Jim Fox
Appearances
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Yeah, Quinton Byfield is very unique because for his size, you're talking about a kid that's 6'5". He's 230 right now. He might get a little bit bigger. But his foot speed, his foot speed and his hand speed are just tremendous. So to put that type of speed into a body that size, you don't see that too often.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
And I think with Quentin, when he first came to the league, he was going a million miles an hour and not much was happening. Now he's going a million miles an hour and a lot is happening. And that has to do with just the understanding. I think, you know, up here, you know, inside your head, things start to slow down, even though you're still playing at the same pace.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
And that's where Quentin is right now. He's he's not. Well, he can be dominating. But I think he still has another level to get to.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
He will get the credit. I think his numbers are just too good right now. You know, at this time of the year, that's when everyone, certainly in my position, because, you know, you don't see everyone. We only see the East twice a year, and then it might be a full calendar year before you see a team. So I think it's fine to be in that position where you're kind of under the radar.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
No problem with that. But I think now at this time of the year when everyone starts to look through the numbers and look through the stats, I think that will be there. It's kind of a double whammy, positively for the Kings, because it was uncertain. It was. I credit Rob Blake for going out and getting it. But, you know, there were question marks there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Now, he's not only turned that question mark around, he has completely eliminated that right now because of his consistency. Man, I can't. I'm going to jinx him. I can't remember the last time he allowed a bad goal. You know, you're allowed one every once in a while. He's just not done it. He's been just phenomenal.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Well, I think they're starting to manage him a little bit more. I think they're starting to, you know, make sure that he's put in situations where... Because, I mean, he's carried the team. He's carried the team for 19 years. I mean, you could argue he's three points right now away from Adrian Kempe again for leading the team in scoring. So... You know, what more can you ask for?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
And I think it's one of those where they are starting to, you know, because Byfield has emerged, because you already have Phil Deneau. You're in situations where you don't necessarily need Anche to be the guy. And I'm speaking more shutdown, defensively. Now you can spread that around. And I think that's hugely important because then it saves him a little bit more energy when he has the puck.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
And maybe he can start producing a little bit more, which he's doing now. Since the trade deadline, I mean, he and his line have been producing more so than ever before. So it's impressive. to get to understand him, to be around him for so many years. If there is a player that exudes that even keel, it's Andrzej.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
I mean, he's the type of guy that you would never be able to tell whether it's good or it's bad. And then you think, you know, sometimes you think, oh, I need to see a little bit more energy from Andrzej. No. He knows. He knows it's 82 games. He knows it's a playoff. He knows all that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
And he's just trying to set the tone that way to make sure everyone can thrive because you're not getting too high or too low.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Yeah, I can tell you how the Kings will be different. We already talked about it. Quentin Byfield's a different player. And as a center, that's a very important position. So now he's in that area where he can be a difference maker. I think that Darcy Kemper coming aboard with the consistency that he's shown in goal is different than the Kings have had in the past.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
I think that Kevin Fiala, who is just filling the net now, has taken strides in his game where he is now a solid teammate. And I'm not saying before he was selfish, but he was taking bad penalties. He was a risky player at times. The reward didn't necessarily outweigh the risk. And he was tough to play with because, you know, you can never guess what's he going to do next, what's happening.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
And dynamic, but not necessarily reliable. Kevin Fiala has turned that around completely. And if there's one underlying factor, I think that's the difference right there with Kevin Fiala and the way he's approached the game and the way he now plays the game for his teammates. I think that's huge. So there's those things going on.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
There's one more year, of course, under the, you know, Jim Hiller comes aboard as the head coach. And, you know, from my perspective, too, now, again, based on expectations coming into the season and where many people had the Kings, you know, he should start, his name should be out there for coach of the year. So, but I think he's had one full season, right? He came in as an interim last year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
This year he has a training camp. It does seem like the Kings, man, they commit to defense. They expend a lot of energy in non-offensive situations. And that's usually an indicator of, you know, success in the playoffs. And then you take it one more step, This year, the Kings record, I think it's a third best in the league versus teams that are in the playoffs.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
So they played very well against the top teams. And when you get to the playoffs, that's all you play are the top teams.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
I mean, the way I look at it is what were the reasons you went to the current? And it was because at the time, they were trying to build rivalries. And there's no question they built rivalries.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
But to your point, there's a lot of 2-3 matchups right now throughout the entire league that are going to get into a situation where, you know, Dallas, Colorado, Tampa Bay, Florida, you know, Kings, Edmonton. One of those teams is going to be out in the first round. And that's, I think, what... If people are leaning to change it to 1-8, then that's probably what you're looking for.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
I know there's been a lot of years during that where it really would not have changed what was going on that much. But I'm the type of person that says, I only worry about what I can control. And just whatever happens, it happens. I do understand, though, the point that when you lose top teams in the first round, It might hurt as you know, just that competitive balance issue.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
You work so hard to get into the playoffs and it's very difficult to do so. And then you get a Dallas-Colorado matchup in the first round, and you're going, real good team's going to be out.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Yeah, are you talking about expanding the number of teams?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Yeah, a lot of people have talked about that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
I'm for the more traditional – Let's keep it the way it is right now. Only half the teams make it. And that means you have to put a high priority on the regular season, which means the paying customer comes to games during the regular season. And they're getting top quality product because every game means something when you get to that. But, you know, I understand the 1-8 issue.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
All I know is this. If we go to 1-8... Next year, seven years from there, they'll be saying, let's go back to the rivalry setup because it goes in cycles and it keeps changing. And there are reasons why they do make the changes at the time they do. And then maybe those become obsolete. Maybe you have to just look to change every five years.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
It was crazy. I mean, it was Mike did not have any lines. Mike completely improvised everything that happened in that scene. So I do remember this, the setup, the setup of the state, you know, OK, you get there and they have cameras, obviously shooting you. But, you know, when I work. I'm supposed to look into the camera. In a movie, you're not supposed to look into the camera.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
So I just asked the director, I said, can you set up a fake camera that I can look into? So I'm not looking at the real cameras because the first five times I broke up, I just started laughing and we had to do another take. That's awesome. They could cut it a little bit around that, but that was it. I mean, the first one was...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
I just started, man, about three seconds into his answer, I just started, because I had scripted questions, but his answers were, and every take was different. He just did something different every time. And that was the fun. That was fun. That was it. I remember going for the, you know, the costumes and things of that sort.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
You go there and you're ready to go out and they have stand-ins there for you, a guy the same size. So they're measuring all the tapes and what's going on, whiting and making sure it's perfect. And the other thing I remember is this, there is no question that the best place on earth to get food is on a movie site. Ah, catering. Man, oh, man. That's all they do is eat.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
And it is there 24 hours a day. It's set up completely. It's fresh. They're moving. There's more people working on the catering than there are on the movie. Priorities.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Well, I think it's a funny question.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Be an NHL analyst, Rosie. I played myself, though. I played Jim Fox, so I wasn't really...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
That's great, Rosie. Thank you for that. You know what? It was the producer on the show called me up and said, hey, we've got an under 40 old-timers tournament. I want you to play hockey. David E. Kelly. Ah, David E. Kelly from, yeah. I get a call at home. I get a call at home. David E. Kelly waiting for, you know. Okay, yeah, sure. I played in some celebrity events with him before.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
He's a good hockey player, really good hockey player. So he gets on, yeah, I'd like you to play in this 40. And I said, David, I'm not under 40. I think he was stuck. I think he wanted me to play in the tournament. And at the same time, once he made the call, he was stuck with me. So that's how I got the part.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Yeah, that was... You know what? Even for Hollywood in L.A., it was big. I mean, that was big. Danny DeVito and... I can go through the list, but, you know, to be honest, Hollywood stars that we don't necessarily see around Kings games, and they showed up in droves. It was great because the people in attendance... were firefighters, their families, or people displaced by the fires.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
So they were the people that had a chance to be entertained, and I'm sure they needed a little bit of break at that time. Will Ferrell was there as one. I mean, it was just, you know, it was great to see everyone come together.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
but to me and i went up in the stands and i sat down a couple times just to talk to people and it was great to see the firefighters and their families or people that you know were looking for a new home or trying to you know interim period where they really didn't have anywhere to live that that was that was the best part for me it was so good to at least see them
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
maybe take a deep breath, maybe smile, maybe laugh, maybe whatever. That was the best part of the day.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Ovechkin Breaks Ned's Record
Yeah, it's, wow. You can't plan it. You can't predict it. You can't write it. But you can live it. And we certainly did. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.