As of today, John Scott’s retirement from the NHL is official. The NHL veteran caused a stir last year with his election to the All-Star Game and has gone from being just an enforcer to something of a cult hero.

When he was in Nashville earlier this year, Scott was candid in his assessment of the NHL and their role in his trade from the Arizona Coyotes to Montreal, who wasted no time shipping him down to their minor league affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps in Newfoundland.

In a new piece for The Players’ Tribune announcing his retirement, Scott shares insightful details into life in the NHL, saying the stuff that a lot of players just won’t say, even when they’re no longer in the league.

Here’s Scott talking about the NHL’s “complicated” relationship with fighting.

The hockey world has an interesting relationship with violence. I just wish everyone would be more honest about the whole thing. My entire career, I’d always have a little meeting with the coach before the season. Those are always hilarious when you’re an enforcer. It’s so awkward because the coach never wants to say, “Hey man, we need you to fight. Go out there and beat the shit out of people, alright?”

So they would kind of dance around it for 10 minutes. They’re usually like, “You know, uh … we brought ya in here for a reason. O.K.? We expect, uh … certain things. We know what kinda player you are.”

It would’ve been so refreshing to have a coach just be honest and say, “Listen, if anybody messes with our stars, I want you to go out there and beat the piss out of somebody. I don’t wanna have to tap you on the shoulder. I don’t wanna to have to say anything. I just want you to play hockey. Welcome to the team. Let’s have fun.”

And he has a great story about Joe Thornton, from their time together in San Jose.

I’ll never forget this one night when I was with San Jose, and we had just lost a game. We sucked. It was one of those off nights. So we were all sitting on the plane waiting to the take off for the next city, and everyone was moping. It was silent. Bad vibes.

Then Jumbo Joe Thornton walks onto the plane, and halfway down the aisle, he stops dead in his tracks. He’s looking around at everyone. Then he just shakes his head. I thought he was going to tear into us.

But he just goes, “What the [expletive], boys? What’s everyone so sad about? You never lost a game before? We’re in the NHL. Get over it. We’ll win the next one, eh? Let’s realize where we’re at here. Come on.”

Scott also shared little tidbits about his new life at a stay-at-home-dad.

The major challenge most mornings is trying to coax a breakfast order out of my girls. It runs the gamut from cereal to yogurt with granola, and if it’s my oldest, she’ll ask for oatmeal with chopped pears, blue berries, cinnamon and agave. (Which she only gets made if dad is in a good mood.)

I know every Disney character now. Doc McStuffins. Sheriff Callie. The Octonauts. You can test me. I’m an expert. The first month or so, this was driving me slowly insane, but now I’m pretty well adjusted. I’ve let go and embraced it.

We can only hope Scott uses some of his new downtime to write more of this stuff down.