09-14 Mike Leone Postgame

0:00Understanding power requires more than headlines. I'm Peter Hamby, host of the Powers That Be, a podcast from Pock Examining Politics, Economics and Media to provide context analysis and clarity without sensationalism. We ask how power operates, who benefits, and what's at stake. If you want to move beyond breaking news to deeper understanding, join us on the Powers That Be. New episodes every weekday follow the Powers That Be wherever you get your podcasts. I think we did a pretty good job five on five, but if you're going to give seven power plays, he has a bucket of stick. He scored three power play goals in the three on three. He's a really talented player. He's got a really quick release. He gets it all fast. He's going to be like I said yesterday. He's like having one of our young guys at this tournament. They're different than the other players out there.

1:00We gave the wrong guy four scoring chances, anyone four for four. I just seem like especially your last car player who's just trying to pass the buck you the back up to that. I mean, just seeing nobody. Yeah, yeah. You know what, a tournament like this, you don't get a lot of really any time to practice any systems. But I think we were trying to be a little too cute in that situation. You know, especially bad ice that you just play the 60 minute game. Units aren't together. You probably go down to the goal line and deliver more pox at the net rather than like hoping to, you know, see those plays open up when you start shooting the puck and you break in down the kill, but they got to usually in a four on three situation. You're going to have a lot of puck possession time in the zone. If you start shooting the puck, they get tired. That's when seems open up, but we were trying to seem it right away. Didn't really move their pieces around. Yeah, that was one where you'd like to see us have a chance to finish the game and we didn't

2:07give ourselves a chance. What did you think of the match? I thought he was good. I thought he was really, I thought he had a really solid, solid game. You know, those are high level shots where, you know, there's very few players that could put a puck, especially the one it's hard to see on the bench side where you guys are sitting. He pulled the puck in and shot it through like four guys. Like he's really dangerous, but I thought he was really solid. Yeah, I thought he had a great game. He was really poised. He looked confident in the net. So really good for a young goalie in that environment. And they have a, you know, lockmellis and Hagen sets. Lockmellis is a point of game. Played in the Olympics for Team Lafayette. That's a really good, I would think he'd be playing NHL games this year. You know the work that Noah Austin has put in just as you faced off, they announced eight year deal, what's your reaction to it?

3:09You want to be able to get a deal like that? I was, I have my own kids, but he's, I'm really close to him. You know, a lot of people forget, you know, he started, he had one point ten game, his first ten American League games start a season. And it wasn't. And he had a, won't go into details, but he had a really tough injury where he missed three months. And I told him he doesn't just owe me, and it's not just me. I know I'm a part of it, but our relationship, I'm so proud of him great for the organization. And I told him he'll meet dinner, breakfast, and lunch. I was joking around with him, but I sent him a text before because the email went out, but I couldn't be happier. Unbelievable kid person, and I think he's just scratching the surface. And I think people are starting to realize.

4:09You guys know, because I used, any time you guys came to Rath, I'm like, hey, you've got to watch this one. So awesome day for the organization can be proud of him and he earned it. You kind of see as his, like, next step as an NHL player, like what kind of NHL player? I think, I think with any young player, like his, is to, you know, probably, I don't know what his, he's probably going to play a more significant role in being a position to, you know, play with some really good players. I don't know that for sure, but I'm, you know, he's going to be a part of that core. And just to get, you know, as a center position, he's got to get heavier. And I think, you know, when I saw him this, in the gym, a couple days ago, like his face looks bigger. I think he, I think he gained like 10 to 12 pounds, but the good 10 to 12 pounds, you got to get a, a bigger frame just so he could hang on a little bit more pox, especially

5:13like below the goal line playing in the NHL or he's coming up with more pox. But I think he has a chance to be a, a really, really good NHL player. Like I'm sure if he asked some of the Sabers guys, they all love playing with him because I think whoever plays with them, they're going to get the puck. He's the ability to make plays, but also I think I, you know, you, Lindy's talk about in the past of how responsible of a player he is away from the puck. You know, you look at the game he played in the Boston series, he could argue he was the best player in the ice, unfortunate, the injury, but he's just a win. He's, he's a winning hockey player and he's, he's not the biggest guy. He's not the fastest, but he's so smart. He's will, there's one thing where players are shy, are hesitant at that size to get in battles, but he's, he's willing. Does he always come up with pox? No, no player does, but he's willing and he, I just think he's, like I said, he's scratching

6:18the surface of the player that he can't be in like with any player. You got to, you got to stay healthy for, you know, seasons and that's part of getting stronger and taking care of your body and he, he does that. How, how different is this camp going to be? You've got to do this part of it now. Last year, last couple years, we was just an organization hoping to try to sneak into the playoffs and now it's an organization that wants to prove it's elite and how different does that make the mentality for everybody, whether you're going to roach or you're a star here. Yeah, no, I, I think it, it starts with the top and I think, you know, when, Yarmul came in, I think there was a different shift and mentality of who we're going to be and what we're about. And I think his group has done a great job of what we're going to value and that's character and having a work ethic and being in every day or like it, it's got to mean something

7:19every day and I, I just think there's a different, you know, feeling going into this camp, you know, looking into the schedule, it is a completely different than training camp. You don't really have that much time. You know, and I, it just being around everyone, I think there's a, there's a confidence and I think that developed a swagger, which I think is really important in an organization, a quiet swagger. And I'm really excited to start camp. You think back to Noah, you spent eight, when he was 18 and 19, when you played for all occupants. Yeah. You really think that helped him to get that base before you got to school. I do, I do, I do. Anytime you're playing with, you know, that's a really good league. That's a really defensive league. It's on a big ice. Like if you look at the scores in that league, there's, there's not a lot of guys that play in this Swedish league that come over or sign contracts.

8:23Maybe they're free agents that have a ton of points in that league. Like if a guy has 40 points and, or 35 points and 50 games in that league, that's a, it's a really defensive league. Because teams pack it in. And I think Noah, anywhere you talk to, you know, our development guys in TK that speak to their coaches when they had them just held responsible. He was in playing a men's game. And I think he got to come over and play those games and play us. But it is, it is a different game at the American league level and the NHL level of the, the size, the physicality. But I do think it was beneficial for him. Especially if you're in Noah's situation, there's some kids that don't get to play a lot over there. And they play five to seven minutes a game that could really hinder your development. But I think Noah was in a situation where the coach trusted him. He was playing men's hockey for two years.

9:24And I, I think it helped him, you know, adjust a little bit more to being a pro. Like Noah is the way he goes about his business. Some guys when they're coming from junior hockey, you have to almost guide them of, you know, the day-to-day life. And I think that also is another aspect which helped Noah. Like he's in every day or like same time every morning in the gym, how he operates, how he goes about practice. You know, I think that also was another part of it that really helped him. As you look at him, you see that professor looking for players to step up on offense for a couple guys on defense tonight that go on this worksheet. Is that something you look for, getting all the offense from the podcast? I honestly, I think more especially young defensemen, I would be more focused on. I don't not that any of them are not going to be offensive players if they make it to

10:27the next level, but that's not what their identity is going to be. Sure, if they help in, but I think the focus, especially with young players, they all want points, they all want to score and be on the power play. But I think when you look at the players that we have, the defensemen, I think their identity has to be the defend first. I think that has to be the mindset from our staff, how we're coaching them to make them NHL players. Yes, you hope they, we're going to, you know, when they activate in the rush, when to be an offensive guy. But I think they have to worry about everything away from the puck and that's gaps. It's defending in your own zone, that's boxing out because the margin for error is really small, especially when you get to that level, the NHL. That does help. That does, I'm a, I'm a big believer. I am of put lefty righty lefty righty because I just, you know, you think about the face

11:31off. You're on your backhand and you got to get it to your forehand and you got to make a path. That split second at levels is really important. I think once you're, you know, at the level, I'm talking about young, you know, when you're at the NHL level and you have the likes of Dalleen, those guys have the ability to play, you know, anywhere, you know, but when you're talking about young defensemen, that makes a difference. You have to have a high pass, you have to catch it. Sometimes in your backhand, your situational awareness, your gaps, you know, how you, how you surf and defend plays. Like it's a lot different going on your forehand than having to turn your skates on your backhand. So that will be something we discuss as a staff for sure of, because I think it's really tough as a young player to play your offhand. History that doesn't suck is a legit, hard-hitting American History Podcast fold through

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