I just, I just want to say too, like, I feel like automatically if you're not playing hard and you're a big physical frame, then it's like, you know, what are you there for kind of thing?

Yeah, like he got in one fight that I can remember and he fought Nico Heischer, the Captain of the Devils, who's five foot fuck all and he's from Switzerland.

It's like, dude, if Matty Nyes is, what is he, six foot four swishy, 220 pounds? Like, get to the blue paint.

Don't just forecheck and stick check a guy.

Fucking get your hands underneath him and get in there and dig.

And I will say this, fellas, like I was on a bird with Jim Hiller from LA to Toronto this year coming home for the summer and that dude watched film for four and a half hours.

in his seat.

So we got to make something happen.

What was he like off the ice? And did you see this in his future, maybe back in the day?

Yeah, that's a great question.

First of all, unbelievable teammate.

You know, he was single when I played with him.

He wasn't married for sure.

I don't know.

He may have had a girlfriend that came in and visited him or whatever.

What did the Nashville guys in the room, are they like, what the hell is going on? What did they say to you in the room after all that?

But yeah, how, like, how'd it start with you guys?

Yeah.

So, you know, I was retired.

Updog was, was still playing over in Europe, and I was doing this awful podcast with The Athletic out here, kind of following the Ducks and Kings.

But like you guys know, Keifer, Reiker, Johnny, all you guys, like, one thing about media too, it's like anything, you gotta get your reps in, right? And you gotta, like-

Yeah

... you know, we're lucky that we keep doing it, man.

It- it- it's a lot of fun.

What's been the biggest difference in the last two games between these two teams for you?

Oh, it's, it's a great question.

And, you know, all playoffs I was one of those guys that, ah, you know, Carolina played Ottawa in the first round, their D were banged up.

And then they got a, a young Philly team that overachieved, and then they got a tired Montreal Canadian team that went to two back, you know, two seven-game series.

And, um, you know, in game two they found a way to win at home, which was huge obviously.

Uh, we all know that they gave 'em a big scare in, in game three.

And I was there in game four, and, you know, obviously, you know, Futs, y- you know, you won one.

What was the hardest part about playing against him?

Yeah

... for me, boys, and you guys know better than anybody.

You guys are around him every day.

It, it's just, you know, what he brings to a dressing room.

He's one of those guys you see in the morning and you, you can't wait to say hi, can't wait to say hi to him.

And when it comes to playing the game, you guys know this as well as anyone, he brings it every single night.

And I'm like, that's a guy that, you know, he's a dying breed in the league.

I'll take it.

So maybe just touch on a few of your favorite spots along the way and why.

Yeah, yeah.

Uh, so I was lucky.

I started in Anaheim, and you know, I got traded, you know, two days before the deadline, but that team went on to win the Stanley Cup.

And, you know, I remember when I got traded, I called my dad and said, you know, "I got traded to Tampa," and you know, he's like, "Oh, it'll be a good opportunity for you." And I said, "Yeah, but I think I just lost the Stanley Cup, Pops." Because, you know, we had Pronger and Niedermayer.

They, they played half the game each, right? So at, e- every time you had Niedermayer or Pronger on the ice, and then, you know, the rest of the D were pretty solid, then we had Salani and Getsi and Pears and Pens and, um, you know, playing on that team my rookie year was just, all we did was win.

To be aro- around those Hall of Famers and those veteran guys, like I learned so much, um, about being a pro and, and what it took to win, and having fun at the same time, but when it's, it's time to drop the puck, you get after it.

Um, going back to, going back to Van, OB, what were the Twins like, and what was it playing on those teams winning the division every year? Like talk about playing in a, a market where when you're winning you are just a god there.

Why might Torts be the right guy for Vegas?

Yeah, I mean, there's no...

He doesn't sugarcoat it, right? I think as he's gotten older here, he's probably calmed down a little bit.

You know, I love playing for Torch.

I was a young kid in Tampa.

You know, me and him got into it quite often.

And honestly, Torch sometimes likes when you...

And you can come up and produce all the statistics and analytics that might form the perfect hockey player, but if he doesn't have that built-in intestinal fortitude to do those things and naturally not coached, you're not going to win championships.

How do you feel during those games?

I felt the exact same way.

You know, it's just when you're playing, obviously I've never played at that level of best on best, but I'm going to go back to the Stanley Cup playoffs and you're in overtime.

And when you're a player, you kind of just, you don't try to, you don't really know what's going on, right? You just don't want to be the guy to make a mistake, get it off the glass and out.

I used to tell myself, don't take a penalty.

But now when you're watching a game, and Fuse, I can only imagine as you as a management guy, up in the guest box with all the boys, it's harder to watch.

I texted Getslav after the game yesterday, and Getsy's like, it's so hard to watch.

And you can't deny him of that.