Spittin' Chiclets Episode 625: Featuring Rob Ray

Summary

Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 625: Featuring Rob Ray

Date: March 3, 2026
Main Theme:
A high-energy, in-depth exploration of today’s NHL headlines, the Buffalo Sabres’ comeback, youth hockey, and a riveting interview with legendary NHL enforcer Rob Ray. The Chiclets crew breaks down playoff races, trade buzz, emerging stars, and brings out wild stories from Ray’s turbulent and memorable career.

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Episode Overview

The hosts—Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette (Biz), Rear Admiral, Mike Grinnell, and guest Keith Yandle—bring the classic Chiclets banter, focusing on:

• NHL playoff races and tanking strategies
• The meteoric rise of the Buffalo Sabres
• The evolution of youth hockey and coaching experiences
• Trade deadline anticipation and rumors
• Generational talents & breakout players
• A legendary, unfiltered conversation with Rob Ray on fighting, enforcers, and hockey culture

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. “Pinkies Up” and Podcast Banter

Timestamps: 01:32–03:12

• Ongoing promotion of “Pink Whitney” with their new “pinkies up” slogan.
• The Chiclets crew jokes about turning “pinkies up” into a lifestyle—using it as a gesture to show camaraderie, even in unexpected situations (e.g., getting cut off while driving).

Memorable Quote:
“If you see me around, just give me a pinkies up. I’ll give you one right back. In the world of Pink Whitney, it’s not odd at all.” —Keith (03:00)

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2. Youth Hockey Coaching & The Next Generation

Timestamps: 07:24–11:00

• Whitney shares heartfelt stories about coaching his son’s hockey team, the Junior Dogs, highlighting both emotional investment and pride in youth improvement.
• “The best feeling as a coach...is truly improvement. And I pinkies up him right in his face on the bench.” —Whitney (10:53)

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3. Matthew Schaefer: The New NHL Phenomenon

Timestamps: 11:07–15:59

• Deep dive into defenseman Matthew Schaefer’s incredible rookie season, already approaching and breaking long-standing NHL records at age 18.
• Discussion on hockey IQ, skating metrics, and the rarity of “franchise-altering” talent acquired via top-3 draft picks.
• Stats: Schaefer’s 20 goals at 18, “third in the league in puck possession, second in the league in zone exits...” —Keith (15:53)

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4. The Case for Tanking: NHL Team-Building Realities

Timestamps: 16:00–18:06

• Hosts debate the necessity of “tanking” for high draft picks versus building winning cultures the hard way.
• “You have to finish in the bottom or get lucky...to get game-changing, franchise-changing talent.” —Keith (17:36)

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5. The Islanders’ Unexpected Surge

Timestamps: 18:20–22:31

• Analysis of why New York Islanders are overachieving: their goaltending, young core, and style of play that frustrates opponents during the playoffs.
• “There’s not many teams that would want to play them in the playoffs.” —Biz (22:31)

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6. Eastern Conference Playoff Picture & Dead Teams Walking

Timestamps: 22:47–24:25

• The hosts pronounce “the Panthers dead. The Leafs dead.”, celebrating new blood in the Eastern Conference race—Detroit, Buffalo, and Montreal are on the upswing.

• “If the Carolina Hurricanes can’t get through the Eastern Conference this year, this is their year. There’s no excuses.” —Keith (24:09)

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7. Trade Deadline & Player Movement Buzz

Timestamps: 24:43–27:02 | 46:59–52:24

• Speculation around Carolina, Minnesota, LA Kings, and the possibility of blockbuster trades.
• Discussions around the future destinations for superstars like Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, and even Connor McDavid.
• Rumor: Biz suggests a wild “Brady Tkachuk for Jason Robertson” trade scenario (47:15).
• “If I am a high-end, elite-level superstar player in the NHL, I am not taking a seven-year deal ever.” —Keith (19:13)

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8. Buffalo Sabres’ Revival: The Inside View

Timestamps: 54:13–89:09

• The Sabres’ transformation from league cellar-dwellers to “complete wagon,” led by a potent young core.
• Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, and the impact of new GM Yarmo and coach Lindy Ruff discussed.
• “We were on a six-game trip, 14 days...they got together and said as a group, ‘enough’s enough’...from there, they figured it out.” —Rob Ray (79:09)
• Whitney sheepishly eats crow for proclaiming zero Sabres playoff chances earlier.

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Feature Interview: Rob Ray (Buffalo Sabres Enforcer Legend)

Timestamps: 74:39–139:45

Rob Ray on Sabres’ 2026 Success

• Ray credits the players’ internal leadership and an emotional group decision during a frustrating West Coast trip for the mid-season turnaround.
• Recalls a personal “superstition” moment: “I saw the Pope in Italy this summer...and I yelled, ‘Pray for the Sabres!’ Maybe that’s why (they’re winning).” (77:11–77:44)
• Commentary on the generational “gap”—young Sabres never experiencing Buffalo’s playoff madness (84:48+).

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Rob Ray’s Career, Fighter Life & Hockey Tales

Growing Up Tough & Becoming an Enforcer

• “Baling hay, working, playing hockey here in a small town—never boxing, just farm tough.” (90:41)
• Stories from the minors: “I had 46 fighting majors that year, 446 penalty minutes...I probably won two fights.” (94:42)

Legendary Fights: The Jersey Strip & Survival

• How he accidentally invented the “jersey off” fighting style; wore goalie-cut jerseys so bigger opponents had less to grab.
• “There was nights, man, you’d get some guys and all of a sudden they’d grab on, give it a pull—they got the jersey and they’re looking at me, and their eyes are like popping out of their head...” (96:43)
• Nicknamed “Sugar Ray,” got custom robes from the team trainer after fights.

On Trainers Egging On Fights

• Tells a wild story about his own trainer hyping up Tony Twist before a game “from this day on I’d hated that guy and wanted to kill him every time I see him!” (99:43)

NHL Coaching, X’s & O’s, & The Mental Toll

• Honors Rick Dudley, Teddy Nolan, Lindy Ruff as coaches who gave him a chance to play hockey—not just fight.
• “John Muckler said, ‘I treat superstars like superstars. The rest of you just be happy you’re here.’ And I’m like, I guess I’m just happy to be here.” (105:45)
• Describes anxiety and relentless pressure: “The night before games was brutal, you always knew it was going to happen, you just hoped to get it over with quick.” (100:27)

Locker Room & Tunnel Fights

• Recalls fights spilling into tunnels, catering areas, and even buffet lines. “There’s this arm comes out from behind the pillar...he grabs onto me and we go at it underneath in the concourse, right through the curtain and buffet line.” (135:56–137:43)

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Buffalo Legends, Locker Room Antics, and More

• On playing with Alexander Mogilny: “Probably the purest talent I’ve ever been on the ice with...incredible story, what he went through to get here.” (122:59+)
• Worrying about teammates: “Every road trip it would be like drawing straws who was going to be the guy to stay sober and babysit [Dominik Hasek].” (117:15)
• The bond among old Sabres: “Dave Andrychuk taught me—longer you stay, the less you pay. Outdrink everyone, pay nothing.” (113:16)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Tanking and Stars:
  “You have to finish in the bottom...to get game-changing, franchise-changing talent.” —Keith (17:36)
• Pinkies Up Origin:
  “If you see me around, just give me a pinkies up. I’ll give you one right back.” —Keith (03:00)
• On Generational Defenseman:
  “We’re looking at a top 1% skater in the NHL...but it’s his brains that’s making him so good.” —Keith, on Matthew Schaefer (14:39)
• Sabres Renaissance:
  “We were on a six-game trip...and they got together and said...‘enough’s enough’, and figured it out.” —Rob Ray (79:09)
• Fight Science:
  “It was more due to survival...jersey comes off a couple times and I’m like, that was pretty good.” —Rob Ray (96:43)
• On Getting Sucker Punched by Tony Twist:
  “He starts going at me, hits me inside the face, knocks my orbital bone up in my nose, my whole side of my face filled for air with nine days...” —Rob Ray (97:57)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• “Pinkies Up” and Podcast Banter: 01:32–03:12
• Youth Hockey & Coaching Tales: 07:24–11:00
• Schaefer Generational Segment: 11:11–15:59
• Tanking and Team Building Debate: 16:00–18:06
• NY Islanders and Playoffs: 18:20–22:31
• Playoff “Deadpool”, New Blood: 22:47–24:25
• Trade Rumors and Hot Taks: 24:43–27:02; 46:59–52:24
• Buffalo Sabres Deep Dive: 54:13–89:09
• Rob Ray Interview: 74:39–139:45

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Tone & Style

• Irreverent, insightful, and storytelling-rich.
• Heavy mix of jokes, personal anecdotes, breaking news, and behind-the-scenes tales.
• Rob Ray’s interview is especially candid, full of wild stories, and spoken in his classic “old-school storyteller” style.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is quintessential Chiclets: hockey news, gut-busting stories from the locker room and ice, and an unforgettable extended guest interview that delivers both wisdom for true fans and entertainment for everyone. Whether you want trade deadline coverage, NHL youth movement hype, or old-school enforcer tales, this is a must-listen.

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Pinkies up!
For more, check out barstool.link/schiclets

Transcript

[Rob Ray]

Hey Spit and Chiclets listeners.

[Biz]

You can find every episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Rob Ray]

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[Keith]

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[Yancey]

I brought it towards the coyotes and I asked him if it was okay if I joined the Spit Chickens podcast full time.

[Keith]

Ryan Whitney got a Pink Whitney out there now.

[Rob Ray]

Sandbagger. Get that on camera.

[Keith]

Heath Yandel, the song commander is a full time member. Marley just got an assist from Chris B. Whoa.

[Biz]

We're buzzing right now.

[Keith]

Skun. What is up folks? Welcome to episode 625 of the Spit and Chickless podcast presented by Biz. You're doing it if you're watching Pinkies Up Pink Whitney. Let me show you guys Pinkies Up. If anyone is wondering what the hell is this goofball talking about, it's our new commercial. It dropped today. Had no idea. Just saw it on Biz's Instagram and yeah, Pinkies up. This is catching on. This has caught on. So shout out Pink Whitney. Shout out our underground club that nobody knew about in the deep dark parts of Hoboken. That's a Pink Whitney. What do they call it? Keith Back in The day.

[Rob Ray]

Speak.

[Keith]

Easy speakeasy. So if you want to get involved with your pinkies up, go to a local bar, go to a local liquor store, grab some pink Whitney, grab a shot, make yourself a drink at home, and go pinkies up with the boys, right? Biz.

[Yancey]

It might. It might be Jersey Jerry and Little Sass's new gaming lab. Who knows, right? Because they want in on the. The Pink Whitney sponsorship. So we still have to cut a deal with him. But incredible idea, and I love it. It's. It's easy. It's. It's very easy to market that. And if you know, you know, if

[Keith]

you know, you know, baby, you know, you know I like that. Pinkies up. If you see me around, just give me a pinkies up. I'll give you one right back. We can even tap pinkies. I know it sounds a little weird, but boom, in the world of Pink Whitney, it's not odd at all. It's not odd.

[Yancey]

Well, you always say, with love wins, right? So if somebody cuts you off and they're being an asshole, instead of giving them the double barrel, just give them the pinkies up. Say, hey, yeah, I know. I know you're not that person. I still love you. Pinkies up. Grab a shot and, you know, cool off.

[Keith]

Yeah, you just need a drink. You're just angry and rushed and upset.

[Biz]

If you're cutting thousands of people in line at the airport, just. Just walk through like this.

[Yancey]

Yes. You better bring a few bottles to pour it out in their mouths on the way by with.

[Keith]

They're screaming at me, just giving them this one. So right down the line, Son of a boy.

[Yancey]

Dad was talking about this. Did you hear? Did you see the clip?

[Keith]

Yeah, I did. And for people who don't know, we were on. Son of a Boy. Dad. Great, guys. It's Francis Ellis, it's Roan, it's Sass,

[Yancey]

and it's just three of the most talented guys.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Keith]

Now, Francis had my back. I think Roan kind of had my back. Sass. Sass turns out to be the biggest scumbag of anyone because he said he loved you.

[Biz]

He said. He said he was a big Whitney.

[Keith]

Yeah, but I love Sass, too. But in. In. In the. In the sense of the argument or the discussion, Sass said he will never let anyone cut him. So if you're. If you're somebody like me, that's. I'm going to miss my fight. Now, granted, I ended up in the Delta Lounge. That was the tough part of the story. He's like, no, no, I'll miss my flight too.

[Yancey]

Because of his experience there was a bunch of people who were late for a flight where he was right though, he's like, well if I let all these people go by, well then all of a sudden I'm going to be late for mine.

[Keith]

So sounds, that's a different circumstance. But I think he made it sound like it's always no, I think that

[Yancey]

that experience just made him say draw a hard line where if anybody is late for their flight, too bad, so sad. Rebook. It's your problem to the point where when it happened to him, he looked the guy dead in the face. He goes, absolutely not. I'm not. If you go by, if you guys go by, I'm going to be late for my flight. And then, but he, the guy who was asking people had gone past let's say 10, 15 people and then got to Sass. So then he was stuck behind Sass and he was just there the whole time. So think of how uncomfortable it would

[Rob Ray]

be to say

[Yancey]

give it the double

[Keith]

arm cross, pinkies up. Don't even think about taking another step. You and your whole party can sit your ass down.

[Yancey]

For me it would be, I would

[Keith]

say we got a 10 day cruise.

[Yancey]

Yeah, for me it would be more uncomfortable just having him stand there for the 15 minutes it took. The check in right behind you.

[Keith]

And you're credit to Sass. I, I think he, I think he kind of lives.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Keith]

Thrives when it's uncomfortable.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

Like Dave.

[Keith]

Yeah. I, I don't know if it's to that extent but I don't think Sass gives a shit if it's like awkward.

[Yancey]

I really don't, no respect him for it.

[Biz]

All I could think of when Sass was telling that story of him saying no and you know Sass, like he, he looks like a gamer, like a video gamer. I'm sure he has his headphones on at the airport, hood on, whatever. All I could think of was him telling your dad wit that he can't go by in what would ensue after the fact would be life altering for Sass.

[Yancey]

Why would your old man challenge him?

[Keith]

I think back in the day of Dan Whitney 25 years ago, he's probably like headlocking the kid in the middle of the airport like they're rolling around like wrestling pinkies up. But nowadays my dad would say hey, you know what, I understand and I get it. And with old age comes peace of mind. And I shouldn't say old age as you age comes peace of Mind and maybe realizing that this little gamer slash comedian slash. How else would you describe.

[Guest Analyst]

Sir?

[Yancey]

Yeah.

[Keith]

Did you say comedian? Yeah, non first class flyer. He's gonna win the day. And so I was laughing a lot. I thought it was hilarious actually. Francis. Francis asked me. Francis's Internet invitational fame has exploded to the point where he's now getting asked and paid like a lot of money to go be the comedian at member guests. And one of, one of them is at this insane like golf course, like top of the line, world class.

[Yancey]

Are you allowed to say which one?

[Keith]

He didn't, so I'm not going to. But he, he not only is being paid an exorbitant amount of money to be the, you know, the kind of the host and the, and the entertainment at the member guest men's night. They're also giving him a spot in the member guests. He asked me to play in it and I. So it's funny. I guess that leads me into what I did this weekend. Not to take over the conversation. I said, listen, this was like a month ago. I'm like, dude, I would love to. I can't. Because if my son makes it through Ryder and his team make it through playoffs, we'll have the semifinals that weekend and the finals.

[Rob Ray]

Hopefully.

[Keith]

Hopefully. Now at that point the chances of us getting through I thought were were pretty slim as I think we finished, we finished sixth at the end of the league, at the end of the season. Well, boys, the junior Dogs, tier two might a team, Pinkies up got through this weekend.

[Biz]

Let's go.

[Keith]

It was, it was great. And, and, and it was one of those things where you go in and so there's eight, eight of the, whatever, 11 teams, 10 teams make the playoffs. Then they split you off into two groups of four and you play, you know, the three other teams, then the top two teams from each group move on to the semifinals next weekend. And I went in and it was, you know, some of the better teams. We won the first game, down two, one tied it up like seven minutes left, kid scores the game winner with a minute left. Win that first one. Kind of had to win that one. Then the next morning, all of a sudden based on the other teams that had played, it's like, hey, if we win this morning, we're in. Doesn't even matter this afternoon got that done to a team who I think was like three and one against us this year. Pinkies up. And then in the afternoon against the team who had to win to get in. Man, we lost four, three. But like we Had a hell of a weekend. And as a, as a coach, I think all got people who coach whatever sport and youth sports, it. It's very fun. It's also sometimes a lot, right? Like you're, you're, you're sacrificing a ton of time and energy, but that's all. That's not nearly as, as, as much fun as it is the, the tough things. But seeing the kids improve and seeing how happy they were rewarding, it was the best feeling. Now, mind you, in Florida, they sent a video. I think they did it for the other coaches on my birthday of every kid wishing me, you know, a happy birthday. And I was like, I swear to God, I got like a little emotion. Like, this is just awesome. Like, hopefully someday these kids like, oh, I remember Coach Whitney or something like that. He helped my game. And for Ryder, personally, Ryder, I think he improved a lot this year. And he's not, he's not a great skater right now. So at this age, it's hard. Like he's a weaker skater, but the kid, he thinks the game pretty well. Like he. For hockey IQ for a kid who turned 8 in November, I'm like, okay, like, he'll make little plays and little passes and, and a lot of the year, so he plays D. The puck would get rimmed around to him at the point and he really have nobody on him. He'd kind of just like fire it back in the corner. And I was kind of showing him like, hey, bud, I get it. You know, you don't want to lose the puck and. But you have, you have time and you can get your feet moving. You could find a pass in the slot or something. And in the game Saturday morning, puck comes around to him, he gets it. Gets his head up, gets his feet moving quick for him, quick down the wall and just fires a seam pass right to the slot to a kid all alone who buries it. And I was like, buddy, it was the best feeling as a coach. I was like, that is truly improvement. And I pinkies up him right in his face on the bench. And he's like, do it back to me.

[Yancey]

And then the ref made a back call and I gave him a pinkies up.

[Keith]

The ref did. The ref did give us a warning. You guys got. You guys are getting a little loud with me.

[Yancey]

He was only one rep. See a little bit of Matthew Schaefer in him.

[Keith]

I don't see any Matthew Schaefer. Unfortunately, I do not see any Matthew Schaefer. And I love getting into Matthew Schaefer. Because to me, post Olympic break, with all these different storylines and the trade deadline coming up, this kid is a truly generational franchise altering number one defenseman who's going to break a record this year, knock on wood, that I didn't see ever getting broken again. Brian Leach had 23 goals. I mean, what was that, 88? We're talking about 40 years ago?

[Yancey]

Just about how old was he at the time?

[Keith]

I'm guessing he was 20. Let me look it up.

[Biz]

Yeah, I think he was 20. And he also played some games in the NHL the year before that. I think he played like 17 games in the NHL. Yeah. Dipped his toe a little bit more in our sense. Obviously. Brian Leach is incredible hall of Famer, you know, one of my idols growing up. But, like, the fact that, like, he was a few days. Matthew Shave was a few days away from not even being in this draft, and he. He could be drafted next year or this coming year, and the fact that he has 20 goals already is absolutely insane.

[Keith]

He turned 21 that year when he had 23.

[Yancey]

His kids.

[Keith]

This is not. It's not.

[Yancey]

Schaer's actually closer. Still closer to 18 years of age than he is to 19.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Keith]

So that's I Rider's age than most of the. Than he is most of the league.

[Yancey]

Yeah, just his. His IQ and how scouts just say, like, he. He doesn't force it either. Right. He just kind of lets the game come to him. Insane shot. I mean, I. Our expectations were high, boys, but the fact that he's.

[Keith]

He's.

[Yancey]

He's doing what he. He's. He's doing on the ice and he has like, the character and the attitude and. And just like the.

[Keith]

The.

[Yancey]

The media sense and all of it. He's a full package, and he's a complete organizational game changer, and they got to be so fired up that they picked him one.

[Biz]

Yeah. And I actually, I was listening to an interview with Boomer Ass. Boomer Assize and legendary hall football player in. Schaer's living with Boomer Sison's daughter, if you guys didn't know. He's living. Okay.

[Keith]

That's Matt Martin's wife, right?

[Biz]

And he did an interview and he was like, you know, talking about how he didn't make the team. He's like, watch. I guarantee you, he comes back from this Olympic break and just starts good and getting hot again. And I'm like, jesus Christ. He's got four goals in two games being back, right? And I don't know what he knew or what if he knew what he was going to be doing before the or during break? I don't know if he went back and just skated all break, but he has came out insane because that's a tough break for an 18 year old kid to be. You know, to take two weeks off of not playing when you're getting in such a good rhythm of figuring out the league to take two weeks off and come back and come back with this fire is truly amazing.

[Yancey]

I want to say he had a two goal game, the game before the break too. So he.

[Keith]

No, I think he has two, two goal games since it first started.

[Yancey]

Okay. Since back. Sorry, my, My bad. But yeah, you said it, Yan. And probably lit a fire under his ass because I think a lot of people did want him on the team when Morrissey went down. It's like, ah, fuck, that would have been. I think I would have liked to have seen Schaefer there. But I mean also you could say that abo Bouchard, a lot of Monday quarterbacking after the tough loss for the Canadiens. But I don't, I don't know if you guys have any other like stats or. I do have a couple on the kid.

[Keith]

I have a couple stats. Now part of watching him, it, it's the skating right away that jumps out. Okay. Like obviously this kid is, you know, he's. We're looking at like a top 1% skater in the NHL. His, he's got the most 22 mile an hour or more speed bursts in the NHL this year by a defenseman. And if you look at like his game, like it's not all skating though, because he has such a crazy hockey IQ and his skills are so good that yeah, he has the ability to beat people one on one with his skating but like it's his brains that's making him so good. It's not just the skating, it's like the decision making stuff, which is the hardest part about getting in the NHL. Now when you can get out of trouble and get out of problems in your own end because of your skating, it just, it makes it that much easier. But we're looking at a kid, as Biz mentioned, who turned 18 right before the season. He's third, this is in the entire league in defenseman. He's third in the league in puck possession. He's second in the league in zone exits, second in the league in zone entries, third in the league in open ice dekes and, and tied for second in the league in goals.

[Rob Ray]

Wow.

[Biz]

Witty.

[Rob Ray]

Under the hood.

[Keith]

18 years old. That's a tweet from Mike Kelly.

[Yancey]

Wow. Unreal.

[Keith]

That's our guy. And another tweet I saw. This is Topher Scott. It's at Hockey Think Tank. It's a clip of. It was 2 to 2, 10 minutes to go in the second period of the game on what was it, Sunday night of Florida and the Islanders in which the Islanders came back and won a game that they were down two goals for the second game in a row. It seems like they've done that all year. Barzell and, and Schaefer in this clip. You have to watch this. They're skating and they're working together and kind of switching spots all over the offensive zone leads to a crazy chance by Schaefer when he takes it in on the rush. And it's just it, it, it goes, it goes back into. Yeah, they got lucky winning the lottery. But all these teams who. Or fan bases who don't agree with tanking. I get that. But look around the league guys and look at the players we talk about most and look at the teams who turn it around quick. You get first overall pick, you get second overall pick and, and Calgary and, and you know there's, and look at San Jose. Look at what San Jose has done. Yeah, I think Will Smith was fourth then celebrity. Now Misa, who doesn't even really play that much is on like pace. If he played a full season for around 40, 45 points. He's 18 years old. You have to finish in the bottom or get lucky as hell winning the lottery to get like game changing franchise, changing talent. And so if I'm some of these teams and I'm looking around, I get the ticket sales and what tanking can do and how tanking can go wrong. But I also look at what, what you need to have happen to get a player that's going to change your entire franchise around.

[Yancey]

And that's how I think if you look at those top end guys and like guys who are at the Olympics shining in order to change organizations around, you need the top five top ten picks. Like even, even.

[Keith]

I don't even think top ten top ten.

[Rob Ray]

I hear you.

[Yancey]

No, I hear you. It's hard. The drop off after like the top three is, is pretty insane.

[Keith]

It's the three spot I think.

[Yancey]

Yeah, it, it definitely dips a lot. And yeah, it's, you're going to probably see a few teams doing their best attempt to tank after this deadline. But lot, lot of sellers, man. A lot of sellers right now. But you said it though.

[Biz]

Whit the Shaffer thing too, which is crazy. Like, obviously him going first overall means the Islanders were so bad last year, they're still, they're 21st in the league for goals. Four for he's second on his team and scoring like he's not surrounded by these superstar players that have given him back. They're like no disrespect to their team, but like Barzell and Horvad are their two top dogs right up front. And then, you know, it's kind of, you could be out there with, you know, they like to muck it up. They play a different type of game. So the fact that he's scoring 20 goals on, you know, with a team like that is so incredible to me. And to do it at that age like this, you want to say the sky's the limit for this guy and it really is. But like, how much better can he get?

[Keith]

I know, I, I, I, dude, what

[Yancey]

is, what does he get if he, if he has another year to back up this year, next year he's probably going to be getting 18 million, $19 million out of his entry level contract.

[Keith]

Well, well, a kid like this that is this young and yeah, when they can resign him next July. One this is a kid like I'm taking four and five year deals max, the whole, my whole career. I, I, if I am a high end, elite level superstar player in the NHL, I am not taking a seven year deal ever. Yeah, I don't, I don't like where's where this game is going, where it's at now, how much room we have to grow and how much more popular it can still get in the US And I just think with, with how the game presents on tv, it's getting better and better and the excitement around the league is getting higher and higher. If I'm a superstar, I'm never taking a seven year deal. I know Biz, we talked about this off camera in locking it up and

[Yancey]

well, it's gonna change all right. Because now it's going to six, seven. It's, you know, seven year for the team that has you and then six years if you're, you're a restricted or unrestricted free agent going to a new destination. So the four or five year deals make a little bit more sense because the eight years is the last year you're going to be able to do it. But yeah, it's going back to what you talked about, how they don't get, they don't have really any goal support other than a few guys. I want to say Sorokin and the Islanders right now have the highest saves above expected in the entire NHL. So that's a big reason as to why they're in a playoff spot. I don't know if we ended up putting this in the outline. Just to go back to last night's TNT where Vegas ended up getting worked. I think Vegas has the third worst right now and they are just leaking oil. So I don't know where you guys. The goaltending just matters so much in today's NHL and it's. Yeah, it's, it's a, it's a big reason why the Islanders are where they're at.

[Biz]

They're fourth in the league for goals allowed at 2.74 game.

[Keith]

Not to bring this back to The Junior Dogs 2017 birth year, but I did. The reason I mainly brought it up is because our goalie stood on his frigging head like. And it, it made me think. It's like, wow, these kids are turning nine this year. Like Ryder will be nine at the end of November. But this whole age group, there's some nine year olds right now, whether they're nine years old or in the Stanley cup playoffs. Like, it is goal. It is the game of goaltending. We saw it, we talked about it with Hellback and the gold medal. And when you get into the playoffs, can you rely on Sorokin to continue this? Like, can the Islanders go on a run? Like, my gut would say no, but because it's not a one game thing. Right? It's it. But if you look at like if he somehow catches fire to a certain extent, like they could win two rounds. Right. Who would the Islanders play right now?

[Yancey]

I think they'd be maybe playing Pittsburgh. That Metro is, is a, is a kind of a janky division where. But here's the thing though. I've continued to, to be like, ah, Pittsburgh. Ah, Pittsburgh. I wrote him off last night against Vegas and look what they keep doing. No Sydney Crosby, they spank him five nothing. So, yeah, I mean, that's obviously that Carolina series. If they played them next would be a lot different story. But I think that if you're Islanders, Pittsburgh right now, that's a coin flip.

[Keith]

Coin flip. And that would be a fun series sitting back. That would be pretty entertaining.

[Yancey]

They're going to go back to the Coliseum to play.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

I don't know if you guys heard that.

[Biz]

Yeah, they're doing the first three rounds.

[Keith]

Yeah. Yeah. But I understand the shorter walk.

[Biz]

Like we talk about them not being able to score that much. I don't think there's many teams that would want to play them in the playoffs. Like, they're a pain in the ass to play against. I would imagine they're, they're hard to play against. They're fast, they're physical. Like they're not a team that's going to make it an easy seven game series. I wouldn't want to play them.

[Keith]

And I, I actually, I, I know I said I just pick, I would pick, pick Pittsburgh, but I want to just give a round of applause for the Islanders because I do believe Sunday night that was the final nail in the coffin of the Florida pants.

[Yancey]

Yeah, they're dead.

[Keith]

So, like, get out of my face for a year. Yeah, get out of my. And if the Oilers were like looking even somewhat better than they are, I'd be really excited. But the, the Panthers dead. The Leafs dead. And the excitement of the Eastern Conference playoff picture this year, to me that's like the storyline of the season right now. All the new blood. We're going to get into Buffalo and how dominant this team has been for a long time. We're going to look at Detroit, who's sitting a wild card spot right now, but that Atlantic's kind of crazy. Montreal, who got in last year, but you know, it wasn't their time yet. Washington had had their way with them. Boston somehow is in the mix. No clue what's going on there this season. Can't believe the run they've had. So it's all about kind of getting rid of Florida and Toronto, who you could chirp Toronto all you want. They've been in the mix for a while. They've won one round, I think twice. But big deal, they're always in the playoffs. Florida's just dummied everyone. But my, my biggest takeaway. And we'll talk more after the deadline Friday. If the Carolina Hurricanes can't get through the Eastern Conference this year, this is their year. Just wrap. This is their year biz. There's no excuses. There's no teams out there that are the boogeymen to them. Florida is a team that just dominated them physically. There's no one out there really like that. I mean, the Bruins are really physical and they're a tough, bigger team, but this is the Hurricanes time. It has to be. And I wonder what they do at the deadline.

[Yancey]

Well, I know what they're trying to do.

[Keith]

Okay.

[Yancey]

They're trying, they're trying to get Troach.

[Keith]

Are they.

[Yancey]

They're trying to get Tro. He's played there before. They're trying to get him. They got to. They got to get a little bit of help up the middle. But I, I think that Billy G. Is going to bring his boy, who he just won a gold medal with, over to Minnesota.

[Keith]

I want him in Minnesota.

[Rob Ray]

Same.

[Keith]

Yeah, I. I think. Well, just like you said, it's.

[Yancey]

It should be Carolina's time. I think the Minnesota fans deserve a run. They deserve one man. It's a, It's a gauntlet of a division to get out of, but my God, do they need a run.

[Biz]

Well, you look at even like stamcos, those guys who have no trade clause or no move clause guys are putting Minnesota on their list where they want to go this big. Shout out to Billy G. For putting his team in this position and shout out to the guys for putting them in this position. But that team, man, if they can go on, imagine how fun it would be in Minnesota having this team go on a run. Like, what's the furthest they've ever gone? Two rounds. They went.

[Keith]

They went to the conference finals. The year I believe that was Patrick was last game, I think correct. G, look that up for me. I think Colorado in the first round, they ended up. I don't remember who beat him in the conference final. Was it Anaheim? It might have been Anaheim. When Anaheim went and lost to the Devils in game seven of the cup final. She's gonna have to do some digging for me right now.

[Guest Analyst]

It was the 2002. 2003 season, I believe.

[Keith]

Yeah. So that was. That was the year Jer won the, the Con Smyth in a losing effort.

[Biz]

Yeah, and they lost. That's right.

[Keith]

And they lost. And that year Anaheim took him down.

[Guest Analyst]

It says during that run they defeated the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks before losing to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in four games.

[Keith]

Okay, my, my, my memory right now, I think after this playoff win as an assistant coach, I'm kind of flying high, guys. I, I kind of got a national

[Yancey]

commercial out and then all of a

[Keith]

sudden, pinkies up thing. I got an alcohol. That's always nice when the coach of the team has an alcoholic sponsored drink. But pinkies up, guys.

[Yancey]

Since we mentioned Minnesota and Billy G, I thought like the way that he handled like Quinn getting to go do SNL and everything and just his quotes knowing that, you know, Quinn obviously wants to come back and make an impact for, for mini. Given the fact they've given up so much to get him and want to go on this run. But just how, how he's all in on helping endorse the game and allowing these guys to live in the moment with. With what they've accomplished. Just a cool thing and I know we'll dive into it, but just the, you know, from. From Jack going over to do Pat McAfee and. And from the boys going over to do SNL with the ladies, like, just an incredible run since they ended up capturing gold.

[Rob Ray]

Boys.

[Keith]

Yeah. And I think plenty of Canadians are probably like, oh, my God, more Olympics. This will be it. This episode. This will be it. Except for the occasional chirp from me and Yance. Just to remind you, it's four more years till the next one. But let me read the quote from Billy G. When asked about Quinn, he said, I know it's worried him because he wants to continue to deliver for the Wild. We've talked about it and I've encouraged him to do this. Just kind of soak it in. Like, this might be a once in a lifetime thing. Hopefully not. So you get to do Saturday Night Live. Go. You get to do all these other things. Do it. You know what? Yeah. You might be a little tired for today's game and the next game. I get it, I get it, I get it. But do it. And yeah, enjoy it because you can rest later. And that, to me, it just speaks to the new way of the NHL, right? And now granted, Billy built that USA team, so maybe that adds a different layer. But, dude, think about back when we were playing like, or before us, like, GMs would be like, what the.

[Yancey]

Do you think your wife can't even get pregnant?

[Biz]

Yeah, I remember. I. I remember someone, their. Their dad passed away and they missed like a couple weeks and they didn't even get paid during those weeks. It was a gauntlet back then. But yeah, you can just tell Billy G. Played the game forever. He's been around the game forever. He knows how much those guys put into winning. He knows how much it meant to the US he was a part of that 96 team, which meant so much. But then, like, this is just another level, right? So unbelievable. But bringing in Troj for a guy that if he could bring him in right now, especially a guy who is familiar with. With Quinn and Faber and boldy like that, that's a home run of a deal. But absolute shout out to Billy G. For, for letting his guys do that. And because we all know how hockey guys are, like, no one wants to be the center of attention and be there. Like, Billy's probably, dude, go and do this, please, please. Like, you need to do this for the game, right? It needs to be built. So unbelievable gesture from him.

[Yancey]

Did you watch it? Did you watch the SNL opening monologue?

[Keith]

I did. I. I loved how they made. They made a thing of like, you know, the girls. Like, it was just gonna be us, but we let them come. So they're getting on. On sort of what became this, like, ridiculous story. And I don't have the quote in front of me, so people could look it up or maybe G could grab it. But Billy G. Was also asked about that and, and he really gave it like, I don't care. And he didn't swear, but he's like, I do not care. He's like, I'm not going to let this overshadow what these guys accomplished. And seeing, seeing what Abby Murphy said to us and seeing what, you know, the girls and the guys were together on Saturday Night Live, it just kind of put everything into perspective that, yeah, a lot of people were really pissed off. And I think when you see that the teams get together and speak so highly of each other the way they do, it's awesome. His. His. His quote was, I'm not surprised at anything nowadays. I'm not surprised, but I'm also not letting it bother me. You know what? We just won a gold medal. Nothing's going to ruin this. I don't care what people say or what they think. And it's like, I love that, man. And there's people probably listening and who read that, that it really pisses him off even more. And it's. It's like the meme that they've made with Hughes in the locker room with the gold medal and a beer. Don't care. Like, we did this. It was great. And seeing, you know, Keller, Hillary Knight and the Hughes brothers together was awesome. I was surprised, though, to see Jack Hughes because McAfee was at. In Indianapolis at the combine. That was a great interview too, man. I tuned into that one. I was like, when did he even find the time to fly to Indy? It was, like, cool that he did it in person because it made it even. You know, every interview we do in person is better than, than the Zoom Links. I feel like. Although we do have a Zoom one today that Buffalo Sabres fans and old school hockey fans. Rob Ray was as electric as I ever could have imagined.

[Yancey]

Did he know we were recording?

[Rob Ray]

No.

[Yancey]

Oh, he didn't. Okay.

[Biz]

He was fucking.

[Yancey]

So we were having a little bit of technical issues. I don't know if I was calling him during the interview or his lasagna alarm Was going off. Yeah, this guy was having lasagna.

[Keith]

That is not a joke. He said it 50 times.

[Biz]

Garfield.

[Yancey]

So sometimes these guys might think they're coming on like a radio hit where it's 10, 15 minutes. Well, we want to dive into their careers and kind of get sidetracked into what's going on with the current state of affairs with the Buffalo Sabers and their run. So I think we had him for about an hour. By the time it was over, he just was like, I need to get to my fucking lasagna or I'm going to. I'm going to beat the shit out of you, you three fucking donkeys on the zoom call.

[Keith]

So at the beginning of the end, when. When he signed on right before we started recording, I was like, hey, you good for an hour 15? You know, just kind of throw that out there. And then hope, like, he'll stay even longer. He's like, ah, let's keep it to an hour, boys. Let's keep it to an hour. And then we're like, okay, okay. And then, you know, we took him longer than that, I believe. But the end of the interview, guys, it. It's a classic the way that this goes down. And I. I guess also the. I don't even want to spoil anything, but. But this is a key.

[Biz]

Started with, I'll give you an hour. I got a lasagna waiting for me.

[Keith]

He might have warned us off the hall. He's legit, Garfield. He's.

[Biz]

He said lasagna 37 times during the interview.

[Yancey]

Yeah. And. And Whit didn't want to burn it, so he.

[Keith]

He.

[Yancey]

He kept him for an hour and 30. That thing held dente.

[Biz]

Could you imagine if he went out there and it was all gone? If, like, everybody just ate it? They're like, oh, Rob.

[Yancey]

I would go on. I would go on a witness protection.

[Keith]

Yeah. I'd go to Tesoro Golf Club. Nobody.

[Rob Ray]

Okay.

[Keith]

Nobody's gonna get that joke.

[Yancey]

Side joke. That's where we're gonna be. The Bob Does. That was the track they took us to. And that will be the last of the four golf matches we did over the. The Olympic break. Did we get a lot done over the Olympic break, man?

[Biz]

More than the players.

[Keith]

I ran into somebody today at the. I was having lunch. He's like, any sandbaggers coming out or when are they coming out? I heard you guys talking about him, and I was giving him the lineup, and he was. The kid was fired up. Like, he's. He's most fired up for gruden. With Patty maroon and Ryan McDonald, which Gruden is so electric in that one. But yeah, there was like my snap count. No, I don't even think I gave him one. I was so scared at how he judged yours.

[Yancey]

Yeah, I, I just get. We made a big pot and I gave him one and he, he thought I was like a personal attack on him. Like maybe mocking the fact that he asks guys to do it so quickly. I, I went on the defense and said that was just out of respect, Coach. I. I don't want to mess with you.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

But yeah, we got some good ones coming out. And that Tesoro Golf Club, that was holy fuck, quite the track, man. The Taj Mahal of golf.

[Keith]

The. The where they.

[Rob Ray]

I'm.

[Keith]

I'm going to lay off the Sorrel Golf Club.

[Yancey]

No, I liked it.

[Keith]

What do you mean?

[Biz]

It's great.

[Keith]

Yeah. No, that booming, booming neighborhood community they have there, guys. La a disastrous season and they made the move. Jim Hiller fired D.J. smith will take over as the interim head coach for the rest of the year. Been a weird year in la, man. And if I'm, if I'm like reading the fans vibe, the frustration level stemming back to last year's first round, it. And D.J. smith, ironically enough, in his press conference, first press conference as the interim head coach brought up. I think that the loss last year and the way we lost, like, led into this year with this group. And for a coach to say that, it's kind of crazy. I like the honesty and how would it not. And I think the fans and I remember coming on in that playoff series and being like, I don't think this guy's like coming back. I don't think any of us did. And they gave him another chance. And it was the challenge on the Evander Kane goal in game. That was game three, I believe, right? Or was that game four? I don't even remember.

[Yancey]

But I was at the. That even aside with the, the, the gameplay in which when they were up and they were just sitting back and allowing Edmonton to walk all over him, it wasn't even hockey. I can't even describe it. It was basically just like retreat non stop. Like there was no type of systematic game plan to try to shut down McDavid, like maybe force him to one side a little bit sooner. They were just backing up. By the time that McDavid got to the blue line, they were basically already in defensive positioning.

[Keith]

Remember when he was going three?

[Yancey]

Yeah, that drill with Tip where the five guys in the D zone would already be set up and then the guy would just basically get the carry it in uncontested and then you'd start the D zone. That's what it looked like.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

And, and, but the thing is though is like regardless of that, that call and the goalie challenge and kind of the, the self implosion, I don't mind the fact that this guy got another opportunity, right? You can't just like all of a sudden the guy makes a mistake and boom, he's done. But I just really feel that, yeah, this team since then hasn't been able to recuperate. I feel like, and like I, I love Quentin by Field. I think that he's going to have an unbelievable career. You have to assume that there's maybe some also lingering effects to his game based on that. Like, you know, he hasn't been the player that I would have expected him to be this year with the lack of offense and maybe it's a little harder because all of a sudden for the first time in his career, I feel like Anze Kopitar is not the guy. And you know, obviously him knowing that announced his retirement. So now all of a sudden Quentin by Field's going to have harder and more difficult reps night in, night out. But yeah, man, I think it was time and go sticking with that point and the fact that it's Kopitar's last year, like I think this is a last ditch effort we make that they make that big trade. Basically it's one in, one out with Fiala going down.

[Keith]

That's what sucks because that's, I don't know if they make that trade with Fiala out for the year.

[Yancey]

I, yeah, I don't know either. But I like the, the opportunity that D.J. smith has to do in order to, to basically make, make it a fun environment, make Kopitar's, you know, last whatever it is, 20, 25 games and hopefully they end up making a run to where they get into playoffs. Make it enjoyable and make it a, A, you know, a team bonding experience and hopefully they can rally around it with a players coach like D.J. smith. But it definitely has been a, a big disappointment in, in the moves that Holland made in the off season and hoping that they would find themselves in a better position.

[Guest Analyst]

A few people have mentioned Elias Petterson potentially being Delta la. Do you guys like that? What do you think of that? They have space right now with the Fiale a fake.

[Keith]

Elliot Friedman broke a trade to Detroit today that I believe like articles. Articles were then written on A website? No, it was Elliot Friedman and then it was his Twitter handle, but instead of hnic, it was H I N C. It look, I was staring at it like, ah, like how. What is. What is different here?

[Yancey]

Better than getting busted by Fran. I got. I got fronked. The last.

[Keith]

You got fronk? Sarah Vallied franked.

[Yancey]

I got frogged. But here's the thing though, is Vancouver with. There's said they're not interested in retaining any salary from Pedersen.

[Keith]

Then they're not trading them.

[Guest Analyst]

Well, LA could make it work. They have 13.3 million.

[Yancey]

Yeah.

[Keith]

LA's waiting for two years from now when they have the chance at McDavid or Matthews. Like, they're not. If LA took the. The Elias Patterson situation is. It's incredible to me what's happened to this guy. I remember watching this guy early in his career being like, this guy is unreal. He plays with pace. He's a game changer. He could score. Great setup guy, like, I don't know what's happened. I don't get it.

[Biz]

I.

[Keith]

It's. It. It's one of the, the craziest like career downfalls as of right now that I can ever remember. Like, you don't go from 100 point player to what we're seeing right now from him.

[Yancey]

Listen, he's not playing with. He doesn't. I feel like when Horvat left, something changed. Definitely a regression, but he isn't exactly snapping it around with like elite, elite talent right now.

[Keith]

I know, but buddy, there was a time when it like, he was that elite, elite talent that could.

[Yancey]

His own line driver, his own guy.

[Biz]

And yeah, yeah, if you're making that much money, you need to be a line driver. You need to be a guy. You'd be like, hey, we can put anybody, like a Barkov. You can put anybody with him. A guy like that, where will he ever get 90 points again?

[Keith]

Biz, he's got 35 points right now in 51 games, dude, I think he

[Yancey]

could get back up to 80, 90 points. I think he needs to throw some players. He's playing with. Who is it? He's playing with Evander Kane, who they're probably playing with Pedersen to try to elevate his trade off.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

And then Jake the Brusque, who. I think it's. You know. But right before the Olympic break, he was actually a healthy scratch and that might have been first time since his like, rookie year or maybe the first time ever in his career. Now, as. As abysmal as it feels For LA and the firing of the coach. They have two games at hand right now and they're only four points back of Edmonton in that pathetic, pathetic Pacific Division. There's one team in the Pacific Division that has more wins than losses and that obviously includes shootout losses and that's the Anaheim Ducks.

[Biz]

Wow.

[Yancey]

This is. It's pathetic.

[Keith]

It's pathetic, but it's pathetic, buddy. The Vegas Golden Knights haven't beat a team that is in the playoffs since November.

[Yancey]

November 20th. Oh, shit.

[Keith]

Like every win since November 20th has been against a team who doesn't currently, at the time of the game, sit in the playoffs. So here's the thing about LA though, man. Like Fiala's done right now. Can DJ Smith and Biz, you said it, like, make it fun again, dude, Their style is so boring. There's no chance that guys are having fun playing that way, that, that type of hockey. Like let these guys free roll a little bit and looking at fans and kind of what they're saying, like, Brandt Clark is a puck moving, great skating defenseman. Start playing the shit out of him, dude. He doesn't play enough, right? Like at one point this year, I think Kempe was. They had a five forward power play. He's playing, he's running the power play like where a defenseman is. And it's like get that guy on the top of the circle where he can release his one timer. And it's just there's been so much there that doesn't make any sense now. It's not all the coach like you go to Holland, they gave left, he wanted to leave. And then they traded Jordan Spence, who's pretty good player, to Ottawa for like a third rounder. And they brought in Dumoulin and Cece, like that's, that's a downgrade on, on both, both those guys, right? Like that's two defensemen out that are way better than two defensemen that are currently there. So it's not all in the coach, but their style. You have to make guys enjoy coming to the rink, give them a chance to go out and score some goals. Boys, LA is third in the league, third worst in the league. They've won 15 games in regulation. The only reason they're even in consideration for the playoffs is, you know, getting to overtime, getting that point. So I don't, I don't, I don't see them getting in. And if they get in, like, oh, good luck, you got Colorado.

[Yancey]

They have 14 overtime or shootout points. Like 14. That's fucking gnarly. I don't I don't even know if there's another team, actually. You know who else is in the same division as Vegas who have been to. I think that Vegas leads the league in amount of shootouts they've been in. And I want to say they're like one in eight and they can't win them, which is. Which is a little bizarre.

[Biz]

But do you think this is a last ditch effort to like, hey, guys, this is Kopitar's last year. We got. We got to figure something out. Like, you think they make any moves to get players? I know the Pedersen thing, I agree with you with. I don't think that happens. I think they're crazy to do that deal, to be honest. But, like, you got to bring some. If you're trying to make the playoffs for Kopitar's last year, for all he's done for your organization, do you bring in some guys?

[Yancey]

I was actually surprised, given the fact that Hiller's probably not making much money, that they didn't try to maybe bring in deboer. Maybe he didn't. Doesn't want to go there because he doesn't see them as a team that's going to be competitive in the next few years after Kopitar retires, like you would imagine.

[Keith]

I'm surprised that they didn't fire him sooner. And if you'd fired him in the off season, which biz, I get it, like, you know, saying a guy should have been fired because of one playoff series, I think some fans would have agreed with that. But I understand they bringing him back. But look at what, look at what's happened with Columbus now. It's been brutal for Columbus. They were the hottest team in the league. They've struggled a little bit since the Olympic break ended, but look at the run they went on. Like, if they changed coaches in early January, maybe it's different. It just seems like too little too late. And if they'd fired him in the summer, Marco Sturm had been with them forever. Yeah, right. He's coaching their AHL team. Look at what he's done with Boston. Would he have not wanted to stay with la? Like, that could have been an option. So there's all this Monday morning quarterback going on from us and everyone else, but LA's prospect, like, aren't great either. So it's almost like, all right, yeah, like, are we going to try to get in. It's Kopitar's last year. Or are we going to maybe unload some guys and try to get some prospects back into our organization and retool that way. That to me is smarter now. That sucks for Kopitar. You know, like, what is the decision? Are we looking towards the future? Are we trying to help him one more year get into the playoffs, which they'll get smoked by Colorado.

[Yancey]

So going back to, going back to G's comment about LA having enough cap pay cap space for Pedersen, you have to imagine by the time that, that Matthews would be available, would, would doubt he be off the books. Because I want to say that Doughty makes 11 million, so that might matter too. Right. They're going to have Kopitar coming off the books, which I think he makes 6 million this year. Then all of a sudden Doughty comes off the books and, and then really your only lengthy contracts that are heavy are, are Kempe and by feel in

[Guest Analyst]

27, 28 offseason, they're going to have 50 million cap space right now.

[Yancey]

Yeah. So maybe going back to your point G about them going. The thing is, is, is if you're not, if you're not retaining any salary, it's just like maybe, maybe the price is a little bit less than like, what do you think? What do you think they would have to send back a guy like Brandt Clark?

[Biz]

No, no, no, no.

[Guest Analyst]

I think by Fields would, I think by Fields would have to go back.

[Yancey]

I don't know.

[Biz]

No, I feel like if they're gonna get rid of Peterson, it'd almost just be like, hey, take them, take them.

[Rob Ray]

Same here.

[Keith]

Like, just take this contract, please. Like obviously a first rounder, a couple picks.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, okay.

[Biz]

Hey, you know, you know how you mentioned that they need to bring back some fun? You know that that's what's going on in that locker room. When they bring in the big fella, Matt Green to coach the D, that means they need more. He's fun the D. So they need more fun. And he will bring that watch. He'll be such a vibes guy. They'll go on a 10 game heater.

[Yancey]

Yeah, yeah. There'll be also after practice, bellied up at a bar, grabbing lunch with routine six pack.

[Keith]

They win 20 in a row, get in as the eighth seed and do what they did with Greener when they

[Yancey]

just crushed the whole.

[Keith]

I know they won the cup in like 17 games.

[Yancey]

That's when they worked us.

[Keith]

But I, I, I think this week's exciting and what I'm pumped about is I feel like in, I don't know, maybe the last three, four years, we've gotten to the deadline day and everything's already kind of happened. Nothing's happened yet. Well, I mean, we had Kulak. That was a decent sized move for. For Colorado to make going from over from Pittsburgh, I guess last year we had Marshawn at like 310 almost after deadline. That was exciting. But so far, Olympic break changed a lot of that. So Friday we got a very special game notes extravaganza. They do this live from one to, I think 4:00 Eastern. I'll be tuning in. Biz. You'll. I'll be there. I'll get on the show for a little bit. Maybe Keith will be able to. If he's around. Biz, you're going to be at sportsnet, right?

[Yancey]

Yeah, Yeah. I would assume that Army's going to be there and doing it out of the office like he was last year.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah, that's the plan. Army. Army will be having you guys. He'll have his phone, so he'll have a bunch of you guys pop in on the set when you guys are in your breaks.

[Yancey]

My biggest dream for. For. Well, of course, TRO check going to Minnesota was one of them. I would love to see Detroit somehow get Robert Thomas.

[Keith]

Pinky's up.

[Biz]

I got a big one. That's going to happen, I think.

[Keith]

Whoa, whoa.

[Yancey]

What do you got for us?

[Biz]

Dallas Stars trade Robinson, Roberts, Robertson. Because to the Ottawa Senators for Brady Tkachuk. Think about it, Biz. Think about it.

[Yancey]

This.

[Keith]

If this happens at the deadline that I think you're not.

[Yancey]

Brady's out.

[Biz]

They got to do it.

[Yancey]

Brady's out.

[Keith]

And, and, and Biz Austin's out of there, too.

[Biz]

Sagan. Sagan's contract off the books. That opens up the money for. For Brady to come in. And if you have to get rid of Robinson, whatever.

[Keith]

What's his name?

[Yancey]

Robertson. He's got a brother Neck who plays in Toronto.

[Keith]

And then legit Jackie Robinson Jr. In Keith's mind.

[Yancey]

I love it.

[Biz]

What's the difference? Robertson. Robinson. So you're saying.

[Keith]

Yeah, a couple R, O, B, I, N, S O, N. It's R O, B E, R, T, S, O, N. Robertson.

[Biz]

Okay.

[Keith]

Vowels change.

[Biz]

You know who I'm talking about? I. I think it. I think it has, like, Jim knows. Jim knows an animal. I think he goes out and does it. Like there's been talks about moving Robertson for how many years? Like it seems like two years now. Like, why not do it now? And then you can get a guy like Brady.

[Yancey]

It's weird that they haven't already locked him in. That's, you know, Based on what he's done and it seems like there's a. A lot of back and forth to. To agreeing on a number and you touched on it. I think it's inevitable that. That Brady Tkachuk ends up in the United States. I think that what that a lot of the American guys dealt with after winning it and showing pride in their country. Like the way that you know, hey, listen, if you're a Canadian media person and that's how you want to handle your business, no problem. But once McDavid's deal up and he's out in Canada more than likely. Okay. Then does dry side will follow and then you got Brady Tkachuk.

[Keith]

Who's.

[Yancey]

What do you mean you think that

[Keith]

we were talking about Brady and Austin?

[Yancey]

Well, I. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I thought it was. You were the guy who got this text from st. Are you doing stuff's dirty work now?

[Keith]

No, no, no, no, no. Stop. And I have made up stuff and I are as tight as we've ever been right now.

[Yancey]

I. Okay. What do you. What do you think the probability in three years from now that Brady Matthews and. And Conor are playing in Canada?

[Biz]

0% I think.

[Keith]

I think that Connor will be there till 2037 and end up winning like three cups with the Oilers.

[Biz]

Okay. So no more Detroit. No more Detroit.

[Rob Ray]

No, no.

[Keith]

That was a big time mistake by me.

[Yancey]

Have your balls in a Mason jar on his mantle. What's going on here?

[Keith]

I think Austin Brady or Gonzo. I think Connor and Edmonton have just. It's just. It's just meant to be, man. It's meant to be. And, And I'll talk about Brady leaving. Yeah, he's gone. I'll talk about Austin Brady, the most

[Yancey]

likely of all of them.

[Biz]

I think it needs to happen right now though with all this shit he's had to deal with this year. Like if I was him I'd be

[Keith]

like, see ya now Dallas. Dallas is on fire, boys. They've won eight in a row. They got some special stuff going on there.

[Yancey]

The news Johnson set another record, didn't he? For the the most three consecutive 30 goal seasons under a certain age.

[Keith]

He is just a power play menace too. He's not a power play merchant as Pasha calls certain players in the league. But Wyatt Johnson is deadly on the power.

[Yancey]

He's the single season leader in power play goals in their franchise's history.

[Rob Ray]

Wow.

[Yancey]

Set that with. With 25 games to play in the season like beating guys like Mike Madonna and stuff like that. So they got a. They got a good One on their hands.

[Keith]

But Dallas, like, they've. Like I said, they're. They're on a roll right now. I feel brutal. For Sagan, that sucks because when did he tears acl. I think there was like, maybe there's a chance there's enough time he could come back maybe second round or something like that. But they look at it and say, listen, we're going to put you on ltir, which now means you're. You're out for the entire season. I did mess that up last week when I said this was the last year you can like sneak around it. You can't do it anymore. And Mark Stone got injured again, boys. I was like, oh, my God. I kind of forgot that you can't do it anymore. I don't know. Now I'm switching subjects here. The injury. Latang pushed him like, like a little kid, like. And he left the game. I don't know. I don't know what the hell happened. Okay, so Sagan heard his ACL on December 2nd. Now. Yeah, that's kind of. ACL is what, seven months minimum, right?

[Biz]

Unless you bark off.

[Yancey]

Yeah, unless you're. You're made in a lab.

[Biz]

But don't you think, like, especially like we were talking about Kopitar kind of last runs, you think of a guy like Jamie Ben, like, he's on the back nine. Like, I think Dallas needs to make a move this year. They've gotten close the last couple years. They know what they got to deal with in the, in the West. Like, could you imagine Brady Tkachuk on Dallas? We're playing against fucking Colorado in the second round.

[Keith]

Like, Minnesota doesn't want to see that happen.

[Biz]

No, I know. And they should go out and do it then.

[Keith]

I mean, if that happens, that would be. That would be maybe the most electric, dead 1%.

[Yancey]

Would you have Brady getting traded this year before the deadline at Yance?

[Biz]

Oh, I don't know.

[Rob Ray]

50.

[Keith]

No, no. I feel like I'm at like three. Three summer deal.

[Biz]

That's. That's such a big deal unless it's been talked about. But this is kind of all happened quickly with the. That he's had to deal with. I feel like too. And yeah, I don't know, probably 20%.

[Keith]

Brady good. Shock the. The Senators, by the way, like that poor team. I've said it all season. They should be sitting in like second place, if not first place in the Atlantic if they had remotely, remotely average goaltending like that. That's the one thing that makes me feel like he's Willing to kind of at least stick it out is like, we have a pretty good team here. Like, we just can't get a save. So as a Senators fan, you're watching these games, you're like, we're out playing teams and we just can't. We cannot get a save. It's so, it's so like. What's the word? Not debilitating. It's just like, oh, God damn, we just lost another one because our goalie sucked in.

[Yancey]

You're also trying to create a little momentum where last year they go up against Toronto in the first round. I thought it, it was, it ended in six games, right? But I thought that they like, they played just as good, right. I think three of the games ended up going overtime. So you're trying to build a little momentum and get these younger guys some playoff experience. So to halt that and then now all of a sudden, if they don't take a year off. Yeah, it just takes a lot of wind out of your sails as far as, as far as the group and that type of experience. So a bit of a kick in the dick.

[Rob Ray]

It's.

[Yancey]

It's probably only going to be Edmonton and Montreal for Canadian teams in the playoffs, boys.

[Rob Ray]

I know. Wow.

[Keith]

Crazy.

[Yancey]

What do you think about your Oilers since coming back from break?

[Keith]

Talk about not being able to get a save. Now people. People are at like, I keep bringing up the goaltending and then I get it. A lot of people, like, it's the defensive zone play, it's the D, man, it's nurse. It's like, yeah, I get it. No doubt that can be different. Dude, they just scored 17 goals on a three game California trip and went one and two like.

[Biz]

And. And they said they're not gonna look for a goalie. So the whole Bennington thing, that's not gonna happen.

[Keith]

So G in the outline has Elliott's quote saying apparently that he's been told and this is the Godfather, like, that they're kind of going with what they have. I, I just, I can't believe that. I can't believe it. ST was telling me that Jari hasn't been the same since he got injured. I think he got injured against Boston or in Boston. I don't remember when it happened. But dude, they went and traded Skinner and it just seems like. And boys, I was at the end like, all right, enough's enough. But fuck, man, they. They traded a guy who's like, basically the exact same, who makes way more money. It's like, now you're looking at it like what the hell is going on here? Like what, what.

[Biz]

What it was and who's won that trade so far?

[Keith]

Pittsburgh by a mile. By a mile.

[Biz]

Maybe.

[Keith]

So maybe it is.

[Biz]

Maybe it is the defensive zone in the. It's.

[Keith]

That's the argument. If you get is is it literally that Edmonton so bad defensively, no matter what goalie you have, you're going to just. You can't. You can't not give up six calls. I may. Maybe that's it.

[Yancey]

Maybe Matt Green can work for for them and LA played for both of them.

[Keith]

Let's give cough some time. But I I did get into a little thing online today about Evan Bouchard has been so ridiculously good this year. John Buccegots listed his Norris Trophy votes. I think he had Warrensky 1, Quinn Hughes 2, 0. Argument number three, he had Cale Makar. This season Evan Bouchard by every metric has been better than Cale McCarr. Now all these people are laughing at me. You idiot. You moron. Nice ears. I'm not saying he's better than Cale Makar. Cale Makar is a better player. If you offered Evan Bouchard for Cale Makar, the Colorado Avalanche would legit. They might spit in your face. They legit would just laugh you out of the building. They're not even close. Kale Makar is a better player this year. Evan Bouchard has been better. What happened was the start of Evan Bouchard's season was an absolute disaster. Like I think some of the worst hockey. I mean he was, he was going. He was going full Darnell. But it wasn't even Darnell. It was Evan Bouchard. And since November 1st, he's kind of been the best defenseman in the league. He's ninth in the league in scoring his points, everything. No, he's great on the pk. He gets out of his zone with ease. He's just been overall incredible. But what happens is the beginning of the season and the eye test people, they can't forget it. They can't get over it. But if you watch the Oilers consistently, you're realizing like this guy is a world class defenseman who also should have been on Team Canada with Schaefer. And I got no problem whatsoever saying that right now the top three of the Norris Evan Bouchard should be at the award show, whatever they do now for that. Ok, now the rest of the D via Zoom. The rest of the D. I don't know. Darnell got really snippy with the media the other day. Similar to the way Leon does.

[Yancey]

I thought it was a pretty cool reply to Speck.

[Keith]

Yeah, like, people considered. People considered him, like, getting a little defensive there.

[Yancey]

No, I thought he. He's like, legit. He spec. Asked, he goes, yeah, could you say that? You're fighting it? And he's like, yeah, that's fair. That's all he said back. I actually commend Darnell on his restraint. And I'm a. I'm a big, like, Darnell guy in a sense of. Of like the, like his character and who he is in that locker room. And that's probably why those guys have his back and they don't want him moving.

[Rob Ray]

All.

[Yancey]

All it's ever going to come down to is him making probably $2 million too much. That's it. That's all it's ever going to come down to.

[Keith]

And even when. Even with his salary, like, there's been plenty of times this season and throughout the course of the playoff runs, the guy's been phenomenal. Awesome when he keeps it simple. He's mean. He can skate. He's. He's money. Yeah, he makes a little bit too much money. That's not.

[Yancey]

Covid was the worst thing that happened to the Oilers because he played in the All Canadian division. And I want to say he had 20 tucks that year. And then they had to pay him. He had him by the balls. That was. Covid fucked him. Covid fucked him.

[Keith]

But you texted me, the Oilers. If you look back at the roster,

[Yancey]

a couple of years, I been beating this drum. I'll beat it till I'm to the death of me.

[Keith]

Dude. They. They had it.

[Yancey]

They had it.

[Keith]

They had it. Now they didn't have a goalie yet. And they've had fucking 11 years to get a goalie for McDavid, but they had. And now Savoy's. Come on. Nice. This guy's money. Awesome player. Great defensively, starting to score more. But if you look at Ryan McLeod right now in Buffalo, this guy is money. This guy is unreal for the Sabers.

[Yancey]

So I was loved in that Oilers locker room. Like, he. I. I just. I heard. I heard they loved him. I heard he liked, like to have a few pops and he was just a funny bastard and they loved him and he just gelled with the group. And even, like, I was a big Fogo guy last year, I want to say he was one of the best five on five goal scorers in the league with la. And then obviously the bro. We can keep beating the Broberg Holloway till we're we're blue in the face, but I. I just really felt that they had the winning formula. They go to game seven, they lose by a goal, and then turnover. And then last year, turnover, and then more turnover. Just too much. Too much. How much turn. How much turnover was there in Florida after they fell short to Vegas?

[Rob Ray]

They.

[Biz]

They brought in.

[Keith]

I feel like they did a lot

[Biz]

with the D. Yeah, I feel like every. They've done.

[Yancey]

They brought in all of.

[Biz]

They brought Oliver that next year. And then when did. Was Mika on the team when they lost to Vegas?

[Keith]

No.

[Biz]

No. So they brought him and Oel over.

[Yancey]

All that was was a patch. Felt like a little bit of a patch job.

[Biz]

Right?

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Keith]

They didn't fuck with the core. Now the Oilers haven't really either. It's been the fringe things. It's been the. Like, the Oilers have no third line center. And then you look at Ryan McLeod, you're like, oh, my God, imagine that guy's your 3C right now. But I don't know. I. I'll say this. If. If it finishes like it does right now, we will wax Anaheim. And then, okay, Vegas gets through, we'll wax them, too. So all of a sudden, we're back in the conference finals.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Keith]

Right. So I don't know.

[Biz]

Maybe they just look at it that way.

[Yancey]

One thing, if we want to move away from Edmonton, I feel like we don't talk about Utah at all. We did at the start of the year when they got off to the hot start, that they dipped. And then I feel like they're. They're doing a lot better. I heard they've been ultra aggressive on trying to bring in a big name. Ultra, ultra aggressive. I heard they were on. On in Panarin. I believe Elliot touched on that on tnt. So who do you think that they try to land here?

[Keith]

Got to be Robert Thomas.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Keith]

Because this name is now out there. Okay. I think it's insane that they would trade Robert Thomas. The return would have to be unbelievable.

[Yancey]

Makes 8 million bucks for how many more years?

[Rob Ray]

Makes nothing.

[Keith]

I know. And then Ste.

[Biz]

With Steam taking over next year, I'm sure he's gotta say initiative. Wouldn't he want a guy like Robert Thomas around? Like, he just seems like such a St. Louis guy, like a player. I don't know if it's because he's been there for a while, but, like, I don't know. He just seems like a guy I wouldn't want to get rid of. But if you do get rid of him, you're going to get a boatload for him. Like you said that that would be a. Like to add to that forward group with him, the way he plays. I think that would be an unbelievable, unbelievable deal. But that. That's another one that seems like a summertime deal too just with like the. How big of a name he is.

[Keith]

Dude. Thomas has five more years at 8.1. So he goes to Utah. TJ in LA. Gone right now. Maybe that's something where Steen's like all right, well if I'm building for two or three years from now, that's some. That's a player that's like okay, right. Like I got this guy. And it would be a lot more than that. But that's a super high pick with a ton of potential. Now I love the fact that Ryan Smith in Utah, he's a. Yeah. Every single insider saying that all they're. All they're hearing is how aggressive he

[Yancey]

is or they are the 10th guy on the bench in the NBA makes for the first first line center on every team does in the NHL. So he's probably laughing at these numbers.

[Keith]

Yeah, right.

[Biz]

Yeah, good point.

[Keith]

I can't wait to see what happens with Robert Thomas. The other. The other name is Kadri. So apparently I think three people, three high ups in Colorado were at the Flames game against. Maybe it was Anaheim. If he goes back there. That's what we said screwed him was when he. When he left there. Since they. Since they've lost him they just kind of haven't been the same in the playoffs.

[Yancey]

I feel like Brock Nelson though at this point is upgrade with the way that he's played and now that he's finally settled in. In Colorado. As Elliot also mentioned though is I don't feel like Calgary is interested in retaining money either. So it's like ah, well where, where. Where does Colorado go? I mean they can't have much cap space on the books. Who do you. Who do you get rid of the. The. The Gerard deal and getting him off the books probably helped them. Gee, help us out on cap space for Colorado and where everything I hear

[Keith]

says that like Ross Colton would be traded for like anyone.

[Yancey]

I like his wheels.

[Keith]

I know, I know. I think he went pretty cold this year. Army put him out as a slump buster and I think he scored the next game. Army's a magician with that.

[Guest Analyst]

They currently have 9.8 million cap space so they do have some money here to make a deal.

[Biz]

But biz, you talk about Nelson being a good fit there and he's been awesome Especially this year. But Nas in the playoffs, the way he plays, he keeps other teams. Like, you don't want to play against a guy like that because he might cross check you in the face. He's got that, you know, screw loose where something in playoffs where you need a guy to do something, he's going to do it. Yeah, like that's a home run.

[Rob Ray]

Well, fuck.

[Yancey]

Might as well have all three of them.

[Keith]

Well, biz, it's, it's apparently you, you're a Maple Leafs guy. Scotty Lawton could be on Colorado. That could be a guy that they go out.

[Yancey]

That would be a good. Yeah, that would be.

[Biz]

I mean, yeah, that's like a Cogliano when Cogs was there, that type of player. Yeah, that's, that'd be a vibes guy.

[Yancey]

He's a vibes guy. Toronto is. Yeah, they gotta. I'm hearing all of Reckman Larson's name being thrown out there just because he's also got term. I look at him like a Carlo deal where somebody's licking their chop saying, I could bring in this guy as a number four. I want to say he's locked up for what, how many more years? Under 4 million and, and you got, you got a guy like it's, it's, it's not just a plug and play for the rest of the year. So I would imagine his return could be nice. McMahon and. Yeah, but if they're going to blow

[Biz]

it up in Toronto, why not just blow it up and.

[Yancey]

Well, yeah, I, Unless you're getting the proper returns. I wouldn't because I think that Oliver is a great player. I think that Scott Lawton. I just don't know what Scott Laden's asking for. What is. He's probably got Toronto by the balls in the, in the sense of what he brings to their locker room. Is he asking for three and a half, four million bucks? Is a. As a third, fourth line center? Like, what's he asking for? So Toronto situation is very interesting. I'm going to get to see them play tonight in Toronto against Mechkov in the Flyer. So I'll be clocking Mechkov's ice time. I'll be locked in. Yeah, I'll be locked in.

[Keith]

Is this the first time you've seen Mechkov play live?

[Yancey]

No, I got to see him between the benches in Buffalo.

[Keith]

Oh, yeah.

[Yancey]

And that's where I was. He was getting muscled off pucks and stuff like that. So I'm, I'm, I'm interested. I'm. He had a Good hot start. I think he had a two goal game the other night, fresh out of break. So he's, he's doing his best Shaffer impression right now.

[Biz]

What did, what did. I know you don't fish for it, but what did talk say about him today when you saw I did.

[Yancey]

I. I had to leave to come record the podcast.

[Biz]

I'm just kidding.

[Yancey]

Oh, we did game tape with him in the room. I sat there, me and Meech.

[Keith]

Hey, I'm gonna bring in this buddy of mine.

[Biz]

Yeah, he's a translator.

[Yancey]

You ever seen one of these? Mechkov is a laser pointer. All right. All right, roll the clip. See this?

[Keith]

Before we get to Rob Ray, guys, I want to talk about Buffalo. I think Buffalo is one of the best teams in the NHL. How crazy is that to say they bring in a new GM and all of a sudden they are a complete wagon? Like, not like, hey, we're going to say a wagon and drop T shirts. Then they're going to lose 36 games in a row. We're talking 21, 5 and 2 in their last 28 games since December 1st, first in the NHL with 52 points. First in wins with 25. Outscoring teams at 5 on 5, 82 to 59. The Olympic break ended. They've won three in a row, including back to back Florida. Tampa. They worked over Tampa. Vasilevsky I think was 17, 0 and 1 in his last 18 games. They run him out of the game. They shut down Kucherov. It was just. It's been a clinic. It's been something that nobody saw coming. I don't even care if you're a die hard Sabres fan, you didn't see this coming. Tage Thompson is a machine. Alex Tuck is a machine. I think it's quite obvious to everyone, Yarmo comes in there, I don't give a shit. If we can't sign Alex Tuck before the deadline, we are not trading him. We believe we could beat anyone. They're not even dead to rights to win the Atlantic. Yes, they're behind Tampa and Tampa has games in hand. But Tampa goes to Buffalo for two more games this season. They win both of those in regulation and continue this run. We could look at an Atlantic division winning Buffalo Sabres team. They come back home tonight. As you're listening on Tuesday, they got Tage Thompson towels with gold medals and USA logos everywhere. He said these are the atmospheres and the, and, and the buildings you dream of playing in as a kid. I think we're looking at 2006 playoff hockey type fives Tuesday night in Buffalo.

[Yancey]

Oh, yeah. And on top of that, they had the leading amount of, of people watching that gold medal game. The Buffalo region led the way. That's a, That's a hockey town. That's a hockey region. And wow, they're. They're on fire right now. So. All thanks to you saying they have 0.0% chance of making the playoffs.

[Keith]

You're welcome.

[Biz]

0.0.

[Yancey]

Do you think that. Do you think they should be forced to rehire Kevin Adams if they win the Atlantic?

[Keith]

If they win the Atlantic. You can't bring him back in because the vibe since he left. But if like payroll somehow won the cup, like he's on the ice, right? Like, hey, Kevin, like we could clinch the stand.

[Yancey]

I think you got. You have to give him a ring. That's non negotiable.

[Keith]

But. But it's kind of like on a way different situation because he did a lot more for Buffalo than I did for Pittsburgh. I didn't want to ring. I didn't want to bring. Now maybe he does because he built the team, right? I was just traded. See you later. Chris Kunitz comes in. I didn't want a ring, if they ever even offer one. I think baseball does. I don't believe hockey does. But he built this team. I just. Man, watching them play is crazy. And talk about, talk about tanking and talk about being bad to get first overall picks. Rasmus Dahleen is a first overall pick. Everyone knows that. Has reached a level that I think everyone saw coming. When the kid was 16 years old, you start hearing about him. He was so good in the game against Tampa. Do you see the goal he scored? It was fucking unreal. Sick. And then even at one point, Braden Point 2 handed him over the skates, right? And that Austin comes in, little Swede comes in, kind of drops the gloves with point. Point hits him with like one like kid goes down points like sitting there cocked and ready. He didn't even do anything else. But, buddy, you got a little Swede coming in to protect his captain. Another Swede who's one of the best defensemen in the league. It's just, it's, it's awesome. It's. It's so cool to see they have a kid that's playing D there. That's Zach Metza, I hope I'm saying his name right. Undrafted, played at Quinnipiac. I was reading some quotes by him. He's like, whether it was fair or not, like the beating that this team has taken from the fans and the media the past few years. It's just so cool to see now how everyone is so happy at the rink. You guys remember on the losing teams going into the rink, boys. Oh, in Edmonton, minus 37 degrees, 4ft of snow, and we've lost 11 in a row. Good morning, guys. Like, that was like 14 years of Buffalo doing that and now you're at the rink and you're just this kid's like, selfishly like, I'm just so happy to be here. I'm, you know, bottom, bottom pairing guy, but playing well. And it's just incredible. Like, the vibes around here are unbelievable. And their fans deserve this. Their fans should thank me. 0.0. Pinky up. And now we're going to get to talk to Rob Ray about a team that he's watched all these years, boys. And he described some painful, ugly days and what he's seeing now and how cool it is. So we'll throw it over to him. We talk sabers at the beginning and we talk his career after. And it's electric, I promise you. So pinkies up, Rob Ray.

[Biz]

Lasagna.

[Yancey]

Lasagna, baby.

[Keith]

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[Yancey]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler. New York.

[Rob Ray]

Call 877-8-HOPE and wire.

[Yancey]

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[Rob Ray]

of Boothill Casino in Kansas. Wager tax pass through may apply in

[Keith]

Illinois, 21 and over in most states.

[Biz]

Void in Ontario, restrictions apply.

[Rob Ray]

Bet must win to receive bonus bets

[Biz]

which expire in seven days.

[Yancey]

Minimum odds required for additional terms and responsible gaming resources.

[Rob Ray]

See DKNG CO Audio.

[Biz]

Limited time offer.

[Keith]

It's long overdue biz. We finally got this guy, Rob Ray. You think of Buffalo Sabers, you think of a tough, tough man.

[Yancey]

Oh, yeah.

[Keith]

Playing a long time in the NHL. Rob Ray, thanks for joining the show.

[Rob Ray]

Hey, no problem, gentlemen. Pleasure. It's an honor. It's an honor.

[Keith]

Oh, it's an honor for us. It's an honor for us.

[Yancey]

I would not want to see this guy at a top super supermarket back home, kind of muscle you for a little bit of space in the aisles. You wouldn't be wanting to battle through one of. What do you call those tickets?

[Biz]

My avocado.

[Yancey]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. How you doing, Razor? What a secret ground.

[Rob Ray]

It's been great, man. It's season's been awesome for us. You know what, you guys, it's like doing this stuff to sit there and actually have something positive to talk about for so long. And, you know, there's something. I just sit there and I look at Dan. I go. We go to commercial and it's like, are we being too positive here? Is this really kind of happening? And, you know, you don't want to get yourself too caught up in it, but, hey, they've done it long enough now that, you know, you. They got us convinced, so hopefully the fingers crossed, you know.

[Keith]

So I made the big mistake. I'm the fool. I was out there saying, 0.00% chance they make the playoffs, but I'm very happy they've turned around because I want Buffalo to be back in the mix. I remember that team, you know, I think, was it 06 and how crazy it is, and the teams you played on, do you believe even earlier this year when they were just looking bad again, did you still think it could turn around like this?

[Rob Ray]

No.

[Keith]

Okay.

[Rob Ray]

Honest. You know why? Because it was. There was really not a ton change on the team. It was a lot of the same guys who got off to, like, an 03 start, and you're like, here we go again. And, you know, it's early, but the only thing that kind of maybe caught your. Change your mind a little bit is we'd play Dallas. We played good teams. Colorado play them hard. We win some of those games, and it was like they got it in them, but it doesn't happen all the time. And. But I think they realized themselves, too, that they could play with the big dogs when they had to, and it was just a matter of becoming a little more consistent.

[Keith]

Yeah, I. I think the team's just like, it. It looks so fun to watch now. Right? Like, it's a great product. They're exciting, they're young. I just. We said earlier, like, I feel bad for Kevin Adams a little bit because he built this team, and I don't know if you think a new GM and.

[Biz]

And.

[Keith]

And Yarmo coming in actually, like, made a difference with the way they played.

[Rob Ray]

Well, their success this year has got nothing to do with Jarmo or the way they're playing or anything. It's all. I did it this summer. I was in Italy this summer, and we're at the. I saw The Pope like, 10ft from me, and I'm standing there with my daughter, and I yell at him. It's really quiet, right? When this. He's driving around in this truck and he's blessing babies and that he's like, 10ft from me, and I'm standing there with my daughter, and it was quiet, and I yelled, pray for the Sabers. We need all the help we can get. And he looked at me, smiled and waved, and he took off. So I'm taking. Taken credit for okay,

[Yancey]

how much of that actually happened? Were you over there or no?

[Keith]

All of it. Every 100%.

[Rob Ray]

I was like. My daughter goes to me, she goes, you're such an idiot.

[Yancey]

Why would you say that?

[Rob Ray]

And I'm like, there's nothing in my life I need help with. The only thing that struggled in my life is to save her. So that's all I could think about. And she's like, you're such an idiot. And I go, look, honey, we get paid by the game, okay? And she thought about it for a second. She goes, I guess it wasn't so bad after all. So we walked away, and then that was the end of it.

[Biz]

And the Pope's American too, so that's good vibes.

[Rob Ray]

Understood what I was saying? Yeah, understood everything.

[Yancey]

Like, Pope. Yeah, Pope, I've been polishing turds for 10 years. Can you please break this curse? I want to say something positive.

[Keith]

Give me a playoff game check. Pope.

[Yancey]

Yeah. From this season standpoint, though, there were struggles off the hop. Do you pinpoint like one moment or. Or. Or one thing that. That might have sparked it and where they kind of caught that momentum and positive thinking.

[Rob Ray]

You know what it was? We were on a six game trip, 14 days. We started in Philly, we lost, but it was. It was a chaotic game. A lot of stuff went on in that game. You know, challenge calls, all that. Then we go to. Where'd we go? Winnipeg. Same thing. It was just a frustrating game. And then into Calgary, and that was kind of like, oh, my God. And we lost all three of them, the first three games on the trip. And the guys kind of got together. There was a lot of rumblings that Kevin was going to be replaced when we got back. And the guys, I give them credit as a group, you know, they're like, enough's enough. All of a sudden now the general manager is going to be changed. And, you know, this is on us. And, you know, they, amongst themselves, they figured it out and said that we're the only ones that can change this. And I give them credit. I give the credit. The leadership group in the room, they've, you know, got to that point, realized it, figured out what needed to be done. The very next night, they go in and Edmonton play really well. Then on the Vancouver and Seattle, they win all three. General manager gets fired when we get home. And, you know, Yarmo, good guy. I don't know if you guys know him, but super good man. He went in and said, look, keeping it simple, this is what I expect. This is what I want you to do. If you're not going to do it or you're not willing to do it, then he won't be here. And I think those guys kind of came away from that and to go, oh man, he's got a plan and he's a leader and that's all it took. They were convinced that, you know, what was going to happen or if there was anything changed there, that he was going to be doing the right thing. He was on their side and, and he's very blunt. He's right out and tells you exactly what, you know, what he expects. And they bought into it.

[Yancey]

Norris coming back was obviously huge. Doan panning out the way that, that he's panned out has obvious huge trade. But the, when I saw that team play live, when I was there, it was the back end that I was blown away by because I think that Samuelson has kind of reached this like top level potential of what they expected when they gave him that long deal. Bo Byam is starting to look like the guy that they expected in, in Colorado and obviously you got Darlene. And I was even pretty impressed with power. Even though he's been taken off the power play, I feel like even he's got getting a little better. So I really felt like the engine that was driving him was that back end.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, and I think that they realized that over the summer and they really concentrated on it, on, you know, working with those guys a little more. Sammy, I'll tell you, for him, I swear the big thing for him is healthy, you know, for, for two, three years now, he's battled stupid little injuries and take him in and out of the lineup, but he was never healthy. And now, you know, he's playing more physical. He's closing gaps quick, he moves the puck quick, he's being more physical, you know, all over the place. He's jumping up on the plays, coming up with. So his confidence is through the roof. But it just comes down to he's healthy, he can play the game that he has to play. You know, Dahls has been, you know, great for us once again and he's gone through an awful lot and he's still being able to play at the level I give him credit. You're talking power. Power has played better in the last two months than he has probably since his rookie season and, you know, more confidence getting up in the play, picking and choosing when to get up in the play. He's, he's doing such a good job of, you know, offensively getting back when he has to. You know, there's still defensively a little bit sometimes, but he's. His game is raised 10 levels, you know, from where it was even at the beginning. And Bowen Byram, Bo is such a good guy. If you ever have a chance to meet him, he's so down to earth, but he's a guy that keeps everybody on their toes. He's there. He's kind of the guy that he's not going to the, you know, the ass kits are in the room. He's a guy that's going to call it spade a spade and, and you know, he lets guys know, but he backs it up with his play on the ice. Even when Dolls was gone, you know, him running our number one power play, he's been fantastic. So, yeah, a lot of good things there. And then, you know, once you get everybody else healthy, you still got Timmins and Kesseling, these guys that, you know, have been kind of in and out, and Timmons will be a bit. But Kesseling's back now, so you. You got a pretty solid back end that not only defensively now, they're, they're. They can jump up in the play and create an awful lot, but. But the physical side is. Is where that we were kind of lacking, and they've really picked that up.

[Biz]

What about Lindy? Like, I know when he got hired there was some questions about it, and I know you had him, like, what do you see what he does for this group? Because, you know, the new wave age. Wave of kids not coached the way I'm sure Lindy coached you.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, no, totally different. And I actually played a little bit with Wendy, and then, you know, him coming back as a coach, and so you knew him pretty well. And when he came back and as a coach, you. You kind of have a good feel for what he was going to be like, and he did a good job and. But I think the biggest thing for him and even talking to him about it is when he. When he left us and then he was assistant coach, you know, in a couple different places, and, and he learned how to start dealing and communicating better with the younger guys. And I think as a head coach, you don't do that quite as much. But when he was in that assistant position, he kind of, you know, he had to. He learned how to deal and talk to the guys, and sometimes maybe he didn't, you know, communicate quite the same way as the head coach when he first started. But now he gets it. He gets that he's got to be you know, you may treat me different than you and the next guy and the next guy. Everybody's not the same. And, you know, I think he's got a really good feel of, you know, how to get to these guys, how to get the best out of them. You know, he tries to be fair, but he's still hard and, you know, in practice and demanding and all this kind of stuff that, you know, he has the respect from them. So I think more than anything, it took a bit for a young group maybe to understand a little harder coach, a little more direct, a little more demanding. And a lot of those guys never have ever experienced that before. Like, you know, most of those kids, when they come from wherever they came from, they had a coach that pat him on the back, you're the greatest thing in the world, you know, keep doing what you're doing. You know, once it got to him, he is not quite that same guy. So, you know, they had to learn how to deal with it as well. But done a great job with these guys.

[Keith]

Now part of wanting Buffalo to be good again, like I mentioned, is, is remembering the crowds in the playoffs and when, when they are good and, and how the fan base is that passionate. I'm like wondering, do you, is it harder for you because you remember the days, right? Like, you remember the big games you played in there. So it's like, I, I, there's 25 year olds that have, they haven't, they haven't seen them in the playoffs since they were what, 10?

[Rob Ray]

Well, my kids, 17. You've never seen them.

[Keith]

Yeah, so it's like, you know, it's,

[Rob Ray]

it's a whole generation of, of kids, you know, in our area that have never really experienced that, you know, that playoff fever that do the asm, the atmosphere and all that. So, you know, and even the guys on the team are talking, you know, we sit there as, you know, alumni's around a lot in our group. You know, these guys, we're involved an awful lot, you know, in town and, you know, you're with these guys an awful lot. So it's, you try to tell them what it can be like. And they're like, there's no way, you know, because the fans, you know, they, they, there's less and less people coming. They're getting on them when the power plays not working, they're letting them hear, you know, they hear it on the radio, social media. I'm like, no, you guys, as soon as you start winning a few games, man, it's going to be totally Different.

[Yancey]

It's.

[Rob Ray]

They'll be lining up to get this building. Sure enough, you know, the place is sold out all the time. Everything's positive. From the second they step on the ice, the place is going nuts. And so now they're starting to get a feel for what it's like. And then you're sitting there going, this is nothing. Wait till you get to the playoffs. Wait till you get this thing going. And then you really see. But you find guys after. Every night after the game, you know, they're. They're commenting on the crowd, how great the crowd was, how great the crowd was, you know, so supportive this, that. And they've never experienced it before because you really never gave the fans too much to cheer about. Now that they're excited and happy about what's going on, they're. They're getting a feel for it, and they love it, and they're like, keep it going. So, you know, it kind of pushes them, too. We got a pretty good home record, and, you know, I think the people there have kind of shown them over the, you know, last. Well, probably three months that they appreciate what's going on, and when they do, it's. It's not a hard fan base to please. You go out there and work hard and effort and, you know, win a few games, they're all over it. So. But it is, like you said, that fan base there, when it's going and you get into the class, there's nothing better. I can remember back in 99 when we played Toronto in the conference final, I was like, this is the. Most. People are camping out on the streets for days, waiting for the game, and it was amazing. Putting on the games at the ballpark, and the ballpark's full of people and the games outside, the people that couldn't get in the building. There's 10,000 people outside my guys. You have no idea what it can be like then. Once you get to that point, man, it's like a drug. You just want it more and more and more. And now they're starting to get a little feel for it and see what it's all about. And it's. It's really excited. These guys.

[Yancey]

I'm sure the booze sales are pretty good.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, my God, the beer swords, you know, they're. They're going. They can't keep them in stock.

[Biz]

Do you. Do you think this break was good for this group? Or you think they're going to come out of it like, oh, shit, we wish we could have just, you know, not had the Olympics this year depended on Tage's health.

[Keith]

I guess. Now after that game, yeah, hopefully he's

[Rob Ray]

all right because, you know, that would be a huge, huge loss.

[Biz]

But he's all right.

[Rob Ray]

No, I, I think they're fine. You know what, I think we got some guys in our team that were, were playing and they weren't obviously on. It's like every team, you're coming out and you're going to have guys healthy now and everybody's going to be healthy for this last 25 game stretch. Hopefully they can, you know, keep it going to the end. But no, I think it's a team that has got a little taste of success and they want to keep it going. It's not like, okay, yeah, we did it. We proved everybody we could get ourselves in a good position and then take their foot off the pedal. I don't think the leadership group, and we got a pretty good leadership group in there that they're going to let that happen along with the coaching staff and I think hopefully they can pick up where they left off. You never know. But we're going to be healthy. We're going to, you know, get Norris back, you know, Benson and these guys all back. Greener should be close to coming back. So there's a lot of guys are going to be stepping back into that lineup that, you know, there's going to be competition amongst guys now to stay in the lineup. So I think everything pushes and points towards hopefully, you know, success when they come back.

[Yancey]

I mean, boys, I, as much as I want to talk about the Sabers now, I mean, we had John, because we want to talk about your career.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

And, and I'm so interested to hear on how you, you ended up carving out the career you did. Born in Sterling, Ontario.

[Rob Ray]

That's where I am right now, boys.

[Yancey]

Where. Whereabouts is that?

[Rob Ray]

Sterling. It's about two hours east of Toronto, just north of Belleville. Trenton, small farm town. I don't know, there's probably 2500 thou, 2,500 people here. When I was here, it was like 1200 people and it's, it's such a good spot in your. We went to high school and school and all that in belleville. It's like 20 miles away. But no, it's a, it's a great little town and I was the first guy to come out of here. Matt Cook was the second guy to come out of here to, to play

[Yancey]

a couple likable guys.

[Rob Ray]

And you know what? I'm, I'm at my sister's house right now. And he grew up in the house that I'm looking out the window right across the street. And it's like, that's how small town it is. Everybody knows everybody.

[Biz]

You're lucky it wasn't behind you because he would have hit you from there.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, I know he would have hit me from behind. Yeah, I know. It's like, Oh, no, Cookie. He always treated me well. He didn't hit me too bad, so he knew that. I appreciate the way he played, though. I appreciate the way he played. Yeah, we're not a high skill center.

[Keith]

Want a cup?

[Rob Ray]

We're a hard working center. Okay.

[Keith]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

So what, what got you into it? Like, were you Gold Glove boxing before you even got into hockey?

[Rob Ray]

No. Baling hay and working, man, that's all we do here. This is a farm town. This is what we grew up doing. My dad had a farm machinery dealership. We sold New Holland farm machinery. And it'd be in the middle of the summer and somebody come in and they'd say they're shorthanded. My old man would be telling me to jump the truck with Joe. He needs help at the farm. Boom. Jump the truck, away you go. You never eat lunch. But that's just the way it was. That's the way he grew up. And I was even playing in the NHL and you know, two weeks after I'm done playing, the old man would call and he'd go, hey, I need your help. Let's get home. And I'd go home and start working all summer and make my 200 a week and spend 800 in a bar on the weekend. And I'm like, this isn't working out too good, man. Like, it's so the math ain't. No, it's not. This is starting to cost me money coming home, so. But it was just a lot of fun, you know, and people here. I went to the rink today, skated with the kids and you know, I skate with my nephew's team tomorrow morning again and my son's here. We just go and hang out with them and you know, everybody at the ring thinks it's the greatest thing in the world, but it's, it's, it's such a great place to grow up and my kids love coming back here and it's where they learn to drive. Where my son, he goes, He's 17 years old and my, my brother in law sent him down to the liquor store today to grab my case of beer. Rolls in, no problem, ready to go, come home. Anything else you need. So it's just a cool spot.

[Keith]

Did. This is a random question, but when you were younger and your dad would say, hey, Rob, hopping his truck, going over and helping him out for the day, did you ever kind of give him the shrug or hang the head at all where he taught you? Maybe you're not going to do that again. You're just going to listen.

[Rob Ray]

I was scared to death of my dad. My dad's 85 years old. He's sitting out there, he can't hear anything, and he's drinking his Bacardi lime and water. And when he looks at you and I'm like, you need another one, dad? I'm still a little intimidated by him, so. No, no, no. You never questioned the old man.

[Yancey]

Is he the one who instilled obviously toughness in you too? Like even when you played, when he's like, like, what got you fighting?

[Rob Ray]

Well, fighting, I was just like in junior when I went to, I got left here at, I know, my bantam year and I went to Trenton to play junior B and that 14 year old kid. And you're playing 20 year old men and my very first tryout in Trenton and I could still see the guy, he was only like 5, 9, maybe 58 little guy. And I get in a fight with him and I'd never been in a fight in my life. And I go to the ice and he picked me up by the back of the shirt and the back of the pants and he threw me head first into the wall. And I go home and I'm like, Trenton's about 20 miles from here. I come home and I'm like, dad, this is what happened, boy, you gotta learn to defend yourself. And you know, just going from that point on and that was my first fight in hockey. But from there, you know, next year I played tier two in Whitby and I think I had 400 minutes of penalties that year. And we won like six games all year and it was just like, oh my God, it was hell. But three of us off that team made it to the NHL from a team that won six games when we were 16 years old and you know, off to Cornwall for three years and that's, you know, the OHL. Back then everybody fought. If you're 50 goals scorer, you still fought. Miners got draft five drafted after my third year of junior. That sense of the minors after training camp and John Van Boxmere was the guy, he's like, look, this is what they want. They think you might be able to do it. Are you interested in doing it? And I'm like 19, I'm like, hell yeah, you just show me. But I quickly find out John Ben Boxmere was the wrong guy to get fighting instructions. Scram. He'd never been in a fight in his life. And I ended up getting. Yeah, it would be. I ended up. I had 46 fighting majors that year, 446 minutes of penalties. And I bet you I won maybe two fights. Like I couldn't see out of my eyes from September to friggin, you know, the season was over. But I got. You were showing up every night. Yeah, but it was like these guys are like back then, 35, the 40 year old guys playing for their livelihood in the minors. They got a wife with 10 kids and you know, they weren't letting some shitty ass kid coming in and try to mess them around. There was, oh man, I just. There. There's so many guys down there that you were just like scared to death of, but yet you just kept doing it. Then you got a chance the next year to play. So it was all worth it. Once you got to the NHL, it was easy. The Miners were. It was hard, man. Yeah, those guys played for real. They, they played for real, man. Like you. There was no messing around. And when you're down, it's. You're getting a knee to the head, you're getting a finger in the eye, you're getting your mouth ripped open. And I think there was more injuries happened once you got to the ground because they were just animals.

[Biz]

Yeah. No cameras. But I, I was gonna ask you, is that like kind of with growing up and fighting in junior, is that kind of where you learned what the kids call nowadays thirst trapping? Did you always fight with no shirt on underneath so it would come off and all the ladies, ladies looking at you?

[Rob Ray]

No, guy, I was, I was single till I was 35. I got married at 35.

[Yancey]

So what a veteran.

[Rob Ray]

And I was in decent shape.

[Yancey]

You know, you were taking your tarp off.

[Rob Ray]

No wonder when you're at home, man, you get that shirt off and then roll it to the bar after the game. It was like pick and choose. Because it was like everybody was like, they loved it. And still I get these old ladies coming up to me at the rink, you know, they're 70 years old and they go, oh Rob. I remember when he used to take his shirt off and guys. And I was like, yeah, still. And I've asked because my son or my wife or kids will be with me. And I'm like, still got It. Hey, boys. I still got.

[Biz]

It's funny because I asked my friend from Buffalo.

[Yancey]

She.

[Biz]

I asked her, she's a big Sabers fan. I asked her if she had any questions and that was the question.

[Yancey]

No, I think I actually went to a game where you, you just stripped off at home. I. I was like, what the is this? And also they couldn't grab onto you, so they. There was nothing, There was nothing to grab onto. Like hockey fighters fight like kind of like a judo. Yeah. Your chest.

[Rob Ray]

Hey, back then, Ty and I. Ty and I were the two smallest guys doing that job for years. And you know, they're all huge. They were all big. So I don't know, I. It came off one night and I was like. And then I started using a goalie cut jersey. So again I have more room. And you couldn't get tied up and guy grab onto your arm. You know, they used to do to keep you from throwing punches by grabbing onto you by your bicep. So the bigger jersey, they weren't allowed to do that. So the jersey comes off a couple times and I'm like, that was pretty good. Then I cut all the straps off my shoulder pads and I had velcro on the caps and then hooked inside the jersey. So it literally put them on. It's stuck there. No straps on your elbow pads and everything. So they just, everything fell right off. And there was nights, man, you'd get some guys and all of a sudden they'd grab on, they'd give it a pull. They got the jersey and they looking at the jersey and everything and they're looking at me and their eyes are like popping out of their head and I'm like, yeah, I got you. Now it just starts rolling. But it was, it was more due to survival because, you know, you weren't always big enough to deal with some of those guys. And back then they fought, man, they like. It wasn't this stuff you see Today, like the 10 second throw, four or five punches you grabbed on to like Chris nyland or Marty McSorley or Jay Miller or these guys. You had to plan on going for a minute, two minutes sometimes. Toe to toe, pack of lunch and hard. So you had to try to find every advantage you could because or else you're going to be whipped around and you're going to be done. We had a trainer named Jim Pizzatelli. We called him the fight dude. And he would always anything to do with fighting, man, he used to give us robes. Every guy that was kind of a fighter guy he'd give him a robe, and mine had Sugar ray, you know, 32 on it. And he'd make a big deal about it, have a big presentation in front of the team and all this kind of thing. And so for us, it was like, gotta get a rope. Gotta get a rope. Guys that made the All Star team got them, and guys that fought got them. So when you got that robe, it was like, yeah, that was kind of your. Your. Your solidification of being a part of the group. So. And he. And he was always like, you know, he. He would do it in bad ways. Cause he'd be rolling into the other room. Like, I remember the night that Tony Twist got caught. Me, he had in the room the night that night. And he's like, a little Twister. Razor's coming at you, he's coming at you. And I was kind of, no, not friends with Twister, but I kind of knew him a little bit, you know, because, you know, over the years and, and, and him, we go at it and all of a sudden we line up and he looks at me and he's going, we're going to go. And I'm like, why? And he just. Puck drops. He starts going at me, hit me inside the face, knock my orbital bone up in my nose. My whole side of my face filled for air with nine days. And after the game, he's coming in, he's all concerned. He's coming in a room and he's like, doug, what? I go, what if. Like, what was that all about? And he goes, oh, your trainer said you were coming after me and all this kind of thing. And I'm like, pizza. From this day on, I'd hated that guy and I wanted to kill him every time I see him. But that. That's. It's part of it, you know? I guess.

[Keith]

No, that's not part of it. I. I've actually never heard a story like that.

[Rob Ray]

That.

[Keith]

I've never heard a story like that of the trainer going in and riding

[Rob Ray]

off, fighting them up, man.

[Keith]

Yeah, that's crazy. If your trainer had gone in and been like, hey, you ready tonight?

[Rob Ray]

Doing it. I don't mind you doing it. That you're stirring the pot and then

[Keith]

I give me the heads up to

[Rob Ray]

be ready for something.

[Yancey]

But Don King promoting before it even existed, did you kind of grow numb to it where you kind of just knew that you had to do it or every pregame nap, like, did you start getting, like, the tingling in the belly? Like, were you able to even nap day of the Games, like, how was that like for you?

[Rob Ray]

Well, no day of the games, night before was. It was brutal because you were always thinking about it. And. Yeah, yeah, the thing is, back then, too, it was such a part of the game, right, that the day before, the. The morning skate, the media, something like we were playing Toronto. I'd have more people around me wanting to know about a flight with Domi that night than Pat La Fontainer, you know, hashtag, you know, talking about the game, you know, and they. Because they put so much into it, so you couldn't get away from it. You couldn't get away from it. You just knew it was going to happen. It was just like, get it over quick. And I think most guys back then would do it, let's get it over with quick and just let it go and be. Be done with it. So you. That's why you saw it a lot early in games. Go and set the tone and. And away you go. But, you know, there was a lot of times too, like, John Muckler, love the man, loved him. But when we were at home, he'd be like, okay, Barney, Razor, Razor, Cruiser. And you put the five guys out that we had that could handle themselves, and he'd be like, get the building going, boys. And then the rest of the guys will take over after that. And so it was game plan to go out and, you know, puck drops, I get in the fun, puck drops again, Maisie or Barney get in a fight. And, you know, from that point on, you played the game. So. But it was used as a tool back then, too.

[Keith]

Yeah, it was just. It was so different then. Like you said, like, the, The. The aspect of not really, like, wanting to fight the guy at the time, it. That. Yeah, that to me has always been like, gee, and Biz talks about the anxiety. But when you came into league, I mean, you look at the numbers like you mentioned in the minors, you made it clear right away who was somebody that, like, was really intimidating to go against for the first time, or a guy you were excited maybe to fight for the first time as you came into the league.

[Rob Ray]

Well, Ty and I had fought through Junior anyway, so you kind of knew each other. But I think when you get in there and then you see guys and the herd of guys and watch guys like Joe Kosher, I was like, I don't know if I want to get a hold of this guy, because all you'd hear is, you know, his hands, this and that. And I'm like, All of a sudden you get locked in with Him. And he hit me so hard one night in New York, I think that my eye was shut before his hand left my face. You know, he just hit so hard that, you know, there was guys that you just, you know, Marty McSorley, another one. It was just like, you know, you know, it was probably one of the toughest guys I thought was Paul Lohsh. Remember Paul Loess?

[Keith]

Yep. D man.

[Rob Ray]

Played in Florida. Florida. Oh, my God. He hit me one night right square in the forehead, and my helmet exploded. Honest to God, it popped all the screws out of the helmet, and it was laying there in two pieces on the ice when we were done, that's how hard he punched. So. But you know, you know what? There was your guys. Yeah. Dave Brown was a guy that, you know, as I got going, I got a little more comfortable that it was like, I want to fight this guy. I just want to see. Because you heard so much about him. And we're in Philly one night and it ended up happening, and I. We're squaring off, and all I can hear is John Muckler over my shoulder. Razor, don't do it. Don't do it. And I'm like, too late now. We're into this one. And we got into it, and I caught him with one near the end, and he kind of just, you know, stopped and he grabbed on and he's like, that's enough. And I'm like, I could do it, you know, and it was great.

[Keith]

Okay.

[Rob Ray]

There was. There was little, you know, fights there here along the way, and, you know, you grew up watching Chris Nyland and you get a chance to fight with him if you do. Okay. It was like, yeah, this is pretty cool. So they were my little milestones. Not so much on the goal side. It was, you know, getting a chance to fight those guys.

[Biz]

And for you, too, because, I mean, it's. You're listed at 6 foot, 200 pounds, so you never had no nights off to. Because you were fighting the Heavies. And I'm sure all the middle class guys wanted a piece, too.

[Rob Ray]

Everybody was coming at you because, you know, we had guys, we had teams when we had Gordy Donnelley and Paul Cruz and Bobby Bugner and Brad May and Barney, and we're all different weight class, but we never really were heavyweights. So it was almost like I got stuck with them and they got stuck with everybody else, and they all laughed about it, but it was fine. After a while, you got comfortable and, you know, once the rules changed and all that Kind of thing that, you know, you. You got so comfortable with it that it didn't matter really who it was. But some big boys out there, you know, Peter Worrell and all those kind of guys that, you know, you. Donald Beshear, and it's like, what the frig? They're just massive men. You just. Woody, George, Laroque. It's just big guys that it was hard to. Hard to deal with, so. But you survived. And then most of the time, it's. You know, and a lot of times, too, in fighting back then, it was like momentum one way or another. So even if you didn't want to fight, if, say, we're playing Toronto or whomever I was playing with at the time, and he was like, yeah, I need to. I need to get one. Okay, let's go. You know, because down the road, you know, you might have to do the same thing the other way. And, you know, a lot of times guys didn't understand that or respect that, so they're like, no, no, no. But, you know, a lot of the times it was done in those cases as well.

[Yancey]

There's still an element of playing. Like, who would you say that the coach that instilled the most confidence in you, where you, you know, like, it's clear that you're unreal at the fighting thing and you wanted to do it. You knew you had to do it. But, like, who would let you play a little bit where you started gaining more confidence and you're like, hey, there is another side to the game. And I'm sure the. The young child, and you love that

[Keith]

side more, and I got space because of what I do.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, you know what? My first. My first coach in Buffalo was Rick Dudley, and Duds was awesome because he played a hard game and he understood the game and he respected that part of the game, you know, but he was all. All the time, too, is like, okay, you got this now let's work on this. Let's, you know, work on different sides of it. Put you in good, you know, opportunities to play with different guys sometimes, you know, play in the top line here, there, give you a sniff of the play, power play once in a while. But he. He was a guy that, you know, you respected a lot because he gave you that opportunity. You know, John Muckler was a guy that. He came in and he goes, hey, I treat superstars like superstars. The rest of you just be happy you're here. And I'm like, I'm looking around. I'm going I guess I'm just happy to be here. Okay, so you knew where you stood, but Teddy Nolan was great. You know, he always gave you, you know, put you in good situations and, and give you a really good chance of, you know, playing different scenarios and, and different guys all the time. So, yeah, it was, There was a lot of guys, Lindy, the same way, very respectful to what we had to do and, and, you know, treated just really well. So I, I. But, you know, I go back to Dodds. He taught me a lot about the, the fighting game side of it, the mental side, when to. When not to. But on the other hand, too, you're going to stick around a lot longer if you can bring a little bit more. And I, and I think that was the big thing, that you always tried to get a little bit better in different areas, because we all scored goals in junior, like 50 some points my last year, junior. And then you step in and then you go into a totally different role. So you knew you could do it. So it was just a matter of getting that chance. And he was that guy that kind of gave you that first real chance.

[Biz]

You mentioned Teddy Nolan, and I had him in junior, and I absolutely adored the man. He was so good to me, such a good coach, great motivator. But I think you only had him for a year as well. Did you ever see him grab the pen and go to the, the board? Like he wasn't much of a teacher, was he with you guys? And do you think he got a fair shake there, like, only a year, right?

[Rob Ray]

No, the first time. No, the first time he was there, he was there for, for quite a while, so. But no, Teddy, Teddy was a guy. You're right. He wasn't an ex's nose guy at the time. That was Donnie Lever. And just a quick story about, about Teddy not being the X's and O guy. We're in Colorado one night, he pulls the goalie, right? So he puts his five guys out on the ice. The ref comes over and he goes, teddy, you need another guy? He goes, Teddy's like, I got five guys out there. And he goes, teddy, you got the goalie pulled. You need another guy? And he looks down the bench and he's like, hey, who wants to go? And it was like five of us jumping over the boards, and then he's like pulling his back. But that was, that was just Teddy, you know, he was. The guys would go through a wall for him, but to drop a power play, you know, the. Somebody else would do it, but he Was such a good motivator and treated so well, but, you know, he was awesome. Awesome in person. Awesome man. Respected the heck out of him. And you know, there's nights when he wouldn't put you in the lineup and he. And. And I think he felt so bad that, you know, he's calling in and he just made sure that you understood, you know, what was going on. And he made sure that, you know, there was no hard feelings. He was. But I. I'd go through the wall for that guy. Still.

[Yancey]

That's unreal. You had him for the. The one year you're in Monkton.

[Biz]

Yeah, yeah, he was. He used to like braid. Braid behind the bench and then like give you something. Like it was like a bracelet or something.

[Rob Ray]

He was the best.

[Yancey]

What?

[Biz]

He was just a motor. All he did would motivate you, get you. And then his assistants were. He had unbelievable assistance that he surrounded.

[Keith]

Dude.

[Rob Ray]

He literally did like.

[Yancey]

He'd be like, yeah, he's like, you know, everyone's getting around because he called the timeout. He's like, I just call the towel, cuz. I made you a bracelet.

[Rob Ray]

Look at this one. Yeah, but he brought a guy in. They brought a medicine man into Detroit one day to bless all our sticks. Yeah. To help us score. We went like three games straight shut out that we never scored a goal. Like, what, Patty? What the. And he was like, when.

[Yancey]

Wrong doctor, I put a witchcraft on him.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Keith]

If you hadn't seen the pope this summer, you. It still would be going.

[Rob Ray]

I know it would. We'd be still in a problem. Even when Bobby Bugner came in, he loved Bobby Bugner. He was. Bobby Bugner was his boy. And he was going, you guys are going to love this guy. He is tough as nails. He's this, he's that. And we were like, okay, cool. You know, that's great. We're in. We're in Boston, I think it was. And Bobby's first game and Dean Chanel's grabbed onto Bobby and just kicked the living crap out of him. Bobby comes back to the bench, going to the dress room. He's bleeding from every spot in his face that could be bleeding. And we're like, we're looking at him laughing and turning to Teddy going, this is what you're bringing us? This is the help you're gonna bring us. And he's like, wow. You know, and so. But just those things like that with Teddy were just off the charts funny.

[Yancey]

We were talking today about the like the positive vibe guy torts as the Assistant coach for, for Team usa. He's like the third assistant right now. But he was the assistant coach in Buffalo when you showed up. So what was it like? Maybe knowing a different side of Torts where you're kind of like, I guess like the players coach because you're not the head coach.

[Rob Ray]

Well, Torts was probably worse as an assistant coach. Is intense, you know, because you could get away with it. Oh, dude, there was, there was so many times that you know him and he with him and Duds. Him and Duds and Duds is like crazy behind the bench. You know, he would be chewing through pens in the ink, could be running down his face and everything like that. And we're like, when the trainer says, we says, you got to say something to us. I said something to him. You'd say something to him because I was afraid to say anything. But Torts was, you know, you'd always know. Torts was such a kind hearted good guy. But when it got into the game, man, he was this tough as nails and heart. He got hit in the head one night on the bench in Washington with a puck. Broke his jaw. Everybody knew it was broke because it was hanging. And he's like, porch, you gotta go get some attention. He's like, put somewhere car, I'm flying. Let's keep going, you know. And he just, he wouldn't stop. He just kept going. But it was, it was what I. He was in. We were in, in Philadelphia and Mux was yelling at the guy behind the bench and Torch is kind of coming over to help him and it was low glass for him then and the guy had grabbed onto Torch's tie on the other side of the glass, got his foot up on the glass and is just pulling on this tie of Torch. It was so tight. Torch is like turning color. And finally he got the tie away from the guy and he's over to the train and he's going because he couldn't breathe. It was cutting off the circulation. And there's Torch. Just cut it, cut it. But yeah, no, Torch is a wonderful man. Like so good, so good. But he would, you know, he's always telling you about, you know, his playing. I'm like, Torch, you only played the minors. You didn't play up, you know, like this and that and giving him a hard time. And he just gets fired up so bad that, you know, it was, it was, it was good because he takes the time. He took the time for all of us and a lot of us that didn't get the time or the extra time or the special treatment. He. He gave it to us. And I think that was a big part for Torch. Why Everybody loved him so much.

[Yancey]

And you guys had a lot of hall of Famers. I mean, Pierre Turjon just got in.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, yeah.

[Yancey]

Andrew Chuck was there. Housley was there.

[Rob Ray]

Howard. Howard Truck.

[Yancey]

Yeah.

[Keith]

Wow.

[Yancey]

And then McGilney was really young then because he wasn't over a point per game. What was Dave Anderchuk like?

[Rob Ray]

That man could drink more beer and not get up from a bar stool than any person I've ever seen in my life. We'd go to a place after practice. He'd sit there from two to three, five or six before he got up to take his first leak. And he would never move. And the one thing Andy taught me, he says, razor, the longer you stay, the less you pay. Because he was so cheap. So I'm like, what are you talking about? Just watch. And he'd stay. And we'd go to somewhere every day after practice, and slowly, guys would start fading off, having to go home for dinner or wise or whatever. And as they're leaving, they're all throwing some money on the counter. And he goes, this is what I'm talking about. See the bills? It's X number of dollars. See the pile of money? There's way more than that right here. So you just pay it and take the rest. And he goes, longer you stay, the less you're paying. Unbelievable.

[Biz]

Biz used to do that, too. When go out at the club. He'd charge extra. Yeah.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, did he?

[Yancey]

I had the credit card machine. And then the lady comes over, she's like, here's your bill. It's like, oh, that guy. I gave it to my buddy.

[Biz]

There's.

[Keith]

Yeah. I want to ask because Biz just mentioned Pierre Turjon. We were down in Florida. We got to interview him here once, and we were chatting him about the trade. Right. Like, what did you think at the time? This is 100 point guy, a young, super skilled player. Was it just as surprising to you when that went down?

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, because we. We all looked at his. Pierre was going to be one of those guys like Gilbert pro there his whole career and playing and. And, you know, such a big part of it. And. And then you never really seen the superstars like that traded. So, yeah, when that happens, it was like, there goes Pepe Gus. He was such a big part of this group, and. And, you know, and he loved it. Like, he's off it there, and he was such a good guy. Too that, you know, it hurt. It hurt. Hurt a lot of guys. And they were kind of. When it happened, because we still. The older guys that were there when he came in. So. Yeah, that was not a. That was not one of those moves that everybody was jumping up in the air about and. And making sure the new guys came in, felt good about themselves because they loved him so much.

[Keith]

What.

[Biz]

What was a hash like? I feel like he's one of those guys that no one really knows too much about him. He's kind of.

[Yancey]

I thought you were gonna ask about Poopa. Darren Poopa.

[Biz]

Oh, yeah. He's my favorite guy on the Internet. I love that man.

[Rob Ray]

I seen him the other day and I go. I said, the poops. I go, did you have a stroke? Like, did you have a stroke or something? He doesn't know why. I go, I'm just watching you on the Internet, Matt. And it sounds like you're telling me, working your way through it.

[Yancey]

No, I said, he's the most electric guy on Instagram right now.

[Biz]

Incredible. Whoever his PR lady is, she deserves a raise.

[Rob Ray]

I think it's his kids that do it.

[Yancey]

Oh, what. What about the Dominator, though? That guy was out of his mind.

[Rob Ray]

Such a. Out of his mind. He was incredible. Obviously. No, on the ice, hardest working guy you're going to be around. And, you know, I learned quick that in practice, don't score on him because if you score on him, then he gets pissed off. Then you had to stay longer after practice. He'd keep you there for an hour. And I always seem to, like, find a way to score on him and practice. And he'd get mad. And he'd get mad. Razor, stay out, stay out after Razor until he was happy with everybody going. But this guy was incredible on the ice. Like, he was just incredible. But he was, you know, he was. His favorite thing is, I must see. I must see screaming that the whole time. And when he got the face off, he's always wanted to be telling the guys where to go. And you'd be out there and you'd go, laser, you go over there and, you know, you go there and you go there and we're like, what about the puck, Dom?

[Keith]

Don't worry.

[Rob Ray]

I must see it, I must see it. And, you know, it was just. He was that guy that. It was. He lived. He was different off the ice. We'd go on road trips, and every road trip, it would be like draw straws to see who was going to be the guy. Stay sober, to keep an eye on Dom. And make sure he got back to the hotel okay.

[Biz]

And.

[Yancey]

Come on.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, incredible. Like, the. It was like he was always a babysitter, and. Oh, babysitter. Him and Michael Groschik around together all the time on the road, and. And one day, we're. I think we're in LA or somewhere like that. We're at this bar, and all of a sudden, there's this big ruckus in the back. We realized it was Dom and Grosi. We're like, oh, my God. So we go back to the back of the bar, we get Dom, get him out the side door and get him outside. And everybody's like, well, what about Grocery? We're like, screw grocery. We got Dom out. This is all we really need. And a couple minutes later, here comes Grocery getting thrown out the side door, you know, and he goes rolling oats. And he's like, like, oh. We're like, grocery. We're just coming back in to help you there. Are you okay? But it was just like, get Dom out of there. Let's take care of Dom. So, you know, he was like. Like, autographs. You know how everybody asked you get guys autographs? It was like everybody wanted, hashtag, autograph. And he kept a notebook, and he would mark it off at the end of the year. Razor got an autograph on October 26th. So if you went back to him at some point during the year for somebody to get an autograph, he'd go through his book first, and he'd go,

[Keith]

I thought he had a fan. So I'm like, oh, how's he keep so with teammates? If you came to him in January, one a year.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, everybody got one a year for.

[Yancey]

No, he did it with fans, too. He had a different notebook.

[Keith]

He's drawing their face with the ink from the tie of Rick Dudley. I mean, the pen of Rick Dudley

[Yancey]

that he's chewing on. On.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, he treat. Oh, that is fun. That's just. That's just what he was then. But you know what? He was so good that everybody's like, screw it. Let's just take care of him. Let him be, like, however he wants to be. And as long as he keeps stopping the puck, who really cares? So. But he was. Yeah, a different bird. It kind of. The whole thing kind of revolved around him.

[Keith]

Razor. I got to hear about the. The run in 99. And obviously, it ends in this, like, brutal way that turns out to be such, like, a. I mean, not a stain, but it's like, oh, Brett hall was in the crease. Right. Like, did you realize at the time, did it. Was it discussed, or was it later on that it came up? And obviously, you know, it was an incredible run by you guys, but the way it ended is just kind of nuts in Buffalo.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, like, we. We obviously weren't expect to even be in that position, but once you get there, it's like, hey, this, this. Here we go. And, you know, the first couple of games in Dallas, I think we saw split there maybe when we did, and then come back home. But when that game, that game, that goal, it was. It was late at night, and from my understanding, as soon as the goal was scored, the people upstairs in the NHL little booth were, like, instantly packed up and gone. And as soon as the goal went in, because it was right at the end where the Zamboni was. The Zamboni doors blew open, and there was 500 people on the ice within 30 seconds there with cameras and everything. And the coaches really never knew what went on until they got back into the room. And. And, you know, the guys that were on the video in the back room were like, you know, his foot was in the crease. Then Lindy was back out on the bench. Yo. And screaming. But by that time, he looked out and, you know, there's. They're celebrating. There's 500 people on the ice taking pictures and. And you couldn't even get a replay because those guys had packed up and were instantly gone as soon as the game was over. So. Did it suck? Yeah, it sucked really bad. But, you know, it was. It goes back to the way Buffalo was. We go to the final there, and then, like, the next day, they had a thing in our town square in the city, and There was probably 30,000 people there. It was like, we won the Stanley Cup. And, you know, you're up on stage doing the same thing as if you won the cup, you know, talking. And the people. It was. It was unbelievable, you know, how people reacted to it. And people in Buffalo, they just look at it as, you know, as another one of her memories or history of her sporting franchises, kind of. They all look at it that we got screwed, and most of us do, too. But it's. What do you do? What do you like? You can't sit back. And they would have, could have, shouldn't have maybe been in that position. We had chances to win that game before James Patrick put one off the crossbar just before that, and, you know, a half inch either way, you might have, you know, won that game earlier.

[Keith]

Yeah, it was a. It Was a great series. Were you a fan of the, of the. What is it the goat head uniform or are you a fan of the old school one? Which one do you like when they're wearing.

[Rob Ray]

I'm old school. I, you know, I like it when, when teams are, you know, they're original. You. We grew up seeing teams with certain colors, certain logos, and I like it. I can understand when they change through. It's kind of a little different. Thing was a financial decision too. The younger kids seem to gravitate towards that one now in their town. But I think most people, when they think of the Buffalo Sabers, they're not thinking of the Goat head so much. They're thinking of, you know, the, the, the golden blue and, and white and the swords and the, and the Buffalo on the front. So is there good? Yeah, hey, we had a lot of good times in that black and red and, and that goat head. But we had a lot of success with it. But big picture, I still like the,

[Yancey]

the original NHL has some unbelievable traditional jerseys. Like the original six.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

But then you look at like the Buffalo Blues and then like Philly.

[Biz]

St. Louis.

[Yancey]

Yeah, St. Louis one. Stunning. So, yeah, NHL, they got some stunners. Mogilney. Did we ask much about Mogilney?

[Keith]

I wanted to hear about him.

[Yancey]

Was. So Buffalo was his first landing spot right.

[Rob Ray]

When he came over, like, yeah, Alex and I got both drafted the same day. Buffalo had actually two fifth round picks that year and they took Alex with the first pick and then me with the second pick. And out of that draft, him and I are the only two that played. So, you know, there was, I think we had like three picks before that or something when the guys played a little bit, but nothing, you know, too much in the rig. And Alex and I were the two. And, and it was, yeah, pretty close. But Alex was probably the purest talent guy that I've ever been on the ice with. And, and he. His skating ability was just from zero to top notch. Was sick. You know, not a big wind up, not a big curve in his stick, not a slap shot, nothing. Just quick release. But puck movement, you know, just so intense too when he played. It was, it was amazing. This guy's a good guy. Was a good guy off the ice too. He was so many different things that, you know, we were. Kenny Sutton, I were with him when you remember when he tried. They tried to abducting him or, you know, threatening him to extort him for out of the money and that we're sitting at lunch with him and this guy comes in and. And tries, you know, extorting him right there. And. And Sutton are looking, and they're talking Russian, and we're like, what's going on? As soon as the guy left, he was like. His eyes were, like, boggling out of his head. And we're like. Took care of it. Got a hold of the NHL security, and they ended up getting the guy that night. But we had to go to, you know, court and everything about it, it was. He's this, but a good guy. I can remember when they. They came to the arena trying to take his condo from him because he bought a condo. And when he. When he paid for the condo, the down payment, he thought, that's. How old is this? He didn't know there was a mortgage. And the bank comes to the rink looking for him because he hadn't paid his mortgage. He's like, what are you talking about? I paid for it. We paid for it. When. And you know, they're like, no, you gotta. It's a mortgage, dude. You gotta pay it every month. You just can't, you know, you don't just pay once. You gotta pay it every month. And he couldn't. And he couldn't understand that. You know, there's just so many things with him that it was. He was scared to fly for a while, and. And all of a sudden they were like, okay, you gotta be at the game. We're going to St. Louis. They limoed him to St. Louis. He got to St. Louis, and he decided he'd do. He wasn't so afraid of flying anymore. He flies home with this. But just such a. Such a good guy. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Keith]

This plane looks safer.

[Rob Ray]

I can't fly. I can't fly. I'm scared. Okay, here you go. We're playing in St. Louis. Get in the car and away you go. They got him there and he was like, flying isn't so bad after all. He just.

[Yancey]

Oh, your screen went blank. It was random. It just kind of happened all of a sudden, Rob.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, they're all out there eating lasagna, and I'm sitting in here talking to you guys.

[Keith]

Probably salivating.

[Rob Ray]

It's been a hockey day here all day. They were here this morning to watch the Canada game. There was like 25 of them. Now they're here watching the American game, and now they haven't left.

[Yancey]

Well, we got you on a fast for this podcast. Maybe shed a few of those LBs. We kind of lost you for some of the moily chatter, but, like, From a visual perspective, but it's almost like we forget though, like what he was going through in his personal life. Not only get adjusted, but like the fact that he defected, but yet, like when he got to the rink, it was almost like the hockey was his escape. Right.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, incredible story too, how those guys got him out there, you know, hiding in, in houses and taking them from country to country to eventually get him over here. Donnie loose was a big part of that.

[Yancey]

Do you know the full story? Can you like, explain a little bit? I don't think we're ever going to get him on. It'd be just, just be nice to hear like.

[Rob Ray]

No, I think it was just more, you know, when they were at the world juniors, what they were and then, you know, got him from one country to another, hiding him in a hotel, you know, waiting for the paperwork to get cleared that he could get from, you know, that country to, to bring them over. You know, as a young kid, it was, it was stupid that, you know, what he had to go through. And then when he gets here, you know, they try to extort him while he's here. Just amazing what he did and, and what he went through, but still be able to be the kind of guy he was and play the game. And, you know, I think it was at a point where he's sitting there going, I'm never going to be able to go back. I'm never going to see my family again. And, you know, that's how bad it was. And that's pretty crazy for, you know, 19, 20 year old kid. So. But he, you know, he made the boast and he was, he made sure that, you know, he was, he was a very quiet guy. He didn't ever want to talk. Every time somebody wanted to do an interview and he's like, oh, I don't speak English, so don't speak English, know, and it was always one of those. But he, you know, he, he just was so cool about everything that he did. You know, I can remember the day he showed up and he had his ears pierced just because he wanted to. And everybody's like, you can't be. Have your ears pierced. It's. I'm having my ear pierced. You went through what I went through. I'm having my ears pierced. And, and you know, just things like that that he, and he did teach me too, that if you, you have a smoke before the game and between each periods, it opens up your lungs, you can breathe better.

[Yancey]

He was ripping darts.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, huge. He's like, he's like, gotta have a smoke and go have a smoke and then come back in. And he's like, okay, I can breathe now. Let's go. And then, you know, he goes, were you aware of that?

[Keith]

So I had no clue about that. I didn't think I knew Zubov did I believe. I think that was pretty obvious.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah. No, it opened up. As long as you can skate faster

[Biz]

because you were his age, drafted the same year. Did you kind of. Were you kind of the guy that were. Was tasked to kind of take care of them and show him around town? Obviously it sounds like he was one of the guys.

[Rob Ray]

No, right then, like, Jeff Parker and those guys were a little bit older and they kind of, you know, took on to him and kind of looked after him when. When he was here. But everybody kind of done a whole. He met a couple people, you know, away from the. The team that were good people that everybody knew that, you know, kind of, you know, held his hand and took care of him as well. Donnie, Carl, some guys around town that looked out for him and made sure everything was good. So. But, you know, you know, as far as in the room, those. The older guys, like Davey Anderchuk and those kind of guys, they were Johnny Tucker and, you know, they made sure that, you know, he learned everything he needed to do. But obviously they didn't do a very good job when they come trying to take his house from him. But other than that. But he was, he just, he wanted, like, he was just that guy that, you know, we go out and buy a Honda Civic, he goes out and buys a Bentley type thing. And it's like, why'd you do that? And he's like, I always wanted one. I remember being at this house one day and I look and he's got like five checks piled up on his counter because he used to, you know, put the check in your stall to. For pay. And I'm like, dude, you got to take these to the bank. And he goes, and I'm counting. And it was like it was $600,000 or something piled up there. And he goes, I can't. And I'm like, what, you don't have a bank account? He goes, no, I'm embarrassed. He didn't want to take the money to the bank because he was embarrassed to take it in then because he had so much. Yeah, give me a percentage. I'm all over it. I'll take it.

[Keith]

I got no problem taking it in there, Alex.

[Rob Ray]

But that kind of a guy, you know, understood the value of it. And didn't want to walk into a place and flaunt. Yeah, here, you know, put this in my bank account. Really?

[Yancey]

So the only guy to ever like Bentley. The only guy to like not rob bank with a bel clava on depositing. Yeah,

[Rob Ray]

put it all in my account.

[Yancey]

Put in my goddamn checking account.

[Rob Ray]

Put it in there. I swear it's real.

[Yancey]

Yeah. Oh, man. I. I kind of want to go back to the fighting. Like you mentioned. Tied omi fiercest competitor. Like what do you remember most about like the. The fights in particular and how you had the. To fight a guy like that. Like we talked about the jersey thing popping off, but like the. That he would spin around and like different guys styles and how they would do it.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, no, Ty was. Because he was smaller and we were smaller. He always liked to get you spinning and then get you fall into the ground a little bit. But if you could hold yourself sturdy, then he had a. A little more trouble and just stand there and throw. But you could throw and hit him a hundred times. You never hurt him. I cut him kind of once in my career and we had the same agent for the draft and we were roommates at the draft. And we got into the hotel room, him and I got in a fight in the hotel room. He banged his head off the nightstand and it cut him a little bit over the eye. Had a little blood coming out. And we were like, we gotta stop. This is the end. We gotta stop here. And that was the only time I ever cut him was off the nightstand in the hotel room. I hit him a lot and he hit me a lot. I never caught him. Never caught him.

[Yancey]

Yeah. And. And just like, it's almost like he would lead with that forehead and you'd get him with probably if like after you would hit him a few times, would your hand be numb or were you so in the midst of it you would notice that? Because I remember fighting a guy like John Morasti and I. He would just take 2, 3 off the forehead and I'd feel like my hand was broken. And then he would just take over that nightstand marble.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah. You just hit him, hit him. And he was just kind of keep smiling at you. And remember when we had to put the stupid tie downs back in, back into force? I he. He got me. It was exhibition. And he lifted up my jersey and pulled it aside and he put my head in my arm. So my. Literally my head, my arm like this. And I could see the dude.

[Keith]

It was like a bad.

[Rob Ray]

That's when I flipped out and I went from.

[Yancey]

So that's probably exactly how it sounded too.

[Keith]

No, that sounded like you felt I'm underwater here, guys.

[Rob Ray]

Like, yeah, I'm like I was swinging away and I couldn't hit him. But. But any, you know, to his events, he wasn't trying to hit me as well. He was just trying to prove a point, laughing at me. So I went from having no tie downs to a tie down tight as anything on the back with a clip. A tie down on the front of my jersey tight as anything with a clip. So the jersey never could go anywhere after the fact.

[Yancey]

You went the complete opposite way off of that. Learning from that one experience. No.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, because the tie down, you hooked up it down. Then the jersey would still lift up.

[Keith]

Why they bring that in?

[Rob Ray]

And it would still come over your.

[Yancey]

Because I don't know, because Razor was.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah, because I must have got somebody's wife. I don't know. But I went from. And I put those little plastic clips on the back of it and hooked it to my pants so it was tight. And then a plastic clip and a thing on the front of my pants and it clipped in that some wasn't going anywhere after that. Then, you know, a couple fights in, you got used to it again and away you went. So in one extreme to another for,

[Yancey]

for like maybe some of the younger fans that we have who like, haven't watched and gone to your hockey fights to go through all the old clips of them, like, where would you put your top rank ones where you're like, oh, man, if I could go back to that, that moment of going fucking toe to toe for two minutes and I'm at home and I turn around after the fight and I want it. And the crowd is going absolute bananas. Like, what ones would you go back to?

[Rob Ray]

Well, any, any tie fight in our building was always good. You know, there was. I remember a fight I. I got a fought Jim Kite and he was

[Keith]

in Santa Claus

[Yancey]

and.

[Rob Ray]

And I hit him and down he went. And the whole building went quiet, right? And I'm like, oh, that was pretty cool. And I'm making my way to the penalty box and the whole building's quiet. Rip Simone, our equipment trainer on the bench and all. I can hear him yelling, it's a miracle. It's a miracle he can hear again. And I'm like, no, you can't say that. No. And there was like, just. Oh, man, there was so many nights that you just. There was nights in Calgary after. Was it Jamie McCowan broke Palo Fontaine's Lag there. The one year, the next time we played them in Buffalo, we're like, like inside their bench fighting, you know, fighting in there, getting thrown out, jumping back on their bench, going at him. Tim Hunter had broken his leg in a fight on the ice. And he's laying there. The fe. The. The trainers couldn't even get to him because there was still so many fights going around. And, oh, there was just too many stupid nights that you're just like, well, we got rollback.

[Keith]

Last question. Use code [e-mail] for generous 20 off the your first purchase through the end of the week. C-I C L E T S on R H O-B-A C-K.com 20 off everything. Code Chicklets.

[Yancey]

Yeah, roll back. Last hour. We're going another hour with this guy. This has been unbelievable.

[Keith]

This is. This is incredible.

[Rob Ray]

Rob, there's lasagna in the other room.

[Yancey]

Okay. Yeah, sorry. Starving.

[Rob Ray]

You guys are nice guys and everything, but.

[Keith]

No, I get it. Hey, I get it. But, but my. The last question, the rollback is we all get one. Were there any instances back then of, of things like continuing when you're getting kicked out of the game, going to the locker room? I mean, I know the tunnels are sometimes different to locker rooms, but I feel like, like back in the day, maybe underneath some madness happened that just wouldn't happen now.

[Yancey]

What a question.

[Rob Ray]

I got a good one for that. Timmy Hunter. We're in Vancouver and him and I go at it on the ice and I'm giving it to him verbally, I'm cocky, giving it to him, calling him an old man, this and that and going a little worse than that. And he got kind of thrown off the ice first and then I came up after and you kind of went off the back of the bench and then you walked underneath the stands and down and it was wide open down there and there's people down there and everything. So I walking off, I'm thinking, okay, I made it through that one. There's a big ass concrete pillar and all of a sudden I'm walking by this pillar and this arm comes out from behind the pillar and he goes, old prick A. And he grabs onto me as I'm going by him and I start going at it underneath the thing and there's this big curtain that people or the fans were on the other side, like catering to them or whatever. We go through that curtain and it's like a buffet line that people were in there. The buffet thing goes flying everywhere. Him and I are getting up, and we're throwing punches, and we're on concrete with our skates, right. And we're go falling. We're getting up, we're falling. Our trainer Jim Pizzatelli's out there, and he's like, ha, ha. And he didn't know what to do. And all of a sudden. Yeah, no. And all of a sudden, we're still going at it. Pac Quinn comes off, and he's like. All of a sudden he comes up, and he put his hands on the both of our back of our shirts, and that's enough. And we both stopped dead, looked at him, and he just kind of lifted us up, separate us. And Tim went that way, I went the other way, and that was the end of it. But we went right through that big curtain, knocked the whole buffet thing over, fighting on the concrete, falling all over. And then he comes out, and that's enough. Oh, it was great.

[Biz]

That's a Hall of Fame rollback Question.

[Yancey]

What made you break it out? Because.

[Keith]

Because what made me think of it is I. I like back in the day, you could be near each other, right? Like, they just make sure now you're not even near each other in back. These rinks, these old rinks were smaller. Like, the locker rooms were closer. And I just can't imagine buffet line seeing two monsters.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Keith]

Roll in on the cement.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah. But even. Even back then, you had to get through the crowd sometimes like a Boston Gardens. You guys don't know if you ever played there?

[Keith]

No, I was a big fight there.

[Rob Ray]

Like, I don't know how many times the refs would keep you at center ice because people were throwing things and the benches were side by side. They put this little plastic partition down in between in the benches. But three stairs into the dressroom, and you'd have to wait to center ice, get a head of steam up, get up in there quick, and then kind of pretty much fall down the stairs so you wouldn't get pelted or killed by the people when you're going off. There was so many different times in different places that was sick. Like that.

[Yancey]

Rob, we just got. I got one last question. We just got to get your video back before we say goodbye.

[Guest Analyst]

We just lost you again.

[Yancey]

Yeah, sorry.

[Keith]

Then you're out for lasagna, and then we'll say goodbye.

[Biz]

It's gonna be burnt.

[Yancey]

You might not sign back in.

[Keith]

That might have been him on purpose. Like, I'm all boys.

[Rob Ray]

I'm going to eat.

[Yancey]

We're keeping this. Rob, you there? Oh, he might not hear us? No. He's going for a lasagna.

[Keith]

Keep this in. Go for the lasagna.

[Rob Ray]

Come on, man.

[Keith]

Go for it.

[Biz]

Please go for some lasagna.

[Yancey]

I think he's gone. You know. You know what my question was going to be?

[Keith]

Honestly, that's a great way to end it. He basically just knocked us out to end the interview.

[Yancey]

He knocked us out. My last question was, how did it feel? Like, not like putting on another team's jersey. Like he played his whole career with Buffalo.

[Guest Analyst]

He played with Ottawa.

[Keith]

No, he got 11 games in Ottawa.

[Yancey]

I know, but I'm saying is then he puts on an Ottawa Senators jersey. How weird was that? And he only played like nine games or whatever.

[Keith]

He played five games one year, six the next.

[Yancey]

Oh, okay. Eleven games. Yeah. So I guess we're not going to be able to ask him because he's

[Rob Ray]

not want to answer that for you.

[Yancey]

Yeah, your phone.

[Biz]

So there's a layer of sauce, then cheese and some meat, then another layer of pasta, then sauce. What did you say?

[Keith]

What was your question?

[Yancey]

We're done here. We're done.

[Keith]

Thank you so much. We love that guy. That was so good.

[Yancey]

Unreal.

[Keith]

Guys, we got to talk about body armor right now. This entire episode is brought to you by the body Armor Flash iv, an official partner of the NHL. All these NHL players, they're dehydrated, they're crushing Body Armor Flash IV and so should you. Flash IV is packed with electrolytes delivering faster, longer lasting hydration without any artificial dyes, flavors or sweeteners. And it tastes incredible. Whether you're training, traveling, or just feeling the heat after a long night out, you got to get Body Armor Flash IV, work hard, hydrate hard with Body Armor Flash IV, grab yours today at a 7 11. Thank you very much to Garfield Rob Ray boys. When he put up his arm in telling the story of that fight and then the audio, like that's probably what it felt like fighting the guy. That was just the perfect audience.

[Yancey]

That was tie, right?

[Keith]

Yeah, that was one of his Domi tilts.

[Yancey]

Fun fact too is as we're recording this on, on Monday, 25th anniversary of Ty Domi fighting the guy in the penalty box in with the Philadelphia Flyers. And we have that match.

[Biz]

You got the Flyers game.

[Yancey]

Wow.

[Keith]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

And we, we're going to be talking about it on the broadcast. So, man, could you imagine that happened today's NHL.

[Biz]

I could see Gritty getting into a fight.

[Keith]

I. I know people out there are disgusted and I'm disgusted with myself at not asking Rob Ray about the story when he beat the wheels off the fan.

[Yancey]

I know it.

[Keith]

Guys, I'm sorry. It was after. I think we interviewed him after Canada women's U.S. game, gold medal game. I don't know how I forgot. I had it written down too. So I apologize because. God.

[Yancey]

Yeah, we were going to, but he had to get to his lasagna. Seriously.

[Keith]

In college Hockey news did bizarre. Keith, did you see what happened in the UMass UConn game?

[Yancey]

I saw the clip and it Prevented what a two on one.

[Keith]

So UMass is playing UConn. It's in overtime. UConn is in a spot right now where the top 16 in the. It used to be called pairwise when I was in school. I'm not sure if it's a different name now.

[Guest Analyst]

Gee, you can NPI now.

[Keith]

NPI now. The top 16 teams get into the NCAA tournament. I think Yukon's at like 15 right now.

[Guest Analyst]

They're 14. They sit at 14.

[Keith]

OK. They sit at 14. They're playing UMass. UMass comes down. This is at UMass. They get a chance. UConn picks it up. They're going down two on one to win the game.

[Guest Analyst]

With one of the top goal scorers in the country in Joey Muldowney coming down.

[Keith]

So it wasn't just some schlep and some legend at UMass. This kid must love and live and eat and breathe UMass hockey. He turned on the lights for a goal that. It wasn't even close to a goal for UMass. Like on the rush down and shut the lights off in the building on

[Yancey]

a two on one because. Is that. Is that what happens when they score? Like you hit that and then lights.

[Guest Analyst]

They have an insane light show which

[Keith]

is a new thing. All these schools do it where you score a goal at home and the lights go off and then you know they. You got the. At BU's got the red lights and it's actually awesome. I've loved. I don't know what college team started that G. Do you know?

[Guest Analyst]

I know Penn State at Pegula started doing it. Right?

[Yancey]

Yeah, I saw they do it.

[Keith]

Okay, but it's sick.

[Yancey]

They gotta stop this then if that's the.

[Keith]

The repercussions, I don't know how I think. Is it unfair to the UMass players and coach. Yeah, but like I think you gotta give them a penalty. I don't know how they didn't get a penalty. Right. Like put the team on. On a four and three the rest of overtime based on the fact that some UMass kid, who is probably smoking a ball before he does the light show on goals, decides to turn the lights off on a two on one for UConn. Now, if UConn wins that game, they're then in a. In a better spot in the NPI, right?

[Guest Analyst]

Oh, my God. They're probably sitting at 11 or 12 right now. I mean, that's. That was a monument. And mind you, Massachusetts is right behind them. UMass is like two or three seeds behind them in the NPI. So, like, this was monumental for call of talk.

[Biz]

No, no,

[Keith]

that kid is that kid's pinkies up in the top row while he's working two on one. I know what to do. I'm gonna shut the lights off in the building.

[Yancey]

He's not paying for his tuition, right?

[Biz]

No, no, no, no.

[Keith]

God, no, no, no. They might put him on the team now. Let him be like the third goalie. Would you not think that they should

[Yancey]

have got a power play for that in the moment? You. You probably just.

[Rob Ray]

You're just.

[Yancey]

What the fuck is going on right now if you're the officials? But yeah, I mean, I'm pretty sure you couldn't do that. But there has to be some form of punishment.

[Keith]

No, they threaten.

[Biz]

Like, you know, when people are throwing shit on the ice, they always threaten on the loudspeaker. If you throw anything on the ice, the other team's going to get a penalty. I. I agree with you with. They should have got a penalty Grease. It's such a UMass move. I love it.

[Keith]

Moves I've ever seen.

[Guest Analyst]

I mean, this will affect Hockey east standings as well. I mean, UConn leads UMass by one point in the Hockey east standing. So it's. It's crazy. The trickle down effect this, this light show can have on all of college hockey.

[Keith]

And showed out. Bu just sweeping BC this weekend. Just enormous. BU's got to win the Hawkies tourney, the playoff to get in the tourney. But they could. They got Big Mike. Big Mike Yagorov. Second round pick to the Devils. Pasha better hope this kid pans out. Or the Devils, I mean, the Devils, by the way, have won one playoff round in the last 12 years. Pasha talks about them like they're the fucking 97 Red Wings.

[Guest Analyst]

But I don't think it's a long shot, though, Whit. I don't think it's a long shot at all for BU to win hockey.

[Keith]

I like that. And, and we really haven't talked about, you know, you got the lottery. I think usually the lottery's in May. It's usually second roundish that they have it. It's always very exciting. McKenna. Guys, he had a 10 point weekend against Ohio State. He had eight points in one game, I believe. And yeah, Keith's got the shirt on. He has, I think, cemented himself as the number one overall pick. While also people were saying, oh, it's against Ohio State. They're not very good. Well, the next weekend, Ohio State beat Michigan State, the number one team in the country, like five nothing or five one. So college hockey is so deep. There's a team I never even heard of the school. Augustana. I thought it was in Augusta. I saw Augustana. I'm like, oh, maybe there's a team in, baby. So this team right now is in the NCAA tournament. I've never heard of them. So as I've mentioned before, I don't see a way that there could be any bad college hockey teams anymore. The CHL rule, every team should be good, every team should be at least competitive. And Augustana's proven. Where are they getting kids? Are they all 25?

[Biz]

They must be all CHL kids.

[Guest Analyst]

Their roster actually has a ton of Americans. Like when you go through, they're just an older team. Like you look at their roster, five or six 2001s, you do the math. Those guys are 25 years old. They got some 01, some 0 twos, a lot of guys from the null, a lot of big guys as well. So they're a bigger, heavier, older team. But that's kind of what separates them. But Augustana, they're a team only came into Division 1 hockey in 2023. So relatively new program play out of Midco Arena. I think they dropped like 40 million on that 3,000-seat barn. Pretty nice. But yeah, it's a program on the up and rise right now. Up and coming program. And you'll love to see that for South Dakota.

[Keith]

Okay.

[Guest Analyst]

And wait just to go Back to Gavin McKenna. He has nine goals, 19 assists, 28 points in 14 games since the world juniors.

[Rob Ray]

Wow.

[Guest Analyst]

Not bad.

[Biz]

And because his line and dummy, the

[Keith]

kid who said something to his mom

[Yancey]

and Conor McGregor shouting him out on social media.

[Keith]

Conor McGregor talks about a lot of

[Yancey]

things going for him.

[Biz]

Yeah. Fly fishing legend.

[Keith]

I don't know if Conor McGregor is the guy you really want maybe talking about you. I don't know how his like.

[Yancey]

Well, he's. Well, Gavin did the. The gesture. He scored, he scored the goal. Conor McGregor, shoulder. So I mean there's a reason he's reaching out to him it's just not random.

[Keith]

We should also talk in college hockey. Abby Murphy, a girl. Her saying she'd take out your knees. Biz all time classic.

[Yancey]

Oh yeah.

[Keith]

She scored two more goals against St. Cloud. She now is the all time leading goal scorer at Minnesota. 141 goals.

[Yancey]

Check out the ball.

[Keith]

Shout out Abby.

[Yancey]

We did all the heavy lifting.

[Keith]

Shout out Abby. Can't wait to see this first overall race right between her and Harvey. Harvey. Yes. At Wisconsin. So the PWHL in great hand, boys. What else we got here? Gino's. Geno's getting frustrated, guys. Why haven't they. They signed Gino yet? Signed Gino?

[Biz]

Makes no sense.

[Yancey]

Pittsburgh's putting all their money in Duba stock. They don't have any left to pay Gino Biz.

[Keith]

I think the Dubas fans are calling themselves the. The Duba sites, the Dubicites.

[Yancey]

I think I remember because Doobies. The Doobies was in Toronto so they had to think of a new name.

[Keith]

Yeah, yeah. Just get the stink of Toronto off and away from everything moving forward.

[Yancey]

Well, he was. Geno was throwing the weight around on Sunday against the Vegas Gold Knights.

[Rob Ray]

He looked good.

[Yancey]

So I don't know what camera hurdle.

[Keith]

Right. Buried hurdle, et cetera.

[Yancey]

Yeah, right. 30 seconds into the game, what do you think Geno's number looks like? Like around the 4 or 5 million range.

[Keith]

Yeah. Give him a one year deal. 5.

[Biz]

5.

[Keith]

He's got a perfect.

[Biz]

Give him whatever he wants. And. And you know now too, with Sid being out, he's going to step up his game even more. He's been doing it for 20 years. Whenever Sid's out, like give this guy. He's one of those guys. There's been. There's not that many that have came through the league, but whatever they want, they should get.

[Yancey]

Why wouldn't you, if you're dubious, why wouldn't you just like reach out to Geno and say, hey, let's go, let's go grab a drink, grab some borsch

[Keith]

and figure this, buddy, if.

[Yancey]

If I was a young GM of an NHL team and this Russian legend who's done what he's done for the organization just wants a one year deal to keep it going. When he was contemplating retirement. Now he's at a point per game this season and it seems like obviously Sid's going to keep playing. Latang's going to be back. Go meet him. What do you want?

[Keith]

Maybe he wants a two year deal. And that's the problem. Give him a two year deal.

[Yancey]

Give him A two year deal.

[Biz]

To be fair, though, Biz, you were the one who started. You were the one who started that he was going to retire. I don't think he ever said it.

[Yancey]

What do you mean?

[Biz]

I think that was all you. You started that rumor in the beginning of the year.

[Keith]

No remember him saying that either.

[Yancey]

Oh, I just, I. I just thought it was like, kind of like it was maybe the end of the road for him. I never.

[Biz]

No, he never said it, though.

[Rob Ray]

Oh, okay.

[Yancey]

Okay.

[Rob Ray]

Hey.

[Yancey]

Well, it's, it's. It sounds like maybe it was a consideration coming into the year, not knowing how things were gonna go. I don't know.

[Biz]

Yeah.

[Yancey]

Maybe I didn't make it up. Oh, yeah. I stumped it on. Yeah. Stomped on his couch.

[Biz]

Fuck his couch.

[Keith]

Boys. Chinikov is nasty.

[Yancey]

You mean Genzel.

[Keith]

Okay, so we, this is what we talked about in the group chat. Ben Kindle wearing 81, which looks like Phil Kessel, and Chinikov wearing 59, looks exactly like Jake Gensel. It's very confusing to me, although it's probably like maybe a good sign. Like we have the new Kessel and the new gensel on a 40 goal pace in Pittsburgh.

[Yancey]

Kessel's a little bit more removed than, than Gensel. Right. And also Kessel's probably about 40 pounds heavier than Kendall. So the, the, the Chinikov, no offense, Phil Kessel, he was a little. He was thick, right. He had junk in the trunk. But that as a compliment. As a compliment. But yeah, the Chinikov, man, this guy is just great skater, great foundation. The way that he's able to move

[Keith]

around there, it's great. Crazy.

[Yancey]

Yeah, Just great hockey sense. Love, love what I've seen from him so far in that game the other night. He was great, hitting the pockets at the right time and just playing with a ton of. What do they give up for him to get him from Columbus? He never really was given an opportunity. And it probably doesn't hurt that you already got a guy like Gino there, right? You got another Rushki is.

[Rob Ray]

He's a Russian.

[Keith]

No, but they had the Russian mafia in Columbus too.

[Yancey]

That's true, that's true. Maybe there was too many of them and maybe they were like, can't have too many different.

[Keith]

It was for Danton. Heinen and the Blue Jackets received a second round pick. So Heinen and a second rounder. Second and third rounder for him.

[Biz]

That's a win for Dubas.

[Yancey]

Duba Sites, baby.

[Keith]

Dubas stock just flying high. Pittsburgh. I mean, Biz texted the group Chat. If I gambled, I would be pounding Vegas today, buddy.

[Yancey]

I said it on national television and then Eric Carlson put me in a locker after they came.

[Biz]

Did he?

[Yancey]

Yeah, he said he. They must, they must be like watching it in the locker room or. He said he saw it on a social media clip. So Carlson just easy living, man. Probably checking his phone between periods. Doesn't give a right. Just two apples. Life is easy to Eric Carlson. And he, he said he wants me hopping on the Pittsburgh train. I said, no, you don't.

[Rob Ray]

You don't want to go.

[Yancey]

There's only one thing that could tank Duba stock and it's Paul Bissonette.

[Keith]

Yeah, they get the Game seven first round. Biz flies in. Everyone's like, no. What's nuts though is the, the Penguins aren't doing great attendance wise, which.

[Yancey]

Oh, you know why it's crazy. Parking situation really brutal around the rink. Brutal in the ass to get in and out of. Everybody's complaining about it. They have that, that lot where the Melon arena was. I don't know what they're going to end up doing with, with the parking situation and helping it out from that. But, but to get in and figure out the parking for the game, it's, it's deterring a lot of people from going, wow, that's a shame because they've had plenty of time to figure that out because that rink is what, six, seven years old now?

[Keith]

No.

[Biz]

More than that.

[Keith]

No, because they won both of their. They won the second

[Biz]

12. 12 years old.

[Yancey]

It's actually crazy how quickly these barns get out. Like outdated.

[Biz]

I know, but that's another. Like, there's no trains that go into the. Like, you can't take the train. And like, you can. To the Fleet Center. You can't take the train. You need to park.

[Keith]

That was a great giveaway for people who don't know the Mr. Rogers sign there. By biz, they gave away Mr. Rogers sweaters. A yellow like V neck sweater that Mr. Rogers wore with a Penguins logo on it. The guys.

[Yancey]

Is he from Pittsburgh?

[Keith]

Yeah, I believe, I believe he was a Nantucket guy in the summer, Keith.

[Yancey]

Really?

[Keith]

Yeah. Get that statue downtown next to the movie theater. Oh, that's right. He spent some time in Nantucket. Mr. Rogers. I mean, some, some would say I'm crazy for using this word electric. I mean, an electric guy. Like, was he electric in terms of personality? No, but his content was just top notch. See how.

[Yancey]

Just coming every morning on life and the way that he was able to break it down, it Just it made it so pleasant and happy and it

[Biz]

just the way he signed off every day, too.

[Keith]

Yeah, he would, you know, he'd take the shoes off, put the slippers on, put the. Put the sweater on, hang, hello, neighbors. You know, Mr. Rogers makes you, you know, yearn for a time with no Internet and cell phones and nonsense.

[Biz]

And shout out to Mr. Rogers for never getting in trouble either.

[Keith]

Right? I don't think Mr. Rogers ever had legal issues.

[Yancey]

I got news, boys.

[Keith]

No, no, I don't think Conor McGregor's. I mean, I don't think Gavin McKenna is going to be doing any Mr. Rogers celebrations post.

[Yancey]

Oh, he's on the Epstein list.

[Keith]

No, Shut the up.

[Rob Ray]

Why are you.

[Biz]

Why are you bringing this to Mr. Rogers? Dude, he's a. I'm joking around.

[Yancey]

Jesus, when did you guys get so serious?

[Biz]

Dude, don't around with Mr. Roger.

[Yancey]

I'm not, man. I love him. He's a legend. It was a joke.

[Biz]

He's like your guy in Canada that you called Suzuki Porto.

[Yancey]

I said Rico Bosco's on the Epstein files. I didn't hear you guys backing up Rico the rider. Where were you Backing up the riders.

[Keith]

He had enough. Bobby Murphy's brother in his group chat named the riders. Also, Hillary Knight just said on CBS she played through the entire Olympic games with a torn mcl. That's leadership.

[Biz]

Holy.

[Keith]

That's scoring the time.

[Yancey]

I think that's her taking a shot at Sid.

[Keith]

You think?

[Yancey]

Yeah.

[Biz]

That makes sense because when I saw the video of her proposing, she didn't fully go down on one knee. Look it up. And guaranteed that I. What a fucking legend. Hillary Knight playing through that. Good for her.

[Keith]

No shit. She battled through injury even in the.

[Yancey]

Which knee was it? I want to debunk.

[Biz]

Right. Her right didn't go down all the way.

[Keith]

Right knee torn acl. Battles through engagement. Battles through proposal ties up the gold medal game and we grab our first of what was two gold medals in ice hockey. Wow. It doesn't get old, man. It doesn't get old. Thinking back to last, legend grows. Yeah. Well, great show, guys. Thank you. To Rob ray.

[Yancey]

Very excited, Mr. Rogers.

[Keith]

Yeah, we're hoping to get. We're hoping to. To get a guest on for Thursday to maybe tee us up for what should be an electric deadline day. Biz. You'll be able to watch him. I know. Biz you're gonna have. You're gonna have that shirt open like you know. I know you on Sportsnet. You'll have that thing.

[Rob Ray]

What do you mean?

[Keith]

Like always. This will be. This will be the. The only button down on the shirt. I know how you show that chest.

[Biz]

Those of you who don't know, he's in Toronto. He's got the bat signal out right now.

[Keith]

The old flare. The CN Tower and Biz doing us a complete spread eagle on the couch. That way a little. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep going up, keep going up.

[Yancey]

I gotta activate my glutes more.

[Keith]

Dude, your L5s one's gonna be done, though.

[Rob Ray]

Yeah.

[Keith]

And this is. This is biz. The next 48 hours in Toronto. We're signing off. Lift up those hips, Biz. It's. There it is. Have a great week, everyone.

[Yancey]

I got my ambassador Jack ready to go.

[Biz]

Biz.

[Keith]

Hey, Biz. This is what you really are. Your pinkies up from the waist down. And. And we're selling the pink Whitney everywhere. Have a great week, everyone. Bad habits work. Heartbreaking. But it's taking time.

[Rob Ray]

I don't know.

[Keith]

It don't matter. It's going to happen. It's going to happen again. Foreign.

[Rob Ray]

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