OverDrive - Duthie on Canada and USA's showdown, the meaning of a win and the best players in the game

Episode Date: February 20, 2025

TSN Host James Duthie joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada's championship game against the USA, the meaning of a victory for the team, the best players in the matchup for the group, the lineup moves for the game 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 James Duffy in studio ahead of the big game tonight. How are we feeling JD? Feeling good. Feeling strong. I did about three other radio hits today and they all asked me, so what's the atmosphere like in Boston?

I guess the producers never asked if I was actually in Boston. There's that hesitation where you go, should I not embarrass them and just pretend I'm in Boston? Have you ever bluffed something where you're like, I'm live from Boston? I have not done that. There have been some writers who've gotten in trouble in the past where they've written a game story from their basement and uh... i think mitch album the great writer got got caught on that once in the

couple other people got caught on that how would they get caught as somebody rather than on today by the warning but as a week post you were in the press box first though i i know of a scout i'm not gonna say that team but they'd like they would credential him. So what would happen is the team, you know, team secretary, whatever would have to credential scouts on the road,

you know, for them to pro scouts. And they got a phone call going, this scout hasn't showed up in a month to get his credential. And the guy had been submitting reports left and right I'm like this guy's doing it either from his house or he's watching the game somewhere But he's not in the building and you're supposed to be as a pro scout in the building get the atmosphere Maybe talk to people in that this guy was a fraud Literally, you wonder how much that happens now though like in this day and age when you can watch any now you can I asked? I asked the scout working out at the World Juniors, I'm like why don't you guys just watch you can see replays and stuff. And I never understood it, well it wasn't that long ago the World Juniors in Ottawa,

but being at that game in Montreal I picked up a lot of things, guys coming back to the bench, intensity. That's not the argument, I'm just saying if you wanted to be a lazy ass you could get away with watching it on TV and filing your report not doing your job correctly but you're right you obviously see way more at the game but you know snowstorm outside I don't feel like driving up to Barry or whatever well a lot of it too like there's some group think in all of the scouting processes right like it's mock draft. Well this guy everyone believes He's the best so what do you mean? You see one tweet so-and-so looks good tonight? Yeah

Down so-and-so look good tonight, right? Well, it's you just you see the mock to everyone's got the same players I'm like, how do you all have the same like one through ten? There's no no dissension there No one sees it differently And that happens with every sport And it's the same thing. I'm sure was scouting where it's like yeah, just well the different easy things to say Yeah, he's great. This is that you're in the lists that aren't public Right like every team has a guy rate. There might be 20 slots different, but they're not publicating their no, of course It's not going to be known Exactly, but like Bob's list Craig'slist and some other guy another network might have

similar less that each individual team they're all way different uh... so jd in terms of the meaning then what what does this mean tonight like a canada wins was a man uh... i think it's more of a symbolic where we are in the world fifty first date yes that it just means a lot for canadian pride and it's more of a symbolic where we are in the world 51st state BS that it just means a lot for our Canadian pride and it's a win at a time where we probably really need A win that way as far as our national collective confidence. I know you guys were talking about it before I I think people have gotten a little overblown. This is not the Olympics. This is not 2010 this is not 1972 I agree that this is not two thousand and ten this is not nineteen seventy two i agree that you

know we never had the political backdrop that we have for this and some of those as a other games but i'm telling you a year from now if canada u s or in the olympic gold medal game again it's gonna feel like this times with several multiples i believe so you don't think any other players would accept like a win tonight Which means a loss next year like in other words if that was presented to the Kachuk brothers you win the four nations

But you're not gonna win the gold medal next year I mean if you ask them today a few hours before the game that might be a tougher thing because they've been waiting for this Moment all their lives. We've heard it over and over again But I think if you remove them, gave them some perspective, everybody would take the gold medal. Yeah. That's why, and I agreed with you on SportsCenter the other night saying all the pressures on the Americans because, yes, if Canada lose, it will suck for our morale and there'll be discussions as to whether the Americans have passed us as the

preeminent hockey nation. But if Canada comes back and wins the gold medal next year at the Olympics, this will be a Sort of forgot an afterthought. Yeah, as Canada's now won, you know Three best on best or four best on best out of the last five Olympics and and the Americans don't have any so Yeah, I just don't think I think everybody would take the Olympic gold medal if you ask them But maybe not two hours before this game. Yeah Well, that's like it's there's so much hype and it's in Boston and you know everything that comes with that but you know from a Canadian

perspective the idea that Sid is still playing and playing such a prominent role like it he scores a big goal tonight he'll get MVP of the tournament yeah he probably deserves it the way he's played yeah you know and one-off game this the the gaming is the US he didn't do much right that bad turnover, but right nobody on Canada did but the Sweden game He was the best player. He closes the door on Finland And then if he has a big one tonight, and he just you look at his history I was reminded of the old four World Cup or Lemieux was in that

Okay, that old four World Cup was weird because it was right before the lockout. It felt a little bit funky But that's from 87 to 04 Lemieux was there like he was doing it all for the most part and here's Sid from 2010 to 2025 doing it again like as the man as the leader and as a guy who's actually contributing. I really thought you know perhaps naively that it might just be a symbolic you know great leadership from Sid but that he didn't play a symbolic, you know great leadership from Sid But that he didn't play a prominent offensive role in this tournament And that's I think been one of the one of the greatest stories of this tournament is that he's had such a huge role In both of their wins to get here. So if again, he's already

Already getting statues multiple statues. Yeah when he retires, but if he does something tonight use multiple statues the up when he retires but if he does something tonight uh... then uh... i don't know how you ever the momentum is that he's he's he's gonna be on the ten the twenty dollar bill or something yeah right jd how close

outside whether you it's a win tonight or not how close do you believe the american program is to canada is this the closest it closest it's ever been in your opinion i think it's probably even already if they are in a touch ahead probably a i mean this is inevitable there's an inevitability to this that is

going to happen in this just here numbers of population in the volume of people playing hockey in right and we've seen it coming for the last decade really maybe twenty years and it you see that the world juniors i i think it's already happened probably at And we've seen it coming for the last decade, really, maybe 20 years. And you see it at the World Juniors. I think it's already happened probably at the World Juniors. That doesn't mean Canada's not going to win gold medals.

These things happen slowly. The states aren't going to suddenly, let's say they beat Canada tonight and they win the gold medals. It's not like Canada's never going to win again and the Americans are going to be up here and Canada's going to be the equivalent of Finland or something like that to the Americans It's it's gonna take they're gonna be even for another 10 15 years or whatever and the Americans will just get slightly ahead But I think if you look at the overall roster if you look at the programs if you look at the world juniors It's already even if if not the Americans being just a little bit bit now the one category where they have never competed in the

still don't is best player in the world i don't think they've ever had that and you know when you you talk how and or indigretsky in the limu indis said you know you might argue about skin these russian and now it's mcdavid like i feel like that will be a bigger shock to Canadians. Then there will be one, there'll be some Phenom out of Texas or something right that it'll happen over the next decade. What will be the shock that if there's an American

best player in the world? Yeah because we've never ever had that conversation. We can talk okay they won the World Juniors, all right they won the 96 World Cup, maybe they're gonna win the Four Nations. We're not gonna have to worry about it for 10 years. It's never happened. We've basically gone smoothly Gretzky Mario Crosby Mcdavid yes kind of right exactly and everything before was obviously Canadian so there's never been an American that's even been close I don't think there's American an American that's one of the top ten players ever I'm not sure there's a one that would be considered top 15 of all time you know we'd go down the list. Red Hull maybe who was sort of Canadian yeah

exactly yeah yeah I don't think Kane's 10 or 15. You're right no and and that and that'll be something. And I still think that's you know this is Captain Obvious but that's to me the big advantages Canada has in the game are two on Saturday night you know we've lost McEvoy and we've gained McCarr. And that is a, I think that's a 10% overall team quality flip both ways. Yes. Right?

So Canada has gained, well done, Canada has gained 20% as far as, I'm terrible at doing odds and things. Now, that doesn't mean they're gonna win, a million things can happen But that's why I would pick Canada tonight And I think they should be a slight favorite and the other reason would be if you pick the best players in the game You go one two three before you get to an American, right? Yeah I mean, I think Sid has earned that in this tournament

I agree the way and the way he performs on this type of stage like that's the thing about the Americans you look at You know, I'm trying to go down the list like Matthew Kachuck has done it Jack Eichel's done it But how many guys do you look over there and say like I know what that guy's bringing in the biggest game Where I know what Sid's bringing I know what McKinnon's bringing McCarr's done it He's won a cons might you might go so rank the players in the game right now the best players in tonight's game Cons might you might go so rank the players in the game right now the best players in tonight's game Would you go McDavid as far as what who you feel comfortable is gonna play it on the line and play well, okay? Let's we're doing a draft. This is a shinny game And we are doing a draft of the two teams sticks in the middle

Let's do a draft you pick first and we'll go down the line here for who I think all the biggest in no Yeah, on the impact you're playing this game to win this tournament tonight. Who do you want first? Mcdavid, okay, I'll go my car McKinnon noodles hell about yeah, okay. I was thinking hell about so there so there you go I know we're probably the chamber. Yeah, and maybe hella bucks the trader comment noodles Yeah, no, but maybe someone some would argue hella buck could be first I honestly was thinking like cuz of the nature the position is that it's just the position that's that's all that i mean i got you know let's take all these out if you

don't take him back let's take the goal is out noodles who would you take absolutely what what are the picks again david mckinnon mccarran in a mccarr off the board well gimme crosby and then i want american right there, yeah. That's the thing. I, you know-

Like, no one's taken a Kachuk, no one's taken Jack Eichel yet. Yeah, Zach Warren's- Maybe we're talking ourselves into Canada having an advantage. We're biased, though. We're biased, though. I don't think there's bias with those players. I mean, you could argue Sid because where he's in his career. For me, the three best players in the game are McDavid, McCarr, McKinnon. Like I believe that.

Not even in question. Like you could argue, you know, Drisidle in that conversation. Matthews- Jacob Slavin you might want to take away- Slavin's been great. The way he's played. Yeah. But those three, like that's as good as it gets. Yeah. One, two, one. Like first line center, second line center, top dog in defense.

But when you have those players ours guys the One of the biggest keys tonight is the Americans are going to try to run them out of the building in the first ten minutes Mm-hmm, right regardless. They're not going to try to but probably not going to drop their gloves and have a brawl again but they are going to try to get that crowd on their side and run them out of the building and See if they can get a two-nothing lead and see if they can wrap it up after that and for the Canadians they got it like you just talked about the players that they're going to be involved in the game if they get any open ice they capitalize so that's where the two sways are gonna come are we going to see a you know maple leafs in another Canadian city at

all factor tonight like how many Canadians have bought tickets for this I think a lot I think there's a lot of canadians down there are we talking what's what's passing their states eighteen nineteen thousand are we see in like six seven thousand three and something like that there no i'm an easily i i could see five to seven thousand really that you think five to seven thousand people i talked to a ton of people and it's not five to seven thousand that they've some package they're going there that it's not enough for montreal they

went right to boston that's what it is it's packaging i just think more canadians would have bought this final game ticket in advance than americans would have i think it's not really as as big as it's gotten here it's gotten huge in the states over the past few days as well uh... but that that that'll be interesting to me when you say that the the crowd feeding into it is going to is it going to be are we gonna be able to notice on television if and the scores but really loudly like a leaf game on the road

producer always finds you know what it's like to do i don't know if you like the sound you know just like the raw sound of is it going to be like a really really certain calgary type of thing i'll be fascinating to watch as well yeah I listen I I think you you bring up a really good point how many Americans are scrambling for tickets and if they're available because you know the way this was working was it was packages you get you know the two games in Montreal you can buy the two games in Boston and it's a gamble because there's no guarantee your team's gonna make it

but I had a buddy that was flying down there with a you know group of eight or ten going to the game today tonight like that's anecdotal it's one group of guys but they're gonna be in the building apparently Seth Jarvis has buddies that drove from Winnipeg to Boston for the game tonight and he's going in he's gonna play which is pretty incredible he's going in for I connect me okay. Konekne. Okay. Jarvis, it sounds like, cried her in for Kyle Connor. Wow. That is the rumor down in Boston. That's your rumor.

That's me. I'll take folk. I'm just reading the tea leaves from what I'm seeing. That's shocking from what we thought going into the turn. If it's wrong, then go talk to somebody else. I think the only thing too we have to factor in is we do not know behind the curtain. Sounds like there's a flu going around. If Connor's sick, then that's I could see it if it's just hey Crider for Connor. I mean that's a gut instinct play by management saying yeah, but if he was sick Jamie

He wouldn't go out there and bag skate this morning. Yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right You know what like yeah If it's just a gut instinct we need a bigger body to get to the front of the net and we need middle ice then then that's what they're doing They're going Chris Crider go stand on the back door go stand in front of the net and see if we can get an ugly one On Bennington or a jam away rebound. Here's another question if Quinn Hughes had been playing tonight Where would he have gone in a draft? Great question. I would he would you have taken him before my car? No, right out before Crosby Yeah, he would you've taken him before mccarr no great at before cross be

yeah i knew he would be in the top five for sure i wouldn't have i was the fourth pick i would have still stuck with cross be based on one game tonight what i've seen in this tournament it in this tournament alone not just his career yes cd cross be for me the other night all you said it yesterday

that was one of the best empty net calls we've seen in a long time he was so pissed he came off the bench ago this is enough at four three this is enough we're not letting finland do this i'm gonna knock somebody out at center ice and throw it into the net and that grandland felt the wrath of said yeah i was like he's my four you guys just mention that quinn hughes just talking to people at the term, that guy is getting love.

Like his respect in the game where he stands amongst the players, like he went from really talented young defenseman to Norris winner to people I were talking to, they're like there's McDavid, there's McKinnon, there's McCarr, and this guy's right there. Like he's, he's up there, man. His skills are not going unnoticed.

Like he's one of the best in the game every time he steps up there man. He's his skills are not going on notice like he's one of the best in the game Yeah, every time he steps on the ice He's something else man like that's a big miss like and obviously was injured and that's why he couldn't be there But that would be a game changer I wish he was playing and I know that the Canadian the fan and you want as many Americans injured as possible to give the advantage to Canada But I I think would be it would be the greatest thing. Yeah, you know all All the best guys were available. Hopefully we'll see that in Italy next year. That's the plan. All right JD, well we'll catch you guys on the panel tonight.

It's going to be a fun night. It's going to be awesome. Yep. All right buddy, good seeing you. Thank you. There he is, James Duffy joining us. Introducing Bryan Adams Radio on I Heart Radio. Hosted by Bryan Adams himself. Join me for an insider look on a wild ride through 40 years of global rock and roll. Bryan Adams Radio. Now available on the free I Heart Radio app. Or ask your smart speaker to play Bryan Adams Radio on iHeartRadio. I was ready to rock. I'm ready to rock.

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