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A relatable and honest podcast about the highs and lows of being a youth hockey parent. Join us as we share real stories, struggles, and wins from the rink, offering insights and support for parents navigating the world of youth hockey.
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.
Intro:Alright, boys. Grind them corners, chirp responsibly, and bring that savage fire.
Scott:Alright, everybody. Welcome back to episode 82 of the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast brought to you no. Better put, powered by Pacific Rink.
Jamie:Either way.
Scott:Either way, it's coming to you from Pacific Rink. The unfiltered podcast for hockey parents. No politics, no sugarcoating, just real talk for hockey parents in the trenches.
Jamie:And thank you Big John Dangles for our awesome introduction.
Scott:Yeah. Let's go BJD.
Jamie:Yeah. He's got stuff
Scott:you got coming out there, buddy.
Jamie:He's got some crazy stuff.
Scott:Keep that stuff cranking.
Jamie:Yeah. Go check out Big John Dangles on Instagram. Big John Dangles and he will pop up on Instagram.
Scott:Yeah. And I need one of those triple a necklaces.
Jamie:We need one of those triple necklaces.
Scott:Diamond encrusted gold triple a.
Jamie:Supposed to be on its way.
Scott:Yeah. You know? Is it?
Jamie:They said he was gonna send us merch.
Scott:Like a mock?
Jamie:I listen. He said he was gonna start sending us merch.
Scott:Yeah. It's baller.
Jamie:So I'm I'm looking to try to wear one on the podcast one day.
Scott:Me too. Let's go. Right? We need we need a his and hers. I mean, a his and his.
Jamie:I was gonna say a what?
Scott:Well, I was you know?
Jamie:Yeah. Gotcha.
Scott:Anyway Not
Jamie:sure where you're going with that, but I'll take it.
Scott:Alright. We should probably just move topics.
Jamie:We should.
Scott:Yeah. Let's move on to our
Jamie:partners, buddy. We should. Shouldn't we, though? Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie:So go check out Howie's hockey. The season is upon us, everybody. It is here. Cannot hide anymore. The slower part of the year is over.
Scott:Yes. Yes. It's it's it's the rearview, dude.
Jamie:Yes. It is. So, go check out Howie's Hockey. They have awesome stuff. Their tape, their laces, the candle, the yellow handled scissors, obviously, you know, is my favorite.
Jamie:They have an awesome logo. They have great stuff. The blackout sweatshirt is sick. I must say thank you to Howie's Hockey for sending that to us. It's awesome looking.
Jamie:Yep. So go check out Howie's Hockey. Use our discount code crazy dads 10 for 10% off all your Howie's hockey gear.
Scott:But for Howie's hockey, it's Crazy 10.
Jamie:Sorry. Crazy 10. God. Yes. Yes.
Jamie:We have too many discount codes. Not a bad problem to have for our listeners.
Scott:No.
Jamie:But you thank you for correcting me.
Scott:I wish I could
Jamie:Crazy 10. Sorry. That was my bad.
Scott:I can't use that excuse for my botched opening, though.
Jamie:No. Your botched opening is fine.
Scott:No. I know. But I can't blame it on, like, too many discount codes. Like, you had a convenient I just put that there. Through.
Jamie:Sorry. My guy yeah. We we have a lot of discount codes. We do. Which again, for our you guys, our listeners, is not a is a good problem.
Jamie:A 100%. But remembering them is, sometimes gets a little tricky. Oh. Sorry. Crazy 10.
Scott:Crazy 10 for Hockey. Yes.
Jamie:Go check
Scott:what's up. And next up is oh, it's so funny.
Jamie:I can't believe I fucked that
Scott:up. Why?
Jamie:I don't know.
Scott:It's Everyone
Jamie:It's the first time I fucked it up. Normally, I'm pretty good with it.
Scott:Okay. Well, you fucked up. Yeah. You know, was bound to It happens. Alright.
Scott:So, anyway, moving on to hockeytraining.com and coach Kevin, shout out. So yours truly right here is getting down with the men's league or yeah. Men's league domination Yeah. You are. 2026.
Jamie:Yes. You
Scott:are. So I'm I'm in the middle of putting myself or I don't wanna say in the middle of, but I've I've embarked on putting myself through similar things we'd ask of our kids. So that's doing off ice training, you know, where I'm gonna see about scheduling some skill sessions potentially.
Jamie:That's gonna be I actually wanna film that.
Scott:Yeah. Do you do that I
Jamie:actually think we need a camera there.
Scott:Yo. We should do that. Who are you
Jamie:gonna do that with, by the way? Do we know who you're gonna do that with?
Scott:Not not yet. It's it I not yet. I You haven't chose somebody yet? No. It's not a matter of choosing.
Scott:I I think I'll And
Jamie:you're gonna do a private lesson?
Scott:Or or maybe a small group lesson with mites? It's gonna no.
Jamie:I'm joking. Better than you?
Scott:That would be embarrassing.
Jamie:It would be.
Scott:But they're not gonna be.
Jamie:They might be.
Scott:No. With mites?
Jamie:Depends how they'll be.
Scott:Get out of here.
Jamie:I mean, listen.
Scott:Get out of here. Anyway, so getting back to coach Kevin and and, hockeytraining.com. For anyone that hasn't, you know, or anyone that's still in their off season, you know, it's which is not many.
Jamie:Which is not many.
Scott:If anyone is, there's, there's a off season domination program, then there's also stick handling classes that he's doing live. And it's basically like a Zoom, style, remote stick handling class. And, you know, everyone's joining in and coach Kevin's given everyone cues and feedback and going through, you know, stick handling workout. So everyone who's or anyone that's interested in taking a look at that, please do. But, yeah.
Scott:Hockeytrain.com has just got a wealth of information Tons
Jamie:of stuff.
Scott:Exercises Tons of workouts, all the things, you could use for their in season, out of season. So if you're not familiar, check out hockeytrain.com and you will be in good hands with coach Kevin.
Jamie:Yeah. He's great. Go check out his his library. He's pretty, extensive with hockey training HQ
Scott:on Instagram. Yep. A 100%.
Jamie:And shout
Scott:out and shout out to coach Kevin because him and his team up in Ontario, they won their, their beer league.
Jamie:Did they?
Scott:Yeah. They won their well, I guess it's like the spring summer, and then they start fall winter.
Jamie:Where'd see that? On Instagram?
Scott:No. In the app.
Jamie:Oh, in the app. Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. Training.com.
Jamie:Gotcha.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Nice. That's cool. No. No. No.
Jamie:He's great. He's got great stuff. His library is really robust. Go check it out. He's got really good stuff.
Scott:Absolutely.
Jamie:Yeah. And then we have Titan Battle Gear. This is where you use the code crazy dads 10.
Scott:There you go. For 10%
Jamie:off your Titan Battle Gear. So go to our our link in our show notes. You'll see titanbattlegear.com backslash crazy hockey dads, or just go to titanbattlegear.com. And when you check out, just put our discount code in the, in the discount section for Crazy Dads 10, temps of your Titan battle gear. They have the the base layer three point o that's coming out.
Jamie:I'm sorry. That is out. The pants are hopefully still in production. I know I have a bunch of people asking about the pants. Yep.
Jamie:I'm hoping that that is coming soon because pants are definitely a, a missing spot in the market.
Scott:Yep.
Jamie:At the moment. There's a handful of there's, like, one or two companies that do it. Not sure how good they are yet, but we trust our kids in Titan battle gear. They have the a nine protection. The stuff looks awesome.
Jamie:So a nine protection is great for our kids. God forbid, they come in contact with a skate blade. You know, the stuff looks great. It's it the colors are great as long as they're in stock. The camo is great.
Jamie:The, the frozen rocket is great. Like I said, the they have white camo, black camo. They have the Miami Vice. This stuff stuff's awesome. We trust our kids in Titan battle gear.
Jamie:We don't want our kids getting injured. So if we can prevent it, we're trying to. So go to our, go to titanbattlegear.com. Use crazy dads 10 for 10% off all your Titan battle gear.
Scott:There you go, buddy. And athletic performance insight. So like we said, season's upon us, but it's not too late to take a look at athletic performance insight for your this season's, video and team analytics. It's a great tool that you can use coaches, managers, take a look, use the contact form, reach out to Eric. He'll be happy to give you a demo of the the the platform, you know, break down a game for free so you can see what comes out on the other end.
Scott:Just mention Crazy Hockey Dads. But it's an amazing platform for all your stats, all your video analytics, you know? Needs. Yep. All those things.
Jamie:All the things like Scott says.
Scott:Mention Crazy Hockey Dads and get 10% off, your season subscription. Yeah. Yeah. Can't speak enough about athletic performance in the site. But, unfortunately, our our team's not doing it this year.
Scott:Your team's
Jamie:doing this Yeah.
Scott:Yeah. So, in any event
Jamie:Yeah. I think we're doing a lot of film too, by the way.
Scott:That's good.
Jamie:I think our team's doing a ton of film this year. I think that's the idea.
Scott:No. That's good. Listen. There's there's a time when kids are gonna understand it more. They're gonna have the ability to sit there and take more in and not, like, just goof off and, you know, attention spans are getting better.
Jamie:Hopefully, as they get older.
Scott:Getting better.
Jamie:That's the idea.
Scott:So in any event Alright.
Jamie:Listen. Go go check out Eric's platform. He's got great stuff.
Scott:That's it. And we are still before the nine three deadline. And what comes to a close at nine three?
Jamie:That's right. Our Pacific Rink, discount code comes to comes to a close, unfortunately. So if you guys have not gotten any of your Pacific Rink gear yet, we have a discount code that is good till nine three. So you have two more days go get your Pacific Rink gear. I know a bunch of people have been using it, so go check out pacificrink.com.
Jamie:They have awesome hockey bags, the best hockey bags on the market as far as we're concerned. That discount code is crazy dad 10. Crazy dad 10 for 10% off your Pacific Rink gear. They never have sales. They don't give out discount codes.
Jamie:They don't go on sale in certain holidays. They don't do that stuff. So go check out pacificrink.com. We trust all of our gear and our kids' sticks in them. Scott and I use it for everything.
Jamie:We use like we've said before, we use our camera gear for lugging our camera gear around, which for traveling. We're going away for, like, a long weekend. I'll be using mine this weekend when we're going away on a showcase weekend
Scott:There you go.
Jamie:Down to Philly.
Scott:There you go.
Jamie:Yeah. So that's
Scott:Oh, you're traveling this weekend too. I forgot about that.
Jamie:I am traveling this weekend.
Scott:So let's, let's segue into the beginning of the season, dude. So Yeah. So where you at, brother? Where you at?
Jamie:So where am I at with what? With, like, what's happening or, like,
Scott:with my life? So no. Just like over the last since the last week, what Dom's had on ice, he's had off ice, you know, what what types of things has he been doing just to start getting ready for the season?
Jamie:So we are, it's funny. I'm I'm seeing things pop up on my screen. People are, so I know bitch people that have kind of we're just we just stopped talking about Pacific Rink code. Yep. And I'm literally getting, like, pop ups on my phone of text messages of people that just got all their Pacific Rink gear delivered.
Scott:Oh, that's awesome.
Jamie:Yeah. So I know they I know they ordered it when it when the discount code went live last Wednesday.
Scott:Yep.
Jamie:Yep. So the stuff already is hitting their houses.
Scott:That's Absolutely.
Jamie:I'm literally seeing like I saw a bunch of pictures pop up on my phone.
Scott:Yeah. Nice to meet you.
Jamie:Yeah. So that's that's pretty cool. We literally was talking about it, that timing is perfect. Absolutely. You know?
Jamie:So yeah. So that's awesome. So where we at? So, kinda back in the swing, dude.
Scott:Yeah. What does that what does that look like for you? Dom's Dom's
Jamie:he's skating. He's shooting.
Scott:But, like, skating, is he he's skating with, like, in like, instructional skating? Yeah. He's skating with his team?
Jamie:Both. So he is skate so we had practice last night.
Scott:First
Jamie:team, like, legit team practice last night. We have one on Saturday
Scott:And wait just for,
Brad:like, an hour and
Scott:a half? Quick question. Half ice or full ice?
Jamie:So, we actually had practice on Saturday for the first so last week, we did a bunch of off ice stuff.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:Okay? And that was actually put together by our coaches.
Scott:Yep.
Jamie:Okay? Which is why we paid for it. So it wasn't part of our tuition. So our coaches actually did they actually found facilities. They found two different facilities, and they had our kids doing all five stuff for last, like, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Jamie:I forgot what days they were last week, but it was three days last week. And it was cool. They did a bunch of, like they were competing for, like they were, like, racing
Scott:Mhmm.
Jamie:And, like, doing a bunch and they were lifting the first day. A lot of, like, good team building stuff.
Scott:Good.
Jamie:You know? So that was cool. That was all last week, you know, kinda during the week. And then Saturday, I wanna say it was a game slot that we had
Scott:Yep.
Jamie:That we didn't fill.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:So they used it as a full ice practice.
Scott:Great.
Jamie:So they did film for, like, half hour forty minutes before.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:So they went from that onto the ice for, an hour and a half. And then we went to our manager's house for, like, a pool party.
Scott:Oh, that's awesome.
Jamie:So it was cool.
Scott:That's a that yeah. That is cool. Yeah.
Jamie:I got to kinda talk with a bunch of the new parents, you know, meet it's like some of the wives I'd I'd never met before. So that was cool. It was neat. Everybody showed up.
Scott:Yeah. I know I I
Jamie:know from listening was cool,
Scott:man. Listening to, the Hockey Think Tank. And Shattuck, Hockey Think Tank. You guys haven't listened to their pod, go check it check out, Topher and Jeff. Yeah.
Scott:But Topher would talk about how his youth hockey teams, at least one of them, if not multiples, like, had, like, really good, like, you know, team culture Yes. Team dynamic. And he puts a lot of gives a praise.
Jamie:To it. Yeah.
Scott:Well, no. But just from the fact that, like, you know, his mom, I think, was one of the team managers. And she and whoever else was helping put in a lot of effort in doing, like, like, team building stuff
Jamie:Stuff like that. Regularly. Yes. I think that was Correct.
Scott:You know, making sure that everyone ate together, went there maybe out in a tournament. There was, like, a holiday party. They were, like, other gatherings. And so yeah. No.
Scott:That's, that's good. We haven't had anything like that.
Jamie:You haven't?
Scott:No. Okay. Maybe that's a yet.
Jamie:Maybe it's coming?
Scott:Maybe not.
Jamie:Gotcha.
Scott:I don't know. But I will say, though, like, you know sorry. Was you know what? I before I steal the mic, let's just circle back to you. Yeah.
Scott:So you had team building last week.
Jamie:We had team building last week and then practice
Scott:of, like, the dry land
Jamie:and stuff. Yeah. Correct. And then practice Saturday film Saturday, practice right after it. Yeah.
Jamie:And then they practice last night for the first time, like like like a like a practice slot during the
Scott:week. Right. Right. Okay. Did you
Jamie:And then tomorrow night is another one.
Scott:You peek in?
Jamie:Not once.
Scott:Not like, literally not once? You didn't even wanna see what they were doing?
Jamie:I didn't even know which rink they were on.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:I was literally sitting in the lobby with my laptop talking to two other dads, and somebody came in. They're like, oh, and then one dad's like, I'm I'm gonna go pop in. And he's like and I even said, like, I don't know which rink they're on. They're like, did you guys go in? I'm like, nope.
Jamie:I'm like, I'm not even sure which sheet am I throwing.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:So I had
Scott:no idea. There you go.
Jamie:Yeah. So I literally saw nothing.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:It wasn't even walking past the the door that I peeked in the glass.
Scott:But you're not
Jamie:I literally did nothing.
Scott:You're not at all curious to see if No. They're Okay.
Jamie:Got you. Finish what you're gonna say.
Scott:Was I
Jamie:was to see what?
Scott:Curious to see if they were working. Okay. Alrighty. I see how this game is going to be played. No.
Scott:I'm really upset. You you hurt my feeling.
Jamie:No. I didn't. Tell
Scott:me what you're gonna say. No. This is no. I'm joking. I know you are.
Scott:What are gonna say? No. Was I'm now I'm not gonna
Jamie:I'm not gonna interrupt you. I swear. I'm gonna fuck with you.
Scott:Promise. Okay. Okay. So I was curious to know if you popped your head in just to
Jamie:see. Hey. You think I'm gonna do it. Don't say it.
Scott:Know you. You're an idiot. Go ahead. I'm finished. Okay.
Scott:So if you were interested to see if they were doing like any type of like team, I can't even fucking think now because You're such
Jamie:an asshole. To
Scott:see if they were working in in any like
Jamie:Like breakout stuff or like
Scott:Yes. So like a game situational play, special teams.
Jamie:I did not.
Scott:See, I'm curious
Jamie:to see I didn't. Dom told me about stuff in the car on the way back. Just got just and I was just asking just
Jamie:to make
Scott:a conversation. Yeah. But when you when you ask Yeah.
Jamie:It's awful. You what
Scott:you do? I forgot. Yeah. You don't get much. I don't know.
Jamie:I don't get much of response as I'm sure you don't either.
Scott:Yeah. What was that drill you were doing? I don't remember.
Jamie:And then the funny part about it is he's like, we just did stuff, dad. And then, later on, he'd be like, oh, dad. Forgot to tell you. And I'm like, why did you tell me in the car on the way home? Yeah.
Jamie:He's like, I forgot. I'm like, well, Jesus Christ, when I asked, like, it didn't pop in your head?
Scott:It's like it's almost like a knee jerk response to their parents just to be like, I don't wanna talk to
Jamie:you.
Jamie:You're probably not wrong about
Scott:that. That's like a defense mechanism.
Jamie:Or their brain just isn't working at that time because they they were probably trying to, like, listen, don't know if I mess this kid, but, like, my kid, like, is focusing so much on practice. He's trying to focus because he knows he has a hard time focusing that maybe that he has just spent all of his, like, focusing
Scott:Focus capital.
Jamie:At that point in time. Yeah. So when I ask him, it's just mush.
Scott:Okay. It it could be. But then
Jamie:it comes back later on.
Scott:Okay. Well, listen. Take it however you can
Jamie:get it.
Jamie:Not every time, but it comes back sometime.
Scott:60% of the time?
Jamie:It works every time. Nice. Anyway. It's got real bits of panther
Brad:in it.
Scott:San Diego.
Jamie:Whales vagina. Agree to disagree. Alright. Anyhow Yeah. So so that was that's what we've been doing.
Jamie:So I did not peek in at all.
Scott:Okay. Okay. So was with the team stuff. Got it. Copy.
Scott:And then you're also what else? Lesson wise or, like, skills work wise, anything?
Jamie:Dom's been shooting with Ryan Murphy for a while now.
Scott:Awesome. How's that going?
Jamie:It's it's I I love it.
Scott:That's great.
Jamie:Ryan Murphy, if you guys who don't know, go check out his episode. I don't remember what number it was. Just go kinda back in our in our library and look. He's the New Jersey Devil's skills coach. He is phenomenal.
Scott:Yeah. Love the guy. Yeah. You you you always
Jamie:say Love the
Scott:guy. The same thing.
Jamie:Love the guy.
Scott:High praise.
Jamie:Yeah. So he Dom's been just all, like, off ice shooting.
Scott:Right. Like, In sneakers
Jamie:Correct.
Scott:Shooting lane.
Jamie:Sneakers, helmet, gloves.
Scott:Working on mechanics. Tip. Yep. Good.
Jamie:You know? That's great.
Scott:I need that. I need that in my life. Listen. Maybe I'm gonna go to Ryan Murphy.
Jamie:By the way. We should film that.
Scott:Yo. I'll go to
Jamie:Ryan Murphy. You should. Seriously.
Scott:A 100% I'm going.
Jamie:I think we should do I think we should have you go and have both kids go.
Scott:Dude, let's go.
Jamie:That would be fantastic.
Scott:You're gonna you're gonna see me probably embarrass myself.
Jamie:It's okay, though.
Scott:Compared to Dom, maybe not Otto.
Jamie:It's okay, though.
Scott:No. I know it's okay. I'm looking in all seriousness, I'm I'm I've got no shame.
Jamie:Like, not give shit. I get it. It doesn't matter where you are. No. You know?
Jamie:You gotta start somewhere. Yeah. You know? Onward and upward.
Scott:That's what that's what I'm trying to say.
Jamie:But yeah. So so we've been doing so we should do we should put that together, by the way. Yeah, so Dom's doing that, and he skates with RJ. Again, I I don't remember what episode RJ was. Go check go check out our library.
Jamie:RJ
Scott:top line.
Jamie:RJ top RJ brand's top line. So, yeah. So go check out Ryan Murphy's episode and RJ's episode top line.
Scott:Yeah. Excellent.
Jamie:Yeah. Two awesome episodes back in the library. And for the for those of you who haven't gotten back in our library, we have some fucking doozies back there.
Scott:There's
Jamie:yeah. Was I just kinda scrolling through the other day, and I'm like, oh, shit.
Scott:You know what we
Jamie:Oh, shit.
Scott:You know what I've seen before? Oh, shit.
Jamie:Oh, shit.
Scott:Which is also a funny clip Yes, we I wouldn't mind watching again. Yes. But we I've seen this in other pods. Right. And it might even be Think Tank.
Scott:So we're should do a lot of praise to Think Tank today. Oh. But like
Jamie:It's good podcast.
Scott:No. I know. Yeah. But I think they they even list like their top most downloaded podcast. And like you've seen that like elsewhere.
Scott:I have. Yes.
Jamie:Most downloaded episodes.
Scott:But like, yeah, like then Yeah.
Jamie:Right. Don't I know what's our most downloaded episode, by way.
Scott:Well, that wasn't supposed to be a quiz, but now you're curious.
Jamie:Now I am curious.
Scott:It was Mancini. DL.
Jamie:It's probably one of The USA hockey guys. No. It's probably one of The USA hockey guys is my guess. Yeah. Dude, we are like closing in on like a 150,000 view, total downloads.
Jamie:Like, that's nuts by the way. The numbers popped up because I was looking for like what episodes are biggest of all time.
Scott:Wait. Did it literally just pop up like as if like it's your computer's listening to you and it's giving you the information you're talking about?
Jamie:When when when I open up our transistor, it's at the top of
Scott:the screen.
Jamie:I mean, listen. We've got a couple we've got some doozies in here. Our biggest episode, Danielle Ward mid Fairfield is big. USA Hockey's, Topher Scott's is not big. Speaking of hockey think tank.
Scott:It's not big?
Jamie:Tover Scott sorry. Tover Scott's is not too shabby is what
Scott:I was gonna say. No.
Jamie:Was gonna say. Scott's was legit also. Let me see here. USA Hockey with Bob Mancini is big. I think Bob Mancini's is the biggest.
Scott:Yeah. That's what wait. Which one though? The One or two? The first one.
Scott:The first one?
Jamie:Oh, wait a minute. Nope. Second one.
Scott:Second one. Yeah.
Jamie:Episode 40.
Scott:Four zero.
Jamie:One with the
Scott:And he was not on for eighty, but he was on for twenty cause that was what you said. Right?
Jamie:40 is big. 40 is big. Okay. Forty and fifty.
Scott:Okay. Excellent.
Jamie:Bob Mancini is forty and fifty. They're both big.
Scott:Excellent.
Jamie:And then and then when we had on Ken Martell, also USA Hockey was also big.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:And then Toff was big. Danielle was big. Yeah. No. We've had some oh, Connor and Kellen Jones is is is Is big.
Jamie:Is very big. Yeah. Yeah. That's actually the biggest one. Shockingly, it just just Bear and Danielle's is big from Mid Fairfield.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Yeah, man. Yeah.
Scott:Amazing. Yeah. Alright. Well, now that we've gotten
Jamie:combed through stuff, actually. I haven't done I've actually not done that before.
Scott:A trip down memory lane.
Jamie:Yeah. That was funny.
Scott:If I could even
Jamie:talk normally. And go and you guys should also go check. I was saying some these the other day. We episodes episode seven.
Scott:Do you know how fast you were going?
Jamie:Was I? Oh my god.
Scott:Seven. Seven. You were going seven miles
Jamie:per troopers or is it, oh, god. Tommy
Scott:Boy. What is it? Tommy Boy.
Jamie:It's not Super Troop. What do you
Scott:mean Super Troopers?
Jamie:What movie that comes from?
Scott:Tommy Boy.
Jamie:Oh, is Tommy Boy.
Scott:That's why I was saying Tommy
Jamie:Oh, wasn't gonna
Scott:Remember they were in the cop car in the nitrous oxide and they stopped in the middle of the road and
Jamie:the cops like
Jamie:haven't
Jamie:seen it forever.
Scott:Okay. Fat
Jamie:guy fat guy in a little coat. It's like, it hurt it doesn't hurt here. It doesn't hurt here, but it hurts right here.
Scott:That's gonna leave a mark.
Jamie:Right. I gotta go watch that again,
Jamie:by the way. That's a that's a good good
Jamie:call by you. Need to watch that again.
Scott:Good move. Chris Farley is unreal.
Jamie:Dude, he's I'm sorry. Episode not episode seven. Episode six.
Scott:Oh. Sorry. Six, seven.
Jamie:The the the
Scott:story What is that?
Jamie:The story that we tell at the end or the story I tell at the end of episode six is For the ages. Fucking legendary.
Scott:Because you're a legend.
Jamie:Well, maybe, but the story is legendary. The story is huge. The story is huge. Shout out. Shout out, Phil.
Jamie:Shout out, Phil.
Jamie:It's probably one of the most insane hockey dads.
Scott:I got a story for you.
Jamie:You do by the way.
Scott:So let's listen, right? I I think, well, just in terms of timing, I'm keeping an eye on that. Yes. I need to be mindful of this.
Jamie:Sure.
Scott:Anyway, so yeah. So we were talking about, yeah, obviously the season getting in swing and we're talking about traveling and distances. Yes. Have an electric car which we're gonna try to use more often for the longer distances. Anyway, we're talking about this and it reminded me of a time when, a hockey dad had shared with me that This is unbelievable.
Scott:By the way,
Jamie:I I can't believe you've not told the story out
Scott:of Podcast. They, they had gotten to, I guess the tournament quickly. I'm pretty sure it was on the way there, not on the way home.
Jamie:Up in Boston it was. Right?
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. If I'm not mistaken. This was a little while ago, but the gist of the story is correct. But, in any event, so it was like, no.
Scott:How how could you possibly have gotten here that fast? He's like, no stops. No stops. How do you not stop?
Jamie:Like,
Scott:don't have to, like, get a coffee or Go the bathroom.
Jamie:Yeah. I got it by you, but my kid's bladders are, like, the size of, like, a walnut.
Scott:So so I was then informed that their child actually used I don't even know if they make these for children or if it's literally for a pet.
Jamie:I don't think they do.
Scott:But it was like a wee wee pad of sorts and their kid would pee like on the on the pad while they were driving so they didn't have to stop. Honestly, not sure what to say right now. Just to get to the destination, what, twenty minutes faster?
Jamie:I I honestly Thirty? I on alright. So we we
Scott:And I forget and I I honestly, I wish I remembered how long it took them to get there, but needless to say, it was it was fast enough for me to question.
Jamie:And he wasn't running late for, like, a game. No. Like, he it wasn't like they were gonna be, like, five minutes late for the tournament, or they're gonna walk in at when the Zamboni was on the ice or something like that. Right?
Scott:I think I just Right. I think I just broke
Jamie:my break your headset?
Scott:Don't worry. You know, I need, like, I need, like, I need, like, Band Aid, you know, just to
Jamie:You need like
Scott:need a tape. Don't you Howie's tape. You do need Howie's tape. Need Howie's tape.
Jamie:My wife uses Howie's hockey tape to literally fix everything in
Scott:the house.
Jamie:I think I'm kidding. Like, she uses it for everything.
Scott:You use that and the scissors. She get a lot of play in your house.
Jamie:More so A lot of play. They do get a lot of play. So continue with this insane story
Scott:about that. That apparently
Jamie:not running late.
Scott:Not interested in stopping for normal, like, restroom breaks and coffee breaks. Just needed to get to wherever they were going, and the kid urinated on, I will call it a wee wee pad.
Jamie:The ones that they put in houses for dogs.
Scott:Yeah. Like when you pee on it, like it crystallizes the urine or whatever For dogs. Or whatever like gel forms in the thing.
Jamie:For dogs?
Scott:Or They're not or children.
Jamie:I don't know any I don't know any person, any rational sane person that has ever put out a wee wee pad for their child.
Scott:Well, you clearly are running in the wrong circle.
Jamie:You know what? I'm gonna stay in my circle
Jamie:by the way.
Jamie:I don't wanna venture outside of my circle if that's the case.
Scott:The Tribe Circle of Trust.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. Good movie. A really good movie. Look at this.
Jamie:Watch me, fucker.
Scott:I got nipples. Can you milk
Jamie:me? I got nipples, Greg.
Scott:And the look on their faces
Jamie:is so good.
Scott:Dear lord.
Jamie:Oh my goodness.
Scott:Sweet, sweet lord.
Jamie:Thank thee
Scott:for the foodie, whatever he
Jamie:Is that what he says? I don't remember
Scott:that one. Wasn't it wasn't foodie, but I I felt like he was rhyming things with, like, I think the
Jamie:I mean, there's
Scott:I could be mistaken, but that's what's popping in
Jamie:my brain.
Jamie:Such a good movie.
Scott:Me too. Yeah.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah.
Scott:Anyway, so yeah. So listen, that's that's a new hack. I we basically just released the new No. That's 20 not seven No. Not the travel hack that you're looking for.
Jamie:So obviously, a couple episodes ago, I mentioned I mentioned like, you know, when when you go take a piss in a urinal and you're wearing flip flops, like, it gets on you like, you feel the drips on your foot, that's when you have to obviously wash your hands and then you wipe your fucking foot. Right? But so alright. So we're talking about so obviously, when when dudes go to the bathroom, they're it it splatters. There's there's splattering.
Jamie:Right? Like like it's whether you're pissing on the ground, in a bush,
Scott:on a
Jamie:wee wee pad, whatever it is. Right. So you're telling me that this dude's kid was pissing on a wee wee pad in the car. I can't even imagine the collateral damage that was done around the area, around that Ouiwi pad. And to be honest
Scott:with you Oh, the splattering around the vehicle. Yes. Yes.
Jamie:That disgusts me so much. I can't even begin to describe to you. I am so grossed out. Listen. Like, that is so disgusting.
Jamie:Like, dude, give them a fucking Gatorade bottle.
Scott:Dude, I didn't even tell you what they did about number two.
Jamie:No. No. There's you're joking. You're joking. You have to be joking.
Jamie:You have to be joking. I'm totally joking. Do a you kit?
Jamie:No. What? A shit kit.
Scott:Fucking litter box.
Jamie:You know what a shit
Scott:kit is? A girl in a a kid litter box.
Jamie:You want
Scott:me to
Jamie:tell you what a shit kit is?
Jamie:You know what a shit kit is. My wife knows what a shit kit is.
Scott:I don't know what a shit kit is.
Jamie:So I'm gonna embarrass.
Scott:Why? Because it's a dog thing?
Jamie:I'm gonna embarrass the shit out of my brother right now.
Scott:Out of your brother?
Jamie:Yes. No. Don't Does Zach attack?
Jamie:My my brother has self diagnosed IBS.
Jamie:And Scott knows my brother well, so he's like anyway, so and he he doesn't do it anymore, but years ago, Nancy and I were dating, I opened I don't even know what to say right now.
Scott:It's like, nothing is the best choice.
Jamie:Probably, but I can't help myself. So so years ago, my brother had like a it was like
Jamie:a hatchback or something like that. I don't
Jamie:know what it was. And like and and Nancy, again, Nancy and I
Jamie:were just dating. So she was over and Zach came came by and he was telling telling the story.
Scott:Is your mom gonna kill you right now?
Jamie:Maybe. So my brother my brother had
Scott:Jamie.
Jamie:My brother had, like, my brother carried, like,
Jamie:a bucket and paper towels and, like, and, like, stuff in the back of his car. So god forbid, if he was, like, driving on the highway and he had to go, I can't even finish the story. Oh my god. So he would shit in a bucket and he would like This is so ridiculous. But Nancy and I called it the shit kit.
Jamie:Oh my god. I'm sorry.
Scott:Holy crap. Sweating. I'm sweating.
Jamie:Oh my god. Sweating. That that's what the the fucking OuiPad just reminded me of. Sweating and crying. Oh my god.
Jamie:That's what you just said. I wonder you don't know what he does for number two.
Jamie:That's what it reminded me of. My wife is gonna hear this and fucking die.
Scott:So you're saying there's a solution. I should go even faster to the tournament.
Jamie:Don't worry. You can get to the tournament.
Scott:Parents, don't worry. Just grab a bucket and a wee wee pad and you can get to the tournament.
Jamie:Oh my god. In record time.
Scott:In record time. Every time.
Jamie:Oh my god. I can't even. I can't. I'm sorry. I have to tell you, that gentleman who uses VuPads in the car, like, I no.
Jamie:No. My kid no. No. No. That's not okay.
Jamie:I'm literally dying right now. Hockey parents, that's not okay. Like, just give just give your kid a Gatorade bottle. I mean, it's not hard. A Gatorade bottle doesn't have do you mean?
Jamie:Splash, doesn't and you can cap it.
Scott:Like you that that's like in case of emergency.
Jamie:Of course it is. Of course. Of course.
Scott:What do mean?
Jamie:A 100%. I'm just saying like it's a better option for this person was a Gatorade bottle. The best option would be to pull over at a rest area. That's what normal human beings do.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:And worst case, let's just say there's not one and you can't get off at like a McDonald's or a Starbucks or a gas station for Christ's sake
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Just pull over the highway and let kid piss in the woods.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:But on a wee wee pad, like, that is so not right on so many levels. I don't even I don't even know what to say.
Scott:I know. I know.
Jamie:I'm gonna have to question all of our parents now
Scott:In any event. On
Jamie:our team.
Jamie:Like, if
Jamie:you haven't done this,
Scott:have you? That's my story.
Jamie:Because if you have, I can't be friends with you.
Scott:Yeah. Oh.
Jamie:That's a good one, Scott. Yeah. Yeah. That led into some funny stuff too, by the way. Yeah.
Jamie:Okay. So how about them season starting?
Scott:How about that? So in any event, Otto has been, so he said training camp
Jamie:Right.
Scott:Which has been, two weeks sorry. Two hours of on ice, four nights, Monday through Thursday last week, Monday through Thursday this week, and then we're off to Foxborough. We're playing in, like, four different ranks this coming weekend.
Jamie:Oh, nice. Oh, you're up at Foxborough?
Scott:Yeah. You know what? I don't even know.
Jamie:You can go check out Patriot Place?
Scott:Well, listen. The
Jamie:It's Sweet little area.
Scott:Well, hold on for a second. Yeah. One of the with the the hotel we're staying at is like has Foxborough in the name, but we're playing in Providence College one night. We're playing
Jamie:You're playing you're playing at Providence
Scott:Yes.
Jamie:On the ice.
Scott:It says what it says unless there's like another
Jamie:Have you ever been to Providence?
Scott:No.
Jamie:Oh, been there many times.
Scott:Well, I've been to Providence. Yes. But I haven't been to that rink.
Jamie:Yeah. I'm saying you haven't seen a game on the sheet bikes.
Scott:No. No. No. I haven't been yeah.
Jamie:Oh, dude. Very you guys I didn't realize you guys had a game on Providence's ice.
Scott:Yeah. I mean, that I think so.
Jamie:Oh, nice. Oh, so you're playing on the Friar's Ice. Yeah. Really cool little rink. It's not so little, but a really cool little rink to have there.
Scott:Yeah. Totally.
Jamie:You know, it's, Dom and I saw, what do we see? We saw Providence play BC there, and we saw, god. Who else did we see? We saw b we saw Providence play somebody else. I wanna say, like, UConn or we've been there a couple times.
Jamie:Two or three.
Scott:Awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Well, if in fact it is on that ice, I'm looking forward to it.
Jamie:Yeah. It's a neat facility.
Scott:But, yeah. So we're so in any event so, yeah. So we're off to a tournament this coming weekend.
Jamie:So you guys are leaving for a tournament. We're leaving for a showcase.
Scott:Yep. Nice. Make sure
Jamie:you pack your Pacific Ring stuff. Make sure you sharpen your skates before you leave.
Scott:And that's gonna be on our new Sparks sharpener.
Jamie:That's right.
Scott:Let's go.
Jamie:Sparks was nice enough to send Scott and I two brand new sharpeners and the beam that goes along with it. My first time using it, I was very impressed.
Scott:Yeah. You mentioned that over the phone. I still have not used it yet. Auto just got new skates, actually. So that was something.
Scott:He got them sharpened on a Spark On
Jamie:a Spark. At Pure Hockey. That's right.
Scott:We just haven't done it at home yet. Yes. I need to sharpen my skates. Yeah. I'm going to probably document that on the Spark sharpener because it is that easy, even though I haven't used it yet, I know.
Jamie:Yes. I was very impressed with the ease of use. Yep. I was very impressed with the app. Yep.
Jamie:The beam is insane.
Scott:Yeah. You you you've mentioned that a few times.
Jamie:The beam is awesome technology. It's if you if you guys run, you know, the, your kids skate through the sparks and the sparks sharpens them, you then put this beam on the skate blade, and it tells you if it's off a little bit. It shows you in, like, like, green, yellow, or red lights. If it's off a little bit, it shows you exactly how to fix it, so it gets a perfect sharpen.
Scott:Yeah. I
Jamie:mean, technology is insane these days. I mean, again, the use of it, the the machine is not difficult to set up. I mean, I had, like, some, not trepidation, but I was like, oh my god. Am I gonna be able to figure this out? Yeah.
Jamie:So goddamn easy.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Yeah. It's between like just YouTube it, it's so easy.
Scott:And I will say this this is not a knock on you.
Jamie:Mhmm.
Scott:And and this is and I'm not just saying, but like, as as far as, like, when Jamie says that, like, he had some trepidation doing it, like, I you there's no doubt that you're that that I I just feel like that's not necessarily, like, your favorite thing to do is maybe try to, like, figure out
Jamie:Right.
Scott:Like, new machines. Right? Like, I'm not saying you can't do it, but it's not your favorite
Jamie:thing. I yes.
Jamie:If I wanna do something, I I I have no problem doing
Scott:it. A 100%. I'm just saying it's not your favorite thing. For you to say, like, you know, you were it was that easy. That that means it was, like, literally Yeah.
Scott:Literally easy.
Jamie:I mean, so easy. Like, you know, it was it was beyond easy. Got you.
Scott:So so that said, moving forward Yeah. We're gonna start introducing Spark's first question. So that we're gonna
Jamie:start of our interviews.
Scott:Yeah. We're gonna start rolling that out soon.
Jamie:Yep. You guys can hear a lot about Sparks on our on our on our podcast Absolutely.
Scott:On our social. So shout out Sparks. Yeah.
Jamie:Yeah. Really impressive machine. Like, I was really impressed with it.
Scott:No doubt.
Jamie:I have no bad things to say about
Scott:it.
Jamie:Yeah. I mean, it's really it's I I I don't know what the fuck was wrong with me for since Dominic was five, like, should have bought I should have been on this a long time ago.
Scott:Well, now you're on it now. Yeah. So Yeah. Doesn't it matter.
Jamie:And I only have one skater. People had multiple skaters in the house.
Scott:No. It makes even more sense.
Jamie:Oh my god.
Scott:Yeah. No doubt. I don't know. Yeah. Like, I'll sharpen, he sharpens.
Scott:I honestly, I barely sharpen my skates anymore.
Jamie:Well
Scott:And it got to
Jamie:the point Now that you don't have to go anywhere to do it, and you could just do it in your basement.
Scott:But it's wild how dull my skates are. And finally, this past weekend, like, I slipped out, like, a few times, and it
Jamie:Did was you?
Scott:Yeah. And it listen. I'm I'm not, you know, like, God's gift to ice skating. Right. But at the same time
Jamie:probably should have an edge there. Oh. Yeah.
Scott:Yeah. For sure.
Jamie:Okay. So listen. Open your sparks, run it through, and you'll you'll see. Yeah. It's impressive.
Scott:Yeah. So in any event, so that's what we got going on. I and like I said, I started doing some some hockey training stuff. So I'm gonna, you know, keep, you know, whatever. I'm gonna keep track.
Scott:I'm gonna post some things. I'm gonna keep up with it. You can videotape me training with other people. Fantastic. And so, yeah, that'll be fun.
Scott:So I don't know. All good things. I just feel like we're we're about to hit go. The kids are back in school tomorrow when this episode comes out. And I just feel like tomorrow is like the, you know Yeah.
Scott:It's go time.
Jamie:Yeah. No. It is. Everything's back in full swing. I'm sure some of you are are coming into new teams.
Jamie:You've probably had one or two practices ready or or maybe it's coming up, you know, shortly. You know? So just be, what's the word I'm looking for? Just make sure if you're if you're a new parent on a new team, just make sure that you, incorporate yourself well into the group or try to incorporate yourself well into the group.
Scott:Yeah. And and I was even saying this to Jamie and and my wife earlier. Like, you know, now that I've been to I've I've taken out to a few practices, not all of them. And, you know, I've we've never had, like, a parent meeting yet. So Right.
Scott:You know, there's two teams on the ice. Yeah. I I figured out who's you know, like, some of the parents, if they're on our team
Jamie:or
Scott:on the other team.
Jamie:Yeah.
Scott:So you know what? I'm gonna, you know, obviously make sure to, you know, introduce myself to the people that I know and, you know, obviously, you wanna get off on a good foot with people, get a good start to the season and Yeah. Obviously make anyone
Jamie:No reason to do.
Scott:The building feel welcome and all that stuff. Correct.
Brad:Yes.
Scott:So it's like that, you know, it's that veteran leadership in the locker room.
Jamie:It is what veteran leadership in the parent group.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:You know what I mean? It's, you know, you gotta you gotta try to, you know you know, be welcoming to the incoming parents
Scott:No doubt.
Jamie:As long as they're not dicks.
Scott:Yeah. Wow. You you you learn that after you're you welcome them nicely.
Jamie:Some you know beforehand, but that is true.
Scott:If your reputation precedes you, sir.
Jamie:Listen. This hockey world is a small world. No. I know. Like, right?
Jamie:I mean Very small.
Jamie:It's a
Jamie:very, very small world. You do not want to you do not want, you know, your reputation to to be out there in full force if it's not stellar.
Scott:Or if it is and you know that, you could start repairing your reputation.
Jamie:Oh, that's true. Fair. 100%. Right? Yep.
Jamie:That's a very fair point
Scott:by you. Of humble pie and just
Jamie:And you can start mending.
Scott:Mending. Right. Fences.
Jamie:Right. Right. Because again, you know, people talk, parents talk, coaches talk, organization directors talk. They all talk.
Scott:Don't sabotage your kid. Do not hurt your child.
Jamie:Well said by you.
Scott:There you go.
Jamie:Do not hurt you do not want to be that parent where team managers and organizations do not want your child in the building because of you.
Scott:A 100%.
Jamie:Right?
Scott:Yes. And so that said
Jamie:And on the flip side of that, try not to have you try to have your kid be good in the locker room so kids so they incorporate nicely into the new team that they're in.
Scott:Yeah. No. That's that's another thing. And
Jamie:Make sure your kids are I don't wanna say well behaved because that's not really but make sure your kids are I don't What's the word I'm looking for? Try to have your kids
Scott:Well mannered?
Jamie:Yeah.
Scott:Like, not an idiot? Yeah. Like just don't be an idiot.
Jamie:Just don't be an idiot. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
Scott:Well, listen. That's a low bar.
Jamie:Well, yeah. So it shouldn't be difficult.
Scott:Well, maybe it is for Listen.
Jamie:Some kids some kids are a little more rambling.
Scott:Listen. Everyone's definition of idiot is different. So I guess whatever.
Jamie:I I guess that's true.
Scott:Anyhow. Yeah. So that's all upon us. But, yeah. And so listen, today's let's let's let's switch gears a little bit.
Scott:Today's episode?
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. We have Brad Miller from Turtlebox.
Scott:From Turtlebox. And everyone should know this now, that we are going to be giving away a Turtlebox. This we're holding up. Yep. Oh, you're showing it to the camera.
Jamie:I'm showing the Turtlebox to
Scott:the camera. Yep. So we're gonna be giving how many we have? We have one?
Jamie:We have two.
Scott:We have two that we're gonna be giving away. Yep. So check-in for our into our socials Yep. For more details about that. That'll be coming out in the next day or two.
Scott:Yep. But, yeah, we're gonna be giving one of these bad boys or two of these bad boys away. And, yeah, be on the lookout. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, wherever you get your social information. Be on the lookout for our Turtlebox Yeah.
Scott:Giveaway.
Jamie:Yeah. So for those of you who don't know what Turtlebox is, Turtlebox is a really rugged Bluetooth speaker. You can drop it, can throw it, you can
Scott:Can you swim with it?
Jamie:You can submerge it in water. It is a very impressive Turtlebox is cool. So I reached out to the Turtlebox crowd because I said when I saw it, I'm like, this is awesome. I'm like, and this is the perfect thing for, like, a kid's locker room or an adult locker room,
Scott:for that
Jamie:matter, or a parent tailgate party in the parking lot.
Scott:There you go.
Jamie:Right? So this was a no brainer. I said, oh my god. Turtlebox is perfect. And even for for you dads, this is this is the one that that clamps onto a golf cart.
Jamie:It's got it's got magnets on it. That's what's got built in magnets, you can bring this on the golf course, and you can you can literally magnetize it right to your, your golf cart, or wherever, your car trunk or wherever. You know? So they have a lot of really cool speakers, but, so I happened to reach out to Turtlebox and, because I was like, oh my god. Like, they have to sponsor our show.
Jamie:Like, what what a home run. You know? This is the perfect thing for, like, our parent group.
Scott:Right.
Jamie:Right? Like, those of you guys who hunt and you fish, Turtlebox is awesome. That's how it started. About, you know, four buddies that were big hunters and fishermen. So I was like, this thing's perfect for a locker
Scott:room Yeah.
Jamie:Or a parking
Scott:lot.
Jamie:Yep. Right? Because we all spend tons of time in parking lots and in hotels and shit like that. So I'm like, what a what a what a sick idea, right, for a great Bluetooth speaker. So I happened to reach out to Turtlebox, and the guy who wrote me back is this guy Brad Miller.
Jamie:And I was mentioning, we have a hockey podcast, yada yada, and he called me back in, like, five minutes.
Scott:Right. Literally five minutes.
Jamie:Was, like, unbelievable how how quickly my phone rang.
Scott:Right.
Jamie:It was ridiculous. And I was like, holy shit. And he he just happened to be, you know, one of the Turtlebox guys who were looking to promote, you know, he's a I don't know what his title at Turtlebox is.
Scott:Oh, that's a good question. Title.
Jamie:You wanna look it up for me if you don't mind while I tell the rest of the story? Yeah. Sure. So Brad's obviously saw my email. I wanna say he's, like, the promotional guy for, because I called.
Jamie:I spoke to somebody else on their socials, and they're like, oh, you wanna email Brad? You know? And they gave me the they gave me his email, and he called me back in minutes. It was unbelievable. He's happened to be sitting in his laptop.
Jamie:He saw my email come in. He he saw what it was, and he wrote me back because Brad himself is a well, was a very high level hockey player.
Scott:Yes.
Jamie:So Brad played Brad grew up in the Alpharetta area of Atlanta, right outside Atlanta, for those of you who know the area. And, he went to he wind up he had a pretty interesting youth career. You'll hear about that shortly about kind of how Brad got out of the Atlanta area and got over to Shattuck Saint Mary, in Minnesota. For those of you who know Shattuck or those who don't know Shattuck, Shattuck is a very impressive hockey high school. Probably the best in the country, I would say.
Jamie:Right? Wouldn't you agree with that, Shattuck?
Scott:Yeah. In terms of high school program.
Brad:The most
Jamie:well known high school hockey programs in
Scott:the country.
Jamie:Sydney Crosby played there. You know, Nathan MacKinnon played there. Some very big names have walked through that that building. Right?
Scott:So Didn't Celebrini play there too?
Jamie:Probably.
Scott:I think Celebrini played there Probably. Yeah. I think.
Jamie:Yeah. Not surprising. Right? Yeah. I'm not sure if Podcast did, but anyway.
Scott:So I can't find Brad. I don't I'm not sure Brad's on my I
Jamie:I think he's one of the promotional guys. So, anyway, so Brad controls the the hockey part of the promotions for for Turtlebox. So, so he played at played at Shattuck, and then he wound up getting a full ride to North Dakota.
Scott:There you go.
Jamie:Which is major, major d one hockey. Yes. You know? So, so yeah. So this was a no brainer for me to reach out to, and I just happened to get a hockey guy in the other line.
Scott:Yeah. Which was crazy. Yeah. Just lucky. So celebrating once a Shattuck
Jamie:He did.
Scott:For three years.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. So that's how we kinda got hooked up with Turtlebox. So we so they were nice enough to give us two of them to give away. So be listening to our socials, or be paying attention to our social and our podcast for some more information on our Turtlebox giveaway.
Scott:There you go. Yeah. Alright. So I don't know. At this point, you wanna kick it over to Brad?
Jamie:After you, bud. You wanna have at it?
Scott:What do you mean have at it?
Jamie:Like, push it over to Brad?
Scott:Like, just say, okay, everybody. We're gonna kick it over to Brad right now?
Jamie:That was kind of the idea.
Scott:Yeah. So everyone, we're gonna kick it over to Brad right now.
Jamie:Here we go. Enjoy. Alright. Alright, everybody. We are back with our next interview.
Jamie:We have Brad Miller from Turtlebox. And the funny thing about Brad is is that I liked the Turtlebox product, and I reached out. It's a pretty funny story, Scott. I don't even know if I told you this. I reached out to Turtlebox just saying, hey.
Jamie:Listen. We have a podcast. We, you know, kinda really like your, you know, your product that you guys have. And lo and behold, Brad's a huge hockey guy. Like, huge hockey guy.
Jamie:Played some pro, played big time college d one. So Brad Miller, man, thank you so much for taking the time to join us today.
Brad:Sure, guys. Excited to, excited to be here and kinda run through some of the good the good days I've had in in the hockey world. It's, you know, it's it's always nice to remember, you know, the path that you take, and and, I'm excited to relive some of those moments. So it's it's good to be here.
Jamie:Yeah. No. No. We appreciate you taking the time. I know it's the middle of your workday, so we appreciate that.
Jamie:But, so before we start kinda delving into your your past, why don't you tell us what you're doing now and, you know, tell the folks all about Turtlebox, and, he they were gracious enough to Brad was gracious enough to give us two Turtleboxes to give away, so we're gonna give those away shortly. Yes. Thank you. That's coming shortly too. So, you know, be on the lookout for our socials.
Jamie:But, Brad, tell us, what you're doing now.
Brad:Yeah. So I I kinda oversee, the hockey side of of, Turtlebox. Turtlebox Audio, we're we're a growing, outdoor, you know, Bluetooth speaker company. Been with them for a few months, few months now and, just basically just trying to get, you know, our product into the hands of of, you know, youth hockey all the way to the NHL. And typically, how our product works is once you see it, once you use it, once you feel it, you know, it kinda sells itself.
Brad:It's just getting it in those rooms with people to try it. And it's funny. I kinda always tell people when, you know, I'm I'm talking about Turtlebox and and where they kinda came from and stuff like that. We're based out of Houston, and, you know, so we don't me aside, don't have a lot of hockey ties to the hockey world. And when I started learning about the product, it was very clear to me that that the founders of the company, without really trying, created the perfect speaker for a youth hockey locker room.
Brad:And the way I kind of describe it to people, I say, you know, I I don't have kids. I don't know if you you guys have kids or if anyone you know, I'm assuming most people listening have kids. You probably don't wanna give your 12 year old a $400 Bose speaker and just say, you know, bring it back
Jamie:when you're done. Right?
Brad:So our our speakers are
Scott:Yeah. Really?
Brad:Are waterproof, drop proof. You know, you can beat them up, and and it would be a very comfortable thing to give to your kid or a group of kids that have sticks and pucks and everything else and say, you know what? Here you go. Go, you know, go connect your iPad or phone, whatever age the kids are, who knows, or the coach will do it, and be be completely confident that it'll come out in one piece as opposed to some other speakers. It's a it's a great product.
Brad:It's a great place to work. Yeah.
Scott:That's a
Brad:thrilled to be there.
Scott:Yeah. That's, that's awesome. It immediately made me think of, youth hockey locker rooms. Right? And, like, there's so many and it's not not just youth hockey, obviously, but, like, you see the parents in the, you know, the younger ages, they're wheeling in the big speakers, and they're the ones playing DJ and don't touch this or, you know, whatever the deal is.
Scott:And it just sounds like it's a it's a it's a level of freedom for some parents to be able to give their kids the speaker and be like, have at it, boys, without worrying it's gonna get busted up. You know?
Brad:Those things that that that was, you know, a you have a million great memories growing up and and all the way through, you know, playing professionally, but the like, that's a big part of, you know, the and everyone always talks about the locker room, how great it is, and that's true. But the you know, a big reason for that as you get older and start you know, you you have a guy on the team who plays music, like, that's a big part of it. It's a big part of the, you
Scott:know Totally.
Brad:The pregame festivities once you get older older and and kind of are in there for more than ten minutes. It's a big part when you, you know, you win a game. It's a big part when you lose a lose a game and, you know, the captain says, alright. Well, whatever. We'll get them next time.
Brad:Turn the radio on. Like, it's it's a big part of it's a big part of that. So it's it's cool to, you know, try and educate, you know, my coworkers on on what kind of the music and the the atmosphere adds, and it's a it's a cool cool thing to be a part of.
Jamie:And why don't you tell people, Brad, kinda what you did? Because a lot of people on this podcast that listen are very familiar, obviously, with, you know, the gold win gold medal winning Team USA. Why don't you tell our listeners what you did with the Turtleboxes for the Olympics?
Brad:Yeah. So we were able to send over we were able to send Team USA men and women, a couple speakers to take take to Italy with them to use in the locker rooms there. And, you know, we were lucky enough that when the boys won, they actually took one of the Turtlebox speakers out, and I'm sure everyone remembers those videos of them running through the streets of Milan, Carrie and Jack Hughes, and and, you know, those are very, very fun videos in that whole night when they won. Well, they took the speakers took the speakers with them, which made a a nice viral video for me to share back at the office. But, yeah, that was that was kind of the tipping point of the company being like, okay.
Brad:I think I think hockey is like, we're we're in the right direction with what we're trying to do. And so when the guys and the girls came back, we actually sent each one of them, one of the bigger speakers. The the boys, I think, had We put an American flag. We laser engraved an American flag in the back. And for the girls, we put their their their USA I think it was their USA Women's, like, Team Shield or or whatever it was.
Brad:So we sent every every player once they got
Jamie:one Nice.
Brad:Sent, but they all got their own after that. So
Scott:Yeah. Sick.
Jamie:Yeah. It's like oh,
Scott:go ahead, James. You got
Jamie:I was just saying, and even since then, I just happened to be watching baseball the other night, and I saw an MLB commercial with Turtlebox.
Brad:Yeah. We have, you know, we're we're one of the the guys who kinda oversees the whole sports department played. It's very similar path to me, but with baseball. He played minor league. You know, he played in the minors and Right.
Brad:Never made never made the big leagues like like I like I never made the NHL. But, yeah, we're we we got Scottie Scheffler as our golf kinda face of our golf, you know, product line and and community and and, you know, we have a lot of different communities. We're just kinda getting into the hockey one, but, know, we have hunting, fishing, skiing, surfing. We have a barbecue, you know, community where, you know, all these people kinda oversee their their niche communities kind of like I oversee the hockey one.
Scott:Right. Let me let me ask you a question. In terms of, like, Turtlebox's, approach, at least in the beginning and where it is now, it sounds like there's a a major emphasis on sports. Is that something that was part of the original, like, marketing ideas, or is that something that, like, you and other coworkers brought to the table with your backgrounds and were just like, hey. Listen.
Scott:There's an opportunity here.
Brad:No. It was, you know, the company was kinda founded by this group of four buddies who, you know, love to hunt, fish, you know, do things in the outdoors. And as the company kind of progressed, they they got more involved in sports as as time went on. I, you know, I really had nothing to do with the breaking into sports. You know, the the guy the guy I mentioned, the baseball guy, he, you know, he kinda led the charge there for a while.
Brad:But since we've broken into it, it's yeah. As you would expect, it's one of our biggest, you know, kind of verticals that we have is the sports the sports communities. I mean, golf, our our ranger speaker. I can't remember which ones I sent you guys to to do some giveaways with, but our ranger speaker that has magnets that you can put on the golf cart, I mean, is is a a
Jamie:huge Yep.
Scott:We have
Jamie:one of those. Yep. But
Brad:the the commercial I I don't know which commercial you saw with the baseball, but we have we have one where it's in a batting cage and guys are hitting baseballs at it. Like I said, it's drop proof. Like, you can't really beat them up, which makes it perfect for hockey.
Jamie:That Great for kids.
Brad:My favorite commercials. I I wanna try and recreate that one with with pucks one day. But, yeah, the batting cage, you wanna Sure. Be cool, very cool commercial.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah.
Scott:The magnets to a golf cart sounds genius. Like, but, like, just, like, almost like, duh. It made me think, like, okay. Let's put some, suction cups on there so we can have it on a like, the boards at a hockey rink.
Brad:But They're strong.
Scott:Yeah. I think too. I'm sure.
Jamie:Yeah. Slam. They link onto a golf cart. No problem. Yeah.
Jamie:Yeah. No. It's sports makes and that's why kinda why I reached out to you, Brad. You know? Not just the outdoor hunting, fishing, which our parents do that stuff in the off season.
Jamie:Right? They're going out with the parks or whatever with their kids. Even going bike riding. I'm sure you could strap one of those onto, like, if the frame of a bike a mountain bike, no problem. Right?
Jamie:You know? So that's kind of one of the reasons I reached out to you. The locker rooms, like Scott said, the parking lots, you know, the parents can use it before the kids go into the right when you're when you're to tailgate, you're gonna open the trunk to have some beverages, you know, with with with other other hockey dads or even hockey moms. Right? And and just kinda the speaker's there for you.
Jamie:That was kind of I saw it made sense to me. Right? Which is why I reached out to you, and I just happened to get lucky that I got a hockey guy on the other end. Dumb luck. And not only did I get a hockey guy, but a hockey guy that played, like, really high level hockey.
Jamie:So it was perfect, Brad.
Brad:Yeah. Like I said, when they kinda created the product, it was dumb luck that they created the perfect hockey speaker. So it's it's very, that's what happens. Successful people, you need a little, little luck along the way, and that's that's what they did is they created the perfect talking speaker. So it's it it it is a very, funny coincidence.
Scott:Yeah. So we see it, obviously. I mean, I don't know if our our viewers will see it once this kinda gets edited together because how it crops it, but you are currently wearing a devil shirt, which you which you shared how you played in Trenton for a little while. Would love to hear a bit about your hockey journey, and kind of, like, where it all started, how you got, you know, into your first pair of skates. Did you come from, like, a hockey family?
Scott:I know you mentioned you were born in Canada, but made your way down to The States, the younger ages. If you wouldn't mind just kind of sharing your your hockey journey. And and also along the way, you know, one of the things that us parents definitely can struggle with is just how to, you you know, parent a kid who is, you know, in you know, playing sports without overstepping boundaries. You know? And this isn't a psychology session, but more like, you know, were there any things that your family, your your parents did that, like, worked really well for you?
Scott:Were there things that, you know, didn't work well for you? You know, I would love to hear just all about that and your path.
Brad:Yeah. I mean, like you mentioned, was born in Ottawa, kinda, you know, grew up outside of Toronto. That's where I would kind of started, you know, got skates on for the first time. My dad, you know, my dad played beer league or whatever. He never, you know, he just played for fun, never never at a high level competitively or anything like that.
Brad:And both my parents, Canadian, you know, they both would have grown up playing on ponds and stuff like that. So I'm sure that's kinda where, you know, I got I got roped into it. But grew up outside of Toronto till I was about seven years old. My dad took a job down here in Atlanta, before the Atlanta Olympics. He was he worked for Weston Hotels.
Brad:So Uh-huh. The Atlanta Olympics, they asked him, hey. Do you wanna come down and help run this hotel for before the Olympics? And, you know, great opportunities. And, yeah, of course, and that's kinda what brought the family, down here.
Brad:So when I got down here, you know, I I was at an age where I, like, I was playing, you know, I don't even know if it was called travel hockey back then, especially, like, suburbs of Toronto. You probably could have a trap in a car. So, like, I was playing hockey. Right. Came down here, and that was one of the first things we we tried to do was find where the local rink was, what the the setup was, how you know, who do you call, who do, you know, who do you need to meet, all that stuff.
Brad:And when we got down here, there was I wanna say there was one rink in the state. I think the Atlanta Knights were still here, so maybe two if they were, you know, playing if if the ice was in downtown. And the one rink was probably forty five, fifty minutes away, and they had, you know, they had some teams. And, you know, as I got a little bit older and and kept playing with those kids, there was one family who had, three kids, a youngest daughter and two boys, one of which was my age. His his dad actually built one of the main rinks that we it actually just closed and got turned into pickleball courts, which is sad.
Brad:But
Scott:Oh, god.
Brad:Yeah. It sucks. He built a rink that was called The Cooler, which was in Alpharetta where I'm from and two ice sheets, one roller sheet that that really kinda changed everything. And since I was friends with his son, we were very good buddies in the same age, the perks that he had of basically unlimited access to ice trickled down to his friends, which was me. And Right.
Brad:That's kind of my my long answer of when people ask me, you know, how did you how did you end up with a pro hockey career when you grew up in Atlanta? And I usually say, well, it's that's a hard
Scott:Not easy. To answer because
Brad:it's not exactly what it seems. I had more access to ice than, to this day, anyone I've ever met from Minnesota or Boston or Michigan. We we would just go, you know, we would just go, and there was a lounge upstairs. We, you know, as soon as everything was done for the night, we'd go play till 2AM, sleep in the lounge for a few hours, wake up, and start playing again at six. And so, like, we could be lost.
Jamie:That's awesome.
Brad:Know, because it was the owner's son getting lessons. Right. I got to him too because his, you know, his son was I don't wanna do this by myself. Like, it sucks being out here alone. So it was, hey.
Brad:Do you wanna come and do these things too? And and the same for a bunch of our friends. So I was very lucky in that sense. It was just dumb luck and timing that, you know, I had access. I had the access to the ice that not a lot of people are lucky enough to have.
Scott:Right. And and with that, along the way, like, I could imagine someone who is, like, very focused, disciplined, determined, seeing this as, an opportunity and just, like, making the most of it because they just had a ton of drive. I can also see someone who is just like, oh my god. I love this game. This is so much fun.
Scott:I can do it whenever I want. Like, let's go bananas and have fun, or some blend of the two. Like, kinda like what was your mindset with all this? Was like, when you realized that you could be on the ice almost as much as you wanted with all this, you know, the lessons, etcetera. What was how were you approaching this, and and did that ever change along the way?
Brad:Honestly, it was never at least me personally, and I I think I can speak for most of the kids that that were in the same situation. Like, we never looked at it as, like, we need to we need to do this to get better or we're so lucky that we we can't, like, screw this up. It was it was more so just, like, we liked to play. We, you know, we were maybe naive enough not to know that, like, this was such a special opportunity. It was just like, that's just what we did.
Jamie:Right.
Brad:And it wasn't I don't think any one of us was like, you know, we gotta be on the ice tomorrow at six because I wanna I wanna get a scholarship. Like, it I never once
Scott:Right.
Brad:In Atlanta did I ever hear or talk about that with anybody I can remember. It wasn't until, you know, I left where people started bringing that up. And it was
Scott:Wow.
Brad:Honestly, it wasn't you know, the lessons and stuff was it it was almost one of those things that was just that that decision was made for us. If I remember correctly, it was just like, you know, his parents or my parents, whoever it was setting it up, it was just like, you got you're doing a lesson today. And it wasn't
Jamie:Right. Right.
Brad:Requesting it. It wasn't them forcing it on anyone. It was just like, do you want you know, like, you can go do the lesson if you want to. If you wanna join Tom was my buddy's name. If you wanna join Tom, you can.
Brad:If you don't want to, you don't have to. And it was just one of those things. It wasn't nothing was forced on us. It was just we were very lucky to be in the situation we were in. We just didn't really know at the time what it what we were kinda being given.
Scott:Right. Right.
Jamie:Yeah. So, sorry. So I think the the the $64,000 question, which I'm sure everybody wants to know is is how many of you actually may had pro careers? Because not many people have that much access to ice, and they say that, you know, it's not always the ice that does it. But so I'm really curious to hear your answer here, Brad.
Brad:Yeah. The I mean, the group of friends I played with, you know, Tom, he he played at he he played a little bit at at Wisconsin. Another guy played at, I wanna say, he played at at Princeton or Dartmouth, one of one of those schools. You know, had a cup of coffee in the AHL. You know, we've had guys from that little group that played in the SPHL.
Brad:Some, you know, some guys played club hockey at in the SEC somewhere. You know, I might I might have been the one out of that age that, you know, ended up having the better career. You know, since that time, we've had, you know, we've had one guy locally that that played a few games in the NHL. And but, yeah, it was to to kinda go back to your question, everybody in that kind of group that had the access to the ice all the time went on to do something, some, you know, some higher levels than others.
Jamie:Something higher in the sport. Yeah.
Brad:But Yeah. But I I really don't think anybody from that that group that was lucky enough to kind of have that that time period, you know, just played local Atlanta travel hockey and just stopped after that. They all went to do Right. Something. So I I don't know.
Brad:It's it's funny. Like, maybe I should have mentioned all this before we spoke, but this my story probably doesn't resonate with with many, people out there the way it was.
Jamie:It's it's definitely a little different. That's for sure.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. But I I think one of the things that while while, yeah, I don't know how many people out there I mean, actually, we whatever. There there's not so many people out there that have, unlimited access to ICE. Right?
Scott:You do hear those stories about, like, you know, someone's dad was, like, the manager of the rink and left him the keys or you know, whatever the deal was. So you do hear stuff like that, but I think what I is maybe more interesting, the lessons I can wrap my head around. But, like, when you're playing till, like, two in the morning and then getting up at six, like, what are you guys doing? Is it just like the idea of, like, pickup basketball or three v three hockey? Were you guys putting each other through drills?
Scott:Like, how many of you were there? Because I think this is where a lot of, like, the secret sauce is for some kids. And when you're playing in a highly structured environment all the time, there's, like, a lack of freedom to be creative, etcetera. I know we definitely hear that a bunch. But, like, again, I I don't know.
Scott:You you'll tell us in a moment, but, like, what was it a lot of, like, unstructured free play where you guys were just doing your own thing, or do were you a bit more intentional sometimes?
Brad:I I'd say it was it was usually just we would just go out and play. And it was you know, if it was we only had four guys out there, then we'd play two on two. Or if there was four guys out there and we had one player who was way better, we'd play one against two and try and and beat that player. Or
Scott:Right.
Brad:You know, if we got if we got bored of doing what we were doing and it was getting repetitive, we'd play with the opposite hand stick. And, like, it it really just
Scott:No way. It really just cool. Yeah.
Brad:Like, it really just depended what the day was. But, I mean, we were we were so content with just playing kinda shinny hockey. You know? If Yep. If we didn't have a goalie, then somebody there would you know, one of us would have to play goalie because this everyone knows it's not as fun when you don't have a goalie.
Brad:So, like, it really just depended what
Scott:Totally.
Brad:What what we were kinda doing, what we were kinda thinking that day. And and, honestly, I think it was, like, it was more so probably like our parents just being like, we don't really care what you do. Just leave us alone for a while. Like, you guys can just hang out.
Jamie:Don't get in trouble.
Brad:Right. Which is and and you always, like I'm sure our parents, it's more exaggerated when they tell the story now when we tell it and then, like, kids these days, like, you know, you always hear, like, oh, yeah. Like, our parents didn't even know where we were. Well, not that wasn't the case for us, but it was it did seem like there was a lot more freedom and and kinda innocence Right. At that time.
Brad:Like like I said, there was a roller sheet there too. So, like, we'd have if we didn't feel like ice hockey that day, we'd play roller hockey. And, you know, for we had rollerblades on.
Scott:Right.
Brad:Rollerblade down the street to go get something to eat. And it it it really just it was one of those it was one of those places, like, you know, and then if summer would come and I remember one summer, like, the parking lot lines needed repainting. Well, since the owners you know, my buddy's dad owned the rink, he was like, well, we'll do it for a couple $100. So we rented the the parking lot striper thing and painted the the
Scott:No way.
Jamie:That's funny.
Brad:There's always something like Christmas time. Like, we go on the roof and put, like, the Christmas lights on the outside of the rink. Like, there was always something to do there.
Jamie:That's cool.
Brad:It wasn't necessarily always playing playing hockey. Like, you know, there was a there was a game room, and he'd give us, like, the he'd have the keys to the machine so we could just play what you know, we could play that type of stuff where we like
Jamie:For nothing?
Brad:Yeah. Like, that's how I learned how to sharpen skates because there was a pro shop there. So, like, if we were bored, we got the guy to teach us how to do that. Like, it it it was really just kind of a
Jamie:Right.
Brad:You know, a playground for us, and it wasn't by any person's design. It's just kind of the way we we lived at that time, and and we're very lucky to have all that stuff. Like, I'm sure when this is this is over, like, I'll I'll think of way more things that I could have brought up here, but, like, you know, there's just so many and and this went on, like, this went on, like, till the day I stopped playing. Like, in the summers, it'd be the same thing. We'd come.
Brad:We'd skate for free in the morning, maybe hang around, you know, as we got older, like, in the offices and just, you know, we're around the same people we've been with for twenty years,
Jamie:and
Brad:it was, it was a great place.
Jamie:Definitely unique. Definitely unique situation compared to anything that Scott and I've heard so far. You know? Totally. And it's funny, Brad.
Jamie:You know, you mentioned that a lot of you played, you know, on the higher ends. Right? So today, you know, you mentioned you don't have kids yet. So our kids, everything is very structured. Okay?
Jamie:There's not a whole lot of, like, free play, stick and puck. And, you know, we we had Eric Cole on, a couple weeks ago, and Eric Cole even said, you know, like, he's like he's like, there's no stick and puck anymore. He's like, it's stick and puck in private lessons. Right? So the days of the kids that can go on a sheet of ice and pay $15, you know, and just play pickup hockey like you and your buddies were doing, right, on on that on your your friend's dad's sheet of ice or a couple sheets of ice.
Jamie:You know, those days have kind of fallen by the wayside. So what's funny to hear is that you guys, you know, just kind of figured your own stuff out. And like Scott mentioned, you guys were creative and just making up games and and kinda hanging around a rink. And and you all made it to some pretty high levels in the sport, which I think is pretty interesting. I mean, it says a lot about, maybe the the misdirection of of kind of, you know, development for kids these days.
Brad:Yeah. I think, you you know, I I I don't think that's necessarily that wasn't a problem then. Like, the ice cost then, you know, it's all it's all relative, but we're I'm sure sky high back then. We just didn't have to deal with we our parents Right. Didn't have
Scott:to deal with
Brad:And, again, like, I can't stress how lucky that that was and and how lucky we were. But, yeah, I I definitely think that there's you're you're right. The fact that that there's not those type of things as much anymore, I think definitely definitely hurts. And you see when you watch, you know, you watch games these days, like, you can tell everyone is insanely skilled. Even the, like, the tougher guys are insanely skilled.
Brad:But then you watch the like, go watch an NHL warm up. There's not one player who can't, like, dazzle you. And and that's not that's not strictly to the NHL. Like, I never played in the NHL. I can I can do a lot of the same stuff those guys can do with with a puck and shooting and and all that stuff?
Brad:There's other things that get you to that highest level, but, like, I played at a lot of high levels where everybody is super skilled. Everybody is. So I go to the NHL, watch warm ups. You'll see, like, dude, these all these guys are all insanely skilled. Then you watch the game, and there's some nights where you look at and you're like, how is this guy even in the league?
Brad:He can't he can't make a pass. And that's where, you know, to your point, Jamie, like, these guys had lessons their whole life. They were ran through drills their whole life, but maybe that creative kind of like I said, like, 2AM and 6AM where you could just do whatever you want and figure the game out was not
Jamie:That's right.
Jamie:For
Jamie:Yeah.
Brad:Everybody. And you can as you get higher in in the game and higher levels, you can find those people pretty pretty easily.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. And and I I think I've alluded to it a couple times on this podcast, Scott. I know you've heard me say it. There was a study done years ago about, it was about soccer.
Jamie:Right? International soccer. And they kind of followed, you know, kids from a very young age that were part of, you know, one of those those big soccer academies, and they had private lessons from very young. Then they compared those kids to kids that grew up in, the favelas in Brazil, you know, who were just playing on a dirt playground just like you and your buddies were doing. They went to a dirt playground because they had access to it, they had a soccer ball, and they had cleats, and they just played.
Jamie:Right? And it was all unstructured, and they I guess the moral of the, you know, of the study was was that the kids who were creative as a young age and not so structured and not so rote in their development were made better players, right, over the long haul than the kids that came up in that system, that structured system, and and that's kinda what we have today. And you and your buddies just had that by accident, Brad, which is which is awesome. Right? And I'm and, I mean, it makes me think that, you know, the reason why you guys had the the careers you had and you guys played at higher levels, was because it was so unstructured.
Jamie:Right? And I guess that you guys kinda had that by accident, which is fantastic because the game today I mean, Scott, our our our kids do private lessons and small group stuff all the time, Brad. There's no time for them to go on the ice and just fuck around and be kids. You know? Doesn't exist.
Brad:No. I know. I was just gonna say, you know, I I think it's it's it's hard. I mean, again, I don't have kids, I don't see it firsthand like you guys do, but it's, you know And and it it's kind of a the whole system being flawed is, like, there's certain attributes that you can get from private lessons and small area stuff that at a certain age makes you look like a very, very good player. And maybe that opens
Scott:Sure.
Brad:Doors and opportunities at a younger age that puts you in a position
Jamie:Right.
Brad:To learn the game better as you get older. Right? So it's like where on the other side of things, like, you know, if you have you know, these days, you have an unstructured team or or, you know, player on a team that that grew up, you know, in in Canada and had only played pawn hockey, never organized, that doesn't understand and this sounds crazy to say, but, like, even even young age groups these days, like, have, like, a system and things like that that that player maybe wouldn't fit into where that travel team is like, well, this guy, he he doesn't know how to cover his defenseman in the d zone. Like, yeah, we don't I don't care that he can do a Michigan behind the net. Like, that doesn't so it's Right.
Brad:I'm trying to say is, like, it it's like, how do you do you just give do you just hope that
Jamie:Some of them are not transferable skills to the game. Right.
Brad:Right? Do you just hope that someday we can offer both things kind of equally? Like, if if you're a kid who's more like, you get more out of lessons, we gotta get you in some lessons. If you're a kid that gets more out of pickup hockey and kinda you can read the game better than anyone else, like, we gotta make sure you're able to play pickup hockey. So, like, that's that's the hard part because, like you said, it's not and the of the bad things about hockey is you can't just step outside and go play.
Brad:Right? Like, you can't get a pickup Right. Like a wiffle ball game or go throw the football and get a game Yep. Across the street or basketball in in someone's driveway. Like, the ice is the best and the worst part about hockey, and it's it that's the problem.
Brad:The kids with all that. The kids with the access to the ice, me, and, you know, other kids, you you automatically are gonna have a an advantage over everyone else. It's just the way it is, which which sucks.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. Well, let me ask this. If you and maybe I missed this before, and apologies if I did. But if first, in terms of the age, I I know that, like, that was you did it you were using that ice and going back to that rank, you know, as as maybe even an adult.
Scott:Like, what age did that start? And if you could just, like, think about your time spent during that, like, unstructured play perhaps, were there any parts of your game or maybe if less noticeable in your game, perhaps some of your friends' games that you could attribute to being really kinda honed and learned in this, like, unstructured environment?
Brad:Yeah. So I I mean, that that rink to to start the first part, that rink opened, I think, in 1998 and just closed, like, a year ago. So that was that was kinda the the window, you know, twenty five years, maybe it was it was around. So, yeah, that that was kinda the window for that. And the second part of that question, the, you know, the structure, you know, at that time and what we were doing, you know, I think a big part of it too, like, we played travel roller hockey in the summers, and we were we were way better at roller hockey than we ever were at ice hockey.
Brad:Like, we won national championships year after year after year, and that was four on four. So it's it it kinda gave
Scott:Okay.
Brad:That that was and, obviously, there's no hitting and it like, that was a lot of skill based and a lot more room on four, obviously. But as far as the, like, the stuff on the ice, just doing, you know, the the fun games and stuff like that, I definitely think, you know, I was never the biggest the biggest kid, the toughest kid. So, like, I had to find my way around without, you know, getting involved in in, you know, nonsense. Going into a scrum just to say I'm in a scrum to appease a coach or something like that. I, you know, I found out quickly, like, it it you know, at at that age, it wouldn't matter if I go in there.
Brad:I'm not gonna be the one coming out with the puck. Like, maybe I wait for help. Maybe I, know, see which Right. Which way which direction three of the four players' skates are facing and, you know, I'll cheat a little bit that way because it's most likely gonna pop out that way. Like, that those kind of things and,
Scott:like Right.
Brad:Just trying to be in the right areas, you know, if you're playing two on two or or one on two, if you're on the team with two, like, just being in spots that, you know, are are better spots for for opportunities that might come up. Like, I I realized very early, which helped me when I switched to d later in my career, that, like, realizing that the boards are the third defenseman on the ice. Like, the the the boards are the best defenseman in hockey. Right? They've never been beat.
Brad:Like, you just force realizing that they cannot go further. It like, the sooner young players realize that, the sooner they'll stop, you know, jumping out outside on on rushes or whatever. Like, the the the the offensive player cannot go any further than, obviously, where the boards are. So, like, you don't need to go chase him over there. The board's already got him covered type
Jamie:of in that direction. Yeah.
Brad:Yes. So so little things like that that that I kinda just figured figured out along the way in those little, you know, those little games I was able to play when it wasn't structured and stuff like that. Like, the sooner you figure out little things like that with, you know, whether you're playing one on one or two on one or two on two or five on five, like, it's just you you just add these little things up in your head subconsciously, really. Like, I wasn't, at the time, thinking, like, twenty years from now, I'm gonna still be thinking this little thought, but, like, you just pick things up as you go.
Jamie:Right. Right. So so I'm I'm curious, Brad. So you so you guys obviously had a lot of a lot of ice time when you were younger. So so kinda walk us through kind of your youth career.
Jamie:You played, you know, so it sounds like you started playing when you were, like, seven, eight, right, in in Atlanta. And kinda walk us through, like, high school, college after that. Walk us through that whole kinda path that you took.
Brad:Yeah. So was was here in Atlanta until I was about 15 years old. My dad, you know, it was different then than it is now. Like, all the the the only coaches we had were just the dads. Right?
Brad:The the dads who could skate were the coaches, and that was just the way it was. So my dad, you know, was one of the coaches on my teams kinda growing up. He was approached by someone from USA Hockey that asked if he wanted to be part of, like, a a I think it was, like, a southeastern team that went over to Prague for some event. And he he was like, yeah. That'd be a really cool experience.
Brad:I'm definitely in. And when he was over there, one of the kids on that team, I forget the guy's name, I think he was from Virginia. He played at Shattuck. And that was the introduction that my dad got to Shattuck, Saint Mary's. And when he came back, you know, did some research, kinda looked looked into what it was, and and, you know, this kid, as most people who go to Shattuck, was probably telling him, like, how great it was.
Brad:He was a current student at the time. And when my dad got back, it was kind of, you know, within the next year. And and at that time, I was I was getting better and better, you know, at that time. And at that time, it was kind of had a conversation, my mom, my dad, and I, and they kinda laid it out for me and were just like, you know, if you wanna continue getting better and and, again, I don't I don't even think college scholarship was even brought up. It was like, if if you wanna maybe play in college one day was was I think the conversation.
Brad:They were like, you we might wanna look at Right. Like, you going to play somewhere else to because the the the talent in Atlanta at the time was not I had kind of hit the peak of what I was gonna get out of it. And that was kind of the conversation, and my dad kinda told me, you know, I I met this kid, and there's this place in Minnesota, this school. And that was that was kind of it. And they kinda were like, you know, if you wanna go visit, which we did, and and kinda did the the the new student tour or prospective student tour at Shattuck.
Brad:And then, you know, came back and the conversation was pretty much, this is up to you. This is, like, if you wanna stay here, continue playing with your friends that you grew up with, you know, you can probably go, you know, the the trajectory you're on, you can probably go play at Georgia for the club team if you like, that's something you wanted to do. You could play your midget hockey here, and then, like most kids, be like, alright. That was fun, and on to college. And or you could go to Shattuck and see where it takes you.
Brad:Who knows? And that was kind of the the conversation that we had as a family and, you know, ended up obviously choosing to go to Shattuck.
Scott:Was that no. This was, like, when you were when you were at 15, I think you said. Right? So you finished out your high school career at Shattuck. And with that, also curious about because about your time away from home as a younger student athlete, pre collegiate, what that was like for you.
Scott:We've talked to some players that have gone to, you know, the prep school route, and they've spoken very highly of that. Now maybe they were, like, a year or two older when they did, a PG or something along those lines, but it sounds like, you know, on one hand, it's a it's a big step for a young kid, big step for family. But then also on the flip side of that, you know, there's a lot of great life lessons that you probably start to pick up away from home. Like, what was that what was that like for you being away from home?
Brad:Yeah. It was it was hard. And I'll I'll kinda I'll kinda date myself a little bit. The my first week at Shattuck, going to the way from home was, 09:11, September 11. So it was
Jamie:Oh, wow. Those
Brad:those of you listening that, you know, can remember that time, like, that was a that was a scary time. And, I mean, I was fifth like I said, I was 15 and just moved away from home and, you know, didn't have a cell phone. Like, when I when I first went to Shattuck, like, I used a like, a they gave me, like, a prepaid calling card for the first year. Like, I didn't have a cell phone or anything. So, like
Scott:Wow.
Brad:That wasn't easy. Like, they Right. You know, they'd let me know when, like, my sister had stuff at night and, like, the days they'd be kinda home, and, you know, you can call anytime at that time. So, yeah, being being away from home, it was it was it was hard at the beginning. I mean, you you figure it out pretty quickly.
Brad:And looking back on it, I it was, you know, so good for me just to be kinda, you know, be on your own and and, you know, just learn, you know, everything that's everything is just so different. Right? You're so and and it's funny. Like, every year at Christmas, we'll you know, the family will look through photos and stuff, and, like, there's pictures when they drop me off. My parents drop me off in in the dorms and stuff like that.
Brad:And Oh. Like Yeah. You I was so young. I was like, you guys are out of your mind.
Jamie:Like, look at you crazy lady. How
Scott:young I am.
Jamie:Sent you across the country.
Brad:They were like, yeah. We my mom, especially, is like, yeah. We we know. It was hard. But, you know, looking back on it, it was there's just so many things that, you know, you learn, you have to adapt to quickly.
Brad:And it it the thing with Shattuck, it was nice because it wasn't like and I I guess I can't really speak to this. I didn't do it. But, like, I would assume going to college when you're 18 and you're moving into a dorm and it's everybody's first time out of the house in a dorm. So, like, everyone's kind of clueless in the boat together. Right.
Brad:Where at prep school with Shattuck, that wasn't
Scott:the case
Brad:because, yes, it was my first time, but there was kids that had been there four years. Like, if there was ever anything that I didn't understand, like, oh, this guy this is this this guy's third year here. I'm just gonna watch him do this, and then I'll know how to do it. It wasn't Mhmm. You know, it wasn't and not to mention you're making, you know, you're making you're living in the dorms with these people.
Brad:You're playing on teams with you know, Shattuck has a handful of teams, but you're playing with a lot of the people you're living with. You're eating at the dining hall with the like, you get to know people pretty quickly. So it's that was that was Sure. My roommate, my first year was from, like, outside Minneapolis. So, like, I could he would invite me to come up on the weekend.
Brad:We'd have free to, like, his parents' house or whatever. So, like, it was it was hard, but you learn you learn things so quickly, which was was great. I I think just being on your own that young, it's almost like you know, I I look at it as, like, almost like learning a language when you're a child. Like, you don't even realize you're doing it, and then it's done. Right?
Brad:So, like, being out of the house that quickly at 15, like, you quickly realize how fast your laundry piles up or, like If I'm lazy and, you know, had a first period free or something and didn't make it to the dining hall before, what, you you know, whatever, 9AM because that when they stopped serving breakfast
Jamie:You don't eat.
Brad:You don't eat. So, like, you figure that stuff out pretty quick.
Jamie:That's right.
Brad:And it teaches you a lot about and this is all, like, back. Right? 2020, like, teaches you a lot about time management. And, my laundry is half full, but I remember last time it was half full. I didn't feel like doing it piled up, and then I had no time to do it.
Brad:I better do it now. Like Right. Start learning all of that stuff.
Jamie:Yeah. You just kinda figure it out. Right?
Brad:Yeah. Yeah. So it was it was great in the sense, you know, in the sense of, like, turning me into who I am now. Like, looking back, I'm sure it was there was moments that it was tough, and I was like, I wish I wish I just had my family just do this all for me like they used to do. But looking back on it, it it was it was the best.
Brad:I I loved it, and I I couldn't couldn't recommend, you know, obviously, Shattuck, but but that kind of experience more.
Jamie:The prep school route. Right? Yeah. Yeah. You know, and and and oh, so so you played there for a couple years and then tell us how how you wind up in North Dakota.
Jamie:Because that's like major major d one hockey. Yeah. If I
Scott:could if I could just interrupt one second. Oh, so sorry. Just real quick. Curious about sorry, James. But just that the jump, right, from going to, you know you know, Atlanta to Minnesota, the level of play that you encountered.
Scott:And and and we'd love to hear the same thing about jumping from Shattuck, you know, to collegiate hockey. But Yeah. If you could just give us a little insight into, like, what that was like, you know, were you did you feel prepared for what was about to come your way on the ice, or was you, like, a fish out of water? Like, what was that transition like for you? And then, obviously, please continue on with the collegiate stuff.
Brad:Yeah. So the the, you know, Shattuck part of it, I I wasn't really sure what to to expect. Like, when when I went up there on, like, the prospective student day, I don't know if they still do it this way. Like, I brought my gear and skated with one of the teams. Like, that was part of, like, the thing.
Brad:Because if you wanted to go there for Mhmm. Hockey you know, you wanted to go there to play hockey, it was like, well, that's great, but we need to make sure you can actually play hockey before we Right.
Scott:Hit you. Right.
Brad:And so going up with like, I wasn't sure what the jump was. The way it was then, I don't know if it's the same now, at Shattuck, you have the boys had four teams. I think they have more now. The top team was the is the prep team. I think there was a midget double a team.
Brad:There was a junior b team, and then just like the midget a team. And so when I went up there, you have you have tryouts. Like, everybody tries out. They just put people on teams. You scrimmage, and and they pick the top team and work their way down.
Brad:So that first year, I made the, like, the third team, the junior b team, which was junior I mean, it's like USHL age team. Right? Like, we were all students of attic, but the league we played in was a junior league. So I was 15. Mhmm.
Brad:Like like I said, like those photos, I was so young. I was you know, I I'm not a big guy now. I was probably a hundred and thirty five pounds soaking wet at that time. And Wow. I made the junior b team.
Brad:And and so, like, when we figured out what and I I I came from Atlanta. I didn't know what junior b was. I I like, I had no idea. I was playing bantam hockey in Atlanta and then kinda figured out, like, this is junior hockey. Like, there's fighting.
Brad:There's guys who are 21 years old. And was like, I'm not doing that. And I told my my dad. I was like, I'm not I can't play in this league. Like, it was a lot of older kids at Shattuck too.
Brad:And I was like, I'm not playing on that team. And so that, you know, kind of told the the coach and whatever, and they're like, alright. You can play on, like, the single a team. And I was like and, like, we'll be playing, like, a normal whatever it was, bantam or midget schedule. Like, that's what I thought this whole thing was.
Brad:And they're like, yeah. Yeah. This is normal. So went and did that for the first year, and and it was good. Like, I was probably one of the the better kids on that team, which was great.
Brad:I got to play a ton and and, you know, at that time, I was playing forward, scored a bunch. And then the following season, tryouts come up, and I make the junior B team again. And at that time, I was like, alright. Like, yeah. I I'm not gonna leave the team twice.
Brad:So I played junior b that year.
Jamie:Right.
Brad:Right. Had a good year. I think I may I've made, like, the league all star team. We had some good players on our team, and and we had a, you know, decent season. It still was a bit of a shit show on, like, the Wild West of, like, junior b hockey.
Brad:Thankfully, like, our team I think even, like, league officials and stuff, like, knew that, like, they wouldn't allow, like, the shit shows to happen with us because we were so much we were all so young. And so that that, like, didn't happen, but, like, you'd see highlights from the rest of the league and, like, just melees over, like, every weekend. And so then
Scott:Oh, wow.
Jamie:My senior year yeah.
Brad:So my senior year, you know, come back to Shattuck, try out, and I made the prep team. I made the top team, which I I didn't know if I would or I wouldn't. It was like that was that was the goal, but I had no idea. And I I don't know. At at that time, and I think, like, years after the fact, I was the only player to ever play on, like, the single a team and then make the prep team their same, like, Shattuck.
Jamie:Wow.
Brad:Now I guess I'm asterisked by that because I didn't originally make that single a team. I made the junior b team, but, like, the only player to play for both teams, like, at that time. So, you know, once I made that that prep team, that's when things really kind of just started to take off. I mean, our team was so so stacked. We you know, Johnny Taves, Kyle Aposo, Jamie McBain, I think, was on that team.
Brad:Ryan Duncan, who won a Hobie. I mean, we we just had so many good players on that team. I'm probably missing a bunch of them too. But as that season kind of went and we were, you know, we were a top team in the country for the entire year, and I was, you know, I was playing, you know, on on if not the top line, the second line and getting tons of points and and everything else. And we had, you know, because of the people that were on that team, we had tons of scouts coming to watch every every every game we played, there was people there, like, you know, looking for players, whether it was the team we were playing or the other team.
Brad:Like, we just had a lot of very good players. And so as that year went on, I in in, like, the spring of that year, that's when, you know, I had I had I remember it was Colorado College reached out to me in, like, the fall. And just, like, back then, like, they just sent a letter, like, to my Shattuck. There was a little mailbox area. And it just said, like, you know, we're keep we're an eye on you.
Brad:Like, we here's our number. Like, if you wanna talk to us, whatever. And it wasn't, like, there was no advisers. Like, I there was none of that. Like, I told my parents, and that was that was that.
Brad:And as the year kinda went on and and started having a a great year, that's when Tom Ward, the coach of the Shattuck prep team, you know, kind of got a little bit involved and was like, hey. And I'm trying to I'm trying to think. It was Minnesota Duluth. Like, hey. Duluth wants you to go on a visit, or BU wants you to go on a visit.
Brad:North Dakota wants you to go on a visit. And then there was there was one more I'm forgetting. Mankato. Minnesota
Jamie:Can't forget this stuff, Brad. Oh, Mankato. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Brad:Mankato wants you on a visit. So I I did I did all four of those visits, Mankato, Duluth, North Dakota, and BU. And then, you know, ultimately decided on North Dakota who we had on that Shattuck team, we had myself, Ryan Duncan, Johnny Taves, Taylor Charney, who all played at North Dakota too. So we played, and then, Gannaway, I think Jay was on that team. He was a year younger that ended up in North Dakota.
Brad:So, like, at that time, that was when Crazy Crazy was at North Dakota. Like, that Shattuck to North Dakota pipeline was very strong at that time.
Jamie:Strong.
Jamie:Yeah. That was a big
Brad:move in. You know, the the Ralph, of course, was still is the best rank on the planet. But I I the familiarity I had with, you know, some of the guys I I was playing with, you know, at Shattuck that would be my teammates and classmates at North Dakota. Even even guys, like, that played before me at North like, my my junior year, let's let's say, at Shattuck, like, Drew Stafford was on the prep team. Like, he went to North Dakota.
Brad:Like, even though I wasn't teammates with him at Shattuck, like, I would be at North so, like, I knew him is what I'm saying. He he was a he was a student
Scott:at Shattuck.
Brad:Like, it's not a big place. Like, Hockey, you know, we all knew each other. So that was that was a big kinda selling point for me was I already know a lot of these people. I'm comfortable with a lot of these people. You couldn't go wrong with any four any one of those four schools, and you add the Ralph to that.
Brad:You add the people that I knew. It was kind of a no brainer when it came down to it. And then as so I committed to North Dakota, and then as kind of the spring ended, the USHL had a draft. And that's where I ended up ended up going, I can't remember the pick, in the first round to Green Bay. And because that that was the agreement North Dakota and I had was, you I'll go play a year in the USHL and then come in the I guess it was the fall of two thousand five.
Brad:And so that's what I did. Went to Green Bay, played a year there. Wasn't wasn't a great year by any metric of anything. Hated the coach. He, like, just he just wasn't a very good coach.
Brad:The the guys it was funny. We all had I think there was 18 of 20 of us already had, like, d one we're already committed to d one schools. So everybody was it seemed like almost a little checked out. Like, we just weren't you know, we had very good players. Blake Wheeler was one one of my good buddies on that team, but we just weren't a very good team top to bottom.
Brad:And and, obviously, that that kinda sucks when your team isn't doing well. We had a we had a ton of fun off the ice, though. That was probably another problem why we were so bad on that.
Jamie:The phone Too bad you didn't have a Turtlebox back then.
Brad:Yeah. So that was that was a fun time. But, yeah, the on ice stuff was not not the best, but, you know, got through that year, blew my shoulder out, which that was my draft year too. So I only played, I don't even know what it was, 40 of the 60 games or or whatever. Had to get my shoulder reconstructed, and so I I obviously didn't end up getting drafted like I would have liked to.
Brad:And then going into North Dakota, it kinda that that kinda set the stage of me getting to North Dakota and not, you know, being where I would have liked to be right off the bat because I was still rehabbing. Like, I couldn't do a bunch of the fitness testing stuff. Like, it was a race against the clock to get ready to go, and I might have even missed the first couple weeks of games. And, like, by that point, like, it's hard to kind of break your way back in. And I guess in in hindsight, I should have maybe known like, North Dakota asked, like, hey, Brad.
Brad:Like, you can go play another year in the USHL. Like, it doesn't have to be a Green Bay. Like, you can rehab your shoulder, go play. And in hindsight, I probably should have done that. But like I said, when I committed, like, I have these buddies from Shattuck that I play like, I wanna I I don't wanna be behind them a year.
Brad:Like, that all factored into it. I was like, no. I'm I'm I'm ready to start school with my buddy, you know, my friends and whatever else, and and that was kind of the decision I made and
Jamie:and Right.
Brad:Started at North Dakota at that time.
Jamie:Right. So you went to North Dakota and and and tell so so I guess talk quickly about the difference in level between, like, the USHL and and North Dakota, and then, obviously, your North North Dakota career and then what you did after North Dakota.
Brad:Yeah. I mean, the the, I mean, the level, it's it's the same as today like you hear about. It's a huge it's a huge jump. And, like, back then, like, I remember playing against, like, Mankato, whatever that my freshman year and, like, David Backus, who played in Saint Louis forever. I think he played in Boston for a little bit.
Brad:Like, team you know, played in the Olympics. Like, he was a great player. And he was just, like he was just built like a he was just a man, and that's a huge difference in in college. Like, in the USHL, yeah, like, I was 15, playing junior age kids was would have been a huge leap. But when I was 19, like, it wasn't that big.
Brad:Yeah. You had your mutants, but, like, otherwise, it wasn't, like, that crazy with
Jamie:Right.
Brad:Like, the difference. Whereas you jump into college and like you hear about now, there's just I mean, there's 25 year old players, especially these days with guys, you know, maxing out their junior Uh-huh. Junior time and stuff like that. So
Scott:Yep.
Brad:That was tough. And I and like I said, I was never the biggest guy. Like, I had to kinda think my way through things, and those North Dakota teams were so good that, you know, a lot of times, those first couple years, like, if I wanted to play, it was like, you're on the fourth line because our first two lines are Zajuck, Stafford, Oshie, Taves. Like, where where am I gonna fit into that? Like, I'm not a better player
Jamie:than this. Right.
Brad:Like, that just that isn't gonna work. And so that was that was tough just trying to figure out, like, you know, how to how to adapt to to that role of you know, that I had never really played even in Green Bay. Like, I was, you know, one of the top offensive guys. Like, that was that was my role. So going to North Dakota, that was tough, you know, having to to kinda become a a role guy, a checking, you know, a checking line guy for a handful of that time.
Brad:I wasn't used to doing that. I I wasn't particularly good at it. So that was that was a big that was a big jump. And, you know, fast forward when
Scott:Mhmm.
Brad:You play, you know, any any college player, you play a few years and kinda understand what it's all about, and you're not a, you know, you're not a superstar that can step in right when you're a freshman and and change things. Like, I was a I was a decent player. I wasn't a great college player. I wasn't a bad college player. But once you figure that out, you kinda figure out exactly where you kinda fit in on on the team.
Brad:And and, of course, you're getting older and stronger and wiser and all those things. So, yeah, after my junior year, I played three years at four at North Dakota. And junior year, I was playing d on the power play. Like, we just had four four forwards on the power play. I was the one that basically lined up on the blue line for the face off, and so I was the d.
Brad:And senior year, I forget where we were, maybe Harvard or or somewhere out east, we had so many d injured that we, like, we just didn't have enough d. I think we had, like, four d that could play. And the coaches were like, what what should we do? And they're like, well, Brad, like, he plays d on the power play, and I was just like, are you are you guys out of your mind?
Jamie:Like, it's been two years.
Brad:You're playing my
Jamie:checker. I'm the first
Brad:player in that you could put in that role. And they were like, well, we have nobody else. So you you we'll try.
Jamie:So get back there.
Brad:Yeah. And so they put me back there and kinda were just like, you know, ask ask questions. Don't try and do anything, you know, too complicated. Just get the puck to the to the forwards and and, you know, just all the all the cliche defensive, like, keep keep your eyes on the the puck or whatever, you
Jamie:know,
Brad:whatever. And I ended up Right. Tied for second in the country and scoring for defenseman that season. So it was
Scott:Wow. That's crazy.
Brad:Good. And that's a story I need to tell. It was I can't remember the the order it was. I think it was maybe Jamie McBain was first in descoring. And I could have these two names flip flopped, and it was myself and Kevin Shattuck tied for two.
Brad:So it was either me and Shattuck Nice. McBain tied for two. And at the end of that season, they both signed and went immediately to the NHL. At the end of that season, I waited to go play in the East Coast League the next year for whatever reason. I I wasn't a natural defenseman.
Brad:I didn't I mean, everybody kinda had agents at that time that were draft picks, and, like, I wasn't drafted. I didn't have an agent. And it just, like, just so happened I didn't, you know, I I didn't get get a chance to kinda jump right into something like that. Not not to say, like, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Like, I would have been I would have been what's the word I'm looking for?
Brad:Like, not abused.
Jamie:Content?
Brad:No. Like, I'm I'm like, I would have been the NHL player like, say say I would have got a chance to go to the NHL for, like, one year. Like, those guys would have, like Right. Seen right through me. Like, this guy is not a defenseman.
Brad:This guy this guy
Jamie:is what you're saying.
Scott:Oh, got it. Right.
Brad:Not a a defensive player. Like, he and that would have been apparent pretty quick. But I still look back on that being like, god. I I wonder wonder how, like, I I just I I didn't even get a a look or a sniff, but that's that's probably what a lot of people say that that never got a look or a sniff. They're like, why you know, why how'd that happen?
Brad:But yeah. So after that, went to played a couple years in the East Coast League, kinda bounced around, blew my ACL out, my rookie my pro rookie year at you know, had had my knee scoped in, training camp, that first pro training camp. And then in I think it was in December, blew my ACL out. So I that whole first year was awash.
Jamie:Was awash?
Brad:Yeah. Mhmm. So that that kinda set the tone for my American pro career, you know, bounced around a couple other places, Trenton, like I mentioned, and we have a we have a local team here in Atlanta. The gladiators played there for a year as well. And then decided to go try Europe.
Brad:Figured it wasn't the NHL wasn't, you know, wasn't particularly close at any of that time. It wasn't gonna get any closer and kinda said, this is you know, I'll go try I'll go try Germany for a little bit and and kinda that's how it went got me over there.
Scott:Uh-huh. Let me ask you a question because, obviously, some of your teammates went on to have, like, insane careers in the NHL. Yeah. Looking back on it and any of the elite players that you were with because you were you know, you yourself were an elite player, but, like, now, you know, the, the margins are getting a lot, you know, like, a lot smaller maybe is the right way of putting it when you get, you know, with such highly skilled players. But was there anything about any one of those guys about their their game, about their work habits, about their the way they conducted themselves on or off the ice that really left impressions on you on on, like, wow.
Scott:Like, you know, maybe looking back on it, if I did a little more like this or a little more like that, that would have been really beneficial?
Brad:Yeah. I mean, I could say that about a lot of people, you know, at that time and and level at North Dakota. The one thing I'll say is that and I kind of mentioned it earlier when I was talking about the conversation with my parents and Shattuck and and do I go or stay? Like like I said then, like, the the this the word scholarship was never brought up, like, by by them. And and, again, like, I was playing bantam travel hockey in Atlanta.
Brad:I I didn't even know what that even really meant. Right? So, like, as I kind of went along the way and and learned about like, of course, everyone wants to go to the NHL. That's that when you're little, that's what you wanna do. Right?
Brad:You don't necessarily think of, like, the things that at the time that are gonna prepare you for that. Like so what I'm saying is, like, that conversation with my parents was, scholarship was never brought up. I didn't even think that was possible. And maybe it was because of, like, where I was raised, not knowing really anything about college hockey. Like, I at the time, I didn't really understand that playing at North Dakota was, like, you are right there
Jamie:to the NHL. It was a big thing.
Brad:And Yeah. I didn't I didn't really understand that.
Scott:Like, at
Brad:at that point, I was like, the NHL I I still didn't know anyone that played in the NHL. Like, not even, like, through friends or buddies or anything like that. Like, I I didn't know anything about it. It still seemed like, to me, so far away, and, like, that's just not even possible. Right?
Brad:And then so at North Dakota, Johnny gets drafted third overall to Chicago. But, I mean, he still he stays for that second year. You know, leaves after after three, and then you start getting some some people that you're very close with in the NHL, and you're like, I guess I guess that wasn't all that far off. And so, yeah, looking back, like, ethic and stuff like that, like, everyone had a good work ethic. Y'all y'all make it to North Dakota and stuff like that.
Brad:But looking back, if I could go back and do it over again, I probably would, like, just almost, like, twenty four seven, like, stretching, eating, but and the eating better part wasn't like it's not like it is now. It wasn't like you were kinda just now North Dakota has a chef at the rink, three meals a day. Like, we didn't have that. We went to the dining hall, and you got what you want. Right.
Brad:So, like, that type of stuff was was very different back then, but I I wouldn't say myself personally. Like, I was and, again, I just didn't really know any any better. Like, pro hockey didn't seem like it it just seemed like another world away that wasn't really achievable.
Scott:Mhmm.
Brad:And so those, like, little things, I think I I definitely could have done better when it came to those things. Like, I was always you know, I always like to have a good time off the ice too. I was in I was in college. That was that was you know, I was the the college experience was a big part of my, you know, time there as well. And, like, again, going back on it, in hindsight, of course, like, you can still do that and pick your spots, but, you know, what are you doing to get better in hopes of of getting a shot at the NHL?
Brad:So, yeah, there was everyone kind of Right. In their own way was, you you know, doing little things, some more than others. Like, of course, know, Ocean Taves, for example, like, Osh, I would say was never you know, Johnny compared to him, Johnny was doing all the like, he would be in bed at 8PM. He'd be stretching in the morning in the living room watching TV. He'd be, you know, doing different bike workouts when we didn't have to do workouts.
Brad:Whereas, Osh, like, he was just as gifted, but he didn't necessarily have to do all those things at that time in order to, like, still end up there. So it's it just depended on the person. Right. But there's definitely definitely guys that that looking back, I realized, like, definitely could see the end goal clearer than I could, I guess, is a good way to put it.
Jamie:You know, it's it's funny, Brad. I'm surprised because the coaches know how close you guys all were to the NHL. I would have thought that they would have been kind of on you guys more and be like, hey. Listen. Like, you know, kid, like, you're right there.
Jamie:Like, if you do x y z or or if you do a little more than what we're asking you to do, like, it's it's right there, you know, right right right outside your grasp. You know? I would have thought that they would have been kind of I won't say advising you more, but just kinda like, you know, kinda showing you the lay of the land a little bit maybe more. Does that sound about right?
Brad:Not really because, like, maybe I'm painting the picture wrong. Like, that was all there. Right? Like, the the the staffs and everything, like, at the time, it was as good as it could get. And they, you know, they they made it clear.
Brad:And, yes, you're right. They knew that better than better than we did. And maybe that was that was maybe that was a me thing being like like, how could you not know that you're a step away
Jamie:from And
Brad:for whatever reason, I just like that that didn't really cross my mind. It was just two separate worlds that were miles apart. So, yeah, I don't think Gotcha. No means, like, was North Dakota not preparing us the best we could be prepared. I am just saying me personally looking back, like, there's more I could've done.
Brad:Mhmm. On top of the already incredible kinda stuff we were given there, if that makes sense.
Jamie:Yes. By by by North Dakota themselves. Yeah.
Jamie:Got it. Yep. Yeah.
Jamie:You know, I mean, it it it definitely you know? And it's and listen. You still had a playing career. I mean, you you played overseas for a number of years. How many years did you play overseas for?
Brad:I wanna say I played in I played in Germany for ten, I think.
Scott:Right. Oh, wow. Yeah.
Jamie:Exactly. Yeah.
Brad:Yeah. I mean, yeah. And, like, I I had a I had a great, you know, I had a great career, and and some of the relationships I I made in Germany, like, I'll forever. And the experiences that I had playing there, like, I'll have forever. So yeah.
Brad:I'm just saying if we had a time machine, I'd try and be a little more of a pro now that I realize how close being a
Jamie:pro actually
Brad:was at that time. But, yeah, played in Germany a long time. Great great experience. Was and I played d that whole time too and was, you know, defenseman of the year a few years few years there, walked into to those years and, you know, was was great. It was the style of play, and you hear about it.
Brad:Like, the style of play suited my game. The ice is bigger. Wasn't as physical. And it was it was great. I have nothing but good things to say about, you know, my my experience living and playing in in Germany.
Brad:It was it was just awesome.
Jamie:Probably made a decent living too, I would think, for ten years. Right?
Brad:Well, it it wasn't probably what you'd think it would be, but you when you take in, like, it's all tax free. It's all euros. It's all your housing is taken care of. You're given a car. I lived in a small village, so it wasn't like if there was nightlife, it was like just having some beers with the boys.
Brad:It wasn't going crazy.
Jamie:Right. Right. No. Just city stuff. Right.
Brad:Like that. Like, it was a small it was a small little town. So
Jamie:Yeah. If
Brad:you were smart about it, yeah, you could you could save some some decent money and and, you know, like I said, it was in your the euro. I I check it every day on CNBC. The euro these days is, like, a dollar 15 when I was playing there. I mean, I think my first year was, like, a dollar 40. So bringing €1 home gets you a dollar 40 back here.
Brad:So, like, that adds up quick once you bring home
Jamie:Yeah.
Brad:You know, x amount. So Sure. But it just yeah.
Scott:It it
Jamie:was it's
Brad:great. It really was.
Jamie:And?
Scott:Well, listen, Brad. We're we're at the hour twenty mark. This has been a very, very, good conversation. And and, you know, I just don't wanna take any more of your time, you know, but, just wanted to to wrap this up a little bit. And listen, just honestly hearing more about your career, it just it it reinforces the idea for so many, like myself and probably many others out there that those that of of course, you played d one, you went to Shattuck, like, you know, the youth and precollegiate, you know, years, were were not necessarily what a lot of kids have.
Scott:We went on to play d one, then you had a long career, and it just it just I don't know. There's there's more than there's a lot of different paths. And if you love the game of hockey, you use it as your vehicle to take you places. You can go you can go anywhere. Right?
Scott:And it doesn't have to be within these, like, Instagram and Facebook and whatever highlight, you know, reels of, like, Shattuck drafted at 18, played first game pro at 19, and then, you know, you're back on celebrating. Right? Like, there's there's tons of stuff. So just, like, honestly, like, well done on you for having, like, a tremendous career, and I really appreciate you sharing sharing your story with us and our listeners.
Brad:Yeah. And I think if you could if people listening could take one thing away from kind of my story is, you know, I I didn't make the NHL, but like you said, had a had a long career in Germany. And I played with, you know, to your point, it's a vehicle. It can take you places. I played with so many guys in Germany that, you know, never played even close to a level I played, you know, even, like, ending at, like, midget hockey.
Brad:Right? Like, played their youth hockey, went to a community college somewhere, and then, like, went out, found an agent, and the agent placed them somewhere, like, in Europe. So it's not always the NHL is the end all be all. Like, of course, everyone wants to play there, but, like, there's so many different leagues. Like, there's a league in Australia that they have.
Brad:There's a league in, you know, there's leagues in China and in in
Jamie:Japan. Yeah.
Brad:Japan. And I think there's a league in Dubai. Like, you know, if you're if you're open and and the tons and tons of leagues in Europe, each country has a handful of leagues. Like, there's so many other places that until I went and and, you know, had the agent I had that kind of said, do you wanna go play in Germany? Like, I didn't I and, again, I didn't even know they existed.
Brad:I I thought it was the NHL, the AHL, East Coast League, and then college, and then that's that's really about it. Like, I didn't know you could go make a living overseas and
Jamie:and live
Brad:there and do all those things. So, yeah, I think depending on on the age of of kids of the people listening, like, they're getting older, yeah, like, you can there's tons of leagues over there. I mean, I think in Germany alone, there's, like, six like, there's a sixth league. Like and you can go there. They'll set you up with, like, a part time job, you know, because they won't pay you much.
Brad:They'll set you up with an apartment, a little part time job.
Jamie:Right. Right.
Brad:And you can play in Germany. So there's so many different places that you can go just because you weren't drafted or went to Shattuck or North Dakota or played in the NHL or any of those things. Like, you can have a long career somewhere, in a very cool place. You just have to be willing to to to try.
Scott:Yeah. That's great advice. Great advice.
Jamie:Yeah. This is awesome, Brad. And but before we let you go, where can everybody find you and Turtlebox? What's the best place for them to go to?
Brad:Find me into well, turtleboxaudio.com is where you can find Turtleboxes, and you guys are doing the, doing a giveaway, I'm assuming, with with this episode.
Jamie:Yep.
Brad:And then me, I I don't really I have Twitter and Instagram. I don't use them all that much. So if you can find me, I'm out there, but I'm not necessarily on them, all
Jamie:that much.
Brad:Yeah. Turtlebox. Look for Turtlebox's, you know, turtleboxaudio.com. We're in Dick's Sporting Goods Academy. I think we're in Ace Hardware in The States trying to get into Canada here here soon.
Brad:Canadian Tire, hopefully, will will be the goal there if it's possible. And, yeah, if you need speakers for your youth locker rooms and stuff like that, there's no better ones than Turtlebox. And, hopefully, a few people listening will have new ones here soon by winning the contest you guys are doing. So
Jamie:Oh, yes. Absolutely. We're What's up? We're parent parking lots. It's not it it it goes beyond the locker room.
Jamie:Parent parking lots, it's also good for.
Jamie:Either way. That's right. Awesome. Thank you, Brad. We really appreciate
Jamie:you coming out today. Thanks so much, buddy.
Scott:Yeah. Appreciate it. Thanks so much, Brad.
Brad:Thank you, guys. Thanks for having me.
Scott:Alright, everybody. Welcome back from the interview with Brad Miller, Turtlebox. Let's go. Yeah. Dude, I need to befriend someone.
Jamie:Who dad has built an ice rink.
Scott:Yeah. Well, we know some of the You
Jamie:mean our kids kid. Befriended someone who's
Scott:dad built an until 02:00 in the morning And then wake up at six. Sleep in the lounge And then eat breakfast at the bar, and then go back on the ice. And then Yeah. Go to school, then go back on the ice.
Jamie:The access was pretty nice, wasn't it?
Scott:Unbelievable. Yeah. I mean, that was just like that that that's so unheard of. Mean, even said that from all the people that he and he's played high level hockey, so he's Yes. He's been in touch with like people that played
Jamie:Yes.
Scott:High level from Boston, from Massachusetts Yeah. Yeah. From Minnesota Yeah. From wherever. And he's like, I've never talked to anyone that had more ice than me.
Jamie:You know, it's funny. He definitely had a ton of ice. Right? And that was a huge advantage. Right?
Jamie:Yeah. But the crazy part about it is, is from listening to his interview, is I think that the unstructured part of it, and there was a lot of unstructured. A lot of unstructured. Unstructured than structured.
Scott:Yes. That's definitely what it sounded like.
Jamie:I think that that had a big, big thing to do with his with how how he developed on the ice.
Scott:I would think a 100%.
Jamie:Right? And we talk about that a lot. You know, that that you know, the study that I was talking about the about the soccer, you know, soccer kids who were up, like, in the favelas, are just kind of fucking around in in the playground by themselves versus the kid who's at an academy and is structured from, like, you know, six through 16.
Scott:Yeah. You know?
Jamie:I think the unstructured part of that conversation holds a lot of weight.
Scott:Yeah. I listen. I I
Jamie:I do.
Scott:I don't I know that anecdotally Yeah. Insofar as that, like, you hear it from other sports as well, especially soccer, how you see the creativity that you that comes with, like, I don't know, let's take the Brazilians, for example. Yeah. You know, where there seems to be a like, I'm talking about something I don't do too much about. But, like, you know, a lot of the soccer players will say that it was like playing in the streets and the fields by themselves.
Scott:And they're like, you know, I'm sure the same is true for basketball.
Jamie:Exactly what
Scott:I mean. There's probably not enough hockey evidence to say that hockey specifically, it's true, but I'm sure it's gotta be.
Jamie:Listen, unlike Brad, you know, there there's not a lot of people that have a lot of unstructured rights.
Scott:But here here's like part of the
Jamie:Right?
Scott:Here's like one of the things that when things are more technical. And again, I'm not I'm in no way saying that this wasn't an advantage. But like we talk about on the podcast, if you're gonna do something a thousand times, you wanna do that correctly. So if you're doing a lot of unstructured play, I imagine you could also develop some bad habits too when you're talking about like things that are more technical.
Jamie:Yeah.
Scott:Right? Like Oh, sure.
Jamie:Yeah.
Scott:So so that said, I I I know. But it worked out for him. He had
Jamie:solid of his buddies too.
Scott:And some of his buddies.
Jamie:Buddies played some high level stuff too.
Scott:But then it goes to show, like, didn't play in the NHL brand.
Jamie:No. He didn't.
Scott:And he had access to ice than anyone that he knew of.
Jamie:That's true.
Scott:And so clearly
Jamie:Yeah. It doesn't mean it's gonna get you there.
Scott:Right. But there's no doubt it it helps.
Jamie:It does. Yes. It helps.
Scott:And like, would he reach the same potential if he had like a standard allotment of ice?
Jamie:I I don't know. You
Scott:don't know. Who knows? It'd be interesting. Yeah. No.
Scott:It's interesting thought.
Jamie:Yeah. No. That's true. But he his story was pretty I don't think we've ever talked to somebody like him who had so much access to ice.
Scott:No. I don't think we've ever talked
Jamie:to anybody like that.
Scott:No. Nothing like that.
Jamie:Right? Like, I mean, some of the Canadian kids may be, like, with the ODRs.
Scott:But that's still a seasonal thing. And it's it's during the hockey season when they're also on the
Jamie:ice. Right.
Scott:It's not like they have it, like, for all of summer. You know what I mean? Like, it's not a year round they get even more ice in the winter.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah.
Scott:But then it goes away.
Jamie:You know, it's crazy. We know we've actually spoke to, to somebody who's opening a tray a hockey training facility down in his in Brad's area. Matter of fact
Scott:Shout out Kyle.
Jamie:Yeah. Brad and Kyle actually know each other.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Because they're, like I think they're, like, ten minutes apart. Yep. You know? So so Brad actually lives down in the area that the hockey barn is going to open.
Scott:Anyone here from Atlanta
Jamie:Yes.
Scott:The Hockey Barn.
Jamie:Go check it out. Barn. Yes. Yes. Exactly right.
Jamie:Just go on their website. You'll find it.
Scott:It's The Hockey Barn.
Jamie:It is like a one of a kind facility that's opening in the next couple weeks. Scott and I, I don't if we talked about this before, but Scott and I are probably going to be down there for the grand opening of that.
Scott:Yeah. If if the stars align with timing and scheduling.
Jamie:If the stars align and I'm not in Notre Dame that weekend. Mhmm. Right? That I'm hoping I told Kyle, don't do it that weekend. Do it any other weekend but that weekend.
Scott:I'm sure you're his top priority.
Jamie:Probably not. Probably not. Anyway, he's he wants to get the doors open. But, you know, because I know they're kind of
Scott:See, wait. I just got a a notification from coach Kevin, the stick handling session that was that they had last night. Oh, yeah? That was, like, a live you joined from, like, six to seven. Yeah.
Scott:The replay is up on the app now. Oh, nice. So anyone that missed it can go and watch
Jamie:it uninterrupted. No. It's okay. That's alright. But, you know, so, so it's funny that, you know, I I I obviously, Brad tells a story about how this this cooler opened, you know, in, like, '98 or '99, whatever he said.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:And it just closed recently. But the funny part about it is is in that time span Yeah. I don't think hockey has grown a whole heck of a lot in the Atlanta area. It has, but not as much as it probably should have.
Scott:Right. Or could have. Or could have. Or whatever the deal is. Sure.
Jamie:Right? Like, I'm I'm I'm surprised there's I guess my point is I'm surprised there's not more rinks
Scott:Yep.
Jamie:In that area. There are more rinks, but there should have been even more than there are now.
Brad:I guess in my opinion.
Scott:They had the thrashers that came and went. And by the way, the thrasher is a state bird, FYI. So that thing that I thought was a tornado. And I didn't really watch a lot of hockey myself when the thrashers were
Jamie:Is that what that is? That's a the logo was a was the bird?
Scott:The the state bird. The Atlanta thrasher.
Jamie:Yeah. I thought it was like a like a retarded tornado.
Scott:Yeah. You don't say the r word.
Jamie:Why not?
Scott:I don't know. Don't people say don't say the r word?
Jamie:I mean, some.
Scott:Some. Not not you. No. Not me. No.
Scott:Even though I just did. No. Anyway.
Jamie:I'm not
Jamie:I'm not I'm not the PC type guy. I'm the the bomb throwing type guy. Anyhow. Anyhow.
Scott:Switching gears.
Jamie:Yes. So the Thrasher is a bird.
Scott:Yeah. Are you double checking that? Because you don't believe me?
Jamie:No. I I do believe you. I am actually looking it up.
Scott:I see. I thought so.
Jamie:Let me see.
Scott:Well, listen, homie.
Jamie:Yeah.
Scott:The the Thrashers, Hockey in Atlanta. Mean, like Oh, it is
Jamie:a bird. Look at that.
Scott:You were saying how, you know, the the amount of pie the popularity of the sport. Now, I I don't know the timeline between when the Thrashers
Jamie:'99. '99, actually.
Scott:Okay. But what I'm saying is that, like, you know, since they've gone Yeah. Right? And now, like, in terms of, like, hockey and and whatever type of, like, you know, upward trajectory you would see, I'm certain it's less that there's that there isn't a hockey team there. Right?
Scott:Like, if there if the Thrashers were still there or had been there, you would think their numbers would also be better too. Right?
Jamie:So they were only there from '99 to 2011.
Scott:Yeah. I didn't really watch much hockey during that time. I I did not see much Atlanta thrashers.
Jamie:Yeah. They weren't there for for long, by the way. No. You know? Oh, it it definitely is a bird, by the way.
Scott:I know.
Jamie:I totally thought it was a tornado.
Scott:I told you that.
Jamie:Yeah. I definitely thought it was a tornado.
Scott:That would thrash your home and
Jamie:Yeah. But yep. Yep. No. I thought it was a tornado.
Jamie:I mean, when when I'm looking at it, it still kinda looks like a little bit of a tornado.
Scott:It's a tornado bird.
Jamie:It is a tornado bird. Yeah. Whatever that is. Tornado bird. Yeah.
Jamie:Wouldn't that be neat if the Thrashers came back?
Scott:I mean
Jamie:Or some came
Scott:back to the
Jamie:Hotlanta area?
Scott:I think I mean, they've been talking about expansion. I'm not saying Atlanta specifically, although maybe I did hear that Atlanta was on the map for a potential expansion team. Who knows?
Jamie:Yeah. No. I'm with you. I'm with you.
Scott:But you you always hear like Quebec, and I was listening to I don't know. Was it Chiclets maybe? Was just talking about Quebec and the expansion team. I mean, that always comes up, but it never seems to materialize.
Jamie:I hope the game explodes.
Scott:Hartford bring back them Wailers.
Jamie:Oh, such a good logo.
Scott:Yeah. It was a good one.
Jamie:And the Quebec Nordiques.
Scott:The Nordiques. That's the sickest jersey in hockey.
Jamie:They're such good. The old Canucks logo, like, some of that stuff is so good.
Scott:Yeah. So good.
Jamie:I mean, so so good. Know? Yeah. So hey. Listen.
Jamie:But but, you know, it it was it's it was really cool to see how a kid from a nontraditional market kinda made it as far as he did. Yeah. You know? And and listen, from what we're seeing is hockey is exploding in these nontraditional markets. Yeah.
Jamie:I'm telling you, the South is, like, the last area to, like, kinda come online with
Scott:And it's gonna come online with a vengeance.
Jamie:I think you're right
Scott:about I think it's going to totally pop the f off.
Jamie:I couldn't agree with you more. It there's It's it's ripe. The demand is so much down there.
Scott:Some some university down there just put a built a rink on campus.
Jamie:I don't doubt it. I'm telling you, the club teams are popping up everywhere.
Scott:Listen. I know.
Jamie:I mean, not only the club teams, but some of them, which we've said before in this podcast, are gonna start to kinda move over to the division one level. Yeah. And once you get SEC hockey Yeah. Holy shit.
Scott:Look out.
Jamie:Can you imagine?
Scott:With with it with all the Canadian players coming down to
Jamie:playing college more players.
Scott:There's no doubt.
Jamie:There's not even more teams to house these kids.
Scott:There you go.
Jamie:You know? I mean, it's gonna be I'm I'm I really hope, like, I really hope, like, ACC schools get online, like UNC, Duke, Miami, Florida State. Like, how awesome are you gonna
Jamie:see hockey
Jamie:jerseys Gross. Or helmets, you know, with those with those logos on them? I I I see Alabama as club. Right? But can you imagine, like, Auburn, Alabama d one, you know, Florida Gators.
Scott:LSU.
Jamie:LSU, Georgia, the Georgia Bulldogs. Right? Like, that would be Tennessee, you know, like Arkansas. Like, that would be so cool, by the Longhorns. Listen.
Jamie:You text the University of Texas, that'd be sick. Yeah. You know? So, like, I I would love it if those teams come online.
Scott:Yeah. It'd be
Jamie:so good.
Scott:Think it's I think it's just a matter of time.
Jamie:I think so too. I think you're right about that.
Scott:But You know? Yeah. Because I think our our timing on today is is not in our favor.
Jamie:It is not. So Can I can I tell a story before we before we before we end?
Scott:You can.
Jamie:Or can I because I I I may not be here for the next podcast? I may not be here for eighty three. Okay. So hurry up. It's possible that I might not be here if I
Scott:to And why is that, Jamie?
Jamie:So, so we're we're going down to the Philly area for a tournament this weekend. Yep. Sorry. It's a showcase.
Jamie:Sorry.
Jamie:Although the last the first showcase last year was tournament style, so maybe this is gonna be the same. I'm not sure yet. Mhmm. But, it was brought to my attention, that, the hotel that we're staying in.
Scott:Yes.
Jamie:And this is a stay and play, so we really didn't have a lot of options. Okay? That the hotel that we're staying in this weekend is questionable at best.
Scott:And and might you have looked at the reviews?
Jamie:I did. And? So I did look at the reviews, and I don't think I've ever seen reviews this bad on a on a hotel. And I'm not just saying that. I really I really I really mean that.
Jamie:Yeah. Like, if you look at the reviews, I mean, they're
Scott:Knock they're a few off.
Jamie:I mean, they're they're like, I'm I'm just gonna turn I'm just gonna turn my screen to you so you can see this for a second. And I want you to tell me if you've ever seen let's put it this way. Normally, it goes excellent, good, average, poor, terrible. And normally, the graph slopes right to left.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:The the excellent, good average being greater than the poor and the terrible. Right? So the top
Scott:For some things?
Jamie:For for for moat for all hotels I've looked at Yeah. That's generally what it looks like.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. So what is it looking here?
Jamie:I'm gonna show you what this looks like.
Scott:The inverse.
Jamie:I've never seen a rating
Scott:That many bad And and terrible. Yeah, dude. You this is this is a legitimate time to stay somewhere else.
Jamie:So I I I I've been thinking about it, which normally I would do in the past, but I I'm not gonna lie. I feel bad for some strange reason.
Scott:So But that doesn't like, honestly, I think that the majority of the team should reconsider. How many car jackings Okay. Robberies, vandalism?
Jamie:So I think the the hotel forget forget the the reviews that talk about rats and roaches. Yeah. K? Put those aside. And with pictures.
Scott:Put those aside.
Jamie:The ones that concern me the most so apparently, the parking lot was was sold by the hotel to, like, another company. Right. So they charge, like some people say $25 a day. Apparently, some people say it wasn't $25, it was only $12.50 a day. So they're charging you to park in this hotel parking lot.
Jamie:Right. Okay? Regardless of whether it's the hotel that's charging you or a third party and it's going through the hotel, whatever it is, you're getting charged to park in this parking lot.
Jamie:Yep.
Jamie:Okay? So the hotel doesn't own the parking lot, technically. Right? So they don't really have any liability over it, from what I'm understanding. So there are multiple reviews in here that have said, we woke up in the morning, and nine cars in our parking lot were broken into.
Jamie:That's crazy. There are other ones that there are six cars got broken into. And apparently, all you you go to the counter and the hotel does nothing for you. All they do is hand you a plastic bag to put over your window, and they say, here, fill out this incident report.
Scott:Unbelievable.
Jamie:So there's, like I I kid you not. There's, like, four or five reviews between, like, Yelp and and and TripAdvisor that's that talk about
Scott:this. Yeah. You should you should bring that up with a team, dude.
Jamie:Wait. It gets better. So then then, what before you and I were ready to do this podcast, I was kind of scrolling through Yelp again, and another dude said what was it? What what what, his hood? He was he was
Scott:What was his bumper?
Jamie:His hood, his bumper, the grill, his headlights, all got taken off his car in the middle of the day. Literally broad daylight.
Scott:Right.
Jamie:His shit got taken apart.
Scott:Right. And the guy with the catalytic converter that got cut
Jamie:And another guy said that literally, they they literally cut his catalytic converter out of his car in the parking lot. Again, midday, hotel saw nothing. Unbelievable. They claim they have they claim they have cameras in the parking lot, then they went the cops came to fill out, like, a I guess, like, an incident report, and they went to see the cameras, and the and the hotel's like, yeah. We don't have cameras.
Scott:Dude, that's crazy.
Jamie:So, like, so, like, I'm wondering, like I'm wondering, number one, why this is a stay and play.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Right? That I'm number one. And, like, number two, like, how they can put this and put, like, their parents in a hotel.
Scott:How can that be even part of the options? How can that be
Jamie:part of the options?
Scott:That's that's now this is an example of where this is bullshit.
Jamie:Correct.
Scott:Total bullshit. That's correct. And if I were you, I would I would personally probably stay at another hotel, and I'm not I like, I haven't done that before. And the other thing I will also say is and this is not necessarily relating to you, but for me in terms of things that suck, we got, like, a secondary email at some point, like, after, like Yeah. You know, about the tournament.
Scott:Oh, by the way, that is $25 for parents to watch their kids for the weekend.
Jamie:You said that to me. Yeah. You said that. I forgot about that. Yeah.
Jamie:That's bullshit. I that I've only seen that in one place up in Buffalo. I've only had to pay money, like, for, like, a weekend wristband
Jamie:Wow.
Jamie:To get into all the rinks once.
Scott:Here we go.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. Unfortunately. So I may not be here for episode 83.
Scott:Well, you should make it back.
Jamie:You know, I'll let you know how that works.
Scott:I will tell you if I got good seats to watch my own son play.
Jamie:Yeah. For your for your $25.
Scott:Yeah. There you Let me
Jamie:know how that works.
Scott:I will let you know.
Jamie:I'm very curious.
Scott:But listen, dude. This was a great episode.
Jamie:Yeah, man.
Scott:Yo. Stay somewhere
Jamie:else. I'm thinking about it. And parents? I'm trying not to, but I'm thinking about it.
Scott:Parents, it's only the beginning. Stay strong.
Jamie:That's right.
Scott:Stay strong.
Jamie:You can do season. Don't crack yet.
Scott:Stay with us. Yeah. We'll get through it.
Jamie:Just hold on tight.
Scott:That's it.
Jamie:It'll be fine.
Scott:Absolutely.
Jamie:And enjoy it.
Scott:Okay. We'll try.
Jamie:Episode 82 in the books.
Scott:Later.