Following my review of the P.K. Subban Just For Laughs Gala, I had the fortunate opportunity to interview Pat Dussault, the writer of the gala. Without further ado, here is the Q & A:

How did it come about that you became the writer for Subban’s gala? Have you written for him in the past?

This was my first time writing for PK, but I've been writing galas and TV specials for JFL for the past few years. What happened was, (JFL boss) Bruce Hills reached out to me in May, and told me that they were trying to get PK to host a gala. He asked me to help convince PK to do the show by brainstorming a few ideas that we could pitch to him, with the caveat that we couldn't do anything that made fun of the Habs. So I thought up a few ideas that I thought could be fun (which wound up being the sketches we screened at the gala), and a couple days later I flew to Toronto with Bruce and (JFL artistic director) Anton Leo to meet with PK and his camp. I basically pitched him a vision of the show that I framed as the JFL version of Peyton Manning hosting SNL, which PK responded to.

Had you already started to work on material before the trade? If yes, how different would the tone have been?

As you can tell from my previous answer, I had. But all of that material was focused more on PK's persona, social media presence, and his work with the hospital. Basically, I'd written the rematch & hospital sketches, plus the live segment where PK read tweets from other players. So the trade definitely expanded the scope of what we were allowed to do, and gave the show more focus.

Is it fair to suggest that the trade perhaps gave fodder for even better/more creative material?

Um, yes.

Did Subban give you any guidelines on the type of material he was looking for or were you given carte Blanche? Did any jokes get vetoed by him?

PK was a really good sport about everything. That being said, I was very clear that I wouldn't write anything that damaged his reputation, or his brand, or required him to say anything he wasn't comfortable with. That's why we had Peter Keleghan come in to deliver that letter I wrote to Bergevin. The only jokes he vetoed were some player tweets that he thought crossed the line. Which, you know, fair enough.

Is it very different to write for an athlete compared to an actor?

To some degree, for sure. But PK really showed an aptitude for performing early on that rivals that of most actors. He really worked hard to get comfortable with the material so that he came off loose and conversational on stage, which always makes my job easier.

The trade is certainly a sensitive topic for many, was it difficult to find the right balance between poking fun yet respecting those involved?

Not especially. I write a lot of political satire (The Beaverton, This Hour Has 22 Minutes), plus I've been doing these galas a long time, so you kind of get a pretty clear sense of where the boundaries are, which ones you can cross, and which ones you can't. Also, I've been a rabid Habs fan my whole life, so I felt pretty attuned to where the outrage over this trade was directed.

The letter that you penned to Marc Bergevin was absolutely brilliant. I feel like it perfectly captured the highs and lows that many fans are still feeling. When you wrote it, did the words flow freely? Can you confirm that the mustard stain is a shot at Therrien’s terrible suit from the early 2000’s?

Well first of all, thank you. That's very kind. The words flowed very freely, because they're how I felt in the immediate aftermath of the trade, which is when I wrote that letter. And yes, Mustard Stain is absolutely a shot at Therrien. Less so because of that f* ugly suit, and more of because of the kind of man who'd wear it in the first place. He just strikes me as the kind of guy who'd have mustard stains on all his clothing and be totally indifferent (or oblivious) to them. He also looks like a mustard stain; just an amorphous yellow blob of grossness. I've been calling him 'the Mustard Stain' for years now; I just finally found an outlet to share it with the world. I genuinely hope it catches on, as I do not care for the man, or his garbage approach to coaching hockey.


I would like to thank Pat Dussault for agreeing to the interview and taking the time to answer my questions. I did ask if I would be able to reprint the infamous letter but the rights are now owned by the CBC. As a Canadiens fan, Dussault was able express his feelings and frustrations with the team in what was a unique opportunity. I think that it came as no surprise that Subban was able to carry the show and is a natural performer. Peyton Manning on SNL arguably set the modern standard for athletes and comedy. It is easy to see that Subban would be attracted to a JFL version of it. He exudes charisma and charm but it was great to discover more of his comedic side.

Cheers & follow along!
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