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Steve played hockey across the entire globe.  He is a true professional and someone that I always remember to be one of the fiercest competitors I ever had the pleasure of playing with.

Over the span of the interview, you really get a feel for who Steve was as a teammate and who he is as a person.

He was always laughing and having a good time, but when it came to game time, he would completely shift gears.  This is such an important part of the game.  No when it is time to have fun, and when it is time to focus and dial in.

Throughout this podcast we discuss what it was like being a back up goaltender in the NHL.

How to be ready when you get the call to start or if the starter goes down with an injury.

And how to stay positive if you are not necessarily in the position that you want to be.

This is such an incredible interview and I hope everyone can take something valuable and tangible, and apply it to their lives and careers.

Enjoy!

 In his rookie pro season, Nathan took advantage of injuries to some veteran players and solidified his spot with the St. John’s Leafs. Where 3 seasons later he would be the team captain.  

At that time Nathan had his sights set on bigger things, he was ready to become an NHL’er but…  

Solid season after solid season was not enough to get Nathan the opportunity, he felt he deserved.  Nathan continued to grow his game, and his leadership skills and made one huge decision that allowed him to become an NHL regular with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2002. 

After finally making his NHL dreams come true and enjoying his third season in the Show, Nathan experienced symptoms of early onset Parkinson’s while playing with the LA Kings and Nathan had new challenges to face.  

Although he wasn’t officially diagnosed until year later, Nathan felt it affecting his game and was forced to retire from the sport in 2008 

Leaving the game behind was not an option for Nathan and he now serves as the Campus Director at Vimy Ridge Hockey in Edmonton, Alberta where he is supporting young athletes develop their love and skills for the sport. 

This is a very raw and real conversation and we cover so many great things like: 

• Why finding your identity and not caring about the judgement of others is so important 
• How Nathan defines resilience and why he believes you can practice it 
• The key decision that Nathan “called” selfish that got him his NHL job 
• Why working on your strengths might be more important than working on your weaknesses 
• How the proper mindset made a difference for Nathan as a player and how it continues to make a difference for him as person. 

Many thanks to my old teammate Nathan Dempsey for spending time with me and being so open and vulnerable about so many things. I believe this is a very inspiring episode and one that you will enjoy.  

We also have something else in common. We never had the NHL career we would have liked. 

Steve did collect 149 NHL games by the time he was done, playing for the Oilers, Lightning, Devils, Kings and Wild. And Steve did win the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2000.  

But after being chosen with the 6th overall selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1995 NHL draft, he had his sights set on a long NHL career. 

We discuss Steve’s journey throughout his career, and cover a lot of great topics like: 

• How Steve went from undrafted in the WHL Bantam draft to 6th Overall in the world 
• What Steve thinks is the most important aspect of youth hockey (that many coaches often forget) 
• Learn the VERY WORST way to celebrate your first NHL goal 

• What Steve said to Lou Lamoriello that got him traded the very next day 
• Intangibles other than talent and skill that can determine your hockey destiny 
• The key thing we both wish we would have had early in our careers but was missing 
• An amazing story about Bruce Boudreau that shows why his players love him. 

This is an honest conversation, with an authentic man, a great teammate, and a good friend. 

Remember, hockey is about people first, not the stick and the puck. 

I hosted this LIVE in my Facebook “Up My Hockey – Parent Group” If you are a supportive hockey parent, would love front row access to my guests, think mindset is an important part of high performance, and would enjoy an engaged community of like-minded people from across North America, the group will be perfect for you! See you there! 

Niks career was plagued with injury, so pairing that with the overwhelming expectations placed on him from the fans and media of Toronto, Niks journey was certainly no walk in the park..

However through hard work, determination and self belief, he found a way to keep overcome the scrutiny, language barriers and injuries to end up wearing a letter on his journey for the Toronto Maple Leafs before his time there came to an end.

Nik now works with Russian players as a skills consultant to help them make the transition to the NHL.

This is such an interesting episode on the up my hockey podcast, and I hope you all listen, enjoy and share this episode!

Mark Ferner played junior for the Kamloops Blazers before he embarked on his 15-year professional career. Mark spent time in the AHL, IHL, DEL and also the NHL, with the Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and Detroit Red Wings.

Upon his retirement as a player, Mark started a new career as coach for the expansion Vancouver Giants of the WHL. Coaching would take Mark back to Kamloops where he would get his first head coaching job with the Blazers. Mark went on to coach for the next 16 years with 9 seasons in the BCHL with the Vernon Vipers where he was also the GM.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the BCHL, it is the top Junior A league in Canada and is an NCAA Div I hockey factory.

With the Vipers Mark accomplished something few coaches can claim, he led his team to 3 consecutive National Championships, winning twice.

Most recently Mark served as amateur scout for the Buffalo Sabres.

I first met Mark after a trade to the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings initially assigned me to their IHL affiliate in Long Beach. Mark was 11 years older than me, a veteran, and a leader. He made me feel comfortable and a part of things while I was with the Ice Dogs.

Little did either of us know that 7 years later Mark would be coaching a Junior A team in my hometown. But that’s the way hockey works… it’s a

small world… and reminds you constantly that being a good human matters. Once your career is done all you have left are the memories and the relationships you made along the way.

Mark brings a treasure trove of experience with him as a guest. He has seen it all and knows what it takes to succeed in the sport. He also happens to tell a great story.

Enjoy the episode.

Pete is a Caribbean-Canadian moving from Barbados with his parents to the Montreal area at the age of 3. Due to the color of his skin, Pete encountered prejudice and general stupidity throughout his time in minor hockey, junior hockey and in the professional ranks. 

We cover race at the beginning of this episode because we needed to. We wanted to. And it should be a discussion you have with your family and friends as well. 

I didn’t want the topic of race to overshadow Peter’s amazing career but we both felt it was important to discuss issues with hockey that are very relevant in the context of the protests occurring around the world.  

Our sport is for everyone. Collectively we need to stand together and change the standards and expectations for those who are involved. From the coaches, to the players, to management, to the fans… hockey should be a place where your ethnicity is celebrated, not denigrated. 

In this episode Peter tells an emotional story about an incident that occurred during his second NHL game with Craig Berube. I believe it highlights what needs to improve and what’s so amazing about the people that play our sport. I’ll leave the details for the episode, but you don’t want to miss it.  

Peter Worrell wasn’t just a goon – he was a hockey player. He won a Memorial Cup and produced offensively averaging an impressive point per game average while amassing 495 penalty minutes in the process. 

He led the NHL in penalty minutes one season as well, ending the 2001-02 campaign with 100 more PIM’s than second place. But he also averaged 9 minutes of ice time per game, which was much higher than most big men of his era. He could be trusted to make a play and get in on the forecheck and be responsible in his own end. 

Big Pete ended his career with 391 NHL games, 19 goals, and 1554 penalty minutes. I’d say that’s a pretty damn good job for a young man from Barbados, wouldn’t you?!?!? Hockey is for everyone. 

Enjoy the episode 

At the time I was playing for the stacked Sherwood Park Flyers and more than halfway through the season we had not lost a game, but the Toronto Red Wings and Kevin Weekes were the talk of the tournament. 

The Toronto Red Wings traveled a long way to be there and we heard they were a powerhouse, but they also had a lightning quick BLACK goalie that drew much of the conversation.

Before the tournament even started, it seemed destined for us to meet in the final, and both teams lived up to the hype. Although I managed to get one past Kevin on a partial breakaway in the second period, it was not enough, and Toronto ended up besting us 4-3. Mr. Weekes and the Red Wings handed us our first loss of the season and they took the tournament title.

Given the current social climate and the BLM movement, this conversation with Kevin provided me the opportunity to revisit the KIBHIT tournament and my personal reaction at 14 years old to Kevin being black. Like many other players from the rural west, I had never competed against a black player to that point. A hockey rink was not a place where I was familiar with seeing people of color. 

My acknowledgment and curiosity were innocent and innocuous. Unfortunately for Kevin, that wasn’t always the case.

Kevin drew attention. 

The color of Kevin’s skin made him different – so did his athleticism in the net. He was damn good. 

People were always watching. Most were supporters, some were detractors, but Kevin knew from an early age that he was ALWAYS auditioning.

This conversation allowed me to contemplate the gravity of what it might have been like to be Kevin Weekes as a hockey player. His experience was unquestionably much different than mine. 

Not only did he play the most isolating position in the sport, but he was often the only black player in the locker room.

Years after KIBHIT, Kevin and I got drafted by the Florida Panthers where we became teammates and friends and I got to witness Kevin daily and he earned my respect and my admiration.

Kevin has earned respect throughout our great game from all levels of the sport. He is respected for is reverence and knowledge of the game. For is journeyman 11 year NHL career with 7 different teams and his pivotal contribution to the Carolina Hurricanes run to the 2002 Stanley Cup final. He is respected for being a trailblazer and the first black analyst in the history of the sport and his ability as a broadcaster to connect the fans to the person behind their favorite player. For his dedication and commitment to constantly improve and master his craft. And most importantly, Kevin is respected because he respects EVERYONE he meets. In my opinion Kevin Weekes has a Master’s Degree in what he calls, Human 101.
 
Given recent events surrounding our game and the events surrounding our country, Kevin has been a rational and experienced voice on the need for change within the game. He is campaigning for greater access, for greater inclusion, and for people of all colors and backgrounds to be welcomed and celebrated within the sport. 
 
Kevin says the NHL should be about putting the best people available in the room and I agree. 

And whether you are able to make it to the greatest league in the world, hockey should be a safe place for everyone who plays it at all levels.

Let us take a class in Human 101… please enjoy my conversation with Kevin Weekes.

When you have played, coached, been responsible for developing NHL ready prospects, worked as a GM at the pro level, and are raising a son who wants to be an NHL player, you have perspective and experience!

Our guest for episode 21 is Stacy Roest and he has done it all.

As an undersized junior talent, Roest played for the Medicine Hat Tigers, where he produced 3 consecutive 100 point campaigns. His offense was not rewarded by NHL scouts however and he was passed over in the Entry draft. But that didn’t stop him.

Stacy preserved though and was awarded an NHL deal by the Detroit Red Wings. Roest went on to play 3 seasons in the AHL with Adirondack where he developed his game and matured as a player. He led Adirondack with 92 points during the 97-98 season and was rewarded with roster spot on the big club the following year.

Roest went on to play 244 NHL games with the Wings and the Wild and then spent 9 seasons in Switzerland playing for Rapperwil-Jona.

Upon retirement, Roest joined the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013-14 as Director of Player Development and the Asst. Coach of the Lightning’s affiliate Syracuse Crunch. Roest held these positions until 2019-20 when he was promoted to GM of the Crunch and the Asst. GM of the Lightning.

It is not often someone has experienced the game at such a high level from so many influential and developmental positions. I also respect that Stacy is supporting his son, Austin, an Everett Silvertip prospect, navigate his own journey.

I love his story and I love his philosophy as we both share a passion for the importance of mindset.

Stacey wears many hats and we are lucky to have him on the podcast!

Caber was drafted 40th overall in 1993 by the New York Islanders and played his first game for the Isles in 1995. He was their captain two years later. McCabe ended up wearing the jersey of 6 NHL teams: Islanders, Canucks, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, Panthers and Rangers.

Bryan McCabe was one of the leagues top defenseman in the 2000’s. His cumulative stats sit alongside names like Lidstrom, Zubov, Chara, and Niedermayer.

He was a two-time Canadian World Junior Gold medalist, NHL All-Star, Canadian Olympian, gold medal winner at the World Championships and captain of the Islanders and Panthers.

With over 1100 NHL games and now the Director of Player Development for the Florida Panthers McCabe brings a wealth of experience and perspective to the podcast.

McCabe is an open book. He is a father and a husband and man who cares about his players and his teammates. He even shares a story that brings him to tears.

If you are a Toronto Maple Leaf fan this episode is a must listen. Brian covers the joys and the perils of playing in Toronto and he would know. From being celebrated to being booed on every possession McCabe saw the best and worst of Leaf fans.

This interview is candid, raw and honest and one that you will enjoy.

Meet my friend and teammate… Bryan McCabe.

Bedsy was 19 and he made me comfortable. He talked to me on the bus, invited me to play cards and hang out with the guys. He made me feel like I was welcomed and that I belonged.

Jared understood that he could make a difference.

Unfortunately, Jared got traded early into the next season. We never kept in touch and he probably never knew the impact he had on me.I never forgot him but I also never had the chance to thank him.

I got the opportunity in this episode.

If you are reading this, you know Jared Bednar is the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. You probably know he was nominated for the Jack Adams Award as the top coach in the NHL in 2018. You also might know he won a Kelley Cup in the ECHL and the Calder Cup in the AHL as a coach… 

…but you might not know what type of person Jared Bednar is.

In this episode of Up My Hockey you get to hear from Jared Bednar the player, the coach, AND the person.

Bedsy is one of the best people you’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting. He is approachable, relaxed, caring, warm and loves a good laugh – traits you might not automatically attribute to a NHL head coach of one the league’s top teams. 

I believe that is what makes him great. 

He embodies what is right about the new style of coaching in the NHL. He cares about his players because he understands they are people first. As he says in the interview “happy players are better players.” He wants his team to be happy.

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

The NHL is a league about results and often coaches get caught focusing on the wins and losses. But when a coach like Bednar can place emphasis on the well being and growth of the people (players) first, often the results will take care of themselves.

I welcome you to get to know Jared Bednar.