The Hockey Show: Blake Bolden Walked Out On Denzel Washington

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz: Episode Summary

Episode Title: The Hockey Show: Blake Bolden Walked Out On Denzel Washington
Release Date: January 10, 2025
Hosts: Roy Bellamy, David Droig, Ethan, Rose
Guest: Blake Bolden

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Introduction

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Roy Bellamy, David Droig, Ethan, and Rose delve into the latest happenings in the hockey world. The discussion spans hot takes on rising goaltenders, team performances, memorable fails, and an insightful interview with media personality Blake Bolden.

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Hot Takes and Player Performances

The show kicks off with David Droig presenting his hot take on the Montreal Canadiens' rookie goaltender, Jacob Dobus.

• Jacob Dobus’ Stellar Start:
  David Droig remarked at [03:00]:
  “The Montreal Canadiens have a new goaltender, a rookie goaltender, Jacob Dobus. And he's played two games, and he has been lights out in those two games.”

  Droig praises Dobus for his impressive performances, highlighting his shutout against the Panthers and his continued excellence against Colorado. Roy Bellamy humorously questions Droig’s bias towards goaltenders, to which Droig responds enthusiastically about Dobus’s potential.

• Win of the Week: Jacob Markstrom:
  At [07:02], David Droig enthuses:
  “Jacob Markstrom, Devils goaltender, having a spectacular year for the Devils... He made not one, not two, but three... save of the year.”

  Markstrom’s exceptional plays, including a back glove save and a windmill stick save, earn him accolades from the hosts, reinforcing his status as a top-performing goaltender this season.

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Fails of the Week

The hosts share humorous and cringe-worthy moments from recent games and personal anecdotes.

• Josh’s Unfortunate Date:
  David Droig shares at [11:00]:
  “Some poor bastard named Josh who apparently brought a girl on a date to the Lightning game... she sends a passive-aggressive message saying, 'Dear Josh, I think we're better off as friends.'”

  Ethan empathizes with Josh’s plight, adding humor to the situation.

• Roy’s Own Mishaps:
  Roy Bellamy narrates at [12:17]:
  “It's ridiculous, man. I mean, just like I bought popcorn and beer.”

  The segment highlights the hosts’ ability to blend humor with relatable stories, keeping the audience engaged.

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State of Hockey and Upcoming Events

Roy Bellamy announces exciting developments in the hockey scene, focusing on upcoming outdoor games in Florida.

• Florida’s Outdoor Games:
  At [08:49], Roy Bellamy states:
  “It was announced that the state of Florida will have both outdoor games next season, starting with the Winter Classic at Lone Depot Park. The Panthers will host the New York Rangers and in February, the Lightning will host the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium for the stadium series.”

  The hosts express enthusiasm for these events, discussing the potential impact on the teams and the broader hockey community.

---

Guest Interview: Blake Bolden’s Media Journey

A significant portion of the episode features an in-depth interview with Blake Bolden, a rising star in sports media.

• Transition from Scouting to Broadcasting:
  Roy Bellamy asks at [16:23]:
  “How would you grade yourself during that performance?”

  Blake Bolden, reflecting on her first color commentary gig, openly discusses the challenges of transitioning from a scouting role to a media position. She shares insights into finding her authentic voice on camera and balancing critique with performance, quoting herself at [16:49]:
  “You have to find a balance of being yourself by delivering the right incorrect information.”

• Mentorship and Career Decisions:
  At [17:12], Bolden credits her mentor:
  “I have a lot to credit to Luke for... being a really good mentor... he told me, take the Amazon job. This is perfect for you.”

  Her story underscores the importance of mentorship and strategic career moves in the competitive field of sports media.

• Challenges in Broadcasting:
  Bolden discusses at [19:49]:
  “Figuring out how to be myself in front of the camera is probably my biggest challenge as of late.”

  She elaborates on overcoming self-doubt and embracing her unique perspective, providing valuable lessons for aspiring broadcasters.

---

Panthers Recap

The hosts provide a thorough analysis of the Florida Panthers' recent performances.

• Game Highlights:
  Roy Bellamy recaps at [37:14]:
  “The Panthers had two games this week. The first game was in Colorado. They lost three to one... Devin Taze ended up with two goals. Pretty unexpected.”

  They discuss the Panthers' resilience despite missing key defensemen and highlight standout players like Devin Taze and Sam Reinhart.

• Goaltending Excellence:
  David Droig notes at [39:16]:
  “Sergey Bobrovsky...hasn't allowed more than two in his last three. He's getting back to playing like the Bob we know him to be.”

  The segment emphasizes the critical role of goaltenders in the Panthers' strategies and their potential impact on upcoming games.

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Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on motivational moments and upcoming challenges in the hockey season. They reinforce their commitment to covering the sport passionately and provide a final nod to the resilience and dedication of players and teams alike.

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Notable Quotes

• David Droig at [03:28]: “The eye of the Habs.”
• Ethan at [04:32]: “They beat Tampa on that road.”
• Roy Bellamy at [08:49]: “Think about that for a second and...”
• Blake Bolden at [16:49]: “You have to find a balance of being yourself by delivering the right incorrect information.”

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a comprehensive look into the current state of hockey, enriched by personal stories, expert analysis, and an inspiring guest interview. Listeners gain valuable insights into player performances, team dynamics, and the evolving landscape of sports media through Blake Bolden's experiences.

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Note: Advertisements and non-content segments have been excluded to focus solely on the core discussions and interactions of the show.

Transcript

[Roy Bellamy]

You're listening to giraffkings network.

[David Droig]

You know that sound? It's the sound of money hitting your Venmo account. A friend paying you back. Or maybe it's getting cash back from your favorite business when you pay with the Venmo debit card. Or it's realizing you can pay with Venmo at checkout at thousands of brands now. There are so many more ways to answer the question. What's your Venmo? Download Venmo Today. The Venmo mastercard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated. DOSH Cash Back Terms apply.

[Roy Bellamy]

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What the kind of. I'm trying to get all out of the way at the same time.

[David Droig]

Jesus. Like, if you've got to blow your nose, don't just do that. And then start the countdown.

[Roy Bellamy]

Achoo. 5, 4, 3, 2.

[Ethan]

I'm leaving that in.

[Roy Bellamy]

No, you are not.

[Rose]

Yes, you are.

[Roy Bellamy]

You're gonna leave that in too. Okay, whatever. Five, four, three, two, one. We're back. First episode of the hockey show the game Energy.

[David Droig]

We're back.

[Roy Bellamy]

I'm getting over whatever sickness that I had this week. All right? So you need to get off my back, damn it.

[David Droig]

I'm just trying to start the show. Taking us 10 minutes to start the show. Keep blowing your nose and counting. 5, 4, 3, 2. 1, 2, 1. Welcome to like, what are we doing?

[Roy Bellamy]

All right. My name is Roy Bellamy. That's David Droig. Rose is back in the seat. The college football season is almost over for her, so maybe. And I'm not talking.

[David Droig]

You're still talking about right now.

[Rose]

I have to come back at 2:00am yesterday, so.

[Ethan]

Yeah, Rose and I are matching, guys. Isn't it cute?

Oh.

[Rose]

Oh, we're matching.

[Roy Bellamy]

Congratulations. You're matching.

[Ethan]

Thank you.

[Roy Bellamy]

All right. You're in everybody's.

[David Droig]

We're all wearing hoodies. 60 degrees in Miami.

[Roy Bellamy]

It was 41 when I left the house today, so. Yeah, not. Not exactly great when you get over a cold, but one rigid.

[David Droig]

But that's the kind of winter they're expecting because of the winter Classic is coming down here.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, we'll talk about that in a second. But first, slap shots. Let's go with our hot takes first, Dave, go ahead.

[David Droig]

Okay. My hot take.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, by the way, Ethan's here. Hey, how you doing?

[David Droig]

My hot take is. Ethan's here.

[Roy Bellamy]

Hey.

[David Droig]

Hey. The Montreal Canadiens have a new goaltender, a rookie goaltender, Jacob Dobus. And he's played two games, and he has been lights out in those two games. He shut out the Panthers in his NHL debut. Then he went to Colorado, and. Yeah, I like that little eye of the tiger there. He went to Colorado. Play, as we're seeing the Clips right now, is amazing. Gave up just one goal, including the.

[Roy Bellamy]

Eye of the tiger. Apparently.

[David Droig]

He does. He is the eye of the Canadian.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, boy.

[David Droig]

The eye of the Hab. But my hot take is this young goaltender is the next great Montreal Canadiens goaltender.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, really?

[David Droig]

He looks so steady, compact, explosive movements, not too much. Looks confident in the net. Does not look like a young goalie at all. Look very cool, calm and collected. I'm not saying that he's necessarily the next Patrick Law. Carey Price, but I see a lot of goodness. Tebow. No, I see a lot of. A lot of goodness in Jacob Dobus, and I'm excited to see what else he's gonna do. So watch out for the Habs in a very tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

[Roy Bellamy]

You are a very biased person. You and the goaltender community. Like, come on, man. Come on, Dave.

[Ethan]

I like you felt a little better about getting shut out by him when he went the next night and dominated Tampa. Right. Like, when you. When the Panthers get shut out by a rookie in his debut, you're like, oh, my God, what's happening here? And then he goes to the next game against Tampa and shuts them down, too.

[David Droig]

And you're like, okay, this guy in Colorado, not Tampa.

[Ethan]

They beat Tampa on that road.

[David Droig]

They did. But he didn't play that game.

[Ethan]

Oh, he didn't play.

[David Droig]

Yeah. No, he's only played two days.

[Roy Bellamy]

That's a fine.

[David Droig]

No, that's.

[Ethan]

I'll put it down. Yeah. Yeah, I'll put it down. I'm on the spreadsheet right now.

[David Droig]

Yeah, I know. Watching him in that in his NHL debut, like, you know, at first you're like, okay, the Panthers are playing Montreal. The Panthers are. The Panthers. Montreal is coming in. You know, they're not the best team. They got a rookie goalie. But watching that game as it went on, I'm like, wow, we. They might have something with this kid. And then to see him pick it up and carry it on to the next game. Watch out for this guy.

[Roy Bellamy]

All right, so that's $1 for Ethan towards the Venmo. Fine bucket. All right, that's. That stays hot take. My hot take comes from the Oilers and Bruins game. Nikita Zadarov had the puck cut towards the net, and this is basically a power forward move. Now watch this. He ends up running Stuart Skinner. Now, what I really don't like about this. And granted the first line was out there for the Oilers, so the bias.

[David Droig]

Goalie has some thoughts.

[Roy Bellamy]

Of course, first line was out there for the. For the Oilers. They're not going to do anything. But there was not a lot of response towards the goaltender getting ran.

[David Droig]

That's. I'm trying not to swear.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

Come on, Edmonds. Like, what's. The guy takes a forearm shiver to the dome. His helmet's skating away off into the corner. He's holding his head. And. And you're the Oilers. You need your goaltender to be good. Of any good team in the Western Conference, for crying out loud.

[Roy Bellamy]

Especially them with the start that they had to this season, them trying to get back up in the standings. You can't have that happen.

[David Droig]

No. And. And bad on Zadorov. Like, nobody's forcing it. A lot of times you see plays like that where a guy's, like, riding him into the. No, there was space there. He knew what he was doing. There's so much I don't like about that play.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. First shift out of the box because he got. Go to the interference on that one. Somebody needs to.

[David Droig]

Yes.

[Roy Bellamy]

Have some words for them.

[David Droig]

I mean, it needs to happen right away. I don't care if it's McDavid and dry, Seidle and Hyman or whoever on the ice. You're still hockey players. You can still do that. Like, we've seen Sasha Markov mix it up when he needs to.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

Like, come on, guys. What are we doing? Protect your goalie. Protect your goalie.

[Roy Bellamy]

All right. Win of the week.

[David Droig]

How do I get. I get all heated now. I gotta go to the win of the week. And guess what? Surprise. Surprise goaltending. Jacob Markstrom, Devils goaltender, having a spectacular year for the Devils, who are also having a great year. He made not one, not two, but three. Like, save of the year. Worthy saves.

[Roy Bellamy]

Gotta pick one.

[David Droig]

No, I don't have to pick one. I do not have to pick one. He stopped Oliver Bergstrand with a ridiculous glove save. He made like this back glove save on Eli Tovenen and he made a windmill Stick save, which I don't know if I've ever even seen that before on Matty Benirs, like, and. And that's the one that's playing right now. Like these. The poor Seattle Kraken. They ended up losing the game 3 to 2. They probably should have won like 6 to 2 or whatever. 6 to 3. But wow. Like, good on Jacob Markstrom, the former Panthers goaltender having a wonderful season for the Devils this year. It's nice to see him finally getting his flowers a little bit. But, man, talk about athleticism. This guy's off the charts right now.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, yeah. Those are legitimately saves of the year.

[David Droig]

Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

So good job by him. My win of the week belongs to us. Us.

[David Droig]

Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

And you. Probably not you, but us three, me, Rose and Dave.

[Ethan]

Because this is so self involved.

[Roy Bellamy]

I mean, you over here complain about the trap. You complain about us complaining about the travel from last year and us being on the ice.

[Ethan]

I don't want to hear it. You got to. You got to be on the cup and speak with Alexander Barkov after the Panthers won their first Stanley cup in franchise history. Think about that for a second and.

[David Droig]

Take a moment more awake and think about that. Had we not had to, would have.

[Ethan]

Gone to Edmonton seven times over and over again to be in that situation.

[Rose]

The only thing I got to say is let's change it to SW Summer Classic, not winter.

[Roy Bellamy]

It's not winter you want it to be called. They don't have the season in the summer. That's after the season.

[David Droig]

Summer Classic.

[Rose]

Summer Classic.

[Ethan]

I still don't understand why you guys are winners Special. Why are you guys winners this weekend?

[David Droig]

Roy? Why are we winners?

[Roy Bellamy]

We are winners. Because it was announced that. Thank you, Ethan. It was announced that the state of Florida will have both.

[David Droig]

The State of Hockey.

[Roy Bellamy]

The state of Hockey. We'll have both outdoor games next season, starting with the Winter Classic at Lone Depot Park. The Panthers will host the New York Rangers and in February, the Lightning will host the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium for the stadium series.

[David Droig]

The pirate ship is going to be a hot seat.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yes.

[David Droig]

And so cool.

[Roy Bellamy]

I don't know about. I don't know about. I definitely don't know about you, but I. I'm going to get credentialed and definitely will cover.

[David Droig]

Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

Both games. So. And as the guy who is in charge of the credential process for the company, for the NHL, you two will definitely be credentialed as well. So we gotta do something.

[David Droig]

We definitely got to do something. This is spectacular. I mean, we've already said we have to get on the ice, but I feel like that's just part of a bigger. A bigger vision that we're gonna have.

[Ethan]

I feel like I'm the second best skater in here, David, obviously.

[Roy Bellamy]

How about that?

[Ethan]

So I feel like I should be involved in some way, too.

[David Droig]

Well, all right.

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, are you learning to skate to.

[Ethan]

Cross up Barry Jackson?

[Roy Bellamy]

Yes, I'm sure Barry Jackson.

[David Droig]

This game is gonna be.

[Ethan]

Are you gonna spend an entire year learning to skate so you can cross up Barry Jackson and Jordan McPherson?

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, I'm gonna Deke. I'm gonna. George Richards skates, man. Oh, my God.

[Ethan]

Triple D. Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

Triple D. Fails of the week, Dave.

[David Droig]

Yeah, hold on. No, we got to get back. Rose has a hot take.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, Rose has a hot take. Sorry, I completely forgot. I'm sorry, Rose. Let's go back a couple of minutes.

[Rose]

And go to your hot take about skating. My hot take? I'm calling you guys out because they invited me, like, exactly six minutes and two seconds ago to go skating today all the way there, and you did not invite me. So a team of three became a team of.

[David Droig]

You know what? If it makes you feel any better, I didn't get the invite until yesterday.

[Rose]

Ah, yesterday would have been amazing, so.

[David Droig]

But yesterday you were with the Flying Irish, so you've been too busy to think about it anyway. You were driving over medians in Miami Gardens trying to survive. I've heard about your driving skills, Ross.

[Rose]

Give me your fail of the weeks.

[Roy Bellamy]

Because, like, you're driving.

[David Droig]

Yeah, there we go.

[Rose]

Give it to me.

[David Droig]

All right. My fail of the week comes from Tampa. And it's not dull. Tendon related. Shocker. Some poor bastard named Josh who apparently brought a girl on a date to the Lightning game against. I think it was the Bruins.

[Ethan]

Been there, bro.

[David Droig]

And the girl. I guess a little melodramatic, passive aggressive. Dear Josh, I think we're better off as friends. Thanks for the Bolts tickets, though, Rachel.

[Roy Bellamy]

Have you been there, bro?

[Ethan]

Josh, my. My fallen soldier dude. Like, I'm with you, my brother.

[David Droig]

How cheap was Rachel? Shouldn't even spell out thanks.

[Roy Bellamy]

Ran out of characters.

[David Droig]

Couldn't even spell out the word, though. She couldn't put Love, Rachel. Sincere. Like, there's so. I feel bad for this guy. Like, we need to get Josh, like, some kind of a hot date to the hockey. I don't know, but that. That's called Tinder.

[Rose]

Don't feel bad.

[David Droig]

Swiped right? Or swiped whatever the bad one is on the Jumbotron.

[Ethan]

You meant that he got Friend Zoned on the jumbo.

[David Droig]

Yeah, That's.

[Ethan]

That's brutal.

[David Droig]

That's rough.

[Ethan]

That's brutal.

[Rose]

We have to be literal.

[Ethan]

I'm with you, my brother. Josh, wherever you are, I'm here.

[David Droig]

Ethan. This is hitting Ethan in the field.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[Rose]

We need to be. You need to understand. We have to be direct for you to understand, guys.

[Roy Bellamy]

Okay. You. You're a puck bunny over there.

[David Droig]

Yeah. Very direct.

[Roy Bellamy]

Okay.

[David Droig]

That text message saying that exact same thing would suffice.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. I mean, just like I bought popcorn and beer.

[David Droig]

He goes to the bathroom in the second period and comes back, hey, you got a text while you were gone.

[Roy Bellamy]

It's ridiculous, man.

[David Droig]

Speaking of ridiculous, Roy, your fail of the week.

[Roy Bellamy]

I got two of them from the same game. Two fails in one game thanks to two former Panthers. This came from the Flames Ducks game. Jacob Truber is not having the best of years right now, and this is an example of it. Oh, no. He tried to. He gathered the puck behind his own net. And this is an overtime, mind you, of Flames Ducks banked it off the boards. The puck went over the net, landed in the crease.

[David Droig]

Oh, man.

[Roy Bellamy]

And out of the air, batted it into the net, was Jonathan Huberdeaux, who won the game on that goal in overtime. That's. Yes. That's. That is definitely. That's definitely rough. And.

[David Droig]

And then what happened during the celebration.

[Roy Bellamy]

Gathered towards the boards. This is in Anaheim, by the way. So this is what happened. There's a Ducks fan who is giving the celebrating players the bird, is flipping the duck, and Mackenzie Weiger is waving at him.

[David Droig]

Dude, I love Huberto's reaction, though, because Uyghur is waving at the guy and he's excited. He's acting like he's all excited to see a Flames fan. So I think Huberto, when he looked up with this big smile on his face, he was expecting to see, like, a Calgary guy, a friendly face.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

And Huberto looks up and he sees a big middle finger in his face, and his is the wooden. It just drops. He's like. And then states away. I. I don't know. That was the funniest part of it for me.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. So elves all around in the city of Anaheim. It's supposed to be the happiest place on earth. Yeah, man, they got Disneyland over there.

[David Droig]

Well, you know, good times. Truba's having a fun year.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. Yeah. He's a fantastic. I mean, you would have thought that Trooper and Good is getting together would have been pretty special.

[David Droig]

Scary.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, pretty scary. So coming up next, we have Blake Bolden from ESPN and prime. And I can tell you right now, her rise in media has been outstanding. She's learning a lot. She had just completed her first color commentary gig.

[David Droig]

We were surprised that it was her first gig because she did really good. She's killing it.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. She actually sounded like she's been doing it for years and hopefully she gets a lot more stints. Clearly she was nervous, but she got used to it and she did a very good job. We talked to her about the media and we talked to her about the league, and that's coming up next.

[Blake Bolden]

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[Roy Bellamy]

Blake Bolden's rise in media has been meteoric. I mean, she's doing a great job.

[David Droig]

That's the word Playroy.

[Roy Bellamy]

Hey, well, you know, astrology and celestial bodies, I guess. I don't know. But yeah, Blake Bolden works for prime and she works for espn and she had just recently done her first color commentary gig for the Avalanche Utah Hockey Club game on December 27th. And she actually sounded like she's done it before.

[David Droig]

She's a veteran.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. Season, like how. How would you grade yourself during that performance?

[Ethan]

Oh, you guys, I just told you, don't compliment me like that. It was my first NHL in between in the booth and I'm hard on myself. Like, you don't become an elite Level athlete if you're not hard on yourself. So I walked out of there giving myself a B minus. But others said I did okay. You guys said I did okay, and I really appreciate it. But there. You could always be better. Yeah.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we can always be better. I mean, just like, we're all day to day, you know, you can always be better. But you actually still work for the Los Angeles Kings as a scout, and you convinced Luke Robiti, like, I want to get in the media. Like, what convinced you to actually go into the media landscape?

[Ethan]

Well, I'll clarify. I kind of transitioned out of scouting because I wanted to just take the leap into media 100%, because I had one foot in scouting in the American League for the Pacific Division, and then another foot with espn. And I got a call from Amazon's people, sent the call over to my agent, and we were kind of discussing what might be for this year, and I was like, luke, I think I want to try it out. And he actually told me, he said, you have to do it. He didn't say, we want you to stay. Like, he was like, you have to do it. You're still a part of our King's community. You're still a growth and inclusion specialist. You still have all your camps and clinics, and LA is your home. Don't worry about it. Just go. Blossom. So I have a lot to credit to Luke for, one, getting me my job with the LA Kings just as a pro scout, and then two, just being a really good mentor for me when I have all of these opportunities coming, just to kind of sift through it and make some good decisions. But he. He's the one who told me, take the Amazon job. Do it. This is perfect for you. We want you to do it. And then maybe you can do some TV with the Kings, too.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, yeah.

[David Droig]

That's awesome.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

What has surprised you most in terms of, like, things that are maybe harder and things that maybe are not as hard when you've made the transition from player to scout and now into broadcasting, just because, like, Roy and I under. You know, we've been doing this for a long time. We know how hard it is. It's not as, you know, not as easy as y'all think out there. Like, this is. This is hard. So I'm curious, just when you go from, like, such different but demanding professions, was there anything that was harder than you thought, or was there anything that, like, maybe wasn't as hard as you thought?

[Ethan]

I think you guys are right. I mean, being in A microscope landscape or whatever. And it almost felt like when you watch the television as just a normal viewer, you. You kind of, like, chastise the commentators. You're like, oh, no, that didn't really happen, or, oh, yeah, whatever, and. And become that person. And you analyze everything. You're saying you want to be perfect, like I said, as a. As an elite level athlete. And, you know, you just have to find a balance of being yourself by delivering the right incorrect information. And I think for me, that was my challenge, is just figuring out how to be myself. You watch so many commentators, broadcasters, reporters. I've been in a reporter position. I've been in a, you know, an analyst position. I've been on a desk position. And just figuring out who you are in front of the camera is probably my biggest challenge as of late.

Hey, Blake. I've always admired the grind of a scout because it can just be such a crazy gig where you're traveling to all these remote places, you know, baseball, hockey. I can't even imagine what it's like for hockey. So take us to a point where you're sitting in an arena in a small town somewhere, and you're just like, what did I get myself into here?

Well, I have to say, my fellow scouts always tease me because they're like, you have the pacific division. Like, you have Coachella valley. You've got l. A. You've got San Jose, you've got Vancouver, and some of them are in the middle of nowhere.

[Roy Bellamy]

Northwest territories.

[Ethan]

Right. And so. So for me, like, I was really spoiled. And also being a pro scout as well, you're not an amateur scouting. You're not, like, freezing col gold and just, like, on the bleachers that are aluminum. So I. I would say I was spoiled, but driving to Bakersfield wasn't my favorite. It wasn't my favorite. Going to Bakersfield to the middle of nowhere, it takes forever. And, yeah, it's not that I ever had a thought that was like, what am I doing here? It was more of like, where. Where am I going next? Like, there are scouts that have been scouts for 30, 40 years. Like, what is my game plan of my thought process? And, you know, I've turned down a lot of different things. Like, I've turned down roles in the women's league. I've turned down, you know, other television opportunities. And it just. I was just like, you know what? Maybe I'll just try something else. Like, I didn't. I didn't hate the scouting. It took me away from my new husband. I got married in 2022. And I was like, I'm leaving four or five times a day, a week. But, yeah, I can't say I hated it, but it was a grind. Like, I got sick a lot. I needed, like, all the remedies, all.

[David Droig]

The changes in temperature, the cold rings. Oh, man.

[Ethan]

Do you have one story you heard from a scout that you were like, oh, I don't envy that at all.

Oh, I mean, it's just all the travel, it's. It's just getting, like. For me, I didn't get caught in a lot of snow. Sometimes when I'd go to, like, Colorado and Denver and go up to Loveland to watch the Eagles play. But a lot of my guys, snowstorms, like, all, like 12 inches. Just getting stuck, not being able to move, getting. Just getting stuck is just the worst. And honestly, the game's over at 10:30, 11:00 at night. You got game reports to do. You don't want to be behind on those game reports. But then you got four or five games lined up in the future, so it's just about, like, managing your time. Try not to get stuck or sick and getting the job done wherever you could be in. In. In the middle of, like, warmups doing your game reports, or you could be up till like 1 o'clock in the morning trying to finish it all. It's just. You're grinding all the time.

[Roy Bellamy]

You talk about the travel stories. I mean, last season, Stanley cup final was not exactly great for any of us.

[David Droig]

Why don't we have to bring that up?

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

Why are we talking about.

[Roy Bellamy]

I bet I was. I'm bringing it up opposite sides. Yeah.

[David Droig]

No direct flights.

[Ethan]

I want to remind you guys again, you were on the ice after game seven of the Stanley cup final. I don't want to hear.

[David Droig]

Put him in the penalty box.

[Ethan]

I don't want to hear it.

[Roy Bellamy]

Right. I'm not even going to find the sound. Get out of here.

[Rose]

Yeah. Go to the.

[Ethan]

You're blessed, man. You're blessed.

[Roy Bellamy]

Thank you, Rob.

[David Droig]

All right, well, you're a guest, Blake, so you don't get to go to the penalty box. You're absolved from that. But, Ethan, we've been through this before.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[Rose]

We're stuck in Calgary, so.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

Yeah, right. You guys had to drive.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. Yeah, we did. We had to drive from Calgary to Edmonton. I had to drive for Groves, and that was not exactly a pleasant experience for me.

[Ethan]

But anyway, well, now working with Amazon and being in San Diego county area.

[David Droig]

Area.

[Ethan]

Getting to Winnipeg and Edmonton are still very hard for me. There's no direct flights. It's so hard to get to Winnipeg and Edmonton.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, you gotta work on the infrastructure up there. Canada. I mean, come on. What are we doing right now? You're breaking the ice segments that you do with ESPN. We live down here in Miami, South Florida. I'm 40 years old. I'm an old man. Okay. I spent my formative years in the late 80s and early 90s. There were no ranks down here. Like there were probably three. We got our hockey team in 1993. So I say that to say is I'm trying to learn how to play hockey myself.

[Ethan]

You don't know how to play hockey?

[Roy Bellamy]

No, actually learning how to skate.

[David Droig]

We're going skating as soon as we get done today.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. So I'm teaching. Well, I'm not teaching myself. I'm being taught how to skate and I'm trying to. There's a media game for. We're in a classic, right?

[David Droig]

We're hoping that there's going to be some kind of a media game ahead of next year's winter class. Sit down here. We're trying. We've made it our goal, Blake, to figure out how we can get on that ice somehow, some way. I don't know. Right, Exactly. We have to. So Roy is making sure that if and when that happens, he's ready to play and we're working on it with him.

[Blake Bolden]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

So I got it from the ground up, literally.

[Roy Bellamy]

Exactly. So I gotta ask you, are there. Is there any tips, any suggestions that you have for me? Not. Not the day, because he's a goaltender, but. But to me specifically, so I don't fall and bust my ass on the ice.

[Ethan]

Wait, so you don't know how to skate at all?

[Roy Bellamy]

No, I don't know.

[Ethan]

Really?

[Roy Bellamy]

No, No. I just bought my first pair of hockey skates.

[Ethan]

What kind are they?

[Roy Bellamy]

Ccm.

[Ethan]

Where'd you get them from?

[Roy Bellamy]

Ccm.

[Ethan]

Are they used?

[Roy Bellamy]

No, they're not used. They're brand spanking new. They're a new line called Next for, like, pickup games.

[David Droig]

You've been wearing them around the house, right?

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, I've been wearing them around the house. I didn't get them baked.

[Ethan]

Number one rule. Break in your skates.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yes. Yes, that is exactly what I'm doing.

[Ethan]

I don't know. I mean, just get out there. You're not going to learn unless you fall on your butt. A thousand times a story for me. When I first learned how to play, when I was, I don't know, six, seven years old, I didn't know how to stop on my left side for two years. Two. Two years. I was, like, just stopping on my right, but then switching to my left to pretend like I stopped on my left. It wasn't working. So I would just say, get out there. Fall on your butt. Use those inside edges. I mean, I teach so many kids now. We got bolden girls. We are all kings clinics through and three, through and through, little kings, all of that. And it's just so funny how you know that it's an athletic sport, but kids don't want to bend their knees. It's just like a. It's like a straight leg thing. So bend your knees. If you fall down, just get up like you're fine.

[David Droig]

I've been playing hockey for most of my. Most of my life. I've been playing ice hockey for, you know, 30 years now. And, Blake, I still cannot stop on my left side. I'm a goalie, so I can get away with it.

[Ethan]

You're supposed to have the best edges out of anybody.

[David Droig]

It's a secret that nobody knows. The first time I ever ice skated was actually in all my gear. I grew up on rollerblades down here, so hockey stopping wasn't really a big thing. So when you said that, I'm like, oh, my God, I feel so exposed.

[Ethan]

But I. Roller hockey has actually become one of my favorite new sports. I was on the national team. We went to Buenos Aires for team usa we came back with the bronze, which was crazy because Spain and France are insanely good at inline. And I have since moving to California, Roller has been like my numero uno. Four on four, no icing, no offsides. Like I'm an offensive defenseman. Just give me the puck, let me tool around. I don't have to stop, and I have a hard shot. It's amazing.

[David Droig]

Nice. You remember the old. I don't know if you know this, the old pro beach hockey that they used to have out there back in the late 90s.

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

Our former Panthers Dolly, Chris Drieger. He's at a group that actually put together a documentary that I'm, like, dying to see, but anytime I see the old clips of that with, like, the ramps behind the neck, that looks like so much fun. Oh, my God. Can you imagine?

[Ethan]

Oh, so fun. Yeah, I'm ready for it. I'm ready for all that.

[David Droig]

Bring it on.

[Roy Bellamy]

Let's talk about the league now. At the beginning of the season that we. We all thought that the start that Colorado and Edmonton had was fairly disappointing. And they both seem to be in playoff spots now. But what we did not see.

[David Droig]

Goaltending.

[Roy Bellamy]

Okay, well, there you go. I mean, even Colorado had to make that trade.

[David Droig]

Yeah, they did have to make that trade.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[David Droig]

Look how good he's doing.

[Ethan]

Good trades, though.

[Roy Bellamy]

Very good trade. But speaking of trades, the thing that we did not see coming was how poorly the Rangers have been playing. What's going on in New York.

[Ethan]

I mean, it's tough to play well when you got a lot of drama around you, right?

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah.

[Ethan]

And you got your goaltender back. So if you want to think positively, Shusturkin was back from four games, but I think when I look at them, I see a struggle in five on five. You know, you trade away your captain, a lot of drama around that. You're struggling five on five. Your goals against averages around three goals, which last year, that wasn't a thing. Savannah, Jed Kreider, your guys are in a. All. All in a funk, which is tough for them. Your stars aren't scoring, and your power play is not what it used to be. Last year, your power play was. Their power play was number three in the league. And combined for them all, all of them. Fox, Trojax, Abaj, Kreider. I think they have nine. Nine or 10 goals this year. Last year, 47. And we're halfway through the year. So they've got. They've got a lot of trouble. And it's. And it's sad because this is a team that we expected to have a deep run last year, and you've just been riddled with all the newspaper clippings, articles, drama, and it's just. It's just not a good look for them.

[David Droig]

Blake, I wanted to ask you about an interview that you did recently with Menon Rayom, who, for those of you who don't know, and I don't know why you'd be watching the show if you don't know, but she. She actually played an NHL game in, like, I think 92 or 93 for the Tampa Bay Lightning, which was amazing. It still was amazing. You know, 30 years later, you got to sit down and interview her. I watched some of the interview, which is really, really cool, and I suggest anybody out there go check it out. But just as a female hockey player of color, to sit down with somebody who, you know, to go through what. What Menon went through at her time, and then, you know, I'm sure what you've experienced in your life, just how. How cool and how unique was that for you to be able to experience that and Hear her words.

[Ethan]

Well, I mean, Mano was probably. Well, she was my idol when I was 12 years old and I was coached by her at that time. When we went to that Quebec tournament, we were the first girl to girls team to play in the boys division or whatever. And so I was just like, oh, Manom Reyum. And then to sit down and listen to her story from start to finish. Her and I work together with the LA Kings. She's a player development consultant and I was a scout and still do community and we work together a lot. So we've gone from coaching mentor situation to colleagues to now I'm interviewing her and the trajectory of our relationship has been amazing. Like for her to be someone I can just call and talk to about what it's like being in a men's field right in the NHL to being able to sit down and interview her on ESPN and fun fact, back in, what was that 20 years ago? 2020, 2004. We had ESPN follow us around for that Quebec tournament. So it was kind of like a full circle moment just to be able to hear how challenging it was for her to play in the pro and those two exhibition games. And I think our assistant GM actually took a couple shots on her with the LA Kings in that exhibition game. So that's fun too.

[David Droig]

Awesome.

[Roy Bellamy]

Still making saves out there. That's great. Surprises in the league this year. Obviously the Washington Washington Capitals are leading the division in the Metro right now. Also you got the Flames are in the playoff spot and the Blue Jackets and Canadiens are competing for wildcard spot, wild card spot in the East. Aside from the Capitals right now who are in the playoffs, do you think the Flames are going to end up making the playoffs? And can the Blue Jackets and Canadiens actually upset somebody like a Boston or Pittsburgh?

[Ethan]

Well, Pittsburgh just had a great game, but they've just, we all know they've been struggling. I just came back from the Canucks and the Canadiens game Monday Night hockey with Amazon and when I tell you the Canadiens look like a different team, I'm like, who are these guys? It was insane. Their power play. Suzuki's on a tear, Caulfield's on a tear. They're goaltending in. Montebeau is great. Dovish has been playing out of his mind in those two games that shut out against the Florida Panthers. I mean, they have so much hope right now and I think it's possible for them to squeak in. The Flames have been a little quiet, inconsistent. I used to scout Wolf a lot in the American League. He's an Incredible goalie. He's a little smaller.

[David Droig]

I think.

[Ethan]

I think Calgary is okay, but they're not really doing it for me. I'm a. I'm a hopeful person. Like, what if. If you haven't seen the Canadians play, Just watch them right now, because they're looking. Okay. They're looking all right. Right now.

[Roy Bellamy]

One more before we let you go. I have a little birdie at prime who gave me this information. I believe you know. His name is Adnan Burke.

[Ethan]

Oh, my bud.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. Apparently you walked out on Gladiator 2. What happened?

[Ethan]

No.

[David Droig]

No, you didn't, Blake.

[Ethan]

Well, okay. My husband is a. My husband is a gladiator fanatic. We went to Rome, and after we did all the. All the vet. All of that, we sat in our hotel and watched the first gladiator because he was so surprised I hadn't seen it. Like, he's obsessed. And so I'm like, okay, Gladiator 2's coming out. Let's go. And he's like, I don't know. I don't know. It's not gonna be. It's not gonna beat it. And I'm like, come on. You love it. Like, it's. Whatever. So we go. I'm really excited. I would never walk out of a movie. I'm just gonna put. I'm just gonna throw my husband under the bus. It was his fault. It was his fault. He didn't like how Denzel's character was. He didn't like the plot. He was like, it's just copying the first movie. There's no creativity. There's too much that. And I'm just like, all right, dude. I didn't want to hear him complain in my ear for another 45 minutes.

[Roy Bellamy]

Wow.

[Ethan]

Let's go. And you know what we did? We went back home, and we watched the original Gladiator.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, you got that sour taste out of your mouth on that one. Oh, wow.

[Ethan]

I didn't even get to finish it. I didn't even get to.

[David Droig]

Do you want to go? Are you gonna go back and watch it now? Like, behind your husband's back or something? Like, is that what's gonna happen 100.

[Roy Bellamy]

No, wait for cable?

[Ethan]

I'm. Yeah, you're right.

[David Droig]

Yeah.

[Ethan]

Don't go to the Dream It Online or something like that. I gotta finish it. I'm not a quitter. That was hard for me.

[Roy Bellamy]

That's why you're a professional athlete. Blake Bolden, we appreciate you joining us today. Thank you for coming on.

[David Droig]

Thank you, Blake.

[Ethan]

Thanks, guys. Take care.

[Adnan Burke]

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[Mike Malley]

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[Roy Bellamy]

All right, it's time for the Panthers recap. The Panthers had two games this this week. The first game was in Colorado. They lost three to one. Now they did not have two of the top four defensemen that game, Aaron Egblad and Nico Mikola. It was still relatively close. Devin Taze ended up with two goals. That's that was pretty unexpected.

[David Droig]

Yeah, I mean, you know, a couple shots from the point. I think one of them went off a deflection of a Panthers defenseman on the way and the other One through a screen. Strong game overall for the Panthers. I think, you know, Paul Maurice is happy that it was tight to the end. To see the Florida play so competitive without two of their top four is tough because Colorado has been playing so well and we've talked about Mackenzie Blackwood and his addition when he, when they first traded for him, how big that could be. And so far it's been huge because he has been lights out.

[Roy Bellamy]

Conover Hagee. Sorry. Ethan Conover. Hagee, with an eight game goal streak, finally got on the board. Yeah, that was huge. Hopefully that, that will open the floodgates for him.

[Ethan]

Ethan, that matchup scares me. Like if there's one team that scares me out west, nobody really scares me in the East. But if one team scares me out west, it's Colorado. That's a bad matchup for the Panthers.

[David Droig]

I think it's a tough matchup for anybody. I mean, they're stacked, they've got, you know, some high end offensive players, but McKinnon is on another level. Like, he's like McDavid. I'm not saying he's better or worse than McDavid, but they're both. The speed that they have, the way that they, they can impact the game, it's like nobody else is really on that level. So it's a scary matchup. But let's get there.

[Roy Bellamy]

First Florida, then went to Utah, won 4 to 1. That game was also pretty close. Now don't let 41 fool you. I mean, those were two empty net goals. But it's the first time the Panthers played in Utah and Ekblad and Mikola were both back in the lineup. Sam Reinhart finally scored after going what.

[David Droig]

Six games, I believe it was without.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. All right. So. Yeah. But he also became the second in franchise history in power play. Goals scored. Alexander Barkov leads the team all time in that category. It's going to take a while for him to catch up to that considering that he's still on the team.

[David Droig]

Yeah, a little bit. But no, Utah was fun. It was nice to see the Panthers play in a new city and actually win because, you know, Vegas and Seattle didn't really work out that well for the Panthers right off the gate. The big constant for me over these two games, Roy, was Sergey Bobrovsky.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, he was really good. He's hot in that game.

[David Droig]

Both games. He was great in the Colorado just up over 900.

[Ethan]

He's been really great his last few games. Hasn't allowed more than two in his last three. Yeah, like he's he's getting back to playing like the Bob we know him to be.

[David Droig]

He's getting into playoff Bob mode, you know, rounding into form about midway of the season. So that's right about on schedule, I think.

[Roy Bellamy]

The Boston Bruins come into Sunrise tomorrow for 1:00 game on ABC. The Boston Bruins, who just start the season and completely disastrous, kind of ride the ship with the coaching change and now is a complete disaster again. They lost six straight.

[David Droig]

Yes. I'm so upset about this, Roy.

[Roy Bellamy]

I know Ethan is.

[David Droig]

Yeah.

[Ethan]

I did see them rumored in, in the Pederson J.T. miller sweepstakes. And that's like the one thing that could be like, okay, if they get one of those guys, maybe that could get them going a little bit.

[David Droig]

But I don't know, man. I mean, they've made some pretty, what I thought were pretty decent moves over the last year. Plus, and that's a Doroth contract, isn't.

[Ethan]

Or not. Zidorov Lindholm contract is an albatross.

[David Droig]

Well, I thought he'd play better.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. So there's that.

[David Droig]

Before we get out of this segment, I gotta play something for you guys.

[Roy Bellamy]

Before we end the show for the week.

[David Droig]

Yeah. Oh, my God. I can't believe the show's over already.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah, it breezed on by.

[David Droig]

So former Panthers captain Oliokin, and for those of you who don't know, his post playing career has been kind of in the coaching. He started the, the South Florida Hockey Academy, then he went and he coached in LITA for three seasons. I believe now he's in the shl, the Swedish Hockey League. The team put out a video of Oli giving his team a motivational speech between periods. Rose, do we have that? Yeah. All right, let's, let's, let's play some of that. Because the message Oli was giving and wouldn't just fade it up whenever you guys have it, it was so profound. I was raised out of my seat and I'm like, this guy is a coach. Do we have it?

[Roy Bellamy]

Because it's not enough. Is it satisfying the p. Fifth place, sixth place, Whatever the case is, let's take the step now. Every game, every shift has to mean something. Time to step it up.

[Ethan]

Yes.

[Roy Bellamy]

We can still do something about it.

[David Droig]

Let's go.

[Roy Bellamy]

You want to let this slip away?

[David Droig]

No, I don't. Let's go. No, but on a serious note, like, Oli has been working his ass off as a coach for a long time. So it's not. I don't think it's going to be much longer before he eventually makes the migration back to North America. Whether it's, you know, AHL to start NHL. I know. Paul Maurice told me a long time before he was even the Panthers coach. He told me that he considered Oli for an assistant coaching job when he was still in Winnipeg, so just working his way up the ranks. Good on Oli. But, man, I'm. I'm pumped. I'm talking about Gladiator. Like, I'm ready to go.

[Roy Bellamy]

Right? Take that into the weekend with you. All right? All right. Thank you for joining us, everybody. For everybody in California, we are thinking about you. Be safe out there with the fires. We thank you for listening and watching us here on YouTube and wherever you find us. Thank you, Rose. Thank you, Ethan. Thank you, Mike Malley. Dave's there. I'm Roy. Okay. Goodbye.

[Blake Bolden]

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