32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Mile High Angst

Episode Date: May 25, 2026

In this edition of 32 Thoughts, Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman react to the Vegas Golden Knights taking a 3-0 grip on the Western Conference Final over the Colorado Avalanche. Elliotte provides an update on the Nashville Predators GM search (17:00). The fellas check-in on the scuttlebutt in Toronto around Auston Matthews' future with the Leafs (23:00). The Final Thought focuses on the Eastern Conference Final as the Canes and Habs are tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 (28:00). Kyle and Elliotte answer your questions and comments in The Thought Line (39:30). In the final segment, Elliotte sits down with Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens for a 1-on-1 interview (1:04:30). Listen to all the 32 Thoughts music here. Email the podcast at [e-mail] or call the Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail. This podcast was produced and mixed by Dominic Sramaty and hosted by Elliotte Friedman & Kyle Bukauskas. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates

So what makes Mike Matheson mad? I mean, I definitely do get mad for sure. You know, I feel like the guys always kind of get after me that every once in a while I'll snap. And so it happens a couple times a year. I don't know if it's one thing in particular. Sometimes it's a lack of sleep that doesn't help, but I feel like I'm pretty competitive.

So sometimes it comes out. Welcome to 32 Thoughts, the podcast, presented by your Canadian Toyota dealers and the 2026 Tacoma. Get yours before red tag days are over. Happy Monday. Dom, Elliot and Kyle back with you. You're going to hear Elliott's conversation with Mike Matheson later on in this edition of the pod. The thought line is back in a bit as well, but we will start in the Western Conference final. Three games in, Elliot.

And to borrow a line from John Cooper back in 2019. this is a five alarm fire. Now for the Colorado Avalanche, as another John Tortorella team is on the cusp of sweeping a president trophy winner. Kael McCarr was back in the lineup, so was Mark Stone. And for everything that seemed to be going right for the avalanche,

especially with the way they dispatched Minnesota in five games, all of it, in a matter of just a, few days is unraveling for the abs. Up three early, down three now in this conference final. Unbelievable. It's the only word I can think of. Unbelievable. Just in the sense that I don't think it's a surprise to anybody that Vegas would be leading

the series after three games. But I think we all thought if Vegas was up after three games, it would be two to one as opposed to three to nothing. And I thought they would make a fight of it, even though they were down 3-0 after one and the ice was tilted. But I don't know about you, Kyle, but when Stone scored early in the second period, like I'm sitting here in my hotel room and I was like,

holy smokes, they're going to win this game. I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Maybe you felt the same way. But when Stone scored, I just said they're going to win. They're going to win tonight. I just thought game on for sure because it was almost a reflection, a near mirror image of what the avalanche did to Minnesota the night that they eliminated them, right? Like they were down three and, you know, it was McKinnon and saying, you know, we don't mind playing from behind as long as we get down early.

That was a lot of time to play with. And who said you can't score on a power play to start a period with fresh ice? Vegas was able to do that. And then Jared Bednar in the post game, I mean, he was at a loss to try to describe what those nine minutes or so were in the second. They completely unraveled. And all the goodwill they had done in building a lead had very quickly evaporated. I think that was the most stunning thing to me. I'm not surprised that Vegas would feel confident.

We all have moments in our lives. And everybody who's listening to this podcast, you have moments in your life where you feel invincible, right? that no matter what, you're on such a role and you're feeling so good about yourself that you feel that no matter what you do, it's going to work. And no matter what you attempt, it's going to be successful.

And Vegas is in that mode right now. Like, they were going to come, and they were going to come, and they were going to come, and they were going to sit there, and they were going to say, we believe we can win this game because we're doing so many things so well overall.

I think the thing that really shocked me was how panicked at times Colorado looked. And, you know, these are not excuses. Vegas earned this win. Don't even think that I'm trying to use this as an excuse. McCar is clearly not 100%. McKinnon got hurt in the game and he was clearly not 100%. And it's almost like without McCar for the first two games

and whatever situation, those guys are both dealing, with right now. It's that the other players haven't been able to find their way with them not at 100%. You know, with Vegas, they got Stoneback and he was excellent in this game. He made, he scored the one goal. He made the beautiful play that led to the hurdle goal that put them ahead that, that brilliant little tip play. But was stolen out of the lineup, other people, people sort of take his spot or find ways to do 5% better to make up for stone not being there. You know, I just think it's, it's really shocking to watch whatever obstacle Vegas gets thrown in front of them, they're like, we're going to jump over that.

Like Prime Edwin Moses, one of the greatest hurdlers of all time. we are going to jump over that hurdle and we are going to find our way. Colorado with these hurdles this year, they're really struggling with them. They are really struggling with them. And I think that's the thing that shocked me the most. You know, McKinnon and McCar are all world players, but Colorado has such great depth. And maybe guys who aren't those guys, but they're still really good players. and they are struggling to make up for them

while Vegas is finding ways to win despite losing whoever they're losing or wherever they're falling behind. To me, that's the difference between those two teams right now. One is grasping and one is grinding. Yeah, good way of putting it. And I will say, too, you know, it got to 3-3, and then, you know, Colorado did get playing again in a lot of ways and we're generating chances,

but you've talked about it. I mean, what's been one of the big differentiators from what we've seen from much of Vegas this season to now, they're getting more saves. They're saying saves. Carter Hart did that again here on Sunday night. And, you know, whether it was his aggressiveness that was leading to guys, you know, trying to perfectly pick corners and they're missing the net, or, you know, maybe just the execution was there for Colorado. That combined with also how well Vegas is able to kind of pack the house,

like how often in that third period as they were pushing, whether it was McCar from up near the point or if it was Taves that had the puck on his stick or, you know, insert Colorado player here and trying to get pucks through, it just wasn't happening. It's really impressive from not just the goaltender, but how they're defending as a group right now when it comes to getting in shooting lanes. It's been really, really hard when they decide to get into that mode, when they've now got a lead like they did in the latter stages of this game. Colorado, for all the talent, they really struggled to just get the puck to the net

in the most dangerous of circumstances. I mean, look, you go back in the regular season, Vegas save percentage, 884. that was 28th overall. Now all the sudden, look at the playoffs, what's hard save percentage, 923.

That's the best in the playoffs. Nothing else you need to tell the story. No question. And now, I mean, you're listening to, whether it was Gary Galley on our show or Colby Armstrong, like two ex-player.

looking at what McKinnon was dealing with and him trying to gut it out at the end of the game. Both of them had their concerns about his availability for a game number four. And also quietly through all that, Valenachuskin did not play in the third period for Colorado also. So there's another guy that you're concerned about.

And the situation as dire as is for the avalanche. It's just, again, amazing how quickly it's all unraveling here for the best team in hockey through 82 games and what we felt through two rounds of the playoffs. They looked every bit like the team that had captured the president's trophy. And now it's just is the utmost trouble here, Elliot. I suppose you can only be of the mind

that you just have to win one game. That's all you can worry about now. But it's incredible where things stand already in this conference final. What did you think of my car? I thought, I mean, and he said it after the game. Like you could tell just the touches weren't quite there. You know, like it was certainly not for lack of trying.

No, no, he's putting an effort. And I will say this, Kyle, I think he's got a pretty significant injury. I totally believe that. But as you know, like just when he's on, the passes that are, that come off his stick perfectly placed. Like just little things that are so precise with him. And it just was a little bit off. But you understand with everything that's going on

why it might be the case. That's what I saw. I saw a guy that gave everything he could. I'm with you. You know, on the first face off, he kind of fumbled the puck a bit and he got hit. And he kind of had a look on his face, like, uh, already like he was annoyed.

Yeah, he was annoyed. Like on the first play that he kind of got hit because he mishandled the puck a bit, but I agree with you. He got it out. The place where I really saw it was on that power play where McKinnon played in the third period. Like if a car wasn't 100%, McKinnon wasn't 100%. And it just, that power play was not the scene without those two guys.

And, you know, Vegas was out for. for blood. You know, it's amazing how many of those guys feel good. Marner, you can tell. He feels great. Hurtle scored another big goal after a year where he's really struggled. He feels great. Colissar, who finally

broke through. Like, you could see, like, Colissar at his best, and I love his game, but when he's at his best, he makes you just hate him. And he was that guy in this particular game after the goal. They

Manson wanted to get them. Yeah, we also wanted a penalty. Well, you know why. I understand why, because Nelson got called for that one early in the game, right? Yeah. So you're thinking if we get called for one, they get called for one. So I understand the frustration. But again, that's not the reason that Vegas won this game.

Like, just they surged and the avalanche didn't. And, you know, I mean, it's, I got to think Blackwood shows. up in game number four. And I don't think you can pin this all on Wedgwood, but maybe you just try something different. I mean, I don't know, Kyle, do you think you go with Wedgwood because he's been your guy or do you just try something new?

Well, he's made the switch when he notices, you know, a bit of a crack in the armor of whoever he's got in there, right? he's swapped already in these playoffs. And, you know, that second goal would just look a little bit, a little bit off to me and kind of where he was trying to play the rebound. But, I mean, geez, I'm no goalie expert. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes to Blackwood. Because you're trying to find a spark here at this point.

And maybe a bit of a different look there changes something. Carlson's getting going too, William. Yeah. Scores, but he's been playing really well. I don't really have a lot more to say, Kyle, aside from that, I'm shocked watching it. Again, not because Vegas is winning. I think we all expected they'd make this a heck of a series, but to see them up 3-0 and win that game in that way, it is just stunning to see that.

I'll say something else, Kyle. If John Bartlett and Gary Galley show up at your series. I was going to say, and Sean, I was going to say the same thing. And Sean McKenzie, and you lose game one, you're doomed. I was going to say, you do everything you can to get them reassigned to a different series. Because this could be three sweeps in a row for them. Yeah, yes, that's incredible, just one of those years. You lose game one, you see those guys, you might as well go home.

I was thinking the same thing, watching that on Sunday. And not a bad reminder, Elliot, that in the salary cap era, only two president trophy winners have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. I refuse to say this is over because I've seen weird things happen in my life before. The avalanche are certainly in trouble and potentially in life support, but I refuse to listen to stats like that yet. When it's over, I will listen to that. By the way, just a reminder. The other thing that made me laugh in this game was when Vegas scored the empty netter, I think the person in charge of the horn at the arena,

they must have pressed that button for 45 seconds. Well, because don't, in Colorado, they've got a bit of a rep for letting that horn go at times, too. Do they really? Yes. Okay. So I wonder if that was a bit of a taste of their own medicine move. Because I was laughing watching it. I was wondering, I was like, is this person ever going to let go of this button?

Is he falling asleep? He was really leaning on it. Yes. But I think they've been known to do that at Ball Arena. What they see is the appropriate times, too. Oh, okay. It can't be a coincidence. Okay, you're right.

You got me on that one. By the way, I also loved, so Asia Wilson, the great basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces, the WNBA team there, she was there with her partner, Bam Adabio, who plays for the Miami Heat, and he was wearing a Golden Knights jersey, and I love that the Florida Panthers,

called them out on it. They said, you know, Bam, what you doing? And the sad flower? The sad flower. And so he did a video with showing

he had a Panthers jersey in a bag. I got my Panthers jersey here, making me wonder if he actually went out in Vegas and bought one to get the Panthers off his back. That was good stuff. I like that. Yes. That's what social media is for.

Yes. Yeah, I agree. That was fun. That was fun. Well, Bam and Asia went home happy, as did, yeah, many at T-Mobile there on Sunday night. That was a huge pop, seeing that empty netter go in and the realization that, wow, they've got the President's trophy winners down 3-0 here. But not over yet, as you say, Elliot. Not over yet.

Never like to, when you start pulling out. those stats. I'm like, not yet. It's just a reminder. It's not over yet. Yes. It's just a reminder how difficult it is to be the top team in hockey and carry that through four rounds of the playoffs. That is all. That is all I'm doing. All right.

So we'll talk about the Eastern Conference final. Game three, that goes later tonight. We'll talk about that in the final thought, Elliot. but why don't we go through a couple of news items here while they are still fresh on your mind? One of which being, so we await in Nashville, what's going to happen there, who's going to be heading up their hockey ops, what the front office is going to look like moving forward. It's been a long process there. You have mentioned on this podcast in the past that they seem to be possibly waiting on something.

there was a report out there linking Chris McFarland, the general manager of the avalanche to Nashville. What are you hearing on that front with the Preds and their search? So first of all, I do not believe there is an announcement imminent on Monday. It's still we wait. And so when that McFarland thing came out, that is one of the things I've been wondering about. if Nashville is waiting to talk to him. And I do believe it's possible that that is one of the reasons

that the search has taken this long. However, I would like to stress, I do not believe there's any deal or agreement in place or anything close to it. I do not believe it is a guarantee that he's going to Nashville. or he's leaving Colorado.

But the length of the search definitely makes it look like the predators are waiting to talk to someone, and he is a logical target. Now, you'll remember that earlier in the year, when they began their search, they asked for permission to speak to the GM of the hurricanes, Eric Tulski, and they were rejected. there is no way similarly that Colorado would even consider that request with the team still playing. If it was made, and I don't know that it's been made, but even if it was made, there's no way Colorado would say yes to it. Also, from what I understand, Chris McFarland's contract is not expiring. I don't know the exact terms, but he is under contract beyond the season.

so it's not like he could just pack up and leave. I think it's also important to know Colorado's history with McFarlane. When Anaheim hired Pat Verbeek, the docs during their search asked for permission to talk to McFarlane, and he would have been a very legitimate contender there. At the time, Joe Sackick was still the GM. He spoke to McFarlane first, and he asked him, I went through my old notes, He asked him what he wanted to do. And McFarland's answer was he would like to be a GM.

He would prefer to be in Colorado. But if Sackick was unwilling to give up the spot, he would like the opportunity to try to do it somewhere else. Well, what Sackick did was he denied permission and eventually promoted McFarland to the GM. So obviously, the organization values him highly. So what I would say is that I don't believe anything is done I don't believe that Colorado has allowed him to talk

or would allow him to talk during the season. I think he's still under contract, but I do believe that Nashville would potentially ask. And the other thing here is from what a couple of people, because this caused some buzz around the NHL, the other word on him is that he's not going to leave Colorado unless it was just like a huge step up. And, you know, I just don't know that that's what Nashville would want to do.

So I think it's just the safest way to put it is, I don't believe they have permission to talk to them. I don't believe there's any agreement in place. So I don't believe this is anywhere near as far along as it's been suggested. but do I think it's possible they will ask to talk to him when Colorado's season is over? Yes. But I think the idea that it's a done dealer, he's 100% going there, I think that is way, way, way premature. So he, of course, spent a number of years working in the Columbus organization before joining Colorado.

Are there any, in terms of who is in Nashville now, I don't believe there would be any direct links of the past that would maybe make sense there. I suppose obviously his track record with the avalanche would be attractive enough for a team like the Predators. Do you think at this stage, could you even hazard a guess of how many names would even be under consideration at this? Like, is there one, maybe two guys? They're really honing their focus in on and just waiting for when the right time is to strike? Mike? You know what, Kyle, from what I understand, some people who are earlier part of the process haven't been told they're out. Okay.

So I think what we're waiting for here is can Nashville talk to anyone else? And then if the answer is no, then either they circle back or they go to somebody else that they really like. All right. Anything else you want to touch on there? I'm sure the avalanche love this coming up while they're down three nothing. in a series. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Okay. Well, the Nashville

conversation continues to be an active one. Meanwhile, in Toronto, they've still got their head coaching search to deal with, but then there's the conversation

about their captain and Austin Matthews. And many have been wondering, okay, when's that big important in-person face-to-face meeting going to come with him and John Chica and Matt Sondine to sort out where his head's at

and ultimately the direction for him and the organization moving forward. Don't believe an in-person meeting has happened, but you have learned there has been a meeting of some substance here recently. Kyle, I just don't think an in-person meeting is feasible right now. Toronto's got coaching interviews and they just had their scouting meetings as well. there's a lot to do. Matthews just had surgery. So the idea of an in-person meeting in Arizona, just scheduling made it extremely difficult to do any time in the near future.

So I understand at some point last week, there was a lengthy Zoom call. Matthews and I believe John Chacon and Matt Sundin were on it as well. and it was sort of their first in-depth conversation. And, you know, there's obviously a lot to do here. They still have to hire a coach. They still have to make some moves. They would like to accomplish a few things to change their roster next year. And it's not like they're asking for Matthew's approval or anything like that or he's making the decisions or anything like that.

But I think it was the first time they could really have a conversation. about what they're thinking and what their plan is and what their vision is and how they're going to do it. And like I said, there's still a lot that has to happen here, but I heard it was a positive meeting. I don't think, I mean, right now we're all watching the smoke signals, right? Like, just, is there anything problematic here? Is there anything for Toronto to worry about in terms of the way Matthews feels or anything like that? and I checked with as many people as I could, and I was told that right now,

things are in a good place. There's still more decisions that have to be made here, but for the first meeting they had, the first lengthy meeting they had, I was told there was nothing that raised any alarms or raised any concerns, and right now things are in a good place between Matthews and the organization.

So meaning should anticipate this is a player that's looking forward to training cap in the, with the organization that the only one he's known so far in his career. You're really trying to get me in trouble here, aren't you? Like really trying. No, but I, no, I'm really not. But I guess I'm just going, well, all right, nothing concerning. Okay, so. I think the best thing, the best way to put it, Kyle, because I don't like making bold proclavations,

as you know, is that he has indicated that he wants to win in Toronto. And I believe that is the message that he has reiterated, and that is what the organization is going with. Okay. All right. It's May, Kyle. We're in the middle of the playoffs. I'll worry about September and September.

Okay. Fair enough. Time is like... By the way, you ruined my dream of going to Tennessee. Texas by saying the by reminding me the NHL season opens on September 26th next year. I know. Well, so there's no chance? We're going to be working that night.

I guess so. First game, September 26th. Sorry, a few of us are off to go down, watch the volunteers and the Longhorns. Oh, yeah? You think so, eh? No, you're not. Yes, so yeah. How'd that happen?

I don't know. Elliot responded to a DM. That's true. Which hasn't materialized yet. Yes. But of all the years to start on September 26th. I know. The year we get a chance to go watch some college ball down there.

Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I failed you again. Okay. Let's get to the final thought, which is presented by your Canadian Toyota dealers. Elliot later tonight. It is game three of the Eastern Conference.

conference final. That one is tied at a game of peace. Carolina taking game two in overtime. Nikolai Ehlers, the hero. He had two goals in that game and really Elliot, that is one of, if not the element that these hurricanes

didn't have in the past when they got swept in the third round in 2023, when they went down in five games last year to the eventual champion Panthers, that added game breaker element that they went out and spent money on last summer.

They got the big fish and eilers for moments like Saturday in game number two. It took everything for Carolina to split the series, headed up to Montreal. How are you feeling about this one through two games? You know what was the key to victory for the hurricanes on Saturday night? I think I know the answer here, but I don't want to ruin your punchline. The return of the peach cobbler. Ah, yes. With a special bourbon glaze.

All your whining finally paid off. Do you know that this is the first time in my life that whining has paid off? I don't believe that for a second. You wouldn't do it so much if that was true. I sent a note to Bartlett. He goes, did they have ice cream with it too? I'm like, no, John. They had the bourbon glaze.

and he goes, interesting choice. So if you think I'm a winer, Bartlett is even more of a winer. Well, I wonder, he used to have power rankings back in the day. I don't know if he still does. That peach cobbler, people were sending me pictures of it before I got up there. We had to do our production meeting and people were up there

and they were setting me pictures of the peach cobbler. I couldn't wait to get up there to eat it. I was so excited. Other good, other good, note, other good notes, from Jeff Jared at. The last, before Saturday, the last time Carolina won an Eastern Conference final game. What network broadcast the game? Well, yes.

Eastern Conference Final game at home. At home? Yes. Okay. Because it won game four in Florida last year. Oh, right, right, right. What network broadcast the game? was it was it O LN?

Yes that was a good one from Jareda. I was like, what? Yes. That's right up his alley. Honestly, I expect this one to be a long series and I thought Carolina would be a lot better. They were. You know what was the most interesting thing to me was

after the game, he was asked about, Rod Burnmore was about Slaven and he goes, I never worry about that guy. He says he's the best I've ever seen it putting a bad game behind him and moving on. And I went up to Slaven after the game and I said, do you have a process after a night like that one? He goes, not really.

You know, he's faith is very important to Slaven. So we talked about prayer. And I know that's something that's very important to him. So I wanted to mention that. but he said his father, whose name is Rob, uh, says to him, that wasn't Jacob Hockey.

Like there's a standard he has for himself and the way he plays. And his dad calls it Jacob Hockey. And he said, that was not your standard. And he also says, you know, my dad says, when I make a mistake,

he calls them a brain fart like a lot of us do. And he said, I had a lot of those. in game number one. But he knew immediately what he had to do to fix it. And he did. And I just thought that

a lot of the breakdowns that Carolina had in game number one, they did not have in game number two. And I thought the other interesting thing and everybody takes a look at Eler's offense,

but they also took his line along with Stalin Martinuk and they put them out there against Montreal's big line and they outscored them one nothing and battled them basically to a standstill. So that was a big win for Eilers and Slavin and all those hurricanes who couldn't afford to go down to nothing. Seth Jarvis said on the off day after game one, you just saw the way Slavin walked into the rink that morning and he was like, oh, we're good.

Like he'll be fine. We'll be good. It was just a look on him. He was like, no problem. Like water off a duck's back. It is back to be in him again. It is interesting, Kyle, because, you know, to me, the hurricanes lose a game. They're eight and one in the playoffs.

And to me, it's like, me. But, you know, someone said to me that that Eastern Conference thing, it's very real in the market. that they were 1 and 16 after that game. And I said, even though this team is 8 and 1 in the playoffs, and they go, oh yeah, it'll be real in some people.

And there's one fan. And, you know, he said to me PTSD. That's what he said. I go, really? And he goes,

this was in game two. And he goes, oh, yeah, PTSD. After we lose game one, I said, no matter how well they've played in the playoffs, he's like,

yep. And he walked by us. to go to his seat for the overtime, and he looked at me and he goes, say it again, he goes, PTSD. I was like shaking my head. And, you know, during our hit, I didn't realize that, but Arash Mamarzade, who's a producer and host at 650 who works with Dom, he took a shot that on the scoreboard behind Dave and I, they had a breathing drill. Yes.

Like, there's like Fox breathing. And I didn't notice it, but when I saw his tweet with the picture, I was like, wow, like even the building is kind of getting in on this. And after Eelers scored to end it, that same guy ran by me, he goes, no more PTSD. So I'm glad the Carolina fans have been cured of it for at least one night. But, you know, if Montreal wins game number three, maybe they'll be back to it again. we'll see it's um it's going to be interesting because we all talk about the great atmosphere in montreal kyle but they can't win at home so something's got to give here yes yeah i'm with you and rod brindamore's had great success in that building as a player in the playoffs right two series there in oh two series

there in 02 and in 06. I think he's 5 and 1 playing in Montreal in the playoffs as a player and now he comes back to coach at the helm with the hurricanes. The other thing about that stall line,

Elliot, I mean, even in game one, as badly as that night went for the hurricanes, when that line was on the ice, there wasn't much bad going against Carolina. It's very impressive how effective, that group is, you know, led by a 37-year-old in the middle that refuses to let father time grab hold of them. It's a really impressive element for the hurricanes.

As I mentioned, you think about in years past, if the top guys are getting canceled out by, you know, a very good game plan on the other side, there just hasn't been enough of that second wave of guys that can make a difference. Eelers did it in game two. Like that's been, that's been the difference, I think, for Carolina, where you're going, okay, how is this Carolina team different than one in the years past? That's a big reason. And now for Montreal, yeah, the whole ice thing is an interesting one. And I thought Martin St. Louis had some good perspective on that on the off day in terms of how to handle it all.

but you know for our hurricanes team that likes to swarm and pressure and all that, can you stack just enough good shifts one after another that you're not constantly having to play survive mode in your own end? That'll be a big key for the Canadians to really take advantage of a crowd that'll be behind them here for the next two games at home. But it showed to be a really compelling series, hasn't it though, Elliot? Like there's just two teams that love to play hard man on man in their own zone. There's just constant motion and how their styles clash.

It's made for some really compelling hockey here. It's going to be a long series. And really, I really like the coach listening to the two coaches too. Two really detailed guys. Although when Brindamore wears the hat, he looks like he's about to rob a think. Yeah, you can't, you can't even really see his eyes. I know.

The brim is down so low. But it fits, it fits the personality, that's for sure. Yes. He's just like, laser focused. So, Montreal make a change, game three? I wonder. Is it Gallagher time? Now it'd be as good a time as any, I feel.

Like, I know it's, I mean, he didn't see. see the ice against Buffalo. Nope. And, I mean, that was, Buffalo's a quick team. So, two are the hurricanes, of course. Yeah, early skating team. I just wonder if, you know,

what were you just talking about? Something's got to give for them at home ice. I think Gallagher's presence could help with that a little bit, don't you? If he's going to play that card, I think he plays it now. I mean, even you think of that game five in Tampa, you only played just over seven minutes.

Mm-hmm. Didn't matter. Found a way to make an impact. So that's what we'll be watching for here this morning, Elliot, is what changes, if any, does St. Louis make to his lineup ahead of game three back at home. All right. Now is the final thought brought to you by your Canadian Toyota dealers. We'll take our first break.

The thought line is on the other side and a conversation with Mike Matheson still to come. You're listening to 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Okay, welcome back. No one had as good of a driving day in Montreal on Sunday than Kimmy Antinelli did, capturing the Canadian Grand Prix here in Montreal. But we were on separate itinerary. Travel day went fairly smooth for both you and I. We are in Montreal and ready for a brand new edition of the thought line. And I'm sure you met many a people in your travels on Sunday, getting from Raleigh to Quebec.

Yes, there were a few. I do want to shout out first. before we get to the people I met, I wanted to shout out Benjamin Johnson, who is from Sittenham, Ontario. So Benjamin is a young player. He and his team, the Frontenac Flyers,

won the under 15 OMHA championships that's in Ontario about six weeks ago. And since then, he's undergone some health challenges. So I just wanted to shout out of Benjamin and his father, who's a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, his mother is a nurse. Your aunt Abby mentioned this to me, and I just wanted to wish you all the best, Benjamin, and all the best to your family.

Okay, a couple other things. First of all, a few of you have sent us notes saying, hey, you forgot to mention the Alexiaks and the sibling thing. We did mention it, but just in case you missed it, I wanted to make sure that you realized we did recognize the horrible omission of the Alexiax. I did get a couple more. A few people, Kyle said you should recognize Taryn Kachuk, Matthew and Brady's sister, the great field hockey player. That's another pretty obvious one we missed. And even though we were talking about non-hockey players, since we did mention some, we got Drake and May Bathurst.

and may of course plays for the Minnesota Frost of the PWHL. Okay, shoutouts. I don't remember who did this, Kyle, but I did laugh. You'll remember this one. Someone came up to me and you and they said hi to me, and they said, and hi to you too, the other one. Where was that? Was that out front of the Canadians Hotel in Raleigh?

It must have been. It must have been because there was, you got that. And then moments later, a Canadians fan walked out to me and said, as I was laughing at you, a Canadian's fan walked out to me and goes, hey, Stank, eveninging the score. Yes. Because you were so happy. Yes. We're on our way to a very heavy lunch. Yes.

So that lunch screwed up my workout, by the way, Kyle's lunch. Okay. So PJ, who's a member of the Carolina staff, wanted to shout him out too. Other people we met. Ian McNally played it. It was from Guelph, Ontario. He played college hockey at Princeton.

He actually played there with Kevin Westgarth and Daryl Powell, who went to the Stanley Cup final as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010. Ian took his son Finn to game two. Justin Stefano from Richmond. Jackson from Raleigh, who was wearing a Seth Jarvis jersey and told us before the game he was very nervous. There's a father and son team, Jake and Jacob. They were from Asheville. Also, I met an accountant for the hurricanes.

Her name was Molly. She was in the crowd at the game with her friends Matthew and Allison. But Molly unquestionably does a great job of balancing the books for the hurricane. Her friend Allison was wearing a sweater with a Hurricanes logo I hadn't seen before, Kyle, with a C. It was a beautiful logo and sweater. Father, son, team, Noah and Justin. I met a young man named Wells. I didn't get his last name, but his dad is one of the Hurricanes team doctors.

A gentleman named Chris, who went to Don Mills Collegiate in Toronto, were the same age. I went to York Mills. He went to Don Mills. Those schools are not far apart. his son is a big flyer fan and they went to one of the games between the flyers and the hurricanes that the flyers lost devastating his son

Chris, really good guy it was funny one father and son a group I met were JP and Thomas they're from Quebec City but they went to a couple of the games in Carolina they've become Hurricanes fans I said and the father JP said he used to be a Nordigues fan.

And I said to him, could you ever cheer for the Canadians? And he laughed and said, no, I can't. I never could. So it was just pretty funny. Like that is a true Nordig fan. You are hardcore through and through. I also wanted to, Dom, you had your buddy's wedding on Saturday. What happened to you?

Well, me and a few of them. the other people at the wedding were having drinks after dinner at the reception outside on the balcony. And out of nowhere, we got bombed by Siegel poop at the table. Oh, no. Multiple casualties. I mean, it was everywhere. Some dresses were ruined. Some suits were ruined.

And the smell was just sickening. But we made the best of it that we could. Good for you. We kept on with the night, but it was disgusting. Were you hit? My drink was hit and my hands were hit. My girlfriend got the worst of it. Her dress took a pretty big hit.

So what did you do? We went to the bathroom and we cleaned it off. What else is there to do? That's the only thing we did. go buy her a new dress or something else to wear. Well, is that an option at that hour? No. Probably not. Okay.

I look. You probably don't have a backup standing by either, right? I looked at the neighboring stores to see if there were any dress stores open, but late on a Saturday night, it was not for us to happen. I think in that situation, though, I would have to say that if, you know, if something was open where she just wore, like, even if it was like a zip up and a pair of pants, I think in that situation, it's perfectly acceptable. If it was my wedding and you got pooped on and then you had to change into something that

didn't fit the rest of the wedding, I would say that's an acceptable solution. But the fact is, you made an effort, Dom. Yeah. And she went and bought a lottery ticket today. So hopefully we won't be working on this podcast for too much longer. If we don't hear from you ever again, we'll know why. Well, did you have a good time? Yes, despite that.

Great wedding. Congratulations to Daniel and Catherine. They are a beautiful couple. Very nice. Kyle, do you have any shoutouts you want to do? Any animal excrement stories you want to discuss? No, we managed to avoid that in our travels, in our time in Raleigh. We didn't have any run-ins with birds or.

or any other. Though there were, did you notice there were a lot of geese around the hotel? I didn't notice that. I actually didn't notice that. I actually didn't notice that.

Did do my little loop around the hotel area in the morning and they were always out just grazing away, seeing what's going on. Were they territorial? Did you go near them and did they hiss at you? No,

like I kind of kept my space, but they seem pretty relaxed, but you just never know. It can change on the dime. I wasn't going to. Yeah, you don't want to screw around

with the, geese. They're mean animals. Now, before we get to the thought line here, I did want to mention, I had someone right in to me. I can't remember what their name was. And they asked about traveling to Montreal, as you mentioned, it was F1 weekend. And they were asking, what about the hurricanes? How did they handle hotels for F1 weekend? And of course, we'll never name them. That's not something you should do on the podcast. But Carolina is going to one hotel on the Sunday night and then a different hotel for the rest of the trip. And some of us are actually doing that too. Not Kyle. He has pull. He got to go into the same hotel. But myself,

being the supreme team player that I am. Oh, yeah. I am. I'm going. going into one hotel for Sunday and then switching for the rest. And actually, it's interesting because I was talking about this with someone at the league. And they told me they actually considered themselves kind of lucky that Montreal didn't beat Buffalo and 6. Because then it really would have been ugly here. And there's a couple other ones. Like the other thing that they told me, which I didn't even realize, is they said that the NHL has really lucked out with the World Cup of soccer. because the four finalists for the Stanley Cup are not cities that would be interfered with by the World Cup.

And there were some places that if they would have had the Stanley Cup final, they would have had a real nightmare with hotels. And also, Kyle, I mentioned it earlier, but Pittsburgh hosted the NFL draft this year, and they also considered themselves pretty fortunate that those games didn't overlap. So could have been a lot worse. That was a question that was asked. And it could have been a lot worse that it actually turned out to be.

Yeah. The attendance record at F1 here in Montreal for this event this weekend. I think the number I saw was $360,000. It's an awesome weekend. It's hopping. I've never been to the F1, but I came a few years ago to see The Cure in concert here in Montreal during F1 weekend. And it was hopping.

It's a fun, fun time to be here. Yes. It is most times when the weather gets a little better in this city. And then you add in a global event like Formula One is next level. They do it upright, but boy, it comes at a cost depending on where you're at with it all. Okay, very good. Here we go. The main course, the thought line.

We begin with Neil. You remember he wrote into the last thought line. He acknowledged me. He acknowledged me. Dom, but he left you out. You were not happy about it. Yeah. So he wrote back.

He said, thanks for the response to the question today. Tell Elliot, beers are on me at the 529 in Winnipeg in October. Have a great summer. I hope to be there. I love the 529. Great restaurant. I bet he knew that. Yeah.

He knew that. Great restaurants. Remember the Canadians fan that. that sent in a note to the thought line that included the screen grab of his conversation, text conversation with his girlfriend living in France. Yes.

And he was up watching Game 7 in overtime and she was not happy with how loud he got. Yes. So Brian from London in the UK had a response, not to us, but to that Canadians fan in France. Here it is. Dexter, my man.

A bit jealous you live in Paris, but I am lucky that life in London allows me a one-hour advantage on time zones, but that's only for my sleep. At 352 a.m., game 7, overtime winning disturbance of my girlfriend provides a shared experience. I promise you that. And despite what Stank says, she does not understand. She does not get it. You and I are on a shared path with this magical. team, and for us, it is a lonely path. Morning talks of, I thought we discussed taking care of yourself and respecting our sleep can only be known by those of us living abroad. Just remember, you are not alone. Go habs go, my friend. Carry on. P.S. Stank is a little correct. Always do something nice. It's the least we can do. And thanks to Elliot, Kyle, and Dom for always keeping us informed and entertained. Listen to me, okay? Listen to me.

Brian and Dexter, okay? Look, at your base, you guys are both right, okay? You're huge fans, I get it, I've been there, I understand, we've all been crushed by our teams, and when you have your moment to celebrate, you celebrate. I'm just saying, if you're like me and you have out kicked your coverage more than you deserve, you still bend over backward just to show that you get it. Nice. Am I wrong, Kyle?

Am I wrong? I got to tell you, you struck a chord with me. I can relate with that on a multitude of levels, and I don't disagree with any of it. You are on to something, and I'm sure others out there feel the same way. You're right, but you can still make it a little bit better. That's good. Look at Canadians fans connecting all over the world through this. That's great.

Okay, Matt, hello, gang. I'm Matt reaching out from North Sydney of Cape Breton Island. Okay, wow, nice. Yeah. Yeah. I have a question regarding offer sheets and the league's tampering rules. when a player becomes an RFA, restricted free agent, do GMs, coaches, etc., have full opportunity to talk to said player? Are there still some restrictions or monitoring?

If so, what does that process look like? Thank you for the Insight, laughs, and erect nipple advocacy. Wow, I haven't heard that in a while. Matt, Cape Breton's lone Panthers fan. Oh, man. Well, I'm sure there's some people. Is he starting to scheme for on behalf of Bill Zito here, perhaps? Well, you know what?

I'm sure there's some people out there who have migrated to them a bit. Brad Marchand, right? You know, the maritime provinces, very proud of their own. I'm sure there's, I'm sure there's a few more because Marchand is there and he's one there. So, Matt, you might have been all by yourself, but I'm sure there's a couple who gravitated to you. Anyway, Matt, your timing is excellent because last week, the NHL and the Players Association sent out their term sheet, which is basically the rules for salary arbitration, offer sheets, free agency, things like that for next season, 2026, 27. And the way it works is it tells you that if you're a restricted free agent, you may make contact with other. clubs starting June 30th, but nobody can sign until the opening of the signing period,

which is at noon on July 1st, noon Eastern. So there's your answer. Starting June 30th, teams may talk to any restricted free agent, but nobody can sign until July 1st. So that's how it works. Once that date hits, anyone can talk to a. restrictive free agent. Anytime before then, if caught and proven, would be considered tampering. If caught. If looked into. If taken seriously. Can I tell you something? There's one guy in this league

who won't even talk to me because I mentioned the word tampering anywhere near him. So some people do take it very seriously. Okay. All right. All right. Good timing, Matt. Thank you for that question. Yeah. Okay. One other one here. Emma from Waxahatchee, Texas. Now, I'm not too familiar with this town, Elliot.

So I went online and like on YouTube, I watched three different videos of like, here are the pros and cons or here's why you should move to this town. And there were like three slightly different pronunciations of Waxahatchie. So I'm going with that. And if I'm slightly off, I'm sorry. But I tried. I remember the only reason I know that town is there was a wrestler named Dick Murdoch, who was from Waxahatchee, Texas. And when they introduced him, that was the way they pronounced it.

Out of curiosity here, Kyle, what were some of the positives and negatives of moving there? Well, I'll be honest. Once I heard the pronunciation of the town, I moved off. The next one. I'm not actively looking to move there. So I didn't go any further. Time is at a premium. I just, I stopped.

I got like 15 seconds in. And I was like, okay. And then I wanted to cross reference with a few others. And they were all slightly different. So they only further confused me. Dick Murdoch. What circuit was he part of? So Dick Murdoch was, he was a guy, he was an old,

territory guy. He is, do you know the American Dream, Dusty Roads? Are you familiar with him? He was a longtime tag team partner of his. Oh, all right. Yeah, he was a territory guy. Excellent. Okay. So Emma says, hello, Dom Kyle,

and Elliot. I've been working on a PowerPoint presentation to teach my mom and sister more about hockey. And when I got to the slides about special teams and the penalty kill, it sparked my about short-handed goals in the playoffs.

I think I read somewhere that only 8 to 10 shorties are scored per 100 games on average. So my question for Elliott is this. Can you think of any series-clinching goals that were scored short-handed? Annie to win the Stanley Cup. Love listening to y'all and go wild. And she finishes with, I'm originally a Houston girl, so I despise all Dallas sports. Well, I can understand why she's probably a Wild fan too, because the Wilds minor league team used to be in Houston. Right, the arrows.

So I would assume that that's why Emma is a wild fan, although she can tell us if we're wrong. First of all, Emma, I have to say, I am incredibly impressed that you are way too smart to be listening to the this podcast. Anybody putting together a PowerPoint presentation to explain the game and quoting, what was it, short-handed goals per 60 or short-handed goals per 100? What was it, Kyle? Well, she was just doing something on special teams and she saw it was about, yeah, eight to 10, shorthanded goals per 100 games on average. Wow. That is, Emma, I got to tell you, I'm so impressed by this. I never even would have thought of that. Anyway, the number one, goal short-handed that comes into my head was in game five of the 2006 Stanley Cup final between

Carolina and Edmonton. And Carolina was up three games to one. They had a chance to win the Stanley Cup final at home. They were in overtime and the Oilers took a penalty. And Fernando Pisani scored a short-handed goal on a breakaway to win it for Edmonton, hugely disappoint the Carolina crowd, the Oilers won game six at home before the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in front of their fans in game seven. That's the biggest one I can remember, and that was the first ever short-handed overtime goal in Stanley Cup final history.

Oh, nice. Do you have any other ones that you remember, Kyle? that's the biggest one that jumped into my head. Yeah. Well, so Emma was wondering about series clinching short-handed goals. Now, I will say there has never been a short-handed goal that's considered the Stanley Cup winning goal. That hasn't happened. But in terms of a short-handed goal that clinches a series, there have been 23 examples of that in Stanley's playoff history.

Yeah, 23, including why. this year. What was the one this year? Brett Howden against Anaheim in the second round. Wow. Wait a second. Was Yenny Gord's goal against the Islanders, a short-handed winner? Yes, it was. Game 7. That was 1-0. The only goal scored in the game. Well, that one won a game 7. That's right. That one won a series. And Tampa would win the Stanley Cup that year. Yep, exactly. That game got them in Montreal on the final. and beat Montreal in five games.

Barkov in 2024, the first round against Tampa. I believe they won that in five games. That was last year? Two years ago in 24. Two years ago, okay, right. So his goal was short-handed, ended up being the game winner, the series winner. And another recent one, Marion Hosa in 2015, so Chicago played an Anaheim. Oh, against Nashville.

No, this was against Anaheim in the second round. They went to game seven. He scored a shorthanded goal that at the time made it four to nothing. So you're thinking it's just insurance, but Anaheim later put three on the board. So as the night evolved, it became the series winning goal for Chicago and scored shorthand. But yeah, 23 in total.

Those are some of the recent ones. And we have yet to see a short-handed goal win a team of Stanley Cup. But great call on Pissani. I was in the building for that one. Right. And talk about a complete and sudden turn of events. Alex Newhooks kind of got the Pisani vibes going for Montreal. Yeah, he sure does.

That's a great one. That's a great one. Yeah. Craig made that point not too long ago. He, of course, well, he'd remember. He was coaching that one. Absolutely. He'd remember.

Yeah. Emma, hope the rest of your PowerPoint comes together beautifully. And thank you very much for listening and for the question. You should be working for a team. I have to after listening to all that. Yes. Your talents are wasted. You should be working for a team.

Right, right. So good. Okay, that'll be it for this edition of the line. You can email us at 32thoughts at sportsnet.ca, or if you'd like to leave a voicemail, It is at 1833-3-3-1-321-32. When we come back, Elliot's sit down with Mike Matheson, the Montreal Canadiens, on 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Okay, as promised, the other day, Elliot had a chance to sit down on the off day with Mike Matheson,

defenseman of the Montreal Canadians. He grew up on the West Island wearing Montreal colors. When he signed his extension back in November, he said, ever since he was a kid, all he wanted to do. was to wear a Canadian's jersey. He continues to do so and doing so in the playoffs. He's not a kid anymore, but he has kids of his own. In fact, his wife, Emily, in between rounds two and three, gave birth to their third child, a baby boy named Miles.

You're here a little bit about that and a whole lot more. You may have heard and seen part of this conversation, the pregame show leading up to game two of the Hurricanes and the Canadians. All of it here in audio form for you now. Now, Elliot and Mike Matheson on 32 Thoughts of the podcast. So I understand going into Game 7, overtime, Buffalo, you were one of the guys who spoke up. What did you say?

Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I feel like we've got a lot of guys that like being vocal in those situations, but I felt like we were a little nervous. They'd been kind of all over us for a couple periods, and we didn't quite have an answer for it. So the thing I wanted to get across was just that, you know, look back at your eight-year-old self and ask him how he'd be filling and just kind of remind yourself that this is exactly what, you know, whether you're on the outdoor rink growing up or playing ball hockey, you'd be pretending you're in this situation, game seven, going into overtime. And I feel like putting that into perspective sometimes takes the pressure off a little bit and just lets you go play.

play. I feel like we did that in overtime. What street did you grow up on? Waverly. And who were you? I was, I mean, my brother and I always kind of battled between Saku Koibu. He was our household favorite. So he was always the one that wanted to be picked first. So who got to be Saku? You were your... Probably my brother more. He was older, so... So if you couldn't be Saku, who was your second pick? I like to Markov a lot. You know, I feel like he was just such a solid player at both ends of the ice. Maybe a guy that didn't, you know, get a huge amount of attention all the time. But I kind of appreciated that.

I don't think he looked for it either. So I kind of like to emulate that as well. I'll be a guy that, you know, looks for attention, but try to be reliable the way he was. I just really appreciated his game. Well, the two of you have something in common there. Like, Markov was hugely appreciated in the market. You've become hugely appreciated in the market. And you guys, like, he never said anything.

And some of that was language. Yeah. But you don't like to say a lot either. Like, you generally stay calm. We rarely see you too angry. You like to, you like to be tone more than words, probably a lot like he was, too. I feel like, you know, whether it's during the game or outside of the game, I feel like you have an example to set on one hand.

And then at the same time, I know that, you know, if I'm going to be at my best in play and doing what I actually need to do as a hockey player, I have to be under control and having control of my mind. And if, you know, whether it's guys chirping or whatever, the case may be that guys can try to get you off your game, you're just handing over control to them, and I don't give that up. That's very impressive. So what makes Mike Matheson mad?

I mean, I definitely do get mad for sure. You know, I feel like the guys always kind of get after me that every once in a while I'll snap. And so it happens a couple times a year. I don't know if it's one thing in particular. Sometimes it's a lack of sleep that doesn't help, but I feel like I'm pretty competitive. So sometimes it comes out. Well, you're going to have a lack of sleep now for a good reason.

Emily, your third child? Yeah. Miles? Yeah. Okay. So as you said, it's boy girl boy now, right? Yeah, exactly. So, you know, like fatherhood for the third time,

right in the middle of the playoffs. Normally hockey players try to avoid that. You know, what I guess is the balance of wanting to be supportive, wanting to be a good dad to a newborn, and trying to win a Stanley Cup all at the same time. Yeah, it's hard to balance for sure. You know, I'm so committed to being the best hockey player can possibly be, and I'm committed to that every single day of the year. But at the same time, you know, I don't think there's, you know, it's not a coincidence that I've played my best hockey ever since I became a parent. I feel like beforehand it would consume me, and it's all I could think about bad game.

I couldn't let it go and stuff like that. And now, I mean, I leave the rink. I have responsibilities to be the best version of myself for my kids and my wife. And I feel like that's helped me a lot. But at the same time, you know, it was a crazy whirlwind after Game 7 in Buffalo to fly right back and then get to the hospital

at 7 in the morning. morning. You know, I was a little nervous kind of leading up to it because I didn't want to put pressure on Emily either kind of with induction and stuff like that. And so I was just kind of leaving it alone and she was the one that brought it up. She was like, okay, so what game are we going to do it so you don't have to miss anything? And, you know, obviously it worked out that we ended up going to game seven and winning so that we could do it the next day. But it all went well. and then I flew in the night before last game and was able to kind of reset and get ready for game one.

You know who went through something like that too is Alex Burroughs. Oh, really? Yes. So when they finally slayed the dragon and beat the Blackhawks, they had almost the exact same situation. Really? Yes. So there's something to game seven overtime and success and newborns the next day.

It's fantastic. It's a great story. You know, Emily, a very accomplished hockey player in her own right. So, you know, I'm not surprised she would think about what's the schedule, when are we doing this. But how has she helped you? Because she obviously understands the demands of your career. So how does she help you navigate everything you want to be great at? Well, I think she's good at kind of letting me stew when I need to, but also kind of bringing me back in like, all right, like, let I go.

and let's move on. I've never been good at that, and so she's really good at helping me do that. But no, I think definitely the aspect of her having a really good career and being in the thick of it herself and really you talk about getting it and what is it. But it's just little things like she gave birth at 8.30, and we kind of started trying to get to sleep.

and stuff like that. And I was trying to be a good husband and good dad and wake up and help her when, when Miles started crying and needed a new feeding and stuff. And she kept yelling at me, I'm not yelling, but telling me to go back to bed because I had another game coming up, right? And, you know, I think that that's pretty selfless to be in that moment where she just gave birth and, you know, can barely get up because she had the epidural still kind of working. and to be thinking of, okay, well, you have another game in less than 48 hours that you need to get ready for.

So I feel like that, that, you know, level of support is pretty special. We were talking with Alex Nehook before, and his sister Abby is a heck of a player, too. And he was saying that sometimes you guys do talk about what it's like to have other people in the family who understand and sometimes can say you guys can bounce things off of it. So I wonder, like, do you ever, does Emily ever talk to you about your game? Or does, do you ever bounce things off her? Because Jacob Slavin has said his sister helped him with stuff before. So do you guys, how much do you guys talk about that?

Yeah, I think, you know, she always says, like, she doesn't watch the play a whole lot. She watches my game, you know. And so she sees everything and doesn't miss anything. What does she say? So I think, you know, like I said, she knows. knows when I need to just hear like good game get the next one kind of thing and um you know we've also spoken about little parts of my game where you know she has a very good eye for for that kind of thing and i think in the future you know i think she'd be really good at helping players because

she has a good eye for you know little things in a game but doesn't seem like much especially for defense men she has a defenseman too that um doesn't seem like it would affect your play that much but it just makes the game so much easier. And so she'll kind of give me advice in those areas a lot, and that helps. Is there a particular example of something that you do well now that she really helped you with? I'd say just being so aware, like around the net of, you know, we play man-on-man. So it speaks to that system of just being so aware where you're. man is at all times.

And kind of having the ability to, every once in a while, you need to flat out hit a panic button and react and sell out. And so you might be aware where your guy is and when your teammates might get beaten and just do everything you possibly can to make a play happen to disrupt. You know,

that aspect is a little bit vague. But just within that ideology, I feel like she's helping a lot. That's really interesting stuff. It must be funny, though. Like, in the morning, you're all over Marty San Luis clips, and you get home, and you're all over animals. Yeah, no, we're not breaking down video. That's my turn.

A couple more for you. First of all, one of your teammates paid me, paid you a really big compliment. And they just said that it's a younger player, and they said they understand that hockey's a great game, but hockey's a business too. And they said that this year, you know, you had to wait a little bit while a couple other things got sorted out. But you never complained. You never made an issue.

And nobody in that room ever thought it was going to be a problem. And they just said, like, they were, they said that when my time comes, I hope I'm as professional about it as Mike was. What does that mean to? Yeah, that's really special in here. It's not an easy part of what we do. I feel like it just goes back to putting things in perspective, though. You know, I didn't get too worried about it because I knew in the end personally,

I wasn't going to, you know, full-blown put my foot down and be like, that's not enough or whatever the case may be, right? I knew for myself my biggest priority was staying in Montreal, hopefully for as many years as I could get out of the contract, just because I felt like we were building towards something. We had been for a few years, and I feel like this team for the next however many years is going to be at the top of the league fighting for what I hope to have a chance to accomplish.

And my nightmare was to kind of go somewhere else, even if it was for more money and then just watch this team accomplish that and be somewhere else to not doing it. So, you know, it's like I said, it's not the easiest part, but I think it helps reminding yourself why you do what you do and, you know, worry a little less about the business side. Last one for you, I have seen newborns in the Stanley Cup before. Have you envisioned putting miles in the Stanley Cup? Two times now, yeah, definitely. That would be pretty special. Our thanks again to Mike and the Canadians for carving out some time in the middle of the playoff run for Montreal.

Speaking of Montreal, later tonight in the pressure cooker that is the cauldron of the Bell Center. It's game three of the Canadians and the Hurricanes Hockey Central. Pre-game show will be on the air at 7.30 Eastern 4.30 Pacific Time on Sportsnet, leading into Puck Drop a little after 8 o'clock, E.T from Montreal on Sportsnet and CBC. That series tied at one. Montreal again, earning a split on the road to begin a third consecutive series.

Going to be a lot of fireworks should be a great atmosphere and seen as it has been all playoffs from Montreal. That is it for this edition of 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Thank you so much once again for listening to us through this playoff run we have been on the next time you will hear from Elliott and I and from Dom will be on Wednesday. Have a great start to you.