OverDrive - Duthie on Celebrini's case for the Hart Trophy, the World Juniors experience and the Maple Leafs' successful run

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

TSN Host James Duthie joins OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, covering the World Juniors in Minnesota, clearing up the claims from O-Dog, Canada's performance at the tournament, the Maple Leafs' winning stretch, Macklin Celebrini's Hart Trophy potential and more.

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J.D. Come on in. We're just talking. about you having someone else sacrificed their lives for the betterment of your survival. Good world juniors for me. I apparently didn't go to the gym, used a female producer as a human shield, and then pulled a move where I let the guy drive the rental car back because I wanted to get into the lounge faster, according to the... You know, he talked a lot about winning a Canadian Screen Award. That was kind of the theme He kept texting me every night going, Jimmy, I think I got one hand on the Canada Screen Award. And I said the only screen award he will ever win is for Best Fictional Program Overdrive.

Yeah. Because of the lies that are told. So what, did you just try to keep me interested in the tournament when you said, if you keep going, there's a chance? Yeah, there was no shot. He's got a shot. I think he got a shot. I don't know. I said, I told me he had a shot, but it kind of went down the hill when Canada. loss in the semies because you don't win screen awards for bronze medal games.

I got to be honest. And I didn't text you guys. I thought you'd show up for the gold. I thought you'd say, you know what? I'm already here. I'm in the building. Are you high, dude? I'm not.

We had a legit discussion of whether he was going to stay around for the bronze. I know. This was a direct quote in front of the crew. I don't do bronze. That should be a t-shirt. I've never done it before. I didn't think it was as soon as they're not in contention. for the gold, I thought I went home.

At some point, he said, this is such a grind. I said, you've done five games. The crew's done 19. Yeah. Can I straighten out, like, some of the lies that were told, like, so my friends and family members? Just admit the one thing when you shielded yourself. With Megan, that's disappointing, because Megan's the queen of overdrive. You were afraid.

You said, I can't go like this. You're going first. This is what I did. I buried my head in my lap, like they teach you on the planes. I went into the crash position. By the way, you'll snap your neck if you went head on with the car so fast. It probably wasn't the smartest move in retrospect, but that was what my instinct.

I cowardly buried my head in my own lap. Scary scene, though. Legit scary scene. And as soon as I told him that I did that, I knew that he would morph it into me using Megan Redwood as a human shield. Also, I suggested on the car ride to the airport, This is what we do with the Masters. The rent-a-car in Minnesota is not close.

It's not like a walk across the street, like an Ottawa or something. So this is what we do with the Masters. You drop all the luggage off. A couple of guys stay with the luggage. The other guy brings back the renter car, so he doesn't have to lugge suitcase into the shuttle. Perfect. So I suggest, hey, guys, let's do it this way. Oh, and me can wait with the luggage.

Or, oh, if you want to come be Frankie, I don't mind staying with the luggage. No problem. Great idea, Frankie says. we pull all the luggage out I'm pulling the luggage in I find a spot inside the door I go back get more luggage I'm like oh just to the left I got the luggage by the left so I go out get the last when I come back

I look he's gone right to check in we had the conversation yesterday how many grown men does it take to stand by luggage also wait wait how much luggage it's not a foxhole it's a it's a foxhole thing it's a foxhole

what is it a foxhole moment. It's driving off in the cart and you're like, you find your own ball. Like that's kind of a scenario like that. Like, how many guys do you need to search for the ball? There's already James is there helping. Why do you guys have so many? You're in the weeds. Well, because we're there for 12 days.

Like, what do you wear one suit the whole time? The World Junior. One suitcase. Dale Hunter that thing. One suit. How many suitcases do you guys bring? Well, I'm a two suitcase guy on that trip because I have a garment bag that puts my suits in and then all my other stuff. Okay. Sweatpants. My underwear finally made it back. It arrived.

Yeah. I do want to say, though, despite the fact he slanders me on every one of these programs, he did a fine job at the World Juniors A, and he was in the gym pretty religiously. He's a bit of a grunter when he works out. You know, one of the, ah! Like one of those guys, so it's kind of awkward and everybody else is in there quietly, but it worked out hard. Although, I don't know if the last couple days, I have to share this, I couldn't sleep like the last night, I think after Canada lost. and so I got up at 6.30, went to the gym. There was nobody there.

That hotel was half empty now. So from 6.30 to 8, I worked out hard. I went outside, and this guy is sitting in his track suit at the cafe, as he always is, Mr. Cafe guy. And I go, ah, not going to the gym today? He goes, yeah, I just got out of there. I'm like, I was in there for 90 minutes by myself. You were not in there.

Blately lying. The other thing about this guy, He's Norm from Cheers at the hotel, partly because he only works at Canada Games. He is either in the lobby or at the cafe bar all day. Every time I come down to the lobby, he's there. So when he checks out, it's like the guy behind the desk, who I knew from Adam, maybe I asked him for a pen once or something, he's like, Fred, awesome. Oh, Jeff, what a time we had.

Look me up next time you're in town. Ethel at the bar. Jeffrey, goodbye, I'll miss you. Right in there, right? It's unbelievable. You got to insert himself. The entire staff was like family to him by the time he left. What a setup.

Two weeks, six games. I'll tell you what, I was moving and shaken talking about hockey ideas for Hockey Canada on the way home, Jimmy. Everyone okay in Hockey Canada? What's your sense on that, James? You would probably crack his pants when he found out who I was sitting there. Oh, we're sitting down, like the head of Hockey Canada and him in the front row. And I'm like, first of all, he has no idea who she is. my first guess. Second of all, he's got the headphones in, like, don't talk to me.

And then halfway through the flight, suddenly their best friends figuring out. I actually took a video, which I should have posted. I just sent it to Frankie, and I said, Hockey Canada is solved now because the two greatest minds in the world are right where you're figuring it all out. Oh, yeah. Well, I was, I mean, listen, at least they got bronze in the end, right? Like, you take some solace in that? What do you really think of the bronze, Jimmy? Do you think it's like, hey, it's good they got a medal? No, it sounds hokey, but I actually, I do think exactly what, you know, Garter's, you know, McDougal was telling him before the game, we round that clip.

And I do think that, look, it's easy for you to, you've won a gold so it's different. You obviously want to win a goal. But I do think a bronze, if you don't win anything in your NHL career, if you never get to play in the world championships, at least you got, it's a lot better than fourth. Oh, you're on one of those teams that didn't win anything. I think it means something. I would say, though, it was a, I much preferred, this team was a disaster in their own end, for sure. but they were way more watchable than especially last year's team that scored 13 goals.

That was an entertaining hockey team. It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun games. And yeah, like the gold medal game was great. It was awesome hockey the entire tournament, as it always is. So disappointing. How were the Leafs kind of revered in Minnesota? You're talking to other executives, scouts, coaches.

You haven't told us about that. In tough. in top because they've got themselves in and their schedule in the second half the season. Right. They're not going to be spending a lot of time at the Scotia. But they've been awful on the road. Like they've got to play 500 or better on the road the rest of the way. I have a theory.

I was going to share it on the air tonight, but maybe now. Mark Masters, one of the greatest hockey reporters out there. By the way, the hardest working guy out there. Mailing it in tonight. Oh, not in there. Claire Hannah's out there. He and him worked the same hours. I'm doing the game.

I don't think he works. He literally works. We only do Canada. He works 20 hours a day, Masters. He's insane. You got to see this guy. Oh, I've seen it. 8 in the morning.

Jonas is there with him all the time. Master's grilling the Leafs all year long. He's there every day. Maybe it wears on them. They're not playing very well. Masters leaves. Red hot. Just on fire.

Yeah, red hot. So is there anyone under more pressure tonight? Oh, no, he's not there. He's not there. It's clear. Mailing it in. Claire Hannan is. I was going to say, if he comes.

comes back and they start, you know, it's one thing for the panel, but he's in the room every day. Right. So I think there's a lot of heat on Masters whenever he's back next Tuesday or whatever it is. I bet they forced him not to go. That's my guess. Yeah, he would want to go to Philly. He refuses time off. I'm like, don't, aren't you going to take it?

No. Just, you know, whether work. We should get to the bottom of that. I never saw him not in a suit the entire 12 days. Besides being on air, I never saw him not in a track suit. Right. But I never saw Masters not in a suit. Yeah, I've never seen him.

him in anything but a suit. He goes on the airplane in this suit. Yeah, like he wears a gene combo with a suit jacket and a zip up and like a tort look. What's the deal with that, Jonas? I don't know. I don't think he brings, like, sweatpants because he stays at work the whole day. Like, literally,

if he was in Philly today, he would go to the ring for the morning skate, stay there in the entire game, stay after the game, and then leave it like 12. The poor guy, I got to say this on there. He's a hard worker. He actually got sold out by our crew won. I think it was Gold Medal Day or maybe the semifinals because he did an interview

with the kid. No, it was a quarterfinal day. He did an interview with the kid from Slovakia. And I guess the kid sort of guaranteed they were going to beat Canada. But it was over like a 30 second bid of three different questions. And so when they ran the clip

on our show, it was Masters going, it was either the beginning or the end. And Masters goes so do you think you're going to beat Canada? And the guy's like, yeah, you know, I hope we have a good chance. And Master goes, so you're guaranteeing it? And the guy goes, oh, no, maybe. And that's what we ran.

And me and Frankie had no choice but to just go, well, hold on a second. That wasn't a guarantee. Because Masters had already tweeted, Slovakian guarantees win or whatever. So poor Mark, I see him in the bar after. They just ran the wrong clip. Like the kid clearly did say at a different point in the interview, we are going to beat Canada. We are winning tonight.

But we ran the part where he's, coming in Han, and Masters is like, so you're guaranteeing it? Good for him, though. Just Carolyn, the 18-year-olds. He's the best. Get right on top of them. Masters is the best. Well, they're in Philly tonight, and Hildaby's going to start. So you got your answer, Jonas, right?

Which I guess that probably means Wall will go Saturday against Vancouver, and then they'll split Colorado, Utah, Monday, Tuesday. But Philly... I don't understand that, though. Like, Philly's the points you really need. Yeah, especially considering, like, Montreal won again last night. Tampa, Montreal, Detroit have a pretty significant. significant separation between the leaves,

Florida, Buffalo. Like as of now, the Leaves who play themselves back into a wildcard race, not a divisional spot. That's the other thing that happened while we were away. Two things that happened. The Leafs turned it around, and there's separation. Because I thought when we left, or mid-December, it felt like

maybe Tampa was in first, but like everybody else was within three points. Yeah. Yeah. Tampa doesn't lose. Like Tampa and Montreal, like, real heaters right now. And Detroit, the same thing. They played more games than anyone. else. But, you know, and again, it's subject to change. There's still a lot of season left. But as of now, I think you're right.

Like, Philly's a team you're legitimately competing against because you're chasing a wild card spot. Two points are as important as two points, though. Well, and you're going to hate this. Here comes a stupid that. He has. This is going to sound stupid, but he has started the last four. Joseph Wall, you mean? Yes.

Now, you're going to say Glenn Hall just started 500 in the row. in a row. Why can't Wall do that? But aren't we at the point their save percentages are almost equal? Are you at a point as a Lee fan where you're comfortable with either one, kind of? Yes, I mean, I'd be more comfortable with Wall, I think, a little bit deceptive because War

got pulled in one of those games, I believe. Didn't he'll be going? Yeah. But Wall is a more established NHO World Tender. You'd rather have him in there, but Hildobie's... But Hildobie has done... Hildobe has done... Hildobey has softened the blow of Strollers, and his absence. Like Stollars, I don't know when he's

going to return. Tannab, I don't know when he's going to return. Is this season in jeopardy? It's got to be. I don't know that. I don't think that yet, but like he hasn't played since November 11th, I think. And it was day to day on November 11th. Yeah, so, and we don't know what the injury is. Like, he's clearly

not playing for the Olympics. I'm not sure they know. I'm not sure they know. I think they got a better idea of Tanev, I would assume, like, what his story is if he's going to have surgery, you know, what could happen with him. That seems you know, more ominous, so to speak, in terms of, like, having a better read on what could happen with him

and if he's going to return. Stolars, I'm not sure they know. He's skating at least. Exactly. Like, if he's skating on his own, then he's back on the ice. But Stolars and Tanev, like, those are two big losses. That's your number one goalie coming into the season. Yes, a tandem. And arguably,

your number one defenseman. And on top of it, a lot of road games, and you're chasing a playoff spot. Like, it's a very challenging position, It's what makes this run impressive, though, because Willie's been out for most of it too, right? And no TANF and, you know, no McCabe right now. Like I said, it's an impressive run. But I think the question we're going to have answered in the next two weeks is, is it a blip?

Like, is this, are they going to now lose, you know, five of the next seven? They do that. They're screwed. There's six blips a year with most teams, right? So is this a blip or is this a trend where it's, you know, obviously they're not going to get 12 points out of every 14 of available, but if you can get nine or 10 for the next three, seven game cycles or whatever, then you're back in things. Yeah, they've played their cards for losing four in a row or something like.

They can't do it. Like, you're going to lose games, clearly, but you can't go into a slump. If they do that, they lose eight of ten, it's over. It's done. They've played that card. They've got to stay consistent. Another thing that happened while you're away is Winnipeg is not the worst team in the league. I haven't aware of that.

We did, like, still pay attention to hockey. No, I understand. I know, but I'm just saying. I like pretending. Yeah, there's been a lot going on up here. You guys are unaware of. Winnipeg's terrible. Yeah.

And McDavid's Red Hot. Yes. Right? Go ahead, Jonas. I know you want to jump in. Well, did you hear about the Salabrini take? This guy's been pushing? What now?

Salabrini for the heart. No, me. Celebrity for the heart. Absolutely. How many more times have you mentioned how I... You and him. Yes. Hate McDavid.

You know, I... Meanwhile, I don't like your producers. I... As soon as you were sland... You're just wondering me about the whole me saying, getting McDavid going, but it was only, you were the only person on the quiz that said that McKinnett had passed McDavid. I said them the sound. I went and got the archivist to find the sound, sent it to him, keenly listened to the program, and all you did was not play the sound and triple down on the fact that it was me. That is gutless.

On my behalf, too, I should have had your back. I should add your back, because you've completely spun the narrative that you and I, Duffy and Hayes, think McDavid to retire. Maybe we should embrace it now and just say we're the ones. Like if he wins the heart or whatever, we did it. Already. And he can take the real. At the beginning of the year, he went on record and said he's not going to score 50 goals.

No, I didn't say that. Yeah, you didn't say that. I'll get the clip. Go ahead and get that. He'll never score 50 again. He'll never get 150 points or anything like that. I did say that. And this is the one King Daddy Topper.

You said he's done winning hearts. Probably. I said he's probably done. That was bold. It is, but let me again, every month I got to reset the record straight here. That was not a shot from the hip. That was history. Saying that at some point, Sid stopped winning hearts, Ovi stopped winning, Gretzky stopped winning.

Maybe you should have said it that way at some point is going to happen and not say it's happening right now. I did though. I said, you're in a year 11. I said, I'm not sure he went to another part. I'm still not convinced he will though. Like again, McKinnon could win it. Sellebrini could win it. I'll ask you now, over under one point, should it be 1.5 or 0.5?

1.5 hearts? Yeah. 1.5, I'm under. Over. Over. Under. I like your Celebrini case if the sharks make the playoffs. That's my point, though.

That was my whole thing was if he, if he drags him in, 130 points. He's got 60 more points than anyone else on his team. The narrative is right there. Jonas would put McDavid on the ballot and McKinnon. If he's within, like, I don't think he has to win the score. scoring race. He's not going to. He's got to be within like

five points or something. I think it's like 15. I think 15 points. Go look at Taylor Hall. McDavid is too good. McKinnon's too good. Sorry. Yes, they're great players.

There's like a line of demarcars. They're great players. And when Taylor Hall won and Corey Perry won, guess who was playing? Crosby and Ovechkin. McDavid? Yeah, why didn't they win that year? I don't know.

They were so much better. Yeah. I didn't vote. Why didn't McDavid win it last year? He was still the best player, wasn't he? And the year before that. Yeah, I can't expect. You don't win it every single year.

It's tough to win a heart. Only one gets announced. Like, that was my point. It's not that he won't be nominated ever again. It's very difficult to win. What you're saying, Joan, is the same thing. I go in with this Canada's top athlete award, whatever we call it now, the Northern Star Award.

And every year I kind of perk up and say, guys, if McDavid never wins one of these things, like we're going to look like idiots. and it's always, you know, there's a hammer thrower or something. I'm not saying that. There's been good, worthy winners. I mean, Shea won the last two years. She had to win.

But I think there was a point three years ago where McDavid, you can make a really valid thing. And I can't remember who won it, but. Probably an Olympian or something. That was the year I was like, and again, you know, Summer Macintosh, all these, they're all valid winners, but I do not like the idea of McDavid going through his career and not winning Canada's best athlete awards. It's not possible. But it is possible.

It is possible. Because, again, he's in year 11 and he hasn't won it. But that was my point. Who won the Northern Star the year? He got 164 points. I'd have to look. Jonas, check it out. It might have been Shea.

Shias. Sheldis has won it twice. If this might be the year, because there's no Summer Olympics, if they win the gold medal and he plays any sort of role, even a role like the Four Nations last year, he scores the winning goal, and then they go, you know, he wins the heart. I almost don't even care what he does in the playoffs. The problem, like, Shea's won it two years in a row now.

So that's one where I would lean. If everyone, let's say Shay's MVP again and they win, I would still say, guys, he's won two. You've got to give it to me. What if it's McKinnon? What if the abs win the cup? He wins a cons flight? No, he's never won one. Yeah.

Like, that's possible. I hear what you're saying. Like, sentimental value. I think you've got to do a better job of representing hockey. They barely won any of it. Yeah, it's been. it's it's Crosby in 09 Price and 15

and then Marie Philippe 22 that's it I do and there's several people to represent hockey and I do look the committee does consider it and there's but you're right you're right it's one of those ones where you look back and you go and you look back and then it's like 93 Mary-Olemew yeah what is happening

Gratzky won like three times I think I do think we give disproportionate value a lot of voters give disproportionate value to Olympians on those things. Right. And now that there's an Olympics every two years, you know, you got a Mikhail, Kingsbury, whatever. And that is, yeah, those discussions are had that hockey needs to be given a little more.

Our boy, Sean Sinclair, just sent me this note. I'm very glad he did. So, Celebrating has 67 points. The Sharks have scored 134 goals this year. That means he has factored in on exactly 50% of their goals. Only players who have done that by the season's end. Gretzky did it three times, Lemieux twice, McDavid, twice, Yager once. If he is in on 50% of their offense.

Maybe he's Canada's male athlete of the year. Northern Star. The Northern Star. Northern Star. So you're talking not only Heart Northern Star. I'm going a step above. The Heart and the Northern Star. Jonas, go ahead.

You print out a ballot. This guy is in on 50% of their offense, and they make the playoffs. Nope, sorry, you stink. McDavid McKinnon are ahead of. By the way, how many points did McDavid have the year that Taylor Hall won the Hart Trope? I don't know. I think he is three. That was another thing.

Three. Again, with my previous takes, Sid, I think, has two hearts. Ovi has three. Lemieux, I think, has three. It's just history would indicate you don't get to four, five, six hearts. Only Gretzky does that. Eight. Yeah.

And like seven of them in a row or something like that. That doesn't mean you're right, right? Well, I may not be. And if I'm not, we'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I think Jeff and I recognize that this is unbelievable stuff. Yes, he's a great player. He's the best player having an amazing year. He is the MVP.

Okay, there you go. And if he's not the MVP, it'll be McKinnon. Or McCar. Or McCar. All right, James. See what I have to do with? Do you have a ballot, James? They don't let me vote on anything.

So it looks like I'm the only one. with any control here. That's scary. You're the only guy would it take. And you will not be sway. I get to vote on the World Junior All-Star team. That's my only ballot I get in the world

and the Northern Star. I love how Frankie, you and him Frankie was like, hey, when are we going to put together the votes? And I'm like, I've been doing this for 10 years and I don't get to vote on the All-Star. You have to do non-Canada games to get a voting privilege.

It does. You have to show that you've watched somebody outside of... You don't. think I watch the other games? I don't know, do you? They weren't on in our hotel. It does seem like a reasonable requisite. You kind of have to cover

the other games. Yeah. You know? That is disappointing. You're not a voter, though? And no Diet Coke? No Diet Coke, no vote. How about this? Let me leave you with this. Me and Puffy go out to watch football on Sunday. The Niners and the Seahawks,

the game before it was the Panthers and the Bucks. We go to six sports bar. and the Panthers and the Bucks are not on. Not one TV. All hockey in every TV and some college basketball. We finally found in the 6th one, one of the TVs that had the game on. No way. The NFL in the United States of America.

Do you not say, hey, man, can you put this game on? Well, we finally at the last one asked them put it on the TV. Is that on Thursday, though? No, that's Sunday. Was that the Sunday game? I thought it was Thursday. Saturday. It was a Saturday.

It was a Saturday. It was a Saturday night, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock. Yeah. Isn't that incredible, though? Yeah, you're right. The National Football League in sports. Was it on Amazon or something like that? Like that's the only, I'm trying to get up on the explanation.

I think the wild were playing, so that was part of the thing. But that is crazy. But they have like 10th. Yeah. We couldn't believe it. That is really weird. In America. You'd never think that.

Yeah. Anyway. All right, J.D. Well, we'll catch you on the panel tonight. Thank you for letting me clarify some of the lies have been told on the program. Is Frankie a bad driver? Is that accurate?

He's aggressive. I like the aggressiveness. But I did, I will say that I switched over to Puffy. after three rides or so and let Jeff handle Frankie. Restarers. Yeah.

But he did save my life when the guy was going the wrong way in the on-ramp. I thank both Frankie and my human shield Megan Redwood for that. Yeah.

Megan is the queen of overdrive. We love Megan. All right, James. Great stuff. We'll catch you on the panel tonight. There is James Duffy. The newest tracks. Let's go.

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