Halford & Brough in the Morning - Less Point Shots Please

Episode Date: January 23, 2025

In hour two, Mike & Jason debate if losing a JT Miller trade is worth it if it fixes the attitude of the team (3:00), they wonder if the coaching staff should change up their system and if it's something we might see (15:00), they speak with Jack Diamond Award winner and former Canadian rugby player Nathan Hirayama (28:44), plus the boys discuss yesterday's big NHL stories (38:38). This podcast is produced by Andy Cole and Greg Balloch. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Music 701 on a Thursday. It's a thrash Thursday here on the Halpern and Bruff show on Sportsnet 650. By far, by far the most polarizing music theme of the week. Jason Bruff does not care for it. I actually don't mind this. For some reason this is okay. Adog and Laddy kind of love it. I know Adog loves it. I actually don't mind this. For some reason this is okay. Adog and Laddie kind of love it. I know Adog loves it. I actually don't mind it on a game day, especially one

against the Edmonton Oilers. I can hear Don in Penticton banging on his phone right now, texting how much he hates it. Actually going to Edmonton, this is kind of the theme song to Edmonton. The game tonight if if it was in music, would be... No, just in general. I'm talking about the game. Walking around the streets of Edmonton. Got to be on your toes. Don't want to get punched. That's fair.

Why dab's wild? Halvern Rev of the Morning is brought to you by Vancouver Honda, Vancouver's premier destination for Honda customers. They have a friendly, knowledgeable staff that can help with anything you're looking for, sales, financing, service, or parts. We are in hour two of the program. Hour two is brought to you by Jason Homonuck from Jason.mortgage. If you love giving the banks more of your money, then don't let Jason shop around to

find the perfect mortgage for you. Visit him on the internet at Jason.mortgage. We are coming to you live from the Kintec studio, Kintec Footwear and Orthotics, working together with you in step. So at this time, Frank Saravalli was supposed to join the program. Unfortunately, Frank Saravalli from Daily Face Off, one of our key NHL insiders is under the weather and is unable to join us.

Sick. But that doesn't mean, Jason, that we can't still do the thing that we would normally do with Frank at this particular time. Maybe you and I can handle all the latest updates regarding the JT Miller trade scenarios. So what's going on? So we actually were supposed to mention this yesterday,

but we got way too busy. We had too many things to cover, but in a late piece that went live on the athletic Tuesday night, Pierre Lebrun had some interesting nuggets, including the fact that the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils were among a handful of teams that had had talks with the Vancouver Canucks

about JT Miller. And this was added to a list that had already included the Vancouver Canucks about JT Miller. And this was added to a list that had already included the New York Rangers. So we started to get this idea that maybe in a very fortuitous way for Vancouver, that trade that we thought might have got consummated on Saturday night, in which JT Miller, we didn't even know he was going to play against the Edmonton Oilers because they thought he might have got held out due to a trade. That trade not being consummated might have actually drawn more attention to other teams

be like, Hey, maybe we should get in on this action. Maybe we should kick the tires. Maybe we should check in and see what's going on with the Vancouver Canucks and JT Miller. So in doing your research and reading all the insiders, whether it's Elliott Freeman or Pierre LeBron or whoever, is there a favorite to land

JT Miller at this point? See, now that's where it gets a little muddled because at least in terms of conversations and how far down the road the two parties have gone so far, you would say the New York Rangers, right? Except for the longest York Rangers, right? Except for the longest of times, the Rangers have been big admirers of JT Miller.

Oh, and by the way, quick aside here, the Rangers are back. I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but Larry Brooks noted New York Post scribe, even went so far in one of his recent columns, is to say, I can't believe I'm writing this but somehow This team is actually back. So they made Brooks a believer their nine last nine games They're six on three haven't lost in regulation piled up a bunch of points and I said, you know upon hearing this and reading this

Maybe maybe the Vancouver Canucks will of course are the New York Rangers of the West Maybe they're just going through their funk right now. Maybe they'll be able to work their way out of it. Now it might need to be through a JT Miller trade. Back to back, Shusyurkin. Shout outs also helps. See, everything's coming together for the Rangers. Maybe Thatcher Demko, whose season hasn't been great either,

could follow in the footsteps of Igor Shusturkin, get his game back on track. Anyway, I digress. We got a question from Rich in Cloverdale. Do you think the Canucks have reached the point where they have to trade Miller or is there still a way that the Canucks can finish the season without making a big splash and go back to what

they were doing, what they were going to do, which was trying to add a top four defenseman to make the current core better for a run this year? I will answer this. If they're going to keep it together and say, Hey, we're going to ride this out. They're going to have to put together a win streak right now, like starting now.

I've got a slightly different answer. Okay. It'll be, they don't get the offers that they want for JT Miller. I think they've made the decision to trade him. I think JT Miller has got his head wrapped around the fact that he's going to be traded. And from everything I hear, the only way he

won't be traded is if they don't get the deal that they want. Counterpoint. I could see this group taking an L on a trade if it means salvaging the season. If this team somehow, by the grace of God, does what the Rangers have just done and go on a run where it looks like they've turned a corner,

and let's be clear, they have not shown any capability of doing that through 45 games of the season, I could see this management group saying, you know what, we're not going to break this thing up and take an L on the trade. We're going to push it through. I get what you're saying, though. So I think losing a trade would would salvage their season, losing a trade, getting the inferior player in return to break this team out of whatever malaise or funk or rift.

I mean, we've told you we I think we had it as a discussion point earlier in the week. For sure. I don't like it, but I don't like anything that's gone on this year, aside from Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood and Debrusk, although Debrusk has been invisible the last few games. I just think that there's so many different things that have to be taken into account on the collective,

meaning the team front, and then the individual front. The individual front is like, are we gonna win or lose this trade? How much heat are we gonna get for trading a guy that we just gave nearly $60 million to a couple years ago? And then weighing that against, well, the greater good. Do we believe that this dysfunction or as Rick Tauket said at yesterday at practice, the

outside noise is so distracting and has become so frustrating for the group that we put that above everything else. Fixing that issue is priority number one. It does seem tough at this point, anything's possible, does seem tough to stuff the genie back in the bottle or stuff JT Miller back on the canucks. I mean, it's clearly affecting their play on the ice.

They gotta make the move. I don't know. Regardless of what it is. You can't say it was such definitive nature. Yes, I can. Why? Because it's affecting the play on the ice. How?

What's going on behind the scenes? I don't know. You could totally tell by the attitude, the way they play. They're not playing for each other. They're lackadaisical. There's no energy. And that's all because there's a rift between two players? Well, I don't know the specifics of what-

That's what I'm saying. No one knows the specifics of what. But I didn't say that. I said whatever is going on behind the scenes is reason enough for them to make the move to salvage the season. So you would take the Rangers' offer hedle, a first and a prospect. Yes. Yeah.

Well, yeah. I mean, if that's all there is. Yeah. As opposed to doing nothing at all and missing the playoffs, which probably won't happen. The problem is there might not be a great option here. No, there might not be, but I mean, you keep the core together, you miss the playoffs and then what

do you do? Hope there's a better offer in the offseason. What if there isn't? Well, then then what that's the risk, you know, like there might not be one. I'm only playing yes He's a very good player, but he's aging he's getting older his contract isn't amazing teams are aware of this They realize the Cox are desperate. They the Cox are at a position of disadvantage and there's nothing they can do about it It sucks. But if they don't make this move, then I don't know what they do. The devil's advocate that I'm trying to play here

is that there is a significant amount of risk in saying that this trade is going to fix everything. Oh, I don't know if it'll fix everything immediately, though. Because after the trade, you've still got a defensive pairing Derek forward and Vinny de Harnay. Oh, no, we still suck. Yeah No, I'm not saying it's gonna fix the problem overnight Okay, but all I'm saying is if by not doing it you're you're setting yourself up for a tough time back to the hours of research

Minutes of research I did last night in the most recent 32 thoughts that got published last night Elliott Friedman confirmed a variety of things. One, the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers have been granted permission to talk to JT Miller. So that would obviously, you know what, use your imagination to what they'll talk to him about, right? Probably a lot of questions they want to ask of JT Miller. What's your favorite food? JT would love Carolina. Great golf there. Good golf. Yeah. Good golf. Yeah. He loves it there. Hilton Head?

I think it's South Carolina. I think that's South Carolina, but there's great golf all around the Carolinas. But you know what? Yes. That doesn't seem like a very Carolina Hurricanes move. But that's maybe why they do it. It's, or is it the golden child? You got to know when to break the rules. You got to flip the script. There's a reference there. There we go.

Golden child again. You must know when to break the rules. Yeah. And Eddie Murphy figured that out. What are rules made to be? Broken. Yeah. Maybe now is the time to not be the Carolina Hurricanes

what percentage of the listeners knows the golden times have you seen Golden Child few times yeah I can tell yeah let's do a quick three guesses what year the Golden Child was released in theaters 86 Wow yeah oh nice you nailed it right right on the year. Eddie Murphy was taking anything at that point. He was just like, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. Yep. And he made good money off the Golden Child.

I digress. Back to, back to Freage. Freage went on to write that he believes the New York offer for JT Miller was, as we've mentioned, Philip Edel, a first round pick and a prospect. Now it's interesting that in the aforementioned Pierre Lebrun piece, he had an addendum at the very end of his explainer

on everything that's going on with Miller. And he said that the sentiment has kind of shifted where the Canucks went from saying it's gotta be apples to apples in a trade, meaning we need a player that can play for us now. A center probably too. Right. Yeah. They didn't want to do a futures deal back then. Now, here's the quote, the Canucks have relented on that to some degree, knowing that cup contending teams

don't want to disrupt their core and Vancouver would do a futures deal if it made sense. Translation. You're desperate to move this guy. We got to open it up, right? Beggars cannot be choosers. And we understand that the teams that would want JT Miller are also not in a position to give us a JT Miller back. Okay. I want to go into the Dunbar Lumber text line because a lot of people texted in good questions in here. Austin and Langley, do you guys think people will be fine with Tokets low event system if

they were actually winning games? What are your guys thoughts on the coaching so far? Do you think the system is the problem or just the players in the system? You want to tackle this one? I lean towards the players. I lean towards the players, but I also know that talk at system is not easy to play and, um,

oftentimes with coaches that come in and say we got to play this specific way, um, there's a shelf life on those coaches. Normally it's a little life on those coaches. Normally it's a little longer than this, but I mean, right now I don't see a forward group that's perfect for playing this system because target doesn't want only point shots. I really want to emphasize that.

He talks a lot about moving your feet and getting to the inside. Think of it the other way. Okay. Think of it the other way. What does he say defensively? Protect the guts of the ice. Protect the guts of the ice.

So wouldn't it make sense that offensively he's telling his guys. To penetrate those guts. I, I. There is no better way to say that. Wish you didn't say it like that, but I'm sure he's telling his guys, you got to get to the dirty areas.

And sometimes it helps if you bring the puck with you to those dirty areas. And sometimes it helps if you bring the puck with you to those dirty areas. Do not go puckless. And I repeat, do not go puckless. And the reason he's telling the guys to keep moving their feet is when you're not moving your feet and you got the puck, you're dead in the water. Every hockey player knows that you're done.

Right. And if you're just knows that you're done. Right. And if you're just there and you're not moving their feet and you got the puck, the only real option that you have other than shooting a floater on net. Yeah. Is to pass. And that is where some of this deferential stuff.

Too much deferring. He says it all the time. Yeah. And it's like guys aren't, you know, they're like, ah, it looks too hard to get to the guts of the ice or maybe they're not tough enough. Maybe, you know, maybe they don't have the speed to get to the areas.

Maybe they don't have the size and the strength to get to the guts of the ice. But I don't think that, isn't that the point of the system? He's employing it because of the core and the strength to get to the guts of the ice. But I don't think that, isn't that the point of the system? Is it employing it because of the group that he has? Like the system that is being played because of the players he's been given. So why is it hard to do the play? Well, JT Miller is a guy that can get to the guts of the ice and they're nearly going to trade him. I'm worried about what it's going to look like if JT Miller is traded.

But my question is why employ that system then if these players are struggling with it, why not change the system up? I'm out. I think it's a fair question, but I think at the end of the day, you have to defend. Well, yeah. You have to defend well. And, um, you know, I like, what, what, what

would you like to see? Well, like you said, less point shots would be nice. Less point shots. Less point shots would be nice. Less dump and chase, a bit more creativity, but I also recognize the fact that they may not have the tools to do that. So yeah.

I think it's a conversation definitely that should and probably is happening between coach and management if they've got this great communication and you know, ideas can flow back and forth and up and down between the GM and the coach because there's a reason that Toc loves JT Miller when he's on his game. And that is because he is essentially, like he's

a power forward with really good creativity. He's a good passer, but when he's on his game, he plays like a power forward. And he's one of the few guys that can get to the middle of the ice. And the other guys, you're kind of like, all right, once in a while they can. When Dakota Joshua was on, he can get there, but he's been hurt or, you know, out of the lineup for various reasons this season. But I do think they have, within the forward group, the capabilities to play this style and play it effectively.

Because here's the thing, it's not that complicated a system to play, right? All you have to do is really pull the competitiveness and the fire and the dig and the want out of the guys. Everyone's got it internally. There's another text here. I flagged this one from way earlier this morning, 6.20 in the morning, and I wanted to read it.

Unsigned text, but I'll just read it here. I would love it if you guys could dive into the start making fancy plays statement from Tocket and juxtapose that with his lament about the team not being able to be creative or to make plays. What does he want, Creativity or predictability? I think what he wants at the end of the day is exactly what he says.

Less guys deferring, more guys doing the straightforward stuff. When you get into a shooting position, shoot. When you shoot, hit the net. And when you hit the net, try and score. And if that doesn't work, do the whole thing again. I understand that he doesn't like passing around the perimeter or extra passes.

And I do think it's one of his biggest complaints privately about Elias Pettersson is that Pettersson has become incredibly deferential when he plays. Part of it, I think, is because he's trying to be unselfish and is trying to set people up. And a part of it, though, is not understanding that his game will be better suited to this particular style if he doesn't defer constantly to his wingers and isn't trying to set them up. Being selfish in a very weird way might unlock Pedersen's game more than he's even aware of. Because that's what Taka wants him to do.

That's what Taka wants all these guys to do, right? Stop being on the perimeter, get to the middle of the ice. When you get the shots on net, put them on target, try and get traffic in front, try and bang home rebounds. And when he talks about fancy plays, a lot of it is, don't do the stuff that nobody sees coming, right? You can be predictable and still be creative. I know it sounds counterintuitive,

but if everyone knows where they're gonna be and everyone knows where the puck's gonna go, you can create a lot of chances off that. I think the key is like, it's not gonna look look pretty when Tokets teams do it, but it's going to get the job done. I think it can though. It looked pretty last season when the top guys were playing well.

Remember that trip through New York, that game, that Rangers game? I mean, they were scoring some beautiful, beautiful goals. And I know people talk about the beginning of last season and they say, well, you know, everything they shot was going in and their PDO was riding high and that was unsustainable.

There's an element of truth to that, but there's also an element of truth that they're playing some good hockey. Sure. And there was creativity mixed in with structure and defensive responsibility. Also, last year, I think that they had a roster and players that were better suited to playing

the style of play than they do this year, especially on the backend. I think that at times we almost forget and we're reminded of it on a by nightly basis, but we kind of forget just how big of a struggle this blue line is like since Horonix come back, it hasn't exactly solved everything. No, he's looked rough.

He's looked rough. And it almost kind of underscores that if he's not at the top of his game and Hughes isn't at the top of his game It's a struggle. I saw a couple people texting in the other day lamenting Tyler Myers's simple breakout passes We're missing from the Buffalo game and that's the first time I've ever heard anyone lament Tyler Myers missing in the regular season You miss him in the playoffs because of the things that he does But that kind of underscores how desperate things get on the back end They don't move the puck especially well out of the back end and it's a huge problem.

Right? I'm just laughing. Bill from Buffalo texted in, Jason, I have watched you play hockey and you don't move your feet that much. Yeah, I'm an expert in it. I am an expert in not moving my feet. He knows all the ramifications. And the problems it creates. I realize what I'm doing. I just, I can't. And that's why I admire guys with motors. Like I don't have a motor. I have like a lawnmower motor.

And that's why I love watching a guy like Garland play when he's at the top of his game. I find that, I find it admirable that they can find that energy and find that relentlessness to their game. Um, and it's why I'm harder on guys that don't move their feet, right. And, and, and, and get deferential out there.

I have described my, uh, beer league play as, uh, Joe Thornton near the end of his career at the end of a five minute shift. Like if the. Toronto Maple Leafs, Joe Thornton. No, no, no. You know, like Joe Thornton, if the puck comes to me, I can make a nice pass.

Like I see the ice really well. I'm not going to go get that puck though. The puck has to come maybe a bounce or something comes to me and then I'll make a nice pass, but I'm not going to go get the puck. And if I have the puck, I'm looking to pass it. But you can't play hockey like that. No. Yeah. Sometimes you need to drive. Sometimes you can't defer. You're a defer-er. I'm big time deferrer. I always look for the best guy on my team on the ice. I'm like, I'll get the puck to him, right?

I'm like, where's Quinn Hughes? Yeah, you're Mark Friedman. Your job is to get the puck to Quinn Hughes. And Bill from Buffalo. I'm not in the NHL. That's another part of this conversation we should probably address, like he's not. And for the people that are saying

that the only differences from last year's Blue Line to this year's Blue Line are Ian Cole and Nikita Zadorov, that is partly true. It's two guys and not exactly known as two elite puck movers. But I will say the one wrinkle and the one element that Zadorov brought to the table was the ability to skate the puck out of his own end and the fearlessness to do it. It gave them different looks. And I think Cole, I mean, you know, you don't know what you got till it's gone.

I know he had a really rough playoff last year, but I think Cole was a settling presence a lot of the time. Wasn't an elite puck mover by any stretch, but he was a guy that would make good, smart first passes. And you know also what was huge with Ian Cole? Locker room. Yeah, I think that- That is a big thing they're missing,

is the Ian Coles in the locker room. And it's changed a lot of the dynamic, I'm sure, not having those kind of guys there. You gotta have a guy who's willing to tell the top dogs to shut up. Yeah. If. Settle down.

Or put your arm around one of the guys that needs some encouragement. Yeah. You know? Okay, now I'm gonna tell you guys to shut up. Yeah, cause I gotta do some stuff here. You shut up. You shut up.

I'll put my arm around you later. Are you gonna improv these or are you actually reading them? I have two pieces of business to tell you about. One is HGTV. It has a new address. All the latest HGTV shows are now available on channel 409 on Rogers Xfinity TV. I also need to tell you about the Clayton Public House.

You can reserve your spot for the big football party at the Clayton Public House hosted by Sportsnet 650. Visit theclaytonpub.com for more Clayton Public House, good food, good people, good times. Coming up on the other side of the break, we are very excited. Zach Ross from the JCC Sports Dinner Committee is going to join us to announce the winner

of this year's Jack Diamond Sports Personality of the Year Award. That's coming up on the other side of the break. Don't go anywhere. You're listening to the Halford and Breff Show on Sportsnet 650. Hey, it's Mick Nazar. Have your say and join me on the People's Show with big takes and even bigger bets weekdays three to four on Sportsnet 650 or wherever you get your podcasts. 731 on a Thursday. Happy Thursday everybody, Halford and Bruv, Sportsnet 650. Halford and Bruv of the morning is brought to you by Vancouver Honda, Vancouver's premier

destination for Honda customers. They have a friendly, knowledgeable staff that can help with anything you're looking for, sales, financing, service, or parts. We are in hour two of the program. Hour two of this program is brought to you by Jason Hominek from Jason.mortgage. If you love paying too much for your mortgage, then don't let Jason shop around to find the perfect mortgage for you. I am joking, of course. Let him do both those things. Visit him on the Internet at Jason. Dot mortgage.

So this Wednesday, February the 12th, it's the annual RBC JCC Sports Dinner from the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver. Most of you know about this event. It's an annual event. It's always one of the highlights on the sporting calendar. The JCC Sports Dinner, it's always one of the highlights on the sporting calendar, the JCC sports dinner. It's always highlighted by like an awesome guest speaker.

They've had Shaq, Charles Barkley, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice. This year, Richard Sherman. Very cool. Does he ever talk? On occasion. He's been known to talk. Uh, so we are very excited right now to introduce Zach Moss

from the JCC. He joins us now on the Haliford and Brough show on Sportsnet 650. Good morning Zach, how are you? Morning guys, how you doing? We're good, thanks for taking the time to do this. We appreciate it. So before we get into the big announcement of this year's Jack Diamond Sports Personality of the Year award, let's spend a couple minutes talking about the gala overall and this year's particular dinner, which of course will feature former Seattle Seahawks great Richard Sherman. Thanks guys. Firstly, thanks for having me out this morning. We're very excited for this year's RBC JCC Sports Dinner.

We're going to get got 800 of the community's business leaders come out to the event and have a great time raising money for a great cause. And we could be more excited to have Richard Sherman join us this year, it should be fantastic. Really quick, if people still wanna get involved, still wanna attend the event, still wanna find out more information,

where can they find, send information, or maybe you could pass along right now. Yeah, I can pass along right now. Tickets are actually available. Tickets and table purchases are available till February 1st at www.jccsportsdinner.com. We currently have a 50-50 raffle live and thanks to DUIC, we have a DUIC Cadillac car raffle live which can be found at that link there. And all proceeds from the event go to support programs and services open to the community by the JCC

of Greater Vancouver. Great. We are speaking here to Zach Ross, the JCC community co-chair ahead of the JCCRBC Sports Dinner. Zach, without further ado, can you please now announce the winner of this year's Jack Diamond Sports Personality of the Year award. Absolutely a pleasure. Well, this guy comes was nominated by multiple people. So we were very excited to announce this is JCCC, JDA recipient as a former rugby Canada and rugby sevens player

played for rugby sevens for 15 years as team captain played 15 for Canada from 2007 to 2015 and played for multiple World Cup squads was a flag bearer for team Canada at the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympic Games and now currently works as a firefighter in the community of Steve's in Richmond, DC. Ladies and gentlemen, very excited to announce this year's GDA recipient as Nathan Hirayama. Very good. Very nice. Well done, Nathan. Excellent. And we've got Nathan on the line as well. Zach, thanks for doing this today. We appreciate

you taking the time. We'll drop you from the call now. We'll pick it up with Nathan Hirayama who joins a list of past recipients. It includes people like Trevor Linden, Wally Buono, Steve Nash and Rick Hanson to name a few. Nathan joins us now on the Haliford and Bref show on Sportsnet 650. Good morning, Nathan, how are you? Good morning guys. Jeez, thanks so much for having me on and Zach, thanks for that very nice introduction. What does this award mean to you, Nathan? Oh man, I'm just so humbled and honored to be included with those names you just said.

I was blown away when I got the phone call a few weeks ago out of left field, obviously, one of those things you never expect to happen. Just been learning about what the JCC does. They had me over there a couple of weeks ago and I got to see the facilities and everything they got going on there and it's a pretty amazing place. It's a huge honour and I'm still shocked to be honest. Nathan, I've seen you lots of times out at the Sevens at BC Place and the energy you play the game with is incredible and I think you've probably picked a good job to follow

up your rugby career as a firefighter. Are you still in the same shape? Because when I watch the sevens, I watch these guys and I'll be like, I think I'd have a heart attack out there. It looks, it's incredible. It's incredible, the fitness and the skill. At the end of the day, which game did you prefer more?

Was it the full side rugby or was it the sevens? I think for me, I personally really enjoyed my time with the sevens. I love, I love playing both. I'm not going to lie. I have some fantastic memories from both. Um, but the sevens is what, is what I look back on it and miss the most.

Um, especially that team I was with me and those guys, some of us played together for 10, 12 years together, kind of working towards that Olympic goal and, uh, to seem that through with them and, you know, those guys are still some of my best buddies and, and, um, yeah, just that experience in itself is kind of what I really look back on my rugby career. So I'd have to say the sevens is where I'm, I kind of lean in that one. It was a lifetime in the game for you. And if I'm not mistaken, it was passed down from your dad.

My dad actually was a rugby player as well. He played at Marillomas for forever. I never got into it, but obviously you didn't really flourish it. Talk about it. Why didn't you get into it? I'm probably too scared. Yeah. The fitness, the tackling, everything else that I didn't really have an affinity for. But talk about the lineage, the family ties and the sport that tied you guys together. Yeah. It's funny how it all worked out because yeah, I knew growing up that my dad played rugby, but just being like a normal kid in the lower mainland, I grew up wanting to play hockey

and basketball and I was my idols were all those guys, you know, so I didn't get really into rugby until I went to high school and it just kind of happened organically. My old man never kind of pushed me to play. But it just so happened that the school I went to he was working old man never kind of pushed me to play, but it just so happened that the school I went to he was working at, it was kind of a rugby school, it was Hugh McRobertson Richmond here. We had a really good program, top three in the province every year. And I just kind of fell in love with it there. And that's the sport I had the most enjoyment or had the most fun playing. And I think my mindset was,

I just want to play this at the highest level I can. So I decided to go to university to play rugby at UVic. My old man was a UBC guy. So there was some friction there. And yeah, one thing just led to another. And it's funny how it all worked out. Kind of the full circle thing. Like I said, he never really pushed me to play rugby, but it's been cool.

That was one of the cooler things for me throughout my career was, especially when the sevens came to Vancouver, it was kind of like a reunion for him. All these guys he played with like me for all those years are at the sevens. All his buddies are there from the, he played with in the seventies and eighties. And, um, man, the rugby community is such a, such a unique community and it is kind of like a club that you're in forever. When you look back on your career, what stands out

because there are some highlights here with the flag bearer for Canada at the 2020 Olympics, which was bumped to 2021. Um, you had those sevens games, uh, or tournaments at, at BC place in front of the home crowd, but you also got to travel the world playing rugby, which I imagine must've been pretty fun. What do you look back on and not necessarily

missed, but maybe appreciate? Yeah, no doubt. I, I was talking about it the other day with some guys I work with, just the travel. And I kind of, you know, I've been out of it for three years now and I forget how often we would be going on airplanes all around the world to play. And it was such a, you're right, it was such a cool, unique experience. The series is an amazing place to play rugby, an amazing thing to be a part of because, you know, there's a tournament in Perth tonight that starts tonight where our

women are playing. December you're in Dubai and South Africa and then you're going to New Zealand and then you're going to Asia in a few months like it is the travel is a really unique and special part of it. I think that's definitely something I look back on and miss and really, really just look back on those amazing times because you're just with 13 guys, four or five staff and you really get to know each other. Obviously the Olympics were a highlight for me, but yeah, every Canada sevens tournament is a highlight. The Pan American games, especially the one in Toronto that we won gold on. That's a highlight.

Um, but yeah, now there's, there's so many, the things I really look back on font, the things I miss the most. It's just hanging out with those guys every day. And I know that's such a cliche retired athlete thing to say, you miss the boys in the locker room, but I, it's true. Um, but yeah, no, I keep in touch with those guys and it's, yeah, just. So many good memories and, um, yeah, I'm, I'm actually, I'm pumped to yeah, no, I keep in touch with those guys and it's, yeah, just so many good memories and, um, yeah, I'm, I'm actually, I'm pumped to watch,

uh, our women play tonight, uh, in Perth. Are you going to stay on involved in, in the game, maybe in a leadership capacity or coaching capacity, because I do sometimes worry about rugby Canada and, uh, where things are. And I want us to get back to the world cup and at the men's level, the women's level is, women's game is doing great, but are you going to stay involved in the

game at all? You know, I'd love to stay involved in the game. I have been doing some, nothing full time the last few years. I've been kind of just worried about my transition to my other career, but I have been involved in an ambassador role. I've been doing some stuff with the world series. I'm actually doing some commentary,

learning, trying to learn some commentary, um, on the world series this year. So that should be, that should be fun. But no, I'm, I'm, uh, I'm a rugby guy for life. And, um, yeah, it's I spent my whole adult life in that setup. And it's important to me, like you're saying that the teams are successful, that there is a future for it in this country. So I would love to be involved however I can. Well, Nathan, on behalf of both of us, let me just say,

this is a well-deserved honor. We're very happy that you're getting it and we very much appreciate you taking the time to do this today. Best of luck with everything moving forward. Have a good time at the JCC sports dinner in February. And once again, thanks. Cheers guys. Thanks for having me on. Yeah. Thanks for coming on. We appreciate that. That's Nathan Hirayama, the 2025 winner of the Jack Diamond Sports Personality Award. That'll be handed out at this year's JCC sports dinner.

We've got someone who texted in Nathan's dad coached me in high school too. Best coach I've ever had. Uh, yeah, he was fun to watch. Like creative. I mean, you know, we were just talking about motors. Yes. He had a motor. You know, I can't imagine how cool it must've

been for a guy that he's from Richmond. I think he went to McRoberts and then went to UVic. So, you know, experienced all there is for rugby in BC to play the Sevens in front of those huge crowds that you, I mean, because you went to a bunch of them. Like the crowds at BC plays for the Sevens, that is pretty awesome, right?

Yeah, they were awesome. I've traveled to a few rugby Sevens. There used to be one in Vegas that I went. There was some drinking there. And then I went to actually a Rugby Sevens World Cup in San Francisco. They played it at where the Giants play at the baseball park there. What's it called now? The stick?

No, not candlestick. The new- The new- Pac-Bell? Pac-Bell. It can't be Pac-Bell. AT&T? AT&T? Yeah, yeah. I think they changed it recently again.

Right, yeah. At any rate, that was really cool. This is there. It's just a fun- Oracle Park. Right. It's just a fun. Oracle park. Right. It's just a fun atmosphere. You get dressed up and you have a good time,

but the athletics on the field, the cardio that these guys have to have. Oh yeah, it's too much running. It is a lot of running. Yeah. I was like, that field is too long. At any rate, congratulations to Nathan. Can I do my quick errors and omissions there? So you're telling me that I didn't miss just one naming on, I missed two in a row. So I went Pac-Bell, went Pac-Bell, AT&T and then Oracle. And apparently it was called SBC Park for one year. I SBC. I am living 10 years prior.

I also apologize to Zach Ross from the JCC, who I called Zach Moss, who, of course, is one of the running backs for the Cincinnati Bengals. So that's on me. You know, I mean, I think I had Zach Moss and fans. You're one letter off. Yeah, it was close. Anyway, congratulations to everybody involved. And just a blanket apology to anyone I may have offended.

You should have that for every show. We record this. Every segment. Yeah, it's a good thing we should just play that at the end of every segment. I'm really sorry for what I screwed up. I'm sure there was a lot of it. Tell us what happened yesterday in Toronto when Columbus went into Toronto and beat the Leafs five to one. The Columbus Blue Jackets, thanks to a hat trick

from Adam Fantilli, not only smoked. Fantilli Knights. Yeah. Fantilli Lace. It was a Fantilli Knight in Columbus or in Toronto. Five one win, they move into a playoff spot by way of that victory. You know who fell out of a playoff spot by way of that victory. You know who fell out of a playoff spot yesterday?

Boston. The Boston Bruins. Not only did they fall out with the tiebreaker, they're way out of a playoff spot. They are in a bad way, but I was focused on what happened in Toronto last night. So Fantilly, first career hat trick, he did it in front of 80 people. He's an Ontario boy, so they all came to the game. And he celebrated with them after the fact. It was a very entertaining game. Did you mention it on air already?

The Reeves Olivier Tilly from last night? We played it in the intro. Yeah. So we were talking about it. Good fight. And then Austin Matthews decided to use that fight as a jumping off point to complain about the lack of energy of the crowd at the ACC yesterday.

He said that he thought a terrific heavyweight tilt between Matthew Olivier and Ryan Reeves should have fired up the crowd. He actually said he was disappointed. He felt that the crowd should have had more energy after that fight to which the crowd responded, how come you didn't have more energy after the fight?

You lost five, one to Columbus. The crowd was interviewed after the game as well. That's not what we're gonna remember from that game though. I know what you're gonna remember. Austin Matthews' moment we're gonna remember is him skating around with the goalie stick in his hand. Do you see this? That was amazing.

Because Merzlikan took his stick. Merzlikan's lost his stick. Then he found the first stick that he could find and that was Austin Matthews' stick because Austin Matthews also lost his stick. Then he found the first stick that he could find and that was Austin Matthews' stick because Austin Matthews also lost his stick. And then Matthews picked up the goalie stick. Which was the stupidest thing I've ever seen. For like two seconds and he still got a family member.

And then he was like, I guess I gotta read the rule book after it. No you don't, you have to have some common sense. First question, like really? You needed to read the rule book to know that you couldn't take the goalie stick and play with it? Was he being sarcastic there? I couldn't tell.

Yeah. He pans everything. Merzlikan's got a penalty too, for grabbing an opponent's stick, but he was complaining to the official, like, what am I supposed to do? Look at the name on the stick before I pick it up? How are you supposed to know whose stick it is?

I could see, no wait, if I'm not mistaken, the goalie loses his stick, the defenseman can hand him his stick, the foreman can hand him his stick. So I kind of give Merzlikin's a pass, because if he actually didn't know whose stick it was, it's still within the rules that he can play with a player's stick.

Correct. In no universe does a forward think like, maybe I can play with a goalie stick. Maybe, should I try it? Should we try it? Then he tried it. A bunch of years ago, there was a play where Bobby Ryan lost his stick and another player lost his stick and he picked up the wrong

One and it was wrong-handed and he scored right so should that not have counted because technically it's it's take It's what? Lakers did he took an opponent someone else's it was For sure on the other team Maybe they blew it back then maybe okay because every pointed out the blade after he scored because it's the wrong way. So that was one of the- And he gave it back to the guy. Yeah, then he gave it back.

So this one probably has one more goal in it. There were some other things that happened in the National Hockey League last night. Did you guys see, so we mentioned Boston got smoked 5-1 by New Jersey, fell out of a playoff spot, but did you see what happened in New Jersey to the Devils yesterday? More goalie news.

Jacob Markstrom collided with Boston forward Justin Brazo in the crease, looked like he went over badly on his knee, had to get helped off the ice, and immediately after the game, the bad news is Keefe didn't even say, we gotta get him checked out or we're waiting to hear from the trainers. He said Markstrom's gonna miss some time.

They're suspecting maybe, I don't know which CL, the PCL, the MCL, or God forbid the ACL. But so that's bad. The other bad thing is that Sweden has like no goalies now going into the four nations face off, because Ulmarck's hurt, Markstrom hurt, that just leaves them with Gustafsson, right? The silver lining is Ulmarck is back soon

and Gustafsson of the three has been the best. Okay. So there's the silver lining. Speaking of goalies. Yeah. Every once in a while I go to ESPN.com and they have NHL team save percentages. So this has nothing to do with the advanced analytics. It's just the hard numbers of shots on a team, saves on a team. Okay.

Guess how many teams in the NHL have a lower team save percentage than the Canucks? What's the Canucks team save percentage? I'm not answering that question. I'm not answering it. Guess how many teams. Are below whatever. Below the.

This mysterious number. The Canucks team save percentage. Seven. Five. One. Wow. Who is it? Well, the Canucks team save percentage is eight, eight, nine.

The big reveal. That's tied with Columbus and Philly has eight, eight, three. Philly's goaltending is. So sometimes these like include empty net goals, it's just the raw data, but it's still telling. So at the top is Winnipeg in 922 and they're well above and we all know that Winnipeg has great goaltending with Connor Hellebuck.

They won last night. Do we appreciate how bad the goaltending overall has been in Vancouver? Because Kevin Lankton was such a good story. Yep. But the other two guys that have played Demko and Sealovs, their numbers are way down. Yes.

To the point where the Canucks have some of the worst goaltending numbers in the NHL. Now you want to get to the whole thing about what about the guys in front of them? Fine, we can do that song and dance, but it's a problem. It's a problem. Yep. Whether it's the guys defending in front or

whether it's the guys actually playing in goal. And I think a lot of it has to do with the guys playing in goal because Cielo shouldn't have even been in the NHL this season, despite what he did in the playoffs last season. And Thatcher Demko is clearly having some trouble coming back from his extended time off, his popliteas vacation.

Couple, couple, couple, couple all of this with the recent report from Kevin Woodley that the Canucks are actually looking to push Ian Clark out of the organization. Couple that news with that. I thought he had already been essentially pushed out. Is it just making it official? The official push.

Yeah. So he can go somewhere else. They haven't even gone to the point where they've said, hey, Thatcher looks like he's struggling. You know, you still work for us. You're still cashing a paycheck. Do you want to come back and go for a few sessions with him?

Now that might be deemed unfair to Marco Taraneas. Marco T. I wish we had Dolly Wallon to pronounce that name. But my whole point is that the goaltending, which in theory, when Demko came back, I think we were all like, I'm feeling pretty good about the goaltending. You got Lankenen, you got Demko and Demko looked,

I thought in his first few games, decent, right? A little slow, but he looked okay. Yeah, it was kind of like, I'm encouraged by this. I'm encouraged by this. But he admitted the other day that's, you know, he lost touch a little bit with the game and that means just, you know, he was out of it for so long, hadn't been

in NHL action for so long, didn't get a training camp and now you're kind of thrust back into it. And not only are you worried about, not worried, but you have to be mindful of the injury that you're coming back from. You've got to, you know, stop pox in the NHL at a very high rate considering the expectations that you have and that people have for you.

The Canucks goaltending this year has been bad. Here's a question for you. Who do you start tonight? Anyone want to take a stab at this one? We all have minds. Well, I mean. Who did you start? Okay. So if the answer is, if Lankenen is 100%, was he at practice yesterday?

Yes. Probably go with Lankenen. Lankenen tonight, Demko on Saturday? I don't know. If Lankenen plays well tonight, I might go back to Lankton. What about. I do wonder though. I wonder if they'll go, I wonder if they'll go Demko, Demko. I really wonder how, what Lankton, or sorry, what Demko thought when. He didn't get the Winnipeg game. He didn't get the Winnipeg game.

I would, I put it this way. I would not be stunned if it's Demko, Demko. Well, Tauke has said we want to give them a run of games. It's not that taxing a schedule. It's not that taxing a schedule. It would not be stunned if it's Demko, Demko. Well, talking to has said, we want to give him a run of games. It's not that taxing a schedule. Like this is what a starting goalie does

in the national hockey league. It's during, I mean, what would it be? Five starts in a row, four or five, I guess. If they want to get them back up to speed, the only way to do it is to play them. Yeah, like, I mean, I, and I don't get me wrong. I am also the person that has said, you should just, whoever the hot hand is, ride him.

Is there a happy medium between play the wheels off him and play him regularly? Why does it have to be five in a row? I'm not saying I think it's the right move, but I could see it. When Tauke said that we need to get him going and we need to get him in a rhythm, that to me was a bit of an indicator where it's like,

I wonder if it's just gonna be the Demko show and it's like, the only way we're gonna get him back on track is if we get him back to how he was before. You can't be stroking his ego at this point though. They need pucks to be stopped. Like, Ruff just said, they have the second worst safe percentile. Hey, I'm with you, man.

The time for that is over. We just, we need someone to stop the puck. I would like them to employ a, you win and you're in philosophy. If you, we need someone to stop the puck. I would like them to employ it. You, you're in, you win and you're in philosophy. If you win, you get to keep the net. Even in a back, in a back to back, like the cracker with Joey DeCord. You're going again.

I'm so tired, coach Basma. Please no, think of my family. Yeah. Okay, we gotta go to break. I got two reads here, do I? Okay. The first is the big football party at the Clayton Public House hosted by Sportsnet 650.

Visit theclaytonpub.com to get your reservation now. Clayton Public House, good food, good food, good food, good food, good people, good times. I don't know what the second one, oh, we moved this one, right? Should I try and do this one from memory like I did yesterday? Oh no, not again.

You got the channel wrong. Okay, if you're looking, can we have Jamie Dodd on here just for the reads? If you're looking for your favorite culinary content, the Food Network now has all your favorite food programs. Only on Rogers Xfinity TV, I'm gonna say on channel 410. Is that the right channel?

Cause you can't just say it. You can't just be like, I'm gonna say. I'm doing it off memory. It's 411. It's not 411. You made the 311 joke yesterday. No it's not. Roger, it's culinary content, food network,

channel 410 right there. Get set for adventure. Discovery Channel is new. Not to read that. All the latest seasons of your Discovery favorites are available on Channel 411 on Rogers Xfinity TV. Which one did I just do? I don't know.

I just did the Food Network. I did the Food Network. What channel is the Food Network on? You're just making it up. You got to read what's on the paper. It's right there. Channel 410, Food Network. Right there.

Well, you're listening to the last Alfred and Ruff show on Sportsnet 650.