00:00How do you think John Cooper has handled the team so far in the in the Olympic Games?
00:05I mean, it's always difficult getting guys from other teams, obviously, to mesh right away.
00:09But you could see that the energy with Team Canada and what John Cooper has done, your takeaways on what
00:15Coach Cooper has done with Team Canada.
00:18Well, first off, Dan, he's got a winning resume.
00:20You know, you look at what he's accomplished as a coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning two Stanley Cups
00:25in multiple years.
00:25They've gone on playoff runs and, you know, they're right on the door this year again with where their team
00:32is at.
00:32So he knows how to what buttons to push.
00:34He knows when to make changes.
00:36He knows how to have his team ready.
00:39You know, he's one of if he's not the best coach in the National Hockey League, he's he's in a
00:43small list of of two or three.
00:45So I think he's done an amazing job.
00:48You know, these are tough.
00:49These are tough tournaments because, you know, the second week, they're all game sevens.
00:53If they're one game knockouts and, you know, you have a misstep or something and you can be eliminated.
00:59So, you know, he's had some lost some key people.
01:02You know, Morrissey's been out now.
01:04I'm not sure of the status for, you know, Crosby didn't play yesterday.
01:09Question mark for tomorrow.
01:10So he's had to make some adjustments and he's got them in the final.
01:13So he's done he's done a great job behind the bench.
01:16Now, I've talked to people before.
01:18You know, I was talking a week ago with Phil Esposito and Ken, he hates the Olympic break.
01:25You know, Phil said that he goes, you know, you got it right in the middle of the NHL season.
01:30And for a GM like yourself here, you got to worry about players.
01:33You've got guys that are going to be playing in this game on Sunday.
01:36You have guys that were playing in the tournament as well.
01:38What's your takeaway as GM with guys playing in this tournament in season right in the heart of the season?
01:46No, well, first off, Dan, obviously, we lost a key player in our team last week.
01:51Kevin Fiala broke his leg playing against playing against Canada.
01:56So he's basically done for for the rest of the regular season.
02:00So, you know, he's one of our top top players.
02:02But, you know, I look back to last year, obviously, Boston.
02:06I think McAvoy went down and, you know, the Kachuk went down in the Four Nations last year.
02:13So, you know, if you want to have best on best, this is what's going to happen.
02:17I guess you could talk about is it should it be at the start of the season.
02:20But, you know, if you want to be in the Olympics, the Olympics are in February.
02:23We're trying to grow our game.
02:24I think it's tomorrow is going to be an unbelievable platform and a game to, you know,
02:31to show the casual fan and to the non-hockey fan what a great sport that we've got.
02:36And, you know, you've got to grow the game.
02:38So, you know, I was the assistant manager of Team Canada in the Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver,
02:44the assistant manager with Canada in 2014 in Sochi, assistant manager at the World Cup for Canada,
02:50which was a September tournament.
02:52I know the players love it.
02:54The fans love it.
02:55And, I mean, this is really last year was the first time in about, you know, since 2016.
02:59So I think it's something the fans want.
03:03And if you want to be in the Olympics, it's in February.
03:06And I think that, obviously, when you send players over, you run the risk that someone's going to get hurt.
03:11We've got nipped here with the injury to Fiala.
03:14But, you know, it's for the good of the game.
03:18And the players and the fans want it.
03:21I'm going to ask you one of the toughest questions I think I've ever asked Ken Holland.
03:25Would you rather have an Olympic gold medal for Team Canada representing your country,
03:32or would you rather have a Stanley Cup ring?
03:35What would you rather have, Ken Holland, you?
03:41Well, unfortunately, I've got both.
03:44Unfortunately?
03:44What do you mean, unfortunately?
03:47Unfortunately, fortunately, I've got both.
03:49You know, growing up, Dan, you know, growing up, everybody wants to play in the National Hockey League.
03:53You think about the Stanley Cup.
03:55And then I think, you know, as you start to get older, you know, it's the Olympics.
03:59So Stanley Cup, just because it's so hard to win.
04:02It's 82 games.
04:03It's four best of sevens.
04:06And then it's not only that season, but it's the building.
04:09I think about us winning the Stanley Cup in Detroit in 90-97.
04:12It really probably started in about 94-95, you know, losing in the finals in 95 to New Jersey.
04:21And, you know, it's a lifetime quest.
04:24So, you know, both are unbelievable.
04:27But I do think the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in our sport to win,
04:31and you'd like to have your name on it.
04:33It's surely the greatest-looking trophy of all time.
04:35I've had that puppy in my hand, and it's truly one of the greatest of all time here.
04:40Do you really believe that, you know, the Olympics are a great centerpiece, Ken, on promoting the league?
04:46Do you like the fact, do you like what the Olympics represent here?
04:50And do you think the NHL is in a good place right now?
04:55Yeah, I think that, you know, it's the Olympics.
04:57It's been going on since the beginning of time.
05:01So, you know, I know that my wife shuts down for two weeks,
05:04and she watched Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics.
05:06It's the best sports.
05:07It's the best athletes in the world in those sports.
05:10So, you know, we want to be part of the Olympics.
05:14And the players want it, and the fans want it.
05:18And I would say to you that, you know, I think the NHL is in a great spot.
05:22Great parity.
05:24You know, probably the implementation of the salary cap has given everybody and every team
05:29and their fan base a belief that you can build a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup.
05:36You know, you look at the standings this year.
05:39There's so many teams that are, they go on a run here the last 25 games,
05:43can play their way in, and once you get in, anything's wide open.
05:46So I think the National Hockey League is in a great spot.
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