Iain MacIntyre

You know, I've seen that myself the last month, certainly since the trade deadline and to a lesser extent since they reconvened after the Olympic break.

I've noticed a change in the dynamics.

I've noticed a change in the dressing room.

And so that's very important because I know everyone's eyes glaze over when you talk about culture.

But we know that this has not been right.

And it wasn't just wrong because of Kederson and Miller.

There were other problems with the culture.

So that's a very encouraging thing, especially among the young players, that there's such an embrace to start taking responsibility for this team and to understand that

that they are the ones who are going to set the next culture.

Like they are the ones who are going to help determine what the standards are and then set the culture by meeting them.

So that the next wave of young players, and obviously there needs to be more than what's here now, are going to come into an environment where everything is clear about expectations and how you have to train and what fitness level you have to have and how you have to practice and how you have to treat each other

in the dress room.

So to me, that was very encouraging.

The really encouraging thing was listening to, for me, was listening to Thatcher Demko.

And I finally got around to writing that story yesterday, but you know, Thatcher Demko's level of what seems to be his level of buy-in for this and not just, you know, to get back to his game and be a game changing player.

And he'd be the last one who can do that because Pedersen can't do it anymore.

Hughes is gone, Miller's gone.

So Demko is really the last guy who almost single-handedly can affect the trajectory.

But to hear how he talked about culture and leadership, because I'm not sure that those have always been his strong points with this team.

And goalies, they're an island unto themselves.