Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 535: Featuring Larry Brooks, Sean Avery, Bryan McCabe & Yands

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary: Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 535 Featuring Larry Brooks, Sean Avery, Bryan McCabe & Yands

Introduction

In Episode 535 of "Spittin’ Chiclets," released on December 10, 2024, hosts Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, and Mike Grinnell dive deep into the latest happenings in the NHL. This episode features insightful conversations with hockey reporter Larry Brooks, former NHL players Sean Avery and Bryan McCabe, and the ever-energetic Yands. The trio brings their trademark blend of outspoken opinions and irreverent humor to dissect team performances, trades, locker room dynamics, and personal anecdotes from their extensive hockey careers.

New York Rangers: Leadership Struggles and Trade Fallout

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the New York Rangers' tumultuous season, highlighting leadership challenges and controversial trades that have left fans bewildered.

Trade of Jacob Truba to Anaheim

Bryan Bissonnette kicks off the discussion by addressing the recent trade of Jacob Truba to Anaheim, emphasizing its impact on team morale and leadership dynamics.

[03:47] Bissonnette: "He made the decision for my family at 100%. Do it the next time as well."

Larry Brooks adds depth to the conversation, underscoring the Rangers' ongoing management issues.

[13:57] Brooks: "They lock him up for under 12. If he's not the best goalie in the world, he's top three in the playoffs."

Leadership and Captaincy Issues

The hosts delve into the implications of Truba's trade on his role as captain, questioning whether the Rangers should have stripped him of his captaincy when he blocked the trade.

[05:18] Whitney: "You can't have a lame duck captain. It does not work, and it did not work for them."

Larry Brooks critiques the Rangers' handling of the situation, highlighting broader organizational shortcomings.

[09:27] Brooks: "The Rangers are not done making moves. They're not good enough. I think everyone knows it."

Igor Shusturkin’s Contract and Goaltending Stability

The episode transitions to discuss the Rangers' recent signing of goaltender Igor Shusturkin, analyzing its financial implications and potential impact on team performance.

[13:57] Brooks: "They lock him up for under 12. If he's not the best goalie in the world, he's top three in the playoffs."

Colorado Avalanche: Strategic Goaltending Overhaul

Shifting focus to another team, the hosts commend the Colorado Avalanche's mid-season acquisition of Mackenzie Blackwood and Giovanni Smith from the San Jose Sharks, viewing it as a strategic move to stabilize their goaltending roster.

[10:08] Yandle: "They got Miles Wood too, so they got all the woods. But I think it's a good move cuz most teams, you got to have two good goalies nowadays to win..."

Chicago Blackhawks: Coaching Changes Amid Team Struggles

The discussion moves to the Chicago Blackhawks' recent decision to fire coach Luke Richardson following a dismal start to the season, signifying management's urgent response to underperformance.

[16:00] Brooks: "They are not a Stanley Cup team. I don't think so. Now they can make some changes."

Personal Insights and Anecdotes

Bryan McCabe’s Career Reflections

Bryan McCabe shares personal stories from his time with the Rangers, including significant trades and locker room dynamics that influenced his career trajectory.

[156:09] McCabe: "I just knew that I was. I'm a bit out there. And they handed over these big long term deals to guys who haven't proven anything. There's no bridge deals..."

Sean Avery’s Tales

Sean Avery contributes by recounting notable moments from his NHL career, offering a candid look into the relationships between players and the media.

[197:44] McCabe: "They miss the playoffs again... And then I broke my hand in Montreal and I missed..."

Locker Room Culture and Team Chemistry

The hosts emphasize the importance of a positive locker room culture and effective leadership, using the Rangers as a cautionary example of what can go wrong when these elements are compromised.

[19:54] Brooks: "The Rangers are not done making moves. They're not good enough. I think everyone knows it."

Development and Player Performance

Discussions also highlight player development issues, focusing on how individual performances and off-ice behavior influence team decisions and the broader NHL landscape.

[56:04] Brooks: "We can't have a lame duck captain. It does not work, and it did not work for them."

Notable Quotes

• Ryan Whitney at [05:18]:
  "You can't have a lame duck captain. It does not work, and it did not work for them."

• Larry Brooks at [13:57]:
  "They lock him up for under 12. If he's not the best goalie in the world, he's top three in the playoffs."

• Larry Brooks at [09:27]:
  "The Rangers are not done making moves. They're not good enough. I think everyone knows it."

Conclusion

Episode 535 of "Spittin’ Chiclets" offers an unvarnished look at the NHL's current state, particularly focusing on the New York Rangers' internal struggles and strategic moves by other teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. With candid discussions and expert insights from Larry Brooks, Sean Avery, and Bryan McCabe, the hosts underscore the critical role of leadership, strategic management, and player development in building championship-contending teams.

Listeners are left with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities facing teams in the high-stakes world of professional hockey. The blend of expert analysis, personal anecdotes, and sharp wit ensures that "Spittin’ Chiclets" remains a go-to podcast for hockey enthusiasts seeking both depth and entertainment.

Final Thoughts

The hosts wrap up the episode by acknowledging their guests, promoting upcoming live shows, and hinting at future discussions, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating the next installment of "Spittin’ Chiclets."

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This summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, highlighting key discussions and notable quotes with proper attribution and timestamps. It is structured into clear sections, providing a comprehensive overview while omitting advertisements and non-content segments as per your instructions.

Transcript

[Whitney]

Hey, Spit and Chicklets listeners.

[Biz]

You can find every episode on Apple.

[Whitney]

Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube Prime.

[Biz]

Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Ryan]

Here on Spit and Chicklets, we talk a lot about hockey, including the best ways to enjoy game day.

[Biz]

That is right. If you need help getting those game day essentials, you got to have Discover in your back pocket. Discover is accepted by 99% of places that take credit card nationwide. So when it's time for wings and drinks, you're pretty much covered.

[Ryan]

Yeah, you don't want to be the guy scrambling for cash like wit when the rounds on you. And remember, y'all, Discover is accepted by 99% of places, but attempting to start a wave at a critical point in the game is not it pays to.

[Biz]

Discover percentage based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. And don't miss the puck drop for the Discover NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Eve.

[Ryan]

Here on Spit and Chiclets, we talk a lot about hockey, including the best ways to enjoy game day.

[Biz]

That is right. If you need help getting those game day essentials, you gotta have Discover in your back pocket. Discover is accepted by 99% of places that take credit card nationwide. So when it's time for wings and drinks, you're pretty much covered.

[Ryan]

Yeah, you don't want to be the guy scrambling for cash like wit when the round's on you. And remember, y'all, Discover is accepted by 99% of places, but attempting to start a wave at a critical point in the game is not it pays to.

[Biz]

Discover percentage based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. And don't miss the puck drop for the Discover NHL Winter Classic. On New Year's Eve, me and Ryan.

[Whitney]

Have been officially welcomed to the jungle.

[Biz]

That is Bastool Sports. Our white whale, Sydney. Cross shape his head.

[McCabe]

Shame his head.

[Whitney]

Shame his head.

[Biz]

Ryan Whitney. Paul Vicinette, R.A. mike Grinelli. Spitting chick. What is up, folks? How you all doing? Yeah, I'm saying y'all. Cause the Georgia Bulldogs. You see this hat? 47 brand. One of our sponsors. Let's go, dogs. Welcome to episode 535 of the Spit and Chicklets podcast. This is your boy Whit talking right now. We got Keith Yandle joining us. We got biz. We got a bunch to catch up on. But first we got to talk about Pink Whitney. Head on over to your local bar and make sure to order some Pink Whitney. Pink Whitney. I love the drink. Winter, summer, fall, spring, doesn't matter the season. Pink Whitney always, always makes for an excellent evening afternoon. Or even morning if you're a real, real sicko. But Pink Whitney's where it's at. It's exceptionally smooth, great tasting vodka with notes of refreshing lemon. Pink Whitney is the number one flavored vodka. Can you believe that? Number one. First time I've been number one in anything. And now they have the 1.75 liter bottle. More. More.

[Ryan]

That big old bottle.

[Biz]

Be down south for the SEC title game. More of the Pink Whitney we know and love. Great for parties and sharing with friends. Take your shot with Pink Whitney. Boys, how are y'all doing?

[Ryan]

You guys got me watching the Georgia Bulldogs like I'm invested. Cause you guys are. Now you can only talk in that Georgia accent.

[Biz]

What'd you do the whole goddamn podcast talking about Gunner Stockton, that backup QB coming and winning SEC title game.

[Ryan]

You want to talk about dogs?

[Biz]

You want to talk about dogs? An incredible game. It just unbelievable. Like, I, I was, I was, I was nervous. Now they were in even if they lost, according to what I read. But it's all about winning your league. You know, Biz, it's like when you, you know. You never won the O though, did you? You never won, right?

[Yandle]

Oh, sorry.

[Biz]

You want to call the cop.

[Ryan]

That's true, that's true. I did. Hey, but also the. The sc. The secular is the strongest division of all of football. It's like people say that the top teams can compete with NFL teams.

[Biz]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's a take that gets really, really.

[Yandle]

That's like Michigan right now.

[Biz]

You getting carved.

[Yandle]

That's like the Michigan hockey coach saying that Michigan's the next step under the NHL.

[Ryan]

Oh, okay. So that's what you thought of that take like you think an ah team.

[Yandle]

Of course they would.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Biz]

Maybe the year that they. Maybe the. They could have maybe given. Yeah, they're losing the NHL teams, college teams against professional sports teams. I mean, we're talking like mercy ruled. Like, hey, it's 11 nothing in ping pong. You're off the table. You know what I'm saying? Actually, speaking of Georgia, they just built a brand new 3,000 seat arena for their club hockey team where every girl at the school thinks the kids are in the NHL. So I was on the ring shrinks with Brian Yandle and Mike motto. I said, if you're looking to go play at like Salem State and you could possibly get into an SEC school and play club hockey, you're absolutely crazy. I understand these Nescac schools, amazing education, so called nowadays. I don't know what you're really learning at school if you're a liberal arts major like myself in Maine. But I will say that this club hockey thing, it's just going through the roof. Bizarre. It's amazing. It's amazing.

[Ryan]

But going back to that liberal art arts thing, wasn't there like a photo that went viral where this girl got a degree for smelling or something? Did you guys see that thing that went viral? No. Maybe don't let our demo been like.

[Biz]

On your rya where a girl like wants to smell you. I don't know what you're thinking of.

[Ryan]

There, but message in the chat if. If I'm. If I'm going crazy here, if that actually happened. But going back to the game, that first drive by that backup qb, I'm like, oh, I think they got something here.

[Biz]

He changed everything.

[Yandle]

Can we talk about the hit that he took? And got up and still I thought he broke his leg, acl, mcl, ankle, tibia, fibia. Head almost came off his body.

[Ryan]

Keep going.

[Yandle]

He's L5s1 but. And then his head, his helmet comes off. They have to drag him. They. They didn't let him play because the spotters came down with like, hey, this guy's basically decapitated. You gotta take him out for a play. The entire nation knew that they were gonna run the ball. They ran the ball right down their damn thr.

[Biz]

Down the middle. They gave the starter Carson back. He comes back in, he can't even move his arm. And then he just hands it right off. Game over. SEC title biz. That girl went viral for her thesis to her PhD being about smells being racist. So you were like 1/10 of the story, I think.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Biz]

But I guess smells are racist. So I don't know if like my fart is my smell of my fart. I did recently is raises. I've been now blaming certain farts on like, like kids. Like the kids are old enough. I'm like, that was not me, Ryder. Admit it. And he's like crying, I didn't fart. You know, sometimes you just gotta face the music, bud. I remember my dad blaming me for some. So that's.

[Yandle]

When in doubt, blame it on the dog. They can't talk back.

[Biz]

Very true, actually. I never blamed it on Yoshi. I've never blamed him. He's too.

[Ryan]

He doesn't even like you. I'm surprised.

[Biz]

No, he hates my guts. Can't wait to get a golden retriever someday.

[Ryan]

I got to do that coast to coast show with Yanza last week.

[Yandle]

I just want to finish One. One topic of the dogs. I was at a. I was at a bar in Tampa. I was up there for the girls lacrosse tournament. This place called Walk Ons. Awesome little bar. But the whole place was going insane. It was all Georgia Dogs. And then there was, like, three Texas fans sitting over there. Everyone's giving them the horns down. It was unbelievable. I became, like, best buddies with the guys sitting next to me. I sat down. I'm like, who are you rooting for? He's like, anyone but Texas. I was like, my man game. A high five. And we were going insane the entire game. It was so fun.

[Biz]

I was sitting in Starbucks this afternoon, having coffee, you know, just catching up on things, getting ready for the show, being a pros pro, as they call it. And a very attractive woman started walking over towards me. I'd say 35 to 40 years old. And I was like, still got it. Still got it. Still got it. And then she just pointed at my hat. Well, she pointed at me. And I'm like, what's up? What's up? How you doing? Yeah, I'm married to see my ring.

[Yandle]

See my ring.

[Biz]

She's like, no, your hat. And then she just, like, pulled her jacket apart, had a Georgia shirt.

[Ryan]

She goes, go, Dogs.

[Biz]

I was like, these women, these people from Georgia are nuts. They're sickos, Biz. It's all they care about. So I've been rocking.

[Ryan]

You have a random cougar barking in your face over. Over college football.

[Biz]

Yeah, I was eating one of those egg sauce. The. The egg sausage sandwich at Starbucks. No free ads. I. I don't get the cheese on it, and I take one of the pieces of bread off, so I feel.

[Ryan]

Like, oh, wow, this sounds a lot like my ordering that I got criticized for.

[Biz]

Oh, when I go, hey, can I get the egg, sausage and cheese without cheese? Not can I get the egg, sausage and cheese? But just try a bite, then I'll give it back to you. Then you can give me the egg bites, then I'll try a bite, and I' and then maybe just give me a little bit of yogurt and put a little bit of granola on it, and we'll be good. Actually, speaking of coast to coast, I haven't talked to you guys in so long. It was awesome watching you guys. It's amazing being able to get that broadcast through ESPN plus.

[Ryan]

Oh, okay.

[Biz]

What? Forget the hockey. Forget the Josh Morrissey talk. Very funny, Keith. Apparently, Biz had another ridiculous restaurant order experience with you.

[Yandle]

Well, it started at Starbucks.

[Biz]

There you go.

[Yandle]

Started at Starbucks. I call or I texted him. I said, hey, I'm at Starbucks. We were going to go to Chipotle, which was right next to it. I was there before him. I go, hey, I'm at Starbucks. You want something? He goes, yeah, just get me. Do they have a blonde roast, whatever, named like three roasts? And then he's like, just get me whichever one's the freshest. And I'm like, okay. I asked the lady. I go, which one's the oldest coffee that you guys have? She was like, oh, this blonde roast has been out the most. Like, I'll have that, thank you. Is if anyone's at. So whatever. He gets his Starbucks. We go into Chipotle. We're in line. There's a new meat that we didn't know what it was. So I'm like, hey, what is that meat in? What was it? Biz? Brisket.

[Ryan]

Brisket? Yeah.

[Yandle]

They were like, oh, it's the new brisket. Biz is like, oh, can I try that?

[McCabe]

Can I.

[Biz]

Can I get.

[Yandle]

Can I get a sample?

[Biz]

No.

[McCabe]

Biz pizza.

[Biz]

This is not acceptable social behavior.

[Yandle]

So she gets a little. She gets the little cup that they put, like, the guac, probably the guacamole in. Yeah, exactly. Puts a little in there. He one times it. It's Phil. It's like this much. It's like he could have went home. Like, it could have been. Yeah, he could have been done for the day, finishes it, and then he's like, yeah, no, I don't want it. It's a little too spicy. So I asked. The manager comes over. I'm like, has anyone ever asked for a sample here in the history of Chipotle? The guy's like, not once. Never seen it. Not one time.

[Biz]

She gave him a sample, and he's like, no, just throw a little walk on top too.

[Ryan]

Yans goes, what's that one? And then she said, brisket. And then he goes, you should ask for a sample. I go, can I get a sample? He told me to. So he gave me the green light to do it. So I was like, okay, I think.

[Biz]

He'S doing it, thinking he would never hear. He would never hear. Imagine if. Was this down in Florida, actually? Or were you.

[Yandle]

No, this was in Secaucus.

[Ryan]

Surprising.

[Biz]

So I was going to say, if it was Florida and some dude randomly happened to be in there that was in Sloan's that night and got double whammied by you asking for trials or. Or. Or taste test, the poor prick would have just jumped off the.

[Ryan]

You Know who sent me the curb your enthusiasm episode? Clip was.

[Biz]

Texted me, and he's like, this is unbelievable. I go, it was worse. It was worse than that. I wasn't nearly as funny as Larry. Behind you. Just disgusted with it all, huh?

[Yandle]

Biz used to all. He'd be like, can I get the Caesar salad? But instead of romaine, can I get the iceberg with. And instead of Caesar dressing, could I get blue cheese and bacon bit? They're like, oh, that's the wedge salad. He'd be like, yeah, but I want it as a Caesar.

[Biz]

Can you put a grape in there? The guys great. Yeah, they're fresh this type of time of year. So did you guys enjoy working together? Must have been a lot of fun.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah, it was awesome. Very. I would say the first half was a lot more high octane just because there were so many more games. Eastern starts, you know, as you know, a lot of them are not staggered. So you're, boom, it's off and running. And then that night, they only had two west coast games. It was just Calgary, St. Louis, and then Edmonton smoked somebody. I forget who it was. So you get a little bit more of the gameplay in action as opposed to, like, us coming on camera as much. Right? Would you agree with that?

[Yandle]

Yeah, yeah, that's what it's. It's exactly like the NFL red zone, where it's just you read and react. You're talking about plays, teams go on, power plays, you kind of just reviewing goals, hits, you know, big.

[Biz]

So easy to do that.

[Yandle]

It's such a blast, though, because you're watching all these games, and then you got TVs everywhere. And then something happens over here, and then Biz is watching something, I'm watching something else. And then the kind of. And then Andy does such a great job as the bus driver, just kind of bringing it all in together. So it was a me. And I mean, anytime doing something with biz is fun, but we. We had a blast together.

[Ryan]

We were just on each other. And Andy Petrillo does a great job of snapping it around and, like, keeping the conversation fluid. And, you know, you're messing around sometimes, but then she'll turn it over to, like, you know, what do you make of what's going on with this team this year in this situation? Then we kind of talk more hockey, but it was great working with them and a great concept by the league. Like, we talk about all these different broadcasts and different networks that are getting in the mix. So I feel like hockey definitely needed, like, a version of red zone. People like to be stimulated and maybe they're more fans of the league than just one team.

[Biz]

Biz, you're your porch garros. Discipline suspension of Brad Marshall. One of the funniest things you've ever done accompanied with you in a neck brace. And I think something else maybe a wrap around your head when interviewing my dome Classic classic week of content for you on tnt.

[Ryan]

Yeah, because, well, the week prior we had Marchion and that's when that fight story all broke loose. And then that's when he came back after I chirped about the hairline, about just want to look like the guys who beat the wheels off you. And then that just kind of propelled it into. Then we had the outline call the following Monday and I'm like, guys, we got them against Chicago. Like, I like Chicago and all and I know we got Bedard to talk about, but this is a potential skit that we could do if you guys are interested. And the whole team jumped on board. Liam, Tyler, Lassiter, Morgan, like, the whole crew from TNT was behind it and, and helped execute it when we got to the studio. So I was just thankful that they were able to do it. And boys like Marchie, like, give me, give me 12, 15 more guys in the league like Marchie, I think we'd be bringing in more revenue than the NBA. Like, it is crazy. That was comedy. He's so quick on his feet. And he just put me in another casket, as you mentioned, and buried me again.

[Yandle]

NBA is falling low right now. Everything that I see there, it's. No one wants to see just people shooting threes. And it's, it's, it's a bad product. And I, you guys know I love basketball. Like, I watch basketball.

[Ryan]

Brutal.

[Yandle]

It's not a good product. Hockey's in a good place right now.

[Biz]

I don't know what they do about that. Where, where. Yeah, it's literally three after three after three. And I, I. There has to be discussions with the high ups right now. Like, what do we do if the ratings are down as much as I read now, sometimes you see, like, I don't necessarily know what to believe on, on the Internet. I don't know that that's kind of an issue for people these days. Like, I don't know if the ratings are down as bad as I'm seeing they are because it seems like people who hate the NBA are the ones tweeting this stuff. But yeah, like, I don't watch it. But if you throw it on and you just see three after three, it's like I, I don't see the excitement in that, but I think that's all analytics, like telling them like that's what you're supposed to be doing. That's the best way to win games, score points. I have no idea. But biz, it was classic to see that Marshy kind of pumped my tires. That's the last thing he probably wanted to do. The last time I saw him, he was driving. He drove past me in Milton and I shot him a text and then he chirped me back like real hard. Just classic Marshawn style. I feel bad saying I can't wait for him to retire, but that's only because he promised he'd come on then and it'll be amazing. I mean I can't imagine but, but.

[Ryan]

Even for him to do that, an unreal chirp about that was. That was post game about the carrying right. That was that post game. Like the fact that he goes and does the pregame. He was, he ended up being late for the power play meeting as a result to that interview and then goes out there and scores two goals and then finishes me off with that dagger that you just mentioned. So it was just classic Brad Marshaw. And I don't know how many messages I'm seeing from other fan bases who hated this guy's guts who are starting to say that they're now a Brad Marshall fan. So that is, they've done a complete 180 based on what he brought to the broadcast back to back weeks. What did you make of it, Yance?

[Yandle]

Yeah, he's great. I've known Mar. I played junior with Marchie. I played with him in Moncton. So I always forget that because he.

[Biz]

Wasn'T even like a big player on that team. Right?

[Yandle]

He was, he was, you know, I think he's probably 2. So he was probably a younger player, maybe like 17 years old, 16 or 17 years old. But you could tell he had like that ratness in him. But he also had crazy skill. He score some like crazy high end goals. But he was probably on like our third line. Probably didn't even play power play. Was, you know, just a young kid in the cube making his way. But he, he was still funny like chirping guys and you know, being ruthless like he is today. So yeah, I've always loved him and his antics. He's been, he's been great for the league for, you know, close to 15 years now probably.

[Biz]

He's so skilled. I didn't realize until I skated with him during the lockout. Keith, when we were with him, you're just like, holy shit. So he's actually heating up as well. Good for him. We talked about the surgeries. Bruins definitely look a little bit better. They. I think that game might have technically got Luke Richardson fired. I think they fired him after that game, I believe.

[Ryan]

I mean, Bedard was. I think he ended up breaking another stick and just a little bit frustrated.

[Biz]

He's breaking sticks every game.

[Ryan]

Okay. It's. Do you remember Sid getting that frustrated in the first couple years?

[Biz]

He got 100 points his rookie year and then won the MVP in the scoring title, I think, his second year. So there wasn't really much for him. I mean, the famous stick breaking thing for me is when Malkin had five assists and we won five nothing and he was smashing his stick in the. In the shower after because he didn't score against Toronto.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Biz]

So that was kind of classic. Before we kind of get into the hockey biz, one more thing, I guess. As of right now, today, the. The videos will be released of. Of your. Of your melee with the Irish travelers.

[Ryan]

So I got to see them. They're going to release them tomorrow pretty much. Like I said, everything that I talked about that, how it starts inside the restaurant to how it goes outside, how at first there's nine guys and it drops off to like six or seven. Then by the end, it's about six guys. The only thing that sucks as of right now is there's no video of me knocking out that William Carroll guy. Because you're going to see the last video that has the best clarity, whereas there's a tree blocking it. And it's actually like a. Like a street camera, but because there's movement and there's nothing else on the street moving, it veers over. And it has a whole shot of when we come out past the dumpsters after that happens. And then one guy tackles me and then they just start boot me. So you get the visuals of the whole shenanigans from inside the restaurant all the way and how it works its way all the way around the parking lot. So you guys will see it. Yeah, it sucks that we couldn't get me knocking out William Carroll, but you'll know he's not one of the guys that's chasing me past the dumpster. So he took his. His right to the chin and yeah, it was. It was a crazy experience. And let's see if they show up to their court date.

[Yandle]

Did you see Draft draftkings has the odds whether they'll come to the court date or not. I took the under minus 10,000 that they won't show.

[Ryan]

That Shay Stevens guy online is saying that their camp is saying that I started it. So that's. So maybe they will come in defense. All six of them, the Scotts, we're innocent here. We were just finishing up business that he started. So it should be interesting. But I would guess what. You guess and they don't show up.

[Biz]

Imagine your credibility if the videos were released and you just walked up to him in Houston's and suckered them. Oh, biz, we got some issues here, buddy. You ever heard of the Internet biz? Just my last thing. My last thing. Well, one thing. We have Brian McCabe on today's episode, which was an awesome interview, sat down with him at Keith's house a couple weeks back. Great interview. I think you'll all enjoy that. We have Larry Brooks on. He came on to discuss all the happenings in the Rangers and the New York Rangers organization. What's gone on the last week that we'll get into ourselves. And Sean Avery popped in with that interview to give a little hello and talk to Larry a little bit. They go a long time. They go back a long time from aves time with the Rangers. But my final thing before we get to everything else is it's kind of time for my annual complaining about elf on a shelf for people without kids. There's an elf. You name the elf. The thing shows up every night. You got to switch it around. It's like a who's who and a what's what to what you can do what you can make your elf do. How original. You can make it if you forget to move the elf. The kids are crying. It's an absolute joke. The one thing that does crack me up is our elf's name is Keith. So Keith, as many people have known, tough name, great guy, tough name. He even says it himself. Sorry, Keith. It was said in the family guy. You know it's true. What's the worst name in the English language? Keith. Open the door. So Keith is back and it's funny this morning. He came back this morning and Ryder. All I heard from upstairs was Keith. I started laughing no matter what.

[Yandle]

So that was me. I was in your. I was in your.

[Ryan]

You do this elf on a shelf, Yance?

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You still do it for your daughters?

[Yandle]

I don't want to. Yeah, I don't want to ruin it for wet that.

[Ryan]

Oh, what?

[Yandle]

It's not real?

[Biz]

Oh, shit. Yeah. I didn't Know when I had to pretend that it was like, yeah, no.

[Yandle]

My kids are past that. Which is. Which is a huge plus because I don't have to do it.

[Biz]

And none of us grew up with this. So I think people, I don't know, 30 and older didn't have it. I don't know when it came, but some person, I hope they're laughing with bundles and bundles of money like Scrooge McDuck over this thing. I don't know when it came into existence, but now everyone needs one. And I get the text. Wife goes to bed. Hey, forgot to move Keithy. Like, do something funny. Like, okay, let me spend the next 45 minutes trying to figure out how to get him on a cookie tray next to some chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies and see him kind of eating some chocolate on his mouth. So it's a disaster. There was this note, though, that my.

[Ryan]

Wife should burn him like, the lasagna. She says she just put him in there. Oh, I left him overnight.

[Yandle]

I used to. I used to do the Hershey's Kiss and make him look like he was taking a poop.

[Biz]

There you go.

[Yandle]

I do that one. I do that once a week.

[Biz]

I got tonight. But now, like, Ryder just turned 7. He's like, how does he get here? And I think it's like. Like the wheels are spinning a little bit. Like, what. What's going on? Like, why is I. Why. Why aren't his eyes moving? I him, like, just shut up and behave or else he's going to tell Santa. My wife wrote this note.

[Ryan]

I'm draws yan straws in red on the eyes. Like he's popping blood vessels, taking shits.

[Biz]

It's all the detail with, like, an enormous blunt.

[Yandle]

I have Snoop on a stoop. I have the Snoop Dogg one. It's called Snoop on a stoop. Yeah, it's him. It's Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. And he has a blunt in his mouth.

[Ryan]

No. Yeah, you got him bending over those posts.

[Yandle]

Hold on. I have it right here.

[Biz]

Get it, get it. This is the note, though. I'm back. The day has come to play and laugh and have some fun each day I'll be watching Be kind and be sweet I'll fly back to Santa at night while you sleep Remember to be good and spread holiday cheer I can't wait for all the fun we have this time of year. Ho ho, ho, Keefie. I was like, oh, my God, you're so talented. She's like, that's on the Internet. I Didn't. I didn't write that myself. Still, she shouldn't have told me because I would have believed that my wife. My wife had a chance.

[McCabe]

Oh.

[Ryan]

That is unreal.

[Biz]

I didn't know he actually had a blunt in his mouth.

[Yandle]

And then Martha Stewart, actually.

[Biz]

That kind of reminds me. I don't know why I forgot. First three episodes have been released of Surviving Barstool. I guess it's the blunt in the mouth and it remind me of Gilly, which reminded me of Surviving Barstool Biz. What have you thought? Have you watched them biz or.

[Ryan]

No, I've watched probably like a total of like, a little over one episode. Just like, periodically and just traveling. But like, yeah, like, it's like. It's everything that I remember. Like, Gilly kind of steals the show the first couple episodes. He's just a cartoon character. He gets a hold of that helmet. The way that, like, Jersey Jerry was treating it like it was the mob. I was there to play.

[Biz]

Did you see the clip with you and him?

[Ryan]

Yeah, where I'm. I was playing a clean cut game, and I just get thrown in this fire of guys just going to mental warfare right from the right from Puck drop. Like, there's no softening process. Hey, worry about winning your comps and. And keep it chill. Those guys were going to work early. But that's why I think it cost Jersey Jerry his spot. Because, like, it was like he was plotting too quick where nobody trusted him.

[Biz]

Yeah, he was playing the game too hard.

[Yandle]

I'm all in on this show. I am all in. It's great.

[Biz]

It's.

[Yandle]

You guys have been great. Besides Wit doing the fuck Wit, dude, I almost. Dude, you were shooting that thing.

[Biz]

Dude, Dude, I was bringing it back, like, 4 inches thinking about accuracy. And then I look over and Kelly Keats is laying down, like, bringing this thing back like a rocket ship. And. And I was like, this is so. And I just. Then I was in my own head.

[Yandle]

I thought maybe it was a water balloon, that you were afraid to break the balloon while you were bringing it back. And then I'm like, no, these aren't water balloons. But why did, like, why did Big Cat not tell you? I didn't like that out of Big Cat.

[Biz]

He told. I have no idea.

[Yandle]

I didn't like no idea one bit.

[Biz]

I did not like that one bit. I just think back to Biz, like, being in the show, it feels like it was two years ago. But at the end, finally, at the end, when everyone goes home, I think you and I were In a car together and looked at each other and just said, like, get me the.

[Ryan]

It's you. You think it's the entire universe. You don't understand real life outside of this game. We won't give out. Give out any more spoilers. We'll try to maybe trickle a few stories in from each one throughout the next. The next month or two. And you gotta go watch it, though. A lot of people are saying probably one of the best produced things Barstool has ever done, the quality, the. The manpower they put behind it. They outsourced people who are doing all the audio. And they were militant. Hey, when we would turn our audio on, like, every person. The confessional situation.

[Yandle]

So more militant than.

[Biz]

Last thing. Did. Did you guys appreciate my acting when. When Robbie Fox got gassed, did you see my. And nobody could even see me. Like, that's how dumb I am. Like, I'm in the back.

[Ryan]

The camera's got it. The cameras.

[Biz]

Cameras got it.

[Ryan]

That's all.

[Biz]

The camera's got it. So episode four is tonight. This is on rumble and YouTube. Episode five. Tomorrow, episode six. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, there'll be an episode. Even if you're not into Barstool, I recommend going to checking it out because it's entertaining. It's a great product. It's a lot of fun.

[Ryan]

So 24 heavy hitters. And I guess they put it on Rumble because there are certain things they can put on that one they can't put on YouTube. This seemed to be the issue last year when they released it.

[Biz]

Well, that's why he's gonna blow someone's head up. I mean, blow someone's house off. House up. That was.

[Ryan]

Oh, you can't. Yeah. So YouTube does not allow threats to blow people's houses up, but Rumble seems to allow that when. When taken within context. So enjoy it. And looking forward for you guys for your feedback on that too.

[Yandle]

But YouTube allows me to see Mincy's body. And that guy is absolute filth.

[Biz]

That guy is one of the dumbest people.

[Yandle]

When they announced them to your team.

[Biz]

I was like, no, no, no, no.

[Yandle]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, God.

[Biz]

Yeah. Everyone needs a minty. Just guys.

[Ryan]

I'm actually glad all this. I know as we moved to hockey, I'm actually glad all this Ranger stuff happened before we get Yan's on. He played for the Rangers. He knows what it's like being there and the pressure under the bright lights. And we got Larry Brooks coming on. I'm sure you had a couple run Ins in a good way with him. Really get along with media throughout your career.

[Yandle]

Yeah, I had no issues with. With Larry and probably because I never read anything that he wrote on me. And I'm sure he absolutely dogged me a lot of the times, but I never really. Because I didn't want to have those relationships with guys. You know, you're seeing them every day. I never wanted to have a bad relationship with a meet. I know they have to do their job and write, you know, hit pieces sometimes and stuff like that. So I never. Or even if they wrote something about a teammate, I wouldn't like to read that either. So I never read anything. I stayed out of that stuff. He was always very cordial with me. Nice guy. I know some. Like Dan Boyle. He was there. I was there for that year that Boiler flipped out on him at the year end meetings, telling him to get out of the room and he wasn't going to do the interview. And he had told Boiler told me before he was going to do it. He was like, hey, I have mine next. You might want to just stick around the locker room for this. So I got a front row seat to that. And Larry's like, nope, I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving. And Boiler was just boiling like, this guy doesn't leave. I'm going to absolutely overreact. Because he knew he was retiring too. So it was his last ever outro meeting. So he was all in. And I wish I could remember what he said to him exactly, but it was just one of those things. He had probably read one or two too many things that he didn't like and just had enough.

[Ryan]

We'll get. We'll get to it. In the interview, I think he said that he tried to bury the hatchet with Boyle. Yeah. And he just. He said Boiler was not having it. I don't know what he wrote about him that. That or said about him that set him off to that degree, but do you remember one thing in particular?

[Yandle]

No, I don't. I do not. I wish I did. I should. I actually. I should have texted Boiler text on the show.

[Ryan]

Maybe he'll get back to you by the time we're done.

[Biz]

Yeah, say like, ask him, like, what was the. What was the thing that, like, really sent you over the edge that. That Brooksie had written? But that kind of brings us into. Oh, go ahead, Biz.

[Ryan]

Oh, I was gonna say and. And go, hey, we. We got him on the pod. Do you have any questions for him?

[Biz]

He might not respond if you tell.

[Yandle]

He would not like me if he knew that I was talking to him. He's. He's such a stubborn old man. One of the best guys ever, too, but just a stubborn guy. And he would never. If Larry Books was like, I'll give you a million dollars to sit down with me and just hash it out, he'd be like, no.

[Ryan]

So. So as stubborn as Derek Morris.

[Yandle]

Very. Cut from the same cloth.

[Ryan]

Those same person. Okay. We got to get him on at some point. Oh, my God. He's coaching. He's coaching. Joey Superstein's brother Raf. He loves him as a coach. I go, buddy, he is so intense.

[Yandle]

I so smart, too.

[Ryan]

He was a nail gun when he played. I remember him six days a week, he would go into that exos. He was a machine animal in the.

[Yandle]

In the. In the gym.

[Biz]

Wait, he would leave the rink and work out somewhere else?

[Ryan]

No, no. Summertime, but even at the rink, like, during the season. Like, I would say that from all the guys I played pro with, he had probably one of the strongest work ethics I'd ever seen on and off the ice. Like, gamer. In practice, like always on. He actually had pretty silky mitts, too, like, the way that he could walk. And he was a reliable passer. Like, I love. I thought. I always thought he was one of our more underappreciated players when he was with the Coyotes, like, for what he was making at the time.

[Yandle]

Did so much for my career. I got to play with him, like, my first four or five years. He was. He was a general on the ice. He just, like, told you where to go. He was so good talking. He would just be like, all right, you stay in front of the net. I'll go to each corner. Because he was a savage. And he would just go, like, blow people up in the corner. And I would just stand there. And he was unbelievable.

[Ryan]

And. And kind of one of those undercover nail guns wit, where you're like, well.

[Biz]

No, I didn't fight him. I. I went on his. Keith's bachelor party with him, and then he beat the wheels off me. I believe the next season, I think I was celebrating an overtime winner. And he didn't like it, and he just. Just, just boom, bing. Didn't give a shit. Done. Lay down, witch. Shut your mouth behind the door. Same batch. That was the same bachelor party that we played a Trump golf course on the way. In New Jersey on the way to the city, and Trump was in there after. And we walked in eight guys, and he's like, I wish you were eight Women. It'd be a lot cooler if you ate were women. I was like, okay, got you, Donald. And then I think Brian Yandle had on a Ed Hardy T shirt that was popular about seven years prior. And the bouncer was giving him and stuff. Very, very funny.

[Ryan]

A 15k minimum and you can wear Ed Hardy shirt in here.

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Is that how the conversation went?

[Yandle]

I think Wit said, no. I don't even want to. But.

[Biz]

But. Take your affliction hat off, please, sir. Please.

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Biz]

So. Well, guys, in New York, crazy news breaks this week. All of a sudden, it was reported that Jacob Truba for roster management was going to be sat or wasn't going to be playing because they had a deal in place. They were going to trade him. This all comes kind of to fruition after the summer where it was reported that they told him, we want to trade you. He had a no trade clause. He blocked it for his family. He ends up going on after. To mention after the trade, Yeah, I made the decision for my family at 100%. Do it the next time as well. He's traded to Anaheim for Earl Veckin and a fourth round pick from Anaheim. I don't know what you guys thought of this. I don't know what you thought of how it was dealt with Biz and Keith, but surprising to see him able to be moved and the Rangers not have to retain any salary.

[Ryan]

Was there confirmation on whether the waivers thing was a threat from New Jersey, New York, Excuse me.

[Biz]

He said that he was okay.

[Ryan]

So that was kind of used as a threat that never came to fruition. And then they were able to work something out because I would assume with the threat, he was finally like, all right, yeah, Anaheim, I'm willing to waive that. And. And then in sayonara, I mean, sorry.

[Biz]

He said no to going to Columbus. That was the first deal in place. He said no to that. And then probably the threat came like, buddy, you're going on waivers. And then, okay, I'll go to Anaheim.

[Ryan]

Yeah. And what was the term he used as kind of like, you know, to be kicked out of msg.

[Biz]

Yeah. To be fired from msg. G, look it up quick. Is. Is a right.

[Ryan]

A badge of honor. Yeah. Which is. Which is kind of true, I guess. I. Talking to. Talking to Brooksie, obviously we already have. I don't know how it played out in. In the summertime and the fact that it leaked out and, and how now partway through the year, like, I think that his play could have helped things out and I think that I, he, he did have a couple good first games, but then his play dropped off. And I would imagine that, that everything that went on this summer, knowing that they want to move on from him, kind of just trickled into his mind and his play and then, you know, created chaos, a little chaos in the locker room and it was just kind of inevitable. I think it's a little crazy how you go from a few years of naming him captain to this point and if you ever had these types of feelings about him or any inkling, type of inkling of these feelings, why you would even bother naming a captain anyway. So I also agree with one thing that you said where it's like, was there ever a situation where he could have maybe took the C off and handed it back, where maybe that would have made things less chaotic? But I think it ultimately just came down to his production based on what he's making. Cap wise, the fact that they want to try to bring in guys who can get the job done and they didn't think that he was going to help, help do that. And I don't think it's going to affect anything moving forward for the Rangers and bringing guys in or any of that. But I just think it's odd now that all of a sudden as all this is going down now, it's like Kreider's name is getting out there. You know, who other. What other names are popping out there as far as trade bait, where it's like, holy. Like you think the Truba stuff created hostility. Now you're hearing a guy like Chris Kreider who's done everything he's done for the Rangers and even been a pretty good playoff producer throughout his time. You can't just like point at him and saying, well, we haven't gotten over the hump because of him. And now like, it's like, there's really like, it's cutthroat, you know, it's like, it's like nobody feels safe. If Kreider's a guy's that name that's coming up, who else could be gone? So I would imagine a lot of hostility in that locker room, even despite calming things down with the Igor signing.

[Yandle]

Well, I think even the fact of playing there and when I was, my last year there, I was UFA and they had offered me a deal. And in the back of my mind I was like, you take a deal here. I saw it with, you know, you see guys like Callahan got traded, he was the captain. Like, they're just, they have so much Money. They're just willing to move on with guys there's not like that. You know, they're there to win, and you respect the hell out of them for that. They want one job and one job only, and that's to win. And I love the fact that, that Drury went out there and made the deal. Now that gives them time to kind of make some trades before the trade deadline happens where they can go out, they can get like, you're getting 8 million bucks off your. Your cap hit. You can get a legitimate superstar if there's teams willing to trade for it. So I love the fact that they did it and did it. Now, obviously, you know, as a ex player, I feel bad for Trubes, and I know he put a, you know, everything into the game. He played hard for the organization. You know, you go back to when he threw his helmet. That kind of got them going, got them into the team that they were. You know, they had a great season last year. They just ran into a nail gun with Florida. So it's. You can't take away anything that he did for that team. I thought he did a lot of great things, and it's just one of those things that's a business. And when you're playing for a team like the Rangers that, you know, if you're not winning it every year, and obviously you're not going to win it every year, they're going to look to make changes. They're going to look to try to bring guys in that can help you win. But I, I think that Drury setting himself up nicely here to, to make a big move at some point, to bring somebody in and, and take them to that next step and, you know, maybe. Maybe they have a defenseman in the. In the minors or they have a guy, you know, that they think that can kind of do the same type of job that Jacob did. But, yeah, at the end of the day, I, I really think it's a. It's a good move for them. And yeah, I hate to see for Troops. Troops is a great guy. He's got to move across country and, you know, kind of snake. He's got to go play for Cronin a little bit. But that's not. That's not going to be that fun. But, yeah, I wish him the best and, you know, and I wish the Rangers the best as well. And I think that they're. They're going to do something big.

[Biz]

I've made it clear that I really respected him this summer, saying, I got a no, I got A no trade clause. That's part of my contract. I don't have to go anywhere. That's a player using his leverage. I love that. But I completely see the side of Chris Drury and that threat of saying, listen, you're going on waivers, you're not going to be on this team anymore. And it is very cutthroat. And it's, it kind of reminds me when I was little and like, I wanted to play in the NHL. Wanted to play in the NHL. I'll never forget my dad saying, like, it's not, it's. It, it's not everything you think it is. Like, I don't remember the exact way he said to me, but it was more like as a young kid, you don't even think about the business aspect of it. And every single player goes through times where it's like this. This isn't necessarily what I thought it would be like. And it's still a dream come true. And you're still the luckiest person in the world to be in the NHL. And I'm not, I'm not saying any of that isn't the case. But there are just sides to the game as you get into the game at a very, very high level, the highest level that, that you don't think about as a young kid dreaming about being in the NHL. And this is one of them. The guy's the captain of an original six franchise. Like Keith said, he's done everything he can for this team. And all of a sudden it's like we're giving you away for nothing if you don't agree to this trade. And it's, it's a shot to your ego and it'd be hard for anyone to handle. But on Chris Jury side, like, he, there's no, there's no room for like, worrying about feelings. Like, this is a billion dollar industry. It's a company. It's the same way anything else works in the world. Like, we need to make our team better, we need to make our business better. Unfortunately, the reality of it is, is we, we cannot be as good as we think we can be with you on the team. It sounds so harsh. That's just like the realities of pro sports that you don't think of as a young kid. But now all of a sudden you see the Rangers and it doesn't really like, all fix all their problems. Like, you look now like they're still going to need, they need to make other moves. Larry Brooks goes into in the interview mentioning, like, they are not even close to being done. So I do feel bad for Truba. At the same time you're making $8 million, you're still in the NHL playing Southern California. It just sucks. Gee, what do you got before you guys move on from Truba? I just, I was thinking this past weekend and part of me thinks that the Anaheim Ducks are just going to.

[Ryan]

Eat half a Truba's and then flip.

[Biz]

Him to a playoff team for some picks. You guys think there's any chance that happens?

[Ryan]

Yeah, I think that he's a. I think he's like a three, $4 million demon, and I think that that's perfect for a team who wants to have him as a fifth or sixth. Right. The same way I would want Luke Shen on a roster to win a Stanley cup as a, as a fifth, six, or maybe even the guy who's the sixth. And then sometimes he's healthy, not in the lineup, but at the cap that he's making now. No, like I said, I'll just go back to. I'm just shocked that, like, it went from my. Like that to wanting to name him captain to all of a sudden this. It's like, what, who, who decided to name him captain, given that was going to make things way more complicated to eventually move on from him. Right. And then there's no, there's no disagreeing that. I think that with moving on from him and having to be cutthroat about it has put them in a better situation, not only as a team, but to then make a trade to, to, to improve their roster to go win. Because with the way things were, I would say, ah, they're not a Cup contender now with Igor's goalie. Now the fact they have cap space and they're probably willing to move on to some of these other problems that we will talk about where Zebena Jed's not necessarily playing that great. Kreider's probably not playing that great, but he's still scoring some goals. And then Keandre Miller. So there's a lot more issues as far as this roster is concerned and maybe even like outside of Trocheck. Like, who's your second line center? Like, who's your, who's your, who's your most powerful centerman outside of, Outside of Trocheck?

[Biz]

They're a team that you look at and Larry goes into it, it's like, they're a good team, but are they a Stanley cup team? I don't think so. Now they can make a bunch of changes. I guess we should go into the fact that they did sign Igor Shusturkin. Amazing news for Rangers fans who I think started to worry a little bit like, is this guy going to go to the market? Is this guy going to actually test free agency? Probably be able to get more than what he signed for, but no, they lock him up to 8 times 11.5. I guess the offer originally was 8 times 11. This summer he ends up getting another. What is that, 4 million on an eight year deal. The largest contract ever signed by a goaltender. Now there's, there's some worries to that, I think in terms of how much cap he's taking up. My thought right when I saw it though was, wow, it's under 12. Like that to me is a win. It came in under 12. This guy is. If he's not the best goalie in the world, he's top three in the playoffs. It seems like he's even better than in the regular season. Without him so far this year, I don't even know if this team's like close to a playoff spot. They currently sit in the second wild card spot. So Rangers fans are excited because you do have your star goaltender locked up. But this is a year now where they do have to make some moves because when his cap hit jumps up, I think it's 5, 6 right now. Almost doubles or does double then some for next season. It's going to be harder. It's going to be harder to fit guys in. It's going to be harder to get a roster that could win a Stanley cup with a goalie making that much money. But Rangers fans can also look at Sergey Bobrovsky and his deal of 10 million. It ended up looking phenomenal last year and the year before in the run to the finals. So I think it's a good signing. I think they had to make this signing and to have that done at least it's some positivity around a team that hasn't had much this season.

[Ryan]

Season I and. And we get into it with Brooksie like it's like the noise started amplifying with the team not playing well. And just to get everything settled down and end on a positive note with all that Truba news and quickly move on through the news cycle. It's probably a fucking like Drury must be so fired up.

[Yandle]

Do you think Igor? Because I think even we talked about in the beginning of the year he was going to get closer to 12, maybe even 13 when the rumors where he turned down like 11 and a half. Whatever it was, no one really knew but. But you Think if the way that he's been playing hasn't been that great, he was kind of like, oh, my God, let's just sign this, get this done. And I also think it's going to help him that now the deal's done, he doesn't have to worry about it the rest of the year. He can go and play his game, he's got his bag secured and just go out and be a goalie, then be the goalie that he is, which is a top two, top three goalie in the league. So I think the pressure that's going to come off him of just signing this deal and along with the whole organization, too, it's like, okay, we got our goalie. Yeah, they've had a good. They've been lucky. Having a goalie for the last probably 20 years where you have a guy, you know, who. Who it is, who's going to be there. So just having him, I think, just is going to ease it down a little bit, and it's going to let Drew do his magic in the next couple weeks.

[Biz]

He had some. Some other pressure of his wife was due, and they just gave birth or she gave birth, I think, yesterday to a baby girl. So congrats to him, congrats to his family. And that's just another thing, you know, the contract and the healthy baby. It's like, all right, let's go play some hockey now, so we'll see what happens. I think this leads into the perfect time to bring on Larry Brooks. We go into a lot of this. We go into his past beefs with some players and coaches. So I hope everyone enjoys Sean Avery hopping in as well right now. Larry Brooks, before we continue, I want to talk to you about an amazing sponsor of ours, and that is Yeti. Yeti has NHL custom drinkware. It's amazing. I was lucky enough to get sent some Oilers yeti, and I got the big dog, the big monster one. I got the normal medium one, and I got the coffee one. And it keeps it hot, it keeps it cold. It doesn't matter if you love the Oilers. You can get your Oilers if you some, for some godforsaken reason, love the Leafs. Like biz, you can get your Leafs, Yeti, all 32 teams, custom drinkware from Yeti. Their unique laser marking customization technique creates a permanent finish on your drinkware. It's not going to rub off in the. In the washroom. It's going to stay solid, representing your favorite team for years and years and years. All 32 teams are available It's a great gift for the hockey fans in your life. Perfect. Maybe not even a stocking stuffer because they're too big. They're too strong. That's Yeti. Too big. Too strong. But right now, you can customize your to your favorite NHL team and you can [e-mail] NHL go to that right now, yeti.com NHL you want your drink hot? Yeti's got you covered. You want your drink to stay cold. YETI just got you covered. And you want your favorite team in the midst of all of this. Yeti has you covered right now. Yeti.com NHL we are now pleased to be joined by legendary reporter, hockey hall of Fame reporter for the New York Post and the New York Rangers and the Devils and the Islanders and the entire league. Larry Brooks, otherwise known as Brooksie. Thanks so much for joining the show.

[Whitney]

Well, thanks for having me. I'm grateful. Thank you.

[Biz]

Well, we appreciate it. And as Biz just mentioned before we started recording, it's an amazing time to have you on. I mean, the Rangers, as Biz calls it, the headline hogs so much news, a lot of it being reported by yourself. So kind of take us through the last week in what may go down as the one of the crazier weeks in New York Rangers history with what's happened there these past seven days.

[Whitney]

Things have been churning basically from the start of the season. You know, you know, they weren't playing well. There was all the Igor news that, you know, the night of, the night, you know, the night of the opener. So there's been so much outside noise. And it actually started in July, as you guys know, when Jacob Truba blocked any attempt the Rangers had to, to move him move on. And that kind of, you know, that was quiet for a couple of months, but as soon as training camp began, that started to churn, too. So there's just been so much noise outside the Rangers buffeting them. And they have been like the number one headline across the league for the last two or three weeks. There was the substack memo that jury sent alerting teams that they were open for business that maybe you would like to have Jacob Truman, maybe you'd like to have Chris Kreider. So it has been more noise around the Rangers than for years, years maybe since when they went to their teardown in 2018.

[Ryan]

I mean, there's so many different ways we could take this is with a conspiracy theorist. He said that the Truba trade then, then Shasturkin signing had a lot to do with one another.

[Biz]

Is that true or not? I made a guess. He's not, he's acting. Like I said, this is a fact. I said, oh, maybe he wanted to sign once Truba was gone. Business nuts.

[Whitney]

No, this, this, this had started as my information. My best information is that the Rangers reached out to Igor maybe 10 days ago and wanted to restart this. I thought, I know that they thought it was very important to try and quiet the noise around him because as they were playing poorly, as they were sliding, there had been more conjecture. Well, maybe they're not going to be able to sign him. Maybe they're going to trade him now. We don't know what's going on with the Rangers. And I think they wanted to make this commitment to him to also quiet the conjecture. Well, maybe they're not going to be able to keep him now too. And the whole thing was, you know, just going to bottom out. So that, I think was, you know, that came before Truba kind of like.

[Ryan]

Pedersen last year went and I guess in Vancouver, because remember, he wasn't playing well, probably from like the, I wouldn't say the half mark on maybe a little bit before that. Then before they sign him, they said, holy fuck, it was the main headline in town. So before the year they offered times 11. And then they came up half a million per year and just said, hey, because there was rumors that he didn't want to be the. Or he wanted to be maybe the highest paid player in the team. He's their superstar. And I believe Panarin makes what, 11.

[Whitney]

6, 11, 6, 4, 2. And, and honestly, that's what I had been reporting, that he wanted to be their highest paid player. He thought he deserved to be their highest paid player. And I kind of agree. I don't think it matters if you're a goal T. If you're the best player on the team, you should be the highest paid player on the team. You know, there's certainly a case to be made for that. I don't buy the distinction between the goalie and the player. I just don't. I get it because teams have won with, you know, maybe B goalies or C goalies over the last few years, but teams don't get into, you know, marginal. Teams don't get to the final four without an elite goaltender. So there was no doubt in my mind that they, they wanted him, that they knew they needed him and they wanted to get this done. I was, I was actually shocked that they got this done for less than 12. I thought that was going to be the bottom line.

[Ryan]

So that's a win for Jury. That's a win for Jury.

[Whitney]

I, I thought. And they probably traded off. They probably traded off a few no moves years in, you know, in exchange for that. So again, he's the best goalie in the league. He's their most important player. He has been since he's gotten there. It's great that they, that they have now taken care of this. And I think also it was a commitment from Shusturkin. I think it was always, well, what was the number going to be for Shusturkin to be happy here? And one of the other things I think that that came with this signing over the weekend is that no players are not going to be scared off, you know, committing to the New York Rangers because Jacob Truva was traded and because Barkley Goodreau was waived. No, no, I agree with you.

[Biz]

I agree with you. And I think that part of it is people want to play for the New York Rangers. I mean, you go to a game there one time, let alone playing in that building, and there's just so some vibe and special meaning to being there. So I agree with you on that. But my question to you about this or entire ordeal. It's similar to the Bruins where everything was made so public and Neely and Sweeney came out and talked about the swimming negotiations. And I know Chris Drury well, I'm biased. He's a friend of mine and I have so much respect for him. But all of a sudden, like, everything was so, so public. And I'm wondering, like, in your opinion, did that kind of have to happen? Was that a mistake, like, to. To move on from Truber? Do you have to make it that open in the summer? Should they have maybe stripped him of his captaincy, which Truba said was very difficult to be the captain of the team.

[Ryan]

Who named him captain to begin with, like, if they were willing to take it with him that quick, too.

[Biz]

I'm just wondering your opinion on how public everything was made and, and would they go back if they could and, and try to keep this all in house?

[Whitney]

Well, they didn't want this public. Yeah, I didn't get my information. Brooks.

[Biz]

He made it public. I knew, but I.

[Whitney]

They didn't want this public. They didn't. Honestly, like, I'm not getting into sourcing on anything, obviously, but the information that I printed on July 1 about Jacob Truba did not come from the New York Rangers. It was no benefit to them to have this out at all. And I understand it really was probably no benefit to Jacob Truba, but that's the way this business works, and Jacob Truba understands that. I. Look, I am sorry that this story had such a profound effect on his life, but it was his decision and his. And what he said the other day in his press conference after he was traded, he chose his family. That's what I reported.

[Biz]

Right.

[Whitney]

And he said, I'm not. I'm never going to apologize for it. That's fine. And I have a world of respect for Jacob Truba. I think people know that. I think that people only have to go back to the archive and see that. I kind of defended him every time he was in, you know, every time he was a subject of controversy and people were calling him for. To be suspended. And I kept saying, no, no, no. And this is exactly what the Rangers need. They need a menace back there because they've been beaten up for their entire franchise history, except for, you know, the few times when, you know, when mess was here and, you know, a couple of. A couple of other exceptions. So, yeah, I like Jacob Trub. I respect him. He's a good person. You know, it sounds trite, you know, but I had a job to do. He understood that I had a job to do. Should they have stripped him of the captaincy when he blocked the. From trading him? I don't know. I, I guess I was naive a little bit too, because I thought that, okay, he, he blocked the trade. He's coming in, he'll be the captain of the team that doesn't have to go into the room. But apparently it did. Apparently he. He was detached. He knew they wanted to get rid of him. It's. Maybe he should have relinquished the captaincy. Maybe he should have walked in. Maybe there should have been more.

[Ryan]

Oh, there's so much coming out of this short amount of time.

[Whitney]

There should have been better communication, you know, wherever you want to, you know, lay that, you know, Jacob, Jacob's, you know, representative Chris Drury, the Rangers, there probably should have been better communication between the two parties, but maybe when Truba realized early that that leading was going to be very difficult for him because of this circumstance, maybe he should have volunteered to give up the sea. You know, I'm not saying that that's what he should have done, but maybe I, you know, if the Rangers stripped him of his captaincy, I can imagine, you know, I can imagine how that would have been over. So it was, it was a tough situation and exacerbated by the fact that he played poorly and the team played Played poorly basically from the start of the season. Like, Jake had a couple of, you know, his first couple of weeks, I thought were okay. He was Rangers. First couple of weeks were, you know, we're okay. And it was interesting because he was playing with Braden Schneider at that point, who was a righty on. On his left side. And so there was an adjustment to be made. But. But when Ryan Lindgren came back, they. They switched the pairs and kind of like everything's gone, you know, downhill from there. They just weren't playing well. He wasn't hitting. He was no force on the ice. I think he was detached as a leader. You can't have a lame duck captain. You just can't. And this is now in hindsight, but no team can have a lame duck captain. It does not work, and it did not work for them. I think there are other issues. I think there are personnel issues. It's not all Jacob Truba, but he, you know, this discourse about him kind of dominated the first seven weeks of the season, and you can't have that.

[Ryan]

So what about Kreider now? I feel like now that his name's out there, does he all of a sudden become detached?

[Whitney]

Like, how does that, you know, Chris is crazy. I mean, you know, Chris Kreider has been here for, you know, since, since 2012. He's. He's heard his name in trade rumors a lot. Not necessarily for the last five years, but like in the, you know, 16, 17, 17, 18, 15, he was.

[Ryan]

He's also part of a core group that just did what they did last year. And all of a sudden, like, it goes south a little bit and all of a sudden you're like, ready to shed yourself of. I would consider, Ms. Mr. Ranger to a certain degree. Like, like, over the last 10 years, there's been no more consistent Ranger than Chris Kreider. I think he's getting you 30, 40 goals. Like, I'm not saying he's a five on five juggernaut, but I, I understand the Truba situation, but now all of a sudden the locker room's like, holy. Like, now they're ready to shed mitts with, get rid of Kriter, where it's like they're now the instability kind of. It's throughout the whole locker room. Not just a Jacob Truba situation.

[Whitney]

But don't you think that. Listen, the fact that again, people who think that Drury leaked this in order to send a message, I don't think that makes sense because it does. It upsets the locker room and especially this Core, which you talked about all the great things they did. They went to the conference finals, they lost in the conference finals. They went to the conference finals two years ago, they lost in the conference finals basically for the same reasons. They're not big enough, they're not physical enough, they can't get to the inside. They, you know, they can't get to the net when it gets to the final Four. They're a wonderful team, fun to watch most of the time during, during the season, even in, you know, during the playoffs too, when, when they're rolling. But they can be shut down. When their power play is shut down, they can be shut down or they, you know, their five on five game in the playoffs is an issue. Issue. It has been an issue. So I would say you take a look at the Rangers, you take a look at their contracts, and Chris Kreider has probably has the most value of any tradable player on that.

[Ryan]

But he's also your best guy on the inside, which is part of the problems you say they have in playoffs. He's literally your best guy in there.

[Whitney]

I get it. I get it. But it's like this core hasn't been good enough, right? I mean, we, we like them, we respect them. They're one of the better teams in the league. They have been for, you know, now two out of the last three years. But is that enough? They haven't won. They haven't won since. Again, you know, we're, we're looking at 30 years again, so shouldn't, like, if, if Chris Kreider can bring back essential ingredients, more physicality, maybe, you know, more size, maybe, maybe a defenseman who can, you know, who can clear out the front better than the Rangers do. Now, are you, are you not going to make that deal just because he is the Senior Ranger? I don't think so. But I also don't think that they're actually looking to move prior to the way they were looking to move. True, but I think it's a little different. I think it's saying, hey, he's not untouchable. You know, he's, he's not untouchable. And there just aren't that many players on the Rangers who are, who are real assets when you look at their contracts now, you know, does someone want to make an offer for Adam Fox that would blow them out of the water before he, you know, before his no move? I don't know. I mean, is it sacrilege to talk about players? I don't think so. And I also think that, that somebody out there and this is how our business works. So yeah, good. But somebody out there is circulating a lot of stuff around the Rangers.

[Biz]

Honestly that, that is a fact and I think it is weird to see Adam Fox. Adam Fox has no goals, which is shocking. But a guy I want to ask you about is a Benjad. And you go to last year's playoffs, he struggled. He does have 20 points and 26 games. But it's one of those like stats don't always tell the whole story. Only has five goals. Are, are you worried about him as a player, like being an elite player or do you think he's almost in a funk that he can get out of? Because I see he's 31, never been the best skater. So as you get a little older, you lose that half a step. Where are you on his game and can he kind of get out of what's gone on for, for a while now? I think and almost enough to a Rangers fan, fans who loved him and it was an amazing trade when they brought him over from Ottawa. Now we're kind of saying like where is this guy's game at? Because it's been a while since we saw his A game.

[Whitney]

I thought actually he had a better playoff than he was given credit for it because.

[Biz]

Not against Florida, I don't think.

[McCabe]

Well, here's what.

[Whitney]

Because I think like he just had come off a six game series against Carolina where he was going up against Jordan Stahl who is as physical, right, as physical a center as you can as there is in the league. Mika is not that. I've always thought that the Rangers have asked Mika to do too much in the playoffs that he's really not capable of doing. That's why I've always thought that they, they needed a strong, physical, third line checking center who could take some of that responsibility away from Mika when, when, when teams want to go, go best on best and there's a physical center matching him, it's. It's hard for him. So I actually thought he had a better playoff than he was given credit for. Like Hyoc actually kind of, you know, suppressed Barkov too. I mean there was nothing on offense coming from Mika at, you know, five on five in that series, but there wasn't that much coming from Barkov either, so. But come into this year, I think a lot of the criticism got to him and I think he's a, he's very sensitive, way too sensitive to what other people are saying about him. It gets in his head and it spirals and it spirals. And it spirals. He did not. I mean, he hasn't played well this year at all, honestly. And I think, you know, to the question about where his game is, I think he's going to have to make a commitment. I don't know if you can do it. You guys know, you know, far better than I, whether you can make this commitment in season where you have to wait till, you know, the next off season. But he needs to be, you know, he needs to get bigger. He. I think he needs to, you know, change his off season a bit because.

[Biz]

Tough at that age, though. You know, it's hard at that age.

[Whitney]

So, you know. But yeah, I think it's a combination, him not playing well and when he doesn't play well, he's his own worst enemy. I think there's been an improvement over the last week, but it's. It's not, you know, it's. It's nothing that the, it's nothing that's. His performance is not accepted. I mean, the Rangers will not thrive. The Rangers may not make the playoffs. If Mika Zabani, Jesus, that has a season like this. He's. He's got to get out of it. Whether that means he should sit a game and watch, I don't know. But he did have a pretty good game Friday night when he was matched against Crosby. Their line actually with Kreider and Riley Smith was back. They had a. They had a really good game matched against Crosby. Of course, after the game, Mike Sullivan said it was the worst game the play once they played in a month.

[Biz]

So.

[Whitney]

Yeah, so I don't, you know, I don't know how you want to say it, but no, the Rangers need a lot more from Mika's advantage, who essentially has become their third line. Five on five, center Brooksie.

[Ryan]

Should Matt Rempe be the next captain of the Rangers?

[Whitney]

No, but he should be. He should be there. He should be on their fourth line every night of the season.

[Ryan]

You love, you love Rappy. I love him too. And they got a hell of a record with him in their lineup.

[Whitney]

That, that's what I don't get about it, honestly. If you want to tell me that Matt Remy is not good enough for this league and. Or if he played the first eight or 10 games of the season and was committing terrible penalties and the, and the Rangers, you know, were three and seven and no, he didn't even have a chance to lose his job. I, I don't get it. Honestly. He changed the dynamic last year. Year he did. He Changed the dynamic last year he, there was something going on. He may have only gotten two shits but he, you know, the Rangers were different with him around and honestly that.

[Ryan]

That'S, well, now that Trub is gone, they need another meathead, so you might as well bring him up. So not the next captain but you want him in the lineup. On a more serious note, I think another guy probably on the back end who's struggling is Keandre Miller. I, I don't know if, is it unfair to say maybe looks a little bit disinterested. He just doesn't seem like a self. If they're willing to move off of Kreider, could you see them potentially moving off a defenseman of his caliber? Because I feel like he's still very raw but he has all the skill and talent in the world.

[Whitney]

I don't think disinterested. I, I, I don't know that he plays really in, you know, with, with instinct. I mean you can, you can talk to this. You played league forever on, on, on D. He didn't start playing D until he was really, you know, older in, in his career. So I just wonder when, you know, when things begin to waver for him whether he has enough experience to fall back on and you know, enough, you know, of his instinct to fall back on. He is a great skater. It's really interesting. He has always been criticized because he doesn't hit. He's six, five. He's not, he doesn't hit but until Saturday he actually had the most hits per minute of Ranger defenseman. So you know, I don't, I don't know, I don't, I don't know if that's particularly good or bad.

[Ryan]

I remember or the guy keeping track had a couple pink Whitney nips up in the press box.

[Whitney]

So listen, he's coming up on a, on a contract. He's, he's a restricted free agent. I'm sure going into this year he and you know, and his people were aiming for a long term, you know, seven or eight year commitment. Seven or eight, you know, six, seven, eight.

[Ryan]

Well, fuck, they're giving them out all to all the rest of the guys in the league.

[Whitney]

I, I don't think that's, I don't think he's earned that over the first 25 games. So there will be a, you know. What are they going to be offered for him too? Yeah, I think they need like, like I've said, they need a stay at home big physical guy who can clear out the creepy, who will Protect the goaltender who won't allow, you know, who won't allow the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning from two years ago to, you know, encroach the crease and bang around, you know, Igor anytime he wanted. So. Anytime they wanted. So I, I don't think anyone's untouchable. I don't think Keandre is untouchable. I don't think they're looking to move him because you have to fill those 22 minutes on the left side. But he's not untouchable. Neither is Ryan Lindbergh. How can anyone be untouchable when they haven't won?

[Biz]

No, that. No.

[Ryan]

Right.

[Biz]

Panarin, Pan Aaron and Shusturkin, the defenseman you just described kind of sounds like Jacob Truba. But I think that obviously, obviously, I joke there. Now, we got to get to another report, and it made waves today around the GM meetings. And that was your report Friday of the Rangers being interested in Brady Kachuk. We actually have a resident rumor boy rat producer who's been saying that Brady Kachuk would end up up on a metro area team at one point in the next two, three years. That's Mike Grelli. But you have sources. And all of a sudden now they got the Ottawa owners saying this is soft tampering by the Rangers. Now, you can't give a source by any means, but take us through what you've heard in terms of Brady Tkachuk and maybe his displeasure with Ottawa continuing to struggle.

[Whitney]

I, I actually, I thought there was a. It was a joke when someone told me there was going to be an investigation. I mean, I mean, can I get a day of peace?

[Biz]

I mean, honestly, not when you work for the Post.

[Whitney]

No, I guess not, but.

[Ryan]

No.

[Whitney]

I had been told earlier last week that Brady Kachuk was a target of the Rangers. And then I was told a second time that Brady Kachok. And then I was told by a third party that the Rangers priority was to try and find a way to get Brady to choke. I had heard some talk about, you know, that there was some sensitivity in Ottawa about whether they were going to be able to keep him. And so I wrote that the, you know, that Jacob Truber wasn't the end, that the Rangers want to do more and they were targeting Brady Kachuk. And all of a sudden this is.

[Ryan]

Who's telling you that? Dolan. Who's telling that? Drury or Dolan?

[Whitney]

No, I, No, I thought. It wasn't. It wasn't in an. Our text chain.

[Ryan]

No, no.

[Biz]

You know, remember, he's Concussed.

[Ryan]

No, no, no. Hey, not only do I have a surprise for you, the reason we got you on was that original text you sent. You go, hey, can we keep this between us? Question mark. I go this conversation. Yeah, you go. The moment has passed. Catch you later. Regards to your teammates. And then you ghosted me. I was trying to get a hold of you and you kept ghosting me. Now, before you answer that, I got a surprise for you. We talked about your current favorite ranger, Matt Rempe. I probably have your all time favorite ranger about to come on right now. Ladies and gentlemen. Yes, Sean Avery. Does he looks better now?

[Biz]

You look phenomenal, Abes.

[F]

First of all, I'm the second. I'm Brooks's second favorite ranger after Jeremy. Jeremy and Larry Brooks are very. They had a special kin, those two. They did.

[Whitney]

I remember there was this one game before the Garden was refurbished and Yogs didn't like to take.

[Biz]

He.

[Whitney]

He wouldn't go in the shootout because he thought he was bad. You know, he just wouldn't go. He wouldn't go. He would decline. So there was. It was. I remember an afternoon game. He didn't go. They lost, I think it was to the Devils. And then he wasn't available in the locker room, which at that point was, you know, it was different. Like everybody used to be available pretty much. And so I just started yelling, Yelling. First he won't go and now he won't talk. And within five seconds, here came Yog walking out the door. What do you want? What do you want? No, I. Yogs and I were good, but Sean is actually. And I. And I won't give the other party's name to protect him. But Sean is really the only, like, one of only two players I've socialized with like over the last 30 years. It doesn't happen anymore. It doesn't happen anymore to me if.

[F]

I'm a New York Ranger. Like, the first person that I'm creating a relationship with is the guy with the pen and paper. Like, you know, before Twitter, even now, today with Twitter, Brooks, these words in the New York Post.

[Ryan]

Kerry Wade.

[F]

I mean, it's not tampering what he writes because it's real and it's going to happen at some point, you know, so.

[Ryan]

Oh, no, now we're in trouble.

[F]

I think that. And by the way, Brooks, he's got a promising young future NHLer in his stable. His grandson is a hell of a player, right, Brooksie?

[Whitney]

Scotty Brooks. Pretty good player, all right. Pretty good.

[Yandle]

They just.

[F]

They just won The Can Am tournament. Or they came runner up.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Whitney]

Then won the gold. Yeah. Biz, did you play 14 year? Do you remember the fourth? No. It is Wild West.

[Ryan]

I didn't make the good teams, brooks.

[Whitney]

No, no. 14, you now is the first year you can. You can have hitting in the. In in the US and so it is just Wild West. I mean, you have. Have, you know, have kids who are just 13 and, you know, have not gone through puberty, and they're playing against kids now who are almost. Maybe 15 and beards and, you know.

[Ryan]

Are going to the cigarettes between. Between periods. Yeah.

[Whitney]

Where's testosterone bouncing off the walls every place you look it. And he's. He's a finesse, creative player. So, you know, he's. But I'll tell you what, he's learned to keep his head up, that's for sure.

[Ryan]

What are some of your favorite Sean Avery stories while you were covering him? Like, what was some of the ridiculous that he was doing? Like, the Martin Broder when he was doing that? Were you like, I cannot wait to go talk to this guy in the locker room after this?

[Whitney]

Well, I remember after. After the brother, you know, the, you know, the. The face washing incident. I remember calling him the next day, expressing my, I guess, disdain, and he said, not you too.

[Biz]

I thought I had you, Brooksie.

[Whitney]

But most of the stories. You know what, though? I know, you know, the relationship. My relationship with John Tortorella is, you know, Technicolor. But most of the reason that, that. Most of the reason we could never get onto the same page. I mean, we talked dozens of times about. Let's. We. We need to settle this down. We need to settle this down. This is ridiculous. Everyone's laughing at us. So let's settle it down. And, and we would. We, you know, we did at, you know, for weeks at a time, but it always came back to Avery. It did. He was. He was. He was the issue. Like, Torts would tell me, all right, I can't believe you're allowing this guy to fool you. I can't believe you're allowing this guy to lead you around. And it was like I could, you know, we could get by almost every other issue that we had. We could never get by Sean Avery.

[F]

True sign of a gaslighter. You know, reverse it onto the other person because, no, I'm going to say this about Brooksie. He's seen every single player that has ever played in the NHL over the last 30 years. He's seen their good days, their bad days. You can't fool this man. And if you ask Brooksie right now, I'm sure he's going to say, I don't want to assume. Will John Tortorella wear his welcome out in Philadelphia before they win?

[Ryan]

I don't know.

[F]

What would your answer be to that, Brooksie?

[Whitney]

Well, I thought he was coming close to that at the end of last year, but I also think that he has such a great support system with Keith Jones and Danny Brier. I mean, you know, it's. So will he ultimately become the worst enemy that we, you know, we always know that he's. He has been and be ushered out, or will there, you know, is there just a. A. A tone to him that's changed a little bit? Listen, I think if I were. If. If we were together now, we would both do great. I mean, honestly, we're off.

[McCabe]

I don't think.

[Whitney]

I don't think it'd be one week.

[Biz]

Before you guys be.

[Ryan]

I thought he's been a little bit better this year. But I agree with your take towards the end of last year with, like, the couturier stuff, I'm like, holy, that was a John Torella roller coaster last year from the beginning to the end of the year. But he's reeled it back in now. Abe's like, so you and Torts would just go back and forth all the time? Like, were you guys going at it?

[F]

Like, no, I think that. That what happened was Brooksie was my only ally, like, outside of Slats and certainly in the press. And when I played well or he thought that I could add more to the lineup, he would say that, you know, I didn't have a lot of bad minutes with Torres. I just didn't have a lot of minutes. So it's not. I think it was more. I think it was more that stumbling block. Like, Torts just wanted me gone from day one, right? Like, it was like four years of just misery. And I think, honestly, the only thing that kept me there were the fans and probably Brooksie to a certain extent. And then myself. Like, I don't know why I didn't just walk in one day and be like, just choke them right to get out of there.

[Biz]

Well, Abes, that's true because, like, there weren't many Rangers getting their names chanted in the Garden. Like, I remember playing you there and they were chanting Avery and then Brooksie. To be like, pumping your tires and you play well towards. It's probably just infuriating him even more. But were you there, Abes, when. When Brooks, he Had the legendary battle there with Dan Boyle in the locker room.

[F]

No, I wasn't. But I can tell you that when Brooksie walks into that locker room, it's just a different feeling than, like, Arthur Staple or whoever it is or whoever it's been, because, you know, pen to paper, the truth's coming out. Like, he's not. You can't buy him.

[McCabe]

You can't.

[F]

You can't. You can work him. You can finesse him. Give him the old finesse. Rubiz. But, you know, that's just good business. That's being a smart New York Ranger because you're in a big market.

[Biz]

It.

[F]

But once he starts writing, like, he's too.

[McCabe]

He's.

[Ryan]

He's.

[F]

Listen, he's been the best for a long time. I tried to look it up. Are you in the Hockey hall of Fame, Brooksy, or they just give you some stupid award?

[Whitney]

No. Well, it. It's. The Elmer Ferguson is the equivalent of being in the Hockey hall family. It's like the. The most amazing thing about the most amazing thing is, is my plaque back is in the same room as Rocket Richard. Come on. What are you talking about?

[Ryan]

That's dope.

[Whitney]

But, you know, honestly, here, I just say, look, look.

[McCabe]

Oh, here's me.

[Whitney]

Here's John Beliveau, here's Mike Posse. Oh, and here's Larry Brooks. But you know what? And Boyle, Dan Boyle and I, we just never hit it off at all. Not. I mean, not. Not, you know, not from the first day. And the. The interesting thing about that is when he was in Tampa, I can't count how many times I wrote, oh, this would be unbelievable if the Rangers could get Dan Boyle. This would be unbelievable. And then when they actually. When he had his no trade, right, and they told him, well, if you don't accept this deal, we're going to put you on waivers. And I wrote about how this was disgraceful over for a team to do that to a player, you know, who had been there. So I was always a Dan Bole guy. I love watching him play. Honestly, what a player he was when he was in Tampa and maybe at the start in Dallas, but when he got here, it was just. We didn't like each other at all.

[Biz]

And so what made you not like him? Like, the first interview with him, he's kind of giving you attitude, and you're like, this guy. One of those.

[McCabe]

Yeah, yeah, I thought.

[Whitney]

And he basically told me that he didn't like the way I did my job. So I said, oh, okay, that's fine. And Then. So we barely talked the first year and. Which is okay. There was like one incident, you know, came up in the locker room with a guy who I really liked a lot. And the guy who liked me a lot. We just had a, you know, a blow up for a minute or two, and Dan Bl. Came running over across the room. I told you, Brooke. See, I told you. I told you. You know, I. And I. And I. And I told him. And so the start of the second year, his. His training camp, I went over to him and said, hey, you want to talk? You want to, you know, you want to try and, you know, get this resolved? And he. And he said to me, he said, no, I don't. I said, okay, fine. So, you know, basically, I didn't talk to him all year. It's not my fault that he was scratched for the final game of his career when the Rangers dressed seven defensemen.

[Biz]

Hey, I, like.

[Whitney]

I didn't make that decision. He was a very disappointing player in New York. He complained all the time, not to me, but to other people. And so I go in on breakup day and, you know, he throws this hissy fit that he didn't want me there. I told him if he had. If he had told me before, you know, I didn't really think he had anything worth saying that I would, you know, that I needed to be there.

[F]

You know what's funny about that? Like, I think about, with a guy like, Yogg's on a team, nobody would have done that with a. When Yoggs is on a team like, Brooksie, you can't. Like, Dan Boyle should have never have done that, and somebody should have told him that.

[Biz]

Like.

[F]

Like, what are you doing? You know what I mean? But I don't know.

[Biz]

Making an unnecessary enemy. Like, why make an enemy out of him? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Whitney]

I mean, it's just on big picture.

[F]

Stuff, you need him as an ally. You need Brooksie as an ally because, you know, he turns that switch on and one week becomes two weeks, and it's the third article, the third week, and it just starts building momentum with the people. You have to be smart in that big market. Brooksie. Talk about Jim Dolan, because you have a relationship with him. He's the best owner in sports, and you got a lot of inside track on him over the years. So please, because you're being too coy. You got all the shit.

[Whitney]

I don't. I don't have it. I don't have any. I don't have anything on the. On the owner.

[Ryan]

Okay, so Abe's is gone now, but do you have one more favorite Avery story before you get to that next thing?

[Whitney]

Well, I'm not getting to that next thing.

[Biz]

Well, let me ask you then about Dolan, quick. It's true, though, that he's. He's. He's an owner who's. Who's in the mix, right? There's some owners that are very hands off. Would you agree? He's hands on. There's times that he wants something done and it. And it happens or. Or he's going to make it happen.

[Whitney]

I think that's probably fair, but I don't think he's an owner who meddles either. He's not walking into Chris Jury's office and saying, we need this player. I want this player out. I want this player. See what you can do to try and trade for this player. I think that might have happened with the Knicks maybe, you know, 10 years ago, 15 years ago. I've ne. I've never been on that side. So I. I don't know. I know that, you know, there was talk that he was involved a lot, but he basically has. Certainly when Glenn was here, sa. He basically just said, you know, run your team. Run your team. And, you know, a. Of. Of course, the owner, like Steve Cohen, right? Steve Cohen of the Mets. See, he's now being lauded because he's involved, because he wants Juan Soto, because he d. Wined and dined Juan Soto. He told them, we. We're going to get Juan Soto. So owners are always involved at a certain level.

[Biz]

I don't.

[Whitney]

I don't think that, like, this owner has always been willing to spend to the crap. Cap to the cap. He, He. The Rangers do treat their players like royalty, and everyone knows that.

[Biz]

Y.

[Whitney]

So. And he is always there as a resource to give the general manager whatever he wants. Will he say, listen, I. I think we need to be better. This isn't acceptable. What's going on with the captain, you know, why is this happening? Yeah, I think they have those conversations, but it would be derelict for him not to.

[Ryan]

Right.

[Whitney]

I mean, he owns the team, so. But. But there's not. I. I don't think he's. I don't. I don't think he's involved at a Granular, granular level where he's saying, well, we should look at, you know, Adam Fox isn't having a good year. Well, you know, what can we get, you know, or. Or, you know, Ryan Lindgren may not, you know, we may not resign him next year. What do you Think I, you know, I don't think. Think that those conversations are. Are held on a daily basis, but I think as an overview, of course the owner's involved.

[Ryan]

You mentioned treating the players like royalty. Is it true that you gave Henrik Lundquist his nickname, the King? Like, was it said in an article? And. And what's the backstory behind that as to why you would even say that?

[Whitney]

I have no idea. It was his. It was his third game. I have no idea. I could just tell. You could tell there was something different about Hank and it was Henrik then it was. It wasn't Hank for a long, long time after that, really, it was Henrik. But you could tell there was something different. There was something special about him from training camp. So he's playing. I think it was his second game at the Garden. He had a great night. Fans are chanting, you know, Henrique or Lundquist. Lundquist, I think it was at the time. And I just rode. He is, you know, and I think he. He had said something like, it's amazing that people know who I am. And I said, he is kin. King Henrik of Sweden. That's who he is. And then I. I just started. I. Because I knew there had been a King Henrik. Apparently he was not an official King Henrik, as Henrik would later tell me. So I wrote like, he's King Henrik. And I just kept writing it. The King, the King, the King.

[Ryan]

What did he say when you went in the locker room? Was he like, hey, man, pump the brakes on the King?

[Whitney]

He didn't say anything to me about it until the summer. He showed up, I guess, in training camp wearing a crown thing, and I asked him when I was going to get the royalties. He started speaking in Swedish.

[McCabe]

So, yeah, so I'm still.

[Whitney]

I'm still waiting for that. But no, it's. It is very cool. It's really one of the coolest things in my career. I've broken stories, you know, which is great. But I mean, it is just cool, you know, that he is his nickname and he and I are so closely attached. And honestly, I don't know. The hours that I chatted with Hammert over the year, he was always there. He was always available to talk. He would always talk. I've really missed him since he left and everybody who covers the team does, but I certainly do. But, yeah, he never really quite said anything about. About the nickname to me.

[Biz]

Were there any other, like. Because everyone knows about Torts and then the Dan Boyle incident. Were there any other players or coaches that you.

[Whitney]

You.

[Biz]

You kind of battled with regularly, like somebody where it's like, all right, we do not see eye to eye, and I'm not letting up on. On my questions and how I asked.

[Whitney]

Them not all that many. There were certain guys who I knew that I had, you know, criticized to such an extent that there would be no productivity in going over, talking to them. I, you know, again, I. I didn't necessarily want the drama of a confrontation. There were. But that there are also guys. And I. And I would say this. This applies to. I battled with all the time. I can't count how num. You know, the number of times we were. Would wind up actually hanging up on each other. And then the next day it was like, this is. It didn't happen. And that's part of. That's. That's how I grew up, honestly.

[Ryan]

That's.

[Whitney]

That's the way I grew up when, you know, it was a much, much smaller industry. I started in 1976, and it was a much smaller industry. And you traveled with teams and you, you know, you sat down at the table at the coffee shop with guys, you know, the next morning reading the summaries, and you were friends, and you went out with them, you know, all the time. So that was a different era. But that's. That's the era also when you could have a, you know, an F U F you with a guy, and then the next morning you'd say, hey, you know. You know. Yeah. I mean, that's. That's the way it was. And that's the way it was with really, with Torts for a large part of the time until it just, you know, finally ended. But that's. That's the way it was with him, too. You know, we'd have this and this and. And the next day would be fine, but. And it would be with. With. With Glenn. A guy who I had epic, epic battles with was Jacques Lemaire. And, you know, we always were able to, you know, come back and have civil conversations. So really, I think there's probably a perception that I have this long list of enemies or I'm on all these lists. I don't think so. If so, guys were pretty good at hiding it most of the time, so. No, but again, it's called confrontation is part of it. That's my.

[Biz]

That's what I grew up with.

[Ryan]

Okay, so that's what I was going to ask you about, like, as a. As a writer doing all this over time. Like, how. What is it doing to your nervous system? Are you getting like. Like, up for A few days when something pops and there's a lot of conflict and, and, you know, whether it's an argument with torts, like, where are you at on all that?

[Whitney]

Oh, no, I, I was always. Well, well, now that I'm, you know, a little bit older, it both, it both energizes me and enervates me. It's kind of like I don't quite need this drama at this point, but.

[Ryan]

It'S a drug, but it's okay. It's like a healthier drug. Yeah, that's wild. What would you. Okay. So I just wanted to go back to yogurt because you guys made a few comments and. Yeah, and Abe said that would have never happened with yogs in the locker room. Like, how, how closely did you become? And like, like, I mean, it seems like you guys would, like, maybe go out for lunch, go for beers.

[Whitney]

No, no, no. I, I, I never socialized with. Yeah, never. But we had an extremely close working relationship because I, I just, I, I loved, I love watching him play. I love listening to him. I, you know, the, the, you know, he, you know, he bared his soul a number of times. He was a great player to cover, and he resurrected his career in New York, right? I mean, when he was, when he was leaving Pittsburgh, his, his image was, was at the bottom. He was a coach killer. He wanted out. You know, that, that was the perception. He came to New York and he carried that team. You know, it was Hank's rookie season, his first full year in New York was, was the year after the lockout, and Jagger carried that. That team was supposed to be a lottery team that year. You know, they had missed seven straight years going into the, into the canceled season. Everyone thought they were going to miss coming out of the canceled season. They were going to be a lottery team. And, and Jagger said in training camp, well, we're going to make the playoffs. And then he set a franchise record for goals. He set a, his franchise record for points, and he carried them. They were in first place almost all year. They fell apart at the end. You know, they lost. And honestly, one of the biggest miscarriages of justice throughout my entire career in the NHL was Jagger not winning the heart that year, losing it to Joe Thornton. I mean, Joe Thornton had been traded from Boston, right? I mean, so one team already gave up on, on him. And I know, I know that he had a great year in San Jose. I know that Chichu had a great year playing with him on his wing. The numbers were great. But Jar Matt carried a team that was supposed to be a lottery team, put the team on his back, led the league in scoring almost all year until the last week, set franchise records. And there were people who, because of his reputation, because of a lot of things that Mike Milberry had said about him on the air, just wouldn't vote for him. And you know, it's, it's unfortunate. He won the Lester Pearson that year, the NHLPA player of the year that year, and he should have won the heart, which to a tangent to this, at that point, there were, there were incentives in contracts that were tied to all star voting, awards voting. And if Jagger had had won the heart that year, his Ranger contract would have been extended by a season. So he never would have gone to OMS after 0708. He still would have been in New York. So, you know, there is a lot to it. But Yogs was a bigger than life personality, a bigger than life player. And over the last 30 years of incarnation of my career, he is, you know, at the top of the guys I enjoyed covering most.

[Biz]

I think we can, we can leave you with this. This has been great. We appreciate it.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Biz]

It obvious, it obviously depends on what, what happens with their game and their season. But right now are you confident in saying that the Rangers are not done at all making moves?

[Whitney]

The Rangers are not done making moves. They're not good enough. You know, I think everyone knows it.

[Ryan]

What's your take if you had to make a move? Like, like draw one up or is that that?

[Whitney]

Well, you know what? I, I can't really say because I don't know what offered would I dangle? Kreider? I'd want to find out. I'd want to find out. I like anyone who doesn't have a no move clause. I want to find out what I can get because again, I respect this group. You know, they've gone to the conference final twice in the last three years. They, but they, they kind of did that last decade too with a very, very good team. And I think that team, you know, with Lundqvist, with McDonough, with Callahan, you know, you know that, you know, and then later with Nash, you know, that was a very, very strong team too. And they broke it up when it became apparent that they weren't going to win. I think this is the time where you have to take a hard look and say, look, this group has been really good for us. Not good enough. I'm putting everyone out there that I can and finding out what I can get back. And I also think the narrative that, well, this isn't the right time for this. You need to wait until March. Yes. There's obviously a lot more activity coming up to the trade deadline, but there are a lot of teams that have been major disappointments. Nashville. Take a look at Nashville. Right. Buffalo again. Detroit's not quite there. Ottawa. Well, I don't want to say anything. Thing. Auto might get sued. No, you're done, Larry.

[Ryan]

You're done.

[Whitney]

I think. I think there are teams that are ready to trade just as much as the Rangers are. So, yeah, I'm. I'm putting everyone out there and I. But. But my goal is to transform the Rangers into a tougher, meaner, more physical team. That's. That's what. Those are the players that I would be looking to obtain.

[Ryan]

Larry, last question. It's a yes or no answer and we thank you so much for your time. Are the Rangers fugazis? Yes or no?

[Whitney]

No.

[Ryan]

Ah, they heard it here first. Larry Brooks, baby. The Rangers are not boughs. Let's go.

[Biz]

Thank you so much, Larry. We appreciate it. Thanks, gentlemen. We will. We will talk to you soon. Before we continue, I need to talk to you about Game Time. The easiest, best way to get tickets to anything that you want to go to. Sports, music does not matter. Game Time is where it's at and Game Time is focused on togetherness. This holiday season, when you bring people together at live events, the experience is that much better and it's the perfect gift. You know how much we love Game time. And now with their brand new Game Time Picks features, they're making it even easier to get to a game. Game Time picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets to find which one suits you best. We're already looking at tickets for the Winter Classic. It's going to be an amazing game in Chicago and there are some awesome Game Time Picks deals for great seats. Just pull up your chosen event and turn on the GT Pick setting at the top of the screen or browse the best local Game Time Picks deals near you on your Game Time app homepage. What are you waiting for? I'm gonna buy those Winter Classic tickets right now with the Game Time Picks. So take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account and use the code Chiclets for 20 off your first purchase terms. Apply again, create an account and redeem code Chiclets. C H I C L E t s for 20 off. Download the game Time app today. What time is it? Game time. Thank you so much. Hockey hall of Fame reporter Larry Brooks. Keith, Dan Boyle has responded to you, I believe.

[Ryan]

Let's go.

[Yandle]

Yeah, so I just asked him. I said, what. What was it that Larry Brooks said about you? That you had had enough? And he said nothing in particular. He abused me year one. Blamed me for goals that weren't my fault, one I wasn't even on the ice for. Took up a full page after a 7.0start to say how finished I was. So I told him to stay the away from me in year two, which he did physically, but he still abused me at the newspapers.

[Ryan]

And keep in mind, folks like Boyle was done after this. He never played another game in the NHL. So this was his goodbye to the NHL.

[Yandle]

Yeah. Swan song. A reporter, he just wants drama and scoops and feeds on negativity. He's a tabloid writer, not a sports reporter. Oh, so clearly he hasn't. Yeah, that's true.

[Biz]

Hatred. Like, this guy's been retired for what, eight, nine years, and he's sitting right now in his mansion, and he's like, fucking Larry Brooks.

[Yandle]

Beyond mansion.

[Biz]

Larry Brooks did say Boyle. I remember him obviously, in Tampa, but playing against him when he was in San Jose and I was Anaheim, he was disgusting. Running a power play. Unbelievable player with the puck so good. Remember, he wore the Easton skates like I wore, too. So I kind of always appreciated that for my disgusting ankles. Keith, another thing we forgot, or I forgot to mention in discussing Jacob Truber going to Anaheim and having to play for Greg Cronin, who the guys cannot stand playing for. They hate him. There's a classic. There's a classic story involving Patty Yandle and Greg Cronin.

[Yandle]

Yeah. So anyone who knows my mom, she's a real one. So you know she's gonna stick up for her baby or anyone. If something happened to you guys, she'd stick up for you guys.

[Ryan]

Whip the razor blade out and biz.

[Biz]

It's Patty party and her sister Karen. Cocktail those. It's just an amazing crew.

[Yandle]

So it was at the time I decommitted from UNH and I was on the open market, and he was coaching at Northeastern at the time. So they called me. They bring me over there, they bring me out to dinner, you know, show me everything. Have a good night, whatever. Next day, I. I tell my mom because my best friend Billy Ryan's at Maine. I go, I'm gonna go to Maine. Bill's at Maine. I want to Go play with Bill. So she's like, all right, well you gotta call Northeastern and tell them that you're not gonna come there. Do the right thing. So I'm like, okay, sure.

[Biz]

Sweet.

[Yandle]

I call, I call him. He loses his mind on me for about 15 minutes. He's like, you piece of good. Never gonna play anywhere good. You're an absolute bum. I went to Maine. I know all those coaches. I'm calling them right now. You will not play one single game for that team. There is no way.

[McCabe]

Come on.

[Yandle]

Losing.

[Biz]

You just offered me a full ride, clown boy.

[Yandle]

Yeah, and like paying for dinners and stuff, which they probably. Yeah, whatever. And then I'm in the kitchen of my parents house phone. This is before cell phones. And I'm like this on the phone. You can. And my mom can hear him screaming. She's like, give me the phone, give me the phone. I'm like, no, no, it's fine. She's like, give me the phone. So finally I just hand her the phone and she like kind of walks into like the kitchen or the dining room or something. And all I hear say, you ever talk to my baby again, like that my husband will be home in 15 minutes, blah, blah, blah, whatever she said, I didn't really hear at the end. Click. And then she walks back. She's like, all right, good job calling them. You're fine. Committed to me. But yeah, he was all dude, like threatening. He was going to call the coaches at Maine, which he went to Maine and he was like there. You will not play one single.

[McCabe]

Come on.

[Ryan]

I promise.

[Yandle]

Which he was right. I didn't, I didn't play a game there. So I didn't go there.

[Biz]

So he was right. Gotcha.

[Yandle]

But just bully of sick.

[Ryan]

How much longer would you have sat there letting him scream this on the phone to you? Were you like saying anything back or you. You didn't say one word back.

[Yandle]

I was like this. I'm like, like he was petting his.

[Biz]

Dog the whole time.

[Yandle]

Were you like, I didn't care.

[Ryan]

Like, okay, can I go now? Like, you nothing. You just let him keep ranting.

[Yandle]

Yeah, I didn't give a. I let him. I'm like, just whatever, just whatever. You want to feel tough yelling at a 17 year old kid, like, okay. Oh, okay. Yeah. Oh yeah, sure. I won't play there. Yeah. And I remember like when we used to play them in the NHL, I think he was a assistant coach or like eye in the sky for someone. He used to be on the bench during warm ups and I'd like look at, I'm gonna be like, ugh.

[Ryan]

That's a wild story. Good thing I never went to college. I didn't have to deal with that.

[Yandle]

No, most colleges you don't have to deal with that.

[Biz]

You couldn't have got in either. Don't worry about it. All right.

[Ryan]

I could have played at the SEC.

[Biz]

For the Georgia Georgia Bulldogs.

[Ryan]

I can play for that club hockey team. Boy.

[Biz]

Other news around the league, the Color Avalanche guys, they have completely transformed their goaltending mid season. Very tough to do. They announced today that the team has acquired goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, forward Giovanni Smith in a fifth round draft pick in the 2027 NHL Draft from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alexander Georgiev, forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a 2025 fifth round pick and a 2026 second round pick. So big news where now Colorado. They have Scott Wedgwood and they have Mackenzie Blackwood and I think now it's, it's, it's. Wedgwood's played very good since he came over there, but maybe didn't trust necessarily he'd be able to carry them. They bring over Blackwood who has so many tools, there's times he looks amazing. He's had some great starts recently for San Jose as their season's turned around a little bit. I love this move. I also really respect Mike Greer in San Jose who acquired the rights to Mackenzie Blackwood for a 6 round pick pick and then turns around and deals them for all that in return. So biz, I don't know where you stand on that. Do you like the move? Are you more confident now in Colorado's goaltending that's been abysmal this year where, where they're at this point in the.

[Ryan]

Season to say I'd be more confident in it. I mean it can't get any worse. I guess Mackenzie Blackwood has done a great job of reviving what's what, which was like people thought he was kind of be going to be like a next top 10 goaltender. I think that those were the vibes in New Jersey. I think those expectations were also put on his shoulders at a young age, especially for a goaltending a goaltender where he also not only kind of battled, you know, figuring out his big body, but he also dealt with a lot of injuries. He was injured a lot. So he never really got like those reps in without, you know, without getting blown off of his momentum. So the fact that he's been able to go to San Jose, get out of the limelight might be peppered with shots and have success there. I can understand Colorado taking the risk and thinking maybe he's that goalie that people thought he once was. But to say that he's all of a sudden going to go over there and that this is going to continue and he's going to run with the starting position, I don't know if I can kind of give that stamp of approval. Like I don't know enough about goaltending. I think that he's had great success this year and I'm really happy for this kid, especially when you hear like a young prodigy goaltender coming up and dealing with what he had to deal with with among playing in a. In a fairly big market. But I think Pasha would be able to tell you even a little bit more about his experience when he's with New Jersey now. Keith, what do you know about him?

[Yandle]

Not much. I honestly, I thought Colorado was going to be all in on getting Gibson, but I, I think having this tandem of the Wood brothers with Wedgewood and Blackwood, I think it's. I think it's going to be a good. And they got Miles Wood too, so they got all the woods.

[Biz]

Lot of wood. Lot of wood up there.

[Yandle]

But I, I think it's a good move cuz like most teams, you got to have two good goalies nowadays to win and you know, two guys that are also fighting for that, you know, next contract and to be that guy, to be that number one goalie. So I, I think it's a great deal by them. And like you said, Whit, like, you know, teams don't really get to revamp their goaltender position, especially during the season like this. So it's an absolute monster deal that they had to have done because is they've got everything else right. They've got two of the best players in the league, one on the back end, one up front. And I think at the end of the day it's a home run hit by them and two, two goaltenders that are hungry to get wins and you know, that are both willing and able to play minutes too when healthy.

[Biz]

And they both played together on New Jersey, so there's some familiarity which I think helps. Maybe I don't know his goalies, but maybe you know your partner. If you know him a little bit, it becomes a little bit easier. I know Blackwood was unreal that law, not lockout, the COVID shortened season. He was playing incredible hockey. Then the season got canceled and revamped in the summer. And yeah, Biz, you mentioned injuries. I think that he could be great. I mean, you look back at Colorado's cup and how they were able to get by without a true number one. It's a different team now. We've talked about them being so different ever since Nazem Khadri left, but I still believe in that team. I think that they're going to be right there in the mix come playoff time. You saw last year, everything kind of just fell apart after an amazing first round. So I like the move. I like the move for both teams. Like, I think both teams get a good grade on this trade. Love where San Jose is kind of headed right now. It's. I think I said last episode I wouldn't have watched him. I. You couldn't have paid me to watch them. And now because of Celebrini, it's so interesting to see their team. Will Smith really picked up his game. William Echo. And they got a bunch of really good players there and it's a good move. By. By Mike Dreier, Mike Greer, by. By, as I mentioned, what he had to pay for getting no doubt Blackwood to now get that in return. That's asset management at its finest right there. So exciting times for AVS fans, I think, to know that they'll have a goaltender that they maybe believe in a little bit more than Georgiev.

[Ryan]

I will say this. They'll. When they won their last Stanley Cup, Colorado, I think they needed average goaltending. I think with this roster, even when healthy, they're not as deep on defense and I don't think they're as deep on forward. Although they're top six when they're humming. I know. No, no. Landy. But even this top six, maybe you could say they're. They're close to his equivalent. But I think that they're going to have to get better than average goaltending from both of these guys, which I think that they're capable of. I agree they needed to make this move. I like the upside of it. I'm just saying if. If they don't end up getting goaltending, but from guys who haven't really necessarily prove themselves as starters for a long period of time now, I wouldn't be shocked, but a great move nonetheless. That's kind of where I lie on it.

[Yandle]

I think that the confidence. The confidence too that the players have. Like when you. When a coach and gm, when they go out and bring in goaltenders like that and you know, you. You see that the GM's willing to make these moves to help your team out and you're not giving away a big piece of your offense and you're bringing in legitimate goalies. I think the confidence in that group, you're going to see them play even better knowing that they have, you know, two good goaltenders at any night that they can put out there.

[Biz]

I want to show though to Nicholas because, you know, we mentioned before, everyone's rooting for him. Obviously there were some issues in his life and it was very public with how he was off the team two years in a row in the playoffs and the biggest moments he's come back, he's dominated. He's got six goals in 12 games, exactly what they were missing. And, and to take that much time off and hopefully get healthier and figure out his life away from the rink. It's incredible to see what he's been able to do coming back in and how much of a difference he makes for that team. He is such a horse. That first round last year was like nothing I've ever seen against Winnipeg. He looked like McDavid. So he hasn't, he hasn't missed a step at all. So it's really good to see him healthy and hopefully he can stay on the right path and continue to light it up for the ABs staying in that division. Just a disaster so far this year in Chicago. Disaster for Connor Bedard, disaster for the entire team. And Luke Richardson gets let go. He was fired this week. New coach Anders Sorensen was the coach in Rockford the past few seasons. First Swede head coach behind the bench in the NHL. Both Winter Classic teams have now replaced their coaches this season in St. Louis and Chicago. Richardson was hired before the start of the 2022, 2023 season. He posted a 57, 118 and 15 record during his time with the Blackhawks. The team's off to another horrible start with an 816 and 2 record in 26 games. Felt really bad for him. Still do you know, brought in in a situation like that, like not set up for success at all. And from what I read, there was an article on the Athletic by Mark Lazarus talking about how positive he stayed around the group, how spoken so highly of around the league. I mean this Guy played over 1400 games. He was a high first round pick pick, played forever. Tough as nails, stay at home defenseman had been an assistant coach in the NHL for a long time. Gets his chance. I mean there was no chance he was going to win. It's just Kyle Davidson what he saw this year and he looked like be getting a little emotional when describing the firing, it just. It was time to make a change. They had beaten Dallas in Florida a little while ago. Then they tied or lost an overtime to Philly. It looked like things were turning around and then they started getting trounced again.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I think he gets the short end of the stick here a little bit, you know, not the time for this group. Group. I think expectations had grown over last year based on the moves they made in the off season. But sometimes, like, you know, it takes time for these guys to gel and get acclimated. I mean, how many new guys they got? They got maroon. I mean, you got. You could. I know Halsey wasn't new this year, but he hasn't had the greatest start. They got Martinez in, they got bertuzzi. I think McKeev was a guy they brought into. So a lot of new. Tara Vinen was another guy. So I think based on those moves and the money they spent to try to get. Get con Connor Bernard around more of a winning team and less frustration was the goal. It looks even like. It looks even worse than last year because at least last year I felt like he was playing better. He was putting the puck in the back of the net and. And it's evident that he's going through a little bit of a sophomore slump. We had him on the broadcast and he said that, you know, you gotta. You gotta sleep in the bait the bed you make yourself. And I think he would be accountable for maybe the way that he started the year. And so I think that everything just kind of came to a head. And the fact that Connor's not having a great year is probably the straw that broke the camel's back is like there's nothing really going for us right now. At least maybe getting this. This Swedish coach, I forgot you're. I'm drawing a blank on the name. But my understanding he's also had experience in taking over a team partway through the season, and maybe he's a little bit more offensive minded. Maybe he's going to allow them to be a little bit more creative. Whatever he can get out of him hopefully will be more than what Luke Richardson. Despite, like everything you said, you heard nothing but great things, shows up with a positive attitude, works his balls off, and, you know, he has to pay the piper because that's what happens with the head coaches in this league.

[Yandle]

And Sorenston was in development too, so maybe he's come up with these kids, he's been on the ice with them, helping them out. And like you said, he's probably more of an offensive minded guy where maybe it was, you know, playing for a stay at home defenseman. His vision of, you know, the way that you play in the NHL isn't the same as maybe it is nowadays. But I think Luke Richardson, I think he's gonna, I think he'll get a job quick, probably as an assistant somewhere. I think he's done a great job as an assistant. I, you know, from look at the hand that he was dealt in Chicago. It's not like he came in and, you know, was taking over the Tampa Bay Lightning and the team just absolutely went to the, the shitter. But he's, you know, I think he's capable of being a head coach in this league. I think he'll, he'll, you know, take his time, you know, go back to probably being a system for a little bit and then he'll get another shot in a few years of being, being a head coach and figure it out. So you hate to see anyone get fired, but I think he'll, he'll land on his feet. But, and also you hope that this guy comes in, that Sorenstein comes in and I know, I think Biz, you might have told me he, he coached Pasta and Nylander in Sweden or something.

[Biz]

He's been Nylanders like skill coach for a long time. And Keith, you bring up a great point. I think some of the complaints that I've heard about the season was they were playing like a very defensive style where it's, it's almost like just let him run free.

[Ryan]

Yeah, let him run.

[Biz]

If you're getting smoked, yeah, you're getting smoked. He's like, let, let Bedard play free. And the other big complaint from Blackhawks fans I saw was like every game there was four different lines. And I think as, as a forward you'd know better. But even on D, if you're switching up the pairs, if you're switching up the lines, like no ability to get comfortable and to gel together as a unit. I think you got to have, I just think you put, put Taravine with Bedard, like give him a chance. I would, would not be shocked at all though with a more offensive coach to come in and Bedard really like find another level. Maybe, maybe get some, some standard line mates that he's going to be knows he's going to be playing with at least 10 games, 8 to 10 games, give him a chance. But now maybe the team's able to play a little bit more free. They don't, they don't have the roster to be able to shut down other teams, like at least let them try to win or lose 6, 5.

[Ryan]

Like if they were, if they had the same record right now. But Bedard had 15 goals and 50.

[Biz]

I don't think he's fired.

[Ryan]

He's not fired. Like, that's just, you know. So you blame it on what's going. What's that?

[Yandle]

You blaming it on Bedard?

[Ryan]

No, I'm, I'm saying that it's George. Here we go. Clip it. Hey, clip it. Post it.

[Yandle]

No, I agree with you.

[Biz]

Bedard for coaches.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah. Coach killer Bedard. No, we're not clipping that either. We're trying to get him on the fucking pot. But that's it. That's all I really got on that Chicago situation. I just hope they become a little bit more exciting to watch because you, you mentioned it earlier with San Jose making that trade. Like, I like watching Santo games, San Jose games, way more than I like watching Chicago games. They're boring to watch, man.

[Biz]

They're boring. And hopefully this offensive coach brings in some more excitement and they, they start high flying fl. You know, flying around a little bit more. I do think though that you got to keep things in perspective for Hawks fans and that is like they tanked. They got Bedard last year. It's the second year of a rebuild. I mean, you got realistically three, three, four more seasons before you're in the playoffs. I know that doesn't sound great, but it's a long time and it kind of goes into the discussion. We had biz of like truly breaking it down and rebuilding. Like it sounds like a great idea. It's a lot tougher to actually make it happen. And you got to hit home runs in the draft, not just with your high first round picks, but some solid SEC, second and third round picks. So Chicago, you are in the midst of it right now. You had that amazing 10 year run with three cups. You're now in the doldrums and it's not going to change quick.

[Ryan]

Like, tell me a player other than Bedard and he's not even as good as Haggle right now. But who have they had player wise, who's better than Hagel since they traded him, you're telling me that was worth the picks that you got? Like, I don't know man. Like if like you like, you see, you're kind of making a point. Like you want to burn it to the ground and give away these good players. Well, how'd that work for fucking Buffalo? They gave away. Sam Reinhardt. Look at they gave away.

[Biz]

We're talking about Buffalo later. I know.

[Ryan]

I'm just using examples here like burn it to the. Burn it to the ground. You might be there for a while.

[Biz]

Fans up. Bright side is Frank Nazar right now played at Michigan. He is lighting up the ahl and that was for Anders Sorensen. So. So I think you'll maybe see him called up. I think he has 16 points in his last like eight or nine games down there. Super skilled player. So maybe he gets his chance to come up and this is something that, that I did witness firsthand and. And Ed Olchuk as the coach of the Penguins. I'm not going to say it was a super defensive style, but they were really struggling. They, they fired him. They brought up Michelle Tarrian who then brought a bunch of us up from the minors. Colby Armstrong had a huge year. Rob Scadari goes on to have an amazing career. I was brought up a bunch of other guys. And the AHL coach, having been with players, there's some familiarity. I've used that word twice now. This podcast and maybe then they pop off, start playing a little better because it has been ugly. But that. Speaking of the Winter Classic and the Blackhawks, our first live show guest has been announced and What a doozy. December 29th, Tim Stapleton.

[Ryan]

If you talk to a lot of.

[Biz]

Long time Spit and Chicklets listeners, I think they it's in a lot of people's top interview ever. Just a hilarious person, absolute comedian. And now we get him on stage with us. Great storyteller. Tickets still available@Barstool Sports.com events.

[Ryan]

Did you know Stapleton at all? Had you ever met him?

[Yandle]

Never met him.

[Ryan]

Oh, funny bastard. Man. You guys will have a boy. What's that?

[Yandle]

Didn't he have that Bill Tongue or something?

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Biz]

Bill Tong Boinkies.

[Yandle]

Yeah. Boy, that was the only thing you.

[Ryan]

Guys had to eat that day when.

[Yandle]

We met you dead actually. I'm like this. Oh yeah, you'll be good. We got three strips of Bill Tongue.

[Ryan]

23 holes that day. Went to five extras here on Spit and Chiclets. We talk a lot about hockey, including the best ways to enjoy game day.

[Biz]

That is right. If you need help getting those game day essentials, you got to have Discover in your back pocket. Discover is accepted by 99 of places that take credit card nationwide. So when it's time for wings and drinks, you're pretty much covered.

[Ryan]

Yeah, you don't want to be the guy scrambling for cash like wit when the round's on you. And remember, y'all. Discover is accepted by 99 of places, but attempting to start a wave at a critical point in the game is not.

[Biz]

It pays to Discover percentage based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. And don't miss the puck drop for the Discover NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Eve. Moving forward Biz we'll start with your team, your country, the four nations rosters.

[Ryan]

They were picked.

[Biz]

They were announced Canada Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Braden Point Anthony Cirelli, Seth Jarvis Listed in centers Sam Reinhardt, Brad Marshawn, Brandon Hagel, Sam Bennett on the left wing. The right wing Mitch Marner, Nathan McKinnon, Mark Stone, Travis Koneckney what a forward group. What are your thoughts on the team? Anyone didn't make the team you were upset by or wanted to see on?

[Ryan]

No, no. I would think that everybody would agree. And the biggest surprise up front? Probably Jarvis. That's why it was the one question I ended up asking Don Sweeney when we got him on during the broadcast. I said, hey, like nothing against this guy's game. I love him as a player. I heard nothing but incredible things about him in the locker room as to why he probably for sure made the team. But you know, some other guys left off. Like I thought like Scheifele was probably having a better year offensively. But I think it comes down to into what Don Sweeney said is like if he's not in the lineup, he's going to be unreal in the locker room and you need that. You don't need anybody creating bad mojo. Right? And he's also a guy who can play on the fourth line. He'll be ecstatic about playing the fourth line. He'll just be getting in on the four check and maybe not taking as many risks offensively and can really bounce up all the way to the top two lines if you need them for a short tournament like that. So I think it came down to his ability to play all scenarios, including special teams and the fact that he's a glue guy and will be fun in the locker room potentially being the healthy scratch. So I had no problem with it. But I think that that just came down to the biggest surprise and given with maybe somewhere, somewhere where these other Canadian forwards are at and how much they've litten things up. Like I thought maybe Adam Lowry was a possibility as like a depth center.

[Biz]

I think you called for him and Tom Wilson to be on the team.

[Ryan]

I wouldn't have minded Tom Wilson either because you're looking at the other side and you're thinking, who are, who are we? You're not trying to like stack yourself up against the US either because you have other teams to worry about here. But you look at a team with like Matthew and Brady Kachuk, you need some guys that are going to be able to handle that if you're going in a one game match. I just, I like the Tom Wilson, given the way how he's played to start the year. He's been a fucking tank out there. He's not intimidated by guys like that. He'll go to the net and he can also play on a third or fourth line or end up jumping up top. So I thought Connecty really deserved it and I love what he brings like as far as his ferociousness. And then the other surprise was Sennheim, but I won't question him because I don't need Joel Farabee barking down my neck online like he did that Jay. Fresh kid. Kid, yes. So some J. Fresh kid came out with the fact that I guess analytically maybe he's not the best defender, but he basically, Joel Farabee shut that down. He goes, go watch some games. Like he can close on you, he's fast, he's long, and overall has been really good, not only last year, but to start the year here. So really excited and happy for him. And it kind of went with the theme of their D. They have those couple high end skill guys like Morrissey, kind of that, that second layer if you know Makar's not playing the full power play and then even Theodore. But then you got like the Parenkos, the, you know, the Petra Angelo. Like these guys are long, big, will close on you and they can also play nasty in front of the net. So really happy with the roster and I still think the question marks in net, but who knows? Who knows in a small tournament like that. Surprised Logan Thompson didn't maybe make it. But, but your guy, your guy in Montreal, Montbal, you love this guy.

[Yandle]

I, I'm telling you, I think he's going to play his way into maybe getting a nod in these from what I've heard. I, I do. I mean, if you're looking at it now, he's the third string, right? Obviously. But everything that I've read or seen, they're going to play the hot hand, whoever's playing good. He had a big shout out the other night when me and Biz were doing the Amazon show and I don't know, I could just see him going on a nice little run. He's he's got that, like, naive confidence about him where he doesn't really care what's going on. He's just like, hey, I'm here. I'm a goalie. He's really good at playing the puck. He's played in. He's playing in Montreal, probably the hardest place to play, especially as a goalie, and he's doing well with not a great team in front of him. So I think he could be a sneaky guy to play some games. And if he gets that net, you better watch out. He could be your guy. Vibe is, yeah, you guys were trying to. The fact that. You guys were trying to steal our pride and joy. Joey Decord from America and bring him by you. The fact that if.

[Ryan]

What do you mean? We're the 51st state. Donald Trump said it. That's not illegal.

[Yandle]

If you asked, I. I don't know who's an old, like Phil Esposito or somebody like, hey, in 2024, Canada is going to be asking for USA Gold. Bully. He'd puke on you. He would be absolutely disgusted by even thinking that out loud.

[Ryan]

Are both of his parents Canadian? And he maybe was.

[Biz]

He went to Cushion Academy, went to.

[Yandle]

The high school I went to. He's as American as they get.

[Biz]

I do love the size of their D. Looking at the USD, I think better puck movers overall, but the size of Canada is definitely intimidating. And, you know, like, they're just looking to just take away time and space from the other teams and all those guys can move, move. It's a hell of a team. It is so weird to see three goalies on a Canadian roster and best on best where you're like, I don't know who the starter is and it's not necessarily a good thing. Like, when you looked at Luongo and Broder, it's like, all right, well, it's a win, win this one. It's just kind of odd. And Keith makes the point that there's so much time to go until this tournament happens. Whoever's playing the best in the NHL at the time, I think starts that first game.

[Ryan]

But it's going to be amazing on the back end for Canada like that. That Maar Taves pairing, I mean, that's the best D pairing in the world right now. I don't think I had to mention them. I want to shift focused over to the American side. The goalies in D for, for me, is where Amer. Where the States have it. Like, I like actually even their D from front to back. Compared to. To Canada's, like, they got. I mean, you can offset Maar with Quinn Hughes, he's maybe not that good. But then they got Slaven. Best shutdown defenseman in the world. Or one of them. McAvoy, he's a giant. Can play both ends of the ice. Warrenski's having a fucking hell of a year this year. Like, he's a he. I mean, he's probably top three for Norris right now, for fuck's sakes.

[Biz]

Yep. And I think Brock Faber, too, is going to make like kind of one of those. If you don't get to watch Minnesota play a lot. Like, holy, this guy's good. He's young. He skates like the wind. He's a truck out there. Can just eat minutes. Noah Hanifin was so excited to see him make the team. Unreal human being. Great player. He's played great. I think he's kind of listed as the seventh defense right now, but if he gets in and he's playing, not a worry at all. The goalie, the goaltending is just wild, though, like Hellebook, Artinger and Swayman. The depth and the choices that you have there, that is such a different thought looking at the US Than Canada, where it's like, hey, it doesn't really matter. As an American, I trust all these guys. Whoever's in net, it's like, we're fine. We're fine. We got three studs back there up.

[Ryan]

Did you hear. Did you hear about how Orinsky got. Got announced or found out he was going to be on the team?

[Biz]

I saw that. You see who was with Billy G. When it went down?

[Ryan]

No.

[Biz]

Chris Kelleher, he's like the assistant general manager of the team. He's working for the Wild and he's. And he's helping. Helping out with the team. And they were out to dinner for people who don't know they were in town to watch Columbus play. They just had some dinner and drinks after the game. Billy G. And Chris Kelleher and Warensky walked in with his fiance and. And Kel's actually said to him, like, hey, why don't we tell him now? We don't really get to tell many guys, if any guys in person, that they're going to make the team. And so they had said hello. And then I don't know what he's saying.

[Ryan]

Hey, we'll buy you a dinner. If Zach could be on Team usa, it's like, I guess you're buying us dinner because he made it. And then boom. But Send over the wine list, ma'am. Thank you.

[Yandle]

I think just talking about their. Talking about their D a little bit. I think McAvoy is going to be so good in this tournament because he's not going to be relied on to have to go play offense and be the power play guy and put up points for them. Like, he's kind of had to do that with the Bruins the last couple years. And I think him going in there just going to be like, are you going to play with Quinn Hughes or Fox? Whoever. Him and Fox are both from upstate New York. I could see them play together, but it's like, hey, listen, you can kill people. You're amazing defensively. Just do that for the next couple days and it's going to turn his game around completely for the rest of the year for the Bruins.

[Biz]

So you said upstate. It's Long Island. G just corrected you in the chat. I cannot wait. I cannot wait for the hatred between the US And Canada when they play. Like, just knowing and picturing in my mind already, Matthew, you could try Chuck running into the corner and trying to murder Sam Reinhardt or Sam Bennett. It's like, that's just what's so amazing about this tournament is everything's pushed aside. And like, I think there's fans of teams like, no, no, it wouldn't be like that. Like, yes, it will. Yes, it will. The hatred is real. The pride for your country is real. The thought of getting to see McDavid play with McKinnon and Crosby and. And the Kachuks playing with Auston Matthews, it's just so exciting to me. And I don't know if a lot of fans are looking forward to it as much as I am, but I cannot wait. The perfect appetizer to the Olympics next year. And yeah, like us up front, I really hope J.T. miller is able to come back. And I think they know he'll be back and be playing or else they wouldn't have named him. But like, him and the Kachucks and just like how good Eichel's been this season knowing, like, Dylan Larkin is your fourth line center. You got Trocheck and Kreider maybe on that line. It's just, it's amazing to see the players left off, off of a United States best on best roster now, like, that's how far the country's come. I think a lot of people were, were maybe surprised about Tage Thompson, as was I. That's somebody. If he was on the team, I would be very excited as well. Like, it's I do feel bad for him. I think he was the number one snub. Cole Caulfield's had a great year scoring goals. They don't really need that undersized. But it would have been cool for him to be in Montreal representing the United States in the, in at least the early parts of the Games. But. But it's going to be a hell of attorney biz. I. When you stood up, I mentioned like just seeing Kachuk just try to run over Reinhardt or Bennett or what Bennett would do to Kachuk and just the hatred between.

[Ryan]

Or J.T. miller to Elias Pedersen.

[Biz]

Oh my God.

[Yandle]

Oh, my God.

[Biz]

Vancouver might have to make a trade after this. Jesus Christ.

[Ryan]

What'd you guys make of the fact that I guess they called a bunch of guys who didn't make the teams and they didn't call Nick Suzuki, I guess for Team Canada and I guess they weren't pleased. The fact that he didn't end up going to the Worlds last year, like maybe as like a tryout or, you know, to. But so they were. I don't know if they were poopy pants. Like, it seems like a bit of pettiness. Maybe the story's being blown out of, way out of proportion or he forgot to get called. But it seemed to run a little bit with Montreal Canadiens media.

[Biz]

Well, I do know that leading into these best on best tournaments, before every single person asked was going to the World Championships, right? So it was a big thing like, hey, if you're not in the playoffs and you're asked, you're going or you're not going to be coming to the Olympics. Yeah. Sidney Crosby, he doesn't go, it's a different story. But if Suzuki, who I don't know, if he was injured, if he decided not to go, that is a mistake. Like this is leading into a year in which there's a best on best team, you have the possibility of making the team, you got to go when asked. And that's just kind of always how it's been. So, yeah, you wonder how much of this is truth, truth and not truth. But if you're asked prior to one of these tournaments, you're going, you're going to play in the Worlds and that's kind of a no brainer. At least I always took it that way. What I was interested about was it was a tweet from Gino Hard enlisting Team Russia. And I will say once again, they better be in the Olympics next year or even if the US Wins, I don't really think it's legit. Russia needs to be part of the Olympics next year. Let's listen. Let's look at this possible roster. Artemi Panarin, Evgeny Malkin, Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprisov, Pavel Beachnevich, Andrei Svechnikov, Alexander Ovechk, Ivan Barbashev, Valerie Nicholson, Matvey Michikov, Vlad Nemestikov, Karel Marchenko up front. Holy.

[Ryan]

That's a forward roster and a half by. Wow.

[Biz]

And. And if you're, if you're getting a little bit of a chubby thinking of some Russian hockey players, just wait till I tell you. The goalies.

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Biz]

Vasilevsky, Shosturkin and Bobrovsky.

[Ryan]

Are you kidding me?

[Biz]

What the.

[Ryan]

Are you kidding me? Canada's going to be fun.

[Biz]

Canada's going to be Canada's goalies.

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Biz]

So we're hoping that they are involved in the Turin Olympics in 2026. But what a roster. And even our guy Merls, he listed out a possible if they had decided to maybe go with a team Europe for this tournament.

[Ryan]

Yeah, this was fun.

[Biz]

Pastor Knock, Dreiseitel, Neches, Timo Meyer, Kopitar Stutzel, Nikolai Ehlers, Heer. Protest. Protest. By the way, in Washington, doesn't he.

[Ryan]

Lead the league in five on five points right now or one of the league leaders doesn't play any power play?

[Biz]

This guy is a monster. He's dominated this year. I'm trying to find the message I sent to the group chat. So when are we going to talk more about Alexi Protoss having 24 points in 27 games despite playing just 1 minute and 33 seconds Total ice time on the power play this season he has more five on five points than McDavid, Crosby, Kucherov, Dreisettel, Matthew Kachuk, Nathan McKinnon, David Posternak, etc, etc, etc. So they have found a wagon of a man in Washington that has come on and I believe is only 23 years old.

[Ryan]

So Carberry, Carberry, he's working his magic. Man, that team is just leading by.

[Biz]

More than anyone else is close in any other award for the Jack Adams this season. Now the Jack Adams apparently can mean you're going to be fired within like the next like 180 calendar days. So I don't know if coaches even want to be a part of that discussion.

[Ryan]

Wasn't Todd McClellan the top like after 15 or 20 games? The top listed the guy to win the Jack Adams last year and then they lost like 10 in a row and then he Got snipped. I think Merles might have. Might have bet it.

[Whitney]

Mel.

[Biz]

Did he bet it?

[Ryan]

Merles mushed the coach out of a job, but yeah. Good. Good for them. Oh my. Hey, so. So you would want team Europe. I feel like maybe Slovakia and. And Czechoslovakia could put a team together as one or no. You think it's too thin of a. Too thin?

[Biz]

I don't even know.

[Yandle]

I mean they split up as a country. It's kind of.

[Ryan]

No, but I'm saying the most likely. If you were to want to maybe do seven different teams, like.

[Yandle]

Oh yeah, I don't know.

[Biz]

I don't know.

[Ryan]

Considering you're willing to do a team Europe, are you just going to throw all of team like all of Europe together outside of Sidle?

[Yandle]

Like there's so many good player, even like Zuccarello, like guys like that from countries that aren't going to be in the. In the tournament. Right. But you need to see those guys play.

[Ryan]

Correct. But I feel like there's enough from Slovakia and Czech together to make a solid team. But if you're going with just six strong teams, I think that, that the way you just said a team Europe and team Russia would be the two that you add. And then if you continue this type of six nations tournament or something. Something. Or you guys think that now the Olympics is cooking back up that they're not going to do this type of tournament anymore thrown on by the league.

[Yandle]

I wouldn't mind seeing the tournament every two years. Yeah.

[Biz]

Between the Olympics do a World cup type thing like they're doing.

[Ryan]

I would rather see that every four years where you basically intertwine the Olympics and then that. So you're getting one of them each every two years. Then see an All Star game that year. Even both those years.

[Biz]

I'd rather watch the Sacramento Kings play the Milwaukee Bucks than an All Star game in the NFL.

[Yandle]

Hey, Protoss. Protoss is. This might be a bad protoss. It says he's from Belarus. Is that the same as Russia?

[Biz]

No, different country.

[Ryan]

Different country.

[Yandle]

So how would he be on the Russian team?

[Ryan]

Stupid, that's two different countries.

[Biz]

No, no, no. He was listed as a possibility on the European team.

[Yandle]

Oh, sorry. Sorry.

[Biz]

Which I don't. Is Belarus part of Europe? Maybe Merls is off there.

[Yandle]

Hey, just to let you know, 225Keith.

[Ryan]

Notoriously, when I get chirped on this podcast for being a moron, then that person who chirps me says a moronic statement. So welcome to the program.

[Yandle]

I thought. I thought he said that. He was playing for Russia and you.

[Ryan]

Weren'T fucking listening with those dumbo ears.

[Biz]

Last thing on this tournament, I was, I was surprised to see Oel Oliver, Ekman Larson not make Sweden. He's been great in Toronto and apparently he hasn't made teams prior. Maybe there's something there, but, but I know Sweden's D strong, but I, I thought he'd be on that team.

[Ryan]

I, I think maybe if they, if it was a 25 man roster, they would have brought him as that next defenseman. I think that like, although Eric Carlson has played a lot better as of late, like Pittsburgh in general has played a lot better hockey. Like they found themselves into a wild card position or at least the last time I looked. But I think that, you know, I think that Oliver's probably played better overall. But you know, it comes down to also your, your, your prior history with the country and everything. And you know, he's just, it's been what, 18 months to two years since Oliver's truly found his game again. So I think he's just happy to have won a cup and, and be in a situation that he loves again in. From Florida to Toronto. I don't really.

[Biz]

I did watch Pittsburgh biz against the Leafs. Carlson looked good. Jari was unreal. They've won five of their last six, so maybe something brewing in Pittsburgh. I mean we buried them three weeks ago.

[Ryan]

Well, they deserved it. They were playing like dog. They had no, like they did make that trade with Nashville. They brought in the one kid and he was a bit of a spark plug. Thomas Thomasino, we had him on the broadcast and he was very noticeable, like got a lot of shots off. He scored one goal, I think they beat, I want to say they beat Boston 21 and he had a good showing. So ever since then they've seemed to be playing a lot better. I don't really have much else outside of the four nations.

[Biz]

No, no. I think it's time to throw it to a man who represented his country, Brian McCabe. Awesome guy. Thanks again Yance, for letting us, letting us into your house to interview him. And so I think we throw it over to an all time guy, Brian McCabe right now. Guys, before we go any further, I need to talk to you about body armor. If you're watching on YouTube, you see me holding up the bottle of body armor. My favorite drink, my favorite water to ever exist. This episode is brought to you by the Body Armor sports drink drink. Real hydration, real ingredients packed with electrolytes, vitamins and nothing artificial. Body armor sports drink has great tasting flavors like strawberry, banana and orange mango to go along with their normal water. I don't want to say normal though. It's got electrolytes, it's alkaline water and this big old wide mouth bottle is easy to drink and it tastes great. I got the 1 liter bottle right here. I think I average about 7 to 8 of these per day. Makes me feel great. I love the taste. I know it sounds crazy, but taste the body armor water and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Get yours today at Walmart or a local grocery store near you. I can't say enough. Great things. Body armor. It's an absolute honor to be joined right now by the current director of player development, new Stanley cup champ with the Florida Panthers and the seventh all time leading point scorer for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Brian McCabe. CBER. What's going on?

[McCabe]

How much? Boys, thanks. This is an honor to be here.

[Biz]

Long time coming.

[Ryan]

I see you got the flavor saver still. Do you still have the frosted tips or no?

[McCabe]

Oh, that's. I got the reverse like mullet now Hulk Hogan going, yeah, don't dye your hair, kids, because it never comes back. But I got got to have this because the broken jaw. My whole face is like frozen still. So I keep this. And then I got the greasy movember.

[Biz]

Stash, which you have the broken jaw. NHL, junior, NHL.

[McCabe]

Like my last, my last year. Year.

[Biz]

Oh.

[McCabe]

Shattered my draw like, you know, wired shot and I never came back. I still got like no feeling.

[Ryan]

That was when you were in New York.

[McCabe]

Right before I got traded. I got traded to New York with a broken jaw.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[McCabe]

Yeah. And had to finish the year with one of those like chin strap things. Yeah, it was terrible.

[Ryan]

You were gonna sit out with torts as a coach. You come over, he's like, you're playing with that. Yeah.

[McCabe]

You gotta play through it. We're tough. Walk a shove in your face.

[Biz]

That's why he traded for him.

[McCabe]

Yeah.

[Biz]

So I bring his draw with that puck. Oh, my God. So what's going on now? Like you enjoying what you're doing? Like getting and staying involved in the game when you're done playing. And then the year, last year was incredible.

[McCabe]

Yeah. I love my job. I love working with the young kids. Very fortunate to kind of step into it. Like, I didn't know what I was going to do when I retired in 2011. I went down to the rink at Christmas time and see the trainers. Just say hi to the boys. I Hadn't been down since I retired. And I ran into Dale Talon, who had traded me to New York my last year. And he's like, what are you doing? I'm like, Mr.

[Whitney]

Mom.

[McCabe]

He's like, what do you want to do? I'm like, I don't know. He's like, why don't you come on, I'll send you out on some special assignments. We'll see what you like. And I went out with, like, pro scouts, Hampshire scouts, and then I went out with Brian Screwland, who was doing development at the time. And I came back in June. He's like, so what do you think? I'm like, well, I don't want to be a scout. No, I'm not traveling 28 days a month. Those guys work so hard. Like, I'm like, but I think I could do player development. Like, I can relate to the players I just finished playing. I think it'd be fun, you know, kind of flexible schedule. And he hired me on the spot, and I've been doing it ever since. So I'm very grateful to him to still be in the game and be doing this. But I love what I do.

[Biz]

Probably smart, though, to even to do everything to see, like, all right, because if you were like, I'll do a scout right away, you might have been out of it.

[McCabe]

Yeah, exactly.

[Biz]

Do you get to, like, go with the drafted player, saying, junior or college, and get on the ice with them at all? Or is it only on the ice with, like, AHL guys?

[McCabe]

College is tough, I always found, because, I don't know, they always feel like you're going to poach their play. You know what I'm saying? Oh, they're going to pull them after a sophomore year or stuff. So it's about building relationships with those guys. But I have been on the ice with college guys, junior guys, they always open up the floodgates, like, hey, we got ice for practice. You want to bring your gear? You can come out with us, run a practice with us and stuff. So I've done a little bit of both with everything, but obviously, when I go to the minor, I'm always on the ice with the guys when I travel to Charlotte and stuff.

[Ryan]

So it's fun, you trying to teach them the can opener still.

[McCabe]

You want to be out of league in two years, Just take minor after minor. Try this one.

[Biz]

That rule came in, you're like, no, I know.

[McCabe]

It was unbelievable when that. I thought my career was over. Honestly, I had lived by that for years. And then they made that rule And I was like, I got to reinvent something. So I, I morphed into the Rob Blake hipcheck and tried to do that and stuff. But it was fun while it lasted.

[Ryan]

My dad was a volunteer fireman. I would go to the fire hall sometimes and one of his buddies taught me that, like I was a defenseman coming up and he's like, yeah, as soon as a forward comes at you, just make sure you get your stick in between like Brian McCabe and can open them. You never get by you. And I was doing it because it was still legal and minor. I was like, well, that's why, that's probably why I got drafted to the.

[Biz]

Old buddy Yandle would, would teach us in front of the net. Like, if he's waiting for a tip, you're behind him. Just that. And immediately the guy's like, gloves off, he's going. They didn't call anything.

[Ryan]

I think it was post lockout. They took it out. I was like, no, that's why I got sent to the coast.

[Yandle]

Start fighting, man.

[McCabe]

Yeah, it was funny because I was a Ford, like my whole life, like till I was like 15. And then, you know, they used to have like those all star select tournaments, like in the summer they had this thing called the Vancouver Super Series. And I was on like team Southern Alberta or something. And we had no defensemen for this tournament.

[Whitney]

Tournament.

[McCabe]

There just wasn't any. So I was like, oh, I'll play D for the weekend, whatever. And I was listed by the Medicine Tigers and they saw me play D at this tournament, never played before, went to their camp. They're like, if you play D this whole season, like as a 15 year old and ban them back in Calgary, you'll make our team as a 16 year old. So I roll into camp in like Calgary when I'm like 15 years old and had like led the league in scoring the year before. So Ford, and you know, they're like, ford's down here, D down here. So I go to the D line. The coach comes out to me like, what are you doing? I'm like, I'm playing D this year. He's like, no, you're not. I'm like, yes, I'm playing D and I played D. And that was it.

[Biz]

Wow. So it was. It was the major junior team who told you to do it and hadn't even talked to the.

[McCabe]

No, didn't tell anyone. And the coach was like, no, you're not. I'm like, yeah, I'm playing D this year. And I played D And I've never stayed there ever since.

[Yandle]

How was your like, backward skating? Because I feel like a lot of forwards, especially in the NHL, drives me insane how forwards can skate backwards. Backwards, it's one of my biggest pet peeves.

[Biz]

This was better backwards.

[Ryan]

Faster too.

[McCabe]

You saw me play. There wasn't much defense. Funny you say that because at the hockey game the alumni gave this week and Tony Monty had escaped backwards. He almost went down. He was like on all edges. It was hilarious. But yeah, a lot of forwards, like I remember, like Steve Thomas, you know when they use. Coaches used to switch like, all right, D, you're going to do this drill. Forward.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[McCabe]

Oh, it was hilarious. There was literally guys that couldn't skate backwards.

[Yandle]

Hub was the worst.

[McCabe]

Oh, my God, Hubie.

[Yandle]

We'd be on like a power play and you'd look over, you know, if it gets turned over and you think it's going to be a two on two. I'd look at my guy on the right, look to see where the puck carriers. With who? Hubie. He'd be on a breakaway. If QB would just be standing there.

[Biz]

He's like doing this.

[Yandle]

Can't pivot. I don't know why. It's insane to me.

[Ryan]

Yeah, work on those C cuts. So I, I saw you were born in St. Catherine's Ontario, just down the road from me. But as a kid you moved to Calgary.

[McCabe]

Yeah, everyone thinks I'm from Ontario. I was born in St. Catharines, but when I was six months old, my dad got transferred. He worked for like ge, General Electric, like electrician stuff. And he got transferred to Calgary. So I grew up in Calgary. Calgary's home. My mom, brother still lived there. All my buddies. So that's where I played youth hockey.

[Biz]

So flame for your squad?

[McCabe]

Oh, yeah. Growing up as a kid, man, they won the cup in 89. I just, I was like 13, just turning 14. So. So Lanny, Doug Gilmore, Rob's, all these guys I, I grew up idolizing and got to play with someone. It was, it was really cool. Calgary was great. Great place to grow up.

[Biz]

Was your dad like your biggest influence? Like most of the guys we, we interview, like, he got you into the game? He loved the game himself.

[McCabe]

100. My dad coached me all the way till I was probably 12 and then kind of just let me go on my way, my way. But yeah, biggest influence. He was an old goalie, so he used to put the pads on for me and my.

[Biz]

Oh, that's actually sick.

[McCabe]

Rip it at him in the backyard. But yeah, I had an older brother I could look up to too, who.

[Biz]

Played demanding as a coach. And your dad, like someone who would almost yell at you more because you were his kid.

[McCabe]

No, my dad never, like, I swear, never yelled at me. Never like got down my throat after a bad game. He just let me be. There was no like internal pressure at home at all. Unlike today with all these kind of like, their kid's going to be the next McDavid, like every parent. But my dad was cool as hell and he kind of just let me go on my way. And my mom was a rock star and they both worked full time and cost all our hockey.

[Ryan]

We were talking about before you showed up to play in the Western League at that time, you had to have toughness. Were you like, you know, getting in like schoolyard brawls type thing and prepared for that when you got there as a 16 year old?

[McCabe]

No, I wasn't prepared for it.

[Biz]

But you hopped right in though. Always had a lot of Pimms, always.

[McCabe]

I can't say I won a lot of fights, but I showed up for all of them. But the Western League was crazy back then. Like crazy scary.

[Yandle]

There was that the separate warmups.

[McCabe]

Oh, that's what started when I was there because like I. I just saw Dave Manson when I was on the road last week. But man and Kim Baumgartner used to steal the nets.

[Biz]

That's what you were saying.

[McCabe]

Warm up. And no one would go get them. But when my first year junior, I actually told this story the other day. We had a wagon of a team in medicine hat. Like Rob Niemeyer was going to be a first round pick. Mike Rathg, we had all these.

[Ryan]

Chris Osgood was there too.

[McCabe]

Chris Ozzy was there. Sick team, first in the league. We play Swift Current Broncos in the first round of playoffs. Warm ups are still together. First game, Game one. In the hat. We're skating around, skating around. Dodie Wood, you remember Doty Wood. I know he played for San Jose.

[Biz]

I remember the name.

[McCabe]

Sounds like a little native guy. Off as hell. He played for San Jose a bunch of years. And our captain, Clayton or squared off in warm up. No refs. Fought with a circle around him for probably 10 minutes.

[Biz]

Both teams are standing round.

[McCabe]

Just beat the crap out of your corner.

[Biz]

Get the coaches are in the circle. They're like, whoa.

[McCabe]

Unbelievable. They fought and then they both got suspended for like three games. And one period ended up sweeping us in the first round and huge upset. We're like the best team in the league and you know we lost our captain, we lost our mojo, whatever. But that was one of the sickest things I've ever seen. But fighting was crazy in Junior. Like, I remember this.

[Biz]

Were you told, hey, I got. You're going to have to do this? Or did you just know?

[McCabe]

No, I just knew for me that I was big. And yeah, everyone did it. But like, my first year, yeah, guys were like, I got knocked out. Remember Brendan Witt played, had a good.

[Biz]

Career, Lefty on the Capitals and yeah, Caps Islanders.

[McCabe]

So he was in Seattle and it was my first year and we were in Seattle and I fought him and he absolutely buckled me with a left, like, down out. You know, back then there were no concussions, so all the guys and even the coaches were like, yeah, don't let him go into a shell. He's got to get back out there. Like, next game you got to fight. You can't get timid. Next game, right back, another fight. Get over the hump, kid. You know, don't be scared of it. And, you know, it worked out because I was never afraid. Like I said, I didn't win any, but you just had to do it.

[Ryan]

So was it the Dave Manson thing that. That made them separate, the warmups at that time, or you're saying that you're around. No, they.

[McCabe]

Because they. I think they had separated and then they said, oh, it's. We can go back to it. But then, because I got trade the next year, Spokane and I remember specifically separate warmups again. So I'm. I'm probably thinking because of the do wood thing, they went back to it. It was the worst. If you're a road team and junior, you. You warm up, it'd be 45 minutes to an hour before you went back on the ice.

[Ryan]

Ridiculous. It was crazy.

[Yandle]

Pete Vandermeer or. Yeah, Pete Vander used to tell me he'd go down, just take all the pucks from the other and just put them at the red line, stand there and be like, all right, does anyone want to go, like, what do we do?

[Biz]

No, I just want to stick handle.

[Yandle]

Yeah, please. I'm just trying to get the legs.

[Ryan]

So, like, did they think to maybe put out all the officials during warm up first or.

[McCabe]

They started doing that too. Yeah, but. Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea.

[Biz]

The officials were around the circle and doing the prison guards. What did you say?

[Yandle]

The prison guards.

[Ryan]

Oh, unbelievable.

[Biz]

So in that time, there's. We know you played world Junior, but there's something else on here that you played in the Pacific cup in Japan, like a U17?

[McCabe]

Yeah, it was in Japan.

[Biz]

That's sick.

[McCabe]

So way back when. Yeah, I wish I went there when I was older because, you know, picky western Canadian kid. Didn't even like sushi back then. Never had a piece of fish in my life. Ate Mickey D's every day in Japan. But it was cool like to go over there, you know, experience the culture and stuff. And we had some good, good players and we won the tournament. It was like one of those little U17 things like they, they do at.

[Biz]

Christmas now that I. I had one in Timmins, Ontario. You got to go to Tokyo. Yeah, a little different, I guess. But being the captain of a world junior gold medal winning team, like that's biggest honor for a Canadian you can give. Especially growing up watching them the Boxing Day games.

[McCabe]

Oh my God, it was special. Yeah, I got to play twice. The first year it was like 70 and stuff and we won in check. And then the next year it was actually in like Red Deer, Edmonton, Calgary. So I grew up in Calgary and I got to play in the saddle them in front of friends and it's packed. Packed like just like that year was the lockout year too. So it was like there was no hockey and it was there. The buzz was just unbelievable and we had a unbelievable team and we won the tournament. Like it's back when it was that seven game tournament, there was.

[Biz]

I was going to ask.

[McCabe]

Yeah, we actually ended up winning the game after game six. Like Sweden had choked, someone scored late and we had won and we had. So we got to like celebrate that night and we had a day off and then we had game seven against Sweden. But we, then we got to celebrate. So we got to celebrate twice.

[Biz]

Oh, you'd already won.

[McCabe]

We already won. We got to go out and then we had another game team picture and then. All right, let's go try to win this one and go seven and all we waxed them and then we got to go party again. It was unbelievable, man. We had the cowboy hats, the long trench coat.

[Biz]

What other NHLers on that team?

[McCabe]

Oh my God, everyone. Like it was. We were stacked. So like Tuxy, who I know you guys just spent time with Jeff O'Neill, Ryan Smith. That was like maybe our fourth line.

[Whitney]

Wow.

[McCabe]

Jason Allison, Eric Daze, Todd Harvey, Eddie Joe, Wade, Redden, myself. Oh, the goalies were like Jamie Storn, Dan Cl. Who else was our, like, oh, Jeff Friesen, Sean Donovan. Like, honestly, I think like probably 18 of the 23 guys like had like, oh, Dennis Peterson, like real NHL.

[Biz]

Yeah. Not just.

[McCabe]

Not just a cup of coffee. We're talking, like, guys that played, like, 10, 12 years in the league. Like, we had a sick team, so.

[Biz]

Cause we're down here. We just did a sandbagger with Tucker and you're playing against him. He's in Kamloops. He must have been just up, like, playing in Toronto with him. You must have looked back on the battles you had with him.

[McCabe]

We went out because I played against him my whole junior career. And we actually. And Callum was. Was like the epitome of, like, the London Knights, you know, like now, like, I think they won three of four when I was in junior and just had, like, the best of the best coming through. But he was such a mouthpiece. I hated his guts in junior. Wanted to kill him. They beat us. My last year in junior, I got trade to Brandon. We went to the Memory Cup. They were actually hosting, and they went through the whole. Just killed everyone. But then fast forward, like years later, go to Toronto. Tuxy gets trade there. We end up being roommates for, like, five years or six years on the road. So me and Tux, he's one of my closest friends and great teammate. Guy you hate to play against and is annoying as hell, but you love to have on your team do anything to win.

[Ryan]

He did the sandbagger with Stumpy, and they fought three times, times before he got to Toronto. And he said it was the first guy he saw when he walked in the room in Toronto.

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And they were like, hey, buddy. And like, all of a sudden, you know, his. Under water, under the bridge. You were known for your shot. So, like, growing up, like, did somebody help you with your technique? Like, how did you get that big bomb?

[McCabe]

I just literally shop pucks every day. I have a shed in the backyard that there was a net and a shed and a piece of plywood, and I would just shoot. That was all I did. Like, I swear to God. Just clappers all day long. So I guess that's probably where I got it. It's not something like, oh, I gotta work on my shot. I just like to shoot pucks and always had pucks in the backyard.

[Biz]

Not even plexiglass?

[McCabe]

No. What was plexiglass back then? Just a piece of plywood on the ground. I would just rip pucks in the shed. Just took a beating over holes in it and everything and. But it was fun, you know? Like, I literally just grew up street hockey every day. My brother friends, like, home from school. Street hockey or outdoor rink Hockey. Hockey, Hockey. Like, no Joke. Since I was probably five, all I ever wanted to was be an NHL player. That was it. It's my only focus in life. I was lucky enough to live it.

[Biz]

I see. So 93 draft, New York Islanders, 40th overall. We like to usually find out if you knew anything going in where you're like, first rounder. Am I going first round? Hope that you would.

[McCabe]

I thought I was going to be a first rounder. So the draft for me was like one of those like eye opening experiences where, all right, maybe I'm not as good as I think I am. Like, my draft year I wasn't. I got traded. My draft year, I kind of let the hype get to me. I was cocky and like, oh, I'm good. And then I had no Kate. Like, I had 60 points, but I think I had three goals. Like, I wasn't good. I got traded and we still went into the draft thinking like. Like I was. Think I was ranked probably like 13th or something. Like, so I was like, oh, I'm going in the first round for sure. And then the picks start going, the picks start going. And like I was rattled when I got picked. I was rattled. Like, just. I thought for sure I was going, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Like, put my head on straight. Like, okay, you're not as good as you think you are. Like, you just dropped till whatever.

[Biz]

So imagine if it was now where it's the first round that night and then you got to go to sleep because then it was just right through.

[McCabe]

Yeah.

[Biz]

In the afternoon I dealt with that.

[Ryan]

I thought I was going to be top three rounds. So I went to Nashville and I ended up not going on the first day, went fourth round, so I had to go out with all my buddies. Yeah.

[Biz]

You didn't even have a suit for the second day.

[Ryan]

No, I. I did. My mom told me to pack a second one, but it was like a who shot the couch? And I don't know what, I played a road game that night because I met a girl and Patrick Osala or no, that wasn't Patrick. Danny Fritchie. And he must have packed my suit, so I had to wear this horrible suit. My hair look was on an afro and how to go through that experience. But like you said, it. It puts a little bit of a chip on your shoulder and you know.

[McCabe]

Absolutely.

[Ryan]

Train a little bit harder.

[McCabe]

That did. Absolutely. It did. It was an eye opener for me. It was the best thing that happened to me. It was just like a kick in the nuts And I was like, okay, I'm not that good. I gotta wake up here.

[Biz]

You said you got traded where most of the time, like elite players are. It's like a team's loading up to grab you. But was it more like surprising for you, you didn't know, or was Spokane trading. Spokane trading for you because they were going to the Memorial?

[McCabe]

Oh, it's a huge trade. Back in Junior, like, I was young and like I said, it was my draft year. We weren't. We had a new coach. It was Dwayne Sutter. He was a hard ass. And I don't know, we just butted heads. Probably because I was cocky and thought I was better than I was. And I wasn't playing very well. It had me playing forward, like, just like. And then I didn't know I was getting traded. I got traded. It was like a four for four, like eight players. Huge trade. And I ended up going to Spokane and I had a coach in Spokane that. I'll tell you to this day, I would not have made the NHL without this guy.

[Yandle]

That's awesome.

[McCabe]

Scariest human being in the history of the world. His name is Brian Maxwell. Tough as nails, played in the NHL. Had this raspy voice. And he would call guys out. And I've never been so scared. But he taught me. Like, he taught what made me tick. Like he. He knew, like, you know, I was offensive defenseman, but what made everything else come was me just being a prick and playing physical. And if I had to fight, I fought. But that's what made the rest of my game go. And if I didn't play like that, I was terrible. So he would, like, literally come in a locker room and look at me. You're not ready. I can tell you're not ready by the look of your eyes. I'd be like.

[Ryan]

Like, this is before the game started.

[McCabe]

Oh, yeah. He'd come in a locker room.

[Biz]

I was Terry and too. Same thing.

[McCabe]

You're not ready. I can tell. He called it a burr. Like, I had to play with a burr up my ass. And he could look in my eyes and when you had that look, you know, and he could tell when I didn't have that look. And he literally taught me how to prepare to be a pro and what made me successful. And he was awesome, but talk about, like, scary. He kicked a guy off our team for not cutting his hair. It was. He traded for, like, an overager. I think his name was Darren Perkins from Prince Albert and the. And he had rules, you know, like, almost Lou like, he had to have shorter hair and whatever. And the guy got traded there. He was there a week and he still hadn't cut his hair. And he came in before the game and he goes, you won't play tonight because you won't cut your hair. And then he goes, the guy like, lipped off to him. He said, get your stuff. You're off. You're off your team. And then he like, the guy left and he like, looked around. Ruby, like, justified it. He was like, I felt that was coming anyway. Like, it was the funniest thing I've ever heard. But guys were like, I was going.

[Biz]

To find a way kick a guy off.

[Yandle]

Everyone's shaving their head.

[McCabe]

And then guys like, just sat up. We're like, okay, this guy's for real. But it was awesome.

[Yandle]

Do you think he, like, helped you make that step? Because you didn't play in the minors coming out of junior. You start right in the big. In the big times, which is especially back then, kind of unheard of. Right? It's. Would you give a lot of credit to that coach?

[McCabe]

Well, that coach, without a doubt in my mind. Like, he, he left after that year. But he had such an dramatic impact on what it, like how to prepare. I didn't know how to prepare back then. I just showed up and played games like everyone else did. Like, and he really gave me the tools to make myself successful and be ready and be more consistent and stuff.

[Ryan]

Like that was video a thing that then like with the, with the. Because like my, I had a coach like that and he would just like, bring out the laser pointer, stop the video and just rip into guys and explain yourself. Yeah, it, it, it taught us accountability and prepared me for the pro game as well. But like, it was just more about like, you know, yelling and, and knowing that you were ready.

[McCabe]

Yeah, it was more just about like literally scaring the life out of children and teaching them children how to, how to be ready for games. And then he left. He got, got fired. And then I actually had. I had Mike Babcock in Spokane before. Before he was like, babs, okay. Like his second job in the Western League, I want to say. So I had Babs for full, like year and a half in spoke. And he was like, hockey wise, he was great for me. Like, I played 30 minutes a game and like he, you know, he had a lot of confidence in me and I played a lot and stuff. So, you know, it was a good.

[Biz]

Experience too, looking at your, your career here. So drafted 93. Then you go back and eight. I mean, 84 points, like, dominate that year.

[McCabe]

Yeah.

[Biz]

And that makes sense. Right after you get drafted, you go back to junior, but then you went back the next year, too, when you probably could have played in the AHL or. You still know.

[McCabe]

I couldn't play in the A, but I was close. That was another, like, close to making the semi lockout year. I was the last cut, I remember, with the Islanders. Yeah. So I. Fuck, it was tough. It was like. I don't know. I don't know if I was ready or not ready. I thought I was ready, I think. But looking back, I think it was probably. Probably for the best that I went back and like you said, yeah, I got a chance to, like, grow my game and light up Junior, but when I got drafted by the Islanders, another, like, guy that had, like, huge impact on me. I went to my first Islander camp. Like I said, after I got drafted, I was a little cocky and kind of set my head on straight. And you probably know this guy, Chris Prior, used to work. He's been around a league forever. I think he was with Pit, like, most recently. But when Berkey, when what's his name, Dubas, came in, I think he got let go. But he was, like, the player development guy for the Islanders. And I never forget I came in for, like, development camp. We met, we did all the testing. I was like, 18, body fat. He literally looked. Looked at me and goes, you're a fat pig and you're never gonna play. And then I went and they gave me, like, a summer regimen and stuff, and I came back, I worked my ass off, and from that point on, I was, like, never over. Over 12%. Like, you know, 10, 12, whatever. Like, he. He gave me those tools, like, hey, you got. It's a full time. I was in the fat club. No more McDonald's on the bike every day after practice. Yeah. Taught me how to eat, nutrition, stuff. Like, he was the first guy to really, like, teach me that part of it, because I thought I was working out hard, but it was a joke. I wasn't doing half the stuff you need to do to get there.

[Yandle]

Because back then, I feel like. Like when I came in the league, the older guys were good to us. I feel like when you came in, it was probably a little different. Like, the older guys were kind of. Were they standoffish towards the younger guys?

[McCabe]

There were some. But, you know, all you want is to be, you know, to fit in when you get there, you just want someone to be like, hey, kid, let's go for lunch or whatever. So I had some great older guys. Like, I. Like you said before, I got lucky to go, like, right to the NHL. It's part I. I'm not gonna say I deserve to be there, but they were going young at the time, kind of rebuilding. So we had a bunch of young guys in New York for the islanders. But I had some great vets. Like, I remember my first camp, like Steve Thomas. You guys just did the sandbagger with. He's with the guy. Like, took me for lunch. And that, like, resonated with me. Like, I always made a point, like, every camp I know, like, Yans, you were like this too. Just to take the young guys and make them feel like part of it. Take them out for lunch, show them the ropes, bring them out. You know, having dinner on the road and training camp, you know, never leave a guy behind because you don't want to be that guy. But when I got to the islanders, like, I was a young buck and it was like culture shock.

[Biz]

Like.

[McCabe]

Like we had, like, pat fly, Derek King. Wendell was there my first year. Remember when Wendell went to the islanders, right, with the ugly fisherman jersey and some great guys. Mick Vakota, Richie Pilon. I know there. I know you guys had Mick on.

[Ryan]

Oh, he's a treat, man.

[McCabe]

These guys, they were like.

[Ryan]

We actually just ran into his kid.

[Biz]

Ran into delay.

[McCabe]

He's. They were great, though. But there were, like, ways to do things. They were hard on young guys. Like, I remember putting, like, my music on and the CDs. And I remember they just came in one day and just broke all my cds. Like, you don't touch that stereo again, kid.

[Ryan]

I was like, what were you bumping.

[McCabe]

Cool or Metallica or something?

[Yandle]

He's snap. He's a big.

[Biz]

Putting the highlights in your hand.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah.

[Yandle]

Named his kids after one after Stevie Nick. Right?

[McCabe]

And then my daughter's Lincoln park after Stevie Nicks, and my son is Lincoln after linkin park. L I N K I N so I'm a big music guy. And this.

[Biz]

This team is nuts. Your rookie year, 48 guys were on the roster. Yeah, I was gonna make of this team.

[Ryan]

I feel like the islanders were a bit of a show during that period of time. So did you. You experienced that show.

[McCabe]

It was a gong show. I was there. Well, obviously Milbury was running it at the time. Mike was really good to me, don't get me wrong.

[Biz]

But he played all 82.

[McCabe]

It was. I played all 82. I. I got a ton of ice time for a Young kid, had a ton of fun. Probably not as. Probably too much fun, but, like, we were out of playoffs, like, by freaking Halloween. Like, we started the year like, 2 and 9, so. But it was a lot of fun. It was. It was a Gong show, though. Like, Mike was crazy.

[Ryan]

Was he doing the GM coaching role then?

[McCabe]

Oh, everything. Yeah, he was running the show and sharpening skates. He literally, once, I think this is my first year in the league, we lost a game at home to St. Louis. Blew a lead. We came in the room, he said, leave your gear on. We're going back out, NHL, but take your jerseys off. You don't deserve to wear them. I shit you not. We go back on the ice at, like, 10:30 at night after a game. He's bagging us. We have no jerseys on, and Brett hall is standing beside the glass.

[Biz]

Just.

[McCabe]

Like, watching what is going on.

[Biz]

Last guy.

[McCabe]

I vividly remember this. And the vets were like, we had.

[Yandle]

A beer in his hand.

[McCabe]

How embarrassed. Like, I was a young kid. What am I going to say? But some of these guys have been in the league for like, 14.

[Biz]

They're disgusted. This is like. I would have loved to see Ziggy Pfy. I would have loved to see.

[Yandle]

What was Wendell Clark saying?

[McCabe]

Clarky. Well, Clark, he didn't last long there because he's. He stood up to Big Mike and that was the end of that. Clark, he was awesome.

[Biz]

So you were actually second in the team in Pimms that year? Year 156. The first was. I don't know this guy, Brett Sever, Western boy. He had a lot of penalty minutes everywhere he played.

[McCabe]

That guy was built like a Greek God, like, literally bodybuilder. He actually lived with me for. For a little bit. He was a great guy, but he was jacked. But we had all these. We had M. We had him, we had Pilon. We had a lot of guys that could fight and some young guys that came up. But like, like anything else back then, like, it wasn't just heavyweights. Everyone fought. You just got to kind of, you know, fight a lot for your first few years and then only fight a little bit, just like the Western League. And then it kind of fades away when you grow your game.

[Biz]

But this is commercial flying still.

[McCabe]

Oh, God. Commercial flights. No team meals where you had to go eat on your own on the.

[Yandle]

On the road before.

[McCabe]

Find a Sabaro on the road.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

There was nothing prepared for you at all.

[Biz]

I thought always, they had the road.

[Yandle]

So you're taking a taxi from the rink to, like, Buka de Pepo.

[McCabe]

Yeah. Trying to find somewhere to eat. Like, you're eating Subway like, before. There's nothing like, oh, my. All you want to do is get to bed, you know?

[Ryan]

Were the. Were the guys still pulling off the pranks? Like, the dildo wrapped in tin foil when you're going through this.

[McCabe]

God. I still do all the pranks now. Like, I'm the worst nightmare for putting, like, I don't know where. Who did I do? You know? P. M? The icon? He used to work with us. He is a legend.

[Yandle]

Huge man.

[McCabe]

Hilarious. Beauty of a man. But he was working with a team a few years back, and I. He was leaving after the second day of the draft. You know, all the scouts leave, and we were up in the suite, and I filled his whole backpack with all the silverware and, like, chopsticks and everything. So he's going through security, pulling all these knives and forks, and he's like, what the hell?

[Ryan]

Oh, my God, that's so good.

[Biz]

The next season, actually. So Miller gets fired. Rick Bonus takes over.

[McCabe]

Yeah.

[Biz]

And just the fact that he finally retired this season, like, did you enjoy playing for him? Biz was on TNT with him, right?

[Ryan]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Like a players coach and knows his stuff.

[McCabe]

Bones was awesome. Yeah. Mike stepped down as coach, and I think just gm. So he didn't get fired. He brought Bones back in. And Bones was unbelievable. Great guy, great team coach. That was the year, like, I got named captain that year at 22.

[Yandle]

Wow.

[McCabe]

And I was terrible. That's the year I got traded. But I was named captain at the start of the year, 22 years old, and, like, holy crap.

[Ryan]

Had no clue it was coming.

[Biz]

What an honor, though.

[McCabe]

No clue. Honored, like, completely honored.

[Yandle]

Who was the captain before?

[McCabe]

Well, that's why, like, you know, I was 22 and had all these old guys, only been a league for two years, and now I'm captain. And now I put all this pressure on myself, like, oh, I gotta. I gotta do this. And then backfired. Like, I was bad.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

Like, I don't blame him for trading me. You know, I would have liked a little more patience, but also, in the back of my head, I was like, I just got named captain. I'm gonna be a lifer here, you know? And then all of a sudden, I'm gone. Six months later, like, gone. Like, out of, like, nowhere. It was crazy.

[Ryan]

Who was the captain prior? Jan just asked that, like, did they. They take it off someone?

[McCabe]

No, no. It was like, Pat Fly was the cab When I got there, and then when he had transitioned out, I don't believe we had one. And then this was my third year, and I had two good years, but I was young, you know, like. And Mike called me in, like, right before the season started. So I want you to be the captain. I was like, awesome. Like, that's. What an honor. I love it. And then I just got, like, so caught up and, like, not performing. Just wanted to be that guy, like, be bad.

[Biz]

Well, it's like, when Billy Guerin signed, who was it? Boldy. Matt Boldy. And he's like, don't change a thing. Like, we're. We're signing you for who you are. And then. But what you're saying, so normal, like, I got to be something else.

[McCabe]

No, exactly. And Bones was so good to me that year because it just seemed like I was trying so hard, but it was all backfiring, and I'd always, you know, always end up on the short end of the stick. And he called me, and he was so good with me, trying to help me through the process, and I got piped and traded.

[Yandle]

So you mentioned you were part of a big trade in junior, too, and you were part of some big trades in the NHL. That first one you want to talk.

[McCabe]

About, that one was crazy because, like I said, no cell phone, no cell phone, no nothing. And, you know, like I said, I just got named Captain. I'm 22, and I'm thinking in my head, like, I'm here for 10 years. Like, and then literally, like, out of nowhere, I just flown all my idiot friends from Calgary down, spend, like, a week in New York with me. So we had played on, like, a Thursday night, went out after the game, had some fun. The phone rings the next day, day, and it's Mil. My buddy answers, like, house phone, and he's like, it's Mike Miller. My first thought is, oh, someone saw us out. I'm in trouble again. You know, shouldn't have went out last night. I answered the phone. He's like, hey, we just trade you to Vancouver. You're on a flight tonight. You play tomorrow. And I pretty sure I threw the phone against the wall. Like, it was like, shock.

[Biz]

Yeah, captain. Yeah, shock.

[McCabe]

Like, had no idea it was coming. I, at that time, I live with Berard and Ficho. Like, we were really tight. We lived together for a couple years, and I, like, pack and leave.

[Biz]

It was like, and your buddies are there?

[McCabe]

A mess. My buddies are there. They got to stay in New York.

[Biz]

And closer to Calgary.

[McCabe]

Yeah, I was yeah, it was closer to Calgary. So I flew in, played one game, hit the Roxy, just got absolutely bundled and then it was Nagano Olympics break. So then I flew back to Van or back to New York, packed all my stuff and then went back and made like the move there. But I was at like, you had to.

[Ryan]

You had to make the drive?

[McCabe]

No, I like shipped everything.

[Ryan]

And you were traded with Bertuzzi, right?

[McCabe]

It's me, Bertuzzi, and a third round pick for Trevor London.

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

And it was funny because I saw Mike Keenan this weekend at the hall of Fame thing and he was like, you know, bringing up the trade or whatever. He's like, I fleeced him or whatever, you know, it was best trade I ever made. Like, it was. Was Bird obviously went on to have like, oh, how many hundred points superstar there, Crazy whatever. So. But I was a mess the rest of that year, like in Van. Well, you know, that city too.

[Ryan]

Oh, I can eat you up and spit you out.

[McCabe]

Oh. And I was like just depressed and culture shocked and it almost ate me.

[Biz]

Up and spit me out and really? Yeah, like Linden's Lyndon was a legend.

[McCabe]

And then like that living up to that. Like, why these young guys. Who the hell are these guys? You know, Trevor's an icon. They're a captain and been there forever. I went to the cup final and yeah, it was tough shoes to fill. The rest of that year I was a. A disaster.

[Biz]

But could you tell then Bertuzzi was going to be that dominant? Like it was him Nin who was the Morrison and it.

[Ryan]

But.

[Biz]

But you even knew in Long island like holy when Bert.

[McCabe]

100%.

[Biz]

Bert was his hands.

[McCabe]

We got drafted together and we came up. We got traded together. So I was with Bert for like six or seven years, like just coming up. And he was always huge. I think when we went after I got draft when I was the FAC at 18%, he was like 240 as an 18 year old. Just the widest human I've ever seen. But he was the most skilled, softest hands for a big man I'd ever seen. The problem with Bert was like, much like, you know, carrying the load as a captain. When he went to New York, they kept comparing him to Clark Gillies because he's the same build and Clark, he's an icon conic. But Clark, he was a killer. Bert was a skilled, like skilled player, not necessarily a tough guy or fighter. And I think he always felt that pressure. So I think the trade for him really let him be who he really was. Meant to be. And he went on to have an unbelievable career. And that magic that he had with Nazlin and. And Mo there for a bunch of years was. Was special to watch because that's what he was. He was a highly skilled, huge power forward. He was great.

[Biz]

That season ends and you're saying, like, mentally you're not really in it, and the next year where you're like, all right, now I'm excited to be here. Like, I'm ready to get going. And unfortunately, you don't make the playoffs. So now you've played five full seasons, you haven't made the playoffs. That's got to be exhausting. But playing wise, were you better that first full season?

[McCabe]

Yeah, I was better for sure. But it was. It's wearing. When you don't make the playoffs.

[Biz]

And the fan base, oh, my God.

[McCabe]

It was just being on bad, not even being close to good thing.

[Ryan]

Twitter didn't exist then.

[McCabe]

Oh, my God, it wears an in plane in Canada. Canada and like carrying that load and then. But you know, it. I got to go to the world championships a couple times, which was cool. Ended up winning over there and stuff and getting to experience that. Meet a bunch of different players from. From other leagues. But yeah, it was like another short stint in. In van there, and then I was bounced again. So now you're like questioning when you're that much that young, you're like, what's wrong with me? Why does no one want me? Like, do I not have what it takes? Absolutely. It weighs in the back of your head. Like, I'm on freaking now. It's. What is it? One, two, three teams in four years. And it ends up being four teams in five years. And I'm like, oh, my God, what is wrong with me? Like, I gotta figure this out.

[Yandle]

Well, the next trade was.

[Ryan]

That was the Sedan one.

[McCabe]

That was a big one. Yeah, I saw Berkey, too.

[Yandle]

Those are some massive trades.

[McCabe]

That one wasn't like, the first one was tough. Like, it was because it was shock. But I give Berkey a lot of credit. Like, he, honest to God, was open and honest with me. Like, leading up to that trade, like my year end meeting that April, he looked me right in the eye and said, if you make it through this summer, you're going to be here a long time. And I want you to be here a long time. But I'm just giving you a heads up. There's some stuff in the works. Like, literally, that's what he said.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Biz]

Straight up.

[McCabe]

And then he called me that's why I respect most about him. All you want to hear is the truth.

[Ryan]

I heard he was like that with all of his players with trades.

[McCabe]

Call me like a month before the draft and say hey yeah, we still got some. Didn't tell me what it was, but we got some. Some, you know, coal's on the fire here and there's some stuff going on. And then he called me the night before the draft and said I'm going to make this thing happen so be prepared tomorrow. And then call me from the draft. And it's like it's done. Your trade to Chicago, did Chicago have.

[Biz]

The third van, second or Chicago.

[McCabe]

I want to say there was a lot of flip flopping. I think how he explains it, I ended up being for the fourth pick or the third pick pick because they got him two, three was it. So it would have been a third pick. So you know he got the sedans and you know that's a franchise changer for that team. Like that's probably one of my.

[Yandle]

That's a career highlights.

[McCabe]

I got trader for a Hall of Famer and a first round pick. Who would ever thought right. So I wasn't devastated about that one. Obviously he made a great trade and those guys had great careers and they're in a Hall of Fame now and stuff. So it's actually looking back it's pretty cool that I was traded for such a player like that.

[Yandle]

Did they say they weren't going to play unless it was with each other going up to the draft or.

[McCabe]

I. I don't know if they like I don't know if it was like 100% like I'm not playing without my brother but I think it was like we'd love to play together if someone could make it happen.

[Biz]

And they. The teams are probably like they won't be like the package is them. Like they won't be the same without one another.

[McCabe]

Like imagine the amount of work though that Berkey had to put in to pull that.

[Ryan]

Like how hard he's done a lot of crazy ones. He had the pronger one like he had some balls.

[McCabe]

Like it's a lot of time and effort had to go into making that action. You had to get a lot of teams to jump through hoops who had other picks and stuff. Like it couldn't have been easy. So yeah, Berkey's awesome. I love that guy.

[Biz]

So when I came into the league like 06 right after the lockout, Chicago was. It was the most depressing atmosphere ever to. It was crazy and, and who tells the funniest.

[Ryan]

He could yell at his kids if his kids were around the crowd across. Hey, stop making. Stop being a pain ass for your mother. Sit the down.

[Biz]

Was it like that in 2000?

[McCabe]

They terrible. They're terrible. The games still weren't televised. It's so sad because I know they've had their dynasty and their runs. It's my favorite city. Like I played in. I love Chicago. I love the people. I love the vibe. Like you know, you go out, you go to a pub, you walk to Wrigley. Just Midwestern people are just so outgoing and friendly. But I regret not being able to be a part of it when it was like good because I was only there a year and we were terrible.

[Biz]

And now their games are back not on tv.

[McCabe]

Oh my God.

[Biz]

It's, it's, it's like what is going on there? They had this little like 10 year incredible window and it's, it's. We'll see what happens there.

[Yandle]

But that old barn must have been fun to play. Was it the old barn?

[McCabe]

So sad. My first year in the league, I missed the Forum. They moved in and like February and we didn't play Montreal until after, so I didn't get to play in the Forum. And then Chicago, that was their first year of the United center. So I missed it by year too because that would have been. I missed the Garden obviously too. But I love those old rinks. Like I loved. I love playing in the odd. And Buffalo. Oh yeah, I love the Spectrum. Those were my. Like, I love those rinks.

[Ryan]

Like we couldn't afford Leafs tickets. I'm from Ontario, so we would always go down.

[McCabe]

That's where the real fans went.

[Ryan]

Oh yeah.

[McCabe]

Above rowdy.

[Ryan]

It was so rowdy. Go for wings beforehand and go to the game. It's just like a, like going in those. The smell of those old barns too.

[Yandle]

Because you could smoke cigarettes but you would go and watch any team or when they played Toronto.

[Ryan]

No like, like it was easy to get the Buffalo tickets. Leaves tickets were so expensive. So even at my. Our bank they would give, they would give you free tickets, right? Because they had seasons. So. And I think that at the time they would do, they would do tickets at par. So if you bought them in Canadian dough, they'd do an exact same price. So yeah, it was, it was cool back in the old days. But so like what, what was your time like playing there other than that? Like, I mean it was fun.

[McCabe]

I had some great guys on the team. I got players like probie and Doug Gilmore and some legends of the game. So. But we stunk again. Like, I was always. We were on bad teams, man. Like, we weren't even close to making the playoffs, so that stunk. But great guys and stuff and just to play in Chicago, I actually ended up, like, staying because I didn't have kids or anything. We kept our place in Chicago. When I got traded to Toronto, I lived there for five summers. That was like my summer off season home. I loved it there and still got a lot of good friends there, but the hockey wasn't very good.

[Ryan]

And then. And then. Did you sign as a free agent in Toronto? How did you end up there?

[McCabe]

No, I got traded again.

[Yandle]

Oh, my.

[Biz]

Just.

[Yandle]

Absolutely.

[McCabe]

For five years. That one was. I don't know. We were terrible. So they fired everyone. They ended up bringing. I don't know if you guys remember that old GM Mike Smith. He was like a werewolf.

[Biz]

He was drafted.

[McCabe]

He was always loved the Russians, so that's what it was.

[Yandle]

I had him.

[McCabe]

He came in, he just started bringing in the Russian influence. And I got traded to Toronto for Alexander Karpatsev and then went to Toronto and then that's when. When I finally got to stay somewhere for like.

[Biz]

We were talking about Josh Morrissey recently, how he had, like, all these seasons of like, 30 points, 25 points, and he just popped off. And it's very similar to your career. Now, granted, he was in the same spot, but something clicked. And I'm wondering if after that many trades and like, dude, what's going on here? Did. Did that, like, piss you off enough or was it more playing time and playing with better players in Toronto that you just took off?

[McCabe]

Yeah, it's called Thomas Cabrera.

[Yandle]

Oh, yeah, he was.

[McCabe]

That's. That's. That's no coincidence. My career took off after I went to Toronto and I.

[Biz]

Everyone but.

[McCabe]

And Pa Quinn and Ricky Lee and like, those teams, Matts and all those guys. But when I went there, yeah, I was, like, I said before, like, what the hell is going on? Like, I had no consistency. No, I've been moved now four times. I'm on my fifth team. It's, like, painful. But when I went there, it was like me and Cabby got put together and it was just like, it clicked. And he was such a pleasure to play with for those eight years, and I just rode his coattails to the cleaners. But it was also opportunity. And Pat really believed in me and it was the first time I really got an opportunity to, like, run a power play at the NHL level. And then like obviously playing with mats and tux in front and. And cabbie. It just, it honestly we were like the yin and yang. Like I. I was physical and could shoot and he could skip skate and mood pucks and he was so underrated and he made my job so easy and we just, we had the mojo going for a bunch of years. It was a lot of fun.

[Biz]

Do you think he used the shortest stick?

[Ryan]

Oh yeah.

[McCabe]

What's that?

[Yandle]

What was the flex on it? It looked like it was a million.

[McCabe]

Oh, mine?

[Yandle]

No, his, his.

[McCabe]

Oh yeah, it was. It was high. Yeah. He was not a big slapper guy, but he could dish and look guys off and pay. Patience and poise and almost like an Adam Fox, right?

[Ryan]

Like he wasn't necessarily the fastest guy but always had his head up and just like tight hands and always made the right play.

[Biz]

He was.

[Yandle]

It was. My Billets were huge Maple Leaf fans when I went there in junior that 0405 and I used to watch all their games and I was like, I wanted to be caber. I'd go out there. I couldn't hit the one timer that well. I'm like, I'll try to be like this guy. So. He was unbelievable.

[Ryan]

We just had Matt's on recently because he dropped that book. And I was talking to Ty beforehand, just kind of getting prepped and he said just like the locker room culture, like Matt's just was such a good leader and made it so fun. Was. Was that kind of your best experience of going into a locker room where everyone really felt like, like a really tight group.

[McCabe]

100. Matt's was unbelievable. Best captain I ever had. He was quiet, but he was a presence led by example. Always made sure that everyone on the team felt like they were like a big piece of the puzzle. Something I learned from him, like whether you're the fourth line guy or a call up, you were a part of it. And he was an unbelievable leader. Always like mandate, you know. Like I know Yance was one of those guys. And I learned this from Matt's like, you know, throw the team Christmas party every year. Like this is what a leader does. Bring the boys together. And just the way he like practiced, that's when I learned how a practice, like he practiced hard like and demanded it of other people and it made me a better player. And then come to the rank and then we had like Robs and Joe Newend and these guys. Rob's was sick. Rob's was unbelievable for me too. Like even then I kept evolving and, you know, I was in shape and stuff. But when Robs came to Toronto, he was training on a different level that I know this Olympic lifting. I'm like, what the hell is this? Literally followed this guy around to the point that for the Christmas party, you know, the gag gifts, they got me a shirt that said, be like Rob's. Remember those shirts? Be like Mike. Because I, like, literally sidled up to him for a whole summer and just.

[Biz]

Change your career kind of.

[McCabe]

No, literally. It's no coincidence that after that point in time, I had, like, you know, 17 goals, 16 goals, whatever. Like, it took off. Like, like. And I do attribute that a lot to, like, Matt's and Robs and the strength coach there, Maddie Nickel, who trained me my whole last 10 years. He's the best. I love that guy to death. I would not have, like, had the success and consistency without those guys in my life. Like, they changed just the way I prepared and like, just. It was an everyday job now. And it. It just. I. From then on in, I. But you know, when you're young, you need someone to push you. But when I met those guys and spent time with them, it was like that when I went home in the summer, I didn't need a training partner. Like, I was dialed in. Maddie had my program. I knew what I need to do and I did it. I didn't need someone down my throat to do it. Whereas when I was younger, it was like, I need someone tell me I gotta do this many runs or this many and. But I'd grown up and, like, finally found that happy mixture of having fun and being professional about it, and it was. It was great.

[Ryan]

Oh, I was just talking to Matt's and then also hanging out with Stumpy and. And Tux. The Pat Quinn stories are incredible about him smoking the stogies and having his scotch after games. That you must have a number of funny ones.

[McCabe]

He was the best man. He was such. I know Matt's had touched on this. I watched your. You guys interview with him, and he was just such a presence. He was just a huge, huge human being being when he talked. He was so well spoken, though. Like, he could grab the room. But he was funny as hell. Like, he. He was old school. Like, practices like old drills and go to the board for every. Oh, my God, every. Like, we're gonna do this drill, the horseshoe. We're gonna have half the guys.

[Yandle]

We'd have, you don't know it, whiteboard it.

[McCabe]

And he'd always, like, erase it with his hand. And then he'd somehow end up getting it on his face. It was the best. Best. But Pat was. He was. And he, like, I know mat said this too. He was such a players coach. And he would never bury in the media, but he would bury you in a subtle way. Like in meetings when they had the video. It was the funniest thing. He never call you out by your name, but you'd be on the video and he'd have a clip and he goes, we got a guy here who thinks he's a Zamboni. And it's me lying in the middle, slide blocking, just swimming. And you know he was calling you out, but he would never say it was you. And everyone would be laughing because this. Look at this guy, he's got poopy pants. He won't go back and get the puck. Like, you know, you look at his cabby going back. Someone's good.

[Ryan]

I love a good roast video session.

[Biz]

Would he have one on ones like carve you one on one in his office?

[McCabe]

No, he was like old school.

[Biz]

Like.

[McCabe]

Well, you could always talk to him, but he was never like, down your throat. He was like, let the boys police themselves. It's your locker room. And we had a great locker room, obviously. And we just like, we had to. We talk about this. We still laugh about it. We had like top five power play in the league for many years. We had some sick players, though, like McGilly, Matt's Tux, Cabbie, whoever, you. You name them all. We never, like, Ricky Lee was ran the power play and he give us like a VHS tape. He'd be like, you guys watch it if you want. And he like, throw it to us.

[Biz]

Oh, you were, you were doing it.

[McCabe]

We're just doing it on our own, man. Like just, you know, we work on in practice and stuff, but we were not watching video. And it was just instincts, man. And, you know, Matt's.

[Ryan]

Would you get the full two minutes?

[McCabe]

Oh, I'm pretty close to it. Pretty close to it. And then we would police ourselves. Like, Matt's would yell at whoever Cabbie shoot the puck once in a while. You know, you don't have to. Caper's not open 24 7. We'd all roast each other. We had some sick eyes on that part play. And I just reap the benefits.

[Biz]

The coolest thing for you is you're. You're in the playoffs.

[McCabe]

Oh, buddy.

[Biz]

Finally you get in and. And, and that started this Ottawa Toronto thing. So they finished second in the East. You guys are seventh, and you sweep them yeah. And it must have been just so exciting for the city and like that rivalry form where the next year you got him, you beat him in seven. But that first one, do you remember like being surprised, being up 20 or 30 like because they had a real good team.

[McCabe]

Yeah. Like you said, I was chomping at the bit I'd never played in the playoffs and we just kind of stumbled in at the end. Like I wasn't sure we were going to make it. I got traded there and we end up making it and then we get Ottawa who's. They had unbelievable teams and obviously the Ontario thing and stuff and I just, it was so electric, just the feeling. And then when you win and we won that series, like, like you win one series in Toronto, it's like you won the Cup. Like their city is shutting down. Down parades up and down Yonge Street. It was so much I scoring my first playoff goal. I remember that like it was yesterday. Matt's hitting me back door and the energy and the fun and just the how I know all you guys played in playoffs, like the difference in the.

[Biz]

Level, in the intensity, they tell you you got it.

[McCabe]

I like during a regular season game I would lose like, I don't know, four pounds or something. During a playoff game I'd lose like 10 plus pounds ounce. Like the amount of like the mental strain and the, the physical toll in your body. It was so much fun to be around. But that was the Ottawa series where they were awesome.

[Ryan]

I played in a few and like obviously not many minutes. It felt like the game was being played in fast forward. I remember the one year I got in against Detroit. I'm like, ah, I don't think I belong out here. I'll go back to the ox court.

[Yandle]

They had McCarty though.

[Ryan]

Hey. Talking about Tux. Talk told us a story that was pretty funny because he got rocked by Alfredson and he separated his shoulder pretty bad.

[Biz]

Oh yeah.

[Ryan]

I want to say he missed the rest of that series, like to the point where the bone was sticking out of his shoulder and they had to like sew it back. And you guys played them like the first game of the season that next year. And Tux was just waiting to line Alfredson up and he ended up getting them and he took a two minute minor and they scored on that. And it was late in the third period. So after the game, Pat Quinn was having a stogie and a scotch and he called them in.

[Biz]

The way he told the story, it's all unbelievable.

[Ryan]

And he's like he's like, yeah, grab a glass, pour yourself a scotch. And he's like, I waited 12 years to get a guy back when he hit me dirty. You couldn't wait one game, take that scotch and get the out of my office?

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Biz]

He said he walked back into the room with his scotch.

[Yandle]

The scotch, though.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I got the scotch. But the best thing through he was saying that Pat Quinn would inhale his cigars and he'd be like. And he cost you be coughing.

[McCabe]

Oh, my God. The funniest. I don't know if Tux told this. Did he. Did he tell the Nathan Perat story about. No, this is my funniest. We still laugh about it to this day. I don't know if you remember this guy, Nathan Parat. He was a fighter. Yeah. Could ski like the wind, like fast. He was jacked, too.

[Biz]

You play a ton now.

[McCabe]

Oh, my God, could he fly? But just, you know, not the surfest tool in the shed. Whatever. Whatever. Great guy. Worked his. Worked his ass up. But. So he's coming up the ranks in Toronto and we're. We're playing a game in Detroit and we're all on the bench and Nathan brought. Comes up the wing and like shoots it in the stands. We're talking like 40 rows up and he comes back by the bench and he's like looking at the blade of a stick to see if it's broken. And Pat under his breath is only pack of do. He goes, it's not to stick with you, son. Me and T were dying. I swear to you. We were in tears on the bench. It was the funniest thing. He had these subtle sarcastic comments, said, oh my God, I just about died.

[Biz]

That's so one of my favorite Pacquiao I've told it before, is he came into the room. You know those suits he had, the three piece you guys had played the night before too? Yeah. He's like, we need to be going tonight, boys. You know, and. And we're like, we don't play tonight. It's just a day early. And now he was older.

[McCabe]

Yeah, you had him. Yeah, I remember he went Edmonton.

[Biz]

Yeah. But that year in 01. Smoke. Smoke, Ottawa, you losing seven to Jersey. They ended up Dustin Pittsburgh and losing in game seven of the cup final. So that team you had, I mean, you had enough to maybe go on a big run here. Jersey in game seven in Jersey, just.

[McCabe]

Yeah, we had. That was. It was a tough one week. We had them. I don't know if you remember, we had him right where we Wanted them. We were playing great. We had a good team. And that's when Ty took Niedemeyer's head off. Do you remember that?

[Biz]

Yes.

[McCabe]

They hit.

[Biz]

No, the puck was nowhere near.

[McCabe]

Yeah. And it kind of. Obviously Ty got suspended. And then they kind of rallied around. That's like a big. Stephens went.

[Biz]

Looking at your bench.

[McCabe]

Went nuts. And it just. It was kind of a morale thing for them. They. They're like, screw these guys. And we. We pissed it away and ended up losing.

[Biz]

Were you up three two.

[McCabe]

And we were up three, two. And that happened. And then we lost back to backers. They came back and beat us. But then the next year. I think next year we went to conference finals, Right?

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Biz]

You got Ottawa in the second round, but that one went to seven that year.

[McCabe]

So that year we played the New York Islanders in round one. Oh, that was the game. Web Bloodbath series. I think if you ask any guys that. That we played in that group of guys, I've never. It was a bloodbath. Steve Webb was.

[Ryan]

Became a household name killing people.

[Biz]

Batesy had the.

[McCabe]

That's when I trip Beatsy on the. The. The penalty shot. And he scored. So I was like. It was a nightmare. That game that won seven. So that was game four. When I trip a. It was all over. You know, they see scores, they win. I'm like crying myself to sleep. Like, we're gonna cost us a series. And then we go back to Toronto. I end up scoring two the next game. Sorry, I'm off the hook.

[Biz]

Oh, my God.

[McCabe]

I bounced back. I bounced back. I'm not in.

[Yandle]

I can go to the grocery store.

[McCabe]

No one's gonna mention it again.

[Ryan]

Yeah, no Toronto sun appearance tomorrow morning.

[McCabe]

But we went seven and we were beating. Like, we lost. Matt's broke his arm. Tux was out. Like, it was just never like. That's the one where Eric Karen and course, course pulled his hair, got suspended brawl. It was honestly a bloodbath. Like, it's. When Tux took Pekka's Neo. It was a crime scene.

[Biz]

And you never saw the Nassau Coliseum like that.

[McCabe]

When you were like, oh, my God, was that place.

[Biz]

It was nuts.

[McCabe]

Buzzing loudest.

[Ryan]

What were they chanting for? Webs? Didn't he have a name like Webby.

[Biz]

Web Webby.

[McCabe]

And he was just killing.

[Ryan]

It was something. It was something different.

[McCabe]

He buckled everyone. Every gun. He killed Matt. He killed Jonas Hogan. I can't believe is still alive. Like, put him through the end boards. Roberts, I think, like, knocked out Kenny Johnson like, from behind. Like, horrible hit no call. Like, just like there were no rules. And we ended up beating them. But we were so beat up.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

Going in that next series, like Matt's tried to play through a broken wrist. Like, no joke. I've never seen like it like got shot up. Like not only broken but like displaced fracture. And he tried to actually play like he got shot off for warm up and he couldn't, couldn't hold a stick. But he tried like I was like, this guy's a maniac. But we ended up winning. Then we played Ottawa and we're beaten down. But we ended up beating them again like their kryptonite. Like we beat them in seven. Just grinded out like Lalim.

[Ryan]

Was it Lalim who had a tough series?

[McCabe]

That was the first year. That was when we swept, kept him. Yeah, he let the softy in. I, I think or no, that was game set. No, that was game seven. No, that was that year.

[Biz]

Yeah, next year that was.

[McCabe]

Yeah, we beat him because we beat him three times in my tenure. But the one, I think that was game seven. He led it like a squeaker. Newey like muffin down the wing. And we ended up beating them. But then we got Carolina and we were so tired, Mats and beating up and missing our captain. And we had ended up going six. And I think we lost three of the six in overtime. Like it was just tough breaks. We didn't get there. We had a good team. Cujo was sick like in that, in that run.

[Biz]

Oh, that's when Cujo was just standing.

[McCabe]

But those weren't even, like, I don't even think those were our best teams. Like after, like when we got Eddie. And then we had the one year when we lost when Junior scored that OT crippler, right, that year, our team. That's when we got Litchi. We got Li at the dead.

[Yandle]

They booed him out of town, didn't they?

[McCabe]

What's that?

[Yandle]

Didn't they boo him out of town?

[McCabe]

Oh no, they didn't boo him out of town. He only played a short time.

[Whitney]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Biz]

Who went to the hall of Fame.

[McCabe]

Yeah, exactly. But we got Li. We had just a squad, McGill. Like all these guys. Belfort, Roberts, New D Owen, Nolan Greener, Travis Green. Like we had depth, we had studs, we had everything. And we lost in game six there. Junior when he sniped it, short side.

[Biz]

There and the dancing celly and.

[McCabe]

But then the lockout happened and all those guys would have been back for a full year together like that. Everyone was signed. Oh, and that's like my biggest regret is that we lost that season because I truly think that would have been like our best team. We would have been together the whole year and we cancel the season, all those players contracts expire, everyone left. And that's when like they didn't make playoffs for like it was like 13 years. They hadn't won a playoff series until recently. Yeah, that's when I went to go the other way.

[Biz]

So that one season that could have been like, just looking back, like, that was a special team coming.

[McCabe]

That team, that team, that year is the team that I really think was our best team. Did you.

[Biz]

Were you one of the guys that had signed a big ticket and had that 24% rollback?

[McCabe]

Oh, yeah. That was awesome.

[Biz]

What a absolute.

[McCabe]

And I was the PA rep too.

[Biz]

So people are.

[McCabe]

Put that on top of playing in Toronto being like the face of the team and saying, we're never going to take a cap. We're never going to take a cab. We're never. And then waking up one morning, no one tells you, cap phones blowing off the hook book. Yeah. I had signed a two year deal and I lost almost all of it plus the 24% and then had to deal with the Toronto media on top of that and being like, what I thought you said you're not going to take cap. And I was like, oh, okay.

[Biz]

Looking back, we were saying the other night at all that their first offer was probably incredible compared to the. What it settled to. But at the time, all these guys and you're being led by. Yeah, it was ball like, no cap, we're never getting a cab.

[McCabe]

That was like the man that you have to tell it, we're never taking it. That was like, that was like the quote. So now we're never taking a cap.

[Biz]

We're guys saying like, no, but we're gonna have to like these billionaires are gonna win. Or was it not even discussed within the group?

[McCabe]

I don't, I think the small group. It was discussed in like. And then just to wake up one day and just like we caved. You know, like, it was like we, we missed a whole. Why did. If we were gonna cave, why didn't we cave at Christmas and at least save the year. We're going to give him everything anyway. Get some money out of something and get to play. Like, what a waste.

[Biz]

Miss a whole year and you're priming your career.

[McCabe]

Exactly. Primary career, great team and you know, never mind the money that I don't even care about that. It was just like that Window that we had with that team was gone now. And then everyone left and then it was never the same.

[Yandle]

Why did everyone leave? Because of the cash, all their contracts. Yeah.

[McCabe]

And free agency came along and they all. I think Eddie Newey and Rob's came to Florida and. And then, you know, we had to rebuild and you know, we had some good teams still, but we missed the playoffs, I think by like 1.2 points. The next couple.

[Biz]

This team was good too. Like, dude, you had 68 points that year after was in 73 games. Matt Sundin, 78 points. But like Jason Allison, that's when Steen was young. Fuck. Was that a tough trade looking back. But.

[Yandle]

Well, would.

[McCabe]

Well, Skillsy was skillzy on that team. Skills. He came over, I think was that.

[Biz]

You gotta go down on the hockey DB to pause.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Biz]

You got two assists. I don't see him.

[McCabe]

He might have came the next year.

[Biz]

Next year, actually.

[Yandle]

Couldn't reach the net. Couldn't reach the net in the air from the blue.

[McCabe]

But no, we had some good teams. Yeah. That year coming out, coming out of the lockout, that was. Yeah, that's. That was like, I think my career year. I think that year.

[Biz]

That's a big season.

[McCabe]

It was funny though, because, you know, all these guys were playing during the lockout and I wasn't. And it's so funny when you're, you know, this is the lesson I learned when your heart or your head's not in something mentally. So I didn't go and play because I just didn't want to. And then I felt like all these guys were playing and what if we settle and we start playing January 1st? I'm going to be behind the eight ball, so I'll go over and play. So I went to Sweden with Brian Boucher. Beauty. Oh, yeah, he's great. The goalie.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

And Honors Erickson. I went to Yan shopping. HB71 was the team and literally didn't see the sun for like the four weeks. I was there like two days. You go to the ranks, sun's not up. You come out of the ranks, sun's gone. Just miserable. We lost every game. So I go over there, I suck. I'm terrible on the big guys. I'm minus 10, we're owing 10. The coach comes up to me in his Swedish accent. He's like, oh, we're going to switch the lineup tonight. And he's like, you're not going to play, but we want you to dress. You know how they dress. Like the extra tea on the end of the bench. And I was like, I was like, buddy, if you think I'm putting my equipment on and cheering on your team, you're sadly mistaken. Packed my. I was on a plane that day and I came back, but I. I would have scratched me too. I was horrible because I didn't care and I didn't want to be there. And I was in the big ice. Did not suit my skating abilities.

[Biz]

So.

[McCabe]

But funny thing is, I go back, the season gets canceled, whatever, and I get my head back on straight and I, I trained my ass off that summer, like, and then I came back that next year year and had like a year. Like, it was crazy. Like, everything was going in.

[Biz]

19 goals, dude, I just had my first kid.

[McCabe]

So I was just flying on a high. I was no sleep at night, like, but, like, just. But I was just dialed in.

[Biz]

Even the year after that, 15 goals, 57 points. Like those two seasons, you and Cab were right next. The year before you had 68, he had 67. And then that year he had 58 points. You had 50. So just the connection on the power play, it's so sick.

[McCabe]

Yeah, he was just sick. Like, we just. I don't know, it was just. It worked like with us, it was just. It just meshed. It was awesome.

[Biz]

Toronto's legendary for just getting on guys and it's usually a defenseman. And you've. You probably in all those years of the success saw certain guys like you remember, I remember Corey Cross there, Aki Berg. And at some point did they start kind of getting on you? Yeah, I mean, I was that guy.

[McCabe]

My last year, buddy. I was the guy.

[Biz]

How is it going? Because in Edmonton I was that guy. And I wasn't your type player. Like, I wasn't your resume.

[McCabe]

Yeah, you went through it. I was good guy. I was glad you brought this up because I know you went through it too.

[Ryan]

It.

[Biz]

It in business. Talked about the mental part of it where it's. It's like legit depressing.

[McCabe]

Oh my God.

[Biz]

And.

[Ryan]

And then.

[Biz]

And starting the game, you know, first mistake, there they go. And then like, how you going to play good after that? And what's even tougher, I hadn't done anything in Edmonton. But you'd been so good there. There you must have been like, oh.

[McCabe]

They turned on me in a drop a hat. It was unbelievable. Like, so was. It was the last year, so it would have been whatever. It was my eighth year and it was like game seven of the regular season.

[Biz]

Start sensing it.

[McCabe]

No, no, it. Well, I started to Sense it at the end of that last year, started to hear a few booze and they were starting to turn a little because we missed the playoffs again and then come back the next year and it hadn't happened yet. And we're in Buffalo in overtime. It's like a four on three power play for them. And there's like four seconds left and Razor stops the puck and it comes to me in front of the net and I'm boxing a guy out and I go to. I'm trying to, like, whack it into the corner and I catch it just right and it goes off both posts. I score an overtime winning goal on my own team, on the power. It's a power play goal, though. That's my forte.

[Biz]

That's what I did.

[McCabe]

But. And as soon as that happened, buddy, I was on the front page of the sun for, like, three days. I remember the posting my wife still has. It's like Brian McClutz was the oh Gee headline. And it lasted like every. For, like the next week. It's all they talked about. And then I went home after that. Every time I touched the puck, like, for a breakout, it was like, the Boobirds.

[Biz]

Oh, no, buddy. How hard is that?

[McCabe]

It was misery. It sucked the life out of me. I was getting like. My house was getting egged. I was getting like, hate mail. People anywhere I went. Like, you go to the movies, you can't get away from it. It was the hardest year of my life, honestly. It sucked the life out of me and I couldn't. Mo was the coach then. Like, Mo was. He was so good with me during that. Tough, like, he was trying everything. But it just seemed like every time I started to make, like, a couple steps forward, had a really good game, and then like the last play of the game, I turn it over, they'd score. Like, something bad always happened. Then I broke my hand in Montreal and I missed, like, the only time I ever missed, like, a significant amount of time.

[Biz]

You're almost like, happy.

[McCabe]

I was like, almost like happy that, like, I was like. And then it was just like I had gotten so, like, distraught and depressed. Like, it wasn't fun. Like it sucked the life out of me. And like, the best thing that happened was, like, not that I ever wanted to leave, but I needed, like, that's. I know Matt's talked about it. Like, Cliff Fletcher came in. Like, everyone got fired and like, we were still in the playoff hunt and they wanted no part of it. Like, they brought Cliff in and he wanted to trade everyone this is like at the trade deadline, we all had no move clauses and he, he literally came in and we all said no. And so now the meters all over us, they were calling us like the Muskoka 5 or something. I think that's what it was called.

[Ryan]

It was like kind of a sick.

[McCabe]

These five guys are holding up us hostage.

[Biz]

Like, this was awesome when we were in the playoffs winning and.

[McCabe]

But we're like, we can still make the playoffs. They want. Cliff wanted no part of that. So my year end. This is my ex meeting the end of the year. I walk in his office. I don't know Cliff very well. Whatever. They brought him in to write the ship and he goes, I think it would be best for you and the organization if you played somewhere else next year. I'll call you in a month, let me know where you want to go. Literally I had no move clause and everything. And I was like, at that point I was like, I need to get out of here just to save my life. Like, I just. It wasn't fun anymore. And then had my agent, like call some teams and stuff. And Florida was one of the teams that Jacques was like, yeah, we want them. So ended up getting traded to Florida and it was like a breath of fresh air, like, just to get away and to come. You know how it is down here. No one knows who you are. You can do whatever you want. And just to like. I got back to having fun.

[Biz]

The opposite of Toronto.

[McCabe]

Oh, complete opposite.

[Biz]

And for going through that, it's like, thank God. God, yeah.

[McCabe]

But that being said, I literally, I wouldn't trade my time in Toronto for anything, even that bad year. I think everyone should play in a hockey market like that. Like, it's a special thing. And looking back, like, yeah, the one year sucked, but at no point would I ever not want to go through what I went through. It was the best years of my life, the best teams, the most fun. And now it's funny because I go back and they love. Because they had so much love them. Yeah, just, you know, like I said, they didn't make a plus for like, they haven't won a series in like 13 years since we all left. And now you go back and they're like, ah, maybe you weren't so bad. And now they're like, good about it. But initially it was the best thing to come down here. No one knew who I was. I could just play hockey and have fun again. And I got that love for the game back and I honestly thought I might not play anymore. When I left there, like, I didn't know if I could mentally get it back. I was so far gone. But it was nice. I came back and I left like, I was proud of myself.

[Ryan]

It was nice getting back on the horse.

[McCabe]

And I had some decent years here.

[Biz]

15 goals that first year in Florida.

[Ryan]

It's like playing in Arizona, right? You leave the rink and you can leave it there.

[McCabe]

Exactly.

[Ryan]

You can go to the movie theater, wherever. Not be harassed or get your house egg. That four.

[Whitney]

The.

[Ryan]

The four Muskokas or.

[McCabe]

It was a beauty. They ran with that saying, unbelievable T shirts.

[Biz]

That's when you're like, the media is funny.

[Ryan]

Hey, let's do. Let's do some AL alumni T shirts.

[Biz]

But before you moved on, we have to ask about one of the most insane clips and maybe the ballsiest thing I've ever seen.

[McCabe]

I knew this was coming. I knew this.

[Biz]

And it's. It's an. It's an incredible clip because it looks like a man and a child, but, like, to fight them, dude. Like, that's ballsy.

[McCabe]

When did you realize, like, oh, I told you. I didn't win many, but I showed up for a ball. But it's funny. So I saw Eddie Belfor this weekend. A beauty, like, unbelievable teammate, One of the best goalies ever. Most competitive guy ever. But Eddie's the reason. So we, me and Eddie were having a beer this weekend, and he wanted me to tell the story. It's his fault that I fought Char. They got Big Z in front of the net on the pp.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

And Eddie is trying to break his kneecap from behind.

[Biz]

Stop, Eddie.

[McCabe]

Eddie.

[Biz]

He was vicious.

[McCabe]

Two by fouring the back of his knees, and I see the wires crossing for Charles Chara, and I'm like, the closest guy. I. At no point do I want to do this, but I gotta do this. He's gonna kill Eddie. So I stepped in, and I've never felt. It was like I was a feather, like, in my equipment. Easily, easily. I'm £250 in equipment. If not more, maybe 260. You know, skate sticks, gloves. He picked me up like I was nothing. My legs were, like three feet off the ice. And he was just like. It was not nothing. And he was just, like, dusting me. And thank God he didn't hit me with a punch. And then I fell down. And then I rabbit punched him once. It was like one of these. And I went to the box and I was actually laughing. I was, like, so embarrassed. And I was, like, actually laughing that I made it through okay. He actually hurt his back. Had to leave the game. I got him, guys, holding my full weight kettlebell. He missed like a week because he tweaked his back. Why would it. Tweaked it too.

[Yandle]

Picking up a grown man.

[Biz]

It was classy of him. I mean, he could have been just like throwing uppercuts, but when it's. When you're flying through the air, he's like, time slowing down.

[McCabe]

Oh, my God. I was just like, please don't hit me. Please don't hit me. I'd probably still be in the hospital. And you guys know Z, he's like a specimen. Like, I came up like, Z was in the islander system and he came up and he was just a beast. Like, he was benching.

[Ryan]

I thought he broke somebody's sternum with a punch one time, didn't he?

[Biz]

I don't know. I saw him hit David.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He punched somebody in the chest one time. Broke their sternum.

[Yandle]

Wow.

[McCabe]

Yeah, I made it through that. Draw escaped.

[Biz]

The boys must have been just like. Like at the same time. We're laughing. They're like, ak, bro, like, ballsy. But that was the funniest thing we've ever seen.

[McCabe]

So funny. It's so funny.

[Ryan]

So viral. There was no social media. That's how funny that clip was.

[Yandle]

It created.

[Biz]

Created the Internet.

[McCabe]

Oh, it still makes like the TSN top 10 list like once a year or whether. Or just, you know, whatever it is. But it's funny looking back. It's funny. He's a great guy. Like, he was. He came up as a kid with me, with the Islanders there. And what a career he had for a guy that came up and looked like Bambi, like, at the start. Like, the change in the player he was and became at the end was unbelievable.

[Yandle]

Yeah. Nothing.

[Ryan]

His work ethic.

[Yandle]

Nothing. Like having a blue mohawk getting rid in the air.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah, you had some crazy hair.

[McCabe]

The mohawk was great. Yeah. I said, don't do it to any kids out there. Don't dye your hair. Because now I've got the reverse mohawk on. It's like terrible but tidy.

[Yandle]

Backy.

[McCabe]

But it was fun. It was like a thing too. Toronto, like, they had a barber's chair set up outside the rink and kids were getting mohawks in the playoffs. Really?

[Ryan]

That's so cool.

[McCabe]

Bad call with a blue dye, though. It's like leaking in my eye. During the game, I was minus four because I couldn't see.

[Ryan]

Looking like Braveheart, like.

[Yandle]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

William Wallace with the face paint.

[McCabe]

It was fun, though. That Was fun. Actually, that was my wife's idea. She was like, yeah, you should do a mohawk. Switch it off. Do something. I was like, all right, let's do it.

[Ryan]

I always like to ask the retired guys. I mean, obviously the game was growing when you were involved, but just the growth of the game and where it's at right now from, like, a world perspective of in North America, with all these Southern markets exploding. You guys must be proud of, like, the way that you guys helped establish.

[McCabe]

Oh, yeah, it's great. Like, what they've done down here. It's unbelievable, like, how hockey crazy people have gotten and, you know, the atmosphere the last couple years in the playoffs. It's just the parade. It's like something could never imagine when I played down here. Like, there were. There were Tuesday nights against Carolina where there were literally 500 people in the building for warmup. And it was like, now we're, like, selling out. There's a buzz. There's. It's great. It's just great for hockey to have all these different markets. Well, you played in Phoenix, obviously. You know that.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

I think it's awesome that the Grain games grown this much and there's players like, Matthews is from Phoenix. You're getting all these players from place, like, California. How many players in the league are from California now? Stuff, it's like, it's awesome. Like, it's not just, you know, Canada and US and stuff. It's like little, small states now. You'd never think we have a goalie in our system that's from, like, Knoxville, Tennessee. And I'm like, they even have hockey there. Like, how is that even possible? So crazy. Yeah, they've done a great job. Obviously, the game's grown tremendously in the skill and the stuff that these guys do now, man, it's.

[Ryan]

Oh, it's nuts that McDavid, man.

[McCabe]

I. If you don't see that in person, it's hard to even explain. I've never seen a person that, like.

[Biz]

No, there's a guy at barstool that isn't really hockey guy. And he went to the game and he texted me. He's like, oh, this. I know what you're saying. Like, you go to the game, you don't know anything. You're like, what the hell is that guy?

[McCabe]

Like, we played, and it makes our jaws drop. Like, when I. First time I ever saw him accelerate live, I literally was like, what the. I didn't even think it was possible to go that fast in such a short amount of, like, time with the.

[Biz]

Puck on a string.

[McCabe]

Yeah, exactly. Like just dancing people. So, yeah, the game has definitely changed in the skill level and just. It's. It's awesome.

[Biz]

The speed and stuff was so in. In your third year in Florida, you had had two real good years. You got traded to the Rangers and made the playoffs, lost the first round, and then, you know, you hung them up. Was it something that we've all talked about? About, like, pretty hard. And a couple months into that next season, retired. It's like, a little depressing. Like you were struggling with what's next.

[McCabe]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Biz]

Yeah, it was hard.

[McCabe]

It's hard to say goodbye. I could have probably played like, February.

[Biz]

You retired so that.

[McCabe]

No, I got trade the Rangers. I knew when I lost in the playoffs here against Washington, I knew that was my last game. Kind of my heart, like, I did a little lap around the ice and just kind of took it in. But I had offers to play that summer, like contract offers, but they were only for one year. I had young family. We had made a home here. I didn't want to make a move again, not for a year. I might have done it if someone would have guaranteed me two years, because then you can justify, maybe we like it there, build a life there, maybe not. But my body was also. I had surgery like, five summers in a row, and I was getting old, and I didn't want to be one of those. I was, like, getting carried out the door. Like, I still was all right and kind of relevant. And the bottom line was my wife's like, if you want to do it, you know, go ahead. Go play a year. But we're not, like, we're not going. I wasn't. I wasn't going to go without them, and I was just like, you know what? I'm done. I had a very lucky to play 16 years. I was happy, but I literally didn't know. It's hard when you, you know, you leave home at 16 and you're used to being on the road and being away, and then all of a sudden, you're home.

[Biz]

Home for, like, ever, all the time.

[McCabe]

And there's kids and there's responsibilities and there's like. And you're like, oh, my God, I need a road trip. Like, boys, you want a golf trip? Anyone?

[Biz]

Like, what?

[McCabe]

So, yeah, and then I told you, like, I just kind of stumbled upon this with Dale and got this opportunity to do this, and I've been doing it ever since. So I've been very fortunate to stay in the game because I didn't Know anything else?

[Ryan]

Dale Talon deserves a lot of credit here. Even Bobby Lou said when he went to the rink, it was him who kind of extended an arm. So it seems like he really brought the. The old guard around and established what's going on here.

[McCabe]

Yeah, Dale deserves a lot of credit for, you know, not only here, but Chicago. He had a big hand in. In their dynasty, too, and he. He built things up here. He's a great guy to work for, great mentor, really good friend. I love Dale to death. He was so good to me. Like you say, he didn't have to be. He traded me. It's not like we were, you know, best friends or anything. I got to know him when he became the GM and stuff. But Dale's one of the best in the business, and I truly owe him a lot for giving me this opportunity and being able to stay in the game and stuff. And, you know, he still lives around.

[Biz]

Here and all time stick.

[McCabe]

You got to get. Have you sandbagged him yet? That guy?

[Biz]

I don't know. I was told, like, went to the NHL, like, there was, like, a chance of, like, no, I'm gonna, like, be a pro golfer.

[McCabe]

No, he won, like, the Canadian Amateur Golfer of the Year award before he was in the NHL.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[McCabe]

And I don't want to say he's, like, 74. And, like, I talked to him all the time still and see him and he. He shoots, like, in the 60s.

[Yandle]

Yeah, yeah.

[McCabe]

And he's in the 70s.

[Yandle]

He's in. He shot a six.

[McCabe]

He's a stick crazy. Yeah. And he's funny. He'd be fun to be around for.

[Ryan]

We can't thank you enough for doing this, man. It was great getting to know you and chat with you. I hadn't really talked to you before.

[Biz]

But this is this 11:35 regular season games, 56 the playoff. It's amazing, dude. Congrats on everything.

[McCabe]

Thank you, guys. I really appreciate having me. This was fun.

[Biz]

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[Ryan]

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[Biz]

You so much to Brian McCabe. I love the flavor saver. I didn't know he still has it based on a jaw injury but an awesome guy. What a player he was and just him recount and remembering that chara fight is so classic. I think he knew that was coming at one point on to Dallas. Tough news for Tyler Sagan, right? A great start to the year. He has to undergo hip surgeries out four to six months. Just a kick in the dick for a guy who's played very well the team. While it's, it's odd like Robertson hasn't had a great offensive season. Wyatt Johnson hasn't had a great offensive season. Matthew destroyed. Duchaine's been carrying that team. Their goaltending's been phenomenal. But Dallas along with Mason Marshman Biz has looked great.

[Ryan]

Well, that's what sucks about this, right? So that line of Duchenne, Sagan and Marchmont, they've been playing together since last year. Last year they played 60 together until one of them got injured. But their chemistry was off the charts and last year it was. They had two first lines going with the point production and what the guys were doing. Well that second line hasn't let off the gas and you mentioned it. I think that that hints Robertson and I think Wyatt Johnson was in there a little bit. They'd all been struggling. They haven't found their chemistry quite like last year and now all of a sudden you lose one guy from that line. I guess the, the positive news is is all of a sudden you have close to 10 million in cap space available to go and make a big trade. It does suck because it looks like it sounds like he won't be available for like he's done like he's, he's not coming back even maybe playoff time barring a miracle. So I mean if we're talking about the, the big picture here, yeah, Marchmont's been an absolute beast. He can't stop scoring. Really a guy who does it all. He's tough to play against too. He'll throw the body and the bo. They look good. Like Oinger's playing at the top of his game right now. Maybe didn't start out as as good but over the stretch of the last like 10 to 12 games, they've just looked like a well oiled machine. Machine being ran by the back end by Hasken. And so I think we all suspected them to be a top three team in the west this year. And I still think they are, regardless if they have second in the lineup or not. But a huge, huge loss based on how their chemistry was buzzing on that second line.

[Biz]

It just sucks for Sagan. I feel bad, but our guy Jeff Merrick has said that Dallas is big game hunting now and you've seen Vegas do this year after year and now with all this money money, they're going to be very aggressive to replace Sagan with a top end player. So we'll see how that plays out.

[Yandle]

I just wanted to touch on, on Robinson. Like he's having a little bit of a down year this year. Like if you would had the Four nations he was on last year, he would have been on the team. Home run slam dunk. But this year he's struggling a little bit. But this could be the fire that kind of lights underneath him that he's like, okay, I'm not untouchable. I got to go out there and give it. And I think you're going to see the back half of the end of his season this year year go back to form of where he's been the last couple years and being the young superstar that we've seen him be.

[Ryan]

Yeah, we, we, you know, we described Dylan Strom, how he's not like the, the fastest guy, but he plays at that slower pace. I think Robertson's a lot of the same way where he doesn't, like he can't move up and down the ice like Hintz does. Right. But he does play on his line and it's a good compliment to him. But sometimes I'm watching the games and I'm like, hey, like he's, he's got to get, get a little bit more of a, of a pep in a step going. So hopefully that's what you're talking about. You're saying just kind of digging in a little bit more as opposed to just floating around playing that perimeter game.

[Yandle]

Yeah, I think so. I think, I think when he's at his best and like you said, not the fastest skater, but he gets to the net, he makes plays like he, he's one of those guys like he can dangle, he can make good plays, but he's also, he's kind of that, you know, not, not too fancy, but just finds a way to get to the net, get to the hard areas and score goals. And you haven't seen that as much.

[Biz]

It doesn't really look pretty sometimes, but he gets it done. Sunday night he had a beautiful goal against Calgary. You got an assist as well. So, Keith, I like that. Like, hey, like, I'm taking this as like an insult. Almost like, let's go, like, let's prove him wrong.

[Yandle]

Like, T. Thompson's been on fire since not getting named. He's been scoring, he's been on fire. So it's, you know, some guys take it the, you know, away. You could sulk about it and not be happy. And, you know, he reminds me of a guy that will take that and run with it.

[Biz]

Also on fire, the Washington Capitals. Holy shit. I actually should have mentioned, I think one guy that got maybe screwed over a little bit is would have been cool to see John Carlson on Team usa. What a season he's had. The Capitals are not the same without him. But Tom Wilson taking the puck to the face, coming back, scoring two goals and having his face, he's now called Quagmire by the team, was one of the most nails thing we've seen in the, in the NHL season so far this year. And his interview after was great. He's like, my dad always told me, if you can play, you play. And he could play no problem. But the look on his face. And then biz, I believe you hooked him up with a Ms. Peaches sweatshirt.

[Ryan]

Less than 24 hours later, I get a message with a screenshot. Tom Wilson. It's a Ms. Peaches sweater. Sold out online. Hey, any chance I can get this? So I text Whit and Portnoy. Same group text. I'm like, this guy took this handsome bastard took a puck to the face last night and all he cares about is getting a Ms. Peaches sweater for. For the Mrs. And Portnoy pulled the trigger. And then Whit, I go, okay, nice. Now this solidifies. We're going to get you on the podcast. He won't come on the podcast. I'm doing favors for him. Getting a Ms. Peaches.

[Biz]

Cancel that order. Cancel that Peaches.

[Yandle]

Send a small. Send a small. So we can't wear it.

[Biz]

No, send a legal one. Send it.

[Ryan]

It's for his lady. So Pete the beagle.

[Biz]

I thought we had him on once. We've never had him on.

[Ryan]

I think we might have had him on early days, but not the Tom Wilson. As Colby Armstrong describes it, the Washington Capitals are Tom Wilson's team now. We haven't had him on since those moments. So I think that the fact that I'm getting in this sweater and he's not coming on is absolute. That's worse than the sampling going on.

[Biz]

Guys.

[Yandle]

How about him doing the interview and then he's talking, he's like, oh, I haven't really seen it till right now. And it's. His face is out to here.

[Biz]

Legit. Legit. He had a softball in his mouth. Yeah.

[Yandle]

What an absolute nail gun.

[Biz]

He's a mutant saint.

[Ryan]

Handsome bastard. Mutant.

[Biz]

As good as things are going for the Washington Capitals, guys, the Buffalo Sabers, oh my God, oh my God. They're up four nothing to the Colorado Avalanche. They don't even get a goddamn point. They don't even get a point in the game. You're now what looks like to be just as the jets continuing your, your longest pro sports run without being in the playoffs. The Buffalo Sabers. And just looking at the team and looking what's happened. And Kevin Adams did a press conference where understandably he's defenseless. He's talking about the taxes in New York and not having the palm trees that they have in Florida and just the absolute disaster. Sabres fans are chanting fire Kevin the next home game. It's just amazing. I feel so bad for what is one of the best hawket markets in North America. Hockey markets in North America that go through year after year. And just looking around the league, I mean at one point within the organization they had Ryan O'Reilly, Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhardt, Brandon Montour, Linus Omar, Brandon Hagel. Brandon Hagel's on pace for 105 points. Sam Reinhardt's on pace for 111 points. Jack Eichel's on pace for 114 points. All three of these players, all these guys remember the Buffalo Sabers. It hasn't all been Kevin Adams, but holy biz, holy.

[Ryan]

That one the other night when they go up four at home to start a five game home state stand and then blow it in regulation. I was like my God, every time. And they'd been playing okay, they were trending finally a little bit in the right direction. Right. Sometimes when, when these rebuilds go down, it's like Ah, that 20 game mark. Okay, wow, they finally figured it out. Yeah, we're going to make. No, I thought if they won that game. Okay, here we go. You know, great, great start to the homestead. No, they lose that one, they lose the next one against the jets in overtime and then they lost the last one. So they're 03 on that homestead now, now you got Adams coming out doing a press conference, which I like the guy. I don't think it came off the best. It sounded like a bit of a venting session and like, I don't know why you're bringing the Bills into it because they've been able to have success in talking about the palm trees. So now you got fans bringing fucking blow up palm trees to the goddamn hockey game. Like this is, this thing's off the rails. And you would have to assume that maybe that frustration is in the fact that this management staff and people in organizations days are numbered. If this year they don't make it, at a certain point they're going to have to look in a different direction. And I'm not pointing the finger at anyone, I'm just saying is the results are the results. You keep handing over these big long term deals to guys who haven't proven anything. There's no bridge deals. It's just like, hey, here, take the money. And you're our group of guys. And then all of a sudden there's just continue to be no result. So it is ugly for the Sabers. You spent the off season trying to reconstruct the bottom six where, you know, might have been other issues to identify. And, and here we are and it's, it's, it's ugly boys. And, and I don't see it turning around anytime quick.

[Yandle]

Well, you just talk like for teams that don't have the palm trees and the no state taxes, you have to draft. Well, in wit, you just listed off about 10 guys that are legitimate stars in the NHL that started their careers there. And when you're young in the league, you can't, I mean you can ask for a trade, but you also, the team has the power to whether they're going to trade you or not. So you got to look yourself in the mirror at some point and be like, okay, we've done our job drafting some good players here in the past, like Sam Reinhardt, what's he, 27, 28 years old? He should still be there. You're not trading him at 31, 32 years old. Those guys should still be there playing for that team, teams that drafted them. But it's, I don't. Do you see it getting better there at any point?

[Biz]

No. And the, the worry is like, so they, they pick Zach Benson High. He looked really good last year. Like he's kind of having a little sophomore struggles. Like do you want these young guys? Even in the NHL, you're losing you're losing. And I understand some of these guys, yeah, they're totally skilled enough to be there. But as Biz said, it's just like giving too much too soon. Like, you got to go out and earn it. And I think a lot of guys there have been given things and given responsibility within the game that they didn't necessarily deserve. Yet it's not a shot at these guys. Some of these guys may grow into great players. Like Dylan Cousins. He looked awesome. He's get six goals and six assists in 27 games this year. If you told me that two years ago, it's like, what. What's happening to the development and the. And the losing and losing and losing and the fans, like, almost turning into where you don't even care. That's the scary part is having a fan base that just becomes totally like, we don't even give a fuck anymore. And it's just been so ugly for so long that you just feel for this fan base that. That had a nice run for a little while. 2006, 2007, some great teams. And then, since then, it's just disaster. And I don't know what. I don't know what you do. I don't.

[Ryan]

And then on top of that, it's like, then you go out and then you make like a. A very quick nostalgic hire where it's like, yeah, is. Is like Lindy Ruff. Like, he. He might even already be a Hall of Famer. I'm sure he's going to be in the hall of fame. Coached his 1800th game last week. Like, legend. But is this guy the answer for the future of the. The Buffalo Sabers at this point? Is he the one who's going to get through and break through with these guys? Like, come on here, man. What's going on? It's. It's just like too many mistakes after one another and. And yeah, they. I don't. This is not. This is not the group. This is not it.

[Biz]

Now, in fairness, currently they are up five to three at the second intermission against the Red Wings. Let's see if they can hold on to this. But the other night, it was incredible against Utah. They were up one nothing. They had a good first period going to the second period. Let's go, boys. Let's get something going. I think 22 minutes on the game clock later, it was five to one, Utah. So it's like, there's just. Let's see if they can hold on to this one tonight. We'll see what happens. With Buffalo. Can they get anything going? Did you guys catch Connor McDavid including his dog in his Thousand point ceremony? Did you like that? How about Leonard?

[Ryan]

I love dogs. And how about Leonard didn't trust the thousand? The. The silver or no. Is it the gold? It's gold when it's a thousand points. He didn't like the bone. He was sniffing the bone out. Yeah. What was with the bone?

[Yandle]

Yeah, he didn't like it. And maybe he was a little nervous in front of 20,000 people. People, dogs, probably. But it's. It's funny. I mean when you're a guy like Connor McDavid, you. You let him do whatever you want to bring your dog. They should let him play a shift with him a couple times. Like bring him on the ice. That means he's going to stay at Edmonton for the next eight years. Let him play a couple games if they really want. No. Yeah. I thought it's great.

[Ryan]

You're struggling. You're not playing the first. We got Leonard in there.

[Yandle]

Lenny's going to go to the net hard here. Same nose too.

[Biz]

I do I mentioned before. I have to ask him. I think that our dogs are from the same whatever they. What do they call? Breeders.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Biz]

Yeah. Like my dog is so dumb. Like he makes us look like geniuses and we're morons. I mean Keith thought Belarusia and Russia were the same play. Belarus and Russia were the same places. We're idiots. My dog makes us look like Einstein and I don't know what's wrong with him. So I'm wondering if Lenny's a.

[Ryan]

Well, I'm not trying to.

[Yandle]

He got. They got the. David got the high end. You got the run.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I was gonna say like no offense to your dog, but it's way prettier than your dog. Leonard seems way more intelligent and better looking and way bigger.

[Yandle]

Was. He was sitting facing the wrong way though. Biz. Remember we talked about it.

[Ryan]

No, he wasn't. He was looking right at Conor because he loves him.

[Yandle]

True.

[Ryan]

He's looking at his owners. He wouldn't even look at the cameras. He was so obedient to whatever Conor was going to do and he just stood there and sat. Excuse me, but. Yeah.

[Biz]

G's letting us know Tom Wilson was on episode 92. Jesus. We're at five. What is this? 5:35? Holy show wit barstool. Nate was the other guest. So come a long way.

[Yandle]

That's why he hasn't came back.

[Biz]

Next time he comes on so funny. Bald stool. They went over to Turkey and they got. They filmed. And apparently like Donnie does, who's a beauty? Portnoy. On the unnamed shows. Oh, why'd we even do that? How much money did we lose? Donnie said they made money. Everything. Flights, hotels, the. The hair transplant, everything was paid for. Plus they sold some sponsorship, so I think that content will be hilarious. That lunatic idiot. Nikki smokes my guy. He got it done. Done. Eddie Barstool. Big, big guy Eddie got it done.

[Ryan]

They looked hilarious walking out after all getting the surgery. It looked like an old. Like a mob. Like a mob crew. And then White Sox Dave, he looks very bald.

[Biz]

What an idiot.

[Ryan]

So. But I also don't mind him doing the treatment. I'm gonna go out on a limb. You might puke in your mouth when I say this. He looks like the Costco brand of Jason Statham. Now he just what he needs to do now that it's fuller and it's not like a shiny indent with no hair. He just needs to keep shaving his head but allowing it to grow it a little bit. And he's going to have that Jason Statham. So he actually looks better at the fact that he's going to have more. If he grows it long, though. It's brutal. When he tries to grow it out, like three inches, his coif is embarrassing. It's like three times worse than Trump's.

[Biz]

He just has say he looks like Jason St.

[Ryan]

He has to shave it down, basically to like a. What is like a quarter of an.

[Biz]

Inch, maybe even a little 5, 6, 235 pounds.

[Ryan]

I don't think Jason Staceman's that tall either.

[Yandle]

He was like, voted sexiest man in the world like, three years ago.

[Ryan]

I'm saying the Costco version of it. Compared to what White Sox Dave was, he was a scrub. I think this is going to help him out in the long run.

[Biz]

Am I the Costco Tom Brady.

[Ryan]

If.

[Yandle]

You get the hair done? Yeah.

[Ryan]

No, you're there.

[Biz]

Hey, you know that the current world's sexiest man I saw is Jim from the Office. Pretty good looking cat, actually. The Office. He wasn't great, but I saw the picture of me. Look phenomenal. Great movie. He's in 12 hours in Benghazi or something like that. You ever seen that?

[Yandle]

No.

[Biz]

I've checked out John Krasinski. John Krasinski.

[Yandle]

He's funny in those Boston commercials.

[Biz]

That is that car park itself from Boston.

[Yandle]

Hey, but those. Those bar stool guys in.

[Biz]

I don't know.

[Yandle]

Correct. Are they married or any of them married?

[Biz]

No chance. White Sox. Dave's married. Although now that biz called him John Jason Statham. He'll probably have girls coming out Starbucks.

[Yandle]

But, but they're, they're, they're bloggers, right? Like they're, they wear hats all day.

[Biz]

They're not like they have, they're on camera. They're on camera. Camera. Right.

[Yandle]

But they always wear a hat. They can get away with wearing a hat. It's not like they have like some job that they have.

[Ryan]

I know, but Keith, it's like a woman getting the, the, the bll or whatever they call them or the BBL or getting their tits done or getting their lips shot up. They're just trying to gain a little bit of confidence. It's all about the confidence.

[Biz]

I got such a pizza box bum. I, I, I might think about getting a bbl.

[Yandle]

You guys should do a bet. You should do a bet.

[Ryan]

If web, you already got the sponsorship sign old.

[Biz]

Imagine if I just had mugsy jeans on. Merles has a dumper on him. He looks great in the mugsy jeans. Yeah, the Whitney waistlines are phenomenal.

[Ryan]

New. New denim.

[Biz]

That guy Nicky Smokestaw, he, he like, I think the swelling went to his forehead. He looked like Shrek for a minute on the flight home. It was disgusting. Then I saw him drop a video. He dropped a video. He was like a, he was like a, a priest. He was like speaking about thinking positive. Usually his videos are like I broads. If I do blow a sudden, he's like giving life advice on being positive and, and, and manifestate manifestation of good things in your life. So I'm like, maybe this scumbag's turn taking a turn, turn for the better in his life. So I love spiritual experience over there. Such a Florida scumbag. He's so Florida. It's amazing. So I'll always regret, you know, he just was rubbing in my face when the Oilers lost game seven. Last thing on hockey biz. Shout out Mitch Marner for as hard as we are, we're on the playoffs. He is incredible right now.

[Ryan]

$14 million.

[Biz]

I had written that down. Yeah. I don't know if he'll be on the Maple Leafs next year. That's going to be a crazy story on him and Rontinen, the two big free agents. Will they be locked up? Will they go somewhere else? I don't know. It's been a pleasure having you on. Keith. What a joy to do the show with you, buddy.

[Yandle]

Thanks for having me, boys, as always.

[Biz]

Love it.

[Ryan]

Since you said that Dallas is going big game Hunting like if you're Colorado, you obviously don't want to get rid of Rotten and but if he's not going to sign before the deadline, like what do you do knowing that he's going to probably walk because you're not getting him to the number that he wants.

[Biz]

I've always said if you have a player that has told you I'm not resigning or has given you the number that they're getting and you're like we're not paying that you have to trade them, you have to get something. And I know Colorado fans are like, well I try to win the cup this year. No, dude, just try to get something. You're going to be able to get a lot back. I mean granted he's ufa, so the.

[Ryan]

Issue though I think with Marner is that he has a no move clause so he controls that. I don't believe Rotten has that in his trade.

[Biz]

Marner.

[Ryan]

I agree. But the thing is, is now, well now if he plays out the year like you gotta, you have to essentially hopefully get to a number that you guys can agree on because the way that he's playing right now in that market, I think that a hometown discount is probably 13 million right now. Wow, that's a hometown discount.

[Biz]

The numbers and Ronton and san. He wants 14 like Leon. It's like Holy buddy by Summer Game Boys.

[Ryan]

They're, they're. Hey, I'm here at the. The governor's meetings, the board of governors. I was breaking up a fight between Dolan and Anchoots today. These guys are going at it for the tampering and lower or an hour. I said Anshoots. That's the LA owner. An hour. My bad. But, but you guys won't go out. I'm shut. I don't even go out anymore, you donkey.

[Biz]

That's true.

[Yandle]

Where are you staying? Biz? The Breakers?

[Ryan]

No, this place called the old Palm Beach. It's beautiful.

[Yandle]

Oh yeah, beautiful.

[Biz]

Oh for orgasms. I'm gonna be giving out. Boys riot out here. You guys are last thing there are tickets left. Chicago, let's go. Be here. Us three. Merles Army, Tim Stapleton and many more very special guests will be announced. Barstoolsports.com events let's pack the house. We're gonna rip it up. Gonna be an awesome evening. Pink Whitney will be flying, flowing. Shout out to all our sponsors. Body armor, Yeti, Mugsy, Pink Whitney. What else we got? We got them all. We got them all. So thank you so much to listen for everyone listening. We love you all we love you, Keith Biz. Keep doing God's work. I can't wait to see these videos, you warriors. Love you. Peace.

[Yandle]

Love you, boys.

[Whitney]

Don't.