Jim Thomson Hard Work To Wayne Gretzky's Protector

Welcome to the Mike Hartman Show. Mike is a performance coach and former Stanley cup champion with the New York Rangers. Topics on this show are focused around stories, mindset and champions. Mike will also go into details about helping you with your pain points and struggles and finding motivational solutions on how to have the mindset of a champion. Now, here's your host, Mike Hartman.

Welcome to another episode. Today I have a special guest with me. His name is Jim Thompson. Jim is a former professional hockey player. He's played for several different organizations. I know he played, was drafted by the Washington Capitals, the lot played with the Los Angeles Kings. He's. He's been around. We've been around with each other. We've tangled a few times and just great to have him here. Jim, great to have you on the show.

It's really nice to be here. Mike. You and I have met on the ice. I always say this. I always admired you, the way you played. You're always an honest guy, but a gentleman. And we had. I look back at it as good memories, the Rochester, Binghamton days and all that. It was really good stuff.

Well, I remember I just got traded from Buffalo to just. I mean, it was Buffalo to, to Winnipeg. In fact, John Muckler traded me. And we know he passed away, which is. Which is very sad, but he. He traded me to Winnipeg and we, we had our first game in la and all of a sudden, this big guy with big shoulders and, you know, he gets out there and we're bumping into each other, which is you. And we fight. And we had a fight. That was my first welcome to the Winnipeg Jets. Which was good for me because you always need a good fight to get it out of the way. But I have to, I have to.

Than.

That was a. You know, we had a good one. Always honest.

Yeah. And I'll say this to you, the minute I got the news that you had been traded to Winnipeg, I was still at home in my home in la. I knew we were fighting that night. I thought, you know what, our days go back to the American Hockey League. And I just. And you know what? Because it's like this for you and me, more so me. The, the. You have to do something in a game sometimes with the limited shifts you have. So I thought this was going to help you. And I honestly thought that he's going to need to get a fight in to show his new team what he's all about. And I need to show my team that, hey, I'm here. And, you know, there was no doubt, you And I were fighting that night.

Yeah. And it's funny too, because I'm almost sure about this. Now you can correct me if I'm wrong, but there was a guy in New York who I met after a game one night. This guy was a, was a hockey fan with the, with the Rangers. And I know he did some stuff in Hartford when you were there. And I think Mark Peters.

Right, Mark Peters, yeah.

He would always talk about you, what a great guy you are, hard working guy. And as you know. I know, I know you know Alan May and the people that I like to have on the show. Of course I have some great superstar players. Adam Graves is one of the best people on the planet. But I like to have guys that were like the underdogs. Like, like you and I, we were underdogs, let's face it. We were average players. We did everything we can to, to get out there. And I love having guys like this. And even if we don't talk for years or we don't communicate, we still always have that bond.

It's so true. And many of my close friends in the game till this day were guys like you and me. You know, the Grant Jennings of the world, the guys like that, the Phil Crows, and it was, I call it the lunchbox hockey player who had to literally fight his way into the NHL. You know, I look back at your career when you got to Rochester, and I just remember Mike Hartman, major, major. I was hurt with a hand injury that year and I remember you guys coming into Binghamton and I thought, I think you fought Shane Turla and a couple guys that game. And I'm going, wow, this guy. And that's when you start taking notice. So to answer your question, Mike, the, the bonding, you don't need to talk for years, but like today it's just you and I both get it because we were the same type of player.

Well, it's funny going into Bighamton, I mean, that was a tough team. You guys were, I think a combined farm team with Washington and Hartford and every big guy, every tough guy. And I didn't know much about Shane Shirla. The only thing I knew about him was that he was looking at me in warm ups. And obviously, I mean, you look at him, you know he's not going to score, you know, 50 goals and, and then he has Vaseline on his face and he's asking me, you don't want to do it in the first period or the second period. And I'm going, oh man, I was a Middleweight. But, you know, I got to.

I got to say this to you. I played with a lot of tough guys, and there was nobody tougher than Shane Trilla. I say he's the toughest player I ever played with. And I'm not talking Bob Probert, knock everybody on the ground. And, you know, that big heavyweight Stu Grimson, puncher, he was fearless, and he wanted to fight every game. And very rarely, you play with a guy like that. Like I'm on your podcast today, I had to fight to stay in the game. I did not like fighting. I was a goal scorer, and I got put into this role. And this is how I. Brian Murray told me, when I had 41 fights in Binghamton, I led the league in penalty minutes. I had 360 minutes. And Washington said, if you want to play for a hockey team, you got to fight more. So as much as I didn't like it, Mike, I did it because my dream was to get to the NHL like yourself. But back to Shane Churla, this guy loved it. Like, he wanted to fight every game. He was looking, he's like. So I got to tell you this quick story that you'll appreciate before he gets called up to Hartford the next year. He said to me, here's the deal, Jimmy. And we had a tough team. We had a lot of tough guys. He said, every guy I fight, you have to fight. And I'm like, what are you talking about? I want nothing to do with this, right? So he was. He was a pretty, you know, forceful guy, in a sense. So this is the thing that we did, you know, we go and he would fight somebody. I remember your Jay Frazier from your team. We both fought him one game, Basil McCrae. Then all of a sudden, he gets called up, and there I am going, okay, now what? But anyway, tough, tough man. And, yeah, you know, I say, till this day, he's the toughest guy that I ever played with.

But I tell people, you don't just fight in the NHL. You have to be able to play and play a role. And that puck comes around the boards, it has to get out every time. You have to make solid hits. And it's more than just, okay, guys are going to fight. The average person doesn't understand that, but. But it's a lot more than that. In fact, Shane Triller was the captain, I think, of Dallas, right? Captain of Dallas, or he was a captain in the NHL.

He was the captain of the Minnesota North Stars. And I'll say this to you, he. Minnesota, Dallas, when he got To Binghamton at a medicine hat Mike.

Yeah.

He could barely play. And I'm not talking barely play. He played in the Western Hockey League at the level of the American Hockey League. And I always give Larry Plo, our coach, like John Backs von Boxmere, your coach. He developed us and he took Shane and he helped him and he watched video and he said, this is how you got to do it. Shane Turla ended up being a very good hockey player compared to when he started because he could not play that well.

Yeah. And I remember playing it. And the funny thing that night I remember. So I fought him and I did pretty good. So he's in the penalty box. You know how guys sometimes yell or scream and they look over. He said nothing. He says, we're going again. And he was tightening up his elbow pads and, and he was looking at. And he was like moving his shoulders around and bottom bobbing his head. And I said, I'm sitting here in Binghamton on a. Maybe a Friday night and I'm saying, what am I doing with my life? And soon as we came out, he went right at me and he gave it to me good the second time. But the first time I did okay against them.

Yeah.

And then, and then we fought a bunch of times. I did okay against them in Minnesota, then I fought him in Calgary and then he. I think he did a number on me a couple times and when he was in Dallas and. But he was always a tough guy. And the thing is you never want to back down. That's what you and I didn't want to do. And I'll be upfront with you. When we went to play the LA Kings, it was a double edged sword because you're always going to look to see like you're a big guy, man, and you were tough and you could play. But I'm looking and I'm saying, okay, they got Jim Thompson. But what Jim Thompson is playing tonight because there was two tough Jim Thompson's in the lineup sometimes with la.

Brent Thompson.

Brent Thompson.

Brent. Brent was a defenseman. Yeah, Brent was different. Different. Thompson.

Yeah, that's right. Brent Thompson. So he was a tough guy too. So they had two Thompsons in the lineup sometimes. But he was, I remember him too. He was a big tough defenseman as well, wasn't he?

Was. He was. And had a long career. Great guy and. But it's like this.

Were you.

I was thinking of this. Were you there when we went into the stands in Rochester?

No, because the year before I made it out of Buffalo they had a really bad record the year before, the Sabres. So I made the team in training camp as a 19 year old and I stuck with the team and had a pretty good training camp. Fought Jay Frazier three times. That's a story we could talk about off the air if you want to hear a funny story. But I ended up making the team and then I went back to junior and then played in the World Junior Championships. But when I went back to junior, I pulled my stomach muscle and I think you were playing them in the plot. Didn't Shane Shirla go on stage or something?

It was, you can Google it or YouTube it. So what happened was him and Andy Resto fought and at the end of the fight, Shane need him in the groin and he hurt him and he was a big tough guy, as we know. So as Shane, you remember we have to skate off the back of the net and then go by the stage where the people were. So as Shane's skating off, there was a steel bar laying on the stage and the fans started yapping at him. He grabs that steel bar and he throws it at the fans. They grab it and throw it back at him. Then obviously everything breaks loose. Now what's really freaky to me today is somehow some way I get through the players and I get up on stage. And the last thing I remembered, Mike, was this young guy, probably 18 to 20, he was kicking, he was kicking Shane and like trying to kick him in the face because the shit, you know, our heads were at the stage level, if you can, if you remember. Yeah, I got up on stage and I took a punch at this guy and thank goodness I missed him because the cop grabbed me. I went back down, jumped off the stage. Larry Plo told me, he said, if you hit that kid, your career is probably over. And you know, God was on my side that night because I took a swing at this kid. Just, you know, we get crazy and we're trying to protect people. But I regret it till this day I'm thinking that was just barbaric and stupid. But if you ever go back in YouTube it, it's a wild, wild scene.

Oh, I heard about it because they. I heard it because I was with the organization. So everybody heard about it. In fact, that next year, that's when I fought Shane Shirla was the next year. So then I, you know, they told me about how he beat up Andy. I would have thought maybe twice if I would have known that Andy was like what, six, six, 250 pounds?

Big dude.

Yeah. But no. So there was some good stories there. I mean, we always go back, and a lot of what we do is we talk about stories, mindset and champion. And I. I'm so appreciative of players like yourself that that started at a level where it's hard to make it if you do the numbers. There's only four left wingers on a team for right wingers on it, on a team where. Where are you going to play? So sometimes you have to get a break. Or in your case, I know you were. You had a stacked team in L. A. Like, cracking that lineup was not easy.

No, I had one guy on my side, Tommy Webster, the coach. And it was the year I got. I got called up for the playoffs. I was playing in New Haven, I got called up to the playoffs, and I did. We were in Chicago one night, and I fought Grimson and Peluso and I got the game winner. So it was one of those times you get called up and you just have the magical night, right? And so I stayed up for the rest of the year, played in the playoffs, didn't play in the playoffs, but stayed up for the playoffs. And then the next year, I went to camp, and that's when a lot of our guys were at Team Canada. Gretzky and a whole bunch of guys. So there's a lot of opportunity to play. And I happen to lead the camp in scoring. And I just, again, you know this Mike, it's magic in a bottle where puck's on your stick, it goes in the net. Like, you know, guys like you and me, you scored more than I did. But my point is, everything lined up. Tommy Webster really took a liking to me, and he told me, I want you on my hockey team. So I beat out some, you know, tough and some good right wingers for that last spot. But it was difficult. And, you know, I. All the kids I work with today, getting to the NHL was not work. It's a journey. It was our passion. Once you got there, it became work because the six guys down in the minors or the guys in junior, they want your job. That's when it became mentally and physically draining.

And that's so true. So they used to say, it's like, it's from Buffalo. It's 60 miles from Buffalo to Rochester. And Mike Foligno said, but it's 120 miles back, so you better play hard. 60 miles down, and I go, wait, I'm not the greatest of math, but wait a sec. 60 miles down and 120 back. He said every year there's more and more guys coming up to take your job. And there's only 400 players in the league and 10% are American. So there's only 40Americans. So you start doing the numbers and then look how many guys like get drafted in the first and second round to. I could think of two right now. To the LA Kings, that I'm a guy, that I'm a stats guy. Remember Duncanson, which was, he's a good guy, hard worker and Grattan was a great hockey player. But then you find your, you find yourself playing for the LA Kings. I mean, think about that. I mean, two highly first round draft picks, for whatever reason, they didn't make it. Good people I played with dunk, great guys, but sometimes you have to do a little bit extra. That's where the mindset comes in.

It's so true. And you know, I was, I was like, I told you the best, best example I could give you is I would do anything to realize that dream. And that meeting I had with David Poyle and Brian Murray, the late Brian Murray, you know, coach that liked me and you know, gave me a chance in Washington because he loved tough players. He just said, you want to play here, you got to fight more. And I'm like, oh my goodness. Like. But you know, we were willing to go out and do it. You know, like I said, look at your career. You were willing to do whatever you had to do to stay in Buffalo or at the Rangers or where you played. And that's just the way we were. And we were wired the same way because we would do anything to stay there. I rode enough buses, you know, I had enough fights. Three, three fights in a game, three nights in a row. You know, I remember when you said that earlier, I was riding on the bus and I had, I think in the first two games on the weekend, I had had five fights and my hand was completely ripped up. And I'm riding on the bus looking out the window and I'm going. Because I hadn't been called up yet. So it's like, am I going to be this minor league or is this what I want to do for $25,000? And I remember looking out going, what else am I going to do? Right? Like, so it was just like humdi hum. And but you kept doing it until you got that call, right?

And it's tough if you think about it. Then when you get up there, it's even tougher because I think you played with Jay Miller, right? Did you play with him?

Yeah. Marty and Jay were on the Kings when I was there.

So the funny thing was I used to, you know, I was a middleweight guy that played hard. So if I hit Ray Bourke, Jay Miller says, okay, when do you want to do it? And I said, okay, let's do it then. But I wasn't a guy that went toe to toe. I try to fight smart because what am I going to do? Go toe to toe with Marty McSorley or. Or Jay Miller? So I used to fight Jay, and I actually did pretty good against him when he was in la, but we used to fight a lot. So I remember I was walking in Los Angeles in the form. In the.

In.

In Los. Yeah, we were in LA playing against the Kings, and I'm walking in practice and I saw Jay. Marty said to me, hey, good morning, Mike. Because he was always a nice guy. I always like Marty McSorley. And I said, hi, Jay. And he ignored me and then I kept walking and he yelled, hey, are you going to hold on tonight or are you going to fight? And they're both there and it's me. And I said, I'm probably going to hold on. He says, that's what I thought.

Jay was a funny man. I loved him, like, if. You know. But that would be him. He wouldn't say where he'd be thinking, what am I going to say to this guy? But I was the same way, you know, I had to hold on to a Dave Brown or a Stu Grimson, because what are you going to go toe to toe with the guy six, five, that has arms out? You couldn't. And you and I were very similar, where we had to use our brains and our strength, and that's how we survived. You know, I fought a lot of big men, Mike, as you did, and the only way I could survive was to be smart.

So, just so people know, we don't make this like a fighting show, it's not really a hockey show. I actually have some pretty big NHL names that want to come on, and I'm not going to say anything because I don't want to shoot myself in the foot, but I'm more excited when I have a Jim Thompson and Alan May or certain guys come on that. That play the way we did, because I don't think they are, and I'm not patting ourselves on the back, but I don't think people really know the mindset of what we had to do and how hard we had to do it. So I don't want to go Too much in the fighting. But there's this thing that I've learned that, like, so successful athletes prepare themselves by, you know, for competition, by imagining things. They do imagery. They create that mental image. Okay, so you scored those big goals. You probably saw yourself scoring those goals. How did you prepare for a game knowing that, okay, you're playing with Wayne Gretzky, every building is sold out, and now you're playing with the LA Kings. How did you prepare yourself for a game?

It was. For me, it was very difficult because, you know, and as you say, we don't want to keep talking about fighting, but my job was to take care of Wayne. They had me there with Marty and with Jay to protect Wayne. And what I did was I looked at every night that who we were going into and who I was gonna have to fight, what hand they threw, you know, like. Because bottom line is, Mike, if I got my ass kicked, I was going down to the Miners, and they're calling someone else or trading for someone else if I couldn't do the job. So how I prepared was I studied the guys I was gonna have to tangle with that I would be able to keep my job. And my whole focus was Wayne Gretzky wanted bodyguards. There's. You know, he deserved them. He. He needed them. From Semanco to McSorley to McClellan, all the guys that played alongside of him. And there was no. There was no secrets that, you know. I'll give you a quick story. I got picked up by Ottawa in the expansion draft from la.

Yeah.

And at Christmas, I got traded back to the Kings. And Bruce McNall, our owner, right, he was the first guy I saw in the hotel. He goes, I gotta tell you something. He goes, wayne made this trade. He told Barry Malrose, I want Thompson back here. And they traded a pretty good player for me, Bob Kadowski. And I'm like, really? So Wayne said it to me. He goes, you're a great dressing guy. You know what? We need more toughness here. So to answer your question, my whole thing was don't get your ass kicked and just survive, but do the job. And that's. That's how I prepared for games.

Well, you said you have that leadership ability. So when people say, tell me about some of these tough guys are like, the nicest guys that you would ever meet in your life. And we know we had a job to do. You mentioned Gord Donnelly and you mentioned Gordon, right? That you mentioned his name earlier. Did you mention Gordo, I can't remember. Basil Craig.

No, no, But I know I. Gordon was my roommate in the player associate when we used to go to the player associating. Great guy, really good man.

So I joke because he was in Facebook yesterday and he put himself up with a black guy. And I made a quote. Did I do that? The bottom line was I was a rookie and I just got called up. And at that year, I was like 19 or I was just playing as a rookie. And he says, hey, kid, what's your role? And that guy scared me. I'm not afraid to tell people. Yes, I was scared, but I went in there and fought him, and then I got traded for him. So when I first came back, and then we fought in the minors, then I met him in the summer at the gym. He was working out where I was in Buffalo because I spent my summer there, he's the nicest guy you'll ever meet in your life.

He's.

He's well spoken, he's smart, and it's funny, you meet these guys away, and not without talking about it so much, but. And Basil McCrae, I played with him. Basil would stare at you on the bench when he was with Minnesota, said, come on, you're going to come out. You know, Then you meet him. He's a sensitive, nice person. And that's what I miss about the game.

Mm. I can't 100%. And, you know, it's. I just found the lifestyle, the camaraderie, obviously, that dressing room feel, and those guys that had your back, you being one of them is a powerful, powerful thing. And that's. I do miss that. Like, I do miss being, you know, like, there was Gretzky, there was Yeri Curry, there was Tony Granado, there's all these guys. You had LaFontaine, you had McGinley, all your guys. But Mike Hartman was as important to that team, and everybody knew it as those guys. Brad May, Rob Ray, you know, Rob Ray and I had more fights. I can't even count how many times him and I fought. But here's a guy that come out of Cornwall, and he was just as goofy as anything. He's just like, okay, who tonight? Like, it was just like he was a. You know, And I know Rob now, and he's just a fun, loving guy. And man, oh, man, did he battle through his career. But a wonderful, wonderful man.

And he was scholastic player of the year in junior and.

Wow.

Yeah. So it is funny. So you meet a lot of these guys. And I read a lot of leadership books, so I've been in the Personal development business for 17 years. Took about three years off, sold the business that I had. And I'm doing, like a lot of leadership work now, but I've always made sure I've read two or three books a month. But I started reading about sports leadership again because I'm getting more back into that. If you read onto it, like, if there's a basketball team and there's 15 players on the team in the NBA or the Chicago Bulls, they always talk about the number one guy all the way through, the number 15th guy of how important they are. And it's the same thing in professional hockey. Whether you're the number one guy, Wayne Gretzky, or you're at the other end and you're Jim Thompson or other guys that, that play that style, everybody is part of that team. And that's something that you learn so much that, that you could use into the real world, actually.

It's, it's. Yeah, it's, you know, it's the teamwork. It's the. You know, they always say, you can't win with 20 Wayne Gretzky, you can't win with 20 Mike Hartman's or Jim Thompson. And it's that puzzle that you put together in life, a family unit. You know, between my wife and I, we got five children. Three and I got three and two step kids. But my point is that's a team in itself. And if everybody's not doing their role, we have issues, you know, and every family does that. And what I, What I've been doing, Mike, is, you know, I'm. I'm. I'm now in. What I'm doing in life is I say the NHL gave me a platform to help people because I'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. So now I'm helping people behind the scenes and my social media, I post a lot of positive things. So somebody asked me, they say, why do you do that? And I said, very simple. It makes me happy, what we're going through right now in life. And I. And I feel that I'm a team, a team person by giving anybody inspiration. So, bottom line is direct messaging back. Thank you for helping my day. You get all these thank yous, and I'm not looking to get thank yous. What I'm looking for is our world is upside down right now, and any positive reinforcement that you can give, I can give. It's helping people get through a really bad time. And, you know, I just. When we go back to that team, to me, society is a team. How do we Treat people. How do you want to be treated?

And that's so true. So I knew that about you, and sometimes. But I know. I know you're open about it. And so I've done a lot of research. And, you know, it's tough. When you're done with hockey or your profession, you have an identity crisis. So you put skates on at five years old, you live your dream. You're going all the way through it. You finally played that first game in the NHL. You walk through the tunnel. There's nothing like it. And then, you know, I know at the end of my career, I was a player coach in the minors. And now you're headed towards the end of your career. What are you doing when it stops and you have that identity crisis? Okay, what do you do? And I've read that 35% of, like, major league athletes end up having some sort of mental health crisis in their life.

That happened to me. So I was with the docs. I had shoulder surgery twice, and I got bought out of my third year. But, you know, you're going. I would ride my mountain bike to the pond every day where we played. So I'd go down there, do my therapy, pick up my mail. Right. Couldn't play, so I was still involved. I was still part of the team. And then my agent phones me. He says, they're buying you out of your contract, so don't go to the rink tomorrow. They're gonna have everything packed up, and your trainer is gonna drop it off. And right away, I thought to myself, wow, I was part of this family for two and a half years, and now they don't even want me to come down there and pick my stuff up. So right away, the depression and the mental health and all these things kicked in, Mike. And, you know, the rest is history from there. And I went into a very, very dark place. I'm lucky to be talking to you today. I can say that. And, you know, I celebrated my 12th year sobriety on November 17, my son's birthday. And like I said earlier, I believe that hockey was a platform for me to help people. And I tell you, I get a. You know, it's like scoring an NHL goal, which I only scored four. But that feeling, when I can help somebody get out of their rut, it's an amazing feeling.

And that's your way of giving back, you know, and I. Sometimes, you know, everyone has a cliche. In fact, the thing about Facebook that's frustrating is there's people that post things and they've Never lived it like you. So you've really lived it. You've lived it at the highest level. And then you had, you know, a major setback. And when I told that to Stephon Matteo, who's a really good friend of mine, he goes, hey, it's not a setback, you know, so he went through some similar things as well as many other people that. That you and I both know. And it's not easy. You go through anxiety and you go through some physical symptoms, and then one thing leads to another. But you know what? I could say, thank goodness you're doing what you're doing. And I even. I'm almost. Aren't you working with kids today? Tell us what you're doing today.

Yeah, so I have a company called Jim Thompson's Dreams Do Come True. And what it is, is it's basically on ice mentoring, off ice mentoring. Myself and Darcy Tucker are the ambassadors at a sports school called King Heights Academy. So what my role is there, Mike, is I go down and I work with all the kids behind the scenes who need help. Now, those kids could be bullies. Those kids could be entitled. Those kids could, you know, be the ones being picked on, whatever the case may be. And I'm very busy. And it's real. We went to school, we had bullies in school, all these different things that the times have not changed in the fact that kids are still the same. So I really enjoy it by helping. Making peace in the world and making, you know, that. That whole environment better. And so, yeah, I. I gotta tell you, I just love it. I love working with kids. And because I was bullied, right? I was a bully, and then I got bullied a lot. So the only reason I was a bully was because I hung out with the bullies because I didn't want to be bullied. Call it, you know, soft or whatever, but that's just the way it was. I grew up in a trailer park, a tough environment. 10. I was the youngest of 10 kids, so four older brothers that were bikers. And so a really tough environment of growing up. So I went through all these periods where, you know, being picked on, you know, I'll never forget the guys that picked on me. As I got older, bigger and tougher, I'm thinking, boy, I can't wait to run in them. But that wasn't the answer, because you'll never leave a kid picking on you in school. You'll never forget it. I also had to do a lot of apologizing, Mike, to the kids that I picked on, you know, because, you know, I look back, it makes me. It makes me really uncomfortable to this day of how could you be so mean? So I really, really enjoy sorting those issues out at schools and going into rehab places and helping out. It's really rewarding.

Well, you know, there's a lot of like transformation going on and, and this is, this was my point earlier on, that, that you've, you, I mean, you lived it. So you lived it at, like I said, at the highest level. And then I didn't know you were bullied. And then you, you know, you were part of the bully group and, and now you're giving back and now you're helping. Did you own a junior team as well, since you have a hockey team as well? At one time?

Yeah. Yeah. I got. My wife and I were going into our six year of ownership, the Aurora Tigers, Junior A. We play against your Buffalo Sabres, your Junior Sabers. So, yeah, that's really rewarding because, you know, I get to deal with 23 Mike Hartman's and Jim Thompsons that are aspiring to get to college, get to the pro hockey. And you know, I played in this league. I played for the Markham Waxers back in the day. And so it's really rewarding to be part of that. And you know, yeah, that, that I'm blessed with. That's, that's a blessing that I can be part of that.

So I tell people like, you could bring up any name and I could tell you if they played in my era, how many games, what position they were, how did they play, were they a defensive player, were they strong on their feet? Because I used to study every guy. I used to study every player from 1986 until my last, my last day, in fact, maybe I did it a little bit too much. But the funny thing is, I bet you didn't know this, that I played for the North York Rangers and in that same tier two league when I was 16.

I did not know that. How is that? Because you're from, you're from Detroit, are you not?

Yes. I left Detroit and it was all worked out that I was going to play for Michigan State. And I talked to Michigan and there was a bunch of other schools and I was going to go play for Sean Walsh, who was the assistant coach then. And at that time he was talking to me every week. He says, go to Ken Canada. It's not like you're hiding there. It's a. It was a great league. At first I was in Ailia and it was a little bit too Small for me. And they had like Kevin Maguire was there and I think Tom Hercus was there. A bunch of good players.

Tony Hercus. Tony Hercus.

Tony Hercus, yeah, that Tony Herkus was there. And I ended up going to. I ended up. Ended up playing in North York, living in Mississauga with. With a family. And I could tell you about this guy. This guy was the toughest guy that I'd ever played against. His name was Bob Langley or played with. And he was a tough guy. He taught me how to fight as a young 16 year old. But I went there and then I decided I had an agent at the time. And he said, you know what? Why don't you play in the ohl? You're going to be rated in the first three rounds. And things did not work out for me. The show's about you, not me. But I played in that league and that's where I really learned because that was a good league.

Very good league. And if I'm correct, isn't that the. The year that Aurelia went to the World Bank Cup?

They did, yeah, they had. Yep, they did. They had a stacked team. But it worked out better that I left. The coach was mad. I remember the coach, he said, you're leaving here. I said, well, I didn't commit. I mean, he didn't commit to me. And I ended up going to play for a guy by the name of Ted Tobias.

And I know Ted Tobias. Do you know Ted? Sorry to interrupt you. Do you know Ted was a longtime coach with the Aurora Tigers?

I do, actually. I do know it. I do know that because that's where he was before. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I did. Look, you and I played against each other because I was at the Marlboros. You were in North Bay, if I'm correct. Correct.

Oh, yeah, I was playing for. Yeah, we played against each other in the. Oh.

Oh, we did. We did. We did. We crossed paths. You would have had. Was Mark and Kevin Hatcher were there.

If I'm correct, that was the year I got trade. I was in Belleville the first year.

Yeah.

And then I got traded to North Bay, which was the best thing that could have ever happened playing for Bert Templeton. I really liked him.

Yeah.

But I ended up going to. I think you're a year older than me.

I'm 65. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, I'm a 67.

Oh, you're two years. Okay. Two years. Yeah. Okay.

So why.

Why I mentioned Mark Hatcher. Did you. Do you remember Mark?

Well, I grew up in Detroit with those guys.

So, so Mark, Mark and I obviously playing against him in the OHL was terrifying. You know, you got a guy, 6, 8, 260 pounds with the beard. Like I, I remember going in the north, but I'm going, what going on here. And Kevin was a big man too. So I played with Kevin in Washington, but Mark and I ended up in Baltimore together, Washington's farm team. And I always felt bad. Mike, this guy was at this point, he was 280 pounds. He was six, eight. Imagine the ten hour bus rides. This guy could not get comfortable. It was the most like he was. He was in pain to be on that bus and his body was too big for a bus. Right. So I always remember what a strange swell, swell family and guy. Kevin and him are both gems.

Absolutely. But, well, that's, you know, what it's been, it's been great, you know, catching up with you and I. I'm glad we, we hit on a lot of different things and I think what people have to. There's a takeaway from all of this. It's like you worked. I mean, we didn't get into that. I know how hard you worked, how hard you trained. You did whatever it took to get to the highest level. And then now you're helping people. Is there a website that people can go to to find you? Or they're gonna say, I remember Jim Thompson, but where can we find them?

So it's Jim thompsonsdreams.com no P. And Thompson. They can find me there. Instagram, Jim Thompson, 33. And they can find everything there. But yeah, and I gotta tell you, Mike, I'm honored to be with you on here. You're doing a great job. I've listened to your podcast. I enjoy them. What I enjoy about them is this. The stories, just easy talking, no swearing, really, really in depth stuff that I really gravitate to. So you're doing a swell job, Jim.

Thank you. And I'm so happy to have you on. And you and I will catch up soon for sure.

Thanks so much, Mike.

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