WEBVTT
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From the Bamboo Shoots studios in downtown Saskatoon, this is the Different Angles Podcast.
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I am Ray Morrison.
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I am Matt Morrison.
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How are you?
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Good.
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How are you?
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Good, good, good.
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Busy time going into the Thanksgiving weekend, the October 9th, 10th, 11th weekend.
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We'll delve into all of that as the Husky men's hockey season uh starts.
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Uh there's playoff football uh with regards to the Saskatoon Hilltops.
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The Blades have a couple of games at home this weekend uh as well.
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And we have a big guest coming up.
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We do, head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, Dan DeSilva will join us a little bit later on in the program.
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Um, why don't we tell everybody what this podcast is all about?
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This podcast is about me, the experienced, uh, much smarter, wiser elder trying to show my young son what sport is all about.
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So he's old and a curmungeon, is what he's saying.
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That's what you're saying.
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Like I'm young and with it.
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Oh, oh, is that what it is?
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Okay.
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Yeah, I get it.
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I understand how the current world works.
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Okay.
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Uh but it is funny because you and I were having a telephone conversation yesterday, and I had thought that I was gonna show you a groundbreaking revolutionary piece of technology.
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Yep.
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Not technology, but the way that the world works today.
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Yeah.
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Um, because my wife and I had ordered groceries to our house.
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Yes.
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I thought that this was like a groundbreaking thing.
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Uh, it's not apparently, because you said way back in the day that that was a thing back in you know, the 70s and 80s and whenever you grew up.
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Well, this is an example of see grocery stores they used to deliver.
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Like this is nothing new.
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They had a they had a brown paper bag and they had delivery people that would, yeah, this is nothing new.
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Did you know that milk used to come to your house in a truck?
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Did you know that okay?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Because the house that my wife and I are in have a milk door.
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We have a milk door outside.
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The other the other thing that's really interesting, too, is these guys think that streaming is something new.
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It's pay-per-view.
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We've had it for a long time.
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Oh, well, streaming is something new.
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You wouldn't understand that.
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It's pay-per-view.
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It's the same thing.
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We used to have to pay for big boxing matches and that sort of thing.
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Yeah.
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Uh, that said, boy, uh, and we won't get into that in this podcast, but now that we are a couple of weeks into the uh NHL regular season, um Yeah, it's not good.
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Yeah, Rogers, uh yeah, there's not it's not great.
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Yeah, well so we'll we'll delve into that in a in a in another uh because that could be a whole episode within itself.
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But here in Saskatoon, the Hilltops will be at home for a playoff game, and I'm not sure a lot of people thought that, but the Wildcats will visit the Hilltops in the PFC semifinals Sunday at one o'clock.
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So that would be the 10th at 1 o'clock.
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And it's interesting.
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So there were three teams at four and four, and I had a chat with Harvey Keeler, who's the head statistician of the Prairie Football Conference.
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When the Hilltops played their last game of the regular season, I think a lot of people left the venue not knowing if the Hills, not knowing, or under the belief at least, that the Hilltops would not be home.
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Monday of this week, uh some math is done.
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Yeah, and it's determined that the Hilltops, through a tie-breaking procedure, which was always set out, are going to be at home.
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And from a communication standpoint from the Prairie Football Conference, that's not ideal.
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That's I'll I'll be honest with you.
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That's not that's not uh terrific.
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But four teams finished with four and four records, and the reason they couldn't go head to head and make it simple was because the Edmonton Wildcats played the other two four and four teams a total of four times.
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The other teams, the Colts and the Hilltops, had only played the other teams in question four times, uh three times.
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So that's that was the issue.
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So they went to a tie-breaking procedure which was always laid out, uh, and it had to come into effect with three teams finishing at four and four.
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But the communication on this is something that the Prairie Football Conference really kind of needs to get on.
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Yeah, Sunday's the 11th, by the way.
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Yeah.
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Um, but also, I mean, you have to think or or maybe wonder, like if the PFC has ever been through something like this before, right?
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And like I'm wondering if maybe that's where uh a communication breakdown or or mishap happened.
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Like, how many times has there been three teams that have had the same record that are all heading into the playoffs, right?
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So it is interesting.
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Um, it was an unusual season for the Hilltops.
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Like you said, four and four was their record through an eight-game season.
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27 to 11, they lost to Winnipeg in the final week of the regular season.
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Yeah, they were stunned by Edmonton back in week two, and they had those two losses to the Regina Thunder as well.
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So it is gonna be interesting.
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The the Thunder ran the table this year in the Prairie Football Conference.
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The 7-1, they were, I don't really want to call it an upset in week eight against Calgary because they wrested a lot of their starters.
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Um, but it's gonna be interesting.
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Something about this Hilltops team, I don't know.
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You know, to finish four and four is so uncharacteristic of a Saskatoon Hilltops team.
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Well, it is, but that said, they do have a lot of players that have won national championships before.
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Yeah.
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And now it's the beauty, beauty of the CFL, it's the beauty of the Prairie Football Conference, yeah, is the fact that it's a new season, right?
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So now you know go on a two, three game win streak, and you're either in the in the Canadian bowl or winning it.
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Yeah, right.
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So there is there is that.
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They have the veteran quarterback in Sander.
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Yeah.
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We didn't start on Sunday, by the way.
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We did not start on Sunday.
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That's right.
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He did come in, but he didn't start.
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Yep.
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And I think I think that's sort of the thing, right?
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Is now you just gotta rely on your your veterans and it's so funny because uh, as you know, your brother, uh my son Adam played for the Hilltops for four years, won three national championships.
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And I don't recall a time when um the waters weren't choppy.
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You know, at one point in time you were your your medal was always tested.
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Well, the Hilltops medal was tested more than once this year, obviously with a four and four record.
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But sometimes those things really kind of make you stronger.
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Yeah, yeah.
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I don't know.
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I just something seems up with this team this year for whatever reason.
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Um, you know, and it is interesting because you bring up the fact that a lot of these players have won national championships before.
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Yeah, but you would think that that because they have that championship pedigree, you would think that they would be able to fight through this adversity a little bit.
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So I don't know.
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Um, but you win your, you know, you win on Sunday, and then you're in the PFC final, and you have an opportunity to upset a Regina team, yeah, who who is likely going to be the favorite in that game, assuming that they win their um semifinal game as well.
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Yeah, so it is interesting.
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That's the beauty of uh, you know the playoffs in the Prairie Football Conference is two wins and you're you're the PFC champion.
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Yeah, BC is hosting the Canadian Bowl this year uh November the 8th.
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So yeah, no, we'll keep an eye on that.
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But uh just from a communication standpoint, the Prairie Football Conference, uh um, you know, like the Hilltops, a little bit to improve on.
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Yeah.
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Well, yeah, right?
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But there isn't.
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You know, Edmonton thought that they were getting a home playoff game too.
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Yep.
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Right?
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Yeah and there was a Facebook post that they put out, yeah, you know, encouraging fans, telling fans, hey, see it next week at home.
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Yeah.
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So it is interesting.
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Uh it's a learning experience for sure for the Prairie Football Conference, CJFL, whoever's involved, everybody involved, that sort of thing.
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So it is interesting.
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No question about it.
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So let's turn to the Canadian Football League.
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Will the Saskatchewan Rough Riders uh I'm not sure they're gonna get a home play update now, but are they going to like inside their division?
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Are they going to be a crossover team?
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Are they going to get there?
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Lots of questions about this Saskatchewan Rough Rider team after that 37-31 loss to Calgary.
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Riders now 8-7.
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So the Elks are 11-4, Lions 9-6, Stamps eight and eight, riders eight and seven, bombers seven and eight.
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And here's the schedule.
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Here's the challenge for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.
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Their schedule, two games left against the Montreal Aloettes, the first one Thanksgiving weekend, and then right after.
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And then they have a game against uh the Elks, who are 11-4.
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So it's the division leaders in the final three games of the regular season for a Rough Rider team that is trying to figure out so much with regards to special teams and just consistency on offense and not making mistakes and penalties.
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And it seems that there's I'm not going to say there's fires to put out, but areas to address.
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Yeah, no, and they haven't looked good like at all, right?
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Three straight losses.
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They've lost five of their last seven.
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Yep.
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Um yeah, so it's it's interesting.
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You're right.
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The special teams had a big costly mistake at the start of that game on Friday, right?
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With that fumble uh on the punt return on the opening drive.
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But their defense hasn't looked great either, which is, again, very unusual for a Corey Mace led, who's a heck of a coach.
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Like I love Corey Mace.
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Oh, yeah.
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He's a great coach.
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He's done great things with the riders.
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He got them a great cup last year.
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Um, but yeah, touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter for Calgary on Friday.
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They scored on three of their four possessions in the fourth quarter.
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The only possession possession that Calgary didn't score on was a garbage time kind of just running the clock out in the final minute.
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Um, but don't let that 37-31 score fool you because it was not close.
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Oh no, well, the riders scores 13 points in two minutes too.
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Well in two minutes too, right?
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So here's the question now that we were talking about this morning at breakfast is uh, you know, who will the Montreal Aloedes dress in the final two games of the regular season, knowing that they are 11 and 3?
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And could that at least help the Riders win one before they take on the Western opponent and the Elks in the final weekend of the regular season?
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So there is that question.
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The other thing, special teams have to settle down.
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Brett Lother is back with the team.
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He didn't play last week, but he was signed before last week's uh game against uh Calgary.
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Uh you know, I think that'll help.
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Lother was, you know, the victim of some criticism, but I do think that he's well liked and he's a guy who can kind of get into the room and if nothing else have a positive effect on special teams around that squad.
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And, you know, we are a little bit fickled because it was less than 12 months ago that the Riders did win a great cup, right?
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So you never know, a little bit like the Hilltops, to be honest.
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You know, you never know when those leaders might emerge and come to the forefront here for the Riders.
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Well, yeah, and it, you know, the the Law thing is interesting too because they released Dawson Hodge earlier this week, which wouldn't have been the kick kicker I released, but that's that's why I'm here.
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And Jeremy O'Day and Corey Mace are down in Regina and they have gray cup rings.
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Um, if they are to win one of these two games against Montreal, let's make it the game on the 18th because I will be there.
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Ah, there you go.
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Yep, for sure.
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Yep.
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Um, but yeah, it is gonna be interesting.
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Trevor Harris hasn't looked great either.
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Like, you know, I just I don't know.
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Um, but he's a veteran guy, you know.
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Um, but they've had a couple of injuries too at like any positions, yep.
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Right?
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It seems like some of their receivers are always injured.
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So it is gonna be very interesting.
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They haven't, they it's a it's an offense that I would suggest probably hasn't been in second and three and second and four as much as they'd like.
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And the other thing is that they gotta get AJ Oulette going.
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Right.
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Well, that's what I'm saying, right?
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Because normally that's a guy, five, six yards a carry.
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Now you can open up the playbook on second down.
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Yeah.
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Hasn't always been the case, and not every occasion has been Trevor's fault that they haven't been in second and manageable.
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Yeah, for sure.
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And you know, Olet's been hurt this year a lot too, right?
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He was on the sixth game, and Roland Milligan, defensive player of the year last year, is on the sixth game earlier this year as well.
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So there are there are some issues.
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And I mean, when you win the Great Cup like they did the year before, you they had a ton of free agents.
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Like let's right, like they had a ton of free agents.
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You can't keep everybody, right?
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So they lost a lot of pieces from that great cup team, especially on defense.
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Yeah.
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Um, so that could play into it as well.
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But all you have to do is get into the playoffs.
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That's right.
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It's a new season.
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Anything can happen.
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That's right.
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And the beauty of the football playoffs, whether it's the CFL, whether it's Canada West, whether it's PFC, the NFL, it's one game.
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Yep, that's right.
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So, you know, you just have to bring it for your three or four weeks, and who knows what happens.
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The beauty of football.
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The playoffs are a whole new season, go on a win streak.
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You know what?
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You go on a three-game win streak, you can be a league champion.
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And how you look back and go, Well, we went on a three-game win streak there and there, so why can't we do it again?
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Right.
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And so it's it's sort of interesting.
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As good as Edmonton's been in the regular season, they haven't sniffed the playoffs in years.
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Yep.
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So who knows?
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Who knows what that looks like.
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And from a league perspective, it's kind of neat to see that resurgence in Edmonton.
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Well, 100%.
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You know what I mean?
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That's been that's been great.
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That's been really good.
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They got some players there that I like.
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I mean, I I think Cody Fajarda was still well liked around these parts uh of Saskatchewan.
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So good for him.
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Not the thought of the person we had breakfast with this morning.
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Yeah, no, no, that's a whole other story.
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Yeah.
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Um not everybody is in that gap, but I I I I like Cody a lot.
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Um and even like their head coach, right?
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Like Mark Killum, like he was that special teams coordinator in Calgary for years and years and years and to finally get his shot as a head coach in the Canadian Football League.
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Uh, it didn't start off great in Edmonton last year, but uh what a turnaround for I don't know Mark well, but he does seem like a guy that players, especially younger players, would run through a wall for, right?
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He just has that energy and you know, a lot like Corey, yeah.
00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:18.320
Just one of those guys that his players will lay it out on like uh just before we move on, one of the bright spots of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders, really all year has been former Husky Daniel Weeb.
00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.399
Oh yeah, like how good has he been?
00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:26.639
Well, two years ago, I was in the broadcast booth calling a husky game, and they brought in Jake Mayer for football day in Saskatoon.
00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:29.840
Jake, uh Ottawa this year, but with the Riders last year.
00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:40.480
And while we're talking, and the play is going on, uh, Daniel Weeb busts out like a 70-yard pass and run catch, and he's gone up the field, right?
00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:47.039
And Jake, and I call his name, and Jake Mayer says, Is that the player that was at a rider camp earlier this year?
00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.559
This is at the start of last season.
00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:50.559
I said, Yeah, he was fast.
00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:52.080
I saw him at field level.
00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.960
So that was Jake's uh yeah, that was Jake's take on it.
00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:59.360
So that is uh that is good to see Daniel and such such uh success uh with the rider.
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:00.720
So yeah, good catch by you.
00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:01.440
For sure.
00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:04.000
Um Mike Babcock in Edmonton.
00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:05.679
Saskatoons, Mike Babcock.
00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:09.279
Uh he's uh a few weeks into the or a couple games into the regular season.
00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:13.120
Great start for the Oilers, five of a possible six points.
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:22.000
Um and it's so interesting when the Oilers announced that they were going to hire Mike Babcock, and I found it to be most of the media in central Canada.
00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:24.639
They called the Oilers desperate.
00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:26.000
How could they do this?
00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.159
You know, and not every Toronto media member, but many of them.
00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:31.039
A lot, right?
00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:31.919
Many of them.
00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:36.240
Well, uh, you know, uh, like I said, five of a possible six points.
00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.440
Now uh this weekend they're on a California swing.
00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:48.080
Um but what's interesting is watching the Mike Babcock interviews and interaction with the media, because uh I think a lot of that has died down.
00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:56.320
He's been very now it if it was two of a possible six points to start the year, I don't know how these interactions would go.
00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:02.000
But I uh I mean I used to do a regular coach's show with Mike every Tuesday morning four or five years ago.
00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:02.879
He was fantastic.
00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:05.360
And when I would tell people in Toronto, no, he was great.
00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:14.080
Either I'd bring coffee, he'd pour coffee, we'd talk about life, we'd be, I mean, he's busy, he's not gonna waste time, but we would record this coach's show, and he was fantastic.
00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:15.759
And that was and that was awesome.
00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:19.759
And he he actually tried to reach out, we tried to connect for a lunch before he started the season in Edmonton.
00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:21.440
So I know him a little bit.
00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:25.279
Um and we'll get him on the different angles podcast.
00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:33.360
He's all well, he's always been great, but you know, um I think the Edmonton media is finding him really approachable.
00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:45.200
And it's kind of interesting because uh there was earlier this week he was talking about his goaltetters, and he says, Well, I'm gonna have Levi one and Tristian Jerry two, as far as a rotation goes.
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:47.600
Then he comes back in and says, I was misquoted.
00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:54.320
He says, I'm gonna get one each game, but I'm not necessarily I wasn't suggesting so he's having a little fun with the media, yeah, yeah, right, which is kind of neat.
00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.840
He answered one question and then somebody fired back with kind of a follow-up.
00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:59.360
He says, Didn't you like my first answer?
00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:00.480
Like he's having fun, yeah.
00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:01.840
He's having fun with the media.
00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:03.519
So that's great.
00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:12.320
Uh and uh Edmonton seems to be a team that has players, superstars, that are ready to be coached Mike Babcock style.
00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:17.600
And I I I think it's kind of awesome that the Oilers jumped out to this start.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.000
Yeah, like I like Mike as a as a person.
00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:24.720
Um, I've had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times, and and he's been great uh to me.
00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:38.240
Um, I don't know, and okay, I mean uh it's funny because in the post-game they had a camera in the Edmonton locker room after the game in Vancouver that they won, the nine to seven, the wild.
00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:43.360
And he said there's no such thing as a bad win, right?
00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:47.679
Um, that was probably a bad win, but there's no such thing as a bad win.
00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:48.080
Right.
00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:50.960
Um every win in the NHL is important.
00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:53.679
But I mean they played Vancouver twice in Seattle once.
00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:54.000
Right.
00:16:54.159 --> 00:17:00.960
So you should be getting, with Connor McDavid and Leon Dreisidel and Evan Boujard, you should be getting five out of six points, if not six out of six points.
00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:03.360
Well, the next game after that, he followed up with a news conference.
00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.359
He said we didn't give up, we didn't give up a touchdown.
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.799
That was the win against Seattle, yeah.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:07.200
Right.
00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:08.079
So he's having some fun.
00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:09.279
Yeah, right, and that's good.
00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:16.559
But where I'm going with this is, you know, as much as I like Babcock, and I'm a Toron Maple Leafs guy, I liked Babcock when he was in Toronto.
00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:24.240
Um, obviously they they couldn't get over the hump, but um Sheldon Keefe was unable to get over the hump in Toronto, as was um Craig Barube.
00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:28.240
So I think that just might be a Toronto thing, and I've gonna have to accept that.
00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:39.599
Um, but anyways, finally to get to my point is I'm I still don't necessarily know if Babcock is gonna be the guy to push the Oilers over the hump.
00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:45.440
I mean, you fired a guy, you fired a coach in Chris Noblock that got Edmonton to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals.
00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:45.759
Yep.
00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:46.400
Right?
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:48.480
And so that's kind of where I'm at.
00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:54.319
Um I think that kind of this stuff about Babcock and the media, I agree with you.
00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:58.880
Like some of the media in this country was absolutely obsessed with this hire.
00:17:59.119 --> 00:17:59.279
Yeah.
00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:03.039
They just thought it was the worst possible thing that that the Oilers could do.
00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:03.200
Yeah.
00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:04.720
And how could the NHL do this?
00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:08.000
And how could the NHL allow this and all sort of stuff and and stuff?
00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:09.759
I think that that's a little bit overblown.
00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:11.359
I don't buy into that.
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:11.519
Yeah.
00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:18.000
But from a sheer coaching standpoint, and this is a coach that has an Olympic gold, two Olympic gold medals in Mike Babcock.
00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.440
He has a Stanley Cup ring.
00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.319
He's been to two other Stanley Cup finals, yeah.
00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:25.200
One with Detroit the year after they won.
00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:30.160
A world hockey championship, a world cup of hockey championship, a world junior hockey championship.
00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:35.839
And he was also, if I'm not mistaken, the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks when they were in the Stanley Cup final in 2003.
00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:37.119
Were they not?
00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:38.160
I believe so.
00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:38.559
Right?
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:38.720
Yeah.
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:40.000
When he when they lost to New Jersey.
00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:43.839
Yeah, he wasn't a head coach in 07 when they won it, but I think that's a good idea.
00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:45.599
Yeah, but I think he had been to a cup final before that.
00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:46.079
That's right.
00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:46.240
Yeah.
00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:46.640
Right.
00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:47.759
So there's all that.
00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:56.160
And then there's also the fact that, hey, you know, for all that success that he's had internationally and in the NHL, he hasn't been out of the first round of the playoffs since 2012.
00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:56.400
Right.
00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:59.119
So there's there's two different ways that you can look at this.
00:18:59.279 --> 00:18:59.599
Yep.
00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:18.160
And you look at, you know, if recency bias was a thing, and it is for a lot of people, um, and I know some Oilers fans weren't weren't necessarily on board with this hire either, because again, they weren't sure that um the way that the game is played now and Babcock's coaching style, they weren't sure if it was gonna be gonna be a match.
00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:20.640
And again, I just go back to Chris Knallblock.
00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.119
He got the team back-to-back Stanley Cup back.
00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:23.759
That's fair.
00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:24.400
That's fair, right?
00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:26.079
So it'd be interesting to see.
00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.599
Um, but that doesn't mean that I'm necessarily against the the hire.
00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.319
It literally affects me in no way, shape, or form.
00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:32.720
Yeah.
00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:37.039
Um, I have a couple of good buddies that are Oilers fans, so we are always going back and forth and stuff like that.
00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:38.960
But uh, but it's gonna be interesting.
00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:45.359
It's it's it's a long season, and there's gonna be a lot to talk about between now and March and April.
00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:47.599
Um at and in Edmonton, good bad or otherwise.
00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:54.000
Mike Babcock was asked about the Alex Ovechkin retirement at the end of this season, and he said, well, he said, you know what?
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:58.319
He's uh won all kinds of Rocket Richard trophies, but he's won a Stanley Cup.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:19:58.559
Yeah.
00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:01.599
That's how I measure, that's how I measure success.
00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:09.200
And that's how I and so he's you know, looking and thinks he has the group in Edmonton to Stanley Cup or he probably wouldn't be coaching.
00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:16.799
Right, which is interesting because the greatest hockey player of the current generation, uh Connor McDavid, doesn't have a Stanley Cup.
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:17.359
Right.
00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:17.759
Right.
00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.400
So it's interesting that's an interesting quote by by Babcock.
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:23.440
So we'll see if he can get uh Mike David over the hump.
00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:23.680
I don't know.
00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:24.240
It's gonna be interesting.
00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:27.440
Oh, and by the way, the Brantford Bulldogs are seven and one to start the season.
00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:28.720
Who coaches that team?
00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.079
Mike Babcock Jr.
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:32.160
Michael Babcock, another great guy.
00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:35.279
And you know who owns the Bulldogs?
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:36.480
The Hyman family.
00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:37.920
Yeah, Zach Hyman.
00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:42.799
When we come back, we will have a chat with the Saskatoon Blades head coach Dan DeSilva.
00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:45.920
This is the Different Angles Podcast.
00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:55.599
Welcome back to the Different Angles Podcast.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:05.839
Uh I'm Bray Morrison, that's Matt Morrison, and we are pleased to welcome the second leading score from the Portland Winterhawks back in 2004, and the team's leading score in 2005.
00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:08.319
It's Saskatoon Blades head coach Dan DeSilva.
00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:10.640
Saskatoon product uh joins us.
00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:11.599
How are you?
00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:13.039
I'm doing good, thank you.
00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.640
What an what introduction that is.
00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.680
There you go, eh?
00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:16.079
Yeah.
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:18.240
Some of the guys you played with in Portland, Dan.
00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:23.920
Yeah, uh, I mean, Brandon Navinsky, Braden Coburn, you had some Cody McLeod.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.079
Uh, we had a lot of really good players on that team.
00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:29.759
And um, yeah, I was lucky enough to be able to outscore them one year.
00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:32.640
Yeah, probably with the probably with a lot of help from them, though.
00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:34.079
Well, that's great.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:35.839
That's uh that's outstanding.
00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:48.160
Um, so you you come in as head coach after a couple of years as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades, and when you started under Brendan Saunny, uh did you think that three years after you would be the head coach?
00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:49.599
Like, was this kind of planned?
00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:54.559
Or or tell me about the the road to becoming the head coach with this team?
00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:58.640
Yeah, um, it definitely wasn't something that was planned.
00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:03.200
Um I was, you know, very fortunate to get my my opportunity here.
00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:05.119
It actually started with Mitch Love.
00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:09.599
Um Mitch and I were teammates and roommates for our first three years of pro together.
00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:16.720
And um he was actually the the first guy that I uh interviewed with um when I was done playing and I had retired from playing.
00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:30.799
Uh he was a head coach here at the time, and then he ended up moving on that that fall to uh the Wranglers and Brendan took over and introduced me to Brendan and then one thing after another, and then yeah, I was lucky enough to to coach with Brendan for three years, learned a lot from him.
00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:35.920
Yeah, um, you know, a lot about what it takes to be a head coach at the or a coach at this level, let alone a head coach.
00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:40.000
And um, yeah, we had a really good relationship together, worked well together.
00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:51.759
And um when he left, you know, he he sang my praises and and gave you know um good good reviews of the job I'd done as an assistant and felt I was ready to be a head coach, and so I I really owe a lot to him.
00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:54.559
There's no guarantees when you're a coach in hockey.
00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:56.640
That's just uh that's just the business, right?
00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:04.799
So I guess my question was when you started three years ago, was it your goal to kind of settle in and eventually wait your turn to be a head coach with the Saskatoon Blades?
00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:15.680
Or were you kind of thinking that after uh being an assistant for a few seasons that you were going to kind of elevate to being a head coach if the opportunity came up anywhere?
00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.359
Yeah, it wasn't you know, necessarily anywhere.
00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:21.599
I was I was very happy being an assistant coach.
00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:31.279
I liked the role, I liked the rapport with the players and and having that um, you know, the the mess in between messenger between coaches and players.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:32.640
I liked having that relationship with them.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.319
It's a little bit different as a head coach.
00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:40.559
Um, but I did feel like I was I was potentially ready to take over as as head coach one day.
00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:50.160
Uh for me, I wasn't anything I necessarily wanted to move to pursue at this point in my life with a young family and just getting back from from playing uh professionally for 15 years.
00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:51.039
We just moved back.
00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:56.559
I wanted to settle down and and and plant roots here in Saskatoon, and kids are in school and all that stuff.
00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:01.119
So um this is something that I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be head coach in Saskatoon.
00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:05.119
And um, I like you said, the coaches don't stay in one place very long.
00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:11.359
I understand that you know we become a head coach, there's a shelf life uh and everyone expires uh eventually one day.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:21.119
But my my goal right now is to to be in Saskatoon, put all my energy and focus towards being the best head coach I can be for the Saskatoon Blades and and stay in this role for as long as I can.
00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:23.279
Two, two, and one in the first five games.
00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:24.960
Tell me about your team.
00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:30.079
Yeah, um, you know, I think definitely our record could be better than it shows right now.
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:31.119
Every coach has that.
00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:32.480
Yeah.
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:34.480
Well, we have to to save our jobs.
00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:34.960
Right.
00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:45.279
Um, yeah, I mean, we have we have some really good leaders in our in our room, uh, some guys that have been here with me for three or four years.
00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.640
Uh they understand the expectations and the standards, you know, every day.
00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:52.720
We have a really high standard for our players um in terms of like work ethic and compete.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:54.880
We want to do everything on a daily basis.
00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:58.240
And um, you know, and then the new guys are are still playing catch up a bit, right?
00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:02.480
The whether they're 19 or 16, they're still a lot of it's new to them.
00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:05.279
The systems are new, the environment's new, their teammates are new.
00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:09.680
So it's just taking some time with some of those younger guys and new guys to kind of get up to speed.
00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:11.359
But um, we really like our group.
00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:16.400
We feel like the sky's the limit for this group with the amount of attorneys that we have and the leadership that we have.
00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:22.880
Um, we do feel that once we get all the pieces kind of put together and everyone's on the same page, that uh, like I said, the sky's the limit.
00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:28.640
So we're just taking it day by day right now, and and uh um should we have liked better results through the first five games?
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:31.039
Absolutely, but uh we know that it's a long season.
00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:32.799
It's not a sprint, it's a marathon.
00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:43.279
That's actually kind of what I was gonna ask, Coach was you know, you got guys like Hunter Lang, Hayden Hirsani, David Lewandowski, Braden Klimke, your captain, Cooper Williams, an NHL draft pick.
00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:57.440
Um, like just talk a little bit, and you kind of just did, but just how important is that veteran presence, not necessarily on the ice, but in the locker room, in the community, to show kind of these younger guys the ropes of the Western Hockey League.
00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:14.079
Yeah, and and you know, we refer to it as the Blade Way, and it's not just um on the ice or at practice, it's like you said, in the community how we, you know, how we go about ourselves, how we handle ourselves in the community at at uh you know, put team events or autograph signings, stuff like that.
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:18.720
Like it's we take a immense pride in um how we represent the blades.
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:29.519
And um, those guys are obviously really important and and carrying it over year after year, um, you know, the standards that we have for everyone um in regards to the blades way.
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:33.759
So those guys are extremely important uh in the room and um you know in the community as well.
00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:40.000
And they've done a great job um taking over for guys like Tyler Parr and Rowan Calvert that were great soldiers for us on and off the ice as well.
00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:43.759
And uh those guys have carried the torch uh so far in the season extremely well.
00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:49.200
So we're we're really proud of our our veteran guys, our our older guys, and the leadership they're bringing to our group.
00:26:49.599 --> 00:27:04.000
What sort of changes have you seen in the Western Hockey League since your playing days um, you know, back in the early 2000s, not necessarily in terms of the way that the game is played and the on-the-ice stuff, but just kind of the way that the Western Hockey League operates.
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:10.559
What kind of changes, positive changes have you seen now since since your playing days?
00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:18.640
Yeah, I mean it's uh it's a much different league than it was, you know, 20 years ago when I was playing, which is crazy to say it's been a quick 20 years.
00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:20.720
Um hopefully time slows down a bit.
00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:25.839
But um yeah, I mean the league has made you know changes to allow it, you know.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.240
It's obviously skill-based, it's skill focused, it's much faster than when we played.
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.200
Um all the clutching and grabbing is is out of the game.
00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:39.759
Um, obviously there's less fighting, uh, you know, which is which is you know probably a good thing at the end of the day.
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:41.200
These are young men.
00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:54.480
And um so I I think that the the league has done a great job protecting you know the players and making it obviously a competitive environment, and it's it's still hockey at the end of the day, but it made it a safer environment for the players to go out and showcase what they can do.
00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:57.440
And um, I think that's a that's a really positive thing.
00:27:57.920 --> 00:27:59.680
Have you played six of seven at home?
00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:02.720
Or uh it's a pretty large homestead that you've been on here.
00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:08.079
Uh then you got for the Thanksgiving weekend, you got Regina and Musha uh here, coach.
00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:14.799
So it's obviously a marathon or not a sprint, but uh that said, capitalizing on home ice.
00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:23.279
How how key is that at this juncture, knowing that the the points in March uh matter, but you can get those now in October.
00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:27.839
Yeah, no, and we we've talked about that lots um the last couple of weeks.
00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:39.279
You know, we started our first two games on the road, and then I think we have four straight at home, and then we're in swift and back at home again, and then and then you know our our B s or our um yeah, our BC trip is in February this this year.
00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.720
So um we got a lot of home games in the front half of the schedule.
00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:48.799
So we got to definitely make some hay here and establish home ice as uh you know um a tough place for people to come.
00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:55.920
We want we want teams to, you know, when they're coming into Sastel Center, uh, understand that they're gonna be in for a long night, and that's something we're still working on establishing.
00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:01.119
So um, like you said, doesn't matter to us if it's if it's March or or October.
00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:02.720
Um, those two points are important.
00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:08.559
And again, we're just trying to take it day by day, but and game by game, but uh obviously we want to make as many points up as we can right now.
00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:11.359
And you've beaten PA twice, which is kind of interesting.
00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:14.000
The defending Eastern Division Champions.
00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:18.559
So that's that's kind of a nice start, even though as a coach you'd you'd like to be above 500.
00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:24.960
Uh at least you know that you can skate with teams that that uh have had quite a bit of success from last season.
00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:28.799
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I guess that's the frustrating part as a coach, right?
00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:39.759
When you have uh a really good weekend against PA and you're able to beat them twice, and um, you know, we come home and kind of have a bit of a stinker uh last Friday night after not playing for a week.
00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:42.240
So um, but that's that's junior hockey.
00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:44.160
There's it's up and ups and downs.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:49.599
Um there's inconsistency at times with you know teenagers, and even at the pro level, you see it.
00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:51.839
So um we're just we're just focusing on building our game.
00:29:51.920 --> 00:30:03.519
Like I said, if we know that we have a good group here, um, if we can just you know become more consistent um and start developing you know our team game and and playing uh to a certain style that we need to play to have success.
00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:04.720
Go ahead.
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:16.240
I was just gonna say, you know, speaking of kind of this, you know, all these home games that you've had had here at the start of the year or are gonna have at the start of the year, uh, you've had some good crowds out at Sastel Center uh for the first two weekends as well.
00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:20.880
Just talk about maybe how much of a lift uh that does give your guys.
00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:23.119
Yeah, our fans have been unbelievable.
00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:26.640
We love our fans here in Saskatoon in Blade City, as the hat says.
00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:33.599
Um they come out and they support us, you know, um, and like to have, I think we've had 8,000 plus fans from both of our home games.
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:35.440
Um so we're very fortunate to have that.
00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:38.240
Not every every uh team gets to have that type of support.
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:42.400
So um, you know, and then you know it gives that guys an energy boost.
00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:46.960
I think it also gives the opponent an energy boost uh playing in that many in front of that many fans.
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:50.240
It's uh it's a fun atmosphere to play in, whether you're on the road or at home.
00:30:50.319 --> 00:30:57.279
So um, you know, and like I said before, unfortunately we weren't able to put on the show that we had we had liked to on uh last Friday.
00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:00.079
Um so hopefully they keep coming back out to support this group.
00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:06.160
I think, like I said, the sky's limit, and we're gonna, you know, we'll just keep chipping away to make sure we're putting a good product out there every night.
00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:08.720
Thanksgiving Friday, boost jaw.
00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:11.839
Thanksgiving Saturday, the Regina Pats are in the Sastel Center.
00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:13.440
Uh Dan, thanks for doing this.
00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:14.640
Appreciate it, sir.
00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:15.839
Yeah, appreciate it.
00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:16.559
That was painless.
00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:17.279
Thank you very much, guys.
00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.000
Thanks for having me.
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:27.200
Welcome back.
00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:29.680
Just uh back to rap on the Different Angles podcast.
00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:38.000
That was uh great of Dan DeSilda, the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades uh carve out some time for us while his uh son was next door at Sastel Center practicing there.
00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:41.759
How about some of the names that he pulled out from from guys that he played with in Portland?
00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:41.920
Yeah.
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:42.880
Brain Coburn.
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:43.200
Yep.
00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:44.559
Good Saskatchewan guys.
00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:44.720
Yeah.
00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:49.359
Brandon Dubinsky, former longtime NHLer, New York Ranger, Columbus Blue Jacket.
00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:49.680
Yeah.
00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:52.640
And uh yeah, I was looking at his his hockey DB page earlier.
00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:54.400
Yeah, I was checking to see if I moved out here.
00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:54.799
I didn't remember.
00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:55.680
Oh, he was a sniper.
00:31:55.920 --> 00:31:56.160
Absolutely.
00:31:56.559 --> 00:31:58.480
70-point player in his final year with Portland.
00:31:58.559 --> 00:31:58.720
Yeah.
00:31:58.960 --> 00:31:59.279
All right.
00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:02.319
Uh played in the American Hockey League, went overseas and played a little bit.
00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:06.079
And uh yeah, and most Portland winter hawk teams are usually pretty good, also.
00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:08.160
Yeah, no uh no question about it.
00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:09.279
So that's it.
00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:14.960
So around uh Saskatoon for the October 9th, 10th, 11th weekend, Thanksgiving weekend.
00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:18.880
Friday night, the Moose Jaw Warriors are in to take on the Blades, as we mentioned with Dan.
00:32:18.960 --> 00:32:20.640
Uh that'll be a seven o'clock start.
00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:27.920
Saturday night, it's the Regina Pats that are into uh SASTEL Center for a seven o'clock game against the Saskatoon Blades uh as well.
00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:29.680
So Friday, Saturday games there.
00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:35.920
Uh the banner will be unveiled at Myrtle's Belcher Place for the defending Canada West hockey champions on the men's side.
00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:37.119
That's the U of Suskies.
00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:40.319
They will take on the Calgary Dinos on Friday night.
00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:43.680
That will be a seven o'clock start, and then at a five o'clock start.
00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:44.559
Note that time.
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:51.200
The second games of the Canada West series uh are always on five o'clock for the most part on Saturdays, unless it's Regina.
00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:56.079
So Saturday, uh October 10th, uh Calgary Dinos and Huskies at 5 o'clock.
00:32:56.240 --> 00:33:03.759
And then the aforementioned Hilltop playoff game that fans walked away from last weekend, not sure if it was gonna happen, but they did.
00:33:03.839 --> 00:33:11.359
The Edmontons, the Edmonton Wildcats and uh the Saskatoon Hilltops at 1 o'clock in the PFC semifinal over at SMF Field.
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:12.640
Got anything to add before we go?
00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:14.799
You're coming over to my house for Thanksgiving.
00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:15.359
Absolutely.
00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:16.000
I do believe.
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:17.359
I heard there was food.
00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:18.559
Yeah, yeah.
00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:20.160
So there's gonna be a turkey.
00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:20.559
Good.
00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:23.119
Um, we'll see if if my wife lets me in the kitchen.
00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:23.519
Yeah.
00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:24.480
Probably a bad idea.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:25.519
We would prefer if she knows.
00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:29.039
It'll be like that uh, you know, that Christmas vacation scene, right?
00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:36.640
Where they carve up the turkey at the end or they cook the turkey and you they cuts into it, Clark cuts into it, and it just dust.
00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:37.039
Yeah.
00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:39.759
If I were to be in the kitchen, that's what it would be.
00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:42.960
But uh I'll grab a burger on the way over.
00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:44.240
Maybe, maybe we'll do that.
00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:47.119
I have um, and it's not even like I hate cooking.
00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:49.359
I'm just I have limitations in the kitchen.
00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:50.000
Yeah.
00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:50.400
Yeah.
00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:52.559
I live Dio for a few years.
00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:54.640
Like, you know, I I chicken Alfredo?
00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:55.039
I'm aware.
00:33:55.279 --> 00:33:56.880
Chicken Alfredo, I'm your guy.
00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:58.480
Anything else?
00:33:58.640 --> 00:33:59.039
Probably not.
00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:02.480
So oil some noodles, put some sauce on it.
00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:03.039
You're the man.
00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:03.599
Yes.
00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:05.599
This went excellent, by the way, I think.
00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:07.759
The Different Angles Podcast, episode one.
00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:08.719
Well, good.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:09.519
It went great.
00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:10.000
Good.
00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:11.760
Well, I'm glad it uh met your approval.
00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:13.360
We'll do it again next week.
00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:17.840
Thanks for joining us on the Different Angles Podcast because the world needs another podcast.
00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:23.280
Uh, we'll come match again next week from the Bamboo Shoots Studios in downtown Saskatoon.
00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:10.640
From the Bamboo Shoots studios in downtown Saskatoon, this is the Different Angles Podcast.
00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:11.839
I am Ray Morrison.
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:13.279
I am Matt Morrison.
00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:13.839
How are you?
00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:14.240
Good.
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:14.640
How are you?
00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:15.439
Good, good, good.
00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:20.640
Busy time going into the Thanksgiving weekend, the October 9th, 10th, 11th weekend.
00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:25.039
We'll delve into all of that as the Husky men's hockey season uh starts.
00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:28.960
Uh there's playoff football uh with regards to the Saskatoon Hilltops.
00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:32.079
The Blades have a couple of games at home this weekend uh as well.
00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:33.359
And we have a big guest coming up.
00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:38.320
We do, head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, Dan DeSilva will join us a little bit later on in the program.
00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:42.320
Um, why don't we tell everybody what this podcast is all about?
00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:52.719
This podcast is about me, the experienced, uh, much smarter, wiser elder trying to show my young son what sport is all about.
00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:55.039
So he's old and a curmungeon, is what he's saying.
00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:56.000
That's what you're saying.
00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:57.200
Like I'm young and with it.
00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:58.399
Oh, oh, is that what it is?
00:00:58.479 --> 00:00:58.640
Okay.
00:00:58.799 --> 00:00:59.520
Yeah, I get it.
00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:01.280
I understand how the current world works.
00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:01.759
Okay.
00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:14.239
Uh but it is funny because you and I were having a telephone conversation yesterday, and I had thought that I was gonna show you a groundbreaking revolutionary piece of technology.
00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:14.719
Yep.
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:17.599
Not technology, but the way that the world works today.
00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:18.079
Yeah.
00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:22.239
Um, because my wife and I had ordered groceries to our house.
00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:22.719
Yes.
00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:25.840
I thought that this was like a groundbreaking thing.
00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:34.640
Uh, it's not apparently, because you said way back in the day that that was a thing back in you know, the 70s and 80s and whenever you grew up.
00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:38.159
Well, this is an example of see grocery stores they used to deliver.
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:39.120
Like this is nothing new.
00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:44.079
They had a they had a brown paper bag and they had delivery people that would, yeah, this is nothing new.
00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:46.480
Did you know that milk used to come to your house in a truck?
00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:47.439
Did you know that okay?
00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:47.680
Yeah.
00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:48.079
Yeah.
00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:48.239
Yeah.
00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:50.959
Because the house that my wife and I are in have a milk door.
00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:52.319
We have a milk door outside.
00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:59.840
The other the other thing that's really interesting, too, is these guys think that streaming is something new.
00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:01.200
It's pay-per-view.
00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:03.040
We've had it for a long time.
00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:05.040
Oh, well, streaming is something new.
00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:06.000
You wouldn't understand that.
00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:06.959
It's pay-per-view.
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:07.599
It's the same thing.
00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:10.560
We used to have to pay for big boxing matches and that sort of thing.
00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:10.800
Yeah.
00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:19.840
Uh, that said, boy, uh, and we won't get into that in this podcast, but now that we are a couple of weeks into the uh NHL regular season, um Yeah, it's not good.
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.960
Yeah, Rogers, uh yeah, there's not it's not great.
00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:28.719
Yeah, well so we'll we'll delve into that in a in a in another uh because that could be a whole episode within itself.
00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:41.039
But here in Saskatoon, the Hilltops will be at home for a playoff game, and I'm not sure a lot of people thought that, but the Wildcats will visit the Hilltops in the PFC semifinals Sunday at one o'clock.
00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:44.560
So that would be the 10th at 1 o'clock.
00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:45.520
And it's interesting.
00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:53.199
So there were three teams at four and four, and I had a chat with Harvey Keeler, who's the head statistician of the Prairie Football Conference.
00:02:53.360 --> 00:03:05.520
When the Hilltops played their last game of the regular season, I think a lot of people left the venue not knowing if the Hills, not knowing, or under the belief at least, that the Hilltops would not be home.
00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:12.639
Monday of this week, uh some math is done.
00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:19.680
Yeah, and it's determined that the Hilltops, through a tie-breaking procedure, which was always set out, are going to be at home.
00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:26.560
And from a communication standpoint from the Prairie Football Conference, that's not ideal.
00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:28.159
That's I'll I'll be honest with you.
00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:30.080
That's not that's not uh terrific.
00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:41.039
But four teams finished with four and four records, and the reason they couldn't go head to head and make it simple was because the Edmonton Wildcats played the other two four and four teams a total of four times.
00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:46.240
The other teams, the Colts and the Hilltops, had only played the other teams in question four times, uh three times.
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.080
So that's that was the issue.
00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:56.400
So they went to a tie-breaking procedure which was always laid out, uh, and it had to come into effect with three teams finishing at four and four.
00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:03.439
But the communication on this is something that the Prairie Football Conference really kind of needs to get on.
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:05.039
Yeah, Sunday's the 11th, by the way.
00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:05.280
Yeah.
00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:13.439
Um, but also, I mean, you have to think or or maybe wonder, like if the PFC has ever been through something like this before, right?
00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:19.360
And like I'm wondering if maybe that's where uh a communication breakdown or or mishap happened.
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:26.639
Like, how many times has there been three teams that have had the same record that are all heading into the playoffs, right?
00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:28.079
So it is interesting.
00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:30.480
Um, it was an unusual season for the Hilltops.
00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:33.360
Like you said, four and four was their record through an eight-game season.
00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:37.199
27 to 11, they lost to Winnipeg in the final week of the regular season.
00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:43.920
Yeah, they were stunned by Edmonton back in week two, and they had those two losses to the Regina Thunder as well.
00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:45.360
So it is gonna be interesting.
00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:48.879
The the Thunder ran the table this year in the Prairie Football Conference.
00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:56.240
The 7-1, they were, I don't really want to call it an upset in week eight against Calgary because they wrested a lot of their starters.
00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:58.000
Um, but it's gonna be interesting.
00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:01.040
Something about this Hilltops team, I don't know.
00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:07.759
You know, to finish four and four is so uncharacteristic of a Saskatoon Hilltops team.
00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:12.560
Well, it is, but that said, they do have a lot of players that have won national championships before.
00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:12.800
Yeah.
00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:21.120
And now it's the beauty, beauty of the CFL, it's the beauty of the Prairie Football Conference, yeah, is the fact that it's a new season, right?
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:27.279
So now you know go on a two, three game win streak, and you're either in the in the Canadian bowl or winning it.
00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:27.839
Yeah, right.
00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:29.519
So there is there is that.
00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:31.279
They have the veteran quarterback in Sander.
00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:31.439
Yeah.
00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:32.959
We didn't start on Sunday, by the way.
00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:34.079
We did not start on Sunday.
00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:34.399
That's right.
00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:35.920
He did come in, but he didn't start.
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:36.240
Yep.
00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:38.160
And I think I think that's sort of the thing, right?
00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:48.560
Is now you just gotta rely on your your veterans and it's so funny because uh, as you know, your brother, uh my son Adam played for the Hilltops for four years, won three national championships.
00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:53.920
And I don't recall a time when um the waters weren't choppy.
00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:57.680
You know, at one point in time you were your your medal was always tested.
00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:02.560
Well, the Hilltops medal was tested more than once this year, obviously with a four and four record.
00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:05.600
But sometimes those things really kind of make you stronger.
00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:06.240
Yeah, yeah.
00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:06.639
I don't know.
00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:09.920
I just something seems up with this team this year for whatever reason.
00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:16.079
Um, you know, and it is interesting because you bring up the fact that a lot of these players have won national championships before.
00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:23.199
Yeah, but you would think that that because they have that championship pedigree, you would think that they would be able to fight through this adversity a little bit.
00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:24.480
So I don't know.
00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:37.120
Um, but you win your, you know, you win on Sunday, and then you're in the PFC final, and you have an opportunity to upset a Regina team, yeah, who who is likely going to be the favorite in that game, assuming that they win their um semifinal game as well.
00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:38.560
Yeah, so it is interesting.
00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:45.600
That's the beauty of uh, you know the playoffs in the Prairie Football Conference is two wins and you're you're the PFC champion.
00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:49.279
Yeah, BC is hosting the Canadian Bowl this year uh November the 8th.
00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:51.360
So yeah, no, we'll keep an eye on that.
00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:58.720
But uh just from a communication standpoint, the Prairie Football Conference, uh um, you know, like the Hilltops, a little bit to improve on.
00:06:58.879 --> 00:06:59.040
Yeah.
00:06:59.199 --> 00:06:59.920
Well, yeah, right?
00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:01.120
But there isn't.
00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:03.759
You know, Edmonton thought that they were getting a home playoff game too.
00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:04.079
Yep.
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:04.399
Right?
00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:11.519
Yeah and there was a Facebook post that they put out, yeah, you know, encouraging fans, telling fans, hey, see it next week at home.
00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:11.920
Yeah.
00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:13.519
So it is interesting.
00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:20.160
Uh it's a learning experience for sure for the Prairie Football Conference, CJFL, whoever's involved, everybody involved, that sort of thing.
00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:21.040
So it is interesting.
00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:22.000
No question about it.
00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.000
So let's turn to the Canadian Football League.
00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:32.079
Will the Saskatchewan Rough Riders uh I'm not sure they're gonna get a home play update now, but are they going to like inside their division?
00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:33.680
Are they going to be a crossover team?
00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:34.800
Are they going to get there?
00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:40.319
Lots of questions about this Saskatchewan Rough Rider team after that 37-31 loss to Calgary.
00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:42.000
Riders now 8-7.
00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:48.879
So the Elks are 11-4, Lions 9-6, Stamps eight and eight, riders eight and seven, bombers seven and eight.
00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:49.920
And here's the schedule.
00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:52.560
Here's the challenge for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.
00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:58.160
Their schedule, two games left against the Montreal Aloettes, the first one Thanksgiving weekend, and then right after.
00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:01.759
And then they have a game against uh the Elks, who are 11-4.
00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:14.800
So it's the division leaders in the final three games of the regular season for a Rough Rider team that is trying to figure out so much with regards to special teams and just consistency on offense and not making mistakes and penalties.
00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:20.480
And it seems that there's I'm not going to say there's fires to put out, but areas to address.
00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.360
Yeah, no, and they haven't looked good like at all, right?
00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:24.560
Three straight losses.
00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:26.399
They've lost five of their last seven.
00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:26.800
Yep.
00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.439
Um yeah, so it's it's interesting.
00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:29.920
You're right.
00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.120
The special teams had a big costly mistake at the start of that game on Friday, right?
00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:39.120
With that fumble uh on the punt return on the opening drive.
00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:46.159
But their defense hasn't looked great either, which is, again, very unusual for a Corey Mace led, who's a heck of a coach.
00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:47.120
Like I love Corey Mace.
00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:47.600
Oh, yeah.
00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:48.639
He's a great coach.
00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:50.799
He's done great things with the riders.
00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:52.799
He got them a great cup last year.
00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:59.360
Um, but yeah, touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter for Calgary on Friday.
00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:02.879
They scored on three of their four possessions in the fourth quarter.
00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:09.840
The only possession possession that Calgary didn't score on was a garbage time kind of just running the clock out in the final minute.
00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:14.399
Um, but don't let that 37-31 score fool you because it was not close.
00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:17.679
Oh no, well, the riders scores 13 points in two minutes too.
00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:19.039
Well in two minutes too, right?
00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:28.559
So here's the question now that we were talking about this morning at breakfast is uh, you know, who will the Montreal Aloedes dress in the final two games of the regular season, knowing that they are 11 and 3?
00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:36.320
And could that at least help the Riders win one before they take on the Western opponent and the Elks in the final weekend of the regular season?
00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:37.519
So there is that question.
00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:39.600
The other thing, special teams have to settle down.
00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:41.279
Brett Lother is back with the team.
00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:47.440
He didn't play last week, but he was signed before last week's uh game against uh Calgary.
00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:50.240
Uh you know, I think that'll help.
00:09:50.480 --> 00:10:03.279
Lother was, you know, the victim of some criticism, but I do think that he's well liked and he's a guy who can kind of get into the room and if nothing else have a positive effect on special teams around that squad.
00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:08.879
And, you know, we are a little bit fickled because it was less than 12 months ago that the Riders did win a great cup, right?
00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:11.919
So you never know, a little bit like the Hilltops, to be honest.
00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.360
You know, you never know when those leaders might emerge and come to the forefront here for the Riders.
00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:25.519
Well, yeah, and it, you know, the the Law thing is interesting too because they released Dawson Hodge earlier this week, which wouldn't have been the kick kicker I released, but that's that's why I'm here.
00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:29.440
And Jeremy O'Day and Corey Mace are down in Regina and they have gray cup rings.
00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:34.080
Um, if they are to win one of these two games against Montreal, let's make it the game on the 18th because I will be there.
00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:34.879
Ah, there you go.
00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:35.759
Yep, for sure.
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:36.000
Yep.
00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:38.000
Um, but yeah, it is gonna be interesting.
00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.799
Trevor Harris hasn't looked great either.
00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:43.120
Like, you know, I just I don't know.
00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:46.480
Um, but he's a veteran guy, you know.
00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:49.919
Um, but they've had a couple of injuries too at like any positions, yep.
00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:50.320
Right?
00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:53.519
It seems like some of their receivers are always injured.
00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:55.039
So it is gonna be very interesting.
00:10:55.360 --> 00:11:01.919
They haven't, they it's a it's an offense that I would suggest probably hasn't been in second and three and second and four as much as they'd like.
00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.639
And the other thing is that they gotta get AJ Oulette going.
00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:05.039
Right.
00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:06.159
Well, that's what I'm saying, right?
00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:08.720
Because normally that's a guy, five, six yards a carry.
00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:10.720
Now you can open up the playbook on second down.
00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:10.960
Yeah.
00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:18.960
Hasn't always been the case, and not every occasion has been Trevor's fault that they haven't been in second and manageable.
00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:19.679
Yeah, for sure.
00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:21.919
And you know, Olet's been hurt this year a lot too, right?
00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:26.960
He was on the sixth game, and Roland Milligan, defensive player of the year last year, is on the sixth game earlier this year as well.
00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:28.879
So there are there are some issues.
00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:35.440
And I mean, when you win the Great Cup like they did the year before, you they had a ton of free agents.
00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.759
Like let's right, like they had a ton of free agents.
00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:39.360
You can't keep everybody, right?
00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:44.240
So they lost a lot of pieces from that great cup team, especially on defense.
00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:44.639
Yeah.
00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:46.320
Um, so that could play into it as well.
00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:48.080
But all you have to do is get into the playoffs.
00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:48.559
That's right.
00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:49.759
It's a new season.
00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:50.639
Anything can happen.
00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:51.039
That's right.
00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:57.200
And the beauty of the football playoffs, whether it's the CFL, whether it's Canada West, whether it's PFC, the NFL, it's one game.
00:11:57.279 --> 00:11:57.919
Yep, that's right.
00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:02.240
So, you know, you just have to bring it for your three or four weeks, and who knows what happens.
00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:03.440
The beauty of football.
00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:05.679
The playoffs are a whole new season, go on a win streak.
00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:06.080
You know what?
00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:08.240
You go on a three-game win streak, you can be a league champion.
00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:12.399
And how you look back and go, Well, we went on a three-game win streak there and there, so why can't we do it again?
00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:12.639
Right.
00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:14.399
And so it's it's sort of interesting.
00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:18.879
As good as Edmonton's been in the regular season, they haven't sniffed the playoffs in years.
00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:19.519
Yep.
00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:20.399
So who knows?
00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:21.360
Who knows what that looks like.
00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:24.399
And from a league perspective, it's kind of neat to see that resurgence in Edmonton.
00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:24.879
Well, 100%.
00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:25.519
You know what I mean?
00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:26.480
That's been that's been great.
00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:27.440
That's been really good.
00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:28.960
They got some players there that I like.
00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:34.559
I mean, I I think Cody Fajarda was still well liked around these parts uh of Saskatchewan.
00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:35.279
So good for him.
00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.600
Not the thought of the person we had breakfast with this morning.
00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:39.759
Yeah, no, no, that's a whole other story.
00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:40.480
Yeah.
00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:44.639
Um not everybody is in that gap, but I I I I like Cody a lot.
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:46.480
Um and even like their head coach, right?
00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:54.879
Like Mark Killum, like he was that special teams coordinator in Calgary for years and years and years and to finally get his shot as a head coach in the Canadian Football League.
00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:05.120
Uh, it didn't start off great in Edmonton last year, but uh what a turnaround for I don't know Mark well, but he does seem like a guy that players, especially younger players, would run through a wall for, right?
00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:08.720
He just has that energy and you know, a lot like Corey, yeah.
00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:18.320
Just one of those guys that his players will lay it out on like uh just before we move on, one of the bright spots of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders, really all year has been former Husky Daniel Weeb.
00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.399
Oh yeah, like how good has he been?
00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:26.639
Well, two years ago, I was in the broadcast booth calling a husky game, and they brought in Jake Mayer for football day in Saskatoon.
00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:29.840
Jake, uh Ottawa this year, but with the Riders last year.
00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:40.480
And while we're talking, and the play is going on, uh, Daniel Weeb busts out like a 70-yard pass and run catch, and he's gone up the field, right?
00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:47.039
And Jake, and I call his name, and Jake Mayer says, Is that the player that was at a rider camp earlier this year?
00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.559
This is at the start of last season.
00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:50.559
I said, Yeah, he was fast.
00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:52.080
I saw him at field level.
00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.960
So that was Jake's uh yeah, that was Jake's take on it.
00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:59.360
So that is uh that is good to see Daniel and such such uh success uh with the rider.
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:00.720
So yeah, good catch by you.
00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:01.440
For sure.
00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:04.000
Um Mike Babcock in Edmonton.
00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:05.679
Saskatoons, Mike Babcock.
00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:09.279
Uh he's uh a few weeks into the or a couple games into the regular season.
00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:13.120
Great start for the Oilers, five of a possible six points.
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:22.000
Um and it's so interesting when the Oilers announced that they were going to hire Mike Babcock, and I found it to be most of the media in central Canada.
00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:24.639
They called the Oilers desperate.
00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:26.000
How could they do this?
00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.159
You know, and not every Toronto media member, but many of them.
00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:31.039
A lot, right?
00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:31.919
Many of them.
00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:36.240
Well, uh, you know, uh, like I said, five of a possible six points.
00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.440
Now uh this weekend they're on a California swing.
00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:48.080
Um but what's interesting is watching the Mike Babcock interviews and interaction with the media, because uh I think a lot of that has died down.
00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:56.320
He's been very now it if it was two of a possible six points to start the year, I don't know how these interactions would go.
00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:02.000
But I uh I mean I used to do a regular coach's show with Mike every Tuesday morning four or five years ago.
00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:02.879
He was fantastic.
00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:05.360
And when I would tell people in Toronto, no, he was great.
00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:14.080
Either I'd bring coffee, he'd pour coffee, we'd talk about life, we'd be, I mean, he's busy, he's not gonna waste time, but we would record this coach's show, and he was fantastic.
00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:15.759
And that was and that was awesome.
00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:19.759
And he he actually tried to reach out, we tried to connect for a lunch before he started the season in Edmonton.
00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:21.440
So I know him a little bit.
00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:25.279
Um and we'll get him on the different angles podcast.
00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:33.360
He's all well, he's always been great, but you know, um I think the Edmonton media is finding him really approachable.
00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:45.200
And it's kind of interesting because uh there was earlier this week he was talking about his goaltetters, and he says, Well, I'm gonna have Levi one and Tristian Jerry two, as far as a rotation goes.
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:47.600
Then he comes back in and says, I was misquoted.
00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:54.320
He says, I'm gonna get one each game, but I'm not necessarily I wasn't suggesting so he's having a little fun with the media, yeah, yeah, right, which is kind of neat.
00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.840
He answered one question and then somebody fired back with kind of a follow-up.
00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:59.360
He says, Didn't you like my first answer?
00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:00.480
Like he's having fun, yeah.
00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:01.840
He's having fun with the media.
00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:03.519
So that's great.
00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:12.320
Uh and uh Edmonton seems to be a team that has players, superstars, that are ready to be coached Mike Babcock style.
00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:17.600
And I I I think it's kind of awesome that the Oilers jumped out to this start.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.000
Yeah, like I like Mike as a as a person.
00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:24.720
Um, I've had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times, and and he's been great uh to me.
00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:38.240
Um, I don't know, and okay, I mean uh it's funny because in the post-game they had a camera in the Edmonton locker room after the game in Vancouver that they won, the nine to seven, the wild.
00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:43.360
And he said there's no such thing as a bad win, right?
00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:47.679
Um, that was probably a bad win, but there's no such thing as a bad win.
00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:48.080
Right.
00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:50.960
Um every win in the NHL is important.
00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:53.679
But I mean they played Vancouver twice in Seattle once.
00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:54.000
Right.
00:16:54.159 --> 00:17:00.960
So you should be getting, with Connor McDavid and Leon Dreisidel and Evan Boujard, you should be getting five out of six points, if not six out of six points.
00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:03.360
Well, the next game after that, he followed up with a news conference.
00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.359
He said we didn't give up, we didn't give up a touchdown.
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.799
That was the win against Seattle, yeah.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:07.200
Right.
00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:08.079
So he's having some fun.
00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:09.279
Yeah, right, and that's good.
00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:16.559
But where I'm going with this is, you know, as much as I like Babcock, and I'm a Toron Maple Leafs guy, I liked Babcock when he was in Toronto.
00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:24.240
Um, obviously they they couldn't get over the hump, but um Sheldon Keefe was unable to get over the hump in Toronto, as was um Craig Barube.
00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:28.240
So I think that just might be a Toronto thing, and I've gonna have to accept that.
00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:39.599
Um, but anyways, finally to get to my point is I'm I still don't necessarily know if Babcock is gonna be the guy to push the Oilers over the hump.
00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:45.440
I mean, you fired a guy, you fired a coach in Chris Noblock that got Edmonton to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals.
00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:45.759
Yep.
00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:46.400
Right?
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:48.480
And so that's kind of where I'm at.
00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:54.319
Um I think that kind of this stuff about Babcock and the media, I agree with you.
00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:58.880
Like some of the media in this country was absolutely obsessed with this hire.
00:17:59.119 --> 00:17:59.279
Yeah.
00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:03.039
They just thought it was the worst possible thing that that the Oilers could do.
00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:03.200
Yeah.
00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:04.720
And how could the NHL do this?
00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:08.000
And how could the NHL allow this and all sort of stuff and and stuff?
00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:09.759
I think that that's a little bit overblown.
00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:11.359
I don't buy into that.
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:11.519
Yeah.
00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:18.000
But from a sheer coaching standpoint, and this is a coach that has an Olympic gold, two Olympic gold medals in Mike Babcock.
00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.440
He has a Stanley Cup ring.
00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.319
He's been to two other Stanley Cup finals, yeah.
00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:25.200
One with Detroit the year after they won.
00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:30.160
A world hockey championship, a world cup of hockey championship, a world junior hockey championship.
00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:35.839
And he was also, if I'm not mistaken, the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks when they were in the Stanley Cup final in 2003.
00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:37.119
Were they not?
00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:38.160
I believe so.
00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:38.559
Right?
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:38.720
Yeah.
00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:40.000
When he when they lost to New Jersey.
00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:43.839
Yeah, he wasn't a head coach in 07 when they won it, but I think that's a good idea.
00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:45.599
Yeah, but I think he had been to a cup final before that.
00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:46.079
That's right.
00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:46.240
Yeah.
00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:46.640
Right.
00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:47.759
So there's all that.
00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:56.160
And then there's also the fact that, hey, you know, for all that success that he's had internationally and in the NHL, he hasn't been out of the first round of the playoffs since 2012.
00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:56.400
Right.
00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:59.119
So there's there's two different ways that you can look at this.
00:18:59.279 --> 00:18:59.599
Yep.
00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:18.160
And you look at, you know, if recency bias was a thing, and it is for a lot of people, um, and I know some Oilers fans weren't weren't necessarily on board with this hire either, because again, they weren't sure that um the way that the game is played now and Babcock's coaching style, they weren't sure if it was gonna be gonna be a match.
00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:20.640
And again, I just go back to Chris Knallblock.
00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.119
He got the team back-to-back Stanley Cup back.
00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:23.759
That's fair.
00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:24.400
That's fair, right?
00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:26.079
So it'd be interesting to see.
00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.599
Um, but that doesn't mean that I'm necessarily against the the hire.
00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.319
It literally affects me in no way, shape, or form.
00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:32.720
Yeah.
00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:37.039
Um, I have a couple of good buddies that are Oilers fans, so we are always going back and forth and stuff like that.
00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:38.960
But uh, but it's gonna be interesting.
00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:45.359
It's it's it's a long season, and there's gonna be a lot to talk about between now and March and April.
00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:47.599
Um at and in Edmonton, good bad or otherwise.
00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:54.000
Mike Babcock was asked about the Alex Ovechkin retirement at the end of this season, and he said, well, he said, you know what?
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:58.319
He's uh won all kinds of Rocket Richard trophies, but he's won a Stanley Cup.
00:19:58.400 --> 00:19:58.559
Yeah.
00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:01.599
That's how I measure, that's how I measure success.
00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:09.200
And that's how I and so he's you know, looking and thinks he has the group in Edmonton to Stanley Cup or he probably wouldn't be coaching.
00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:16.799
Right, which is interesting because the greatest hockey player of the current generation, uh Connor McDavid, doesn't have a Stanley Cup.
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:17.359
Right.
00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:17.759
Right.
00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.400
So it's interesting that's an interesting quote by by Babcock.
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:23.440
So we'll see if he can get uh Mike David over the hump.
00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:23.680
I don't know.
00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:24.240
It's gonna be interesting.
00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:27.440
Oh, and by the way, the Brantford Bulldogs are seven and one to start the season.
00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:28.720
Who coaches that team?
00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.079
Mike Babcock Jr.
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:32.160
Michael Babcock, another great guy.
00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:35.279
And you know who owns the Bulldogs?
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:36.480
The Hyman family.
00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:37.920
Yeah, Zach Hyman.
00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:42.799
When we come back, we will have a chat with the Saskatoon Blades head coach Dan DeSilva.
00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:45.920
This is the Different Angles Podcast.
00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:55.599
Welcome back to the Different Angles Podcast.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:05.839
Uh I'm Bray Morrison, that's Matt Morrison, and we are pleased to welcome the second leading score from the Portland Winterhawks back in 2004, and the team's leading score in 2005.
00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:08.319
It's Saskatoon Blades head coach Dan DeSilva.
00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:10.640
Saskatoon product uh joins us.
00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:11.599
How are you?
00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:13.039
I'm doing good, thank you.
00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.640
What an what introduction that is.
00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.680
There you go, eh?
00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:16.079
Yeah.
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:18.240
Some of the guys you played with in Portland, Dan.
00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:23.920
Yeah, uh, I mean, Brandon Navinsky, Braden Coburn, you had some Cody McLeod.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.079
Uh, we had a lot of really good players on that team.
00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:29.759
And um, yeah, I was lucky enough to be able to outscore them one year.
00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:32.640
Yeah, probably with the probably with a lot of help from them, though.
00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:34.079
Well, that's great.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:35.839
That's uh that's outstanding.
00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:48.160
Um, so you you come in as head coach after a couple of years as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades, and when you started under Brendan Saunny, uh did you think that three years after you would be the head coach?
00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:49.599
Like, was this kind of planned?
00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:54.559
Or or tell me about the the road to becoming the head coach with this team?
00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:58.640
Yeah, um, it definitely wasn't something that was planned.
00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:03.200
Um I was, you know, very fortunate to get my my opportunity here.
00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:05.119
It actually started with Mitch Love.
00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:09.599
Um Mitch and I were teammates and roommates for our first three years of pro together.
00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:16.720
And um he was actually the the first guy that I uh interviewed with um when I was done playing and I had retired from playing.
00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:30.799
Uh he was a head coach here at the time, and then he ended up moving on that that fall to uh the Wranglers and Brendan took over and introduced me to Brendan and then one thing after another, and then yeah, I was lucky enough to to coach with Brendan for three years, learned a lot from him.
00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:35.920
Yeah, um, you know, a lot about what it takes to be a head coach at the or a coach at this level, let alone a head coach.
00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:40.000
And um, yeah, we had a really good relationship together, worked well together.
00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:51.759
And um when he left, you know, he he sang my praises and and gave you know um good good reviews of the job I'd done as an assistant and felt I was ready to be a head coach, and so I I really owe a lot to him.
00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:54.559
There's no guarantees when you're a coach in hockey.
00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:56.640
That's just uh that's just the business, right?
00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:04.799
So I guess my question was when you started three years ago, was it your goal to kind of settle in and eventually wait your turn to be a head coach with the Saskatoon Blades?
00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:15.680
Or were you kind of thinking that after uh being an assistant for a few seasons that you were going to kind of elevate to being a head coach if the opportunity came up anywhere?
00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.359
Yeah, it wasn't you know, necessarily anywhere.
00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:21.599
I was I was very happy being an assistant coach.
00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:31.279
I liked the role, I liked the rapport with the players and and having that um, you know, the the mess in between messenger between coaches and players.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:32.640
I liked having that relationship with them.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.319
It's a little bit different as a head coach.
00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:40.559
Um, but I did feel like I was I was potentially ready to take over as as head coach one day.
00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:50.160
Uh for me, I wasn't anything I necessarily wanted to move to pursue at this point in my life with a young family and just getting back from from playing uh professionally for 15 years.
00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:51.039
We just moved back.
00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:56.559
I wanted to settle down and and and plant roots here in Saskatoon, and kids are in school and all that stuff.
00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:01.119
So um this is something that I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be head coach in Saskatoon.
00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:05.119
And um, I like you said, the coaches don't stay in one place very long.
00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:11.359
I understand that you know we become a head coach, there's a shelf life uh and everyone expires uh eventually one day.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:21.119
But my my goal right now is to to be in Saskatoon, put all my energy and focus towards being the best head coach I can be for the Saskatoon Blades and and stay in this role for as long as I can.
00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:23.279
Two, two, and one in the first five games.
00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:24.960
Tell me about your team.
00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:30.079
Yeah, um, you know, I think definitely our record could be better than it shows right now.
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:31.119
Every coach has that.
00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:32.480
Yeah.
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:34.480
Well, we have to to save our jobs.
00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:34.960
Right.
00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:45.279
Um, yeah, I mean, we have we have some really good leaders in our in our room, uh, some guys that have been here with me for three or four years.
00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.640
Uh they understand the expectations and the standards, you know, every day.
00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:52.720
We have a really high standard for our players um in terms of like work ethic and compete.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:54.880
We want to do everything on a daily basis.
00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:58.240
And um, you know, and then the new guys are are still playing catch up a bit, right?
00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:02.480
The whether they're 19 or 16, they're still a lot of it's new to them.
00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:05.279
The systems are new, the environment's new, their teammates are new.
00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:09.680
So it's just taking some time with some of those younger guys and new guys to kind of get up to speed.
00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:11.359
But um, we really like our group.
00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:16.400
We feel like the sky's the limit for this group with the amount of attorneys that we have and the leadership that we have.
00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:22.880
Um, we do feel that once we get all the pieces kind of put together and everyone's on the same page, that uh, like I said, the sky's the limit.
00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:28.640
So we're just taking it day by day right now, and and uh um should we have liked better results through the first five games?
00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:31.039
Absolutely, but uh we know that it's a long season.
00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:32.799
It's not a sprint, it's a marathon.
00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:43.279
That's actually kind of what I was gonna ask, Coach was you know, you got guys like Hunter Lang, Hayden Hirsani, David Lewandowski, Braden Klimke, your captain, Cooper Williams, an NHL draft pick.
00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:57.440
Um, like just talk a little bit, and you kind of just did, but just how important is that veteran presence, not necessarily on the ice, but in the locker room, in the community, to show kind of these younger guys the ropes of the Western Hockey League.
00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:14.079
Yeah, and and you know, we refer to it as the Blade Way, and it's not just um on the ice or at practice, it's like you said, in the community how we, you know, how we go about ourselves, how we handle ourselves in the community at at uh you know, put team events or autograph signings, stuff like that.
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:18.720
Like it's we take a immense pride in um how we represent the blades.
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:29.519
And um, those guys are obviously really important and and carrying it over year after year, um, you know, the standards that we have for everyone um in regards to the blades way.
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:33.759
So those guys are extremely important uh in the room and um you know in the community as well.
00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:40.000
And they've done a great job um taking over for guys like Tyler Parr and Rowan Calvert that were great soldiers for us on and off the ice as well.
00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:43.759
And uh those guys have carried the torch uh so far in the season extremely well.
00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:49.200
So we're we're really proud of our our veteran guys, our our older guys, and the leadership they're bringing to our group.
00:26:49.599 --> 00:27:04.000
What sort of changes have you seen in the Western Hockey League since your playing days um, you know, back in the early 2000s, not necessarily in terms of the way that the game is played and the on-the-ice stuff, but just kind of the way that the Western Hockey League operates.
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:10.559
What kind of changes, positive changes have you seen now since since your playing days?
00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:18.640
Yeah, I mean it's uh it's a much different league than it was, you know, 20 years ago when I was playing, which is crazy to say it's been a quick 20 years.
00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:20.720
Um hopefully time slows down a bit.
00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:25.839
But um yeah, I mean the league has made you know changes to allow it, you know.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.240
It's obviously skill-based, it's skill focused, it's much faster than when we played.
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.200
Um all the clutching and grabbing is is out of the game.
00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:39.759
Um, obviously there's less fighting, uh, you know, which is which is you know probably a good thing at the end of the day.
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:41.200
These are young men.
00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:54.480
And um so I I think that the the league has done a great job protecting you know the players and making it obviously a competitive environment, and it's it's still hockey at the end of the day, but it made it a safer environment for the players to go out and showcase what they can do.
00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:57.440
And um, I think that's a that's a really positive thing.
00:27:57.920 --> 00:27:59.680
Have you played six of seven at home?
00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:02.720
Or uh it's a pretty large homestead that you've been on here.
00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:08.079
Uh then you got for the Thanksgiving weekend, you got Regina and Musha uh here, coach.
00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:14.799
So it's obviously a marathon or not a sprint, but uh that said, capitalizing on home ice.
00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:23.279
How how key is that at this juncture, knowing that the the points in March uh matter, but you can get those now in October.
00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:27.839
Yeah, no, and we we've talked about that lots um the last couple of weeks.
00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:39.279
You know, we started our first two games on the road, and then I think we have four straight at home, and then we're in swift and back at home again, and then and then you know our our B s or our um yeah, our BC trip is in February this this year.
00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.720
So um we got a lot of home games in the front half of the schedule.
00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:48.799
So we got to definitely make some hay here and establish home ice as uh you know um a tough place for people to come.
00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:55.920
We want we want teams to, you know, when they're coming into Sastel Center, uh, understand that they're gonna be in for a long night, and that's something we're still working on establishing.
00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:01.119
So um, like you said, doesn't matter to us if it's if it's March or or October.
00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:02.720
Um, those two points are important.
00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:08.559
And again, we're just trying to take it day by day, but and game by game, but uh obviously we want to make as many points up as we can right now.
00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:11.359
And you've beaten PA twice, which is kind of interesting.
00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:14.000
The defending Eastern Division Champions.
00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:18.559
So that's that's kind of a nice start, even though as a coach you'd you'd like to be above 500.
00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:24.960
Uh at least you know that you can skate with teams that that uh have had quite a bit of success from last season.
00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:28.799
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I guess that's the frustrating part as a coach, right?
00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:39.759
When you have uh a really good weekend against PA and you're able to beat them twice, and um, you know, we come home and kind of have a bit of a stinker uh last Friday night after not playing for a week.
00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:42.240
So um, but that's that's junior hockey.
00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:44.160
There's it's up and ups and downs.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:49.599
Um there's inconsistency at times with you know teenagers, and even at the pro level, you see it.
00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:51.839
So um we're just we're just focusing on building our game.
00:29:51.920 --> 00:30:03.519
Like I said, if we know that we have a good group here, um, if we can just you know become more consistent um and start developing you know our team game and and playing uh to a certain style that we need to play to have success.
00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:04.720
Go ahead.
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:16.240
I was just gonna say, you know, speaking of kind of this, you know, all these home games that you've had had here at the start of the year or are gonna have at the start of the year, uh, you've had some good crowds out at Sastel Center uh for the first two weekends as well.
00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:20.880
Just talk about maybe how much of a lift uh that does give your guys.
00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:23.119
Yeah, our fans have been unbelievable.
00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:26.640
We love our fans here in Saskatoon in Blade City, as the hat says.
00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:33.599
Um they come out and they support us, you know, um, and like to have, I think we've had 8,000 plus fans from both of our home games.
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:35.440
Um so we're very fortunate to have that.
00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:38.240
Not every every uh team gets to have that type of support.
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:42.400
So um, you know, and then you know it gives that guys an energy boost.
00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:46.960
I think it also gives the opponent an energy boost uh playing in that many in front of that many fans.
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:50.240
It's uh it's a fun atmosphere to play in, whether you're on the road or at home.
00:30:50.319 --> 00:30:57.279
So um, you know, and like I said before, unfortunately we weren't able to put on the show that we had we had liked to on uh last Friday.
00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:00.079
Um so hopefully they keep coming back out to support this group.
00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:06.160
I think, like I said, the sky's limit, and we're gonna, you know, we'll just keep chipping away to make sure we're putting a good product out there every night.
00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:08.720
Thanksgiving Friday, boost jaw.
00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:11.839
Thanksgiving Saturday, the Regina Pats are in the Sastel Center.
00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:13.440
Uh Dan, thanks for doing this.
00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:14.640
Appreciate it, sir.
00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:15.839
Yeah, appreciate it.
00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:16.559
That was painless.
00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:17.279
Thank you very much, guys.
00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.000
Thanks for having me.
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:27.200
Welcome back.
00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:29.680
Just uh back to rap on the Different Angles podcast.
00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:38.000
That was uh great of Dan DeSilda, the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades uh carve out some time for us while his uh son was next door at Sastel Center practicing there.
00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:41.759
How about some of the names that he pulled out from from guys that he played with in Portland?
00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:41.920
Yeah.
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:42.880
Brain Coburn.
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:43.200
Yep.
00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:44.559
Good Saskatchewan guys.
00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:44.720
Yeah.
00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:49.359
Brandon Dubinsky, former longtime NHLer, New York Ranger, Columbus Blue Jacket.
00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:49.680
Yeah.
00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:52.640
And uh yeah, I was looking at his his hockey DB page earlier.
00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:54.400
Yeah, I was checking to see if I moved out here.
00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:54.799
I didn't remember.
00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:55.680
Oh, he was a sniper.
00:31:55.920 --> 00:31:56.160
Absolutely.
00:31:56.559 --> 00:31:58.480
70-point player in his final year with Portland.
00:31:58.559 --> 00:31:58.720
Yeah.
00:31:58.960 --> 00:31:59.279
All right.
00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:02.319
Uh played in the American Hockey League, went overseas and played a little bit.
00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:06.079
And uh yeah, and most Portland winter hawk teams are usually pretty good, also.
00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:08.160
Yeah, no uh no question about it.
00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:09.279
So that's it.
00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:14.960
So around uh Saskatoon for the October 9th, 10th, 11th weekend, Thanksgiving weekend.
00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:18.880
Friday night, the Moose Jaw Warriors are in to take on the Blades, as we mentioned with Dan.
00:32:18.960 --> 00:32:20.640
Uh that'll be a seven o'clock start.
00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:27.920
Saturday night, it's the Regina Pats that are into uh SASTEL Center for a seven o'clock game against the Saskatoon Blades uh as well.
00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:29.680
So Friday, Saturday games there.
00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:35.920
Uh the banner will be unveiled at Myrtle's Belcher Place for the defending Canada West hockey champions on the men's side.
00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:37.119
That's the U of Suskies.
00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:40.319
They will take on the Calgary Dinos on Friday night.
00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:43.680
That will be a seven o'clock start, and then at a five o'clock start.
00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:44.559
Note that time.
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:51.200
The second games of the Canada West series uh are always on five o'clock for the most part on Saturdays, unless it's Regina.
00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:56.079
So Saturday, uh October 10th, uh Calgary Dinos and Huskies at 5 o'clock.
00:32:56.240 --> 00:33:03.759
And then the aforementioned Hilltop playoff game that fans walked away from last weekend, not sure if it was gonna happen, but they did.
00:33:03.839 --> 00:33:11.359
The Edmontons, the Edmonton Wildcats and uh the Saskatoon Hilltops at 1 o'clock in the PFC semifinal over at SMF Field.
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:12.640
Got anything to add before we go?
00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:14.799
You're coming over to my house for Thanksgiving.
00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:15.359
Absolutely.
00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:16.000
I do believe.
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:17.359
I heard there was food.
00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:18.559
Yeah, yeah.
00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:20.160
So there's gonna be a turkey.
00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:20.559
Good.
00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:23.119
Um, we'll see if if my wife lets me in the kitchen.
00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:23.519
Yeah.
00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:24.480
Probably a bad idea.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:25.519
We would prefer if she knows.
00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:29.039
It'll be like that uh, you know, that Christmas vacation scene, right?
00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:36.640
Where they carve up the turkey at the end or they cook the turkey and you they cuts into it, Clark cuts into it, and it just dust.
00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:37.039
Yeah.
00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:39.759
If I were to be in the kitchen, that's what it would be.
00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:42.960
But uh I'll grab a burger on the way over.
00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:44.240
Maybe, maybe we'll do that.
00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:47.119
I have um, and it's not even like I hate cooking.
00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:49.359
I'm just I have limitations in the kitchen.
00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:50.000
Yeah.
00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:50.400
Yeah.
00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:52.559
I live Dio for a few years.
00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:54.640
Like, you know, I I chicken Alfredo?
00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:55.039
I'm aware.
00:33:55.279 --> 00:33:56.880
Chicken Alfredo, I'm your guy.
00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:58.480
Anything else?
00:33:58.640 --> 00:33:59.039
Probably not.
00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:02.480
So oil some noodles, put some sauce on it.
00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:03.039
You're the man.
00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:03.599
Yes.
00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:05.599
This went excellent, by the way, I think.
00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:07.759
The Different Angles Podcast, episode one.
00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:08.719
Well, good.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:09.519
It went great.
00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:10.000
Good.
00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:11.760
Well, I'm glad it uh met your approval.
00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:13.360
We'll do it again next week.
00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:17.840
Thanks for joining us on the Different Angles Podcast because the world needs another podcast.
00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:23.280
Uh, we'll come match again next week from the Bamboo Shoots Studios in downtown Saskatoon.
