by Josh Horton | Apr 20, 2022 | Uncategorized
Longtime Seattle resident Vaughan Rody will ref his final game on Wednesday at Climate Pledge Arena
For Vaughan Rody, Hockey is “religion” in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Even when life led Rody to other places, he felt like hockey should be a part of his life.
His route to practicing his religion was through refereeing. It’s a journey that involved a giant leap of faith, a few lucky breaks, and some cherished memories for the longtime Lake Stevens, Washington resident.
Rody will officiate his final game in the National Hockey League on Wednesday when the Seattle Kraken take on the Colorado Avalanche at Climate Pledge Arena, concluding a 22-year career as a linesman.
“I started refereeing like most kids do for extra money, and really just to stay in the game.” Rody said. “Then I realized I was a good enough skater and had a knowledge of the rules and some ability. You quickly work through the ranks and get some people that really believe in you.”
Rody began officiating when he was 14, picking up youth hockey games while working a “fantastic job” as a site supervisor for the Forks Renewal Corporation as a City of Winnipeg employee. Life was good and stable, but it didn’t involve hockey.
Rody left that job when he was 24 to become a referee in the Western Hockey League, based in Seattle.
That didn’t quite sit well with his father.
“I know for a fact that my dad worked at the railroad for probably 30 years, and I was making more money than he was at the time,” Rody said. “His young kid gets this fantastic job and all of a sudden I’m deciding that I’m going to take a leave of absence to go try to find a job there’s only 35 in the world of, it didn’t really sit that well with him.”
The gamble to move not only to a different city, but to a different country, paid off.
To make ends meet with a meager WHL referee salary, Rody worked at Boeing in Everett as an inspector on the 777 program in the mornings and officiated WHL games at night. A common night involved Rody returning home from a game in Spokane at 1 a.m. only to wake up at 4 a.m. to clock into his shift at Boeing.
Rody made his NHL debut, and walked away from his job at Boeing, when he was hired as a full-time NHL linesman. He skipped a common step of officiating in the American Hockey League after graduating from junior hockey.
Now that his NHL officiating chapter has closed, Rody has an Amazon delivery franchise to tend to — one he became the owner of about a year ago — and still runs his Pro Edge Power Skating program that was founded in 2007.
Retirement won’t be too sleepy for the effervescent “kid” from Manitoba who walked away from certainty to make his dream a reality.
But Rody will still take some time to reflect on his gamble that paid off and the journey it sent him on in front of friends and family.
“I think with this game when you’re in this business for such a long time, you realize that this is all about your family,” Rody said. “And it’s all about the people that have had a hand in making me or allowing me to have this dream. … Those people [that support you], when they get a chance to share in your accomplishments and they get a chance to kind of share in your success and see what you do for work, those are the most meaningful moments.”
What’s it like seeing players and coaches show you so much respect in your final season?
VR: I think what happens is people see that in hockey we have a pretty amazing tradition at the handshakes, and when you’ve been in this league as long as I have, I don’t really know the what the whole thing is, but the bottom line remains that there’s a lot of respect from the players to you as an official. They do a tremendous job of kind of showing their respect through the handshakes and the little shows and gestures like that.
For them to take the time, to take a moment to reflect on your career and wish you all the best [feels great]. At he end of the day, you don’t make it 20 20 some years by accident. I think when they come over and shake your hand, they take time out of their schedule and in their day to do that, I think it’s just such a show of respect and I think it just legitimizes what they think of you in your career.
Is your route a traditional path to becoming an NHL official? How has that changed over the years?
VR: That’s really changed. You know, when I first started, the skillset was that you became a referee, and that’s changed over the last few years. Because now a lot of our young guys, they’re drafted, they’re playing in the American Hockey League, they’re not quite good enough to make it to the NHL, so their careers kind of fizzle out. But they’re great skaters, they’re great athletes, and then the NHL takes shine to them with the NHL training program.
That’s the big change over the last six-to-eight years. Previously you would play and then you would start refereeing at 15-16 years old. And then you would learn and hone the skill to become an official through time and that’s kind of how it was back then.
What’s the biggest difference between officiating a junior game and an NHL game?
VR: Oh, it’s huge. There’s a difference between dealing with kids and dealing with men. You’re dealing with adults in the National Hockey League and there’s a different way to communicate with them. There’s a different way to get along. There are a lot of people in hockey that think you can bully people around, but nobody’s intimidated anymore, yelling and screaming at each other doesn’t really work. I think the biggest difference between junior and pro hockey is simply communication.
When you say communication, that’s just a matter of being able to communicate like adults?
VR: When you’re dealing with pros, no one has to tell them to go and train or tell them to go to bed early. No one has to tell them to shut the TV off, shut their phones off. They’re pros at what they do for a reason. You don’t get to the NHL by accident, as a player, as an official, or as a coach. You don’t get there by accident.
I think you have to learn to become a pro. You have to learn the basic skills. What separates somebody from being good to being great? And no matter what those tangibles are, you’ve got to figure them out for yourself. It has to be something that you find within yourself.
The most important thing I think, in officiating between junior hockey and the pros is making sure you understand the difference between abuse and emotion. You’ve got to be able to sift through that and you’ve got to be able to work through that. You have to be to able to bark back at them and calm them down a little bit and then they have to trust that you’re going to do the right thing for the game. Because as officials, that’s our job. We serve the game.
What were the WHL games like back then to ref?
VR: They were a lot rougher. I can tell you. Even back in the day, they were probably a little bit more difficult to do than the pro style of hockey. I think that’s what gave us all of our experience. You would have line brawls, you would have fights, and you weren’t sure if guys were going to go in the stands and fight. You didn’t know. It was like a free-for-all back in the day. It was a different game. There was a lot more violence in the game back then.
And the game has changed. So the Western Hockey League, the way it was played, prepared you for anything. It prepared you for the NHL. People can’t really behave like that, you know, they’re called on the carpet. There’s an image that the NHL wants to portray. And the Western Hockey League, not that they didn’t have an image, but anybody could fight anybody at that opportunity or that moment. It wasn’t just heavyweight vs. heavyweight, there were 20-year-olds fighting 16-year-olds and that’s a huge age difference, size difference, and mentality difference between those two. You have to be aware because the game expected you to make everybody safe.
What’s the most meaningful game you’ve officiated?
VR: My most meaningful game is probably the All-Star Game in Nashville [in 2016]. I had a chance to bring probably 14-16 family members and friends to the game. The NHL is first class. They took care of everything. You get an opportunity to kind of showcase what we do for a business night in and night out to your friends. They really look upon the NHL as a really exciting place to be and then they come to work with you and they witness how cool your job is. They witness how first-class the organization is and how you’re treated and you get a chance to see their excitement through their eyes.
Those are my most meaningful games, that one and probably my 1000th game, but again, you don’t get to 1000 and you don’t get to game No. 1 without a group of people helping. You get a chance to share those moments with your family and friends. It makes it really, really memorable.
What’s it like raising a family as an NHL official?
VR: Well, it’s tough. I went through a divorce. It was a tough situation for my kids and a tough situation for my wife and a tough situation for me. You’re not home a lot and it’s tough on a family. I’m happily remarried and in retirement, part of my speech I’m going to thank my ex-wife, she’s the mother of my kids and she played a huge role in this and this doesn’t happen without her. There still needs to be an acknowledgement of her effort.
What’s next for you, Vaughan?
VR: When you’re from Canada and you’re in athletics, having the opportunity to work in the National Hockey League is and has been a tremendous honor. And I’m excited about it. I’m excited about my career. I’m proud of it. But now I’m owning a business, having $180,000 payroll every two weeks and having 80-some employees and running a business that’s doing $6 million a year annually. This isn’t my expertise.
That’s what’s next. I’m proud of the NHL, but I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished at Amazon and this new chapter of my life. I’m really proud to be a little kid from Winnipeg, Manitoba making it to the NHL, but I think I might be more proud of running this business because me being a pretty good athlete was kind of expected. This is a real new venture and it’s something I’m extremely excited about.
by Darren Brown | Apr 13, 2022 | Uncategorized
It’s been an eventful week for the Seattle Kraken and their fans, as No. 2 overall draft pick Matty Beniers signed his entry-level contract and made his NHL debut against the Calgary Flames. The news generated a ton of buzz around Seattle, and Beniers lived up to the hype in his first official showing. The Kraken have also played four games since the last episode, so John, Andy, and Darren break down those contests before moving to a rare “Mail Bag” segment, which got some great participation from listeners.
After closing the mail bag, Darren discusses the NCAA Frozen Four, which ended with Denver University as national champion. He also talks about the outcome of the Hobey Baker Award and what is happening with players leaving college to sign in the NHL.
Eventually, the guys shift to segments, which this week feature Bad Boys, You Don’t See That Every Day, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
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by Darren Brown | Apr 10, 2022 | Uncategorized
For months, the talk around the Kraken campfire has been rife with speculation that touted prospect and No. 2 overall pick, Matty Beniers, would sign with Seattle as soon as his college season ended. On Sunday, the waiting and speculation came to an end when the standout 19-year-old center tweeted a graphic of himself skating on Elliott Bay, with the caption “See you soon.”
The Kraken PR team followed up Beniers’ tweet with a tweet of their own, confirming that the deal was done.
“We’re excited to welcome Matty to our organization,” said Kraken general manager Ron Francis, via press release. “He capped off a productive career at Michigan with a trip to the Frozen Four and has impressed our staff over the past couple of years with his leadership and strong two-way game. We’re looking forward to working with him as he takes the next step in his development.”
Added Beniers, “It’s truly an honor to join the Kraken organization, and I can’t wait to get started.”
It is unclear at this time when Beniers will debut, but it would make a lot of sense for him to join the team for practice on Monday at Kraken Community Iceplex, then quickly hit the road for back-to-back games in Calgary and Winnipeg.
Beniers is just four days removed from the end of his sophomore season at the University of Michigan. His star-studded Wolverines lost 3-2 in overtime to the Denver Pioneers on Thursday in an exciting NCAA Frozen Four semifinal.
“Although we fell short of our goal, I loved my time with Michigan and am looking forward to the next step in my journey,” Beniers said. “Being drafted last summer was surreal, and I’m excited to get to Seattle.”
Signing Beniers now means the Kraken will burn the first year of his three-year, entry-level contract, so he will become a restricted free agent following the 2023-24 season. Being that there are only 10 games left, the team surely would have preferred to hold off on bringing him into the fold until after the season. But as Francis mentioned just prior to the NHL Trade Deadline, top prospects generally want to get beyond their ELC’s as soon as possible and onto more lucrative deals. So, burning that first year is the cost of doing business with elite, young players.
A 6-foot-1, 174-pound center that hails from Hingham, Mass., Beniers went through the US National Team Development Program before joining the Wolverines as a true freshman. He won a gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship as the youngest skater on Team USA, then played with pros at the IIHF World Championship, where the Americans took home a bronze medal. Beniers also had the honor of participating in the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February and was especially dynamic in a thrilling three-on-three overtime period in a quarterfinal loss to Slovakia.
Beniers had an exceptional two-year college career and progressed nicely between his freshman and sophomore seasons. He led Michigan and the entire Big Ten with 43 points (20-23—43) in 36 games this season after notching 24 points in 24 games last season. As an 18- and 19-year-old in the NCAA, he was playing against players several years older than him, and he succeeded every step of the way.
His game is responsible at both ends of the ice, but don’t expect him to light it up offensively right away. We think that will take a couple seasons at least, as he adjusts to the pace and skill of the NHL. Still, he has the maturity and physical ability to be an effective everyday player immediately.
by Darren Brown | Apr 6, 2022 | Uncategorized
The good news… correction, the GREAT news is that Joey Daccord is back on Sound Of Hockey for his second appearance, and he is once again electrifying! The bad news is that Darren has COVID. But that’s ok, because he has a great time talking to Joey (via Zoom, obvi), and that makes everything better.
The boys are confident that you will love this second interview with Daccord, who shares some awesome stories about playing in Charlotte, getting called up to Seattle, and being part of the Kraken’s home opener.
Before the interview, John, Andy, and Darren recap the Kraken games against Los Angeles, Vegas, and Dallas, then give some general NHL news. After the interview, they shift the show into segments, with the first being an NCAA Frozen Four edition of Games on the Radar. They then move to Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, Tweets of the Week, and Three Stars.
It’s a battle this week, but this show is a very fun one.
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by Andy Eide | Apr 6, 2022 | Uncategorized
Kraken goalie Chris Driedger did what he could Wednesday night, but his mates couldn’t find the offense in support of him. Driedger, making his fourth start in five games, kicked away 32 shots, but it wouldn’t be enough as the St. Louis Blues outlasted Seattle in a 4-1 win at the Enterprise Center.
Driedger gave Seattle (22-41-6) a chance, but the Kraken took too many penalties and could not cash in on opportunities against the Blues and goalie Ville Husso who turned away 28 shots.
After Jordan Eberle pulled the Kraken to within 2-1 in the second period, Jordan Kyrou delivered what would be the deciding blow at 2:34 of the third period. With the puck bouncing in close, Kyrou would knock it out of the air and past Driedger for his 23rd of the season and gave the Blues a two-goal lead at 3-1.
“Batted it out of the air,” Driedger said. “It’s kind of a tough one to read off a couple guys and it just pinballed around you. Good hand-eye by him. Tough to react to that one when it’s right in front of you. Obviously want to stop them all so would have liked to have that one, but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way.”
Ryan O’Reilly wrapped the scoring up with an empty-net goal to make it 4-1 at 18:45.
The Blues entered the game with the NHL’s second ranked power play and got seven looks with the man advantage Wednesday. Seattle killed off six of those chances thanks to Driedger’s play, but killing that many penalties takes a toll on a team and disrupts flow and line combinations.
“When you have to kill seven minor penalties thats takes a lot of energy,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “Our killers did a good job tonight, but it’s seven power plays to none until very late in the third period, that tilts the ice.”
Brayden Schenn had two assists and St. Louis (39-20-10) got goals from four different scorers to pull the Blues within one point of the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division.
Eberle had the lone goal for the Kraken and Ryan Donato set a new career high in points after picking up an assist. While the final deficit read three goals, the Kraken played better than that might indicate.
They took 57 percent of the unblocked shot attempts at 5-on-5 but were unable to capitalize in what is a familiar refrain this season.
“We had opportunities, that wasn’t a problem. We had chances to score,” Eberle said. “You got to finish those but at the other end, we gave up too much and Driedgs was there and played well. Driedgs was there to make a lot of saves. I think we got to tighten up defensively and just dial it in a little bit offensively.”
A harbinger of how the game would go, Driedger and the Kraken penalty kill had to endure three St. Louis power-play chances in the game’s opening nine minutes. They almost got through it and had several chances themselves to score shorthanded. But after one such chance, the Blues got the puck going the other way, had numbers, and Robert Thomas cashed in at 8:38 of the first with a wrist shot to Driedger’s right to make it 1-0.
“We had a good kill going,” Hakstol said. “We had a couple good opportunities, and we got a little bit greedy and that led to a quick breakdown. That was a huge momentum piece in the game.”
It was the only shot that the Blues garnered on the power play while Seattle managed three.
The Blues doubled their lead, 2-0 at 7:56 of the second after Schenn’s cross-ice pass found Justin Faulk at the back door with an open net waiting for him.
Eberle cut the lead to 2-1 with a goal on the doorstep at 9:55 after Will Borgen’s shot rebounded off bodies in the crease.
“Tonight is disappointing,” Hakstol said. “I’m not sitting here saying I’m not disappointed because we didn’t come here to lose close. Seven minor penalties is too much. I would like to have had another opportunity or two on the power play that I felt like we earned with some of these close, close calls. But that being said, there’s things that we can do better. We’ll look at what we expect ourselves to do a little bit better in those areas for the back-to-back tomorrow night in Chicago.”
Tentacle Tales
+ Donato’s assist on Eberle’s goal was his 26th point this season which eclipsed the 25 he totaled in 2018-19 between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild.
+ Thomas tallied to extend his point streak to seven games (4-8—12) and establish a new career high.
+ Seattle defenseman Cale Fleury played his first game since being called up from the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers Wednesday. He totaled 13:44 of ice time.
by Andy Eide | Apr 5, 2022 | Uncategorized
Before midweek back-to-back games Wednesday in St. Louis and Thursday in Chicago, the Seattle Kraken got in a quick practice Tuesday morning at the Kraken Community Iceplex.
Quick was the key word as the team skated for about 35 minutes so they could get on a plane Tuesday afternoon headed for St. Louis.
“Trying to take advantage of the minutes and make sure we’re taking the time that we need, but also not trying to overdo it,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “If you look at our game in the last couple of weeks here, we’ve played a pretty simple game. We’ve played hard so we’re just trying to continually reinforce the basic areas systems-wise. We can do that by touching on one or two drills, whether it’s morning skate or practice or by doing it through a little bit of quick video before and after practice and games.”
Entering the game against St. Louis on Wednesday, the Kraken are 5-4-1 in the last ten including wins over the Dallas Stars and on the road against the Los Angeles Kings, two teams either in the playoffs or fighting for a spot.
A familiar face at practice
Defenseman Cale Fleury was in Charlotte Monday, getting ready to tee off at a team golf tournament when he got the call that the Kraken were going to bring him up to Seattle. He finished the front nine before leaving the course to pack and get on a plane to Seattle.
“I think it should be good to kind of help set myself up for the future here and kind of show guys what I can do,” Fleury said. “I think I performed pretty well last time I was up here. I felt like I fit in pretty well and I think it’s just kind of a confidence thing coming into the spot.”
Seattle has been playing the last couple of games with no healthy scratches as Haydn Fleury and Jaden Schwartz continue to be out with injury. There was no update on the injured players from Hakstol, but having Cale Fleury with the big club gives the team some insurance.
Hakstol hinted that we might see Cale Fleury in one of the two games during the week.
“Cale was up earlier in the year, did a really good job,” Hakstol said. “When we were in Boston and New York he played with a lot of poise at that time. He’s gone back, and he’s been a top guy in Charlotte and done a really good job there and helped them to a real good playoff position. He’s earned the opportunity to come up and play and get a good opportunity to get in on this road trip.”
With the Checkers in the AHL, Fleury has scored seven goals, with 26 assists and 33 points through 58 games.
His brother, Haydn, did not practice on Monday but did last week with a no-contact jersey and had a long workout in the morning prior to Friday’s game with Vegas. It’s unknown if the two Fleury brothers will play as a pair as they did when Cale was called up earlier in the season.
“Obviously, it’s always good even when we can see each other,” Cale said. “I like when I can stay at his place when I’m here, especially with his young kid.”
Lineup questions
Hakstol didn’t give any hints to what his lineup will look like in St. Louis, but the forward lines at practice Monday were the same as they were for Sunday’s win against the Stars.
The coach was mum about which goaltender would get the call first. Both have been playing well, especially Chris Driedger who has started three out four games and won twice. He was especially good in the third period on Sunday when he made 13 saves to preserve what was a one-goal lead for most of the frame.
“Driedgs is coming off of a performance where he battled hard and he got the win,” Hakstol said. “That’s a good situation going into the next game, so we have a decision to make… That’s their job, to make that decision a difficult one and then my job is to make the choice as to who is starting.”
