PAUSECAST: Former Devils player, Mike Rupp, Joins our Podcast

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For the eight episode of the Devils Official Pausecast, our guest is former Devils center, Mike Rupp.

"I've been learning how to edit video, it's been fun trying to get familiar with Adobe Premiere. I've got some equipment and stuff set up," said Rupp. "It's interesting to me, so I've been messing around with that and learning."

Rupp also discussed scoring the game winning goal in game seven of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. Rupp's goal in the second period helped spark a 3-0 win for the Devils over the Anaheim Ducks and the center is the only player in history to have their first playoff goal be the Stanley Cup winning goal.

"When you're looking at that game, it's a unique situation in itself," said Rupp. "The first three rounds, I did not play a game, I didn't even practice with the team. The Stanley Cup finals bouncing back and forth between Anaheim and New Jersey so they need more bodies to travel just in case because it's not convenient to bring a guy up in an emergency condition."

The first time Rupp played in the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs was Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final. He didn't know he was suiting up until two hours before puck drop.

"I was wearing my suit still, it's like 5:15, and I'm kind of out in the hallway. Then the trainer comes out and says 'Pat wants to talk to you'" explained Rupp. "So I go into the medical room and Pat comes up to me, he literally gets inches from my nose and he goes 'did you go out last night' and I'm like 'no, no I didn't.'"

New Jersey Devils Official Podcast · Mike Rupp: "Pausecast" - Episode 9

Rupp continues on the story explaining how Coach Burns continues to ask if he went out. Then after grilling him a couple times, Burns delivers some huge news to Rupp.

"He goes 'go get ready, you're playing.' I was so scared at what just happened that I didn't have time to get nervous before game four of the Stanley Cup Finals. And from then on I was like 'If I don't play good, this guy is going to think I went out, and I didn't go out.'"

"It kept me calm, I wasn't nervous at all in the game. I was just skating for my career because I didn't know if I ever would play again."

Rupp also talked about Pat Burns and their relationship while Burns coached Rupp and following Burns time with the Devils.

"I got put in a great situation, god rest his soul, Pat Burns was a guy that was extremely tough on me. It took some years for me to appreciate what he did," said Rupp. "He saw something, he wanted to get more out of me."

"He was such a good man. I was immature, and probably took it the wrong way, he was trying to make me what he thought I could be."

Rupp also discussed his experience playing with the New York Rangers.

"The one thing I'll say for me that was different, you know it's fun, I still hear stuff nowadays. I loved playing for the Rangers, I had a blast. I didn't play for them that long, but I enjoyed it. When I signed that contract, it was very weird saying I was going to play for the Rangers especially considering that I consider myself to this day a Devil. That's the organization that gave me my chance, and drafted me, and played in the minors in the system, and ultimately won there."

"I actually really thought the Rangers team when I was a free agent was heading in the right direction," explained Rupp on why he signed with the Rangers. "It was really hard on me to navigate playing for the Rangers. I feel like I had to overcompensate at time to let them know I was with them."

He then went on to discuss the fight between the Devils and Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 19, 2012 when Rupp was playing for the Rangers.

"The crowd at MSG took note of the starting lineup and everyone was standing up."

"The energy that was in there, you just got filled with this energy," explained Rupp. "I don't think anyone was chatting. It was this weird energy between us. I didn't know those guys were going to fight, I didn't know I was going to fight! But then Bolton and I had this body language and we just dropped the gloves. It was a crazy experience."