EP.163 - Reggie Newman - How owning your game, leading with standards, and embracing physicality can still open pro doors

We sit down with Victoria Royals captain Reggie Newman to unpack role clarity, leadership, and the modern edge in a league that still builds pros. From earning a spot at 16 to multiple NHL camps, he shows how physical, honest hockey and repeatable habits create real opportunity.

• carving an identity as a 200‑foot power forward
• the WHL’s shift in physicality and why heavy hockey still wins
• making the team at 16 by finishing every check
• rebuilding culture in Victoria after roster changes
• choosing loyalty and embracing the captaincy
• undrafted path to NHL development and rookie camps
• routines for sleep, nutrition, and visualization
• measuring a good game beyond points
• preparation as physical, mental, and emotional readiness
• using coaches and staff, asking better questions
• leadership as example, inclusion, and daily standards

Support Iron Ghost Construction, BioSteel, and Elite Prospects—partners who help young athletes chase their goals

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting the Stage: Identity & Role
• 1:50 Host Intro and Why Reggie
• 3:35 Early Roots and Family Influence
• 6:50 Billeting, School, and Growing Up Fast
• 11:05 Draft-Year Pressure and Team-First Mindset
• 13:40 Defining a 200-Foot Power Forward
• 17:45 Physicality, Fighting, and Today’s WHL
• 22:35 The Case for Heavy Hockey Returning
• 24:16 Sponsor Break: Iron Ghost Construction
• 26:00 Making the WHL at 16: Earning It
• 29:20 Royals’ Roller Coaster and Culture Rebuild
• 33:20 NCAA Rule Shift and Roster Fallout
• 36:10 Choosing Loyalty: Staying a Fifth Year
• 38:20 Life as a 20-Year-Old and Captaincy
• 41:45 Leading by Example, Daily Standards
• 45:00 Bus Life, Cards, and Team Bonding
• 47:05 Draft Disappointment to NHL Dev Camps
• 50:30 Arizona to Utah: Learning Pro Habits
• 53:10 Rookie Tournaments, Speed, and Feedback
• 56:00 Winnipeg Invite and Facing Demidov
• 59:05 Personal Goals and Line Chemistry
• 1:01:10 How He Measures a Good Game
• 1:04:30 Preparation Routines That Travel
• 1:08:00 Visualization, Energy, and Consistency
• 1:11:00 Sleep, Nutrition, and Morning Systems

Transcript

R.Newman: 0:00

I think I'm just a you know two hundred foot power forward that you know works on both sides of the ice, likes to be in every single situation and just will help his teammates in in any way he can. How important do you think that is for for players? I think it's huge. So some guys will go, you know, even now in the WHL. You see guys will go two, three years before they figure out, you know, what kind of player they want to be. So I think the earlier you can figure out you know who you are and carve that role for yourself, it's only gonna help you that much more.

J.Podollan: 0:28

That was fifth year WHL veteran and current captain of the Victoria Royals, Reggie Newman. And you are listening to the Up My Hockey podcast with Jason Podolin.

Speaker 02: 0:40

Just watch me now.

J.Podollan: 0:49

Welcome to Up My Hockey with Jason Podolin, 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 Podolin, 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. Welcome to, or welcome back to the Up My Hockey Podcast with Jason Podolin. I am your host, Jason Podolin, and today we are speaking with Reggie Newman. Uh Reggie Newman is probably not a household name for anyone outside of the British Columbia or Western Hockey League circuit. Uh, but I felt that he was going to be a great guest uh because uh he is now the captain of the Victoria Royals. He's played in the league for this is starting his fifth year of the WHL. And um and he had two high-profile players leave his team uh to join the NCAA with the rule change, uh, which has changed you know the landscape uh of their team. And I wanted to speak with him about what he sees being, you know, changing in the WHL and how it affected his team. Uh great big great opportunity to talk about leadership and how he feels about leadership and why he was able to receive uh the captaincy and also life um of five years in the WHL. So uh Reggie was able to come on uh as I as I talk early in the in the discussion. We have uh uh his father and I played, uh his father, Mike and I played together in Penticton for the Panthers way, way, way back, I think in 1991. Uh Gary Davidson, who's currently the general manager of uh the Calgary Hitman, was was our coach at that time. And uh and Mike lives down the road from me in Kamloops, and and I see him from time to time in arenas. So uh I felt that uh Reggie would be a great guest. Reggie came on uh came on right away and and did a great job. So I I think that there's uh definitely a lot here in this conversation, especially for for maybe younger athletes that are uh wanting to play major junior, whether that's out east, um OHL, QMJHL, or here in Western Canada uh with uh with the with the Western Hockey League. So he uh he is an elder statesman, he's a power forward uh of the league. Uh another thing that I wanted to talk to him about, which we did, uh you know, how hockey just seems to have less and less physicality in it these days. Um Reggie is is uh well he's not a fighter, but he will fight. He loves to hit. He's he says in the program that that's kind of his favorite thing about hockey is is is that aspect being able to uh to be able to hit a D-man on the fore check, and there's less and less uh players like him out there. But the irony is as you see with the NHL draft, and as you see with the Stanley Cup champions of the last few years, these are big, heavy, hard to play against teams. Uh they're not a bunch of crash and dashers and and uh you know kind of Russian Red Army style anymore. Obviously, there's tons of skill out there, but these guys are guys that are hard to play against. And when you watch the draft this last year, uh lots of bigger bodies are getting taken. Bigger, heavier bodies, especially uh the D side of the puck. So it is a copycat league. It seems like the uh the Stanley Cup champions have have been heavier, have been abrasive, have been more physical. And uh and I do think that there is a place for Reginuman type players uh in the pro game still. And potentially uh my prediction is that we are going to be seeing more of them uh than we maybe have in years past as uh as we start to figure it out that this is a competitive advantage. Uh yes, you still need to skate, of course. Um the the game has gotten fast. Uh but as far as uh you know the high-end skill that everyone's been chasing, uh I'm not sure how necessary that is in a in a third fourth line role. I I think that you need to have the skill to move the puck down the ice, you need to have obviously have the hockey IQ to be able to play the game. Um but I would prioritize uh some toughness and some neat meanness and some willingness to do some some hard things out there on my third and fourth line if I was a WHL GM, and if I was also um a GM of a pro league. And I believe I'm not the only one that feels that way. So just a little uh encouragement to some maybe some younger players out there, players who are in the in in in juniors and want to become pros is you know, just really if that is you, if that speaks to you, somebody that likes to play physical, someone that wants to uh get in on the four check, someone that that takes pride in in and blocking the shots and getting the puck out on the half wall and being mean, uh that that's a good thing. And and I and I believe that there's a place for you and just own that identity. Obviously, always try and uh increase your skill set, but uh be valuable with where you're valuable and where you f where you see uh where you have fun with it. And and I think that there's uh there's gonna be a spot that you're gonna carve out because not as many players are willing to do it. So uh with that being said, uh I thought Reggie did an absolute great job uh and uh lots to learn from from the captain of the Victoria Royals. So why don't we dive into that conversation? Here is Reggie Newman, captain of the Victoria Royals. All right, so here we are with the captain of Victoria Royals. Reggie Newman, thanks for joining us today, Reggie.

R.Newman: 6:21

Yeah, thank you for having me on. I'm I'm really excited.

J.Podollan: 6:24

Yeah, I appreciate it. Uh for those of you who don't know, like not that Reggie and I are like tight buddies or anything, but we I know Mike Newman, who is his father um from way back. Like I played junior at 15 in Penticton, and Mike was on that team. And and Mike and I hung out quite a bit that year, and uh, as it happens, from Cam Loops, end up having boys who are both 09s and and met you, Reggie, through through uh McGuire and and that connection. So awesome to be following you and and your career to date and uh shot some hoops in your house in the whole nine yards. So uh it's awesome to have that come full circle. Uh what do you think that your dad's uh maybe we'll just start there with Numi, your old man, uh Numi Sr. Like, do you think that his involvement in the game was something that brought you to the game?

R.Newman: 7:07

Yeah, for sure. I mean, he's been coaching me you know from the time I was four or five years old up until my banner first year. So I think he's had a huge influence on you know who I am as a player and a person, and definitely have a lot to thank for him for who I became as a player.

J.Podollan: 7:22

Cool. Do you do you remember like going to the rink for the first time or like wanting to play hockey? Reason I ask is because like my oldest uh people, some people are shocked. Like we were trying to essentially be a ski family. My my wife wasn't really into hockey, and I'd been uh uh away from it for a while. And geez, like Hudson just did not want to ever leave the rank. And he's like, I want to play in a real team, I want to, you know, this and that. So he brought me back to the game, which I'm super thankful for. But uh, do you remember was it kind of your idea or was it Mike's idea to get you there in the first place?

R.Newman: 7:52

It was yeah, both my parents, my mom and my dad. We uh we just went to a little public skate and tried on the wheels for the first time and just kind of fell in love with the game right from there and been going ever since.

J.Podollan: 8:03

That's awesome, that's awesome. Uh with I'm gonna jump to Bantam just because that's when kind of not that hockey starts, but that to me, that's when you kind of start deciding if you you know you want to be a hockey player or just play hockey, essentially, right? Is the way that I put it. And uh with you, you were in Yale, I believe, right? With your uh for your for your draft year. What was that decision like for you guys to to leave Camloops, the minor hockey system there and join the CSSHL and go to Yale?

R.Newman: 8:32

Yeah, it was it was not an easy process, I won't lie to you. Um, but you know, we we had a spring hockey coach, Brad Bowen. I'm not sure if you know that name, but yeah, he's he's a great coach. So he kind of he kind of brought me and and six other guys from Camloops along the way. So that that definitely helped the transition a lot easier, you know, going in with a lot of buddies you already know. Um, but yeah, Brad, Brad was kind of the front runner on on bringing all of us into Yale, and you know, obviously it worked out pretty well for all of us going forward.

J.Podollan: 9:01

Yeah, that's cool. What uh were you in a billet house that year, or did mom or dad come with you?

R.Newman: 9:08

No, I I moved into a billet house. I I kind of knew the kid from before, Eric Solid. He uh he plays what does he play? He plays junior A now, so so I knew him from before from spring hockey, but you know, it was definitely still an experience moving into a new billet family for sure.

J.Podollan: 9:22

No doubt. Well, why don't you talk about that a little bit? Because uh I try and I try and open that can of worms because you know we all want to be hockey players, but there's a lot that goes on outside of the rink to be, you know, to be playing the best that you can. And and sometimes that transition into into a new house, you know, I mean even going to a new city, all the rest that comes with the new school and all that. Like, talk about that transition for you as a 14-year-old or or 13-year-old that could not know the first time you went. Like, what was that like?

R.Newman: 9:48

Yeah, it was, I mean, it was obviously a lot, but uh obviously my my bill of family did a really good job welcoming in right away. Um, there was a lot of guys that lived pretty close together. So, you know, we'd hang out every day after school, we'd all drive to the rink together, stuff like that. So just seeing my friends a lot, it made it a lot easier and made me pretty comfortable right away.

J.Podollan: 10:08

What was the biggest piece of the challenge, if there was one that you remember? Was it like, you know, it sounds like you had some kind of built-in friendship, sir. So the transition maybe to the dressing room wasn't the show hard. Was school any different? Was the you know, living away from home, the food? Like, was there anything that was was uh that gave you a little bit of a difficult time at the beginning?

R.Newman: 10:25

Yeah, I think the biggest thing, obviously, you know, you don't see your parents every night when you go to bed, right? So, you know, that was that was a little bit of an adjustment for me. Obviously, I'd I'd FaceTime them you know once or twice a day, but you know, when you when you don't get to see your mom or your dad every single day, it's it's definitely a bit of an adjustment.

J.Podollan: 10:41

Right. How was the transition to knowing that people are watching you and going to the games and seeing all the WHL scouts around there? Can you can you put yourself back in that 14-year-old brain and and how that impacted you?

R.Newman: 10:54

Yeah, obviously it's it's pretty exciting, you know, scouts starting to come the first game of the season, and then you know, as you move along, you start to go to tournaments and stuff like that. There's just there's more and more. So I think you know it it's obviously pretty intense, but it's it's definitely a lot of fun as well. And you know, you kind of embrace it a little bit more, and you know, I think that kind of shows the player you are. Right.

J.Podollan: 11:14

I think Brad is good. Uh, at least he seems, I've never been in a locker room with him, and I've never really had a full-length discussion with him, but just watching the way his teams play, uh, it seems that he can communicate the idea of team quite well. Uh, because I find a lot of teams in that league uh turn into a bunch of individuals because they are trying to be noticed, you know, or they're trying to be the guy. And a lot of times, you know, I mean, these players end up not looking very good because they're not being good hockey players. Uh, did Brad have any impact on that with uh you know with that uh draft year of yours?

R.Newman: 11:50

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I'll be he's an honest coach, you know, he he doesn't beat around the bush. He he knows the kind of player you ours, and he'll tell you right to your face. So I think it's just you know, we had a great group that year, and everyone kind of bought into you know the kind of player they should be. And you know, we kind of we kind of worked really well together. Obviously, we didn't get to play in the the championship because of COVID, but uh you know our team was was primed and ready to go for that final tournament.

J.Podollan: 12:14

So you talk about player identity, that's great. Uh let's start with the type of player you are. That's a question that I know you got asked at uh got during your draft year and probably still continue to get asked. Scouts love to know your self-assessment. So let's give you another kick at the cat. What type of player is uh is Reggie Newman?

R.Newman: 12:31

Yeah, I think I'm just uh you know a 200-foot power forward that you know works on both sides of the ice, likes to be in every single situation and just will help his teammates in in any way he can.

J.Podollan: 12:43

You you talked about U15 and he, you know, Brad helping you guys understand who you are. Is that when you started to know who you are were, or did you get a little firmer identity of what that is?

R.Newman: 12:55

Yeah, I'd say you know, like a year or so before that. You know, my dad he definitely helped me kind of carve my role a little bit. He he was the same kind of player I was. So as soon as Batham hockey hit and hitting was allowed, um, that was kind of when I kind of figured out the kind of player I wanted to be. That's cool. How important do you think that is for players? I think it's huge. So some guys will go, you know, even now in the WHL, you see guys will go two, three years before they figure out you know what kind of player they want to be. So I think the earlier you can figure out you know who you are and carve that role for yourself, it's only gonna help you that much more.

J.Podollan: 13:30

Can you dive into that a little bit more? Like that is something that I really try to talk to the players that I work with. And generally speaking, like that is one of the biggest hurdles for them is one not to put a ceiling on anybody, because I don't believe in that, right? But you do need to understand how you're valuable, right? To the team and to yourself, right? So can you just maybe expand on that maybe even as your role as captain now? Like how how important is that for a team and for an individual player to advance?

R.Newman: 14:00

Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, there's whatever, there's four lines, not everyone's gonna be a top six player. So, you know, if you're in that bottom six, you're you might not be a goal scorer. You know, you got to check, you got to grind, you got to grind the other team down and you know, block shots, create energy. So I think it's you know, carving that role out early that's gonna help you, you know, jump up in the lineup or stay in the lineup if you're a younger guy and stuff like that. And then, you know, leadership-wise, it's kind of just you know, you're not telling the guy, you know, what kind of player they are, but it's kind of you know pushing them a little bit more to work on those things if they are in the bottom six or in and out of the lineup, and it's just kind of motivating them to you know be the best player they can be.

J.Podollan: 14:40

Yeah, that's fantastic. I think it simplifies the game too. Like when you have a couple key points that you know that you're valuable with and and can impact a hockey game, like and that's your focus point, like the the other stuff comes and whatever that other stuff is, you know. Like we love talking about top six, bottom six, but even even guys that are in the top six, if we're talking major junior hockey, you know, let's be honest if you're not scoring 30 plus goals, you know, a point a game plus, you you're probably not gonna be a top six guy anywhere, pro, right? So it's like even like that sort of middle ground when yeah, okay, maybe you are in a top six role, like not that you'd be have to be running around hitting guys, but you got to be working on the details of the game that you're gonna have to work on at that next level. And I think that's the part that a lot of guys miss. Uh, and then when they show up and it's like, okay, now I actually have to get the puck out on the wall, like 80% of the time, you know, and and and that really hasn't been in their wheelhouse, and and then they get stuck. But uh, that's awesome that you were able to, you know, figure that out for you early on and and kind of just go all in with it, because uh I do think, you know, watching you play, and I haven't watched you uh a million times, but I definitely notice when you're on the ice when you do play. And uh and I think there's less guys in the league that want to play that way. Uh can you speak to that maybe just major junior hockey and like the state of it right now when it comes to physicality, you know, even if you want to get into fighting, like how how how is how is it right now and has it changed at all since you've been in the league?

R.Newman: 16:08

Yeah, I I think it's changed a little bit for sure. When I was 16, there was definitely a a lot of guys willing to fight every single night. And no, it's definitely a little bit different now, being an older guy. Obviously, you don't want to beat up on a 16-year-old or 17-year-old now. So it's definitely a little bit harder to find your fights or pick your fights, but obviously there's a time and place for that, depending on the situation of the game. So it's it's definitely a little bit different, but there's still obviously a time and place for that.

J.Podollan: 16:34

Do you think it's going away? Like I mean, even if you've seen it in four or five years, like what happens in another four or five years? Do you think this is the way of the dinosaur, or what do you think?

R.Newman: 16:42

It it might be, yeah. Like, yeah, I know there'd be a fight almost you know every single night when I was 16, and now it's you know, I think we've played three, four games now, and there's only been one fight. So it's definitely a dying art, but you know, it's definitely a part of the game that needs to stick around for sure. Right.

J.Podollan: 16:58

Well, what do you think that is in your mind? Like it is yeah, I don't even want to lead you with that, but like you know, what would have led to a fight before doesn't seem to lead to a fight now, or maybe there's less potentially confrontations. I mean, I'm not even sure. Yeah, I'll take uh let you handle that. What what do you think? Well, what is the difference?

R.Newman: 17:15

I just think you know, back then it was guys trying to prove themselves wanting to be the toughest guy on the ice, and now it's just it's not the same anymore. Guys really are trying to pick their spots because I think every player is is so skilled now and so important to their team that you know they can't afford to sit in the box for five plus minutes. So I think there's just you know, it depends on you know, if a guy gets ran over from behind, obviously you're you're gonna step up for your teammate, but guys aren't you know squaring up at center ice or dropping the gloves right off the face off anymore. It's it's a little bit different.

J.Podollan: 17:46

I had a conversation with a scout the other day, and I was like, geez, I'd like to be a GM right now because my philosophy, I think if you actually had somewhat of like a 90s, let's say early 2000s style team, like where you had big guys, you have to be able to skate now 100%. But if you had big guys that wanted to just run guys over and just be assholes, you know, and I think that you would scare the hell out of a lot of teams, like a third and a fourth line that would like that was their interest, you know, and still have your top lot and guys that want to put the pucks in the net. But I think you I think a lot of guys would just go away and be like another game tomorrow night, you know, this one's okay. Do you think so too? Oh, 100%, yeah. So that's what I mean. That would and then again, I'm not trying to, I'm not trying to uh you know create uh uh an air of a pugilism or but I guess what I mean, like guys like yourself that just are willing to hit at least, right? And are willing to compete, like you're no fun to play against, right? It's not an easy night. And I think that the easier the game gets, like I that's why I think at some point it is going to come back a bit because it's gonna be a competitive advantage at some point, right? Like I said, it's gonna be it's gonna get too soft that if you bring in some some muscle and bring in some meat, like guys aren't gonna know what to do with it. And all of a sudden they're gonna start winning hockey games. But there's just like I said, there's there's less of those guys out there that are willing to play like that. So who knows which way it's gonna go. This break in the action is brought to you by Iron Ghost Construction, platinum sponsor of the UMH 68 and friend of the Up My Hockey podcast. Iron Ghost has provided player scholarships at all four UMH uh 68 events, helping young athletes chase their dreams on and off the ice. Iron Ghost is where quality and safety lead every build. Since twenty fourteen, Iron Ghost has delivered quality-safe construction from structure to mechanics, start to finish, Iron Ghost solid, skilled, and proven. A proud supporter of U Sports in their hometown of Vernon, BC and beyond. Iron Ghost is committed to building more than just structures. They are building futures. Uh big fan of Iron Ghost Construction and the McHeckneys. Um here in Vernon, they have been a part of the Vernon Viper organization. They have been a part of USports here, whether it be Lacrosse or Vernon Minor Hockey, the Spring Programs, My Spring Program, the UMH Compete, and also in the Western Canadian event of the UMH 68, which is coming to uh potentially a state near you. Uh so stay tuned for that. The UMH 68. Iron Ghost has been an awesome uh sponsor of them. So we want to support what they're doing here in uh in the oil fields, in in forestry, in uh in the mines. They build structures if you need them, they uh they will do it for you. And uh I hope that this word of what they're doing and how they're supporting gets out there and uh and you can support Iron Ghost construction as they supported uh the young athletes here in uh in Western Canada. I want to talk to you about uh your 16-year-old year. And and so you got drafted, where did you get drafted again? What round was that? Uh the fourth round. Fourth round, right? So Banham fourth rounder. Um that's right, yeah. You got really close, like you and Hudson, um my oldest there got drafted really close to the same spot. And generally speaking, a fourth rounder doesn't make the WHL as a 16-year-old. I mean, just as a rule of thumb, right? Usually the top two guys maybe will. Um you end up making the Victoria Rells as a 16-year-old. Talk about that experience and how do you think you ended up carving out a spot for yourself on that team?

R.Newman: 21:21

Yeah, um, going into that summer, my mentality was just, you know, I'm gonna make this team. I was just telling myself every day you're gonna make this team. And so that was my mentality going into summer. And you know, I just worked at it every single day, got into camp. I was told when I got to camp that you know the plan was for me to go back to U18, but you know, my my goal was still the same. I I wanted to make the team. So, you know, I I thought I showcased myself pretty well in in camp and then got to play a couple preseason games and did all right in those as well. And went in, met with the GM, and he said, You're sticking around here to start the year. And after that, it was just kept playing and stuck around for the whole season and the rest was history.

J.Podollan: 22:02

Did you have a moment? Like generally speaking, in in that storyline, right, of somebody making it unexpectedly, there's usually a moment, right? Whether it be a shot block or a big goal in overtime or you know, who knows, maybe a fight or a hit or something. Like, did you have a thing where everyone had to be like, oh, I I noticed this guy?

R.Newman: 22:23

Yeah, I I think it was my my first preseason game. We were we were playing in Kelowna, and I was just I was trying to be the most physical guy on the ice. So I was I was finishing every single check and just getting in the older guys' faces and and pissing them off and stuff like that. And I think that was that was the moment I realized I I really could stick around and play in the league this year. That's awesome.

J.Podollan: 22:44

What was that impact like? Like how was the reception from those older guys that you were bumping? Did you uh yeah, talk to me about that?

R.Newman: 22:50

Well, it was it was a bit of a crazy year that year because we had I think we had three or four 16-year-olds on that team. So there was a lot of older guys, you know, that that ended up getting sent home, which which was obviously tough. But um, you know, I think you know they handled it really well, and the rest of the guys handled it pretty well, and they obviously embraced us as young guys, and it was a really good group that year. Obviously, we we didn't finish out that year the way we wanted to. We missed the playoffs by one point, but it was it was a really fun year for sure.

J.Podollan: 23:22

Yeah, that was wild because I mean you went out, maybe it's a good time to get into that because that was a bit of a surprise that year, right? Because you know, the team wasn't doing well, hadn't been in the playoffs, all of a sudden you get a younger group in sort of a little bit of a remake, and you get closer than I think a lot of teams expected you to be, right? Or a lot of people expect you to be. And then kind of a little bit of a backpedal again the next year, and and and then you start building. I mean, then you essentially have a wagon last year. Um, like talk to me about just the the process that you've seen internally there with with the Royals.

R.Newman: 23:56

Yeah, it's it's been a bit of a roller coaster. Um, yeah, obviously the 16 year was we we missed the playoffs by one point, and then the 17 year was was definitely a hard year. It was a lot of new faces on that team, a lot of young guys. So, you know, our our goal was kind of to rebuild the culture a little bit more and you know make make it like a place you want to come to the rink every single day and and get better. So we went through that our 17 year, my 18 year it got a little bit better. We made the playoffs, and then obviously last year we were we were a really good team, but we we fell short in the second round just both can. So it's just continuing to do that even now into my 20-year-old year, even with a bunch of new faces. We're we're still trying to build that culture and and make it just a great place to play hockey.

J.Podollan: 24:40

Yeah, that's wild. I I I gotta be honest, my my heart kind of ripped out for your organization, not that I have any allegiance to it at all, but you know, you you you have you have a good year and you have a good team and you have some stars which the you know the royals hadn't really had, you know, in the past. And and now you got you know Keaton Verhoff and your um oh my gosh, drawing a blank on your forward that uh that left. Uh Cole Cole Rashny. Yeah, yeah, and Reshne. And uh and they make this decision in the offseason with the rule change, like to go, you know, like two big pieces that I mean I thought was coming back, and I think a lot of people thought were coming back, and and obviously make your team um, you know, got some high end, got some high-end pace with those guys. Like how how was that for you now as the captain to to hear about those decisions? And did did you know about them before that they were even announced?

R.Newman: 25:29

Yeah, it was obviously, you know, uh really hard to hear because you know, I was I was really close with those guys, but obviously super excited for them. That's that's a great opportunity for both of them to develop a little bit more. Um, but now it's just you know, we're focused on our team and and we're trying to get as best we can this year, but you know, obviously we're still staying in contact with all those guys that went to school and you know, hoping the best for them either way, and definitely staying in contact with them.

J.Podollan: 25:56

Right, that's cool. Uh and of course, you I mean, I I wouldn't say of course, but you know, no ill will, your buddies with them, like they they they make a decision. Uh, when it comes to you and thinking about the decision, because you mean a lot of guys do have decisions. Like, why do you why do you think, in your opinion, you said maybe a better chance for them to develop? Well, why do you think that? Like, why is that your your choice of words on that on that decision?

R.Newman: 26:22

Yeah, I think you know, obviously you're you're not playing as many games. So, like, you know, there's just more more time to work out. Um, obviously, there's more time to recover your body. So when you are playing those games, you're you're always at 100%, you're always ready to go. Whereas in the Western League, you're playing three, four games in a week. So your recovery's not as high. You may not be working out as much. But at the same time, saying that, I think the Western League does a great job building you for that pro game where you're playing 60, 70, 80 games in here. So there's pros and cons, you know, on on both sides of the thing. And I I see where both sides come from for sure.

J.Podollan: 26:57

Right. Yeah, the um yeah, it's gonna be really interesting to watch the progress of everybody, right? Because there's gonna be, I don't think there's gonna end up being one path. There might be like a path, you know, as far as like how guys generally do it. But uh to your point, there's just you know different maturity levels, there's different physical maturity levels, there's different runways that guys are gonna require to be pro. And um, and yeah, so I think I think there's still gonna be some decisions to be made. Uh, that it's not just because you can play in the NCAA that you should, you know, for for lack of a better way to put it. Uh, because yeah, but it's the wild west right now, right? With everyone leaving and guys coming in, even like the U show guys coming in, the guys, the hurlberts of the world that come come to the WHL now, right, as a as a decision. Uh did you did you consider the NCAA at all? I heard that maybe you had a couple offers potentially as well, um, but you opted to to stay home.

R.Newman: 27:52

Yeah, I you know, I had a couple offers. It was you know a really hard decision for me and and my family, but obviously Victoria's been you know unreal to me, and it's been pretty special to play here. So I thought you know, playing a full five seasons here is that's pretty special. Not a lot of guys get to do that. So I thought play coming back to Victoria was the best option for me. Get another full season under my belt, and then you know whether next year I go to college or you know, try to sign a pro contract, because that's ultimately my goal. So we'll we'll see where things go from here. But yeah, I'm just I'm super excited to be back in Victoria. Loyalty, what a word.

J.Podollan: 28:28

Yeah, good for you. No, I like that. I don't know. Like and then the other thing is like, and I know guys don't think about that because I sure as heck never thought about it. But like when I was in Spokane for four years, like I just like when I got drafted by Florida, I thought that I was gonna be a Florida Panther and retire at 32. And you know, that's that's the end of it, you know. But then as soon as I turned pro, like it was like two, three. I like my first year pro, I played on four different pro teams. Yeah, NHL minors traded NHL minors, right? Four teams in one season, like from not getting traded at all. And I'm like, holy smoke! So, like it is nice to uh have that advantage and to choose that choice. Like, I'm proud of you for doing that, you know, like five years in one spot. It may be life not might not be so stable down the road, might as well take care of it now. And uh, you know, if you especially if you enjoy where you're at. What um how does the league feel this year? Like it does it feel different, like does it feel easier, harder, the same? Um just with I'm just wondering with some of these guys gone, some new guys coming in. Like, how do you how do you think it's feeling?

R.Newman: 29:27

Yeah, it's it's definitely a little bit different for sure, being being the oldest guy of the bunch, but no, there's there's still a ton of skill in this league. It's it's still very fast paced. It's you know, it doesn't feel any different than it did last year. It's just just a little bit different being the oldest guy here. So it's definitely you know the same game, it's it's still a lot of fun, and you know, every night's a grind for sure.

J.Podollan: 29:48

Awesome. Talk to talk to the the people listening here, and and just because people maybe don't know uh that in the Western League you're allowed three three 20 year olds, and it's generally A 19-year-old league. So there's lots of 19-year-olds that you know don't move on to pro and uh and then uh need to have a place to play. So securing a spot as a 20-year-old is not an easy thing. Can you just talk about what that, you know, what that even means to you and and what you feel that uh you know that title uh requires of you with the group this year?

R.Newman: 30:21

Yeah, it's it's obviously pretty special. It's you know, not everyone gets to be a 20-year-old in the Western Hockey League. So it's it's definitely cool, but with that it come comes a lot of responsibility. So, you know, we we're the leaders on this team, you know, we've we've been in the league the longest. So you know it's it's showing the young guys the ropes and getting everyone comfortable and and excited to be here. And like I said before, just continuing to build that culture here in Victoria is is huge for all three of us, and and just you know, making sure everyone has just a great season.

J.Podollan: 30:51

Yeah, that's fantastic. So with that C on your chest, like one was that something uh well, how'd you find out? Maybe I should ask you that first. How'd you find out you're the captain?

R.Newman: 31:01

Uh yeah, my my coach James Patrick, he he called me towards the end of summer, about mid-August, and he said, you know, are are you coming back? And I said, Yeah, I'm I'm super excited too. And he said, Would you like to be our captain? I said, I'd be honored, and and that's kind of how I found out. I I called my dad right away, and he was he was super excited for me. And yeah, that that's how I found out. That's cool.

J.Podollan: 31:22

So with that title, um coming back in, how does that, if at all, change your approach, uh, change what you do, what you're looking at, you know, how how has that changed your world, if at all?

R.Newman: 31:36

I think it's you know, I'm I'm still the same player, still the same person. So I just kind of you know stick to what I've been doing ever since I was 16. I think you know, the only thing is there's a lot more eyes on you, and you know, you're expected to lead. So I think for me, I'm I'm more of just leading by example. I'll I'll say something if something needs to be said, but it's just being the same player that I've been, you know, 16 through 19 and just continuing to do that in my 20-year-old year.

J.Podollan: 32:03

Yeah, I had a Facebook post or an Instagram post the other day about leadership, and I said that a lot of guys get it mixed up. Like you gotta you gotta lead yourself first, you know, and foremost, and make sure your house is in order. And then, and then with that example, then you can you can potentially you know lead others, right? So the game side of it, I I like hearing you say that, you know, that you lead by example. I I think that there is at your level probably a personal uh skill, an interpersonal, let's say, skill requirement of being a captain, like maybe being aware of others in the room, right? Like inclusivity type stuff, you know, is anyone left out? Uh or do you feel that responsibility to try and be a little bit of a caretaker now with that C and just make sure there's there's a collective unity amongst you?

R.Newman: 32:46

Yeah, I mean, you know, we kind of we kind of talk about it as a leadership group. So we we try and have conversations with everybody every single day, you know, just a five-minute conversation, see how everybody's doing, and just kind of get everybody involved, you know, whether it's in the dressing room, at the sewer in playing sewer, up in the gym, wherever it might be, it's you know, just making sure everyone's involved and everybody's comfortable and just happy to be at the rink is is probably the biggest thing for sure.

J.Podollan: 33:12

What is uh what does those things outside the rink look like now? And I'm I'm thinking this more from like the phone communication aspect and buses. Like I've had some discussions with some guys that are on buses now uh that were from my age, right? Like coaches, and you know, it's super quiet, and there's not really like generally there's not many card tables going on or whatever. This I wonder like what does that social structure look like and how do you connect outside of the game uh in 2025?

R.Newman: 33:39

Yeah, like I mean, after practice, like even today, we half the team went for lunch. We all went to Chipotle. So a lot of a lot of the older guys, you know, we always try to do something after practice or or whatever, but um obviously the younger guys they have to go to school every day, which which is tough for them. But um, yeah, the older guys, we always try to get together and then on the bus, we're we love playing cards, or you know, we'll all play like the same game on our phone if we are just all on our phones. But we try to stay connected as much as we can and you know talk as much as we can on the bus. It's it's never quiet on our bus. We there's lots going on for sure. Oh, that's awesome. I love hearing that.

J.Podollan: 34:15

There's cards going to be played. I love it, I love it. I thought that was a dying breed. That's good. I did, I was just thinking about that. Like the card, the card games for me was like, I don't know, it was just fun, you know, because you're always shooting the shit, you're always like you're in front of each other. Like the game itself is fine, but it's just that I don't know, it's just that community of what cards does for you, you know. No, exactly. Just talking about it. I'm glad to hear that's still going, that's still going on. Um, let's rewind a little bit. So, from 20-year-old captain, you were a 17-year-old player that you know had aspirations and hopes of of getting drafted. Uh, talk to me about the draft year and and sort of what happened after. I and I want to get into the rookie camps, and like I really like your story because you know, you want to be a pro, uh, maybe not the conventional way that everyone's dreaming of as a 17-year-old, right? To to get drafted and then sign a contract. So just talk to me about that first year and we'll go from there. Like, what how how was that with you and and what was your experience like?

R.Newman: 35:12

Yeah, obviously, you know, it was it was a bit of a tough year that year, but you know, I think we had a a good young group, so it was it was fun coming to the rink every day with with a bunch of guys your own age. So we definitely made the the most out of it. But yeah, it was it was a tough year for sure. But um, you know, obviously our draft year is super important. Um, you know, obviously you look up in the stands, you see, you see a ton of scouts there. So it makes you a little bit nervous, but you know, you definitely gotta embrace that because you know it happens for everybody. So yeah, tough year. And then obviously we get to the draft, and unfortunately didn't hear my name called, but you know, I was lucky enough to to get a call from Arizona and and they invited me to my their uh development camp. So so that was definitely pretty cool for sure.

J.Podollan: 35:56

Yeah, awesome. So like with with that in the draft, so like what was your expectation going in?

R.Newman: 36:02

Yeah, I I I I thought you know there was maybe uh an outside chance that I I could get drafted, but you know, I I definitely wasn't expecting to or anything like that. But obviously still watched the whole thing and lots of my buddies ended up getting drafted. So obviously super, super happy for those guys. And no, I wasn't expecting too much. And yeah, obviously, like I said, I didn't hear my name called, but lucky enough I got to go to development camp with Arizona.

J.Podollan: 36:27

That's sweet. So as far as the the lead up to the draft, you you had some questionnaires, I assume you had you had some interviews or your agents were talking to some guys. How was how was that experience?

R.Newman: 36:35

Yeah, that was definitely pretty nerve-wracking. You know, you you hop on a zoom call with with two, three, four guys, and they're just blasting out the questions. But you know, like I said, just just embrace that and you know, answer them the best you can and be honest because you know they they they're pretty good at their job and they get paid big bucks to to know if you're lying or not. So just be honest with them. And yeah, it was definitely a good experience for sure.

J.Podollan: 37:03

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R.Newman: 38:29

Yeah, that was it was it was really cool. I was lucky enough. Uh my teammate Justin Kipke, he was he was drafted by Arizona, so it was nice to know somebody uh right away when I was there. But obviously the speed is is a lot quicker than uh than the WHL, so that was definitely a big adjustment right away. But that was definitely a lot of fun. You see how the pros work out, how they train, how they operate, and it was definitely a really good learning experience for me.

J.Podollan: 38:55

So as far as pros go, that would be like so the older guys in that camp had some pro experience. Is that that's how those those things work?

R.Newman: 39:04

Yeah, so there's that, and then even you know, some of the NHL guys, they were still there in the summer training, so you get to see some of those guys as well. Yeah.

J.Podollan: 39:12

Awesome, awesome. So and what so what was that like so that pathway now, you know, so you going there, you're you're under, I mean, I guess the goal of you mean getting either drafted the next year, or could you have been signed that first year or not? Like, how does how does that work? I don't even know the way that works. If you're an unsigned 17-year-old and you go to a uh rookie camp, can you get signed out of there or do you have to wait for the draft?

R.Newman: 39:36

I think you can get signed right away. I'm pretty sure. I'm not I'm not entirely sure either, but I'm I'm pretty sure you can, yeah.

J.Podollan: 39:43

Right. I think generally speaking, the NHL guys would be waiting because even like usually they only sign their kind of their top two picks, essentially, right? Or three picks, like right out of the draft. So they'd probably be waiting to see you another another year draft you, and then they have two years to decide whether they want to sign you or not. So probably lengthens their runway a bit. You'd have to have an amazing rookie camp, I think, as an unsigned guy or an undrafted guy, you know, to get to get signed. Uh so in essence, you're trying to make a good impression. Like, did you have did you change your mindset at all uh in that camp uh to your to your one as a 16-year-old trying out for the Royals?

R.Newman: 40:17

No, it was it was kind of the same thing, you know. Obviously, you're not gonna make the team out of development camp, but you know, they brought you there for a reason. So just kind of trying to stick to the player you are and and play to your strengths was was definitely my goal going into that. And I think I showcased myself pretty well there as well. Um, and I had a great time there too. So that was kind of the biggest thing for me.

J.Podollan: 40:40

So that rookie camp, and then usually there's well, I don't know, they call that I guess development camp. Most most guys do, right? The one like right after the draft. And then before main camp starts, they'll have a rookie camp sometimes, right? Where they'll bring guys in. Did so you went to the development camp after the draft, or did you go to rookie camp before main camp?

R.Newman: 40:59

I went to both. So I was I was there and then I did rookie. Well, there's like a tournament. So we were in Vegas my first year, and and we got to play against a couple different teams, which was an even better experience. So playing against those guys, it was it was definitely fast pace and and super physical, but that was that was a really good experience for sure.

J.Podollan: 41:18

That's cool. Okay, so then you you actually you mean you checked the box and you went to development camp and you did well enough there to get invited back to the rookie camp. Because not everybody that goes to development camp goes to rookie camp, right? Fantastic. Oh, so that was that was awesome. So you made a good impression. Um and then you went back the next year to uh to Arizona again, right? Didn't you go back uh the following year as well?

R.Newman: 41:39

Yeah, so that was that was actually the year they changed from Arizona and they went to Utah. So so I went to Utah that that second year, and it was the same kind of thing, same group of guys. So it was definitely more comfortable that second year, knowing more faces. But yeah, it was great. We got to go to development camp, see all the new facilities in in Utah, which was pretty special, and then was lucky enough to get invited back again and go to rookie tournament there as well. That's cool.

J.Podollan: 42:05

So, was that a decision for you? Just I'm asking this more for the guys out there, you know, parent parents may maybe having to go down that road uh dealing with agents and stuff. But was was Utah the only one that called, or was there other two teams that said, hey, we'd like you to come out, and then now you have to make a decision?

R.Newman: 42:21

Uh there was a few other teams, so it was it was a bit of a decision, there was a bit of a process that went into it, but uh ultimately Utah, Utah was a choice. It was it was cool to go back to the same place again. So so that was the best choice for for me, and my agent helped me make that decision as well. So so yeah, that was that was the best choice for me.

J.Podollan: 42:40

Well, I think that's I mean, and and I guess as far as I don't know what the backroom discussions were like, but you would assume like that the the loyalty of that probably matters, you know, for you and and if they're still interested, like give you another look and you know, and kind of grow where you're planted, I guess is maybe like the the way I the way I would put it. What what was the what was the feedback, if at all, from from Utah leaving? Like, do they give you a game plan? Do they tell you how you did? Is there anything for you to work on? Like any of those things? Are they very communicative with uh with you leaving after that second year?

R.Newman: 43:15

Yeah, they were they were awesome. They they gave me some really good feedback, and obviously they said they were really impressed with how I played and stuff like that. And you know, they were gonna watch me going forward. And yeah, they just they gave me really good feedback, and I definitely took that into my well, that would have been my 18-year-old or 19-year-old year, and and I kind of ran with that and definitely worked on on those things they told me to, and yeah, that that helped my game, you know, tremendously. That's cool.

J.Podollan: 43:40

And then so this last year, I think you were in Winnipeg though, correct?

R.Newman: 43:44

Yeah, I was at uh I was in Winnipeg for for rookie tournament, yeah. Cool, and how did that go? That it was pretty special. We we got to play at the Bell Center in in front of a sold-out crowd, which was you know once in a lifetime experience. It was it was pretty superpower for sure.

J.Podollan: 43:58

That's wild. So then uh was that another decision then, like to go to Winnipeg instead of going back to Utah this year?

R.Newman: 44:05

Yeah, so uh, you know, in the summer I actually went to Toronto's development camp. Um, you know, had meetings with them after, and you know, they decided to go in a different direction. And unfortunately, I wasn't invited back for rookie tournament. Um and then a couple weeks later, Winnipeg called me and and they asked if I'd like to go to rookie tournament with them. And I said, absolutely. So that's kind of how it worked out. And then, you know, a week or two later, a couple other teams called and I said, Yeah, sorry, I'm I'm already going with Winnipeg. So that's kind of how that process went that year. But you know, it changes from year to year, and I was obviously super excited. I got to go with Winnipeg for sure.

J.Podollan: 44:42

Right, right. Any uh who are some of the the name, big name guys that were in that game?

R.Newman: 44:47

Uh well, we played against Demidoff, which was which was crazy. He uh every time he touched the puck, the the stadium just erupted, which was was definitely cool to see for sure. How good is he? He's he's special. I think he's gonna be a top player in the NHL one day. He's he's legit for sure.

J.Podollan: 45:04

And how old is that guy?

R.Newman: 45:06

He's an 06, so he'd be 19 this year. Wow. That's crazy.

J.Podollan: 45:13

Because yeah, he stands out, eh? Even from like from a skating puck handling side, like uh even like I watched a couple of the games last year when he came in and he he looked pretty special. I didn't realize he was that young. So yeah, he's gonna he's got a lot of runway. Wow, that's crazy. They got somebody special there.

R.Newman: 45:27

Um did he do anything cool that game? Uh yeah, he well, I mean, he danced about you know three, four, five different guys. Um he scored a highlight real goal with with three minutes left um to tie the game at three, and the game went to overtime and and we ended up winning, which was pretty cool. But oh that's nice. Yeah, he he's special for sure.

J.Podollan: 45:47

Awesome. Any uh anything for you? Any fights, any any bumps, any hits, any any goals?

R.Newman: 45:53

Yeah, I was you know, just like I said before, trying to play to my game and my identity. And I was lucky enough to get an assist on on the third goal of the game, which was pretty cool, but you know, I was trying to be as physical as I could be out there for sure. That's awesome.

J.Podollan: 46:08

Uh so what's the plan this year? Like you know, you're you're back for a fifth year, you know. You say Victoria has a has uh has a strong team. You're off to an amazing start, by the way. Didn't even talk about that. I mean, from a points perspective. So here we are talking about the physical side of the game and you know, your top five in scoring right now, I think. So, you know, is that something that you kind of want to grow and hone a little bit for you as um, you know, as a personal development tool for you this year to try and get some more minutes there in the PP and produce a little bit more offensively?

R.Newman: 46:36

Yeah, I think you know it's it definitely just comes with with age as well, you know, knowing the league a little bit more, it it definitely helps point wise. But uh obviously my two line mates as well have have been on real to start the season. So so that definitely helps for sure. So just continuing to do that going forward and trying to have the best season I can is is huge for me. Awesome.

J.Podollan: 46:57

What's uh let's give him a shoutout. Who are you playing with right now?

R.Newman: 47:00

Uh Ron Woodward and and Hayden Moore. I think Woodward's tied for the league leading goals right now. So hopefully he can keep that pace going.

J.Podollan: 47:08

Nice, nice. So um he actually I saw that he he got moved from Edmonton. I think that's the one.

R.Newman: 47:15

Yeah, we we got him in the summer, yeah.

J.Podollan: 47:17

Right, cool. So that's a nice addition for you guys. Uh what's the projection for you as far as like what where do you think this team can go? Are you playoff bound again for sure? Or is is is and and maybe higher?

R.Newman: 47:28

I think so, yeah. With with how we've been playing to start the year, I think the sky's the limit for this team. I think you know we got so many new faces, and guys are only gonna get better as the season goes on, and we still have a ton of injuries as well. So I think as guys come back into the lineup, we're only we're only going up from here. So it's definitely an exciting season for sure. Cool. And what are your personal goals? Do you are you a guy that makes goals? Yeah, I mean, obviously the biggest goal this year is you know showcase myself the bet the best I can and and try and earn a contract. But you know, I'm I'm not too focused on that, just just worrying about the season and and trying to play my best every single game and obviously lead this team, you know, as far as they can go and just yeah, have the best season I can and help everyone else have the best seasons they can as well.

J.Podollan: 48:13

Are you are you metric driven at all? Like do you have I want to score 20 this year or I want to get you know whatever 100 pims or like do you have any any goals like that that you set?

R.Newman: 48:23

Not not entirely. No, I mean my dad, he kind of he kind of does that for me. He says, I expect you to get this, I expect you to get that. But you know, I'm I'm never too focused on that. I'm just focused on one game at a time and just playing the best I can.

J.Podollan: 48:37

And how do you know that as a player? Like how how do you judge at the end of a game? I think a lot of guys, well, I shouldn't say I think a lot of guys. Some guys some guys have a process, some guys you know, feel that if they got points, they had a good game. Some guys feel if they had a turnover, they had a bad game. You know, like how do you sit down after 60 minutes in the WHL and decide how you did?

R.Newman: 48:59

Yeah, for me it's it's not always about points. It's you know how I you know my overall game went. You know, if I was good in the D zone, you know, always made the right play on the breakout, didn't turn pucks over at the at the lines. That's that's kind of how I judge how my games go. I obviously I never want to get scored on. That's definitely a big indicator for me as well. But you know, it never comes down to points for me. Obviously, points are are huge, but those aren't the be all end all for me. It's it's more my overall game, is is kind of how I judge myself.

J.Podollan: 49:29

So plus minus is a big one for you. Yeah, for sure. Right. Are you a centerman? No, I'm uh I'm a winger. You're on the wing. Yeah, the uh yeah, plus minus, it seems like I mean, with analytics that that that stat has kind of gone away, but to me it's like it it's easy, you know. It's easy if you're if you're out there for a goal for or if you're out there for a goal against, like whether you're a part of it necessarily or not, the old I had my guy coach, right? Like yeah, I was off for him, but I had my guy. Um but I think it is easy. I mean, I think you're having an impact on the game if you're you know, if you end up being a plus player at the end of the year, I think that's obviously a good sign and it's a it's a good easy one for the for the younger guys to think about too, right? I mean, if you're always spending time in your own end and the puck's going in the net, something's going wrong. So um I appreciate you you you sharing that. For you, what another question that's been coming up, especially on the team I'm coaching and out lately, is preparation and what and what that means. You know, on the WHL to play your 70-game season, uh, you know, there's a lot of games, a lot of nights. Consistency is a huge thing. You don't know who's watching you win, right? The coach is watching you every game. He expects to have you know a certain level of play and a certain standard for each player. Uh, how do you look at your preparation? When would you consider your preparation starts? And can you maybe walk us through uh what that is for you at 20 years old?

R.Newman: 50:47

Yeah, I you know, I've kind of built my routine ever since I was 15, 16. Um, and I've kind of stuck with that ever since. But you know, it's it's doing the same things every day for me. I'm not superstitious in any way. Like if I can't do them, then it's whatever. But you know, I like to have my routine built in. And for me, it starts in the morning, right after morning skate, I'll come up, get a good stretch in. I like to sleep at the same time, eat at the same time. And then, you know, I get to the rank for game time. I usually park in the same spot and you know, eat at the same time of my pregame meal and and everything like that. So I think it's just being comfortable, you know, with what you're comfortable with. Everyone will prepare a different way. Some guys are are loose, some guys, you know, they got the headphones on and they won't talk to anyone. But I think it's about finding what's what's right for you and what will get you ready to play that game at night.

J.Podollan: 51:36

Do you think about um well I'm gonna lead this a little bit just because with what I do and we were talking to our UA team team, uh that there's a there's a physical preparedness, you know, that I think a lot of guys kind of consider or think about, right? You need to warm your body up and be ready physically. Uh sometimes your legs don't always feel the same, right? So you might be things you need to do. Uh then there's like the mental preparedness, and in that way I would say, you know, routes, tactics, you know, breakouts, maybe for check, PP, like those types of things, faceoff. Uh, and then there's like that other side of mental, which would be like the emotional preparedness. Because I know for me, like that was one I didn't even really consider officially or at least consciously, until I was well into my pro years. And that's like I didn't feel the same before every game, right? Like some days you're tired, some days you're not excited, some days you are excited, right? And like to find for me and to recognize that okay, like I'm kind of down today from an energy perspective, from an emotional perspective, and then change my routine to you know get more energy, right? To get more fired up instead of sitting in my in my stall yawning, which may be what I might have done my first two years when I was in junior, you know. So, do you have anything mentally or structurally, technically, that you think about when it comes to your preparation or from an emotional side?

R.Newman: 52:55

Yeah, like you know, I'll I'll always sit on the bench before before every game and I'll you know visualize you know where I usually go on the ice and and plays that I should make in certain situations. So when you do get on the ice, it just feels like second nature. Um, and then on the emotional side of things, if if I'm ever feeling a little tired or down, it's you know, trying to get you know amped up, you know, whether you're playing Sioux, you're you're jumping around a little bit more, or maybe you're grabbing smell and salts before the game or or whatever it might be. So there's there's always little ways you can you know prepare yourself a little bit more for the game and you know amp yourself a little bit up a little bit more if if you need to do that as well. There's there's definitely lots of ways to do it.

J.Podollan: 53:33

Yeah, there's I mean, and for the players listening, like that's that is the skill of self-assessment and being honest with where you're at. Because remember, like what we're talking about is you know, Reg wants to be a pro, right? You and to be a pro, you got to be consistent. And to be consistent, you got to be your best as often as you can. So how you feel physically, mentally, emotionally, before the puck drops matters. So it's it is a responsibility that you need to be accountable to, you know. And I think if we can frame it that way, now we can start thinking about okay, now it's not just a routine that I have, but I know what I'm doing and I also know why I'm doing it. Right. And I think that's the separation there is like, what am I doing and why am I doing it? And if you can check the boxes of those things afterwards and be like, yeah, well, I I did this or I went on the bike today because I my legs were feeling like crap. And I spent a little more time on the face-off uh visualization because we ran a couple new plays this week that I wasn't familiar with. And uh, and yeah, I was kind of feeling down, so I freaking I made sure that played some music louder and made sure that I was more vocal than I usually am just to get my myself ready, right? Like that's kind of I mean, obviously, uh very simplified, but I mean that's kind of the way players should be thinking. So less that I like I like how you talked about with the superstition side, like less superstition programming and more about what do I need, right? Because every day is going to be different for what you actually need at the end of the day. So exactly. Um When has uh nutrition and sleep have been like such buzzwords, like in like the that whole side of the game, which I do think is super important. Uh how has that changed for you in five years, if at all? Like, are you are you more dial with that? Are you wearing your whoop? Do you know how many hours you need and recovery and and and how how is that infiltrated into the game?

R.Newman: 55:24

Yeah, I'll say first off, I uh I can't wear a whoop. I I can't deal with with sleeping with that on. It it just bugs me too much. But no, I think when I was my 17 year, I kind of dialed in on my nutrition a little bit more and and took that a lot more seriously. And you know, I do a lot of research and and ask my trainers questions and stuff like that on what I should be eating, and I found that helped my game, you know, a lot. And then on top of that, my sleep, I try to go to bed at the exact same time every single night. And you know, judging on depending on if I get a little bit more time to sleep in, I'll I'll obviously take that. But I try to wake up at a similar time every day as well. And just building in that morning routine, you know, shower as soon as I get up and brush my teeth, eat. Like it's just you know, that just prepares your body a little bit more for the day, I find. So just building my morning routine was was huge for me as well. That's cool.

J.Podollan: 56:21

This episode is also brought to you by Elite Prospects. Elite Prospects is the gateway to hockey. Online since 1999, EliteProspects.com is the number one statistical hockey resource serving over a million unique visitors weekly. Uh, it offers the most informative hockey player database on the web and has the most reliable transaction tracker available. And specifically for youth hockey players, EP is your very own online showcase to highlight your achievements and help secure hockey uh future playing opportunities. Coaches, scouts, and schools at every level of the game considered elite prospects, their one-stop shop to discover future stars. Uh they do have their verified profiles, they do have their premium profiles, my boys have them. It's a very cool way uh to see who is following your page to be able to uh include your accurate height and weight, uh, where you're from, hometown, et cetera, but your personal profile picture. Uh it's a great way to uh to track your your own statistics and for others to track what you are doing. Uh as a bonus uh as being a sponsor and uh you know, I guess well, sponsor is the right word, uh, with the UMH 68, uh the people who play in my tournament get their get their tournament stats uh up and running on their player profile at uh at Elite Prospects. Elite Prospects has been fantastic to work with. They're definitely involved in the uh youth and amateur aspect of the game and uh and are really growing their roots there. So uh big fan of Elite Prospects and what they're doing. By all means go out and see what they're up to and uh and get your your profile verified or uh get a premium profile from them as well. So yeah, did did uh did the morning routine come by by accident of realizing that it was more effective to be prepared, or was it something that like a like a performance coach talked to you about, or how did that work for you?

R.Newman: 58:13

Yeah, I I just kind of felt like I was a little bit sluggish in the morning. So I kind of did a little bit of research and obviously listened to some different podcasts with with NHL players, and they all said they were huge on on morning routines and stuff like that. So I thought I'd I'd give it a try for for a couple weeks and and see how I felt. And I just found I felt way better in the morning. I had I had a lot more energy and it definitely helped me. So I so I still continue to do that like right to this day now.

J.Podollan: 58:41

Good for you. Good for you. Yeah, one of the things I talk with players about is like those, you know, the those things that I all call controllables, which is like attitude and and energy, you know, is like something that you need to come to the rink with. And if everyone focuses on how they come to the rink with those two things, like it totally changes. You talk about that culture that you're trying to develop there, uh like that's the individual ownership that the collective benefits from. You know, because because you know, like how you feel walking into the room, I don't know what time you guys practice, but if you have taken care of your business, you know what I mean? And you you you're not coming in with your hair combed by your pillow, uh, you know what I mean? Like, and then those guys that are yawning in the corner, like there's just a different vibe about that. And I think when you get that culture and guys start taking that that approach, right? That hey, I'm not, I'm gonna bring, I'm gonna be the the fountain today, you know, not the drain, as uh as Josh Stone said in one of my podcasts. Like it's it's tangible, you notice it. Yeah, for sure. And then you start talking about the example example that you're leaving, leading, you know, you have to be cognizant of that as a as a captain, too, right? How are you showing up? So the fact that you have a good morning routine there. Talk to the younger athletes out there about this bedtime thing you're talking about and being consistent with that. How does that even work?

R.Newman: 59:52

Yeah, I you know, I just find that you you feel you do feel better in the morning when when you get a good eight, nine hours of sleep. So I always try to set a a hard lock on, you know, when I put my phone away and and when I end up actually going to bed. So so I'll put my phone away, you know, thirty, thirty ish minutes before I go to bed and just kind of do my night routine, you know, just maybe read a little bit of a book if I if I have a bit of time and and that just kind of helps me calm down and and then you know helps your body recover and and you feel you know energized the next morning and and you're ready to go.

J.Podollan: 1:00:24

I love hearing that. That's a big problem though. Like honestly even at the pro level though like for guys to figure out how and when to go to sleep uh because there is so many distractions and there's no one there especially play your guys playing junior right there's there's no one there telling you when to go to bed the majority of guys right you have to be responsible for yourself. So uh you talk about the ownership there and you know whether whether you want to be a hockey player or just play hockey and that's I think that's part of it right being being accountable and having that standard. What would you say to to anyone who's who's thinking about playing the WHL? Like what has your experience been like there? I mean I I assume I know the answer but is this a league that you you suggest guys should be striving to play in?

R.Newman: 1:01:04

Yeah I I think so for sure. It's you know one of the best development leagues in the world for sure. So you get to play 68 games a year plus playoff and preseason. So you definitely have a lot of time to showcase your skill and and show what you want to do and you're you're practicing every day you're not playing and you get to still work out two, three times a week working out after games. So I think it's the best league to to develop you for for that pro style of game.

J.Podollan: 1:01:30

So I would recommend it to anyone that wanted to play hockey at a high level there's so much maturing that happens in in the in the junior ages like like I call them the formative years. Like you're gonna remember this guaranteed you know more than you're probably going to remember your pro career and other aspects like you know being in that in that in that town during the these years of your life are going to be memorable.

R.Newman: 1:01:52

But the guy that I'm talking to now is definitely different than the guy that showed up as a 16 year old like what do you think the league or even the the sport has taught you uh that has allowed you to grow personally like what what's different about you now than when you showed up yeah obviously I've I've matured over the years and you know there's there's a lot of people to thank for that my coaches my parents my teammates and and everything like that. But I I think the league just you know makes you mature in a way where you're playing 68 games you know you're getting home at after a seven o'clock game at 11, 12 at night and you got to get up early in the morning the next day and and you got to get ready to play another game. So there's a level of maturity in that and there's a level of accountability you know how you're taking care of yourself the right after the game the morning before the next one and I think you know that just comes with time when you figure out your routines and and everything like that and being able to prepare for the next game and you know you you obviously come out a a better player than you come into the league for sure.

J.Podollan: 1:02:48

Yeah I like that responsibility aspect I think that really teaches guys a lot um and with the school too I mean balancing school and a and a WHL season is is not easy. I mean I remember I was you know telling the old war stories to my boys like with being in Spokane there like the and we we would play a lot of Wednesday night games uh that you'd be getting home four in the morning you know and the expectation was you unloaded the bus you got back to your billet's house and you're at school at 8 30 you know and that's just what you needed to do. And again there was no one telling you to do it and uh not that we were always perfect with it uh but you know but that was the expectation and I think from a mental toughness standpoint you know a lot of people would be we got to get your eight hours you know that and that's where I kind of balance it because I I challenge the guys that I work with to be like hey you know what you want to be dialed right you definitely want to be dialed you want to take as much advantage of all these things out there uh that will help you with performance but if you did get four hours sleep I expect you to go out there and be a killer still you know if you did have to eat McDonald's you should go out there and still be a killer. So like that I like that aspect of like from our era and so the WHL still teaches that but like where there is no excuses right like you still have to go out there and do it. And uh and I love that about our sport. Maybe talk about the mental toughness side of it for me because I I I know why it seems to be like that's something that you you value as well.

R.Newman: 1:04:12

Yeah I mean obviously our our coach he's he's pretty hard on that Jeep he uh he expects you to to be at your best every single day and he always talks about you know controlling the controllables like you said and you should be able to go 100% every single rep of every single drill no no matter how you're feeling you you got to work your hardest every single day and and that's how you get better on the ice and off the ice so so just kind of doing that every single day is is definitely uh the most important thing I think any anything else to add about jeep like I've heard nothing but good things about him honestly and I can't say that honestly about everyone you know that that that coaches but it sounds like uh he does things the right way he demands the respect of of you know the players and and and he's a teacher as well and I don't know I just heard a lot of good things of him like what what's been what's been your experience with him now into your second season yeah he's I gotta say he's an amazing coach he uh you know he he expects a lot out of everyone but you know he's he's obviously pretty hard on all the guys but you know that's obviously because he cares about everyone and he's super dialed in on on nutrition as well he'll he talks about that a lot he uh every time we go on a bus trip he always and we stop at a gas station he stops in the candy aisle and makes sure none of the young guys are eating any candy or anything so um yeah that's that's pretty funny but um he's yeah a great coach like I said and he just expects a lot out of guys and he loves showing video and he's he's not afraid to call guys out if if they need to be called out and obviously a lot of guys have a lot of respect for him so he's he's been you know super helpful for my development. That's awesome.

J.Podollan: 1:05:45

Yeah it makes a difference doesn't it like the the guy behind the bench uh one of the things that I'm really valuing sort of where I'm at now why I've done what I'm doing is like I didn't really embrace that uh as much uh as a player like how important that coach can be uh and could be for not only for the development but also for your your progression you know and now when I'm working with players I really encourage them to like to foster you know the the support and advice of those around them. You know I mean you spoke earlier about you know working with your trainers and what can I eat what shouldn't I eat you know even probably in the gym and and uh starting conversations with with your coach I think that should be something that is conscious you know like use the support that's there uh ask ask you know how do I get here you know this is what I want to do um because then you create you create a support team you know somebody that's rooting for you is that is that something that comes to you naturally for for me it didn't right for me to reach out to ask to start the conversation I was always somebody that uh when it came to upper management like I thought that they would start the conversation with me and and I wouldn't talk unless spoken to uh how have have you handled that a way like as far as from a do you have a strategy or or how do you deal with coaches and support staff?

R.Newman: 1:07:03

Yeah I think you know obviously when I was when I was younger 15 16 it was it was definitely a little bit harder and a little bit scarier you know you don't want to make a mistake or or ask a dumb question but obviously as you you grow up you you know there are no dumb questions or you know learning learning from your mistakes is is super important. So I think I kind of learned that as I got a little bit older and obviously I started to ask a little bit more questions with cheap and you know all our entire support staff and that's only helped me from here. Yeah good for you.

J.Podollan: 1:07:33

Any last words before I cut you off for um you know any of the players out there that maybe would like to have a C on on their chest one day and and be in and be in a WHL uh a longtime WHL veteran?

R.Newman: 1:07:46

Yeah I mean you know just you know find your identity and stick with that and you know when you're leading a team everyone leads you know in different ways whether you're a vocal leader or or leading by example so it's just finding the way you lead and and being comfortable with that. And obviously you know the captain's not the only guy leading the team you got to have a great support staff with you as well which we have here in Victoria which has been you know obviously super helpful. So I think it's that that's the biggest thing for me is you know just just find the way you want to lead that team and and go from there.

J.Podollan: 1:08:18

I'm gonna put you on the spot for one last question.

R.Newman: 1:08:20

If you were to pick one thing about hockey that you love and and your why what what would that be I well I gotta love the physical side of the game that's you know that's how I've been playing ever since hitting hockey was a thing for me and that's that's the most fun thing for me when you can go in on the four check finish finish your D man and take the puck from them that's that's all you need for out of me so that's that's my favorite part of hockey for sure.

J.Podollan: 1:08:46

I love asking that question because guys like automatically glow up you know it's like you you you smile thinking about that uh and just from a performance standpoint side I can put my mindset coaching hat on for for those out there like that is one way we talked about preparing like the emotional side of the game is like actually thinking about the things that you frickin' love doing. It's might not always scoring a goal right for Reggie just said I love blowing a guy up in the forecheck like him replaying those those visions of him doing that and doing it again changes his energy right changes changes the excitement level so that's a little tool that you can use as far as you know preparing uh preparing for a game. Well Reggie I really appreciate you being on and taking the time and and uh having the Victoria logo on the background I know you wear it proud it's done uh uh this they've been good to you and you've been good to them so I love seeing that loyalty there and uh I wish you nothing but the best individually and and for your group this year I know you're gonna be leading proudly yeah thank you I'm I'm I was really happy to be on here and super excited so thank you for having me on the podcast. Cheers man thank you thank you for listening to the conversation with Reggie and I uh I really enjoyed having having the talk it's amazing how dialed these kids are for uh to me now uh you know the things uh the bedtime routines and the morning routines and uh you know the way they they talk about recovery and the way they talk about preparation and and all the stuff that uh you know if you're gonna be professional and today today's day and age and you want to give yourself the best opportunity for success uh those are the things that you have to do. But it's just uh crazy for me to think 25 years ago that you know we weren't we weren't thinking that way. Uh there wasn't much of a routine as far as when you're considering about how to play high performance. You just sort of showed up and you went to work and you and you figured out a way to get it done the best you could. And uh and I kind of allude to that a little bit with with Reggie. Like I I do think and it's something that I work with my players on is you know how to find your routine how to find you know the ability to give yourself the best chance of success. But sometimes we can get so wrapped up in that high performance equation that when we fall out of that equation or if one of those pieces isn't there that it all comes unwound. And and that is where I think we can take a little bit of a throwback to the 90s uh when we weren't worried as much about the extra stuff we were just worried about getting it done on the ice and kind of that no excuses mentality which was drilled into us from little guys and I do think that there's a place for that still like the no excuse get her done figure it out mentality. What time did you get in from the road trip? I don't care you're going to school you know what's wrong with your leg? I don't care you're gonna go play um just that type of stuff. Would you for pregame ah we had pizza on the bus because we couldn't go you know we couldn't get into the the passage joint oh well go get it done. And so there was always it was always pushed back to you that it's just your responsibility to play your best. And not although not that we always figured that out but that was that was the choice, right? That was the that was what the expectation was I should say. So uh it is something that I see with the younger players now is that it's a maybe a little easier to fall off the rails uh for things to you know not go our way and then we seem to have excuses around us that this is why we're not playing well. Let's just find that that kind of that old school mental toughness where yes we do want to align uh our high performance check boxes. Like that is wise, that is professional that is what we should be doing. But let's take a pride when we look in the mirror that if one of those things is off or if we didn't get a great sleep or if we didn't get our pregame done right or or we might be a little bit sick whatever the case may be is that you're still somebody that goes and figures it out. And you are somebody that goes and gets the job done. And um and I think when we can combine both those worlds now we have a we truly have a monster on our hands what is why why what I would call a mindset monster. So um Reg, I think Reg is one of those mindset monsters he's uh he's leading by example there in Victoria. He's doing a great job there. And by all counts like geez he has seven points in the first three games you know to date this podcast. We'll see how the rest of the season goes for him but it's awesome to see the offensive numbers up and um and it's awesome to see him uh sitting there in front of the Victoria Royals logo uh showing loyalty to that squad that brought him in as a 16 year old. I love to see it. I wish nothing but the best for Reggie and the Royals this year. And uh until next time you guys play hard.