Fire & Ice Podcast
A Coachella Valley Firebirds podcast.
Fire & Ice Podcast
Fire & Ice Podcast - A Visit with Eddie Wittchow (May, 2023) Western Conference Finals Playoff Edition
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Electric. Improbable. Enthralling. Magical. Onward the Firebirds fly into the Western Conference Finals. Join in for a CV vs. Milwaukee Admirals series preview , and a visit with CV defenseman, Eddie Wittchow.
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Greetings, friends and firebirds fans, and welcome to the special May Western Conference Finals playoff edition of the Fire and Ice Podcast, the official podcast of your Coachello Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League. Coming to you from Hall Desert, California, a mere Andrew Podorolski wrist shot away from the Firebirds home ice at Africa Arena. I'm your host, Judd Spicer. Along with this podcast endeavor, have the privilege of serving as the Firebirds Insider in this inaugural season, which also includes a couple articles per month on the Firebirds website. You can find that online at cvfirebirds.com. Already coming close to bearing the headline here, friends, because the article just posted on that splash page, also found under the news tab section, is the Western Conference Finals playoff preview. Firebirds. Milwaukee Admirals readying to throw down in the Final Four of the American Hockey League. And here on this episode of Fire and Ice to help me preview, discuss, take a broad look at what has been and what will be. Great guest for you, friends, Firebird starting defenseman Eddie Whitco joining me on this episode of Fire and Ice. Before we get to that chat with Eddie, before we get to a look at some stats and breakdown and scheduling, just got to take a step back, get some perspective here, take it all in, soak it all in. For those who check out the Western Conference Finals playoff preview at cvfirebirds.com, which by the way is where you're going to go for all of the things, Firebirds, including roster, merchandise, certainly tickets to the Western Conference Finals. Here are the opening paragraphs to my preview. Coachello Valley Firebirds home of Aquashure Arena is built upon sand, a fine, abundant, and crystalline sand, which extends and wild bounds and hummocks and dunes across Barner Road on which Aquichure is housed, and that sand blows far beyond defining the landscape of this desert home. But come May of 2023, this is no longer viewed as simple sand. It's something more. It's something magnetic, something special, and something which sparkles. It's magic dust. And it's narrated both the improbable and the extraordinary, friends. What began as a tale of 32 American Hockey League teams is now but a story of four. By virtue of an electric deciding game five overtime win over fresh rival Calgary. CV's inaugural season has been extended a momentous step further, taking the Firebridge to the best of seven Western Conference Finals, where Coachella Valley will face the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the NHL's Nashville Predators. The winner's prize? A ticket to the Calder Cup Finals, a trip never before taken by a team west of Texas. You can read on the article from there. I might add lib a little bit by providing just some further context to that. Heck, friends. Nine months ago, we didn't even have a ceremonial seat in Accrochure Arena, let alone a home ice. And heck, even just now, reading those words, thinking about that Andrew Potorowski winner in overtime of game five, it still gives me a chill. Gone back and watched that highlight probably a hundred times. Chill, a thrill. The hair on my arm still raises a little bit when thinking of that. Alright, that presented. The excitement, the emotions, are running high at these time. Let's get to this episode Firebird resprint and jump right into the edge for the Western Conference Finals. Firebird versus the Milwaukee Admiral. The Admiral runners up during the regular season in the Central Division, finishing second behind the Texas Stars. Team they ultimately felled in five games in their series to reach this stage. Milwaukee had a bye in round one of the playoffs. It took them five games to get past Manitoba in round two. And of course, they find themselves here. Now, speaking of here, series gets underway here in Palm Desert, Acrochure Arena. Game one, Thursday, May 25th. Milwaukee at Coachella Valley puck drops at 7 p.m. Pacific. Game two, also at Acuchure Arena. Milwaukee at CV, another 7 p.m. puck drop. The series then moves east for game three, taking place Monday, May 29th. CV at Milwaukee. That's a 4 p.m. Pacific puck drop. Game four will take place Thursday, June 1. Firebirds at Admirals. That one is a 5 p.m. Pacific puck drop. Game 5, if necessary, scheduled for Saturday, June 3. That is also on the road. CV at Milwaukee reverts to a 4 p.m. puck drop. A couple quick digressions, if I may, a couple quick interjections for those road games. Games 3, 4, and 5, if necessary, taking place in Milwaukee. You can check those out at the free viewing parties, open to all ages. Good fun at the showroom at Spotlight 29 Casino. Those have been readily growing in popularity, I might add. I think they've probably tripled in size since the first viewing party. And heck, for little old me. I think it was game two of that Calgary series. I stepped out in Spotlight 29 after the uh first intermission. Hit myself a nice little bounty on the slot machine. Of course, I gave a bunch of that back in the second intermission. Just thought it was worthy of mention. Of course, gamble at your own risk. One other note, if I may. Milwaukee Admirals home ice. That be UW Milwaukee Panther Arena. Seats about 13,000. Admirals, they do okay. They draw okay during the regular season. About 5,400 fans on average. Not super hot during the Calder Cup playoffs. Just had to get a little dig in there. Why not? They average about 4,000 thus far into the Calder Cup playoffs. Alright, back to the scheduling. Game six, if necessary. That returns the series to the Coachello Valley Admirals at CV Game 6, if needed, rather, Monday, June 5th, 7 p.m. Pacific puck drop. Also, if necessary, a deciding and final game seven would take place at Acrochar Arena, Milwaukee at CV, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 7th. A little bit more on the Firebirds freeze frame again before we get to this episode's chat with Defenseman Eddie Whitco. Couple stats for you. A lot of leaders in the AHL playoff scores are Firebirds, and that in part is by virtue of playing the full complement of 13 games. All three series to date, of course, have gone the distance. Cole Lind is your Calder Cup playoffs leading scorer with 17 total points. That's seven goals coupled with 10 assists. Right behind Firebirds captain Max McCormick, 15 points, seven goals matched with eight assists. By the way, those seven goals for both Lind and McCormick are AHL playoff highs. Number four on that list, fear not, I'll get back to number three, but number four on that list, defenseman Riker Evans, 13 points in the playoffs, two goals and 11 assists. Fifth on that list, Cameron Hughes of the Firebirds, recent guest on this program. He's got 13 points, all assists, which, as you might imagine, is an AHL Color Cup playoffs best. Six on that list. We talked about him being an X Factor, came up huge in that deciding game. Five over Calgary. Jeremy McKenna, he's now got 11 playoff points, six goals, and five assists. Number three on that list, well, he plays for Milwaukee. He's a rising stud. You can read more about him in the Western Conference Finals playoff preview article that I put together. Luca Evangelista spent some time with the Nashville Predators this way this year, rather. Availed himself quite well. Now he's doing just fine for the Admirals in the playoffs, too. He's got 13 playoff points, four goals coupled with nine assists. Taking a quick peek between the pipes, as you might imagine, again, Joey DeCord has been just absolutely stellar throughout the season, certainly in the playoffs as well for CV. He started all 13 games, an 8-5 playoff record. His 2.09 goals against is good for fifth in the Calder Cup playoffs, while his save percentage, it's a monster number of 935. That's second among all goalkeepers in the AHL postseason. Again, friends, you want to read a little bit more? Analysis, stats, and yes, a series prediction. You can find that in the Western Conference Finals playoff preview article at CVfirebirds.com. All that offered, all that prefaced, let's get to this episode's visit of Firebirds Defender Anyway. Exciting times in our hockey world and on the Fire Nights podcast. My guest in this special May Western Conference Finals playoff edition episode, he hails from Burnsville, Minnesota, where they grow the hockey players big and strong. Went to play as college hockey at the University of Wisconsin, though for our most recent guest on uh this show, Cameron Hughes. We won't hold that against him, that he went to play his college hockey for the Badgers. Segway to uh now seven seasons of pro hockey, includes one year in uh Finland, where I think he played for Cuckoo. Not sure if I'm pronouncing that right or not. Now a defenseman for Arcochello Valley Firebirds. Welcome at number 20, Eddie Whitco to the Fire and Ice podcast. Hello, Eddie. Hey, how's it going? I appreciate you having me. Appreciate you joining, man. This is typically the portion of Fire and Ice where I'd ask some quirky question about the spelling of your name or the pronunciation. I might reference that uh you were born on Halloween. I might give you a little more guff about being a badger, but we're in the real real now, man. We are in some seriously uncharted waters here with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. So I'm gonna take it right to the ice and let's go back, let's hearken back just a few days to game five, the elimination game at Aquicier Arena versus the Calgary Wranglers. And what was a strange, bizarre, uh electric, emotional, and ultimately 6'5 overtime thrilling victory for the birds. Take us back to that game five versus Calgary. Your view from the ice on the bench.
SPEAKER_00It was a wild game. Obviously, yeah, it had just about everything and uh toyed with everyone's emotions. Um uh you know, I I I from what I can remember of the game, I I mean it was I our emotions were high, and so like I feel like some of those uh those times are the toughest to kind of really uh flash back on because you're like you're you're almost blacking out during those uh during those times, especially like being on the ice when Andrew Podorowski puts that game-winning goal in. It's like all I can think about is getting over to him and like and and mauling him. So it like some of these things that you asked to you're asked to recall. It's like it's you know, I I haven't really thought of it, but um, yeah, I know we had the lead most of the game, and the first time we lost the lead was with like what five minutes 55 seconds or something right around there left, which is obviously um heartbreaking because it's like, okay, you know, we have the lead or we're tied this whole game and feel like we're in a good spot, we're playing good hockey, and then all of a sudden with under six minutes left, you're like you're you're looking up at the scoreboard and and you guys know or we don't no longer have the lead, and it's like we we gotta do this over this next five minutes here. Otherwise, we're done. And uh Pipes put one in, Jeremy McKenna put one in. Obviously, huge goal for us and got us to overtime, and then from there, um, you know, anything can happen. We saw that uh sometimes overtime becomes a little bit of a stalemate, obviously, with Monday's game going to triple overtime. Nobody wants to make that mistake, so it becomes a very um in the ice, obviously takes a beating over the course of six periods. Um so you just kind of simplify your game, and there's not a lot of chances to be had on either side. And you know it's just gonna take one special play where somebody can get their shot off or whatever it may be. And that that was Riker on Monday, and then uh Potsi on Friday. Um and boy, are those fun games to play in and and games that you uh hopefully you move on and do something special with this group. Those are the games that we'll recall on and really remember. Like man, remember we had to go to three overtimes. We played like a five-hour game on that Monday night. Um, we didn't get off the ice till around midnight, and then we had to come back uh with a chance to win it Wednesday, don't get it done, and then we we get it done in overtime Friday. Um just goes to show too that the team that Calgary had as well, a really good competitor, um competitive bunch they have, and they had a heck of a season, and we knew um, you know, we obviously throughout playoffs we didn't want to get ahead of ourselves, but I think a month or so with the uh a month or so remaining in the regular season, I think we're all thinking, you know, that's a team we're gonna have to go through to get there. And and that was uh there were steps before that, but that was one big step we made uh Friday night winning that game five. And now we obviously have a another tall tall task in front of us against Milwaukee, and um we'll get prepared for that and uh ready to go for Thursday.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, certainly get to Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Admirals here shortly. Just one more thing on the game five. I mean, that just went so against script. I think it went against the kind of game that we all anticipated to watch in game five against Calgary. The whole series, just like the regular season games against the Wranglers, they had been so tight. You were coming off a one-zero loss in game four. Game five was two two heading into the third period, and all of a sudden there were five goals in fewer than six minutes. I just it was just kind of off the rails there for a second, and it all did lead to that crescendo of emotion that everybody in AcuroShare Arena, save for the Wranglers, enjoyed in that just explosion, that moment of just pure joy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was unbelievable. Um, I don't think anyone was like you said, uh I don't think anyone was expecting it um to go that way. I would say if uh people were were betting on the game, uh, a lot of people would take the under. Um just because of how it's gone within. And it wasn't a change in goaltending or anything. Obviously, both goaltenders, uh, both sides elite goaltending, um, and they were throughout the entire even games that went a little higher scoring than than what we were used to in that series, both goaltenders. It wasn't a uh factor of them not playing to their standards, and that was that was the case in game five, too. It wasn't that they were off or anything, it was just uh in games like that, it it's just a matter of bounces going in or out. And I think both teams found some bounces and um not fluky goals, but just just uh in in games like that, you want to throw we were always talking in the locker room, throw pucks to the net. You never know what's gonna happen. To be a good goalie, you've got to get the puck to the net. So just throw everything on net. And I think that was their game plan too. It's felt like they were throwing a lot of pucks on net, and um you know, against good goaltending like that and the goaltending we have, um, it's gonna take goals like that where you're just just dirty goals throwing something to the net. There's a bounce off a skate off a pad or something here. Um, if you're just trying to wait for the pretty tic-tac-toe goal, that's when you're gonna struggle to score goals. And um yeah, it what what a different script we had uh in game five compared to the previous couple games that we had just played against them. But um, you know, it was it was fun. And and sometimes when things go off script, it's uh obviously toys with emotions, but ends up being games that you really remember.
SPEAKER_01I want to ask you a question that I'll I'll say I tried my best to phrase and ask head coach Dan Bilesma in the post-game presser. Uh had opportunity to interview Dan for a while. I mean, before the season even started. Some of the things that we talked about back then were creating a culture, creating a culture of a winning franchise, creating a tough place to play at Accrochure Arena. And we've gone through these stages, Eddie, where hey, the arena opened, it was cool, it was awesome. People wanted to go check it out, have a good time. Maybe people that had never seen a hockey game before, and then it was kind of like, oh wow, our our team is our team is really good. Like they're gonna win a lot of games and create some excitement, they're gonna make the playoffs. Then we got that playoff series, and then we delve a little deeper into the Colorado series, and by the time that one got to the fourth game, it was like something different is happening here. We've reached a different level of excitement and drama and tension. I just want to see from your perspective. I kind of sense this from Dan the way he answered the question that we've we've we've delved deeper into these uncharted waters. We've we've kind of all gone, whether it be from the team's perspective, media's perspective, people in Aquicier Arena, the valley's perspective, now delve deeper into these uncharted waters, and it is an exciting journey to be on.
SPEAKER_00It is certainly, it's so cool. I think um a lot we have a lot of different perspectives um in the locker room as far as what it takes and why we want to win something like that. We have guys like Andrew Potterowski who was won two of these and is hungry for more because he knows what it takes and he he knows how fun it is and how special it is to have a group that does something like that. And then there we have a great mix of young guys who are like, this is a new experience for me, but I'd love to you know do what I can to be a part of doing something special. And then there's guys like me, me who was who have been around a bit but haven't had an opportunity to do something like this, and so I'm taking it all, you know, it's it's all new to me. And I I would be lying to you if I said I was um experienced in making a run like this in professional hockey, because I'm not, I haven't had an opportunity an opportunity to do something like this. Um, but that's why I'm I I'm trying to live in the moment and make the most of it because it's really fun and you really see a team. We've been a very close team all year, but when you go through experiences like that and closing out a team in overtime and then closing out a series against Colorado, where you know we have to win two straight, we're backs against the wall, and uh we continue to grow closer and closer, and you realize you have a special group and uh a great mix of kind of all different backgrounds, and is what I meant by that, by saying, you know, we have the guys that have won before we have older guys who are still eager to win and really would love to do something like that, and uh have tasted, you know, failing to do so up until this point. I don't want to call it failure, but it's it's um, you know, my experience with with playoffs in this league is losing out or not making it. And so I I really appreciate um an opportunity like this because it is hard to come by. Um we have guys obviously that have been lucky enough to be on successful teams and uh and they're helping lead in the way they know how um because they know what it takes to get there. So it's just fun. We like I said, we have a good mix of everything. Um and uh and I think it's just causing a perfect storm with the valley, you know, rallying behind us. And and I always say it, and I want to shout them out again, is our marketing team has done a hell of a job too to sell the product because obviously we've done our our part in keeping fans coming back, and you mentioned like it was exciting at the start, and then fans started to realize oh, we actually have you know, this is a good team that can do something special here. And I felt the same way too. Like it is it was an exciting thing right away, and then the dust settles, and it's like, oh wait, like they're still winning, and they're like this it's fun to go back and they feed off our energy in the crowd. Like, it's a sweet crowd to play in front of, it's awesome. Like, you feel the energy, and it's almost better that hockey is so new to some of them because they're up constantly. Constantly cheering. Like it might just be a small pass or something like that. And they're like, oh, that's cool. That's good for us. We're going to cheer. And so it's always loud in there. Whereas people who are more experienced with hockey sometimes are they like you don't hear the woes of the crowd unless there's really something special that happens. And it's such a cool environment for us to play in. And they've rallied behind us. And it's fun for us to be out in public because you know you don't get it everywhere that you go to the grocery store and someone sees, like, hey, you're a Firebirds player, right? It's like you guys are doing what like awesome, like keep it going. So it is cool. Um, it it really is has become a special place, and um how how quickly it's all happened has been cool because obviously non-traditional hockey market, but I also like I said before, I think it it it dates back to a lot of the work that our marketing team was putting in um before we even got here.
SPEAKER_01Just to put the journey in perspective a little bit, six months ago, you guys didn't even have ice. So that's just one way to look at it. Eddie, I'm careful not to make this too Minnesota-centric. I was mentioned, uh, I think between you and I, we grew up about uh 10 10 miles away from one another, though I've certainly got a couple years on you. When you were born in 1992, have the misfortune of a Minnesota native of being totally shut out when the twins won the World Series for the second time in four years in 1991. I was a freshman in high school and an opportunity to join that. No Minnesota sports team has made it even to a final series, let alone win a championship since 1991. And that's just all to illustrate you said, man, it can be tough to come by. And in those last two cut games for the Firebirds against Colorado, and then throughout the Calgary series, for the first time in a very long while, I'm sure there's many people listening to this that can empathize, whether they're from Minnesota or not. But for the first time in a while, I felt myself swept up in something, something that was bigger than me, but that in some small way, small spoke in the wheel, I still felt very much a part of, and it's a thrilling ride, man.
SPEAKER_00It it certainly is, and I think we're starting to feel the same way, and you get swept up, and and everything it we we've had a very selfless group um from the beginning, but it's crazy how you see at this point of the season too how selfless everyone becomes, and it no longer becomes about any accolade they could have themselves, or about getting called up or whatever it may be, or making more money. It all just becomes about winning, and uh or or it doesn't become about like and it never not that it ever really was, but especially at this time, it's not about who's on the power play, who's getting more minutes, whatever it may be. Um, it's just about winning and doing that collectively. Everyone comes in with a mindset like doesn't matter where I am in the lineup, what I'm doing is just what can I do for this team today to put us like in the best position to win and do something special. And I think all of us show up with that same cap and same mentality on. And I think that's how we realize we have something special. It's just a bunch of selfless guys that that want to do something cool together. And um, and and uh yeah, I mean it it is like you said, you get swept up in it and uh and and you really feel like wow, this is this is a new experience for me, especially like even from uh like even just being a fan, like I don't know if I've gotten kind of just to have an opportunity like this. Um and and it's so much more special being this close to it and and and just experiencing all the ebbs and flows of of this run so far, it just makes it all that much better, I think.
SPEAKER_01Friends, you're tuning in to the Fire and Ice podcast. Allow me to editorialize the special May Western Conference Finals playoff edition version of the Fire and Ice podcast, official podcast of your Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League. I'm your host, Judd Spicer. My guest is Firebirds defenseman Eddie Whitco. For all things firebirds, be sure to visit cvfirebirds.com. That includes tickets to the Western Conference Finals versus the Milwaukee Admirals. Uh Eddie, in uh your career uh referenced uh some of the stops. Uh 242 regular season American Hockey League games. Really interesting for you, man, in that you've had the total dichotomy in that the last three years or portions of the last three years, you've been with Hershey, which is the most historic team in the American Hockey League. So you've gone totally old school to now totally new school. Kind of paint the picture between the difference of uh the franchises and the scene in the Eastern Conference and being with the team that's been around for so long to being with the team that is making its uh inaugural debut in the AHL.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think uh I'll put it this way when I when I first heard there was going to be a team in in Palm Springs, um, I remember thinking, you know, I had only been in the east, and and everyone jokes about how the cities in the west are a little better destinations as far as like weather and bigger cities and the things that we like to enjoy outside of the rink um tend to cater better to people in the in the western cities. And I had only known the east, I played in Springfield and then in Hershey. And um I remember thinking or back to what I was originally saying when the Palmer Springs teams got got announced, I remember thinking, you know, that is so cool, but there's not a chance, like what are the chances I actually get to play there? Um and so to have ended up here, uh not just end up here before the inaugural season has been such a cool experience. Um I'll I'll get to Hershey in a sec, and I'll just touch continue to touch on my experience here. But um they've truly knocked it out of the park as far as an upstart team would go. Obviously, we had like we we had a little delay getting into the rink and uh some things still need to be finished, but the professionalism everyone's gone about, you know, this being a work in project or work in process while we were, you know, getting games in it it's certainly been crazy. Um, and I give any everyone who doesn't give enough get enough credit for working behind the scenes to make it all possible. I give them all the credit because it truly has been um, you know, it hasn't been a burden on us at all. They've taken care of everything. Um, you know, what they provide us, we have the best facilities. Um we uh the food, we get a great breakfast every day, we get lunch every day. Um we really have no excuse not to succeed because they provided everything that we could ask for and is at the top of the league, um, second to none as far as what they provide us. Um and then uh, but yeah, so I guess I kind of rambled on about the new school here and how well they've done to really kick off a new organization. But then Hershey, awesome experience as well. I wouldn't have stayed there three years if I didn't love my experience. Um that is I relate the two all the time to my experience here as far as the fandom goes, because I haven't seen in the American League fans like ours here. Um, the only other place I had seen it was in Hershey. And I think they compare a little bit as to like only it's the only professional sports team around. Um, I mean, obviously, you can drive a couple hours if you're in Hershey to go see the Capitals or Philly or Baltimore, oops see baseball teams or football teams in Baltimore. Um, and obviously here you can drive to San Diego or or Los Angeles to see like NHL teams, MLB teams, whatever it is. But in the immediate area, it's all you have. And and the two relate because it's two communities that really have rallied behind their team and really support their team. They're passionate about it and they just want to see them win. And so it it's really cool to be a part of that same type of mentality here in Coachella because I see a lot of the the ways it relates to Hershey, just Hershey has been there for so much longer. So they have you know, history of fans of it's it really just kind of travels in their family. It's like, oh, I grew up going to Bears Games, now my kids come with me to Bears Games, and I see that as a as in the beginning years here. Um, I kind of feel like it'll follow along the same pathway, it'll always have an interest, they'll always have uh you know generational fans and just uh uh uh a team that will succeed because the people in the area make you feel so welcome. And to be quite honestly, like I I have nothing against Hershey, but it's a lot easier to sell Southern California than it is that part of it it's like obviously you can't. I'm not I don't want to downspeak Hershey at all because I loved my experience and it's a great place to live, but it it's I'm looking outside now at palm trees and it's probably 90 90 and sunny. It's like it's you can't, it's hard to beat. So um, yeah, I don't know if I really kind of answered your question about my my difference in experiences with the two, but they it's funny how closely I think they relate.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's interesting the generational aspect that is how Hershey uh bears hockey has been explained to me. And I found it fascinating the other night uh with my friend and colleague from the Desert Sun newspaper, Andrew John. He was at the game, he he took off the game uh because it was his kid's birthday, so he was still there, he just wasn't covering it for the newspaper. And before the game, his his kid said he was turning like eight years old. He's like, Jesper Froden is my favorite player. It was like, All right, man. And then of course, Jesper Froden scored the first goal of the game, and to me, it just clicked like that's a memory for that little dude. Yeah, and that's not something we ever had before, you know. That's a generational thing, he's gonna remember that a hundred percent. Take it back to the ice a little bit, Eddie. Uh, what noticed over the course of the AHL playoffs is the game becoming increasingly more physical. Uh, yourself as the Firebirds uh biggest player, 6'5, 225, enjoyed playing watching you play a physical brand of hockey over the course of the season. But in the playoffs, I know you got to be a little bit more careful with the degree of physicality in that you don't want to get penalized, you don't want to be a man short, you don't want to miss a game, um, anything like that. So there's no fights, haven't seen any playoff fights, although there's been some opportunity to go, and you just don't want to get that those penalties. I think for you, you've had like six penalty minutes and 13 playoff games, which is pretty good. You probably had to show some some reserve to not go that extra step. Is that something that you're mindful of in the postseason?
SPEAKER_00I would say everyone, whether or not they want to admit it, is for sure mindful of it. You don't want to be the guy in the box um at any time, but especially in the playoffs in such big games. Um, I would say a lot goes into why um people's penalty minutes might go down during the playoffs. I think the referees also, to a certain degree, maybe put their whistles away. And they know that this is a style of hockey that kind of governs itself, and there might be a little harder slash here, but there we're gonna give it to them on the other side too. Um I mean the playoffs becomes a very, very physical brand of hockey. So I don't think any of us go into playoffs thinking, oh, we're gonna dial it back a little bit to stay out of the box. I just think that maybe we are a little more conscious of any retaliation calls and um stick penalties for sure, but I I do think it's a good mix of the referees putting their whistles away as well, because I I do think that we like we we for sure want to you know stay on, especially on other teams, skill guys, that we don't want to get let them get to the front of our net and are in the corner for free. We give them a little extra jab and we try to get everyone does it. You try to get away with what you can get away with to make them feel it so they don't want to come back in the corner next time. And you know, we got a five or seven game series, whatever it may be with this team, that whatever I can you take some liberties tonight, it's gonna hurt them tomorrow. And I'm not saying play cheap by any means. I'm saying within like you know, uh uh just playing hard and them being a little sore tomorrow. I'm not saying play cheap or or take liberties and try to injure. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm just saying, you know, you put the harder you play, the sore they're gonna be tomorrow, and they're not gonna want to come back and play you in two days, whatever it may be. Um, so you for sure you will you want to play an extreme physical game. Um, but I think to answer your question, it is a good mix of everything, of people being more mindful and a little conscious of, you know, I don't want to be the one to put our team um down a man, and also the referees uh just letting the game uh play a little more.
SPEAKER_01Eddie, the Western Conference Finals are soon afoot, getting underway this Thursday at Accursure Arena against the Milwaukee Admirals. And what we know about Milwaukee is that we don't know a lot because the Firebirds didn't play them the entire season. Uh, one thing, just uh and some initial and then a little bit of a deeper dig in on the research. They got a lot of guys that uh have played in the uh National Hockey League, and a lot of guys that were reassigned haven't gotten a taste of NHL for the Nashville Predators this year, whether that be 10 games or 15 games. I think they had seven guys that were reassigned after Nashville didn't make the Stanley Cup playoffs. Educate us a little bit more beyond that, if you can, on maybe what to expect from the Milwaukee Admirals.
SPEAKER_00To be honest, we haven't dove in on our pre-scout with them uh quite yet either. We will tomorrow. And I know a lot of us peeked in at that game yesterday just to see what was going on and who we might be playing and get an idea of what what type of team they are. So, yeah, it is a weird thing that we haven't played them this year, but doesn't concern any of us. I know our coaches will have us dialed in with the pre-scout and what their tendencies are. Um and uh and and but I just know just looking at their team, like there's so many people on any given team in this league that we all have either played with or against. We have Tennyson who played in Milwaukee last year, McGall McLaughlin played in Milwaukee last year. Um, I recognize names on that team, and just from what I recognize from their team, it looks like yeah, they have a lot of guys that have played in the National Hockey League. So do we. Um that doesn't scare us. They have some size. Um, we have some size as well. Um, I think they just based off of their roster, I think they're going to resemble more of uh of the Calgary, Colorado type team, which is a bigger um, you know, and uh you know, good skating checking team. Um just just that's just me looking at their roster and and guessing what type of game we're gonna get. Like I said, we're gonna dive a little more in uh on pre-scouting them tomorrow, uh, just because we didn't find out till last evening who we were indeed playing. Um but yeah, I I think it'll be a fun series. It is uh adds a little bit more excitement to it that uh neither team has played each other, so it's a little harder to know what to expect. But like I said, our coaches are so dialed in on video and and you know, scouting their special teams, their goaltending, their defense or forwards, everything that we will be pretty dialed in um come Thursday.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna say conversely, while you haven't played them, they of course haven't played you, so it gives you guys opportunities to throw some stuff at them that they're probably not used to, not ready for, haven't seen before. It goes both ways, I guess. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh, for sure. Exactly. Yeah, both teams are sitting in the same boat. Obviously, they they have plenty of guys that have played, um, you know, and know of guys on our team as well. Um, and like you said, there's there's no uh advantage or disadvantage for either team not having played each other or whatever. It's it's just it is what it is, and uh we'll have to do a little more pre-scout to be be prepared, and um, that's totally fine with us.
SPEAKER_01Well, Eddie is referenced and has enjoyed discussing with you. It has been an absolute journey and a thrill ride. There were 32 teams at the start of this thing. There are now but four left. Coachella Valley Firebirds being one of them. Look forward to the Western Conference Finals getting underway again this Thursday at Acuachure Arena, 7 p.m. Firebirds hosting the Milwaukee Admirals. Thanks for your time, Eddie. Go get them in the Western Conference Finals, man.
SPEAKER_00I appreciate it. We will do. Thanks for having me on.
SPEAKER_01All right, folks. Readily enjoyed that chat with Firebirds defenseman Eddie Whitcoe. Appreciate his time. Further appreciation, of course, goes to you. Appreciate your time, your interest, your ears, your continued support of not simply this podcast endeavor, but this rather enthralling inaugural Firebird season to date. One note that I didn't get in there with Eddie might be worthy of mention, along with our Western Conference Finals. We of course have the Eastern Conference Finals, and benefiting Eddie's former team of Hershey versus Rochester. That series is underway Tuesday, May 23, before the Firebirds and the Antworld Fair, keeping an eye on that. Exciting times, unprecedented times, thrilling times, friends. And just a general reminder, make sure to go over to CDFirebirds.com. It's your home for all things for tele valley firebirds of the American population, including certain not linked to merchandise, roster, tickets. Also for those tickets, want to download the CD Firebirds app on your mobile device. Great way to get your ticks for upcoming Firebirds games. Everything happening at AcuShirt Arena. Deeper and deeper, we delve into the unknown, onward into the final four of the Calder Cup playoffs. Look forward to seeing you at the first bar of Acucher Friends. And remember, as always, one valley, one team, rising together.
