April 8, 2025 • 56 mins
Energy Line with Nate Thompson and Julie Stewart-Binks open up reacting to Alexander Ovechkin breaking the NHL all-time goals record. Former Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau then joins Nate and JSB. Boudreau discusses getting emotional when Ovechkin broke the record, his memories coaching him with the Capitals, whether he plays next year, what made him such a great captain and Wayne Gretzky breaking some of his own records. They also look back to some fun stories from when Boudreau coached Nate with the Ducks.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Donelson, I'll make his way to the neutralized, dropping it
for Dylan Stroll. He and Chickrin will team up and
glide through center right side to Wilson centered up.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Oh that's good.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Has any scores?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
He scores Colic, So that's Dean scor Saint ninety five.
There's a new goal scoring zampion and his name he's Alexander. Oh,
that's Dean. He has done it here on Long Island,
his teammates forgam There is but one Alexander. The greats,
(00:56):
the greatest to.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Ever do it in National Hottey League history. That was
Joe Walton of Caps Radio Network on the call of
Alexavegkins's record breaking goal. And this is Energy Line with
Nate and JSB, a NHL and iHeartRadio production. And that
was goal number eight ninety five on Sunday at Ubs
(01:17):
Arena against the Islanders. Say is a great eight? Chase
is over. Ovi has passed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's
newest all time goals leader and we have so much
reaction to an all time hockey moment. Joining us later
on in the show will be Alexevegkins, former Capitol's head coach,
Bruce Boudreau. But Nate, when you saw that this moment
(01:38):
was about to happen, He's on the power play, poor
Casey Suzekis is in the box. It just felt as
though it was imminent.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
It really was.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
And like and oh, of true Obie fashion, he does
it on the power play. He kind of does it
from his spot ristshot, and then everything was just so perfect,
the way it went down, the celebration, the way he.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Dives on the ice.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
You know, I have to talk about this, and I
say I talk about over and over, but I mean,
I was ten years old. This is thirty years ago,
and I'm in Vancouver on a hockey trip, I believe,
with my dad, and I'm in the hotel room and
I'm watching Wayne Gretzky break Gordy House scoring record.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
So I witnessed that at ten.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Years old, watched that, you know, understood the magnitude of it,
and thought, oh my God, like this and that this
will never be broken again ever. And yesterday sitting at
my aunt nuncle's house with you know, I have some
other family there, my dad's there, my daughter's with me.
You know, and we're watching and Alexander o Retchkin breaks
(02:44):
Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record with him in the building,
and I mean just.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
All of it.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
It was just I actually got it like a little
bit emotional watching it because it was you know, as
a fan growing up of hockey and Wayne Gretzky and
everyone that plays in the game, and just all of it,
and then able to play against Alexandrovatchkin in the NHL,
getting scored on, of getting scored on him or getting
(03:10):
scored against by him numerous times, and then getting to
witness him break Alexander's or sorry, Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring
record was so special because I just I don't know
how to explain it, but it's just one of those
things where it's just, man, like, what a day, what
a what a story?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It was just it was incredible.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I mean you can just feel it in the way
you're describing it. It was it was storybook. It was magical.
The fact that he did it this season when and
not a lot of people, we know, you did, expected
him to, but he he was on a tear at
the end, like it just was like this is like
this this mojo that he had, and Wayne Gretzky was
very kind to him, and he was wearing his Gordy
(03:56):
how pin, which was nice that he was paying tribute
to having broken his record and then being out there,
and they did whole celebration for Alexandrovtchkin, which is really nice.
In his teammates like they all just were like they
all came up to him and it was like they
it's like they had all won it broken it too,
which felt I don't know, it just felt really it
(04:17):
reminded me like how great hockey is, with like the
Islanders coming up and all shaking his hand, and it
was like it didn't matter what team you were on
or who you wanted to win, your cheer for all that.
It was just like everyone respected this moment and everyone
felt like they kind of were a part of it
in a way because it was hockey history. Just felt
bigger than the game.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
It really did.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
And you even saw Ov too. I think I saw
a clip of him in the locker room where he
actually did he thanked all his teammates and said, this
is this is yours. You got you got this is
yours too, you know, congratulations to you guys too.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
So it even Ov.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
You know, Ovi really paid tribute to his teammates and
how much they're part of it, and you know, even
his past teammates. You know, there there's a clip of
him and you know, Nicholas Backstrom hugging each other and
kissing each other, you.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Know what I mean. It was just all it was.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yeah, like you said, it's bigger than hockey, you know,
and then you have and then you see clips on social.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Media of Tom Brady and Lebron James congratulating.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Yeah, and you realize that, yeah, this is bigger than hockey.
This is this is a huge deal. Like to score
eight hundred and ninety five goals in the NHL is
ridiculous like that is, and especially now, you know, at
the time where goalies have been the best they've ever been,
and and defense and everything. It's just incredible how he's
(05:31):
continued to score goals the way he has and at
his age.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
And Ov proved me right. He did it this season.
And I predicted that yeah early.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
He came in early on that one too. For you, okay, Q,
for you. The torch passes to Alexandrovichkin from Wayne Gratzky,
the great one. So what do we call Ov now?
Should he maybe get a title like the great? He's
(06:01):
just a great eight.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
He's a great eight.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
There's only there's only one great one, and they'll never
be another great one, and that's Gretzky. There'll never be
another great one. I think it's just the grade eight.
That's who he is. We'll leave it.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
There can't be the great one. Sorry, Obie, but you're
the great eight.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
It works.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It works.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
If it didn't work, we'd be in a real marketing
problem here right now trying to figure out how to
label it. But it works. Okay, got you on that?
How many more do you think he can get? What
do you think is the ceiling?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
See?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
This is the thing, and I think everyone would agree
is you can't give a ceiling to Ov. We we've
talked about it for years and years. Oh Ov, he'll
he'll get, you know, he'll never break Wayne's record. Then
it was like, Okay, he's not gonna brains Wayne's record
this year. It'll be next season. Well, he breaks his
leg and then he breaks it. He breaks the record
this season. So I mean, I honestly think depending on
(06:51):
what Ovi wants to do, I mean, he has another
year left under his contract. Could he get to nine
hundred and fifty goals, for sure, But if Obi's still
having fun, it's continue continue to want to keep playing.
Maybe the Washington Samples way to win another Stanley Cup.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Who knows.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
I'm speculating, but right maybe Ovi can get to a
thousand goals. Maybe he gets to a thousand goals, who knows.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I mean that's he just never stops.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
It's never stops. I mean, he could get forty next year.
Why can't he? You know, maybe he gets fifty. Maybe
he finishes with fifty this season.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
We don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
It's Alexandrovetchikin. This guy is superhuman.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I like the idea of him going for one thousand
if he was like, you know, in contention and not
just like okay, the next twenty three games to go
scoreless and you're like, yeah, all right, this is kind
of a lackluster. The whole team was really motivated by
this whole thing. Everyone in hockey was what change is
now that he's done it? With their motivation heading into playoffs, well, it's.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Playing good hockey and playing playoff hockey and fire and
all sailers like they have all season. I think for them,
it's yeah, we're trying to win a Stanley Cup. I mean,
you're you're ballet for the President's Trophy. You know, you
have as good as chance as anyone whin a Stanley
cupany but.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Like, don't give me that same old BS media answer
I'm talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Well, it's not.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
They're battling for a present.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I understand.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
I know that, but I don't I don't think that
they're like, yeah, OV broke the record and.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Now and now they're like, all right, we can just
go relax, like oh wait, we still have the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
No, it's done.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Like and I'm sure Ov is telling them listen, like
Ovi is a good captain, like he's telling them listen,
like that's done. Now we can relax. Let's get back
to what we what our goal is here and and
what and their goal.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Is to is to win a Stanley Cup.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
That's what it is, and that's and that's and that's
what the that's what the focus is now.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
And I think, like he he, I think they'd be like, hey, okay,
we supported you through the whole goal scoring little thing
you just did. Now you come back here and you
make sure we you go out there and you win
that fucking cup. That's an old to Billia Madison. Go
out there and you find that fucking done. All right, Okay,
(09:05):
we have a lot to get to but I got
to ask you before. Overall, out of ten, one being
the lowest, ten being the highest, your your rating of
the White Lotus season finale five?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Rich? How rich? Because it was basic?
Speaker 4 (09:22):
It was I mean, if you had to pick Rick
and his girlfriend Chelsea.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Right, spoilers, Yep, we gave him all out.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah whatever.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I mean, everyone knows every if you've been on your phone,
you know, you know.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah, yeah, I mean if you had to pick them
as the ones that were like going to die like
like we could you could you can predict that, like
you know, I don't, I don't. I don't get it
like they There was no twist. It was just it
was basic, Julie. It was a basic ending. It was
a basic finale. There was no I don't know, there
was no twist. There was no okay, someone else well.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
The twist, I believe the Lachland twists. We all thought
that Dad was going to poison the whole family and stuff,
and then when he when he hit it out of
sexon hand. I was like, oh my gosh, wait, he's
in the middle of poisoning his family. And then I
love I love Parker Posey, like his wife Victoria Ratlift
being like when he goes, uh, you know, okay, we're
going to bed whatever, No, no, pinaclouda, is these milk's
(10:18):
bad or whatever? And she's like, have you ever heard
of wine? Like she's so great, Like, here's another drink.
I know, you know you're trying to poison us with
this one drink, but like we all think we're drinking.
But it was when Lachlan dranking, You're like, oh my god,
is like his son gonna die?
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I did think right away.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
I did call that where Chelsea says, like when they're
having dinner or whatever, she's like.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Well, we're together forever. I'm so happy. I'm like, I'm like,
you're dad.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Now, I thought he was going to find out that
the guy was his dad before, not after, you know,
like I felt like we all thought it was his
actual dad.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
And I also know that I've overthought. I overthought this,
overthought it way too much. My whole algorithm was just
white lotus the last week.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
I know what I've seen so I watched you had
a lot of white lotus going on.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
I only put up white lotus content the last week.
Uh what was I going to say? What was a
response to us talking about you and Kristen Cavalarry.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I thought we were done with this? No?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Are we not done with it?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
What was the response?
Speaker 4 (11:31):
It was just yeah, a lot of text about articles
and whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I mean it was Yeah, it was. It was all good.
There was nothing bad.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Did you hear from her?
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Yeah, she she did. She reached out, she said she
was It was nice. So it was more of like,
you know, heads up, you know, I thank you for
the compliments. Yeah, it was more of you know, because
of what transpired, was led just letting you know and
thank you for the compliments.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
That was it.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Maybe a nice little rekindling for the future. Keep the
door open.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Julie Julie, Julie Julie.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I love like the relationship was very short and it's
become like very very big deal.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Yeah, it's not. It's not on me. I don't know,
is it. That's not on me though?
Speaker 5 (12:21):
No?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean she brought it up. So yeah, and we
and we delved into it because of that and because
also we give the listeners what they want, you.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Dealt into it, and then I obliged.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Yes, we mutually agreed on discussing this topic.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
That's what happened, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Well, speaking of things we have in common and mutually
agree on, is uh Bruce Boudreau, one of our faves
who was the coach for the Anaheim Ducks when when
Nate and I both played there, when Nate played there
and I worked as a ringside reporter, is joining us
here on the show to talk about Alexandro Vutchkin's goal
(13:01):
and breaking the records. He coached ov many years ago,
but had a profound couple years with him, and we're
gonna be breaking that all down with him when we
come back after this break. All right, Well, now we're
very pleased to welcome in our illustrious guest who we
(13:24):
also have personal ties too. And this is none other
than former NHL coach now media savant Bruce BuJo, who
also coached Anheim Ducks when Nate played on them and
I covered them, and he has so many ties to
what's going on in the media today. Bruce, thank you
so much for joining us here on the energy line.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
Hey, it's my pleasure It's always great to see you guys.
I haven't seen Nate for a while. Julie, it's always
good talking to you.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Well, we got to ask you first and foremost. You
told us right before we came on. You've been doing
a lot of media about, of course, Alexander Ovechkin breaking
Wayne Gretzky's all time scoring record. I saw that you
said on TSN that when it happened, and it just
was really emotional for you and like you actually did
you actually cried, Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:09):
Like you know what. I was crying, and Alan May
was wiping tears. Everybody, even Brent Johnson was doing the
same thing. Because I mean, if you've done a lot
of caps TV and those guys do it every day,
I'm just sporadic at it. But you follow this journey
that's gone on all year, like I mean every day.
(14:33):
And to finally see for me to see that it
seemed like the pressure was the balloon. It burst and
when he dove on the ice and it was over,
and I thought that a how great for him, But
be it finally dawned on me how big a deal
this was. Like I mean, if you coach people like
in Nate or why you play with the guys, you
(14:56):
don't think of it because they're your guys, right, They're
just the guys. But when you sit back and you
see the enormity of what he did in the sports world, boy,
it still freaks me out a little bit. A day
later on how big a thing this is.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
I was watching Bruce and like, I had goosebumps because
I watched Gretzky's I watched when Gretzky broke Haw's record
too on TV. So it was, it was it was
nostalgic for me. But I want to go back to
when you were coaching him in Washington you had for
four full seasons. Was there were there any like memories
that really jump out at you when you were coaching ov.
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Oh, yeah, Like, I mean, there's the moments, a like
when him and Sid both got a hat trick in
the same game. When in the playoffs, there's the moments
where Alex was, you know, the one time he got
twenty five stitches on the inside of his leg and
and he said, I want to play, and he went
out and got the four points, and you know a
(15:52):
couple of goals and the minutes when and you when
you play against him, I mean, and you've played against him,
how big and strong he is that like what kind
of a like a manchild he was? I mean, but
there's all these moments, like they come flooding back. There's
the moments when you're phoning for curfew and he's not
(16:13):
around and you're trying to find him. There's phoning when
he's a little late for a meeting. But like I mean,
these things are few and far between. On the goals
that he scored and the way he beat defenceman and
and his raw raw in the dressing room, all of
these things come flooding back. When he did that dive
(16:35):
that was so perfect that dive, it was spontaneous, it
was not thought of. I mean, he talks so much
better now than he did what twenty years ago. Like
I mean, he's a pure captain, whereas he was a
captain through leadership on the ice when I was with
him and when we made him captain and proud to
(16:57):
say that George and I made him the captain. And
so I mean, all of these things come flooding back.
And the journey that he's been on, it's been incredible.
And when you think about the numbers and you think that, Okay,
if somebody wants to beat him, they got to go
forty goals. If Drysidle wants to beat him, he's got
(17:18):
to go, like forty goals for thirteen straight seasons or
fifty goals for the next ten seasons. I mean, how
tough is that. Nobody's done it. So it seems that
that record will stand my test of time. Anyway, I
don't know if it will, but it does seem like
it's going to be a tough one to be broken.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Great, and I'm sure it just felt so great for
you to see that from a guy that you've coached,
and he had that pure elation as you mentioned when
he slid on the ice, like he's done so much,
but you could just feel it. I think everyone could
feel it, like the joy for the pure joy, like
as if he was a kid and he'd done something great,
Like it was just this wonderful emotion. And you talk
(17:58):
about the dressing room, and obviously we don't know what
Ovi's like off the ice, what it was like to
coach him, so maybe what would be something that would
kind of surprise people about what kind of guy he
was like to coach in terms of like if there
any thick positives, negatives, whatever, anything difficult.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
What was he like, Well, everybody's got a couple of negatives,
but this is not the time to go into that.
But the one positive is is he always wanted to learn.
He was the first one in my room all the
time is saying, show me video, show me video, How
was last night's game? How was this? And I'd pull
him in and show him you try to Like, at
(18:39):
the same time, you didn't do it for a long time.
If you did it for five minutes, that was good
that he saw. He saw the stuff that he wanted
to see because there was no laptops on the bench
at this time when I had him, So, I mean,
but he was always interested in how he could be better.
And you know, and like his practice on ice when
(19:03):
he was on was really great. Like I mean, he
would work hard and I'd come up to him and
I'd say, Alex, I really need you to run the
show today, Like you got to show these guys how
hard you have to work to get them going. And
and they would follow them, they would they would they
would do all do that and and I mean he
was really approachable. He wanted to learn. I mean he
(19:24):
was still relatively young, twenty three to twenty six or
twenty two to twenty seven. I had him and uh,
you know so, I mean the whole English language and everything.
But he wanted to be the captain and he wanted
to learn how to be the captain. It was. It
was very interesting stuff every day. And like even when
if we had a video session and and Nate would know,
(19:46):
like we'd if we were gonna if you're going to
be the star of the video, it's not a good thing,
you know, And but it's so I'd pull him in
and I'd say, Okay, Alex, you know what you were
minus four last night. I'm gonna be showing a lot
of these clips here. And he's sa say, okay, coach,
go do it, go do it. You got to do it.
But I always wanted to give him the respect to
(20:07):
show him first and tell him what was coming, rather
than just to surprise him and embarrass him. And he
didn't like he never wanted to be embarrassed. So I'd
always just sort of take him aside and let him
know what was coming, and he'd accept it and he'd
go about his business. And he'd learned from it, and
especially on those certain days. And then that practice he
(20:29):
was practicing hard, or he's finishing checks, he's hitting, showing
the guys that he was going to try to get
better because of the mistakes he had made.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
I that's two parts question here. I guess when did
you start to see ov kind of step into that
captain role where he wanted to be the guy? And
then second question I guess is when you were coaching him,
especially in the beginning, did you ever think that he
would break Wayne Gretzky's record.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
So the first question on when he like, I mean,
he was a captain on the ice and through effort.
At the beginning, he didn't really want it. You know, hey,
I'm organizing this meeting. Let's do this with these guys,
And that was more of a Mike Knubal took care
of all the off ice stuff. Alex was one more
of a raw Rock captain at that point in time.
(21:17):
But if you saw the like when he did with
the Marc Andre Fleury thing and even the way he
was talking last game, he really grew and understood the
role of what and he does now understands what that
complete role is. But it was more of a get
on my back, boys, I'll show you what's going on,
(21:39):
and I'll show you how to play, and I'll work
extra hard and show you you better not quit on me.
And because he could be vocal in the room like
you mean, he wasn't always peaches and cream. If he
was mad at he would get up there and he
would he would say things. But I could see that
growth into him as a captain. And by the way,
(22:00):
we made him captain because Pittsburgh had just made Need
the captain, I mean six months before. So I mean
we figured, you know, the young guys were being captains now,
and that it was Alex's team. For that we knew
for the next fifteen to twenty years it was his team.
He had to be the captain. And so it was
an easy choice for us to make him captain. And
(22:23):
to your second part was what was the question?
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I forgot to know when? Did you when? Did you
know that?
Speaker 4 (22:29):
Or did you think that he would break Wayne Gretzky's
goal scoring record?
Speaker 3 (22:33):
You know what?
Speaker 6 (22:33):
Never? I don't think I was thinking back today because
I got asked that question earlier. Is I don't think
we ever even thought of it. We never contemplated that, Like,
I mean, even when he scored sixty five goals in
his first complete season with me, we didn't say, well,
he's going to make break Gretzky's record. Nobody thought that
that was a catchable record. I mean, and if Wayne
(22:57):
Gretzky had the record.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
Who's going to and it was scoring who We can't
even contemplate beatn that thing, right, So, I mean, it
never came up in conversation or the next year when
he got fifty five or the next year.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
At fifty plus. It was always like, I mean, just boy,
is he a great goal scorer right now? But we
never thought in the terms that in the end whatever,
fifteen years later, that he would be breaking that record.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, it's really remarkable. And now you see that he's
broken the record. He had that carrot in front of
him all season and right down the stretch you could
just you've felt it almost you know, every game he's
just got that juice. He's getting closer and closer now
that he's broken it. Where do you think his ceiling
is in terms of how many goals this guy can
actually finish his career with.
Speaker 6 (23:49):
Well, I think it all depends on how long he
wants to play, like I mean to me, you could
go back and be the president of the KHL tomorrow
if he wanted to do it, or if he wants,
if he looks like he's having fun right now, and
if he continues to have fun and he plays like
(24:12):
he plays out his contract, which is one more year,
there's no doubt in my mind he can get forty more.
So that would you know, put between five thirty five
forty if he if he decided, you know, I'm still
having fun and I want to play one more and
he gets another thirty five or forty, then I think
he might say, you know what, I may stick around
(24:33):
to get a thousand. But if like who knows. I
think like he's got three days off, like I mean,
he had yesterday, last night, today off. They'll probably give
him tomorrow off. He'll practice Wednesday, and if he's still not,
if he's done partying by Wednesday, which would be a
great thing, I mean, and has a good practice, he
(24:56):
might just sit back and know, you know what, I
think I can still get fifty this year, and that
would break another record. But or has the balloon sort
of the air let out of the balloon Now that
this is done and they start resting him for the playoffs,
I don't know what route they're going to take on that,
(25:16):
but I've never doubted him when he wanted to do
something scoring wise, if he wants to, if he wants
to stay and play, I figure he's going to be
in the nine to fifty range in the end, nine
fifty to one thousand, and if he quits this year,
he'll be I don't think he quit after this year.
He's going to definitely get over nine hundred. So, yeah,
(25:40):
which is a lot of goals.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Well what if? What if? Bruce?
Speaker 4 (25:43):
What if the So let's let's talk about ov in
the playoffs and the Caps, I guess. And if the
Caps go on a run this year, I guess you
could talk about that, elaborate on that. But if they
do win the Cup, does he does he stop or
does he keep going?
Speaker 6 (25:57):
Man? You think he's got enough money to quit it
earlier than his contract? I think he might have yeat.
His stepfather is a billionaire Russia, or his father in
law sorry, is a billionaire.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
But I mean, I.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Think, what a great way to end it. But if
you're having fun and your family's okay, with it. Why
would he quit? Like I mean, to me, it's the
perfect You break the scoring record, you win the Stanley Cup,
you go out on such a top. I mean, how
can you? How can you beat that?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Right?
Speaker 6 (26:31):
If you know Alex, I mean, and he loves to play,
and he still loves to play. You can see the
smile in his face, you know, when when good things
are going good for him. I don't think he'd quit.
But even if he won the Cup, I think he'd
love to have that one more year. And I think
again knowing Alex, that he would feel that he owes
(26:52):
ted to fill out his contract. And that's where I
think he would say, you know, I might not feel
that great, but I've I've committed to this extra year
on my contract. I'm to do it because he's been
so good to me. And I think that's how it would.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
End up, right. And if he didn't feel good, it
might be because he said he eats whatever he wants. I
saw that he's just like whatever, like so different from
NHLers these days that I feel like have everything. They're
like chemists with how they feel their body. But when
you talk about having fun, Nate and I have described
it before like the Ducks years when you were there,
(27:27):
when he was there, Getsy Perry, all that just going
so far. I feel like that was a really great
time for that organization and for a lot of those players,
And I know, talking with Johnny and Haz you cover
the team still, we all look back on those years
as being like, really such a great fun time seeing
Nate now as a broadcaster, do you ever expect him
(27:50):
back in the day to be on the other side
of the mic?
Speaker 6 (27:52):
You know what, I never expect anybody to be. Maybe
BX might have been the only guy I thought would
be on there because he was such a smart ass.
But no, And you know what, I think the the
year we lost to Chicago was the year that we
had the best. We should have won that and we
should have won the Cup. I thought we were the
(28:13):
best team the first five games. We lost in triple overtime,
in double overtime in the in in the first five
games and won the other three. But uh uh, definitely
look at those times as fun times and one of
the best memories I'll have. I remember it was in
my last year there, we were playing Nashville. Bob Murray
(28:34):
wouldn't let me play Nate the first two games, okay,
and I don't know if you knew this, and uh
and so uh so if you remember, you sat out
the first two games. And then then I said, the
hell with it, I'm finding a spot for him, and
I put you on left wing in Nashville and uh
and he scored scored a goal and we won. And
(28:54):
I just went like this to Bob after the game.
See see, let me play him. I've been dying to
play him. And because he wanted Bob Murray wanted Gibson
in and I wanted Anderson in too, and so we
lost the first two games. I said, well, if I'm
going down in Flames after we lose this series, it
doesn't matter. I'm going to start playing the guys I
want to play. And that's when I played Nate after that,
(29:17):
and I played Freddy after that. So that was a
really good memory, especially because Nate had such a good
series against Nashville that year and it was fun and Freddy.
The first three games was lights out, and then the
last two games we were again the better team, but
I think we got goal tended in the last two games.
But that's me being a coach. That's bitching.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
So anyway, No.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
I'm a former player that bitches about that series or
or those a couple of years because I truly believe
that we should have won the Cup in twenty fifteen.
And I think about like teammates, and I'm going to
go back to Ovie, and I saw a clip of
Nicholas Backstrom and Ov together, and I just wanted you
to kind of comment on some of the players that,
you know, it's not just Nicholas Backstrom, it's Oshi, it's
(30:03):
John Carlson, I mean even Mike Green, all those guys
that were with him and long along this records, and
just kind of talk about, especially Nicholas Backsman and Alexander
of Etchkin's relationship.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
You know what, it's like a husband and wife, Okay.
And they would bicker and and they would get mad
at each other, and then I'd separate them for one game,
and then they'd come back together, and they sat next
door to me, next to each other in the locker room,
and there'd be sometimes Nicky'd be going get rid of
(30:35):
this guy. For me, It'll like he's driving me nuts.
And but in the end, when they hugged yesterday in
the dressing room, I thought that was so apropos. I mean,
these two guys have gone through hell with each other.
They've loved each other, the good times the bad times.
When they've done they did that breakfast Cereal commercial was
(30:55):
one of the best commercials on TV. I don't know
if you ever saw it. It's just hilarious. And but
I mean, they're they're true companions. That's the only thing
that I wish. I wish it was Nick passing them
the puck for that goal. And I mean, if I
did anything as a coach that was anything that was good.
(31:18):
I thought it was the first game that I coached
in Washington. I put Nick together on line with Alex
and Nick had been playing fourth line center for the
first twenty one games, and I put them right up
there and it became an instant chemistry, love fest between
those two guys. And they'll be when you almost can't
(31:40):
talk about one without talking about the other. So it's
great that you ask the question, and those two guys
will will be forever tied together.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
But Nate's a great media savant as well, just like you, Bruce,
because he's asking these great questions here and both of
you on the other side of the mic. I realized
it is kind of weird for me, but I really
like it because both of you were really great as
interviewers or interviewees. Excuse me, I got to ask though,
about the other side of the coin yesterday, Like excuse me.
(32:12):
On Sunday, you know, he scores on Elias Rocan, who's
his fellow countryman, and he gives him a shout out
at the end. But I mean, how do you think
someone like Soroken now feels being enshrined in history as
being the goalie being scored on.
Speaker 6 (32:28):
I don't think any goalie wanted that. They wanted that
task because they're going to be in highlights for the
next fifty years. And I'm sure he didn't want it
to go in. But I mean, the reason he's got
eight ninety five is is that shot is almost unstoppable.
When he shoots it, it gets off the stick so fast.
(32:49):
And like I mean, like I like when he said
they where he was asked you on Ovi's stick, Now
that he's got yours. Yeah, no, not really, you know,
like I mean, but I think he'll let that, let
that go. But I mean, unless they go back home
and they're at some banquets somewhere. I'm sure people will
make big deals about it, but it's hey, listen, he's
(33:12):
scored on I don't know how many different goalies. I
think it was one hundred and eighty three different goalies
or some stupid wow number like that. But so, I mean,
he's just one of those many and it's like, I mean,
nobody's going to fault him for it because it was
the first goal they had ever scored on he had
allowed Alex to score. So I mean, like, he's got
(33:36):
eight hundred and ninety four other goals against other goalies
and and a lot some were an awful lot better
than Ilia Sarocan, even though he's a pretty good goaltender.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
And I have to ask this.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
I don't know if my fact checks are good, and Jake,
you might have to see, but I believe, Bruce, your
records in Toronto were broken by Wayne Gretzky.
Speaker 6 (33:56):
Right, yeah, that bugger.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
I don't know if you knew this truly, but Bruce
used to have the records and Wayne broke his right.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's quite interesting. I mean, I
don't want to go into it too deep, but like
when I first met Wayne, he told me all of
this stuff and that I was his hero. And he
used to drive me and I said, get out of dodge.
He said, no, I taped my stick because you taped
your stick that way. I had my sweater in my
(34:25):
jersey because you had your sweater. Yeah, because he used
to come to all the junior games that we played
at in Brantford. The last year, we played fifteen games
in Brantford and he was at everyone. And the first time,
you know, I met him, he rankled off all my
stats and everything and he knew them all. And like,
I mean, I was going, whoa, it's taken back to
(34:48):
Wayne Gretzky, like he's my hero, and I thought and
he thought I was his hero early on. So I mean,
it's it's quite an interesting thing. And that's why I
probably got so many jerseys of Gretzky hanging a around
the house somewhere. So it's all good. But yeah, he
broke my record. I broke a record, a scoring record
(35:09):
of it was twenty five years old or something, and
then I broke it. And then he comes along and
destroys it and he was only sixteen, So it goes
to show you the difference right there.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
But that is so cool. I mean, that's like the
fact that you had a record that Gretzky broke.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
I mean, yeah, it's pretty cool. I mean, and it's
funny because he phoned me that night, or phoned me
to go out in Vancouver on the second when I
was in Anaheim. But I mean, it was my first
year and we were out of the playoffs and I
was going on on this night before a game, I
can't go out with Wayne Gretzky. And then I phoned
(35:51):
my wife and she says, you idiot, used to you
go out with him? Don't be an idiot. So I
went across the street and he told me all these stories,
and I was taken back because I had no idea
that he knew this much about a hockey and like
I thought he was Wayne Gretzky. I didn't think he
was a hockey nerd like I am. So I mean,
it was it was pretty interesting.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Wow, that's really cool, what a great story.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
I think that like looking back on it, and I
and I think about this, like I looking back on
Wayne Gretzky's record now ov breaking it.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
It was very much like I said, nostalgic for me.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
You know, I was in Vancouver on a hockey trip
with my dad watching the game on TV when Wayne
broke Onry's How record, and then yesterday and with my family.
So where were you yesterday when you were watching this record?
I don't know if you already said that, but no.
Speaker 6 (36:39):
I was working the Caps game, and yeah, so we
were doing the pre and postgame, and so we had
everybody that was around watching watching it happen, and then
we had to talk about it, and then we went
and the post game was an hour and a half.
It's the longest post game so I think I've ever
(36:59):
heard of. But I mean, it was all about Alex.
So we were there. I was lucky enough to be
in Washington, and I'm lucky enough to be doing the
game Thursday, which should be quite a celebration at home
because in Wash the fact that like everybody, like I mean,
(37:19):
is all about him right now. And I mean when
you go to a hotel now and you sign in
and people if they knew who I was, they'd say,
you think ov He's going to break it tonight? Do
you think it? Like everybody? Nobody's talking nationals or commanders
or Wizards. It's all ov and like I mean, he
is the king of that town, and I bet you
(37:40):
they do quite an impressive thing on Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Yeah, definitely, as he deserves. And I'm curious about you
with your preparation for that game when you know that
he can break the record. I know play by play
guys have various sayings and phrases that they won't admit
to having thought about, but they have them saved. But
as an analyst, was there anything that you particular had
(38:05):
prepared in case that he did break this that you
wanted to get out there?
Speaker 6 (38:09):
I threw that basic four letter word out and oh
he did it. That's a pretty well that's as deep
as I can get right now, Like I mean yeah,
like I mean, I could picture Joe, Ben and Audi
and John Walton. They're going over what they're talking about
for for for days and months. How am I going
(38:30):
to call this?
Speaker 4 (38:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (38:32):
Me, it's just a four letter word and then he
did it.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
I love that. It's authentic.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Yeah, So Bruce, I want to get into now, like
you you know, you did the coaching stuff. Now you're
in the media stuff, which I've been watching you for
a little bit now, what is it something you've been enjoying?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Is it something you think you're going to be doing
for a long time. I mean, uh, tell us, I
don't think so.
Speaker 6 (38:56):
I mean, look at, look at I'm one of those dreamers,
you know. When I was thirty eight in the minors,
I thought I could still play in the NHL. When
I was fifty three and in the American Link, I
thought I could still coach in the NHL. Now then
I'm like, I think I'm doing this because I get
to talk hockey and it's fabulous, But I still think
(39:17):
I could coach. So I mean that'll probably still be
within me and still always be a dream. I never
think of myself as a media guy. I think of
myself as a coach that's doing media. So it's whether
that's right or wrong. That's what's been bread into my
head for all these years. So that's that's where I think.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
I'm at, coach, Bruce.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, even like, as I've talked with
you a lot over different media outlets, I've always you know,
I always still think of you as I'm interviewing you
in front of like a backdrop right now with the
microphone because I always see you as a coach and
you give a lot of insights like a coach. So
then if that is something that you want to do,
and you know, we talk a lot about like, you know,
(39:58):
putting your dreams out there in the universe, saying the
people what you want, how do you go about trying
to make that happen. Maybe let people know other than
saying it on shows like this.
Speaker 6 (40:08):
Well, I don't know. I mean I have to think that.
I mean, I think the best thing and they can understand,
the best thing in the world is getting somebody who
would be the boss, who knows you like and knows
what you can do, or like if a coach, if
they still wanted to play, and he gets a coach
that knew that he that liked him, then that's how
(40:30):
you get in like there. I mean to me, it
would have to be something something like that. I mean,
I have an agent and they phoned, but I mean,
I don't know if they have the quite frankly, the
passion that if you knew somebody and he phoned you
and you'd say, damn, damn, right, I could do that.
Give it, Give me one more chance. I'll make your
(40:51):
team win. I don't know if we will win, but
I'll make them better than they were. And uh, that's
what my thought is. And so I watch every game still.
I know the players, I know how things have changed.
But I think the one thing that I could always
do is communicate with players, and I think I could
still do that. So I mean, if it ever, if
it ever happened, i'd be I'd accept the challenge gratefully, gracefully.
(41:16):
But in the meantime, I love doing this because what
we're doing and talking to great people like you guys,
and talking hockey, and you know, it's the one thing
I don't have to do a lot of studying about
because I know a little bit about it.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
Yeah, I just saw that note. I love that because
I was not the name drop. But I was with
Piers Morgan on Friday at his birthday and he said
the same thing that you just said. It all it
takes is you find that person in an organization or
if it's a place you want to work, or there's
a person you want to know, you have just need
that one person in there. It's not even just one yes,
it's like that one contact that will take a chance
(41:52):
on you. And so I think that that's great because
that can mean really any opportunity is out there based
on your network and your connections, regardless of what happens agents,
you know whatever. Sometimes I think they're just used car
salesman at this point, but I won't say that about mine.
(42:12):
But before we let you go, just I gotta I
gotta ask Nate, what are some Maybe what's your favorite
memory of Bruce as your coach?
Speaker 3 (42:20):
Oh, that's a good one. So Bruce is also responsible
for my.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
Nickname that I had while I was an Anaheim, which
was Ned. And I don't know if I don't know
if Bruce remembers this, but I don't remember this. We
were in a video session and I don't know if
it was a good one or not. But he went
to say my name, Nate and actually said Ned. Yeah,
I from thet on Cam Fowl or Corey Perry gets
(42:47):
all these guys they were like, oh my god, that's
your name. You're Ned now. So for three years in Anaheim,
my nickname was Ned and that was all because of Bruce.
Speaker 6 (42:55):
Hey, on one thing, I hope that's not the best
memory you have.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Oh it's not the best, but it is. It is
a good med.
Speaker 6 (43:03):
Yeah, I know it is. It is the best memory.
And we won't go into it on this show. We
don't have enough time. But I'll just mention two words
and Nate will laugh, Okay, Father's trip, and I know
he knows what I'm talking about, and maybe off air
he'll tell.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
You, oh, come on, you can't us.
Speaker 6 (43:24):
Like that teasing you.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
But maybe I'll get him to explain it. But it
sounds like a good story.
Speaker 6 (43:31):
Was it not the best? Have you ever heard anything
like that? Okay, I gotta tell it this before I
go on, But I got okay, we have you know,
they have the Father's trips and everything. Well on we
were in San Jose on the Father's Trip and I
get up the next morning and the team service guy comes, Bruce,
we had a little problem last night, And I go, well,
what do you mean we had a little problem, and
(43:52):
he says, and he shows me the video he had
the video of the thing, and I go, oh my god.
We had The fathers were drinking at the bar after
the players left, and and there was a confrontation with
some other patrons in the bar, and the next thing
I know, we got a bench clearing brawl with the
fathers going at it with bartenders or the bar patrons,
(44:16):
and there showed me and I'm going, oh my god,
this will be our last father's trip Temver. I think
it was for a couple of years in Anaheim. But
I just saw one parent come over the top and uh,
we all know, but it was it was a good
it was a good thing.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
Yeah, all the dads stuck together. I'll give him that.
Speaker 6 (44:39):
That was that was the best part. One dad got
pushed like this, and another dad came in and and
and just suckered the guy.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
So wow, did you guys find out what was the
reason behind this?
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Yeah, it was just.
Speaker 4 (44:53):
It was a guy that kept kind of it was
almost like kept bumping into my dad and other dads
and they kept telling him and I don't know, I
don't know what sparked it, but apparently the dad's enough.
And yeah, there's video I have video of U of.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
The over over the over the top hook from my
dad and then by that was your dad.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Of course.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
So my dad actually I came down to morning breakfast
or whatever. My dad broke his hand too, by the way.
Speaker 1 (45:22):
Oh yeah, wow, what a father's trip And like father
like so and that's perfect.
Speaker 6 (45:31):
It's it makes for a great story in a book.
I'll tell you that right now.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
It was.
Speaker 6 (45:35):
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
We love it. Well, Bruce, thank you so much for
joining us here on the show to talk about all
these great memories and of course your memories with Alex
Ovechkin and him making history. We appreciate it, and good
luck with the with the rest of your media and
coaching futures.
Speaker 6 (45:51):
Well. Thanks, Julie and Nate, thanks so much. It's two
of my favorite people, and I hope you guys continue
the good stuff.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
I'm probably need.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
A couple more days, so maybe a couple of weeks
to realize what does it mean to.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
Be number one?
Speaker 5 (46:10):
But all I can say, I'm very proud. I'm very
proud for it myself. I'm a proud for my family,
for all my teammates that helped me to reach that milestone,
and for all my coaches. You know, it's it's huge.
It's unbelievable moment and for me and for all the boys,
(46:35):
it's fun time. You know, it's you can see how
many people traveled from all over the world to.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
See that moment. You know, it's special.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Everyone loves Bruce Boutro, I think, and I love that
he told first of all that Gretzky story. By the way, Nate,
look at you, you are a big j journal these days.
I'm pretty proud of you with those questions.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
Thank you. I appreciate at that. I learned from the
best Jules.
Speaker 1 (47:06):
And who's that you?
Speaker 6 (47:09):
You? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (47:10):
Look, I got trophies behind me.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
I know. I see that every time I.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
Positioned myself specifically, So the trophies are there. No, I
think that. I mean, it's great the stuff like with
you guys. Did you know that he had like fought
to have you in that Nashville game.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
I didn't, so I think Bruce might have misspoken a
little bit. I would.
Speaker 4 (47:32):
I know he thought I wasn't playing, but I was playing.
I think it was a matter of playing me in
a different line.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
He was unsure which versus Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Like I played every game.
Speaker 4 (47:42):
I remember that series vividly, but I remember it was
a matter of me playing with a certain line.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
I think it was.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
Putting me with Ricard Raquel and Corey Perry, and I
can understand why Bob Murray wouldn't want that happened, and
Bruce did, and it worked. We played well together, and
I didn't know that. I didn't know Bruce went to
bad for me like that. But uh, you know, Bruce
is definitely one of my favorite coaches. He was always
a guy that was he was a good communicator too.
(48:10):
He was always good with me where he would come
up to me and he would Bruce would remind me
if if if my play was slipping a little bit,
and he would tell me, you know, just to I
almost to kind of give me a heads up, I
think before he had to possibly healthy scratch me, which
he never did luckily. So you know, Bruce was Bruce
is like like you said, he's a fun loving guy.
He was always always pretty much in a good mood
(48:32):
for the most part. I guess that depended on us.
But he was a guy that Bruce just genuinely loves
the game. He loves hockey so much, and he was
a guy that you could always just talk hockey with.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
So and that's what we did. We got to do
that today with Bruce, which is great.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
So he obviously said he wants to coach. He said
that before. Like he said, he's a good he feels
he's a good communicator with guys like what could you
see him coaching in the NHL again.
Speaker 4 (48:57):
I could, I could, and Bruce said, you know, he said,
it has to be the right situation. And I think
that's the only way. I think it's if it's a
if it lines up with somebody he knows and he
has a good relationship, whether it's a GM owner and
it's a fit.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
You know.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
I think, you know, Bruce has done a good job
and his NHL coaching career obviously, he's never been able
to get over the hump. And I know that's what
Bruce wants to do. I know in our time together,
we I mean, you you agree too. I mean I
think in twenty fifteen we left a cup there, you know,
and I.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
Think he knows that.
Speaker 4 (49:27):
And you know, he's coached so many good teams, so
I think, you know, he's, like you said, he's a dreamer.
You know, he wants to still win a Stanley Cup
as a coach. So I don't think that's out of
the realm. I think you never know, right.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
Yeah, And he definitely if you want it enough and
you're putting that out there and you got your if
you got guys in the front office that want you,
you never know what could possibly happen. Would you ever
want to coach?
Speaker 5 (49:51):
Nate?
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Are you full on media who are like me right now?
Speaker 4 (49:55):
Well, I technically I did coach last season. I coached
as a I was a skills coach with the Ontario Rain.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
Your skills coach for the Ontario Rain. That's very good.
Speaker 4 (50:05):
Hold on, I was going to finish. I was going
to finish. I know that's not a head coach. But
you know, who knows.
Speaker 3 (50:09):
I guess timing chance, who knows.
Speaker 4 (50:13):
I mean, you can never rule out anything in hockey
when you have an opportunity, I think anyone that's played
so right now, No, but you never know.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
What if you were offered a coaching job, and I
mean I know it would significantly alter your life because
you have to go on the road and like all
that kind of stuff. But like, say you're offered like
an assistant coaching job right now in the NHL.
Speaker 3 (50:34):
I don't know right now. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (50:36):
It would be tough right now, But like I said,
I don't know until I'm like in that piece.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Yeah, let's pretend. Oh we're playing make believe right now.
It's let's playing improv. Okay, Hello, Nay Johnson, just do
you miss the game, Like, do you miss the camaraderie
of like going on the road with the guys, like,
because I know that's a big thing for a lot
of guys.
Speaker 4 (50:53):
Yeah, I definitely do. I think every single guy does.
If there's a guy that says he doesn't miss doing that,
he's lying because I think every single guy loves that
part of the game. So yeah, I think if an
opportunity arose where someone came to me and said, hey, Nate,
would you be an assistant coach for this team, yeah,
I would think about it. If it's a right right
(51:15):
position or right place. I mean, everything kind of has
to align, just like Bruce said, you know, I think
that may be the same for me.
Speaker 1 (51:22):
Have you ever been on a team with a guy
who doesn't want to be on the road with the guys,
who's just kind of like not part of a group.
Speaker 3 (51:30):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (51:31):
I don't think I've ever been on a team where
a guy is like, you know, maybe there's been a
guy that's kept to himself, but I think that every
single guy likes to likes to go on the road
and likes to be with his teammates and hang out
and do stuff together dinners, whatever.
Speaker 3 (51:44):
It may be.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
Yeah, Okay, I was just like imagining a guy that
would be like you know, Todd from Wedding Crashers and
just be like completely not just it.
Speaker 3 (51:55):
Yeah, I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (51:57):
I don't think you can sign up for playing hockey
or playing professional hockey and night and not like going
on the road.
Speaker 3 (52:02):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (52:02):
You gotta be cool.
Speaker 4 (52:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I think no, I know about that,
but you gotta I feel I feel I feel like
you got to be able to like to go on
the road with the guys.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
Yeah, well we know that. Uh last week we fell
for the Wahoo Orcas as a p WHL team. I
just gotta I want to before you we give some
flowers out to some people. I want to give my
flowers out to you for being so into the p
w HL. Like that story. You watch it back. I
(52:32):
watched it back like a hundred times. You were so
amped up for that. You were like it was almost
like I was like, what it is? So into this?
That was wild, BIGMHL guy, Which I love it. We
need more people like you.
Speaker 3 (52:48):
I am. I do. I love it. I love that,
I love the league.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
I love how they're how it's growing and yeah, and
I was so excited. How about the dance too, I
was like, oh.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
I know, yeah, you were Like I.
Speaker 3 (52:58):
Watched that like three times. I was like, what am
I doing?
Speaker 1 (53:01):
But it was great.
Speaker 4 (53:02):
Yeah, it was enthusiastic, you know, I was. I was
excited for the league, excited for the p w h L.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Well, apparently if they drop or if they have a team,
I've been told we're invited to drop the puck on
the first game, which I think we should have a
bit of a bigger role.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
You're not serious, sorry, No.
Speaker 1 (53:18):
I was told by a PWHL agent said, if there's
ever a team there, you guys are dropping the first puck,
which is like a hypoth It's it's not even that
great of a role for a hypothetical. Like I feel
like we should be Like I know Julia and Tessa
are the head coach in GM, but like I feel
like we should get a higher role than just dropping
(53:39):
the puck in the first game.
Speaker 4 (53:41):
Like if if we ever do that and drop the puck,
I am coming out. If and it's in Hawaii, I'm
gonna have a layon. I'm gonna have the full outfit
and gonna and I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (53:50):
Go like this coconut drop the puck.
Speaker 3 (53:52):
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna. I'm gonna shake it right before
I dropped the park.
Speaker 1 (53:58):
I love it. Everyone listening, Yeah, Nate's Nate's uh doing
a little shimmy shake right there, as he likes to do. Okay,
given our flowers this week, we know Alex Ovechkin feels
as though a big bouquet of flowers should be given
him for beating this record. I think also, I'm going
(54:18):
to give some two. Oh, I don't know why I
want to say this right now. I was just about
to say Islanders fans for being classy for once in
their entire life, and and cheering for Alex breaking that
(54:39):
record on their goalie. They did get the wind, so yeah,
and they.
Speaker 3 (54:43):
Were chanting his name too, which was nice. I agree
with that.
Speaker 4 (54:45):
That's those are good flowers because I played for the Islanders,
and you're right, they can be uh not nice.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
They know what they are, Yeah, they know what they are.
Speaker 4 (54:53):
Yeah, yeah, they know what they are. I think my
flowers and I'm going to go away from hockey. I
have to give it to my grandparents. They had their
sixty fifth wedding anniversary this last weekend. I was with
a bunch of family this past weekend. So I gotta
give it to Merv and Ann for being married sixty
(55:15):
five years, which is incredible.
Speaker 3 (55:17):
Wow, long long time. So those are my flowers to
my grandparents.
Speaker 1 (55:23):
I love that with a heartfelt gesture and also maybe
potentially definitely more impressive than breaking gretzky'schol scory record, because
sixty five years is a long time to be with someone.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
That's a long time. I think that is more impressive.
Speaker 1 (55:39):
Yes, like just being alive for sixty five years these
days is a big deal. I mean the fact that
you can be with someone else, that's impressive. So shout
out to your grandparents. Shout out to everyone also who
has listened to this podcast. You guys get some flowers too,
because why not. Thank you for listening to episode ten.
(56:01):
I can't believe we've hit ten of the Energy Line
with Nate and JSB. Energy Line is a production of
the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. Thanks to Bruce Boudreau for
joining us, Thanks to Jake Brown for producing the show.
You can subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or
wherever you get your podcasts or listen on the iHeartRadio app.
Give us a five star rating and please write a
nice review. I'm Julie Sewart Binks. He's Nate Thompson. Nate
(56:24):
and I will be back with another episode next Tuesday.
We'll listen two weeks from the playoffs. We'll know so
much more about the playoff picture and next week. Thank
you so much for tuning into the Energy Line, and
we'll chat with you next week. Energy Line is the
production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts. For more podcasts
(56:45):
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Donelson, I'll make his way to the neutralized, dropping it
for Dylan Stroll. He and Chickrin will team up and
glide through center right side to Wilson centered up.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Oh that's good.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Has any scores?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
He scores Colic, So that's Dean scor Saint ninety five.
There's a new goal scoring zampion and his name he's Alexander. Oh,
that's Dean. He has done it here on Long Island,
his teammates forgam There is but one Alexander. The greats,
(00:56):
the greatest to.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Ever do it in National Hottey League history. That was
Joe Walton of Caps Radio Network on the call of
Alexavegkins's record breaking goal. And this is Energy Line with
Nate and JSB, a NHL and iHeartRadio production. And that
was goal number eight ninety five on Sunday at Ubs
(01:17):
Arena against the Islanders. Say is a great eight? Chase
is over. Ovi has passed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's
newest all time goals leader and we have so much
reaction to an all time hockey moment. Joining us later
on in the show will be Alexevegkins, former Capitol's head coach,
Bruce Boudreau. But Nate, when you saw that this moment
(01:38):
was about to happen, He's on the power play, poor
Casey Suzekis is in the box. It just felt as
though it was imminent.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
It really was.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
And like and oh, of true Obie fashion, he does
it on the power play. He kind of does it
from his spot ristshot, and then everything was just so perfect,
the way it went down, the celebration, the way he.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Dives on the ice.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
You know, I have to talk about this, and I
say I talk about over and over, but I mean,
I was ten years old. This is thirty years ago,
and I'm in Vancouver on a hockey trip, I believe,
with my dad, and I'm in the hotel room and
I'm watching Wayne Gretzky break Gordy House scoring record.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
So I witnessed that at ten.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Years old, watched that, you know, understood the magnitude of it,
and thought, oh my God, like this and that this
will never be broken again ever. And yesterday sitting at
my aunt nuncle's house with you know, I have some
other family there, my dad's there, my daughter's with me.
You know, and we're watching and Alexander o Retchkin breaks
(02:44):
Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record with him in the building,
and I mean just.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
All of it.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
It was just I actually got it like a little
bit emotional watching it because it was you know, as
a fan growing up of hockey and Wayne Gretzky and
everyone that plays in the game, and just all of it,
and then able to play against Alexandrovatchkin in the NHL,
getting scored on, of getting scored on him or getting
(03:10):
scored against by him numerous times, and then getting to
witness him break Alexander's or sorry, Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring
record was so special because I just I don't know
how to explain it, but it's just one of those
things where it's just, man, like, what a day, what
a what a story?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It was just it was incredible.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I mean you can just feel it in the way
you're describing it. It was it was storybook. It was magical.
The fact that he did it this season when and
not a lot of people, we know, you did, expected
him to, but he he was on a tear at
the end, like it just was like this is like
this this mojo that he had, and Wayne Gretzky was
very kind to him, and he was wearing his Gordy
(03:56):
how pin, which was nice that he was paying tribute
to having broken his record and then being out there,
and they did whole celebration for Alexandrovtchkin, which is really nice.
In his teammates like they all just were like they
all came up to him and it was like they
it's like they had all won it broken it too,
which felt I don't know, it just felt really it
(04:17):
reminded me like how great hockey is, with like the
Islanders coming up and all shaking his hand, and it
was like it didn't matter what team you were on
or who you wanted to win, your cheer for all that.
It was just like everyone respected this moment and everyone
felt like they kind of were a part of it
in a way because it was hockey history. Just felt
bigger than the game.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
It really did.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
And you even saw Ov too. I think I saw
a clip of him in the locker room where he
actually did he thanked all his teammates and said, this
is this is yours. You got you got this is
yours too, you know, congratulations to you guys too.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
So it even Ov.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
You know, Ovi really paid tribute to his teammates and
how much they're part of it, and you know, even
his past teammates. You know, there there's a clip of
him and you know, Nicholas Backstrom hugging each other and
kissing each other, you.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Know what I mean. It was just all it was.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yeah, like you said, it's bigger than hockey, you know,
and then you have and then you see clips on social.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Media of Tom Brady and Lebron James congratulating.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Yeah, and you realize that, yeah, this is bigger than hockey.
This is this is a huge deal. Like to score
eight hundred and ninety five goals in the NHL is
ridiculous like that is, and especially now, you know, at
the time where goalies have been the best they've ever been,
and and defense and everything. It's just incredible how he's
(05:31):
continued to score goals the way he has and at
his age.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
And Ov proved me right. He did it this season.
And I predicted that yeah early.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
He came in early on that one too. For you, okay, Q,
for you. The torch passes to Alexandrovichkin from Wayne Gratzky,
the great one. So what do we call Ov now?
Should he maybe get a title like the great? He's
(06:01):
just a great eight.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
He's a great eight.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
There's only there's only one great one, and they'll never
be another great one, and that's Gretzky. There'll never be
another great one. I think it's just the grade eight.
That's who he is. We'll leave it.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
There can't be the great one. Sorry, Obie, but you're
the great eight.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
It works.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It works.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
If it didn't work, we'd be in a real marketing
problem here right now trying to figure out how to
label it. But it works. Okay, got you on that?
How many more do you think he can get? What
do you think is the ceiling?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
See?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
This is the thing, and I think everyone would agree
is you can't give a ceiling to Ov. We we've
talked about it for years and years. Oh Ov, he'll
he'll get, you know, he'll never break Wayne's record. Then
it was like, Okay, he's not gonna brains Wayne's record
this year. It'll be next season. Well, he breaks his
leg and then he breaks it. He breaks the record
this season. So I mean, I honestly think depending on
(06:51):
what Ovi wants to do, I mean, he has another
year left under his contract. Could he get to nine
hundred and fifty goals, for sure, But if Obi's still
having fun, it's continue continue to want to keep playing.
Maybe the Washington Samples way to win another Stanley Cup.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Who knows.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
I'm speculating, but right maybe Ovi can get to a
thousand goals. Maybe he gets to a thousand goals, who knows.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I mean that's he just never stops.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
It's never stops. I mean, he could get forty next year.
Why can't he? You know, maybe he gets fifty. Maybe
he finishes with fifty this season.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
We don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
It's Alexandrovetchikin. This guy is superhuman.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I like the idea of him going for one thousand
if he was like, you know, in contention and not
just like okay, the next twenty three games to go
scoreless and you're like, yeah, all right, this is kind
of a lackluster. The whole team was really motivated by
this whole thing. Everyone in hockey was what change is
now that he's done it? With their motivation heading into playoffs, well, it's.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Playing good hockey and playing playoff hockey and fire and
all sailers like they have all season. I think for them,
it's yeah, we're trying to win a Stanley Cup. I mean,
you're you're ballet for the President's Trophy. You know, you
have as good as chance as anyone whin a Stanley
cupany but.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Like, don't give me that same old BS media answer
I'm talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Well, it's not.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
They're battling for a present.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I understand.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
I know that, but I don't I don't think that
they're like, yeah, OV broke the record and.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Now and now they're like, all right, we can just
go relax, like oh wait, we still have the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
No, it's done.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Like and I'm sure Ov is telling them listen, like
Ovi is a good captain, like he's telling them listen,
like that's done. Now we can relax. Let's get back
to what we what our goal is here and and
what and their goal.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Is to is to win a Stanley Cup.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
That's what it is, and that's and that's and that's
what the that's what the focus is now.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
And I think, like he he, I think they'd be like, hey, okay,
we supported you through the whole goal scoring little thing
you just did. Now you come back here and you
make sure we you go out there and you win
that fucking cup. That's an old to Billia Madison. Go
out there and you find that fucking done. All right, Okay,
(09:05):
we have a lot to get to but I got
to ask you before. Overall, out of ten, one being
the lowest, ten being the highest, your your rating of
the White Lotus season finale five?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Rich? How rich? Because it was basic?
Speaker 4 (09:22):
It was I mean, if you had to pick Rick
and his girlfriend Chelsea.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Right, spoilers, Yep, we gave him all out.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yeah whatever.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I mean, everyone knows every if you've been on your phone,
you know, you know.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah, yeah, I mean if you had to pick them
as the ones that were like going to die like
like we could you could you can predict that, like
you know, I don't, I don't. I don't get it
like they There was no twist. It was just it
was basic, Julie. It was a basic ending. It was
a basic finale. There was no I don't know, there
was no twist. There was no okay, someone else well.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
The twist, I believe the Lachland twists. We all thought
that Dad was going to poison the whole family and stuff,
and then when he when he hit it out of
sexon hand. I was like, oh my gosh, wait, he's
in the middle of poisoning his family. And then I
love I love Parker Posey, like his wife Victoria Ratlift
being like when he goes, uh, you know, okay, we're
going to bed whatever, No, no, pinaclouda, is these milk's
(10:18):
bad or whatever? And she's like, have you ever heard
of wine? Like she's so great, Like, here's another drink.
I know, you know you're trying to poison us with
this one drink, but like we all think we're drinking.
But it was when Lachlan dranking, You're like, oh my god,
is like his son gonna die?
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I did think right away.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
I did call that where Chelsea says, like when they're
having dinner or whatever, she's like.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Well, we're together forever. I'm so happy. I'm like, I'm like,
you're dad.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Now, I thought he was going to find out that
the guy was his dad before, not after, you know,
like I felt like we all thought it was his
actual dad.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
And I also know that I've overthought. I overthought this,
overthought it way too much. My whole algorithm was just
white lotus the last week.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
I know what I've seen so I watched you had
a lot of white lotus going on.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
I only put up white lotus content the last week.
Uh what was I going to say? What was a
response to us talking about you and Kristen Cavalarry.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I thought we were done with this? No?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Are we not done with it?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
What was the response?
Speaker 4 (11:31):
It was just yeah, a lot of text about articles
and whatever.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I mean it was Yeah, it was. It was all good.
There was nothing bad.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Did you hear from her?
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Yeah, she she did. She reached out, she said she
was It was nice. So it was more of like,
you know, heads up, you know, I thank you for
the compliments. Yeah, it was more of you know, because
of what transpired, was led just letting you know and
thank you for the compliments.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
That was it.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Maybe a nice little rekindling for the future. Keep the
door open.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Julie Julie, Julie Julie.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I love like the relationship was very short and it's
become like very very big deal.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Yeah, it's not. It's not on me. I don't know,
is it. That's not on me though?
Speaker 5 (12:21):
No?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean she brought it up. So yeah, and we
and we delved into it because of that and because
also we give the listeners what they want, you.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Dealt into it, and then I obliged.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Yes, we mutually agreed on discussing this topic.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
That's what happened, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Well, speaking of things we have in common and mutually
agree on, is uh Bruce Boudreau, one of our faves
who was the coach for the Anaheim Ducks when when
Nate and I both played there, when Nate played there
and I worked as a ringside reporter, is joining us
here on the show to talk about Alexandro Vutchkin's goal
(13:01):
and breaking the records. He coached ov many years ago,
but had a profound couple years with him, and we're
gonna be breaking that all down with him when we
come back after this break. All right, Well, now we're
very pleased to welcome in our illustrious guest who we
(13:24):
also have personal ties too. And this is none other
than former NHL coach now media savant Bruce BuJo, who
also coached Anheim Ducks when Nate played on them and
I covered them, and he has so many ties to
what's going on in the media today. Bruce, thank you
so much for joining us here on the energy line.
Speaker 6 (13:43):
Hey, it's my pleasure It's always great to see you guys.
I haven't seen Nate for a while. Julie, it's always
good talking to you.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Well, we got to ask you first and foremost. You
told us right before we came on. You've been doing
a lot of media about, of course, Alexander Ovechkin breaking
Wayne Gretzky's all time scoring record. I saw that you
said on TSN that when it happened, and it just
was really emotional for you and like you actually did
you actually cried, Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:09):
Like you know what. I was crying, and Alan May
was wiping tears. Everybody, even Brent Johnson was doing the
same thing. Because I mean, if you've done a lot
of caps TV and those guys do it every day,
I'm just sporadic at it. But you follow this journey
that's gone on all year, like I mean every day.
(14:33):
And to finally see for me to see that it
seemed like the pressure was the balloon. It burst and
when he dove on the ice and it was over,
and I thought that a how great for him, But
be it finally dawned on me how big a deal
this was. Like I mean, if you coach people like
in Nate or why you play with the guys, you
(14:56):
don't think of it because they're your guys, right, They're
just the guys. But when you sit back and you
see the enormity of what he did in the sports world, boy,
it still freaks me out a little bit. A day
later on how big a thing this is.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
I was watching Bruce and like, I had goosebumps because
I watched Gretzky's I watched when Gretzky broke Haw's record
too on TV. So it was, it was it was
nostalgic for me. But I want to go back to
when you were coaching him in Washington you had for
four full seasons. Was there were there any like memories
that really jump out at you when you were coaching ov.
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Oh, yeah, Like, I mean, there's the moments, a like
when him and Sid both got a hat trick in
the same game. When in the playoffs, there's the moments
where Alex was, you know, the one time he got
twenty five stitches on the inside of his leg and
and he said, I want to play, and he went
out and got the four points, and you know a
(15:52):
couple of goals and the minutes when and you when
you play against him, I mean, and you've played against him,
how big and strong he is that like what kind
of a like a manchild he was? I mean, but
there's all these moments, like they come flooding back. There's
the moments when you're phoning for curfew and he's not
(16:13):
around and you're trying to find him. There's phoning when
he's a little late for a meeting. But like I mean,
these things are few and far between. On the goals
that he scored and the way he beat defenceman and
and his raw raw in the dressing room, all of
these things come flooding back. When he did that dive
(16:35):
that was so perfect that dive, it was spontaneous, it
was not thought of. I mean, he talks so much
better now than he did what twenty years ago. Like
I mean, he's a pure captain, whereas he was a
captain through leadership on the ice when I was with
him and when we made him captain and proud to
(16:57):
say that George and I made him the captain. And
so I mean, all of these things come flooding back.
And the journey that he's been on, it's been incredible.
And when you think about the numbers and you think that, Okay,
if somebody wants to beat him, they got to go
forty goals. If Drysidle wants to beat him, he's got
(17:18):
to go, like forty goals for thirteen straight seasons or
fifty goals for the next ten seasons. I mean, how
tough is that. Nobody's done it. So it seems that
that record will stand my test of time. Anyway, I
don't know if it will, but it does seem like
it's going to be a tough one to be broken.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Great, and I'm sure it just felt so great for
you to see that from a guy that you've coached,
and he had that pure elation as you mentioned when
he slid on the ice, like he's done so much,
but you could just feel it. I think everyone could
feel it, like the joy for the pure joy, like
as if he was a kid and he'd done something great,
Like it was just this wonderful emotion. And you talk
(17:58):
about the dressing room, and obviously we don't know what
Ovi's like off the ice, what it was like to
coach him, so maybe what would be something that would
kind of surprise people about what kind of guy he
was like to coach in terms of like if there
any thick positives, negatives, whatever, anything difficult.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
What was he like, Well, everybody's got a couple of negatives,
but this is not the time to go into that.
But the one positive is is he always wanted to learn.
He was the first one in my room all the
time is saying, show me video, show me video, How
was last night's game? How was this? And I'd pull
him in and show him you try to Like, at
(18:39):
the same time, you didn't do it for a long time.
If you did it for five minutes, that was good
that he saw. He saw the stuff that he wanted
to see because there was no laptops on the bench
at this time when I had him, So, I mean,
but he was always interested in how he could be better.
And you know, and like his practice on ice when
(19:03):
he was on was really great. Like I mean, he
would work hard and I'd come up to him and
I'd say, Alex, I really need you to run the
show today, Like you got to show these guys how
hard you have to work to get them going. And
and they would follow them, they would they would they
would do all do that and and I mean he
was really approachable. He wanted to learn. I mean he
(19:24):
was still relatively young, twenty three to twenty six or
twenty two to twenty seven. I had him and uh,
you know so, I mean the whole English language and everything.
But he wanted to be the captain and he wanted
to learn how to be the captain. It was. It
was very interesting stuff every day. And like even when
if we had a video session and and Nate would know,
(19:46):
like we'd if we were gonna if you're going to
be the star of the video, it's not a good thing,
you know, And but it's so I'd pull him in
and I'd say, Okay, Alex, you know what you were
minus four last night. I'm gonna be showing a lot
of these clips here. And he's sa say, okay, coach,
go do it, go do it. You got to do it.
But I always wanted to give him the respect to
(20:07):
show him first and tell him what was coming, rather
than just to surprise him and embarrass him. And he
didn't like he never wanted to be embarrassed. So I'd
always just sort of take him aside and let him
know what was coming, and he'd accept it and he'd
go about his business. And he'd learned from it, and
especially on those certain days. And then that practice he
(20:29):
was practicing hard, or he's finishing checks, he's hitting, showing
the guys that he was going to try to get
better because of the mistakes he had made.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
I that's two parts question here. I guess when did
you start to see ov kind of step into that
captain role where he wanted to be the guy? And
then second question I guess is when you were coaching him,
especially in the beginning, did you ever think that he
would break Wayne Gretzky's record.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
So the first question on when he like, I mean,
he was a captain on the ice and through effort.
At the beginning, he didn't really want it. You know, hey,
I'm organizing this meeting. Let's do this with these guys,
And that was more of a Mike Knubal took care
of all the off ice stuff. Alex was one more
of a raw Rock captain at that point in time.
(21:17):
But if you saw the like when he did with
the Marc Andre Fleury thing and even the way he
was talking last game, he really grew and understood the
role of what and he does now understands what that
complete role is. But it was more of a get
on my back, boys, I'll show you what's going on,
(21:39):
and I'll show you how to play, and I'll work
extra hard and show you you better not quit on me.
And because he could be vocal in the room like
you mean, he wasn't always peaches and cream. If he
was mad at he would get up there and he
would he would say things. But I could see that
growth into him as a captain. And by the way,
(22:00):
we made him captain because Pittsburgh had just made Need
the captain, I mean six months before. So I mean
we figured, you know, the young guys were being captains now,
and that it was Alex's team. For that we knew
for the next fifteen to twenty years it was his team.
He had to be the captain. And so it was
an easy choice for us to make him captain. And
(22:23):
to your second part was what was the question?
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I forgot to know when? Did you when? Did you
know that?
Speaker 4 (22:29):
Or did you think that he would break Wayne Gretzky's
goal scoring record?
Speaker 3 (22:33):
You know what?
Speaker 6 (22:33):
Never? I don't think I was thinking back today because
I got asked that question earlier. Is I don't think
we ever even thought of it. We never contemplated that, Like,
I mean, even when he scored sixty five goals in
his first complete season with me, we didn't say, well,
he's going to make break Gretzky's record. Nobody thought that
that was a catchable record. I mean, and if Wayne
(22:57):
Gretzky had the record.
Speaker 7 (22:58):
Who's going to and it was scoring who We can't
even contemplate beatn that thing, right, So, I mean, it
never came up in conversation or the next year when
he got fifty five or the next year.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
At fifty plus. It was always like, I mean, just boy,
is he a great goal scorer right now? But we
never thought in the terms that in the end whatever,
fifteen years later, that he would be breaking that record.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, it's really remarkable. And now you see that he's
broken the record. He had that carrot in front of
him all season and right down the stretch you could
just you've felt it almost you know, every game he's
just got that juice. He's getting closer and closer now
that he's broken it. Where do you think his ceiling
is in terms of how many goals this guy can
actually finish his career with.
Speaker 6 (23:49):
Well, I think it all depends on how long he
wants to play, like I mean to me, you could
go back and be the president of the KHL tomorrow
if he wanted to do it, or if he wants,
if he looks like he's having fun right now, and
if he continues to have fun and he plays like
(24:12):
he plays out his contract, which is one more year,
there's no doubt in my mind he can get forty more.
So that would you know, put between five thirty five
forty if he if he decided, you know, I'm still
having fun and I want to play one more and
he gets another thirty five or forty, then I think
he might say, you know what, I may stick around
(24:33):
to get a thousand. But if like who knows. I
think like he's got three days off, like I mean,
he had yesterday, last night, today off. They'll probably give
him tomorrow off. He'll practice Wednesday, and if he's still not,
if he's done partying by Wednesday, which would be a
great thing, I mean, and has a good practice, he
(24:56):
might just sit back and know, you know what, I
think I can still get fifty this year, and that
would break another record. But or has the balloon sort
of the air let out of the balloon Now that
this is done and they start resting him for the playoffs,
I don't know what route they're going to take on that,
(25:16):
but I've never doubted him when he wanted to do
something scoring wise, if he wants to, if he wants
to stay and play, I figure he's going to be
in the nine to fifty range in the end, nine
fifty to one thousand, and if he quits this year,
he'll be I don't think he quit after this year.
He's going to definitely get over nine hundred. So, yeah,
(25:40):
which is a lot of goals.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Well what if? What if? Bruce?
Speaker 4 (25:43):
What if the So let's let's talk about ov in
the playoffs and the Caps, I guess. And if the
Caps go on a run this year, I guess you
could talk about that, elaborate on that. But if they
do win the Cup, does he does he stop or
does he keep going?
Speaker 6 (25:57):
Man? You think he's got enough money to quit it
earlier than his contract? I think he might have yeat.
His stepfather is a billionaire Russia, or his father in
law sorry, is a billionaire.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
But I mean, I.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Think, what a great way to end it. But if
you're having fun and your family's okay, with it. Why
would he quit? Like I mean, to me, it's the
perfect You break the scoring record, you win the Stanley Cup,
you go out on such a top. I mean, how
can you? How can you beat that?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Right?
Speaker 6 (26:31):
If you know Alex, I mean, and he loves to play,
and he still loves to play. You can see the
smile in his face, you know, when when good things
are going good for him. I don't think he'd quit.
But even if he won the Cup, I think he'd
love to have that one more year. And I think
again knowing Alex, that he would feel that he owes
(26:52):
ted to fill out his contract. And that's where I
think he would say, you know, I might not feel
that great, but I've I've committed to this extra year
on my contract. I'm to do it because he's been
so good to me. And I think that's how it would.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
End up, right. And if he didn't feel good, it
might be because he said he eats whatever he wants. I
saw that he's just like whatever, like so different from
NHLers these days that I feel like have everything. They're
like chemists with how they feel their body. But when
you talk about having fun, Nate and I have described
it before like the Ducks years when you were there,
(27:27):
when he was there, Getsy Perry, all that just going
so far. I feel like that was a really great
time for that organization and for a lot of those players,
And I know, talking with Johnny and Haz you cover
the team still, we all look back on those years
as being like, really such a great fun time seeing
Nate now as a broadcaster, do you ever expect him
(27:50):
back in the day to be on the other side
of the mic?
Speaker 6 (27:52):
You know what, I never expect anybody to be. Maybe
BX might have been the only guy I thought would
be on there because he was such a smart ass.
But no, And you know what, I think the the
year we lost to Chicago was the year that we
had the best. We should have won that and we
should have won the Cup. I thought we were the
(28:13):
best team the first five games. We lost in triple overtime,
in double overtime in the in in the first five
games and won the other three. But uh uh, definitely
look at those times as fun times and one of
the best memories I'll have. I remember it was in
my last year there, we were playing Nashville. Bob Murray
(28:34):
wouldn't let me play Nate the first two games, okay,
and I don't know if you knew this, and uh
and so uh so if you remember, you sat out
the first two games. And then then I said, the
hell with it, I'm finding a spot for him, and
I put you on left wing in Nashville and uh
and he scored scored a goal and we won. And
(28:54):
I just went like this to Bob after the game.
See see, let me play him. I've been dying to
play him. And because he wanted Bob Murray wanted Gibson
in and I wanted Anderson in too, and so we
lost the first two games. I said, well, if I'm
going down in Flames after we lose this series, it
doesn't matter. I'm going to start playing the guys I
want to play. And that's when I played Nate after that,
(29:17):
and I played Freddy after that. So that was a
really good memory, especially because Nate had such a good
series against Nashville that year and it was fun and Freddy.
The first three games was lights out, and then the
last two games we were again the better team, but
I think we got goal tended in the last two games.
But that's me being a coach. That's bitching.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
So anyway, No.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
I'm a former player that bitches about that series or
or those a couple of years because I truly believe
that we should have won the Cup in twenty fifteen.
And I think about like teammates, and I'm going to
go back to Ovie, and I saw a clip of
Nicholas Backstrom and Ov together, and I just wanted you
to kind of comment on some of the players that,
you know, it's not just Nicholas Backstrom, it's Oshi, it's
(30:03):
John Carlson, I mean even Mike Green, all those guys
that were with him and long along this records, and
just kind of talk about, especially Nicholas Backsman and Alexander
of Etchkin's relationship.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
You know what, it's like a husband and wife, Okay.
And they would bicker and and they would get mad
at each other, and then I'd separate them for one game,
and then they'd come back together, and they sat next
door to me, next to each other in the locker room,
and there'd be sometimes Nicky'd be going get rid of
(30:35):
this guy. For me, It'll like he's driving me nuts.
And but in the end, when they hugged yesterday in
the dressing room, I thought that was so apropos. I mean,
these two guys have gone through hell with each other.
They've loved each other, the good times the bad times.
When they've done they did that breakfast Cereal commercial was
(30:55):
one of the best commercials on TV. I don't know
if you ever saw it. It's just hilarious. And but
I mean, they're they're true companions. That's the only thing
that I wish. I wish it was Nick passing them
the puck for that goal. And I mean, if I
did anything as a coach that was anything that was good.
(31:18):
I thought it was the first game that I coached
in Washington. I put Nick together on line with Alex
and Nick had been playing fourth line center for the
first twenty one games, and I put them right up
there and it became an instant chemistry, love fest between
those two guys. And they'll be when you almost can't
(31:40):
talk about one without talking about the other. So it's
great that you ask the question, and those two guys
will will be forever tied together.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
But Nate's a great media savant as well, just like you, Bruce,
because he's asking these great questions here and both of
you on the other side of the mic. I realized
it is kind of weird for me, but I really
like it because both of you were really great as
interviewers or interviewees. Excuse me, I got to ask though,
about the other side of the coin yesterday, Like excuse me.
(32:12):
On Sunday, you know, he scores on Elias Rocan, who's
his fellow countryman, and he gives him a shout out
at the end. But I mean, how do you think
someone like Soroken now feels being enshrined in history as
being the goalie being scored on.
Speaker 6 (32:28):
I don't think any goalie wanted that. They wanted that
task because they're going to be in highlights for the
next fifty years. And I'm sure he didn't want it
to go in. But I mean, the reason he's got
eight ninety five is is that shot is almost unstoppable.
When he shoots it, it gets off the stick so fast.
(32:49):
And like I mean, like I like when he said
they where he was asked you on Ovi's stick, Now
that he's got yours. Yeah, no, not really, you know,
like I mean, but I think he'll let that, let
that go. But I mean, unless they go back home
and they're at some banquets somewhere. I'm sure people will
make big deals about it, but it's hey, listen, he's
(33:12):
scored on I don't know how many different goalies. I
think it was one hundred and eighty three different goalies
or some stupid wow number like that. But so, I mean,
he's just one of those many and it's like, I mean,
nobody's going to fault him for it because it was
the first goal they had ever scored on he had
allowed Alex to score. So I mean, like, he's got
(33:36):
eight hundred and ninety four other goals against other goalies
and and a lot some were an awful lot better
than Ilia Sarocan, even though he's a pretty good goaltender.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
And I have to ask this.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
I don't know if my fact checks are good, and Jake,
you might have to see, but I believe, Bruce, your
records in Toronto were broken by Wayne Gretzky.
Speaker 6 (33:56):
Right, yeah, that bugger.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:59):
I don't know if you knew this truly, but Bruce
used to have the records and Wayne broke his right.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's quite interesting. I mean, I
don't want to go into it too deep, but like
when I first met Wayne, he told me all of
this stuff and that I was his hero. And he
used to drive me and I said, get out of dodge.
He said, no, I taped my stick because you taped
your stick that way. I had my sweater in my
(34:25):
jersey because you had your sweater. Yeah, because he used
to come to all the junior games that we played
at in Brantford. The last year, we played fifteen games
in Brantford and he was at everyone. And the first time,
you know, I met him, he rankled off all my
stats and everything and he knew them all. And like,
I mean, I was going, whoa, it's taken back to
(34:48):
Wayne Gretzky, like he's my hero, and I thought and
he thought I was his hero early on. So I mean,
it's it's quite an interesting thing. And that's why I
probably got so many jerseys of Gretzky hanging a around
the house somewhere. So it's all good. But yeah, he
broke my record. I broke a record, a scoring record
(35:09):
of it was twenty five years old or something, and
then I broke it. And then he comes along and
destroys it and he was only sixteen, So it goes
to show you the difference right there.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
But that is so cool. I mean, that's like the
fact that you had a record that Gretzky broke.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
I mean, yeah, it's pretty cool. I mean, and it's
funny because he phoned me that night, or phoned me
to go out in Vancouver on the second when I
was in Anaheim. But I mean, it was my first
year and we were out of the playoffs and I
was going on on this night before a game, I
can't go out with Wayne Gretzky. And then I phoned
(35:51):
my wife and she says, you idiot, used to you
go out with him? Don't be an idiot. So I
went across the street and he told me all these stories,
and I was taken back because I had no idea
that he knew this much about a hockey and like
I thought he was Wayne Gretzky. I didn't think he
was a hockey nerd like I am. So I mean,
it was it was pretty interesting.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Wow, that's really cool, what a great story.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
I think that like looking back on it, and I
and I think about this, like I looking back on
Wayne Gretzky's record now ov breaking it.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
It was very much like I said, nostalgic for me.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
You know, I was in Vancouver on a hockey trip
with my dad watching the game on TV when Wayne
broke Onry's How record, and then yesterday and with my family.
So where were you yesterday when you were watching this record?
I don't know if you already said that, but no.
Speaker 6 (36:39):
I was working the Caps game, and yeah, so we
were doing the pre and postgame, and so we had
everybody that was around watching watching it happen, and then
we had to talk about it, and then we went
and the post game was an hour and a half.
It's the longest post game so I think I've ever
(36:59):
heard of. But I mean, it was all about Alex.
So we were there. I was lucky enough to be
in Washington, and I'm lucky enough to be doing the
game Thursday, which should be quite a celebration at home
because in Wash the fact that like everybody, like I mean,
(37:19):
is all about him right now. And I mean when
you go to a hotel now and you sign in
and people if they knew who I was, they'd say,
you think ov He's going to break it tonight? Do
you think it? Like everybody? Nobody's talking nationals or commanders
or Wizards. It's all ov and like I mean, he
is the king of that town, and I bet you
(37:40):
they do quite an impressive thing on Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
Yeah, definitely, as he deserves. And I'm curious about you
with your preparation for that game when you know that
he can break the record. I know play by play
guys have various sayings and phrases that they won't admit
to having thought about, but they have them saved. But
as an analyst, was there anything that you particular had
(38:05):
prepared in case that he did break this that you
wanted to get out there?
Speaker 6 (38:09):
I threw that basic four letter word out and oh
he did it. That's a pretty well that's as deep
as I can get right now, Like I mean yeah,
like I mean, I could picture Joe, Ben and Audi
and John Walton. They're going over what they're talking about
for for for days and months. How am I going
(38:30):
to call this?
Speaker 4 (38:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (38:32):
Me, it's just a four letter word and then he
did it.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
I love that. It's authentic.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Yeah, So Bruce, I want to get into now, like
you you know, you did the coaching stuff. Now you're
in the media stuff, which I've been watching you for
a little bit now, what is it something you've been enjoying?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Is it something you think you're going to be doing
for a long time. I mean, uh, tell us, I
don't think so.
Speaker 6 (38:56):
I mean, look at, look at I'm one of those dreamers,
you know. When I was thirty eight in the minors,
I thought I could still play in the NHL. When
I was fifty three and in the American Link, I
thought I could still coach in the NHL. Now then
I'm like, I think I'm doing this because I get
to talk hockey and it's fabulous, But I still think
(39:17):
I could coach. So I mean that'll probably still be
within me and still always be a dream. I never
think of myself as a media guy. I think of
myself as a coach that's doing media. So it's whether
that's right or wrong. That's what's been bread into my
head for all these years. So that's that's where I think.
Speaker 4 (39:34):
I'm at, coach, Bruce.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, even like, as I've talked with
you a lot over different media outlets, I've always you know,
I always still think of you as I'm interviewing you
in front of like a backdrop right now with the
microphone because I always see you as a coach and
you give a lot of insights like a coach. So
then if that is something that you want to do,
and you know, we talk a lot about like, you know,
(39:58):
putting your dreams out there in the universe, saying the
people what you want, how do you go about trying
to make that happen. Maybe let people know other than
saying it on shows like this.
Speaker 6 (40:08):
Well, I don't know. I mean I have to think that.
I mean, I think the best thing and they can understand,
the best thing in the world is getting somebody who
would be the boss, who knows you like and knows
what you can do, or like if a coach, if
they still wanted to play, and he gets a coach
that knew that he that liked him, then that's how
(40:30):
you get in like there. I mean to me, it
would have to be something something like that. I mean,
I have an agent and they phoned, but I mean,
I don't know if they have the quite frankly, the
passion that if you knew somebody and he phoned you
and you'd say, damn, damn, right, I could do that.
Give it, Give me one more chance. I'll make your
(40:51):
team win. I don't know if we will win, but
I'll make them better than they were. And uh, that's
what my thought is. And so I watch every game still.
I know the players, I know how things have changed.
But I think the one thing that I could always
do is communicate with players, and I think I could
still do that. So I mean, if it ever, if
it ever happened, i'd be I'd accept the challenge gratefully, gracefully.
(41:16):
But in the meantime, I love doing this because what
we're doing and talking to great people like you guys,
and talking hockey, and you know, it's the one thing
I don't have to do a lot of studying about
because I know a little bit about it.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
Yeah, I just saw that note. I love that because
I was not the name drop. But I was with
Piers Morgan on Friday at his birthday and he said
the same thing that you just said. It all it
takes is you find that person in an organization or
if it's a place you want to work, or there's
a person you want to know, you have just need
that one person in there. It's not even just one yes,
it's like that one contact that will take a chance
(41:52):
on you. And so I think that that's great because
that can mean really any opportunity is out there based
on your network and your connections, regardless of what happens agents,
you know whatever. Sometimes I think they're just used car
salesman at this point, but I won't say that about mine.
(42:12):
But before we let you go, just I gotta I
gotta ask Nate, what are some Maybe what's your favorite
memory of Bruce as your coach?
Speaker 3 (42:20):
Oh, that's a good one. So Bruce is also responsible
for my.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
Nickname that I had while I was an Anaheim, which
was Ned. And I don't know if I don't know
if Bruce remembers this, but I don't remember this. We
were in a video session and I don't know if
it was a good one or not. But he went
to say my name, Nate and actually said Ned. Yeah,
I from thet on Cam Fowl or Corey Perry gets
(42:47):
all these guys they were like, oh my god, that's
your name. You're Ned now. So for three years in Anaheim,
my nickname was Ned and that was all because of Bruce.
Speaker 6 (42:55):
Hey, on one thing, I hope that's not the best
memory you have.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Oh it's not the best, but it is. It is
a good med.
Speaker 6 (43:03):
Yeah, I know it is. It is the best memory.
And we won't go into it on this show. We
don't have enough time. But I'll just mention two words
and Nate will laugh, Okay, Father's trip, and I know
he knows what I'm talking about, and maybe off air
he'll tell.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
You, oh, come on, you can't us.
Speaker 6 (43:24):
Like that teasing you.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
But maybe I'll get him to explain it. But it
sounds like a good story.
Speaker 6 (43:31):
Was it not the best? Have you ever heard anything
like that? Okay, I gotta tell it this before I
go on, But I got okay, we have you know,
they have the Father's trips and everything. Well on we
were in San Jose on the Father's Trip and I
get up the next morning and the team service guy comes, Bruce,
we had a little problem last night, And I go, well,
what do you mean we had a little problem, and
(43:52):
he says, and he shows me the video he had
the video of the thing, and I go, oh my god.
We had The fathers were drinking at the bar after
the players left, and and there was a confrontation with
some other patrons in the bar, and the next thing
I know, we got a bench clearing brawl with the
fathers going at it with bartenders or the bar patrons,
(44:16):
and there showed me and I'm going, oh my god,
this will be our last father's trip Temver. I think
it was for a couple of years in Anaheim. But
I just saw one parent come over the top and uh,
we all know, but it was it was a good
it was a good thing.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
Yeah, all the dads stuck together. I'll give him that.
Speaker 6 (44:39):
That was that was the best part. One dad got
pushed like this, and another dad came in and and
and just suckered the guy.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
So wow, did you guys find out what was the
reason behind this?
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Yeah, it was just.
Speaker 4 (44:53):
It was a guy that kept kind of it was
almost like kept bumping into my dad and other dads
and they kept telling him and I don't know, I
don't know what sparked it, but apparently the dad's enough.
And yeah, there's video I have video of U of.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
The over over the over the top hook from my
dad and then by that was your dad.
Speaker 1 (45:13):
Of course.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
So my dad actually I came down to morning breakfast
or whatever. My dad broke his hand too, by the way.
Speaker 1 (45:22):
Oh yeah, wow, what a father's trip And like father
like so and that's perfect.
Speaker 6 (45:31):
It's it makes for a great story in a book.
I'll tell you that right now.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
It was.
Speaker 6 (45:35):
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
We love it. Well, Bruce, thank you so much for
joining us here on the show to talk about all
these great memories and of course your memories with Alex
Ovechkin and him making history. We appreciate it, and good
luck with the with the rest of your media and
coaching futures.
Speaker 6 (45:51):
Well. Thanks, Julie and Nate, thanks so much. It's two
of my favorite people, and I hope you guys continue
the good stuff.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
I'm probably need.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
A couple more days, so maybe a couple of weeks
to realize what does it mean to.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
Be number one?
Speaker 5 (46:10):
But all I can say, I'm very proud. I'm very
proud for it myself. I'm a proud for my family,
for all my teammates that helped me to reach that milestone,
and for all my coaches. You know, it's it's huge.
It's unbelievable moment and for me and for all the boys,
(46:35):
it's fun time. You know, it's you can see how
many people traveled from all over the world to.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
See that moment. You know, it's special.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Everyone loves Bruce Boutro, I think, and I love that
he told first of all that Gretzky story. By the way, Nate,
look at you, you are a big j journal these days.
I'm pretty proud of you with those questions.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
Thank you. I appreciate at that. I learned from the
best Jules.
Speaker 1 (47:06):
And who's that you?
Speaker 6 (47:09):
You? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (47:10):
Look, I got trophies behind me.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
I know. I see that every time I.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
Positioned myself specifically, So the trophies are there. No, I
think that. I mean, it's great the stuff like with
you guys. Did you know that he had like fought
to have you in that Nashville game.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
I didn't, so I think Bruce might have misspoken a
little bit. I would.
Speaker 4 (47:32):
I know he thought I wasn't playing, but I was playing.
I think it was a matter of playing me in
a different line.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
He was unsure which versus Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Like I played every game.
Speaker 4 (47:42):
I remember that series vividly, but I remember it was
a matter of me playing with a certain line.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
I think it was.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
Putting me with Ricard Raquel and Corey Perry, and I
can understand why Bob Murray wouldn't want that happened, and
Bruce did, and it worked. We played well together, and
I didn't know that. I didn't know Bruce went to
bad for me like that. But uh, you know, Bruce
is definitely one of my favorite coaches. He was always
a guy that was he was a good communicator too.
(48:10):
He was always good with me where he would come
up to me and he would Bruce would remind me
if if if my play was slipping a little bit,
and he would tell me, you know, just to I
almost to kind of give me a heads up, I
think before he had to possibly healthy scratch me, which
he never did luckily. So you know, Bruce was Bruce
is like like you said, he's a fun loving guy.
He was always always pretty much in a good mood
(48:32):
for the most part. I guess that depended on us.
But he was a guy that Bruce just genuinely loves
the game. He loves hockey so much, and he was
a guy that you could always just talk hockey with.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
So and that's what we did. We got to do
that today with Bruce, which is great.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
So he obviously said he wants to coach. He said
that before. Like he said, he's a good he feels
he's a good communicator with guys like what could you
see him coaching in the NHL again.
Speaker 4 (48:57):
I could, I could, and Bruce said, you know, he said,
it has to be the right situation. And I think
that's the only way. I think it's if it's a
if it lines up with somebody he knows and he
has a good relationship, whether it's a GM owner and
it's a fit.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
You know.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
I think, you know, Bruce has done a good job
and his NHL coaching career obviously, he's never been able
to get over the hump. And I know that's what
Bruce wants to do. I know in our time together,
we I mean, you you agree too. I mean I
think in twenty fifteen we left a cup there, you know,
and I.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
Think he knows that.
Speaker 4 (49:27):
And you know, he's coached so many good teams, so
I think, you know, he's, like you said, he's a dreamer.
You know, he wants to still win a Stanley Cup
as a coach. So I don't think that's out of
the realm. I think you never know, right.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
Yeah, And he definitely if you want it enough and
you're putting that out there and you got your if
you got guys in the front office that want you,
you never know what could possibly happen. Would you ever
want to coach?
Speaker 5 (49:51):
Nate?
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Are you full on media who are like me right now?
Speaker 4 (49:55):
Well, I technically I did coach last season. I coached
as a I was a skills coach with the Ontario Rain.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
Your skills coach for the Ontario Rain. That's very good.
Speaker 4 (50:05):
Hold on, I was going to finish. I was going
to finish. I know that's not a head coach. But
you know, who knows.
Speaker 3 (50:09):
I guess timing chance, who knows.
Speaker 4 (50:13):
I mean, you can never rule out anything in hockey
when you have an opportunity, I think anyone that's played
so right now, No, but you never know.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
What if you were offered a coaching job, and I
mean I know it would significantly alter your life because
you have to go on the road and like all
that kind of stuff. But like, say you're offered like
an assistant coaching job right now in the NHL.
Speaker 3 (50:34):
I don't know right now. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (50:36):
It would be tough right now, But like I said,
I don't know until I'm like in that piece.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Yeah, let's pretend. Oh we're playing make believe right now.
It's let's playing improv. Okay, Hello, Nay Johnson, just do
you miss the game, Like, do you miss the camaraderie
of like going on the road with the guys, like,
because I know that's a big thing for a lot
of guys.
Speaker 4 (50:53):
Yeah, I definitely do. I think every single guy does.
If there's a guy that says he doesn't miss doing that,
he's lying because I think every single guy loves that
part of the game. So yeah, I think if an
opportunity arose where someone came to me and said, hey, Nate,
would you be an assistant coach for this team, yeah,
I would think about it. If it's a right right
(51:15):
position or right place. I mean, everything kind of has
to align, just like Bruce said, you know, I think
that may be the same for me.
Speaker 1 (51:22):
Have you ever been on a team with a guy
who doesn't want to be on the road with the guys,
who's just kind of like not part of a group.
Speaker 3 (51:30):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (51:31):
I don't think I've ever been on a team where
a guy is like, you know, maybe there's been a
guy that's kept to himself, but I think that every
single guy likes to likes to go on the road
and likes to be with his teammates and hang out
and do stuff together dinners, whatever.
Speaker 3 (51:44):
It may be.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
Yeah, Okay, I was just like imagining a guy that
would be like you know, Todd from Wedding Crashers and
just be like completely not just it.
Speaker 3 (51:55):
Yeah, I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (51:57):
I don't think you can sign up for playing hockey
or playing professional hockey and night and not like going
on the road.
Speaker 3 (52:02):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (52:02):
You gotta be cool.
Speaker 4 (52:03):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I think no, I know about that,
but you gotta I feel I feel I feel like
you got to be able to like to go on
the road with the guys.
Speaker 1 (52:11):
Yeah, well we know that. Uh last week we fell
for the Wahoo Orcas as a p WHL team. I
just gotta I want to before you we give some
flowers out to some people. I want to give my
flowers out to you for being so into the p
w HL. Like that story. You watch it back. I
(52:32):
watched it back like a hundred times. You were so
amped up for that. You were like it was almost
like I was like, what it is? So into this?
That was wild, BIGMHL guy, Which I love it. We
need more people like you.
Speaker 3 (52:48):
I am. I do. I love it. I love that,
I love the league.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
I love how they're how it's growing and yeah, and
I was so excited. How about the dance too, I
was like, oh.
Speaker 1 (52:56):
I know, yeah, you were Like I.
Speaker 3 (52:58):
Watched that like three times. I was like, what am
I doing?
Speaker 1 (53:01):
But it was great.
Speaker 4 (53:02):
Yeah, it was enthusiastic, you know, I was. I was
excited for the league, excited for the p w h L.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Well, apparently if they drop or if they have a team,
I've been told we're invited to drop the puck on
the first game, which I think we should have a
bit of a bigger role.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
You're not serious, sorry, No.
Speaker 1 (53:18):
I was told by a PWHL agent said, if there's
ever a team there, you guys are dropping the first puck,
which is like a hypoth It's it's not even that
great of a role for a hypothetical. Like I feel
like we should be Like I know Julia and Tessa
are the head coach in GM, but like I feel
like we should get a higher role than just dropping
(53:39):
the puck in the first game.
Speaker 4 (53:41):
Like if if we ever do that and drop the puck,
I am coming out. If and it's in Hawaii, I'm
gonna have a layon. I'm gonna have the full outfit
and gonna and I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (53:50):
Go like this coconut drop the puck.
Speaker 3 (53:52):
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna. I'm gonna shake it right before
I dropped the park.
Speaker 1 (53:58):
I love it. Everyone listening, Yeah, Nate's Nate's uh doing
a little shimmy shake right there, as he likes to do. Okay,
given our flowers this week, we know Alex Ovechkin feels
as though a big bouquet of flowers should be given
him for beating this record. I think also, I'm going
(54:18):
to give some two. Oh, I don't know why I
want to say this right now. I was just about
to say Islanders fans for being classy for once in
their entire life, and and cheering for Alex breaking that
(54:39):
record on their goalie. They did get the wind, so yeah,
and they.
Speaker 3 (54:43):
Were chanting his name too, which was nice. I agree
with that.
Speaker 4 (54:45):
That's those are good flowers because I played for the Islanders,
and you're right, they can be uh not nice.
Speaker 1 (54:51):
They know what they are, Yeah, they know what they are.
Speaker 4 (54:53):
Yeah, yeah, they know what they are. I think my
flowers and I'm going to go away from hockey. I
have to give it to my grandparents. They had their
sixty fifth wedding anniversary this last weekend. I was with
a bunch of family this past weekend. So I gotta
give it to Merv and Ann for being married sixty
(55:15):
five years, which is incredible.
Speaker 3 (55:17):
Wow, long long time. So those are my flowers to
my grandparents.
Speaker 1 (55:23):
I love that with a heartfelt gesture and also maybe
potentially definitely more impressive than breaking gretzky'schol scory record, because
sixty five years is a long time to be with someone.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
That's a long time. I think that is more impressive.
Speaker 1 (55:39):
Yes, like just being alive for sixty five years these
days is a big deal. I mean the fact that
you can be with someone else, that's impressive. So shout
out to your grandparents. Shout out to everyone also who
has listened to this podcast. You guys get some flowers too,
because why not. Thank you for listening to episode ten.
(56:01):
I can't believe we've hit ten of the Energy Line
with Nate and JSB. Energy Line is a production of
the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. Thanks to Bruce Boudreau for
joining us, Thanks to Jake Brown for producing the show.
You can subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or
wherever you get your podcasts or listen on the iHeartRadio app.
Give us a five star rating and please write a
nice review. I'm Julie Sewart Binks. He's Nate Thompson. Nate
(56:24):
and I will be back with another episode next Tuesday.
We'll listen two weeks from the playoffs. We'll know so
much more about the playoff picture and next week. Thank
you so much for tuning into the Energy Line, and
we'll chat with you next week. Energy Line is the
production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts. For more podcasts
(56:45):
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Nate Thompson
Julie Stewart-Binks
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