Empty Netters Podcast - 81. NHL TV Series is Coming, Hockey is Going Back to Atlanta, the Greatest First Round in History

Episode Date: March 20, 2024

Races are heating up all over the standings as the boys discuss who is going to try to break the President's Trophy curse and who is winning the Celebrini Sweepstakes. Everything is going wrong in Pittsburgh, Rempe finally got what he deserved, Matthews can still get 70, and the Red Wings can still make the playoffs. Plus, find out which players the guys want to see on TV and how they feel about more expansion teams. NEW EPISODES EVERY WEDNESDAY! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuf52MHW1O7guPMzsMvv2kA FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/empty.netters/?hl=en FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@empty.netters (0:00) - Intro (0:30) - Jackson Hole Hockey Trip (6:52) - No Buckie Warm Up (7:00) - Rempe Suspension/Hit (11:44) - Jagr Bobble Head Scandal (15:24) - Tank for Celebrini (19:51) - President Trophy Race (25:23) - Matthews Goal Race (28:19) - NHL Needs these 1st Round Match ups (32:03) - Hot Ice (32:13) - Wild Card Surge (40:58) - Flyers and Red Wings Down Fall (45:26) - Hockey Back In Atlanta? (54:30) - NHL Amazon Series Announcement (1:08:19) - Arm Chair GM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, the Stanley Cup playoff picture is starting to take shape. Frank the tank called up the Preds and the Wild. They're all going streaking. Looks like the NHL is going Hollywood and Amazon is giving us a behind-the-scenes series following a bunch of star players. And is that Atlanta's music? Gary taking a team back down south? Ice is ready and we are back with another episode of the Empty Netters podcast,

fresh from Jackson, Wyoming. We're going to jump into all of the unbelievable hot ice and the crazy stuff going on in the league. We've got to talk about this trip first. A massive, massive thank you. Is it the Jackson Moose or the Jackson Hole Moose? Jackson Hole Moose. To the Jackson Hole Moose. People, first of all, I was about to say,

if you were in Wyoming and you don't know about the moose, you've got to go to these games. But apparently everybody in Wyoming knows about the Moose because everyone in Wyoming was at the games Friday and Saturday night. Absolutely electric environment going on in the Black Diamond Hockey League in Jackson. It was so fun, man.

I have so much love for the Jackson Hole Moose. I have so much love for Jackson Hole. Wyoming is my first time there. such an unbelievable town. One of those places, Blakey, when you get there and you just look out, you go, damn, this country is very beautiful. Yeah. Seriously. It was just a really miraculously wonderful place. Skying wasn't even great conditions. Still a blast. Spring skiing, Bluebird Day was ripping down in just like a t-shirt or a sweatshirt was totally fine. You're up on the mountain looking out. Gorgeous, gorgeous stuff. And then the hockey man, wow. The Black Diamond League

that the Jackson Hole was playing so cool what they do, so cool that these little ski towns offer this up to the people. I thought that this phase of my life was over. That was the coolest part about it. We get at a group of college buddies who throw this team together.

I know a ton of people have done this before. Lots of our buddies from New England and their respective schools have thrown groups together and done this. So if you guys have done this before, and a lot of you already DM'd us, but DM us so we can all talk about it so much fun. it was right back into like real deal game day vibes.

It was, you know, first game was wake up, morning skate, breakfast, take a nap, eat lunch, go to the rink three hours early, get your dynamic. What's that? In a suit? No, we almost in that suits, yeah. That was the one missing piece. But it was really cool. It felt like this awesome reliving of a moment, a reliving of a chapter phase that was just so fun. Sewer ball in the hallway before a game.

I was just about to ask. Yeah, it was incredible, dude. Yeah, Dan said it perfectly. It's just like you forget what that really feels like. You know, you play Beer League, and I take Beer League seriously, but you forget like three, 20 minutes stop time, massive crowd, want to win so bad, you know, just like it fires you right up, taking hits. Dude, yeah, like it was awesome.

Taking hits and not taking chances with the puck. Yeah, yeah, right, yeah, exactly. Dude, no last man towees, you know, like, oh shit. not putting him on blast because it was bullshit and the guy got an immediate penalty talking about taking hits this fucking dude just took a running start when cp wasn't even close to the puck yet and just ran him cp popped up like a fucking 15 year old's little boner wore it wore it and got up immediately i would say i took the two hardest hits you did of the weekend both both were blatant penalties and were called immediately yeah but it was hilarious because i was like when i was

getting there. I was like, I'm not going to not play physical, but I'm not like here to head. I'm not going to lay someone out open ice. Like I'll bang in the corner a little bit and we're good. And I'm certainly not going to put myself in a position to get drilled. And I, in the first game, Dan, we like, I think it was right off of a center ice draw. It goes like D to D. I'm playing wing. Our defenseman passes one off the boards to me. And I'm kind of like looking back. But right as he passes it, I already know I'm in a bad situation because I'm like, oh, Desi dude's coming. I'd like to come to Chris's defense. The pass had not even been thrown yet.

Like, Chris was looking for the pass, and this dude was already ripping at him. That's how cheap it was. And it was this guy that hits a lot, so I knew he was out there because I saw it before the face up. So, like, as the puck is about to be passed, I go like this and look back to just see where he is so I can know what I'm going to do with the puck and I get it. And dude, as I turn around, he's like literally at a full torpedo launch already at me. And I go like this.

I just try to fall on my own because I was like, dude, I'm about to get buried, but which also just dropped my head to like his torpedo shoulder level like literally drilled me right in the head and I'm like and like you know when a QB slides and gets smash it almost looks worse because he was like I think that's what happened

because everyone was like oh no Chris is dead and I was like I'm okay it was the most intense brotherly reaction I've ever had in my life I was on the bench saw it and I was up screaming profanities at this dude

And it was pretty close And if he was closer I would have with my stick Like a guy behind the stage Pulling a bad act off of the stage I would have raked him in with my stick Around the neck I was so furious Just tomahawked it

Oh my God It was unbelievable It was fucking wild The like Like it happens and you're like holy Fucking shit It reminds me of senior men's hockey In Canada

Like every small town in Canada Like that is the thing You just have the senior men's team. And like every Saturday night, that's where everyone goes to. Like, I wonder, like, when one of these games are going on, like, is the local grocery stores, the local post office, just a complete ghost town? Yeah, yeah. Everybody there. Everyone was at the arena.

It was really great. You could see around the rink. There were adverts everywhere for all of the restaurants we had been going through the last two days. It's such a cool little town vibe. Dude. And I'll tell you what, man, even in big cities, like even in L.A., it's a great pre-gakes. If you had a good L.A. Beer League that played at 7 o'clock on Friday nights, it would be a great, hey, like that old drink in Culver City. Yeah.

It would be like a great go there, get the cheapest beers in town, get lubed up for the night. It's an awesome vibe. The last thing I'll say is we, I brought a halfie and a cage. And at morning skate, I skated in the halfie because like a bunch of most, I mean, their whole team has halfies on. And like half of our guys did. And I was like, yeah, maybe I'll use the halfie because it just like, looks cooler and it's a sick experience. And then right before the game, I was like,

ah, fuck it, dude, like I'm putting cage on. Just don't want to catch a rogue stick or whatever. That hit would have broken my nose. Because, like, it would have just, he would have hit me directly in the open face. And I was like, and my first thought as I popped up was like, thank fucking God. I put this cage on. It's insane. Speaking of big illegal hits right now, we're going to transition right into our no-bucky

warm up and start with the Matt Rumpy suspension. What do you guys think? Four games for this? You kidding me? Free Rampi, dude. Yeah, I mean, I don't agree. I thought that this was one of the most just good job by everybody. I thought it was he got tossed from the game.

He deserved to get tossed from the game. He got a four-game suspension. He deserved a four-game suspension. I could have seen it being five. We tweeted about it, kind of posted it on our IG, the tweet as well, being like, what do you guys think? I was actually very proud of Rangers fans

I'd say 80% We're like, yep, you know, sounds about right. And the comparison I gave him was he's an over-excited puppy. And I think he is. I think he has been this big guy, this enforcer guy,

he's finally getting his shot in the league, and he's going out there and he's fighting and everyone's happy, and now he's happy, and he's smiling, and his tail is wagging. So he's just running around trying to murder people,

and I just think he needs to figure it out. He needs to figure out how to play. and it's one of those funny things where I know Rangers fans love him and if I are a Ranger fan I would love him too and as a just bystanding fan I still I also love him I think he's exciting to watch I think it's a good piece for New York but he needs to figure out how to use his body and how to fit into this game

if he's actually going to be valuable for them in the playoffs because if he's taking penalties like that in the playoff game trying to be a difference maker he's going straight out of the lineup immediately yeah you can't be on a cadre like a couple of years ago and codrews on the leaf he did like every three like

two years in a row two years in a row you got a big old suspension in the back half of that first round series that's the only reason Toronto lost correct

yeah it's like the puppy thing he's literally like a great dain puppy like you see those things he doesn't know that he's bigger than the other dogs yeah exactly

total perfect comp yeah no I think it was right and it was accumulation thing right we said that before like it was almost like dude you can you're getting four games at least, even if some people are saying that one was only worth

the of two. I'm like, yeah, I know, but all the other ones added up to four combined. So there you go. I had a couple friends, Kit, dude, was saying like, he was like, I didn't think his elbow was out that. And I was like, his elbow's hanging, dude. Like, he puts that across his jaw. The real thing I wanted to ask you about is the comments made after about him not answering the bell. I actually have flip-flopped in my own head about this. I don't know where I feel on, like part of me thinks you should be able to go no to a fight. If someone's like, hey, you want to toss today? And you go, no, no thank you.

Because it's not right for my team or whatever. And that player should have the right to do that. But after you railroad Bastion, I'm like, there is a code, I think, of the fighters that I'm like, I have to drop here. I think that's right. You know that I stand heavily in the, I think answering the bell is so stupid sometimes. But that one, when you got tossed from a game for how dirty your hit was on Bastion. And Rangers fans, that was a. dirty hit on Bastion.

Yeah. So was the elbow. It's okay. Doesn't make him a dirty player. There were bad hits, though. I think he should have, especially with just what is going on and what he's doing. Right. I thought it was a little aggressive to say, lost respect for him.

That felt a little petty. Yeah. Maybe that's right. But at the same time, you know, I get it. There's history between these two teams. You're kind of talking shit. You want to stick up for your guys. I have no problem with it.

Well, and it's McDermid, you know, for context, McDermid was the one who New Jersey recently traded for and became their enforcer and tried fighting Rempey before the game or setting the fight up in Warrenhamst and tried fighting in the first period Seagintaller hit happens later on he gets kicked out so he doesn't get the chance to step up for the Seganthaler hit but I think the comments that McDermott said after the game I think those are stemming from he's pissed off that it didn't go his way also he's trying to stay in the league right Like he's trying to still keep himself relevant. So he views that fight, not getting that fight,

as him losing an opportunity to prove his worth and continue to stay as an NHLer. Love it. Yeah. My own, I do just think the two things that people were defending it were the, you know, he's a guy with no prior incidents. And I'm like he's been kicked out of games in two of ten games in his career. He has plenty of, like, he has prior incidents. And then people defending the elbow.

Like someone said to me, there was like, dude, he was clearly trying to pull up. And I'm like, shut the fuck up. Yeah. Like that, it's just, it's fine. He's just got to figure out how his body works in this fast pace of a game. Because that was a brutal elbow. So, okay, moving on from Ramps.

Speaking about loose heads, dude. Nice transition, Chris. Loose heads turning into lost heads. The Yager bobble heads gone. Happened last week, 18,000 bobbleheads. or bobblehead night, stolen from a shipping crate. This, we've talked about the drama of this year. This is amazing.

Yeah. I loved this story so much. And if I were a Pittsburgh fan at the game set to get one of the bobbleheads, I wouldn't be mad at all because this is such a funny story. It's a slice of the century, dude. It's unbelievable. Season of hell for Pittsburgh, too. How do you lose that?

That's got to be a big shipping crate. Oh, massive. Like, what the fuck? I just think about, like, it's probably like some mob that's going and stealing these kinds of things or doing these big heists you're going full mob with it oh yeah

all right you think this is like the League of Shadows we're going Batman's this is a organization a criminal organization stealing a shipping container off of a either a truck going through a tunnel I'd really like it to have been off a ship it was a ship out here in California it was a ship

yeah yeah yeah probably probably just down the down the highway in Long Beach there but But yeah, I imagine like the, you know, the henchmen steal the shipping crate and then they bring it back to like the bosses. They're like, all right, boss, we got your stuff. And they go open it up and they're, what the fuck is this? Yeah, because it was supposed to be a shipment of, you know, baby wipes that you cut open and there's actually a bunch of illegal substances in the baby wipes. Yeah.

And then they, but they open this one up and it's yager bobbleheads. And the boss is like, you're all dead. You better pray that boss is a huge Pittsburgh fan. Yeah, you better, yeah, you better, no, you better hope that those bobbleheads just somehow have some illegal substances buried in those heads. Oh, maybe that's it, dude. Maybe that was the play all along. This went perfectly. The heist went correctly.

There is something in the bobbleheads. Well, I really like now that, so let's, let's put it all together. Pitch on your pitch. Yeah. Let's say they were stealing a shipment of baby wipes, that they were then going to stuff with Blacktar heroin. Yeah, yeah. But now it's Yager bobbleheads. And they go, listen.

We've got to operate with, we've got to work with what we've got. You know, and now they're figuring out how to stuff these bobbleheads with Blacktar heroin. Yeah, and the good news is that head is big, dude. Yeah. You're gonna pop that hot off, there's no longer spring in there, there's a nice balloon of heroin or cocaine in there. And when you get that bobblehead, it's not shaking. That's how you know. Also trying to offload, yeah, 1800 jockey ballad.

I don't know what you're supposed to do. Like, okay, we gotta sell them. We gotta make, even if there's no drugs in them. I think you'd be surprised, dude. I think you'd be surprised how much stuff overseas just goes. Like, you take that to Asia. People are buying them, right? I have no prior experience or knowledge of this, but, like, I'm sure you could find a way to sell one.

I think you can ship those around. Maybe, I mean, it's, like, 18,000 is a lot. It's a lot. It's a lot of outlets. Maybe it's like 100. It's like, yeah, you could sell that to a knick-knack store. I think one of us is going to be on vacation in Asia in the next 10 months. and we're going to stop at some rinky dink shop on the side of the corner and you're just going to see a yager

bobblehead being because that's that's where they are yep like those those bobbleheads are in vietnam right now being sold and people are like this oh look at this cool it's a cool bubblehead that's awesome and like under it it says like authentic NHL bubblehead and it's that's correct it is an authentic NHL bubble hell yeah so those are getting shipped dude black market stuff and I like it me too moving on race for celebrini we have talked about this a lot and sort of what we expected, right? Yeah. Three teams in major contention, I suppose, are the sharks,

Blackhawks, and Ducks. I'm not changing my pick. I've been on Black Hawk watch this whole time. I think it's rigged. I think Badaard was rigged. And I think they're just going Taves Kane part two, and now it's Bedard Celebrini. They've got history.

They want to play together. Great. I will say it's just, it will continue to be a shame to me if the ducks and the sharks just get jobbed over and over again and never are given the first like give them a fucking if you're going to keep them around give them a goddamn first overall yeah it feels like the ducks are going to get shafted again i know it does and i'll be honest but that's not shafted though if the duck yeah if it ends the way it is right right now which obviously it might not but i'm just saying that's not shafted we'll have the third

highest and you're right chris that wouldn't be a shafting i'll be a shafting i'll be honest, man, maybe this is because we just were down there and talking with Frank. I would be thrilled to be if I was a first driver, I'll pick it and it was the ducks. Yeah. Yeah. You're telling me I'm getting sent down to Orange County and playing with the insane youth that they have.

That'd be awesome. Dude, or go ahead. Well, to that point, the insane youth, that's why, and we think and somewhat all agree that this is rigged, that's why I think he won't go to the ducks. They're like, okay, the ducks have enough good quality, young core. They're going to get another piece.

they don't need the piece. Who needs the piece? Chicago or probably the sharks, I think. I mean, Chicago literally doesn't have a lot of players. Yeah. What I think is fascinating, and I would love to, we can put our heads together and fact-check this later.

The, let's just throw Columbus in too because they have the fourth worst record right now. The, I would want to stay, no offense, I would want to stay so far away from that organization. Yes, but I'm just saying, yeah. They still have the bubonic plague and I need them cleared. I need a vaccine brought in and I need them cleared before I go anywhere near them. I'm hard pressed to think of a draft year where there's a really, really premier piece going first.

And all four of the Four Worst teams have a super young elite piece that they like just got or are about to get in the case of like Will Smith on the chart. You know what I mean? Normally you go, oh, wow, Celebrini and Badar to be epic. The other guys don't really have that. And I'm like, you get Celebrini and Fants. You get Celebrini in Carlson and Cutter. You get Celebrini and Will Smith. You know, those are these cool duos.

I'll be honest, though. Those two are our boys in Smitty and Cutter. Yeah. But I don't include them with the guys that you're talking about in Leo Bedard and Fants because those three guys have played. We know that they're good at each other players. And that's three of the four. So, yeah, it's just the sharks.

So I'm saying I think the sharks and they are currently, they have the best odds. Like, it should be them. Because all those three teams, or those three guys in Bedard, Carlson, and fans have played in the NHL and we've seen that they can play in the NHL. The sharks are a team that I'm like, more of a question for sure. They have Smitty, but like they should get it. But epic to go, the top two teams in college hockey right now are B.U. and B.C. And you're getting the best player off of both of those teams to be rookies at the same time. And I'm like, that is sick.

That would be crazy. Isn't, is Eiserman going in this draft, he is, right? Cole Iserman, yes. But he's not playing right now at BU, even though he's committed, obviously. Yeah, so he's still with the NTDP. Yeah. And I think he's going to be a steal for somebody. Well, so he came into the year as kind of the consensus number two, and since the year has started, he's just been dropping.

And that's not to his fault, to a degree. It's a lot of the other players beneath him, just getting that extra step of development and extra eyes on them. The last mock I saw, he was like eighth overall. Yeah. There's a chance. He should still go top 10, but there's some really really intriguing defensemen in this. Yeah, there's a lot of European guys

who are solid. Yeah, like the Michigan State guy. Oh. Yeah. So I mean, look, any team who's going to get in this lottery, they're going to get a good player, but who is going to get that premium guy? He's going to get the sick duo. Yeah. I still want San Jose to get him just because of that Bay Area connection with his dad.

Yeah. Yeah. We'll see. what young Gerald does. All right, let's go from the Celebrini race to the President's Trophy race. Yep. A lot of teams that are very neck and neck here for the President's Trophy. Do you feel like that is something

any team is thinking about and going for and or avoiding? I don't think that any team in their right mind is avoiding it due to a superstition or curse. I don't think any team's like, dude, let's just let them pass us

because like, whatever. I do think teams can go, we have done this dance before. I know what it takes. We've got to win in the playoffs. If I want to rest some guys, I'm going to rest some guys. And whatever,

I don't give a shit if the president's trophy slips out of my fingertips. Boston being a prime example. I don't think they give a shit. The Rangers, frankly, I don't think they give a shit. I would even go as far as to say, I don't know that any team gives a shit anymore.

Like, truly, I don't think any team's like, Yeah. Let's fucking, let's chase, like, are the Canucks like, dude, let's fucking chase the bees down and win this, win that baby. I think they're like, whatever, dude, just fucking stay the one seed in our division. Like, I think that's all teams care about. If you ask me who I think's going to win it, I think Florida's going to get it still. I've been saying that for a while. I think they're going to do it.

But I don't think they care. Yeah. I think the Rangers are going to get it personally. I also think this. with the new playoff, or it's not new anymore, but with the current playoff structure, it's weird how much the one seed does and doesn't matter at the same time. What's interesting with the Boston and Florida race is

them going for the President's trophy against each other is almost like also going for the one seed. It's not like it's between Boston and Vancouver. Those two teams specifically, Boston and Florida, is a very unique one because they're racing against each other, I think more so because they want the one seed rather than they want the president's trophy, which is a tough dynamic. And it's funny because if we're looking at the current breakdown and if Boston and Florida, let's say they do jump New York and they win the Atlantic, they'll be playing Detroit as currently stands. And that might be Detroit. It might be Islanders. It might be Buffalo.

I think either team would probably rather any of those three than Toronto. Yes. Yeah, fair. I'd rather play the Maple Leafs. As a least fan I'm saying this. I was about to say, I think Florida is a stronger team than Boston. But if I'm Toronto, I would rather play Florida than Boston because of the boogeyman. I would just, I don't even want to deal with it.

I would be like, you know, whatever. where the lower seed regardless, I think I'd rather Florida. No, you're not wrong. Yeah, you're not wrong. I think as a Maple Leaf fan, I think it would hurt you to lose in the first round to Boston more than it would fly.

Oh, absolutely. So right? I mean, both would fucking really sting because, again, you lost to Florida last year. But honestly, I think the only way out of this is through and you got to go through your bogey. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's go. That's true.

But this ain't the year. dude. No. No, it's not. I think Boston's more, I think, so to you, but I think Boston's more beatable. Yeah. Yeah, you're right, Dan, it's interesting that the, all the teams in the top five right now, only Boston and Florida are in the same division. Yeah. So that's, I wouldn't shock me at all if the President's Trophy comes from one of those two

due to the need to battle for the ones. That's what I think so, yeah. Yeah. You wonder, this is, this, before we move on, we've talked about this year possible in-season tournaments, more incentive-based things. I wonder if

the president's trophy would have a different allure around it if you did like a Premier League thing where winner of the President's trophy gets like a $5 million bonus. Or what about if you had to pick

your first round? I was just going to say that, dude. President's trophy gets to pick who would play in the first time. Sorry, in the EPL they get like a cash bonus. Yeah, you get to, cash bonuses for how high you finish in the table. And there's no playoffs in EPL.

It's, you know, you're, you're crown champion with whoever's that has the most points after 38 games. And I'm not saying that, obviously. I am just saying, like, I think President's Trophy is, right now, it's a cool thing. And people put it in their trophy cabinet. They go, we won the President's trophy last year, but it doesn't mean shit. And it'd be kind of interesting if you went 10, 10 million bucks to whoever wins it.

Because that would help some teams, man. The question then, though, does that money go to the players, or does it go to the franchise slash the owner's pocket? Yeah. Yeah, it's got to go to the players. Got to go to the players. Got to go to the players. For it to make sense, yes.

But you know. It goes to their salary cap for the next year. Yes, I'm going to say 12 million more in the cat. That would destroy parody. The curse, when's the last one, 2013? 2013, but I don't even count that because it was a 56 game season. Yeah. So it's not the full 82.

It's almost like they were playing good the whole 56. Yeah. the playoffs finished. That was just finishing the president's trophy, basically. If Florida wins the president's trophy this year, curse gets broken. Oh, I like that a lot. Let's move from this race to another race,

and that is the race for 70 goals for Austin Matthews. He has 55 and has how many 15 games left? 17 games. 17 games left. So he needs 15 goals in 17 games. Do you think it is out of reach, both of you? I was so positive he was going to get 70 recently. Obviously, he wanted that crazy tear for stretch,

but even before that, I was like, he is getting 70, maybe even like 72. And then I was, like, looking at the stats, I wasn't totally tracking him game by game and it just felt like he was kind of hovered at 53 or whatever it was for a while. I went to his game log, so like, what is happening? And it's so weird because he's not going on huge droughts, but it's like goal, zero, zero, goal, zero, goal, you know,

and I was like, ah, fuck, like, that's not going to cut it. at the pace he's been scoring, but he hasn't gone nuclear. Like, in a little while, I mean, that's the only thing with shit, like, yes people look at that and they go, goal, a game, basically, no chance. And I'm like, he could have fucking four tomorrow,

you know, and then it's way easier. I fucking love the guy. This happened to McDavid last year, and I was so pissed. I thought he was going to flirt with 70, and he finished like 60 fucking three. It's a long season. These guys are fucking tired.

They have more shit on their mind than him getting his goals. So this is a reckless take, but I'm still saying he does it. Because I think if he gets close, if he gets close, it will become a bit of a priority, even if you won't admit it. So, I'm saying he fucking done. To me, it's, uh, if he has a haddy in the next three games, we're in business.

Exactly. If he doesn't, then I think, it was funny to me. I thought he would be the type of guy to care about this. And I don't mean that in a selfish way. I mean it in a, I like how he pushes himself. I like how he sets benchmarks. He loves scoring goals. 70 was sniffable.

And I thought he was going to be. like foot on the gas. They're in a weird spot in the playoffs where they're not jumping Boston or Florida, and I don't think they're falling below Tampa. So they're kind of locked at three, it feels like, to an extent. And so I don't really think that there's an incentive for him to bust his ass to get these goals and put his team in a bad position or put himself in a bad position. Exactly.

Like he could get sat like the last. Yeah, you're probably cool enough here to just get ready for playoffs, and I don't hate that at all. Luke always feed him some empty netters, though. Again, had he in the next three games, we're in business, if not that, it's over it, in my opinion. You guys are spot on. I think I agree. He needs one of those hatchet games.

So he had this five games spanned in the month of February where he scored 10 goals, or 10 goals in five games, two hat tricks in that span. That's what he needs. He needs one of those hat-trick nights and to have that kind of hot streak again, because right now he's looking like a bust. Yeah.

Unbelievable. Before we move on to the next, or to the next big segment, let's talk playoff hockey real quick because we're getting a couple of games that feel like playoff hockey. We had the Panthers and Lightning, and then we had the Rangers and Islanders. Obviously, close, in-state matchups, teams hate each other. Both games were fireworks all over the place. Blake, you said that the NHL needs those matchups in the first round. Yeah, the NHL needs those.

from a fan base point of view, just from a general, like, story point of view within the NHL. Like, that first round is, like, arguably more valuable than the Stanley Cup final because you have all those teams playing, and if you could have those rivalry fan bases going at each other, and this just, you know, stems off of seeing those games this weekend. And prior to those games, so the last time Panthers and Lightning's played was that 9-2 game.

Yeah, yeah. The Panthers crushed them, 9-2, lit up vassel. And then the prior Rangers Islanders game was the comeback stadium series win for the Rangers. So those two obviously great games. Then this past weekend, both, you know, opponents face off and just the two games I watched them both. And they were just so amazingly entertaining just from the on ice product point of view. And I can only imagine how that will fuel the two fan bases.

So I just think if you have comparatively lightning panthers, Rangers Islanders, And if you got Rangers, Lightning or Panthers Islanders, like a Panthers Islander series, don't even watch that. Like, what is the point? Yeah. So I just think it would just give so much more juice to that first round. Not that they need it, but it would just be so valuable. But that, we're kind of screwed, right?

Like, well, we need the Rangers to be the one seed. Yes, they should be just judging. Because I don't think the Islanders can catch Tampa, you know, like, no. The islanders have to come in at the one seed. the bottom so the Rangers have to finish ahead of Florida. Which I think they can. I know you do, yeah. And Boston. Like, Boston's ahead of Florida right now.

Yeah. And I think they will. But yeah, it's a funny one. I watch that Rangers Islanders game. There's obviously a lot of hate there, but I think the Rangers sweep the shit out of them. Yes. And, you know, it'd be entertaining. But I like more, you know, I mean, good God, man, if the Rangers are playing,

Tampa in the first round. I'm a Rangers fan. Nightmare fuel. And I've picked, I think the Rangers are winning the Stanley Cup. I really do. And, and, what's that? I said, that's crazy.

No, it's not, dude. Look at, we can't get off track here. But if, like, Igor has woken up, dude. Igor is the best goalie in the NHL right now. And if he's this way and Roslovich has jumped in and all of a sudden, Kreider and Ziba, or sorry, Johnny Laz, Mika are playing the first line hockey that they can. Five on five is getting better.

think that they are absolutely a Stanley Cup favorite or a one of. Oh yeah, they can win the cup. And I like, don't get me wrong. They absolutely can win the cup. But if I am a Rangers fan and I'm looking at Tampa in the first round because I think Tampa has juice in one round.

Yeah. I think in one round, they're going to sock someone. And then they're going to die like an old dog walking back home to be with his family one last time. Dude, if you get Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Panthers, Rangers, Islanders, Bruins, Leafs. Oh my God. All in the first round. The NHL is going to absolutely nut themselves. Dallas, as they should.

Dallas, Colorado. That will be and like Edmonton, L.A. Those are all first round. Yeah, yeah. That will be CP Bettman's lying in bed, the sun shining on his face and him going it's all worked. Yeah. Like that is this format working to perfection. It's just absolutely

insane. Let's kick it over to hot ice. Let's get into some big stuff right now. Start with the insane surge of several teams here trying to get into the playoffs. Every week it feels like we keep pinpointing a team that's like, okay, this team's in, this team's in, this team's out, this team's out. Right now we've got the Preds, the Wild, Caps, Islanders, and Sabers, who are all really flirting with the playoff spot to the point where the Preds, I'm like, you're in.

Like, they're in. It's nuts. And the Penguin. dude. The penguins won't go away either. Look at them. They won't go away. They're so dead, dude. They're deader than dead. Well, they're certainly less dead than the fucking sabers. So if we're going to bring up the sabres here, we're going to bring up the penguins.

So fair. But the fact that the sabers have the same amount of points as the penguins is so embarrassing for the penguins. Yes. Like the sabers have been DOA since game 15 of the season. Yep. And both of them, both those teams should be comfortably in the playoffs. Oh, it's crazy.

They both should be humiliated. It's absolutely crazy. What bums me out is I cannot waver from I think the caps are terrible. I've been saying that since game one, so I will not change my opinion. The caps are terrible. Isn't it funny too? I'm sorry to jump in how we talked just like we did last year. They're selling off assets like Michael Jackson.

And over here they're like, he actually might be in the playoffs. It makes no sense. And the islanders who I just don't enjoy watching that much. Oh, they're so boring. watch. I know everyone like the islandist fans hate that when we're like the islanders are boring they're like shut up we're not boring that's the oldest take I've ever heard in my life and I'm like well you're kind of you're kind of boring and you blow massive leads in the third period every game what are you the

paradox what are you the Vermont flex dude this is insane so I don't for the listeners that's a reference to us suck yeah those are our bad teams but I actually think they have the best chance I'm still believing in Detroit that was just an insane skin we're gonna get to that in a second but and this kind of feels like Last year, who the Panthers got in the last game of the year last year, I think. They were the eighth seed. I don't know if it came down to the very last game. Yeah, but the Islanders got in.

They were, no, they were both. They were all a sneaky, they were all battling. Buffalo was in there too. The Islanders last year were the wings right now where they were in and all these teams were surging. And I was like, no way the Islanders make it. They just don't have enough juice. And they just stayed in.

And I was like, go. And they kind of won out. Yeah, yeah. And good for them. And I think and hope Detroit does that this year. And I'm just kind of like, wow, there's so much parody coming up here. Look at these teams up their ass. But they're like, dude, we're fine and we're going to make it.

But if any of those teams gets in, I actually put my money on the Islanders. It's really, it's interesting because I want to move over to the West teams in a second. But I'm with you. I feel like we called the Islanders boring in our season preview. And a lot of the fans, like you said, were like, that's such a shit take. It's an old take. and there was a period this year where they weren't boring. They were playing really well.

Bo Horvat has been great, great for this team. Matt Borzell has had an amazing season. Their defense is so good. I think Sorokin has been so bad per his standards this year. I called him the best goalie in the league, and he has just not been close to that. And mine is 20, dude. So I'm taking a pee-whack on that one.

Like he's been so subpar, per his standards. And I don't really think he's shown any flash this season of what he can be. So I'm with you. I want the playoffs to end exactly how it is. Yeah. For me, the wildcard teams, Tampa's not really in that category because they have such wily vets on that team.

I want the two wildcard teams to be the two teams who are most capable of an upset, of a chaotic performance. And the Detroit Red Wings are absolutely that. Yeah. I think the Buffalo Sabres are absolutely that. I would rather Buffalo game. into the playoffs than Pittsburgh, New York, or Washington. Pittsburgh, New York, or Washington, and by New York, I mean the Islanders, them getting into the playoffs, they're going to do exactly

what you think they're going to do. Buffalo might be insane. That might be chaos. Detroit might be chaos. And like I said earlier, I could definitely see Tampa unloading everything they have left in one series. And that's going to be devastating for one of the top two teams. Scroll to the West, Blake. So yeah, moving to the West, like we said, Nashville, comfortably, comfortably in a playoff spot, and they have been on an unreal rip. They're 8-0 and 2 in their last 10 on a current two-game winning streak, playing sick hockey. Love to see it. And then, unfucking believable that Vegas is currently a wildcard team.

They're not really in jeopardy just yet, but the Blues and Minnesota are definitely definitely right there and Minnesota is playing some pretty good hockey. Yep, absolutely. This is another one where I'm like just no, and it's fun. Don't get me wrong, but this is another one where I'm like, ooh, a lot of drama for these last two spots. And I'm like, no, there's, those, that's the eight teams you're looking out of the eight teams that are going to make it. But crazy that Vegas is even, we're even having this conversation,

even crazier that the Canucks could catch Vegas in the first round. and I'm like, you talk about like being the Rangers and catching Tampa. Imagine being the Canucks and being like, we finally put a season together. You know what's also nuts, man? Edmonton can catch Vancouver. Edmonton has three games in hand right now, and if you give them three wins, which no one hates games in hand more than I do. They would be two points away from them.

And Vancouver's kind of falling right now with Demko out. Yep. Five three and two in their last 10? Like, that would be mental. No, I think, yeah, those lines. last two spots are the Preds and the Preds to lose and Vegas to lose just because of who they are

and who they have on their roster. And yeah, the Canucks fans and management would be so rattled to end up drawing. Absolutely disaster. Vegas and Mark Stone in the first dream. Yeah. Vegas has gone 14, 14 and 2 since January 1st. That's crazy.

It's the 6th worth record in the league since then. Man, and they had that crazy. crazy dip. Dude, I swear to God, man, they did the same thing. It's probably a little bit longer this year. It lasted longer. But the same thing happened last year when Jack got hurt. And they sucked all of January. And everyone was like, oh, Vegas is bad. And then Mark Stone went on LDICR and whatever. But it's like, then they got healthy. And everybody was like, holy hell, dude. They are nasty. I wanted to be very clear to the listeners. Markstone is very hurt.

Yeah, he is. There's a very significant chance we don't see him in the first round of the playoffs, if at all. So that they're getting slept on again. Nadin Hill's a fact. after his level of play and all that stuff. But yeah, that is just a crazy situation in Vegas. I would be so annoyed, so annoyed if I was a top West team right now. We'd possibly look down the barrel of that. I will say credit to Minnesota. Like the blues rattle me as a fan because I go...

They've been very good recently. I know. And they aren't good. They have no right. They are not good enough to do this. And not that like what draft pick are you really arguing about when you're kind of like this mid-tier team, but they just like this isn't helping in any way.

They're not going to make it. I don't think they're that good. You're hurting your draft capital. Not that anyone wants to play that way, but you know what I'm saying. The Wild, I actually give a lot of respect to because this should have been a playoff year for them. And they were in the gutter. And to have some fight here, actually, I think, means a lot to that fan base, to that franchise. They're doing the same fucking of themselves that the Blues are doing that I just talked about.

But this was a disaster season from the Wild. So to get in the mixer, I give them credit for that. That's a good fight. I agree. I do just think it's just too much. It's too much to ask. They have 74 points with, you know, less than 20 games left. They just, you can't do that. I don't think you can climb this mountain, but I agree. I respect the fight. So typically it's 96, 97 points is what gets you in in that last seed. So, yeah, the Wild would roughly need to go eight and three in their last 14 games to have a chance

to make it. So a lot of these teams that are on the outside looking at... That math doesn't make sense at all. Sorry, 11 and 3 and 14. Yeah, 11 and 3. There you go.

Pardon me. Yeah. So they have a pretty tough road ahead. And like that's 11 and 3. Like that's a lot to ask. And even then it's not a guarantee that you're in. But on that topic,

let's kick it to a couple teams that are on the down slope and that is the Red Wings and the Flyers. We talked a bit about the Red Wings last episode, dive into it too much. But I think they're 1 and 8 in their last nine games, the Red Wings. People fighting

at practice. Just a disaster. And the Flyers, man, for me, tons of credit to them for holding on as long as they have. Once the craziness happened with Carter Hart being gone, we kind of were like, they're dead. Yep. But here they are, dude. Still third.

And that one, to me, is going to be such a devastating thing to witness if here in the last 14, 15 games or so, they fall out. The Islanders slide into three. Yeah, I've been saying that. And the Flyers don't even get that wild card spot, which is very, very possible. But you had an interesting take, Blake, that their record, what's their record since January 1st?

15, 14, 3. So also brutal. Yeah. 4 or 5 and 1 in their last 10, 2 game losing streak. You know, the Carter Heart stuff happened around All-Stars, so end of January. So they were kind of, they weren't playing, they haven't been playing great hockey in 2024 at all. And listen, I, we have a lot of Flyer fan friends.

Yeah, there was like, talk about the Flyers. And I was so on board at the beginning of this year. Yeah, me too. This is amazing. I'm going to run they're doing. And Torts has just been the man all year. So I'm not, I truly am not actively rooting for their demise. Like, I don't wish ill will towards my buddies.

I don't wish ill will towards the Flyers. but they to me just feel like a team like you were talking about before i want teams in the playoffs that could stir some shit up the flyers at this point feel like cannon fodder to me that i'm like just just go away okay go away peacefully into the night and i'm sorry i'm sorry because you're beginning of season was so cool yeah but it's now uncool what do you think about this take of the two teams there that are sliding very terribly the detroit red wings and the philadelphia flyers i think it's a bigger disaster if detroit doesn't make playoffs than flyers And that seems like a crazy take because Detroit is currently the second wildcard team.

And Philly's been in third all season. All year. I think it's a bigger disaster if Detroit falls out than Philly. Because of where the two teams are, how their rosters look right now. I think it's a bigger disaster for Detroit. I think I'm with you, especially on their timelines. Detroit was ready to compete for a playoff spot this year and feels like they had it and then went in this ridiculous implosion. I take a little bit of umbrage with that because you say they're ready to complete for playoff.

this year, but not a lot of people, including you, had them getting in. But I would say that was the topic. Like, everybody was like, is it Detroit or Ottawa? Like, who's coming for that last spot? Like, that was the conversation. Yeah. And everybody was like this, Philly's eighth. You know, like literally nobody, that wasn't even a conversation.

Yeah. So the flyer, what a run, dude. But the flyers, like, if you just missed playoffs here as Philly, you go, well, hell of a year. And like, building towards the future, if you fall out and you're Detroit, I agree. You're like, and you didn't have to make playoffs this year, just where you were a week ago. You're like, even a month ago.

Yeah. Like they were coming for it. Do you, if you're Philly, do you do everything you can to pull Mitch Koff into this lineup right now? I don't think there's anything they can do. Yeah. That's, I don't, I don't know how. The KHL is just such a different beast and he's a prominent player over there right

now too. He's dominating, dude. So I can't imagine there's any shot of them pulling him, pulling him over. But exciting times for him. Yeah. No, I think. I mean, they're three, four, and one in March so far. It's almost like that first two months of the season,

or, yeah, this season when they were just on fire and everyone was like, oh, whoa. And now they're still sticking around. It's almost like to this point, the guys in the room, if they don't make the playoffs, that will be such a gut punch for them. Don't give me wrong, yeah. But I think it's, like, yeah, like you said,

like it doesn't matter if they get in or not because you're not winning. Just go to sleep. Yeah. You've done a good thing. good thing. Playoffs are set. Philly, Detroit, one, two,

zero in the playoffs. I don't understand the question. When the playoffs are set, Philly and Detroit, one of them, two of them, or zero of them are in the playoff picture.

Yep, okay. One. Zero. Damn. I think the islanders and caps are coming on their heels. Two. I think it stays.

I think it stays as is. Next topic, hockey is back in Atlanta. Maybe. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe. Well, actually, definitely. But when, we don't know. At least that's my take.

Here's the deal. We've had whispers and discussions about Salt Lake City in Utah this year. We've had discussions about Atlanta. We've had discussions about Houston. It feels as though Utah and Atlanta are the big cities. possible relocation or expansion. The situation going on in Arizona. Blake, fill in the blanks for me here,

but there is a plot of land that the Arizona Coyotes' ownership is currently bidding on to build a new arena for said team to keep them in Arizona. If that doesn't work, people are saying that this might be the last straw. And

buy to Coyote's Hockey in Arizona. I'd like to leave it to you. I'd like to hear what you think before I go on. I'm told that this piece of land, I'm told, like, I've just, the facts are the piece of land is north of Phoenix, but in the Scottsdale area, correct? That has been the problem in the past of just like, wherever the rink was, it's like so, it takes hours for fans to get there. It's a nightmare. So trying to be in Scottsdale where it's like super populated and fun area for young fans and people,

that would be a solve. So to me, it always felt like if they were ever going to stay, you had to go here. So good. We are in the right direction. What I find funny is like they're like you to the owners like you have to win this bid to get this land or you're moving. So I'm like a then fucking win it. You're like billionaires just like win the bid. How hard could it possibly be to win the bid? Do you want a team here or not? Yeah. If so much so to put my tinfoil on if they don't win the bid, I'm like then this is all a rude like you didn't even want that like the team was supposed to leave and we've heard and maybe it was ruins. I can't remember but somebody was like there's cool manipulation is the wrong word but um there's ways to be like sell your team to

Utah or whatever and then use that money to pay for like the new expansion team fee or whatever it is like you can a team can leave Arizona and then be back in Arizona a year or two later you know so if they don't win this bid I'm like well there's there's a master plan here going on and the team's you back in Arizona anyway. But it seems way simpler to win the fucking bid and just keep the team here and put expansion teams there later. I want to slow that down for listeners

because what CP is saying is the ownership group that owns the coyotes could sell and then take that money to build another new Arizona team, not like that same team would go back and forth is what you're saying. Yes, yes, yeah. I can't wrap my head around

how overly complicated so many of these ownership groups make these things. learn from these new teams learn from a lot of these new arenas and see the flaws and then see the great successes because i look at ubs yeah where the islanders play great great barn it is a fucking nightmare to get there like it is very inconvenient to get there i look at florida life amazing barn horrible to get to

the fact that that place is in sunrise next to like a strip mall yeah not a strip mall like a ridiculous like shopping complex and every when we went there for All Star

everyone was in Fort Lauderdale which is 45 plus minutes away that is a problem but then you look at Vegas and Seattle and even Detroit with Little Caesars

being moderately new and how close it is to Ford Field, how close it is to the main areas of that downtown. Vegas is right off the strip. Seattle is right next to the other professional stadiums. That's where everyone is. So when Arizona is talking about relocating, and there's even considerations of not being in a super densely populated area where most of the people are, and I get it.

Land, there's not always real estate available, but like that has to be priority numero uno. Yep. So I want the coyotes to stay in Arizona. I think it's a place. I think Arizona's awesome. We're going there for a bachelor park. Like, it's a destination.

I think there's a lot of fun stuff going on in places like Scottsdale and places like Tempe. And I know that they had a bid that didn't work in Tempe recently. But I think that would be one of these places where pro athletes, pro hockey players would want to live, would want to have a home for their family and have their kids growing up in these areas. So I want that to work. I've said what I said about the Utah situation. I think Utah in the NBA, the jazz are, it's like top three every season I'm selling out there. It's a big ski area. I think a lot of people would find themselves or I think that would be a good situation.

That could go very well. Yeah. I will be so disappointed as an NHL fan if another fucking Atlanta team gets. Yeah, you've always said that. I think it is so stupid. I think there are some southern markets that work. I think there are some southern markets that don't work that don't make sense. And to me, the fact that this would be third time, the third time for Atlanta.

And dude, the thrashers were a disaster. A fucking disaster. And to me, it's just, of all of the places that we could plop on an NHL team, I can't believe that we're talking about Atlanta again. And it's clearly one of those things where there's so many different factors at play. And the fan bases and the players are not the number one things. are being thought about, and that's why I don't like. Yeah. It's a cool city, though, dude.

And if they make it work, I think that would be good. Is it, though? I'm right here to say, dude, I'm so sick of this narrative that Atlanta's this cool city. I've never been. But, yeah, I hear mixed reviews. I hear positive things. I hear negative things. I think it's, I think, like you said, there's other factors that are involved in this,

besides the fans and the players, money talks. Money talks. I think the NHL is trying to get a billion dollars. is the price tag they want for that next expansion team. And once someone's willing to pay for it, they don't care. They're going to put that team in the league once the money's shown. Atlanta's a big business city, dude. There's a lot that goes on.

And also, I don't mean to talk shit about Atlanta. I said, is it with a question mark? I don't know. Like, I've been to Atlanta twice and cool. But I wasn't, I didn't have the immediate smack in the face of, damn, this place is sick. Yeah. And I just think, and to be fair, does Salt Lake City do that? Does Scottsdale do that?

I don't know either. But I just think of the three, I would prefer Arizona and Salt Lake City. They've got good news. You're getting all three, buddy. Yeah, there you go. In a few years, we're going to have all three. If Arizona could have found a way to build this arena, and not this year, but prior, they could have been like Vegas where, like, guys are wanting to go there instead

of any other team. Like, Arizona would, like, I really hope the franchise stays there, but it really does seem like Betman's putting the pressure on them and kind of mean, like, this is your last draw. Like, he's been quoted as saying in regards to this arena bidding situation, we still have time. Yeah. That, the way he's quoting on things and the way he's putting things is like,

look, it's not a for sure that this team is moving, but like, this is kind of show it, show that you actually want it. So we could, you know, this could come to fruition. as soon as this offseason. Yeah. If you get a brand new facility in like the close Scottsdale area, that's the facelift though, right? That's that, again, I really think for players, we talk about all the time, if you're

a player, where's the place you would want to go? If you snapped your fingers and all of a sudden the coyotes had a brand new facility, amazing new hockey specific arena with a practice facility right in Scottsdale where homes are cheap, great golf. Like, that would be one of those places where I'd be like, yep, I wouldn't mind going there. Trade for Matthews. So that could be it. Boom.

A captain comes home. Atlanta came into the league the first time in 72 and the second time in 97. So, yeah, third times the charm, maybe. It would be wild for us. But I'll give them a chance. I'll give them a chance. But that is crazy that a city would get three cracks at it. Yeah, that would be wild.

So that's why I say, like, there must be something why the NHL wants to keep giving Atlanta a shot. There's got to be some money that's talking there. Betman's got the Delta Sky Miles card. Yeah. And he's like, dude, listen, Atlanta's the hub dog. I got to use it. Come on, dude. Other possibly super exciting news, and I say possibly for a specific reason that I'll get into, but today we got some news dropped on us that Amazon is going to be giving NHL fans a very specific hockey show, a lot like Drive to Survive, full swing, a lot like quarterback that

Netflix just came out with the NFL that is going to be following 10 to 12 NHL stars. What do you guys think? Actually, Blake, read the tweet from Chris Johnson's question. Yeah, so from Chris Johnston, because the NHLGM meetings are going on this week, so that's where we'll get a lot of news over the next couple of days. They're fine with OT, you two losers. So congratulations. Oh, they did?

Yeah, we can regroup forever, dude. That's awesome. BS. Interesting nugget coming out of today's NHLGM meetings. A couple managers mentioned that the league has signed on to do a behind-the-scenes series with Amazon that will center around 10 to 12 star players due for a fall release. So I don't know if that's this coming fall. I think it is.

I think they've been shooting. Oh, they've been shooting it this season. I think. But maybe it'll be off-season, pre-season where they shoot it. And then it will be like a hard knocks. That's like... Oh, I would hate that. Like, the quarterbacks one was so cool.

The way they followed it all throughout the season. Okay. Great segue, Blake. The reason I asked what you guys think about this, I thought quarterback sucked. Really? So I thought the first couple episodes were okay. Other than that, I thought it got obnoxious. I thought part of that was due to some of the subjects.

Yeah. But I don't think it was a good show. Now, I agree with you that Hard Knocks is electric, clearly. And it has given us some of the best sports entertainment moments of the last multiple decades. And they do in-season now Hard Knocks too, which is cool.

Yeah. Or it's the same. If you like Hard Knocks, I like in-season Hard Knocks too. Oh, there's another show called Insize. Yeah. And they did the Dolphins this year

during the season. Oh, straight up. Yeah. God, I'm so tapped out of NFL. It's unbelievable. Okay, that's cool. My thing with Hard Knocks was there is a part of me that's like,

ah, shit, I want to see, you know, how the season goes for these guys. I think if you've never watched all or nothing, that I think is one of the best, like, in-season sports pieces of content that comes out. For me, there was a Leafs All or Nothing.

Yeah. And I thought it was awesome. Me too. You guys did? I thought it was awesome. Jumbo, dude. It felt similar to the old days of 24-7, Road to the Winter Classic, which is, to be honest, I think that's the best inside coverage show of all time.

I think that this has a chance to be great. It has a chance to be horrible. Yeah. I'm very, very, very curious to watch and see how it does. Because I don't think this is a lock. I don't think this is a slam dunk. What I don't love about the 10 to 12 specific players thing is, as we've seen firsthand, by and large, NHL guys don't love this.

Like, they don't love the spotlight. Whereas I thought 24-7 was so sick because it was a camera on the boys in the locker room. And they were kind of like, oh, it's not just on me. Like, I can hang out. so I worry that the spotlight could get a little too alienating and that's what I'm curious to think what you guys think.

I'm with you. I'm curious to see what you guys. I thought quarterbacks struggled with the people they got for me. You know, like some episodes just weren't that interesting to me because of the quarterback. And I obviously like hockey much more

than I like football and I also, having worked in the TV business a long time, no, it's hard to get got, you know, not every star quarterback wants to be fucking, on their show. So I highly doubt the NHL would drop a show like this with 12 third liners.

So it's going to be guys. But my fear is it will vary, my opinion of it will vary so drastically with who they get. That's my fear. And I share a little bit of your concern of like, especially if it's off season. But even if it's in season, if they're just kind of like, yeah, here's my routine.

Like I, some shots of me at home, I go to the rank, whatever. There's a tame, excuse me, There's a tame version of it that I'm like, okay, whatever. And I'll watch every fucking second of it. Don't get me wrong. But there's this a tame version where I'm like, yeah, you got me all riled up, got me all torched up here.

And now it's not that great. But there is a sick version, though. Agreed. There is an extremely sick version where it's fucking McDavid and Matthews and pasta and, you know, all the boys. You think Yonner would be featured in it? I mean, Connor? No, dude.

But, yeah. But like, can you imagine? You know, if it was like the top guys all opening up in season, amazing. amazing. I just don't think we get there. I think so much of it depends on the producers and the directors. They need a Hugo dude. They need the guy who did the Beckham doc. Yeah.

Because he, that's the best sports doc I've ever seen. Yep. And it's because of how comfortable Beckham was. So my question for you guys, I want to go around. I want your top five. Who do you want? And maybe not who. I want you to think about it specifically like this.

I'm not asking who do you want. I'm saying, I'm asking you, who does this show need? Because you, right now, you might say, Sidney Crosby, you would want that. But I'm telling you that if under perjury of death, Sidney Crosby was made, he was forced to do this, it wouldn't be good. So you're saying he'll be guarded, Sid. Like, you want me to pick a person who I think would drop the guard? Yeah, because he's not done.

I don't just get to go. He's not good. He's not good. If he drops his guard. Okay. fair all right give me

Ikes give me and you can jump in at any point yeah shout him out if you know one Ovi like I feel like he would go he'd be pretty chill that would be a good one

I would say Bobrovsky which I wouldn't hate wouldn't be a battle dude goalies are weird but the second you can get them going then you might be on to something

then you might be on to something all right maybe Bob let me put on my foot pin on Bob for a second here. No, not Nate. I think, all right, I'm just going to jump in. Yeah, yeah, do it. Nealander is a luck.

Good one. William Nealander is, I think, like, the number one star of the show. I even put him over Matthews. Same. I think Matthews would be great as well. But I think Willie would really shine in this. I love him. I love, you would get so much of Toronto, which would be amazing.

You would get the really wonderful international component, too. I would love to see, you know, him popping over to Sweden and seeing what's going on with that. I love that one. I think it's a no-brainer. I like the Ovi idea, but I think our window has passed. I think 10 years ago Ovi would have been. But that might, he might give you gold because of that, though. And I think the star power might carry it. But I think Ovi has settled down a little bit. And, you know. Yeah, but you get a young Ovi though. You get a little Ovi. Okay. I don't, this isn't a kid's show. Yeah, well, yeah, good content, I think. I think one of, if not both,

of the Kachucks. I was going to say Brady. I think both of them are a content machine. Should get a joint app, that would be it. Yep. And that's part of it that you would have fun with. I think you'd get big Walt with that. And they're just not afraid, man.

Every time they do any sort of content with any of us, they're the best. They're so funny. They're so open. They're such good people. And they're superstars, I think, locks for them for sure. I got a couple. Oh, yeah, go.

Jump in, boys. Pasta. I don't know how you two haven't said that. Another one, I don't know. I've been holding back because I almost feel like I get too much pasta. And that's a carb-heavy diet, dude. I don't need too much pasta. He would be great.

I think he would too. He would be open. Another one would be great. I get so afraid of the teams that I love, I don't like when they do stuff like this. Well, I was going to suggest Swamen. Oh, he'd be fantastic. He'd be an absolute star. I just think you've got to get at least a couple goals.

He can't do it. We can't have swimming on because then the Bruins are going to have to pay him 20 mil a year if the whole world sees how fucking cool it is. He might get too big for us too. Honestly, Jeremy is anyone who meets him immediately knows he's the greatest person on earth. And if all of a sudden he was a star show like this, he'd become the biggest star in the league. Honest to God, unbelievable. This is kind of a hot take because he's not really colorful.

He's more grumpy. J.T. Miller. I think it would be funny to see one of the grumpy guys in the NHL that kind of like goes through everything. Like they still love it and they love the sport, but they look like they're always pissed off. It looks like they're always mad at someone or something. And last but not least, you guys have already said Matthews,

but Roman Yosey. I don't know if he's that interesting, if he's that colorful. He's not really young anymore, but I think it could be interesting and people will just like to watch that. I agree with that last part. I do worry that Yos is the Crosby caliber, where he's like, no, no, no. I'm not opening the door to all this. This person is so much looser than Crosby and potentially Yossey or whatever, but I don't know.

I tell he would do it, but Dewey would be electric. He would be electric. He would never do it. Also, this person would do it. Brent Burns, I think would be an awesome. Like, just what a crazy life. And like his backstory, his preparation, the way he gets along with the boys. If he would do it.

Oh, Jarvie. Jarvie would be like... Okay, that was my... I think Seth Jarvis is a no-brainer. Very similar. Obviously, interesting situations going on with him, but Zee is... That is entertainment all day long.

I really like... So, I mean, God, I need Seth Jarvis and Trevor Zegress in the same place. That would be the funniest part-ride of my entire life. I like thinking about it of teams that need it.

Yeah. So Z, I love it, but for that, Troy Terry, I think we know Troy Terry's so funny. I need a Russian in here. Yeah, Bread Man, maybe. I need a Russian in here. I don't think Dolan would let Bread do it. Give me Carill, dude. Minnesota could use this.

I think Carill is funny. We've heard so many funny stories about him. He's a certified superstar. I think a show following Krill Caprizov in Minnesota would be electric. What about Malkin? he probably might be too old not enough star couldn't agree more

it's that Swecci's not Russian he's like he's Russian but he's not Russian didn't he played in the O yeah yeah like Cooch dude cooch that would be sick he would go through the motions

he'd be like oh yeah I'll do it I'll show up and he'd be like that would be funny just cracking bug lights out of scotch dude would do shit I'd be sick I love the Malkin shout up but I do think it's similar to Ovi

I think this time has passed like they're prime for on TV entertainment another one similar to that is say again. He would have been great five, ten years ago, but he's too old now. But again, I love

this in theory. In practice, I need to see it work because it'll be a bummer. And I'll tell you what, I am juiced to see who they are. When we get that announcement, because it's going to be a big, you're waving a pretty significant

flag to the league if you're one of these 10 to 12 guys that says yes to this. Well, don't you think? Well, so in the quarterback show, I know they got, like, they got paid to do it. Yeah. The athletes. And so that's three guys for the whole season. So this is 10 to 12, which I think is too much.

Yeah, right. If you're going to get the good quality out of them. And so then the question becomes, how much are they getting compensated out of this? Yeah. So, and which we probably will never know. But it's going to, you know, lie on the fact of how. much of these guys going to find the value in it, not only compensation-wise, but like, image-wise and, you know, how it's going to make them look and perceive to the public.

And to their teammates. That's why I think, that's what I mean by the flag. Just think about it. Think about we've all been in the locker room before. True. It's different, I think, for a guy like Patrick Mahomes when he does this, because the chiefs go, whatever, you're the $500 million man, like whatever. You're doing state farm commercials. You're doing head and shoulders commercials. you're already a mega star with mega endorsements. You doing the show is one more camera in the room. I don't give a shit.

This is different. Different. The second one of these guys says, yes, I'll do this, that locker room is going to pile on them in a positive way, I would hope,

so fast. Like they're going to be like, oh, fucking big superstar over here. He got his Amazon cameras following you around. It's also going to make certain guys be like, think about Crosby. If a teammate of Crosby does this,

he's like, do not come anywhere fucking near me. You're like, I obviously, he's not actually going to do that. But there are definitely guys who will be very aware of the camera that you have now brought into this locker room. That's interesting. Yep. I think this is going to be fun to look at. Taking a quick break to tell you guys about Soco whiskey.

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It's one part Soco, two-part Sour Mix, and enjoy the night. Let's kick it into overtime and do some armchair GM. Blake, hit us with the updates from last week and then the theme of this week. Came back strong after a down week, that's for sure. Thank God, dude. CP, you won this week, the score of 33 to 29, which updates the season total to 2. 224 to Dan's 216. God, you're killing.

Moose had a couple of talks I saw. Yeah, you had two guys with nine points, Kooch and Rantonin, nine points each. You know, Dan, you pick flower. He had a good goose egg over the week. Killed me, dude. Yeah. But, yeah, no, the theme this week is players under the age of 23,

so kind of an homage to the Team North America, back of the old, the most recent, World Cup of Hockey. I love it. Chris, you got the win. Take it away. I get first pick. Yep.

Okay. I will take... As someone I want you to take during this so bad. Okay. I will take... Potentially Psycho first pick here. Brock favor. Oh, I like it.

Going on D early? I like that a lot. I'm going to go with Connor Bardard. He's been on... absolute tear. I think he knows he wants that rookie of the year. He's playing great. I'm going to ride the hot hand. I'm going badard. Give me Stoetzel. Similar hot hand, Lucas Raymond. We just talked about him. It got me fired up. I'll take Jarvie. I love that pick by you. God damn it. I'm going to go Mo. My boy Mo Sider. Stay with Detroit. I need to get some D in there.

Yep. So you never want to load up on one squad, you know. I know. Oh, fuck. Let me take Luke Hughes. Ooh, interesting. There's some guys here. I like the, I like riding. You know what? I'm going to go Wyatt Johnson. Fuck.

I really love Wyatt's game. I like Dallas the way they're playing right now. There's a couple other forwards in there that I could have gone with, but I love Wyatt right now, so I'm taking him. I think we'll just do the Hughes Brothers because I would kick myself if I didn't. I'll take Jack to round up my forwards.

I'm going to take the first goalie off the board. I'm going to take Dostal. Fuck. Okay, I got a go goalie. I'll take Dustin Wolf. And then my last D, I'll take Sanderson. Oh, nice. Yeah.

Great pick. All right, that is it for us this week at the MTV Niders podcast. Please, guys, go to our YouTube. Smash that subscribe button. Download and like on Spotify, Apple Podcast, whatever you do. Spread the word. We got some fun stuff coming up. Great episodes, great interviews.

We're getting into the deep, deep, deep days of the end of this season and it's exciting as hell. It's awesome. Thank you guys so much for your support seriously. And as always, skate hard.