Dave Scatchard 0:00

Welcome to the All Star success codes podcast, where we take you inside the minds of champions to unlock the secrets to success, straight from the mouths of those who've mastered their craft. I'm your host. Dave Scatchard, join me as I take you on a journey to help you move the needle to your next level. Get ready to ignite your passion, unleash your potential and uncover the blueprint for greatness. Welcome back to another episode of All Star success codes. I'm Dave Scatchard, and today our interview is with Tyson Nash. And if you don't know Tyson, he was one of the most hated NHL players of all time, in his words, that's what his coach told him he would need to do to stick in the NHL, and he shares that a little later. But Tice was incredible player, hilarious teammate and friend. We lived together in the minor leagues in Syracuse briefly when we both got cut from Vancouver. He's a year older than me, but he's one of my dear friends. We're still friends to this day. Him and his family are incredible people, and you know, you're gonna love this. This interview, Tyson did play 374 NHL games, 329 games in the minors, then ended his career in Japan, and that's an interesting story that he shares near the end of the interview, too. So I hope you guys enjoy this. Tice played the game the right way. He played hard, he played physical, and he grinded out a career when a lot of people counted him out because of his size or whatever, and he shares his success codes on how to override all of that when people don't believe in you and what it takes to make it in hockey, but also in life and in business. So buckle up. Enjoy this interview with my friend Tyson Nash. So first of all, tell us how you grew up, what your childhood was like, what was minor hockey like for you, and kind of how was things for little Tyson?

Tyson Nash 2:06

Well, my childhood growing up, I grew up in a place called shew park just outside of outside Edmonton. It was probably 15 minutes, so it was kind of a little small town, you know, obviously the weather was, was cold. We had the Edmonton Oilers there, so that that kind of made the winners go by fast. I was obviously a huge hockey fan, you know, with two others being there, Wayne Gretzky, Kevin low peaking in all the mark Messi, so, you know, obviously hockey was my, my number one passion, you know. And we, we had outdoor rinks on every every corner. I spent a lot of time in the outdoor rinks, and then obviously on the ponds, you go out and wheel around. And that's that was my passion. That was my life. Hockey was everything, and that's what I wanted to do.

Dave Scatchard 2:54

So how old were you when you when you started wheeling around, when you started skating and when you started playing

Tyson Nash 3:01

hockey? I think I was, I was, I was about five, I think is when my dad first took me out on the outdoor rink. My brother obviously played, and I just kind of followed suit. I used a whole pair of his skates, and we went out to Mills Haven was, was our little neighborhood that they called it. They had an outdoor rink at the school there. So we'd, we'd go out, get suited up and throw the skates out there and dangle around, and that's where, where it all happened.

Dave Scatchard 3:25

So as a young player, you know what teams or what players did you look up to, sort of, you know as role models or whatever, when you're learning the game and trying to become a young player yourself, growing

Tyson Nash 3:39

up in Edmonton, obviously the Oilers were there. And, you know, I always idolized, you know, I was pretty spoiled as a kid. Let's face it. I mean, I watched those guys win a lot of Stanley Cups, and I, you know, all the Hall of Famers on that team. And you know, obviously Wayne Gretzky, which, you know, he was obviously my favorite player. Mark Messi was another guy idolized Kelly Bucha burger. I love that guy, but the guy that stood out in my mind, just because I knew I was never going to be a Wayne Gretzky or a mark Messier, because I knew I didn't have those skills. I mean, no one does, so I think the guy I always kind of, you know, look to, was a guy as a teaching and he was, he was a ton of fun to watch. I always had his jersey. He was always yapping at somebody and chirping and and he was a good player too, you know, but that's a guy that I look to. I'm like, maybe this is a guy that I could mirror myself after and maybe one day become

Dave Scatchard 4:30

so as you started to go along, like, when did you start to realize you had a chance to do something with it, you know, whether it be going to junior or college or whatever, when did that start to change for you?

Tyson Nash 4:43

Well, for me, you know, obviously, I just, I just love playing the game and and I didn't really think about, you know, what was coming down the road and, you know, being drafted or being listed. I just knew I wanted to play hockey for as long as I could play hockey. And as you get better, and I. Like, I was kind of mature at my age. When I was 13, I was a little bit bigger than everyone, so I had a little bit of an upper hand. And as we went to tournaments, you know, I remember going to this tournament in Vernon, and all of a sudden seeing all these scouts, and I'd never seen scouts before, and all of a sudden they're talking to you and talking to your parents, and you're like, holy, what's going on. It was kind of exciting, you know, and, and that's kind of where it all happened. I never got drafted. This might age me a little bit, but I was a listed player. So they, I remember, at 13 the canvas blazers, they took a big chance and they listed me. And that's kind of when I was, I was really I was a good player, you know, I was scoring goals, I was doing all those things. But like I said, I was bigger than the other kids, and that's when, you know, I got listed. I think they took up four spots on their list to list a 13 year old kid. So I didn't really know how important that was until, you know, years later, but I was obviously pretty thrilled. And that's kind of where I was, like, Wow. All right, Kamloops is my nest. My next goal. This is where I want to play. I went there in the summer. My dad showed me around. Bob Brown, the general manager, took me in and showed me around, and that's what I wanted to do. So

Dave Scatchard 6:10

what would you do as young guy to try to give yourself the best chance to make it? What were some of your habits, routines, or whatever?

Tyson Nash 6:17

I think, what kind of helped me to, you know, I guess, turn myself into a hockey player at a young age, was just my passion for it. You know, it's all I thought about. It's what I dreamt about at night. I woke up at the morning, I went, you know, shot pucks before school, you know, after school, first thing I did, I go to the outdoor rink. It was just, it was what I loved to do. You know, it's all I wanted to do. And I think, you know, that was, it was easy for me, you know, just because it was, I was so passionate about it, and I worked so hard at it, and it wasn't because I wanted to be a hockey player to make money. It's just because I wanted to be a hockey player, and that's all I wanted to do, you know. And so I think it was just, it was a natural progression, just to, you know, kind of gradually get better. The other kids, they go to movies, they go to, you know, to parties and birthday parties. I'd go downstairs in the basement and shoot pucks or, you know, it's just what I wanted to do, you know. And I know at times there was, parents were like, Oh, you got to give him a break. He kept playing hockey all year round. But honestly, it's all I wanted to do

Dave Scatchard 7:23

that's really good. What when you were shooting pucks in the basement and when you were doing these things, like, what was going through your mind? Were you? Were you trying to pick spots? Were you trying to just drill the puck as hard as you can? Like, you know, I know you're just shooting pucks, but I mean, what was your thought process while you were doing it? Were you visualizing a goalie in the net? Were you shooting it on a Tudor shooter? You know, what was what were you doing when you're shooting those pucks?

Tyson Nash 7:51

Well, I think, you know, when I was downstairs in the basement shooting Pucks and with my friends. I mean, we had a real competitive neighborhood. They all, they all played. My brother was three years older, so there was a healthy competition with him. He loved playing goalie. He always pretended he was Reggie Len so he had the Boston runes and the old brown pads, and so it was, it was just fun to us. It was always a game. And, you know, it was right till the end, you know, it was always a game to me, and it was always fun. But it was, it was always that healthy competition. It's in you, you always wanted to beat the goaltender. You always wanted to work on your skills and and get better. And you know, and ultimately, though, it was my dad and my brother. They we pushed each other. We always had fun. We always had little game. Everything was a game, and it was either winning or losing, and none of us like to lose. So that's what it came down to.

Dave Scatchard 8:43

So as you progressed and started to get ready to move away from home, did you find yourself distancing yourself from your parents or your friends to kind of get ready? Or did you get homesick at all? What was that like for you?

Tyson Nash 8:57

Well, I think you know when you move away at such a young age, I think homes being homesick is a big, big problem, and it was for me at 16. I mean, I was all excited to when I got there, but that kind of wears off, especially as the grind of the Western Hockey League schedule is I mean, you're on the bus all the time, but our our group was such a good group of guys. We had billet across the street from us. So we had two other guys living across Jason Strudwick and and Scott Loucks were living across the street, Ryan Huska and a couple of the boys were just up the way. And, you know, so you had this, this group of guys that was kind of going through all the same things at the same time. We were all kind of young guys, Darcy Tucker, myself and Ryan Huska, we were both 16 year olds at the time. So we kind of, we hung out and we confided in each other. And, you know, we we cried at times, and, you know, but those long bus trips, you used them, and you talked about a lot of things. And obviously, you know, I was only eight hours from home, so my parents came up quite often. My mom was there, my dad, and eventually, my dad, I. She ended up getting transferred to Vancouver. So, you know, all hockey parents are very dedicated. My dad and mom would they drive up for every single game. So it was pretty remarkable. I didn't really, you know, think of it at the time, but looking back, I'm like, Man, that's, that's a long drive, that's a lot of miles and a lot of hours in a vehicle to watch your son play. And, you know, I really appreciate it, and it made it easier. You know, after the game, whether you won or lost, we always used to win, so it was always a little happier. But he'd always go out there, and there was, there was dad or mom there. So it was, it was always kind of nice.

Dave Scatchard: 10:38

So you get listed, you know, you're gonna go play Junior, you're preparing yourself to get get ready to go. How do you mentally get ready to go for that first year junior? I know, you know, we dealt with your ability and homesickness and all that, but what were some of the things that you did to prepare to go?

Tyson Nash: 10:58

Well, I think, you know, obviously junior hockey is, is the first big step in in a career in hockey. And I didn't know where I was going to go after that, but I knew this was my one of my goals was going to play junior hockey. And I remember, you know, when I was in high school, I was in grade 10, and I was 15 at the time, and I was sitting in class, and my first experience was getting a phone call. They had phones in the classroom, and I remember getting called down to the office. It was, I think it was December, and it was, it was the canvas blazers. They had called me in class in high school, and they said they needed me to come up. They had injury problems. So I guess when you're 15 there you're allowed to play three games. So I went up, and I remember getting into the car, and this guy, Vern Dubinsky, was a good family friend of ours. He drove up, he picked me up. He had all my equipment in the back of his car. And we drove five hours from Sherwood Park to Regina, and I suited up that night for the canvas Blazers as a 15 year old. And then I played the next night in Brandon, and I had a full cage on because I was 50, and I couldn't wear the half half visor, and it was a televised game. So it was a real big thrill for a 15 year old kid. And that's, again, kind of the first stepping stone that I knew I wanted to make that team full time next year as a 16 year old. But, and then that was, that was a tough thing, you know, moving away. I spent my whole childhood in true park with all my friends. And you know, I had a lot of great friends and family. I, you know, I was kind of a mama's boy, and I never wanted, I really didn't want to leave, you know, and so it was a lot of tears, and, you know, a lot of hugs with my buddies, and, you know, going away parties. And I'll never forget, my brother took me to to Kamloops. We were at peach fest for for a weekend. And then he drove me up there and in his car and dropped me off and with my equipment and my stick, and we had a good cry there and a good hug, and he wished me good luck. And you know, that was it. I was a 16 year old kid, kind of on my own, you know, and Kamloops dropped me off at at the rink. And, you know, you live with a billet, and I moved in with this great lady, Mary lane, and I had a couple great roommates, Darryl sador, obviously had a great, long NHL career, and Darcy Tucker was, was my other roommate at the time, and Zach Boyer, so that's kind of where it all started. And I was very, very blessed, I guess, to be on a team that was that good. You know, as a six year old, it was tough to make, but once you make a team, that's that good. I mean, you have a huge opportunity. You're learning from the best players in junior hockey. You're watching these guys on a daily basis, what they do, how they train, what they eat, how prepared they get for their games, and what it takes. Some of these guys were already drafted. Darryl Sydor was drafted the LA Kings, I think six overall that year, Scott need a Meyer was another guy. So you watch these guys on a daily basis, and you learn from them, and hopefully you learn from them, because that's, that's how you get better and and, you know, we went on to win three, you know, Memorial cups, which was obviously huge, and a big reason why I was successful, why we got drafted. We had, I think, 12 guys drafted off my memorial Cup team the one year that was just remarkable. So, you know, you play on good teams and you get noticed. And it's not always about individual stats, it's it's about winning. And when you win, you get noticed by scouts and and that's how a lot of us got drafted. So

Dave Scatchard: 14:20

you win the memorial cups in Kamloops that you're coming off a high there. You get drafted. You start going to these NHL training camps with the with the Vancouver Canucks. And I was there with one with you. What was that like, starting to meet your stars and your idols. I know you had a couple of favorite players that were actually on that Canuck team. Just take us through that, and what that was like as a young guy starting to get closer to making it to the NHL.

Tyson Nash: 14:48

I do I, you know, obviously, as to take him was a, was a, you know, I was a big fan of his, and the first time I ever met him was just, it was, it was bizarre. And that's kind of when it hit home and it. In Vancouver. And, you know, it was, I hadn't made it at the time, but it was a step in the right direction. I was kind of like, okay, I'm on the same ice as this guy. This is, this is as good as it gets. You know, I almost had to pinch myself, but you can't get star struck. And I think, you know, and it's almost impossible not to, you know Mark Messier, another guy, you know, I was in Vancouver when he was there in training camps. And, you know, I mean, Mark Messier he's like a god, this guy in the hockey world. So, you know, it's just, it's amazing. It's to be on the same ice. And as as guys you grew up watching and lifting the Stanley Cups and and here you are with them. It was, you know, I was like, All right, I'm getting close to my dream, but I knew I wasn't there yet. But it was pretty neat.

Dave Scatchard: 15:51

So I know when we both were the last cuts of the Canucks and we were going down, there was a couple negative players that gave us a hard time. Why don't you talk a little bit about that, maybe, how to use negativity as motivation and sort of what your mindset is in dealing with the haters or the naysayers and to just continue the belief in yourself even when it seems impossible. Well, I think

Tyson Nash: 16:19

every player probably goes through it at some point in time. And I definitely went through it my whole my whole life, my whole career, really, once I turned pro, you know, I played with players who, you know, there's a lot of jealousies. There's a lot of you know, when I was that last cut of that training camp, there's a lot of guys that I got cut earlier that were were not happy with, you know, me still being up there, and they thought they deserved to be there. So when I came down, they tried to bring you down to their level and to discourage you. And you know, I always believed in myself. I always knew that if I, if I got an opportunity, that I could make something out of it. And, you know, there was a couple players, and one in particular that always told me, you know, you're never going to make it. You know, why bother? Go back to school, you know, get your education. What are you doing? You're wasting your time. You're too small. You know, you're not fast enough. You're definitely not skilled enough. You work hard. That's all you got going for you. And you know, it was hard for me to hear that. I didn't want to hear that, but again, I used it for for motivation. Just like I used a lot of things in my life, it was fuel for the fire. You know, it motivated me because I truly believed in myself, that I knew if I got an opportunity, I could make the NHL, and it's all I wanted to do. I'm a hockey player, you know, I'm still a hockey player. It's what I love. It's all i It's all I know. And like I said earlier, that's what you know motivated me.

Dave Scatchard: 17:45

So we all know, you go to the camps, you meet your idols. It's all going amazing. You're new to it, but I know the real story. And why don't you tell some of the listeners you know, what are some of the hardest things? Probably, what was the hardest thing that you had to go through as a pro and tell us what was going through your mind at that time.

Tyson Nash: 18:07

I think that the biggest obstacle that I had to go through as a as a professional now was was probably the point that I came from such a high in Kamloops. We had just won the memorial cup. Everything was going great. I had signed a contract. I thought I had a great training camp in Vancouver, and then I went to Syracuse as a 20 year old, and we had an older team, and I was a rookie, and I wasn't getting a ton of ice time. And, you know, obviously, coming from Canton loops, where I came from, I was getting all the ice time, and everything was good. All of a sudden, you're a pigeon, you know, you're you're a rookie, and you got to kind of pay your dues. And I wasn't really used to doing that again, because I had done it at 16 as a blazer, and now at 20, I'm like, I'm a professional, you know, like, I want to make the NHL. This is my next step. I don't want to play in the minors anymore. I want to go to the NHL. And I ended up getting hurt, and I, again, I wasn't getting a ton of ice time because I wasn't a first round draft pick or a second pick, and it seemed like those guys were the guys that all always got the ice time and every opportunity the power play, and even if they were a rookie. So everything, it seemed that I was earning. I had to earn, and I had to earn my stripes, and I got hurt. I got a concussion. And I'll never forget my coach, Jack Mclhargey, coming in and saying, Listen, you know, we're going to send you to the East Coast League. And I was like, East Coast League? I'm like, Are you kidding me? I'm like, you know, far away. And I remember saying this to him, like, Do you know how far away that is from the NHL? I'm like, I've taken a step back now. So now I'm going in the reverse, and here I'm trying to get to the NHL, and now I'm going to the East Coast League, and I'm and I still believe in myself. I still know I can play and and and do more than I was doing in at the American League level. So that, to me, was probably the hardest point in my career, having to take a step back and be like, holy This is not where it's not going the right way. Can I get through this? Can I am. I ever going to make the NHL at this at this rate, you know, am I ever going to get back to the American Hockey League? Can I trust this guy that I'm even going to come back to the American League, or am I going to sit and rot in the East Coast League? So that, to me, was, was the toughest point in my career.

Dave Scatchard: 20:15

So knowing that, how did you bounce back from that? How did you get yourself psyched up to, you know, prove them wrong and show them that you don't belong down here. Like, what? What are some things that you were saying to yourself? Or, how did you take that and repurpose it

Tyson Nash: 20:32

well? And that's exactly what it is. I think, when I got sent down, that was my mindset. I'm like, this is a mistake. I'm gonna show these guys this is a mistake, and I'm gonna, I'm not gonna go down and pout. I mean, I did pout. There's no question about it. I got on the plane, I pouted. I actually cried. I cried. I sat there and I cried in my coach's office, you know, saying you can't do this. This is not where I want to, want to go, you know. And I went down and, you know what I said, this is pouting. Is not going to solve this. I need to step it up and, you know, show them this mistake. I need to do good at this level to show I don't belong here. I belong at the next level. And that's, that's kind of what I did, and it worked out.

Dave Scatchard: 21:15

So as you're going through all these learning phases, you know, how did you adapt? How did you adjust from being a guy who scored a lot of goals, got a lot of ice time in junior, and now you're a pro, and you know, things aren't going as smoothly as for you. Like, what would you say to somebody if they were trying to do the same thing? And what does it take to really adapt efficiently?

Tyson Nash: 21:39

Well, I think, you know, every every team and everybody growing up, you you know you need, every team needs role players. And I think you know when, when you grew up, I was always the guy, you know, in minor hockey, you're always the guy that scored the goals and got all the ice time and and that was a real struggle with me growing up because junior hockey came, and I always wanted to be that guy, but it was always Shane Doan and Darcy Tucker and Jerome again, my that got the ice time. And I was always like, hey, what about me? You know? But I always had my coach, Don Hey, and we always butted heads over it, and I'm like, just give me some power play time, you know, I can do it. But he always knew what it was going to be that got me to the NHL. It wasn't going to be scoring goals, you know, I didn't have good enough hands. It wasn't going to be fighting. I wasn't big enough. But it was going to be playing a role, a checking winger, hard to play against, very physical. And you know, the same with Greg Gilbert. He was a guy that that taught me that you know you're going to have to be a guy that gets the puck out, gets the puck in. You're not going to be a guy that scores all the goals. That's just how it's going to be. But if you want to make the NHL, this is how you're going to make it. It's not going to be by going out and scoring a hat trick every night and playing on the first and second line. That's just not how you're going to make it. But that's something I couldn't I had a hard time getting into my head, but eventually, these coaches, over the years, they drilled it into me, and I thank God for it, because I would still today being one of those guys that thought I was more skilled than I was trying to be a second or third line guy instead of being a role player. And when you're on a championship team, every team needs those guys. You look at the Detroit Red Wings, I mean, they're they're a line, they're four solid lines, but they got a fourth line that, you know you've had, the mccardies, the drapers, the malpies, the wholesome those guys are all special guys, even though they don't get the recognition. But they're the unsung heroes. It's not the it's the zettenbergs and the dad dukes that get all the glory and the Steve eisermans. But those guys also know that it's the role players that are very important, and every team needs a guy like that. So sometimes, when you're in the minors and you're battling away, you still need to work hard and do all the little things, but you need to find your niche, and you need to do it, and you need to do it better than anybody else. And that's what my coach, and I'll never forget, Joel quindi, said, Listen, if you're going to make this hockey club and stay here, you need to be the hardest working. You need the to be the most hated player in the National Hockey League if you're going to make this hockey club. And I said, just show me the way. Show me and give me the ice time, I will be that guy. And that's all he wanted me to do. And when the day I stopped doing that was the day I was gone. And, you know, that's that's the deal. You know, the old saying, you come in as a crusher, you try to be a rusher. Soon enough, you'll be an usher, and that's the way it goes.

Dave Scatchard: 24:32

Great stuff. You know, I'm one of your biggest fans, and I saw you make it the hard way. Let's bring the listeners up to the point where you first walk into the NHL locker room, or how you got called up, like, why don't you take us through that moment after all your hard work and all the adversity that you had to overcome, you know, having that day tell us about that going through your mind as you jumped onto the ice. Yes and hire an NHL

Tyson Nash: 25:03

Well, my first recollection of, you know, playing in the NHL, and my first NHL game, I'll never forget it. I had a great coach in the minor leagues, and he was a guy who really helped me. He taught me what it was going to take for Tyson Nash to make the NHL, not not just any player, not with a guy with a lot of skill or or whatever, but a guy like me, because we were very similar. Greg Gilbert was his name and and he taught me, okay, this is what it's going to take for you to make the NHL. And he taught me all year, those pucks got to get out, those pucks got to get in. You got to finish every check. And you know, he as a role player, that's how he saw me making the NHL. So I'll never forget it. He called me in, and he didn't tell me what it was about. He just told me that, you know, to get down to the office, and, you know, he had needed to talk to me. And I came, I came down there, and he had this serious look in his face, and I was kind of scared. I'm like, Oh my God. What's going on here? What's he going to say? And he's like, You, got called up. They called you up. And I was like, Are you kidding me? And you know, it was just we, we had a little hug and a high five. And, I mean, he was like, he was so proud that he, you know, that I was getting a chance and and, and I wasn't gonna let him down. That's how much he believed in me. And that was that was so important to me, because I had so many guys who didn't believe in me. So when I had an organization and a coach that believed in me and my ability, and he recommended me to get called up, I knew there was no way I was going to let him down. So I grabbed my gear, I went up, I took a flight to St Louis, and I remember, you know, I got into the hotel and I couldn't sleep. I was tossing turning. It was an afternoon game. We were playing the Dallas Stars, and I had a friend, one of my best friends, Daryl sador, was on the Dallas Stars at the time. He didn't he had no idea, and I didn't tell him. I showed up at the rink, and the first thing, obviously, you remember, is bringing your equipment in. You're all nervous. You get your stick, and you're just like, hey, how you doing? You know, everyone's so nice. But you walk into that locker room, and it's an NHL locker room, and you see the logo on the carpet and the St Louis blue logo, and you look up, and there's your jersey. And you know, I was always wondering, what number am I gonna wear? And there it was, number nine with my name on freshly ironed Brand New Jersey sitting there in my stall, and I'm like, Are you kidding me? I have made it. And, you know, it almost brings you to tears, you know. And you're just like, This is unreal. And I knew at that time, because I knew all these other guys that they get called up and they always say, I wish I did this. I wish I did that. And I knew that. And my dad told me this. He goes, just know, woulda, coulda, shoulda, just lay it all out. And that's the rest. Was kind of history. I remember going into the game, and that's exactly what I thought. I said, this is my only chance. This might be it for me, and I'm gonna lay it all on the line. They are not gonna be able to send me down because I'm going to play so hard, and that's, that's kind of what happened. I remember going out there, hitting everything that moved it was in St Louis, the crowd was going crazy. I ended up getting in a fight and with Pat Verbeek, and, you know, the boys were loving it. The crowd was going crazy. And it was just, it was unbelievable. The rest was kind of history. So

Dave Scatchard: 28:21

after battling and battling and battling, you get called up. You play your games. The next season you're a regular. What was life like in the NHL for you? Tell our listeners out there what it was like for you to be a player in the NHL,

Tyson Nash: 28:39

life and playing in the NHL. I can't describe it. It's it's a dream come true. You wake up every morning you go to the rink. I mean, you put the jersey on, you're playing with guys that you watched your whole career, and now you're on the same ice surface. You got 19,000 screaming fans yelling at you and cheering for you. There's nothing like it. It's worth all the blood, sweat and tears. No question

Dave Scatchard: 29:07

now, how big of goal center were you? Did you set a lot of goals? Did the goals help you make it to the NHL? Kind of what was your process and what's your opinion on setting goals that might help some listeners out there, not just in hockey, but in life as well.

Tyson Nash: 29:24

I was always actually a pretty big goal setter, and in my career, I thought it really helped me. It gave me more motivation. It kept me on track to kind of what was going on the year. Sometimes can drag out. And, you know, you try to keep it fresh, you know, I'd actually set like, five or 10 game, you know, segments where I'd set goals where I knew we played five games. So I'd be like, okay, in those five games, I want to get two points, or I want to, you know, or just, I want to be great. I want to play great hockey, you know. And I. Um, the start of the season. Always, I always set big goals, high goals, you know, probably higher than I don't think I ever achieved any of my goals, but I always set them higher than, than what, you know, I probably should have. But it always kept me motivated, and kept pushing me to to be better. So I always thought goals are really important. They definitely motivated me. I

Dave Scatchard: 30:21

know you're a big believer. How much would you say that your belief and faith in God helped you during tough times or adversity during your career?

Tyson Nash: 30:38

Yeah, obviously, you know, my faith was, it was a big thing for me, going through hockey, like I said, the pressure sometimes just gets overwhelming. And, you know, I think everything for me I grew up with, with religion and being a Christian, my family is, you know, I basically had no choice, but it's something that, you know, I definitely needed, I needed an outlet. I needed to go somewhere. I needed to know that, you know, I had some help, you know, because at times I just couldn't do it on my own. You know, you lean on your wife, you lean on your family, but, you know, and that's what, what faith is kind of about, you know, I went to church because, you know, I needed to, not because I thought I was better than anyone, because I was a holy roller or whatever, but I went to church because I needed to. It kept me on the straight and narrow, and it, you know, it made things real for me, and something I could, like I said I could, I could lean on and get some help, because at times I just felt like I couldn't take anymore, and I couldn't do this on my own,

Dave Scatchard: 31:41

as far as your training goes in season off season, I know you're always in great shape. You You were always, you know, ripped and healthy and strong. What would you say to any of the listeners out there, on habits, routines, how to use your maintenance and training programs to play at a high level in life and athletics every day. You

Tyson Nash: 32:10

know, my my during the season training was, was a little bit different for me, just because, you know, as a as a player, I was so less skilled, and my skating ability wasn't, wasn't where it should have been, compared to other guys, you know, it seemed like it always took me. I'd played 1011, 12 minutes a night, and it would be like I played 30 minutes, you know. So at the end of the game, I would just be spent. So I didn't really have a whole lot left to give, you know. So, you know, I would I do a lot of time on the bike just to spin the legs out, let you know, let that lactic acid out and make sure you're ready. I mean, basically it's whatever works for you to get you ready to play the games. I mean, the coaches I had were basically like, whatever it takes if you got to go in the gym for two hours, three hours to get ready for the game tonight. Then do it, if you don't have to go on the gym, then then do that too. But we need you to play your best hockey and lay it all out on the ice. And that was me. I didn't want to leave anything in the gym. I wanted to leave it all out on the ice. And it took everything I had to to keep up with with all the other guys on the ice. So that's kind of what I did, and that's when I used the off season to get me to that level that that would last the whole season. Yeah, obviously, Off season training was the most important thing to me. I was never I was never supposed to make it, like I said, I was never big enough. So training, to me, was always when I packed on pounds, because I would lose a lot of weight in in during season. So I would try to put on 1012, pounds in the off season and get up to that weight where I would slowly shred down during during the season. But it was really important. I had a great group of guys I worked out with. You know, Jason Strudwick, Jason Holland, Zach Boyer and we, we worked. We worked hard. We all pushed each other. We all had the same goals. So we always tried to outdo each other in the gym. Who could lift the most? We always had a weight lifting competition at the end of the end of the summer as we went into the end of the season. So it was, it was always important. It's important to have a real good training partner, no question about it.

Dave Scatchard: 34:15

So as a pro, you know that it's hard to have it every night, no matter how good a shape you're in, no matter you know how much training you've done, what would you say to people you know, not just NHL ers, but people who are trying to be successful in all areas of life? How do you stay on point? How do you you know? How do you have it, even when you don't have it?

Tyson Nash: 34:41

Well, I think, you know, on the days where you know your legs didn't feel good and you just didn't have it, I think you know, the most important thing to me was, you know, you can always be mentally, mentally sharp and mentally, you know, positive and upbeat. So I always thought, you know, you train your mind to. Be to be rolling your legs will kind of follow suit, but sometimes you just don't have it. So you try to keep it simple. And my game was always really simple as it was, so I just keep it extra simple and and, you know, it was, it was no secret. I mean, some nights you just don't have it, but you just try to, you know, tell yourself you're all right.

Dave Scatchard: 35:21

So one of the things that we talk about with all these players and success code people that we interview is, you know, what are the some of the things you've had to deal with? For my athletes, I love to ask, you know, tell me about your injuries. What are some of the injuries you had and had to fight through? Because nobody really sees the pain and the suffering that the guys go through over their career,

Tyson Nash: 35:46

all the injuries I've had playing hockey, man, obviously, the probably that most noticeable one you guys are probably looking at it right now is the old schnazie Moto. So I've had that thing bent a few times, you know, knocked out, knocked out teeth, broken hands, but I think the worst injury I've had was concussions. Like I had three or four concussions. That's always tough to get over, but my knee was probably the toughest. I blew my ACL that was probably the worst. And then I had four hernias, double hernia surgery, twice, so I might have something to do with my training regimen, or maybe my wife might leave me alone a little bit. But, yeah, it's a tough guy and lots of injuries, your beauty.

Dave Scatchard: 36:38

So we've talked a lot about, you know, the NHL and what an incredible league it is. Why don't you let listeners know some of the tougher things about being an NHL, or some of the things that you know go on behind the scenes that that you deal with on a day to day level that people have no idea about. What are the worst things? I think

Tyson Nash: 36:59

some of the toughest things about playing in NHL is is eventually they kick you out, and you can't find another team to play for. And you know, at times you feel like you're a piece of meat. You get traded that's always tough. You get sent down to the miners. You know you know, you have, you have stretches where it's just not, it's just not going well for your injuries. Injuries or are some of the toughest things to go through. You know, mentally, whether you can get back to that same level, the time missed, the guy coming in to take your spot, he starts playing well, all of a sudden, you got insecurities, the travel and obviously, family. It's it's really tough on on your family, and being away from your kids and your wife and the stuff they have to do at home, and the pressures, the pressure, it's probably tough unless you're a real gifted player and it comes real natural for you. It's the pressure is pretty tough to handle sometimes.

Dave Scatchard: 37:59

Well, Nasha, I appreciate that, the honesty and the vulnerability. And, you know, I know you ended your season, your career, actually, in Japan. Why don't you tell me what? What was that like going over to Japan to play, and was it fun? And, you know, tell us a little bit about

Tyson Nash: 38:17

that. Obviously, going to Japan was, it was a great experience. That's the great thing about hockey, is you can play till you're you're 4550, years old, if you want. There's always a place to play. There's great teams over in Europe, and I found a great place in in Japan. It was tough being away from my family, but at the end of the day, you got to make a living. You got to support your your wife and kids, and it was easier knowing that she had it handled at home. She took great care of the kids. She had, you know, everything handled so I could go off and just worry about playing hockey, and it was fun. They treat you like treat like a king over there. The money was great. The people were great. I learned a lot about their culture. They're they're great people, and I was glad that I got to experience that.

Dave Scatchard: 39:02

All right, buddy, last question, and appreciate all your time today. What would be the best piece of advice you'd give to anybody about life, if you could sum it up in a in a short sentence or a paragraph, what would you say your best advice to somebody would be, I think the

Tyson Nash: 39:29

probably the most important advice I would give people, it would be, just love what you're doing. You know, I was, I was passionate. I never had a parent, you know, waking me up in the morning to get ready for hockey. I never had them pushing me to go skate, to go play. I just loved what I was doing. Just be passionate about it, and find what you want to do and do it with your whole heart, you know, just go for it, and don't let anyone else tell you you can't do it. You're too small. All, you're not strong enough. They tell you all those things. Just work harder, go to the gym, get stronger. You know, that's what you got to do. Prove them wrong.

Dave Scatchard: 40:08

Thank you for joining us for part one of the Tyson Nash interview series. And you know, he shares a lot of success codes in here. I really hope that you enjoyed it, and took some of the words that he said to heart. There will be a part two that is already recorded. I will be uploading that once I'm done getting all the other players uploaded. So you can look forward to that. That'll be very exciting. And we kind of bring you up to speed on what he's doing now with Utah Hockey Club and the broadcasting, as well as some really cool investments he's done in things like orange theory, fitness and things like that. So having said that, have a blessed day. I hope you enjoy this podcast, and we will see you guys on the next one. Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast, as well as the all star coaching YouTube channel, that way you guys will never miss an episode or some free training. So having said that, have an amazing day. Bye. We hope you enjoyed diving into the minds of these champions and uncovering their secrets to their success. If you're looking to create your own bulletproof mindset like me and our guest, head on over to all star coaching.com and sign up for our free brand new on demand class until next time, stay inspired, stay determined and keep chasing your dreams.