Rick Celebrini joins; Getting the "C", Mack'isms, Hollywood Reporter's Nicole Fell

(upbeat music) - Welcome to Never Off's Eye with Julian Cat. Today is very exciting because we have one of the most requested guests on the show in Mr. Rick Celebrini, just the coolest dad in sports, in our opinion. So very, very, very excited, Julian. - Yeah, how fitting. I mean, there were opportunities to have him on the past seasons, but the perfect timing is now, you know, Mac being named Captain before the season started and finally getting him in his reaction to getting the big news and learning all the things is just, I look forward to, you know, the conversation with him and his whole, just kind of journey and Maxwell journey. So super grateful that he is on today. - Yeah, such a fun time for the family. And it's making us excited for shark's games, hockey, hockey season. I'm excited to watch games this season, Julie. And if you're new here, (laughs) - I know where you're going with this. I know where you're going with this. And I think we need to, we need to fill our new listeners and watch viewers and from the network and on your little superstition. - Yeah, so if you're new here, I have had a long going superstition since back when Julie and I were in Montreal, that's actually when it originated because I couldn't figure out how to watch the games in my rental apartment. And then Montreal just went on that crazy tear. So I realized the problem was me, I guess. - Not watching and not going. - Not going but then when I would go, I would not watch. - Yeah, I would be their president, but I would be, you know, staring at my phone just neuratically, honestly. So yeah, it dates back to that, but I just have a new, I don't know, I have a new thing going where I'm just excited to watch the games and I'm gonna go and actually physically sit my seat and watch and not just roam around the concourse this time. So very excited for this season and hopefully that doesn't backfire on me. - Yeah, if things go south, we all know what needs to happen. But I am gonna have good vibes for this and your new routine because I would love nothing more than cat play by play and content at games. So I'm here for it. I think maybe a Sharky selfie has to happen every game. So maybe I'll hold you to it. - Ah, that's my routine, I love it. (laughs) So maybe I'll sit with Rick at the next game and lock in and watch with him. We'll see who knows. - That will be amazing. Look forward to all the things coming from Cat. Now that she's gonna be in venue locked into every Sharky's game. So, you know, what are we at, 42 home games? - Mm-hmm. - Good luck with that cat. I can't wait to see your streak. I think you should start a streak. - I will. - But yeah, up next we're gonna be talking to Rick Celebrini and all things hockey and Maclin become in the captain of the San Jose Sharks. - We're here with our very much requested guest. He's a force in the sports world from soccer, to basketball, to hockey and more. He's currently the VP of player health and performance for the Golden State Warriors. He's also a husband to the lovely Robin and dad to four just insane athletes, eight in RJ Charlie and Maclin. So please welcome Mr. Rick Celebrini. Welcome Rick. - Thanks, Cat. Now it's great to be with you guys this morning. Hi, Julie. Hi, it's so nice to meet you. I told Cat before we got going. I'm like, I think this could be our longest episode 'cause I have so much to ask. So I have to rain it in and just get right into it with. - Well, first of all, wait, we gotta discuss the backdrop. - Yeah, the backdrop of you joining us, we're in three different time zones here on East Coast. You're all the way in Hawaii, cats in California, obviously. What is taking you all to California? - In Hawaii. - Hawaii, Hawaii, sorry. - Right, right, for me, it's a lot of work. We have our training camp kicking off. And so they've been long busy days, but obviously a great place to be starting the season off and just a great vibe over here. And this organization's amazing in terms of just looking after families and so I've got my wife Robin and Charlie, my daughter here with us as well. So they're having a great time. Charlie's got surf lessons later today and I mean, they just have a fantastic time. I hope we appreciate you taking the time from Hawaii to talk to us. Also, I'm gonna miss you tonight is opening night, the day of filming this is opening night. So I'm gonna miss you, but we just wanted to start out by saying just congratulations to your whole family. Just Mack becoming captain, it's so special. Where were you all when you found out and just can you give us your response as dad? - Macklin, very subtly just sent us a picture of his jersey with a sea on it to our family thread. And obviously there were rumblings about it potentially happening, but then when you see that it was pretty cool. With all the things that he's accomplished recently and it's been a bit of a whirlwind, that's one of the most special ones. Just the recognition, it's not just again, what he's accomplished but kind of the way he's gone about it and to be honored as a captain of an NHL team at 20 years old, it's just, I still can't really, it hasn't really sunk in. - It's amazing. So when you guys got the text with your wife or you with anybody that you shared it, like instantly showed a picture too? - Well, as usual as that work. So I kind of kept it to myself, but inside I was beaming. The response within the thread, right away, everyone was just like, oh my God, Mack, that's incredible. - Did you tell any of the Warriors players from work at the time or? - I didn't, I didn't, and then very quickly, people found out, but as you guys know, it was sort of decided a couple days before it went public, so I kind of kept that secret inside and just let people find out on their own organically. - Who were the first few people to text you from your organization about it? - It was actually more people at, you know, when I was physically there and actually, no, that's not true. I got a few texts from different people as well and anybody sort of ran into that day at the organization, they sort of had a nice thing to say about it. - Okay, I know you're very, you're a sports professional, but did you have any, like, did you shed a tear, did Robin, did we have any emotions like that? - No, I wish I could say that was the case, but not to that extent, not to that extent. - I just, like, thinking as a parent, I have four young boys, you know, they look up to all these, like, Maclin specifically, like, that's their generation, that they're watching, they thought it was so cool that I was talking to a celebrity today, and they actually went through some of my quick hitter questions, they're like, that's a good one. But as a dad, from the dad side, like, you're such a sports professional, so I imagine there's just a little bit, you know, of a disconnect, not a disconnect, but you can compartmentalize things there, but as a dad with your son, you know, getting the sea on his jersey for an organization, like the sharks, who do you think Mac will lean on when times, you know, are good, bad? Like, who do you think he's gonna, like, go to and kind of get guidance from along the way, do you think he'll come to you for things? I just think from a parent, like, that's such a big responsibility, and you're like, you wanna just make sure they keep having the tools to grow in that position. - Yeah, I mean, you guys both know Mac, you know, he's actually really independent, and when he's had some tough times, he certainly has, you know, leaned on his mom, you know, myself, different people around him, but for the most part, he kind of works through a lot of the stuff himself, and, you know, I hope he feels comfortable. I know, you know, obviously he's got a great relationship with Joe, tough, obviously. The veteran's on the team that he has around him, and he's really, really fortunate to have guys in that environment to kind of lean on, and I'm obviously not privileged enough to know kind of who he kind of leans on within that environment, but I know Mac, since he was a little kid, you know, we, I remember us, you know, with all the kids giving them skating lessons, introducing them to skating, and he didn't want any part of it. Like, he wanted the bars, and he wanted to figure it on his own, and he kind of, that's just how he goes about things, and I think we all agree. We all need people to lean on at different times, and he has, but it's not really where he goes initially. You know, he tries to work things out himself. Rick, as hockey dad, separating, you know, sports professionalism versus being his dad watching a game. I've never sat next to you during a game, but I've watched you on TV during games. You, you know, you look pretty locked in. What is it like sitting next to you at a game? Like, what, what is your vibe? Well, it's kind of ironic, because the, like, when McLean grew up playing hockey or any of the kids played their sports. I was the guy that was always like I didn't want to be around other people I didn't want to chit chat I didn't want I just wanted to watch them play and kind of like you said kind of be locked in and and so I just try to find like a quiet corner You know on the side of the rank and and just watch them and and so now when you're surrounded by 20,000 people It's kind of a little tougher to do, you know But but I'm still I would say I mean, I obviously I just I just love love sports I love all the details within the sports I love the stuff that goes on behind the play off the puck on the bench and so I you know We've I've actually had a couple guests even last year with Marcus Thompson one of the Raiders with the athletic and the Warriors that attend and he's like man He goes like you're intense a and I wouldn't say it's intense. I would just say I just I just love watching it and you know the intermissions are for chit chatting and and you know Relaxing and and sort of being a little bit more social, but during the game I'm pretty locked in and I don't really get emotional either which some people have kind of commented negative negatively on and I would say the only time that I've really sort of jumped up and down is is at the Olympics when you know when Max scored or some some big moment like that, you know, that's the only time I get really emotional I also love during the father's trip last year You all like jumping up and high five in each other. You get a funny. Yes Yes. Yes. That was a moment you got pulled into it right just because of the way the game went and you know tied it up And then one in and over time that was you know those ones. Yeah, I mean, you know, I do have emotions Well, that was that was perfect for you because it's all all the dads are pretty locked in right right right? Next to a bunch absolutely. Yeah, you all freaked out. Yeah, that's that was a great five. Yeah for sure. Yeah Do you have any like fatherly superstitions? Not really. No. I'm not a superstitious guy. No, no No, like you don't have to call call your kids before a game or after like there's no no, they they That's a routine that that both Aiden and Maclin and Charlie have done Charlie before tennis tournaments and and or matches and Aiden and Max since they were young so I talked to them routinely before every game usually, you know, three hours before they kind of get to the rank and start their process and it's something It's actually a funny story. I I was at one of Maclin's Early camps with the Canadian national team. I think it was like a U17 camp in Calgary and I just finished watching a game and Jay Pondolfo the the BU coach was there this before Mac obviously went to BU and he was at the game and he you know after the game is like, hey, you know, do you want to ride back to hotel? I said, yeah, sure, so we're driving and and the phone rings and it's Maclin and You know, so I you know say a Mac like I'm just getting dropped off the hotel can I call you back later and so I hang up and and Jay goes he goes does he call you kind of before every game and I go I go yeah, I go, you know And he goes, you know, I did that with my dad my whole career and And and I go I go are you kidding me like I go like so like He he never stopped calling me. I like he never stopped calling you and and and so it was just really cool like it You know to to kind of hear that that Happened for Jay his whole career was phenomenal. Julie loves to hear that Like breaking my heart strings, but it's so beautiful at the same time I'm like, I hope my boys are still calling me. They're probably not calling me. They're probably gonna call their dad Which I'll be in the background like yeah, they called me to Could you ever predict how kind of your life trajectory has played out with your kids and the success and now Mac Like you guys are in the same town my studying up for this like and I think it's because the age of my boys like I have a 11 year old and He played for the junior sharks for the you 14 junior sharks triple A team Like did you ever conceptualize that like life would come back around how it has like it just seems like a story book No, you're right Julie. It's I mean, I don't know Like why or or I mean, I just we just feel very blessed like every step of the way You know when when Maclin was you know and it wasn't as you guys know Maclin story wasn't sort of a you know He was wired a wire best player. He like it was something that you know evolved over time and he got better each year And he had this goal that he worked really hard for so as things got closer to draft year It you know it became more likely and then to see that the sharks were at that point in a in a rebuilding phase and Likely to you know to get the you start to kind of go there and and you start to see how things might line up But I mean, I just even think about the the likelihood of even going down to California in the first place, you know We were deciding between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors and you know for a number of different reasons We chose the Warriors, but just that one decision, you know completely changed the direction of as you said the family and and who would have anticipated or known that At this point it it was such a You know impactful decision. It's a movie. It's yeah, we were discussing with our producers It will be a movie someday. I don't know about that. You and well you and Mac don't seem like You you realize that you know what I mean just yeah, so it's pretty cool that you guys have all that going so Also just keeping the dad hat on but with your player performance background Me selfishly is like how did you in robin balance the You want to give your kids every opportunity in the world and it it seems like y'all did beautifully like everything I'm reading and seeing is just Really inspiring about how you guys are such a team and balance each other so well with four kids all with you know They're interests and their passions, but What is the advice or tips or however you want to say it to parents? Of you want to give your kids the opportunities and the best opportunities and for instance Maclin You know is growing up in the Golden State Warriors locker room with greatness at his fingertips While also keeping the balance of them being a kid and letting them choose their path like how did you guys Separate it. Maybe it just came innately like how did that flow in your family life because You do know what takes to be at the top and how do you like balance that with your children? I guess that's a really good question Jillian. I don't know that we were really conscious of it as you know, you go on But I do think you know part of it is exposing them to Those different environments where there was the the connox or the white caps when we were in Vancouver or the Golden State Warriors And like you said given them those types of opportunities But first of all we were fortunate and blessed to have those opportunities available to them, but but then When you're in it and you guys, you know seem behind the curtains It's it's just it's just people, you know, and it's there's no You know, you see when you know the lights come on and whether it's Monday night football or an NHL hockey game and The production of it makes it seem that it's larger than life and especially to kids But once they see behind the scenes and they see you know the the people the work the You know, it's it's most arena is not very glamorous in behind, you know, the You know the hallways and in the locker rooms and stuff like that. So I think I think that part of it actually Let's them see a different side that is You know, it's more authentic and it's um And it's just sort of understanding that there's a lot of work that goes into kind of what the end product is Eventually, which is which is sort of the the success that you see on the ice or or on the you know on the court or the playing field Well, now it's it's also lovely because you know, you have your Your work family and your family combined now So we have now coming to Shark's games. We have Dremel and we have staff We have a bunch of the guys and it's so cool. In particular. I love watching Dremel's Interviews about Mac. I think he's just like so passionate. It's so cool to listen to So how is that watching a young Mac grow with them? You're your work family. Yeah, no And like you said, it's kind of every step of the way and first of all the the warriors I'm sure a lot of teams feel like this, but in my experience it's a pretty special group and like you said when you when you use the word family I it's it's an appropriate word for this group. It's um, you know, this is my ninth year with with the team and I've grown You know, I've grown older with the team and and seeing them through a big chunk of their career and The fact that they take such an interest You know in in Maclin obviously, but but our whole family, you know, I mean Dremel on just the other day was asking about Aiden and and where Aiden's at and you know Charlie and RJ so and and likewise I'm very interested in in his family and and and that goes for Steph and and all the guys So especially the guys that have been there for a while. It's um, you know, it's it's a really special part of the group that People care about each other as people not just in a professional sense, you know, where it's like athlete You know coach or or staff or trainer whatever it might be so it's it's a it's a pretty unique environment I say it all the time I wouldn't be in the NBA if it wasn't for this particular group and so coming back to your original question to see how Maclin has you know sort of grown and developed over time and it's something that you don't really see the influence on a day-to-day basis but certainly I think you could see it over time that that there's a really sort of strong positive influence of just him being around and seeing that type of you know care and interest and and support in the sports in the Bay Area Sports World also a big family and Jumbo took in Mac obviously the first two years had you had you met Jumbo through the Bay Area Sports World before or was that a new relationship I did you know it's it's interesting again how things come sort of full-circle Mike patented introduced me to him a number of years before and because he was curious about just sort of the path for his son River they were deciding I think between Switzerland and and staying in the Bay and and so we sort of had an introductory call at that point and sort of kept in touch a little bit but yeah I mean just such a again you just look at these things that have influenced Maclin's transition and I mean Tobaya and Joe and the family is business you know incredible from Maclin's huge part of how I'm not gonna say easy the transition has been but sort of seamless and just the support and kind of family environment it's it's just incredible and the fact that the sharks kind of were proactive in in suggesting that and organizing that and and how welcoming that the thorns have been unbelievable it's just so many full-circles it's crazy it is it is yeah yeah again I don't know why you know how we deserve this but we feel very blessed and fortunate for it all we love to insert games in here so we're gonna do a little warriors basketball kind of NBA NHL situation okay I'm ready let's go one warriors player that you would love to see on skates on skates Stefan Curry like do you think because he'd be really good at it yes and and but I also would love to see stuff just struggle at something like you just you watch him golf you watch him play but like he's just so I mean anything we ask him to do you know sort of training wise he just picks things up so I'd actually like to see him you know have to sort of struggle and and and figure something out for a change yeah like it could go either way and you just want to see what happened yeah yeah yeah well yeah you know and I actually don't know if he's been on skates before I would hope he hasn't so like I said I could see him have to try to figure out and just see how quickly he could because I'm sure it wouldn't take a very long who is the biggest hockey fan in the warriors locker room you know BP is actually a massive Edmonton Oilers fan which we got it we got to work on that because that's not cool he's got we got to get him you know sharks but but he is he is very interested in the sharks as well but you know he's got sort of a story of how he got interested in the Oilers I mean Dremon well documented that he grew up as a Detroit Red Wings fan and and and now he's a big sharks fan so I would say he's a big hockey fan those are probably the two that come to mind who is most likely to show you a Wilmaq viral moment who is the most likely I don't know that if that anyone is really following that which is surprising but but you know as you bring it up nobody's really sort of brought that up to me with warriors which is really interesting yeah yeah who does bring it up maybe maybe Rick's too serious at work that they're they're scared to show right I'm kicking kicking the soccer ball at Sharky's face like okay maybe don't show me that we have a game play like right oh well now they're real mates and as the father figure but also you're like stay focused stay prepared are like there any tips tricks you're like making sure that they're doing at home for recovery and you know just anything you're like okay now you guys are responsible for each other in a sense not really no there I think they're they're they've kind of taken the ball and you know run with it I think they're they're both you know it's it's different than if they were their first year in the league and you know but but I think they they they you know have their they have their fun but they also I think have a you know a process that is making sure that they're prepared for the season and and for you know training and games and stuff like that so you know what I've heard in terms of just the cooking the you know the nutrition part of it the sleep that you know getting their rest and stuff I think they're checking all the boxes and you know I think as you guys know they have a lot of fun but but I do think that they're set up well there to to make sure that they look after themselves and get ready for the season might just be like a lot of board games before bed right right right sure they did they did they Mac told me yesterday that they bought a golf simulator and so just knowing them I mean he said like they just you know listen to music and and hit balls and play little chipping games and stuff like that and yeah it's just I think that neither one of them can sit still and so I think you know they're great for each other in terms of just they've got everything there with a ball and basketball and soccer and you name it so it's it's a it's a pretty good set up in that way yeah whenever Ty goes over he's it's just like activity after activity just exhausting I'm for for top yeah just kind of speaking of story time real with Tyler real quick so Julie I think I told you this last year Tyler went up to Vancouver and stay with the celebrities and and trained with you guys he said it was a really easy workout week so yeah I'm saying that was nothing you know but the okay the grouse grind you you guys in the grouse grind we got to talk about this have you ever competed against Mac on this and like how's that going no because it's not fair like you know I mean initially we used to carry Robin and I used to carry them up like I would carry eight because he was you know older and bigger and heavier and and she would carry Mac and then as you know as they got old enough to do it then we would be carrying RJ and Charlie and so on it went and that's when we were younger and fitter and you know more capable and and now I mean I I mean I still do it I try to do it every time I'm up there at least you know a few times a week but it's I mean it's not even a contest they would beat me by you know him and Aiden have a pretty good have a pretty good kind of competition going in terms of who gets the fastest time but they're they're they're almost running up it and you know I'm like back in the day when I used to work with guys like you know Marcus Nazlin stuff we used to put the weight vest on him and I'd tell him to you know sprint to this tree and back to you know and just to give myself a rest like so I'd play these games with the with the athletes as we're going up and I've done this I've done the same thing with Aiden and Mac but that's the only way I can keep up with them at this point is if I'm if I'm telling them to you know do a couple shuttles in between so I can catch my breath and then we keep going well and then a lot of the young sharkies did it this this past summer as well so is this kind of just like a part of your Vancouver workout routine initiation anything like that it is and it's it's so good I mean it's like it's one of those things like and as soon as you start there's no turning back you know like you're committed to it and it's you know for me it's probably around you know 50 minutes for those guys is you know 30 you know high 30s 40 minutes or whatever and it's it's such a great you know way of building you know aerobic capacity but but you know strength endurance and and you're doing it in such an incredible setting and then you get to the top of the mountain and you just look down and you see you know you'll you'll oversee the whole city and the ocean and stuff like that it's it's it's pretty phenomenal Tyler was very excited and happy to post that he doesn't post a lot but he posted a picture from the top of that where's a beer I think you guys went out for that after because it was a bird a special that's right that's right yeah yeah I remember that okay so back to your job at the Warriors VP of player health and performance what is day to day for you it's evolved you know I used to be a lot more hands-on and and now you know at this stage I've got two great I've got a director of medical and director of performance or sport science and they have their respective teams so you know my role is to really just make sure that I support our you know we have a full-time staff of nine ten and then obviously all the different consultants and and specialists that we have our team physicians and psychologists and nutritionists just like you know most professional teams but my role is really again to support them to obviously problem-solver troubleshoot when we get into you know some different issues to kind of chart the course and so you know on any given day I may or may not be busy and that's part of what I love about it is you just never know like we're I'm off to practice here in a little bit and we never know you know what the day is going to hold it can be smooth sailing but or or we could have a mash unit and be like oh my god you know day three of training camp we got guys going down and and so part of it is is obviously making sure that we have a great plan for the players in terms of injury prevention in terms of getting them ready performance wise for the season and then managing things you know should injuries happen etc and like I said for me now I've sort of at a point where I'm more sort of oversight and strategy and and and then managing managing things when when things you know kind of go off the rails a little bit so a lot of it's sort of hurry up and wait and and a typical game day would be you know much like hockey you know the sort of the morning skates we have shoot around and that's something that we've kind of gone back and forth you know with the demands on these guys now a lot of times we will pull the the shoot around and just let them rest especially if it's been you know a lot of travel and a lot of late nights etc but a typical sort of shoot around the guys who come in be there for you know an hour a couple hours and then they go you know get their nap and and in between that time that's when I sort of catch up with all the administrative stuff that I need to do and and then you know the guys come start coming back you know three or four hours before the game and and it's just making sure again that that each guy each player is is ready to go and and so I make my rounds and and check on our staff check on the players and I absolutely love it like it's it's it's you know it's been a passion of mine for through I've been doing this thirty three years and and I still I'm so passionate about it what would you say are three like non-negotiables for recovery and just like ultimate performance like what are three things that you're just like you live by well I mean sleep is number one no question nutrition feeling refueling is number two and number three depending on you know the the situation of the player you know I think the which kind of fits in with sleep but just the mental recovery is such an incredibly neglected and important part of things so we actually have a space is dedicated to that with the warriors and with the demands that are on these guys we we tend to focus on the physical and you know whether it's sort of lights bands and cold bass and all the rest of it but but looking after sort of the mental recovery of these guys is is paramount I imagine I know this answer I'm not trying to compare but I'm now starting to wrap my head around you and Robin you guys are athletes is kind of all you know to raise your kids like as in in the sports world right like people ask me and Jeff all the time like how do you do a how do you raise your kids in sport like how are you going left right center it's like that's kind of all I know is like to put your kids in sports let them learn the hard lessons there I honestly think it's one of the biggest parenting hacks because they learned so many life lessons without you having to like explain it you just work through them with them in all different aspects with your kids and your background like how early did you start implementing like recovering things and if you want to share like what you did with your own kids you know to kind of start creating that mindset or is it just it was like innate because that's all you knew and your wife knew it's a great question Julie like I wouldn't say that in terms of like recovery and different tools or technologies or or even even you know sort of weight program like it wasn't really about that but it was for sure for sure we you know we were an active family that played a lot of sports even like Steve Kerr was just talking about one of the early moments that he met our family and it was sort of an off day and and we were playing like full court 2v2 on the basketball court you know and Robin and the three three older ones were playing and so you know it and he kind of still remembers that as sort of you know part of our family identity that's just kind of what we did you know we would we would do we'd always be active and so part of I guess maybe if there was an intentionality in their development it would be physical literacy like just just making sure that they move well you know so whatever they decided to do and and that could have been you know recreational sports for a lifetime or just staying healthy and active but that they learn how to move properly they learn how to run properly they learn how to balance and to you know to roll and to and and we did that in a really fun way I remember you know with the boys and this is this was sort of again a passion of mine but we would play all these fun games like obviously I coached them in soccer and hockey but we would do stuff like we'd go to the park and just kind of do like little sort of circuit zigzag games through the swings and you know through the sort of stuff on the playground and you know I'd kick the soccer ball as far as I could and I'd say that there's pirates you know chasing them and they had to zigzag on the way back they couldn't just run straight so just like that was kind of the intentionality that I would say you know maybe it's a little bit different than other families and you could you can criticize it now and but it was it was fun and it was done with I I like to think it was done with the right intention you know it wasn't at that point you know we were trying to you know build like the you know Todd Morinovich like the you know that at any point we were sort of saying okay Macon's going to be number one you know drop pick in the NHL we worked towards that it was more just just part of life for us and as you said with your family it's you're kind of all in and once you once you kind of commit to that and especially all four kids showed a a real interest in sports from an early age then you you try to support them and and it it almost kind of takes the life of its own as well where now you're you know you're you they're playing hockey and soccer and you're you're getting them to this thing and that thing and and tear point you wind up benefiting from the the influence of different coaches different parents to other you know athletes and kids and and that have a similar type of mindset and it's um you know we we were for sure Robin and I biased towards athletics versus you know the arts or music and so you know we naturally we're going to create that environment for the kids but but ultimately they chose it and kind of ran with it and then we tried to support him as best we could your tricks worked yeah your pirate your pirate I'm gonna dry that I'm gonna dry that today uh we actually it's so funny we had a lot of questions and a lot of people just wanted to like just get into what what is it like a coveted day off with the celebrinies you know like what is what is it like behind the scenes with you guys if you if you have that rare day off all together like what does that look like yeah especially in the summer you know I mean first of all we're rarely together anymore but we do have the we're fortunate in the summers that the boys come home and even you know Aiden and Mack lived together last summer but I mean I think they just slept at the place they you know they came back to the house for dinner for you know hanging out playing video games and you know all the rest of it so so when you know they're basically training six days a week and so Sundays are typically the day off and the boys and Charlie will sort of determine what they do with their day off and and a lot of times is golf or it's um watching football or it's or it's you know just just chilling and and um not you know and and using it truly as a as a recovery day mentally and physically I feel like we could go on and on and I could ask you but I'll say that for when I come to a shark's game and sit next to you and talk during interventions with you I love it I love it yeah only I'm I am a focus gal during cat can attest I am locked in if anybody sit next to me like when they would you know different teams sit the families differently I prefer to sit alone rather than you know the row just because I liked to watch the game and you focus so we would be great seat mates I love it I love it you it's a date um who is the most competitive celebrity Maclin actually no sorry Robin give it to mom I love it yeah I'm gonna give it to mom and just how like how so what's what's give us a story wise what I mean we talked earlier about just these family games and and I mean we would play soccer and I mean I had more like nicks and bruises and like cuts on my legs from robin trying to get the ball from me so no mercy no mercy yeah no absolutely yeah no she yeah that's um that's an easy one actually kid most likely to challenge you to an argument and win? I'm going to say Aiden. Less about the he's not that argumentative but when he has an argument he's he's just a really smart kid and he's got it well thought out and and he has the best potential I'm not gonna say he's gonna win but I'm gonna say he's got the best potential to win. Who makes everyone laugh the most? R.J. R.J. is especially when he was younger he was he you know the the youngest and he was a bit of a goofball when he was young and he would dance and do kind of all kinds of crazy things and yeah and I would say R.J. Where's just all the goofiness come from? I love this. This is from you or Robin or both like you there's just you know Max always giggling and yeah I don't know because yeah I think maybe it's just the environment because I mean I wouldn't consider myself goofy at all and you know I think I got to work on my goofiness and get a little bit goofier but that's a great I don't know why I don't know why they just just happy kids and you know I think especially when they get together they're they're they love each other's company and and feel so relaxed and you know comfortable with each other that I think the goofiness just flows from there. Who calls you the most? Ty between Eden Maclin Maclin is it's more sort of short touch touch points and and Eden it's when we talk we talk for for a long period of time I think that's part of the product of them being this sort of two older ones as well and you know Charlie and R.J. I don't have that same kind of you know frequent dialogue with them but but certainly we talk you know on a regular basis when I'm for example down in the bay and and they're up in Vancouver etc but I would say Eden in terms of just length of calls and Mac in terms of frequency. Who would survive the longest without their phone? Let me say Mac easy yeah yeah he's he's a least connected sometimes that's frustrating trying to get a hold of him but he's he's the least I would say on his phone. It's funny because there's always the thing about him on the the I've had thing on the bench. Right yes like you ever see that. Yes absolutely yeah yeah but in terms in terms of just you know communication and him sort of following things online and stuff he's it's almost like he's an old soul in that way like he's you know even during his draft year he was he was off social media all together like didn't wasn't on social media at all which is which is massive that's really impressive yeah yeah and self self initiated as well. Favorite vacation to take with the whole family. Oh I oh I sorry I we went to Croatia last year which is where my dad's from and it was the trip of a lifetime especially with the age that the kids read and and we hadn't spent a lot of time because they've all you know sort of gone off and done their own thing but to have 10 days in Croatia where you know our family has long history and roots and it was that was that was by far the the most special trip but the reason why I sort of knee jerk said why when the kids were young we used to go to Maui every Christmas and it's such a special sort of special memories of the kids at that age too you know running around on the beach and in the sand and so Rob and I were just talking about last night that we need to to get the family back to Hawaii for for you know an older version of that. It's a very Vancouver and California answer I feel like we all. Yeah yeah absolutely now you're right. What is Maclin's most annoying habit? He is very impatient much like his dad like you know if he's waiting on something it's like we like we got to go now I'd say it's a tie between that and and he's he's very stubborn in his routine so anything that throws him off his routine he's not he's not happy so you know whereas the others are I think could be far more flexible and kind of Mac is like not you know this is my routine and I'm not I'm not wavering from it which which which I you know it's great and it's it's a it's a really strong attribute for an athlete but it also when you know you got family dynamics and stuff it's you know sometimes annoying because you like a little flexibility in that. What's a non-sports related hobby or passion we'd be shocked to know about you. I mean I'm a big fisherman like I love fishing since I was a little kid and that's that's probably my my biggest passion outside of sport. Oh that's cool do you take the the kids fishing? Yeah they've all got it as well especially the boys actually Charlie as well but just you know salmon fishing and river fishing lake fishing it's we used to do these family vacations with some other families and it would basically be focused on on fishing in the lakes and you know the kids would every year we'd sort of look sort of agree on a on a on a four-day sort of stress there we could get all the kids and so they actually grew up with these other families at these kind of quote unquote family fishing trips and it was a lot of fun some really great memories. Which Celebrini kid gave you the most gray hairs? Maclin. Easy. Mac was a handful when he was young I mean and you love it he had so much energy and but he was mischievous he was and it's crazy to see the kid or the young man he's turned into now because he's so chill and and and kind and generous and thoughtful and when he was young he was he was a lot in a good way I've got a I've got a whole phone I called the Mac isms and and there'd be like stories of I've just stuff that he would do that would just you know I mean I think one time I just just kind of captures it like Mac was I don't know Rob was trying to get him ready for hockey and she had the other kids you know that she had to kind of deal with and Mac was being a goofball and and she's like he's like oh Mac's like you know she goes you know you're driving me crazy like you know do you want me to smack you and he's like well not in the face. Oh well he's a secondborn right. Yes. No it's a fourth order thing for sure. It is my secondborn I could add to your Mac isms and we got bear isms. His name is bear it and he's got some bear isms but those secondborn survive in the world and they do great things. So now you see you see the Mac isms going viral now days I guess so what is that like for you when you see just the funny giggly guy that he is just everyone loves him like when you see something funny that he will do what's your reaction and just you know but what is it like seeing the Mac ism in the world I guess. I just love it like I love I love both him and Will the way they're approaching you know they're they're craft their sport which is how they're approaching life which is just with a with a joy and just not taking everything so seriously and you know so I love I love the goofiness and the and the fun that they're having with it. I think it's it's almost a necessity now to you know is it just a really effective coping strategy with the pressures and the stresses that are on these these young athletes at such a young age and so I love it I'm proud of you know I've said it before I'm proud of not just what Mac was done but how he's done it and usually I'm referring to just you know how he you know conducts himself in terms of being humble and and you know on selfish etc but but it's also it also relates to that is just how he is is is modeling true joy with what he's doing and hopefully young athletes see that and can incorporate and follow that as well. I has a funny story about him every day it seems just you know he comes back just just with a great you know funny fun story about how I'm just lovely Mac is I guess yeah that's so cool yeah that that sums it up beautifully and I can attest like I've got the young hockey boys that are now in it and watching you know they they watch their dad and they appreciate him and in his craft and his teammates but they're fans like they are hockey they are shark fans specifically now like they are like well great got a great connect with cat anytime we want to you know be sure to right but I just you some Mac up in his joy so so perfectly and we see that in the kids in the next generation sees that and I just you should be so proud Robin should be so proud and I'm not going to ask another question because I just I think we leave it at that and I can't wait to see what your family does and I'm all your other kids too it's just truly y'all are an inspiring family and I feel very privileged to get to speak with you today. and that you came on to never have side with us. - And I appreciate it, but honestly, I don't think we look at ourselves like that. We're just trying to support each other and just doing the best that we can. (upbeat music) - Okay, that was Rick Celebrini. When I texted him asking him to come on, his response was, I've been waiting for this text. So it's pretty funny. I mean, it was inevitable that we had to talk to him and boy, it's so great to talk to him. - But with the sunrise and Hawaii, we just got the ultimate. - We got the ultimate set up and whole thing there. Just again, story books, gonna be a Hollywood movie. - We have to, literally and just how nice, I mean, the whole family is just the nicest family and how nice of him to take time in his morning before work in Hawaii, he could have been doing anything. He could have been swimming to Maui from a Wahoo, you know? - Yeah, climbing a volcano. I mean, that's what he probably would do. - What I imagine he does in the morning, you know? - So, just amazing all around and inspiring and just a great success story already, but it's just unfolding with McLean. So it's just amazing, simply put. All right, well, keeping with the celebrity theme, Nicole fell with the Hollywood reporter, did a wonderful piece on McLean and Belmont, Kameli. So that's up next. (crickets chirping) (crickets chirping) All right, we're back here on never-ass side with our next guest, Ms. Nicole fell from the Hollywood reporter. She is one of the masterminds behind the cover shoot and the featuring McLean, Selvverini and Belmont, Kameli. The star of off campus, so welcome, Ms. Nicole. - Thank you for having me. - Yeah, we're so excited to have you. So the feature was amazing. Obviously, we watched all the videos, everything. It was really great. Can you take us behind the scenes from the start, really? - Yeah, so we had been putting together this new package that we are doing called Game Recognized Game. McLean and Belmont ended up being the second episode slash version of it. It came out the same day as the first, which is exciting. But I have just been covering the hockey romance shows quite extensively. I started with heated rivalry and then off campus and we were trying to figure out what might make sense for some of the other sports. And I just was like, well, why don't we do Maclin and Belmont because they're both at a really interesting point in their career where they're on the rise and kind of heading into a new chapter. I mean, it just kind of made sense to me, even though I did see some commentary that a lot of people were very confused why those two would be together. But they actually had so much in common. And yeah, they just kind of worked out from something I kind of threw out in a meeting that ended up actually happening, which is such a rarity. - I loved it watching it and like seeing the cover. It reminded me of like those nostalgic, like when Gretzky or Celios was on like a cover of something back in the day. And it was like a moment for me of like, this is Maclin's moment, like we'll look back on this in 20 years and it'll look vintagey and a little bit dated in a cool way. - Vintagey and I'm just like, this is really neat. Like people might not understand it now, but I do think it's a moment in time when hockey's having its moment in Hollywood and the marrying of the two. I just, I feel like this is gonna like stand its time and it's gonna like go up on the bookshelf kind of next to those, all those covers that we can all just like picture in our heads from our childhood. - I think they were, he, I think this was his first big shoot like this, that's at least what his team said. He had never really done anything like this outside of like media day with the team. He's never really done like a photo shoot and it was actually quite endearing, like watching him and Belmont shoot together because Belmont was like kind of giving him some tips on how to like pose and stand and Belmont is like about seven or eight years older than him and it felt very like big brotherly to like, seem like he was like trying to help him because obviously Belmont does this a lot and he's quite used to it and it was fun to then listen to them talk about hockey where it was the inverse and like Belmont was like trying to get his approval of being like my, my slime shot's actually pretty good, you know. - Yeah, same skating coach. - Yeah, cool, right. - Yeah, it was really, it was a really natural conversation. Did you kind of help direct that? Did you give like talking points? Like how, how did you keep the conversation starting, I guess, and going? - Yeah, so we obviously help like shepherd their conversation beforehand, but honestly a lot of it was just having talked, talking to them before they actually did the conversation and, you know, taking them through what we thought was gonna be good and then they just kind of went off on their own but in a really good way, he was a yapper. He talked the whole time. He was like really excited and talked quite a lot and asked his own questions that he thought and really was able to kind of like keep up with the conversation, which was like a nice, I guess, surprise because everyone had just warned me that he was very quiet and doesn't do this a lot so he might not, you know, know what to do but he was very natural at it. - Yeah, no, it was great. He was asking some great questions back at Belmont. - Honestly, it was, yeah. It seemed very engaged and I think that's kind of the wrap, you know, especially some of the young hockey players that are afraid to show their personality like too early on in their career and obviously Maclin is who he is and now has the captaincy and the pressure there. I think you can see he's getting more comfortable on his skin and all the comments reading, it was like the fans who watched it and have, you know, looked at it, they are like this is like him natural, it feels like so natural to him, which I mean, feels like a really good omen for his future in that spotlight and I just think it was really out of the box and I loved, I loved watching it and I think you should be really proud to have this piece of work, you know, with your name on it because I think it's something we haven't seen a while in a while in hockey and I hope it's a trend to keep growing our game and putting it in the spotlight like that. - I hope so too, I mean, they, it worked out that they just had a lot in common and they really liked each other. Like I, you know, we were being told, you know, "Oh, they have to go, we have to go." And like they were the ones that kept talking like they would have I think stayed there much longer if someone wasn't telling them they had to go and they got along really well and it was very, it was very fun and the set was fun. Everyone had a good time. I think you will eventually come out in hopefully in the next few weeks. You know, I, I can make them film TikToks with me for a THR where I, you know, did a song trend but I had to like write out the lyrics because like, Mac was like, "I've never heard the song in my life." And Belmont is like, "I think I've seen this on TikTok maybe but neither of them really had any ideas." So we did many takes of trying to get that illegal by pink panthers. That trend that was like quite popular on TikTok. - I don't even know what if we heard it. I don't know. - Yeah. - I think you would if you saw it. They were both like, "Oh, I don't know this." And they seem to be offline. - So that's coming at where we're from. - That will hopefully be coming up. Yeah, we filmed it and it's really fun. I've seen it. It just hasn't come out yet. - That's fine. So this shoot is ongoing basically. - Yeah, we have a lot of stuff. - The gift that keeps on giving. I love it. - It was nice to be around someone who isn't so used to it too because it was all very new to Maclin, which was kind of nice because even if someone is nice, you can get a bit jaded about, "Oh, I gotta do this again and do this again." But he was very excited about everything because it was new. - Well, you guys nailed it and can't wait to see what else you've got cooking and more things to come. And we appreciate you coming on and bringing light to kind of how this came to fruition. And if you haven't seen it, I suggest everybody go check it out. - I gotta get Mac to sign one for me. - Yes. - Exactly. - Yeah, they are heard to, I'm gonna be totally honest. They're hard to find. We're not, we're not in a ton of like, retailers outside of like LA in New York. You usually just have to order it all. - I love it. I'm in LA. - Okay. - We can yell in there. - Yeah. (upbeat music) - Really neat to see Maclin coming to light with the sea on the jersey and him leading the sharks now and kind of the whole organization and how that's gonna play out now with him, you know, with the Hollywood, getting a little taste of Hollywood and just his dad talking about him in the way that this just, you know, it really comes natural to him. - Yeah. - That's super cool. - He's got the Hollywood Reporter, he's got the cover of EA Sports. He's, you know, he's everywhere right now and it's really cool and no one deserves it more than Maclin and obviously as you can tell Rick, the humble king, you know, that's the reason for why he's just so humble as well. So it's really cool to see all these opportunities and we're cheering everybody on in the Celebrity Fan and very, very Celebrity Heavy episode, right? But it was cool. - It's perfect, it's max moment and their family's moment and super special to be able to focus an episode on them. So with all that said, thank you for listening to Never Offside. Once again, like, subscribe, do what you do to listen to our podcast and watch it on the NHL network. We appreciate it. See you at all the games. (laughs)