Hour 1: Shut Up, Paul Maurice Is Talking (feat. Paul Maurice)

Summary

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The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: Shut Up, Paul Maurice Is Talking (feat. Paul Maurice)
Date: September 22, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this lively and wide-ranging episode, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Zaslow, Greg Cote, and company blend their trademark humor and irreverent analysis on the state of South Florida sports. The episode’s highlight is an in-depth, candid interview with Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice—a two-time Stanley Cup champion—who opens up about leadership, team culture, coaching intensity, and the unique bonds in hockey. Interspersed throughout are segments on baseball, football, television trends, and more, creating a dynamic mix of sports talk and cultural commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Matthew Tkachuk's Transformative Impact on Miami Sports

• The crew lauds Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk for his unique presence and cultural footprint—on and off the ice.
  • Dan compares Tkachuk’s acquisition to LeBron’s, calling it equally “franchise-changing” for a sport still striving for relevance in Miami.
  • "What a great ambassador for South Florida sport." – Dan Le Batard (03:26)
  • Tkachuk is celebrated for taking time with fans, being the first hockey player on College GameDay, and integrating into Miami’s “event town” vibe.
  • Greg Cote: “If I’m Gary Bettman…I pick Matthew Tkachuk. He plays for the two-time championship team, he’s engaging, he’s arguably the best American player in the league.” (03:47)
  • Lighthearted banter about fan interactions and expectations for Tkachuk as a hockey ambassador.

2. Baseball Segment: Trevor Rogers & Giancarlo Stanton

• The crew reflects on previous (bad) betting advice about Orioles pitcher Trevor Rogers—now on a historic run.
  • Notable quote from Stugotz: “If I know anything in this world, it’s you bet against Trevor Rogers.” (06:42)
  • Rogers defies expectations with an MLB record season.
• Discussion of Giancarlo Stanton’s 450th home run sparks debate about Hall of Fame credentials.
  • The panel discusses steroids, injuries, and evolving standards for Hall of Fame induction.
  • Stanton’s lack of scandal noted: “He’s not a guy that has steroid allegations following him…” – Dan (09:05)
  • Greg Cote: “He’d be over 500 [home runs] if he were healthier.” (09:30)

3. Paul Maurice Interview: Candid Coaching Reflections

[13:16 – 28:01 | Interview Highlights below]

a. On Exceeding Expectations and Building Culture

• Zaslow asks about Maurice’s highest hopes upon joining the Panthers:
  • “This is so far beyond that, and it’s beyond the winning...Beyond the Cups, the professional experience here is fantastic...These men are incredible to work with.” – Paul Maurice (14:03)
• Tight team culture is explained—families vacation together, genuine bonds are forged, and “love” is not hyperbole.
  • “They treat each other great, but they also treat everybody else...They’re very appreciative of the situation that they’re in.” (14:27)

b. Comparing Championship Teams & Coaching Styles

• On last year's championship Panthers team: “Probably a higher talent level through, better depth and possibly better role definition…We could play the game in a bunch of different arenas and be successful.” (15:50)
• On his intense in-game coaching style:
  • “You get into those games now, they're wired too…It’s not a personal assault. We’re trying to get the whole group to another level and they’re all smart enough to understand that.” (16:40)
  • “There’s no doghouse…We’re here to perform every single day…We need failures.” (17:38)

c. On Personal Meaning & Panthers’ Model

• Greg Cote asks about personal significance:
  • Maurice admits the Cups “made a huge difference,” but emphasizes the joy of building something meaningful: “It’s not just about the money…They have friendships, they’re brothers…you get to have this completely different pro sport experience.” (18:23)
  • “Hopefully at some point…this is looked at as a way you can win…We want to work harder, but also have more fun than anybody in the league.” (18:23)

d. Managing Wear and Tear After Multiple Final Runs

• Panthers are adapting by changing their camp schedule to help veterans recover and train most efficiently.
  • “We’re not going to spend any time worrying about fatigue…Everybody’s tired in January. Everybody is. You just got to get used to it.” (20:14)

e. Rapid Fire: Toughest, Craziest, and Best Leader

• On the toughest player:
  • “I got four guys on the back end who separated shoulders…If I give you one guy, I’m being disrespectful…Whoever the most injured guy in our room, that’s the toughest guy we got.” (23:55)
• On leadership:
  • Maurice answers with a fishing joke: “About an 18-inch steel one for pike fish.” (24:35) Panel then discusses the deeper message: no single leader, just the right leader for the moment.
• On acquiring tough-guy Brad Marchand:
  • Maurice describes initial disbelief (“I thought you’re crazy, you’re not getting Matthew Tkachuk…Then he calls back 15 min later and says, I just made the trade.” 25:00)
• Responding to ‘disliking’ his own players before they joined: “Oh, of course…[But] he handled [playoff losses] like such a leader, such a man.” (25:44)

f. On Goalie Sergey Bobrovsky (Bob) and Coaching Goalies

• Maurice candidly admits leaving goaltending to specialists: “I don’t know anything about goaltending…Robbie Tallis is the goalie coach and he's brilliant, so I just leave them to that.” (22:27)
• “Robbie does a great job of telling me I have no idea what I’m talking about without making me feel that...” (22:27)

g. Signature Humor and Mutual Admiration

• The segment turns affectionate and comedic by the end:
  • Stugotz: “Coach, my final question is. I love you.” (27:19)
  • Maurice: “I love you, too.” (27:22)
  • “You called you the murder of fun when you first got here.” “That would be accurate.” (27:39)

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4. Sports Media and Technology Segment

• Critique of Barstool's low-rated FS1 show segues into the difficulties of attracting young viewers to TV.
  • “There’s a gulf of difference between how the mainstream tries to get young people to watch things and how young people actually watch things.” – Zaslow (36:10)
  • Dan notes the emerging model: “They’re just taking podcasts and putting them on television because it’s just cheaper programming...you want viral clips.” (37:17)

5. TV, AI, and Football Sidebars

• Discussion of AI-generated sports videos fooling people (35:17), and throwback NFL TV graphics making broadcasts seem ‘older’ (36:46).
• Quick reactions to Patriots, Belichick-Kraft relations, Nick Saban’s Miami legacy, and NFL games worth watching this week.
  • “My favorite part about that is how quickly [Saban] dismissed it...Not at all. Something I ever want to consider doing again with my life.” – Dan (41:23)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Matthew Tkachuk as a Sports Ambassador

  • “He’s the first ever hockey player to make picks on college game day. He’s a star. His play deserves being a star.” – Dan Le Batard (03:26)
  • “[Tkachuk is] everything you want [in a star]…If I’m Gary Bettman, I pick Matthew Tkachuk.” – Greg Cote (03:47)

• On Trevor Rogers Betting Advice Gone Wrong

  • “If I know anything in this world, it’s you bet against Trevor Rogers.” – Stugotz (06:42)

• On the Panthers’ Unique Culture

  • “They treat each other great, but they also treat everybody else…They’re very appreciative of the situation that they’re in.” – Paul Maurice (14:03)
  • “The guys are fun to be around because they won together…They love each other.” – Paul Maurice (15:24)

• On Coaching Style and Team Buy-In

  • “It’s not a personal assault…it’s, we’re trying to get the whole group to another level and they’re all smart enough to understand that’s what’s going on.” – Paul Maurice (16:40)
  • “There’s no doghouse…we’re here to perform every single day…we’re going to have our failures and we need those.” – Paul Maurice (17:38)

• On Leadership and Team Grit

  • “[Our toughest]—whoever the most injured guy in our room, that’s the toughest guy we got.” – Paul Maurice (23:55)
  • “There are different leadership styles in a room, but it’s the guy we need that night that’s the best leader.” – Paul Maurice (24:35)

• On Brad Marchand and Player Reputation

  • “Of course [I disliked him], but...he handled it like such a leader, such a man.” – Paul Maurice (25:44)

• On Goalie Coaching

  • “I don’t know anything about goaltending…I just leave them to [goalie coach].” – Paul Maurice (22:27)

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Additional Segments

• Television Trends: Frustration with “old” TV; trend of podcast simulcasts; seeking viral over ratings.
• Football Reactions: Discussion of NFL “witching hour” drama, quarterback injuries, and fluctuating fortunes for storied franchises.
• Pop-Culture asides: Nick Saban’s Miami return pleas, the oddities of AI sports highlights, and a brief aside on Tua’s standing with Alabama and Miami fans.

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Conclusion

This episode is a quintessential blend of the show’s strengths: warm humor, sharp sports analysis, and an ability to draw out openness from high-profile guests. Paul Maurice’s segment stands out as a masterclass in leadership, authenticity, and understanding modern athlete culture, while the rest of the hour delivers everything fans have come to expect from the Le Batard universe—unpredictable, funny, and deeply insightful.

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Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stugats]

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[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Zaslow]

Two time Stanley cup champion Paul Maurice will be joining us here in a few minutes. That bore the preseason has begun and the Panthers don't seem to be taking it terribly seriously. Matthew Tkachuk was going to jump into the pool with Pat McAfee. Matthew Tkachuk Everyone speaks highly of Matthew Tkachuk. Everyone likes everything that guy's about.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

He gets it, man. And he's been such a great ambassador for the sport. Last week I said including LeBron, a more naming, more impactful sports acquisition in this pro market. When you apply the context of where the Panthers were as a franchise, it's not even remote, particularly close. The impact, the game changing impact, franchise changing, altering impact that Matthew Kachuk has had. And from observing him and hanging out with him some, I've always known he's been a great ambassador for the game because he's a good talker. He's always eager to do these interviews with everybody. But to see um fans, Miami's an event town. Miami still has a long way to go in terms of being a hockey market. There are a lot of people that are going up to him. Just curious what, what is this big hoopla and every child that goes up to him. It's not just a pat on the head and a picture that would make somebody's day. It's a sit down conversation. Make sure I give you my time.

[Greg Cote]

He was happy to talk to everyone.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Guy knows, he just gets it. What a great ambassador for South Florida sport. He's the first ever hockey player to make picks on college game day. He's a star. His play deserves being a star. But his attitude and his approach to fans and the sport and making people fans of his and the sport. I can't say enough good things about the guy.

[Greg Cote]

I think he's perfect. I think he's everything you want. If I'm Gary Bettman and I ask him, who do you think or who do you want to be the face of your league? I pick Matthew Tkachuk. He plays for the two time championship team. He's engaging. He's arguably the best American player in the league. He's exactly who you want.

I told him I wanted to make sure. I mean, you know, somebody's told him in the last couple of years, but I wanted to make sure from me. And I told him, you have any idea how horrendous this franchise was for most for my entire life before these last couple years. I want to make sure, you know.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dan, is it weird for like a 50 year old to be saying that to a 27 year old number one.

[Greg Cote]

All right.

[Stugats]

You are to be that same like that.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

You mean so much.

[Greg Cote]

I've been around athletes before. All right. There's no starstruck here so much. I didn't sound like a jerk like that out of here.

[Stugats]

Happy my kids beat me up.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

You know, like.

[Dan Le Batard]

Little one's here today, right. He could just come and smack you across the head.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

He's not, he's not. He's not the one that'll challenge him.

[Greg Cote]

Yeah, that one's not old enough.

[Stugats]

He's not allowed to. Why?

[Dan Le Batard]

You don't think you could take him? I think it'd be a fair fight sizing two of you up.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

There were some people that were a little disappointed in Matthew Tkachuk being the game day picker. I guess they wanted Dwayne the Rock Johnson or some superstar. But to have that guy go out there decked out in, um, gear, holding up, um, hockey jerseys and then be like, no, I'm gonna go to the game. I'm gonna pull up with a huge Panthers cooler with about six of my teammates. Hey, this is Anton. Let me introduce you. Go up to a tailgate, listen to all sorts of bad bun, and just like, throw them back and just enjoy the day that dude has a VIP treatment waiting for him at a Hard Rock Stadium. No, I'm gonna talk to the team. I'll be right back. I'm gonna leave my cooler here. I want to be amongst the people. These guys are great.

[Zaslow]

We're gonna get to Paul Maurice in a second. But first, I gotta make fun of me, myself and Chris Cody. I will again remind you that while giving you betting advice a while ago, Orioles starter Trevor Rogers was going in the game and Chris cod the Orioles, only because it was Trevor Rogers. And my only analysis is, you throw that guy out there, you're going to get an ERA over 5. Since then, go ahead and play the stat of the day music so that people can hear just how good Trevor Rogers has been this season.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Start of the day, start of the day it is the start of the day. Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day. Start of the day.

[Stugats]

Start of the day it is the.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Start of the day.

[Stugats]

Start of the day, Day, Start of the day. It is the start of the day.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Dan, to make this even worse for me, my exact quote when I talked about Trevor Rogers months back was, if I know anything in this world, it's you bet against Trevor Rogers. No pitcher in the history of Major League baseball has had 17 plus starts in a season and and allowed fewer earned runs than starts. 17 starts. No one's ever had fewer earned runs than starts. Trevor Rogers has a chance to make history this season with his 17 starts. He's allowed 16 earned runs all season. And I said months ago, if I know anything in this world, you bet against Trevor Rogers.

[Zaslow]

Are you aware of just how long baseball's history is and how many pitchers have thrown baseballs in that sp for that to be what haunts us? Following that analysis, you Understand how many people, how many arms have thrown baseballs without being as good as the left arm that Trevor Rogers has had?

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I don't get it. Because he wasn't that good with us.

[Zaslow]

No, he was terrible.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I'm not gonna lie. I haven't watched a single star with the Orioles.

[Greg Cote]

What's happened since the 1880s? People have been pitching.

[Zaslow]

The Orioles are also a team that I told you would be great for 10 years because of their farm system. They've been betrayed by pitching this year. And also at least the Braves have injuries to look at.

[Dan Le Batard]

Stop making excuses for them. They suck.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Well, the Orioles ran into the Yankees this weekend and there was a baseball storyline that I was actually into because of the local times, because John Carlos Stanton hit his 450th home run of his career against the Orioles. I didn't know he was that high. I didn't know that he was up.

[Dan Le Batard]

To gonna sneak into the hall of Fame.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

He's apparently the fifth youngest to reach that number. And obviously you're talking about all time greats in terms of modern era. It's just McGuire and a rod. And A Rod was played when he was 18 years old. That got to that number quicker than Giancarlo Stanton. I don't know if he has. I know the production later in his career and he's been hobbled by injuries. I don't know if this is a guy that could be in that conversation, especially given where he is in age. But I would love to see him have a healthy go at it because he's still got incredible power.

[Zaslow]

I think all 500 home run guys are in the hall of Fame. I don't know if the sport has changed so much now that.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, there's a lot that aren't.

[Zaslow]

Is that right?

[Greg Cote]

Oh, yeah. Jose Canseco is an A Rod fighter.

[Dan Le Batard]

Gary Sheffield.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Yeah. How much of that is Rafael Palmeiro? But all that is steroid speculation and Giancarlo being built the way that he has. But he's had the benefit of playing in this era where they have all this rigorous testing, rigorous scenario. I mean, I don't know, but he's never. Remember when he was approaching that home run record. Everyone's like, finally, this is a legit one potentially. That's why the Maris family was there. He's not a guy that has steroid allegations following him like the others you just outlined.

[Greg Cote]

Yeah, I think he's a Hall of Famer. And keep in mind he's done a fair amount of time on the injury list. Like he would be over 500 if he were healthier.

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[Stugats]

By the way.

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[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Howdy, it's Mike and football season is here. It is quite possibly every sports fan's favorite time of year. It's a real special time. Make your football special timey. Miller time, please. Because I know from experience having that beautiful white can by my side or a draft at the sports bar while the big game is on. Man, all those memories having that Miller Light there, knowing that it's a beer that just hits different. Look at the tailgate. There's nothing like cracking open a Miller Lite with your crew. Whether it's that touchdown you didn't see coming or just arguing about fantasy lineups you already know you're gonna lose. Miller Lite has been the taste you can depend on for 50 wonderful years. Rude for flavor with simple ingredients, rich toffee notes and that iconic golden color. The original light beer since 1975 and still hittin different five decades later. Miller Lite Great Taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Don LeBatard, Florida. Claws back from down2.0 because they were getting their asses handed to them by Toronto to then get lit a fire underneath underneath them by their head coach, Paul Maurice, who did the thing. Remember how the run spark was sparked last year? Stugats. He called him a bunch of P's and B's. He did the thing again, called him a bunch of peas and bees. And then boom. Five unanswered. You win the division.

[Stugats]

This is the D ler show with the sts.

[Zaslow]

There he is. Does it make you happy to see him, Zazlo? Does it make you happy? Look at this man. He has brought champion. He is. Look, Zazlo, he's whispering. Look at.

[Stugats]

Look at the man who travels. Awesome. There you go.

[Greg Cote]

That's my guy right there. That's my coach.

[Stugats]

We appreciate that's. That's commitment, my friend. That's. That's casual fans and all. That's the guy who cuts his vacation short to root on the home team. That's something. That's. Props to you.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Oh, man.

[Greg Cote]

Props to you. What do you mean, props to me? Props to you. You brought so much joy into my life, Coach. Thank you.

Yeah, it was nice.

Stop talking. He's saying nice things about me, Greg.

Sorry. You're right.

[Stugats]

No, we all shared it together. That's. That's the great part of these runs, right? Everybody's got a story. Everybody's stories is important. Everybody. You know, like families get together. Families ostracize somebody who can't win a game when they're in the room, so they stick them upstairs. I mean, that happens at my house, right? I got a young kid that has to watch it from the bedroom upstairs. Can't watch it in the main floor. We just can't win. So we got our priorities set.

[Zaslow]

Paul, when you got to South Florida, what did your greatest dreams look like and have you already exceeded them?

[Stugats]

This is so far beyond that, and it's beyond the winning. Like, I want to be hypocritical or full of it. You win the stand a couple, everything is going to be pretty good, right? Like you can probably get through anything that's not real good if you're winning the Cup. But beyond, beyond the cups, the professional experience here is. Is fantastic, right? These men are incredible to work with. They work hard, they don't mind being pushed, they want to win. They take care of each other. They're good. You know what, they treat each other great, but they also treat everybody else, right? The equipment guys, the medical guys, the flight attendants, everybody. They're very appreciative of the situation that they're in. And that makes coming to the rink a lot of fun.

[Zaslow]

How unusual is it? I see them vacationing together with their families. And how unusual is what looks like love to me among your players. How unusual is that?

[Stugats]

Well, I do think it's part of the culture of our sport. So the game, the demands of the game kind of drive men together, if you would. It's an 82 game schedule, full contact, high speed sport where you play with pain, right? You don't lay on the field, you get up and you play with it. So there's a connection that happens with them. And because there's 82 games, there's awful lot of highs and lows, and I think that makes the wives and the extended family close. And then you add in just great memories, right? We just. They're just fun. The guys are fun to be around because they won together. So I think we have that, but we have that on the road, too. They. They have big group dinners. They spend an awful lot of time with each other because they just. They love each other.

[Zaslow]

Last year's team better than the original champions.

[Stugats]

Probably a higher talent level through a better depth and possibly better role definition. When you look at kind of what happened to our team when Greer, Nosek and Gadjevic came back into the lineup, there a defined style of play which is different than everybody else's. So we had. I don't know, texture is the word in my head, but we had a different look on each line, a different feel. So we could play the game in a bunch of different arenas and a bunch of different styles and be successful.

[Greg Cote]

Coach, we've seen the clips over the few years that you've been here where you're not afraid to grill your guys during the game, to yell at them during the game, to motivate them the way that you do during the game. You don't see that in the other pro sports here in this country. What is it about hockey players where you're still able to coach them like that?

[Stugats]

Yeah, that's a great Question. So it's part of, maybe even the fun of it, right? Like, first, first of all, I got a tremendous amount of respect for these players and they know that by the way I treat them and I know that by the way they treat the col coaching staff. But you get into those games now, they're wired too, right? Like you've had way too much coffee by the time you hit the bench. You are, you're wired. You get into those playoffs games. So it's not a personal assault to them. It's, we're trying to get the whole group to another level and they're all smart enough to understand that's what's going on. So they, they're in on it, right? Like they're, they're kind of feeding off you. There's times where you, where you, you're just trying to reach the energy level on the bench or. Now we're at a point that we've all agreed on playing the game a certain way and when it's not being played, you don't have to jump on them right away. We talk about it, we talk about it, but that you hit a threshold where you need to get their attention back on the game. I don't do it nearly as much as maybe I would have done it in the past. I don't need to. But when it's done, it's done, right? So when they come back to the rink the next day, that's over. We'll deal with it and move on. There's, you know, there's no doghouse, there just isn't. We're here to perform every single day. We're not hitting that mark every day. We're going to have our failures and we need those. So when you're having your failures, maybe let them go a little bit because you know what they've done and you've seen it, but you just can't let it go too long.

[Greg Cote]

Paul, can you give us an idea what the last few years have meant to you on a, on the most personal level beyond hockey? Because when you got here, you were the most accomplished, longest serving coach, the winningest coach in the NHL history who had never won a Stanley cup and now you've won two in a row. What does that meant to you on the most personal level?

[Stugats]

That's, you know, I don't even know that I fully sorted that out yet. Right to that. That will be a backward looking thing, I can tell you. I'm trying to, you know, I answered the question earlier and I still don't have a great answer because I'd be lying if the Stanley Cups didn't make all the difference. They made a huge difference. But where you get some kind of joy in your life is doing something that's possibly, that has some value outside the game. So just being around these players and seeing a different look of pro sports. Right. Like we have about eight or nine guys who took less money to play here that you just don't see that. Right. It just doesn't happen. And there's a reason for it because you, you got to look at the Florida Panthers is kind of like the total compensation package. It's not just about the money, but they have friendships, their brothers in there. They care about each other. So they get to come to the rink like that every day. That's part of South Florida. The weather's great. Mr. Violet treats us great. We're in this incredible practice facility. The staff here is. Tries to move them forward, make them better. It's, it's not a. There's not a lot of conflict about getting better. They want to get better, we want them to get better. So you get to have this completely different pro sport experience. And hopefully at some point that, that, that, that gets emulated, that the, that, that this is looked at a way that you can win. It doesn't. You know, we, we want to work harder than everybody in the league, but we also want to have more fun than anybody in the league. So we laugh, we joke, we enjoy our days here. And that for me, has been, you know, again, I'll go back to it. When you win, you get to enjoy your day a little bit differently. Right? So I'm aware of that impact it's had. But the players first, the players have had a greater impact on the coaches, I think, than the coaches have had on the players.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Three straight Stanley Cup Final, you basically played an extra season of playoff games. How are you going to work around this? Wear and tear?

[Stugats]

Yeah, we're not going to try to, so. Well, I'll give you an example. We, our veterans haven't been on the ice yet, so we pushed training camp for those guys one week back. And it will probably viewed from the outside that you're trying to get them more rested, but that's not the case. What we're trying to do is get another week of training time, so we go hard here. So the first time that we hit the ice on Thursday, they can't individually train anymore. There's nothing left of them. So we gave them another week so they could Train, and that would be the piece that's missing. But our season ended a week earlier last season. Right. So we finished on the 17th instead of the 24th. So we get another week of training. I understand they're not training that week. They're celebrating, but that has to happen. Then they have to recover and rest, and we got to get all the injuries taken care of, and then they start training. So we push training camp back a week. So we got another two weeks of training for them. The early routine returns on their fitness level is outstanding. We think we've made improvements, and it's hard for these guys to make improvements now just because they're at that marginal rate. None of our guys are getting 10% fitter. There's not 10% left for them to get more fit. So they've trained harder. And then we're going to go real hard, and we're not going to spend any time worrying about fatigue or overuse because everybody's tired in January. Everybody is. So you just got to get used to it.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Coach, who's the craziest guy you've had in your time with the Panthers? I'm thinking back first year, Radko Gutis. You had Lomberg seems like a wild man. Gadjevich last year, Kachuk seems like he's got some screws loose. Who's the craziest guy?

[Stugats]

Yeah, I can't pick a dude because. So what's great about what you just said is you mentioned a bunch of guys that aren't here anymore, but they're still. Their personalities stay. They're still part of the group. Like, we still tell stories about those guys. And then even, you know, we've. We've got this. I'm almost like a weird bunch of guys. We've got an incredible bunch of different personalities in that room. And. And we encourage that. Like, we're not trying to make them all one player. We're just going to all play one game with their different personalities. But we got. We get. In Northern parlance, we got some beauties in that room. We do.

[Zaslow]

Goalies are strange. Do you coach Bobrovsky or do you leave him alone?

[Stugats]

Yeah, I talked to him. He's an incredibly interesting guy. You want to talk about an interesting life and things he's been through, the way he trains. I don't know anything about goaltending. I know a little bit about body language of goaltenders and kind of what they go through. They carry a different kind of pressure than anybody else. I mean, other than a shutout, they don't get the same kind of payoff. Right? They don't get the score goal. They don't get to score the game winner. So it's a completely different mentality in that natural. I just try to get to know them, get to feel what they need from the coaches. We got like, we had a guy named Robbie Tallis here is the goalie coach, and he's brilliant. So I just leave them to that. Robbie, the last two years has basically laid out the regular season schedule. And other than one or two games, kind of on illness, we haven't made an adjustment to it. So I look, we go into the. Go to the coach's office in between periods. I don't do this to Sergey anymore because he's just been too good. But you complain about a goal or two, and then the goalie coach kind of gives you a knowing nod and say, okay, you've had your say, now move on. It's a nice scene. Robbie does a great job of telling me I have no idea what I'm talking about without making me feel that. So that's how that works.

[Zaslow]

All right. So your answer was no, I don't coach him at all. I talked to him.

[Stugats]

Coffee. If we hit each other at the coffee places, we'll talk how the family is, how the kids are.

[Zaslow]

Fill in the blank for me here a little bit. Rapid fire. The toughest player I have is blank.

[Stugats]

No, I, I, I, I. There's a toss up in between Sam Bennett and probably Aaron Ekbut. But here's the problem. I got four guys on the back end who separated shoulders last year in the playoffs, right? Like over grade one soldier, and they never missed a game. So if I give you one guy, I'm being disrespectful to Sam Bennett, who played an entire playoff round with a broken foot and didn't tell anybody. So, you know, like, that was a grade 2 knee sprain that Sam Reinhardt suffered. I don't know who the toughest guy is. Whoever. The most injured guy in our room, that's the toughest guy we got.

[Zaslow]

The best leader I have is blank.

[Stugats]

The best leader?

[Zaslow]

Yes.

[Stugats]

About an 18 inch steel one for pike fish. You guys don't. Freshwater fish. Yeah, because. Because it goes back to the strength of our room. There isn't. There are different leadership styles in a room, but it's the guy that we need that night that's the best leader.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

What was your reaction when Bill Zito told you that we got Brad Marshall? What was your reaction when that happened?

[Stugats]

Well, I'm desensitized to it now, so I'll take you back the summer that I get the job. He calls me and he says, I think I can get Matthew Tkachuk, but the price is going to be pretty high. And I got off the phone, I thought you're crazy, you're not getting Matthew Tkachuk. Like, I mean, it's just not happening. And then he calls back 15 minutes later and says, I just made the trade. So now, you know, we, we've, over the course of the years there, we've added these players. Seth Jones would be the next one. He started firing out Seth Jones name like in the summer, last summer, there might be a guy that we get. And I'm thinking there's no way you're getting Seth Jones. So, so when he says the Brad March on one was unusual because it's a half hour before the trade deadline and I'm packing my office up because nothing, it's over, right? There's nothing else going to happen. It's that one, that one surprised me to say the least.

[Zaslow]

Did you dislike him before that?

[Stugats]

Oh, of course. Yeah, absolutely. I don't think as much as Matthew could, Chuck. I think I, I think I dislike Matthew more than, than Brad. And the reason I didn't mind Brad as much as when we played them in the game Sevens in the seven game series and beat them. He gave an interview about Game 5 to the Boston to a Boston reporter and it was perfect. It was, it was like incredible leadership things that he said. He was very respectful for how hard we play. He wasn't complaining, he wasn't whining. It was a full on brutal series. It was a battle. There were guys going after each other, but he handled it like such a leader, such a man. So I had a little more room for him. I didn't fully appreciate, believe it or not, how good he is. So I don't think that you fully watch the games, but you almost need to see him in practice every day to see the skill set that they have. And I don't know that I fully appreciated how good his hands are, but.

[Dan Le Batard]

Chuck wasn't a leader, what you're saying before he got here, he's just kind of like a scumbag that he hated.

[Zaslow]

What are you doing?

[Stugats]

Yeah, I'm not going to attach myself to that word. I'm going to leave that one to you. No, but, but for all the reasons, right, he's in Calgary, I'm in Winnipeg. We play each other an awful lot. We played each other in the playoffs. And he has that ability to get. He has an incredible ability to sense what a game needs. And he'll get through a lot of nights very quietly now. He might score, but he's not. There's. He's not starting any fires, but if he needs to, he has a great sense of when and how.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Coach, my final question is. I love you.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

I love you, too.

[Greg Cote]

I love you, too.

[Stugats]

Thank you. I love you. Okay. I appreciate it. So the question says there's medical help for that fellow, else there are good professionals out there. You guys can go see. They can help you so much.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

They love you, too.

[Zaslow]

You love him now you. Have you told him to his face the way you told him?

[Greg Cote]

Don't worry about that. Everybody's allowed to be wrong once. Don't worry about it.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Called you the murder of fun when you first got here.

[Stugats]

Would be accurate. That would be fair.

[Greg Cote]

Thanks.

[Stugats]

That would be fair. The first part was we had to get to a whole bunch of hard things. So there wasn't much fun. And I had that exact meeting in January that year and there was a little bit different language. But you're not allowed to have fun in the NHL when you play like that. So. You're right. I did kill the Joy. You are 100%.

[Zaslow]

I knew it. Good seeing you and congratulations, Coach. It was nice on talking to you.

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[Stugats]

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[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Don LeBatard our Panther group chat we're confident against the lighting. This is a different team.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're a Panther Group chat no, no.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I think no. But dude, you're so wrong on that. We've been terrified of this team forever and I think there's a different energy where the Panthers, they want the Lightning st.

[Zaslow]

I want T shirts made for this Panther run. What could be this Panther run? Our Panther group chat we're not afraid of the lightning.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

That's a tagline for World3.

[Stugats]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Zaslow]

He said some stuff there that I have not heard.

[Dan Le Batard]

Chuck a scumbag.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

He did not say that.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Yeah, put it all on you like a real pro.

[Stugats]

Yeah.

[Zaslow]

That was not what I thought was interesting from what it is. I had not heard that stuff on Tkachuk, on Marshawn. That is not. I was not aware. I was not aware of the acquisition and how that went down, because it sounds like it sort of went down the same way that Tyreek Hill went down for Mike McDaniel, where you're getting a call and as the coach, you don't believe that Something is going to happen. And then 15 minutes later, it actually happened.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Did you guys get that pike fish?

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

That went way over my head.

[Stugats]

I was.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

It was funny, though.

[Zaslow]

It's on. On the real, you got a leader.

[Dan Le Batard]

He said leader. I was thinking leader. Like.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

No, that's the metric system.

[Dan Le Batard]

Exactly. Canadians.

[Stugats]

I'm trying to figure it out.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

I was just like, yeah, great answer. You're so funny and charming. You're funny.

[Greg Cote]

What other sport does the coach specifically not know how to coach a certain player on the team?

I bet that's common with goaltenders, though, right?

[Stugats]

Right.

[Greg Cote]

That's what I'm saying.

Yeah. I mean, they're a whole different ballgame, those guys, especially when they're Russian. They don't speak the language.

[Zaslow]

Well, the language is part of it.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Oh, Frank got to a spot.

[Zaslow]

Frank Robinson one time told me while he was managing the Expos that he didn't even speak to Vladimir Guerrero because he didn't want anything to get lost in the translation. So he just left him totally alone and just let him hit the baseball and didn't want anything to be misconstrued in texture or tone when he was talking to him because he thought he might be feeling reprimand when he's not reprimanding him.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Bob speaks English.

[Greg Cote]

Yeah, he does. But still, that position, though, is just different.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Yes. Yeah. Everybody will tell you, right? It's like closers, they're just like, certain positions that there's, like, an accepted level of idiosyncrasies.

[Greg Cote]

But the baseball manager knows about pitching.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I think they know the basics.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

I mean, I'll take your word for it. I just nodded along to a fishing reference I didn't get.

[Zaslow]

We're not fishermen around here. I believe that Jessica is the only accomplished fisher person that we have.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

It's got an award.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. And he used to wear a hook on his hat.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Okay, that's great.

[Dan Le Batard]

His friend Tom gave it to him.

[Greg Cote]

Congrats, Roy.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Dad, you're salt life, too.

[Greg Cote]

I am?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. Greg is Salt life shoes.

[Greg Cote]

Yeah, I've been, you know, halibut fishing in Alaska, that kind of thing.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

You charted a boat one time?

[Greg Cote]

Sure, I did a couple of times over the weekend.

[Zaslow]

Bill Parcells was inducted into the Patriots hall of Fame at the age of 84 years old. And during his speech, he articulated that he wished he had done some things differently. I saw this recently with Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jo, where you get to your 80s all of a sudden, and you start re examining both your mortality and the life it is that you've led and where it is that you let some small grievances get in the way. So it's nice to see some of these folks put down their petty But I did think it was interesting that Bob Kraft personally inducted Bill Parcells because that's usually done by vote with the Patriots and the fans had voted in Edelman. Edelman. One of the most amazing stories in the history of football, a seventh round pick from Kent State having those kinds of numbers. But I did think it was interesting that Kraft decided to do that with Parcells and I wonder if he will do the same with Belichick. And I wonder how much putting Parcells in has to do with the pettiness going on right now between Belichick and kraft as Belichick loses 34. 9 this weekend to Central Florida and his team has no chance at any point in the game.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, Kraft has said that he's going to build him a statue once he retires and he's no longer an active coach. So like I think that he knows he won that situation and he's going to honor him at some point in time. He's just still coaching.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

People are enjoying what's happening to Bill and not just love it, but also Mike Lombard, who has often people hate Mike Lombardi. Oh, Mike Lombardi has made some enemies. And Mike Lombardi, when he thinks he's smarter than you, he lets it be known he took a lot of shots at Miami this offseason too. Jon Gruden today on on the barstool program on FS1 gave this quote when being asked about Jordan Hudson being on the UNC sideline. I've never seen anything like that. Mel. Michael Lombardi works for North Carolina. I've heard him criticize me several times. I'm sure he'll produce a tik tok that I explained exactly what's going on over there.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Did you guys, did you guys see the AI version of him kissing? Like that almost got me for like a split second. Someone did an AI video cuz it was Jordan and Bill Belichick on the sidelines. Someone made an AI video as if like her jumping on him on the sidelines to give him like a passionate kiss. And there was like three seconds where I was like she. And then I was like, oh, that's.

[Greg Cote]

Clearly what threw you off, that it was real. When you saw that the score was.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

34, his face kind of like changed midway through.

[Greg Cote]

That's our hand.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

These videos though, these pictures, they can do crazy things.

[Greg Cote]

Scary, aren't they?

[Zaslow]

People are enjoying that. What people aren't enjoying is that barstool Wake up show on FS1. It's got the lowest ratings in the history of FS1.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Takes time. Takes time to start something.

[Zaslow]

I mean, but they've been starting stuff over there that has never started with the lowest ratings in the history of FS1.

[Greg Cote]

Like, they have a massive audience. It's the lowest thing they've ever.

[Zaslow]

Because I think there's a difference between how people consume things and I think there's a gulf of difference between how the mainstream tries to get young people to watch things and how young people actually watch things. They're not watching things on television anymore. That part seems obvious. It seems that young people are simply weaning themselves off of what is traditional television. I don't know if the rest of you have felt the way that I do. Any time I watch cbs, the graphics on football around, everything that CBS does, it looks older to me. It.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

CBS was doing a thing yesterday.

[Zaslow]

No, I don't mean yesterday. I mean every time. No, I did not. I'm not talking about.

[Stugats]

That was a wig.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Pearles inside burns in it. Seem off to you?

[Zaslow]

I'm not talking about yesterday. Yesterday was the throwback day. Was Musburger on yesterday?

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

He was. He was there. He did the.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

You're looking live.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

He did the. The voiceover at the start. And then James Brown welcomed him on the. On the. On the dais.

[Zaslow]

Mainstream television in general has a problem in that they've got a lot of old executives who are trying to figure out how to lure young people into old media. And Pat McAfee is a response to that. When you give someone the ability to use your platform, but you're just. Just renting him, you have no ownership over him. He's not your employee. He is somebody who's got his own business and you're borrowing it. What we are seeing happen, it's not just at Fox. You guys have seen what has happened to ESPN too, right? They're just taking podcasts and putting them on television because it's just cheaper programming. It's just easier to do. And what you're looking for there. Zaz, when I say lowest ratings in the history of FS1, it almost doesn't matter because it's the late night model. You just want viral clips. Like, you don't. You don't care what the. I mean, you want to have daily ratings, obviously, but you'll take a daily ratings hit because you just want stuff to spread on the Internet because we're not doing the measurements on this stuff.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

The way we used, which I think there are.

[Stugats]

They're.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

They're finding out, like their interview today with Jon Gruden's doing numbers. I think there'll be more of those because the. The show as it stands, doesn't seem like it. It allows itself for plenty of viral moments. I cannot believe that Chris Cody thought this video.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I mean, it's real.

[Stugats]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

We have on screen what Chris thought.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Was actually happening, guys. Full screen.

[Stugats]

Yeah.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I don't know it's fake yet. Don't know it's fake yet. Don't know it's fake yet. This is about right here. I'm like, he couldn't have been doing this. This is where I was sure it was fake.

[Stugats]

Legs, man.

[Greg Cote]

Man, I'm embarrassed for you right now.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

The first part is just a little kiss. A little kiss before they go. All right. This is a bit much. They would never do this. They know this would go viral.

[Stugats]

All right.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Yeah.

[Zaslow]

This is also during a time of the game. It seems like it's just pre.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Pregame.

[Zaslow]

Pregame milling about.

[Stugats]

Incredible.

[Greg Cote]

Didn't know the camera was on them.

[Zaslow]

People were enjoying, though, again, even though it happened much more quietly than week one, losing at UCF34.9 when you're just a small underdog in that game. And I was confused as to why it is they were a small underdog in that game, losing 34. 9 to UCF. I don't even know how it is that that gets fixed this season. It's not something that can be fixed this season. They're going to be bad all season and I haven't looked at their schedule. But they're not going to be even a bowl team, are they?

[Greg Cote]

No, no, no.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

I don't think so. They entered that program with a lot of talk.

[Greg Cote]

They have a get right game, though. In two weeks they got Clemson.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

That's right. That's right. And which afterwards we'll find out exactly how old Dabo is then and how much time and how expensive it would be to fire him.

[Zaslow]

You saw that on game day. People in Miami were wishing for Nick Saban to come back for the return of Nick Saban. Did you see this? I guess you didn't from the look on your face.

[Greg Cote]

No, I did not. No. I mean, please.

[Dan Le Batard]

This one, it wasn't on tv. This was fans interacting with Saban while he was on one of the side sets just screaming at him. We have the video here if you want to play. You can hear the fans interacting with Him.

[Zaslow]

All right, let's play that.

[Stugats]

Come back to the dolphin. We forgive you. You're good. We need your help. We need your help. Come on. We got this. One more.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

He gave just the. The hand gesture of like.

[Stugats]

No, no, no.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

That's not happening.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Got a fresh coat out there, and I'm not talking about the blazer.

[Zaslow]

How old is Nick Saban now? He's over 75 years old. He looks. He looks fresh and dapper and painted gonchapote in his.

[Dan Le Batard]

I guess 47, 48, based on, you know, the hair.

[Greg Cote]

But when did he get red hair?

[Dan Le Batard]

Geographically or not geographically, Whatever it is biologically says 73 years old, two years.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Away from the big five.

[Zaslow]

Look at the grin on that face when he hears Miami. Miami forgives you. Miami forgives you. Says a child not old enough to offer that forgiveness.

[Greg Cote]

She doesn't speak for all of us.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Yeah. My favorite part about that is how quickly he dismissed it. First off, son, that someone in Miami had something good to say about him. So he drops his little pointer, and then, I mean, Tua's on this roster. Want a natty with him? Nah. No, don't even. No, thank you. Not. Not at all. Something I ever want to consider doing again with my life.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I saw him recently interviewed where he calls Tua, and I just am so out on Tua right now that this angers me. One of his favorite players he ever co. Like, when I was talking about, like, best.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Wow, that's high praise.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Like, who's the best players you've coached? He's like, Julio. He starts naming these, like, monsters, and it's like. And Tua. And I'm just like, oh, that's so infuriating.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

He's bad.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

I hate.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

To us, it was bad. One of the. The quarterbacks that he did some winning with helped. Kyle Shanahan's doing that thing again. They're. They're 3, 0. They're super hurt. It looks like they've lost Bosa for an extended period of time. That was without Kittle. They have white position players everywhere. They have their backup quarterback. That backup quarterback is Mac Jones, who we know is not good.

[Zaslow]

He's also hurt even while winning, though.

[Jon Weiner (Stugats)]

Death, taxes, and a Mac Jones safety. Dude, I wish I could bet on that.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Mac Jones was so injured in that game, that dude was limping the entire time, and he got super emotional. It was actually pretty cool to see because his career has not worked out the way that he thought it would. He was. If he's out, I don't even Know who the third string is? He was legitimately limping painfully that entire game, and he cried when Pinero hit that winner.

[Zaslow]

It's a nice cheat code that the league has where you play nine games at the same time and you're almost guaranteed, given how that league is, even though you'll get your occasional Seahawks, Saints game or Vikings, Bengals game. If you play nine games, your witching hour is going to have three or four games of crazy at the end. And it just sort of erased what I was saying earlier. Go ahead and name the games worth talking about from yesterday. Name them. Go ahead.

[Greg Cote]

Bucks, Jets.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

I think Niners, Cardinals is interesting to talk about because of where the Niners are. And they're going to do that thing where guys start coming back in December and they're going to be a buck in the ass.

[Zaslow]

Now, wait a minute. You can't make 49ers Cardinals a game we're talking about. If Jags, Texans isn't a game worth talking about games.

[Stugats]

What you going to do? What you going to do?

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

And then it was a battle for the top of the NFC west ham. Both those teams were undefeated entering that game.

[Greg Cote]

Rams, Eagles.

[Stugats]

Yep.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

I cannot believe Philly came back in that game, which is a weird thing to say about a reigning super bowl champion. But the way that they did it just impressed me even more.

[Greg Cote]

Broncos, Chargers.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Do we talk about Bears, Cowboys?

[Dan Le Batard]

Nah.

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

Bad injury to CD Lamb. I guess you understand that. I guess it's encouraging for Chicago.

[Zaslow]

It's funny to hear you say, though, that a team that has won 19 of 20 that you're surprised by how they won, but I am too super surprised.

[Greg Cote]

It was 26 7, wasn't it?

[Dan Le Batard (Host)]

I mean, that's exactly how you're supposed to beat the Philadelphia Eagles. With a team that we all think is like, well, that's one of the teams that can maybe be a problem. They did all the things. I'm shocked.

[Zaslow]

Play that music again, please. Because there were. There were only four or five games worth talking about.

[Stugats]

What you gonna do? And then judges you. Bad games, bad games. What you gonna do? What you gonna do when Dude.