There's two holes in my ceiling right now. The one that I made when Sunderland won on Wednesday night, and the one I made when my first ever favourite Steeler said yes.
So I come to sending the questions. I send them Saturday morning, expecting a few answers at some point, no rush, its Steve Munn, I'm not going to rush him.
I wake up Sunday morning to the answers. You'll see below. Wow. Just wow.
May I introduce to you, the one and only, STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE
LM: Dave Matsos brought you to Sheffield, how did he sell the place and the club to you, and what persuaded you to join?
SM: It was truly a combination of things. Matty’s approach was extremely professional and focused and it was clear he had goals of winning championships and wanted me to be a part of that. We really lined up on our approach to the game (he preached defense) and I liked his personality and philosophy. I knew I could play for the guy and we could win.
It wasn’t all Matty though. Thommo in Coventry was the first to really recruit me to play over there and to be honest, I really liked what he had to say as well and he had a track record of winning and was positioned to continue it. That was when Jody Lehman and Roddy Sarich really tipped my interest towards Sheffield. Both men are people I respect and continue to keep in touch with regularly after the game has passed us by. They were excited about what was going on in Sheffield and I was really excited to go play with my buddies.
When the University of Sheffield deal came on the table, it was a no-brainer. Such an excellent school and the package Matty and Okie put together was something I couldn’t say no to. It ticked all my boxes. Siobhan Newton at the University of Sheffield smoothed over all the details to make sure when Randy Dagenais and I came in, it all went off without a hitch.
In your first season you brought the playoff title home, and followed it up the year after with the league/playoff double. What was it about that team that made it click?
We were a tight and focused team. Matty did a great job establishing early what we were good at and what were weren’t. He knew where our strengths lied and where our weaknesses left us exposed and made sure we played to our strengths. The locker room was a great group with a lot of different leaders holding each other accountable or setting good examples. Selfishness was (usually) nipped in the bud and because we were so unified in the room, knew the game we needed to play to be successful and were willing to work so hard for each other and Matty, we were really hard to play against. We won a lot more than we lost because we had such depth, stuck to our systems well and played to our strengths. When we played teams that matched up well against us in the big games, I think our depth of character was the difference. Matty did a great job of recruiting good people.
What took you to Japan, and was it an enjoyable experience?
I was working on my dissertation that summer and I got a call from a good friend and former teammate, Andrew Allen, who was the goalie coach for the Japanese National Team. I had (mild) intentions on hanging up the skates and getting a big-boy job when the smoke cleared on my dissertation. Of course, when somebody asks if you want to go play in Japan, you can’t help but ask a few questions, even if it was just to satisfy you curiosity. I hadn’t ever thought of pursuing a contract over there and Alley was basically laying one in my lap. There was a new team, they wanted a veteran defenseman to help with their young roster which is code for: old, family man, who won’t be out all night. I was a good fit, really liked my conversations with the coach and Alley’s positive experiences with the country and with the people sold me and my family pretty quickly on it.
Once we got there, we found out quickly how different the cultures were and we were immediately impressed on so many levels. The biggest things that impressed me were how disciplined the people are in every aspect of their lives. Litter was impossible to find. I remember my neck almost snapped one day walking down the sidewalk and a gum wrapper caught my eye. I suddenly realized it was the first bit of litter I had seen in months. Nobody is overweight and everyone is extremely polite. Everywhere we went as a family, people were extremely gracious and welcoming. I’d embarrass myself with some Japanese I’d struggle together, they’d laugh at me and throw some broken English back at me and somehow we’d all figure it out and be all set.
My teammates had a great sense of humor, even though we could barely communicate, we were still able to cut up with each other and have a lot of fun. Their work ethic was incredible. Almost to the point where it was counter-productive. I remember the days at the rink could stretch out for 8 hours between lengthy practices, workouts and runs. Yes, those three words were all plural. Myself and the other imports often talked to the coach and tried to remind him that hockey players are essentially sprinters and the work rest ration works the same for practice and workouts as it does for shifts on the ice. Go hard for a short amount of time and then rest for 2 or 3 times longer. The rest part was hard to come by when you are putting in an 8 hour day of exercise. We wore ourselves out during the week and often found our gas tank empty come the weekend games. Regardless, their example was incredible and something that will stick with me a long time.
The food was amazing. I can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed the food on so many levels. They fed us after every practice at our practice rink and it was always tremendous. Also, I never felt healthier than while I was there. In the West we are kind of stuck on the idea of “Meat and Three”. In other words, you eat some meat and have three other things with it (any combination of bread, veg, starch, etc). With a Japanese meal, it was more like “Meat(s) and Thirty”. The diet is so diverse and I loved everything about it.
Overall, I was so impressed with the whole Japanese experience and was so glad I was able to do it with my family. The kids remember little things about it, as they do living in Sheffield and those memories are priceless as far as I’m concerned. It was such a valuable life experience for us all and something I’ve very grateful to have had the chance to do.
You came back in the summer of 2010, right into the Summer of Discontent. How close were you to becoming player/coach for that season? Did Bob Phillips ask you before Ben Simon came in?
Ah, what a summer. I was extremely close to signing as the player/coach. I really struggled with the decision because I knew how volatile the situation was and how uncertain the club’s future was under Bob’s ownership. It seemed like every time I spoke with him the story changed a little and I had a hard time getting a sense of stability from the club. I didn’t even have the job and he asked me if I’d help recruit a certain tough guy. I told him the guy he wanted would destroy the locker room and wouldn’t mesh with the guys we had. I knew the guy he wanted as a person and I like the guy fine, but I knew his personality was so large, it wouldn’t have gone over well with the guys we had in the room. Also, his skillset outside of the fighting wasn’t enough for me as a tough guy, if it were to be my team. If I’m recruiting a tough guy, he needs to be able to give me good minutes. Bob disagreed with me. I wanted my coaching contract in writing, he said to just commit to the job so he could announce it and we’d work out the details when I got across the pond. I could not be put to ease with that scenario. We disagreed about almost everything and although I would have been honored and privileged to be the coach of the Steelers, I knew I couldn’t work for him in that role. Defenseman, yes. Coach, no. After a week or two of going back and forth with Bob, he announced Ben’s appointment and I was as relieved as anybody to have a coach in place. Part of me wishes I may have taken the job, but I knew it was for the best. I think Ben’s appointment was the best for the team because he came in with a clean slate with Bob and trusted him (at least initially) and like it or not, we really needed that to galvanize us and refocus us on what was happening on the ice. I think all of us returning guys who knew the situation of what it was like to play on a Bob Phillips team wouldn’t have meshed well having to interface with Bob in the office everyday. It couldn’t have worked. There was too much distrust and history and Ben provided the perfect buffer and filter between the office and locker room and also between the past and present. The locker room may not have always agreed with Ben, but we all respected him and he was able to get the best out of all of us through his example and his discipline. Bob may have made some decisions over the years that made us scratch our heads or even made us angry, but his appointment of Ben was an inspired one and was just what we needed.
That season brought another league title. What was it like playing under Simon, and what was your view of that team that season?
Ben had a roller coaster of a year. The poor guy didn’t know what hit him when he arrived and I have to give him credit for the way he handled everything that was going on. For a guy who was used to the AHL and even the NHL way of things, it was a shock for him on multiple levels. Immediately though, the locker room knew what a serious, dedicated and honest guy he was. His first shift as a Steeler kind of said it all as he ran around and smoked every guy he could. You never had to guess what he was thinking because he’d tell you. He demanded a lot from us and when there were all sorts of reasons to be distracted with what was going on with our ownership situation, he somehow was able to separate us from it all and keep us focused on the game. It was no doubt new for him being on the other side of the whiteboard, but he took it on head on, as he does with everything else. He always consulted Ash, Jono, Boli, myself and the other guys with all sorts of things and while he wasn’t the best of communicators or the most popular coach, he certainly got his message across. If you think about it, Matty recruited a team that was suited to him, his style and he aligned the personalities he found valuable and a good fit for what he wanted to accomplish. Then, all of a sudden it became Ben’s team, who had completely different philosophies, styles of communication, approach to the game and leadership style. We all were, quite understandably, grateful for what Matty did for us and were sad to see him go. What a difficult situation to come into as a first time head coach for Ben. Regardless, we were all able to put any differences we had aside for the betterment of what was going on on the ice and the results were some silverware. Not too bad considering the chaos in which we were able to acquire it.
You decided to retire at the end of that season. What went through your head that made you decide that enough was enough?
What went through my head? The boards in Cardiff. The concussion I had really drew a line under my career for me. I had a really hard time in the days after that concussion which scared me a lot and made me realize I needed to hang them up. To be fair, I really should have probably not finished the season after the difficulty I had after that hit. I had a hard time making sense of some pretty simple things and my short term memory was shot. I remember a few days after, pulling up to the Amraj in Beighton and pulling in to park. I sat there for a second before I realized I didn’t know what I was doing there. We ate curry from there a lot, but I had no idea if I was meeting my family there, going in to order to carry out, or if we had ordered already and was just there to grab it. I sat there for a while trying to remember what had happened leading up to me being there but couldn’t put it together. I ended up calling my wife and she reminded me, we had sat at the kitchen table, picked out what we wanted and I phoned it in for a pickup. Didn’t remember any of it…Pretty scary. My eggs were certainly scrambled, probably more than I really admitted to anybody and I was really relieved when the fog lifted and the headaches and funk were gone. Despite the obvious risk of hurting my brain any further, it is still hard for me to think about what fun I could have had if I had continued to play. I really did enjoy every day I had at the rink, but I knew it was time to move on and get started on a new career. Still, the worst day at the rink is still better than the most days at work, so I remind myself how lucky I was to be able to play for as long as I did.
How has life been since? Have you had any inclination to lace 'em up again? What are you doing with yourself these days?
Life’s been good since I hung the skates up but I have missed it a lot. I thought about playing again here or there but it doesn’t last long because I know it wouldn’t be smart for me to do it with my concussion history and I’ve lost enough steps to know I wouldn’t be able to compete like I used to anymore. I’m not nearly skilled enough to play a perimeter game and if I can’t be physical and hard to play against, I know I wouldn’t be very effective.
These days I do outside sales for a company that sells maintenance and operations supplies. I’ve had to build up my own book of business and its been a great learning experience for me. I coach my son’s Mite team (8 and under) three times a week and am also the president of the Augusta Ice Hockey Association. Our local rink here in Augusta was closed for a time after I got back from Sheffield and we’ve had to rebuild the youth hockey program from scratch almost since it reopened. We’ve got a great group of volunteers who have really made some great strides and our numbers are way up this year so I’ve been pleased with what we’ve been able to accomplish.
Check us out here…
Name your all-time starting 6, from players you have played with.
Goalie – Corey Crawford, played with him two years in Norfolk. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, a great athlete and now a Stanley Cup Champion. Not too shabby. He’s always smiling.
D – Dustin Byfuglien. He was my d-partner in Norfolk for two years. We could not have been more different and I had such a great time watching him just do whatever he wanted as a 4th forward while I hung back waiting for the odd man rushes. He was a special talent and continues to be.
D – Brian Pothier. Classiest man I’ve played with. Simple as that. An amazingly talented defenseman, could play tough, could play the PP, and you wanted him on ice in a one goal game whether you were up or down. I played with him my freshman year and he taught me so much not only on the ice, but off the ice as well. As a college kid, he was already teaching me how to be a pro and I didn’t even know it. A leader and terrific example for me.
Left Wing – Graham Belak. One of my best friends. We played together and were D partners my second year Bantam, the first team I ever tried out for and then again in Midget AAA. Crossed paths again as pros and I love him like a brother. One game when I was playing with Atlantic City and he was in Trenton, his coach told his squad somebody needed to tune me in so he volunteered to do it. He hopped on the ice and said we were going to scrap. I didn’t believe him. I should have. He came straight at me and shook the gloves and I started swimming. He hit me everywhere but the face and made it look really good. He saved me from having taken a real beating from one of their other tough guys. Whew. Did I mention, he’s a great friend? Because he is.
Center – Patrice Bergeron. Lets be honest. He probably doesn’t know who I am or remember we played together for a month or two in 2004. But the guy is pure class and I was lucky enough to sit beside him for a week or two; before I got moved to a temporary in the buffer zone between the locker room and training room. The joys of being an AHL rookie on a 25 game Player Tryout contract. Regardless if he remembers me or not, I remember being impressed with his obvious skill, his maturity and class. He was still a teenager I think and carried himself like a ten year NHL veteran. Thoroughly impressive and I was lucky to get to play with him.
Right Wing – Mark Murphy. Murph picked me up at the airport when I flew in my freshman year at RPI. Murph was a great leader and one of the toughest guys I ever knew. He liked me, and I was lucky he did. Whew. He was hard on a lot of the other underclassmen. He didn’t think it was important for me to make freshman orientation, so he didn’t take me. In fact, he didn’t take me to campus until classes actually started. I didn’t question it. Murph was in charge. Anyways, he was a great competitor who showed up every night and could hurt you in a lot of different ways. I only played with him one year and he went on to a great pro career but he’s a guy I’ll always look up to and respect.
Of course, I have to do a Steeler Top 6 as well.
Goalie. There can only be Jody Lehman. If for no other reason than he’d never let me hear the end of it if I didn’t list him (assuming he’ll read this). Jody was a great competitor and I love his blunt honesty and willingness to say what you need to hear, regardless of whether or not you want to hear it. Because, trust me… he’ll tell you. I’ve never seen more intensity and passion from a goaltender and I loved playing in front of him. The guy wins games.
D – Roddy Sarich. I am glad I got to play with Roddy for four seasons (1 in Augusta and 3 in Sheffield). We spent a ton of time together in Augusta because we were both nursing injuries and weren’t travelling with the team. I remember a good friend Jimmy Vickers told me before I got to Augusta that I’d hit it off with Roddy and he was right. I still keep up with Roddy via email and I am continuously impressed with his selfless nature of the ice and his sense of humor. The guy is on another level on so many levels. Such a talented player in every facet of the game and his level of compete is amazing. I have nothing but respect for Roddy the player and Roddy the man. He is still the only man who has ever shown up at my door in a deep sea diver outfit, just to make my kids’ day. That’s the kind of guy Roddy is and that’s why he’s special.
D – Mark Thomas. Simple, stay at home dman with a knack for coming up with the big goal. If anybody can appreciate what he does, it is me. I’ve never seen him in a bad mood and is a great addition to the locker room for more reasons than most. I got to sit beside him from the second half of my first season through the rest of my time there and it was hilarious. Every day at the rink was fun and Thomo was a huge part of that. Also, I’m trying to get invited to his Testimonial so I hope this will help with that. Did I mention I got a Manchester City tattoo over my heart? Its huge.
Forward #1 – Ashley Tait. The old greyhound. The cagey veteran. He brought so much to the game and was useful in every situation. A great competitor and a true student of the game. I really enjoyed playing with Ash and watching him compete. He makes everybody around them better through his play but also by demanding it.
Forward #2 – Joey Talbot. The guy always came through. Always. He rarely spoke a serious word in the locker room, but when he did he got our attention. Always relaxed, always joking around but always came to play and was money in the big games.
Forward #3 – Jeff Legue. He’s so smooth, he’s so fast, shoots so hard, and all 155 lbs of him can hit as well. He is a truly great player and so much fun to watch. He’ll deservedly go down as one of the Steelers’ all-time greats.
Now a few questions from our readers, if thats alright.
@Ruthinz
How was it getting used to different clubs and countries over the years. Did you keep encountering old team mates and rivals?I almost always enjoyed going to a new team and meeting a new crew. One of the only exceptions was when I was sent down to Augusta from Providence. I wasn’t happy to be leaving the AHL and I got to Augusta and every one there was miserable. We were injured, we couldn’t win, it was everyone else’s fault and it kept up through the season until I was rescued in a trade with Trenton. When you are on a losing team, it can get pretty rough, and that was the roughest it ever was for me.
Going to the UK and Japan were great experiences, not only for the change in culture and scenery but I enjoyed the teams I was on as well. I miss the travel a lot and hopefully someday will be fortunate enough to revisit a lot of these places I was able to see.
I actually played with several players several times. The one I played the most with was Jim Henkel. We did four years together at RPI, our first couple years out of college in the ECHL in Atlantic City. Again in Trenton and then parts of a couple of years in Norfolk as well. We won two Kelly Cups together. Domish and I played together in Atlantic City, Trenton, Norfolk and Sheffield. Roddy and I played together in Augusta and Sheffield. Joey Talbot and I played together my first year in Atlantic City and won. Basiuk and I were at RPI together for a couple years and stay in touch.
I didn’t run into a whole lot of rivals from stop to stop. It wasn’t like I was making friends on other teams but never really carried a lot of grudges from league to league with too many guys. Maybe I wasn’t doing it right?
@PBeeodd
what do you miss most about playing, in particular in Sheffield?
I just miss being with the guys every day and making fun of each other. It was ruthless and it was hilarious. Nothing was offside and every day at the rink was a lot of fun. I miss being in shape. Man I took that for granted…
I miss the city of Sheffield a great deal too. We really enjoyed our time there and always felt welcomed and at home wherever we went. The fans were always kind to me and my family and it was a great experience that we all miss.
Sheffield Top Ten:
- Good Yorkshire folk
- Peak District
- Friends and neighbors in Totley and Beighton
- Good beer and proper pubs (thank you, Bradfield Brewery)
- Benron
- The dry sense of humor
- I got to love the incessant winging, it grew on me
- Hearing grown men call each other “Love” and it be okay
- Curry
- Our kids’ schools and their little buddies.
I am hoping to make it for Mark Thomas’ Testimonial… (hint, hint)
@Bethan_4
What are your funniest memories of playing in Sheffield?
Most of the really funny ones I can’t make a permanent record of. Some of the better nights were our fancy dress parties. Hewy, Jono and Roddy were always sure to take it to another level. Going to school with Randy everyday was always hilarious. But most of the really funny stuff happened in the Brit end of the locker room where Finner and sat surrounded by them and just having everybody go at each other every day was hilarious.
Do you keep an eye on the team's fortunes at all? What are your thoughts on this season?
I will check out the table every once in a while and see how the guys are doing. I’ll check the stats to see how the guys I played with are doing and the seasons they are having once in a while. I really can’t say too much on this season as I don’t really have any idea what kind of team they’ve got, how they play and where they are headed. I know Doug is a good coach and knows the game well and it will be interesting to see how the season shapes up coming down the stretch.
@smurf_1988
What are your best memory/memories of playing here?
All the championships were special but winning the double was probably the best for me. I don’t chip in on the offense very often and so that night will always be pretty special for me. It was kind of like the one and only night I made that big of an impact at the other end of the ice and I got lucky enough to do it when it counted.
@steelers_memes
how did he liked to be called "Ryyyyaaaannnnn"!?
I thought it was pretty funny. I’ve been called much worse, trust me.
Guiseley
Are you still skating, and are you passing on his skill and love to the next generation?
I had been playing men’s league here in Augusta but have taken the rest of the winter off because my coaching schedule was getting to be too much. I still love going to the rink and I love working with the young kids who are just getting started. Seeing how quick they pick things up at that age is really rewarding and its always all smiles. I love being with the kids 3 skates a week. Also, working with the Association to try to get the off ice side of things growing from a solid foundation has been a lot of work, but we’re seeing our hard work pay off with increased numbers and happy kids.
Are you looking forward to Sochi and how do you rate the selections for the Olympics teams – any dark horses?
I am looking forward to watching the hockey. Of course, Canada needs to take it home and I think they have the team to do it. I couldn’t tell you who the dark horses are because I honestly haven’t really looked at the rosters. You can never count out the Russians, Swedes and Fins. The Americans have a good squad as well and were nipped in the Gold Medal game in Vancouver and will likely have something to prove.
Finally Steve, big thanks from us for answering all our questions. Is there anything you'd like to say to the Steelers fans?
I miss you all and thank you all for the great memories. Sheffield was our home for 3 years and we’ll never forget our time there. I’m looking forward to making it back someday.
So essentially, I've been emailing one of my favourite ever players. I know, only been watching since 2008, but Steve and the aforementioned Mr Joey Talbot were the ones I instantly took a shine to. This has been awesome. Thank you to Steve for allowing me to be a massive fanboy.
We still want to know who you want to hear from. Get in touch at frozen.steel.91@gmail.com, or go through the usual Twitter channels.
Interview conducted via email by Liam McCausland.
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