Strength and Resilience with NHL Stanley Cup Champion George Parros

Summary

Stronger with Don Saladino

Episode: Hockey Fights, Safety, and the Stanley Cup with George Parros

Date: March 24, 2026
Guest: George Parros—NHL enforcer, Stanley Cup champion, Princeton grad, SVP of Player Safety (NHL)

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Don Saladino sits down with longtime friend George Parros for a deep dive into the life and lessons of a pro hockey enforcer. Beyond the often-sensationalized fighting, the conversation explores how strength is built—from childhood discipline and family support, to reinventing oneself after a professional sports career. Parros shares vivid stories from his journey, insights on the changing nature of hockey, the intricacies of player safety, and the importance of balance—at home, at work, and on the ice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Role of the Enforcer in Hockey

[03:00] – [04:42]

• What is an enforcer?: Parros explains the evolution and purpose of the “enforcer” role—providing physicality and, more importantly, protection for star players.
• Team morale: “Some of the best guys the sport's ever had...felt three inches taller when there was someone on their team [who could] drop their gloves and fight for them.” —George Parros [03:34]
• Role’s evolution: Today’s enforcers are more skilled; fighting is less frequent and reserved for genuine game-related emotion.

2. Early Years: Family, Discipline, and Passion

[05:15] – [07:56]

• Family origins: Started skating young; mom was a figure-skating coach, dad was a D1 football player.
• Parental influence: Dad encouraged transition from figure skating to hockey, but didn’t push too hard. Emphasized finding passion: “What kid doesn’t love skating?...there’s nothing better.” —George [06:14]
• Parenting now: Both Don and George reflect on supporting their kids’ different interests with no pressure—volleyball, tennis, ping-pong, cheer, etc.

3. Obsession & Commitment: From Backyard Pucks to the Pros

[08:16] – [09:13]

• Self-driven: Built his own net, shot pucks in the backyard, rollerbladed around the neighborhood.
• Football vs. Hockey: Despite his dad’s football history, George wasn’t allowed to play due to safety concerns—ironically, went on to fight for a living in hockey.

4. The Princeton Pivot: Luck, Skill, & New Opportunities

[10:02] – [12:53]

• Recruitment story: Got noticed by chance at a Montreal hockey camp, recommended by Princeton’s goalie.
• Preparation: Spent a year in juniors before joining Princeton, then drafted by the LA Kings.
• College impact: Step up in competition and training, but the real transformation to pro-level happened after.

“I grew up an hour from [Princeton] campus, but I had to go all the way up to Montreal to be seen by Princeton.”
—George Parros [10:21]

5. Transition to Pro Hockey: Learning the Ropes

[15:18] – [19:54]

• First pro games: Played in American Hockey League after Princeton, finishing thesis on team bus.
• Early days as an enforcer: Learned the psychological and tactical sides of fighting from veteran teammates—“learned a lot of nuances...informative and interesting year.”

6. The Changing Landscape of Hockey Fights

[22:51] – [27:43]

• Lockout effects: Salary cap and evolving rules made roster spots and “pure enforcers” less common; players now expected to be skilled contributors and occasional fighters.
• Momentum shifts: Fighting once used as a tool to excite teams/buildings, now more organic and in reaction to in-game events.

“You could generate momentum...through a fight. Now...it’s evolved...players who fight are really serviceable on the ice.”
—George Parros [25:00]

7. Stanley Cup Run and Anaheim Ducks Dynasty

[29:00] – [31:00]

• Career timeline: After LA Kings and a brief stint in Colorado, traded to Anaheim where he joined a powerhouse roster (Selanne, Niedermayer, Pronger).
• Team chemistry: Ducks had “the right amount of everything”—skill, physicality, experience.
• Stanley Cup impact: Winning it all was an unexpected and transformative experience.

8. Safety, Evolution, and His Role at the NHL

[32:31] – [39:26]

• Clean play: “Never once fined or suspended” in his nine-year career, proud of keeping respect in the game—even as an enforcer.
• Role at Player Safety: After two years post-retirement, joined NHL’s Player Safety department; focuses on improving safety, balancing physicality with respect and longevity.
• Game evolution: Praises speed and skill level of current players; rules now support offensive, skilled play as much as possible.

“We’re stewards of the game, and that’s a whole completely different role. It’s an important job.”
—George Parros [37:10]

9. Life After Playing: Identity, Camaraderie & Family

[42:12] – [44:12]

• What’s missed: Locker room moments, “plane ride after a game,” and team focus over months together: “You miss those moments with the guys in the locker room.”
• Balance at home: Credits wife Tiff for her support through career and transition; strong trust and teamwork at home.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On stepping onto pro ice for the first time:
  “Now you’re going up...smack dab in a playoff run...you get a paycheck. Paid to play a game now. It actually happened.”
  —George Parros [17:16]
• On learning fighting:
  “I might as well learn how to do this now rather than later when the next level of fighters...are around on the ice.”
  —George Parros [18:16]
• On evolving roles:
  “You want skill to flourish, you want goals...we’re a league that likes goals and offense.”
  —George Parros [40:06]
• On fearsome opponents:
  “[Derek] Boogard was a guy who instilled fear. He was a monster—6’8”, fought angry.”
  —George Parros [45:54]
• On the first NHL game:
  “There’s no replacing that first NHL game as far as excitement’s concerned...it’s just a lifetime of work come to fruition.”
  —George Parros [48:18]

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Fun Rapid-Fire Insights

[44:20] – [46:26]

• Fastest teammate: “Teemu Selanne, the Finnish Flash.”
• Most skilled: “Scott Niedermayer—made the game look so easy.”
• Clutch player: “Briefly played with Joe Sakic...incredible clutch player.”
• Scariest enforcer: “Derek Boogard—there weren’t many guys that instilled more fear.”

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Listener Q&A

[46:26] – [48:51]

1. Would you rather play on your old Montreal team or the current roster?
   • “They’re exciting now, we had a great crew then, but any cup-winning Canadiens team would be a dream too.”
2. Most exciting NHL moment (“I made it”)?
   • “That first NHL game—just irreplaceable, a lifetime of work that came to fruition with my family and friends in attendance.”

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Episode Timeline (Key Timestamps)

• 03:00 – Role and value of NHL enforcers
• 05:15 – Early influences and family
• 08:16 – Childhood obsession and practice
• 10:02 – Path to Princeton & pro hockey
• 15:18 – Jump to pro leagues & learning to fight
• 22:51 – How fighting and roster needs evolved
• 29:00 – Stanley Cup with Anaheim
• 32:31 – Career-ending injuries, retirement
• 34:50 – Two years searching for post-hockey work
• 37:10 – Philosophy of player safety and modern role
• 41:24 – Reflections on what’s missed after retiring
• 44:20 – Rapid fire: Fastest, most skilled, most feared
• 46:26 – Listener Q&A: Montreal memories, most exciting moments

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Closing Thoughts

Parros exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and the nuanced forms of strength that extend beyond the rink. His journey—equal parts luck, perseverance, and hard-won adaptation—is a testament to finding meaning and purpose at each stage of life. The discussion offers rare insight into hockey culture, the delicate balance between toughness and respect, and the ongoing evolution of one of North America’s most dynamic sports.

“You won’t have [playing in front of 20,000 people] again...but I can play cards with the guys, I guess!”
—George Parros [42:57]

Transcript

[Podcast Host (Ad Read)]

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[George Parros]

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[Podcast Interviewer]

Hey, guys. On this episode of Stronger, I interview my very good friend George Paros. George started his hockey career when his mother put a pair of figure skates on him. Then his father introduced him to the game of hockey. Next thing you know, he's playing in juniors, goes off to an Ivy League school called Princeton, and then is drafted by the LA Kings. At that point, George jumped around to a few different teams and won a Stanley cup with Anaheim. George has had a wild career and we're going to walk you through it. This is a really good one. Let's go, Guys. George Paros, former NHL enforcer. Whoa. Stanley cup champion with Anaheim. Princeton graduate, senior VP of player safety for the NHL. Super dad, super husband, and without a doubt, the most competitive board game player I've ever seen in my life. This is the guy who taught me you don't have to teach anyone to play Uno. I think my first Uno game was with you.

[Podcast Host (Ad Read)]

Wow.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Would you believe that?

[George Parros]

What an honor. Did not know that.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Don't play board games with this guy. But listen, man, thank you. You and I became really good friends to our buddy Lev who was on here. Yep, Lev came in. He was a great interview and love him to death. And we actually talked about you on the episode, but I'll never forget it. I think Liev told me that he filmed a movie called Goon. Did they hire you to come in and help him out with some of the fight scenes or what was it exactly?

[George Parros]

It was. It was actually for the sequel Goon 2 and the lesser known Goon 1.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Was good by the way. That was a good one.

[George Parros]

Movie, like incredible. It's, it's just, it's obviously over the top with comedy and hockey sequences and stuff like that, but it's the slap shot of the modern generation. But I was, I wasn't in that one. I was in good too. But we have tolerated all of us.

[Podcast Interviewer]

He's, he's the best. Total class act. So, so for a lot of the non hockey people watch an enforcer. Can you go through that job, that description and what it entailed?

[George Parros]

And it's, it's at one point in time, certainly when in my era and before and even after I guess. But like it's, it's, it's a role on a team where you're looked at to provide some physicality for your team and some support in that area. Like obviously guys, there's, there's fighting in hockey and, and that's, we were guys who, who answered the bell and there's different reasons and different times you would, you would get into a fight and answer that bell. If, if there's a physical team that's out there just taking runs at your star guys, then you're not going to last very long. Your guys are going to get hurt and you're going to be in a losing season. So you need, you need some sort of prevention for that, if you will. And you know, every team needs to have at that time they had guys who were considered enforcers who were out there to make sure that your, your guys weren't taken advantage of. I think a lot of times you, you'll hear from skilled guys that some of the best guys of the sports ever had, they felt three inches taller when there was someone on their, on their team that could, even if they didn't get into a fight, even if they didn't play much, they were out there as a precautionary measure to keep the other team from taking advantage of them. So it's a physical sport. Uh, and, and so there's, there can be some intimidation with, with regards to hitting and physicality. And so it's a, it's a hedge against that and, and was a hedge against that. And there's like I said, that, that role, that, that, that enforcer type of role. It's, it's not so singular anymore, but it's, it's guys who are highly skilled who are still willing to, you know, drop their gloves and fight for the protection of their own teammates or for their, for their team. It's, it's not an easy thing to do. No.

[Podcast Interviewer]

And it's incredible to see just how fast the pace of the game is. I mean, even picking, you know, watching a game. And I don't watch nearly as much hockey as you, but I just. I'm blown away by how they're moving the puck now. And, you know, they don't. It doesn't even look like they're looking when they're throwing passes. They just know where these guys, where their teammates are. And just. Just the pace of play, I think, is just so much different. So start with growing up. I mean, I think what's interesting about these episodes is that there's always a pivot, right? So you start, you know, at a young age. Who taught you the discipline? Who taught you hockey? Then I want to get into Princeton and all that stuff because I find it interesting.

[George Parros]

So, yeah, I was. I was put on the ice at a really early age, probably two and a half, three, because my mother was a figure skating instructor. So, you know, she. She was a figure skater, Bowling Green. And. And anyway, I was part of her life, and she got me on the ice really early. My dad actually would skate with us right early on, and all he had was figure skates. He's. My dad's a big man, too. He's. He's not quite as tall as me, but he's a.

[Podcast Interviewer]

No, he's a big boy.

[George Parros]

I know He's a former D1 football player, so it was funny to see him out in black men's figure skates. But. But yeah, that's what got me on the ice. And then I think my dad, you know, let. Let that. Those early days pass by for a year or two. And then he goes, you're going to play some hockey. We'll get you some pads and get me. And get me into hockey. So I kind of transitioned into hockey at that point. I think my dad kind of put me towards that, on that path. I'm glad he did.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Did he.

[George Parros]

Did he. Did.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Did he push you? Was he one of those people, like, get out there, like, you have to do this, or did you just kind of like.

[George Parros]

I mean, what kid doesn't love skating at any level when you first start out, like, there's nothing better. So, like, no, I don't. I think it was more of just like a general, like, where are we going to take this type of thing? And let's. Let's get you in a sport as opposed to, you know, the figure skating, which is not saying it's not a sport. However, that it's like. It's like my daughter, she's in cheer right now. I gotta go watch the cheer, you know, and support that fully, of course. But I'd rather, I'd. For me, internally, I'd prefer to watch her, you know, in more, you know, I guess either physical environment or, you know, a different sport that, you know, I'm used to watching. So I think it was probably my dad's preference, you know, let's get into some hockey. Maybe that'd be more fun for me to watch. But, hey, put it, you know, get kids on the ice. There's nothing better. Put a stick in their hand. Nothing better.

[Podcast Interviewer]

It's also funny with kids, too, because what you. What you really want, and I know this is the answer, is you just want them really passionate about something. Right. So is that. Is that Lola's. Is that her thing right now is cheer, or is she should.

[George Parros]

Volleyball is her passion, which is great, which you loved.

[Podcast Interviewer]

And you played a lot of vaults

[George Parros]

too, which is kind of crazy. Are you serious? Which is so weird. Yeah, she got into pole vaulting. She didn't make the track team, but they, they. They needed some pole vaulters and they did an open call and she's like, yep, let's go. And so we do that in the springtime now, too.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Jagger's not as into hockey, but he got really into. I mean, what do you kick my ass? And I played ping pong with him and he ruined me.

[George Parros]

He's a racket guy. Yeah. He didn't get that from me. Certainly not any one of us in the family. But he played hockey early on, and I wasn't a pusher either. You know, he wanted to do it and had a lot of fun with it.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Yeah.

[George Parros]

But he kind of. Kind of outgrew hockey and then really took a love for tennis and all things rackets.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Yeah. I will not play ping pong with him again. He not only beat me, but he rubbed it in pretty hard. So I think, really, like, I left there, like, damn, he stood on me.

[George Parros]

And he humbles a lot of adults in his ping pong, pickleball, even Padel. Now he's. He's good with a racket, that kid.

[Podcast Interviewer]

So hockey starts is a fun thing for you, but then obviously to get to where you got to, it doesn't come from just going out and playing rec hockey games, Right. I mean, at what point did it start becoming like, hey, this is something that I'm becoming. You became a bit obsessed over, right?

[George Parros]

Yeah, man, I, I made My dad bring me to Home Depot and, and build a hockey net so I could shoot pucks in the backyard and my Christmas gifts for hockey equipment, pucks. And I would shoot a million pucks in the backyard. And I just, I was obsessed with it, Rollerblading around the neighborhood and all that. What's funny is I started first playing hockey in Columbus. We kind of moved around. We were born in Pittsburgh, started getting on the ice for hockey after figure skating. Columbus. But grew up mostly in New Jersey. And in New Jersey, all the kids want to play football. It's the big sport there. It's what, you know, it's the social scene, it's all that stuff. And my dad played football at Pitt and he wouldn't let me play football. I thought it was too dangerous. So it's so funny. So I played hockey and I turned into a former.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Which is ironic because I have had the privilege of being able to sit with your father and like, talk like we've actually spoke hockey when you were in the NHL. And he, he expressed a couple of times when he saw you, you know, have to go to work in a game and you know, he just said, man, it was, it was, it was tough to watch.

[George Parros]

I can't imagine watching your son fight for a living or, you know, even, even as physical as hockey is, you know, that could be pretty nerve wracking a mom or dad or anybody like that. Watching my kids to do it, it's, it's a lot, I think.

[Podcast Interviewer]

But it's really interesting because you go to Princeton. You play hockey for Princeton, which. I used to go to baseball camp too, so. I know, I know the campus. It's gorgeous. Yeah, we used to go to that and there.

[George Parros]

Underground gym. Yeah.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Where we used to like have games and when it was raining and.

[George Parros]

Pretty crazy.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Gorgeous, gorgeous place. But you go to Princeton. You're, you're a good player. You're very smart. I mean, you are. And I, and I always joke around. We always joke with each other, but you know, George, you're very smart and you know, out of nowhere you get an opportunity, right? You, you get this opportunity that was probably not what you expected. Can you talk about how that happened?

[George Parros]

Yeah, I guess, I guess it kind of started. I, I grew up playing high school hockey in New Jersey. And that's, it's good hockey, but it's not elite hockey like in Minnesota or Michigan or anything like that. And I was good for the area, but anybody that was like, really good, like noticeably good, next level good, they went up to Play prep school. That was a big thing back then. That's waned a little bit in today's game, but that's where you went. And, And I don't. I wasn't quite good enough to be a guy who's at least recruited and desired, you know, was physically or actively recruited to go up and play there. So could I have gone up and maybe tried out, walk on a team or something like that? Sure. But that wasn't in the cards for me. So I was in New Jersey high school hockey. I was. I was a good player for the area. But eventually I went to opportunity. I went to a hockey camp in Montreal with a teammate of mine on the. On the high school team. He had a grandmother lived up there. And we went up him to this hockey camp. And the goalie for Princeton University at the time was a counselor there. And he calls down his coach, he goes, there's a kid here is pretty darn good, and he's like an hour from campus, and, like, maybe you should go check him out. So that's how it kind of got started, as a lucky bounce. Like, it's funny, I had to. I grew up an hour from campus, but I had to go all the way up to Montreal to be seen by Princeton. Right. So that's kind of what put the seed in the soil there. And Princeton said, you know what, we got a big freshman class coming in your natural year. Why don't you go play your junior hockey, get bigger, stronger, and then we'll take you next year. It'll be better for everybody. I'm like, like, I was. I was not planning on playing hockey after high school. So to have any sort of avenue towards that was. Was amazing how much, how much you

[Podcast Interviewer]

grow in that period of time. So you, you end up going off to prep school.

[George Parros]

Yeah. So, no, I didn't go to prep school. I did a junior hockey team. Like, I graduated high school, and then now all of a sudden, I'm. I'm driving out to Chicago. I have a billet family. I'm staying with a lovely couple, or Ryan's out and out in Chicago, and. And all I'm doing is playing hockey now. I'm focused, which is. I mean, tell a kid he doesn't have to go to school anymore. You just.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Yeah, just.

[George Parros]

It was unreal. So you're working out a ton. You're playing, you're. You're playing. What's closer to a professional type of game out there? I actually took some college courses and messed around a little bit. With that sort of thing. But anyway, it was just, the focus was hockey and, and I had a really good year. Like, I mean, like I said, I was always a good player and for, for my area, but I went out there and for whatever reason the pucks were going in the net. You know, it was just, it was all year long. It was just kind of wildfire. So I got drafted, I got, I got scouted and drafted through that and now all of a sudden I'm going back to Princeton and just have been drafted by Los Angeles Kings. So funny how things work. But you know, at that point I had a secure Runway ahead of me to pursue my education at Princeton and finish hockey there. And then now all of a sudden maybe pro hockey wasn't such a crazy, you know, pipe dream anymore.

[Podcast Interviewer]

What was the going back to Princeton now? What did you, what did you learn from the college experience? Did you feel like it was, it was faster or did you feel like after juniors it was actually probably the same level, a step down.

[George Parros]

Like what was your, yeah, hockey wise? Yeah, it was still a step up for sure. A little bit faster, a little bit more physical too. And the EC were, Princeton plays their hockey, it's a pretty crash and bang league. It's, you know, we don't, they don't get the top elite prospects like the Minnesota's and Boston's, everything like that. I mean some, some programs do and that kind of goes up and down year by year. But a lot of, a lot of guys, you know, a lot of hitting physical and all that. But I was pretty well prepared for like playing junior hockey in the North American Hockey League was a pretty good, pretty good testing ground for that.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Now I, I have to ask you, I'm going to ask you, but the training piece of it, do you feel like it, was it something where they were like go do your own thing or did you start or were there strength coaches there who were like pretty rigorous with it? Did you have that lunatic strength coach or were they kind of a little more relaxed about it?

[George Parros]

That's funny. You know, I've never really thought about my strength training through all these different levels from maybe a perspective that you would really get excited about. So it's kind of funny to think about that.

[Podcast Interviewer]

No, it could be nothing and it could be nothing.

[George Parros]

No, no. Like, I, well I, I, I, I remember from, you know, freshman year on, you know, you know, wanting to get big and, and get stronger and I would go to the gym after high school and the, and, and work out every day and the football guys would show me how to do lifts. Like, I didn't have proper training, like, but they, you know, they did through their coaches. I didn't really necessarily through hockey, but I just, I love squats. I did like a million pyramids of squats like all the time, as much as I could, which kind of works out really well for hockey. But yeah, by the time in, in junior hockey, like, yeah, we worked out quite a bit and it was okay. But like, you know, I wouldn't say it was like a super regimented or qualified professional deal. It wasn't like a dedicated like it is now. Like now all these programs and teams, like there's a lot more money and a lot more like attention to those sorts of things. Back then it wasn't quite like that. It was, you know, they'd write a program on the board and just go do it and it was up to you. But Princeton was a different story. Now Princeton again, we're working out with the. Now the football coaches are strength coach. So they, they kind of meld us into. We go to the, the gym and work out with them and they put us on a program. So nothing until really pros were where you really dialed in with a guy

[Podcast Interviewer]

who's who knows what, who knows who's

[George Parros]

certified and everything else. Yeah.

[Podcast Interviewer]

All right. So you end up graduating in 03. And what was that process now?

[George Parros]

So after our season concluded, I was property of the Kings. And they, you know, sometimes if the team's in the playoffs, they might pull a prospect out to go play some playoff games. You know, you can do that now that you're finished with your college career. And I wasn't a blue chip. Like I said, I was an eighth round, I was an eighth round gem. So I want to, I don't want to, you know, deceive anybody there, but you know, their minor league team was still in the playoffs and, and they wanted me to go get some experience. So I played seven or nine games. I, I left school to go play some games for, for the professional team in Manchester, New Hampshire, which is a trip, but I still to finish my thesis.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Well, I was at a trip.

[George Parros]

I just, I mean, for the very first time you're, I mean, I'd gone to NHL training camps every summer since I was drafted. So every year at Princeton in the summer I'd go to training camp and like a rookie camp and have like that professional experience, you know, like other guys from all over Canada and you know, guys who were blue chip process first round picks like, they're like, you know, the whole deal. You get. You get training with them, you get all the, all the bells and whistles, right? All the things you dream about, you know, having at your disposal as a professional athlete. You got a taste of that during a rookie camp or a training camp, but, I mean, I'd never seen an actual, you know, game. Now you're going up, and I'm. I'm smack dab in a playoff run for, you know, a professional team. And that's pretty wild. You know, it's like, we've got a lot of fans, you know, great fans at Princeton and everywhere else around college hockey, but it's not, it's not the same. Like, you're in a bigger building and it's louder and that's. There's men out there now. I mean, there's, you know, guys who've played, you know, 15 years in, in the minor leagues or in the majors or whatever, getting sent up and down. You know, they're 40 years old, almost still out there, some of them playing. So it's, it's a different game, different experience. And, and by the way, you finally, now you're. You get a paycheck. Like you're getting paid.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Like I'm getting paid for this.

[George Parros]

Paid to play a game now. It actually happened. So it was really cool. But at the same time, I had to finish my thesis. So some guys stuck around for the rest of the playoff push. But I was typing away on the bus. Bruce Boudreaux, my. My coach up there, went on to a really good NHL coaching career. Still does endless work for us, and we'll be back behind the bench soon enough. He was my coach in the Miners there, but he. He laughs because the first, first time he ever saw me, I walk onto his bus in jeans and flip flops and he's like, what the hell are you thinking?

[Podcast Interviewer]

What'd he say to you? Is he like this?

[George Parros]

I didn't know what. I didn'. I was flown up there in a hurry, like, left campus, just brought whatever I had and, like, didn't. Didn't know a thing. And, and I brought a computer. I started just typing my thesis. He's like, what is this kid doing? What is going on here? So anyway, I had to. I had to finish that up and went back to school to do that. But next year was. Was main camp for, for the Kings. And on I went.

[Podcast Interviewer]

So you go up to main camp for the Kings?

[George Parros]

I made. I didn't make the team that year. I played my first year professional in the minor league for, in the Miners, for the Manchester Royals or Monarchs, and, and had a great year there. Learned, you know, a lot more about how to fight and protect myself and protect the teammates in that aspect of the game, because I did a little bit of that in the, in the summers at rookie camps at the Kings, kind of show them I could do. I could have another tool in my belt. It was very conscious decision because if you. If I wanted to just be a goal scorer or player or whatever, you know, I maybe could have done it. It would have taken a lot longer probably, and some lucky bounces along the way, but I figured if I could be the type of player I want to be and like to be, which is physical and hitting and going to the net and crashing and banging, if I was going to do that, it'd probably be challenged to fight anyway in, in this professional game. So I figured I might as well learn how to do this now rather than later when the, the next level of fighters and guys like that are around on the ice with you. So I started to learn how to fight and try to get in a little fight here and there in the summers. But that first year, thank God, I had Ryan Flynn on our team, who was in Foister and been doing it for a while, and he really showed me the ropes and learned a lot of the nuances of that position and aspect of the game. So it was really informative and interesting year. And it was cool too, right? I'd invite friends up, like I'm playing professional hockey and they're like, holy cow, are you serious? Like, you know, they come and visit and I'd be like, check this out. Like, I'd get in a fight.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Everyone's going crazy.

[George Parros]

Everyone's like, what the hell are you doing? What are you seriously. Now you're just fighting all of a sudden? Because, you know, they didn't fight all growing up didn't fight in college. It was just what. But now it was a way for me to get onto the NHL roster quicker and, you know, like, I could play my same game. But all of a sudden, if you had that element, then you're a lot more useful to a lot more teams or managers or coaches.

[Podcast Interviewer]

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[George Parros]

All right.

[Podcast Interviewer]

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[George Parros]

It's different. Yeah. I mean back then, shoot, there was three, four or five guys on a roster that would, you know, that were looking for it, let alone willing to do it. They were out there actively seeking it out and it was just Kind of the way the game had, had evolved, I think. So my first year, like I said, I didn't make the NHL team, but my second year, maybe I could have. However, we had the lockout year, so all the top prospects from that were still eligible to play in the minors. You were only allowed to bring down players who had only played a certain number of games. Like, you know, if you played 40 games or under, then you could come down and play in the minors that year during the lockout. So all these teams brought down their blue chip, young, you know, future their teams and now they're playing in the minor in the AHL American Hockey League. And it's, it can be a little bit rougher and it's still, still a man's game, still a lot of physicality. And so it was really valuable for teams to have somebody that could protect some of these, you know, kind of younger hotshots. So there was a lot of fighting that year for that reason too. I think there's a lot of guys trying to be, they could prove they could be the guy to do that. And there's a lot of guys who are teams who valued someone who could, you know, be there to protect some of their, their assets.

[Podcast Interviewer]

You know, would you run into the same guy like from one season to another, did you find that this stuff was pre orchestrated in advance? Or maybe someone took a hit where you're going into a game or two days before you know you're going to run into this person that you ran into last year and the gloves are coming off, right. Like, did you. Was that typical?

[George Parros]

It was definitely an era that from that time on through most of my career, there's definitely an era. People used to use the term stage fighting, but it was never really staged. Like, I mean, very, very seldomly would two guys have arranged and known they were going to fight. Like that wasn't how it went. However, there was so many fights, including so many of mine and others where it was just a mutual agreement. You want to go like really? No, no impetus for the fight from the game, you know, up until that point, other than to try and generate some momentum or some emotion for your team. I think, you know, hockey more than any other sport is really affected by momentum shifts and energy shifts in the game and in the building and things like that. And fighting was a, a way to do that. I don't want to say a shortcut, but you know, you could, you could generate those, those shifts in the game through a fight. Now to where it's at now like I said, it's evolved now. I think roster spots have become so much more important because of the salary cap that was instituted. So once that salary cap hit, now you have to spend your money and get the most out of it that you can because every team's playing with the same amount and you can't afford to have maybe a more one dimensional type of player on your roster, let alone multiple guys. So I think for that reason you saw a lot more skilled guys and a lot more younger guys, a lot more inexperienced guys around the third and fourth lines, which kind of led to some sloppier hockey for a while too. But like, but really what ended up happening was the, the, the position, I think of a, of a fighter and enforcer evolved into a player who is really serviceable on the ice. Like they, these third and fourth lines, they play 12 minutes a night now. Like we, we played three and four and five and six minutes a night back in the day. So you have guys now who fight when, when the timing is typically right. And by that I mean it's an emotional game, it's a physical game. You'll hear our commissioner even say this. Like it's, you know, it's a fast game where guys on skates with sticks in their hands and it's very emotional and physical. However, if, if something happens that can be dealt with on the ice and you know, there's always been a penalty for fighting, but you know, right where it is now, guys are usually responding to something that's happened on the ice and, and typically it's done in the right way without guys taking advantage of each other. So I like, I like where it's at right now, quite honestly.

[Podcast Interviewer]

You think it's a good balance? You think it's, it's still, it's still there, right?

[George Parros]

Absolutely, it's still there. And you know, it's, it's definitely an instance, like I said, where they're happening from more natural causes and reasons and things like that. Sometimes something did happen from before and two guys agree to go or whatever the case might be. But you know, like I said, there's a lot of things that happen on this game is so fast and way faster than it's ever been. Guys are going in different directions a million miles an hour and things happen out there and guys react to that in different ways and get emotional and physical and in the heat of the moment, things can be dealt with. And that's kind of where we're at right now. And I think it's Kind of a more natural, you know, way that it's gone about these guys go about their business.

[Podcast Interviewer]

So you end up leaving. You leave the Kings. What was your next step? Was it Anaheim, or was it. Was it Montreal?

[George Parros]

I had a nice little stop in Colorado, which is, like, very forgotten about, because I was there for a month and a half. I only played in two games as an Avalanche.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Beautiful.

[George Parros]

I'm a proud, proud alumni of the Avalanche as well. And I got put on waivers after my first year with the Kings. I got hurt in training camp, and we had just gone through a regime change, a new coach, new gm, and. And I got hurt. So it was next guy up for the. For the organization, and I was put on waivers. So picked up by Colorado, I was still hurt. I rehabbed, played two games, and then, you know, as luck would have it, our nemesis from down the road, the Ducks as a king. The Ducks, they. They lost one of their guys who was a physical guy, enforcer type of guy. He had gotten injured. And the general manager at the time, if anybody knows him, Brian Burke, certainly likes to have that type of player in his roster. So he was in the market looking for someone, and. And he got me traded for me from Colorado. So I was only there for a little bit. I showed up in Anaheim, like, in mid November, and the team was on a heater already. This is one of the best teams, I think, that's ever. Ever touched the ice in the NHL,

[Podcast Interviewer]

and that was with Solani and.

[George Parros]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Scott Needermeyer.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Right.

[George Parros]

Maybe one of the best defensemen ever played. Yeah. Then we had Sean, Chris Pronger. It was one of the most intimidating and unbelievable defensemen. His jersey's out in the lobby here.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Dude, Pronger, I told you. I saw Pronger, like, you know, I. I met him. I met him at Dr. Gabriel Lines event and came over, was super friendly and.

[George Parros]

That's right. Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Last time when I was in Texas, out of nowhere, I'm standing there, and I just feel someone's chest literally on my head. And I turn around and I look up, and he's just looking down at me, laughing. Oh, yeah, that's typical Pronger.

[George Parros]

He's a character.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Yeah, he's. He's. This guy's massive.

[George Parros]

He's huge.

[Podcast Interviewer]

His.

[George Parros]

His hips are, like, eye level, and then he likes to puff his chest out. Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Interviewer]

He'll sit there and I'll do one of these.

[George Parros]

Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Interviewer]

I'm getting him on here, too. I invited him. He said, yo, come on.

[George Parros]

You know, he's doing actually a lot more. He's in the media a lot now. He's doing a lot of analyst work and he's doing great. And in fact he's, he was a former member of the department of player safety as well. My first year, my first year working for Stefan Kintel who ran the department at the time, it was me and Chris that were his advisors. And so he knows this job really well as well. He's got a well versed education in hockey and he was one of the best to play on the blue line. And we had no shortage of talent on that team. Like it was, it was wild.

[Podcast Interviewer]

I'm trying to think who else was on that squad. So we said Saloni, we said Neidermeyer, we said Pronger. I mean that right there, there's a three hall of Famers, right?

[George Parros]

Yeah, yeah. Our goal is John Sebastian. Jaguar was unreal. We had Andy McDonald, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Getzlaff, Corey Perry, Dustin Penner. Like the list goes on and on and on. Like one of the best shutdown lines. Our third line was like not flashy guys, but it was Rob Neidermeyer, Scott's brother, Todd Marchant. We had Travis Moen. Like just the team, you know, Berkey liked to say the team could, could beat any team in any way. Like it could be the skilled team. Skilled wise, it could be a tough team. Tough wise.

[Podcast Interviewer]

You think that was one of the best teams you've ever seen, let alone versatile team that you've ever seen?

[George Parros]

I'm biased, but yeah, yeah, but it's a really good team. Like it's just, it really was a very versatile team. Like we could play a skill game and we hung with Detroit and beat Detroit, who was one of the most, you know, successful puck possession skilled franchises at the time. They had their own toughness for sure, but they were a buck possession skilled team and you know, we beat them on the way to the cup that year. We beat some physical teams in Minnesota and Vancouver, like Ottawa. Like that team was just, it was just, it had a little bit of everything and the right amount of everything and guys who could do everything. So it was pretty cool.

[Podcast Interviewer]

So you win a cup, I mean you basically, you go to Princeton, you don't expect, you don't expect this, you don't expect to spend nine years, is it nine years, Nine years in the NHL, you win a cup, you have a good career and in the career, you know, it's, it ends right. You had a, you had a head injury.

[George Parros]

Yeah, I had a couple Concussions. The end of my career in Montreal, I was lucky that. I mean, those could have happened at any point in time. I always say I played nine more years in NHL and I thought I would, you know, never took anything for granted because I didn't expect to be there to begin with. Every. Every day was a blessing. So. But yeah, I had a couple. A couple good concussions the end of my career in Montreal, there and playing there was fantastic as well. But, yeah, the next year, you know, an end of his career, physical, fighter, enforcer, whatever, with some concussions on his record. I wasn't. Wasn't. You know, no one was lining up the door to sign me, so.

[Podcast Interviewer]

But you. But you pivoted beautifully. I mean, I. I think. So you end up going and getting a job at player safety. I mean, looking at your resume, yeah, you were an enforcer, but you never had any crazy suspensions, did you? I mean, there wasn't anything that wasn't. There wasn't anything that was. You never really got crazy emotional on the ice and lost your cool or ended up, you know, spending three days suspended from any games, or you play clean, which sounds funny for an enforcer, but you played very clean.

[George Parros]

There's a way to go about that job with maintaining the respect of everybody and. And doing it the right way. And I feel like I certainly did that. I gotta believe that that's part of the reason that helped me get hired. And, yeah, I played. I played for nine years. I played the game in a really physical way, but never crossed the line. I didn't get fined or suspended once, so you could say I knew where the line was or something to that effect. However, you know, I do. I do think that's the case. I think there's ways to go about that. That position and just hitting in general and knowing, you know, having that respect for your. Your opponents, really, not only teammates, but opponents. So, anyway, yeah, I. I had my whole career, and like I said, that's kind of like my tagline. Never once find or suspended. That probably helped. Stefan Kintel, who had taken over the department from Brandon Shanahan, was in charge, and I got put in touch with him through Matthew Schneider, who was a former teammate of mine. And I just hounded Q for a job for about two years there I was going and scouting games of my own and looking to get my foot in the door, and I thought going through the NHL and player safety was a great way to do that. So I stayed on top of him and. And he had an opening and he hired me. So it was me, prongs and him that were there at the league.

[Podcast Interviewer]

It's also exciting. Right. I was talking to you about a little bit of a transition that I'm making, and you almost start becoming the student. You feel like there's a little bit of a fire that's lit, and you start saying, all right, like, what am I. What am I missing here?

[George Parros]

Right.

[Podcast Interviewer]

I'm sure. And I don't know if you know, off the top of your head, when you got involved in that scouting and you started realizing that this is something you wanted to do, were you learning along the way, going, oh, I didn't expect that, or this is something maybe I have to think differently about? Were there. Were there any surprises? Or do you feel like you were really, like, a perfect fit for what it is you're doing now?

[George Parros]

You know, it seemed you paint a picture that's so rosy. However, I did mention it briefly. There's two. There's a period of two years after I retired where I did not have work. And I'm not a guy who sits around idly. I can't do it. I'm not good at it. Get me out of the house. Get me working, doing something.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Hanging TVs.

[George Parros]

Yeah, all of it. For TIFF. Yeah. Dimmer switches, TVs, all that stuff you're

[Podcast Interviewer]

way better at than I am.

[George Parros]

So. So I don't. I don't do well idly. And I was looking for work for two years, and so it was just a matter of opportunity and timing. So when you ask, like, and say, you know, it wasn't all just such a seamless transition. And so did you learn things along the way? I was. I was a guy who probably more than most NHL players could wrap my head around the fact that, you know, this does come to an end. I did go to college. I have a college degree in my back pocket. I was fortunate enough to have that. But I always kind of had my mind on what was going to be next after my career because I didn't know how long my career was going to last. So I tried to build as many bridges as I could. Full well, knowing I wanted to stay in the sport afterwards, keeping my mind open to other opportunities. But when I retired, I thought, like, I wouldn't be that hard. And I would just call all these people who I tried to forge relationships with, GMs, coaches, all sorts of, you know, people like that. And, you know, you still need luck. Even to win a Stanley cup, you'd still need luck. You'd still need timing. You still need all these things. So for. For two years, I was going to games by myself, scouting by myself, seeing people on the press box, having conversations with other scouts and other, you know, GMs who might be rolling through or whatever the case might be. And wouldn't you know it, after two years of doing that, I get a. I got a. I got two job offers for being a scout from two different teams and the job offer from the NHL all in the same week. And I was, like, actually mad about it.

[Podcast Interviewer]

What is this really?

[George Parros]

Like, one of these couldn't have come along, like, a year ago. But I'm a firm believer, and everything happens for a reason. And. And presented with those three offers, the job with the league at the department of player safety seemed like the right fit for me. So I took that and ran with it.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Was it. Was it something that you immediately knew you wanted to do, or did you have to sit down and really think about it and go through pros and cons and scouting? I would imagine there's probably a lot more travel involved, right?

[George Parros]

Yeah, certainly there's that. You know, the big thing for. For me and a lot of other guys, but not everybody. But, you know, when you're on the team side of things, you're still competing for things, and there's. There's something to that that I love and will always kind of, you know, keep a pulse for. So when you're on the scouting side of things, you're trying to build a team, you're trying to find who's going to help your team win, and you can take a small piece of ownership and the successes you have on the ice and try to win a championship. When you're at the league, you know, that kind of all goes out the window and you dig in more to the fact that I'm here to service the game. I'm here to help the game best I can, make sure that it's in good hands, and we're stewards of the game, and that's a whole completely different role. It's a very important role. It's an interesting role. People always ask you, having fun? Is it the best? And, like, if you're having fun doing my job, like, if you enjoy my job, there's probably something wrong with you a little bit, because there's. There's, you know, there's a lot of negativity around it and certain things that are challenging for that job. However, it's. It's an important job and. And we all Feel like we are, you know, looking out for the game itself and that's, that's important.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Well, there's always gonna be someone upset with you. Right. Like you make, you, you make a decision, you make a call or you assign a suspension.

[George Parros]

Sure.

[Podcast Interviewer]

You know, the other team's going to be pissed. They're going to be passing comments. It's just, it's just part of life.

[George Parros]

Right. That's just the way it goes. You need thick skin to do what we do. But yeah, you're right. Like, you know, you got half, half the, the Hockey World or 1 32nd Hockey World is mad you for not doing something. The other ones, even if you do the perfect job, and I think it's the perfect decision. Oh, that's what we're supposed to do, a good job. Everyone remembers the scars and not the, you know, successes. Right. So, you know, we, we toe the line that way and that's okay. We're.

[Podcast Interviewer]

The thing I was really interested in talking to you about, wasn't the, the enforcing piece of it, Right. That's a part of your career. I'm more interested in talking to you about how the game of hockey is evolving. Right. And I think that's part of your position that most people don't think about. They. Oh, he's the head of player safety, right? Oh, he's the one who's assigning suspensions. You're helping to evolve the game of hockey. How have you felt that the game. And I'm not saying it's because of you, I'm saying that you are part of it and, but you are. You've also seen this evolution of hockey over the last 20, 30 years. How do you feel like it's evolved to where you're looking at it and you're like, wow, I'm really proud, Rick. I feel good about this.

[George Parros]

Well, there's a couple things to that, but, you know, obviously any, any praise the game of hockey gets, it belongs on, squarely on the shoulders of the players. Like they are, they are the reason why, you know, we are successful as a league, as a game. Players get better and better every year. Training, as you know, has evolved radically and specific type of training. Right. And so these crops of players that are coming up, they're faster, they're quicker, they're shiftier, they've got incredible hands. Yeah. Their shots are like. So the skill level has, has rapidly increased and the speed has like really skyrocketed, I think. So there's that, that's, that's a number one the reason why things are going well, but around that, you need rules to support, you know, the game. You need rules to support these players. You need rules to support all the players. But however you want skill to flourish, you want goals, you want. We're a league that likes goals and offense, and you want to support that. So there's been a number of changes through hockey operations. Colin Campbell's been around a long time. Stephen Walken, who does our officiating. You know, these guys have, you know, been stewards of the game in their own right and along with the general managers who direct all of our groups, you know, figure out what's working, what's not working, what do we need to change in order to protect this game and keep it going the right direction. So the general managers, with their guidance and our three departments, you know, discipline, officiating, hockey operations, we. We have a good little symphony going to where we've corrected things that we felt need corrected. And, and we're getting to the point now where, you know, perfection is the goal, which we'll never get to. However, you know, we're, we're. The game is in a really good spot, and that's a. Rules wise, that's enforcement wise wise. It's the operation of the game. So these great players are supported by, you know, a well functioning, you know, set of. Set of rules and standards.

[Podcast Interviewer]

You don't play much anymore, right? You don't even go out for much pickup anymore. I know I've played with you a bunch of times. I've hacked it around, you know, I'm terrible.

[George Parros]

Long aisle. Nice teas, wasn't it? They're awesome. Shout out to the boys.

[Podcast Interviewer]

I'll see them tomorrow morning. Actually, we got to get a reunion with you, but. But are you ever going out playing any pickup with some, you know, buddies or shooting around or.

[George Parros]

I live in Nashville now and there's a great alumni connection and group of guys that play down there. However, it's kind of far from my house. I like to play. There's. I feel like there's two. Two types of guys, like when they retire, they don't ever touch their gear ever again or they like to stay on the ice. I do like to play, but for me, it's just a matter of convenience Now. I got. I got the kids and this job kind of drains your batteries, so, you know, not a lot of time for hockey. However, I do enjoy it, and when I can get out there, I will.

[Podcast Interviewer]

What do you miss most about it?

[George Parros]

You've heard it before. From many different guys. But you miss those, those moments with the, with the, with the guys in the locker room and honestly, the plane ride after, after a game with, you know, playing cards, that was always. I love that. But you know, that type of camaraderie, but, you know, playing, playing hockey with the cold air in your face when you first step on the ice for warm ups and, you know, making 20,000 people stand on their feet, it's pretty powerful. It's pretty cool. And you won't have that again. And so that's, you tend to miss that too. I can play cards with guys, I guess. But there was, it was special. Being on a team with a, with a singular focus for, you know, 10 months of the year. It's a long year. And you know, having that with the guys and just having those moments transitioning

[Podcast Interviewer]

to now, to your, to your new team. Right. When I say that, I mean your wife and your kids. I gotta highlight Tiff Paros right now. I'm gonna give her a shout out because you know how I feel about your wife. She's best friends with my wife, Melissa. What was that like when you were on the road having such a strong support system? I mean, it couldn't have always been easy, you being away from the kids and her and you know, she stepped up for you there.

[George Parros]

Yeah, we've got a, we've got a great relationship. It works for us. I don't know, but like, we don't. Like, we trust each other. We know we, you know, if I'm on the road, like, we don't, we're not talking four times a day. Like, we know what we're doing. We're driven in the same way. Like, she got the kids. Okay. How are they doing? We check in there, but like, we operate. It's kind of like, you know, when you, you have those buddies, you don't really need to check in with that often. Right. You go, you haven't spoken to a guy for 10 years, but you pick up right where you left off. Almost like us, it's exactly like, we see each other more often, I, thankfully, because that's great. But it's, it's, it's our relationships kind of like that where we, we pick off, we're left. Like it's, it works so well for us. Like we, we trust each other. We know what we're doing. We're. We're both focused and, and intense with what we do, but you know, we're, we're pulling the same direction. It's awesome.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Couple Rapid fire questions I want to ask you but these are just kind of self indulging questions where we're just having fun. It doesn't have to be factual.

[George Parros]

Perfect.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Who is the fastest player you've ever played with?

[George Parros]

Fastest.

[Podcast Interviewer]

I mean doesn't have to be a teammate. It could be someone you played against.

[George Parros]

I mean Tamisulani was the finished flash.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Yeah.

[George Parros]

Didn't get too much faster than him. He was 42 years old when he was still on the fastest guys around. So we'll go with.

[Podcast Interviewer]

We'll go team. You have to teammate. Of course.

[George Parros]

Of course.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Most skilled player that you think you played with or against.

[George Parros]

Skilled. You know, I, I think, I think to Scott Niedermeyer, just because he made the game look so easy. It didn't. He didn't doing incredibly flashy. But the game was played at his pace and, and I mean there's a certain skill to like never getting hit, being in the right spot the right time, having a fire in your belly. But like he was. There's not many guys that play the game that are better than him.

[Podcast Interviewer]

You. This might even be the same answer to the question, but during a big game, who's the guy that you want out on the ice?

[George Parros]

Well, I played for very briefly with Joe Sakic, who was an incredible clutch player. Yeah, like, I mean I've been really fortunate to play some hall of Fame incredible people and the list is long. So I'm just firing off the top of my head and I'm trying to spread around just from not ducks teammates but like others I've had. Luke Robitail and Jeremy Ronick are some of the best that we've had. But yeah, Joe Sakic, he was clutch. He was, he was good. And I didn't get to play them very long, but he was good.

[Podcast Interviewer]

All right, last one who was the oh shit player you saw on the ice and you're like, damn, this guy's. Do I want to run in with this guy? Or maybe you never thought that, but who was the one guy that you felt had that fear and that intimidating factor?

[George Parros]

Yeah, I mean in my era, you know, there's. There's plenty. But you know, Derek Boogard was a guy who instilled fear in, in the lineup and the other lineups. He's. He was a monster. He was 6 foot 8, maybe 9. And he was, he was, he was. He fought angry and he was, he was a good human being. I got to know him away from the ice. He's not with us anymore. Rest in Peace. But as far as, like, the fear factors concerned, you're talking about, there weren't many guys that instilled more fear than he did at that time.

[Podcast Interviewer]

All right, well, thank you for humoring me on that. Let's take some questions. Right. What do we have today? Yeah. Hey, Don and George. Our first question today is from George in Los Angeles. George.

[George Parros]

Interesting. Hi, Don and George. My name is George. I have a question for George. As a Montreal Canadiens fan, I want to know if you'd prefer playing with the team back in the day or with the current team. Thanks. So many things. I love about this. We got George. He's a Habs fan, and it's a good question. I'm gonna, like, totally cop out on answering this, though, because I know you are. Yeah. A, the team right now is exciting. They got a lot of good things going for them, so I'd love to play for them right now. B, I wouldn't trade in playing for the team I was on because we had such a good crew and fun guys. But C, I think, you know, you want to play for the cup winning.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Oh, yeah.

[George Parros]

Montreal team. At least the Last 1 in 93, I believe it was, so. And I had some buddies on that team. Chelly. And I was on that team.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Chris Chalice is in the team. I forgot. He. I don't know.

[George Parros]

So, anyway, that would have been a good one, too, but I'll take. I'll take the team I was on. We had fun. We had a great run thanks to Kerry Price. Got pretty far in the playoffs. Almost made to the Stanley Cup Finals.

[Podcast Interviewer]

What a safe answer. I knew he was gonna go. He's so, like, politically correct. I love it. Good for you. We don't. It. We. Miles, we have one more. Yeah, our next caller is Laura, and she's a big fan of yours, George. Here's her question. I love it. Hi, George. I have a question for you. What's your most exciting time in the NFL? And what was the one moment that made you go, wow, I freaking made it. See you guys. So, Laura. Laura's obviously not in a good place right now. She's in the hospital. She's been in the hospital for probably the last six, seven months, and she's really. Yeah, holding on tough right now. So she messaged me earlier, and I'm glad she asked a question. So.

[George Parros]

Yeah, I recognize her.

[Podcast Interviewer]

Right.

[George Parros]

You worked with her for a while, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, hi, Lauren. Thanks for the question. You know, there's. There's no replacing that first NHL game as far as excitement's concerned. I'm emotional now because it's just a lifetime of work that's come to come to fruition finally. So, and I had, I had two of my great buddies that flew in for that. My parents, we were, we were in, we were in Dallas and it was just irreplaceable. I mean, winning the cup and so many other great memories. But that, that first one, that's pretty cool, pretty special.

[Podcast Interviewer]

It is fun to talk to your dad about it too, because I was fortunate enough to have a couple beers with him in Nashville and we were, we were kicking back and we were talking a little bit and I didn't even really instigate the conversation. He just kind of dove in and we started talking. It was just so natural. It wasn't like, like, you know, we were trying to pry anything out of him, but he just, he was so honest and open and he was just so proud of you and there's so many reasons why he should be proud of you. But listen, man, thank you. I mean, Mel and I, we, we worship you and Tiff and we consider you, you guys, two of our closest friends, even though we don't see you guys much. And just to give you guys some context, George literally got right off the plane and came here. So it was just, he's a great friend and here to support and we really love you and thank you and guys, hope you enjoyed the episode. I also want to thank Christian Ponder for hosting us the post phenomenal spot. Matt, Eric, thank you guys. Chris Miles, thank you and hope you guys enjoy the episode.

[Podcast Host (Ad Read)]

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[Podcast Interviewer]

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