As the 5th overall selection in 1991, Warrener was one of the very first players to be chosen by the Blades — back when the Shaunavon, SK product (or the rest of bantam-aged players for that matter) didn't have a clue what it was exactly. He's the first to admit it wasn't a dream for him to play for his favourite junior hockey team growing up, or even reach the NHL, saying naiveness steered any self-influenced pressure away. This, in turn, helped develop one of the Blades' most well-known, talented defenceman from the early to mid-90's, piling up 197 games before venturing into a 13-year NHL career. Warrener made the move to Florida as a 19-year-old — a team bounded together with youth and grit — and helped the Panthers reach its first Stanley Cup Final in 1996. Several years later, Warrener was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, where he made his second Cup Finals appearance in 1999, eventually bowing down to the Dallas Stars. Warrener's third and final conference championship came in the wild west as a member of the Calgary Flames in 2004. Led by the likes of captain Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary's magical run ended in Game 7 of the Final to Vincent Lecavalier and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mitch and Les take a walk down memory lane with Rhett, reliving the glory days of his junior hockey career, his transition into the NHL, notable moments from his three trips to the Finals, and the numerous community initiatives he's been a part of. Mitch and Les also touch on the latest news regarding an NHL start date, whether or not we'll see Kirby Dach lace up for Team Canada at the World Juniors, and make mention of a furry community event driven by the Blades organization.
