Joining us now on the phone former first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored in his very first NHL game that went on to play 16 seasons in the show us Olympian a former head coach member of the u.s. Hockey Hall of Fame and a member of the 1994 Stanley.Winning New York Rangers and now part of one of the best broadcast Duo's in all sports. Mr. Eddie all check. Eddie how are you Applause? I appreciate that. Thanks for joining us. You recently released a very profound personal and detailed book Eddie olczyk beating the odds and hockey and in life, which I highly recommend everyone please go check out it's available on Amazon and anywhere books are sold and in it you chronicled your battle with stage three colon cancer, which I wanted to say. Congratulations obviously on winning that battle. Have to ask with all you've accomplished and all the great feats in your career and life. What was your mindset like when you got that diagnosis and what made you want to share that story with everyone? Wow, there's a lot there next. So bear with me. I've had opportunities to Chronicle My Life as a young aspiring a comedian kid growing up in the suburbs of Chicago of wanting to become a professional athlete become a little hockey player and you know people telling them my whole life so I wouldn't make it or couldn't make it either because I was a little heavy or I was a kid from Chicago, you know, I was an american-born kid, obviously and you know hockey back in the early 70s was you know, mostly, you know played by Canadians and oh, yeah, I wasn't living in a hockey hotbed in the suburbs of Chicago, but you know, I had a gift I had a great opportunity given to me by my folks and you know, I left home when I was 15 years old to pursue a hockey career and next thing I know I'm playing in a 1984 Olympics as a 17 year old and you know going a year before that I was trying out as a sixteen-year-old. And of course everybody remembers the Miracle on Ice in 1980, but you know, I was trying to make the team in 1984 and follow the footsteps of that gold medal team in Lake Placid in 1980. And you know, everybody told me I would never make it because I was 16 and lucky enough and Had opportunity to prove myself and made the team and the plate is a 17 year old in the Olympics in Yugoslavia and see Revo in 1984. And and then as you mentioned I get drafted in the first round, but by my hometown team the Black Hawks and played a long time in the National Hockey League and You know, I think there's a lot there when I had the opportunities to write a book or at least Chronicle the things that I had to overcome in order to get to where I wanted to get to and being a broadcaster as you mentioned working with the great. Dr. Emerich on the NHL and NBC for 14 years. I just was hesitant. I was like, you know, there's it just didn't think there was anything there and then on August the 4th 2017 Pretty much got the call that changed my life. My family's life. And even the people around me when I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer after having a surgery and removing 14 inches of my colon and a tumor the size of my fist them sending it out and telling me that I was sick and they were recommending six months of chemotherapy and you know, just pushing ahead a little bit into that battle. I thought at that time I thought well now here's no pun intended. But this is the final chapter of the book. Wow, like this is going to be the heart in the meat of my story of, you know, growing up as a young kid in Chicago, and then all of a sudden this phone call comes at 7:07 p.m. On August the 4th of 2017 and the last about 30 seconds from my my surgeon, dr. Scott Strong in Chicago at Northwestern Hospital, and he's telling me You're sick. We're recommending six months of chemo and we'll reevaluate after the six months. And when I hung up that phone the first thing I thought of was, okay. Well, how long do I have is you know, what am I going to die? And like I said pushing ahead. I thought well, here's an opportunity to Chronicle my journey through getting sick and then take any chemotherapy. Maybe this is the opportunity to help one person. So the 16 months that I had pen to paper with my co-author Perry left go who I've known since the late 1980s. I thought if I could help one person either get through the day bring hope to them give them inspiration be as truthful and is transparent and as honest as I could especially in my chemo battle and my cancer battle that it was well worth the 16 months. Depend on paper to you know to Chronicle in the put down, you know my life story and you know, it's more than just my battle about cancer. And like I said, I was bullied as a young kid. I mean I you know when I was getting ready to turn pro, I mean I had a coach say publicly that you know, will Eddie olczyk. I'll have a good NHL career if he doesn't eat his way out of the NHL why I asked the question what's wrong with a hungry hockey player? What's wrong with a Hungry Wolf? Playwright aqi man that like you want that but in today's society if Ami doing television as I do for NBC and hockey and horse racing coverage, but you know if I would or anybody if anybody would you know zero in on anybody's weight or appearance or you know, it's taken one way. I mean, there's a pretty good chance that you know, I would lose my job. I mean that's just the world that we live in so I had to overcome that Obstacle of be made fun of or bullied. Ali and so I just think that for me when I got sick of going through it, I just thought maybe here's a chance to tie it all in and I'm very proud of the initiative. I'm very proud of the reception that it has gotten and again, like I said if I can just help one person get through the day then it was well worth the effort of doing a book. That's absolutely incredible in staggering in the same breath. I mean what a journey and you really are true inspiration. Like I said, it's not just hype. Really you and Doc make fantastic Duo and you bring the game to everyone's TV set and into their homes and you make it so easy you communicate it so well for everyone your beloved by a lot of people, you know, a lot of people who are in your position get bashed regularly and I think you guys are some of the most beloved to ever do it. And I don't I don't believe that thank you. Let's pivot a little bit. I want to talk about you used to play for the Blackhawks you do TV work for them and you've seen the Run the Patrick Kane on has been recently obviously becoming the highest scoring american-born player. What's it like covering that guy in your own Hometown to watch him do what he's done in a sport that's been dominated by Canadians and Europeans and Russians for so long and at this point you consider him the greatest american-born player ever. Well, you know what that that debate has been been ongoing here for the last couple of years with a look at what Patrick Kane's been able to do not only individual. Which is, you know, obviously a big part of it, but when you look at what he's done team-wise, I mean, he's won three championships. He's won three Stanley Cups. I mean, he's been MVP of the playoffs. He's led the league in scoring. He you know, he just attained as you mentioned a thousand points being the 90th player in NHL history to attain that Milestone. I believe he's the fourth player in Blackhawk history the long history of the Blackhawks become a thousand points score. So, So when you look at all of that, you know for me and I'm showing my my age and by strikes I've always said that Chris Chelios a Chicago guy. Yeah a guy that played a million years in the NHL played in every era one cops one enormous trophy couple of North trophies Olympic gold medal all of that and playing as long as he did I think 22 years in the NHL. If I'm not mistaken Kelly to me is the greatest american-born player right now Patrick Kane is in the rearview mirror and he is right on the heels of Chris Chelios of my opinion if his career would end anytime soon. I would be hard-pressed to not say that Patrick Kane is and will be the greatest American Forum player ever to play in the National Hockey. Hockey league and when you look at what he's been able to do individually team-wise nationally, I just think that it builds extremely. Well, obviously for USA Hockey an american-born hockey players aspiring to be in the NHL, but I would not argue anybody to say right now, you know that that caner is is better than jelly that you know the greatest American Born hockey player. Look. You could make a list of top 10 american-born players and look at you could talk about Mike Modano and Pad LaFontaine and Brian leetch and Mike Richter Joey Mullen. I mean, you know, like Keith could chuck. I mean I could fill Housley and I could see her go on and on and if you great the bank to have from ten to one, you know the different eras and you know, the type of player that you know would be in that top 10, but Patrick Kane is Is ascending to the top of that mountain that's that's some high that's some rare in my opinion when you're talking about comparing him to a guy like Chris Chelios. Oh, no, there's still a lot of chapters to be written in that book for Patrick Kane. But in my mind there is no doubt that you know, it's one in one a right now. And yes and it gets some point I do believe is that he will you know, he he will be at the top of the mountain and be the greatest. Merc more player ever to play in the National Hockey League well said in very fair of you to pick defenseman over forward Acuity got but wait for we all know we all know and they just for full disclosure for some people that are listening in as yes, I was a Ford and I do carry the union card for all forwards and all eras of the National Hockey League and we do know that forwards are smarter than defensive. So I just want to make sure that I get that out there but look at fair and balanced fair and balanced. That's that's the type of country we live in so I do continue to to get to my knees and and an honor the The Legend of Chris. Chelios will go on and off the ice and know that he is a deem an impurity. Teddy you take you here? Hey, we had a debate on here yesterday about goal scorers with what Alexander Ovechkin has been able to accomplish so far. Is there an argument? Is there a debate that he's the greatest goal scorer in this league is seen well right now, there's no hesitation. I mean we talk about our generation AQ. I mean when you look back at the last 30 30 years without a doubt would be when you look at the body of work Wayne Gretzky, you know Mario Lemieux Mike bossy. I look at those guys and go those guys are pretty salty. You know, I mean, I played against all three of those guys, unfortunately for Mike bossy. He had back injuries and wasn't able to really, you know, get up in that that rarefied air as I mentioned a little bit earlier, but it like a Wayne Gretzky to this point the numbers bear it out. Right? I mean, he's up there just short of 900 in his career. I think I believe 892 and OV Look, I mean he he is he's in the neighborhood and if he could stay healthy why not. You know, why why couldn't he be within 50 goals of the great one and look to take down that almost. Record that record that used to the sun almost with never be passed right like for me of being a hockey lifer and and having played against Gretzky and looking at the not really it was guys got a he's got thousand records. I mean is just amazing of everything stunning. Look at that 892 like I mean the point I don't think he has to worry about the points record. I mean look at think about it. He has more assist. Then anybody is ever had points. It's the NHL like let's think about that for a second like you're talking about domination. I mean, that's that's MJ. That's Michael Jordan. I mean that that is you know, like that is just flat-out incredible. But when you look at ol V and being shy of 700 and looking at that number is contracts up after next year. I don't think there's any doubt he's going to be in Washington, you know, if you do the math if he can play another five years. An average that number of that, you know 35 to 40. Why not now? Look he's going to look he's going to need some luck on his side right Father Time make you you know, this father time is not defeated. Right and he's going to be able to stay healthy. He's going to need to stay healthy. He's going to need a bit a little bit of luck. And he's going to need to continue to have those great players around them and they closed Backstrom was just reciting recently for five years. So he's not going anywhere but look, I would not argue. If anybody said look it he's the greatest goal scorer we've ever seen in the National Hockey League. I'd say well, you know what? I think Wayne Gretzky is but he's you know, he's in the team photo and that and that photos probably got about three or four guys and hope he's moved right in there. So it'll it'll be great. It'll be great theater to watch like to see him close in and again need some luck and the stay healthy and if he can do that why not and that's been my response when people have asked me that question is, you know, like you think he could do it and absolutely because look at the game is wait. Now Nick and AQ. It's way different now than it was 15 years ago and obviously in the era of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. It's it's cater to offense what the National Football League AQ, you know that it's cater to offense baseball cater to offense. Would you look at all the rules the NBA catering to offense? So I look at a guy like Ovechkin who loves to score can still shoot the puck as well as anybody. The momentum he's in the carpool lane and he's got an incredible opportunity here and with a little bit of luck and health. Why not? Why can't he get to 893 and and break that record but that's just incredible to even think that he's he's on the verge of doing that if everything kind of works out here in the next four or five years. That's a great analogy in the carpool. And I love that Ed's. Oh, I got to ask a queue and I are both Pittsburgh guys. You mentioned Mario Lemieux. We're both born and raised in Pittsburgh guys you Sometime there as a coach you played for and against Lemieux. I've heard some things that maybe you were maybe you were jaded with the way things happen. I tend not to believe it. You seem like a great guy. So I want to get to the bottom of a couple things if you could touch on your time in Pittsburgh, and also is it true that my client was the one that gave you the nickname Ed's? Oh, I'll work my way backwards off the questions my clang did not give me my nickname at so it was my former teammate with the LA. Kings and former Pittsburgh Penguins, Kevin Stevens gave me that our deck in the backyard with Louise gave me that back in 1996 when we were playing together with the with the LA Kings Nick my time in the Burgh. I mean, I spent almost three years as a player there. I spent three years as a broadcaster working with the legendary Hall of Famer the great my claim my first my first partner in the TV business back in 2002 to 2003. Then I got the opportunity. I should say. I wanted to get into coaching and I went in for an interview to coach the minor league team in Wilkes-Barre Scranton American Hockey League and the interview went well and instead of interviewing for the minor league job. I got asked to coach the the big Club in Pittsburgh because we were in a middle of a team was in the middle of a rebuild and they were going to blow it up and start from scratch and try to hit some home runs in the draft and oh yeah, by the way, we had a few home runs. Runs with Marc-Andre flurry first overall is getting milk and second overall and the lottery and got Sid. So back-to-back picks. We back-to-back-to-back pics when you think about flurry Balkan and said and that's that's the way you draw it up in your meetings when you sit there and go, you know, we're gonna you know, we're going to blow it up and you know, we're in for some financial distress and we need to start over and that's what you need and we did it and look to get that opportunity. Never trade it in for anything in the world. I mean I enjoyed it immensely. Look was I disappointed that I got fired? Yeah. Absolutely. I mean look at you get traded you get fired you get released from a look at you're always going to be upset and wish things might of opportunities maybe would have presented themselves a little differently or maybe you know things happen. But you know, I look at I have the utmost respect for Mario. We were drafted in the same year in 84 got a chance to play with them when I was in the Burgh had a chance to coach her. When I was there coaching his team and they have the utmost respect for the Penguins and but look at I enjoyed myself and I think it made me a better hockey guy maybe a better broadcaster and I enjoyed my time in Pittsburgh very very much and will always feel part of that the olczyk family has and in the city of Pittsburgh and representing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yeah. Well as a fan during that time I can admit there were some tough times there, but I just hopefully, you know, I speak for the fan base here. I'm trying to at least You are you are one of the best of the best guys to do it. It was a pleasure to watch you behind the bench, even though we didn't get the success we wanted but it also doesn't lie on the radio. You were great. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Yeah, Daddy. So always have a huge amount of respect for guys who broadcast them all across multiple Sports Joe Buck yourself. I think it's obviously so hard and all the research you have to do going back and forth and what you have to you can't really miss Abby going on are so I know we're pivoting here, but How hard is it to go from a hockey game one day to call in a horse race the next WoW horse racing through I have been since I was 12 years old as a kid growing up in Chicago and going to the track and it's it's always been a release I chose to live my life a certain way when I was a young kid and grew up and still to this day. I mean, I'm not a drinker. I've never drank alcohol and only drink alcohol three times in my life on purpose once when I was seven years old sitting on my dad's lap one thing was having a beer and you know, you get inquisitive as a young kid and spit all over him. He still pissed off at me for doing that I drank from the Stanley Cup is Nick intro'd me the greatest achievement that I had in my hockey career of being a small part of a team that won the Stanley Cup in 1994 with the Rangers. I get a chance to drink from the Stanley Cup and Then a year and a half ago. My oldest son Eddie got married on August the 4th of 2018 oddly enough one year to the day that I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and I drank it as wedding. So, you know, I just never drank I chose not to do that. I didn't smoke no drugs nothing. But yeah, I gambled on horses. Yeah that that was and it's always been a passion of mine and look my boss at NBC Sam flood gave Opportunity I guess going on five years ago and after me and I tell the story in the book, but I actually got my start in television believe it or not was in horse racing. So quick story. So back in 94, we win the Stanley Cup with the Rangers. Yeah, when I got the Stanley Cup, I had a private party at The Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey right across from the York City obviously has some friends there. We went to the track brought the cup with us there and then the next day I brought at the Belmont Park. And celebrated with the Ranger fans there at Belmont and and what have you so the next season there was a work stoppage. So we went to training camp. We played exhibition games and then there was a work stoppage, you know labor, you know disagreement between the league the NHL and the Players Association. So there was a lock out there was no hockey. So the people at The Meadowlands Racetrack called me up and said hey, you know, You know, you're like the horses, you know, we like hockey what's better than hockey and horse hockey and horses, you know pucks and ponies. I mean what's better than that and they said well, you know, why don't you come to the track, you know three four days a week and you can be our in-house handicapper. So meaning it all the races will set up the races when the horses are in a paddock warm it up and then, you know, we'll handicap on TV and you could give your pics and you know, I'm like, holy cow and I said look, you know will We'll pay you will pay 800 a nighttime like never going to pay me to come to the racetrack up. This is a hell of a deal here. I'm like, well, they probably know which is going to go right back into the windows anyway, so I mean, you know, so I actually got my start in television in horse racing back in the fall of 94. So I did that for about three months and then we went back to playing hockey. So push it Forward. I got fired in Pittsburgh and Christmas of o5 and then my boss to this. Sam flood hired me at NBC for the NHL on NBC back in early of 2006 and for about I'll say probably from about 20 probably like twenty eleven. So I didn't say anything for about four or five years, right? Like I just thought you know, I'm not going to mention anything about the horse race because at that time NBC had the Triple Crown coverage and did some horse racing on NBC and I you know, I always thought oh man, maybe I should put my plums. On the table and you know asked my boss if there's any opportunity, I don't want to take anybody's job. I don't I just, you know, let them know I have interest so from about 2011 and again I talked about this in the book from about 21 2014. I would ask my boss Sam once a year, you know. Hey Sam, you know, I just I don't have this opportunity and I get the - ooh I get the highest don't even think about it. You know and I'm like, you know, I think this appointed I'm like whatever but again, I'm a horse racing guy. I'm playing the I'm playing the ponies all the time doesn't matter. That's just that's my love and my passion so one day back and 14. I just figured I would spill my guts to Sam and just tell them say, hey look like I don't know. If you don't this I told them the story about me working at the track during the lockout with the Rangers and 94 in the fall of 94. I just said look, I promise you if you give me a chance, I don't want anybody's job. Job, just I don't you don't have to paint. You don't have to do that. You'd have to pay me. Don't they? Just give me a chance? I won't let you down and there was that slight hesitation. And he was like, let me think about it. I'm like I shot a shot Let's Go Robin shot. It's gonna get a shot. Right? So sure enough. This is like I'm going to say it was like maybe January of 15 or 14 hours. Yeah, January of 14 if I'm not mistaken. So he says, okay, let me think about it. So then I get a call. I remember actually in st. Louis right now getting ready for the NHL All-Star Weekend here with the skills on Friday night NHL game on NBC at 8:00 Eastern on Saturday night and I'm in st. Louis and my phone rings. I'm on my way to a playoff game. I think was Blackhawks Blues and I look at my phone and it says Sam cell and I'm like, oh shit. What did I say that? What did I did? I say something wrong, you know like it because he really thought you would never call me like that. I'm like What's going on? And he just said as oh, I just want to let you know we're going to give you a chance after the Triple Crown. We got a couple of shows in the summer. We're going to give you a chance to do some horse racing. I'm like Sam I won't let you down. I was like it was like the call. I've been hoping for for you know for like a hundred years. It was like, oh my gosh. I'm going to get a chance. So I get into the summer I go to Santa Anita my first show we have to pick two races one's a Turf race and in one's the big A big stake race first race I pick at a pickup ten-to-one shot name of the horse was she's a smoke show. I got on TV. I gave a ten-to-one shot. She wins and then the next race was a big steak. Grace was only a five or six horse field. I picked a fifteen to one shot. I think it was golden Harbert Harbor Town golden Town Harbour something like that. I forget what the name of the horse was, but it's 15 to 1. I get on national TV and I pick a 15 to 1 and lo and behold they both win. So my first two picks and if anybody knows anything about horse racing or odds or anything 10 to 1 in 15 to 1 on my first two picks on National Television, you can know how happy I was at how happy my boss was another own real. So that's how I got into it really and then, you know, I've made this obviously I've had this opportunity and make this life and broadcasting so I know I'm finally getting to your heart. Your question take you but that's how I got that's how I got into television and for me, I think doing the horse race racing his made me a better hockey broadcaster. There's a great challenge in the horse racing part of it. It takes courage to go on television and not pick the favorite to sit there and go. Well, you know, you have the Patriots are going to win the Patriots are going to win the Patriots going to win every game and you got a pretty good chance that they're going to win the game but to have some courage and go you know, what? You know II think Tennessee is going to be able to go there and put a spanking on you know, like I mean and the same in horse racing to go up there and say look and have conviction and look you're gonna have horses that run well and you can have horses run horse horses that run dead last. So for me, it's always been a love and a passion and that's how I look at it. And yeah, it's hard. It's hard work to go back from you know back and forth, you know member couple of years ago. I mean, even though the last couple of years I go from a hockey game the Stan Cup final game one night and then do the Belmont the next night or you know do a do the All-Star game one night and then do a big race at Gulfstream that afternoon so it's I feel lucky I feel blessed but I think it's made me a better broadcaster and very very proud of that and very honored and humbled at NBC would allow me to do to work on two of their bigger properties, you know on the network besides Sunday night, you know football night in America. I'm so A night on NBC amazing. So cool, Eddie Money cleaning up at the track first shift in the NHL first game first goal to calls on national TV long shots. That's incredible Eddie. We got one more question here from where are our resident Canadian friend here on social media Forrest Gump company got Freddie. Hey, I need just to go back to winning the Stanley Cup with the Rangers against the Vancouver Canucks. That was kind of when Pavel Bure was at his Peak and I just remember how fast he was on the ice watching. I'm just curious how fast he was. Actually when you were on the ice with a yeah, I mean that like I said, I had a very small role on that team. I played one game in a playoff career after we played in the Conference finals against New Jersey the famous game when Mark Messier predicted that we would win the game after being down the series 3 games to 2. I actually played in game 6 in New Jersey and we were down early in that game that might have been the greatest goaltending performance. I ever saw from any goalie in any one game but Mike Richter we were down to two nothing and that Game late in the second period it could have been five nothing. Ricky played apps. I mean it was absolutely incredible and Alexei kovalev scored late in the 2nd the mess scored three goals in the third and the rest is history and then we went on to play Vancouver. So I did not play in a Stanley Cup Final but playing against Pavel Bure for many years. He had that incredible ability to go from 15 or 20 miles an hour or two. 50, you know, like he it didn't take them very long to just absolutely pull away and I use the phrase of you know separation on skates and he had that incredible ability and like I was a I was a Clydesdale back in the day. I had you know, I had no chance at keeping up with a guy like Pavel Bure unless I had a stick in his midsection or what have you but he just could I mean look at yeah, he could skate. Eight, I mean and he just that was the one thing that impressed me is that he and when he got the puck on his stick it almost would seem to accelerate and I think that's what made him such a incredible player is just that first step and then once he got the puck on a stick he was gone and look he wasn't a very big guy, but I mean he had some he had some girth to him like he was sick. He was he had some bite to him. He had some Jam to him and unfortunately for him he you know, he Broke down towards the end of his career. But yeah, he was he's a pretty talented player. That's for sure. Any one last question, my name is digs. I host a betting show here. I know it's a while to the derby. I don't even know if there's any events in the in the near future. Do we have any winners? We having horse winners that you give out. Where did Jenna it's already we all right. We're here. What else are you? I am not you guys got to tell me. When are we when we run? When is this going to have to the the to the to the people that's going to hit the mass. This will be next week like Tuesday or Wednesday? Probably. Okay good, so I was going to give a horse off. It's Saturday, so I better not do that. So, that's probably that's probably a good thing. You know, what right off the top of my head. I don't I wouldn't want to give out anything because I just don't know when a particular horse might be running or where a horse might be running, but if you guys want to have me on I'll make a deal with you. If you want to have me on prior to the Triple Crown right before the Kentucky Derby if you want to maybe we can talk a little bit about Couple of races on Derby on Derby Day or on Oaks day the day before the Kentucky Derby we could certainly figure that out. But you know what love to be able to join you guys again right before Triple Crown thought that would be awesome mezzo. Thank you for that and we'll take you up on that bet we'll do is we'll have you before the Triple Crown events will have you come back and jump on our bosses show up at McAfee on Westwood one's got a nationally syndicated radio show so we can get you on there and get you out to the people and make sure they get some winners from you. Be happy to and guys. Thanks again for helping me. Help me promote the book to like I said my goal with my book is if I could help one Inspire one person out there to just help them get through the battle and it doesn't have to be cancer. I mean, it could be any battle. I think there's a lot of to add lot there. I think it's for any age man or woman athlete non-athlete. I think it could be very relatable. Obviously the people are in a cancer battle or know people that have battled my wife. I want people to know how important to caretakers and caregivers are my wife was there every step of the way I never saw her we can never saw her down. I was at my lowest I wanted to quit when I was in treatment to my side effects brought me to my knees neuropathy nosebleeds blood clot headaches vomiting just going to the bathroom without having any control and I was I was ready to quit and I I was thinking well, how am I going to get through this treatment let alone get to another 10 and I told my wife I quit and I've never quit anything in my life whether it was hockey playing coaching being at the track being down $25. Okay, $2,500 on I wasn't quit like I'm never quit an ending my life, but I was ready to quit and my wife gave me the greatest inspirational. That I had in my life and the one thing I'm most proud of and I talked about this in a book. My greatest achievement is my family my wife my four kids my circle. We all have one and I tell people I always hope that you laugh and love a little bit more after reading the book and my wife told me and she just looked at me when I was ready to quit and she just said and I was hurting I was scared and I'm not embarrassed to say that my wife said to me says you have to fight you have to fight for me. You have to fight for our kids and you have to fight for all the people that love you and we had a moment and it lasted probably about 30 minutes and all I did was cry because I was in pain and I was scared and I wanted to get through I wanted the cliff notes version of the chemotherapy and get me right through to treatment 12, but I needed that and then I got back my hockey helmet on and said, okay. I'm going to go day-to-day because guys look we're all day to day in the big picture right like draw. All day to day like tomorrow is not guaranteed and I needed that for my wife and I want people out there to make sure not only looking after the people that are in the battle but also those caretakers and caregivers because like I said, I never saw my wife leak, I never saw her down around me but I sure as hell know is that when she was away from me and had her quiet time is that she let her guard down and was worried about me and we have to make sure that we're looking after the caretakers and caregivers out there. And that's something my wife and I have taken a big act upon ourselves to make sure that we let people know that hey we got to make sure we're looking out there after the caretakers and caregivers. Not only the people that are in the home but also the medical staff. I was very lucky. I had an incredible team led by dr. Michael Terry of the Chicago Blackhawks and I feel very lucky and blessed and hopefully that somebody that reads my book or heard me on with you guys today and I thank you very much for having me if they know my story that I made. Difference because I think that this is my purpose in life now is to help Inspire somebody out there in some form or fashion. And if I can do that, then it was well worth the initiative of doing the book. So I appreciate you guys having me on your show. That's a that's wrongful stuff. We can't thank you enough for taking the time to come on with us. We know we're going to do fifteen minutes. I think we've gone for like 40 here. You've been absolutely incredible and gracious. We just want to say we wish you the best continued success to you and your family as well. Looking forward to watching you down the stretch run and into the playoffs here and then One more thing if you just say hi to your son Tommy for us who we met. Well, he's playing the ND fuel our boss bat McAfee went and got in goal for them for a practice and he took a bomb and he hit that right in the nuts so hard it was one of the funniest things we've ever seen. So shout out to Tommy and I hope all will do that Nick, and I found me studying for a CPA in Chicago and he hung them up last year playing hockey after being a Penn State for four years being on the first Division 1 men's ice hockey team at Penn State to thank you, too. Then Terry pegula the owners of the bills and the Buffalo Sabres the National Hockey League and he's looking to get into the real world and I will definitely let him know that and hopefully hopefully Pat was a gelding before my show. That's all I'm gonna say. Yeah, he bounced back. He took it like a champ, but everyone again, please give it up for the great Eddie olczyk Ed's. Oh, thank you so much. Okay guys. Thanks, and we'll talk to you around the Triple Crown. Thanks Rob. Have a good one. Great. Thanks.
The boys interview the NHL's lead color commentator and one of the best broadcasters and in all of sports Mr. Eddie Olczyk. Edzo is a former 1st round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, who scored in his very 1st NHL game, then went on to play 16 seasons in the NHL, a US olympian, former head coach, a member of the US Hockey Hall of fame and a member of the 1994 Stanley Cup winning New York Rangers. Edzo recently released a very personal and detailed book “Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life" available on amazon and anywhere books are sold. From shooting hundreds of tennis balls at a goal in his childhood living room to the ups and downs of his improbable hockey career to rollicking stories from the booth and the backstretch, Olczyk guides readers on his journey toward his ultimate test: a battle against Stage 3 colon cancer. For years, Olczyk's goal was to be the best husband, father, broadcaster, and handicapper he could be. Today he has a new one: to bring as much awareness and support to those fighting cancer as he possibly can. In this emotional but often hilarious autobiography, you'll learn why the people who know Eddie Olczyk best might describe him as "tremendously tremendous." 