WEBVTT
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Well, welcome back. Was it's
table buys episode twenty seven. Special guest
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on once again. His name's Doug
Mcclain. He's one of the best hockey
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names to come out of Pi.
He's been a GM head, coach,
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analyst, radio host, he's done
it all in the hockey industry. Doug,
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how you doing this morning? Good, guys, good, good on,
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real to have you on. You
know, not very many people make
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it at a Pi. We're from
Summerside, right. Yeah, grew up
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in summerside and yeah, so coach
the Western capital. So that was a
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really the start of my career was
coaching the Western capitals, which has become
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a big franchise now, I see. I follow them pretty closely. What
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a team. Hey, yeah,
we yeah, they've done a good job.
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We we actually have the captain on
with us right here. I'm a
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player. Oh Really? Yeah,
the cops now, yes, Oh,
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yeah, oh, great, that's
great. Yeah, so I followed the
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team pretty close. So you guys
really disappointed that they screwed up this this
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championship run here. So hopefully,
with the tournament being in summer side,
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that's pretty disappointing. So hopefully that'll
get resolved. Yeah, put a monkey
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wrench in our plays for sure.
Yeah, really did, because they build
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a really good team. So anyway, that's great. Congratulations. Hey,
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thank you very much. So we'll
start off maybe with the Florida team.
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I mean we saw Geraldi Land Take
the Vegas Golden Nights all the way there
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in the first year, another Pi
coach. It was history repeating itself.
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How what was that like, taking
a brand new team all the way to
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the finals? Well, it was
pretty it was pretty weird. I had
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been coaching in Detroit the previous five
years with Brian Murray and he got the
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GM's job and and he hired me
as a head coach and it was a
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third year team really with limited expectations. But it was amazing. What great
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leadership by Brian SCRUDELN and and a
number of the players on that team,
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John Van be'sbrook, great goaltender,
and all of a sudden, you know,
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I'll never forget, we lost the
first game I coached as a head
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coach in the NHL, in New
Jersey for one, and we're flying all
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I'm thinking, all man, is
just going to be a tough year,
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because we didn't play very well at
game one. Then we won our next
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five games in a row Christmas being
in first place in the in the entire
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NHL, and I got to coach
the All Star game because of it.
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It was a rule that of your
in first place at Christ and she got
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the coach. Also got thing can
help is ours this and we kept it
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up all year. I mean we
really had a great year, near the
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top of the League all year and
and then the playoffs were czar. We
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Played Boston in the first round,
which was a really they had a really
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good team and we beat them in
five and then we went, you know,
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we played Philadelphia and x with Lynn
Ross and the Legion of doom line,
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I mean a really good team,
and then we beat Pittsburgh and with
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lemieux and Y'allger and just an unbelievable
Pittsburgh team that should have been, you
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know, should have in the cup
champ. So, you know, then
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we ran into Colorado, which was
another story, but it was a it
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was a great experience, an amazing
experience to be quite honest, and it
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was what was bizarre about it was
helped Pi got behind that team. I
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mean the notes I was getting from
people and the following pe I was just
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unbelievable. It was pretty bizarre.
So it's much like with Gerard, you
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know, and his run with Vegas. Was Pretty excited to follow, you
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know. Yeah, it would have
been incredible. Yeah, Pi seen certainly
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support their own. That's one good
friend. Yeah, hundred percent. Yeah,
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it really has been an amazing even
you know, when I was an
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assistant coach, I'll never forget.
I was assistant coach in St Louis,
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my first job after UNB and I
had that. Bobby plaguer was an assistant
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coach with us with the Blues and
he said to me one time, because
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I seemed like every game it didn't
matter. We're in SAN JOSE or we're
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in Dallas or we're in Chicago,
or to be somebody from Pi or Pi
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connected to the game. He said
like dull it. One time I was
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are like three million people in Pi
and they scattered all over North America and
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they're all looking for tickets. It
was pretty amazing. So, yeah,
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the support, the support was unbelievable. And JEYARD, you know, it's
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the same with Gard and anybody else
that gets areus with no adopts. And
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now, I mean you see these
young kids it's it's always amazing. How
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you know, I love to follow
Zach McKew and Johnston and all the all
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the kids that sort of even I
I follow that maritime hockey pod thing where
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they twitter account where they really update
maritime kids. I think they do a
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fabulous job. So it's kind of
fun to follow the kids, you know.
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Yeah, and that list is growing
to there's lots of players getting up
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there. You got a chance to
out LA kings the last couple of nights.
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Yeah, it's good to see the
kid there. I mean getting recall
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I followed him in the American league
and he was really, you know,
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having a great year. Obviously had
a great career and Mompton. So you
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know, really nice to see him
getting an opportunity and La's a heck of
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a team. I watched the play
Columbus. I was in Columbus a week
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ago and I watched them play in
Columbus and they've got a they've got a
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good hockey team. So you know, it's good to see him getting an
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opportunity and he's a skilled offensive guy, so it'll be fun to watch.
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Yeah, we're having a lot of
fun watching them, for sure. He
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played out with the caps with me
whenever we're backt like team. He's pretty
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yeah, I know, I sent
yeah, I knew that. That's great.
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So you were in a unique position
there in Florida. There is one
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of the larger off ice moments in
NHL history with all the rats. What
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was what was that like? When? When that? Can you tell us
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first just how that all went down
and then the the reaction from everyone always
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funny. It was early in the
season and we were playing at the Miami
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arena, which was a kind of
it's where the Miami Heat and the a
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team played at the time and we're
sharing the building with them. But Anyway,
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after a game, Van Bees Brook
was, you know, and Melanby
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were sitting next to each other in
the locker room and there was a rat
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given the locker room and Melan be
killed it with his hockey stick the dressing
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room. And then beasbrook was talking
to the media after and Melanbie had had
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two goals in the game. So
then he said well, Mel had a
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rat trick, a rat trick because
he had the did two goals and he
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killed a rat in the dress room. So it just sort of started taking
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off a little bit. But it
was unbelievable. As it picked up steam.
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I remember driving home from the morning
skate in the in the playoffs and
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there was bulletin's coming on the radio
saying hey, Walmart just got an order
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of rats in. Jac Penny just
got an order of rats in, and
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people would rush to the store.
So one there was one goal scored in
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one of the later series. The
Guy, the ice cleaner guys were telling
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me that the ice maintenance guys that
they they took nine hundred rats off the
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ice after one goal. So what
happens? Every time we scored a goal,
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they would flood the ice with rats. It was on Boll and.
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It started with fifty and then it
grew to a hundred, then it grew
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to five hundred, and I mean
it became unbelievable in that play run.
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And there's some there's some great pictures
of Patrick Wa hiding in the net as
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the rats were raining down over him. So it began. The League stepped
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in and and obviously made a rule
change that it couldn't happen anymore. So
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now at the Panther Games what they
do is at the end of the game
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a few the last time I was
there at the game breast. They throw
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the rats on the ice at the
end of the game and there might be
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twenty five of them on the ice, but it was it was just unbelievable.
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But the fans used it as a
way to get into you know,
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just to follow the team, and
people would dress up like rats and I
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still in my office of a rat
with my name on it and glasses,
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a little little glasses on this rat
that a fan gave me with the panther
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uniform on it. Pretty Bizarre.
They painted them up and it was it
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was crazy. It was crazy,
but it really added to the atmosphere and
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the fun of the whole series.
Then we go into Pittsburgh the bench and
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then, you know, game five
or seven, I'm not sure which it
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was, and all of a sudden
wooden rat trap is thrown on our bench
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and it almost killed but it almost
killed a couple of us. That the
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way this thing came flying because the
fans were in Pittsburgh were so pissed off
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about these rats that they were throwing
rat traps into our into our bench.
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So it became pretty goofy. But
Anyway, it was a fun, great
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experience for the fans. Really was. I can imagine that would let them
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get in the game way more just
a way of showing you team like yeah,
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you just got scoring on and now
we're going to fun to complete ice
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with Cousm AH, oh crazy.
It was crazy all it was. That's
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what it was. Every time you
scored, every every goal, every goal,
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and I mean luckily in those days
are fairly low scoring games, but
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it was. It was just amazing. And then they hired a group to
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come and clean the ice after every
goal and they ca called them the Orcin
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Orskan pest control, which was a
you know, a company here that did
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pest control with houses. So they
had these guys come on with their helmets
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and pick up the rats. It
was it was pretty funny. That's the
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guy. Think there rest of it. A whole team on stand by just
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to get them. Oh No,
that would be tenutively, ten or fifteen
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of them come ration out on the
ice to clean it off. So that's
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all. It's funny, but it's
still it's bizarre to me. You know,
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I played golf at a club here
in Delray Beach in Florida, and
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I I still, I've got to
tell you, at least once a week
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somebody will stop me and talk about
about that, that Stanley Cup run with
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the panthers. The same as would
happen with joy ared. I mean it
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just it's just amazing how people still
remembered, and a lot of them remember
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it because of the rats. You
know, it really my parents were watching
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the series and Pi and every time
we'd score they'd throw socks at the TV
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like to make up to the rats
of my own or Wayne is Inga heard
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about this so he shipped them a
whole box of rats to their to their
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house at Shelton Beach. So it
was pretty bizarre anyway, crazy what.
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So you when you were an assistant
coach in Detroit. He had a pretty
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some pretty big names in that team, one of them being set Oserman.
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No Osman's known as a legend.
Is there any stories he out of?
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Maybe something he did in the locker
room or something? Stevey was quite a
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guy. He was he was twenty. I think he was twenty seven when
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he was a captain. He so
he was, and maybe even younger than
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that. He might have been twenty
five when he became captain of the Red
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Wings, and he was. He
was really he was struggling as a captain.
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He he did his thing on the
ice. You know, that was
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his thing. I, you know, I do what I want, what
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I do on the ice in the
guy was a fifty goal score, just
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an amazing talent. But as a
leader he really sort of struggled early on
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in his career and until, you
know, we eventually brought in some veteran
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guys and then, you know,
he got a lot of support and he
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became a great Cavit. I'll never
forget. He was a cocky guy,
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but I kind of really like them. But we used to have some fun.
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So he he was shaven in front
of the in the restroom. Both
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of us were shaving in the in
the dressing room bathroom after game and he
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he looked at me and he listed
off all the coaches he had. He
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went, you know, Nick Polano, Danny Balisle, Jock, the Murs,
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Brian Murray and you, and he
said these are all the coaches I've
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had. He said imagined, Doug, I just had one good coach,
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how good I could have been.
So he it's always giving us a shot.
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So anyway, and then I'll tell
you what a real story I've been
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between periods on the board and I
say hey, number nineteen, you're on
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the penalty killer. You're at a
position. You know, we can't.
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You've got to be in this area
right here. You got to have this
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area cover. So I go back
into the assistant coaches off as and he
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comes in. He said don't ever, don't ever call me out in front
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of the team again and and I
looked him. I said, well then,
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just do it right next time.
And I was bask I when he
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was coming. I was like,
I could feel the armpits get wet.
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Thing at all. Shit, are
you getting me? I got a but
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and then he started to laugh.
Oh Man, that luck, lucky I
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was, you know. So I
didn't back down from them, but he
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started to laugh after so he was
sort of, you know, giving me
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a shot, but he was sending
a message. Good Guy, played hard
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but found the captain's job a ton
of pressure. And then as he grew
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all after we left. We were
that. I was with him five years.
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Feder off come in and then Larry
on off came in and Constantinov developed
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into a player and Nick Lidstrom,
who was with I was with Nick for
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five years. He became the soup
and all of a sudden stevie got some
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great support and he became one of
the greatest captains in the history of the
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game. So you know he's and
now he's obviously a great general manager.
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So he he was a he was
a very interesting guy to be around,
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let me tell you. And he
enjoy our gland. We're best. It's
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a great story. Joyard was playing
on that team my first year in Detroit.
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Jo Ore was getting near the end. He was having troubles. You
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know, skating had dropped off quite
a bit. He had been a,
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you know, thirty goal scorer.
I'm on the bench and Brian Murray's the
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head coach on associate head coach and
to where? And he was getting near
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the Inn, I said, and
he was. Had you been on the
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power player? Brian wasn't using them
on the powerplay. So I'm standing behind
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him and he pokes me in the
in the gut on the bench. Get
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gives me a place it. Tell
that dummy to put me out on the
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power play and I thought he's Dour. Let's go there anyway. So we
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had lots of we had lots of
fun in those days. Lots of fun
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that's awesome. That's interesting because you
only hear about how great of a captains
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wisman was, but to know that
in that beginning it wasn't the cases,
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that's pretty interesting. Yeah, Oh, no, he had his troubles,
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but he was became, like I
said, he became this an amazing captain.
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But you know, it's like every
captain and you would have founded you've
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got a leadership group on your team
and the captain's the key to that leadership
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group. But the leadership group is
really important. You know, I'm out.
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My first day in Detroit, I
remember Brian Murray picking me up at
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the airport my first day on the
job at the airport and he said Hey,
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we got an interesting thing happened today
and I said what side? He
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said Sergey feder off just affected from
Russia. He was at the goodwill games
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in Seattle and Mr Elliot should send
his private jet out and they and they
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snuck them out in the middle of
the night. Feder oft came and then
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we Lidstrom joined our team the next
year as a just an and he,
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I mean I want never forget Nicholas
from stuffing on the ice and its first
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practice and he never never had a
bad practice or a bad game that I
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can ever remember. And I coached
against him after that and was a general
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manager against him for a twenty year
period. And this guy, I don't
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know if you ever had a bad
game. I mean he was that good.
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So it was some great it was
some great players and some great characters
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on that team too. Yeah,
I can imagine. Yeah, the list
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is not short of here, nowhere, here. Yeah, up. So
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let's talk about maybe the in the
front office there as a GM. You
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had a pretty crazy deal there with
Chris draper when you were in Detroit as
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well. What a well there.
I was a funny one because I was
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assistant GM in Detroit and general manager
of at aarondack redwings, which was our
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American Hockey League farm team, and
so we're trying to always put a good
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team in at her on deck,
you know, so that the kids are
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prospects. You know, had a
winning atmosphere. But how the draper thing
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developed was Jim Clark, who was
a former GM of the western capitals when
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I was there and after I left
Jim Stayed. I think it was a
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GM through the Dave Cameron regime for
probably ten years. At Jimmy, Jim
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Clark became I married, you know, like a scout for us, part
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time scout with us with Detroit it
and he did the marridime. So we
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phone me and he said, Hey, there's this kid playing in Monkedin,
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Chris Draper. He's I mean he
said, I think you should consider signing
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them and I said, well,
he's like a third round pick and I
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know Winnipeg, like them, was
Winnipeg's farm team, was at Hump that
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time and I you know, he'd
played for team Canada as a teenager and,
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you know, a great skater,
but some for some reason went a
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peg. Weren't in love with them. So I phoned the GM, Mike
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Smith, of Winnipeg and you know, on on Jim Clark's recommendation, and
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I said what about draper? Would
have any consider consideration of moving him?
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And he said yeah, he said
I would, because our coach John Paddock
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doesn't really doesn't like him and I'd
like to give Chris a chance to play.
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As all, we're looking for him
for our American League team. And
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so so we made a deal to
do future considerations. In other words,
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he didn't want anything for he just
said, let's just call it future considerations
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and I'll give them to you and
then we get a notification from the League's
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and you can't do future consideration.
You got it. You got to do
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it a deal. There's got to
be something exchange hands. So ice phone,
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my guy said Hey, we got
to do something, and he said,
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okay, how about give me a
looney form? So I said okay.
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So at the draft I gave a
looney. So draper comes to camp
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and he was twenty three at the
time and he had a pretty good camp
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and then we sent him to adirondack
to our firm team and he decided he
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was he was going to go home
and to Toronto and reconsider his career,
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whether he's going to keep playing.
So I phoned our coach, Newell Brown,
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and a right, so you better
phone this guy and talking into coming
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dot or on deck because he's a
pretty good player. So new phone,
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I'm got him to go to adder
on deck. He started the season there
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and and he was playing on believable
and Scotty Bowman and I went into bed
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into Hamilton to watch at her on
deck play and Drake scored. I think
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he had a hat trick that game
against Hamilton the American league and he was
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called up after that game and never
played another game in the minors and had
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a I mean three cups and head
and a amazing career. And and Chris
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and I still laugh about that.
But it was really Jimmy Clark, for
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Bi who set that whole deal up. So it's pretty bizarre. You actually
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exchanged hands with the looney. Exchange
hands with the LOONEY. We had to.
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So it was a pretty good deal
and it's funny drake still laughs about
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it and that it's become like a
big story all over, you know,
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in the hockey world, you know
in different on transactions. You still hear
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about it pretty often because he had
such a great career. You know,
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we had a great bunch of young
players that we had Marty lapoint, we
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had Darren McCarty, we had Chris
Draper. You know, fed her off,
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obviously, but I mean we just
had so many great young players in
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that team. Was Unbelievable. And
then when Scotty Bowman took over his head
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coach, you know, they added, you know a few other guys and
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they've just just had an unbelievable run. You know, Troy's really I'm sendings,
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I know, I know all that
it. Yeah, we had a
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pretty good team for yeah, really
good team. Looking up again. So
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I one little story when I was
with the red wings. It's funny how
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you think of things. Miss Miss
Mr Mike Gillies was the owner, you
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own little caesars pizza. Just a
amazing guy. And Mrs Illie was a
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real financial person in the family and
I get a call from her one day
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at the office and she said you
tell me, Doug, why Steve Eiserman,
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I only buy Steve Eiserman one pair
of skates a year. And Paul
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Coffee, I've bought twenty two pairs
of skates for him this year. And
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I said look, I don't know
what to say, Mrs lgccept like stiff
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skates and he gets them out of
the box and wears them and even stitches
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them before he wears him out of
the box. So and he's the best
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skater in the NHL. I don't
know what to tell you about Paul Coffee.
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Twenty two pairs of skates in one
season, like I'll bazarre. Is
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that you would ever believe that?
And Stevie, why would wear one pair.
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00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:34.839
I don't know if I can go
through twenty two sticks in a season,
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00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:41.240
let alone pairs of exactly. And
she was see what. Wasn't happy
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about it, but that's how close. That's how close she watched what was
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going on with the red wing.
Yeah, you keep it. See it's
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00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:56.880
yeah, exactly exactly. He talked
about a draft day for where you did
309
00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:02.079
that deal. I mean it's a
crazy day and all sports day. I
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mean they made a movie about it
in the NFL. What's it like?
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I'm on the floor in the NHL
and draft days it as hectic as it
312
00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:12.160
looks. Yeah, really is,
you know, especially if you're picking near
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the top. You know it's always
a busy time because you're you know,
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you're you're on the you're talking to
your staff. I mean you obviously go
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into the draft four five days ahead
of time and have your war room set
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up there and there's all kinds of
interaction with other teams prior to the draft
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00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:32.400
on on regular trades and also draft
trades. But then you when you get
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on the floor again, it becomes
lastminute trades or moving up in the draft
319
00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:41.039
or down in the draft or people
looking to get your pick and you know,
320
00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:45.559
and some minor deals happen at the
draft to so it's a fun time.
321
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It's one of the most exciting times
of the of the year and it
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really really get your juice is going. It's and it's great because you've got
323
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all your scouts there, you've got
your management team. A lot of times
324
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the owners come in for it.
So it really is it's a highlight of
325
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the community where you are. So
it's a great it's a great four or
326
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five days for the for the for
the group. You know, as at
327
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the draft, obviously your main priorities
probably drafting the best player, but just
328
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in the trade side of it is
is there a lot of back going on
329
00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:30.079
at the draft? Like obviously you're
probably paying attention to that while you're trying
330
00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:36.279
to pick your right draft choice and
be get that it's a lot of you.
331
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Yeah, if the you know,
really it's kind of funny with the
332
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draft because at GM is involved in
the draft, but you really, the
333
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:49.519
director of amateur scouting is in.
The scouts are the guys that make the
334
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picks. I mean I I might
see if it's a first round pick,
335
00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:56.440
I might see the guy play three
times. You know, I might I
336
00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:00.960
might see a second round or play
once. I might see a third round
337
00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:04.440
or play once and I may not
see any. So you really you count
338
00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:08.920
on your staff to you know,
but you really try to see the top
339
00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:15.759
guys. So you're involved in the
draft, but you're really you're you have
340
00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:18.839
a hard time over ruling your staff
because you don't see the players. You
341
00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.480
know, I'd go to the prospects
game and I'd also I'd go in some
342
00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:26.440
trips with my chief scout to look
at some key guys. But really it's
343
00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.240
your staff that make the selections.
In it's a bit of a myth that
344
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that the GM's make the picks.
I mean it really is your staff and
345
00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:37.279
your scouts. So but you're at
the draft, it's a lot more about
346
00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:41.480
the trades or moving up and down
in the draft, you know, like
347
00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:45.359
maybe you may say, okay,
I'll drop ten picks of my second pick
348
00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:48.640
and I'll, you know, I'll
pick up two thirds, you know.
349
00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:52.240
So there's more of that stuff and
some other trade talk. But I'll give
350
00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:57.079
you an interesting trade trade day story. The Tampa Bay lightning third round,
351
00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:02.680
two thousand and thirteen draft, and
they there was a player sitting there in
352
00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:07.119
the third round that they really want
it. So they check with Minnesota.
353
00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:11.920
Could we move up one spot?
Minnesota head to pick ahead of them.
354
00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:15.880
We will give you a seventh round
pick if you let us move up one
355
00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:19.759
spot in the draft. So Minnesota
did the trade. Gave them a seventh
356
00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:26.759
round pick and they flip picks.
Okay, MINNESOTA OR TAMPA BAY go one
357
00:25:26.839 --> 00:25:30.759
pick ahead in the third round and
with that third pick they pick Braden point.
358
00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:37.039
She's just trade, maybe the greatest
trade in Tampa Bay franchise history,
359
00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:41.640
where they moved up one pick for
a second round pick in the third round
360
00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.960
two thousand and thirteen and Got Braden
point. Wow, turned up pretty well
361
00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:48.759
for them. Yeah, I'm Minnesota
took the Guy Minnesota took never played the
362
00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:53.799
game. Now the interesting thing in
the two thousand and thirteen draft, Tampa
363
00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:59.799
Bay never had one player play in
the NHL other than Brad Point. Our
364
00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:03.200
play with Tampa Bay, they picked
the Angelo with their first pick and he
365
00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:06.279
never sighed. He ended up going
to the rangers and different teams, but
366
00:26:06.839 --> 00:26:10.799
never the only player to play for
Tampa Bay from the two thousand and thirteen
367
00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:15.440
draft was Braden point. So you
get lucky sometimes, you know. Yeah,
368
00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:18.960
like it's one of the hot con
Smite winner, you know. Yeah,
369
00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:21.519
I get its Jersey right over there. He's one of my favorite players
370
00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:23.599
that like. But is that?
Is that for? Did you know that
371
00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:29.920
was the trade? Bizarre, you
know, chance, no one spot making
372
00:26:29.960 --> 00:26:33.480
the one spot, not or not
exactly. So it's funny. It's not
373
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just first overall picks, but it's
the later picks that can can make or
374
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break as well, you know.
So I was looking at the two thousand
375
00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:45.240
and fifteen draft the other day.
All whole was a second round pick in
376
00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:51.119
that draft. I mean, and
I mean he's become a superstar. You
377
00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:55.920
know how it's funny how how later
picks become become big time players, you
378
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.240
know. So, especially now that
everyone is so good and has like such
379
00:27:00.279 --> 00:27:03.279
a higher, closer baseline everybody else
like, you never know. Yeah,
380
00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:07.319
just gonna Happen. And and I'm
actually I've been going through the drafts.
381
00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:11.559
Actually I'm writing a book on the
on draft, called draft day, and
382
00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.079
it's going to come out next father's
Day, a year from now, and
383
00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:18.880
I've been going through every draft.
It's unbelievable when you read through all the
384
00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:25.759
drafts, how few guys ever play
it's unbelievable. It really really is.
385
00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:30.160
You know, I took Adam mcquait
in the second round when I was in
386
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:34.039
Columbus. Adam had a good career. I left Columbus after that draft,
387
00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:37.319
or a couple years after that.
I note they traded him to Boston.
388
00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:41.720
But we took him in the second
round and I thought, Geez, that's
389
00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:45.759
a that's pretty good pick. And
on it pick Chris Russell in that draft
390
00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:51.599
in the third round. And then
you look at guys that went after thething.
391
00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.720
I could have had brad merchant,
you know, yeah, but I
392
00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:59.319
mean you know, it just and
Bradmerchant was a third round pick in the
393
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:03.319
NHL. I mean it just bizarre
how some of these guys slide version on
394
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:08.480
in Boston was a second midsecond round
pick, you know, and you sit
395
00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:11.440
you're happy with your pick and then
you look at who went behind them.
396
00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:17.200
He's the Oh my God. But
it is unbelievably bizarre when you look through
397
00:28:17.319 --> 00:28:22.000
the seven rounds or eight rounds or
ten rounds, how few guys ever play.
398
00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:26.920
It's unbelievable. And skies you've never
heard of before that are drafted ahead
399
00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:32.839
of NHL Stars. Just that's the
thing with. That's what makes scouting such
400
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:34.720
a tough thing. You know,
it really it really does. And if
401
00:28:34.759 --> 00:28:38.319
you're if you hit on twenty five
percent of your picked, you've had an
402
00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:41.839
unbelievable career. You just have to
make sure you're lucky. I know you
403
00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:45.359
hit on, you know, a
hundred percent. I mean it's such an
404
00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:48.319
important day and you almost have like
so little confumel over and even though you
405
00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:52.799
have a whole team, heted to
try. Oh yeah, yeah, I
406
00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:55.960
mean you spend. You spent t
NHL team Spence two and a half million
407
00:28:56.000 --> 00:29:00.559
dollars a year. Scouting spend getting
ready for the draft two and a half
408
00:29:00.640 --> 00:29:06.680
million bucks. It's unbelievable. You
know, I'll just for the Bruins to
409
00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:10.119
take three guys in a row.
That I'm going to do anyhow. I
410
00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:12.200
know, I know, and that
was it one of the greatest drafts ever.
411
00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:17.519
The two thousand and fifteen draft was
an unbelievable draft and the Bruins had
412
00:29:17.559 --> 00:29:21.559
the three in a row. I
mean they took the brust turned out to
413
00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:27.519
be fine, and they took saborol
over Shabbat. Bad and Saboro were on
414
00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:33.200
the same team. So you're going
into watch supporl you take them as your
415
00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:36.920
first round pick and Shabat's right there
and you're watching the two of them together
416
00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.400
and you take sabool ahead ash about. That's what happened. That's what happened
417
00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:45.680
and it happens every GM. Mistakes
like that. It's unreal. I made
418
00:29:45.720 --> 00:29:52.640
a few of them. Yeah,
I can manage so maybe, stepping aside
419
00:29:52.759 --> 00:29:56.920
from you know, you had a
pretty pretty wicked backstage pass for, you
420
00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:59.039
know, head coach. That I'll
get you through a lot of doors.
421
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:02.359
General Manager. What was it like, as in as an anlanst, to
422
00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:07.759
that provide like any new opportunities or
a different look at the game? You
423
00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:11.039
know, is really it's spent like
a twenty two, twenty two or twenty
424
00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:15.119
three years, you know, working
in hockey full time, and I saw
425
00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:18.960
when I when I went with sports
net, I thought, okay, I'll
426
00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:22.839
try this and see how it goes. You know, we were living in
427
00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:30.440
Columbus and then my daughter s gone
to the University of Miami and Florida and
428
00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:37.039
my son Clark was playing Division One
college hockey and in Buffalo area. So
429
00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:42.519
I thought, you know, I'll
I'll do that in Toronto and see what
430
00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:47.319
happened. So we moved to Florida
and then I commuted every week up to
431
00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:51.799
Toronto through four I did it three
days a week and it became like a
432
00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:56.640
great job, like a fun job, and I kind of really enjoyed it.
433
00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:00.839
So I'd fly up from Florida every
Wednesday morning and I'd fly back here
434
00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:03.480
every Saturday and I did it for
eight years and I kind of love that.
435
00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:07.240
I had a couple other opportunity.
I applied for two or three GM
436
00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:11.519
jobs, didn't get them. I
had some opportunities to go and scouting our
437
00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:17.480
player personnel jobs, but I decided
I was making good money doing TV and
438
00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:19.200
I was enjoying and I thought,
you know, I had all kinds of
439
00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:22.519
freedom and I thought, you know, I'm going to just do this for
440
00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:26.119
a while see what happens. So
I ended up doing until two years ago
441
00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:30.079
when I retired. So it was
great. You know, I was lucky.
442
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:34.920
They had big cutbacks at sportsnet and
I was sixty five at the time,
443
00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:37.279
so I thought, wow, this
is perfect, I'm going to I'm
444
00:31:37.319 --> 00:31:41.160
going to retire. Yeah, yeah, it makes sense. Yeah, takes
445
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.359
a lot of the pressure way from
the decision, for sure. For sure
446
00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:51.079
did you find a big difference between
you're on the radio a lot as well
447
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:53.799
compared to TV. It was that
an adjustment. You know, I've both
448
00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:57.119
them. Were Fun that the radio
was a lot more relaxing, you know
449
00:31:57.240 --> 00:32:01.680
it was. I was with Caprio's
most of the time and Millard and different
450
00:32:01.720 --> 00:32:06.279
guys, Marek, and you know
that. That show was pretty bizarre.
451
00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:09.400
We did a twelve to one show
in Toronto and it was a radio show
452
00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:14.880
on TV and and it went all
over the US on the NHL Network and
453
00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:20.400
it became pretty bizarre how popular that
show became. I mean I I be
454
00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:22.119
in Chicago, where my son lives, and would be at a rink and
455
00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:25.039
I'd have people coming up to me
talking about hockey central noon. I think
456
00:32:25.079 --> 00:32:30.799
it like this is Bizar, you
know it. It became a really popular
457
00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:35.079
show and it was a fun,
fun show because you could it's a lot
458
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:39.119
less regulated on radio. You can
say different things versus what you can say
459
00:32:39.240 --> 00:32:42.960
on TV, where it has to
be a lot more, you know,
460
00:32:44.519 --> 00:32:47.720
you know, patterned out and planned
out. So I really enjoyed the radio.
461
00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:52.319
The I enjoyed the Games, you
know at night doing the TV,
462
00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:57.720
but the radio was a lot more
fun and the TV was it was still
463
00:32:58.319 --> 00:33:01.319
it was a great job. It
really was and I really enjoyed it.
464
00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:07.039
I don't regret it. So it
was it was a fun way to sort
465
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:10.160
of end my career cool. Yeah, yeah, it's a popular pathway for
466
00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:13.640
a lot of guys once they're done
with hockey. They move onto there.
467
00:33:13.640 --> 00:33:15.319
I just yeah, that pain,
I know it is. And Yeah,
468
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:19.880
and you know, you stay in
touch with everybody and you know you're you
469
00:33:19.960 --> 00:33:24.440
still have to talk to GM's and
coaches and and scout so you also stay
470
00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:29.079
really involved in the game. And
then you know the GM's listen to the
471
00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:32.440
show and the coaches listen to the
show and the scouts listen to the show.
472
00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:35.880
So it was sort of you know, it was always sort of a
473
00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:38.799
fun time to get guys on the
show, but also know when they were
474
00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:43.640
listening because I'd be getting Texas during
the show. I'd be getting GM's text
475
00:33:43.720 --> 00:33:46.200
me or coaches text me about things
I said. You know, so it's
476
00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:51.599
kind of it was kind of kind
of funny. Yeah, it would be
477
00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:54.680
cool saying something to them. N
Look down at your phone. Great,
478
00:33:57.960 --> 00:34:01.519
but it's but thanks for taking the
time to talk to us. We know
479
00:34:01.640 --> 00:34:07.920
that you got a head out for
golf here soon? We don't you?
480
00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:12.440
You guys aren't golfing yet. No, no, no, yeah, sadly.
481
00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:16.000
I do have one question, just
real quick. I was at Physio
482
00:34:16.119 --> 00:34:20.159
the other day and with Harrison mckeeper
and he said that he knew who you
483
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:22.280
were and he told me to ask
you what the name Ue Krupp mean to
484
00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:30.599
you. Tell Harrison he's a smart
ass. Let's your group was. We're
485
00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:36.480
playing in the last game of the
Stanley Cup final against Colorado. It was
486
00:34:36.599 --> 00:34:39.039
a it was a zero zero.
The game ended Zeros or. We ended
487
00:34:39.119 --> 00:34:44.880
up going to triple overtime against Colorado
and the deciding game the Stanley Cup final.
488
00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:51.480
And I don't know, early in
the third overtime your recrup drifts some
489
00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:54.719
wrist shot from the Blue Line and
it beats vand's broke through a screen and
490
00:34:55.000 --> 00:35:00.320
Colorado. One the Stanley Cup and
one that triple overtime game. One nothing.
491
00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:04.280
So I've thought of your recruit many
times. To tell Harrison he's got
492
00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:13.239
a good day's got a good grip
on things. Well, right on.
493
00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:16.199
Thank you. Thanks so much for
joining us. Dug You got us up
494
00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:20.880
earlier this one. Well, yeah, sorry about that I didn't realize.
495
00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:23.159
I didn't know it was coming from
Pei, so I would have I could
496
00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:25.880
have done it a little bit later
maybe, but anyway, good luck,
497
00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:30.000
guys. Good luck with the with
the podcast. Hope it goes well and
498
00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:36.000
thanks for having me on. Thank
you very much. Enjoy the Gulf.
499
00:35:36.840 --> 00:35:38.639
Okay, guys, good luck,
thank you, see you
1
00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:18.079
Well, welcome back. Was it's
table buys episode twenty seven. Special guest
2
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:22.679
on once again. His name's Doug
Mcclain. He's one of the best hockey
3
00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:26.960
names to come out of Pi.
He's been a GM head, coach,
4
00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:30.679
analyst, radio host, he's done
it all in the hockey industry. Doug,
5
00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:34.759
how you doing this morning? Good, guys, good, good on,
6
00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.399
real to have you on. You
know, not very many people make
7
00:00:37.479 --> 00:00:41.200
it at a Pi. We're from
Summerside, right. Yeah, grew up
8
00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:47.479
in summerside and yeah, so coach
the Western capital. So that was a
9
00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:52.560
really the start of my career was
coaching the Western capitals, which has become
10
00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:56.240
a big franchise now, I see. I follow them pretty closely. What
11
00:00:56.359 --> 00:01:00.159
a team. Hey, yeah,
we yeah, they've done a good job.
12
00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:04.000
We we actually have the captain on
with us right here. I'm a
13
00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.599
player. Oh Really? Yeah,
the cops now, yes, Oh,
14
00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:12.599
yeah, oh, great, that's
great. Yeah, so I followed the
15
00:01:12.599 --> 00:01:19.760
team pretty close. So you guys
really disappointed that they screwed up this this
16
00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:25.040
championship run here. So hopefully,
with the tournament being in summer side,
17
00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:29.319
that's pretty disappointing. So hopefully that'll
get resolved. Yeah, put a monkey
18
00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:32.920
wrench in our plays for sure.
Yeah, really did, because they build
19
00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.959
a really good team. So anyway, that's great. Congratulations. Hey,
20
00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:42.120
thank you very much. So we'll
start off maybe with the Florida team.
21
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:47.439
I mean we saw Geraldi Land Take
the Vegas Golden Nights all the way there
22
00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:52.560
in the first year, another Pi
coach. It was history repeating itself.
23
00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:55.719
How what was that like, taking
a brand new team all the way to
24
00:01:55.719 --> 00:01:57.920
the finals? Well, it was
pretty it was pretty weird. I had
25
00:01:57.959 --> 00:02:05.640
been coaching in Detroit the previous five
years with Brian Murray and he got the
26
00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:07.879
GM's job and and he hired me
as a head coach and it was a
27
00:02:07.960 --> 00:02:16.000
third year team really with limited expectations. But it was amazing. What great
28
00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:23.080
leadership by Brian SCRUDELN and and a
number of the players on that team,
29
00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:28.479
John Van be'sbrook, great goaltender,
and all of a sudden, you know,
30
00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:30.680
I'll never forget, we lost the
first game I coached as a head
31
00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:35.000
coach in the NHL, in New
Jersey for one, and we're flying all
32
00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:37.159
I'm thinking, all man, is
just going to be a tough year,
33
00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:40.039
because we didn't play very well at
game one. Then we won our next
34
00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:47.319
five games in a row Christmas being
in first place in the in the entire
35
00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:52.599
NHL, and I got to coach
the All Star game because of it.
36
00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:54.000
It was a rule that of your
in first place at Christ and she got
37
00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:58.400
the coach. Also got thing can
help is ours this and we kept it
38
00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:02.159
up all year. I mean we
really had a great year, near the
39
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:08.039
top of the League all year and
and then the playoffs were czar. We
40
00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:13.360
Played Boston in the first round,
which was a really they had a really
41
00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:17.120
good team and we beat them in
five and then we went, you know,
42
00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:23.520
we played Philadelphia and x with Lynn
Ross and the Legion of doom line,
43
00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:25.759
I mean a really good team,
and then we beat Pittsburgh and with
44
00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:31.080
lemieux and Y'allger and just an unbelievable
Pittsburgh team that should have been, you
45
00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:34.280
know, should have in the cup
champ. So, you know, then
46
00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.000
we ran into Colorado, which was
another story, but it was a it
47
00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:40.439
was a great experience, an amazing
experience to be quite honest, and it
48
00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:46.560
was what was bizarre about it was
helped Pi got behind that team. I
49
00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:53.400
mean the notes I was getting from
people and the following pe I was just
50
00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:58.039
unbelievable. It was pretty bizarre.
So it's much like with Gerard, you
51
00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:01.120
know, and his run with Vegas. Was Pretty excited to follow, you
52
00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:06.240
know. Yeah, it would have
been incredible. Yeah, Pi seen certainly
53
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:12.560
support their own. That's one good
friend. Yeah, hundred percent. Yeah,
54
00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:15.479
it really has been an amazing even
you know, when I was an
55
00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:18.639
assistant coach, I'll never forget.
I was assistant coach in St Louis,
56
00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:26.279
my first job after UNB and I
had that. Bobby plaguer was an assistant
57
00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:30.560
coach with us with the Blues and
he said to me one time, because
58
00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:34.000
I seemed like every game it didn't
matter. We're in SAN JOSE or we're
59
00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:40.439
in Dallas or we're in Chicago,
or to be somebody from Pi or Pi
60
00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:43.120
connected to the game. He said
like dull it. One time I was
61
00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:47.079
are like three million people in Pi
and they scattered all over North America and
62
00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:53.439
they're all looking for tickets. It
was pretty amazing. So, yeah,
63
00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:57.680
the support, the support was unbelievable. And JEYARD, you know, it's
64
00:04:57.720 --> 00:05:01.639
the same with Gard and anybody else
that gets areus with no adopts. And
65
00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:05.720
now, I mean you see these
young kids it's it's always amazing. How
66
00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:12.519
you know, I love to follow
Zach McKew and Johnston and all the all
67
00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:18.480
the kids that sort of even I
I follow that maritime hockey pod thing where
68
00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:23.879
they twitter account where they really update
maritime kids. I think they do a
69
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.240
fabulous job. So it's kind of
fun to follow the kids, you know.
70
00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:30.959
Yeah, and that list is growing
to there's lots of players getting up
71
00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:34.399
there. You got a chance to
out LA kings the last couple of nights.
72
00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:38.879
Yeah, it's good to see the
kid there. I mean getting recall
73
00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:41.360
I followed him in the American league
and he was really, you know,
74
00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:45.879
having a great year. Obviously had
a great career and Mompton. So you
75
00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:48.920
know, really nice to see him
getting an opportunity and La's a heck of
76
00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:53.480
a team. I watched the play
Columbus. I was in Columbus a week
77
00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:57.240
ago and I watched them play in
Columbus and they've got a they've got a
78
00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.920
good hockey team. So you know, it's good to see him getting an
79
00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.879
opportunity and he's a skilled offensive guy, so it'll be fun to watch.
80
00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:08.279
Yeah, we're having a lot of
fun watching them, for sure. He
81
00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:13.160
played out with the caps with me
whenever we're backt like team. He's pretty
82
00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:15.600
yeah, I know, I sent
yeah, I knew that. That's great.
83
00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:18.879
So you were in a unique position
there in Florida. There is one
84
00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:24.720
of the larger off ice moments in
NHL history with all the rats. What
85
00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.680
was what was that like? When? When that? Can you tell us
86
00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:31.439
first just how that all went down
and then the the reaction from everyone always
87
00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:35.720
funny. It was early in the
season and we were playing at the Miami
88
00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:40.560
arena, which was a kind of
it's where the Miami Heat and the a
89
00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:43.920
team played at the time and we're
sharing the building with them. But Anyway,
90
00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:48.279
after a game, Van Bees Brook
was, you know, and Melanby
91
00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:50.800
were sitting next to each other in
the locker room and there was a rat
92
00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:58.240
given the locker room and Melan be
killed it with his hockey stick the dressing
93
00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:02.079
room. And then beasbrook was talking
to the media after and Melanbie had had
94
00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:05.079
two goals in the game. So
then he said well, Mel had a
95
00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:09.439
rat trick, a rat trick because
he had the did two goals and he
96
00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:14.000
killed a rat in the dress room. So it just sort of started taking
97
00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:17.959
off a little bit. But it
was unbelievable. As it picked up steam.
98
00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:23.519
I remember driving home from the morning
skate in the in the playoffs and
99
00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:28.879
there was bulletin's coming on the radio
saying hey, Walmart just got an order
100
00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:31.800
of rats in. Jac Penny just
got an order of rats in, and
101
00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:38.959
people would rush to the store.
So one there was one goal scored in
102
00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:43.839
one of the later series. The
Guy, the ice cleaner guys were telling
103
00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:47.959
me that the ice maintenance guys that
they they took nine hundred rats off the
104
00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:51.000
ice after one goal. So what
happens? Every time we scored a goal,
105
00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:55.519
they would flood the ice with rats. It was on Boll and.
106
00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:59.079
It started with fifty and then it
grew to a hundred, then it grew
107
00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:03.800
to five hundred, and I mean
it became unbelievable in that play run.
108
00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:09.519
And there's some there's some great pictures
of Patrick Wa hiding in the net as
109
00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:13.160
the rats were raining down over him. So it began. The League stepped
110
00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:18.560
in and and obviously made a rule
change that it couldn't happen anymore. So
111
00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:22.480
now at the Panther Games what they
do is at the end of the game
112
00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:28.120
a few the last time I was
there at the game breast. They throw
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the rats on the ice at the
end of the game and there might be
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twenty five of them on the ice, but it was it was just unbelievable.
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But the fans used it as a
way to get into you know,
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just to follow the team, and
people would dress up like rats and I
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still in my office of a rat
with my name on it and glasses,
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a little little glasses on this rat
that a fan gave me with the panther
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00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:54.600
uniform on it. Pretty Bizarre.
They painted them up and it was it
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was crazy. It was crazy,
but it really added to the atmosphere and
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the fun of the whole series.
Then we go into Pittsburgh the bench and
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then, you know, game five
or seven, I'm not sure which it
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was, and all of a sudden
wooden rat trap is thrown on our bench
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and it almost killed but it almost
killed a couple of us. That the
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way this thing came flying because the
fans were in Pittsburgh were so pissed off
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about these rats that they were throwing
rat traps into our into our bench.
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So it became pretty goofy. But
Anyway, it was a fun, great
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experience for the fans. Really was. I can imagine that would let them
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get in the game way more just
a way of showing you team like yeah,
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you just got scoring on and now
we're going to fun to complete ice
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with Cousm AH, oh crazy.
It was crazy all it was. That's
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what it was. Every time you
scored, every every goal, every goal,
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and I mean luckily in those days
are fairly low scoring games, but
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it was. It was just amazing. And then they hired a group to
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come and clean the ice after every
goal and they ca called them the Orcin
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Orskan pest control, which was a
you know, a company here that did
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pest control with houses. So they
had these guys come on with their helmets
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and pick up the rats. It
was it was pretty funny. That's the
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guy. Think there rest of it. A whole team on stand by just
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to get them. Oh No,
that would be tenutively, ten or fifteen
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of them come ration out on the
ice to clean it off. So that's
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all. It's funny, but it's
still it's bizarre to me. You know,
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I played golf at a club here
in Delray Beach in Florida, and
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I I still, I've got to
tell you, at least once a week
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somebody will stop me and talk about
about that, that Stanley Cup run with
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the panthers. The same as would
happen with joy ared. I mean it
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just it's just amazing how people still
remembered, and a lot of them remember
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it because of the rats. You
know, it really my parents were watching
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the series and Pi and every time
we'd score they'd throw socks at the TV
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like to make up to the rats
of my own or Wayne is Inga heard
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about this so he shipped them a
whole box of rats to their to their
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house at Shelton Beach. So it
was pretty bizarre anyway, crazy what.
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So you when you were an assistant
coach in Detroit. He had a pretty
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some pretty big names in that team, one of them being set Oserman.
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No Osman's known as a legend.
Is there any stories he out of?
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Maybe something he did in the locker
room or something? Stevey was quite a
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guy. He was he was twenty. I think he was twenty seven when
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he was a captain. He so
he was, and maybe even younger than
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that. He might have been twenty
five when he became captain of the Red
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Wings, and he was. He
was really he was struggling as a captain.
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He he did his thing on the
ice. You know, that was
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his thing. I, you know, I do what I want, what
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I do on the ice in the
guy was a fifty goal score, just
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an amazing talent. But as a
leader he really sort of struggled early on
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in his career and until, you
know, we eventually brought in some veteran
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guys and then, you know,
he got a lot of support and he
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became a great Cavit. I'll never
forget. He was a cocky guy,
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but I kind of really like them. But we used to have some fun.
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So he he was shaven in front
of the in the restroom. Both
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of us were shaving in the in
the dressing room bathroom after game and he
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he looked at me and he listed
off all the coaches he had. He
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went, you know, Nick Polano, Danny Balisle, Jock, the Murs,
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Brian Murray and you, and he
said these are all the coaches I've
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had. He said imagined, Doug, I just had one good coach,
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how good I could have been.
So he it's always giving us a shot.
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So anyway, and then I'll tell
you what a real story I've been
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between periods on the board and I
say hey, number nineteen, you're on
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the penalty killer. You're at a
position. You know, we can't.
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You've got to be in this area
right here. You got to have this
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area cover. So I go back
into the assistant coaches off as and he
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comes in. He said don't ever, don't ever call me out in front
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of the team again and and I
looked him. I said, well then,
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just do it right next time.
And I was bask I when he
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was coming. I was like,
I could feel the armpits get wet.
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Thing at all. Shit, are
you getting me? I got a but
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and then he started to laugh.
Oh Man, that luck, lucky I
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was, you know. So I
didn't back down from them, but he
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started to laugh after so he was
sort of, you know, giving me
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a shot, but he was sending
a message. Good Guy, played hard
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but found the captain's job a ton
of pressure. And then as he grew
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all after we left. We were
that. I was with him five years.
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Feder off come in and then Larry
on off came in and Constantinov developed
193
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into a player and Nick Lidstrom,
who was with I was with Nick for
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five years. He became the soup
and all of a sudden stevie got some
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great support and he became one of
the greatest captains in the history of the
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game. So you know he's and
now he's obviously a great general manager.
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So he he was a he was
a very interesting guy to be around,
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let me tell you. And he
enjoy our gland. We're best. It's
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a great story. Joyard was playing
on that team my first year in Detroit.
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Jo Ore was getting near the end. He was having troubles. You
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know, skating had dropped off quite
a bit. He had been a,
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you know, thirty goal scorer.
I'm on the bench and Brian Murray's the
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head coach on associate head coach and
to where? And he was getting near
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the Inn, I said, and
he was. Had you been on the
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power player? Brian wasn't using them
on the powerplay. So I'm standing behind
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him and he pokes me in the
in the gut on the bench. Get
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gives me a place it. Tell
that dummy to put me out on the
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power play and I thought he's Dour. Let's go there anyway. So we
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had lots of we had lots of
fun in those days. Lots of fun
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that's awesome. That's interesting because you
only hear about how great of a captains
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wisman was, but to know that
in that beginning it wasn't the cases,
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that's pretty interesting. Yeah, Oh, no, he had his troubles,
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but he was became, like I
said, he became this an amazing captain.
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But you know, it's like every
captain and you would have founded you've
215
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got a leadership group on your team
and the captain's the key to that leadership
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group. But the leadership group is
really important. You know, I'm out.
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My first day in Detroit, I
remember Brian Murray picking me up at
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the airport my first day on the
job at the airport and he said Hey,
219
00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:39.000
we got an interesting thing happened today
and I said what side? He
220
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said Sergey feder off just affected from
Russia. He was at the goodwill games
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in Seattle and Mr Elliot should send
his private jet out and they and they
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snuck them out in the middle of
the night. Feder oft came and then
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we Lidstrom joined our team the next
year as a just an and he,
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00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:58.799
I mean I want never forget Nicholas
from stuffing on the ice and its first
225
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practice and he never never had a
bad practice or a bad game that I
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can ever remember. And I coached
against him after that and was a general
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manager against him for a twenty year
period. And this guy, I don't
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know if you ever had a bad
game. I mean he was that good.
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So it was some great it was
some great players and some great characters
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on that team too. Yeah,
I can imagine. Yeah, the list
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00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:30.840
is not short of here, nowhere, here. Yeah, up. So
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let's talk about maybe the in the
front office there as a GM. You
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00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:38.279
had a pretty crazy deal there with
Chris draper when you were in Detroit as
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well. What a well there.
I was a funny one because I was
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assistant GM in Detroit and general manager
of at aarondack redwings, which was our
236
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American Hockey League farm team, and
so we're trying to always put a good
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team in at her on deck,
you know, so that the kids are
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00:16:56.240 --> 00:17:02.679
prospects. You know, had a
winning atmosphere. But how the draper thing
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developed was Jim Clark, who was
a former GM of the western capitals when
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I was there and after I left
Jim Stayed. I think it was a
241
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GM through the Dave Cameron regime for
probably ten years. At Jimmy, Jim
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Clark became I married, you know, like a scout for us, part
243
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time scout with us with Detroit it
and he did the marridime. So we
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phone me and he said, Hey, there's this kid playing in Monkedin,
245
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Chris Draper. He's I mean he
said, I think you should consider signing
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00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.960
them and I said, well,
he's like a third round pick and I
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know Winnipeg, like them, was
Winnipeg's farm team, was at Hump that
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time and I you know, he'd
played for team Canada as a teenager and,
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you know, a great skater,
but some for some reason went a
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peg. Weren't in love with them. So I phoned the GM, Mike
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Smith, of Winnipeg and you know, on on Jim Clark's recommendation, and
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I said what about draper? Would
have any consider consideration of moving him?
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And he said yeah, he said
I would, because our coach John Paddock
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doesn't really doesn't like him and I'd
like to give Chris a chance to play.
255
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As all, we're looking for him
for our American League team. And
256
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so so we made a deal to
do future considerations. In other words,
257
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he didn't want anything for he just
said, let's just call it future considerations
258
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and I'll give them to you and
then we get a notification from the League's
259
00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:27.599
and you can't do future consideration.
You got it. You got to do
260
00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:32.519
it a deal. There's got to
be something exchange hands. So ice phone,
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00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:33.480
my guy said Hey, we got
to do something, and he said,
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okay, how about give me a
looney form? So I said okay.
263
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So at the draft I gave a
looney. So draper comes to camp
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and he was twenty three at the
time and he had a pretty good camp
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and then we sent him to adirondack
to our firm team and he decided he
266
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was he was going to go home
and to Toronto and reconsider his career,
267
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whether he's going to keep playing.
So I phoned our coach, Newell Brown,
268
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and a right, so you better
phone this guy and talking into coming
269
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dot or on deck because he's a
pretty good player. So new phone,
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I'm got him to go to adder
on deck. He started the season there
271
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and and he was playing on believable
and Scotty Bowman and I went into bed
272
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into Hamilton to watch at her on
deck play and Drake scored. I think
273
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he had a hat trick that game
against Hamilton the American league and he was
274
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called up after that game and never
played another game in the minors and had
275
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a I mean three cups and head
and a amazing career. And and Chris
276
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and I still laugh about that.
But it was really Jimmy Clark, for
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Bi who set that whole deal up. So it's pretty bizarre. You actually
278
00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.640
exchanged hands with the looney. Exchange
hands with the LOONEY. We had to.
279
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So it was a pretty good deal
and it's funny drake still laughs about
280
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it and that it's become like a
big story all over, you know,
281
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in the hockey world, you know
in different on transactions. You still hear
282
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about it pretty often because he had
such a great career. You know,
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we had a great bunch of young
players that we had Marty lapoint, we
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had Darren McCarty, we had Chris
Draper. You know, fed her off,
285
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obviously, but I mean we just
had so many great young players in
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00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:18.440
that team. Was Unbelievable. And
then when Scotty Bowman took over his head
287
00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:21.640
coach, you know, they added, you know a few other guys and
288
00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:26.599
they've just just had an unbelievable run. You know, Troy's really I'm sendings,
289
00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:27.960
I know, I know all that
it. Yeah, we had a
290
00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:33.960
pretty good team for yeah, really
good team. Looking up again. So
291
00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:36.599
I one little story when I was
with the red wings. It's funny how
292
00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:40.519
you think of things. Miss Miss
Mr Mike Gillies was the owner, you
293
00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:45.160
own little caesars pizza. Just a
amazing guy. And Mrs Illie was a
294
00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:49.960
real financial person in the family and
I get a call from her one day
295
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at the office and she said you
tell me, Doug, why Steve Eiserman,
296
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I only buy Steve Eiserman one pair
of skates a year. And Paul
297
00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:08.359
Coffee, I've bought twenty two pairs
of skates for him this year. And
298
00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:14.119
I said look, I don't know
what to say, Mrs lgccept like stiff
299
00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:17.559
skates and he gets them out of
the box and wears them and even stitches
300
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them before he wears him out of
the box. So and he's the best
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skater in the NHL. I don't
know what to tell you about Paul Coffee.
302
00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.599
Twenty two pairs of skates in one
season, like I'll bazarre. Is
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that you would ever believe that?
And Stevie, why would wear one pair.
304
00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:34.839
I don't know if I can go
through twenty two sticks in a season,
305
00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:41.240
let alone pairs of exactly. And
she was see what. Wasn't happy
306
00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:45.440
about it, but that's how close. That's how close she watched what was
307
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going on with the red wing.
Yeah, you keep it. See it's
308
00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:56.880
yeah, exactly exactly. He talked
about a draft day for where you did
309
00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:02.079
that deal. I mean it's a
crazy day and all sports day. I
310
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mean they made a movie about it
in the NFL. What's it like?
311
00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:07.400
I'm on the floor in the NHL
and draft days it as hectic as it
312
00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:12.160
looks. Yeah, really is,
you know, especially if you're picking near
313
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the top. You know it's always
a busy time because you're you know,
314
00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:21.440
you're you're on the you're talking to
your staff. I mean you obviously go
315
00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:23.559
into the draft four five days ahead
of time and have your war room set
316
00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:27.160
up there and there's all kinds of
interaction with other teams prior to the draft
317
00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:32.400
on on regular trades and also draft
trades. But then you when you get
318
00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:37.279
on the floor again, it becomes
lastminute trades or moving up in the draft
319
00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:41.039
or down in the draft or people
looking to get your pick and you know,
320
00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:45.559
and some minor deals happen at the
draft to so it's a fun time.
321
00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:52.000
It's one of the most exciting times
of the of the year and it
322
00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:56.640
really really get your juice is going. It's and it's great because you've got
323
00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:00.319
all your scouts there, you've got
your management team. A lot of times
324
00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:03.759
the owners come in for it.
So it really is it's a highlight of
325
00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:07.720
the community where you are. So
it's a great it's a great four or
326
00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:15.920
five days for the for the for
the group. You know, as at
327
00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:21.079
the draft, obviously your main priorities
probably drafting the best player, but just
328
00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:23.599
in the trade side of it is
is there a lot of back going on
329
00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:30.079
at the draft? Like obviously you're
probably paying attention to that while you're trying
330
00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:36.279
to pick your right draft choice and
be get that it's a lot of you.
331
00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:40.599
Yeah, if the you know,
really it's kind of funny with the
332
00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:45.880
draft because at GM is involved in
the draft, but you really, the
333
00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:49.519
director of amateur scouting is in.
The scouts are the guys that make the
334
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:53.240
picks. I mean I I might
see if it's a first round pick,
335
00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:56.440
I might see the guy play three
times. You know, I might I
336
00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:00.960
might see a second round or play
once. I might see a third round
337
00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:04.440
or play once and I may not
see any. So you really you count
338
00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:08.920
on your staff to you know,
but you really try to see the top
339
00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:15.759
guys. So you're involved in the
draft, but you're really you're you have
340
00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:18.839
a hard time over ruling your staff
because you don't see the players. You
341
00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.480
know, I'd go to the prospects
game and I'd also I'd go in some
342
00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:26.440
trips with my chief scout to look
at some key guys. But really it's
343
00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.240
your staff that make the selections.
In it's a bit of a myth that
344
00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:33.880
that the GM's make the picks.
I mean it really is your staff and
345
00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:37.279
your scouts. So but you're at
the draft, it's a lot more about
346
00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:41.480
the trades or moving up and down
in the draft, you know, like
347
00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:45.359
maybe you may say, okay,
I'll drop ten picks of my second pick
348
00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:48.640
and I'll, you know, I'll
pick up two thirds, you know.
349
00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:52.240
So there's more of that stuff and
some other trade talk. But I'll give
350
00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:57.079
you an interesting trade trade day story. The Tampa Bay lightning third round,
351
00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:02.680
two thousand and thirteen draft, and
they there was a player sitting there in
352
00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:07.119
the third round that they really want
it. So they check with Minnesota.
353
00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:11.920
Could we move up one spot?
Minnesota head to pick ahead of them.
354
00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:15.880
We will give you a seventh round
pick if you let us move up one
355
00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:19.759
spot in the draft. So Minnesota
did the trade. Gave them a seventh
356
00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:26.759
round pick and they flip picks.
Okay, MINNESOTA OR TAMPA BAY go one
357
00:25:26.839 --> 00:25:30.759
pick ahead in the third round and
with that third pick they pick Braden point.
358
00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:37.039
She's just trade, maybe the greatest
trade in Tampa Bay franchise history,
359
00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:41.640
where they moved up one pick for
a second round pick in the third round
360
00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.960
two thousand and thirteen and Got Braden
point. Wow, turned up pretty well
361
00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:48.759
for them. Yeah, I'm Minnesota
took the Guy Minnesota took never played the
362
00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:53.799
game. Now the interesting thing in
the two thousand and thirteen draft, Tampa
363
00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:59.799
Bay never had one player play in
the NHL other than Brad Point. Our
364
00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:03.200
play with Tampa Bay, they picked
the Angelo with their first pick and he
365
00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:06.279
never sighed. He ended up going
to the rangers and different teams, but
366
00:26:06.839 --> 00:26:10.799
never the only player to play for
Tampa Bay from the two thousand and thirteen
367
00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:15.440
draft was Braden point. So you
get lucky sometimes, you know. Yeah,
368
00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:18.960
like it's one of the hot con
Smite winner, you know. Yeah,
369
00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:21.519
I get its Jersey right over there. He's one of my favorite players
370
00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:23.599
that like. But is that?
Is that for? Did you know that
371
00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:29.920
was the trade? Bizarre, you
know, chance, no one spot making
372
00:26:29.960 --> 00:26:33.480
the one spot, not or not
exactly. So it's funny. It's not
373
00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:38.799
just first overall picks, but it's
the later picks that can can make or
374
00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:41.319
break as well, you know.
So I was looking at the two thousand
375
00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:45.240
and fifteen draft the other day.
All whole was a second round pick in
376
00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:51.119
that draft. I mean, and
I mean he's become a superstar. You
377
00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:55.920
know how it's funny how how later
picks become become big time players, you
378
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.240
know. So, especially now that
everyone is so good and has like such
379
00:27:00.279 --> 00:27:03.279
a higher, closer baseline everybody else
like, you never know. Yeah,
380
00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:07.319
just gonna Happen. And and I'm
actually I've been going through the drafts.
381
00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:11.559
Actually I'm writing a book on the
on draft, called draft day, and
382
00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.079
it's going to come out next father's
Day, a year from now, and
383
00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:18.880
I've been going through every draft.
It's unbelievable when you read through all the
384
00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:25.759
drafts, how few guys ever play
it's unbelievable. It really really is.
385
00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:30.160
You know, I took Adam mcquait
in the second round when I was in
386
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:34.039
Columbus. Adam had a good career. I left Columbus after that draft,
387
00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:37.319
or a couple years after that.
I note they traded him to Boston.
388
00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:41.720
But we took him in the second
round and I thought, Geez, that's
389
00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:45.759
a that's pretty good pick. And
on it pick Chris Russell in that draft
390
00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:51.599
in the third round. And then
you look at guys that went after thething.
391
00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.720
I could have had brad merchant,
you know, yeah, but I
392
00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:59.319
mean you know, it just and
Bradmerchant was a third round pick in the
393
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:03.319
NHL. I mean it just bizarre
how some of these guys slide version on
394
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:08.480
in Boston was a second midsecond round
pick, you know, and you sit
395
00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:11.440
you're happy with your pick and then
you look at who went behind them.
396
00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:17.200
He's the Oh my God. But
it is unbelievably bizarre when you look through
397
00:28:17.319 --> 00:28:22.000
the seven rounds or eight rounds or
ten rounds, how few guys ever play.
398
00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:26.920
It's unbelievable. And skies you've never
heard of before that are drafted ahead
399
00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:32.839
of NHL Stars. Just that's the
thing with. That's what makes scouting such
400
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:34.720
a tough thing. You know,
it really it really does. And if
401
00:28:34.759 --> 00:28:38.319
you're if you hit on twenty five
percent of your picked, you've had an
402
00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:41.839
unbelievable career. You just have to
make sure you're lucky. I know you
403
00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:45.359
hit on, you know, a
hundred percent. I mean it's such an
404
00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:48.319
important day and you almost have like
so little confumel over and even though you
405
00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:52.799
have a whole team, heted to
try. Oh yeah, yeah, I
406
00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:55.960
mean you spend. You spent t
NHL team Spence two and a half million
407
00:28:56.000 --> 00:29:00.559
dollars a year. Scouting spend getting
ready for the draft two and a half
408
00:29:00.640 --> 00:29:06.680
million bucks. It's unbelievable. You
know, I'll just for the Bruins to
409
00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:10.119
take three guys in a row.
That I'm going to do anyhow. I
410
00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:12.200
know, I know, and that
was it one of the greatest drafts ever.
411
00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:17.519
The two thousand and fifteen draft was
an unbelievable draft and the Bruins had
412
00:29:17.559 --> 00:29:21.559
the three in a row. I
mean they took the brust turned out to
413
00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:27.519
be fine, and they took saborol
over Shabbat. Bad and Saboro were on
414
00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:33.200
the same team. So you're going
into watch supporl you take them as your
415
00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:36.920
first round pick and Shabat's right there
and you're watching the two of them together
416
00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.400
and you take sabool ahead ash about. That's what happened. That's what happened
417
00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:45.680
and it happens every GM. Mistakes
like that. It's unreal. I made
418
00:29:45.720 --> 00:29:52.640
a few of them. Yeah,
I can manage so maybe, stepping aside
419
00:29:52.759 --> 00:29:56.920
from you know, you had a
pretty pretty wicked backstage pass for, you
420
00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:59.039
know, head coach. That I'll
get you through a lot of doors.
421
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:02.359
General Manager. What was it like, as in as an anlanst, to
422
00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:07.759
that provide like any new opportunities or
a different look at the game? You
423
00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:11.039
know, is really it's spent like
a twenty two, twenty two or twenty
424
00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:15.119
three years, you know, working
in hockey full time, and I saw
425
00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:18.960
when I when I went with sports
net, I thought, okay, I'll
426
00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:22.839
try this and see how it goes. You know, we were living in
427
00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:30.440
Columbus and then my daughter s gone
to the University of Miami and Florida and
428
00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:37.039
my son Clark was playing Division One
college hockey and in Buffalo area. So
429
00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:42.519
I thought, you know, I'll
I'll do that in Toronto and see what
430
00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:47.319
happened. So we moved to Florida
and then I commuted every week up to
431
00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:51.799
Toronto through four I did it three
days a week and it became like a
432
00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:56.640
great job, like a fun job, and I kind of really enjoyed it.
433
00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:00.839
So I'd fly up from Florida every
Wednesday morning and I'd fly back here
434
00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:03.480
every Saturday and I did it for
eight years and I kind of love that.
435
00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:07.240
I had a couple other opportunity.
I applied for two or three GM
436
00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:11.519
jobs, didn't get them. I
had some opportunities to go and scouting our
437
00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:17.480
player personnel jobs, but I decided
I was making good money doing TV and
438
00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:19.200
I was enjoying and I thought,
you know, I had all kinds of
439
00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:22.519
freedom and I thought, you know, I'm going to just do this for
440
00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:26.119
a while see what happens. So
I ended up doing until two years ago
441
00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:30.079
when I retired. So it was
great. You know, I was lucky.
442
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:34.920
They had big cutbacks at sportsnet and
I was sixty five at the time,
443
00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:37.279
so I thought, wow, this
is perfect, I'm going to I'm
444
00:31:37.319 --> 00:31:41.160
going to retire. Yeah, yeah, it makes sense. Yeah, takes
445
00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:45.359
a lot of the pressure way from
the decision, for sure. For sure
446
00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:51.079
did you find a big difference between
you're on the radio a lot as well
447
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:53.799
compared to TV. It was that
an adjustment. You know, I've both
448
00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:57.119
them. Were Fun that the radio
was a lot more relaxing, you know
449
00:31:57.240 --> 00:32:01.680
it was. I was with Caprio's
most of the time and Millard and different
450
00:32:01.720 --> 00:32:06.279
guys, Marek, and you know
that. That show was pretty bizarre.
451
00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:09.400
We did a twelve to one show
in Toronto and it was a radio show
452
00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:14.880
on TV and and it went all
over the US on the NHL Network and
453
00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:20.400
it became pretty bizarre how popular that
show became. I mean I I be
454
00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:22.119
in Chicago, where my son lives, and would be at a rink and
455
00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:25.039
I'd have people coming up to me
talking about hockey central noon. I think
456
00:32:25.079 --> 00:32:30.799
it like this is Bizar, you
know it. It became a really popular
457
00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:35.079
show and it was a fun,
fun show because you could it's a lot
458
00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:39.119
less regulated on radio. You can
say different things versus what you can say
459
00:32:39.240 --> 00:32:42.960
on TV, where it has to
be a lot more, you know,
460
00:32:44.519 --> 00:32:47.720
you know, patterned out and planned
out. So I really enjoyed the radio.
461
00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:52.319
The I enjoyed the Games, you
know at night doing the TV,
462
00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:57.720
but the radio was a lot more
fun and the TV was it was still
463
00:32:58.319 --> 00:33:01.319
it was a great job. It
really was and I really enjoyed it.
464
00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:07.039
I don't regret it. So it
was it was a fun way to sort
465
00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:10.160
of end my career cool. Yeah, yeah, it's a popular pathway for
466
00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:13.640
a lot of guys once they're done
with hockey. They move onto there.
467
00:33:13.640 --> 00:33:15.319
I just yeah, that pain,
I know it is. And Yeah,
468
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:19.880
and you know, you stay in
touch with everybody and you know you're you
469
00:33:19.960 --> 00:33:24.440
still have to talk to GM's and
coaches and and scout so you also stay
470
00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:29.079
really involved in the game. And
then you know the GM's listen to the
471
00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:32.440
show and the coaches listen to the
show and the scouts listen to the show.
472
00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:35.880
So it was sort of you know, it was always sort of a
473
00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:38.799
fun time to get guys on the
show, but also know when they were
474
00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:43.640
listening because I'd be getting Texas during
the show. I'd be getting GM's text
475
00:33:43.720 --> 00:33:46.200
me or coaches text me about things
I said. You know, so it's
476
00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:51.599
kind of it was kind of kind
of funny. Yeah, it would be
477
00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:54.680
cool saying something to them. N
Look down at your phone. Great,
478
00:33:57.960 --> 00:34:01.519
but it's but thanks for taking the
time to talk to us. We know
479
00:34:01.640 --> 00:34:07.920
that you got a head out for
golf here soon? We don't you?
480
00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:12.440
You guys aren't golfing yet. No, no, no, yeah, sadly.
481
00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:16.000
I do have one question, just
real quick. I was at Physio
482
00:34:16.119 --> 00:34:20.159
the other day and with Harrison mckeeper
and he said that he knew who you
483
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:22.280
were and he told me to ask
you what the name Ue Krupp mean to
484
00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:30.599
you. Tell Harrison he's a smart
ass. Let's your group was. We're
485
00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:36.480
playing in the last game of the
Stanley Cup final against Colorado. It was
486
00:34:36.599 --> 00:34:39.039
a it was a zero zero.
The game ended Zeros or. We ended
487
00:34:39.119 --> 00:34:44.880
up going to triple overtime against Colorado
and the deciding game the Stanley Cup final.
488
00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:51.480
And I don't know, early in
the third overtime your recrup drifts some
489
00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:54.719
wrist shot from the Blue Line and
it beats vand's broke through a screen and
490
00:34:55.000 --> 00:35:00.320
Colorado. One the Stanley Cup and
one that triple overtime game. One nothing.
491
00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:04.280
So I've thought of your recruit many
times. To tell Harrison he's got
492
00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:13.239
a good day's got a good grip
on things. Well, right on.
493
00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:16.199
Thank you. Thanks so much for
joining us. Dug You got us up
494
00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:20.880
earlier this one. Well, yeah, sorry about that I didn't realize.
495
00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:23.159
I didn't know it was coming from
Pei, so I would have I could
496
00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:25.880
have done it a little bit later
maybe, but anyway, good luck,
497
00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:30.000
guys. Good luck with the with
the podcast. Hope it goes well and
498
00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:36.000
thanks for having me on. Thank
you very much. Enjoy the Gulf.
499
00:35:36.840 --> 00:35:38.639
Okay, guys, good luck,
thank you, see you
