Players Only: St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas joins NHL Now
We got a stud center from the St. Louis Blues. Sure do. Yeah. Well, Robert Thomas setting up for a nice little home stand. Thanks for joining us here. Uh we’ll get right into it, man. Uh we obviously got the Stanley Cup in studio today. You’ve hoisted this thing as a uh as a rookie. Um can you talk about the experience and uh maybe your best memories of your cup day? Yeah. Um I mean the experience was pretty great. Uh, I definitely got spoiled in the rookie year. Um, you know, I felt like I could just win it every single year in my career and, uh, sadly that hasn’t happened again. But, um, yeah, what a what a great day. Um, you know, having in your hometown, so many friends and family. Um, couple things I did that I really loved was just like a big backyard barbecue with, um, you know, I think we had like a hundred 100 people that, you know, I grew up with and stuff and and brought it to Dairy Queen, too, and had a blizzard. So, uh, you know, a couple special things, uh, for the day. What kind of blizzard? Yeah, you had the blizzard in the cup. Oh, yeah. Oreo. Oreo. Got to be Oreos. Right answer. Uh, no, I mean, just talking about the Stanley Cup that capped off a tremendous run for you in terms of success. You had the uh, Memorial Cup championship in 2016, you won the World Junior uh, gold medal in 2018, Stanley Cup 2019. Uh, if you had to rank those, can you rank them? Are they all individually awesome or did some mean more than others? I mean, that’s a pretty impressive run there for you. Yeah. No, it was a great run. That’s what I was saying. I feel like every year I could win a championship, but it’s been a long time from that. Um, I would I mean, it’s hard to rank them. Um, but I think Stanley Cup’s number one. I think that’s everyone’s main dream in their life and goal and um yeah, pretty lucky. Hopefully, I get another one. So, I was uh right around that time I saw you playing in London and right around that time I was living in Erie, Pennsylvania. So, I got to see the Erie Otter’s roster in the Ontario Hockey League and your guys’ roster for the London Knights was absolutely incredible. So, I think we got at uh some of the notables, I would say, from 2016. Can you just talk about like what a loaded group and you were you were a rookie winning uh the MEM Cup as well? Yeah, our team, yeah, it was stacked. Uh I mean, that was probably one of the the greatest teams. Um you know, since the I think it was series one, we were playing Owen Sound. um you know we won the last two games to win the series there and we didn’t lose another game the entire playoffs me cup everything. So uh our team was loaded and um for me as a rookie there like you look at some of the names up there and just how good of people and leaders they were and uh I know me and B were both rookies and um they helped us out a ton really take our game to another level and um it was a it was a special group. That starting lineup for NHL all started pretty good little the London Knights uh that’s that’s good stuff. So, just want to jump into this season. You know, October’s I always found it to be a kind of a funny month. You’re sort of getting dialed in. You’re getting into the rhythm. Uh what’s it been like with Jim Montgomery having him for training camp and going into the season with him after last year? Yeah, it’s been good. Um you know, a couple ups and downs so far, but um we feel like our we got off to a good start. We we know our team identity. Uh we had a huge win in Dallas or Dallas came in here and we had a big win um you know, on Saturday night. So, um you know, we’re feeling really good. We feel like we can be a great team, a top team in the league. And um yeah, I think so far uh we’re happy with our start. I we were kind of joking around on this show. Uh I don’t know if Schneider if you were on that day, but I got a new favorite player in the National Hockey League and it’s Jake Neighbors. I just I like the way he plays. I like he’s got a little edge to him and goes to those hard areas. What’s it like kind of I don’t know being the the veteran. You’re not old, but maybe compared to some of the other guys you are and and just kind of leading the line of Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbors. Yeah, I mean, we have Yeah, it seems like the last couple years we’ve had big turnover and um we got so many young guys coming in and and playing huge roles for us and uh thing I love at the most is just great people. Like there we we got some really good character here in St. Louis. and um you know, we we saw that in in the way we ended last year and in the playoffs and and how close we were to getting by Winnipeg there. So, uh so many great players um with with great like character and and will to win and um it’s something that that’s really exciting being here in St. Louis right now. Yeah, at the end of my career, I was in Bridgeport for part of the year and we played Jake Neighbors in Springfield like 12 times a year and he always scored on me. So, I’m not too surprised that uh he’s fitting right in with you guys. But speaking of another young guy on your team, Jimmy Snugaroot kind of came in last year. A lot of fanfare. It’s tough as a rookie coming in, you know, in the playoff push. Uh what have you seen from him this year as he seemed more settled in, a little more comfortable? Yeah, I think a little bit. Uh I mean, he’s only played like 15 games now, so uh he’s going to start to get more and more comfortable, but just his release and shot, uh I mean, it’s it’s crazy. I I haven’t seen anything really like it. Um you know, he’s finding different ways to score now. Obviously, he scored the game winner last night. um which is a huge goal for us and um just just very tenacious on the puck. Got a ton of skill and I can’t wait for him to get comfortable and more confident in the league. He’s going to be a he’s going to be a top player. So with some of the behind thescenes stuff we’ve we’re seeing with with Prime and and the Kachchuck family. You you lived with the Kachchuck uh your first year I think in in St. Louis. Like what was that like just seeing I we’re seeing all the personalities and the way they kind of ri each other all the time. Was that was that awesome being in uh in that household? Yeah, it was great. Um so great. I stayed for another two years in the basement. So um yeah, I mean they’re they you know they’re loud, they’re they’re proud and um yeah, it was so nice being in their family. I think, you know, my first couple years it was a little rocky and then um you know, I found my foot in there in year four and um you know, a big part of it was that, you know, I’d come home from games, Big Walt would have some notes for me and uh we’d watch Brady, we’d watch Matthew, and um just watching a game with with someone like that, the way he taught his kids how to play and how to be greasy, get in those hard areas and um you know, kind of translated to me. So, it was it was a big learning experience for me. I picture like a stepbros kind of vibe between Matthew and Brady in the house, you know, like that’s just how I picture them. So, uh that that’s good stuff. But speaking of comedies, did you happen to catch Adam Sandler when he came through? I know there’s some pictures uh that surfaced of him with a couple of the guys. You know, he’s an OG for me. One of my favorite actors and comedians of all time, but uh looked like he had a little bit of fun at at the arena there. Oh, yeah. I I wasn’t at the show. I know uh there’s a couple guys there. I got to meet him, too, and say he was the coolest dude ever. Um, it’s interesting. Like I I heard some things about his show. He’s just up there just being himself. He’s playing a little music. Uh, he’s joking around with some of his friends and stuff. I heard it’s a it’s a great show. What uh talk about uh this time of year? It’s always one of my favorites. Just I don’t Did you guys have your Halloween party yet? Uh if not or if you did, get let us in on uh you know, who are some of the ones that we should look for when these pictures uh eventually hit the internet? Yeah, we we had our Halloween party. Uh, it was great. Um, thinking top costumes. Matt Matthew Joseph’s always got great costumes. He goes all out face paint and all. Um, who else had some good ones? Binner. Binner loves Halloween. Um, yeah, we had some we had some good ones. I’ll I’ll wait till the pictures come out. I’m sure they’re going to come out in a week or so. It’s wild. It’s wild thinking about I don’t know if you guys you don’t have to name them if you don’t want but off the top of your head like there’s some guys that are actually you’ve said this guy’s one of them the guys that like will just go all out like there’s no you’ll pay a lot of money to look good on Halloween. Halloween’s a close second to Christmas on my favorite holidays list. So I I just remembered while I’m saying that some of your pictures before but like did you play with someone else that had like just you know professional makeup artists coming in? Yeah I mean we were in Jersey near the city so you had like a million artists you could come you know do you up and everything. So we we always went all out. We loved it. It was fun. We try to host the parties. It’s a good bonding experience. Get the wives and girlfriends together, too. So get a little little debauchery. Um yeah, Halloween’s always the number one party of the year. There it is. It’s great. Yeah, you really got to plan around for that one. Talk to the coach. Say, “Hey, can we slide it in?” That’s why you loved October, you said. It’s true. It’s true. Um real quick though, tomorrow night you guys are having hunting and fishing night. Do you have a preference? Do you are you a hunter or a fisher or neither? I’m neither. Neither. Couldn’t be further from either. Yeah. So, I know a lot a lot of guys are are pumped for the fishing. They they’ve been wearing Yeah, he’s number one. Uh he’s he’s kind of the face of it here. Um he’s excited. Uh he’s got his orange hat, his camo hat. He’s ready to rock, but uh we got a lot of fishers on our team, so they’re I’m not I’m not sure about hunting, but yeah, I couldn’t be further from either of them. Is he in his golf stuff with the fish? I was kind of there. Looks like he has We got a couple courses here in St. Louis that that’ll let you stop in the middle and and fishing with it. That’s great. Just keeps a rod in the bag like a nylon. Like, oh, that’s my fly fishing rod there. Oh, that’s great. That’s great. Uh, hey, we’re going to move on a little uh at the end here. We usually have a little fun with you. Just want to know what you’re thinking. We’re going to show you pictures, videos from your career. Maybe you remember these moments or if you need a little help, let us know what we got. All right. Obviously, the draft photo. That’s great. Um, what was I thinking? Uh, obviously super excited. Um, also where the hell is St. Louis? I had no idea where St. Louis was when I got drafted. Um, never heard anything about it, but uh, obviously it’s home now and and I love it, but uh, yeah, I I never even heard of St. Louis when I got drafted there. Where was your draft? Which city was it held in? Uh, I was in Chicago, so I got I got some booze there, too. Um, it was nice. Got welcomed to the the rivalry right away. And did you know you’re going to go in the first round or was it like hit or miss or did you think you were? Uh, I I had a good idea I would. Um, just where you never know. Um, you have a couple teams you think and um, but I I had a good idea I would be kind of at the the back half of the first. Yeah, I was late first, early second projected. So, I was getting late. I was like 25, picked 26 and I got picked. I was like, “Oh, thank God. I just wanted to go in that first round. It was a big deal.” Uh, okay. So, moving on. See if you remember this one. Yeah, this is right after uh, yeah, first contract. um right after this is probably my first day back in London. I signed that. Um so I was pretty excited to kind of get that last junior year in and um had the first deal. It’s always feels nice. So I don’t know the timing of this. So you you went to camp, then you got sent back to London, they signed you. Is that is that how it went? Yeah, I played I don’t know whatever four or five exhibition games and then uh got sent back, signed there and then finished my my last year. So I I like that didn’t happen with me and I you see some guys it happens to like what what is the motivation in that because like you could argue yeah to get paid and maybe go back to junior and maybe just you’re the big dog now and just maybe not you know what I’m saying? You’re not I how where was your mindset because I I I could see it going both ways? I’ve never been asked that. It’s actually um I think what you know they stick the contract in front of you and you sign it in a second. That’s what I was thinking any differently. Yeah. Yeah. I do wonder why sometimes you know what I mean though. You know what I mean though? Like guys Yeah. Like guys would go back and they normally be pissed off they got sent back. So it’s like maybe even all right I got this contract. We’re going to hold it. We’re going to see how he performs down there. I can understand that. But then paying them up front. I don’t know. I just I always wanted to ask someone that. But yeah it was interesting. I wanted to go back to this one. You mentioned your buddy there, World Juniors, also Halloween Partners. What’s going on here? Yeah, that was our first year. Um, decided to go together as Teletubbies. Um, yeah, it’s a great costume. And now I’m dressing my daughter up as a Teletubby. So, it’s kind of full circle there. You still have the You can go with her. You still got the costume? I do not. No, that that one was left at the party that night. Uh, we All right. So, we you said you were not into fishing and hunting, but this looks pretty cool. When did you get into uh when’d you get into some of the water sports? Yeah, the wake surfing. That’s uh that’s that’s big right now. Uh I love wake surfing. Um I’d say I’m not not the best at it, but um you know, nothing better than have a bunch of your buddies on the lake and get the tunes pumping and um it’s great. It’s slow. You’re right behind the boat and if you fall, it doesn’t hurt. And um yeah, it’s a great way to spend the summer. That lake life up in Ontario is pretty big from what I hear. So, you look pretty good in that. You say you’ve been out that good. I mean, that looks pretty awesome. I mean, you’re upright. It’s better. Exactly. I’d be on my back floating away. Uh, take 500 photos to get a good one. Hey, post that one. That’s all that matters. All right. Well, uh, last one here. We’re going to bring it full circle to where we started. Stanley Cup. Uh, try to talk us through what this emotion was like. Yeah. I mean, to be honest, I didn’t really know how special it was. Uh, how hard it was. Um, you know, I got lucky in the the rookie year to be on a cool team where we’re, you know, bottom of the league, went on a huge run and, uh, ended up winning it all. And, um, took me a couple years to really pinch myself and and realize how great of an accomplishment it was. And, um, you know, I still have dreams about winning it again. And, uh, still that feeling is still inside me all the time. And, um, yeah, I just can’t wait to do it again. It’s, uh, it’s the coolest feeling in the world. And there’s no there’s no better high in in hockey than uh hoisting that thing for the first time. Sets the bar kind of high doing it as I know. Yeah. Tough. Well, hey, we will be watching and rooting for you. Um thanks for swinging by here and uh good luck on the home stand. Awesome. and appreciate you guys.
St. Louis Blues’ center Robert Thomas joins Players Only to discuss winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, his favorite Halloween costumes and more.
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