Empty Netters Podcast - Team Canada Olympic Roster FINAL Predictions

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

It's almost deadline day for Olympic rosters and picking who is in and who is out for Team Canada is the hardest job in all of sports. CP and DP make their selections on who they would take to Milan to chase down a gold medal. World Juniors is right around the corner and the first line on Canada has the boys shaking in their boots about defending the US title on home turf. Heated Rivalry 5 review is pure cinema. And the beer league hotline and Christmas movie blind ranking send us into the Christmas break! NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY! Watch full episodes, shorts, and clips right here on YouTube. Listen to the podcast on Spotify or anywhere you get your pods. Subscribe & follow Empty Netters everywhere: YouTube: / @emptynetters Instagram: @EmptyNetters TikTok: @EmptyNetters X: @EmptyNetters PRESENTED by BetMGM. Download the BETMGM app and use code “NETTERS” and enjoy up to $1500 in bonus bets if you lose your first wager! Thanks to our Sponsors! BetMGM: Use bonus code NETTERS when signing up to receive up to $1500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses. LUCY: Order your LUCY Today by going to https://www.lucy.co/Friday and use promo code FRIDAY for 20% off your first order Bauer: Get your hands on Bauer’s newest innovation — the PULSE stick — and feel the difference. Get your hands on one at https://Bauer.com Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Empty Netters podcast. Can you believe what this has become? There was a full 48 hours where I felt like I was like literally Superman. Jumbo loves playing Fortnite, so he gets on the sticks. Did TR show you the sauna cycle or was that all? No, no, I invented that. Almost a year now that I haven't taken a body check. That's kind of nice.

Finish tonight with some chicken fingers and a few guineasas right into you guys. That's where this pod came to life. Ice is ready, and we are back with another episode of the Empty Netter. podcast brought to you by BetMGM. We may be remote, but that does not mean we're going to stop on all of the content you get. But it does mean that my co-host will be wearing clothes circa 2007 and probably hasn't showered in days.

Chris Powers. As always, both true. Both true. There's bodies of water every way here, Dan. I'm in the tot tub. That's it. That's it. That's it.

That's it. I was going to say, stop it. Because you're not polar plunging, brother. You're not. Yep. Just the tub. Yeah, big tub guy, but shout out, I'm normally wearing clothes from a billion years ago. Shout out Dr. Locks.

He found this crew neck in a flea market. Gave it to me. That was sick. Shout out the buff daddy who is getting his U-Haul toad from fucking all across Kingdom Come right now. The beautiful buffeting. He will be joining us later. Yeah. Unbelievable.

and then final, final introductory shout out, see this lid, Dan? See this stalking cap that I'm wearing? Yes. Yeah. I've received, we have received this. Dan, Chris, and Netters fam. I hope you like these hats.

I made them for y'all while watching the pod. Even though I know y'all love the bees, and I am a canes girl myself, I added a few gray, white, and black hats for the Kings, since I know those are easiest games to attend for y'all. And those are at the office still. That was me talking on her. Hats are machine washing.

if needed, but lay flat to dry. Also, the puff balls are removable by a button on the inside if you need to wash, or if the puff ball isn't your style, which is totally fair. Well, I'll tell you what, Laura, it is totally my style, so that will be staying on. Let me know if I can make y'all any more, Laura, at Laura underscore Sheeran underscore Hodge on Instagram. P.S. Please don't toss these.

If anyone gets a hat trick, they took a long time to knit. Such a fair, such a fair thing. I actually, I put my Santa one on top of my Christmas tree. which is pretty sick because I didn't have a star top. That is pretty sick. Well, extreme shout out to Laura because these hats are gas. And I was wearing an olive break. And I'll be wearing the Kings one.

Do every Kings game I go to from now on? Unbelievable, dude. That's how you get us going at Christmas time. It's just beautiful stuff, dude. You absolutely love to see it. It is Christmas time. Like you said, this is our Christmas episode, folks. So let's sit back, relax, and enjoy.

We've got a lot going on this episode. Yeah, hey, C.P, cheers to Christmas. We're having a couple drinks on camera here. This is beautiful stuff. We are doing, wait, I got to drink. I hate when people cheers. I hate when people cheers and they don't drink. We've got a lot of stuff, guys.

We've got hot ice that we're going to get into. We are doing our predictions of Team Canada's Olympic roster. We've got a beer league hotline. We've got more blind rankings of Christmas movies. And then we have our episode five of Heated Rivalry Review. Beautiful stuff. Let's jump right into it. We have absolutely no time to waste.

Okay, hot ice. We're doing PTI style ripping through this because we've got other things to get into this Christmas episode. Number one, the Detroit Red Wing CP. Holy hell. I don't know what is going on, but I do know that we got to look out in Motor City because Detroit is 7, 2 and 1 in their last 10. They just want another big one. They're top of the Atlantic right now. They still have a negative gold diff, but things are looking way less leaky,

and that is due to one man who I am so proud of you and me for never giving up on dude dude never gave up we kept saying to people in hockey talk people in the DMs being like what's going on with gibber let's what's going on with this what's going on with that gibber is five and oh in his last five starts with two shutouts at a nine five to save percentage and things are looking up for the wingies how we feel it oh oh there you are Peter how I feel right now, dude. With John Gibson. Look at me, dude.

Look at me pulling back John Gibson's face, wondering who the fuck was playing goalie for the first fucking couple months of the season. But there he is, dude. There's the boy that I said would change everything. I was like Red Wings are making playoffs. Everybody laughed at me. Las laughed at me. I said they're easily making it because of John Gibson.

It was appearing that they were going to make it despite John Gibson. But now, dude, if he goes now, Dan, if they were doing what they were doing already, and then you get this guy, this could actually be a problem. You know, like, I was like, yeah, they're going to get in, but whatever. Now they actually could be a problem. 100%, dude. And it's like, I just think it was a new home. Situation of a new home.

Like the guy gets to a new team. He's with a new group. He's figuring it out. They still have some defensive holes that they need to patch up if they want to be a serious, serious contender. And they're working on that. But the facts of the matter are Gibson has arrived. The Red Wings look fucking great.

And there's another guy I want to point out as Gibson, just like Gibson, who is. has been buzzing. Alex DeBricket. Perfect hockey player. 20 goals, 20 assists, 40 points. He's fucking on fire. Fun fact. I'm pretty sure the first Saturday Selly that the professors, our good friends,

the professors, uh, hit. And now they hit Saturday Selly every week. So you're a, you're a fool if you are not tailing that. But our good friends, the professors, the first Saturday Selly they ever hit this year was on DeBrinke it. Because remember he didn't, he didn't have a goal for like 10, 10 games. Yeah. And we were like, oh, man, like, he's got to, he's got to break through.

And he hit. So look at those numbers again and recall that he didn't score for the first 10 games of the fucking year. Like, that is actually insane. It's absolutely insane. And now it's one of those things, however, that feels like, just like with Gibson, just be patient. Like, this is too good of a player for this to be holding him back, for it to be an issue.

You just got to chill out. Let it, let it come out. Let it become the play. Let him become the player that he is, and here we are. This is exactly what's happened. It's incredible. The other tire pump I want to give before we move on from Detroit is Mo Sider. Mo Sider, ninth in the NHL for defensemen with 27 points,

and he is also playing elite defense. That is something I always point out. You know I am the biggest. We need both a Norris trophy and a Bobby Orr trophy, because we need to start giving credit to the best defensemen, defensive defensemen in the league, and offensive defensemen in the league. league. And Mo Seider, I always lean towards, I want the guy who's doing both. I don't want Eric Carlson

with 100 points and he's, he has, is like a dash 35. I don't want that guy winning Norris. I want the guy winning Norris who's doing it on both ends of the ice. Mo Sider has got to be top three or four in the league right now as far as doing it on both ends of the ice. He deserves so much praise. Unfortunately, still the guy who is doing it on both ends of the ice is kale, which is hilarious. But, yeah, Mo deserves a wrister, double rister, for sure. And on such a good ticket, dude, like all that, all that bullshit about, you know, trying to lock up those young guys on that team because the future is bright there. And then you get guys like this who are still on that track, right? Like you go, man, I really hope he continues to develop because he looks so incredible,

but I just need him to stay incredible. And so far, so good, dude. So far, so, what is this? The slope. So far so steady, dude. So far so steady. So far so steady. Yeah. It's fantastic. We're going to stay in the Atlantic, but we're going to move on a little bit north of New York City and find ourselves in northern New York, dude, upstate in Buffalo where it might be a new day. Something is going on in Buffalo, dude. Kevin Adams has been axed. We got a new GM.

We got a new sheriff in town. Yarmou Kekalinen is now the GM of the Buffalo Sabres, and he is already making moves. dude, we've already got Burger Van. Mark Bergeman has been brought in as associate GM, and Josh Flynn, who worked with Kekeleinen in Columbus, has been brought in. He's going to be doing stuff like salary cap management, deep research like he did in Columbus as well when he was with Keckleinen. But he's brought in his new team immediately. The Sabres are 7-3-0 in their last 10.

They're on a five-game heater. Do you think this could be the early stages of things of the winds shifting, dude, the winds shifting in Buffett? No. Jesus Christ. Can you come on, dude? Give them something to believe in. Not at all. No, not.

Dude, I don't dish out false holiday spirit. Not this time of year, Dan. Not never. Not never, but certainly not this time of year. They don't deserve to be lied to at Christmas because we tell the truth at Christmas. And there are no sad faces at Christmas. But you don't believe in Yarmow? I believe in Yarmow.

No. and I like the move. Well, a move had to be done, put it that way. But do you remember when Yarmo got let go in Columbus? And by the way, I hated it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it because I think Yarmine. No, I think he's a good GM dude.

Like, he's a great, if you look at his draft picks, the way that he drafts, he gets late, he drafted guys like Oliver Bjork Strand in the third round, Krill Marchenko in the second round. and he hits on a pretty good clip with some good first-round picks. Zach Wrenski is a good one to point out. But I think he has a good mind for hockey, and I think when we look at Buffalo and you see so many of these great players who get traded off

and then they go win a Stanley Cup somewhere and they blossom into something. I believe that maybe Yarmu could bring in a vibe, start building a team around Buffalo where he gives these guys time, he gives them the best situation. but I just believe that Buffalo has too good of a people. I believe in the people of Buffalo. Like I believe in Harvey Dent.

And I want them to be successful. And I think Yarmou could be the guy. My issue, everybody that we've ever talked to that knows Yarmo says he's the man. I do think he has a good hockey mind. You're right about the draft picks. But I remember when that article came out when he got let go in Columbus. And it was like, here's the track record here. And you're kind of looking at it like, man,

I can't believe you had this job as long as you did. Yeah. Considering what I'm looking at. So kind of like I always say about the coaching changes where I'm like, Quenville, I like that hire because he did this, exactly this in Chicago. He took a young upstart team and made them great.

Whereas the Mike Sullivan hire, I was like, ooh, I don't know because he was kind of, he was holstered with a similar roster in Pittsburgh. Yeah. And then now you gave him the same roster and you're kind of getting the same results. So Yarmo,

I'm kind of like, oh no. I don't know that Buffalo is, Buffalo feels like the same situation, the Blue Jackets were in, where you're like, oh, you haven't been that good. And, like, and you had young prospects and you turned it into nothing, which I'm worried. That's all I'm saying. I'm worried. I think that sometimes you need a new bump, a new blank bump.

So he's a new GM and maybe he's brought in some new people, and at least that's exciting because it feels like the boys are doing something. But this to me, dude, is like, this is the shit I hate for the good people of Buffalo, who I also care about deep in my heart. especially at Christmas time, where I go, don't let them hurt you like this. We don't need five game heaters in this thing. You're not making playoffs. You literally have no chance of making playoffs.

The fucking earth will fucking freeze over before you make playoffs this year. I promise you that. You eliminated them two weeks ago. You eliminated them from the playoffs two weeks ago. So I don't want the heaters. I want my good players to play well. I want Tage to score a ton of goals and Tucky to score a ton of goals and us to keep losing because we are eliminated.

So just lose, dude, and then figure it out later. I hear you. The one thing I'm going to say is, you know how we changed the wild in Minnesota to Russia, and it's Minneapolis, St. Petersburg. I, what do you think about this, dude? What do we think about this? We've got Yarmo in here in Buffalo. We're going to change Buffalo to Buff, Bufinland.

It's just Buffalo, Finland. And we're going to make him happy. And everything's going to be great. It's going to be fantastic. Yes. Okay, we just talked about Minnesota. Let's move on to just a quick touch on the win-win situation that you pointed out that has been the Quinn Hughes trade.

Win-win, Quinn, Quinn, win. Unbelievable stuff here. Can I make one mean joke? I was going to not do it, but then I just thought it might be funny. Whose expense is it at? It's Christmas. Be careful. No.

No. I almost said it right away and then I think hold it. Listen, listen. You can make it, but I'm disavowing it right away. Okay. Okay, so, but Finland is great. Yeah, it's pretty good. But I had another idea.

Like, as soon as you said it, I was like, oh, what about this? And then I was like, that's two means. I didn't say it. Okay, so what if we changed Buffalo because of the Finland connection to hell stinky? I'm not laughing. I'm not laughing. Disavowed. Buffalo, I love you.

Disavow. Disavow. What if Buffalo is now hell stinky, Dan? Because they stink every year. They're 7-3-0, bro. Enough. It also smells incredible there. It does.

It really does. It doesn't hell stinky at all. Okay, going back to speaking of teams on heaters, like we said, the Quinn-Quin-win-win situation. Since the Hughes trade, Vancouver is 4-0 and the Wild are 5-0, and the Wild are beating the bag off of teams. Vancouver, I feel like this is, it's obviously not a new coach bump, but I feel like this is a rally around the boys bump. They lost their captain, their best player, and they're like,

dude, don't let our fans die. So they're getting great wins. The wild, however, I'm just like, whoops, this is one of the best teams in the league. They are, dude, but I'm going to, I'm going to double down on two things I've said. So double double, double animal style take coming up right here. Okay.

Vancouver, first of all, thanks to the fade. How you doing? Appreciate the money. But the, stop winning. Same argument to Buffalo. Like, you've been, Dan eliminated you two weeks ago. Stop winning games. I did. I literally eliminated them from playoffs.

So that is crazy. And then the wild, as sick as this is and as sick as Quinn Hughes is, and I'm sure they're buzzing right now on all the hype, they aren't as good as Colorado and Dallas. And they could be, they could get that good if they do something else. but I'm sticking with that take right now, and they are nasty. Don't read this the wrong way or hear this the wrong way of Minnesota fans. They are nasty. And they might be the third best team in the fucking league when it's all said and done.

But unfortunately, they're the third best team in their division. Yeah, yeah. It's crazy, Chris. But it's just like you're right on Vancouver, lose. What are you guys doing? Lose. I'll just, I'll say it is tough to, to see how good

Minnesota. I was but to say Minnesota, that's sick. It's tough to see how good Minnesota is. And then the juggernauts ahead of them. The Central is just an absolute fucking nightmare. Crazy, crazy, crazy. But dude, they're on the way to making it like real, you know, where you go, is this just like a high?

This is a high of watermark and you're going to level it? Or is this like legitimately? And they're entering into legitimately crab wagoon status. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, moving on to our last bit of hot ice. We had a couple of trades happen on Friday. We saw Mason Marchman get traded to Columbus,

which feels to me just like, you know, the marchment move kind of had to happen for Dallas for cap reasons, not necessarily the best fit so far in Seattle. Seattle, right? Well, he was traded from Dallas to Seattle, you dumb fuck. But, yeah, just maybe not necessarily the best fit in Seattle. and now he gets swung to Columbus. So we'll see how he does there with a bunch of young guys.

I've got high hopes. I think Marchman's a great player. The De No one is the one I wanted to touch on quickly. We saw Phil Dono, who has been such an amazing fit in L.A. for the last few years. He's been just an amazing guy on this team. He's been one of the best third-line centers in the league. This year off to a slow start.

I think he's dealing with some nagging stuff, but he's got no goals. He gets flipped back to Montreal. Great move for Montreal. I think they need center depth. I think that's a good move getting Dineau in there. And the question is, what is L.A. up to, Chris? Well, I, you know, you were kind of on that right away. Like when that broke and we put it up and then I saw Twitter going crazy and you were like,

well, you know, keep watching. L.A.'s not done. It stands to reason that they can't be done. Well, God, I was about to say it stands to reason that they can't be done because if you are a, if you consider yourself a serious team this season, which I know they do, then you can't be trading a guy away. Just ignore his stat line for one second.

You can't be trading a guy away who is incredible at the faceoff dot, can log some really solid minutes on a third line shutdown position, has been an effective center in playoffs before, et cetera, et cetera. The counter is, well, dude, he's not that. He hasn't been that guy on this team this year. So, yeah, you do get him out of there for, fucking whatever you want and you give guys a chance you know what i mean like how often do we see guys young guys on any team turk the turks of the world so true so true so true right no but that's a

great that's a great one to bring up that's a great one to bring up you know where i'm like it's addition because i'm going hey dude you have been you haven't been allowed to take the next step because we have a a seasoned vet who's good in this league above you on the depth chart it's like work dude anyone nine to five you have a guy in front you there's no growth development there's no room for growth of this company. But you go, okay, we're moving him for, you know, wow, we only got a couple picks back, whatever, but it's elevating guys who we actually believe in. So I could hear you going, we are a serious team and we made that move. We're up to nothing. We're up to, we're up to allowing our younger guys to shine. That's what we're up to. And I would hear that

too, because I'm almost kind of in that camp, more than like, oh, watch out for another big king's trade. I'm like, no, no, watch out for like seeing what they have internally. Yeah. I think Turk and Heli are two great options for L.A. to give more time to, no doubt about it. But, yeah, I mean, like currently they've got 9.3 mil in cap space, 5.6 of projected cap space. Phil was on a $5.5 million deal. And the question here is, do you potentially see a move that moves out another one of these guys who is making, you know, in the $4 million range, that now all of a sudden LA has 10 million in cap space

and they try to, with the package of this next guy, bring someone like a big time player back or is this Ken Holland going, yeah, or is this Ken Holland going, nope, this season is the last kick of the can, we're going to play with what we got and we're going to make moves for the future, we're going to believe in the future.

I think you're right, both are very equally possible. But it is safe to say with Cope leaving, this is kind of the like we're looking at a new era and again I don't think it's a rebuild I think it's a retool similar to what Boston and New York have been doing but the time has come for L.A. It felt like maybe last year the year before

might have been the time and then these guys just wound the clock back and then some of these role players were just playing out of control well and they were making runs but they just keep running into the fucking buzzsaw of Edmonton and now it feels like the reckoning has come in terms of the question what are we doing now is needing to be answered. And I think it's an exciting time to see what goes on.

And it's also a this season for me, dude, I'm not even giving him next season. It's like this deadline and this summer is when, in my opinion, we find out if Ken Holland still has it. And all the people who go Ken Holland up to his bag of tricks or if it's going to be a, you're fucking washed, dude. We're going to find that out within the next, like, eight months as far as I'm concerned. Dude, I think my prediction is not that he's washed, but my predicting is that it goes that way. I think he's doing what you said first, which is, no, I'm kind of like, I'm thinking long-term here, dude. I'm building for the future. It's a retool, but whatever.

We're going to make the best run we can this year with what we have. But I'm seeing the tea leaves that there are teams much better than us. I'm not going to overspend to make a real. shot at it. Sorry, not sorry, Copey, but like, I hope you guys pull magic and pull a rabbit out of your ass like 2012 or 14, which was the wildcard year. Whichever the wild card year was,

I'm hoping you pull a rabbit out of your ass. And then I'm thinking long term. That's my prediction of what actually happens. If I were him, though, I would do the exact opposite and I would take one last fucking haymaker swing and like make another trade, bring in a $10 million guy and go, boy, fucking go

get it. Because, Dan, the Central is so fucked that I, I think you, and the Pacific is so open that I'm like, you actually have a chance. You're right, it is, Chris. It totally is. I'm like, dude, let them beat the wheels off each other and just make it to the Western Conference Finals. And you could win because they're so tired. Like, you know, you could like just catch a beaten up Avs team.

And then you have, you have this one last magical ride for the cup. And then you go play the Panthers and Barkoff returns and rips the soul out of your body. But still, what a ride. What a ride. What a great trip. What a great trip that is. Do you love to see it? All right.

Beautiful stuff on hot ice, Chris. Let's move on because we've got a lot to touch on. We'll take a quick ad break and we'll be right back with our Team Canada roster predictions for the 2026 Olympics. It's the Christmas season. It's the NHL season and it's BetMGM season. And every Tuesday of the NHL season, BetMGM is spreading holiday cheer. Look at me. Look at me in BetMGM.

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Activate that NHL-AWSBosk token and make it legendary. We are back, and I could not be more excited for this breakdown, Dan. We are doing this episode and the next episode. We are doing our predictions for Team Canada Olympic roster. Next week we're doing Team USA. and this one is, I'm excited for Team USA being an American guy, but holy hell this one is, this one's an adventure. So I can't wait for the comments.

I can't wait to see what people think about. I can't wait to hear your picks. Dude, there's an issue here. This is fucking chaos. There's an issue here with this roster that I did not anticipate and I can't wait to get it. I'm not going to say what it is. You'll hear what it is when we get to it, but I can't wait to get into it. But also, mother fuck me is this.

difficult. This goddamn group of guys is out of control. Truly, bro. So here's what I want to tell everyone up front. Most of you listening, I'm sure know this, but this is the situation. At the Olympic tournament, you are allowed 22 skaters and three goalies. Traditionally, that's 14 forwards and eight defensemen, and then three goalies. You are allowed to do whatever you want, but we are all under the assumption that that is exactly what the breakdown of positions it is going to be. So wait, say to every country. 14 forwards, 8 defensemen.

8 defensemen. And how many goals? And keep in mind, three goalies. Thanks. Just wanted everyone to hear that again. And keep in mind, keep in mind 12 of the 14 forwards, six of the eight defensemen will dress on game day. But you have two extra of each,

which is why that's traditionally the breakdown. Because if you were like, oh, well, let's just bring 16 forwards, and only 6D, and then if one of your defensemen got hurt in the tournament, you would be cooked. So, or I guess maybe that you could get an injury replacement, but I don't quite know how that works. So automatically, every country did this.

They named six people to the roster fucking forever ago, like when we announced we were going to the Olympics. Yep. Four team Canada. That is Sydney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon, Sam Reinhart, Braden Point, and Kale McCarr. So five forwards and one defensemen are already on Team Canada.

And then it is our job to predict the rest. Now I'm guessing, Dan, you already have a topic of conversation. I don't. I don't. Oh, okay. Okay. I do, I will say, though, because I know what you're alluding to. You and I talk before recording.

It is, I don't mean to throw shade here. But I think it is quite fortunate. nasty. He is nasty. And he's also a veteran on this team. I want people to fucking know that. When people complain about this online, I want you to know that this guy is a veteran on this team that these boys on this group want there. And that is Braden Point. But his very uncharacteristic slow start to this season, I like that he was an auto name to this roster because there would just be so much chatter of like, Braden Point should not be on this team. that would be obnoxious. It'd also be obnoxious for the GM slash, you know, guys in charge of this team.

They'd be like, fucking shut up, dude. But, yeah, very, very shocking, slow start for him. Because put it this way, if you went right now, if no one was on the team right now, and you said, hey, name your first six names, it probably is those other five. Yeah, I would actually guess. No, definitely.

But then it wouldn't be point as the sixth of the first picks, if you were picking right now. But since it was already in, he's good. All, everything fine. So, Dan, I would like to do the forwards first. Okay. I just want to do this because I think this is hilarious. Five have been named.

We're picking nine more. And I'm not, I have all these stats. We're going to break it down line by line, whatever we want. But I'm just going to read these names really quickly to you. Keep in mind, we need nine more. All right. Yeah. Okay.

Here I go. Mark Stone, Tom Wilson, Brad Marchan, Johnny Todress. Mitch Marner, Macklin Celebrini, Mark Schifley, Connor Bedard, Brandon Hagell, Seth Jarvis, Sam Bennett, Nick Suzuki, Bo Hervat, Anthony Sorrelli, Matthew Berzal, Morgan Geeky, Wyatt Johnson, Robert Thomas, and Zach Hyman. If literally any nine of those names were on this team, no one would bat an eye. That would be, like, you'd be like, oh, those are all incredibly good players. And this is a nod issue. Like there's a few, like, oh, geeky, whatever, but I'd be like, he has 25 fucking goals.

Fuck you. Do you know what I mean? Like, it is actually nuts to me that you have that big of a pool of players, that it is not even a conversation that you'd be like, yeah, of course. Like, I see why they're on the team. Like, that is fucked, dude. They could feel two fucking teams. They could feel two Olympic teams.

It's fucking crazy, dude. It's absolutely crazy. This goddamn team. So here's a question for you, dude. If I said to you, Dan, you can have two more automatic bids of forwards. who are the first two forwards you're putting on this team, that you're like, for sure, it's not even, it's not even a combo.

Okay, I get what you're saying. Other than the five forwards name, who are like my next two autos, like no question about it. Okay, my two, damn, that honestly, I swear to God, I can't even go past one more. I have one more that I'll give you.

And then after that, it's genuinely, I'm like plug and play any of the next guys. It's everything's a question, dude. It's so crazy. You're right. My one guy is going to potentially surprise you, and I know a lot of the youngans are going to roll their eyes at me,

is Brad Marshand. Oh, wow. Okay. Brad, Brad Marshand, listen to me. Brad Marchand has been put on a new team. He has had his entire family uprooted, moved to Florida, won a Stanley Cup last year, and was instrumental to that group. If not for Sam Bennett,

going nuclear, Brad Marchand would have won Kahn Smyth for the Florida Panthers in that playoff run. And he has rolled that over into this season, being a perfect hockey player with, I believe, he also has 20 and 20. I think he has 20 goals and 20 assists. 40 points. He's leading that team.

And he is literally keeping that team is one of if not the most important pieces, keeping that team relevant while all of their major guys are hurt with injury. He is a captain. He is a leader. He is in insanely good friends with Sidney Crosby and Nathan

McKinnon. He was instrumental to the Four Nations roster and all of those guys were so happy that he is there. This is a different beast, guys. The Olympics is not Four Nations. Four Nations was amazing. And it was not gimmicky, as a lot of people thought it was. But this is a big fucking tournament.

This is the boys going to Italy. This is the boys needing unity, needing leadership, needing role players. You have one of the best penalty killers in the history of the National Hockey League in this man, who is dialing the clock back and is on pace for 100 fucking points this season. Brad Marchand absolutely belongs on this team.

It's not even a fucking discussion as far as I'm concerned. And he, for me, with all of those different intangibles, is the reason why he is the next name for me. And frankly, if he were one of the auto bids, you would not hear a single person who is at least 24 years old complaining about it. The only people complaining about Brad Marchand being on this team are the young little nuthuggers who are like, oh, just put all the 20-year-olds on the team, people who don't know shit about hockey.

Brad Marchand is on this team and it's not even close. I was going to say there are three more automatics. And if you could pool all of our friends that like hockey and I would say, hey, give me the next nine forwards. These three names would be on everyone's list. And I thought you were going to fight me on Brad. So now I'm like, oh, okay, that one was easy. I want to hear your two because I want to. I wonder if they're in my group.

You think the two other guys who I think are on literally every hockey fan's list, you might not have even been picked for the team. They might not be on my fucking roster, dude. That would be epic. But I would call you fucking nuts. You are the fit for a nut house. Because there's no way. There's no way on earth.

The next one, who is literally already on this team automatically, is Mitch Marner. On my roster. It's just it's for sure there was no universe with this of Canadian roster that doesn't have Mitch Martyr. The other one that you might push back on, but you're wrong. You might push back, but you would be wrong, is Mark Stone. He is on my roster, but he is not in my day one starting lineup. And that's okay. And, Chris, can I tell you, dude, team Canada is, um,

the resurgence of olds is what I will call this team. I know, dude, it's incredible. And also, man, I don't think people are aware of what Mark Stone is doing this year. Like Mark Stone has, that's what I'm saying, bro. Mark Stone has missed a lot of time, and I feel like people are like fucking Mark Stone, dude, he's washed. Yeah. I think he's played like 19 or 16 games. It might even be.

16 games, I'm pretty sure. Yeah. And I'm pretty sure he has 19 apples. Like, he has like six goals and 19 assists in 16. games. And I'm like, yoiks, dude. This guy's fucking gross. And talk about a leader. You talk about anyone on that Vegas team. And they're like, Mark Stone makes us fucking go. Him and Jack are just a two-headed monster. Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Brad Marshie and are, I'm already putting it official there on this team.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's on my roster. He might not be on my day one lineup, though. But that's, yeah, I like it. Do, okay, so we agree. We needed to name nine more. We agree on those three. Now there's six more spots. Do you want to give me your lines or do you want to just go? Well, we'll do this. So what I've done here is I've made lines. I've made all of my lines. I've made all of my D-pairings.

I've put a lot of thought into this. I know a lot of people are going to call me stupid with a lot of this shit, but I guarantee this team wins gold. So I hope Canada doesn't pick this team. Yeah, here's my affair. I like that. Here's my line one. Line one at the Milano Cortina, 2026 Olympics for Team Canada. And in line one, we'll announce a new player.

Line one. Sam Reiner at left wing, Connor McDavid Center, Tom Wilson, right wing. I love this line so much. I love this line so much because you have Connor down the middle, letting Connor do what Connor does. Skates fast, handles the puck, dishes the puck.

You've got Sam Reiner at a 50 goal score, a guy who knows how to score big fucking time goals. Set up there, also an insane penalty killer, a two-way player, and then you've got the fucking goal-scoring, top-line power forward beast, Tom Wilson, finally getting the fucking credit he deserves. And he is a perfect... We have seen, how many times have we seen, like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, make different types and different styles of players come alive and absolutely buzz.

We've seen it so many times with this guy, with Connor Brown playing alongside Connor McDavid and just being a monster. you put Tom Wilson, who knows how to play on a first line, he knows how to play with all world players. You put him on this line with McDavid, let him score goals like he's been doing all season long, and also let him fucking bang bodies. Can you imagine what these teams at the Olympics are going to do and going to think when they're going up against Canada's top line and Tom Wilson is on it? You're worried about Tom Wilson putting you into fucking row 15, all the while Sam Reinhers.

Yes, Sam Reinhett is scoring knee-down, bar-down shelfies, and, Connor McDavid is skating circles around everybody. That is a perfect hockey line as far as I'm concerned. You've got a certified blue chip goal score. You've got the best, arguably the best player in the world, one of the best skaters in the world, one of the best puck handlers in the world. And then you've got one of, if not certainly,

the best power forward in the league. Come on. That's insane. Tom Wilson is also on my roster. So we are still aligned. I don't have anything to add, dude. Like, I think, I just think his play has been so awesome. And not that you are trying to out American the Americans,

but I think there's something to be said about a little grit on this team. And I'll get to that more later, but, you know, Tom Wilson has become, like, the fucking king of that, dude. Yeah. And I think his play deserves, I think his play deserves a roster spot on this team. But, man, is it hard? Because it's going to cost me a lot of people. But I also have Tom Wilson on the lineup. Yeah.

It's unbelievable. Okay, my line two, all of these players have been mentioned. And I know that this feels like the clickbaity. Oh, everyone talks about it. But line two for me is the Nova Scotia line. Brad Marchand, Sidney Crosby, Nathan McKinnon. And I'll tell you why. I'm not doing this for gimmicky reasons.

I think I've put a lot of thought into this. For me, you cannot waste McKinnon or Crosby on the third line. They have to be on the second line. McKinnon I think is more suited to play wing he's done it before Sid is just in his age and his situation he is perfect in the middle I need him in the middle and the way Marshand is playing

I'm just like yeah dude put him with these two like are there other guys who could slide in there absolutely and this is why you jumble the lines games will be different but I love that start with the form that Marci is in we don't need to worry about Kemi in the slightest with these three

just put them out there and watch them fucking cook I absolutely love those three together. I think it makes total sense. Dude, I'm so with you. And if you look at goals in the league, McKinnon is one, and then Marci is seven.

And he's, you know, he's eight back, but like Marci's right there. And I think Sid has 19. So I think Sid is one back. So, you know, like that line has more goals than almost any line you would want to come up with. So anyone, anyone who's upset about that line is a fucking moron. Dude, insane.

And it's like there's a huge element that's, hilarious about that is like that's in itself like almost like an energy line and I mean that like 37 year old Brad is still I'm like that's an energy guy 100% and I just um I I think it is a brilliant opportunity with the form that all three of them are in to put them together and just let them fucking cook and it's like Sid provides the landy element with Nate too it's like you put a big brother with Nate and Nate is his best self yes dude and and like Everyone wants to win. I'm not saying this isn't a fierce competition.

This is one of the coolest things you can be a part of. Everybody wants to win. But these are crazy, good, all-star teams. Sometimes the difference can be as simple as literally having fun out there. And those three together are having fun. That is how you get the most fun out of those three guys. I love it. They're just having fun.

Okay, line three, one of these guys has not been mentioned. So line three, I've got Braden Point, Mark Shifley, and Mitch Marner. I love this line because, number one, Braden Point is Braden Point. We don't got to worry about Braden Point. Mark Shifley. This dude, it is time that the world accepts Mark Shifley as one of the best players in the National Hockey League. I can't believe that I've seen lists of this team that don't include Mark Shifley. It's just like year in and year out, this guy is just an 80 point guy, scores 40 goals,

and everyone's just like, yep, Mark Sheifley's fine. And I'm like, wrong. Mark Sheifley is one of the most consistent and reliable players in the fucking league. Can we put some specky on his name? And Mitch Marner on this line, I love CP because you've got Point who we know is a goal score. You've got Mark Sheifley, who we just said, is a goal score. Put Mitchie on this line. Point is a fucking little bulldog

Shifley is an ox Let Mitch go out there And skate around and fucking dish up Five star service to the two of these guys And watch the fucking score go all the way up Just like he did an overtime at Four Nations Dude off the wall off the skate to the tape Off to the back bar

How are you? I think Shifley's play Just like I said about Tom Wilson Shifley's been good his whole career And he he earned it dude The 3C4C And I'm even going to add, I'll kind of spoil a pick here, but like I'm adding, I think center depth is really important. Put it that way when you're considering the two extra skaters or the two extra forwards.

So those are the big conversation points for me. I'm like, who are you sliding in there? And I just think Shifley has been too good to not have that spot. Like when I look at the other options, I'm like, Brady, it should be Mark Shifley. So he's on mine too and I have, I'll fight, I'll go, I'll die on that hill, die on that hill. that anybody wants to fight me on Mark Shifley. He deserves a spot on this team. I love it.

Okay. I'm going to give you my two extra forwards first. Oh, okay. Yep. And I want your two extras, and then I want your fourth line, and then I'll respond with all the rest of mine. Exactly.

So that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to go two extras, and then I'm going to go line four. My two extras, one I already mentioned, Mark Stone. I'm sorry, dude, you can't not have him on this team. It's actually like, it's insane. Like, Mark Stone, he's a Stanley Cup,

champion. He is a leader of men. He's fucking gritty. He's nasty. And if he's healthy, he is on this team. Look at what he's doing this season. It doesn't matter if you miss his time. If he's healthy during the Olympics, he's on this team. Mark Stone is number one. Number two is Seth Jarvis. And Seth Jarvis is in my lineup, I would say, but he's got a tough injury right now that he's battling back from confirmed. He's feeling a lot better. That's amazing. And if Seth is healthy, ab so fucking lutely Seth Jarvis is on this roster. So I'm going to put him my extra barring that he is healthy and will be there. Line three.

All three guys not mentioned. What do you mean four? Oh, I'm sorry, line four, line four, line four, line four. Line four. Line four. Line four. Line four. All three guys have not been mentioned yet.

Brandon Hagel. Nick Suzuki. Macklin Celebrini. Oh, yes, Dan. Brandon Hagel goes without saying. Look at the stats. Look at the production. The guy is a fucking.

machine. You saw him go to fucking war for his nation in four nations in a fight against Matthew Kachuk. He is a gritty fucking dude. He's a good friend, and he's a fucking beast. I absolutely want Brandon Hagel on this team. And Brandon Hagle

is the type of guy, if anyone's not going, like let's say Rino gets out to a slow start in the fantasy land where my lines are the lines. Let's say Tom Wilson isn't necessarily. Brandon Hagle is a first line player. Like this is a And obviously, all of these fucking guys are that.

But like Brandon Hagle can play anywhere in this lineup. And why I love a guy like Brandon Hagle on this roster is because I actually don't know that everyone is certainly like that. Brandon Hagle is a guy who has first-line talent on any team in the national hockey league. Make no fucking mistake about that. Brandon Hagle has first-line talent on any team in the national. But I can also be very confident in putting him on my full. fourth line and knowing that he's going to fucking grind out there. Not everyone fits that description.

That's why I love Hegel here. Nick Suzuki, similar to Mark Sheifley, it is about time that the rest of the fan bases around the league understand how fucking good this kid is. Nick Suzuki is fucking incredible. He is a leader. He is gritty and plays a full 200 foot and two-way game and is a guy similar to Sam Bennett last year when you go, Sam Bennett, like, Coup called him, was like, hey, dude, I don't know how much you're going to play.

And Benny was like, I don't give a fuck. I'm doing anything. I'll literally do anything for you. I think Nick Suzuki is a guy. If you call and you go, hey, dude, you're going to be our fourth line guy. You're going to be in and out of the lineup, this, that, the other. He goes, sign me the fuck up, dude. Whatever.

And then Macklin Sellebrini, third in the national hockey league in points. He does play a 200-foot game. I don't give a fuck if he's 19 years old. He's earned his spot on this roster. You cannot deny it. This is truly like a Sydney Crosby level type stuff where it's like, are there guys that we have not named who absolutely deserve spots in this team?

Yes, I don't care that he's 19. If you are third in the national on December 21st in points, dude, what? Doesn't matter. You're on this team. Who were your hardest cuts? My hardest cuts, no question about it, are the two boys from last year,

Sam Bennett and Anthony Sorrelli. Sam Bennett and Anthony Sorrelli belong on this roster. and if and when they are on this roster, I go, yep, absolutely. It makes sense. No issues. Yeah, it's like I was saying earlier. They're incredible.

And also, Sam Bennett started slow. He's fucking buzzing again. He's buzzing just like he does every season. Like, he has his output of every season. And frankly, dude, there's a part of me that's like, this roster that I'm picking here. There's a little bit of like, oh, it would be fun to see this. But there's also a part of me that's like, no, I want Sam Bennett on this roster.

but that one is just like, you know, it's fun to explore the other options. But as you know, we love Benny, you know, 12 goals, 13 assists, 25 points, and 35 games, and he is, Sam Bennett is what I said, Brandon Hagel is. Put him on the first line, put him on the fourth line. And he's going to fucking piss off your competition. I'm literally talking myself into being like, what am I doing? Put Sam Bennett back on this roster. But he's amazing.

I also want to give, and I don't want to step on your toes if you have anyone else. I want to give stick taps. to Wyatt Johnston, Connor Bedard, Morgan Geeky, and Bo Horvett, all guys that I'm like... Yep. And Barzzi, I would say.

Not for me. I love Matt Barzell, but I just think because of the situation, like Matt Barzell to me is a guy that I'm like, he needs to be on your first or second line. And I can't see a path that puts him on that. With this team, I don't know that I would want Matt Barzell playing like fourth line for me.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay, so I had to pick nine forwards. We both had to pick nine forwards. I've already said Stone, Marner, Marci, Tom Wilson, Mark Schifley. So there's five of the nine. Or sorry, yeah, I had to pick nine, right?

So one, two, three, four, five. Yeah, there's five. Yeah. Wait, no. Because we had, isn't it 12? 14, 14. 14. You're picking 14 forwards. 14 forwards.

Yeah, sorry, sorry, 14 with the extras. Yep. Yep. So I was picking nine more. I just gave you the five. I've already said those out loud. Stone, Marner, Brad, Tom Wilson, Mark Sheifley. I am also going, Macklin Celebrini. Can't deny it. Can't deny it. I think Grosby got left off in 06, and this is a chance to write that wrong. He's just been too good, dude. I just don't know how you look the kid in the face at this point, at this point. And I was early on, like, don't pick either of them. I'll tell you, Chris, just like you said with Sid, I literally think you just go like this. You're too young. Like, if Canada sets this standard, which they have, like you pointed out, with Crosby, I think you go like this. Dude, Crosby didn't make it in 06.

Like, you're just, you're too young. We don't do this as a nation in the Olympics. And I think Macklin has to go, it's bullshit, but I understand. Like, if you did it to Crosby, you can do it to me. So there's six. Seven. I'm going, Seth Jarvis. Yep.

everything you said, 19 goals, blended into that team so beautifully at Four Nations. Does the Hegel thing, I would say, in terms of up and down the lineup. You want to pop him on your first line win because of an injury? Done. You want to get him on the fourth line, grinding, chipping pox being a pest, done.

Easy. If he's healthy, I think they take Seth Jarvis. So there's seven. Eight, and this is where that four C conversation comes in. I think Anthony Surrella, played that role beautifully at Four Nations, could play that role again, deserves to play that role again.

But you could get more scoring, more scoring threat out of a couple guys. One of them is absolutely Nick Suzuki. The other one, in my opinion, you haven't even named yet, so I think you're going to be shocked about this, is Johnny Todrags. Johnny Toadracks has an incredible year,

and I think there's a chance. I forget, was some story about him at the Olympics where he got hurt, I think, or something. I think there's a chance. You called it at the beginning. I was laughing because I knew I was going to do this. It's the return of the olds. That there's a chance they go, you have played well enough to be the fourth line center

on this team in certainly your last Olympics, certainly, versus a Suzuki, which, you know, could make it again. So slot me in Johnny Todrax is my eighth forward. I love it. And now that leaves me one spot, and these were the four guys. was considering. Bedsie. And it's kind of fucked for me to say that he isn't playing, isn't going to be in the thing

because of everything we just said about Celebrini. You know, like, he's been blossoming into this megastar. And I'm like, put him on the fucking team. If you're taking that, put him on the team. Also, like, I know, I know Badaard stands are listening to this and they're fucking screaming and pounding their, their dashboard. But, like, Connor Bred is seventh in the fucking national with 44 points still. Like, that's what I mean.

Like, you know, it's insane. And, dude, you put him on, you just name them. You just name them. And if he can't go, because he can't go, then you go, okay, then we get an injury replacement. You know, like, it doesn't fucking matter. You name them right now, and then you pick these other guys. So it feels crazy. This is why all four of these were hard.

Suzuki, because then I can still keep that center depth if I want, right? Like, if I was between Suzuki and tow drags for that 4C, I'm like, just take them both, and then, you kind of, like, play who's playing well. Hagle, for obvious reasons, fucking stud, goal score, plays everywhere, machine. and then Sam Bennett, because not only Dan, to your point, has he been better recently, but also what is the only thing you could ever say about Sam Bennett in his entire fucking career? He's clutch, dude. He's a game player.

Yeah, his clutch. He plays better. He has 50 points in the regular season and then fucking dominates. He scored, dude. He went fucking under the bar on Hellbuck at Four Nations. Oh, my God, dude. You know, like, this. So it's like fucked.

And honestly, dude, I was like, I was coming into this being like, It's Hakes. It's got to go Hakes. But literally us talking, I was like, maybe you do have to go Bennett for the, for the, I just,

yeah, like I just said, I'm like, I just talked myself into it. What am I, what am I talking about? The guy literally only knows ice in his veins. That is the only way he exists.

Yeah. And if there's anything you need in the, in the Olympics, is guys who know how to fucking get it done. Yeah. So I think you go, or at least with mine,

I'm going to keep my toe drags because I made my bed. I'll go Bennett now. My hardest cut is Hague's. And then if you told me, hey, we're not taking tow drags, and we're taking Hagle and, like, you know, someone, one of these guys is going to slide in, Mac's going to play center or something.

I'm like, this great. I don't care at all because, like, this team is stacked. But those will be my nine. Yep. I love it. Okay, let's go to defense. All right. Yep.

The one defenseman who was locked in was Kail McCar was obviously always going to be on the team. Let's just go through how we just did it. Three guys. I think there are three automatics. Okay. So, do you think there are any? Yes, my three automatics, including kale? No, no, I think there are three more who are literally 100% on this team if you asked everyone on Earth. I...

Do you think there are any more? I think there are two more. Okay, who are your two? Devon Taves. Yep. And Shay Theodore. Yep. I have one more.

Do you want to say it? I'll tell you, yeah. I think it's Josh Morrissey. I think if you ask anybody, Josh Morrissey, I've seen so much, so many predictions, so many people have a ton of, actually shockingly different lists on D from the predictions I've seen,

but pretty much everybody is Shay, Morrissey, and Tase. Yeah. I, okay, I mentioned earlier there is a massive issue with this team. Here's the massive issue with Team Canada. Right shot defenseman. Good point, actually. Dude, it's actually crazy.

Like, you could literally do... You could do six left shot defensemen who belong on this team. It's fucking mental. So, all right, here's my thing here. I am going to make a claim that is going to get me fucking screamed at, and I mean it with... I mean it deep in my bones. Yep.

I have two versions of this lineup. Two versions of this lineup are, and I believe, because we get eight defensemen here. Everyone that I name is on the roster for me. The issue with this lineup dude is there are a few undeniable, as far as I'm concerned, although structure-wise, it's, like, difficult. It doesn't really make sense. And there is one that, like I said, I will get screamed at. My first pairing is Devon Taves and Kalmikar. It's obvious.

Don't mess with it. Obviously. And that's obvious. Yeah. Like these two are... Moving on. Yep. They are the best D pairing in the national.

Move on. Number two. This is where we get in, like, immediately. Right shot D. I'm like, I don't know what we're doing here. So, I do not know, Christopher, how you don't put Jacob Chikrin on this team. Dude, see, he's on my team.

And Jacob Chikrin. has had back to back, including this year, fucking all-time performances. Like, he is so fucking good this season. And I don't get how people are just being like, oh, whatever, Jacob Chikrin. Jacob Chikrin is tied with Josh Morrissey with 28 points. They are tied for sixth in the NHL,

for defensemen in points. And he has 14 goals. So I'm like, listen to this, Dan. You're going to love this. Well, I'll do Morrissey too. Morrissey, five goals, 23 assists, 28 points, plus 9. Okay? Shea Theodore, 4 and 16 plus 20.

Devonte is 1 and 10. I'm doing goals and assists, plus 21. Jacob Chikrin, 14 goals, 14 assists plus 22. Goals? Yes. Fuck yourself. Correct, dude. If you think Jacob Chikrin isn't on his team, you are insane.

However, and I just read this, I didn't even fucking know this. A, they didn't have him at four nations, right? And he's American-born, technically, right? Yeah. And he's never represented Canada at any point in his pro career. He played in junior tournaments. But he has never played for Team Canada as a pro. And I was like, oh, fuck, that's fucking crazy.

But his junior performances announced his allegiance to Canada. Yep. So he is Canadian. So my, my... Oh, I know, I'm just saying, like, that's a lot of ammo against picking him. I'm explaining to the humans what the situation is. If that, Chris, is ammo for not picking him. Everyone in charge of picking him is a fucking moron.

It's like that is the dumbest thing I've ever fucking heard. So my second pairing, and I'm probably right now announcing two people that are in my group, is Jacob Chikrin and either Colton Pereko or Josh Morrissey. And Josh Morrissey, by the way, would be a double, left pairing. That is my crazy hairbrain scream because the lefties are just like absurd. So now gets me to my third pairing and this is where I am prepared to take heat. But as I said, I have a plan here. My third pairing is Shea Theodore on the left and one Drew Dowdy on the right. Yep.

And here's my rationale, okay? Let's go with the Pereco lineup. You have Devon Taves, defensive lockdown, Kail McCarr, puck-moving, offensive defenseman. Jacob Chikrin and Colton Perecoe. Jacob Chikrin, puck-moving offensive defenseman, Colton Pereco, big-bodied lockdown defenseman. Shea-the-Di-Defendor,

honestly does both, but lock- fucking down defensemen. Drew Dowdy, I don't care, even in his old age, offensive puck-moving defenseman. I think a balance there, left-shot, right-shot works great. And I think that this team has a left-shot defenseman surplus, and it is absolutely brutal. So I want to hear yours before I get into my one extra. Your extras, you get two extras. Well, because I did Josh and Colton. One of them is technically...

Oh, got you. Yep. I will say this then. Do you want to hear it on my whole eight? Yeah. Yeah, I'll go first because you went first or forwards. I will say this. Drew is on my list, and I am shocked, Dan. Legitimately shocked how many outlets are doing predictions right now

that don't have him on the roster. And I don't even mean not as a starter. Like, fine. If you want to be like, yeah, he's one of the extra defensemen. I disagree with that, but I understand the pick. I'm actually blown away, dude. I didn't even think this was a conversation. And I'm actually curious to hear all the team Canada fans in the comments about this specific topic.

Do you, are you of that opinion where you're like, wow, yeah, I'd rather we don't bring Dewey. Because A, he's good still. B, they fucking love him. Like, this is such a fucking unit that looks up to him, idolizes him. And I know you don't pick people just for that. I'm not trying to make excuses for the guy. I'm saying he still plays at that level. And his role on this team is so vital.

I could not believe that. I think he is for sure making this team, and I would be stunned. That would be one of my biggest omissions. If Mack doesn't make it, all this bullshit, if Drew Dowdy is on this team, something has gone horribly wrong in the picking of Team Canada, in my opinion. Yeah, he's a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He's a Norris trophy winner, and I know people are going,

we're not questioning his accolades. I'm not saying them for accolades. I'm saying them for, yeah, he's 36 years old, but as we said with this team, Look at how good the olds are. Look at how good he was last year coming off injury at Four Nations. He was fantastic for that Four Nations team, and he's part of the reason they won. He's a leader.

All of the guys love him and rally around him. I need people to know from like an insider's perspective the way players on that team gravitate towards him, both from a – Crazy, bro. They feel good around him, but you learn from him. You get advice – like it's just – yeah, he's on the team for me. He had a couple of comments. last week where he was just like anytime I see a list where I'm not included I'm like what the

fuck are you talking about I don't think it's cocky at all I completely agree with him and he's earned the right to say that yep uh so for me so far kale Taze Morrissey Shea Drew Shikrin they're six okay for my two others people are going to hate this dude and I can't believe this one name hasn't come up yet um I think Travis Sanheim Oh, I know. It's so good. Is so good and has proven it, like, you just, it's hard to not fuck up that decor that won, right? That just played so great and won it for you.

To the point that I think he's going to make it. And like, I'm not sure if I was picking blind, I would have taken him, but I think I'm officially being like he's on. He's on the team. He's going to make it. Yeah, man. Sanny is so good. And I'll also point out, again, Sani. is one of the lefties.

Like, it's Thomas Harley is one of the lefties. Devon Taves, Jacob Chikrin, Josh Morrissey, Thomas Harley, Travis Sanheim, Shay Theodore, all left-shot defensemen. It's fucking brutal. It is a surplus of all NHL left-shot defensemen. So I have one spot left for mine, and I was looking at names, and I'm not saying all these were equal, but I'm just running down. This is who I had flagged. Evan Bouchard, obviously, that's the person I'm saying. I couldn't believe this name hasn't come up yet.

Thomas Harley, Mackenzie Uighur, Perrako, Noah Dobson, Brant Clark, even. Dude, absolutely. Of course, the big one. And unfortunately, so, dude, Doug Armstrong, for the people that don't are unaware, Doug Armstrong is the GM of the Blues. He's also the GM of Team Canada.

I think that there's a strong chance Colton Pereko makes the team, not that he's undeserving, but that is a huge factor. Doesn't hurt. Doesn't hurt. Doesn't hurt. Right? We hear Quinn talk about his relationship with Bill Guerin all the time.

That doesn't hurt. But my grand prediction is the team Canada completely drops the stigma, goes into, we don't care how young you are, and they take Mack and they take Matthew Schaefer. Wow. And give him the last spot on the team. I'm not saying he's a left shot defense. I'm just saying they're putting him on the team because he has literally single-handedly transformed the New York Islanders. I know. I love it.

It's having a fucking preposterous year and has nine fucking goals already as a rookie. He's a plus seven. He's doing everything. And his play warrants in a vacuum this team. So fucking put him on. Agreed. And that's all. Agree.

I agree. Okay. So I have a lot to say. Great picks. I love that. Schaefer call out. I was going to bring Schaefer up if you didn't right there. If Schaefer were a right shot D man, he would be on this team day one.

No questions asked in my opinion. The left shot surplus is crazy. A couple guys I want to give a shout out to. Noah Dobson. he's not going to make the team, but I've loved what he's done in Montreal. Our boy Brandon Montor has been fantastic

with a struggling Seattle team. He is a right-shot defenseman. If you don't think he made some comments, he was like, I want to be on that fucking team. If you don't think they're having conversations about him, you're not paying attention. I love that you brought up Clarkie. Brand Clark is, Brandt Clark will be on this team at some point in the future as far as I'm concerned. And I think he should

be in conversations. You mentioned Colton Pereko with Doug Armstrong. John Cooper, coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Here's a guy that I want to fucking talk about. And I actually think that this is an NHL conversation. It's not just a Tampa Bay Lightning conversation. There is a man, Christopher, who is amongst defensemen in the NHL, 17th in the league with 24 points in 29 games. He's a plus five with seven tucks, making $925,000 a year. Undrafted, if memory serves, Darren Radish, right shot defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning, is having a phenomenal

fucking year for this group. And I'm like, dude, with the right shot defense situation, I don't think Darren Radish is making the seem, I'm not even entirely sure that he is in a conversation. But he had six goals, 33 points. Two years ago, six goals, 37 points last year. and he currently has seven goals, 24 points in 29 games this year. 29 years old, like, just playing out of his mind.

And I just wanted to give him a quick pat on the back, quick double-rister, because I'm like, good for fucking you, dude. Like, this is, he's playing fucking phenomenally. And I'm sure he's one of those guys that's looking around. Because, like, it's not like he's like a random old that's like, oh, no, like, I'm not that. Yeah.

Back-to-back years over 33 points, I'm like, as a defenseman, I'm like, yeah, that got, pay attention to him. Like, he's good. Take that all day. Take that all day. So it is time to talk about Evan Bouchard. Evan Bouchard is a great fucking hockey player. Don't get it twisted.

Insane that I go, he's not on the team. He's going to be on the team. I want everyone to know that. I want everyone to be very aware of that. In my opinion, Evan Bouchard's value is his offensive. game and I believe it stops there. Evan Bouchard has a mixtape every season of himself getting fucking turned inside out like a fitted sheet or being so out of position you wonder if he's even on the ice or

in the stand and somehow climbed over the glass. And when you have Cail McCar, Jacob Chikrin, Josh Morrissey, guys like this on your decor, there's a part of me that's like, I don't need this dude who's potentially going to be such a significant defensive liability when it comes to the Olympics. And again, he is on the team. But I am presenting an opportunity where it's like maybe, dude, you actually get guys who are fucking great at defense because you are going to go up against really strong offensive groups like the USA, like Sweden. And I'm like, dude, I don't know, man. And he's not playing power play.

Kale is playing power play. Like, you are not out there. Yeah. Like, what is Bush? I think Bush is third in the NHL in defensemen for points right now behind Werenzky and McCar. And again, like, here we go again. He's got like 33 points and 30s.

He's going to have another like 70 point year. He's amazing at offense. But I always ask the question, put any of these dudes on a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Drysettle on the power play. and tell me that they're not getting close to that point production, if not more. So, yeah, right. That is where I'm just like, I don't know, dude, when you are this spoiled with riches with offensive defensemen, maybe you grab a guy who's fucking great at defense.

Maybe is my only point. Dude, I didn't pick him for that exact reason, for that exact reason. So he's not your last guy. Who is it? my last guy is going to be either Thomas Harley or him. Like, it's him. Yeah, yeah. Like, Bushard is so fucking good at offense, dude.

Like, even with this dumb stance that I'm taking, actually, it's not dumb, this real stance, but I'm overthinking at stance, he's still probably on the team. But I'm telling you that that is worth considering. Yep. Okay, I like it. Now we go to goalies. Canada's Achilles heel, kind of. Goleys, I'm going to rip through mine because to me it's not even a question.

And there is one question that I know you will bring up and you can debate it with me. Logan Thompson, number one, Darcy Kemper number two, McKenzie Blackwood, number three for me. Logan Thompson is 1,000 percent not only on the team, but also my starter. and it's it's literally collusion. It is like, it is, yeah. It's insulting. It's insulting to have a conversation otherwise. Dude, it actually makes you look bad.

No, I'm not kidding. Like this, this, whatever you want to call it, everyone's being like, oh, there's no controversy, all this bullshit. If the people in charge of the staff of Team Canada will not start your best goalie by a mile, you should be embarrassed. I don't want to get in trouble here, but like, like what, I don't even know what we're talking. about you you need to play the goalie who's leading the league and everything yeah it's just it's confusing it's just confusing whatever fucking history or not that you have with anyone if i'm a canadian

hockey fan i'm fuming mad if logan thompson isn't the starting goalie insane uh i believe this is what you i know you were talking about i believe jordan bittington is 100% on this team i don't think he should be on this team because of his play of only because of his play this year and you made a good point a little while ago of, I don't know if I want Binner on the team in a backup role because he doesn't have that mentality. Binner's so good as a start as a cocky starter. I think if you put him in a backup role,

it might not mesh that well. However, you know, maybe your argument is, well, I need him there because he's a big game guy. He did this in the cup. He did this at Four Nations. And if either he starts or someone gets hurt and I wanted Jordan Biddington waiting in the wings. Fine.

I just think team Canada, hockey Canada, is drunk on Jordan Binnington and all the big game shit, and he's making this team. Again, I don't think he should be on the team. I think he's making it, which means you have a very hard conversation between a McKenzie Blackwood and a Darcy Kemper. I'm going McKenzie Blackwood as my three,

which is really unfair to Kemper. He was a Vesna finalist last year. He's been very good this year. McKenzie Blackwood is on a better team this year, which is not anyone's fault. You know, that's not Darcy Kemper's fault. Darcy Kemper has, their numbers are kind of split. Like Kemper's got a better goals against worst, save percentage, but they're right there.

They're both near the top of the league and awesome. I'm literally splitting hairs, and I just think they are going to take Mackenzie Blackwood. And I'll finish. So my three are Logan Thompson, Jordan Binnington, McKenzie Blackwood, and I will unfairly cut Darcy Kemper. And I will add, literally what they should do is take Logan Thompson, McKenzie Blackwood, and Scott Wedgwood. Like, those should be the three goalies. But they will never take both have golies. and it's insane that we all legitimately thought Wedgwood

would be on this team before he got hurt and now it's Blackwood and I'm like man what a fucking swing that was but if I was picking Team Canada I would straight up take the two avalanche goalies and Logan Thompson and be thrilled about it yeah I mean I can't really argue you I mean my argument would be Darcy Kemper is actually avalanche goalie as well

on a Stanley Cup winning goalie so you should put some specky on his name fair fair yeah I mean take all three LT home take all three aves goalies Dude, Darcy, I mean, you can't ignore the fact that the Kings could be in a very fucking ugly spot right now, if not for Darcy Campor. Oh, you're damn right. You're damn right. I am like, LT is such an obvious first pick. Truly, Chris, for me, Darcy is such an obvious second pick.

Like, it's, if you're watching these games and people know we're watching a lot of these Kings games, it's obvious to pick this guy. So that's to me the easy one too. If you want to bring Binner for pedigree, which I totally understand. You think Darcy gets screwed because of Binner? Yep. I think they take Blackwood. I think they take Blackwood, Binner, and LT. That is absolutely crazy to me that you think the woods are like one of the woods is a lockover kemper.

But respect, respect. That's the beauty of this show. Okay. Those are our Team Canada roster predictions. debate the madness, get in on the fun. Let's take a quick ad break, and then we will get into episode five, Heated Rivalry Review.

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Again, that is lucy. Dot co. You're going to use that promo code Friday to get 20% off. And here is the fine print that you need to know. Lucy products are only for adults of legal age, and every customer is age verified. This is a product that contains nicotine, and nicotine is an addictive chemical. welcome back and before we get to the heated rivalry episode five breakdown

yeah episode five we just got to say because this episode's coming out on the 23rd and you're not going to hear from us again until before or until after World Junior starts and what a sick tournament I hope you are as fired up as we are for it it's in Minneapolis Minneapolis St. Petersburg this year which is extra cool we're going to have a ton of friends in attendance

it's going to be electric and the story line obviously is USA's run of dominance and team Canada's quite embarrassing, frankly, early, early exits from this tournament. Everyone looking to, or Canada looking to write that wrong, USA looking to step on throats. A lot of friends of the program going to be there. James Hagen's going to be there. Cole Eisenman going to be there. Cole Hudson going to be there.

And then I know you got eyes on Will Horcoff, Dan, Teddy Stiga. Stacked U.S. team, frankly, ready to make some real waves. if you're Canada and you're going, we've got to fix this shit, and then you parade out a first line of Gavin McKenna, Michael Misa, and Porter Martone. What in the actual fuck

are you talking about, dude? But hey, a lot of pressure, though. A lot of pressure on those boys to get this done. 100%. I think there's a lot of pressure on USA, though, too. I mean, we're playing on home turf, baby. We're playing in fucking, you know, we're playing in the state of hockey.

In Minnesota. Yeah. You're defending goals. We've been talking so much smack, so much shit. The way Ryan Leonard led that team beacon the whole way to that gold medal, there's a target on the back of the U.S. boys, and you know that they want to bring it home. So we've got a couple of nations. And listen, don't count anyone else out. We're not doing that.

But obviously, there is the rivalry between USA and Canada, and it has been a high, high tension topic in Canada, how the World Junior team and situation has been handled. So, dude, you've got two groups here that desperately want to win gold, no doubt. And, man, I will say this. Gavin McKenna, there's been a lot of fucking talk online about, like, oh, he hasn't been as dominant at Penn State as we thought. Has his draft stock taken a hit? I don't think so at all. I think he's 100% going one. And I've talked to a lot of scouts who have been like, dude, he's actually so nasty.

He hasn't quite asserted himself in college, but he's so good. This is non-issue. and I would love to talk to him in private to be like, how has this been for you? Do you regret it? Do you wish you were lighting up juniors instead of having the season you're having at Penn State or is this good for your game?

What do you think? I don't know the answer to that question, but I do think he is looking at this tournament as a huge opportunity to flex and go, yeah, Penn State's tough. I'm playing against these older guys, but this is World Juniors. We're all the same age.

Watch me fucking light this tournament up and take Canada back to the top on the U.S. soil, win gold and be like, I am the one, dude. and watch me. And I know he's putting a lot of pressure on himself, but I know he's ready for that pressure, and I am super pumped.

I hope we bury him, obviously. But I am super pumped to watch him, and I'm rooting for him. Just as a hockey fan and as a special talent in the future of this league, I'm hoping he puts on a show. Me too, man. It's like, you know, it's just these are kind of the undeniable things

with some of these guys. But listen, if you're listening to this right now you haven't dialed into the World Juniors tournament just yet. Do it. I'm always going to be that boxing day biotch that's just watching European football. But if you don't think that I have switched up my routine and included the World Juniors, you kidding yourself. So dial in as well because it's fantastic.

Sick. Okay, let's kick it to heat of rivalry and then we'll see for some games. Babes, we are back. We are horned up and we are going deep. Deep. Into episode five of heated rivalry. Some are saying one of the greatest television episodes in the history of the medium. Holy shit.

My emotions are an absolute puddle. Oh my fucking God. Dude, I cannot believe I ever said any of these episodes were good before this one. I cannot believe I thought I enjoyed. television before I saw this episode. I am in shock. I am in shambles. I don't even know what to say. This is insane. There are just so many different moments that we can... People told us we were going to cry, but I don't even know which part they were talking about because there are many. And I feel like I've been hit by a freight train of romance, heartbreak and horniness. And I'm toast.

I'm absolute toast The amount of all caps in my notes doc For this episode It's fucking It's actually It's not insane at all It's perfect This is the perfect amount of all caps

And it's a lot Sean you've been through a whirlwind Over the last day and a half And then you also had to watch this episode Are you okay I have been through a whirlwind The last day and a half And this episode was definitely the cherry on top for it

I do have a funny story That I didn't tell you guys off air because I was waiting to tell you on air, if you're ready to hear it. Yes. So for the audience yesterday, we were supposed to record this yesterday, and I was moving apartments, and my U-Haul broke down, and I needed to get a tow from my U-Haul. And so the tow truck driver came, and I get into the cab with the tow truck driver,

but this was already messing with my schedule. I had to wait a couple hours for the tow truck driver. So I was like, well, I better have to watch it at some point, because we were supposed to record this yesterday. So I started watching episode five on my phone in the cab next to him. And the whole time I was like shouldered up against the door just in case a sex scene came on. And you kind of feel when they're about to happen. But I just didn't want this guy to think that I was watching porn next to him.

But then he was asked, you know, he asked, hey, what are you watching? And I was like, I'm watching this new, I'm watching this new hockey show. And I was like, I don't want to spoil anything because it's like, but it's like, it's like, it's about interperts. personal dramas and relationships. That's kind of like the public persona versus like the private personas and everything else. Because I want him to have the same experience that I had where he gets to the shower scene in episode one. Well done. Just crack and stick.

So shout out Joey. If you're watching this now, I got you. It means he's caught up too. It means he's caught up too. It means he's caught up real quick. Oh, yeah. He knows what it's about now at this point. He knows what's about now.

And I'm sure he's loving it as much as we are. I know that you had AirPods in, but in my dream, when I think about this story, you are watching it in the cab next to the driver with the full volume coming out of your phone. And he's like, what the fuck is happening? Oh, Jesus. That is fucking awesome. I feel like the move is going into any situation like this and being like this. I'm watching heated rivalry folks. Yeah, everyone just know what's going on.

And they're like, yep, we got, hey, so are we. So are we. I'm about to get on a plane now back to Ireland. and I got to watch the next episode when that comes out. So I think it'll be done when I'm fish flying. Yeah, you'll be home. You'll be home by then. Yeah, I'll be home for it.

So I don't have to make that announcement to everybody on the plane. But what I need you to do is go down to a pub when you get to Ireland and ask them to turn it on there. You're going to have a whole watch party. You know, there's shots of people watching like footy matches and everyone's going crazy, beers flying everywhere. That's going to be watching the finale of. repeated rivalry. It's going to be incredible. Okay, boys. Let me

Sherpa us through episode five, which was a whirlwind and also was no time in getting into the intensity of this episode. So we start with Shane waking up with Rose in bed and Shane immediately apologizes to Rose. So sounds like you couldn't get it up.

So we're getting instant moments here of things aren't really going well as far as the intimacy romance element of these two's relationships, whereas elsewhere, the relationship is absolutely lovely. Do you think that has ever happened to Scarjo? Okay, so a few things here. Number one, no. Number two.

Number two, I don't know if you guys noticed, but later in this episode... Yes, dude, yes, there's a lot of comments about this too. This is amazing. Later in this episode, Rose is in a makeup chair for one of her projects, and she's, like, she mentions being a changeling and she's getting this makeup on and it looks like mystique from X-Men. So it's got to be J-Law. J-Law is the is the reference point here of Rose. I can't believe we didn't get that. Yeah, I couldn't believe we couldn't get it. That we thought X-Squad, oh, it's got to be the Avengers, right?

Yeah. It's hilarious. Of course it was X-Men. And then when I saw her, I saw the paint. I was like, oh, she's mystique. And then there's a lot of comments being like she's mystique. And then just like her arc sounded like J-Law, the more I looked back. I was like the movie she said she would done, you know, I was like, oh, she's fucking J-law. God damn it. And that tracks, that tracks to me, dude, more than I actually really, that re-centered her a lot in my mind more than the Scarjo. And also just like there's all these, the Easter eggs are getting me as horny as the sex scenes. And so I found one, Rose, right, is like the symbol of love.

but Lily, which is the nickname for Elia, is the symbol of everlasting love. Oh my God. I didn't even notice that. That's crazy. It's unbelievable. So I also wrote and this, don't yell at me yet because I have a response to this later. I just want you to know what I was feeling in real time. In this opening scene, even before Shane apologized, it's just seeing her there, I wrote, my first note is I hate Rose so much and it's not her fault at all, but I do.

and it's just because I love the boys so much. Thank you, God, for your caveat. Yes. So I have a follow-up note, obviously, but I just wanted you to know that that's what I was feeling as the episode faded in. That was my first emotion. Okay. I will come back to this.

Okay. All right. So Shane apologizes, like I said, it sounds like he had some trouble performing in the bedroom. We see that the two of them are trending all over Twitter. They are like the new it hot couple. Then also on the internet, we get another man in the crease. That's son of a bitch, stealing our thunder.

He's talking about the big All-Star game coming up in Tampa. A huge deal, and we have not yet seen Shane and Elia playing on the same team, and that is going to be a major, major focal point of this game. Also, our boy Scott gets one of the most terrible ricochet shots since the city of Buffalo. I could not believe this, Dan. Where he goes, is Scott going to fall apart in the middle of the season like he always does? Like, oh my God, dude. Relax, man in the crease.

That's Captain America, you pieces of shit. This is the second time they've absolutely sewered our country's best player, dude. They're like this. Scott Hunter sucks. And I'm like, you fucking suck, dude. Yeah, absolute bullshit. And I can't wait for episode six to hear what Man in the Crease has to say after Scott Hunter shoved it up his hoop. And one wins a cup at the end of this episode.

So get fucked, Pat. One great line, too, Dan, right before that, is at the... airport the Boston boys you know Rosie's boy on the team I don't know his name when he goes he goes getting he sleep last night pal yeah hey hey and like and then Rosie goes like no because he just lies he doesn't go he was fucking snapping one off in the shower by himself so he just goes yeah I didn't get much sleep and the guy goes you're a fucking beautician that I was like that that was really good the the the beautician line I was like whoa whoa whoa we got a little bit hockey lingo come on here incredible so

we get all this buzz for the All-Star game and then bang. Shane and Rose get together. They're talking. They're having dinner at a restaurant. They're talking. Immediately Rose brings up Miles. She's like, did you notice? Were antenna's up for you guys instantly?

No. Oh my God. I was fucking blindsided. What do you think, Sean? She says like, oh, you noticed that Miles is gay, right? And I'm like, how did he not? That's what I wrote. Miles was like.

They were like... I was like, are you insane? He was, uh, sucking on your neck, sir. There was... So, so, um, so I kind of caught me off guard. And I think it's like Shane being, you know, like, like people have been saying in the comments, people tend to, when their closet, tend to overcompensate a little bit. I think he was overcompancing being like, Miles, who I didn't notice?

100%. So, um, so yeah, that was, that was, uh, an interesting reaction. And it also was when, when Rose says, are there any, gay hockey players. And all I could think was like fucking all the ones that we know in this show. Actually, three, three captains in the league. Yeah. It's like a requirement to be a captain in this universe is that you have to be gay.

So that was also interesting. I felt like for a moment, Rose was like an audience member who just kind of like chimed in for a little bit, trying to edge information out of, of Shane. Because it was like she had all the, she had the insider perspective. It was so obvious. I will say, however, we, we, we, we, we, We've been calling out people for being kings in this universe. I want to call out a queen here because while Elia is a consent,

and so is Scott, a consent king, I think Rose is a delicacy queen. Because the way that Rose approaches this is so sweet and so kind. Like, I love how she's like, oh, yeah, did you notice Miles? Like, did you notice Miles is gay? And she talks about people in the theater world and actors. And she even goes on to say, like, a lot of actors. Like, they don't say it that you don't know. And when she then is like, is anyone open in Major League hockey, it was just such a, like, sweet approach to her then going, Shane, I think that you're gay.

Like, I think you would rather be kissing Miles. And when she says it's okay and Shane goes, it's not, I was immediately dead. Like, this was my first I'm dead moment of the episode because Shane didn't say it's not because. He was being like, I'm not gay. He was saying, it's not okay, because he was like, it's not okay. I can't come out. I can't be myself. Like, the vulnerability in this scene and in this conversation was so incredible and only exists

because of how lovely and delicate roses. It was unbelievable. Dan, I didn't pick up. So, Sean, I was the same thing. I was like, you didn't know Miles is gay. And then I go, I feel like she would know there are no openly gay players. if she's as dialed as she was last step with like my brother's in the HL and blah blah blah but then she goes I feel like I'm going about this the wrong way

that's that's finally when it hit me Dan where I was like oh and I put here's my first all caps of the episode no fucking way is she about to call out Halsey holy fuck oh dude my antennas I've been dialed in this show like the second they started talking I was like oh my god she knows so and dude I wrote the next two notes are I'm kind of shocked he's not denying this, but loving so much that he isn't, just like you said, where I was expecting all the, all the walls, all the shields. But it was the first time I was like, oh, man, maybe he has a real connection with Rose that he's willing to talk. And then my next note is, I literally cannot believe I said I hate Rose at the top of this episode. I fucking love her so much. Out of boy. Out of boy.

I was like, I will literally die for Rose. Dude, this is insane. That was majestic that, that that conversation. I do think it was like a master class in how to approach that topic if you're in that incredibly difficult situation. But also the decision to have the conversation in public was wild, especially for celebrities. I know. Where I'm like everyone there is going to be recognizing you.

And then, you know, like we like we've said before, Shane's like very selectively private about like, oh, this is too scary, too sketchy. But then in situations like this, he's just like admitting it for the first time. to somebody in public. So it's kind of the same thing for as good as she is at, uh, at like how delicately she's approaching the situation. She also did it in a cheesecake factory,

which was kind of a little bit wild. Well, hold on, we'll get to that, John, because I, I do, I want to say again,

I talked about the scene, I believe in episode two, where Shane is watching Elia win the cup and I talked about Shane's physical acting. I'm doing it again here. The physical acting when she, Rose simply asked, have you been with a guy?

And he just nods. And then she goes, have you told anyone? And he then shakes his head. And like there's a little tear in his eye. You're just like, oh, my God. So seeing him admit it and saying that it was better when it was when she's like, was it better with a guy?

And he goes, of course. Like you could feel the relief in his voice being like, I'm telling someone this. Like this is unbelievable. And like the connection they had was amazing. and I got to say when he says I prefer being a hole rather than a peg

are you fucking kidding me that is an all-timer that was amazing and you know what when she makes that reference earlier I was like I hope they bring that back somehow and they brought it back in the best way ever so that moment just crazy good

loved it loved it loved it and as I said like we've got another goat here in Roe Like when they're out on the street and Rose is like, let's be best friends. And I mean that. Or she's like, let's be friends. And I'm not saying like, oh, let's keep in touch. She's like, let's be best friends. Like I thought that was lovely because right there are, if you are in a relationship what you think is a heterosexual.

And then it turns out one person is gay. Sometimes that can lead to heartbreak and anger and frustration. And this was just total understanding. And also I love how Shane was like, I love being with you. I love chatting with you. I love hanging with you. That was a cool moment for her of being like, me too. And I'd love to just continue to be awesome friends with you.

And I'm glad we'd get that later in the episode. But that was just an amazing moment. And as they part, the only things I need to talk about are. And again, some, like, guys, we are allowed to love this show and also point out the funny moments. Sean, you said, like, this felt like a pretty public restaurant. and this presumably is like downtown Montreal and Rose, aka Jennifer Lawrence and the peak of X-Men

running into a RAV-4 Uber. I wrote the same thing. I can't believe you flag that. Absolutely floored me. Because it's either it's like a, wow, she's a woman of the people. Absolutely love it. But more so the fact that not a single person on the street,

not a single pap on the street getting the hottest couple in the celebrity world right now leaving this restaurant. Which had been paparazzi to death already via their Twitter. Like, oh, dude, I wrote no Uber black for fucking Jaylaw.

I was like, what? I did appreciate in the background of a lot of those dinner shots, the tables were kind of empty because I had the same note, Sean, where I was like, are you shitting me, dude? Like, lower your voice, madam. This is an insane conversation.

But at least they were doing that. Or at least it looked semi-empty. And then I also had, when she goes, Have you ever been with another guy? You're watching incredible physical acting from Shane Dan and then the inner cuts to moments with Rosie. Dude, in the specific moments, like, they cut to, I believe it's when she asked,

like, have you ever been with a guy? Or maybe it was it better with the guy and it cuts to just Elya in the shower looking at it. Didn't even cut to, you know why that was so brilliant? It didn't cut to montage. or scenes of the sex scenes or anything like that, it cut to a Shane P-O-V. Yes.

Like that was literally Shane's mind and memory of like looking right at him. So we were in Shane's mind there. Like that was beautiful. There's implication in the question, meaning what is it better with the guy meaning the sex? But what he thinks about is it,

the relationship, it the feeling. It how, you know, I was like, oh, dude, I was like, this is the most romantic thing I've ever seen in the show.

That was fucking awesome. Dude, that's right. So, so good. So Rose becomes, Rose joins the hall of goats of this show. And then immediately the next scene, we get another one of our goats. We see Elia in bed with Svetlana. And they're just hanging out there watching hockey. She's breaking down teams.

Chris, you must be dying. Svetlana is a literal goddess. Oh, my God. I have never seen anything like this on television, dude. Svetlana is a literal goddess. and she needs a job in play-by-play. She needs to be an announcer. Get her in the scouting department.

Oh, my God, dude. But there's sewer in some dude named Matheson, how he's like terrible. It's just great. They're just breaking down the game, talking about it, and then they start talking about the All-Star game. She brings up Hollander.

She brings up how Shane is beautiful, how he's amazing. And then she also, like Man in the Crease, is like, dude, you guys playing together. That could be amazing. And Elia says, he can't play wing and she goes but you can he goes

you have him centered me and the way his like fake outrage with her and like jumping on her there's a couple things one I actually really love and maybe I'm maybe I'm too deep in the show now last episode I was saying

I'm like is everyone gay does everyone know everyone is gay I also think everything is an innuendo and I kind of like how she mentions Shane can't play wing but Elia can. I kind of see that how Shane is, you know, like Shane's gay, but Elia kind of

swings both ways, does everything. I like that. But the way Elia is with Svetlana shows a safety and comfortability in him we don't see in any other scene in the show. And that

moment of like jumping on her in bed was just great writing. It was great acting. And I just like we're so invested in these guys now and I'm sitting here watching this show like watching Ilya be comfortable and I was just like so happy in that moment I was like oh man these two like I I am desperate for the hopeless romance that is Shane and Elia but maybe not hopeless and yet I'm also sitting here being like Mary Svetlana god you guys are like but don't because I need to like she yeah yeah save her for

Chris please um one great line during that interaction as well where she says like oh you started smoking again. Yeah. And I was like, does that imply that he stopped during the period of time that he was, him and Shane were, were strongest and then started again because of this Rose situation? That is, I have that written down right here. And I think so because remember that scene where Shane is like, you taste like cigarettes. Yeah. And, and, and, and, and Ely is like, yeah, I, you know, I had one or something. And I was like, oh, I think Elya stopped smoking for Shane. And, and That is fucking hot. Giving up cigarettes.

How hard that is? Good God. Incredible. So we get both of those great moments with the boys and their respective girls, if you will. Now they meet at the bar in Tampa. Shane orders a beer, Chris. And, Dan, I'm not going to say anything. I'm not going to say anything, Dan.

But Shane ordered a beer mid-season. I'm not going to say anything, but enjoy that corona, Shane. Yep. So immediately here, we've seen Elia a lot. looking at Twitter reactions and stuff like that about how Shane and Rose have this big romance. Ely's being a little shitty to him. He's being a little standoffish,

kind of given him the cold shoulder, but then he keeps asking if he brought anyone in. Shane kind of dodges he, he talks about his parents, doesn't really mention Rose, now they're being a little bit flirty, and then Rosie tells Shane that he looks pretty. And when Shane goes,

can I tell you something you promise not to make fun of me? Again, something about that question was just so cute. It was so Shane. Like, he's just so vulnerable with Rosie all the time. But then he says he hired a stylist. And they laughed. There's a couple of nice digs.

Rosie brings up Rose Landry, and Shane is like, has nothing to do with her. He says he just wanted to look nice, didn't want to look like he was working out all the time. But then Shane says they're not dating anymore and says that they weren't compatible. Now they're, like, we're facing each other. Like, Ely is totally dialed back in. Yeah. So then we're still at the pool. Ilya is like playing with a bunch of kids in the pool,

and it's intercutting with Shane and Elia playing in the – a lot of great intercut scenes in this show. Really good at transitioning. And that's another innuendo for you, folks. Like the way that they transition from scene to scene in this show with a lot of intercut stuff is just so brilliant, so amazing. Rosie, Dan, Rosie is so good with kids that it melted me. like watching him be like all right we're racing one more time and I wrote he's giving he's giving

despicable me with the with the way he's sound like he's like to reading bedtime stories to kids a hundred percent I was like oh my god he's literally despicable me he's grew I guess is 100 percent and I mean like yeah like I said the way like the way they transition positions in bed is the way they transition these scenes and we get them buzzing in the all-stimed game, they hook up for a point, thought they were going to kiss on the ice. That was crazy. Like they hook up for a point, the sick pass, the sick

goal, I was just like, oh, fuck it, let's go, boys. This is fantastic. So I do want to say another moment of like, what hotel are they at? It's like, like, presumably all the other MLH stars are there, but they're just like, they're at a courtyard Marriott playing with kids, and we get to fall in love with how good Rosie is

with kids. Love it. And then we get a good moment. moment of them sitting on the beach together, sunset alone on the beach in Tampa. That ain't romance. I don't know what it is. Dude, what a shot that was. God, that was amazing. Shout out Tampa too.

And they chat and Shane asked what room he's in. Okay, boys. Fun's over. Yes. Because now we are just in Heartbreak City slash Romance City. Shane is sitting there waiting to have a very real

chat. And Ely is like, this seems serious. Yeah. And it is. And Shane asks Elya if he's feeling it. And Elya kind of is like, what are you talking about, Hollander? Elya is avoiding the situation. I was mad at him here, dude.

That was like the first time I've ever been mad at it. No, dude, you got to understand and he gets into it. But Shane immediately apologizes for running away after their last hookup. I'm so glad that we addressed that. He was like, dude, I freaked out, and I'm sorry. And he's like, I think. I think I'm gay, but you're not. Like, you're not gay.

And like, this is like, you know, what the fuck? And I loved how, remember when we were talking about what their last episode, what their situation is? And we were like, it feels like a business transaction. Elia kind of like calls that out here. Yeah. He's like, dude, we play, we meet up, we fuck, and that's good. That's it. And he says that their situation is easy for him and Shane, that's when Shane comes out.

And he's like, I think I'm gay. And he's like, it's not simple for me, dude. It's not. And then when he talks about their last hookup, he goes, the last time we were together, it was nice. Dude. Like, that, the use of the word nice was so fucking innocent and beautiful and such a first step in being like, you know, you don't necessarily want to put all your cards on the table and say, I love you. But like, just saying nice was a really good cry right now. Saying nice was just such a specific choice, and it was so shame.

I loved when he first goes, I think I'm gay. And Rosie goes, oh, yeah? What makes you say that? That was also so Rosie. He's like, what gives you that idea? Yeah. I thought it was like the perfect mixture of like, because I got two immediate reactions was one, it was like funny after a decade of us watching him have sex.

or like, you're definitely gay somewhere. Yeah, yeah. Like, it's definitely somewhere on the spectrum. But the, um, but then it's also like really kind of has a, like, a sad undertone because it's like, he, he's forced to recognize the thing that he's kind of been like, you know, keeping deep down inside. And like, and like, kind of refusing to acknowledge it. Um, but it's nice because he's like across the episode, both with Rosie and with Rose. It's like, it's nice that he's actually able to, like, talk. about this now with people?

He's actually has outlets now, which for the longest time, he's been just like stifled with his parents and brand deals and everything else. It's nice that he's actually able to take some time

to really sort of like reflect on things with people and not just have to delete texts alone. Yeah. Dude, I want to shout out the comments on last episode, something that we didn't catch. The ginger ale obsession. Yeah.

A lot of the people in the comments pointed out that this poor guy, Shane, going everywhere, asking for gingerails, And he can't, the only place he gets one is with Elia. Yeah, that's sick. And that's amazing. And I wanted to point out here, I don't know if you guys, you know, obviously there's more to this episode, but this was the first episode where we get no sex.

There is presumably sex in it, but they don't show it because that's not what this episode is about. This episode is about emotions, letting the love and the emotions come out. It's not about sex. and I think it's for the first time where it hasn't been about sex for these guys like this is now about their feelings and the fact that they chose to not show any sex in this episode was fucking incredible

there was there was such we're gonna get to even more of the scene but a couple things from the beginning of it were I wanted I know Rosie's answers were so perfectly him but I wanted him to give Shane something here because of the last interactions where like he freaked out

now he's back trying to apologize to the freak out and Rosie was like not meeting him halfway at all at the beginning and I was like bro yeah and if you watch the scene again dude um he when they when rosy finally sits down next to him Shane rosy's right here Shane's looking at him he's looking down but he's like looking at him you know and rosy keeps his eyes like Shane's over here for him and he keeps his eyes like this the whole time he's having the conversation because he just can't look at him yeah and I was like oh man this is like you I now see why you're not meeting him halfway because this means something to you too which we always knew but it was it was cool to see it

floating through in this moment. And I really like that combo because I had asked last episode if you would be mad. Shane plays it cool when he rose. He's like, yeah, I ban girls. And he's like, yeah, I know, whatever. But I was like, oh, would you be mad if that happened? And I thought you kind of got an answer here with Shane's line when he was doing the like, I'm gay thing.

And he's like, I don't think you are, but I am. And, you know, and I was like, oh, wow. Yeah. Like, I think that does, or it impacts it a lot, right? If you're like, I am all the way gay and you aren't. 100%. So after he says. it was nice. He says, it felt like

we were something. And Elya says they can't be something, but Shane then asks if he would want to, if they could. And we get really the first here, Elya to Shane talking about, you know, being interested in guys, being, you know, loving

guys, having sex with guys, and how it affects him in Russia. And he says, he's like, I couldn't go home to Russia. If anyone knew about this, I could never go home. He talks about how his dad is police, his brother's police, his mother is dead. We get that for the first time. And we said it looks like his dad is sick last episode.

And here he tells him that he has dementia. And Elia gets emotional. First time we've really seen Elia be emotional in front of Shane. And Shane, instant reaction is to get up, straddle him in a comforting, like, you know, really consoling him way, kisses him and just comforts him. And Elia cries in Shane's arms. Unbelievable, dude. That question was amazing.

Would he said If we could Would you want to be something if we could? If we could. Dude. Truly like Just like the the drawbridge of emotions

in my heart has just has been lowered here. And if Rosie's crying, I'm crying, dude. I got a news for you. So as soon as he went, I was like, okay, I'm done here. So it cuts to Shane is leaving the hotel room. It looks like they've had sex.

And again, that was the first notion of like We're not, they're not showing the sex in this one because this is all about heart. Did you, but I don't know though, dude. Oh, you're right. That is why they did that. But I think I deserved that bang, to be completely honest with you. I feel as though I deserved that bang. This show has never robbed us of anything in the history of the show.

And, and Rosie would have put Shane through the fucking headboard that night. Disagree. Disagree. After that comfort. That was, that was slow. You don't deserve shit, dude. That was slow and loving. And it was just for them.

Okay. We weren't allowed in the bedroom. No, you don't. I deserve that. You're not understanding what that sex was like is why you didn't deserve it. So now we're two weeks later. Shane is in the hotel in Boston and Elia asked him to come over. Shane goes, we have a game tonight.

That was kind of hot. He's like, we're playing tonight, dude. What are you talking about? He goes and we get them in bed. And it's just like, I loved that. I don't know if this is why. this scene happened. Shout out to the creators if it is.

But I love that we got immediately that scene because I didn't want there to be any like, oh, they had this really emotional intense conversation and now they're afraid to talk again. Nice. It honestly felt like to us being like, nope, like they had that conversation and they are good.

So like, there we go. But, you know, they hook up. They're together. They then play it at night. Rosie scores a hat trick, dude. Tells everyone in the locker room they get a thousand bucks for every goal they score. Then he turns out, scores a hater. You motherfuckers owe me three.

Yes. But then the happiness of the win is cut short as he immediately gets a call, answers in Russian. I think he says, like, what the fuck do you want? We then cut to Shane with the boys, and they're hearing on ESPN that Rosie didn't go to Nashville with his team for his next game. He's gone. And everyone's like, oh, fuck, what is going on here?

Shane texts him, asks if he's okay. He's calling him. Ely is not answering. You like his voicemail? Voicemail was great. That was great. It was most on brand voicemail. Do you think I wrote to English?

English in his voicemail? Do you think he has another Russian phone that he has a Russian voice? Good question. Or are his Russian friends getting this English voicemail that they don't even understand? Yeah. I bet he does have a Russian phone. But then again, we hear later like he fucking hate, other than Svetlani, he hates everyone over there. So he probably doesn't have a rushing phone.

There's nothing in Russia forum. So he probably doesn't. It's probably just an English voice. I like it. I like it. Okay. I mean. So Elia facetimes Shane later eventually.

And they're flirting a little bit over the glasses. He loves the glasses. Loves the glasses. He keeps being like, put those glasses back on. He tells him that his dad has passed. Brutal stuff. But they're, you know, they're chatting. Shane's doing his best to, you know, kind of console him.

And he's like, I wish it could help. And he's like, you can't take your clothes off. So he does. Elya does as well. Have you put the glasses back on? Have you seen the rest of development? Yeah. Have you seen a rest of development, Sean? No.

Okay. Well, Dan, this, this, I was getting Job with Kitty in this one when he's like this shirt, shirt off glasses on. You know what he's like hair, hair down, glasses on, hair down. Have we done hair up, glasses off? Oh, my God. Elya loving the glasses fucking swooned. Dude, that was amazing. Oh.

It's incredible. But this, to me, just another, like, like I said, in the hotel in Tampa, we get that super intense conversation. And then they didn't blue ball us. We immediately get them hooking up in Boston. And now here, after a death in the family, we immediately get a face time where they're being cheeky together, romantic together, but also soft and sweet together. Just, I appreciate it from the writers. Like, we aren't left on red here. We aren't wondering, like, oh, what's their standing?

Like right now, it feels like they're in a relationship. And that was really, really lovely. So now we get what seems to be the funeral dinner. By the way, really quiet dinner. Going to need someone to talk. It's out of fair, Dan. We're in Russia. No one's talking.

And we get an interact. Elya gets up from the dinner table and he goes to what appears to be the bathroom area. and his brother, Alexi follows him. And this fucking prick, man, I'm like, I don't even know what to say. I'm going to get too hot here. But he's been hawking Elia all dinner. He follows him into the bathroom and he starts bitching about what's going to happen to him. He's like, what's going on with me?

Like, what am I, you know, like, I'm waiting around for this. I've got a kid. And Elia's like, fuck stick. I've been paying for your whole life. Go fuck yourself. He throws a hard F word. Elia, which I'm like, I'm going to fucking beat your brains in, dude. And then, he knew.

Then when Svetlana comes in to, like, ease the situation because she is the goat, he then calls her a whore. And at this point, I'm about to jump through the screen, dude. If he calls Stetlana a whore. One more time, I will personally kill him. Personally. And I'm talking about the actor. I will personally kill that actor and go to jail in real life if his character calls him. her a whore one more time.

This has now been recorded. I'm on the hook for this comment. You've heard this. So be careful, writers. You can still edit episode six if he does it if you don't want me to go to jail. But if you do want me to go to jail, then keep the fucking dialogue because that's what's happening. I'm telling you, man, like this, I, I, I loved that they got in a little bit of a tussle here

because, again, how amazing is it that we talked about the exterior that Elia puts up? he gets a horrible personal insult and he keeps his cool but then the second Svetlana is insulted he is like I'm gonna fucking murder you dude I am actually going to murder you that I was fucking chubbed up when that happened because I was like dude this guy is just like riding for him this is amazing I literally wrote in my notes when he starts with watching Rosie lay down the fucking law with Svetlana in the background watching I was literally I was fully torched I was fully torched I was fully taught watching that scene and I was like

my God, this is, this was the, I didn't realize what the concoction was in this show for me personally. And it's, it's, it's rosy screaming at someone with Svetlana in the scene. That's it. Yes. Just keep doing that. Keep doing that and you've got me bricked for 60 minutes. Unbelievable. So in this moment, he says that he's going to give Alexi his apartment.

He's going to open a trust for his niece and he's like, she can have that when she's 18. But if you ever fucking touch it, like, we're done, dude. And I'm going to have someone kill you. And he also is like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he also is like, Like, we're never fucking speaking again, dude. So, like, fuck off. God, heavy, dude. So then we see Elia and Svetlana.

This is in the running for my favorite scene in the episode, maybe in the entire show. But he's talking to Svetlana. She is just, like, consoling him, being there for him as she always is. And he tells her that he loves her. And she is like, I love you too. Obviously, you know that.

But you also love Jane. and we've been given nods to how Hayden on Montreal always references Lily like he knows that he's texting and Svetlana always to he's like this Jane blah blah blah and then when she says I hope Jane knows how lucky he is dude holy fuck floored absolutely fucking floored and it you know it felt like you know we knew that Svetlawned anew. I feel like in our hearts like we know that she knows pretty much everything about him clearly. She is his his best friend. Like they are in love in

or excuse me, they love each other. Like truly they care for each other so, so much. And that moment was just like a beautiful moment of you know, obviously it's a newer relationship but the way Rose was able to let Shane

be himself and be like, dude, I like I want you to be happy and like I want to be your friend. I want you to be able to tell me things. Obviously, we felt that Elia's had this with Svetlana, but this was like that final piece of her being like, I know you better than you know yourself, and I hope you know that you have something special here. And that was just incredible. Who I thought Svetlana was in F1 compared to who she is now, dude? I thought that the random puck slut that was in his apartment in F1, I didn't realize was the literal goat. When Rosie in the scene goes,

I don't deserve you. I was like, no one does, bro. No one does. Don't sweat it, dude. This is insane. That was fucking awesome. So Elya then asks Shane if he can call. He does. He goes into the tunnel

where Dudley and Harry were attacked by Dementors in Moscow. Did that not look like the exact same? That's exactly what it was. That's exactly where it was. Perfect. And, guys, this was, for my money, this is the best part of the episode. This is the best part of the series, right?

Like, this is the best, this is the best scene in the whole series. And they're chatting. Elia says, you know, he's like, things are tough. He's like, my brother's the fucking worst. And he says he wishes things could be different. And then Shane says, I have an idea. Why don't you just, here he goes, I wish I spoke Russian. and Elya makes a joke

he's like yeah I'd probably take you at a week perfect everything blah blah blah and he's like I have an idea why don't you say everything that's on your mind in Russian I need people in the comments to let us know if this scene is in the books just like this because if so

dude the a round of applause I'm giving Rachel Reed this is just a brilliant and beautiful idea this is brilliant brilliant writing of like two people who have a you know a language that they don't speak and being like,

dude, just say everything you're thinking. And, you know, I won't understand it, but you'll be able to get it off your chest. That's absolutely beautiful and brilliant.

And this scene was just great. And I'm so, if I'm Shane, though, I'm fucking Google translate like this. Yep. I was thinking the same thing. You know what,

guys, because you guys, you guys are scumbacks. Go ahead, yeah, anything. Say, say everything. Say all your heart's desires right now.

Please. Go a little slower. Little slower. And enunciate, please. But then the awkward moment when the Google voice does a little... Sorry, I didn't quite get that. I'm like, nothing, nothing, nothing.

A couple of untrustworthy assholes, you too. Oh, my God, Shade. Get the fucking, get the robot out there, dude. So in this moment, Elia, he says he hates it in Russia. He says there's nothing there for him. He hates his family and his brother. They all just ask for more from him. the part that fucking crushed me is when he was like,

I hate that Alexi took care of my dad and I did it. Yes, bro. That was insane. That was incredible because it was that vulnerable moment of like, you know, he can't tell his dad that he likes guys, but he still loves his dad. Like seeing his dad die was crushing for him and he wanted to be there for him even though he couldn't.

And then he says he has no one there except Svetlana and he says he loves Svetlana, but not as much as he loves him. And he says he loves him so much that he doesn't know what to do with all of it. And it was just our fucking boy, dude, he's just like, the acting was so incredible. I thought the act, again, physical acting from Shane, just the way he had his eyes closed. But boys, I cannot tell you how fucking desperately I wanted Shane to respond in Russian in this moment. He wrote the same note. I can't believe you just said that.

Same dude. Because they had teed it up. It wouldn't have come out of nowhere. The last episode, when Ilya goes, you speak Russian now. And Shane, like, he's like, oh, I know the word for father. And then, like, that being Shane's idea would have been a little devious, but also so romantic. If Shane had fucking responded in Russian. I just wrote, Dan, I just wanted him to say, I love you, too.

I love you, too, in Russian. Like, I watched the end of that. I've been Shane going, I love you too in Russia. Oh, my God, dude. I would have fucking deceased. I would have transcended to. to Valhalla if he had responded in Russian.

The camera, the pan from Shane down to like learning Russian for dummies book. Yeah. Could you imagine? I also,

sometimes I write notes that I'm like, I don't want the show to do this but this would be hilarious. Like, because dude, this was my favorite moment in this episode,

in this series. This was fucking incredible. That speech was perfect. It was perfect. It was perfect. It was perfect. But I wrote as like a joke pitch note that was like if this if this has rosy giving this and it cuts pans back to Shane eyes closed

and the camera pans down and he's jerking off and you're like like job not right now Shane not not right that that that was that was episode one and two yeah exactly this is this episode's for the hearts this episode is for the hearts here were my two notes um I knew he was going to say when he says I have no one I knew he was going to say excepts that Lana but I was like I wanted him to be like except you but he gets to he gets to Shane so it doesn't matter yeah you got both you got yes I got both but dude this I really wanted he goes this is all in Russian he goes I love her and she loves me but and then there's like a pause and then he goes not in that way I think or something but I wanted him to go I love her but and she loves me but and then in

English go not compatible because I was like oh fuck me that would have been good Chris I was like oh how did we not hit the not go because remember he goes, I look, he had to look up. Yeah, he was like, I looked up what compatible means. Yeah, so like, Shane wouldn't understand in context, but he would just, he'd just be hearing this Russian and then just hear, not compatible. And I was going to be like, oh, that was, because he obviously hears the name, Svetlana, you know, like, yes.

Like, so he's just Russian, Russian, Russian, Svetlana, Russian, Russian, not compatible. Dude, we have to write a fan fiction because the writing abilities between you two, perfect. There's so many moments like that. Oh, we said things from like, oh, that would have been so good. Yeah. Then the show. Writing a fan fiction about a TV show based on a fan fiction is inception levels of TV.

We need that. But dude, fantastic scene and speech. It was incredible. Holy hell. It was like truly it was a, you know, watching these episodes, we're taking notes. We're writing stuff down. We're writing jokes. We're writing moments that floored us.

This was a close the laptop. I was just, as the kids say, sat. And some of my least amount of notes were in this app because I wasn't, I didn't have time to write notes. I was just taking it in, man. Just taking it in. One of my favorite Rosie lines of all time came at the end of this scene. Do you guys know what I'm going to say?

No. Literally, this is bag work from Rosie, dude. This might be the funniest he's ever been, and I think he's the best character. He goes, Shane, after all that, and it's beautiful and amazing and he's like opens his eyes and Shane says um I need to I need to learn some Russian like you know because he's like oh wow do you feel better and Rosie goes yeah and Shane goes I need to learn some Russian and um or Rosie goes only the useful phrase or one of them says

like only the useful phrases and Rosie goes oh yeah please and yes sir yeah yeah yeah that was good reverted right back into cheek cheek cheek cheek cheesy cheesy He teaches Shane two things in Russian harder, please. Yeah. And yes, sir. Oh, that was fucking great, dude. That was all time. Out of this world scene, now we are back.

Elya makes it back to the States. We're playing again. We're in Boston. Or I don't know if we're in Boston, but the next game is Boston versus Montreal. They meet at Center Ice. They discuss plans for after. Shane talks to Hayden. He's like, what was that?

And he's like, I was just giving them condolences. And I really liked to hear how. You know, he's like, I told me to fuck off or whatever. Another fuck off from Shane. And Hayden's like, what a dick. And he's like, no, dude, it's an act. Like, it's all just like, you know. He's not that bad.

I loved that because, like, that was kind of our first time to the boys where Shane is cracking a little bit. And he's like, I, I, that to me was even in that joking setting, Shane was like, I will not stand for people talking negatively about this man. That was fucking hot. It felt like a nothing moment. but that was fucking hot. Like he's like, nope, dude, like, I won't let my teammates speak poorly about him. So they're playing, they're having fun.

Shane dangles around Rosie, gives him a look back, and you then see the look on Rosie's face because he sees what's coming. He's like, fuck. Shane gets absolutely bundled. Absolutely bundled. On the ice, we get the ears ringing noise, just horrible.

Dude, Shane has dual black eyes instantly after that. bagged off. I was like, yo, he got fucked out. There was a stretch when it first caught to him. I was like, are they about to kill him? I was like, I was actually scared. I was actually scared for a second. I was like, is you going to be in a coma, dude? This is so bad.

But Elia, on the ice, can't help but show the concern. Like, he is, you know, he's skating. Like, there's a bit of a tussle. Like, you know, obviously, that was well done, by the way. Like, your star player gets hit. There's obviously going to be a brawl in the ice. Elia stays out of it and he just goes to shame. we hear the announcer going like

you know you never want to see someone get hit like this Rosenoff showing concern for Hollander but he's going over there he's like fuck is he we even hear him a couple times he's like is he okay and um and the rest of Rosenoff back to your bench which was great I was like yep this is what happened very good yeah so Shane I was

the cameras being glued to Rosie though I was like there's a full on fight happening right now and the MLH network cameras are glued up on a man just standing on the ice looking at it. I'm like, that would never, ever happen. They just want the action. No, dude, Sean, the cameraman, he saw, he saw something in there.

He saw something in there, yeah. He was like, that's true love. Like something's so bad at keeping the secret that even the cameraman knew that they were in a relationship. I actually think that would be so unique that I could see a cameraman being like, Jesus, like this, he's fucking Ovi is so concerned about Kras here. And you know what, you know what probably would have happened though, Sean? There would have been a scrum over here and Rosie would have been

by himself and some Montreal Metro would have come over and suckered him because they would have been like yeah what fuck are you doing it you know like he's like god damn it dude that's what happened in real life um so Shane speaks to the paramedics and uh he's like he's like he's like kind of you know he's obviously incust he's like mumbling and he's like talking about his parents this one I did kind of laugh at they were like yeah your your coach is going to call them I was like they're not 12 dude like that's like the head coach isn't going to be calling Shane's parents But then he says he's like, oh, something's going to be worried,

and they're like, who? And he's like, Elya loved that moment. Again, guys, clearly Jacob Tierney is a Harry Potter fan because that is some Ron incapacitated saying Hermione's name. Nice, Dan. I mean, we got a lot of Harry Potter shit going on here. I was scared there, though.

I loved the scene when all said and done, but I was like, please God do not let this be the reveal. Like if they're like, oh, Shane, like, concussed said, Eelia and I have sex. I was like, awful. I thought it was tastefully done. Like it was, yeah, I was like, oh, no. It made us all worry, but like, yeah, they didn't reveal it like that.

And then we get another one, though, Chris. We're in the hospital. Elia comes to see him in the hospital. Love that move. Love that gesture. Because also that would be a sick thing. Like if you, you know, like if in today's day and, like if Sidney Crosby got fucking floored in a game and then Ovi went to see him in the hospital, that would hit the news and it would be so cool. You'd be like, wow, fucking what a guy.

That's a good guy move. But he comes to see him the concussion. and like the he's got a massive concussion, a fractured collarbone. Shane's fucked up on meds. He's on his painkillia. Yeah. And he's being really lovey-dovey and Elia is kind of being like,

yo, fucking chill out. Relaxed. I thought that was kind of a cute moment. I got something to ask you. He's like, no, right now, you don't. Sean, also dude. I was like, oh, hi, Shane is the dude who wields J-law.

Like, that's, there he is. That's the guy. That's the dude who sat down at the booth. with J-law. I didn't know how to access him, but it's a little, it's a little morphine. People also, people also helped us in the comments there as well. They were like, dude, Shane wheeled Rose because he doesn't like girls. Like, it was easy. Like, he was like, yeah, whatever, dude, you're fine. Like, I got this. And I was like, wow, great fucking point. What were you going to say, John? Oh, I just think that maybe, whether it's drinking or

morphine, maybe he just like, he just gets more charismatic regardless. as long as he's just a little bit fucked up. And then someone in the comments of the episode that just went out was saying that that can happen with some neurodivergent folk. Oh, right. That they get a little bit less socially awkward or a little less socially nervous when they're drinking or they're slightly intoxicated. So, I mean, some accurate writing there.

Fucking A. He's going to be drinking mid-season all the time. Like, I just think this unlocked. I think he'd be better hockey player. More creative hockey player. I'm telling you, man, Shane on the Piss is he's a weapon. I don't want to name any name. There's probably no crossover audience with this and our hockey news audience.

But there's some dudes that I could talk about that are like, listen, I can't get off the boots. I play better. Yeah. And listen, not like drinking before games, but like when you got a go night, guys, there are a lot of guys in the league. When they're on the Piss, they're better. Shane's one of them. So while he's drugged up, like you said, Chris, he, he, he, He was like, I have something to ask you.

He invites him to come to his cottage. He's like, don't go to Russia. Come to my cottage. Elyas says, you know we can't do that. But then he kind of asks again, and he's like, we'll talk. Or, you know, like maybe. When he goes, we could do a week or two. Yeah.

Great. Oh, my God. That was amazing. Great stuff. Love seeing Shane fucked up like that. It was awesome. But nurse comes in, interrupts it makes a funny joke. She's like, oh, Mr. Rosenoff.

You're not going to smother him, are you? Ha, ha, ha. Mr. Rosenoff, that phrasing, like, scared me. I was like, I know. I've never heard of describe that. Mr. Rosenov is my dead father. So, lovely little nip there of the cottage invite.

So that's great. We're going to hold on to that. So now we're in May. Shane is still injured. He's in a sling. He's on the phone with Rose. Like I mentioned earlier, so glad we got this. So glad we got this moment of, like, they are friends.

They are chatting. That's amazing. I didn't like that he was on speaker. Like, I know that, like, her makeup artist is, like, also. you know in the community it looked like yeah and like it was fine but i was like gross j law we like we are we are friends but like i told you and you alone yeah i need to not be on speakerphone yeah so uh the uh we go back inside he's he's with his parents he goes back inside they're watching the playoffs um new york is beating boston 5-2 shane's mom hawking it she's like looks like

he's hurt it's got a rib injury she also says it sounds like it's new yorks you year. It's Scott Hunter's year. I liked her more of this app. I didn't like her before that. Oh, dude, she's got, she's amazing. I love her. I'm so, I'm team Shane's mom. I think the only person I don't like in the show is Alexi. Everyone in the show is incredible. And

Alex's a fucking son of a bitch. So, yeah, New York's buzzin. So now we see the boys texting. And I need to point out the most unrealistic thing I've ever seen in this show.

is New York winning a cup. So I'm just going to, I'm going to need the writers to, you know, just understand you made a huge mistake here thinking that New York could win. Well, I mean, if you think about it, I mean, Rosie's off his game with all of his personal life dramas and he's been out and then we get the star, the Metro's is out. So it's like, if there was ever going to be a chance for Scott, it's now. They had to make it so unrealistic. The doors were so wide open.

That's the only way it could happen. You know what's funny? I actually, once they hurt Shane, I was annoyed. There was a throwaway line earlier that kind of irked me, but I was like, who cares? And then when they hurt him, I was like, why did they do that? Shane is either directly coming off back-to-back cups or, like, one year removed. I kind of lost the shuffle there, but, like, the metros are nasty. I think it's directly off.

Me too. Back-to-back, yeah. So then they have this line right before he gets hurt where they're like, the met oh it's before that game they're previewing the game they're like rosanov is back from uh his being in russia with his dad and um now we have a great matchup here with the metros's like clinging to a wild card spot and i was like what they're they have the best player and they won back-to-back cups i'm sure they're in the playoffs but i was like oh i guess they need to have someone else win this year but then they hurt Shane anyway so i was like it should have been like

here's the matchup of two first place teams and then it's like oh Shane hollander breaks his collarbone and the Montreal metro suck now and i'm like yeah that that makes sense so yeah, you're right. Hurt Shane, hurt Rosie. New York City, that's what it took. Yeah, and I love how Shane shoots Rosie attacks after they lose, and he's like, how your ribs, and he's like fucking killing me.

So like a little nut mom on it, on it. And then he goes, are you bummed? And he goes, what do you think? Yeah. He fucking moron. So he's like, Brick. Yeah, he's like, no, dude, I'm chilling.

We just lost in the playoffs. So boys are texting while everyone is watching this, Stanley Cup go down or whatever cup go down. New York wins. Scott Hunter goes and gets the cup and actual complaint here.

Scott is lifting the cup and he's not holding it by the cup. And that drove me insane. I was like someone fucking tell this actor to grab the goddamn cup. What the hell is going on? Yeah, really good call. But again, no big deal. But that was just like my psychotic type A OCD brain. I was like,

grab the cup. Please grab the cup. So we're seeing Scott on the ice celebrating with his boys, but something's wrong, dude. Something's wrong. That was good. Oh, yeah. We have been very lucky for the new fans of this who don't even know about our hockey journeys. We have been, because of this show, have been on the ice for the cup for the last three years. And it is a madhouse of people.

And when we go try to talk to the friends we have on the ice that have just won a cup, it's hard to get to them because they are mauled my family and their wives and their kids you know so I was like man this you know because he would they established he lost his parents young obviously the relationship stuff he has no that I was like holy fuck this is like this is hurting my feelings and really accurate about what would happen in the in the sea after the party absolutely man like he he is like yeah like you said Scott doesn't have parents obviously there's people in his life but like you see you're seeing wives and girlfriends on the ice you're seeing parents on the ice. Scott doesn't have that.

So he's just kind of looking around like, guys will escape by and he's like, oh yeah, gives him a hug, but something is clearly fucking missing, dude. And we see Kip in the stands crying. Did you guys think he was going to, what did you, did you think he was going to be there, both of you before it cut to him? I, dude, I don't want to be a dickhead. Here we go. But, and fucking saw everything coming.

Here we go. The second New York was in the, in the final winning the cup. And like, all of a sudden now we're getting Scott Hunter. We haven't seen Scott Hunter since episode. I swear on my life I looked at Alice I was watching it with Alice

I looked at Alice and I go Scott Hunter is going to pull Kep down onto the ice and kiss him in front of the world to see No fucking way I swear to God Sean what did you think You know why I thought it was going to be gone

This and this is Clearly or I assume This is in the books So like I'm not saying this was stolen In fact what I'm about to reference probably stole this from fucking heated rivalry Or game changers but this is the Ted Lassos scene

this is when Colin does this Colin brings his man after he says to it Spoilers for Ted Lassow What the fuck have you been doing it's been out for like four years Fuck sorry Go for it rip it I'm sorry shit But yeah I mean like Colin does this Like they win a huge match and like his

His man comes down on the field and they kiss And I could just feel the vibes It was so well done The setup was so well done And I was just like All of a sudden we're watching watching Scott Hunter winning a cup after what we know about Skip. And I was like, dude, this has to happen.

And then, yeah, when he was like kind of looking around sad and we see him crying, I was like, do it, dude. Fucking do it. Did you think he was going to be there, Sean? I didn't even think he was going to be there. I thought he was going to be watching on TV. Me too. Yeah.

Yeah. I was like, oh, I wrote in my notes. I go, I go, please tell me Skip or please tell me Kip was watching Scott win this. Because I was like, I just cut to that bar. What was that bar called again, Dan? It doesn't matter. But it was sick. No, it's such a good name.

Yeah. And I was like, oh, this is going to be so awesome. We're going to cut to Kip, who probably hasn't seen him or spoke to him in months, you know, because that's like Olympics, I think, is when, like, they broke up right before Olympics. So I'm like, he hasn't seen him for the whole second half of the year. He's going to be watching on TV with his friends, and it's going to be like this, like, he's hanging with his friends, and he does like a look over his shoulder. Like, oh, shit, the admirals won the cup.

And then it was him in the stands, dude. I thought it was going to be like an interview, like a postgame interview, and he was going to say something into the camera, like to Kip or something like that. But the fact that Kip was there made it a million times better. Holy shit. Because he bought those tickets, right? Like those weren't, those weren't, those weren't. No, I bet Scott gave him to him to.

You think so? Well, he knew exactly where to look into the crowd. Like, what are the chances you'd spot that if you didn't know where to look? It's insane. And then also you'd be. You know what? I like to believe, by the way, the bar is called the Kingfisher. Yes, nice.

I like to believe that after they break up, Scott leaves tickets for Kip every single game. Okay. And he's like, if you can come, you can come. Kip is a man of honor. And I believe that he was like, I can't go. It's going to make things harder. But then when he's in the cup, he's like, Scott's about to win the Stanley Cup. Like, I'm not missing that.

I'm not missing that. That costs the players money, Sean, by the way, like when you leave tickets, they take it out of your paycheck. and it's obviously like massively discounted, but it costs money. And there was a Red Sox player who was a rookie one year who thought the Red Sox play-by-play girl or like sideline girl was really hot. So every game of the Red Sox season, he left her tickets. Just as a romantic gesture. And I believe now that that is canon and that's what Scott did too.

Like as a romantic gesture, he was like, Kim will never come, but I'm leaving him tickets every game for the rest of the year. Hopefully this gets to Rachel, because I want to see what she thinks about it. Maybe we can make that canon, but I believe that Scott left Kip tickets every single game for the rest of that season. But so obviously on the ice, he's looking up at Kip, and Elena is like, like, oh my God, like he's staring right at you. And he's, dude, the head nod was so fucking, he was like, get the fuck over here. Get out here. Did you hear him?

Do you see him go, yeah, you? Yeah. So fucking good. Kip runs down, fucking jacked, sexy ass, ripped up Kip, hops over the board. That's why he didn't melt the fucking up. Dude, Lent gets on the ice. Oh, seriously. Just,

fucking, God damn it, these two are so fucking beautiful together. And he gets out on the ice. And of course, Kip, the king, goes, you don't have to do this. And he's like, oh, brother, I want to.

And they fucking kiss. And it's absolutely incredible. And two things. One, we get, we kind of hear the crowd, and then we get a little bit, Like we're now focusing mostly on like the reaction of Shane, the reaction of Elia.

Like everyone's like, oh my fucking God. Them texting right before the kiss, too. Yeah, I was like, what's he doing? What are they doing? I don't know. But we get one shot, a little shot of the crowd, and they're going fucking nuts. And that pumped me up so much. Like I was like, fuck yes.

And then did you hear the announcer? You can hear him subtly go, you don't see that every day. Yeah, I noted that. I pray I pray we live in a world where that would be the commentary I was like Come on

You could do better than that announcer Let's go brother Okay A couple things here But let's just wrap it up And then we can get into it all Obviously

Like insane moment Instantly Elya calls Shane Shane, Shane answers And he just goes I'm coming to the cottage Smash to Black End of episode 5

Everyone fucking Bricked up Dude absolute for me flawless literal ending like the literal that because I was like whoa

are we about to get like a is this going to be a long phone conversation because I could see the episode was getting close to over so I'm like what are they going to say like how are they going to react to this just the literal pickup I'm coming to the cottage

credits I was like oh dude perfect and I guys okay well actually I'll say this first because I have so much say about this ending the

when he brought him out, when he first waved him down, I was kind of like, oh, fuck, like maybe Elena should have gone with him because I don't know if he wants, if this is like, let's restart his relationship, or if he wants this to be the grand gesture it is. And once it was just Kip,

I was like, this is now a grand gesture, dude, like, what's happening here? And I have in my notes, if he fucking kisses him, like a million dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot. Because I didn't know yet. He hadn't even jumped on the ice. And then he does, dude.

And it had me thinking, is that the end of book one? because I'm pretty sure like all the comments were like skip arc is book one of this series which is why book readers didn't like episode three that much because they were like oh you put all a book one in this like standalone thing in the middle

but I'm so shocked if book one ends with that moment because that would really change the like stigma or whatever you want to call it about a gay relationship in the MHL or MLH or whatever it is

which kind of like changes the dynamic between, you know what I mean? Like that moment changes so much for Ilya and Shane. Totally. Is that the end of book one or does that, do they keep skip like throughout the other books somehow? So I'm curious to hear in the comments. I wonder if they're parallel storylines where the same way we're kind of jumping

around a lot as if we go back in time, we're now with Scott and Kiff, we go up and we go back in time. We're with these other two characters. Sean, I bet you're right. Because that's what's happening in this show. Right? Like, yeah. It's the same season.

So I wouldn't be surprised if it does. end with that. And then Elya and Shane's storyline starts, you know, like years later. So readers were probably like, oh, like we're going to crash course together here. Well, there's only one way to find out. We have to

read these books. You guys have to do a narration of the books. We're getting a lot of requests for that in the comments and I'm like, we have to. This is my biggest reaction to this episode. And Dan, I say this shit to you all the times. And Sean, you'll hear this take for the first time.

This, um, I like, this episode was so fucking awesome that I'm legitimately scared about the finale. I know. I don't even know what. I don't know what we do now. Cause like that was so fucking amazing that I could literally die right now in this

universe and it just extrapolate what happens and be happy. Like legitimately. I'm like, all is well in the world. I'm so scared. Me too. I'm so scared. I am,

I'm fucking petrified of what is going to happen to these two lovely boeh, and their hearts because I'm not sure I can take it. So I borderline don't want to watch episode six because I need, I need to live in my fantasy land of they go to the cottage and they come out together and they get fucking married and then they both, they trade off winning Stanley Cups for the next 15 years. No, they get traded to the same team. Yes, my name.

They get traded to the same team. They didn't go on the great, the most generational run ever. They win the next 10 straight cups together. The finale literally has to be that. They orchestrate a trade to the same team. They get married and then the whole league knows that they're married. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. And they win 10 cups.

together. Chris, they both demand trades to New York. And they play with Scott. And they join Scott. And then the three of them win 10 straight Stanley Cups. So, dude, so legitimately that's how I feel and I'm scared. But this is what I was going to say, Sean, my take with TV all the time is you, TV creators sell me on sensationalized storylines into like a cool subgenre, into a cool world. And then throughout the course of the series, they pull you back into real. in a way that I never wanted. For example, they're like, oh, here's the Sopranos.

Tony's this, like, epic gangster, and you can do whatever he wants. Spoiler alerts for Sopranos and fucking Yellowstone. Jump to this time code to avoids Sopranos. It's like, by the end, they're like, yeah, but, you know, it's pretty tough to be a mob boss and, like, all his big guys are going to die, and he has to live the rest of his life in fear that the FBI is going to get him. And then Yellowstone, they're like, oh, we're cowboys, and we, like, kill people and brand people, and we do whatever we want, and we're like, fuck yeah.

And then they're like, but actually, you'd probably have to sell your ranch because this isn't. And I'm like, why did we go there, dude? Like, I always joke, Yellowstone should have ended with Montana seceding from the nation and, like, becoming its own place that's run by John Dunn. And I'm like, what a sick show. So this show sells me on this sensationalized, like super erotic, hot, sexy storyline about these two guys in the NHL, two gay guys in the NHL. And so easily could this book or this series have ended with a like, but the real world comes hard and fast and they have to keep their relationship quiet and it's hard and sad.

Like I thought we were going to head there. And then to go and be like, actually, you know, Scott Hunter, the captain of Team USA and the admirals brought his boyfriend out on the ice on national TV at the cup and makes out with him. Dude, it's one of the first shows I've ever seen that just rewarded the sense, like this sensationalized version of what I wanted. It was amazing. I want to go here and they just fucking did it.

I did it. I looked like a million Haas because I was like, thank you, dude. Like I needed this show to get here and I was afraid it wouldn't. Dude, it's just such good like serving your audience. It's like this is what we fucking want. Let's get it. Also, Chris, I, let's, we're going to jump into our awards and wrap this up because again, sorry, babes, we're over an hour, as we always do with this fucking show now because

we're obsessed. It was so perfect of serving the audience I am telling you boys right now If episode 6 starts and it says Like October 2019 If we do a time jump here I am dead I'm going to be fucking Catatonic

Imagine missing the cottage Dan Imagine missing the cottage If they didn't give me the fucking cottage I'll burn this place to the ground I'm gonna be catatonic guys Like if I need the episode 6 To start the next day I need to see what's going on

I can't miss anything. So we better not time jump here or I'm finished. I'm finished. Hey, before awards real quick, did you guys like how we hadn't seen Scott and Kip? Yes. All since three. And we jumped into that.

Yep. And, Chris, and again, I swear to God, I can have Alice corroborate. I paused the TV and I looked at her and I, and that's when I said, Scott Hunter is about to win the cup and he's going to pull Kip down onto the ice and kiss him. The reason I felt like I knew

that is because we hadn't seen them. And then they were referencing Scott winning, beating Boston. And it was my mind, I was like, oh, we haven't seen them yet. Yeah. So I was like, this is such a fucking perfect buildup, an absolute geyser of emotions right now. Can we believe Scott went to the fucking gold medal and the cup in the same year? I know, what a fucking year, buddy. If they had have done the Scott Kipp, like, arc alongside where we're just cutting to

and from like a B plot, it wouldn't have the same impact. I think that dedicating their story, their arc to one episode, then like forget about it. Sorry, forgeting about them. You're getting too horny, Sean. I'm getting too horny. Eulia. That's Elylea got in the way again. Go sit down, Elya.

But when we get to kind of take our minds off them for a little bit, the same way they have had to, I mean, it happened during like pre-Olympics. So they've had to wait a long time, too, before any real developments have been made, presumably. So I think that it was a really nice way to kind of like bring it like, hey, remember this, and then we kind of link back into it. and they've had to wait, we've had to wait. In the meantime, we've been distracted with other things. I thought it was great.

If it had been a beat plot, it wouldn't have had the same effect at all. I agree. It's been absolutely perfect. The way that the writers edge us is like, I'm making an innuendo, but also like I'm being dead serious. The way they edge us with these stories, it's fucking Game of Thrones ask. It's like we go off and we see these people.

We get a bit of their story and they leave us wanting more. And then boom, now we're with someone else and you're like, oh my God. And at first, you're almost kind of. mad, but then that is so good that you're so invested. And then, boom, they leave them. And you're like, what the fuck? But then we're brought back to where we were left off.

And you're like, oh, hell yeah. Thank I'm going to get topped off here. This is just like, it's unbelievable. So, okay, on that note, let's get into our awards. Two-horned-up award. This obviously was the episode of romance, and it's going to be horniness in a different way. So, Sean, take us away. What did you have?

What was your two-horned-up moment? It is, it's a challenging. episode to pick pick one. Nothing. You can do it your most romantic if you want instead. Well, I think that's what it is. The two horned up is we got so horny because it was so romantic. I think that's what this episode is going to be.

We can do that. Well, if that's the case, then the tunnel when they're on the phone call and Rose, Rosie's in the tunnel and he's speaking in Russian, that was just a fantastic idea for a scene. Absolutely brilliant I'm going I'm going to keep mine horniest Because I was like I gotta try to find like what was the horniest moment in this

And for me if you're if you're actually aiming at that It's FaceTime sex post dad's funeral Like You know Like when he's like how you do it Your dad's dead and he's like It's take your fucking shirt off But put the glasses back on

And I like loved it. Hey, grief is nature's greatest Aphrodisiac, dude. Oh, Jesus Christ. It's like fishing with dynamite, dude. It's like fishing with dynamite, dude. That was incredible. So, yeah, dad dead. That was

good. I'm doing the combination of the two of you in terms of I was so horned up because it was so romantic was the hotel conversation when Shane says their hookup was nice and it felt like they were something. It was just

It would be something if we could. But no, to me, specifically, it felt like we were something. Yeah. I was like, oh, my God. It was just like a side of shame. We hadn't seen. He was laying it all out there. You could feel the love between the two of them.

I was like, holy fuck me. Okay. Our what the fuck moment. You want me to go? Yeah, Chris, take it away. The only one I had, this is another one where it was these two awards were hard. because I was like, man, nothing, nothing for both. I mean, the show is all time.

If I'm being extra critical, when they come to play each other post Ilya's return from Russia, and they line up at the center-reys face-off and smile at each other, I was like, that was awesome. I loved that grin. Yeah. I didn't like, the Shane getting popped beat was cool

because, like, that happens in hockey. It kind of came to nothing. I thought it was going to be like, oh, and now he's concussed. Now he said something. You know, I was like, oh, there was a reason he got hit hard, and it kind of there wasn't other than like. Well, there is a really,

I'll let you finish, There's a really big reason if you think about it, but go on. Okay, but it was, I don't think I loved that he got popped because he was like looking back and laughing at Rosie. Like, I just don't, I was like, I don't know that I would be doing that in an NHL game. You can admire your pat, like, that shit happens all the time. But like, he kind of, he's like looking back and he's like, gotcha. That was, that was an awesome sensationalized moment. Like, after, like, the way that they're connecting in this moment, you're like, yeah, fuck yeah, yeah, you'd give them a little.

And it was for the show, but I was just kind of like. that's probably not how that would have gone down. But what were you going to say, Sean? I was going to say that if Shane didn't get popped, then he wouldn't be out of the playoffs, which means that the admirals might not have made it to the finals to win. So that Scott Hunter could go, well, I'm already 100,000 years old. This is, I might as well finish my career here.

If everyone decides that they don't want to watch me anymore or whatever, it's no big deal. This is my only opportunity. If he hadn't done that, Scott doesn't win, then Scott doesn't kiss Kip on the ice. then we never get what i presume this is going is that they are going to take scott as a huge inspiration and this upset to the mlh is going to be their reaction to that is going to allow hopefully in my what i'm hoping for is that Shane and uh and rosy get to get to come out and

um john snipe by you right there though i don't i didn't clock this and i hope they don't do this but they could with um he could retire like you would just said like he's a hundred that they made that joke about he being like he's old And the man in the crease was like he always crashes and burns the second half. I hope they don't go. He's like, I'm just spending up my timeline. I'll just because I wanted to be an open player. Yeah, stay in the league.

Yeah, stay in the league. Stay in the league. Stay in late. He is. Sorry, I was in the mindset of like right off into the sunset, dude. You just won gold and a cup and now you've got the love of your life. But do all of that and still play. I hope he stays.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, it would be cool if he stayed. But I think when when he was on the ice and he's looking around, it's like he was making, to me, I was you're right. You're right. I'm just seeing that.

a big deal about him being so much older as well so true so true and like part of that was like the maturity of like you know we get to see a more mature relationship which between him and kip but the i think it's like it sets him up for the perfect all right i'm going out on top i won my cup i've done my mission now i get to put all my focus into kip which is what i really want to do because there's nothing there's i'm not i'm not young enough where there's going to be another chance at this i'm not uh you know what else what i be playing for i've done this now what's the point in staying and playing anymore. It's like, this is what I want to do

with my life now is I want to go be with Kip. And I thought that was great. That was great. Yeah. That's what I hope. Anyway, I think that that would be romantic and nice. That'd be wonderful. All right, Sean, do you have a what the fuck?

Yeah, my what the fuck moment, the only one for me was when they, after Shane gets popped and some guys are dropping the gloves and all the cameras all zoom up to Elia just standing there. I would, I don't think. think that would ever happen. Missing the line. Missing the line brawl. There's a, this again, yeah, an 18-year-old fight going on. Even the commentary is just like talking about Rosie, where I'm like, come on, there's guys who are going to be like, you know, walking away with

bloody noses and black eyes. And we're just going to be like, but look at this guy over here. What's he doing? And I like your theory that the cameraman knew. He knew. Yeah. I like that theory. He's got, he's on, he's on Scott and Kipp. You know, like, he's the camera guy on Scott. He's like, oh my God. When's that book coming out? When do we get the cameraman's perspective? That's amazing. My only one, I mentioned the Scott not holding the cup, just messed with my stupid brain.

I got to go back to the Rose Uber. That was just so funny to me. Oh, yeah. I was just like, this is hilarious. Okay, and then I'll lead this one. I'm in love with this show moment. Sean, it was your romance moment. It was the...

Oh, same. I'll just say, I'll go. too same. I was going to say that as well, yeah. Yeah, the Russian tunnel scene, again, just going back to either credit to Rachel or credit to the writers, but it was just brilliant. Like the device was so fucking good. It was so emotional.

The acting was so great. And all the content was so great. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I also liked the very last shot of the show where it's the, I'm going to the cabin. I just Shane going, huh? Yeah, yeah. So good.

Also kind of in love with it. I can't wait for the next episode. I usually kind of go through the notes at the end to go to like repick my favorite. I'm like, what was my favorite moment for this award? This one I wrote next to the tunnel scene as it was happening that I was like, this is my, I love. No questions asked. This will be my favorite part of the show. This will be my favorite part of the whole series.

That was fucking awesome, dude. Holy shit. 100% agree. Completely agree. All right. Well, that's it, babes. That is our episode five review of heated rivalry. Out of control stuff.

This is so, so good. We are going to try to... We're now caught up. We're with you now. So you're watching this on a Tuesday. We're all going to be watching together at the end of this week after Christmas. What a gift that'll be. Oh, my God.

And we are going to try to give you guys a live reaction. We're going to watch together, and we're going to try to go live on YouTube so you guys can see us reacting to the episode. and then we will get into it. It should be an absolute blast. We'll figure out the logistics of that and let you know on all of the socials to let you know when we're going live and how to tune in.

But needless to say, our hearts are on the line here. I'm scared. I'm genuinely terrified. But beautiful stuff. Gentlemen, great work. And all of you, beauties, we will see you for episode six.

Cannot wait. Okay. Let's finish this episode up with a beard. league hotline in a blind ranking. Sean Beer League Hotline, take it away. All right. So it says, our captain is an older guy who put together a bunch of

nobodies from an adult instructional league a decade ago. We've had the same core the entire time, even picked up a couple championships along the way. The guys get along great. It's not uncommon for 8 p.m. games to end in the parking lot when they shut up, when they shut off the lights at 2 a.m. with coolers, grills, even fireworks every now and then. Recently, one of the core glue guys moved away.

Since then, we've had to forfeit games because we don't have enough bodies. The younger kids are skipping out on dues, leaving our captain out a grand every season. Do we need to retire and pack it in, or how can we write the sinking ship? Damn. What the fuck? Damn, dude. because this is these guys are beauties dude this is like oh you know they're older obviously this is like an instructional league dan this is probably like a d league this is this is like

fuck this is absolutely devastating and i you know as the as like the number one beer league guys on earth i can't believe i'm going to say this i think you need to close up shop dude oh my god dude how could you just you know because because you either dude you either dude you die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain and frankly you had a beautiful thing maybe the best of things and you've let these young guys ruin it and you just you can't let it get so bad that you just you turn around and you don't even recognize what the team was you're telling me that the captain is out a grand every season because of these little shits like don't give them the joy that is the last remaining beautiful elements of this team if they're not

paying for it and if they're not caring and they're just like skipping games and they're forfeiting don't let this completely decompose here's a thought though dan you they're there they're i bet they only have young kids because they got drunk on the couple championships they picked up and they said that was fun winning is fun we should we should add some youth so we're stay competitive and i'm just thinking what if they did this though if you truly love it if you're sending us this message because you truly love it then you go to the adult instructional league and find a new group of old guys, you take the young guys off the team and you go, hey, our depleted core is staying. I find a new group of old guys who don't have a team, just like you guys didn't a decade ago.

Sure. You invite them onto your team and you guys will probably lose most weeks because you're like, we don't have any young guys and these guys are brand new to hockey, but you create a new culture that your team stays alive for as long as you want to play and then you pass it on to them. Like you guys will then retire and they will keep it and they'll go, how come you guys are called, you know, the blanks? Because this is your team name and they'll go, a couple legends before us start this. squad and now we are on it and we'll pass it along. I love that. I think either you close up shop or at the very least kind of, I think what you're alluding to, you got to get rid of these kids. Yeah, bye. Bye. These kids are gone, dude. Like, by the time you guys listen to this episode, they should be cut in the next two hours. I'm dead serious.

Like, if these guys are robbing your captain and they're just not caring, this is also a good platform to me. We struggle with this with our team. I don't understand. how late we play and how much money we pay to play beer league in this country not caring blows my mind it absolutely blows my mind dude and I understand

if you're like dude I care and I love beer league because I love going to the rink and I love gassing a few pops with the boys after game and getting a little workout in that's great I do too but what I'm saying is if you're there try at least give it a go let's try to you don't need to be a hardo

you don't need to be the dickheads getting in fights and yelling at the refs, but go out there and put in a good shift every time you touch on the ice. And I will never understand people who don't do this. So these kids, you're fucking gone. Give them the boot. Try to restart.

And if you can't, at least you made an effort to save it. Yeah. God. And I'm rooting for you. I'm rooting for you. And let us know. Let us know. Okay.

Now we kick it to a Bauer hockey blind ranking. We love other people at Bauer because they provide us with the most amazing products on earth, especially the Bauer Pulse, which is the greatest stick I've ever used. If you don't have one, get one because it's Christmas and they have insane deals. We have been doing Christmas movies.

This is part three. We've gone through 10 already. Two pretty good lists, if I say so myself. But it all hangs in the balance here, Dan. This is probably going to come out. This is probably going to be posted on Christmas Eve. Yeah. So there we go.

For all the barbels. A lot riding on this. A lot of barbles. Blind ranking Christmas movies part three. All right. First one is, It's a Wonderful Life. Fuck. Dan, tell the truth,

Tell the truth. Tell the truth. Okay, the truth is I had not seen this movie all the way through until very recently. And fuck is it good. But?

No, I don't know that there's a butt. Oh, I do think Harry's a fucking scumbag. Dan hates the brother. I hate the brother. Sean, you've seen this movie, obviously? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Harry's a piece of shit, dude. Harry's just like the little brother

fucking he falls in the lake He gets saved by George George loses hearing in one year For the rest of his fucking life saving him And then George is supposed to go off Travel the world go to college But then the fucking The family loan is about to go under

And George saves it And Harry goes to college And then after George is saving the company for years Harry finally comes back And he's like yeah it's my turn And then George's like Oh you met a girl girl's rich daddy is going to give you a job.

Go do that. And he goes and does that. And then he joined. Dude, he's a fucking piece of shit. I hate Harry. I hate Harry. That's a cynical take.

Yeah. It's not wrong. Yeah. He's a selfish prick, dude. And then at the end of the movie, he goes to my brother George, the richest man in town. And I'm like, are you being sarcastic? You prick. Fuck.

I fucking hate this guy. So anyway. I said two. I think it's, yeah. I think it's maybe one dude. It might be one. It's a wonderful life. That might be one.

That might have to be one. It's so good. I actually do love it. I get emotional every time I see it. You know, the end, the very end. It's like tough, hard not to cry. I think we go one here. Really, there's some, I forget what we've said, but there's some heaters.

There's definitely some, I have a bad feeling that this is going to be a fucking murderer's row of movies. And I just like. So we got to go two. No, dude. I think we go one. We already have Klaus as one. and we have Holdovers.

Home alone. And then, oh, no, no. No, no, no. I'm not ranking them that way. Those are for me, my order for when I'm asking you guys. No, no, no, I'm saying in the past. No, in holdovers, I'm pretty sure I did. I think we did Klaus and holdovers.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it was Cluelson holdovers. Yeah, that sounds about right. Was Home Alone 2 on a list? Home Alone 2 has not been said, but Home Alone was set. Sorry, sorry. I meant home alone one, yeah. Got number 2, right?

Oh, okay. Yeah, I think so. I think we go one. Fuck it. One. This is insane. It's a wonderful life. One.

All right. The Santa Claus. Dude, this is fucked. We are fucked. No, no. I think we're great. See, this is two for me. See, and I want to go three.

But I love the Santa Claus. It's like one of my, it might be my top three fucking top five favorite Christmas movie ever, let alone a blind ranking. Dude, I'm going to be honest. I don't want to, I don't want to be rude here. But I believe your favorite Christmas movie has not been said.

And I am here to tell you that that fucking movie is not better than the Santa Claus. It's the best movie of all time. So how could it not be? Fuck, maybe it won't get said. Okay, I'll go to. I promise you it's getting sad. So if you can live with the reality

of it being after the Santa Claus, then okay. But since you gave me it's a wonderful life at one, I can go three here and hold two for you. I'm already fucked because it should be one. So it's already a disaster. It shouldn't. Dude, would you wrap? Hold on.

Hold on, Sean. Would you rather it be two, Chris? Yes. So this is three. Santa Claus is three. Santa Claus 3. Santa Claus 3. Okay. Controversial one, die hard.

Oh, fuck. Okay, so dude, Dan, maybe we go five. Absolutely a Christmas movie. Yes. But actually, I do love it. Oh, it's incredible. I was going to say, maybe we go 5 just to say, hey, tacticality, not our fault.

It's the least Christmassy. Again, this is, we, listen, it is a Christmas movie. but it's less Christmassy than a lot of these. So if we go four here, it doesn't mean we think it's a worse movie per se, but it is less Christmassy, which drops it down a little bit. Yeah, well, I'm going four or five.

I got to leave two because I built my whole period on this. Yeah, yeah, you sure did. I think we go four. Sean, that company Christmas party and diehard is Christmas Eve. Insane. The Nakatoma Corporation is having their company holiday party on Christmas Eve. Nakatomi Plaza and the Nakatomi company. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

Dude, they don't care about. I never thought about it before, but you're totally right. That's bizarre. No one would show up. Literally. It's mental. They're all working until 5 p.m. They're like, oh, God, we're really slaving away.

Okay, four? I like four. I love this movie, dude. Okay. All right. Here we go. How the Grinch stole Christmas? God.

Two, it's my favorite Christmas movie of all time. Well, Klaus, I guess. And that's, that's going to be Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey's Grinch, too. If you don't like this movie, you're wrong. It's that simple. It's campy in a lot of ways, whatever,

but that's the point. It's amazing. Jim Carrey's a national treasure. Two. Should have been one. Two. All right. So this is five.

This is five. And this is for a perfect list. All right. Miracle on 34th Street. Dan, I can live with that. It's a great, it's a classic, but you knew this was going to be a hammer.

You knew this was going to be Hammer 5. You're mad about Die Hard. But Die Hard's a better. movie. We can live with this, dude. It's below Santa Claus. It's below the Santa Claus. It's below the Santa Claus. Yeah, I think this is great. I thought we were going to get Christmas vacation. People have lost their fucking minds. The question is, which miracle on 34th Street? Not the Matilda. Yeah, let's pretend it's the Matilda one. Then it's definitely five. Then that's a perfect list. Yeah. No offense. I would maybe swap with Die Hard for the Christmas

Fives, but hey, that's a pretty good. That's pretty good. I like it. All right, beautiful stuff, boys. Another beautiful list. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. We got all of the great stuff in there. Hope you enjoyed it. We absolutely love you. And like we said, this is going to be our last episode until after Christmas. So, Merry, Merry Christmas from everyone here at the Empty Netters podcast to all of you.

We love you guys so much. We don't have this show without you. So we hope you have the best holiday season ever. We hope you have the best Christmas day ever. Whether you celebrate it or not, Christmas is for everyone. We want you to have a great day. We love you guys. Enjoy your family.

Enjoy your friends. enjoy your day. Can't wait to see you again after the holiday. And until we do, there's only one thing to do. Wrap, wrap, open hard, drink hard, eat hard, relax hard, love hard, laugh hard, and fucking skate hard.