Latest / Chirping Zebras / BRAD LUKOWICH | Chirping Zebras Podcast | Ep #128

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BRAD LUKOWICH | Chirping Zebras Podcast | Ep #128 · Chirping Zebras

• Mark: Welcome everyone to Tripping Zebras, Mark Riley, as always, alongside Gene Obinda. And before we get into today's episode, which is an awesome one, I want to thank our sponsor, the referees, Crease, your one stop shop for all your referee needs from scheduling and payment training. They do it all. And also want to give a shout out to AOA Studios. If you're looking to tape anything, they're the ones to check out. Want to also remind you to like and subscribe on YouTube. Very important. Like and subscribe and follow us on the social medias, the Instagram, the Facebook, and of course. Geno: The TikTok. Mark: That was a dramatic pause. Geno: Well, I was gonna say something else. W like yeah, 'cause you emphasized the importance of like and subscribe and I was gonna say nothing more important than the TikTok and it just didn't come out. Mark: I love it. Geno: I didn't want to stray from my line, just stick to the fucking line. Stick to the line. Just say the line. Mark: Just say the line. I I was watching, I watched a clip speaking of state of the line at with full ride. Pat Shea posted when they were late for the conditioning tests. And man, Geno: yeah. Mark: you just say in the lines. I I and stand there with your helmet on is just absolute gold. Gold. Geno: it's goofy. Yeah, it's hilarious. Mark: It's absolute gold. So Geno: I like the one when I'm like, Y you dad. full ride. Look at this white five. Mark: Awesome. We made it was a favor to your dad. Your dad. That was the one too when I I said Geno: And you didn't That's a Jimmy Doyle line. Mark: no one voted for you. And you went, no one. Awesome show. Full ride on YouTube. Check it out. and and this week, you know, two in a row, two Stanley Cup winners in a row. Last week, Mike Lawler, and this week Brad Lukovich. And Brad has two, one with Dallas and and one with Tampa. And again, Geno: Character man. Mark: met Brad down in and in Tampa at the face off of Heroes and talk about just hitting it off with a guy and a guy that's just passionate about hockey. a lot of fun. And so this is a good one and we're not we're not gonna delay. We're just gonna jump right into it 'cause he's got a lot to say and Talk to everything. So as I say, enjoy this one. Without further ado, Brad Lukovich. Geno Binda: I believe that is a zebra on the ice, Bill. How did he get on the ice? They still can't get him off the ice. is crazy. Here comes all the zebras. It's a zoo out there. can't do that. Doesn't matter. Get in the box. Maybe we'll all embrace the zebra side. Mark: Brad, thanks for coming on and joining the Zebras. Brad Lukowich: Well, thanks for having man. Good to see you again. Mark: Absolutely. we just had Mike Lawler on and he was down in Tampa with us for the T the face off of Heroes. What was what was your experience with that? Because it's such a cool event and and you know, the group that is down there was so much fun. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, I was a late edition. it for me, it actually I was out at the fantasy camp two weeks prior and they I was just kind of talking about getting involved with more stuff in Tampa and that was it, that was coming to town. So they gave me a call and yeah, I was quick to reply and come back. It was it was a quick in and out. It was a lot of fun. They jammed in everything they possibly could for us, but man, made some, I think some new lifelong friends. just Checking out all the gram all the time and all the pictures. But it was man, it was a good time. Mark: Yeah, it was awesome. hanging with those guys, you know, the the seals and Green Berets and stuff is just it it's just so cool. You know, they just are so amazing. Geno: How was the officiating in those games? Brad Lukowich: Well I can tell you the final. boy. Cool. Have you talked to Zenit yet? Get Zenit Mark: No, no. Brad Lukowich: on here. Geno: I heard. I Mark: It was Geno: heard he got a little earful from him. Doesn't end, right? Never shuts it off. Brad Lukowich: Wow. Wow. It was a beauty. It was a beauty. No, no, it was a lot of fun. No. Kinda had to happen though. So I mean w it wouldn't be wouldn't be wouldn't be here if it didn't happen. So no, it was a lot of fun. Mark: Hey, I'm I'm still standing by my collar, the trip and that offside that that pissed Zennon off. Brad Lukowich: We're we're not saying that the trip didn't happen. We're just saying that there might have been a few later on that you might have been looking back. And then the greatest is that you put the pictures up and you're in the team pictures with the champs. It was just like, just put the salt in there, baby. It was pure. Mark: I I said that when Geno: That's awesome. Mark: they were taking the picture. I said, You know, I'm gonna take some shit for being in this picture. Brad Lukowich: gosh, it was so I was awesome. I was dying. Mark: No, it was a it was a really good time and it's so cool to, you know, meet new people like yourself. it was it was a neat neat thing to do because in Montana there were different, you know, NHLers there. A few similar ones, Albi and and Mike and but you know, have you and Al Secord and some of the other guys, that was really, really cool. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, I know. Al's a huge supporter of the military. So I I I reside here in Dallas, just north in the little Salina, Texas. It's like big growing town. Al lives about 30 minutes over towards the airport. but he comes to our alumni events. He's started a a one here as well that I've been in involved with. So he was like the first guy when I when I got invited, they're like, Do you know anybody else? Like Al Secor, get him out there, and obviously he had a blast. He's always fun to be around and puts on a good show. So no, Al's Al Al's amazing. And then it's like it's out it's freaking Al Seacord. Like I I I I'm still a fan, dude. So like I Geno: Right? Brad Lukowich: go to these things, I'm like, that's Al Secord, you know, Ally Afrady, you know, how cool Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: is that that he's there, right? And then to go out and hang out and Geno: he's awesome. Brad Lukowich: you know, to hear those stories, it's just so t so cool. Mark: Yeah, I know. It it's cool to hear guys like yourself and and and Mike said the same thing. Albi said it like you you're out there with some legends and it's just, you know, we all turn into fans. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. I mean I I I I I forget because I'm kind of close with Al being being here in town. But then when you went going just going out of town and then kind of seeing it again, you kind of see it on the on another level. People that aren't familiar with him and how they just look at him, you know, it's just like it's it's amazing. So then I I catch myself, you know, it sometimes just kind of like I said, slip it into the that's just the norm. But then when you take a step back, you're very blessed to be around those fellows. I was pumped to see Ally Afrady. I love that dude. Like he was awesome back in the day. That slap shot, like such a bomb. Like, dude, like, yeah. So I I again I love seeing that. Those are the guys. That's one of the main reasons I like to go is to go for the to meet the other guys to do as well. I've met Xenon at Islanders. I've seen him now at Tampa ones for the last few years. I love that dude. he's one of my favorite Mark: Mm. Brad Lukowich: guys to go to go out with. I'm you know, I'm a couple years not not having any drinks and it's like but well there's there's a good reason Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: why because i mean i i just love going out now and being able to stay up all night and and be able to watch it because man they have a good time and the stories that these guys tell the tough guys tell the best stories yeah so it's Geno: Yes, they do. Brad Lukowich: it's and so do referees apparently now at four o'clock in the morning Mark: Yeah, Geno: Yeah. Mark: we had we had fun in the hotel room, us and you, me and a bunch of seals and beret green berets. That was a lot of fun. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But usually you want the night to end like Geno: Typical hockey trip though, right? Brad Lukowich: seriously. Like you're looking at man. Yeah. Yeah. No doubt. Ace bunch of seals and green rays. Four o'clock in the morning, getting ripped. Just getting absolutely ripped on by a referee. Like So man, that was fun. Thanks for doing that. That was cool. Mark: Yeah, no, it's it there was a bonus comedy show. Thanks to Kevin, Dream Beret. he he Brad Lukowich: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mark: was the one that asked me to do it. And you know, but it it was it was fun being out with those guys and I'm a sober guy too. And it was kind of like, you know, I felt you and I were taking head counts as we left places. Brad Lukowich: Right, right. It was, man. They and they had a good time. But that's why we do it and to hear the stories. They got s they they got way better stories than us. Ours are all the same. You know, I got hit here, this guy punched me here, you know, this guy said that. They got some real life stuff going on. So man, it's it's cool to to to hear their stories. Mark: Yeah, for sure. He they they have you know, ours isn't life and death when theirs, you know, theirs is just it's incredible. We've had a few on, John Eccles on and and Captain Crowley and their stories are just like they're you just shake your head, you're like, Wow. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. And the respect amongst each other too. You know, you just see like another guy walks to be like, that's so-and-so. And that he's done this, and this guy here. And then when the commanding officers came in to drop the pucks, you know, that was just that the the the their eyes lit up, their family's eyes lit up, you know. So just the the same crossover that we have with hockey. We don't get that crazy excited when Gary Bettman walks in the building, but Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: it's a little bit not not really that guy. For Glenn Healy, Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: I guess we'd be more if Glenn Healy walked in the building. We'd all be pumped up and fired up to see him. not George Perrels. We don't want to see him anymore or Shani anymore. But yeah, no, it's it's pretty cool to to see the the admiration and the risk the respect amongst their those guys there. Cause that's you know, the same as us when we played. We had that you had to have that to be successful. Mark: Now you we ask everyone this that that won a Stanley Cup, you won two. what's it like to lift that thing? Brad Lukowich: You feel like you I I I I it's so crazy. I I I flash back to when you asked the question, I can flash back to exactly the same thing that happened. I remembered I it it was like I got a flashback of my buddies back home. Like being in the cul-de-sac playing hockey with my buddies. That was the first thing was Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: like I it was like we did it. Like it was like this was all those extra hours. It was all the times that you guys stayed out and got in trouble, you know, to to shoot pucks with me or stuff like that. Like that was that was it. It was just that was the first thing that went through my head. It was all my buddies. my family was there. So it was cool that they got to to be to be there right after. but yeah, when that thing was over my head, that's like I just names were just ripping through my head, you know, like it was just it was it was really cool. Really cool. Both times. Both times. Mark: That's awesome. That what a great response. Geno: That's unbelievable. Mark: Like you I you wouldn't think that would be like everyone has a different reaction, you know? and and we've asked plenty of guys and and everyone's is very unique and which is kind of cool. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Other guys have said so many different things as well. And I'm just like, yeah, but it's just I don't for s I don't know why that went through my head, but the first thing that went through my head, I was like, Wait, there's a that that one picture that was captured by the lightning and I I and I shut my eyes and I just I I can I can see them the same guys right now who you know, like I name them, you know, Brad Dahl, Craig Craig Stahl, like those guys that were that were there, Kevin McNeil, Cam Bissett. I could there it was just boom. And it was it was like hockey cards, like kind of slow motion, like like yeah, Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: like they did it. So it was like it was pretty cool. Pretty cool, pretty cool moment. I'd love to do it again. I mean, I tell ya, pho, what a feeling. Geno: Yeah, okay, I tell you. Brad Lukowich: What a feeling. Geno: Probably got goosebumps still. Mark: You mentioned playing street hockey. I know. Brad Lukowich: yeah. Mark: you mentioned playing street hockey growing up, and that's something that I think might be Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Mark: a little lost nowadays on kids, right? With all the organized stuff like well, you Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. No good. Geno: Not my neighborhood. Brad Lukowich: Good. It 'cause it's sad, man. Good. Good. That's awesome. 'Cause you're right. I don't see Geno: No, my my daughter's out all the time, every day. No, it is lost, but you know, my I love it. We're on the end of a cul de sac. Yeah. My street hockey net doesn't come in. Yeah. Stays outside all year. Brad Lukowich: Awesome. Yeah, hopefully the O HOA is putting Geno: She docky's the best. Brad Lukowich: little tags on the crossbar so you can shoot them down, man. Like like like the old days. Like, right? Like like that's the thing. Geno: yeah. Brad Lukowich: Like they just they're not outside anymore. E-bikes. That's all I see. I live in Texas, man. So there's little dudes running around on e-bikes everywhere. If they had a stick that maybe shot the puck for them, maybe they would do that. But I mean, there's not a lot. I mean, not granted, there is a lot of kids out here putting a lot of work in. Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: They're in the rinks, they're doing it in the rink where we would go to the rink, come home, and when the game was over, I spent the rest of Sunday shooting the pucks. And you know, those guys I mentioned, you know, Stolly and Dolly, those guys were outside already with the pads on, waiting for me. Like, dude, you finished with your freaking game? Like, let's go. And it was game time, you know, and we played till the the street lights came on and a lot, a lot of times after, you know, pull the pull the old lights on the headlights of the old Dodge and So those burnt out. That was a real good one to explain to dad the next day when he when he got up at four AM for work. but it happened. You know, that that's that was us playing hockey and back in the day. And I I'm glad you guys are still doing it, Gino. don't see it. Just never see it. Geno: yeah, I I encourage it. I I I I grew up on my rollerblades and I mean me and my buddies talk about it all the time. Like we used to go to play shiny hockey. We used to pay five dollars, go to the Quincy Rink, and we just play shiny hockey and we were training without even realizing we were fucking training. You know, like we were we were going balls out against each other, you know, having pride and then we would work on skills and work on our stuff and try new things when it didn't matter and you know, and it it gave us the confidence to to tr try things in games because you're actually practicing it and you don't even realize it 'cause you're having fun with your friends doing it. And the game's pure and it's fun and everybody has a smile. Like my my daughter was like all pissed off like one one weekend 'cause she didn't have practice or a game. Like so she was out in the rollerblades all weekend long. You know, it was awesome. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, I that that's what you I'd like to see more of. I wish my guys, my my 18Us and 16s are were doing it. But everyone, they're doing so many different things now, too, which great. Multi-sports is excellent, but throw a little freaking road hockey in there once in a while. Like it's the greatest game. It Geno: it's the best. Brad Lukowich: levels it. It takes out the hardest obstacle. It really does. We can all Geno: Right. Yep. Brad Lukowich: you if you want to work on your shot, road hockey. Wanna work on your stick handling? Road hockey. Wanna work on your passing? Road hockey. Wanna work on your skating? Well, you can be that goofy guy that would do this one once in a while and after you score, Geno: yeah. Brad Lukowich: but wanna work on your skating? Do that. Call a couple buddies that have the rollerblades. And there you go. You put together one of the funnest games ever. You run into each other a lot more. You'll learn to take a hit. You'll learn to hit guys at slower speeds. You'll get knocked down a little bit. But that's what's missing. That that little bit of I I can't when I was up in Canada, they used called it figure it out, like FIO. Like every now and then, guys, Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: part of the drill should be FIO. Figure it out. Like let them screw up a little bit and then see if they can figure it out. Like you explained it to them, you brought them in, you explained it to them. They're still screwing it up. Do you need to do it again or just give them a little bit of time? So sometimes you gotta let it give a little bit of time, but they don't do it because they're not doing it. Let's all get a big hockey ring. Let's just start building hockey rinks or not hockey rinks, but like outdoor facilities. Pretty nice. Get kids outside. Geno: Yeah, so my my neighborhood my neighborhood in Weymouth, my town, they had one street hockey court up the street when we moved in and then the mayor put a lot of money into the and then put now there's two up there. And on Saturday, Sunday mornings in the springtime, it's packed with all all Friday, Saturday, Sunday, it's just packed with with kids with a street hockey street hockey league. It's awesome. And they do they do one for the special special edge the special needs kids and my daughter goes and plays, it's friggin' awesome. And then my other one, you know, goes and does his community service hours up there. But yeah, the the street hockey, it's it's great for the communities. So it's so awesome. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. Tyler Sagan was doing some stuff here years ago with the Dallas Stars and he was putting them he put one in Fort Hood, actually. Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: drove down there and put one he he he put one down there. He did one over here, I believe it was in Frisco. So he was putting them in it's into some areas and then I don't know what happened with that program or not. but it was man, I was like begging, begging he put one in Celina because Really, there's you see all these kids, like the the the infrastructure's growing. There's a lot of houses Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: out here. but the like the the th the to-dos aren't there yet. So those idle hands, they're riding around on e-bikes. So if you could have a place, I mean, I know if you build it, they will come. I I I could imagine a hockey rink. We have volleyball courts, we have bocce ball, we have basketball, and they are packed with kids. And we have a lot of kids. Geno: Pick a ball. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, pickleball, totally, tennis ball, like tennis courts. We kind of live in that. All those master plans. You put a hockey rink in there, I think you'd have a have a pretty cool, cool atmosphere. It'd be fun. I'd go play. That'd be awesome. Geno: I mean th the best thing about hockey is all you need is a net, right? So you just drag a net right out to that tennis Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Geno: court, you got there y there you go, there's your ring. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. I don't know about this neighborhood. They might be bringing the sticks up. We might need the sticks. Mark: Wha how is so you're in Dallas and you coach, I know youth hockey. What's what's kind of Geno: Mm-hmm. Mark: the status of youth youth hockey in Dallas? And 'cause it's, you know, it's been a hockey city since the stars moved in, but you know, not a traditional hockey city like a Boston or Chicago or New York. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. The best way I can explain it is if you were to take a cup of whatever and pour it in and it was just constantly overflowing, that's Dallas hockey. They did such Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: an amazing job at the grassroots, at the learn to play side of just getting kids into the program. So they really built up that foundation at the bottom that Now that the double A levels and the single A levels, the new NDP program coming in. So there'll be now an additional triple A team here. So that that pyramid that kind of was like this has kind of flattened out and gone here. So now we've just got this really nice pyramid that's grown over the last few years. So it's a good time to be in it, but it's also a kind of a weird time because it's this is the first year of that transition. So I have 18s and 16s. There's not a lot of kids still in the pool. So that we had a little dip at the at at the double A level, but it'll probably only take us I think we'll recover Geno: Not enough kids playing. Brad Lukowich: within the next six months. we'll be right back save now the numbers. Geno: Bruh, I think that I mean I think there's an issue across the whole country. I don't think there's enough kids playing. And I think I don't think we have enough numbers. we have a we have a ton of ton of teams all over the place, but I don't think we have enough kids maintaining and staying involved in the game. I think it's one, pricing, two, the toxic nature of it, and three, the travel. it's ridiculous some of the some of the stuff, right? And I and everybody like You know, they they boo hoo the the in house in the town because it's, you know, whatever people running it. And then all the club programs are out pricing themselves out of people staying in involved in in hockey. Wha what are your thoughts on Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Geno: that and do you see it ever changing? it's a it's it's more of a business now than ever for these young kids. And you know, it's not it's not about the kids anymore. It's about, you know, hey, what what can we get out of it almost from the program's perspective? I don't know. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, I mean it I I'm actually very blessed to be in a program that has slashed prices, brought them back to retro, Geno: Good. Brad Lukowich: given kids the opportunity if they were it like to if you're if you're once a warrior, always a warrior, you kind of get credit as you stay in the years. Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: So they're really developing programs and ways to get you into the program, keep you in the program, but give it back to you. So it's a there's it it's and Because they they Geno: That's good. Brad Lukowich: have parents, they've kind of had this attitude, right? Like so that that's sort of the meetings for with me what really drew me to this program was like, man, that's that's and there's some other guy spring and summer programs that are popping up now that have the same kind of mindset of like, man, like this is getting expensive. Like, how do how do we get this to just be almost at cost now? Like, where can we go? Or so well, that that that may not work. Well, what about the olden days when we used to have sponsors? Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: Let's have these corporations. Let's have those those outside people putting in donations, the nonprofits. What happened to fundraising? I miss that stuff as a kid. when I played in Cranberry, British Columbia. Geno: Going cannon, right? Ever go cannon in the bars? Brad Lukowich: ours was going around, knocking on doors, asking for cans, and right after New Year's. That was with the band the triple A Bannum team did every year. That was the big one, and it was kind of a competition and Every year everyone knew like how much it would they were gonna bring, like let's see if they can bring it in. And there's guys that would all year hold their sheds for that day, just so they could donate to the kids. So you had like the that community around togetherness. Like we don't do a lot of the fundraising. It's all it's it's it's we do, but we're not not at that to that extent. you know, there's the the we used to sell the chocolates at Christmas, the wreaths, but those were those team bonding things that we used to do. Living in a giant center like this. We're not zip coded. so I have kids that live an hour and a half from each other. So for us to Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: do a team bonding event is really tough. To do fundraising, really tough. And parents, they got jobs and stuff just to try to, you know, make their day-to-day. And then we tackle on the sexual travel expense. But we just we what we're where we're trying to our pathway is with the organization I'm with, the Texas Warriors, is really give these guys an opportunity to get to club hockey to move them on. That's that's what so Come in, we're develop you. We we took away some of the travel, like our the the old was four or five travel tournaments. Let's go out of state. We don't want Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: to do that now. Let's do more development, more practice, more local stuff. Let the kids at 16 to 18 be 16 and 18 to do their extracurriculars. Some of them are gonna have band scholarships, some of them some of them are wrestlers, some of them are football Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: players. Let them have that extra time there. and not add that extra expense of, we had one weekend off. Let's throw a tournament in there. You know, so we're kind of pulling back from that, letting the kids be kids, let the development give catch up, play games more geared towards the end of the year. And then if they're the the elite player that wants to put in that extra effort, you have the spring summer season for yourself to to get better. If you're not that player, then Don't do that. Go do your do your other thing. Go be do go to your wrestling camps. Go to your go to your other camps and try to pursue that other career. And this could be secondary for you. And then when you come back, try out and give her all. we're doing some club hockey showcases with our guys in the very near future. We got a couple coming up. we're going down to I believe it's San Antonio. So we're gonna see if we can go Geno: Nice. Brad Lukowich: hit a school down there and just kind walk through and see where they put like we we would be playing in their building. where they play. So we get to see their little dressing room right there. So that's kind of the direction at the double A level, single A level that that we're trying to get these guys the opportunity just to love the game and play as long as possible. And if they get a chance to get a little education along the way Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: and and play hockey while they're doing it, awesome. That that Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: that's kind of the goal for us. Geno: That's awesome. Mark: No, you talk he's kind of we've seen a lot of crazy stuff be happening the Brad Lukowich: yeah. Mark: last few weeks, you know, stick swinging and all this stuff. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Mark: as what's the biggest challenge as a coach for you when, you know, these kids see these because they're, you know, they're they go viral and everyone's talking about it. And here you are as a coach, you 16, you 18, and it's almost like that these kids become famous because they're Assaulting people with sticks. What's that challenge like for you? Brad Lukowich: Yeah, and then you get stuck in the middle of it too. Like, believe it or not, like it there's Geno: Mm-hmm. Yeah, you do. Brad Lukowich: the like and like you can't you can't control everything. You want to be there. You want you're just praying that you've got these great kids. And then these are very random acts, too. Like we've all we're we Mark: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: all grew up, we've all made mistakes. We we're playing a sport, the only one that well, there's baseball, but you I literally have a stick that you have to score with. So like, and it's used. It's used. Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: Not always the right way. So it it's Yeah, Geno: I call it a weapon, yeah. Yeah. It's a weapon. Brad Lukowich: it yeah. Why do they call it a weapon? I mean it's go go pick your weapon. Well, Geno: Right. Right. Brad Lukowich: I mean, tempers flare. All of that jazz. I to me, my worst worst one er I'll the worst one I ever got was Darren Banks and I was playing for the Michigan K Wings and we were in Detroit and he dumped it in my corner and I went to just hold him up like we were allowed to back in the day. So I Put my hand on his chest. I looked over my shoulder. I backed off of him like this. And he two-hand baseball swung hit me. And his his blade slapped me like this. So I had a blade mark on my Geno: Oof. Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: face that kind of looked like a cool chop, but it wasn't. So it was like, Mark: Ha ha ha. Brad Lukowich: it got kind of crusty, like he was the blade blue. It was a scab, right? But so after like five days, it looked really bad. And then they're like, you have to dri you have to drive to Detroit. So he can apologize to you. I'm like, okay, okay. Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: Whatever. So I do, I go up there, and I mean, I don't know if you know who Darren Banks remember who Mark: yeah. Brad Lukowich: he is, but he's like so he was like so scary back then. Like I was terrified of him. He's like the guy in the league that I was afraid of, too. So he goes, and I walk in and he is just like this nicest guy. Hey man, I'm so sorry. You know, just Just I don't I I don't even know what I was thinking, you know. I didn't even mean to do it. Like I was just kind of trying, I was trying to whack you on the shoulder. Like that's what so that's what he said. And then when he replayed it, I went, my gosh, that was what he was trying to do. In my head, it was take my head up. But actually, all he did was he backed up and just kind of went like this with his hand. And he tried, and I and he missed my shoulder. Hit me in the face. So long story forward, we're we're we're now buddies and text each other whenever we're still in town, you know. So yeah. It's it's one of those things like those things happen. We blow it up to be so huge. But these are and you don't want to dismiss it as a hockey play, but it's a hockey play, man. Like these things, this is part of the sport that we play, that we love. We're we know it going out there that hey, every now and then you're gonna run into a a nut bar and sometimes some crazy things happen. Geno: I mean, nine out of ten times, like you you see it in the rinks all the time, the temperature of it is, you know, a kid gets bumped in the corner or hit a hit along the wall and they pop right up and they're right back in a play, right? And then the reaction of the parent is like, whoa, hey, wow. And it's all that reaction and that emotion, right, that just amplifies a a simple Brad Lukowich: Right. Yep. Yeah. Geno: play gone bad, but it wasn't even a bad play. It was just the kid going into the wall, he bounces up and he's back in. It's the ones where like Player gets up and he's laboring or whatever. That's when you're like, okay, what's going on here? But it's that nine out of ten times it's just a boom, right back in a play. And then you have that one good one. And everybody's yelling at the wrong things. And it just keep it within the glass. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, and and and it's hard as a ref too because I'm really vocal, right? So and I was when I played, we were trained to be that way. So it's just a natural reaction for me to like kind of like dictate the play as I as I'm watching it, right? So and and Geno: Me too. I'm the same way. Brad Lukowich: I watch the I go to these things and I talk to these other guys and I'll be on the ice with them and then and I'll look over and they're doing the same thing. So I'm like, okay, I'm not the only one. And then I'll talk to Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: them, but they're like, That's why I don't coach, man. Cause referees, they hate me. I'm like, dude, referees can't stand me. I'm like, cause I'll be like, they're coming over, like, that's offside. And cause I stand right on the blue line. And I'll be Geno: Off. Yeah, me I'm the same way, yeah. Brad Lukowich: and I'll be coming, that's offside. And but and I don't really care. I'm not yelling at him. I'm just like, I saw it was offside. And I still don't go, Hey, offside, offside. It's just that was offside kind of a deal. But I say it out loud and I Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: gosh, I drive people crazy and I don't mean it. So so every referee that sees Geno: Do you do the hand signals? Brad Lukowich: I am so sorry. I got kicked out for I Geno: Are you a signal guy or no? Don't be a signal guy. Brad Lukowich: I I legitimately got in trouble and I should have been kicked out. It's the one time I could say, Yeah, I deserve to get kicked out was the last time the guy kicked me out. I did the Don Cherry clapping because I would just Geno: okay, yeah, yeah. That's Brad Lukowich: but it it and I I again if the guy sees this, I apologize. It has been just it was like this, like just stuff stacking Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: up, stacking up, stacking up. And it was just like felt like and my guys were my team was giving it to me at this point and were like, you gotta say something. I'm just like, So then it was just like I'm done with it. And my coaches are vocal, my other coaches had were they were kind of done with it too. And they had start chirping. I'm like, Well, don't get kicked out. If you if anyone get kicked, you guys can get kicked out. You I have if anyone's doing this, it's gonna be me. Geno: I'll do it for ya. Brad Lukowich: So I did it. So I I'm I'm the I'm the jerk on that one. And I again I but you know and then and it's it's just those things like those are those are the things as a coach that I struggle with and I'm trying to be better at. but I what I it's actually what I've tried to do is be vocal at the beginning of the season. I'm trying to teach these guys that's what you have how to be. And already at this point, it's already starting to taper off. By December, I'm really not really talking much out loud. Like I'm Every now and then, if a guy's way out of space or I could see a breakaway that's about to happen, I'll scream at a guy like go. but other than that, I'll I'll I'll I'll taper it back. but I I think that's a tough part between the coach's dynamic and the referee dynamic. And then the ultimate one is that parent dynamic over the top. Parents are tough, hey, give it to them that they they they're the ones that are paying the money and they're the ones that are are are are bringing them to putting that time in. It's They're expecting a safe environment for their kids to be at. They don't know what we've been through on the day. They don't know how many games you guys have refed already that day. They don't know your experience. They don't know. So there's so many variables to this game. That's why I love it so much. And some of us are a little bit more passionate than others. some of us can reel it back. My mom couldn't reel it back where my dad, my dad had a stance. He'd stand with his arm under it, under it. This is him. We can stand like this for a whole game. That's it. He would just sit there like this Geno: Maybe I need to do that. I pace. Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: and stand there. Yeah. He's it and he'd and he'd stand in the one corner. I knew where he was standing, Cranberick, and all the boys knew. And and if it if I was playing bad, he'd just shake his head, like, you better get going. And I'm like, okay. That was all he had to do. And I knew it. And I my mom on the other side, she'd be on the other end of the rink, running up and down the stairs, screaming at me, but so I I I had both sides of it. So Geno: Case. Brad Lukowich: I get it. I Yeah, it's gate, shoot, Brad. Give it to Bobby. Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: Give the puck to Bobby. Bobby Body, he was our Mark: Yeah. Geno: Pass it. Brad Lukowich: best player. He was a stud. he was so good. Give the puck to Bobby and I that's how I got on my point. So Yeah. Good Geno: Here you go. Brad Lukowich: time going up. Mark: You gotta love the hockey moms, you know? You gotta Brad Lukowich: I remember Geno: yeah. Brad Lukowich: mine. I remember mine and the dads. I remember the stuff they used to yell. Colin Janish with the big clapper. His dad, come on, call, hit the neck, maybe next time. Like that that was that Geno: That's so good. Brad Lukowich: was him yelling, yo. So you always had these different Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: different different ones, but there was always the the the the the parents that that are gonna be a little bit too up here and but some those are the ones that we talk about and laugh and and you know what you get along with afterwards. You're like, hey and they always apologize. I'm so sorry how I was out there. They know, Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: you know, it's the ones that do it and then and still and think it's okay and then they don't take accountability for yeah, you know, I might have been a little bit too much. Those are the ones I haven't had to deal with that. Pretty much the ones that have ever gone overboard. They're standing by the room waiting for me like hey man i'm really sorry about that if you can hear me over there and a lot of times i'm like no i i i was yelling so stinking loud on the other side i couldn't hear you so no Mark: Ha ha ha. Brad Lukowich: i i i i i love the parents being there and and and getting involved because i don't want to say anything bad about it because i know some places don't even let parents in in and play up in canada they were kicking parents out there for a while so we don't want to see that Geno: No. Mark: And I I I pride myself on the fact that I've never kicked a parent out of a rink, you know, because they're gonna yell. You just don't don't listen to Don't you know, just Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Mark: ignore They're just gonna keep yelling anyway. So I don't understand that concept. Geno: Yeah, don't don't acknowledge Brad Lukowich: Yeah. And Mark: no. Brad Lukowich: so where where's home for you guys right now? Like at main main base. So Geno: Boston. Yep, just outside of Boston. Yep. Brad Lukowich: way different refereeing up there. Way way different hockey up there. Way different than Florida. Way different than Salt Lake. Salt Lake is completely different. You go up to the North Geno: Ben there, yep. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, like you you know what I'm talking about with Salt Lake. down in Texas. Did you play any of the local teams? Geno: yeah. my daughter had a tournament out there. Oof. No. No. No, it was it was the Roses series. Yeah. It was a it was a national tournament. Yeah. It was a bunch of Canadian teams and teams from all over the US. It was awesome. But yeah, it was not good. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. How's that how's that open ice? Geno: yeah, you know what? That was and then you know, I'm I'm on the bench and I I almost got thrown out and I I just had a pace and shut my mouth. I was like, buddy, you you're not calling the blatant it's like blatant offsides and these girls like they're like the best ten year olds around in the country. And it's like give like just call the integrity of the game. Like if it's offside, blow the whistle. Like when I'm not asking you to call like major penalties here. Just just call the fucking lines. Like that's all you gotta do. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. I asked one of them, we had a five on four and I asked who it was. I go, who was who who is who do you want me to put in the box? And he go, You're out of here. I'm like, I don't know what I just did Geno: Jesus. Yeah. Brad Lukowich: though. There's get out of here. And I'm like, okay. So I they're they then I found out after they're like, Yeah, they're in they they don't you're not allowed to address Geno: You didn't do anything. No tolerance. Zero tolerance. I'm freezing. Brad Lukowich: their the them here. And I'm like, okay. So that was that, that was my that was my experience with with with them there. It wasn't it wasn't a lot of fun. So yeah. And then you're like doing camps with these guys and then you see the kids, you're like, man, that's that's that's no fun because it's now they're trying out or they're at the camp. So it was it was very interesting being there. But it's it's it's everywhere. That's that's another one that people don't that parents have to understand is it is Geno: Yeah, right. It is. it's everywhere. Brad Lukowich: different. Mass, I found it up there in the New York area, the rap they kind of let things go a little bit, let the kids hit a little bit more. there is a little bit Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: more smack talking, a little bit more of the slashing, a little bit like honestly, a little bit like pure old school hockey that I grew up playing and like. Majority of those referees were are my age. So they kind of let the that game kind of be played. Where down here it's not that not that way. A lot of the referees are a lot younger and they've learned that newer game. So for me, I have to, as a coach, understand. As a parent, they're just like, What is going on out here? This this isn't the game I watched on TV. This isn't what we just had in we're well, in New York they let that Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: go. So it's like so it's a lot of that. We have new we have a lot the my team especially this year has a lot of parents that are new to travel hockey. So there's a lot of Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: those conversations going on. Geno: I had a buddy come out, Mark: I I think Geno: No, I I s I was gonna say Mark: Go ahead, Gino. Geno: I had a buddy come out from Minnesota, his daughter was playing and I went went over and watched the game with him and he and he mentioned that too. He goes he goes, that would have been called out in Minnesota, that stick work would have been called, you know, you guys let it let it rock and roll a little bit different, right? Like anything like hard slash on the stick, like those those guys are they're calling it. But if it's low on the stick on the puck, like we kind of let those ro rock and roll. But yeah, you right on the money. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. And they catch everything in Minnesota. They they Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: catch every single thing possible. Like they a and another one, you can't question it either there or they're right on you. So you're like, those are those ones like Minnesota was a let the referee ref be quiet, guys, stay off of them. Really meet my even like me, like I by then I was December. So I I wasn't yelling out and projecting by then, but it was real Like being quiet on the bench talking to my guys, like covering my mouth. Like it was Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: because they were they they are that intense down there. But like you said, like every little tap. Geno: No, they're just sensitive. Brad Lukowich: Very very yeah, I I don't know what the right word is, but yeah, it was Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: it was very hands-off. Like we and we were a physical team, so that that worked against us where we wanted to be a physical squad and we we we lost that playing against those teams. They like to play that quick passing transitional game where we like to. dumping and and getting on the body. We weren't allowed to finish our checks. They're like, that's a penalty. Geno: Not too bad. Brad Lukowich: And USA hockey wants and then then that explanation comes out. USA hockey says and you're like, and they're saying this to you on the in front of all the kids. You're like, I can't argue this right now. Okay. Geno: Well, that's it that's that's a n referee's natural defense to anything and not having like an actual conversation about a play, right? It's like well, you as a hockey says it, well in this situation, right, like, you know, it's we're we're calling this this way, right? That's how we're calling the game, right? Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. Geno: Yeah, it's just it's just your it's a way of referee just a you know, like you can't argue that, right? Brad Lukowich: Right. Yeah. Mark: Communication is so key too when you're a referee. And I think some guys, you know, lack Geno: Black it. Mark: in that area. you know, whatever the reason is. but I I think you're an example of we tell refs here, you know, you never know who's on the bench, right? Like, you know, they just think it's a some dad, and it's like, you know, no, it could be a two time Stanley Cup winner. You know, like you might want to treat them with a little more respect. Not that you shouldn't treat everyone with respect, but you know. A a young ref shouldn't be going over to you telling you how to play hockey, right? And that happens sometimes. And you're like, you never know who's watching, Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Mark: and you never know who's on the bench. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Well, that's that so if if that works both ways, that's kind of crazy because I had such great relationships with like Hazenfratz and and like Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: Sutherland, those guys you know, Carrie Fraser, like those guys, just awesome guys. And this is how we talked. We could give it back and have that playful banter out there. So me being back there, that is what when I ever do talk to a ref, generally it's playful banter. Let's like that's that's it. I've learned that they don't take it that way. Mark: Ha ha ha. Brad Lukowich: a guy like yourself would. there is Mark: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: guys, there is a couple referees that I when I see them come out, I'm like, this is gonna be so much fun. This is gonna be an awesome game. It's gonna be reffed well. And if there and Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: if there's a screw up, I I can say something to him and he's not gonna have a problem with it. And he's gonna make it up down the down the road on either side. There, there's times I I'll say it out loud, I said it out loud. Many a times we're we're be that was a penalty. Hey guys, they gave us that we got away with one there. Like they gave us one there. And then the ref will kind of look over, like, yeah, that's for, you know, so some of us pick up everything. Some of Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: like you said, so when that I think that that should be done that way. As a ref comes in, they should be going in there. That's Ken Hitchcock behind that bench. I'm gonna give him that respect. Just like me, that's Carrie Sutherland behind there. I'm I'm gonna give those guys that that same same respect. And if we do that, awesome. Now the fans are gonna be the fans. And we'll just call the fans the parents. The parents, and and if and if you're fans, my mom and dad, when I played for the Dallas Stars or the Tampa Bay Lightning, you think my my dad was probably still sitting like this in the crowd. If my mom was probably going crazy, not want and not wanting anyone to sit beside her. So not probably, but she was. Mark: Ha ha ha. Geno: Okay. Brad Lukowich: So it doesn't change. The only difference is she gets to do it with twenty other twenty thousand other people versus a hundred people that are right there. They're the most passionate fans that Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: we have as our parents. So we we gotta we gotta take it with a grain of salt. Mark: That's awesome. now you brought it up with referees when you were playing in the NHL. you know, y it sounds like you had a good rapport with them. Who were who were the type of refs that you really liked? You know, because they all bring their, especially back in the day when th there was j just one of them, now with two of them, but there was some personalities. Like you mentioned, Kerry Frazier, former guest of ours. they had that personality that You know, you knew what you were getting. Who was who were the type of refs that you really liked? Brad Lukowich: Man, well, back then we'd actually go out with them once in a while too, too. Geno: Yep. Brad Lukowich: So you got to meet them and hang out with them a little bit. So like they were all cool. Like I I could go through names, but I would be doing a dis a dishonor to to to not mention some of them because they're they were all really cool. They really were. It was it was we stayed over a lot after we go to a bar and you'd you know you'd see the refs over there, and just like you're doing like we did on the road there, but like, hey, come on over here, come on over here. You go back to the hotel, and sure enough, they're hanging out in the hotel with you till you know, till bus call in the morning. Like those they're great guys, they really are. And once you do that a couple of times, you have that respect. We didn't even have cell phones back then, so we couldn't really keep in touch with each other as much. But I Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: mean, everybody I'm there, I can tell you there's not a ref that I wasn't like fist bumping. Like they were they were I I think the refs and linesmen were. as cool to as as the players that I played with. It it was it's and there's some guys out there like like Mick McGoo. Like I came in right then. Like Geno: the best. Hm. Brad Lukowich: man he was he he he scared me a little bit when he threw Darcy Tucker in the belly box. I was like don't mess with Mick Magoo. Geno: Had it coming. Brad Lukowich: Like yeah like you know he'd be on the ice and like he'd be up there and be like, don't don't mess with Mick. Like he kinda give a little but he you know then then he kind of like that. You know hey Mick, you Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: know he didn't smile much So you know, it was it was pretty it was pretty cool to those yeah, you know, like big Hazie, you know, Hazel Pratz, just love that guy. you know, Frasier, you know, come on, that he he's the he's the man. Even got to, you know, touch his hair once in a while. So, you know. 'Cause I had good hair. but no, that it just the reps were awesome. You're in a good fraternity. Mark: That's Geno: Now you had some now you had some time down in in Austin and in played for in Texas in the American League at the end of your career. and I was working the American League then. I d and I think did you play with Danny Spang? Brad Lukowich: I did. He lives here in Dallas and then Geno: Yeah. So I remember yeah, so I I definitely ref you guys down there. what was it? I I worked for nine years in the league, yeah. And I and I I Brad Lukowich: No way. Geno: remember when you played, yeah. Well yeah. and like hearing you Brad Lukowich: Awesome. Geno: talking, hearing you talking now looking back, I just remember like I always remembered like the old NHL guys that all came down. You guys were like you had the best attitudes because you did it all and you were there like basically like mentoring these fucking kids. And it was it was Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Geno: great. You were in a great mood. You always ball busted. And I just remember like big smile on your face and you just you know, you were out there and you and you worked hard and played hard. And I think you I think Brad Lukowich: Yeah, I loved it. Geno: yeah. Yeah. Brad Lukowich: Man, I loved it. It was so awesome. What a great place to play. Austin, Texas, American Hockey League. Great fans. Geno: Great rink. Yeah, great rink. Awesome. Brad Lukowich: Like just killer fan. Great town, great rink, great schedule. Like Geno: Yep. Great city. Yeah. Brad Lukowich: great city. Like honestly, like it was it was so much fun. I I it was it was I'm glad I got to end end it there. I man, I I could have played there forever. Geno: Hmm. Yeah, it's a great building. And like w did you play for Gully or or who was your coach? Yeah, Glenn was awesome. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Gully. Gully. Yeah. I had Gully there for the first couple of years. And then the last year, gosh, who was their I can't remember his name. Mike. Pyle. That's it. Yes. Pyle, correct. It was Jeff Pyle. Yeah. Yeah. But you know what? And it was a it was that it was like that was a tough scenario for Jeff, though. He came into Geno: Was it Pyle? Was it Jeff? Pyle, was it Jeff? Yeah. wow. Holy shit. Holy crap. Yeah, I has I had both those guys. No guy. Mm. Brad Lukowich: that team there like And it was like we we knew what we had like through the draft years and all that stuff. Like we knew that that first year was solid, the second year was pretty good, that third year we knew was gonna be a down year. We didn't have very good draft picks and all that stuff. But then we knew Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: that we had like the guys that are playing here now were coming. And that's the call of the cup team. Yeah. So there was kind of like Geno: There's a lot of there was a lot of good ones, yeah. Yeah, that that team was awesome. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, it was. And then there with the team being sold and then Gully leaving because he got he got taken up to the stars. It was just like a Geno: Trip. Brad Lukowich: like kind of like a c a tough one. It was like a a for us for like three years there with with the Austin with with with us with with that team. But man, Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: what a place to play. Great guys there too. Lannon Wilson, Dance Man, great player. Man, great heck of a player. Yep. Love them. Yeah, yeah. His daughter's a heck of a player. You're gonna hear her. His daughter will be playing the PWHL. You watch. She's unreal. Geno: Yeah, Spanger. Yeah. Tough too. Yeah, I have both I have both those guys in the Coast League. really? yeah, you know what? We've Yeah, we've we've connected a few times over over social media. Yeah, we've connected because my daughter Brad Lukowich: Okay. Geno: plays, I think, around the same age. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he's a he's a great kid. that's awesome. Yeah. Yep. yeah. yeah. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, yeah, she's she can play. Yeah. He's coaching that team, so we can see what he can do. He's he's done a heck of a job with that group. Probably the best group in the city, yeah. He's done a heck of a job. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Geno: that's awesome. That's good to hear. Well, he's a great kid. Brad Lukowich: yeah, he's a Boston boy. Geno: yeah. Yep. Yeah, I reffed him I reffed him his whole life, yeah. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, that's awesome. That's great. Geno: Yeah. But Mark: You played you played for a lot of different teams and a lot of different coaches. You know, who were who are the coaches you really enjoyed playing for? Brad Lukowich: right back to my tier two days, Colin Patterson was amazing. that was in Cranbrook. He was a he's a like BC hockey hall of fame, maybe Canadian Hall of Fame guy. wrote the like the initiation program for all the kids. He's got like Scott Niedemeyer, Rob Niedemeyer, myself, like Jason Weimer, all these guys were coached Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: growing up, underneath him. so that was my that was my youth coach, you know. And then going into junior, it was Don Hay. fantastic coach in in junior like what exactly what i needed in junior you know to come out of being coached at home under Colin and then like my dad was involved there with with Colin and then moving out Don Hay and Ed Dempsey won a couple Memorial Cups with those guys then back to Hitch. I mean I had Claude Noel in Michigan, Jimmy Playfair, Ken Hitchcock, Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: John Tortorella, you know, like really How awesome is this? Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: How cool is that? And Geno: Pretty cool. Brad Lukowich: I'm a fan like of of learning. Like I'd say why I want to like I continue the game because the game's always evolving. And you know, you watch the game now, it's it's a lot different than what we played. And you gotta to coach it, you gotta evolve as well. So to me, I mean, I'm I I though to have that pedigree of of coaches in the back and to be able to kind of just instill those little little things you learn from each of them. Is is really cool. the ones that are are the hard nosed ones, man, the honest ones, the ones that told it to you that if I needed to be a better Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: skater, hey man, if you want to play at this level, you got to be a better skater. All right. You can shoot, you can skate, you say you're making all the right place, but you're you're not keeping up to these guys. So do something and then leave. I mean, that's it. They're not gonna hold your hand and go go and now come here and skit on this and do that. No, it was go. This is what you need to do. Go do it. Black and white, figure it out. Geno: Figure it out. Right. Problem solve. Yeah. Brad Lukowich: That's it. And that's it. And I would go home. And I was very blessed to have my dad did play in the NHL. My cousin Morris played in the NHL. So I had those resources. One summer was I needed to go home. I needed to be a better, like eat better. My cousin Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: Morris was an absolute fanatic at at nutrition. So I went and lived with him in Calgary for a summer for six weeks and he taught me how to eat. He taught taught me how to eat clean. I was a mac and cheese and hot dogs every day. Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, that's that was my that was my diet. Morris would just like, come on, kid. Went right to the grocery store, took took me in, showed me different chickens, like like how how like how this is good, this is bad, don't get this one, you know, like this is this is like the mm stuff that it barely is chicken. Geno: Cage free, cage free or no no cage. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, right. Yeah, exactly. You know? So Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: but taught me how to eat, taught me to do all those things. I and I had that opportunity, but I also had to do it. So I was one of those guys that actually would do it. So I'm like I said, I was very blessed to have those guys and then on the ice and those coaches. So I was like kind of coached at every level to moving forward. It's a big part of it. Geno: Yeah, I you gotta put the work in on your own. It's Mark: How was it playing for torts? Geno: awesome. Brad Lukowich: torts? Loved it. He's he's Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: he is so intense and so I the best word I and you probably don't hear it a lot is passionate. He's the most Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: passionate hockey coach I've ever been. He loves, loves, loves success in his players. That's it. And be and and and he rides the success of his players. That's where he gets his individual like. If if one guy's not going, he he finds a way to get the pack to ra to get that guy on board. Like he to me, I I just Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: I learned a whole other level of what of of like what a team is really like. Like I to like to r actually we weren't the best players individually, but as a group, he learned how every piece of the puzzle fit perfectly. I I I I mean he's a I I I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. And we butted heads like It's very, very well known. Me and him were not always best buddies all the time. But I but I tell you what, if we had conversations like this behind closed doors, he was a super nice guy to me and very respectful, very and very honest. Like he's like, Brad, I and he actually said, I don't get you. He's I don't get you. Like the last time we ever really had a one-on-one, my last one on one, I think what was that? No, it was six or seven. And that's what he said. I told him, I said, listen. The only thing I asked, I don't know if I'm gonna be back, I don't know if you're gonna be back. we didn't make the playoffs the that year. And I was like, but if we are, I just asked for one thing. Before the season starts, the two of us just go out and have a coffee. I wanna have this. I wanna just go out and have a chat. I want you to know me. Cause there was a lot of back then I was this rock and roll guy. I was always out hanging out with bands. I didn't really hang out with I didn't go do golfing. I was not very good at it. Do golfing. Who says that? I didn't golf. Mark: Do golf. Brad Lukowich: Dude I didn't do golfing. but no I I Geno: There you go, he definitely does a golf, yeah. Brad Lukowich: I wasn't a good golfer. Yeah, no. I hung out with bands and and loved hanging out with guys. Like they they would come through the the the the city and I go to their their their their sound c their sound checks Geno: Jack. Brad Lukowich: and hang out with the guys and get to know And it was just that was kind of my world. It was that side and and I I still do that. That's where I'm at now is as is doing that now. So it's always it So fast forward, that was me. Those other so we didn't really connect on that side. Mark: Who who's the biggest band you got to hang with? Brad Lukowich: man. Well, my boy's Three Days Grace. I these these they're like I I absolutely love them. They've been like brothers all the all the way for the last gosh, we met in 2000, 2001. They they surprised Geno: Wow. Brad Lukowich: me at my Stanley Cup party. they're gonna be coming to Houston on Sunday. I'm like I'm like giddy like a little boy that they're coming through. I like I miss these guys every day. Like I they're just the nicest guy. They're yeah, they're good at like the band stuff is cool, but the as people, the guys in three days, Nickelback is another group of guys, like Mike from Nickelback. I call him Uncle Mike. He's probably one of the nicest human beings there is. he's one guy that I truthfully can say if I ever call him on my phone, he always picks up. it's really he's just he's just the the sweetest guy. but all these bands, my relationship with these bands and these guys is one of the things I just hold so dear. Like I I The the fact that they got take the time to to even say hi to me, I I'm like, man, these guys cause these guys got a lot of lot of things going on. They now they've all grown and have families and kids and the fact that I still get the an opportunity to share 20 minutes, 30 minutes with them before or after a show is pretty dear to me. So yeah, the now getting kind of back into the industry and and doing some stuff in it and spending more time with them has been a is is been a lot of fun. I look forward to doing it with more of the the bat guys from the past. So I'm I'm excited for this part, this part of life. Mark: really cool. We had low Geno: That's awesome. Mark: cash on. We've gotten to know them really well. Yeah. And Brad Lukowich: Okay, okay. Mark: again, like you said, just two really cool guys that make incredible music. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome, man. That's it's it's it's it's a it it's a similar like the military thing, how we're similar with them. They also Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: have very similar lives to us. You know, they do a lot of stuff on the road. They have to, you know, they sacrifice a lot of birthdays, a lot of funerals, you know, a lot of weddings, a lot of just graduations, that those little things like they they give that up for their their brothers, their bandmates, their, you know, their team. So we we we we can really relate to each other. That was that old saying of us wanting to be them, Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: them wanting to be us is it's so true. And at this level, now being able to to put those two together and have events and and be able to, you know, get some hockey guys out and some baseball guys out to meet these band guys. And sometimes it's therapeutic, you know, we we there's there's times that that we get these guys together at the right time and it works out, you know, music heals. So for for us and where we're at in the stage and what we were doing down there in Tampa, you know, doing these things now, that's sort of the stage of my life I'm in now is just doing everything I can to try to to help other guys that were they're, you know, still in the transition stage. Sometimes take six months, some guys still have our transitioning. And, you know, I I say I'm constantly transitioning, you know, out of the game still. So that if we can put that together, a lot of music guys are in the same boat as well. You know, they're Put out a record that could that's their last record and they're not doing stu stuff anymore. So just to be able to get back in touch with them and hang out and and to see has been awesome. So I'm looking forward to this one though. These these these guys are these guys are my boys. You get out to Mark: Awesome. Brad Lukowich: it. If you haven't seen the new the the band with both singers in it, you're you're you're missing out. It's a it's a it's an experience, man. Geno: Hmm. Brad Lukowich: They're I I was such a fan of obviously before but I I've seen him with the new singer with the with both singers a couple of times now and it is it is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Get out to a show. Mark: Definitely. We'll have to check and see if they're Geno: Let's do it. Mark: playing in Boston. We'll Brad Lukowich: They always come up there. Mark: we'll drop your name. Brad Lukowich: Do it. Do it. Yeah. We'll hook you guys up. You should get them as Mark: For sure. Geno: Let's do it. Brad Lukowich: a guest. Get them. They're huge hockey fans. Get them on there as guests. Geno: Let's do it. Mark: we'd love to have him on. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. I'll I'll see them this Sunday. I'll tell them about this. And I and we'll tell them they got a big mention. And then we got to get them on. Yeah. They're they're very Mark: that'd be awesome. Yeah, we'd love to have them on. Geno: sweet. Brad Lukowich: knowledgeable about they're Leaf fans now. So know that, right? So you it's a little bit of Boston. The original six Geno: Th they're not that knowledgeable. They're not that knowledgeable. Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: there. Well, they are. They're they'll they're Geno: Tell him actually you know what? Tell thank you for minting. Brad Lukowich: But they're honest. They'll they'll tell them they'll like they'll tell about the leaves. Like they're not gonna they're not gonna say Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: how great they are. They're gonna be like, no, we should have done this. They're those fans. So like I I loved they're great. They they'll pull Geno: I gotcha. Yeah, that's awesome. Brad Lukowich: on stones. yeah. They'll be like, Where are they? I'm like, Leafs are on TV. I guarantee it. Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: I guarantee it. At least yeah, they'll get They're beauty. Geno: That's awesome. Mark: That's awesome. Brad Lukowich: They are wicked. Mark: You you mentioned your Stanley Cup party. What did what did you do with the Cup? Brad Lukowich: the first time basically I I I came in and did my my so my dad was the local like milk guy. So he we we were living in a town about ten thousand people, so all the little r like restaurants and and like the what it be like the the grocery stores, we would we did that run. Well I would go with them as a kid and a lot of these people would give me like a donut or I'd get some like chocolate milk from this store or I'd get something from under the hood over here. You know, so like growing up and then we talked about it earlier about sponsors. Like I I played on a team that went to Japan one year where we didn't have the money to do it, so we had to get sponsors to do it. So these were all these people that sponsored me growing up. They were without them, I could never have played. So we actually got the Stanley Cup, we put it in my Jeep and we did my dad's milk run. We went to all those all those little restaurants and all those grocery stores and we went to the police station. They were big supporters. I was a bit of a wild boy there. You don't know. They could they let me off the hook a lot of times. So I had to go by there. Hey guys. So and then and and with the constant reminder of like, you don't want to be back here tonight. Like, yeah, we got it. So hung out there a little bit and then City Hall. And then actually the the the first time was we I I invited all the guys I and coaches that I played hockey with growing up to the fire hall. That was in Cranbrook. That's the the fire hall was where they had the big rink in the winter. And in the summer we Geno: yeah. Brad Lukowich: rollerblade hockey. They had this big one end had this big board so where the net was so you could practice shots and and they had a big light so you could be out there late. so we all met there. Geno: Awesome. Brad Lukowich: That that was where we where we all played and believe I should go grab it. We actually had my buddy Brad Dahl made this this Stanley Cup. It's well it's like I'll I'll grab it. And we played for that growing up in the cul-de-sac. We brought that there and then the real cup came. So they brought Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: the real cup. We had them side by side and we took that cup and put it in the box and all that stuff and let the guys Geno: That's awesome. Brad Lukowich: kind of his cup now. We took a big team picture with it. and I believe we went just back to my house after that. my dad, I let my dad, my dad played for an old timers team. So he actually took the cup for about an hour or two too. they let those guys have it for a bit. Then we just had an old-fashioned party at the house, man. We we partied at my house till till it left the next morning. The next time I got into the music thing, I I basically had a private party out at my my my lake house. Then we brought it into town. the Kooteny Ice was the local hockey team there was having their opening weekend. So we kind of correlated the two together. They they they put a stage out in front. Let me put I I had a couple bands that I was managing back in the day from Vancouver come in. that put on a little show, a little spin around the rink with it. then we went, I owned a restaurant. So we went to a restaurant and that was the one where so this is the crazy. So I had two two events. So from about six o'clock till let's say nine o'clock was all ages, and we had like the guys that could bring their kids. And then we emptied the restaurant completely out. And then we had another pass for people to come in. And that was the like the 21 and up crowd. So that was the party party. And that one was going on until the cup left, right? So because we we owned the building, we owned everything. The cops were in on it. We were all cool with it. So we're gonna be good. Well, at about 1:32 o'clock, we were just staying down the road. We rented a hotel just down the street, it was walking distance. And we're sitting there about 130 and we're like, hey, like we could grab the parents and we could get out of here, like sneak out the back door, and no one would even know. Like, why don't we just go and have a little private thing at that? But we couldn't find the cup guy. He was like, he was there, but we couldn't find him. Like, so we go this room, he goes this way. We're like, you know what? Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: Let's just we look over at the door, and all of a sudden this three foot mohawk comes like lowers his head and walks in. And I'm like, and my wife, my wife's like, Saying this in my ear and I go, is that Barry? It was Barry Stock, the guitar player from Three Days Grace. They had driven all the way from San Jose, California to Cranbrook, BC, because they had the day off, partied with the cup for about three and a half, four hours, then got back and went to Portland, Oregon and played that night. Geno: Jesus. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. And they drove the whole way because they had a day off. They got on the they played early in San Jose. They got off the st they literally looked at each other and said, You want Geno: It's Brad Lukowich: to do it? We got to do it right now. And they just went. They drove, they just jumped in and just went for it. They actually Geno: What a story. Brad Lukowich: had a flat, they had a flat tire on the way and they're calling me. Geno: Dodge. Brad Lukowich: you're back. Congratulations. We're so sorry we can't be there. Geno: Mm-mm. Brad Lukowich: so I'm thinking there's no way. Like they hit it so well. And believe it or not. So that yeah, Barry, Neil, and Brad come walking in the door. Adam flew to Portland ahead of the guys, but the three of them show up. And we basically, when that happened, we forgot about the cup guy. So we have we're like, we grabbed the cup, and we're like, we can't be here with these guys. Like, we can't be here with these guys. Like it went this is gonna turn into like a madhouse, real, real bad. So we kind of grabbed the cup, we grabbed the security card who is an RCMP officer. We said, We're we're going, we're leaving right now. So Barry from Three Days Grace grabs a cup. puts it over his shoulder and we're walking we literally walk down the middle of the road back to the hotel. And there's pictures that they have and we have of him with it over his shoulder, walking down the road. And I got my jersey Geno: Awesome. Brad Lukowich: on. And the the greatest part was only one car it was probably about four o'clock now in the morning, 3:30 in the morning. And one car passed us the whole time. And he comes ripping up the road and we can see him. So we all kind of get over on the side of the road and it Backs up, puts the passenger window down and look and yells, he's like, is that the real Stanley Cup? Goes, yeah. That's three days grace. Geno: What? Brad Lukowich: He's like, and we look, we go, you're from Calgary, aren't you? He's like, Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: yeah. Squealed up. We're like, see you later, dude. Yeah, man. Geno: Sniffia. that's awesome. Brad Lukowich: They other went back to the hotel and then sure sure enough the Stanley Cup guy came ripping around the corner. He's like, What the hell, man? We're like, there you are. We couldn't find you. We thought you were Geno: We're looking for ya. Brad Lukowich: here. We were looking for you. We thought you moved back here. We're sorry. But there you are. Mark: Okay. Brad Lukowich: We're good. Everything's good. We're good, right? Yeah, so it was good. We were good. Geno: Good stuff. Brad Lukowich: And that was pretty much the end of the night. We had we had it for another hour or two in the room and they jumped back on the bus and Took off and made their show and s they made it for the stage in Portland the next night. Pretty cool story though. What great guy. But again, like who does that? Like just o the greatest guys. Awesome. Geno: That's so cool. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Mark: That's cool. Very cool. we we ask everyone this, and it it's a it's a terrible question because there's no right answer. Who is on your hockey Mount Rushmore? Brad Lukowich: man. Mike Medano, Jeremy Roanick. For sure those two. Geno: Love that. J R Brad Lukowich: Yeah, they're just such good dudes. Man. Marty St. Louis. Just just such a good dude. And probably like a guy like maybe Eddie. Eddie Balfour. I like just he's such a genuine guy. Gets a bad rap for every now and then, but frick man, Geno: I love Betty Vett. He was awesome. Brad Lukowich: he is have you I I don't know if there's a guy with a bigger heart. I'm just trying think other that I've ever met in the game, other than Eddie. So yeah, he'd have to be there. And then and it and he's not a bad goalie either. So yeah. Geno: Awesome goalie. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. So yeah, Eddie and definitely and that. yeah, and then those two, yeah. Those and then Marty. Marty is just he's a he's on another another level. He's gonna he'll the the Montreal Canadians will win a cup. They'll they'll win one. Don't know when, but they're yeah. He Geno: They're young. They're really young. They'll they're gonna be awesome. Yeah. Brad Lukowich: and he's so good, man. Like he is such a like we talked about that team with with with Torts. Like he's Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: he's such he was such a big cog of that. He's just such a huge Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: Mo, like Mike, Mike Madono in Dallas, like this offensive guy that fine, I'll play defense and we win a cup because of it. You know, he gives up his Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: offensive to play defense, plays hitch his way, proves hitch right and sets his ego aside, we win a cup. Like that's to me, that's the hall that's Geno: Love that. Brad Lukowich: a hall of Denver. you know, JR, man, like just like the this guy loved like passionate about the game. There if if there's someone that's more passionate about it than me, that's it's him. just loves the game, loves being around it, loves and won't give up the game. love him for it. that that that those are my my main reasons there, really. Geno: That's awesome. Mark: That's very cool. And and you who is who is the best player you played with? Brad Lukowich: Played with Mark: I know you play you played with a lot of good ones. Brad Lukowich: Well, I have to say Brett Hall because that's what he would tell me I have to say. Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: hey Luca, like hey, look around. You know who the best players on the ice are, right? Like. Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Okay. You want to stay in this game? You always know where those guys are. Like, I got it, Holly. I got it. but he Geno: That's funny. Brad Lukowich: was. He was one of one of them. I don't know. Maybe Mo, man. Like the the Mike Madonna Geno: Madonna's awesome. The best. Brad Lukowich: doesn't get enough credit. I don't think. because he was in Minnesota and Dallas, and those teams ultimately were a little bit more on the defensive side. You look back to those teams, they had kind of had that defensive, like the Hartsburgs on the back end. We were they were more so you had this one offensive dynamo kid up front. They had the one offensive line, their power play, and then really they were kind of like more of on the defensive, hard-nosed Keith Acton type type type of squad, right? So Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: Then you come to Dallas and it's it you had the same thing here. And then you bring in Hitch. We're ultimately a defensive, we were a defensive defensive team, you know, that defense first. And you ask him to do that. So I would say he was almost handcuffed on his offensives. You never really got to see the Mike Madano freewheeling that he would have been allowed to do in a Phoenix. like JR could was allowed to do, you know, you know, those type of guys that just had no no no no no leash at all. Mike had a leash. He always had a leash. And imagine if he didn't. That's that that's like every shift going down the ice and not having having to pass. Good luck. Mark: W what's your the state of hockey right now and and i like you mentioned, the game is very different now, especially at the NHL level than when you played. Geno: Hang on one sec. Fuck, one second. Mark: so the state of that and the and comparing that, what are your thoughts on the on the how the game has evolved? We gotta I gotta mute Geno. There we go. Brad Lukowich: And it's on view. Mark: Is he mute? No, let's see. There we go. I don't know what was going on. Yeah. I know. Brad Lukowich: it was great. Because he blew bolts and he's like, hold on a second. Mark: Some alarm went off. he he's always got coaches and everyone calling him. He runs the Atlantic Hockey America. So he's Brad Lukowich: Okay. Mark: always got he's always got stuff going on. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. My Mercedes is here. Geno: Dude, sorry, I had to run. Mark: And coach is calling. Geno: I'm back. Mark: There you some type of alarm went off. Some really funky little alarm went off on your that your phone Geno: No Dude, my phone doesn't fucking stop, so sorry. Yeah, it doesn't stop. Sorry. We had a we had an appeal this weekend and Brad Lukowich: No worries. Geno: we had an appeal this weekend in the NCAA for a face mask, so it doesn't the phone doesn't stop, so sorry about that. Brad Lukowich: No worries. Mark: no worries. Angry Gino Angry Gino comes out sometimes, Luco, and it's it's Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Mark: outstanding. Geno: Depends on the weekend. Brad Lukowich: too Mark: But Brad Lukowich: fine. Mark: but getting back Geno: Yeah. Mark: to that the state of the game and how it's changed. Brad Lukowich: Yeah, it I mean, it's so different now. I some of the things that have just like recent conversations in Tampa was there's players now that they're a hundred percent. So they're they're back, they've been skating, they're at a hundred percent, but they're not in the lineup yet because they're not ready to play. Where I don't know if we were ever a hundred percent. I remember I being a hundred percent the day before training camp, and then we beat the crap out Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: of each other. the first day, ten exhibition games, you're something's already separated or hurt. something's got a nice bag on it already. So like I don't know. So it's different and then the and then the rehab on that was can he play? Well well I know, but can he play? Yeah he can play. Okay, well get him get him in the lineup. Then why what then what are you doing? Get him in the lineup. You know that they're so that part is different. I missed the red line. I miss that that Mark: Really? Brad Lukowich: I I I miss that harder play for the defenseman, Geno: Mm. Brad Lukowich: versus just throwing it up the ice. physicality this year's been pretty good though off to a good start some fights i'm Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: liking it so maybe some guys that that like bauer ho I love that kid the kid in winnipeg that's my new Mark: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: favorite player love him yeah that's our like we need more of those like let's let's get that game back keep it keep it way more honest Take away some of these some of these little cheap shot stuff and get rid of some of those guys. The I th some of the Geno: I mean that's funny you say that, that the the honesty of it, right? Like people that don't know hockey don't understand that part of it. Like, what do you mean checking or hitting is gonna make it honest? Like what do you mean by that? Brad Lukowich: Yeah, I mean the it the code. I mean, you hear about the code and the the playing honest. Geno: Exactly. Right. Brad Lukowich: I mean, there's just like anywhere. I mean, there's there's some guys out there that can play a lot tougher when they know they're not gonna be touched. there's a lot of guys that can get to play better when they know that they're not gonna be touched. And so there's and then there's also some guys that don't care that they're like, okay, well. Yeah, but he's the best player in the game. We gotta do something to slow him down. So and the only way they know how is, you know, to to take a run at somebody. Well, if you know that there's a big guy waiting for you, not gonna happen. Ovi's been playing a long time. That Wilson guy's pretty tough. Is he the toughest guy in the league? Maybe not. Is he maybe he is, maybe he's not. But at least you gotta think twice every single time. And you know what? You hit Ovi once, he's gonna hit you more than once. He's gonna hit you twice, he's gonna hit you three times, he's gonna check, he's gonna chirp you. It's just, you know what? It's not worth it. It's not worth it to do it when you know those guys are there. So that's what deters it. There's way more than I'm not like. Did I think I was gonna have to fight the boogeyman if I if I fought someone in Minnesota or hit someone hard in Minnesota? No. I knew he was gonna hit someone else on my team. Or go after someone else and that guy was gonna come at me and practice be like, dude, hey, like you can hit, but just you know don't run guys like that. Okay. So and Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: you learn that at a young age. Or and those are those older guys that were the tough guys. They're the ones that they're the nicest guys. They talk to you real easy with it. Hey, I know my job, I'll stick up for you. You can do your thing. I'll tell you when you go and take a run at a guy. All right. So I like that it's coming back in the game. I I I personally didn't really get hurt too much in the first five, six years that I played. And that would and that was back when it was clut clutch grab, red line, hitting a lot more, a lot more fighting. I never got hurt as much. When they took the red line out and they took away the hold up when you couldn't hold up Geno: Yeah. Brad Lukowich: the the four checker, that's when I that's when I started separating my shoulder at least once a season. you know, and then it's just done. the hit from behind so Geno: Right. Brad Lukowich: then then the like your the lower neck part there the lower back their hips that's when it started happening when you couldn't do that like they're allowed to dump it in you go in you make your D D D play and then you still get hit that's that that's where we were that's Geno: Mm-hmm. Smoke. Brad Lukowich: where we started getting injured on the back end yeah you know and I I get it why they let the when the wingers dump it we weren't allowed to continue and run them through the board. That's where I used to hurt guys and that's where guys would get Geno: Right, right. Brad Lukowich: hurt. They released the puck. They're not expecting that hit. I should light up. At first I wasn't great at it, took some penalties at it. It sucked, but they did remove it from the game. You can't do that. As as a D-man, that finishing your check on the D-man, that that one should have been removed as well. They just did. That's why I'm going like this all the time. My shoulders are always sore. But they still they st and they still let them like that. That's the one that you can still get away with in today's game, which Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: Is crazy. That's the one that makes me go nuts because I'm like, you're allowed to do that in in the game, but then you call it one time, you don't call it another one. So that's the youth sport one. It's like maybe at maybe at Geno: Mm-hmm. Brad Lukowich: youth. I I personally I'm also into bringing hitting into a younger age. Yeah. Teach it younger. Teach it younger. Mark: I was gonna ask that question. yeah. Geno: I'm all for that. Yes. But but don't call it don't call it hitting. Call it body contact, right? And it's not it's Brad Lukowich: No. Yeah. Geno: not necessarily it's not necessarily like body checking. It's it's those hits in and along the walls or bumps along the walls that the and teach the players to ex expect contact, right? Expect to be bumped when you're in along the wall and you have the puck because someone's pursuing that puck and is gonna I'm gonna bump you at as I'm taking it, because that's a legal legal act, right? And that's how it should be. We're Brad Lukowich: Absolutely. Geno: not bracing for impact. We're not expecting Brad Lukowich: Okay. Geno: to be hit. So all those plays in along the wall are a lot worse because of not being ready for impact or expecting contact. Like my daughter skated, she's a goalie and she skated out the other day. Brad Lukowich: Green one. Geno: She skated out the other day and I was like, listen, you're playing D. I was like, expect the players to come in and bump you and they're gonna rub you out. I go, just expect the contact. And you know, she got rubbed out, got right back up, and I was like, This is perfect. It's a perfect bump and rub out. The kid took the puck and she got dumped. It was like perfect. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Yeah. The girls game, like I I don't know if you guys watch PWHL. I know a couple local girls here, so I I've I've tuned Geno: Yes, it's awesome. It it's how hitting should be. Brad Lukowich: Isn't it awesome? It is good hockey. Geno: It should have if the Brad Lukowich: Like and they and the contact that is like the that's the contact I'm talking about is is exactly and you if you can't give Geno: Me too. I'm the same way. Yep. Brad Lukowich: a better example, that's the example. girls play girls play body checking hockey better than the guys do now. Cause at that little level, they're trying to run and kill each other. And then when they get out of it and they get into the NHL, they're like, thank God we don't have to do that anymore. So they kind of they they turn more now in than they do anywhere than that. AHL they'll still finish check. Junior, they'll still finish check. NHL is more of like a kind of go up and be a little bit more passive and accept the accept the rush until playoffs. And then playoffs, it it fires right back up. Which is why it's so exciting. Geno: Yeah yeah. Brad Lukowich: You know, just to get there, cause some teams are built for that playoffs. And if can get in, so that again, so to me, drop the age. I think it'll it'll in intensify the game a little bit more at in at the guy side. Geno: Absolutely. I think I think Mark: Love it. Love it. Geno: on both sides, men and women, I think they they're they're just as good and they should be, you know, it it it it's not checking, it's just bumps. It but I'm playing the puck. I'm not I'm not coming in and absolutely destroying you and putting you in the fourth fourth role like Scott Stevens, right? I'm coming up and I'm actually playing the puck and knocking you off it and rubbing you out and that's all I'm doing. I'm not like the the boys come in and they don't they don't intend to play the puck. They completely just play body all the way. You see them crouch down, their hands are tucked in like this, and they go ba-boom. And that's not playing the puck at all. That is actually defined as an illegal body check now in USA hockey, which is great. The language is protects the game a little bit. And if it's taught properly, I think it could be, you know, played properly. I like I think the players can adjust to that type of, you know, not violence, but just that body contact. That's just me. Brad Lukowich: Absolutely. And and you're and you're taking it down two years at to the 12 year level where they're not as Geno: Yep. Brad Lukowich: big yet. They're still they're still closer in size. If anything, the girls would be bigger. So that even if the girls are playing, because they're like, well, then at 12, some there's girls are still playing co-ed. We can't have the girls hitting them. Like, well, they're bigger. They're they're bigger and stronger. So it's the one time they can be they give them some confidence too to Geno: Right? Brad Lukowich: take that hit. They're they ain't afraid of us. Trust me. I've played Geno: Nope. Brad Lukowich: I've seen them play. Those girls are fearless, man. They're awesome. Geno: yeah. Brad Lukowich: And they and they're right in there. They will have they I they would invite it. They would definitely invite it. Geno: You saw Abby Murphy you saw Abby Murphy in the in the pro practice, right? Like she held her own. Like, yeah, sh did tough as nails. Brad Lukowich: yeah. Yeah. I I have a girl on my team. She's and my 16U team and she is a stud. She rocks dudes all the time. She gets hit. She she takes it, but she rocks dudes all the time. She probably one of the best hits of the year still she's got from the opening opening opening game. Snipe the other Geno: It's awesome. Brad Lukowich: day too. She's she's one of our best players. Mark: That's awesome. Yeah, my daughter loved playing against boys and loved playing checking, you know, because she was sturdy and she used to get penalties all the time in the girls' games. And she loved, you know, even in high school when they play like, you know, Shinny with the boys' team in high school, she'd be laying kids out and they'd be like, What the hell? So, I think I think it definitely should be brought back at a younger age for sure. Well Brad the Brad Lukowich: All right, let's open. Geno: Absolutely. Mark: This this has been awesome, Geno: No, this Mark: man. We really appreci Brad Lukowich: Yeah. Mark: I your passion for the game is just so infectious and so you know, it gets you excited. And I saw it down in Tampa, you know, you were one of those guys that was into it and you know it it's it's really cool to see someone lifetime of hockey and just still all about it. Brad Lukowich: It's the greatest game ever, man. Like I I would have never met you, dude. I and you're such a good dude. I was had such a fun time down there. I would have never met you. And then Gino now, I I I apologize for yelling at you in the A if I did. Thank you Geno: it's all good. Thank you. Brad Lukowich: for having me on. But yeah, like come down. Hopefully next time you get to come down to Tampa. We'll have we we need another guy down there to to do the final because it like it's corrupted down there. We got an Can't believe you did that. Anyways. Mark: I think I think you just called me out. I think he, you know, it would have been nice. I I would have loved to have Gino down there. Geno: Yeah, he knows who paid his ticket down there. Mark: He would have he would have been helpful. Two man system for sure. I gotta make that happen. I definitely gotta make that happen. Well, Brad, Brad Lukowich: Wouldn't that be awesome? Yeah. There you go. That'll be awesome. Let's do it. Let's do it. We'll make her happen. Awesome. Awesome. Geno: Let's do it. Amen. Yeah. Absolutely. Mark: thanks a lot. good luck this season with the teams and Brad Lukowich: Got it. Mark: look forward to being at an event again with you for sure. Brad Lukowich: Yeah. You got her, dude. We'll have to get you guys here to Dallas. We'll do one here in Dallas and get Mark: definitely. Brad Lukowich: you done. That'd be wicked. Mark: I got a buddy I got a buddy who I grew up playing well Brad Lukowich: That ball's rolling, so don't worry. Mark: I I have a buddy who I I grew up with playing hockey that lives just outside of Dallas and goes, Brad Lukowich: Good. All right. Mark: you know, has season tickets to the stars and you know, really loves it. And so I I'd love to come down to Dallas at some point and do something for sure. Brad Lukowich: All right, man. That ball is moving. All right, dude. All right, man. Geno: Let's do it. Mark: Love it. Love it. All right. Thanks, Brad. Brad Lukowich: We'll talk to you later, Brad. Mark: That is some serious hockey passion right there by Luco. Just yeah, I mean Geno: Yes. Yeah, good hockey talk. Yeah. Some good youth talk. Mark: Utahy pro hockey ran the gamut, right? Geno: Yeah, keep we keep punching the door down with the the body checking and eat hockey and how it Mark: I know. Geno: should be and no one's listening. Mark: No one's like well, I'll tell you what, we chirping zebras is gonna be the reason why checking gets dropped down to maybe the you at least U twelve, maybe even U ten. Let's say it right now. They'll they'll have to hear us and listen. Cause we got a lot of Geno: Pee-wee level. Well U twelve. Yeah. Huh? Just body contact and just allow it. Mark: a lot of serious hockey people with a lot of serious experience saying the same thing. So and Brad Lukovich is one of them. So wanna thank him for coming Geno: Mm but I think if they just teach the game the way it should be, like like a lot of the checking a lot Mark: on. and also thank Warrior for Life Fund. I'm wearing I'm wearing their coat today. And thank them for you know, having events like Tampa face off of heroes where we can meet guys like Brad and just great stuff. So Well, like and subscribe on YouTube, as we always say. if you're still listening and follow us on the social medias, the Instagram, the Facebook, and of course, Geno: Mm. The TikTok. Mark: Gino. wanna thank our sponsor, the referees Chris. And also thank you guys for tuning in and listening and watching. And for Gino Bender and Mark Riley, we'll see you next time right here on the Chirping Zebras. Geno: Zebras. Geno Binda: you