Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Tony Breaks the Ice with NHL Legend Marcel Dionne
99 Plays2 years ago
This week, the Stanleu Cup playoffs are on and Tony gets the chance to talk hockey with the legendary Marcel Dionne. Dionne played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers between 1971 and 1989.
Follow the show on Twitter: @AAThingPodcast
Follow the show on Instagram: @andanotherthingpodcast
Follow Jodie Jenkins on Twitter: @jodie_a_jenkins
Follow Tony Clement on Twitter: @TonyclementCPC
Follow MNC Podcast Productions on Twitter: @MNCPodcasts
Find the show on the web: www.andanotherthingpodcast.ca
Check out some of our sponsors!
The Muskoka Chef - they offer catering throughout the Muskoka Lakes Region by car or by boat. Visit www.themuskokachef.com or call Julie at 416-846-3653.
Halton Government Relations -- opening the doors that will lead to your success.
This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorship
00:00:00
Speaker
And another thing And another thing And another thing
00:00:17
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of And Another Thing podcast. I'm Tony Clement, your co-host, given special dispensation from Jody Jenkins, who's sleeping in this morning and has given me the opportunity to host the program with our very special guests. So we're going to get right to it. First of all, of course, I want to thank our sponsor, John Mutton and the Gang at Municipal Solutions, John
00:00:43
Speaker
is a friend of our guest as well, so this is perfect timing. But let me say a little bit about Municipal Solutions. They are Ontario's leading MZO firm. They do a lot of work on development approvals and permit expediting, planning services with municipalities, engineering, architectural services, even things like minor variances and land severances.
00:01:06
Speaker
and of course building permits. So of course, go to municipalsolutions.ca for all of your municipal solutions needs. And thanks, thank you to John again and his team for being our presenting sponsor today.
00:01:21
Speaker
I also want to say that this podcast and every week our podcast is featured on Hunters Bay Radio 88.7 FM in Muskoka huntersbayradio.com. Every Saturday morning they have a whole feature about chosen podcasts and we are one of them and we really do appreciate that.
Promotions and Guest Introduction
00:01:40
Speaker
And I'm sure Jodi would would like me to mention going to ZekeAgency.com or endless. I think it's EndlessSummer.com for his golf tournament, which is really just a couple of months away now. So it's coming up fast. And we know Jodi's been working very hard on that. So now we are in line for our special guest today. And it is a very special guest. It is none other than Marcel Dion. He was born in Drummondville, Quebec.
00:02:10
Speaker
He was inducted into the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992, played 18 seasons for Detroit, Los Angeles and the New York Rangers. He was a center, of course. And in 2017, was named one of the hundred greatest players in NHL history, achieved a 1976 gold medal as part of the Canada Cup team. And I should mention, because we are going to talk about it, he is an active
00:02:40
Speaker
and successful businessman in restaurants, real estate, sports, memorabilia. I'm sure Marcel will get into that.
NHL Playoffs Insights
00:02:47
Speaker
Marcel, thanks for coming on the program. Well, I'm very happy that we're starting on the right foot this morning. Yeah, we had a couple of tries at this, didn't we? Hey, you know what, Tony, I just feel like the Toronto Maple Leaf got beat up again last night. Oh, they did. You saw that. Hey, I was going to ask you, actually, do you actually follow the playoffs even now?
00:03:09
Speaker
Yes, I do. I think it's much easier As the the playoff starts keep track to the great players, you know, there is 32 teams and When you look at that that's it gets confusing especially when there's trades during the summer the draft and so on so as the pot shrinks
00:03:32
Speaker
Then you see the same guys over and over and that's where you start establishing the ability of those players to get there. So very exciting. I do watch and I cheat because I go and watch the Blue Jays at the same time. I was doing the same thing actually.
00:03:51
Speaker
I don't, I don't think the between period guys appreciate that, but you know, it's, uh, when the J's are on too, you gotta, you gotta pay attention. Can I ask, like, I'm, I'm, I'm actually one of the big surprises. There's a lot of big surprises in these playoffs already, uh, Boston being defeated, uh, Toronto actually winning a series, I guess is a surprise. Uh, and also the Seattle Kraken, like, uh, should we be watching that team? They seem to be doing well.
00:04:16
Speaker
Absolutely. They're just like Las Vegas when they came in the league and the first year and they did accomplish that. Here's my thing about this whole thing. The first round, the first round,
00:04:35
Speaker
is your toughest round because you have team that are very good. The days I played the Tony, you reward the team that got the most points to play against the last team that had the least points. They have eliminated that. So as much as the Boston Bruins, what they did, they start off against a team that
00:05:03
Speaker
got almost 100 points. So how much difference there is, it's for everybody else to think. But I have lived that myself with playing Wayne Gretzky in the playoffs with the Edmonton Oilers. And we beat them. And it was just a three out of five then, especially against Edmonton. And they were as fast as the team as you see today in action. But that first round,
00:05:33
Speaker
It's, it just grabs you. Here's a little, here's a little insight about the Montreal Canadians. When I have a couple of guys from the Canadians got traded to LA. Here's their attitude when they, they were already qualified for the playoffs. The last step that comes from my very good friend, Steve shot. He says, Marcel, the last 10 games of the year, we just focused to play playoff hockey, not just to win.
00:06:02
Speaker
to play playoff hockey. And I don't think it's there now because the team are fighting so hard to get in. Like I said, if you had 75 points in my days as a team, you qualify for the playoffs. Now, because the three-point game, you get a point every time you go overtime, that adds up. It could add up to eight, nine points, and it's a huge difference.
00:06:30
Speaker
Well I know and a lot of people this year were comparing the Boston Bruins to the 1975-76 Canadians and I still think there's no comparison because you get all these extra points for overtime and so on. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Listen Tony, I call this progress.
00:06:47
Speaker
Yeah, no,
Life After Hockey
00:06:48
Speaker
I know, I know. Hey, what do you miss most about about playing hockey and playing in the NHL? That's a very, that's a very, very question. Your audience might laugh about this. Absolutely nothing. Here's Tony. I don't miss one thing. I heard you mentioned that the business and other things that I have done in my life, the next day,
00:07:13
Speaker
When I retired, the next day there was no press conference. There's nothing. Pick up my stuff. I left and I went on to do something else with my life. I really, really enjoy from the time I was five years old playing the game. But when it was over, it was over because I watched, I watched all the great ones that I played against.
00:07:39
Speaker
and see how much they prepare themselves for the next trip. I was very, very lucky to play 18 years, actually 19 training camps, and be able to adjust to the next move. And the number one thing, I wanted if I could accomplish things in my life without using my name.
00:08:03
Speaker
It did work. It did work. A lot of guys live on the name, but it just, it doesn't matter. I can walk just about anywhere. They don't know me. I just fit right in. If they know me, it's just fine. But that's been a really, a big thing for me. Did you have a mentor like playing in the league that you followed because they were success after they retired or, or did you think this up yourself?
00:08:29
Speaker
Well, it's, it's, it's, well, let's take a Gordie Howe, for example, that goes for me, when I mentioned Gordie Howe, does a lot of people have no clue who this guy was? Just like Babe Ruth, right? As a kid, but I met a lot of great ones and Gordie Howe.
00:08:46
Speaker
played 26 years in the NHL. So when I turned pro with Detroit, he was there. He was at the press conference and I was hoping, hoping that he would just announce I got one more year and he did not. Well, then I learned a little bit more about the history. Gordy played 26 years in the NHL and never made any money.
00:09:12
Speaker
Then he went on to play another six years, which is incredible. Played with his two sons. Two sons. And a little hockey association. Yep. Yeah. Mark and Marty. And I said, I look at this thing. I said, who am I? Who? Who? I can't think of anything like that. So then I started to focus on players. That's longevity. But my idols were all the Montreal Canadiens.
00:09:39
Speaker
Jean Baliveau, right, Savard, Yvonne Conway won ten cups, and he was just at Gila Point.
00:09:51
Speaker
They talked, Tony, they talked different. Because they were winning. It was not like they were just mopping the floor, you know? They just knew what to talk about. And he inspired me. And I watched what they did. And I said, hey, you know what? Winning is great, but winning is not everything either, because there's going to be an end to this thing. And how do you?
00:10:16
Speaker
going to become successful so when i talk to when i talk to shop bellow for example he was up and many a company as a ambassador and all that stuff and now watch how he
00:10:31
Speaker
He was perfect, like what he did with the public, how he addressed it. He took his job really seriously. I said, this is how you do it. But it was never meant for me. And I have a good friend, very, very good friend that passed away, Guila Fleur.
00:10:51
Speaker
He was not, he was a corporate guy. He was not a business guy. So was Jean Beliveau. He was not a business. He was a corporate guy. He worked for Molson, which Montreal, Canadian. And Guy did that. For me, no, I had...
00:11:10
Speaker
no power with that because I move. I was in Los Angeles and it was not going to be my lifestyle right there. Beautiful place to live, but it was a little bit too far for my preference of what I'm going to do with my family. And that's how I challenge the system. But you learn. You got to pay attention to certain details. Just like on the jump, I'm going to tell you this. When we played Edmonton and we beat them,
00:11:40
Speaker
That was, uh, that was unexpected. There was a wing whiskey its first year. We both tied for the scoring title and I had more goals. I was awarded the scoring title because I had more goals than Wayne. How can that be? How can that be a two more goals, right?
00:11:59
Speaker
I knew he was going to be the first player to get 200 points. It was unbelievable. But hers before the series started, it was, we had no chance. I mean, everybody says it sediment them. Our coach, his name was Don Perry. And I truly believe in that when you watch TV or people that speak, it doesn't take a lot to hit you if you pay attention. He comes in the dressing room, he goes,
00:12:28
Speaker
to all the players, how tall are you? You know, it's a six, two, how much are you? Two, 15, how tall are you? Six, four, he went around the room, but he went by me, right? Because I'm five, seven, right? He went, but I was, I was stuck. Then Tony, he says, let me ask you, what are you afraid of this team? They're not going to beat us by fighting, but they can beat us by scoring.
00:12:58
Speaker
Right. We went on and the outcome of that series were losing 5
Inspiring Playoff Memories
00:13:04
Speaker
-0 after the second period in Los Angeles. We came back and they called it the miracle of Manchester 1-6-5. Crazy. We played another two games and went on to beat the Edmonton Oilers. Like I told you, it was an upset. Yeah, yeah, for sure. But that thing for me, when I talk to kids and I think
00:13:26
Speaker
That's inspiration there. And it caught me off guard. I said, yeah, he's right. All we have to do is match him. That's all it is. And we won the series. You know, it's it's interesting for what I'm getting from you is that there's a lot of life lessons you learned from your NHL playing career that you've applied to your business and to your personal life. Right.
00:13:49
Speaker
Absolutely. My number one thing, well, I had to write her from way back, way back when I played with the legends. And he texts me, he says, do you have anything to say about Don Maloney? The new manager of the Calgary Flames. I said, well, yeah, he's a nice guy. When I went to New York, he was a classy guy. I mean, he had his brother, Dave, and
00:14:17
Speaker
When I played against him, he was committed to a two way player, this and that. So I said to him, I said, here's the difference. If he would have played with a center like me, he'd be scoring 30, 40 goals. And I said, but.
00:14:34
Speaker
Because he didn't have that center, he never reached that. So the teams are watching you, and he says, I believe in players a lot more than management does, because I can't see what they can do, how they can play the game. Because it's simple. It's a stick and a puck, right? And I was good with that. I moved the puck and just that. But he was a classy guy. And I said to him, I said, you know what? I'm really impressed. He went on with his life.
00:15:02
Speaker
but he stayed in the business as management. And now he makes decisions everywhere from where he played. So I feel good about that guy. He deserves that. Yeah. And, and I think, I think, you know, I think one of the things that you have done is you, you understand your own strengths and weaknesses. Like a lot of guys go in and they they've, uh, they've had their career in the NHL and some of them get a little bit lost.
00:15:29
Speaker
because they really don't know what to do with their lives after that. But you, you've kind of got an entrepreneurial side to you, don't you? Absolutely. I, for anybody that listens out there, doesn't matter who you are. You have, if you're not sure, you have to look at opportunities.
00:15:48
Speaker
An opportunity is about anything. It's not always about money, but it's to make it happen. And if you see that, if you sniff that, follow, follow, follow yourself and things will evolve. Uh, for me, another thing is just that my age right now, I tell everybody says, uh, the simplest thing is, is if there's a problem, don't panic.
Transitioning to Business
00:16:15
Speaker
Why do you want to, there's a problem.
00:16:17
Speaker
Get the facts together and for every problem there is Tony, you find a solution if you work at it. But guess what? Most of the people quit the panic and you have to find a way to
00:16:32
Speaker
How are you? Your temperament and how do you control that? And most of the time it gets resolved. It's got to be resolved. And I watch other guys. And it's funny you say that I was at the Hockey Hall of Fame last Thursday and they have obviously past players and new players. And they never asked me what I do because
00:16:58
Speaker
I'm going to talk to them for 10 minutes for what I do. But you know what? They never tell me what they do. And I know they don't do anything. It's just searching. And they're getting in late 50s. And now they've been out of the game for a while. And if you're playing for a team that they can't use you, that's an asset because now your name goes out there.
00:17:22
Speaker
But I meant I am in my seventies and they just say, well, who's next? Who's next? Well, I was with Belvoir was with how I was with all these guys. And you know what? They went on until they died because that's it. That was the demand. And to me, it's nobody sort of prepare yourself for that. Even if you hear it, but today's players and I, I witnessed it. My guys never talk about money.
00:17:50
Speaker
because nobody had any. They made a livelihood. Well, I mean, Gordy, you mentioned Gordy Howe earlier. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he used to spend his summers, even as an NHL elite player, selling cars. That's how he made some money. You're right, he wasn't making it as a player. But today, today, the average player
00:18:15
Speaker
As made quite a bit they got a start up not enough to say well you got a whole life and see what's going on what's going to happen and.
00:18:28
Speaker
It's all about money, Tony. It's all about money. They talk, they don't know much about us. They don't know much about our careers. I have always read hockey books, hockey pitchers, and look at their equipment. They have terrible equipment.
00:18:45
Speaker
terrible training and you know what they played the game and they were good at it so you make it happen for what's available to you compared to what all athletes today but there's one thing they forget
00:19:00
Speaker
All our guys survive. I met a lot of them, never made any money. They went on with their lives. They took care of their families. They were proud to have played in the game.
Financial Management for Athletes
00:19:11
Speaker
If they played long enough, I mean, the only, the average Tony is only, it's still only four years, four years. Oh, really? After four years, you're done. Football's the same thing, but you get a big signing bonus if you manage your money. So these guys, a couple of guys I had,
00:19:30
Speaker
a banquet wet like we show up. And all they tell me, those guys were pretty good. And they were nice names in the game. And they were so, so shocked to see some young players coming in the league, spending all their money, making $2 million, $3 million, and that two, three, but he got to pay tax on this. Half of it is gone. They got $100,000 cars. They got this and that and this and then the people say,
00:20:01
Speaker
Well, don't they have agents and financial advisor? Yes, they do. But guess what? A lot of times they're afraid to say, no, you can't do it because you know what they'll come back with? You're fired. I'll get, it's my money. That's like, it's my money because they don't see
00:20:19
Speaker
what we see, what it's like to collect your social security or your IRA. Because right now, the young people, you got to tell them, put your money away. Put some money away. Whatever a little it is, put some away because when you get there, it won't be none. You'll be shocked.
00:20:34
Speaker
Yeah. And that's got to be part, I mean, because people come to you for advice, I'm sure. Young hockey players, hockey families. Is that part of the advice you give about, you know, marshalling your money so that there's something left when you're done? Well, there's a lot more, especially if I talk to schools or something like that. You have to try to figure out who you are. The quicker you know,
00:21:04
Speaker
The better it is. Here's the number one thing. Do you like people? Look at me say, do you like people? Oh yes. Well, now you're headed the class. If you don't, you're not going to make it because this, I made my fortune going back with the public.
00:21:28
Speaker
And then you got to listen to them and you got to listen what they have to tell you. Cause they go back in times. It's all about Tony. It's all about memories. It never stops. They'll say, I remember that game. You score five goals and I'll say, yeah, that's great. But I never scored five goals.
00:21:49
Speaker
And then you have, you have these things now where as celebrities, they can call you and that's where you, you call the person wish happy birthday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. These things. And you learned a lot. And for me, I recognize that you can have such an, it doesn't matter. It's not about all superstars, but how much of an impact you have with people.
00:22:14
Speaker
For example, I had a gentleman that was his daughter. She called me, she says, Marcel, my dad was a real hockey fan and he really liked you. He was just close to his 80s. And he says, he's just find out he's got cancer, but it's curable, but he lost his wife and he was totally depressed. He didn't want to live anymore. He was given up, right? So I'm going, I said, oh my God. So I called him and then,
00:22:44
Speaker
It was a conversation I said, your daughter told you this, your son told you this, your friend told this, but you didn't pay attention. I basically said this. I said, listen.
00:22:56
Speaker
I said, right now your wife is looking down on you and she's not happy with what you're doing. You've got grandkids. You can take care of yourself. You got many years left. And I said, this is the way it is. This is your challenge in life right now. Don't give up. You know, I said, and I know the daughter said that too on this, but because I said it, it's different.
00:23:22
Speaker
After I was done, I said, there's my email address. You email me and then I will be in touch with you. Keep up, right? I waited two months, two months. And guess what? I said, you didn't think I was going to text you back. That's the difference to, for me, Tony, very simple.
00:23:52
Speaker
One person is a crowd. I never worry about anything. One person, he could be opening the door. He could be doing something. I stop, look up.
00:24:06
Speaker
and say thank you and start the conversation and it leads to other things. It does. Hey, I got to ask because, you know, when you have such an intensive hockey career like you had, you had to deal with adversity. So I'd love to get from you how though that lesson of how to deal with adversity has impacted your life. Uh, you know, in, uh, in, uh, later life in, in your business life and your personal life.
00:24:37
Speaker
You know, it's funny, Tony, it's just that it's very special.
Values and Legacy
00:24:45
Speaker
I think what I try to say, always remember where you come from. My parents had nothing, my grandparents had nothing, and suddenly I have everything. So you try to figure out to say, who am I?
00:25:04
Speaker
in this world, right? And you got to test yourself. At the age of 13 years old, I made a promise to myself that I would never, never embarrass my mom and dad. I never did. I never did. And that was a big challenge.
00:25:23
Speaker
You got to go back and I do this. I still do it. Who were my teachers? Yes. Who were my coaches in minor hockey? All those people had an impact with me in my life and made me where I am today. And I am a very confident person and it's about respect. And if you don't have respect of people, you're not going to make it sooner or later.
00:25:53
Speaker
something's going to follow you and you're going to get nailed. And that's our challenge in our life. And that's what we don't have today. That's what our politicians don't have today. That's what our government doesn't have today. It's people. And I am also an American. This is absolutely incredible. We are lying to people. We are corrupted and we get away with it.
00:26:22
Speaker
Well, my grandparents could not do that. They had no money, their, their life. It was probably to watch one game on Saturday and the hockey game. And then my grandfather had to go and make money to bring food on a table. Those days, Tony, they're gone. And those are the simplest thing and nobody applies to it.
00:26:49
Speaker
Do you think that, uh, our, our newest generation, do you think that there's a chance for them to learn this though? Or are you kind of kind of giving up hope? Yeah, it starts with education and it's not there. It's all these progress, uh, that's happening. I was fortunate enough to go to Russia. I've been there four times and anybody, anybody that doesn't want to be in America, then you can go there and go in these.
00:27:19
Speaker
countries where you have freedom of speech is not there. And they think they're smart. They are not, they are idiots. And then it's because now my phone, my technology bypass the simplest rules. Again, it's about respect. You don't have, you don't have to agree with everybody, but you get a Tony, you have to have a dialogue.
00:27:50
Speaker
and just communicate. Now it's, what's what's happening in the United States with this, the money, it's to give money to everybody and they did. And we had a restaurant, we had to shut it down. People don't want to work.
00:28:05
Speaker
Yeah, I know too much free money out there myself. Well, they want everything. Yeah. And I think our biggest as a hockey player says, you're rich, you're rich, you're rich. The biggest thing I ended up building over, I had a subdivision, 175 homes. And the number one thing that the government could have helped you intervene something. It's a cost of a house. It has left millions of people.
00:28:35
Speaker
to not qualify and buy a home because it makes no sense. You buy a house for a shelter. You've made seats in investment, but this does not become your biggest investment and your lifetime. And that's what's happening. Everybody is equity rich and their cash poor. How does that work?
00:29:01
Speaker
Well, Marcel, that might be a whole new program, but I find myself not disagreeing with anything you've said. I agree with it. And those are very important life lessons for our young people. It's been a pleasure having you on the program. I just want to thank John Mutton and Municipal Solutions again for being the sponsor of this program. And you'll hear it on terrestrial radio again on Saturday morning. So Marcel Dion, thanks for being our guest today.
00:29:29
Speaker
My pleasure, Tony. Thank you so much.