Adnan Virk
Appearances
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
It was so sweet to see a guy who'd coached so many games. And then the follow-up, I said to him, I go, Moe, We all know you guys lost the previous year. If you'd lost this game, I mean, you would have been the first team ever to gag a 3-0 lead. I said, I don't know anything about X's and O's. He laughs. He goes, oh, neither do I. I said, no, don't be humble.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I said, but motivation-wise, you've got to tell this team, hey, everyone's squeezing the sticks tight. We just gagged an 0-3 lead. 3-0 lead, excuse me. Like, what are you saying? He goes, the key is you have to focus on positivity. And you guys know this, Roy and David. He goes, that game five, we were great. So I said, look at that game five. We played a great game. We can do this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
It isn't like we're playing horribly and the wheels have completely fallen off. We can do this. And the other thing I tried to tell them was be liberated if you can. I know it's hard to say have fun out there in a game seven, but try to have a little fun. Try to think in your head, hey, man, one game you win a Stanley Cup, we can do this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And 2-1, he goes, I think we had 19 icings in the third period. He goes, so awesome.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
willed it to happen but he said it was an amazing moment and you know he's a coaching lifer i said demote you have no signs of slowing down bills you know called you you were you were fishing he's like i had four straight days of great fishing some of the greatest fishing of my life and he goes bills you know kept calling it eventually got a text he goes i have to clean this up but he goes basically someone said to me pick up the bleeping phone because zito's calling you and i was like i'm good man like i'm taking this to the house it's been fun winnipeg toronto carolina hartford
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And he goes, Bill would not take no for an answer. And eventually I was like, okay, fine, let's do this. And he goes, now I don't want to be anywhere else. And he goes, I know it's a cliche. I know you're not going to believe me, but Barkov is an unselfish superstar. Kachuk is an unbelievable guy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
He goes, I've been on teams where we're winners and we don't have a great room, but this is a great room and they're a winning team. And he goes, you don't have that. And I said, well, next year, barring any catastrophe, you're going to get 2,000 games. Only you and Scotty Bowman have coached 2,000 games. He said, man, I'm getting way too close to the sun. He's got nine Stanley Cups.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
It doesn't seem fair. But my favorite story, at least he got one story you guys are going to love. I said to him, Mo, long before the term was coined, and this is an NFL term, but you were Mr. Irrelevant. He said, yeah. He said a bunch of scouts got fired with the Philadelphia Flyers. I'm sure. 1985, the number one pick was Wendell Clark. Number 252 was Paul Maurice. And I said, tell me about it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And he goes, listen, I was just a house league player in the Sioux. I didn't think I was anything special. I was at the bar with some buddies. And my mom was listening to the radio for updates. Because you don't have agency or any of that stuff. And my mom called and said, you got picked by the Flyers. And this was 11.15 at night. And I said...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
God, I hope I'm not the last one, but I'm doing the math. He goes to the rest of the night. I was the last one to do everything. I was the last one to get a beer. Great story from Paul Maurice.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
You're right. He could coach 3,000 games. He could.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Nope. And by the way, I said to him, to your point about coaching him as a young man, he goes, I said, you coach Paul Coffey. Well, I also sat down with him earlier. He goes, here's my Paul Coffey story. He said, I'm 30 years old. And he goes, it's Whalers Bruins. Every year it was like Whalers Bruins, Whalers Habs, you always lose. Because Paul Coffey was like a seventh defenseman at that point.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
But I call him in and I tell him, you're not playing game one. And he goes, okay. And he tails like a total pro. He goes out and he goes, he just rides the bike like a maniac. Like I can hear him. Like he's like panting and screaming. I'm like, oh my God, this guy's fired up. And he goes, of course he was right. I was wrong. We lose the game. And I put him back in there the rest of the series.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And he was awesome. And he goes, it was a good lesson. Sometimes people are screaming and yelling and ranting. He goes, Paul Coffey, I'm telling a Hall of Famer, you're not good enough to play. And he's like, OK, I'll prove you wrong. And he was right. And as always, I was wrong. But he said it was a good memory because I was 30 years old.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
He goes, you don't understand what that's like, 30 years old, and you're a head coach of a team. The way these guys are eyeing you, it's amazing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
it's a great point i think if given a choice would you rather your team plays again you you want them to win every game but if you have a choice of playing down the opposition or play your best against the best teams i'll i'll take i'll take the ladder like okay that sucks if we play bad against bad teams but guess what in the playoffs we're going to play against great teams and if we can elevate our play we can do it and honestly to score six goals in edmonton without barkoff like that that's
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Especially after you've just been shut out in back-to-back games. Hadn't scored a goal in over 140 minutes. You've only been shut out once in back-to-back-to-back games.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
So with that environment where you're, again, squeezing the sticks tight, no one's scoring, and you put up six, and you were down, and that quick strike offense, the ingenuity of Reinhardt on that goal, the way he circled, then just is able to bank it off a skinner, that is... You don't teach that kind of stuff. So I think if I'm a Panthers fan, again...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I know not every game is created equal, but as our friend Tim Kirchner always said, that's a circle game. Like early on, you look at the calendar, you circle that game. Cup final rematch in Edmonton. And then you win that game. Now it's a double circle game. This is motivation. This is going to keep us rolling. And they did after that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah. To quote Yogi Berra, it's getting late early. And I'm glad you get perspective on how far back they're the devils now, because you're right. You're accustomed to saying, well, it's not 2025. Once you hit into the Christmas break, it gets go time. And I talked to Arthur Staple of Newsday about it. And I focused first on Shosturkin.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And I said, let me just start with this because I know it's not his fault. But he's been good but not great. And sometimes you guys know this. A goalie can cover up a lot of different weaknesses. He says, that's true. Him and Quick have been good, not great. But the problem really is their offense. And he goes, your Criders, your Zbigniews, if these guys aren't playing at the level they should be.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Let's talk Trouba first. Guy doesn't want to get traded because, you know, his wife is working in the medical profession in New York. New York's a great city. He doesn't want to go anywhere. They're like, no, we want to get rid of you. No, I don't want to go anywhere. No, you have to. We're going to bench you. Well, we'll trade you. You have to say yes. You have one year left, $8 million deal.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Okay. By the way, he's the fourth Ranger captain to leave unceremoniously. The last Ranger captain to just leave gracefully was Jaromir Jagr. Otherwise, it's true. It's going to get traded like it's crazy. Don't be the Rangers captain. It's not a good sign. Kreider hasn't been good, obviously. Zibanejad. Here's my thing with Kapo Kako. Why are you benching him?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Like, I've never watched a Rangers game and said to myself, oh, that third line guy, he's the problem. But once you singled him out, I love the fact he stuck up for himself. He's like, yeah, I didn't realize I was the issue. Like, you're going to make an example out of me. Like, bench Zbigniew. Bench Kreider. Bench one of the top guns. That will get everyone's attention.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Whether or not they deserve it or not, that will get people. What happened with the Flyers towards bench Mieczkoff? Didn't deserve it. Maybe it's part of the problem. And you're going to get my attention. Two games healthy scratch. Meechcox is a favorite to win the Calder Longest Celebrating. Like, if you're going to do something, do it with an impact.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Otherwise, you bench Capo Caco, who seems curiously inexplicable. Why is this happening? Then gets traded. The trade doesn't seem like you're going to get much anyways right now. So it feels like, guys, it's leading to a potential Peter Laviolette firing. I like Lavi. I think he's been a good coach. Been there a long time. Been in the NHL a long time.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
But eventually, because you can't fire the players, you have to fire the coach. And to your point, David, it is getting late early. This is concerning for the Rangers. How do you win a President's Trophy and all of a sudden you're flailing around fighting to make the playoffs? It's crazy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I like it. I like it. Excellent shout out to Hans Zimmer. I mean, he's one of the great composers of all time. A great score, can do everything. The new Superman trailer just came out. One of my friends is like, man, that's really good. Fantastic. That looks so good. Yeah. I mean, listen, it is a much better story. The fact that Panthers went seven, that was a great Stanley Cup final.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
There's no question about it. You know, you go back and watch that series in its entirety. It wasn't like Florida dominated. It wasn't like them that they gagged. They were all generally close games. It was competitive. And that game seven, if you said to myself, hey. If you don't have a dog in the race, you're going to get a one-goal Game 7. How do you not root for that kind of a final?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
But, yeah, it was tense the entire way through. And the fact that McDavid won Conn Smythe, that even adds more drama to it. Like, how do you think he feels? That guy is so frustrated. He just wants to win a Stanley Cup. Hey, guess what? You win a Conn Smythe on a losing team. Like, it's almost like a double blow. Like, don't give me the Conn Smythe. I didn't win the Cup. I don't want this thing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
But, yes, I think the Panthers, sure. I think Mo was like, you know what, let's make this a little bit more dramatic for the great fans of South Florida. Let's win this cup. By the way, I was wondering this, too, and Maurice kind of touched on this a bit. Like I said, everything's about winning that Stanley Cup. You know, the franchise hasn't done it. You haven't done it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Is there not just a slight inclination, 5% you can ease up a little bit because you're not as tight now? And he goes, it is, but in a positive way, meaning – In the past, you have put so much pressure upon yourself that you have to get it done. Once you've gotten it done, you just naturally relax, which allows you to be a winner anyways. So you start to play with more house money.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
So yes, obviously winning helps you. It's not that it makes you less hungry. It makes you more relaxed, which can make you better.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
So I think, Roy, that the Avalanche needed to get a goalie. And I figured that part. I thought maybe Cam Talbot, who's been, I think, underrated for much of his career. But Mackenzie Blackwood, listen, especially living here in Jersey, everyone thought he'd be the answer for the Devils. Things didn't work out that way. Colorado's a curious team.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Because I was looking at, so far, disappointments, surprises. I think the Capitals have been a genuine surprise. Best team in the Eastern Conference. Nobody saw that coming. Devils have been really good, but my partner in crime, Jason Demers, on our podcast, NHL Inscripted, said, no, I thought the Devils would be really good. I said, okay.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
As far as disappointments, Rangers we've touched on, Sabres are just a disaster. You always tell one year they're going to make the playoffs and break the stretch of 13 straight seasons, but no, it's a tire fire once again.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Right. So when I look at the Avalanche, I go, you know what? They just haven't been healthy. Like if they're rolling, if you're telling me McKinnon in late March is going to be battling for the Art Ross or the Hart and they give me Rantanen. By the way, Rantanen demersed to me. He goes, he could be a Juan Soto type player. And I said, explain.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And he goes, he's not the best player in the sport, but he might get like a gigantic contract next season. I said, I didn't realize Rantanen is up after next year. Of course, McDavid's in two years from now. But. Anyways, long story short, Roy, I think they need to get an upgrade in goalie. I think when they're healthy, they'll be pretty good. But it's an odd year for Colorado.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Like, they're not going to be the team to beat, so to speak. And yet, maybe being a wildcard team might be more concerning for one of those favorites because Colorado, when it comes to playoff time, I still think they're locked and loaded. If you give me McKinnon and McCarr, watch out.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, and Dallas has been pretty good without Jason Robertson being Jason Robertson. They've had other talent stepping up. Obviously, Odgers had a great season as well. So, yeah, Dallas and Colorado, I mean, God, that's like old-school 90s matchups. I can feel the ESPN theme and Gary Thorne with the call right now. Oh, yeah. Texas, little stars out. That'd be great.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
All right, Roy, David, my pleasure. I'll book my monthly appearance soon. I'll see you guys in January. Be well, brother. Happy holidays.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Well, Roy, David, a pleasure to be with you guys. And you're right. You call him Mo right out of the gate. You can't even call him Paul. He just looks like a Mo. He feels like a Mo. He talks like a Mo. And Mo was awesome. We sit down. You think it's going to be a few minutes, five minutes. Who knows how it's going to go? Eight and a half minutes. Mo's got stories for days.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And specifically, that Panthers-Oilers game, as you guys know, Game of the Year Canada, phenomenal game in terms of the back and forth action. This was in the morning of. And I just said, what's it like being here now, that moment when you won that Stanley Cup? What was the most gratifying moment? Right away he goes, oh, you're going to make me cry.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
But it was that moment you look around and you see all the people that are there responsible for your success and how grateful they are and how much gratitude they have and just what a collective effort it is together. He goes, that moment, I can't describe it, I can't encapsulate it, but that's that moment when you're just hugging and crying. It's going to make me cry just watching that moment.