Welcome And West Coast Food Talk

SPEAKER_03 0:00

You had your chance for a plug, man. You could have said I tune into the gospel in the game every episode before I made it.

SPEAKER_02 0:08

I threw it there. I threw it right at you.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

And today we are talking with Dylan Ferguson. Dylan Ferguson is a professional hockey goaltender. He's been a few different places, doing a few things, still playing. He's a young age of 27. But Dylan has an exciting route into becoming the pro goaltender that he is now. I hope you enjoy this podcast. Have a good listen. Share it with your friends and family. And enjoy now our conversation with Dylan Ferguson. Okay, Dylan, you live on the West Coast. You gotta be going for fish and chips. I'm from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I don't want fish that's been on a truck for a day and a half. You and I are going for the best fish and chips in town. Where are we going to?

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Oh, um, I'll tell you, I do like my fish more raw. So I'm a more sushi guy, but there's a place called uh Rodney's Oyster House that makes it great fish and chips.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

Oh, okay. Now yeah, you know what? Um I'm a I'm a I'm an oyster and half shell guy too. So I go down to Granville Island. There's a little place under the bridge. Uh I think it's like the sand pit. Sandbar. Sandbar, that's it. Uh-huh. Oh my goodness. I can spend about four hours sitting in that place.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Well, if you spend four hours there, you're probably spending 400 bucks too. But that's that's great.

SPEAKER_03 2:01

That's true. And then for fishing chips, I actually take a commute. I go to Horseshoe Bay. There's a really good spot in Horseshoe Bay that's kind of like uh my ace in my back pocket that uh it's worth driving to. I might know the name of it. Okay, yeah. Well, we won't disclose it. We won't disclose it everyone. We'll keep it a secret. We'll talk about it off the recording. That way it's not like flooded with and no one, then we'll never get in there. Yeah. Fine by me.

Becoming A Goalie

SPEAKER_03 2:29

Excellent. Well, I I'm joined today with Dylan Ferguson. Dylan Ferguson plays probably one of the hardest positions in sport. Would you agree, Dylan?

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Um, I'm not sure everyone would, but I would.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Yeah, yeah. Well, especially if you're playing it. Uh exactly. Uh pro ice hockey goalie. Um, when you have galvanized rubber flying at you with the speed that it's coming at, I've seen cages dented.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

I've seen teeth loss from cages being dented. Um, you know, there's there's a picture of Carrie Price. Uh it might have been Carrie Price. Um, one of them that he had to puck right in through his mask. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's why they don't they cut the bottom of his eye. Yep. You know, I think, and I think it's just something you're born with. Like um, why I became a goalie, I'm not sure. Maybe God led me that way. I don't know, but I do remember I started as a player. Um, and one day I'm watching Dan Kluche play for the Vancouver Canucks, and I thought that looks pretty cool. And the game after that, we were watching on TV. I was actually at that game, the first game. And then we were watching on TV, and I was in front of uh the fireplace in our old townhome on the island, and I got my dad to chuck socks at me in front of the fireplace so I could pretend I was Dan Kluche, and I think that that's how it all started.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

So Dan Kluche is a big name um with the Vancouver Canucks playing in net, and I'll tell you why. And why one of the reasons why it's the most difficult position to play? He let in a one skipper from like center ice that I don't think he'll ever let down. When that happens to you as a goalie, that's a tough moment to just remove from your brain, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 4:25

It it is. Um, you have to make a very conscious decision. It happened to me last year. It happened to me. I was playing really well. We were up 2-0 at home um in the third period, and the guy dumped it from the other blue line. I went out to go play it with. Have you seen the Marty Broder one? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like he drops his stick. So I went to go pass it to my player, and I brought my head up too early. It hit the heel of my stick, came back, hit my back heel, and crossed the line by about half an inch. Oh. With 10 minutes left, lost my shutout. Um, but for whatever reason, I started laughing so hard. I started dying laughing to myself that this just happened to me. You know, I was feeling really good in the net, in the zone, and I just let in the worst goal of my life.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Well, I I'm just shocked that you use the goalie S word myself right now. Now you don't has that ever been a superstition for you?

SPEAKER_01 5:25

It was until I was about, I think it was 14, and I had been asking for one of those uh PSPs, like the portable PlayStations. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And um I remember just asking my dad about it. He goes, Okay, you get a shutout tonight, I'll get you one. And I got a shutout. So ever ever since then, I never really believed in it. Um so that that's my shutout story. And also working with Pete Fry, uh, the goalie mindset guy. I'll give him a bit of a shout-out too. Here, he thinks it's a power word instead of uh superstition. I like that. You know what? Pete's got some good things to say. Yeah, he's uh I I've been working with Pete since I was 16. Um, and it's the guy, the guy's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 6:09

There's certain people that do certain things um as a profession that you're like, man, I can't see you doing anything different. And he's one of those guys I could never see him, but can you imagine he's on like on a chef? Or like maybe that's the only other thing. I could see him being like a Gordon Ramsey uh like uh yeah, kind of guy, like losing on people inside it, but he's just so calm in his demeanor, he doesn't look like he'll be as calm as he as he is.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

No, he looks like he'd be an intimidating guy for sure, but he's um he's a huge jokester. Um you know, he's always doing jokes and he's very passionate

Mindset Coaching And Faith

SPEAKER_01 6:48

about what he does. And it's you know, I had the opportunity to live with him for a couple months before I went out and uh had the PTO with the Toronto Marlies, which turned into my first NHL start that year. Um and really that two months that I was like, all right, Pete, this is when he was really getting starting to get going. Um I said, I'm gonna lock in with you for two months. And you know, that that was the best year of my career, I think, um, even though it didn't start how I wanted, but it gave me my greatest opportunity.

SPEAKER_03 7:18

Wow, that's exciting. You know what you talk about the trying to get past, I guess you say the mental hurdle of things. Do you find being a pro goalie a mental game as much as it is a physical game?

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Way more. Um, I'd say 90% is all mental. Um, and I'd say about for me 80% of that 90% is um just leaning on God, to be honest. Like I'm when I'm in the net, um, and even like you know, there's there's these athletes that don't have alter egos, but they create this persona. Um, and it happens a lot in football where these guys, they're like there'll be a quiet guy in the room, they'll get on the ice and nobody recognizes the person. Um, I'm kind of that kind of person where you know, before games I don't talk, but in my head, I'm talking to God and trying to get to a place where I feel um no matter what happens, God's gonna have my back. Or I'm praying that God has my back in that moment. And what that does to me is it gives me a lot of peace and kind of allows the natural competitor just to do it. Like in a game, in my best games, I don't remember them. Oh wow, really? I don't like um, you know, you can go to that game I played against Pittsburgh. I could maybe recall three or four of those saves in real time. Yeah, and it's and there was there was a lot that night, and I just it's not that I'm not thinking, I just was in that state of flow with God and faith that I just did it.

SPEAKER_03 9:05

Wow, and it's almost like that mental, I guess you'd say, sphere where you're like, Okay, God, you got me here. We're doing this together.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Yeah, yeah. You know what? That's the perfect way to say it, and it really is. I'm like, I didn't get here alone, so you better be here tonight.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

Yeah, so true, so true. Yeah, and well, and it's funny because we use these analogies, these pictures, well, and not only analogies, we tell stories of true events. Uh during chapel, I always we went through David, the life of David in me being a chaplain this year, and we talked about David and Goliath, and I started to give these guys some of just like the measurements and the mindset behind it, and going out and and it's like, okay, nine foot six, the weight of the of a of a spear, a shield, and all armor bearer, and all this other stuff, and it just start getting a mental picture of some of this stuff. But you hear about like these true events, and you're like, wow, God was right there walking them through this crazy thing, but all the attention is on the person. Do you find sometimes that as you're playing and you're trying to focus and give everything to God and turn everything over to God that it's like, God, like help me just everyone's looking at me. How do I put myself away out of this? But yet, is it through you? Like, how how how how do you do this together with God and show people that?

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Well, I'm always someone that is pretty animated in the net. Like, I'll I'll throw the cross. Um, like you know, Father, Son, Holy Spirit after every period, no matter how the period went. You know, if I gave up three goals, if I made 20 saves, I make sure to always do that before I go on and when I'm leaving the ice. And um I feel like for me, like that's my way of saying it gives me chills, to be honest. That's my way of saying um that like I do this with God. Because, you know, I'm gonna go back to Pete a little bit here, just because of a mindset he taught me. It's it's the fan mindset and the athlete mindset. And I feel like the fans only see the performer and they don't really understand that behind our mask, behind however the team plays, there's real people there, and you hope that every one of them's with God. And um, but sometimes, you know, they're not. And I I find for me, um, especially as a goalie, it's very important that you have your higher power with you, um, no matter who's looking at you or who's watching, and I feel it's important that you show up too.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

There's a saying, and I've heard several athletes say it this way: playing for an audience of one. Wow. And uh it really kind of hit me because someone reminded me of it this week, and it was a pro football player, just talking about like the mental picture of taking a look out in the stands and seeing an empty seat and pretending God is there, uh like with you in that moment, and the only person that you're performing for, the only thing that you're doing is just an audience of one. And I thought, you know what, that's a good perspective. And and you talk about a little bit about that, about expressing your faith, and you got athletes that take a knee. What about Dylan away from the rink as part of your training, as part of who you are off the ice? How's your for your faith incorporated in and who you are as an athlete off the ice?

SPEAKER_01 12:37

Yeah, no, that's a great question. And I and I think, you know, I I definitely want to be better at it. You know, in our place here, I'm staring at something that literally says faith. It's a big wooden thing, and all it says is faith. And as soon as you said that, I just glanced up and looked at it. I think um I make sure every night that, you know, I pray and I talk to God a little bit about the day. Um and and I think my girlfriend is very faithful as well. She's Bible study every Monday. Um, good girl. She's make sure that God is a big part of this. And I I think that I could be better, but I'm definitely not afraid to tell people. Um, you know, if someone asks about a career, I always include God or what I'm doing, I always try to include God. And I definitely want and should be um doing more.

SPEAKER_03 13:31

You know what? I love the humanity behind that, and I'll say humility behind that because I think um there's enough people in the world that think that they have arrived. And uh someone who's really growing and developing as a person and not only an athlete gets it. Don't have a perfect track record, but Lord, I'm trying. And um, you know what? Hopefully, I get better and better at this as I go and as I do things.

Leaving Home For Notre Dame

SPEAKER_03 13:56

Tell me a little bit about growing up and playing sports. Uh, were you from a family of athletes? Was sports a big thing growing up?

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Not hockey. Um I was and still am really the only person in my family. I've got a bunch of family in New Brunswick that really played. I played hockey. There's a lot of baseball players, there's football players, across players, but no one really played hockey. Um, you know, I I fell in love with hockey as a young kid when I moved over here. Um, I was a really competitive young kid, and I had the opportunity when I was 13 to move away from home and go play at the Athelmurray College in Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, which um is a you know a very religious school and it's a good hockey school. And you know, we went to church as kids, we'd go for Christmas, we'd go for the holidays, and I wouldn't say we went every week, but we'd go to what we felt was we should definitely go to church today. Um, and that's just what my family did. But going to Notre Dame really was the start of my faith journey. I think, you know, like you can imagine I'm a 13-year-old hockey player. I've never lived away from home, and now I'm a 19-hour drive away from what I've grown up in the entire 13 years I've been alive at that point. So mom wasn't very happy, but um things it forced me to like grow up, and I think having mandatory church every Sunday, no matter what, didn't matter if like no games were scheduled on a Sunday, nothing. We and if we had a game scheduled or a tournament, we had to go to church in the morning and then have pregame meal and all that after. And I think really learning that um and taking the steps to understand what that really meant, and them, you know, giving us the chance to go to confession and all these things as young people and really learning and feeling um the strength that's behind it really kind of catapulted my career and just like knowing that this higher power wants the best for me, but I need to make sure that I'm doing the best for me and that higher power as well.

SPEAKER_03 16:47

I I like the way you phrase that about how it you you go and you get placed in a spot where a lot of young people it breaks them, it really does. If you're gone away and you're so far away from your parents, um there's homesickness, which is everyone deals with, I think, no matter what. Uh you're you're away from the home cooked meals, you're everything, and people start discovering. They either rebel or they discover. And I think when you phrased it in that way, where you kind of discover your faith and what it really means behind it, it's like uh the equation of boy, how what's the best way to put it? But the equation of when you finally grasp what Christ has done for you and the gravity and the cost that was associated with it, and you know that God has provided you everything, all of a sudden things are really real. Because I think so often we can kind of just put it in the routine box where we check, check, yeah, I went, yeah, I learned, yeah, I picked up this little thing, yeah, that helped. But when you understand the gravity of Christ's crucifixion on the cross and what that means to you, and it changes you as a person, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_01 18:06

Oh, a hundred percent, a hundred percent. And and I think I know we touched on it at the start a bit, but you know, there's some stories with me that and I'll

Career Low Point And Reset

SPEAKER_01 18:15

share one briefly if if you don't mind. Go for it. Um when I was in Fort Wayne, it was my first year pro. And I was not the smartest first year pro. I made mistakes, I made bad decisions off the ice. Um I really got to a place where I felt lost a bit. And I I realized after a bit of struggle, I didn't have a good year at all. I mean, you can you can go look at it. Um, I think I finished the year with like an 838 say percentage, like something that like no goalie in the world wants, especially your first year of pro hockey. Um and I felt a bit arrogant. I felt like I, you know, I got sent down from the AHL to the ECHL, and I felt like I deserved more. And I and again, we talked about time, and when I look back, that was God saying, You need to learn this now for really what's coming. Like you need to feel this now, and the next year, you know, but I'll kind of stay on the timeline. So that was the year before the COVID year. Um, and I remember laying in bed, and I was sick. Like there was a time like I just wasn't doing good, and I'm reading this book, and it's called uh The Power of Positive Thinking. And in that book, the author, I can't remember his name, right? It's Norman something, I think. Um anyway, he talks about the power of God, and I'm reading this, and I just start bawling my eyes out. No reason why. Like I'm just reading it curious, and I wasn't even like really that into the book, I was just doing it to try to be like, I don't want to feel like this anymore. I need to fix this, this is not who I am, and I just broke down. And I like the timing, obviously, COVID was a really terrible thing. Um season ended the next day, so that happened to me, and again, chills all over my body right now, but that happened to me the next day. I don't play hockey again for another, what was it, eight months? Yeah. So I was very lucky in that eight months to and I feel very, very lucky and because I was able to still practice, it was considered necessary for my work to go and practice and be with guys in Vancouver to get on the ice. Um and I really got to do that with you know guys like Matt Barzell, Connor Bedard every day. Um and I went back the next year in Fort Wayne and we won a championship. And like that's one of the things where I say sometimes you just can't explain really what's going on, and it's like God just picks you up with his two arms and he's just walking you down the street, and that was um another major story in my career that God made himself very apparent that you got this and I got you.

SPEAKER_03 21:36

You know what? I I love that I've uh done some interviews this year, and that theme kind of resonates where it's like this someone even said the other day was just talking with someone. It's like, you know what? I know that I'm his and he's mine, and we have and we have each other, and and it means so much. And I love the picture that you gave, even to like God carrying you through this like a child, like you're yeah, you're walking on the beach and you get a little too far into the the waves, and things are getting a little Rocky and God kind of scoops you up and says, Okay, no, come on, let's go walk over here. And uh wow, what a good picture! You had a very busy youth in regards to hockey. You go from uh Notre Dame in Saskatchewan and you play WHO WHL hockey in Kamloops. You you skip over Alberta for some reason. I don't know why, but you go right back into BC. What was it like as a young man getting just like engulfed in junior hockey?

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Yeah, so I got drafted um from Notre Dame by the Blazers. I didn't play my first year, so I joined as a 16 late 17-year-old. So I spent four years there. Um, you know, it was it was amazing. Like I was lucky to be in the same place for four years. I had unbelievable coaches, Dan De Palma, the goalie coach. You know, he's the world junior goalie coach now almost every year. Um, I got to play with guys, goalies like Connor Ingram, Dylan Garand, um, these guys that you know have all played NHL games and still are. And um, you know, we had a great chapel. Um and I think just again being away from home, but at an age now where you know you're starting to make money with what you're doing, you're living with a completely different family, and it's you have to like again. I'll go back, you need something to guide you because I had I think it was four different billet parents, and yeah, and it wasn't even, you know, it was just unforeseen circumstances that just kept seemed to happen. Too many billet guys in one house. We had to move. Um, you know, people had a problem, they couldn't do it anymore, and it was never anything that I was doing. But and then finally I met a family. He's uh, and it was for my last two years, uh, 19 and 20. Um, Andrew Karpiack is his name. He's a realtor in Camloops, and his family was awesome. You know, two young kids. Um, nice house, nice dog. The kid's a goalie now because I used to shoot pucks on him down in the garage all the time. And he's a great goalie. Holter Karpiac, you can look him up. I'm pretty sure he's gonna go on this year's draft. Um, but you know, doing that and playing hockey and really for the first time, you're like popular in a city, which for a 17-year-old kid can be a lot if you don't know how to handle it. People know you, people start really watching you. Um, and and yeah, I I think you know the hockey was great, Camloons was great.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

Yeah, what a good experience. It you almost made me laugh out loud there. We've done uh building ourselves, and uh my son went away to play his first year of junior hockey, and it's like, why does why do we all have dogs? Us billet billet, yeah. We always bring these young men into our house, and we all have dogs and probably eat lots of meat and all this other good stuff. So uh yeah, well, a great experience though. Building is unique. If if you honestly like don't know a whole lot about it, uh a hockey player comes and lives with you during the season, usually you get paid by the team, and the kid eats more than what you get paid. And but you know what though? What a great experience. We you know what our our billet kids, we call them kids. There's they're um they're more more children, more children that have gone through my household. That's how you feel about them. You get attached quick, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Oh, yeah. Like I I think my billet dad or Andrew, I said his name already. He texted me like two days ago. Like I text the guy probably 30, 40 times a year. Yeah, and we just get next. So I mean, he's great. And um, as you heard me say, sometimes it doesn't work out. But I'm I'm glad that I found a place that really felt like a family for the two years I was there.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

Now you can plan things, you can be a young man, you can go to Notre Dame, you can play junior hockey, get drafted by

Draft Trade And First NHL Game

SPEAKER_03 26:21

um playing Cam loops, you can get drafted into the NHL. Then all of a sudden, God has different plans. The the wrench gets tossed into the wheel, so to speak. Yeah. Let's talk about different plans. You were drafted originally by the Dallas Stars. Did you see yourself as a Dallas Star the day when you were drafted?

SPEAKER_01 26:46

100%. 100%. Like I well, funny story there. You were just talking about Camps. The owner of the Dallas Stars is also the owner of the Blazers, Tom Collardi. So a little story about the draft, real quick. Um I was ex like Central Scouting had me like in the top third to first kind of fourth round. So that's where I was supposed to go. And I remember sitting there with my dad watching the draft, and um round seven came along. I think there was 12 picks left. Um, and I got really upset. Like, you know, you're so excited. It's like uh it's like a kid on Christmas. You wake up, you're excited, and for me, there was nothing under the tree. And um all of a sudden I remember walking out to just go for a walk, clear my head, and try to again understand. And it was almost like I remember the moment where I was like almost gonna like talk to God. And I remember I'm gonna get chills again here. My dad screaming my name, like full name, like Dylan Ferguson. And it was, I think it was like 196 or 197 overall. But just hearing that, immediately I started thinking, oh, Dallas, I'm gonna be a Dallas star. I'm gonna be a Dallas star. And I see your jersey there. Um, is that a star's jersey? It is a Jamie Ben. Yeah, Island guy. Yeah, better believe it. Yeah, I've met Jamie Ben a couple times, but um yeah, man, it was uh that was crazy. And then obviously, you know what happened 36 hours later.

SPEAKER_03 28:23

Yeah, and it had and and I think for young guys that get drafted, you always you've always had that dream probably of being drafted. You always have the dream of going pro, playing in an NHL, picture in your head being drafted, and then you don't end up playing a game with Dallas.

SPEAKER_01 29:05

I got traded to Vegas 36 hours later. And like I like boom, done. Like I was booking, I was booking a fishing trip with my buddies. Um, actually, just got back from booking a fishing trip because Dallas's camp wasn't for a week and a half, and Vegas' was two days after the uh draft. Yep. And in Bass Pro Shop, and I get a call from the GM of the Dallas Stars saying, hey, you just got traded to Vegas, you're a day late for camp. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 29:39

So it's 2022. You're off to Vegas camp. Oh, this no, this was 2017, I think. Oh, 20. Oh, yeah, you're right. It was I would have been 17. Yeah, you were. You were 70, it was 17-18, and you get one game with the Vegas Golden Knights. And again, wrench goes in the wheel. Probably not the game that you wanted to play.

SPEAKER_01 30:09

No, not it, not that was later in the year. I think I I was thinking, I think it was 18 or 19 at this point. Yeah, yeah. Yep. Yeah, and it was uh all these guys got injured, right? Yeah, all these guys, Mark Andre, Fleury, Oscar Dance, Malcolm Suban, and then it's me and Maxime Legasse. And um, you know, I'm an absolute kid from Camloops who is getting put into a game against Connor McDavid on the road. And uh yeah, I mean, that was uh definitely not how I expected my first NHL experience to go. But another thing that again, I look back on and I'm like, I just need to thank God because who does this happen to?

SPEAKER_03 30:51

No doubt. What an adventure, hey? Yeah, well, then you come back and you're 18-19, you're playing your final year with Camloops, you finish well. Uh you get a 908 uh save percentage. Um, you go to the Chicago Wolves, a American hockey league now. Okay, American Hockey League. Hockey's pretty serious, not only with the Blackhawks,

AHL Pressure And Competition

SPEAKER_03 31:16

but American Hockey League. For sure. What was your experience like in the American Hockey League? Because you quickly you go to a different hockey league.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Yeah. Um, you know, I'd kind of been familiar on what to expect only because um of NHL training camps I've been at and the kind of the guys that are there, and you know, I got the chance to play my first game in Chicago. And even leading up to it, it was an amazing experience. Like I got to be with guys like Garrett Sparks, who you know had a huge run in um Toronto there, and just a guy with a lot of experience. I was also like got to know him very well. Uh played with a lot of guys I actually grew up with, guys like Dylan Coglins. So I I felt like I was kind of you know, like, okay, I can be a part of this team. And the AHL is a very like you're one step away, like you're right there. You're like I found out when I was 18, you're an injury or two away from being there and having your chance. And um as a young guy in the AHL, it feels like there's a lot of pressure on you because you especially as a later draft pick, um, you know, you kind of have to prove yourself. And if you don't, it's just the way the business of hockey goes. You you you might not get another chance. Um, and I I felt like you know, the faith within myself too, and the work that I had put in um was huge for me and trusting that and trusting God. And obviously, I played at home in Chicago my first start in the AHL and beat Milwaukee in a shootout.

SPEAKER_03 33:01

Awesome, awesome. I I love the story of guys like you're doing it right now, you're talking about your experience, you're talking about being the motion in the motion, uh, you're talking about being in the game, the experience of it. And there's like you said, there's so there's some games that you're like, I don't remember a second of that. Then there's other ones you're like, I can tell you every second, every detail. But you mentioned one injury away, where yeah, when something happens to someone, and then all of a sudden your feet in the fire. Uh, working with junior hockey players and even younger hockey players, I always share an article. It's in the players' tribune. It's called I'm Not Connor McDavid. Ben Mesner wrote it. And in this article, he talks about the chase, about he's constantly chasing someone to take their job and their position. And hey, one injury away, I got their job. But he gives the reality of a goalie, a pro goalie, of knowing that there's always someone chasing him. How does that feel now? Being in the mix of things, you're desperately trying to get up to the big team at the same time, you know you're also one injury away.

SPEAKER_01 34:17

Yeah, that's uh it's a real, very real thing. Um and it's the closest ones are usually your teammates and your goalie partner, um, whether you like to say it or not. Like I'll talk about not my NHL experience, but even last year, I I was with Yasse Patrick Kinen, who was playing in the Finnish league, and he won goalie of the year last year in the whole league, you know, and playing with a guy like that, and then we had a very young, um, a young bull type of guy named Sheikah, and he's uh he was 20, just came out of his first year of college and joined our team. And this kid, you know, is you can tell he's so competitive. And um he's young. He's like, I'm sure you'll, you know, like and I'm not saying I'm an old bull, but in the goalie, in the in the goalie, in the goalie world six years from 21 to 27, it's a big difference um in maturity game-wise. And um I really felt this kid coming for my job. And oh yeah. Um, and it's a very real thing, and it's like I had to sit there and be like, okay, it's time to take it up a notch, and thank God I did. Um but it's a pressure that you really don't understand unless you're in it.

SPEAKER_03 35:44

Well said. You and I talked before this recording when we chatted a little bit about you know when when things get switched on you 180, and and talked a little bit about this concept of um God being outside of time and seeing the whole timeline, and you're in time and you're in part of the journey. And often we don't realize maybe why something happened, and sometimes you don't even get the reason why things happened. Looking back in your own career, can you look back and see God's fingerprints on where you've been and what you've done as an athlete?

SPEAKER_01 36:24

A shocking amount of times. Like I just had like six pictures pop into my head when you said that. It's um I felt very grateful and blessed that in situations where you know everything could go sideways, somehow, you know, God gives me an opportunity. And you know, we also talked about you know that fork in the road, where are you gonna go? You can pick to go through the storm or let the storm take you. And and I think there's been many times, and I'm a huge like YouTube recording guy, like listening to like trust God through the storm and all these kind of things, and I listen to those kind of things before every game as well. But um that that kind of recordings and just even listening and reading and like listening to scripture just gave me this power that I couldn't understand. And in those moments where you talk about God's fingerprints, I think each one of those moments is God being like, Oh, here's a good video you should listen to right now. And um yeah, I mean, it's just it was it's wild to look back and see how many times that things could have just fallen apart for me, but I was given another chance to show what I can do.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

You're you're a big mental guy. Um in your preparation pre-game, everyone's got a routine. What's your routine? Or at least the part you

Routines Recovery And Training

SPEAKER_03 38:08

wanted us to tell tell us tell us about. Yeah, I eat a whole tray of lasagna by myself.

SPEAKER_01 38:15

Yeah, yeah, I hope no. No, you know what? I I just uh it's gonna sound crazy. I like to lay in bed and watch Netflix and just, you know, my mind naturally just is like, okay, like if I try to focus on the game too much, I go crazy. Like if I try to think before the game, like I drain myself and I and I found that if I just am able to relax and lay back, you know, maybe I fall asleep have a nap, maybe I don't, and just watch, and you know, the nerves will come up and oh, you got a big game tonight. Um, if I just try to like, you know, give that to God and be like, yeah, that's okay, that's cool. Like, I know that I've done this thousands of times. Like, I'm I'm gonna be like, all right, I got God, I got all this. When I go to the rink, I haven't really done much, to be honest. Like, I don't want to do much in my routine. Um, I talked about I pray with my girlfriend before the game, and that's really like the first trigger. That's like time to lock in. And um I go to the rink, I set up my stuff the same way. Um, you know, I I wouldn't say it's a ritual, I'd say or I'd say it's kind of a you know, a routine, not a superstition. Uh and yeah, like I go up in the stands again, I listen to a YouTube recording. Um, and I always finish with the one about God. I'll I'll listen to one like that fires me up. It's like a workout motivation, whatever it is. And then I'll listen to one that's about God and you know, trusting God through the storm and timing and all this kind of stuff that um teaches me a lot, but also calms me down. And you know what? After that, I like to visualize, um, visualize being successful, visualize making saves and seeing it with my eyes in my head, and um, you know, it just it brings me to a place that I know what I'm doing, and um God's with me.

SPEAKER_03 40:12

And then I just go play, you just go and do your thing. Yeah, you had your chance for a plug, man.

SPEAKER_02 40:18

You could have said I tuned into the gospel in the game every episode before I might get you know what I threw it there, I threw it right at you. No, you scored, man.

SPEAKER_03 40:30

You beat me. Oh, there we go. Good stuff. Okay, now that's pre-game. Ritual. Goalies are ritualistic people. What's your post-game? How do you decompress?

SPEAKER_01 40:42

It depends. Um, some games, there's games I'll lose 12 pounds in a game. I'm not kidding you. I lose 12 pounds of water. Um, I'm starving, my sodium's low. Um, eat a ton of food is what I do right after and just hydrate. And then I go home and um, you know, my girlfriend wants to talk about the game, wants to like, you know, maybe go to a restaurant and I just like lay in the bed and I'm like, no, see you tomorrow. See you tomorrow morning. I'm I'm done. And that's really my post-game is you know, stretch with the rink, slam a ton of food, ton of water, and sleep. Yeah, yeah. Rest. I and also, and I should have included this, but I I after every game, I always thank God, no matter what. Yeah, good point, good point.

SPEAKER_03 41:26

And you're you're not a small guy, you're 6'2, correct? Yeah, yeah. So you you got you got some height, you got some reach, you got you could you require fuel.

SPEAKER_01 41:37

Yes, even you know, um, like last year I I ate like a horse, or even and I think I lost 17 or 18 pounds still on the year.

SPEAKER_03 41:49

Wow. Now goalie goalies train differently as well. We're in the offseason right now for those listening and don't realize that uh hockey's not on at this present moment. You're in the off-season. What are you doing differently in order to prepare and equip for the future season?

SPEAKER_01 42:05

Yeah, um, you know, I do a lot of yoga, and I actually go to these classes with my girlfriend, they're power life classes, and basically it's like a bunch of body weight in positions that are actually really close to goaltending. Like it's a lot of single-leg balance, a lot of like tension, um, strength, core strength. And I really started doing that last year. I kind of got away from the ice a little bit. Um, this is a controversial thing, and I but I used to you know hammer the ice five times a week in the summer. And I I found that when I would get to camp, I'd feel strong, but almost almost like burnt out a bit. And um, like last summer, or even this summer, you know, I've really I did that tournament in Belfast, Ireland for Team Canada. Um, but other than that, I've skated like four or five times and then just really focused on the mind and the body off the ice. Like, you know, this would be my ninth year pro already. And um, you need to learn how to save the body because you know, when I'm 40 and I have kids and I want to be able to, you know, bend over to pick my kid up or um something like that, and my hips aren't gone and I need double hip surgery or something, you know. So um so true. Yeah, and it's it's a it's a reality of life. And um I noticed that, especially last year leading up to this year. Obviously, it worked pretty well. Um, we we left we played as long as he could play last season, and I really didn't skate much the summer before.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

Yeah, now you went speaking of last season, you went all the way, win the whole season.

SPEAKER_01 43:53

All the way, game seven overtime.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

Wow, fantastic. Now tell me a little bit about your playoffs. You're going into playoffs, you're not the go-to

Playoffs Patience And Trust

SPEAKER_03 44:02

guy.

SPEAKER_01 44:04

No. Um the GM thought I was, the head coach didn't, so um, you know, I won't go too deep into this because I don't want to get in trouble. But um, yeah, I am a very competitive guy. I love playoff hockey. And I had to sit there in the or stand there in the cold drink and watch my team play. We were the first place team, and we played the 10th place team, the play in team, and we went to game seven with them, and I only played one game in that series. Um And we dominated them in game seven as as we should have in the series. But um it was a great series. Uh, you know, they had Jake for Tannen on that team, who's a you know, I won't say too much, but he the guy can shoot a puck. He's a great hockey player. Um and he gave their team a chance, but I had to sit there and watch. And I think again, that really lit a fire in me. Um, and I got the chance to play against Po Pratt the next series. Um, I went 3-0 against them, and then uh Yasse played and we won and closed out that series and then um Broughtislava. Um, you know, we go 3-1, down 3-1 in that series. And Yasse and I had kind of been back and forth. Um we're down 3-1, and I played the last three games, and we made history in the Slovak League. Um, no team has ever in over a hundred years come back from down three one in a final, and um it was the most intense and passionate series I've ever been a part of. Wow. And yeah, to win that um was unbelievable. We we won it at home, game seven overtime. It's like you're sitting there and you don't really understand the the weight of everything, and you're playing, and then all of a sudden we score, and it's just pandemonium. And uh yeah, it was uh another example of God kind of making me be patient and then letting me do what I can do.

SPEAKER_03 46:24

Are you a roller coaster guy?

SPEAKER_01 46:28

I I I like them, but I don't love them. I know you're probably you're like, this guy's an adrenaline guy. This guy loves it.

SPEAKER_03 46:35

No, but um okay, no, go finish your answer and then I'll tell you why.

SPEAKER_01 46:39

No, no, I I would say I enjoy a good roller coaster, but like I'm not missing it after I do it.

SPEAKER_03 46:44

Okay, okay. If I was to give someone who hasn't been part of it an analogy for a pro hockey player in playoffs, it's a roller coaster. At first you go and you hear about this roller coaster and you see it from a distance. It's a big, it's a big deal, it's a big thing, and you kind of see what's ahead of you. Okay, there's maybe there's a big drop or there's a loop or there's something that you're you're thinking about. You start lining up and you start asking this question Am I really doing this? Am I really part of this? And then you start going through the motions of the lineup and the twists and the turns of it, and you start hearing it. You start feeling the rumble of it. And that little part of your stomach is just like like the little flutter. And you're like, oh, okay, I don't know whether I'm excited or whether I just toiled myself, one or the other. And then all of a sudden, you're like right there, and there's the clanking and the clacking and the carts there, and you hop in it, and you're like, okay, I'm actually doing this. And you go on it and it's fast. There's twists, there's turns, it goes by so quickly. There's parts that seem like they like you're you're clanking up to the do the big drop that lasts forever, but then all of a sudden the drop happens, and then the whole thing finishes, and you go, Whoa, wow, that's absolute wow. And then you're like, I don't think I'm gonna do that again. But yeah, right, yeah. So now you've done this, but you gotta go back a little bit. And you mentioned don't not get in trouble, and and I'm not gonna dig your prior thing because uh athletes, there's always people we love and people we disagree with, there's always people we bang heads with, or or guys that are on our side, guys that are off our side. It just that's life in general, okay? Now, go with me here, though. You're on the bench, you really want to play. Being a person of faith, what do you do? You're the roller coasters there in front of you, you hear the sights and sounds of it. How do you what do you do?

SPEAKER_01 49:17

Yeah, it's uh it's a very tough position to be in. It's like being in Disneyland and the line's six hours long. Um you just you like you just want to be out there and you know if you wait long enough, the opportunity's gonna come. But it's it's the being patient, I think. And again, trusting God that that opportunity, that roller coaster that you want to get on is coming. Before the ride closes. Before like the parking lot, before the ride closes, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, you're you're there early enough, so if the thing's 12 hours, you're still getting on. Okay. Um, yeah, you know, it was very frustrating, obviously, at times. Um, but it teaches you you're like, okay, now it's my time, like it's my turn, and you get you're like, I'm ready for this. I've had this many times to sit there and be like, man, I wish I was in there. And it just kind of grows that passion and passion, and you're like, okay, now it's my turn. And I think um you gotta have people around you that kind of understand that. And if you don't, you really need to lean on God because it's it can it can almost feel selfish at times, being like, I want like it's not that I don't want this guy to succeed, but I want to get in the net. And um, that's something I tried to really focus on last year was just wishing the most success I can for my teammates and my goalie partners who are my friends, but they're at the end of the day, they're also competition. And um, you know, I think yeah, like that that's really all I have to say about that is if you're on the bench and you're waiting for the roller coaster, you gotta just be patient and trust that God's gonna be there with you however long you gotta wait. If it's six hours or six weeks, and that when the time comes, there was a reason and like you said, fingerprints along that waiting line of things that you might not see in that moment, but you'll understand later.

SPEAKER_03 51:26

You're in the thick of it right now. You've played a couple pro games under your belt. Ottawa, your rights have been with Minnesota. Um what do you do now? Do you keep the same game plan as part of life in general?

SPEAKER_01 51:41

Yeah, with your I didn't mean to cut you off there, but

Unsigned Now And What’s Next

SPEAKER_01 51:47

um it's been very kind of like I'm waiting on the bench. Like I don't really know what's coming. Um I I I don't think it's um a secret that I haven't signed anywhere yet. And it's mostly because you know, there hasn't been something that would make sense, to be honest. And it's not that I want I don't want it, I want it, I would love it. Um you know, I love seeing new places, I love playing hockey. Um but you know, the topic um and the theme of today is like when when God kind of has different plans, and that's I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it almost feels like okay, I'm in this situation where my team and I did this very cool thing and made history and I and I played really well and I and I would love to keep playing, and you know, I it hasn't brought real opportunities, and um I've been in different places where maybe I didn't really deserve an opportunity that uh that I got and the the script has kind of flipped, so it's uh very interesting, and um you know the people closest to me we talk about it and we we try to understand it, and you can't. So that's why I I I really just laid on God and I'm like, hey, I'm ready. I played in Ireland the other week, it was fun, I felt great, I played good, I got it, I'm ready to play, but I I have probably said it five times a week. It's in God's hands.

SPEAKER_03 53:35

Yeah, it's this is one of the big mysteries of life, isn't it? When we're in eager anticipation of participate participation. Almost I should, I should, I should copyright that one. You should, you should trademark that for sure. In eager anticipation of participation. That's the life of an athlete, isn't it? It really is. But isn't it neat though how God has placed you in that spot?

SPEAKER_01 54:01

Yeah, yeah. Like I've been in similar spots, but again, the the script was flipped, and I felt like I was chasing, always chasing, like, hey, call my agent every day, like what's going on, what's going on? Um but now it's like okay, I've done what teams have wanted me to do for you know the last two years is to show that I can play, that I can play well, that I can win, and I do that, and it's like, oh good for him. You know, and um it's unexplainable to me as to why it's happening. Um and I'm gonna just keep going back to it's in God's hands. Like, of course I want to participate. I've been a hockey player for oh am I 26? I've been a hockey player for 22 years. Like I love the game. It doesn't matter where I'm playing, I love the game. Um but you know, if God's gonna make it apparent that there's different plans for me, I'm not gonna argue it as much as I'd love to, you know, sign a great deal with a great team.

SPEAKER_03 55:10

Yeah, it's uh the the great equalizer is time. And as time passes, we're gonna look back and we're gonna see God's fingerprints on this part of the journey as well. Um, yeah, we just yeah, 20 years from now is over fish and chips. We will chat about what the awesome things God has done. You might need to order some fish and chips tonight. I think I think I might either that's graving. Either that or I'm booking a flight out at the end of camp this week and uh maybe I'll spend the weekend. Uh if you hear me, if I call your cell and it's the weekend and and you're still not signed someplace, I I know where we're going.

SPEAKER_01 55:46

You're you're at your secret place in Granville there. Yeah, there you go. Exactly. 100%. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 55:54

Well, that brings us to a different, different segment, different part of our show. We're gonna give you now to our five hard-hitting, fast-paced questions. They're short questions, and we want short answers, but you can give a long-winded off, whatever, whatever is laid on your heart in regard to the answer. But this is where we get you on your toes, thinking fast.

Rapid Questions Prayer And Goodbye

SPEAKER_03 56:14

Are you ready? I'm ready. Okay, awesome. 100% growing up, what was your favorite meat? We're having you're having dinner tonight. You gotta go to the market right now, buy it, you're cooking it on the barbecue. What are you having? Lamb. Lamb. Woo! Love it. Yeah, love it.

SPEAKER_01 56:35

That was my favorite meat growing up. It was a special thing, but that was that was my favorite.

SPEAKER_03 56:39

Okay, so like if you like birthday meal mu's mom. Okay, okay, awesome. Easy answer. Um, favorite sports team all time. Vancouver Canucks, unfortunately. Wow, okay. There's a giant blue drop. You know what I'm talking about over by the convention center.

SPEAKER_01 57:00

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:01

Yeah, and and I every time I take a sports team or family, we go see the giant whale that's made of blocks, and we go and see that giant blue drop. And I can I can see it. You can literally see it from your place. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 57:15

I can see the whale right now.

SPEAKER_03 57:16

Oh, okay. That's funny because every time you see the blue drop now, you're gonna think of my comment. I say they made this monument because it's the accumulated tears of every Vancouver Canucks fan that's ever been.

SPEAKER_01 57:31

Yeah, that is yeah, uh, you know what? I'm not gonna let that one go. But yeah, that's the answer. And I got the opportunity to have a PTO with the Canucks, so that was like a dream come true, too.

SPEAKER_03 57:41

Oh, that is absolutely fantastic. PTOs are a good thing, take when you can get them. Yeah, yeah. That is good, especially if you don't got anything else. Take them. Caleb. Okay, we we got lamb, we got favorite sports team. Um, is there a portion of scripture that encourages you that's a good team?

SPEAKER_01 58:04

Say that again. 413, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

SPEAKER_03 58:08

Oh, favorite Bible verse. Love it.

SPEAKER_01 58:10

What a great choice. Yeah, it's uh it's everywhere. Like um, it's on my phone. Um, I used to have it tattooed on my arm, but now I just have the cross up here. I don't know if you can see it. Oh, yeah, I see.

SPEAKER_03 58:24

Yeah, I see that.

SPEAKER_01 58:25

And this is like uh Lion and Judah, but um yeah, uh that that's always been a verse that I would repeat to myself over and over. And I actually read it talking about the book, The Power of Positive Thinking. And uh, is it Norman Vincent Peel? That might be the author's name. Um, he says in the book, say it ten times in a row, just say it. And the power that you feel just saying that 10 times, um, no matter what you're going through, you'll feel better and a lot more powerful.

SPEAKER_03 59:01

Yeah, and dealing with scripture. When you repeat scripture and use scripture, script, God's word does not return to him void. That's what the Bible says. So that's a wonderful thing to repeat. Um, do you have it anywhere on your stick? You write on your stick at all?

SPEAKER_01 59:17

Yep. Every time. Every time? So I put a cross on the front of my stick every time. And then usually I have um just a W, which isn't religious um or anything to do with God. The cross obviously is, but it's it's more of when it's up, it means um like where are you? Like you're here, and then when it's flipped, it's an M, which means the moment. So that's just like a mental reminder for me to just where are you? Be here in the moment. Um, on the bottom of my pads, I have 413 on both. So when I'm getting ready, every time you know I'll lean down to strap up my pads, I'll see 413 on each side.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:06

Wow, very cool. What a good reminder. What a good reminder. Um, a couple seasons ago, I'd asked athletes a question if you could go back and talk to your younger self. This season it's been flipped a little bit. Um, if you could write a note for the your future self 20 years from now to remind Dylan Ferguson of something that's so important that you never want him to forget, what are you writing down? 20 years from now?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:35

Um that's a hard, fast question. Like that's that's a thinker. Um each moment matters, probably. Like, I think that would be um, you know, something that's gonna stick with me that you said is the fingerprints along the way. Like, don't like make sure you take the time to look back and appreciate those. Oh, that's wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:58

Well, Dylan, as always, every guest we say one day we're gonna have you on again soon, and we're gonna look forward to that, and we'll follow up with you and see where God has brought you. But let's pray right now and uh and uh dedicate this time to the Lord. Do it. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this time that we've been able to spend together, and we just pray that you bless Dylan and his future pursuits and that you will provide for him in whatever capacity you see fit in order to be used for your glory, honor, and praise. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:29

Amen. If you have enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast. Let us follow your podcast.