Backstage Pass Episode One Written Recap

By Megan Youngblood

Podcast host: Corben Symons

In the first episode of Backstage Pass host Corben Symons is joined by Director of Social Media and Marketing Parker Brown and Rockers forward Scott Coash.

Before bringing in Coash, Symons and Brown recapped the weekend as the Rockers faced off against the Wytheville Blue Ridge Bobcats winning two out of the three games. The Rockers started the weekend with a 4-1 victory with Coash getting his 100th career point in the FPHL, a goal and an assist from Declan Conway, and 31 saves from Trevor Babin.

Continuing their success on Saturday with a 5-2 win, the Rockers teamed up with Freddy the Pizza Man in Melvindale Michigan, for Autism Awareness Night in sponsorship with Meijer. Freddy the Pizza Man's foundation is involved with creating sensory rooms in sports facilities such as Ford Field in Detroit and Breslin Center in Lansing.

Symons and Brown dived into the weekend talking about how chippy the games became throughout the weekend.

“Chippier than a bag of chips,” Symons said.

Brown added that this team is the closest team he has seen in his young career and how they always stick up for each other.

“It’s a brotherhood, it’s a fraternity,” Brown said. “It is a whole family honestly.”

Giving an inside look into the Rocker's locker room and their family mentality, Brown revealed the meaning of the common saying of ELE.

“Everyone loves everybody,” Brown said.

Moving on Symons is joined by forward and alternative captain Scott Coash as they talk about getting his 100th career point in Friday’s 4-1 win.

“It’s a relief,” Coash said. “I actually looked at the stats a little bit and saw it was a 99 and wanted to see how long it would take to get to 100 and turns out it was less than 24 hours later.”

Coash dives into his career in the FPHL and how he didn’t expect to reach the 100 points milestone.

“No, I didn’t expect it,” Coash laughed. “I only played three games in the FPHL before it all came down with COVID and then I played a full year in the SPHL, and I expected to stay there, but under some unfortunate circumstances I was back in the FPHL. I asked around finding out that Motor City was a brand-new team and ended up being here.”

Symons and Coash discuss Coash leading the team in goals, points, and shots on the net and if he ever feels the need to step up in certain moments.

“I don’t look towards that (stepping up),” Coash said. “I think we have a good enough group where any of us can take that role. When the time comes and everyone is growing, anyone can make that impact.”

Continuing to talk about the team, Coash reveals what being coached by head coach Gordie Brown is like.

“I have had some very stern coaches growing up, one of them being my father. He is a very stern guy. Used to get yelled at in the car after games, so shoutout to my father for that,” Coash laughed. “But he (Gordie) lets me play the style that he knows I am capable of. When he sees that I need work, he will come to me, and we will talk one-on-one. He is good to have as a coach."

Coash adds on what he thinks is a perfect mold for a coach and how Gordie fits that.

“I think teams’ gel more when a coach is stern when needed,” Coash said. “Gordie is stern when he needs to and then also mellows and talks to you with the respect that you deserve, and I think it really helps the team gel together. With Gordie being the coach here, I think it is really successful how he runs things.”

Moving on Symons and Coash talk about the upcoming weekend games against the Binghamton Black Bears, whom the Rockers lost to 8-1 earlier in the season when Coash was not on the team.

“I need to have a chip on my shoulder going into the game,” Coash said. “Not really expecting too much craziness, but you got t be ready. They are a really good team over there. I know before we had a team that was kind of thrown together with injuries and guys getting called up. I will go into the game with my head down and hopefully come out with a win.”

Shifting the conversation from the weekend match-ups, Symons asks about any pregame rituals or superstitions that Coash does before or after a game.

“I will come into the rink two hours before,” Coash said. “I will tape the stick I want to use for the game, and I won’t let the blade touch the floor or let anyone else touch it yet. Then I will do a couple of mobility stretches to loosen up the hips and do a lower body workout.”

Coash adds that he does not wear a helmet during warm-up which in most higher-level leagues is required but isn’t in the FPHL.

“When I came here and found out I don’t need to wear a helmet, I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Coash said. “I think I have pretty good hair, so it is mainly just a style point. I just put some water on my hair and go out there.”

“You do have lovely hockey hair,” Symons commented.

Moving on from pre-game rituals and superstations, Symons and Coash discuss what Coash enjoys most about being on the Rockers.

“Just meeting a bunch of new guys from different areas and hearing their different backstories,” he said. “We have a few houses here and I live with Trevor Babin, Declan Conway, and Pavel Svinstov. They are a good group of guys, and we always joke around and hang out. But I think the group we have here is really special and it is one of the more impactful teams that I’ve played on.”

Giving fans that backstage pass insider information, Symons dives into the get-to-know-you questions, starting with why Coash wears number 88.

“It was given to me,” Coash said. “I had a couple of choices. There wasn’t too much into it. When I was on the phone with Nick Fields, he said, ‘Hey you’re from Illinois how about 88 for Patrick Kane?’ and I said ‘Sure’. Originally, I wanted 16. I had a really close friend of mine when I was younger pass away that wore 16 and ever since then I’ve been trying to wear 16, but 88 was just the number I was given here being the Illinois guy and Patrick Kane, so I thought it was funny and it just stuck.”

If you attend Rocker’s games, you might notice that Coash uses electrical tape on his stick, which started thanks to his dad.

“My dad growing up was an electrician and always had the electrical tape on him,” Coash said. “I never liked having holes in my gloves, so I ended up putting electrical tape on the top of my stick for the handle and it never ripped my gloves. I don’t think I have had a pair of gloves rip since I was like 15. Guys definitely give me some weird looks.”

Continuing with backstage information Symons asks about Plainfield Illinois, where Coash grew up and what he liked most about Chicago, about a 40-minute drive from Plainfield.

“The city during the summertime is pretty cool,” Coash said. “When I was younger a bunch of kids, I grew up with we’d go the beach and hang out. One of the guys I worked with we’d always go to the beach and use hockey sticks for cornhole. We’d play sauce kit shoutout to my boy Vinnie for sauce kit, but we’d always just go to the beach and do that.”

Chicago and Detroit are two cities known for their different styles of food such as coneys and pizza, bringing Symons to ask the question which one Coash prefers.

“I haven’t had a coney dog here yet, so I have to go with Chicago dog,” Coash said. “With pizza, it is difficult being allergic to parmesan all the Chicago style pizza they have usually have parmesan in it, so I grew up on Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Little Cesar’s.”

Keeping up with the food theme, Symons asked Coash what his favorite food is.

“I get a lot of subs and pizza,” Coash said. “Growing up I was really big on chicken. I would go with probably my favorite food is chicken. Grilled mostly, but any form of chicken.”

Keeping up with the favorites trend, Symons asked Coash what his favorite NHL team was growing up.

“I had a mix,” Coash said. “Obviously being from Illinois you’re always watching the Blackhawks and when I was growing up the Blackhawks were awful. I became a Martin St Louis fan. I looked up to him, Stevie Yzerman, and guys that were kind of smaller in height in the league. I don’t think I had a specific team. Obviously from Illinois, I grew up going to only Hawks games.”

Coash adds on about the culture of having a team in your hometown and that he watched a lot of the Red Wings growing up.

“I actually think it’s kind of funny with your hometown team you have to be a fan of them,” he said. “One of my cousins watched the Red Wings on my dad’s side so I grew up watching the Red Wings too.”

Keeping the conversation going, Symons asked Coash what he thinks of the Red Wings this season.

“They are better than the Hawks,” Coash laughed. “I just recently went to a game with the housemates earlier this year and I thought it was great. They won that game by a lot, so it was cool to see that many goals go into the net. It was a good experience going out there being in a different environment and a different rink than United Center.”

Aside from watching hockey Coash tunes into football and lacrosse.

“I try to watch those games (lacrosse),” Coash said. “I’m really interested in watching pro lacrosse.”

His interest in watching lacrosse comes from playing it when he was a sophomore in high school and into college.

“Hockey was year-round with summer tournaments,” Coash said. “And lacrosse came my sophomore year of high school and that was the closest thing to playing hockey… The college I went to was Robert Morris University in Illinois and my college scholarship was technically lacrosse.”

Symons continues with the lacrosse talk asking Coash how lacrosse has helped his hockey game.

“The endurance,” Coash said. “There’s more running and I think that helps with skating.”

Ending the interview Symons asked one final question, what Coash does his free time when he isn’t playing hockey?

“Playing video games,” Coash said. “One of my buddies Jake from back home, we play NHL three’s. I play with buddies of mine I don’t see very often. It is good to get on a video game and just hang out with them. Definitely NHL or Fortnite with the housemates cause it’s the only game I am halfway decent at.”

Parker Brown rejoins the podcast with him and Symons previewing the upcoming matchup against Binghamton Bears and the Watertown Wolves, but first a sneak peek into traveling with the team told by Parker Brown.

“I am in a unique situation where I get to travel with the team and cover them through social media,” Brown said. “Anytime you see a TikTok or Instagram reel or anything on Facebook that has the team is from me. I don’t want to pat myself on the back, but I think our social media team with Taylor, Sam, Sydnie, and I, are a killer team. Honestly, we have the best social media in the FPHL.”

Brown continues with his unique experience of being so young,

“It's one of those unique situations,” Brown said. “I’m 22 and traveling all over the country with this team that I started with in October. Being able to go to all these crazy places such as Binghamton which used to be an AHL barn and super crazy atmospheres like Danbury. It is one of those things where I’m just like 'wow'. I’m fortunate that this is one of the most fun points of my life.”

Moving on Symons and Brown end the podcast previewing the weekend matchups.

The Rockers face two opponents in three games with the first game being against the Binghamton Bears who sit 19 points above the Rockers in the Empire Division. Symons mentions the Rockers lost 8-1 but look to turn things around over the weekend.

Symons continues with the Saturday and Sunday matchup against the Watertown Wolves whom the Rockers are 18 points ahead of in the standings with a 2-1 head-to-head record.

“These games mean a lot,” Symons said. “We are in a thick playoff push.”

Turning it over to Parker, Symons asks what it takes to hopefully get a weekend sweep.

“The thing with us last time we were in Binghamton is a lot of our guys that typically play weren’t there,” Brown said. “Scott Coash, TJ Delaney, and Nick Magill Diaz weren’t with us, Trevor Babin was suspended. It was one of those situations where we were really lacking in guys on our team who typically get points for it. It is the fact that we haven’t had that cohesiveness with guys coming in and out.. Bringing these guys back and seeing them develop, I think they can get it done in Binghamton.”

“Watertown is a completely different animal,” Brown moved on to the Watertown wolves. “Watertown is one of those wishy-washy teams, they’re like a wildcard. Sometimes they could be one of the best in the league or you could walk right through them. When we were up there last time, they took us to OT (overtime). They’re a pretty good team.”

Symons and Brown end the podcast by inviting you to come out to watch the Rockers take on Binghamton Bears at home next weekend on Friday, February 9, at 7:35 p.m.