Devils Insider - 40th Anniversary Series - A Bridge over Troubled (Frozen) Water

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Hear the cheers, protect your ears.
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Shemai Pao Bach Roysal.
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Hello, everybody, and welcome to Devil's Insider once again for your Cardiff Devils official podcast, Dan Rulet, alongside Neil Francis and Gareth Hewish.
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As always, guys, it's wonderful to see you again.
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Guys, how was your weekend?
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Up and down.
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Up and down.
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Yeah, that's going to be the theme of the evening.
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Franny, how are you doing?
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I'm alright now, just about.
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Well, I'm as I'm sure you can uh work out by the reaction of my two colleagues.
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It was an up and down weekend for the Devils, and we're going to chat a little bit about it to start the show today.
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And uh we'll start with the good, the up, the the the the positive.
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And Gaz Friday night, Devils beat Manchester by four goals to two in what was generally a solid performance.
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Yeah, it was.
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It was uh professional.
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Um after losing a very bizarre goal after only seven seconds, you start to wonder whether things aren't gonna go your way.
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But I like the reaction to that.
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And the first there were there were three goals pretty uh you know, across across that period that suggested me, you know, that we we seem in control once once those three goals went in.
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There was never a point in the game afterwards where I felt that Manchester were gonna see besiege us and make a comeback.
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So yeah, on that basis, uh, I I think it was okay.
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Offensively, I thought we looked very good.
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Um I thought generally Manchester didn't really show up as as much as we expect the Cam Critical side to turn up, and he was understandably unhappy with that.
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Uh, but it's two points drop down.
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Funny, uh, it was it was a nightmare start, seven seconds in you can see the goal, but the the the reaction in that first period was good.
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Yeah, uh and I'm gonna go a bit against what you just said, Gaz, and and I wasn't very positive coming away from that Manchester game on the Friday night.
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Um, yes, we won.
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Yes, it was a good kind of comeback from that seven-second uh goal, but I felt there was lots of warning signs, lots of red flags in that performance, and I was worried that if they continued we would not be in for a very good night in Guildford, and that's what happened.
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And that's not me kind of saying it after the event, uh you know, I said it on the night to to you guys.
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Um I just felt that Manchester didn't show up at all, and it flattered us, so it let us get away with poor puck management, um poor decisions, and yeah, it there was some nice goals scored, don't get me wrong.
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You know, those first three goals were were really nice, but there was lots of sloppy stuff all over the ice, and and that carried on into to Sunday's game.
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And you know, I I think when you gloss over something with a 4-2 win, you don't learn anything from it.
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What you do learn from is a 5-1 thump in.
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Yeah, we will uh we'll get on to the the Guildford on the Saturday night, but uh just concentrating quickly on the Friday.
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Franny, you talked about how you were you liked what Stover did on Friday night, you thought he was very good.
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Yeah, I mean he's earlier into his season because of the you know the injury layoff he had early on, uh, hasn't got that many games under his belt.
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Um the last game that he played for us, that or maybe it was the first game that you could see the rust in there, it wasn't the Stover that we were used to last year, and then he comes into this game and there's a turnover after a few seconds, and the puck's in the back of his net after seven seconds.
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It's easy for a goalie, especially a young goalie's head, to go down there, especially when you you know haven't had a run of games where you've been happy with how you've played.
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You know, he it's so early on in this season, uh, it would have been so easy for him to drop his head, and then he makes some absolutely fantastic saves in that first period to enable us to to kind of get back the lead and uh and maintain the lead that arguably kept us in the game because I don't know what would have happened had a couple of those shots.
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I think it was two massive saves from Johnson um coming down the right wing.
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If those go in or one of those go in, who knows how the game would have gone because I don't think I didn't see enough in the rest of the game to be able to compete against the side if they were on it.
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Guys, when it comes to games like that, and we'll obviously we'll get on to the fact that maybe lessons weren't learnt for Guildford on on the Saturday night, but it's important, I think, to recognise that even when you're winning, if you're not playing well, it you you want to be weary, don't you?
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Yeah, and it comes back to what I was kind of saying about the cr across the preseason games, is I was enjoying how we were taking the initiative of things and running a tempo for 60 minutes, and I kind of thought that after those preseason games that was the style, that was what what our our sort of mission was going to be every week.
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And I just agreed at times on Friday where that there wasn't that initiative, and that tempo did drop a little bit, and things got a little bit scrappy.
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I I I think we did we did we allow the how poor Manchester were to drag us down to playing that scrappy level.
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A little bit uh uh about that, but I I think we were maybe showing signs of that though the weekend before as well at times and we against Guildford, and we we kind of overcame it towards the end of the game where we looked a bit more fluid.
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So just I think we just need to nip a couple of these bad habits out, uh especially at home.
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Well uh we'll move on to the Saturday game in Guildford now, and and goodness me, there's uh where do we start really?
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It was uh not a great night for the Devils, they lose 5-1 at the Spectrum.
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Uh one of the worst performances, I think, by a Devils team in a long time, Franny.
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Yeah, and and just to put this into perspective, because I've been pretty negative, this happens every year to every team.
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You know, we started really well in preseason.
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We were praising about the shape that the guys had come in, about the style that they'd taken into uh preseason where it was relentless hockey, it was you know, puck movement was great and passing was crisp and all those kind of things.
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And every season what happens is you you get to a point and you kind of you switch off a little bit from consciously making those decisions to make those plays to thinking it just happens, and then the result is you get thumping, and I think that's what happened on on Saturday.
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Um Guilford came out.
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I thought, you know, I I loved the way that they played from their point of view.
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Alvaro sets the tone, you know, he he throws a questionable hit on Barrow near the boards right on the whistle.
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Um, he's their captain, he's setting the tone.
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You got Racine throwing his weight around, and you know, usually those are the games that we thrive in because our team is built to play that way.
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Just on that night, I don't I didn't see enough of a response from enough guys, and I and I want to consciously mention Ryan Barrow for definite, who I mean, he gives you the same thing every night, and that is a hundred and ten percent pure commitment.
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And he did that, and he got battered all over the ice, and he still was willing to put his body on the line to to make the play to the team to try and get him going, you know.
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To some extent, Riley Brandt as well, you know, he takes on the much bigger Racine, you know, to try and nip that in the bud.
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Uh, and I think those were probably the um you know the the two guys that uh were exceptions on the night.
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I think all the other guys have got to admit they had a very off night.
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Just on the subject, Gaz, of of of Alvaro and Racine in particular, kind of setting the tone for Guilford.
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Is this a game where we maybe miss Tyson Helges and the impact he has on games?
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Massively.
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Uh, I think this is probably the the biggest sort of example and showing of how much Tyson Helgison brings to us and how much we've missed uh yeah, I think he there would have been a a lot more policing uh on that ice route from our perspective uh if he had been there.
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Uh I think he certainly would have ensured that you know we we we fronted up a lot more to the to the the sort of ethos that Guilford came out us with.
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And really, I I kind of feel like Guilford kind of took a bit of our playbook uh a little bit during that game.
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And all the things that I watched and enjoyed about him are things that I've watched and enjoyed uh about us in this last season and a bit.
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So I think that's why it hurts a little more because I know that when we play that way, we are better than a lot of teams and uh we weren't uh on Saturday.
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But definitely I think someone like Tyson Helgison uh in that game on Saturday might have been able to turn the tide and change the flow of the game a little bit.
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Franny Tomo after the game didn't mince his words, I think is fair to say.
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He said that you know the devils embarrassed themselves out there and and and understandably frustrated on the night.
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Yeah, and I I think it's good that he um you came out as strong as that.
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Um, you know, he apologised to the the fans, not the just the ones that travelled, obviously them and but the ones you know watching at home.
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It was clear that you know he didn't want to see that as representative of this hockey club and what it stands for.
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And you know, to back that up even further, Monday is the the scheduled day off.
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The guys were back in skating on Monday, so that the day off was cancelled, they were back on the ice to address it.
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Uh, you know, he felt that strongly about that level of performance and and didn't want to tolerate it by just carrying on as normal.
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So brought the guys in.
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I'm sure there was a lot of strong words.
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Having been in his feedback sessions, I'm sure there was a lot of um positive criticism as well.
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Uh, you know, not just done in a negative way, you know, there would have been um highlighting the areas that we haven't played well, but also you know, instructing the guys what is going to turn this around.
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So um I'm glad to see it was addressed in the post-game interview, so everybody was clear that that is not acceptable level for the Cardiff Devils, and I'm glad that it was uh addressed in terms of um making things a little bit uncomfortable.
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Well, one thing to add from me, and and and it's kind of a uh a side narrative, but a frustration in that, and and it's that you know, we we don't make a huge deal out of the milestones necessarily, but that was Ben Mounds' 700th game in a Devils jersey, and the Devils hung him out to dry, I think, for a lot of that game.
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And and there's a frustration there, I think, that maybe in someone's occasion like that, and then again, you it's not the biggest deal when you when you're going into a game like that, but you you've got to turn up for your goal in that situation.
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You know, he's putting in his 700th game.
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Yeah, and you know, I don't think he had a a great start in the game, but you know, he battled for that, he didn't quit.
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And you know, Tomo gave him the option of coming out of the net after the second period to protect him because he wasn't getting any protection from the team, and he said, No, I want to see this one out.
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And I think that is uh a huge amount of character and that speaks volumes for him and why he's been able to play 700 games in this league.
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Guys, anything more you'd like to add on on that on that that evening?
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No, it's just I it's I think I'm sort of disappointed because it it's not you kind of hope that the performances like that were behind us a little bit, um, and that when they crept in last year that there'd be lessons learned.
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So um maybe it's coming at the the the best time that it can in terms of early on in the season with time to make up.
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Um but I certainly don't want to spend my Saturdays uh having to live through those much more.
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But you know, one thing we've always said about this group from the time they arrived in August is they do react to to disappointments and they do take responsibility and accountability, and I'm sure we will see that going forward.
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We will.
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The the very last thing to mention on that, maybe it's just the in within the context of the Challenge Cup group, it obviously, you know, the the devils don't want to start two and two to that group because all of a sudden, you know, now you look at it and you see, okay, well, the maximum the devils are going to score in this is 16, 13 qualified the Coventry Blaze for the semi-finals last year.
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Margins are pretty tight at this point already, and you you don't you don't want to allow them to be tightened for from something that's within your control, Frenny.
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Yeah, when you um don't show up for a game like that, you put yourselves in a harder position, and what you have to do, and what every good team does is then go out and win a game that maybe they weren't in a position to win.
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You know, one of those games that's not going your way, you find a way to win.
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So that game's gone now.
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We can talk about it all we want, we're not gonna get the two points back.
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What you've got to do now is to find other ways to make sure you pick up the two points as we progress in this challenge cup group.
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Indeed, we do.
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As we say, the devils they win one, they lose one as part of a challenge cup group, and uh, and as frustrating as it is, they get back to it on Friday.
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We're gonna keep on the subject a little bit of the Challenge Cup now, but it's going back to a challenge cup of yesteryear, and one of the more memorable moments in Devils history as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations.
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We decided to catch up with the captain when the Devils won the Challenge Cup in 06, Jared Adams.
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Ladies and gentlemen, a huge welcome on Devil's Insider This Week.
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Another guest as part of our 40th anniversary celebratory episodes.
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Jared Adams joins the show.
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Gee, thank you so much for chatting to us.
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How are you doing?
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I'm doing very well, thank you.
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And uh thanks for having me.
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In 40 years, my lord, does time fly?
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It does indeed.
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And and like you say, we're part of this this 40th anniversary celebration, and uh, and and we're gonna chat a little bit about your your playing career and your coaching career as part of the devil's organization, and uh there's a lot to cover.
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It was it was a hell of a long time that you were part of this this team for.
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And um, we're gonna we're gonna start initially with your playing time, and I just want to ask you a little bit about your your background before you came to Cardiff to to start with, and and and just tell me a little bit about your time when you first arrived in in the UK in the elite league, and and kind of what brought you over here before you arrived in Cardiff.
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Oh, this is going back a long time, it's what is it, a quarter of a decade?
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My god, this is going way back.
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It's gonna be a long story, so buckle in.
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Uh how it worked out was I I was playing, I signed a contract with the Washington Capitals, got in 1999, 2000, and I was never ever gonna play for him, but I was always gonna be kind of like an American League East Coast League player.
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So I did that, and I've quickly figured it out after about six weeks that the size that I was, in the sense of height and weight back then, I was incredibly small.
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And when you're playing in the American League as a 20, 21-year-old against growing men who are 30, 35, and a lot bigger and a lot stronger, it can be really intimidating.
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And because I was more of a physical player more than skill, uh I was watching guys fight night in, night out, and it was pretty scary.
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Some of the things that were happening, it's all part of the game, but I quickly realized that if I wanted to commit to kind of give it a go at the NHL, there would have to be a a lot of pain along the way, and that's part of reaching any goal, I guess.
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But I don't think I was willing to uh to to make that pay or sorry to pay that kind of payment of pain.
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I wanted to do something different, and it was at that point I found out I had English ancestry rights.
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So my grandfather volunteered in the army in the Second World War.
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Uh, and I found out I could come to the UK uh and play as he was a non-import at the time, or I don't know, I can't remember the classification of it, but I thought I'm gonna go over for a year.
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Uh, I'm gonna party my face off, spend every penny I have, and then go back to Saskatchewan and open up a brick-laying business with my dad.
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Uh, but I got over here and Franny's gonna start giggling pretty soon now.
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The first contract I signed was with the Newcastle Jesters, if you can believe it or not.
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And literally, I think I was on the airplane over the ocean and the team folded.
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So I got to Newcastle, and uh there was no money, no team.
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I sat there for a couple, three weeks with uh Rob Tromblay, rest in peace to Rob.
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We had uh had a really good time, but I figured I had to do something.
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So Scotty Neal gave me a call and I went and played in Edinburgh, I think, for six weeks.
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Uh, I'm not sure I saw the sun for six weeks.
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I didn't broke back to the city if you've ever been there.
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And then from there I went to the London Knights and I played in the London Knights for a year and a half.
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I think if they would have had a team, if they would have kept the team out and never tried to leave there, it was a great organization.
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Uh, a lot of former Devils were there.
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So, you know, the the Mike Ware, you know, Vezio Saccartini, Ian McIntyre, guys like that.
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It was it was an incredible situation, incredible team.
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Uh, that that team pulled us.
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I went to uh Sheffield for for two years in the elite league and had a really good experience there, to be honest with you, uh, as a player and won, so that was good.
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Um, but my heart uh I don't know what really kind of what drew me to Cardiff.
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I guess it was always the people, wasn't it?
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And uh I can remember just before it was before I signed with Cardiff Devil.
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So Ed Patterson was, I think, trying to sign me at the time.
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And I went to I think it was Dewey's Bar, if you can remember that place at all.
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And that's where I first met Neil Francis, was in Dewey's Bar and had a drink with him there.
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And from there it just uh snowballed in the sense of the years went by.
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Uh, I think my my love for the devils kind of grew uh each day with it.
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So that's a long-winded start, but that's kind of how I ended up in Cardiff.
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Is there uh is there any memory from that first meeting apart from where it was with Ranny?
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It was uh fairly historic moment.
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Yeah, I'm I guess you know it's just kind of that that first impression, you know, work in the automotive industry right now, and you know, when you're talking about sales, it's that kind of first four seconds to you know set out that first impression.
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I think with Neil, it was just you know, getting not only I got a first impression, but we're both uh and still remain to this day, very good friends with Paul Sample.
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So Paul had a very good, you know, introduction and it's just yeah, it just took off from there, really.
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Your uh your first season in Cardiff.
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I mean, you you started on a very good note in that you guys won the Challenge Cup in that first year, and it was a very successful season.
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And and just tell me a little bit about your memories of of that cup win because it is it the devils fans still talk about it to this day, and it's obviously a really big moment in the history of the club.
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Yeah, it was um what what what I kind of remember from that is is a couple things.
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So there's there's on-ice stuff that I remember, uh, and and then there's off-ice stuff.
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So I think kind of one of the first memories I have is we we got beat, I think it was three-nothing in Coventry.
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And I remember it was Peter Aubrey was our goalie, and I think that was the first time Peter realized that they'd hang the nets.
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So remember, they'd pull the nets up and they'd hang them from the ceiling.
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So the old kind of nets would hang down and they'd have game nets.
00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:45.759
And I think that really kind of messed with Peter because we he he had a real off night.
00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:48.000
We lost 3-0, and they were good.
00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:51.759
I mean, they they were legit, legit, maybe probably better than us.
00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:57.359
Uh, so when we were going back in a card up, we always kind of thought if we could get that first goal, it'd give ourselves a chance.
00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:12.079
But I'll never forget, never, never forget the uh the crowd noise because you sat underneath in the old stadium, and that was far and away the most energetic um you know energy that I could feel out of a out of the crowd there.
00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:14.960
And I think that's really kind of set the tone for us.
00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.680
Uh, and we're able to kind of get that that first goal.
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:23.440
Nathan Rempel, of course, had uh had a very, very good game and led us to to kind of that victory.
00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:25.119
And then we had the Saskatchewan savior.
00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:30.559
I'm just remembering a bunch of things now, but our Regis Reggie Strange got that that game winning goal.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:43.279
But the off-eye stuff that that I do remember and I I'll never forget was uh Mark Richardson going through a personal um personal loss and for him to kind of be there.
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:46.799
And I remember as me and him when got the trophy and kind of collected it.
00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:49.519
Uh, I think Morandy Phillips was pretty keen to get a hold of it.
00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:52.160
Mark wrestled away from her and he held it up.
00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.160
So that's kind of what I really remember.
00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:57.680
And then, of course, afterwards the look on uh people's faces.
00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:59.680
So yeah, it was a it was a great night, really good night.
00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:01.519
Thanks for bringing back that memory, actually.
00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:11.359
Um you you mentioned Richie there, and of course, he would have been a very young man back then, and and obviously that's a that's a big moment in in your career and his career, and so to share that that must be pretty special.
00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:15.599
I think he's about 12 or 13 at the time since you're playing pro.
00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:16.799
Is he still going?
00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.759
He's still playing, isn't he?
00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:18.480
My god.
00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:27.599
Um, yeah, it was uh it was very important for for for for me to kind of share that with with him because he he'd been through a lot and and he played.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:37.200
I don't think a lot of guys would have played if they would have been going through what he was going through, and it'd be understandable to not choose to play because again, what he was going through, but he chose to play.
00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:47.680
Uh, and I think that was showed a a lot of character from a very, very young age, which has of course helped him into probably not helped him, but yeah, Sisterdom becomes the leader that he is today.
00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:50.480
He um, I mean, he's still around and he's still playing today.
00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:59.599
And and it must be remarkable to you for for you to see that that you know, a guy who came into the the locker room when you know he was a very young man and and still part of the devil's organization to this very day.
00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:01.279
Yeah, and I'm just joking.
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:19.920
I know he's he's still playing and uh he's um he he was professional before a lot of other people were professional, and I think that's kind of get kept him in good stead in the sense of the way he took care of his body, mentally, emotionally, and the preparation that he put in.
00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:30.799
And it's like anything, he was consistent at that, and that consistency just helped him become a little bit more effective, a little bit more efficient each and every day.
00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:33.440
Uh, and that's helped him become the player he is.
00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:38.880
G, just a final uh question from me about that challenge cap uh win.
00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:45.920
Do you still have a little bit of uh annoyance that Remple, you're the forgotten man, given you you got the other goal on that night?
00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:49.119
Well, listen, I'm glad you brought it up because I was gonna bring it up at some point.
00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:51.519
So that you brought it up.
00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:54.559
But uh, I don't know if I'm for the forgotten man on that one.
00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:59.599
I you know, we had there was Vesi, me Vesi, and uh Remple were were on a line.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:04.559
Um, and it was that night I think was just win at all costs.
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:09.119
I don't think we really cared uh who who got the goals, but it was good for for Remple.
00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:23.279
He really, really needed it at that time, I think, as a player and as a div and as an individual, and he got it, and it's just must be a good feeling for him all these years looking back, uh, how like kind of clutch he was in that moment.
00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:27.039
So when you think of that challenge cup, uh you will think of him.
00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:30.000
But if I get a little asterisk, hey, let's go with that.
00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:37.680
You you mentioned Vezio Sacrettini there, and and it is another connection, I guess, with with modern day devils as well, in that Jake is is is joined the devils for this season.
00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.799
And uh, you know, do you have many memories of of little Jake growing up?
00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:43.599
And and it's good to see him now as a devil himself.
00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:45.599
Yeah, he was just a little tank, wasn't he?
00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:49.279
Was the kid, he had a kind of like you know, that big head phase that kids go through.
00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:51.839
He was going through that back in the day.
00:22:52.160 --> 00:23:04.640
Um, but yeah, no, I I I I do remember, you know, Ruth, Jake, and uh, you know, Bezzy, you know, quite quite not quite a bit, but quite often, uh, because they're they're they're really, really good people.
00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:19.039
And of course, Jake, I mean, God, I haven't seen him in 20, 25 years, but for him to come back, and not even come back, I guess for him to come into the elite league and come into the devils, I think is such a cool, cool story.
00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:29.039
There's um, you know, not long after you you joined the devils that they obviously made the move to to the big blue tent down in the bay, and you were with them for pretty much the entire time that building was was was used.
00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:34.720
And so, you know, you you talk about the atmosphere on the day of that challenge cup final, obviously in the previous building.
00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:40.240
But you know, talk talk to me a little bit about the tent and and what that meant to you in that place, how special it was to you.
00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:41.279
Oh wow.
00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:43.680
Um, where to start with that place?
00:23:44.000 --> 00:24:00.559
I think if you start in the beginning, um, and when I say you start in the beginning, we had players fly in um when the tent was just being built, so they didn't even know we didn't have a rink for kind of next, it was still kind of being built.
00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:07.759
Um, but you know that I talk about like that energetic passion, you know, atmosphere that was in the older rink.
00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:12.400
Well, when we went to the big blue tent, it was the opposite when we first started.
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:14.720
I think the crowds went really low.
00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:22.400
I think the people that were there were still kind of energetic, still passionate about it, but it was a big shift, a big cultural shift.
00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:27.680
And my memory from it is it it took a little while to get that energy back going.
00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:35.279
And when I say a little while, a couple years, but that's sometimes what happens when when you switch rinks, when you switch buildings.
00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:40.480
Don't get me wrong, there's off-eyes politics, things were happening like that.
00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:53.200
But you know, just to keep hockey uh fluid in the sense of moving from the old rink into the big blue tent, which has of course led uh the devils to where they are now, was always going to be kind of a bridge arena.
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:59.599
Um, but when we first moved in, yeah, a lot of uh a lot of interesting things happened.
00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:08.400
Uh I guess on that, Gresh, a lot of interesting things happened in that first year that kind of led to you getting the offer to be head coach.
00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:12.400
I'm sure that wasn't something you were expected when you you re-signed that year.
00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:18.960
Can you kind of talk us through your thought process when you got that offer and what made you decide to take the plunge?
00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:26.960
I think it really wasn't too much of a like, should I do it or should I not do it?
00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:40.400
I think at the time it was maybe I probably was the best person suited at that time just to kind of pick it up to take it over for the few months at the end of the year, if from memory, what it was.
00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:44.640
Um, and we had such a tight-knit team that year.
00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:49.039
And going back to like what I was saying, we didn't have a rank for for eight to twelve weeks.
00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:50.400
This is going back sometime.
00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:53.359
I remember we used to have, I think it was called Super Sundays.
00:25:53.519 --> 00:26:05.039
So we'd play away on a Saturday, and then the players would get together on a Sunday and have a have a day to say the least, and I'm not gonna say we're gonna have to, but have a day, but that there's that camaraderie.
00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:18.720
Uh, and that's kind of the driving force for a lot of the decisions is is the people, what you think you could do to kind of help others um, you know, experience what you're going through and you know just be connected to the team.
00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:24.640
And just want to point out that during our Super Sunday era, we had the best road record in the entire league.
00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.720
So there was some there was something in it.
00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:30.799
The the the trouble started when we got a rink and then we couldn't win a home.
00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:34.160
No coincidence there, absolutely.
00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:50.880
Um, we had uh we had Paul Heavy on the uh podcast last week, and he talked about when he made the transition from being a player to being a coach, and and and talked about maybe how it was actually quite challenging changing that dynamic between the two and going from being you know a player and a buddy with those guys to all of a sudden being in that position of authority.
00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:53.200
And so, what was it like for you when you made that switch?
00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:58.720
And obviously, being player coach as well, obviously adds a whole other dimension to to that kind of dynamic.
00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:09.440
It was, of course, it it is challenging because you're trying to do as the player coach do two jobs at once, which is crazy when you kind of think about it going back then.
00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:38.319
Um, but I think it was just having relationships with people in the sense of like if I ask you to do something as a coach, you know, my expectation is you you kind of do it, and you know, they had to be quite forgiving with me as a player because, like any player, you know, I would make mistakes, so it's being, I think, accommodating uh of both of those, but it was definitely a steep, steep learning curve uh about management at at that time.
00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:46.960
But the players and the people around me were were great, and you know, I got a tip the hat to Neil, he helped out with that because it was the recruitment.
00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:48.799
We we barely, barely.
00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:52.559
I mean, don't get me wrong, like skills and stats and stuff like that.
00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:57.839
That's that's important, but the most important thing was getting the right people to fit the team.
00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:08.799
And once you get the right people, you can as a management, as a leader, you you can get people to buy in because there's almost that social proof in in the locker room that everybody wants to be a part of it.
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:14.559
So I think I was quite blessed to have good, solid people around me, good leaders.
00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:21.119
You know, the first couple years we had Dion Darling was there, you know, Brad Brad Vaught was there, you know, Mac Faulkner, Scott Matskis.
00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:28.799
So when you're surrounded with these type of people, these type of players, uh, you know, people first, it it makes it that much easier.
00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:32.160
Um I'm sure we'll get the chance to ask Franny about this as well.
00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:41.119
But the the dynamic between the two of you and and you guys, you know, building teams, coaching teams, and and and and running the club in that aspect, just what why did it work and why did you do you think get along so well?
00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:46.480
And I know you're both on the call list, is perhaps you know one of those, but you tell me a little bit about that dynamic.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:49.519
I'd I would say we'd let's get Neil to go first on this one.
00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:50.160
Go on, Franny.
00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:59.680
I would say we were probably a bit of yin and yang, weren't we, as uh as a combination.
00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:07.599
Um there was lots of skills hockey-wise that I didn't have that G had in abundance.
00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:16.000
Um, I would say G in your early years, um, you know, maybe like the communication side of thing wasn't your forte.
00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:20.160
Uh you were more a you know, do as I do leader, not as I say.
00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:30.480
And maybe I had those softer skills that helped kind of bridge the gap between G as the head coach, the player coach, uh, and then and the rest of the team.
00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:45.359
Yeah, I it's putting it mildly, I think, you know, you for Neil, uh Franny had so many skills that I didn't have, and I think that was a lot of it came down from you know his experience inside and outside of hockey, being able to get people to kind of bought into a system.
00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:54.319
But for for me, one of the biggest things is I think we actually, and this is it, it's it's it's crazy to say, but I think it's kind of rare these days, we actually listen to each other.
00:29:54.559 --> 00:30:02.720
So if if Franny had a point, I would go out of my way to to to to listen, and I think it would have vice versa that way.
00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:07.920
So it's such a huge component in any kind of communications, any kind of team dynamics.
00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:24.160
So for me, that was kind of the one of the big ones, and we always were pulling in the same direction, and there's so many things that we had to work out amongst ourselves because when you're in a leadership, you can't just naturally share everything what's happened with the team.
00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:28.559
Sometimes you gotta have that umbrella term where you gotta kind of protect the team.
00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:38.079
And Neil and I were able to kind of work together on that umbrella aspect and keep each other, you know, engaged, upbeat, and just invested in it.
00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:47.440
One name that you you've mentioned there is Scott Matzka, and and he, of course, is still you know hugely remembered amongst devils fans and for the impact he had not only on the ice but but off it.
00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:53.680
And and so talk to me a little bit about working with him when he was a devil and in the couple of years he was here, the impact that he had.
00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:02.000
Scott's um Scott was a good good man to start with, you know.
00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:07.680
He was a family man outside of you know hockey, he was he was an intense man.
00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:15.519
There's no other way to say it in life in hockey, and that intensity, I think, um what was contagious.
00:31:15.839 --> 00:31:19.839
And he was uh yeah, he was just a good carrying man.
00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:21.279
I don't know what else to say, really.
00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:23.839
He's uh he kind of caught me off guard with that one.
00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:36.880
I think if you look back at the quality of players, he's up there, I think, with one of the better devils of all time, the way he could play both ends of the ice um and play against top players and kind of lead the team that way.
00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:42.799
But it was his uh his ability to influence up and influence down.
00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:47.440
So he was influencing me on a daily basis, but then he was also influencing other people around him.
00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:48.480
I laughed the other day.
00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:51.039
I picked up a can of coke and I didn't even laugh to look at him.
00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:55.680
Like there's 35 grams of sugar in it, and I knew that because Scott told me offered drinking a coke one day.
00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:03.440
So it's just those little things that you know you kind of remember, but yeah, his ability to uh to to influence, but he he was a good, good man.
00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:10.079
He was part as well of the record-breaking team, and and and Franny and Gaza have have done podcasts about about that time as well.
00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:12.240
And and tell me your memories about that team.
00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:15.440
Obviously, 22 consecutive wins is is a crazy feat.
00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:18.880
And so uh give me a little bit of an insight into that year and that run.
00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:28.319
It's I don't even really know to begin uh kind of how it's I mean, first off, Franny did an amazing job.
00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:34.319
So we recruited Craig Weller, so that we can't get away from the fact that he was a major part of that.
00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:55.119
Um, but when I talked to people about that, and people asked me about it, like I don't really remember preparing, I don't remember certain games, I just remember like the feeling of going to that rank each and every day of like not invincibility, but just like we are gonna win, and that just supreme confidence from everybody, and it just snowballed.
00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:57.599
I got just crazy contagious.
00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:08.160
And of course, as you you know, you're not gonna win every game, but just to kind of have that feeling for that period of time, just to be part of that kind of group, is uh it is pretty special.
00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:16.079
Now, what isn't special is I found out years afterwards that people don't really remember before we went on that winning streak.
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:21.279
I think we dropped five or six in a row, like we were really, really struggling beforehand.
00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:25.680
And our captain, which I'm sure you can talk to him about this.
00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:28.400
I didn't find out so till years after, by the way.
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:30.160
We played on a Saturday, right?
00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:31.599
Play Saturday, Sunday.
00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:39.599
So our captain, I won't say who it was, Brad Voth, recognized everybody to go to, and I'll never forget it, the cameo club.
00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:41.279
I think it was called the Cameo Club.
00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:47.119
So he's like, we're gonna go for one beer before the game, you know, just to like let loose and just forget about things.
00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:52.000
So we started, I think we won was it eight or ten weeks in a row.
00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:56.559
So I think the first week started out with one beer, then it went to two the next week.
00:33:56.720 --> 00:33:58.640
So I'll let you figure out where it gone up to.
00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:05.440
So I'm not sure how our streak ended, but again, it was just that that that uh that team spirit, man.
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:06.880
You you you can't beat that film.
00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:09.280
Do you mention Votha?
00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:14.239
He was a huge part of your time, uh, you know, that blue, big blue 10 era time.
00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:19.599
He was really important to kind of keep in the sort of profile up, I guess, of the devils around that time.
00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:22.079
We didn't have a huge marketing budget and things around that time.
00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:29.039
Just kind of speak to sort of the impact that he had on the team and how difficult was it at times to kind of keep him under control.
00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:34.159
Well, defiant under control.
00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:46.079
Um, I think when you when you think of Brad Voth, of course you think of you know the mayor and take your shoes off and throw it at him, or whatever that song is about with him.
00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:56.480
Um but he he's um listen, he he could have left us after the first year, and I can't I don't know how many years he played, five, six, seven, whatever he played.
00:34:56.719 --> 00:35:03.840
Uh, he got offered way more money at way bigger clubs, more perks than you can imagine.
00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:15.679
Uh, but he stayed uh because of because of the fans and because of the city, and just because the club was him, he was the club, he was the identity.
00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:19.119
And yeah, he crossed the line a lot in games.
00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:23.039
For sure he did, but that was part of like that was part of us.
00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:24.320
We had to play that way.
00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:31.760
We were on a small, tight budget, we had a small rink, we had to entertain, and we had to be different.
00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:38.320
And you know, I watch some games these days, including AHL games, and I'm not saying it's it's right or it's wrong.
00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:45.760
Hockey's just different these days, and sometimes you watch a game, you can't really tell, you know, who's you know, who's the checker, who's the third, who's the fourth line.
00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:47.920
Everybody kind of plays the same, is what I'm trying to say.
00:35:48.079 --> 00:35:58.880
Where you know, back then, Lenny, you knew who the villains were, you know, there was bad guys on the ice, everybody was booing and throwing things at, and I think that's kind of part of the entertainment back then.
00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:09.519
Um, so he was uh integral part of me staying as well, because he was such a such a good, good man, and again, the recruitment down to the people first.
00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:12.079
Gee, I'm gonna ask a question now.
00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:23.440
I've asked two the other coaches, so we've had other coaches from all the eras on, and it's almost part of my quest to to define devil's hockey and the devil's identity.
00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:39.920
And I think you're a coach in probably one of the most unfortunate eras where there was a lack of funding and we weren't competitive anywhere near the we are today, and we were in previous years, but somehow you still managed to play devil's hockey.
00:36:40.320 --> 00:36:42.320
What would you define that as?
00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:44.880
How how how do you define devil's hockey?
00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:54.239
I would define it as a unified team force.
00:36:54.400 --> 00:37:14.960
And what I mean by force is we would force our will amongst team because when you think about it, you know, sports and everything like that, it comes down to a battle of wills, but we had to play a certain way, it had to be physical, necessarily the the fastest style, but but physical and catered to our rank in in the big blue tent.
00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:18.559
But devil's hockey over the years has flexed and flowed.
00:37:18.639 --> 00:37:25.679
I think if you look back, you know, before my time or the Super League days of you know, Doug McQueen and stuff like that, those guys were good, man.
00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:27.840
Like those teams were legit, they could play.
00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:32.480
And then if you fast forward a few years after me, I don't know, maybe maybe I was a problem.
00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:33.440
Let's look at that, maybe.
00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:37.760
But a few years after me, you know, again, the those teams were were free-flowing.
00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:39.119
It was good hockey.
00:37:39.199 --> 00:37:49.840
And I think sometimes you have to like anything in life, you gotta uh play and live within a budget, and their budget required for us to play a certain way.
00:37:50.320 --> 00:38:02.320
With that in mind, you know, you you look at the results during that time, and and you you maybe downplay how good the devils were because you you look, you know, you you lost four playoff finals in six years, and and you finished second in the league, you went on that run.
00:38:02.480 --> 00:38:06.239
There was still plenty of positives and plenty of successes during that time.
00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:12.719
Cheers for bringing up the playoff losses, and uh hoping to skate through on that.
00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:14.639
Um, no, we had some really good teams.
00:38:14.800 --> 00:38:16.719
I honestly I was thinking about this, you know.
00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:20.639
I I think one of our better teams was I can't remember what it was.
00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:24.159
Phil Ozaire was our goalie, and it was around Christmas time.
00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:28.800
We were hot, I think we were in first place, and we we were absolutely flying.
00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:36.159
Uh, and then Phil hurt his knee, and we didn't have the resource to bring in another goalie.
00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:48.480
And there's no disrespect to Joe Myers because I'm a huge Joe Myers fan, but that was kind of one of the better years, and I can't remember where we finished that year, but yeah, no, we had lots of successes along the way.
00:38:48.639 --> 00:38:52.400
I mean, it would have been nice to bring home uh our trophy, of course.
00:38:52.800 --> 00:39:03.199
Um, but we we were always punching, we we were we were we were lightweights fighting in the heavyweight division, and we were still able to produce those results.
00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:07.199
With that in mind, are there any and and you know we we've highlighted a fair few of them.
00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:11.599
Are there any moments that stand out as a particular favorite for you from from over your time here?
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:16.239
There's plenty.
00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:27.119
Uh and I you know it it it's all people related to to be honest with you, you know, seeing people seeing people grow as well.
00:39:27.280 --> 00:39:30.159
You look good look like a guy at Benny Davis came in again.
00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:37.199
I think he was 10 or 11 when he started training with us full-time, and he's grown into you know that that full-time player now.
00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:42.159
There's just so so so many memories to kind of pinpoint it.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:45.920
I don't know if I can to be honest with you.
00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:48.559
Maybe let's circle back to that question, but it's a good one.
00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:51.360
Uh kind of entail getting onto that then.
00:39:51.519 --> 00:39:56.159
The the other half of that question would be, you know, how do you look at your legacy on this club?
00:39:56.239 --> 00:39:58.480
And and and and how do you reflect on that from over the years?
00:39:58.639 --> 00:40:06.079
Because some of the names you've reeled off, you know, guys like Richie and and Benny Davis, who are still here, guys like Scott Matska, who still have a massive impact on the club.
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:08.880
How do you reflect on your legacy from your time?
00:40:11.199 --> 00:40:20.800
My my plan was always gonna be to be um term to use, but kind of like a bridge coach.
00:40:21.039 --> 00:40:38.320
So, what I mean by that was my goal, my plan was to take us from the old rank in the city center, get us through the big blue tent era, and then coach one year in the new rank, and then I was doubt my was gonna be my departure in my head.
00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:41.599
That's of course the sports that never works out in the perfect world.
00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:57.360
But I think if you think about uh a legacy, that's a pretty strong word, but I think if one way I could kind of be remembered is just a stabilizer uh of the organization of some pretty rocky years uh off the ice.
00:40:57.519 --> 00:41:07.199
So to be able to kind of keep competitive, keep the product, keep the players here, to keep the steady flow of yeah, just hockey going as a as a general.
00:41:07.280 --> 00:41:16.480
I think if I could be remembered at as that, as downplaying or maybe as boring as that sounds, for me that's that's the feeling I want.
00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:23.119
And when when you look at where the club's at now, do you feel that sense of pride that you were a part of that journey to getting where they are now?
00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:24.559
Absolutely, 100%.
00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:41.199
I think I look back with great fondness uh being able to again bridge that those gaps and you know to to work through some off-ice political issues to to help, in my own way, support the club until the club wanted to go a different direction.
00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:43.599
But I think, yeah, to look at it right now.
00:41:43.679 --> 00:41:50.320
I mean, especially to see you know my good friend Franny's still involved with it and to come to the games, it is different, of course.
00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:52.960
Time time moves on, but you know what?
00:41:53.039 --> 00:42:01.440
The devils are still around, they're doing incredibly well, they've got an incredibly good team, they're selling out.
00:42:01.599 --> 00:42:07.199
I mean, just to be somewhat part of that, uh, for me, the internal feeling is great.
00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:09.920
Okay, gee, one of one of my questions.
00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:17.280
So you've worked your way up in the world of kind of management, management training, experience of that now.
00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:27.920
What would today's what would be the advice that today's Jared Adams would give to the young Jared Adams step in from the player into that player coach role?
00:42:28.239 --> 00:42:30.239
Oh man, I've thought about this so much.
00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:33.119
Yeah, I still kind of like think about it.
00:42:33.199 --> 00:42:42.639
I mean, because I I always I always this is what I say to myself is I wasn't a good coach until I left hockey.
00:42:42.880 --> 00:42:49.199
I think going into kind of the business coaching, the leadership and management stuff, I think has taught me to be a good coach.
00:42:49.360 --> 00:42:54.159
Don't get me wrong, all the stuff I learned in hockey, and I was above average as a hockey coach.
00:42:54.320 --> 00:42:59.280
But I think when I look back at my time, Franny, I think I was management.
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:00.079
I really do.
00:43:00.159 --> 00:43:12.400
I think I was a manager where I'm not sure I was uh a leader, and you may disagree, other people may disagree with it, but I think my skills and knowledge and behaviors I've learned now.
00:43:12.559 --> 00:43:17.519
Of course, you think, oh, if I only had those back then the day, I would have been such a much better coach.
00:43:17.760 --> 00:43:20.559
But yeah, I I do think about it.
00:43:20.639 --> 00:43:22.320
I don't ever think about getting back into hockey.
00:43:22.400 --> 00:43:31.119
Don't don't be that that that that's not for me, but it's one of those things, the skills that I have now, if I would have had them then, would would things have been different?
00:43:31.280 --> 00:43:31.920
Who knows?
00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:34.000
But that's that's how life works.
00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:35.920
It wouldn't have been just fun though.
00:43:36.079 --> 00:43:36.800
No, no way.
00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:42.239
Is there anything you've got other we'd like to add?
00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:43.440
No, that's all well.
00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:44.320
That's all we've got, Fiji.
00:43:44.559 --> 00:43:50.480
Uh, we really appreciate you joining the call, and uh, and and it's been great to take a little deep dive into your era of the devils as well.
00:43:50.559 --> 00:43:55.119
And and and it's been nice tracking through and to hear about yeah, that that stage of of where the club was at.
00:43:55.440 --> 00:43:57.280
No, I appreciate you guys, appreciate your time.
00:43:57.360 --> 00:43:58.320
Thanks for having me, and I look forward.
00:43:58.400 --> 00:43:59.840
I'm gonna be there on the tenth, so I look forward to seeing you.
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:01.119
You guys, there, if you're there.
00:44:01.920 --> 00:44:04.000
Massive thanks to G for joining the show.
00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:06.880
Guys, I found that thoroughly enjoyable as an interview.
00:44:07.039 --> 00:44:09.039
Really, really good to speak to G.
00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:11.119
And and and we'll start with you, Franny.
00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:20.880
You know, uh G was the part of this club for a very long time, and you can you can tell that the impact that he had and and the responsibility that he had, it's it sits on him and he and he he's proud of it.
00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:26.239
Yeah, he's also um as I'm no doubt will come across, he's a very humble guy.
00:44:26.400 --> 00:44:34.400
He doesn't really speak about his achievements, but when I look back at his achievements, they they did keep this club going in the darkest of times.
00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:48.000
It it gave the devils um hope that you know we competed every year pretty much for the league title until just one too many injuries, which we weren't getting injury replacements for, you know, cost us our way.
00:44:48.079 --> 00:45:00.639
Uh, but every year we just maintained that hope, play in the right way, play in that you know, that style that you know, in the big blue tent, made it a fortress, the world record, um winning streak.
00:45:00.719 --> 00:45:04.800
I mean, that can't be um underestimated as an achievement.
00:45:04.960 --> 00:45:15.920
Uh, you know, it's it's just incredible the amount of wins in a row, especially when you know the budgets that we were working with, you know, up against teams who had much bigger budgets.
00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:19.920
And you know, G he plays everything down.
00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:23.440
He he used to play himself down as a player on the ice.
00:45:23.519 --> 00:45:32.320
I mean, he was a very underrated player, such a uh a valuable asset, whether he was D or whether he was forward, he made a difference there.
00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:43.440
I I remember um and I think I've probably told this before, uh, when we were uh recruiting in the summer, and the previous season I'd been frustrated for G because he kept on benching himself.
00:45:43.599 --> 00:45:47.360
He kept on sitting himself out because he wanted to give other players ice time.
00:45:47.440 --> 00:45:49.599
And I was in saying, you got to get out there.
00:45:49.679 --> 00:45:51.440
We need your leadership on the ice.
00:45:51.599 --> 00:45:55.920
Forget that you're the coach, you know, we need you out there to see us through this game.
00:45:56.000 --> 00:46:01.280
And he kept on kind of like taking this back seat because, like you said, he's a really humble guy.
00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:08.320
So, you know, we're in the midst of recruitment, and you know, most days one of us would get excited that we found a player and describe him.
00:46:08.480 --> 00:46:09.840
So I started messaging him.
00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:11.280
I said, I found this player.
00:46:11.440 --> 00:46:20.079
Um, you know, he's played this many American League games, you know, he's put up this many points, he plays forward, he plays defense, and he's a really good scrapper.
00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:25.199
You know, some some seasons he had 200 penalty minutes, you know, and I'm and G's like, oh my god, who is this?
00:46:25.280 --> 00:46:25.679
Who is this?
00:46:25.840 --> 00:46:27.920
And my last message is it's you.
00:46:28.239 --> 00:46:29.440
We've already got you here.
00:46:29.599 --> 00:46:34.559
Stop undervaluing yourself and you know, and make the most of your ability on the ice as well.
00:46:34.639 --> 00:46:45.840
And that was kind of my message because he would assign that player that I was describing every day of the week, yet he was reluctant to play himself because he is that humble that he was looking to give others opportunity.
00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:49.599
Um, but uh yeah, I mean, he didn't respond to me after that.
00:46:50.159 --> 00:46:51.840
But hopefully he got the message.
00:46:52.079 --> 00:46:59.199
Uh the Neil Francis and Jared Adams recruitment summer is the reality show the world never got, but would have absolutely taken the world by storm.
00:46:59.360 --> 00:47:08.079
I think we we couldn't really get into it in that interview because it's not really the the right tone to strike, and also we probably wouldn't need to interview him for about three hours.
00:47:08.239 --> 00:47:16.239
But it's hard to impress on people who weren't there at the time just how many crises seemed to befell the club at every corner.
00:47:16.480 --> 00:47:52.320
I mean, the whole reason he got the job was because Ed Patterson got sacked just before Christmas out of nowhere with a team that had been playing on the road for half the first half of the season because we didn't have our ice ring, and he was thrust into that, and it kind of set the tone for his reign in that he had this really remarkable ability to just continue to get performances out of the team, despite all the madness that would happen around him, with whether it be ownership, whether it be an injury crisis, uh, whether it be uh suspensions that we felt we were hard done by on, some we were, some we weren't.
00:47:52.559 --> 00:47:55.519
Um, it was just always seemed to be something.
00:47:55.679 --> 00:48:03.679
But when you went to the rink to watch a Jared Adams team play, for those 60 minutes, it was like that didn't matter.
00:48:03.840 --> 00:48:07.119
Those those guys were going hard through a brick wall for him.
00:48:07.199 --> 00:48:25.039
Like it's almost like he could turn a crisis and get a siege mentality going with the guys, and I think that's a really underrated skill that not many people have because I think you guess some coaches who would just use it as an excuse before you even go out on the ice and say, Well, what's the point, boys?
00:48:25.119 --> 00:48:27.119
You know, we'll you know, we're not gonna do this.
00:48:27.199 --> 00:48:31.039
But he didn't, he always seemed to harness it into something positive.
00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:34.559
I I think that's absolutely spot on, and I think you put it really well there.
00:48:34.719 --> 00:48:41.840
You know, one of G's biggest strengths was empowerment, you know, putting it back into the hands of of those that can.
00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:44.639
And you know, I speak from my experience with G.
00:48:45.119 --> 00:48:50.320
Uh, you know, he mentioned it on there that you know we listened to each other when one had a point.
00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:54.320
You know, if if I made a point to him, he would just act upon it.
00:48:54.400 --> 00:48:58.719
I mean, what I didn't say, he kind of caught me off guard when he threw it at me.
00:48:58.800 --> 00:49:00.239
You know, why was it successful?
00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:07.920
But I think one of the reasons um that that the combination between me and him was a big success was the amount of trust that we had in each other.
00:49:08.159 --> 00:49:10.480
It was it was implicit trust.
00:49:10.800 --> 00:49:29.440
And we honestly never had one disagreement, not one crossword in all those whatever it was, six years of working together, because we were both on the same page, we both wanted the same thing, and you know, if I was saying something to him, he knew the motive was right, whether he agreed with it or not.
00:49:29.519 --> 00:49:33.119
But you know, we would kind of talk that out, and obviously vice versa.
00:49:33.360 --> 00:49:48.960
But also from you know the player's point of view, he knew he knew what their best assets were, and he knew he and he basically set them up in a way that they could be their best selves and empowered them to go out and be the difference maker.
00:49:49.039 --> 00:49:56.000
And that's why every player that played for Jared Adams loved playing for Jared Adams because he got the best out of them.
00:49:57.119 --> 00:50:14.000
And I look back and I just the the biggest sort of regret from that time for me is that the club wasn't in a position to retain the players that Rani and G found and build a foundation of people that you could have built on and swapped out.
00:50:14.239 --> 00:50:40.719
Because if you go back and look at some of the players that you guys found on a sort of churning basis, like there always seemed to be two or three gems that would that would come in, but then they would have a really good year and then have to move on because the club just was if we could have been in the position we are now in terms of being able to have the infrastructure in place to build that core, that foundation, and build on, it it would have been something.
00:50:40.960 --> 00:50:47.519
Yeah, and even though you know G made a joke about you know, never wants to go back into hockey, you know.
00:50:47.599 --> 00:50:59.679
I asked the question about you know what would the Jared Adams today, who's doing really well in the management training world for a very, very large automotive group, um, you know, what message would he give to it to his younger self?
00:50:59.920 --> 00:51:19.760
Now, I I just know he would almost like to um to transport himself into a world where he could for a year just put all his learning as a you know in self-development into the hockey world for one year to see what the difference would have been.
00:51:19.840 --> 00:51:23.280
And it would have been such an interesting proposition had he done that.
00:51:23.440 --> 00:51:28.639
But you know, obviously, when you're successful in uh another world, then it's wrong to step back.
00:51:28.960 --> 00:51:40.159
You see the development of of how he's progressed through coaching and management, and and you know, he talked a little bit about how you were almost the nice guy and you were good with like communicating players, and he was a little bit more hard-nosed.
00:51:40.239 --> 00:51:50.000
But actually, the story that really sticks with me is the Richardson one where you know he as the captain should be lifting that challenge cup trophy, and he hands it off to Richie, who's obviously had an incredibly tough week.
00:51:50.159 --> 00:51:56.079
So, Franny, your memories of of that kind of what happened there and around that time and and contextualize a little bit for us.
00:51:56.239 --> 00:52:01.360
Yeah, so so Richie's dad sadly passed away that week of the of the Challenge Cup final.
00:52:01.519 --> 00:52:07.280
You know, he was like maybe two days before, and Richie's 17 and lost his father.
00:52:07.519 --> 00:52:14.079
And you know, obviously our immediate thoughts are with him, and you know, you go be with your family, and um, and that was it.
00:52:14.159 --> 00:52:19.360
You know, we kind of well, we gotta play without Richie and we'll do it for Richie and that kind of thing.
00:52:19.440 --> 00:52:22.000
And then, you know, he shows up on the day, he's no, I'm playing.
00:52:22.159 --> 00:52:24.880
You know, that's what my dad would have wanted me to do, so I'm playing.
00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:28.320
So he played, he didn't let it affect him at 17.
00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:40.400
Um, and you know, when when we won that trophy, for when you are not many get people get to be a captain of a hockey side, let alone to be a trophy winning captain.
00:52:40.639 --> 00:52:44.960
So you don't know when that opportunity is ever going to come around again, if it ever is.
00:52:45.199 --> 00:53:07.199
And you know, when I say G's humble, you know, that is a really humble act there to say there's somebody that needs this a bit more than I do right now, and you know, he kind of brought him up with him to get the trophy, and straight away he handed it across to Richie uh to lift because in that moment, you know, life was bigger than anything that uh can happen on a hockey rink.
00:53:07.519 --> 00:53:21.280
Gaz, it was uh a period, and then and you know, G talks about how almost he was transitional as a coach, wanted to take the devils from the Wells National Ice uh rink in into the uh Bit Bru tent, and then obviously on to the the the the Vindico where we are now.
00:53:21.360 --> 00:53:29.039
And and and you know, he underplays himself because the Devils were very good in that time, they just came up in years where there were other very good teams.
00:53:29.360 --> 00:53:32.719
Yeah, and it it just again, it's it's just the infrastructure around him.
00:53:32.800 --> 00:53:42.400
He he him and Frank just did as much as they could with with the tools they had to get get us to where we we were close to being.
00:53:42.559 --> 00:53:50.400
I I think though that he's quite right when he talks about his legacy and I know he says bridge and I think that underplays it quite a lot.
00:53:50.639 --> 00:54:05.360
I I don't think I think there's a chance that the the club doesn't get through that period without without him there and the way that he he he talked about it that umbrella shielding people from from things.
00:54:05.440 --> 00:54:22.559
I I really do think that the biggest achievement that Jared Adams had as a head coach was how he um and everyone around him stewarded the devils through through that time because they didn't have the the the right support around them to do it.
00:54:22.639 --> 00:54:26.320
It was him and his philosophy and his ethos and the work that he put in.
00:54:26.559 --> 00:54:51.119
Yeah, and you know, almost to prove the point, look what happens in that, you know, fateful last season of his where they remove him from the head coach because not happy with where we were in the league table, even though there was a million and one reasons why that was happening, because everybody thinks it's easy, everyone thinks they can do it better, and you know, the club plummets and don't make the playoff finals for the first time in history.
00:54:51.440 --> 00:55:07.119
Fanny, it feels like Jared Adams is the kind of guy who you almost wish had been of a different era and had been in this modern era and had a chance to coach the devils in this era because you know the work he did back then almost he deserved deserved that that chance.
00:55:07.280 --> 00:55:09.599
Yeah, I on a personal level, I wish that for him.
00:55:09.679 --> 00:55:18.079
I wish he could have been around and been a well-resourced coach and had a fair opportunity to pit his wits up against the other sides.
00:55:18.400 --> 00:55:46.719
But you know, on the same side, there's he he's probably the perfect person to have taken us through that era where there was nothing, where you know the devils could have easily have just kind of you know gone by the wayside, and you know, I don't think there was uh a better man, so maybe fate would have it in the devil's legacy that Jared Adams was around at a time when it needed somebody that strong that could just drag the club um to the era that we're in today.
00:55:46.960 --> 00:55:49.599
Guys, your final thoughts on on G and his time.
00:55:51.039 --> 00:55:52.079
Yeah, Jit.
00:55:52.480 --> 00:56:10.559
I think in other eras you you'll remember that the trophies, but I don't think there's been another era where there's so many memorable games and so many memorable moments and so many memorable characters that pass through, whether they were good characters or bad characters or somewhere uh in the middle.
00:56:10.719 --> 00:56:12.159
Um, it it was fun.
00:56:12.239 --> 00:56:22.719
Whenever I think about that time going up and down the country and the way that the big blue tent was and the just the chaos that could ensue at a moment's notice, it was like always like a touch baby.
00:56:22.800 --> 00:56:46.639
You just knew the one big bad hit from either side, it could be a brawl in there, you know, it could be out in the bay wrestling in the sea before we knew it, and it was just that kind of unpredictable sort of we're just gonna go for it, we're gonna go with our front foot, we're just gonna leave it all out there, and if we win, great, and if we lose, it's not for the want of trying.
00:56:46.800 --> 00:57:05.599
And I I just think that anyone who was there through that entire tent era will have about a dozen games that they could reel off that were just absolutely crazy and memorable and passionate, and uh, you know, I I I got nothing but great things to say about Jared Adam.
00:57:05.760 --> 00:57:08.320
I think that's a wonderful way to end that segment.
00:57:08.400 --> 00:57:12.239
And uh yeah, I think a huge thanks to to G for joining the show.
00:57:12.320 --> 00:57:13.360
It was great to catch up with him.
00:57:13.440 --> 00:57:16.480
He's gonna be here for the 40th anniversary celebration weekend.
00:57:16.559 --> 00:57:19.840
So if you are down for either game, get down and and and come and say hello.
00:57:19.920 --> 00:57:26.079
And I'm sure he'll uh he'll love to have a chat about that time and about the devils and where he sits in in the history of the club.
00:57:26.159 --> 00:57:30.880
We're gonna now talk about the the next piece of history, I guess, in the club, and that is this weekend coming.
00:57:30.960 --> 00:57:33.119
And uh Friday night hockey once again, guys.
00:57:33.199 --> 00:57:39.119
It's uh I really enjoyed it, the Friday night thing, and then we're gonna go for it again this weekend and Nottingham are in town, guys.
00:57:39.360 --> 00:57:40.400
I love a Friday.
00:57:40.480 --> 00:57:43.039
I I it was there nine Fridays this year.
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Let's let's make it 20.
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Um, just the best way to kick off your weekend with Devil's Hockey, whether that's uh with us on Devils TV or if you're lucky enough to get a ticket.
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Yes, uh, but serious business as well.
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Uh we have come across the Panthers before.
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Oh, they had a few bodies down in that preseason.
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Uh they're hurting after a similar loss to Guildford on the weekend, so I'm sure there's been similar Monday practices cancelled uh up at the uh at the arena there as well.
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So I it's set up quite nicely, isn't it?
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Two teams with a point to prove um and two points that they they need to get things on the board.
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Uh we have to start this game better.
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We haven't started games particularly well the last uh couple of weeks, losing early goals.
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That can't become a habit, that can't become a theme.
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Uh so I think our start will be uh imperative.
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We had a great start against the Panthers last time out here.
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Uh, I think was it two goals in the first four minutes?
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Uh, not suggesting that maybe that is the the aim, uh, but certainly we need to get the crowd involved in those early parts and no silly errors.
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Fanny Paul Thompson, I'd imagine he's allowed the players maybe a little bit of of rope for this first few weeks, and I think now we're gonna be pulled back to what he wants from them.
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Yeah, there's no doubt in my mind uh that that's what will happen.
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Um, yeah, very interesting matchup because last time we played the Panthers down here, we'd come off a not great game, and you know, he tore into them and got the response and got that early goal, like you said, Gaz.
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Uh, both teams now come in off poor performances.
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Uh, from what I'm hearing, Nottingham were equally as bad at home against Guildford as we were in the uh in the spectrum.
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So both teams coming out, you know, a little bit sore, both teams coming out wounded animals.
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Um, it's it's all set up for a massive game.
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And um, yeah, I mean it's Danny Stewart's got a bit of tomo about him, hasn't he?
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It's almost like the uh the master and the apprentice.
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So no doubt he's got very similar methods in terms of getting his team going after a poor performance.
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Uh yeah, you you just want to see a reaction.
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You want to see a reaction, you want to cut out all the stuff that has uh has been off script and and has not been working for us and get back to playing the way that we do play because we know that when we dictate games and play the way that we can, we're a very, very formidable hockey team.
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Yeah, and then you look to to Saturday then and and Devil's take on Sheffield, who uh looking fairly dominant in the first few games that they've played.
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You know, you see them put six past Glasgow up in in Glasgow on on Sunday night, Balmas five goals on a weekend.
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Guys, they there there are no easy games, of course, but the this seems like a particularly challenging weekend overall, in particular that's uh uh Saturday game.
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Yeah, and good.
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I think I think it's a good time to get it involved in that.
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You know, we want to be in these big games, we want these big games to matter uh across the year, and that they only matter if you uh win more than you lose in them.
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So, you know, I think we've got a group that will revel that challenge.
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Uh, another challenge is if anyone has seen Steelers' social media and the uh goal video that they put on uh Twitter when Balmer scores, if there's ever an incentive to stop him scoring, I'd suggest that was it.
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Franny, um, you know, there's never a good time to lose a game, but maybe the Guilford loss ahead of this weekend is the kick up the backs of the devil's need going into it.
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Yeah, I say you learn more from bad losses than you do from you know narrow losses or wins that just paper over the crack.
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So that's where you do your biggest learning is when things have gone horribly bad as they did on uh on Saturday night in the spectrum.
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Um so yeah, it's uh may maybe it's good timing because you would uh well hit history says that Sheffield and Nottingham are higher standing teams than um than Guildford, than Coventry in you know the Last Away game, and that's no disrespect to those.
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I mean, I'm talking about you know the pure size of the Sheffield and Nottingham organizations.
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Um so yeah, if if you were gonna have a stinker, maybe coming into such a big test weekend is the best thing, you know, to go about getting back on the bike.
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Anything you'd like to add, guys, before we finish the show tonight?
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I don't like losing against the Steelers.
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Nobody likes losing against the Steelers.
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And we haven't even mentioned the first time that Uranku and Dowd come up against each other.
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So, yeah, watch this space.
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That's a very good point.
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I hadn't even that hadn't even occurred to me.
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But uh, yeah, like Franny says, watch this space.
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It's gonna be uh quite the weekend.
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Uh the Devils take on the Panthers on Friday, and then they're up to Sheffield on Saturday to take on the Steelers.
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That's all for Dear Insider tonight.
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We're be gonna be back with Devils TV on Friday and debrief after the game.
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We'll be back next week with another episode of Devils Insider, I'm sure, as well.
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And we'll catch you then.
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But yeah, enjoy your weeks, guys, enjoy your weekends, and let's hope that the Devils help kick off the weekend with a good win on Friday.
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We will catch you very soon.
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Goodbye.
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Thank you very much once again to our sponsor, Minerva Hearing, for today's podcast.
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And remember, Minerva Hearing, hear the cheers, protect your ears.