Latest / Chirping Zebras / PAT LEAHY | Chirping Zebras Podcast | Ep #120

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PAT LEAHY | Chirping Zebras Podcast | Ep #120 · Chirping Zebras

• Mark Riley: Welcome everyone to Chirping Zebras. Mark Riley virtually alongside Gino Benda. He's back. And we're happy to have him. And before we get into it, I want to thank our sponsor, the referees, Crees, your One Stop Shop, for all your refereeing needs from scheduling and from payment and from training. They do it all. So please check them out. Also, want to give a shout out to AOA Studios up in Beverly. And also want to remind you to like and subscribe on YouTube. And follow us on all the social medias, the Instagram, the Facebook, and of course Geno Binda: The TikTok. Mark Riley: Good to have you back, Gino. I'll tell you it wasn't the same. We had Geno Binda: Yeah, it's good. No, it's nice. Mark Riley: Paul Nardizzi jumped in and did a fine job as a guest and guest host, but not the same without you. how how was the vacay? Geno Binda: Yeah, he great. Wow. He's funny. It was good. nice and relaxing. Did some work as well, but it's nice being on a lake doing work. So yeah. Just a different scene. Mark Riley: And and I can't can't believe the season's right around the corner. Geno Binda: Yeah, it's here. schedules are going out, people are getting pissed off. It's yeah. It's fun it's a fun Mark Riley: Exactly. Geno Binda: time of year to be a a signer. Mark Riley: Typical August for you, right? Geno Binda: my god, dude. It's unbelievable. But whatever. It's it's good. Mark Riley: Lot of I and we can get into this more as we get closer, but a lot of rule changes this year for college, right? Geno Binda: Got him right next to me. Yep. Actually, right here. Gonna gotta go through all. We got a meeting tomorrow morning with all the men's supervisors, so that's good. Yeah. It's Mark Riley: Well it in a Geno Binda: it's a lot. It's more towards you know, the NHL rules and that kind of stuff for the most part. Mark Riley: Okay. But we'll i after you sort through all that maybe next episode we can go through and take a look at each of Geno Binda: Yeah, I mean I'll have a better understanding, you know, tomorrow 'cause we're gonna do a deep dive with with all of us and you know, the process, you know, we we go through it all year, right? which is good. so it's kinda interesting to see how it all shaped up. Mark Riley: Well, looking forward to finding out what they all are and what they all mean. So and and i our guest today, fantastic. not only impressive hockey player and had a great career, both in high school, college, and professionally, played for the Bruins, but just one of the nicest guys you'll meet all around, Pat Pat Lahey was just fantastic. Geno Binda: Yep. Absolutely. Yeah. He was a senior when I was a freshman at B C High. you know, before he got on, we were talking about that that goal with point two seconds left or whatever. He was like, God, do we have to relive that? Mark Riley: We didn't make him relive it. Geno Binda: No. But yeah, that was yeah. I mean, yeah, he did a great career. Great you know, great guy. his brother Tim Rest For us, so yeah. He was good, Mark Riley: Yeah, no, he was he he was you I think everyone's gonna enjoy. I talk with him and and and just to hear his stories of playing with some of the greats and and just Geno Binda: No, it's like his journey, like everybody's journey's different, right? And his is kinda kinda cool where, you know, he basically everywhere he went he kinda stayed, right? did he bounce around a little bit in pros, but you know, he, you know, finished his career at, you know, a lot at you know, for like seven, eight years in the same place over at Europe. That's kinda unheard of. That's pretty cool. Mark Riley: Yeah. Yeah. Well I think everyone will enjoy it. So, without further ado, we'll give a listen to our conversation with Pat Lahey, good friend of the Zebras, former NHLer, and enjoy. Pat Lee, welcome to the Zebras, man. Great to have you on. Pat Leahy: Awesome. Thanks for having me, fellas. Geno Binda: Awesome. Mark Riley: Just reminiscing a little bit about BC High, you and you and Gino. Geno Binda: No yeah. Pat Leahy: B C B C high, those were the those the heydays. That was when hockey was easy. You know, you enjoyed it. It had a ton of success. It was awesome. And then it just got a little bit harder everywhere everywhere you went from there. Geno Binda: Yeah, you just had yeah, you had people busting you balls like flash in practice every day, you know? Yes, he is. Pat Leahy: yeah, he's doing great by the way. He's he's been there for a little while, took over for the McCabe's. Yeah, he was he was the goalie coach when when I was there. So yeah, no, I I have fond memories of BC High. Not hated the commute. We were just talking about it, you know, s so sure in Ducksbury, you know, you could you could leave six o'clock and get there at seven or you'd leave at, you know, six and get there at eight fifteen. It just it was a crapshoot. Geno Binda: I was five minutes. I I lived in Salty, so if I if I had a walk it was fifteen minutes. Pat Leahy: they that's that's not a commute. Mark Riley: If they had the electric scooters back then, Gino, you never would have had a problem at all. Pat Leahy: God. Let's let's not get started on the bike lanes and please don't. Mark Riley: Okay. Yeah. Geno Binda: Yeah, right. Mark Riley: We try not to get too political here. Pat Leahy: Yeah, exactly. Mark Riley: Now at BC High you you set a few records. That was that must have been I mean fun to just be be the guy, right? Pat Leahy: So it it it's funny how I ended up at BC High. My my brother was a CM guy. So he was four, four full years older than me, won, you know, four straight years, super eight championships. And I was like, ooh, in my head, I'm like, that's a tough act to follow, you know, captain, like he did he had a really good career. And I was like, you know what, maybe I want to pave my own path. And a good buddy of mine, Chris Lynch, was a year ahead of and he ducksbury kid. at BC High. And was like, so I went and toured there and I was like, this this is a great school, you know, very similar to CM, good hockey program, good history. and you know, just kind of felt like that was the path for me. And yeah, it was it was great. You know, I ended up I I got called up to the varsity sort of a for a cup of coffee right at the end of the year, just to get a taste of it. played freshman most of that year, but we ended up winning the division one title. I was in street clothes, so I don't count that really, but but then after that it was like sophomore year, junior year, like just r really kinda started finding my own, had a had a great group of teammates. just solid, solid group. And you know, we had a lot of success and we were able to get that that championship my junior year, which first team other than CM, I think, to win it. and that was what was that? Was that in the new? We're the last team to win it, I think, in the in the old fleet center, the the old garden. Geno Binda: That's right. Pat Leahy: That was ninety six. yeah, great, great time there. Geno Binda: Like you said it, like they don't make coaches like the the McKay brothers anymore. I mean those guys were great and you know, when Billy lost his mind, he lost his sh*t and I don't know if that would fly anymore. Pat Leahy: No no, it it definitely wouldn't. No. They had they had a lot of old school mentality to but you know what? Like they they motivated you. You know, they they wanted the they got the Geno Binda: Absolutely. I loved it. Pat Leahy: best out of you. It's just it's different coaching styles, right? but they they kind of they fed off each other. Like when one of them blew a gasket, the other one knew it rain it in a little bit, and vice versa. that that's it. Yeah, I mean Geno Binda: Absolutely good cop, bad cop, yeah, they did do that. Yeah. Yeah. Pat Leahy: that's why they were there for God, I don't even know how long. twenty, thirty years, whatever the run was, they were Geno Binda: Yeah, they were right. Pat Leahy: they had a great success. Geno Binda: Yeah, I love playing for Mark Riley: Dr. Bird is CM, that's kind of a that usually never happened back then, no? Pat Leahy: So well, not I don't think it happened a lot, but it my brother had he had two other guys in his class from Ducksburg that went to CM and played it like the same year. Geno Binda: Well, there you go. Pat Leahy: so Mark Riley: wow. Pat Leahy: they had three guys that played, they were all on they were all on vars like varsity from sophomore year on. at numbered fifth fifteen, sixteen, seventeen. Yeah. So yeah. Yeah, you know, so he's he's actually Geno Binda: Yeah. And your brother referees for us. Yeah. He loves it. Pat Leahy: He's he's great. Like he he obviously had a great career at at CM and then he PG'd at Loomis. Then he Geno Binda: Mm-hmm. Pat Leahy: played four years at Miami University and then seven years in Germany after that pro. he's been with the trains for a while, but he just got into roughing again. You know, we all did it when we were younger, but he got back into it. I think he's doing a bunch of like high school, maybe some junior games. So he's Geno Binda: yeah, he's in the he does a bunch of high school games. He'll do junior games for us. Yeah, and does a bunch of youth. Like he did the chowder cups. I I ran into him. Yeah. He was great. Pat Leahy: Yeah, he's he's got a great mentality for that. One, he knows the game really well, but Geno Binda: yeah. Yep. Pat Leahy: he just you know he I seen him some coaches just yell at him and he just goes over, you know, he just nod puts Geno Binda: Yeah. Pat Leahy: his arm around and be like, Do you do you really want your kids hearing you talk like that? He's like, Geno Binda: Yeah. Pat Leahy: It's not gonna change my call. The call's what it was, it was the right call. He's like, But I mean, if you want me to give you a benchmine, like he's great like that. No, almost like, Geno Binda: Right. It's nice and easy, right? Pat Leahy: yeah, it's awesome. It's awesome. And I think it frustrates the coach with. Geno Binda: You have to have that mentality and yeah, he loves it. Like you you see it too, right? Like guys that just love hockey and it's just a good great to be a part of. So like, you know, he played for years, played in Europe and, you know, still a part of the game somehow. You know, a lot of guys coach, a lot of guys, you know, scout, a lot of guys like to, you know, jump on the refing gig. It's an option. Pat Leahy: Yeah. I mean, you guys know roughing it's all about feel, right? Every game's different. You know, it's you know, you might have a game that's got a little bit more rough and toughness to it and one that's got a little bit more skill to it, but like you it it you kind of rough each one as it comes. They're all one one singular event, you know what I mean? Geno Binda: Right. It's all motion too, right? And you know, I'll bring up we talked about we brought up Rico from Miami, right? You played for him for for two years and you Pat Leahy: Yeah. Geno Binda: know, he he was there for what, over twenty years or whatever, right? Like long, long time. Pat Leahy: Yeah, so that again, so I so I followed my it was funny, I didn't follow my brother to CM. And then he when he PG'd and he went to Miami, and then all of a sudden we were you know, we overlapped by a year. and when ran his his line mate, his last two years, or sorry, his first years was Randy Robotaye, and Geno Binda: Hm. Pat Leahy: obviously longtime NHL player. he left after his sophomore year, signed with Boston as a free agent. And when he did that, it opened up like a scholarship opportunity there. So then they started re they asked him, like Timmy, is your brother going anywhere? Is he committed? He's like, Nope. So they came out and started watching me or whatever. You know, that's kind of how I ended up at Miami. but yeah, so Mazzolini was my coach the first two years. And it's kind of ironic that the schools I was too it was either Harvard or Miami, those were the kind of last two options. And Masolini left after two years and went to You know, I would have had either way, I guess the way you could look at it. Geno Binda: That's funny. Pat Leahy: but that's always a tough transition in college, especially nowadays, so he's not much older than everybody else. and you know, he wants to establish his group and all that stuff. So it it it was a it was a not a tough two years, but it was definitely an adjustment for him as a coach and for you know the upperclassmen because you're used to, you know, the everything kind of progressing in one direction. Hey, you're a junior, you're a senior, you got Kangaroo Court, you got this, you got that. And all of a sudden Geno Binda: Right, right, right. Pat Leahy: there's no kangaroo court. And there's none of this. And none of these senior sort of privileges or or sort of, you know, rites of passage that you would normally have. We didn't get. And that Geno Binda: Right. Pat Leahy: kind of rubbed some people the wrong way. But you know, he had Geno Binda: Yeah. Pat Leahy: an unbelievable career at Miami. Great run. almost Geno Binda: Absolutely. Pat Leahy: got the national title there. Lost a tough one to BU, but hey, that is what it is. But yeah, he had a great run. Geno Binda: Yeah, he was he was a fiery guy to deal with on the bench, but he got it, right? Like he would yell and scream and then he'd give you a wink, like, hey, I'm just firing up my team. Like this is home cooking, this is college hockey, this is for the boost is, right? Like gave you the whatever. But you know, his like when I did his last game in Denver, that before he got let go and you know, like tensions are very high and he's yelling and screaming about interference and this and that. And I did the worst thing you can do. And I called an interference, you know, against the other team and I looked right at on his team and I looked right at him and I gave the interference sign and he lost his fucking mind. And Mark Riley: Ha ha ha. Geno Binda: you know rightfully so, right? And and in Denver, like you gotta go on and off where the away team is. So like I gotta walk down that hallway and he's fucking waiting for me and he lights me up and I'm yelling at him, he's yelling at me, and like I was caught in the wrong and he was in the wrong for, you know. bitching and moaning. But like in instead of like benching somebody or whatever, there's ways to just communicate, right? And I chose that way and probably the wrong way. But, you know, got the point across Pat Leahy: Yeah, he I I we were playing Fair Estate one year on the road. You know, team was struggling a little bit. And all of a sudden I think it was like after the first second period, he came in and just like tore into everybody and he d starts yelling at me like, Do you want it? Do you fucking want it? And I'm like, You're goddamn right I want it Like all of a sudden every it's Geno Binda: Yeah, yeah. Pat Leahy: just like, What the hell is going on here? I think we still ended up getting pumped, but it was fine again. No, he was a fiery, fiery personality, but good coach though. Geno Binda: But in in Rico fashion though, right? Like you build relationships with these guys. Like I've I've known him for a handful of years now, right? And at the end of the game, I come out of the locker room and he's standing there waiting for me. And he gives me a big hug and apologizes and I hug him and you know, it's just, you know, emotions get the best of you. But like you know, it's just you know, you're in the you're in the arena, right? That's just a battle in there and like, you know, sometimes we don't do the right things and, you know, cost us. But yeah, he was great to deal with. Pat Leahy: Yeah, that's hockey, right? Like there's emotions. It's an emotional game. tons of highs and lows. It's like, you know, hey, people are gonna get yelled at. It happens. We're all used to it, right? Geno Binda: Exactly. Pat Leahy: You gotta have thick skin both ways. So it is what it is. Geno Binda: Yeah, right. That's funny. Mark Riley: You played when you played high school, I I just want to get your thoughts on this because when you played high school hockey around here was it, right? I mean, it was it it was the big Geno Binda: Mm. Mark Riley: thing. And now it's more everyone goes the junior route, everyone takes three years before they enter school. What are your thoughts on that change? 'Cause I mean, it it's just so different now than it was back and I graduated ten years before you. So it was even, you know, more different back then. 'Cause a lot of people like, twenty three year old freshman, all this bullshit. What are your thoughts on that? Pat Leahy: So yeah, like you said, it and I I we touched on this earlier, but you talked about this with Albert's podcast because the Minnesota program is obviously it's still going strong and they they obviously do it the right way. yeah, like back back in back in the day in the you know, mid nineties, like it was you you know, the the pub some of the high end public schools, really good players coming out of there. Sean Bates at Medford, you had Keith O'Coin out of Chelmsford, like And then you get all like the the public Catholics and the ISL schools there just loaded and stacked programs. I think that that was that was the route to go. And you could you go to those schools, have a lot of success, and then just go right to college. That's what I did. as an eighteen year old. you just you don't you don't have we didn't what back then there was no real junior programs out outside of like the USHL where you you know you went out there, but that was more If you weren't, I don't want to say for everybody because it's not it's not a blanket statement, but most of the time people go out there, they needed an extra year or two to kind of beef up their you know profile for colleges or or recruiting or whatever. but nowadays there's you know you got all these junior programs around here that you can play in, right? And then obviously it trickles down, you got club everywhere, and it's just it's it's a tough thing to watch. I'm like my my kids so far. Have not been A level players. my oldest has retired three times. He's already done. My middle guy, I told him third retirement, like that's it. Mark Riley: Ha ha ha. Pat Leahy: but but but it is what it is. I do what you want to do, right? And like my kids, if they love Geno Binda: Get him a ref shirt. Pat Leahy: it, yeah. Like if they love it and they want to do it, I'm all in. If if they don't want love it or don't want to do it, like what are we doing? but it was funny. I had t I had told all my kids, I'm like, it when it comes to hockey, I'm like, I don't want you playing a club sport unless you make an A-level team in town. Like if you do that, that shows me that you're committed, you're working at it, you're at a level, you're like, okay, maybe you want to take the next step and try to play on a club team. And ironically, the older one ended up, he was kind of forced into a club team because he got to Pee-Wee and all like basically there should have been 60 kids trying out. The top 30 all played club. And they didn't, they weren't playing town. So now you'd got basically the bottom 30 kids at his age group. And he would have been like one of the better players on the team. And like he's not going to get any better in that scenario. So I was like, if you want any chance to kind of try to push this along to maybe, maybe play in high school on any level, like freshman JV at Varsity would have been a stretch. I was like, you have to go to the club route just because that's your only option. So he almost was forced into it. which is kind of sad, but that's that's the way it's going right now. you know, it's a it's a little bit of a money grab, I think. again, the t I think the top two, you know, club programs at each level kind of is is good, but I don't think you really need to do that before, you know, squirts or you know, s definitely not earlier than squirts, but what do I know? The the the game's changed a little bit. Geno Binda: No, it's wild out there. Like these kids are getting in there. Like you should see something like I mean you see it, right? Like you saw some of those like five, six, seven year olds just like dangling, buzzing around, like these kids don't get a break. And like I deal with a lot of college coaches and and they talk about the wear and tear, especially in the women's side of things, right? Like by the time they get into college, they're already like, you know, injured and dealing with, you know, joint issues and pains and you know, just from all the wear and tear they're doing. It's like Develop, have fun, play different sports, you know, have fun with it. And you know, it's not every weekend, right? It doesn't have to be. It's crazy. Pat Leahy: Yeah, and like I mean the the the the idea of playing multiple sports is kind of going out the window. Once you once you get to like nine, ten years old, all these clubs like they're almost making you sign things saying that this is your primary sport. If there's conflicts, you're coming here, you're not going to lacrosse, you're not going to soccer, you're not going to your town program, you're coming to the club thing. So that like that's a tough pill to swallow. Like kids want to play baseball, kids wanna be outside. You don't want to be in a hockey rink all year long. You know, like there's there's times and places for it. Like if you wanna if you you definitely see the kids that love it. And and I was one of those guys, I know a ton of guys that were that way. You you find ways to do it, whether it's it was rollerblading, it was street hockey, it was just ripping pucks in the garage or in the driveway with your Geno Binda: Mm. Quincy Shinney. Pat Leahy: Yeah, like that's it. You find a place to go play and like that, but you're not always in a rink and it's not always hockey. But like you go play football with your buddies, you play flag, you put whatever it is, like that that that kind of teaches, you know, hand-eye skills. It teaches quick feet, different quick twitch muscles, like all the stuff that you if you end up doing the same thing all the time. And I know training's developed and stuff in hockey. It's definitely a little bit different the way they train now, but Geno Binda: it's crazy. Pat Leahy: but but nothing replaces kind of experiencing different sports and different, you know, mental acuities that forces you to develop different skills in different ways and you can adapt it to whatever sport turns out to be, you know, your top sport, so to speak. Mark Riley: Amen. Seriously. Geno Binda: Yeah. Mark Riley: Like i i I I blows my mind how young I Pat Leahy: Ha ha ha Geno Binda: There it is, baby. There it is. Mark Riley: forgot you had sound effects, Gino. Geno Binda: I did too, until just now. Pat Leahy: That's awesome. Mark Riley: You've been sitting on that one, haven't you? Regino found a new toy last Pat Leahy: I yeah. I just remember like Mark Riley: episode. no, but it it it's amazing Pat Leahy: Like I found it very Mark Riley: to me how many people and obviously it's the parents more than the kid. I mean, there are those kids that love the sport, but it it's you know, we all played different sports growing up and and you know, at some point you decide, all right, this is what I want to do. But it's really out of control, I think, and not just hockey now. You know, hockey kinda was, I think, the forerunner of all this craziness. but you know, softball quickly, you know, my daughter played softball. They wanted to pull her play spring ball and fall ball and so and it was like, When do you get a chance to be a kid? It's crazy. Pat Leahy: Yeah. Yeah. And I think Lacr like it my my kids are big into soccer and they've both done the Geno Binda: Yeah, it's huge. Pat Leahy: club soccer scene and you know, that's kind of a pretty much a year round thing also outside of like a six week stretch in the summer. But like other than that, like, you know, they're doing stuff in the winter and the but lacrosse, I think lacrosse might like lacrosse club might be the worst. I've got a brother in law. his brother actually coaches at CM, the lacrosse team there. But he like in there like in the spring, just in the summer, there are literally tournaments everywhere, like Long Island, Fitchburg, bop, bop. It's like, ugh, like I wouldn't want to do that. Yeah. Yeah. Geno Binda: My nephew plays, it's crazy. I'm like, what are you doing? Enjoy your summer. But, you know, speaking of I mean, speaking of, you know, just how things are too, like, how do you feel, you know, you stayed at Miami all four years. Like, how do you feel about the portal and kids jumping and you know, they're not happy. Like it it it can benefit some kids, you know, where they get a chance and opportunity elsewhere. But like I feel like it's free agency. These coaches are now just basically building teams. through the portal and they don't even know who they have. Like nobody knows what what their team's gonna look like until the, you know, first practice really. Like how how what are Pat Leahy: Yeah. Geno Binda: your thoughts on all that? Pat Leahy: So it's funny because so I was in that situation right in college where we had the coaching change, which it for me it was an adjustment, but it didn't really affect like sort of my career trajectory. You know, we had like I I I was a Geno Binda: Right. Pat Leahy: top couple line player in special teams and I I did I did fine right in college, which was which was good. There was a couple of guys that were in my class and a class above me that had Different experiences with that, right? They all of a sudden found that they weren't playing or they weren't in the lineup and all this. It the the wasn't the best relationship like we talked about with Rico. Just but that's sports. So in there's certain situations where I think it can be can be beneficial, but I will say, and I I listen to the Greg Hill show a lot and I like Wiggy and he's awesome. He talks about this, like he he keeps promoting the five year like window, right? Sort of whenever you start, you got five years to finish. I I just think, Geno Binda: That's going. Pat Leahy: I just think when it comes to the transfer, you should be able to transfer once. But if if it doesn't work like a second time, like I I'm not, I I hate seeing people on four different teams for four different, you know, years. I'm like, Geno Binda: Exactly. Pat Leahy: wait, I wasn't that guy. And and again, I'm I I know it happens a lot in football. I'm like, what I that guy was in the national tournament with like Georgia, and then he was with this team. And then LSC, I'm like, wait, what is going on? Geno Binda: And you got more money from this guy. Yeah. Pat Leahy: Yeah. And I you know, and again, I I I I think that that that gets a little challenging. It's tough for f like sort of fans of the college team to even follow it anymore. There's no there's no y like loyalty, so to speak. I it's tough to comment on the N. I. L and all that stuff. Like I don't think I would ever been that that player at school anyways, but you know, it's it's nice to see that they're getting a little bit of money, but that has a lot to do with, you know, moving parts and all that too. So That's tough. It's tough to kind of navigate if you're not s like right in the middle of it. Geno Binda: I mean it's I mean, Wiggy's not wrong. I mean you got you got kids playing that aren't going to class, you know? Like they're just you're getting paid to play in college, right? And it's it's it's got a little ridiculous, but it's kinda cor it's gonna correct itself, I think. But I know hockey wasn't too happy about the N C double A decisions. Pat Leahy: Yeah. mean, like at the end of the day, I I look at it as you're you're a student athlete, right? You're going there. Most of the people are you're going like not most, but you if you got a scholarship, they're either paying for you for you to go there and obviously play. But the idea is that like mo most people aren't gonna go on and play pro hockey. They're not gonna play it's definitely not for like years and years and years and make a huge career out of it. It just doesn't happen, right? So you you should have to utilize like the school there. You take advantage of it. Make something of the opportunity. so like the fact that people are using it and not going to class, that that's like a little, Geno Binda: Yeah, right. Pat Leahy: it's just it's a weird situation to kind of navigate. Yeah. Geno Binda: Yeah, it's wild. Mark Riley: And you also have with the college situation now, you see a lot of the that were varsity programs having to drop the club programs, you know, some of those lower or lesser s lesser, I say, sports. And because all the money now is going to pay the football players or, you know, whatever basketball or hockey in some schools. And it's not just affecting, you know, it's affecting everyone. and then you have these kids that can't afford to go to school. that are working five jobs and you know, they're not getting helped. It's it's like it's a weird, weird, weird situation we're in, I think, right now. What would what was your Like relationship with referees. Pat Leahy: so I I think historically I've had a pretty good relationship with refs. I I don't remember really getting into too many like back and forths to be honest. I kinda I you know, especially college was a little different. I feel like college I I was a little bit more aggressive and like mouthy, so to speak. But I think once I got to once I got to pro, it just like I don't know if there was just a little bit more respect or however that factored in. but also didn't want to get on anybody's bad side, you know. Yeah. No, but and then Geno Binda: That that's Pat Leahy: it's funny, and then as you know, over like over here, it was, you know, I I remember because like West Macaulay, I know you guys talked about him quite a bit, obviously great referee. but I he was, you know, early two thousands when I was kind of just coming. turn him pro. you know, he he did a bunch of our games when I was in Bridgeboard in Providence. you know, but I you could tell right away he was a you know gonna be a really good ref. And obviously he's you know taking that to to new heights. I say in Austria it's pretty pretty funny though. I know we're we haven't jumped over that part yet, but over there, those guys like they all spoke English, but they they wouldn't speak really English to the imports. They don't they'd all talk German. And you're like trying to like, you know, I My German was okay. I wasn't I couldn't I couldn't really express in the heat of a the moment what I wanted to say to them in German. So I'd say it in English and then they just talk back to you German. You're like, God damn it. Like, Mark Riley: Yeah. Pat Leahy: you know, it just couldn't do anything about it. But Geno Binda: It's like the French Canadians. Yeah. Mark Riley: Yeah. Pat Leahy: yeah, that's it. no, but you know who you know what else funny? we talked about my brother at CM, but Rooney was at CM with my brother. That was what, ninety I think he was ninety-two or ninety-three. yeah, but he always he always he's like, Cheka was there, it's great. But yeah, no. Geno Binda: Yeah, he played goalie. Mm-hmm. Pat Leahy: Yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah, exactly. Yeah. Mark Riley: What was it like in Europe playing over there as as an American? Pat Leahy: it was awesome. I so it's funny, you know, how the the Tartan army came over here for the World Cup and all that stuff. Like I sh*t, you know, that's that's what it was every game. Like it didn't matter if you were at the top level, top league, whatever d whatever division you were playing, or you're in like the third league. it didn't matter. They packed the house, they're all sh*t canned, they're all banging their drums, they got their chance going, and like Love like good or bad, they let you know literally the entire game. it it was it was an electric atmosphere. I played in Linz all s like all seven years. That doesn't happen very often over there. I feel like Geno Binda: Mm-hmm. Pat Leahy: most of the time you got a two-year, two to three year shelf life, right? You you either play really well and somebody else kind of poaches you for more money, or you you don't play well and you're fired and you go somewhere else. But I kind of I just was very comfortable there. I I loved it there. I remember I had an opportunity to go to Russia at one point and I talking to my wife. I was like, I'm like, you know, what do you think? Like right is pr pretty good money, like she's like, but yeah, she's like, That that sounds awesome. She's Geno Binda: Great cash. Pat Leahy: like, You you're going by yourself. I'm like, But well you're not well that that doesn't sound very much fun. And then that's why I was like, No, I'm not doing that. so anyways, yeah, no, so I ended up staying in in the same same city, which was awesome because I got to become a part of the community. my my my best friend on the team he was the he was the captain like the whole time we were there he's now the coach there which is awesome I ended up yeah like I I officiated his wedding he married an English girl so his family was all he was born in Czech raised in Vienna speaks like eight languages his wife was is English met they met on a cruise ship she was like a ballet show dancer They met, whatever. So that anyways, his family didn't speak any English and her family spoke no German. So when they got married, they had they had one one guy on the team did a did the German portion and then I did the English portion. So it was like it was actually a pretty cool little story. Geno Binda: that's awesome. Pat Leahy: but the hockey was was awesome. you know, you played played less games. You played about 50, whatever, average like fifty something games a year. And then you only had three rounds of playoffs in in our league instead of four. So it's just it was less toil in the body, more free time. and basically it just gave you an advantage to take take advantage of all that Europe had to offer. Like everything's so close. We were like, you know, if just driving from where I was, two hours to Munich, hour to Salzburg, two hours to Vienna, three hours to Prague, four hours to Italy, you know. So like you literally day trips you could you could make Geno Binda: Day day trips, yeah. Pat Leahy: yeah, like so. Whenever people would come in to visit family, friends. You'd practice, you know, 10, you'd be done by 11:15. We'd get in the car, drive to Prague, walk around for two hours, have dinner, you're home by like midnight. so it's just like a it's a different like animal. Even though it's like there's not a lot different than driving from here to New York. It's like four and a half, but like it feels like it's you know across the country. so like we, you know, we were able to definitely take advantage of that. but yeah, no, it was, it was, I wouldn't train it for world. I always told everybody over here. So when I well, so let me backtrack though. When I went over to Europe, I had just I I played the year with mostly Milwaukee, caught a little bit with Nashville, but they just did they had didn't have a lot of injuries, there wasn't a lot of call-ups that year. and then that summer I was trying to, you know, get a contract, didn't get a contract, something came up in Europe. I'm like, all right, go over there for a year, try to have a good year, put up some numbers, and then come back. And like when I got to Linz. My wife and she didn't come over in the beginning. She did come over in the beginning. She was talking with one of the my teammates' wives. He ended up being my centerman. And she was like, whatever. And sh just, you know, kind of small talk. And and she's like, Yeah, yeah, I think we're gonna come, you know, just reiterate what I said. Well, you know, I think he's trying to do a year and and then, you know, play well and maybe go go back home to play. And she's like, She's like, Yeah, like my yeah, my husband Rob had that that same mentality. She that was nine years ago. And my Geno Binda: Mm. Mark Riley: Ha ha ha. Pat Leahy: my wife was like, yeah, I didn't I don't I didn't sign up for nine years anyway, so it's just funny how it works out. but yeah, we ended up staying there and it was it was fantastic, yeah. Mark Riley: Now how is how obviously the hockey's good, but what is the biggest difference between playing here and whether it's the American League or or East Coast League or National League to playing over in Europe? What would you say is the biggest difference? Pat Leahy: Well, I mean, the biggest difference was the Olympic sheet. I think Geno Binda: Mm. Pat Leahy: that that that just stretches the game out. you know, like you you especially when you first go over there, you're like, and we've all played 'cause a couple of college teams. I know it was a UNH, a couple of teams had like Olympic sheets for a little while. and it kind of threw you off, right? In college. You're like you you're used to playing in these little like tiny barns and then all of a you go to the thing and like they just it's such a home court advantage. So it was a little of adjusting when you get over there, especially playing on it full time, but just it's it's so much farther to like, you know, you're trying to run and check a guy. It's like you're out all of a sudden you're out of position. there's just so much, there's so much more space. and like the games called the games called a little different. They they call a little bit more of like ticky tack stuff over there, which you've got to get used to. you know, at like any big hit penalty, just it is what it is. It's like, You hit a guy, it's not like you might not even like you might barely touch him. It's like it's just too hard. It's like elbow, rough, charge, you name it. Geno Binda: Something. Pat Leahy: Yeah. so you had to get used to that. It was a lot of a lot of power plays and penalties. but like in terms of competition, I think like when you look at the top so when I first went over there, like look let's take take for example my brother, he played in Germany. His first year he was in the third league in Germany. three imports on their team. two Canadians and and and he was on that team. So it's like you're you're playing with a lot of German players, like the level of competition is not going to be nearly as good as it is in the DEL, where they got, you know, 12, 15 imports. but the teams like that that have the imports where you're bringing in your half of your teams, Canadian or US or Swedish or whatever, or Finlish, the competition's really good. you know, and they're not gonna, you're not gonna battle like an NHL team. That's not what I'm saying. But, you know, you could you could play an AHL team, I would say on a on an Olympic sheet and it would be a game. Like you'd have a you'd have a competitive game. like the it's just it's really good skill over there. but again it's just a different style of hockey where like if you put that team on a small sheet, I don't think it translates as opposed to if they came over and you played on a big sheet. I think it would be you know a pretty entertaining product to watch. but that's just you know, that's just the makeup of of the the differences in the in the size and whatnot. Mark Riley: You you like the which size rank do you like better? Pat Leahy: Well, I well, I mean, if I if I could pick and I had my choice and I usually say, Hey, you could play ten years on one or the other, and it was guaranteed I over here, because if you tell me I'm in the show for ten years, I take it any day of the week. Right. But that just Mark Riley: True. Pat Leahy: that just doesn't happen. I like I will say, I and I I I I tell I told everybody after my first couple of years, I'm like, if your if your NHL dreams are like over, right? Go over to Europe. Like But you know, it like once they're done, like it doesn't it didn't make sense to plu like plug around in the American League. It's it's just it's a bus trips, it's hard hockey, tough nose hockey, everybody's fighting to get up. But like if you got to the point where you're like, I'm kind of like I I know I'm not the guy that's getting called up, then I like go over to Europe. It's it's an amazing life experience. The money's great. It's like I said, less less toil on the body, you can play more years. so in that respect. It was a it was it was an awesome lifestyle change. Whereas, you know, I just knew that what like once I kind of knew that it just wasn't happening over here for me, I I was totally content with going over there and just enjoying everything that I had to offer. Mark Riley: W w was that obviously everyone wants to play in the NHL, but at that moment when you made that decision, like what was that like for you? Because that's I mean, I never had a shot at the NHL, so I can't sit here and say, Well, when I knew my NHL dream was over, that was over back Geno Binda: Well you were hired for a day. Mark Riley: well, a week. And that was as a referee, Geno Binda: Whatever. Mark Riley: not a player, but my playing Geno Binda: Next Mark Riley: my my playing dream ended my senior year in college. But it like What was that like? Like the emotionally, it sounds like you were excited but to go over there, but i was that because your brother had told you what it was like? Like what kind of walk us through that? Pat Leahy: Well, yeah, I mean like I I knew I knew what it was like just because he was able to, you know, relay his experiences. But in terms of your original question, it I was nervous. I was like, is this the right decision? Do I do I, you know, do I wait it out? Do I wait if somebody gets hurt? Do I stick around, stay in shape, and sign over here? But I was like the first guy called up that but it wasn't until like December that didn't they just had no injuries. And that just n that never happens, but it it did. and I went up, got one game, and then I got sent down and I think I broke my hip within like a week after that. Geno Binda: Duh. Pat Leahy: And so I was out for like two months and then You know, once that happens, all of a sudden they had some injuries, guys go up. It's like it, you know, that's hockey. you know, but I kind of knew as that season progressed that, you know, just the kind of the writing was on the wall that, you know, I wasn't gonna and I kind of knew I was never a I wasn't a top six, I wasn't even like a top nine forward. You know, I was a fourth line guy, I was a guy, you know, just steady, finisher checks, penalty kill, block shots, get pucks out, just do the little things. Geno Binda: Don't turn it over. Pat Leahy: Yeah, I mean and it's funny, like we you know, we talked about high school and this is sort of some of the stuff that I try to relay to the the kids that I'm coaching now or whatever, is is everything changes. Like you have to be able to adapt your game. And like in in high school, I was, you know, I was an elite scorer, you know, top player in the state, whatever you wanna call it. and you know, I got a full scholarship to a school. It was it was amazing. And then I get to school and you know, by First year, like my brother I said, my brother was a senior. They had 10 seniors that year. So with and again with an old school coach. So like, you know, he's riding and dying with his upperclassman, which you know, it kind of makes sense. there wasn't a lot of playing opportunity. So I was like fourth line, kind of in and out of the lineup. I think I finished that year, didn't score, had one assist, and still somehow got drafted. I don't know. People give me sh*t for it all the time. They're like, How do you get drafted with no goals? I'm like, I have no idea. Mark Riley: Yeah. Pat Leahy: But so that yeah, so that happened. And then as kind of my college career kind of progressed, like, you know, like I I I had that scoring touch, but I was definitely like a a two way guy and I learned to learn to penalty kill, play the power play, kind of mix and match of everything. And then I was then you then you go pro and it's like, all right, I was I was drafted by the Rangers, went to rookie camp, released like right away. I was like, I thought I played all right by like four years all through college, you know, you're kind of with the the Rangers or going to the conditioning camps in the summer, whatever, thinking, all right, at least like either go to camp or go to the Hartford's camp. That's kind of was the idea. Went to rookie camp and got released. I was like, well, I wasn't expecting that. and then 9 11 happened and then little obviously the whole world shut down for like a week or whatever it was. But you know, obviously that's a separate issue. But just talking hockey wise, I was like, I'll get released. Now I'm sitting on my couch watching sub the nine eleven happen on the trades to trade centers. I'm like, my God. And then now I'm like, well, what am I gonna do? And then I ended up getting catching on with the Phantoms with rookie or not Phantoms training camp. They had a thousand guys under contract and ended up starting in Trenton in the East Coast League. and so kind of had to work, you know, kind of start fresh and work work my way up. And you know, in the East Coast League, again, like had had like I was a Geno Binda: Well lovely Trenton. Pat Leahy: Yeah, beautiful. Right next to the prison. Awesome. Yeah. well, that yeah, the the door Geno Binda: Don't open your doors. lock your doors. Pat Leahy: thing. I gotta start I'll tell you about Bridgeport in a second. but Geno Binda: yeah, there's another one. Pat Leahy: yeah, so I yeah, two two great cities to start. Yeah. Trenton, hey, you get called up to Bridgeport. I'm like, I'm like, you trying to kill me? What are we doing? Geno Binda: Yeah. Welcome to the miners, kid. Mark Riley: yeah. Pat Leahy: no, but so I had I was like, I was I had a I played great in Trenton, made the all star, you know, you know, whatever all star game and But it was that was a great location to start in because there were so many AHL teams around there to get called up to as a free agent. And end up going to Bridgeport, you know, for like a a few weeks. And again, so then I get to the days in, I'm like, literally, I can see the rink from the hotel. And I'm sort of I just like, do I want you want me to walk to the rink or whatever? And the guy's like, no, no, no. He's like, definitely Geno Binda: I don't know. Pat Leahy: don't walk. And he goes, he's like, when on your way back to the hotel, he's like, do like a rolling stop through the red lights because I've had an issue with. people jumping in the back of cars at stoplights, like mugging people. I'm like, where the hell am I? and so that like Geno Binda: Really cool. Pat Leahy: that year was, you know, I kind of bounced around. So I was Bridgeport for a couple weeks, back to Hershey. I went up to Hershey for a few weeks. That was great though. I I met him in New Year's so we were at the Dago bar up there for New Year's. Geno Binda: Nice. Pat Leahy: That was a pretty wild, that was a wild time. and then back to Trenton. Then I was in Portland for a few weeks. Back to Trenton and then and then I went to Bridgeport Geno Binda: Suitcase. Pat Leahy: for the rest of the for like the rest of the the season that year. and and actually what's funny you talk about refereeing. we ended up making the Calder Cup finals that year, right? Geno Binda: Mm. Pat Leahy: And of course, you know, rookie you make the finals like week's a joke, make it every year. And Mark Riley: Okay. Geno Binda: Yeah, yeah. Pat Leahy: over here I never made it back that far. but we we were like presidents. trophy whatever it was for the for the you know the AHL I forget what it's called but we were the best record you know like Jason Krog D Pietro Kol Nick Padol and Kenny Sutton we had like our team was like stacked we played Chicago in the finals game one and we got a one goal lead and there's like 20 seconds left in the third period and their guy I forget who it was like high stick the puck like it was like a blatant high stick just high stick the puck outside our blue line and like boom and it just dropped and everybody like stopped because he just literally grabbed it and shot it and like ever dp show literally was still everybody was like and it like went in for like 15 seconds Geno Binda: Jesus. Pat Leahy: left in the third period to tie the game and we're like every what that was a high stick and they got they didn't call it of course no replay none of that stuff back then Geno Binda: No whistle. Pat Leahy: end up losing in overtime And then we won game two and then we ended up losing all three games out and out in Chicago. But that was my that's like a rough story that I always remember. I'm like, man, how do you miss that call? But whatever. Those the Geno Binda: Keep playing to the whistle. Pat Leahy: yeah, like the the the times you win, you're like you, you know, whatever those kind of go. Like times you lose, they just eat at you and they sit there, you know what I mean? Geno Binda: Thing. Absolutely. Pat Leahy: yeah, but yeah, no, just got off on a tangent there, but yeah, well, anyways. Geno Binda: Mm, America League was fun. I ref it for nine years. Yeah, it was great. Pat Leahy: It it's a it's Mark Riley: Yeah, bounce it or Pat Leahy: it's go ahead. Mark Riley: No, I was just gonna say bouncing around like that's gotta be quite an education for you as like a new I mean, basically you're kinda new to pro hockey, right? It's and that had to be fun and educational Geno Binda: Had different systems, right. Yeah. Mark Riley: at the same time. I mean, I'm sure that helped in ways and then probably was frustrating in ways. Pat Leahy: Sure. Yeah. I I mean, absolutely. It's never easy getting sent down. Getting called up's awesome. You're like, that's this is Geno Binda: All right. Pat Leahy: amazing. When every time you get sent down, it feels like you get punched in the gut and you're like, I suck. I'm not good enough. You're like, what like what's what's going on? and like l you know, living out of your car. You know, I had thankfully I had like an expedition at the time. So I could literally pack my whole life up in it and just bounce around all these different places. no, but it like that that's the type of stuff that it it toughens you up, right? Especially as a As a young player, I felt like that aided me as as I kinda went. you know, just you can't you can't take any anytime somebody kind of pushes you down a little bit, you gotta use it as motivation just to kind of keep going and keep working and try to get to that next spot, next level. and you know, I felt like that that helped to to kind of really define me as a player, as I as I went forward. And then like we talked then so after that that year I ended up signing with Providence on like a tryout. Again, not no contract, just a tryout to go with the American League team. and you know, ended up making the team sort of out of camp, which was which was good. and then you know, just kind of battled that year. and it was it was great. We had a pretty good team. Ray Croft was our attendee that year, was awesome. and then at then that, so yeah, I think I won't, I think I I had a pretty good year. I might have had 20 goals that. Might have been the one of the only times. Geno Binda: Nice. Pat Leahy: but yeah, no, but then and then it's funny, I I I I I told this story the other day, but the next year I was like, all right, had a good year going to Bruins camp. I'm like, let's try to try to make a good impression and you know, see what happens. I wasn't expecting to make the team out of camp, nothing like that, but I was like, let's let's see what we can do with first day of camp. This is three, four, and And I'm like, all right, let's go. And then all of a sudden, like I look at the board and I'm like, man, I'm like, I got this like French kid at the center. And I and I knew this kid on the on the other wing. He was like a one of those like older 24 year old grads from college. He'd been there forever. I'm like, man, I wish wanted to get paired with like a couple like AHL guys or maybe an NHL guy to like have a good first day, like line drills and stuff. And like we're out there and we're doing the drills and like, you know, we're doing like some weave drills or whatever. And all of a I'm like, whoof. Fuck, this kid's pretty good. Who's this kid at center? They're like, what are you zipping around? Shield like down to here. And I'm like, and then sure shit's fucking Burgie. And I'm like, I'm like, like, you know, of course he makes the team out of camp. But I thought I was like Burgie. I'm like, dude, my guy helped me make that team that year. Like Geno Binda: Ha ha. Pat Leahy: it was funny. No, it's great though. And then and then I ended up getting called up for a cup of coffee that year. for around right around Christmas time. And so he like he still didn't speak much English at the time and or at least he was shy. So basically I I was at the Christmas party. And so I brought my wife well, she's my girlfriend at the time, but my wife now. So we were there and it was literally we got the kids' table. Like I'm like 24, 20, whatever, 25, Burgie's 18. And like my wife speaks pretty good French. So I'm sitting there and like she's just chatting up Burgie in French the whole time, kind of like, what the fuck's going on with my name, Skip? Like Pretty funny. man. Yeah, no, but he he had a yeah, he had a great year that year. That was he came kind of out of the woodwork, right? Just unbelievable. But Geno Binda: He was awesome. I I remember I refereed the black and gold game up in Salem that year was and I remember my college coach when I came back, he goes, Hey, how's that kid Bergeron? I had no idea who he was. Right? I was like I remember Santonoff, Thornton, all those guys were on the ice Pat Leahy: Mm-hmm. Geno Binda: and I was just like in awe of those guys and I wouldn't even pay attention to Ber Bergeron. Pat Leahy: Yeah, I think that helped too, right? He was a little under the radar because they had they had such a star studded, you know, top three or four forwards, right? So, but Geno Binda: Yeah. Pat Leahy: yeah, he he played great that year. obviously just a amazing player. Just great. Skate with him every once in a while. That fry those Friday skates he's do he does up at what is it, the Boston Sports Institute there. Albi Geno Binda: nice. Yeah. Pat Leahy: skate sometimes. but like he literally he could he could still play. Like he's He probably would have been a top six for nothing, like easily. Geno Binda: Sign up. Pat Leahy: Yeah. Yeah. But Mark Riley: That that's what I thought when when he plays with the Bruins alumni when we're out there and you look at him and Pat Leahy: Yeah. Mark Riley: you're like, why is he still not playing? It's just unbelievable. Pat Leahy: I I I I baffles yeah. I mean again, it just obviously he had some injury stuff over the years. If he played for so long, he played almost what, almost twenty years, nineteen, twenty years or something. So, you know, it wears on you. and what is he have five kids now? So it's like, you Geno Binda: yeah. Pat Leahy: know, they we got priorities and things like that. But yeah, man, just what an amazing, amazing career for him. It's awesome. I was glad that I was able to kick start that for him. Mark Riley: You're the reason. You're the reason why he stood out in camp. Pat Leahy: Yeah. Yeah. Geno Binda: Yeah. Pat Leahy: God. I can't wait for my Hall of Fame invite. Maybe I introduce him or something. Geno Binda: He's so much faster than Pat Leahy: Yeah. It's like wow, this kid's so good. Mark Riley: Yeah, we we thought that Leahy kid was good, but holy sh*t. Look at Bergie. What was it? Pat Leahy: Yeah. Mark Riley: you had a good run with with the Bruins though. what was it like an O five, six? Pat Leahy: Yeah. Mark Riley: right around there. You had a a good run with them though. Pat Leahy: Yeah, again. So similar to like we said, we talked about injuries before. It's part of the game, right? You you you you benefit from it sometimes and it hurts you other times, right? But so that year I was I I was basically the last guy cut at camp. And and I got and I literally got sent down. So I was like, and I had I I'd already kind of made up my mind, like no matter what happened, like I we had a place in Boston. So I was like, I I my wife was working in Boston, so we were gonna stay there. And if I was in Providence, I was in a commute. And if I was a Boston, great. so I ended up getting sent down. and then Jamnoff ends up breaking his was it his foot or his wrist in like the last preseason game. and then he was out for like eight, ten weeks or something. So and again got called back up. And that's kind of you know, and then I was I was up for that whole year. So like it you know, if if that doesn't happen, do maybe I don't I don't get that opportunity. you know, and then these, you know, I ended up breaking a finger that year and I went down for a couple of weeks and no, but that's like I said, that's part of the part of the game. but yeah, no, and like I said, the the first the first time I got called up that the year before the lockout, that three four season I was telling you about, Teddy Donato got sent down. He was with the obvious long time Bruin. got sent down to Providence or something like a conditioning stint and and I ended up playing with him for like a week. And he got called back up. And then he was talking with Sully. And you know, he was like, hey, we need to bring somebody up, like who's playing well? And and Teddy like put in a put in a really good word for me with Sully. And and I obviously Sully, you know, he's a BC high guy. I Geno Binda: Yeah he is, yeah. Pat Leahy: I think that that helped as well. and I think he was like he was a great coach. I think he, you know, he you know, he obviously rewards skill, but he I think he saw something in me a little bit that I'm not saying that I was the same player as him, but similar sort of style. You know, we were like Geno Binda: Hm. Pat Leahy: the same size, same, you know, penalty killed, kind of grinded it out. He had a little more skill than I did, but I think he saw something in me. And he's like, you know, I'm gonna give him I'm gonna give him a chance. And so that that's how I got that first look, which was which was great. and I think it kind of carried over into that five, six year. Which was which was awesome. it was funny though when that that first that year when I got called up, I I wore fifty-five. And and when I got sent down, like I said, so I I got sent down and and within this happened in in Nashville, Milwaukee. Same thing. When I got sent down, I think it was like two or like two days later, maybe even a day later, I was playing for Providence up in Portland, broke my ankle, like surgery, plates, screws, pins, and I was like, man. and then it was great. Then a good buddy of mine, Corzini, he was up for like, you know, like six Geno Binda: All right. Pat Leahy: weeks or something, scored some goals. Like, I was awesome. I was happy for him. But you know, you're looking like, man, I'm sitting here on the couch in the in like a cast and all this stuff. And it's like, again, that kind of sucks. Like, that was that my opportunity. and then of course I when I was hurt and I traded for Gonchar and we're in 55. And then now I'm hurting all the guys are like, dude, did he fucking call you? Like, did he what did he offer you for that number? I'm like, What do you what are you talking about? He's like, dude, Gontra, yeah, he just came in. He's wearing 55. I'm I'm like, what do you want me to do? Like he's he's Gontra, he could do whatever the hell he wants. And they're like, he's supposed Geno Binda: Ha ha. Pat Leahy: to give me something. I'm like, I don't think he's giving me anything. Like, he can have it. And then and then and then and then the next year for camp, when I came in, because lockout year, no camp, but came in the next year. I had 83. I'm like, sh*t, I'm going in the wrong direction. What's going on here? Geno Binda: Mm. Pat Leahy: And then and then I ended up making whatever when I got I made the team and first couple practices muzz was skating around every time he'd just come up behind me. He's like, hey, fucking eight threes like change your number anytime you want, buddy. That thing's awful. Like and of course I was a little super I was superstitious. I'm like, well, now if I change it, I'm getting sent down for sure. So I'm like, I'm just gonna Geno Binda: Right. Pat Leahy: keep it. It is what it is. yeah, no. So it's funny. Yeah, but like had a had a good, you know, good run that year. that was the that was the Olympic year, right? So we we were like, well, Thornton got traded that year. So that was Geno Binda: Yep. Pat Leahy: that in like what November. I remember my brother called me at like I don't know what time it was, eight eight, ten at night or something. He's like, dude, he's like, Thornton got traded. I'm like, I'm like, what? I'm like, what are you talking about? He's Yeah, and also Geno Binda: Ha ha ha. Pat Leahy: like I'm like, sh*t, that sucks. I'm like, for who? I'm like, hopefully a lot of D. And he's like, three forwards and and a defenseman. I'm like, crap. There's like Marco Sturm, Geno Binda: Yeah. Pat Leahy: was it Langfeld and Geno Binda: Wayne Primo. Pat Leahy: Primo, yeah, Priem's, Mark Riley: Primo. Pat Leahy: by the way, all time teammate Primo was amazing. One of the most hilarious guys ever. yeah, but so that that obviously bringing in a a you know, a lot of forwards. That that wasn't ideal for me. And just also for the team. Just Sturm was a great he was a great player, obviously. like world class player, but I mean, you trade Joe Thornton, you know that's that's quality for quantity. It just it it doesn't work, right? and so that kind of was a Geno Binda: No. It's like a fantasy trade. Mark Riley: What was your thought? Like you were in the I mean you were part of that team and it when Thornton got traded, all of us I mean, we were like, What the fuck? Like, how do you trade Jumbo Joe? Like he was the Bruins. I mean, what was like that? What was like what was it like being on that team and being like, holy sh*t, Joe Thornton's gone? Pat Leahy: Well, it well it it shock awe. one because like he's awesome person, great dude. Like arguably the best teammate I've ever had. He's he was that type of guy. And it was funny because we were basically the same age, but because he played six, seven years, you know, obviously more than I when I got there, I'm like he felt like he was like a fifteen, you obviously year vet. He felt like he like old, like way older than me, but literally took you know, took me out of my way. I remember a first road trip. of that five year we were going down to Florida and it was awesome it was like early in the season sunny he's like Patty like what are you doing like we got a game tomorrow I'm like I'm gonna go get ready like get a get some rest he's like he's like you're coming with us it was like you know it was like Murray Xaminer Halgill Joe Marty the point like just like let's go he's like so we go go out to dinner took me out credit card game he's like nope you're not paying like all this like he so He just he was awesome. And he got a bad, a little bit of a bad rap in in Boston. First overall pick. Like it just, you they're like, we want this guy to score 70 goals a year and a thousand points. And he he obviously was more of a playmaker than a goal scorer per se. But like he just had the intangibles of a leader, great teammate, locker room guy, that a lot of people didn't see from the outside. So That was that was tough. That like as a as a team, you're like, we just traded a a top five player in the league, and that's tough to come back from. and so we kind of were up and down from that point. And then they then we had the Olympic break, and I think we were like teetering on a playoff spot, like you know, just on the outside looking in, but then we had the Olympic break and Axel won the gold that year, which was awesome. but when we got back from that break. Like we like it was not pretty. Like we just we just didn't we didn't perform, didn't play well. you know, and then again you don't you don't make the playoffs, you know, and and the way we were playing, you know, that's when changes happen. Like every everybody basically got fired, Sully, you know, upper management. and then they just the team kind of restructured after that. So, you know, they brought in Z right the next year and all that. So but that's hockey. Geno Binda: Yeah, absolutely. And the thing with Thornton, people forget too, is how tough he was and how injured he was during that playoff run he got a little sh*t for. And you know, like he just played injured, he never never even knew about it. He wouldn't say anything about it either. Like he was just ultimate hockey guy. Like yeah, sad to see him go. Pat Leahy: Yeah, I mean you s yeah, you said it like I said, yeah, like I say it all the time, like top top, top three teammate all time. and that's what like you know, that's one of the guys that you you can say like you had the privilege to play with. You're like, wow, you Geno Binda: Nah, it's cool. Pat Leahy: know. and like Brian Leach was on that team. That was Geno Binda: yeah, yeah, yeah. Pat Leahy: that was actually that so that opening Geno Binda: More of that. Pat Leahy: night of that year was just for me, just a cool experience. You know, obviously I had that shitty number, 83. So they didn't they you come out in number order. So I was basically the last guy to come out until they do the captains. And you know, so they're like, you know, the you know, eighty-three Ducksbury, Massachusetts. You know, so that was like I was like, sh*t, the playing for your hometown team, getting introduced, like that was like a pretty surreal experience that I won't forget. But then I remember like I'm sitting there, you know, all the lasers, the light shows going, and then like All of a sudden they're like, you know, number twenty two, Brian Leach. And I remember like looking over and like just give him a like pat on the ass, like, hey Leach, let's have a good year, bud. Like Geno Binda: Okay. Pat Leahy: And then and then it was like then it was, you know, Muzz and then Joe. And I'm looking over him like this is like hockey, basically hockey royalty over here. It's pretty cool. Yeah. and it was fun, like so that like funny story. So a lot of a lot of people, you know. asked me or even like kids, they always tell like, like how many goals do you score and this and that and like I don't I don't have like a lot to tell because I don't have many goals at the NHL level. but I'm like I got I got one for you. So I'm like in in we were playing in Pittsburgh and I ended up scoring my first NHL goal against Sebastian Carran who's Colt Norr gate assisted on it. Awesome. Like pretty cool. I remember like it went in, I was just like holy sh*t, that went in. Mark Riley: Ha ha Pat Leahy: I was like, Geno Binda: Mm-hmm. Pat Leahy: I I like I was like I kind of like in shock. I was like, my God, I just I think I just scored. And then I was like, Yuri Slager came over, gave me this giant bear hug, and I'm like, all right, boys, like, let's go. And then like, of course, so the a like after the game, people are asking, like, this is like the game of first. And like, so I had my first goal that game. Brad Boys had his first goal that game. And then Sidney Crosby had his first goal that game. And so this is like my My hockey sort of you know, maybe like I call it a blooper, call it, you know, what are you famous for? It's like, well, I was out I was on the ice for Crosby's first goal. Yeah, that he scored on a power play, it was a backdoor tap in, like anybody could have buried it. And he skated full speed and like jumped into the glass and like I'm and so like there you see me with my 83. I'm like, fuck. I'm like, I'm like, yeah, I'm like, act like you've been there before. You know what I mean? Geno Binda: You high five Hey, nice job kid. Pat Leahy: Yeah, and like so obviously legendary player, but I'm like that like just pissed me off. I'm like, I don't like that guy. Like Geno Binda: Ha ha. Pat Leahy: and then and then it was great, like after the game had all these texts and stuff, it was like cool, we ended up winning seven-six overtime Thornton to Murray, classic one timer. but the best part about it was like I didn't even I I didn't even like recall any of it until I saw like some of the highlights later, but Lemieux had two and two that night and I totally like just didn't even didn't even remember it at all. And I was like, man, he was like one of my idols growing up. I'm like, that was pretty cool. yeah, that was a that was a that was a fun fun time. And one one of my buddies was in town in Pittsburgh for work one time. He was saying a hotel, went to like some little like card shop or something next door, and he like walked in and was just just kind of b browsing around and they had a a a like one of the copies of of that that game sheet from Crosby's, you know, first goal, whatever. Then he like walked in, he's like, and he was reading it. He's like, he's like, yeah, can I get the the Leahy first goal sheet right there? And the guy's like, what? He's like, yeah, like that that Geno Binda: Ha ha. Pat Leahy: right there, that Lahey first goal sheet. And the guy's like, no, that's Crosby. He's like, no, no, no, he's like Lahey. He's like, that's Leahy's first goal sheet. Geno Binda: Assuming. Pat Leahy: This is pretty funny. Mark Riley: That's awesome. Geno Binda: Especially Mark Riley: Do you have do you Geno Binda: in Pittsburgh. They take it serious. Everybody wears a jersey. Pat Leahy: I know. That was that was at the old that was at the Mark Riley: You have that you have that game sheet? Pat Leahy: old igloo. What's that? Mark Riley: Do you have that game sheet? Pat Leahy: it's it's somewhere somewhere in the memorabilia. Mark Riley: I see. Pat Leahy: yeah, I think yeah, Christina Aguilera sang sang the anthem that game. yeah, that was that yeah, remember that one. That was good memories, you know, that was fun time. Too bad there wasn't more of those goals Mark Riley: It's a tough one to forget. Pat Leahy: though. That would have been great. Mark Riley: That's that that's a tough that's a tough one to forget 'cause you you know, Pat Leahy: Yeah. Mark Riley: Crosby, Lemieux, Joe Thornton, you like three of the greatest players ever, right? I mean, that's pretty wild that that you're on the ice with them. Yeah. Pat Leahy: I know. Yeah, it's kinda kind of like a cool I know. It's unbelievable. Yeah. Yeah. Lemuel, like he was just so he was so good. Anyway, you remember watching him like obviously earlier years. I'm like, this guy's amazing. Then you see him up front, he's like a thousand feet tall, skates like the wind, and a like just hands just soft as hell. yeah, it was it was good, yeah. Mark Riley: amazing. It's it's cool to hear like someone like yourself who played in the NHL, right? Like you're legit. It's not like, you know, but to hear you talk about Lemieux and those guys like like a little kid is just so friggin' cool. Geno Binda: Next level. Right. Mark Riley: You know? It's like that I love that. I really do. Now now what was your Geno Binda: That was Ryles when we had Kerry Fraser on. No. Mark Riley: Yeah, well, that was because of the hair, let's be honest. Not necessarily the refereeing. But that's that's a whole nother thing. I'm a lettuce guy. but what what you mentioned the igloo back at the old day. What was your favorite barn Geno Binda: Mm. Mark Riley: over the years? What was your favorite barn that you played in? Pat Leahy: well I'd say the the Montreal was Montreal was the best. in terms of just like overall atmosphere, you know, the the loudness of the fans. It was just it was aggressive, it was awesome. And just and it was just Boston, Montreal was like that that was the rivalry, you know, growing up. It was kind of surreal. Toronto was awesome too. I I I got a funny story. So my best man that I he played college with me. he's from Toronto, season ticket holder. And we were playing in Toronto that 05 year and you know, whatever. I I ended up scoring a goal on Eddie Belfour. Like at the end, he was like he was like eight rows back of the net, and I scored. And literally I remember like I was like Holy crap. I'm like, I literally go to the bench and I'm like, I'm just giggling. I'm like, that was like again, I didn't score many goals. So I'm like, I'm taking advantage. And I remember like looking over at to my buddy in the in the he's literally eight rows back. He's in a sea all of white, like Toronto fans. And he's like, my God. And I'm just like, no sh*t. I'm like, it was amazing. But it was just funny, like to be able to lock eyes with like with your best bud. Sea of like Toronto and he doesn't give a crap and he just like cheering his ass off for like a Bruins goal and Geno Binda: So cool. Pat Leahy: then like you know he's getting popcorn chucked at him and I'm like, that was great. yeah, that was that was that was fun. f you know what one of the toughest hardest places to play was Philadelphia in the minors. When we played when I was with Providence, we lost in the conference final in the lockout year. I was Oberge was on our team that yeah. I that was when all like everybody was down. They had Richards, Carter. Boyd Kane, like they were they were their team was stacked too. but the the AHL at like that that Geno Binda: boy Kane, that kid. Jesus. Pat Leahy: year was awesome just because like all the younger NHL guys were all playing at the A in the HL. but that was one of the toughest series. We lost in six, but I mean they had like they're they're like they had six legit like heavyweights that could all like play, score, fight, and like it was just a it was a physical brutal series. But like the fans, like like it was like no holds bar. They let you have it. Like inside the rink, outside the rink. It was well, it was and again, like, you know, you had family there and all this stuff. Like everybody was getting ripped to shreds. Geno Binda: That's Philly. Pat Leahy: that's a that was it, yeah, that's a tough that's a tough town. Good sports town, but tough town. Geno Binda: Mm. Now they're playing out of Allentown of that nice building. Pat Leahy: Yeah, yeah. Geno Binda: Too bad that old barn is gone there in Philly. That place was nuts. Yeah, the spectrum, yep. Yeah. Yeah. Pat Leahy: Yeah, it was that was the spectrum. Yeah, that's where we that's where we that's that's the one where the that's where we played. Yeah. that that that was great. Had that had a lot of character. I mean it's old, but mm-hmm. Geno Binda: that was character. Absolutely. Mark Riley: So you we talked about some of the greatest that ever played. Who's on your Mount Rushmore for hockey? And I know it's a suck question because it's not easy. but we like asking it. And Geno Binda: That's hard. Mark Riley: you know, so and and you I mean, you just mentioned Lemie and you know, like who's on your Mount Rushmore? Pat Leahy: So yeah, so so Lemieux, like I I again, I'm I'm a little biased. I'm more of a forward guy. Lemieux is like he's the he's the best player. To me, he's I think he's one of one. That's I I think. I would put him up above anybody. I mean, I know he missed a couple of years, but and everybody, you know, Gretzky take he wouldn't take anything away from him, but Lemieux just the size, the skill, the grace. you know, that he Geno Binda: Mm. Pat Leahy: played with was just like second to none. I'd put Jagger up there. again, I know another Pittsburgh guy, like, but just the way he played the game. He was so strong, lanky, just and Geno Binda: Mm. Pat Leahy: skilled and like sneaky tough too. Like he was he was like a brick shithouse. I would again not going too far back. I mean I would put Bork on there. He was Bork was just again Another Boston guy, but growing up he was he was it. You Geno Binda: He was the man. Pat Leahy: know what I mean? He was the li heart and soul of the Bruins. you know, I remember camping trips as a kid, you know, sneaking like the the Sony Walkmans in and listening to the like the was it eighty eight and ninety or whatever against the Oilers. It was like playoff series, and you just like all I hear is fucking Peter Kleman Geno Binda: Walking nights a rally. Yeah. Pat Leahy: c like I'm like, stop it or Glenn Anderson, I'm like, damn it. But No, but Bork, like he he was he was amazing. It's great. Like so I and it's it's fun to be able to to play in the with the one, it's fun because my kids, they you know, they weren't born obviously when I when I played here or with the Bruins, but like it's kind of a way to, you know, they're like, wait, you you played for them? I'm like, what yeah, I'm like, you you s I showed you the two highlights that I had. Didn't you didn't remember those? Geno Binda: Mm. Pat Leahy: And but it but it's fun to like kind of relive that a little bit and see that and like have them see it from a different perspective. And but again, I every time I walk in there, it's like I'm a you know a kid in a candy store. I'm like, those guys are are legends. And I I I'm I'm still like in awe that I'm like, my God, like I grew up watching most of you guys. I played with some of you guys and it's just it's cool to be able to to live in a sp in a spot kind of keep that going and and active. obviously you're doing good for the community, which is great and you know, raising money and funds and things like that. but selfishly it's just kind of fun. It kind of keeps the dream alive a little bit, which is which is cool. Mark Riley: That's awesome. Yagar Yager's still playing, I think, isn't he? Doesn't he Pat Leahy: Did I did he hang it? I think he might have hung him up, no. Geno Binda: I think he owes a couple of bookies now. Mark Riley: Well he Pat Leahy: He's Mark Riley: he he owned the team he was playing for last year, I think. And I I don't know that's why he bought it, Pat Leahy: Yeah, he's been with them for a while. Mark Riley: but that guy just didn't but he was a Bruins. He played for the Bruins too, so I think Pat Leahy: yeah. Yeah. Mark Riley: he played for everyone at some point, but he he was with the Bruins, you know. Pat Leahy: Yeah. They got that what's that stat? Like it like every year for the last like fifty years, like there's been a Yager teammate that's been in the Stanley Cup final or something, or won or whatever. Yeah. That's unbelievable. Geno Binda: Yeah, it's crazy. Wild. Mark Riley: Yeah. It's wild. Pat Leahy: some yeah. He Yeah, I I remember I had an article I did at BC High, they you know, did a Q and A one time for the Globe or something, and they were doing like a spotlight or whatever. And you know, like who's your favorite player? And I was Yeah, I said Jagger and ended up getting like a, you know, a couple weeks later got like a signed photo and a puck. You know, it was like a f Geno Binda: that's cool. Pat Leahy: sure it was a form thing, but like whatever. I was like, I was I still have it. It was like signed by Yager with the puck and everything. I was like, that's that's that's pretty cool. and then I have a picture from a preseason game, when he was with New York at Madison Square Garden. where I'm lined up next to him. I got cut a couple of pictures from the back. Pretty cool. Mark Riley: That's awesome. Geno Binda: Yeah, I got. Mark Riley: So y you have Lemieux, Jagger, Bork, and who is your fourth? Pat Leahy: let's see. Well, I mean I I Ovechkin. Like if we're talking more Geno Binda: Yeah, O V's awesome. Mark Riley: I'll be. Pat Leahy: current, he's Mark Riley: Yeah, for him to do it at such a high level at that age is incredible. Well, Pat, this has been awesome. we really appreciate you coming on, man. That's been a a a a great talk. Pat Leahy: I appreciate you guys. It's it's Geno Binda: Yeah, this was great. Pat Leahy: been fantastic. Thanks for having me on and hopefully we can do it again sometime soon and and I can get that zebra jacket or whatever. Mark Riley: Yeah, you you're in the hunt for Albie's jacket. Right. Pat Leahy: Well yeah, but then he mentioned the robe and I'm like, hey, let's let's why Mark Riley: Yeah, we gotta Pat Leahy: let's set our goals lofty. Mark Riley: Love it. Geno Binda: There you go. Mark Riley: We gotta get those zebra robes going. Pat Leahy: Maybe maybe maybe we maybe we come on together. We can we can do a joint one. Mark Riley: That'd be good. We'd Geno Binda: Perfect. Mark Riley: love that. Would love that. Well Pat, we really appreciate it, man. Can't wait to see you out on Pat Leahy: Yeah, amazing. No, thanks for having me guys. I appreciate it. Thank you. Mark Riley: the ice again for an alumni game. Pat Leahy: Absolutely. Mark Riley: Well I'll tell you that there's something refreshing about a guy like Pat who played in the NHL, you know, legit pro hockey player, and how excited you see him get about talking about Joe Thornton and Mario Lemieux and Yarme Yagar, guys that he played with and against, and he's like a little kid talking Geno Binda: Right. Mark Riley: about Pretty cool. Geno Binda: Yeah. I mean that's awesome. I mean skating with your idols and then like you know, now you're a teammate with them and learning from and yeah, that's pretty awesome. Mark Riley: And and it's funny 'cause I you forget how big that Joe Thornton trade was. And you know, when you talk Geno Binda: That was huge. Mark Riley: about it, I I'm still I still get that feeling of why do we do that? You know? Just Geno Binda: Well, because the Brewens wanted to build the team around Bergeron, right? And there was Mark Riley: Yeah. Geno Binda: a lot of heat on Jumbo and you know, they just made a decision. I mean, like dog for ponies is never a good trade in any sport. Like you're seeing it more now where I I don't know, you're seeing more of those one to one trades, right? Like defenseman for defenseman stud, forward for forward stud. Right, the one for ones. Like those are good deals. Like they help out teams, like the forward for the center. Or you package a a goalie with, you know, a stud forward or a defenseman, stuff like that, right? but yeah, those those trades never work out. Mark Riley: Yeah, I know. And sometimes a guy just needs a change of scenery and you know, to re re jump start their career or whatever. I mean, and that was not Joe Thornton, but you know, that that trade can be argued you know, for a long time. Geno Binda: I mean, Joe's Joe had a great career. He was Mark Riley: Yeah he did. Geno Binda: awesome. He just never won the big one. Mark Riley: Epic beard too. I mean that that beard is just I mean he had epic lettuce too, but but it was really cool. Pat Lee talking about that and and of course we'll we run into Pat at the Bruins alumni games and probably see him at at the mini golf event. Mark Mark Mawers Geno Binda: Alumni events, yeah. Bull the bull for brewing, yeah, you see him everywhere. Mark Riley: mini golf event that's coming up in September. We'll get Geno Binda: When's that? Mark Riley: into it more as it gets closer. But on the tenth, we got the mini golf event for Mark Mowers. He does the golf tournament, but it's a a mini golf Geno Binda: Mm. Mark Riley: for the Warrior for Life Fund. And if I'm not mistaken, well I I think you are committed to playing. I I I I hope so 'cause you're on my foursome, Geno Binda: So Thursday the tenth, right? Mark Riley: you know? But yeah, that Geno Binda: What time is it at? Mark Riley: that's coming up On September 10th. Geno Binda: What time on the tenth? Mark Riley: I think it it teas off in the afternoon. We tee off in the afternoon. It's up at Richardson's. I'll send you the information. It's Geno Binda: Is it a sh is it a shotgun start? Mark Riley: yeah, yeah, shotgun stars. So it's a lot of fun. You bring your own putter. Geno Binda: Can you can you drink? Mark Riley: of course you can. It's mini golf. Any golf you can drink. You know? You're talking about Geno Binda: All right. I'm in. Mark Riley: it mostly ex hockey players. You're asking if you can drink. Of course you can. Geno Binda: Alright, you're driving. Alright, Mark Riley: I'll drive. I'm definitely driving. I know y you don't like that sometimes, but Geno Binda: you all right, perfect. Perfect. No, no, I'm sober, you drive. Mark Riley: Well well that's gonna do it for Geno Binda: This will be more fun. Mark Riley: another episode. Shout out again to Paul Not Dizzy. he was great on that last last episode. Yep. Geno Binda: Yes. Thanks for filling in last week. Yeah. It was great. Mark Riley: And and we'll we'll get back on track here, you and I. So wanna thank our sponsor, the referees, Chris. Also a shout out to AOA Studios. Remind you to like and subscribe on YouTube and follow us on all the social medias, the Instagram, the Facebook, and of course. Geno Binda: The TikTok. Mark Riley: Thank you, Gino. and always check out our website, check out our merchandise, and reach out if you have a topic or or someone you wanna want us to try to get on as a guest. let us know. We're open to all suggestions. Geno Binda: Or any crazy things that happen in the rink. Mark Riley: Yes, definitely. Share your stories, share your chirps, and you can you can email them through the website. So For Mark for for Mark Riley. I'm Mark Riley. For Gino Benda. I'm Mark Riley saying so long. We'll see you next time right here on the chirping zebras. Geno Binda: you