Players Only: Alex Tuch talks Boston College, Buffalo Sabres and More
We’re here for players only and we got a special one today we got Mr Alex tuck how we doing tuck good to see you buddy good how’s it going guys good how uh we were just talking before how great I know you started in Vegas well Minnesota
But then you went to Vegas and you had that those amazing runs there but now you’re in Buffalo close to home how was it having the holidays close to home that reset of New Years and and Christmas close to your family how great is that for you it was awesome it it was
Uh it was really special this year um my son was born on December 9th uh so we had my entire family uh was out they only a two-hour drive away and then um my yep there’s a trip there and then my wife side of the family all flew out too
So they were there for about 10 days so we had a full packed house with about 13 of us uh for a few days and it was a it was a really fun Christmas how uh I know it’s the your baby’s really fresh congratulation by the way that’s
Unbelievable I love that um great new year for you that’s amazing like New Beginnings but uh my question I had for you is I always found it fascinating like I don’t know if you ever noticed this but guys that played in the league that had like three four kids and how
They could come to the rink every day and still play at a 100% and be so dominant guys like speta and things like that how has it been for you the adjustment as a dad and you know do you look to any teammates that have kids to
Kind of like lean on them yeah no I I I definitely lean on some teammates we have kylo poo who’s got four kids and then uh zus Genson who’s got two Thompson just had a second we got a bunch of other guys that just have newborns on our team so we’re still a
Young team so there’s a lot we’re in the newborn phase but so I do lean on them for as much advice but it’s really about just trying to get as much sleep as possible especially when you go on the road um but also just uh I mean I got to
Give so much credit to my partner Kylie my wife uh there she’s unbelievable she’s a rock star she um first of all the whole pregnancy through the yeah seriously clicks to Kylie so uh but through everything and and all the work she does through the night and during
The day and everything is uh it goes unseen and I know a lot of guys would say that about their uh wise and significant others so um I think that’s the they’re the unsung heroes that’s for sure yeah Kyle I wanted to ask you about your off season training for all the
Young boys and girls I mean I got to work with you in Minnesota when you came out of Boston in college so he went to college and uh the route uh that you took but uh during the summer what certain techniques in off ice training
In the gym and on the ice do you look at and how do you develop them and tell the young boys and girls how long you put into that so I mean this is going back so the office training side of things say I I’ve always been big into power skating
And stick handling sessions and I’ve worked with a bunch of different coaches throughout the years um ever since I was little my dad had me in these camps and you know these spring hockey tournaments are fun and it’s a great experience and I used to do them too as a kid but I
Really focused in the summertime um on the off I work and also in um on like little technique and skills work and you see guys in the NHL now do it so much during the summer and and I think I was fortunate enough when my dad put me in
It early but uh I had a couple skills coaches Rick fon and then Francois mathat who I moved into towards my pro career actually uh were two of the main kind of uh skills coaches that I worked with so Fon when I was a kid and then uh
I worked with uh France mathata there in Rochester uh right before my year in Vegas and we completely broke down my stride and completely uh kind of reinvented myself and you never know when that’s gonna when you’re going to need to do that you never know what
You’re going to need to do so that was something that I focused on uh Plus in the gym I think taking everything you worked on on the ice and then trying to translate that into the gym is huge as well yeah yeah I think it’s really big for the kids to realize
You know he broke down his stride I mean just like Tiger Woods he has a golf swing he works on his swing a different swinger for every tournament every day and and that’s the thing like a lot of kids think oh he’s just a skater you know Tucker’s a great skater he’s been
There forever hey you put his size in speed all together it’s it’s a locomotive with his it’s you’ve done a fantastic job on all your improvements Tucky I always uh I always found it funny playing against him I always considered him one of the stronger guys oh defending against you and stuff like
That es only when you’re going downhill I used to try to get you before you get any speed but when you’re coming downhill it’s hard to stop the big train that’s for sure well thank you guys um let’s uh let’s go back to Vegas and I
Know you probably talked to it to at nauseum and and how has that transition you’re in three years you’re in four years in Vegas how has that transition been you know you had those you know the beautiful weather year round you guys had those winning teams now you’re on a
Younger team like you said finding its way you’re kind of probably in the veteran group and guys with more experience than most like how’s that been for you that that I found when I transitioned it was like it took me a couple years but you’re like oh wow all
Of a sudden you’re a veteran and and you got to help Young guys and you got to bring guys along like how’s that been for you yeah no you know what I think um I don’t think it was as seamless as like as you ever wanted like
You said it it takes a couple years especially when you make that transition and um you don’t really know how it’s going to go and uh how how you’re going to change as a person um on and off the ice I think especially and um you do
Have to kind of uh I don’t I don’t know how to explain it but it things have to uh change in your life um and hopefully they change for the better hopefully it makes you a better person but you do have to do it for the betterment of the
Team and for the guys around you I I mean I leaned hard on uh we talked before about a guy like Riley Smith yeah um Mark Andre flurry Derek England James Neil I mean the list goes on Amazing group of ATS there oh unbelievable I mean what flow just playing this
Thousands game for goalies let alone players but uh yeah like a guy like that and I I try to take as much as possible from guys like that now I I I I try to help the young guys on our team we have the youngest team in the in the NHL and
I am getting on the older side of uh of the league now and uh it’s it is a little different it’s a transition but um just trying to take it and trve day by day it’s it’s the adaptability and we were talking off camera before about like players that have adapted on the
Ice but like there’s so much that’s not seen off the ice for players like the way you got to eat the way you got to take care of your body as you get older and then you got to take on more responsibility mentally so like being adaptable for a coach that’s what a
Coach wants in a player but like you need that off the ice from your teammates as well like you need to be able to change your lifestyle change things to to kind of help young guys also moving forward I think it’s great because he’s still at a young age still
He says he’s old exactly but being a leader and producing on the ice is a big part of it and then being a leader in the locker room is Big especially with so many young guys and uh he’s a great example for that awesome I love that and
Thank you I’m gonna segue because I’m big into Segways now now that I’m on TV and I’ve changed by going by you helping kids I know you have a great Foundation that’s doing amazing things can you talk a little bit to us about at9 and uh what
You’re doing I know you had a great great toys toy drive that just happened for kids look at that yeah so uh this is oh year five or six and uh I started uh back uh in my Vagas days but I actually started in Syracuse so it is uh based
Out of New York state from the beginning which is ironic now that it’s back in New York state and uh I’m using the the platform I has as a hockey player to help as many kids as possible so this uh our two main pillars are pediatric cancer patients and kids with special
Needs but it extends further further than that and extends to everyone that’s just uh less privileged and less fortunate than I was and um growing up and so we try to help out as much as possible and um you know a toy drive is something that uh I did once in Vegas I
Partnered with Shane Victorino the Flying Hawaiian over there shout out to Shane uh we had a we did a little partner toy drive there in Vegas and I I saw the smiles that put on kids face and I I wanted to do something here in Buffalo last year wasn’t able to do it
So this year I said no matter what happens even with the kid on the way uh I was still going to do a toy drive and um you know what it was was very hands off for me I just put the word out I partnered up with some amazing um with
An amazing Char charity there senica Street um Community uh Center down in downtown Buffalo and then I had Partners 97 Rock and um David Adams and uh Delta Sonic that helped a lot with collecting of the toys and money and distribution and it was unbelievable we had an
Overflow of toys we helped 60 kids and then there was a full room that I walked through that I couldn’t even watch through the whole whole room because there was so many toys and it was just it shows you how much the City of Buffalo cares about their neighbors and
It you know what it’s if I say hey just we need a couple toys you’ll have a 100 at your doorstep in no time so it was uh it was awesome to see the city come together and do something special for kids especially on the holidays and
People don’t realize and and I know you said it like the look on the kids faces like I did a toy drive in Arizona and tried to be as much community driven when I was playing like the perspective it gives you as a player also like you
Know you’re coming to the rink every day there’s you got the you’re going through the dog days right now I like to call them in the season it’s like every game’s jumbling together you think oh wo is me we’re not winning even we’re not playing good and then you go do
Something like that which is so amazing for your community and you see these kids that are have no idea what you’re going through and and you’re going not even a sliver close to what these kids are going through and you’re making their their year so like kudos to you
And and I think the perspective for players it’s good to get your mind out of the game and see that and come back cuz you come back refresh to the rink the next day because you’re doing good and you also know that you know it’s
It’s not that bad it’s just a game at the end of the day yeah I mean we’re we’re just so lucky to be able to do what we’re able to do and it’s it’s yeah just helping those that are less fortunate just putting one smile on a
Kid’s face and um you know that means my job is done well let’s talk about bragging rights in the family entucky um now we’re going to change up I like you how did your brother end up going to be you and one is you’re went to BC and you
Want a bean pot and he hasn’t yet so has that been brought up at the uh Christmas table or that’s right there but we also know Trip’s probably goingon to go to BC now so now it’s really going to start growing buddy we we’ll see we’ll see
We’ll see how that uh we’ll see that’s that’s up to I mean if Brownie’s still there and he wants he wants I’m sure that we’ll go on a visit and it’s up to him my dad let my dad let him decide and and he fell in love with Boston
University and um you know what they offered him early and he was um he he jumped on it and it was you know what like this a huge rivalry but man be is a great school I mean he’s loving it he’s doing great there um he’s getting to
Play with Macklin celebrini and Quinn uh Quinn Hudson right now that those three are Dynamite uh and it’s I’ve been watching as much as possible but yeah there’s I think he really wants to win that bean pot I was fortunate enough to win one uh for the Eagles there and um
It was a lot of fun let me tell you it’s it’s I wasn’t fortunate enough to win a National Championship but that bean pot uh post game celebration was unbelievable be be stinks be’s better loading along with I’ll say it for you Luke you s it’s two miles apart so it’s
Not that bad of a Comm whoever wins or loses after the game they’re going to have a good time exactly I love that a good rivalry this year they got both both are really good this year too so top lines some great matchups oh yeah my boy celebrating just that was a
Heartbreak today in the team Canada that was a heartbreak sorry for that but you got your us you’re fine it’s great um hey to to K to finish it off here we play a little game here at the end called what were you thinking and we’re
Going to show you some some clips and you’re going to have to tell us what were you thinking that moment so here’s the first one let’s drop the first one here what was that talk to us about that um yeah I I didn’t even realize it
Went in and then our our captain Teddy dhy I think he was actually the best he’s throwing his gloves up and just standing in the middle of the ice with his arms up in the air the guys are freaking out and I knew the student
Section was on the other side so we all I think we were all just trying to skate towards the student section that was the bean poot overtime winner that was a fun that was a fun that was that was special bean pot or Stanley Cup Stanley Cup I mean come
On one but I put him in theice it’s a cup all day a cup I know but you just got to uh let’s go to the second one here I had to get him a little look at the pipes that’s embarrassing what were you
Weighing here oh I was I no I was still I was probably heavier there than I am here W I was a little chubby I was I you know what’s funny is I was I actually tell people all the time so during that combine you’re in like groups of like
Five or six and I don’t even think he’ll remember this but I was with Leon dry cidal and he was a man came there he’s a monster I saw oh my God how am I supposed to compete right now when he’s going in like 7% body fat like benching
Like crazy and I’m like I’m still a kid I mean we were at the US program and so we were lifting a lot so I did okay but he he blew it out of the water he uh I saw him at Camp the last year and he’s
An absolute unit how’d he make out he’s not he’s an okay player uh not bad he’s no he’s no Al tuck but what uh what was your favorite workout at the combine what was like your go-to what did you what were you hoping for I I was just
Hoping to be like just not bad in any category I was just steady across yeah middle of the p no I think I think I came in top 10 and a couple strength ones but um yeah yeah I just I wanted to do well on the bikee I just I think on
The bike they just want to really see you just go all out and that was like they just want to see how hard you work and they could tell if guys are dogging it and they could tell if you’re growing hard and in the end of the day I mean if
You’re a good hockey player you’re a good hockey player and the combine is you might move up one or two spots or you might uh like it’s it’s kind of like a preliminary just to see like okay this is what you were at the combine now how
Are you going to do a development camp and then okay this is how you were development Camp how are you going to come in a training camp they kind of want to see your development even through that summer and then going on years after that so the development Camp
Was always good it was always kind of like okay how how are you uh progressing as a as a kid because we when we’re a drafter we’re all kids I mean there’s only a select few I mean we have Zack Benson right now who is drafted this summer I couldn’t even imagined playing
At the NHL level at 18 and this kid coming in it’s unbelievable he’s so smart he’s so skilled so smart so driven um and it’s he’s he just shocks us every single day with some of the plays he makes and then you have to realize that he’s an 18-year-old kid and then you
Realize some of the stuff he’s saying in the locker room and you’re rolling your eyes probably like guys were doing when I was a rookie but no he’s a great kid he’s awesome it was heartbreaking for him it was yeah it was heartbreaking for him today with seeing his buddies in the
World juniors uh lose he I know he probably wanted to be there with him but hey I mean it’s a national and he’s he’s here and he’s doing it every single day and he’s it’s awesome to see yeah don’t worry don’t worry Benson you’re good just stay with the boys and muff a
Little bit better yeah um let’s see let’s get to the third one what we got next here okay oh that was cold Vin vinosa there what’s this yeah yeah this is no this is the out this is the uh the outdoor game the Heritage Classic there against Toronto so we went was Semi-Pro
We we bounced a lot around I think there might have been one or two ideas that were shut down by our PR department there but I think we went with the SE semipro there that was it’s a good movie good goto I wish you guys had Kyle Posas
Because he came in with the the W specs and everything that was a good one oh yeah you got a couple he was awes you got a couple of boys that I played with you got squeak and eeken there Cody eeken one of the best in Dallas right
He’s one of the greatest guys of all time awesome he uh we had a Halloween party there I don’t mean to blow up a spot but you know he’s he uh he went as Like Larry David and like got completely done up and then he was we you know we
Had a good we had a good time it’s a holiday party we had a practice next St he showed up in the Larry David costume for practice just one of the funniest things just getting him on the ice so good uh oh yeah oh yeah and then here we
Got let’s get to your last one here oh well okay Ryan so that’s uh what is that right before the standing Cup Final that’s Ryan ree one of the biggest personalities I think in the league he’s an awesome guy um I’m still really close with Revo um even though he’s wearing uh
He’s wearing the the white cross the border there um I think he’s he’s actually injured right now so hopefully he gets healthy soon but he’s awesome guy uh as soon as we traded for him uh he he helped our team so much he helped
Us make it to that to that point in the uh in the playoffs and um but also him holding the mic he was probably asking me some question about I don’t even know but he uh he used to like to probably be or something yeah he probably he used to
CH me a little bit so it was good but it was good it was all in good fun and we’re really close this day and it’s awesome he’s awesome guy hey man I uh can’t thank you enough for the time and uh listen I had you guys pick to make
The play off so let’s get on a run here right get on a run turned around hey 2024 it’s a whole different year
Alex Tuch stopped by NHL Now’s Players Only to talk about all things hockey and more!
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