One on one with Vincent Desharnais | The Jason Gregor Show

Edmonton Oilers defenceman, Vincent Desharnais stopped by the Sports 1440 studio and joined The Jason Gregor Show on Tuesday.

💻 Website: https://oilersnation.com/

https://twitter.com/OilersNation/
https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom/
https://www.facebook.com/OilersNation/
https://www.instagram.com/oilersnationdotcom

@oilersnation

Want to find the show as a podcast? Click here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-jason-gregor-show/id1705771805

Brought to you by:

Action Electrical:
Facebook: Action Electrical LTD.
Instagram: @actionelectrical_ltd

@MrJIFFYLUBE
Facebook: @JiffyLubeCanada
Instagram: @JiffyLubeCAN
Twitter: @JiffyLubeCAN

Play Alberta:
Facebook: Play Alberta
Twitter: @PlayAlbertaCA

Legacy Heating:
Facebook: Legacy Heating and Cooling
Twitter: @LegacyHCYeg

GS Construction: https://www.gsconstruction.ca/
Facebook: /GSConstructionYEG
LinkedIn: GS Construction | Underground Infrastructure
Instagram: @gs.construction_
YouTube: @GSConstructionYEG

Silent Ice:
Twitter: @SilentIceSE

Nex Gen Transportation: https://www.nexgentransportation.com/

CanTorque: https://cantorque.com/
Instagram: @CanTorque

Right off the top of the show uh brought to you by volvocars.com they are Canada’s number one Volvo dealership a 13 time Excellence Award winners not only great vehicles but even better service at Volvo cars Edmonton doom and uh in studio joining us now uh gentleman who was the

183rd pick in the NHL draft uh less than eight years ago and uh now he is the Conor McDavid of games played in the NHL and maybe didn’t know that going into today but he’s got 97 three away from the the first uh Milestone which is 100

Games and then who knows maybe it be a thousand uh soon uh Vincent dear joins us in studio Vinnie how you doing I’m doing great how are you hey uh I’m excellent uh good to have you in studio and uh we’re gonna get to why a very

Special reason uh why you’re in studio we’ll get to that a little bit usually on Wednesdays we have a segment called who is it Wednesday so we’re kind of GNA hijack that a little bit today um you’ve had a pretty unique um career path I think to to the NHL

Unlike a lot of different players and I kind of want to we’ll get I want to go back to that but I want to find out how how a kid who was you know uh from uh from lval ended up playing in chillak in

The in junior in junior a for a year how did that how did you go across the country how’ that happen um first of all I was uh I was not drafted in the in the que so that was a big thing I wanted to obviously to to get drafted when you

Grew up in Quebec uh getting drafted in the queue going to to play there it’s kind of a dream and uh my first year 15 years old I didn’t get drafted and uh out of my team that I was playing for five guys were at the draft and I was

The only one the only one who was not drafted so I was crying it was the end of the world my career is over this and that and uh the the team I was playing for was a kind of a prep school so we would travel to the US it was called ulc

Prep School okay and uh and one one of the guys there came to see me hey he goes will find you at Plan B you’ll go to the US you’ll go prep school you go play college so I went to go play prep school at nor Northwood prep and uh from

There kind of I fell in love with the the college aspect of it I was like I want to go play college it’s it’s the route for me and uh yeah from uh from prep school I I got some interest from the bchl and I had a few teams and uh my

Agent knew the coach there it was Jason Tarik okay and uh they kind of talked and he was like Hey like bring him in he we we’ll work on his boots we’ll work on his on his spuck skills and uh and yeah next you know I played there for a year

I was supposed to play there for two and only played there for a year Providence offered me to come in right away and I accepted it in I think in April or yeah late April and I I went my first uh first day of summmer school I think July

1 I showed up there so it was uhid Providence yeah for summer school so I was I thought I was going to go play second year in the bchl till April 20th or so and July 1st I was I was first day of summer school at Providence College

Oh wow that’s CRA and so and you went when you were in chillak uh that was your uh you know you were 18 yeah already so a little bit now were you always like a were you 65 66 when you were 18 yeah I was uh I think by then I

Was 65 I probably 65 probably 190 200 okay yeah I was pretty I mean skinny out I was I was really skinny back then I was like at 15 uh I remember 15 the first I showed up at camp and I was like looking at me

It was like this guy’s so tall I was like 61 145 I mean I was a string bean it was CRA it was crazy um but and that’s why I think that college was the right path for me because it gave me four years to work out uh work on my uh

On my body my my my uh my maturity and um it’s hard to be a big man and to skate every day and to uh to be fluent skating and you know my skating has gone so much better and even now sometimes I’ll I’ll do some movements and it

Doesn’t look uh very fluid U so you can only imagine five 10 years ago how bad it was Vincent de har joins us so you go from the chillac Chiefs now you’re in Providence College and uh you know like that’s probably a little bit of a

Culture shock too uh for you but you go there you’re in summer school you’re into Providence the uh kind of tell me like from year one in Providence because you weren’t in the lineup every game or did you get injured your first year no I

Was I was scratch you’re SC okay and and that’s kind of normal but then you know you get up now your last few years you’re playing a ton take me through like your progression because I think it was your your your finished your first year Providence and that’s when you got

Drafted correct yeah yeah that’s why I played 18 games out of 42 I believe or 41 yeah so I think the first half of the season I probably played six games yeah and um you know I would play one game and I would be scratched five games I

Would play one game i’ would be I’d be scratched for another two two or three weekends and uh in college you we don’t play that that much so like you just you just practice two hours a day and especially when you’re not playing you practice even more and you’re still on

The ace even more so I would be on the ice like two and a half hours a day uh just practicing and trying to get better and and I remember the the assistant coach the the D coach there was Scott boric and I’m so thankful for him

Because he spent so much time with me and he gave me so much confidence of of believing in myself and it’s hard you’re a kid you just show up I was the there was in our class um there was uh seven of us and Al and the other six guys were

Were from the USHL they all knew each other I’m a Frenchie I show up there I’m a tall you know tall lanky guy everyone’s like who’s that guy like his English is awful like his accent is not great um and yeah yeah and for me I just

Kind of um all that anxiety all that stuff I just I just stayed on the ice and for me it was my safe place and my that’s kind of I’ve always been I’ve always had a good work ethic but I think that’s where I kind of developed it even

More and I realized that if I want if I want something if I want to prove to people that I can play if I want to prove my coaches my my my teammates I just got to work for it and and the more I work for it the more it’s going to

Come and you know I finished the season I was playing game I was scratched for two months I didn’t play for two months and then after that the first game back I played the rest of the season I played uh NCA tournament I scored my first goal

At the TD Garden at the in the hockey semi-finals come on uh my brother was there in the stands like right like align with me where I like it was uh it was crazy so uh it was uh it was a really cool uh learning experience it

Was hard at first cuz I’m like hey I left everything behind to come to college my parents are paying a lot of money that they don’t necessarily have that they’re just putting on the car they’re just putting on the house cuz they wanted me you know they just want

To give give that dream to me um and I put my I doubted myself quite a bit and I remember calling my age and and I remember that moment prec like we were playing NCL and we’re during the I think it was between the second and third and

I’m in the stands I called I was like do you think I should like transfer do you think I should like I’m not playing here I want to play he’s like Vin just keep working like you’re like you’re going to get there you’re the type of kid that

Will you will get there and next thing you know I assistant Captain Captain afterwards and there was just so many great things that that happened to me and was the best four years of my life for sure Vincent dear joins us and I I think the great lesson there is it’s so

Easy like the easy thing to do would be to quit because anybody can quit right but you’re like no no no and and you need some people to say no you know qu what about you know you mentioned your parents and not everybody gets a full ride scholarship just because you go

NCAA I think that’s a real misnomer sometimes everybody just thinks oh he NCAA he’s getting a full boat so well did you ever have advice like for you did your mom and dad ever give you one of those no no no there’s no quitting here like how how was the support system

From your parents um so my mom was always she’s always like whatever you decide to do I’ll I’ll be there for you I’ll support you uh and my dad was a a little bit tougher of like no you stay there you keep you keep working hard you

Keep going and like it’s gonna just trust yourself believe in yourself and it was I’ve always had that kind of struggle of finding everyone else better than me and always like oh that guy is really good oh that guy’s really good and kind he’s way better than me but um

But then yeah my my my dad my brother they always believed in me they and even in when I was in the east coast my dad kept telling me he was like like you’re going to make it I know it you just got to keep and I’m like Dad I’m in the east

Coast for blocks like I’m so far away and you just and when you have that kind of belief um every day that you talk to him and that he he mentions it and he was not he was not saying you’re the best player in the world like you’re

You’re the excor McDavid he was not uh over pumping pumping me up but he just believed in me and when you have that support that everyday support at some point he started you know you just believe in yourself and uh was the same thing for my for my brother so when it

Happened when I finally made it to to share that with them and to in Anheim and to to I remember I told my my brother and my dad afterwards um I gave them hsh I gave them a hug and I told I was like I was like bro we made it I it

Was not I made it yeah it was we made it because they they’re living their their their dream true me and they supported me and through thi I know east coast and and and and concussion and and there was so many things that happened happen that

That were non typical for an NHL player yeah and and I remember my dad kept saying he goes once you get there you you you you’re not going to leave you’re going to be you’re going to stay there because you’re gonna have to you’re going to go through so many things in

Your career that once you make it you’re going to have all the experience you need and you’re going to be able to stick around and stay there and next thing and I and I not that I didn’t believe him but I was like that I’ll focus on just getting there and we’ll

See afterwards and now like you said I’m 97 games in and you know things are going pretty well I I’m keep getting better every day I keep trying to work on my game and it’s uh it’s crazy to think about that four or five years ago

I was you know three leagues away and you know I was so far away and now I’m I’m I’m in now you mentioned Vincent de and ajones you mentioned how when you didn’t get drafted in the queue you know your oh gez career is over so I’m

Guessing then in 2016 you’re just turned 20 in May because your birthday’s in May you turned 20 the drafts you know in June a month later I’m guessing you weren’t at the draft in 2016 were you even thinking like what who gave you the call that hey the Evanson owner is

Drafting the seventh round and did you s someone was pranking you uh no I was actually following the draft I was at my uh my brother lives like three hours away from uh Montreal he lives uh on a lake so we were on his boat so you

Thought so you were thinking maybe I’ll get drafted well I I had a you know I was like may maybe there’s some chances and my my agent talked to me he said there’s a bunch of teams that that that called me and and it’s going to be a you

Know you might be a late late rounder and um so around this fifth or sixth round I started kind of looking at my phone kind of refreshing it a little bit and you know I was with two of my my good buddies were with me my brother was

There and they were all like having casual you know drinking beers and like like have a beer I was like no no no like not yet as I was like if I get a call I want you know I want to be there

I want to be 100% out like and uh and at some point uh I kind of my my brother talked to me he’s like you’re gonna put the phone away right now okay I’m tired of seeing you look at your phone like just enjoy the day it’s a beautiful

Sunny day if it happens it happens it doesn’t you’ll find a way and uh like not too long after um I just see like my agent calling me so like right away I kind of got excited so I answered and he was like congrats you just got drafted

To Edmonton so I kind of froze and then right after that I S my phone house like my so I answered my mom you got drafted and she’s crying and she’s like so so happy for me and uh and still there my my brother my my buddies don’t know it

They’re still you know having fun and and I just put my head down and I started crying my brother’s like I told you it doesn’t matter D it doesn’t matter if you know if you don’t get drafted cuz he thought that the draft

Was over I was I was like IED ad and he just and then the rest of the day was just such a such a crazy you know fun day that to enjoy with my f with my my my buddies my brother um and I remember uh the first person from mingon who

Called me was Rick carrier okay he was the uh director of development back then and I remember he called me and I I told him I was like I’ll show you guys guys that I was worth Drafting and you know seven like yeah yeah for sure you know

Like everyone says that blah blah blah and I I I I I kept remembering that sentence that I told them and that kind of drove me forward of like I’m M my word I’ll show him I’ll show him that was right and and to like when I played

My first game uh the the the dinner before I I told that to my my parents I was like hey remember when I talked to Rick and I told him I was like well I’m really happy that I I stuck with him and and here and I I made it and you know

You talked about all the adversity because it was you know not getting drafted the qu and then going to Province healthy scratch for two straight months and then you know you just kept building and building then you come to the to Pro camps and you got

Injured two years in a row like the second year especially uh la like last year you were coming to camp and I think a lot of people were like hey like this guy’s taking big strides you know the coach I had in the American League is

Now the head coach he knows me Dave Manson knows um was that as as all the trials that you’ve had was that the toughest one at that time that you got injured in that training camp and didn’t get to go through Camp um when it happened when I

Because at first I I broke a bone in my hand and and that thday sat it’s going to be four four to six weeks just it’s going to heal you’re going to be fine so it was going to probably heal up right around training camp right around the

First couple days so I was like I’ll be fine you know I’ll get week or two and I’ll play and um and then after a month they’re like oh the bone is not healing up you’re going to have to get surgery and it’s going to be an extra 46 and

That one was really tough to to hear I was very frustrated um but I changed my mindset pretty quickly because I’m like I’m I’m here you know I have the that contract I have the contract for two years uh and I know what I can do and I

Kept a pretty positive mindset through all that uh my parents came to to spend a week with me as well to kind of help me out through through my surgery and uh so I went down to Bakers field played five games and he got infected again had

To get another surgery yes I remember that and it’s just like you know at some point it’s like what’s going on here like am I am I not doing things right and but I kept going back to it’s all out like out out of my power there’s

Nothing I can do about it um so I kept just think positive about it and I was like I’ll just take it you know some time off time for my body to to heal up to so I was getting lots of treatments my back my hips you know to try to feel

As good as possible coming back and I played came back played eight games and I got called up afterwards and I didn’t think it was going to happen that fast but once I got called up I was like all right let’s go you know let’s do it I’ve

Waited long enough and I was so and by not playing that much I had so much energy I felt so good that when I got called up I I was so jacked up for a couple months where guys have been playing for half a season already right

And you feel it you’re you’re not as as uh energetic and all that but I was like that second half of the Season like the whole the I was every game I was like I’m I’m in the National Hockey League like let’s go like I started with two

Hand surgeries and now I’m here like I’s just enjoy every every game every practice and let’s just get better uh Vincent de her joins us uh great start to the show talk about this but uh when we were turn um some order fans have uh have started to notice that the hockey

Hair is uh is coming out the back of the helmet and we’ll find out why there’s a very specific reason we’ll find out next on the Jason Gregor show on Sports 1440 presented by play alberta.ca and of course in his second season with the Emon orders was drafted in in 2016 went

To Providence for three more years then uh didn’t sign an entry level deal sign an American only deal uh for a few years and then got his first NHL contract actually is a pending UFA so we do have lots of texts wondering hey is Vinnie G to announce his contract extension today

On the show I’m sure he’d like to but uh I don’t I don’t well we’d like that too but I don’t I don’t know if that’s the case have we’ll get to why you’re growing your out in a second but do you worry about that stuff at all like like

Is is it hard not to or do you just think about it once and say hey my agent’s dealing with it when exactly um obviously when people people will will ask me it’s it’s something that you think about because obviously I want to stay here I want to I want to sign with

With Edmonton I I I found my home I and I I love it here love the boys love the facilities the the staff every every the fans everyone is great to me I I really like I’m comfortable and it’s great um but you know the business side of it I

Have an agent for it and that’s why I gave him 4% of my contract you know it’s it’s uh um I love him I trust him he’s been with with me for for I’ve been with with him for 10 years um and that’s what

Kind of I told him I was like Hey I want to focus on hockey if you have to you know to to talk to me to call me about it you know call me on days off you know I don’t want to I don’t want it to be a

A distraction um so hopefully you know at some point we can uh we can find uh an an agreement but till then I just focus on uh on tomorrow’s game all right now um the the hair is growing out uh you know as somebody who’s folically

Challenged um you know I always kind of notice uh uh you know certain hairstyles and stuff have a lot of fun with it and you were always down to the wood guy uh last year but I noticed when you came to camp this year I’m like hey Vinnie

What’s up uh what’s up the locks there and then you told me why and when we made a deal I said hey later in the year we’ll have you comeing studio and we’ll talk about it so uh tell me why you’re growing out your hair yeah so I’m doing

A challenge it’s called the Luca shaved head challenge so uh it’s a charity back home back in in Quebec and uh that’s a challenge that the they basically Al encourage people to to do uh to shave to raise money and then you shave your head uh because obviously you you’re trying

To support uh people that that get that get U diagnosed with with cancer and uh that charity will help uh kids children uh that get that get uh diagnosed with with with cancer and they’ll help their families as well and you’ve done this a few times have you not yeah yeah so it’s

Going to be the the thir time I’m doing it so uh combined the first uh the first uh two times I did it I raised just a little bit over 10 grand okay yeah and um you look at it now now your brother Alex is doing it with you this yeah my

My brother decided this year he’s gon he’s gonna do it with me which I’m he was kind of making fun of me when I shaved it uh two years ago like he didn’t like it and he decided to do it so I it’s going to be interesting to see

Him with the with the bald head I’m I’m pretty excited but it’s for it’s for a great cause and um you know you I I think of kids that you know I I had a childhood where I didn’t have to worry about being sick or worri about losing

My hair um going to hospital every you know couple times a week or or even stay in the hospital for months uh and not having you really a normal childhood so um for me to shave my head and to spend some time to uh try to raise some money

And that’s that’s not much for me to to to do and to use kind of my my platforms um to try to raise money for kids that didn’t have the same luck that that I had and um thinking about those families too those parents that um just seeing

Your your kids going through so much pain and um and and the the charity will will will the the foundation will help kids from zero to 17 years old not I’m not saying it’s better at 17 but you know think about a baby 1 two two years

Old who’s doesn’t even know what what life is and he’s got to go through chemo treatments and he’s got like it’s just I can only imagine uh the pain as a parent that that you feel yeah so if I can help in you know anyway by raising money

Raising a wareness uh for it I mean I think it’s a it’s a great cause and uh you’re you’re you’re trying to up your game you’ve taken it pretty serious this year so people they can go follow VI on Instagram he’s got the links up on his

Instagram page on on where you can donate and uh you’ve uh you’ve reached out to to a few of the big dogs in your in your inner circle so so people that donate uh $50 or more get to go in a raffle there’s a signed McDavid Jersey y

A signed Gretzky jersey and a signed Paul coffee Jersey and you might as well throw it a sign Vinnie Jersey it’s your own thing I might I might do it but I want I wanted to have the the big boys in I think uh I think when when you

Think of the Oilers I mean those three guys I mean there’s there’s some great o players but I think that those three guys are probably the top three players that ever played for uh for for the Oilers so um and it’s a way too that I

Wanted to get the the the fans involved you know I think uh the fans have been they’ have been great to me and um I kind of you know if they they they donate money I want them to be able to get something back um and you know I

Talked to Conor I talked to coff and right away it was no hesitation it was yes of course like anything you need all like I’m like we’re we’re here for it so I asked C if maybe he could reach out to his good buddy gretz and and right away

Again he was a yes like don’t even worry about it he’s in um so it’s h it’s really I’m really thankful to see like those guys because they really don’t have to you know they they they have so many people reaching out to them for those uh for different uh fundraisers

And and different uh uh foundations so uh for them to to share that with me and to to give me access access to those jerseys I mean I think it’s pretty special and hopefully uh the fans are are as excited as as I am now do don’t

Now if you donate to your own cause do you get to win one of the jerseys no I mean I think uh some of the guys that donated already so some of my teammates yeah and they’re not they’re and they’re not I I didn’t even tell them about the little challenge I don’t

Think I’ll uh I think they have they have their their own jerseys if they want so uh again people go to your Instagram you’ll have a website and everything up as we get closer we have you on again in the summertime just to kind of you know remind people as it

Gets closer forward I think it’s fantastic help out uh you know young kids with cancer and I really liked what you said about their families because it’s not just supporting the child it’s you know the parents maybe their siblings yeah just the whole situation around it it’s uh there’s you know we

Have the staly here in emont and you know the Cross Cancer and there’s lots of people in our city who know just how important those facilities are to help kids the the the cool thing I think is when you donate you can kind of decide where your your money is going so you

Can click uh there I think there’s like four or five different uh uh pointers that that you can decide so it’s like there’s a clinical research for better treatments trying to find a cure obviously uh it’s cancer is such a big issue and such a a c a big uh uh illness

Um so uh you can donate towards research uh you can donate towards emotional and physical assistance which I we can all understand that it’s uh it’s it’s very challenging for both uh the kids and it’s and from talking to to families it’s almost harder on the on the parents

Um and and lur is great at at providing that that support and they’ll they’ll organize different events to have uh families come together different families and and share um their their experiences uh so that they don’t feel alone CU you know some families maybe some parents they don’t have anyone

Around them going through the exact same thing of of having a a sick a sick kid at home or at the hospital uh so that’s a great thing too uh you can pick for just uh financial assistance no one no one I think in life will say okay let’s

Plan a little fun just in case her her children get you go they get diagnosed with with cancer so they have different grants they have a bone n transplant Grant because it’s very expensive they have a recurence grant if you you know that the cancer comes back and they’ll

Even have a monthly care um allowance because parents you know if you spend every day at the hospital you’re not working yes you’re not and and sometimes they have you know they’ll have other kids you you got to provide for your family uh so lur will help that they

Will help those families with a certain amount monthly um so that’s why the money is um it’s not just about the money it’s just about giving those families a better you know a little bit of a better lifestyle uh even though they’re going through so so many horrible things uh that that was

Unplanned and um and another big thing too is that they uh they support families going through grieving too because as much as much as you know we’re talking about you know the positive and and you know giving the financial support and all that well some

Kids don’t you know don’t make it and uh and I just um just thinking about it I just it just hurts to think that you know you you put your your kid into this world for him to die at three four five six years old 10 years old from a a

Disease that you had no control over um so Z will provide uh support to to those parents to try to help them to go through that and um yeah it’s uh I’m I’m really uh really grateful for that for that foundation in Quebec they’ve been around for 45 years um and and they’ve

Been around because people have been so generous and uh I think it’s a cause that everyone can get behind and um that’s why I hope that you know and even though it’s in Quebec and I hope that Edmonton can get behind me and uh they

Can you know help me uh reach my um my goal and even go over it because um it’s not you know it’s not going to me it’s not going to to the it’s going to all those families all those kids that um they need people to help them get a

Somewhat of a better life Vincent de har joins us and of course go to his Instagram which is De haror two he hasn’t updated it since he went to the NHL that was his uh his Providence number all right so hey that’s good though keeping it real now listening to

You talk Vinnie I can tell like obviously something very passionate it’s very meaningful you it means a lot to Lan the charity but also now that like you’re an NHL player do you you feel the importance to to make sure that you can use your profile you know to benefit

Causes like this more is that something where you feel like you know what maybe I need to do even more in in the community yeah yeah I think uh that’s you know it’s I have a most people know I have a um a journal that I write in

Every day and I have affirmations that I’ll write in it every day and one of it is uh I want to give back to the community but not just money it’s time yeah um because it’s easy to to give money it’s easy to just oh here’s a gr

You know here’s $1,000 just leave me alone right um but when you take your time you take some of your time and you know we’re we’re pretty busy you know we’re traveling a lot we’re um but taking the time to do it I think it’s way more valuable than just uh than just

Saying hey take take money and just leave me alone um so I uh every day I try to to you know to find ways to kind of get involved sometimes you know it’s a little bit harder but um I think this this cause is great and that’s why I try

To use all the that’s why I came to you and that’s why I’m here right now because I’m trying to use the platforms and you know radio and um to to to actually reach out more people um and I have a few other things that I’m working

With uh the team uh back in I think there’s going to be a game at some point uh before the the end of the season that uh uh skins and I are going to get a few families uh from uh the foundation kids with with cancer we’re going to have

Them over at uh one of our games we’re going to get a box for them and we’re going to go meet them afterwards um it’s just small things and we’re not doing it because we want people to tell us oh it’s great you know you’re doing you

Know thank you and at the end of the day I don’t care you know if I’m not doing it for to feel good about myself so I’m doing it you know because um you know I I actually met some people uh from the foundation kids with with cancer I met

Four or five kids and their parents at um one one of the games and um to see like the pain that they’re going through yeah and just how happy they were to see us to come to one to one of the games to take pictures with us to joke around

With us they just forget that they’re going through chemo treatments and forget some of them were in you know terminal phase of cancer can you like can only imagine you know the parents knowing that their kids won’t make it but for one night they don’t have to

Think about it and they can just enjoy hockey and they can just enjoy having fun and seeing their kids smile and seeing their kids not being in pain um so that’s the way I see it and I try to like you said use use kind of uh where

Where I’m at use the platform uh to try to touch as many people as I can and again not just doing it with money but doing with with time I think you reach a lot more and it’s way more valuable than just than just money well we’ve had a

Lot of texts coming in 833 401440 from uh people showing pictures uh to us that you at the the signing days uh we got one here right uh because right after you got called up from Anaheim it was pretty quickly after two three weeks after signing day right so you’re here

Oh I was bald and and no we have H we have a few guys who have text in and they got some pictures from you there and just saying how great Vinnie was uh with her kids and you know because I’m sure like I remember my son uh you know when uh you

Know I had him out to practice once and you know he takes a picture and he always looks at he laughs because you know when you’re 10 and then there’s Vincent de AR and he’s on his skates and he’s like 69ine right like it you know

Like it’s a big deal like just it’s funny for kids because they’re like NHL guys obviously I’m sure when you were a kid you’re in Montreal I don’t know if you’re a Canadians fan I’m guessing maybe Canadians fan yeah I was kind of a bandwagon so but yeah probably had favorite

Players right and you’re just like oh my God like to see them it’s a big deal yeah and I don’t think players should ever forget that it’s it I love how you said time is what matters like you you know not even an I’m not a big fan of

Autographs but that’s me I’m like you get a picture with someone or you take a minute to just talk to them hey little Johnny what’s your name that’s something that matters way more yep oh I agree and like that’s why when people sometimes they’ll they’ll send me letters and you

Know to tell me like uh no I I you know I’m your I’m your fan I I love what what you’re doing and in your story um it’s I try to take the time to to reply back because you know and I I get I get

Instagram messages of like oh my God you actually reply to my son he was going to the mailbox for two months to he was waiting for your for your reply and at some point he wasn’t sure and he actually got it he hasn’t he hasn’t been he hasn’t stopped talking about it for

For for last week and I’m just and to me I’m still in my head I’m still a nobody you know what I mean I’m Still A Guy who’s just a kid from Laval who’s from a simple family you know that didn’t grow up with you know it was very simple it

Was that’s I’m okay with that oh yeah but right now I have this platform I have you know these fans that that love me that show me love so I just try to to give it back and to show them that hey I’m human too and I’m just trying to to

Give back to as many people um as I can well I I think a lot of hockey fans like you know everybody aspires to be Conor McDavid and I love how people say well nobody can be Conor McDavid so lots of the other guys you’re like you know you

Could be Vincent de har if you wanted to know listening to your story in the first segment like you got to grind all the time and you know what uh it’s not going to be just this nice escalator up to the NHL right but but but by doing

That you first of all you you got to enjoy enjoy the grind yes you know and I I I tell myself that every day enjoy it because when things are you know things happen great things happen you enjoy it so much more than just oh yeah you know

I’m a first-rounder and like great you know Conor great he’s such a great player such a great person I love Connor but he knew he was gonna you know he knew right from junior he was gonna play in the NHL and I’m sure he enjoyed it

But I think that maybe for me it was a little bit more meaningful because I’ve been through so much and I grinded a lot to get here to to make it here um and you know it’s hard like some days we’re hard some days you you’re doubting

Yourself but that’s why you got to surround yourself with a a a great support group and uh you just got to believe in yourself that’s that’s the easy the the the best the best thing I can say and have fun with it have fun because life life goes by so quickly you

Just gota have fun how much fun do you have and um because you know it’s funny because my kids now they’re old enough that they watch the team I coach and you know they watch the games a little bit closer and they see different things and

You know one one of our young defenseman uh blocked a shot not on purpose but he blocked a shot he came to the bench and hit him in the side of the skate he was almost in tears because they’re not used to it and I think my son overheard me

Because I you know we just talk about different position like man blocking shots is hard but so some guys have to do that’s that’s what they like to do and he goes hey did you like blocking that shot because some people have to do it it’s so funny how they say it and

They kind of laugh about it later and he’s like well but they don’t like blocking shots I’m like I think that like some guys like that’s that’s their job like do you get a thrill a lot of blocking a shot yeah I do I mean I I

Think that maybe uh maybe when I started doing it more like in college and and at first it’s like a little scary and like you think about injuries and but now I’m when I don’t myself you know so I do enjoy blocking shots and um you know a

Game like Seattle where you know the coach put me on the ice with 50 seconds left on six on four and it’s just the it’s just a rush of adrenaline of every shot I blocked and it’s just like the game is over afterwards and I was so

Proud of myself you know I’m like I put my body on the line and I was I loved it I love it I was like I hope it happens again because that’s me that’s that you know Conor will score three he’s gonna be pump he’s gonna that’s great we need

That but I think that we also need guys that are ready to sacrifice yeah and you know I’m I’m ready to to do every game and sometimes it doesn’t work out sometimes I’ll you know I’ll get scored on I won’t block it and you know I’ll

Watch the replay about 10 times to make sure that okay how can I could I’ve blocked that shot because that’s my job and I love doing my job then I’m gonna ask you to take one final break we got about eight minutes left after that for a quick second because you’ve really

Pequ my interest on one other topic I want to get to and uh we’ll recap again Vincent de her go to his Instagram page which is De haror two and that’s where you can join his fundraiser can help him out his raising money for Lan in Quebec

For uh for kids and their families with cancer he’s got a signed McDavid Jersey a signed Gretzky Jersey a signed coffee Jersey we’re bugging him he’s gonna have to get a sign de har Jersey in there I would think too because based on the text line there’s lots of people who

Want the Vinnie Jersey so uh that’s pretty good we’ll come back here in the Gregor show presented by play Alberta dosia and once again hey with fans are already donating to to your that’s awesome thank you I really really appreciate it yeah so fans are awesome

Yeah once again go to uh his Instagram page de har2 uh can make the donation to Lan which helps out uh kids with cancer and their families and uh every uh every donation of $50 or more you get one so if you make a $200 donation you get four

Entries right do the math and uh there’s a Conor McDavid sign Jersey there’ll be a Gretzky sign Jersey there’ll be a Paul coffee sign Jersey and I think we’ve convinced uh there’s gonna be a de har sign Jersey so we’re just gonna take credit for that of peer pressure in

Studio to say B put your jersey in there you know you can personalize it maybe the summer may maybe if you donate maybe you you’ll be able to win it maybe you’ll be able to win it I might have to that’s nice that’s good uh 73 uh it was

My nephew’s number in so it’s not bad number I don’t mind it at all I do want to ask um one of the biggest changes for this year and I like because you know we kind of talked about who is a Wednesday that we’re doing today about your career

And we talked about your career early on but Paul coffee comes in who is your dad’s favorite player yeah by the way so when I take me back to when your dad found found out that I know he’s met Paul before because he was kind of an

Ambassador with the orders right so he’d met them but what did your dad say when all of a sudden he’s like Paul cof he’s your coach how did that conversation go um well he was he was surprised like obviously and and then cough in his press conference he was like yeah I

Didn’t really I didn’t really want to I didn’t want to be here but I just I just I just took it um but no he was obviously very happy for me but he he didn’t really know what to expect right like even even our like the all all 6D

Man like we didn’t really know what to expect and um you know he’s such an old school guy and and we we love we we love him we love you know he was around we love talking to him his stories are great but as a as an assistant coach

It’s different right there’s uh behind the bench like doing practices and um and but he’s not he’s the same person he didn’t change and he’s just he’s got that Swagger you know that Swagger of I’m one of the best ever played and he’s not cocky about it but he’s he’s got

That confidence that swag that I think that he gave us that he that it it translate to us on the ice and and during practices and um you know to be detailed and to you know put the puck on their tape don’t miss it and if you miss

He tells you about it and and if the forwards miss it he’s like hey tell them you want the puck you know he’s like he’s like we got to talk we gotta like hold each other accountable uh because once it comes to playoffs it’s it’s too

Late it’s too late to start doing that so we got we had the whole season to do it to to build some habits to build a confidence in each other 6D men all four lines the goalies like if you want to win a championship you need everybody so

He’s like every day he keeps talking about hey we’re winning like we’re going all the way and he he gives us that confidence it’s really he’s uh he’s made a pretty big uh pretty big change for us yeah well honestly if you look at and

And Sport logic because I you know me I like to do my research uh the the completed passes from Vincent de har last year in pre-a coffee tell post it’s almost doubled right you you’re you’re because you’re attempting more passes right and I I I saw an interview with

The other day it’s like well you know I’ve had a few more giveaways but guess what when you have the puck more yep you’re gonna make a few more mistakes that’s just the reality of it right so like when he talked to you guys and said

Hey like you know I think there was an interview I don’t know if it was eome or somebody said well he said hey if you guys don’t want to make plays I’ll just get somebody who’s gonna make plays because that’s what we want is to make

Plays and there’s no NHL player like to me that’s like music to your ears whoa whoa coach wants me to make plays all right I’ll do it like was it instant for you like do you notice like if you watch film now and just the difference in your

Game of the decisions with the puck you make like is it noticeable for you um yeah yeah it is uh at first it was a little stressful for me because uh you know my before games my mentality was get the out you got to clear your dzone that’s that’s what you’re here for

You’re here to clear your dzone and after that doesn’t matter what happens and when he came in it was like no make plays don’t don’t always like if you need to use the glass use it you know if you’re in trouble it’s gonna happen you

Know it’s G happen a few times at a game like where you’re tight the for check is good you’re in the best league in the world it’s gonna happen but he goes you guys got to make plays you guys got to move your boots and move your feet move

Forward make the pass don’t be standing still making a pass always always have your feet moving that’s something that really resonated with me of always moving my feet and that’s one of the biggest changes and once you move your feet the play the plays will open up you

Know you see more things you you know the the the the for check will change um so by moving my feet more I feel like I’ve been uh seeing more plays uh and obviously when when the coach is telling you to make more plays and and it it

Works you get more confident um and then your teammates you realize it that you can make plays and they give you confidence too by always you little stick tap or like holy Vinnie like great job like keep doing that we love it you know like keep um you know and uh yeah

It’s uh like let’s say like the you know the last like game or two like I watch video I’m like ah you know I think I could have made more plays but I would have watched the same games let’s say at the at the end of last year or at the

Start of the season and I would Oh I thought I played great I thought you know thought it was fine I cleared the zone and but now I’m watching I’m like H like I I I thought I would I threw the puck a little bit too much maybe I could

Have mov my feel a little bit more make make some better plays or just try to open up the Play a little bit more instead of kind of just throwing it as soon as I get it um so there’s definitely a difference in mindset and I think I think that’s the biggest

Difference there’s no uh you know cough definitely gave us that that confidence but I did the work and um I did a lot of work with uh Mark Stewart after practices uh to to see those plays and to handle the puck better and to make quicker passes and uh yeah just just

Trust myself what did Stuart do on the penal kill what was his biggest influence since he took over the PK uh to use our our instincts to use our instincts a big thing I feel like we were maybe a thinking a little bit too

Much and if you look at all the best PKS in the league yes there’s a great structure every good PK they will have a great structure but at some point you got to use your instincts and um you know if one guy pressures like all four

Guys pressure and we talk a lot more and you know those short shares to to clear uh the puck we do it a lot more yes um so I think it’s uh he’s been doing such a good job at you know small details the sticks you know the amount of times that

He showed clips of of our sticks at the wrong place he’s like boys we talked about it it’s the small details you know there’s small details there’s a good structure and then after that it’s our instincts you guys are on the kill for a reason you guys are killers you you guys

Are py killers that’s you guys are paid to do that well use your brain use your instincts just don’t overthink it just do it and I think that yes we had some couple slumps you know in the last month or so um but I think the last four or

Five games we can’t we we go back to it we go back to to our good PK to to our instincts and um he’s been doing a hell of a job for his second year as a as an assistant coach she’s been doing a hell

Of a job now before I let you go I wanna I want to hearken back to maybe think back to a young Vincent dear maybe 10 12 15 years ago and you’re watching hockey and you’re like oh Sydney Crosby and oh Alex oetkin and now in back-to-back games Vincent dear is defending Sydney

Crosby and of course tomorrow night uh Alex oetkin VAR two different players um most people probably said if there was a scrum and I was betting on it would be oetkin and de har getting into it but here’s Vincent de har going after Sydney Crosby is that is that an awkward like

When you look back is it funny is it weird kind of like was he a big hero of yours growing up yeah growing up uh I think Sid I still have his jersey back home oh yeah his jersey back home growing up my my brother and I loved

Them uh he played in in the que for uh rusi and we we would watch him play and we thought he was such a good player such a a good person as well he’s so generous with with his time and with with Charities and with kids um and uh

Yeah you know it’s I didn’t like what he did to kolak at the end of the second and I just give him a little push to kind of to just let him know I wanted to to kind of talk to him and and tell them and he know turned around and try to

Spear me and I just yeah I didn’t just want to show him that I didn’t like it and yeah after the game I was uh I don’t think I was walking in in the hallway and not many uh not many Pittsburgh employees were uh were smiling at me let’s put it that

Way um but then if you uh if you look back at the when we played in Washington I got a little bit of a in a scrum with ob to and he crushed me right in the face he crushed me in the face and he

Got a a penalty for that the end the we started the second period with a power play so uh yeah I can I can die and say that I I got in the scrum with Crosby that’s that’s not bad for you know for a seventh round draft pick at

20 years of age and uh and then seven years later makes his NHL debut and now here you are as a regular with the Emington orders a few weeks away from going to the playoffs for the second consecutive year in 30 seconds can you explain to me what it was like for you

In your first playoff experience it was crazy the first game was nuts the first my my my parents were there and I was so happy that they could make it um but just the national anthem like the the the singer and the stands and like everyone jumping in and um I mean I

Remember on the bench had chills like it was just such a such a crazy feeling that you know you hear about it you see it you see on TV I saw it the amount of habs games I’ve watched the playoffs games like and it was so so electric so

Fun but then it was time you know it was my time to actually live it to to go through it and um it was so fun obviously there was some uh ups and downs some learning experiences uh but I’m I’m very excited for for these playoffs because I feel

Like I I got a lot more experience now and I’m I feel I can have a little bit more of a of an impact well Vinnie thanks so much for coming in studio today we really appreciate it once again go to Vinnie’s uh Instagram but we got

It up on our Twitter page I’ve retweeted it so you can see it there as well and uh you can make the donation for Lan uh to help out the young kids with and with and their families kids going through cancer treatment as Vinnie even said you know unfortunately it’s it’s

Not always a positive story that they do have a whole area for grieving and different things like that so uh you can make the donations and any anybody who makes a donation $50 or multiple of $50 uh you’ll get entries into the signed McDavid signed coffee and signed Wayne

Gretzky jerseys and there will be a day har one in there for sure