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I think you know as a brand we need to be a little bit different. With colors, all the the innovation we put in into the watches part of the DNA of Norcane is hockey. And I think the cool thing about Norkane you get a feel for the brand. And I think that feel you get is real. Finding another passion after hockey is really difficult. The adrenaline and going with a team, winning and losing with your teammates is really hey guys, I am very excited. I am with uh NHL legend Max Strain, co-founder of Norkane and uh Stanley Cup winner as well. Thank you so much for uh meeting me. Thanks for having me. I I I have to shake your hands, you know, it's not every day I've meet an NGS, so I'm very excited. Before I talk to people, I like to read a little bit about but also I like to be literally just having a conversation and learn from you. And so obviously, it's not every day that I meet the NHL player, Stanley Cup winner. So I would love to see obviously you are involved with Nochane, but I would love to see from the beginning because you Swiss. I saw you would play for the Swiss team, you play many teams in NHL. But how the passion came from the NHL, the hockey players when you're young kids to watches now. Yeah, I grew up with watches, always loved watches as a kid growing up, always had a watch. So I was always into watches, and then when I actually went to the NHL, I realized outside of Switzerland like the meaning of the Swiss watch making abroad in Canada, in the US, how everybody, all the hockey players loved their Swiss watch. So I got into it even more. I was an ambassador for a different brand during a long time. That's where I met Ben Koofer, and then it was a matter of timing. I uh retired from hockey, he needed a new challenge, and he said, Hey, let's found our own watch brand, and uh that was 2018, and uh we started and uh a few years later he's standing here in front of our own booth in Geneva. I mean it's a great story. So the you mentioned 2018, and I saw you won the Stanley Cup to the 2017, so the year just before. Yeah, okay. So Pittsburgh I got the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup and uh being part of that run was an unbelievable experience, it's such a great feeling. And then you know I was four years old, and I was you know, it's maybe time to hang up the skates. I went to Montreal for a last stint, but that really didn't really work out anymore. And then it was the transformation from a hockey player to an entrepreneur was pretty fast. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And originally I wanted to take like two years off. So hey, I'm not doing anything, I'm gonna go home, enjoy family kits, and just play golf, fish, whatever. Okay, okay. But then pretty fast Payne came up with that project, and uh he's such a great guy, so passionate, and uh I was so convinced in his uh capabilities and his skill set and his network, I said okay, let's do it, and it's been such an exciting story. Okay, so tell us for the common mortal like me that had a dream of being a basketball player that never made it, how it is to play and to actually have a career in what you love to do, and and obviously the ultimate winning the Stanley Cup. It's incredible. How can you describe it? Can you even describe it? It's you know, it's literally when you dream of playing uh in the NHL growing up as a kid. Yeah, obviously, for me, first was the Swiss League a big thing. Yeah, then I realized about the NHL and how cool it is that the best players play there, come from there. So I started to dream about the NHL. Okay, you know, coming from Switzerland, the NHL is it's another universe. Yes. So it's a huge step, yeah, it's a different league, all the best players, it's so exciting, so overwhelming. So actually, I made it when I was 26, 27 in Montreal pretty late in that year. Right. But still, you know, I played uh world championships, Olympic games for Switzerland as a captain. Yeah, I had a pretty good reno, but when I played my first game in Montreal in Toronto, I was in Toronto too. It was you know one of the biggest rivals in hog. Yeah, I mean it was such a great experience, and I was so nervous. I had a hard time just not shaking the first time. After I'm sure repetition, it gets better and easier, right? But yeah, yeah. Like after a few games or even half a year, you get used to it, you know, you got more confidence, and uh you feel comfortable playing, you play with confidence, but it took some time. I'm sure. You know, I mean playing in Toronto, playing in Madison Square Garden, playing in Boston, Chicago, all those great cities with so much history. You know, I got to play against Mario Lemieux for one game. No way, and you play against him, and you're like just wow, you can't believe it. It's just an absolutely dream problem. And how is it to represent your country as well? Captain of the Swiss team? That's that must be crazy. Yeah, I mean, very proud of it, and my first tenure as a captain was in uh Salt Lake City. Okay, Olympic Games 2002, and I mean we're wearing the Swiss jersey, you're the captain, and uh pretty young. I was 24 at the time, and playing against the best players in the world, competing for a medal. Obviously, the Switzerland back then. We were pretty good, we got better, but we were never a favorite to win a medal. But the experience, Olympic Games, World Championship, it's unique, it's something I'll never forget. Yeah, yeah. So a good transition here. So you mentioned Olympic Games. Obviously, I'm French, but also Canadian, you know, and and there's this player, you know, Syndic, a big star, obviously, an idol in the country. You play with him, you won with him, and now you partner with him. Yeah. So, how is it this whole thing going on? Like what happened? I it's a full circle. It's crazy. I mean, uh circle of life. Yeah, circle, and uh, you know, he's uh we were obviously really happy and really excited and proud to have him with us. And uh, I mean it was an unbelievable experience. Getting to know him better in Pittsburgh, playing with him, how how seeing how professional he is, how dedicated he is, his passion for the game, and how bad he wants to win. And he's a great, really great, great uh personality, great leader, okay, and uh still really grounded. You know, he's a very humble guy, okay, and he won everything. I mean he could be flying, yeah, but he's uh he's such a great guy. So you know we got to know each other and then I retired. We started Norcane, yeah, and then eventually, you know, uh he came on board. And for us, I mean it's an unbelievable, unbelievable story, especially now with being a partner of the NHL. So I mean it's a full circle and uh it's been a lot of fun and uh it keeps me connected to the hockey world, which is even better. And it's amazing because you know you see a lot of sponsorship and you see a lot of brands, and obviously NHL being a hockey, you know, Canada, but the US, you see a lot of brands wanted somehow a partnership. But you is like a genuine like story, is like literally you play, uh you know, Cinecrosby play, and then you now you involve with the NHL, it's amazing. Yeah, I mean it's uh it's just a great thing, yeah. You know, like uh part of the DNA of North Kane is hockey. Yeah, so I'm part of the the founders, Roman Yolzi was there from the beginning as well. So hockey is part of our DNA. Then eventually Sid came on board and it just made total sense for both parties. I mean, for us, it's a huge opportunity, and I think it's also a neat story for the NHL. It's been a great partnership, uh gives us a lot of visibility and brand awareness, and we are a hockey brand. So uh it's it's fantastic. That was you know, when we finally got the partnership, signed the agreement with the NHL. I mean, it was one of the best moments in my career. I'm sure I was really proud of it, but it was a long process for us as a brand to grow, to get there, to actually be being able to partner up with the NHL. It took some time, which you know it's normal in this. If it would be too easy, everybody will do it, and you know, you will not have this effort. Yeah, for sure, 100%. But the the process just from the first meetings years ago to then finally signing the deal, yeah. I mean it's a great experience. I got to know so many people from the NHL side, which are now also good friends. Yeah, yeah. It's a great partnership and uh we're really happy. Yeah, and something that you guys might not know, but the NHL uh hockey hall of fame is actually in Toronto where I live. So you know hopefully we can see you there. That will be that will be cool. I've been there a few times, haven't been there in a while, but a great thing about this partnership too with the NHL and being so close to hawk is uh seeing the Stanley Club once in a while. So I've got to see it a few times and it's always so special. So, how is it to be on the ice and outside the house? Uh ice, but it's like when Magic Johnson won as a player and then won as president of a club or whatever, right? So it's different feeling, but you know it must be crazy. Emotional, like for me it's been a great journey because finding another passion after hockey is really difficult. Yes, and so I'm really grateful about this story and being able to be part of it. At the same time, you know, playing a game, playing the big playoff games or world championship, Olympics, finals. I mean, it doesn't get better than this. I mean it's just emotional that the adrenaline and going with a team, winning and losing with your teammates is unique. Here it's a little bit the same thing. We have a great team. Uh, you know, we're striving for success. We are a humble group, but we're striving for the sky. Yeah, yeah. We want to do great, we want to grow, you want to do the best we can do. But playing hockey on the ice in front of 20,000 people at MSG in Toronto, Montreal, whatever it is, Philly, it's just that's unique, and that's always a big part of my life. And at one point, you know, a professional hockey or as an athlete, your time is done. It was a great experience, but you know what? You mentioned it before, it's just I'm really grateful that I was able to live it. I think it's also really important, you know, to appreciate what you have. And a lot of people are always, you know, in the search of something, but you know, I'm kind of I'm so I'm comfortable and happy that I was able to play in the NHL, meet a lot of great people and players, and it's got just the whole journey and the experience that I always gotta carry that in my heart. Yeah, yeah. So now there is some people that know about knocking and some people that might not know about knocking. And I realize there's two types of customers. You have the customer that know exactly what he wants, and he wants the knocking or he wants whatever brand, but you have a lot of customers that they might know the they're ready to buy, they might know the budget that they have in mind, but they don't really know which brand. And there's a lot of brands to compete with. Why will you suggest? And here is obviously more on a watch section, yeah, but what will you say to these people that maybe are looking for their first real watch or maybe another watch in their collection? I'm just you know, obviously I'm biased. Yeah, I don't know, for sure. But I just I love the story behind and the people behind it. Yes, I think we're really approachable. You see who is behind the brand, and I think the development of the the brand in the past few years is incredible with the product, uh you know, the super sports watch, uh mechanical Swiss sports watch. So I think you know, as a brand we need to be a little bit different because there's so many competitions, so many other brands. So we try to be a little bit different with colors, all the innovation we put in into the watches. So I'm sure there is for everybody there is a watch that you like. You have the sporty watch, you have classic watch, you have the crazy watch, crazy colors. So I think everybody has his own taste, but I'm pretty confident that he'll be finding a nice nork that fits his taste. Cool, beautiful. Alright, thank you so much for taking the time. Really uh honored to meet you in person. Meeting you, it was a real pleasure. Thank you so much, and thank you to be so humble and so nice. This is what I discovered. Meeting with a lot of people, usually people are very genuine and very people, you know. I love to connect with it. One of the reasons of uh creating watch DNA is to basically connect everybody together and educate people about the industry, not just about the product. Because for me, watch is really a moment in time, like an emotional, like you want to stand a cup or your kids was born or you finished school or whatever, a moment in time that you will remember. And I think you know that's the cool thing about working. When you see the people, you know, you see you hear Ben, you're myself, other people working for us, with us. So you get a feel for the brand. Yeah. I think that feel you get is real. It's not played, it's not fake, it's who we are. You know, uh we want to be successful, but I think most important you want to be a humbler group too. Yeah. Because it doesn't matter how much success you have in life, you're all people, you're all the same. Okay, and I think that's that's a big part about Horkane. We want to try, we want to be out there, we want to grow, we want to build beautiful watches and meet great people and have a happy customer. And I think so far so good. Yeah, but you know how it is, it's always you have to keep going. Okay, there is satisfaction. Sometimes is kind of a tough thing in sports. Once you're too satisfied, it's kind of you know, you hop into the lazy chair, and that's not who we are. Yeah, and earlier you mentioned happiness. For a lot of people, they try to reach and they try to get a goal. And what about if I graduate? What about if I get a new job? What about if I do this? But for other people, it's okay, be happy with where you are, and then try to establish your happiness based on that. Thank you again so much. It was a real pleasure. Nice to meet you, and nice to meet you as well. And you guys make sure you go watchdn.com slash Norkane. You will find uh information about the brand. We'll find also some of the product that we have a buyer's guide, and people can compare watches. So you we just added yesterday augmented reality so people can virtually try the Norkane watches as well. And then the last point we have a store locator that will tell people who is the store next to them that can buy the product. So washdn.com slash Norken, and this is Mark Strain again. One more time. I shake the hands because I'm so honored. Thank you so much. See ya later, guys.