Stars GM Jim Nill Isn’t Afraid Of The Conference Final Hump | After Hours

PLEASED TO BE JOINED ON “AFTER HOURS” BY THE DALLAS GENERAL MANAGER JIM NILL. A LOT GOING RIGHT FOR THE STARS RIGHT NOW. EVERY YEAR, FOR THREE YEARS PREVIOUSLY, YOU’VE BEEN IN THE CONFERENCE FINAL. BUT THE ROAD TO THE STANLEY CUP HAS ENDED FOR YOU, IN THE CONFERENCE FINALS. SO THE QUESTION COMES FROM NICO HUGHES. HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THAT CONFERENCE FINALS HURDLE? >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FIRST OF ALL IS YOU WANT TO GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH CHANCES. YOU DON’T GO FROM MAKING THE PLAYOFFS TO GOING TO THE STANLEY CUP FINALS. I’VE LIVED THAT BACK IN MY CAREER WITH THE DETROIT RED WINGS. AND IT’S A PROCESS, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING. WE’VE HAD THREE CRACKS AT IT, AND YOU HOPE THROUGH EITHER SOME OTHER ACQUISITIONS OR THE PLAYERS, AS THEY BATTLE THROUGH THESE THINGS, THEY GET HARDENED, AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK TOO. >> Scott: BEFORE GETTING TO GENERAL MANAGER QUESTIONS, A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO, TYLER SEGUIN ON THIS PROGRAM DESCRIBED YOU AS MORE OF A FATHER FIGURE THAN A HARD-ASDED JM RR. WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR GENERAL MANAGER STYLE HA HAS A LOT OF DALLAS STARS PLAYERS FEELING THAT WAY? >> IT’S ABOUT RESPECTING AND TREATING PEOPLE RIGHT. A DWIE LIKE TYLER SEGUIN, SUCH A GREAT STORY. 13 JEERS AGO WE TRADED FOR HIM. >> Scott: YOUR FIRST BIG MOVE AS A STARS’ GM. >> YOU’RE RIGHT. AND TO SEE HIS TRANSITION, COME FROM THE YOUNGER STUD TYPE OF GUY IN OUR SYSTEM, AND NOW HE’S ONE OF OUR FATHER FIGURES, HE’S HAD A CHILD, MARRIED. JUST A GREAT STORY TO SEE HOW THESE GUYS HAVE MATURED OVER THE YEARS. >> Scott: TO GENERALLY MANAGING THEN, THAT REQUIRES A GM THESE DICE TO BE A MATH WHIZ. MIKKO RANTANEN HAS COME AS ADVERTISED FOR THE DALLAS STARS, LEADING YOUR TEAM IN SCORING. WE COULD SPEND TIME DISCUSSING THE HITS IN THE LAST TWO GAMES, SKIPPING OVER THAT FOR NOW. BUT YOU HAD TO DO SALARY CAP GYMNASTICS TO SIGN HIM TO A LONG-TERM DEAL. AND JASON ROBERTSON ON AN A UNHOLY TEAR, IN A CONTRACT YEAR. CAN THE STARS AFFORD BOTH RANTANEN AND ROBERTSON? >> YEAH, WE’LL FIND A WAY TO DO IT. WE’VE ALWAYS KIND OF FOUND WAYS. GREAT PLAYERS, HARD TO FIND GOALSCORERS. AND TALKING TO JASON OVER THE SUMMER, HE HAD A TOUGH YEAR THE YEAR BEFORE, MISSING ALL OF TRAINING CAMP. DISCUSSED THIS SUMMER, IT’S AN OLYMPIC YEAR, GREAT YEAR, A LOT OF GREAT THINGS GOING ON, AND PERFORMING FOR US. >> Scott: SKIPPING AHEAD TO YOUR PLAYING CAREER. GOING BACK TO THE ’80s, IT WAS YOUR DECADE AS A PLAYER, TEN-YEAR CAREER WITH FIVE DIFFERENT TEAMS. TWO OF THOSE TWICE, DETROIT, AND WINNIPEG. A 50-GOALSCORER EVEN IF IT TOOK 10 YEARS TO GET THERE. BUT HOW DO YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR PLAYING CAREER? >> AS A YOUNG MAN GROWING UP IN HANNA, ALBERTA, LANNY McDONALD WAS MY ROLE MALD, FROM HAN — MODEL, FROM HANNA AS WELL. AND YOU NEVER THINK AS A KID YOU’RE GOING TO GET THERE. AND I PLAYED ON THE CANADIAN OLYMPIC TEAM, GOT ME INTO THE SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT. AND YOU GET IN THERE, WORK HARD EVERY DAY, AND STICK AROUND AS LONG AS YOU CAN. >> Scott: THE PIMs THAT STAND OUT IN YOUR CAREER. ALL WE COULD FIND WERE SCRAPS IN YOUR YEAR. NIKOLA NILL VERSUS STEEVES. ONE SITE HAS YOU AT 50 DOCUMENTED FIGHTS. DID YOU JUST PICK OUT THE TOUGHEST GUY B OH THE OTHER TEAM. >> I DIDN’T LIKE WHEN SOMEBODY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF SOMEBODY. YOU GET IN THE SITUATION. AND I HOPE MY MOTHER IS NOT WATCHING THIS, I’LL BE IN TROUBLE. BUT IT WAS PART OF THE GAME, AND A DIFFERENT GAME BACK THEN TOO. >> Scott: THIS OFFERING ON EBAY, A FIGHT PHOTO, YOURS FOR 17.50, $10 SHIPPING. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS COLLECTIBLE? >> IT WAS BARRY BECK WHO BLOODIED ME. >> Scott: VERY APPROPRIATE IN “HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER” AT THE SADDLEDOME, TO YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR WIFE’S INSPIRING BATTLE WITH CANCER. BECKY FIRST DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN 1999. HAD IT BEAT. RESURFACED IN 2011. HERS IS A COURAGEOUS BATTLE AND THE WAY SHE’S FACED IT. >> AN INSPIRATION. EASY FOR HER TO KIND OF POOR ME, SHE’S THE OPPOSITE WAY. SHE HAD GREAT FAITH. GOD HAS BLESSED HER AND OUR FAMILY. AND TO SEE HER USING THAT PLATFORM TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. WE GO TO THE HOSPITAL FOR HER TREATMENTS, AND NEXT THING, SHE’S SITTING THERE, TALKING TO A YOUNG MOTHER, AND ENCOURAGING HER, AND HELPING HER ALONG THE WAY, AND FRIENDSHIPS. AND SHE’S REALLY A BLESSING IN HOW SHE’S DEALT WITH IT. >> Scott: I WISH WE HAD MORE TIME, BUT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR TEAM PUSHES THE GAME TO OVERTIME AND A SHOOTOUT. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. >> THANK YOU, AND JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SUCH A GREAT MAN, AND EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE, THANK YOU. >> Scott: THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT, JIM. JIM NILL HAS

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill joins Scott Oake on After Hours to discuss what he’s seeing from Jason Robertson, some of the best fights from his playing days, and much more.

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