Halford & Brough in the Morning - This Canucks Team Is Resilient

Episode Date: November 17, 2025

In hour one, Mike & Jason look back at the previous day in sports, including a big 6-2 Canucks road win over Tampa (3:00), plus they look ahead to tonight's 'Nucks matchup at Florida, as Panthers reporter George Richards (26:26) joins the show.  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.

Whoa. Wait a minute. Huh? Hold up. What? Oh, okay. Did we just lose a fucking Canucks? Da-na-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. You're listening to Halford and Brough. Boot on the way. It's fading. right. It's bleed right. It's no good. And the Rams are in first place in the NSC West. Cutting to the middle of the ice. Pressure by Gore took a shot. They score. Quinn Hughes from the line, ripped it to the net, and it's Drew O'Connor at the top of the crease. What is it? A tortoise and the hair? That's what it was. It was a tortoise and the hair.

Good morning, Vancouver, 601 on a Monday. Happy Monday, everybody. It is Alfred. It is Broughton. It is Sportsline 650. And we are coming to live. from the Kintech Studios and beautiful Fairview Slopes in Vancouver. Good morning, Jason, and welcome back. Good morning. Edog, good morning to you. Good morning. And Liddy, good morning to you as well.

Hello, hello. Halperd and Brub of the morning is brought to you by Sands and Associates. I don't have the read in front of me, so I'm just going to have to say, Sands and Associates, vizth.com. We are an hour one of the program. I do know that read off the top of my head.

Hour one is brought to you by North Star. Nothing has changed here, huh? North Star Metal Recycling, Vancouver's Premier Metal Recycle pays the highest prices on scrap metal. There it is. North Star Metal Recycling. They recycle you get paid. Visit them at 1170 Powell Street in Vancouver. We are coming to you live from the Kintech studio, Kintech, footwear and orthotics working together with you and step. Sands and Associates, let me try that again.

Learn how a consumer proposal could get you on the road to being debt free in just two weeks. Visit them online at sands dash trustee.com. Big show ahead on a Monday. We got four guests on the horizon. Begins at 630 this morning. George Richards is going to join the program. Our good buddy from Florida hockey now. Tonight, it's the Canucks and the Panthers.

4 p.m. puck drop. Panthers are coming off a loss on Saturday to that same Tampa Bay team that the Vancouver Canucks dispatched up yesterday. We'll talk to George about all that. Panthers preview at 6.30. Yeah. I wonder what life has been like without Barkoff

because he's done for the season. They haven't had Kachuk either. Yeah, it's been very 500-ish, which we'll talk about later in the show is a theme throughout the National Hockey League right now. A lot of teams floating around the mushy middle. George Richards is going to join us at 6.30 at a preview tonight's game against the Panthers. 7 o'clock, Mike Tanier is going to join the program.

Our NFL insider from the two deep zone, wild Sunday in the NFL, including Seattle's disappointing, 21 to 19 loss to the Rams in L.A. You heard the call in the intro there. Lots of other news to get into, tons of developments at the QB position league-wide. We'll get into that with Mike at 7. 7.30. Justin Dunk is going to join the. program. SportsNet three down nation CFL reporter. Trevor Harris, the MVP, led the Saskatchewan

Rough Riders to their fifth gray cup of all time and their first since 2013 with a win over the Al's in Winnipeg on Sunday. We'll recap the game with Justin and do a CFL season wrap at 7.30 this morning. Finally, 8 o'clock, Satyar Shaw, Canucks Central

Pre and Post Game host on Sportsnet 650. As mentioned earlier, Canucks are right back in action tonight 4 o'clock from the Amerit Bank Arena in Sunrise. We have Canucks coverage on this station today from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. All Canucks, all consecutively, brunch, talk, central, pregame, postgame, the actual show. We got it all. Also, this morning, A-Dog is very excited. It is the debut of this Satyar Shah jingle. Oh, yeah. That's right. Working in reverse on that guest list, 8 o'clock Satyar Shah. 7.30, Justin

Dunk. 7 o'clock, Mike Tanier, 630, George Richards. That's what's happening on the program. today. Laddie. Lettie, let's tell everybody what happened. Hey, did you guys see the game last night? No. No. What happened? I missed all the action because I was... We know how busy your life can be. What happened? Missed it?

You missed that? What happened? What happened is brought to you by the BC Construction Safety Alliance. Making safety simpler by giving construction companies the best in tools, resources, and safety training. Visit them online at BCCSA.ca.c.a. We will begin with the Vancouver for Canucks and in one of maybe the most improbable results of the season, given how the game was going, Quinn Hughes had four assists in his return from injury, and the Canucks scored six count of six straight goals to win six two against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa on Sunday

afternoon. As I tweeted out, I cannot imagine the odds of this final score of six to two for the Canucks after the first period in which the Lightning took a one-nothing lead and held the Canucks to just one shot on goal. And they had 13 to 1 in shots. I think the shot attempts were, I don't know, 100 to 3 or something like that. It was crazy. And the odds became even longer after Jake Gansel scored to make it 2-0 early in the second. But Kevin Lankinen kept the lightning from running away from it.

And that's something that the Canucks, to their credit, have done quite a bit this season. They have kept games close. and the Lightning did have their backup goalie Jonas Johansen in net and he would become a factor in that. The Canucks made it 2-1 on the power play after Elias Pedersen made a neat move at the point to put himself in position to shoot and shoot he did. And while he didn't score, Jake DeBrusk was in position to bang home the rebound for his sixth power play goal of the season. That's all he does is score power play goals.

Score goals in November, it's what he does. Well, except if they're even strength. But it's good. You need a power play guy. Still, it really didn't feel like the Canucks were going to win after two periods. They finished that second period with just seven shots total. And when the third started, the team announced that Connor Garland, who'd had a fight earlier in the game and maybe gotten a little banged up in the Carolina game,

he would not return to the game. And everyone went, well, it's not a Canucks game without a guy that wouldn't return to the game because he was hurt. But it was another power play goal for the Canucks in the third that tied it. Sherwood got the credit, but it was really a lucky bounce

off a lightning defender that beat Johansson. Then 43 seconds later, the Canucks took the lead after the Lightning couldn't clear it. McKeckern, I like McKinsey McCleckering. I like him.

I've been looking for a new Tyler Mott for a while now and maybe McKenzie McKeckern's it. He hopped on it, put it on net, and Linus Carliners. Carlson, the birthday boy, tipped at home. And during the time we were all expressing amazement that the connects were actually winning this game, they scored again.

Yet another tip. You got to get to the net, kids. Get to the net. This one by Drew O'Connor, who's up to five goals on the season. Remember when we were asked, we were like, what would you say what you do here, Drew O'Connor? Since then, he's answered that. He's up to five goals. Lightning did make a slight push and even looked like they made it for.

four three after an extended shift in the Canucks end, but the Canucks challenge that there had been a high stick much earlier in that shift, and they won the challenge. And that was probably a sign that the Canucks, the Canucks would not be denied in Tampa. McKeckern made it 5'2 on yet another tip shot, and Marcus Pedersen ad in an empty netter. And we were all left wondering what the hell had just happened.

To answer that question, let's throw to Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Cooke. Cooper, who rather eloquently explained exactly what went down after his team got out to a 2-0-0 lead and somehow lost 6-2, giving the Canucks credit along the way. Here's Lightning Head Coach John Cooper after a 6-2 lost to your Vancouver Canucks on Sunday afternoon. I have to give Vancouver all the credit in the world.

I mean, they're down halfway through a hockey game. They're down 2-0. They probably, we probably had more goals than they had shots on that, halfway through the game. And what did they do? They just kept going and they kept trying and they just kept going understanding a game of 60 minutes, not 30. And then the other team is up to feeling pretty good about themselves to the point where, you know, it's like the, what is it, the tortoise and the hair. That's what it was.

It was a tortoise in the hair And one team got comfortable And in this league Was the second that happens You're done And we got comfortable They stuck with it And the right team won the game

You know if they ever want to reboot Mr. Rogers I think Coop He had the book with him He opened it up It's like this book Tortoise and the hair Tortoise and the hair

You see that You see the picture of the tortoise there He put on a cardigan For his post game meeting We're back in a compliment though geez Is Coop Pauling the Canucks slow? Are we the...

You know, the other team, there are the tortoises. Are we the hair? What are you talking about? The tortoises, the guy, he's the guy with the grit. He's the guy with the stick-to-itiveness, the hair. Do you guys not understand this? The hair is all, gets off to a big lead, gets cocky, you know? There's nothing... There's should be the headline.

Tampa Bay Lightning Coach calls the Canucks the slowest animal of all time. I would like to point out that they still won because they stuck to it. Yeah, stuck to it. And he's wearing a Teenage Mutin Ninja Turrell shirt as well. So the symmetry is really, yeah, it's off the charts right now. Look, I wanted to play that clip for a particular reason, one, not just because it was like somewhat insightful. But I will say this about a Kinnock's team that we have at times through the early

stages of this season been critical of. They do not have a ton of talent. They're not the most dynamic, high-flying team, but they do have a stick to itiveness and at times. know this is a buzzword last week, resilience about them that is admirable and is a lot different than last year's team. We oftentimes we chided last year's team

for how unlikable they were, right? And it started with the Pedersen Miller Rift that threw everything apart, but it was also the countless flat lifeless performances on home ice and getting blown out. Getting blown out with regularity and showing no fight and no grit. And let's be honest,

you pointed it out pretty eloquently at the start there, this could have gone really badly for them. It's hard to get more outplayed than they did in the first period in Tampa, but through a variety of reasons, they were still alive after one. And Cooper said it, like, they never seemed to let the situation of the game, the ice being tilted as it was, dictate how it was going to go, because on the scoreboard, it was still within reach, and they just kept going and going and going. I do think a lot of that has to do with the guys that are deploying right now.

They have a lot of lunch bucket guys in the lineup right now, right? Well, Kevin Lankinen, too, I thought played really well. And I think the Lightning missed some opportunities themselves. They took their foot off the gas. But let's start with Kevin Lankinen because Yuri Patera was the backup yesterday. And I mean, I would imagine that Patero would get the start tonight in Florida against the Panthers. I would think it would be almost irresponsible to play Lankan and risk. an injury? I mean, how many goalies play three games in four nights, let alone just like one

back to back? I know what happens once in a while, but earlier in the day yesterday, Patrick Galvin, the general manager, spoke to the media, and among the many injury updates he provided, he added that Demko is week to week with his latest injury, and week to week can mean not coming back for a while, right? And I know you never want to be satisfied and just be like, well, whatever, it doesn't matter about this game. But the Kinecks, you know,

this has been a tough road trip, but they've got a point out of Carolina, they got two out of Tampa. Aren't you just kind of okay with what you've done on this road trip? And I don't know, maybe Patera goes in there. I mean, knowing Vancouver, he'll go in there and play really well. And people are like, should we sign Patera to a long-term contract, you know, like, is, isn't he better than Dempco or, you know, something like that?

Like, you just never know with these guys. Now, Butera is my best friends. Right. I mean, I, I know that, you know, a few people have suggested that Lankinen might play all these games, but I don't know. I think that would be, you know, look, put it this way. The Canucks have made some gambles this year. Sure have.

One of them being that Heidel could stay healthy. being that Demko could stay healthy and they've lost both those gambles. Maybe they should stop gambling because I feel like overplaying Lankinen not only risking an injury but also risking that he loses his effectiveness, he gets tired, his technique falters, like that's a gamble you don't want to lose at this point. This whole season though, if you think about it, is a bit of a gamble because the stakes are so incredibly high with needing to make the playoffs and it being

a referendum season for Hughes and it really does feel even though we're still not at the 20 game mark that every single point they can scratch and fight and claw matters to this group and I think at a larger level to the coaches and to the executive as well they all understand the stakes. So

I'm not trying to counter what you're saying. It does feel wild that they would play Lankinen 3 and 4 but we had Drance on the show last week and he suggested that would be they'd go Lankin Lanken and Lankin and Lankin. Dahlie Wall also suggested it on Friday. And I don't know if these were the two individuals' opinions,

if they had some sort of intel. Greg suggested that they play Patera, and you liked him going all the way back to his junior days. He just hasn't played a ton. No. And I guess it is a bit of a tall, like your first game in this long time, you're also going up against the defending Stanley Cup champion,

two-time defending Stanley Cup champions in their own barn. But look at your options. He's played, you know, other than Ty Young, I think the most minutes in Abbotsford. So he's the fresh. guy you've got. Okay. So that's one question we've got for tonight. Two more. Will Connor Garland be able to play tonight? And will David, are we going with Kempf? Kempth. David Kempth. Kemp. The new Kinnock Center, they signed after he left

Toronto and they terminated their deal. Will he play tonight? Well, I guess I don't know what's going to happen this morning. We're going to have to wait and see on everything. Camp arrived yesterday hours before the Tampa Bay game, so obviously couldn't take part in that game. You mentioned Connor Garland there. Garland exited yesterday's game after the fight with Taylor Radish, one of my favorite names.

And that's another thing that I want to throw out there in terms of this group being very resilient and not blinking in the face of adversity. I've lost track of times that key players have exited games for this team through the first 20 games of the season. It feels like it happens, Jason, honestly, every single game that a key guy exits. Sometimes they return, like Hughes did a few nights ago. Sometimes they don't, like Garland did yesterday. But the team, and this has got to be credit to the coaching staff, and especially Adam Foote, they just keep going. They're like, okay, he's not here anymore. Next man up, let's go play. When Garland- It's happening all around the league, too, though.

Like, being away, I get, I still get my work emails and I check them once in a while. And, you know, at when you work for Sportsnet you get like updates on your email about things that have happened right and it was like almost like every email it seemed like this guy left the game he's hurt like whether it's like Charlie McAvoy

I don't know Drew Dowdy these are just the recent ones that are coming to mind and then it's like Jack Hughes cut his finger off you're like like what what is going on in the in the NHL this year I mean the Connects just played a Tampa Bay Lightning team that was missing a bunch of

of key guys, although they got I guess it was Hegel that returned. They got Hegel back. They got Hegel back, but Sirelli was still missing. Headman was still missing and then, well, I don't know if it is because I mean they're playing tonight against the Florida Panthers. I don't think the condensed schedule had anything to

do with Barkoff being out for the season and the Kachuk injury is going back to last season. So like there's all these teams missing guys but it might be the condensed schedule that's causing some number. I'm just saying guys like having to play so many games. I know.

It's a short period of time. And where's your body down? Here's the bigger. Exactly. Should the Canucks play Lincoln in tonight? Like, if that is the case, like maybe don't push it. Unless you're Jack Hughes, then it's just don't go out for dinner, I guess. Right.

Stay away from glass. But I think the bigger talking point isn't necessarily that the injuries are happening because it's happening league-wide. I think the really interesting thing is going to be which teams deal with it better than others. Because it's almost to the point now where you have to expect that you're going to suffer an injury a week. Like, that's the ratio right now. for some of these teams where you are losing a guy on a weekly basis, do you have

the depth within your organization? But I think more importantly, the mentality that you're not going to let it sink you, right? I don't know if everyone's been paying attention to what's going on Montreal, but Montreal's had a rash of injuries over the weekend. Now the most reason was Kirby Doc

on the weekend as well. He's out for like a couple months now, yeah, they've suffered about three really big long-term injuries in the last couple days. If you look at the results that they've had, especially last week we were talking about on the show, like they really went through a rut where they lost four or five and they were giving up goals left and right.

If you're able to withstand the losses and keep your heads above water, it can really be a beneficial thing, not just in terms of like treading water while the guys are hurt, but it also allows some of these secondary and tertiary guys to step up and let's be honest, do things in play roles that they otherwise wouldn't have had.

Like McKinsey McKeckren's a great example, right? I didn't even know he was in the organization before he was called up. And it's a guy that- But he's looked good to me. We had a soccer game during the Canucks game yesterday. Two guys asked me, they're like, who's McKeckern? And I'm like, well, and then I started explaining to him.

Like, you want to Stanley Kelp with the Blues back in 2019, but he's a guy that's just kind of been around for a while. Can we play the McEckern audio, though? Because he also talks about what happened after that first period you were talking about where the lightning out shot the Canucks 13 to 1. I actually think they got an extra shot added during the intermission. So it made the clock look even more lopsided. So in this post-exed.

game media walkoff interview with Olivia MacDonald. Mackenzie McKeckern talks about what was said between periods, not just from Adam Foote, but some of the veteran players on the team. Here is one of yesterday's heroes, McKinsey McKeckern, following a 6-2 win against Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon. I think it speaks foulings of the character in the room. We didn't like how we really played in Carolina, and we didn't have a great start to the game today.

And the older guys in Foote kind of gave us a message after the first. It's time to step up and see what we really are. And I think we kind of answered the bell there, which is good to see. So let's turn our attention now to the newest member of the Vancouver Canucks, David Camp. We mentioned him earlier in this segment, but I would presume that he's going to, at the very least, get a shot to draw into the lineup tonight,

if not entirely. Yesterday, one of the wrinkles that the Canucks had going into that Tampa Bay game was Max Sisson got bumped up to the second line center position, which moved Lucas Reichel down to the four C. And I would suggest that the next step for Lucas Reichel is upstairs in the press box. Unless he has to replace Connor Garland on the wing.

And there's that. right that may be a possibility like you're smirking when you say it but it may be true that may be what happens i'll be honest with you i have trouble like noticing rickle at all watching the games i'm with you on that one like last night i was like what number is he again he is not he's not even had flashes he's the new what would you say you do around here guy yeah i have no idea he doesn't contribute well he was traded to vancouver for not much Right? And I know Alvin has said we're going to work with him. He's still young. He's still got potential. But right now he's not doing much in the lineup. But hopefully David Kempf can. And here's Patrick Alvin on the Canucks New Center. I think our young guys have taken steps and played well. But I think in the game, you need an experienced guy with him having 500 plus games. Very reliable. The communication here would add.

Adam and what Adam seen in David and the familiarity here, we felt that he will upgrade or line up. And it's up to the coach, how to use him and where to play him here. So he's obviously going to be used on the PK and hopefully he can help the PK because even though it did a good job against a lightning yesterday, so I had one good Canucks chuckle. kind of watching the highlights on my phone when I was on vacation

and the one good Canucks chuckle I got at their expense was when Carolina scored on the PK in approximately three seconds and Shorty's voice was just like and there it is, there's a goal like it was like face off one

was a Svetnikov that scored he like dashed to some open ice and the Canucks were like I didn't see him dashed there and there's like a massive seam wide open and he gets the pass from the point and it's and it's in the net like they you know like

Brock Bessor has been killing penalties and you know Jake DeBrask and even though those guys might still have to kill penalties we're only conucks are only bringing in one guy like they need a guy who's you know who's actually done it before and done it well

because you know suitor's not there anymore Joshua is not there anymore bluger it doesn't sound like he's going to be back anytime soon. Alvin also gave an update on him and is it still week to week for Teddy Blugher, right? Derek Forbort is still out. So, you know, anything they can do to help the PK and also maybe take off some of the defensive load from Elias Pedersen because as much,

you know, Pedersen did make a very nice move on the power play and, you know, set up the Jake DeBresco. At five on five, he's still not doing anything. And, and, and, some of that is because he's got so many defensive responsibilities right now. Leading the NHL in block shots. Still has, he's up to 17 points in 20 games. Yeah, yeah, no, no, no. Yeah, that one caught me off. But guess how many at five on five?

I don't know. Five. That's it, right? And again, like, he has had other responsibilities. And, you know, sometimes I do think that with his confidence issues with the puck that are hoping, hopefully alleviating a little bit. Like he's almost wanted those defensive responsibilities because he's like, well, you know, I'm not very good with the puck right now.

So I want to contribute in some way. So I'm going to play a little more conservatively. And I'm going to stay behind the puck. And what happens when you're good positionally? You stay behind the puck. Well, you're probably going to block some shots. 27 faceoffs, too, he took against Tampa Bay, 1,15 of them. So, yeah, he was a busy guy, not necessarily on offense.

So he did finish with a pair of assists. But it was another good performance for him and the Vancouver Canucks. They are back in action tonight. 4 o'clock puck drop from Florida of the Amerit Bank Arena. A reminder, all game day coverage here on SportsNet 650 is brought to by Panago. Go for the win

by two medium Panago pizzas and score free cheesy bread. Use code Canucks deal at panago.com. You should pentago for it. Restrictions apply game day deal only. First half hour of the program is in the books. Coming up on the other side of the break,

George Richards from Florida Hockey Now is going to join the program. We'll preview. Tonight's Canucks game, 4 o'clock from Florida. It's the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second of a back-to-back. Don't go anywhere. George Richards coming up next. 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 Canucks.

Exclusive interviews, inside info, and even the post-game show. Listen 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays and on-demand through your favorite podcast app. Sixthirty-three-three-three-three-three-on-a-month-three-three-three-on-a-mundy-three-three-on-a-money. Happy Monday, Halford Brough of SportsNet 650. Halford and Brough of the morning is brought to you by Sands and Associates. Get out of the penalty box of debt and back into the game with a financial fresh start. Visit them online at sands-trustee.com. We are still an hour one of the program.

George Richards from Florida Hockey Now is going to join us in just a moment here. To preview tonight's Canucks game, Canucks Panthers 4 o'clock from Florida, you can hear it all right here on SportsNet 650. First hour of this program is brought to by North Star Metal Recycling. Vancouver's premier metal recycler pays the highest prices on scrap metal. North Star Metal Recycling, they recycle, you get paid. Visit them at 1170 Powell Street in Vancouver. To the phone lines we go.

Our next guest is from Florida hockey now. Good friend of the program, George Richards joins us now on the Halford & Breath Show on SportsNet 650. Morning, George. How are you? I'm good. What's going on? Oh, not much. Just trying to recap last yesterday's game in Tampa Bay. then preview tonight's game in Florida, from the Florida side of thing.

So can you give us the story, a snapshot, if you will, of the Panthers season thus far? They're 9-8-1, they're 6 in the division. They, like so many other teams in the NHL, appear to be keeping their heads above water in the early stages.

But walk us through it. Give us some detail about this start to the Florida Panthers season. Yeah, I think you just kind of summed it up. They're just keeping their heads above water and trotting along. I think Paul Maurice, first day of training camp, you know, kind of said that, you know, the season was going to be a

grind for the Panthers, and, you know, they've played 300-something games in the past three seasons going to the final, you know, the last three, and, you know, they've played more hockey than any team in NHL history during a three-year period, so maybe it's catching up to them a little bit, you know, they kind of see the schedule, and there are games where there seems to be a little bit of disinterest, but listen, you know, some games they get up for, some games they, you know, they don't really seem to. And, you know, offense has been a bit of a problem.

I mean, you've got Bradmarshand. You can almost count on every single night. I don't know if anybody saw that coming, but that's been about it. Life without Barkov. What's that been like? It's been rough. I mean, you know, obviously,

that was a huge, that was a huge hit to the Florida Panthers when Sasha Barkoff got hurt on a non-contact injury, you know, first practice day for them in training camp for the veteran guys, his right knee just kind of buckled and everybody knows how good he is and what his value is to the Panthers. Florida's had to play without Barkov in the past, but maybe for a, you know, five, six, seven games, whatever, and they've been able to survive that. But going through that for, you know, the entirety of a season or however long it's going to be, he's an impossible guy to replace. I mean, he's your top penalty killer. He's your top defensive forward, you know, so much runs through him

that you just can't replace him. Guys are trying to pick up the slack and trying to, you know, chip away at some of the responsibilities that he had. But as a whole, I mean, it's a gigantic hole. What has been the discussion about at least trying to replace him in terms of, like, well, let me back up a bit. Is there any chance he could return for the playoffs? And if there isn't, is there a trade that they can make that can attempt to replace what he brought? Well, the only way they could do something like that is if they, you know, is if they declare that he is out for the playoffs.

And that determination is not going to come for a while. And it doesn't need to be. I think when you see how much parity there is in the NHO, just looking at the standings, who's selling right now? nobody i mean because you know with the exception of a couple teams everybody's still in it so um you know you're not going to be doing that till till the deadline till after the Olympics and then you can kind of make that determination um you know whether you declare that he's out and then you get it to you know 10 million dollars back um you know right now they've got the 3.8 million

exception or whatever it is um for barkov but you know listen he's working out three, four, five times a day, whatever it is. He's, you know, the Florida Panthers medical staff is working overtime because of Barkoff. He seems to be, think, be of the mind that he's going to be back. You know, he was in a week out of surgery, and he's telling the head coach of the Miami Heat that he'll be back in six months when everybody else is saying seven to eight or nine, right? So he seems to think that he's going to be back. And, you know, the Florida Panthers are just going to wait and see what happens.

But as far as trading to get someone, I mean, you know, the Panthers really don't have a whole lot of draft, you know, draft capital to trade. And who's out there? Who couldn't you get? It just doesn't seem to be feasible. Tell us about a couple guys. You mentioned one, Brad Marchant, and the other I want to know about is Sam Bennett because, both of these guys were on Team Canada at the Four Nations, and all the debate about who should be on

and who should be left off of those rosters is going to kick into overdrive soon. And, you know, Brad Marchand, I wondered like, oh, could he be a guy that maybe they look at and say, well, I don't know if you're going to be able to keep up to the pace. You're getting older and older. And then Sam Bennett, who was such a key part of Canada at Four Nations, he doesn't seem to be off to the greatest start,

at least statistically, just, Five points in 18 games. Yeah, Brad's certainly showing that he wants to be on that team Canada, right? I mean, he's just been unbelievable for Florida. He comes into tonight's game against the Canucks with a 10-game point streak. He's got, I think, nine goals during that time. You know, he's been, you know, the one player you can count on every night to do something. even a couple nights ago when he got to a thousand points he gets two assists in the third period

and he didn't really play a very good game but he ends up with two assists he's just putting up points every night I you know I would think that he's on team Canada just because of what he means I mean you look at what he did in the playoffs as well so I mean you know Brad's a gamer there's no doubt about it then you go to Sam Bennett who is off to a rough start to this season He got the new contract here in Florida coming off the Kahn-Smith Trophy. And, you know, he had an unbelievable postseason. And listen, you know, he and Brad were a big part of that Four Nations team playing together on a line there.

And, you know, Sam, by all accounts, was, you know, the last forward picked for that Four Nations team before, you know, injuries or whatever. But, you know, he was one of those last guys that was taken. and it paid off. I mean, I don't think he played in the opener, but then he played in the final games and, you know, was terrific for Canada. So we'll see what the decision is there.

There are a lot of forwards that are vying for those last couple spots there. But, yeah, based on what he did in the playoffs and, you know, his relationship, I would be hard-pressed to see him not on the team. We're speaking to George Richards from Florida Hockey now. preview of your tonight's game. Canucks Panthers 4 o'clock. You can hear it all right here on SportsNet 650,

just to sort of follow up on the Bennett thing there. I'm curious what Paul Maurice has said. He's got players that have stepped up. Marchand's one of them for sure. But with all these guys out of the lineup, the fact that Bennett and Carter Verhege have combined for five goals in 18 games, has the coach gone down the road of, you know, voicing his concerns about this?

Or is he sort of understanding that with all, all these guys out of the lineup, it's going to be tough sliding for everybody. Yeah, listen, we've asked, and it's one of those things where, you know, the old hockey Agile, you know, they're getting opportunities, right? It's not like they're not around the net and having chances. The puck's just not going in, that kind of thing. And maybe it's just that simple. I think we've seen Carter Verhege in the past couple weeks have grade A chances that just

have not gone in. and it was similar to what happened with Verhege last season. I think throughout the regular season, you know, Verhegey was a little snake-bitten, you know, struggled to score throughout the regular season. But then when the playoffs came, you know, it was, you know, Carter Verhegey was back on track. Same with Sam Bennett.

So, yes, that is certainly a concern for the Panthers because you need those guys. Those guys are, you know, two of your, higher paid players, you know, and they just are not producing the points, but, you know, for as far as the Panthers are concerned, you know, they see them, you know, doing the right things and being in the right positions to succeed, and they feel like eventually it is going to come. With all of these increased opportunities for guys, who's someone that stepped up, who's someone

we should be keeping an eye on tonight that maybe we're not all that familiar with as the Canucks take on the Panthers at 4. Well, I think the, you know, when it, when it comes to who's taking the most responsibilities in Sasha's absence, it's, you know, Anton Lundell, you know, young player, you know, Florida's usual third-line center. He plays with Marshaun and Et Toulouse to Rhin. That, you know, third line last year in the playoffs may have been Florida's best in many ways. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto, Carolina, Edmonton had no answer for that line

and how successful it was and they have just continued that into the regular season and they've kind of morphed into Florida's top line this season because they are producing at a very high level. All three players are, you know, every time those guys are on the line,

on the ice, you know, they are very noticeable. And as far as Lundell goes, You know, when he was drafted, we, you know, we, you know, called him baby barky because he's kind of a mirror image of Sasha Barkov, you know. And, you know, he's been absolutely terrific for Florida this year. You talk about the Olympics. He was, you know, on Finland's four nations team last year, and we expect him to be in Italy this year. Anton Lundell, 15 points in 18 games so far for the Panthers this year, second leading score on the team.

Thanks for doing this today, man. We appreciate it. Enjoy the game tonight. Should be a good one. We'll catch up later on in the season. All right. Good talking to you. Yeah, likewise.

Thanks, George. Appreciate it. That's George Richards. Panthers reporter from Florida Hockey now here on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet, 650. The team Canada decisions are going to be fascinating. And I'm not just talking about in goal.

And, I don't know, if you want to talk five seconds about in goal, you can't have Bennington on the team right now. Hopefully not. statistically the worst NHL goalie right now if you look to go to like Money Puck and you see like goals saved above expected or below

he has been dreadful but you know that would be Samuel Montembow well yeah I mean I think and anyway I don't I don't want to get sidetracked by the goaltending because that was always going to be a debate but look at all these guys

I'm just going to just read some scoring leaders Salabrini, third among Canadian forwards in points. Bardard is fourth. Mark Schifley wasn't on that four nation team. He's got 24 points in 18 games. Bo Horvatt, 23 points in 19 games. You know, Nick Suzuki, I think, has to be on the team with how well he's played.

Was Wyatt Johnston on that Four Nations team? I don't think he was, right? I think Tom Wilson needs to be mentioned. as a candidate to be on that team. And then, you know, you've got guys like that were on the team, like Sam Bennett, who we just talked about, can you put him on the team with the season he's having right now? Travis Kinectney, no chance he's on that team. No chance.

Seth Jarvis hurt? Seth Jarvis got a stick to the eye while playing the Vancouver Canucks the other night. Yeah. You know, Mark Stone. It wasn't as serious as it looked on the ice. So I thought he was in serious danger when he went down. Right. But they said it's going to be shorter term.

Well, I mean, like, I, you know, is he, is he, I don't know how well he's playing this season. I have no, I'm no idea. I should know, but I don't. Mark Stone, I know, is heard again. He was on fire before he went down. He had like 13 points in six games. But even if he gets healthy in time for the Olympics, can you bring him aboard? Do you bring, I mean, we mentioned the forwards and the goalies.

What about the defense? Do you put Schaefer on that team at 18? There's big talk. The biggest question for Hockey Canada and the selection committee is going to be how much stock they put in the first three and a half months of the NHL regular season. Well, they've said they're going to put stock into it because they didn't for the Four Nations team. They're just flat out, we're not guys that played their way onto that team based on what they did from October to January. They went, I mean, it felt like, correct me if I'm wrong, but it felt like it went with the team that they had pre-selected going into the season. There was a lot of decisions where guys were like, I'm not sure he should be there.

Maybe this isn't the guy, but they seemed like they were going to go with the sort of, I'd call it like the trustworthy group. We know these guys. We trust them. Maybe they're not having a great start to the season, but we know what they can do. And as the tournament unfolded, some guys rose to the occasion and some guys did not. I think that there's a couple interesting things at play with regards to the start to this season. And we've talked at length about Bedard and Celebrini in particular, but do you take them with a nod to the

future. Like how important will this be for their development on the international stage if they get that opportunity to play now and be on that team with the likes of Crosby and McDavid? And then everyone will harken back to 2010 and said, look what it did for Taves and for Doughty back then. They were going to be good players anyway. They were contributors. They were contributors. Like Dowdy was a good player in 2010. You have to be a contributor. You have to do something. And that would be the thing with Bard and Celebrini is it would be hard to suggest they wouldn't be contributors in this tournament. Now, the question would be, can you put them in a clutch situation? Yeah.

Like, it's one thing skating them out there against Belarus. It's another thing when you're in a gold medal game or you're in a game that's decided to go to the gold medal game. And at five on five, too, right? Like, I don't, you know, Schaefer's a good player, but, you know, you're going to trust him in that five-on-five situation where the game's on the line and it's a close game. Rager texts it in, why Tom Wilson, isn't it international ice and no fighting? Does his intimidation factor really matter? It is NHL ICE. assuming they get the buildings

if they get that arena finished it will be NHL ice and does his intimidation factor really matter yes his physicality matters and if Keney's not going to be on the team and maybe if Sam Bennett's not going to be on the team Tom Wilson is like a

point of game guy right now he's got nine goals in 18 games he's playing really well I know we don't level much in Vancouver after that hit on on Heel but you know now is there a risk in bringing Tom Wilson? Yes.

Yes, because correct me if I'm wrong here, it's NHLIS, but it's still going to be double IHF rules, which have very strict limits on head contact. There's no like, well, you was hitting through the body. If there's head contact, it's head contact. And he would be the one guy that could take a significant penalty in an important match. That being said,

I would almost push back on the Rager. Rager's assertion that it's an intimidation factor. He does a lot more than just intimidate guys out there. He's a big boy. He's tough to handle. It's not the threat of hitting someone. It's when he hits people, it can alter the course of an individual play

and then a game. But he can put the puck in that too. And he can put the puck in that. I would have them there. I would do it more for without, you know, you need to sometimes take great risk to have great reward and he's the ultimate of that. Now, I'm not sure how this is going to go.

I mean, I remember talking ahead of Four Nations at length about what we thought might happen and all these intriguing players that you could bring. It does tend to be more conservative in the moment. There's going to be changes, though. Well, there's going to be changes. But I think there's going to be quite a few. I think there's going to be more than you expect.

Maybe. I would. I'm all for it. You cannot keep guys like Suzuki off the team. I don't think you can keep Shifley off the team either. No, but it's the, It's who they replace. Like Bennett, for example, having not a good regular season at all.

Are you going to ding him for that? Yes, yes. Based on the fact of what he did and he was the Kahn Smythe winner and he's going through the motions right now. In a one game, I mean, look at what he did for Canada at the Four Nations. He was a huge player for them at the Four Nations.

Yeah. That's the question. And I'm kind of with you. It's tough decisions, but I think you have to, it's not like you're replacing them with stiffs. No, that's what I'm saying. I kind of feel like.

Mark Sheifley's a pretty good hockey player. Nick Suzuki's a pretty good. hockey player. I want those guys on Team Canada. The only thing of Bennett, too, is he's in the Tom Wilson mold. And those guys are unicorn-ish to a bit. Like, there's not many of them, right? No, I know. I know what you're saying. But I go back and forth. I'm with you on this.

It's like, how do you hold a guy off? Like in the case of Shifley, for example. Shifley didn't make the team last year. And we had Jim Toth on the show last week talking about like the war path he went on when he didn't make it. Austin came in and Sweeney was the general manager who didn't take him. and he went nuts and out like a four-point night or something. I think Suzuki's in that same camp.

Those guys have kept their foot on the pedal since they didn't make last year's team. So they played all last year with their hair on fire, and then they came out this year and did it again. So at a certain point, if you're a player, like what more do I need to do to be on this team other than to prove it night in and night out when other guys aren't.

Horvats are making a case too. I know. That's crazy. Horvats got 12 goals in 19 games. He's playing really well. For an Islander's team, that's like not terrible, but they're not great. I watched them play Colorado. Although that's most NHL teams right now.

We were going to have a conversation about this, and maybe we'll get into it later. But like Colorado's really good. You know, Buffalo is really bad. That's not surprising. But like what's surprising? Everything else, you know? Like who, here's a question for you.

Yes. Colorado's the best team. We can all agree, right? Yep. Who's the second best team? New Jersey? Yeah, but now they've got Jack Hughes out with this injury. actually Dallas has been quietly good

and they've got a lot of injuries as well. Honestly, I don't know. Carolina, maybe, are they the second best team? Put it this way. Carolina, by the standings is the fourth overall best team in the National Hockey League and we just watch them play the Cadaxon and I was like, they're fine. But they've had a ton of injuries too.

Their blue line is decimated and they lost Jarvis on the weekend. It's just wide open. It's a very... Have you seen the Atlantic Division? Yes. The Atlantic and the Pacific are not good. The Bruins are in first place. Yep. In that division.

And, you know, you could, any team except for Buffalo and honestly, maybe Toronto has a chance to win that division. The Pacific Division, where the Canucks are in it. There's four points separating first through six where the Canucks are. L.A.'s in first place with 24 points. Anaheim's in second. Seattle's in third. Did anyone see that happening? No. It's the mid-NHL right now. It's very average. There's one really, there's one team that's

separated itself from the pack, and that's Colorado. There's some maybe very good but not great teams, and there's a whole lot of average, which is why, despite how, like, the connect start to this connect season has been littered with negatives, right? There's been a ton of injuries. They haven't been able to string together wins, and all that said, they've done a good job of keeping their heads above water. At 9-9-2, they've made sure that they haven't sunk through the 20-game mark of the season. And that was really the MO for this team after Heel got hurt and Bluger got hurt and Forbork got hurt, and then Demko got hurt, was keep your heads above water. And they've been able to do it, scratching and clawing their way. And now they've got another big game. Oh, by the way,

against a team who's one point back from the standings the Florida Panthers tonight, 4 o'clock in Florida. Okay, we're going to have some football talk for the next hour. Mike Tanner's going to join us next. Talk about the NFL. Man, that's Seahawks. I had a chance to win that game. Sam Darnal throws four picks, some

horrendous picks too, and yet they still had a chance to win that game. Mike's going to talk to us about that and other NHL stories coming up. And then Justin Dunk from Three Down Nation. We'll wrap up the CFL season. Talk a little bit about the Grey Cup. Congratulations to all the Rough Riders fans out there because they are

everywhere. And we'll talk about the off season, maybe some more about the rule changes. What was the response to the commissioner in Winnipeg at the Grey Cup? And then in the 8 o'clock hour we'll return to the hockey talk. Satyar Shah is going to join us and the dogs inform me that there's a new intro, there's a new jingle for Sat. And that is truly the highest honor of the Halford Embrough show to have your own jingle. You're listening to the Halford & Brough show on SportsNet 650. Quick reminder, it is Canucks Game Day.

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