Hi, this is portfolio. I'm JG Preston. Well, I guess this afternoon is going to talk about hockey. I just didn't use the fact the football season is getting started. We got to talk about hockey already because of Northstar start training camp in the coming week out of Kalamazoo, Michigan and my guess men's portfolio this afternoon the new head coach of the Minnesota North Stars Pierre talk about where he's been and where he has hockey team is going and get a chance to answer your questions about the stars in the NHL as well. As a question for Pierre pies. Yeah, give us a call here on sportfolio at 227-6007 6000. If you're out of the Twin Cities metro call us collect hurons portfolio.First of all, I want to welcome our new West Central Minnesota listeners on tnsr FM 88.9 in central Minnesota to nice of you to be with us, he runs portfolio. We do this on Saturday afternoon to one said around and drag somebody in here with some some remote or not. So remote connection to the World of Sports and make him talk to his for now. We have a lot of fun and our phone number to call you and call us collect. If you're outside the 7 County Metro area 227-6000 area code of course a 6 1/2, but they'll make us pay for the call. We got a bunch of that kind of thing do to seven six thousand for Fajr guess today. Imagine that your Father's Day surprise you get to town 2 summary finds out. There's a very prominent local person attorney and former football Star Wars spells his last name the same way and pronounces at page and then he finds out that the capital of the state next door is still the same as his first name is pronounced Pier for pier page over here is just been reeling ever since but we'll get it right before a long Pierre. Thanks for being with his spear.This weekend. I understand it's time to move into the house for the last two days under the furniture moved in yesterday. We were playing golf at the media. Mrs. Bo Jo doing all the unpacking and really this is for business. This is not for fun. This is for business. And so you have to do this beer, then you have to go home and unpack you're not going to move in right in the neighborhood of the Met Center, huh? That's right in the west Bloomington. That's a nice area and that's really close to work since we practice in Eden Prairie and and work at the Met Center. I go to the airport quite often. I'm about 10 minutes either way. So it's really nice not to have to fight the traffic to Molino. Now you've got little ones at home don't you just wanted a little girl two and a half years old about schools and stuff like that just yet. This isn't the first time you've you've lived in the States, but you haven't just two years from 8284. I was coaching andWatching the Calgary Flames farm team in Denver Colorado and then just call the Colorado flames and we really enjoyed it that we've been very fortunate living in Denver in Calgary and on Minnesota 3 a good cities for Family Life as a Canadian national. Are there a lot of hassles involved than actually trying to establish residence in the states? I mean, I know the fans figure this stuff must just kind of happened but with all the Canadians in the NHL and having to go back and forth to talk for just a little bit about legally some of the things that are involved with that usually it comes from the heart because it's a lot of good coaches in the United States and so it's getting tougher and that usually the pressure is on that was on the team to make sure that you idiot you can get cleared and get permission to work here. I don't have my green card yet. I like to apply for it because it's nice to have the opportunity to work. Her green card gives you like year-round status to to be in the states for work. That's right. Otherwise, you have to leave the country.And another word like right now you can be your seasonally. That's a lot of people have to leave after 9 months and have to spend two or three months in Canada. They can't spend 12 months. I was trying to be difficult for you and your position. I'm sure cuz the coach is going to become a year round job, but with the scouting and meetings and all the other stuff involved when you do a lot of promotion that lot of community work and you work together. I think if you leave if you're not around too much, it hurts a lot of it. I think the people here so we'll tell me a little bit about where you've been you've been with the Calgary Flames Organization for what last eight years altogether between major and minor leagues. That's right and years ago. I started 1981 Atlanta Flames folded. They were bought by Anna and Elsa Scott manea any move the teams of Calgary. So I spent two years and assistant coach without McNeil the lady to 82 and then went to Denver.Colorado from 80 to 84 and then Coach the team that farm team move to Moncton New Brunswick in the American Hockey League. So I was there from 8485 then went back to Calgary. 85 87 with as an assistant Coast about Johnson and then last year as an assistant coach 2A Terry crisp in Calgary that you know what the what they had success the Flames of had an excuse me around Turn down towards my mouth. Okay, if you think after 10 years in radio, I would have some idea how to use a microphone but it's just not true. Okay, you're fine. Don't worry about it. Did the success the Flames have had on the ice and off the ice? It's so you know, it's just not quite the only game in town in Calgary, but certainly very very popular. People are crazy about it. Do you notice a difference coming to a place like the Twin Cities where there's plenty else going on where the North Stars are number one on the list of people's sporting priorities for the most part of me working here reminds me of Denver Colorado baseball asparagus and its basketball coming right now A lot of people are very excited about basketball in Calgary. You don't have that problem. And then we went there in 1980 in football is a big big deal, but hockey took over right away in the people in Calgary always said that they would never be able to support a major league franchise. And now you have 17,500 season tickets sold out every game for the whole year. 620000 population and that's not cheap tickets. That's right, but hockey is number one over there so you can control the market with hiking and then football is not struggling. So the biggest difference here is your going to split the pile or a little thinner, but I want it was amazing hear that you got a lot of hockey. Reminds me of every Canadian city in the sense that I guess people think hockey pitted. They love hockey. It's it's it's a bitch is still one of the most popular sport in City minute. When you consider how many high school teams in University team and youth hockey team. I'm in a lot of wrecks here lot of outdoor rinks in indoor eraser made its really a hockey atmosphere and that's what I like. I got to think that maybe the people are counting the money at the Met Center wouldn't necessarily agree. I got a thing for a guy in your position that maybe it's a little bit of an advantage that you're not the only game in town. I mean if the if the Flames were coming off of your as bad as a Northstar season was last year. I'm sure there'll be a lot of neck tie parties and Hooting and hollering in the streets and crying for blood and stuff like that in every I would be on you guys going into training camp. Well now this year for better for worse, at least you haven't got the kind of expectations. You probably won't have the kind of close examination of every game and every moving as you try to get this team back on its feet. Maybe that'll help you a little bit not that kind of scrutiny. Not sure why I like pressure is good. And I think the good players a good man has with the perform better under pressure because it raises your standards and I think if people don't raise our standards we have to raise myself, I would like to thank the fans expect a lot from us and there that they want us to do good in order to come back and that's that's normal when I was talking to Jack the most the other day who is 3 years are in 3 years ago took over Detroit and they had 5000 season tickets when he took over an hour yesterday or 2 days ago. He check me at 17500 season tickets. So what in three years and went from 5000 to 17581 Elitch Mike Hill. It's the only took over two or three years before Jacques went there that 2500 season tickets so that if you haven't philosophy if you work with the people and give them what they want, you can be successful in Good Seasons, you could become that kind of demand for your product to I'm excited right now. I'm going to work with assistant coaches the general manager of the scouts. I'm excited. I know we're not miracle workers, but we're on the same wavelength than that. So that's a good start. The phone number in your folks. If you have questions for Pierre Podge a here on sportfolio this afternoon to 276 thousand where the 612 area code 227-6058 to outside the 7 County Metro Area. Feel free to call us collect here on ksjn 1330 kns rfm 88.9 MJG Preston. Minutes after 12 and Sierra Padre. The coach of the North Stars is our guest appear exactly you grow up in a small town that was born. There is only eight parents are all those are all Dairy Farmers and then we quickly moved to lachute only eight miles away, which is a town of about 12000 people that we're getting up into the into the woods the area of part of the next 40 miles Northwest of Montreal and that's where the second International Airport is called Mirabel airport. So I was raised shoot until I was 12 years old and my parents send me to a small private school 18 miles aways. I was in private school from the age of 12 20 years old and go back to Regal College was only about thirty-five miles west of Montreal which is in between Montreal and Ottawa. And then from there, I went to Nova Scotia to Saint Francis Xavier University where I met my wife on a blind date with Princess at homecoming and that's where I got my ba side effects of getting another bachelor's science in prison and went to Dalhousie University to get my masters of his in this is pretty heavy duty academic background for for at least for a professional coach. She better course you came from college coaches, I guess that came in and either play or coach with my parents write 3 in grade 5 education and then I thought I was a carpenter and my mother was a hard-working always promised that they would save every single penny to make sure we got educator and every time we try to the VR off Stayed in school as long as we could not know how much do men really paid off still doing what I like, but I have a good background behind me. How many siblings do you have brothers and sisters? I don't hear that one Ottawa University and it took an MBA in is not a director of Hospital services in my hometown and we'll shoot my sister is a dental hygienist in lachute. If I look down their nose at you you turned out to be a coach. Did you play Junior Hockey grown up here know I always want to feel really bad. I used to go every year. I used to go to try out with the junior team. My parents would let me go until I was 19 years old. I said this is it Mom and Dad. I said, I got to I got to play Junior because I think I have a better chance to play pro if I play Junior. So I went to Drummondville Rangers, which is a New York Rangers farm team with the time in the coach. Was there Morrisville you was not the GM of the unbelievable made the team in the whole thing. And that is Marcel. Dionne was on the team and Eve online bear and Michelle plaster sand and Michele perras. Oh and there was a lot of players that made it to the NHL and they went to the Memorial Cup that year which is a championship of Junior Hockey. But when I went back home to tell my mom that they said no, you're not going really well. I have to go back on. But you know something they were right once again, but you know, I just turned out that the right way. I'm not coaching and then doing something. I really love to do that with a hockey fans or I would play an area that didn't miss too many games by with coach and there are big big hockey fans. I think they're still people in the states, especially not hockey fancy don't realize that you know, you talked about the dichotomy between play in junior hockey or going to school really when you play Junior Hockey and can of even has a 16 17 year old. It's a full-time job. You can you haven't got time to go to classes and go to school at the same time while they're trying though. I know they're they're brought a new rules and they change their the alignment of division. So the teams don't travel as much and they're trying to encourage the kids go to school. That's still not the same thing has been in school. I think the kids are doing a little better now. Midwest it was impossible to go to school now, they made two divisions and they don't travel and it's it's more conducive. But if you have a child, I would say I would be leaning towards myself. I guess you can get an education to get a scholarship and you get the best of Two Worlds 2 years ago. When you when you were coming through that kind of system. It was either play Junior Hockey and try to make it in the pros worth go to school when you think of 1967 playing Collins didn't give you a much of a chance to play pro. So then at what point did you make the decision that you want to stay around the game and get into coaching? Why am I last year of the Doll House University 1972 mistake? My Master's and I was assistant coach with the University team and I went to Toronto Maple Leafs training camp back here and it didn't work out. There's a player. That's what I'm going to say some coach last year and I kept talking to the head coach and watching a enough. He just left that year to go to Ohio State to take his Doctorate in the job became open. I had it already taking a job as a teacher but quickly resigns or Playa Fly time coaching job that they gave me so they gave me that $6,000 / 12,000 how much you wanted to do? I know I just been coaching ever since I told his supervisor as you can resign you haven't started working yet. Small distinction there there there were times in his early years ago when you were juggling a couple different coaching jobs at the same time or not worried about you and what you were trying to keep several balls up in the air at once in your early days. I had a chance to work with two teams at the same time like a junior team in a college team something like that because it was no Scholarships in Canada. The only way to attract players was to have these hockey schools with pleasure working at 10 that you can attract some of the better players who plays can make 1000 mm. $3,000 a year. So it's not working during the year was a really tough thing going on from September 15th to March 30th every day of the year coaching + teaching so I kept going so so you were doing several jobs all at once. What kind of players play college hockey in Canada, or at least did down? I mean when you got the the cream of the crop that are kind of going into the junior system and working their way into the pro ranks. What are the kinds of kids that want to play in college? I want to see the the young kids at 17 18 years old are all going to Junior Arthur the American colonists and get a scholarship in Canada. You attract the kids that come back from Junior College from Junior's so they played two or three years of Junior and then there comes a college. So the kids are much older and they know they have less of a chance to play pro lot of want to go into coaching themselves, which is why they're in college or in Junior because the mainstream is not the making in the NHS to get a degree in and do as well as they can but someone do going to come with you. Set background been helpful to you and working with the NHL mathletes beer on the all the years. You put it in Calgary. You've been around NHL players for a long time. But you know, a lot of them don't share that kind of college background and stuff. Did you learn maybe learn more about coaching having to deal with a less talented kid her house at the effect. It depends on the amount of pressure you put on your cell phone and how good you want to be but I was also very fortunate because in Halifax where the housing University is, they also had Montreal Canadiens farm team. So I got to know how we're actually has been my best friend since then then definitely he was the Alameda going to help him out on the trip with his team to my child's Fein team and work on skating and then he asked me to coach a few are in a squad games. Then we asked me to do value what two teams during the games and then it just moved on and a few years later. You asked me to the coach with him in the in Calgary. So so I was very close to the National scene and it was nice to be close to the Montreal Canadiens situation because you learned a lot about the real winning attitude that one of the greatest team in history hockey. Yeah, I guess your reputation in Calgary was as being a really superb what they call x-and-o Coach the guy who would be working on actual play the man. I think there's a lot of hockey casual hockey fans don't realize the level to which hockey players are actually drawn out every bit as carefully as football plays and stuff like that is at this something that you started this as a college coach really working on this kind of technical type of things bother you have more time. I called you five times a week. So I've tried to over the over eight years of the house University of working with everybody at the University to try to learn to work on every aspect of the game. And when you get the pro you do whatever they ask you to do. So, I guess what the assistant coaches job is basically you do whatever they want you to do and sometimes they did give you things that you don't want to do. You know, I got they don't want to do so when I went to Calgary today. They hired me as a skating specialist as I condition and coach and then moved on and did the power play and the testing and Anna run some practices and eventually you do everything and the years in college really prepare. You have no doubt about it because people that teach you how to Make sure what your plans are. We walking dishin Jana life skill better. Get your get there. You're really ready have a lot of answers. I think some people may know that you and Jack ferrero's not your boss is a general manager of the North Stars. Did you guys work together in Calgary for several years didn't you know, we need this we need that when did to this type of player in that? He was really outstanding. He's a real professional is very conscientious and a reading those down and the four coach. That's nice because you can't do what are good places and I have no doubt about it those Scouts by the key to that successful organizations with you coming out of a college background and Jack having been a college player in the US and in his playing days that I don't know if it's any Coincidence of Calgary was known for having a real pipeline to the u.s. College town with course, Bob Johnson was the head coach there for several years was also from the US college system. Over the years of the u.s. College player got a lot to do with a e and Eddie beers at Denver University and Gino cavallini & and Gerry McCann, Ohio State and where we were really fortunate because we signed a lot of free agents and that's basically how we went from an average team to an above average human can agree with free agents. In fact, we acquire Joy Mullen in Calgary for 3 players from St. Louis and all through free agents of the guys actually made it with you or whether using the trade to get people from other organizations has a lot of help you out. If I lost access with the Washington Redskins do with four heads. And if you do your work that, you know, you bring gives up and I noticed at the news conference you haven't you got hired you made several references to NFL people and things you must follow football pretty carefully. I love football gloves football and try to follow that bill wash quite a bit. I think there are there really honest people that are good coaches and their people that really pay their dues before they got their they're not funny. I think we have a pretty good football coach Jerry Burns them. Anyway, you look at his background them and that he paid his dues owed you get into being a football fan with a CFL all the NFL games all the time when we re default Coast Leander. We love photo really ever play the game yourself out of business for years and filled. So so you're the kind of guy who tomorrow afternoon might be able to get out of another couple of hours of unpacking by turning on the Vikings game. Huh? Did you know many football coaches you share kind of General coaching thoughts back and forth of the things you'll be able to pick up from those guys in football Street about him. You just you just you just like their uses like that philosophy. Is that right? I think you're here when your coach you your reader by coaches, but general managers about assistant coaches and their philosophy in on your player. You're worried about players and Castle what they do and how they got there and how they stay there and how they got better and how they won. So and I think Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs, you know, where the two guys that I admire the most, you know, When I read John Madden's book, he's different different different different. I have a different kind of ways an honest person. John wouldn't it was another person I think you learn a lot from reading by John would you win with big pores smaller players quick players and he won with different players, which is that I think the utmost quality of a coach to win with different type of players. Correct me if I'm wrong. It seems like when you get to your level two and a head coach high school college for certainly in professional ranks, you know, they're there so many things go into coaching and there's plays and there is execution and there's technique and all these things that seemed like a tri-level really it the key is people how you get along with people and how you get them to Tawana do their best for you motivational type in the number. One thing is how you can communicate with one guy how you can get the most out of him. How can you get to know him quicker than somebody else? If so, the bottom line X's and O's is still maybe the second or third in line. You got to get to know your place. The X's and O's come in handy because you want to stay ahead of the other team. If you look at if you think of it Pat Riley, for example, I mean, these are motivating guy. He's a video man the whole thing Visa Pro coach, but I'll Arbor 1/4 cups with the New York Islanders. He was a Loki was a good one on one person. It was a big video man. You was an X's and O's but you didn't stress that he didn't talk about the x's and O he didn't talk about the video. We did as much as anybody else. He just didn't promote it because he didn't think it was accepted into in hockey as much as it is and other sports. Some people are just afraid to talk about it, but I don't think there's much difference between coaching College in it and in Pro would you say that they're probably more people who can do a competent job of x's and o's and Technical coaching than can do a good job of of personal relationship building in motivational type of things. I mean, that's that's what really makes buy some guys never make it past the level of assistant coach because you got to have that extra quality. What makes probably right you're probably right? I think you need to just so nice will many people that can lead people. So I'll be working following something leader. It must I think there's fewer guys. I can lead you get the feeling that whatever happened at the Battle Walsh could coach successfully in different sports that Arbor could coach the Tesla in different sports that they've got to kind of personality that you assume. They got to stay out that you know can handle. The technical part of the sport. I mean that you feel like successful head coaching is pretty easily transferred at end of business too for that matter are motivated motivated. But if it's a kid in a little when you see those 3836 scores and 2221 and football, you know, that seems a lot better Coach than they were before. That's coaching, which is a better be prepared better than Scout better and I think in hockey at the same thing, I told you to get better yet to do more. You can't be just like an old-timer you're going to have to move on. Everybody else is spending more time preparing and you got to keep right up with him, but he had a lot to do with your success in Boston 12:30 here on the Minnesota new source, ksjn 1330 FM 88.9 portfolio MJG Preston to my guests at the head coach of the Minnesota North Stars. Pierre project phone lines are open to have a chance to ask your questions fpr if you like the Northstar start training camp here in the next few days to 276 thousand as our phone number to 276 thousand. If you're outside the 7 County Metro Area College collect. The area code is 612-227-6008 in just a second. Good afternoon. This is Mark. Stay tuned to the Minnesota new stores throughout the afternoon today coming up at 1 I'll be here with the week in review program than a 3. It's the new American Gazette today featuring Pete Seeger of all people and then at 4. It's all things considered from National Public Radio in Washington at the programming Steilacoom this afternoon here on the Minnesota news source. Again, mr. I said I'll be heading out to Canterbury Downs when we get done with this at 1 today. If any of you were on your way to the track right now, we're going to be there later stop by and say hi. My pal Eric s Columbus's birthday yesterday. And so we're going to entertain him at the racetrack today and have a good time. I have no inspiration coming out the racing form today and I'll certainly appreciate any free tips that people have don't give over the phone of course, but that you look me up at the downs and look forward to seeing you out there. Padres are guess who's the head coach of the Minnesota North Stars? 2276 thousands are phone number. Let's talk some NHL now. You haven't been in Calgary all those years and a great rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers. Maybe you can give me that kind of visceral reaction to everything that happened with Wayne Gretzky. If nothing else I don't ever going to do much to take away from the Calgary Edmonton rivalry. Those cities are close together, but something to make life a little easier for the Flames I would think. Well, that's what they think but I think it's good. It's not going to be easy with a Los Angeles because Los Angeles deep Calgary are tough go last year. So that means no instead of a of a two-team race. You have a three and maybe a 14 racing at division there depending on what Winnipeg does Winnipeg has the making of a pretty good Hockey Club. So the competition will come from different direction than Edmonton will not be as good as last year, but they'll still be pretty good La will be a lot better. So I think he doesn't know what to do right now right now in Calgary from your friends. They are about the trade where they were they happy to see when going over there as upset as the people in Edmonton to see you to see wayne leaving the province there were dancing in the street because I'm waiting we're losing Wayne Gretzky's like losing jacket Jack Black in St. Louis, you know that the last place but the They won't be too dominating to me. You can't afford to lose a clutch player the score of the big goals all the time and that the standard for the hockey team a leader on the hockey team that keeps pulls the guys together all the time. I mean, he was a glue that kept at Wild team together and that's a while. For. They're really it's not like they gave him away by Jimmy Carson that they're getting from the king's he can play and it looks like the the first round pick that they made this year is a kid with a lot of potential to ask where they say. Gelinas. So it's going to be a superstar Amitiza. He's just like Yvonne Court away. So they got to read the weather is good. They station a should still be pretty tough. Even without wings by Ali better do it right away to see a lot of a man act when he was in Our Stars play the Kings game start to lighten. I must have to watch it here. So I don't think you'll find a lot of people with much knowledge about the Kings here out how good it's going to be all they have to read. Chancellor 34th Lions making sure that they're $34 better check ears when they have been in the past and there are Goten he's been suspect the last in the last few years and if they get study goaltending Lookout because they'll be pretty good. What about the trying to get the great the Soviet goalie at RadioShack out of retirement and have him come back and play it any possibility that you see or is that just kind of fell a publicity talk and I don't think that makes much sense neither, but I hear they're talking about getting moved from Boston on my light check from Washington at the pad back on if you have a good one coming up the Fitzpatrick and they have stopped it right here in Minnesota. That's right. Robbie strawberries King's property. Chance to play with Gretzky on the lions got him. Pretty excited. The Kings might wind up in the North Stars division in the North Division maybe as early as next season. Do you see that the switch with Toronto in there being all Canadian division in this might do you see that as much of a possibility. I'm not interested in going with the president and going with the Adams division. Boston Buffalo That Couldn't balance things out. You know, I don't foresee La coming in this division are the Kings Gretzky here for you. But it didn't we have to get better. We just couldn't keep the status quo in this division. You can you can put up 85 points and got a good chance of winning the division. Beer, but if you're playing against the Edmonton, you got to get a hundred points to be able to have a chance to smell it and you're going through things to make sure you get better the real motivator for the Kings. It's brutal out of there. I guess calories what the next closest city or is it Vancouver me? Whatever it is. It's it's a long way away and I'm Vancouver would be a 2 hour flight then it would be a 3-hour flight. That's why I have a tough time believing that Gretzky. I wanted to go to LA because I like he hates flying New York, Philadelphia. So I know I know Janice running the show like you and McKenzie said in calories is a prospectus Jenna Jones. She took him away but he's going to be some some new blood in the North Stars lineup this year between draft choices and some signs. You've got the Guess Who you're taking some steps to try to get that line up for it up there. You can talk a little bit. Do people are going to be encamped at Northstar spans? Haven't seen before the key to being successful is depth is no doubt about it good players that play everyday and when it don't you want kids come if you have injuries you want kids coming up. So you got to speed up the development of your kids and you do that with coaching you do that with training in the summer time in the summer. We brought the Scott McCready. We brought Dean Kolstad another defense when it was an All-Star in the western Junior Hockey League. We brought Kevin Kaminski in Saskatoon. And Sean Chambers was here link gates was here. And I just trying to work with him and speed them up and we had Jack blatherwick was an outstanding your coach has really improved and I really enjoyed it to you. Got it. You got a couple of a Czechoslovakian the Stars you sign for this year, right? That's how you going to leave out just arrived at their families a few weeks ago. They been here for about 2 weeks. And the past check is considered to be maybe the best part of the check came in me that he's a he's a great skater is a cinnamon good playmaker. He's got a little nasty streak. He's a competitor and you going to Levis the same age 28. I'll be 28 pretty soon. So I use Waze maturity when I get into kids now. We're getting to a to Veterans with world-class abilities. Are those two guys have a good chance to make a Club depending on how they how quickly the adjusted their Tuatara game. Show me when you think that's brought in is healthy and that hartsburg is healthy to Fraser is healthy. And you have a mark Hardy that came in from New York when you're looking at the to check pasek and Libra man. I think we're already better with those plays and when you consider some of the kids find for a job when I team, I think I'd like to thank the one two or three of them will make it right away. I like to think we have and you and you and you look when I came in there was Yama Millis also was the goalie for the Finnish Olympic hockey team at the Olympics had a great last year. Now look really good in the I could give a run to everybody else. So now we're starting to build some some some competition some rivalry and we are we have of 3/4 free agents coming in with good potential of impressing us. So I know what the scouts we have been there with the people they are going to change very right now. We're on the right track. And then I like the new look we said to the people. In the Twin Cities that they will like us and if they don't like us when 5 minutes are you like us to 5% physical condition versus that Sebastian has felt in a long long time ago and Neal Broten. The shoulder is really good in there is at least 90% recovered little green last year. So he's been cheating lately and I was looking for good things and I we signed Nipomo from last year. We have a lot of new things and we can look at who are the guys that have lingering physical problems from last year. Any more comes to mind and the Terry ruskowski is is having some some bad news is it reminds me of a doctor risebrough in Calgary? I think he's going to give you everything he's got then the some nights when it's too sore. You let us know I think you just have to know how to get the best out of him. But you know, he's never going to cheat you omit is a hundred percent reason overachiever Dennis my truck right now, he's two months away from the try to sing with us. I care if things are going pretty good, but he's had to restructure the kneecap and that takes it all the time. Now, that's really about it isn't as far as carryover injury from last year. So good news. Now. I know you're not involved in contract negotiations, but you must at least find out where they are Mike Modano your first round draft pick you expect to see him anytime soon in Kalamazoo was indicated to a jacked up there. He might not report the camera feed of the sign which would be a very unfortunate thing for him. I think it is huge because you know, he's only eighteen years old and but in all things are changed nowadays and what is Agent is at the first client is having represented so early so it's tougher to deal with an aging like that because he has he doesn't have that many points of reference. Panda 18 years of age. Anyway, you know, I'm in Mike would have to be very very good to make our team. But the song as I've done it the alternative for Madonna with feet where did not make your Club. They have every time. Eat then be going back to Juniors or do you go into a minor profession has to go back to Junior if he doesn't like that I think with our situation right now with a quite a bit of pressure on us to do her fairly. Well, you hate to rush a kitten but if you can have a great time and I think we would keep him here. If you could play regular hoping we would not keep him here if he was just a part-time employment line because of his experience kid, like him has to play and play a lot like you but everybody I've talked to so yeah, it's kind of credible skill Play he has to mature physically and most of the other first-rounders around the league signed. Do you know fear? No, no other Vancouver has a sign that they're the second round pick neither trouble ending now they're on their the clothes because they're his age of a lot more realistic. So you know it when you eat you can't go you can't go crazy to him and I really trust Jack because I think Jack is trying to help the kid and it's not like you're facing a deadline as far as losing his right cuz you retain his rights for quite a few years. I don't know what time is right now in the NHL you mostly draft 18 year olds when they're us kids kids who are either just getting out of high school or sometimes going into their senior year of high school and really drafting with the expectations. They will continue the development. In Pro Hockey button, talking and let him spend three or four years in the college right now at 18 years old played in the NFL and baseball and basketball and then you don't hear of an 18 year old playing pro. But then we expect that in the NHL. That's really really I have to bring this up here because people who listen to me know, I feel pretty strongly about this my problem with the NHL in recent years have been with the fighting and I Just Wanna Have you talked about this from a coaching perspective, you know that the college game in the high school game of done a real good job of being able to play really a clean game like they keep the the chicken is down to a minimum. They keep the stick stuff down almost non-existent in the end. They legislated out of the game. Basically. I think he's a beautiful game. I love watching it. But I do have trouble in the NHL with the extent to which the extra-curricular stuff is tolerated at I guess. I just as I just a league, I don't see it from the fans really in the NHL the big interest in and getting that out of the game when you come from a college background where this was not a factor in the game. Well, what what do you see that heading? But you don't have guests have a different view on that. I have a cuz I've coached College in the and I've been I spent eight years in college in eight years in Provo so I can compare pretty easily right now. I don't think the fighting is a problem in the NHL. I think we've cleaned it up pretty good at cleaning the bras and cleaning two guys jumping on one knowing not too many players want to fight me in each other. If you really get to know the players, that's not too many guys. I want to fight bare hands every night one-on-one on a straight deal if I want to jump you from behind which is what we cleaned up. I think the problems in the NHL right now, I think stem from the face mask and I have the mascot that we brought up in mine are and youth hockey and in college hockey and I think the players right now have no respect for the for the head and I I think the biggest problem I notice a stick working out and I think to be honest, I think Fighting stops a lot of the stick right now that sounds silly to say but people don't want to fight and be a few years ago. There was no high-sticking because if somebody did that not only the other team would do something about it, but your own teammates would make sure that you never High stick together now accepting if you're going to see a college game, you don't see too many guys get hurt because everywhere in a cage, but you don't see the true value of a hockey player because there's a lot of players in college. I cannot play pro because there's not they're not as tough as you think there and they can't play the same game. So I think you yet we thought I have to put Halo effort and they're cutting down the high-sticking and I don't think fighting is a they fighting solves a lot of problems because it's really tough to control to support its really tough to control sport where you use a stick. Wouldn't Tupper Lake, you know the business of jail census and what not as far as I'm concerned for the NHL that's neither here nor there. I mean, I think what's going to matter in the NHL is there's a lady standing if using a stick on a guy's head or neck or face or whatever. I mean to me that's got to be for Escambia 40 game suspension minimum. I think part of the problem that the that the NHL has is the the families don't have the teeth that they could I just came back from a meeting in Chicago with the officials and the general managers and all the coaches in the NHL and if you would have heard every single coach in the NHL on GMA all said why did we suspend close more severely than each other they want all want the same thing and and everybody's bringing up the fact that one of the reasons why we are having a hard time with with with high-sticking is because of the helmet the cage the visor. And the rules are not stiff enough on high stick and we were accepted it. No, I'm not sure if we can if we can sell an old College hockey to 17,000 fans. 444 Home Gates. I'm not sure how do I in Europe that can't so I think you want a hard-hitting aggressive aggressive Sports, and I know people don't accept fighting. What the 75% like I said before 75% of the fans in the recent survey by hiking use set. The fans want to fight it ended in mind fighting sure hun over a hundred game schedule. I don't find it fighting a problem the NHL, I'm a college coach from from way back in the I don't mind at all doesn't bother me cuz it really keeps Law & Order a silly is it sound but the high-sticking. Because it can control the sticks. Alright, it's alright for something he has to be on the stick. And then if we control the stick and we can abolish fighting and still feel the stadium. So then that's good. So are there going to be some some different enforcement of high-sticking penalties? And at least when it comes to the end from the league office suspensions this year when very very strict penalties and I'll see you guys being injected in automatically from the game and suspended from four other games while using the stick weather, Texas Dental or intense, right? Yeah because everybody wants to clean it up that's good to hear because I think Again, I don't know that I represent by any means a typical NHL fan but I love the sport is very attractive to me, but the extra-curricular stuff is a turn off, but I'm not sure that the NHL fans necessarily look at it the same way. So you Market to the people to buy that's the that's what I hear turn on the TV at night in the first thing you see is a fight there might have been the first fight than there in five games. That's the first thing it's on the air violence point. I don't find the valence by violence point. This is part of my complaint to as I think a lot of the same media people who are outspoken against the violence and Oleg whether it's the same people, but certainly there outlets go out of their way then to to magnified. I mean Al tour must have played three games for the northstars. I think it is picture of the front page of the paper after everyone because I'll tore his fight would be the picture that was on the front page of the paper and you're right with the with television. Especially the the highlights are not the skating the highlights in are the fight and I suppose it's like, you know, Mike murders and everything else. The bad news is news and then you've got to put that on there but I can games I think no other game and they know what we have to address when you have to dress high-sticking right now. That's the most serious thing going on good. I have a feeling it won't take it won't take long. But that's the message that they're going to try to get across on the ice. I don't think it'll take long to get that message across if indeed it's enforced that way that's good news. I think we've ever gone this long without a phone call enjoying PR Company, but let me run the phone number by you again and give mr. O'Neill something to do acrostic last year due to seven 6240 folio to 276 thousand call collect. If you're outside the metro area the area code of 6122 Boca molesters in central Minnesota on kns rfm 88.9 and our Twin Cities friends here on ksjn 1336. Phone number here on sportfolio is a guided been an assistant coach for as long as you had. I'm not sure you put a lot of thought and Care into picking your assistant coaches. Now that you're they had man tell us about the guys you hired I was looking for I was looking for somebody that had won the Stanley Cup and I was looking for a very experienced coach and I've known George Kingston for a long time and it is 48 years old has been coaching for 21 years and it's not tough to at the prior somebody like that away from a from a school has been there for so long. So he was okay with the University of Calgary. What do you work with the Calgary Flames with two years from 1980-82. He was a coach with the letter World Championship with the NHL team he's coached different team that the Taki Canada sent to Europe and he's work on a regular basis with the Olympic team since 1984. So easy. These is a person with him very background is very experienced and he has a lot of answers and it's something we need here a lot of answers right now. And then. Jarvis had heard a lot about him through a Doug risebrough and Calgary and he's a winner won 4 Stanley Cups in Montreal with the Washington and help Washington wearing make the playoffs for the first time in the history of their franchise and I went to Hartford and they helped Hartford be a very good hockey team almost beat Montreal in the playoffs. And so it is a winner is a character guy is a class guy. He's a he's everything you want the organization for the kids to look up to tell a couple of good people and with with three of you coming in from outside the system. I suppose you can kind of start with the blank slate and Really get off from Ground Zero with everybody both as far as evaluating their talent and their personality as I got to think that's going to help in this world. I don't have a chance to surround themselves with their own people. And this is a unique opportunity in that. It's kind of nice go to the phones even call her standing by in Eden Prairie dick. How are you Pierre talk my first chance to really listen to him to provide service as you've been talking. I was going to ask you about the Reese's are the nurse Sturgis needing. I'm needing the most help this year and just wondering what he is going to do to change the team little bit and maybe address some of the problems from last year certainly looking at the club on the ice last year Piera offense was a problem as a team that did not score a lot of goals. So I got to think that's going to be wearing special given your background with a pretty high scoring team in Calgary with a lot of your attention is going to go I really can't understand that because if I look at Minnesota and I like a Detroit I see more scoring a bill to hear. So I like to think the problem is defense, you know, I think if you play defense you score more goals because you frustrate the opposition to take a chance you score a goal. If you're always thinking offense you get frustrated. You take a chance bass cargo. You don't score any I like to think that we have to look at a defenseman for the quickest way to improve is definitely defenseman. And I like to know who's a good defensive defenseman. I know George Kingston will be responsible for the defenseman and I was his first question to who's good defensively who likes to play defensively who accepts the play Just offensively as a defenseman. And so that's the first thing we're going to dress. I think this is a few? There we have to dress in the second problem is and we need some Checkers who who are the role players on the team who can check the best lines in the league who can kill penalties in their medicine and our stars were the most penalized team in the league in 21st and Philly killing. I like to think that's a quickest way to improve just you're probably killing is good you can cut One goal against per game at least country bad families and improve your penalty-killing I think and then at the same time you improve your you that means you have better Checkers. That means you can control the other the other team's good lines. You can frustrate the other team. So I think if we look at our defensemen, if you look out if we look at our penalty-killing if we look at one or two checking lines on a Supporting Cast I think we are making will make myself better right away go to st. Paul with PRP. Jaehee Ron's portfolio. How are you GC, Savannah? Keerai represents. What I consider to be probably a large group in the metropolitan area of former North Stars fans were disappointed and got tired of what the guns and Luna Nia done with the team and I'm hoping for something better with a change in general managers and coaches, but I've been kind of Frustrated and worried when I read in the papers about the contract negotiations for Dino. Ciccarelli, I'm in since the day ciccarelli join the team he sort of has stood out as to me a player who enjoys playing hockey and has that spark and looks like he's out there to really make something happen What made him stand out time with a North Stars and it doesn't seem like I guess I get the impression that the guns are I'm mostly interested in not spending a lot of money and thereby not giving you the support to come up with Stan playing the pair's what they deserve and getting good players. I know they're your bosses and it's hard to say anything against him. But are we in for a change or the same old stuff from the guns? Well, I know I know what Jack is going through right now and I I know he's really trying to change things and you I know the owners want to help him change things. So I feel very confident that things will happen. I know the calendar was one of the best pain team in the league and I know the offer has been made to do, you know, where is a very good one and I know it is and you offered in the making right now today in Los Angeles by Jack call sweetie, sweetie talk to negotiate the public because the more you deal in the open the more missing for more medicine for people you have in the last actor that gets a the owners and Jack I really try to help him resolve the situation now, it doesn't always come out that way and negotiation is not a nice thing, but believe me when I look at all the good players in the league. I'm in Minnesota right now is trying to make do you know a furry very good offer. I got to see it from my point of view that you know for all the score. I know the the points he puts up but it don't help is plus minus very much. You still wanting up pretty much in the red ink there and I person would have a hard time making him one of the two or three highest-paid right Wings in the lake and I just don't see that as being a Equitable. But like I told myself I want to make sure Jack that our best players. I have talent. They have character that represent the team. Well, I want to die best place to sell it to him. So I know if any of the play knocking on the door, I want big money than they have to do those three things that you can squeeze in a quick call hear from St. Cloud. How are you Paul? You their Paw Paw's not there right about that part that we have to go into second. Anyways, I probably would have been worth all is well. Very nice of you to stop by. I know that you miss not being home to unpack those crates and get that furniture setup. So if you got a chance to get back now and help the wife and get things taken care of. Well, it was a lot of fun. I mean I enjoy this sentence it's a chance to to meet you and then talk to some of the good fans in the area and I know that Heather will get the fans back at the Med Center. I know they're like us and like I said that if they get frustrated and hang on because we're going to turn things around things are changing. I wish you luck with the camp in Kalamazoo and look forward to seeing you on the ice at the Met Center for later this month for exhibition season then in October you start the real thing. Thanks for your nice to have you with us thanks to sue winking or associate producer David O'Neill so much work and never gets enough credit. Thank you David the Jeff Walker. Yeah, Jeff Walker. He's the guy behind the dials. Good work and Mike Osbourne for no reason at all. Hey tell you what she again. Same time. Same place next Saturday at noon Force portfolio. MJG. 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