OverDrive - Dreger on the NHL general managers meetings spotlight, the playoff format and the management perspective in the league

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the topics in the NHL general manager meetings, the Stanley Cup Playoffs format, goaltending interference guidelines, the management perspective in the league and more.

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Switch to Bell PureFiber, Canada's fastest internet, awarded by UCCLA. Starting from $60 a month. Visit bell.ca for more details and to check availability. Here's our TSN Hockey Insider, Darren Dreger. And Dreggs, you were there, you were on the ground. Was there one item in particular, one news item that you think stands out above the rest that every hockey fan should be aware of or what uh... yeah i get the fact they like really girl down on goalie interference uh... and this is not what part of our districts like how are they going to figure out

what it is well they tell us that everybody should know what it is uh... and i a m not to mean that we know what you know i can tell you the managers here believe based on the number of clips that they saw, the contentious goalie interference challenges this year, they're on side with how hockey operations calls it. And I guess to simplify it, and it's not a simple issue.

So, they boil it down to three things. Okay, is the player in the blue paint in the crease? How did the player get there? And that's where it gets complex, right? Was he guided in by a defensive player? Like, how did he get there? And then three, can the goal-altender play his position or is he allowed to reset and then how you kind of navigate around those three things is

ultimately how they come down to determining whether it's a good goal or it's it's a call back goal and whether they can overturn what was called on the ice. What's interesting to me is, so it's okay, like the general manager here are basically in lockstep with how hockey operations calls it, which is good. I mean, the four guys that helped make those calls in the situation room have been there since, the goal interference review was introduced.

So they're gonna have a GM and a coaches meeting in September. Do we think coaches are gonna see it the same way? Or the goalies are gonna see it the same way? I don't know. I mean, it's just, I think all it was, as they started at the beginning of the week, they said it was a Trump is checked, and that's exactly what it is. And they believe that they're calling it the way i think all one of the major started at the beginning of the week that there were a compass checked

and that's exactly what it is may believe that there they're calling it the way that it was designed to be called in absolutely and so i guess we have to live with that well uh... i just i don't know if they're called tenor interference going that's the thing didn't wasn't carter hellebck in there somewhere talking about goalie interference? Yeah.

And you do have to have a goaltender's point of views on it. For me, it's become like past interference. It's just what is it? Define it. I have it. Right. The five of us could sit down and watch a play, and we might have five different interpretations. We would have yes or no, but just how we arrive it I do like the parameters though

Dreggs you lay it out like how did it arrive is it in the crease all of that there are parameters there's there's boxes to be checked but in the end and this is what's concerning is it still may be open for interpretation and that's what is you know and that's what is you know and that's where it might cost a series a game in the playoffs who knows now they have they've kind of dodged that bullet here I can't think of a goalie interference that was huge controversial in the playoffs recently I'm sure there was right but you know they I think they want to never get to

a point where it's the Brett Hall type of thing or you've got to call guys back or have a seven minute video wait for everybody while the refs and Toronto get through it. So it's still subject to interpretation, but if everybody knows the rules, maybe there is a little bit of softening of stance. Well, but here's what we should do. I'm not listening tongue in cheek. I honestly think it would be an exercise. Noodle, you for sure would do it.

Hayes might do it. Oh, dog, I don't think you're going to want to do it. But I can probably get the 54 examples. These were the most contentious challenges. Imagine if you're a general manager, one of 32 guys, and that was your exercise on examples and these were the most contentious challenges and imagine if you're a general manager one of 32 guys and that was your exercise on Monday which it was all 32 of those men watch all 54 examples and then they had to tally what they thought good goal no goal inconclusive, whatever. And then the end result as was disclosed

yesterday is 52 of the 54 the managers agreed with what came out of the situation, right? So I'm not sure what that tells us other than in the eyes of the architects which are the general manager they feel like how the system is working right now in video review is best-case scenario I mean they you know they they were inconclusive in two of 54 calls and those were again the the biggest Nevada so honestly I got a respect respect to you guys you played the game noodles or no dogs sorry Brian I honestly I think I we watched probably 10 we didn't watch all 54 they brought the media in on on Monday I thinkay i think they're looking at it

uh... we didn't go to all of them most of the women okay we can understand but it'd be an interesting exercise with from the analysts around the game to see if they talk the same way so in terms of where the the cv is going to i think that that said today that he intends on you know i'm gonna talk to him with the financial p a in the spring uh...

is everything kumbaya at this point any reason for anyone to have the backup against the wall you know the caps been revealed for the next three years everything seems great right now is that an honest and accurate assessment or what i think that's fair maryland i do uh... you know i think there have been times where either the league of the players association wanted to engage a bit

quicker probably more that women in a child uh... and for a variety of reasons to me and told that our p a dot that tour marty walsh's you'll got to know each uh... team team reps and he's gone through all of that process and that takes time. So it's a little bit behind schedule and Betman was quick to declare like, okay, well we've had discussions but we're not actually in negotiations and that's going to happen early April. So I think you're right. I don't see anything contentious

coming out of the four nations face off where the NHL and the Players Association were partners. I think that was a huge step in the right direction to having that level of harmony. The fact that before that event they announced that they've got salary cap harmony for the next three years. So the major kind of stumbling blocks appears to have been resolved or everybody's just on side. So I'm not saying it's going to happen like with a snap of fingers, but I don't get the

sense that there's that one thing where the players are going to dig in and say, well, we're not agreeing to anything unless this happens. And I would say the same thing of the NHL. Draggs, Gary comes out and he always says, I just don't like the idea thing of the NHL. represent the owners so is that what the owner's all think they don't want to look into any kind of change because man is he ever Adamant saying this is the way it's going to be as far as the playoff format which I think Yeah, every single time. Oh dog every single time so that's him and the owners obviously that thing yeah I mean he works for the owners you're right so and I know I wouldn't say that all owners are on side of that. I mean, it's a very selfish discussion because, you know,

if you're an owner that, you know, if you're the Toronto Maple Leafs and you end up finishing where you finished and every year in the first round you get bumped and you're looking at a different scenario or other teams for sure, you'd want to explore other avenues. So I would think that he speaks on the collective for sure.

And yes, absolutely, he represents the owners, but when it comes to the idea of changing the playoff makers, whether it's one versus eight or look, there wouldn't be many owners who don't think that the idea of expanding the playoffs from 16 to 18 or 20 is a conversation worth continuing to have. Gary just pushes back on it every single time. And I don't know what the magic number is. You know, and I'm not talking about one versus eight. I'm talking about, you know, expanding the playoff number here. Do you need to expand to 34 teams before you do it? I don't, but he's adamant because he doesn't want it to linger.

He wants to shut it down every year at this meeting the way that he does so that collectively as a media we stop talking about it, yet we always ask the question for sure. Yeah, he was contentious with it. You can see that he was bullish on it. What about overtime and extra games, all of these things that they are tinkering with or at least talking about or at least on the agenda? Any headway of any of it? Not really. You know, they're crafty in how they have manipulated the media

over the last number of years. And I know that sounds harsh. And it shouldn't, because it's just supplying data. But they've done a good job. So again, they carried us into the meeting, like I described earlier, and we saw the examples of the goalie interference and how those calls went but they also supplied a myriad of numbers right in certain areas of the game shooting percentage like 10.5 percent across the NHL 21.6 I think percent was a success rate in power plays the number that jumped off the page for me was I think the 74, maybe 75% of overtime games three on three that are decided three on three. And I mean, it's a good number. I'm happy to hear that because I'm not a fan of the shootout. I understand

the spectacle. It's a gimmick. It's something that the commissioner's offices wanted to protect. But I think that's a fair balance. And I think the reason we're even having a conversation about overtime is because what we saw, we didn't see a lot, what we saw at the Four Nations, right? And they went through 10 minutes. And Betman today talked about how he's, he's aware and he appreciates how that's more wear and tear on certain players. So if he doesn't speak for Marty Walls, but if that's the pushback, then the numbers don't bear why you should even consider altering three on three. And I think he's right in that. Like a 75% scoring rate in three on three.

I mean, I think we can live with that. I think that you can pick games where you see players players and teams and how they structure the regroup and all of that and have issue with that. But I mean, at a 70% again, 75% scoring rate, I think everybody's happy with that number. With Darren Dreger, our TSN hockey insider, what's it like being around all those GMs when you consider there's only a month left in the season and they're all in a different position you know there's yeah like Mike Greer the GM of those Sharks is in a very different position than Kevin Sheveldale. Yeah exactly like what's it like when they're

down there and their teams are in a very different position. Yeah, it is different for sure and it was funny. First thing this morning, I'm on early bird, right? So I always like to be, Dave Parker, our Superman camera person, right? He's always in the hallway because the meetings start at 8 a.m. So there's some sculpting in the hallway that you can do. So he has his tripod and his camera set up probably around 7.15. And he's just shooting the walk-ins and the managers and whatnot. And I always like to get down over the coffee around 7.30

because I can shoot the breeze with a couple of managers as they go in and whatnot. So I saw Steve Scales come in and Steve looked okay. Wasn't upset. I mean the honor of senators have been on a good run. He's happy with how the team is playing and all that. But he didn't love the outcome. Obviously, last night he came against Montreal and then if he can't use, then he's like bopping down the hallway. Like everything is great. We're in a playoff spot in Montreal, like, finger, just awesome. So you get a little bit of that. And then you're right, you get my career. I, you know, I crossed paths with Kevin Adams with Buffalo Sabres a number of times.

And, you know, Kevin is always a happy-go-lucky guy, but he's got to be looking into the off season and going, well, you know, with all due respect, number one, am I going to be the general manager question one and then if I am how do I? try and and Fix this because it sure sounds like Jerry Pagul is getting more involved sounds like he's diving into a road trip with Buffalo Yeah, I guess three or four gamer. No no on the road well

honestly, it's probably just You know getting eyes on what's going on and you know kind of an owner review of what you see I know there's nothing he can do not at this point But there's a lot he could do at the end of the season This comes with you know letting people go and spending more money to bring others in John Ferguson jr. Move junior movie lose seven in a row carpool i don't like the one cheating arrangement of the plane

well since the federal has been there for four like he's watches for fourteen years like that's a uh... i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i I know maybe what's different maybe someone should watch him and say hey Terry do you come on the road? We're gonna watch you. Yeah watch what you're Because it's a nightmare. This Dylan Cousins is unreal Stat pack on that guy. Yeah Much opportunity is yeah, most everything first on the sands It's like is it gonna happen to get this the new rain hard like that we have awesome

yeah i was like it yeah and that's the issue right and each so i mean he either believe in cabin which some still think he does or he doesn't but i would think that they we're firing managers are coaches who's going to be better accused Like who's the next up and comer? You know, it feels like in Buffalo anyway, they should have gone the path of,

you know, Shanahan, tree living, Gordon Hughes, go down the list of all the teams that have that one, two punch. And I like Kevin. I think Kevin works hard, but that team is mad C and it doesn't look like it's getting better any time soon No, that is accurate. It's not a good scene All right, Drex safe travels. Thank you for doing this Hey, I guess you said say hi to you today Brian. Who's that? No one

no one uh... this way that's that's that's not all this one that's not necessary you can't read it that's a bit of a copy earlier with the fraud that that that ever that that's not the idea of for thank you drugs for everything by by the other night there's their trigger tsn hot that's like a high school like that is like

a well that's not what i was the rink the other day. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody said hi. I admire it. I kind of think it's funny. It actually landed really well because I fell into it but why would I be prepared for a 55 year old guy to say. I would have never gone for it because I've done too many Leaf games with that guy and I think I've heard it on a nightly basis and I just said here it comes. That's his player. You know, it's coming Oh, yeah, I fell in a trap on that was well My heart radio is taking you backstage with Kane Brown in Quebec City. I'll get ready girl. Let's go put some

Need him interview him an I heart radio experience. You'll never forget With flights hotel and $500 included Be like that How we feelin' tonight For your best chance to win, enter daily at iHeartRadio.ca Thank y'all so much, yeah Kane Brown's new album, The High Road, is available now.