1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000
Hi, it's Daria Mironova. Welcome to Hockey on the Beach.

2
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:10,000
Hockey is not the most popular sport in Florida, but we still have five professional teams here.

3
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000
Two in the NHL, three in the ACHL.

4
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:19,000
Today we're going to talk to Jacksonville Iceman's goalie Charles Williams, also known as Willie.

5
00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:25,000
He will share stories about his childhood, college days, family and hockey lifestyle in Jacksonville.

6
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:31,000
People call you Willie most of the time. How easy is that to forget your own name?

7
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:42,000
Well, when you hear it a lot in the locker room, I think it's harder to forget my real name now because I hear Willie so much.

8
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:48,000
Just from being around the guys every day. So yeah, my mom calls me Willie.

9
00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:59,000
A lot of them don't call me Willie. It's Charles or babe or whatever have you. But yeah, the nicknames are kind of like a focal point to every guy on the team.

10
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,000
You always have your nickname and that's your name. You no longer have your actual name.

11
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,000
What about your wife? How does she call you?

12
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:13,000
She does not call me Willie. No chance. She just like, yeah, babe or Charles.

13
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:20,000
Yeah, it's just a locker room, you know, a team, just a team thing.

14
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:25,000
So tell me more about your hockey childhood. Why hockey? Why goalie?

15
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:37,000
Yeah, that's a long one. Hockey was just my family. We moved into this neighborhood and that's kind of what all the kids were doing. They're playing hockey.

16
00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:38,000
Outside?

17
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:47,000
Yeah, outside. Yeah, we were roller hockey. And then my team, we went to a field trip or not my team, sorry, at school.

18
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:54,000
It was a field trip and my teacher told me that or told my parents that I was a pretty good ice skater and they didn't believe it.

19
00:01:54,000 --> 00:02:00,000
I've never ice skated in my life. And she was like, no, you guys get, you know, get in some skates and stuff. So we did.

20
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:09,000
I was winter and I had a pond in the back. And yeah, before, you know, I was teaching myself how to skate and kind of picked it up right away.

21
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,000
But you know when people say goalie is not the best skater.

22
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:19,000
Yeah, you know, actually it's a myth. You know, it's a myth. They say that it's the best skater, not the hottest skater.

23
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:29,000
Yeah, that's honestly a part of it was I just love skating, being out there. And yeah, my brother and I, we played on the same team, but our goalie was really bad.

24
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:37,000
So we had this like thing where like if he would score, I would try and stop the bus. And then we started winning games and it kind of stuck.

25
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:47,000
And that's kind of how I began to be a goalie. I started like loving the gear, the gloves, the helmet designs and that's how I started.

26
00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,000
Was it expensive like when you were growing up?

27
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:56,000
Yeah, yeah, goalie. That's the first thing you hear when parents talk about goalie. So stay away, stay away.

28
00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:04,000
It is pretty expensive. I think my gear right now probably cost around five to six grand. Yeah, it's getting crazy now.

29
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,000
Like how something.

30
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:20,000
Yeah, yeah, right. Yeah, that's it. 20%. No, it's pretty crazy. So growing up, we were able to just a lot of my friends who had brothers, siblings who played goalie, I was able to let them use their gear.

31
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:31,000
And then my parents got me some gear too. Once I got into like some new gear, once I got to like my sophomore, junior year of high school and started to get really serious with the sport.

32
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:39,000
And that was great. But definitely it's really tough. We had a local junior team that would have a big sale at the end of the year.

33
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:50,000
So I'd be able to get some good gear from like the junior goalies when I was in seventh, eighth grade. And that was really cool. But it's definitely an expensive position.

34
00:03:50,000 --> 00:04:05,000
Especially right now. The gear is getting, I looked at it the other day, I have them all for $2,500 to $3,000. I got a little one and I'm like, stay away from goalie.

35
00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:21,000
Who was your favorite goal growing up? Favorite goalie? I'd say being from Detroit was probably Dominik Hasek. Dominik was just, I heard so many things about practice, how he would only let in like two or three goals of practice.

36
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:37,000
Just how he just competed on the ice in the games. I mean like it was just impossible to score on. He took so much pride in that. So just being from Detroit and playing in Detroit, being able to watch that on a daily basis was like really cool growing up.

37
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:50,000
So I would have to say Dominik Hasek for sure. Do you think that you took something from him? Oh absolutely. The one thing that I think that anyone can take, no matter what, is just the effort.

38
00:04:50,000 --> 00:05:05,000
He just, every time he was on the ice, it was like in his mind, you know, it's scoring on me. And no matter what, sometimes it looked good, sometimes it looked crazy, but within the day he was going to do everything he could to keep the puck out of the net.

39
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:12,000
And that was kind of my just approach is just how can I stop every puck every time.

40
00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:17,000
How hard is it, or easy, I'm not sure, for you to process bad things?

41
00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:36,000
That's a great question. That's a great question. I think as I've gotten older, it's gotten easier, but yeah, when I was, up until I was 24, yeah, it was tough. It was, I would handle it differently every time, and that's frustrating too.

42
00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:50,000
Not knowing whether it was, you know, feeling like it was my fault and just hammering myself, like working harder in practice, like whatever it was, there's just so many things that it's frustrating as a goalie.

43
00:05:50,000 --> 00:06:06,000
A lot of times as a goalie, you're kind of on an island by yourself. So I think now as I'm older, I'm into, I have my life coaching certification, I'm kind of working on like mental performance with kids across the country.

44
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:35,000
It's helped me a lot too, to be able to handle, yeah, when things don't go your way and how to kind of change the perspective and outlook of a bad game and kind of using it as almost like a positive by taking my mistakes or the things I was, the reads I was making or the plays I was making, kind of just changing them a little bit and knowing that, hey, like, I may have played bad for maybe a few minutes or made a few mistakes,

45
00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:49,000
but I played good for 45 minutes or whatever the case is, and it can kind of change it, turn it around to like actually be like, hey, like, instead of saying you had a bad game, let's say, let's change these bad mistakes and work on hope.

46
00:06:49,000 --> 00:07:07,000
So I think the last few years have been a huge progress with that, but it's taken a lot of time, a lot of time, like I said, probably until I was 25, where I was able to truly take a bad game and not dwell on it and learn from it.

47
00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,000
So can we say that goal is not perfectionist?

48
00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:25,000
Absolutely. Absolutely. I think now goal is just in every league, NHL, all the way down, you kind of look at it like goals are going to happen, you know, like it's a team game.

49
00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:44,000
Everyone's out there working hard and you put the time in to work at stopping pucks and practicing every day. I think it's an imperfect game, so you can't, no one's perfect, but I think that helps a lot, like saying we are human and we make mistakes and it's a game of mistakes.

50
00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:57,000
So it's definitely a position that, you know, you can always work on something every day. So I think with that, you just kind of put all your work into each game and then whatever the outcome is, is the outcome. You can't really control that.

51
00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:07,000
You just control what you can kind of work on and just let everything else go because it's just, the next game's coming right around the corner and you have to be ready for it.

52
00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:14,000
And going back to your childhood, what was your dream and did you expect that this job would be a bit hard?

53
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:37,000
Did you know, I actually, hockey and I got into some battles growing up, it was tough. I started when I was like 13, so a little later and I just didn't understand a lot of the concepts of hockey, pressing goalie.

54
00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:50,000
And just growing up and having that chance to talk with just goalies at different levels and just kind of seeing how they approached every game and just playing.

55
00:08:50,000 --> 00:09:00,000
I was able to play AAA in Michigan with a lot of good goalies who are somewhere in the NHL now, Jack Campbell and Pellebock and Adelza Vajic with the Red Wings.

56
00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:08,000
Just seeing how being around that group of guys just helps knowing that we're all going through this tough position.

57
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:24,000
How can we come together to just learn from each other? I think that's my biggest takeaway is just being in goalie camps and working with goalie schools and my goalie coaches, AJ Wallachek and so many guys.

58
00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:35,000
Neil Conway, Mike Napsta in college, all these guys are just able to kind of talk to, sit down just like we're doing and just kind of grow and develop.

59
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:42,000
I think that's just the biggest thing. If I can grow just a little bit every day, then I think that I've done my job.

60
00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:57,000
But kind of back to your question, now I thought I wanted to play college hockey was my biggest thing. After it got to the point where we're talking about pro hockey, I was like, wow, this is becoming a reality.

61
00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:14,000
I come out of nowhere for me. When I made my first contract to play in this league, I was super excited and didn't know what to expect. I enjoy it a lot being here.

62
00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:28,000
The guys, the coaches, the ownership, everything is just really good. I'm just really happy that they have played pro hockey. I enjoy it so much and it's been a blast.

63
00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,000
You sound like Detroit's Red Wings fan.

64
00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:49,000
Big Red Wings fan. I was pretty much a Detroit fan. Lions, Pistons, and they're starting to come together, the Red Wings. They're just growing up watching them. That was just when we ate dinner. It was either a Pistons game or a Red Wings game.

65
00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,000
So you know Russian five?

66
00:10:51,000 --> 00:11:11,000
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Like I said, I didn't know too much. I started playing ice hockey a little later, 2002, 2003. It was kind of before my time. I didn't know a lot of history until I got a little older.

67
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:23,000
And yeah, I got to learn about the Russian five and all the history with Detroit. My mom actually, she grew up in Detroit and they would have their games. They would park in front of her dryware and stuff like that.

68
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:32,000
She was like, yeah, so she never really did hockey, but just knew that when there was a hockey game, you couldn't drive anywhere because it was just packed full of fans and stuff.

69
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:46,000
But yeah, big Detroit family. My mom, we were talking yesterday, they were watching the hockey game last night. To beat Tampa. Yeah, 7-4. I know.

70
00:11:46,000 --> 00:12:02,000
Yeah, yeah. We were always watching the Red Wings fans. Red Wings games and stuff. It was just my kind of childhood watching the boys. Like, oh my gosh, I could never do this. You just see how good they are and then you get older and you see.

71
00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:17,000
But yeah, it was always a business game or revenue game. I would have dinner at the table and that was kind of what really got me passionate about hockey. So you're a really big hockey man. But do you see that in Florida? Hockey is not really popular.

72
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:33,000
It's so amazing though to see how in Jacksonville, especially with the AU team, the junior Iceman, this organization, the rink. And yesterday we had a game Wednesday and it was rocking. It was like 5-6,000 fans.

73
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:47,000
Yeah, all the time. Yeah, all the time. Especially even during the week. It's so impressive to see. I played in a lot of places and the commitment of the fans, the passion. They're giving it to the other goalies when they let them goal.

74
00:12:47,000 --> 00:13:03,000
It's intense and I just think it's going to keep growing. I didn't know what to think. I played against Jacksonville when I was in Manchester a few times and they always had a good fan base. And I was like, how? We're in Jacksonville, Florida.

75
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:20,000
And when you come here, you can see why it's because of the people, the ownership, the coaching staff, the community. Everyone was just so tight-knit and close and passionate. And there you go. You've got great fans and it's a fun atmosphere to play in front of.

76
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,000
Do you follow NHL besides the board of the rink?

77
00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:33,000
The biggest thing that I follow is my favorite goalies. So Vasilevski, Tampa, Saros, Nashville. I kind of just always watch.

78
00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:34,000
That was my next question.

79
00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:49,000
Oh really? I'm skippin'. I'm skippin'. Man, it's funny. Yeah, I just always follow goalies more than anything. So, teens, not per se, usually just like buddies that I know that are playing in the NHL.

80
00:13:49,000 --> 00:14:04,000
And then my favorite goalie is just to watch them. I mean, it's just so fascinating how they play the game, how they think the game. So that's probably my biggest thing. Yeah, the Red Wings. And then my favorite goalie is just buddies who I know who are playing. Just kind of keep in touch with them.

81
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:12,000
If I make you choose, like a David, a MacArthur, or a Veggiekin, who do you want to face to challenge?

82
00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:19,000
Oh man. You know what? I'll have to say, I have to say McDavid.

83
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:20,000
I knew that.

84
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,000
Yeah, yeah.

85
00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:22,000
I just didn't even know how to spell that.

86
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:43,000
McDavid, man, you know, I got to watch him practice one time when I was in Ontario with the LA's farm team. They practiced, LA practiced the same practice rink as the NHL team when we were in Ontario. So, Edmonton was in town and they were practicing after us.

87
00:14:43,000 --> 00:15:05,000
And yeah, I just stayed and watched. And my jaw was to the ground. It didn't even look like he was playing the same sport as everyone else. It was insane. You know, you see it on TV, but you really see so many other things when they're just practicing, messing around on the same ice he just skated on.

88
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:20,000
I was just, they kind of just opened my eyes to just say that like, no matter where you are, you work hard, you put the time in, like you can just, you can do amazing things. And that's kind of what McDavid was showing. He was just in his own world, having fun.

89
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:34,000
First and foremost, having fun. Loving what he's doing. And yeah, all the things that come with it are just the cherry on top. Really cool to kind of see that. But I would have loved to be able to stay out there for a minute, just to face one breakaway.

90
00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:40,000
Just to say I got to work on McDavid. But yeah, I can't say McDavid. He's just so much fun to watch.

91
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,000
Do you think Obashkin will be Weston's rec student?

92
00:15:44,000 --> 00:16:00,000
Oh yeah, absolutely. Obashkin is such a great, just everything for the sport of hockey. And I mean, ever since he entered the league with that crazy goal he scored, you know, on his back. Like, to now he's still doing it.

93
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:17,000
And you know, he has kids, just a great, just like I said, player for the sport, you know, and he's just bringing so much to Washington. And yeah, I saw the other day that they're, you know, they're keeping their team so that he can help him break the record and not trade guys.

94
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:30,000
Because you know, whatever. So it just, you just, that just has to go to show what kind of guy that, you know, Obashkin is. And yeah, I have no doubt in my mind. I mean, no one can stop the shot. He has a heart to shot.

95
00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:41,000
Yeah, he shoots and he scores. Easy game, easy game. Just, he sits there and just takes one timers. Yeah, so it's, yeah, I say no question, he's breaking the record.

96
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:55,000
If you have to pick one favorite goalie right now, the hottest one. Oh, easily, Vasilevsky. Vasilevsky is, he's like McDavid with goalie. He's playing a different sport out there.

97
00:16:55,000 --> 00:17:17,000
He's got every single tool that you need as a goalie. Height, just the way he moves, the way he thinks, the game. I just think he's like the, he's a wall. He's a wall. If I were to try and model my game after anyone, it would try to just be Vasilevsky on his very worst day.

98
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:28,000
You know, like, like just to, that's how, that's how perfect I think he is and his approach to the game practice. He doesn't want, just like Dominic Kossel, he doesn't want to get scored on ever.

99
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:40,000
And you can see it in the game, but I'm sure it's the same in practice. So yeah, Vasilevsky, no question. I think for me, one of my favorite goalies ever. Oh, wow, cool. Yeah.

100
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:51,000
What's up, Vasilevsky? What's up? What is the hardest shot you ever faced? Like, I don't know, you keep a track on the short.

101
00:17:51,000 --> 00:18:10,000
You know what, Pavel is up there. Pavel is up there, no question. His one-timer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, seriously though, Pavel is a hard shot, hard shot. Howard Chuck on our team too.

102
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:24,000
Zach Jordan on our team, like, yeah, a lot of guys who just shoot the puck. But yeah, I'd have to say it's between Pavel and my buddy Hawkins.

103
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:33,000
He plays a Tweedle right now and he's always, as a kid we grew up playing together and he's always had a harder shot than anyone.

104
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:44,000
Yeah, he's been shooting pucks since he was two years old. Before he walked, he was shooting pucks. So yeah, I'd have to say between those two, probably a harder shot.

105
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000
Oh, boy. Did you ever had a fight?

106
00:18:48,000 --> 00:19:11,000
I had one little fight. Yeah, I know, just a little bit. It was just a crazy event. Like, it was back in AAA. I was playing with Copyware and we were playing Little Seeders and it was like a bench-clearing brawl.

107
00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:23,000
It was a championship game and it just kind of got out of hand. Yeah, we were outnumbered. We were missing like four guys that game. So guys were just getting kind of like junk, two-on-one.

108
00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:35,000
Yeah, everyone just cleared. It was more so just helping teammates out, like, just getting guys getting jumped because we were down guys. So yeah, more so just kind of helping guys.

109
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:49,000
So yeah, it was like one fight when I was, I think I was eighth grade. And yeah, that was it. I haven't gotten to it ever since. Just kind of let them handle it, you know, just try to keep my face how it is.

110
00:19:49,000 --> 00:20:01,000
Like, I'm a ghost. Yeah, yeah. I'm going to keep my face how it is. I'm okay, you guys. But no, we have so many guys on our team especially this year who can handle that.

111
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:11,000
A lot of guys fight, but I just let them do their job. Yeah, I'll give them the thick tops and clap more.

112
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:20,000
Because yeah, we got the mean guys, which is great to have that they have my back. They have anyone's back on the ice. And that's just, yeah, great, great to have.

113
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:33,000
You watch the World Cup. Yeah. Oh yeah. It's like Martinez. Yeah, great goalie, but you could see that after each great penalty shot, who would celebrate. Yeah. And a lot of people there to handle a goalie when they do that.

114
00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:37,000
You know what, that's a great question.

115
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:50,000
I agree. I think like, you know, a player can celebrate, the team can celebrate after goals. And yeah, and then you see a goalie celebrating. Oh, this guy is cocky. This guy's weird.

116
00:20:50,000 --> 00:21:02,000
What? Like, he's doing the same thing that everyone in the ring, the stadium gets to do. But for some reason, you have it in your head that you can't show emotion because he's a goalie.

117
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:10,000
I agree. I think, you know, a lot of goalies, one time in hockey, you will really see them after a shootout victory.

118
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:18,000
But yeah, I was fired up when the goalie would make. Yeah, get fired up. Because yeah, it's exciting.

119
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:32,000
A lot of times, goalies, you know, growing up, it was like, you do good, everyone's happy, you do bad, everyone doesn't like you. And it's just to live like that and try and not show emotion. You keep it bottled up, you know.

120
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:44,000
And it's like, you know, forget that. Like, be emotion. Like, show your personality. So yeah, I love having a good opportunity, like after a win, you know, to celebrate.

121
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:53,000
You know, more so, like for me, like, probably would after each shootout, just because you kind of have to be so ready for me, be so ready for the next one.

122
00:21:53,000 --> 00:22:00,000
But yeah, after a game, like after a big win, like my buddy, like Brassard, he just scored a goal.

123
00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:08,000
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He did a knee slide, you know, like the world of soccer, did a knee slide and like put his hands out.

124
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:20,000
And I was like, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen. I was like, yeah, like that'll, that'll, first-name Mariners never score a goal. Like, just like, I mean, so cool, you know.

125
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,000
Did you win a score to goal?

126
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:29,000
Oh, yeah, I would love to score a goal. I'll leave that for the puck handlers. I'm just trying to make it pass with the defense, you know.

127
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:40,000
But I just think that's just so good for the game, so good for goalies to see that you can, because that's kind of like when I joined a little late and my personality didn't match.

128
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:53,000
Like, I was, I was not the same goalie I was when I was in high school. I would get, I wore it up my sleeve. We got scoring on, you would know, I'm banging my stick. I get mad.

129
00:22:53,000 --> 00:23:08,000
They do. Exactly. I know. You see it. Yeah, you'll see it. Exactly. Like, I was the same way. I heard like some of my favorite goalies, like they told Flurry that he wasn't going to make it to the NHL if he kept doing that.

130
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:20,000
And he did. He got better. Now he skates to the glass and just kind of gives a little whatever to himself. And he comes back and resets, you know, like he uses that anger and doesn't show it, you know.

131
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:34,000
So it's not frowned upon. And he changed that. And that's what I tried to do, too. And it took some time. But I would, I would just, I would get so mad, so upset.

132
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:46,000
But yeah, I think you see someone, the best goalie, Vasquez, changed that energy to flipping the switch. Okay, it happened. Okay, now forget it. Now back in the game.

133
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:56,000
You know, but it definitely takes time. But yeah, Flurry, he told him he had to, and then he did it. And he was the, yeah, like first overall pick, you know, at 18 in the NHL.

134
00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:09,000
So just really cool. I think it does make a difference that if you channel your energy and aggression and frustration, you know, and to just kind of dialing back down and getting ready for the next one.

135
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:19,000
Do you have any superstitions? You don't have to tell us. Yeah, we'd probably be here for another couple hours. God's meeting?

136
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:39,000
Just, it's not like, it's things that I just do, just because I've always done it. I think it's like, to me, the superstition is to be able to do, play hockey and, you know, play so many games and practice every day.

137
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:49,000
Kind of have to go through a set of routines to keep your mind, to allow your mind to just be free when you get to the ice. So that way you don't have to think about anything.

138
00:24:49,000 --> 00:25:01,000
Because it's tough. Like sometimes every day you're hurt and you're tired, you know, from playing three and three. Yeah, bored. Yeah, bored. Yeah. Not getting any sleep because you have a nine month old, you know.

139
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:12,000
Whatever it is, I think it's nice to have just that routine so that you can, you know, that's one thing that you don't have to think about and just go out and play.

140
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:25,000
So for me, yeah, I kind of will do the same thing. It might not be in the same order, but there's just the same warm up, the same pregame stretches, the same breakfast before home games, the same.

141
00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:43,000
Like, yeah, everything is the exact same, just so I can kind of just, I don't have to worry about it. I know once this gets done, it's going to allow me, I think another thing too, like when you do something and you do something well, okay, you want to do it like that again.

142
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:53,000
You know, so I think when my routine allows me to perform well, oh, I don't need to change anything. I can keep that there. You know, it's almost like getting your coffee before work.

143
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:59,000
You know, it's the same thing with coffee, like you just do certain things certain ways, but you can have a good productive day.

144
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:11,000
And that way you can just forget about it. Like I do my thing, okay, I leave the rink, I come back later and everything is kind of set and I can kind of perform and not worry about anything, any hiccups or anything.

145
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:28,000
So I think it just allows for just the easy, just progression because I mean, I'm game day and like today, like, you know, I was playing Orlando, like you're at the rink for a total of eight hours, you know, for in the morning from 830 to say 11 or so and then at the game from five till 10.

146
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:36,000
You know, so it's like you have to have these things in place or else you, it's going to be a long day, you know. So I just think it helps to just clear the mind a little bit.

147
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:48,000
People like to call it superstition, but I think everyone, every day, you know, you wake up, say whatever it is, shower, you know, you put your clothes on, like, these are all routine.

148
00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:58,000
I just think it's the same thing in hockey. You get there, some people do shower, you put on your underarmor and you want, like, I think we all just do things prepared to be our best selves.

149
00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:08,000
And once you find it, you don't, you don't want to stray from that. You don't want to do anything different. You want to perform well, so you want to keep doing things that prepare you to do well.

150
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:15,000
So that's what I think it is. So they like to call it superstition, but I just say that I'm preparing to perform, you know.

151
00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,000
So I just do the same thing. Preparing to perform.

152
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:36,000
Why? Why? Why? Yeah, so I think that's kind of where, you know, I didn't really notice it until I know I'm pretty, like, I've gotten looser over the years, just experience just playing the league.

153
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:51,000
But I know I've, in college, I was pretty, I wouldn't really talk to anyone and I would do a lot for two hours before the game. But it hit me when I, the thing we did like a little team event, actually an Indy, a couple years ago.

154
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:58,000
And they said, like, it was just, we're all sitting there with the fans and they're like, who's the most superstitious, stitious person on your team?

155
00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:09,000
And I'm like, oh, I wonder. And everyone's like, Willie. And I'm like, oh, I didn't know how you did it. But I had an idea, but I'm like, everyone was just like, no question.

156
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:21,000
You know, I was like, oh, okay. So I looked back and I'm like, I guess it does look like I'm pretty superstitious because I have something pretty much the whole leading up to every meeting with the coach to we're on the ice.

157
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:29,000
So I was like, okay, I guess that is pretty, but you know, for me, it's just preparing to perform. So, yeah.

158
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,000
And throw it one more time.

159
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:45,000
Yeah, let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Yeah. So that's probably it. Yeah. I'm very superstitious and it's been, it's been working.

160
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:49,000
What if someone touches your ear before the game?

161
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:53,000
Yeah, I'm good with that now. I'm good with that now. Now. Now. Yeah.

162
00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:57,000
And youth hockey.

163
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:02,000
Oh, man. I had a teammate, Jay Goldberg, if you see this.

164
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:12,000
I would put on, I was here up until like, pro hockey and I started playing more games, but I was like dialed. Everything had to go a certain way.

165
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:22,000
And I would always put up my pack. We'd always sit next to each other and just be kind of wait. He would just unbuckle my strap. Unbuckle my strap.

166
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:37,000
And like, it was just. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, he was. Yeah. Yeah. He was. He was working my boundaries and making me uncomfortable, being comfortable being uncomfortable.

167
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:47,000
You know, he was just and you know, it's funny because now, now it's actually helped me now and things are say like today we're in Orlando, say there's traffic.

168
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:58,000
You don't get there. And that was my biggest thing that hurt me a couple years. Like, I got I need to get there at home. I had to get there. I used to have to get there at 430 for a seven o'clock game.

169
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:10,000
Oh, we don't get there till five. You know, so now I try and get these 20 minutes, 30 minutes, what I would normally do short now into like five minutes. So I'm taking your time.

170
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:17,000
No, no. Yeah. Like, it's just like it's like with Gobert, man, he just kind of would do things to kind of mess with me.

171
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:29,000
And it helped me like, hey, it's OK. Like, you play this game for this long. You know, you know what to do and allowed me to just adapt and yeah, be comfortable being uncomfortable.

172
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:41,000
And that was just that that helped a lot. But that was one of my pet peeves for a long time. Like, don't touch my stuff. Don't touch me. Like, don't don't talk to me.

173
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:57,000
So you were. Oh, yeah, I was. I was. I was like, just so focused on just thinking about the puck and making things, not letting it go in that I was actually hindering myself from playing my letting my personality and emotions show in the game.

174
00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:11,000
So once I turned pro, I started playing more just this game, played more games, was able to just learn different things, watch different boys like and it just allowed me to just like, hey, I can relax here.

175
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:19,000
I can just I can chill. Yeah, I can talk to people. I can I can I can talk to people. People can talk to me. It's OK.

176
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:28,000
I got to a point sometimes where I wouldn't listen to music, but I'd have my headphones in as if I am just so like no one talks to me.

177
00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:43,000
So but now I'm good. Now I'm just I'm talking to everybody, making sure I talk to everyone, seeing what everyone's doing, talking with the owner, like just just being present and and just there.

178
00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:55,000
It helps a lot. I've heard that from Ilya Sarokin from Islanders. Once he told me that he doesn't talk to people like a few days before the game.

179
00:31:55,000 --> 00:32:00,000
But a few years later, he was like, no, that's great. I don't do that anymore. Yeah, yeah, that's that's extreme.

180
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:08,000
That's funny. But I'm I'm similar, like still to this day, I will not go on social media after my nap.

181
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:14,000
So, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, yeah, there's no reason.

182
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:18,000
I'll see it out there. Like there's nothing that except distractions.

183
00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:22,000
But you might see some stuff like those guys and I tell you might say something about you on there.

184
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,000
Like there's so many things that you don't need that you can see after.

185
00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:30,000
So yeah, after taking that, but like like two o'clock.

186
00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,000
So like I said, eat and everything's fine. Social media, all that.

187
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:43,000
But once I take a nap, I wake up, I just I'm either texting, you know, my family, Camille and just, yeah, just that's pretty much it.

188
00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:46,000
Just kind of hanging out being present. I think that's helped me, too.

189
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:52,000
And that's one thing that I always keep is just I don't what six, seven hours about it.

190
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,000
So they can handle that. Yeah. Right.

191
00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:02,000
And I'm not even a crazy social media guy at the first place, but I just found that that helps me just be present.

192
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:09,000
And in the games and during that time, you make your wife follow your routines like before the game.

193
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,000
You have to talk to me like that.

194
00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:23,000
You know what? It's so funny you say that because in college, you started this thing that when it's game day, no matter what kind of day it is,

195
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:29,000
it could be the darkest, rainiest day and I'll wake up and say, it's a beautiful day.

196
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:34,000
And that's it. It's just a beautiful day.

197
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,000
And then that's it. That's probably the only thing you need to write a book.

198
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,000
Yeah. You know what? That's coming through.

199
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,000
That's the work. Very, very, very, very early in the works.

200
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:49,000
But I definitely want to do that and just have times like this and talking with.

201
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,000
Yeah. Just, you know, passing. There's so many stories we all have.

202
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:59,000
And I think that's just so great for everyone to share. We all have a crazy road to how we got here in the locker room today.

203
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,000
You know, so. But yeah, that's probably it.

204
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:09,000
That's the only thing like, shouldn't we just say it's a beautiful day and it just allows me to no matter what happens, you know, we're healthy.

205
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,000
We're together and playing hockey and it's a beautiful day.

206
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:17,000
So the weather has nothing to do with that. So I always enjoy that.

207
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:21,000
That would be beautiful to stop, but no, I still have a few things to add.

208
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,000
Hey, I'm having a great time.

209
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:28,000
What do you think should be improved in hockey outside of the ring?

210
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:35,000
That's great. You know, this is something that I think we all can probably agree to.

211
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:43,000
And they're starting to. But I think just showcasing other ethnic backgrounds, nationalities.

212
00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:50,000
I know one of my friends I played with in Indy, he was talking about how they were at different games.

213
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:56,000
I think his wife was involved with them setting up like Russian, like food tables at rings.

214
00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:15,000
So like people could, yeah, experience. Yeah. What's like to eat in different, you know, different countries and like, you know, for me, I mean, American, like having celebrations and February Black History Month, like promoting things that are, you know, maybe outside of the majority of hockey.

215
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:24,000
And I just think that's so cool. And you're seeing it more and more with indigenous, you know, just just so many things that they're starting to incorporate.

216
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:36,000
I think they're on the right track and I hope that they continue to blow the doors off and just continue to get people in those on those teams and in the NHL working to show kids like, hey, like I can.

217
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:46,000
I look like this and I see someone who's like that in the NHL, you know, Wayne Simmons, all these guys that look like, you know, me, I can do that too.

218
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:57,000
You know, I just think it gives the next generation and kids who might not have it all, but they see these guys on TV who might be in the same situation they were in when they were a kid.

219
00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:13,000
You know, so I just think that's probably my biggest thing and something that I want to be a part of too. One day is helping the next generation see that, hey, these guys were in your same shoes when they were six, seven, eight, you know, 15 years old.

220
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:26,000
I just think that's just something that they continue to do that would be so good for the sport will grow the sport and just continue to promote like everyone is welcome to play, you know, and we can keep putting.

221
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:36,000
It's an expensive game. So if we can keep implementing ways for kids to be able to play, you know, for free and just just to try things out to go to games.

222
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:39,000
I think it will just make a big difference.

223
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:44,000
He is what you think about women.

224
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:57,000
Oh, we were talking. So I have nine month old, you know, and she started to stand so skate, you know, right around the corner. It's Christmas. I just I love it. My when I was in Buffalo my last year of college.

225
00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:09,000
We skated at the same rank as the Buffalo Buttes who play in the NHL. Yeah, so my goal coach was their goal coach as well. And, oh my gosh, they were a blast.

226
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:17,000
I did an internship and got to work with their team in the gym. I did like an internship at the gym.

227
00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:28,000
Oh, it was like so many of the team, the women were on the national teams for Team Canada, Team USA, and just seeing how they prepare and, you know, a lot of them.

228
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:40,000
Like different situations like a lot of times there'd be girls who would just come in for the games, but they still work at their jobs back home like the like the way that they had like kind of come together.

229
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:50,000
Very like it was tough. So like, you know, they had to really make it again, a really big effort to this, you know, under girl chemistry with each other.

230
00:37:50,000 --> 00:38:00,000
Like whereas we're with our team, we're together every day. So it's pretty easy. But, you know, for them, like meeting up for just games and people on different programs like learning systems and playing together.

231
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:09,000
I went to quite a few Buffalo Buttes games and it was awesome. It was a place with rockin like so many different people in the crowd too, like, which is really cool to see.

232
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:15,000
And it was just, you know, it kind of blew my mind because I've never been to a game before, you know, on this professional game.

233
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:37,000
And obviously with our All-Star game, there's a lot of women in the professional league and they're just such great personalities, you know, like I always see them, you know, on sports center on different things on the TV talking about the PWHPA and just their lead and how they're working at growing and what they can do.

234
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:48,000
And I just, I just am so such a big advocate for, for, like I said, hockey forever, just like we said, and I just think that they keep pushing and giving them opportunities to grow.

235
00:38:48,000 --> 00:39:06,000
And yeah, I just think it's gonna be great. And like I said, I have a little girl, you know, who one day, you know, might want to aspire she loves hockey, and I want her to have the opportunity, fair opportunity to, to play and enjoy and love it and get the respect that, you know, it really deserves.

236
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,000
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

237
00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:11,000
How much fatherhood.

238
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,000
Oh, yeah.

239
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,000
Besides that you don't have a clean.

240
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:18,000
Yeah, yeah.

241
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:39,000
I have to say I have to know sleep part. It's been amazing, you know, unlike anything I could ever prepare for explain it ever since she got here March 18 like it's just been the biggest accomplishment biggest blessing of my life.

242
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:57,000
Even on those days where she is waking up every couple hours, you know, the night, you know, the morning comes, and she smiles at you, and I feel like I have all the energy in the world, you know, so it's, it's especially even for goal I got to bring her into after

243
00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:13,000
the tough game last year. And yeah, bring in the locker room and stuff. And it was yeah it was surreal. Yeah, I, yeah, I was just kind of just didn't feel like it was real, you know, and just to see her grow.

244
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:31,000
And now you know this year I might be holding her hand, you know, as she walks around locker room, you know, so really really fun. It's just been everything that everyone has said, just the biggest blessing in your life and have such a great family

245
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:44,000
and support and even the girls have a team that's helping out. It's just in the community, everyone we had an event on Monday, I probably had asked about her 3040 times.

246
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:55,000
No, I don't look like you know Cody can't come do I even need to come, you know, she can't make it. Well do I need to like, yeah, just come in and be like okay.

247
00:40:55,000 --> 00:41:13,000
Yeah, it was, she's just the star of the show, which is just said another surreal thing too. She just such a sweetheart and it's just been. Yeah, I said every day is just a great day because, yeah, she's just smiling and just loving life.

248
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:19,000
Really beautiful. Every day is a beautiful day. Right now every day is a beautiful day.

249
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:24,000
So really fun. Thank you for finding time. Oh man, this is awesome.

250
00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:29,000
Thanks for listening Hockey on the Beach. Don't forget to support Willie and Jackson the Lightsman.