Episode 2 Recap

In the second episode of Backstage Pass hosted by Corbyn Symons, Symons is joined by Director of social media and marketing Parker Brown and Motor City Rockers goaltender Trevor Babin as they discuss the past weekend's games, upcoming games, and an exclusive interview. 

Before getting into the statistics and nitty gritty of the game, Parker discusses what he saw as he traveled with the team. 

PB: Going to Bingham is always a crazy environment. It used to be an AHL barn, so you can fit a ton of people in there. First time I went there a couple months ago, I was like holy moly this is huge. It is one of the best environments I’ve been in hockey wise outside of ours truly. 

Moving on from the sights that Binghamton’s barn provides, Parker shifts into how the Rockers played. 

PB: The guys play hard; they play hard no matter what. This was a much better game than last time they played Binghamton. The guys fight hard, and they really care, but it didn’t just pull our way on Friday but it did on Saturday and Sunday. 

Adding onto the conversation about Binghamton, Symons kept the conversation going. 

CS: Binghamton just took it from the start and never looked back. They were out shouting by Binghamton 45-28. Rockers were led by two point performance from TJ Delaney and Josh Colten each with one goal and a assist.  Eric Oganezov with one goal; Mike Winn, George Holt, and Jonathon Juliano all with one assist each. Goalie Trevor Babin all though he allowed six goals in, he had 39 saves which is typical numbers from Babs. 

Moving on from Binghamton, Symons and Parked dived into Saturday and Sundays win against the Watertown Wolves. 

CS: Saturday 7-6 shootout win at Watertown. Within the first score ended 202, after the second two more goals scored by Watertown and one by the Rockers so heading into the third the Rockers said that we fought back last game and that didn’t really work but not we‘re going to fight this win and they did just that. They ended up going into overtime and nothing happened in OT. They go right to a shootout and Pavel Svinstov ended he ended his streak getting the lone shootout goal and brought home the victory for the Motor City Rockers, 

Turning the floor over to Parker, Corben asked what he saw during the shootout win on Saturday, 

PB: Pavel got the goal and it’s all down to Rico, Ricardo Gonzalez in net that night. 

CB: Fifty saves. An absolute tank. 

PB: Rico is one of those guys whose confidence waivers as many do in sports but there was one point, I was like oh won this game. It was the block before Pavel got the goal, he skated around and made a motion of the game over. After Pavel got the shot in, Watertown comes down and I could just see how ready he was. He was loose and he was ready. 6-6 going into OT, it was a back-and-forth game the entire time. I think we had a minute left and got up 6-5 and Watertown came down and scored again. It was just one of those things where you’re just like holy crap these teams are evenly matched. That was the most fun game I’ve watched all year. 

While Parker looks for the right game there was a tarps(jerseys off) off fight, Symons dives into the stats from the weekend. 

Saturday’s shootout win marked the 50th win for Rockers head coach in the FPHL Gordie Brown along with seven players recording multiple points during the game. 

Circling back to the tarps off fight, Parker found the right game and confirmed it was Saturday's game where Elias Thomspon and another Watertown Wolves player engaged in a shirt off fight, 

PB: Elias is getting ready to go on the ice before warmups and he goes, “Parker make sure your phone is out for the third period.” And I’m like “why?” and he goes “Tarps are going off” and it was one of the most confusing things I was ever been told and then it clicked, and hes like “yeah me and Schmitty (Justin Schmitt) are taking our tarps off and getting old fashioned”. 

CS: What was the crowd’s reaction to just seeing them take off all their equipment?

PB: They were just as confused as I was, and I knew it was going to happen. They were just like ‘what’s going on? Why are there shirts off?’. This was a planned thing they had going into this weekend, they planned it out, it was done, and no one got hurt. The reason they actually did it is because Schmitty is retiring, and he wanted to go out with a bang. 

Moving on from the fight. Parker and Corbyn dive into new Rockers Nick Gullo getting his first goal and an assist as a Rocker. 

PB: Nick Gullo came to the Rockers in a unique situation. Earlier this season he played against us. He beat us in a shootout, no one had picked him up and he gave us a call and now he's on the team. Off to a pretty hot start I’d say. Nick’s also a really great guy, before he played in a game, he came out to an event at Macomb intermediate school district, and he was there and today as we are recording this we had a post practice skate with them and he was there again. The guy wants to be around, and he wants to be a part of the community. 

Moving on from Gullo, Corben again brings up seven players recording multiple points in Saturday’s game as well as mentioning four having the same accomplishment in Sunday’s game. Corben also discusses more stats from the weekend. 

CS: All around just a team dominant performance, just all working together especially after a bad taste loss as I like to call it against the Black Bears. Gullo got a goal again, Pvael got going again ending the bad streak and starting a good streak with a goal on Sunday, all around performance from Gaudet, and Cole Therrien and then assisted by Josh Colten. Pavel again with a goal and he’s just letting loose at this point. 

PB: The thing with Pavel is that he's super shifty. He’ll move one way and completely stop his entire momentum in another way. He’s very skilled at what he does. Sometimes he gets on a slow streak and sometimes he gets on a streak, two points in two games that’s. He’s in a unique situation being from Russia and he doesn’t speak fluent English so he’s having to figure out how to communicate in different ways and I’m excited to see his future. 

Continuing with stats from the weekend, Corben brought up the shared time Ricardo Gonzalez and Trevor Babin had over the weekend. 

CS: We had mentioned Ricardo Gonzalez having a good night on Saturday night and he continued that on Sunday. We actually had a two-goalie night on Sunday. Trevor Babin although allowing two on sixteen saves, he didn’t have the majority if the playing time with Ricardo did only allowing in one with 36 saves. 

PB: When he is confident, he is confident. It was one of those situations where Babs got ejected for, I believe a high stick call. He hit a guy in the head on accident and has to come in the game. Rico had a cold start and that whole second period was his warm up, it wasn’t the third period. The period is where he shined in that game. It is a real testament of how much heart he has for the sport of hockey, how much will he has to be good. This weekend really shows how much he believes in himself. The guy is hard on himself. In practice if he lets one puck in, he gets mad. He strives for perfection. 

Wrapping up the recap Corben ends with stating the Rockers record which stands at 15-11-4-3-1 with the one coming from the Rockers first shootout win of the season. 

Before Corben and Parker dive into the preview for the upcoming home games, Corben is joined by goaltender Trevor Babin. Corben opens the interview asking Babin about his career before coming to the FPHL. 

TB: Obviously very blessed to achieve those things and put in the work. A lot of it is thanks to teammates, coaches, and families and things like that so shout out to them. 

As Corben brings up the improvement’s Babin has made from season to season, he asks Babin what motivates him to get better each season. 

TB: I am getting older. I am younger than most guys on the team, but I want to be consistent, get better and just keep moving up the ladder as much as I can. Coming into any league being younger you have more eyes on you, but I think I’m at the stage now where everyone knows who I am and what I do in net. I think I’m at the point where I do a lot of leadership things. 

CS: You have a pretty chill demeanor, you don't like things to get to you a lot. When chippiness or chirping happens on the ice does it get to you at times in any way? 

TB: No. What gets to me and I wouldn’t say anything gets to me, it’s just more part of my game. It just so happens I have bigger equipment on. There’s a stigma behind goalies where you gotta be cookie cutter; look a certain way, play a certain way, and be so hush but I’m. a player on the team. Obviously, there are some things you should do and shouldn’t do and there’s a line you don’t cross. I know that and I’ve crossed that line a few times and you live, and you learn. It’s just part of the game, you have to learn to turn it off. 

Wanting to understand more of Babin’s game, Corben asks what percent of his game is mental and what percent is not. 

TB: Lots of mental. Definitely obviously a little bit of skill and a little bit of luck. I mean the mental side, especially being a goalie is huge. There are so many factors in a game that make you think a certain way or just the stigma of a goalie you get scored on four times in a game, what’s somebody going to think right away? You have to be mentally strong and just learn to handle yourself in those situations. 

Keeping the topic on the mental part of the game, Corben asked what Babin does when he has an off game and needs to let it go. 

TB: just knowing that we have more games ahead. For example, last week in Bingo was my first off game of the season with the goals that they scored but just knowing there’s more games ahead and I’m going to be faced with a lot more shots coming. Those five or six in the game doesn’t define who I am as a goalie. Having moments like that kept my head on straight. 

Continuing with an inside look at Babin’s mind, Corben asks what little key things Babin works on in practice to give him an edge for the next game. 

TB:  To the players I like to talk a lot of crap saying they can’t score just to get that competitive side out of them. You practice nonchalantly, it is going to carry over to a game just bringing out that competitive side of everybody. It gives me an edge but it also helps them. 

As of February 6th, Babin is 280 saves away from 1,000 saves, an accomplishment he's achieved in the past two seasons. Keeping up with the backstage inside pass look at Babin’s head, Corben asks if he sets certain goals for the season or just lets things happen as they go. 

TB: Going into the season I don’t expect to face another 1,000 shots. I’m just like whatever happens and just know I’m going to bust my ass. 

Continuing the conversation about milestones, there's one milestone that Babin has yet to achieve that he longs to. In his career as a goalie, Babin has never scored a goal during a game. 

TB: I would love to score a goal. Me and Rico in practice we fling pucks at each other all the time. We’re ready for it but the opportunity for it to come is very slim. 

As mentioned last week, this Rockers team has a close-knit bond, and that bond isn’t lost on Babin either. 

TB: from the staff, ownership all the way down just the bond and commodity everyone’s got. The reason we’re all back here and why we all wanted to play here again was because we knew the majority of us, we’re going to be back. How we all interact with each other and how we all became boys and knew each other more than hockey, more than just a teammate and that stands out more than any other team I’ve been on. 

Diving into the fun get to know you questions, Corben asks why Babin wears number 72. 

TB: I was 27 growing up. My favorite player was Ron Hextall and when I got to junior hockey I couldn’t choose my number so I wasn’t 27 for a while. When I got to Motor City, I was finally able to choose and because I’m a southpaw, I wear my number on my left hand, so I decided to switch it. 

A few games ago during trivia the fans learned Babins favorite food is cereal, but Corben wanted to know more, sparking the question of what kind of cereal is his favorite. 

TB: Go down the cereal aisle and I will muck any kind of box that you give me. It’s bad. Give me frosted flakes all the way to coco puff. It can have marshmallows, it can be off brand, as long as it has a big bowl of milk. 

Keeping the conversation about food, Corben asks that Babin is from Philadelphia, where a Phily cheese steak ranks in his favorite foods and the best spot to get one in Philly. 

TB: There are a couple spots, There’s Geno’s, there’s a spot called Groovy’s Pizza, there’s Steve Princes. 

CS: Which one is your favorite?

TB: Favorite? Putting me on the spot. But I have to go with Drougie’s Pizza. 

Continuing with the talk of Philly, Corben picks Babin’s brain on his thoughts about Philly sports fans. 

TB: I love them. I’m one of them. Everybody hates me because I only wear Philly stuff. I won’t wear anything Detroit like even with the lions I wore a blue hoodie. That was the only thing I wore. I was like because I’m in your city I’ll wear that. But I’m always wearing something like Flyers, Sixers, Eagles, and Phillies. We definitely live up to the name. 

CS: How do you feel that your teams have fallen short a lot over the past couple years?

TB: Was that a diss? No, it’s just the way it goes. I don’t take it seriously where I will go at anyone that talks about the sports team. Sucks to deal with being a fan. 

Continuing with an inside backstage look at Babin, Corben asks if he played any sports growing up. Giving credit to his mom and dad who were very athletic and wanted him to learn the traits and aspects that sports can teach you. Hockey is and was his number one sport, but if hockey was out of the equation Babin thought he would go into MMA or anything that would get his adrenaline going. 

Despite being from Philly, Babin admitted to being a fan of Sidney Crosby among other players. 

TB: Even though I’m from Philly, I like him as a player. Even though he is a little B-I-T-C-H, no that’s just me being a Philly fan. McDavid. Guys In Philly. I love watching Giroux when he was there. Danny Biere, I know him kind of personally. I was good friends with his son. 

CS: Any favorite goalie too?

TB: Hextall obviously. Bobroski when he was there. He was a rookie, and he was amazing, but it was a hard situation where he didn’t have a good team in front of him. 

Moving on from hockey, Corben asks what Babin does when he isn’t on the ice being a brick wall. 

TB: Take care of my dog and sleep. I coach here and there and keep up with the family. I’m a big gaming tear right now. 

CS: Any favorite games out there?

TB: Formula One right now. I’m going to be the next grand Turismo. I got my first podium the other night. It was hype. I got the Ferrari wheel with some pedals. It’s like a $150 set up. 

Keeping the conversation about cars, Corben asks the question of how much Babin is into cars outside of gaming. 

TB: The last few years I’ve really gotten into cars and because my current car is a piece of garbage, I’ve been working on, and I’ve learned a lot about cars. With that and getting in Formula One in the sport it is kind of weird how it all came together. My dad has always been into it. 

Ending the interview with one final question, Corben asked what made him want to become a goalie. 

TB: A lot of people say I am probably the least weird goalie. I played growing up until I was 13 or 14, I hadn’t really decided if I was going to be a player or goalie because I was playing both. When I was like 8 or 9, I was playing a ball hockey game, and I played out the whole season and in the championship game the goalie couldn’t come because he had bad grades. So, my dad was like you're going in. ended up getting a shoutout, won the championship and played next season doing both again. Then someone recommended I play on ice, and I was 10 years old, and I hopped on the ice with no hesitation. 

Bringing Parker back on as Babin exists, Parker sits down to tell a story from the weekend. 

PB: Saturday right before the game I was just standing there minding my own business and I heard Gordie and Vandy talking, and I hear should we have Parker, do it? And I’m like what? And I'm freaking out because of what I am doing. And they tell me, do you want to announce the starting lineup for the game tonight and I’m like sure why not? They hand me it and are like make sure you hide it. After I put it in my pocket, I’m nervous and I’m shaking, I check my blood pressure 120, ooh it’s a little scary. I stood there for a good five minutes looking at the card going Nick Gullo ok, Jamieson Milam ok. I’m looking at right wing, left wing, and I’m like ok I got it. Gordie calls all the guys out and I’m like oh no I’m going to butcher this and surprisingly I didn’t mess up. They were all fired up about it and the confidence went up.