The Mask & The Mic
The Mask & The Mic brings together two longtime voices from the sports world for real conversation beyond the game. Former NHL goaltender and Original Mighty Duck Guy Hebert and veteran broadcaster Kent French sit down to talk sports, entertainment, and life with honesty, humor, and perspective. From stories behind the scenes to conversations with athletes, entertainers, and influential voices, this is a space where experience meets curiosity — and where the talk continues after the final whistle.
The Mask & The Mic
The Masters & The Golden Mic
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A historic win, a legendary sign-off, and playoff hockey is back in Anaheim.
On Episode 11 of The Mask & The Mic, Guy Hebert and Kent French break down a memorable weekend across the sports world — starting with Rory McIlroy’s historic victory at The Masters. From the pressure-packed moments to the raw emotion on display, we dive into what made this year’s tournament unforgettable — including the intensity and controversy that unfolded along the way.
From Augusta to Anaheim, we shift to a truly special moment in hockey broadcasting history. Legendary radio voice Steve Carroll signs off after 27 seasons as the voice of the Anaheim Ducks. What was officially Fan Appreciation Night turned into something even more meaningful — a celebration of a broadcasting career that has spanned five decades. We reflect on Steve’s impact, his legacy behind the mic, and what he’s meant to the Ducks organization and its fans.
And finally — Ducks hockey is back in the postseason.
After a 7-year drought, the Ducks are headed to the playoffs, and we break down what needs to happen in the final stretch of the regular season and why goaltending will be the key to any postseason success.
From The Masters to “The Golden Mic,” this episode is about greatness, legacy, and what it takes to rise in the biggest moments.
Hi, this is GA Bear, former NHL goaltender, and yes, I am the Mask in the Mask and the Mike.
SPEAKER_00Yes, and I'm Kent French, and I am the Mike in the Mask and the Mic. And we have another great show planned for you here. And uh we kick things off on the Lynx Gebo in one of your favorite weekends of the year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, without a doubt, we start with the Master's Talk and then we move on to Ducks talkie. I mean, two of my favorite things, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so the Ducks making the postseason, snapping a seven-year drought, and we talk about Steve Carroll, who was hung it up after 27 years as a radio play-by-play voice of the Anaheim Ducks. That and much more all happens right now on the Mask and the Mike. We hope you enjoy the show and Gebo.
SPEAKER_01As always, good for us.
SPEAKER_00Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of The Mask and the Mike. And as you can imagine, Kent and Ghee back with you for another uh for another session.
SPEAKER_01If you're scintillating conversation.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. And by the way, technology is fun. It's just hey, can you even hear me? I don't know. It's I feel like we're doing a promo at the very beginning where we're trying to set this damn thing up and now uh trying to reconnect. This is episode 11, Gebo, and we're still having trouble with technology.
SPEAKER_01So I tell you, I have every light on in my house right now, and uh hey, this is actually kind of fun. Like I need to figure out how to put the ring light, get rid of this thing here, and I just I'll hold it for the whole show. I think it'd be beautiful.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, we're we're all about ratings, yeah, we're all about clickability. And if if you show up with a ring light around your head, that can only help our program.
SPEAKER_01I could set a new standard right there.
SPEAKER_00We can set a new standard. Well, let's kick things off by uh a big, big thank you to um, no, no, no, not masters yet. I know that's where you want to go. You had a hat on too, and we couldn't see your smiling face because of the ring light. There it is. The master's hat, the master's jacket. Yes, of course we'll talk masters, but a quick shout-out to our friends at the JW Marriott in Anaheim over by uh Disneyland because I roll in with a rollerboard on a Saturday morning because you and I were going to talk to Chris Pronger to uh chat about his brand new book called Earned, which by the way hits bookshelves on April 14th. Make sure I get that right. Bronx, big shout out to you for joining us. So he's staying at the hotel. We roll in. I did not tell anyone what we were doing. I'm like, no problem. We'll find a we'll find a little nook or something and be able to record this and throw up a couple cameras. Well, unbeknownst to all of us, there's two weddings going on. Why wouldn't there be on a Saturday at that hotel by Disneyland?
SPEAKER_01So um and just a couple patrons headed to uh Disneyland itself.
SPEAKER_00It was packed, it was packed. So I got there and Magic Kingdom. I started talking to people, and they were incredibly nice, incredibly accommodating, and they found a private room for you and I to set up and Chris Pronger to join us. So just a quick shout out to uh a little behind the scenes for all of you at home on how that one came together because sometimes you got to go find your guest, and we had to go find Chris Pronger because he's a popular guy, and he was on after that interview, he was on everything. He was on KTLA, the Rich Eisen show. He was on every hockey and non-hockey podcast you can imagine. And uh he was certainly doing the PR tour to pump his book. So good for him.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, good for him, and it got us out of the house for our first road trip. Now, mind you, it was only the Anaheim, but it was our taking the mask and the mic on the road. Yes, we did take it on the road to Anaheim's. Hey, if you want us to come to your location, let us know. We have a van, we've got staff, we've got we will bring the show to you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we will, and I'll roll in with a rollerboard with all the extension cords and camera equipment and try to set the damn thing up. So, anyways, kick things off by thanking the JW Marriott and thanking Chris Pronger for making some time for us. And because we were part, first time ever I've been part of a media junket gui.
SPEAKER_01And uh we didn't know that's where it was going, but I felt important. I felt I felt important that we were um given time to be part of that just I'm just thinking about royalties, like because we are putting him on the map, Chris Pronger. And I'm sure you're tuning into this episode. I'm sure he is.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'm sure he's got the alert on his phone the next time the mess and the mic pops up. I'm uh yeah, I can only imagine. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Do not do not disturb.
SPEAKER_00We move on now to a topic where you would just Jones and to get to, and right, Fleece So, Gabo, because we all know that you're a huge fan of the game of golf. Get out there to the links. Yes, I am once in a great while. Uh so what what what took place this past weekend, Gee? What what was there some tournament that was going on that was you know high profile? What what was it?
SPEAKER_01We like to call it a little slice of heaven, and it's called the Masters Tournament. It's it's actually my favorite golf tournament, uh, obviously one of the four majors, but it's the one I look forward to the most. And I think mostly because it's played at Augusta, right? A Cosp National Golf Club, and it's the same venue every single year. So players, uh, I think as they learn the history of the game, they're on that course, the nuances on that course. Uh, I think it's always fun to see that same challenge at the same course where the other majors move around from season to season. So um, and I just think that the the spectacle that Augusta National is and the Masters, it's so incredible. I've had the chance to go there, never play, so it's an opportunity for anyone to invite me to play, but to be able to go to the Masters, walk through the entire course. Uh, it I always call it the adult Disneyland for golfers. I mean, everything is so manicured. You walk in and it's just pristine. I mean, there's not a blade of grass out of place, there's not a flower out of place. Uh oh, by the way, like the food is 1950s pricing. So if you go and get is it really? I had no idea. Yeah, yeah, it really is. It's incredible. I mean, um, you know, the Azaleas, which is the most famous drink, you get that in the member area, so you have to have a member badge to get in there. Uh, but yeah, it's an incredibly um well organized. I mean, it's probably the best run uh tournament uh maybe ever. And uh everybody who's there is just raved about you know the settings, the politeness of the patrons towards one another. There was a guy shouting out um something about give me back my son after Rory McElroy hit a T-shot, I think on the uh Saturday round. And um, I'm pretty sure that he was escorted off the property fairly quickly, and whoever got him that ticket probably no longer has access to the tickets because it's all about the decorum. It's about you know being that kind of fan isn't tolerated. And I think the players certainly appreciate, I know that the other fans appreciate it as well, but what a setting. What a four days. I sat on my couch as much as much as possible. Got to sit on my couch, watch Rory McElroy go back to back. I mean, people were talking a year ago. Would he ever complete the Grand Slam? Kent French, and he did it last year. Took him over a decade. Stunning. Yes, and then what the hell? It goes back to back. And he was in overtime last year, French. He had to go into OT extra hole and beat Justin Rose last year. And this year it was shaping up. Look, the I mean, Scotty Scheffler comes out of nowhere Saturday minus seven, rolls in Sunday. He's in with really one putt on 17 that could have dropped for him to get to 12 under, would have forced a playoff. Uh, but Rory with the two-shot lead, and if you didn't watch it, comes up two shot lead. Uh unbelievable. He played great. Like he had some disaster uh holes and shots, but so did everybody else. But it's about rebounding and keeping your composure. And he hits probably one of his worst T shots, which he had a lot of them during the course of the four days, on 18. Frenchie peels it, slices it into the trees, got a fortunate break, but then hits uh an amazing recovery shot and then has a chance to get up and down or up, down and down because he had a two-stroke lead. Plays the hole very nicely from there. Great bunker shot, uh, and then puts it to uh just a couple inches for the tap in for the win. But uh incredible for him to get that kind of monkey off his back. You know, he completed the grand slam and won Augusta the Masters, and I think that it just freed him up, quite honestly. I think he was like, hey, I've already got a green jacket in my closet. I think I can go out there and do it again. And so to do it uh back to back is uh historic there. And then where does Rory McElroy go from here? Uh talk about number one and two in the world, maybe going uh head to head, him and Scheffler. Uh that's gonna be for the next three majors, uh, certainly the topic of conversation.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was and just reading about the the history that was made. I mean, uh McElroy led or co-led every round, first golfer to do that in like 40 years, and as you mentioned, went back to back, fourth golfer to ever go back to back at the Masters. Last time it was uh a guy named Tiger Woods back in, I think it was 01-02. So yeah, I mean, it was incredible what he was able to do. But the fact and something I read too, which is really cool, and it shows you what these athletes kind of put themselves through is he wears a bracelet that monitors his heart rate. I don't know if he read this, but it was high. Yes, that's what it was. He he hit his driver at 18, his heart rate was high, and then it starts to come down. Every shot after that, his heart rate dropped. Just the mental fortitude of these golfers, because as you know, you go out there and you've been playing these uh pro-ams. I mean, there's people everywhere. I mean, granted, the pressure, Gibo, isn't like it is on the 18th tea of the Masters to win the damn tournament for the second straight year, but I can't imagine what was going on up above the neck in these guys. It's it's remarkable the you know, the mental strength, the calmness we always talk about, the sports psychologist and these guys going through that to get their heart rate down. But I'm just impressed by the way like a McElroy hits it in the weeds and is able to rebound and come away with just bogey to win the tournament. I mean, that's impressive.
SPEAKER_01Well, and knowing what you need to do to get it done, right? I'm I'm sure he was standing on that T-box thinking, okay, all I need to do is hit the fairway. And I think he tried not to overswing on that and then was like, okay, I I couldn't have hit it almost any worse. And okay, how do I recover? But that that is, I mean, that's the mark of a champion. And when you don't get rattled and then you just all you can do is you got to move on. Like you can't do anything about that shot. It's it's it's kind of like in hockey if you're goalie, you give up a goal, you're like, okay, I can't do anything about that goal. All I can do is make sure I stop all the next shots that come my way. And I think that's what he did. He just went there, said, Okay, let me take a deep breath. I have to make sure that this next shot is a quality shot that I put it into place, that then I can make sure I can make my bogey. And it certainly was um, you know, it was disappointing. I know there's been a lot of talk about the coverage by CBS, and no one knew where his ball went. And they're like, There's a million cameras out in this golf course. And they're like, I because I was yelling at the TV, I'm like, did he go long? Is it short? Yeah, I heard they just went to a wide shot.
SPEAKER_00They couldn't find they couldn't find the ball. They just went to a giant wide shot because they didn't know where it went. Yeah, I written.
SPEAKER_01And even like the commentators are like, oh, he hit the ball, and essentially we don't know where it is. Uh so it added to the drama, of course, but um, yeah, I mean, as you mentioned, yeah, just the the sheer fortitude, mental fortitude of athletes, great athletes that separate, right? I mean, one shot wins the tournament, right? I mean, if somehow he double bogies that, if he doesn't hit such a great bunker shot within whatever it was, 10 or 12 feet, you know, all of a sudden, if it's up on the top ridge, he's looking at, you know, uh double bogey. So uh I'm I'm sure Scotty Scheffler was in the in the room waiting, just looking at his chops saying, just give me a chance to get back out there and play a playoff hole against Rory. But um, I mean, well deserved, well earned. I I think he's an incredible ambassador for the sport of golf. And I think that just now kind of puts him, you know, in the conversation of okay, you start talking about the greatest of the greats. I'm not gonna say goat, you know, and that's obviously, you know, Jack and Tiger, but he starts to move that needle a little bit toward how good is he gonna be at the end of his career? And does this just free him up for all the other majors where he goes in there and he just, you know, not that he wasn't confident, but to be able to do this, all of a sudden in your back pocket, you're like, oh, a six-time major winner, you know, back-to-back masters winner. Like all of a sudden you start looking at US Open and you know, the Open Championship and the PGA. So if you're a golf fan like I am, uh I I just I just think that everybody's gonna look at Rory as maybe the guy, and that's gonna put a fire under Scotty Scheffler. So we might see the best golf out of those two players uh coming up soon.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's fun. It's kind of the next generation of the one and two, because it was Mickelson and Tiger for a long, long time. And then now you got these two guys going head to head. And what's interesting about Scheffler, too, is you don't want him I don't know if you rather chase him or want him behind you, because Scheffler doesn't make mistakes. He went bogey free, didn't he? In the final round. I mean, he's two rounds. Final two rounds he went bogey free. First ever at the master, bogey free in the final two rounds. He is a guy that will just be there consistently, and it's almost like his consistency will create anxiety for whoever's around him, especially in front of him, because you can't make mistakes when Scotty Scheffler is in the hunt, which is pretty much every single tournament. So, yeah, that's gonna be fun to watch. Um, another thing I want to ask you about, since you watched the tournament, and I, as you probably can tell, I did not. Um Sergio Garcia, did he snap his driver? Like, what the hell was that all about?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, you know, hey, he's a passionate guy, and you know, there's that's something you see on a Muni course, you know, on a Saturday afternoon. I mean, not at the Masters.
SPEAKER_01No, and and being a Masters champion, you know, there's I obviously this is all about, you know, respect to the club. And I I I saw his statement today. I watched the interview post-round where, you know, getting athletes in those moments, uh, you know, you he chose his words very carefully. And but I saw it. I mean, I was watching on the Masters app, and so I watched that situation unfold live. And, you know, I mean, obviously he's been struggling with his game, and you know, we all get upset and angry or whatever, but you know, thinking about he wasn't in contention, so I'm gonna say, did it really matter if he was playing poorly? I mean, really, no, because he wasn't gonna win the tournament. But yes, I mean, I watched him hit a ball and he, you know, smashed a club and then he smashed the T marker and then he smashed it on the uh the cooler, and then the driver head fell off. And anybody who knows, you know, even the minor rules of golf knows that if you break a club in any fashion other than breaking the ball, you can't replace that club. So you had to play with three wood the rest of the day, which you know certainly affected how he was gonna attack the course, but you hate to see anybody uh embarrass themselves, embarrass you know, the masters tournament, uh, and the get uh national uh audiences watching. I mean, it's one of those things where God, you know, you hate to see the emotion get the best of you, and it certainly did, and and and he's known, I mean, we've seen this for years, yes, him do this. So uh Augusta, as I read, like they invite the Masters champions back every year, but it's not a like God given right, it is an invitation because they respect the fact that you've been able to win that Masters, and so it's kind of like a lifetime exemption. But they did say that it's not it's not carved in stone, Frenchie, where i if you misbehave and you disrespect Augusta National and the Masters tournament, they don't need to invite you back. So it's gonna be interesting because I think that this is gonna be a conversation uh between Augusta National, their membership, the tournament, whether they want to extend an invitation to Sergio Garcia in the future, and maybe they don't for next year or a short amount of time to kind of reinforce you know, hey, somebody always has to be made an example of. And I think that this is an um, you know, unfortunate for him, but I I I really think that it was uncalled for. I mean, I I know you didn't watch the tournament, but I know it's a hot button topic. I I've you know, it was not long ago, and everybody seems to be talking about it. And, you know, he does, like I said, have a track record of, you know, he's damaged greens in tournaments, he's spit into a cup on a tournament, and you're like, that's just you know, when you think about you know, golf as a gentleman's sport, yeah, that doesn't, I mean, that doesn't flush with with a lot of people.
SPEAKER_00But it's cool when Bo Jackson takes a bat and snaps it over his thigh, though. Yeah. You can't snap a driver though. No, it's a little easier to do so. I guess maybe it's because it's more impressive when Bo Jackson takes a stick of lumber and breaks it like a toothpick. But somehow that seems different, right?
SPEAKER_01I mean, doesn't it? Like no, it is. I mean, you see a hockey player go to the bench and he, you know, I mean he breaks a stick as he goes to the bench.
SPEAKER_00Um, you know, I think the etiquette, it's the whole, it's the rules of the game, the rules of the environment. You mentioned gentleman's sport, it's a different, it's a different environment, yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_01Um I mean, what are your thoughts? I mean, are you are are you okay with that? Like, I mean, just hey, you show the emotion, it's raw, and you move on and everybody moves on, or are you uh in the camp of um myself and those people that like this is just poor sportsmanship?
SPEAKER_00You know, it's I don't know if unfortunate is the right word to use, but that's what people want to see. People want to see athletes not be robots. They want to see personality and they want to see relatability. And that we can relate to that anger, right? I mean, I mean, most of our uh as golfers, as amateur golfers, can relate to the fact where you want to throw your club in the water, throw your bag in the water, snap your club, do all those things, but you find a way not to, because yes, it is uh it is etiquette, is the rules of the game and things that you need to follow. So while there is certainly a a double-edged sword here where um, you know, and it drives in this world of social media that we live in, that's kind of what people want to see when it comes to that, and and see someone be human. Um, but especially in the sport of golf, I would I would agree with you in the fact that it is uncalled for and something needs to be done about it. You can't have that, um, because you are in a you know, also a whether you like it or not, that's a whole nother conversation, is the role model thing, right? Like you are a role model, whether you like it or not, because you are on that platform, you are on that stage, and that is not a way, that is not okay. And you don't want other golfers, other young golfers coming up to say, that's what I want to do. You see, you see them emulating athletes all the time in every sport, right? The bat flip or whatever it whatever you want it to be, another conversation you want to dive into, you can't do those things. That is not part of that sport. It needs to not happen, and there needs to be either recourse, a conversation, whatever it is. Obviously, it seems from what you're telling me, it seems like Sergio's certainly been talked to, which of course he has.
SPEAKER_01I mean Well, they talked to him like on the on the fourth hole, and he he wouldn't comment on what they said, but uh the you know, the club did say, made a statement about hey, we did we discussed how he how he behaved and discussed, yeah, and that he was basically put on notice. Uh so if there was any other outburst throughout the course of the round, that I'm pretty sure he was gonna get uh D DQ'd.
SPEAKER_00And he should be. I mean, that's and that's that's I do feel that way. And it's that it is that unfortunate thing though, too. Like I said, like people want to see the emotion relatability, but that there is a line, you can't do stuff like that. So yeah, I I agree there needs to be something. So you can't do it.
SPEAKER_01So let's let's talk about another incident that happened at Augusta. Um Robert McIntyre got a I believe he got a nine or a ten on I think the 13th hole, the par five with water, and um ended up being uh just a tragic hole for him or whatever. But at one point he was caught on the hot mic with. A couple choice words, and then he was also caught on camera flipping the bird to the hole to the green.
SPEAKER_00So if someone following the tournament, these are things that I see. I see the broken driver from uh Sergio, and I see McIntyre flipping the bird. Those are things that show up like over and over and over again. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And and this is without, you know, there are no cell phones at Augusta, right? There you you cannot bring your own. Yeah, that makes sense. That's cool. I mean, this is being pumped out by the actual media that's there and you know, the television broadcasts or whatever. But so then you start saying, okay, well, you know, they're both bad. Which is worse? Is one actually worse than the other? Um, I think, you know, in my opinion, and we won't have to belabor the point because we got a lot of great stuff to talk about. Uh, but Sergio Garcia as a champion, an Augusta National Masters champion, um doing what he did. I I think he's a representative of the tournament more than Robert McIntyre, who has never won. And I know they both represent, you know, pro golf and all that. But yeah, I just say it's obviously a frustrating sport. Um, but I just thought, yeah, there were some things that I think Augusta is going to go back and take a look at, um, as well as some other things. I think there was some kind of like frisbee thing with some social media people during the week, earlier in the week during the practice rounds. It was some kind of whatever, and I think they're I think they're readjusting some of their thoughts on how they want to promote uh the Masters tournament going forward.
SPEAKER_00Well, let me say this emotion is um we like emotion. We like emotion in all sports. And when Tiger came on the scene, we loved emotion. I mean, Tiger was another one. He he he he walked the line when it comes to you know a bad shot, slamming his club down, whatever it may be. Granted, I don't think I ever saw him snap a club, but but it you love the emotion. You love the emotion when he was playing well, you love the emotion when he wasn't. You wanted to see all eyes were on Tiger Woods.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean you love the celebration, right?
SPEAKER_00I mean that's the but he he walked the line in a good way. You can't go this other, these other two that you reference have gone over the they've crossed the line, in my opinion, especially in the game of golf. He can't do that. So um I agree with you. But you know what?
SPEAKER_01Very long-winded, yes, and I agree with you.
SPEAKER_00And I agree with you, and I agree with you. Um, well, it was certainly a uh oh, I and just a shout out, I had to go on the leaderboard. Uh our um Yes, I can't say our friend, but Jake Knapp, Napp time, was five strokes off the lead. Yeah, we can we can say our friend. He finished 11th overall. What that I mean, good for Jake Knapp. I mean, that's awesome. I cannot wait, and we are gonna effort Jake Knapp uh over and over again to get him on this program. Um he did sit with us on our pregame show back in the day. Yep. Um, but hey, we say good for us, good for Jake Knapp, man. He showed up, he played well. That guy, his name is gonna be mentioned for a long time to come when it comes to the leaderboard and some big tournaments.
SPEAKER_01No doubt about it. He's played so well this season, been in the top 10 multiple times. And at the Masters, if you finish 12th or better, you get the auto invite back to the next Masters tournament. Really? Oh, yeah. I did not know that. Oh, that's that's a big deal. So, you know, there's other ways to get to the Masters, obviously, through points and winning tournaments to qualify. But if you if you're uh tied 12th and better, then you get to come back. So I'm sure that's one of the bucket list things that you want to do is secure that spot. You know, Jake, you can see him rocking, you know, he has a little sponsorship deal with the Anaheim Ducks that he's had for years, and he loves hockey. Obviously, he loves the ducks, and so you can always see somewhere, uh, usually on the collar of his shirt, he's got the ducks logo, and uh, I think it was on his bag this year, his master's uh specialized bag. So uh he's repping, he's repping OC well for us.
SPEAKER_00All right. Uh well, congrats to him. What a finish. Um, yeah, that's all I did not know that he will be in the masters next year. Fantastic news. Um, all right, we transitioned, Gibo, and I think you did it on purpose because that's kind of how you do things is um went from somehow you worked in Ducks and Masters in the same sentence, and now we are rolling into Ducks. Um, we will comment that they are now in the postseason, thanks to Nashville losing. Ducks have backed their way into the postseason. I don't really care how they get there as long as they got there. So that is good news and good for them. But before we uh mention that and dive into that a little bit more, I do want to um talk about a good friend of both of ours. And uh you and I ran into a game for only the second time this year because I've only been to two games and that was April 12th, fan appreciation night at Honda Center. Ducks taking on the Vancouver Canucks. All they had to do that night is win, and they would be in. But it was a very another special night. Uh I like to call it Steve Carroll Appreciation Night because our friend Steve Carroll uh is hanging up the microphone after 27 years as a play-by-play radio voice of the Anaheim Ducks, 50 years overall in broadcasting. Um, on the ice ceremony with his wife Rhonda, Aaron Teets, another friend of ours, a president of the Anaheim Ducks, is down there, gave him a golden microphone, he got a painting, the whole, the whole works. Then he gets up to the booth and he's got a call of game through all the emotion. He was down there showing a lot of emotion, rightfully so. Fans, players, everybody on their feet. He goes up to the booth, and Brent Severin is there, his longtime former broadcast partner who now does the pre- and post-game for the uh Dallas Stars. He flies in, surprises him, was sitting in the uh seat, uh, and helped call the first period with him and Emmer. So um, what a night. We got to go to a post uh um reception with him and his wife and some some friends and family. And um, I can't say enough about Steve Carroll, another guest that we're gonna have on. We chatted with him, and I know you put it in his ear to get on here, and we'll certainly hear from him once the emotion dies down a little bit. But um, we can truly call him a friend, incredibly respected uh across the industry. Uh, he's a one-of-a-kind. His call will be synonymous forever with the 2007 Stanley Cup. Um yeah, I I just I we I will miss him personally um listening to his calls, but he is still gonna be around the team um in a hosting capacity. So uh Gebo, just a very special night. It was cool that we could both be part of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, without a doubt. I mean, Steve Carroll is the Anaheim Ducks. I mean, yeah, like you mentioned, the the call of the Stanley Cup Championship. Uh, he was there when I was still playing, so he's obviously endured some great times. He's also got us through some tough seasons. And I think that uh, you know, his voice has calmed the nerves of many Ducks fans over the decade. So uh, as you mentioned, too, being kind of a mentor, going from uh uh myself being a player and trying to find my way and navigate it in a broadcast world, uh, much like yourself and and Hazy and Johnny. I mean, Steve was uh a great resource for me to be able to ask questions, get comfortable with. I actually sat in the booth with him, and I a lot of people don't remember, but during the Stanley Cup finals that we did not win in 2004, I was up in the booth with Steve or 03. I was up there with Steve because he had no analyst, no color analyst, and he was doing the games all by himself.
SPEAKER_00That's crazy, which is insane, right?
SPEAKER_01So um I had the chance to do that with him throughout the course of the season. I would go up for a period here or there, and then as the playoffs started, I had more time and spent doing uh the entire game with him. So it was uh incredible because we got to do some amazing games, especially in the cup finals against New Jersey Devils. And um, you know, of course, uh, you know, the big hit with Scott Stevens, Paul Korea. We were live on the air doing that, and he handled that with such class and grace. And um, yeah, just an amazing guy. Uh, you know, he started in the minors, like I always say, like a lot of athletes, we start in the minors, try to learn our craft, try to get better. He did all those same things in his craft. Um, you know, and I I I think he never lost sight of that. I think when you're in the minors, you never lose sight of where you come from. And I think he took that throughout his entire NHL career. So special night. Uh, love seeing his wife Rhonda, uh, you know, all the support he got. And he was shedding tears. He's like, he's like, I'm trying not to cry anymore. So so when we have Steve on here, we will not make him cry, Frenchie. We will we will we'll let him have some peace.
SPEAKER_00It's like that scene from uh uh Jerry McGuire and Roy Firestone is Roy, you're not gonna make you not gonna make me cry, Roy. You're not gonna make me cry. That's such a good line. Um, yeah, and and I I'm glad you brought that up about the minor leagues because um it's been documented now as as he has been celebrated, but I don't think people really understand what that is like. I mean, as a player, you can speak to that, but as a broadcaster, he's on that same bus and he did it for you know almost 30 years, uh 20, 20 some odd years. He was he did the minor leagues, he did minor league baseball, minor league hockey. He was and when you're in the minor leagues in broadcasting, you are the marketing guy. You're the sales guy. You you do it all.
SPEAKER_01I mean plugging all your own equipment and your own equipment. I'll be grabbing a couple player bags just to help out, you know.
SPEAKER_00It is it is it is a love of your craft. It is he he loves, he truly loves what he does, and it comes through in his calls. And um he, you know, you talk about people putting in the time. I mean, my goodness. And he talks about it candidly, and we'll have him chat about it as well. But you know, there's a time when you wonder if you're gonna make it. You know, you you you keep going and you pounding, and it's one of 30 jobs, one of 32 jobs now, or what you know, so it just it's that's it. And once you're in that seat, like Steve Carroll has been for the last 27 years, you don't leave. It is your seat. This is your team. So um yeah, I I can't can't say enough about him, and and uh you know, I'll again a lot of things we'll touch on, you know, when we have them on. But he when I was with Adelphia Cable, um I started a show called This Week in Angels Baseball in Center Ice. We used to do a show at the ESPN zone. Um I really in front of a live studio audience, and God knows, you know, I think that was all who was watching was a studio audience, but he he didn't know who I was. I invited him to be my co-host. He sat up on that stage with me and he did the shows, and he would travel to spring training with me, and it was um, you know, and and we'd be in a we took a road trip up to Oakland when the Angels clinched one year, and um it was we were in you know Motel Sixes and we were cruising up there in rental cars, and uh he did it all with me, and and uh he you know he supported everything I was doing early on, and I will never forget that. And um yeah, I I'm just so grateful that I've been just a to witness uh part of of what has been an illustrious career. So uh congrats to him, and it was neat to see the players too. And and there's a and there's a story I I was told that there's during picture day, the players called him over and had him sit with the team photo. And gave him a him and Rhonda came over and sat there, and it was pretty special and and pretty cool, and it just kind of tells you you know how much he meant not only the organization, but to the players themselves, you know, and and he had the utmost utmost respect from those players. Um, and that that says a lot, Gee, because you know the media isn't always necessarily looked great upon by players all the time, but he was certainly respected and and was one of their own.
SPEAKER_01Well, I think that's the thing is you know, Steve's on every trip, calls every single game, is on, you know, every plane ride, every bus ride at the practices. And so, you know, for players, and I remember when he was doing it when I was I was playing that, you know, you you respect because you you know that you know they're there to support you, right? He's there to support you. He just needs information, you know, for the the call. And you know, he wants to kind of bring the best out of the players when he's calling the game and when you have that relationship with players and media. And I and I think Steve, you know, countless hours of just sitting in a cold rink on practice days. I remember last year I traveled and I was uh in Philly and we went to the uh Penn Hockey Rank, which Penn doesn't even have a college hockey team, but they have a hockey rink that they've had for uh many, many years. And Steve and I went to the off-day practice, and we had a chance just to sit and watch and talk about the game and talk about the players, and you know, then down in the locker room as guys were getting ready to go from the locker room, back onto the bus, get back to the hotel. And it was amazing to see that the players, you know, waited for him, that if he needed something, you know, uh any questions or anything about the game the next day, you know, they were just they were waiting for him. And and I think that is that's that ultimate sign of respect that they're like, hey Steve, you got everything that you need. And he, you know, he never abused it. And I think that was the the great part of that relationship that he's had with many players over many decades.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, it's it says a lot. You're right. So um, congratulations again to him and of course his wife Rhonda, because as you know, Gebo, and as as I know, it you know, you're in this industry and you're gone a lot. It's a lot of hours, and your family is a part of it. So um for Rhonda to be part of it too was really special. And Steve uh also recently was given uh or inducted into the Southern California Sportscaster's fame. So um he got that accolade as well, and uh certainly probably more to come. And he will be uh in some shape or form, uh he will be enshrined uh at Honda Center because again, he has been just a voice of that team and the history of that team. Um, and that's pretty special. So congrats to him. And again, we'll get that guy on here and and we'll dive into his career a little bit more. So hockey and um You're gonna transition now. The Anaheim Ducks. Yeah, my transition was horrible right there. Wanted wanted the ducks to clinch on fan appreciation night and Steve Carroll's final night, and they came back from a two-goal deficit, I believe. I got to sit at a hockey game. I sat next to my wife with Everly was there, and Michelle looks at me and she's like, You and I have never watched a hockey game together. And I sat up, I go, what? And she's like, Yes. And you know, I've been with the organization or I was with the organization for 21 years, and we we've been together for I gosh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01You better not get this one wrong.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like 16, 17, 18 years. Think about that. You know, I'm either working, I kinda, and everybody's like, Well, he came down and said hi. Well, yeah, I was because we were working, or you know, I'd run down if she was ever at a game. But um, it was it was bizarre to sit there and watch a game. And she took a picture and says, We need to document this because who knows, you know. So, but yeah, I watched this this ducks game, Gebo, and uh it was fun, got off to a good start, and as they do, they had the Canucks right where they wanted them because they fell behind. And then they came back, and I'm like, here we go again. Cutter got his 40th. Um, everything looked good. They tie it up, they go to overtime, and then this the the air out of the building on a power play by the Canucks with like 10 seconds left, I think it was in overtime. So uh it didn't happen, but now they're in. Nashville lost, they are in the postseason, they can breathe uh a breath of fresh air. So good for the ducks. Congratulations to them and the organization. And Gibo, you've been obviously covering the team all year long. Um, you just got to get in, right? Just get in. Anything can happen.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Uh you know, it doesn't necessarily need to be pretty. I I know that they desperately wanted to control their own destiny, right? They wanted to be, hey, we're gonna win that last home game for the fans. I mean, the fans, as you said, being in the building, I mean, in that third period, they were chanting, you know, we want playoffs. And uh, and so they were ready to to blow the top of the Honda Center off. And and when they when the Ducks gave up that third goal shorthanded, went down 3-1, they were still on the power play. And my first thought was is if they could get within one goal, if they could just respond right now with a power play goal before that power play expires, they're right back in it. And and on cue, they score, kind of get the crowd right back into the game, and then bang, they score again. And all of a sudden, it it was it was playoff atmosphere, right? I mean, the crowd was going crazy. Um, I mean, nobody was sitting down in their seats. I I'm sure you were standing as well, but nobody was sitting in their seats, and you just felt like it was inevitable for them to get that fourth goal and win in regulation. Uh, tough way to lose. You know, it's always tough, and and you know, sometimes the the penalties that are called in overtime, you know, did he was it really a slash on the hands? Did it take away the prime scoring opportunity? Ref said yes. Uh, I think Joel Quenville, Coach Q, thinks maybe differently. Uh, but nonetheless, uh, you know, they got a very critical point, which was needed. And like I said, they kind of backed into the playoffs. But hey, it we, you know, there's a motto, hey, we don't care. Right? And I think if you ask any Ducks fans, they don't really care. Uh now it's just really a matter of with two games remaining and four points on the line. LA is now in the playoffs as well. They've secured their spot. And so shockingly, the Ducks could finish in a number of different spots, right? Edmonton, Vegas, LA, Utah. I mean, it's still a revival. They could be a wild card team or they could win the Pacific. It's nuts. It's nuts that for it to go down to the last game. So now you're thinking, you know, maybe could they rest some players? Possibly, but where do you want to finish? And and and I actually said on our pregame show, um, be careful who you wish you want to play against. So sometimes it's better just you go and you play it out, and whoever you end up playing, then you play, right? If you try to match up against a certain team, you know, sometimes that backfires. So uh I expect them to go out there, try to win these two games, finish as high as they can. If there's still a glimmer of home ice advantage left, you know, I think that's uh, you know, uh an instrumental way to be successful in the playoffs, to have, you know, that extra home game, especially if it's game seven in your own building. So uh, but what a what a great time of year. I mean, I think the players, uh, like I said, took a deep breath. Now they can kind of focus on the fact that, like, hey, we need to put two solid games together and we can work on things as we get into the playoffs. And and like everybody says, you know, you get your foot in the door, you ride a hot goaltender. Uh, I can't wait to see some of the players who have never experienced playoff hockey uh anywhere, especially here in Anaheim, uh, get that opportunity. You think about Troy Terry, you know, you think about some guys that, you know, may have, you know, been w knocking on the door and just never gotten into the postseason, and of course, some other veteran guys who have had great success winning Stanley Cups and that really valuable experience that they're gonna bring to the locker room.
SPEAKER_00Best time of year. Best time of year. Best time of year. And no matter what what sports fan you are, you it's hard to argue that the NHL playoffs are not near the top or at the top when it comes to postseason environments series as a seven-game series. And Gibo, there is no such thing as a five-minute overtime. There's no such thing as a shootout come postseason. You play until the final goal is scored. And it is what these athletes do from an attrition standpoint is phenomenal. Um, yeah, I cannot wait. I mean, seven-year drought is over. Uh, wow. It feels good. I mean, it's crazy. I mean, and and being uh, you know, a little removed from the team, but just to be able to, you know, I'm so happy for the people in the organization. I'm so happy for the people that cover the team and you and everybody that are around it, because I know what that feeling's like. And I know because you know, you put in the work. Everybody works so hard all year long. You not just the guys on the ice, but everybody supporting the the team and the organization. They work so damn hard, and and it's kind of a help, it's kind of a payoff. Like this is why we do this, you know, at the end to get then and see the fans and painted orange and the the towels, and I mean it's it's unlike any other environment. And I am so fired up for this team, um, and for the fans, especially. But I will say this, Gibo. Yes, tell me, speak words of wisdom. They gotta win the next two. And By the time this this podcast airs, they will have played Minnesota, so they'll have Nashville left. Yes. Um you don't want to face Colorado. You don't want to drop. Yeah. You don't want to drop. I mean, let's be honest.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I I I think if there's one team you're really trying to avoid, it is Colorado. Um so there's a lot to play for. And you know, uh Minnesota in the game against St. Louis, they still won the game, but they did not dress really any of their top star players. No Capri Sov, no Matt Boldy, no Quinn Hughes. I mean, so when the Ducks face Minnesota, and everyone will know the outcome when this comes out, uh, it's their finale. And so will they dress their star players for their fans in the in the finale? Uh maybe they dress them, maybe they don't play them much, maybe they see how the game goes. So the ducks have a great opportunity to either play a team that's either not going to have its star players, uh, they're third in the NHL in the power play. So that's a huge advantage for the Minnesota Wild. But if Hughes is out and Capri Soff and Boldi, Zuccarella, if any and all those guys are uh not dressed or playing limited minutes, I mean it's a great opportunity for the Ducks to really pounce on them, you know, get those two points that the Ducks need way more than Minnesota. Uh Minnesota can't move up, down, sideways. I mean, they're they're locked in where they are. So, and then that finale against Nashville. I mean, Nashville's gonna be playing for pride and playing for jobs, but they're gonna be a team that's wounded and wounded in a bad way for them, where I think the motivation um to play and to win is is, you know, yes, it's their finale, but I think the ducks could certainly jump on them, um, knowing that they're going to the playoffs and Nashville is not. So uh I like the way it's set up, and I love the fact that if they can, you know, kind of push that envelope to be as high a seed as possible, um, you know, it it's great. I mean, it's great just maybe not really even knowing as a player who you're gonna match up again against just yet until that final game.
SPEAKER_00But you don't want to limp in, right? The ducks have been limping for the last week, and they they can't afford you want that momentum, and you see it in baseball a lot when it comes to series. Like you those some of those wildcard teams, they're on a roll just to get in and they take down a number one C that's been sitting, right? So you want you want to get in and you want to be getting in with momentum, and these last two games could be crucial for that. And like you said, who cares who they we don't, I mean, yeah, Colorado, but you want to go in feeling good about yourselves regardless. And as we mentioned at the start of this playoff conversation, you just need to get in. Anything can happen. Dostal could be one of those guys that can win games for you. And and that's not a doubt. Goalies, we're going to the goalie conversation, is goalies can make make it make a team, make a playoff run. And we saw it with Jiggy, you know, we saw it with you. We you know, you you have that those games where you can steal a game. Yes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, your goalie can't be average. Um, Sergei Babrowski is a great example of that in the last couple cups, right? I mean, you your goalie has to be a guy who steals a game, right? It might be just one game. Um, it could be four games in a whole series, it could be multiple series wins that the goalie's responsible for. And and I think that's the thing that goaltenders love that spotlight. They want to be that guy. They want to be the guy. They want to be the guy who's like, hey, the reason we're winning these games is because of our goaltender. And then the rest of the team feeds off of that, right? I mean, they feed off of these, you know, huge saves that the goalies make throughout the course of the game. Um, you know, I think Dostal is primed. He's played Olympics, he's played world championships, like he's got a great pedigree. So the moment isn't going to be too big for him. And you know him as well as I do. I mean, he is even Keel, he's a fierce competitor, but he is uh really great at handling his emotions. So I don't see him getting rattled. Uh I see him thriving in that environment. And and listen, you talk about them limping into these last, you know, uh last 10 games. And I think part of it could be is that they wanted to make the playoffs so badly that I think that maybe the pressure got a little bit to them. And then it affected their systems and their defensive scheme and their power play rate. It started to trickle into a lot of different things. You know, I think, but now that they're in, I think that these two games, I think the coaches are really gonna work on them saying, like, yeah, this this is our time to shine, and we need to be able to create that momentum that we need because you just, you know, it's not a team that's good enough to be able to say, hey, we're gonna flip the switch, you know, once playoff starts.
SPEAKER_00Next time we talk, we'll be knee deep in playoff hockey. How does that sound?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, it's gonna start I mean, that's crazy. It's starting Saturday and Sunday. So, I mean, it's you know, it it's right away. There is no no break. So hockey fans are gonna be able to dive right in.
SPEAKER_00I love it. And how about closing our con our uh podcast with a goalie conversation? That's just things just happen the way this this should, right?
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, uh, it was funny because probably like two weeks ago, uh Lukash Dostal was at 29 wins, and I started going through, you know, the the records of uh Anaheim Ducks goaltending, and you know, Juguer is at the top with 36 wins, hit 35 in another. I think Freddie Anderson had 35 in one season. Uh, I think Jonas Hiller, myself, uh John Gibson all had around 31. Um, and so I was like, is Jiggy's 36? Like, that could be in jeopardy. And of course, they went on that little bit of a slide. Uh, so he's at 30 wins going into the Minnesota game, two games left. Does he play both games? I don't know. Maybe they rest him in that game in Nashville if there's not a reason to play him. So essentially he could tie myself and a couple other goaltenders uh as he climbs up that you know wins record in a single season. So um, and listen, I'm a I'm a guy who believes in records were made to be broken. So I I I'm all on board for him to continue to win and and climb up that uh ladder because uh he is that good.
SPEAKER_00Well, very cool, and I cannot wait to see how he performs and how the rest of his team performs and who they will be performing against. We will that'll all shake out in the next few days, and we will have uh all that on our next episode of The Mask of the Mic. And by the way, you can uh view this podcast on the Mask the Mic YouTube channel. Also catch us on Apple Podcast and Spotify as well. Evo has uh always it's been a pleasure talking some links. Um I I love the Masters gear. You always you're always addressed appropriately for whatever we talk about. I don't know how you do it, but it always it always just it always just works somehow. Somehow, some way. Um so yeah, look forward to seeing you next week and talking some playoff hockey amongst other things. And until then, Gebo. Hey, and good for us. Good for us.