Michael Sho in scores here we go everybody’s going to go we all know I’m not a hockey expert Rockford’s GM Mark Bernard is on the bench why is Mark Bernard on the bench as many of you know I was an enforcer for the Rockford ICE stand Rockford you
Have a hockey Champion hi there and welcome into our 10th episode of hog talk the official podcast for the Rockford ice Hogs I’m team broadcaster Mike FTA and our guest for today’s episode is Mike Hardman forward for the Hogs who leads the club with 15 goals as
We record this right now and we’re recording this here in the Tom cor Tom kver Memorial Press Box here at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown de Mo the ice Hogs are currently on the road prepping for a game on Wednesday night against the Iowa wild Rockford lost 3 to one
Here in De Mo on uh on Monday but giving you a little bit of an inside look little inside baseball here uh for you if you’re watching on YouTube you can see behind me I have my my mixer board this is what I have right next to me
When uh when I’m on the call and uh when you’re listening on on ahltv or mixler or the 365 I’m adjusting some of the audio levels uh right here or muting myself or or what have you changing to commercial things like that and uh and if you’re also watching on YouTube I
Have this this box behind me I’ll turn it on right now for you but uh but this box it’s very special it’s worth more than my life and it connects us to uh the wfr studios which allows us uh to broadcast the game GES on on 19.2 the
365 so that’s how a lot of you in the state line are able to uh consume the games when you’re not at the games themselves but it’s a busy week here uh for the ice Hogs two games on the road in Iowa then a couple of games uh as
Well at home back at the beo Center we have Military Appreciation Night on Friday and then a Lucas reel bobblehead giveaway on Saturday and coincidentally reel happened to get sent down to Rockford from Chicago this past Sunday so reel played his first Ice Hawks game of the season on Monday against Iowa
He’s trying to get some more touches of the puck get some confidence back after a rough stretch with the Blackhawks in Chicago but we have a really fun chat with Mike Hardman coming up last Friday we had history when Jackson stalber became the first ever AHL
Goenda goal and a shut out in the same game an incredible night at the beo Center and Jackson’s dad Rob was in attendance as well of course Rob stabber former NHL goalie in his own right former AHL goalie as well he scored a goalie goal with the Rochester Americans
Back in the 9596 season so a crazy uh just a crazy Confluence of events coming together on Taylor Swift night no doubt stalber a big Swifty and we were using him for a lot of the ingame promotions and video board uh fun games and things
Like that he was right in the thick of things both on the ice and uh and on the video board as well it felt like that night was all about Jackson stabber but uh Our Guest here again today is uh is Mike Hardman who has 15 tucks on the
Year he scored in Rockford’s last game on Monday he has been Red Top uh red hot we have a a great chat with him we go into everything uh from you know living with Ryder Rolston and Drew keso to signing his first NHL contract uh and
Everything in between so uh a fun chat with Hardy is uh is coming up here on episode 10 of hogt and we welcome in ice Hogs forward Mike Hardman to this episode of podcast uh hog talk uh Hardy first question I have here on my list uh
Why do you think BC has struggled so much in the bean pot these last couple of years wow that’s a that’s a tough opening question there that is crazy um yeah I know I mean I think that it’s a it’s a hard tournament to to win um I
Don’t think it really matters like what what seed you are before that just um you know any team can can obviously win and uh yeah I me like my freshman year we played be in the opening round uh lost in double overtime and then um my sophomore year it was Co year so
It was canceled but uh I know obviously like two weeks ago watching The Bean poot and uh it was it was a tough tough loss but um you know hopefully they they can win the hockey East and hopefully the the national championship so we’ll see I was going back and looking at
Highlights of that game from your freshman year you guys go up by a couple goals early then you then you was it you guys that tied the game late to to force tied with like uh a minute left and then we lost in in double overtime but yeah I
Was just like we were up by a couple goals and then uh yeah they they scored a couple to to to go up and then it was just a crazy game and uh still still kind of still kind of bitter about it so yeah there are some uh some high-profile
Names in that game along with yourself you had guys like Trevor zus in there and then uh was that with uh with with Matt baly and and Alex new hook were they with you that year as well I believe right yeah yeah we uh we had a
Really good team like um just like top to top to bottom like we had uh our like senior depth was was great too we have a lot of like seniors that um play in the American League now and then um we we had Spencer United as as our goalie as
Well so um I mean it was just a a really really fun team and I think it was disappointing like we um when Co shut our season down we were on like a nine game winning streak going into the playoffs and then um yeah NCAA shut down
Our our season so uh it was it was it was kind of brutal but uh you know we were able to you know make it pretty far my sophomore year but um still still kind of bothers me a little bit I just hopefully I mean I think we could have
Win all the way but guess we’ll never know I’m just going to keep digging the knife and twisting it a little bit here legit while but um uh wanted to ask like how uh how heartbreaking was it as a Boston kid in the garden you know and such a
Such an emotional game that that double overtime Contest no it was it was crazy cuz uh my grandfather actually went to be he uh was a captain there in his senior year and growing up I was a huge be fan and uh and then um like my my
Last year juniors in West Colona um I remember torn both Buu and BC and all my buddies and like all my family members were like oh he’s I don’t even know why he’s going on the BC visit like he’s going to beu and uh I honestly just like
Went to BC first and I absolutely fell in love with it like just the campus the hockey facilities and like the coaches were were unreal like you know coach York uh Mike AES Brenan Buckley so I mean it was just like I I just kind of
Felt like at home there and then I went to be and be was was great too but I was just I felt you know I felt like like I honestly just like BC better and I remember calling like my mom my dad about it and they were like yeah I mean
It’s your decision but like your your whole life you want to be like be like you want to go to beu but I mean um no I’m really happy I I chose BC like it I just made so many friends there and um no we had two really good teams when
I was there too so I’m pretty pumped that that I made that decision now I think I read in uh what was it the Patriot Ledger local newspaper there were you originally committed to Union yeah I was I committed to Union when I was a senior in high school uh yeah I
Mean it just I my offer more nil no n nil wasn’t a thing uh which is which is tough but uh no I honestly like uh I I didn’t really have a lot of like college uh interest like in high school um my first college I talked to was was in my
Senior year high school um and I kind of is that later in the process than most for sure cuz like all like my buddies were like committed at like 15 16 and uh I I didn’t really know I was like I might go just like division three or
Whatever and um my senior year I kind of had like a breakout year um where I was just playing a lot more and like um you know having success and uh and then there’s a a couple schools I remember being Union Yukon and um UMass that were
That were like interested in me or whatever and I actually came down Union in UMass and um same thing I just like tour Union and um I love the campus and um at the time it was uh it was they didn’t give scholarships it was just
Financial aid um base because it used to be in the ivy league I’m pretty sure and Ivy Leagues don’t give athletic scholarships and uh so I was committed there for a couple years and um no I mean like the coaching stuff there was great like they were um you
Know they helped me through through a lot like when I was in juniors and my last year in West Colona um my mom just got like a new job where she was making more money and um so like my financial aid would just like went up and like
When I was applying there like just like the money that I was supposed to pay like went up I I I forget what it was whatever but um so my parents are just like oh like do you think like my I remember like my advisor at the time I
Was just like do you think like I would get like a scholarship somewhere and he was like I I think so so I this is while you’re were playing in juniors I was playing in West Colona yeah so he was just saying like yeah I think someone would give you a scholarship whatever
Like and we were not thinking like BC or bu we were thinking like maybe like a lower end school um and I decommitted and I remember I think I decommitted at like called uh like Rick Bennett that head coach a union at the time at like
8: a.m. and I got a call from like Michigan at like 11: offer me a scholarship so I was I was pretty pumped and things happen pretty quickly yeah and uh but yeah no I mean there was a a lot of schools that kind of came out of
The woodwork but I knew like I wanted to stay at home I wanted to go to a hockey school and um it it came down to BC Buu and and UNH and um I think just being a bossing guy and growing up going the Bean Pots and watching like both those
Schools bcn Buu like winning and uh I mean I I kind it was just an easy decision for me to to kind of pick one of those schools and um you know I obviously picked BC and I’m really happy that I I chose there now you changed
High schools in the middle of your high school career right what was the reasoning behind that um it was it was a hockey decision I think like I went to seian which was a great school um near where I grew up and um it’s a Catholic school so you’re playing like public
Schools and other Catholic schools and um I think a lot of like recruiting out of Massachusetts is more like Prep School base so I actually had a few buddies that were going to winchington and um and I I love the coach there Jared Samson and um the other coach
Brian Troy they’re both not there anymore but I talked to them like weekly and um yeah it’s just like I think uh another fit where I Ted the school and um and obviously my buddies were were going there too so I think just like having a school that I had like you know
Friends friends that were there and like they were just saying like how it’s a good fit and my senior year year we actually had a really good team and we made it to the semi-finals of of the large school Prep School uh playoffs and
We end up losing but um no I think just it kind of helped me mature as a as a player but also a guy I think moving away from home at 16 it’s not the easiest thing and uh no I mean I yeah just looking back I was an absolute mess
I just couldn’t I don’t even I couldn’t even do laundry back then I I still can’t do laundry but uh no I mean it was just it was a good thing for me to to go and live away from home and kind of just uh you know grow up a little bit well
Talking about living away from home you moved away from the Boston area your first year of Juniors out in De Mo what was that culture shock like wow yeah that was crazy um so I had a great Bill family Tim and uh Lori wormers still talk to them they actually live uh well
They they actually just moved to watero but they lived in De Mo so when we played the wild like past couple years they go to the games but uh it was crazy like I I remember just like moving there and I was like it was I actually lived
With another guy J kerski and I couldn’t cook at all still Pro I still can’t really cook but I remember them just being away and like trying to make like pasta for pregame and I it was just an absolute nightmare so um but yeah I know
I think just like just living um with that family they they taught me so much but I remember like just um just like the state like I remember moving there and like I had my car obviously and like you can’t when you’re like parking on
The side of the road you have to park a certain way like in Boston you can just pull up and park like any direction but in like in Iowa like you can get a ticket for that so I had a couple tickets wa you’re telling me in Boston
Like on the right side of the road you have people facing I’m saying I’m saying like I’m saying like in a neighborhood okay like so you know how like you can oh sure there shouldn’t be any rules for that ex yeah but like in Iowa I parked
My car like the wrong way and I got like a couple tickets where my mom was pretty pissed at me for so but I was just like this is not like in in in Massachusetts that’s not a thing so there was like different there’s like little little
Things that I picked up on but um but yeah it was a cool I mean everyone gives de Mo a bad rap like it’s actually a great City I mean we know that from going there and playing there several times even like I mean there’s in Iowa
There’s a couple like tough cities like Cedar Rapids or like water you say tough there’s just not as a lot going on no there there’s like I mean there’s just nothing to really do right like just but like de Mo there is like so much to do there there’s like great restaurants um
I mean I remember there there was a great mall like 10 minutes from my place we’d always go to the good like movie theater and stuff so um there’s I mean I think de MO is a top three USHL City how much did you think you grew that first
Year kind of like moving away from home right and jumping into the USHL yeah I think it was it was uh it was really important for me to to play that year and like I think just it’s it’s a great league and um but I think just on and
Off the ice it just helped me uh become a you know a better person whatever ever but yeah I mean I think just like um I I it was it was a great League whatever but I think that that move to the bchl the second year um it was a weird thing
Because like our our whole coaching staff got fired our GM uh GM head coach Dave Allison who recruited me to De Mo um he got fired and like I I loved uh Dave you know Dave actually knows nighty too J night and Gill so uh we always
Talk about Dave still to this day but he like really believed in me and he played me a lot that year and we we had a a pretty pretty tough team like we were second to last in the league so when they fired him uh they kind of just like
Cleared house and um the new coach came in and I don’t know I just didn’t really I didn’t think uh I wanted to be like a top guy on the junior team going into my second year cuz I knew that second year was huge for me because I knew I was
Going to go into college the following year it’s a big recruiting year absolutely it’s like a contract year like I mean I was still committed to Union but they uh Union like at the time they recruited heavily out of the bchl so they were like hey like you can you
Know ask for a trade or go to the bchl like whatever you want to do so I was like uh okay well I’ll talk to a few bchl teams see what they say and West colog I came knocking and um I literally like the first time I talked to the head
Coach there Ryland fer I remember just like Googling like Colona British Columbia I’m like oh my God like this this place looks unbelievable and like it really it really was like the city there is is is sick and um you have the Clone Rockets there too you have a bunch
Of cool restaurants downtown and just like my living situation there like my billets Scotty and Kim titon they were they were awesome and um I lived like on a mountain like literally like could see like the whole city like I was not bad for an 18yearold kid I was so spoiled
That year and like Scotty and my Billet dad made like the best dinners of all time like um so yeah I was super spoiled and I think it was just a good year for me on and off the ice I just had a great Bill situation and then uh you know
Hockey that year was was a lot of fun too so because of your limitations were you like interviewing billets like hey what uh you guys like in the kitchen can you guys make good food I can’t hon yeah I I can’t do any of that stuff and I
Still get chirped from uh my roommates Ryder and Drew kesso um for not cooking this year so uh that’s a bit of an issue but no I I mean I I remember just showing up and I woke up one morning for pra the first practice of the year and
Like I had one of the best breakfast of I’ve ever had it was like eggs bacon sausage I’m like this is going to be a fun year I might have gained 30 lbs that year but you remember that one breakfast huh yeah yeah I was uh but I I loved
Food back then I was a little fat kid and uh so it was it was fun but I mean um and then Scotty also made like a great buffalo chicken flat red that I still talked to him about so I’m actually going to Ian Mitchell’s wedding
In Colona this summer and I told Scotty I need one of those flat Reds for when I come back so man his culinary expertise left an impression on absolutely it was uh but I miss it it was it was such a it’s it’s tough that it’s so far away
From Boston it takes like a full day to get out there which is tough but um I mean I’m super excited to go back this summer just to like um experience like just like the summer there I heard like I got there like in late August um but
Just I heard just there’s a lot of NHL guys that train there and they said it’s like it’s sick for like you know like water sports and stuff being on the beach so uh should be it should be a pretty fun time uh how did we get you to bring back the
Hair that she had uh in the USHL I don’t know if you had it in the bchl I had a live for a little bit in the in the bchl but um yeah just I don’t know why I even it was just a mop like I don’t even know
Why I even had that if anyone could go back and find Mike Harman highlights from his de moin Buccaneers days I highly encourage it it’s it’s amazing my Elite prospects uh photo I stole of like the lettuce do you really no I don’t think so if you look at my Elite
Prospects page like my photo it’s me like in warm-ups and I got some pretty good lettuce I hate to like humble brag but I mean like but uh nighty uh so Jared Nightingale actually our assistant coach he coached in Omaha the year I was
In De Mo and he still trifed me for like my Under Armor I wore I wore like a white like turtleneck and he still the cold gear you you remember like Mike camer like back in the day with the Canadians he wore like a little turnt
Neck I thought it was so sick so I wore that and he’s like you were the you looked like the biggest idiot out there like with the turtleneck so I mean uh yeah I don’t I mean the I I had the hair like in prep school and then I I thought
I looked good I looked brutal but uh I went so I actually went to BC and um they told you to get rid of that coach York coach York has a rule um that you can’t have any facial hair or like hair past your caller so is this the Yankees
Here hey he won and he was uh he was he was the boss so I mean he uh but I was okay with it cuz I’m like just looking at old photos was probably probably good but uh you committed there knowing that rule obviously and you just like right
My days of being a weapon or over yeah exactly uh I mean I remember I showed up for like my my visit and he was like uh the one thing he said to me he was like hey if you come here next year like no
No facial hair no no hair uh no long hair so I didn’t really have facial hair uh I couldn’t really grow facial hair back then but the hair was uh was was tough but no I honestly like after I went to BC I I just been going with the
Short hair look and uh I mean yeah I think I think I look better but I’m not really sure if if I do so I wanted to ask about your you mentioned your grandfather as well is it Sylvia Bob yes Bob did he ever coach UK I know he’s a
Legendary coach in in the Boston area yeah he coached uh at quiny high for like 43 years so quiny is like a town like right outside Boston um but yeah he uh never coached me I think he was just like growing up he was still coaching
And uh coaching high school but he was he was great like he um he got me into hockey like my dad grew up in Cincinnati Ohio and he was a football guy and then he met my mom in in the military uh my mom was a nurse in the Army and my dad
Was in the Marine so that’s how they met and uh so my dad knew nothing about hockey and uh but obviously like in Massachusetts like hockey’s pretty big and so I got into hockey from him and uh he lit like came to like most my games
Growing up and uh it’s pretty crazy like in junior like in juniors like the West Colony year like the time change is like three hours uh behind so like games were like it was 700 p.m. game in West Colona it was 10: p.m. back home and like my
Grandma would like text me and be like hey like like grumpy was we call him grumpy that’s his that’s his name that all the grandkids call him but she was like he was up till two watching your game last night like I’m like oh my God
And like so like he would F he like still like still like my like my aunts and uncles like still text me they’re like yeah like like grumpy was pissed at that that call last night like that ref was brutal so like it’s just like he
He’s f my career like um you know a lot and like it was pretty emotional like signing my first NHL contract like uh he’s been through it all with me and like there was definitely some happy tears and uh and then like him coming to my first NHL game was was pretty cool
Too and um but yeah no I mean he’s like without him I don’t think I’m you know here right now playing pro and you know I’m probably not playing D1 hockey either so um yeah he’s a guy that I you know I looked up to my whole life and uh
Yeah I’m you know I’m really happy that he’s that he’s still you know like following my career and it’s it’s been great well and what’s cool too is that you know your first NHL your first few NHL games would have been during Co right um and so like him being you know
A grandfather being an older guy like was that difficult for him to make it out to those he wasn’t he wasn’t going to miss that game I’ll tell you that he uh he would have done anything he would have drove the 17 hours to make that
Game uh knowing him but um no I mean the Hawks were great like they um part of my contract they you know they they allowed like my my parents and uh my grandparents to come come to the game and it was it was weird cuz like there’s
No fans at the game my first game first Tampa but they gave like um you know my family like a box in the rank so um no I mean I I definitely wanted my my parents and my grandparents there because without them there’s no way I’m I’m here
Obviously like they made so many sacrifices for me to be able to play hockey and uh you know I’m very grateful for but yeah that was really cool like you know seeing my my uh my dad after he was he was pumped I think he might had a
Few beers in the Press Box cuz he was uh why not yeah exactly he was he definitely looked a little buzzed for sure but um no he was pumped and like just to see him like just a guy that uh he just he’s been with me my whole
Career too like going on you look back on all these tournaments you go to as a kid and you know your your end goal is to play D1 or go to the NHL and just I remember after my first game like you know just hugging him whatever and he
Was like he’s like you made it and like looking back on it it’s like oh like he was like you could not play hockey ever again you can say you play in the NHL which is which is pretty was pretty cool and um yeah I know he I mean both my mom
And dad have been great for me and they still are and um yeah they’re actually I’m excited to see them they’re coming for that uh the uh parents weekend in San josea so that should be pretty cool oh coming up in March here yes yeah so
All of our parents are most guys parents are coming so that should be pretty pretty fun like just to meet all the boys uh like Mom and Dad and stuff so it should be it should be awesome uh your dad is also Mike yes right so are you a
Junior or the second no no no his uh his middle name is William and mine’s Robert so oh that counts as splitting him up like well yeah well usually the Juniors have like the same middle name really I mean yeah okay that’s that’s crazy you’re asking that yeah usually like uh
Like like Gusty he’s a junior uh cuz his dad is the same name middle name whatever so um and I think he’s uh um I shouldn’t say it but I may I’ll say it now we cut it if we yeah yeah but he’s
He’s I mean uh if he ever has a boy um with his wife laxi like I think they’re trying to name him Dave like for like the third so that’ be pretty cool yeah okay all right well I didn’t know that about the middle so thank you for
Educating I keep telling them that uh if they have a boy it should be Mikey Gus so Mikey Gus would be a sick name get this firstes get this in the Twitter yeah no I’m saying if they have another boy like if they have like a third Mikey
Okay I see you’re they have a third child and it’s a boy Mikey Gus would be a sick name oh that kid could wheel he would he would wheel and he would he’d probably go to BC I would recruit him I’d be the coach at BC I’d recruit Mikey
Go so hopefully that happens I I was reading that you and your dad when you signed with the Blackhawks drove through the night to get out to Chicago what was that like crazy story so I uh so when I sign up the Hawks um I drove home my my agent Jerry
Buckley he called me he’s like hey like we’re going to sign the contract at your your house you grew up in which was pretty cool um so I was like I I was thinking it was just G to be me my mom my dad sister and then Jerry and uh I
Show up and uh there’s literally like cars like all down the street so I’m like what’s going on here so my mom invited like all like the whole family there a bunch of um you know like friends whatever all my buddies were there so that was really cool s my first
NHL deal with like all the people that I’ve been with my whole life and then um so after like my mom was like yeah shower up we’re going to go to dinner uh we’re going to some really really good restaurant back home in Hand of her mask
Called Alba so we went to Alba me and my mom had dinner whatever and then uh on the way back my dad was like are you all packed and I’m like what what do you mean he’s like he’s like we’re driving at night I’m like Dad what are you what
Are you talking about my dad just he was so like he’s so crazy he’s like we’re going right now I was all packed up whatever so I go home put some sweats on whatever and then I we drove through the night we did like a rental car and then
It was uh 16 hours and my dad uh basically had like nine coffees and I was I slept like most of the way so it was kind of easy for me but yeah my dad listen to a few you know spit and chicklets podcast he’s a big spit and
Chicklets guy so listen to a few podcasts and then uh yeah and then in the morning he made a few calls to buddies and stuff so but it was pretty cool I think it it brought us back to like uh like the youth hockey tournaments like we drove to a couple
Like we went to Detroit which was a far one we drove to that one and then went to a few in Niagara Falls Toronto Montreal so like I think just like um he was saying he was like yeah it’s like the last he kept saying it’s like oh
It’s like that it’s bringing me back to like youth hockey days like last Rodeo so I’m like hey like last time he was going to drive you somewhere exactly yeah and also like it was during Co so if I flew I would had a quarantine for
Like 14 days so they’re like it’s either seven days in a car or 14 in a plane I’m like I’ll I’ll probably just take the seven and and and drive cuz I if anyone knows me I can’t be in a hotel room by myself for more than an hour so um yeah
So that it was it was a lot of fun and uh looking back on it like it was it was pretty special to do that well props to your dad for uh making that trip because it’s an emotional day right yeah but he’s a say Trooper he he drives a lot
But um but yeah know it was definitely emotional day but I think he he wanted to to drive out there with me and like help me set up whatever so uh it was it was pretty cool to do that so that was in the 20 21 season yes right uh so I
Kind of want to ask about you know spending the two years at BC was that just the point in your college career where you were starting to get NHL interest and that’s why you turned Pro then or did it just feel natural I got inter my freshman year okay um but I I
Didn’t want to come out freshman year I thought like I needed to go back for another year which I I I did for sure and uh also like I think that it was a kind of a brutal end of the year where we didn’t get to play playoffs and I was
Just like I I want to go back and our basically our whole team was coming back like no one signed early or anything so I thought we had a really good shot of going all the way which we we almost did whatever but um but yeah no I think that
Um it was just a weird time like it was just we didn’t I didn’t have I didn’t really know what was going on like in the world so I was just like um so I was like yeah and also like uh I’m a couple classes away from graduating uh that’s
That’s U that’s my bad for for graduating while playing pro um but yeah no I think that uh I definitely wanted to like get closer to my degree and um so yeah I’m just I mean it was I’m happy that I went back for a second year and
Then you joined the taxi Squad right so was that initially like you went right into the taxi Squad had to quarantine and all that well so I I had a quarantine for like seven days and then I uh went to the taxi Squad and I was just like basically just like getting
Bag skated for a week which was which was tough but I I had to get back into shape cuz I was in a hotel room for seven days and it was it was tough uh not really doing anything so uh I practiced and got bag skated for a week
And then uh made my NHL wut vers Tampa at home so that was pretty cool you mentioned the quarantine being stuck in there for S days but it’s not just that it’s also being stuck in there and knowing that you’re you know your NHL isly to through the roof well I knew
That like I was to like definitely get some prac in and stuff but um but yeah I was I think it was good for me to like um I think I watched like five or six games from up top and just seeing like just watching the game from up top and
Kind of seeing like the pace of play and stuff but also um practicing and um I think those bag skates were good for me obviously cuz I needed to get back into shape but yeah it was definitely stressful like when when uh Jeremy colon told me that he told me at practice the
Day before the game he’s like hey you’re you’re going tomorrow and I was like oh man this is uh so I’m I was definitely scared but it was it was good it was just like I worked my whole life to play in that game so I feel like anyone’s
Going to be nervous to to play but um no it was a it was a fun game we lost but uh no it was a I mean it was cool to play against the uh defending stle Cup champs so that was pretty cool and on your first NHL goal the first guy to
Come congratulate he was Patrick Kane yeah that was really cool he he uh McKenzie West made a great play where he just shot off the the the pad and I was kind of right there to to bang it home but um yeah that was really cool like
Just to have him uh on the ice with me when I scored and then was a pretty cool photo of me like uh with him so yeah that was awesome and I I think I honestly kind of kind of blacked out during it like I don’t really remember
Much uh I was just kind of you know right there kind of at the right place at the right time so um but yeah that was something I’ll obviously never forget how much does that make you want to get one in front of like a non-co crowd actually they had uh they they
They had some fans in there actually so uh but I definitely want to uh I only have one right now so I definitely definitely want another one so yeah um I I read an article that where you’re quoted is saying being undrafted was one of the best things that happened to you
You still think that absolutely I remember that year in Colona um like there was a couple teams that were talking to to me and um and I remember just wanting to get drafted CU I I thought it’d be cool to get drafted uh like all like the young kids do whatever
And I remember not getting picked and I was like pretty pissed off like uh just upset like whatever and um it was the best thing for me because when you’re an undrafted kid in college you can talk to any team you want and they’re not like if if you’re doing well like you’re
Basically you can sign a college whenever like a team might be like hey you know we like a team like let’s say Boston drafted me like and they’re a real they were they’re still really good but they’re like we we don’t like need a guy like you right now like we want you
To stay all four years or you know we oh yeah we can’t sign you to this deal because our Cap’s all messed up like you know you can kind of pick whatever team you want to want you want to play at but um I just think that like being
Undrafted too it’s just like you’re basically uh I mean just the best part about it is like you can really pick any team you want to play at so um but yeah I mean I remember just talk Chicago is one of the first teams I’ve tal I talked
To my freshman year and you know they were they were great and um and I I kind of just narrowed it down but I thought Chicago was probably the best fit for me just because they were kind of like in a rebuild and um and yeah I mean I so I I
Chose to sign with them and I’m I’m pretty happy that I did that is it like a sliding scale like is there a certain round where after that it’s just better to be undrafted uh yeah I mean people people say like um people say like after
Like the third round I’d say but like I don’t really know like I know so I have a couple buddies that like my buddy Aiden mcdonal who put a nor Eastern he was a seventh round pick by The Knocks and um you know he he had a great
College career at nor Eastern and uh after his senior year he played six games with the Cano last year so like you can kind of say like oh like if you’re a seventh rounder like they don’t like really necessarily care but I don’t that’s not true like
If you if you play well in juniors or you play well in college like they’re going to sign you and you’re going to play right so um but yeah know I think for for me though I think like being undrafted was was better I think it’s basically like uh it’s different for
Everybody but I mean uh I’m definitely happy that I was undrafted for sure is it weird to have one of your buddies who’s just coming out of college when you’re in what your third full professional season no I think like I mean uh I think honestly like coming out early like um
I’m kind of like h i mean playing in the miners like uh people always say like oh like you know why would you rather maybe play college than play in the miners but I think like my game necessarily like I think I’m um happy I did that a little
Bit because I think that like especially like being my third year I think I’ve like kind of grown as a player and um just like systems wise and like dzone wise I think like I’ve gotten better in small areas of the game that um I wasn’t
Better at like my first year Pro and um so yeah I mean I think like you look at so many guys that have had great NHL careers like they spend a little little time in the miners and they kind of like um even a guy like Cory Crawford like we
Were talking about the other day like he played five years in the AHL and he has an unbelievable NHL career so I think everyone’s different and I think for for my career like I’ve never really been the best player I think that um I I always needed a couple years to kind of
Get acclimated and um we in college I kind of got a chance early on and I kind of uh um you know kind of like just uh like drove with it and we necessarily like growing up like I I I always needed a couple years like Jun like Prep School
A couple years Juniors a couple years where like college I kind of like clicked early but I think in Pro I think uh being a third-year guy I feel like I mean it’s kind of just all came together for me this year and I’m pretty happy
With how I’ve been playing so um but yeah I mean I think it’s uh it’s been good for me to you know play in the American league and hopefully get back up there at one of our media availabilities the other day there was a reporter who uh who said something to
You and called you as one of the older guys and you can’t even do laundry or cook here I mean you’re 25 years old like is that weird to kind of hear someone ask I don’t I don’t even necessarily like like I’m I might be an
Older guy on this team but like am I 25 old I don’t even know 25 Old like so I mean I’m I yeah I was I’m 26 so if you’re old I’m old right yeah but I was just like I mean we have such a young
Team this year so um I I mean I I get it for sure I’m a third third year guy and then we have so many first seconde guys so um but I mean if I’m thinking about old I’m thinking about know seey gust badic um oh just throwing them right
Under the yeah exactly well they’re they’re they’re getting they’re they’re getting close to long in the to but no I I I mean um I mean I I think like on our team I’m I’m kind of getting up there as an older guy but I think in a lot of
Other teams I’m probably like middle of the pack so I mean by 25 oh man yeah I mean five years saw I’m 30 that’s pretty scary so yeah well this is a young team with the Ice Hawks but before we kind of talk about this year I want to bring up
Last year because it was a much older team last season and you had a guy like like buddy Robinson to learn from he’s another you know big body veteran presence what was it like kind of studying under him a little bit yeah it was really cool like he first off
Buddy’s a great guy like there’s not a guy in her room last year that didn’t like him like he he’s such a good dude or whatever and uh but obviously a great player as well but he’s played over 500 games in the American League he’s played
Close to 100 in the NHL so just to learn from a guy like that and um kind of pick his brain like during the year it was awesome and then uh when I got called up last year he was uh we got called up together and we were line mates so that
Was awesome and we were like in the hotel together so uh we were basically just like with each other like almost 24/7 like we were going to dinners together um going to practice together so it was pretty cool to um you know kind of be down here throughout the
Whole year and uh then get called up together so it was pretty it was pretty cool but um yeah I’ve talked to him a couple times during the year um I think he’s enjoying the KHL it’s definitely different over in Russia but um yeah I definitely miss him and he definitely
Taught me a lot about um just you know the American League and and hockey in general well let’s get to this season I’ve asked you a couple times about this but you’ve mentioned the work that you’ve put in this last off season get the where you’re at now thisa gos
Leading the team in that category but what changed for you in the offse was it in the way room was it on the ice where were you making the adjustments um I think just uh I think on the ice just confidence I think uh this summer I was
Able to skate um over at beu with a lot of um NHL guys like um actually keso skates there and uh got to you know score on him a couple times which was nice but um no I uh there was a lot of like NHL guys like Bruins guys like
Marshon uh makoy um zaka like a lot of great NHL players and we were doing like just drills and scrimmages like all summer long and um I was making plays and um you know playing pretty well and I was just like I think it’s all a confidence like going into a year like
You’re like you know you’re feeling good on the ice and you’re doing it against guys who are really good NHL players you’re just like I have that confidence I I I can I can do this and um I think anything you do like if you don’t have
Any confidence like you’re not going to do well at it so I kind of got that confidence back that I had my first year here and then I had in in college and um I kind of just said like I I believed in myself that I’m a good player and um
Obviously like last year wasn’t the year I wanted like it was just snake bit I couldn’t couldn’t score and I kind of got in my own head and it was a tough year for sure but I think just put in the rearview mirror and just saying hey
Like you know I’m going to go into next year and I’m going to be in the best shape of my life and I’m going to you know be the player I was my first year and uh so far it’s uh it’s been going well but still got you know a lot of
Hockey games left and I think it’s all about just being consistent and uh being able to do that every game have you found like um you know there’s a different way you’re playing this year compared to last year maybe simplifying things uh I mean I think the I mean a
Little bit I think just trying to be around the net a lot more and I think like last last year I was but I I just think that like um I don’t know I think just more opportunity this year I think the coaches gave me a lot more
Opportunity off the bat this year playing with uh you know my the first game playing with Joey Anderson and and borki like um just two great players and I was able to score in my first game and I think scoring first game was huge like just being like okay like I got the
First one um out of the way and like let’s let’s just start doing this and whatever and um so I mean just playing with good play and getting power play time and um I think just playing a lot of minutes like I mean my first game playing like I mean I remember just
Playing I think I was playing like 18 minutes the first game and I’m like wow like this this feels good like I think just getting like The Confidence from your coaches like Hey we’re going to play we’re going to play you a ton like no just like you know just keep going
With it so um no I mean I think just uh it’s it’s been going good so far but I think just um yeah I think just having confidence in myself but also having confidence from the coaches I think that just gives you um you know an extra an
Extra level of uh of you know of confidence to go out there and play yeah that first goal came in a 7-2 win out in San Jose I remember it was like a a tic-tac-toe uh play with with Bor Anderson and you were you kind of thinking like all right this season’s
Going to be yeah I mean yeah that I mean it was such a good pass from Joey and uh yeah I was just I think it might have been like my third or fourth shift too which was which was so nice just being able to pot one early in the game so um
But yeah no I think just uh we have a we have a good group this year and I think you know all of us believe we can make playoffs and um just uh I think just we’re on a two- game winning streak now just keep going with it and you look at
Her standings right now like everyone’s pretty pretty close so like last year it’ll it’ll come down to the last couple games and we just try to keep uh keep pushing here and hopefully we have a good uh last 28 games well in these last couple games games uh Andrew senson has
Put you with Kates and with uh with Bor and that seems like a line that you guys appear to be like really defensively responsible but also creating offense as well and he’s let off with you guys in a couple games what’s it like playing uh you mentioned with buor but also with
Katy in the middle there a great Faceoff guy yeah he’s great I mean uh last game opening shift wasn’t awesome but uh got it was at the start though you guys got the puck down we had a great opening shift and we got a caught a dash that
Was tough but uh but no yeah I think like I’ve told you before I think uh case’s a great great player like he’s such a good uh 200 foot player where like he uh is so so good in the defensive Zone and then in the ozone too
Like he he’s uh really special like he he’s underrated underrated like with skills like he really skilled player but um and then I think like we were talking about the other day I think uh we all kind of bring something different to the table where um you know I think uh we
All kind of just read off each other and um it’s been fun uh I think we’ve played with each other last like three or four games and we’ve been clicking so um hopefully we can just keep doing that uh earlier we were mentioning uh you alluded to your roommates Ryder rolon
We’re talking about you being one of the older guys you are the old head in that in that apartment what’s it like living with those two oh it’s it’s pretty crazy uh Ro Roy is something else for sure he’s a DJ right he’s got his keyboard
He’s an absolute clown that’s what he is I’ll come out of my room one day after taking a nap and he’s just just like on his DJ table it’s just like dude what are you doing so uh but yeah meso is um he kind of does his own thing like he’s
He’s really really mature for his age um and I think uh we we just have so much fun like we um we’re always chirping each other like always giving each other crap whatever um so I we’re always uh we’ve been actually cooking a lot this
Year uh Roy’s a really good I will give roelly credit he’s a good pretty good cook he cooks uh this we actually go to um you know Mike or uh uh what’s the Mike’s trade right the you have you got Stakes there before uh is that Bryan’s
Uh Brian oh my God yeah we might have to cut that out Brian St right um but no Brian uh we go to Brian all the time uh to get steaks and Roy cooks really good steaks whatever and uh so I usually try to do the sides of the asparagus or they
Trust you with that huh yeah of course it’s it’s Prett it’s pretty easy to cook you set the table yeah exactly so um but yeah we we try to cook almost every night and uh we usually put on either like a movie or like an NHL game and uh
Yeah we we just have a blast I think that’s like part of the reason like um you know like my first year I lived with uh with coland deia which was pretty awesome uh I was able to live with him and his wife Ava and his his son sunny
At the time and um he has another um son right now but it was just sunny and uh but yeah that was a lot of fun like me and de would would uh would just chirp each other Non-Stop and uh a character oh he’s a character and like we he would
Just always always chir me and I would just laugh whatever and um so I had a lot of fun that year off the ice and I think it translated on and last year I lived like at had an injurying training camp so I came down here um kind of a
Tough time where like everyone kind of had their living situation so I lived by myself and I absolutely hated it like it was just uh I mean like you’re just by yourself like too much if feel like and I’m a guy that I kind of need to be be
Around some of the boys or you know someone just to talk to and uh so this year we’re we’re lucky to get a three-bedroom place and I know keso pretty well from from back home he lives like five minutes from me and grew up playing with them and um we played golf
Quite uh quite a few times this summer so I kind of told him like yeah I mean in Rockford like if we’re both down there like let’s let’s get a place or something so and uh Roy Roy coming in last year we became pretty good buddies
And he’s another college guy so um we found a three-b place and it was it’s uh it’s it’s been a lot of fun I love it first sight with with those couple guys so are you guys like video Gamers at all is anybody play oh so you guys are just
Watching just the moment we’re basically uh go go get coffee uh come back home and just talk hockey or just um yeah I mean it’s just we just basically we’re just like just chirping each other 247 and but yeah we honestly like I I kind of love that we’re not video G video
Game guys cuz I think that’s I I don’t I’m not a big video game guy and I think you’re just like in your room 24/7 when you’re doing that and I think we’re all kind of just like going with the flow uh going to the grocery store like getting
Coffee just kind of chopping it so um I mean yeah I mean I I mean I I think it’s been great and like we uh we we’re kind of like me and Roy are kind of like kind of the same in a way like I mean um and
Keso is just like way kesso is like three or four years younger than me and he’s way more mature than me or Ry like Ro like he’s an intellectual you know and Ry like roelly thinks he’s going to be a DJ like he stinks like he’s he’s a
Terrible DJ guy like he thinks he he thinks he’s the man like I remember there’s no way he’s made it this far in the interview right if he’s listening so we don’t have to worry about that yeah exactly like he he might be watching right now but I mean I don’t even care
Like I tell him this to his face so uh but yeah he he thinks he’s the man like with his with his headset whatever and me and keso kind of just shake her head but um but yeah no like mess’s mess has been awesome and uh I think like just
Trying to help out those two guys like on a serious note cuz like I think that uh it’s way different than College like Pro Hockey like just like you’re playing a lot more games in Pro and like there’s so many ups and downs throughout the season like um I remember like when we
Had that tough losing losing stretch like um I think we got pumped by S we yeah we got pumped by San Diego those two games and they’re both like this is like this is Nots like I mean and they were both on pretty successful college
Team so like you never you never lose 70 and then 5-1 on a weekend like so that was something new to get used to and um I think just trying to like tell them like hey like stuff like this happens like it’s there’s so many like Peaks and
Valleys and you just kind of kind of come to the rink every day with a smile on your face and kind of be that happy gol lucky that you are even during a winning streak and just work hard on the ice and you know have fun with it off so
Um yeah and I think like both them been playing great so far and they’re having great rookie years and uh you know look at roelly Roy’s I think roley’s got nine tucks this year he’s he’s been playing well he wants that 10th one bad too so uh and meso has been playing great
Obviously uh um he’s he’s been stopping pucks for us and you know obviously won last game so um but yeah just trying to help those guys out uh and kind of keep them under my wing and um and yeah so we have a lot of fun that’s for sure you
Guys look like you have uh fun together and this is a this is a really fun group and this has been great chatting with you Hardy one more question before I cut you loose here I wanted to ask about uh Cory Crawford night that was a couple
Nights ago as we sit here and record this now but uh a soldout barn a physical emotional game and you had crow in the building as well what was that like can you kind of peel the curtain back from the players perspective it was really cool it it honestly reminded me
Of a playoff game here like in the past two years being lucky enough to play in playoff games and it was sold out the fans were awesome but before the game like seeing a guy like Cory Crawford a guy that I watched like basically my whole life playing and uh watching him
On TV and watching him win cups and having him like you know talk to us and talk to the fans it was really cool and then before the game him reading the lineup sheet and uh being able to like meet him it was it was awesome and um
You know that was really cool to get a win for him and um having to be a sold out pack bar and it just made it a lot better and we were on a bit of a uh seven game skid there so it was nice to
Kind of um you know get that huge win versus the Wolves who who has basically had our number this year I think they’ve beat us five times in a row and then being able to beat them 2-1 in the close game and uh having it be a packed Barn
It was it was Unreal and you can mention the two goals that you scored I wasn’t going to mention it but I mean yeah if you’re going to mention it yeah were you kind of looking up next to Cory’s 29 and just thinking like 86 could go up there
Too that that number will never be up there but no Cory uh Cory’s he’s he had a of a career and um you he obviously won two Stanley cops and um he had a great great career in Chicago and um you know it was pretty cool to um be a part
Of that um Jersey retirement and uh just kind of seeing the ins and outs of it it was it was awesome well Hardy it’s been a lot of fun to uh to watch you this week watch you this uh this season so far we wish you the best of luck going
Forward and we’ll have to have you back on hey I’d love to come back on and tell some more uh hopefully we get some more uh stories from uh from the the apartment so yes absolutely real quick uh a favorite road City like in conference or like no no
Throughout that you’ve been to in the AHL San Diego San die I mean that’s lay there’s a layup but in conference I got to say uh I’d have to say in division yeah in division uh Grand Rapids okay Grand Rapids is a cool City I think
Walkable a lot of good food spots a lot of good food spots and uh it’s uh I mean it just start underrated City so I don’t think too many people know about gr but yeah it’s a really cool City to play in and uh kind of night before go get
Dinner couple cool spots so yeah all right thanks Hardy yeah thank you that guy brings a lot of levity and a lot of fun to this ice Hog’s dressing room it’s his third year with Rockford even though he’s only 25 he feels like uh one of the
Veterans on the team so glad that we were able to get about 40 minutes or so uh with Hardy great chatting with him again like we said two home games coming up for Rockford this weekend in the state line a lot of February games for the Hogs Rockford’s in the middle of a
Stretch of nine days in which the team plays six games so the boys are staying busy they’re playing a lot of hockey Rockford’s trying to push ahead uh and maybe gain some ground in the Central Division standings as it sits right now the Hogs are in fourth place trying to
Chase down Grand Rapids and Texas directly ahead of them but enjoyed our chat with Hardy that wraps things up for episode 10 of hog talk we’ll see you next next time and we’ll hope to see you at the beo Center this weekend as well a
