Halford & Brough in the Morning - Seravalli On Miller & Petey + Trade Rumours

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

In hour two, Mike & Jason talk the Miller & Petey dynamic as well as Canucks trade rumours with Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli (1:13), the boys are joined by Vancouver Giants general manager Barclay Parneta (29:02), plus they talk what has been a disappointing World Juniors tournament for Team Canada thus far (35:12).  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.

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Frank! 7.01 on a Thursday. Frank! Happy New Year, everybody. You're listening to the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Halford & Brough 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 Hominuk 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, Canada's favorite orthotics provider, powered by thousands of five-star Google reviews. Sorfie, what are you waiting for? Kintec. To the phone lines we go. Frank Cervalli joins us now on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650.

Morning, Frank. How are you? Pretty good. Happy New Year, guys. How are you guys doing? Happy New Year to you as well. We are doing well. Can't say the same for the local hockey squadron.

It's been a very trying first third of the season. Tough way to close 2024. They open 2025 outside of the playoff picture looking in. Frank, tell us. Tell us. You've got some type of news or update with regards to the Vancouver Canucks and what they might do via

trade to fix this it's the same update that we've had since the first two weeks of the season the the canucks needs wants wishes haven't changed uh the defense market is not teeming with perfect fits. And they're not in a holding pattern, but they're waiting for the right piece to pop up at the right price. And it's been a challenge from that standpoint. And it's been a challenge on a number of standpoints, but the least of which, or not the least of which, has been health. I mean, you take away the top two pieces of

your defense core for a group that already struggled to move the puck and it becomes really extra noticeable do you get the sense that anything has been accelerated or exacerbated by the miller petterson dynamic because i can understand not wanting to make a move in haste because that's oftentimes when you lose the trades, but there's also the counter to that argument. This is like, how much longer can you let this go on? And then the same refrain from everyone that we either, you know, play bits of their podcast, read their stuff online is something's got to give.

Do you get the sense that something does have to give here? Me? I don't know um first off there's no easy clean solution it's a mess if you feel like you have to go down that path and to there's to my knowledge and and look i i've trust me i've done my homework the last number of weeks since this became a big talking point. The thing happened this year, has there been an incident? Was there something that was out of line? What, I've asked all the questions that you could possibly ask. And to this point, no one has been willing to say, yes, something changed. This is what happened. You know, this is how it got to the next level.

This is how it got. This is why something needs to change. Haven't heard anything like that. And these two guys have played together since 2019-20. They've both signed massive eight-year extensions, knowing that the other guy was going to be there so to me i i don't know how it suddenly it became hey these guys have an issue which is not news to anyone who's been around that team and then to take it a step further and it became one of these guys has to go i don't know how we got from A to Z. I really don't.

Well, it's probably the way they are playing. You know, like people are going to revisit the things. And then also Patrick Alvin comes out and really rips the team from top to bottom, but mostly the top. And I'm sure you read the interview that he did with Ian McIntyre for Sportsnet where he really tore into Elias Pettersson specifically and basically said Petey thought it was going to be easy and he didn't prepare himself for the season.

And he said that one of the things that really stood out for me is he needs to learn how to step up and face the music. What did you think about those comments from Patrick Galvin? Again, not surprising. Go back to the playoffs. I don't think there was any warm and fuzzy feeling from the Canucks about the way that Pedersen played and then the way that he handled his situation

with the knee injury. I think a lot of people in and around the organization felt like that was an excuse at the time. And now moving forward, I think they were hoping that the start of this season would bring a new, refreshed, energized, different Pedersen that would play back up to the level of the 100-plus point center that a lot of people thought should be playing at a level commensurate to that pay. So it wasn't just the preparation. The other part that stood out to me in his commentary was basically the way that Patrick Alvein and the Canucks feel Pettersson's handling the pressure, which is not well. And look, that accountability, the way in which he carries himself, all of that is also then directly related, I think, to Miller and some of the internal battle that's gone on

because that's the opposite of what JT Miller is. It just, he competes unlike so few other players in the nhl and then is willing to have the conversation the tough conversations and it just doesn't seem like that's the way that pedersen's wired and so different people different backgrounds extrovert introvert you know a million personality things that you could probably attach a lot of these things to. There's part of the struggle right there. And if you really listen closely, I mean, it was said in a lot nicer way than what JT

Miller has probably said to him over the years. But what Patrick Alveen said in his interview with Ian McIntyre is probably not all that different than the things that Miller and the rest of the team and the coaching staff and everyone else has been thinking. Yeah. Well, you don't have to tell me. I've been talking about it for the last few months. It seems like a year now.

I do want to talk about another team, and that's the New York Rangers, because oddly enough, it's in some ways, if you believe the rumors and the speculation, kind of connected to the Canucks. What do you think the New York Rangers are going to do to get out of this tailspin? There are rumors that Chris Durie likes JT Miller. Maybe he's going to call on JT Miller and try and get him out of Vancouver. The Rangers are not in a good way. They aren't in a good way.

By the way, before we, sorry, and not to make you move on or go back to this, but I just thought there was one other thing to point out about McIntyre's question about Pedersen and asking him about moving on before the no trade kicks in. I'd love to go back and ask a follow-up, but when it says in the text that Alvina's smiling and he says, well, you know Jim's history, was that pointed to some of the commentary that I've made over the last few years

that when Jim Rutherford makes a mistake, he's not afraid to correct it? I thought it was just like he's not afraid to trade guys. I thought it was interesting that in an interview with the general manager, in that particular instance, I don't know if he kicked it upstairs or kicked it over to his running mate, but I thought it was a very interesting way to answer the question. I'm kind of with you on that. Well, there's a million things on pack I mean saying that you know facing the music and I guess I would say anything is possible I mean it's I mean the I can't remember

a player one year into a deal quite like that being referenced like that by the front office. I can't. Is there a sense that I don't want to say looking back. I can answer the Rangers question now. Yeah. Yeah. You know what? Do the answer the Rangers question. That'd be great. Look, I don't, I don't know where New York goes from here because it's obvious that more

changes are coming, that they're not going to just sit back and let this team flounder to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. My thought would be that whatever decisions they make are not going to be about saving this season necessarily, but about what does the long-term future of the Rangers look like and which players should be part of that core. I mean, they've got some pretty long-term future of the Rangers look like and which players should be part of that core. I mean, they've got some pretty long-term deals, the least of which being, you know,

your goalie that you handed a $92 million extension to that has played some of the worst hockey of his career since signing it. Lafreniere has been really quiet since signing his extension. What happened to Mika Zibanejad under contract and full no move through 2030? They've got some real existential questions to ask. But in the meantime, my guess is that you're going to see some players moved off of that team one by one in relatively short order. What has happened to Mika Zibanejad? I think it's one of the great mysteries of the 24-25 season.

I mean, if you had imagined at some point in April or May last year saying that on January 1st that Trouba would be gone and Kreider and Zibanejad would be in the crosshairs. I don't know that anyone would have believed it. I mean, this team was two wins away from the Stanley Cup final. And Zibanejad and Kreider have been, you know, at the very heartbeat of what that team has accomplished over the last handful of years. So to me, it's surprising.

He looks disengaged. He looks lost. But I think you could say that about like 95% of their roster. We're speaking to Frank Cervalli from Daily Faceoff here on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Another team that's underwhelmed this season, Detroit. They made the coaching change. We haven't spoken since they fired Lalonde and hired McClellan.

How much heat is now directly on Steve Eisenman that Lalonde is no longer there as a foil? How many of his previous moves are now fully under the microscope? Because I watched that presser in which they announced the coaching change and he got real defensive talking about his Iser plan in Detroit.

Well, put yourself in Steve Eisenman shoes. You were kind of the perfect player, perfect captain. You start your management career. You go to Tampa and build that team into a franchise. That's been to four Stanley cups in the last 10 years. And now all of a sudden, you're in Detroit, you're having your plan unfold, and things aren't going well. And for the first time really in your life,

until I guess he broke through and won a Stanley Cup, I think he was 30, he had received criticism to that point, but not at all for the last 20 years. And I'm with you. I thought that that to me was a, an acknowledgement of the failures that this team has had, that that was basically his way of saying, I'm looking for answers.

I don't have them all, which I think is really interesting. I think their player evaluation and talent evaluation has been really poor. You know, it's one thing to get a free agent signing or a trade wrong here or there, but when you are repeatedly failing at the same position like they have on defense, that to me, it speaks to a larger overall issue,

either about the way you see the game or what you see in players when you go to make those decisions and then the other part connected to the coach is as you're building your team are you in lockstep with exactly what your coach is looking for in the style of play that your coach would like to have see like i look at the canucks and i say their front office and their coaching staff are completely symbiotic they it may not be happening as quickly for the coaching staff this year in terms of getting those players in to help fix some of the issues that they've had, but the way Rick Tockett wants to play

and the way the Canucks go about grabbing players to bring in, they're in lockstep. I don't think that same relationship has existed in Detroit. It hasn't existed in a lot of other places. And now you have an opportunity here with a veteran coach who's now on his fourth different franchise in Todd McClellan, who has a relationship with Steve Eisenman going back to his playing days. His last year in the NHL, McClellan was an assistant,

that perhaps you've got an opportunity to do it a little bit differently now and maybe, just maybe, take some advice from others and use more people on your staff, gather more opinions to make different decisions. Frank, this was great, man. I know you're up against it for time. We'll let you go and we'll do this again next week. Thanks, bud.

Sounds good, guys. Have a good one. You too, thanks. That's Frank Cervalli on Sportsnet 650, a presentation of Angry Otter Liquor, your headquarters for your favorite game day beer, wine, and whiskey. You can visit them at angryotterliquor.crs. I have a question for you because it seems

like all we've done today is just run down all the bad teams in the NHL. Are there any good ones? Are there any good teams in the NHL? Some good stories. Actually, you know what? No, no, no, seriously. Who's the best team in the NHL?

Winnipeg. Do you think they've got the best chance to win the Stanley Cup? I've watched them play about six or seven times this year, and every time I walk away more impressed than I was the last time, they've got... What are you impressed by? Their depth. Yeah.

Their depth is crazy. Like, Gabe Velarde is having an unreal season for them. He's the perfect net front presence. Drance and I were talking about it on Tuesday. He's basically a pointy game guy. He's got 17 goals. And he's like, what,

the third or fourth best forward on that team? I think Shifley, and it's funny because it's very clear. We were talking about this as well on Tuesday's show. He's very obviously pissed about getting snubbed from Team Canada. And he's like on his revenge tour now. He's been fantastic since he didn't make Team Canada. They've got the best goalie in the league, in Connor Hellebuck. Yeah.

If there's a weak spot, it's probably the blue line. But I look at their blue line compared to some. Pretty good number one in Morrissey. Yeah, like it's a good blue. It's maybe not as rounded as you'd like it to be, but you're really like splitting hairs. Who does have a good blue line in the NHL, right? Like you're like Vegas and...

Florida. Yeah, yeah. Florida's got a good one. There's not many teams though. Yeah. I wonder if people, you know, if I were to make a bet on a Stanley Cup winner and I would take the odds into account,

so I'm looking for value, you know, I'd take Tampa. Interesting. Because they've got, you can get them at like 18 to one. And I just really like. Sounds like somebody was looking at goal differential. Yeah, well, the goal differential is good.

And defensively, they're really good. And Vasilevsky is playing pretty well. He's got like a 9-14, say, percentage, which is pretty good nowadays, considering league average is, what, around 900 or something like that. As a value play, I think it's really smart. I really like that.

You know, in hindsight, you've got to love that move that they made bringing in Gensel and saying, this is going to be tough. But Stamkos, nope. And the Preds are in town on Friday to play the Canucks. Yeah, here, yeah. I remember the last time they were here. One of the awful, and there's a lot of them. That's true, actually.

Awful losses at home for the Vancouver Canucks this year. One of them was against that Nashville team. You know what? I wouldn't have thought Tampa Bay jumping front of mind for cup favorites or contenders, but as far as a savvy, off-the-board, good value pick, they're right there. All the numbers that they've got this year point towards them being a team

that you don't want to play in the playoffs. Yeah. Tell the listeners what Kipper wrote. Okay, so Nick Kiprios, who, by the way, in addition to being the host of the Kipper and Bourne show, 5 and 590 Sportsnet in Toronto, he's also a columnist for the Toronto Star. So big piece that came out this morning,

talking about the curious case of Austin Matthews. And we already ran through a lot of it. But at the bottom of the article, he's got a sort of like mini Kipper's notebook. Kipper's corner, they call it. A corner spelled with a K. That's clever. Anyway, Kiprios wrote, It's sounding like the Vancouver Canucks are leading towards a major roster change

as it becomes clear to management that the current roster, specifically feuding stars JT Miller and Elias Pettersson, cannot coexist. Don't be surprised if we start hearing the Canucks are willing to take calls on JT Miller. And that is the note. I've been back an hour and 20 minutes from my vacation and I feel like I never left.

I mean, it's out there. It's out there and it's because this particular story, the Pedersen v. Miller, whether you believe that it's real or fabricated by the media or the voices in your head, whatever the case,

know this. It's out there and it ain't just Vancouver talking about it. It's spitting chiclets. It's missing curfew. It's the Toronto Star. It's a top three story for a lot of these podcasts. It's daily face-off.

It's everybody's talking about it because it involves superstar players and it's got drama. It's salacious. It's teammates not liking one another. So you can say, we shouldn't be talking about this, or it's a media-created narrative. Whatever the case is, a narrative is a narrative, and it's out there.

Okay? And I'll tell you this, with the amount of people that have spoken on this who are either currently in the room or used to be in the room you can't say that this is a hundred percent media of course not media created i meanen used the media to send a very clear message that he's not happy with a number of things about the team and you can sit there and go well patrick alveen should be you know focus on his own task and try and fix the defense. And that's true. But for him to come out and say the things that he did specifically about Pedersen,

I know he lumped in JT Miller and Brock Besser, go read the transcript. It's actually kind of funny because IMAC, who is a good natured fella. There were a a couple times during the interview where he tried to bring it back to the positives like he was like what about keifer sherwood you know they're chipping in and patrick alvino was like yeah it's great that they were chipping in but it brings me back to the fact that our top players haven't yep the fact that we have had to lean on guys like keifer sherwood and pew surter it brings me back to um the problem that we have had to lean on guys like Kiefer Sherwood and Pew Suter. It brings me back to the problem that we've got with our top players. And that was about as critical as you could get

about a player that you've just signed to a massive contract extension. Think about what he said he said that Elias Pettersson um is not dealing with the pressure well and that when he says he's got to learn how to face the music that just that that jumped out at me. This is your franchise center that you've signed to a massive contract. And this is a guy that came from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. Have you ever heard anything like that said about Sidney Crosby, who we all know, that's the comparison figure that all these guys, Rutherford and Alvin and

talk it, they use it. That's, that's your standard for a franchise center. And that should be the standard for your franchise center because the Canucks are trying to win a Stanley cup for the first time in franchise history. I mean, I think what they gave Pedersen a massive deal.

And now what do we, a third of the season through the way through this contract like there's a lot left on it and they're basically saying like this guy doesn't face the music he's not he's not i don't know man it's it's massive and for people like i've just i mean my attitude now is like if you're blaming it on the media that's on you like that that that's a you thing you've got something going on where you're not able to accept reality right that's fine yeah deal with it yep you know i'm dealing with the realities of the team and yeah there are a lot of problems right now there's a lot of issues and you can finger point this is something we said in

hour one download the podcast you can finger point at everyone you can finger point at pd you can finger point at jt you can finger point at the coaching staff and the management group especially for the blue line that they put together but what do we always say well here's a cliche it starts with the top guys they got the connect's got a top guys problem right now you know what it's actually funny because one of the guys that um was referenced in the Q&A with IMAC from Patrick Alveen was Brock Besser. He's actually played very well lately. He's actually one of the top guys

that has been producing as of late. There's another thing that they've got to deal with. That's where I was going with that. That's a situation. Oh, yeah, and the Besser thing. The not-too-distant futures, they're going to have to sort that out. Okay, quick reset here on the Halford & Brough Show

on Sportsnet 650. We're at the midway point of our first show of 2025. Coming up on the other side of the break, Vancouver Giants General Manager Barkley Parnetta is going to join the program. Giants are back in action tomorrow, 7 o'clock for the Langley Events Center against Wenatchee.

Go to VancouverGiants.com. You can get tickets for tomorrow night's game. We'll talk to Barkley about that. We can use that as a jumping off point as well. For the other big game tonight, non-Canucks division, it is Canada versus Czechia in the fourth of four quarterfinals being played today at the World Juniors in Ottawa. So we can talk about that. 8 o'clock, Thomas Drance is going to join the program from Canucks Talk.

Canucks Talk goes at noon today. Drance and Dodd back together to kick off 2025. We will use that as a look ahead to tonight's game. 7 o'clock, Canucks and Kraken from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. We're also going to do what we learned in the final half hour of this program. Get them in now. Dunbar-Lumber text line 650-650. We can open this up to what did you learn over the last, I don't know, 72, 96 hours, whatever we missed going all the way back to 2024,

get them in. What did you learn over the last week in sports? Hashtag WWL Dunbar Lumber text line is 650, 650. We'll read what we learned at eight 30 in the final half hour of this program. It's your chance to be on the radio. You're listening to the Halford and Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Hey, it's Vic Nazar. Have your say and join me on the People's Show with big takes and even bigger bets weekdays 3 to 4 on Sportsnet 650

or wherever you get your podcasts. 7.32 on a Thursday. Happy Thursday, everybody. Happy New Year, everybody. You're listening to the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Halford & Brough in 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 2 of the program. Hour 2 is brought to you by Jason Hominick 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 exactly that. Visit him on the internet at Jason.Mortgage. Friendly reminder, tonight, a good sports night. Really good sports night tonight. You got the Canadian junior team in their quarterfinal. It's Czechia.

That's the early one, the appetizer, if you will. Do you think they're going to win? Sure, why not? I don't know. I am so not invested in that tournament. Why? I feel like it's just tired. Oh, okay. The whole thing.

I know what you mean. Yeah, it's like the coverage, the teams, the way that the Canadian team. Here's the thing. I love how they started off the tournament. It's like, here's a tragically hip song. You're like, all right. Okay.

They played the hits for this tournament many times. Well, there's no player right now that I'm particularly invested in on that Canadian team that I'm like, wow, this guy is amazing. Here's the thing. Maybe they're goalie. The reason that this thing was alluring, I think, to a lot of Canadians is because the Canadians were always the best at it. They were the best team there. They played like they were the best. They ran around like it mattered and they played with their hair on fire.

And there was a certain sense of the junior hockey was a specific type of hockey and the Canadians played it better than anyone and I remember watching those tournaments where Canada would be up five nothing in the first period then midway through the second it's like now it's five four like it was it's frenetic and it's chaotic but that was junior hockey and that's what it looked like and Canada was the best at it. A little too chaotic against the Americans though with all those bad penalties. Now I'd say the Canadian team is just sort of there. They're on par with a host of other countries

like they don't look more exceptional than any of the other ones. Doesn't that worry you that they're just there? Yeah. If I was watching them play Latvia and I know they outshot Latvia but Latvia had a lot of chances against them. They had to play well, and then you thought, okay, well, they're going to bounce back with a better effort against Germany.

Nope. They weren't that good against Germany, and then they played completely on discipline against the Americans. Say what you will about the tournament, whether or not you're into it at all, but they haven't been playing well. Yeah. We should bring in someone to talk about it yeah uh we're waiting on oh we're waiting on barkley i thought i thought he was like

on hold or something like that no no no okay on hold um yeah i don't know there so look for us there's really two ways to cover and analyze this particular term i think it goes for a lot of people in media it's that um you can talk about the nuts and bolts, game-to-game results, you know, Canada. And I know the roster selection has been a big talking point and everything. But then you take a step back and you talk about, like, what this tournament means, where it's been, where it's going.

And there's a lot of different factors. We can get into that on the other side, because we do have Barclay Parnette on the line now. Vancouver Giants general manager joins us here on the Halford and Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Morning, Barkley. How are you? I'm not bad, guys. How are you guys?

We're good. Thanks for taking the time to do this. We appreciate it. You know, it's funny. I was just talking about junior hockey and how there's this often a penchant for wild, crazy, frenetic games and crazy comebacks. And can you please tell me about this game you guys had against Victoria on Tuesday? So here's what I know.

You're down 6-2 in the third period. You score four consecutive goals to tie. You win it in a shootout. Were they playing the Canucks? Yeah, I was going to say. The Canucks and Kraken have nothing on you guys. You guys won this one, which is great. Tell me about this game against Victoria.

You know what? I was actually there. It was pretty interesting because, you know, in all honesty, I'm like, oh, this isn't looking good. This is not going well at all. And sure enough, all of a sudden, you know, you get a bounce. The momentum shifts. And, you know, I think Victoria,

I don't think they were expecting the comeback. And I don't think they could imagine it. And it just kept building and building. And it seemed like early in the game, Victoria were getting all the breaks. Like pucks were going in for them. And it just, it was like the whole shift in the game, everything just started going in for us. So it was, I mean, it was fun to watch. I'd prefer not to be a game that we have to come back five goals down,

but I don't know if I can really explain it because it's not like Victoria stopped playing. I've just, you know, we just ended up, things started going in and our passes started clicking. So it was kind of, it was, it was a fun game to watch. I'll tell you that a lot of the fans that made it over from Vancouver that were on the ferry, I know we're mentioning, Hey, that was a great game to watch. I'll tell you that a lot of the fans that made it over from Vancouver that were on the ferry, I know were mentioning, hey, that was a great game to watch. Great comeback. So entertaining to say the least.

What are you happy about with your team this season? I mean, we're heading into the new year. So what are you feeling good about when it comes to the Vancouver Giants? Well, I really like the group of players that we have. I think we have a lot of talent and skill. Now, having said that, I'm probably not happy with more than I'm happy with right now. I think that the consistency that our team has come with has been sort of sporadic.

I think on any given night, we're not sure what we're going to get. You know, in all honesty, I mean, it's not hard to see. I think that the two young goalies are sort of trying to find their path and we could use a little more consistency there as well. But, you know, when we're playing well, we're as good as any team in the league when we're connected. But we just haven't gotten that consistent role of games where it looks like we've figured it out and we're going to move forward. You mentioned the goalies and the fact that they are young. How difficult has

it been for them this season? Well, you know, I think it's hard that, you know, again, it's the same thing. One game, like we're not sure what we're going to get yet and they're still establishing themselves and it's our jobs as sort of people in the Westland Hockey League to help them develop it. The goaltending is a really strange position because in junior hockey, actually in any hockey whatsoever, you know, with players, there is a little more development in the sense that, you know, if you have a younger player

or a player that isn't doing as well, you can kind of plug them into places that sort of insulate them. But unfortunately, with goaltending, it's more of a performance driven position. So, you know, if the goalie isn't on, it's very obvious because you're on under the spotlight. So, you know, we're going to do our best to sort of bring it along here. And, you know, I think these, we have two great kids there, and they both work extremely hard, certainly not from lack of effort. And, you know, we just have to do our best to sort of shore it up and get them going.

Speaking of Vancouver Giants, General Manager Barclay Parnetta here on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Busy times as a general manager for you, Barclay. Trade deadline's coming up a week today, January the 9th. Set us up for what might be in store for the Giants going into the Jan 9 trade deadline. Well, I mean, there's the potential for some players to come in and players to go out. I mean, when you're where we're at and we're still looking for that consistency, I'm looking or we're looking to add things that will sort of help us be a better team.

You know, and you're always, as a general manager, you're always trying to improve the team. So whether we're heavily involved or lightly involved, I try to sort of stay in touch with all the GMs and obviously the areas of our team that I think we might improve, whether it's a defenseman or swapping in and out of forward or the goaltending, I'm always sort of trying to stay in the loop to see what's out there.

I'm sure you're busy with the day-to-day, but I got to ask how much attention are you paying to the world juniors that are on right now and specifically team Canada? Well, I mean, I'm part of the committee that helps in the selection process initially before it gets deep down the road and obviously have strong ties to hockey Canada, having been the manager of the Team Canada White at the U-17 so I pay a lot of attention to it so you know the one thing I can tell you from my experience in international hockey is is that

as much as the round robin you know it seems like the end of the world I mean as long as you get to those quarterfinals that's all that really matters. And, you know, from my experience, you know, you get to quarterfinals, all you've got to do is win those last three games and you're going to win a gold medal. So, you know, it's a different sort of, obviously you want to see the team playing

more connected. Obviously, the dumb penalties are killing them. Sort of, they look a little frustrated and almost spoiled, but that's a really good coaching staff there. I know they'll be working on that, and I think that you're going to see an improvement as we go on here. The Vancouver Giants are back in action tomorrow night.

That's Friday, 7 o'clock from the Langley Events Centre. Wenatchee's in town. If you want to get tickets, head to the website. Barclay, thanks a lot for doing this today. We really appreciate it. Good luck tomorrow night. Thanks, guys. Take care. If you want to get tickets, head to the website. Barclay, thanks a lot for doing this today. We really appreciate it. Good luck tomorrow night. Thanks, guys. Take care. Thank you. That's Barclay Parnetta here on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet

650. Okay, so the junior thing, just to kind of continue that train of thought that I was going on. Do you think you're tired of the tournament because you're getting old and you've seen it a bunch of times? I don't think... I think the tournament has evolved in a way that hasn't made it more aesthetically pleasing.

It hasn't made it more grabbing. It hasn't made it more catching. You could argue that it's actually gotten better because there's more parody and there's a better chance for other countries to win it. But that almost hasn't made it as good. And I know a lot of this has to do with the fact that I grew up watching Canadian teams come in and, you know, just like playing with their hair on fire and bang and smash and crash and bash

and do all this. You almost felt sorry for the other teams sometimes. You're like, oh my God, like these really dramatic world junior moments. And I watched the Canadian team play now and I'm like, this is tough to watch. Yeah, but I think that's part of the issue with this particular team. I don't know if that's tournament specific.

I'm watching this team right now and I'm sitting there going, what is this team supposed to be? Is it supposed to be ultra talented because it's a Canadian team? Well, if it's ultra talented, then that's a problem because it doesn't look very talented.

And maybe this is back in the day a little bit more but the canadian team for the most part would go in and just physically run over the other teams yes if they played a team like denmark or you know or or latvia you know some of these these minnow teams well do you remember what year it was the jonathan taves team likeaves team? I'm going back even before that, man. I'm going back before that. And I think that's another part of this thing. The tournament used to

be kind of like a, I don't want to call it a hidden secret, but it was like if you watched the World Juniors, there was something about it. It was like, you're in the know about hockey, right? Now it's very mainstream. It's gone very mainstream. There's nothing wrong with that. They've done a great job promoting that tournament

to the point that it is now. But anyway, going back to how Canada used to play at these tournaments, they would physically punish the other team. And there was like a specific Canadian brand that would be played and it would work at these tournaments. There was a level of intimidation. I don't know if the other countries caught up to that

and they were like, we can play that too. Or if- It doesn't look like anyone's playing physical hockey. Well, they're playing dumb hockey. They're playing physical hockey, but it's resulting in penalties. And I also think, to tell you the truth, I think that's another thing that's changed

about the tournament. International rules are far more restrictive now on what you can do physically. They are very, very punitive, for example, on head contact. It used to be that the Canadian team could run around and lay these hits where, again, you would sit there and go,

I kind of feel sorry for these other players because they're physic they're so physically outmatched like this almost seems like bullying but that i mean it was bullying it was just that type of hockey for canada but you know you and i are not prospects experts we can't tell, can't tell the listeners about all these players and the specifics, but I'm watching this. I'm like, who's supposed to be great on this Canadian team? And maybe it's just not a very good team. Remember that team, what year was it with Di Pietro in goal for them?

Was it like 2019 or something like that? The tournament that was here. The tournament that was here. The tournament that was here where they lost to Finland in the quarterfinals. If you're looking at that team right now, you know, who, the best players on that, it was like Morgan Frost was their leading goal scorer and you had Maxime Comtois and Cody Glass

and Owen Tippett. You know, Nick Suzuki was on that, and so was Alex Lafreniere and Evan Bouchard, and I think Noah Dobson was on that team. But if you look at that team right now, you're kind of like, well, maybe it just wasn't a very good group. It doesn't mean that Canada Hockey is in trouble or anything. It was just that particular year wasn't very good and maybe that's the case with this team because you know Gavin McKenna is I mean he's not even

getting drafted for two years and they lost one of their best players to injuries their best young players so I don't know maybe this group just they're just not that good I don't think there's one thing you can point to though to explain why we feel the way that we. I don't think there's one thing you can point to, though, to explain why we feel the way that we do. I don't think we're alone. I think a lot, I've seen this sentiment come into the Dunbar-Lumber text line at 650-650. I've read enough pieces. I've been on social media.

There is a general sense of, like, it's underwhelming. I think a lot of things have to do with it. A lot of people have texted in, international hockey is profoundly different when Russia isn't involved in it. And you could go back and look at the lineage of the great Canada-Russia battles with the world juniors, and you could definitely make that case. Hockey Canada has taken a lot of hits over the last five or 10 years in junior hockey in particular, right? There's a certain stain around that that I think has turned a lot of people off the tournament the tournament has also become something i think you hit on a really interesting point that it used to be smaller and niche in a good way instead of

playing it in nhl arenas in nhl cities with nhl ticket prices the coverage that it gets and i mean i'm not gonna spit on a competing broadcaster but it is presented as a it's huge it's massive it's massive and at certain one of the biggest productions in canada for the sports here it's a very big production right and sometimes you lose your charm when you get too big for your britches and i mean this across the board like outlandish ticket prices from what I've seen does not help because it's junior hockey. You're watching teenage guys

play hockey. Although part of the appeal is that these players are put on that big stage. Sure. And let's see how they handle the pressure. And part of the appeal

is also that some of these kids from whether it's Latvia or Germany they're very unlikely to play in the NHL get to have that experience where they're playing in front of 18,000 people you know that is but I I know what you mean like I I think I mean this is just maybe my memory but god when would this have been when John Slaney scored a goal for Canada in Saskatoon um and it was still I think when the tournament was around Robin it's not like 91 91 yep John Slaney the Newfoundlander, scored a goal from the point. And then, you know, because that arena was a little bigger than the average junior rank, it was full of Canadian fans

and it was going crazy. And for me, that was when it went from like, oh my God, this is cool. And if, you know, you're a real hockey fan if you're watching this tournament, to this is bigger than that. We've got about four minutes here before we turn things over to the 8 o'clock hour.

We're going to have Thomas Drance from The Athletic in Vancouver and Canucks Talk right here on Sportsnet 650. You did have something in the notes, and I'm stealing what we learned, but this is a good way to remind everyone to get their what we learns in hashtag at WWL. What did you learn over the last week in sports? Let us know. Dunbar-Lumber text line 650-650.

Seattle Seahawks are going to face Jimmy Garoppolo in Sunday's meaningless season finale. Although if you hear it and listen to head coach Mike McDonald, not meaningless for him because he wants to get a 10-win season on the

book. So I know that you were on vacation but after uh everything transpired on Sunday where the Seahawks were officially eliminated from the playoffs came in on Monday and kind of did a an autopsy and an obit on the season and just went back and we're like they missed the playoffs by one win. One win. And I went back and I'm like, I should have beaten the Giants. I cannot believe that they gave up 29 points in a home loss to Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. It is crazy when you look back on it.

Crazy that that happened. Unbelievable. Daniel Jones doesn't even play for the Giants anymore. The Giants have gone through eight different quarterbacks since then. They've had a miserable season, although they played really well on the weekend and Drew Locke had five touchdowns. We're going to have Brady Henderson on the show tomorrow,

and it'll probably be one of our last hits of the season with Brady because obviously the Seahawks aren't going to the playoffs. What are they going to do? Do you think there's going to be big changes? Well, they are in the midst. Are they going to need another offensive coordinator? I've seen a lot of talk about Ryan Grubb. But then before you do that,

don't you have to determine what you're going to try and be as a team? And for me, that starts with the quarterback. They're going to keep trying and improving the defense, obviously, right? And I think the defense has made strides. It's made big strides this year. It's made strides, for sure. If there's one thing you want to be excited about with McDonald's as a coach, it's that.

But I think Lockett will probably be gone. And then they have a decision to make on whether they want to commit long-term to DK Metcalf. But do you think – let's start with the quarterback position. Do you think Geno will be back next year? I think he will. I just don't know if there's another good option out there. That's the thing, right?

If they want to keep trying to make the playoffs and not take a step back and rebuild, which it's not the same as the NHL and NFL. It's not apples to oranges. Dramatically different. Or it is apples to oranges. I don't know. I think there's going to be a lot of Seahawks fans

that would be disappointed if Geno Smith is back next season. Probably. This is the way I've determined. This is what I came up with for Geno. Okay. He's the dumbest of the good quarterbacks. He makes a lot of... Which means he's a good quarterback,

but he makes some shocking decisions. Makes a lot of bad decisions at critical times. Yeah. It's like the Canucks blue line. Big, loud mistakes at the worst possible times. But I wouldn't call

the blue line good. Like, I would consider Gino, when he's on, I mean, he played some great games. Remember that game earlier in the season in New England? He was balling in that

game. Counting stats, he was great this year. He had good numbers. He just makes really... The dumbest of the good quarterbacks. Yeah, it's a fair way of putting it. I know, I know for a fact that some of this is on, as you alluded to, the

offensive coordinator and the play calling, and some of this is on, as you alluded to, the offensive coordinator and the play calling. Some of this is on DK Metcalf who seemingly has an inability to challenge for ball, like coming back to a pass as opposed to just waiting there and running wrong routes. That's been an issue this year to the point where he's clearly

the number two wide receiver to Smith and Jigba who's clearly the number one. But doesn't he help JSN? Just him being on the field helps. Yeah. For sure it does. The tick and the positive for Grubb as an offensive coordinator is the evolution of Smith and Jigba this year,

because he's been great. Yeah. The downside is short yardage, they've been terrible, terrible all year. I can't count the number of times they tried to go for it on fourth and one and couldn't get it done. What's that on? Offensive line? I think it's on the play calling. I can't count the number of times they tried to go for it on fourth and one and couldn't get it done. What's that on?

Offensive line? I think it's on the play calling. Also, are they going to have the conversation about Kenneth Walker out loud? Like, can we continue to count on him? I would not commit to him. It's tough. No. And here's the big picture for this team. The Seahawks are in their least competitive cycle that we've seen in decades.

This is the first time that they're going to miss the playoffs in consecutive years since 08-09. And remember, 08 was the last year of the Mike Holmgren era, and 09 was that one year of the terrible Jim Mora era. They went 9-23 over 08 and 09. And it was a dark time for the franchise. That was when Pete Carroll came aboard and took him out of it. I wouldn't classify what they're in now as a dark time,

but I'm very, very confused as to what direction they're going to go in. Because if you keep Geno a quarterback, you're kind of going to be this, there's a ceiling to where you can go, I think. I don't think that you can be a Super Bowl contender with him a quarterback. Well, the offensive line needs to improve. I mean, that's just the bottom line.

If they want to consider themselves not only a playoff team, but a contender once they get to the playoffs, if the offensive line doesn't improve, we can talk as much as we want about Gino's bad decision making let's be honest to be fair to Gino half the time he's dropping back he's like immediately running for his life there was a couple games where they did play well as an offensive line that game against Arizona where they played really well and they're opening up holes they They just don't play well enough.

And Jose Charbonneau was hitting those holes. They just don't play well enough consistently to be like a high-end team. Do you know how many playoff wins the Seahawks have in the last eight seasons? One. They've won one playoff game in eight years. What was the win? It was... What one was it?

They've won one playoff game and have won one NFC West title in the last eight years. Like they are not. They're the Seahawks before the Legion of Boom. That was always the Seahawks. Yeah. Okay. We're going to go to break. I will find out who that playoff was against because I completely blanked in the moment.

On the other side, Thomas Trance from the Athletic Vancouver. You're listening to the Halford and Brough Show on Sportsnet 650.