[Music] welcome back into another episode of na now Brandon Hoffer joined here with New Mexico ice wolves brand new head coach Kevin Hartzel Kevin first off congratulations as the official bench boss now with the New Mexico is how's it feeling uh I don't know I this is the last thing I thought I'd be doing right now and uh but I'm doing it I'm going to have fun with it yeah you've been a part of this organization for a couple years now um what do you love the most about Albuquerque and and everybody down there in New Mexico well really I've been part of the organization from the beginning you know stand the owner St hover and I go back a long long ways and uh first couple years I did a lot getting things organized and the last couple years things have you know kind of went they've gone on their own I haven't done as much so I I wouldn't be doing this this if I didn't believe in the ownership so much I mean s is just one of the best people I've ever known and yeah great for the league I'm sure you guys know that he's he's all in Mak a great experience for all the teams and all the players and um when he asked me if I wanted to do it for a year and kind of just look at things from the inside out and have a little fun in the process at first I was like no I I'm a pickle ball player now I pickle ball that's what I do but uh no I'm really looking for forward to it now and uh try to you know and give him time to kind of take a breath after Phil Fox moved on to Northern Michigan and let him identify the next coach over time and uh so I'm I'm just glad to be in the saddle with Stan yeah you're no stranger though to being on the bench uh you have experience in in different leagues and coaching for uh quite some time but um talk about just those experiences and how fun it's been just being around Junior Hockey and these young guys seeing them get to the next level well that's why I've stayed at Junior Hockey and been involved with it because it's it's really uh it's a pivotal spot in their life right some are moving away from home for the first time or and they're they're impressionable and they they have big goals and you get to be part of that with them and right it's it's a perfect level for me somebody who uh looks at themselves as a teacher and uh I I've enjoyed it and been involved with it for almost 30 years so it's it's fun uh Phil left quite a legacy with you guys uh tremendous guy on and off the ice but uh on the ice are you looking to kind of change the way this team has been playing over the past couple years or kind of keep things around the same well I think like anything it'll be it'll be different you know I mean we're going to have a little different way of looking at things and every coach does I mean I've been fortunate I look at my first you know go around in coaching and coaching against guys like Frank serator and Bob Ferguson who I had just a great rivalry with and then you know then I worked for hovers for I got out of hockey for a while and worked in the in the hover television industry and then I was lucky enough to go back into the coach and then you run into people like John Cooper and Jimmy Montgomery in my second go round and you learn a lot from the other coaches as much as anything and of course you know you learn from the players I mean especially you know I had some unbelievable players in sou Falls and you learn from them so it's uh we're always all learning I'm sure it'll be there'll be some similarities but I'm sure there'll be some things that are different as well right Uh Kevin this league celebrates will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary this upcoming season and like you've kind of alluded to there you've been around Juniors I'm sure around the nahl for for quite some time but when you think of 50 years of the league of opportunity what what first off comes to mind well I've been a big fan of the you know I've never coached in the North American League but I've been a big fan of it for a long time I look back on you know and Sue Falls in particular how many players really good players like both the gendel brothers right before Jake I mean Jake's obviously the most wellknown but I had Ryan and Gabe both end up being captains at their college teams stuckle ends up being a you know a decent Pro and now coach in the American League and I could go on and on and on uh I love the maturity of the league um I I love that it gives a lot of 19 and 20 year olds really that I'm say the last chance but it's a big stepping stone for them and a lot of kids are just coming into their own when they're 19 and 20 right and Brandon you know as well as anybody that this league can downright brag about the number number of goldendelight.com that's really going to be what we strive for and I think the the competition the competition is what the kids come for and they'll get plenty yeah the competition all kicks off here in September with the greatest show on Ice the 2024 nahl showcase how excited are you for hockey season to officially start again well being a Minnesota guy and helping with the The Ice wol I've been going to the Showcase every year I'm always there yep and what a great event right parents come from all over the country Scouts every college team pro team that parking lot I'm always you know talking about how great the parking lot looks right and it's just a great place to kind of kick things off for the league and then it's a long grind and these kids have to learn you know how to get on buses and off buses and what it means to take care of their bodies and besides learning what goes on the ice so it's uh I'm excited just be a part of it for another year and I'm sure that's probably what it'll be one more year yeah and I'm gonna really enjoy it just like the the boys are going to enjoy it right on well we're excited as well excited to see you uh down for you but up for us and Blaine and uh enjoy the uh enjoy the views you got behind you for the rest of the time until hockey starts again thanks for doing this well do Brandon thank you [Music]