WEBVTT
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Today's podcast is brought to you by Minerva Hearing.
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Hear the cheers, protect your ears.
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Shemai Pao Bachrois, hello everybody, and welcome back to another episode of Devil's Insider with me, Dan Rudder, alongside my two wonderful hosts, Gareth Hewish and Neil Francis.
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Guys, it's so good to be back with you guys.
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How are you doing?
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I'm doing very well.
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Thank you.
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I enjoyed my weekend at the Vindicle, and it was nice to get a four-point weekend on the board.
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Franny, have you seen your family now after after the weekend?
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Yeah, I mean, luckily they're they're down at the game, so it was uh yeah, double home game, league home opener as well.
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Um, so yeah, important to get the league off to a to a good start, and that we did.
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We did indeed, guys.
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It's a four-point weekend, and it's the first one of the year.
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I've been waiting for one of these.
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It's good to good to go into the week with that.
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Yeah, it feels good, doesn't it?
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You realise just how good it does make you Monday when you've got to crawl uh back into work.
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So um, yeah, really important to get four points, obviously, isn't it?
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Um I think you mentioned this in in the debrief that just takes a little bit of pressure off the home stretch as well.
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If you falter in that first weekend, you maybe put a bit of pressure on yourself.
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So a lot of boxes ticked uh for that win.
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Good to start the league right, good to get that home uh stretch started well, and good to get that off our back that we can get a four-point weekend.
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So uh when the guys were back in uh on the ice today, I'm sure it was a good positive atmosphere.
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I bet it was.
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Franny, you know, like like we say, it's good to start the the season on the right foot, and I think in both games the devils the the way they played was was good as well.
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Yeah, I mean I I've seen uh a bit of stuff online about the devils not being too physical, and maybe that's because there weren't any fights, but um I thought the the pace was really good, I thought the four check was really good, I thought the way we played was you know really good in terms of getting on the front foot, and I I didn't think we were you know not physical, but I also think that we can't get into scrums every week without you know getting heavily penalised and then putting the game at risk.
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And also, as you know, Tom was alluded to and I've alluded to, we have got some guys that are carrying injuries, we have got you know quite too many guys that are up in the stands at the moment.
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So um sometimes you've gotta um play the right way, but play it to the line, not over the line.
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And I thought we did that really well this weekend.
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It's about pacing yourself, isn't it, as well.
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You know, it's games one and two of 54, and you don't want to you don't want to burn yourself out with injuries immediately, even though we are playing short, you know.
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Yeah, we probably should have thought about that in preseason because guys just were like caged animals coming out of the traps, weren't they?
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And uh and maybe that set the expectation for the year, that's how we were gonna play.
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But it would be really difficult to play, you know, 70, 80 odd games or whatever we play, you know, in that way.
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But that's not to say that we won't get back on it.
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And you know, this weekend coming up, it's another two home games.
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Um, a big night that we'll get to talk about uh on Saturday, and then you know, the Belfast Giants coming in on Sunday.
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They are indeed.
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We will get on to next weekend.
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We'll finish just up on uh on the weekend just gone.
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Guys, uh we'll touch on the Manchester game, obviously, as it was the first one, and and it was a game that became a bit of a goalie battle, actually, as it went on and on and on.
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And then the Devils they couldn't quite get that breathing space that you maybe wanted them to.
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They they sat on that one goal lead for a while, and Derida was really good.
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Stover was was very solid as well.
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Yeah, Derrida probably stopped that from uh being at least four or five uh nil in the end, didn't he?
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Um, we're not talking just you know, good saves, we're talking, you know, bordering on you know supreme saves because you know, guys were firing point blank, particularly that Brandt one where he he's back door because that pass is quite quick across his crease and he's read it so well uh to get there the wraparound as well where he's kept it out with his pads and just yeah, the the Ridder really I think uh kind of cemented himself as uh again as such a top goalie uh in this league.
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And and Stover was very good um as well, like you say.
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But um yeah, I I think there's a story of Saturday was definitely that I think I was encouraged by the chances we created, uh, but sometimes when you you're up against a hot goalie like that, you you're never gonna uh get through.
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So it's a good job we did get the one we did.
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Uh otherwise we might have been going uh straight into overtime.
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Yeah, I'm not sure I've seen that many backdoor point blank chances in one game.
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And uh, you know, rather than be discouraged that we you know didn't put them away, I'm encouraged that you know the plays that we made were were clinical enough to get those, and it was some only some you know superb saves, and you know, yeah, you can sort of say if we'd have lifted the puck a bit more, then you know a small goalie like De Rida um wouldn't be able to save them.
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But um, you know, you learn that as as the season goes on.
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But I I was just really encouraged about the amount of chances that we got and um the way across the weekend, how we sort of I I I felt like we had quite a lot of ozone time, and you know, like I said on on um debrief, I didn't feel too threatened across the weekend of games, even though they were fairly tight scorelines.
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Yeah, we'll we'll talk about Sunday because it's similar, it was it was I mean it was weirdly similar, actually, guys, to to the Saturday game, actually, in that you know, the devil's got one on the board and almost held that lead, never really seemed under too much of a threat, and and but couldn't quite get that second, third, fourth over the line initially.
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Yeah, they they were really uh similar, particularly to start with.
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You know, that both Storm and Klan came straight out of the traps and started with a high pressured fore-check and tried to make things really difficult um for us.
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So yeah, it was it was eerie.
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The only difference I would say is I thought Manchester were probably a bit more adventurous as as the game went on to try and claw something back.
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I know Klan got the goal in the third period, but uh before that, with with sort of the last 10 minutes, I I didn't feel like they were pushing as as hard as maybe they could have been, or they certainly weren't as effective doing so.
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I agree with Franny, we did we did seem quite comfortable.
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So I think that was the difference for me.
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It was a strange one in at times.
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I thought Manchester looked like they might get one.
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Um, whereas Glasgow, especially with Tarzell uh leaving the game, um I thought that had a big effect on them.
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Yeah, I thought Tarzan was probably their brightest spark.
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And Franny, you know, I I look back at the game, watch it back, and and I don't think Clan offered as much as maybe I thought I thought they did at the time.
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You watched it back and and you know, after the game, Mike Sarant said that he thought it was an okay game by his team.
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I think I disagree.
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I just don't think they offered that much, and and if anything, maybe that goal with a few minutes ago flatters them a little bit and and gave them a bit of hope and a bit of life in the final minutes that that that meant they didn't push the devils.
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Yeah, I I I don't know if it's a case of they didn't offer that much or we didn't give them that much because I felt that um the D, the team defence that we saw last year, which was rock solid and maybe hasn't been as tight in some of the games, I thought that was back this weekend.
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I thought we gave away very little in terms of you know the the grade A chances that everyone talks about.
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Um yeah, I I thought that the D unit was really, really solid, and they made it difficult for both teams to get inside us and to get into the places uh that they wanted to.
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And across the weekend, you know, his one goal, which was a deflected goal on the way in with a heavy screen, you know, that that was it.
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That was a sign.
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I I did think we were gonna go back-to-back shutouts, and I thought that would have been well deserved.
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Yeah, it would.
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And and you know, like like we see, as we look over the weekend, it maybe could have been back-to-back shutouts, but it was locked down pretty well by the Devils, and they and they do take those four points.
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Guys, you know, uh we'll look the last thing we'll talk about with this first weekend is is I look at maybe the results around the league, and it's obviously so early, you can't take much from it, but you see where other teams are at and you're kind of getting bits and pieces from from other teams.
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And I think, you know, even though the Devils maybe didn't, you know, then they're not winning five, six, seven, nil in these games, w they don't look like they've lost a step compared to maybe where they ended last year.
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No, um, and kind of going back to that point we were talking about about people saying about lack of physicality, there certainly wasn't any lack of compete.
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And I think sometimes you you need to make a distinction between that, because if you don't have compete, then you don't have the physicality at all because it it can't come.
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But I we didn't have a lack of compete, we competed for a full 120 minutes, I thought, across the weekend.
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I can't think of a spell really across this past weekend where I thought our tempo's dropped or we're really under the the kosh here.
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I mentioned on debrief the way that we defend as a five uh since that Sheffield game has come back from when we were good last year.
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The spells we had last year were because of that.
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And I think uh when you uh do play that way, maybe you're not gonna be as expansive going forward, but uh when we were a bit more expansive going forward in those first few weeks, we maybe looked a bit more loose at the back, and especially in that Guildford game where we got hammered.
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So it's finding a balance to get there, but I liked our balance on the weekend with that.
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I like it when we're all playing for each other.
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I think that brings out that competitive instinct in us, and I think we have the profile of a team that really feeds into that.
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Yeah, I did feel the team was really connected, it was everybody going, wasn't it?
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It wasn't just you know a few individuals leading the charge.
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I felt everybody was was on the same page.
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Um I I think it was really important to um make just make sure you win the game.
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Above all else, make sure you win the game.
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And I think we did that by building from the back, stove had an excellent weekend, the D had an excellent weekend, and there was some really good movement up top.
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And the only thing that was missing, and I think we would have been raving about the weekend if we'd have finished a few more chances.
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But you know, I'll go back to what Tomo said in his interview.
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It's if you're not getting the chances, then you worry.
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When you're getting the chances and they're not going in, then it's okay because you know it that will come.
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Yeah, it will.
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I I think you know, the the the the lasting kind of thoughts I have on it.
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First of all, great to see the power play goal by Olashewsky on a Sunday, really well taken.
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And I think actually, when when you've not got Christoph Kontos in the lineup, so you're having to shake up that power of those power play units a little bit and work things out, I think the devil still looked very dangerous for pretty much the majority of the power plays they had.
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There might have been a couple of you know 20, 30 seconds uh here and there, but I really like that.
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And then the other thing was you know, playing short and mixing up the forward lines.
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I think even when you had, like we call them on the streams, kind of Franken lines, these kind of amalgamations of funny lines where people, you know, Coron and here with a Martin playing together who don't normally, they still looked cohesive and they still look like there was a purpose there, which I really liked as well.
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You know, there's not guys who like like I say normally play together, but they still offered something, and I think that was what maybe was the was the general theme is that everybody offered something from the weekend.
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Yeah, it's a good point.
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Like quite quite often your team does get disjointed when you're having you're playing short.
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And you know, we were for the most part rolling three centres through four sets of wingers, so there is different combinations going out, you know, every few shifts.
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Um, but I felt that the structure was so good and everybody was so on the same page, it didn't matter who the centre was because they knew what their wingers would do.
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And I think everyone was very positionally disciplined and you know they they played their roles as the the you know the plan was drawn up on the board.
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And when you work hard for each other, that gives you a solid foundation on any line.
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If you've got that as a baseline, then you can build on it, you know.
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So again, I come back to that.
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Like I just love the ethos of the team in that regard.
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This again.
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Yep.
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Well, like we say, it was a good weekend by the Devils, and we move on after the the four-point start to the season.
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We're gonna move on, we're gonna talk a little bit about the 40th anniversary now, and it's the final episode as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations, and it's hard sometimes to maybe pull a player out of the situation when they're in the most recent era, we've been tracking through them.
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So we thought we'd sit down with two guys who have overseen the last 10 years or so for the Devils.
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A massive welcome on Devils Insider this week to our very special guest, the final guest as part of our 40th anniversary series, Steve King and Brian Parker join the podcast.
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Thank you so much both for joining.
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How are you doing?
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It's good to see you both.
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Fantastic, fantastic.
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Yeah, we're we're excited.
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We're uh I know Steve's already over in Europe, but Cher and I are heading over uh in a couple of days and cannot wait to be in Cardiff.
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Steve, tell us a little bit about where you are.
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Uh I am in uh Helsinki, Finland, uh in a uh in a hotel room.
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We just got here uh yesterday.
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Very nice.
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And uh and you're gonna be both gonna be over for the the 40th anniversary celebrations this weekend.
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Absolutely.
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Yeah, uh as Brian said, uh we got here yesterday, they get here on uh on Wednesday.
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Uh we're seeing a hockey game here in Finland, of course, uh scouting for the Devils.
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Uh and then uh we'll we fly to uh to Cardiff uh from Helsinki Saturday morning in time for the game.
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Oh, we can't wait to see you.
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It's gonna be uh quite the weekend.
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And and and as part of our 40th anniversary podcasts and the celebrations around that, we've managed to interview different people from throughout the devils, devil's history.
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And uh, we're now gonna move on to you two and and and the involvement that you've had with the club in this most recent era of the devil.
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So um, I'm just gonna start and I'm gonna open up to you, Brian, initially, and and just we're gonna take you way back to 2014 and we're gonna ask you, you know, when when the opportunity came about, it's it's a well-told story by now, but just remind us a little bit about how you your involvement with the club began.
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Well, I got a call from uh my buddy Steve here, and he said, uh, hey, do you want to own a hockey team?
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And I'm like, like every uh Canadian kid, I'm like, yeah, sure.
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How do we do it?
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And uh so he he told me about how his uh his good buddy Byron uh was sitting down with Todd, who's his brother-in-law.
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Uh Todd was lamenting about uh, you know, didn't didn't see the opportunity uh over the next number of years being in Belfast.
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He wanted to uh uh buy get involved in buying a new team.
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And uh when Byron told Steve, Steve said, Look, well, I'll back you.
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And then uh as that started to gel, uh, you know, uh Steve started looking around for some partners, gave me a call, and and I was super excited.
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So we we actually uh had been over to the UK a fair bit because Sharon's Scottish.
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So we poked around, looked at a few of the Scottish teams, uh, and then uh you know, at the end of the day, Todd said, Look, I got this perfect opportunity in Cardiff.
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Uh, you know, they they had a bit of a rough, rough patch, and you know, they were there's potentially you know moving into a new rank, and there was some just dissatisfaction or whatever an opportunity for us to maybe come into.
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And uh then it all came together real, real quick and uh like a total whirlwind.
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And then next thing we knew, we were owners of a hockey team, and and like it was pretty giddy and pretty excited.
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And when we went over there, we just like we're just kind of blown away, right?
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This I remember that first trip we went over, and we're sitting on that balcony in that pub down by the bay, and like getting interviewed like now, which is just ridiculous, right?
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Because we're kind of business people not really used to being in the public eye, and and uh we're super excited, and just the the um you know the hospitality of all the uh all the Welsh folks and and uh the support we felt, uh, we were just like, wow, this is just gonna be awesome, and it has been better, better than expected.
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I I I like uh I was a little hesitant when you said when we were at the pub getting interviewed, and you said we were super excited.
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I thought you were gonna say we had had 30 beers.
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Uh which is true.
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And and Steve, that first summer, you you you got to know my my fellow podcast host here, Franny, and and and tell me a little bit about how the relationship started there and what what you envisaged for the club when you took over.
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Yeah, the franchise, uh the franchise was behind uh all of this, uh, as of course he has been for pretty much the entire 40 years of uh Devil's Lore, uh which is why his number is forever in the uh in the rafter.
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So yeah, he was the one that uh reached out to Todd when we were uh reviewing different uh different clubs.
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Um Todd went to the board of governors uh meeting and said, Hey, I've got a I've got a buddy in Calgary uh that would be uh a good owner.
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He's passionate about hockey.
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Uh if anybody wants to sell, give me a call.
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And uh sadly he had quite a few phone calls up later that it was a lot of people interested in selling, but um uh you know he he started talking to uh to Franny and Todd already knew Franny and he knew how great of a city Cardiff was and what uh what a great hockey market it was, and of course the new arena uh you know uh getting under construction.
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So uh so yeah, it was really you know Franny's love of uh of the city and love of the of the franchise that uh that made this happen and and um you know really convinced Todd that uh this is the right situation for us.
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And uh so yeah, n none of this would have happened without uh without Franny.
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I was gonna say 100%.
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I mean, I think uh it took a lot, I mean, like any sort of uh transaction usually takes a bunch of time, but uh Franny was such a strong advocate for the city and the team, and it was just the timing came together so quickly, and uh that never would have happened without Franny.
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So yeah, we're forever grateful for that for sure.
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Yeah, and Franny, when we went when we spoke with Lordo a couple of weeks ago, they talked about you know the excitement of of that first summer and the the summer of 2014 recruiting that team so quickly.
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And and from your position, did you feel that excitement going into it?
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And did you could did it get you excited about being part of this club and this era when when you could see that that Franny and Lordo were so invested?
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I I would love to make up a great story right now.
00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:05.359
Uh, but the the truth of the matter is Brian and I and and uh Kelly and Craig had nothing to do with that original team.
00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:14.480
Uh we just uh were told about the signings basically when all the rest of the fans were uh we got way more involved uh as the years went on.
00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.279
But uh a friend in Lord did uh did everything.
00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:29.839
So uh I went to that meet the fans uh event in uh the the Cardiff Theater uh when I was on a golf trip with my buddies in uh in Scotland, and uh that's when we started announcing some of the players.
00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:32.400
That was literally the first time I had heard of them.
00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.960
Uh was that that night?
00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:46.880
And uh I always still bugged Bouncey because uh Bouncy was one of the guys uh announced that night, and and he got like a nice round of applause, including from his mom, uh who was there in the stands.
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:51.359
And then when I was announced, I got a standing ovation, including from Bouncy's mom.
00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:57.440
So I said, Man, how come your mom likes me better than you, uh Bouncey?
00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:00.319
But you know, we all know that there's lots of reasons for that.
00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:08.240
And and and that first season, you know, everybody always talks about how wonderful it was, and how it was a very magical time to be a devil's fan.
00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:13.279
And and and you you guys were in there where we were in the challenge cup in that first season, and and you were there for that as well.
00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:15.680
And that was obviously such a big moment in in the club's history.
00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:16.720
And what memories do you have of that?
00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:19.519
And if if I'm right in saying you went up on the fan bus, am I right?
00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.519
And and you were getting really involved with it all.
00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:26.400
It was uh still to this day one of the greatest uh weekends of my life.
00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:34.960
Um I'm someone that, and the reason I got involved with this is uh I I call myself a life experience collector.
00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:37.359
Uh I love experiences.
00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:43.440
Uh I'm a really passionate guy, and it's it's why I brought Brian and Craig and Kelly in.
00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.160
They're they're three unbelievably passionate guys.
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:54.880
I think Brian is, you know, probably the most passionate person uh I know uh out of uh my friend group, which is why he's been such a great partner with the Devils.
00:19:55.119 --> 00:20:01.839
But it wasn't until that trip that I really understood the passion that the Devils fans had.
00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:17.519
And uh so yeah, up on the fan bus and uh uh going out on that ice uh once we had won the title and seeing Franny and Corky and Sully all with tears uh coming down their faces.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:25.119
And um it really, you know, let us know what we were dealing with, and and it's uh it shaped us as owners ever since.
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:31.680
Uh that's something you don't take lightly uh when you see people with that much passion for something.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:36.000
And uh you do everything you can to uh to make that happen again.
00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.039
So it it was uh it was a life changer for sure.
00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:41.119
It it took a couple of seasons, you know.
00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:46.400
The the the league, the the trophies, the challenge cup came obviously in that first year, but the league itself took a couple of seasons to come through.
00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:50.480
And and the devils ran close a cut uh a couple of times, finishing third, finishing second.
00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:54.160
And and that that first league title season, you know, I asked Lordo this question.
00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:58.720
Did you guys feel any pressure knowing the hit the history behind it and the fact that it had been that long?
00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:00.640
There was pressure.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.240
Uh okay.
00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:07.200
Well, let me take you back actually to that challenge cup weekend.
00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:16.480
Um Lord O uh left basically Brian and I in charge of the team uh in the post-uh game celebrations.
00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:27.599
Um and uh, you know, as I just said, uh Brian and I are pretty passionate people, and and uh the players obviously don't get to where they are without being passionate.
00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:29.519
So we had a heck of a time that night.
00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:31.920
We're still actually banned from that hotel.
00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:34.559
I'm not even kidding.
00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:42.720
And uh so Lord uh the next morning gets the rundown uh from the guys and uh and from the manager of the hotel.
00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:46.640
And uh uh he was furious.
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:53.119
And so we ended up, if you remember, going back to Sheffield on the Wednesday, and we got pumped.
00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:55.599
Like it was like 11 0, something like that.
00:21:55.759 --> 00:22:04.559
And we ended up losing the league title by by a couple of points and And Lordo still to this day is mad at Brian and I uh for that night.
00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:13.279
And and so I I say that story because yeah, the the pressure was there because uh Lordo uh you you know you guys talked to Lordo.
00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:14.960
I he's I still talk to him all the time.
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:16.000
He's a good friend.
00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:18.559
Uh he wants to win everything all the time.
00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:27.680
He was still he was still really pissed off at Brian and I for that night and potentially losing uh uh a league title uh because of our uh tomfoolery.
00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:31.519
And uh rightfully so, like it we own that one, that was on us.
00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.880
Okay, but I wouldn't trade it either.
00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:57.519
So uh so no, it was um yeah, we did feel the pressure, but you know, it we always kind of consider ourselves an underdog, um, you know, being uh a smaller uh arena team and and uh a smaller budget than uh some of the big boys, and so there's pressure, but also uh you know, within the the concept of us uh always being an underdog.
00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:03.519
I was gonna mention in that first season, we didn't have any uh say on that initial roster.
00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:17.440
It was put together in very short order, but I do remember looking at that org chart for the first year, they had a uh a certain uh Joey Martin on the third line, which which I thought was just priceless.
00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:26.480
And then I remember talking to Kelly who happened to go go over there first to see the first practice, and we were so excited about hey, tell us about the play players.
00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:27.200
What did you notice?
00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:31.119
He goes, he goes, Joey Martin is the best player on the ice by far.
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:32.319
And you know what?
00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:34.640
14 years later, nothing's really changed.
00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:37.519
I don't know if you saw that goal today, but it was pretty spicy.
00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:44.079
So and and we also like the fact that we had a uh cancer researcher on the team.
00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:45.759
That was uh that was nice.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:49.519
That was something you don't uh you don't see here in uh in Canada.
00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:56.960
Guys, with um being there for that challenge cup win, did that make your investment feel a bit more real?
00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:00.000
Because you've been away from the club, you you're overseas.
00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:04.640
Did being part of that, did that really bring it home just how real this opportunity was?
00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:13.359
Yeah, I'm I I think uh we uh if I look back then, we showed up with our Budweiser goal hats.
00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:15.839
So we're uh we're always professional, right?
00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:21.279
So we're so we got there and uh you know we were just blown away.
00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:33.759
I think we had seven buses plus a whole bunch of other you know, fans drove up and we're we're in this away bar, and it was just like I I don't think I've ever been that excited for a sporting event ever before or since.
00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:36.079
And it was it was so good.
00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:42.319
And then looking up at the Raptors at all those kind of Sheffield, kind of I don't know, what's that ugly color?
00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:51.599
Kind of it's like an orange, but but mixed with bark, whatever, uh blue moons up in the rafters, and they were ready to drop that uh as they won the challenge cup.
00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:56.720
And then when we won that game, I mean we just celebrated on that ice, we did not want to leave.
00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:10.400
It was so awesome, and it like it was never really an investment, it was like an investment in fun and excitement, and and as as Steve would say, life experiences, and you know, we we got paid back 10 times over, and it like we've been playing with house money ever since.
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:18.559
Well, and the the other life experience uh there was not only had by us, but uh it was uh had by Franny's dad.
00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.519
On that fan bus, I will never forget it.
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:29.200
Uh a lovely and uh very healthy young lady uh took a picture with uh with Franny's dad.
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:32.880
Somehow that got sent to Franny in the locker room before the game.
00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:39.680
I don't know if that calmed or increased your nerves, Franny, but uh that was a heck of a moment for me too, just seeing your dad having that kind of fun.
00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:53.440
I I remember seeing the text come through thinking it was gonna be some Intel on their lineup or whatever, and then I open it up and it's my dad with uh some assets on his head.
00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:59.359
I just just as we we'll we'll we'll we'll finish up on that challenge cup as well now.
00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:05.200
And and you know, Laura talked about how it set the tone really for for the next few years and it and it kicked them into gear.
00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:08.799
And then there was almost a belief that that could be you know a league title winning team.
00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:16.559
And and did you guys, despite the fact that you know you went up to Shefford the following week and and it didn't go so well, did you get that feeling that there was there was a building blocks for something great there?
00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:19.119
Without a doubt, we had the characters.
00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:27.920
Uh, you know, as you guys know, uh championship teams are won by locker rooms that uh they're very tight and cohesive.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:30.319
Uh it just doesn't happen otherwise.
00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:42.400
And uh we just had the tightest group, even though it was put together by Franny and Lord so quickly, uh, I don't know if it was just incredible luck or uh or brilliance or a bit of both.
00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.079
Uh, but uh we had the pieces and they all wanted to stay.
00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:49.920
And uh so we just had to keep chipping away and adding to it.
00:26:50.000 --> 00:27:09.440
And you know, uh, you know, uh there's no question that uh Umer and Bentavolio uh coming in uh a couple years later were were really key pieces to uh to put us over the top and finally win that championship, that that leadership and uh veteran moxie, and uh uh and they were just great people too.
00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:16.079
So uh yeah, we we we knew we were onto something, and uh uh but there's never straight lines in sports.
00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:23.200
Uh hockey is is the greatest sport in the world because there's way more randomness to it than any other sport in the world.
00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:32.160
Uh it's uh as I always say to uh to new fans, it's um it's a game played on ice on uh on skinny little silver blades with a rubber biscuit.
00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:33.680
So shit happens.
00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:37.119
And uh you know, and so you always have to account for that.
00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:48.240
And and in season two with injuries and and whatnot, um you know, uh bad laptop calls by referees, uh you name it, uh things can happen that uh that you don't expect.
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:55.599
So uh so uh yeah, it's um you know, you put all these pieces together, and every summer, you know, Franny and I get super excited.
00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:01.279
We think we think we've got the team, like you know, this year again, we think we've got the team, but you just don't know.
00:28:01.359 --> 00:28:03.839
And that's that's why we love sports so much.
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:07.759
Those two league titles are of course such a special part of Devil's history.
00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:10.079
And and then to do it once is great.
00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:14.160
To do it twice, you almost cement yourself as as a great team in this league.
00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:22.160
And and so when you look back on that, are you proud of the fact that the Devils fans waited so long to do it and that you were able to be part of that journey to winning it twice in a row?
00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:25.359
Yeah, three times in a row was uh was tremendous.
00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:31.440
And uh so yes, I'm very proud of our uh of our three P League titles.
00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:36.720
Uh no one will ever be able to take uh that away from us, uh no matter what uh they want to say.
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:47.759
But uh yeah, it was uh it was incredible to be uh what uh there's very few teams in the world that had been to Champions League uh as many times in a row as us.
00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:55.680
And for uh a hockey team in uh in Wales with uh 3,200 seat arena, like what an accomplishment.
00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:57.119
It's uh it's phenomenal.
00:28:57.200 --> 00:29:01.119
Uh just something I was was and uh still extremely proud of.
00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:05.119
And Brian, I mean, it could have been four in a row, you know, with the COVID shortened season.
00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:10.799
You know, have you guys really continued putting the pressure on to get that that league league title instated in in devil's favor?
00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:12.480
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:14.400
No, we definitely got hit by COVID.
00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:20.400
I mean, I think I look back and uh you know, before COVID came in, we were on such a run.
00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:31.759
And uh, you know, it's it's only really in the last year that I feel like our team has got some of that same corner sort of gelling together because it takes a while to build a winning team, right?
00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:34.160
And and you make changes incrementally over time.
00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:47.359
And I, you know, we made some changes in the offseason last year, and I don't know, like I uh you know, you it would knock on wood because you you you get excited every year, but I really feel like we've got such a good team right now, and uh the league's gotten better and better and better.
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:52.799
I mean, you just look at the games this weekend, like there are no there are no easy games, no easy teams.
00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:55.599
But um, yeah, I I feel like we're on our way back.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:30:01.759
So uh it's been a long COVID, and uh it's time for us to win some uh league championships again.
00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:12.480
The the last thing we'll touch on for for pre-COVID is uh you know, you you mentioned Lord and we we talked with him last week, and and he said that you know that that last team before COVID was probably the peak of what he saw.
00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:16.640
And and just how proud are you guys to have seen where he's gone since he's left the Devils?
00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:22.799
You know, you never want to see a guy that successful leave, but to see him move on and achieve what he has must be really, really satisfying.
00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:27.839
I feel I I'm unbelievably proud of uh of Lordo, but we all knew it.
00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:33.680
Uh, there wasn't anybody that had anything to do with uh with the card of devils that didn't see greatness in this man.
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:40.799
Uh in any walk of life, there's people that just get it and are willing to do anything to achieve it.
00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.200
And uh like that's Lord.
00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:49.920
And uh, you know, so a lot of people would say, Hey, he's he's too intense, he works too hard, he's too controlling, whatever.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:31:04.960
He he he he does what he needs to do to get uh to get the wins and to win championships, and that's a guy that's gonna go as far as you can go in in whatever he chooses to do, which right now is uh he's going for the NHL and no one's gonna stop him.
00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:29.920
Yeah, I'm gonna say I think we when he made that move to the East Coast Hockey League, I think all of us said like he's gonna be an NHL coach one day, and we we couldn't be more excited to kind of watch that journey and for him to make that progression to the American Hockey League last year, have such a strong season, and uh, you know, and and it none of it's by accident, his preparation is is is bananas compared to every other coach we've ever seen.
00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:38.000
And uh, you know, you really over time you really appreciate him more and more to say, wow, this guy he was dialed every single game.
00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:42.400
He had more kind of face-off plays than anybody I've ever seen.
00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:45.920
And like sometimes uh the players will be like, Man, just can we just go play?
00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:49.039
And it's like, no, you're here to win, you're not here to play a game, you're here to win.
00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:51.279
And he had preparation all the time.
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.680
It was just yeah, we loved him and we love watching him progress.
00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.559
And I can't wait to see him hoist the Stanley Cup one day.
00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:00.400
That's sort of how I see his progression.
00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:02.559
Well, we'll move on to to post-COVID now.
00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:08.319
We we've talked a lot about different eras of the Devils, and we're we're we're currently in a whole new one, I guess, now, since since COVID.
00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:12.480
And and you know, it was a very tough time, obviously, not having the team be able to play.
00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:21.200
And so for you guys, how how great was it to see back in August in 2021 the team back on the ice and then the new era starts this this this club?
00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:23.039
Go Brian.
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:24.559
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:27.440
No, of course, we're like what a crazy period, right?
00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:31.200
The shutdowns, everything, and then kind of returns to normalcy.
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:33.759
Like we uh we were so happy.
00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:36.160
And you know, wherever they went, we traveled.
00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:42.640
I'm not sure Steve traveled that much following them, but like I know Sharon and I went to see a lot of games, like we were over in Switzerland.
00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:48.559
I'm pretty sure Steve didn't go, but you know, I I think it took him a little longer to get back into it, but you know, whatever.
00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:50.559
He's back there now, so that's good.
00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:52.799
And uh it was so good.
00:32:52.960 --> 00:33:00.079
And we uh like we I had so many injections uh for all the different shots he needed to travel around, like it was banana.
00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:08.559
So I maybe had 20 different mRNA shots, so I'm still suffering ill health, I'm I'm sure, but you know, I'll do anything to follow the devils around the world.
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:10.079
How about you, Steve?
00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:17.920
Yeah, no, when uh when the devil's legend uh Ben Bowns had his uh had his uh his big game this summer.
00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:25.920
I mean, obviously there was one of us that was there and actually on the ice, uh, which you know that's how you kind of prove your commitment to the team.
00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:36.079
And and I was I I'm always happy to uh carry that uh that flag uh for the owners uh because not all of us are as passionate as I am, but that's that's you know that's an aside.
00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:36.880
That's an aside.
00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:38.160
But I I I can't remember.
00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:42.640
Were you there for uh the greatest of all time Joey Martin's uh testimonial game?
00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:46.160
I I I recall not seeing you in the space, but anyway.
00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:53.680
Indeed, uh if you if you look at the uh sponsorship of the goats jersey itself, it is sponsored by my wife and I.
00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:56.799
Like that kind of says everything you need to know.
00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:59.200
Yeah, money is important, right?
00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:01.279
But sometimes just showing up is what we're really doing.
00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:07.119
We're gonna get you both here this weekend.
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:08.480
I think that's the important thing.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:11.119
Don't need to compete too much, you know.
00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:19.280
Um, the devils have won two major trophies since the the return from COVID, the playoffs a couple of times, and of course the Continental Cup.
00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:26.079
Well, we'll speak about the playoffs briefly because you know, like when we spoke with Lordo, he talked about you know they broke that last curse of getting the playoffs on the line.
00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:29.440
And that's been, I guess, the devil's most successful competition since then.
00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:32.480
They've they've won, I think, four out of the last six, and it's been really great.
00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:42.719
And so, you know, for you guys, when we came back from COVID and the Devils got that first playoffs over the line, you must have felt really happy with the fact that this was still a great hockey club in the in the elite league.
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:43.920
Yeah, for sure.
00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:50.239
As as Brian said, we've we've had some some pains uh trying to put uh the gang back together.
00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:55.760
Um and going back to my other comment, that there's nothing linear in sports.
00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:58.320
Uh you never really know what you're gonna get.
00:34:58.480 --> 00:35:13.360
And uh uh we've had some some missteps, uh, I think on on uh mine and Brian's part, uh, in um you know who was was hired uh to coach this this team, but uh we finally got it right.
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:16.079
Um, but it's uh you know it's not easy.
00:35:16.159 --> 00:35:20.480
Uh and Franny uh knows this better than anybody.
00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:28.800
Uh there's always a risk in European hockey um that somebody doesn't take it as seriously as they should.
00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:36.719
Um they come here because they want to travel Europe and they want to get out of the pressure of uh North American hockey.
00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:40.159
And uh that's not the way championships are won.
00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:45.360
We talked about Lordo doing absolutely you know mental things in order to win.
00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:48.559
Uh that's what it's that's what's required.
00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:52.239
You see, you know, Adam Keith in uh in Belfast.
00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:57.199
Like uh they had to put a bed in his office because uh he wasn't going home.
00:35:57.440 --> 00:36:00.559
And uh that's what that's what it takes to win championships.
00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:02.559
And uh we've got that in Tomo.
00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:10.639
And uh he's been there, he's won championships, uh, he's got the respect of the players, and and uh, but it uh took us a little while.
00:36:10.800 --> 00:36:13.280
Uh uh it's not easy to find that guy.
00:36:13.840 --> 00:36:21.519
With with that in mind, and and you know, we tomo's now been here just over a year, and and the the devils have there's been a change, I think, in identity of the club.
00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:30.079
And Brian, you know, do you see now for uh similarities between what what Tomo has done and or maybe what Lord brought in when he first came in and you guys first arrived?
00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:42.960
Yeah, yeah, you know what's funny, I and uh I dropped off, so maybe Steve mentioned this, but it was really tough for us to uh bring on Tomo initially because our uh uh enmity of the uh Sheffield Steelers ran deep.
00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:53.599
And so part of my early enjoyment of of watching uh the Devils was seeing him slam the door to the dressing room when he left the the bench in anger as a Sheffield coach.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:37:00.480
So I I sort of vilified him as this kind of cartoon character in my mind where I was like, I can't stand this guy, but I didn't really obviously know him.
00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:08.000
And then uh, but then when we brought him on, like this guy is such an awesome individual, like what a great human being.
00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:13.920
Uh, he's prepared, he holds the players accountable, he's professional, he's a good person.
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:23.599
It's just like uh it's and and a lot of it is yes, he's a good coach, he X him X's and O's, he knows, but it's just like there's no easy days when you when you have Tomo.
00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:29.119
Like you're you're here to be prepared, play hard, uh, you'll get your ice time if you deserve it.
00:37:29.440 --> 00:37:31.519
You know, everybody knows he treats them fair.
00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:35.039
So um he's just he's and then he it's a building block.
00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:40.960
So we have our players, he brings in better ones, he says, okay, this is what I need to put together a winning team.
00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:49.760
And I look at it today and I go, man, with Tomo, like um, we have a lot of that same gravitas that Lord had through sheer physical intimidation.
00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:51.840
With in Lordo's case, everyone was afraid of him.
00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:55.519
But with with Tomo, they just everybody respects that guy.
00:37:55.599 --> 00:38:00.000
They know he's prepared, they know he's gonna treat them fairly, you'll hold him accountable.
00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:04.639
Like we have the right guy, and uh yeah, we have a lot of confidence in him right now for sure.
00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:08.480
Yeah, one uh one just a little anecdote about Tomo.
00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:17.760
Uh so we start off the two challenge cup weekends uh with uh two wins, two losses, obviously not acceptable.
00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:21.920
And Tomo called both Brian and I individually.
00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:27.360
Uh uh, not because we've ever asked for something like that, not because he felt like he needed to.
00:38:27.440 --> 00:38:28.880
Uh it's just the kind of guy he is.
00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:34.960
He knows how passionate we are about the team and and uh how we want to see them succeed.
00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:40.880
And he just wanted to make sure that uh we knew that the team was okay and that he's got this.
00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:42.559
And uh he just cares.
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:44.880
And uh that's that's really all you can ask for.
00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:52.239
Yeah, first of all, guys, we we talked about Tomo and he brought a playoff title to us last uh season.
00:38:52.639 --> 00:39:13.440
Um we talked about the challenge cap right at the start as well, but everything in between if you have to pick one of our successes from uh the last uh 11 years is the challenge that first challenge cap still the one you would hone in on, or is there another one that you uh would pick that is the one that you remember?
00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:18.480
Man, it it it's always a hard one, you know.
00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:26.239
I I don't think in terms of life experiences, I think the first challenge cap was it in terms of things I'm most proud of.
00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:27.920
I think it was the first league.
00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:37.440
Um, and the year that you know, when we lost in a double or triple overtime in the playoffs that would have won us the Grand Slam.
00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:40.719
Uh obviously, uh me and my family were at that event.
00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:43.840
Uh Brian didn't think it was an important game, so he didn't come.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:50.400
Um, so uh, you know, that that league title, uh that to me, that that's what we play for.
00:39:50.639 --> 00:39:57.519
Uh that that was probably, you know, in terms of pride of accomplishment, uh, that was uh my number one.
00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:06.079
Brian, what about you if you were to pick uh a single trophy or a single moment from the devils since you've been involved that this sticks out for you personally?
00:40:06.719 --> 00:40:10.800
Yeah, so that first challenge cup was crazy because we'd never owned a team before, right?
00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:12.639
So that was spectacular.
00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:15.199
And and uh I still can feel that day.
00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:28.159
But you know, uh, and the league titles were great, but this most recent playoff uh championship was awesome because I felt like we'd been kind of grinding and kind of almost there, but not quite there.
00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:31.840
And then and then in the season, we just got better and better as the season went on.
00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:58.960
And then obviously Belfast was too far away for us to catch, but but that everything coming together and then winning that playoffs, and then hoisting the trophy in front of the fans in um Nottingham and having done a little parade through the streets, I was like, this is so fun, and uh so yeah, so the the the first one and the most recent one uh kind of really stand out to me as moments, and you know, and then obviously the next one and the next one we win is the one I'm looking forward to the most, obviously.
00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:11.679
Yeah, I think this most recent playoffs that what was so special about it was not just the playoff series itself, but the games leading up to it, where all of a sudden we found our groove, we found our way to play, and we're just so dominant.
00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:16.960
It was just like those best devils teams that we've seen, just unstoppable.
00:41:17.280 --> 00:41:21.679
And it brings me to a question that I've asked all the coaches that we've had on.
00:41:21.760 --> 00:41:27.199
So we've had um John Lawless, we've had Paul Heavy, we've had Jared Adams, we've had Andrew Lord.
00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:29.679
Um, the question about the devil's identity.
00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:32.320
We talk about devil's hockey, devil's identity.
00:41:32.559 --> 00:41:37.599
So I just want to get your guys' take on what you see as devil's hockey.
00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:44.559
Yeah, Franny, uh you and I talk about this uh in the offseason.
00:41:44.639 --> 00:42:03.760
Uh, but it's you know, I think we always want to be a heavy team, uh, a team that plays physical hockey, a team that uh commits to each other uh on the ice and and off the ice too, and commits to the fans uh that they're gonna get their money's worth every every single time they come to the arena.
00:42:03.920 --> 00:42:06.960
So uh that's that's our our identity.
00:42:07.039 --> 00:42:12.079
And and to be honest, like I think we saw that in the preseason.
00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:19.599
Uh we haven't seen it as much as we should yet uh in the regular season uh for the for these devils.
00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:25.119
But uh teams always take a little while to to find their identity.
00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:27.519
And uh I think we have that team.
00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:37.360
I think we can we can get there and and I think this team can and will be better than uh than the team we had last year, uh especially as it relates to playing to that identity.
00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:42.719
Yeah, I I mean I think we we've always loved uh physical, tough teams.
00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:47.039
I think it part of it goes back to the uh you know the big blue tent.
00:42:47.119 --> 00:42:53.280
Like we were it was a smaller rink, and we were so tough and heavy to play against uh on all our home games.
00:42:53.440 --> 00:42:58.719
Like we were we were built to win at home, and we've never really wanted to ever veer away from that.
00:42:58.800 --> 00:43:03.920
And and obviously over the course of whatever 12 years, you can have ups and downs.
00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:07.440
But yeah, like I really liked our identity in the preseason.
00:43:07.599 --> 00:43:14.000
I think we've had some injury troubles, so like you can't play as heavy if you've if you're playing like with not enough D-men.
00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:24.480
And so like I think we're just kind of finding our way through some of those key injuries, but I I think we're gonna have a very Cardiff Devils team this year, and there'll be no easy games against us.
00:43:24.559 --> 00:43:25.840
And I think that's the thing, right?
00:43:25.920 --> 00:43:30.320
We just you just don't want to make it where somebody can go, oh yeah, we got Cardiff next week.
00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:34.719
We want it, we want that to be a problem for them to think about, oh no, we got to play Cardiff.
00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:45.599
And that's when we were at our best, it's like it's a physical, tough grind, and uh we can beat you with some skill, but like there's no uh nobody's taking cheap shots against us.
00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:59.760
I think one of my uh one of my favorite summers looking pre COVID again was uh you know, getting back to uh devil's uh identity was uh I probably reviewed about a hundred different.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:09.280
Different goons on hockeyfights.com because they were all leaving the NHL and the AHL, and there's no other European leagues uh that were taking these guys.
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:11.199
So they're all coming to our league.
00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:20.559
And uh I watched I watched a thousand fights that summer as uh as Patrick Bordolo uh was our guy.
00:44:20.639 --> 00:44:31.599
And unfortunately, uh Bordolo and most of the other guys that came over uh into our league decided that uh that they weren't gonna fight uh once they got here, which was very disappointing.
00:44:31.760 --> 00:44:39.360
But uh uh, you know, that is that is uh stuff that we love and uh and stuff that we know is uh part of the devil's culture.
00:44:39.840 --> 00:44:42.239
Guys, I think you've got a question on the next 10 years.
00:44:42.559 --> 00:44:53.920
Yeah, we so we're celebrating 40, and you know, you you guys have been here for over 10 years now as owners, which I think is probably the longest stint uh consecutive ownership we've had, which is amazing.
00:44:54.159 --> 00:45:00.800
Um, but do you have in your mind where you'd like us to be when we get to 50 years old as an organization in your mind?
00:45:01.679 --> 00:45:06.800
Well, I mean uh uh to me, uh sorry, I'll I'll just say something quick here, Brian.
00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:12.719
We're we're seeing some really unbelievable growth uh in hockey in uh in the UK.
00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:20.320
And uh there's a lot of really major markets that are looking at bringing hockey in with uh with pretty large arenas.
00:45:20.719 --> 00:45:39.599
And uh that's very exciting, but it's also daunting uh given the fact that you know Cardiff Council has not been willing to talk to us uh or or take any action on uh uh getting us uh you know at least some access to the arena that's being built um in Cardiff.
00:45:39.840 --> 00:45:47.119
So, you know, we we do have plans in place uh to try and add uh a few hundred seats to our arena.
00:45:47.280 --> 00:45:56.960
Uh we will always outwork every other team when it comes to recruitment and and uh the way we treat players that will lower our our our labor costs.
00:45:57.119 --> 00:46:03.920
But um I I think we're coming up on the golden age of uh uh of UK ice hockey.
00:46:04.079 --> 00:46:08.559
Uh I think uh uh it's gonna keep on growing dramatically.
00:46:08.639 --> 00:46:16.960
And uh uh, you know, but it's gonna take everything in our power to uh to keep up with uh with where hockey's going, which is which is a great thing.
00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:18.320
It's the sport we all love.
00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:20.079
Uh it's nothing but great.
00:46:20.239 --> 00:46:32.000
Um but uh it's it's gonna require a lot of work uh on everybody's part, including the fans, uh, to uh to stay uh a championship team in in you know 10 years from now.
00:46:32.079 --> 00:46:34.079
Uh that's kind of what I see.
00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:41.119
And you mentioned it right at the beginning about you know devils always seem to be the underdog and dog come out fighting.
00:46:41.280 --> 00:46:42.880
So never count us off.
00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:45.760
No matter what arenas are getting built, the underdog will be there.
00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:49.119
You know, Sheffield's already at 9,000, we're at 3,200.
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:52.320
And uh we're right there with them every year.
00:46:52.559 --> 00:47:04.960
So yeah, it's uh it's daunting when you when you think of having you know four or five more Sheffields, but uh nothing will change in terms of our effort level and our ability to compete.
00:47:05.119 --> 00:47:07.840
So uh, but that's uh I I think it's super exciting.
00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:11.119
We're we're gonna get better and better players in our league.
00:47:11.360 --> 00:47:18.559
And uh I think those kind of markets will probably bring uh more revenue from sponsorship and uh and TV.
00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:22.960
Um so we'll be able to bring better and better players to our league.
00:47:23.119 --> 00:47:28.719
Um I it's super exciting, and uh yes, uh I think we will be able to stay with them.
00:47:29.119 --> 00:47:38.320
Yeah, and and and the other thing too is I think you look at uh what's been kind of the the differentiator for us as a team is like uh part of it is our our management there.
00:47:38.400 --> 00:47:42.880
I look at Todd and Katrina, I look at the engagement they've created with all the sponsors.
00:47:43.039 --> 00:47:49.599
And you know, the reason we are able to compete with these larger rink teams is like our sponsorship has kind of gone up every year.
00:47:49.760 --> 00:47:55.039
And of course, like uh Steve and I are not really in this for uh kind of financial returns.
00:47:55.119 --> 00:47:59.679
So we just invest in that and more and more and better players so we can be competitive.
00:47:59.840 --> 00:48:07.280
And you know, so it uh we have found an agre uh a formula that's allowed us to stay pace with with these bigger, um, bigger ranks.
00:48:07.360 --> 00:48:10.800
And yeah, like as uh Steve's talking about we're we're looking at lots of different things.
00:48:10.880 --> 00:48:15.039
Like, yeah, can we get access to that that bigger arena for some uh some games?
00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:16.400
What do we need to do?
00:48:16.559 --> 00:48:18.400
Um I see models in some other leagues.
00:48:18.480 --> 00:48:27.199
You look at like the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, it's kind of a small market team that because they have such community engagement, they have a competitive product all the time.
00:48:27.519 --> 00:48:33.599
And so I I see a bit of that uh um you know as a partial model for for the Devils as we go forward.
00:48:33.679 --> 00:48:38.159
Like I we have that Welsh Pride, like we're the only Welsh team in the league.
00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:51.119
I just think the support we see from all the fans and and sponsors, as long as we keep putting everything we can onto the ice, I don't know why that relationship won't continue for the next decade uh to keep putting a really good team on the ice.
00:48:51.280 --> 00:48:53.519
So that's certainly that's certainly the focus I have.
00:48:53.599 --> 00:48:59.679
And and every year uh the like the fans and the sponsors step up and and and keep us with a competitive team.
00:48:59.840 --> 00:49:00.639
This year's no different.
00:49:00.719 --> 00:49:02.719
And we we want to take it all again.
00:49:03.039 --> 00:49:04.719
Yeah, I think that's a really good way of putting it.
00:49:04.800 --> 00:49:11.840
And the the very last question, and we'll close on this now, and I'll ask each of you this is you know, what what does the devils mean to each of you personally?
00:49:11.920 --> 00:49:15.679
You know, if if you were to try and put it into words, what this club means to you, uh what is it?
00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:18.400
And we'll start with you, Steve, but we'll come to both of you for that.
00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:34.159
Yeah, it's it's really become uh a huge part of uh my identity uh with my family, with uh with my friends, uh it's something I've known for, uh become known for, which is which is crazy.
00:49:34.320 --> 00:49:38.559
Uh, you know, starting off really not knowing what we were getting into.
00:49:38.639 --> 00:49:46.639
And, you know, I've got a uh a business that I've I've built, and I've got you know three kids that I'm incredibly proud of.
00:49:46.800 --> 00:49:55.679
Uh so for the devils to be uh one of those building blocks of of my life and my identity is uh is really incredible to me.
00:49:55.760 --> 00:49:57.440
And I'm I'm super proud of it.
00:49:57.679 --> 00:50:02.400
And uh I'm just overjoyed that it is that uh because that's the way I feel about it.
00:50:02.559 --> 00:50:10.880
Um you know, Brian and I, we we talk and text uh every day about the devils, and it's just become such a huge part of our uh of our lives.
00:50:11.039 --> 00:50:19.039
It's uh you know uh created uh you know a much closer friendship between uh Brian and I than uh than we ever had before uh 12 years ago.
00:50:19.119 --> 00:50:23.840
And I guess just it's just an absolute gift from uh from so many different angles.
00:50:25.360 --> 00:50:26.159
Yeah, wow.
00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:27.519
I shouldn't have let Steve talk first.
00:50:27.599 --> 00:50:28.719
That's a pretty good answer.
00:50:31.199 --> 00:50:33.440
But a lot of that is true for me as well, right?
00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:43.760
Like I'll be in a business meeting and and if someone's Googled me or whatever, and like we'll talk about business and then say throw out something about the card of devils, and I'll talk for 25 minutes.
00:50:44.000 --> 00:51:06.559
It's just like it is such a cool part of our life that and and and and like Steve, I've got two wonderful children, I've got a great business that I manage, and it's like but all of these things kind of you know get put in the background when you see someone brings up the devils, you just your eyes light up and you could you find yourself just uh on auto, just going because it's so engaging.
00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:09.840
And I think about this trip we're gonna we have this this next week.
00:51:09.920 --> 00:51:12.800
Like I'm going over there, we got uh a bunch of friends coming.
00:51:12.960 --> 00:51:16.880
Sharon's cousins are coming down from Scotland, my sister's coming with her boyfriend.
00:51:17.039 --> 00:51:21.440
Like I travel with my family to Europe all the time in conjunction with the devils.
00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:23.039
We talk about all the time.
00:51:23.119 --> 00:51:28.079
We have all this, like it is just such a uh a really interesting part of my life.
00:51:28.239 --> 00:51:32.159
And when I first went over there, I'd see all these fans, they travel away or whatever.
00:51:32.480 --> 00:51:37.039
How the how how engaged these people are, but it's like uh I'm that same way now.
00:51:37.119 --> 00:51:40.320
It's just a big part of my life and and a really fun part of it.
00:51:40.480 --> 00:51:43.039
And uh uh something I look forward to every weekend.
00:51:43.199 --> 00:51:51.519
Like I'm up in the uh the middle of the mountains here this weekend, and I I had a uh winter run as a trailer, and then we had a pause because like devils were playing.
00:51:51.679 --> 00:51:52.960
So everything's on hold.
00:51:53.119 --> 00:51:58.400
Get some Starlink, uh get it on, get in on the TV and let's watch this game.
00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:08.000
And uh, you know, thankfully we we won both games this weekend, but you know, my my mood, it goes up when we win, down when we lose, and it's just it's such a big part of my life.
00:52:08.079 --> 00:52:10.239
So and and a fun part, awesome part.
00:52:10.559 --> 00:52:13.519
I think that's a really lovely way to end the interview for today.
00:52:13.679 --> 00:52:17.679
And and and yeah, I mean, you know, it's gonna be great having you guys in town, and we really appreciate it.
00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:20.960
And here's to another 12 years and and beyond on the on top of that.
00:52:21.039 --> 00:52:23.519
So uh Brian, Steve, thank you so much for joining the podcast.
00:52:23.599 --> 00:52:24.480
We really appreciate it.
00:52:24.559 --> 00:52:24.960
Thank you.
00:52:25.199 --> 00:52:25.599
Yeah, bro.
00:52:26.400 --> 00:52:30.480
Brian and I look really old, but uh we should still be around 12 years from now.
00:52:31.360 --> 00:52:32.079
We hope so.
00:52:32.320 --> 00:52:33.199
We hope so.
00:52:36.559 --> 00:52:40.159
Huge thank you to Steve King and to Brian Parker for joining the show.
00:52:40.320 --> 00:52:47.599
Guys, I mean it there's there's passion and then there's passion when you speak to those two guys, and and Steve and Brian have have got it in abundance, guys.
00:52:47.840 --> 00:52:48.880
Haven't they, Jess?
00:52:49.039 --> 00:53:02.400
It's um you know, every time they talk about the club, whether it's from the start or as as the current uh team and and era that we're in, there's always that level of enthusiasm, isn't there?
00:53:02.800 --> 00:53:11.199
Um and that's uh really sort of uh uh injected something into this franchise the last decade or so that's that's really important.
00:53:11.760 --> 00:53:16.880
I was thinking a lot because we recorded that interview on the weekend to take you down the curtain a little bit.
00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:28.960
Um and I've been thinking a lot about it since we recorded or we record today, and I've uh kind of try been trying to sum up my thoughts about what was what was the biggest thing for me when they took over.
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:38.239
And I it it finally struck me today um is that what they promised they delivered.
00:53:39.199 --> 00:53:58.239
And that is such a big thing for anyone who had to be a fan from kind of the end of the Super League up to you know Todd and and the guys coming in is you get a lot of people don't know or care about the finances of a of a company or know what goes into that.
00:53:58.480 --> 00:54:09.440
But what they do know is when someone isn't being honest with you, or they're taking what you love and they're not treating it with the care, respect and love that you have for it.
00:54:09.519 --> 00:54:11.039
But that's I think that's what hurts.
00:54:11.679 --> 00:54:24.000
So then coming into that uh atmosphere and that kind of history, the biggest thing for me was the please don't lie to us, please don't promise things that you can't deliver.
00:54:24.639 --> 00:54:30.800
And everything that they promised that they've for me have delivered in spades over and above.
00:54:31.360 --> 00:54:34.159
And I don't think you can put a price on that.
00:54:34.639 --> 00:54:51.440
Any investment you put in the team, the Vindico, whatever, that of course that's brilliant, but you can't put a price on treating what everyone loves as well as they have, and that to me is the biggest legacy that they'll leave, hopefully, in 70 years' time.
00:54:52.400 --> 00:55:02.000
Franny, you know, I I love the way they talk about uh the devils with, like I said, passion, but also they don't see themselves as you know these owners who sit at the top of the tree.
00:55:02.079 --> 00:55:05.039
They they are fans as well, and and that's how they treat this.
00:55:05.440 --> 00:55:11.920
You know, they they want the devils to win, they want them to succeed, not from from not from just a business standpoint, they want them to see because they love the club.
00:55:12.159 --> 00:55:20.079
Yeah, they've gone all in on becoming devils fans, and they're not they're not joking when they say they speak every day on the phone about the devils.
00:55:20.239 --> 00:55:37.599
And if you think about you know the businesses that they've got to run and all the things they've got to do in their in their day, the fact that they still talk every day about the devils, the fact that they still, you know, meet up and put the devil's um web stream on a a big TV somewhere.
00:55:37.920 --> 00:55:47.519
Craig bought a a bar so he could so he could put the uh the devil's game on um you know on on the weekend in a bar.
00:55:47.599 --> 00:55:48.880
I mean, it's it's crazy.
00:55:49.039 --> 00:56:11.599
But yeah, they when they come over here, the energy that they bring, you know, the smiles on their faces, they're always bringing different people with them too that you know that they've heard talk about this hockey club they got over in Wales, and they bring, you know, some extended members of the family or some of their co-worker workers or some friends across, and then they show them and they all go away, you know, singing about the devils.
00:56:11.679 --> 00:56:14.559
And um, yeah, it's that enthusiasm.
00:56:14.880 --> 00:56:16.880
You know, I I've said it before.
00:56:17.519 --> 00:56:39.679
When they took over as devil's owners, something happened and the stars aligned, and they are just the perfect people to own the card of devils because, like you say, they're not, you know, they're not really seeing it as a business, they're not um putting themselves up on a pedestal because they're the owners, they are just one of a big family.
00:56:39.840 --> 00:57:12.480
They come in here, they interact with everybody, they know people by name, um, they are just in it for all the right reasons, and you know, the mantra that they talk about is they want to give every player that plays in Cardiff their best experience in pro hockey, and you know, and they're true to their word, you know, helped you know marvellously by Todd and Katrina and all the staff that we've got here, but it comes from the very top, you know, that that is what they want to give the players, and the amount of feedback that we get from players, you know, new players in this year, just blown away by you know how well things are run.
00:57:12.639 --> 00:57:23.360
I always remember talking to guys like Charles Lingley and Shane Morrison and um defensemen help me out here.
00:57:23.519 --> 00:57:24.159
Tyson Strachan.
00:57:24.239 --> 00:57:25.760
Tyson Strachan on the card.
00:57:25.920 --> 00:57:28.800
Uh fee would kill me if I forgot that.
00:57:28.960 --> 00:57:39.280
But um, yeah, about you know, the guys that have played in the NHL or played the KHL and all that, and they were like, you know, okay, yeah, the NHL is kind of you know up there.
00:57:39.440 --> 00:57:44.880
Outside of that, this is the best that they've been treated, and that is just like a massive compliment.
00:57:45.039 --> 00:57:53.760
And you know, it goes to the culture that those guys uh have set and and the the organization that are running things here, um, live and breathe by.
00:57:55.440 --> 00:57:58.880
Something you I pick up on that you mentioned about them knowing everyone's names.
00:57:59.039 --> 00:58:04.559
I remember the first time they came over, the first game they came in the pay hull, I think, on that day.
00:58:04.880 --> 00:58:15.840
And um in your head, you kind of get a thing of like an ownership is they sit in a corporate box and you know they uh come down, interview some platitudes go away, that is all good.
00:58:16.000 --> 00:58:25.199
But uh literally everyone working on that night they went around individually to say good job, and they you're totally right, they knew everyone's names.
00:58:25.519 --> 00:58:49.119
Like they they came over to us on the stream and say, Oh, great job, guys, you know, watch every week, like keep up the good work, and you left that building feeling like ten foot tall, that what you were doing was appreciated, and it they knew everyone, every single person who helped run match night or longtime fans that they were talking about, they had found out who these people were and why they were important, and that was that was really nice.
00:58:49.360 --> 00:59:01.920
I think actually one thing that stood out to me in the interview as well is you know, we're very probably used in sports to ownership, almost treating it as a well, I know best and I will always know best, and nothing I will ever do is wrong.
00:59:02.239 --> 00:59:06.800
But they openly acknowledge maybe that they've made mistakes in their time here as well, and they're willing to admit that.
00:59:06.880 --> 00:59:13.119
And I think that's a you know, that's a strength as well, because yeah, you know, the the years the devils don't win, maybe we do make mistakes, maybe we aren't the best team.
00:59:13.199 --> 00:59:22.960
And and so for them to sit down and say, you know, maybe we hired the wrong guy here or did the wrong thing there, and then look at it now and see how the devils want to improve going forward, that's really important as well, I think.
00:59:23.280 --> 00:59:40.239
Yeah, and there's never been any finger pointing from them when things haven't gone wrong because they know that everybody that is in place within the devil's organization is is doing making a decision for what they believe is the right reason at the time, and you can't get everything right.
00:59:40.639 --> 00:59:41.519
You really can't.
00:59:41.679 --> 00:59:46.800
And um sometimes you make mistakes, other times they're not mistakes, they just things don't work out.
00:59:46.880 --> 00:59:47.360
That's life.
00:59:47.440 --> 00:59:54.719
I mean, it happens in in everything, but you know, they they know that everybody is is in it for the same reasons.
00:59:54.960 --> 01:00:02.960
Um yes, they love to have conversations about you know the makeup of our roster and everything the summer, and you know, they are really connected as well.
01:00:03.039 --> 01:00:12.079
And we you know quite often use their contacts to get references, and um, you know, over the years they have um through their contacts, players have played here.
01:00:12.320 --> 01:00:29.199
Um but also if there is a player that they are suggesting and there's been good rationale as to why we don't think they're a fit for what we need in the in the remaining spots in the roster, they don't say, well, sign him because I want him.
01:00:29.280 --> 01:00:35.599
They're like they they acknowledge that you know there's a good rationale behind it, and they've got trust in people making that decision too.
01:00:35.760 --> 01:00:45.760
And I think that's important because you know so much you see in like football clubs now, you know, it's dictated from the top um that what they want they get, and it doesn't work out very well.
01:00:46.000 --> 01:00:52.079
So, you know, it's just it's never it's never interfering or anything like that, it's always from the right reason.
01:00:52.239 --> 01:01:03.840
You know, we think we might have somebody, and sometimes, yes, that is a great fit, other times it's not a good fit for a reason, and yeah, it's it's just all very amicable um and and done in that way.
01:01:03.920 --> 01:01:20.559
And it's um, yeah, I mean, I I I love spending time with the guys, I love speaking to them about hockey, they love speaking about hockey, and you know, as much as it's so exciting this this weekend coming up to have all the players back in, it's also another opportunity to spend time with with our owners.
01:01:20.800 --> 01:01:30.400
Guys, I love as well how they they speak about being an underdog and they love almost that that that that kind of fight that it gives them as well to to want to overperform maybe where we're at.
01:01:30.639 --> 01:01:35.440
Yeah, and uh that's I think what really drove us to that first league title, particularly.
01:01:35.599 --> 01:01:42.960
Uh Sheffield has built quite a bit of runner of uh league titles, and we're at the top of that tree.
01:01:43.039 --> 01:01:51.360
And I think there was a real sort of siege mentality around the place that that was where we had to get to, and that's where we had to topple.
01:01:51.519 --> 01:01:56.400
And then once we did do that, the CHL then kind of became the next thing, you know.
01:01:56.480 --> 01:01:59.440
Okay, we've just got shipped 10 goals in Davos.
01:01:59.519 --> 01:02:00.079
What what do we do?
01:02:00.159 --> 01:02:02.880
You know, we're the underdog now when they come back to the Vindico.
01:02:03.119 --> 01:02:04.719
How do we sort of approach that?
01:02:04.880 --> 01:02:08.239
And I that was kind of building as well pre pre-COVID, wasn't it?
01:02:08.400 --> 01:02:11.840
So I I do I do think that brings up the best of us.
01:02:11.920 --> 01:02:23.440
Um at the moment, we've got the Belfast Giants in the Sheffield position where they're building up a string of league titles, and uh yeah, we're the underdog to them at the moment in terms of league championships.
01:02:23.599 --> 01:02:26.800
So let's uh tap into that a little bit more there.
01:02:27.039 --> 01:02:31.679
Yeah, let's let's let's chat you know broadly now about the 40th anniversary.
01:02:31.760 --> 01:02:50.880
You know, we we've we've spoken to a lot of people and heard a lot of different things about the different histories and parts of of of the club, and and you know, as we hit now this milestone this weekend, and let's just look, Franny, at maybe the the cultural impact of this club and what it's done over the 40 years, because I I don't think you can understate how important this this club has become to to Cardiff.
01:02:51.519 --> 01:03:36.320
Yeah, I mean it's quite so many people from outside of the hockey have you know said to me when you know they know you're involved with the hockey about how we, the devils, were a shining light in the times when nothing else was going right in Welsh sport, and we kind of carried the torch for for Welsh sport, and that's you know that's a massive honour because all the Welsh sports teams are really proud and have had you know different levels of success in their various sports, and you know, the the devils came along at the right time, I think, when things weren't going very well elsewhere, and it gave you know that sense of national pride, and um yeah, I mean I you just think about the devil's community as a family, you know.
01:03:36.400 --> 01:03:40.559
We spoke about how the owners see it as a family, and you know, and that's what it feels like.
01:03:40.639 --> 01:03:42.079
It's is you know, one big family here.
01:03:42.159 --> 01:03:55.119
And you think over the generations, I mean, we've got some day one fans that are still watching now, we've got some very new fans who have taken up but have beencome hooked straight away and you know, trying to get season tickets and things like that.
01:03:55.199 --> 01:04:10.000
And it's you know, that continuing sort of rolling of of the fan base, um, it's just shows the impact it's had on fans, old and new, and it does change your life because you do make a commitment to your weekends every weekend.
01:04:10.079 --> 01:04:14.000
It's not like you know, football or rugby where it's you know one week home, one week away.
01:04:14.079 --> 01:04:20.079
It's every weekend you're gonna be down watching your team, or you're gonna be watching on the on the webcast.
01:04:20.320 --> 01:04:26.800
Um, and it's yeah, it just touches so many lives and also the players that have played here as well.
01:04:27.039 --> 01:04:37.679
You know, I still keep in contact with lots of them, as you know, and um you know, people will always talk about the years in Cardiff as being their favourite in their pro hockey career.
01:04:37.840 --> 01:04:44.880
Um so it gives those you know proud memories and um you know great great things to think back on.
01:04:45.599 --> 01:04:47.760
Guys, it's the implementation into the community as well.
01:04:47.840 --> 01:04:50.159
Like like Franny says, you know, it becomes people's lives.
01:04:50.320 --> 01:04:52.000
Like that that's what this club does to people.
01:04:52.719 --> 01:04:53.519
Yeah, it does.
01:04:53.679 --> 01:04:58.079
It um it taps into something that I can't quite put my finger on.
01:04:58.159 --> 01:05:04.400
I don't I can't quite sort of verbalize exactly what it is and why it does it, but but it does.
01:05:04.800 --> 01:05:26.800
Even during the years when we weren't winning league titles and we would go places and struggle, it didn't matter going to an away game and traveling four hours to Sheffield and four hours back or Newcastle six hours up and six hours back if we lost, because I was in a car with a group of friends who I had met through hockey.
01:05:26.880 --> 01:05:30.320
They weren't friends I grew up with in school, they weren't you know people I lived with.
01:05:30.800 --> 01:05:32.639
We just had this shared passion.
01:05:33.119 --> 01:05:38.960
And as we were going on these road trips, like I say, that that would keep you going.
01:05:39.760 --> 01:05:44.159
You would be gutted for the first twenty minutes and the car would be completely silent if you lost.
01:05:44.480 --> 01:05:57.920
But someone would then say something that you know would crack you up, and for the rest of the way then you'd share stories of like, Oh, remember when we went to that game and got turned over eight nil, or remember when we went up there and we beat Sheffield in overtime with one second left?
01:05:58.000 --> 01:06:06.400
And you would trade all these stories and just have this A common interest that sparked so much more than just the team on the ice.
01:06:06.480 --> 01:06:07.840
But that's where it starts.
01:06:08.079 --> 01:06:12.719
It starts with going through those doors for the first time and finding a welcoming atmosphere.
01:06:12.960 --> 01:06:28.239
I'm going to ask you both uh a question now, and and I think we've we the three of us between us, we've got quite a good actually range of of where we sit in terms of devil's history, where we kind of fit in to this club, and maybe what the club has done for us.
01:06:28.320 --> 01:06:40.239
So um I'm gonna ask you both to try and verbalise as best you can what the club means for you as we hit this 40th anniversary celebration and and and maybe what if you can put into words what it means for you guys.
01:06:40.400 --> 01:06:45.039
And you know, I know how I feel, and I'm sure that you know YouTube's perspective is very different to mine.
01:06:45.119 --> 01:06:50.079
So we'll start with you, Franny, and we'll just see, you know, what what is the Cardiff Devils to you?
01:06:50.800 --> 01:06:54.880
Well, I mean, it's been a part of my life longer than it hasn't.
01:06:55.039 --> 01:07:00.800
You know, it's uh you know, going back from watching my first game as a what was I 12 years old.
01:07:01.039 --> 01:07:03.599
So that's 20 years ago?
01:07:04.079 --> 01:07:05.519
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:07:05.679 --> 01:07:08.000
Yeah, um, a lot of years ago.
01:07:08.400 --> 01:07:13.039
Uh so it's yeah, it's something that has become a part of my life.
01:07:13.280 --> 01:07:29.760
Um, you know how passionate I still am about it, and you know, and to have that passion from the day that I walked through the door and watched this amazing sport, I'd never seen anything like it, to playing as a junior and playing with enthusiasm and making the way to the devils.
01:07:30.000 --> 01:07:39.039
And you know, I was always known as you know to play with enthusiasm and then to to carry that on um you know off the ice.
01:07:39.199 --> 01:07:43.280
I think that kind of it just sums up what it means to me.
01:07:43.360 --> 01:08:00.559
I mean, it's uh this club, like I say, it's given me so much, and I will forever and a day want to put something back into the club because I feel all the you know the the riches that I've had from the club, I almost feel like I still owe it.
01:08:00.800 --> 01:08:16.000
Um and you know, like so untold stories and um so many you know, hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people that I've met through my involvement with the hockey, you cannot put a price on that.
01:08:16.079 --> 01:08:24.560
So that's why I feel I'll always be indebted to the club and you know, for for as long as I'm alive, I I'll always be looking to repay that debt.
01:08:25.199 --> 01:08:27.840
Guys, what a question.
01:08:28.640 --> 01:08:34.319
Um the first one that popped into my mind was happiness.
01:08:35.039 --> 01:08:48.479
Um when I think of the car of devils, I think immediately of my brother because he's the one who brought me down and my brother's 14 years older than me.
01:08:48.800 --> 01:08:53.439
So growing up, you're not really, you know, into the same stuff necessarily.
01:08:53.600 --> 01:08:54.720
There's that gap.
01:08:55.199 --> 01:09:01.279
But what we did have in common and what we did do together was go to the hockey every week, and that was our thing.
01:09:01.760 --> 01:09:16.960
So straight from the off, as soon as I think of the devils, I think of how much fun we had going in, what how much fun we have now go going to the hockey together when we do, and that's that immediately places the club in in such a special place.
01:09:17.920 --> 01:09:29.039
After that, it's kind of given part of my life a lot of purpose in that it's allowed me to follow a dream I had when I was eight years old to be a sports commentator.
01:09:29.119 --> 01:09:35.119
That's what I always wanted to do, and to be able to do it for a club that I love so much.
01:09:35.760 --> 01:09:37.439
I I pinch myself every week.
01:09:37.600 --> 01:09:47.439
Every week we're on the gantry as that intro hits, and I hear Ado, our director in the mics, say, Your mics are up, and I have to do that first bit of intro as a team at the ice.
01:09:47.600 --> 01:09:57.840
Every week I just want to kind of I feel eight years old again in my first ever game in block 13 with tonsils behind me, screaming at the ice.
01:09:58.079 --> 01:10:08.720
Um and then on top of that, like I kind of alluded to in my last answer, the vast number of friends I have now who are general life friends who I met here.
01:10:08.800 --> 01:10:30.000
Like, even you guys who you know, where we we meet up every week, it's it's given me so much sporting memories, personal memories, personal friends, like a strengthening bond of my brother, just everything positive, like the little laundry list of positivity I can think that this club has given me over the years is insurmountable.
01:10:30.319 --> 01:10:49.760
And much like Franny said, I will always give my my time, my effort to whatever anyone needed me to do here because what I want to do is I want the way I feel to be felt by anyone else who comes through these doors, whether you come through once or whether you come through for the next 40 years.
01:10:50.159 --> 01:10:56.800
I want people to have that positive experience in my life that I've had through this club, and I hope they do.
01:10:57.119 --> 01:10:58.640
Dan, you're not getting off this.
01:10:58.720 --> 01:11:00.960
So what what have you got for for us?
01:11:01.199 --> 01:11:02.880
Um uh wow.
01:11:03.119 --> 01:11:07.680
Um I I I I got into hockey very late, probably compared to what a lot of people did.
01:11:07.760 --> 01:11:16.159
I I was 19, I think, when when I came to my first game, and it was all kind of very new, and and I'd been a lifelong, miserable Cardiff City fan.
01:11:16.319 --> 01:11:27.039
And so to come and and and see something, and and I still to this day I've said before, I remember the very first game I came to against Banska Vestrika, Lane Alma, last second goal.
01:11:27.279 --> 01:11:32.560
I remember it vividly, and and and I and and from that moment I was completely hooked.
01:11:32.720 --> 01:11:42.720
Um, you know, and and I I've said to I've said to guys, I've said to a few people before, that the feeling, especially in that first year that I had around hockey, I wish I could bottle that up and and sell that.
01:11:42.880 --> 01:11:48.800
Because that feeling, I think, when something's so new and so fresh is is yeah, it's it's incredible and it's wonderful.
01:11:48.880 --> 01:12:01.520
And it's why when I see new fans coming through the door, maybe sometimes there's a bit of a there's a bit of a feeling of of of what where is this kind of where's hockey going these days and what is the new kind of fan base about?
01:12:01.760 --> 01:12:06.800
I think a lot of it maybe you need to remember that for some people it is something brand new and fresh and incredible.
01:12:06.880 --> 01:12:09.840
And yeah, like I've like I've said before, that that that kind of is that.
01:12:10.000 --> 01:12:12.159
But you know, it it is more than that as well.
01:12:12.239 --> 01:12:21.920
Like I, you know, similar to Gaz, it's it's it's given me, you know, a life and a and a career in in media and broadcasting, which you know, I who knows if I would have had that if it wasn't for this.
01:12:22.000 --> 01:12:29.600
But um, but you know, away away from all that as well, I think I think this this club is wonderful because it gets under your skin in a really good way.
01:12:29.680 --> 01:12:38.000
And it and it it just scratches and it's you never really realised you had, and it and it does things that you know it'll drive you insane.
01:12:38.079 --> 01:12:45.760
There have been days where I've walked away from this this building and we've we've been pumped 8-0 by Belfast, and I've thought I don't want to go back again next week.
01:12:45.840 --> 01:12:54.560
And and you do because you you just love what it gives to you, and and and you know, I'm a big believer in the power of what sport can do.
01:12:54.720 --> 01:13:07.680
I think, you know, if you look at the the Walk Up over the summer is probably a really good example of seeing what it did by bringing people of very different cultures into the same thing and for the for the love of one specific sport, and I think it does that that's what the devil's does as well.
01:13:07.760 --> 01:13:18.079
You know, it doesn't really matter who you are or what you've been through or experienced, it it just kind of yeah, yeah, everybody's welcome here, which is I think really wonderful.
01:13:18.239 --> 01:13:20.800
Um yeah, I'm getting emotional now.
01:13:21.359 --> 01:13:40.479
Um, yeah, and on a on a personal level, like the this this club has done a lot for me, which is I'm always indebted to the club for that, to the people who I get to see week in, week out, and you guys and the guys upstairs, um, and the players who, you know, every week put it on the line, work hard.
01:13:40.720 --> 01:13:43.439
Um, yeah, and and similar to you both.
01:13:43.520 --> 01:13:46.800
I I'm I'm I've indebted for a lifetime for what this club has done.
01:13:46.880 --> 01:13:52.720
And I think, you know, if the next 40 years are anything like the first 40, my word are we in uh for for a good time.
01:13:52.880 --> 01:13:56.640
So uh yeah, I'm gonna stop there and and yeah, leave it.
01:13:56.800 --> 01:13:58.399
But that's that's kind of what it means to me.
01:13:58.640 --> 01:14:22.159
And also one of the things um that you'll both know is that when you bring someone to a game or someone you know comes and experiences it for the first time or wants to speak to you about it, is how proud you are to kind of represent the club or or to be able to speak to somebody about it and and have a conversation about hockey.
01:14:22.319 --> 01:14:24.960
You know, it's never ever a chore, is it?
01:14:25.039 --> 01:14:36.000
When anyone's asking questions about hockey because they don't understand it, it's like this is amazing, and I feel proud to show off my team kind of thing, and you know, the sport in general, but more the team.
01:14:36.239 --> 01:14:54.960
And I think you know, just the when people come to a game and they were like, Oh my god, that was so fast, didn't know what was going on, but it was amazing, and and you see someone else buzzing and getting that feeling that you first had, I'm always really, really proud uh of that, and that someone has had so much enjoyment.
01:14:55.199 --> 01:14:56.079
Yeah, absolutely.
01:14:56.159 --> 01:15:05.359
And I I think it there's a pride as well because if I see family I don't see very often, the thing they will always ask me is, are you still down the devils?
01:15:05.600 --> 01:15:06.399
You still go to the devils?
01:15:06.880 --> 01:15:07.840
How's that going?
01:15:08.079 --> 01:15:16.399
And to have that kind of as part of, like you say, what you carry around with you, and you get to like say show off and brag and be like, Yeah, yeah, we're doing brilliantly.
01:15:16.479 --> 01:15:25.199
Like, you know, we won we won again last year, we won another trophy, and then the next thing is always like always always asking me, Oh, I I really would love to get down to a game.
01:15:25.359 --> 01:15:30.800
And these days I say, Well, you better look pretty soon because you need to look about six months in advance.
01:15:30.960 --> 01:15:43.199
But it you're absolutely so right about uh, Raddy, is that like you when you get to represent the club away from things to people who don't know about it, it it does feel it does feel special.
01:15:43.439 --> 01:15:43.920
It does.
01:15:44.079 --> 01:15:46.720
And I'm gonna pull myself together now and we're gonna move on.
01:15:46.880 --> 01:15:51.119
But uh yeah, that that is the end of our of our 40th anniversary celebratory series.
01:15:51.199 --> 01:16:05.279
We're hoping uh throughout the next uh year and and and and beyond to get more previous players and and guests on who have been part of the Devil's history in the past, because yeah, my word are there are a lot of people we could have spoken to in this uh in this series, so we'll definitely endeavour to get get them on as well.
01:16:05.359 --> 01:16:06.880
And and now we're gonna look at this weekend.
01:16:06.960 --> 01:16:13.760
Of course, Saturday is the big day, it's it's the 40th anniversary game, and then there is the small matter of two games to play this weekend as well around all this.
01:16:13.840 --> 01:16:15.600
So we're gonna we're gonna look at that quickly.
01:16:15.680 --> 01:16:17.760
And uh Saturday, Dundee come into town.
01:16:17.840 --> 01:16:23.520
And Gaz, all the pomp, all uh everything that's gonna be going on, the devils are gonna have to shut it out and get on with the game.
01:16:23.680 --> 01:16:37.359
Yeah, Dundee, I don't know if they they choose this in the fixture meetings, but it's either A the B that they they get on last year, of course, they were the team for your shirt retirement and they uh showed a lot of respect on Thursday.
01:16:38.079 --> 01:16:39.359
Yeah, massive respect to them.
01:16:39.439 --> 01:16:49.520
That you know they came on the ice for it, and obviously it's uh it's a lot longer than a team would like travelling away and and they want to get into the game, and I thought they were really respectful.
01:16:49.600 --> 01:16:53.520
So I just want to say a huge thank you to the Dundee Stars organization for that.
01:16:53.760 --> 01:17:14.560
So we know that again they'll show the same respect on Saturday because they're that sort of organization, but the pack will have to drop, and I think there could be no other way to think about this game on Saturday than you've got representatives of every era of the last 40 years in that building.
01:17:14.800 --> 01:17:23.600
They've all brought more broad, you know, pretty broadly the same identity and the same way of playing across those 40 years.
01:17:24.479 --> 01:17:26.800
Saturday, there has to be a performance.
01:17:26.880 --> 01:17:40.479
It's simply you cannot leave that ice on Saturday other than leaving it all out there, being physical, being passionate, being in the face of Dundee from minute one to minute 60.
01:17:40.800 --> 01:17:49.279
Just leave it all out there because there's people there who want to see those the current iteration of the Card of Devils put on a show.
01:17:49.439 --> 01:17:52.720
That's the chant uh that we hear a lot from Vlog 13, isn't it?
01:17:52.880 --> 01:17:54.399
Putting on a show everywhere we go.
01:17:54.560 --> 01:18:01.680
Well, we're going to the Vindico Saturday, and there's a really special audience that deserve a performance.
01:18:02.159 --> 01:18:17.920
But you you're right in what you call out is in terms there's a lot of noise around this game, which isn't great really when you need to focus in on a game because you know you there's gonna be, like you say, a lot of people in the building that are held in very high esteem.
01:18:18.079 --> 01:18:20.159
That brings a lot of pressure in itself.
01:18:20.479 --> 01:18:29.680
Um you know, just following on from the the big pre-game that that there's bound to be, uh, and then all of a sudden you've got to switch yourself into game mode.
01:18:29.840 --> 01:18:35.840
So, I mean, that will be the key for the devils is to enjoy the moment, enjoy being part of it.
01:18:35.920 --> 01:18:47.199
They're all part of uh of the 40-year history, but then as soon as they go back to their bench and get their helmets, that's gotta be the mental switch to get into game mode and to get started.
01:18:47.279 --> 01:18:50.880
And I remember I was it was funny you mentioned about my shirt retirement night.
01:18:51.039 --> 01:18:56.000
I was really nervous about not winning that game because it would just ruin my night.
01:18:56.079 --> 01:18:59.199
It would, and it was a far tighter game than I'd hoped.
01:18:59.279 --> 01:19:03.520
And I think it was the kind of Capone hit that basically changed it and energized.
01:19:03.680 --> 01:19:09.680
And I thanked him after the game, I was like, yeah, you know, it was it was getting a bit touch and go there, and you just put the life into us.
01:19:09.840 --> 01:19:31.359
So uh yeah, really appreciated uh that hit from from Capone, but um yeah, it's that that's gotta be the key for the Devils is in treat it as two separate things, you know, enjoy that and everything that's going on around you, but then as soon as you get back to the bench and get your helmet, get into game mode and get off to a good start.
01:19:31.600 --> 01:19:35.359
And you know, we we talked last week about how Glasgow, they've been struggling for wins.
01:19:35.439 --> 01:19:40.319
Dundee have also been struggling for wins, but Glasgow still, you know, showed up and the devils, it didn't walk all over them.
01:19:40.479 --> 01:19:41.840
So it's gonna be the same this weekend.
01:19:41.920 --> 01:19:44.399
You'd imagine it's this isn't this isn't a gimme by any chance.
01:19:44.640 --> 01:20:07.920
No, and I I feel like based off of last year's playoff win and the fact that we've not shied away from saying that we want to win the league this year, teams are gonna come in here with that compete level that they're beginning to kind of make us break them down, you know, work for those points, and there's no gimme's uh in this league uh anymore.
01:20:08.159 --> 01:20:16.640
So it it Dundee will come with a high compete level, they will come with I guess uh in some ways it it's a no-lose situation for them.
01:20:16.720 --> 01:20:18.560
It's our big night to to throw away.
01:20:18.640 --> 01:20:25.600
They they know that they've got the ability to win the game, but and they maybe can take a few more risks and a few more chances as well at times.
01:20:25.840 --> 01:20:30.079
So very much uh a banana skin night, these things, aren't they?
01:20:30.159 --> 01:20:41.520
But um what I will say is I I fully uh believe and in and invested in this year's team, knowing how important this club is and its history and things.
01:20:41.680 --> 01:20:51.520
We have a team that I I I know uh play for that front of that jersey, so I'm not concerned that there's anyone there who doesn't understand the importance of this we get.
01:20:51.760 --> 01:21:01.359
But yeah, I mean one thing we find, don't we, is that teams can come into this building and they they don't want to go toe-to-toe.
01:21:01.520 --> 01:21:02.880
They don't have to go toe-to-toe.
01:21:02.960 --> 01:21:10.560
What they can do is make it very difficult for you to play the way that you want to play, to play expansive hockey, entertaining hockey.
01:21:10.800 --> 01:21:37.359
Um you know, Dundee, over the last number of years, they've just clogged up the middle and made it hard for us to kind of make those cross-seam passes that open things up, make it difficult for you to get inside, and then you know, if there's any hint of a turnover, they're like they're shot out of a cannon, and then you know, they they always seem to have a couple of fast skaters, good goal scorers, they'll you know look for those breakaways and they'll cheat one guy, cheat two guys, and um and play on the counter-attack.
01:21:37.520 --> 01:21:55.359
So that's the thing, they're gonna come in here on the big night, knowing that the flatter that they can make it, the better for them it'll play into the hands because everyone will be really excited and pumped up before the game, and if they can then kill the momentum by being boring, then that that is affected for you.
01:21:55.439 --> 01:22:00.399
So the devils then to counter that have really just gotta get on the front foot.
01:22:00.479 --> 01:22:10.239
And I mean, if they're trapping up the middle, then chip puck steep and go after it and just get that four check going because that's you know the way that the devils always play their best hockey.
01:22:10.319 --> 01:22:18.560
But yeah, it it does it does make things more difficult when you come up against teams that you know almost want to stifle the game.
01:22:18.880 --> 01:22:19.520
Yeah, exactly.
01:22:19.600 --> 01:22:25.439
And and I think they they're gonna present that challenge, and I think that tactically you've explained quite nicely there what we'll maybe expect from Dundee.
01:22:25.680 --> 01:22:30.960
Of course, then we think about Sunday, which you know, if we talk about tests for the Devils this season, it's probably the biggest one of the year guys so far.
01:22:31.119 --> 01:22:32.640
Belfast Giants into town.
01:22:32.880 --> 01:22:44.159
Yeah, and you you've got to worry about uh sort of adrenaline dump, I guess, for that Sunday after Saturday, because there's gonna be a range of emotions uh on Saturday before, during, and after the game.
01:22:44.399 --> 01:22:52.239
But, you know, you four points is the biggest thing this weekend out of everything that's happening, four points is what is necessary.
01:22:52.479 --> 01:23:00.079
And uh, as I alluded to earlier, Belfast are the ones we're hunting down, they're the the standard bearer, they're the benchmark in the league at the moment.
01:23:00.239 --> 01:23:03.119
Adam Heath has made winning the league a routine.
01:23:03.279 --> 01:23:10.880
He's got you know the mechanism to do it, he's got the game plan to do it, he's just churning out the the same results uh year in, year out.
01:23:11.039 --> 01:23:14.640
And you know, we we want to knock him off that, quite frankly.
01:23:14.720 --> 01:23:18.319
And to do that, you need to take points off, and we need to get points on the board.
01:23:18.399 --> 01:23:19.359
It's gonna be tough.
01:23:19.439 --> 01:23:28.000
Uh, I think this year, where they've decided to rather than wait till mid-season to bring back all the pieces that work and they like, they've uh kept them from the off.
01:23:28.079 --> 01:23:30.560
And uh a lot of people are playing well at the moment, aren't they?
01:23:30.880 --> 01:23:34.399
And it is the you know, those old horses that are playing well.
01:23:34.560 --> 01:23:46.000
You look at their their stats at the moment, they played eight challenge cup games, and Picanich is leading the way with 14 points in in eight games, and then it's Goodwin, then it's uh Conway and Mike Lee.
01:23:46.079 --> 01:23:52.000
So it's it's those same tried and trusted that uh are putting the points away from them at the moment.
01:23:52.239 --> 01:23:58.800
I'm sure Adam Keefe was okay with that as long as they keep producing, but you'll you know, you'll also want to supplement it with some of the new guys.
01:23:58.880 --> 01:24:03.039
They look like they've got some um young, quick additions.
01:24:03.199 --> 01:24:15.199
Um almost it almost feels like guys that Adam Keefe could mold into the way that he likes his Belfast team to play, and that is, you know, they've been relentless, haven't they, over these last few years when they've been winning the league titles?
01:24:15.439 --> 01:24:23.039
They've been sort of shift after shift, wave after wave, getting in on the four-check, you know, like the thing similar to how we like to see our devils play.
01:24:23.199 --> 01:24:28.880
Um, so yeah, it's um it's a different test on Sunday.
01:24:29.199 --> 01:24:34.159
It's um I don't know if it's the Giants' first league game or do they play Saturday in the league?
01:24:34.560 --> 01:24:40.239
They play Saturday in the league, but certainly this weekend is their first um league fixtures.
01:24:40.399 --> 01:24:43.760
Um you know, it's their first trip down south here.
01:24:44.079 --> 01:24:49.359
And um those games against Belfast, they're always just got that little bit extra, haven't they?
01:24:49.439 --> 01:24:55.760
You know, the Sheffield games and the Belfast games always seem to be up there and don't disappoint.
01:24:55.840 --> 01:24:59.520
So I'm I'm expecting another high action game on Sunday.
01:24:59.680 --> 01:25:03.439
It's the jewel and the crown gaz, and uh the devils will have to be ready for it.
01:25:03.680 --> 01:25:04.960
Yep, we will.
01:25:05.359 --> 01:25:10.319
Uh, but you know, let's let's harness all this positivity through this week.
01:25:10.479 --> 01:25:23.680
Let's harness the spirit of guys who uh came before and uh have made this club uh what it is and how special it is to all of us as we've kind of verbalized as uh as we have tonight.
01:25:23.840 --> 01:25:38.880
So harness that and just you know try to remember that this club has always been built on winning, it's always been built on success, it's always been built on fun and enjoyment, and I want to see all of that at the end of Sunday.
01:25:38.960 --> 01:25:44.560
And if we leave it all out in the ice and the result doesn't go our way, well, you know, sometimes that can happen.
01:25:44.800 --> 01:25:49.119
But if you do put your own hundred percent in, you usually get your rewards.
01:25:49.199 --> 01:25:50.399
So I got faith.
01:25:50.640 --> 01:25:54.319
Guys, you're gonna be in the locker room with that team talk, please, on Saturday and Sunday.
01:25:54.399 --> 01:25:56.640
And uh yeah, that's all for Insider Tonight.
01:25:56.720 --> 01:25:59.439
We like can we say we've got a lot to look forward to this weekend.
01:25:59.520 --> 01:26:05.600
If you're coming down to Legends Not on Friday, if I you come into either game or both games on Saturday and Sunday, it'll be great to see you.
01:26:05.760 --> 01:26:06.479
Come say hello.
01:26:06.560 --> 01:26:09.199
There'll be plenty of former devils all around the place.
01:26:09.359 --> 01:26:10.479
The list is endless.
01:26:10.640 --> 01:26:14.720
Everybody will be excited, everyone will be keen to chat about where they sit in Devil's History.
01:26:14.800 --> 01:26:15.840
There's a lot to look forward to.
01:26:15.920 --> 01:26:17.920
So uh yeah, enjoy the weekend.
01:26:18.000 --> 01:26:23.279
We're gonna be bringing you debriefs, we're gonna be bringing you QA's, there's a lot gonna be going on, and of course, we'll be back with Insider next week.
01:26:23.359 --> 01:26:25.279
But uh yeah, that's all for the show tonight.
01:26:25.359 --> 01:26:27.039
Thank you so much for listening in once again.
01:26:27.119 --> 01:26:29.119
Thank you to Brian and to Steve for joining the show.
01:26:29.279 --> 01:26:31.279
Thank you to you two once again for your company.
01:26:31.359 --> 01:26:32.960
It's wonderful to sit down every week with you.
01:26:33.039 --> 01:26:34.399
And thank you to you at home for listening.
01:26:34.479 --> 01:26:35.920
It's been great once again to have you.
01:26:36.000 --> 01:26:37.520
We will see you all very, very soon.
01:26:37.680 --> 01:26:38.560
Goodbye.
01:26:42.479 --> 01:26:46.800
Thank you very much once again to our sponsor, Minerva Hearing, for today's podcast.
01:26:46.960 --> 01:26:50.560
And remember, Minerva Hearing, hear the cheers, protect your ears.
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.520
Today's podcast is brought to you by Minerva Hearing.
00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:05.759
Hear the cheers, protect your ears.
00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:16.480
Shemai Pao Bachrois, hello everybody, and welcome back to another episode of Devil's Insider with me, Dan Rudder, alongside my two wonderful hosts, Gareth Hewish and Neil Francis.
00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:18.079
Guys, it's so good to be back with you guys.
00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:18.640
How are you doing?
00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:19.679
I'm doing very well.
00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:20.079
Thank you.
00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:24.559
I enjoyed my weekend at the Vindicle, and it was nice to get a four-point weekend on the board.
00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:27.679
Franny, have you seen your family now after after the weekend?
00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:35.679
Yeah, I mean, luckily they're they're down at the game, so it was uh yeah, double home game, league home opener as well.
00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:40.240
Um, so yeah, important to get the league off to a to a good start, and that we did.
00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:41.280
We did indeed, guys.
00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:43.520
It's a four-point weekend, and it's the first one of the year.
00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:44.560
I've been waiting for one of these.
00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:46.159
It's good to good to go into the week with that.
00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:47.520
Yeah, it feels good, doesn't it?
00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:52.560
You realise just how good it does make you Monday when you've got to crawl uh back into work.
00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:56.399
So um, yeah, really important to get four points, obviously, isn't it?
00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:03.359
Um I think you mentioned this in in the debrief that just takes a little bit of pressure off the home stretch as well.
00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:08.239
If you falter in that first weekend, you maybe put a bit of pressure on yourself.
00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.200
So a lot of boxes ticked uh for that win.
00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:19.680
Good to start the league right, good to get that home uh stretch started well, and good to get that off our back that we can get a four-point weekend.
00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:25.200
So uh when the guys were back in uh on the ice today, I'm sure it was a good positive atmosphere.
00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:26.000
I bet it was.
00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:32.640
Franny, you know, like like we say, it's good to start the the season on the right foot, and I think in both games the devils the the way they played was was good as well.
00:01:33.120 --> 00:02:07.200
Yeah, I mean I I've seen uh a bit of stuff online about the devils not being too physical, and maybe that's because there weren't any fights, but um I thought the the pace was really good, I thought the four check was really good, I thought the way we played was you know really good in terms of getting on the front foot, and I I didn't think we were you know not physical, but I also think that we can't get into scrums every week without you know getting heavily penalised and then putting the game at risk.
00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:17.199
And also, as you know, Tom was alluded to and I've alluded to, we have got some guys that are carrying injuries, we have got you know quite too many guys that are up in the stands at the moment.
00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:24.240
So um sometimes you've gotta um play the right way, but play it to the line, not over the line.
00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:26.000
And I thought we did that really well this weekend.
00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:27.759
It's about pacing yourself, isn't it, as well.
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:33.520
You know, it's games one and two of 54, and you don't want to you don't want to burn yourself out with injuries immediately, even though we are playing short, you know.
00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:40.000
Yeah, we probably should have thought about that in preseason because guys just were like caged animals coming out of the traps, weren't they?
00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:44.319
And uh and maybe that set the expectation for the year, that's how we were gonna play.
00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:50.639
But it would be really difficult to play, you know, 70, 80 odd games or whatever we play, you know, in that way.
00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:53.759
But that's not to say that we won't get back on it.
00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:59.039
And you know, this weekend coming up, it's another two home games.
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:05.520
Um, a big night that we'll get to talk about uh on Saturday, and then you know, the Belfast Giants coming in on Sunday.
00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:06.240
They are indeed.
00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:07.599
We will get on to next weekend.
00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:10.240
We'll finish just up on uh on the weekend just gone.
00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:17.120
Guys, uh we'll touch on the Manchester game, obviously, as it was the first one, and and it was a game that became a bit of a goalie battle, actually, as it went on and on and on.
00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:21.520
And then the Devils they couldn't quite get that breathing space that you maybe wanted them to.
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:24.400
They they sat on that one goal lead for a while, and Derida was really good.
00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:26.479
Stover was was very solid as well.
00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:33.199
Yeah, Derrida probably stopped that from uh being at least four or five uh nil in the end, didn't he?
00:03:33.360 --> 00:04:04.080
Um, we're not talking just you know, good saves, we're talking, you know, bordering on you know supreme saves because you know, guys were firing point blank, particularly that Brandt one where he he's back door because that pass is quite quick across his crease and he's read it so well uh to get there the wraparound as well where he's kept it out with his pads and just yeah, the the Ridder really I think uh kind of cemented himself as uh again as such a top goalie uh in this league.
00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.800
And and Stover was very good um as well, like you say.
00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:19.920
But um yeah, I I think there's a story of Saturday was definitely that I think I was encouraged by the chances we created, uh, but sometimes when you you're up against a hot goalie like that, you you're never gonna uh get through.
00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:23.199
So it's a good job we did get the one we did.
00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.720
Uh otherwise we might have been going uh straight into overtime.
00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:32.399
Yeah, I'm not sure I've seen that many backdoor point blank chances in one game.
00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:54.480
And uh, you know, rather than be discouraged that we you know didn't put them away, I'm encouraged that you know the plays that we made were were clinical enough to get those, and it was some only some you know superb saves, and you know, yeah, you can sort of say if we'd have lifted the puck a bit more, then you know a small goalie like De Rida um wouldn't be able to save them.
00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.839
But um, you know, you learn that as as the season goes on.
00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:19.360
But I I was just really encouraged about the amount of chances that we got and um the way across the weekend, how we sort of I I I felt like we had quite a lot of ozone time, and you know, like I said on on um debrief, I didn't feel too threatened across the weekend of games, even though they were fairly tight scorelines.
00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:34.639
Yeah, we'll we'll talk about Sunday because it's similar, it was it was I mean it was weirdly similar, actually, guys, to to the Saturday game, actually, in that you know, the devil's got one on the board and almost held that lead, never really seemed under too much of a threat, and and but couldn't quite get that second, third, fourth over the line initially.
00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:39.199
Yeah, they they were really uh similar, particularly to start with.
00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:50.480
You know, that both Storm and Klan came straight out of the traps and started with a high pressured fore-check and tried to make things really difficult um for us.
00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:53.279
So yeah, it was it was eerie.
00:05:53.439 --> 00:06:01.199
The only difference I would say is I thought Manchester were probably a bit more adventurous as as the game went on to try and claw something back.
00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:15.040
I know Klan got the goal in the third period, but uh before that, with with sort of the last 10 minutes, I I didn't feel like they were pushing as as hard as maybe they could have been, or they certainly weren't as effective doing so.
00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:17.759
I agree with Franny, we did we did seem quite comfortable.
00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:19.759
So I think that was the difference for me.
00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.680
It was a strange one in at times.
00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:24.720
I thought Manchester looked like they might get one.
00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:31.199
Um, whereas Glasgow, especially with Tarzell uh leaving the game, um I thought that had a big effect on them.
00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:33.759
Yeah, I thought Tarzan was probably their brightest spark.
00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:41.439
And Franny, you know, I I look back at the game, watch it back, and and I don't think Clan offered as much as maybe I thought I thought they did at the time.
00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:46.959
You watched it back and and you know, after the game, Mike Sarant said that he thought it was an okay game by his team.
00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:48.000
I think I disagree.
00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:59.839
I just don't think they offered that much, and and if anything, maybe that goal with a few minutes ago flatters them a little bit and and gave them a bit of hope and a bit of life in the final minutes that that that meant they didn't push the devils.
00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:17.600
Yeah, I I I don't know if it's a case of they didn't offer that much or we didn't give them that much because I felt that um the D, the team defence that we saw last year, which was rock solid and maybe hasn't been as tight in some of the games, I thought that was back this weekend.
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:23.920
I thought we gave away very little in terms of you know the the grade A chances that everyone talks about.
00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:34.720
Um yeah, I I thought that the D unit was really, really solid, and they made it difficult for both teams to get inside us and to get into the places uh that they wanted to.
00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:41.439
And across the weekend, you know, his one goal, which was a deflected goal on the way in with a heavy screen, you know, that that was it.
00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:42.160
That was a sign.
00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:46.480
I I did think we were gonna go back-to-back shutouts, and I thought that would have been well deserved.
00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:47.360
Yeah, it would.
00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:55.360
And and you know, like like we see, as we look over the weekend, it maybe could have been back-to-back shutouts, but it was locked down pretty well by the Devils, and they and they do take those four points.
00:07:55.519 --> 00:08:08.160
Guys, you know, uh we'll look the last thing we'll talk about with this first weekend is is I look at maybe the results around the league, and it's obviously so early, you can't take much from it, but you see where other teams are at and you're kind of getting bits and pieces from from other teams.
00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:17.759
And I think, you know, even though the Devils maybe didn't, you know, then they're not winning five, six, seven, nil in these games, w they don't look like they've lost a step compared to maybe where they ended last year.
00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:24.959
No, um, and kind of going back to that point we were talking about about people saying about lack of physicality, there certainly wasn't any lack of compete.
00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:34.159
And I think sometimes you you need to make a distinction between that, because if you don't have compete, then you don't have the physicality at all because it it can't come.
00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:41.039
But I we didn't have a lack of compete, we competed for a full 120 minutes, I thought, across the weekend.
00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:49.759
I can't think of a spell really across this past weekend where I thought our tempo's dropped or we're really under the the kosh here.
00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:57.200
I mentioned on debrief the way that we defend as a five uh since that Sheffield game has come back from when we were good last year.
00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.080
The spells we had last year were because of that.
00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:17.279
And I think uh when you uh do play that way, maybe you're not gonna be as expansive going forward, but uh when we were a bit more expansive going forward in those first few weeks, we maybe looked a bit more loose at the back, and especially in that Guildford game where we got hammered.
00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:23.120
So it's finding a balance to get there, but I liked our balance on the weekend with that.
00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:25.600
I like it when we're all playing for each other.
00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:33.039
I think that brings out that competitive instinct in us, and I think we have the profile of a team that really feeds into that.
00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:36.960
Yeah, I did feel the team was really connected, it was everybody going, wasn't it?
00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:40.559
It wasn't just you know a few individuals leading the charge.
00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:43.519
I felt everybody was was on the same page.
00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:50.159
Um I I think it was really important to um make just make sure you win the game.
00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.000
Above all else, make sure you win the game.
00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:59.519
And I think we did that by building from the back, stove had an excellent weekend, the D had an excellent weekend, and there was some really good movement up top.
00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:05.279
And the only thing that was missing, and I think we would have been raving about the weekend if we'd have finished a few more chances.
00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:08.480
But you know, I'll go back to what Tomo said in his interview.
00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:10.799
It's if you're not getting the chances, then you worry.
00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:16.320
When you're getting the chances and they're not going in, then it's okay because you know it that will come.
00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:17.200
Yeah, it will.
00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:20.559
I I think you know, the the the the lasting kind of thoughts I have on it.
00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.480
First of all, great to see the power play goal by Olashewsky on a Sunday, really well taken.
00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:35.120
And I think actually, when when you've not got Christoph Kontos in the lineup, so you're having to shake up that power of those power play units a little bit and work things out, I think the devil still looked very dangerous for pretty much the majority of the power plays they had.
00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:38.960
There might have been a couple of you know 20, 30 seconds uh here and there, but I really like that.
00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:42.960
And then the other thing was you know, playing short and mixing up the forward lines.
00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:56.000
I think even when you had, like we call them on the streams, kind of Franken lines, these kind of amalgamations of funny lines where people, you know, Coron and here with a Martin playing together who don't normally, they still looked cohesive and they still look like there was a purpose there, which I really liked as well.
00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:04.559
You know, there's not guys who like like I say normally play together, but they still offered something, and I think that was what maybe was the was the general theme is that everybody offered something from the weekend.
00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:05.679
Yeah, it's a good point.
00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:09.919
Like quite quite often your team does get disjointed when you're having you're playing short.
00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:18.639
And you know, we were for the most part rolling three centres through four sets of wingers, so there is different combinations going out, you know, every few shifts.
00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:27.840
Um, but I felt that the structure was so good and everybody was so on the same page, it didn't matter who the centre was because they knew what their wingers would do.
00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:35.840
And I think everyone was very positionally disciplined and you know they they played their roles as the the you know the plan was drawn up on the board.
00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:39.600
And when you work hard for each other, that gives you a solid foundation on any line.
00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:43.039
If you've got that as a baseline, then you can build on it, you know.
00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:44.799
So again, I come back to that.
00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:47.440
Like I just love the ethos of the team in that regard.
00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:48.080
This again.
00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:48.559
Yep.
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:53.919
Well, like we say, it was a good weekend by the Devils, and we move on after the the four-point start to the season.
00:11:54.159 --> 00:12:06.879
We're gonna move on, we're gonna talk a little bit about the 40th anniversary now, and it's the final episode as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations, and it's hard sometimes to maybe pull a player out of the situation when they're in the most recent era, we've been tracking through them.
00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:11.360
So we thought we'd sit down with two guys who have overseen the last 10 years or so for the Devils.
00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:21.840
A massive welcome on Devils Insider this week to our very special guest, the final guest as part of our 40th anniversary series, Steve King and Brian Parker join the podcast.
00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.519
Thank you so much both for joining.
00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:24.240
How are you doing?
00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:25.840
It's good to see you both.
00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:27.919
Fantastic, fantastic.
00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:29.440
Yeah, we're we're excited.
00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:36.559
We're uh I know Steve's already over in Europe, but Cher and I are heading over uh in a couple of days and cannot wait to be in Cardiff.
00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:39.039
Steve, tell us a little bit about where you are.
00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:43.279
Uh I am in uh Helsinki, Finland, uh in a uh in a hotel room.
00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:44.960
We just got here uh yesterday.
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:45.919
Very nice.
00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:50.480
And uh and you're gonna be both gonna be over for the the 40th anniversary celebrations this weekend.
00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:51.360
Absolutely.
00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:57.440
Yeah, uh as Brian said, uh we got here yesterday, they get here on uh on Wednesday.
00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:01.919
Uh we're seeing a hockey game here in Finland, of course, uh scouting for the Devils.
00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:08.159
Uh and then uh we'll we fly to uh to Cardiff uh from Helsinki Saturday morning in time for the game.
00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:09.519
Oh, we can't wait to see you.
00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:10.879
It's gonna be uh quite the weekend.
00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:18.399
And and and as part of our 40th anniversary podcasts and the celebrations around that, we've managed to interview different people from throughout the devils, devil's history.
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:24.320
And uh, we're now gonna move on to you two and and and the involvement that you've had with the club in this most recent era of the devil.
00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:38.799
So um, I'm just gonna start and I'm gonna open up to you, Brian, initially, and and just we're gonna take you way back to 2014 and we're gonna ask you, you know, when when the opportunity came about, it's it's a well-told story by now, but just remind us a little bit about how you your involvement with the club began.
00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:45.440
Well, I got a call from uh my buddy Steve here, and he said, uh, hey, do you want to own a hockey team?
00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:49.440
And I'm like, like every uh Canadian kid, I'm like, yeah, sure.
00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:50.639
How do we do it?
00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:59.919
And uh so he he told me about how his uh his good buddy Byron uh was sitting down with Todd, who's his brother-in-law.
00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:07.679
Uh Todd was lamenting about uh, you know, didn't didn't see the opportunity uh over the next number of years being in Belfast.
00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:12.000
He wanted to uh uh buy get involved in buying a new team.
00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:16.240
And uh when Byron told Steve, Steve said, Look, well, I'll back you.
00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:24.240
And then uh as that started to gel, uh, you know, uh Steve started looking around for some partners, gave me a call, and and I was super excited.
00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:29.120
So we we actually uh had been over to the UK a fair bit because Sharon's Scottish.
00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:37.759
So we poked around, looked at a few of the Scottish teams, uh, and then uh you know, at the end of the day, Todd said, Look, I got this perfect opportunity in Cardiff.
00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:49.039
Uh, you know, they they had a bit of a rough, rough patch, and you know, they were there's potentially you know moving into a new rank, and there was some just dissatisfaction or whatever an opportunity for us to maybe come into.
00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:54.799
And uh then it all came together real, real quick and uh like a total whirlwind.
00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:01.200
And then next thing we knew, we were owners of a hockey team, and and like it was pretty giddy and pretty excited.
00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:05.279
And when we went over there, we just like we're just kind of blown away, right?
00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:14.480
This I remember that first trip we went over, and we're sitting on that balcony in that pub down by the bay, and like getting interviewed like now, which is just ridiculous, right?
00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:31.679
Because we're kind of business people not really used to being in the public eye, and and uh we're super excited, and just the the um you know the hospitality of all the uh all the Welsh folks and and uh the support we felt, uh, we were just like, wow, this is just gonna be awesome, and it has been better, better than expected.
00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:40.320
I I I like uh I was a little hesitant when you said when we were at the pub getting interviewed, and you said we were super excited.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:43.840
I thought you were gonna say we had had 30 beers.
00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:48.080
Uh which is true.
00:15:51.600 --> 00:16:01.279
And and Steve, that first summer, you you you got to know my my fellow podcast host here, Franny, and and and tell me a little bit about how the relationship started there and what what you envisaged for the club when you took over.
00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:14.159
Yeah, the franchise, uh the franchise was behind uh all of this, uh, as of course he has been for pretty much the entire 40 years of uh Devil's Lore, uh which is why his number is forever in the uh in the rafter.
00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:20.799
So yeah, he was the one that uh reached out to Todd when we were uh reviewing different uh different clubs.
00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:29.519
Um Todd went to the board of governors uh meeting and said, Hey, I've got a I've got a buddy in Calgary uh that would be uh a good owner.
00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:31.039
He's passionate about hockey.
00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:33.600
Uh if anybody wants to sell, give me a call.
00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:58.240
And uh sadly he had quite a few phone calls up later that it was a lot of people interested in selling, but um uh you know he he started talking to uh to Franny and Todd already knew Franny and he knew how great of a city Cardiff was and what uh what a great hockey market it was, and of course the new arena uh you know uh getting under construction.
00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:11.759
So uh so yeah, it was really you know Franny's love of uh of the city and love of the of the franchise that uh that made this happen and and um you know really convinced Todd that uh this is the right situation for us.
00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:15.200
And uh so yeah, n none of this would have happened without uh without Franny.
00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:16.559
I was gonna say 100%.
00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:32.640
I mean, I think uh it took a lot, I mean, like any sort of uh transaction usually takes a bunch of time, but uh Franny was such a strong advocate for the city and the team, and it was just the timing came together so quickly, and uh that never would have happened without Franny.
00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:35.519
So yeah, we're forever grateful for that for sure.
00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:44.000
Yeah, and Franny, when we went when we spoke with Lordo a couple of weeks ago, they talked about you know the excitement of of that first summer and the the summer of 2014 recruiting that team so quickly.
00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:46.880
And and from your position, did you feel that excitement going into it?
00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:53.440
And did you could did it get you excited about being part of this club and this era when when you could see that that Franny and Lordo were so invested?
00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:56.720
I I would love to make up a great story right now.
00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:05.359
Uh, but the the truth of the matter is Brian and I and and uh Kelly and Craig had nothing to do with that original team.
00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:14.480
Uh we just uh were told about the signings basically when all the rest of the fans were uh we got way more involved uh as the years went on.
00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.279
But uh a friend in Lord did uh did everything.
00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:29.839
So uh I went to that meet the fans uh event in uh the the Cardiff Theater uh when I was on a golf trip with my buddies in uh in Scotland, and uh that's when we started announcing some of the players.
00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:32.400
That was literally the first time I had heard of them.
00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.960
Uh was that that night?
00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:46.880
And uh I always still bugged Bouncey because uh Bouncy was one of the guys uh announced that night, and and he got like a nice round of applause, including from his mom, uh who was there in the stands.
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:51.359
And then when I was announced, I got a standing ovation, including from Bouncy's mom.
00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:57.440
So I said, Man, how come your mom likes me better than you, uh Bouncey?
00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:00.319
But you know, we all know that there's lots of reasons for that.
00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:08.240
And and and that first season, you know, everybody always talks about how wonderful it was, and how it was a very magical time to be a devil's fan.
00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:13.279
And and and you you guys were in there where we were in the challenge cup in that first season, and and you were there for that as well.
00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:15.680
And that was obviously such a big moment in in the club's history.
00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:16.720
And what memories do you have of that?
00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:19.519
And if if I'm right in saying you went up on the fan bus, am I right?
00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.519
And and you were getting really involved with it all.
00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:26.400
It was uh still to this day one of the greatest uh weekends of my life.
00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:34.960
Um I'm someone that, and the reason I got involved with this is uh I I call myself a life experience collector.
00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:37.359
Uh I love experiences.
00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:43.440
Uh I'm a really passionate guy, and it's it's why I brought Brian and Craig and Kelly in.
00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.160
They're they're three unbelievably passionate guys.
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:54.880
I think Brian is, you know, probably the most passionate person uh I know uh out of uh my friend group, which is why he's been such a great partner with the Devils.
00:19:55.119 --> 00:20:01.839
But it wasn't until that trip that I really understood the passion that the Devils fans had.
00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:17.519
And uh so yeah, up on the fan bus and uh uh going out on that ice uh once we had won the title and seeing Franny and Corky and Sully all with tears uh coming down their faces.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:25.119
And um it really, you know, let us know what we were dealing with, and and it's uh it shaped us as owners ever since.
00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:31.680
Uh that's something you don't take lightly uh when you see people with that much passion for something.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:36.000
And uh you do everything you can to uh to make that happen again.
00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.039
So it it was uh it was a life changer for sure.
00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:41.119
It it took a couple of seasons, you know.
00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:46.400
The the the league, the the trophies, the challenge cup came obviously in that first year, but the league itself took a couple of seasons to come through.
00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:50.480
And and the devils ran close a cut uh a couple of times, finishing third, finishing second.
00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:54.160
And and that that first league title season, you know, I asked Lordo this question.
00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:58.720
Did you guys feel any pressure knowing the hit the history behind it and the fact that it had been that long?
00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:00.640
There was pressure.
00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.240
Uh okay.
00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:07.200
Well, let me take you back actually to that challenge cup weekend.
00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:16.480
Um Lord O uh left basically Brian and I in charge of the team uh in the post-uh game celebrations.
00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:27.599
Um and uh, you know, as I just said, uh Brian and I are pretty passionate people, and and uh the players obviously don't get to where they are without being passionate.
00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:29.519
So we had a heck of a time that night.
00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:31.920
We're still actually banned from that hotel.
00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:34.559
I'm not even kidding.
00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:42.720
And uh so Lord uh the next morning gets the rundown uh from the guys and uh and from the manager of the hotel.
00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:46.640
And uh uh he was furious.
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:53.119
And so we ended up, if you remember, going back to Sheffield on the Wednesday, and we got pumped.
00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:55.599
Like it was like 11 0, something like that.
00:21:55.759 --> 00:22:04.559
And we ended up losing the league title by by a couple of points and And Lordo still to this day is mad at Brian and I uh for that night.
00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:13.279
And and so I I say that story because yeah, the the pressure was there because uh Lordo uh you you know you guys talked to Lordo.
00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:14.960
I he's I still talk to him all the time.
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:16.000
He's a good friend.
00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:18.559
Uh he wants to win everything all the time.
00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:27.680
He was still he was still really pissed off at Brian and I for that night and potentially losing uh uh a league title uh because of our uh tomfoolery.
00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:31.519
And uh rightfully so, like it we own that one, that was on us.
00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.880
Okay, but I wouldn't trade it either.
00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:57.519
So uh so no, it was um yeah, we did feel the pressure, but you know, it we always kind of consider ourselves an underdog, um, you know, being uh a smaller uh arena team and and uh a smaller budget than uh some of the big boys, and so there's pressure, but also uh you know, within the the concept of us uh always being an underdog.
00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:03.519
I was gonna mention in that first season, we didn't have any uh say on that initial roster.
00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:17.440
It was put together in very short order, but I do remember looking at that org chart for the first year, they had a uh a certain uh Joey Martin on the third line, which which I thought was just priceless.
00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:26.480
And then I remember talking to Kelly who happened to go go over there first to see the first practice, and we were so excited about hey, tell us about the play players.
00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:27.200
What did you notice?
00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:31.119
He goes, he goes, Joey Martin is the best player on the ice by far.
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:32.319
And you know what?
00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:34.640
14 years later, nothing's really changed.
00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:37.519
I don't know if you saw that goal today, but it was pretty spicy.
00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:44.079
So and and we also like the fact that we had a uh cancer researcher on the team.
00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:45.759
That was uh that was nice.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:49.519
That was something you don't uh you don't see here in uh in Canada.
00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:56.960
Guys, with um being there for that challenge cup win, did that make your investment feel a bit more real?
00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:00.000
Because you've been away from the club, you you're overseas.
00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:04.640
Did being part of that, did that really bring it home just how real this opportunity was?
00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:13.359
Yeah, I'm I I think uh we uh if I look back then, we showed up with our Budweiser goal hats.
00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:15.839
So we're uh we're always professional, right?
00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:21.279
So we're so we got there and uh you know we were just blown away.
00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:33.759
I think we had seven buses plus a whole bunch of other you know, fans drove up and we're we're in this away bar, and it was just like I I don't think I've ever been that excited for a sporting event ever before or since.
00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:36.079
And it was it was so good.
00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:42.319
And then looking up at the Raptors at all those kind of Sheffield, kind of I don't know, what's that ugly color?
00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:51.599
Kind of it's like an orange, but but mixed with bark, whatever, uh blue moons up in the rafters, and they were ready to drop that uh as they won the challenge cup.
00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:56.720
And then when we won that game, I mean we just celebrated on that ice, we did not want to leave.
00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:10.400
It was so awesome, and it like it was never really an investment, it was like an investment in fun and excitement, and and as as Steve would say, life experiences, and you know, we we got paid back 10 times over, and it like we've been playing with house money ever since.
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:18.559
Well, and the the other life experience uh there was not only had by us, but uh it was uh had by Franny's dad.
00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.519
On that fan bus, I will never forget it.
00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:29.200
Uh a lovely and uh very healthy young lady uh took a picture with uh with Franny's dad.
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:32.880
Somehow that got sent to Franny in the locker room before the game.
00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:39.680
I don't know if that calmed or increased your nerves, Franny, but uh that was a heck of a moment for me too, just seeing your dad having that kind of fun.
00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:53.440
I I remember seeing the text come through thinking it was gonna be some Intel on their lineup or whatever, and then I open it up and it's my dad with uh some assets on his head.
00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:59.359
I just just as we we'll we'll we'll we'll finish up on that challenge cup as well now.
00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:05.200
And and you know, Laura talked about how it set the tone really for for the next few years and it and it kicked them into gear.
00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:08.799
And then there was almost a belief that that could be you know a league title winning team.
00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:16.559
And and did you guys, despite the fact that you know you went up to Shefford the following week and and it didn't go so well, did you get that feeling that there was there was a building blocks for something great there?
00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:19.119
Without a doubt, we had the characters.
00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:27.920
Uh, you know, as you guys know, uh championship teams are won by locker rooms that uh they're very tight and cohesive.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:30.319
Uh it just doesn't happen otherwise.
00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:42.400
And uh we just had the tightest group, even though it was put together by Franny and Lord so quickly, uh, I don't know if it was just incredible luck or uh or brilliance or a bit of both.
00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.079
Uh, but uh we had the pieces and they all wanted to stay.
00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:49.920
And uh so we just had to keep chipping away and adding to it.
00:26:50.000 --> 00:27:09.440
And you know, uh, you know, uh there's no question that uh Umer and Bentavolio uh coming in uh a couple years later were were really key pieces to uh to put us over the top and finally win that championship, that that leadership and uh veteran moxie, and uh uh and they were just great people too.
00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:16.079
So uh yeah, we we we knew we were onto something, and uh uh but there's never straight lines in sports.
00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:23.200
Uh hockey is is the greatest sport in the world because there's way more randomness to it than any other sport in the world.
00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:32.160
Uh it's uh as I always say to uh to new fans, it's um it's a game played on ice on uh on skinny little silver blades with a rubber biscuit.
00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:33.680
So shit happens.
00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:37.119
And uh you know, and so you always have to account for that.
00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:48.240
And and in season two with injuries and and whatnot, um you know, uh bad laptop calls by referees, uh you name it, uh things can happen that uh that you don't expect.
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:55.599
So uh so uh yeah, it's um you know, you put all these pieces together, and every summer, you know, Franny and I get super excited.
00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:01.279
We think we think we've got the team, like you know, this year again, we think we've got the team, but you just don't know.
00:28:01.359 --> 00:28:03.839
And that's that's why we love sports so much.
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:07.759
Those two league titles are of course such a special part of Devil's history.
00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:10.079
And and then to do it once is great.
00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:14.160
To do it twice, you almost cement yourself as as a great team in this league.
00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:22.160
And and so when you look back on that, are you proud of the fact that the Devils fans waited so long to do it and that you were able to be part of that journey to winning it twice in a row?
00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:25.359
Yeah, three times in a row was uh was tremendous.
00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:31.440
And uh so yes, I'm very proud of our uh of our three P League titles.
00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:36.720
Uh no one will ever be able to take uh that away from us, uh no matter what uh they want to say.
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:47.759
But uh yeah, it was uh it was incredible to be uh what uh there's very few teams in the world that had been to Champions League uh as many times in a row as us.
00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:55.680
And for uh a hockey team in uh in Wales with uh 3,200 seat arena, like what an accomplishment.
00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:57.119
It's uh it's phenomenal.
00:28:57.200 --> 00:29:01.119
Uh just something I was was and uh still extremely proud of.
00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:05.119
And Brian, I mean, it could have been four in a row, you know, with the COVID shortened season.
00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:10.799
You know, have you guys really continued putting the pressure on to get that that league league title instated in in devil's favor?
00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:12.480
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:14.400
No, we definitely got hit by COVID.
00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:20.400
I mean, I think I look back and uh you know, before COVID came in, we were on such a run.
00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:31.759
And uh, you know, it's it's only really in the last year that I feel like our team has got some of that same corner sort of gelling together because it takes a while to build a winning team, right?
00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:34.160
And and you make changes incrementally over time.
00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:47.359
And I, you know, we made some changes in the offseason last year, and I don't know, like I uh you know, you it would knock on wood because you you you get excited every year, but I really feel like we've got such a good team right now, and uh the league's gotten better and better and better.
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:52.799
I mean, you just look at the games this weekend, like there are no there are no easy games, no easy teams.
00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:55.599
But um, yeah, I I feel like we're on our way back.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:30:01.759
So uh it's been a long COVID, and uh it's time for us to win some uh league championships again.
00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:12.480
The the last thing we'll touch on for for pre-COVID is uh you know, you you mentioned Lord and we we talked with him last week, and and he said that you know that that last team before COVID was probably the peak of what he saw.
00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:16.640
And and just how proud are you guys to have seen where he's gone since he's left the Devils?
00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:22.799
You know, you never want to see a guy that successful leave, but to see him move on and achieve what he has must be really, really satisfying.
00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:27.839
I feel I I'm unbelievably proud of uh of Lordo, but we all knew it.
00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:33.680
Uh, there wasn't anybody that had anything to do with uh with the card of devils that didn't see greatness in this man.
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:40.799
Uh in any walk of life, there's people that just get it and are willing to do anything to achieve it.
00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.200
And uh like that's Lord.
00:30:43.599 --> 00:30:49.920
And uh, you know, so a lot of people would say, Hey, he's he's too intense, he works too hard, he's too controlling, whatever.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:31:04.960
He he he he does what he needs to do to get uh to get the wins and to win championships, and that's a guy that's gonna go as far as you can go in in whatever he chooses to do, which right now is uh he's going for the NHL and no one's gonna stop him.
00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:29.920
Yeah, I'm gonna say I think we when he made that move to the East Coast Hockey League, I think all of us said like he's gonna be an NHL coach one day, and we we couldn't be more excited to kind of watch that journey and for him to make that progression to the American Hockey League last year, have such a strong season, and uh, you know, and and it none of it's by accident, his preparation is is is bananas compared to every other coach we've ever seen.
00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:38.000
And uh, you know, you really over time you really appreciate him more and more to say, wow, this guy he was dialed every single game.
00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:42.400
He had more kind of face-off plays than anybody I've ever seen.
00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:45.920
And like sometimes uh the players will be like, Man, just can we just go play?
00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:49.039
And it's like, no, you're here to win, you're not here to play a game, you're here to win.
00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:51.279
And he had preparation all the time.
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.680
It was just yeah, we loved him and we love watching him progress.
00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.559
And I can't wait to see him hoist the Stanley Cup one day.
00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:00.400
That's sort of how I see his progression.
00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:02.559
Well, we'll move on to to post-COVID now.
00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:08.319
We we've talked a lot about different eras of the Devils, and we're we're we're currently in a whole new one, I guess, now, since since COVID.
00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:12.480
And and you know, it was a very tough time, obviously, not having the team be able to play.
00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:21.200
And so for you guys, how how great was it to see back in August in 2021 the team back on the ice and then the new era starts this this this club?
00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:23.039
Go Brian.
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:24.559
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:27.440
No, of course, we're like what a crazy period, right?
00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:31.200
The shutdowns, everything, and then kind of returns to normalcy.
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:33.759
Like we uh we were so happy.
00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:36.160
And you know, wherever they went, we traveled.
00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:42.640
I'm not sure Steve traveled that much following them, but like I know Sharon and I went to see a lot of games, like we were over in Switzerland.
00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:48.559
I'm pretty sure Steve didn't go, but you know, I I think it took him a little longer to get back into it, but you know, whatever.
00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:50.559
He's back there now, so that's good.
00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:52.799
And uh it was so good.
00:32:52.960 --> 00:33:00.079
And we uh like we I had so many injections uh for all the different shots he needed to travel around, like it was banana.
00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:08.559
So I maybe had 20 different mRNA shots, so I'm still suffering ill health, I'm I'm sure, but you know, I'll do anything to follow the devils around the world.
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:10.079
How about you, Steve?
00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:17.920
Yeah, no, when uh when the devil's legend uh Ben Bowns had his uh had his uh his big game this summer.
00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:25.920
I mean, obviously there was one of us that was there and actually on the ice, uh, which you know that's how you kind of prove your commitment to the team.
00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:36.079
And and I was I I'm always happy to uh carry that uh that flag uh for the owners uh because not all of us are as passionate as I am, but that's that's you know that's an aside.
00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:36.880
That's an aside.
00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:38.160
But I I I can't remember.
00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:42.640
Were you there for uh the greatest of all time Joey Martin's uh testimonial game?
00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:46.160
I I I recall not seeing you in the space, but anyway.
00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:53.680
Indeed, uh if you if you look at the uh sponsorship of the goats jersey itself, it is sponsored by my wife and I.
00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:56.799
Like that kind of says everything you need to know.
00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:59.200
Yeah, money is important, right?
00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:01.279
But sometimes just showing up is what we're really doing.
00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:07.119
We're gonna get you both here this weekend.
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:08.480
I think that's the important thing.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:11.119
Don't need to compete too much, you know.
00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:19.280
Um, the devils have won two major trophies since the the return from COVID, the playoffs a couple of times, and of course the Continental Cup.
00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:26.079
Well, we'll speak about the playoffs briefly because you know, like when we spoke with Lordo, he talked about you know they broke that last curse of getting the playoffs on the line.
00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:29.440
And that's been, I guess, the devil's most successful competition since then.
00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:32.480
They've they've won, I think, four out of the last six, and it's been really great.
00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:42.719
And so, you know, for you guys, when we came back from COVID and the Devils got that first playoffs over the line, you must have felt really happy with the fact that this was still a great hockey club in the in the elite league.
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:43.920
Yeah, for sure.
00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:50.239
As as Brian said, we've we've had some some pains uh trying to put uh the gang back together.
00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:55.760
Um and going back to my other comment, that there's nothing linear in sports.
00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:58.320
Uh you never really know what you're gonna get.
00:34:58.480 --> 00:35:13.360
And uh uh we've had some some missteps, uh, I think on on uh mine and Brian's part, uh, in um you know who was was hired uh to coach this this team, but uh we finally got it right.
00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:16.079
Um, but it's uh you know it's not easy.
00:35:16.159 --> 00:35:20.480
Uh and Franny uh knows this better than anybody.
00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:28.800
Uh there's always a risk in European hockey um that somebody doesn't take it as seriously as they should.
00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:36.719
Um they come here because they want to travel Europe and they want to get out of the pressure of uh North American hockey.
00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:40.159
And uh that's not the way championships are won.
00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:45.360
We talked about Lordo doing absolutely you know mental things in order to win.
00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:48.559
Uh that's what it's that's what's required.
00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:52.239
You see, you know, Adam Keith in uh in Belfast.
00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:57.199
Like uh they had to put a bed in his office because uh he wasn't going home.
00:35:57.440 --> 00:36:00.559
And uh that's what that's what it takes to win championships.
00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:02.559
And uh we've got that in Tomo.
00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:10.639
And uh he's been there, he's won championships, uh, he's got the respect of the players, and and uh, but it uh took us a little while.
00:36:10.800 --> 00:36:13.280
Uh uh it's not easy to find that guy.
00:36:13.840 --> 00:36:21.519
With with that in mind, and and you know, we tomo's now been here just over a year, and and the the devils have there's been a change, I think, in identity of the club.
00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:30.079
And Brian, you know, do you see now for uh similarities between what what Tomo has done and or maybe what Lord brought in when he first came in and you guys first arrived?
00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:42.960
Yeah, yeah, you know what's funny, I and uh I dropped off, so maybe Steve mentioned this, but it was really tough for us to uh bring on Tomo initially because our uh uh enmity of the uh Sheffield Steelers ran deep.
00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:53.599
And so part of my early enjoyment of of watching uh the Devils was seeing him slam the door to the dressing room when he left the the bench in anger as a Sheffield coach.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:37:00.480
So I I sort of vilified him as this kind of cartoon character in my mind where I was like, I can't stand this guy, but I didn't really obviously know him.
00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:08.000
And then uh, but then when we brought him on, like this guy is such an awesome individual, like what a great human being.
00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:13.920
Uh, he's prepared, he holds the players accountable, he's professional, he's a good person.
00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:23.599
It's just like uh it's and and a lot of it is yes, he's a good coach, he X him X's and O's, he knows, but it's just like there's no easy days when you when you have Tomo.
00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:29.119
Like you're you're here to be prepared, play hard, uh, you'll get your ice time if you deserve it.
00:37:29.440 --> 00:37:31.519
You know, everybody knows he treats them fair.
00:37:31.679 --> 00:37:35.039
So um he's just he's and then he it's a building block.
00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:40.960
So we have our players, he brings in better ones, he says, okay, this is what I need to put together a winning team.
00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:49.760
And I look at it today and I go, man, with Tomo, like um, we have a lot of that same gravitas that Lord had through sheer physical intimidation.
00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:51.840
With in Lordo's case, everyone was afraid of him.
00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:55.519
But with with Tomo, they just everybody respects that guy.
00:37:55.599 --> 00:38:00.000
They know he's prepared, they know he's gonna treat them fairly, you'll hold him accountable.
00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:04.639
Like we have the right guy, and uh yeah, we have a lot of confidence in him right now for sure.
00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:08.480
Yeah, one uh one just a little anecdote about Tomo.
00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:17.760
Uh so we start off the two challenge cup weekends uh with uh two wins, two losses, obviously not acceptable.
00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:21.920
And Tomo called both Brian and I individually.
00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:27.360
Uh uh, not because we've ever asked for something like that, not because he felt like he needed to.
00:38:27.440 --> 00:38:28.880
Uh it's just the kind of guy he is.
00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:34.960
He knows how passionate we are about the team and and uh how we want to see them succeed.
00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:40.880
And he just wanted to make sure that uh we knew that the team was okay and that he's got this.
00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:42.559
And uh he just cares.
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:44.880
And uh that's that's really all you can ask for.
00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:52.239
Yeah, first of all, guys, we we talked about Tomo and he brought a playoff title to us last uh season.
00:38:52.639 --> 00:39:13.440
Um we talked about the challenge cap right at the start as well, but everything in between if you have to pick one of our successes from uh the last uh 11 years is the challenge that first challenge cap still the one you would hone in on, or is there another one that you uh would pick that is the one that you remember?
00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:18.480
Man, it it it's always a hard one, you know.
00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:26.239
I I don't think in terms of life experiences, I think the first challenge cap was it in terms of things I'm most proud of.
00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:27.920
I think it was the first league.
00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:37.440
Um, and the year that you know, when we lost in a double or triple overtime in the playoffs that would have won us the Grand Slam.
00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:40.719
Uh obviously, uh me and my family were at that event.
00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:43.840
Uh Brian didn't think it was an important game, so he didn't come.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:50.400
Um, so uh, you know, that that league title, uh that to me, that that's what we play for.
00:39:50.639 --> 00:39:57.519
Uh that that was probably, you know, in terms of pride of accomplishment, uh, that was uh my number one.
00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:06.079
Brian, what about you if you were to pick uh a single trophy or a single moment from the devils since you've been involved that this sticks out for you personally?
00:40:06.719 --> 00:40:10.800
Yeah, so that first challenge cup was crazy because we'd never owned a team before, right?
00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:12.639
So that was spectacular.
00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:15.199
And and uh I still can feel that day.
00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:28.159
But you know, uh, and the league titles were great, but this most recent playoff uh championship was awesome because I felt like we'd been kind of grinding and kind of almost there, but not quite there.
00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:31.840
And then and then in the season, we just got better and better as the season went on.
00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:58.960
And then obviously Belfast was too far away for us to catch, but but that everything coming together and then winning that playoffs, and then hoisting the trophy in front of the fans in um Nottingham and having done a little parade through the streets, I was like, this is so fun, and uh so yeah, so the the the first one and the most recent one uh kind of really stand out to me as moments, and you know, and then obviously the next one and the next one we win is the one I'm looking forward to the most, obviously.
00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:11.679
Yeah, I think this most recent playoffs that what was so special about it was not just the playoff series itself, but the games leading up to it, where all of a sudden we found our groove, we found our way to play, and we're just so dominant.
00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:16.960
It was just like those best devils teams that we've seen, just unstoppable.
00:41:17.280 --> 00:41:21.679
And it brings me to a question that I've asked all the coaches that we've had on.
00:41:21.760 --> 00:41:27.199
So we've had um John Lawless, we've had Paul Heavy, we've had Jared Adams, we've had Andrew Lord.
00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:29.679
Um, the question about the devil's identity.
00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:32.320
We talk about devil's hockey, devil's identity.
00:41:32.559 --> 00:41:37.599
So I just want to get your guys' take on what you see as devil's hockey.
00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:44.559
Yeah, Franny, uh you and I talk about this uh in the offseason.
00:41:44.639 --> 00:42:03.760
Uh, but it's you know, I think we always want to be a heavy team, uh, a team that plays physical hockey, a team that uh commits to each other uh on the ice and and off the ice too, and commits to the fans uh that they're gonna get their money's worth every every single time they come to the arena.
00:42:03.920 --> 00:42:06.960
So uh that's that's our our identity.
00:42:07.039 --> 00:42:12.079
And and to be honest, like I think we saw that in the preseason.
00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:19.599
Uh we haven't seen it as much as we should yet uh in the regular season uh for the for these devils.
00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:25.119
But uh teams always take a little while to to find their identity.
00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:27.519
And uh I think we have that team.
00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:37.360
I think we can we can get there and and I think this team can and will be better than uh than the team we had last year, uh especially as it relates to playing to that identity.
00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:42.719
Yeah, I I mean I think we we've always loved uh physical, tough teams.
00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:47.039
I think it part of it goes back to the uh you know the big blue tent.
00:42:47.119 --> 00:42:53.280
Like we were it was a smaller rink, and we were so tough and heavy to play against uh on all our home games.
00:42:53.440 --> 00:42:58.719
Like we were we were built to win at home, and we've never really wanted to ever veer away from that.
00:42:58.800 --> 00:43:03.920
And and obviously over the course of whatever 12 years, you can have ups and downs.
00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:07.440
But yeah, like I really liked our identity in the preseason.
00:43:07.599 --> 00:43:14.000
I think we've had some injury troubles, so like you can't play as heavy if you've if you're playing like with not enough D-men.
00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:24.480
And so like I think we're just kind of finding our way through some of those key injuries, but I I think we're gonna have a very Cardiff Devils team this year, and there'll be no easy games against us.
00:43:24.559 --> 00:43:25.840
And I think that's the thing, right?
00:43:25.920 --> 00:43:30.320
We just you just don't want to make it where somebody can go, oh yeah, we got Cardiff next week.
00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:34.719
We want it, we want that to be a problem for them to think about, oh no, we got to play Cardiff.
00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:45.599
And that's when we were at our best, it's like it's a physical, tough grind, and uh we can beat you with some skill, but like there's no uh nobody's taking cheap shots against us.
00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:59.760
I think one of my uh one of my favorite summers looking pre COVID again was uh you know, getting back to uh devil's uh identity was uh I probably reviewed about a hundred different.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:09.280
Different goons on hockeyfights.com because they were all leaving the NHL and the AHL, and there's no other European leagues uh that were taking these guys.
00:44:09.360 --> 00:44:11.199
So they're all coming to our league.
00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:20.559
And uh I watched I watched a thousand fights that summer as uh as Patrick Bordolo uh was our guy.
00:44:20.639 --> 00:44:31.599
And unfortunately, uh Bordolo and most of the other guys that came over uh into our league decided that uh that they weren't gonna fight uh once they got here, which was very disappointing.
00:44:31.760 --> 00:44:39.360
But uh uh, you know, that is that is uh stuff that we love and uh and stuff that we know is uh part of the devil's culture.
00:44:39.840 --> 00:44:42.239
Guys, I think you've got a question on the next 10 years.
00:44:42.559 --> 00:44:53.920
Yeah, we so we're celebrating 40, and you know, you you guys have been here for over 10 years now as owners, which I think is probably the longest stint uh consecutive ownership we've had, which is amazing.
00:44:54.159 --> 00:45:00.800
Um, but do you have in your mind where you'd like us to be when we get to 50 years old as an organization in your mind?
00:45:01.679 --> 00:45:06.800
Well, I mean uh uh to me, uh sorry, I'll I'll just say something quick here, Brian.
00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:12.719
We're we're seeing some really unbelievable growth uh in hockey in uh in the UK.
00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:20.320
And uh there's a lot of really major markets that are looking at bringing hockey in with uh with pretty large arenas.
00:45:20.719 --> 00:45:39.599
And uh that's very exciting, but it's also daunting uh given the fact that you know Cardiff Council has not been willing to talk to us uh or or take any action on uh uh getting us uh you know at least some access to the arena that's being built um in Cardiff.
00:45:39.840 --> 00:45:47.119
So, you know, we we do have plans in place uh to try and add uh a few hundred seats to our arena.
00:45:47.280 --> 00:45:56.960
Uh we will always outwork every other team when it comes to recruitment and and uh the way we treat players that will lower our our our labor costs.
00:45:57.119 --> 00:46:03.920
But um I I think we're coming up on the golden age of uh uh of UK ice hockey.
00:46:04.079 --> 00:46:08.559
Uh I think uh uh it's gonna keep on growing dramatically.
00:46:08.639 --> 00:46:16.960
And uh uh, you know, but it's gonna take everything in our power to uh to keep up with uh with where hockey's going, which is which is a great thing.
00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:18.320
It's the sport we all love.
00:46:18.400 --> 00:46:20.079
Uh it's nothing but great.
00:46:20.239 --> 00:46:32.000
Um but uh it's it's gonna require a lot of work uh on everybody's part, including the fans, uh, to uh to stay uh a championship team in in you know 10 years from now.
00:46:32.079 --> 00:46:34.079
Uh that's kind of what I see.
00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:41.119
And you mentioned it right at the beginning about you know devils always seem to be the underdog and dog come out fighting.
00:46:41.280 --> 00:46:42.880
So never count us off.
00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:45.760
No matter what arenas are getting built, the underdog will be there.
00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:49.119
You know, Sheffield's already at 9,000, we're at 3,200.
00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:52.320
And uh we're right there with them every year.
00:46:52.559 --> 00:47:04.960
So yeah, it's uh it's daunting when you when you think of having you know four or five more Sheffields, but uh nothing will change in terms of our effort level and our ability to compete.
00:47:05.119 --> 00:47:07.840
So uh, but that's uh I I think it's super exciting.
00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:11.119
We're we're gonna get better and better players in our league.
00:47:11.360 --> 00:47:18.559
And uh I think those kind of markets will probably bring uh more revenue from sponsorship and uh and TV.
00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:22.960
Um so we'll be able to bring better and better players to our league.
00:47:23.119 --> 00:47:28.719
Um I it's super exciting, and uh yes, uh I think we will be able to stay with them.
00:47:29.119 --> 00:47:38.320
Yeah, and and and the other thing too is I think you look at uh what's been kind of the the differentiator for us as a team is like uh part of it is our our management there.
00:47:38.400 --> 00:47:42.880
I look at Todd and Katrina, I look at the engagement they've created with all the sponsors.
00:47:43.039 --> 00:47:49.599
And you know, the reason we are able to compete with these larger rink teams is like our sponsorship has kind of gone up every year.
00:47:49.760 --> 00:47:55.039
And of course, like uh Steve and I are not really in this for uh kind of financial returns.
00:47:55.119 --> 00:47:59.679
So we just invest in that and more and more and better players so we can be competitive.
00:47:59.840 --> 00:48:07.280
And you know, so it uh we have found an agre uh a formula that's allowed us to stay pace with with these bigger, um, bigger ranks.
00:48:07.360 --> 00:48:10.800
And yeah, like as uh Steve's talking about we're we're looking at lots of different things.
00:48:10.880 --> 00:48:15.039
Like, yeah, can we get access to that that bigger arena for some uh some games?
00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:16.400
What do we need to do?
00:48:16.559 --> 00:48:18.400
Um I see models in some other leagues.
00:48:18.480 --> 00:48:27.199
You look at like the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, it's kind of a small market team that because they have such community engagement, they have a competitive product all the time.
00:48:27.519 --> 00:48:33.599
And so I I see a bit of that uh um you know as a partial model for for the Devils as we go forward.
00:48:33.679 --> 00:48:38.159
Like I we have that Welsh Pride, like we're the only Welsh team in the league.
00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:51.119
I just think the support we see from all the fans and and sponsors, as long as we keep putting everything we can onto the ice, I don't know why that relationship won't continue for the next decade uh to keep putting a really good team on the ice.
00:48:51.280 --> 00:48:53.519
So that's certainly that's certainly the focus I have.
00:48:53.599 --> 00:48:59.679
And and every year uh the like the fans and the sponsors step up and and and keep us with a competitive team.
00:48:59.840 --> 00:49:00.639
This year's no different.
00:49:00.719 --> 00:49:02.719
And we we want to take it all again.
00:49:03.039 --> 00:49:04.719
Yeah, I think that's a really good way of putting it.
00:49:04.800 --> 00:49:11.840
And the the very last question, and we'll close on this now, and I'll ask each of you this is you know, what what does the devils mean to each of you personally?
00:49:11.920 --> 00:49:15.679
You know, if if you were to try and put it into words, what this club means to you, uh what is it?
00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:18.400
And we'll start with you, Steve, but we'll come to both of you for that.
00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:34.159
Yeah, it's it's really become uh a huge part of uh my identity uh with my family, with uh with my friends, uh it's something I've known for, uh become known for, which is which is crazy.
00:49:34.320 --> 00:49:38.559
Uh, you know, starting off really not knowing what we were getting into.
00:49:38.639 --> 00:49:46.639
And, you know, I've got a uh a business that I've I've built, and I've got you know three kids that I'm incredibly proud of.
00:49:46.800 --> 00:49:55.679
Uh so for the devils to be uh one of those building blocks of of my life and my identity is uh is really incredible to me.
00:49:55.760 --> 00:49:57.440
And I'm I'm super proud of it.
00:49:57.679 --> 00:50:02.400
And uh I'm just overjoyed that it is that uh because that's the way I feel about it.
00:50:02.559 --> 00:50:10.880
Um you know, Brian and I, we we talk and text uh every day about the devils, and it's just become such a huge part of our uh of our lives.
00:50:11.039 --> 00:50:19.039
It's uh you know uh created uh you know a much closer friendship between uh Brian and I than uh than we ever had before uh 12 years ago.
00:50:19.119 --> 00:50:23.840
And I guess just it's just an absolute gift from uh from so many different angles.
00:50:25.360 --> 00:50:26.159
Yeah, wow.
00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:27.519
I shouldn't have let Steve talk first.
00:50:27.599 --> 00:50:28.719
That's a pretty good answer.
00:50:31.199 --> 00:50:33.440
But a lot of that is true for me as well, right?
00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:43.760
Like I'll be in a business meeting and and if someone's Googled me or whatever, and like we'll talk about business and then say throw out something about the card of devils, and I'll talk for 25 minutes.
00:50:44.000 --> 00:51:06.559
It's just like it is such a cool part of our life that and and and and like Steve, I've got two wonderful children, I've got a great business that I manage, and it's like but all of these things kind of you know get put in the background when you see someone brings up the devils, you just your eyes light up and you could you find yourself just uh on auto, just going because it's so engaging.
00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:09.840
And I think about this trip we're gonna we have this this next week.
00:51:09.920 --> 00:51:12.800
Like I'm going over there, we got uh a bunch of friends coming.
00:51:12.960 --> 00:51:16.880
Sharon's cousins are coming down from Scotland, my sister's coming with her boyfriend.
00:51:17.039 --> 00:51:21.440
Like I travel with my family to Europe all the time in conjunction with the devils.
00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:23.039
We talk about all the time.
00:51:23.119 --> 00:51:28.079
We have all this, like it is just such a uh a really interesting part of my life.
00:51:28.239 --> 00:51:32.159
And when I first went over there, I'd see all these fans, they travel away or whatever.
00:51:32.480 --> 00:51:37.039
How the how how engaged these people are, but it's like uh I'm that same way now.
00:51:37.119 --> 00:51:40.320
It's just a big part of my life and and a really fun part of it.
00:51:40.480 --> 00:51:43.039
And uh uh something I look forward to every weekend.
00:51:43.199 --> 00:51:51.519
Like I'm up in the uh the middle of the mountains here this weekend, and I I had a uh winter run as a trailer, and then we had a pause because like devils were playing.
00:51:51.679 --> 00:51:52.960
So everything's on hold.
00:51:53.119 --> 00:51:58.400
Get some Starlink, uh get it on, get in on the TV and let's watch this game.
00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:08.000
And uh, you know, thankfully we we won both games this weekend, but you know, my my mood, it goes up when we win, down when we lose, and it's just it's such a big part of my life.
00:52:08.079 --> 00:52:10.239
So and and a fun part, awesome part.
00:52:10.559 --> 00:52:13.519
I think that's a really lovely way to end the interview for today.
00:52:13.679 --> 00:52:17.679
And and and yeah, I mean, you know, it's gonna be great having you guys in town, and we really appreciate it.
00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:20.960
And here's to another 12 years and and beyond on the on top of that.
00:52:21.039 --> 00:52:23.519
So uh Brian, Steve, thank you so much for joining the podcast.
00:52:23.599 --> 00:52:24.480
We really appreciate it.
00:52:24.559 --> 00:52:24.960
Thank you.
00:52:25.199 --> 00:52:25.599
Yeah, bro.
00:52:26.400 --> 00:52:30.480
Brian and I look really old, but uh we should still be around 12 years from now.
00:52:31.360 --> 00:52:32.079
We hope so.
00:52:32.320 --> 00:52:33.199
We hope so.
00:52:36.559 --> 00:52:40.159
Huge thank you to Steve King and to Brian Parker for joining the show.
00:52:40.320 --> 00:52:47.599
Guys, I mean it there's there's passion and then there's passion when you speak to those two guys, and and Steve and Brian have have got it in abundance, guys.
00:52:47.840 --> 00:52:48.880
Haven't they, Jess?
00:52:49.039 --> 00:53:02.400
It's um you know, every time they talk about the club, whether it's from the start or as as the current uh team and and era that we're in, there's always that level of enthusiasm, isn't there?
00:53:02.800 --> 00:53:11.199
Um and that's uh really sort of uh uh injected something into this franchise the last decade or so that's that's really important.
00:53:11.760 --> 00:53:16.880
I was thinking a lot because we recorded that interview on the weekend to take you down the curtain a little bit.
00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:28.960
Um and I've been thinking a lot about it since we recorded or we record today, and I've uh kind of try been trying to sum up my thoughts about what was what was the biggest thing for me when they took over.
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:38.239
And I it it finally struck me today um is that what they promised they delivered.
00:53:39.199 --> 00:53:58.239
And that is such a big thing for anyone who had to be a fan from kind of the end of the Super League up to you know Todd and and the guys coming in is you get a lot of people don't know or care about the finances of a of a company or know what goes into that.
00:53:58.480 --> 00:54:09.440
But what they do know is when someone isn't being honest with you, or they're taking what you love and they're not treating it with the care, respect and love that you have for it.
00:54:09.519 --> 00:54:11.039
But that's I think that's what hurts.
00:54:11.679 --> 00:54:24.000
So then coming into that uh atmosphere and that kind of history, the biggest thing for me was the please don't lie to us, please don't promise things that you can't deliver.
00:54:24.639 --> 00:54:30.800
And everything that they promised that they've for me have delivered in spades over and above.
00:54:31.360 --> 00:54:34.159
And I don't think you can put a price on that.
00:54:34.639 --> 00:54:51.440
Any investment you put in the team, the Vindico, whatever, that of course that's brilliant, but you can't put a price on treating what everyone loves as well as they have, and that to me is the biggest legacy that they'll leave, hopefully, in 70 years' time.
00:54:52.400 --> 00:55:02.000
Franny, you know, I I love the way they talk about uh the devils with, like I said, passion, but also they don't see themselves as you know these owners who sit at the top of the tree.
00:55:02.079 --> 00:55:05.039
They they are fans as well, and and that's how they treat this.
00:55:05.440 --> 00:55:11.920
You know, they they want the devils to win, they want them to succeed, not from from not from just a business standpoint, they want them to see because they love the club.
00:55:12.159 --> 00:55:20.079
Yeah, they've gone all in on becoming devils fans, and they're not they're not joking when they say they speak every day on the phone about the devils.
00:55:20.239 --> 00:55:37.599
And if you think about you know the businesses that they've got to run and all the things they've got to do in their in their day, the fact that they still talk every day about the devils, the fact that they still, you know, meet up and put the devil's um web stream on a a big TV somewhere.
00:55:37.920 --> 00:55:47.519
Craig bought a a bar so he could so he could put the uh the devil's game on um you know on on the weekend in a bar.
00:55:47.599 --> 00:55:48.880
I mean, it's it's crazy.
00:55:49.039 --> 00:56:11.599
But yeah, they when they come over here, the energy that they bring, you know, the smiles on their faces, they're always bringing different people with them too that you know that they've heard talk about this hockey club they got over in Wales, and they bring, you know, some extended members of the family or some of their co-worker workers or some friends across, and then they show them and they all go away, you know, singing about the devils.
00:56:11.679 --> 00:56:14.559
And um, yeah, it's that enthusiasm.
00:56:14.880 --> 00:56:16.880
You know, I I've said it before.
00:56:17.519 --> 00:56:39.679
When they took over as devil's owners, something happened and the stars aligned, and they are just the perfect people to own the card of devils because, like you say, they're not, you know, they're not really seeing it as a business, they're not um putting themselves up on a pedestal because they're the owners, they are just one of a big family.
00:56:39.840 --> 00:57:12.480
They come in here, they interact with everybody, they know people by name, um, they are just in it for all the right reasons, and you know, the mantra that they talk about is they want to give every player that plays in Cardiff their best experience in pro hockey, and you know, and they're true to their word, you know, helped you know marvellously by Todd and Katrina and all the staff that we've got here, but it comes from the very top, you know, that that is what they want to give the players, and the amount of feedback that we get from players, you know, new players in this year, just blown away by you know how well things are run.
00:57:12.639 --> 00:57:23.360
I always remember talking to guys like Charles Lingley and Shane Morrison and um defensemen help me out here.
00:57:23.519 --> 00:57:24.159
Tyson Strachan.
00:57:24.239 --> 00:57:25.760
Tyson Strachan on the card.
00:57:25.920 --> 00:57:28.800
Uh fee would kill me if I forgot that.
00:57:28.960 --> 00:57:39.280
But um, yeah, about you know, the guys that have played in the NHL or played the KHL and all that, and they were like, you know, okay, yeah, the NHL is kind of you know up there.
00:57:39.440 --> 00:57:44.880
Outside of that, this is the best that they've been treated, and that is just like a massive compliment.
00:57:45.039 --> 00:57:53.760
And you know, it goes to the culture that those guys uh have set and and the the organization that are running things here, um, live and breathe by.
00:57:55.440 --> 00:57:58.880
Something you I pick up on that you mentioned about them knowing everyone's names.
00:57:59.039 --> 00:58:04.559
I remember the first time they came over, the first game they came in the pay hull, I think, on that day.
00:58:04.880 --> 00:58:15.840
And um in your head, you kind of get a thing of like an ownership is they sit in a corporate box and you know they uh come down, interview some platitudes go away, that is all good.
00:58:16.000 --> 00:58:25.199
But uh literally everyone working on that night they went around individually to say good job, and they you're totally right, they knew everyone's names.
00:58:25.519 --> 00:58:49.119
Like they they came over to us on the stream and say, Oh, great job, guys, you know, watch every week, like keep up the good work, and you left that building feeling like ten foot tall, that what you were doing was appreciated, and it they knew everyone, every single person who helped run match night or longtime fans that they were talking about, they had found out who these people were and why they were important, and that was that was really nice.
00:58:49.360 --> 00:59:01.920
I think actually one thing that stood out to me in the interview as well is you know, we're very probably used in sports to ownership, almost treating it as a well, I know best and I will always know best, and nothing I will ever do is wrong.
00:59:02.239 --> 00:59:06.800
But they openly acknowledge maybe that they've made mistakes in their time here as well, and they're willing to admit that.
00:59:06.880 --> 00:59:13.119
And I think that's a you know, that's a strength as well, because yeah, you know, the the years the devils don't win, maybe we do make mistakes, maybe we aren't the best team.
00:59:13.199 --> 00:59:22.960
And and so for them to sit down and say, you know, maybe we hired the wrong guy here or did the wrong thing there, and then look at it now and see how the devils want to improve going forward, that's really important as well, I think.
00:59:23.280 --> 00:59:40.239
Yeah, and there's never been any finger pointing from them when things haven't gone wrong because they know that everybody that is in place within the devil's organization is is doing making a decision for what they believe is the right reason at the time, and you can't get everything right.
00:59:40.639 --> 00:59:41.519
You really can't.
00:59:41.679 --> 00:59:46.800
And um sometimes you make mistakes, other times they're not mistakes, they just things don't work out.
00:59:46.880 --> 00:59:47.360
That's life.
00:59:47.440 --> 00:59:54.719
I mean, it happens in in everything, but you know, they they know that everybody is is in it for the same reasons.
00:59:54.960 --> 01:00:02.960
Um yes, they love to have conversations about you know the makeup of our roster and everything the summer, and you know, they are really connected as well.
01:00:03.039 --> 01:00:12.079
And we you know quite often use their contacts to get references, and um, you know, over the years they have um through their contacts, players have played here.
01:00:12.320 --> 01:00:29.199
Um but also if there is a player that they are suggesting and there's been good rationale as to why we don't think they're a fit for what we need in the in the remaining spots in the roster, they don't say, well, sign him because I want him.
01:00:29.280 --> 01:00:35.599
They're like they they acknowledge that you know there's a good rationale behind it, and they've got trust in people making that decision too.
01:00:35.760 --> 01:00:45.760
And I think that's important because you know so much you see in like football clubs now, you know, it's dictated from the top um that what they want they get, and it doesn't work out very well.
01:00:46.000 --> 01:00:52.079
So, you know, it's just it's never it's never interfering or anything like that, it's always from the right reason.
01:00:52.239 --> 01:01:03.840
You know, we think we might have somebody, and sometimes, yes, that is a great fit, other times it's not a good fit for a reason, and yeah, it's it's just all very amicable um and and done in that way.
01:01:03.920 --> 01:01:20.559
And it's um, yeah, I mean, I I I love spending time with the guys, I love speaking to them about hockey, they love speaking about hockey, and you know, as much as it's so exciting this this weekend coming up to have all the players back in, it's also another opportunity to spend time with with our owners.
01:01:20.800 --> 01:01:30.400
Guys, I love as well how they they speak about being an underdog and they love almost that that that that kind of fight that it gives them as well to to want to overperform maybe where we're at.
01:01:30.639 --> 01:01:35.440
Yeah, and uh that's I think what really drove us to that first league title, particularly.
01:01:35.599 --> 01:01:42.960
Uh Sheffield has built quite a bit of runner of uh league titles, and we're at the top of that tree.
01:01:43.039 --> 01:01:51.360
And I think there was a real sort of siege mentality around the place that that was where we had to get to, and that's where we had to topple.
01:01:51.519 --> 01:01:56.400
And then once we did do that, the CHL then kind of became the next thing, you know.
01:01:56.480 --> 01:01:59.440
Okay, we've just got shipped 10 goals in Davos.
01:01:59.519 --> 01:02:00.079
What what do we do?
01:02:00.159 --> 01:02:02.880
You know, we're the underdog now when they come back to the Vindico.
01:02:03.119 --> 01:02:04.719
How do we sort of approach that?
01:02:04.880 --> 01:02:08.239
And I that was kind of building as well pre pre-COVID, wasn't it?
01:02:08.400 --> 01:02:11.840
So I I do I do think that brings up the best of us.
01:02:11.920 --> 01:02:23.440
Um at the moment, we've got the Belfast Giants in the Sheffield position where they're building up a string of league titles, and uh yeah, we're the underdog to them at the moment in terms of league championships.
01:02:23.599 --> 01:02:26.800
So let's uh tap into that a little bit more there.
01:02:27.039 --> 01:02:31.679
Yeah, let's let's let's chat you know broadly now about the 40th anniversary.
01:02:31.760 --> 01:02:50.880
You know, we we've we've spoken to a lot of people and heard a lot of different things about the different histories and parts of of of the club, and and you know, as we hit now this milestone this weekend, and let's just look, Franny, at maybe the the cultural impact of this club and what it's done over the 40 years, because I I don't think you can understate how important this this club has become to to Cardiff.
01:02:51.519 --> 01:03:36.320
Yeah, I mean it's quite so many people from outside of the hockey have you know said to me when you know they know you're involved with the hockey about how we, the devils, were a shining light in the times when nothing else was going right in Welsh sport, and we kind of carried the torch for for Welsh sport, and that's you know that's a massive honour because all the Welsh sports teams are really proud and have had you know different levels of success in their various sports, and you know, the the devils came along at the right time, I think, when things weren't going very well elsewhere, and it gave you know that sense of national pride, and um yeah, I mean I you just think about the devil's community as a family, you know.
01:03:36.400 --> 01:03:40.559
We spoke about how the owners see it as a family, and you know, and that's what it feels like.
01:03:40.639 --> 01:03:42.079
It's is you know, one big family here.
01:03:42.159 --> 01:03:55.119
And you think over the generations, I mean, we've got some day one fans that are still watching now, we've got some very new fans who have taken up but have beencome hooked straight away and you know, trying to get season tickets and things like that.
01:03:55.199 --> 01:04:10.000
And it's you know, that continuing sort of rolling of of the fan base, um, it's just shows the impact it's had on fans, old and new, and it does change your life because you do make a commitment to your weekends every weekend.
01:04:10.079 --> 01:04:14.000
It's not like you know, football or rugby where it's you know one week home, one week away.
01:04:14.079 --> 01:04:20.079
It's every weekend you're gonna be down watching your team, or you're gonna be watching on the on the webcast.
01:04:20.320 --> 01:04:26.800
Um, and it's yeah, it just touches so many lives and also the players that have played here as well.
01:04:27.039 --> 01:04:37.679
You know, I still keep in contact with lots of them, as you know, and um you know, people will always talk about the years in Cardiff as being their favourite in their pro hockey career.
01:04:37.840 --> 01:04:44.880
Um so it gives those you know proud memories and um you know great great things to think back on.
01:04:45.599 --> 01:04:47.760
Guys, it's the implementation into the community as well.
01:04:47.840 --> 01:04:50.159
Like like Franny says, you know, it becomes people's lives.
01:04:50.320 --> 01:04:52.000
Like that that's what this club does to people.
01:04:52.719 --> 01:04:53.519
Yeah, it does.
01:04:53.679 --> 01:04:58.079
It um it taps into something that I can't quite put my finger on.
01:04:58.159 --> 01:05:04.400
I don't I can't quite sort of verbalize exactly what it is and why it does it, but but it does.
01:05:04.800 --> 01:05:26.800
Even during the years when we weren't winning league titles and we would go places and struggle, it didn't matter going to an away game and traveling four hours to Sheffield and four hours back or Newcastle six hours up and six hours back if we lost, because I was in a car with a group of friends who I had met through hockey.
01:05:26.880 --> 01:05:30.320
They weren't friends I grew up with in school, they weren't you know people I lived with.
01:05:30.800 --> 01:05:32.639
We just had this shared passion.
01:05:33.119 --> 01:05:38.960
And as we were going on these road trips, like I say, that that would keep you going.
01:05:39.760 --> 01:05:44.159
You would be gutted for the first twenty minutes and the car would be completely silent if you lost.
01:05:44.480 --> 01:05:57.920
But someone would then say something that you know would crack you up, and for the rest of the way then you'd share stories of like, Oh, remember when we went to that game and got turned over eight nil, or remember when we went up there and we beat Sheffield in overtime with one second left?
01:05:58.000 --> 01:06:06.400
And you would trade all these stories and just have this A common interest that sparked so much more than just the team on the ice.
01:06:06.480 --> 01:06:07.840
But that's where it starts.
01:06:08.079 --> 01:06:12.719
It starts with going through those doors for the first time and finding a welcoming atmosphere.
01:06:12.960 --> 01:06:28.239
I'm going to ask you both uh a question now, and and I think we've we the three of us between us, we've got quite a good actually range of of where we sit in terms of devil's history, where we kind of fit in to this club, and maybe what the club has done for us.
01:06:28.320 --> 01:06:40.239
So um I'm gonna ask you both to try and verbalise as best you can what the club means for you as we hit this 40th anniversary celebration and and and maybe what if you can put into words what it means for you guys.
01:06:40.400 --> 01:06:45.039
And you know, I know how I feel, and I'm sure that you know YouTube's perspective is very different to mine.
01:06:45.119 --> 01:06:50.079
So we'll start with you, Franny, and we'll just see, you know, what what is the Cardiff Devils to you?
01:06:50.800 --> 01:06:54.880
Well, I mean, it's been a part of my life longer than it hasn't.
01:06:55.039 --> 01:07:00.800
You know, it's uh you know, going back from watching my first game as a what was I 12 years old.
01:07:01.039 --> 01:07:03.599
So that's 20 years ago?
01:07:04.079 --> 01:07:05.519
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:07:05.679 --> 01:07:08.000
Yeah, um, a lot of years ago.
01:07:08.400 --> 01:07:13.039
Uh so it's yeah, it's something that has become a part of my life.
01:07:13.280 --> 01:07:29.760
Um, you know how passionate I still am about it, and you know, and to have that passion from the day that I walked through the door and watched this amazing sport, I'd never seen anything like it, to playing as a junior and playing with enthusiasm and making the way to the devils.
01:07:30.000 --> 01:07:39.039
And you know, I was always known as you know to play with enthusiasm and then to to carry that on um you know off the ice.
01:07:39.199 --> 01:07:43.280
I think that kind of it just sums up what it means to me.
01:07:43.360 --> 01:08:00.559
I mean, it's uh this club, like I say, it's given me so much, and I will forever and a day want to put something back into the club because I feel all the you know the the riches that I've had from the club, I almost feel like I still owe it.
01:08:00.800 --> 01:08:16.000
Um and you know, like so untold stories and um so many you know, hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people that I've met through my involvement with the hockey, you cannot put a price on that.
01:08:16.079 --> 01:08:24.560
So that's why I feel I'll always be indebted to the club and you know, for for as long as I'm alive, I I'll always be looking to repay that debt.
01:08:25.199 --> 01:08:27.840
Guys, what a question.
01:08:28.640 --> 01:08:34.319
Um the first one that popped into my mind was happiness.
01:08:35.039 --> 01:08:48.479
Um when I think of the car of devils, I think immediately of my brother because he's the one who brought me down and my brother's 14 years older than me.
01:08:48.800 --> 01:08:53.439
So growing up, you're not really, you know, into the same stuff necessarily.
01:08:53.600 --> 01:08:54.720
There's that gap.
01:08:55.199 --> 01:09:01.279
But what we did have in common and what we did do together was go to the hockey every week, and that was our thing.
01:09:01.760 --> 01:09:16.960
So straight from the off, as soon as I think of the devils, I think of how much fun we had going in, what how much fun we have now go going to the hockey together when we do, and that's that immediately places the club in in such a special place.
01:09:17.920 --> 01:09:29.039
After that, it's kind of given part of my life a lot of purpose in that it's allowed me to follow a dream I had when I was eight years old to be a sports commentator.
01:09:29.119 --> 01:09:35.119
That's what I always wanted to do, and to be able to do it for a club that I love so much.
01:09:35.760 --> 01:09:37.439
I I pinch myself every week.
01:09:37.600 --> 01:09:47.439
Every week we're on the gantry as that intro hits, and I hear Ado, our director in the mics, say, Your mics are up, and I have to do that first bit of intro as a team at the ice.
01:09:47.600 --> 01:09:57.840
Every week I just want to kind of I feel eight years old again in my first ever game in block 13 with tonsils behind me, screaming at the ice.
01:09:58.079 --> 01:10:08.720
Um and then on top of that, like I kind of alluded to in my last answer, the vast number of friends I have now who are general life friends who I met here.
01:10:08.800 --> 01:10:30.000
Like, even you guys who you know, where we we meet up every week, it's it's given me so much sporting memories, personal memories, personal friends, like a strengthening bond of my brother, just everything positive, like the little laundry list of positivity I can think that this club has given me over the years is insurmountable.
01:10:30.319 --> 01:10:49.760
And much like Franny said, I will always give my my time, my effort to whatever anyone needed me to do here because what I want to do is I want the way I feel to be felt by anyone else who comes through these doors, whether you come through once or whether you come through for the next 40 years.
01:10:50.159 --> 01:10:56.800
I want people to have that positive experience in my life that I've had through this club, and I hope they do.
01:10:57.119 --> 01:10:58.640
Dan, you're not getting off this.
01:10:58.720 --> 01:11:00.960
So what what have you got for for us?
01:11:01.199 --> 01:11:02.880
Um uh wow.
01:11:03.119 --> 01:11:07.680
Um I I I I got into hockey very late, probably compared to what a lot of people did.
01:11:07.760 --> 01:11:16.159
I I was 19, I think, when when I came to my first game, and it was all kind of very new, and and I'd been a lifelong, miserable Cardiff City fan.
01:11:16.319 --> 01:11:27.039
And so to come and and and see something, and and I still to this day I've said before, I remember the very first game I came to against Banska Vestrika, Lane Alma, last second goal.
01:11:27.279 --> 01:11:32.560
I remember it vividly, and and and I and and from that moment I was completely hooked.
01:11:32.720 --> 01:11:42.720
Um, you know, and and I I've said to I've said to guys, I've said to a few people before, that the feeling, especially in that first year that I had around hockey, I wish I could bottle that up and and sell that.
01:11:42.880 --> 01:11:48.800
Because that feeling, I think, when something's so new and so fresh is is yeah, it's it's incredible and it's wonderful.
01:11:48.880 --> 01:12:01.520
And it's why when I see new fans coming through the door, maybe sometimes there's a bit of a there's a bit of a feeling of of of what where is this kind of where's hockey going these days and what is the new kind of fan base about?
01:12:01.760 --> 01:12:06.800
I think a lot of it maybe you need to remember that for some people it is something brand new and fresh and incredible.
01:12:06.880 --> 01:12:09.840
And yeah, like I've like I've said before, that that that kind of is that.
01:12:10.000 --> 01:12:12.159
But you know, it it is more than that as well.
01:12:12.239 --> 01:12:21.920
Like I, you know, similar to Gaz, it's it's it's given me, you know, a life and a and a career in in media and broadcasting, which you know, I who knows if I would have had that if it wasn't for this.
01:12:22.000 --> 01:12:29.600
But um, but you know, away away from all that as well, I think I think this this club is wonderful because it gets under your skin in a really good way.
01:12:29.680 --> 01:12:38.000
And it and it it just scratches and it's you never really realised you had, and it and it does things that you know it'll drive you insane.
01:12:38.079 --> 01:12:45.760
There have been days where I've walked away from this this building and we've we've been pumped 8-0 by Belfast, and I've thought I don't want to go back again next week.
01:12:45.840 --> 01:12:54.560
And and you do because you you just love what it gives to you, and and and you know, I'm a big believer in the power of what sport can do.
01:12:54.720 --> 01:13:07.680
I think, you know, if you look at the the Walk Up over the summer is probably a really good example of seeing what it did by bringing people of very different cultures into the same thing and for the for the love of one specific sport, and I think it does that that's what the devil's does as well.
01:13:07.760 --> 01:13:18.079
You know, it doesn't really matter who you are or what you've been through or experienced, it it just kind of yeah, yeah, everybody's welcome here, which is I think really wonderful.
01:13:18.239 --> 01:13:20.800
Um yeah, I'm getting emotional now.
01:13:21.359 --> 01:13:40.479
Um, yeah, and on a on a personal level, like the this this club has done a lot for me, which is I'm always indebted to the club for that, to the people who I get to see week in, week out, and you guys and the guys upstairs, um, and the players who, you know, every week put it on the line, work hard.
01:13:40.720 --> 01:13:43.439
Um, yeah, and and similar to you both.
01:13:43.520 --> 01:13:46.800
I I'm I'm I've indebted for a lifetime for what this club has done.
01:13:46.880 --> 01:13:52.720
And I think, you know, if the next 40 years are anything like the first 40, my word are we in uh for for a good time.
01:13:52.880 --> 01:13:56.640
So uh yeah, I'm gonna stop there and and yeah, leave it.
01:13:56.800 --> 01:13:58.399
But that's that's kind of what it means to me.
01:13:58.640 --> 01:14:22.159
And also one of the things um that you'll both know is that when you bring someone to a game or someone you know comes and experiences it for the first time or wants to speak to you about it, is how proud you are to kind of represent the club or or to be able to speak to somebody about it and and have a conversation about hockey.
01:14:22.319 --> 01:14:24.960
You know, it's never ever a chore, is it?
01:14:25.039 --> 01:14:36.000
When anyone's asking questions about hockey because they don't understand it, it's like this is amazing, and I feel proud to show off my team kind of thing, and you know, the sport in general, but more the team.
01:14:36.239 --> 01:14:54.960
And I think you know, just the when people come to a game and they were like, Oh my god, that was so fast, didn't know what was going on, but it was amazing, and and you see someone else buzzing and getting that feeling that you first had, I'm always really, really proud uh of that, and that someone has had so much enjoyment.
01:14:55.199 --> 01:14:56.079
Yeah, absolutely.
01:14:56.159 --> 01:15:05.359
And I I think it there's a pride as well because if I see family I don't see very often, the thing they will always ask me is, are you still down the devils?
01:15:05.600 --> 01:15:06.399
You still go to the devils?
01:15:06.880 --> 01:15:07.840
How's that going?
01:15:08.079 --> 01:15:16.399
And to have that kind of as part of, like you say, what you carry around with you, and you get to like say show off and brag and be like, Yeah, yeah, we're doing brilliantly.
01:15:16.479 --> 01:15:25.199
Like, you know, we won we won again last year, we won another trophy, and then the next thing is always like always always asking me, Oh, I I really would love to get down to a game.
01:15:25.359 --> 01:15:30.800
And these days I say, Well, you better look pretty soon because you need to look about six months in advance.
01:15:30.960 --> 01:15:43.199
But it you're absolutely so right about uh, Raddy, is that like you when you get to represent the club away from things to people who don't know about it, it it does feel it does feel special.
01:15:43.439 --> 01:15:43.920
It does.
01:15:44.079 --> 01:15:46.720
And I'm gonna pull myself together now and we're gonna move on.
01:15:46.880 --> 01:15:51.119
But uh yeah, that that is the end of our of our 40th anniversary celebratory series.
01:15:51.199 --> 01:16:05.279
We're hoping uh throughout the next uh year and and and and beyond to get more previous players and and guests on who have been part of the Devil's history in the past, because yeah, my word are there are a lot of people we could have spoken to in this uh in this series, so we'll definitely endeavour to get get them on as well.
01:16:05.359 --> 01:16:06.880
And and now we're gonna look at this weekend.
01:16:06.960 --> 01:16:13.760
Of course, Saturday is the big day, it's it's the 40th anniversary game, and then there is the small matter of two games to play this weekend as well around all this.
01:16:13.840 --> 01:16:15.600
So we're gonna we're gonna look at that quickly.
01:16:15.680 --> 01:16:17.760
And uh Saturday, Dundee come into town.
01:16:17.840 --> 01:16:23.520
And Gaz, all the pomp, all uh everything that's gonna be going on, the devils are gonna have to shut it out and get on with the game.
01:16:23.680 --> 01:16:37.359
Yeah, Dundee, I don't know if they they choose this in the fixture meetings, but it's either A the B that they they get on last year, of course, they were the team for your shirt retirement and they uh showed a lot of respect on Thursday.
01:16:38.079 --> 01:16:39.359
Yeah, massive respect to them.
01:16:39.439 --> 01:16:49.520
That you know they came on the ice for it, and obviously it's uh it's a lot longer than a team would like travelling away and and they want to get into the game, and I thought they were really respectful.
01:16:49.600 --> 01:16:53.520
So I just want to say a huge thank you to the Dundee Stars organization for that.
01:16:53.760 --> 01:17:14.560
So we know that again they'll show the same respect on Saturday because they're that sort of organization, but the pack will have to drop, and I think there could be no other way to think about this game on Saturday than you've got representatives of every era of the last 40 years in that building.
01:17:14.800 --> 01:17:23.600
They've all brought more broad, you know, pretty broadly the same identity and the same way of playing across those 40 years.
01:17:24.479 --> 01:17:26.800
Saturday, there has to be a performance.
01:17:26.880 --> 01:17:40.479
It's simply you cannot leave that ice on Saturday other than leaving it all out there, being physical, being passionate, being in the face of Dundee from minute one to minute 60.
01:17:40.800 --> 01:17:49.279
Just leave it all out there because there's people there who want to see those the current iteration of the Card of Devils put on a show.
01:17:49.439 --> 01:17:52.720
That's the chant uh that we hear a lot from Vlog 13, isn't it?
01:17:52.880 --> 01:17:54.399
Putting on a show everywhere we go.
01:17:54.560 --> 01:18:01.680
Well, we're going to the Vindico Saturday, and there's a really special audience that deserve a performance.
01:18:02.159 --> 01:18:17.920
But you you're right in what you call out is in terms there's a lot of noise around this game, which isn't great really when you need to focus in on a game because you know you there's gonna be, like you say, a lot of people in the building that are held in very high esteem.
01:18:18.079 --> 01:18:20.159
That brings a lot of pressure in itself.
01:18:20.479 --> 01:18:29.680
Um you know, just following on from the the big pre-game that that there's bound to be, uh, and then all of a sudden you've got to switch yourself into game mode.
01:18:29.840 --> 01:18:35.840
So, I mean, that will be the key for the devils is to enjoy the moment, enjoy being part of it.
01:18:35.920 --> 01:18:47.199
They're all part of uh of the 40-year history, but then as soon as they go back to their bench and get their helmets, that's gotta be the mental switch to get into game mode and to get started.
01:18:47.279 --> 01:18:50.880
And I remember I was it was funny you mentioned about my shirt retirement night.
01:18:51.039 --> 01:18:56.000
I was really nervous about not winning that game because it would just ruin my night.
01:18:56.079 --> 01:18:59.199
It would, and it was a far tighter game than I'd hoped.
01:18:59.279 --> 01:19:03.520
And I think it was the kind of Capone hit that basically changed it and energized.
01:19:03.680 --> 01:19:09.680
And I thanked him after the game, I was like, yeah, you know, it was it was getting a bit touch and go there, and you just put the life into us.
01:19:09.840 --> 01:19:31.359
So uh yeah, really appreciated uh that hit from from Capone, but um yeah, it's that that's gotta be the key for the Devils is in treat it as two separate things, you know, enjoy that and everything that's going on around you, but then as soon as you get back to the bench and get your helmet, get into game mode and get off to a good start.
01:19:31.600 --> 01:19:35.359
And you know, we we talked last week about how Glasgow, they've been struggling for wins.
01:19:35.439 --> 01:19:40.319
Dundee have also been struggling for wins, but Glasgow still, you know, showed up and the devils, it didn't walk all over them.
01:19:40.479 --> 01:19:41.840
So it's gonna be the same this weekend.
01:19:41.920 --> 01:19:44.399
You'd imagine it's this isn't this isn't a gimme by any chance.
01:19:44.640 --> 01:20:07.920
No, and I I feel like based off of last year's playoff win and the fact that we've not shied away from saying that we want to win the league this year, teams are gonna come in here with that compete level that they're beginning to kind of make us break them down, you know, work for those points, and there's no gimme's uh in this league uh anymore.
01:20:08.159 --> 01:20:16.640
So it it Dundee will come with a high compete level, they will come with I guess uh in some ways it it's a no-lose situation for them.
01:20:16.720 --> 01:20:18.560
It's our big night to to throw away.
01:20:18.640 --> 01:20:25.600
They they know that they've got the ability to win the game, but and they maybe can take a few more risks and a few more chances as well at times.
01:20:25.840 --> 01:20:30.079
So very much uh a banana skin night, these things, aren't they?
01:20:30.159 --> 01:20:41.520
But um what I will say is I I fully uh believe and in and invested in this year's team, knowing how important this club is and its history and things.
01:20:41.680 --> 01:20:51.520
We have a team that I I I know uh play for that front of that jersey, so I'm not concerned that there's anyone there who doesn't understand the importance of this we get.
01:20:51.760 --> 01:21:01.359
But yeah, I mean one thing we find, don't we, is that teams can come into this building and they they don't want to go toe-to-toe.
01:21:01.520 --> 01:21:02.880
They don't have to go toe-to-toe.
01:21:02.960 --> 01:21:10.560
What they can do is make it very difficult for you to play the way that you want to play, to play expansive hockey, entertaining hockey.
01:21:10.800 --> 01:21:37.359
Um you know, Dundee, over the last number of years, they've just clogged up the middle and made it hard for us to kind of make those cross-seam passes that open things up, make it difficult for you to get inside, and then you know, if there's any hint of a turnover, they're like they're shot out of a cannon, and then you know, they they always seem to have a couple of fast skaters, good goal scorers, they'll you know look for those breakaways and they'll cheat one guy, cheat two guys, and um and play on the counter-attack.
01:21:37.520 --> 01:21:55.359
So that's the thing, they're gonna come in here on the big night, knowing that the flatter that they can make it, the better for them it'll play into the hands because everyone will be really excited and pumped up before the game, and if they can then kill the momentum by being boring, then that that is affected for you.
01:21:55.439 --> 01:22:00.399
So the devils then to counter that have really just gotta get on the front foot.
01:22:00.479 --> 01:22:10.239
And I mean, if they're trapping up the middle, then chip puck steep and go after it and just get that four check going because that's you know the way that the devils always play their best hockey.
01:22:10.319 --> 01:22:18.560
But yeah, it it does it does make things more difficult when you come up against teams that you know almost want to stifle the game.
01:22:18.880 --> 01:22:19.520
Yeah, exactly.
01:22:19.600 --> 01:22:25.439
And and I think they they're gonna present that challenge, and I think that tactically you've explained quite nicely there what we'll maybe expect from Dundee.
01:22:25.680 --> 01:22:30.960
Of course, then we think about Sunday, which you know, if we talk about tests for the Devils this season, it's probably the biggest one of the year guys so far.
01:22:31.119 --> 01:22:32.640
Belfast Giants into town.
01:22:32.880 --> 01:22:44.159
Yeah, and you you've got to worry about uh sort of adrenaline dump, I guess, for that Sunday after Saturday, because there's gonna be a range of emotions uh on Saturday before, during, and after the game.
01:22:44.399 --> 01:22:52.239
But, you know, you four points is the biggest thing this weekend out of everything that's happening, four points is what is necessary.
01:22:52.479 --> 01:23:00.079
And uh, as I alluded to earlier, Belfast are the ones we're hunting down, they're the the standard bearer, they're the benchmark in the league at the moment.
01:23:00.239 --> 01:23:03.119
Adam Heath has made winning the league a routine.
01:23:03.279 --> 01:23:10.880
He's got you know the mechanism to do it, he's got the game plan to do it, he's just churning out the the same results uh year in, year out.
01:23:11.039 --> 01:23:14.640
And you know, we we want to knock him off that, quite frankly.
01:23:14.720 --> 01:23:18.319
And to do that, you need to take points off, and we need to get points on the board.
01:23:18.399 --> 01:23:19.359
It's gonna be tough.
01:23:19.439 --> 01:23:28.000
Uh, I think this year, where they've decided to rather than wait till mid-season to bring back all the pieces that work and they like, they've uh kept them from the off.
01:23:28.079 --> 01:23:30.560
And uh a lot of people are playing well at the moment, aren't they?
01:23:30.880 --> 01:23:34.399
And it is the you know, those old horses that are playing well.
01:23:34.560 --> 01:23:46.000
You look at their their stats at the moment, they played eight challenge cup games, and Picanich is leading the way with 14 points in in eight games, and then it's Goodwin, then it's uh Conway and Mike Lee.
01:23:46.079 --> 01:23:52.000
So it's it's those same tried and trusted that uh are putting the points away from them at the moment.
01:23:52.239 --> 01:23:58.800
I'm sure Adam Keefe was okay with that as long as they keep producing, but you'll you know, you'll also want to supplement it with some of the new guys.
01:23:58.880 --> 01:24:03.039
They look like they've got some um young, quick additions.
01:24:03.199 --> 01:24:15.199
Um almost it almost feels like guys that Adam Keefe could mold into the way that he likes his Belfast team to play, and that is, you know, they've been relentless, haven't they, over these last few years when they've been winning the league titles?
01:24:15.439 --> 01:24:23.039
They've been sort of shift after shift, wave after wave, getting in on the four-check, you know, like the thing similar to how we like to see our devils play.
01:24:23.199 --> 01:24:28.880
Um, so yeah, it's um it's a different test on Sunday.
01:24:29.199 --> 01:24:34.159
It's um I don't know if it's the Giants' first league game or do they play Saturday in the league?
01:24:34.560 --> 01:24:40.239
They play Saturday in the league, but certainly this weekend is their first um league fixtures.
01:24:40.399 --> 01:24:43.760
Um you know, it's their first trip down south here.
01:24:44.079 --> 01:24:49.359
And um those games against Belfast, they're always just got that little bit extra, haven't they?
01:24:49.439 --> 01:24:55.760
You know, the Sheffield games and the Belfast games always seem to be up there and don't disappoint.
01:24:55.840 --> 01:24:59.520
So I'm I'm expecting another high action game on Sunday.
01:24:59.680 --> 01:25:03.439
It's the jewel and the crown gaz, and uh the devils will have to be ready for it.
01:25:03.680 --> 01:25:04.960
Yep, we will.
01:25:05.359 --> 01:25:10.319
Uh, but you know, let's let's harness all this positivity through this week.
01:25:10.479 --> 01:25:23.680
Let's harness the spirit of guys who uh came before and uh have made this club uh what it is and how special it is to all of us as we've kind of verbalized as uh as we have tonight.
01:25:23.840 --> 01:25:38.880
So harness that and just you know try to remember that this club has always been built on winning, it's always been built on success, it's always been built on fun and enjoyment, and I want to see all of that at the end of Sunday.
01:25:38.960 --> 01:25:44.560
And if we leave it all out in the ice and the result doesn't go our way, well, you know, sometimes that can happen.
01:25:44.800 --> 01:25:49.119
But if you do put your own hundred percent in, you usually get your rewards.
01:25:49.199 --> 01:25:50.399
So I got faith.
01:25:50.640 --> 01:25:54.319
Guys, you're gonna be in the locker room with that team talk, please, on Saturday and Sunday.
01:25:54.399 --> 01:25:56.640
And uh yeah, that's all for Insider Tonight.
01:25:56.720 --> 01:25:59.439
We like can we say we've got a lot to look forward to this weekend.
01:25:59.520 --> 01:26:05.600
If you're coming down to Legends Not on Friday, if I you come into either game or both games on Saturday and Sunday, it'll be great to see you.
01:26:05.760 --> 01:26:06.479
Come say hello.
01:26:06.560 --> 01:26:09.199
There'll be plenty of former devils all around the place.
01:26:09.359 --> 01:26:10.479
The list is endless.
01:26:10.640 --> 01:26:14.720
Everybody will be excited, everyone will be keen to chat about where they sit in Devil's History.
01:26:14.800 --> 01:26:15.840
There's a lot to look forward to.
01:26:15.920 --> 01:26:17.920
So uh yeah, enjoy the weekend.
01:26:18.000 --> 01:26:23.279
We're gonna be bringing you debriefs, we're gonna be bringing you QA's, there's a lot gonna be going on, and of course, we'll be back with Insider next week.
01:26:23.359 --> 01:26:25.279
But uh yeah, that's all for the show tonight.
01:26:25.359 --> 01:26:27.039
Thank you so much for listening in once again.
01:26:27.119 --> 01:26:29.119
Thank you to Brian and to Steve for joining the show.
01:26:29.279 --> 01:26:31.279
Thank you to you two once again for your company.
01:26:31.359 --> 01:26:32.960
It's wonderful to sit down every week with you.
01:26:33.039 --> 01:26:34.399
And thank you to you at home for listening.
01:26:34.479 --> 01:26:35.920
It's been great once again to have you.
01:26:36.000 --> 01:26:37.520
We will see you all very, very soon.
01:26:37.680 --> 01:26:38.560
Goodbye.
01:26:42.479 --> 01:26:46.800
Thank you very much once again to our sponsor, Minerva Hearing, for today's podcast.
01:26:46.960 --> 01:26:50.560
And remember, Minerva Hearing, hear the cheers, protect your ears.
