Interview w/ Ryan VandenBussche

·52 min·5 clips

John Scott reveals why Ryan VandenBussche, not the legendary enforcers, was the most feared tough guy on the Blackhawks.

John Scott hosts former NHL enforcer Ryan VandenBussche on Dropping the Gloves. VandenBussche discusses his reputation as a tough guy who could walk through punches, attributing it to thick skull bones. He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the eighth round in 1992 out of the Cornwall Royals. VandenBussche describes his role as a fourth-line player, fighting on average every third game in the NHL. He recalls his first NHL call-up with the New York Rangers, having breakfast with Wayne Gretzky before his debut. VandenBussche details his trade to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he played parts of seven seasons and roomed with Bob Probert. He explains his technical fighting style, including adapting when jersey tie-downs were introduced. VandenBussche shares a story about being benched for 25 games by coach Brian Sutter, leading him to quit the team temporarily. He fought over 300 professional bouts, including a notable series with Stu Grimson where he broke Grimson's nose. VandenBussche played his final NHL season with the Pittsburgh Penguins alongside Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux. He discusses the challenges of having an owner as a teammate. After retiring, VandenBussche played briefly in Helsinki and the Central Hockey League before a neck fusion surgery ended his career. He now uses cannabis and psilocybin to manage pain from 12 surgeries and multiple concussions, having replaced opioids. VandenBussche also mentions his wife's use of cannabis during cancer treatment.

As heard by us

Ryan Vandenbush explains why knowing his role made fighting easier than scoring.

Ryan Vandenbush's tough-guy reputation gives the episode a clear spine, and the conversation works best when it lets that identity form through memory rather than summary.

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Why you'd press play

You get Ryan Vandenbush in straight-talking hockey mode: the reputation, the pickup-truck role, and why fighting felt easier than chasing points.

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