QUINTIN MUSTY- SAN JOSE SHARKS ORGANIZATION
Goend was like to handle that puck that was 100 passed [Music] when Musty has given Sunbury the lead. [Music] What’s up Q? How you doing? I’m good. How are you? Thanks for having me on. My pleasure, man. It really is. Uh you you have been on my radar, you know, for a little while and um a local guy, man. This guy’s from my hood. So, I’m super excited to to have him on and it’s about to embark on a killer NHL career. So, how you feeling right now as far as everything goes, where you’re at and and just, you know, when you wake up today, man, how’s your mood? No, I’m good. I mean, uh I’m in Toronto right now. Actually, that’s where I train during the week and yeah, I’ll be heading home tonight, but throughout the week, I’m just here and yeah, feeling good. Just doing the basic summer stuff for hockey player training and skating. Yeah, it’s uh it’s good. Will you skate every day? Will you take a day off? Will you take a you know week? Yeah, you probably don’t skate every day. It’s a little overkill in the in the summer. I probably skate around two two three times a week. You know, you just want to give it rest and focus on the gym and getting stronger. You played baseball growing up. Do you agree with kids, you know, multiport? you do you or do you feel like you should lock into one sport when you’re growing up? Yeah. No, absolutely. You should probably be playing at least two, maybe three sports. I mean, I know there’s a lot of, you know, things you can’t touch on when you’re just training and, you know, playing for hockey. And, uh, yeah, playing other sports definitely helps those, you know, range of motions and, you know, strength building and those different areas. So, yeah, I like to play still like a little baseball, throw the ball around, stuff like that. And, you know, golf is a big one that a lot of people play nowadays. So yeah, and it just, you know, trains those other parts of your body. You can’t train in in hockey or in training for hockey. So yeah. How’s the golf game going, dude? Probably uh uh you’re probably on some slightly nicer courses than than 18 Mile Creek these days. Yeah, it’s a it’s pretty good, you know, just Yeah. Yeah. It’s a good time. I want to go into a question with you that I think a lot of viewers probably don’t know and I want to kind of clear the mystique with it about OHL and NHL, right? So, you were drafted first overall in the OHL, then you were drafted by the Sharks in the first round. Okay. I don’t know how often that’s happened. I don’t, you know, I didn’t dig into that too much, but how does that happen where you’re able to get drafted in the 21 first overall pick and then with the Sharks? Kind of explain to the viewers, if you will, you know, that process, right, of how you’re still in eligible NHL. Kind of go over those those that process and the differences. Yeah, I mean it’s just uh you’re still playing minor hockey when you’re getting drafted to the OHL or you know any junior league. Yeah, I moved down to New Jersey that year to to play down there my last year before getting drafted to the OHL and uh yeah, I just had a really good season down there. And you know I was uh you know it’s it’s weird for an American to go first like that and stuff but I was you know Hamburg and know Buffalo it’s pretty close to the border so it wasn’t hard to I knew about the OL my whole life and you know it seemed like the right decision for me so I just went there and uh yeah it’s kind of all within a couple weeks and I found out I was going to go first to to Sudbury. Yeah, it was an exciting moment for me. And then um from there you you know you play the next year and just try and develop and then the next year is your your draft year. You got to have a you know good year and you know stand out there and uh you know there’s NHL scouts at every game watching you know players they already drafted and you know players they want to draft and players for the next draft. So there’s always uh you know people there to you know see you and stuff. So, you got to, you know, play well that whole second year and then basically however well you do that year is uh, you know, where you get drafted or when you get drafted. So, and then after that it’s just going to those camps and just working trying to make the team. So, and thank you for explaining that. I know um, you know, to you it’s obviously, you know, in your head you’ve gone over it a million times, but I think the viewers will appreciate that, right? Because sometimes, you know, you got a lot of casual fans, the the people listening, they’ll say, “Well, he was drafted here.” And then, you know, they don’t truly understand the the difference. Yeah. And the time frame, man, it just seems like, you know, 21 to it was just like boom, right? This this two-year period where you just exploded onto the scene, right? And, you know, I had known your name from Junior Sabres and things like that. You know, I I have kids that we mentioned before we started that play hockey and stuff, but was it as expected, I guess, for you, you know, the the the the attention, the growth, you know, how fast everything happened or or did it really kind of take you by storm, you know, like, you know, 17, 18 year old kid, like, wow, you know, this is really happening. Like what was your emotions like there? Yeah, I mean it was obviously pretty pretty crazy, you know, just living out your dream, you know, to get drafted and uh yeah, those two years before I got drafted, it was uh you know, it was quick years, you know, I was having a lot of fun and you know, it’s a new experience, you know, living with a billet and you know, having that freedom and being away from home, it’s uh you know, I had it the year prior, but yeah, it’s it’s it’s fun to you know, just basically, you know, wake up, play hockey, and you know, be with your you know, teammates. It’s uh it’s a fun life and yeah it flew by those two years and you know it’s still you know like I said it was crazy just living out your dream but still you’re just uh you know working as hard as you can to you know get to that point. So yeah it’s a it’s a little you know there’s lots of up and ups and downs and in those years but uh overall they’re some of the best years of my life. So yeah it was a good time. How do you how do you stay focused? So how do you you know there’s all this stuff going on around you? You and I both know, man, I’ve spoken to so many athletes and and some actors and musicians and man, everybody’s coming at you for something, right? And and that’s just the reality of it. You know, when somebody knows you’re a first- round draft pick and and or any draft pick, your life changes. You’re getting calls from people that you’ve never spoken to. This guy wants a piece of you. This guy wants a piece of you. Maybe there’s some new female attention here and there, right, man? There’s all kinds of stuff. How do you stay focused on this is my mission, you know? this is what I need to do because ultimately I have this goal to be the best and to play here, right? But like you said, you’re a young guy, you know, you’re out living on your own and and you have this newfound freedom. What’s your secret, you know, to really staying mentally focused and staying on the grind? Yeah, I think it’s just important to, you know, have a, you know, a circle of, uh, you know, people that are, you know, close to you and, you know, they know everything and you can confide in them and and stuff like that. It’s important to, you know, have those people, especially, you know, with, you know, social media is a big one now. You’ll see a lot of stuff about yourself on there. And yeah, it’s uh, you know, it really doesn’t bother me. And just staying focused wise, it’s it’s, you know, usually people saying stuff that you’ve never met or anything. And it’s just it’s pretty easy for for me to just ignore it. Obviously, you should it’s pretty easy when the stuff’s not true, especially. And even when it is true, it’s, you know, still easy to ignore it. you know, those people, they don’t know me. And, you know, I get the people close to me, you know, that’s all that matters is that they know me and yeah, that’s kind of how I stay focused. You know, worry about the outside stuff. I just worry about kind of what I’m doing on the ice and in the gym. It’s a super mature answer. And it’s, you know, your wise beyond your ear saying that, man, you got to have a good camp around you. Sounds like you’re a pretty humble dude. Sounds like you have yourself together, you know, pretty well. And you’re just really staying focused on playing hockey. Is that accurate? Yeah, I mean um yeah, there’s no time to, you know, really not be humble, you know. Uh there’s it’s a it’s a big sport. It’s a hard sport to make it in. And yeah, so you know, obviously you want to have confidence and I think I have a lot of that, you know, playing and but uh yeah, it’s important. You know, it’s a team sport and you know, you want to you know, get to know your teammates. You you want to be liked by your teammates, you want to like your teammates. So yeah, it’s uh I’d say it’s one of the most most humble sports with, you know, people on the team. There’s there’s never anyone on any team I’ve played on that know about themselves and yeah, I think that’s an important thing for a team culture and just uh as a human being. So yeah. No, I I agree with you wholeheartedly. Let’s talk about the early morning grind for a minute. Shout out to your parents. Shout out to everybody that would help you wake up in the morning and get you where you needed to go. Man, you know, hockeyy’s one of those games that that anybody who plays it or has kids playing it knows that you have a tournament here or tournament there, you know, and you’re up four or five o’lock in the morning and you’re on the ice and it’s cold and everybody’s got their sweatshirts and their coffees, right? And all the moms are talking about how the heater’s broken, you know, you know what I’m saying? So, how how how was that, you know, experience? What what do you remember fondly about, you know, getting up early at the rinks? And is there any stories you can share, you know, just about the the family element of it, you know, like the rise and grind kind of thing? Yeah, I mean, I have three sisters as well, and they all played sports, too. So, yeah, I was uh You’re the only boy? Yeah, only boy. So, are they older or younger? Two of them are younger, one’s older, but um yeah, they they all played sports as well. So, I felt like, you know, it really wasn’t just me. You know, I feel like every day of the week it was, you know, getting up that early, at least one of us, and taking us there and then, you know, taking the other one to this sport and I think all of us were playing two or three sports at one time as well. And yeah, it was uh I don’t even know how we do it as parents, man. Like, sorry to interrupt you. Like, I think about it now. I have my three boys and you’re telling me this and I’m hearing it and I do it and I’m like, I don’t even know how we do this. We we and we have to work and we have to support. We have to pay for it, right? I mean, sports aren’t cheap anymore, man. You know, like I was a kid. You just went, you played wreck baseball, you know, no matter how good you are, you were an all-star and that was the end of it, dude. It was like travel now, everything. You need some you need some dough and you need some time. So Oh, yeah. Yeah. It was uh Yeah. My parents were great with, you know, supporting what we wanted to do and obviously they would, you know, I think they signed us all up for every single sport at least one time and, you know, kind of let us pick our way and, you know, which ones we like the most. So yeah, they were great with you know that stuff taking us and yeah, it was uh you know, a lot of grind for for our family and uh you know, lots of car pooling with with other people and stuff. So yeah, it was uh it was a lot but yeah, my parents did well with handling that side of things and yeah, I uh you know, I appreciate them every day for for those things. Who were your uh your junior sabers? I know you played a couple years with them. Who were the coaches for you then? I Pat Ketta and uh Brian Brian Gian. Okay. And uh guys, I was just talking about, man, that’s great. Yeah. Then um I played up a year and I had Craig River there as well. So, how was your time with that, man? Like, what can you say as far as Junior Sabres as an organization? Yeah, it was great. I mean um you know, you go there obviously they have the the Academy of Hockey there. So, and uh you know, a nice gym there as well. So, it was kind of my first taste of you know, when I made the move there of you know, training and you know, doing skill skates and stuff like that. all the like stuff I’d never heard of before and you know obviously it’s very normal to me now but yeah that was introduced at an early age and you know they’re they were a great program and you know they got a lot of kids from from out of town and stuff and we had some good teams and yeah the coaches obviously they all played the three I mentioned they all played in the NHL and you know they got that experience from there so yeah it was uh it was great and obviously there’s other coaches as well that are just there that ton of them have played in the the NHL you know Kevin Adams was there before and you know Kennedy and people like that and there’s just all of them have so much experience and uh yeah I think that’s where uh my uh my game really started to take off was was there and I I think that’s hugely you know the it’s it’s it’s not only the gameplay like you said all of those guys for mentioned right I mean Gian was a heck of a play but they weren’t all burners but they all have NHL experience and to be able to share that wisdom you know it’s not all about the talent level right like your talent level’s off the charts Maybe Ketta doesn’t quite have the hands, but he played in the NHL. And that dude’s got some crazy records, man. When I had Patty on, we were talking about it. He’s got like most penalty minutes mixed with goal. Like there’s all these crazy weird stats that you come up with and he and he has them, man. You pull them up on his page and he’s like, “Really?” Rob Ray, too. Rob Ray like has all these wild records in the There’s a bunch of them. There’s It’s crazy, man. Um, as far as the numbers themselves, there’s some things that just can’t be ignored, which is 53 games, 43 goals, 59 assists, right? That just can’t be ignored at any level. It’s ridiculous. And, you know, right now, you have one mission, right? You want to play in the NHL and you want to be successful in the NHL. And then once that mission, right, I would think then you want to hoist a cup up over your head. But you’re satisfied when like you know how how do you see all this going and what is the path for this season I guess immediate goals and how do you see all this going? Yeah I mean obviously you know like you said I want to play in the NHL and yeah you know you’re never really satisfied. There’s no time to be satisfied at this this level now. The jump I’m I’m making even in the AHL if that’s where I am this year anywhere pro you just don’t have the time you know these the kids and you know every day pretty much I see at the rink you know especially in this area in Toronto which is you know a lot of hockey you know the kids are you know they’re they’re just getting better and better. They’re coming for you. Yeah. They’re getting better and better and you know obviously there’s thousands of of players playing pro that are older than me, one year older than me, two years. It’s a big group. You know, hockey is played for a long time when you have a good career. Yeah, it’s hard. You can never really be satisfied. You always got to be getting better and you know, as soon as you know you accomplish a goal, it’s just what’s the next one and what’s the next? So, yeah, it’s a it’s a lot of fun doing it. It’s a It’s a grind, but you know, you always have something to, you know, look forward to and, you know, try and do. So, yeah, just keep sharpening that sword, right, man? We’ll get to a couple of fun questions here. And like I said, I I think you feel good. You feel healthy. You feel good this season. Yeah, I feel great going into the season. And that that’s going to be key for you, man. You know, not having those little nagging injuries and going in with fresh legs and everything, dude, is is going to be really really good for you. I’m super stoked. I’m excited for the season. Be honest. I heard in a recent interview that you were watching a little little waterfront on that uh on Netflix. Oh yeah, I just that was a solid show, dude. Yeah. Yeah, it was a good show. Watched it. I watched it pretty quick. I had it with my girlfriend was here so we we watched it, you know, kind of just train, skate, and then come back here, make dinner, and go to sleep and repeat. So there’s a lot of, you know, watching shows. Those shows, man, when you get into it, bang, right? Like you almost got to get through them. Yeah, that was a quick one. That was a good one though. What’s your favorite Office episode? I heard you say you’re an Office fan. Do you Do you have a specific episode? No, I probably watched it like probably eight times every season. It’s just something I throw on, you know, doing stuff. I’ll still still I’ll throw it on and just, you know, watch it and stuff. I don’t I don’t know the episode or the names of episodes. Michael Scott, man. He’s he’s a great show, dude. Yeah, that’s The Office is a phenomenal show, man. So, we got to do this, right? I’m gonna give you like rapid fire. One, two, three, there’s five. There’s the slang names for. All right. So, the hockey slang. All right. So, we’re going to go. So, it’s going to be like best slang for and then onetime. Then boom, you go. Right. So, we got five of these. You ready for this? Yeah. All right. So, we’re we’re firing. So, hockey, best slang for one-time. Probably just a one T. All right. A hard slap shot. A bomb. Probably a great pass. Either a dish or an apple if it goes in. A great save. Probably robbery. And what’s a haircut these days, man? Are we still calling it lettuce or where we at with a haircut? Yeah, probably. Yeah, either chop or, you know, lettuce, something like that. So, I think hockey has the best slang, dude. There’s There’s no comparison. Yeah, there’s some there’s some crazy ones you hear nowadays from from the younger kids and stuff. It’s just it’s hard to keep track of, but it is. And it’s language and it’s you saying younger kids, which is the greatest thing in the world. Yeah. But yeah, there’s some young ones now and they can play. So they say some some crazy stuff. So it’s hard to keep up with. One of the best coaches ever told me, you know, this is in any sport. There’s the the the guys the pros who’ve been humbled or who have not been humbled yet, right? Like you’re either humble or you’re not humbled yet because inevitably you’re going to be. There’s constantly somebody better coming gunning for you, right? You know, even look at Gretzky. I can’t believe Obie broke that record this. Like I still sit back and I’m thinking about that and I’m like, “How did that even happen, man?” I watched it and I’m like, “How did that even happen?” You think Obie’s going to retire now? No, I don’t think so. He can still play, you know? He just How many What do you have? 40 this year. Yeah. If I was still putting on 40, I’d play until like He’s having fun out there, man. Right. He’s smiling with his no teeth, dude. He’s awesome, Bob. He’s just He’s hard not, isn’t he? Oh, yeah. He’s the best, man. It’s fun to watch him. You’re a Buffalo, dude. I gotta ask you about chicken wings. All right. It’s just It’s It’s It’s a right of passage. I have to. Are you a flats or you a drums guy? Uh flats. You know, I thought we were going to be like best. I’m a drum guy, dude. I think you’re the first person I’ve met that that said drums. Really? See, drum you can gnaw on the thing. You can take it as your own little and and the wing. You got to do some work, right? There’s veins. I do like the I do like the one bite with the flat side. All right. So, you’ll go in shred it off. Yeah. Yeah. Like push it down a bit and then it just comes off. Blue cheese. Sometimes I’ll mix ranch and blue cheese, too. But I I like blue cheese. Yeah. Yeah. That’s good. Okay. All right. Yeah. Once in a while, but for the most part, blue cheese. All right. Wow. Yeah. You’re turning me on to something new with the uh with the mixture. A lot of the guys, the youngest dudes that, you know, baseball, I talked to them across the country and they don’t even know what blue cheese is. They’re like, you know, out west. Do they even They don’t use blue cheese. Never seen it. Have you found a wing joint out there? I think we did. We did. Well, it was it was it was a nicer restaurant, but it had wings there and they they were pretty solid. They weren’t really They weren’t buffalo, but they were good. They’re pretty soft. I had Josh Allen’s dad on and he’s out, you know, in H Fireball, California, which kind of close, I think, to San Jose. I think it’s about an hour. Yeah, it’s kind of like the middle. Such a big And I know you weren’t out there a bunch like And I’ i’ve only been out there two, three times, man. But it’s like a country. It’s massive. And it’s just Oh, yeah. There’s there’s a lot of nothing and there’s a lot of cities and then more nothing and Yeah. It’s huge. You know, we we fly every time there. So, you just fly over and it’s like just nothing and then a big city and then nothing. Big city. Yeah, it’s like its own little country there. This is great, dude. I’m super excited for you. I really am. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time, you know, early on a Saturday morning and spending some time with me, dude. And uh uh you come as advertised, man. Just a great dude. Um and I wish you absolutely nothing but best, you know, for the for the career. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Quintin was born in Hamburg, NY , the home of legendary Moneyball founder Donovan D$ Scott ( lol). But seriously, he was…., and he seized every single opportunity to show and prove what he had as far as hockey ability, getting drafted in the 1st round 2023. the future is loud and bright for Q-
