it's a fucking chair. So, anyways, like you said, 4:30 in the morning, she's like, Who's hungry? They get the chef out. We order steak, everything we eat. Okay, we're gonna go back to the hotel. Gino gets the cab driver, drop us off two blocks from the hotel. He goes, get out. We get out, we walk into a coffee shop, get a coffee, he orders two coffees, he gives me one, gets two newspapers out of the machine from the guy, two newspapers, and we walk down the street and we walk in the hotel. And Brian Sutter's standing there and he's looking at us and he's like, What the f don't tell me these two assholes have been up already. Like, I get up first. And sure shit, we just walk in and Gino says, See, that's why you pack your bag at night. Now let's go up, get our bags, and get the hell back. So he wanted to make it look like we were out having coffee in the morning, having breakfast before Brian got up. Thank God, bags packed, come back downstairs with our bags, got on the bus, he's laughing the whole time. I couldn't believe it. So it was a great lesson to a rookie right out of the gate, my first trip to New York City. Preparation. Preparation, key.

SPEAKER_05 58:08

Yeah. So he would tell me, Holly, because we were roommates, and he would go make sure my bag's packed at 10 every night. And I'd be like, okay. And then he'd come back in the morning and he'd grab his bag, and I'd be like, Where have you been? And he'd go, Don't worry about it. And I'm like, okay, maybe bring me along next time.

SPEAKER_04 58:28

I'm like, You're so full of shit. I I yeah, I roomed with his suitcase, okay.

SPEAKER_05 58:35

And then of all things, he'd come in the morning and say we should change the name of our podcast to I roomed with his suitcase. Because every we say it every episode. Oh my god. I just used to laugh.

SPEAKER_04 58:50

He'd be like, I got practice. I blocked a shot. Oh my god, I never blocked a shot. I can't do this. I got I'm like, get up, come on. And no, and it never failed. He wanted me to pin the curtains at night when we got in. So I'd clamp them together, yeah, turn the air down, you know, 60, whatever it could go down as low as it could. And every morning I had to unclip those things and pull them wide open so he'd get out of bed because he wouldn't get up.

SPEAKER_05 59:18

Surprise he wasn't sleeping with his shades on.

SPEAKER_04 59:19

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_05 59:20

That's good. Usually I had to undress them to get him in the bed. Jesus. Oh, you're packed, so you had time.

SPEAKER_02 59:28

Well, he was packed.

SPEAKER_04 59:29

Yeah, true. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:31

That's good.

SPEAKER_04 59:31

If you were undressing me, I got in the wrong bed.

SPEAKER_05 59:37

Oh, well, this has been another unbelievable episode. Thank you, Maddie. Are you kidding me? It was our pleasure having you.

SPEAKER_04 59:46

Thanks, pal.

SPEAKER_05 59:46

Chaser, love you. I wish I had those big mitts when I was playing. I wish you had any. Until next time, it's ice card.