Elvis Merzlikins joins the podcast! But before that, Jeff and Elliotte discuss the Jason Spezza suspension, player safety, changes in Philadelphia, and the Zegras to Milano goal.
Elvis Merzlikins joins the podcast! But before that, Jeff and Elliotte discuss the Jason Spezza suspension (00:01), player safety, changes in Philadelphia (12:00) and the Zegras to Milano goal (18:45).
Then, Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins joins the guys (26:00) to chat about one of his career goals, how he became a goalie, some of the goaltenders he looked up to growing up, where he got his style when it comes to his equipment, why he doesn’t mind playing a bit of physicality, and what it means to him to play every game for Matiss Kivlenieks this season.
Full transcript for the episode can be found here by Medha Monjaury
Outro Music: Neon Veils - All The Time [High & Lonely Records]
Listen to their full album here
This podcast is produced and mixed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman.
Audio Credits: Bally Sports Columbus, ESPN and Sportsnet.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.
OPEN //// Elvis Merzlikins [00:00:00] Five, four, three, two, one. Let's go.
Jeff Marek [00:00:04] Yeah!
Jeff Marek [00:00:07] Elliotte, this is the first podcast we've done in a while that doesn't start with the Vancouver Canucks. Welcome to 32 Thoughts the Podcast brought to you by the all-new GMC AT4 Lineup. We're talking about a six-game suspension to kick things off, six game suspension for Jason Spezza for kneeing Neal Pionk. But is it going to really be a six game suspension, Elliotte?
Elliotte Friedman [00:00:28] You know what the joke was going around on Tuesday night when word got out that Spezza planned to appeal?
Jeff Marek [00:00:34] What's that?
Elliotte Friedman [00:00:35] How long do you think it's gonna to take for this whole process to go? Answer: six games. I can think of one team that's not gonna find that funny.
Jeff Marek [00:00:46] Yeah, I think we know which team that is. First of all, but—the video the Department of Player Safety put out was particularly interesting in how many times they mentioned the CBA. Did you find the video interesting? We'll get to the suspension in a second, but the explanation was interesting, even going as far as to mentioning what the Maple Leafs took issue with.
Elliotte Friedman [00:01:05] Actually, I like that.
Jeff Marek [00:01:06] So do I.
Elliotte Friedman [00:01:06] I like that, because if you go back a week to the Brendan Lemieux one, they did the same thing.
Jeff Marek [00:01:11] Yeah.
Elliotte Friedman [00:01:11] They said, here was Lemieux's defence, and here's why we don't agree with it. I actually like that level of transparency, and I wish it became a regular part of the deal. Here's the argument, and here's why we agreed or disagreed. I think the more of that, the better. So I actually had no problem with it. I think there's a lot of angry people tonight. I think the Maple Leafs are angry, I think Spezza's angry, I think the Jets are angry too. Number one, the Jets and the Maple Leafs are angry at each other. The Maple Leafs thought that the Jets kind of got away with murder the other night on Matthews, on Sandin, the Jets were angry at the Spezza play, they thought the Maple Leafs complain too much. Both teams were furious at the officiating, and they thought the officials let it get out of control. And as a matter of fact, what's interesting is that Tuesday night tonight, as we just finish taping this, Carolina's Ian Cole was ejected—
Jeff Marek [00:02:09] Yeah.
Elliotte Friedman [00:02:09] For a knee-on-knee hit on Mark Scheifele, and the referee who made the call was Reid Anderson, who also worked that Sunday game between Toronto and—and Winnipeg. So there were a lot of of angry feelings about this and, you know, obviously the story is not over. I also understand that the Maple Leafs pointed out that their—their two goaltenders were kneed in the head on Saturday and Sunday night, Campbell against Minnesota, Woll against Winnipeg, and there were no penalties. But, you know, all of these arguments fell on deaf ears. You know, the fact that Pionk is in concussion protocol and the Jets made sure everybody knew about that. It's pretty obvious Jeff, that there's a lot of bad blood coming out of this one and a lot of frustration with each other and the entire process.
Jeff Marek [00:02:58] Speaking of the process, so what is the process now of appeal? How does this work for those that may not be familiar with it? Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner, gets, you know, first whack at this pinata, correct?
Elliotte Friedman [00:03:10] Yes, and he has to do it I think within 48 hours, I think it's what's called an expedited appeal. So Bettman has to go within 48 hours. If Spezza—now, he can increase the suspension if he wants to, although that, I don't know if that's ever happened. And then if Spezza doesn't like that ruling, then he can go to an independent arbitrator. What do you think?
Jeff Marek [00:03:34] What do I think like, what do I think of the hit or what do I think of this entire process? Or what do I think of the game?
Elliotte Friedman [00:03:39] The entire process?
Jeff Marek [00:03:41] Well, I don't think that Gary Bettman is gonna to go against his Department of Player Safety.
Elliotte Friedman [00:03:44] No.
Jeff Marek [00:03:44] I can see that coming, and so then, it would then head to an independent arbitrator. And personally, I look at it and I say, yeah, that's a penalty. They decide on six games, okay, it's a knee to the head of a player who's on his way down. And I know the Maple Leafs can try to thread the needle and stickhandle this one. I think everybody knows what Spezza was intending at that moment. How many times have we seen a player say, I got a shot at a freebie here? I can get a really good lick in on a player who just did our defensemen dirty? I'm taking it.
Elliotte Friedman [00:04:27] Mhm.
Jeff Marek [00:04:27] Which is surprising, considering it's Jason Spezza. You know, I think that that's one of the things here that people look at and say, well, twelve hundred games and we have, you know, he's—not that he's completely squeaky clean, but you don't expect that out of someone like Jason Spezza. But there it is, and here we are. I'm not gonna complain about six games cause I looked at the entire game and said, everybody was heated, there was no release valve moment to get some of the—the heat off of this game. And when that happens, then things like this happen like this is one of those, to me, and this is for a bigger discussion. I don't know if we have time or energy or desire to go down this road, but this really winks at the idea that games need to be managed by the officials.
Elliotte Friedman [00:05:15] This is exactly the argument that I was going to make too.
Jeff Marek [00:05:19] Things need to be diffused, whether it is, you know, the idea of just calling things by the book, period?
Elliotte Friedman [00:05:27] Mhm.
Jeff Marek [00:05:27] I understand the logic in that. It sounds good. But from a practical point of view, that's where you need to manage the game and do what's good to take the temperature down. And that didn't happen.
Elliotte Friedman [00:05:44] I don't even think it's calling the rulebook versus game management, right? I don't even look at it that way.
Jeff Marek [00:05:51] That's how the argument is formed. The—the argument is sort of framed as, you know, whatever you see a penalty, you just call it regardless of context versus, we need to get a feel here and make sure that things don't get out of hand.
Elliotte Friedman [00:06:03] Yes, I agree with that completely. Now, look, I think Spezza was going after him to hit him, there's no question he—at that point in time, he thinks Sandin is seriously injured and he's going for them, right? That's exactly what's happening. And Toronto got some really good news on Sandin, in the moment they thought it was a lot worse than it actually turned out to be. But you know, the whole thing I'm looking at here and we mentioned that Anderson made the Neal call. We've talked about how there's a real concern right now that with crosschecking not being allowed anymore, being cracked down on, the slewfoots and the knees are going up, right? How many guys have we seen injured with knees this year? Drew Doughty was injured.
Jeff Marek [00:06:48] Having said that, I have a hard time making the leap, saying like, oh I can't crosscheck, so I'm going to start sticking my knee out.
Elliotte Friedman [00:06:55] That's fair. Like, I mean, that's certainly your opinion, but people are making that point to me.
Jeff Marek [00:07:00] I think that it's up. I just, I'm not willing to create an A to B relationship between—.
Elliotte Friedman [00:07:05] Okay.
Jeff Marek [00:07:05] You can't crosscheck, therefore, we're going to stick out our knees. I'm not there.
Elliotte Friedman [00:07:08] That's fair. I've had it mentioned to me a couple of times, but that's fair, if you don't want to, if you can't, don't feel you can draw the line between here and there, that's fine. Would you agree we're seeing that, more bad kneeing plays this year?
Jeff Marek [00:07:21] We're seeing more slewfoots and more knees. Yes, we are.
Elliotte Friedman [00:07:24] Gotta stop it. Like, I think it was Subban this week. He committed another slewfoot. And you know, one of the things I wondered, do you almost just have to suspend him now because, it's too much? Like you just have to stop it? And it was responded to me that you have to take every play individually. Is that a suspendable play? And the argument made to me is that you have to decide if it's a suspendable play first, and then the history comes into it. And I'm like, well, if it's my kid, obviously PK Subban is not my kid. But like, if it's my kid.
Jeff Marek [00:08:02] Yeah.
Elliotte Friedman [00:08:03] You know, I would say to them, no more benefit of the doubt. You're going into the corner, you're going to the room with no television, even though, of course, there's a television in his room. I just look at this and I say, okay, we have to put a stop to this because people are getting hurt. So you just have to say, all right, we're gonna correct this behaviour. And the tough thing for me about that Winnipeg-Toronto game is, it was a great game.
Jeff Marek [00:08:30] Mhm! It was a really good game!
Elliotte Friedman [00:08:31] We don't have enough games like that anymore in the regular season. Playoffs, no problem. But we don't have enough games like that in the regular season. That are that hot. That grip you from minute 1 to minute 60 or longer. I agree, it's a skill. It's a skill of, you have to know when to say when. Like, I knew the moment I saw it was Pionk that they were gonna remember what happened with Marner last year because he—he ran at Marner on an empty net goal by Toronto and the Leafs were mad. I just knew that one was gonna escalate. The other thing you can do right now is, and I do think the officials should kind of use this even more is, you have the option to review a penalty. Like if the worst thing that comes out of that Pionk play is that you call a major and then you review it and you say, okay it's not a major, we're gonna drop it down to two?
Jeff Marek [00:09:30] Yeah.
Elliotte Friedman [00:09:30] I still think it tones down the issue. So the official can use that tool that's available to them.
Jeff Marek [00:09:39] Why don't you think we see that used?
Elliotte Friedman [00:09:42] They've reviewed a few. They've reviewed Ian Cole on Tuesday night in the—in the Jets-Carolina game. I generally agree with a lot, of sometimes referees missed the calls on ice, and that's what supplemental discipline is there for,, I do think that can happen. I just think you can also use this tool. And I think on that night, if that tool had been used, everything calms down.
Jeff Marek [00:10:09] I do agree that we're at a point now where the game is almost too fast to be called, quote unquote "accurately," or to anyone's pleasure at this point, and it keeps getting faster and faster.
Elliotte Friedman [00:10:21] You know what might have been the smartest thing on Sunday night?
Jeff Marek [00:10:24] What's that?
Elliotte Friedman [00:10:24] I'm not sure Dubois liked it, but Maurice keeping him on the bench for the last ten minutes.
Jeff Marek [00:10:30] Yeah, because guys would have run at him.
Elliotte Friedman [00:10:31] The Leafs were hot that night. They were hot.
Jeff Marek [00:10:34] I still think when these two teams meet up again.
Elliotte Friedman [00:10:36] Yeah.
Jeff Marek [00:10:36] That someone's gonna try to do something to Dubois for that. just like Wayne Simmons is gonna try to get at Logan Stanley. It's coming a million miles away. Especially after Logan Stanley did the big celebration with the helmet, [coming off the ice].
Elliotte Friedman [00:10:54] It's too bad they don't play in the same conference like last year. They have—they've played great games against each other, Toronto and Winnipeg. They've played fantastic games against each other.
Jeff Marek [00:11:04] That's the other point that made this such a wonderful game is the fact that we're focusing on all the violence and, you know, the—the nasty play but, this isn't as if this is, you know, Team 31 and 32 like these are two highly skilled teams too. Like to me, that's what adds an even greater element to it, that these are highly skilled teams. These are two of the best teams in Canada, and, you know, two really good teams in the NHL here. And when you have that, coupled with some good old-fashioned hockey hatred, give me more of that all day long. And I think everybody feels the same way. I don't think anybody likes to see players, you know, getting kneed in their head or knee-on-knee collisions like, there's a line. But when two highly-skilled teams get mad at each other? Yeah! Because I still maintain, no one has ever said, I can't wait to go to this hockey game to watch these two teams respect each other. I assure you, no one has ever said that on the way to a hockey game.
Elliotte Friedman [00:12:08] Yup.
Jeff Marek [00:12:08] Philadelphia Flyers. Alain Vigneault fired, Michel Therrien fired as well, Mike Yeo takes over as the interim head coach. It was just over a week ago that Chuck Fletcher said, our answers are in that room. And then the Flyers went out and had a tough one against the Rangers, had an even tougher one against Tampa on Sunday. I guess after that drubbing at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup Champions who had just played Boston the night before, Chuck Fletcher had to do something, Elliotte?
Elliotte Friedman [00:12:38] You know, we talked about this a little bit when we taped last Sunday night, we dropped it on Monday morning, then the change was made. We kind of alluded to that game and how it was going to happen. I had a really interesting call with someone, and he said to me, and I checked this with a couple of people and they thought it was a really good comparison, about how teams that had bad years last year, if you didn't improve this year, everything that went wrong last year got reopened. Like if you look at Philly, because last year was a hell year.
Jeff Marek [00:13:12] Yup.
Elliotte Friedman [00:13:12] Because of the necessary COVID protocols. It was a really, really hard year. And if things went wrong in your organisation, they went wrong in Philly, there was a split between the coaching staff and the players. And Chuck Fletcher worked really hard to fix that in the offseason, and at the beginning of the year, Alain Vigneault was saying all the right things about Carter Hart, in particular, who was a player that they really asked him to manage his relationship with. And then all of a sudden they started losing again, and you could see Vigneault and what he was saying. He was losing his patience, and the word was that the players were losing their patience. Like every grievance that got exposed last year in the teams that—it was hard to play last year if you were winning. Imagine what was happening if you were losing. And all the things that happened last year in Philly, they got ripped open again. Someone said to me, similar in Vancouver, that, you know, Vancouver at a really tough year last year, they had one of the worst COVID outbreaks in the league. The players complained about some stuff that happened during then. Now some of those players are gone. But, you know there were some cracks last year and you try to fix them and you change your personnel and you come back this year and you struggle again, and all those old grievances, they come up again. And there were a couple of people who told me there were real similarities between Philadelphia and Vancouver in that. I think there's a decent chance—I always hate saying this, Jeff, because 15 minutes after his podcast drops, I could be wrong.
Jeff Marek [00:14:48] Yeah.
Elliotte Friedman [00:14:48] I think there's a decent chance that Mike Yeo finishes the season. I think there's some people behind the scenes who made arguments for Boudreau, who's now obviously gone. I think there are people who argued in favour of Tortorella. I think there are people who have argued in favour of Tocchet, and I think Jim Montgomery's name came up too. But I think Chuck Fletcher, you know, wants to take his time if he can, because, look, you've already made trades, you've already fired the coach. Now what? What if you have to make an even bigger move? Do you take your time and say, do we pick our coach before we decide our direction? You know, you know Chuck Fletcher, he wants to wait as long as he can. And I think he wants to determine the direction of the team before he decides who his coach is going to be.
Jeff Marek [00:15:36] Hmm.
Elliotte Friedman [00:15:36] I do think they're looking to hire a defensive coach pretty quick. And I think one of the people on their radar is Adam Foote.
Jeff Marek [00:15:43] Oh! Really?
Elliotte Friedman [00:15:45] Yeah.
Jeff Marek [00:15:47] See I looked at this week and said, like many of us, this is gonna be the make-or-break week for the Philadelphia Flyers. Now they've already started off by firing a coach and Mike Yeo's in for now for the season, we'll see. I looked at this one and said, We're gonna get all of our answers, you know, at the end of this week. Tampa was bad. The Colorado game was bad, but then the Flyers mounted a little comeback, ultimately falling short and Colorado just took over the game. They'll play New Jersey. They'll play Vegas. They'll play Arizona, and then they'll have a pause. I don't know. I mean, I try to put myself in Chuck Fletcher's head here. Let's say they lose to the Devils, lose to Vegas, lose to Arizona. At that point do you say we need to change the focus of the season?
Elliotte Friedman [00:16:39] They're getting close. Jeff, I feel like I say this statement a lot, but the math isn't their friend.
Jeff Marek [00:16:46] Mhm.
Elliotte Friedman [00:16:46] You know, someone was saying to me, I have to do the research on this, but doesn't it seem like there's a bigger separation in records between good and bad in the league than there normally is? Florida's got four losses in regulation. Tampa's got five, Washington's got four, the Rangers have four, Calgary's got five, and then look. Like Arizona's got 18 losses in regulation, Vancouver's got 15, Seattle's got 14, Chicago's got 13, Montreal is 18, Ottawa has 16, Buffalo has 14. It just seems to me like there's—there's more separation between good and bad than there is this early in the year. I could be totally wrong with somebody was mentioning it to me.
Jeff Marek [00:17:35] Yeah, that there are already teams that are totally out of it.
Elliotte Friedman [00:17:38] More teams, more teams that are, that look totally out of it than we're used to seeing. But that's why I don't think that Chuck Fletcher is looking to rush to hire a permanent.
Jeff Marek [00:17:49] I mean, it does look bleak. I mean, goal differential of dash 23.
Elliotte Friedman [00:17:53] And you know what? Their 5-on-5 save percentage was dead last in the league last year.
Jeff Marek [00:17:58] Yeah.
Elliotte Friedman [00:17:58] This year? They're 18th. Like, if you would've told me that, I would have thought they would have been okay.
Jeff Marek [00:18:06] We talked about this last time. It's the first time that the Flyers are in trouble, and it's not because of the goaltending.
Elliotte Friedman [00:18:09] Yeah.
Jeff Marek [00:18:09] Even though Carter Hart had a tough one against the Colorado Avalanche. Speaking of goaltending, should have mentioned this earlier. Elvis Merzlikins is on the program today. He's great. And man, am I glad we talked to him on Monday. This is a dynamite interview with some great questions by me, and Elliotte asked some as well. Listen, I think he's one of the most interesting, not just goaltenders in the NHL, but people and players in the entire NHL. And do yourself a favour, stick with the podcast, we'll get to Elvis, because this guy will not disappoint. There's some really good stuff in here, but! Zegras and Milano. So as people pointed out to me on Twitter, I can't remember whether I said it on the podcast or on the radio show, that I was getting bored, where I'm already bored of the Michigan play. And this was Trevor Zegras saying, oh yeah, you're bored of the Michigan play? Watch this.
Jeff Marek [00:19:45] Listen, we've all seen the highlight by now. It's a glorious play from behind the net. Like we've seen Pavel Datsyuk flip the puck from behind the net, we've seen a lot of players try it, flipping the puck behind the net. This one is the Michigan that gets tossed out and then bunted in the nets by Sonny Milano. If you can recall, by the way, Sonny Milano, if you go back to his draft year, there was a video of him bouncing pucks all up and down the shaft of his stick, the toe of his stick, the heel of his stick, the full blade up and down like this guy is, he's like a Pavel Barber trick shot guy too, with, you know, elite-level skills and vision and as we saw on Tuesday night, creativity. What did you make of the latest improvisation around the Michigan?
Elliotte Friedman [00:20:29] So they told Ryan Callahan after the game, that Milano was yelling "Michigan, Michigan" as Zegras was behind the net with the puck.
Jeff Marek [00:20:39] So awesome.
Elliotte Friedman [00:21:15] So they knew what they were doing. You know what Zegras is right now? He is must-see television.
Jeff Marek [00:21:21] Mhm.
Elliotte Friedman [00:21:21] When he is on, I have to watch. I have to watch him play. Because it's not only that he is so talented? It's just that, like McDavid's talent is something a little different. He uses his speed, and every time he touches the puck, you're electrified because you're wondering how quick he's going to do something and how many people he's going to embarrass while he's doing it like his, his goal against the Rangers, to me, is still the number one goal of the year.
[00:22:10] [Colour commentary: Connor McDavid's goal against the Rangers.]
Elliotte Friedman [00:22:25] But Zegras, I'm addicted to him for a different reason because he's sort of like in the regular flow of play, like McDavid kind of does things like in a hockey context. I don't know if I'm explaining this right.
Jeff Marek [00:22:38] I know what you're trying to say, and I'm gonna hopefully phrase it a little better if you like.
Elliotte Friedman [00:22:41] Yeah, I think Zegras, what he does is he does things that aren't really in a hockey context that are like trick shots, and he makes them look normal and sensible.
Jeff Marek [00:22:51] So I remember watching Connor McDavid when he played in the GTHL, his minor midget year, he played on a stacked team. Josh Ho-Sang was on that team. Sam Bennett was on that team. Roland McKeown, Jaden Lindo, Jeremiah Addison, like it was a, it was a stacked team. And McDavid was a year younger than everybody else. I remember watching him play, and he was the best player on the ice, but he looked like a pro. Like everything he did was A, faster than everybody else, but they were pro style plays, right? Meanwhile, Josh Ho-Sang was the guy who would grab the puck, deke everybody out and then regroup in the neutral zone so he could do it again before he went and took a shot on net. And when I see McDavid, I see overwhelming skill, but he has a pro style poise. When I look at Trevor Zegras, I see a highly skilled kid who's having fun. And who's out there trying stuff. Might come across like I'm insulting him somehow by saying, oh he's not behaving like a pro player. They're just different styles and to me, Zegras like, looks like he's a kid saying, let me see if I can do this. Let me see if I can try this. Like, there's an excitement in both, but there's like, McDavid knows what he can do and does it. Like when he imposes his will, he just does it. It seems as if Zegras has a curiosity about not just his game, but the game. And he's saying to himself, I wonder if I can do this. And then he tries it at the NHL level Elliotte. That's what's spectacular to me. Like I saw the the goal against Luukkonen and the Sabres and I thought, wow, that's amazing. And then I pause for a second I said, I just saw that in the NHL. Someone tried to do that in the NHL. That, to me, is mind-boggling, but he looks like a kid trying stuff. That's how I see the difference between the two, and they're both must-watch TV for different reasons, for me.
Elliotte Friedman [00:24:56] You're right, it was better than how I phrased it.
Jeff Marek [00:25:01] That said, they're two of my favourite, like they're all—everybody loves these guys.
Elliotte Friedman [00:25:03] Yeah.
Jeff Marek [00:25:04] And and I love Zegras. I watch a lot of Ducks games. I like a lot—like, I appreciate everything that Trevor Zegras does much in the same way I love watching a guy like Isac Lundestrom, you know, like, I love watching a guy like Hampus Lindholm. Much like, I love watching Ryan Getzlaf protect the puck and slow the game down and feather gorgeous passes as we're all screaming shoot, shoot, shoot. I find the Ducks to be a fascinating team, and Zegras is a kid having fun. And what's next? I don't know.
Elliotte Friedman [00:25:34] That's the fun.
Jeff Marek [00:25:35] That's the fun. I know, it's great. What's next? What's next on this podcast is a quick break, and when we come back, you'll hear Elliotte and I in conversation with someone else who's having fun out there, in nets, on the mic, getting inked up, designing his own pads, and talking about life as a goaltender. Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets next.
Jeff Marek [00:25:57] Elvis, thanks so much for joining us today. This is a real treat, and we're gonna talk plenty about goaltending, but before we get there, I want to open up with one very specific event. And we don't necessarily see this in a goaltender's bag of tricks. Some call it the bump back, some call it the cold shoulder, some call it the Forsberg. Can you tell us your thoughts on your body check to Jonathan Dahlen in the San Jose game, which really was a thing of beauty.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:27:05] Yeah. You know, like I remember, I remember my first year when I—when we played in San Jose, they rim the puck pretty slowly, and you know, you can just go and dangle in the corner and play it. So I remember happened to me in San Jose that the puck was going slow? And then I had to back run in the net and then try to do some miracle saves or whatever. But this time, it was kind of same situation. The puck was slow, but he was already there. And there was the moment when in my head I said, uh-oh, what I'm going to do, and then I just tried to push him somehow. Yeah, and it happened pretty pretty.
Jeff Marek [00:27:47] It was a—listen, it was a great hit. Like, it was totally unexpected. I don't think Dahlen expected it. Have you ever done that before?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:27:54] Yeah, I did a World Championship once against Fiala. I remember in the back of the net, but I'm afraid to get two minutes, you know, you don't want to get two minutes. So you kind of have to even, simulate that that was just contraction right, that you didn't hit him, that you didn't did that on purpose. So yeah, I had to do that.
Elliotte Friedman [00:28:17] You know, Elvis, I was mentioning to someone that we were gonna be talking to you and this is what they told me, they said, here's the list: Billy Smith, Ron Hextall, Chris Osgood, Martin Brodeur, Damian Rhodes, Jose Theodore, Evgeni Nabokov, Mika Noronen, Chris Mason, Cam Ward, Mike Smith and Pekka Rinne. That's the list of goaltenders who have scored in an NHL game, and he said, I will bet you anything you want, that by the time that Elvis Merzlikins is done in the NHL, his name will be on that list. True or not?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:28:55] Yes, I will. I will, because I am gonna go for it. A career in the NHL, there are still so many years. I have a good feeling. I got good feeling for this season. No promises. Obviously, I need the chance and the right moment, but I'm gonna go for it. And even if I gonna to do it my first one, I'm not gonna stop so, now the fun part starts. You know, I have that confidence now, obviously is depending even on what games like last night, I had the chance, but the puck wasn't flat on the ice right, so I had to rim it and obviously I'd rim it. And that was bad rim because the puck went out of the standings, in the standings and the faceoff was in our zone, so they pull out the goalie so that, that wasn't the right move but still, you know, I couldn't shoot that puck and it wasn't the perfect time and the perfect moment. So I'm looking for that and obviously I'm gonna go for it.
Elliotte Friedman [00:29:53] That's awesome.
Jeff Marek [00:29:54] So, do your teammates know this? And have you ever told like, hey, Jake Bean, if I have a shot at it, pass me the puck. If we're 30 seconds left, the nets empty, I want you to pass me the puck.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:30:03] They will not pass it. I did that already. Switzerland, I ask it for a pass, I got a shitty pass, so.
Jeff Marek [00:30:14] Who was it?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:30:14] That was in Switzerland, back in Lugano.
Jeff Marek [00:30:16] Okay.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:30:16] I mean, they know, they have kind of idea, but as well they can't just stay on the blue line, right? What if I'm not shooting and I'm rimming the puck, they have to be back there right? The only thing, it's hard when you get the puck, the defense come to you and they are in your way. Some of our defencemen, now they understand that I'm going for [it] so they give me some space but it happened to me that I had perfect timing, perfect. Then my D-man was just straight skating on me, yeah, it was a little bad, but that was in Lugano as well. Then I remember I was really mad after the game.
Elliotte Friedman [00:30:53] What would Brad Larsen think if he's watching and you guys say have a one goal lead in a big game and a defenceman passes it to you and you shoot it? What's Brad Larsen gonna react like?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:31:05] In that kind of situation I don't think that I would ever do that. Even I would not shoot the puck if it's important game, we're just about winning for one goal, right? Leading by one, I would not risk that. But if we are [up] by two, why not? Yeah, I'm going for, or now early in the season, there is no really that important games right, for playoff spot or whatever. Obviously, every single game is really important but they are not that important, like maybe in the end of the season when there is all decisions, right? So I will not risk it but right now, yeah, why not have fun?
Jeff Marek [00:31:41] I love it.
Elliotte Friedman [00:31:42] Good luck to you. Love to see it.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:31:44] Thank you.
Jeff Marek [00:31:45] Elliotte gave you a list of goaltenders. I'm curious about another list of goaltenders. Who are the goalies you had posters of when you were a kid in your bedroom.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:31:55] Marc-Andre Fleury, Carey Price. Turco, Kiprusoff, Luongo. Brodeur I had card, the upper-div clubs didn't have the poster, but those are my legends, my idols of who I'm watching and even right now playing in the same league with them, like Fleury. It's just beautiful to see and learn how example, Price and Fleury's handling the puck.
Elliotte Friedman [00:32:22] Mhm.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:32:22] I think last year the—the playoffs, even—the fuckup's gonna happen. And then when Fleury did that fuckup, I mean, that's totally normal. That was just one mistake. But how much he helped his teammates, his defenceman to play that puck, to get out of the zone, that was a much more comfortable hockey game for Vegas defenceman right? So it's beautiful to see those guys, how they are playing with the puck, how they're handling. And my first year when I was here, I was a little panic moment because the rink is small, the players are quicker, they're quicker to you, you don't have that much time. Price and Fleury example, they have all, all big experience in this league, and they feel comfortable in the back of the net, right? So it's beautiful to see how they're playing. And I think playing with the years, I'm just going to get as well that confidence of theirs.
Elliotte Friedman [00:33:18] Like, I'm wondering, have you ever had a chance to talk to either one of them? Have you ever picked their brain on, because the one thing about Fleury that stands out in comparison to you I think Elvis is, you guys will make crazy saves when making it the right way or the way you're taught isn't possible. So I wonder if you guys ever talk about philosophy or the way you guys prefer to play.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:33:42] I never had a chance to meet them, to talk to them, I don't even have anybody who is kind of friends with them, you know? But I know my agent has Price.
Elliotte Friedman [00:33:53] Oh right!
Elvis Merzlikins [00:33:53] I've been, I had, I asked him if if there is any chance to hang out with Price, but that was all before when I came to NHL. And obviously that was summertime and how he told me the Price in summertime goes somewhere away from city, somewhere in woods or whatever. I know that he likes the fishing and all that stuff. So I didn't had a chance to meet neither of them. But yeah, their career is long here, so I hope I can. Looking forward to seeing one day to meet them and talk to them about our goalie, goalie life right, about our goalie stuff and then see what I can steal from the great goaltenders.
Jeff Marek [00:34:36] You know, becoming a goalie is usually an interesting story as well. How old were you and why did you want to get into goaltending?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:34:44] I didn't want it. I was defenceman first when I was seven or eight, but I really didn't understand my role. I was going forward to score goals. I was going back to be a defenceman. And when they were shooting, I was catching the puck and, I really did, I was everywhere, so I didn't really understand what's going on. I thought that a hockey player, there is just a hockey player, there is no big role, right? My goalie was all the time pissed because I was going against him like skating backwards, and I didn't know how to look on back when I was skating so when the team was attacking, I was playing goalie and when I would have had the puck I was going as the forward. I was selfish, no passes and just go by myself. And then after that tournament, I remember goalie coach came to my mom and asked her if I want to try to be like a goalie, and. He even didn't ask. He just told my mom that he wanted that I'm gonna be a goalie, and that's how everything started.
Elliotte Friedman [00:35:47] So you were seven years old when that [happened]—did you like goal?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:35:51] I like it because when I played soccer with my brother and his friends or I played roller hockey, obviously the youngest goes into that.
Elliotte Friedman [00:36:02] Yeah.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:36:02] I had no choice. So I was always goalie. They were hammering that ball. I remember I was in the nets standing with tears because it was painful. They are much stronger than I am, and I was much more skinnier and tinier than they are. And it was painful to catch those balls against my chest or shoulders, you know? But I got used to it, and I wasn't any more afraid from the balls when they were flying. And yeah, I just tried to do that. And I love it.
Elliotte Friedman [00:36:34] You know, Elvis, your story is incredible. A few years ago, Tom Reed of The Athletic did a really deep dive into your past, and it was an incredible story. And I remember when you were drafted in 2014, seven and a half years ago, someone said to me, wait, you don't know who this person is right now, but you will. And when you look at your life journey from, you know, Latvia to Switzerland to the National Hockey League, what are the things that you remember most and what are the things that you're proudest about?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:37:09] The help of the people who they gave it to me and the love. In Latvia starting there my mom, we didn't have really nice life material-wise. She was all the time fighting for find some money for bring me to hockey. Then when I moved to Switzerland alone because my mom, obviously, she couldn't afford that. She sent me alone to Switzerland when I was 15. Living there in a family who took me in. It was again a huge help, obviously, for our hockey club Lugano who, who gave me the education and all that stuff, the school, the living life and everything, food and everything. I think this is the most important, people who who were helping me in my career. Obviously, then there is a different path as coaches, my goalie coaches and all those guys, even schoolteachers. Those people, they built me, they built me, they helped me. And that's what I'm saying, they've given me the love. I really appreciate them, and without their help, I would never, ever would be here where I am right now today.
Jeff Marek [00:38:21] Well, your mom worked hard, obviously, and you know the stories of you working harder, sort of legendary as well. I spoke to someone today and said, what should I know about about Elvis? And he said, he'll work out until he throws up. Is that still true Elvis?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:38:38] Yes, it's never enough for me. Like, like example, yesterday we win the game. We should be happy. I mean, the guys are happy. I'm happy, yes. I'm pissed off because there was bad goals and I hate when there is tips right, and why I can't save the tip! it's obviously it's hard to say it if I'm honest, but at the same time, I had to give hard time to myself because I want to be better. I want to avoid those tips, I wanna catch them, but I wanna save them. But then realistically, you think, you don't have that time Elvis to save that tip, but I don't care! Find the time! Like this is how I talk to myself. I always give hard time because, maybe it's because I grow up like this. You know, I saw the other—other my teammates, the goalies who had always the new pads, new helmets, new sticks. I was playing till 15, till 14, 13 years old. I was playing in the net with a player helmet. I didn't had my goalie helmet.
Jeff Marek [00:39:45] Wow.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:39:45] You know, and then seeing other boys that they asked, daddy, I want a new stick, and daddy just goes there and buys him a new stick and my mom, she couldn't, and I had one stick for three years. That's how I played hockey and then I couldn't afford it. And I think that was what built my character and my swagger that I don't want to, it's never gonna be enough for me. I want more. I know that I can get more. I know that I can be better, and I know there is so many more goals to reach that I had to go there. And when I going to reach them, there is going to be another new one goal to go and going to work my ass off to go there and get that new one.
Elliotte Friedman [00:40:26] So who is the person around you now, Elvis, who says, okay, okay, I understand you have high standards and I understand you really care. But come on, let it go, move on to the next one. Who's that person?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:40:40] Honestly, I don't. I don't have friends like this because otherwise they would not be my friends. My mom is, I would say, my mom is the first one who is giving me shit. So I found my wife, who is, as my mom, giving me all the time shit. So you know this, I don't know, even if I have in my life or I know someone who is talking like this to me, because if so, I'm sorry this is gonna be like your last talk to me because I mean, I'm not going to consider it as my, I'm not gonna let you into my life because I don't want that. I don't want those softness, you know. Like I remember my first game of national team, it took me three years to win a game in the national team tournament. And I remember I went in my game, my first game. I walk out of the arena and there was little fans that asking for pictures and signatures. I was mailing and signing there, riffing and making pictures. Then I went to my mom who were standing there and asking me, why are you smiling? Who are you like a superstar? What? I was like what? I win my first game. Come on, be happy. Yeah. Good job. Next day, next morning, she brought me a gold medal with breakfast. And I was like, what are you doing? Why a gold medal? Oh you are a superstar, you finally won a freaking game, now you are going, you are going to your fans smiling and all that stuff. On the other side, I'm thinking, mom. I mean, I played really great. I deserve it, and I won my first game. But my mom is my mom. I mean, I love her. That's why probably I'm here where I am. She grew me up like this, tough time, and I love that. I love having all the time tough time. Obviously, you need the compliments and you need to feel it and understand that, yeah, you're great. You are doing a good job. But I think not too much. It's better to feel that, that pressure, I think, and it's better to feel something where you, where you did a mistake or something so you can get better.
Jeff Marek [00:42:54] I want to ask you about your style because you have some of the most, I know you're a big ink guy, but your pads, your gloves, I mean, they're, I mean they're gorgeous. Where did you get your style from? You mentioned, you know, growing up, like everybody else is getting new equipment all the time, you're playing with the same stick for three years. Where does this like, elite-level style come from Elvis?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:43:16] I think this is the crea—how you say, [creativity]? In my head?
Elliotte Friedman [00:43:17] Creativity?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:43:17] Yes, thank you. When I sleep, usually I try to imagine my new tattoos or my new mask, my pads. I try to design in my head all that stuff and see how it goes. Some ideas I see, maybe in the past, some ideas, and I'm more than happy to bring it back because I know the normal person, person is not gonna do that so. I knew that the baby blue colour is gonna be just, that's gonna be so Elvis to bring it back. I remember that there was a goalie in past here in Columbus that had a baby blue pads as well. So I thought that's very cool idea example this year to bring back the baby blue and then and have those baby blue pads for third jersey but.
Elliotte Friedman [00:44:07] I love it.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:44:08] Otherwise with Bauer right now with the graphics, what they're doing there is, there is good graphic guys here are working in offices that they are doing a great job.
Jeff Marek [00:44:19] I was gonna say the Bauer digi-print graphics are gorgeous. I know there's some things you can't do that the NHL won't allow, but if you could do anything with your pads, what would you put on them?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:44:31] Up till right now? Until this moment, I was doing always what I wanted, and I have no clue what the NHL doesn't let you to do. But till right now I was doing everything what I wanted, and I never had an answer no. The Bauer sends me maybe five or six different sketches, and from those five different, six different sketches, I build one and I ask him how it looks, and then they see if I like it or not.
Jeff Marek [00:44:58] Well, I'll tell you, Grant Fuhr once wanted to have, was it Pepsi? I remember, it was a cola, it was some type of of soft drink to make his pads look like Pepsi cans, and the NHL shot that one down. Have you ever thought about doing something like that?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:45:13] Doesn't make any sense. Make my pads like Pepsi can. I mean, without respect, without respect? If I was playing beer leagues, than I would do the Bud Light right. There is no really, any sense to make an NHL something like with Pepsi cans.
Elliotte Friedman [00:45:31] You know, Elvis, I did want to ask you about your dedication of this season to Matiss Kivlenieks and, I don't really know if there's a question I wanna ask because I want you to say it in your own way. But when you and your teammates play this year, how do you honour him and how much do you still contact his family and, basically your memories of him and how you honour him and your teammates honour him?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:45:57] I play every single game for him. Obviously, like bad night in Nashville, in my head, I said that that was just me. I wasn't playing for him because I want to always make beautiful and pretty games for him. He was my brother and then such a great person who I really miss every day and, his family, I keep in touch all the time them, with his mom. She is always, after every win or lost or whatever, she's texting me because in the news back home in Latvia, they're watching news in the morning, so they they know how I played, if I win or lose the game. His little sister now became my little sister. I keep in touch with her all the time on the phone, and sometimes she calls me even on FaceTime so, it's nice. And honestly, I'm gonna take care of her till my last day. I mean, she's going to be in my life now from this year obviously. I never met them before, but right now, from—from now, she's gonna be always in my heart. She's gonna always, if she's going to ever going to need the help, she's going to have that, one, from me, and obviously my wife as well. We are really good—good relationship, I'm not that often in Latvia, but for sure, every single time that I'm gonna be in Latvia, I'm gonna go visit them. And we were thinking, she loves—the little sister, she loves the United States and we were thinking with with my wife how to maybe make her summer vacation and bring her here to to our place and stay maybe a while with us because she really likes it. She told us that in the future, she wants to come here and study as well. So we have to make that happen as well.
Jeff Marek [00:47:48] You know, that's a—listen, that's a beautiful story. And I'm sure that... or maybe you don't. But do you have a sense of how many people right now are cheering for you? That support you, that are in your corner, just because of your entire story?
Elvis Merzlikins [00:48:06] I mean, I see that and I see that, and I really appreciate it for really for—for all help from the day when it happened. So now that I feel that the people are close to me and especially Columbus, the people are really lovely. They understand. Some of them understand what shit summer I had. Well, from what I went through, from bad to beautiful, it's nice to see such a good people. And but what is really nice? It's not just about Columbus people, but there is. There is some other fans of other teams that were texting me and supporting me. And this is really nice to see how some of the people are nice. Obviously, there is, everybody heard about the guy from Dallas. Obviously, there is some idiots as well in this world but, those people you just ignore, some people they don't understand or they don't care or they're just stupid and that's sad but, the most of the part, it's really nice and beautiful again to see. And I would say, not just from me, but even my wife realised that, just from our neighbours who are bringing to us the food and breakfast and all that stuff, it's—it's really beautiful. We obviously appreciate it.
Elliotte Friedman [00:49:28] Just last one for you Elvis is, you guys are right in the race. You've had a good start. And the thing I like most about Columbus is an organisation is there's a real attitude of, you might not think a lot of what we can do, but we think a lot of what we can do. And I think that comes from the—the GM on down, Kekalainen's like that, Brad Larsen's like that, obviously you're like that, Boone Jenner's like that, like a lot of your players up and down are, you may think we're not much, but we think we're a lot, and I'm really impressed by how hard you guys play. And just a thought about this, we're going to show you, attitude of the Columbus Blue Jackets this season.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:50:09] I think if you play and, it's not about just you play, I think if you are in that locker room as a family, I think the family is much more stronger than maybe a superstar name, right? Like example, the first year when I came here, we had such big names in team, right? All of them, they were injured. There was one moment before the game that they realised like, holy crap, here is all Cleveland Monsters team almost.
Jeff Marek [00:50:40] Hmm.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:50:40] And we were winning the games. We were just going out there doing our job. If you were making a mistake, I would have your back, right, and if I was making mistakes, you would have my back. And that's how it worked. And we were playing really well and, this year we have a new team, we are a young team and what we are doing, we are just family. We are—we are trying and we are doing our best and we're working really hard and obviously we are having fun. That's the most important thing.
Jeff Marek [00:51:12] And it's fun to watch and you're a wonderful team and you're a tremendous goaltender, and it's been a real delight catching up with you. Best of luck the rest of the way with the Blue Jackets and fingers crossed. I mean, you're—you're someone that makes it easy to cheer for. Thanks so much for doing this. And best of luck, Elvis, we've really enjoyed this.
Elvis Merzlikins [00:51:30] Thank you very much guys. Thank you.
Jeff Marek [00:51:31] And there he is. Elliotte, I'll resist saying Elvis has left the podcast, but Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets. You know, in our preseason polls, and I'm still sticking to it, I called for Igor Shesterkin to win the Vezina. That's what my head tells me. But as I've been saying to you, here, there and everywhere, my heart is with that guy. My heart is with Merzlikins, I really want that guy to be successful, I want him to win the Vezina, I think Shesterkin wins it. But my heart says I want Merzlikins to win that trophy this season.
Elliotte Friedman [00:52:14] I look at it this way, until Shesterkin comes on this podcast and gives us a better interview than that, I'm not rooting for him.
Jeff Marek [00:52:22] Okay, we know who you'll be voting for. Taking us out is Victoria's Dustin McClain of the Wicks, a band we featured in season three of the podcast. Dustin is back with his new act, Neon Veils. From his debut record, here's Neon Veils with their title track, All The Time on 32 Thoughts the Podcast. Enjoy.