Halford & Brough in the Morning - Mike Kelly Talks NHL + What We Learned

Episode Date: November 18, 2025

In hour three, Mike & Jason discuss the top hockey stories of the day with NHL Network's Mike Kelly (1:32), plus the boys tell us what they learned (27:00). 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.

It's 8 o'clock. It's Tuesday morning. It's Halford and Brough. That was really good. Coming to you live from downtown Vancouver. The heart of downtown Vancouver. Where is this again? Fairview slopes?

Fairview slopes. In Fairview slopes. I didn't realize how few people knew the area. Brought to you by Little Debbie sausages. What's an old sponsor from the 1920s we could use? Some sort of powdered milk, hot cocoa. Some sort of lead-based paint. Ovalteen, Ovalteen.

There we go. Yeah, that's what I was thinking of. Okay. Time to focus here. Very well done, A-Dog. You are listening to the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. Halford and Brough of the morning is brought to by Sands and Associates. Score a debt freedom hat trick.

One, no more interest. lower payments in three financial peace of mind, visit them online at sands dash trustee.com. We are in hour three of the program. Mike Kelly from SportsL Logic and NHL Network is going to join us in just a moment here to kick off our three. Our three is brought to by Campbell & Pound, real estate appraisers. Trustee expertise of Campbell and Pound. Visit them on the internet at Campbell-dash pound.com today.

We are coming to live from the Kintech studio, Kintech Footwear and Orthotics. We're going together with you and step. To the phone lines we go, as mentioned. Our next guest is from SportsLogic. He's also an NHL analyst for NHL Network. Mike Kelly joins us now on the Halford and Breath Show on SportsNet 650. I'm Michael. How are you? Hey, I'm doing great, guys. How are you?

We're good. Thanks for taking the time to do this. We appreciate it. So we're going to start with you on a conversation we've had yesterday and earlier this morning. And it's about the mushy middle that is seemingly the entire NHL. Save a few teams. But it feels like there's a lot of parody and there's a lot of mediocrity, maybe even more so than previous seasons. Is this something that is, you know, actually happening? Is this just something that we're maybe experiencing ourselves? Do the numbers bear this out?

Why is there so much parody or mediocrity in the NHL right now, Mike? Or even is there such? Yeah, well, I think the simple answer is that I don't have the exact number in front of me, but there's kind of a record-setting amount of games going to overtime. So you're just getting a lot of three-point games

and that's going to kind of push everybody close together. There's probably something to the fact that there seems to be less of like the super elite and super terrible teams, but the overtime thing for me would be the biggest thing. It's kind of bizarre in both conferences. Like you can pick maybe a team that's pretty much out of it and others that you're kind of sure will be, but they just aren't points wise right now.

You can look at the standings and you can say there's one, I think, great team right now that's flying and that's Colorado. And that's, you know, they have one regulation loss in 19. So you can say they've earned that. Is there any other teams in that category? Are there anyone's even close? Or is it Colorado and everybody else?

I would look at it that way as Colorado and everybody else. They're so far above and beyond everyone. Like the record is what the record is, which is incredible. The way that I would look at it is, okay, what are your results? What is the process underneath

meet that as a predictive way to look at a team and where they're trending. They're the best in the league and both. And like offensively, goals, they're number one per game. Goal probability number one. Defensively, it's the same thing. You basically, you really never see that. And then maybe that's what's a little bit lost with this team is like the McKinnon and NACIS and all the rest of it, they can score and they're fast.

defensively, they don't give up anything. And then you got, oh, we need Scott Wedgwood to start the year because our main goalie Blackwood's out, well, he's been unbelievable. Like, there's nothing, I think the only thing going wrong there is every time Gabe Landisog scores, they call it back for some reason. You're nitpicking at that point. This team's a juggernaut. And then if you look at the standings right now,

there is the New Jersey Devils, which are hanging around there. I mean, they're second overall in the NHL, 27 points, so just four-back of Colorado. But how much more difficult is life going to get over the next six to eight weeks without Jack Hughes in the lineup with the hand injury? And how much of a driver is he in terms of just beyond, again, what we see with our eyes and with the metrics show? Yeah, huge, like really big.

He's having such a good start to the year, even by his lofty standards. And, you know, there's not a team I can think of that can afford to lose a guy like that. So that's a big thing. they've been they've been good though uh the doubles in in you know some other kind of key areas and i don't think it's going to sink them but they're off to a really good start obviously with the record with 13 4 and 1 i think and uh um you can't replace them like you hear it all the time they kind of have a luxury like they've had mercer playing a bit of the wing a bit of center as well um you can move some things around but you're not getting away from the fact that he's

one of the best in the league at bringing the puck up through the neutral zone and creating offense off the rush and being dynamic in the offensive zone there's only a couple other guys like that at his level and there certainly isn't another one on that team so you're going to miss that for sure.

Hey Mike, what happens if the Leafs have a clunker tonight at home against St. Louis? Sports media in Canada might actually explode. I don't know. They've lost five in a row and they've been ugly losses and it's not like they were playing well before that. The play in the blues,

which the saving grace for Toronto is, as bad as the goaltending has been there this year, and that's been a huge story to me, because the goaltending there last year was fantastic, like among the best in the league. And their tandem was really good, and they had Stolars and Wall, and you could bounce him back and forth,

and obviously Joseph Wall was out for a big chunk of this season. He's back now, but, and Stolars wasn't great before he was injured, and the team defense was much worse. So the saving grace would be that the blues are not playing well. St. Louis has the worst goaltending in the NHL, second worst, I should say, by goals saved above expected, and them in Toronto are the two worst teams. So I don't know what the over is in this game.

It's probably not high enough, but they got away. You're at home, you're playing the blues, who you know you can score goals against. Toronto can do one thing. It's put the puck in the net. They just, I don't know, there's no must-win games in November. I'm not saying that, but give it everything that's gone on there. You've got to find a way to win this one. I mean, I'm watching clips on Sportsnet.com.ca of Craig Baroubae dropping F-bombs at his team during practice.

And I know that Brad Tre Living had to give Craig Barraubay his vote of confidence today. So, you know things are coming to a head. Do you think, like, I've been reading a bunch of think pieces about what the leaf should do. And I've read a few where it's like, don't throw good money after bad with this team. Is this team salvageable or does it need some semblance of a retool? Well, what's the expectation? Like, their expectation coming into the season was probably like, of course, we're going to make the playoffs and we want to win a couple.

Like, if they got to the Eastern Conference final this year, I think you'd, say okay that was successful right second round's kind of well we've done that um this isn't an eastern conference final team to me even when they're healthy so we have what do you do like you can't there's a lot of teams battling injuries right now and some key ones and it's never an excuse you can't ignore the fact that tannab's missed a chunk of time matthews is out they're starting goalies out like they've they've the team they're putting on the ice tonight it's it's going to be tough to win no matter what you're doing. But that aside, and this goes back with Craig Barouba, to last season too,

like they aren't the kind of dominant puck possession team that they had been in years past. Mitch Marner is going to allow you to be that in a massive way more than anyone else on that team, and he's gone. So that's part of it. And the other thing is it's not like that worked either. So, okay, you're going to go in and you're going to try to maybe play a different way and assemble a bit of a different-looking roster

that you think can give you more success when it matters. Well, you still need to get in. And I think they're kind of caught in the middle now of some key guys that have been there a long time that can play a certain way very effectively, but it was never enough in the end, versus we're going to try to add some grit, some toughness, some puck battle wins, those kind of things.

But now you're not controlling the... You're not tilting the ice the way that you did. or enough. And this team really struggles to defend. And I thought William Nealander made an interesting comment not that long ago, which I didn't disagree with. He basically said he'd be more worried if the team wasn't scoring goals. Because he thinks the defensive fixes are things that can be fixed.

I agree with that. You need to have a requisite amount of skill to score goals in the league. And they have that, which is good. And they do score, which is fine. The concerning part of that to me would be, you ask anybody and they'll tell you the kind of biggest thing

about playing well defensively is it doesn't really have a lot to do with skill it's about will and work ethic and execution and they really seem to be lacking that so no I don't think this team when it's healthy is going to be good enough

to be a contender for a Stanley Cup or to really go far in the playoffs I guess to answer your question they're probably going to have to look at making some changes and what the team looks like if they want to get there. You know, the one thing that Manda being their saving grace, because I was going through a bunch of this stuff last night with the Leafs,

is that that division is just so underwhelming right now. There's eight teams in the Atlantic. Not a single one that has a positive goal differential. The best in the entire – That's crazy. The best in the entire division is Boston. They're at zero. They got 69 goals for, six nine goals against which is super nice.

Even power, baby. Yeah, which is great. It's the U.S. Open or something. Yeah, right. tough conditions. But let's talk about Boston for a sec because they're there. I mean, it's not an overwhelming record. They're 12 and 9 through 21 games,

but they're tops in the division. I don't think a lot of people saw them getting there this early in the season. They've had their fair share injuries as well. What's allowed Boston to jump to the front of a very average Atlantic division? Goaltending has been a big thing. Their power play is good and they need goals from there because I don't think they're really ever going to score enough at five on five. to be a division winner.

So that's been good. Goaltending is the huge thing to me. Like if you look at their defensive metrics, and I know even their goals against isn't great, but Swayman's been really good for the most part. And that keeps them in games. And David Pasternak, you talk about the heart trophy.

You're always talking about the guy who's most valuable to his team. That's how they define it. Boy, is he up there. you can look at a lot of their kind of underlying metrics of where they should be over the course of an entire season where they might be and it doesn't paint the prettiest of pitchers but like you said like who's who's leapfrogging them for sure uh i still think Tampa bay of any team in the league Tampa Bay is going to figure it out and get back to

being I think they're going to win the division I would still put money on that Toronto I would have thought yeah probably top three just given the state of the division but I don't think so anymore and Florida you know they're hanging around they're so beaten up by injuries Ottawa's inconsistent Montreal has a bunch of injuries now

and they can't afford that Detroit I think could be real and like actually finished top three in that division not with a 55 win season but again it's the division we're talking about so look Boston can they be a top four team in that division, maybe have a shot at the playoffs?

For the reason you mentioned, I think it's possible. We're speaking to Mike Kelly for NHL Network and Sport Logic here on the Halpert and Brough Show on SportsNet 650. I did want to pivot quickly, Mike. We got a couple minutes left here. Just talk about some of the guys that you've been looking at, and let's stick with the Canadian team because we've been talking a lot about guys that are playing their way onto the Olympic squad right now. We were watching the Canucks play Florida last night, and there's two guys in particular in Bennett and Marshon, who I think a lot of people,

had questions about going into this season. Marshawn definitely strengthens his case to stay on the team. I don't know about Sam Bennett, but let's take a look around the league. Who are some of the guys that you've kept an eye on who have really made a case that weren't on the Four Nations team that are maybe playing their way onto the team that's going to the Olympics in 2026?

I think Sam Bennett will probably be there no matter what. I just think the reputation he has in big games that matters is so strong. that he'll be there. It's my view of it. I don't know how Canucks fans are going to react to this one, but a guy that I wouldn't have really thought of, honestly, is Bo Horvatt, who might be playing his way onto this team. He's playing unbelievable.

He's playing unbelievable. He's putting up points. He's scoring goals. He's almost 60% in the circle. If that's a fourth-line center, what a great option. Nick Suzuki, I would have had him there last time. I'd have him there this time. He is 200-foot game.

The way that he thinks the game, game at a high level is very elite. I'd have Mack LaSellebrini there. He's top five in points. His all-around game is very strong. And know the comparison is always the second you say his name, you're going to go to Bedard and vice versa. I actually don't think,

because it's always those two guys against each other for a spot, it seems like. I don't see massive similarities in their game, other than the fact that they're both young and both really good. I don't, like for me, They're two different players in a lot of ways So I would definitely have Celebrini I don't know about Bedard

But those are the guys that stand out to me Are Celebrini, Horvatt and Suzuki And I know we're picking all centers here But I guess you can move guys around You get to see With Hockey Canada that they're going to think of That every country does is big game experience That matters a ton to a lot of these organizations

And maybe that's where you can start picking up some guys I think one of the most interesting guys is going to be Tom Wilson. Because I would have Tom Wilson on that team. He'd replace Kineckney. Like Kinecti is not playing all that well. But Tom Wilson be on the team. But I would have a long discussion about like, okay, it's double IHF rules. Is Tom Wilson going to contact someone's head?

Like even inadvertently, that's a penalty. And, you know, in a tournament like the Olympics where it's like, you know, imagine what a five-minute major could do in an elimination game, which pretty much they're all elimination games once it gets to the, once against the metal round. But man, you know, like that's a guy that can put the puck in the net. Very physical, obviously. And as you mentioned, he has a big game experience.

He's won a Stanley Cup. Yep. Well, remember the opening face-off in Montreal against USA with the three tilts. Now imagine Tom Wilson standing beside one of the three. Kachukh brothers. I don't think there's going to be in the Olympics because they'd be automatically out of the game, but just imagine

any defenseman. Like, if you're Quinn Hughes and Tom Wilson is on the ice, you better recognize because he's going to be out there looking to lay the body on any puck-moving defenseman out there. I mean, as we saw

with the Canucks, like anyone out there, Philippeel, that was like, I cannot imagine a worse scenario for Philippeal than getting hit by Tom Wilson and that's kind of what he brings but there is a risk that he crosses the line especially with the international rules that's a great point um and yeah like also queen hues you think about u.s you think about sweden some of these top teams they have a lot of good puck moving d and if you've got queen hues back there getting a puck or werenski or whoever it is

and you've got sam bennett coming down tom wilson coming down like that's maybe that's pretty effective strategy of trying to kind of take away some of that puck moving skill that some of these other countries are going to have on the blue line Canada's blue line's pretty fascinating too right when you think about who's kind of guaranteed and who isn't there's maybe some competition there what do you think about the discussion mostly online but the discussion about Matthew Schaefer playing his way into the mix I don't think he'll be there he's a kid he's been he's he's he's forgot the call like he's in the Norris conversation. And I've been pumping this kid's tires all year. I'm so impressed and everybody is. And I don't say it in a way like he talent-wise couldn't be there maybe. But I just think again, when you think of the players who you can choose from

and the experience that they have in general, years and years and years of it, and big moments too, I don't think he wouldn't be able to handle it. I just, I don't think you need to have that. kind of an experience there when you've got these other options, I suppose. I don't really know how to say this without it seeming like I'm taking a shot at Shaper who's surpassed everybody's expectations. He's incredible. It would surprise me if they picked a young 18-year-old to be on that team.

Yeah, I'd be surprised by that as well. But we'll chat again about this because I think there's going to be some really interesting decisions to make about Team Canada at the Olympics. Mike, thanks for joining us today. Always fun talking to argue with you. Yeah, you guys too. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

Thanks, buddy. That's Mike Kelly from NHL Network and Sport Logic, NHL analyst here on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. We are coming up to the final half hour of the program. I will remind you, get some what we learns in. Tell us what you learned over the last 24 hours in sports. Let us know.

There's a few things we haven't discussed much at all on the show today. All of the World Cup qualifiers that are going on, including a huge night tonight. Conccaf, we also didn't talk about Monday night football and another clunker that the Las Vegas Raiders put up. Okay, I'll do an early what we learned then. Let's do it. Because I want to save some of the World Cup stuff for the other side

and the inbox because Juan from Comox already has a text about that. So get you what we learned then. Okay. I learned that Pete Carroll would be crazy to return to the Raiders next season because they are nowhere close. and if Gino Smith is still their quarterback next season no chance Remember when I was interested in the Raiders

for like five minutes before the season started I was like I'm kind of curious you know I always like Pete Carroll and I think Gino Smith did It's been awful An admirable job with the Seahawks turning his career around and it would be cool if the Raiders were relevant again

and they have been awful dreadful and they got, I was an emotional game for the Dallas Cowboys yesterday, but the Cowboys are not a good team either, and they looked like Super Bowl contenders next to the Raiders. The Raiders got dominated at home in prime time from basically the first series right till the end. Does home even matter for Vegas?

Well, I mean, it should. You're at home. Yeah, but it's full of visiting fans. You had the Dallas Cowboys wide receivers breaking curfew because they were in Vegas getting all crazy. Oh, really? George Pickens and C.D. Lamb were benched for the first series of the game yesterday, and nobody knew why. And then Justin Tuck, former NFL or went on Twitter.

And I don't know whether he had Intel or whether he was just making it up. But his claim was that they got busted coming back in after curfew to the hotel and Schottenheimer benched him for the first series. Anyway, I want to mention this. You mentioned Pete Carroll. Another, the hottest take that I came up with is that Pete was going to resign before Thanksgiving. because I don't know how many people were paying attention to exactly what went on last night. People just kind of, the big story was obviously the tragedy that befell, the Dallas Cowboys and the emotional return that they had.

The other part of this was that in the first half, the Raiders called 32 pass plays and three run plays. Is Ryan Grubb the OC there? 32 to 3 And at the end of the day Las Vegas finished with 12 rushing plays The 12th fewest in franchise history Now you'll know this is an important thing Because with the sixth overall pick in the draft

Their first round pick was Ashton Genti The running back out of Boise State He's supposed to be their franchise running back moving forward Doesn't Pete like the running game? I don't He said that it was a bunch of play action passes And it was his call not Chip Kelly's call right those are the kind of things

when you get called out for that afterwards that kind of suggest you either you're losing the plot or you've lost it I don't know if he's going to finish the year there I really don't yeah there's a lot of talk that like Tom Brady's ownership and he's got a different direction for he maybe wants to go as opposed to the rest of the organization Brady Brady will have an influence right like ask Wayne Rooney they've lost yeah they've lost

four straight and eight of nine you know if it wasn't for the Tennessee Titans they'd be the worst team in the national football league it's a tough look and last night was awful for them moo cow all that we're going to go to break and we may just go straight to the humanoids if you guys step up

Dunbar Limer Tuxanai 650 650 hashtag them WWL and tell us what you learned in the last 24 hours of sports you're listening to the Halford & Brough show on Sportsnet 650 It's Canucks Central with Dan Richo and Saty R Shaw your destination for everything Exclusive interviews, inside info, and even the postgame show. Listen 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays and on demand through your favorite podcast app.

Now for my favorite part of the show, what I say? Talk to the audience. Oh, God, this is always dead. It's what we learn time. It's what we learn time. It's what we learn time On the show 834 on a Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, everybody, Halford Brough, Sportsnet 650. Halford Brub the morning is brought to by Sands and Associates. Only a license insolvency trustee can cut your debt by up to 80% with no upfront fees. To learn more, visit sands-trustee.com. We are in hour three of the program. It is what we learn time. Hour 3 is brought to by Campbell & Pound Real Estate Appraisers.

Trust the expertise of Campbell and Pound. Visit them on the internet at Campbell-Dashpound.com today. So I did have a while we learned. I didn't think that I did, but I did. I forgot I sent it to Greg earlier in the program. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Canada men's national team

is playing a second friendly in this international window tonight against Venice. I try not to get a red card, Canada. Come on. Take it easy with the reds. That one against Ali Ahmed was garbage. I stand by that.

Garbage call. Bit of a garbage tackle. Anyway. So they're playing Venezuelan for Lauderdale. Florida. Florida, also the home, of course, of the Florida Panthers, who the Vancouver Canucks played last night. Florida Panthers, of course,

coached by Paul Maurice. Two-time, back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions. And I think you're aware of this. this, but for those that aren't, I'm pointing towards Jason, I think you're aware of this. Jesse Marsh is very much about establishing that Canadian identity in this Canadian men's national soccer team. He loved the Four Nations. He was all over it.

He often looks to hockey for inspiration about what makes Canada, Canada. And he was really moved by the Four Nations thing because that was the ultimate Canada versus US. We're fighting for the Maple Leaf elbows up. That's why we got a red card problem now. Yeah, he took it too far. He took it too far. Anyway, so there's been this sort of symbiotic relationship here and like leaning on Paul Maurice in particular for some ideas about how to approach.

Now, in this particular clip, the team dynamic and leadership and all that stuff. And Maurice is great at talking and explaining these things. So him and Jesse Marsh got together? Actually, this was Christian Jack from one soccer asking about some of the things that they've been going back and forth about. because you know, Marsh has said, we need to establish leaders on this team to help us go to the World Cup and what does it look like

and how does that room look? And here's what Paul Maurice, it's a long clip, but we're going to play it anyway because there's some interesting stuff here. This is Paul Maurice sort of explaining how their championship team works and what leadership looks like

and how coaches get to lean on that during times. Here's Paul Maurice in his interview with one soccer's Christian Jack. I appreciate that. Really appreciate. thought. He's clearly overrated me. I got one job and that's to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can about our team

and where we're at and what we need to do. There's eight of us that work in the coach and staff and there's just eight coaches. I can't do the other seven guys' jobs. They're all really good at it. I don't try to do their jobs. But we're good because our players are good. We have good players, good men, and they compete hard and they care, maybe more than that.

They really do care about each other. So this is a, my job here is not to let these guys down. Learn as much as I can, study the game as well, find out where we are, and present to them not what I think they need, what they need. Ahead of the World Cup next summer where every game matters. Maurice was later asked about managing in game sevens. Win or you go home. Here's what he had to say.

I read this great book, one's called Driving in the Rain. Really good book. And there's a great line in it about a race car driver. And by the time you get to the race, if you're thinking on the track, you're dead. So you'll do all of your prep, all of it. And by the time you get to the game, you just play. The work's done.

The result will present itself in two and a half hours. But that has to be your finest moment of enjoyment, which is a difficult word. And I'm not exactly sure I was enjoying walking out to the bench in game seven. A little tighter than that. But if you have faith in the work, right, if that's something that you believe you've done, then game settings are just about joy playing the game

because there's nothing left to do. If you haven't done your work, you're not winning anyway. So if you've done your work, then you get to have fun. So Marcia spent like a ton of time trying to prepare his guys for the, especially the first three group stage matches, which is going to largely define success or failure. If they get out of the group, that's success. If they don't, that's a failure.

And he's still not quite found the leadership group, right? Like, part of it has to do with the fact that his best player. And Alvanzo Davies just returned to training the other day, like full training. He's still looking for it. And you can tell that he's still trying to form all the stuff that he needs to form. The issue is like the running out of time. Yeah.

They kind of got a step on the gas here. Like, they still don't have a defined starting goalie. Like, Cray Poe's going to start tonight. Sinclair started the other match. He's got some ideas about what he wants to do, but they're still tinkering with stuff. Like, you, it was funny, we were watching the televisions during the break,

and Alfie Jones popped up. And Alfie Jones is a guy that they just got Canadian citizenship for. He's an Englishman. He plays from Middlesbrough, and he's going to start tonight, and it's his audition to go to the World Cup for Canada. and I love what Marsh is trying to do but he's like he does a lot

he's got a lot of energy and he tries a lot of different things and I know he's trying to find his line up and find his goalie and figure out who he can lean on and get the identity of the team but that's why it's so like when Ali Ahmad gets red cardered in the sixth minute then like you're you've kind of wasted a friendly because all of a sudden you're like okay well we're playing with 10 men

Right. Like they learned something from it. They learned what you have to do when you're down to 10 men. And it was taking it out of the result. But yeah, and it was very boring. And it wasn't what they wanted out of it. But I just wish that there was more time because not having the traditional qualification road. I know we're going to get into it in a second here. But those matches are where you really find out something about either who you are as a team or maybe who you aren't, right?

Well, not having Fonzie. That hurts too. Yeah. Right? Then all of a sudden, where you're just going to add this guy, and a lot of things change when he's out a player like him. Is he going to captain the squad? Who's going to captain the squad? Where is he going to play? Probably at left back, or maybe they push him up in the left mid, but they don't know right now. There's a lot of unknowns. Mook, all that.

Fire of the dot matrix so we can continue this on. What we learned, Humanoid Edition brought to you is always by AJ's Pizza on East Broadway. your palate with AJ's white pies made with rosemary and infused with cream sauce or garlic oil only at AJ's pizza. Order online at AJ's. Pizza. Guess what? More soccer talk because Juan from Comox texts in

what I learned. Final day of group qualification for the World Cup, which matchup are you looking forward to? I think there's only one for me that I'm looking forward to and that is Scotland

hosting Denmark in Glasgow, Hampton Park is going to be insane because if Scotland beat Denmark, they have to win, they can't draw, and they obviously can't lose, if they beat Denmark, Scotland will go to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. And this scenario was very unlikely. Denmark was heavily favored to win this group. but Denmark just had a home game where they drew Belarus

and this allowed Scotland to have this opportunity and we kind of feel a kinship with Scotland you know there I mean there there been some Scottish players that have played for the white caps including of course Ryan Gould who's had an opportunity to play for Scotland a couple of times

won't be there today won't be there today but I think a world Cup is better with, like, Scotland there because their fans are fun. Scotland, England, and Ireland at the World Cup would be a lot of fun. Yeah, because they all hate each other. Yes.

Like they all... And their fans are fun. They all, they all, well, most of them, they just want England to fail, but Scotland and Ireland are like, let's cheer against England. So we did the Ireland story yesterday. Yes. Yes.

They're in the playoff. Scotland loses today. They still go to the playoffs. So there's another road there, but England's already qualified. To get the three of them in would be great. pulling big time for Scullin Day. So yeah, you're right. An outright win. I'll get them in. By the way, on the subject

of qualification today, I'm going to stick locally, well, our Federation anyway, have you seen some of the teams that could get automatic qualification today out of Concaf? Is Curacao on the verge? Like, what is Srinam?

Suriname. Suriname? Yes. And is... Curisow gets in. If they beat Jamaica in Jamaica today, Curisow goes. Cursel. Yes.

To the World Cup. For the first time ever. And they're like, we're coming after you, Cape Verde. Haiti can also qualify today. I mean, that would be incredible. If Haiti could qualify. There is a set of results today that could see Suriname, Curacao, and Haiti all qualify for the World Cup today. Now, a lot would have to go for those three to get through today.

but it is within the realm of possibility. Now, there's been a lot of consternation in the global media because Gennaro Gattuso, who's the manager of Italy, he was bemoaning that his team's got to go through a playoff even though a finish runner-up in their group. Yeah, yeah. And he was saying, you know, it didn't used to be like this.

And then he started to point at all the other federations that had, as he saw, too many births. Right. Concaf would be one. Specifically, he was pointing at Africa, which was very misguided. because if you want to point at anyone, point at Conccaf. Concafcalf gets six, counting the three hosts, three automatics.

Two more go to a playoff. There could be eight. Realistically, it's not going to happen, but there could be eight, which is way too many for the region. But it's been, I mean, it's an exciting time because you get a lot of new. You know Conccaf was hoping, like, it wouldn't be these three? Yeah. I know.

They were hoping that it would be. The traditional Honduras, El Salvador, or whatever. Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica. Yeah, right. Not Suriname, Curacao, and Haiti. Right. But that's what we've got going into today. It could be a lot of fun.

Okay, let's move on here. Unsigned, we've had a few of these, what we learned. And just like that in three games, Quinn Hughes has gone from 27th in defensemen scoring to second. Yeah, 10 points in his last three games. He's doubled his point. total in three games. Hughes has played 16 games. He missed a few. He has 20 points. One goal and 19 assists. Only Kail McCar, who has six goals and 19 assists, is ahead of Quinn Hughes.

Quinn Hughes leapfrogged Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets, who I, you know what, I always forget about. Yeah. When I talk about the candidate defense, I always leave him out. I always leave out. Poor Josh Norsey. Because he didn't burst onto the scene. There was a few years where people were like, what is this guy going to be? But he is a really good defense. Oh, by the, on the subject of Quinn Hughes' offensive explosion,

Jamie and I talked about this last week, is there any player on the Canucks right now that has underperformed offensively that you'd be maybe taking issue with? We thought maybe Evander Cain, but if you look at the totals, like he's at 11 points through 21 games, which I would say is fine.

He's had a ton of shots Yeah, like he's I mean he's shooting the puck With great frequency You would have said at one point You were maybe not thrilled With Drew O'Connor Drew O'Connor's offensive open

But he's been great And also like were we really like Looking towards Drew O'Connor Jake Debrusk was off to the slow Start but then November By the way speaking of November Jake Debrusk Did you the post game show

Took to calling him Why Clef Jean Because he's gone until November That's not bad That's not bad That's not bad Can I just say one thing about Quinn Hughes You can say whatever you want about Quinn Hughes

You said this on our text read yesterday I was just watching the It was actually the game against Tampa Bay Where I thought this And the move he made before the O'Connor goal That he tipped in Nobody else moves like that It scares me

And as a goalie watching him move around Like I texted the group I would just skate off the ice Because there's like how do you defend against that Who can do what he does Like the way he came off the wall And even just finding a lane To get that puck through

And then he just peltz it to the top corner. He's incredible. It's insane what he does out there. The edge work that he left, someone was, some poor Panther defender was trying to cover him at the point. Yeah. And Hughes stopped and like the snow shower. Yeah.

I see just like, I think he blinded the Panthers defender. You know, it's like that's his move. And he was just gone. He was, he was absolutely gone. And he is an incredible player to watch out there. I was watching an interview with Ryan Reeves. And he was talking about the difference in being taught how to skate and where you generate your speed from what you do.

And he's like everything that the younger generation knows about skating or has been taught is almost the exact opposite as to what he was taught. Because the dynamics of it have changed in the physics and the way that you approach it. And you watch guys skate now. Watch kids skate. Yeah. It's unbelievable with their edge work and everything. I was like, wait a minute, there's an outside edge.

Yeah, what are those for? When we talked about the NBA and we talked about them outgrowing the quarter, like shooting going as far as it has, that's hockey's version of it, is that skating has gone to places that I don't think anyone ever expected, right? Like it's the things you can do on skates now, there's a generation that's like, you can't do that. They're almost on their tippy toes half the time when they skate, right?

The explosiveness immediately. Like just right away. Like just immediately. Yeah. It's crazy that they can do that. You move on the ice in a way that the previous generation never moved. And I think the previous generation didn't even think you could. Right.

There was a way that you understood how you're supposed to move on ice. And that's dramatically changed. And I wonder how much further they can take it. And even just the way he kind of positions his body and just stays towards the play. Like you never dreamed of doing that 40 years ago. Like that's just amazing how far it's come. you're talking about disappointing offensive players because sometimes we do this

okay how many games would you say that Lucas Reichel has played for the Vancouver Canucks how many games would you say that he's been in the lineup for nine 13 oh man that's a lot he's been the lineup for 13 games yeah one assist wow you're right did you see see that pass he made last night through the middle of the ice?

It was like a touch pass between his legs in the middle of the ice. And short, it was like, oh, a bit of a risky pass from Lucas Reichel. And then he just got hit so hard. Like, what are you doing, Matt? Is that the one that went backwards to Myers? Yeah. Yeah, I saw it. And when he first did it, I kind of stopped.

I'm like, what did you just do? And I'm like, hey, I mean, it didn't. It was a reverse pass. It was fine. It wasn't a drop pass. It was one where the coach was like, hey, maybe it was a smarter play to make there. I don't know why between the legs part seems necessary. A guy with one assist in 13 games

probably shouldn't be making a pass like that. He's averaging almost 14 minutes a night. He has two shot attempts per game. He's out there. Attempts. So he's played more games than Tom Villander, P.O. Joseph. He's played more than a lot of guys. Yeah.

That took me by surprise. I'm surprised that it's double digits. He needs to, he's kind of reaching Mark McAulis levels with me where I'm just like, why? The darkest timeline is when Mark McAulis comes up. The ice. Rough, if we gave you 14 minutes to scurry around on an NHL ice surface, do you think you could have more than two shot attempts? No.

No. You couldn't reach that point? 100% no. No. It's in the question, though, right? Like, yeah. And if I, no, no, it's not. Even 14 minutes?

No. No. Well, I mean, unless they took you. Just park yourself in front of the net, maybe you get a rebound. I think I just struggle keeping up with the pack. We're like, I parked myself in front of the net. And then they'd be like, yeah, but the play is at the other end of the ice now. I'm like, damn it, change them up.

Jovin, hashtag WWO, what we learned is boring and is irrelevant as basketball as being. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 14 and 1 through 15 games. Pretty awesome to see a Canadian SGA lead his team to a title last year and potentially a chance in NBA history this year. The NBA season, especially at the Halford & Brough Show, has been woefully ignored, but with good reason. You know what? I watched the end of the Raptors game yesterday.

So did I, and it's on the screen right now. Hey, hey, they won. Yeah, they did. They sure did. Brandon Ingram had a sick dunk. He did have a sick dunk. Yeah. The kids call it posterized a guy.

He knows. Kids from 1984 call it that. Like a regular Harvey Globetrotter over here. It's pretty good. Do the kids have posters these days? They don't. That's a weird one. That's too bad.

You got an iPad wallpaper. Yeah, iPad. I don't need a picture. I've got an iPad with way more pictures on it. But no, what are the kids put on their walls? I don't know. But I don't know. I think they just look like my old.

apartment, just nothing on the walls. Just a picture of Junior Felix sitting there. Random garlic bread scroon throat. It is weird. I mean, I know malls are going the way of the Dodo Bird and like music stores don't exist. Because we're poster shops used to exist. Dude, I worked at HMV and like

the one right downtown for like two years before closed and we had like the best poster area ever. It was like thousands of posters. I remember you could order posters. I would always be disappointed because I was always to be disappointed because I order like four posters and then they would kind

and they were like super small. Yeah. Like, what the hell is this? You needed to cover the minimum, like, eight feet tall by 12 feet wide. It needed to cover up your entire wall. Yeah. I had the Bash Brothers one with Ken Seiko McGuire. That was a good one.

All right. That's it for today. Do you know I had a Doug Gilmore? I had a Doug Gilmore poster. Was it a themed one? It said killer. Killer, yeah, yeah, okay. Oh, I had the one that was like Got Milk.

He did a campaign for Got Milk. I remember the campaign. And I had the poster for that. Milk Lobby back then. If you didn't drink milk, you're in big, big trouble as a kid in the 80s and 90s. All right, we've got to get out of here for today. Thank you all for reminiscing with us. Thank you for listening and thank you for contributing as always.

We're out of here for today, but we will be back tomorrow. Sending off, I have been Mike Alford. He's been Jason Brough. He's been Adog. He's been Lattie. This has been a Halford & Brough show on Sportsnet, 650.