Cyclones 2025-26 Season Review with Head Coach Nathan Oystrick

Welcome back for S6E1 of Inside Cyclones Hockey!

On this weeks episode, Mark Robinson is joined by head coach of the Wausau Cyclones Nathan Oystrick for an exclusive interview. Mark and coach talk in detail about the 2025-26 season, how the Fraser Cup playoffs panned out, and highlight some players from last season that are moving on to play at higher levels. Mark and coach also spend some time talking about the NHL, and share some super awesome stories as of late. Finally, Mark wraps things up with some info on what to expect for future episodes as far as release dates and content.

Now, from the Eye of the Cyclone…

Intro: (1:18-2:22)

Interview with Coach Nathan Oystrick: (2:30-38:28)

Podcast Schedule Info: (39:28-42:42)  

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You can find Mark on Instagram and TikTok @markrobinsonsports and X @markrobinsonn

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

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SPEAKER_02 1:03

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SPEAKER_00 1:18

What's up, Cyclones fans? Welcome into season six, episode one of the Inside Cyclones Hockey Podcast. As we mentioned last week, it's officially the off season. And although the hockey is on a brief leave of absence, we've got content coming at you left and right. And this week we've got an awesome interview with none other than the head coach of the WASCA Cyclones, Nathan Oyster. We're talking a full season review from this last 2025-26 campaign, some fun stories, some Fraser Cup playoff discussion, all the good stuff in this interview. I always love talking to Oysty. It's an absolute pleasure to get to chat with a legend like him. So I hope that you guys enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed getting to interview him. So with that said, without further ado, get ready, because it's time to enter the storm. But in honor of season six, starting, of course, with you always on the Inside Cyclones Hockey Podcast, my name is Mark Robinson. We've got a very special guest to kick off season six, head coach of the WASP Cyclones, Nathan Oystrick, is joining me for a season in review talking all things Cyclones hockey from this last season, the regular season, the playoffs, age out players and their future plans, as well as some tender signings for next year. So I'm pleased to welcome Coach Oysty to this week's episode of the pod. Coach, thanks for joining me. And I hope that you're enjoying some off-season downtime now that the hockey has ended for the foreseeable future.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

No, thanks for having me. It's always a pleasure, Mark. Uh, there is no off-season downtime that does not exist. Um heading to Detroit this week uh to take part in another null showcase combine, whatever you want to call it, plus league meeting. So it is it is a fun job and it is a taxing job, but I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Amazing. That that those are the best kind of jobs, the ones that keep you busy and kind of keep you chasing your tail. There's never downtime, but in the best way possible. Speaking of a job with no downtime, also in the best way possible, uh for those that don't know, as soon as the cycling season wrapped up, I got in my car the day after, drove 19 hours, a fourth of it in a blizzarding snowstorm, all the way back to Denver, Colorado, where I'm now working for a digital media company covering the Avalanche and the Nuggets, a little bit of the Rockies, which is a sad franchise to cover, but we're more focused on the Aves right now because, coach, you have some ties to Stanley Cup champion and the head coach of the Aves, Jared Bednar. And first day that I was back in that building for morning skate, I just had to make the connection. So I briefly told you the story over text, but I want to give you a little more detail and give some of the listeners detail. In the locker room, my outlet is kind of hopping from player to player, getting the info we need. This was the night of the Dallas Stars game, so it was very heavy implications. Everyone was pretty, pretty fired up, a lot of good conversations. But um, I pulled the head of PR aside for the abs and I said, Hey, I know Bedsy's about to talk. Right after he's done, do you think I could step out in the hallway with you guys for 15 seconds? I just did play by play for an awesome NA3HL team. And the head coach of the team that I interacted with, worked with a ton. He was one of Betsy's players in the past, and I just I really want to plug the connection, I want to make it. And the PR guy was like, absolutely, I'll give you 10, 15 seconds. So after he did his media availability, I walked outside. He was a little frazzled because I mean he's Jared Bednar. He's got he's got he's got places to be, he's got things to do. I think I remember it was a nationally televised game, and he was on his way to meet with like all of the national people on the TNT broadcast. But regardless of how much time he took, he introduced himself to me and I was like, I I did play by play for a team that's coached by Nathan Oystrick, and he kind of kind of looked at me with a smirk on his face. He said, Ah, Oisty, hope he's doing well. Tell him hi for me. And then uh he he told me welcome to welcome to town. And I think he liked the I think he liked the plug. So Beds says hi, and it was cool to it was cool to make that connection from Wassa to Denver.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

Yeah, he's uh he is an awesome, awesome human being. Um great coach, obviously. Uh I had him in Peoria. I had him in Springfield. He is one of a kind, um, and obviously he's done a heck of a job with the Aves. Um, and just a good person that you can bounce ideas off of. He's helped me in the past. He's been a friend, he's been a mentor. Um, so I'm very proud of him and very happy for him. So and and it's great that you know you got to meet him too, and now there's a little commonality, and uh you have a good in, all because of me. So you're welcome.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

I was thinking about that. It's all because of you. I mean, I I don't think I could have just gone up to the head of PR for the avs and said, Hey, can you just uh give me a private introduction to Jared Bednar? Like I'm sure all the media personality wants that, but all I had to do is plug Oisty and I got my in. So uh yeah, cool to make that connection. And uh yeah, he definitely seemed happy that I uh had worked with you and I I could see it in that little smirk on his face. All right, so moving on, want to just talk about the 2025-26 season, a little season in review episode, everything from the regular season to the playoffs. Uh, but before we start with the cyclones, you don't have to spend too much time on this, but just from a coaching perspective, from someone who's been in the league for a few years now, I just kind of wanted to get your reaction on the remainder of the divisional playoffs and the Fraser Cup. I I think Rochester shocked everybody a little bit with that upset over West Bend. I think they were obviously the favorite with that with their three regulation losses. They'd done so well in the regular season. Rochester comes in and just with that new roster, they have a phenomenal three-game series, and then they make a really strong run in the Frazier. I think they lost in either the semis or the final. Just what was your overall reaction to Rochester making it so far and just how the playoffs panned out in general?

SPEAKER_01 8:27

Uh, I wasn't as surprised. Uh, I thought Rochester, you know, we played them a few times in the regular season before the playoffs, and then obviously in round one, the way they've been playing since January into February into the playoffs, they were really connected. Um, they were playing as a five-man unit. They had everyone going. They were taking guys in and out of the lineup, and it didn't matter who they were plugging in or who they were taking out, they just seemed to keep on rolling. Marty did a great job, and and Brandon and Bob, they did a great job uh coaching and getting those guys playing the way they wanted them to. Uh, Misey and I were in St. Louis last weekend for a null combine, and it was also the Fraser Cup. So we got a chance to sit down and watch some of our games, um, league playoff games. And Rochester looked great. You know, they they were playing the way they needed to play. Uh, they were playing hard, they were playing physical, and they were scoring timely goals. And, you know, I just I just think they turned it up at the right time of the year. So it was fun to watch. Uh, they beat us. I was cheering for them. Um, you know, I like their coaching staff. I like how the organizations run. They've been good to me on a personal level from Chris Ratzloff my first year to uh Tyler the past couple years and now to Marty, they've been really good to us in Waw. We've built a good relationship. Uh obviously we wish it was us playing in the Fraser Cup, but um, you know, it was it was fun to watch them.

SPEAKER_00 10:08

How much do you think that run is attributed to all of the stuff they did before the deadline, so to say, with like roster acquisitions in the NA3? Because I specifically remember them coming in for like one more regular season game, and they had added like seven different players, one guy from the junior blues, a few other guys from around the league, and it felt like their entire forward line sheet had bolstered so much depth. Do you think that had to do with their improvement, or was it also just over time the team coming together and just really gelling at the right time?

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Well, you know, I to be honest, the only player I can remember them adding uh was Chase Jordan from St. Louis. They might have had a player or two get dropped down from the null. Um, but I think that, like I said, they were just so connected. They were playing um the way they needed to play as a team. Uh and, you know, like I said, it didn't matter who was in the lineup, but the guys were doing exactly what they needed to do. They were a thorn in your side, they were heavy, uh, they put pucks into right areas, they didn't panic. Their power play was rocking and rolling, their PK was doing its job. So, you know, it's probably a combination of you know, bringing a couple guys in and having that death, but also everyone just deciding that this was the year, you know, they wanted to go for it, they played hard, they all bought in and um again, they did a really good job.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Yeah, it was definitely cool to watch. And, you know, like you said, all love to them. It was it was I was kind of rooting for them as well. Once the once the team that I wanted to win, the Frasier was out, that was my second choice. It was cool to see them, see them make a run, and uh, yeah, all love to Rochester. Uh, okay, so moving on, I just want to talk about everything from the last season. I'm gonna leave this just to start as open-ended as I possibly can for you. You can go into as much detail, as much specifics as you want. Just what were your overall thoughts on the 2025-26 campaign for your team?

SPEAKER_01 12:19

It was a good year. Uh, it was, you know, a year I think a lot of guys um learned a lot of things about themselves. I know personally I learned a lot about myself this year. Um, you know, it wasn't all positive. There wasn't, you know, a it it's not a positive negative thing. I just think it was a good year in the sense that, you know, some guys got some experience. Um, you know, we made it to the playoffs again. You and I have talked before. The goal is never to just make it to the playoffs. We want to win championships and bring Fraser Cups to Wassau. Um, but it's all experience. I think, you know, as a team this year when we were really up and down. Um we would have go on stretches for two, three, four games where we played a certain way and and it worked, and then we would go away from it. Um that's on, you know, I'll I'll take the blame for it. That's on the coaching staff. Myzy and I have to do a better job of making sure we're getting the guys to play um the way we want them to play, the way that they need to play. But, you know, there's a lot of good things that happened this year, um, whether it was, you know, guys scoring goals or guys getting opportunities at the next level, Shreds getting up and going to play with Windigo. Um, a kid like Owen Gome, who still has another year left of junior hockey, is now getting an opportunity to go play in college. Um the group of guys was great. Um, it was hard at the end of the year, losing, you know, Tanner and Brady and Savvy, uh, Peaks, guys that have been here for three years, guys that uh I've built unbelievable relationships with, saying goodbye to them at the end of the year was hard. Um, and all all the 20-year-olds, you know, Brady Knutson and Truman and Ernie and Um AG, all those guys. They have special places in my heart. They bled black and gold for two years, some of them for three years. Um so there's there's a lot of tough goodbyes at the end of the year. Um, but then I look at some of the younger players we had, the Jackson Matic and uh Joel Anderson and Elijah Von Gutten and Maxim Salienko and Lucas Mankoff, like all of them. Renzo. Renzo breaks his collarbone in three places his very first junior shift. He's out for three to four months. He comes back and he plays a big role in our forward group. Um, you know, Elijah scoring as many goals as he did, Maxim growing and getting better throughout the year, and you know, being a part of our power player and being a part of our PK, Joel Anderson coming out of nowhere and scoring 41 points as a defenseman. Um Brody Kuntz getting an opportunity to learn the junior game and play some games in that. Like there's nothing really bad I can say about this group, you know, other than the fact that we didn't get to where we want to go. There was there was a lot of positives this year. Um, if you look at it as a whole, a lot of really good things that happened. And, you know, there's like I said, there was a lot of learning from a coaching staff point of view that things that you know we can be better at.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yeah, it's definitely, you know, from my perspective, being that this was my first year around any sort of a junior hockey environment, it was so cool to see kind of how you explained it, like both sides of the team development. Older players continuing to fill their shoes as a as a leader and as someone who plays a role both physically and mentally, as well as the stunk as well as some of these younger guys, like you bring up Joel Anderson, like that was remarkable for me to watch a really young player who's you know finding his legs as a junior player comes out of nowhere and and and is a 40-plus point scorer as a defenseman, which is just very crazy to think about. In in that this was my first year around the team and just juniors in general, how did this level of play and this group and just the way you guys gel, how did this compare to years past? Like, did something about this specific group stand out, or was it pretty similar to years past? Like, was there any differences in this specific team?

SPEAKER_01 17:01

It's it's really hard to look back and compare. We as a hockey coach, as hockey players, um, we try to live day to day. We can't worry about the mistakes we made last week while we're going in to try and win a game this week. Um you know, it was a really, as I said, it was a really, really good group of kids. They all got along. They had a ton of laughs in the locker room. They went out and they played hard for each other. Um I think we're in a very and I don't want to make excuses because that's not what I'm tend to do, but we're in a very good division. I think most people would tell you that the central division in the NA3 is one of the hardest, if not the hardest, every single night. It is a tough game. Um, you know, I'd even look at Peoria. At the start of the year, they were struggling, but Luke did a great job in Peoria getting those guys to play a certain way. And at the end of the year, they were hard games. Uh they came into our barn for the last two games of the year, and they were both super tight. I think we won both 6-5 or 5-4. They were one goal games. Um, they're a hard hard team to play against, and obviously the Rochesters and the West Bends and the St. Louis and the Thomas. Um, so it's hard to look back and compare. There's differences in every year, whether it's from a player standpoint or a situation standpoint. Um you know, I I talked about Renzo, Luke Hong Kong, like same thing with him. First first junior hockey game, he takes a hit behind the net and breaks his collarbone. Next night, Renzo goes to give a hit and breaks his collarbone. There's two kids um who are done for three to four months. So, you know, injuries happen, call-ups happen, suspensions happen. Um but I liked our group uh when we played a certain way. I thought we had the opportunity to win every single night. Uh, unfortunately, we just we didn't get there. Rochester came in and, you know, like I said, they did a really good job um matching up against us. And at the end of the day, we lost.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

I can understand how it's probably hard to look back on past groups and compare because guys guys end up meshing in with like, you know, a certain group of people were the rooks two years ago and now they're all the vets that are leaving and all this kind of stuff. But maybe it's a little bit easier to look into the future, and you talk about all these learning opportunities you've had as a coach. How do you think that this last year, like what kind of a tone do you think it sets for guys that are returning and and and guys that are gonna come in and learn as rooks and like for you guys as a coaching staff, what tone does it set in terms of the goals that you set and the things that you want to accomplish as a team in the next year that you have to look forward to now?

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Well, I think it gives the returning guys who were first year junior players this year. Now they understand the league, they understand the coaching staff, they understand Wassaw, they have that experience. Um, they can better prepare for the coming season. Obviously, everyone's goal in uh in hockey is to play at the highest level that they can. So guys are getting ready to go to null camps next year or this summer. Um, but if they're back with us, it's it's just more experience. It's gonna be their team now. They're gonna be the ones who are the vets, and they're gonna be the ones who have to set the tone. Um everyone we talk to, uh, whether it's in recruiting or if we're looking at making a trade, we always have conversations with the players and the players' families, and we say the exact same thing to everyone. We don't make promises in Wassau. Um we don't tell kids that they're gonna be on our top power play unit and they're gonna play 26 nights. We tell everyone that we're gonna give you the best opportunity for you to succeed. You gotta go out and earn your ice time and and earn your opportunities. So now the guys that are coming back from this past year's team, they understand that. They've seen it, they've been benched, they've been healthy scratched, they understand what we're looking for. And it's gonna be their job as as veterans and as leaders to go out from day one of practice and and show the incoming players what it means to be a Wassa Cyclone, what it takes to be a Wassa Cyclone. We can give all the rah-rah speeches we want. Um, but at the end of the day, that's the players are the guys that have to go out um and do it. So, you know, bringing those guys back, as I said, it's kind of talking in circles here, but as I said, they they understand what the coaching staff wants. Now there are no Surprises. They can hit the ground running. They can be our leaders both on and off the ice. And then we hope that the kids that we're recruiting and have signed to tenders and will bring in as free agents. We're hoping that they mesh. It's a it's a crapshoot in junior hockey a little bit. You go out and you recruit the kids you want to recruit. Um and you hope that they come in to your locker room and you hope that they gel and they hope that they can be a part of the culture and build on part of the culture, um both on and off the ice. And obviously we hope they have success. As a coach, I want every single one of our players to score 20 goals. Uh I want every single one of our players to have success because if they're all having success individually, that means we're having success as a team and as an organization. Uh, we're winning a lot of games and we're giving ourselves the best opportunity to chase a Fraser Cup. So um that's kind of you know what we try to do, what we're looking to do. We don't know who will exactly who will be back next year. You know, you you can plan as much as you want, but until August 25th comes and everyone reports to Wassa, you just don't know. So we go out and we try to do the best that we possibly can and uh hope that it works out.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Well, it seems like there's a lot of guys who are eager to get back on the ice and already some signings, some tenders. So it seems like, regardless, the tone from last year, transitioning into next year, with all the experience from these guys that are now gonna become sort of vets, so to say, that we're in more of a rookie learning type of position, we'll be able to set an awesome tone for the coming season. Uh, a few more things that I want to talk about, but last question in terms of just kind of this season review and looking forward into the next year. I'm not gonna lie, this is this is a tough question to answer. I'm I don't even know if you'll have an answer, but I'm gonna throw it at you anyways. Playoffs have obviously been something that you guys have struggled with over the last few years. You've been able to make it, but it's been that first round, you know, two straight years, you haven't been able to get through Rochester, you've struggled with other teams in the past. Like I said, hard question to answer, but as the head coach, from your point of view, how do you get over that hump of being able to actually find your game during the playoffs and find that extra jump and try to move move to a farther farther goal in the future?

SPEAKER_01 24:40

I think it it comes down to wanting it and the will to go out and do it. Um, you know, there's preparation things as a coaching staff that we can probably do a better job at. Um but you know, I kind of just talked about it. At the end of the day, I it is a hard question because I'm not it's gonna sound like I'm passing the blame and and I'm not blaming anyone. I love all of our players. Um but at the end of the day, as a hockey player, you gotta go out and you have to do it. Um you know, there's little parts of every single game that can change momentum. There's a penalty kill that you know, that one penalty kill, if you kill it and you don't allow the other team to score, that's a goal right there. Now you're building momentum and you're um flying high and and you know, looking to go ahead instead of looking to crawl out. So, you know, as a coach, um you know, like I said, I I think Myzy and I are gonna have to look at the way we do things. Maisie and I are gonna have to, you know, maybe change some things up to better prepare our guys to be able to go out and do what they need to do.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Well, I mean more years of having that happen is just more experience of moving closer and closer to trying to accomplish that. So I'm excited to see hopefully how that can come to fruition in the future. So I'm I'm definitely looking forward to hopefully some Fraser Cups coming to WASS in the future.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

You gotta, I think too, on top of that, like sometimes you have to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win. And I know that's cliche, and I know it's been said, and obviously the team you're working with and the coach that we spoke about earlier, like I look not comparing us to the Colorado Avalanche by any means, but you know, like sometimes there's there there has to be struggles before you can go and win. I remember my first year of pro hockey, like we thought we had the best team in the league, and we ran into the Hamilton Bulldogs, who had Carrie Price and had PK Suban uh as players straight out of um their respective junior leagues. And you know, we went into that series flying high and and cocky and maybe a little bit arrogant, and they shut us down, you know. So we lost that year, but what we did we lost the series, but we earned the important things. We we learned that it we learned what it takes to go out and win a championship, and that next year we went out and completed it and you know, we won the Calcular Cup, but it was all of the experience from the year before. So it's just adding the experience from you know the second round defeat to West Bend three years ago, to the first round defeat to Rochester last year, to the first round defeat against Rochester again this year. It's it's going back and understanding what we did well in those three different, four different series, uh and what we didn't do well, and then making adjustments and you know, as I said, trying to prepare the guys better uh so that they can go in with an understanding of of what they need to do.

SPEAKER_00 28:10

Honestly, I I love that comparison and what you said. I don't think it matters what level you're playing at, whether it's Pee-Wee hockey, juniors, AHL, NHL, you have to learn how to lose before you learn how to win. And I think if you look at any championship caliber team at any level, they've probably had that exact same experience. Like this is a small example, but look at the Florida Panthers Panthers. They got throttled in the Stanley Cup championship, and then they went on and won two right after that. So that's just a small example of I I completely agree with you. I love that quote. Uh okay. So we're kind of running out of time here with the uh the amazing timer that Zoom gives me, my my time limit. But um, I have a few more things that I want to touch on. Obviously, in terms of players that are either aging out or just moving on, each one had such a special purpose and such a meaningful place on the roster. Uh and they contributed in so many different ways. Um, so like I want to obviously make sure that I make it clear that like all of them were phenomenal and had a really, really large impact on the team. But I want to single two of them out on this episode, which is just all we have time for, because the two that I have already have plans lined up. They're they're doing stuff next year. So I just wanted to hear a little bit about just their individual performance from you and why you think that segues into these future plans that they have. So I want to start with Jackson Schrader. He comes in and just has a phenomenal offensive season, leads the team in goals, assists, and points for like I want to say 98% of the entire year. Really strong player, unselfish, and just felt like he had such a big impact. And to no surprise for me whatsoever, I'm sure probably the same for you. He's bumping up to the knall next year. So I just wanted to ask you what you saw from him, just how you saw his play develop and his game develop, and how excited you are to see him move up and play in the knall.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

Yeah, I mean, you hit the the nail on the head. Drexen had a fantastic year. Um, and there's a perfect example of a guy, you know, taking an opportunity, uh, going out and doing it and earning another opportunity at the next level. But Jackson was phenomenal, phenomenal for us. Um, you know, whenever we needed a goal, we looked to Jackson or we looked to Jackson's line. I think there was a ton of growth in his game, um, you know, along with a lot of the other guys, but sometimes guys coming from from high school, they don't necessarily understand what it takes at the junior level. Uh, and Jackson grew. He got better, he was determined to get better, he listened, he asked questions, uh, he fit in to the locker room, he fit in with our culture. And again, he did a fantastic job. Everything that Jackson has earned, uh, it was earned by him through his hard work and through his dedication. So we're excited for him that he's getting this opportunity and um hopefully it works out.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

Do you do you know, I'm sure you know a decent amount, but just how much do you know about the Fairbanks ice dogs? Do you have any familiarity with just what the culture's like out there or anything like that, besides the fact that it's probably gonna be just as cold as WASA?

SPEAKER_01 31:46

No, I I mean I I don't know their coach and staff very well. We've had conversations with them. Obviously, they were looking to tender Jackson, so they reached out and talked to us a little bit. But um, you know, everything I've heard about them has been great. It's uh been an organization that's been around and had success. So uh we just wish Jackson the best.

SPEAKER_00 32:10

Awesome. And then uh Owen Gome, uh I just recently was announced that he's gonna go play ACHA hockey at Akenis College. Just what are your thoughts on him moving up to the college level and playing in ACHA, which is extremely high-level hockey? Uh super exciting for OG.

SPEAKER_01 32:31

Yeah, no, that's it. OG told us a little while ago that he was thinking about moving on and foregoing his last year of junior hockey. He's a guy we're gonna miss. He was a Swiss Army night for us. We could play him in any situation, we could play him on any line, and we knew what we were gonna get from him every single night. Um, we're gonna miss him next year, definitely. He was a guy he plays the right way, he goes to the right areas. He's he scored some big goals for us as a team over the past couple years. Um, and he was a great teammate. He was a great kid. Uh, he got hampered down by injuries a little bit over the past couple years, but um, as I said, he was fun to coach, he has a great personality. Um, and we wish him the best. We'll be following him, following him and hope that he has success at the next level.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

He was one of my favorites. Oh, he's just a great guy. Smile on his face. And yeah, I know he was dealing with some lower body stuff toward the end of the year, and that's obviously never fun. But regardless of all that, still great to see that he gets to move on. ACHA hockey is just I I've watched some of it at at a few different levels. I've got a really good buddy that plays at uh UMass Amherst on their ACHA team. It's phenomenal hockey. It's awesome, such a great way to continue playing the game at awesome schools all around the world without having to you know stress about getting a Division I offer. So exciting for him.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

If we're gonna talk about ACHA, we gotta send a shout out to Matthew Witt, former Wassa Cyclone who just won a national championship with Alpha.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

Absolutely. I remember seeing that. That's awesome. It's just it's uh it's amazing hockey, and I just love that players that aren't necessarily at the Division I level still can basically pick from a huge selection of colleges all around the world and play competitive, intense, very good hockey at a lot of awesome schools. So cool for OG, and I'm really excited to see where some of these age outs end up to. I've been briefly chatting with the you know a handful of them that I got close with, and it sounds like they've got some cool, some cool opportunities lined up. All right, definitely. Last question for you, coach. Completely going away from the juniors. This is just kind of a fun one from you. We started the interview with NHL Talk, and I want to end it with NHL Talk because every once in a while throughout the season, we'd pass by each other in the locker room in the hallway, and we'd have a quick little conversation about something going on in the NHL, whether it was a trade or something going on with the Aves. Playoffs are about to start. I just want to know who's gonna be in the cup final from the West and the East from your perspective. Who are your picks for the Stanley Cup championship?

SPEAKER_01 35:15

The Colorado Avalanche. Come on, there we go. Will beat the Carolina Hurricanes in five games in the Stanley Cup Finals. That's my prediction.

SPEAKER_00 35:28

That's confident and quick. I love it. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

I kind like I struggle because I've been watching a lot of Buffalo. Like, as you know, and some of the listeners might know this already. The the Colorado Avalanche are my team. Uh, I lived in Colorado for 10 years. We talked about Bedsley and my relationship with him. Uh, and ever since Bedsley took over, I've been following the abs and cheering for the abs. But I have been watching a lot of the Buffalo Sabres lately. They're a fun team to watch. Um, and they're a team, like it wouldn't surprise me if Buffalo makes Stanley Cup finals. I don't I don't know if they have the team to win. Um, but there's another example of a team getting hot and gelling and and everyone pulling on the rope the same way at the right time. Um, and I think they're surprising a lot of people around the NHL. And uh it wouldn't surprise me, but I think this is finally the year Carolina makes it to the cup finals after years of defeat and heartache. Um, but they're just gonna run into the best team in the world right now, which is the Colorado Avalanche. And the Aves are gonna hoist Stanley Cup number two in the past five years.

SPEAKER_00 36:38

Yeah, I think uh if there's any team that's learned how to lose, it's the Carolina Hurricanes. But um I agree. It just feels like everything's clicking at the right time for the Aves. They can clinch the division. We're recording this on Tuesday, they can clinch it tonight. Feels like we've got like a Raymond Borg part two moment coming up with Brent Burns. He just had his Iron Man, a thousand straight game streak.

SPEAKER_01 36:59

It's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 37:00

So I'm I'm right, I'm right there with you. Colorado on the on the west. I'm torn between Tampa and Carolina in the east. I don't know. We'll we'll see what happens, but I think Tampa's got it in them as well. But uh either way, I think we're in for I think we're in from for some exciting playoff hockey coming up here soon.

SPEAKER_01 37:16

Yep, definitely. I agree. And before we go, I can see the timer running out, but before we go, uh as the head coach and GM, I would like to congratulate you on your opportunity that you're now getting. It's pretty cool that uh Awasa Cyclone is going straight to the NHL for going college, for going the AHL uh and going straight to the show. Um thank you for everything that you did while you were here. I know you're probably gonna continue doing some things, but it's been amazing working with you. It's been amazing seeing all the things that you've done and how much enthusiasm you've put into uh the job. So as an organization, I want to be the, you know, take the opportunity to congratulate you as well.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

Well, thank you very much, coach. I really appreciate it. It was a pleasure to get to work with everyone on the team, and it'll be an experience that I'll I'll never forget. So I really appreciate it. Thank you. Of course. You're welcome. Coach, it's always a pleasure to talk to you. Thanks so much for taking the time. I appreciate it and hope you continue to enjoy maybe a little bit of downtime during the offseason, but mostly just gearing up for another awesome season of Cyclones hockey.

SPEAKER_01 38:24

Sounds good, man. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 38:26

Absolutely. This episode of the WASA Cyclones Podcast is brought to you by AA Steamless. For over 18 years, AA Steamless has been protecting homes and businesses across central and northern Wisconsin with expert installation of gutters, roofing, siding, and more. Family-owned, fully licensed, and insured, they take pride in delivering quality craftsmanship and dependable service. Whether it's keeping your home dry, adding curb appeal, or protecting your investment, AA Steamless will do the work for you. Visit Aasteamless.com to learn more and schedule your free estimate today. At Precision Body and Frame, customer satisfaction is based on years of experience. As our customer, you will receive the finest quality repairs available. We're ready and willing to answer all your questions concerning the repair or estimating process. Our professional staff will assist you with your insurance company and claims handling procedures. Visit PrecisionBodyandframe.com for more details on all the services offered. One more absolutely ginormous thank you to the head coach of the WASP Cyclones, Nathan Oystrick. Just a pleasure to get to chat with him. I could interview that guy for five hours, let alone 30 minutes, however long the interview was. I could talk to that guy hours on end. Such a pleasure to get to chat with him. So great to hear all his insight on the season, the Fraser Cup, Rochester, and the run they made, some future talks and stuff like that. And also a little bit of insight on the Stanley Cup Championship, not to mention that awesome moment for me, getting to go up to the head coach of the abs, Jared Bednar at my new job, throw that name in there. He had a big smile on his face when I mentioned Oisty's name, so just really cool. And also uh really cool of Oisty to you know give me some kind words at the end of the segment, too. That was uh that was pretty awesome. So really cool stuff. Just wanted to give Oisty a really big thank you for that interview and just his willingness to do that. Uh before we wrap up, just want to give a quick little update on what to expect for the next few weeks for the Inside Cyclins Hockey Podcast, because we aren't gonna have episodes weekly. I know we had one last week, which by the way, go listen to that if you haven't. Had a great conversation with our director of business ops, Zach Stirway, about some other stuff going on in the offseason. So go check that one out. But as far as looking ahead, this episode obviously dropping on April 8th, regardless of whether you're listening to it on April 8th or just whenever you get around to it. We'll go on a two-week hiatus after this episode. We'll have another episode on April 29th, talking about tender signings, news, everything going on with some new players coming in, as well as some guys that have tendered uh and and signed at other places, you know, to continue their careers and that kind of stuff. So keep an eye on that episode coming out April 29th. And then we'll go on another somewhat long hiatus. We won't be back again until mid-late May. Last week of May, the 27th, we'll have another episode. So April 29th and May 27th, those are the two dates to keep in mind for when the next two pods are releasing. So keep an eye out for those episodes. Obviously, like I mentioned, we are gonna be rolling episodes out every week just because there is a little bit of a lack of content, so to say, because it's now the offseason. But don't worry, we'll be keeping you updated on the pod with everything you need to know. We crafted out an episode schedule. We made sure to fine-tune it to make it perfect for the listeners. So trust us there. And in the meantime, for all tender signings, news, and news about players moving on to bigger and better things after their Cyclones junior career. Make sure that you're checking out our website, wascyclones.com. Make sure that you're following us on all our social medias at Wasta Cyclones across the board. Make sure that you're tuned into all that. Thank you guys so much for your unwavering support. We really appreciate it. And we will talk to you soon. Go clones. Enjoy the excitement of Cyclones hockey in the Busch Light Clone Zone. Your ticket in the clone zone includes a limited edition Bush Light Clone Zone beer mug and complimentary Bushlight and Mikelove Ultra from doors opening through 10 minutes remaining in the third period. Complimentary snacks include assortments of pub mix, pretzels, and chips. Ice level seating with pub tables and general admission bar height chairs with an excellent view of all the action. Visit Wastacyclones.com/slash bushlight clone zone to learn more today. Are you dealing with a plumbing emergency, leaky faucet, clog drain, or a faulty water heater? Locally owned River Valley Plumbing in Wasta has you covered. Our skilled technicians provide fast, dependable service for all your plumbing needs, big or small. We're committed to quality and customer care because at River Valley Plumbing, we treat our customers like family. Call 715-577-8573 NOW or visit Rivervalleyplumbing.com for service you can count on. Thanks for listening to Inside Cyclones Hockey as we give you a behind the scenes look at the team. Please rate, review, and subscribe to stay up to date on all things Cyclones Hockey. And as always, go clones.