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Insider Hockey Episode 2- The Calgary Dragons
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Welcome back SHL, I’m Doug Judy and on today's episode of Insider Hockey we shift over to the Western conference and peak into one of the most winningest franchises in the SHL. Do they even need an introduction? We are talking about the Calgary Dragons! Our guests on this episode are Barry Batsbak ( @Katth ), Brennan Kennedy Jr ( @bk1689 ) and Maxime Bouchard ( @Weretarantula ). Some fun facts about our guests, Barry has been a crucial member of not only the Calgary dragons, but of the PT department too. He truly is making some fat stacks of cash putting in all this work. Super star number two is none other then Brennan Kennedy Jr. He virtually led the dragons in +/- last season and had the best game rating on the team with 74. As for Maxime Bouchard, I mean the winger ONLY led his team in points, not a big deal right? So as you can see we have quite the super stars here.

So paint a picture for myself and the entire league. The historic rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton has been going on since I can remember. Some would say it’s the most intense rivalry in the league. How were you specifically introduced to said rivalry and do you feel the flame is still burning or has it died down?

Barry: I got introduced to it as soon as I joined the locker room basically. It was like we are Calgary and Edmonton sucks. And with the amounts of time we find each other in the playoffs that flame has not died down at all. Though we only kinda talk about it when we are facing them, we're too busy talking about food.

Brennan: I was introduced right of the bat after being drafted and reading about the intense rivalry. I knew about it obviously, but joining the room and reading everyone's thoughts on it really showed how deep it ran. I think that it is still going, it seems like we constantly meet each other in the playoffs and thats a great way to keep the rivalry alive.

Maxime: Oh the flame still burns brightly all right. When I first joined the team it was back in S45. The Dragons were actually on a slight downturn, due to the fact that literally a day or two after I was drafted we traded JoeK to Edmonton. That hurt, but it was actually in our best interest. Joe was the finishing piece in their winning team that season, so it definitely engaged the rivalry for me.

Well I must say it seems like Calgary wanted the rooks to know all the facts when it came to welcoming them to the team. I can picture it right now, on the podium, Esa standing tall and confident says “With this pick, Calgary is proud to select Brennan Kennedy Jr, Fuck you Edmonton, we got him before you could”. That would make quite the scene. Speaking about the rivalry, we all know that while Calgary has had better overall success in this league, this year’s playoff run you were unable to put Edmonton in their place. While it was a close game 7 match, why do you think the team fell short this year?

Barry: Edmonton was the better team all season and having home ice is a huge advantage in FHM. I think we were the underdog going in to this series and we managed to force a game 7. Unfortunately it didn't go our way.

Brennan: I think it was a combination of things, not to put any blame on Kata, but it just seemed like he couldn't get his game together this season, He's busy this offseason trying to find what will work and we should be back better than ever

Maxime: Honestly our own defensive shortfalls are to blame. My player specifically didn't pull his weight defensively in the series, and I think that hurt us a fair bit. Edmonton seemed to have really solid 3rd period presence throughout the playoffs and I think that was our downfall combined with the first point. Our road game was bad all season too, so that hurt our chances as well.

So it seems the pressure of the other arena got to your team. I mean home court is always nice to have, but Kata did have the second worse game rating compared to all the other starting goaltenders in the playoffs. Here’s hoping this experience can grow the team and lead to more successful runs. So speaking of the next run, what would you say is Calgary’s biggest need to take the team to the next level? 

Barry: Our biggest need is for people to stay active and grind TPE. I think we have one of the most active rosters in the SHL and I think that's also the reason we haven't really drafted a lot of guys recently.

Brennan: This will sound really cocky, but I don't think we need anything. I feel like we have a great group of players, with one of the highest TPE counts in the league. I think we will come in hard this season and show everyone what kind of damage we can do.

Maxime: Our team is already solid, as long as our rookies keep on earning I don't see why we shouldn't be considered one of the elite teams for seasons to come. It was unfortunate to lose to Edmonton, but we are both on similar levels at the moment, so I can see it go either way when we meet again.

Some confident answers there gentlemen, it will be interesting to see if this confidence can be maintained on the ice next season. But as Maxime mentioned your team’s prospect pool, we saw Calgary do a lot of dealing on draft day. Were you guys fans of all the pick shuffling?

Barry: Oh yes. It shook things up and last minute deals keep people on their toes. You're never guaranteed the guy who you want to pick. I also loved the fact that Chigago got back at us and dealt their pick straight back to us. It's how it works and it's awesome.

Brennan: I was a big fan of it. We grabbed both guys we wanted and really didn't lose to much. Giving up future picks is ideal as most of our team will be around for a while, so there won't be room on the roster for a while, so why not trade away picks for players that will replace the ones that will be leaving from regression.

Maxime: Loved it. The guys managed it fantastically, and we got two studs that will see our future core only improve further. Our space is tight, so dealing away future later round picks wasn't an issue.

Well it seems like Esa is quite the negotiator. Some would consider him one of the more elite GM’s of this league and this draft day is a prime example of why. Alright guys, one last question before we head off. We keep on hearing about the signature dish of the Dragons, and that is Chicken Parm. Now I personally see it as another average dish, but it is a delicacy in your locker room. What is your favorite thing about chicken parm? Is there a special way to cook it over in Calgary?

Barry: Chicken parm is just so delicious and fun fact is, is that I loved chicken parm way before I joined the league. Ever since I met my girlfriend it's been my favourite dish, she makes killer chicken parm. Pictures in our food channel are proof of that.

Brennan: I just love how versatile it is, it can be a meal by itself, you can eat it in a sandwich or sub, you can grab a piece on the go. There is a secret way for sure,but I can't tell you.

Maxime: Breaded chicken man, it's the best. I haven't mastered the technique yet of preparing it properly, but with the right guidance I have no doubt I'll get it one day. For the mean time though, Esa makes the best parms and it's a closely guarded recipe. If I told you, I would be traded immediately.

If you tell me Maxime I’ll be your best friend. Not biting on my offer ey? Alright. Worth a shot I guess. As for you Barry, I’d have a chicken Parm showdown between your girl and Esa. If Esa wins your woman cannot ever make the sacred parm again. If your girls wins, you become the new GM of the Calgary Dragons. Are you feeling lucky?


Well SHL that is the end of tonight's episode of Insider Hockey. Big thanks to these Western Conference studs for coming on the show and good luck next season. I’m Doug Judy signing off once again.


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Nice article!

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This was a fun read! Great job guys!

It's true if anyone shares my parm recipe they are immediately on the block. Tongue

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(This post was last modified: 05-19-2020, 12:54 PM by Zomp.)

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