Cam: Welcome back to the Lockerbox Podcast. We've been away for a little while, but we are coming back with a bang. Mike's it's been it's been what three months, but we don't need to talk about ourselves. We don't need to talk about the off season 'cause we've got Montreal Canadians third round pick, ninety third overall, joining us on today's podcast. It's an exclusive interview with Cooper Cleves. Cooper, how's it going?
Harley: Whites, I thought we agreed we're it's coop, right? Do you prefer coop or cooper?
Cam: cool.
Harley: Wheels told
Coop: Doesn't matter.
Harley: us you don't say cooper, do you go coop?
Coop: Yeah, mostly most people call me Coop. I think maybe just teachers called me Cooper.
Harley: Okay. So I think we'll go with Koo.
Cam: Do you do you have any other nicknames? Or is it Coop?
Coop: No, it's normally normally Coop. I have some nicknames in Green Bay, but it's just Coop.
Harley: Yeah, some y some you can't go public. I love that one.
Coop: Yeah, yeah.
Harley: So wait, sorry we I cut you off there.
Cam: No, you're good. I mean, just for I guess some context here, Coop, you're s you're in Dart at Dartmouth College starting your sophomore season. So I mean, you're about to go back. It's August twentieth. How's the summer been? What have you been up to? Kind of working on your game or in the gym. What's what's your summers look like?
Coop: Yeah, summer's been great. you know, w got a little bit of a later start to it this year. you know, Dartmouth, we were on the trimester system. I got home in like mid June. but it's been good. been on the ice a lot more kind of in August and and towards the end of July. June was a was a pretty busy month. just getting home and then and then I went to the draft in the end of June and then July was kind of dev camp and then getting back in the gym and starting to skate. but yeah it's been a pretty pretty chill summer. I haven't really been up to much. but it's been really
Harley: So
Coop: nice. Spent a lot of time at family or at home with family.
Harley: playing college hockey, like obviously it it ends a little bit earlier than than if you're playing juniors in in Canada or something like that. When after hockey ends at school, are you what what do you got going on there? Are you just focing focusing on school? Are you s guys still skating or what happens in that time?
Coop: No, it's like so after we played Wisconsin, we lost and then we get I think we got like ten days off, or maybe more, maybe like two weeks off, just like no workouts, no skating, no nothing. but they take our ice out like as soon as we're done. so there's no skate. Yeah, at Thompson Arena. Great point.
Harley: At Thompson Arena. I've been there. I've been there. Nice barn. Did they they put a a jumbotron in there? Okay.
Coop: Yeah. Fresh jumbo this past season. then they're actually blown out the back wall. I haven't seen like the the brand new renderings, but Lot lot more coming to Thompson pretty soon. new locker room, new new in-rink gym, which will be pretty cool. But yeah, so after our season ended, we were no ice for ten weeks in the spring term, but you know, we're lifting five times a week in the afternoon and then sometimes in the morning. But yeah, it's good. You're in the gym with the boys for probably ninety minutes a day. then you're just kind of focusing on school. But it's pretty fun. Like it's a good time.
Harley: Yeah. It's it's probably the be well, wouldn't say the best time of the year, but you you get to jam with the boys, have a good time.
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: Whites Whites, you look like you had something ready, go.
Cam: I actually don't have anything. I was hoping you'd no, I'm kidding. yeah, we could I mean we can go a few angles here. I guess we could stick on college. You guys had a pretty good season. I know like Dartmouth isn't necessarily known as like a powerhouse school. So maybe get into but you guys had a hell of a season. So maybe get into that, like what got into the decision there? Like what made you decide Dartmouth? Did you have any other options going into college? Maybe talk about that process a little bit.
Coop: Yeah. it's actually funny. Like
Cam: If you can.
Coop: when I was a kid, I always wanted to go to like a bigger school. Like I always wanted like, you know, the massive student section and and you know, all the big matchups and everything like that. but then like as I got older, you know, I kinda figured smaller school, smart school. and then my brother ended up committing there, my sophomore year high school. and I went on the visit with him. he committed and then when I met the coaching staff like when they were like trying to recruit me, I think that was kinda like the nail in the coffin. It was just like my brother was there, it made so much sense, my parents loved the school, and then meeting the coaches, like I kinda believed in in Cash and and his whole staff and everything they were telling me. and then yeah, it just seemed like the right fit.
Cam: And Brian Faye, you met Brian Faye. Brian Faye coached us. I don't know if you knew that. We had Brian Faye
Coop: Yeah. No.
Cam: like our second what was our first or second year at Albertus, so
Harley: I think it might have been our first year. To be honest, I did not what does Brian Fehey do at Dartmouth? I didn't even know he worked there.
Coop: Yeah, he's one of our assistant coaches. he doesn't he doesn't go on the bench. but he's like the eye in the sky. He does a ton of video and like individual work with our forwards. and he's always like the guy, like after practice, working on skills. he kind of does it all for us. I was actually talking to him today on the phone, about like a potential recruit. but Fazer's the man. He's always got the energy. Like every morning, he's always up.
Cam: he's always got energy.
Harley: He's he's always been a video guy. Whites, you I think you were asking also about how'd the season go. Can talk about your season,
Coop: Yeah. The season was was unreal. you know, Ivy's are weird. Like we have that kind of late late start to the season. Like our first game isn't until Halloween. but it definitely was an advantage for us. you know, Coach Cash and like the staff, they're they're super, super dialed. and they had us ready to go when we started the year like twelve and you know, it's a it's a long six weeks of of training camp basically. but once the season gets rolling, it's like Fridays and Saturdays, it's like everybody's just working well in a unit. And we started the year eleven and and then, you know, we won the first ECAC. title in program history and and ran into a good Wisconsin team in the first round of of the tournament. but it was a great year. I mean we had like a bunch of individual rewards go around for the guys. First title's obviously obviously pretty nice and you
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: Yeah, it's pretty sick 'cause
Coop: know I think we only I think we only lost one game at home too.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: we lost to ASU at home in regulation and then we also lost to Princeton in a shootout at home. But yeah it was a good year.
Cam: Yeah, Coop, you kinda touched on no, you kinda touched on how you just like when you get to school and or probably a lot of Montreal Canadians fans are gonna be listening to this and they're not as accustomed to college hockey. Like when you get there, you're just working out, you're skating for like a a good amount of time. Like it's more in D three, but D one, you're doing that a lot. So like have
Coop: Yeah.
Cam: you always been a guy kind of taking it back to like your earlier days, like who's been spinning the gym, skating a lot, like you've been a are you a rink rat? Like what as a younger kid, like how did that look for you? It's like Just being at the rink all the time, being in the gym.
Coop: Yeah, I'd say I was I was definitely more of a rink rat than a gym guy. you know, like I've always loved hockey. It's always been, you know, what I've always wanted to do. you know, like after my practice as a kid, I was staying out with my older brother's team and practicing again. And in high school, once I finally got my license, I was staying at the rank, you know, two hours after practice. things like that. but I was kind of a late bloomer, so the gym wasn't really something I was totally dialed into until the p the past couple of years. but now, you know, it's definitely kicked up a notch and and we have like an unbelievable staff at Dartmouth. Like our strength coach, Chase Eng Dahl, you he worked with the Avalanche, like he's so detailed and so good working with all of us in the fall and the spring. And then like practices with Coach Cash or are great. I mean they're tough, but you know, he gets us ready to go for sure.
Harley: How often are you guys practicing a week?
Coop: I think when we get there, like our hours are kind of limited, in the beginning. But then I mean I think we're on the ice five, six times a week in the fall until the season starts. and then, you know, it's Monday through Thursday practice. Probably a morning skate Friday. You play Friday, Saturday and then start over again on Monday.
Harley: That's pretty good. What what what got you into hockey at the start? I know you talked a little bit about your brother. Did your parents play or?
Coop: Yeah, so my grandpa played at Princeton University. and then
Harley: You ever heard of it?
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: Yeah, he actually played in Hobie where we played this year. They still that rings super old
Cam: sick.
Coop: and has some pretty cool history.
Harley: Yeah. I I've seen pictures of it. I've never actually been there.
Coop: yeah, so my grandpa played at Princeton. and then my dad and his brother both played at Middlebury College in Vermont.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: and then yeah, my older brother played and and I've got a younger sister and a younger brother who also play. but I think they just got in got us into it pretty young. I mean, we played every sport, but like hockey was always the one that was you know, it never really wavered. Like when when it wasn't lax season I didn't really care about lax. When it wasn't hockey season you're like kind of fiend to get back on the ice.
Harley: At what point did it go like all hockey?
Coop: Probably like my s I mean it was always gonna be hockey, but I think I stopped playing sports going into my junior high school. you know, I played J V baseball with the boys in high school, my junior and senior year. But yeah, I was playing hockey and lax until my sophomore year high school.
Harley: said you're a late bloomer. at what point di did you realize like okay, I'm kind of better than most people and like I could kind of take like I could probably take this somewhere and do something. Maybe get drafted and yeah.
Cam: Maybe get drafted, right? Or like at least get drafted.
Coop: Yeah. I was always like I'd say late bloomer, like I use it more like a physical term. Like I always
Harley: Okay.
Coop: I was always like pretty good growing up. and then like once guys my age started to kinda like develop physically and and mature a little bit, I'd say like I took a couple steps back. but you know, I always like loved hockey and I always knew that it was what I wanted to do. So I never got like discouraged or anything like that. but then once I grew into my body a little bit and like got a little taller and the game became a little bit easier. like my junior year high school after I committed to college and then like my senior year high school I got like a little bit of draft attention. and that was kind of when I was like, all right, like, maybe I got a chance. and then Obviously I played one year at junior, got a little bit of attention, and then this past year at Dartmouth, I sat down with my coach like in beginning of year, and he kinda brought it up, like I knew like you have a chance as a third year, but I know it's a it's a pretty outside chance. And then he kinda brought it up again and and I think he believed it a little more than me at the time. and then, you know, obviously had a pretty good year and they put so much time into me and and it ended up happening, so
Cam: Was there like that one thing maybe when you sat down with him that y he was like where you were like I need to improve on this or I need to round out my game this way to even like be getting a chance to get drafted? Was there kinda something you guys honed in on and worked together on?
Coop: Yeah, I mean there was a ton of I think like I was a I was pretty like raw coming in this year. you know, I didn't really have like a true identity to my game and it wasn't super detailed. so just working on things like that, like stick detail, defending, you know, being a little bit harder to play against, like those were kind of things I was missing. You know, like I had the size, like a puck moving ability and I could skate, but there wasn't like a real identity in my game and and there were some flaws like detail wise and habits wise. and just kind of like honing in on those throughout the year I think really made a big difference for me.
Harley: If s if s like if a Montreal Canadiens fan they've never watched you play, how would you describe your your play?
Coop: I'd say you know, I'm a big right handed defenseman, that, you know, is is pretty responsible.
Harley: That could pair pretty well with Lane Hudson or
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: I wish, man. but yeah, I'd say I'm pretty responsible in all three zones. you know, I used to be probably a little bit more offensive minded. and now I'd say I definitely play a a two way game. but you know, I still kinda like to think the game offensively and make some plays. but yeah, you know, I'm trying to be more harder to play against. And yeah, I'd say I play a pretty well rounded game.
Harley: Mike, I think we get into the draft whites, no? White, you take it away.
Cam: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was gonna say let's get into the we'll get into the draft. maybe we even before the draft, like you attended Habs dev camp last year as an undrafted guy. You you like you got passed over twice in the draft. Maybe was there something at Dev Camp that you're like I think the Canadians would even draft me or did you have no idea? And then maybe touch on a little bit, I guess it's two questions, like getting passed over twice isn't isn't fun. So like how did you handle that right and and and s and get to the point where you ended up going in the
Harley: And come back to it.
Cam: third round? Yeah.
Coop: Yeah. so the Canadians Def camp was awesome last year. you know, I learned a lot, met a bunch of the guys, met a bunch of the staff, and was like pretty happy with how the week went. and and when I left, like I got some pretty good feedback. just kinda like keep doing what you're doing and and you know, you'll have some success next year and who knows, like you are still eligible next year. but even towards like the the month of June, like I wasn't totally sure it would be the Canadians at all. you know, like I actually had like I would have thought it would be some other teams first before it was the Canadians. and then yeah, obviously I was pumped that they picked me, but
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: the past two years, like, you know, I didn't talk to many teams, but like I always thought there was a chance both years as like kind of a late flyer pick, you know, like they There's things like that happen all the time. and then this year, like with the attention that I got, it kinda puts like the other two years in perspective, like, I wasn't really that close those other two years. Obviously it only takes one team to really like you, but you know, I got a lot of attention in the spring this past year leading up to the draft. And then, you know, once I heard the Canadians pick me, it was like couldn't imagine a better place.
Harley: Wha what is that like? You're saying you got a lot of attention, so scouts are like talking to you after a game. Like I don't even obviously I wasn't good, so I I I don't know what it's like, so
Coop: No, I mean
Cam: Taking it out for dinner.
Coop: No, not quite. It was a lot of zooms, not n not any dinners. But you know, like even during the year, like I wasn't getting contacted like a ton until kind of later in the year. Like during the year you get a couple of questionnaires, maybe an interview like here and there. but like Like the guys the scouts do a great job of just kinda letting you focus on hockey, and not letting it really creep into your mind too much. And and my coaches do an unbelievable job of like not just me, but like all the outside noise. I mean, we've so many good free agents and everything like that. Like guys are hounding those guys all the time. but they were so good at just like keeping us focused day by day, one thing at a time, kind of thing. Where once I got to the spring and our season was over, that's when, you know, a lot of teams started reaching out for like interviews and and And whatnot over the phone and Zoom. but yeah, like during the year, you know, I always thought there was a shot, but like even during the year, I wasn't really thinking about the draft too much.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: it kind of started like it picked up really quick in the spring to the point where you know you kind of forget about it almost, and then you're like, geez, like this might happen quicker than I thought.
Cam: Hm. W Was there
Harley: And on these like zoo sorry Cam, on these zooms or or calls are they like asking you about like your play or they like asking me like talk talking to you about the person you are, like or is it maybe all of the above? Like what wha what kind of w I I didn't even know they do that to be honest.
Coop: Yeah, no, it's definitely all the above. some teams are like super straightforward. They want to know about, you know, like, what do you think about this as a player? Like, tell me about yourself. And they've kind of just got like bullet point questions that you can tell, like they probably rattle off to a couple other guys.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: and they're super formal. And then other teams they wanna get to know you as a person, they wanna get to know your family. and they'll kinda like like they'll range from maybe ten minutes to like an hour and you never know
Harley: Really.
Coop: really going into
Cam: wow.
Coop: some of are like super personable and and it's like kind of conversation and they're trying to get to know you and then other of are just kind of like basic information and and things like that. But like I actually really enjoyed the the interview process. Like, you know, you you kinda get better as you go on.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: and it's cool to talk to all those teams and stuff, but you know, there's definitely some teams where you feel a better connection than and Montreal is definitely one of those.
Cam: And then and w one last question and then I think we'll go into your draft day, but the and you don't have to say if it's the Canadians or not, but they talk there's a lot of talk about like they asked the like the hardest, like most like out of left field kind of questions. Did you have any of those kinds of questions, maybe from the Canadians or anyone else that and like if you could share one of them maybe and maybe your answer if you want to?
Coop: I didn't have I didn't have any like crazy questions or like challenges or anything like that. But one question that I like kind of didn't really know how to answer was like, what's the definition of failure? And like some teams would get like super deep and kind of like try to get into your mind and pick your brain a little bit.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: I think I said something like, you know, it's not I think it was like not reaching my fullest potential or something like that, like like that was what I consider to be failure. Yeah, right. Like I was like,
Cam: I I'm I I'd like that. I mean I can't even think of it. I can't even
Coop: if I don't if I don't make it to the NHL
Harley: Thinking what I'm thinking rides, sir.
Coop: but I maxed out who I was, like, you know, I don't think you can look yourself in the eye and say that that's failure. But, you know, if you if you were born to make the NHL or something like that or you had all the things that you needed to make the NHL and you didn't get there, like, that's definitely failure. Yeah, I think that was probably
Cam: a good answer. I think
Harley: Wait, what would you say?
Cam: I don't even know. I was more so just thinking like push ups,
Harley: I have mine.
Cam: like till you can't go anymore. I was like that's failure.
Coop: Should
Cam: But I don't I don't know. I did I actually have no idea what I would say. What would you say?
Harley: What's I would probably say giving up. That's failure. If you give up in
Coop: Yeah. I think
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: anything.
Coop: one of my one of my boys, like it was kind of fun. Like we were going through a similar process at the same time and like you would talk to the same team, you know, like every week, you'd be like, who would you talk to? And then if you ever talk to the same team, they'd be go'd you ask they ask you this question, like, what'd you say? And I think for that one he gave like a super simple answer and he's like, Dude, like you got way deeper than me. He's like, They probably hated my answer.
Harley: Yeah. You never
Cam: Ye yeah, but that just shows
Harley: know what they're looking for, right? Also you also wonder
Cam: like different people. Yeah, you're just different people, so it's just different answers. It's it's like
Coop: Yeah, exactly.
Harley: like how much does that like I'm a hockey player here, I'm not like a ph philosopher, right? It's like how much are they taking it that into account? It could
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: be a lot. I'm sure some teams take take a lot from it. Some teams probably just ask it just to mess around, so
Coop: No, but some teams are like some teams will give you this like a 250 question like personality t personality test and it's like
Harley: It's like you're interviewing I like for a job. Like I'm pretty sure I had to do that for a job like a couple of years ago.
Coop: Yeah. Yeah, and like they'll put you and and you'll get you'll get like your data back and you'll be in like you'll be like a this color person or something like
Harley: Moon.
Coop: that. But some of the questions are crazy. Like I would have to look back like or taking pictures of someone being like, What do I say to this?
Harley: yeah, let's let's go to to Draft Night or yeah. Kinda take me through that that whole experience and and what that looks like.
Coop: Yeah, it was awesome. the day before, I went up early. and I actually did like an interview and like a little combine for Buffalo just 'cause I was there.
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: you know, I went up the day of night one. obviously I like fortunately I knew I wasn't a night one guy. but I went up with my older brother who's a college free agent too. and he talked to them as well and and we kinda just hung out in Buffalo the first day. I did the combine and then just kinda like walked around the city a little bit, had dinner with my family. my mom and little brother drove up later that night. And then the next day you wake up and you know, you get breakfast and you head over to the to the rink around like eleven o'clock. And I remember like I still wasn't sure where I was gonna go. like I kinda had an idea of like the range of picks. But I remember I was
Harley: And is that just from your conversations with with teams and stuff?
Coop: Yeah, basically. Just kind of from what teams will tell you and what, you know, your agent will tell you and and you know where the draft board kinda stacks up. but I remember like I was sitting 'cause they don't tell you like where to sit or anything like that. I mean, I'm sure it's different for the night one guys and and they've got like those couches reserved, which looks pretty sick, but
Harley: Yeah, Justin Bieber's calling your aunt.
Coop: I was like sitting up in like the lower bowl, like in one of the sections, and then like this lady came up and told me to like come down to the floor. so it was sick. We're sitting like right on the floor, these two sections of chairs. Like I had all six of my f or all five of my family members with me. And it's kinda cool, like you're sitting there waiting, guys are getting picked. and it like you get you don't think you're gonna be as nervous as you are, like during like the earlier rounds or whatever, or when you start to think that you can go. but it's like it's pretty nerve wracking just sitting there like, you know, you don't
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: Yeah, and then I remember I was just kinda like hanging out with my brother and my little brother who were sitting next to me and I was looking at like the last row of the third round. and like there were a couple of teams in there that I was like, jeez, like that looks pretty good. Like, you know, there's probably five teams where I could have seen myself going in that last couple picks. but you don't really think too much of it and pick ninety three, like it almost looked like too good to be true. Like Montreal, you know, I wore ninety three in Green Bay and my little brother kept telling me that. and like you're
Harley: Night and beer.
Coop: kinda just like thinking about it and then all of a sudden they say like your name and you just kinda black out. Like it was nuts. And you're just like dapp I think I dapped on my little brother three times, like just 'cause I wasn't even playing. my gosh, it's crazy.
Cam: That's crazy. I'm getting chills like just hearing it.
Coop: I'm like going down the line, hugging my parents, my face goes beat red. And I legit gave my little brother like three high fives. I think he hugged me twice. but then you're just walking down and like everybody's like around you, or like you're walking down this little hallway or this little like aisle of chairs. Like
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: people are reaching out, give me high fives, and like I don't see anything. Like I'm like kind of blacking out a little bit. And
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: I remember grabbing the jersey from the lady, my hands are shaking like crazy. But like it's something you'll remember for the rest of your life. Like you you black out and remember every single moment at the same time. Like, I don't
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: know how to describe it.
Harley: And then no, I had nothing actually.
Cam: They also gave you a pr the no let you go in a second. I'm just gonna say they also gave you pretty like the ha the draft hats were pretty sick this year.
Coop: Yeah, they were sweet. And they gave me like so after I got picked, my family members all went into like this like family section. kinda like up at the top of the key bank center. And I remember I got in there and like my family had like four hats of the same hat that I did and I like, that's pretty sweet. Like they take care of them too and they get this little like VIP area. but I didn't see them for like an hour and a half after I got picked just 'cause of like all like the media and stuff.
Harley: Yeah, so what's that like? You're it's just interview after interview and it's sports net whatever
Coop: Yeah, it's pretty sick. Like they'll take you back and and I remember the first thing that happened, I like I walked back, and there was like two or three social media people from Montreal there. And the first thing they did was mic me up and I like, geez. Yeah, exactly.
Harley: Yeah, don't say anything stupid.
Cam: Ha ha ha.
Coop: Trying not to be an idiot and freak out. but yeah, they bring you to like upper deck has like a photo thing, NHL has a photo thing, you get like your face scanned for NHL. And you basically just take pictures and and fill out like little social media interviews and and like player questionnaires for like maybe an hour. And then and then I went to like a little media scrum, which was pretty cool. It was my first first ever media scrum. that took about like twenty five minutes and then by that time I was done and I got to go hang out with the fam and then I was kinda hanging out there for like thirty minutes. I saw one of my best friends, Zach Wooten, got picked. like perfect timing when I walked back into the family room, so that was pretty sweet. And then after that, that was it. And we hit the road and went and got dinner and just kinda hung out.
Harley: Any any tough questions in that media scrum or you you blacked out for that one too?
Coop: No the funny, there's a funny one though. my I had two weird ones. or one weird one. One was really funny. One guy asked me like how does it feel to get drafted before GTA six came out? I was like I didn't really know how to answer it. I was like, I guess that's pretty nuts. Yeah.
Harley: Yeah. It's great, man. Yeah, fire that guy.
Cam: Ha ha ha.
Coop: But yeah, I'd nobody had an answer.
Harley: Like LF.
Coop: I like I think I played GTA one time in my life. Not a big video game guy, but
Harley: Yeah. It's a crazy question to ask.
Coop: yeah. And then Johnny Lazarus, from the US H L. he texted my college coach, Coach Cashman, for like a funny question. And It was like the father son golf tournament was like the weekend before and he was like ask him why his brother got why his dad picked his brother to play in the golf scramble instead of him. So like that was probably the funny one. but yeah, that was everything else was pretty straightforward.
Harley: Pretty sick.
Cam: Any any cool like anyone like reach I saw the video, so I know one guy reached out to you on the Canadians, but anyone since then maybe talk about if anyone hasn't seen the Habs video, which is pretty crazy, like even to see yourself, I know I'm going back and forth, just see yourself like on Montreal Canadians Instagram, like a video of you, like that's insane. And then yeah, talk about maybe who reached out to you s since you've been drafted.
Coop: Yeah. no, it's been awesome. Like I got pretty lucky media wise. Like the first round Gleb and and second round Timmy Runso, like they they weren't at the draft. so I was the first guy from the Canadians to get picked and be there. I think it was the only guy too, but so media wise, like I got a lot
Cam: You were the guy.
Coop: of attention. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Like
Cam: Mm. Especially the Canadians. Like you probably have more media anyways just 'cause it's the Canadians other than a small team, small market team.
Coop: Yeah. yeah, like social media wise and everything. I think the only thing I did on my phone that day was just go public on Instagram, like as soon as I got picked, 'cause they're like tagging me and stuff and they were like, Be careful, like you're gonna get your requests flooded and whatnot. I was like, All right, I'll just go public. but yeah, that was awesome. and then people that reached out, I mean I had like people from like a long time ago, like old teammates reaching out. I don't think wheels. Yeah.
Cam: Wheels. I I golfed with wheels that day. I was driving to the course when you got drafted and I get there. He's like, Cam, like my buddy got drafted by the Canadians. I was like, No way, get him on the pot. That's what I said.
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: There you go. How how many how many follow followers did you get? Or like, yeah, how many more?
Coop: I mean that video that they posted got like fifteen thousand likes or something and they they let me collab on it with them which was pretty sweet. But I think I got like close to three thousand boost,
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: which was pretty nuts. Like
Harley: Yeah. Montreal Canadians fans you'll you'll learn. They're
Cam: We're crazy.
Harley: absolutely insane. Like
Coop: It was crazy. I g I landed for for development camp and like got recognized like within two hundred yards of the plane. I was like, What is going on?
Harley: Yeah.
Cam: And you didn't even have your hockey stuff. Or you did have your hockey stuff?
Coop: No, I I had like my carry like my carry on backpack.
Cam: Yeah, we like s as a Munchia native yeah.
Harley: I'm sure they'll probably comment on like yeah, they'll probably comment on your Instagrams that are not have nothing to do with hockey. Probably go like five years ago, like it's it I've seen it. Sorry, what's
Coop: Yeah. No, it's pretty cool though.
Cam: No, I got No. Coop, I I think I don't know, unless Mike's you got something like else on the draft? Yeah. Okay.
Harley: What? Yeah, yeah. No, I do no, not the draft, sorry. It it was more I want to ask about what he thought about Montreal as a
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: city. Like, yeah, what you what'd
Coop: Yeah, I mean
Harley: you think of Montreal? It's it you're you're in Montreal for a week, right?
Coop: Yeah, we're so we stay in in Brosard by the practice facility. Like
Harley: they so they put you in a hotel or
Coop: Yeah, so like all the guys are in the like the DIX complex or something.
Harley: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.
Cam: Yeah, yeah.
Coop: Pretty close facility. Like it's like a twenty minute walk, but they shuttle us over in like five minutes. but they they do bus us in to go see the Bell Center and stuff, like one night per kit for camp. Like We'll go in, we'll get a tour of the Bell Center and then we'll have dinner there, like a little buffet. so like you're looking out the window and stuff in downtown Montreal and and then when you get to the Bell Center, it's nuts. Like I grew up going to Rangers games at MSG. and like obviously that's a pretty crazy value also. Like
Harley: Yeah, that's a pretty unique building too.
Coop: but the Bell Center's crazy. Both times I've been there, they've been setting up for a concert and it looks bananas. Like the seats are just like kind of straight up and there's so
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: many of And there's like so much history in the building. and the people that work there are awesome. Like they know that building like the back of their hand. but yeah, it's it's unbelievable. I know like everybody I've talked to that says like they have just like nothing but great things to say about the city itself. Everyone says like it's so much fun and and like in the playoffs, like the energy is insane. so it's it's pretty exciting.
Cam: Yeah, not gonna name names, but somebody went to a home playoff game this year and might have mushed him 'cause I don't think they won a game after he was in the building. But no my
Harley: Well, I I don't think I had much to do with it, but I'll like I'll tell ya, like playoff games in Montreal, like it's it's just insane. It gives you like it literally gives you chills. I was like, Holy crap, like this is this is actually insane. Like it's pretty cool
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: to be a part of. I never got drafted by them, but I I get I get to be a fan and start a shitty podcast about it.
Cam: Ha ha ha.
Coop: Yeah, my little brother will always send me like the the cold play walkout videos on TikTok.
Harley: my f that like
Cam: Mm.
Harley: that like that I'm obviously biased but like it's the sick like it's fu it's actually
Coop: it's so sad.
Harley: insane when they got when they got playoffs going and and you got the they have like a sick announcer, like he's kinda old now. I think his name's Michel Lacroix, right?
Cam: Michelle, yeah.
Harley: And I really hope he never retires because he's he's so good at it. Like I I so I live in Toronto. And I I go to a couple of leaf games here and there and like their announcer. It's just sounds like out of chat GT GPT or whatever it is. But
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: this guy, he's got so much personality and he speaks English and French like perfectly. Yeah,
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: Exact.
Harley: he's got a sick voice. But yeah, hell of a barn. Really good for concerts too. Been to a couple concerts there. Noah Kahan, hell of a concert.
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: Well, I just take it out.
Cam: Yeah, Coop, you I don't know, you I was just it just came to mind you were at you said you went to the Bell Center. Didn't I'm pretty sure Marty, didn't you give a pretty electric speech to you guys in the locker room?
Coop: my gosh. The so those were in those were in the practice facility locker room, but those
Cam: Okay.
Coop: speeches are like bro, they'll have you ready to run through a brick wall. Like my first year you gave a speech about like the ball. Yeah, I'm sure you guys have watched it, like that
Cam: that was so that wasn't this year, that was the year before.
Harley: Yeah, yeah, I've seen.
Coop: was the year before. And then this year's was like I mean, they didn't post it, so like I don't know how much I I mean I could probably say it. It's like he was talking about like
Harley: We'll cut it out if you want.
Coop: he was talking like the steps, like to get yeah, like some guys are born on this step and some guys are born on this step, but like at the top of the steps, like There's a house and it's the house of the Canadiens. And like if you're in that house, like you play for the Canadiens. And he's like, And you guys have no idea how hard it is to get up those steps. He's like, and once you get there, he's like, and you try to knock on that door, he's like, everybody in there is like pushing that door right back in your face, 'cause the door goes both ways and there's a door on the other side of it. And so you push somebody in, you push your way in, somebody gets pushed out. He's like, and nobody wants to get pushed out. And then like he goes on this crazy speech about like how hard it is and how like and like Everybody's so fired up and he's so passionate and like his speech delivery is insane. And then he's like, he's like, Well, if you can't push in, he's like, find a window, find a chimney, he's like, do anything you can to get in there. And like the scrimmage, the first 10 minutes of the scrimmage, everyone's
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: just ripping around. Cause like
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: they're so fired up and it's perfect timing. Like end of camp basically, like right before the scrimmage. but like his the first like 10 seconds. He walks in, he was like, Yeah, like, what's up guys? Like, you know, this would be like kind of a welcome to Montreal speech, but like you guys have been here for four days now, like that stuff's over with. He's like, This is reality check. And everybody just kind of sits up straight a little bit and he goes and delivers that insane speech. but it was nuts.
Cam: That's crazy. D any guy go ahead. We're just
Harley: Yeah. The Habs are No, I was gonna say the Hab Habs are lucky they they s they got
Cam: Yeah. And like you even see like in the playoffs they were showing like some of hi the videos of him talking or or just in the locker room and it with like the hm like he just he just
Coop: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Cam: has a way about and I didn't know this about I knew I knew he was a hell of a player but until he started coaching like I didn't realise like his mind is just like it's above everybody else's honestly.
Harley: I mean you could say it's
Coop: It's a dollar.
Harley: co it's from coach in mid Fairfield, right? He got he got it from Laring. So
Coop: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Cam: Did he coach you there?
Coop: He coached so like he's coached me a bunch, in like the summers and and whatnot. but he coached my older brother's team, the O threes, 'cause his son Ryan isn't is an O three mid Fairfield
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: guy. And then Lucas is an O five. So like I play with Lucas a couple of times. And then his youngest son, Mason's an O eight. so like he would coach those teams. but yeah, I mean like my birth year just kinda missed him.
Harley: And I I just have a couple more questions about dev camp 'cause I I just honestly wanna know. So you said you guys got bussed in downtown, you you got to see the Bell Center, you ate there. Were y were you guys able to like go downtown and have like a dinner by yourselves or it's this is dev camp, you guys after like after the day you go to the hotel, you're asleep, you're ready for the next day. Like we're we're I guess we're not here to have it's not a fun trip, so
Coop: Yeah, yeah. I mean the days are like pretty long. They're pretty busy. Like you've got meetings, medicals, testings, skates, whatever.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: but normally like there's a good chunk of downtime, like after camp, or when the day is done, just to kinda like hang out. I'd say I don't know if I mean I'll speak on what I know. I don't think anybody goes
Harley: Yeah yeah.
Coop: down into Montreal just 'cause it's like twenty five minutes away maybe.
Harley: Yeah, yeah.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: I mean, I don't know about the guys that like, you know, some guys live around there. Like, you know, some guys are from Toronto, so love cars and stuff. But I had one of my Dartmouth teammates, Emmett Crado. he was a goalie picked by Montreal, I think twenty twenty three or twenty twenty four draft. and it's like we would just kinda hang out around there. Like we'd go to dinner, like they would give you dinner at the hotel, and night one they actually take you to the keg, which is pretty unreal.
Cam: I like the cake.
Harley: Yeah.
Cam: Good spot.
Coop: But yeah, it's not bad. But like we'll just kinda rip around like that complex by the hotel and just kinda walk around and and, you know, hang out a little bit. but the days are long so normally you're hidden you're hitting the sheets pretty early.
Harley: No, it's pretty sick. Yeah. What?
Cam: I let's I guess we could just unless you have anything else maybe from Dev Camp, maybe one guy who stuck out to you a little bit, or someone who you just tell is like above, maybe Havs fans should be pretty excited about or or I mean I'm that I'm sure they're probably excited about him, but maybe like v val validate their feelings about this guy. Or two guys that you were like, I didn't realise how good these guys were or anybody.
Coop: Yeah, I'd say two guys. The one is probably like I mean, there's one that's so obvious. Like Haig is like
Cam: Yeah, yeah.
Coop: lights out. Like he's so good. he's unbelievable. And then Mooney, like, I've been playing against that kid since I was a kid. and he was he's an O seven, but he would always play up with that O six Pittsburgh Penguins team.
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: And I like still have like I can still see him absolutely dusting me. We're playing at Penn State's rink, and he just burnt me wide so bad. He's so good.
Cam: He
Coop: he's like unbelievable. No.
Cam: He doesn't stop. He just like keeps going.
Coop: His motor is insane.
Harley: Yeah, he's got a motor.
Coop: He never stops. He's like one of the best skaters we've ever seen. and like those are the guys that I always like struggle to defend against, just like
Harley: You're so slippery.
Coop: so slippery, so skilled, and just like never stops so quick. And then the other guy is Timmy Runso. he got drafted this year in the second round. Out like he's I think he's an eight, so like him being that young and he was so
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: good too. Like he just skates so well, he's big, he moves the puck. And but like all those guys are also great guys. Like they're so fun to hang out with. Like going home, we're all kinda in the airport together, just like hanging out after camp and you kinda get to meet the guys for like who they are and camp's over. like you're going home for July fourth and stuff. it's just like fun to meet those guys and kinda hang out with them too at camp.
Harley: That was pretty sick.
Cam: Awesome. I guess let's go through some go some s you've given us some good time here, like forty minutes is awesome. Some like more rapid fire questions, mics. I have a few. If you have any jump in here. Maybe like a guy you you model your game after. Give us one first guy that comes to mind.
Coop: Hmm. I think like guys like like John Marino, Brett Pesci, you know, like Dougie Hamilton, there's kinda like those big two way righties that'll like distribute the puck and and defend pretty well.
Cam: Yeah, I like that. John Moreno, that's a good one.
Coop: Yeah.
Cam: maybe your favorite player growing up?
Coop: He was a wild trip.
Cam: You guys you
Coop: He was a light trip.
Harley: Really. Really? I'm sure Habs fans would love to see that or you love to see and hear that. I'll I'll give you I'll go ahead.
Coop: Yeah, I remember I was like after the draft, that was like one of the questions they gave me on like the little questionnaire. And I think I put like you know, like Drew Dowdy or like Ryan McDonough, just 'cause like, you Drew Dowdy was entertaining, you won so many cups, and then Ryan McDonough, like I was a Rangers fan growing up. and then like I remember I was also like I loved PK Subin. I remember I like a PK subin NHL dot com shirt for Christmas one
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: year and it like that was the sickest thing ever. But yeah, like I was like ten years old, offensive defenseman, and he was just tearing it up in Montreal and he was like so sick. Yeah, the whole neutral zone, like
Harley: Yeah. That guy was electric.
Cam: Sellies, the slap shot, the spin, the Suban spin. maybe another one. Go go ahead, Mike.
Harley: I got no I I got yeah, I got one here. Like best in person NHL game you've attended.
Cam: That's a tough.
Coop: That's a great question.
Harley: Thank you.
Coop: I saw Rangers Lightning, I think I don't know what year, but I was pretty young. and that was like one of the best games. I sat in like one of my dad's friends had like six seats and we were right at the red line, like right above the glass, saw everything. and that was pretty sweet. I normally go to like one Rangers game a year. so that was pretty sweet. I don't have
Harley: Awesome. Right.
Coop: a crazy answer for that one.
Cam: yeah, no, that's good. And then we do a segment on our podcast, the tip your cap. Usually we do it to like a current player on the team or something. Do you have a guy you wanna tip your cap to, maybe who you wanna like look, you got drafted, like thank you for everything you did for me, I'm gonna tip my cap to you or or something like that.
Harley: Player, coach, family member.
Coop: Yeah. I gotta tip your cap to Chris Gragnano, skills coach, from when I was like eight years old. skated with him today. He's the man. yeah, he's been great. He coached me in Fairfield, coach me, my brother, my sister, my little brother. he's like family at this point. Tip your cap to him. I'll tip my cap to Wheels. shout out to Wheels.
Harley: Shadow to Wheels. Shout out to Wheels.
Coop: Grags and wheels is like they're like inseparable. Grags can always rely on wheels. Wheels will always be there for Summer V P every summer.
Harley: Would you shout out the the underdogs? I think wheels were
Coop: the underdogs, yeah. Tape your cap the underdogs. Those guys bring the jam. This summer we've got Phil Kemp. He plays in Wilkes. my brother, Beanie Richter, Ryan Saint Louis, Liam McClinski, Don Fensori, Micah Berger. We got a crew this summer. And Wheels is in there with us at eight AM, best hour of the day.
Harley: That's that's pretty
Cam: Every yeah.
Harley: sick. Not everyone has like that sick training facility like you do. Like that place is nasty. Like it it has so many NHL
Coop: my gosh. It's not.
Harley: players there, like that's pretty lucky over there.
Coop: Yeah, like and you it's crazy that you kinda become like accustomed to it. Like just like seeing him around and stuff and then like you'll walk around and you'll see like all the jerseys on the wall and you're like, This is pretty nuts, man. And then like JT Miller will walk in, Trevor Zigris will walk in, just like you know, NHL stars.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Harley: Yeah. I'm sure you're probably looking that at those jerseys like fuck, I want my jersey up there one day. Pretty much
Coop: Yeah, yeah. my gosh. There's no lack of motivation in there, that's for sure.
Cam: What
Harley: That's pretty sick.
Cam: Mike, so I'll do the bench connect because I forgot to shout out our sponsor, Bench Connect. give us your what was your number at at Dev Camp? The bench
Harley: Is this the bench connect last question?
Cam: connect last question. What was your number at Dev Camp?
Coop: Yeah, I w I wore a copy. I was thirty-four.
Harley: Thirty four. That's for defense, that's
Cam: Okay.
Harley: interesting, but you know what?
Coop: Yeah. It was interesting. And the year before I was seventy nine. Dev camp numbers are ridiculous. But
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: thirty four was pretty sweet. I actually didn't mind thirty four.
Harley: Yeah, it's pretty good. Maybe D's will start wearing thirty four. I don't think anybody on the Habs wears thirty four. Yeah.
Cam: It might be retired. I don't know. Every second number every number's retired. So you gotta you
Coop: Yeah.
Cam: you gotta you can't really be picky with the Canadians.
Harley: Yeah, right now ninety three's taken, so
Coop: Yeah. No, I don't think I'll be getting that one.
Harley: But I whites I I think that's all I had. If that's all you had, dude, we could stop it right here.
Cam: Yeah. Yeah, Coop. Yeah, thank you so much. best of luck this season. I live not too far from Yale, so maybe I'll come by when you guys are playing at Yale
Coop: Awesome.
Cam: and watch the and watch the game. But yeah, best of luck this year we'll and thanks thanks for doing this.
Harley: Yeah, this was actually sick. Really appreciate it and yeah, fuck good luck. Good luck with everything. I'm sure we'll we'll be asking
Coop: This was awesome.
Harley: Wheels what's going on with Coop. Make sure he's dialed, make sure he's not skipping a bench, you know.
Coop: Yeah, seriously.
Harley: Whites, I thought we agreed we're it's coop, right? Do you prefer coop or cooper?
Cam: cool.
Harley: Wheels told
Coop: Doesn't matter.
Harley: us you don't say cooper, do you go coop?
Coop: Yeah, mostly most people call me Coop. I think maybe just teachers called me Cooper.
Harley: Okay. So I think we'll go with Koo.
Cam: Do you do you have any other nicknames? Or is it Coop?
Coop: No, it's normally normally Coop. I have some nicknames in Green Bay, but it's just Coop.
Harley: Yeah, some y some you can't go public. I love that one.
Coop: Yeah, yeah.
Harley: So wait, sorry we I cut you off there.
Cam: No, you're good. I mean, just for I guess some context here, Coop, you're s you're in Dart at Dartmouth College starting your sophomore season. So I mean, you're about to go back. It's August twentieth. How's the summer been? What have you been up to? Kind of working on your game or in the gym. What's what's your summers look like?
Coop: Yeah, summer's been great. you know, w got a little bit of a later start to it this year. you know, Dartmouth, we were on the trimester system. I got home in like mid June. but it's been good. been on the ice a lot more kind of in August and and towards the end of July. June was a was a pretty busy month. just getting home and then and then I went to the draft in the end of June and then July was kind of dev camp and then getting back in the gym and starting to skate. but yeah it's been a pretty pretty chill summer. I haven't really been up to much. but it's been really
Harley: So
Coop: nice. Spent a lot of time at family or at home with family.
Harley: playing college hockey, like obviously it it ends a little bit earlier than than if you're playing juniors in in Canada or something like that. When after hockey ends at school, are you what what do you got going on there? Are you just focing focusing on school? Are you s guys still skating or what happens in that time?
Coop: No, it's like so after we played Wisconsin, we lost and then we get I think we got like ten days off, or maybe more, maybe like two weeks off, just like no workouts, no skating, no nothing. but they take our ice out like as soon as we're done. so there's no skate. Yeah, at Thompson Arena. Great point.
Harley: At Thompson Arena. I've been there. I've been there. Nice barn. Did they they put a a jumbotron in there? Okay.
Coop: Yeah. Fresh jumbo this past season. then they're actually blown out the back wall. I haven't seen like the the brand new renderings, but Lot lot more coming to Thompson pretty soon. new locker room, new new in-rink gym, which will be pretty cool. But yeah, so after our season ended, we were no ice for ten weeks in the spring term, but you know, we're lifting five times a week in the afternoon and then sometimes in the morning. But yeah, it's good. You're in the gym with the boys for probably ninety minutes a day. then you're just kind of focusing on school. But it's pretty fun. Like it's a good time.
Harley: Yeah. It's it's probably the be well, wouldn't say the best time of the year, but you you get to jam with the boys, have a good time.
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: Whites Whites, you look like you had something ready, go.
Cam: I actually don't have anything. I was hoping you'd no, I'm kidding. yeah, we could I mean we can go a few angles here. I guess we could stick on college. You guys had a pretty good season. I know like Dartmouth isn't necessarily known as like a powerhouse school. So maybe get into but you guys had a hell of a season. So maybe get into that, like what got into the decision there? Like what made you decide Dartmouth? Did you have any other options going into college? Maybe talk about that process a little bit.
Coop: Yeah. it's actually funny. Like
Cam: If you can.
Coop: when I was a kid, I always wanted to go to like a bigger school. Like I always wanted like, you know, the massive student section and and you know, all the big matchups and everything like that. but then like as I got older, you know, I kinda figured smaller school, smart school. and then my brother ended up committing there, my sophomore year high school. and I went on the visit with him. he committed and then when I met the coaching staff like when they were like trying to recruit me, I think that was kinda like the nail in the coffin. It was just like my brother was there, it made so much sense, my parents loved the school, and then meeting the coaches, like I kinda believed in in Cash and and his whole staff and everything they were telling me. and then yeah, it just seemed like the right fit.
Cam: And Brian Faye, you met Brian Faye. Brian Faye coached us. I don't know if you knew that. We had Brian Faye
Coop: Yeah. No.
Cam: like our second what was our first or second year at Albertus, so
Harley: I think it might have been our first year. To be honest, I did not what does Brian Fehey do at Dartmouth? I didn't even know he worked there.
Coop: Yeah, he's one of our assistant coaches. he doesn't he doesn't go on the bench. but he's like the eye in the sky. He does a ton of video and like individual work with our forwards. and he's always like the guy, like after practice, working on skills. he kind of does it all for us. I was actually talking to him today on the phone, about like a potential recruit. but Fazer's the man. He's always got the energy. Like every morning, he's always up.
Cam: he's always got energy.
Harley: He's he's always been a video guy. Whites, you I think you were asking also about how'd the season go. Can talk about your season,
Coop: Yeah. The season was was unreal. you know, Ivy's are weird. Like we have that kind of late late start to the season. Like our first game isn't until Halloween. but it definitely was an advantage for us. you know, Coach Cash and like the staff, they're they're super, super dialed. and they had us ready to go when we started the year like twelve and you know, it's a it's a long six weeks of of training camp basically. but once the season gets rolling, it's like Fridays and Saturdays, it's like everybody's just working well in a unit. And we started the year eleven and and then, you know, we won the first ECAC. title in program history and and ran into a good Wisconsin team in the first round of of the tournament. but it was a great year. I mean we had like a bunch of individual rewards go around for the guys. First title's obviously obviously pretty nice and you
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: Yeah, it's pretty sick 'cause
Coop: know I think we only I think we only lost one game at home too.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: we lost to ASU at home in regulation and then we also lost to Princeton in a shootout at home. But yeah it was a good year.
Cam: Yeah, Coop, you kinda touched on no, you kinda touched on how you just like when you get to school and or probably a lot of Montreal Canadians fans are gonna be listening to this and they're not as accustomed to college hockey. Like when you get there, you're just working out, you're skating for like a a good amount of time. Like it's more in D three, but D one, you're doing that a lot. So like have
Coop: Yeah.
Cam: you always been a guy kind of taking it back to like your earlier days, like who's been spinning the gym, skating a lot, like you've been a are you a rink rat? Like what as a younger kid, like how did that look for you? It's like Just being at the rink all the time, being in the gym.
Coop: Yeah, I'd say I was I was definitely more of a rink rat than a gym guy. you know, like I've always loved hockey. It's always been, you know, what I've always wanted to do. you know, like after my practice as a kid, I was staying out with my older brother's team and practicing again. And in high school, once I finally got my license, I was staying at the rank, you know, two hours after practice. things like that. but I was kind of a late bloomer, so the gym wasn't really something I was totally dialed into until the p the past couple of years. but now, you know, it's definitely kicked up a notch and and we have like an unbelievable staff at Dartmouth. Like our strength coach, Chase Eng Dahl, you he worked with the Avalanche, like he's so detailed and so good working with all of us in the fall and the spring. And then like practices with Coach Cash or are great. I mean they're tough, but you know, he gets us ready to go for sure.
Harley: How often are you guys practicing a week?
Coop: I think when we get there, like our hours are kind of limited, in the beginning. But then I mean I think we're on the ice five, six times a week in the fall until the season starts. and then, you know, it's Monday through Thursday practice. Probably a morning skate Friday. You play Friday, Saturday and then start over again on Monday.
Harley: That's pretty good. What what what got you into hockey at the start? I know you talked a little bit about your brother. Did your parents play or?
Coop: Yeah, so my grandpa played at Princeton University. and then
Harley: You ever heard of it?
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: Yeah, he actually played in Hobie where we played this year. They still that rings super old
Cam: sick.
Coop: and has some pretty cool history.
Harley: Yeah. I I've seen pictures of it. I've never actually been there.
Coop: yeah, so my grandpa played at Princeton. and then my dad and his brother both played at Middlebury College in Vermont.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: and then yeah, my older brother played and and I've got a younger sister and a younger brother who also play. but I think they just got in got us into it pretty young. I mean, we played every sport, but like hockey was always the one that was you know, it never really wavered. Like when when it wasn't lax season I didn't really care about lax. When it wasn't hockey season you're like kind of fiend to get back on the ice.
Harley: At what point did it go like all hockey?
Coop: Probably like my s I mean it was always gonna be hockey, but I think I stopped playing sports going into my junior high school. you know, I played J V baseball with the boys in high school, my junior and senior year. But yeah, I was playing hockey and lax until my sophomore year high school.
Harley: said you're a late bloomer. at what point di did you realize like okay, I'm kind of better than most people and like I could kind of take like I could probably take this somewhere and do something. Maybe get drafted and yeah.
Cam: Maybe get drafted, right? Or like at least get drafted.
Coop: Yeah. I was always like I'd say late bloomer, like I use it more like a physical term. Like I always
Harley: Okay.
Coop: I was always like pretty good growing up. and then like once guys my age started to kinda like develop physically and and mature a little bit, I'd say like I took a couple steps back. but you know, I always like loved hockey and I always knew that it was what I wanted to do. So I never got like discouraged or anything like that. but then once I grew into my body a little bit and like got a little taller and the game became a little bit easier. like my junior year high school after I committed to college and then like my senior year high school I got like a little bit of draft attention. and that was kind of when I was like, all right, like, maybe I got a chance. and then Obviously I played one year at junior, got a little bit of attention, and then this past year at Dartmouth, I sat down with my coach like in beginning of year, and he kinda brought it up, like I knew like you have a chance as a third year, but I know it's a it's a pretty outside chance. And then he kinda brought it up again and and I think he believed it a little more than me at the time. and then, you know, obviously had a pretty good year and they put so much time into me and and it ended up happening, so
Cam: Was there like that one thing maybe when you sat down with him that y he was like where you were like I need to improve on this or I need to round out my game this way to even like be getting a chance to get drafted? Was there kinda something you guys honed in on and worked together on?
Coop: Yeah, I mean there was a ton of I think like I was a I was pretty like raw coming in this year. you know, I didn't really have like a true identity to my game and it wasn't super detailed. so just working on things like that, like stick detail, defending, you know, being a little bit harder to play against, like those were kind of things I was missing. You know, like I had the size, like a puck moving ability and I could skate, but there wasn't like a real identity in my game and and there were some flaws like detail wise and habits wise. and just kind of like honing in on those throughout the year I think really made a big difference for me.
Harley: If s if s like if a Montreal Canadiens fan they've never watched you play, how would you describe your your play?
Coop: I'd say you know, I'm a big right handed defenseman, that, you know, is is pretty responsible.
Harley: That could pair pretty well with Lane Hudson or
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: I wish, man. but yeah, I'd say I'm pretty responsible in all three zones. you know, I used to be probably a little bit more offensive minded. and now I'd say I definitely play a a two way game. but you know, I still kinda like to think the game offensively and make some plays. but yeah, you know, I'm trying to be more harder to play against. And yeah, I'd say I play a pretty well rounded game.
Harley: Mike, I think we get into the draft whites, no? White, you take it away.
Cam: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was gonna say let's get into the we'll get into the draft. maybe we even before the draft, like you attended Habs dev camp last year as an undrafted guy. You you like you got passed over twice in the draft. Maybe was there something at Dev Camp that you're like I think the Canadians would even draft me or did you have no idea? And then maybe touch on a little bit, I guess it's two questions, like getting passed over twice isn't isn't fun. So like how did you handle that right and and and s and get to the point where you ended up going in the
Harley: And come back to it.
Cam: third round? Yeah.
Coop: Yeah. so the Canadians Def camp was awesome last year. you know, I learned a lot, met a bunch of the guys, met a bunch of the staff, and was like pretty happy with how the week went. and and when I left, like I got some pretty good feedback. just kinda like keep doing what you're doing and and you know, you'll have some success next year and who knows, like you are still eligible next year. but even towards like the the month of June, like I wasn't totally sure it would be the Canadians at all. you know, like I actually had like I would have thought it would be some other teams first before it was the Canadians. and then yeah, obviously I was pumped that they picked me, but
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: the past two years, like, you know, I didn't talk to many teams, but like I always thought there was a chance both years as like kind of a late flyer pick, you know, like they There's things like that happen all the time. and then this year, like with the attention that I got, it kinda puts like the other two years in perspective, like, I wasn't really that close those other two years. Obviously it only takes one team to really like you, but you know, I got a lot of attention in the spring this past year leading up to the draft. And then, you know, once I heard the Canadians pick me, it was like couldn't imagine a better place.
Harley: Wha what is that like? You're saying you got a lot of attention, so scouts are like talking to you after a game. Like I don't even obviously I wasn't good, so I I I don't know what it's like, so
Coop: No, I mean
Cam: Taking it out for dinner.
Coop: No, not quite. It was a lot of zooms, not n not any dinners. But you know, like even during the year, like I wasn't getting contacted like a ton until kind of later in the year. Like during the year you get a couple of questionnaires, maybe an interview like here and there. but like Like the guys the scouts do a great job of just kinda letting you focus on hockey, and not letting it really creep into your mind too much. And and my coaches do an unbelievable job of like not just me, but like all the outside noise. I mean, we've so many good free agents and everything like that. Like guys are hounding those guys all the time. but they were so good at just like keeping us focused day by day, one thing at a time, kind of thing. Where once I got to the spring and our season was over, that's when, you know, a lot of teams started reaching out for like interviews and and And whatnot over the phone and Zoom. but yeah, like during the year, you know, I always thought there was a shot, but like even during the year, I wasn't really thinking about the draft too much.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: it kind of started like it picked up really quick in the spring to the point where you know you kind of forget about it almost, and then you're like, geez, like this might happen quicker than I thought.
Cam: Hm. W Was there
Harley: And on these like zoo sorry Cam, on these zooms or or calls are they like asking you about like your play or they like asking me like talk talking to you about the person you are, like or is it maybe all of the above? Like what wha what kind of w I I didn't even know they do that to be honest.
Coop: Yeah, no, it's definitely all the above. some teams are like super straightforward. They want to know about, you know, like, what do you think about this as a player? Like, tell me about yourself. And they've kind of just got like bullet point questions that you can tell, like they probably rattle off to a couple other guys.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: and they're super formal. And then other teams they wanna get to know you as a person, they wanna get to know your family. and they'll kinda like like they'll range from maybe ten minutes to like an hour and you never know
Harley: Really.
Coop: really going into
Cam: wow.
Coop: some of are like super personable and and it's like kind of conversation and they're trying to get to know you and then other of are just kind of like basic information and and things like that. But like I actually really enjoyed the the interview process. Like, you know, you you kinda get better as you go on.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: and it's cool to talk to all those teams and stuff, but you know, there's definitely some teams where you feel a better connection than and Montreal is definitely one of those.
Cam: And then and w one last question and then I think we'll go into your draft day, but the and you don't have to say if it's the Canadians or not, but they talk there's a lot of talk about like they asked the like the hardest, like most like out of left field kind of questions. Did you have any of those kinds of questions, maybe from the Canadians or anyone else that and like if you could share one of them maybe and maybe your answer if you want to?
Coop: I didn't have I didn't have any like crazy questions or like challenges or anything like that. But one question that I like kind of didn't really know how to answer was like, what's the definition of failure? And like some teams would get like super deep and kind of like try to get into your mind and pick your brain a little bit.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: I think I said something like, you know, it's not I think it was like not reaching my fullest potential or something like that, like like that was what I consider to be failure. Yeah, right. Like I was like,
Cam: I I'm I I'd like that. I mean I can't even think of it. I can't even
Coop: if I don't if I don't make it to the NHL
Harley: Thinking what I'm thinking rides, sir.
Coop: but I maxed out who I was, like, you know, I don't think you can look yourself in the eye and say that that's failure. But, you know, if you if you were born to make the NHL or something like that or you had all the things that you needed to make the NHL and you didn't get there, like, that's definitely failure. Yeah, I think that was probably
Cam: a good answer. I think
Harley: Wait, what would you say?
Cam: I don't even know. I was more so just thinking like push ups,
Harley: I have mine.
Cam: like till you can't go anymore. I was like that's failure.
Coop: Should
Cam: But I don't I don't know. I did I actually have no idea what I would say. What would you say?
Harley: What's I would probably say giving up. That's failure. If you give up in
Coop: Yeah. I think
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: anything.
Coop: one of my one of my boys, like it was kind of fun. Like we were going through a similar process at the same time and like you would talk to the same team, you know, like every week, you'd be like, who would you talk to? And then if you ever talk to the same team, they'd be go'd you ask they ask you this question, like, what'd you say? And I think for that one he gave like a super simple answer and he's like, Dude, like you got way deeper than me. He's like, They probably hated my answer.
Harley: Yeah. You never
Cam: Ye yeah, but that just shows
Harley: know what they're looking for, right? Also you also wonder
Cam: like different people. Yeah, you're just different people, so it's just different answers. It's it's like
Coop: Yeah, exactly.
Harley: like how much does that like I'm a hockey player here, I'm not like a ph philosopher, right? It's like how much are they taking it that into account? It could
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: be a lot. I'm sure some teams take take a lot from it. Some teams probably just ask it just to mess around, so
Coop: No, but some teams are like some teams will give you this like a 250 question like personality t personality test and it's like
Harley: It's like you're interviewing I like for a job. Like I'm pretty sure I had to do that for a job like a couple of years ago.
Coop: Yeah. Yeah, and like they'll put you and and you'll get you'll get like your data back and you'll be in like you'll be like a this color person or something like
Harley: Moon.
Coop: that. But some of the questions are crazy. Like I would have to look back like or taking pictures of someone being like, What do I say to this?
Harley: yeah, let's let's go to to Draft Night or yeah. Kinda take me through that that whole experience and and what that looks like.
Coop: Yeah, it was awesome. the day before, I went up early. and I actually did like an interview and like a little combine for Buffalo just 'cause I was there.
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: you know, I went up the day of night one. obviously I like fortunately I knew I wasn't a night one guy. but I went up with my older brother who's a college free agent too. and he talked to them as well and and we kinda just hung out in Buffalo the first day. I did the combine and then just kinda like walked around the city a little bit, had dinner with my family. my mom and little brother drove up later that night. And then the next day you wake up and you know, you get breakfast and you head over to the to the rink around like eleven o'clock. And I remember like I still wasn't sure where I was gonna go. like I kinda had an idea of like the range of picks. But I remember I was
Harley: And is that just from your conversations with with teams and stuff?
Coop: Yeah, basically. Just kind of from what teams will tell you and what, you know, your agent will tell you and and you know where the draft board kinda stacks up. but I remember like I was sitting 'cause they don't tell you like where to sit or anything like that. I mean, I'm sure it's different for the night one guys and and they've got like those couches reserved, which looks pretty sick, but
Harley: Yeah, Justin Bieber's calling your aunt.
Coop: I was like sitting up in like the lower bowl, like in one of the sections, and then like this lady came up and told me to like come down to the floor. so it was sick. We're sitting like right on the floor, these two sections of chairs. Like I had all six of my f or all five of my family members with me. And it's kinda cool, like you're sitting there waiting, guys are getting picked. and it like you get you don't think you're gonna be as nervous as you are, like during like the earlier rounds or whatever, or when you start to think that you can go. but it's like it's pretty nerve wracking just sitting there like, you know, you don't
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: Yeah, and then I remember I was just kinda like hanging out with my brother and my little brother who were sitting next to me and I was looking at like the last row of the third round. and like there were a couple of teams in there that I was like, jeez, like that looks pretty good. Like, you know, there's probably five teams where I could have seen myself going in that last couple picks. but you don't really think too much of it and pick ninety three, like it almost looked like too good to be true. Like Montreal, you know, I wore ninety three in Green Bay and my little brother kept telling me that. and like you're
Harley: Night and beer.
Coop: kinda just like thinking about it and then all of a sudden they say like your name and you just kinda black out. Like it was nuts. And you're just like dapp I think I dapped on my little brother three times, like just 'cause I wasn't even playing. my gosh, it's crazy.
Cam: That's crazy. I'm getting chills like just hearing it.
Coop: I'm like going down the line, hugging my parents, my face goes beat red. And I legit gave my little brother like three high fives. I think he hugged me twice. but then you're just walking down and like everybody's like around you, or like you're walking down this little hallway or this little like aisle of chairs. Like
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: people are reaching out, give me high fives, and like I don't see anything. Like I'm like kind of blacking out a little bit. And
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: I remember grabbing the jersey from the lady, my hands are shaking like crazy. But like it's something you'll remember for the rest of your life. Like you you black out and remember every single moment at the same time. Like, I don't
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: know how to describe it.
Harley: And then no, I had nothing actually.
Cam: They also gave you a pr the no let you go in a second. I'm just gonna say they also gave you pretty like the ha the draft hats were pretty sick this year.
Coop: Yeah, they were sweet. And they gave me like so after I got picked, my family members all went into like this like family section. kinda like up at the top of the key bank center. And I remember I got in there and like my family had like four hats of the same hat that I did and I like, that's pretty sweet. Like they take care of them too and they get this little like VIP area. but I didn't see them for like an hour and a half after I got picked just 'cause of like all like the media and stuff.
Harley: Yeah, so what's that like? You're it's just interview after interview and it's sports net whatever
Coop: Yeah, it's pretty sick. Like they'll take you back and and I remember the first thing that happened, I like I walked back, and there was like two or three social media people from Montreal there. And the first thing they did was mic me up and I like, geez. Yeah, exactly.
Harley: Yeah, don't say anything stupid.
Cam: Ha ha ha.
Coop: Trying not to be an idiot and freak out. but yeah, they bring you to like upper deck has like a photo thing, NHL has a photo thing, you get like your face scanned for NHL. And you basically just take pictures and and fill out like little social media interviews and and like player questionnaires for like maybe an hour. And then and then I went to like a little media scrum, which was pretty cool. It was my first first ever media scrum. that took about like twenty five minutes and then by that time I was done and I got to go hang out with the fam and then I was kinda hanging out there for like thirty minutes. I saw one of my best friends, Zach Wooten, got picked. like perfect timing when I walked back into the family room, so that was pretty sweet. And then after that, that was it. And we hit the road and went and got dinner and just kinda hung out.
Harley: Any any tough questions in that media scrum or you you blacked out for that one too?
Coop: No the funny, there's a funny one though. my I had two weird ones. or one weird one. One was really funny. One guy asked me like how does it feel to get drafted before GTA six came out? I was like I didn't really know how to answer it. I was like, I guess that's pretty nuts. Yeah.
Harley: Yeah. It's great, man. Yeah, fire that guy.
Cam: Ha ha ha.
Coop: But yeah, I'd nobody had an answer.
Harley: Like LF.
Coop: I like I think I played GTA one time in my life. Not a big video game guy, but
Harley: Yeah. It's a crazy question to ask.
Coop: yeah. And then Johnny Lazarus, from the US H L. he texted my college coach, Coach Cashman, for like a funny question. And It was like the father son golf tournament was like the weekend before and he was like ask him why his brother got why his dad picked his brother to play in the golf scramble instead of him. So like that was probably the funny one. but yeah, that was everything else was pretty straightforward.
Harley: Pretty sick.
Cam: Any any cool like anyone like reach I saw the video, so I know one guy reached out to you on the Canadians, but anyone since then maybe talk about if anyone hasn't seen the Habs video, which is pretty crazy, like even to see yourself, I know I'm going back and forth, just see yourself like on Montreal Canadians Instagram, like a video of you, like that's insane. And then yeah, talk about maybe who reached out to you s since you've been drafted.
Coop: Yeah. no, it's been awesome. Like I got pretty lucky media wise. Like the first round Gleb and and second round Timmy Runso, like they they weren't at the draft. so I was the first guy from the Canadians to get picked and be there. I think it was the only guy too, but so media wise, like I got a lot
Cam: You were the guy.
Coop: of attention. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Like
Cam: Mm. Especially the Canadians. Like you probably have more media anyways just 'cause it's the Canadians other than a small team, small market team.
Coop: Yeah. yeah, like social media wise and everything. I think the only thing I did on my phone that day was just go public on Instagram, like as soon as I got picked, 'cause they're like tagging me and stuff and they were like, Be careful, like you're gonna get your requests flooded and whatnot. I was like, All right, I'll just go public. but yeah, that was awesome. and then people that reached out, I mean I had like people from like a long time ago, like old teammates reaching out. I don't think wheels. Yeah.
Cam: Wheels. I I golfed with wheels that day. I was driving to the course when you got drafted and I get there. He's like, Cam, like my buddy got drafted by the Canadians. I was like, No way, get him on the pot. That's what I said.
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: There you go. How how many how many follow followers did you get? Or like, yeah, how many more?
Coop: I mean that video that they posted got like fifteen thousand likes or something and they they let me collab on it with them which was pretty sweet. But I think I got like close to three thousand boost,
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: which was pretty nuts. Like
Harley: Yeah. Montreal Canadians fans you'll you'll learn. They're
Cam: We're crazy.
Harley: absolutely insane. Like
Coop: It was crazy. I g I landed for for development camp and like got recognized like within two hundred yards of the plane. I was like, What is going on?
Harley: Yeah.
Cam: And you didn't even have your hockey stuff. Or you did have your hockey stuff?
Coop: No, I I had like my carry like my carry on backpack.
Cam: Yeah, we like s as a Munchia native yeah.
Harley: I'm sure they'll probably comment on like yeah, they'll probably comment on your Instagrams that are not have nothing to do with hockey. Probably go like five years ago, like it's it I've seen it. Sorry, what's
Coop: Yeah. No, it's pretty cool though.
Cam: No, I got No. Coop, I I think I don't know, unless Mike's you got something like else on the draft? Yeah. Okay.
Harley: What? Yeah, yeah. No, I do no, not the draft, sorry. It it was more I want to ask about what he thought about Montreal as a
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: city. Like, yeah, what you what'd
Coop: Yeah, I mean
Harley: you think of Montreal? It's it you're you're in Montreal for a week, right?
Coop: Yeah, we're so we stay in in Brosard by the practice facility. Like
Harley: they so they put you in a hotel or
Coop: Yeah, so like all the guys are in the like the DIX complex or something.
Harley: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.
Cam: Yeah, yeah.
Coop: Pretty close facility. Like it's like a twenty minute walk, but they shuttle us over in like five minutes. but they they do bus us in to go see the Bell Center and stuff, like one night per kit for camp. Like We'll go in, we'll get a tour of the Bell Center and then we'll have dinner there, like a little buffet. so like you're looking out the window and stuff in downtown Montreal and and then when you get to the Bell Center, it's nuts. Like I grew up going to Rangers games at MSG. and like obviously that's a pretty crazy value also. Like
Harley: Yeah, that's a pretty unique building too.
Coop: but the Bell Center's crazy. Both times I've been there, they've been setting up for a concert and it looks bananas. Like the seats are just like kind of straight up and there's so
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: many of And there's like so much history in the building. and the people that work there are awesome. Like they know that building like the back of their hand. but yeah, it's it's unbelievable. I know like everybody I've talked to that says like they have just like nothing but great things to say about the city itself. Everyone says like it's so much fun and and like in the playoffs, like the energy is insane. so it's it's pretty exciting.
Cam: Yeah, not gonna name names, but somebody went to a home playoff game this year and might have mushed him 'cause I don't think they won a game after he was in the building. But no my
Harley: Well, I I don't think I had much to do with it, but I'll like I'll tell ya, like playoff games in Montreal, like it's it's just insane. It gives you like it literally gives you chills. I was like, Holy crap, like this is this is actually insane. Like it's pretty cool
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: to be a part of. I never got drafted by them, but I I get I get to be a fan and start a shitty podcast about it.
Cam: Ha ha ha.
Coop: Yeah, my little brother will always send me like the the cold play walkout videos on TikTok.
Harley: my f that like
Cam: Mm.
Harley: that like that I'm obviously biased but like it's the sick like it's fu it's actually
Coop: it's so sad.
Harley: insane when they got when they got playoffs going and and you got the they have like a sick announcer, like he's kinda old now. I think his name's Michel Lacroix, right?
Cam: Michelle, yeah.
Harley: And I really hope he never retires because he's he's so good at it. Like I I so I live in Toronto. And I I go to a couple of leaf games here and there and like their announcer. It's just sounds like out of chat GT GPT or whatever it is. But
Cam: Yeah.
Harley: this guy, he's got so much personality and he speaks English and French like perfectly. Yeah,
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: Exact.
Harley: he's got a sick voice. But yeah, hell of a barn. Really good for concerts too. Been to a couple concerts there. Noah Kahan, hell of a concert.
Coop: Yeah.
Harley: Well, I just take it out.
Cam: Yeah, Coop, you I don't know, you I was just it just came to mind you were at you said you went to the Bell Center. Didn't I'm pretty sure Marty, didn't you give a pretty electric speech to you guys in the locker room?
Coop: my gosh. The so those were in those were in the practice facility locker room, but those
Cam: Okay.
Coop: speeches are like bro, they'll have you ready to run through a brick wall. Like my first year you gave a speech about like the ball. Yeah, I'm sure you guys have watched it, like that
Cam: that was so that wasn't this year, that was the year before.
Harley: Yeah, yeah, I've seen.
Coop: was the year before. And then this year's was like I mean, they didn't post it, so like I don't know how much I I mean I could probably say it. It's like he was talking about like
Harley: We'll cut it out if you want.
Coop: he was talking like the steps, like to get yeah, like some guys are born on this step and some guys are born on this step, but like at the top of the steps, like There's a house and it's the house of the Canadiens. And like if you're in that house, like you play for the Canadiens. And he's like, And you guys have no idea how hard it is to get up those steps. He's like, and once you get there, he's like, and you try to knock on that door, he's like, everybody in there is like pushing that door right back in your face, 'cause the door goes both ways and there's a door on the other side of it. And so you push somebody in, you push your way in, somebody gets pushed out. He's like, and nobody wants to get pushed out. And then like he goes on this crazy speech about like how hard it is and how like and like Everybody's so fired up and he's so passionate and like his speech delivery is insane. And then he's like, he's like, Well, if you can't push in, he's like, find a window, find a chimney, he's like, do anything you can to get in there. And like the scrimmage, the first 10 minutes of the scrimmage, everyone's
Cam: Yeah.
Coop: just ripping around. Cause like
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: they're so fired up and it's perfect timing. Like end of camp basically, like right before the scrimmage. but like his the first like 10 seconds. He walks in, he was like, Yeah, like, what's up guys? Like, you know, this would be like kind of a welcome to Montreal speech, but like you guys have been here for four days now, like that stuff's over with. He's like, This is reality check. And everybody just kind of sits up straight a little bit and he goes and delivers that insane speech. but it was nuts.
Cam: That's crazy. D any guy go ahead. We're just
Harley: Yeah. The Habs are No, I was gonna say the Hab Habs are lucky they they s they got
Cam: Yeah. And like you even see like in the playoffs they were showing like some of hi the videos of him talking or or just in the locker room and it with like the hm like he just he just
Coop: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Cam: has a way about and I didn't know this about I knew I knew he was a hell of a player but until he started coaching like I didn't realise like his mind is just like it's above everybody else's honestly.
Harley: I mean you could say it's
Coop: It's a dollar.
Harley: co it's from coach in mid Fairfield, right? He got he got it from Laring. So
Coop: Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Cam: Did he coach you there?
Coop: He coached so like he's coached me a bunch, in like the summers and and whatnot. but he coached my older brother's team, the O threes, 'cause his son Ryan isn't is an O three mid Fairfield
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: guy. And then Lucas is an O five. So like I play with Lucas a couple of times. And then his youngest son, Mason's an O eight. so like he would coach those teams. but yeah, I mean like my birth year just kinda missed him.
Harley: And I I just have a couple more questions about dev camp 'cause I I just honestly wanna know. So you said you guys got bussed in downtown, you you got to see the Bell Center, you ate there. Were y were you guys able to like go downtown and have like a dinner by yourselves or it's this is dev camp, you guys after like after the day you go to the hotel, you're asleep, you're ready for the next day. Like we're we're I guess we're not here to have it's not a fun trip, so
Coop: Yeah, yeah. I mean the days are like pretty long. They're pretty busy. Like you've got meetings, medicals, testings, skates, whatever.
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: but normally like there's a good chunk of downtime, like after camp, or when the day is done, just to kinda like hang out. I'd say I don't know if I mean I'll speak on what I know. I don't think anybody goes
Harley: Yeah yeah.
Coop: down into Montreal just 'cause it's like twenty five minutes away maybe.
Harley: Yeah, yeah.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: I mean, I don't know about the guys that like, you know, some guys live around there. Like, you know, some guys are from Toronto, so love cars and stuff. But I had one of my Dartmouth teammates, Emmett Crado. he was a goalie picked by Montreal, I think twenty twenty three or twenty twenty four draft. and it's like we would just kinda hang out around there. Like we'd go to dinner, like they would give you dinner at the hotel, and night one they actually take you to the keg, which is pretty unreal.
Cam: I like the cake.
Harley: Yeah.
Cam: Good spot.
Coop: But yeah, it's not bad. But like we'll just kinda rip around like that complex by the hotel and just kinda walk around and and, you know, hang out a little bit. but the days are long so normally you're hidden you're hitting the sheets pretty early.
Harley: No, it's pretty sick. Yeah. What?
Cam: I let's I guess we could just unless you have anything else maybe from Dev Camp, maybe one guy who stuck out to you a little bit, or someone who you just tell is like above, maybe Havs fans should be pretty excited about or or I mean I'm that I'm sure they're probably excited about him, but maybe like v val validate their feelings about this guy. Or two guys that you were like, I didn't realise how good these guys were or anybody.
Coop: Yeah, I'd say two guys. The one is probably like I mean, there's one that's so obvious. Like Haig is like
Cam: Yeah, yeah.
Coop: lights out. Like he's so good. he's unbelievable. And then Mooney, like, I've been playing against that kid since I was a kid. and he was he's an O seven, but he would always play up with that O six Pittsburgh Penguins team.
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: And I like still have like I can still see him absolutely dusting me. We're playing at Penn State's rink, and he just burnt me wide so bad. He's so good.
Cam: He
Coop: he's like unbelievable. No.
Cam: He doesn't stop. He just like keeps going.
Coop: His motor is insane.
Harley: Yeah, he's got a motor.
Coop: He never stops. He's like one of the best skaters we've ever seen. and like those are the guys that I always like struggle to defend against, just like
Harley: You're so slippery.
Coop: so slippery, so skilled, and just like never stops so quick. And then the other guy is Timmy Runso. he got drafted this year in the second round. Out like he's I think he's an eight, so like him being that young and he was so
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Coop: good too. Like he just skates so well, he's big, he moves the puck. And but like all those guys are also great guys. Like they're so fun to hang out with. Like going home, we're all kinda in the airport together, just like hanging out after camp and you kinda get to meet the guys for like who they are and camp's over. like you're going home for July fourth and stuff. it's just like fun to meet those guys and kinda hang out with them too at camp.
Harley: That was pretty sick.
Cam: Awesome. I guess let's go through some go some s you've given us some good time here, like forty minutes is awesome. Some like more rapid fire questions, mics. I have a few. If you have any jump in here. Maybe like a guy you you model your game after. Give us one first guy that comes to mind.
Coop: Hmm. I think like guys like like John Marino, Brett Pesci, you know, like Dougie Hamilton, there's kinda like those big two way righties that'll like distribute the puck and and defend pretty well.
Cam: Yeah, I like that. John Moreno, that's a good one.
Coop: Yeah.
Cam: maybe your favorite player growing up?
Coop: He was a wild trip.
Cam: You guys you
Coop: He was a light trip.
Harley: Really. Really? I'm sure Habs fans would love to see that or you love to see and hear that. I'll I'll give you I'll go ahead.
Coop: Yeah, I remember I was like after the draft, that was like one of the questions they gave me on like the little questionnaire. And I think I put like you know, like Drew Dowdy or like Ryan McDonough, just 'cause like, you Drew Dowdy was entertaining, you won so many cups, and then Ryan McDonough, like I was a Rangers fan growing up. and then like I remember I was also like I loved PK Subin. I remember I like a PK subin NHL dot com shirt for Christmas one
Harley: Mm-hmm.
Coop: year and it like that was the sickest thing ever. But yeah, like I was like ten years old, offensive defenseman, and he was just tearing it up in Montreal and he was like so sick. Yeah, the whole neutral zone, like
Harley: Yeah. That guy was electric.
Cam: Sellies, the slap shot, the spin, the Suban spin. maybe another one. Go go ahead, Mike.
Harley: I got no I I got yeah, I got one here. Like best in person NHL game you've attended.
Cam: That's a tough.
Coop: That's a great question.
Harley: Thank you.
Coop: I saw Rangers Lightning, I think I don't know what year, but I was pretty young. and that was like one of the best games. I sat in like one of my dad's friends had like six seats and we were right at the red line, like right above the glass, saw everything. and that was pretty sweet. I normally go to like one Rangers game a year. so that was pretty sweet. I don't have
Harley: Awesome. Right.
Coop: a crazy answer for that one.
Cam: yeah, no, that's good. And then we do a segment on our podcast, the tip your cap. Usually we do it to like a current player on the team or something. Do you have a guy you wanna tip your cap to, maybe who you wanna like look, you got drafted, like thank you for everything you did for me, I'm gonna tip my cap to you or or something like that.
Harley: Player, coach, family member.
Coop: Yeah. I gotta tip your cap to Chris Gragnano, skills coach, from when I was like eight years old. skated with him today. He's the man. yeah, he's been great. He coached me in Fairfield, coach me, my brother, my sister, my little brother. he's like family at this point. Tip your cap to him. I'll tip my cap to Wheels. shout out to Wheels.
Harley: Shadow to Wheels. Shout out to Wheels.
Coop: Grags and wheels is like they're like inseparable. Grags can always rely on wheels. Wheels will always be there for Summer V P every summer.
Harley: Would you shout out the the underdogs? I think wheels were
Coop: the underdogs, yeah. Tape your cap the underdogs. Those guys bring the jam. This summer we've got Phil Kemp. He plays in Wilkes. my brother, Beanie Richter, Ryan Saint Louis, Liam McClinski, Don Fensori, Micah Berger. We got a crew this summer. And Wheels is in there with us at eight AM, best hour of the day.
Harley: That's that's pretty
Cam: Every yeah.
Harley: sick. Not everyone has like that sick training facility like you do. Like that place is nasty. Like it it has so many NHL
Coop: my gosh. It's not.
Harley: players there, like that's pretty lucky over there.
Coop: Yeah, like and you it's crazy that you kinda become like accustomed to it. Like just like seeing him around and stuff and then like you'll walk around and you'll see like all the jerseys on the wall and you're like, This is pretty nuts, man. And then like JT Miller will walk in, Trevor Zigris will walk in, just like you know, NHL stars.
Cam: Mm-hmm.
Harley: Yeah. I'm sure you're probably looking that at those jerseys like fuck, I want my jersey up there one day. Pretty much
Coop: Yeah, yeah. my gosh. There's no lack of motivation in there, that's for sure.
Cam: What
Harley: That's pretty sick.
Cam: Mike, so I'll do the bench connect because I forgot to shout out our sponsor, Bench Connect. give us your what was your number at at Dev Camp? The bench
Harley: Is this the bench connect last question?
Cam: connect last question. What was your number at Dev Camp?
Coop: Yeah, I w I wore a copy. I was thirty-four.
Harley: Thirty four. That's for defense, that's
Cam: Okay.
Harley: interesting, but you know what?
Coop: Yeah. It was interesting. And the year before I was seventy nine. Dev camp numbers are ridiculous. But
Harley: Yeah.
Coop: thirty four was pretty sweet. I actually didn't mind thirty four.
Harley: Yeah, it's pretty good. Maybe D's will start wearing thirty four. I don't think anybody on the Habs wears thirty four. Yeah.
Cam: It might be retired. I don't know. Every second number every number's retired. So you gotta you
Coop: Yeah.
Cam: you gotta you can't really be picky with the Canadians.
Harley: Yeah, right now ninety three's taken, so
Coop: Yeah. No, I don't think I'll be getting that one.
Harley: But I whites I I think that's all I had. If that's all you had, dude, we could stop it right here.
Cam: Yeah. Yeah, Coop. Yeah, thank you so much. best of luck this season. I live not too far from Yale, so maybe I'll come by when you guys are playing at Yale
Coop: Awesome.
Cam: and watch the and watch the game. But yeah, best of luck this year we'll and thanks thanks for doing this.
Harley: Yeah, this was actually sick. Really appreciate it and yeah, fuck good luck. Good luck with everything. I'm sure we'll we'll be asking
Coop: This was awesome.
Harley: Wheels what's going on with Coop. Make sure he's dialed, make sure he's not skipping a bench, you know.
Coop: Yeah, seriously.
