Halford & Brough in the Morning - We May Have Been Wrong About This Cup Final

Episode Date: June 5, 2026

In hour one, Mike & Jason look back at the previous day in sports, they chat an exciting game two of the Stanley Cup finals plus new Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra's introductory presser (3:00), plus they get the latest from the Draft Combine with NHL.com's Mike Morreale (27:56). 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.

You're listening to Halford and Brough. Gostis Barrett. Senate crush it. Game over! John, can you take us through what you were thinking on the challenge there, what you saw and how you felt? I saw a loose puck. Oh, and once I saw a blimp. Ladies and gentlemen, the weekend.

Good morning, Vancouver, 6-1 on a Friday. Happy Friday, everybody. Sweet, sweet Friday. It is Halford and his broth. It is SportsNet 650. We are coming to you live from the Kintech Studios in beautiful Mount Pleasant in Vancouver. Jason, good morning. Good morning.

Adda, good morning to you. Good morning to you. Once I saw her blimp. Hello. Hello. Halford and Brub of the morning is brought to you by Sands and Associates. They're open seven days a week and open late to help you get debt free. With no judgment or upfront fees, visit them today at Sands.

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Let's get into our morning guest list. It's the Duick Morning Drive brought to you by the Duick Auto Group. It begins at 6.30 this morning. Mike Moriall is going to join the program. Senior draft writer from NHL.com. Mike has been putting in work this week. Boots on the ground at the NHL draft scouting combine in Buffalo.

Earlier this week, he interviewed and wrote on Caleb Malhotra, which we talked about on the show. He also recently wrote about the Ruck Twins. So we'll talk to Mike about all that and more from the draft combine in Buffalo at 630. I think Dranser was reporting that the Ruck Twins have been requesting that they be drafted together. Okay.

I have had too many people come up and ask me, hey, are we going to get the Ruck twins at the draft? And I'm like, I can't tell you definitively. I don't know what a Ruck twin looks like. I couldn't tell you. But it is, it is at least interesting that

like the year that the Canucks hired the Siddins as, you know, they're co-presidents. There's another set of twins that want to go together at the draft. I have wondered aloud. It is worth noting they're supposed to go way apart from each other though in the draft. One's like 24 and one's like 42, I think, on the board. Oh, I don't know there's that big of a Daniel Henrik situation where they like technically I knew one was better than the other. Yeah, and I don't know which one is the 24 or whatever.

That was as much as I was willing to learn about the Rock Twins. There is a divide there. Also, it would be hilarious if Daniel and Henrik's Achilles heel as executives was they were inherently biased towards twins to the point where they were like just actively seeking them out every draft. Wouldn't that be something? They have two first round picks. Let me get this straight. You spent both of your first round picks on the Rock Twins. Yes, we did.

Yeah. No more questions. All of the prospects of the draft, like it's really weird. Vancouver kept asking if I had a relative in the draft. Anyone I was related to by blood or otherwise. Okay. 7 o'clock AJ from AJ's pizza is going to join the program. As Jason mentioned, $100 gift card today goes to the best ask us anything.

Get those in throughout the show. 705 Jim Toe from Winnipeg, C.J.OB Radio. and Winnipeg's going to join the program. An offseason look in at the Jets, what they're facing at the draft, challenges this summer in the off season, free agency, trade market, etc. Shane Donne on the verge of joining the organization.

Lots to get into a gym at 705 this morning. 730, David Amber Hockey Night in Canada, SportsNet, NHL host. What a game last night in Carolina. Cain's rally from a two... I think this series has been a bit of a snoozer, to be honest. I think I was right. Okay.

I think I was, I think I think I was, I think, I think I was right. It's been a lot of checking out there. Right as usual. Right as usual, right? I think we were all right. It's two of the biggest... Again, I am right of my analysis.

It's two of the biggest haters for a lot of different things, but specifically this matchup going into the Stanley Cup final. We may, underline may, have been proven wrong. There's only two games. It could still get boring from here, but last night was amazing.

That was a great game. I disagree. I don't know. I flipped it over to something else. You know what? In addition to being a hater, he's also incredibly stubborn. Quadruple over.

time of game seven. I may be wrong about the series. David Amber, David, David, I'm going to join there. There's so much checking out there. It has to go to quadruple overtime. David Amber's going to join us at 7.30 to talk about the Stanley Cup final after Seth Jarvis's Heroics last night. That's going to happen at 7.30. Finally at 8 o'clock, Rick Dollywall is going to join the

program. Intrepid conducts reporter Donnie and Dolly on Check TV. We'll talk about Maddie Malhotra's introductory presser. Rick also has updates on Brendan Gallagher, Teddy Blugher, and Curtis Douglas, a whole lot more as well so stick around for that. Rick Dollywell's going to join us in two hours time at 8 a.m. We got a huge show ahead. We got a ton to get into. So without further ado, Laddie,

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'm losing. We know how busy your life can be. What happened? Missed that? You missed that? What happened? While we will get into the news from yesterday locally with Manny Malhotra's introductory presser in Vancouver, we got to start. with last night's game two of the Stanley Cup final. Seth Jarvis, power play goal 3.56 into overtime with Tomas hurdle in the box, serving a penalty. The Carolina Hurricanes in dramatic fashion last night,

even things up in the series of 4-3 win in overtime. Here's what Jarvis's game-winning goal in overtime sounded like. All the critics wondering where they've been if they score the game winner in overtime. Gostis Bair, they score Seth Jarvis. clients the critics and ignites the crowd. If only Seth Jarvis had some friends or buddies, as I like to call them, to celebrate the goal with, big night for Carolina. I enjoy the internet because Seth Jarvis's friends have like jumped the shark for some reason. I saw some people are like, don't they have jobs?

The backlash has begun. Come on, they're having a great time. I think it's an awesome story that he's got all these buddies hang, traveling around. Ooh, conflict. Conflict. Before you got in this morning, we spent. the better part of 10 minutes, ragging on Seth Jarvis's buddies. Why?

I don't know. Guess who hates the story. Oh, of course, Halford hates. Did you miss the beginning of the show where I told her? Generational haters. Anyone that's having fun. Ruck. Comedy live in the hater building. Anyone that's enjoying their lives, the Ruck twins, Seth Jarvis's buddies,

we don't care for them. No, it was a very, very big moment yesterday for Seth Jarvis and his denim-clad buddies and the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday. So they even the series, a huge. comeback in the third period, erasing a two-nothing deficit on goals from the Stankovin, Logan, Stankman, Mark Jankowski, and Jordan Stahl. Some major drama in the third period yesterday, and it came around the 15-minute mark

when it looked like Vegas had scored a goal, go-ahead goal. Freddie Anderson made what appeared to be a diving, sprawling stick save on Ivan Barbashev's wrap-round. The puck did go in the net, but the goal was waved off, waved off due to do to do. goalie interference. Vegas in a pretty bold move tied to two in the third period decided to challenge the goal and see if they could overturn the no goal call on the ice. That did not happen. The Keynes went to the power play. Shane Goss, despair, scored, but then Mark Stone scored late to tied to three years. A wild third period. Is a controversial goal or goal

challenge now, do you absolutely have to have that as part of any classic hockey game now? Like, it's kind of starting to feel like it. Like last night people were like, that's an instant classic. I was like, did it have a controversial goal decision? It was like, yep, I was like, yep, that's part of being an NHL fan now is, you know, having a comment or an opinion on a controversial goal. And, you know, everyone knows is like, what was the call on the ice? I mean, that's the most important thing, right? The call on the ice.

And then it's, you know, it's hard to overturn once they made that call on the ice. And you just go through this dance again. And half the time I'm like, I bet Gary. Betman's thinking, like, I told everyone this was going to happen. I think it's great, though. As soon as you introduce this, you love challenges, you love... No, no, I love the draw. You love the controversy? Yeah, I love the theater

of all of it. I love that the coaches are now put into this hugely important position in the game where their call can make or break, not just the game, but a series. Think about Jim Hilder last year. Yeah. Right? Where he made that very controversial decision up to nothing in the series against

Eminton. A lot of people said that that turned the entire thing on its head. Those are the moments. It adds things to it. It does, for sure. But I would rather just see the action play out on the ice because last night I'm watching that game. I'm like, this is the best. This is Stanley Cup final hockey at its best. Listener, Luke, wants to know how many Michelin stars you would give the game.

Three. Oh, three. Wow. That's a, yeah, it was a very good game. What's the max? What's the max? I think three is the max. Oh, okay.

Yeah, three. It was a really good hockey game. and you know I I will say that this series lends credence to the idea that Carolina had a very easy path to the Stanley Cup final

this has been way more difficult for them than it was in the first three rounds I'll tell you that difficult for them and I think it was you that pushed back or was it wish that pushed back on the notion that they'd had a relatively easy path push back on it to the path to the final? I said Vegas was the best team

the playoffs going in. And Wish said, I don't know so much about the path through the east because he thought that Ottawa was in their toughest matchup or the I said of the two I said nobody locks it down like Vegas. Like Vegas was the best checking team, the best defensive team. It doesn't really matter who said what.

Because what you're talking about the road through the east, I agreed with you. I thought it was easy. I even thought the first round against Ottawa where everyone was like, that's a sneaky dark horse pick. I was like, no, Carolina plays Ottawa hockey. They just play it better. Yeah.

Right. Everything that Ottawa does, Carolina does it to a better degree. Philly was a walkover. And then Montreal, I think, was two things. One, not quite ready to be a Stanley Cup contender. But most importantly, completely out of gas because they played two seven-game series and Carolina was super rested. So, you know, they had an advantage, certainly in the Philly series.

Like, Flyers are a mediocre team, right? They played their system well and they had good goaltending. but they weren't close in terms of quality to Carolina. And that was obvious from the drop of the puck in that series. Now they got a Vegas team that is bigger and stronger than the team, certainly bigger and stronger than Montreal. For sure. Has more gas in the tank because don't forget,

they had a quick conference final, believe it or not, against Colorado. And this is turning into a terrific series, despite, you know, us saying like, oh, it's going to be a lot of checking. Like, it is a lot of checking, but it's also a lot of nice playmaking as well. One of the narratives.

I mean, the checking, think about checking, like Stancovin's goal was, that was checking. And that was, that was, I think one of my favorite goals of the Stanley Cup, maybe my favorite, the favorite goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I mean, to do what he did on the forecheck, he did it all.

He got in on the four check. He made contact. Was it Anderson that he turned it over on? I can't remember the vaguest defenseman. And he stole the puck, brought the puck out himself, and scored the goal. That is an unbelievable effort. Well, to do it in the moment that he did, too, where they were desperate for a goal and potentially staring down an O2 deficit losing both games at home.

Like, that was a massive play. But you're right. It had a lot to do with his checking prowess. I do want to turn our attention to one thing to monitor now when the series shifts back to Vegas. And that's Torts being Torts and Torts becoming and getting a little bit more main character energy than I think he has throughout this playoff. You will remember, of course, that he drew some attention to himself after the Anaheim series when he bailed out of his media responsibilities. But the story kind of came and went in part because that series wasn't all that intriguing. And we're still early in the playoffs.

Well, Torts last night, pretty risky challenge all things considered. and in his post-game media availability, we're going to play the entirety of it for you because it took a grand total of 95 seconds to play out. Here's what it sounded like yesterday when, oh, very irate and a very curt John Tortorella took to the podium following a overtime loss to Carolina. Here's what it sounded like.

John, can you take us through what you were thinking on the challenge there, what you saw and how you felt? I saw our loose puck in front of Freddie. our player stabbed it, didn't move the goalie, and it goes through them into the other side. I challenge it 10 out of 10 times. Right side front row, Ken? The first 50 minutes of that game,

you guys did quite a good job of making them have a really hard time to get anything. Obviously, it didn't go that way. The last 10, do you feel like you can take enough out of those first 50 to move forward? Yes. We'll go right side, third row. Mike. John, just, you know, how scary was it to see with what happened?

to Braden, how's he doing? I haven't talked to the medical people yet. How would you think of the five guys that had to rally for two periods on the back? Yeah, they played well. Other questions? Left side, second row, Jesse. John, the penalty kill had obviously been great in the game. They get those two in a row at the end.

Did you see anything different in the penalty kill? I haven't looked at the clips yet. Anything else? Right side, third row. every playoff run seems to have moments where you learn about your team a different moment what was the moment that you learned more about this team in these past two games we have a good team a very good team anything else left side back row you talked about the first 50 minutes what can you tell us about

what you think changed and added to their momentum i have my thoughts i'm not discussing it here. All right. I love the conductor there being like, anyone else want to try? So we pivot from one next one type of press conference to another, a much more loquacious one yesterday. Quite frankly, more inspiring. Mani Malhotra met with the media yesterday upon being introduced as the 23rd head coach in Vancouver Canucks franchise history. And let's just say it, Jason, a little bit more uplifting than what torts had to say following game two last night. You know how you,

You call yourself a generational hater and even you, like, Seth Jarvis's buddies are annoying you for some reason now because they're having fun and I don't know, maybe you're not. I can already feel a bit of a backlash to the media's gushing praise for what's happened over the last few weeks. I can feel it too. But I'm going to heap some more praise onto the pile because I called it like I saw it when I didn't like what was going on with the Canucks. and I absolutely loved what I heard from Manny Malhotra yesterday. I just hope his message and positive energy can last throughout a rebuild that is going to feature a lot of losing. I think he recognizes that it's going to be a challenge and it's going to depend on the type of coaches that he brings in, the type of players that he keeps, he brings in to maintain that positive energy. But look, I get there's a lot of cynicism when it comes to the Canucks.

and a lot of fans are going to roll their eyes with some of the things that are being said by the Siddines and Ryan Johnson and Manny Mahaltra. And it's true that the Canucks are not going to win the Stanley Cup by sounding impressive in press conferences. But here's one thing I will push back and I'll push back vehemently on the idea that the media was saying the same things

after Adam Foote got hired and had his opening press conference. That is not true. I don't think I was impressed with anything, anyone said last season. At any point. As any member of the Vancouver Canucks organization, what we're hearing right now is different. There's clarity to the message. There's an acceptance of reality.

There's a spirit of cooperation. And it feels to me like the Canucks are about to embark on a journey that I am legitimately curious and excited to follow along and support. I don't know if it will succeed. It is going to be hard. But I do know that as a lifelong Canucks fan who happens to follow them for a living, who happens to have hated them for the last few years

and how they went about their business, I like this team a lot more today than I did a month ago. And for me, that matters. It matters if I want to root. for the team. It's going to be hard. Really difficult. I want to play

some Manny Audio where he talks about the expectation being the same for young players and older players alike. I think the messaging for our entire group, young or old, if you've been here one year, if you've been here

five, six, seven years. Is that the expectation will be the same for everybody. It's not about, I'm a young guy, I got to cut my teeth, I got to be the hardest worker, and then now I'm an older guy, I can take my foot off the gas,

I'm established, I'm here. I think our group will be based around guys that are wanting to be here, want to be part of the solution, and are willing to get uncomfortable with their habits. There needs to be an evolution with the group as a whole.

So I think the expectation of anybody that's going to come into this locker room and be a part of training camp has to accept the fact that we will be evolving as a group. And if you don't evolve, get out of here.

Because everyone else wants to get to work. And they want to do it with positive energy and they want to do it with gratitude for the fact that they're in the NHL. It doesn't have to be a miserable experience just because you're losing. And I think we all grew a little tired

of how miserable the Canucks looked when things got hard for them. I love this quote from Manny and Ian McIntyre included it in his column if you want to read that at sportsnet. Sportsnet.ca. There will be some good times, there will be some bad times.

but the privilege of being an NHL hockey player is all the motivation and all the joy you need to come into the rink every day. I keep talking about we're going to grind, we're going to work, we're going to evolve. But that's all rooted in finding the joy in the game. I don't think the guys really need me to come in and give a raw, raw speech and try to motivate them. It's helping them find the joy that's already here in being an NHL hockey player. Okay, I'm sounding like a bit of like an old man with some wisdom to pass down. But hard work is not a miserable experience when your goal is to get better at something you love. Happy people work hard at things they are passionate about.

Look at the Siddins. They seem very content with their lives. And they work hard at things, things they like. Miserable, miserable people either don't work hard at anything or, and unfortunately, this is true for a lot of people in the world. They're forced to work hard at something they don't love or even hate. I'm glad you mentioned that last part.

One other thing that I love from yesterday's presser, the part when Johnson was asked if it matters that he, along with the Seneens and Maneh Maneh Mahauteau played for the Vancouver Canucks. And you might think, well, that's a bit of a layup

question. He's going to say, yeah, I think it does matter. You know, I think it matters that, you know, We played for an organization and got to highs, and we're going to be able to pass that down to the players on the team. He didn't say that. Here's what he said. To be honest, I don't.

In the fact that I've always said in any role that I've had are encouraging other people that have played the game walking into the other side of the game, is that as soon as you talk about, well, when I, When I did this and when I did this, the wall goes up. They don't want to hear that. I think it gives us a sense of relatability and understanding, but I know between Daniel and Henrik, Manny and myself, I think you could ask any player that we've been around.

They've never heard. Well, when I did this and I did that, and I think it's also a respectful way of saying, this isn't about me, this is about your journey. I'm using the knowledge that I have as a player to relate to you in a way and I can use language and I can approach you differently

with maybe you understanding that I do have a little experience or that what I find is as soon as you talk about yourself, you lose today's players. So I don't think, I think they would hang more of it on how they're treated, the respect they're given then, oh, these guys played, so I better listen. God, I love that answer. For so many reasons, first of all, because he actually thought about it.

And you can tell he's thought about this. By the way, there's a couple people I can think of that talked a lot about their playing days. Last head coach, for example, constantly in media. When I went to Columbus or whatever, like, yeah, nobody cares, you know? And seriously. and like these guys have thought about it and they are taking the empathetic root that's what they're doing.

They're like, hmm, it's not about me. Let me actually think about what the people that I'm coaching and managing are thinking. Essentially saying that the modern player doesn't really care about your playing days is super interesting because we've heard often that it's the opposite. it. Everyone's talking about Rick

Talk, it's so beloved because of his playing days. But I always want, you know, I did always have a bit of a curious lean towards that. And I'm like, there's no doubt. There's no doubt. But Rick Taco played so long ago, I really do wonder how much his playing career resonates with guys that are like 22

right now. You know what I mean? Yeah. And, but I don't, did Talk do that much? Talk didn't sell his own playing career to the players. No. It was everyone else that just sort of foisted that upon. him, but he didn't do it. He didn't, and I think that was probably a conscious effort.

And honestly, I think it had a lot to do with the fact when he went and worked in media and got to talk to some younger players and understood what makes them tick and what makes them work. Yeah. Right. I mean, if you want to, you know, outside of the Pedersen Rift, which I don't think can really be classified as an old school coach with a younger player.

I think there was a lot more that went into it dynamic wise. But, you know, you're talking about like Trevor Zegris. I thought that was going to be a nightmare matching those two up in Philly, but it proved to be very fruitful. And it's because I think Talked understood how to work with a young player who needed to refine his game, but talking to knew how to talk to him. I think what Mani was discussing in that clip is very important because there's a sense of selflessness, but also the number one priority

here is to figure out how to talk to the players, how to get the most out of the players, whatever that takes, right? If they want to hear anecdotes of your playing days, you can anecdote them until you're blue in the face. But if they don't want to hear it, ask. Yeah. But the number one priority, and that's selflessness, is I don't care what it takes for me to get the job done. I'm going to get the job done. I think that's vitally important, right? Yeah, I don't care if I look cool. It doesn't matter.

They want, telling you the stories, you know. We need to get better. We need to learn. And at some point on this journey, we want to win. So everything's geared towards that. Okay. We're way up against it for time. When we come back, we're going to go to Buffalo.

NHL draft combine. Mike Morial, senior draft writer from NHL.com, is going to join the program. We can talk about Caleb Malhotra, the Ruck Twins. Mike has been covering them all this week in Buffalo. That's coming up next on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650.

It's Canucks Central on SportsNet 650. From exclusive interviews to insider scoops and post-game breakdowns, we've got it all. Tune in weekdays 4 to 6 p.m. on radio and on demand through your favorite podcast app. on a Fiesta Friday here on the Halford & Brough show on Sports Night 650. Halpert & Brub in the morning is bratsy by Sands and Associates.

They're ready to give you the financial fresh start you deserve. With no judgment or upfront fees, visit them today at sands dash trustee.com. We are in Hour 1 of the program, midway point of the hour. Mike Morial from NHL.com is going to join us in just a minute here from the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo. Hour one 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 in 1170 Powell Street in Vancouver.

To the Able Auctions Hotline, we go. Our next guest is a senior draft writer for NHL.com. Mike Morales joins us now on the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet 650. Morning of Mike. How are you? What's going on, Mike, Jason? Man, you guys get up very, very early. 630. I'm glad it's 930 here in Buffalo, but 630. Wow, credit to you, boys.

Thanks, Mike. I appreciate that. Yeah, it is early. We love hockey talk. Yeah. Well, today's super easy to get up and do the show because there's so many different things to get into, right? At the cup final, Mani Malhotra got introduced as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks yesterday. His son, Caleb, of course, is at the draft combine in Buffalo.

And you had a chance to speak with him earlier in the week and you wrote a piece for NHL.com. We've references quite a few times on the show already because obviously Caleb, pretty big talking point here in Vancouver. What was your, and I know it's tough to boil it down to one, but maybe one big, takeaway that you had speaking with Caleb Malhotra at the Combine this week. Yeah, it was interesting, guys, and it was a lot of fun. You know, we had brought up that, hey, you know, Caleb, you're here at the Combine. It's a big week for you, but yeah, dad is stealing the spotlight from you a little bit. So he got a chuckle that out.

That was pretty funny. But, you know, I guess one of the big things and maybe one of the major talking points that you're seeing on social media is, you know, if events, Vancouver did opt to select Caleb with that number three selection, which, you know, I really feel that it would be a great pick for Vancouver and what they, you know, what they need in their pipeline. You know, is it going to work with the father's son duo? And that was the, you know, that was probably one of the easier questions to ask him. And, you know, guys, I got to be funny. You know, I know Ryan Johnson has already told Caleb that if they do make the decision to choose him, it's going to be completely separate from the coaching staff.

anything else like any decisions they'd make. And it'll have nothing to do with Manny being the coach. And the kid is fine with the fact that they can have the ability to be professional and make a separate decision. And I know there may be some fans out there rolling their eyes right now. But hear me out when, you know, when you bust your ass to reach a goal, the thirst to get there when it's in reach is the only thing that matters. And Caleb worked his way from minor hockey to tier two and then to the O.

And now he's here to get drafted and be the best version of himself one day in the NHL. And that best version to me is very similar to the way Nico Hesier plays the game. A tremendous two-way force. He'll score points, win faceoffs, and crucial moments and want to be on the ice with the game on the line. He comes from an athletic family, of course. We know that. But, you know, I think, you know, quite honestly, it would be a great pick here if Vancouver did selection. But that that was like the major talking point.

And he wants to play hockey. He knows the situation. He knows what people are saying. And he says, you know, I talk to my dad and I talk to my coach. And, you know, if Vancouver does draft me, he's going to be a coach. What is the ceiling on Caleb Malhotra? I think the ceiling is relatively high because, let's face it, he came into this season. We didn't know.

We knew the name. We knew the talent. that was there. But we didn't know how he would come out of the gates. And he came out of the gate swinging and really put up some big numbers this year, you know, for Brantford and what he was able to produce with the 87 points, 55 assists, finished second among all OCHO rookies and goals with 29 this year. So we know he's committed to BU.

He's one of the smartest players in the OHL, A good athlete that he's offensively gifted, of course, but really has that strong two-way game, knows when to use the body, you know, is where to put the puck. A real team player has that, you know, those leadership qualities about him, rises to the occasion in most of the big games that we've seen. You really had a great playoff as well for Brantford. A great skater always seems to make those right plays, and he can either score or distribute, depends on the situation. but he's a threat when he's on the ice guys from the video I've seen and from the times I've seen him live. And it's a credit to the family, but it's a credit also to Caleb and how he's evolved, you know, after coming through all the tears he did to get to this point in his career.

What is the talk around Gavin McKenna in Buffalo? Yeah, so obviously, as we were talking, guys, I was just watching Gavin McKenna was on the V-O-2. and he is still in the midst of doing the VO2 right now. But yeah, that's really tough. Look, you know, as far as McKenna goes, eight interviews this week, which is probably what you expect. You know, some fans might wonder, how come only eight?

Well, it's only going to be a few teams that have a shot to get them in the top there. So just turned 18 on December 20, right? He's been going against guys, 23, 24, 25 years old. So that's been a challenge for him. I think what we saw this season, guys, and I'm talking everything. I'm talking to the world juniors, Penn State, all encompassing, is that among his age group, he's the best offensive player in the world, prospect in the world.

I think that's the truth. The way he sees the play, the way he could stick handle, his vision, his passing, even the ability to shoot, which he sometimes is hesitant to do, but he can do it all. What gives you the confidence that he can be good in the NHL or great is that the areas of his game he needs to work on. the most are largely fixable with time and work. That's why he went to college.

That's why you should feel good about him. I don't want to compare him to Connor Baderd. But Badaard, you remember the first couple of years, right? It was not a great skater by NHL standards, but he put in the work. Had the maturity kick in, and this year it's been great for McKinna. I think from McKenna with strength, explosive speed, sort of a puck battle physicality, those are all the things that will come with strength and weight and training. and what you can't teach is what's harder to get better at.

The vision, the feel, the sense, the passing stick handling, and he's got all that. The vision is incredible. I mean, you can see it, and he can slow the game down, and he can see the entire ice, and he can see plays develop. What is his personality like? There's been so much talk about him, you know, and you mentioned Bedard, and I know, I know from stories in Vancouver that you would hear Badard going around to everyone and saying like to everyone that will listen

like I'm going to be a lot better next season. I'm going to work my butt off and he was, you know, his work ethic is, you know, legendary here in Vancouver. Is Gavin McKenna the same way? I just, I haven't heard enough. I'm not saying it's not there. I just haven't heard about it. Yeah, well, I could tell you this.

I've spoken to a lot of people at Penn State and I'll have a feature on Gavin, maybe a little closer to the draft about a week and a half, out and been doing a lot of reporting on it. And almost every teammate, what they appreciated most about Gavin was that he was so celebratory when other guys on the team scored goals. He would pump up the bench. He would try to do whatever he could to help get every ounce of juice out of his teammates

and linemates. And the thing that goes unnoticed, too, guys, is the fact that because of all the injuries that Penn State had this year. year. He played with 11 linemates this year, and he was still able to be the Big Ten scoring leader, broke nine Penn State Records. I mean, a lot of people don't talk about this enough. And the one thing I can answer you a question about, you know, maybe is there something about his personality? I mean, he's so family-oriented, and he relies on his family, you know, through thick and thin. He likes spending time with his grandfather. Remember when we had a conversation,

and fans out there can check out the NHL Draft Class podcast. We had to interview with McKenna and Stenberg. But when he returns home to Whitehorse, he loves spending time with his grandfather, Joe Mason. It's Mason's background as a survivor of First Nations residential schools that gives McKenna perspective. Really an incredible story, guys. The Canadian residential school system started in 19th century

and separated First Nations children from their homes for decades under the auspices of giving them a Catholic education. However, you know, investigations show that many of the children, and that included Joe, suffered physical, mental, and sexual abuse leading to generational trauma. So, you know, this is something that's very, that hit home with Gavin. And, you know, we always talked about, you know, my grandfather went through this. So if I'm ever going through tough times, it's certainly not as hard as what my grandfather went through. And he's always there to talk to and give me inspiration.

and give me the support I need to keep pushing forward. And I think his grandfather was a big reason why he was able to do what he did in the second half of the season this year at Penn State. Yeah. Did you interview the director of the Gavin McKenna documentary? Because I posted that documentary to my social media feed, and I know that someone at NHL.com did that. Yeah, my colleague, Adam Kimmelman, wrote a little piece

and spoke to the gentleman. And, yeah, I mean, that documentary, was outstanding, right? It really was. Yes, it was very well done, very well put. I mean, and the crazy thing about it was Joe, obviously Joe Mason was in there. They had him talking and he was saying things that the family never heard. Like it was the first time they were hearing some of the stuff that he went through.

So, yeah, it was very, very compelling, well done. And you can understand why you can understand why. you can understand why McKenna has such a love and an appreciation for his grandfather. You know what struck me, struck me about that documentary the most, Mike, and I have to be very careful the way I'm saying this, but his mom a couple of times said, sometimes I worry about his mental health. And I think a lot of it had to do with the incident at Penn State and what happened there.

But a lot of it had to do with the criticism that he faced on social media and some of the things that people would say, and I know Gavin addressed that too. And just now the pressure of playing possibly in Toronto, you know, these pressures are enormous, and it's why a team like Toronto, whoever's going to take them, you got to make sure that you're going to be able to handle those pressures,

which is why I ask you those questions about his personality. Yeah, yeah, it's a great question. And it's something I don't think we're really going to fully understand until he goes through situations in the professional ranks. All I can tell you is that he handled it very well at Penn State. The school obviously had his support. And we know what happened there. I don't have to talk about what transpired. But we know what happened.

And let me tell you something. And after learning about the story, I think a lot more people appreciated what McKenna, you know, was, you know, was able to do. And then what he did on the ice in that second half, even despite all that, you know, what he had gone through. So I think just on the basis of what we saw at Penn State with such a, you know, obviously like you said, that the social media hits that everyone was throwing his way to get through that. and have the type of finish he did at Penn State. I think we can only think that that's the way he's going to, you know, maybe assert himself the rest of his life because he knows that when the chips are down, this is what he needs to do to pick himself off.

And I think he's done it already. And I think you're absolutely right in saying this is a whole new area here when you reach the NHL and particularly in the Toronto market. But he's gone through that in college as a 17, 18, 18. 18-year-old, which is not an easy thing, but he was able to do it. Tell us about Vigo Bork, Bjork. Yeah, yeah, Vigo Bjork. Really, I tell you what, Vigo Bjork maybe was five, you know, four or five inches

taller. He may be in the conversation here as well as one of those players that could challenge for a top pick, one of those top three spots in a draft. To me, I look at Vigo. Bjork, I think of maybe a smaller version of a Nick Suzuki type of player. A lot of elite skating here, guys, creativity. He stood out as one of Sweden's most dynamic young forwards. The world juniors, I'm telling you, and I know Stenberg was on that team, you had Anton

Frundel, that team was loaded that won the gold medal. I thought Bjork was the best player on that team. He was incredible. He was just everywhere. He was everywhere on the ice. Yep, the IQ shons through, clever, can move the puck, that spatial, awareness in this kid in tight areas, and he'll go into the corners. Has the lower body makeup of Martin, say, Louis, you know, those thick legs,

and you can just see it really energetic. We spoke with him a couple days ago. We had a long conversation with him. Really energetic, a smile on his face all the time, just enjoys the game, enjoys his teammates. He's going to be someone I'm going to watch too with the testing here today, tomorrow to see how he does. I think he's going to put up a nice showing. But, you know, played big minutes too at the World Championships for Sweden on the line with Lucas

Raynman and Stenberg, centered that line. So energy, the forechecking, two-way commitment, make him a valuable, all situations forward. I wonder if what Logan Stancoven is doing at center for the Carolina Hurricanes might make people think twice about passing on Bjork for it. before his size. I mean, I think that, you know, when I heard Stan Kovim was going to play the middle, I was like, well, this will be interesting because I'm not

one of these people that says that like size doesn't matter at all. Sometimes it does. If you don't have that lower body stability, if you don't have the ability to get underneath guys, then sometimes it's a factor and you can be moved out of

the way. But for whatever reason, some smaller players can thrive and others can't. Yeah, no, it's very true. And we've seen that with a lot of players. And I've, you know what, I've talked, I've spoken to scouts and general managers about the undersized player.

And specifically this year, guys, because we have a lot of undersized defensemen in this draft that could be drafted in the first round. Now, I say that because last year, not one defenseman under six foot was drafted. Yeah. This year, we could have as many as three undersized under six foot drafted in the first round. The kid Tommy Blyle, for Moncton, for instance, special kid. And you mentioned, you mentioned Vigo Bjork as a Ford. And I totally agree with you.

The difference, and I think the makeup of these undersized players that when you're scouting, when you're evaluating, when you're watching, most of the scouts that I've spoken to when I asked them, So what can you see? What's the telling difference when you're watching an undersized player to know this is a legit kid? And it's the compete. How, you know, how are they working their tail off in certain areas of the ice? Are they always moving? And when you think about the undersized defensemen that the Quinn Hughes, you know, the Lane Hussons of the world.

And you mentioned Seth Jarvis, right? when you watch them live and when you even watching on a television screen, these guys are always moving. They're always where the puck is. That's what you need to see in these undersized kids. Bjork has that guys. He does. He really does.

Moves. And so are these undersized defensemen, which I feel are mock drafts. Adam Kittleman and I will have our mock drafts coming out on Monday. But I have a lot of these undersized defensemen going in the first round, the Xavier Bill Nudes, the Tommy Blyles, the Ryan Lins, these guys.

So I think they're all special players. They compete their tails off. And that's why they'll go. Okay, Mike, before we let you go, I think I'm morally obligated on behalf of the listeners, all of whom want to know about the Ruck twins. They're obviously any hockey playing twins in a draft, get extra attention here in Vancouver.

And that's been amplified even more now because of Daniel and Hendrik Sadine taking on the co-presidents' roles. So what did you learn speaking with the Ruck twins this week? How big of a gap is there between the two in terms of where they might get drafted in their rankings? It's a four-part question. This is a new one. Three. Well, there's two players.

So, yeah, two questions per player. Three. What are their plans and where do they think they're going to play next season and four? Are they really committed to trying to go to the same NHL team? Yes. Well, we got a Rook. It's funny you say that, guys. the timing is impeccable.

We got a podcast coming out today, NHL draft class, who spoke to the Ruck twins. That'll be an interesting thing for the fans to listen to. You can get that on NHL.com. So Liam Marcus Ruck, they're definitely headed back to Medicine Hat next year, no matter where they're drafted,

at least that's what they told us. And college might be in the works for the season after. As far as the NHL draft goes, of course. Of course, they would want to be together. There were a few teams in this draft, They do have multiple picks in the first round, the St. Louis Blues, the Washington Capitals. There might be some teams with early second round picks that have picks in, you know, midway first round. That could be a possibility as well.

But absolutely, they, Liam and Marcus would hope to be the third set of twins to be drafted within the first two rounds. Of course, you mentioned the Siddings, which will won. And then you had Ron and Rich Sutter to the Flyers and Penguins. in their draft year. That was the other set of twins that went. But as far as Liam's concern, he's the goal score, right? The right-handed guy. Best comparison I can give you is probably a Troy Terry. A lot of upside, naturally gifted score.

Really an offensive catalyst this year can play in all situations. Real high hockey IQ. Marcus Ruck, the left-handed playmaker. Best comparison is probably a Michael Backland. Playmaker used in all situations. a lot of good details away from the puck. Excellent for someone his age. He's really fantastic at killing penalties on special teams there.

Good skater. Sees the ice well. Always knows where his twin brother is. And we spoke a lot about that on the podcast. Just the telepathy between these kids is uncanny on how they could do. And they shared some real fun stories, guys, with Lid Rajan, confusing them, yelling at one of the players. He didn't make the mistake.

but they just took the beating. It was really good, really funny stuff. So, but yeah, it's going to be, I personally, personally, guys, I really do hope that they are drafted by the same team. But we shall see. Mike, this was excellent. As always, you're very good at this. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this today.

We appreciate it. We'd love to check back in as we get closer to the actual NHL into drop later this month. Absolutely. Thanks a lot, Mike. Jason, enjoy the Stanley Cup. and the NHL draft, guys. Thanks. Thanks, Mike Morialli, senior draft writer for NHL.com here on the Halford and Breff Show on Sportsnet 650. Yeah, if you go to NHL.com, they've got a ton of Stanley Cup forward stuff on their site right now, obviously. But Mike's doing a ton of work from the NHL draft combine in Buffalo. So go check it out if you get the chance. He's really dialed in on all that stuff. Obviously, as you heard in the interview there. Okay, we got to go to break. Before we go to break, I need to remind you that the Duick Auto Group is the official automotive sponsor, of Halford and Brough. Find out why nobody beats a Duick deal and why nobody has since 1926. Visit Duick Jam on Marine Drive. Visit them downtown. Visit them in Richmond and visit them online

at the Duick Auto Group.com. Coming up in the 7 o'clock hour of the program, AJ from AJ's pizza. reminder to ask us anything Friday. Get your AUA's and you can win a $100 gift card to AJ's. After AJ's Jim Tooth from C.J.O.B. Winnipeg. Radio is going to join the program. We'll do a Jets check in for the off season. That's at 705. At 7.30, David Amber is going to join us. Hockey Night in Canada. SportsNet NHL host from the Stanley Cup finals in Carolina. We'll talk to David about a wild and exciting game two last night. So we got a big 7 o'clock hour coming up. Don't go anywhere. You're listening to the Halford and Brough show on Sportsnet 650.