It seems like everyone has a podcast these days. Not every podcast, however, also has a combined 1,996 games of NHL experience between the two hosts.
That鈥檚 what two former Canucks, Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa, have: both 1,996 NHL games and a podcast. is a fun listen, as the two long-time friends share stories from their days in the NHL and perspective on current NHL news, along with a surprising amount of The Bachelor updates.
In their most recent episode, Kesler and Bieksa weighed in on the incident between Zack Kassian and Matthew Tkachuk, . In an incredible coincidence, they lined up an interview with Kassian before the incident happened.
Or, perhaps it wasn鈥檛 a coincidence at all.
鈥淚鈥檓 not taking credit for anything, but I say to him, 鈥楬ey do something interesting this week, like maybe a Gordie Howe Hat Trick,鈥欌�� said Bieksa, 鈥渁nd then two days later, this thing happens.鈥�
Kassian, or as Kesler and Bieksa call him, 鈥淭he Big Cat,鈥� touched on the revival of the Alberta rivalry, partly thanks to Kassian鈥檚 actions.
鈥淭his is a fun time,鈥� said Kassian, 鈥淭he way the game has evolved, there鈥檚 not too many incidents like this anymore.鈥�
鈥淕ood TV ratings,鈥� Kassian added in reference to the rematch after the All-Star break. 鈥淏ettman should give me a call, I鈥檇 love to see the TV ratings, this is good for hockey. At the end of the day, they鈥檙e a good team, we鈥檙e a good team, we鈥檙e fighting to get into the playoffs 鈥� who doesn鈥檛 like this?鈥�
They also got into an infamous incident when Kassian was with the Canucks, when Bieksa and Kassian started fighting in the elevator, with poor Frank Corrado trying to break it up.
鈥淚 was probably being an idiot,鈥� laughed Kassian.
The real meat of the episode, however, came when they asked Kassian about his sobriety. Kassian has had a , specifically alcoholism, but has come out the other side with the tools and knowledge to stay sober, and has turned his career around with the Edmonton Oilers.
鈥淵ou guys were the main source of helping me out in the beginning,鈥� said Kassian. 鈥淚 went to 麻豆传媒映画and it was an older team and I think there were some warning signs that I could鈥檝e ruined my career. You guys tried to step in and intervene multiple times.鈥�
That鈥檚 good to hear from a Canucks perspective. The team was criticized when Kassian was traded to Montreal for not doing enough to help Kassian through his substance abuse problems, but knowing that the veteran leadership in the room were trying means a lot.
鈥淥ne thing I鈥檝e learned through this whole process of getting clean is the only way you鈥檙e going to do it is if you want to do it yourself,鈥� said Kassian. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be willing to help yourself. Sadly, you guys tried to help multiple times, but it took, ultimately, a car accident to hit my rock bottom and to really think about what I was doing and how it was affecting the people around me, not only my career, but my family, my friends, and my teammates.
鈥淵ou guys tried to put a stop to it, you guys tried to help the best way you could, and you planted the seed. There were days where I was thinking about what you guys said. You guys were two NHLers, played a long time, two leaders of our team, clearly you鈥檙e not just going to intervene for no reason.鈥�
Kassian wasn鈥檛 behind the wheel for the car accident, which resulted in a broken nose and foot, but it was still his truck and he certainly bore responsibility. He admitted in his testimony in court that he had been drinking and using cocaine prior to the accident.
鈥淥bviously the incident in Montreal was pretty humbling,鈥� he said. 鈥淎fter that accident, my world came crumbling down. There鈥檚 no easy way to put it: I broke down, I cried a couple times, I didn鈥檛 think I was going to get back to the NHL, to be honest.
鈥淚 struck out with Buffalo, 麻豆传媒映画didn鈥檛 want me, my last chance was in Montreal and I screwed that one up before the season even started. That was really a turning point and right then and there I knew something was wrong and I had to get better and I surrendered. That day changed my life.鈥�
Kassian then joked, 鈥淲hen I go back to Montreal, I want to go dig up that tree that got hit, that the girl hit driving, and plant it in my backyard because, essentially, that鈥檚 what changed my life.鈥�
Perhaps the most heartwarming aspect of the episode is Kesler and Bieksa talking about how proud they are of Kassian. You can tell how much they care about their former teammate.
Kassian also talked about the life-changing experience of having a daughter and the support system of his family as he鈥檚 battled to get clean.
鈥淚 wish I would鈥檝e figured it out at a younger age,鈥� said Kassian, 鈥渂ut sometimes you鈥檝e got to take a different path.鈥�
The biggest bombshell of the interview, however, is that Matt Kassian now helps Bieksa manage his money.
Okay, that鈥檚 not actually a bombshell, but it is pretty random. Canucks fans might remember Matt Kassian from the : started to call Zack Kassian 鈥淭he Kassassin,鈥� which angered Matt Kassian, who had the nickname legally trademarked.
Apparently, Matt Kassian took trademarking his nickname seriously because he saw the importance of taking care of your assets. , who often works with professional athletes because of his own experience in the NHL. I wonder if he still goes by 鈥淜assassin鈥� when he鈥檚 helping his clients navigate their investments.
鈥淭hat guy always had a bone with me,鈥� said Kassian. 鈥淩emember, he played in Minnesota when I played in Vancouver. He lined up with me and just right away, he slashed me and said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 see who the tougher Kassian is.鈥� I鈥檓 like, holy s***, man, I鈥檓 22 and this guy鈥檚 heavy and I鈥檓, like, whoa relax a little bit here. Thank god he left me alone after that.鈥�
Prior to the Kassian interview, Kesler and Bieksa delved into a number of topics, from grotesque mouth injuries and the perils of using a different dentist when on the road, to The Bachelor and who Kesler鈥檚 ideal Bachelorette would be.
The most interesting segment for Canucks fans was when they were talking about the Kassian/Tkachuk incident and brought up how similar Tkachuk鈥檚 hits were to those of their former teammate, Raffi Torres.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the Raffi Torres hit,鈥� said Kesler. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it was exactly. And the fact that the league鈥檚 defending that and basically ran Raffi out of the f***ing league because of those hits, and then Tkachuk does it twice in one game? To be honest, we all know what Tkachuk鈥檚 doing: he鈥檚 trying to hurt him.鈥�
鈥淢aybe he鈥檚 not meaning to hurt him, but he鈥檚 certainly meaning to blow him up,鈥� said Bieksa.
鈥淭he league鈥檚 not being f***ing consistent at all,鈥� said Kesler. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 where the confusion comes in. But if Tkachuk鈥檚 going to play like that, he has to fight. Period.鈥�
鈥淲e used to feed off of Raffi鈥檚 hits,鈥� said Bieksa. 鈥淩emember when he hit Seabrook behind the net? Looking at it today, it was like the Scott Stevens hit on [Paul] Kariya and [Eric] Lindros: big time late, interference. It was like a swing hit that swung all the momentum in the series.鈥�
鈥淗ow about when he used to come down from the point once a game and just take a run at the guy, whether he got him or not,鈥� added Bieksa. 鈥淭he guys down low, the forwards down low trying to make their plays, were like, 鈥楬eads up!鈥� when he was on the ice.鈥�
Finally, there was this golden exchange when Kesler and Bieksa were talking about injuries.
鈥淵ou make fun of my nose every other f***ing day,鈥� said Kesler.
鈥淚 say your nose is really big and sticks out, but mine鈥檚 big and flat,鈥� Bieksa replied. 鈥淪o we both have nose issues, but we鈥檙e still models.鈥�
鈥淥bviously,鈥� said Kesler. 鈥淣ose models.鈥�
Give these two nose models a listen. The entire episode is great and it will likely leave you wanting more. Fortunately, there are six other episodes to listen to so far.
听
