Up My Hockey with Jason Podollan
Up My Hockey with Jason Podollan
EP.141 - Leading on Ice: Brian Skrudland's Journey from Undrafted to NHL Champion
Unlock the secrets of hockey leadership with our special guest, two-time Stanley Cup champion Brian Skrudland. Discover how Brian went from being undrafted to a revered figure in the NHL, and learn about the moments that defined his path. This episode of the Up My Hockey podcast promises to impart invaluable leadership lessons, emphasizing resilience, authenticity, and the power of leading by example. Brian's stories of triumphs and trials offer insights not just into hockey but into the essence of what it means to be a true leader.
Join us as we unpack Brian's philosophy of blending hard work with humor to create a positive team environment. His anecdotes illuminate the art of building cohesion among teammates and the pivotal role of character in achieving success. From his record-breaking overtime goal to his captaincy with the Florida Panthers, Brian's journey embodies the spirit of determination and dedication, offering inspiration for both sports enthusiasts and aspiring leaders.
We'll also explore the evolution of team dynamics and the critical role of mental toughness in professional hockey. Brian shares his reflections on the changing nature of team culture, and we delve into the importance of building trust within a team. Through personal stories and experiences, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone looking to understand the intricacies of leadership in hockey and beyond.
You know I always knew my work hat had to go on first before my skates. That was one thing that I knew for a fact. And you can never be over-prepared.
Speaker 2:That was two-time Stanley Cup champion Brian Scroodland, and you are listening to episode 141 of the Up my Hockey podcast with Jason Padolan. Welcome to Up my Hockey with Jason Padolan, where we deconstruct the NHL journey, discuss what it takes to make it and have a few laughs along the way. I'm your host, jason Padolan, a 31st overall draft pick who played 41 NHL games but thought he was destined for a thousand. Learn from my story and those of my guests. This is a hockey podcast about reaching your potential. Hello there and welcome back, or welcome to the Up my Hockey podcast for episode 141. And today we are speaking with Brian Scroodland.
Speaker 2:For some of you older listeners, you should know the name Brian Scroodland, and for some of you, younger listeners, I am going to set the table here a little bit. I usually don't go down the stat line for my guests, but I will for Screwy, just because he is a name that like. Again, if you are a hockey fan in the 80s 90s, you will probably recognize him. But he wasn't a star necessarily. He wasn't somebody that made all-star teams. He never scored more than 15 goals in an NHL season, but he was the core of many teams. He was a guy that wore an A or a C on NHL teams and he was the captain of the Florida Panthers when I was a part of that organization and Screwy was a great embodiment of what a captain is, and we do talk leadership a lot on this upcoming conversation that you're going to listen to. But you know, brian was a hardworking guy, born in Peace River Alberta but, I guess, was raised in Saskatchewan, played for the Saskatoon Blades and wasn't drafted. He wasn't drafted in the NHL, although he said that he thought he was supposed to be or should have been, he was told that he was going to. Never got drafted, got passed over Use that as a chip on his shoulder and from that point on ended up turning into geez. I can't even count the seasons, but 881 games 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Wow, like a lot of seasons Played for the Montreal Canadiens.
Speaker 2:Played for the Calgary Flames, the Florida Panthers, the New York Rangers and the Dallas Stars, winning two Stanley Cups One in his very first season with Montreal uh, against the Calgary Flames, where he scored the overtime winner in a Stanley Cup final game nine seconds, in which is still the standing record for fastest overtime uh goal scored and one with the Dallas Stars at the end of his career and again, like I said, went to the Stanley Cup finals twice, uh and not one, and didn't win once with Montreal, uh, and once with the Florida Panthers. Panthers, and uh, yeah, and and having screwy on is really an honor for me, uh, being able to, you know, interview now formally interview uh, a former captain of mine and to be able to ask some poignant, uh, in depth questions about leadership and about him and how he went about his day and his role and how he provided value to the teams that he played on. This guy, like Brian Scrutland anyone who knows him or played with him he was fun to be around, just plain and simple. But he was fun to be around, just plain and simple. But he was fun to be around in all the right ways, meaning like, his sense of humor was on point, but it was not in a degrading or demeaning way. It wasn't in a cynical way. He rallied the troops all the time. He wanted the guys to do things together and he always showed up to work.
Speaker 2:He always showed up to work, he always showed up to work, and I think that there is a quote that he uses in this, in this discussion, that he says he always knew he put his hard hat on before he put on his skates, like that came first that he had. He knew that he was going to work that day, whether it was practice or whether it was a game, and that was totally true. But the thing was, was he brought that same level of attitude like a good attitude, a good positive, energetic, enthusiastic attitude to the work and to the competitiveness and had a great time while doing it? And I think that there can be a marriage there between working hard something that is difficult, something that may hurt, and having fun, and doing it with a smile on your face, competing in practice against your teammates in a way that makes them better and is serious in nature, because the battle is serious but there's also fun at the end of the set and at the end of the rep Uh. I thought that he embodied that absolutely perfectly.
Speaker 2:He was, uh, a workman like guy. You know he had 94 points in junior and this guy could score Uh. But as he says in this interview, I mean, at the NHL level you have to fill different roles and there are guys that are potentially going to be better than you at certain things, and, uh, and he found that niche. You know, to play as long as he did to be a winner, to be valued as a winner, to understand what it took and to and to really embrace the idea of effort and character, uh, and made a career out of it. You know, quite simply, uh, and and, yeah, and, and.
Speaker 2:Once you see that, once you witness that, uh, as an, you know, as an onlooker, and that's kind of what I was with Florida. You know, I was never really a part of that team. I was the year after the cup when he was there and played my 19 games there and was around them and was around him for, you know, multiple training camps and, uh, and got to see how, how he operated during that Stanley cup run. Uh, but I was, wasn't a part of the team. I wouldn't consider myself, you know, a part of that whole thing.
Speaker 2:And it was me as a bystander, kind of watching and taking it all in and and not knowing at the time how brilliant he really was at the leadership role, uh, how he was such a, was so gifted at making that room feel together, uh, have a laugh together as a group, um, making events mandatory as the group, uh, making the bus trips, the, the flights uh enjoyable experiences. Uh, he, he had a, he had a gift for doing that, and yet he would be the first one on the ice and the hardest one working on the bike or, you know, in the skate or whatever it was, and he always brought it. He just always always brought that level and that standard and that was such a great uh, that was such a great standard to set and I think it was infectious for those guys who who played with him and uh, and just the levity in the room that he brought uh made it a more enjoyable experience. And there are, like those are two lessons right there before we even get into the discussion that I hope sits with you who are listening right now. Especially if you're a player, uh, being somebody in the locker room that can bring people together and that can make it fun is a gift, it is a skill, it is something that makes you valuable and it also is something that makes you respected, quite honestly, uh, but the beauty is, is that to be that player in the room and to get the respect uh of the guys to follow you, like to a restaurant or or to some social engagement or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 2:You also have to be somebody on the ice that they respect and you have to have a standard when it comes to to what it is that you're doing, and that's where Brian Scruton brought that. So your personal standards when it comes to your effort and your uh and your preparation and your compete and your desire to win, those aren't faked right. Those are, those are something that you arrive with, that you have intention about, that you can create a standard for, and when you bring that, you now have a layer of street cred in the locker room that you can be a guy that is now able to joke Like if the hardest working guy on the ice, who is one of the most competitive guys, can also cut a few jokes in the room and make guys laugh and and and add some level of of humor and enjoyment to things. Uh, that really opens up the opportunity for other guys to be themselves, to realize that not everybody has to be serious. Uh, that really opens up the opportunity for other guys to be themselves, to realize that not everybody has to be serious necessarily, or that there is required a level of enjoyment, uh, for for the, for the game to be, you know, fun and something that we look forward to coming to the rink.
Speaker 2:And Brian really, really did that and, uh, it's not an accident that he won. I mean, you want to callder Cup as the captain, as a second year pro, the captain of a team in Sherbrooke with the Canadians. He won the Calder Cup, followed by a Stanley Cup the year after, like he talks about a crazy two years. What a start to pro hockey. And then to finish his career off with another Stanley Cup with Dallas. Just a phenomenal career. You know, 881 games at the end of the day. That was through a couple of lockouts and through a couple of strikes. You know he would have made a thousand games if, uh, if, the league would have ran, uh, you know, fluently and consistently and had 124 goals, uh, 219 assists for 343 points, uh, so you know, like I said, very, very respectable numbers, especially, I said very, very respectable numbers, especially with the games played. But from the points standpoint, you know respectable numbers, but not a star, just a guy that kept showing up and kept getting the job done and embraced his role and made an awesome career out of it. But the other thing that stands out is the 164 playoff games right, 164 playoff games with 61 points Was able to elevate his game when it mattered, uh, and was able to be a part of some some amazing, amazing championships and some amazing memories. So I hope you enjoy this. Uh, this conversation.
Speaker 2:Screwy is super entertaining. He has some great stories. He uh, he tells a few from back in the Florida days and, uh, I know I got a chuckle a few times. This guy's a funny man and I think you can imagine him in his 20s and 30s. You know how he would control a dressing room and how he would bring the level of joy up in an environment like that. So, without further ado, I bring you two-time Stanley Cup champion, one-time Calder Cup champion and former captain of the Florida Panthers, mr Brian Scroodland. All right, here we are with my former captain for episode 141. Pleasure to have you on, mr Brian Scroodland.
Speaker 1:Wonderful to join you, Jason. It's been a while and I've been looking forward to this since you contacted me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's been. It's a pleasure, absolute honor. It has been a long time. My gosh I was. I was just trying to look at that. I mean 96, 96. Well, I mean we crossed paths before that in camp and then actually became teammates in 96, so you mean that's uh, that's a heck of a long time ago. And we have Terry Ryan to thank for uh, for putting us together, because I saw you on his podcast and he passed along your number. So thanks so much for wanting to come on and do this, appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Awesome, my pleasure.
Speaker 2:I want to go back. I mean, there's so many places to start. I mean part of what we do here on this podcast is, you know, we celebrate the careers of players right, and the ups and downs and the highs and lows of that. I find that the adversity and the challenges is really usually the identifying pieces that make the player. So I do like digging into that more than necessarily the highlights. But I think it's pretty wild with you to be like your second year of being a pro, you win a championship and your third one followed up with another championship and the biggest cup you could ever win. Can you take us back to that time, 83, 84? I mean coming out of the WHL. What was that transition, like you know, from being a junior at that time in that era to becoming a pro?
Speaker 1:Well, first of all, a real disappointment for not being drafted. I did have a couple of really good years and uh, so that was a bit of a. That was one of those challenges for me to start with, that I not only my skating, but now I had challenges to even get there. So it was uh, you know, and and we had some really good junior hockey teams. I think winning is what it's all about, and people, you, you really draw a lot of attention when you're a winner and and uh never had that opportunity. Well, had lots of opportunity but never got over the finish line with that side of it until, uh, my second year in the minors with Sherbrooke Canadians and and uh, man everything I've heard, like once you, once you win, you just want more of it.
Speaker 1:And that's exactly what happened. And if you could imagine, I mean we were on top of the world, winning that American Hockey League championship, which is, you know, a pretty hard trophy to win. And the next year, boy, there was seven, eight of us that went up from Sherbrooke into Montreal and then to carry that cup on May 24th of 1986, that was the biggest thrill of my life. Well, I shouldn't say that in case my wife watches this podcast, because we did get married in between championships. So that was a pretty good two years. Let me tell you wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, well, let's. Well, I didn't realize that, so I didn't. I didn't do the homework on that. I saw that you had 94 points as a blade there and it was in 71 games, which is hell of a season. Uh, you know, with the saskatoon blades, what year was your draft year? Do you remember what year that was?
Speaker 2:uh, that would have been, uh, 1981 81 so in 81 42 points didn't get drafted, could have got drafted the next year. Didn't get drafted, so you got passed over twice at that. Uh, at that era, like how? So let's talk about that, because there's players that are going through that right now, right, and there's and there's, and a lot of guys pack up their bags and say you know what, it's not for me, I guess I'm not good enough. What was your mentality with that at that time?
Speaker 1:Well, I had an opportunity with the Canadian Olympic team and so that whole summer was training and and two, three different tryouts, uh, winnipeg and then two the next tryouts in calgary, and I was one of the last cuts. But in the winnipeg tryout, uh, dell wilson, who was a scout for the montreal canadians, came to see me. He had a contract in his hand. Uh showed it to me. We sat, we had a coffee. He showed it to me. He says now we want you to make the canadian olympic team, but we also would would like you to respect the fact that we have a contract here for you and brian. If it doesn't work out, we'd really like you to become a montreal canadian.
Speaker 1:Uh, everybody that was on my team, uh, friends, family, coaches, gms and etc. We're going well, you're. You're the furthest thing from a flying frenchman in the entire world. So we're not quite sure about the Canadians. However, man, that made me feel good and it just took a little bit of something off, because I did have, when I was cut from the Canadian Olympic team before they went over to Europe, I did have four other teams contact me for tryouts.
Speaker 1:One other had a contract, but to be honest, I was a Habs fan when I was a kid, so this is the start of a real dream come true. And I just knew the organization, who was in charge. I knew they were turning over a bunch of Leafs, the older guys were on their way out and so there was going to be some room if a guy could make it. And, uh, I was pretty proud of a Doug Wickenheiser out of Regina. That was there, uh, which quite an inspiration. And even though Doug had a little bit of a hard time to start with, um, you know, I did have a training camp with him and and just some wonder wonderful memories of uh, of my first couple of years there. And, of course, when you win uh your first year in the national hockey league, you never forget it and never forget those teammates as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no for sure. So, from a personal standpoint, the, you know the disappointment of not hearing your name called in the draft and you know the the coverage then even the coverage for mine is way different than it is now. I mean, so the eras were different. I mean, so I don't know what the expectation was if there was a draft list, if you thought you were going to go and then you didn't Like what was the next year.
Speaker 1:I was told if I was available, if I was available in the second round, Jason, that I was going to the Boston Bruins. And then all of a sudden, that second round comes around, third round, fourth round, and I and I just it just never came to fruition. So very disappointing I, I, I at one point in time thought, man alive, I've really got to bust my ass and make this Canadian Olympic team, because this was the only thing I wanted my whole life was to become a professional hockey player and and going to make that dream come true. And thank God it happened.
Speaker 2:Right. So then that was so. That was like you kind of doubled down on it, it wasn't. You know, there was the moment of disappointment. You let yourself feel that, but then you realize that well, pitter patter, let's get at her Right Like obviously I need to do a little more to make this happen.
Speaker 1:Well, and number one was my skating. So I got to really work on that and that was the biggest thing. Now, once I had become made that decision to become a Montreal Canadian, I got to training camp. A wonderful experience that was, but I knew I wasn't ready. I just like, no, thank you, I'm not ready. Let's get to Halifax and let's get this thing going Well.
Speaker 1:I got to Halifax and we had a bunch of old veterans there and they weren't very happy that I was one of the last guys sent down. So when it came to initiation day, I was glad that about four of them got picked up in the expansion draft that year, Four real big old, tough guys. You know Jeff Brubaker, Dwight Schofield and for some reason they really never liked this kid from Saskatchewan. So anyway, I persevered. We had John Brophy as a coach. Couldn't ask for a better coach at that point in time. He was just exactly what I needed with our group. But you know, Andre Boudre was there. Andre spent a lot of time working on my skating with me as as time went on. So did Jacques Lemaire in Montreal and and uh. So I really felt like I was. Uh, I I definitely had a different style of skating, but I felt like I could get to A and B as quick as anybody.
Speaker 2:So, uh, that confidence part of it was really built up within the organization and so when you, when you talk about that because there's, you know there's there's multiple athletes right now hockey players. Skating has always been important, but I think now it's more important than ever you know, essentially, they say you can't skate, you can't play right now. You know, right, um, what did you do? So I mean as a nine, I mean as a 20 year old player, now, knowing that you still had to work on your skating. What was that like at that, at that time, what were you doing?
Speaker 1:well, claude durell, uh, coach for the montreal canadians for years, a legend. Um I I went in there in the summertime and claude, his favorite word to me was okay, westerner, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump. So I jumped and I jumped a lot, let me tell you, but it was really just getting that. My and and leg strength. That was the one thing that we really worked on in the gym. Uh, I wasn't much for. Gym to me was spelled jim, it was a friend of mine or something, not gym, and I probably spend more time in the gym today than I ever have.
Speaker 1:So yeah uh, you know that that health is so important and and uh, but getting there, I just had the greatest support and uh, I haven't even mentioned my family support yet. Uh, with all these coaches and everything else was phenomenal, uh, not to even mention the family yeah, definitely need a support cast for sure to get anywhere, and a good one of that.
Speaker 2:One of the things I work on with the guys that I'm working with is like the ability which I think is a skill of being able to raise your hand and ask for some help in some areas, or at least ask what I can do. I know for me that was one thing that I wasn't great at asking those questions that could benefit you and kind of feel like you're the lone soldier, uh, anyone that seems to have had any level of, like real success. There's a team around them in some capacity, you know. Yes, uh. So those coaches that wanted to work with you was that them? Whatever kind of feeling like you know I want to take this kid under their wing. Did you make yourself available for that to happen or how did that interpersonal relationship happen?
Speaker 1:my I was 24 7 available for those guys, uh, they were going to help me make my dream come true and uh, you know both of them, uh, andre budra and jacques lamere, both had wonderful careers and, uh, and both of them were really good skaters. So I got a chance to listen to every word they said. Claude Durell was just a bonus on top of that and he got us ready for the preseason which, to be honest, back in our day, when I first started, if you spent a little bit of time in the offseason training, you went in with the leg up on the older guys, because really that training camp was for getting into shape and getting back. And you know a lot of guys I mean I'll never forget my first camp.
Speaker 1:A fellow by the name of Guy Lafleur was going to be my right winger and he came up to me and beforehand, before the very first skate, and he says Brian, welcome aboard. He says I hear you're my center Heisman. He says you put the puck on my tape. I get you to assist. You put the puck over here, go get it again, bring it back, put it on my tape, I get you to assist. I hit him in the head, I think, or shoulder with my first pass, in the ass with my second pass, and then that was it. I no longer had Guy Lafleur as furs or right. So it was. It was learned by learning fairly quick. But you know, those guys, they never, they really never, skated in the summertime, and so that was a leg up for us to maybe impress the brass right off the hop.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do, right. And it's, I mean, and it just seems like everyone's in this day and age, everyone's looking for that extra edge now, and it's, you know, if you're not in shape, you're done right. You have to show up in shape.
Speaker 1:And when you, when you first started, were we two days in training camp, or just one a day. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, that was Roger when I was there, so that was like when the 20 mile bike or the 10 mile run or whatever we had to do, remember like all that stuff, like it was pretty good, crazy.
Speaker 1:My fondest memory of our very first training camp down there maybe not first, because Steve Washburn and you the same year.
Speaker 2:One year before me.
Speaker 1:One year before you. So Steve came to camp wonderful shape, great hockey player and after our first session he went out in the sun and fell asleep and burnt himself so bad that he couldn't get his hockey gear on. So they sent him home. I felt so bad for the kid because I think you truly had a chance, you know anyway, he was.
Speaker 1:Uh, it was quite an experience. That was another one of those experiences of playing in the sun that we, we all, got to sort of enjoy or not enjoy for that, those few years, yeah, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 2:That was a wild place to be, uh, to be a first year pro, and especially in that run that you guys went to, which we'll, we'll get. We'll get to that for sure. Just going to take a short break from my conversation with brian scroodland to give a shout out to my friends at elite prospects. Elite prospects is the gateway to hockey online. Since 1999, elite prospectscom is the number one statistical hockey resource, serving over a million unique visitors weekly. It offers the most informative hockey database on the web and has the most reliable transaction tracker available. And for youth hockey players, ep is your very own online showcase to highlight your achievements and help secure future playing opportunities. Coaches, scouts and schools at every level of the game. Consider Elite Prospects their one-stop shop to discover future stars. Hockey fan crazy about the NHL, the draft and your team's top prospects? There's no better source than EP Rinkside, providing insight and analysis on players worldwide through written features, video breakdowns, interviews and more. Head to EliteProspectscom now and experience your gateway to hockey.
Speaker 2:Now let's get back to our conversation with brian screwedland. So you guys switch from from nova scotia to sherbrooke. Sherbrooke, like you said, you had, you know, a winning team and you talked about the idea of winning. And once you get the taste of winning, like you, you know one you learn how to do it, which I think is is super important.
Speaker 2:You understand the feeling of it, but it also attracts other people that want you to be a part of things you know, and I think that that's establishes you right off the bat. What did you, how did that team come together and what role did you play on it, and what did you learn from that season?
Speaker 1:well, I was the captain of that team, so it was my second year.
Speaker 1:Yep, they made you captain the second year pro I was and, uh, and what an honor that was being chosen by teammates. We were mixed with winnipeg at the time, montreal, winnipeg, so I think winnipeg only had about seven or eight players on the roster, montreal had the the majority of the players. But we had a pretty tough season. I mean all season long. It was. Uh, we had some injury bugs, we had some goaltending problems, we had, uh, just some things that went down.
Speaker 1:But once again, coaching, pierre kramer was our head coach. Jean hamel was our assistant coach. Jean hamel just lost his eye, uh, the year before, two years before, in the great big quebec, uh, montreal, battle of quebec, and um, so john, as an assistant coach, put his gear on every day. Now, this was a man of 30. What was john b at that time? 34, 35, but one of the most, one of the greatest shape athletes that you've ever met. Yeah, so he, when he came to practice, he came to practice for real. And now we were I mean, you know not to say that ted foss, at six foot four, uh, 220 pounds, wasn't a big guy, but he was also 21 years of age, or you know, he wasn't 35 man strength yeah so, uh.
Speaker 1:So that was really interesting for Jean to be able to do that all season long. And then at the end of the year we had a couple injuries Goalies get injured and a fellow by the name of Patrick Waugh happened to join us. His junior team lost out, as did another fellow right winger, stéphane Richer, as did another left winger, jean Kordick, or right winger with Portland, you know. So all of a sudden we had all these young guys coming in nice, influx a little bit of team depth, and Patrick stood on his head and next thing, you know, there we were in the Calder Cup Finals. Wasn't expected, I think. We snuck into the last spot to make it two, three days before the final game of the season is when we solidified our playoff spot. So, yeah, we really did get hot and we went on a run and Sherbrooke was great for that. We had, you know, leaving Halifax. I got to tell you it was really disappointing for a lot of us because we did fall in love with the Maritimes.
Speaker 1:I, when I arrived in halifax, to be honest with you, jason, I said okay, and this is my first time away from home because I played junior hockey in saskatoon where I grew up and um. So now I'm on my own and I'm in halifax and I was only there for four days and I said, okay, if I don't move to dartmouth I'm gonna end up being the world's best bartender. So yeah, I got my ass over to Dartmouth and took the ferry every day, told the boys I couldn't stay after the game because I got to catch the 11 o'clock ferry, and I didn't tell them that I bought a 75 Ford Pinto station wagon with wood paneling. But one day I was crossing the McKay Bridge and, sure as shit, one of my teammates went by me. You know, give me a honk, what the heck? So I got to the rake was free. You got an old pinto. I said no, no, I was just borrowing it. I didn't want to get in any in any extras curriculars after, after games or practices.
Speaker 2:So I usually got my way home, but uh about that mature decision, like to experience the four days in Halifax and anyone who's been to Halifax knows the Maritimes and the people in the Maritimes. They love to have a good time, there's never a dull moment, and what a great place really to be 20 or 21 years old and playing pro hockey. But you're like, hey, I think this is clashing with my idea of becoming a pro hockey player and I'm going to move away. So I have an excuse that I don't have to be partying. Like, just walk me through that. Like that must've been a pretty big decision for you. Well, it was.
Speaker 1:And, and you know, I, when I left, uh, I really had, uh, full blinders on that. Hey, this is all about hockey and and, uh, this is I want this to be my career. And back then you looked at it financially it was going to be a big boost. All that stuff, the notoriety of playing in the National Hockey League, the idea of making some decent money this is a kid's dream come true Today. I don't know what the heck they call it, because that's real money. It was real, come true Today. I don't know what the heck they call it, because that's real money, but you know it was, it was, it was real.
Speaker 1:I had a couple other young guys that were moving in with one another. I didn't want that scenario because I didn't want to be babysitting and I didn't want to be, you know, feeling like I had, you know, to take care of somebody, because I knew I was going to take good care of myself. But then I thought, well, I'll just look over into Dartmouth and I spoke with a couple of the older guys as well that I really liked on our team, Dave Allison being one of them, and Redsie said oh gosh, there's a million places over there. Screw you, you can find something real cheap and it's probably a great decision for you. So, anyway, I had great support again from teammates, but but I really I, I, after my first couple of days in Halifax, I thought, wow, privateers is a pretty fun spot in the upper and lower deck and I was getting to know them all.
Speaker 1:It just was a ritual. That's what you did after practice, right, you went with the guys and and I always did I didn't stop going with the guys. It was just, hey, I gotta get home on the ferry, right. You know, like I got a pretty good reason or excuse to get out of there and uh and do what I really wanted to do, which was just focus on hockey right, yeah, and so you mentioned, as a second year pro, to get voted by your teammates as the captain.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you brought that up because I had no idea. I knew you were my captain, you know with florida, and I knew that you were recognized as a leader in the nhl. But I mean, that's a, that's a huge honor and what a compliment. You know and, and walk me through, like, what about you? Do you think? Obviously you have to, you have to guess, you know, but what about you do you think made you captain worthy as a second year pro in the eyes of a lot of these guys that were much older than you?
Speaker 1:we had a wonderful. We actually made it into the second round of the playoffs that year in Halifax and and played a team from Maine, older guys. Uh, I think that was a real, real good challenge for us. And, geez, geez, my, my game just kept getting elevated and elevated and and, of course, when that happens, you get put into positions to win and or succeed and and maybe even more challenges than were expected at that point in time in my career. But I surpassed a couple of teammates that were goal scorers but they weren't scoring goals and I was scoring goals and I was still doing the other side of the puck as well. So, uh, I think you gained a lot of confidence through the coaches and and.
Speaker 1:So then off to um, off to Sherbrooke, and we had a lot of veteran guys that were either picked up in, uh in an expansion draft or uh, uh waiver draft at that point in time. Uh, so we had a fairly young team and, uh, when it started to I don't know, I guess I was probably one of those vocal guys. Uh, definitely had the guys over to, to the chalet a couple of times. Mike Lawler and I rented a chalet on a small little lake just outside of Sherbrooke, quebec, say once again not to stay in town to get into trouble. Uh, so that was kind of good and uh bought ourselves a skidoo and we had the boys out there all the time. So it was uh, it was a lot of fun. But uh, those experiences, uh, uh, the idea of my game getting better, I think that just built confidence and confidence in me and the people around me. So that gave me an opportunity to get that C on my jersey and, of course, then winning with that C on your jersey.
Speaker 1:And the Canadians hadn't had any hardware since 1979. Serge Savard is only a two-hour drive away. He never missed a home game, let alone did he not come on the road with us, which was incredible for all of our team, and I mean just showing the support. So when we won that year, jason, I was the captain. The game's over, we're going to the party, the captain takes the trophy. Well, as Serge said to me, wherever the trophy goes, serge goes. So he says I guess we're hanging together. So it was kind of funny because as we're driving to the function afterwards he said by the way, you come into camp next year in great shape and you're ready to go, and I can almost guarantee your roster spot, and he said that to a couple of people, and, and uh, sure as heck, there's a man of his word.
Speaker 1:Uh, we had a new coach in John Perron who believed in a lot of us young guys, gave us a lot of opportunity. Uh, as I say, on whatever date, it was May 15th and our it was a second game, the stanley cup finals, and we're into overtime. What the hell is brian scroodland on the ice for starting the overtime when he hasn't even scored a goal yet? However, our line did have, I think we had 12 at that time, mcphee had five and lemieux had seven or something. So so, anyway, and uh, the rest history.
Speaker 2:Nine seconds is all it took, and so it was really really, really funny how it all evolutionized and worked out for me the way that it did, to be honest, yeah, Well, I mean, obviously you're doing something right there, and your answer to that was, you know, kind of a hockey answer, meaning that you were putting a lot of the emphasis on your play, and I have no doubt that that had something to do with it. I mean, you do need to be of some level of hockey player right to get the attention of of your teammates. Um, I I find more so in this day and age it seems like you have to almost be the star player to have the c on your chest, uh, which I don't necessarily agree with, but I I do think that there's an element that you're probably not talking about, and that's just like the human character element of you. Like there had to be something that you did, something that you embodied, that garnered the respect you were on a bus or two with me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was.
Speaker 1:For a few long bus rides. So you knew that we did have a lot of fun during those bus rides. They certainly weren't boring and it wasn't because of the movies that we were watching, but you know, we had a lot of fun. We played a lot of tricks on one another. I think there were healthy tricks as well. You never wanted to demean a teammate and make them feel that they weren't worthy or wanted, and I think that was one of the things of my character. My parents had brought me up in the idea that, hey, make everybody feel better about themselves and at the end of the day you're going to be much stronger, and that's the kind of family I grew up in.
Speaker 2:So yeah, no, I love that. I mean that is and I think that's the testament of being an amazing hockey player as well is you're being able to make your line mates, whoever you're with, be better right on the ice. I think that's different, being good and being great, and then if you can do that same thing in the locker room, now you're onto something from a culture side, right? Well, do you remember how hard we practiced.
Speaker 1:You know, like I played on a few teams that they didn't know how to practice. And a man alive, that was one thing and I think that was a reason for our success in Florida. And I learned that in Montreal, continued that on my way to Calgary, florida and the rest of the way. And you know, it was just, I mean practice. You're never going to want to embarrass yourself in front of 18,000, 19,000 people, so you're always busting your ass in a game, even though we have seen a few games where that hasn't been the case in a game, even though we have seen a few games where that hasn't been the case. However, you know, in practice it's all about your teammates. It's all about impressing your teammates and making them work harder and challenging them. And it was sort of funny.
Speaker 1:But I got here into Calgary as a coach and I you know, believe it or not, but one of the greatest right wingers of all time, number 12. And when I went up to him one day and I said, hey, jerome, you know what you you've got to pick it up a little bit in practice because, uh, you got guys that are skating with you and I know they shouldn't even be close to you. So if you can pick that pace up a little bit, you're going to make them even better, because right now they're sticking with you and that's all they need to do and they're feeling pretty good about themselves. And boy oh boy, when Daryl Sutter came in and really started pushing these guys, I was an assistant coach. You can only do so much at that in that position.
Speaker 1:But Daryl came in and I'll tell you he whipped the boys into shape and and practice was hard and he made it hard. And if it was only 20 minutes, well it was a 20, it was a hardest 20 minutes you're going to be on the ice for. But you know it was something he was going to get out of you. And, uh, once that was realized, I mean, there they are in the Stanley cup finals in 2004. Uh, you know, I mean it really. The, the, the uh proof was in the pudding there.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:How did Jerome take that message? Well, you know, that's the thing about Jerome is. Uh, you know, you, you didn't really want to tell Jerome a lot of things because Jerome did everything right. Uh, you know, he was just a both on and off the ice. I mean, you couldn't ask for a better human being or a better athlete and tough as nails and competitive, and so he didn't take it exactly the way that you might think, but at the same time, he took it and he turned around and I'll tell you I truly believe that was a huge, huge change in the Flames and that organization moving forward.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, there's something to be said, right, when your best player is also your hardest worker and most competitive, like I think you're onto something Big time, big time.
Speaker 1:And we had a couple of them Larry Robinson, bob Ganey. When I first started I was amazed. And there again, jason Bob Ganey, taking the time after practice just working on little flip outs. You know, puck in the corner. We'd put 150 on each side on the dots. Just put them in the corner, go, get them as quick as we could Turn around and flip them out of the zone. You know, it was little things like that that we worked on constantly that made me feel so good. Today those guys don't really have the time to do that. They don't have that extra ice time to fool around. They go from the rink on the ice over to the video or to the gym. Uh, you know, it's more or less two hours of really planned stuff, as where before we used to practice, have a little video, maybe, uh, maybe have a meeting, but really practice was practice, and then you're, you're on your way home.
Speaker 2:So lindy ruff was awesome with that. With us in florida, too, weren't playing. Yeah, he did a great job with that.
Speaker 1:Awesome he was also a bit of a pain in the ass if your shoes went missing yes, or your pockets got sewn shut or any of those things, yeah you, you went and found some shaving cream and stuffed it in your right front pocket.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you talk about practice and that is something I mean. I'm not coaching this year. Well, I did actually coach a spring team, but I haven't coached a minor hockey team in a couple of years. But I was coaching my boys and I really enjoyed it.
Speaker 2:And one of the things that I tried to emphasize, you know, as being the bench boss, was that attention to detail that you're talking about in practice, that you're pushing Right and and I and I think to me and even watching now, like as as the kids get older and I'm able to watch junior camps and I'm able to see kind of the ecosystem of hockey I think that the competitiveness of practice has drastically changed and what that actually means.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying that obviously, eight-year-olds and 10-year-olds aren't going to fight in practice, but in junior, that was a thing. I mean, I know in pro it was a thing too, and it was a healthy thing. On the healthy teams, right, the teams that really pushed each other you're competitive sobs out there, right, and you're pushing that guy and he's pushing back and at some point, you know, the wires cross and something happens. It's all good. Afterwards you celebrate it. I'm not saying there needs to be fights in practice, but do you, did you see that, like from the time that you were involved as a player to the time you were involved as a coach, like was there a bit of a separation already happening when it come to the competitiveness in practice?
Speaker 1:oh, yeah, I just uh, you know it was all in. I guess at the end of the day, we didn't rely uh, for my era of hockey player, we never really truly relied on the coach to set the pace or have to come out and and be screaming and yelling and and uh, we took it upon ourselves and and that was one thing I was really. You know, there were days that you just practice just didn't work out, as I, as I showed up into Dallas and the boys are saying, uh, okay, um, we screw up in a couple of passing drills early in the practice and Hitch just blows a whistle and brings us in and tells us to get our heads on ready and be ready for tomorrow. Because this is BS and this is unacceptable. Get the hell off the ice, have a little bike ride. But that was it. Well, keener's on my day one. There we show up and medano, new and dyke and letnan are the first three guys to go in a drill. Well, they screw up every pass. So hitch blows a whistle.
Speaker 1:I'm thinking, oh, right on, because I gotta go find a place to live. This is going to be great. Well, he says everybody on the goal line. So I said hang on here a sec. I put my hand up like I was back in elementary school or something and I said Hitch, here he goes, what do you want? And he's like I'm just, we're just newly arrivals.
Speaker 1:And I said well, the boys are telling me that usually you blow the whistle and you send them home. I said you're not doing this for me, are you? He said you're skating with Letnan and uh and madano, so you know they're down back and I'm still halfway going down there. Those guys could skate so good. So anyway that. But that team, we knew how to practice. And uh and man alive. That was probably the only time throughout my professional hockey career that I said okay, this team's team's going to win a Stanley cup, and that was 1999. Would have happened in 98 as well If it wasn't for a couple of injuries uh, new and and Medano both went down but uh, but I was really confident in that hockey team.
Speaker 2:I believe it. And where does that competitiveness come from? Do you think uh, you know, in in practice? You mean, you said that it came internally from the boys before it kind of shifted, maybe to be more directed by the coach. I think that probably a culture of winning or having been experienced that in some capacity now breeds that a little bit more. But like, where do you think that that comes from? Is it just the people involved? Essentially, it is.
Speaker 1:Number one. Well, okay, I'll give you a quick example. Chris Nyland, day one of Montreal Canadiens, I think we had nine rookies to start the season and you know, back then it wasn't a 23 or I think it was a 26, 28 man, or was there even a list of how many guys you could have, right, or a number of a max? So I think there were nine or ten of us in that room. Chris Nyland called us all into the video room, more or less threatened us with their lives.
Speaker 1:First of all, you're the first ones on the ice. You're the last ones off the ice. You're showing up early to tell all those old guys stories of what you did the night before. Like, you got to make it exciting for us, right. So that was part and parcel of being a Montreal Canadian, and Chris said that right off the bat. Larry showed it by example, bob showed it by example, rick Green, I mean Chelios we had a bunch of guys that really, every day, they worked their ass off because we knew that would make us better, and so I think, yeah, it's a winning culture, but it's also individually. I think that's how some guys Chris Nyland, being on top of that list, uh, not only motivate himself, but motivate us to be better as well.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, I mean, I love that when, when they start to get it and the younger ages, it's fun because it is like a little bit of like a light switch, because I think in this day and age, even with kids and everyone's taught to be like, so nice to each other, right, like, and there's nothing wrong with being nice, but it is wrong when you're on the ice and and you feel that competing for a puck and knocking somebody over might hurt somebody's feelings, you know, and it's like that's where you can kind of change the rules a little bit and allow them to understand that no, this is actually like you're doing him a favor by knocking him over yeah, you know like you're actually bringing the best out of him and making him get up and come at you again, and I think that there's a lot of power in that right now.
Speaker 2:I mean for players that do get it, that have that internal fortitude to want to compete, and you get a group of them together on one team and I think you can be a world beater in this day and age right now.
Speaker 1:Well, they can you know, and these kids today, they turn it on and off, I mean just like a switch. I don't know if I had that capability. I, I, I had it on, right, it was on. I mean, I'm not stretching even beside my brother and warm up, cause I'd probably want to kill him. Uh, you know, I mean that just and and to watch that as as time went on, it drove me absolutely nuts. So something as a coach and if I wanted to stay in the game and I eventually became director of player development with the Panthers, uh, I had to change in ways to become better and and realize that these young guys it's a different era out there and and try and, I guess, accept what they're doing and understand it better, so that I could be better at teaching them, maybe even some of the old ways as well that I felt were still really strong and and fully in existence, uh, in today's society and uh, and sport yeah and relevant, right.
Speaker 2:I mean that's the kind of thing that I'm. Yeah, I'm totally trying to chow with these guys about that and I hear you okay. So like the whole picture and warm-up thing, like that is like now completely accepted. And I know torts went on a rant a few years ago with, like guys chatting before a face off and all that stuff, right, like that would fire me up too. But again, like I think it's probably the dinosaur and both of us saying, okay, we have to let some of that go. Right, the game is changing. Okay, but there still should be a standard about the expectation of competitiveness, you know, and, and what compete looks like. How did you find that line as director of player development? Like what was your demand or standard for the guys you were working with?
Speaker 1:Uh, that, uh, number one, that they work their asses off, that I never, ever once wanted to hear from their coaches or their trainers or anybody that they weren't you know, or maybe even their teachers or their parents. I mean, you know, as a director of player development, I wanted to know the family. I guess that's where it all started, so that I could really get into the head of that kid and help him out if times are going to be tough and hopefully they never were, I mean but at the same time I was always trying to prepare myself, have that chat with dad, find out what really pushes this kid, and then have the chat with the kid not to, you know, just compare the notes of what dad thinks pushes him. And I mean, I just love that position and it was fruitful in a lot of ways fruitful for me and hopefully fruitful for a lot of the hockey players that I helped to get to that next stage as well.
Speaker 2:You touch on something there that I think is super interesting and I believe that that's like, as far as high performance is concerned and like having your players reach their potential is the biggest key and that's the psychology of the player. I think, more often than not, most of the guys that come to your table or who got drafted in whatever round, like how many things do they have to work on a hockey player? Yes, of course they have to work on their hockey skills in some capacity right to get to the pro level, but for the most part, like they are there now, it's like how does the psychology work in that environment to get the most out of them? Where are their pain points points? Where are their mental weaknesses? How can you breed that confidence right To show up at the proper time and on the biggest stage? It sounds like that's what you're talking about when you're saying, like, get into the head of these guys, like, how, how important was that to you to, to, to be able to push those buttons?
Speaker 1:Very important and uh, and I think what it did as well was built a lot of trust within us. I shared a lot of stuff with them and personal stuff to try and let them know, hey, we're opening up to one another here. This isn't going anywhere else other than you and I. Maybe to your mom and dad. A couple of things, you know, if I feel like they would be helpful. Other than that, it was just building that relationship and building that trust. Other than that, it was just building that relationship and building that trust.
Speaker 1:And you know, if anyone, as I felt strongly, if anyone knew what it was to be a Florida Panther, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what it was going to take and especially with what we accomplished there in three years getting to the Stanley Cup finals, that was a lot of hard work and you were part of that. And you know all these young guys that came in pushed us. Old guys I mean I was near the end of my career, so were a few other fellas, and so you know we kind of I wasn't Chris Nyland to you, jason, where I took you into the video room and threatened you with your life, but hopefully I said some good things along the way that uh, cause I know you guys, you know we were really inspired by the young guys, and especially down in Florida. I mean, here we were playing in Miami. For God's sake, we weren't up in, uh, fort Lauderdale, we went down to Miami. That was just a hoot and a holler.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah for sure. I mean there's. There's a lot of things where I want to chat with you about there. The idea of I mean I want to backtrack just a little bit. So now you're a captain of 21 or 22 years old, you've won a Calder Cup.
Speaker 2:You said six or seven guys advanced on Like winning. I say that I try and say that to players, I mean at the younger level. It's hard for them to understand. Once you get to junior it's even a bit hard to understand because everyone wants to be a first or second line guy or be on the power play and if they're not, there's this individuality like they feel hurt or embarrassed or they're not getting what they deserve. Yet If you are successful on a winning team, in whatever role that is, those guys more than often will move on. Somebody wants them somewhere else. So can you speak to that a little bit? Like you said, seven guys from a minor league team end up going to play for an NHL team afterwards Like that's because you guys won and probably no other reason under than that for a few of those guys, a hundred percent a hundred percent.
Speaker 1:And you know, you, you brought up something interesting. So we all have a role. On a hockey team or on a team Probably doesn't even matter what sport we're talking about. Everybody has a role. So we all define that role. Yet at the same time, we know in hockey, or in a lot of these sports, if you get a chance to score, well, if you're not a scorer, we still want you to score. And you know, if you're not a checker, well, come playoff time you've got to be a checker if we're going to win, so we, you, you're working on those basics right off the bat.
Speaker 1:And a lot of guys go from junior hockey. They've been the star. They go on to the AHL, nhl, but they've had to adapt. They're no longer that scoring guy. The only way they're going to make this team is if they play two-way hockey, if they and that was you know, not that I was a really offensive, big, big number offensive guy, but you know I did score, put up some pretty good points in junior. But I knew if I was going to make the Montreal Canadians, I wasn't Doug Wickenheiser and I wasn't the other fellows that were in front of me, the Jean Chabats and everybody else. But I knew that if I could play a good strong two-way game, that I had an opportunity.
Speaker 1:And I watch man. There wasn't a Saturday night where I didn't watch hockey. I mean that was just it's part of the passion, right, and that's what I tell kids. I said if you love it and you know, if you're a center iceman, make sure your favorite hockey player is a center iceman. I don't know why it, just you know I've always felt that way, even though I was a center Iceman and Bob Ganey and and Trombley were my and they left and right, where's where my uh, a couple of favorite players, antonio Esposito, uh, but you know it's. It's kind of funny.
Speaker 1:I always say and then you want it to emulate somebody? Uh, there was the other thing of well, if somebody made it to the NHL and that guy's name was Brent Sutter, back in my day I played against Brent and I loved. I thought, man, we've even got there's a little bit of similarities in skating style here. I would like to adapt more of his skating style because obviously it's okay. The guy's gone on to a great junior career, won a couple of Stanley cups, first couple of years in the in the NHL. Uh. So he was one of the guys that I tried to emulate and and go, wow, like I can do this. I think I can do this and uh. So it was just things like that, that that I, I sort of. I was always interested in that type of stuff along the way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, student of the game, I guess Right, and looking, looking to get better. Going to take another short break from the conversation with Brian Scroodland to give a shout out to title sponsor of the UMH 68 in BC this year, in 2024, iron Ghost Construction. Iron Ghost Construction is recognized as a top contractor in multiple industries, such as oil and gas, forestry and agriculture, from building turnkey production facilities that produce canola oil, biodiesel, condensate and oil to keeping up with the industry changes in forestry, where new technology and equipment are replacing that of the past. Iron Ghost specializes in the main structures, with a large employment of iron workers, crane operators and millwrights. Iron Ghost has successfully completed projects in BC, alberta and Saskatchewan. So if you are a producer in oil and gas, forestry or agriculture and are looking for construction and want a hockey-friendly, a hockey-supportive contractor who knows how to get the job done right, look up Iron Ghost Construction and tell them you heard it on the UMH podcast. Now let's get back to our conversation with Brian Scruton.
Speaker 2:When it comes to leadership and I know that I told you before we started I want to talk about that, um, and it just seems so natural for you, you know, and there's a lot of guys that uh, especially athletes that work with me that they want to be leaders. Right, they want to have a letter on their chest. Uh, maybe it's not quite as natural for them and, and you know I try and work with them on somebody's leadership. You know attributes and I think everyone has their own way of leading as well. You know you said you were a vocal guy. I think a lot of the younger players feel that they have to be vocal to be a captain. I tell them that's a misconception. Some of the best leaders I had weren't vocal. But when you were in that position, just to put the spotlight back on on you, were you trying to be a leader or were you just recognized as one? Was there? Was there a conscious, uh, attempt to be the captain?
Speaker 1:uh, gosh, you know that's a really interesting question. I think somewhere in the subconscious it meant something to me, but really, for it to be here on the jersey, I had an A on my back, a Scrudland S-K-R-U-D-L-A-N-D. I wish it was S-C-R-U-D, because then I could have you said C and an A, you know, but that it was all by example. If there was one thing my parents told me you lead by example and it's sort of like the other thing was well, you know you're guilty as those you hang with, type of thing, you know. And so I guess I looked at that leadership thing. I looked at the guys that I really loved as teammates and players. They just it just was natural.
Speaker 1:You talk about a Bob Ganey. Well, he always had time for people before, after, during, whatever. Uh, bob would take the time with you and uh, and he was sort of EF Hutton, you know, when Bob spoke you listened. Uh, we really, I really enjoyed my time with Bobby. He took Atlanta and I under our wings to start uh with we were just married and you know we're at his place for Christmas His wife Kathy. I mean, we had so many good teammates, you know, lots of dinners and lots of stuff that we did together. So, but there was a lot of it. I think a lot of it just was through the. It was just my character. That's just the way that I was. I was always, um, uh, I guess when I was younger I was always trying to be more of the funny guy than I was to be, and then when it came to hockey man, it wasn't funny anymore. This was serious and, uh, I even gave a few teammates shit during uh, I think it was bantam peewee midget, you know, laughing in between periods when we were down a goal, like what are you doing? They had no cell phone to look at. No jokes, nothing. Anyway, you know, sometimes I was a little too serious as well. When I look back on it I probably go well, but that I I think that helped me in the long run as well. But uh, sometimes, sometimes we can take ourselves too serious.
Speaker 1:My first year in the minors I scored on our own net late in the game. It was an over, gave the puck away. I had trouble with that man, did I have trouble with that? And you know a few teammates that I could tell, you know and back then I mean your teammates but at the same time, everybody wants to go up to Montreal, so there is competition from within as well. And uh, and I thought, man, I think those guys are kind of mocking me a little now. So that changed that idea that, hey, no more sulking. Uh, you pick your feet up, get your head up in your chin up and let's get back at her. And uh, and you know, for those who were laughing, it, uh, it, it wasn't a funny matter to me and I, I took it very seriously. I took this game very seriously.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, what you did great, I mean, I I think is is balancing what you just said there of being like you were serious and when you said something and your tone changed like people would listen, right, because the other three quarters of the time you were cracking a joke or making people laugh, right. So I think that that was a really interesting composition for you and why I think that you were such a strong leader in you know, for my young career. To see that and to see that in in a first year, my first year in the NHL and the success you guys had, and to see the way you you acted in that environment, I thought that was a pretty powerful thing. And and you mentioned example I mean, that's the one thing that I do try and tell players. I'm like, if you can't lead yourself, then you can't lead anybody else, right? So like you have to have your own house in order.
Speaker 2:And what does that mean? Right, that means preparation. That means, uh, you know your, your seriousness, your level of attention to detail and practice, how hard you're going to work, like that, those types of things, and I think that you had that in spades too, so maybe that was something that wasn't necessarily conscious for you, right, that was. Maybe the character piece is that every day you came to work and everyone saw that, because that's a difficult thing to do, come to work every single day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and and come with a good attitude and come with the you know be being prepared, and uh, you know, I mean that that that held a lot. There was the odd day when I wasn't a hundred percent prepared. We might've done a stayed out and missed curfew a little bit.
Speaker 2:But you'd be the guy that would come though and work your tail off and I'm sure, and sweat it out and, like you said, come with that good attitude and like still show up though. You know, I mean like you're still showing up, and I think that there is such a value to that, because that you know I know I'm repeating myself here, but that it's easy to show up on the good days. Everyone can show up on the good days, especially as a pro, right, but's going to be a lot of days where you don't feel like it, you don't want to, and then, if you still bring it and you're that fountain instead of that drain boy like now, all of a sudden you're in the conversation as one of the leaders. For sure, if you can do that, you bet Good point.
Speaker 2:Well, thanks for that, colin. No, I mean, it's fun Like I love the, I love the reflection, you know, especially, you know I played 10 years pro not as many in the NHL as I wanted to, as many games, but I mean being around a lot of really good pros in different leagues. You know you have the opportunity to see guys that figured it out kind of right, or guys that you remember as being good at what they did. And you know it's nice to be able to celebrate you and what you did do there, because I think that there was a you know there was. There was something special about that Florida Panther team that year, for sure, right, obviously, I mean to do what they did and to get to where you guys got to. Uh, a lot of things have to go right and and you know you have and you're seeing the chest for that whole thing was, was, was you? I mean, you were a big piece of it, for sure. Uh, the one thing I'm going to bring up now that I think of it, now we're at the florida thing uh, you might not remember this, but talk about the power, because you guys were an old, like an older core. Right, for sure, there was an older core there and, as you already mentioned, there was some of us younger guys coming up and um, and the one year where I got drafted this was like after week c and washburn, and there were some good guys in those drafts too. But then I was the draft that had ed jovanovsky, ryan johnson myself. Ret warner was part of that draft too, right, and those were all like those four picks were all in the first two rounds, right. So like some pretty, you know credible prospects that were coming up and that were, you know, trying to make it, trying to make the show.
Speaker 2:The funny thing was, and like for me, like the naive naivety of me at that point, was like when you're getting asked questions or in the paper and you're trying to make this team was like that balance of that, yeah, if I do show up, that means somebody else is probably leaving, like you already said. That right, you mean like there was a room when you came to montreal some of these older guys were leaving, yeah, and I was quoted in the paper as saying, yeah, I'm excited to be here. It looks like there's maybe a changing of the guard that's happening or something along those lines. That's all confidence, wow, and stupidity. Kind of too right and not really even really understanding that aspect of the game.
Speaker 2:And I remember showing up to practice the next day and didn't even remember that I said it Zero consequence to me, and uh, and obviously you guys had read it right, it was in the florida whatever. And uh and you and I think it was pie as I came through like the dressing room door like saluted me, right, you guys were saluting me and uh and I had no idea why I didn't get it.
Speaker 2:I was gonna apologize for something today no, no, but it was beautiful Like it was. It was kind of in your style, right Like it was. There was a seriousness to it, right, there was a seriousness to it.
Speaker 1:We were sending a message.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you sent a message, but it was in a I mean, it was in a constructive way, that had some humor to it, and um, and the message was sent, you know, was like, oh my God, like that was so dumb and so disrespectful really. You know what I mean To to to say that and uh, but anyway, so do you remember that at all? Probably not.
Speaker 1:Hey, like man, as as since you've phoned me yeah, you know, it's amazing. It's amazing how that brain goes back into, like it's crazy, some of this stuff, like okay, greensboro, north Carolina, were you at that training camp? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so that was, was that year two? I think that would have been 90, like gee whiz, no Cause you're saying 95, 90, 94, 95 was your draft year 94.
Speaker 2:No Well, 94 was your draft year 94. No 94 was my draft year and I almost made the team the second year. I was the last guy cut. And I think that would have been the year, probably the second.
Speaker 1:The second year because I stuck around, yeah, I think that was the one. So we're on our way to training camp. Well, we're there. We're all in our own vehicles, or I forget exactly. Well, I knew I had my own vehicle and a couple of guys with me, but I'm driving by the Hooters in Greensboro, north Carolina there's a great big sign up bikini contest seven, seven till 9 PM, blah, blah, blah. Well, my car just pulls right in there, right, and this is at eight, 30 in the morning. Anyway, I said so, is anybody here that's in charge of that bikini contest tonight? And the gal comes out and says I am.
Speaker 1:I said well, my name is Brian Scrudlin, I'm with the Florida Panthers Hockey Club. And I said we've got 30 young guys and you've never seen 30 better looking young guys in their tight little underwear in your life than what you'll see tonight, if they can all come on stage. So that's how I set that up that morning. And then I think there were only five or six of you that went out, but it was, I mean, and everybody put on their favorite dill pickle underwear or whatever you guys had, you know, in your wardrobe back then. But you know, I guess that was part of when you talk about the mental part of the game, or building character, building a team. My brain was always on overdrive for that sort of stuff because I always wanted to be doing something with the whole team.
Speaker 1:Lanny used to get so mad at me when we'd come off a 21-day road trip and I'd say, well, we're all getting together tomorrow night. She'd go, no, you're not. It's like, yeah, we have to. And uh, I said we've been away for three weeks, honey, we got to get down to our favorite tavern here in Florida, so, uh, but that sort of stuff, you know, I, I, I just don't forget that sort of stuff. We had so much fun with it and the young guys had so much fun, so that was our rookie initiation that year, I think. Yeah, that's all we did, was that it was kind of fun. And you guys, I know, and I know for a fact, uh, there were at least 10 beautiful women in the back there that you were all changing with, which you all thanked me for at the end of it also, that was kind of funny all I know is that I won.
Speaker 2:So you know, let's just, let's just leave it at that.
Speaker 2:That was the dill pickle underwear I was talking about oh, but you know what, like that's actually interesting because, like, again, the hazing and all the bullshit that people I mean that some of these stories that have come out I was never a part of anything like that. I was never in a team like that, thank gosh, so never had that aspect of it. But the stuff that I was involved with, like getting changed in the bathroom on a bus or whatever right, like a like that rookie thing you're, you're all go in there, buck naked with the clothes, like that would be taboo now today and probably shouldn't be done. But like those types of things and the thing you talked about, you mean being in your underwear in front of a bunch of people you know on stage like there is a mental like it's uncomfortable, right, like it's uncomfortable, sure you, there's a level of resiliency and mental toughness that has to go along with that.
Speaker 2:You also have this requirement of like team responsibility at least I felt that right, like the older guys want me to do this, which for me I thought was all like. I think it's healthy, like I, I think that there's a piece of that that like bonds it. I think that's a piece of that that like I don't know, galvanizes I don't know what the right word is but like there needs to be a level, like an entry level, like there needs to be some type of a creed or some type of uh, I don't know like well, the guys I'm saying like it's not good either yeah, well, and the guys are getting a little more creative.
Speaker 1:Today I or at least I, I've heard some stories of some stuff that they're doing which I think is kind of neat. I mean, we all watched, uh, when pittsburgh was on their run winning the stanley cups and flurry, and all those guys were always doing something to some teammate's room. You know that I mean that was sort of fun. You know Russ Portnall cutting the armpits out of Gerald Diddick's in Montreal, Gerald Diddick's dress shirt, but they were all so yellow from here to here it was time for them to go and Gerald knew that. So there was no no, you know there was no hurt that that that went that way. But then Russ always wore the nicest shirts in the world and Gerald didn't want to cut his armpits off and get, even because Gerald's was for the garbage, but he took every one of Russ's beautiful buttons off of his shirt.
Speaker 2:So after the game, of course, now Russ is just out with his shirt wide open and no Russ love that.
Speaker 1:So you know, this sort of stuff we had we had so much fun with. I did have one instance, so if I may share with you, my, mine was the worst. I, I told my mom and dad. When I got home I dropped my pants, took my shirt off. I stood there in my underwear even though if I was to take it off there was more damage there than oh, like it was just I was bleeding all over and it was terrible and I said I will never, ever initiate anybody. I don't care, blah, blah.
Speaker 1:Well, it was a year later and we get this young rookie by the name of Joey Kosher. He comes into Saskatoon and he was a pretty confident young guy, but I. Now they got him on the table, he's blindfolded the whole bit and I'm going oh man, like Kosher will kill all of us when this is all said and done. But I thought he was just a little too cocky and too big for his bridges right now. So I went in. I took the blindfold off. He and too big for his bridges right now. So I went in, I took the blindfold off. He says screw you, I'm going to kill you. And I said I'm just taking half of your eyebrow. And every day you look in the mirror. I want you to realize don't be so cocky, Come in here and just be one of us. You don't have to be the king every single day. And so, anyway, he says you touch me, I'll the eyebrow. So, anyway, took half the eyebrow, put the blindfold back on. The other guys did what they were doing, whatever. He came in the next day, Give me a wink. I thought oh, game on, I better be ready. And I got a good sleep the night before because I figured for sure he's coming.
Speaker 1:Anyway, it goes to four years later and I'm with Montreal. He's in Detroit, we're in the offensive zone taking a face off and I hear screwy, screwy. And I look over and there's Joe. He's got his glove under his arm. It's going like this to me Eyebrow, Half an eyebrow. Well, I won the face-off back to our defenseman. I was off the ice before the puck even got to the defenseman. That's what I tell people. And Kosher says I've never heard that story until last year. We had a function, a fundraiser, that we were doing together.
Speaker 1:That's funny 100% true story. It was funny as hell yeah.
Speaker 2:Do you?
Speaker 1:think he would. The boys on the ice, of course, go. What the hell coach? What's this? So he had to tell the story. Yeah, yeah that's wild.
Speaker 2:That happened, yeah. I mean that, I don't know. I mean that whole thing happened to me and that was the worst thing that happened to me. It was in, it was in uh junior in penticton and like, naked on the dressing floor, strung out, but they never did anything, though, but like that was like even that, though right, like that, would not get good press today at all. You know, like being like that, having the blindfold on, being super exposed and vulnerable, like you know, that was the worst thing to happen, and it wasn't, I mean, whatever. I guess we're from a different era. Like that in of itself shouldn't happen, but there was something about that too that I left feeling, actually feeling more confident in some weird way, you know. I mean that I was able to like, do that or whatever. So I don't know, but well for me to even go to the rink.
Speaker 1:The day after it happened to me, I was pretty impressed. Impressed with myself, Cause I thought, oh, and not only that, but I was. I was playing junior football at my high school back then. So I had to go into the gym and, like you know, I baldered in a popcorn fart all over the place and nothing's changed there, but still it was like my good Lord. So hockey.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hockey Boys will be boys. Yeah, and it's growing. I mean it's evolving.
Speaker 1:I think it has.
Speaker 2:I mean a lot of good ways, you know for sure and, um, thank god, yeah, exactly exactly where with that Florida, with that Florida team. So I mean I don't want to fast forward past your Montreal Canadiens because I mean, as a first year, to win, that is super cool. But I think that there is a different perspective. Obviously, after one right and having now an nhl career and now getting back on an expansion league team with a c on your chest and to experience that run again, you mind you mean obviously didn't win but like what a crazy, crazy ride that was. Um, what was special about that team? I mean, I said, I said it was special, but what to you was special about that team? That that made you guys be as successful as you were? Well, it was special. But what to you was special about that team? That that made you guys be as successful as you were?
Speaker 1:Well, it was no secret that that, uh, when, uh, bobby Clark, roger Nielsen, that coaching staff, the management team all got together and selected each and every one of those individuals that started that season, uh, or or just in the expansion draft. Um, I looked at that list and I thought, wow, I hate all these guys. So I knew right off the hop that we were going to be a competitive team. And it started day one of training camp. We had a hoot and a holler that summer just to get things going in Florida, which really, I mean that just got us all just so excited. What a place to want to play hockey. And I mean, you know, I we had a couple of young kids at the time so, hey, we might not even have to put a snowsuit on this winter, you know, I mean, there's a bonus for the misses. Uh, so, and that was another another thing we really looked at, but you know, it was just ultra competitive, uh, super fun. Roger Nielsen made coming to the rink every day a joy, an absolute joy, as much as we already did as players.
Speaker 1:Uh, bobby Clark, uh, reputation stood for itself. And Bobby from day one, uh, never forget that first comment, but it was like hey, we're all NHL players, just like every other team. So what, why can't we win right now? You've all played, you've all played on good teams, you all have a new start. Why can't we win right now? And there's no reason why we shouldn't.
Speaker 1:And it was uh, I think it was that you know. And then Clarkie was gone. Uh, he called me up and and uh, halfway through this, well, I guess it wasn't even halfway through the season. But he called me up and and uh, halfway through this, well, I guess it wasn't even halfway through the season. But he told me you know, can we meet for a coffee? We did. He was our general manager. He says listen, I got a chance to go back to philadelphia. I, I'm taking it. And, uh, I actually told him you're going to regret this, sure as shit.
Speaker 1:We beat him in in 96 and he came into our dressing room after we beat the flyers and uh, and congratulated each and every one of us on, on, uh, on what we were doing, and asked me to come outside the room for a second. He says you're a man of your word. And I said geez, you still remember that. You know, I was only just praying to god I was going to be right, but it was just man and Wayne Huizinga, I mean, you couldn't ask for a better owner, to be honest. I mean this guy was just, he was on the sidelines of everything, but he was front row, center and and uh, we just loved him to death. Each and every one of us guys got a chance to rub shoulders with the owner and and get to know him a little bit and he was just such a nice person and his wife, marnie, treated our wives like like a gold. It was just a beautiful situation.
Speaker 2:That matters too. I think it really matters. Yeah, I think that matters a lot. Obviously he doesn't know.
Speaker 1:The Viola family's probably doing that now and and taking over for the Huizinga family. And there they are with their Stanley Cup.
Speaker 2:So I'm excited for them, yep.
Speaker 2:How, um, I want to just get touch on, I mean. Obviously, beezer was a huge part of that run. You know his personal success, right, he caught fire at a great time for everybody, and he was, uh, you know, to knock out Pittsburgh that year and Mario Lemieux and you know everything else that had to go on there. With the juggernaut that they had, a lot of things were going right. Beezer himself, though, was such an interesting guy to me because he was in Again, there's 20 personalities in a room, right, like Brian Skrudelan and John Van Beesbrook are both pros in their own way, but they're very, very different, right, and his approach to the game was was one that was quite intimidating as a young guy, especially his approach on game day. Uh, just maybe talk about that. Like your experience with, like I mean, different personalities in the locker room and how it takes, you know, different people to come together and the respect required, you know, in, in respecting other guys' preparation or the way they are.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a huge part of it, and you use the right word respect. You got to acknowledge respect what they're doing. If it works for them, well, hey. And if you're not, if you don't have something that's working, well, have a look around and see what all these guys do. I mean, hockey is a very superstitious sport, as well, as you very well know, some guys. What the hell is he doing that for? Again, you know, but he's got to go over that line five times, or he's got to, you know, scratch his head four times before he goes into the face-off circle. You know it's crazy. So, but we do.
Speaker 1:We had a immense amount of respect for one another and our families. We tried to do a lot of stuff together as as families, um and uh. I think it just went a long way for for understanding what each and every player was, and and and if they did it that way, you didn't get in their way, unless, of course, as we found out two months into the first season, roger Nielsen comes into the room and says, okay, last night's game was absolutely terrible. Six guys went golfing yesterday, or not yesterday, the day before. So those six guys know who they are, and I don't think five of those guys played worth a shit. So you guys have to police yourselves whether you're going to be golfing or playing hockey this year.
Speaker 1:Well, we had a couple of guys that loved golf. Right, as soon as practice was over, it was right to the golf course. Well, they realized they could not play the day before a game and they made that sacrifice, as they should have rightfully so, for their job. Yet at the same time, you know, there was no fooling around. Those guys were making the sacrifice. They weren't going to be the weak cog in the link. This was just going to. We were all going to. We were going to make that chain as strong as we possibly could, and Roger had a lot to do with that, as much as Doug McLean came in. But Roger had a lot to do with that as much as Doug McLean came in. But Roger had a lot to do that. He planted a lot of great seats and for a lot of young players. He was very supportive. I mean they called him captain video, but man, I could watch his videos all day long. He made them fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's cool. When it came to like just getting back to Beezer, like he was super serious, right, like, like didn't want to socialize. I mean I didn't go near him on game day. Um, was that the same way for you guys? Like in the room there, did you? Did you give him his face too? Is that just the way you handled it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was just the way he was. John was uh, you know, Jason, goalies are different. I mean, I don't care what anybody says, We've always said it, but they do. They've got their own preparations and you know it is a position all by itself. I mean, as much as they're part of the team, they are the last line of defense and without John we don't have that story. Let's face it. I mean, you know, you just bring up Mario and Jagger and the Penguins, but to start off with it was Bork and Neely and the Bruins, and then it went to Eric and the Legion of Doom with the Flyers, and then we got Mario, and then they decided to bring in the dehumidifiers into South Florida and make our ice the best ice in the NHL. For Forsberg and Sackick I said no, put the ice chunks back out there, Make them work through it.
Speaker 1:Anyway, that's understandable that four sweep. But we, uh, we did we, we really we pushed one another. Yet at the same time I always had a little bit of fun with Beezer. I was one guy, I think that could you know every now and then throw one item and get away with it. But really I I understand where you're coming from.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the um as far as being like that separation or from preparation I think is one of the biggest differences from you know, junior ranks, even maybe AHL to NHL, regular, the consistency required at the pro level right To bring a game that's you know best in the league worthy. How did you find that preparation, like did it? Did it come with you inherently or was it things you had to find out as you became a pro and entrenched in the game that like became part of you and things you knew you had to do?
Speaker 1:Well, it was. Uh. The nutrition side of it has never changed. My wife was a wonderful cook still is. Uh, the rest the night before the game was so important to me. And then my pregame naps were really important and Lana will tell you how important they were because we had a water running down the inside of the walls one afternoon and I said, honey, I'll get at it tomorrow, just let her run. I got a big game today. She wasn't very impressed with my response, but you know, that's just I mean, and she was so supportive. I mean. There's another thing you're gonna get married to somebody. Well you gotta. I couldn't have asked for better support. And this was a gal that I'd loved since I was 13 years of age. And here we were now, uh, playing pro hockey and and raising a family and living all by ourselves out in montreal or dallas or florida and and uh, and loving every minute of it and just totally supporting each other, cause we had a pretty important team at home as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no for sure that matters. Maybe we'll finish on the last one. So I mean we talked about being a winner. You mean you step into the league, you win a Stanley cup, you, you play for a grid like a historic Montreal Canadiens team. You end up going to Florida, getting to the final wearing the C again. Do you think that you get that opportunity in Dallas without those things?
Speaker 1:on your resume? Probably not, I, you know, and even then I I was. Just I felt like I was so fortunate I got was was at the right place at the right time a number of years. The situation in Dallas was really interesting because now I got Bob Ganey as the general manager, doug Jarvis as an assistant coach, montreal Canadiens, craig Ludwig as an ex-teammate, montreal Canadiens Craig Ludwig is an ex-teammate, guy Carboneau is an ex-teammate, joe Neuendijk, who I played a short period of time with in Calgary, and then Keener and I went from Mike Keener and I went from New York to Dallas. So there was a lot of familiarity there and the idea of how good they were.
Speaker 1:Just now, seeing some of these guys live every single day. Sergei Zuboff may be one of the most talented players that I ever played, with Just the nicest set of hands that I've ever, ever, ever, ever had the opportunity to see on a daily basis, and just as cool as a cucumber. And then, of course, medano, where that sweater flies up, and you know it was just. And then Latin, and you know you can go on. Our defense was as strong as any six defensemen in the maybe the history of the National Hockey League, for gosh sake, I mean, those guys were good. And then Eddie and the Pipes, and if Eddie wasn't going, uh, you had roman turk. So, uh, we were pretty strong from from, uh, our fourth first line right through to our fourth line.
Speaker 2:So so a lot of fun, but yeah, so put that, but so put the gm cap on like. So you, you have all this, these guys that you just talked about, and then you get you and mike keen get added to that recipe. So when you get in there, what is the message to you, or why do you think you're there and what are you providing for value to that group?
Speaker 1:Well, as I showed up I think it was four days, five days after becoming a Dallas Star and I showed up and there was a little envelope, my stall, I should go grab it so I can read you exactly. But anyway, I I read the. I read the Bob ism and I call it a Bob ism because it was from Bob Ganey, but it was just three little pointers, strong on face offs, hard to play against and, uh, keep the room light. You know, yeah, hey, but you realize, man, alive with this group, that was. Those are three really important things and maybe keeping the room light was, was maybe one of the most important things.
Speaker 1:I mean, I was having fun right through to the last. Uh, that last warmup going into, was it double overtime in Buffalo? Uh, holly scored anyway, it was uh like we were having fun. We were just having fun. And as tense as some of those guys were, especially Eddie Belfort, uh, you know, I mean if you can still laugh and because you know you're going to go out there and and do your best, uh, but still, we, we still enjoyed the game and uh, we enjoyed practices, we enjoyed just working for each other and and so, but that opportunity definitely came from the past. Uh, past relationship, uh with bob. Uh, he sent craig Craig Button out to do the scouting prior to the trade and I've had numerous conversations with Craig but he said, no, we just felt you and Mike in a trade for Doug Harvey and oh shoot, pittsburgh Penguin. Now His name will come to me.
Speaker 1:But we just felt like that was a bit of an upgrade for us. And I thought, wow, well, when people do that and sort of let you know that message as well, man alive, you put a little bit extra on the backpack and you say I'm going to go the extra mile for you guys Because you have for me. And I, and I thought, uh, number one, that that uh, uh, accounting had screwed up on my first check when I arrived in Dallas, because all of a sudden I got a 9% pay raise but there's no state tax. I'm coming from New York. I went, whoa, hang on here. A second Nice little bonus. So that was sweet as well.
Speaker 2:No, that's great, and I'm so pumped that you mentioned that note from Bob, because you know, again, three points to an NHL player of how you have, how to provide value to a group, and one of them has nothing to do with being on the ice at all. Right, like that is like. I mean, that's the message that I try and get through to guys about the difference between you know, sometimes even making it, let alone or maybe adding years to your career, is like that piece right there that the, the game and the group is as big, if not bigger, than you as an individual. And if and and if you get that aspect of it like you're, you are, you're maximizing your own potential and your own tenure, but you're also making other people better and you're making the game a better place and you're having more fun while you're doing it. Like there's so many wins on there.
Speaker 2:I just think when we're trying to be great, sometimes as an individual, we can get so stuck inside ourselves that we forget about that aspect right, About the guys around us and about the culture of the whole thing. So I just love that you said that. I mean that's a that's a decision being made to try and win a Stanley cup to bring someone in that's going to provide that type of lube, that oil in the room. Like right that, that that they knew that you were going to bring. Like that's I love that story.
Speaker 1:Thanks for sharing. Yeah, we just had so much fun. I know, and you know I I mean I look back our relationship with bob and I, you know I just can't thank him enough for for allowing us that opportunity, because keener and I, to be honest, I think I can speak for mike but we were really disappointed. Here we are playing with the, the greatest player ever to play in the world, wayne gretzky, and we're we're probably not going to make the playoffs Like this was just absolute, really ridiculous. Right, we just couldn't find anything, couldn't find that chemistry in New York, but anyway, we found it in in Dallas and and uh, three years of thrills.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a what a way to go out too. So two cups, uh? I know you probably been asked that question a ton of times, is there? Is there one highlight for you?
Speaker 1:you know, over uh, over your career that that really stands out, maybe like your personal proudest moment. Well, I gotta, I gotta admit it only took nine seconds, but to chip in for my first goal, uh, of the 86 playoffs, and for it to be a an overtime goal, I mean, you know, it's probably the one thing that will stick with me for I don't know how many more years. I mean, we're going on quite a while now. I actually brought the. I said to Lana a while back. I said you got to come watch his Vancouver Boston.
Speaker 1:So it would have been 2012 where Burroughs scored, I think, 11 seconds into the overtime, but for some reason I just felt like this was going to be it. Now, if he would have shot the puck before wrapping it around, he would have probably been seven seconds. So it's not like it can't be broken, and especially with the way they're moving today. But anyway, it's been. You know, I always have a little fun with it. I say Lana always says that I scored that goal in nine seconds and we had three of our kids in 27 seconds.
Speaker 2:So oh man, that's awesome. Well, I said an hour and we're at an hour and 20. So I think I'll I'll let you go, but I really, uh, really appreciate you. I really appreciate the message you bring. You know what I mean. One thing I say screwy is isy is better. Humans make better hockey players. That's one thing that I really, truly believe, and I think when we can build that character piece, the human piece, the teammate piece, you are going to be better as an individual and you're also going to make those guys around you better. So I think you exemplified that your entire career from the short time I was with you. I thought you did a great job of that and thanks for sharing that message here today. Thank you very much. Appreciate it Awesome. Is there anything else you'd want to leave my listeners with as far as message for how to, how to get to where they want to go?
Speaker 1:Well, I, I would say that, uh, that you keep bringing up so, as you get your guests, keep pushing them into those, those areas that they can share some of the inside stuff, because, uh, you know, I, I always knew my work had had to go on first before my skates. That was one thing that I knew for a fact. And you can never be, you can never be under, uh over prepared, I think to be over prepared, uh, overprepared, I think to be overprepared. Even public speaking, some of these deals that I do today, when I go in and I'm well prepared, man, they go, they're just wonderful to do and you don't feel like, you know, you're not getting all sweaty and anxious for all that stuff, it's just kind of rolls off your tongue now. So, anyway, it's been a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:That's great. Those are great messages. Well, thanks again. Next time I'm in Calgary, I'm going to look you up, or we'll have to share a few more stories, and I really appreciate you taking the time today, screwy.
Speaker 1:Great to see you, Jason. All the best.
Speaker 2:All right. Thank you so much for being here till the end and listening to the conversation with Brian Scroodland, two-time Stanley Cup champion and my former captain. Scruton was always a ton of fun to be around, always pulling some type of prank or getting the guys together for some type of a getaway or a lunch or a dinner or, like he said, the bikini contest at Hooters in Greensboro as my rookie initiation one of the years. There was always something up his sleeve and he kept things light. He kept things fun but he kept it professional. He knew how to work and he was an example in that capacity and wore the C with pride and he deserved it. A ton, so tons of lessons to take away from Mr Scrooge. I wish we could have him on a little longer. There's so many more questions I thought of asking after we were finished, but maybe that's for another time.
Speaker 2:For all of you who out there who want to be leaders, I did say it during the discussion, but finding your authentic voice, like what you are, first and foremost as a person, is integral to being a good captain. You can't pretend to be a captain. You can't pretend to be an idea of somebody that you don't, that you aren't uh and think that that's going to get the troops, get your teammates fired up and have them rally against you. Leadership is a skill. There are things that you can do to become a better leader. You can practice being more vocal. If you think vocality is something that you aren't great at and you want to be more vocal because you think that a leader should be vocal and a good communicator, then practice it. You can definitely practice these things so you become authentic at it. It's not like you can't ever be good at it. But don't fake it in the locker room on day one and try and tell this great big speech and feel like you have to be some type of an orator, a communicator, and you're going to gain the trust of your teammates and you're going to be deemed the leader of the team.
Speaker 2:That's not the way it works. The way it works is you show up authentically. You, if you're a jokester, be a jokester. If you're a serious guy, be serious. If you are somebody who likes to have a good time and poke fun of himself, do that.
Speaker 2:But make sure you bring your standard to the table, and your standards have to be high. That's a non-negotiable, especially once you get to the pro ranks and most of the time at the junior ranks, your character has to be high. What does character mean? That means you have to make other people around you better. It means you have to make them feel comfortable. It means you have to do the right thing much more often than not and when no one's looking. It means you should be one of the hardest workers in the room, if not the hardest worker. It means that your preparation is detailed and meticulous and consistent. It means you bring a level of play that people understand who you are and what you're going to bring every night. Winning is paramount to you. If you are an authentic leader of a hockey team, that has to be the most important thing, and getting the best out of everybody around you has to be important.
Speaker 2:So many things get lost in the idea of what a captain is. You can be a quiet captain, a loud captain. You can be a competitive, physical captain. You can be a dangler as a captain. You can be a competitive, physical captain. You can be a dangler as a captain. But you do need to be you and you do need to be an example when it comes to those who are around you and the one that never misses is going to work.
Speaker 2:Like Brian Scruton says, you put your hard hat on before you put your skates on. Whether you're a first PP guy or a third line centerman, you put your hard hat on first, whether it comes to going to the gym, whether it comes to preparing for an exhibition game or a playoff game. Show that work ethic, show that compete on a night in, night out basis. Be relentless about it and you will be looked up to on your team, because that is something that is very difficult to do, and leaders are good at doing difficult things, and don't forget about that interpersonal aspect of leadership. Those around you should feel included, should feel welcomed, should feel valued, and they should also feel challenged by a captain. That's one of the things that a captain should be doing should be challenging those around them to be better, not only by their example, but also sometimes in a challenge of words that this needs to be better.
Speaker 2:That obviously comes at a little later ages. I'm not expecting U13 and U15 captains out there to be holding his teammates accountable. Let the coaches do that. But once we get to the older levels, the pros and the juniors that are listening to this. That is something that comes. There's a responsibility to leadership, uh, that you need to be comfortable in calling guys out around you, and you only get to do that when you're bringing it yourself. So, uh, leadership lessons from Brian Skruelin uh, such good stuff. They're. Better humans make better hockey players, as you know. Uh, keep trying to be a better human. Your hockey will follow. Until next time, play hard and keep your head up.