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034 - Behind the Scenes with an NHL Equipment Manager with Nathan Belliveau
112 Plays4 months ago
Show notes can be found at https://thediygoalie.com/pod034
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This week we had Nathan Belliveau, former assistant equipment manager of the New Jersey Devils, to talk with us about what it is like being an equipment manager at the pro, semi-pro, and major junior levels. He shares some cool stories, some advice on what makes high level goalies successful, and the day to day behind the scenes of the pro level. Belly was gracious enough to share a lot of his experience and the interview made for some great content!
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:07
Speaker
Welcome to the DIY goalie podcast, where hosts and goalie coaches, Nathan Park and Connor Monday share their insights on how to become a better goalie. Goalies, how are we doing today? Welcome back to the DIY goalie podcast. And we are finally back to having another guest on with us doing an interview today.
Platform Changes and Apologies
00:00:31
Speaker
Just very quickly before we run into that, um I do want to apologize that we're a little late on last episode getting published. We had some issues with our old podcasting platform that we kind of had to shift midweek and it created a few delays. So that is our bad, but we are back. We are
Nathan Bellavol's Career Beginnings
00:00:53
Speaker
ready to go. And we are trying out our new platform and joining us today we have Former NHL equipment manager from the New Jersey Devils, Nathan Bellavol with us. How are we doing, Belly? What's up, boys? Thanks for having me today. It's an honor to finally get my first podcast out of the way. Yeah. So my career has been done. So it's great. We're putting Belly on the unofficial DIY goalie grade A beauty list. I know Belly from
00:01:26
Speaker
He was our equipment manager when I went overseas to Europe to play basically the equivalent of world juniors with ball hockey. So that's how, that's how I know belly. So he was gracious enough to take some time to come talk to us. Cause what is the last seven years you're with the devils up until this current season? Correct. Correct. Fine. Finally done with, uh,
00:01:53
Speaker
It's been a blessing, you know, the the journey's been long. It's been great. I'm ready for some new challenges. So definitely it's been it's been a fun ride. um Like I said, open up a lot of doors as we'll get into today, but I'm definitely excited to finally be home a little bit more than I have ever been. Yeah, for sure. Well, so why don't you take us through kind of your journey, um you know, a little brief overview start to finish as to how you got involved with the game and where you've been along the way.
00:02:23
Speaker
Yeah, so obviously I kind of had a passion for the equipment side of the business at a young age. And I yeah you know started volunteering with senior hockey leagues back home, you know i'm just doing the water bottles, nothing crazy. um Kind of fell into passion just being around the locker room and stuff like that. And we finally ended up getting a major junior team here from the quebe and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Career Progression and Networking
00:02:44
Speaker
So that kind of waltzed down there and asked for a little position to help out. And they didn't really have anybody um they're Sorry, they already had the fish and the positions ah filled like as water boys and stuff. So I was a little bummed, but as I was leaving the rink, I realized the visiting team was just loading in for the game the next night. So I just went in and took it upon myself and asked the equipment manager if I can, and rest in peace, Shaq used to be legendary, St. John's Maple Leafs equipment manager passed away a few years ago. So rest in peace to him. And then also my mentor, which we'll get into here in a second, David DK Kelly.
00:03:21
Speaker
um you know DK was the CDOGS equipment manager at the time and he had no spot for me. So I asked the visiting team to help out and they they let me. So you know I went home that night and said, dad, they told me to come back and help them out tomorrow the next day and for the game. So I went and did that and the security kind of got to know who I was. And I just said, dad, you know what? I'm not going to give teams an option to to kick me out of there. I'm just going to tell them I'm supposed to be there helping them out.
00:03:46
Speaker
So that's kind of like how we got into it. And, you know, halfway through the year, finally DK saw how much I was down helping out the visiting team. So he asked me to help out them. And, you know, that's kind of where the career kind of, I realized that it can actually be a job too, before it was just for fun being around the rink and then realizing, you know, learning to skate sharpen and sew and all that type of stuff. um You know, so, so on and so forth. So by the time I, when I graduated, I was able to jump right into a,
00:04:13
Speaker
to a job in the Quebec league for the Bathurst Titans. And then, you know, it's all about networking and who you know. If you're a good person, people want want to have you around and maybe give you a chance in different roles. So I was able to jump on with the Las Vegas Wranglers for one season.
00:04:28
Speaker
um Looking back at it, I clearly wasn't ready at 20 years old living in Vegas. I lost a couple of years off my life there for sure, but at the same time, looking back at the back of the way my path went, and I couldn't have been any more proud of going through there. I definitely learned a lot of lessons. like I remember at the end of the year, like you know i you know i you know I was young, so I had some bad habits. It's like anybody, you know you're you're trying to get better at what you do. And you know I had some flaws in the, and long story short, the general manager got let go. The president kind of took over and he didn't really want to have me around. So they kind of like let me go. And I was devastated, but we always have these equip manager meetings that we go to. And I got to network there over the last few years before I got to the Vegas. So by the time when he's like, hey, we're not gonna have you back, I was devastated.
00:05:18
Speaker
I started a little hockey shop in my hometown called Nate's Pro Shop, just to kind of get that going a little bit, right?
Business Ventures and Transition
00:05:24
Speaker
And from there, you know, ah again, that networking in the summer at our equipment manager meetings, I was able to jump on in the American League with Iowa. And I felt like that's where my career really kind of started being becoming more serious and more disciplined and structured and you know I had a lot to learn. You know, DK taught me a lot in the my are in junior, but there's way more to it in pro, just the day-to-day stuff and how you conduct yourself on a regular and the image that you get off to people and you know people relationships. People think the equipment business is just all about looking pretty on the bench or the towel or the shoulder, but you're ordering gear, you're fixing gear, you're ordering tons of stuff, you're
00:06:04
Speaker
You're maintaining different relationships in the dressing room with guys and trying to understand what they like, what they don't like. There's a lot that goes into it, right? So, over a four course of four seasons in the American League with Minnesota system, the Iowa Wild, um a job came open with New Jersey and I applied and you know I reach reached out to a few people that knew some of the guys there. and I was able to jump on there for seven seasons. I've been very grateful about it. um um I never took a day for granted. The last few years have been a little bit more difficult for me knowing, you know, not that I have one foot in, one foot out, but, you know, I knew I had more to give in other areas. and
00:06:43
Speaker
you know I was very passionate about business and I started two different types of companies. I got a custom suit business that kind of took off and you know I got also KYC hockey that really took off. and you know are They at the time, Jersey didn didn't really know I had the i the that one business going on, um the hockey business, but they knew I had the suits kind of going and stuff. and You know, at the end of the year, they didn't want to renew my contract. um Can't really go into reasons why, but you know, I'm very thankful that they didn't, you know, look in hindsight, looking back at it and seeing the growth that I just took over the last six months with this business. If it wasn't for that type of situation, I
00:07:26
Speaker
wouldn't be where I'm at today with this one. So like I said, I'm a true believer. Everything happens for a reason. Um, not that I, like I said, not that I was cashed out completely, but like, you know, from volunteering to working a total like 19 seasons, um, it's no different than a career. Like I was, I was ready for a new, new beginning and, and new start of stuff. And, um, back to our business with KYC hockey, we were, we were very passionate. and of what we made, James Mailman and I. And we had two videos go ah viral on hockey tutorial. um And right now they rated our KYC Stealth Pro, our top end stick um retails in for half the price than what the Bowers do these days and CCMs. And our low kick point stick was rated number one in their eyes on the market right now. So it changed our lives overnight, which we weren't really ready for at the time.
00:08:18
Speaker
and and We had to navigate some through some hoops and hiccups, and that's the part about building a new business and taking a chance. its so you know I'm honored to say we're pretty we're we're selling it worldwide now. and you know It's been but a real blessing and a journey in hockey, but if it wasn't for the hockey like that, I wouldn't have where I'm at today now with business with the hockey company. I'm a believer everything happens for a reason and definitely really excited about it all.
00:08:44
Speaker
Yeah. Awesome. I love the tenacity there that it's just like, I'm not taking no for an answer. I'm gonna just hopping there, hopping out to the rink and helping out. And I don't care what anyone says. Yeah. Yeah. And that was the truth. I just, you know, I said, well, no why for that first ice time, like I was like, well, the, did the, the staff know who I'm there now. They, they, they know who I am. So I'm also just go back and act like I'm supposed to be there. So it was, uh, it was good that way. But, uh, A lot of fun journeys along the way, a lot of good stories. lot of you know there Some of them are funny, some are you know you shake your head, but you know that's part of growing and and learning as we go, right?
00:09:23
Speaker
Yeah. very That's very interesting, honestly. Belly, pleasure having you on here. I mean, obviously introduced formally earlier. ah You and I kind of share a little bit of a ah a little bit of ah of of the same job I ah was kind of thrown into the, uh, equipment manager role. Cause normally I served as the goalie coach on my junior B team. And, uh, they didn't really want me on the benches as a goalie coach. So I ended up going, getting thrown in the, uh, in the, uh, equipment manager side of things there as well. So, uh, I know how, I can't say I know how hard it gets cause you probably did a lot more stuff than I did, but regardless of that. Um, so.
Day-to-Day as an NHL Equipment Manager
00:10:09
Speaker
As a and NHL or pro equipment manager, what was kind of like the day-to-day operations? if you could if like what was just kind of what way From when you wake up in the morning to ah game day with the Devils, whether it's at home or on the road, what was kind of the the the the hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute operations with with you and the team there?
00:10:33
Speaker
Yeah. like Like you said, like, uh, I felt like honestly, the more levels you went up, it was a little bit easier. Um, I just felt like obviously when I was in the American league, um, sorry, like early on on my career, yes. Like it was challenging. There's, there's no questions about it. Like you get low budgets, uh, stuff like that. As you see, like junior B and stuff, same thing in the, in the Quebec major junior hockey league.
00:10:53
Speaker
The problem is, like as you get ah into AHL, you get all the resources in the NHL. It's like another level of resources that you have from machinery that you can buy to your ordering budgets. In the NHL, we never really had that budget. So like it made our job so easy because we could always just be like, yes, man, yes, man.
00:11:10
Speaker
Right, so like, I found like the hardest league, obviously, if you can work the if you can work the American Hockey League, you know, and ah in a city that doesn't really have a lot of teams that bust in, so you gotta to go pick them up at the airport and stuff, like in the structure, like you can, like those are those, hard that's the hardest league, because there's only two of you. Now in the national hockey league, we have four equipment guys full time, three that travel and a truck guy. So like, for on that side of it, your, your,
00:11:36
Speaker
Like I said, it's like, it's like the lower leagues are harder to work and it's a little more rewarding when you get to the NHL because there's no stress of budgets. Uh, guys get what they want. Like we got players like on a regular, like Jack Hughes is a great example is Jack Hughes goes through, I don't know the exact number of gloves, but I can just give you kind of an idea. Like he goes through written three brand new pair of gloves every couple of weeks.
00:12:00
Speaker
So put that into a season effect. Like, I don't know, 20 something gloves. I don't know. Right? So like, but, but then there's also on the other side of it where Jack and them had a hard time getting out of their skates.
00:12:11
Speaker
Right. We get some guys, you know, you hear stories of Matthews and them using new skates every game day or a new pair of skates and stuff like that. Um, and there's some guys like that with different teams, but then there's also guys where you like you're, you're trying to force them in the new gear and they don't want to get into, into into it. And that's one big adjustment I realized from like junior to like, and minor pro to like and NHL, NHL guys don't really want to change gear. I feel as much like they like their old stuff. They're used to it. They're comfortable. They don't like change where I find the new kids always want to try the new trends or they want to new products, but they want to get it. So that's the difference you have in it. You're, you feel like you're repairing more stuff. So back to your thing about, uh, about the day to day, like, you know, every day is a big business day in the NHL. There's a lot of sticks at at risk, right? For everybody, like, you know, ownerships and players and health and they, uh, being healthy and.
00:13:01
Speaker
um you know Our days typically start around about seven, anywhere from 6.30, 7.30 in the morning, depending. Some of us are, like myself, are a little bit later in there at times. but you know And then you gotta think, like you gotta to let the chefs in. The chefs are gonna cook breakfast. Sometimes they're already there. um You have you know strength coaches, you have but tons of medical staff, and everyone feels like their job's important.
00:13:25
Speaker
right That's a big piece. they and And they are to an extent, but at the end of the day, we're there to serve as the players. right like if they They gotta be happy. you know The coaches, like as an equipment guy, you're taking care of more than just 25 players. You're taking and a bunch of staff. like You gotta think, you take over on ah on a regular. like We travel, right you got over 10 to 12 support staff that travel with the team.
00:13:52
Speaker
Right, that's four like metal guys, a strength guy, three equipment guys. Yeah, sorry, so just under 10, we're around nine, 10. So like that's that's a big number of people that travel, just support team. Then you got, you know, all your coaches, you know, you got five, six coaches too. um So that's ah a lot, a lot of it, people think like, oh, you're just taking care of the players. They're like, no, but like you got scouts coming in all the time. So you got to get them bagged up with clothing. And there's everybody,
00:14:18
Speaker
Even if they come down for a minute, they always want to be around in the mix. And sometimes they got to get pushed away by management to kind of keep it a little more or less distractions around the room. um But typically, you know, your guys show up. If it's 11 o'clock skate, guys have to rank by nine.
00:14:33
Speaker
930, the latest. ah Some guys are even earlier than that. And pro, it's no different than your jobs, right? like You're all there to do your thing. Nobody tells you to like come prep before or get worked on or or get extra or you know i'll get an extra workout in. like You're a professional, so it's on you to have have your body ready, right? So everyone has different routines. There's not one player that's ever the same. um So they typically get in there between you know nine Nine, nine 30. Um, and then after skate, they're there to about almost one o'clock. So that's a good morning chunk of the day, whether they're in the shooting room or getting cold tubs, ice subs, yoga, you know, treatment, massage room, sauna, you know, hot tubs again, like I said. Um, so there's a lot that way. Um, so then when the guys go to practice, obviously we straighten up a little bit like that. We obviously get things set up for practice socks, jerseys, um, on a practice day. and we'll get all the laundry done. By the time we leave at four or five o'clock on a practice day, um for the most part, we have everything dialed in, everything's folded, put back away. They just basically go could turn the key and step out for practice. But every coach is different. We've had some coaches where they could give us lines the night before, and we could set them up, and most coaches now
Game Day and Practice Logistics
00:15:47
Speaker
want to give D in the morning. So we don't technically have jerseys up there, but everything's just all fully stocked, ready to go, whether it's fridges bridge is from
00:15:55
Speaker
You know, whoever's film them, obviously that was a big fight at times for that. I've seen like eight people hate filling the fridges because there's so much drinks. That's so that's the reality of it a little bit. Um, so yeah, so like practice day, we're typically there till about three 30, four o'clock.
00:16:10
Speaker
on a practice day when when you skate at 10 in the morning, just shows you how much goes into it. um And then on in this practice day, sometimes you're playing catch up or being an equipment manager position, you're gonna be proactive on a lot of things. So for us, sometimes we have to plan, all right, we have one practice day, and then we have two games but then we're leaving right after that that game going to uh a road trip for a few days we could play it you know what i mean you don't know so on that practice day it could be so crucial for us to get all the extra all the road game jerseys packed all the extra laundry because we have rolled laundry we have so many date bags and laundry we can pack stuff early extra sticks
00:16:49
Speaker
Tapes, clothing, um you'd be surprised. like The amount of people that ask for clothing and stuff for friends and family on the road that you just gotta to have packed and ready for you. you know So there's a lot of there's a lot of being proactive and a lot of like looking ahead of head of scheduling. So sometimes on practice days, you might go a little bit later in the day just because you're trying to get caught up to be ready for the road trips before you go on them. And then vice versa, coming back from a road trip,
00:17:14
Speaker
You know, it might be your first practice tape and you try to get a lot done when you first get in, but sometimes you just got to get home and get that rest a little bit too. So besides your main stuff, somebody, you might have to restock trunks and, and so on and so forth and back to the road stuff of it. We typically typically, I think it was like 80 something pieces.
00:17:32
Speaker
um I'll try to find you the picture afterwards. I'll send it so maybe you can show the group that um When you edit this part of that I'm talking about but you can like I put that and show them as they say 80 pieces I got a whole lineup of all the stuff we ever packed for a road trip. It's freaking cool to see so um Anyways, so yeah, so that could practice these kind of like that and game days. It's um Obviously a bit different, right? We got to come back for games. So we're so routine that we know every game day we could be done by 12 30 ish one o'clock match with everything done now Typically at home from the practice in the morning, right guys think same same type of schedule um we basically have a afternoon staff skate their Jersey we did so I A lot of us would wait for the towels to do that around three o'clock. They'd just sit in the dryer for us because we'd go play in a staff's case. So it'd be like Marty Burderer would be out there, Patrick Eliaj. You'd have Travis Sajak out there. You'd have... um Andy Green, former captain and too. All thousand games, you know. um Marty plays out, which is crazy. Marta Burderer does. He doesn't play net. um But it's kind of cool. You're playing with some of these guys and it humbles you pretty quick being like, man, like they're out here with you playing. And and then you try to do a move and you realize they, you're not even on their caliber. So.
00:18:50
Speaker
But yeah, so then within in the afternoon, like I said, we have that downtime between one and three o'clock three 30, uh, where we could play hockey and stuff like that, then get showered up. And then our first guy typically walks in the door for a game at seven around three, 34 o'clock. And then, you know, they're prepping their sticks, getting ready. We already got the jerseys all out after morning skate. And, um, and you know, we set up the benches, but by the time music players come work out, we kind of hope to be twiddling our thumbs.
00:19:16
Speaker
you know being there in case they need something just like NASCAR. um Ideally we like to have everything done even on practice days the night before all our repairs or skate sharpening or whatever we're doing because we wanna be able to assist anybody or whatever they need the next day and you never know what's gonna get thrown at you. And the golden rule was you always knew if you you always knew if you you left stuff for the next day that you're gonna have some type of day or morning where five, six things are thrown out here and you're fighting right down to the wire to get guy out.
00:19:48
Speaker
for practice for the repair or something. So you try not to hold stuff for the next day that much if you can. But, um, so yeah, so back to the, the game, right? We have the game at seven after the game, all the laundry, usually we would be home by 11 30 midnight, but back to that whole scenario, like I said, how easy that was for us in the NHL, you go in the minors, you got less staff. So you got, you got two in the American league. I remember when I got to the American, I was like, man, this was huge. We got two of us.
00:20:15
Speaker
But you're taking care of the visiting teams, guys are more needy. um And you know you don't have the you don't have the body power to like you know get out of there quicker. So like on practice days, we might be there till five, six o'clock or a little bit later than that. ah Game days, instead of having the laundry done by one, we might not get it done till 3.30. So like you're working that whole time. So the NHL is way easier on that aspect. You got more eyes on things.
00:20:39
Speaker
You can pick each other's brain, you can tell it, you know, you can push things amongst each other to to get them done quicker, where you just don't have that manpower. And then if you go to like, like the East Coast hawkey Hockey League or thou or Major Junior, you usually just set yourself and you have maybe like ah a game day helper or a buddy that will help you out and you're giving them 30, 40 bucks to come come help out for the night, you know? So you also got to remember that you got to set up all the visit teams. The visit teams get a bunch of stuff too.
00:21:07
Speaker
Right? So like there's a lot of stuff that goes in with that side that people don't see where you're supplying towels and hydroculators and and water bottles and filling fridges. And you know, so like the more, the more things that you get on your plate and um and if it's just you.
00:21:22
Speaker
ah more you're like the more time that you're working.
Challenges of NHL Equipment Management
00:21:25
Speaker
So like i like again, back to it, I think the NHL's very easy in that aspect. Guys are way more demanding and like you know you gotta to get so sometimes you gotta to get stuff done quick. But there's also times there's this equipment guy in the NHL where you're not even doing equipment manager stuff.
00:21:40
Speaker
like here like ah you're moving guys out of apartments or moving them in or, you know, they need you to go pick something up or, you know, like I feel too, and I don't really want to be swearing on here, but runs downhill too. So like as a equipment guy, everyone thinks you're at the bottom of it, where it's like you get, sometimes you get the front office asking you to do stuff that's not even in your job description, but like can't tell them no.
00:22:06
Speaker
right like okay I guess I gotta do it but it's like you know everyone sometimes too I feel like also the more higher you go up in the in the ladder the more politics the more the more corporate it is too you know everyone feels like they're a part where sometimes you just take away all the extra bodies and just have the players in their moment and maybe that'd be it better for some teams, right? So, hopefully that kind of gives you an idea, kind of like the day to day. Like I said, there's so much stuff that comes up. You know, guys want to tinker with different blades and reps are in all the time to like, you know, meet with players and go over new products. And you'd be surprised, boys, on the product situation. Like guys nowadays are getting forced out of gear. like da Like, I remember a few years ago,
00:22:51
Speaker
Like, I like love using Jack as the example, because I feel like a lot of kids nowadays know who Jack uses with Jack. Like, don't don't quote me 100% on this to that aspect, because I didn't really get too involved with it, but they pretty much told me they were discontinuing his helmet.
00:23:10
Speaker
And like he was like, well, I think he was pretty much like, I like i like my helmet. So like, well, no, like we got too many helmets out, I think, was kind of how they were saying it. And they were kind of like, oh well, when when it runs out and you can't find any more, then you're gonna have to find another one, right? And that's reality. like dc These companies nowadays are just trying to pump out all this new product.
00:23:30
Speaker
Right. But it's like, when guys like stuff, that that was some of the complaints I think some guys say is like, why change things if the, you know, if we like it. But then again, I could see the company side, there were some of them that had so many different varieties of helmets out. They had to basically be like, okay, what are we doing here? We got to narrow it down for budget costs and everything like that. Right. So, so is, um,
00:23:54
Speaker
Is that pretty common and then? Cause I know a lot of people talk about, uh, you know, players having a lot of skin gear, especially goalies, like they'll have like, you know, four or five model old pads, but they have the newer graphics so that the, the companies can kind of sell them. That's a great, that's a great, great question. So, um, like I know Schneider, when we have Schneider as our goalie, Schneider He used to tell me, he goes, man, he goes, I go to a a hockey school or whatever, and goalies would be like, oh man, you got the, the Vaughn, I'm just giving you an example. I didn't even know what this one's like. The the Vaughn S6 is, that's like the top one right now. And he'd be like, do I? out but But he would have his pad or just have that graphic on it, right? Or whatever the the model was. He goes, I couldn't tell you what it is. I just tell the reps.
00:24:43
Speaker
exactly what I like about the gear, what I want to change on the gear. You know, so a lot of guys, like that's, they didn't even know what they have for like. styles, right? They just have their pad basically with the like newer graphic. Now there's sometimes the rep will come in with the companies and be like, all right, we changed this. This is like the newer one. Do you like it? Yeah, I like it. Okay. Well, you can get into that. Like there was some of that, but Schnei is our member. We had that conversation with him and he was just like, yeah, man, like, I don't know what I have. I just have volunteer. You know what I mean? So
00:25:14
Speaker
Um, that side of it too, like a lot of goalies too, like the gears, not like what it used to be with Vaughn, like back in the day, like, um, like everyone's in these new powers, but they break down so easy. Like they're breaking down. The guys are going through, you know, five, five sets season of gear.
00:25:32
Speaker
maybe some some more, maybe some a little bit less. Let's say the average guy's probably about five sets in the NHL between pads and and at least three three, at least three. so um And then you get some guys that can't change, like Mackenzie's Blackwood has had the same chest protector since I've seen him in pro and that's over,
00:25:52
Speaker
you know, seven seasons, he might've changed it when he went to San Jose, but I doubt it, but he couldn't change the belly. And like the padding was so warped like to his, like when he got in the butterfly that Like there's like the, like he was feeling shots. Like there's been times he's got bruises underneath and stuff, but he can't, he can't get out of it. He loves it. So like, you know, I know the league gave him the, the, the, the player, the player association paired with the, with the NHL and stuff. Um, they, they were on him a bit about how, how rising his shoulders were getting, but he's just a big build body, but we had to like literally take pictures of him with it on. to show that we weren't because they thought like maybe we're stuffing stuff underneath or like adding back but he wasn't it's just the way it sat on him so they I know that the NHL can't wait for him to get rid of it but he's like he's getting bruises now but he just doesn't want to get rid of his chest he changes the arms out a little bit but the main piece in the middle uh is still there um yeah so that's and then you get some boys that just
00:26:54
Speaker
Don't care at all, like Andrew Hammond. Hammer's one of my good buddies. Kincaid's a really good buddy of mine. Just married a girl from my hometown. He came for a little visit with me a few years ago, Keith Kincaid, and I told him he might fall in love with a girl from this way. and Here we are. He loves that maritimeer blood. you guys so yeah so He's married to her now and they're also living in the States and he's playing in the East Coast Hockey League this year. He just loves playing. He's just ah such a good humble kid. like I don't think a lot of guys after a while that played in the NHL and played a few years in the American League and then had a chance.
00:27:27
Speaker
to to play again this year, and but they said, you know, you're gonna be in the East Coast Hockey League, and he still went. That just shows you the character that he is sometimes with that. um but But some of these goalies here are like so easygoing, but I think to date, the goalie that I've seen the most dialed in in such a true professional on a daily is Jake Allen. That guy is so dialed. He does everything with a purpose.
00:27:53
Speaker
He's so professional. He's well dressed. He's really good to the trainers. He's, and I'm not um even being biased. Like I knew him a bit cause he's ah from New Brunswick like I am, but I only knew him like from other teams to say hi. And I really got to know him when we traded for him from Montreal. and And I only had him half a year last year and he was by far one of my favorite.
00:28:12
Speaker
Favorite goalies like hands down that just every day conducted himself like such a good pro worked hard um he He and what I liked to about him He knew exactly and they talked about veterans like a lot of guys know exactly what they want for gear what they need They'll tell you what they need and that's it. You just get it for them and dial it in and that's him like there was there was no uh there was no uh 50 50 with him it was you knew exactly what you're getting every day so he might be one of my tops of like being dialed in now we got
Professionalism and Player Relationships
00:28:43
Speaker
a few guys that were a little too loosey goosey at times but you become buddies with them too right so like can kade and i are like you know good buddies god love them and
00:28:52
Speaker
And I remember one time we were in Vegas. The first year of Vegas was in town. We had a night out. So we flew in like when we kept playing in the east coast, the west coast. So you try to like get in a day or two before and kind of get accumulated to obviously the time change and stuff like that. So we kind of had a little green light that we could have a team building night out.
00:29:17
Speaker
And, uh, the boys let loose, but we're playing Vegas the next like night or two later and they were really good at the time. And, uh, the boys rallied and we, uh, uh, they beat them at like eight, two or eight three and in Vegas and had made it for, uh, you know, a good green light that we got like turned into a success story where not all the time that happens, you know, might, might've had a few boys on some IVs, uh, the day before the game.
00:29:43
Speaker
yeah but But it's it's it's interesting that you mentioned Alan because there was a There was a something to do with angle about him about I think it was with this glove Actually, cuz he was I know he was rocking the the the true set with Montreal Brian's love, right? you get the wasine right Well, not no, i does yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now. And that was and and that was the thing because he was he he was in the true set in Montreal, comes over to Jersey, ended up going into the Brian set and all Brian's talking about. the Yeah. ah Yeah. All that. And then he was talking. He was just raving about the the glove. And I he was saying that like out of all the gloves that he's had and in in his career, that it was the Brian, I think it was the Brian's glove that he said was
00:30:29
Speaker
one of the best that he's ever had and he's been in fawn and i think it was about one point and true and and coming along i think it was a brian i think it was a subzero i'm not sure um but yeah he was just raving about it yeah um to be honest with you i can't i don't remember that com like i never really had that conversation with so i can't really speak on that but i do know like you love the brian's gear um For, I remember what do he had, forget what he had for skates. Did he have grass skates? They think I'm only a couple months out and I can't, can't remember what he had. If he had like the trues with like this, I think he might have true, but he spray painted like to get the the white, white boot look. Maybe, maybe that's what they did. Um, the one guy though, like Mackenzie Blackwood, like, like there was one point he had like, uh, you ever hear the Bauer bump on the back of like your skate?
00:31:24
Speaker
Right? Like, guys, like, yeah the foot's in the skate, and it rubs, and it creates, like, a little calcium bump, and it gets bigger and bigger as you play. No, I'm taking up the Lundquist loop. No, I'm taking up the Lundquist loop. That's what I'm thinking. Okay, so he, uh, Mackenzie Blackwood, like, literally, like, his got so big, like, the size of golf ball, that the other equipment guy, Schmitty, with us in Jersey, had to cut out the side of a skate, and then put, like, it's some type of mold on the outside of it, just to to get him out there skating.
00:31:54
Speaker
I just couldn't get him out of the skates either. And it got so big that he had to get surgery on it, I think. And they had to like shave it down and stuff. Like that's crazy. But you know, that's, uh, that's, uh, perks of grinding with, uh, being a goalie, but that guy's a beast. Like I've never seen a guy so in shape, like Mackenzie, like.
00:32:13
Speaker
you know If he could put it all together with everything else, I feel like some guys can get distracted, some can a little bit, but you know a machine off ice. His legs were trunks, and he's just so powerful on the net. I'm sure you see that when he plays. like He's got all the tools to be a top guy if he can you know dial in his prep. If he had Jake Allen's prep,
00:32:36
Speaker
Man, i I think that guy would be like so but that's my personal opinion and I'm just a a ah Former equipment manager. So my opinion doesn't really hold weight is what others may think but that's the truth I kind of wanted to touch on that because like obviously You've been around goalies and you've been around the game in the the position so like my question for you then is Do you think like?
00:33:04
Speaker
um the veteran guys, so you talked a lot about Alan and it sounds fairly similar to a guy like Craig Anderson, but do you think that the reason those guys have such a long, like steady career is related to kind of what they do off the ice and their approach and their prep? Yeah. A hundred percent. A hundred percent. so because even as Even as a backup, like you got to be a good teammate, right? People got to like you. Right. And you got to work hard to practice too. Like he does everything. the right way from like, and I haven't seen also here's another crazy fact about Alan. He, he loses so much water weight in a game. Like it's so bad that if he takes his gear off.
00:33:47
Speaker
And we leave it there and we pick it up in a little bit. There's the puddles humongous on the floor of how much water he loses in a game. Like it's bad. Like he, and he cramps a bit too. So he's got to take the, the cramp and stuff and like that. But he, he loses a lot of weight. He says water weight in games, like more than the norm.
00:34:08
Speaker
So what are some of the things that he does then that like you attribute to that success and that are so good as part of his his approach? Like I said, everything's a standard with him. like he's like Instead of waiting for the bus at 4 o'clock, he'll get in an Uber at 3.15 and be there at 3.30 on a road game. um you know wait When he comes to the rink come game time, like he's the first one in the room are in our Our equipment room in the morning stuff talking. He's there extra early like guys say the guys don't have to be there till 9. He's there at 758 a.m um You know when it comes to game time it comes to the rank like it's a different mode for him headphones are on He tapes up the new stick. He knew he's a new stick guy ah from what I've remember. He's a new stick ivory and When he's playing, um, but he's, he's in his zone. He does his warmup. Uh, he's very active to get the body going, like, like getting his hips worked on or, or getting worked out, but also getting in the gym and getting really loose and ready to go for the game. And by the time he puts on the gear, like he's got a good sweat on and a lot of the athletes are like that actually where, you know, they're, they're warmth or so that's their engine, right? So, um, just his day to day, like I said, he dresses well, uh, He talks well, he's just, he's so well respected. And I, you know, to this day, he might be one of my favorite goalies to watch on a day-to-day basis of that. And like, just um very humble too. You know, like that, the guy want to stay on the cup and you know, you wouldn't even know it. Like he's just, he's just so... passionate and and and obviously now he's got kids and stuff too so trying to balance and balance that type of lifestyle too and um You know, he's been great for them there like I've no wonder why they're having success now I see what getting marks from there this year and stuff with him and um you know, like when it's easy easier to play for a goalie they say when you know when he's well-liked and the guys want to block shots and battle for him, you know, so it's ah
00:36:05
Speaker
You know, that's, that's reality. It's just, it's just everything about him. He's just so professional. Like there's, there's no, there's no immaturity at all. There's no, he does everything for a purpose. Whether he's on the ice first on practice, doing a goalie stuff, like, uh, for staying out late after practice to get an extra work in or to help out the other guys. You know, he's earned it at times to maybe shortcut it quotations on that, but he doesn't, he doesn't take shortcuts. So I love that about him.
00:36:38
Speaker
Biggest beauty, i like i like I said, I'm biased with Kanker, biggest beauty, but I had a lot of fun. I call i call Andrew Hammond, I call him, hes he's a sneaky one, you know what I mean? He can be real quiet. It's been a few times, I think.
00:36:54
Speaker
i don't know if it happened see some stories become a blur and i should have probably wrote a book about it but like wrote some notes over the years but i don't know if it was him or canker but i think there was one night we went out for like we flew into a city and we had a nice little steak dinner maybe a couple too many uh cocktails at the dinner and next you know one thing led to another and you know people were all out. So we we joined joined in on the fun of going elsewhere with with a good crew of people. And it's like, ah, I'm not in tomorrow. And I don't know which one it was, so that way it won't be able to point the fingers, which is kind of kind of good on my part. But one of them,
00:37:29
Speaker
And anyways, and ended up having to go in the game the next day. And I think it was like, wish me luck, like, and he played like played well. Like, did they didn't didn't embarrass himself, but it was like, unexpected too. So I kind of liked that a little bit, you know what I mean? Like, a little guilty play every now and then. Guys, the younger younger generation doesn't do it as much, but the older ones, like, especially the goalies were like, ah, I'm not in tonight. So we stayed a little later than what we probably should. um But,
00:37:57
Speaker
You know, looking back at it now, it's it's funny. And I remember like we could back with the hotel, I get dropped off down the street. I go in the back door. I go through the hotel first, see if there's any management or anything. All right. Text them, you're good to come in. So they come in afterwards. So, you know, there's a little stuff with that back in the day that was.
00:38:13
Speaker
I say back in the day, but this era that we did, but a lot of guys get away from that now. These younger goalies and nothing against them like Dawes and Schmid, you know, they're, they're rookie. So they're just trying to build on their career. So they're not even trying to be seen out anywhere as you know, get a dinner, all everything was a purpose for them and as it should be, you know, so some of these older guys at the end of the their career, they're just, you know, there's a reason why they fade off a little bit quicker than others because they take some choices that are probably not the best for their, their career.
00:38:44
Speaker
fair enough yeah fair fair enough there um I feel like you've kind of knocked out our three questions here. So I'm gonna I'm gonna go with this one um Obviously being an equipment manager you see all different facets of the team between the coaches to the players to the goalies um Who in your opinion and just kind of like a brief blanket statement was more high maintenance was it? Jack Hughes and the forwards was it Named defenseman here and then the guys on defense or was it guys like Schneider and Allen and Or just just kind of this the goalie group in there. So just who was who was the
00:39:34
Speaker
I want to say it this way. Who was the best to kind of work with and who was kind of like the most annoying to work with? I feel like the goal is probably the most annoying. I don't know if I'm going to get in trouble for this one. Well, we had a goalie, probably the worst goalie I ever had to deal with. And there's a few teams who went on after us that that he was like painful for teams. Like I'm talking like every day we had to like change, but can you put my button? Can you unsole my button here and put it here? Or like my straps, can you sew them up here? Or can we change this out? Or like every day there was something with him, like every day. And we're it's okay, like we get it, we're there to service him, but at one point we're like, where does this stop?
00:40:21
Speaker
like every day. um And other teams said it like they like, we heard from one team and I don't know the truth of it. So, um but I don't know if I think it was Columbus, he went to Outters after they went to, after us, he went to Columbus. And I think there was like, um there was like an L, L ranch, or he put like an, some type of tool in his blocker to give it a weight, stuffed it on the inside to give it weight because it was turning out worse to get it to turn in.
00:40:49
Speaker
Like stuff like that, like just bizarre stuff sometimes. So he was definitely the most high maintenance goalie I've ever had in my 19 seasons between volunteering and working hockey full time.
Personal Anecdotes and Player Personalities
00:41:02
Speaker
Guaranteed. Like no, there's no comparison. And if he's watching this, I hope you're well. He's actually a very good person. He means well. Uh, but some boys just got in their heads a little bit with that stuff, right?
00:41:15
Speaker
Um, man, oh man, every day there was some type of difference or something that he needed to like change. Like, and the, probably the most easy going, like Jake Allen was very, like very good. Easy going knew exactly what what what he wanted, what he didn't need. Um, uh, hammer. There's a lot of good goalies, believe it or not. Goalies weren't as crazy as what you think. Um,
00:41:40
Speaker
We didn't really have too many high, high maintenance players. Like most guys are so good guys and they take care of you anyways, that you didn't care if they were like high maintenance or it didn't didn't bother you, right? So like be as high maintenance as you want. But definitely my the biggest beauty too, like PK Subban, I live with them for two seasons, which that's finally coming out to the public, but no one really knew that. Pandemic hit, he was a good man that way.
00:42:06
Speaker
You know, pandemic hit and he knew we weren't really making a lot of money. and And he said, hey, get out of your lease and move in with me. So I moved him in with him ah for ah for a bit. And, you know, he was...
00:42:19
Speaker
He's very good to me, but he was definitely hard on me too at times. Like a good, funny story about PK. It's like everything was like choking around with him, but like sometimes he was serious. So like, obviously he took a really, really good care of me on fights too, but I, you know, I packed for him and stuff at times. And, and when I was packing for him, he basically, uh, you know, he had this like little like massage balls, like a little cross ball. So I always pack it for him.
00:42:43
Speaker
Well, sometimes on the road trips, like every now and then, I might forget something. be Like, dude, you forgot this. That's on you. And then we'd laugh about it afterwards. Like, dude, that's crazy that yeah that you forgot that, you know? But it was fun and jokes. But there's times you're like, dude, you got to dial it in. And there's times I just, I screwed up.
00:42:59
Speaker
You know, um, but one time the boys, they had practice forever. We were, we left right after a game. So he packed his own bag. We get there and he's like, dude, you forgot my medicine, but you forgot my, my massage ball. He's like, that can't happen.
00:43:16
Speaker
I'm like, PK, you packed you packed your own bag yesterday. Still dude, it's on you. He starts laughing, but he's serious too. He's like, it's still on you. you know So then I'd always have to triple check with his gear and stuff, just to make sure that he had everything kind of packed up and ready to go. you know oh Yeah. So that's, um, you know, with as much as he's hired on me, he's took really good care of me. We'll get a lot of good stories, uh, that I cannot talk about at times. I just, you know, I keep that side of it very private with them. Uh, but we're the same, same cross, the same cloth of person, you know, we are very outgoing, uh, same personalities. Um, yeah. So it's, uh, we had a lot of fun. Yeah. That's a good segue cause I wanted to touch on personalities cause Suban's probably one of the outliers when it comes to hockey, but.
00:44:04
Speaker
a lot of people have this perception of hockey players that they're very just dry monotone. Like, you know, every interview is, yeah, we got pucks in deep pucks to the net, you know, yeah ah kind of the same yeah kind of structured every interview answer out there. So just ah wanted to get your take being around the guys and kind of behind the scenes, like how much different is it, uh, like their personalities as opposed to what people see in the media?
00:44:33
Speaker
No, you're right. I think, you know, there's definitely different personalities and some, obviously some guys can give the boring interviews of being like, oh yeah, Fox deep stuff like that. Because some guys don't want to be in the media. Like you look at a guy like Jack Hughes, he has, doesn't want anything to do with the media. You know, um he's that just, he just rather just play hockey and not be bothered and and not have to answer questions where, you know, you get some guys that are very honest and answer the media. Well, like Ben Lovejoy used to get into the media a lot.
00:44:58
Speaker
wasn't the idea, like like a big superstar playing the National Hockey League, one customer, he's a more stay home D man block shots, but they loved him in the media because he basically, he he could talk about things and he, you know, it wasn't like a yes, no type of answer thing. He can kind of go on.
00:45:14
Speaker
And same thing with like a Brendan Smith. So, um, to really say it doesn't really affect on the personalities. Like none of it really does. Like, I don't know, like these, these guys, like everyone's so different, right? And that get in front of a camera for a minute. They might be shy. They might not be, but overall, like most guys, like they they have to be back to personalities. But time here in the NHL, if you're, if you're a bad Apple, you kind of get weeded out. So like, like Jersey, like I can also say not very often we had too many bad people around there.
00:45:43
Speaker
And if they, if they are, I got snipped out quick, they released or traded, but you know, they do a good job at having a good, good, good people for player wise there. That's for sure. that And so with that, then being part of an organization like the devils, what was a lot of just like the locker room kind of energy, like, um,
00:46:12
Speaker
playoff games, regular season games, great games, bad games. You know kind of what's like the you see you see some parts of the stuff, like especially with like the new Amazon ah amazon Prime Faceoff docuseries that I got to catch up watching on. And so like how like how how much of that like do you see in the locker room and just kind of um just, yeah, just what, just, will just kind of what's it like? in the highest Yeah, little of it yeah no for sure. Like, like I said, like the good thing is talk about, good thing is talking about playoffs. Like, you know, Jersey at the time, you know, when we played the Rangers there a few years ago, beat them in the first round, if people don't remember correctly, uh, they went like, they we were down two on the series at, uh, I think it was at home. Like we bought the first two games. So people are devastated and stuff. And I remember Andre Pilat, you know, this guy just came off of winning two cups.
00:47:09
Speaker
And if he doesn't speak, but when he speaks, everyone listens. He's that type of guy. So when he came in the room and he's like, boys, like everyone was like shot. Like if we were like, we were done. And he said, boys, like relax. Like the series is far from done. We're down two games. He's like, he was literally like, there's, we're going to have some really good highs and some really good lows. These are our lows. Now we're going to get some highs. He's like, you know, stick with it. We're all right.
00:47:37
Speaker
and they changed a few things and we went into the garden in Madison Square Garden, won two games, came back, what did we do? Came back for game, yeah, we won two games to tie it up. We came back in one game, game five. Yes, and then we lost game six and then we ended up winning game seven at home. So it just shows you, right? Like guys came in all, like I even mean deep down, to be honest, I was like,
00:48:06
Speaker
I was like, don't bleep that out because I don't want to be swearing. But I was like, man, I think we're done. you know and And to look back at it and see how they rallied rallied like they did and you know got it together, guys got clicking at the right time and you know beating them in seven was unbelievable.
NHL Team Policies and E-Bug Stories
00:48:23
Speaker
you know Especially because like it's right across the water, it's 20 minutes.
00:48:26
Speaker
the rivalry is huge they think they're the king of the king and they're far from it like that's another thing we'll touch on is how cheap some of these teams are you'd be surprised at how cheap some of these NHL teams are with different things um so you know at the end of the day Like seeing that side of it, yes. um You know, and there's some options, some good moments, some bad moments. um You know, you you see a bit of everything, but it's raw emotions, right? So like you said, when you see McDavid screaming, like that happens every now and then, it doesn't happen every day. But like, those are emotions, they're they're humans.
00:49:00
Speaker
you know they're playing a sport and with a lot of passion and a lot of stakes on the line all the time and you know the the motion sometimes can get the best of them so yeah there's definitely a lot of different highs and lows and when there's lows I try to get out of the room as much as possible and let them let them figure it out but you know they're pros too so they gotta you know they gotta figure it out also right so that gives it kind of kind of a thing on it but yeah back to like teams being cheap like You know, and some of these guys, I don't even think they even realize that like the martial arts and stuff like that. Boston is one of the cheapest teams in the national hockey league. And people wouldn't even know if they're sold out every night. They're original six. Like, like they, like some teams go above and beyond with swag for teams and shoes and stuff like that. And then like there's some teams like Boston that.
00:49:47
Speaker
They barely get anything for their players, you know any any extras. Or like the quit managers might have to really force, like put a reasoning together why they gotta order so many items for a player or something. like Jersey, there was nothing like that. And also, I feel like when teams is like we go go back on everybody being, like some teams being cheap and some not, you you'd be surprised on some of the Some of the businesses or companies like for in the hockey world That are like extremely wealthy and take really good care of the players and people wouldn't even know it so we can go both sides of it and Just to give you kind of like an insight like in Jersey like we do a ah father's mother's trips every year They do one now i out of my seven years there I only got to bring my parents my mom once and my dad once out of seven seasons and
00:50:34
Speaker
The players got to bring their players or their their their mother or father on the whatever year it was for either or on all those. But only the staff can only bring them out of my seven once each. So I was blessed that I got a chance to do that with them. Would I like to maybe have them there more? Of course they would, I love love my parents, like they're good people and the the more I could be around mom and dad, why wouldn't I, right? So, you know, and I'm sure maybe there's teams that do it elsewhere where they don't do any trips at all, or they might just do players all the time, or there might be some teams that do everybody all the time. So every team has a different standard of how they evaluate and how they they evaluate their staff and and what they think, right? Like, you know, i've you know it's just it's just reality of different organizations do different things.
00:51:22
Speaker
and that demean, right? So, um you know, it's it's crazy to think sometimes too, where, you know, i I'm not going to speak on what teams, but I'll let people, people can kind of take it for what it is. You know, people think, oh, you're in the that NHL, you're making unbelievable money. Like, no, like,
00:51:37
Speaker
You're making 70K as the third equipment guy in the National Hockey League. That's okay money, but if you're living in a big city, like that's that's hard. like the you know That's not a big earnings and people think the tips are like outrageous like they were in the past, but they're not. and Then you go ask these companies for you know X amount of dollars. and They, eh, I don't know, right? i'm not saying i'm I'm not necessarily saying New Jersey, because I'm not, but there's some teams that are like are really cheap with what their salaries are, but then again, they'll go overpay a guy a million dollars to play on their team, but they won't give a guy an extra 20 grand to just keep them very happy and keep them for loyalty for you, you know? So on that side of it too, um you know, it's, ah
00:52:24
Speaker
like Like I said, like um on my end, I was very passionate where I was in my my my career. I wouldn't have stayed there seven seasons if I wasn't getting paid a decent amount and and happy, clearly. um But also I decided, you know, with my move on to my new businesses ah financially, it's been a stress-free situation. So I'm very blessed, very happy. Yeah. And at the end of the day too,
00:52:50
Speaker
I mean people do have to recognize to it as a business and they make business decisions even though there's the human element to it. Like I know when I was um ah out for a few games as the emergency backup for the Oilers, one of my former goalie partners was also doing the e-bug for them as well and he got to dress for a couple practices um for various teams and he was telling me that The one practice he went to with the red wings, like Jeff Blashel came up, shook his hand, said, thanks for helping us out. They gave him some swag. He ate dinner or lunch or whatever with the team and all this stuff. But then he had the same, um, experience with the Oilers going out with them for a practice. And he dressed on his own in a different room. Nobody really talked to him. He didn't get anything. They just kinda, you know,
00:53:44
Speaker
Pushed him out on the ice, pushed him back off, and that was that, so. 100%, and you talked about that. You brought up a good point there before you keep going. um There's a guy that we had.
00:53:55
Speaker
Um, Kyle, Kyle Shapiro, he's coaching the NAHL team. Uh, so we had him out, but he talked about different teams. Like they didn't really give him a lot. I don't think, but you know, he got tickets to games when he wanted he, uh, PK rallied around him. Like he got to like dress in a game. Like we we knew we had to dress him. Like and we couldn't get a transaction or something. And we had long Island. So his family came out. I had the photographers taking pictures of him and warmups.
00:54:21
Speaker
by his family and stuff. and Anyways, we ended up winning or whatever and the boys are going out that night and PK invited them out. So he went out with the boys that night. Like he had a night out with the national league, the whole lifestyle nightclub, the whole works. So for him in that moment, you talk about different scenarios with these guys.
00:54:38
Speaker
as E bugs. I actually made a mistake. One of my first seasons there, and you talk about, you know, so different from the miracle lead to the NHL.
Building Relationships in Hockey
00:54:45
Speaker
There was no microscope. So we were in Philly, I think playing and, and, uh, the, the, the service guy came to me. He's like, Hey, we get the backup emergency backup coming in right now. A goalie got hurt.
00:54:57
Speaker
He's like, he's in the room getting ready, but don't let him go on the bench. I didn't think anything of it. I'm like, yeah, okay. So we left and he's got ready. He's like, what do I do? I said, ah, come on up to the bench. So I put him on the bench and it blew up. Like, because then we'd have to use one of our, apparently like, uh, I don't know a hundred percent on this, but we had to use one of our player, uh, like, uh, ah like cards we'd only had so many call ups per year, something or our cards or something like that. And we had to use one on them and they lost it. I thought it was getting fired for it. Yeah.
00:55:26
Speaker
Yeah. Well, that's, um, there was a time where I actually was in talks with, uh, David Poyle because, um, Renee, the night before they were in Calgary, Renee got hurt and the guy they called up, um, when they were in Edmonton the next day, they lost his gear on the flight and I was the E bug for that game. And so I was on call, like I i had a couple of texts and a phone call with David Poyle that, that day.
00:55:55
Speaker
which is kind of cool, but he had straight up said like, we're looking for gear. If we can't find gear you're in, but you won't be on the bench. You won't be warming up. He'll just be in the room. And I was kind of a little devastated by that, but it makes sense. Like you saying that now kind of where he's coming from with that, but yeah, I was just kind of like, Oh, ultimately they did find gear for their guys. So I just was in the, in the stands for the game anyways, but yeah. Yeah. And I think like a lot of times too, like, well, like, uh, you know, especially on the road stuff, you try to get the guy who's the Jersey, do them, um, if he can and, uh, make it him swag and stuff like that. Like that's one thing. And we try to do in Jersey a lot and that kind of got reeled out as we got going too. But we definitely try to, um, we definitely try to like take care of people around. So people like we remember us and stuff like that. And I feel like that was one of my strengths of like what I was.
00:56:51
Speaker
decent out, I guess, is just the relationships that I made and that kind of like made the success of my career that way a bit too, of where it is now with my businesses, so. Yeah, so before um before we let you go here, I do have one more question um just in relation to an equipment manager, and then we'll kind of touch on on the business that you're doing right now and and all that. But I just, I guess, want your take or your opinion, what your favorite part about your career as an equipment manager has been.
00:57:24
Speaker
Well, I got a few. It's obviously the relationships that I've met along the way, but I got a chance in 2022. My head boss, Frosty, at the time, um he got the job for the All-Star game. So he got to bring his staff with him. So he brought us all out. Just being there with those guys and you know meeting McDavid and Matthews. And to be honest with you guys, like Matthews gets a lot of heat.
00:57:51
Speaker
from people around in Canada. I know how Canada is with their sports. That guy's so humble and just like, he sat there and talked to us like we were, he barely knew us. You know what I mean? And just, you wouldn't know he's a superstar that he is. You know, he was very impressive for me. And I, and I say that humbly, like he was literally was sit there, talk right away. Anytime we go, if we played there, if I went down and said hello, like have a conversation with you.
00:58:17
Speaker
I sent him a message on Instagram, you know, thanking him for the week, got back to me, um, followed me back on insta, like just, just a good person. Another one that really surprised me that I really, really loved, um, is, uh, Wilson and,
KYC Hockey Business Insights
00:58:32
Speaker
uh, Washington, you know, we went, we had him for two days, just kind of around and he's hated in the league by, you know, if I, by fans is how he plays, but we'd all love him on our team. But I'll tell you one thing. the so professional. He will definitely be the next captain in there. Every, every time Washington would play in Jersey, he'd skate over, but there's no Bucky on. Come say hello to us and the staff at the bench. Like he did. The guys don't need to do that. And then obviously Crosby, uh, being from the, the Maritimes, I never really got to know him. Um, my boy Colby Armstrong and him are close. So he kind of talked about me a little bit to him. So when, whenever we play in pit, I kind of go out and watch the morning skate for a quick minute.
00:59:12
Speaker
And, uh, Sid would always make it a point to to acknowledge me there at the bench and stuff, which I thought that was kind of cool. Um, and then some of my other favorites, the Kachuk brothers are one of a kind. Like you, oh, they're awesome. Those guys are awesome people. Like just good humans. Uh, mean, well, they're all about team first. Like there's a reason. They're winners, man, that family. they're you know I'm not surprised that Matthew won, and I guarantee you Brady will win a cup, too. it's just He's a winner, man. you You win with that style hockey and just how he is as a person. Probably one of my tops, too. and what What goes with this in line is some of these guys that you think are like the the bad guys on teams are actually the good guys. you know
00:59:57
Speaker
so Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Yeah. Um, so, okay. So let's dive in here just to kind of wrap things up. Let's talk about, uh, let's talk about KYC hockey. What's, uh, what do you guys, uh, what are you guys up to there? Uh, what's, what's KYC all about? Just kind of briefly, how did that all come together and we'll, uh, we'll get you out of here. Yeah. So KYC hockey is the Atlantic Canada brand, baby. Can't beat it. Uh, we got our factory all done up, ready to go.
01:00:26
Speaker
um Our stick our top stick on the hockey tutorial was rated number one as I speak about earlier um So it kind of went worldwide. So we we customized we got pro stock sticks and our price range is awesome We get six out of hundred and seventy dollars and our top end six at 250. So very affordable and Um, it's been really, really good, um, for, uh, you know, for, uh, people that, uh, you know, maybe don't want to spend the top end dollar, but now you're getting a top end stick. So we're kind of fluctuating with the market a little bit. As I could see, I could feel the heat from some companies a bit on that end, which I kind of like.
01:01:00
Speaker
um because it says it's a reality that the sticks don't need to be that priced. So yeah, we strictly have that. We have clothing. If any team ever wants to get clothing done, we do customized clothing and teams can just order it right from our site and go right ship directly to each guy's house, stuff like that. So you don't have to do any handling or ah collecting money. I also, I'm gonna give you guys a promo code that you guys can put up on the screen here for them. To give any viewer or listener, we'll give them 15% off on their next purchase.
01:01:29
Speaker
at KYC Hockey. And the good thing is with our online too, we also have a section where you can make a fully customized stick. And I think we're, don't quote me, but I think we're one of the first to bring a fully customized stick to the market for retail people. Like I know Bauer and them get the customized stick, but I think it's just more or less the flexes and the curves and the name on the stick and the color. We can do sandpaper blades, max heights on blades, candy cane grips, tactic grips, we can do everything custom. So um that's another thing. But yeah, that's you go go likes now. Yeah, we just we just got like today, we just got our first 14 of the men testing out the market. So we're growing their goalie fans. Get your hands on one of the first 14. If not, we can send us a little email and
01:02:20
Speaker
And about going six and we can do a little pre-order and customization too. We went through a few trials with our going six and um we're really happy with our, where our goal stick is now.
Work Ethic and Engagement Advice
01:02:29
Speaker
Yeah. So we'll put all that in the show notes. You guys can get there, uh, at the DIY goalie.com slash pod 0 3 4 pod 0 3 4. Um, and, uh, yeah, we'll get you guys some promo codes. You can check out what, uh, belly and his team's doing over there.
01:02:46
Speaker
Um, just to sign us off belly, do you have one kind of piece of advice to all our listeners and also where can they find you, um, on socials and on your website? Yeah. So obviously we're KYC hockey. That's very straightforward. Get me, uh, on Instagram, Nader one nine one nine N A T E.
01:03:10
Speaker
Yeah, N-A-T-E-R-1-9-1-9. One piece of advice I can say is, um oh, there's so much things I can say. I don't know. um What haven't you said? yeah Yeah, like I said a lot today. I'd say the one thing advice I could say is, you know, control you control your own your own worth ethic, like that that's that's free. You control that and being nice to people is free. It doesn't cost anything.
01:03:39
Speaker
So like if you really care about your career and you want to take it to the next step, do things when people aren't watching. you know Do it for yourself. Don't do it because dad told you to go to the goalie camp or told you to go work out or have a good habit of sleeping early. like go Go be a pro yourself without people telling you to go do things. Be proactive.
01:04:00
Speaker
Awesome. Love it. Well, thanks a bunch belly. We very much appreciate the time that you took ah To talk to us today Connor. Do you want to sign us off? Yeah, i'll so I'll sign us off here belly Thanks so much for hanging out with us today much appreciated For all our true north listeners. Yeah, go go go check out go check out KYC hockey i Go check out nader on ah on on instagram. It's a fun time there You can follow us on our social media platforms at the the at sign at the diy goalie If you guys want to follow us on our in-person goalie school here in the Edmonton area It's at yeg goalie coach on instagram true knows goaltending on the other social media platforms if you are listening over on youtube
01:04:44
Speaker
thanks for Thanks for watching. First off, and make sure that you give us a like and subscribe. If you're listening over on the podcasting platforms, iHeart Spotify, Apple. um thanks for thanks Thanks for listening. First off, make sure you share with share with your friends, family. It's small, small little button that says Sherry, and then you can pick your platform that that you want to share it on. Goalies, we'll see you guys next time. Makes it saves. Take care.