Jeremy Roenick is known for speaking his mind.
It’s a trait that helped him become one of the most talked about players when he laced up the skates during his 20-year career in the National Hockey League.
Not being afraid to give his opinion is one of the reasons why the American-born hockey player turned to a media career once his playing days were over.
Recently on Sportscage, Roenick sat down with Michael Ball to discuss his playing career.
Roenick’s latest venture into hockey is the Snipes & Stripes podcast alongside former NHL referee Tim Peel. During his playing career, Roenick admitted to having many heated discussions with referees while on the ice.
“I was always a complainer, I always shouted at the referees, I always thought that the matches were poorly refereed.”
Roenick added that he would give the referee credit if they officiated a good game.
“It’s a very difficult job to do and they do a good job. I thought Tim Peel was one of the best and he was one of the most loved by the players and our Snipes & Stripes podcast brings a type of personality different.”
One of Roenick’s favorite referees when he was in the NHL was the late Mick McGeough of Regina.
“He (McGeough) was a good man, he was a very good referee, very honest, he saw the game very well, again he was another very respected guy among the players.”
There have been three coaching changes since the start of the NHL season. Mike Babcock was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the preseason due to off-ice incidents. Jay Woodcroft was fired by the Edmonton Oilers on November 12 and Dean Evason was recently fired by the Minnesota Wild.
As a player, Roenick said the mood was usually somber when a head coach was fired.
“You never like to see your coach get fired, because it’s a representation of how the team is playing, and you have to take some responsibility when a coach gets fired because you’re not doing the necessary job to achieve victories with the players on the ice.”
Throughout his career in the league, Roenick has experienced both euphoria and despair due to coaching changes. After the Phoenix Coyotes fired Don Hay as head coach following the team’s first year in the desert, he was over the moon. However, Roenick was disappointed when the Chicago Blackhawks parted ways with “Iron” Mike Keenan in 1992.
Roenick spent his career playing exclusively in the United States and was never subjected to the same level of media scrutiny typically associated with playing for a Canadian NHL team. Roenick himself did not view the media as a problem and appreciated the attention given to it.
“I like the media, I could handle the media, I didn’t mind talking to the media, I didn’t mind telling the media when they’re full of crap.”
Roenick said he almost joined the Calgary Flames in 2006, but then-Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky convinced the American to join the franchise for a second stint.
At one point, the king of hockey in Chicago was Roenick, but it’s safe to say that former Regina Pats captain Connor Bedard is currently dominating conservation in the Windy City. The former number one pick in the 2023 NHL Draft has broken out in the NHL’s debut campaign, already scoring 11 goals in the first 23 games.
Roenick believes Bédard did an excellent job, especially with the pressure that was put on him before the start of the season.
“I thought it was unfair on the part of the media and on the part of the NHL to put so much pressure on Connor Bédard coming out of the draft. Comparing him to Wayne Gretzky in the first two NHL games.
The former Blackhawk believes Bédard has made the necessary adjustments since arriving in the NHL and needed a few games under his belt.
Some of the things Roenick would like to see the old Pat add to his repertoire are grit, perhaps adding a little grunt to his game.
“Because if he doesn’t, there’s a lot of guys in this league that will target him and try to physically take him off his game.”
He added that if Bédard can combine a little courage with the skills he already possesses, according to Roenick, anything is possible.
To listen to Roenick’s appearance on SportsCage, you can click the link to access the podcast.
