How much could an NHL general manager and the lead singer of a popular Canadian rock band have in common?
If you’re talking about Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and Arkells frontman Max Kerman, the answer is quite a lot.
The pair of friends found another bond while they walked through Manhattan last Tuesday night.
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“Kyle said his favourite thing to do is walk to the arena,” said Kerman.
According to Kerman, Dubas said he enjoys walking from the hotel to the rink because it gives him an opportunity to take in the city and be alone with his thoughts.
“And I laughed because that’s exactly what I do with the band.”
Last week Kerman was Dubas’ guest on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first ever mentors’ trip. The three-day excursion was designed as a way to thank the people who have helped shape the lives of Leafs players and personnel — from grandparents to minor hockey coaches. This year’s festivities began last Monday with a game in Toronto and continued onto New York ahead of a Wednesday-night contest against the Rangers. Guests travelled on the team charter and enjoyed a group dinner on Tuesday.
It might seem odd for Dubas, 34, to have invited Kerman, 33, on the trip, but the general manager saw it as an opportunity to learn from someone who also found success at a young age. The trip allowed the friends to share interests and discuss their approaches to their jobs and further what Kerman calls, “a mutual admiration society that happens between musicians and people in the sports world.”
The pair met through Dubas’ wife Shannon, who has friends in common with Kerman. Shannon Dubas asked if her husband could visit the band in the studio during the recording of their 2016 album, “Morning Report.”
On the mentors’ trip, Dubas told Kerman that, had it been released earlier, the Arkells track “And Then Some” would likely have been his wedding song when he and Shannon married in 2014.
Over the past few years, Dubas and Kerman discovered how much they have in common. They text regularly. Both are massive basketball fans and they took in Game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals together in Toronto.
According to Kerman, he and Dubas enjoy lively debates about “the big picture” and how to get the most out of everyone they work with. Their interests, Kerman says, are very much aligned: both are politically minded, obsessed with sports and enjoy being part of a team.
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“If we had gone to the same college, we would have been pals,” Kerman said.
Now, a notable element of their friendship involves sharing “what we consume.” They regularly send podcasts to each other.
“We both love the Zach Lowe podcast. He’s a Woj guy, I’m not so much a Woj guy,” Kerman said.
Kerman recently shared the works of Adam Grant, an American psychologist.
“But he outworks me, and out-reads me for sure,” he said.
Kerman said some of the books the pair have bonded over include “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman and “Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein.
One of the best parts of sharing these reads is being able to analyze them together.
“How do you recognize your own blind spots and acknowledge them and understand how certain influences in your life will play a part in the way you conceive and think about any interaction or situation?” Kerman asked. “And then how do you make the best decisions? So I think for us, we’re all playing that game and asking, ‘Are we making the decision for the right reason? Or is there some petty thing in the back of our mind that is influencing what we’re saying and what we’re doing.’ And just being very self aware of that.”
About a month ago, Dubas texted Kerman to see if he was free to come on the mentors’ trip. Dubas’ original plan was to bring along his grandmother, Marietta Dubas, affectionately known on Twitter as “Gramma Dubie,” but he wasn’t sure if she’d be up for the travel requirements.
As plan B, Kerman wasn’t sure what role he would play in the trip, but once Dubas explained it was just a chance for the Leafs to give back to the people who are special in their lives, Kerman was sold.
My pal @KyleDubas – one of the hardest working, most thoughtful guys in sport – has invited me on the @mapleleafs mentor’s trip this week. I’m honoured to be along for the ride. 🌊 pic.twitter.com/dYrUQJF2XL
— ARKELLS (@arkellsmusic) February 4, 2020
The mentors’ trip breaks the mold of the typical fathers or mothers trip many NHL teams provide for their players. It’s no surprise that Dubas did things a little different and opted to bring someone who has not exclusively mentored him, but instead is part of a mutual mentorship. Dubas and Kerman have both learned from each other.
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Kerman has helped turn Arkells from a small band doing Motown covers into one of Canada’s most well-known rock acts. They’ve experienced commercial and critical success on their own terms, winning multiple Juno Awards. They have also developed a rabid following by thinking outside the box to keep fans engaged. They’ve played impromptu shows at unorthodox locations on the afternoon before larger concerts, and they’ve created a phone line for fans to make set list requests for upcoming tours — Dubas has even called in himself.
While in Arizona, @kyledubas left a voicemail for @arkellsmusic, requesting the song Blueprint for the fans at Scotiabank Arena last night pic.twitter.com/xciCC4uZyX
— The Leafs Nation (@TLNdc) February 17, 2019
As Dubas and Kerman drove together to the airport, Dubas quizzed Kerman on how Arkells have achieved success.
He wanted to learn more about the steps the band takes to market their new music. He wanted to know more about intra-band dynamics and how to ensure harmony among band members. He wanted to know how songs develop from a germ of an idea into huge hits like, “Knocking at the Door,” which is played most nights during Leafs games.
“One of Kyle’s most underrated strengths is that he’s a very curious person,” said Kerman. “He’s always trying to learn from people that he admires and can offer a different perspective. And I think we share that in common.”
While their respective stages are admittedly worlds apart, there are some parallels between being the general manager of a professional hockey team and the frontman of a band.
“We are always looking to the next thing,” Kerman said of Arkells. “The thing that makes us most excited is not necessarily reflecting on a big show that we did last year. It’s always thinking, like, how do we beat the last thing that we did? We are real believers in this holistic model that if you wake up every day, and you think, ‘OK, how can I find really interesting people to work with? How can we grow? How can we make the most out of every show? How can we find like the best crew to work with and the best management team at all these things?”
There is evidence of that approach in terms of Dubas’ recent hires, from an innovative new Marlies coach with no AHL coaching experience in Greg Moore to Dr. Meg Popovic as the Leafs director of athlete well-being and performance, a relatively new role in the NHL.
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The mentors’ trip served as a reminder for Kerman about what he’s learned from Dubas.
“The most effective thing to be, as a professional working person, is just to be very passionate about what you do,” he said.
Amid the challenges that have emerged for Dubas this season, from a barrage of injuries to doubt about whether the Leafs can win by going all-in on skill, Kerman remains inspired by his friend’s passion and dedication to carving his own path. Dubas’ Arkells playlist tells a similar story.
“I feel like Kyle likes it when we show our teeth a little bit,” said Kerman. “He likes our song Cynical Bastards. That song is about naysayers, and keeping the good ones close to you.”
(Top photo courtesy Max Kerman)