So, I mean, what kind of fishing do you want to do there?

Well, I want to do hook and line fishing, but it's not a hand line.

That's just a single hook.

I mean, you wouldn't do that out there in 150, 200 feet of water anyway.

Hand lines are only used in by the rocks in 15, 20, 25 feet of water and stuff.

But what we're using is troughs or long lines.

We have the Mustad automated hook and line system that we use thousands and thousands of hooks every day.

I mean, does the hook and line, is there any bottom contact?

... behind the scenes that can't be told on the mic.

And e- exactly, and it's a lot of fun, right? So it's the people pay a lot of money to do that, so we go and we tour around in great places.

Hence Muskoka, one of the nicest places I've ever been.

And, um, anyway, um, r- close to the end of that day, they, they, I guess they had this idea.

They, they always do these commercials, right? Jon Hamm was in a bunch, Jamie Foxx.

Gretzky and McDavid were in a few, w- in one a few years ago.

And I guess, um, I don't wanna quote them, but I'm, I'm pretty sure that they were looking to do a new one and, uh, very much planning on it, and they didn't have, um, someone to, to dance with Connor sort of thing, right? Like I, I, I'm sure they had ideas, but they didn't know exactly what they w- I d- the way I understand it is that they asked me to do it, and then they wrote it after that.

Yeah, I didn't know that.

And that might, you know, kind of fuel the trade talks and get them a little hotter again.

Yeah, and, you know, they've got to do something.

But what I like, I've often, just to go back to isolate one of your points there, I've often said going to the coast isn't always the worst thing, especially for a goalie that's getting shots.

That's why when, I forget, we had a goalie on last week.

We have so many on, I forget.

But that's what I asked him because I've always found that fascinating.

And I've been, you know, one year I was in the minors.

Where was it? And when did you know you were playing? Was it the morning of? It was the day before? How'd it go?

That would be my only issue with it, I suppose.

Yeah, you know, this is like splitting hairs, and whenever it comes down to this, that's what I am.

I hate to fall back on that answer, but captaincy is more to me than what happens in the room.

I've used the example of when I played in Montreal.

You would think, well, Terjean and Domfus, of course.

Yeah, but Stéphane Quintal was like an unsung, probably would have been my pick.

I think the other guys were bad.

given, and I don't want to be polarizing, but given this, you want

There's still lots of pressure there, but how was your mindset kinda your first and second or maybe even third training camps?

That's a great question.

So first of all, there, there was rookie camp.

It wa- it, it, a, a lot of people assume there wasn't.

No, I distinctly remember, not remember, I got it on video.

I mean, we would go to Kitchener for two years, um, and play against, uh, the Buffalo rookies.

Uh, the Rangers were there.

It's just training camp now is more about thinking than it is anything else.

There's still lots of pressure there, but how was your mindset kinda your first and second or maybe even third training camps?

That's a great question.

So first of all, there, there was rookie camp.

It wa- It, it-- A lot of people assume there wasn't.

No, I distinctly remember-- Not remember.

I got it on video.

I mean, we would go to Kitchener for two years, um, and play against, uh, the Buffalo rookies.

It's just training camp now is more about thinking than it is anything else.

Yeah.

I really-- Yeah, yeah, really.

I mean, my dad, my dad, you know, grew up poor, for lack of a better way to put it.

And, and, you know, he quit pro hockey early.

I mean, you look at his stats, he was doing really well.

Um, in pursuit, I suppose, of the NHL.

But he, he left here in pursuit of, of a degree because no one in his family had ever had one, and, you know, money was scarce.

Yes

Like, did he feel like maybe last year was a little bit of a breakout year for him?

You know, the thing is, he's real positive and, you know, he ta- talks with kids a lot.

His sister, Abby Newhook, plays for Boston, the PWHL.

Her and Maggie Connors, who play for Toronto, they have a hockey school up, up, up the road here in, uh, in the summers.

So Alex does some speaking at that.

And, you know, I see the way he handles himself, and there's a lot.

They, they have ...

Do you think they're, do you think him and Howard are both regulars this year?

What makes the show great in general?

I love it.

So first of all, my favorite show of all time is Arrested Development.

The wordplay, it's just fucking awesome.

And very, very close to that is a show called Letter Candy in Canada.

Because, yeah, you guys know what I'm talking about.

It's very...

is.

Like, kids? What are, what are we doing? To me, it's just like you're ruining one of the greatest trophies in the world by putting kids who are five and seven and under on the trophy.

It's rich, smug entitlement.

It's absolute bullcrap.

And the fact...

Uh, yes, first of all, the trainer, forget his name, I don't wanna be ignorant, um, he, he should be on there anyway.

And the fact that it was even entertained.

I, I, I don't even think the wife should be on there.

... get credit for, for all the above and beyond the trainers and the, and b- medical staff and behind-the-scenes guys and gals do for these players.

Um, who do you like in the Stanley Cup Final, and why?

Oh, goodness.

I, I said at the start of the playoffs, I was having a conversation with my dad, and I, you know, I, it's gonna-- I just thought it'd be tough to beat Carolina.

I, I got no reason to go back on that now.

Um, I think it's, it, it's looks really interesting.

I don't know if I saw Vegas playing Carolina in the final.

But yeah, I, I, I, I like Carolina.

Yeah.

How, how important do you think previous head coaching experience should be for the Oilers in this hire?

God, you know, I honestly don't think there's, like, one perfect fit.

I think you need the right players, and I think there's probably a certain kinda coach that would fit the mold.

But it, it, it's, you know, it, it's not one person I don't think is the be all and end all.

I mean, you, you start with the nucleus of the team they got.

Now clearly, I truly believe, I don't care who was the coach this year, I would've stayed with Knoblauch.

Like, I, I, I don't care who was the coach.

[laughs]