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
Travis Moen: Hockey Player & Farmer
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What does it take to win a Stanley Cup? And what happens after the final horn sounds?
On Episode 21 of The Mask & The Mic, Guy Hebert and Kent French welcome former Anaheim Ducks forward Travis Moen, a key member of the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup Championship team.
Joining the show from his hometown of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Travis reflects on one of the most memorable seasons in Anaheim Ducks history. He takes us behind the scenes of the 2007 championship run, sharing stories from the locker room, memories from the playoffs, and what made that team so special.
Travis discusses the leadership styles of Ducks legends Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, and why the shutdown line he formed alongside Samuel Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer became such an important piece of the Ducks' championship formula. From shutting down the opposition's top players to contributing timely offense, the trio earned a reputation as one of the most reliable lines in hockey.
Beyond the Stanley Cup memories, Travis opens up about life after hockey. Today, he is a farmer, business owner, hockey instructor, and family man. He talks about running Swift Hockey Co., teaching the next generation of players, and the lessons he learned during his NHL career that continue to shape the way he coaches young athletes—including his son, Carter.
This episode is filled with great hockey stories, leadership lessons, championship memories, and insight into what it means to build a meaningful life after professional sports.
Hi everybody, this is Guilla Bear, former NHL goaltender, and you're listening to The Mask and the Mike, featuring my co-host Kent French.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the guy that just talked, he's the mask. I'm the Mike. Yes. And uh together, this podcast, we have a lot of fun talking to some great people, and we got a great guest, Evo, coming up on the show. Uh 2007 Stanley Cup champion for your Anaheim ducks. Who do we have?
SPEAKER_02Oh, we got oh we got uh the shutdown line king, Travis Moan. And uh yeah, we got some great stories from Travis, and uh you're not gonna want to miss it, honestly.
SPEAKER_00Not gonna want to miss it, he put aside his team. He's a farmer, he's a hockey coach, uh, he has his own hockey school. We're gonna talk about all that and much more. It's coming up next on a podcast we like to call The Mask and the Mike in Evo, as always. And good for us. Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of The Mask and the Mike. Kev French Gabe, of course, along with you. A very special guest joining us from somewhere in the world. We're gonna find out where he is. The farmer, the hockey player, Travis Mowen, Stanley Cup champion for your Anaheim Ducks back in 2007. Travis, how the heck are you, man? Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER_01Doing good. Thanks for having me. Yeah, just uh, you know, chasing kids around and doing a little farming and little skills hockey training, and you name it. So I love it.
SPEAKER_00And uh, we were just chatting before we we pressed record here, and uh, we're trying to get this thing all set up and working on browsers and and all this stuff that I'm not familiar with, and I'm learning as I go, and I'm like, Travis sends me back this text. I will, I will, I think I'm gonna screenshot it and keep it. All he wrote is hockey player, farmer, have no clue what browser I use. That's why I have kids. That's so good. Uh, well, tell everybody where are you where are you living right now? Where's home base for you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, still back in Swiftcairn, Saskatchewan. So um, yeah, as soon as I retired, we um we used to spend our summers here and then uh move back here full time now. And farm's about 20 minutes north, so it works out perfect, and then our cabin's about 35 minutes northeast, so it works out pretty good.
SPEAKER_00So you say farm. What are you farming?
SPEAKER_01Farm well, we used to run cattle back. Uh I think we sold them all actually right after we won the cup in 08-09 is when we sold the cattle, and then now we're strictly grain farm, so uh it's my brother's farm. I help out just in seeding and harvest. So I say in the summer, don't call me. Um but yeah, we grow lentils, durum, uh, canola, uh, peas. Um this year we put in uh mustard. So yeah, lots of different stuff. Look at you.
SPEAKER_00Is this something that you did prior with was it a family thing prior to it to, you know, obviously throughout your career, but was this something that's always been a part of your family?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it has. Yeah. Uh my great-grandpa came over from Norway and and bought a plot of dirt, and uh we've been farming there ever since. So um, yeah, it's been in the blood. Uh farmed all growing up through hockey, obviously. Um, you know, when I was a kid, I spent a lot of time on the farm. And then I continued right up till my son was born, where I would play in Anaheim and I would come back and work all summer and then on the farm. And then uh as soon as my son was born, I was kind of like uh this is getting a little bit too much. You know, I need uh the summer to rest and recover and stuff. So yeah, um, brother got a hired man, and um, yeah, we've been uh you know, allowed me to focus on my training, so which was great. But I still still get out there as much as I can and try and help out because it's it's fun. It's a it's once it's in your blood, it's a way of life, right? So I love it.
SPEAKER_00I was trying to tell Gebo, I'm like, you know, he's like, You got Travis yet? Are we gonna do this thing with Travis? I'm like, I don't know. I got this text back, he's like, I'm seeding. I'm like, what is it?
SPEAKER_02We got the seed sower out there. I can think is you got the big burlap sack and you're just tossing the seeds. Spreading them out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, exactly. I will yeah. No, it's a little more uh a little more high tech now with all the technology and farming. It's I don't even don't even have to steer the tractor anymore. It just goes down the field for you, and you turn around and you watch your drill and make sure that uh you don't have any plugs or any hoses popping off, and you get to the end of the field, and all you do is turn the corner and hit a button and it goes back down the field. So it's pretty uh it's pretty uneventful, but uh it's still fun watching the seed go on the ground.
SPEAKER_02Well, yeah, I've got a little experience with this because my wife grew up on a dairy farm in northern New York. So much like you, uh during the off season and I went to visit her as we were dating, I can remember her dad saying something about, hey, you know, would you like to, you know, help us with some, you know, some haying. And I'm like, yeah, sure, why not? Little did I know what I was getting myself into. And after just a little bit of doing that and throwing these hay bells on the conveyor belt or whatever, uh, my girlfriend who was my wife went out there and said, like, I just don't think this is a good idea. Like, he could get hurt here and really jeopardize his career. So at that point, he's like, all right, you can just stand there and watch, which is I'm sure a much safer place for me to be. But yeah, uh, yeah, throwing those square bales are not not light either, right? No, they're not. And I was in the a novice, right? You could probably laugh about this. And and Frenchie has no idea, but no idea. You know, I'm thinking I'm young and I'm strong, and so every time I grab the hay bale by the twine, like, you know, I'm like the straw is going into my fingers. So I start grabbing it and and grabbing it with my whole arms. And of course, I have short sleeved shirt on. Yeah. By the time I get done, I wake up the next morning and it looks like I got chicken pox. I mean, I've got marks all over my arms from doing it. So the lesson learned.
SPEAKER_01That straw really pokes you pretty good. That was a funny story about we used to haul a lot of squares as kids, too. And my dad always believed in uh you build characters through hard work. So uh it was funny that one day one of the neighbors had drove in and we were hauling square bales, and uh he went over to help us and he grabbed a square bell and he went to throw it up on the hay wagon, and it goes, Oh, this is heavy. And my dad just chuckled and he goes, Yeah, I make them heavy so it builds characters for my boys. Yeah, nothing came easy.
SPEAKER_00I love that. I mean, that translated to the way you played on the ice, too. I mean, it was uh you were a hard-working player, but before we get uh, you know, I want to chat obviously you chat a little hockey, but we'll stay with the family, man. I I want to know what's going on. Like, how many kids do you have now? And you said they're kind of helping you on the farm. Like uh, what's going on?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I got my uh 17-year-old boy, Carter. 17? 17 now, yeah. Yeah, he's yeah, and he's uh he's actually helped out on the farm. He did a little rolling this year and stuff, so he's starting to get into that. And then uh he plays uh uh he played his 16-year-old year in Swift Corn for the Broncos. He was drafted by the Broncos, hometown boy, so he's playing in the Western Hockey League. He played last year, his first year. And then he just golfed and he's finishing up school, uh, a couple a week, a week and a half left of school. And then my daughter, she plays pretty much everything. She does cheer, um, she does volleyball, she does softball, so she's kind of all over the map. So I actually coached for the Broncos last year in the Western Hockey League, so I was able to coach my son. So worked out good. So I went one way with Carter, and then my wife went, you know, one way with my daughter. So we we didn't see much of each other this winter, but uh yeah, the kids played lots of sports.
SPEAKER_00So that's so great. And like I it's funny, I I was telling uh uh we'll bring this up a little bit, talking about the ducks run in the postseason, and there was a um a lot of similar well, I don't want to say a lot of similarities, but certainly one uh you know shut down line I was talking to Giebo about that kind of just like God I gotta talk to Travis, it'd be awesome to get a hold of him. Like, how the hell do I get a hold of Travis Moen? Like, so I start Googling you and I find the Swift Hockey Club, right? So is it Swift Hockey Company or uh what was the uh Swift Hockey Company, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Swift hockey call.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I'm like, okay, and so then I DM'd Swift Hockey Company. I'm like, hey, looking for Travis Moen and whatever. And your wife Amy's like, hey, this is Travis's wife, Amy, you know, definitely would love to talk to you. And I'm like, just the way that I was able to get a hold of you. Thank you to your wife, by the way, for getting us in touch. Um, so it's pretty cool. So tell me more about this Swift hockey company. Uh, when did that happen and and how is uh how is that going for you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's going really good. Um, yeah, we uh me and my business partner Regan Darby, he played pro hockey, drafted by the the Canucks. Um we just you know, our kids were getting older and we realized that there wasn't much for skill training in the southwest of Saskatchewan. So about five years ago, we started up a company and just kind of just started putting kids through the paces and um bought that edge boss product, that reactionary training stuff. So uh yeah, we just started getting groups together and running skates, and then pretty soon it started to blow up a little bit, and you know people wanted more, so then we started our company with Swift Hockey Company, and uh yeah, we've been doing it ever since. So big spring camps, we'll do a five-week spring camp, five-week big summer camp for kids getting ready for their camps in the fall, and then uh we kind of run like a breakfast club where we'll do you know 6 30 in the morning till eight o'clock in the morning, we'll run two 45-minute sessions twice a week. And then we train the local um the triple A Nigget team here. We do some training with them, and then before that, we were doing a lot of work with the Broncos too in the Western Hawkey League. So yeah, we've been uh pretty busy with that. And you know, it's kind of fun because it's been five years now, and now that you're watching the progression of the players you've been working with and how much better they're getting and stuff, it's it's pretty fun to watch. It's it's it's it's great being able to be able to be on the ice with them and teach them, you know, certain skills that we've learned over the years, or you know, the nice thing about TikTok and Instagram is there's so much stuff out there that you can just kind of pick different drills off that too, and and uh it's great. So it's been a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02Uh are you able to work with goaltenders? Do you have uh anybody specifically? Always comes back to goaltenders. I'm just curious because you know you always need a goalie, right? Shoot on. I mean, I'm not saying that you're trying to make them better, but yeah.
SPEAKER_01Goalies are always the hardest to find. Like you get the spring camp signups and they don't sign up, and then it's hard to find the goalies, especially in a small town like Swift Garrett, too. Um, but we did have a local guy that uh would come out and work with the goaltenders too. So it's it's we just didn't have you know too many guys who were able to work with the goaltenders, but uh you know, we still invite the goalies out, they get lots of rubber that's thrown at them. They're not the best quality drills that goalies like where they need that, you know, 10 to 15 seconds between shots. There's a lot of rapid fire stuff, but um no, we uh we enjoy having them out there, you know, especially with the skills. The kids hate shooting on an empty net, like it's just not fun, even if it's you know, a shooter tutor you so you need you know goalies out there that you know makes it more more enjoyable for the shooters too.
SPEAKER_02So well, I I just know that as a kid growing up just like that, where you know I would skate in one session and then like goalies wouldn't show up, and then you're like, hey, uh we're we're an older group. Do you want to just stay out? And I look at my dad and he's like, Hey, free ice time, absolutely. You stay out. So and then you of course got to be able to skate with older kids and better shooters. So uh for me, it always was a benefit. So it goaltenders can be popular in the right situations.
SPEAKER_01They are, they're extremely important, that's for sure. And we do a lot of the same thing where it's like when we don't have a goaltender for the next session, we usually talk to the goalie in the first session before and say, Hey, do you mind staying out a little longer? Yeah, because it just makes it more fun for the shooters.
SPEAKER_00So Trav, how was uh when did your son take an interest? Has he always had an interest, just obviously watching you and being around the game all his life? And and when did that you know interest become a serious interest?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think, you know, like Greg from the obviously the young age of when he could walk, he was, you know, he had a hockey stick in his hand, and um, then we put him in hockey in Montreal his first year, and then I got traded to Dallas, and then they stayed till Christmas and then came down to Dallas and put him in hockey down there, and then uh the second year and my last year in Dallas, he played played hockey there too, and it was great because we kind of had a great group. We had like Trevor Daly, his kid was the same age as Carter, you know, Vern Fiddler's boy was two years older, you know. It was a pretty good, you know, group of kids on that team that you know Karts was able to hang around with. So um, and then we moved back home and it was full boar hockey. So he um he definitely loves it.
SPEAKER_02So you can say it's in the blood, right? Yeah, that's right. Yeah, it's just like farming. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Farming and hockey, baby. Farming and hockey. How's it been uh being his coach? Is that is it tough, you know, from the dad-son relationship?
SPEAKER_01Uh I think when he was really young, it wasn't tough at all, you know. But once he starts getting to that, you know, 13, 14, 15, I think it's uh, you know, it's a little tougher on him. Um the one thing about him though is like I said, that honestly in the last four or five years, I haven't even said anything to him just because he works extremely hard when he's on the ace. And and I always told him, I said, I'll never give you shit for not scoring or not, you know, getting points, but I will give you shit if you don't go out there and work your your your butt off every single shift. So it's been good that way. He listens, he loves to he loves to work, and uh and that's why he's been getting better, it's just because he he puts in the work. And so the coaching side of it, I would say as he's gotten older, it's been a little bit more tough. Um last year was really good. I th I felt like you know, coaching in the Western Hockey level, I just kind of kept my hands off. I didn't say much to him. I let the other coaches deal with him if that was needed. Um yeah, and then uh, you know, this year I'm not gonna coach just because I want him to have his own path and his own journey and his own career, right? I don't want to, you know, be stepping on his toes. And you know, it was kind of funny. We were in Everett, Washington for uh our big U.S. road swing. And it was like early in the year, and I was like, hey cards, I seen him in the lobby. I'm like, you want to walk down to the ocean? We can check the ocean out. He kind of gave me a look like, Dad, I'm with my teammates, like, beat it. And I was like, You're not cool. Fair enough, fair enough. Yeah. So it was a lot of fun coaching him last year, though. It was you know, just you know, especially when it's in the Western Hockey League, seeing that big jump for him and be able to watch him. And you know, there's no better place to watch your kid than on the bench, too, right? So um, as much as you're trying not to watch your kid, you know, you're trying to watch the whole game and other players on the ice, but it it was a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02Well, what uh does he have plans? I mean, what's his goal in life as a hockey player? I mean, is he living the dream of like, hey, one day I want to follow in the footsteps of my dad? I I I want to go to college. Um does he have a path that he's set forth that he's that he's planning on?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he he definitely wants to play in the NHL. That's his that's his goal. Um But he also understands that it's uh it's a long road and it's hard to get there, and and then his focus, luckily he's really good in school, so um definitely the NCAA route would be really important for him. So that's kind of his his path is you know, he'll probably play NCAA, hopefully, and then you know, and then he'll take a kick at the can and try and play pro.
SPEAKER_00So I love it. I love it. So Travis, when when did you actually hang him up from the NHL and and what was the moment that you realized, okay, I'm done. I've done everything I can on the ice, and it's time for me to to move on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it would have been my last year in Dallas, 15-16. So uh I retired in the fall of 16, and uh just my knee was getting so bad. Um I always said you can go to like uh, you know, played in Anaheim, which you know, the training staff was amazing there, really good training staff. And then I went to Montreal, and that's when I started having my knee issues. And the training staff in Montreal was amazing. Like I would be on the training table every single day. They'd fix me up, I could go out and play, I could go practice. Uh and then I went to Dallas and it was a little different there. The training staff was great, they just didn't have the sports staff needed to understand what was going on with my pelvis and my knee. Yeah. Um, so it was kind of a struggle. I was always on the road trying to find a Cairo or somebody that could work on me. Um and then it was just a grind that last year, and I kind of knew that it was probably gonna be my last year, and which I was okay with. Like I, you know, when when I got traded from Montreal to Dallas, um, my daughter was she would have been two years old, so it didn't really affect her. But my son had just started kindergarten in Montreal and then having to, you know, move to to Dallas, and he was actually, we put him in straight French and he was fully fluent French by Christmas. And then we had to uproot him and move him to Dallas, and there was no French program down there. So uh just kind of seeing how hard it was on the family, you know, the travel, the move, um, with me getting traded, and kind of said, you know what, it's time for me just to hang them up and and spend time with the family and enjoy that part of my life.
SPEAKER_02Well, I mean, you know, what you're saying is what a lot of people never know about, right? It this is the like behind the curtain look at what happens to professional athletes. And I know it happens in all walks of life and and people getting uh moved in their jobs, corporations, or whatever, but you know, uh like for the athlete for you and I, uh like it's almost easier, right? We we pick up and go and we walk into a locker room and we're embraced by a family of 20 other hockey players and you have support from management and coaching staff, but it's so hard on the family. And when you start having a wife, and then you know, that's that's hard in itself, but then when you have your kids and you start moving kids around, um, it becomes extremely difficult. And you know, but it's interesting to hear what you you say about uh you know, I think we all at some moment in our career kind of the light bulb goes off in our head, and it's like, you know, could I stay can I play another year? Sure. Will I be as good as I once was? No. Uh can I still be valuable? Sure, I think I can. Uh, but yeah, it's that realization at that moment of like, but you know, I've had a great run, and you know, I think we all want to be able at the best of our ability, kind of decide on our own. Like we make that decision that we're ready to retire. So I'm happy to hear that, you know, not through injury, but that you came to that conclusion on your own and said, you know, it's time. Uh I was able to do that and say, you know, hey, I've got a history of this, this, and this. I can keep playing, but you know, I I want to make that decision. So um hopefully a lot of guys have that opportunity, but I know sometimes it comes from usually uh management that ends uh guys' careers uh instead of on their own terms.
SPEAKER_01For sure, for sure. And that's and you can't fault them for it. I mean, it's it's a great game that everybody wants to play as long as they can, right? And you know, at some point you gotta weigh the the pros and the cons and you know the family to the hockey and then even health-wise too, right? You know, you get you're getting older and you're not as not as quick as you once were. Well, you're a little more susceptible to injury too. So um obviously I've had my fair share of injury, so I wanted to leave the game, you know, somewhat healthy and and be able to enjoy my next 30, 35 years, hopefully.
SPEAKER_02That's the thing is that you know, we do, we're we're so conditioned to playing and then getting to a retirement age. And I retired at 34. And like, I mean, I felt like I lived a full life. And then I wake up after like a year or so, and I'm like, I'm only 35 years old. Like, I I mean, I hope I live for you know 50 more years, but uh it it is, it's kind of a sobering moment to have that realization, right?
SPEAKER_01For sure. Yep, it is definitely. It's it's uh yeah, it's something we we thought we would never see. You start your career, and it uh it feels like you're gonna play forever, and then all of a sudden one day you're old and and it's time to retire. So, but I like I say I had the the most fun in my career, played with a lot of great teammates, and I wouldn't take anything back for sure.
SPEAKER_00Travis, when you you talk about teammates, and I have been told this, obviously have never been part of it, but once you you reach the ultimate prize in any sport, right? Do you still take stay in touch with some of the guys from 07?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the odd guy once in a while. Obviously, Rob Niedemeyer lives just down the road from us. Well, he's farming too, right? Yeah, he's a rancher, he's a rancher now. Robbie the rancher. That's so good. It was kind of funny because Rob was about eight years ago. You touched, he's like, I'm thinking about getting into Wagyu beef. And I was like, Rob, you're not a rancher. Like, what are you doing? So funny. Well, it's good for him. He's built quite the herd there and he's doing really well for himself. But uh, you know, you you keep in touch as much as you can. You know, you play with a lot of guys over your career, so it's really hard. But uh obviously Anaheim's a special place. We went back for the 10-year cup reunion, and and it's funny, like you you you haven't seen guys in you know 10, 15 years, and then as soon as you get together, it's just like you never left the locker room.
SPEAKER_00So that's cool. And and I wanna that's why I want to go, Gebo. We're gonna do it, go down memory lane a little bit here and let's go back to 07. All right. Uh always fun to revisit this year. But um a question I want to ask you and I want to know is at what moment, maybe it was preseason, maybe it was, you know, the beginning of the season, but when did you realize that 017 was something special and that you guys could really do something?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think it was the start to the season. I remember we went on that big run to start the season where we I think we'd set a record for most gains, though, to a loss or something. I can't remember exactly what the style was, but uh I think at that point we realized, oh, we got a team here, and you know, obviously um we got a chance at and at good you know put together a pretty good run. So I think that was kind of that that really hot start we had. Um and then you look at our team too, like you look at our back end and you know Nita Meyer and Pronger and Jiggy and Net, and then our top line, you know, you know, Timu, Kunitz, you know, McDonald, and you have the young line that is just as good as them, you know, Corey Getzelf and Penner. So uh I just think that, you know, looking at the depth of our team and kind of how we were structured, we were big and physical. If you know, right from that point, I felt like we had a chance when oh go ahead, Keepau.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, I was gonna, you know, because I think chemistry is is so undervalued. And you you know, you think about guys having certain responsibilities and you know who who plugs and plays where, right? And you know, you think of like, you know, the Hall of Famers that were on the team that you everybody knew that. You know, Tamu and Prongs, Scotty, we're gonna be there someday. But you know, much like your line, which uh again is you know was unheralded during the time, but everybody realized how important your line was to the success of the team, and that you know, if everybody stayed in their own lane and did their own job, uh then that's where success comes from. But it's that chemistry, I think, that where you know, guys uh you know, I mean, it's honestly it's like brotherly love, right? You you love the guy sitting next to you and you play for the guys on that bench. And I think when you do that and you make those sacrifices, you know, you are successful. Um, I mean, we see it every season in this in the Stanley Cup playoffs, right? You see a team that kind of rises to the top and you see players, you know, Braden McNabb the other night, right? I mean, that's a perfect example of like, hey, and coming back and getting hit in the face, but then coming back in that next game, you know, it speaks volumes not only for him, but for the chemistry of that team. I don't really want to say the name of the team because you know it's a rival, right? But for your season in particular, I mean, are there moments that you remember as you were getting to that playoff run where you saw like really selfless play by your teammates?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I would say so. But I think our team had like a really good identity. Like we all knew our roles and our identity as a team, right? Like we knew that our top two lines were they needed to score goals. Yeah. They had to. They were the you know, and then our line as a third line, we knew that we had to shut down, and we didn't have, you know, Sammy and Rob. Like they didn't, we didn't care about points. All we all our focus was just shut the other team's top line down. Um, so you know, we weren't we weren't cheating, you know, for goals. Like we we played the right way and and we all believed in ourselves and and believed in our teammates that could get the job done. And then obviously our other line, you know, we had, you know, they were big and strong and bruising and and they understood their identity as a line too, right? So I think that's the most important thing is like every line having an identity and buying into it. I think that's the biggest thing. The hardest thing is for you know guys to maybe one guy thinks, you know, I should be on the top, you know, on the top line or whatever, and not buying into that uh that role or that identity. So I think our team really understood what each player brought to the team and went out and executed. And I think that's the most important thing for a team that wants to go deep into the playoffs.
SPEAKER_00When was your line put together?
SPEAKER_01It was kind of put together at the end of the season before, kind of that uh yeah, 05-06 run. So it was kind of put there, and then the next year, I don't think we played on a different line all year. Really? And we and then yeah, and then the next two years, even after we won a couple we played together. So um, you know, I give, you know, Randy Carlis a lot of credit too. Like, you know, the lines didn't change a lot throughout the season, you know, here or there, a little bit tweaks. Our line never changed, but it allowed the team or the lines to, you know, create that chemistry that I think you need, um, you know, especially in the playoffs when things aren't going, you know, the way you're thinking they're go they should be going. You still can lean back on that. Well, we've played together all year. We know how to score, we've put up points all season long as a line. Let's just go and do it, right?
SPEAKER_02Well, we got to talk about goaltending. Yep, for sure. And you know, it it's and it's funny because uh, you know, uh, you know, Jiggy had one of the most amazing runs a goaltender can have in any playoffs, and it was the year that the Ducks don't win the Stanley Cup, right? They lose in seven against Jersey, uh con Smite trophy winner. Uh honestly, one I was doing some games on the radio, I was in the the Honda Center, and I was as a former goaltender like just in awe of what he was doing on a nightly basis. But then all of a sudden you fast forward to the actual Stanley Cup year. Yep. And you know, there was uh some things going on in his life that made it difficult for him to be in the lineup every day and and certainly uh you know be in the moment. But there's some other goaltenders who stepped up and without like that support from the backup goaltender, uh you may never have gotten to the Stanley Cup Finals and and had a chance to win the cup. So, you know, that's just one of those unsung hero things where you know sometimes the most unlikely candidate has to be able to, you know, make a huge impact, and none other than the special guy. So the Brisbane, yeah. Well, I mean, you know, like the confidence in teammates and all that, but when he came in, I mean, obviously he's a world-class goaltender, and uh his you know, I guess his demeanor is different than most goaltenders, so it maybe it really was um I mean a key factor that he was mentally the way he was, right? That he could just kind of come in, be unflappable. Uh, but I just I'd love to hear your thoughts on him being able to step in in in big moments and then step out and then Jiggy getting back into the pipes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was obviously that was kind of a little bit of a nervous time for us when Jiggy's, you know, obviously had some family issues uh with his son or whatever. So um, you know, Briz came in and stepped right in. And, you know, I roomed with Briz for two years on the road, so I know all about Briz's. Wait, did he? No way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got a couple, yeah, I got a story about Briz that is quite funny. But uh, you know, Briz was just uh kind of a quirky goalie that uh you know he's a little bit out there, but great guy, uh amazing guy. And like you said, world talent. Like he was athletic, six foot three, six foot four, you know, moved extremely well. So I think I think that was the thing too, is we had confidence in Briz when he came in. Like we weren't like, oh, now our backups, and you know, he hasn't played much this year, where Briz played quite a bit all year, and we were extremely confident him jumping in nets. So um obviously um he played, what was it, four games, I believe, and then and then we he got pulled or whatever. We're kind of playing, weren't playing good in front of him against Minnesota, and then Jiz or um, yeah, and then Jiggy came in nets. So um, yeah, Briz was Briz was awesome. He was a competitor, um, and we had all the confidence in the world in him. But uh he still wants your number one goal in the net when you're going to the playoffs. So uh it was great to see Jiggy, you know, you know, in a very tough situation, be able to jump in there and and start playing well right from the get-go is is really shows a lot about his work ethic, his character, his determination. Um, and then it was, you know, I wouldn't say it was smooth sailing after that, but um, yeah, he came in and he was he was lights out for us.
SPEAKER_00All right. You you teed us up on this, your little teaser there for the Briz story. Can is it something you can you can tell us about here?
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, I can tell it. It's it's uh it's nothing too bad. Uh well I we were in so I was I never slept in in my whole career. Like I only slept, well, I slept in once, and this is the story. So me and Briz were rooming together in uh in Carolina, and Briz wasn't playing that night, and it was one of those you know suites where you have the little couch room with a TV and then the bedroom in the back. So I walk in the room and I'm like, oh, I'm gonna I'm gonna go have a nap, Briz. He's like, okay. I'm like, I'll set my alarm for whatever. He's like, oh, don't worry about setting your alarm. I'll wake you up. I was like, okay, whatever. So I better get a wake-up call. So I got I called down, got a wake-up call just in case. Well, the bus left at say 4 45. Well, we woke, I woke up at five o'clock, and I look over in the bed beside me, Briz is snoring beside me. So I jump out of bed, I'm like, Briz, we slept in. He's oh shit. He's like, I'm not playing, so you go, just go, I'll grab your stuff. So I jump in a cab, I boom it to the rink, but I called, I can't remember who I called. I called our, I think it was Jer uh who was it, Tim Clark or somebody. I can't remember one of the training staff. I'm like, hey, I slept in. He's like, okay, don't worry about a mole. He's like, I'll bring your workout stuff to the bus and you can just change on the bus and then just run in like you were warming up. I'm like, perfect. So I get to the rank, jump in, uh, jump in my workout gear, uh, go jogging into the rink. They just finished like the pre-scouts meeting. The guys had like ruffled my stall up and moved my jersey to come for me, so nobody knew I was gone. So yeah, there was lots, it was lots of fun with Briz on the road. He was uh yeah, he was a little quirky, but uh we enjoyed our time. But that was the only time in my career I was ever late.
SPEAKER_00So unreal. And you know, a Randy Carlisle boss leaves a minute before. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, you uh yeah.
SPEAKER_01If you're not five minutes earlier with uh with uh with the coach, you're five minutes late. So it's insane.
SPEAKER_00Um every every good team has adversity. Who well, first of all, what can you give me a story of of a moment, whether it be towards the end of the season, beginning of the season, or even in the playoffs when it was like, you know what, we really need to to hunker down, we need to refocus, things aren't going the right way, things could go wrong if they're not changed right now. Is there a moment in time that kind of stands out to you where you really kind of had to say, you know what, we need to rethink how we're doing things?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think it was that Detroit series. I think, you know, obviously Minnesota, we, you know, got through, you know, not easy, but you know, we won and five. Um, I think the Detroit series was a series where it was like, okay, boys, like this team is right there, right with us. We got to hunker down. Um, and then Team who scored that goal, and over time, um, it kind of gave us a a little step on them because to be honest, it was it was a struggle. They were a good team. We knew we were in in for a tough one. You know, obviously, you know, they win game one, you know, we win game two, they win game three, we win game four, and then obviously game five, we, you know, we obviously, you know, won and and took the a stronghold on the on the on the series. But I think that was a moment where we kind of, you know, we lost game one. It's like, oh boy, this team's good. You know, we gotta really hunker down and make sure that we're playing at our best if we want to beat them. So I think that was kind of that turning point where we and then that's where we kind of self-belief we knew we could win it too if we beat Detroit, who we thought was the best team in the league at the time, you know, going in Ottaway knew they were gonna be extremely good too. But I think that really helped us with our confidence and our belief that we could win it.
SPEAKER_02Well, what what did you think uh, you know, as you're going through the playoffs for preparation? Um I mean, how much did you guys do when you were trying to match up lines that you did as uh like breakdowns with coaching staff on your own? I know it's not the technology of today where like the iPads are on the bench and all that. Yeah, but you know, when you guys were preparing for, you know, I mean, obviously at home it's a lot easier to match up, right, with the last change. But you know, did you guys get you know really detailed on you know who you're gonna match up against and then Randy and the coaching staff trying to get you out on the ice as quickly as possible if you weren't already out there?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Um, well, I think the start of every series, I think we had a team supper and we would go through, we would spend an hour or two going through every player on the other team, their tendencies, their strengths, their weaknesses, their line combinations, the strength and weaknesses of each line, the defenseman, the goaltending. So I feel like the coaching staff did a really good job of, you know, making sure we were ready to play and make sure that we didn't leave any any stone unturned for sure. Um, and then obviously, you know, it was kind of a lot, especially on the road, it was hard to get the matchups, but Randy was really good at matching up lines. So he would he had lots of signals from the bench. I think he called out every single defensive zone face-off, every offensive zone face-off. He would have signals for everything, and then yeah, he would get us out no matter what. You know, he'd every single face-off. I think you could go back and look, the centerman or, you know, the line would look back at the bench to see what the instructions were, whether it was to change right away, so we'd get a different line on the ice or it was to stay out, or maybe it's like, you know, it's a quick shift and then get off, you know. So there was a lot of communication between, you know, Randy and the players on the ice to make sure that we were ready to, you know, jump on the ice or you know, get the certain matchup that he wanted.
SPEAKER_00So game four against Ottawa, end of the second period, Daniel Alfredson fires a puck at Scott Niedermeyer. That and then you guys go into the intermission. Yeah. Take it from there. What happened? Like you guys. I mean, you guys are all fired up, ready to take on the entire team.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, we were fired up. Well, it's it's Scotty. You don't, you don't, you don't shoot a fuck at Scotty, right? Right. And we had a team that, you know, to be honest, I mean, you don't do that, right? Uh we could we could hurt you, you know, on the scoreboard, and we could, you know, we had a tough squad too, or we weren't afraid to mix it up as well. So uh I think we got the dress game. I think it was Jiggy. Snapped on us, and we weren't playing good. Like we were awful. Um, I think he just set up and he's like, This is this is a pretty incredible chance, guys. Like, what are we doing? We're messing it up right now. Like, we gotta come out, we gotta finish this third period strong, and we gotta build for build for the next game. And it was it was a little more heated than that. I won't get into whatever, but uh no, Jiggy just and Jiggy was a leader on the team. You know, he obviously goaltenders can't wear a letter, but he was one of the guys that everybody looked at, respected, you know, and when he said something, everybody listened, right? So uh kind of got us, you know, out of our little funk that we were, you know, in the first two periods. And you know, I thought we came came home the third play better, and then obviously, you know, game five was was was awesome. So um, yeah, you need that leadership, right? And you know, Scott was our leader all year, and he said lots of stuff throughout the year, you know, prongs, all those guys did. So, but that was Jiggy's moment, you know. He was the guy in the net that was getting, you know, pounded on, and we weren't playing good in front of him, so he let us know how he was feeling and and uh what we needed to do from there. So that was that was one thing about Jiggy. Um if you know Jiggy, he's very uh very fiery. You know, he's got uh I remember one practice I'd hit him up high in the shoulder or the or the uh the helmet or whatever, and he came chasing me down the occasion and wanted to two-hammy the back of the leg. Like it didn't care who you were, he was uh he was intense, and that's what made him so good.
SPEAKER_02Well, I do know that you know historically goalies don't like to speak up in the locker room a lot. And it is, it's when uh you know, even for myself or other goalies I played with, if the goalie comes in the locker room and kind of loses his mind, uh it is, it kind of sends a big message. And you try not to do it often because you don't want it to be like, oh there goes you know Jiggy again or there goes Gebo again, you know, you're like shut up and stop the puck, right? That's always but when you do speak up and you're passionate about like, hey, let's you know, let's figure something out, you know, the guys do have a tendency to listen. But uh in defensive goaltenders, yeah. I mean, we don't like to get hit up high in practice, and so yeah, I've tomahawked my stick at a couple guys and sometimes realize that I might have just thrown it at Stu Grimson, and that was probably not the best idea.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, maybe not, but hey, whatever. He's gonna learn too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you got the message.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, exactly. 100%. Yeah, it's uh it's one a wise thing I said to my one team, uh, U13 or U15. And our goaltender always gets hit in the head. You know, at that age, right? Every kid wants to go bar down, right? So I told the boys, I'm like, just I'll throw you in that one day, like and see how that feels. I said, if you can't pick your corner, don't shoot high then. Right? Yeah, that's like until you can do it in practice and like don't shoot high. Like, if shoot low, I mean you're gonna score more goals, shoot low anyways, because most goalies at that age think you're going high anyway. So if you can pick, you know, over the pad or over the over under the glove, you're gonna do well, right? So um, yeah, it's kind of funny that these young kids too, they they hit goalies lots. So um obviously us us older guys as pro players, we should know better, but sometimes it gets away on us.
SPEAKER_02And I always said, like, hey, when we get in the game, go ahead, fire everything high at the other guy, you know, sticking up for him. And exactly. I played with Brett Hull in St. Louis, and I was a rookie, and he used to say, Hey, I'm gonna waste one early right at the goalie's head in a game. He's like, Yeah, you know, he had that wicked slapper, and he wanted the goaltender to know that it was coming high and hard. And back in our day, the equipment wasn't as great, and and guys they'd be worried as the next time and he could pick corners, so you know, eventually, uh, but it was always kind of a funny thing that I'm like in practice. I'm like, I don't see you taking it easy on us, but no, exactly.
SPEAKER_01That just shows you something, though. I said you look at him, the peripheral goal score like that shows you how many chances he would get in a game where he could waste the first one on the goal. I couldn't waste the first one because I usually only got one chance, so I had to try and bury it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Travis, uh, what type of leader was Scotty? Can you describe kind of kind of how he was, you know, respected and when he decided to speak, when he didn't speak, and kind of his demeanor throughout the course of a of a season where, as you mentioned from the get-go, you guys were expected to do great things.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Scotty's a quiet leader, I think. Um obviously, you know, he demands a lot of respect. Um, you know, he's won endless amounts of cups, um, you know, Team Canada, gold medal. Um he's a leader that leads through example. He shows you how to play the right way through his play. Um and he picks his spots really well. He's not a guy that's gonna come in, you know, if we have you know a half a bad period, he's not gonna come in screaming and yelling. He doesn't he never screams and yells. That's one thing about Scotty. He's just very, you know, he doesn't, he's not a roller coaster, right? He's very even keeled the whole time. Um, but he was really good at picking the spots when he needed to say something. Um, and it, you know, it wasn't every game, like I said, but um when he spoke, everybody listened. You know, I'm talking everybody, like there wasn't one guy that thought he had a bigger ego that couldn't listen to Scott and Edemmeyer, right? So he demanded respect, which he does, you know, deserved over his career, obviously playing so well. And um just an ultimate leader. Um, I used to get mad at Scott in practice. Like we'd be doing a bag skate, and I'd be just struggling, trying to keep up to the group and just drenched, and he'd take his shoulder pads off and he'd have like a little spot of sweat. And I'm like, how does that make sense, right? So just a man who he just had every single player respected him so much. And when he when he spoke, um, we all we all listened for sure, and just uh a great teammate. And and uh the reason why we were able to hoist the cup is through his leadership. And and there were some times too where Randy Carlo would be like, Scotty, say something, like we're all gassed. I mean, Scott would not say anything. Like the coach is the coach, and whatever he says, you do, and that's kind of Scott's mentality was like he's the head coach, whatever he tells us to do, we have to do it, right? And you know, you'd get some guys to be like, oh man, this is horrible, right? Where on some other teams, you know, you might have a guy that would like you know say something where Scott was like, nope, we're just putting the work in and he's gonna make us better, and that's kind of how it was.
SPEAKER_02So well what so in the modern day hockey, um, one, how much NHL hockey do you watch? And two, do you follow the the ducks or is there another team that you follow? And um, because I know Frenchie, we're gonna get there about a line that is currently with the ducks at the end of the season reminds us of your line. Um, but yeah, are you tuning into games on a regular basis for any?
SPEAKER_01I wouldn't I wouldn't say a regular basis. Uh, you know, obviously busy through the week. Uh, you know, for seating for God's sakes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's where I do a lot of number.
SPEAKER_01I do a lot of listening during seating on the tractor well on the radio. We don't have iPads or stuff on the tractor, so I can't watch the games. But uh, I would say throughout the winter, you know, you you definitely watch the highlights, you catch the odd game here once in a while, but I wouldn't say like I follow the game like most people and kind of, you know, I enjoy watching. Obviously, the playoffs you watch as much as you can, but uh uh definitely tune in on the ducks. They're gonna be exciting in the next couple years for sure with their youth and and uh the skill sets that they have on that team. So um yeah, I watch enough, but not obviously not as much as some people, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_02Well, I think that you you'll have to tune in because you know, there is this line and and and it kind of changes with some of the the players, but uh by the end of the season, they had acquired a guy named Jeffrey Viel uh from Boston Bruins, and he is a later in life guy making it into the NHL. Uh established himself as just a hard-nosed player, uh much like yourself, finishing decks, working hard, 200-foot player. Uh earned himself a really nice spot on the ducks current checking line. Uh the ducks moved a defenseman Ian Moore um up to wing throughout the course of the year, and uh had never played wing, he said, in his entire life, not even as a youth hockey kid. Uh he became part of that line. And then there was a guy, uh Western Michigan Bronco, um won the NCAA championship a year ago, earned a spot on the team throughout the course of the season. Tim Washi. And these guys, and sometimes Jansen Tarkins uh was sprinkled in, and and some other guys, but these guys have really become a a force, and and it doesn't. It's eerily similar to what you guys were able to do. And in the first round against the Edmonton Oilers, um, a lot of people. People thought the coaching staff was crazy and going, like, you know, Coach Q, what are you doing? Rolling out this line against Drysidel's line or Connor McDavid's line. And they did a tremendous job. And so Frenchie, I mean, I know watching the games here in SoCal that as we watched it and we know your line, you know, intimately, uh, yeah, we couldn't help but flash back and say, hey, this could be a line that's gonna stay together for the next couple seasons and be just like your line.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. And I think that's the most important thing, too, is uh having that identities line. You don't see as much anymore in the league, you know, having that sole shutdown line. And um, I think it's really important because if you can take your shut line line, whether it's your third, fourth line and play them against their top line, well, that just opens up more for your first and second line to be able to play against their second, third line, whatever it is. So I think it helps, you know, um helps your first and second line by having that shutdown line that could shut down their top line too, right? So I think it's extremely important to have a you know a line like that or a line or even two lines that you could throw that that could play well against their top line or whatever, whatever it is. So, you know, it's it's it's exciting to see. You know, you watch Anaheim, I watched a couple games in the playoffs, and man, they're fun to watch. Yeah, you know, young and explosive, and um, you know, the back end's good, and um, you know, I got some guys that can score too, high-end skill up front, too. So it's uh it's it's gonna be extremely fun to watch in the next two, three years. So uh selfishly, it's it's hard too. Obviously, I want the ducks to win another cup, but I also want to make sure they keep inviting us back for these uh 20, 25 year anniversaries, too, right? So absolutely.
SPEAKER_02We'll have to get you back for the uh the ducks alumni golf tournament. Yeah, what is that? Here's the invite. Here it is. Yeah, yeah, so perfect.
SPEAKER_01I've finally got an invite. See?
SPEAKER_02Well, we're gonna blame that on Chris Loomis and uh Allen, Sean Pronger, who are who are our great leaders. So I'm throwing it out to you right now. Yes, uh circle uh next May, early next May on your calendar.
SPEAKER_01Okay, done. I'll I'll try and make her down for sure.
SPEAKER_02I like golf, so and it is a great time because we it's getting better as you can imagine every year, and more guys are coming. We're hoping to get more guys who don't live locally to be able to come out. So uh so yeah, so so stay tuned.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I'm excited. I can't wait to get down. And I said it's always fun going back down to Anaheim and you know, seeing the you know, the places you used to live and seeing the rank and seeing uh, you know, obviously Lumi, I still keep in contact with guys like that, and you know, getting uh remiss on the old old the old days for sure. And then you throw a golf game in there too, it's that'll be fun.
SPEAKER_02So well and you might know if I can golf as good as Timu, but well, he was he was on the disabled list because he had just had his knee done, so he was he was a no-show this year, but he'll probably be better than ever with a brand new knee. Oh guaranteed. But what you probably may or may not know that you know the Honda Center is gonna undergoing a $1 billion upgrade, so there'll be some great changes throughout the course of the Honda Center itself. And then I don't know what the cost is any now. I've heard anywhere between three billion to five or six billion. The OC vibe is being built adjacent to the Honda Center, so it will be a uh an incredible, um I guess it's a lifelong passion of the Samuel Ellies. It's gonna be their gift to Orange County, but it's gonna be um like LA Live on steroids, uh parking structures, living, you won't recognize. Uh you will not recognize you should good go Google it because as a lot of fans suffered through parking issues and uh and some of the construction in the arena, uh but it once it's done, everybody will be thrilled with the the final result. So um so hopefully next year it will look more like it's supposed to, and and hopefully some things will be open sooner rather than later. But uh it it will you'll walk in and be like, oh my god, I I don't recognize this area at all.
SPEAKER_01For sure, which which is good. I mean that there was so much open space there too, right? It was it was probably needed, so that's great to hear that the Samuel Ellies are you know investing in the future.
SPEAKER_00All right, before I let you go, you mentioned Temu. Yeah, he's got to have a Tamu story for me here. He had some big personalities on that 07. I mean Pronger, I remember him sitting next to Scotty on the plane, and he was just chirping everybody, and Scotty would just read the paper, and then Guido's Timu was just always chirping at somebody somewhere. I mean, you got a Temu story for me?
SPEAKER_01Well, Timu didn't like the plane, so he always sat at the front during takeoff. So that's right. He would sit with the pilot at the time. Pretty much with a pilot because he he hated the turbulence and stuff, so he'd sit on the front of the plane. The good story about Timu is me and him kind of had a passion for for old cars, and my dream car is uh you know a 70, 71, 72 GTO Judge. So Timu has one. Okay, and it's it's the orange color, it's a convertible. So I said to Timu one day, I said, if we win the cup, you gotta sell me your GTO Judge. He's like, Yeah, I'll sell it to you. So then we win the cup, and I'm like, Timu, you want to sell me that? Well, he wants way too much money for it. Sure. Of course he is. It was a little out of my price range. So uh no, Timu, what a what a teammate. Uh I've never seen a guy that just comes to the ring smiles every single day. Like it was a pleasure to you know play with him and watch how he handled himself and just his you know, his character, his charisma coming to the rink. And I don't think there was ever a bad day with Timu. Like he was always smiling. I've never seen a player of his caliber and his age at the time that never missed a pregame skate. Like never. It almost felt like us young guys too, we'd be like, I think I have to go on the ice because Timu's going out. And that just showed you why he was so good. He just never took a day off and you know, took really good care of himself. And I think us young guys really enjoyed watching him and his career and and learning a lot from him um along the way. So lots of great team stories, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, go ahead. No, I mean, yeah, I mean, I had the pleasure of playing with him as well, and you know, the amount of autographs he would sign. I mean, listen, Paul Career would be on the bus going, hey, get him away from the people. That's we gotta go. And he's out there, and but you know, that's why he's beloved by everybody, beloved by teammates and across, I mean fans across the globe, because he always took that time, you know, to to have that personal interaction almost to a default, because uh I can remember being in Calgary one time, and I'm sure you got stories like this. We come out after practice and he's talking to these autograph seekers and you know, they're local Calgarians, and they said, Well, you know, why don't you come over to the house for dinner tonight? So Temu turns to us and says, Hey, I'm gonna go to the these guys' houses for dinner tonight. Like, no, you're not because they're not gonna bring you back for the game tomorrow. Exactly. They'll drop you off after the game is done. But he's just so you know, like he didn't have like uh worry in the world. And uh, but yeah, well, I mean, an incredible guy, and you still see it at the Honda Center, you know, saw it all season long in the playoffs. He's there smiling and waving and uh, you know, embracing all the fans.
SPEAKER_01For sure. I remember like watching Timu too. You watch him sign autographs, and I had a chicken scratch signature, and I'd watch Timu and it'd be like Timu, and he's it's one of the most beautiful signatures I've ever seen. Timu's amazing. And he took the time to sign it the same way every single time, and it actually is quite funny. And I kind of remember being like, Wow, that takes forever though, like I wouldn't want to do that. And when I got um when I signed in Montreal, uh was the hundred-year anniversary of the Montreal Canadians, so they had a massive signing there. It was um they brought in a whole bunch of uh the greats of the game that played in Montreal, and it was me, Josh George's, somebody else, it was Jean Bellivo at the end. And we'd be ripping, so they had like a thousand of these pictures we had to sign. So we'd be ripping through our signatures and we'd have to wait because Mr. Bellebo was still signing. And at the end of the day, he came up to us and he goes, um, he goes, just a little tip for you guys. He goes, I can't understand, I can't read your writing. Like, I don't know, like if I look at that in 20 years, am I gonna be able to tell that's Travis Moan? And I'm like, well, probably not. He's like, the most important thing is like make sure your signature is something that people will recognize 20 years down the road, right? And it kind of hit me, it was like, I remember Timu doing that, you know? Yeah, and I remember guys, you know, guys, you know, Mr. Bellivo did it. You could read Jean Bellevo, right? And I think, you know, it taught me a lot of you know, these guys that they want their name to be recognized. And I was just in a panic just to get as many signed as quickly as I could. So I tell all my young kids now, I'm like, you know, you see kids that are 14, 15, they're working on their signature. I'm like, make it, make it so that people can recognize it. Like, sign your name. It doesn't have to be, you know, big C scribble scribble, right? Like it's gotta be, you know, you work on your pen, but you have to make sure it's you know that people will be able to see 20 years down the road. So it's something I've taught, you know, the kids that I've been coaching all the way growing up that you know, if you're gonna sign your name, sign your name. Just don't, you know, try and hurry through it. So that's another story, Timu, that I kind of took with me because I remember looking back at Timu's signature, and I'm like, that's too slow, it takes too long, but in 20 years, you know, Timu's signature is gonna stand up and mine's gonna look like nobody's gonna know who it is.
SPEAKER_00So well, it's I mean, what a great story that is. And then yeah, there's a lot of truth to that, right? You see all these signatures and it looks like they're a doctor or something. You have no idea what's the what who they are. Um, well, Trav, obviously, uh, I do have one more before I let you go. And I am like, yeah, I know, like we got Travis Mold. We gotta have all these questions for Travis. Um well, first of all, I want to say thank you because I have a photo uh at the Stanley Cup party holding a cup with you. You have a cigar in your mouth, you have this the salad going on at the time, you know, the do. Uh great picture that I obviously cherish for for the rest of my life. So I thank you for uh you know always being cool and taking like you know, it was such such such a great moment. Um, but I want to know about your celebration. Like, what was your what was your day of the cup like? And do you look back at that with fond memories? And do your kid, your son go, because he was young at the time, obviously. And I mean, just he might goodness, yeah.
SPEAKER_01He wasn't born yet.
SPEAKER_00No, oh my gosh, that's that long.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it was that long. He was uh two years before he was born, actually. We have a picture of Carter's cousin in the cup at our family thing. Wow, which is kind of funny because they're they're cousins, he's two years older than Carter, they play on Swifter and Broncos together now, and uh they're two P's in a pod, so uh it's quite funny. But uh my day was incredible, honestly. You know, something that you dream of as a kid bringing this, you know, sound to come back to your hometown. Uh, I think uh Mikey got there around eight in the morning, kind of loaded up. We headed to the farm. We took uh family pictures at the farm, went to this lake near us, took family pictures out there, and then we went to um Stewart Valley School. Uh we did an autograph signing there, and it was um to raise money for the the local rink in Stuart Valley. Um so I spent four hours signing autographs there, and then uh we went back into Swift Current to my house, and I had all my family, uncles, aunts, cousins, you name it, all over for big barbecue. And then we went to a little little pub in Swift Current. It's called it was called Kabose at the time. And Steve, he's uh he's from Greece, awesome guy. He was uh a sponsor for my U15 double eighteen back in the day. We were the Kabose Raiders. So yeah, we just went there with lots of lots of family. I think we had two 300 people there and ate and drank. And yeah, he had famous ribs, uh, Steve's. They were like the best ribs ever, little riblets. So I filled the cup full of ribs and ate out of the cup, and yeah. And then it was like three in the or two in the morning, and then we went back to my house, and uh Mike had to leave at four or four thirty in the morning to because the cup was going out to Berkey. Yeah. And then we he Mike's like, I'm going to bed for a couple hours, and I'll get up at four and then I'll leave, whatever. So we parted with a cup in my house for a little bit, and and then at four in the morning I was a little little intoxicated, we'll say. And uh I got the garden hose out in the palm olive and I started washing the cup down and yeah, it was a lot of fun. Yeah, so uh wouldn't do anything differently. I was hoping to win it a second time so you could obviously under you know know what's going on and what it should be doing, what it shouldn't be doing uh with the cup, and obviously would tweak things a little differently. But uh yeah, it was it was an amazing experience, something that never forget, our family will never forget. It was pretty, pretty amazing.
SPEAKER_00Well, uh Travis, uh, that's awesome, man. Thanks for sharing the story. And I and like we were just chatting about, um, hopefully you get back out to Anaheim very soon. Um have another one of those anniversaries and you never know, might be able to sit between Gibo and I and chat a little, do a little reminiscent again. We'll see, we'll see how that roll rolls. But uh well, I cannot thank you enough for spending some time um for putting seating aside for a moment and all your hockey irresponsibilities. Um can we pump your uh your school real quick? Swift hockey company? Swift hockey yeah, yeah, Instagram or whatever it is, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. I'll send it to you or whatever, our our website or whatever. But yeah, Swift Hockey Crow and yeah, it's uh something that we've been building for five years and and ultimately it's just to try and get give back and make the you know, Southwest Saskatchewan, try and turn some of these players into better hockey players and and go from there. So it's a lot of fun working with the kids and and hopefully we can we can do it for a few more years. The old body's getting a little uh it's a little harder and harder getting on the ice now and demonstrating the drills. That's why I've usually bring uh my son out, my business partner's got two boys, two and a daughter, so they're usually on the ice demonstrating for us because we're getting too old to be jumping over trainers and all that stuff.
SPEAKER_00So we'll uh we'll have a little conversation with Pat Verbeek and tell him to look out for uh Carter Moen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you bet.
SPEAKER_00Well, listen, uh, you can catch this podcast uh if you want to watch everything that just went down uh with Travis. It's at the Mast the Mike on the YouTube channel. Of course, we're on Spotify and Apple Podcast. And uh Travis again, man. Thanks. Uh great catching up with you. Thanks to Amy again for putting us in contact with you. Nice to find you, and and and thanks for putting the sitting aside just for a moment.
SPEAKER_01For sure. Well, she keeps my life in order, that's for sure. So I wouldn't wouldn't be able to do anything without her. So uh yeah, no, it's a pleasure. Great getting uh connect with you guys and talk to you guys. So thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_00All right, but I look forward to staying in touch and we'll do this again.
SPEAKER_01Sounds good, guys.
SPEAKER_00Thanks, Travis.
SPEAKER_01Alright, cheers.