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<v Speaker 1>The Utah Hockey Club continues to stay in the fight.

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<v Speaker 2>It's going to be.

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<v Speaker 1>Tough when you look at the numbers to make that

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<v Speaker 1>wild card spot, but it's not over yet. And our

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<v Speaker 1>next guest joins is on a weekly basis to inform us,

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<v Speaker 1>enlighten us, and illuminate us in the world of professional

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<v Speaker 1>hockey is the great Neil Smith on a Thursday.

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<v Speaker 2>Neil, Happy Thursday, Sir, how are you?

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you? Thank you to make me sound a lot

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<v Speaker 3>brighter than I am, that's for sure, But I like

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<v Speaker 3>that commercially, you just had them with the Irish voice,

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<v Speaker 3>squid that it was an irishman for something. Anyways, I

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<v Speaker 3>thought that I shouldn't let you know that I like that.

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<v Speaker 3>But Smith, I got to start off with a little

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<v Speaker 3>tribute to your father and I got some very bad

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<v Speaker 3>news this week. I don't know if you were he

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<v Speaker 3>was able to tell you about the passing of Stanley Chaffy,

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<v Speaker 3>who's so instrumental in us with the Knick success and

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<v Speaker 3>the Rangers success back in the nineties and just a

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<v Speaker 3>wonderful guy, and he passed away at eighty four.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's right.

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<v Speaker 1>We did have a little family thread going on with that,

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<v Speaker 1>and I wonder if you would coaborate my father's thoughts

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<v Speaker 1>that in my dad's time of the Garden, he said

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<v Speaker 1>Stanley Jaffey was his favorite boss during his entire time.

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<v Speaker 2>Would you cooberate that?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I would. I think that if it weren't for him,

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<v Speaker 3>we wouldn't have won the Stanley Cup, and probably the

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<v Speaker 3>Knicks wouldn't have gone to Game seven against Houston that

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<v Speaker 3>same year. He was very much behind the teams and

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<v Speaker 3>very much allowed Dave and I to do what we

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<v Speaker 3>had to do to make the teams great. And you

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<v Speaker 3>know it was his support was vital during an era

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<v Speaker 3>when they kept changing ownership of the Garden and you

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<v Speaker 3>had to get somebody that was supportive, and he certainly was.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it was a shame when the final ownership change

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<v Speaker 1>took place and that dude is still in charge. But

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<v Speaker 1>that's a different topic for a different day, Neil, we

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<v Speaker 1>will leave that there. So let me just ask you

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<v Speaker 1>right off the top here. I mean, it's still tight,

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<v Speaker 1>Minnesota's pulled away a little bit Calgary Vancouver on seventy one.

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<v Speaker 1>Utah Hockey Club with win last night, is on sixty

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<v Speaker 1>nine points along with the Blues, but as we as

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<v Speaker 1>we roll down the stretch, is it's still realistic to

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<v Speaker 1>believe that this could actually happen, that the Utah Hockey

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<v Speaker 1>Club could qualify as a wildcard team in the NHL

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<v Speaker 1>Stanley Cup playoffs.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, they're very much still They're not the favorites to

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<v Speaker 3>get into the to those wild card spots because I

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<v Speaker 3>think that's more Vancouver and Calgary. But they do have

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<v Speaker 3>a chance. And we were talking about it today and

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<v Speaker 3>if you you know, you can say that to get

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<v Speaker 3>to the ninety two points or whatever it's going to

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<v Speaker 3>take to make the playoffs, you've got to play at

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<v Speaker 3>a seven hundred average or a six hundred average or something.

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<v Speaker 3>But you know, if if a team can get on

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<v Speaker 3>a winning streak, either the Blues or the hockey club,

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<v Speaker 3>to get on a winning streak, they can jump over teams.

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<v Speaker 3>But it's going to take a winning streak. It's not

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<v Speaker 3>gonna you're not going to be able to win one

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<v Speaker 3>lose one with one lose one. That won't work. And

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<v Speaker 3>when you play teams, and I said this last week

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<v Speaker 3>when you weren't on, you've got to get the two

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<v Speaker 3>points and don't leave any on the table for the

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<v Speaker 3>other team. In other words, you don't win in over time,

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<v Speaker 3>you don't win in a shoot up, try to win

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<v Speaker 3>in regulation, and of course if that's not possible, then

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<v Speaker 3>go ahead and win any other ones. But it's important

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<v Speaker 3>that you get the points and that you don't leave

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<v Speaker 3>any for other teams.

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<v Speaker 1>So let me ask you if you just had to

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<v Speaker 1>guess again, Minnesota seems to have separated themselves for the

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<v Speaker 1>first wildcard spot, but the second wildcard spot, Calgary, Vancouver,

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<v Speaker 1>Saint Louis, and Utah are all in the mix for

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<v Speaker 1>that second wild card. So who would you kind of

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<v Speaker 1>handicaps the favorite as of now, Neil.

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<v Speaker 3>I would handicap Vancouver as a favorite. That's what most Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>that's what most sites are saying that Vancouver is the

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<v Speaker 3>one that's the favorite to get in. And that goes

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<v Speaker 3>by strength of schedule. The rest of the way. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>teams that they've got to play, how many home games

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<v Speaker 3>they have, how many road games, how many teams above

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<v Speaker 3>five hundred that they have left to play, how many

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<v Speaker 3>blow five hundred and on that strength of schedule and

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<v Speaker 3>on the team, that's who people are giving the edge to.

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<v Speaker 3>But as I said, that all goes out the window.

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<v Speaker 3>If somebody goes on a winning streak, even though you're

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<v Speaker 3>only two points apart. It'll take a winning streak and

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<v Speaker 3>beating teams that people have handicapped you not to beat

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<v Speaker 3>to give you a chance to get in. And crazier

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<v Speaker 3>things have happened, that's for sure.

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<v Speaker 2>So what sort of what sort of experience?

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<v Speaker 1>Because we're doing this a lot with the Jazz here,

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<v Speaker 1>a local NBA team, as they play a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>these really good teams in very close games. It's given

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<v Speaker 1>these young players a lot of good experience because they're

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<v Speaker 1>not going to make the playoffs. And the only way

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<v Speaker 1>for these young players to understand what it's like to

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<v Speaker 1>play against really really good players and really good teams

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<v Speaker 1>in pro basketball not get their doors blown off is

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<v Speaker 1>be able to make these games competitive and even if

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<v Speaker 1>they fall short, they're getting some good experience because they're

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<v Speaker 1>playing teams closely. What sort of experience can a young

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<v Speaker 1>team like the Utah Hockey Club just be able to

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<v Speaker 1>garner being in the fight?

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<v Speaker 2>The coach Torny talks about all the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Being in the race, even if they don't get in

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<v Speaker 1>and if they fall short, what sort of experience can

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<v Speaker 1>be gained in a race like this, Neil.

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<v Speaker 3>I think just what you just said is the experience

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<v Speaker 3>of being in a situation finally where they are going

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<v Speaker 3>right down to the wire to try to get in

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<v Speaker 3>and they're not eliminated in February. If you look at

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<v Speaker 3>the team last year, the same team which was based

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<v Speaker 3>in Arizona, they weren't in the fight right till the

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<v Speaker 3>very end. And I think that that's what the coach

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<v Speaker 3>is talking about, is that stay in the fight, keep fighting.

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<v Speaker 3>If they're going to beat us and go in and

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<v Speaker 3>we're not going to make it, let's not make it.

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<v Speaker 3>Let's not make it on the last weekend, on the

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<v Speaker 3>lot of month ahead of the end of the season.

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<v Speaker 3>If you know what I mean, keep fighting right till

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<v Speaker 3>the very end. And I got to say, Spence, since

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<v Speaker 3>we've been talking, you know, in the summer, this is

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<v Speaker 3>what I envisioned for this team, that they would be

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<v Speaker 3>in and around, knocking on the door to try to

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<v Speaker 3>get into the wild card spot. And they still are

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<v Speaker 3>doing it and they can get in.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you surprised at all, Neil, that the NHL trade

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<v Speaker 1>deadline came and went without the hockey club being very active.

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<v Speaker 2>Does that surprise you at all, or did.

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<v Speaker 1>You anticipate Bill Armstrong to stay in the course regardless

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<v Speaker 1>of where they're at.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I anticipated that he would trade a couple

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<v Speaker 3>of UFAs, but he re signed guys that were UFAs,

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<v Speaker 3>so that sort of took them off the market. And

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<v Speaker 3>Buffalo did the same thing. And I'm not comparing Buffalo

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<v Speaker 3>in Utah, but Buffalo a non playoff team. They ended

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<v Speaker 3>up signing guys so that they didn't walk away for nothing.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's the thing at this time of the year

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<v Speaker 3>is the gms don't want to lose a guy for nothing,

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<v Speaker 3>so they come to the deadline and they say, look,

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<v Speaker 3>we either sign him or we trade them. But we're

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<v Speaker 3>not just going to have him hang in for the

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<v Speaker 3>rest of the regular season and then walk away and

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<v Speaker 3>go somewhere else. We've got to get something for these guys.

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<v Speaker 3>So Bill Armstrong signed a couple of guys and that

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<v Speaker 3>took them off the market.

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<v Speaker 2>Basically, excuse me.

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<v Speaker 1>A story broke this week that Connor Ingram is stepping

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<v Speaker 1>away from the team to take care of his mental

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<v Speaker 1>health and he's entering what's called a player assistant program.

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<v Speaker 2>This happened on Sunday.

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<v Speaker 1>He lost his mother to breast cancer in December, which

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<v Speaker 1>I think was news to.

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<v Speaker 2>A lot of people.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, not like this is the most important thing,

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<v Speaker 1>but Connor, you know, he's struggling, and now we kind

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<v Speaker 1>of know why.

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<v Speaker 2>Now there's some context and color to this entire thing.

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<v Speaker 1>So tell us about this program, Neil, tell us about

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<v Speaker 1>this Player Assistant program. Most people when they see news

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<v Speaker 1>like this believe and Connor even talked about this, Those

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<v Speaker 1>people believe it was some sort of substance abuse issue

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<v Speaker 1>when a program like this is announced, but it's not.

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<v Speaker 2>He's just taking time off to take care of his

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<v Speaker 2>mental health.

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<v Speaker 1>So tell us about this program and your thoughts on

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<v Speaker 1>the news that broke about Connor.

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<v Speaker 3>Ingram Well, I didn't know about his mother, and that's

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<v Speaker 3>really sad. That's horribly sad, especially for a kid that's

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<v Speaker 3>that you know, it's not I'm sure his mother wasn't

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<v Speaker 3>really very old and too early to go, and so

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<v Speaker 3>that would put anybody into a depression. And you know,

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<v Speaker 3>you don't want to guess at these things and say,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, he's fighting depression. You don't want to say

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<v Speaker 3>it's any substance or alcohol or anything else, because you

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<v Speaker 3>don't know but I would imagine that his you know,

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<v Speaker 3>his mental state hasn't been right to play goal in

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<v Speaker 3>the National Hockey League when he's been hit with his

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<v Speaker 3>grief that he's had to encounter this year, and he

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<v Speaker 3>probably just wants to try to take care of that

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<v Speaker 3>with some counseling and some therapy. And good on him

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<v Speaker 3>to actually say, look, I need to do this. I'm

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<v Speaker 3>not as good an athlete or a person, a husband, father,

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<v Speaker 3>or whatever until I take care of this mental health issue.

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder while we're in this space, because I've never

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<v Speaker 1>talked to you about this before. You know, I am

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<v Speaker 1>a gen xer in my i'll say mid forties. I

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<v Speaker 1>can say that for another like five days. And you know, Neil,

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<v Speaker 1>when I was growing up, we weren't really encouraged to

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<v Speaker 1>talk openly about mental health issues. And I was raised

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<v Speaker 1>by very loving parents, you know, my mother and father.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not complaining about anything as far as how I

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<v Speaker 1>was raised, but it was never really and I played

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<v Speaker 1>sports up until you know, I was in college before

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<v Speaker 1>I needed to find something else to do with my

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<v Speaker 1>time because being a five to eleven white kid trying

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<v Speaker 1>to guard Andrew Miller was not fun and It was

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<v Speaker 1>never a thing a coach brought up. I had some

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<v Speaker 1>really intense, quite frankly mean coaches I came up, and

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<v Speaker 1>none of them ever really asked.

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<v Speaker 2>Us how we were doing. It was just kind of

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<v Speaker 2>a deal.

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<v Speaker 1>And you ran hockey teams in the NHL in the nineties,

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<v Speaker 1>very successfully winning a Stanley Cup. Was we're points of

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<v Speaker 1>emphasis like this even part of the fabric of your

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<v Speaker 1>job back in the nineties. And what do you make

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<v Speaker 1>of kind of how this stuff has changed a little bit.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, the whole society has changed for the better and

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<v Speaker 3>become more open about and and recognizing that mental health

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<v Speaker 3>is health. It's not h it's not made up. It

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<v Speaker 3>is It's just the same as any kind of other disease.

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<v Speaker 3>If you have a mental health issue, you have a

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<v Speaker 3>type of disease that has to be uh fixed. And

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<v Speaker 3>so I think in our day in the nineties, we

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<v Speaker 3>had a psychotherapist. I'm not sure if he was clinically

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<v Speaker 3>a certified or not, but we had a person that,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, talk to the players from time to time

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<v Speaker 3>just how they were doing, and was around the team

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<v Speaker 3>a lot. So but it wasn't to the extent it

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<v Speaker 3>is now where I'm sure that the player can go

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<v Speaker 3>and say, look, I'm struggling because of this or this,

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<v Speaker 3>and you know, I need some help, and the team

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<v Speaker 3>would accommodate that, just as an employer would accommodate hopefully

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<v Speaker 3>if one of their employees came to them and said,

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<v Speaker 3>I'm really struggling at my job because I've got x

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<v Speaker 3>YZ going on.

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder one more question here. It feels like once

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<v Speaker 1>upon a time there may have been a fear for

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<v Speaker 1>a player to say, yes, I need a break, because

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<v Speaker 1>he could lose his job. I wonder if that's anything

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<v Speaker 1>that you ever saw, whether it was mental health or

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<v Speaker 1>just injuries, players like, no, I can't take a break.

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<v Speaker 1>I have a family, I need this job. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>want some young upstart taking my gig.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well, I got to get another contract. I'm trying

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<v Speaker 3>to play for another contract. I'll play hurt, I'll play

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<v Speaker 3>in Greece. I mean in the old days of the

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<v Speaker 3>let's say, when the players played in the sixties and

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<v Speaker 3>the seventies, I mean, they didn't even go home when

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<v Speaker 3>their child, when their wife was giving childbirth. They had

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<v Speaker 3>to stay on the road with the team. You know.

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<v Speaker 3>Now it's the common thing the players leave when they're

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<v Speaker 3>going to have the birth of a child. So it's

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<v Speaker 3>very much that players will play through things. But with

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<v Speaker 3>concussions and so on, the leagues have all become more

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<v Speaker 3>ultra conscious of head injuries which lead to mental issues,

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<v Speaker 3>because if you get a concussion, you know you're going

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<v Speaker 3>to have various mental issues during the time that it's healing,

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<v Speaker 3>and clubs have become more aware of this.

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<v Speaker 1>So what this does do, and again I don't want

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<v Speaker 1>to diminish you know, Connor's bravery and we all wish

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<v Speaker 1>him well and hope he's back soon. Now there's no

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<v Speaker 1>debate about who the first choice goalie is. It is Mialka,

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<v Speaker 1>who statistically is had a better year than Connor. And

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<v Speaker 1>we've talked about it all year long. So what sort

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<v Speaker 1>of dynamic does that bring? Is it just again, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>good wishes to Connor, But knowing that Mamilka is the

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<v Speaker 1>guy now, is that something that could maybe free him

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<v Speaker 1>up when he knows the job is his no.

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<v Speaker 3>Matter what, Oh I think, so I think he'll play better.

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<v Speaker 3>The normal NHL team has a set number one in

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<v Speaker 3>a set backup and they certainly have that now with

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<v Speaker 3>Jackson Stober being the backup and of Vmilica being clearly

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<v Speaker 3>number one, and Vimilica was rewarded with a new contract

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<v Speaker 3>to by Bill Armstrong, so he showed him that he

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<v Speaker 3>is definitely number one, and that's another player they took

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<v Speaker 3>off the UFA market by giving him a new contract.

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<v Speaker 3>So he said, a good year. Connor struggled this year,

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<v Speaker 3>as we all know, but now maybe we know one

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<v Speaker 3>of the reasons why he struggled, and that's with his

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<v Speaker 3>personal situation.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Neil, kind of a broad picture, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>big picture, broader question about the league right now, because

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<v Speaker 1>I haven't talked to you since that March seventh trade deadline, which.

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<v Speaker 2>Was last week.

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<v Speaker 1>Yea, of all the moves that were made, and there

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<v Speaker 1>were a ton, which one did you like the most?

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<v Speaker 2>Which one left you scratching your head?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, the one that made me scratch my head and

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<v Speaker 3>probably every other part of me was the Carolina trading

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<v Speaker 3>for Ranton and then not knowing whether they could sign him,

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<v Speaker 3>and then not being able to sign him, and then

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<v Speaker 3>turning around and trading him to Dallas, and it ended

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<v Speaker 3>up that they lost Jack Drury and Marty Neckish to

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<v Speaker 3>Colorado and got back Taylor Hall, and a bunch of picks.

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<v Speaker 3>So that made me really wonder, like, what are you doing.

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<v Speaker 3>You're supposed to know you could sign these guys before

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<v Speaker 3>you trade for them. That's the common that's common operations

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<v Speaker 3>to do it that way. The other one that I

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<v Speaker 3>was startled by was I didn't think that Boston would

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<v Speaker 3>ever trade their captain, Brad marsha On, and when they

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<v Speaker 3>couldn't come to a deal with him, they ended up

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<v Speaker 3>trading him to Florida, which has been Boston's nemesis the

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<v Speaker 3>last few years. And Brad Marshaw now plays with two

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<v Speaker 3>guys that terrorized each other in Sam Bennett and Matt

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<v Speaker 3>Kachuck on Florida will now play with Brad marsha On

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<v Speaker 3>on the same team. So you're going to have three

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<v Speaker 3>very irritating guys now on the Florida Panthers. They had two,

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<v Speaker 3>but now you're going to have the third one in

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<v Speaker 3>Marshaan does a good job of that as well.

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<v Speaker 1>So after the deadline, Vegas believes Florida and Dallas are

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<v Speaker 1>the top Stanley Cup contenders.

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<v Speaker 2>Now do you agree with that?

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<v Speaker 3>I think Florida is a top contender. I'm not sure

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<v Speaker 3>that Dallas is because they got Randman. I think they're

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<v Speaker 3>really good. I would say Winnipeg is the team that

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<v Speaker 3>I would put my two cents on because they've done

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<v Speaker 3>it all year long. I'm not sure when you go

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<v Speaker 3>out in the trade deadline and you get a big fish,

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<v Speaker 3>that the big fish can get into the school and

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<v Speaker 3>swim with the other fish right away, because it's a

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<v Speaker 3>big change in the in the dynamic of the big

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<v Speaker 3>change the dynamic of the team when you put a

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<v Speaker 3>guy in that lineup that takes that much ice time.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, my friend, where can all of our listeners go?

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<v Speaker 1>Get that good podcast to yours.

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<v Speaker 3>Any any podcast platform and YouTube and any anywhere and

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<v Speaker 3>give us a listen. We had Paul Maurice on this

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<v Speaker 3>week that was really funny. Actually he was on on

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<v Speaker 3>the day of the deadline. You got to hear this story, Spence,

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<v Speaker 3>because is a great one. So we're talking to Paul Maurice,

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<v Speaker 3>the coach of the Florida Panthers, and we said to him,

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<v Speaker 3>are you sure you want to do it today because

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<v Speaker 3>it's a trade. They're like, no, no, no, it's fine,

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<v Speaker 3>it's fine. We get into the interview and we're about

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<v Speaker 3>half an hour in and he says, guys, I'll be

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<v Speaker 3>right back. I just got to go for a few

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<v Speaker 3>minutes here, you know what today is, and we sure

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<v Speaker 3>go go. He goes away for five or ten minutes,

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<v Speaker 3>comes back, finishes up. He went away to get informed

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<v Speaker 3>that they were trading for Brad marsha on. So that

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<v Speaker 3>that was really fun. But that's a good interview. Listen

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<v Speaker 3>to listen to that one on NHL wrapper.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh man, that is wild. Neil.

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<v Speaker 1>I appreciate your time, my friend. Have a great week

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<v Speaker 1>and we will travel to you next week.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, all my best spends. Thank you, all right.

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<v Speaker 1>The great Neil Smith, general manager of the New York

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<v Speaker 1>Rangers in the nineties, joins us on a weekly basis

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<v Speaker 1>to help us understand the landscape of pro hockey now

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<v Speaker 1>that we are a hockey town. The Utah Hockey Club

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<v Speaker 1>back in action tomorrow, taking on Seattle