In short
“What’s More Likely” game segment plus a long in-studio interview with Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger promoting his book Earned. The show also covers sports headlines (MLB standings, Kirk Cousins to the Raiders, NBA MVP debate, NCAA Final Four talk, and Masters/Eddie Murphy trivia).
Guests
Chris Pronger (Hockey Hall of Famer; former NHL star, played for teams including the Ducks; discussed his career, gold medals, and hockey philosophy; book Earned). No other guest is interviewed in this hour, though the host references prior guests (Jane Kaczmarek, Landon Donovan, Jalen Rose, Chris Weber).
Key claims
Ejection is more likely than a rule change after players mock the ABS strike-zone replay (example: Ozzie Albies tapping his helmet/gear after a called strike three). For NFL, host predicts Kirk Cousins throws more Raiders TD passes than Fernando Mendoza starts. For 2026 receiving, George Pickens vs A.J. Brown: Pronger/host picks Pickens (others pick Brown).
Notable examples
ABS helmet-tap by Albies; Pronger’s Whalers/ESPN mall story; Four Nations fights (Haggle/Kachuk/Bennett, etc.); Pronger’s favorite NHL players to watch (Celebrini, McDavid, Crosby, Ovechkin).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOGame Recap and Upcoming Matches
0:30 to 1:30
Rich Eisen discusses recent games and upcoming women's basketball finals.
“Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show?”
Guest Introduction and Discussion
1:30 to 2:52
Rich introduces Chris Pronger and discusses his career and book.
“Well, it's our final hour of our final show of the week before we get to the women's final for tonight in Arizona.”
Baseball Update and Predictions
2:52 to 3:50
Rich provides updates on MLB teams and makes predictions for the season.
“There's you at 844-204-RICH being the number to dial here on the program.”
What's More Likely Segment Begins
3:50 to 5:30
Rich transitions into the popular segment 'What's More Likely'.
“in the Bronx, New York, a two-run shot to put them up two to one.”
NFL Predictions: Kirk Cousins vs. Fernando Mendoza
5:30 to 8:00
Discussion on which quarterback will throw more touchdown passes.
“Tapping a helmet and saying, I know that's ball four.”
More Likely: George Pickens vs. A.J. Brown
8:00 to 10:40
Rich and the crew debate which receiver will have better stats.
“An ejection first, and then baseball is going to have to figure something out.”
Lions vs. Chiefs: More Likely to Win Division
10:40 to 13:30
Rich discusses the chances of the Lions and Chiefs in their divisions.
“I mean, then I, then I, then I, I'm like the Eric DaCosta this.”
Women's Final Four Predictions
13:30 to 14:00
Predictions on the outcomes of the women's basketball tournament.
“Gibbs is basically going to get the ball.”
What's More Likely: NCAA and NBA MVP Discussions
14:00 to 19:50
The hosts discuss various sports scenarios, including potential outcomes for NCAA teams and NBA MVP candidates.
“Is it more likely a number one wins the men's side or either UConn or Illinois cut the next down?”
Chris Pronger In-Studio: Career Highlights and Anecdotes
23:09 to 28:00
Chris Pronger shares insights about his hockey career, including experiences with teammates and memorable moments.
“Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.”
Show all 23 chapters
Wayne Gretzky's Impact
28:00 to 28:40
Discussion about Wayne Gretzky's influence and a memorable moment.
“He's like, I don't think I'm going to be signing here.”
Chris Pronger's Book Journey
28:40 to 30:00
Chris Pronger shares insights about his book and life lessons.
“And I think just showcasing the journey that I was on and the decisions that I was forced to make some good, some bad, uh, and then living with them and taking ownership of them and then learning from them.”
Gold Medals and Olympic Memories
30:00 to 31:00
Pronger reflects on his Olympic victories and memorable moments.
“I don't think the NHL could have scripted that any better.”
The Silver Medal Controversy
31:00 to 31:50
Discussion on the unwanted silver medal and its implications.
“As you're getting a silver medal and you're doing that, I could tell you right now he's looking at that going, Which garbage can can I throw this in when I get in a locker room?”
Intensity of Hockey Rivalries
31:50 to 32:30
Pronger talks about intense moments in hockey rivalries.
Current NHL Stars to Watch
32:30 to 33:50
Pronger names exciting current NHL players to keep an eye on.
“And I know you're in the media, you know, doing Hockey Night in Canada and all the other things that you're doing.”
Ovechkin's Record and Longevity
33:50 to 35:40
Discussion about Ovechkin's achievements and longevity in hockey.
“And, you know, just, you know, here he is beating Gretzky's record.”
The Nature of Fighting in Hockey
35:40 to 36:40
Pronger explains the rationale behind fighting in hockey.
“Pierre Turgeon was standing right in front of me.”
The Role of Enforcers
36:40 to 38:20
Insight into the role of enforcers in hockey and managing tensions.
“like what am i thinking uh what's happening no no it's normally you're seeing red if you're gonna If you're going to get rid of them, you better either be mad or have an intent or purpose to what you're doing.”
Chris Pronger's Stanley Cup Experience
38:20 to 39:40
Pronger shares memorable moments from winning the Stanley Cup.
“Similar to what we just said with the Four Nations.”
Wild Parties with the Stanley Cup
39:40 to 41:30
Pronger recounts a wild party and its unexpected police visit.
“So what, uh, what'd you do with the cup and the day you had it?”
Reuniting with Chris Pronger
42:01 to 42:51
The hosts discuss their long-time friendship and Pronger's career.
“Joe's been married, what, like seven, eight years now or something like that?”
College Football Insights
44:04 to 47:40
The hosts analyze college football team dynamics and player transfers.
“That's why with America's best lineup of hybrids from Hyundai, you get the best of both worlds.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Rich Eisen:From 30 for 30 podcasts.
0:09Rich Eisen:Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami, gunned down. The key to this case, it's Brian. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth. They just want a conviction. Being placed under arrest. We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U. Listen now. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel.
0:51Rich Eisen:Subscribe at youtube.com slash richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Kirk Cousins is signing with the Raiders. You get a veteran to be in the room with this kid. Let's go! Earlier on the show, actor Jane Kaczmarek, six-time MLS champion Landon Donovan, 13-year NBA veteran Jalen Rose, coming up, five-time NHL All-Star Chris Pronger, and now it's Rich Eisen. Well, it's our final hour of our final show of the week before we get to the women's final for tonight in Arizona. The national semifinal being a repeat of last year's championship game, South Carolina and UConn, before UCLA and Texas take on one another and watch the Michigan women get absolutely dismantled by Texas the other night.
1:54Rich Eisen:So UCLA has its hands full this evening. and then tomorrow night it's going to be UConn on the men's side of things and the Fighting Illini for the right to take on the winner of Michigan-Arizona. Jalen Rose was on last hour. He, like our guest yesterday, Chris Weber, will be part of the Fab Five alt cast during that Michigan-Arizona game. Our number one, we had Jane Kaczmarek of Malcolm in the Middle reboot coming back for four shows on Hulu starting on April 10th. and then two Hall of Famers, Landon Donovan in studio and in support of his book called Landon. In our green room right now is a very tall hockey Hall of Famer named Chris Pronger.
2:37Rich Eisen:His book is named Earned. There he is. He's a member of the Ducks down the road here in Southern California hoisting the Cup. And Chris will be joining us, and we'll talk a little bit of pucks with him and his book and his career. There's you at 844-204-RICH being the number to dial here on the program. We're about to get to what's more likely, our usual Friday staple. Table is set, though. To take a look at my favorite new April pastime, which is the Major League Baseball standings, but just three teams in particular. The Yankees, the Mets, and the Red Sox. Yankees and Red Sox off last night, but the Mets lost.
3:20Rich Eisen:We were off, too. No, you weren't. Oh, you were off rather than being on. We were definitely on. We were on for like two innings and then we were off. Yeah. What was it? Two touchdowns and a field goal against a safety. Mets now three and four. The Yankees are, after going five and one, sweeping the Giants and taking a series in Seattle, home now for their home opener. Will Warren gave up a solo shot in the first, but all rise. Aaron Judge does what all the fans came to see in the Bronx, New York, a two-run shot to put them up two to one. All rise. After one, and the Yankees now eight innings away from being six and one.
4:00Rich Eisen:I can't get my three hours back. Are the Red Sox having their home opener? Yeah, home opener in about seven minutes. Who are they playing? Oh, San Diego Padres. Okay. Sonny Gray against Michael King. Ah. Okay. Daniel Jeremiah will be on the other side of the aisle for that one. Let's go. Okay. Dodgers in Washington right now. Now, Otani hit his first home run of the year, 7-4. 7-4. Bad guys. What is that hat? This is Hermosa Beach Little League. Okay. Neighbor coaches a team. So you're repping on the Rich Eisen show. I just didn't know if the Dodgers had come up with some new fangled hat like they were wearing for their first homestand.
4:44Rich Eisen:Didn't know if that was Uniqlo's logo or didn't know. Just repping the city. Hermosa Beach. Mosa Beach. Ah. Look at you. Very good. Mike Del Tufo hasn't been here except for a brief bit on Monday to work on a couple things. He's Redondo Beach. Aha. Does he have an RB hat? Probably does on his boat. The only hat that we do know that he has is that cockamamie Yankee Dodger split hat. Bandwagon. That has officially been termed the bandwagon hat by Lids. I love that. In an outstanding April Fool's Day meme. That's our baseball coverage, by the way. You know, I'll give you one prediction, though. Of?
5:25Rich Eisen:ABS. Okay. We're going to see a player get ejected for showing up the umpire by running off to first. And then tapping it while he's running. Tapping a helmet and saying, I know that's ball four. I'm going to first. I see that. I don't know who did it last night. Somebody did it. Tapped the helmet and was halfway up the line, continuing to walk to first. Was it? As the ABS Hawkeye reenactment was being put on the screen. It was Albies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. As the Braves dismantled the Diamondbacks last night. Yeah. Yeah, it was Albies. That's what I saw. 3-2 pitch, strike three, taps the helmet, undoes the equipment, and makes his way up to first.
6:13Rich Eisen:They're going to come up with a rule that batters must stay in the area, whatever that is in the batter's box area in the dirt circle area that in that uh yeah or the area that of the dirt that encircles the batter's box and home plate they're gonna make that rule so i'm watching it so so the pitch comes in uh he immediately throws his comment to the dugout because he knew it was ball four right it's punched out turns and looks at the umpire then taps starts taking all of his gear off and walks the first somebody's gonna get ejected yeah because you're disrespectful of the umpires. The umpires, I think, are going to at some point begin to chafe enough at this ABS system where they feel like, I've been great all night, but now I'm being clowned by this guy.
7:03Rich Eisen:Or just do us a favor, baseball. Can you just have the players wait until the ABS reenactment is complete before they're taking off for first base? Right? Like, because umpires on a called strike three that they know is strike three are not sending the batter back to the dugout while the pitch is coming in. Right. On the ABS reenactment. They're not, like, ejecting the player from the batter's box. They should. Saying, I know this is strike three. You're out of here. There's nothing for you to stand around here and wait. Yeah. It's the same thing. they're not allowed to do that. So players should not be allowed to basically disrobe of all of their armor and gear while going up to first base, knowing that they're right.
7:58Rich Eisen:So what's more likely, a rule change or an ejection first? Ejection first. And then it'll be like, what the hell? Why am I being ejected? You showed me up. You said something to me. An ejection first, and then baseball is going to have to figure something out. because if players now start like, you know, coming up like celebrating or whatever or being somewhat disrespectful going, I know you're wrong and I'll show the entire stadium I know you're wrong. I'll show the entire stadium that you're wrong before the entire stadium sees that you're wrong. I'm off to first. I'm predicting that. I appreciate that.
8:37Rich Eisen:What's more likely set up? You're welcome. What's more likely presented by Pelo Windows and Doors. Hit it, please. What? What's more likely? Never say never, but never. What do you have over there, Chris? What's more likely? Presented by Pella Windows and Doors here on this Friday. What do you got over there? All right, guys. Happy Friday. Let's get right to it. NFL Story of the Week. Kirk Cousins to the Raiders. So what's more likely? The quarterback to throw more touchdown passes for the Raiders this year. Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza? I'll go Cousins. How about that? I'll go Cousins. I think Cousins is going to come out of the gate, and they're going to look good, and he's going to look good.
9:21And at the end of the day, I'll give it to Kirk right now.
9:26Rich Eisen:I think he was throwing the pillow ball in there. Dude, what do you think? I think Fernando Mendoza starts all 17 games. What do you think? I said yesterday, for months, everyone's telling me this guy's the number one pick. He started from day one, and now all of a sudden he's not? Make it make sense, Bronco. It's got to be Mendoza. What are we doing? He's going to have the number one selling jersey in the NFL. Raider Nation. He's going to have billboards all over town. And then he's not going to start. And don't forget a sweet song by the Swedish supergroup, Abba. That part. What? I didn't get that right.
10:03Rich Eisen:Abba? They sing Fernando. Abba sings a song called Fernando. That got very popular when Fernando Valenzuela was pitching here. and it was popular then because Abba was still basically alive. They're not now? And more relevant. That song came out in 1976. By the way, that song has been every time. Mamma Mia. I got it. Fernando Mendoza. All right, guys. We can't stop talking about these two individuals, so let's get right to it. More likely, occasionally moody receiver to have more yards and touchdowns in 2026, George Pickens or A.J. Brown. I'll go Pickens. You should. I'll go Pickens. You are correct.
10:44Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen is right. Is Brown an eagle? No. Okay. I'll go Brown. Hit it, Jay. Rich Eisen is right. Wait a minute. What? You said Pickens first. I mean, then I, then I, then I, I'm like the Eric DaCosta this. It's not over until it's official. It's not over. I haven't asked you to move on. Playing chess. Playing chess piece. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Until I ask you to move on, I can change my mind. Right. Right. This is like Jeopardy. There's no CDLM on the Patriots. I'm just saying. That's a fact. You know? Go with your first. Go with your first. You got an earth, wind, and fire joke you want to throw in here before we move on?
11:25Rich Eisen:Moody Blues? You got a Moody Blues? Leave into this, TJ. Talking about Moody Receiver? Want to do a Moody Blues reference? Good one. Thank you. What was their most famous song? I have no idea. I can't force these things, guys. I'm organic. Is it Knights in White Satin? Is that Moody Blues? No. Or is that Deep Purple? They always got them mixed up. Oh, they are Knights in White Satin. Moody Blues? Look at you. Look at me! Pulling things out of my office. Tell me I can't get a point off of Alcaraz. You can't get a point off of Alcaraz. I know those are two different endeavors. Are we doing a... I'm just talking about I Surprise.
12:00Rich Eisen:1968. I come at you. You think I'm going to go here? I go there. Because I love you. You think I'm over here? Okay. I go there. See? What else?
12:15Rich Eisen:Let's go. I forget how I can. You never know where I'm going. So there was something about Dan Campbell in the news I saw. How about this one? More likely, disappointing 2025 team, a.k.a. Rich's Super Bowl pick, to win their division this year, Chiefs or Lions? Hmm. Oh, man. Why are you asking? Wow. More likely to win. I'll go Mahomes. Come on now. Oh, gee, a shocker. Yeah. I mean, he is a guy. He's coming back. He can barely walk right now. But I mean, come on. When he put out that video of him throwing and looking great, because he's Patrick Mahomes. That's the guy.
12:57Rich Eisen:Come on now. I'm going to go with the Chiefs. They're coming back. Like they never left, right? Like they never left. The enemy's there. Probably MFing everybody up and down. and they're like, we're back. Eric sleeping with the enemy. This is why I brought it up. Dan Campbell wants the Lions to be more salty. Get their edge back. Okay. I like it. I dig it. Jameer, okay. Bijan or Jameer Gibbs? First overall pick in fantasy. Oh, I think people are going to go Bijan. Which means people go Bijan. I think they're going to do that. I'm going Gibbs. Gibbs is basically going to get the ball. He's not coming off the field.
13:36Rich Eisen:What are those guys going to go for in your auction? Look, as the reigning defending champion, I'm going to try to run my team back. So I'll spend top dollar on Jamaica. Runs like smoke on the water. Okay. Are you Googling it now? No. Okay. Good. Okay. What else? All right. A little final four action. We know a one seed is going to win the women's tournament. That's a fact. All four number ones are in the final four. By the way, I picked up. Is it more likely a number one wins the men's side or either UConn or Illinois cut the next down? Are you asking him this? I'm going to ask. What's more likely on the men's side of things?
14:10Rich Eisen:Oh, a number one seed's going to win. That's more likely. But I'm not sitting here saying whoever wins UConn versus Illinois is like the Washington General's speed bump. No way. No way. No way. But I thought you were going to go on the women's side of things. What's more likely, UConn or the field? Wow, I think Connecticut. They look like a wagon. Yeah. But there's South Carolina. You can never count. Don Staley. You know, our friends in Westwood have got our really talented team, and Texas also. My God. They looked incredible against my alma mater. What else you got? All right, I've got a few more here.
14:51Rich Eisen:Basketball. Again, I'm not saying who actually wins the trophy, TJ, but who is actually more likely the MVP of the NBA season, SGA, Joker, Wemby, Luka, or Jalen Brown? Who actually is the MVP, not who's going to win the trophy? You know how it's going to be. but that's not no I'm saying not who wins who is actually the MVP in this whole business who is the most valuable player like this is not a what's more likely construct at all you want to just say Jalen Brown and move on so I'll just do that I mean he's been incredibly valuable without any of these guys the teams aren't as good and I understand that it'll take that guy off the team but Jalen Brown what he has done this year with tatum out but also that team has played incredibly well i mean joker is having his best statistical season i know that ever and he's already won a bunch but you want to say jalen brown that's not why i did that okay i'm gonna give you what you want though in this case what about wendy save jaylen yeah i i weirdly want to make the case for luca well you can't averaging 34 8 nate in any other season he runs away with this award certainly with being a Los Angeles Laker, but he doesn't have enough games, Chris.
16:06Rich Eisen:Sorry, because teams can't be trusted enough to not tank. I don't make the rules. They can't be trusted enough to not load manage. So let's come up with some crazy-ass collective bargaining, you know, Frankenstein type of rules. The spirit of that rule, I do. I kind of am behind. Well, just to try and force you to play. Yeah, play your game. Why are you going to force somebody to play basketball, man? This is starting to aggravate me. Why are you going to force somebody to go out there and do this thing? I used to do this in the snow, in the heat, in the rain. Uphill both ways. Uphill both ways, like you said.
16:35Rich Eisen:Like, after work, I used to wear shorts under my footlocker pants every single day we'd hit the court. How are you going to, like, have to make somebody play basketball? That's so annoying. Wait a minute. You didn't have somebody making smoothies for you? I wasn't that good. Okay. Well, then that's why you're not in the NBA. I'm already behind on this one, but more likely to be the higher total this weekend, Aaron Judge home runs or Red Sox wins? Aaron Judge home runs already up one. And the Red Sox have no wins. So Aaron Judge home runs. I think. When's football? I'll go Aaron Judge home runs.
17:07Rich Eisen:Yeah, bud. Yeah. Padres in town. I got the Marlins. You got the Padres. What's more likely? What's more? What's what's what's more likely? Let me see this here. The combination of seed numbers. Okay. Okay. You got the two and the three against a one and a one. Yep. and number of games the Red Sox will be trailing the Yankees on Monday. So add up the seed numbers of who's in the national championship game. So it's either three or four. Right, right, right, right, right. And the number of games the Red Sox will trail the Yankees by the end of the week, it's four right now. When we come on the air Monday, what's the larger number?
17:56Rich Eisen:What's more likely? The Red Sox trail. Probably. All right, two more fun ones. It's the Phil Mickelson announced yesterday. If I'm right and Michigan's one of those teams, I mean, honestly. But how much better can it get than Michigan making the Final Four and Duke getting Leighton in front of the whole country? That's pretty good. He just wanted to freeze dry that moment. I don't think it was that great. Oh, it's amazing. Pretty good. First Masters since 1994 without Phil or Tiger. Yeah. With Phil announcing yesterday that he's got some personal issues that he's not going to play. Do we get a first-time Masters champion or a previous winner?
18:31Rich Eisen:I'll go previous winner. I'll go previous winner for the green jacket. Hey, Brockman, my boy Colin hasn't won the Masters yet, right? He is questionable with a back injury. Okay, then never mind. And lastly, TJ, it's Eddie Murphy's 65th birthday today. More likely to be your favorite Eddie Murphy movie character, Axel Foley, Billy Ray Valentine, Prince Akeem, or Donkey. There's two of those I can't choose between. You got to choose one. then I'm going to go with Billy Ray Valentine, Capricorn. Oh, my God. Got to be Axel Foley. It's Axel Foley. Got to be Axel Foley. You also didn't include his character from 48 Hours.
19:13Rich Eisen:I know. How many more did he do? I'll even rank them. I go Axel Foley in the order that you have them. Axel Foley, Billy Ray, Prince Hakeem, and then Donkey. Donkey! I'm putting Billy Ray first because Trading Places is like my favorite movie. Yeah, but Beverly Hills Cop is as great as it gets, isn't it? I love Trading Places. I do love Beverly Hills Cop, but I love Trading Places and Coming to America more than I love Beverly Hills. Okay, very good. Fun. Donkey! Let's take a break. Chris Pronger is here on the Rich Eisen Show. Before we do, what's more likely, we appreciate that, is brought to you by Pella Windows and Doors.
19:55Rich Eisen:When it comes to your home, Pella windows and doors always have the winning game plan. That's why your neighbors trust them. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen. All right, Chris Pronger is here. I want you to interrupt me if Aaron Judge homers so it makes what we just said even better. But in the meantime, nobody interrupts Chris Pronger and gets away with it. The Rich Eisen Show podcast.
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20:53Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. The April 15th tax deadline is coming fast, but don't worry. Hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today. You know how April feels. Everything speeds up. Games matter. More hoops and hockey schedules tighten. Your phone won't stop buzzing. And somewhere in the middle of it all, there's that quiet little reminder. Taxes. You'll get to it tonight or tomorrow or after the weekend. And if you handle it the old way, you're refreshing your inbox like it's Breaking news, waiting, wondering, hoping everything's squared away. That's a lot of mental bandwidth. With Intuit TurboTax Expert full service, you can match with a dedicated expert who understands your specific tax situation and handles your taxes for you, start to finish.
21:36Rich Eisen:You can do it all online or meet in person at one of their new tech-enabled store locations. Have your tax forms imported directly into the app and hand everything off to your TurboTax expert While they work to get you every dollar you deserve, you can go about your normal routine, giving you time back to focus on what actually deserves your attention, like rooting for your team to make the playoffs. April 15th is not waiting, people. Visit TurboTax.com and hand off your taxes to a TurboTax expert today. Rich Eisen here. Every time I travel for a major sports moment, whether it's a playoff run or a huge primetime matchup, I see firsthand what happens to a city.
22:15Rich Eisen:Hotels fill up fast. Energy builds. Everyone wants to be part of it. Now imagine that on a global scale. The FIFA World Cup is coming this summer, people, and with it, thousands of fans traveling to host cities across the country. If you happen to live in one of those cities and you're planning to be away, maybe you've got your own summer trip lined up, this could be a practical opportunity. While you're gone, you could list your space on Airbnb and welcome traveling fans who want to experience the FIFA World Cup in person. You're not changing your routine. You're not committing to anything year-round.
22:48Rich Eisen:You're simply making the most of a moment when your city is in the global spotlight. I know when I'm on the road for a huge event, having a comfortable home base makes all the difference. And that's what fans will be searching for. If you've ever thought about listing your space, this summer is a great time as we welcome FIFA World Cup fans. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.
23:17Rich Eisen:The true cost of greatness from one of hockey's fiercest competitors is available everywhere on Tuesday, April 14th. Go and pre-order the book wherever you can get them. Chris Pronger is here on the show, and we're here in Southern California. All the fans are all the Duck fans there in Southern California, Orange County, Anaheim. Fired up. place, dude. You probably don't buy a meal anywhere in that part of the country. I did last night. I did eat at Solani's Steak Tavern, so that helped. Temu picked it up for you? No, the Ducks actually did. I think they were supporting Temu's Steakhouse. I did a book event for them last night with some of their premium seat holders, and it was a great night.
24:04And, you know, by the way, he did the forward of the book. He did indeed. Taimou did the forward in the book. Okay. It's in Finglish. That's right.
24:16Finglish. I've never heard that word. And I, most people do not realize this, I am 50 % Finn. My mom is from Finland.
Read the full transcript
24:24Rich Eisen:Hey, go figure that out. So we have that connection, albeit we used to butt heads a lot prior to us playing together in Anaheim. Well, you and I both got our career starts in Connecticut. you know, professional career starts. And I will never forget, you started as a member of the Hartford Whalers. Thank you. I will never forget when my ESPN colleagues, after I first arrived there in 1996, said, let's go to a Whalers game. And I'm like, sure. And they took me to a mall. And I'm like, is this where we're going to eat first? Like, is this where we're going to, you know, we're going to go get, like, thank God it's Friday.
24:59Rich Eisen:Is this really happening? I couldn't. Like, no, that's where the arena is. Yeah. I couldn't believe that, you know? And that's where you got things started off, you know? Guess who I ran into a couple months ago in St. Louis. Who's that? Chris Berman came up to the booth. Hey. Came to say hi. Bernie was there. They were telling old war stories from way back in the day. So Berman probably, was he telling whale stories? He was telling a lot of whalers' stories. I remember that back in the day, man. And that was when, you know, obviously, Yager and Lemieux were killing it. Yes. Yeah, they whipped.
25:38Rich Eisen:You were gone in 96. 96, I had just left. You just left to go to St. Louis and start that big part of your career. Yeah. I just remember I went that night. It was the Penguins against the Whale in the mall, 7-1. Both of them had hat tricks. Unfortunately, when I was with the Whalers, we had a few of those nights, too. I was not wearing a gray jacket. I was wearing a green jacket. Nice. Because I led the tour that day, and I was minus five or whatever I was. The best player you ever played with, I think I know who it might be, but I'll give you that on the floor. I've been fortunate enough to play with a lot of great players.
26:15Obviously, for a period of time, 99, the great one in St. Louis, and actually at that part of my career, he was instrumental. In us getting him, he kind of took the focus off of me and the booze. Right. And everybody, as should be all eyes on him and, you know, what he brought to our team. And it kind of gave me that quiet time to get away to kind of find my game and really find myself. No kidding. Yeah. So he. Well, just the notoriety, like the scrutiny of everybody. The attention was on me and it went to him. Rightly so.
26:46Rich Eisen:Yes. And, you know, just to watch him, how he handled the media scrutiny and the fan attention and how he practiced, how he came to play every night, and just being able to watch somebody of that caliber every single day. If you're a sponge, you can take a lot in. I bet. What was the best piece of advice he gave you? Do you recall that? I think just, I don't know if I ever asked him that. Did he ever impart anything? Impart some wisdom. Not really? Not really. Okay. No, I think he was more in awe of what was going on around him with Mike Keenan. Yeah, Keenan being the coach of GM. Yeah, he was coach of GM at the time.
27:27And I will say the second game of our second-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings was on an afternoon game on Fox. Yeah. And if you remember, they had the laser. Yeah, the glowing puck. The glowing puck. Yeah. And we lost, I believe it was 8-1. Don't quote me on that. A little foggy, but 8-1, I think. and Mike came in a locker room and berated every single person. And then he got to Gretz. And I don't know if he'd ever been talked like that before. He absolutely laid into him. To Wayne Gretzky. Yeah. And I think that was about it. He had seen enough. He's like, I don't think I'm going to be signing here.
28:09No kidding.
28:10Rich Eisen:Because I know, you know, Keenan was no wallflower. But he laid into Wayne Gretzky. Yes. Very intently. he did not pull any punches let's just say that so it was uh that's something you won't forget no no and i get it you know my first my third year pro my first year there i get i was kind of the whipping boy so if he's gonna land to me i get it right uh but at that stage to him probably not the best idea huh uh i've got chris pronger here on the rich eyes and show why'd you write the book what about it uh it was probably time you know i've been doing building on a speaking platform and, uh, you know, kind of thinking about as a building out these speeches, kind of a lot of life experiences and things that I've been fortunate enough to be a part of good and bad.
28:56Sure. And I think just showcasing the journey that I was on and the decisions that I was forced to make some good, some bad, uh, and then living with them and taking ownership of them and then learning from them. And so, uh, the book is kind of part memoir, part life lessons gleam from my life and career and kind of a playbook of sorts to how to level up.
29:16Rich Eisen:And in terms of your career, where do you keep your gold medals? They are currently hanging in my wall. I have a little basement area walking towards my man cave area, and I have trophies on the left and my medals on the right. So I don't know if you could rank them because gold medals are gold medals, but I imagine winning in Vancouver in overtime with Crosby lighting the lamp. Does that one or the first one in Salt Lake? No, I stands out. Well, the first one's always the best. Yes. But winning on home soil in that manner. Yes. With that kid at the time, the golden goal. I don't think the NHL could have scripted that any better.
30:04But that Olympics in particular, Vancouver showed so well. They were such a great host. and then for us to be the 25th gold medal, the most in Canadian history in the Winter Olympics. And I think we won the most medals, period, in a Winter Olympics for Canada. So just everything surrounding that was awesome. And then to win in that fashion against the U.S., who had beat us earlier in the tournament 5-2 and kind of pounded us, you know, to get our comeback game or our comeuppance, if you will. Yes, sir. Our revenge. Yes. In that fashion, I think, was fitting.
30:40Rich Eisen:Yeah, of course. Well, you also don't want to win a silver medal because you get a stuffy with that. Correct. Thank God they weren't giving those out. Where does that rank on my list? Yeah, not very high. I don't understand where the stuffies come from. Yeah. I'm not sure they thought that one through quite well. As you're getting a silver medal and you're doing that, I could tell you right now he's looking at that going, Which garbage can can I throw this in when I get in a locker room?
31:15That's a Nate dog right there, not happy at that stuffy.
31:19Rich Eisen:I mean, think about the idea of somebody coming up. Here's what we need to do. Let's soften the blow of a silver medal by giving them a stuffed hand. I know your heart just got ripped out of your chest. Here's a stuffy to make you feel better. what what'd you think of the um the four nations when there was a throwdown you know all those fights in the first few seconds i know i'm going further back yeah obviously the most recent usa and canada moment uh from the olympics but that one i mean true bad blood right yes real like throwdown i think it just showcased our game in the greatest light just from an energy that you know i talked to a bunch of players and former teammates that had that were in the building that night and just the electricity in the air to start a game like that just to everybody was on the edge of their seats and right you know from this first fight with haggle and kachuk to then bennett and the other kachuk and then for pareko and miller to kind of finish it off and then all of a sudden we're 35 seconds into the game we've had three fights and yeah now we can get into playing we've got this part out of the way this part of the rivalry is now set now let's go play hockey and and just the the level of play and the caliber of play these players leaving it all out in the line was awesome.
32:34Rich Eisen:Who's the guy in the NHL right now? And I know you're in the media, you know, doing Hockey Night in Canada and all the other things that you're doing. But if you're just a paying customer, you're going to put down hard-earned pronger dollars to see this player. Who is it? There's a few. The kid up the road here in San Jose is pretty special, Macklin Celebrini. He comes every single night. He's got a motor on him. You know, Nathan McKinnon's must-watch TV. Conor McDavid and Edmonton obviously and you know I think Sid the kid still like just how he shows up and how he prepares and how he meticulous he is with his game at his we'll say it his advanced age he's I believe 38 it's not easy to do and so and and how consistent he's been year in year out you expect a drop off at some point father time is undefeated as you know yes sir and at some point you have to think but just still clipping along at that exam consistent Sidney Crosby like effort every single time he steps on the ice what was your first impression of Ovechkin when you saw him for the first time on the ice just his speed power and level of passion for the game you can see how much fun he has playing the game and and I think when you're in that locker room and you have some you know Tammy was like that not quite to the physical level but just the joy they get from strapping on their skates and going out and playing the game.
34:05It's infectious. And, you know, just, you know, here he is beating Gretzky's record. And doing that slide and all the rest of it.
34:12Rich Eisen:Right. It was great TV. Yeah. The fact that he beat Gretzky's record, which is something that I think when it happened, you're like, will it ever happen? Will this, will we ever see this again? Right. I mean, and he's the one to do it. and Gretzky being there, and I think we're about to, this is the final two weeks of seeing him. Yeah, potentially. Potentially. And the level of consistency that that took to beat that record, I don't think people realize. And with how physical he plays and his style of play, to not miss very many games. I think that year he broke his leg, missed three weeks or four weeks.
34:50Outside of that, I think he'd only miss like 13 or 14 games.
34:53Rich Eisen:Who's the guy that could take Ovechkin's record down if you had to peg one right now?
35:01Rich Eisen:It's going to take a lot of longevity. You could say nobody. Right now, I don't think to have that level of consistency and longevity. Again, he's in the same as Crosby, the same year. Yes. That's 20-plus years of 40-plus goals a year. Can you believe you played 18 when you're sitting here now? In one piece. Kind of one piece. You know what I mean? Yeah. Kind of one piece. I mean, I have had 16 surgeries. I got a new knee and a bunch of things. I mean, I can rattle them all off, but. Like the operation. Three wrists, three hand, five right knee, one left knee, foot, back, jaw. I kind of. You're the operations guy.
35:44Rich Eisen:Yeah.
35:47Who hit you the hardest? Yeah. Who what? Who's the hardest that hit you? hardest hit ever. I got hit one night in Edmonton. Yes. Ethan Moreau. So this is right before the lockout. Pierre Turgeon was standing right in front of me. Oh, what a name. As I was coming up. And all of a sudden he just got out of the way. And I think the puck kind of flipped on me a little bit so I put my head down to kind of flatten it thinking Turgeon's in front of me. And all of a sudden the train was coming right at me and I picked my head up. I was like oh boy, this is going to hurt. steamrolled me yeah and i popped right up it's fine heck you're a hockey player um how about this one the time you drop your gloves and you thought to yourself what did i get myself into
36:37Rich Eisen:is there a moment like that i dropped my no drop your gloves against another dude and you're just like what am i thinking uh what's happening no no it's normally you're seeing red if you're gonna If you're going to get rid of them, you better either be mad or have an intent or purpose to what you're doing. Otherwise, you're going to get into trouble. So let me ask you this question, because my youngest son asks me this frequently. Why does hockey let people fight and stay in the game where any other sport, if you fight, you're thrown out? Now we're going back in history. Please. I don't really know why there's five minutes for fighting or whatever.
37:17I just think because they didn't used to wear helmets and you have a stick in your hands, they would prefer you fight than chop you over the head and various other places on the body. I'm going to guess going way back. We're going back, you know, 20s, 30s, et cetera. But what about now?
37:35Rich Eisen:It's in the rule book. It's five minutes for fighting in the rule book, and I can be honest with you, it relieves a lot of tension in the game and relieves, you know, things can be boiling over and there's a fight and it just, it's like a pressure valve. Things can either go off the rails or they can be tightened up real quick with a fight or a quick conversation of, we can always handle it right here if you have a problem. And you can send a message to the other team. You can send a message, you know, to star players. It's always like people think, you know, we'll go back to the situation in Toronto.
38:09Austin Matthews gets hit. It's not, you're not going after Gutis. You're going after the star on Anaheim. Right. You want to do that to him? Well, I'm going to do it to him. And things get handled quick when that happens. Right away.
38:20Rich Eisen:Similar to what we just said with the Four Nations. Holly just told a story the other day on the Ice Guardians podcast. He's like, I would, Kelly Chase would not go at the guy at me, that was hacking me. He'd go over to Steve Eisenberg and be like, you tell Proby to leave him alone or I'm going to beat you up. And things, you know, then it's a quick conversation of, well, I don't want that. So can you just calm it down a little bit? So Eisenman would go up to Bob Probert and say, chill out? Probably not, but he might. He might have to. Probert, man. That's the game within the game. Well, now you're naming Wings when I was in school there, you know, when Bowman was, you know, and Jacques Demers was a coach.
39:06Rich Eisen:You know, now you're naming names from back in my day. Joey Kosher, Bob Probert. Let's just give the fans who are listening locally here in Los Angeles on ESPN Radio, who are Anaheim fans, something. Yeah. I mean, if I told a kid from Canada, growing up in Canada, that you're going to win your cup in Anaheim, California, you would have said what? You know? In the 80s, they have a team? What? They didn't have a team yet, right? So their first year was actually my draft year. So they came into the league. and uh no it it's funny i came to anaheim my draft year it was me uh rob needemeyer and chris gratton and we went to disneyland and kind of they were promoting the game and the team and yeah yeah and to think now that was uh 14 years later i would then win a stanley cup there uh was was pretty special and you know for that to be the first in their franchise history first at the time in california uh to be able to do that and celebrate that with the great group of guys we had was incredible.
40:08Rich Eisen:I bet. So what, uh, what'd you do with the cup and the day you had it? Uh, I, I got it a couple of times. I had a couple of pretty nice parties. I had, so I had a party at my house in California. I lived in what's called shady Canyon. And, uh, and so I did McGuire, McGuire lived in there. So he just lived up top of the hill where I was situated. Right. And, uh, Sugar Ray came to play my party because they're from, you know, Newport Beach. Yeah, yeah. And so I had them set up out by my pool, and then I had a subterranean garage, so I blacked it out and set up a club down there, and I had a DJ set up kind of pumping tunes in.
40:45And, you know, things may have gotten a little crazy at times. And the band came down. We're all partying down there, and it's about 2 o 'clock in the morning, and I happened to go upstairs because somebody wanted a bottle of wine or something, and I'm farting around in my wine cellar, and all of a sudden my party planner comes running up, and she's like, oh, my God, Chris, the cops are here. And I'm like, bring them in. Let's get them. And I go down. I grab them. I'm like, hey, guys, let's go get a picture with the cop. Go downstairs to the party room. And everybody's like, oh, my God, the cops are here.
41:14Take some pictures. Do whatever. And then they're like, hey, can you turn the music down? I'm like, oh, yeah. I got you. No problem. No problem. Moment they leave, crank it back up. But the funniest part of the story is it took them about three hours to find my house. because I lived in that canyon. Yeah, yeah. The music was pounding into my garage and then reverberating all over the canyon. Oh, my God. They were, I lived right off the 405. They were across the five looking for this house because it was echoing all through the canyon. So they were like, oh, my God, we finally found your house.
41:48Oh, my God.
41:51Rich Eisen:2007 Southern California Neighbor of the Year, Chris Pronger. Incredible. Here on the Rich Eisen Show. Dude. What a blast seeing you. It's been too long. It has been too long. Don't be a stranger. You too. Oh, my God. You're around here. Let me know when you're around here. Joe's been married, what, like seven, eight years now or something like that? Probably six years, whatever. It's been a while. Do you really want me to tell you? How long has it been? 12 years. No. That was 2014. Wow. Whoa. Joe and Michelle have been married 12 years already? They officially got married then, yeah. Unless that was all staged.
42:29I mean, we are in Hollywood, right?
42:33Rich Eisen:Oh, my God. Well, thanks for coming. Time flies, right? It does when you're having a good time. Everybody check out Earned, The True Cost of Greatness, Chris Pronger's book and its memoir, The True Cost of Greatness from one of hockey's fiercest competitors. Let's do this more often, brother. Absolutely. We'd love to. Excellent. Chris Pronger here on The Rich Eisen Show, back with more in a moment. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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44:04Rich Eisen:This is great. No one likes having to choose. That's why with America's best lineup of hybrids from Hyundai, you get the best of both worlds. Like the reliable and efficient Tucson Hybrid with America's best warranty or the stylish yet capable Santa Fe Hybrid. with the power to navigate the toughest terrain. It's like having your cake and eating it too, but, you know, better. Hybrids from Hyundai. It's the best of both worlds. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for more details. You know, I'm not giving up on stuff. I'm constantly returning to a take or an opinion or a moment from the week.
44:43You guys sitting here thinking Indiana is just going to fall off.
44:48Rich Eisen:Not go anywhere. You guys think they're not going to win the Big Ten again or you maybe not make the college football playoff again. And I'm like, Google their coach. Now, Sonny Dykes, the head coach at TCU, their quarterback, Josh Hoover, is transferred to Indiana. And Sonny, who, by the way, got a new contract today, I believe. Congratulations to him. had this to say about the new offensive coordinator and obviously old quarterback there. Look, numbers are numbers and stats are stats. And I think, you know, you look for us and I think Josh started 31 games here as a quarterback and we turned the ball over 40.
45:31He turned the ball over 42 times in those 31 starts. And you go and you look at Gordy was the offensive coordinator last year at Connecticut and their quarterback turned it over twice.
45:40Rich Eisen:So Gordon Samus is the new offensive coordinator at TCU. But what about the kid Hoover in Indianapolis, or Indiana, pardon me, in Bloomington? Well, Coach Cignetti, you have the floor on that and this comment as well. I think the great thing is I'm excited about Josh, first of all. Let's be clear about that. And he's got a body of work in terms of winning football games, passing yards, touchdown passes.
46:19Got to clean up some of the turnovers, obviously, which Coach Dykes made light of. But, you know, when Josh got here, he met his two new best friends. Great defense and a really good run game. and he was never the same after that.
46:43Rich Eisen:Radio audience, there was a wink at the end of that. He was never the same after that. Winking. His new two best friends. Two best friends. A great defense and a running game. And he's also siding with his new guy, firing a little dart in the direction of TCU. Coach Dykes made light of. Oh, he's motivating in April. I'll take Signetti. You go ahead and bet against him. Go ahead. That's not what we were saying. We said not making it. Not the same. No, no, no. It started off, they were prime time, right, Chris? We were watching them prime time do the pro day. Uh-huh, uh-huh. And we said that you're like, what did he say?
47:29Rich Eisen:I've never seen this before. You said he's not going to make the playoffs. You won't see it again. I mean, I'm just doing the thing. Oh, you're doing the thing? No, I'm being serious. Roll your break. We'll chat again Monday. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
From the publisher
In ‘What’s More Likely’ Rich weighs in on Raiders QB Kirk Cousins and soon-to-be Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza, Cowboys WR George Pickens vs Eagles WR AJ Brown, the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, the NBA MVP race, the Masters, and his favorite Eddie Murphy movie character. Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger joins Rich in-studio to discuss his new ‘Earned: The True Cost of Greatness From One of Hockey’s Fiercest Competitors’ book, reveals why Wayne Gretzky’s stay with the St. Louis Blues was a short one, weighs in on the greatness of Alex Ovechkin, and more. Rich reacts to Indiana HC Curt Cignetti’s comments on landing TCU QB Josh Hoover in the Transfer Portal.
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