A Brind’Amour won big recently!

We talked to a lot of champions on this program. Here's a new one.

Rand Pecknold is the Quinnipiac head hockey coach and they are national champs. I saw the pictures. You not only hugged, I think it was Colby Cohen, the reporter for ESPN, but I know you got one from Rod Brindamore. Are you okay?

Can I send you a virtual hug? No, I think I'm good. I had enough. Rod almost crushed my sternum there. I mean, he's strong, but that was awesome. Everything was awesome, but to see Rod in the hallway as I came back out of the media, I heard he might be able to get to the game, but I was like, I don't know how he's going to pull that off, because I think they played that day.

It was great. Tim Schuyler had a great four years with me. Just a fantastic young man, high character, just got better and better each year. He had a monster senior season for us. I couldn't, just thrilled with the year he had. We won so many games because of him and the role he played for us. So it was great to see Rod. He was a great parent. He's a good friend. And obviously, I think you all know he's a pretty good NHL head coach.

Yeah, he's not bad at that. How was it recruiting Schuyler? Was Rod a tough parent to crack?

You know, it's an interesting story. So I got a phone call, if you go way back from Rod, like out of the blue. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law live in Raleigh, Ann and Greg Bowler. And Ann said, hey, I had met Kelly Brenda Moore before. And Kelly, I talked to her a little bit. I think when Schuyler was like seven when I met Kelly and my sister-in-law was like, you can't even believe how good this kid is. I'm like, well, I think he's seven. I think we got some time.

And then anyway, fast forward. So Rod called me, I think when Schuyler was like 15 and a half and he's like, Hey, I know we've never met, but just want to ask you some questions about what do you think, you know, where should I send my son to play? Like, you know, eventually he's got to get out of Raleigh. He's a really good player, blah, blah, blah.

So I, I actually, I gave him my opinion and I am pretty sure he nailed, he did exactly everything I told him to do. And then eventually Skylar ended up committing to Michigan state. And then they had a coaching change that didn't work out. And then we got really fortunate to jump back in and, and got scholar to come here. So that's, it's kind of a weird kind of roundabout way, but you know, again, it just, just cause I, cause I had relatives in Raleigh.

It probably helped me end up getting Skylar down the road. Rand Pecknold, Quinnipiac hockey coach, national champion. I almost sounds like Rod recruited you 29 years at Quinnipiac. I mean, you took the program up to division one. How do you explain this journey? And you've been, you've been there a long time.

Yeah, it's, it's a while, you know, it's kind of like my fifth kid. So yeah, we were, we were, you know, bad division three, practicing at midnight, a part-time job. I was teaching high school. Like it was, it was crazy. And then, you know, we just decided Quinnipiac decided, I didn't decide, but they decided we're going to go division one in athletics and everything really to become an academic school, which I remember hearing that from my president. I'm like, what?

That doesn't make sense to me. It's really the, um, you know, Doug Flutie Boston college phenomenon that a lot of, a lot of colleges do, you know, if you, if you have a lot of success in athletics, you know, win a national championship or get to the national championship game, like it, it helps drive your admissions process. So more applications means you can be more selective and you're a better, you're a better academic school. That's really what we did. And, um, it took a long time to kind of build it, but the last 10 years, we've been pretty dominant in college hockey. We made the national championship three times and we finally, uh, we finally got our win.

We finally got our Natty. Yeah, it's interesting. You become one of those hockey schools and we're talking with Ren Pecknoll, the head coach at Quinnipiac. I mean, I'll draw a basketball comparison for people, kind of like Gonzaga, you know, eight of the last 10 NCAA tournaments you've been in it. And for people who think, well, it's just, you know, getting in, there's only 16 teams. It ain't like 68 in, uh, in college hoops, only 16 get in and there are some really good just in your area. If you think about new England with Boston college and BU and Northeastern and Harvard and UMass, uh, you know, Brett Pesci went to UNH. So there's just, there's a ton just in the Northeast.

There's so many good programs. I mean, you guys have, you guys are big time. Yeah, we we've done well. We've done well.

I think we're last 10 years. I think we're number two in wins in college hockey, but, but Gonzaga is a good comparison. You know, it's like, like I watched them and I'm like, how do they, how do they do that? How are they good at it? You know, but they have a little niche and they find a way and their coach understands what, what they're going to be good at. They have a great identity. They know how to recruit, recruit to that identity.

And I feel like we do the same thing here. We really understand what we're good at. Um, and, uh, you know, we, we recruit high character, elite character athletes with high hockey IQ, and we certainly have plenty of talent. You know, we've got, we have kids in the final, uh, in the final 10 for the Hobie Baker and, and Colin Graff and Yanni Perez. And, um, you know, we've got plenty of talent, but it's for us to go with the big, big boys. Like we got to, we got to rely on our character and our hockey IQ. I'm going to talk about the goalie in just a minute. Last year, your run ended against, uh, what I affectionately call them as the 1983 New York Islanders.

Uh, the university of Michigan, what do they have for the top five players taken in the, uh, in the NHL draft? Um, and this year you beat the Wolverines in route to getting to the frozen four. Uh, did you, did you need a hug after that one? No, but it was exciting. It was exciting. And they, listen, that team was loaded too. Um, five of those kids on Michigan had played for me for team USA at the world juniors at Christmas. Luke Hughes was their captain.

He just made his debut with the devils last night. Um, all five great players, great kids, really high character kids. I was so impressed with that group. Um, but, uh, it was a big win and then, you know, it's beyond exciting to beat a team that good to beat Michigan.

Right. And then we got to turn around and we just be in Ohio state and like the game before that it was not country. And, and then now we got more, more big 10 coming our way and we got to play Minnesota, the number one team in the country.

So it was a lot on our plate, but we, we found a way to get the Natty. Did, did you win the big 10 title as a result? I know I should have had that in my contract, big 10 championship, but I didn't have, I'll put that in next year.

You should do that. Rand Pecknoll is the head coach at Quinnipiac national champions. Uh, first of all, the play, I know you guys run that rod always downplays everything when I talked to him about it. Cause I asked him about the play. He goes, yeah, we run that play too, but like, but it worked at the best possible time. Uh, were you surprised that it created that chance in that moment?

Uh, well, first I will agree with rod. Like it's not, listen, it's not, this isn't, this isn't a play that most of the national teams maybe don't have in their bag of tricks, but, um, for us, like you needed a lot of good things to happen. And actually if you watch the face off, um, calling graph, you know, one of the best players in the country does his job and he goes into the pile and wins the face off for us. Like it's, it's not a, it's not a clean win.

Right. And then it goes and decoys to the wall. We pull the lefty out of the way. We do a little change with our left wing center and it all, it all kind of falls into place. Um, everything had to happen and just one Minnesota kid hesitated for probably, I didn't know what the second, maybe a half second.

And that's why it made the whole thing work. But like, you know, big time passing his back in from Sam Lipskin and then quote and finishes and you know, 10 seconds in and we got a national championship. It's crazy. Unbelievable play. I mean, we don't even worry about the nerves of overtime. Uh, we just, just get right to it.

All right. I got to ask you about the goalie, uh, who I guess is now our goalie, a fewer hurricanes fan since the canes signed him yesterday to a two year entry-level deal. Uh, Yanni Peretz, how in the world I'm looking at his, just his statistics. I'd never seen him play until this year. How in the world did he slip through the hockey cracks? Well, you know, it was a great thing after, uh, after we beat Ohio state in the media room, right? For that to get to the frozen four and one of the reporters asked him, Hey Yanni, can you talk about why you chose Quinnipiac? And his answer was phenomenal. He goes, well, they're the only school that recruited me.

Only one that offered me, which I knew when I didn't know you say that aloud. I was like, what, how does that happen? But if you look at his statistics the last two years, they are crazy. Right? So a year ago he sets the NCAA mark. He breaks Ryan Miller and Jimmy Howard's mark for a goals against average in a season. Um, we have the, we, we had another goal. He was good too, but Yanni played most of the games.

We slept the team shutout mark. And then this year he calls it up with another crazy numbers. Um, he's just, he's a high IQ, really high goalie IQ. He reads the place well, his battle level is excellent. Great on his edges. Um, he's done a really nice job since he got to Quinnipiac working on his puck handling, he's improved that considerably and he'll continue to improve.

And in the end, like he's just so committed. Um, like I, I think he's going to play in the NHL. I love him.

He's a great person. 4.0 student too. So throw that in. Like for people who don't know the numbers last two years combined, 21 shutouts, 9.35 save percentage.

Those numbers seem unheard of because there's, there's just tons of scoring chances. I watched the highlights against Michigan. The, uh, the NCAA put together like a nine minute highlight package. Uh, it was dizzying. I, we got halfway through it.

I'm like, wait a second. It's still just the second period. How is it possible? It was so many scoring chances, both ways. Um, you talk about high hockey IQ. You say you can play in the NHL. How long do you think it takes him to develop?

I mean, it's a good question. You never want a goalies, but, um, you know, he definitely needs some AHL season thing. And you know, a lot of it's, you know, what, what, what are the, what are the hurricanes going to do with them? I know there's some of the American league, um, you know, for next season. Well, he's going there now, but the season is almost over, but yeah. Um, how many starts is he going to get?

You know what I mean? Are they going to really pretty much done? They're going to give him a ton of stars, give him 50 starts. Like he's going to get a lot closer.

Um, so, you know, he needs some seasoning. We'll see how it all works out. Obviously they've, they've got some goalies there in Carolina now, so they can be patient with them. But, um, the one, you know, I watched the hurricanes a lot because of my relationship with Rod and Skylar, but I, I'm just so impressed with their development model and their GM is, is fantastic. He's one of the best in the game and they do a really good job of, of developing players and allowing players to blossom in the a and then, and then giving them a chance to the NHL to like some NHL teams, like wait too long.

They leave kids down there forever. It's like, Hey, when they're ready, bring them up, you know, give them a taste. Um, but the hurricanes, and there's a reason they're one of the best teams in the HR right now. They have, they've got a great office, a great organization. And, um, they'll do a great job with Yanni and there'll be patient with them and he was ready.

They'll, they'll bring them up. I'd love to see him play Friday, rather Thursday against Florida. Why not? I mean, he's hot.

He's, he's hot. He just gave 10 shutouts this year. Why not? Why not throw him on the ice? I would love to see him play Thursday, but I don't think that's happening. Yeah, probably.

They have to, they have to win the game. So maybe go with the hot guy. A final thing for you, Rand Pecknold. I appreciate your time. Uh, how do you follow up what you just did? That's a great question. Um, right now, honestly, I'm just trying to survive this week. Um, the media crush has been awesome.

Um, it's great for Quinnipiac university and our, and our recruiting for our program. Just, I can't even begin to tell you to me, it's just been unbelievable. I can't believe it. Um, so I'm trying to get through that. It's all good. Um, the NHL is coming in, trying to poach, um, four of my underclassmen. I knew I was going to lose my seniors and older guys.

Right. And Tyler is a senior, you know, whatever, but so I got to figure that out. If, uh, you know, Yanni is the first one I knew he was going to go, but I got three more underclassmen that might sign NHL deals might leave.

They might come back. So, um, we just got to figure that all out, give it a week, let it all settle. And then if we lose some guys, we've got to fill in the portal with, you know, we're trying to work on the filling. Yanni was going to go, I knew he was going to get an NHL deal. So we're, we're in good shape with getting a goalie. Um, but, um, you know, it's just crazy.

I'm just in survival mode right now, but certainly enjoying it too. Uh, get all the businesses from Handon, Connecticut, uh, you know, ready, pull, uh, pull money, get NIL deals for everybody. Uh, I appreciate your time.

Coach Rand Pecknoll with Quinnipiac, a national champion. Uh, we'll talk again. Thanks so much. Okay.

Thanks for having me on. Take care. Wow. Yeah. Well, I'm excited about the goalie too. So, uh, that we'll, I don't know, we'll see if he shows up at any point during the playoffs, just to, just to hang out. We'll just have a team of goalies. How about we do? Oh, well, we've got now two goalie prospects. So that's, that's good. We had two, we traded one for Brent Burns, uh, E2 Mac and EME went to San Jose in the Brent Burns trade. So let's, uh, let's see what this kid is capable of doing. He's not going to play tomorrow. I'm just kidding.