In NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Sitting Down with …" we talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. In this special Christmas edition, we feature TNT analyst and former NHL player Paul Bissonnette.
Every hockey fan knows "Biz" even if they've never actually met him.
He's omnipresent as the charismatic analyst, catalyst and comic relief on the popular TNT studio show, and a co-host of the well-known irreverent, boys-at-the-bar style "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast.
But Paul Bissonnette is not an overnight sensation.
He came up as a defenseman through junior hockey and the minor leagues, playing in the ECHL and American Hockey League. He turned into a fourth-line forward in the NHL, a veteran of 202 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes.
"Throughout that process, I guess I understood I had to be a bit of a jester and have fun in the locker room and provide energy," Bissonnette said. "And it was cool. It was a fun transition. I learned a lot. It was a decision I don't regret. Because of that minimal ask of on-ice performance when Twitter became a thing I just hopped on social media and being the weird wacko I am, I just started tweeting. I was able to start connecting with the fans during an early time in a market that allowed me to do it the way I wanted to do it mostly. That spearheaded it."
Bissonnette prides himself on his work ethic. He did so as a player. He does now as a hockey entertainer and analyst.
"Not saying no and just putting my head down along with help and connections with a lot of amazing people has led me to where I am now," he said. "It's not this overnight thing. It's happened organically. I'm also not the person to sit back and say look at what we have achieved. I'm more about what do we have to do next."
Next for Biz and the TNT crew will be the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field on New Year's Eve (5 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, truTV, SN, TVAS). He'll be on-site in Chicago bringing his energy to TNT's biggest broadcast of the regular season.
How did Bissonnette get that seat on the TNT set and become one of the most popular personalities in the game? NHL.com talked with him all about it.
The role you have now, the connection to the fans, being present in front of the camera and making hockey fun, is this what you always wanted?
"I guess I never looked at it that seriously. I could also tell that there's a lot of people that are invested for the entertainment side of it, which goes beyond just what's on the ice. My enjoyment came from seeing them loving it and having a good time and being excited about it. That has propelled me to do the things I've done, whether it's being self-deprecating or doing a silly ad. I like doing commercials where they say, 'Go at it, you guys think of the concept,' and we get to be offside and make people laugh. I like to do features with hockey guys, like 'Sandbaggers,' because people love those. They're like, 'Those guys are just my buddies golfing, just shooting the [expletive], gambling, some drinking.' Yeah, it's felt good to be able to provide that type of entertainment for the fans because I think there's a part of them that want that."
So, this isn't playing a character. This is you, all you.
"I will say sometimes I like to [screw] around, but that's just me trying to stir it up a little bit more. When I'm seeing the stuff go down with the Boston Bruins, I'm like, 'I'm a Leafs fan, so oh yeah I'm going to kick up so much dust based on the pain and torture.' But it's all genuine. It's what I want to do, where I want to be silly. As far as it being a character, it's not really. Yeah, I am more sensitive when I'm not on camera, but I don't think that's what people want to see when I'm on camera. There's another side to me, but people just don't see that."
What's the other side like?
"I'm not a fighter. I'm a pretty chill, sensitive guy on that side. But when challenged it comes out. I want everybody to get along. People don't want to log onto the pod and hear me sap about certain things or whatever that is going on. They want me to talk about hockey and that's it, so when you say is it a character? No. it's what I want to do when I talk about hockey."
So it's basically you and your buddies talking around a bar.
"Yes, around a bar. That's how it was in the locker room. That was the whole vision for the 'Spittin' Chiclets' podcast. The concept for 'Spittin' Chiclets,' it was me and 'Whit' [Ryan Whitney] when we were in St. Louis on a [professional tryout]. It was, you show up to the rink, you go in the locker room, you open up your bag and there's a six-pack. You don't even end up putting your gear on, you just end up telling stories. That was the way it was in the locker room and that's what I miss the most. I was always the one in the locker room trying to be like, 'What were you guys up to last night?' I wanted to talk to my teammates, and I wanted there to be camaraderie and laughs in the locker room. The locker room in Phoenix with [Keith] Yandle, those are the best years of my life. Just laughing and most of the time the guys chirping me and laughing me because Yandle would and 'Doaner' [Shane Doan] would. And now I've got Whit and 'Yands' doing it. That's it man. The locker room is what I miss."
And now you get to do it on national television with Wayne Gretzky sitting next to you. Was that at all intimidating at the start? Or since you knew him you knew you could be you?
"No, I was definitely nervous. Oh yeah. I just kind of treaded lightly. He's such a leader but he's also the ultimate teammate. He would never try to make me feel nervous. If anything, he would do the opposite, lighten the mood. He has been incredible to work with. He's the one who got me the job. I know his sons and I'd hung out with them, so he was the one who was like, 'If we need a wild card, why not get Biz?' I believe Trevor Gretzky was one who originally said it and Ty was like, 'Yeah, get Biz.' It's been a whirlwind. I was a fourth-line plug who is all of a sudden rubbing elbows with the greatest player to ever live. He did so much for our game and he's a larger-than-life figure. It's been pretty overwhelming. As I've matured, you understand that you can't take it lightly and you can't take it for granted, and I'm trying not to."
For you it was not always easy. Didn't the word depression come into play for you during your career?
"Yeah. I just think as a younger to middle-aged man, you just go through certain things. Toward the end of your playing career, coming to grips with the fact that this is all you've ever known your whole life and now you're not going to be doing it, it's hard. My work ethic and everything I do now, it's what's next, because I don't want to get to a place of complacency. I think I did that toward the end of my NHL career, and it cost me all those things we just talked about, all that joy. I wouldn't want to be in that place again. Coming to grips with this game and this thing you've known your whole life is not going to be available to you and you're not in control of that, other people are in control of your fate. That is what led me to starting my own LLC and do it my own way. I didn't want to ever be that vulnerable again."
Do you feel in control now?
"Yeah. You just don't want to take it for granted. You want to do as good a job as possible with it based on these opportunities that have presented themselves. It's almost a blessing in disguise. For example, I don't know how I would have handled being 22 or 23 and being the star and best player on the team. I couldn't imagine what it is like going through that. Now that I'm sitting next to Wayne Gretzky and things are different, I would say I'm playing on the first line as opposed to the fourth line and you've got to be on, you've got to be ready. That's why I don't drink at all during the season."
OK, speaking of young stars, the Winter Classic is coming up, Connor Bedard is that young star. What do you think this is going to be like for him?
"Man, you're home, hosting the Winter Classic at one of the most iconic baseball fields. It's such an electric city. There's going to be excitement. I am really looking forward to him getting through what I think he would consider maybe a difficult start to the season and getting back to more the direction of Sidney Crosby. I am looking forward to in the future [the Blackhawks] surrounding him with better talent. But as far as the game is concerned, he's on the brightest stage on TNT, New Year's Eve, and I hope he scores three goals because it would be awesome to get him on after and shed some more light on these amazing players in the NHL. That, to me, would make a very special moment and probably erase the memory of maybe a difficult start to the sophomore year."
What is it like for you to come across a player who is a generational talent being a former player in the role you're in now? How does it work in your mind as you talk to these guys?
"I was fortunate where I got to play with Sid, and I saw it. Because they're so dominant at the level they came from, it's such an adjustment. The NHL is the NHL. I'm more looking forward to seeing his evolution and how he gets through this period of his career to get to the next level. Any time you see him or talk to him you can just tell he cares about hockey. All he wants to do is become a better hockey player and the best version of himself. When you see a guy putting that much time and effort into it and being so hyper-focused on it, you can't help but want it for him. If somebody didn't work for something, you're kind of like, 'If you don't get it, maybe put a little more work in there.' He's doing it. For anybody to devote themselves that much to the game of hockey you have to pay attention to it, and you have to root for him. I am praying that he breaks out and he becomes everything that we expected of him. It's hard to say he deserves it, but he is doing everything Crosby did, everything McDavid did as far as putting the time, attention and energy toward it. You can't fault him for that."
We know you're a Maple Leafs fan. Is this Maple Leafs team different?
"I think they have a lot of things going in their favor. [Mitch] Marner, [William] Nylander and [Auston] Matthews are in the prime of their career. [John Tavares] is in a contract year, and he looks incredible. I know the salary is an anchor, but I would imagine he comes back cheaper, so I'm still confident you're getting him back. Love the back end. There's depth at the goaltending position and 'Chief' [coach Craig Berube]. I think it's the best team they've had in a while. Them, New Jersey and Florida are probably the top three teams in the East. I think this window of opportunity is really opening for them. I think for sure they're getting past the first round, and I can see them going into the conference final against Florida. Florida to me is the best team, the hardest to beat in a seven-game series. I would trust them against anyone else. Now is the right time."
If the Leafs win the Stanley Cup, how would you react?
"Well, we're doing the Final, so we'll be there, and I'm so fired up. I would just be happy for the city. It would remind me of when Boston came back from down 3-0 against the Yankees [in the 2004 American League Championship Series] and they finally won that first World Series, just to see the reaction, people crying, I would want to stay and take in the energy of the city in celebration. I would stay there a few extra days."
Back to you, you played 202 games in the NHL. What is your best accomplishment as a player at any level?
"I would say my biggest accomplishment is I never got envious of anybody else's position. I just always wanted the team to win. I would get frustrated if I was a healthy scratch and I couldn't help contribute, but I never veered off of that. I always showed up and I always provided energy in practice. I was always talking during drills. That to me is what I'm most proud of. My mother used to say attitude is everything and I really approached my NHL career like that. Sometimes I would vent to Yands if I was healthy scratched for like eight games in a row. I was like, 'Man, this makes me hate hockey because I want to play games,' but it was never to the point where I was not a good teammate or didn't work hard or want the best for my teammates. I was raised like that. I have to credit my mother and father the way they raised me in that regard."
You have talked about how you're in control of what's next. OK, what is next? What is Biz in his 40s, Biz in his 50s? What are you doing?
"I think simplification is nice. I'm obviously very grateful to find a role in hockey television and with the podcast, so just continuing to try to elevate those things and maybe widen those bases and continue to bring that. I think I'm going to let the next one come to me. The next thing hasn't come up yet, so I wouldn't be able to tell you. There's nothing planned. I think Matthew McConaughey said it, 'In my younger days I wanted to be good at 20 different things, but being really good at three and focusing in, that's where you get benefits.' That to me is what my 40s looks like, kind of weeding out the BS."
Do you miss the competitiveness of being a player?
"Absolutely. That's why I like this side too. You have to perform. When you have a really good broadcast, like the Winter Classic last year and the year before, after you're done and you're having drinks in the lobby, you're done and you feel like, 'Boom, that was the camaraderie and compete that I got from playing.' Yeah, so, I do, but I have been fortunate to where I can fill up that tank still."
