Intro: This is for the sled dogs in the trenches. Real hockey parents, real stories. The Good and the Gong Show. No filters, no sugarcoating, no politics, just straight hockey talk, and the best guests around the barn. Welcome to the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast.
Alright, boys. Grind them corners, chirp responsibly, and bring that savage fire.
Scott: Alright, everybody. Welcome back to episode 73 of the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast powered by Pacific Rink, the unfiltered podcast for hockey parents. No politics, no sugarcoating, Just real talk for hockey parents in the trenches.
Jamie: Nice job, buddy.
Scott: What's up, dude? Same old same. You? Yeah. You know, the summertime, new schedules.
Otto's out of the house.
Jamie: Yes. He is.
Scott: The he's out of the house at a at a Woodward camp where
Jamie: they Mountain have biking camp.
Scott: Well, it's not just they introduced mountain biking. This is their first year with mountain biking actually.
Jamie: Oh, didn't know that.
Scott: This is
Jamie: not the mountain bike camp he was at last summer.
Scott: No. He's going to that later. But he has been to this camp the last three summers.
Jamie: I remember the name. Yes.
Scott: But it's funny. So he's there with his mountain bike and like Yeah. Do like all kinds of like BMX and skateboard like, you know, they have x games athletes there and stuff like that. He's Really? So he's That's pretty legit.
No. They have, like, legit I see that. Red Bull people.
Jamie: Oh, okay. So they have, like, real people.
Scott: Like yeah. No. I think it's pretty well respected, I think, in terms of like extreme sports community? Yeah. Guess if they're still called extreme sports, but like I don't know else They have like parkour and like, you know, scootering.
They've got like those big ass big airs that you see like in like the Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Skateboarding competitions. It's like legit.
I'm sure. But it's funny. So he's over there and he got there on on Sunday. Right. And we've got like three pictures back.
Mhmm. I guess he had his counselor send pictures and during his free time, he went fishing and we've got pictures of three different fish.
Jamie: I saw that. I saw I saw I saw one of them. I was with your wife this morning. I know that sounds strange while you're at work. But but yes, I she did show me the picture of Otto catching a fish this morning.
Scott: As long as that's all she showed you. That's all.
Jamie: That's all she wrote.
Scott: Then then we're good.
Jamie: Yes. Okay. Yes. The fish looks wonderful.
Scott: Yeah. Oh, did it? What are talking about? My wife's fish?
Jamie: Jesus Christ. No.
Scott: What are you doing here, buddy?
Jamie: I'm like I must be, like, six shades of red right now. No. You're not. Okay. No.
One second. No. Yeah. No. The fish was cool, though.
Scott: Let's just get right back to that fish now, don't we? Why don't we?
Jamie: I'm not really sure how to transition away from that. No. But you don't
Scott: need to. I'll do it for you. Clearly. So anyway, we've got pictures of fish.
Jamie: Fish.
Scott: And I wanted to see pictures of him, like, you know, in the air, you know, in an unsafe situation.
Jamie: You did wanna see pictures of him in an unsafe situation.
Scott: I wanna see how much he's kinda pushing himself. To be honest with you
Jamie: Listen. I alright. So can I can I, throw something out there right now?
Scott: By all means.
Jamie: So after I saw your wife this morning and kinda did a walk through
Scott: Yeah. What'd you walk through? No. We should talk about that.
Jamie: We we will.
Scott: That's why walking aside.
Jamie: That's why I mentioned it because we weren't talking about that. You. Got you. I'm I'm trying to segue. But so so after I saw your wife and we did the walk through this morning
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: I actually picked Dominic up. Dominic was in close to her. He slept at a buddy's house.
Scott: Oh, just by coincidence?
Jamie: Yes. Yeah. We dropped Nancy dropped him off yesterday. And
Scott: Oh, you were like, dude, I'll pick you up tomorrow. I'm gonna be there.
Jamie: It's exactly what I said. Right. Me and Nancy, I can get him. It was perfect that that he had to go to work at, like, at, like, what are you opening?
Scott: I'm opening up a can Of? Of my favorite nonalcoholic beer. Ah.
Jamie: Yes. You are.
Scott: The athletic the athletic brew.
Jamie: Athletic brew. Call us. Yeah. You can sponsor our podcast.
Scott: Mhmm.
Jamie: Just saying. Scott's favorite nonalcoholic beverage.
Scott: Yeah. It's delicious.
Jamie: It is. Isn't it? Yep. That's like your go to that I noticed.
Scott: It is my go to. Yeah. And it is pretty pretty tasty. This one is not my fave. Golden?
The golden is not my fave.
Jamie: Upside Down Dawn?
Scott: I guess that's what they call it.
Jamie: That's what that's what I'm looking at. Yep. For those of you who
Scott: Athletic Brewing Company. They're actually they are in Connecticut.
Jamie: I would say they're yeah. They're in Connecticut.
Scott: And also I think on the West Coast too. Yeah. Or somewhere else. Someone else someone on we had someone on that knew that. Yeah.
Middlebury. Who do who do we just speak to that was, like, a Middlebury person?
Jamie: I was in Bridgeport. I was up at Sacred Heart last year. Last year. Jesus Christ. Last week.
Scott: I don't know. Anyway, doesn't matter. But, no, as far as, like, nonalcoholic
Jamie: stuff goes one?
Scott: The same thing. Oh, it is. Okay. Yeah. Gotcha.
It's good. I like their IPAs. They have two IPAs.
Jamie: Not an IPA guy. Oh, no? No. I'm not.
Scott: I like it.
Jamie: I know everybody drinks in these. I cannot I like it. Stand them. No. I can't.
I do not like IPAs.
Scott: I do not like them. Same I am.
Jamie: Do not like them In a can.
Scott: Or with green eggs and ham.
Jamie: There you go.
Scott: You will not eat them in a box.
Jamie: I forgot about that. Or with a fox. Nancy could do that whole book probably about it. I definitely can't. I have kids.
Any yeah. Yeah. But anyway, so yes. So athletic brewer, brewing company.
Scott: Yes. That's what I opened up.
Jamie: Reach out to us. Yeah. While Sponsor the podcast.
Scott: While, while you were talking Mhmm. I opened up this can. Yes. And then what were you saying?
Jamie: No. I I know. No. So I I was saying after I I I left your your wife after the walk through, I went to pick up Dominic from his buddy
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. In town.
Jamie: In the next town. Yeah. Yep. And so Dominic has gotten into mountain biking recently. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Right? He bought half of mountain bike.
Scott: Oh, did he go to did he go to the bike park? Oh, yeah. Oh, he did?
Jamie: Oh, yeah.
Scott: He's gone
Jamie: there he's gone there a couple times. He's been he's been there a couple times.
Scott: Does he think he's sick?
Jamie: Yeah. Well, he's he's been showing it. Yes.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie: He likes it. He likes it.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie: Yeah. So you yes. So he can ride there from his buddy's house, just like auto can
Scott: ride from me. Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie: So what's funny is that I picked him up and and his buddy's mom was outside, and and Dominic has, like, scrapes, like, all over himself. Like, his knees, his his his his elbows. Jeez. You know? And and and it's and and and and and Jackie said she goes she goes, oh, is that are any of those from today?
And we're we're looking them up and down. I'm like, that's old. That's old. Those are old. I'm like, that one looks new.
I gotta tell you. So I get in the car with him. I'm like, dude. I'm like, do you stay on the bike? I'm like, you actually, like, stay on the seat?
I'm like, are you just falling all over my place? He's like, well, I went to do a trick. He's like, and I fell off. I hit a log. I'm like, oh, okay.
Totally. So I I look I look at him. I go, go, dude. I go, if you break something
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: I go, if we have to go to orthopedist, I go, I'm telling you right now. I said, I may kill you. Like, do not break anything. You wanna have raspberries and and and and be boo bleeding all over Yeah. The Yeah.
I'm good.
Scott: Right.
Jamie: No problem? Don't break anything. Just don't break anything.
Scott: Yeah. Bleed bleed all you want.
Jamie: Please don't break anything.
Scott: That is interesting. I so, yeah. With Otto, but I came did you go in there?
Jamie: Because this is this one I didn't. I've seen he sent me a video today.
Scott: So this is what I'll say. I and maybe I should reconsider my position at this point. But for a while, when he was getting into this Right. I saw that he would, like, go and, like, you know, go to do jumps or whatever. Yeah.
But he was pretty cautious. And I'm Was he? He had to, like, build up, like, confidence. Sure. Yeah.
He doesn't just throw caution to the wind. Right. So I guess I and maybe that's changed at this point. I don't know. But I think that I have I I don't worry about him just, like, bowling a China shop.
Jamie: You don't.
Scott: No. I mean I worry
Jamie: about my kid like that.
Justin: Like, don't
Jamie: think does that.
Scott: Otto's not just gonna be Yeah. Like, super, like, I don't know, reckless. Look, of course, a mistake Kind of. An an accident can happen no matter what.
Jamie: Yeah.
Scott: But, like, at least I have this sense of security that he's not he'll only do something if he really feels like he can do it. And not I understand. Know what I mean?
Jamie: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott: But still I get doesn't make doesn't mean an accident's not gonna happen.
Jamie: Of course. No question about it.
Scott: And he's like going off to like Woodward and he's like, yeah. I remember like the first year, I was there like only a couple hours and a kid had to leave because he broke his arm. And then like the next year, I remember that one kid who had to get like like like a helicopter had to take him out of the
Jamie: Oh, wow. They medevac him? Yeah. Oh, that's aggressive.
Scott: Yeah. Well, it's not I don't think it's too close to the nearest hospital. They definitely have a helipad there.
Jamie: Is that Perknos somewhere?
Scott: Further out. It's like four hours west.
Jamie: Oh, oh, it's in, like, Pennsylvania. Like, Pennsylvania. Yeah. They they have to go,
Scott: but they so when It's
Jamie: like probably, like, Penn State.
Scott: Well, the auto says I don't know if
Jamie: it's Penn State's about three and a half, 40 ish.
Scott: Okay. So that's probably it's probably near Woodward. So Otto's like, he he remembers from because Orly drops him off at camp, and then he takes the bus back. But he's like, oh, remember Takes
Jamie: a bus back.
Scott: He's like, remember when he's like, we know we're gonna be close when we see the Amish people.
Jamie: Oh, he's out by, like, Franklin and Marshall.
Scott: Maybe. Lancaster. Yeah. I guess. But, like,
Jamie: he Okay.
Scott: He a 100 and, they, you know, they you know, that's part of, like, life out there. Yeah. We're near Woodward.
Jamie: Shout out Uncle Matti.
Scott: Who's Uncle Matti?
Jamie: Matt. My buddy Matt. Oh. Yeah. Yeah.
He he went to Franklin Marshall, which is Oh, in Amish country.
Scott: So my father went there also.
Jamie: I didn't know your dad went to F and M.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Get out of here. Yeah. Why did I not know that?
Scott: Yeah. Then he went to Tufts Medical.
Jamie: No shit. I didn't realize your dad went to F and M. Yeah. That's funny. Yeah.
Matt went there.
Scott: And he was in the same fraternity as Matt Mills. And I remember
Jamie: Years later. Years later. Like, forty years later.
Scott: Yeah. But but it's funny. So
Jamie: I remember
Scott: when when Millsie came home from, you know, whatever.
Jamie: Oh, he went there too?
Scott: No. He didn't go there, but he's in the same sorry.
Jamie: I know that was misleading.
Scott: That he he he went to William and Mary.
Jamie: Oh, okay. Gotcha. Didn't he play football there? He did. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Right. Same fraternity, different school.
Scott: Yeah. Different school, but then I remember, like
Jamie: What fraternity?
Scott: I forget. But the point is is that when when Matt came home, like, after he had, like, pledged or whatever
Jamie: Yeah.
Scott: You know, he we were he was sharing it with my dad or whatever. Yeah.
Jamie: Yeah. Yeah. And You don't remember what fraternity?
Scott: No. But I if I'll text Matt.
Jamie: Was it wasn't Lambda Lambda Lambda?
Scott: No. It was Omega Omega Moo. They
Jamie: joined Omega Moo. These mooves know how to party.
Scott: Boogers on These the
Jamie: moves really know how to party. My god.
Scott: I gotta watch that
Jamie: movie Same.
Scott: So good.
Jamie: Gotta tell you in the second one, Revenge of the Nerds, like nerds in paradise
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Yeah. Was, like, equally as good. They were awesome.
Scott: Dude, we should we should watch that together. That would be a blast from the past.
Jamie: We should we should watch together, and we should do it live so people can watch us watch it.
Scott: Our reaction videos?
Jamie: I bet you they're fan I bet it'd be fantastic. They have to
Scott: be. Wouldn't surprise me. Lewis Skolnick. So good.
Jamie: Was what was
Scott: Anthony yeah. Yeah. Good.
Jamie: What was Anthony Edwards' what was his buddy? What was Anthony Edwards' character name? Lewis' buddy. I can't remember it either. It was Lewis Skolnick and I remember I remember.
I remember Wormzer was the kid the young kid. Yeah. It was Lamar.
Scott: Lamar. Oh, definitely Lamar during the javelin.
Jamie: During the javelin. Yep. Yep. I remember booger. I remember ogre.
Alright.
Boo: Yeah. Exactly. It was great music.
Jamie: Great music. And then what about when the, the Asian dude was riding the tricycle? Da chi. Da Whatever medium they're listening to this, they're yelling. It was Lewis Lewis and Booger
Scott: Help. Harold Wormser. Wormser, we said. Gilbert? Gilbert.
Jamie: Gilbert.
Scott: Gilbert.
Jamie: What was his last name?
Scott: Lowe. Yes. Gilbert Lowe.
Jamie: That was Goose's name in that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Oh, that's funny, man. That is very fun. Alright. So your dad so your dad was a lambda lambda lambda?
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, the the Got it. This but the what I was going to say, which whatever. Matt came home.
Called my dad. He's like, oh, he tells me he tells me, Scott, you can't look. I'm like, what do mean I can't look? He's like, Seth, remember the secret handshake?
Jamie: Oh my god. They both did secret handshake?
Scott: I think they did.
Jamie: Did your dad your dad remembered it?
Scott: You know, I I I I have to I think so, but I I couldn't I couldn't watch.
Jamie: There's a secret handshake?
Scott: Apparently.
Jamie: I mean
Scott: You know, I'm not gonna lie real quick.
Jamie: Yeah.
Scott: The so I'm just, like, scrolling through looking at the Ravenders. So so Robert Caradine is the guy that played Quarterback. Skolnick.
Jamie: Oh, okay.
Scott: No. No. And I'm scrolling down, and there's, a picture, like a like a then and now type of thing. Yeah. Yeah.
He I swear to God
Jamie: Does he look the same?
Scott: No. Ish? I swear to God, thought it was
Jamie: John Tortorello. He looks like John Tortorello? When you look at this long
Scott: hair quickly look. Ish? Ish. I'll show you later. Yeah.
I got Oh, that's
Jamie: very funny. That's interesting. Great movie, though, by the way. Revenge of the Nerds and then Nerds in Paradise. Also also not a bad movie.
Scott: Totally. Yeah. Wait.
Jamie: Hold on.
Scott: Yeah. Where's Jamie?
Jamie: Did you send it to me?
Scott: Yeah. I'll send it to you. But, anyway, so listen. We should we should, shout out sponsors. Yeah?
Jamie: We should. Yes. Howie's Hockey, Crazy ten. Go check out their candle. Scott's favorite, the candle.
My favorite, the yellow handled scissors. People are coming up to me, by the way, and they're like, oh, the scissors. The yellow handled scissors. I'm like, wow. Okay.
Scott: Well, I mean
Jamie: Got it. They're like, yeah. We say scissors now. I'm like, cool. I'm shocked that that actually, like, has traction.
I guess whatever works.
Scott: Dude, you should
Jamie: My yellow handle scissors and Scott's favorite, the candle.
Scott: The candle.
Jamie: Yeah. And go get your tape, laces, gear. We love their gear. We love their logo. Howie's hockey makes really cool stuff.
Go check out their website and use the code crazy 10 for 10% off your Howie's hockey gear.
Scott: Crazy 10. And then let's, of course, of course, not forget to mention coach Kevin, hockeytraining.com. Tis the season to get down with hockeytraining.com.
Jamie: Tis, by the way.
Scott: Tis. It is the off season. It is do stuff from home. It is less ring time, more away from ring time. It's true.
But you still gotta get in your reps. Gotta get in your reps, but now using hockeytraining.
Jamie: He does look like John Tortorella. Yeah. Right?
Scott: That's what I thought too.
Jamie: Oh my god. Yes. Really quickly. You're a 100% right. God.
Scott: Continue. Anyway, so no. So you wanna head to hockeytraining.com. You wanna check out their library of stick handling, strength, conditioning, skills, drills that are all transferable to performance. So if you haven't already, check out hockeytraining.com and go to hockey training HQ on Instagram to take a look at what coach Kevin's got going on.
Jamie: He's got an awesome library.
Scott: Yes. He does. Awesome library. And if you play adult league, men's league, beer league, whatever you wanna call it, there is a program there for YouTube.
Jamie: There is, by the way.
Scott: There
Jamie: is. And no matter if you're a beer leaguer or you're a college player or a pro or a high school player or or a travel player or even just a house league rec kid, you should be getting your site yourself a Titan Battle Gear base layer. Because number one, they're very stylish. No. Well, actually,
Scott: think That's not number
Jamie: one. Let me rephrase. Number one, it's the safest thing on the market.
Scott: Safety first.
Jamie: Right? Safety first. Even though everybody likes style, safety first. Right? Let's let's make sure we check that box first.
And then you could check out all the different styles they have. They have the ice cream. They have the the Miami Vice one. They have there's one coming out on
Scott: Paint splatter.
Jamie: The paint splatter's cool. There's the there's the camos. There's two different types of camos. There is one dropping on the July 4, I believe. Yeah.
That's coming shortly. It's got like a question mark on their website. I wanna say it's gonna be something USA ish, two fiftieth ish coming soon. So be check out their website.
Scott: Sounds
Jamie: right. And use the code crazy dads 10 for 10% off your Titan battle gear.
Scott: That is it. And for any of you coaches, managers out there looking to add video review to your team next season, definitely need to check out athletic performance. Oh my god. I just thought I messed it up. Athletics Performance Insight.
Don't know.
Jamie: You messed that up?
Scott: Well In my mind, I did. In my mind. Because I said was saying athleticperformancetraining, like hockeytraining.com.
Jamie: Oh, yeah. You're mixing it.
Scott: And then I needed to reset.
Jamie: You know
Scott: what I mean? So in any event Yeah. For anyone
Jamie: And we're not editing now because we don't edit.
Scott: No. No. Not even Kirk from Manitoba. In any event Not
Jamie: about that.
Scott: Athletic performance insight is the place to go to check out a plat an absolute amazing platform for video review, team analytics. Basically, Eric over at API, Athletic Performance Insight, Founder started it. He'll be more than happy to give you a demo of the platform. Click on the the contact form on the website. Check, and he'll get back to you.
I'm sure he'll be happy to demo or break down the game for free as well as demo the software. But it's got very robust analytics that, you know, college play you know, age teams are using all the way down to mites as well. Yep. You know, like, every any any chance that you can take to, you know, help your team's IQ, you know, is is time well spent. So check out athletic performance insight, for your video analytics needs.
Jamie: $100 value.
Scott: Yeah. Mention Crazy Hockey Dads.
Jamie: Not too
Scott: shabby. 10% off a season subscription.
Jamie: Eric will take care of you. He's good
Scott: like He
Jamie: will. No question about it.
Scott: No doubt.
Jamie: Yeah, man. You know? And and do we have a cool interview today?
Scott: Well, listen. Before you
Jamie: get Oh, you wanna there hear
Scott: something first. Yeah.
Jamie: Yeah. No. No. I wasn't gonna kick it over the interview. I was just gonna about it.
Scott: No. No. Go
Jamie: something else first.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. Just before we do that, I also wanna make sure to Oh, yeah. Yeah. So we're gonna
Jamie: be Yeah. Yeah.
Scott: Yeah. So upcoming, in a couple weeks on July 16, Jamie and I have the honor and privilege of participating in a fundraiser, for Maurice Campbell, the second, who is a local, hockey player who had passed away way too early, from a rare form of cancer. And
Jamie: there's Childhood cancer.
Scott: Yeah. Awful. Yeah. And so he played locally. He's a triple a player.
Not that that means anything, but just that the kid definitely was a talented hockey player. And he touched a lot of people's lives. And there's a charity event that's going on, a fundraiser that we're participating in. So, you know, we're gonna put some information about the fundraiser on the in the show notes, we're gonna post on our Instagram. But if anyone, you know, was interested in supporting a great cause, please, you know, take a look, read up on Mo's initiative.
And it's really a wonderful thing to help, you know, kids that have childhood cancer.
Jamie: Yeah. Yeah. I think we can all relate to having kids that play the game. God forbid, parent wants that to happen. It was very unfortunate.
And Larry Robbins, you've to give him a ton of credit because you know, he he does a truckload, and he loved Moe.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: And if you remember, you know, back in in his episode, you if you haven't heard it, go back and listen to Larry Robins episode. He tells Moe's story. I think you asked the question something like, what was the hardest thing you had? I forgot how you phrased the question. It was something along the lines of, like, your your most difficult thing as, like, a a coach, you know?
So if if you if you wanna listen, go back to episode 66
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: With Larry Robbins. That's how we found out about about Moe Smiles, the, the event. You know, it donates money to Memorial Sloan Kettering, which you guys that are in our area know it's a phenomenal cancer hospital. But, yeah, it's it's gonna be a great event. I hope we raise a truckload of money.
Yeah. You know? Most parents are gonna be there. It it's gonna be great. You know?
So we're so we're gonna put like Scott said, we're gonna put on our socials, you know, you know, you guys if you guys can donate, even if it's $5, whatever it is. You know? I I know, I I it's a it's a great cause. Yeah. You know?
So, you know, shoot the locks off your wallets, people, for this because this is a good cause.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. No. Without a doubt. So more to come, leading up to the event, but really, excited to be participating in it.
Jamie: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's gonna be good. That's July 16.
Scott: July 16.
Boo: We're gonna
Jamie: be doing that. And again, kudos to Larry Robbins for for doing it.
Scott: 100%.
Jamie: You know, the guy is phenomenal. Yeah. He really is. Go back and listen to episode 66 if you have not heard it already. He tells most stories.
It's a it's a it's a heart wrenching story, and and you could see exactly why Larry's involved.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. No. Without a doubt. Yeah.
And then I also wanna give a quick shout out to clean energy drinks.
Jamie: Oh, yes.
Scott: Yeah. So we got a we got some, some of these tasty, beverages. Not not the, the non alcoholic beer type, but the, the energy type. Anyway, just wanted to give them a shout out. Yes.
Here's here's a can.
Jamie: Yeah. What is that? The blueberry one?
Scott: Yeah. Blueberry. Clean. But it's an all natural yerba mate energy drink. Got a like a 160 something grams of Caffeine.
Caffeine, only 90 calories. But they they taste great. And compared to other energy drinks out there, you know, it's, you know, good ingredients and clean and It's clean. Tasty.
Jamie: It's clean ingredients.
Scott: Clean.
Jamie: Right? For those of you who I mean, it's listen.
Scott: It's, yeah. Yerba mate. Yerba mate. It's tasty.
Jamie: Scott loves his yerba mate.
Scott: I don't mind it. I don't nor do I mind the that much caffeine in the morning.
Jamie: You don't mind that? Nah. See, I don't even drink coffee, so I don't have caffeine like that.
Scott: Yeah. But you drink tea.
Jamie: I drink, like, tea without caffeine in it. I drink, like, herbal stuff.
Scott: Oh, yeah?
Jamie: Yeah. Stuff that tastes awful.
Scott: Yeah. So you'd probably like her.
Jamie: I would like this?
Scott: No. Don't know. You know you know what you know what tea I don't like? I was gonna say, like, you ever like, because you you drink green tea. Right?
You're a fan?
Jamie: I'm not a fan.
Scott: Oh, I thought you were.
Jamie: No. It's awful. It's just healthy for you. Oh. I hate I fucking hate it.
Scott: Oh, because there's the green But
Jamie: it's good for you. So I drink but it's fucking awful.
Scott: But there's another green tea that's made with, like, brown rice, and it They're all awful.
Jamie: Mhmm. I haven't I haven't found You don't
Scott: like matcha?
Jamie: I don't like I don't like black tea. I don't like green tea. I don't like I don't like any of it, but it's good for
Scott: sure. Like?
Jamie: Not tea. I don't like any of it, but I drink it because it's not because it's because it's not bad for you. Right? So I drink it for those reasons.
Scott: Because it's not bad for you?
Jamie: Yeah. Because it's better than me drinking anything else. Water? Well, that's different. But, like
Scott: Why is that? It's a perfect
Jamie: substitute for Obviously, I'm so I can drink water. Don't get me wrong. It's like my kid. I'm like, Tom, drink water. He's like, hate the taste of it.
I'm like, no shit. I'm like, sometimes you gotta drink something you don't like. You know? It's so numb. I even sent him on me because he's he's offended by it, but he doesn't like the taste of it.
Did you when you were a kid? I'm pretty sure when I was a kid, I hated the taste
Scott: of water. I I think it's not that I hated it. I think I just wanted to drink something with flavor. Of course you did, which is That didn't mean mean that doesn't mean I hated water.
Jamie: I'm I'm gonna say you hated water.
Scott: I mean, you can say that.
Jamie: I'm do you know what was the worst when we were kids?
Scott: Oh, are you gonna say what I think you're gonna say?
Jamie: Probably not. Mind meld? Shout out It's got cut cut cut cut cutter and Kellen That was pretty funny. No. When I used when I used to go over, like, when we were kids Yeah.
And I used to go over people's houses, you eat over or you slept over.
Scott: Know what you're talking about. Knew you.
Jamie: Yes. Dude, it was can just tell you when I went over to somebody's house and we sat down at the dinner table and they poured me a glass of water, I'm like, what the fuck? I'm like, really? I'm like, don't need soda? Fucking water?
Scott: Oh, that was so not what I thought you
Jamie: were gonna Oh, yeah. That that was what I was gonna say. Oh, yeah. I hate I when I whenever whenever I went to his house to eat and they had water on the table, like Yeah. That was like I was like, dude.
Scott: Low scoring dinner. Never coming here again. I was like, dude, what the is this water shit?
Jamie: What am I doing here? Like, where's the Coke cans? Like, right? Like, when were kids, was just different. Like, you're giving me water.
It it wasn't even ice in it. Like, Jesus Christ.
Scott: Room temperature water.
Jamie: Can I just tell you? Like, I drink water now, but I have to have it like freezing cold over ice.
Scott: Okay.
Jamie: Like Nancy drinks room so I I when we buy like water bottles, we have like reverse osmosis now, but like when we when we go to hotels and we have water bottles, I stick them in the refrigerator and she's mad at She's like, no, leave some out. I'm like, why? She's like, I I only drink room temperature. So number one, I don't like water.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Number two, I don't like room temperature water.
Scott: Yeah. Well Right? You married this woman?
Jamie: I know. Shocking it. She has a lot of other qualities. Her taste in water is not one of them. Fair.
Scott: You can't win them all, dude.
Jamie: No. You can't. This is true. Beggars cannot be choosers. You know?
But, but yeah. So so so how do we even get on this topic? Well, I think it was because we were talking about your yerba mate.
Scott: Yeah. It's our yerba mate.
Jamie: You you have some too. I do have a case too. Yep. I do. It is at home.
Yep. I swear it's not in the garbage.
Scott: What are you talking about?
Jamie: It's not. I said it's not in the garbage. It's not. No. It is not in the garbage.
I swear to god, I'd throw it out. Swear. No. No. It's I I tried the peach one.
It was pretty good.
Scott: Stop it.
Jamie: I said it was pretty good.
Scott: Yeah. If anyone's watching, they'll see your ridiculous face.
Jamie: I was looking left and right just to make sure there was nobody around. Yeah. Exactly my point. Listen. My eyes wander sometimes.
It happens. Actually, I'm really just joking. Right?
Scott: It's not bad. No. It's not.
Jamie: Yeah. I like to drink this one on on on the show.
Boo: Oh,
Jamie: yeah? I'll finish
Scott: it. You're gonna put your money where your mouth is?
Jamie: I am.
Scott: Oh, look at this guy. If you can figure out how to open the can. Bro,
Jamie: It's not me. It's the Yerba Mate can.
Boo: Yeah.
Jamie: Anyway, so so yeah. So that that's my story about water.
Scott: That was great. I think everyone just turned this thing off.
Jamie: Not bad.
Scott: Not bad.
Jamie: Blueberry Yerba Mate by Clean. Yeah. Not bad.
Scott: Not bad.
Jamie: Yeah. Not bad. Definitely bad. That's the most caffeine I've had in like a month and a half.
Scott: You're gonna fall asleep tonight? Probably not. So maybe you should stop drinking it.
Jamie: Just joking. I I I actually have zero problem falling asleep
Scott: at moment. Oh, that's good.
Jamie: Yeah. You know when I can't fall asleep? When my kid doesn't I'm just joking.
Boo: When my kid when I drive my kid's
Jamie: doesn't play well. I can't fall asleep. No. I'm just joking. I'm just totally kidding around,
Scott: the way. Alright. So did we did we shout out everything at this point?
Jamie: I think we did. Did tell you Don broke a stick? I told you that?
Scott: I think so.
Jamie: Oh, alright. So Wait. Another one? I I gotta so I gotta find
Scott: Just a Broke a fly light.
Jamie: No? I told you he broke a, you know, he broke a pulse. Oh. So he broke a pulse when we before we went up to Connecticut.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Right? Because last time we did this, I was in Connecticut. Right? Right. At the at the Sacred Heart.
Yeah. Camp, whatever you wanna call it. So I bought a I bought another pulse on the way up there because he didn't have a backup
Scott: Oh, that's right. He broke that one too?
Jamie: No. No. No. He didn't break that one. So then we come home on Thursday.
Yeah. Friday's there. Saturday, we go down and we have a, a shooting lesson with our buddy Ryan Murphy. Yep. New Jersey Devil skills coach Ryan Murphy.
So him and Dominic Dominic went down and worked with him for an hour.
Scott: Yep.
Jamie: And Ryan, Nancy and I, we dropped him off. Right? So we come back with ten minutes left, just to kinda watch a little bit. And Ryan comes out, he's like, yeah, he needs a more stiffer stick.
Scott: More stiffer?
Jamie: Yeah. More more stiffer.
Scott: More stiffer?
Jamie: Not good English. He needs a a stick that is more stiff. Stiffer stick. Stiffer stick.
Scott: Stiffer stick.
Jamie: My English is tremendous today. He goes, yeah. He goes, know you goes, I know you spent from a 30 to a 40. He goes, yeah. He probably needs a 50.
I'm like, fuck.
Scott: So did you do it?
Jamie: I did. You got him one. It's on its way. Nice. Another $300 later.
Goddamn
Scott: it. Listen.
Jamie: Bauer, if you're listening, you need to sponsor us because my kid is going through sticks like it's his job.
Scott: Listen, you just need to find a high quality stick at a better price point. And do I know a company for you?
Jamie: Do you?
Scott: Yeah. Who? Have you ever heard of Swift Hockey? I have not. Yes.
Stop it.
Jamie: No. I have. Two episodes ago.
Scott: There you go. Yeah. Zacharias Go check it out.
Jamie: Zacharias Thomas, episode 71.
Scott: Shout out.
Jamie: Right? Is that 71?
Scott: Yeah. Think so.
Jamie: But, yeah. So Dom so Dom so now I have to I bought him another stick. I mean oh, by the way, the 40, Flex Pulse?
Scott: Yep.
Jamie: You can have it. I'm assuming Otto will probably use it.
Scott: What is he doing from that?
Jamie: A not cut down 40 flex pulse brand new. Orange.
Scott: Really?
Jamie: Yeah. What am I gonna do with it?
Scott: Oh, Dom's not gonna use it? No. Not even for a driveway? No. Not even for nothing?
Jamie: No. Why? Because what Ryan told me was, and it's funny he couched this so nicely, so we walk in, he's like, listen. He's like he's like, I never and he's really good like this. Like, he he will not do one timers in those, in, like, the shooting boxes down there in Red Bank because he doesn't wanna break sticks because he knows they're not cheap.
So he says to me, he's like, listen, I know you just bought another He's like, I'm not telling you to go buy another steak. He's like, wanna But. I'm not telling you to go buy another steak. He's like, I know you just bought another steak. He's like, I'm not telling you to buy another stick.
He's like, but he's like, do you see how he's missing high and bright every time? I'm like, do. He's like, stick is too whippy. I'm like, goddamn it.
Scott: Interesting.
Jamie: Damn it, Ryan.
Scott: So that that lesson cost you
Jamie: $303,100 $600. And and I'm donating the other pulse to auto.
Scott: Wow. Thank you.
Jamie: Don't think don't say I never gave anything.
Scott: I would never say that. You've given me a lot. Have I? Yes. What the fuck's wrong with me?
I don't know. Me neither.
Jamie: Just generous. No. You can seriously, because we're not gonna use it. So it's all yours. Otto will use it.
Right?
Scott: Yeah. For sure. Good. Yeah. Especially if it's been touched by someone he looks up
Jamie: to. Dom? Yeah. Does he? He looks up to him?
Scott: In some ways. Just sure.
Jamie: He's older, I'm assuming.
Scott: Yeah. And he's just, you know, he's he can play the game. Sometimes. Okay. But like within the the contact, like Otto looking up to him, he sees someone that's Understood.
Jamie: Like We did it too when we were kids.
Scott: Fast, aggressive. Yeah. You know?
Jamie: When he when he wants to, he's good to go. Yeah. It's now that's the the the challenge is getting him to want to all the time. Wow. Listen.
Think that's coming as they get older. Or not. I'm hoping it's coming.
Scott: Yeah. You know, I think that too. I I you know, it's interesting. I I've I've thought a bunch about recently just I don't know. Like, just are we not doing enough?
Should we be doing more? And like, you know Yeah. Honestly, I I I'm I'm so okay with how much, like, we have done because it's act it's it's not it's certainly not nothing.
Jamie: No. You've done a bunch this offseason.
Scott: But it's not you know, we're not going
Jamie: balls But you're not going crazy either.
Scott: No. And and he was like, you know, he was really excited. Like, when we went to go play that tournament Mhmm. He was super excited he was playing the game. He was?
Like, excited.
Jamie: Yeah. Yeah.
Scott: No. But I mean, like, just I don't know. I I guess even if something comes up and it's like, oh, you know, or they might say, oh, we should go look at, like, what's happening over there or what's over for a clinic or Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Like, I guess, see if he wants to. Right. You know what I mean? And, like, the older me would just be like, yeah. You're totally right.
Like, we need to get him here. You need to do that. But, like Yeah. Because I I think part of part of where I've let go a little bit is because I know listen. I will still guide him
Jamie: Mhmm.
Scott: And suggest things to him.
Jamie: Right. Like Jason Tap. Yeah. Those pucks are getting awfully lonely over there.
Scott: Right. Yeah. I mean, I would certainly say something like that. But but I I I don't like, he has to take ownership for this. You know what I mean?
Jamie: Of course they do.
Scott: And and and I'm not I I don't want to make this about what I want for him. Of course. And so I He needs to wanna
Jamie: do it.
Scott: He needs to want. Now look, do kids need poking and prodding? A 100%. And the number of times where my kid, after they've done something that mom and dad
Jamie: They're happy that they did it.
Scott: I can't believe that was so awesome.
Jamie: Of course.
Scott: As bad as they think.
Jamie: Of course.
Scott: You know what I mean. Always do. But but at at the same time, like, I I definitely had this moment where, like, he was so excited to go on the ice. And it'd been a long time since he played a game. And it
Jamie: just Okay. It really made me think.
Scott: Was yeah. And I I and look. If he was skating more intensely every week, would he still have had that response? Probably not. Not sure.
Probably not. But I had I had a moment of thinking like, know what, like he wants to do this like he's happy to do it. He's excited. Right. You know, so in any event, I I feel like some of the things that people have suggested to us Mhmm.
That I hadn't necessarily experienced. Right. You know, I feel like I'm starting to, and it's reassuring.
Jamie: But you mean like put the bag away for a little bit. Yeah. Because then they want to play it again when the sport
Scott: rolls around. Maybe I'm just thinking about it a lot more because we're doing the podcast.
Jamie: You probably are, but there's also a level of truth to it. Yeah. I You mean, listen, Dominic was like that at the beginning of last season. He didn't play hockey for the entire month of August. And then all of a sudden, that showcase started first week in September, and he looked like a different person.
Scott: He looked like a different person.
Jamie: Yeah. It didn't it didn't last, but there was definitely a more giddy up in his step.
Scott: Interesting.
Jamie: 100% there was.
Scott: Well, you don't you wouldn't chalk that up to necessarily having to do with, like, the new team, new people. Maybe.
Jamie: Maybe.
Scott: Right.
Jamie: Yeah. Listen. I don't know. It's funny. We get a lot of messages.
We get a lot of people writing us in about, like, this stuff. Like, you know, should I put the bag away and go do other stuff? Should I not? Like, it it runs the gamut, dude. It runs the gamut of people.
I mean, dude, I the showcase we were at in Sacred Heart. Yeah. So it started on Monday, I wanna say at 04:45, last Monday, 04:45.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: And I saw kids there that were in Florida that morning at the Matterhorn event.
Scott: Oh, really?
Jamie: So they were at the Matterhorn Monday morning in Florida, and they flew home, and they were at Sacred Heart at 04:45. No. Swear to God. Was I off on my buddy, and I told him who was there. He's like, oh, yeah.
He's like, I just saw him this morning in down in in, like, where they were, Florida. I'm like, really? I'm like I'm like, dude, so and so's here. He's like, saw him this morning. I'm like, do mean you saw him morning?
He's like, was in Florida this morning. He's like, he's he was I'm like, you fucking shitting me? He's like, no.
Scott: That's what that's that's logo.
Jamie: It's a lot, dude. It's a lot. It's a lot. I mean, listen, and the kid could play. He's a very good player.
You know? But that's a lot. I mean, that that's what I used to do. That's I I turn I was never that bad, actually. I don't think I was ever that bad.
That's that's dedication or craziness
Scott: or both. Well, foolish thing was potentially the the Sacred Heart schedule being on the heels of that one of the other one. I mean, that sounds like a mistake if you ask me.
Jamie: I mean, listen. Right. I mean, listen. That but that Matterhorn event I heard was great, the way. I know we've heard a of good things about it.
Her was her was awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think I think Wait.
Scott: Wait. It was the All Ivy showcase?
Jamie: In down in Florida.
Scott: The All Ivy.
Jamie: Yeah.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Yeah. I think I'm gonna I think I'm gonna try that next year.
Scott: Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. You should.
Jamie: I heard it's I heard it's very well run. Was talking to V
Scott: How's he doing? Good. Yeah?
Jamie: Yeah. Chris or Chris or Ryan? Ryan.
Scott: Both? Chris?
Jamie: Yeah. Both are doing good. Yeah.
Scott: Ryan's same team?
Jamie: Yeah. Same team. All good? Yep. Had a good season?
Scott: Yeah. He grew?
Jamie: I think Chris is wanting him to grow more. Right?
Scott: Okay.
Jamie: Listen. Listen. We all want our kids to grow more.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Right? I mean, listen. Some kids hit it at different at different ages.
Scott: Yeah. No
Jamie: doubt. I mean, listen. Dominic was was a pipsqueak up until, like, you know, like, nine months ago.
Scott: Right.
Jamie: You know, now you can't keep a kid in shoes or pants.
Scott: Or skates.
Jamie: Oh, actually, it's funny you say that, dude. Because normally, he gets a new pair of skates every August. Yeah. Right? And I think we bought, like, a half size big Oh, you last did?
August on purpose. And I think we're good for the moment. I don't know how long it's gonna last. If he keeps growing out in the next couple months, we're screwed. Right.
But at the moment
Scott: At the moment.
Jamie: We're okay. Yeah. Don't let At the moment. Don't let Ryan Murphy
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Don't let be in his skates.
Scott: No. No. Do not do that.
Jamie: Murph, I love you, but you can't look at his skates.
Scott: You can't look at his skates.
Jamie: Yeah. Because you'll tell me he needs a new pair of skates. I'm just kidding. He I gotta tell you, Ryan's he was so good, by the way. I'm sure he was.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He was, you know what stick he was using?
Scott: Oh, oh.
Jamie: Oh. Maybe I shouldn't say it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I'm not going to. But, yeah, Ryan is awesome. But and I have to I have to tell you. Oh, we just put them up on our on our on our Instagram. Who?
Right. We put I put a couple clips of Ryan
Scott: looking at Dominic.
Jamie: Yeah. Scott, this dude is so good. Yeah. He's so good. I'm sure.
Because he he he, he videoed everything.
Justin: Yep.
Jamie: And you can hear what he's saying to Dominic. Yep. He's so good.
Scott: Does he work with a lot of kids Dom's age?
Jamie: I don't think so.
Scott: I don't Mostly older kids,
Jamie: I'm guessing. Mostly older kids. Yeah. He's so I mean, listen, you knew he was smart when he came on the podcast with us. Yep.
You could tell.
Scott: Yeah. No doubt.
Jamie: But he's so good. Like, there's this one one part. And I I didn't put it it it didn't go up on our socials, but it was on it was on he has this thing called CoachNow.
Scott: Okay.
Jamie: And it and it just records the entire session. And you could draw on it. You can rewind. You could slow mo. It's really cool.
So he had me download it, and he sends you the link of your kid.
Scott: Oh, nice.
Jamie: So so I have a whole that's what I put up on our on our on our socials. Yeah. Or I think Orly put up a couple of them shooting. So Ryan was kinda showing him what he wanted him to do. Dude, he made it look so effortless and he, like, just hammers one bar down, like, as like as just like an example shot.
And you're like and Dom's like, Jesus Christ. Like but but what he says to Dominic is so good. Like, he you could see that this may like, if he wasn't a New Jersey or NHL skills coach Yeah. He would be like a phenomenal teacher Mhmm. Of whatever it
Scott: was. Right. Right.
Jamie: School, business, hockey, whatever it is. Right. Like, he's a really good teacher. Like, I'll just and even my wife who's a teacher, Right? So she knows what that sounds like.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: She's like, Jamie, he's phenomenal. Right. Really good.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Dude, that's awesome that you got you got down there. It sounds like it was expensive with a new stick in tow, but or two new sticks, basically, because one was broken.
Jamie: Yes. Bought one on the way down. Did.
Scott: And then ordered a new one on the way up. Yes. But still Yeah.
Jamie: I'm I'm hoping the next time I go see Ryan, it doesn't cost me anything. And he he it's funny. He couched it too. He's like, Jamie, I'm not telling you to go buy another stick. He's like, I'm not doing that.
Like, I'm not he's like, I know you brought another stick, so I'm not telling you to. He Not. But he diagnosed it.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Dominik was high and wide the entire year. Interesting. And it's because how he was shooting that he he he outgrew the flex of his stick. Because he got he got so big so quickly
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: That he was still using a 30. Right? And then so he was so he's air mailing pucks over the over the crossbar and and high and wide. He's, like, just missing over the corner. You know what I mean?
And Ryan said it's because his stick was too flexy. Interesting. Yeah. So I'll let you know how we do with the 50.
Scott: Next time Otto tells me, like my stips sticks whippy, I I should tell him, well, hey, buddy.
Jamie: Listen. If he's missing high and wide I mean, Ryan told him to shoot on, like, a spot on, like, the post, and he and, like, call, like, mid post or just, Right.
Scott: And he was going above.
Jamie: Yeah. Right. I mean, so it you know? And now listen. He also said, you know, you need to control your stick.
Right? You need to know how to control your stick. But yeah. So he was missing high and wide. It's nice when somebody kinda diagnoses it like that because me as a hockey dad never played this game, I would never have figured that out.
Scott: Yeah. But I I think a lot of people, unless, like, even if they know the game, are not skill structures.
Jamie: Diagnose that. Yeah. I mean, it makes sense.
Scott: Unless they've gone through it themselves once already.
Jamie: Makes sense now that he says it. So, I helped somebody out there that was he was shooting high and wide like mine. Yep. But Dominic was air mailing. Like, he was air mailing everything this year, and he was getting frustrated, which was not good.
Scott: I mean, that makes sense.
Jamie: So it was a frustrating year for him.
Scott: So does he have the new stick yet?
Jamie: It's, no. It's it's
Scott: on the way. Shot
Jamie: with it? I bet it's gonna come tomorrow.
Scott: Okay. Yeah. So when's his first time? You gotta report back on how it goes with the new stick.
Jamie: So Ryan has New Jersey Devils development camp this week. So I'm not we can't see him this week, but the following week, we're gonna see
Scott: him. Oh, but he'll be on the ice between now and then?
Jamie: Dom? Yeah. I don't have anything planned.
Scott: Oh, okay.
Jamie: I have nothing planned. He's gonna, RJ, speaking of TopLine. Yeah. Right? We have Justin and Boob from TopLine today.
Yeah. So RJ, who was Dom normally skates with on Friday, is from TopLine as well. I don't know if RJ is around Friday, so we might not have anything. Yeah. So I have nothing really planned for Dominic.
He's been boxing this week.
Scott: Yep.
Jamie: I don't have any hockey planned for him.
Scott: Got you.
Jamie: So he's done none. He's gonna do, like, d one, like, all five stuff. Yep. He's boxing again on Thursday. No hockey.
I think RJ is not around if he's going away, so no hockey Friday. We would have seen Ryan Friday morning, but he's not around because he's got the Devil's development camp, so he's not around. So we have zero hockey planned.
Scott: Okay.
Jamie: Yeah. Okay. Maybe maybe I'll do, like, a power skate this weekend if he wants to on the ice. Yep. But I have nothing planned.
Scott: Alright.
Jamie: We're doing a lot of other shit.
Scott: Got you. You know? Well, it's good.
Jamie: Yeah. You know? So it's it's, yeah. So we'll see.
Scott: Alright. Well, listen. You started shouting out or not shouting out, but you started mentioning. So our guest tonight
Jamie: Yes. We have the TopLine Boys. So we obviously, you guys heard from RJ episode, don't remember, couple back. He was awesome. Yep.
And today, we have Justin Selman and Bounyves from TopLine. Yeah, man. I mean, they were they were awesome, and we forgot to ask them this, on the podcast. So we're gonna tell you where you guys can find them. So you guys who are in our area, you guys know TopLine is.
For those of you who don't, they're a phenomenal skills company by us. So you can go to tlhockey.com, and that's where their website is. They also have an app that's awesome. If you go on our socials, Justin talks about it. They have an awesome I mean, Donald's been working with them forever.
They have a real they have guys that played pro, guys that played high d one college. They're all awesome, by the way. They're fantastic. I can't say enough good things about them. Dom's been working with them for a
Boo: while now.
Jamie: Yeah. Four years, something like that?
Scott: A great group of coaches. Really care about their kids Yes. And really just kinda and what I thought was so interesting in listening to the talk is, like, you know, they're they're bringing in high level players that are, like, you know, just finishing up with, say, their d one career.
Boo: Yes.
Scott: And they've got a network of coaches that have, like, either that they've worked with or, you know, guys they played with. And they're, like, getting, like I don't wanna say the latest and greatest drills. That's not the right thing to say. But, you know, they're they're getting drills information, you know, from kids from, you know, you know, players from all different programs. And it's just it's it's really they do a really good job.
Jamie: They do.
Scott: They do a really good job.
Jamie: Yeah. Yeah. So check out their website, tlhockey.com. Go download their app if you're in the in the New York, New Jersey metro area. So their app is great, by the way.
And you can go check them out on Instagram. They're under TopLineHockey. You'll see them. They have a very cool logo, which is like the Statue Of Liberty. Yeah.
They're they're they're awesome. The the guys here are fantastic. Like I said, we've been working with them for a long time
Scott: now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Great kids. On that note, you wanna send it over to the interview?
Jamie: Yeah. Hope you guys enjoy. Justin Selman and Booneyeves from TopLine Hockey.
Scott: Let's go. Enjoy. Gotta pick. I'm stopping at forty five minutes.
Jamie: Okay. Not bad.
Scott: Alright, everybody. Welcome back to another interview here with Crazy Hockey Dads. Tonight, we have a super treat for everyone listening. We've got Justin Selman and Boo Nieves of TopLine Hockey, premier skills instructors here in the Tri State area at where we are, and these guys have played at the highest levels, made pro. They've been there, done that d one, you all the way from the young ages up to the highest ranks.
These guys know it all. So boo, Justin, thanks so much for joining us tonight.
Justin: Yeah. Thank you guys for having us. No, thank you guys for having us.
Scott: Oh, dude, it's it's awesome. So, you know, obviously, you know, the folks around here are probably pretty familiar with TopLine, but if you guys wouldn't mind just kinda setting the table for our listeners and let them a little know let know know a little bit about yourselves, kinda what your role is within TopLine, and kinda, like, what, you know, TopLine does.
Justin: Yeah. It's interesting, I think, because if you asked us this question maybe two years ago, the answer might be a little different, so it's cool to kinda see what's going on right now. I think the easiest way to answer that is you know, TopLine's a collective of the, what I would say, best you know, some of the best coaches in the tri State area, all with, you know, professional hockey and NCAA experience. And we're really trying to become accessible in a service that, you know, you can really reach anywhere from Connecticut all the way, basically, you know, New York City, New Jersey. You know, we're doing camps across the country, but, you know, something where you open your phone, you pull up the TopLine Hockey app, and you're able to find a coach that you can rely on, that's been certified through the TopLine drill certification program, and it's gonna be a consistent you know, lesson, camp, whatever, you know, the service that you are signed up for is at pretty much any rink, you know, like I said, Jersey, New York, and Connecticut at almost any given time right now.
So we're really just focused on, you know, continuing to educate and build our coaching staff to a point where, you know, maybe three years ago, if you asked us this question, it would be like, you know, it's me and Boo and and RJ and Connor, you know, the guys that started this business back in, you know, early two thousand twenty. But right now, we're really focused on growing the coaches that have have joined our team, and, you know, it's really been cool learning from those guys. And, you know, Boo can kinda touch on that more, and he kinda came in right from the NHL, and and that was kinda like the first addition to, okay. Like, we're learning from Boo now. He just was playing in the NHL with the Rangers.
What does he bring to the table? And then, you know, you've got guys still playing in in Ivy League schools or guys playing pro still and coming home for the summer. So we're kind of always updating our drill toolbox, you know, with what those guys are bringing home for us. Yeah.
Scott: So, Boo, just wanna kick it over to you as far as, like, you getting involved with TopLine. As Justin was saying, you were, like, hot off, like, you know, the Rangers. So what what what was that transition like for you and kinda, like, how'd that come about in terms of going in this direction post playing career?
Boo: Kinda like Justin said, actually, it's it's kinda funny. I think if you asked me if I would be working in hockey with kids after I was done playing, I probably would have laughed at you. I I don't it's it's nothing I even really considered, honestly. I mean, we first started with a couple camps, you know, when we were all playing in the AHL together. I mean, nothing formal.
We just wanted to try it, and, you know, we liked it. And, you know, it was something that, you know, we kinda kept going for, I think, the next three or four years. And then, you know, as Justin Conner and RJ finished up playing, they really decided to, you know, take this to the next level. And, you know, they obviously started over in the Anvil while I was still finishing up playing. And it's actually funny.
I actually hated hockey for about a year. I I I I traveled the world and didn't want anything to do with hockey, and then I came back and realized I actually do still love hockey. And then on my move back to New York City, I just remember coming back up. Me and Justin joke about it. It's kinda like when you when you go to a new team, you kinda, like, bring your bag in and you kinda drop it, and the trainer takes your sticks, and they're like, alright.
Like, here's, you know, your schedule. Here's what you're supposed to do this day, that day, and which feels like forever ago now. But no. I mean, listen. I I guess to sum it up, it's it's been one hell of a ride.
I don't think any of us ever expected it to get to the point that it is at today, and it's become bigger than all of us and anything we could have imagined. And it's been such a cool collective effort. I mean, it's it's cheesy to say, but we we truly are a team. We really rely on each other. We hold each other accountable.
And, you know, the guys that have come in even after us have been awesome. And the energy that they bring and the and the fresh looks and the ideas that these guys bring. And, you know, we we've got guys in college who are texting us on Friday nights in the middle of the school year about ideas they have for camps. And I'm like, guys, you're you should you should be doing something else. Like, I don't know why you're sending me this template right now, but it's just cool to see the culture that we built, and guys wanna be here.
And I think for us, that's that's kind of what keeps us going every day, and that's that's kinda what keeps us excited to do what we do.
Jamie: I'm I'm curious, boys. How did whose idea was TopLine? Justin, was it York? Because, boo, you kinda came in at were you the fourth one in, if I'm not mistaken? Correct me if I'm wrong.
Justin: So, like, it was kind of all at this at one time. So, Connor, Boo, and I
Boo: with skated
Justin: with actually Justin Stanlick at the Ice Vault when we were playing.
Jamie: Okay.
Justin: Yeah. Right. And and, you know, we were like, let's do a camp. And actually, Wiz Mursky, Alex Privatera, a couple other guys that were in our class around here that we skated with, all playing either college or pro, we did a camp at the Ice Vault, and it was awesome. And then, you know, that was over the summer.
And I think it was like, you know, let's just see if we can have enough money to scrounge up something to, like, you know, go to the beach for the weekend afterwards. And then that turned into, like, let's see if we can do a summer team. And, you know, Connor, like, got to work on the jerseys, and and Boo, myself, and Connor were going to, like, you know, local tournaments in the spring and summer, like, still training and playing, but we put together a team and, you know, practiced a few times up in Newburgh. And Connor was doing some clinics and stuff. When he stopped, Boo and I had another year.
And then, yeah, it was kinda like put on the way back burner. And then COVID happened, and we were introduced to the Anvil facility in Fairlawn, which was, at the time, just a big turf field and a weight room. We proposed this kind of interesting business partnership where we would run a synthetic hockey training business and leverage the gym side for, you know, our training, and very quickly, you know, that was me and Connor, and then very quickly, like, was we were really busy. RJ was living in Florida working at Oracle, actually, and RJ and I played mites together, squirts, everything all the way up until, you know, forever. So we've known each other forever.
So that was an easy one. And he just came in. We hit the ground running, and we were there at the anvil. I think you guys were there once or twice, Jamie. You know?
And
Jamie: Yeah. The synthetic guys in the back. Yeah. Sure.
Justin: Yep. And and at the time, like, you know, it was COVID, so there wasn't a lot. So we had pretty much every Avs kid right off the bat. We had, you know, saints, colonials, devils, you know, rockets, Woodbridge. All these kids are coming in, you know, really high end players, and we didn't really know what the glice would do or not.
Right? Like, we were you know, let's try the synthetic ice, we were running, like, full practices, you know, full Skillskates on the synthetic. And we were like, what can we do with this? And I think it was a blessing in disguise. The owner of the building turned our half of the building into a Ninja Warrior course, really out of left field.
He called me one day. He's like, you guys have two months. We're gonna flip this unless you guys wanna take over the entire building, which we obviously couldn't.
Scott: Right.
Justin: So it forced us to kinda spread our wings, and we went to Newburgh, and that's right around the time Boo came back in, and you know, we we got a gym facility built into one of the party rooms at Newburgh. We renovated the whole thing, and that's where RJ's home base is. I know he's been on with you guys. So we started running lessons there and and kinda just picked up right where we left off from Fairlawn, and we were kinda, like, fighting that battle of, alright. You know, our Bergen County players and and, you know, Jersey guys, it's a little far for them, and it was kinda perfect storm.
Boo came in, and he got the city going. You know, we we operate out of two rinks there, and we did the same thing. We put a a gym in that rink so our players have a place to train off ice. And, you know, Boo kinda brought with him that expertise and and, you know, the the business mind to, you know, bring in a team around him, and and, you know, that kinda snowballed in. Mikey Gillespie stopped playing, and now, you know, he's doing the same thing with us up in Brewster.
And, you know, fortunately or unfortunately for me, I kinda, you know, bounce from one to the next each day, and I'm in Newburgh in Brewster, and and, you know, we have our synthetic ice facility that we've kinda replicated what we did in Fairlawn in Hawthorne now. So, you know, Nick Fia is is the is the guy there, and, you know, it's it's kinda like now we have on ice and off ice and synthetic offerings. And then, you know, with with the summertime coming up, like, we're doing, you know, three straight weeks of overnight camps up in Newburgh right now. So that's kinda what we're gearing up for. You know, we block out the hotel up there, and we've got, like, a week of prep school age and junior players.
And then the following two weeks is, you know, like, 20 to twenty fourteen age groups. So that's kinda everybody comes together, and it's a full team effort. We've got, like, 10 coaches each week, all hands on deck up there. So it's kinda full circle back to Newberg.
Scott: You guys are busy. You guys are I I mean, I remember I remember when you guys were at Anvil. I never went with Otto. He was it was before I was as I was getting, like, indoctrinated into, like, the what the, you know, the crazy world of youth ice hockey. But but, you know, one thing I I just gotta, like, hats off to you guys is that, like, you guys clearly have a lot of, like, you know, guys working for you, running all these different camps all over the place.
You know, and I've I've never heard anyone say, like, oh, that you know, not that coach. Don't don't sign up with that coach or don't say you know, because that happens at other places that I you know, we we've all probably we all probably know where it's like there's some coaches, you know, people say, like, you know, don't don't do anything with that guy. But everything that you guys do, honestly, it's just like whenever I have conversations, they're just like, yeah, it was great. So just That really
Boo: means a lot, but I
Scott: just wanted to share that with you guys because it's it's all the time.
Justin: No. It means a ton because, like, honestly, I think that's that's the fire that built this and the fire that keeps us going, and I'll never forget, and I'm not calling out Boo here at all, but, like, one of his first times on the ice, you know, I'm expecting the dad, or I forget if it was a dad or another coach, like, hey, RJ and Boo are awesome, is what I was expecting. And it was like, hey, you know, like, I was expecting this, and, you know, I sent it to him, and he was obviously, like, a little rattled. And I was like, hey, I've had the same thing happen to me, and this was very early on, and we're like, you know what? Like, we need to standardize everything so that, you know, whether it's Mike, Joe, Billy, Bob, whoever it is, you know, you're getting that same level of intensity, that same attention to detail, and, you know, that same pace that everybody really comes to us for, where the coaches are flying, you know, we're we're still actively almost like we're playing, and, you know, that's that's the kind of brand that we wanted to follow.
Not not Justin's hockey, not Boo's hockey school, not RJ, but, you know, this this big collective of, you know, a drill database that we're kind of always feeding, that guys are always pulling from, that we know, like, yeah, that standard's gonna be held no matter who it is. And, you know, there's guys along the way that, you know, we've had that came on with us that, you know, they think it's maybe better on their own or whatever that might be, and that, you know, kudos to them for trying. But, like, the the best part about this is knowing, hey, if I have a sore throat, RJ's next man up. Or if Booze has the flu, you know, I'm coming in for him. And, you know, we really do feel like a team, you know, and that's that's, I think, the enticing part for these guys coming out of pro hockey, where it's like, you're used to routine, you're used to having guys around in the locker room, you're used to being, you know, take care of your body, you know, hold yourself accountable, and, you know, I still live the same lifestyle I do when I played.
You know, I I stretch every night. I recover. I, you know, I can't be out late the night before a morning skate. All those things, you know, guys look for and and structure in their life, and I think they're able to find that with us, and that's why it's a full career, not just like a, you know, a little quick gig, I guess.
Scott: Alright. So so I just wanna rewind the tape a little bit and and, boo, I'll kick it over to you. So, like, in terms of growing up and what it was like for you as a youth athlete, like, what was what was your home life like? What were your parents like? Was there a lot of pressure put on you by others?
Was it by yourself? Like, you know, how how did it all kind of, like, evolve for you?
Boo: For me, I I think I had a little bit of a unique experience. I grew up in Syracuse, New York. So, I mean, at the time, there hadn't really been a lot of players that had come out of I mean, Central New York, you could argue, you know, the Dustin Browns, the Patrick Haynes. But, you know, outside of some of those guys, I mean I mean, I grew up with, like, Alex Tuck and Joel Farby and Anthony Angelo and and some of those guys who who are still playing in the NHL, which is awesome to see. But, you know, for me, hockey where I grew up was a thing, but it wasn't, you know, the way it is down here.
Right? Like, you don't have, you know, six triple a teams in a 10 mile radius. You know, there was there was there was one. Right? It was you know, if you know New York geography, it's, you know, Buffalo.
Well, this is backwards for you guys, but so Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and there was one triple a team in in each each city, and that was it. And, you know, we'd play Utica, and then we'd play Buffalo. We'd play Rochester. We'd come down and play New Jersey. So for me, I I took hockey more seriously than most other kids in the area just because I I loved it.
No one in my family really played it at all. My older brother played, but he was just more of a more of a house player. I mean, my I had some, you know, great uncles that played, but, you know, I never really even met them or but I don't think they really played at a serious level. So for me, it was just kind of like a a self taught kind of thing. I I didn't really have lessons growing up.
I shot tennis balls on a slanted driveway. I practiced twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Thursday skate was split ice with the 90 threes because I'm a 94. The extra ice I would get was, you know, breaking into the local rink after school. And if the Zamboni guy caught us, we would leave. I mean, I know this sounds crazy, but this is this is literally what we would do.
And, yeah, that that's that's how we how we did it. And, you know, we we play hockey in, you know, fall and winter, and then, you know, my parents would have me do, like, one or two spring tournaments, maybe something in the summer. But I played lacrosse most of my life as well just to kind of switch gears a little bit. But I I think as I started to get older, I was good for my age, so I started to get a lot of attention at a young age. My dad hated it because I was you know, it's an expensive sport as you both know, and I'm one of four kids, so I have three siblings.
So my mom was left home to play zone defense with, you know, a boy and two girls, so I'm sure she enjoyed that. But, I mean, as I got older, I'd say till, like, the 13, age, it was really, really premature. But, I mean, I I was I probably had my first division one off for my I was, like, going into, like, my freshman year.
Jamie: Oh, wow. Yeah.
Boo: Yeah. It was from Colgate, actually, because they were kind of a school that was around the corner from me. And then I remember, I think Michigan was second, and then kind of everybody kinda came in from there. And I just I remember, like, being in my freshman year, and it was, like, Christmas time, and and I got a call from Michigan again. And they were like, hey.
You know, not for nothing, but, you know, we we kinda wanna know if you're gonna come or not because if not, we're gonna offer somebody else. And I'm like, I I don't really know much of anything. Now listen. Like, I loved my time in Michigan. I would have never have changed that.
But looking back, you know, that's just the way things were. You know? I got a gun pointed to my head at a young age, and I didn't really know much other than the cool winged helmets and some of my friends. Like, I knew Justin at the time, and I knew he he wanted to go there, and we had a couple other buddies. And, you know, I'm I'm fortunate enough to have committed to a place like that.
And a lot of people don't know this about me, but I actually went to so I went to 40 for NTDP after Syracuse. I played my u sixteen year. I went to NTDP, and, like, the guys for that age group, the 90, it was, like, me and, like, Seth Jones and Jacob Truba. And I'll never forget, like, they flew me out to, like they had, like, toured the school. At the time, they went to Pioneer in Ann Arbor, and the facility is not it wasn't in Plymouth.
Like, it is now it was in Ann Arbor. And I was like, wow. This is, like, the coolest thing ever. And then 40 man came, and I actually was, like, the very last cut. Like, the last cut.
Oh, no. And my agent called me, and I Jeez. Yeah. I I was kinda like, what do you mean? Like, I'm, like, one of the guys.
Like, I'm like the guy. Like, how could they cut me? And I for a minute, I was like, I don't wanna play hockey. Like, I don't wanna do this anymore. Like, if I'm not playing there and my agent was just like he was like, boo, if you took away the USA logo, would you would you still wanna play there?
And I kinda thought about that, and I was like he's like, say they were just the development team in the USHL. And I was like, I don't know. And he was like, listen. Like, it's not the end of the world. Of course, do you guys go there and find success?
Of course. But he was just like, there's the USHL. And then this was the crazy thing out of left field. He was like, we could also go to prep school. And I was like, why would I go to prep school?
Like, why would I do that? And Right. You know, growing up in Syracuse, middle class family. I mean, prep school for us, like, wasn't even like a thought. Like, that's like a movie type thing for me.
I'm like, I don't go to prep school. I don't know what prep school is. And fortunately, at the time, Matt Hur was coaching at Kent School, and Matt Hur was on that 1998 Michigan team that won the national championship. And Steve Sabelli, my youth coach, was like, I think this is a great decision for you, who which, by the way, he's still a very close friend of mine, mentor, you know, basically a second father to me. He's been incredible.
He's And the one who really pushed you. He's like, think you should go here. I was like, I think you should become a man, and you're gonna find your way to Michigan. I'm not worried about that. So kinda crazy.
I I I was, like, the only kid out of that whole birth year that went to boarding school my junior and senior year, and it was probably the best decision I ever made. Wow. It's awesome. Yeah. You know, I got to be a big fish in a little pond.
Whereas if I went straight to the USHL, I don't know if I would have still have been the player that I I turned out to be because, you know, the USHL's it's cutthroat if you don't find your way early. You know, you know, once you talk to Justin about this, like, he he experienced, you know, everything in that league. And, you know, I met a lot of really cool people. Some of my best friends today, you know, I went to boarding school with, and I think that was one of the first times in my life where I was forced to separate hockey from the rest of my life. Because when you're in class, there's six people, and you're sitting at a round table, and you can't hide.
If you didn't do your homework, there's no excuses. You live on campus. Your teachers are there. There's office hours. You're truly pulled out of the hockey locker room, which I didn't love at first, but once I came to terms with it, I think it helped me in the long run.
And then kinda fast forward to when I did go to Michigan, it was kind of a seamless transition. You know? I didn't feel like a chicken with his head cut off. It was funny. Like, the first week before classes, all of my classmates were like, we should go find all our classes and know where they are, and I'm like, it's fine.
Here's a map. It's fine. We'll figure it out. Just give yourself twenty minutes. It's not that big of a deal, and everyone yeah.
They were like, we should try this bus route and try I'm like, it's fine. Like, we'll figure it out. So it was kinda funny. But no. I mean, I no.
I can sit here and talk to him blue in the face, but, know, I I Michigan was awesome. You know, it was one of the first times. I think for me and Justin can both say this, like, were both, like, studs just like everybody else who walks into that, you Yost Arena, and then you're very quickly humbled, and you're, you know, replaced by a first rounder. And not even a first rounder, like, a third overall pick, a fifth overall pick, an eighth overall pick. And, you know, when you go in for the fall, there's guys who play in the NHL who were there last year playing skating with you, and, you know, I go from, like, this this big stud who just got drafted in the second round to, oh, shit.
Like, Jacob Schubo went eighth overall, so, like, I'm not that good. And, you know, it was it was funny because my freshman year, I think I went from third line to first line quickly. My sophomore year, JT Confert came in. I got bumped down to third line real quickly, and then my junior year, Dylan Larkin came in, and then JT got bumped to second. I stayed at third.
Dylan was in the first line. Like, it it was crazy. Like, our our our lineups, our teams were Kyle Connor, Zach Worenski, Dylan Larkin, JT Confert, Tyler Mott, Andrew Copp, Jacob Truba, like, you name it. Like, it's it's crazy. We we we had some really good players, and I think what you learn at Michigan is you're treated like a pro, and you're expected to play like a pro.
And playing like a pro isn't always performing the way you need to. It's learning how to play with the guys around you because everybody's good. Everybody can do everything. So
Jamie: Right.
Boo: If you're not scoring a goal, and I know it's a cliche, but, like, what are you honestly doing? Like, what are you honestly doing out there that has coach Red Berenson keeping you in the lineup that's not, you know, a lateral move to put in a guy that's been scratched? And I know we can talk about this more after. But, you know, after that, I was fortunate enough to go to Hartford, and, you know, I spent a lot of time up and down, and I had a lot of concussion history. So that that was that was hard.
You know? As soon as I would get some momentum in New York, I would get hurt. I'd come back. I'd get sent down, work my way back up, get hurt, same rotation. And, you know, unfortunately, I got to a point where I didn't wanna continue down that path because, you know, it's it's a scary one, and, you know, it's it's it's kinda like kinda like being in a casino and, you know, sometimes you just get up and you have to just walk out with what you got and it's cut your losses.
And I'm really fortunate to have, you know, say that I I played in the in the NHL for, you know, the New York Rangers, which, you know, fortunate enough to still live in New York City and still work closely with them. Actually, I had golf outing with a lot of those guys today, which was an awesome time. So nice. Very lucky, very fortunate. And, you know, hockey's been hockey's been an incredible vehicle for me.
Jamie: Yeah. It's funny how everybody has a different path, isn't it? No two paths are the same.
Boo: You know? No. None whatsoever. And I I don't think, you know, unless you're like the the unicorns, the Connor McDavid's of the world, that no one's path goes the way it's supposed to.
Jamie: Right. So speaking of paths, Justin, let's hear yours from when you were a kid.
Justin: Yeah. It's funny. Like, Boo and I's paths intersected a lot, but definitely different. You know, I grew up playing started at the Saints with RJ, went to the Avalanche, stayed at the Avalanche, got drafted to Des Moines my u sixteen year. Wasn't really expecting to go as a junior in high school, but had a good camp, made the team, and loved the coach.
The day before the season started, that coach took the job at the Minnesota Duluth, and I was handed a guy that, I won't name names, but was probably one of the worst human beings I've ever met, Like, verbal abuse, like Mhmm. Pretty much physical abuse. You know, guys were in a really rough spot with him, and I was 16 years old. So I went from, you know, like, living in Bergen County, New Jersey to Des Moines, Iowa. You know, that was a huge culture shock for me.
You know, I think I scored my first game, was scratched my second. Didn't even know what that meant. Went in his office. He's like, why should I play you? I was like, I thought I you know, what do you what do you mean?
I actually asked him if it was a mistake. I was like, hey. Don't see my name on the lineup chart. Where am I playing? He's like, you're not.
And, you know, that all these lessons, when you're in it, you don't realize are lessons, but, you know, those type of things prepared me for what hockey really is and that it's it's a business at those levels. And like Boo said, you know, it's a cutthroat league. It spits you out and you know, very quickly. I was fortunate enough with that coach to still be able to play and stay in the lineup for the most part of that season. I asked for a trade and and got traded to Sioux Falls, who was supposed to be very good and ended up letting a few guys go to college early, and we were the worst team in the league.
So I led the team in scoring that year, but I didn't get drafted. I was hoping to get not, like, boo in the first or second round, but I was expecting, you know, a call, like, third, fourth, fifth type of round, you know, at at some point in the season. You know, I played in the prospects game and all that, and it didn't happen for me. And that's okay. I went to Michigan, and like Boo said, you know, that was really an eye opening experience because unlike Boo, I wasn't I wasn't drafted.
So, you know, my our freshman class, we had a couple draft picks, him, Truba, and, you know, we were playing behind some guys at the time that, you know, were either seniors or juniors or also draft picks. And, you know, that for me, the USHL prepared me for because I was ready to kind of play like Boo was talking about, you know, hockey that didn't involve scoring every game. And I learned to defend, and I got really good at face offs and took a lot of pride in that and killing penalties. And, you know, all the things that coaches say will get you in the lineup, I really honed in on. And and, you know, I spent the time working with the strength coaches and, you know, pulling coaches aside to do video and all the little things that I could control, and that's all I could do is focus on what I could control there.
And, you know, by my junior year, I was really lucky, thanks to Boo, who ended up getting the stomach flu in Wisconsin. I was moved on to Dylan Larkin's line.
Boo: It's my 20 birthday.
Justin: Yeah, it was. And had a hat trick had a hat trick that game in Wisconsin. And, you know, for whatever reason, Larkin and Hyman, like, liked the way I played with them, and, you know, I was basically just a workhorse for them and got the you know, cleared the puck and got the puck for them. And I always joke about this, but I was like, I could have probably played righty and and had it as many points as I did with them. But I was super fortunate.
You know, I ended up a point of game with them the second half of the season, and, you know, that led Boo and I to be captains our our senior year at Michigan with JT. And at that point, I never imagined still, you know, signing in the n h signing an NHL contract, you know, playing pro hockey. I was looking for internships. You know, I was calling. Like, I think I had an internship at Bloomberg my junior year summer.
I was coming home expecting to work somewhere in the city, and then, you know, the season went pretty well halfway through. And, you know, I got a call that I was gonna be going to the St. Louis Blues camp. Had a great camp, and got offered a NHL contract. Played in the the system with them for three years with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL, and then I was in the East Coast League with Kansas City and Tulsa.
Similar to Boo, you know, injuries, concussions, all those things, you know, like, he actually said it perfectly. You kinda take it as a you know, take what you can get. And, you know, some days we always joke, like, we shoulda went to Europe. We shoulda done this. We shoulda done that.
But, all those paths led us here, and it's awesome to be able to kinda still put your skates on every day, call that work, and work with guys like Boo and RJ and Connor and all the guys that we have with us. Like I said before, it feels like we're still in that life, so we're really blessed to, you know, be able to go down that path.
Jamie: You know, it's funny. I I just was working on a reel, like, earlier today, and Scott, you know exactly what I'm talking about. So Doug Christensen, we had him on episode 36, I think. Commissioner of the ECAC. Right?
And Doug sent some said something when he was on with us, which Scott and I will not forget because, I mean, it comes up all the time. Every player at some point, if you don't love the game, it it gets hard at whatever level. And I think Doug says in the in the interview, whether it's your 10, you're 14, you're in high school, you're in college, you're playing pro, whatever it is. Like, at some point, it gets really hard. And if you don't love it, you're not gonna pay the price of admission.
Right? You're it's just not gonna suit you anymore, and you're gonna walk away. You know? You know, did you guys see, you know, guys throughout your career that were, you know, really, really talented guys, but they just didn't love the game. And at the because, obviously, you guys played at the highest levels.
Right? So you guys have seen everything. I mean, you know, do you agree with that statement that at at some point in time, it becomes hard, and if you don't love the game, it's just not gonna suit you, and you're not gonna put the time in to do what you gotta do to stay?
Justin: A 100%. I I had a I had a strength coach. He actually works with NHL players now, and he said that he he always would say, do you love hockey, or do you love the lifestyle that comes with it? And, eventually, that lifestyle isn't enough to keep you motivated. And you really realize that, like, you know, at Michigan, I don't think anyone's treated better anywhere, even some NHL teams.
We flew private. We had food on the plane. You know, everything was top, top, top of the line. Nike, everything, Jordan, everything you could imagine. Then you go to the minors, and, you know, it's definitely a shock for you.
You're you're 16 on a bus.
Jamie: You're eating Subway.
Justin: You're you're on a bus again. You're eating Subway before the game. Hopefully, if you can get it in, you know, you're stopping at a gas station. You're trying to piece together a pregame meal which consists of, you know, beef jerky, two bananas, a Celsius, like, your your whole thing is all out of whack. And the guys that make it in in pro hockey, in my opinion now, watching what's gone on the last ten years, aren't the best.
They're the guys that, like you said, they love it the most. They love it the most, and it's the only thing that they know know. Right? Like, they there's no second guessing. They're not like, what if I was working as a lawyer?
Or what if I had this side hustle where I could also do a software sales on the bus? They are 100% committed to every single day, whether they're in, you know, the Federal Hockey League or they're in the NHL, and, you know, ignorance is bliss. Some of those guys just live it until they're 35, and that's amazing for them. Personally speaking, that shift I that you're talking about where, you know, the love kinda fades away, I felt it. And, you know, I had a hard conversation with my parents where it was like, you know, I'm I'm traveling on the bus all across the country.
You know, it's like, what am I really doing? You start to see your friends get, know, real real jobs outside of hockey, and, you know, you kind of start asking yourself those questions. So, yeah, I I do agree with that for sure, and and I think Boo is gonna say the same. We see it a lot with with kids. Like, when when we work with a player, I could tell immediately within five minutes if they wanna be on the ice or if their dad or mom wants to to be on the ice.
You know? And it's like, how many more minutes do we have left, or are we almost done? That's the easiest way I can describe it. Right? It's like, can we stay five more minutes, or are we almost done?
And, you know, you can't force somebody to love it. You know, you can force somebody to get better at something, but you can't force somebody to love it. Right.
Boo: Yeah. No. I I I totally agree, and I think I saw a lot of guys I think the AHL is is the hardest league in the world to play in. It's it's the hardest league in the world to play in because you're there's probably six to eight guys in every AHL team who have played NHL games and who could be playing in the NHL, but there's just not enough space. Right.
So I don't know if a lot of guys are familiar with AHL schedules too. Like like in Hartford, you'd play Wednesday, you'd play Friday, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday, you'd have a three and three. Now when I was in Hartford, we had we were horrible. We were absolutely horrible. On Wednesday nights, I'm not even exaggerating, there was sometimes seven people in the stands on a Wednesday night for a game.
Woah.
Jamie: It Oh, jeez.
Boo: And it was it was it was crazy. Like, I just remember, like, not scoring dash two after the first period. And like Justin said, I'm sitting in the locker room, like, what the hell am I doing? Like, what what is I'm, like, looking around the room. I'm like, this guy doesn't speak English at all.
This guy's just here because he needs health insurance because his wife's pregnant. Like, this coach just flew in last week because, you know, he just got canned. Like, it's the craziest thing, and I'm just sitting there like jungle. What am I
Justin: It's a jungle.
Boo: Yeah. It's a jungle, and you're everybody is just killing each other. It is balls to the wall. Like, it's people this is people never believe me when I say this. It's easier to play in the NHL than it is to play in the AHL.
Because in the AHL, guys aren't always in the right spots because they're just so excited, they wanna show that they're ready to play in the NHL. But in the NHL, everybody values the puck. Everybody's calm with it. Everybody understands what a turnover means. Because not everybody in the AHL can score on a turnover.
90% of guys in the NHL are gonna score on a turnover. So it's it's this understanding of the AHL. It it grinds you down, and it really forces you to step up or get out of the way. And I I think my moment of that was I was in I was hurt for again, of course, I was. And I had just gotten back to New York, and I was playing really well.
And we had just beaten Boston, and we're going into the all star break or, like, the mandatory week break. And I'm like, oh, great. Like, we're I might, you know, I might go to California, see some friends. I might go to Florida, see my family. Nope.
David Quinn's like, you're gonna go play in Hartford for the week. And I was like, you've gotta be kidding me, dude. Like, I'm scratching and clawing, and I'm playing well. And he you know, they have the whole talk, whatever. So I get sent down, and I I remember I was in a horrible hotel room.
And I get to the rink the next morning, and and Chris Drury at the time was the GM of Hartford. And he kinda stopped me in the hallway, and he was like, boo. I'm like and he could tell I was pissed off. And he's like, boo, do you think I wanna be here? And I was like, no.
And he's like, but here we are. We're here. So he's like, just just go play. Just go play. We'll be back in New York in a week.
He's like, I don't wanna be here either, but this is part of the job. And I was like Right. It kinda like hit me. I was like, holy crap. Like, this is Chris Drury.
Like, this guy just won it. He's done it. He's now on the other side of it. Like, he's been where I've been. So, like, what am I gonna say back to this guy?
So no. It's right. Like, you it it makes you hate hockey for a little bit, but then it's can you turn the corner and understand that you do really love it and you're just going through a rough time, or are you just not cut out for it?
Jamie: Right.
Scott: And have did either of you guys have any experiences that were remotely similar at, like, younger ages where you was just like, woah, what did I get myself into and let me do a real like gut check to see if I really wanna keep doing this.
Jamie: When Justin got the coach changed on him. Yeah.
Justin: I think I I
Scott: always remember, like that one before, but I'm just curious if there's other examples.
Justin: Earlier on, no. I mean, no. Like, I really think, like, my mom would always was not as, like, you know she never pressured hockey at all, and she would always say, like, do you really love it? Because, you know, you're missing Thursday and Friday and Monday of school every week. Do you really love it?
Like, now you're missing everyone's 16. Do you really love it? Like, are you missing all the, you know, bar mitzvahs and, you know, birthday parties and school dances and I didn't go to prom. Like, all those things, do you really love it? And I remember the conversation every time she would say that, and I would undoubtedly say yes immediately.
And, okay, great. And if you don't, tell me, and and we're done. And, you know, I'll talk to your dad and you're done. And, you know, it was definitely, like, Boo talked about his upbringing. Like, my dad definitely was, like, on me with hockey, but I wouldn't have been the player I was without that.
And, you know, it was never, like, do this or you're not doing that. It was just he gave me the tools, he said, like, hey. Listen. You have this scheduled. 6AM.
If you don't wake up, I don't want I'm not driving. You know? Like, you gotta wake me up. And if I didn't wake him up, we weren't going to the rink. And, you know, I think that's an important lesson now for the kids is, like, you know, there's there's skates every day if you want at 6AM, but, like, who really wants to get up at 6AM?
And and that's same as for us. Right? Like, as a coach, you know, if you really want it and you really wanna be out there, you'll find ice. You'll find a way to do it. And, like, for Boo, he made it, you know, his own drills.
He made his own skill sessions up, and he was he was teaching himself. And that's, you know, kind of the messaging too is, like, if you don't you don't wanna learn, you're you're never gonna. You know, you could spend ten thousand hours doing it wrong or doing it just because you're forced to be out there. So I I think growing up around here, youth hockey was a blast. I remember the Avalanche days were a blast.
Going to tournaments was a blast. Now granted, like, I never was cut or, you know, felt that short end of the stick until juniors. So I don't know that I'd have that same story if, you know, I was cut from the Avalanche AAA team at Pee Wee and then, you know, had to claw myself back to midgets. But there's tons of kids I played with that had that route and did it, you know, and that's a good story to tell for a lot of kids too is, like, you know, I'm talking about the brick with parents today. It's like, my son didn't make the brick.
Is his career over? Swear to God if someone said that. I'm like, no. I didn't play in it. Boo didn't play in it.
RJ didn't play in it.
Boo: You know, I don't even know what it was.
Justin: Guys are like, well, Matthew's played in it, and McDavid played in it. Okay. That's great. But, you know, your son can't even tie a shoe literally can't tie their own shoes yet. Trust me.
They'll be fine. And that's, like, the FOMO thing that's going on all over the place now. It's like every, you know, every tournament's The USA, you know, World Cup champion representing your country. And if you don't go, you're the you're you're never gonna make it to the next level. It's like, it's not true.
But you guys, we talked about this before. It's like that Yeah. That fear of, like, my son's not, you know, gonna get the look if he's not at the right thing. And I keep going back to boo, but he's the perfect example. If you're good, they're gonna find you.
You know? Right. And they can tell if you wanna be a player. They can tell if you wanna be a player. Whether you're from, you know, Greenwich, Connecticut, or if you're from Saskatchewan, they're gonna find you.
Jamie: Yeah. Right. Yeah. I'm curious. Would you boys do anything different from, like, when you were kids?
If you had to go back and and kind of redo things, would you do anything different, both of you?
Justin: I think I personally would have waited one more year to go to the USHL, not because of the coach change, just because of the drastic life change that it was. And, you you think you're a man, and you think you're mature, and, you know, all that, but, like, you're a 16 year old kid, and, you know, there's 21 year old guys on your team, and you're in a totally different headspace. And I never got to experience the hockey without school. Like, I was always you know, I was in school in the USHL, and I went to college. I think, like, that if you can position yourself to be successful in that gap year where you really can focus on your game, you know, being a true freshman was obviously a huge honor and an awesome opportunity.
But I think, like, looking back, my game got better each year, and I think if I went in you know, I always thought about it. If I went in a year later, but then, you know, who knows? Injuries could have happened. Other guys get brought in. So it's always, like, easy to look back at that and say, but from a youth hockey standpoint, definitely not.
I mean, I tip my hat to the Avalanche all the time still. Like, they are through and through just a class organization, and, you know, I was treated really well and still get treated well by them. So it's always good to see that. But no, I think that would be the only thing is, you know, just not being in such a rush to leave. And that's why I tell a lot of people the same message.
It's like, once your son's out of the house, he's out of the house. You know? And he's 15, 16, 17 year old kid, he's out of the house for good. So you wanna really make sure you're you're ready, and that doesn't mean, yeah, he can do his laundry. It's like, no.
He needs to really be ready to be on his own and face these challenges head on. So I think that would really be it for me. Yeah.
Boo: Yeah. I I I agree. Like, I I don't I don't think I would've done much differently. I think maybe, you know, having someone teach me a little bit more and I mean, I think I developed just fine, but I didn't really have someone to say, like, hey. Like, this is how you should be shooting or, like you know, I I was just like a I was just lucky enough to figure out skating, and skating is kind of what got me to the highest levels.
And I watched and I observed a lot. And and and, you know, one thing I I I do wanna point out that I I don't think a lot of parents and kids appreciate now is a good coach. And not like us, not necessarily just us. Like, I'm talking about, like, your head coach of your of your winter team. And, you know, for me, like, Steve Sabelli was he's the reason I I am where I am today.
Like, this guy went so far out of his way to bring in you know, he would have, you know, the goalie coach from Colgate on his off days come and work with our goalies. And, you know, his his oldest son was playing at Hobart at the time, and he'd have him come and skate with us. And just so many little things and the messages. And like Justin said before, it's it's so funny. The older I get, the the forty minute conversations we have after losing to, you know, Seth Jones and the Colorado Thunderbird and, you know, the Silver Sticks quarterfinals and our Pee Wee Major year.
Like, I'll never forget. He was he he talked to us for, like, forty five minutes. Forty five minutes. And those lessons and and what he said and what he preached and and the way he walked, like, it all it just makes sense the older you get. And, you know, for for me especially, like, my like, my my parents were going through, like, a nasty divorce when I was, like, 13, like, as like, around the time where I was, like, everyone was starting to figure out who I was, and Michigan started coming into play, and then Boston College, BU, you name them.
I was visiting. I was talking to the coaches, and all everybody wanted to know, I'd get calls every day. USA Hockey Magazine, US Hockey Journal. Hey, can we do an interview? Hey, this and that.
The London Knights are in town. They wanna meet with you. This, that, all of it. And all everybody wanted to know was, like, is Bout staying? Is Bout going?
What's he thinking? What do you wanna do? What is this? What is that? And I'll never forget.
I was walking into the lake, and and he just grabbed me. He's like he's like, how you doing, kid? And I'm like, fine. And then he grabbed me, and he goes, no. Like, how are you doing?
And I just, like, lost it. I just, like, burst out into tears, and he just hugged me, and he was just like, listen. Like, I went through something similar when I was younger. Like, I get it. Like, I know it's a lot.
Like, I know it's heavy. And I was like, how does he know, like, what I'm going through as, like, a kid? And, you know, for him to push my buttons and to get the absolute best out of me and then for him to be able to, you know, coddle me when I needed to be coddled as a kid, like, it's unbelievable looking back. And I I think that a lot of parents overlook that because, you know, they want their kid to be pushed, but but not too hard. Like, if they if they get upset, like, oh, no.
No. No. You've upset my kid now. But then it's like, oh, he just stood there and blew the whistle. You know?
My kid didn't learn anything. You should almost have, like, a love hate relationship with your coach. There's some some nights you should walk out of a Thursday night practice as a little kid being like, screw that guy. I hate that guy. I hate him.
He yelled at me in front of everybody. He embarrassed me in front of everybody because he's just lighting a fire under you. And when Friday morning comes in whatever tournament you're playing in, you're gonna be ready to go. Like, that's what they're doing. And I think that there's this miscommunication between a lot of parents, coaches, and players now because it's very individualized.
It's all I don't wanna say the kids are victimized, but I think it's just the kids don't understand the messages that are being sent. And I think it's partially sometimes their parents' fault, and I think it's partially sometimes the kids not understanding where the coaches are coming from.
Scott: Well, let let me let me ask you about that because that comes up a lot. And And we certainly talked about it, like, as the the last fall season started winding down just as, like, tryouts were upon us and, like, you know, families that might be looking to move or being approached and kinda, like, how do you navigate that? And, you know, something that a lot of people talk about, you know, is just like, you know, you wanna know who's coaching your kid. Right? And you know, the story that you just told, I don't know how much like you going into that situation necessarily knew about the coach or just like, you know, in red like in the rearview mirror like, wow, did I, you know, what a coach that I ended up having.
But if you were to, like, help guide parents in terms of, like, maybe, like and and it can apply to skills coaches too or, like, whatever kind of coaching. It could be mental performance coaching. But, like, as coaches yourselves, are there any questions parents ask you? You're like, oh, they're really you know, these are good questions to try to understand what they're getting their kid into. Is there any guidance you could give parents?
Oh.
Boo: Yeah. Jess, you wanna go first? You want me
Justin: Yeah. I I mean, I think, like like Boo said, taking the taking the hockey equation out of it, you I think you can tell, and I think in the last few years, a lot of coaches have been whether it's forced to, to keep up with it or not, but you can tell if coaches care when, you know, they're doing the extras. There's video, there's a team code of conduct, there's, you know, that that binder that at least when I was younger, that binder where it was, like, your core values, your systems, or, you know, it's your coaches late every week, and, you know, he's missing practice, and he's, you know, running around because he's got a lesson before, all these things. You can tell that. That's, like, level one, but I think, like, you know, working with a like, you hear from other players the type of relationships that they have with the coach.
And if you if you hear that type of relationship like Boo had with his coach or I had with JJ Picnic at the Avalanche, where it went deeper than, you know, September 1 to April 1. You know, there was constant communication, What type of, you know, team group chats? The the lessons that they're gonna teach your player away from the rink, I think, are just as important as the x's and o's. All the coaches now are are very, you know, versed with USA Hockey and x's and o's, and they're able to teach the game. It's their patience level.
It's their commitment level, and I think you can read between the lines and see that. And I don't think you should just take the first offer you get, and a lot of these parents feel the love, and, you know, they they recruit the other kids to come with them to that organization. But, you know, I think it's there's coaches that have been around for a long time, and that's for a reason, and you gotta kinda, you know, make sure you do your homework with that type of stuff for sure.
Boo: Yeah. No. Definitely. And then and I I I find it really interesting too when I when I skate kids. You know, I had a kid last week, and I'm not gonna say the birth year or team or anything, but I was like, they're a very good team.
Very, very good team. And I was like he's a defenseman, and we're working on some D work stuff, and I like, alright. Let's do some hinging. And he was like, what's a hinge?
Jamie: What's that?
Boo: I'm like I mean, if I said the birth year, you'd be perplexed, but I was like, your your coach hasn't touched you with Hinge. Now listen. Just because you don't know a Hinge doesn't mean you have a bad coach. I'm like, okay. No problem.
What kind of system do you guys run? I don't know. What what what's your forecheck? I I don't know. What
Scott: For real?
Boo: Do you what do you guys do in, like, the d zone? Like, center on center? Do you guys kinda play like a swarm? Do your wingers drop down? Do you kinda go man on man?
I don't know. We just get the puck. I'm like, oh my god. And but the craziest part though is this kind of feeds into what Justin was saying though is it's it's crazy because they win. Now what does that say about youth hockey as a whole, and what does that say about this team?
Well, kinda like what Justin was saying. Just because one coach is good for one kid, they try to recruit all the other best kids. Now doesn't mean they all fit this coach in this system in this organization. I think that there's this follow the leader mentality, and I think that's where a lot of people struggle. And I think that's where a lot of kids end up in that, like, you know, second to third line role, and halfway through the year, they're upset, and they're trying to find a release, and they wanna go to another team, and then they end up staying year after year after year because they don't want to go somewhere else, and they don't.
They're scared to be a guy. And I think one of the best lessons, and I know Justin was was the best player in his team growing up too, is, like, if you can find a way to make a decent or bad team pretty good, then you've won. You've done it. And, like, people notice that. I can walk into any rink in any youth hockey, watch a period, and tell you the best players on the ice.
I can tell you all the best players on ice. It's when you've been around hockey for so long, it's it's no secret. It's it's there's no puzzle. You can just tell stick placement, hockey IQ, and not hockey IQ as in, like, oh, well, you know, he he saw there was a stretch pass, so he went. It's like, okay.
Like, if I'm a center, do I stay above the center, or am I below the center? Am I cheating above? Where's this defenseman on this hinge? If this winger goes, where's the other winger going? Is he staying?
Is he watching the d wheeler on the net, or is he creating a little bit of space and taking someone with him? It's those little things, and I think that kids aren't learning these things anymore because they're so worried about the best players on their team carrying their team. And they're they find roles that kind of mold them at 12 years old. Like, you shouldn't be a third line center at 12 years old. Because if you're a third line center at 12 years old, you're gonna be out of the game by 16.
So I I I think that this whole mentality of following the leader and not finding a coach that works for you is is really hurting a lot of kids.
Jamie: Yeah. Topher Scott says that all the time. He's like, go find go you don't have to play for the best team. You don't play for the the nicest jersey. He says, go find the best the coach that's gonna care about you
Boo: Yeah.
Jamie: The most. Right? Larry Robin says the same thing. Like, find somebody that's gonna care about you because that guy, like you said, boo, you know, when that coach came up to you and was like, hey. How you doing?
He's like, no. Really? Like, how are you doing? Yeah. Like, that's somebody that cares.
Right? Those those guys are hard to find. But you find those guys, and there's no reason to leave.
Boo: No. You know? None whatsoever. And and, you know, my Syracuse team growing up, we were good. We weren't great.
I mean, when we grew up, Just, there was probably, I'd say, a total of 50 triple a teams in the whole country, maybe. Like, there really weren't that many. Like, were like, top
Justin: 10, my hockey my hockey rankings, like, just came on the scene, like, towards
Boo: the 16 And, like, fourteen, sixteen We were, like, a top 10 team, and if we played, like, the best team, we'd we'd get killed. Like, we'd lose the comp. You were eight to one. But, like, we were, like, the tenth ranked team. There was just a big drop off, and, you know, it's it was it was it was different.
Jamie: Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's interesting. You know, we get a lot of I'm so curious what you guys are gonna say about this. We get so many people writing in from all over the world that, you know, their kids having a nightmare season and, you know, what do we do?
Do we leave? Are are know, are the teams really good? Like you were saying, Boo, like, my kid's on the third, fourth line, whatever it is. He doesn't get a lot of playing time, but we don't wanna leave. What but the kid's miserable.
Right? You know? And I I can't even tell you how many I can't tell you how many we how many, like, people write in parents from all over the globe that are just what what do we do? Right? So I'm curious.
What do you what do you what would you guys say to a parent? I'm sure you guys have had this conversation locally. Right? What do you what do you say to parents who are in that situation?
Justin: I mean, I I really am a believer in if you pull up someone's hockey DB, and it's five teams in five year or their elite prospects now. If you pull up their elite prospects and it's five teams in five years, you have to be good enough that your story tells itself. And, you know, unfortunately, with how good players are, I don't think people have the patience to hear it. And, you know, if it's Devils, Colonials, Rockets, Hitmen, Avalanche, Woodbridge in five different years, maybe the problem's not the coach, it's you. Right?
That's how I would look at it from an outside perspective. Or the parent. Now, maybe, you know, maybe your daughter is an exceptional soccer player, and they moved to South Jersey, and you were part of that move. Okay, that's one of the years. Then, maybe, you know, the dad takes a job in Manhattan, so you move.
But eventually, if it's within that certain radius, it's not the coaches, you know, you get one, get out of jail free, I think, and that's kinda what I tell them. Like, if it's that, if it's worth it right now, and you can't stick it out for three more months where, you know, the practices are that bad, you know, and if it's that bad, there's gonna be other voices saying it's that bad, and something will change. But if it's just you, you know, it's not the conversation anyone wants to have, but you have to look in the mirror sometimes. You know, there are times, right, and there's certain circumstances, but a lot of times, it's like, Coach hates me. Well, why?
Like, well, sometimes I'm late, sometimes I forget my stick, sometimes, you know, I'm complaining on the bench, I have bad body language, I slam the door. Okay, well, let's fix those, let's address it with coach
Jamie: That's true.
Justin: See if he notices, and then, you know, maybe your ice time picks up. Now, all of a sudden, that guy you hated is your new favorite coach because you're on the power play. So, it's like you have to be patient because I like I said, once you start jumping ship and, you know, you're switching jerseys every year in the same county, you know, I don't think that you're the issue. I don't I think you're the issue. It's not necessarily the coach.
Right. Right.
Boo: Yeah. No. I I I think it's it's kind of like a a multistep answer, but it's it is. It's yeah. It's it's well, why do you not hate it?
Why do you not like it there? Like, well, I don't play very much. Okay. Well, like, let's look at a video, and then sometimes you do video with these kids, and it's like, yeah, you're the center, and you're leaving the zone before your defenseman even gets the puck. I wouldn't play you either.
You know what I mean? And then but you know what I mean? And then, you know, and and I think it's it's hard though too because then you start getting into, like, the parent coaches, and it's like, you know, we have a parent coach, and he always plays, you know, little Johnny all the time. But, you know, there's always two sides to that story because sometimes the coach's I'm kids
Justin: supposed join on
Jamie: the ice
Justin: skate on the team.
Boo: Yeah. And he's got 60 goals and 60 assists, and, you know, all 30 of your kid's goals are assisted by Lil Johnny. So, yeah, I would I would play Lil Johnny too. And, know, there's the other side of it where, yeah, clearly, he shouldn't be on that line, shouldn't be on the ice that much, and it is what it is. And I think organizations are trying to kinda nip that in the butt, but, no, it's just nothing that Justin didn't say.
It's it's understanding what the what the root of the issue really is. Is it you? Is it your kid? And, you know, we we've had parents come to us and say, this is the craziest thing. They'll be like, yeah.
You know, we quit our team, so we're just gonna skate with you for the next three months. And I'm like,
Jamie: Oh my God. I've seen people do that. That's nuts, by the way.
Justin: I'm like, What?
Boo: No. Yeah, no. I'm like
Jamie: You're like, That's not a good decision.
Boo: No. And they think, Oh, it's great for you. It's business for you. I'm like, We have plenty of business. We'll be fine.
I don't need to see your kid five days a week for two hours straight. He's not gonna get better that way. And, you know, I I it it baffles me. And, also, I think the other side of it is this I don't know. Maybe this sounds old school, but sometimes you need to just grind through a hard year of hockey.
Sometimes it's just good to not play that much, to not get along with someone on your team because here's the reality.
Justin: Learn to be a teammate.
Boo: I'll tell you what.
Justin: For sure.
Boo: I've sat in the I've sat in the locker room at Michigan and New York Rangers. I'm not gonna name names. Guys still don't like each other. You might not hear about it in the press, but they still don't like each other. But they but they're not gonna you know what?
They're not gonna, you know, pass off, you know, an opportunity to throw a saucer pass on a two on one and score if that's what the team needs. Like, I I think that that's kind of been lost too. And, you know, it's it's, hey. You know, little Johnny hasn't been playing much, and then it's like, okay. Great.
Let's go for a skate. And you explain the drill, and he keeps turning left. And I told him 15 times to turn to the right. And it's like, you don't listen. Like, that's your problem.
And and like Justin said, like, there's there's there's, you know, countless months amounts of these stories, but I I I think sometimes it's it's just good to grind through it. And you know what? You can leave after you're done, and it is what it is, and you can wipe the slate clean and find another place for your kid to play. But sometimes it's it's good for the kids and for the parents.
Jamie: Yeah. It's definitely good for parents. And unfortunately, I think a lot of parents step in, like you said, and they just kinda pull a kid off a team, right, instead of letting them go through a hard situation, which they're gonna grow and learn from. Right? Yeah.
I I think a lot of parents step in way too soon, those helicopter parents. Yep. Right?
Scott: Yeah, totally. For sure.
Justin: And I think it's hard. We don't personally coach teams, a lot of it's strategically for these reasons, but it is hard to balance the egos of a child and a parent at the same time, and also put your best product on the ice, show because, you know, you get two sides. You get, oh, this coach only he cares all he cares about is winning. Yeah. Well, that's what you would expect from a coach, but they're only 11.
Okay. So now you gotta kinda dial it back. And then you're kinda playing this juggling act of, do I wanna win? Do I wanna teach them life lessons? Do I wanna do Can I do both at the same time?
Are the parents happy with my practices? Well, no, because I'm stopping it to teach them, and they're not getting enough reps. Well, if they're not getting enough reps, then I start to speed it up, then they're not learning anything, and then I'm getting, you know, yelled at because they're not learning anything. And, you know, it just it's this constant parent pleasing that, you know, has has become what's steering the ship for a lot of these teams, and it always seems to be the coach that has a closed doors policy to the parents and an open door policy with the players. Those are usually the best teams.
You know? Like, I've had parents say to me, you know, my son's in a tough situation, and I'll say, can I talk to your son? And I'll I'll give him advice on how to talk to his coach to get constructive feedback, and then come to me with what we can do to fix it. Is it you're not breaking pucks out, you're losing battles, is it you're missing passes, you're not you're not back checking, you know, then I can kinda read through the lines and hear, like, alright. He's saying it's a numbers thing, you know, he's just not good enough.
Or if he's saying, you know, it's it's a d zone trust issue, okay. That's something we could work on. But I do think, you know, coaches give direct feedback. Like Boo said, sometimes it people and parents don't wanna hear it, and then, you know, you're kinda left with a a tough decision to make.
Jamie: That was a smart business decision, by the way, to not coach teams.
Scott: So let me ask you this. And I I know I know I know of someone like so much of this stuff, it depends when you try to give kinda like blanket or broad stroke advice. But just in terms of like parents and, you know, that maybe haven't gotten into any types of like skills coaching or, you know, kids that are interested in it. In terms of, like, how to approach it and what do I mean by that? Because there's obviously in season versus out of season.
Right? It's like how old are the kids? Are they doing, like, clinics with multiple kids? Are they looking for privates? Like, there's there's a lot of variables.
Right? But, like, I guess I'm kinda you know, if if this is a reasonable way to bucket it. Right? Like, if we just say, like, I don't know. And you you whatever it is for you guys, but let's just say, like, 14 is, the age where kids start taking it more seriously.
Right? So, like, leading up to that 14 or whatever it is for you, kind of like in season, you know, a good a good, you know, thing for kids would be to get, like, I don't know, one one extra ice session in a week. Then when you get up to, like, that fourteen, fifteen, when it starts to matter more, like, how how do you guys kinda recommend ramping it up?
Justin: It's a good question. You know, I think it really depends on a few things, and we always kinda try and flip it back to the player and the parent and, like, what are your goals, and when do we need to get you there by? If it's if it's college hockey and you're 12, you know, we have a long runway. If it's college hockey and you're 17, like, we really, you know, time's not really on our side. We gotta push it a little bit.
But in, like, a general instance, like a 14 year old triple a player, double a player who's practicing three nights or two nights a week, you know, it might be no no extra on ice sessions, but two really targeted off ice sessions that are gonna keep your hips and back and knees and everything feeling good in February, and two, you know, shooting specific, let's say it's on the glice or, you know, just in your house shooting pucks so that your puck touches are there. Because, you know, for us, like, our whole thing is built around what you're not getting into practice. You know, it's like Mhmm. We've done some stuff where we've had players come to a lesson, tape their stick white, take a picture of their blade, and then go to a team practice and do the same thing, and their blade almost stays completely white at a team practice. And, you know, you come to a session with us, and you're you're touching pucks 300, 400 shots, catching passes, making passes.
So I don't think it's private versus not private. You know, I can I I have one point about that in a second? I think it's more your intent and what you're coming into the session to get out of it. And I think, you know, there's guys who train with, you know, the top, top, top skills coaches in any sport, and it's an exorbitant amount of money, you know, in the tens, thousands of dollars for one hour, but they're going in to work on something very specific, and they're gonna come out of that with what they're getting. And, you know, you can do drills all day long, nothing will change if you're not getting corrected.
So it needs to be targeted and tactical and very specific, you know, and that's the benefit of what my point was. But the privates, it's like a lot of people are really rushing to, okay. I need a private lesson because they think, like, that's gonna be, you know, that's gonna be the answer. Right? That's gonna solve it or, you know, because typically, it's more expensive.
It has to be better, but I don't necessarily agree with that. I think there's a lot to be learned when you're with your peers. You know, you're like Boo said, he learned a lot by watching guys. Like, you know, I I think guys, a, you compete, b, you know, you pick up on things that guys do well. A chance, truthfully, it's a chance to rest for a second, because a lot of the times, privates, you know, kids are halfway through asking, is it almost done?
Because, you know, they've they've run through the drill so many times. They're out of breath. They're tired. So I I don't think there's an exact prescription to go back to your question. I think it it's what that player if it's if they're really lacking in skill, then it needs to be, you know, a couple sessions a week where you're just focusing on that, but you're really cognizant about keeping their legs fresh.
If their skating's really poor, then maybe it's really just fundamental power skating sessions, but not just skating to skate. And that's a hard thing to to convey to an outside, let's say, parent looking in who never played, and they're like, well, why is he not going as much as the guy in the other corner where, you know, he's doing it 10 times, and he's jumping over the pad, and he's doing this? Well, it's because we're trying to fix something. Right? We're trying to work on something.
And I think that's that's really the message there. You know, I've seen guys come once and and actually make a huge impact, and I've seen, you know, players come ten, fifteen times, and it's like, hey. Remember what we talked about last time? Oh, yeah. And you kinda have to continuously, like, rebuild those habits.
Yeah.
Boo: No. It's pretty much like what Justin said. There's there's no specific prescription. It's a player by player basis. It's it's specifics versus sometimes a kid needs to be in a group with a kid who's younger than them, but a little better than them to let a little fire on their butt sometimes.
And Mhmm. No. I I it's it's it's not a linear it's not a linear progression.
Scott: Yeah. And in terms of, like, the age when kids start taking it, like, a little bit more seriously, maybe they're dialing in nutrition, they're doing some more off ice workouts, etcetera. Is that that that 14, 15, 16 age range, like, kinda right there where you guys are seeing kids starting to really take it more seriously, is it even younger?
Justin: I think it's younger, man. Yeah. Right? It's definitely younger. Like, we have kids coming in to prepare for the combine for brick.
You know, they're eight. Like And I You know?
Boo: I think it's I think it's hard
Justin: to tell them, no. Fear
Boo: too. Right? Like, of players, Like, the other week, we were skating and some kids like dad's like, hey. So and so got an agent. Like, do I need one?
And I'm like, what do you need an agent for? And he's like, well, I don't know. He he's going to play there, and he's got an agent. I'm like, okay. Great.
Is is Michigan calling you? Is North Dakota calling you? No. Is Shattuck or Kent calling you? No.
So what you need an agent for?
Scott: I don't even know.
Boo: Like, if you need someone to call a place and ask to put your kid on the team, then your kid probably isn't ready to play there. They should be calling you. You can pay someone $10,000 a year to say, hey. You know, just hang tight. Like, you know, we'll figure this out, or you could just hang tight on your own and let your kid figure it out.
Like, I I I think that's it it kinda comes from, like, these other kids. Like and I think it's I honestly, I think it's one of the best things that happens to the kids when the best kid is like, hey. I'm going to Shattuck next year. And then all of a sudden, everyone's like, I gotta go to Shattuck. I have to go to Mount Saint Charles.
I have to go. Honestly, I think it's great for people because then all of a sudden, they're like, holy crap. Like, now the rat race has really started. And I think that everyone's eyes start to really open up. You know, when the best player, Lil Johnny leaves, well, what about my kid?
He was assisting all of his goals. What what are we gonna do? Where are we gonna play? What what should we do? And then I I think it's good for people, and I think it's good for the kids to see the best players start to take off and go other places because, you know, it's funny.
Me me and Jess joke about it because, you know, some of these we some of the kids that, you know, don't take hockey seriously, and, you know, it shows, and it's fine. You know, the NHL and college isn't for everybody, and it is what it is. Some kids just like playing hockey, and that's great. And we have kids that we skate like that. But, you know, it's just funny because then sometimes they're like, hey.
One of the college kids coming back. I'm like, what what does it matter? Like, you it's not gonna matter. You're gonna give me the same effort you gave me last year and the year before that and the year before that. Just just because this guy's playing division one now doesn't mean you're going like, it's it's it's the same thing.
So, no, it's it's Yeah. It it is interesting, but I don't think you could put a specific age on it, but I think if we had to It's getting young.
Jamie: I'd say
Boo: thirteen thirteen. It is definitely getting younger. It's getting younger. 14.
Justin: Listen, there's nothing wrong, and we were talking before the call, thankfully, have a daughter on the way, so it's different, and I don't hope well, we'll see. But I don't know about hockey for her, but anyway, I think, like, you know, I think there's something to be said about getting your kid athletic at a young age, because when you're building those movement patterns at seven, eight, nine, 12, 13, you're able to introduce movements that they would need to learn, and, you know, your body is adapting at those ages. So, you know, sometimes we laugh, and we're like, you know, there's a mite that wants to do off ice. And at first, I'm like, woah. What like but, you know, we have a really good strength and conditioning coach that programs everything with us, and, you know, he's introduced a lot of, like, games that gamify the movement, so you don't realize that you're working out, but you're actually becoming more athletic.
And it's not just for hockey, it's life. And, you know, I think the more you go down the rabbit hole with, like, technology and kids are on their phone so much and inside so much and, you know, whatever it is, you know, maybe off ice is what thirty years ago, going outside and playing with your friends was like. Right? Like, you know, it's racing, it's tag, it's keep away, thinking and interacting in different space that's, like, forcing you to be athletic, but, like, you're not really training. You know?
You're not putting weight on a kid's back at nine, but, you know, they're introducing to a squat pattern. When they do have to lift, they're not you know, their heels don't come off the ground, or they're not, like, caving at the knees. Different things are, like, a little bit more familiar. And what I tell players is, listen, if you're with us in the weight room, my main goal is to get you to a point where when you go to a team workout, whether that's high school, juniors, college, you're the guy that people look to as a leader in the weight room. Because you know all the movements.
You know how to act. You know how to be safe. You know how to spot guys, pick guys up, keep the energy up. And that goes a long way on any team. You're an energy guy.
You're a leader. And those are the type of things that you know, you can go and work out in your basement, sure, and you and and you can get that same. But, like, if you wanna learn, like, hockey specific movements and and feel like an athlete, I don't think there's, like, an age limit. I think it's just a maturity thing. You know?
We've had 15 year olds we've had to kick out of our gym, and we've had seven year olds who have run through a whole workout without, you know, one complaint. So it's just kinda personality, I guess.
Jamie: For sure. It's funny. It's funny we you mentioned it's getting it's getting younger, because it's definitely getting younger. Do you think do you guys think it's a parent thing that's pushing it to get younger? Or do you think it's a social media thing, and the kids are seeing it, and then they're kind of leaning more towards getting your or both?
Boo: You know? Think it's a combination of both.
Justin: I think I think both. Yeah. I think it's both.
Boo: I think the kids are seeing it on social media, but what a lot of us don't realize is I mean, some of them ex expose this, but a lot of them are parent run accounts. Right? So it's actually the parent that's overseeing it, and they're both, you know
Jamie: That's true.
Boo: Taking in the the same videos and the same you know, I I think it's I'm sorry. I I think it's crazy that people are, like, announcing that they're signing with a team on Instagram.
Justin: Commitment. That
Boo: is like Commitment. Commitment. Commitment. Commitment.
Justin: No question about that. The parent run Instagrams and all that stuff is definitely fueling it, and then there's another layer of the tournaments posting the rankings of the players, and then, you know, I think it was always a thing when parents I remember my dad would be like, RJ shot 500 pucks today. You know, Mr. Burns told me. You only shot 300.
That was the back then of, oh, I saw a video of, you know, so and so on the skating treadmill, and then he did, you know, a 100 walls, you know, wall balls and, you know, squats, and all of it's on video. So now it's like, okay, you go down in the basement, and you do it, so I can post a video of you doing it. And And it goes all
Boo: the way back to
Justin: where we started with the conversation where it's like, is the kid asking you to train, or are you asking the kid to make content for his page so that people think he trains?
Boo: You know? And, like, I I
Justin: think kind of It's tough.
Boo: I I think piggybacking off of that is, like, a kid's not no college coaches, no prep school coaches are looking for kids on Instagram. They're they're not they're not finding highlight reels on Instagram and offering your kids spots. They're going to watch your kids, and that's why being able to execute and perform every time your kid hits the ice is significantly more important than posting their training routine, posting, you know, their nutrition routine. Like, yeah, that's great. But just because it's not posted doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Right? Like, I I think, you know, and then it kind of flows into, you know, all these camps and clinics. It's like, you know, there's like a Yale logo, and there's a Philadelphia Flyers logo at these camps. Here's the message to all the parents. Not one kid has ever committed to anything from a hockey camp.
It's never happened, and it's never going to happen. It's insane to me that people Yeah. Like, last week, a screenshot, and it's like
Justin: yeah, no, I was saying the development camp video today from the Vancouver Canucks, their head coach is addressing all the prospects, and the first thing he says is, I just wanna let you guys know none of you guys are here to make a team. And you could see everyone's shoulders relaxed, and he goes, you're here to learn. You're here to develop. You're here to take in what it means to be a pro with the resources that our team has to offer, and I think that's the message that needs to listen. We're not saying come to our camps.
We're not saying go to this camp. There's a million good hockey camps. You know? That is that. You'll you will get better if you put in the time.
If you're on the ice for three hours a day anywhere in the world, and, you know, it's not like a Mickey Mouse hockey camp, you're gonna get better. But if it's not a USA Hockey sanctioned, you know, camp where it's like and I talked about this with Topher last week. If it if it's not a USA hockey sanctioned camp where those coaches are on the bench representing RPI, BU, Providence, all these schools, and they're watching you as if, you know, your next year up is going to be your recruitment year, then you should be learning from these coaches, not hoping to impress them. And and like, you know, Toph said, listen, the one kid he ever can recall from making an impact, not getting an offer, but making an impact, was Taj Thompson, and he ran a hockey camp, and Taj was, like, head and shoulders above everyone, and that just put him on a radar of, hey, let's go and watch this kid, maybe. Right?
And that's the unicorn of all unicorns. But, like, you know, Boo's making a great point. It's like you get you fall into this trap of, like, hey. You know, I get to call every week. Hey.
I got I got asked to go to Muskegon's Camp. Okay. How much is it? And if they tell me it's a a cost to it, then don't go because that's not what it is. It's if you're invited to the camp and they they want you there, you're going for free.
You're going for free. They're paying for your flights. You're getting some sticks. You're coming back with all the gear and a contract. You know?
But in order to fill, you know, to to print those jerseys and to make the camp go round, you know, somehow kids who have two goals all season are somehow invited to the Omaha Lancers main camp, you know, that's hosted at a remote site for $800. And you're like, hold on. What's going on here? So, yeah, it's interesting for sure.
Scott: Yeah. The so we've had you guys on here for like an hour fifteen, but we do wanna start wrapping it up. But just to kinda pull a little bit more on on what you were just mentioning, Justin, about like even, you know, getting the emails or solicitation from like whomever. Could you think that's a you know, because I I've I've seen I also got the Muskegon Lumberjack email and what was what was interesting
Jamie: about that. I got that today.
Scott: Yeah. I was
Justin: trying to say the most random team I could think of.
Jamie: No, dude.
Boo: My dog got one. That was crazy. Yeah.
Justin: I didn't get one. It's on the Red
Jamie: Bank Armory. I I literally got
Justin: That's what I'm saying. I was like, they're acting Oh, man.
Scott: You're on the outside looking in.
Boo: You need to make more social media posts.
Scott: Totally need more social media. That is insane.
Jamie: Literally. That is insane. Literally, think it came this morning.
Scott: Yeah. Totally.
Boo: Don, we're not going, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But
Scott: some of these camps, though, know, that that they when they attach, like, it's total salesmanship. Right? Like, they're attaching, like, you know, big names to these emails, and they're attracting birth years that are, like, well before they're even, like Yeah. Considering making that kind of jump. I mean, so, like, that those are the kinds of things that you're talking about, Justin.
Right? Where it's kind of, like, e Yeah. E even if, like, if they want you, then you're going there, you know, the you know, it's gonna be paid for whatever. But, like, is there do you think there's any benefit, like, for the younger kids, like, to even to go to these things, like, you know, for parents that are like, oh, well, if, you know, if nothing else, if they go to this camp versus the other camp, they're gonna be in front of someone, maybe. I I don't know.
Like, do you think there's
Justin: no benefit for being in front of it, and let there's listen. If you can be really honest with yourself, and I'm not just saying this, if you can watch your son play, and you're like, he is head and shoulders above everybody on the ice, and I know there's something there. And, like, like, if, let's say, you were boo, and everyone's in your ear at 13, and, you know, it's not just your objective opinion. It's, you know, other coaches, other teams. Everyone's calling you to come to their team next year, not in the USHL, other organizations around here.
And, you know, it could be used as a measuring stick to go there and say, okay. This is the league I inevitably need to play in if I wanna play in the NCAA. I'm 14. I know I will not make this team. And I did that.
I went I got drafted. So I like I said, I didn't have to go and do the pay to, you know, remote camp, but I got drafted and I knew I wasn't making it my first year. But I went, I saw people fight for the first time. I saw guys with half shields for the first I learned what it was like to play four games in two days for the first time in the middle of July. And, you know, those are all things that you can settle in with after, and you go back the next year with the hopes of making a team, and those are things you can check off your list of things that you're not gonna be nervous about or have to second you know, think twice about.
So, maybe if you're going there from an educational standpoint, and you live nearby, or, you know, money's not, you know, necessarily tight, or whatever it is, and you wanna go and come back with a list of things you wanna work on, then I think it's there's no harm, no foul. It's not gonna hurt you by any means. It's definitely not gonna it'll never hurt you unless, you know, you go there at at 19 hoping to make the team, and you just get showed up. But if you're 14 years old, you wanna go skate, I bet you there's a couple kids there that make, you know, maybe the NA or, you know, high level NCDC kids that are on their last year of eligibility, and you'll be you'll be astonished. You'll be like, wow.
These guys are big, strong men, and I'm a young kid, and this is what I need to work on. But I I really haven't heard a story, and I think somebody posted the other day, like, stats of guys that got USHL contracts from the USHL combine, and it was, like, less than 1%. And, you know, like, that's about, like, almost zero, wasn't it? It was, like, zero. Yeah.
You're, like, you pay, you go, and it's, like, teams send their assistant coach. They get your email address. And a lot of these teams get your email address straight up from, you know, your league registration. And then they send it out, and they slap a logo, and and you feel the love, which is what everyone's looking for, it seems like, that, you know, that special little bit of attention. But, you know, it's tough.
Then you go down the whole rabbit hole of, well, if they didn't call your advisor, and it's like, well, should I have an advisor then? So he's calling them. But it's tough, right? It really is tough. There's no good answer besides just trying to surround yourself with the best possible people, And, you know, hopefully, they give you that unsolicited advice just to kinda help you navigate this because it's getting only harder and harder.
Scott: No doubt.
Jamie: Yeah. That's for sure. Alright. So, again, we don't wanna keep you guys all night. Even though this is awesome, we could keep you guys for another two, three hours, but I'm curious.
So I always like to ask guys that play at high levels. So billet stories, Justin. I know I know I texted you when I were kinda going through this morning. You guys had what's what's your best billet story that you can share for both of you?
Justin: Alright. I I had had some time to think about it. So this is just kinda like the the culture shock we were talking about, you know, like, growing up I went to I went to Bergen Catholic, but I'm, like, a Jewish raised kid. I'm not, like, religious by any means, but definitely had a bar mitzvah, Jewish kid. Went to Bergen Catholic for hockey.
We had a bunch of, you know, actually a few Jewish players on the team, all, you know, avalanche kids, whatever we go. I make it to the USHL, and part of your application to, you know, get a billet, you put where you went to high school, you put some things about yourself. So I put my high school was Bergen Catholic. So I go out to South Dakota for my second year in the USHL, and I'm my host family turns out to be, like, extremely religious Catholic family. Like, bible study, very, very, very
Jamie: I knew that was coming. And
Justin: my dad comes, and he takes me there to drop my bags in the first night. So we sit down for dinner, and, you know, my dad was heading to the airport. They're like, stay for dinner. So we sit down, and they're like, Justin, why don't you say Grace? And I kinda, like, laughed, and I knew it, because I went to Bergen.
Boo: I knew that was good.
Justin: Did all the things. So I'm like, oh, it's,
Jamie: you know, I'm guessing. You could hang. Okay.
Justin: I'm I'm a guess. You you guys it's a long day, you guys go ahead. They're like, oh, we insist. Justin, please. I'm like, oh, no, no, it's fine.
And they're like, how about, you know, my dad? How about John? How about you? He's like, oh, no. You know, actually, Justin's Jewish, and, like, literally, like, it was like, saw a ghost drop their foreheads.
Jamie: They're like, what?
Justin: Drop like, it was like, what? And from that day on, like, I was treated like Harry Potter, like, living under the stairs. Like, it was like, oh, dinner's dinner's ready, and I would be like in a tinfoil thing underneath the underneath the staircase. Like, you know, they'd eat at six, they'd be like, dinner's ready at seven, and it would be just, like, to the side. And they're like, what do you mean?
Like, your application said Bergen Catholic, and I was like, well, was for hockey. It was so funny, man. That was a that was definitely a culture shock billet story for sure.
Scott: That's wild.
Justin: Yeah. Yeah. That was a good one. Jesus. Boo, did
Boo: you do it? So I kinda have two, I guess. One is actually the total opposite of yours, which is kinda funny. I so I went to the USHL for, like, 13 games at the end of my senior year at Kent because I was going into Michigan as a true freshman, but a lot of NHL teams were like, hey. Like, we wanna see you play in the USHL.
So I went out there to Indiana. Played really well. It was awesome. But my Billet family, they were they were Jewish. Not, like, Orthodox Jewish, but, like, they they celebrated.
And Right. So, like, every morning, there was, like, bagels with smoked salmon, and, like, I had never had smoked salmon before.
Jamie: So good, by the way. So good.
Boo: I don't know what it is. I it's funny. My my fiance's Jewish, and she she still she still laughs at me. Like, I don't like smoked salmon, so every morning I'd wake up and I'd be, like, pulling, like, little pieces
Justin: of Peeled off?
Boo: Like, you don't like this? I'm like, no. Like, I'm just not in the mood today. And then, like, Friday night, we'd have Shabbat dinner, and I'm like, why is there so much bread on the table? What is going on?
And, I mean, they they never forced it upon me, but it was, like, one of my first experiences. Because, like, I mean, where I grew up, like, like, I I had Jewish friends, but, like, they they weren't, like, never went to ShabbatGenas at their house or anything like that. But it just funny going there and experiencing that. Was kinda like the opposite of Justin. But no, I think
Justin: That is funny.
Boo: I think being in boarding school like, I I was at school with, like, the vice president of Panama's son at the time, and I went to school with, like, Liam Neeson's kid. And I remember, like, we were, like, 16, and, like, we went out in the city. And, obviously, Selene Nissen's kid and his older brother was there. And we ended up in a club, just like a club with older people. And I was like and they painted our faces, and I'm like, this is sick.
And then we went to someone's apartment, and the elevator opened to a whole floor, and we were in a brownstone, and I'm like, oh, New York City's pretty cool. Looking back, I'm like, that was just the craziest thing I'd probably ever experienced. Like, that is so unnormal, and, you know, the people I was around and the things that we did were just crazy looking back now. But, no, that was definitely a a big culture shock for me coming from Syracuse.
Justin: That's a nice one. My experience at those schools was pretty funny. I, like, showed up. I had just got my license, had a car, came out with a car, and then I get to the school, and there was, like, a line of John Deere tractors that kids were driving as, I had
Jamie: a feeling. Yeah, like you said, culture shock, both Yeah, of listen.
Justin: You learn about new You're things, forced It opens your horizons, for sure, and it's like, that's what I'm grateful about the most with hockey, is the people you meet, Yeah. The, you know, the experiences you're able to have and like, you know, yeah, you joke around about the bus and all that, but like, you know, not not a lot of people get to experience like traveling the country with your best friends and like being treated like, you know, a rock star, basically. You know, you're in and out of hotels. You know, you're going to stadiums. You're getting special treatment everywhere you go.
It's it's a blessing. And, you know, we talked about it at beginning, but, like, I yeah. We're so grateful to be able to play or teach hockey, but be in our skates and kind of give these little stories and tidbits to kids to show them, hey, yeah, hockey is serious, and hockey, there is a ton of things that could open up for you. But at the end of the day, you're making memories every day. You're on the ice and just kinda, like, enjoy every step of it.
Alright. Yeah.
Scott: Yep. Yeah. Said. Probably a perfect place to wrap this thing up. So, guys, gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
This was super awesome to talk to both of you. I'm sure everyone listening took away a ton from all your experiences. Thank you so much. Thanks, boys.
Justin: No. Thanks so much for having us, guys. We like I was telling Jamie this morning, we love listening, and, you know, we love, you know, seeing who's on and the guests and stuff like that, and, you know, we're excited. Hopefully, some parents can take some things away from this. You know, again, thank you for just letting us kinda to riff here.
This was awesome.
Boo: Thank you.
Scott: Our pleasure. And anytime. You guys are welcome We'll
Jamie: have to do this again, gentlemen.
Scott: Yeah. Definitely. All right, guys. Alright. Have a good night, guys.
Jamie: Thank you, boys. Later. Alright, Alright, everybody. Welcome back from our interview with Boo and Justin from TopLine.
Scott: Yes, sir.
Jamie: Love the the TopLine dudes. Yeah. Love them. They're all they're awesome. Like I said, we've been using for a very long time.
Scott: Yeah. I know. A very long time. Yeah. And the the one thing I just wanna time I've spoken with, like, those guys Mhmm.
It it's just, like, it's clear how much they also, like, care about, like, what they do. You know what I mean? And even just listening to Boo, who I knew the least. Yeah.
Jamie: Boo's
Scott: great. You know? But just hearing him talk about how, like, you know, crazy he thinks some of the the the stuff is. You know? And it's and it's so funny because, like, he he mentioned, like, the
Jamie: Yes. He did.
Scott: The Instagram and, like, signing
Jamie: The the contract. You're committing to, a team.
Scott: Yeah. So
Jamie: He's like, what is wrong with you people?
Scott: Dude, but it's so funny. So I'm listening to I was listening to the the Spit and Chickles game
Jamie: notes Mhmm.
Scott: From last week.
Jamie: Were they saying the same thing?
Scott: Before they did the and may I don't know. Before the Did Armdog say something? No. Merles did.
Jamie: Oh, it's Merles.
Scott: Merles was saying something how he thinks it's so crazy that, like, they do it all for the gram.
Jamie: Dude, I told, I actually text Justin and Boo. I'm like and I said that to Boo. I'm like, Boo, I'm like, that I'm like, that clip of yours when you said that the when people are committing to, like, a club team
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: I'm like, that's gonna go fucking viral on Instagram. He's and I'm like, I guarantee you, it's gonna go fucking bananas because parents are gonna lighting that thing up in the comments section.
Scott: I know. But it's so interesting that everyone does it. They're just, like, looking for content.
Jamie: But I'm telling you, you're gonna see parents lighting that up in the comments section.
Scott: For sure. Oh my god. For sure.
Jamie: I can't wait to see it. If that doesn't do, like, 250,000, I'll be disappointed.
Scott: Yo. And you know what else I want to say about them?
Jamie: Like a hot button topic.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. I know. Well, I don't Is it a hot button topic?
Jamie: I think you're because I think a lot of rational people
Scott: Think it's crazy?
Jamie: Think it's crazy. Yes. That's exactly right.
Scott: Well, you know, listen.
Jamie: I think it's gonna go viral. I think you're right. So people send it viral. Yeah.
Scott: Yeah. Yep. Yep. What he said. But so listen.
The other thing I thought was, like, really, like, unique New York. Unique New York about about TopLine.
Jamie: From by the way? That's from something. Probably. Movie? Is that from
Scott: like is that that's not from is that from Anchorman?
Jamie: Yes. It is. Yeah. Yeah. That is.
The arsonist has oddly shaped feet.
Scott: Yes. Unique New York.
Jamie: Unique The human torch with the 90 bank loan.
Scott: So the top line guys, but like be okay. So they refer to themselves as a collective.
Jamie: Yes.
Scott: Right? So it's it's like it's like this, you know, skill usually, skills coaches are operating like solo.
Jamie: Not these guys.
Scott: Not these guys.
Jamie: No.
Scott: And what's so they're able to scale from a business perspective. It's great. But even just hearing them talk about standardization, like, amongst them Yes. So that, like
Jamie: Which is nice to hear, by
Scott: the that the people are getting the same, like, looks and feels, you know, that they're gonna get from one coach to the next coach. It might not be the same exact drills, but they're all from the same library. And so to that end, you know, that also is like, yeah, man. That's like Yeah. That that's really great.
You know, it's it's Yeah. It's a scalable model as long as they, you know, they they they have to they have to green out crazy, obviously.
Jamie: Of
Scott: course. But still, I think that what they're doing is solid, and they're they're all over the place, you know, at least in this area.
Jamie: They are. Yes.
Scott: So you can really, you know, you could catch them in, you know, any rink that's near us.
Jamie: Oh, yes. In the in the New York, New Jersey metro area. They are there. Yeah. They're definitely and it's funny you say that about there being, like, a standard, between with all of them, like, up up up and down.
If you skated with a bunch of them, which we have. Right? I mean, you see it too. Right. You know, it's very obvious.
Scott: Right.
Jamie: You know, that they're all on the same page, which is great.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: Yeah. You know, I'm a big fan. Like I said, we've been working for a long time. Yeah. It's nice to see them kind of that they've grown so nicely.
You know? And like you said, they are everywhere. You know, it's funny. I was gonna ask I was gonna ask Justin last night about, about Fritz Diesel. If they because Oh,
Scott: you know, I thought
Boo: about it.
Jamie: I thought about that. I was gonna I was gonna ask him, like, it's probably a good thing that that that didn't work out because I think they were trying to buy it.
Scott: And that that doesn't surprise me.
Jamie: Because the dude now is trying to get out of it.
Scott: Yeah. You had mentioned that a few times.
Jamie: Dude, that is not a good situation.
Scott: No. No. You have insider info on that?
Jamie: I'm pretty sure that's not a good situation. Like, I'm pretty sure that, like I'm pretty sure that there was stuff that went on with that building that was not supposed to go on and was probably not disclosed when At the time
Scott: of sale?
Jamie: When the guy bought it.
Scott: Yeah. Like
Jamie: in my opinion, TopLine like dodged a major bullet. Bullet on that one? Major fucking bullet.
Scott: All of the cool all of the coolant and refrigerant because it dumps? Seeped deep down into the earth's core I'm sure there's magma. Liquid hot magma.
Jamie: Was that Austin Powers? Yeah. That's fantastic. Yeah. I'm gonna Sharks and I Fucking laser beams attached to their heads.
You know you
Scott: know what Otto used to think was so funny?
Jamie: Dominic still goes, Juno Trip.
Scott: So I go to so I don't know. For a while, we were going, bring out the fembots.
Jamie: Oh my god. So good, by Pew. The
Scott: Pew. Pew.
Jamie: That's right. I just had a conversation recently with somebody about that. It's so funny you said that. Pew. Meanwhile, I I just I I just went on I was bored this week.
I don't know. I didn't have enough to do. Like, I don't have enough to do anyway. But I didn't have anything to do, so I I wanted to watch a movie. Mhmm.
So I went on, like, Apple. Mhmm. And I went on their store. Mhmm. And I actually downloaded all three Austin Powers movies.
Oh, did you? I bought the trilogy.
Scott: Did you watch all three?
Jamie: No. I didn't get a chance to
Scott: get.
Jamie: Oh. I I you know what's funny? I I bought all three, and I've literally made it through the first seven minutes of the first one. I'm like Money well spent. Tell me.
You know why? I bought it, then I started doing work for a podcast, and then
Scott: it just goes out the fucking window. Oh my god. That
Jamie: goddamn podcast. Because I sit there, and I'm going, goddamn it. I could be so much more productive right now, so I start doing other things.
Scott: Oh, you know Yeah. You are you're the man.
Jamie: I don't know about that, but, you know, but anyway. But so so I think TopLine dodged a bullet with that place.
Scott: If that sounds like it.
Jamie: Yes. Because they used to work out of there.
Scott: Yeah. For sure. I remember seeing clips in it. Thought it was so funny that, like
Jamie: 100%.
Scott: Like, these serious, like, you know, hockey skills instruction is going on at a rink with
Boo: Square rink.
Scott: Square rink.
Jamie: Listen. As long
Scott: as the ice freezes Dude, I told you. Used to play pickup there.
Jamie: I know. You you mentioned.
Scott: I I tell you how that one one guy checked the senior Through
Jamie: the through the door. Through the through the are are they like
Scott: was unreal.
Jamie: I feel like I think you
Scott: They're swinging doors to go in and out of the ice. Right.
Jamie: But they like, I think you you actually coined wanna say a revolving door. It's not a revolving. But it's like it's like going into like a kitchen. Kitchen door? Yeah.
Right. Like a chef's kitchen.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie: I mean, the fact that they have doors like that that lead onto an ice surface is like like It's
Scott: kinda crazy to begin with.
Jamie: Dude, I don't know when that building was built, but it had to be in like, I wanna say the forties?
Scott: Could be.
Jamie: Because who have you ever seen a rink anything even remotely close to that?
Scott: Never.
Jamie: For the and for those of you who who don't know what we're talking about, we've mentioned this on one of the other episodes.
Scott: Probably Fritz Fritz Diedel. Fritz Diedel. Yeah. Not The square rink. The square rink.
It's an it's a rectangle.
Jamie: It is a rectangle. Yeah. It is definitely a rectangle, and and it is one of the craziest ice rinks you've ever seen in your entire life. You know what we should do? We should have, like, a contest with people from around the country sending us the the oddest rinks they've seen.
Scott: But have
Jamie: you because this thing is a is I can't imagine this thing's not in the top 10.
Scott: You've seen that that that barn, like, where the stairs, like, cold down.
Jamie: They lowered on the
Scott: ice. Yeah.
Jamie: See that? But the rink is normal. Getting to it is different. Fair. Right?
But the rink's but this but Fritz Diedel, the all of them must say, getting to this rink too is weird, going through those swinging doors. Yeah. But the but the fact that you said, like, you check somebody, and the dude winds up in the lobby.
Scott: It's amazing. Literally in
Jamie: the lobby. You literally go through the doors into the lobby. And if somebody's standing there, you're gonna clean their clock. Well, let let's Can you imagine walking through the lobby and all of a sudden a dude comes in full gear, comes flying through the doors and lays you out?
Scott: This rink was never meant for hockey to begin with.
Justin: No. Was only for skating. Yes.
Jamie: So That is true.
Scott: So that is part one. Fair.
Jamie: The mother was a I don't if it's a professional figure skater. She was a was she professional? Probably. I think she was. The mother was a professional
Scott: figure skater. Even if you had kids at, like, non hockey, you know, just skating and someone, like, wipes out or trips, you'd go falling through those doors.
Jamie: Oh, yeah.
Scott: Yeah. 100%. Anyway.
Jamie: Yeah. And and the ceiling is low. I mean, like, like, can you imagine, like, chipping a puck up in the air into the zone?
Scott: I've done
Jamie: it. You chip and hits the ceiling. Yeah. I mean, it's how how how high are the ceilings?
Scott: Oh, I don't remember. Not high. They're not high. No.
Jamie: Right? I mean, that that is again, we should do a contest of the strangest barns you've been in because that one's gotta be top 10.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, they so but you have to put some parameters around it.
Right? Because, like, it was an ice surface that, like, it was never designed for hockey. Like, there is no real competitive hockey that happens there. Like, they sold the ice to people to
Jamie: do Whoever would whoever would rent it. Who would
Scott: you you know what I mean? So it's not like a real hockey rink. I mean, clearly
Jamie: But it it turned into one.
Scott: It turned into one that oh, I mean Listen. I guarantee Hockey was played there. There's no doubt about that.
Jamie: More hockey has probably been played there in the last thirty years than figure skating would be my guess.
Scott: That
Jamie: That's my guess. Reasonable. That's my guess. I don't know. Yeah.
We were there a fair bit when Dominic was younger, and it was always hockey players.
Scott: Yeah. But I don't know. You go to rinks at different times, there's, like, you know True. Different crowds.
Jamie: That's true. That place was a total dumpster fire.
Scott: That was the first place I ever skated with full equipment.
Jamie: You. Me. Not Otto. You. Me.
Interesting. Yeah. Again, it's like an institution around here. Yeah. So it's the fact that it's gone is shocking.
But I I the dude who's buying it, you gotta take those the Zambonis and, like, put them in a museum. Because those things are great. Those things are the the the deliveries on those things Yeah. Like the shark mouth, like like that's on, like, a fighter jet Yes. Is is phenomenal.
Like that thing belongs in the NHL, know Zamboni Hall. Exactly. Like somewhere. That thing is just like a total piece of history.
Scott: It is a good one.
Jamie: I mean, the fact that there's a belt that literally grabs the I the ice shavings and dumps it into the hopper Yep. Is like that thing's gotta be from
Scott: the forties. It's old school.
Jamie: That's putting it mildly.
Scott: Old school. Like everything else in that place.
Jamie: That's putting it mildly. So I'm glad I'm glad that TopLine dodged a bullet there because Yeah. My goodness gracious.
Scott: Yeah. No doubt.
Jamie: You know, they they've they've done very nicely for themselves in other rinks in the area.
Scott: Didn't need that one.
Jamie: No. Definitely did not need that one. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, so that that was a it was a very good interview.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: It was exactly what I expected.
Scott: No. It was good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
So what else? What else hockey wise? Dude, Jacob Marksham just got traded. Yeah. You dropped that on me when I got here.
Didn't know that that happened.
Jamie: Lot of
Scott: trades going on. Lots.
Jamie: First Brady. Yep. Now, now, I mean, Jacob Marksham got moved. A lot of guys are being moved. I mean Yep.
So my my question is, what are the devils gonna do? We need to get Sunny Maid on.
Scott: Sunny Maida. We need to get Sunny Maida. I don't need to reach out to Sunny Maida.
Jamie: That's your job. Yeah. You went to you went to high school.
Scott: There's only a few degrees of separation on that one. Maybe only one.
Jamie: I have a feeling if you reach out to him, he is listen. We can also go through the people we know with the devils
Scott: The channels.
Jamie: To get that done.
Scott: Yeah. No. I reached out to him on on Instagram or me. I don't know. Whatever.
Jamie: I'm sure we can I'm sure there's ways we can we can do that. Anyway.
Scott: But, yeah, Mark Schrum. There's a lot of trade. Kyrie got moved. Where is he now? Kyrie.
Jamie: Oh, yeah. He is. He did get moved. Where'd he go to?
Scott: Did he go to
Jamie: Where did Jordan Kyrie that's right. Did you go
Scott: to Washington?
Jamie: Is that where he went? You're right. I think you that's right. Jordan Kyrie did go somewhere. Where did he go?
Where did he go, Scott? Why can't I think where he went? He went from the blues to where? Is it the Capitals? I think it is the Capitals.
Scott: Yeah. Yeah. Washington He's a
Jamie: nice player by the way.
Scott: Yeah. He he moved who else moved?
Jamie: I think a bunch of guys moved. Right?
Scott: Val Nachooskin? Nachooskin? Nachooskin? Yeah. From Colorado moved.
Jamie: Mhmm. Drury from Colorado moved. Obviously, Brady was the big one.
Scott: Brady was a big one. Brady was obviously. Marksham's big. Bob Babrowski's gonna have a new home.
Jamie: Radco looks
Scott: like it.
Jamie: Radco Gudis got traded.
Scott: He got yeah. Now he's back with He's he's
Jamie: back with
Scott: the ducks. Again? He's back with the ducks.
Jamie: Didn't he go, Philly to Anaheim or something along those lines? And now
Scott: No. He was
Jamie: in Anaheim to was in Florida. Calgary. That's true. I mean, these guys like, I feel there's a lot of trades going on right now. Oh, dude.
John Carlson got moved to the Ducks? Oh, really? I'm sorry. No. He got moved from the Ducks to the hurricane.
Scott: Right. Traded two hurricanes
Jamie: by Ducks. So he's dude, that's sick, by the way. I heard that the, the Carolina that Carolina tried to get Jacob Markstrom, but it didn't work.
Scott: Oh, interesting.
Jamie: That's what I heard. You know? So I don't know, man. It it's gonna be I don't know. It's gonna be interesting.
I mean, the the NHL season is gonna be first of all, I don't know who the devil's goalie is gonna be, So that's gonna be a problem.
Scott: Am I missing something here?
Jamie: What are you looking at?
Scott: Traded two Panthers by Ducks. So he's back with the Panthers, not the Ducks.
Jamie: Who are you looking at? Goodis. No. He's he's he's back on the
Scott: Traded two Panthers by the Ducks for Greer.
Jamie: Oh, he's back in in Florida?
Scott: Yes. That's I was like I was just Okay. Sorry. Something is
Justin: out of him.
Scott: But it's interesting. He's like a such a long career. Right? But if you if you look at
Jamie: his He's got one of the oldest guys in the NHL.
Scott: No? But dude, going back to 2012, 2013 Right. He played for Tampa Bay.
Jamie: The guy's guy
Scott: like that. Then he went to Philadelphia.
Jamie: Right. I remember him on Philly.
Scott: He was in on the caps for a year, went to Florida, Anaheim, and I was back on Florida.
Jamie: I remember I had him on a Fantasy Hockey team years ago when I did that, and he the dude, he was just he hit everybody.
Scott: He murders people.
Jamie: He has he had a lot of hits. That's what he was good for about that.
Scott: Yeah. Well, I mean, some of them are questionable.
Jamie: Probably. He's 36.
Scott: Sydney Crosby would agree with that.
Jamie: Just turned 30 that's true. Just turned 36, by the way. So again, who's gonna be the Devil's goaltender? Let's talk about the Devil's for a second since we're local. Sure.
Who is going to be the Devil's goaltender?
Scott: It's gonna be Connor Hellebuck. Wow. That's aggressive. You think so?
Jamie: No shit.
Scott: Probably not.
Jamie: Can you imagine what they're gonna have to give up to get him?
Scott: I mean, what's anyone gonna have to give up to get him? A lot. Like, you you he's not gonna I'm sure he's gonna wanna go to a team. Who's a contender? Who's a contender.
Jamie: Yeah. Of course.
Scott: Florida.
Jamie: So, again, I I know I brought this up last night.
Scott: Me go no. But, like, you know, they just got Markstrom.
Jamie: He can't go to Florida, but Babrovski's gotta go somewhere.
Scott: That's what I'm saying.
Jamie: Babrovski's not staying in Florida. There's no chance. Jacob Marksham is not gonna be a backup. There's no way. I guarantee you.
So who's that? Never signed off on
Scott: The devils are clearing the way for who?
Jamie: I don't know. I'm assuming they're making cap space for, hopefully, Quinn Hughes.
Scott: Or what about Dylan Larkin?
Jamie: Would Dylan Larkin come to the Devils?
Scott: I don't know.
Jamie: I know he wants out of where he is.
Scott: He wants to go to a cup contender, so it's unlikely that he wants to go to
Jamie: the Devils. Aren't a cup contender. Unless unless he thinks Quinn's coming down the road, and they can become a cup contender. But you don't have a fucking goalie. No.
You have no you you have Jake Pach, which is great. Listen. But, again, you're gonna have to give up a shitload for him.
Scott: Yeah. But so look. Any team that's in a playoff contender
Jamie: But the Devils aren't a playoff No.
Boo: But I'm
Jamie: just saying basement dweller.
Scott: No. But what I'm saying
Jamie: is lot of talent.
Scott: But like if you wanna if if he wants to go to a cup winning team or contender, right, like, gotta think the books on most of those teams that really have a shot are like, you know, they're they're they don't have a ton of cap space. Fair. Anyway You can make I don't know enough about that stuff.
Jamie: Cap also goes up every year, substantially. The NHL cap goes up
Boo: a lot.
Jamie: So you Right?
Scott: Kinda backload it. Backload the money?
Jamie: I mean, like, it's it's almost like when the season starts, there's a buffer there for you. Right. And you know the buffer's gonna be there. Right? And they can they can kinda predict where the cap's gonna be in a couple years.
Yeah. I don't know, man. I don't know what they're doing. I don't know. I have no idea what the Devils are doing, but all I know is that every year, the Devils fans think they're gonna be good, and they they start out really hot, and then they suck.
Scott: Yeah. I don't know, man. I hope this year is gonna be different, but we need Jack to stay healthy all season. That's for sure.
Jamie: We need him to not put his hand through a a glass on top of, like, dinner table.
Scott: Yeah. What what did happen? Is that what he put his hand through the table?
Jamie: That's what they that's what that's what the media said. That he put his hand down and it went like and he like crushed a glass or something like that. That that sounds so fishy to me by the way.
Scott: Totally.
Jamie: I'm assuming that didn't happen or something else. You know? But listen, we've all put our our hand through a pane of glass before. So would that shock you?
Scott: I've never done that.
Jamie: You haven't?
Scott: Put my hand through glass? Yeah. Don't think so. I am. Why are you punching windows?
Jamie: I have scars on my hands to prove it.
Scott: Why did you do that?
Jamie: See those two right there?
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: It's for me putting my hand through glass. Why?
Scott: Sounds unnecessary.
Jamie: It was.
Scott: Yeah. It was.
Jamie: Yeah. Was.
Scott: Yeah. Probably had too many too many bevvies.
Jamie: Maybe.
Scott: Maybe too many bevvies. And maybe, you know
Jamie: Maybe.
Scott: Trying to be cooler than you really were.
Jamie: When I say maybe, I mean definitely. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. No.
Probably not not the most not the highlight of my
Scott: No. It wasn't. Isn't isn't that the night when you instructed everyone to refer to you as Chuck Norris?
Jamie: We haven't done any Chuck Norris jokes in a while.
Scott: Oh, r I p Chuck.
Jamie: Seriously, dude. I know. He's not dead, though. He doesn't die. Chuck Norris can't die.
Scott: He can't die.
Jamie: He'll never die. No. I mean, that's just yeah. Alright. So Didn't he get
Scott: in a fight with father time and won?
Jamie: Dude, one of my favorite jokes is Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door. That's, like, just so good. I mean, his jokes, and they'll live on forever, by
Scott: the Forever.
Jamie: I mean, he have you ever gone back to watch a couple of his movies? Like, they're on, like if you they're on like like the octagon or whatever it is.
Scott: They gotta be hard to watch.
Jamie: They're on like they're on like Prime and like, not Hulu. They're somewhere that I saw recently, and I I went to watch it, and I'm like, I can't. Can't.
Scott: You can't watch it. I can't. You can't. You can't. I have to
Jamie: say something. I went to. I, like, made an effort to. Yeah. And I'm like and the credits are the opening credits are rolling, and I'm like, I I can't.
I want something else.
Scott: Listen. There's no doubt that some things are better just left as a memory.
Jamie: You're probably not wrong.
Scott: There's no doubt about that.
Jamie: You're probably
Scott: I had the same experience with MacGyver, and I was so disappointed.
Jamie: You you have told that story on this podcast.
Scott: Well, I because I liked MacGyver a lot. And then I watched it, and I didn't like it at all.
Jamie: Did you like MacGyver, or did you just like his his hockey flow? Because he had hockey flow bound.
Scott: Yeah. He did. Didn't he play hot? Wasn't he a did have he
Jamie: did he not don't even know what his real name is.
Scott: Oh my god. Where are we going with this podcast either.
Jamie: But I'm wait. So can I can I say something while you're looking that up? Yeah. So I'm gonna say this again. I said this in the last podcast.
Why is it that your US born NHL superstars are leaving Canada to come play in The US? Why is that happening? If Hellebuck leaves to come back to US, why are they all leaving?
Scott: I don't know. Both
Jamie: Ka'Chucks, Johnny Goudreaux
Scott: Yeah. Quinn Hughes Yeah.
Jamie: Why is that happening? If Connor Halbach leaves
Scott: Oh, it's Richard Dean Anderson. You see how much I'm paying attention to you?
Jamie: I don't know who that is.
Scott: He's the actor
Boo: Yeah.
Scott: For MacGyver.
Jamie: Got it. Good to
Scott: know. Hold on. I'm gonna say let's see if he's a hockey DB. You think he's elite prospect page? No.
You're sick.
Jamie: Anyway, so again, so why why is that happening? Somebody needs to tell me why that's happening. Am I the only one talking
Scott: about this? Let me just wait. Hollywood's just one thirty seven yeah. He's been a hockey nut for longer than he's a public fie MacGyver? Yeah.
MacGyver was
Jamie: Is he is he Canadian?
Scott: Yeah. He looks Yeah. Look at this. Richard t Anderson. Yeah.
Totally. It's him on skates.
Jamie: So where was he born?
Scott: You're asking so many questions here. Let's see. Early life. Oh, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Jamie: Okay.
Scott: There we go.
Jamie: He was born in the state of hockey.
Scott: Yeah. That's why.
Jamie: Jim Dowd would dispute that state of hockey stuff.
Scott: Fair.
Jamie: The new state of hockey.
Scott: New Jersey?
Jamie: Yep. Lovely accent.
Scott: New New Jersey? New Jersey.
Jamie: Alright. Anyway. Alright. So but again, can you answer the question for me? Why are all these why are all The US born pros leaving Canada?
Scott: Okay. So Dude. As a teenager, his dream of becoming a professional hockey player was ended when he broke both arms three weeks apart while playing for the school team at the age of 18.
Jamie: Oh, was in high school.
Scott: Anderson was a hockey nut and pretty damn good at hockey player as well. Yeah. How about that?
Jamie: Listen. Minnesota High School hockey is big and always has been.
Scott: Yeah. Anyway, so why are they all moving from the kids?
Jamie: Are they all leaving? Why are all these US born superstars leaving Canada completely?
Scott: Listen. I I can't connect the dots
Jamie: between either.
Scott: Between being a superstar.
Jamie: Not Am wrong about talking
Scott: about that? It's it's it's gotta be multifaceted. Well, number one, it probably had there's there's some money aspects to it. Taxes? So just in no particular order.
Right? Like, some some, conversion, you know, dollar conversion tax situation.
Jamie: Between the Canadian dollar
Scott: and US. Lifestyle, like
Jamie: I guess depends where
Boo: you live. North.
Jamie: If you're in Vancouver or Winnipeg.
Scott: Yeah. Depend right. It depends. Probably not. There's that.
Ideal. How many of the those teams are cup contenders?
Jamie: One. Well, Toronto, I would think Toronto will be back. I would think Toronto and the Canadians. Yeah.
Scott: Yeah. So alright. The Canadians, Edmonton,
Jamie: and Oh, Edmonton too. I'm sorry.
Scott: Yeah. Understand that. Alright. Maybe that's not but then the I don't know. As far as as far as
Jamie: But you notice how they're all leaving?
Scott: Yes.
Jamie: They get drafted there, and then they leave.
Scott: Well, they all got drafted to Canadian teams, whoever you just mentioned.
Jamie: Matthew Kochuck got drafted. Johnny Gudrow got drafted. Yeah. Brady Kachuk got drafted. Connor Hellbuck did not get drafted there.
Connor Hellbuck was traded there if I'm not mistaken.
Scott: It could be. I don't know.
Jamie: Can you look that up for me if you don't mind? Oh, okay. Well
Scott: Okay, Joe.
Jamie: Cole Caulfield is the only one who's there who has not left. And he has a
Scott: Lane Hudson.
Jamie: He's on his rookie contract.
Scott: Oh, yeah. He's different.
Jamie: Yeah. Right? So he can't leave yet. But, why are all these guys leaving?
Scott: Right? It's gotta be a variety of reasons.
Jamie: It's so odd to me that that they they don't stay there. You know?
Scott: Well, you know, listen. It's but it you know, they someone was on I think on check list was even saying, like, it's not like it's not like, Brady he was in Ottawa for a while.
Jamie: He's only been
Scott: in Ottawa. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. So it's not like he didn't, like, give it a chance.
Jamie: Oh, no. No. I I don't I don't I think listen. Listen. He his I'm sure his family's here.
I'm sure his family was not living in Ottawa. Right? So I get it. I mean, I I get why he I I get it, but did you but I just think it's odd that you have all these US born superstars Yep. That are leaving the teams that were drafted.
Again, just look at the you know? They all come back to The States for whatever reason. I mean, even what's his name? You know? Even, what's his name?
Left, Mitch Marner even left. He he's obviously Canadian. He's not a US born player, but he left.
Scott: Also
Jamie: And he's Canadian.
Scott: Look. So listen. There's also a lot more teams in The United States than there are
Jamie: in Canada.
Scott: So that's, like, also part of it. But, like, I I see I see what you're saying. And and if I if I had you know, I think a part of it is also, like, if you're talking about USA born superstars, they, you know, they they just won a gold medal.
Jamie: And See, that's what I think.
Scott: You know?
Jamie: And I think there's something to that.
Scott: Yeah. And they want to experience it with the cup. I mean, does, but, like, maybe it's like, you know,
Jamie: they're hungry
Scott: for taste.
Jamie: They're not hungry
Scott: for taste of something that they that
Jamie: That's right. Dylan Larkin wants to be moved Yeah. To a contender. I get it. I'm assuming I'm assuming Connor Connor Hellebuck wants to take.
Scott: Hellebuck was drafted to the Jets. Oh, he
Jamie: was drafted.
Scott: Fifth round of the twenty twelve NHL draft.
Jamie: And he was just
Scott: He was the one hundred and thirtieth pick overall.
Jamie: He was such
Scott: a sleeper that guy. Yeah.
Jamie: Such a sleeper. But it's crazy that that that all these guys are leaving Canada because Canada is where hockey has been played forever.
Scott: Yeah. Again, like, I I don't know that
Jamie: Although they haven't won a cup in a long time.
Scott: Yeah. Long time.
Jamie: What was the last Canadian team to win? Stanley Cup?
Scott: I think I think it was Montreal.
Jamie: How long ago? Long time now.
Scott: Last Canadian.
Jamie: Not in the last ten years, is it?
Scott: No. I don't think so.
Jamie: I don't think it's really
Scott: Yeah. Was Montreal Canadiens in '93. Jesus. '93.
Jamie: Okay. You and I were like freshmen in high school.
Scott: Yeah. So that's 03/1323.
Jamie: Thirty three years?
Scott: Yeah. It's a long time.
Jamie: Yikes. Okay. Listen.
Scott: Alright. Yeah.
Jamie: It is what it is. Alright, homeboy. Any hockey for well, Otto's not here.
Scott: Otto's away at camp. Right. No hockey right now. Hockey on pause. Yeah.
Fish catching.
Jamie: Mountain biking.
Scott: Mountain biking.
Jamie: Yeah. And Dominic's doing everything but ice hockey. And Here and there,
Scott: he's mountain biking now. And on the trails?
Jamie: Yeah. No. He's he's doing other other stuff.
Justin: Yeah.
Scott: Yeah.
Jamie: He's definitely doing other stuff. But but he we still we we're still hockey ish here and there.
Scott: Yeah. No doubt.
Jamie: You know? But I'm I'm trying to subscribe to the to the the put the bag away because we ramp up in, like, mid July.
Scott: Okay. So you don't have that much time to
Jamie: Mid July is going to, Penn State for hockey camp, then we're going to Princeton. Oh, right. Right? Dom and Adam are sleeping in Princeton. Yep.
I'm excited for that.
Scott: Yeah. It's gonna be sick.
Jamie: That's gonna be fun. Yeah. We gotta do some, like, you know, some podcast from down there. We gotta do some cool stuff. Yeah.
So that'd be fun. And and thank you to everybody who's all of our new subscribers and new listeners. We have a a ton of new people in the last thirty days, so thank you for jumping on board with us. We hope you're enjoying it. Send us a note if you wanna hear something specific.
I know somebody wrote in about Brick that we kinda mentioned, and and if we can get to it, we certainly will. We have a a lot of people writing in, so we'll try to get to it. But if you guys wanna hear about something, write us, drop us a note, Instagram. Yep. You know?
So thank you for downloading. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for for all the support. I mean, we couldn't do this without you guys. So it's been a wild ride so far, and I think we're, again, just kinda getting started.
Scott: That's what's up.
Jamie: So thank you so much, guys. We really appreciate the support.
Scott: Yep. Likewise, ditto to all that good stuff. Thank you one. Thank you all. Yeah.
Jamie: Thank you to Bu Nieves and Justin Selman from TopLine Hockey. TopLine. Go check them out. Go download their their app, the TopLine app, and check them out at tlhockey.com. If you're in the New York, New Jersey metro area, they have awesome stuff.
So go check them out.
Scott: Yep. Alright, buddy. Alright. That was a good one. 73.
In the books.
Jamie: Alright. We'll talk to you.
Scott: Later. See you.