OverDrive - Johnston on Canada and USA set to battle, Hughes coming to rescue and the rash of injuries on the ice

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Canada and USA set to play in the championship game, Quinn Hughes coming in as a replacement, the injuries in the games, Sidney Crosby's incredible impact, Jordan Binnington playing in the crease 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 Bell internet just got better joining us on the line is our man Chris Johnson TSN hockey insider what's going on CJ? Not much guys how you doing? We're doing well. CJ you've covered a lot of hockey in your lifetime like where did that game Saturday night stack up for you in terms of excitement and hype? And do you think Thursday can live up to what we saw on Saturday?

Man, I hope so. I think it's going to be a pretty high bar, though, difficult to probably top the way that all played out. But, you know, this is such a unique moment in time. It's been so long since players have had a chance to play in these tournaments. Obviously most of the guys on the ice are doing it really for the first time and are best on best for their country.

You've got some of the political tensions and things going on and the anthem being booed. You start off with those fights. I mean, you couldn't recreate that if you tried. Now they get a second chance at each other, I just think the stakes are probably a little high that they think that it's going to top it. But you know, part of what makes me excited sitting here on, you know, late Tuesday afternoon for a Thursday night game is I just don't know what's going to happen. And as much as I was, you know, looking forward to that one Saturday, I wouldn't have guessed what we saw in the first period, especially. I don't know what's going to happen and as much as I was looking forward to that one Saturday

I wouldn't have guessed what we saw in the first period especially. I don't really have anything to compare it to. The Olympics in Vancouver is probably the craziest buildings I've been in and the level of hockey and everything we saw. This isn't the Olympics but it was quite a spectacle and you can be sure the Canadian guys are excited to get another shot at the US after losing on the weekend. So CJ, what is the update as far as the McEvoy-Quinn-Hughes situation?

Like why in the hell would Quinn Hughes fly from Vancouver to Boston and not play? I think if he's showing up at Boston, he's playing. I agree. You know, I don't think he would come for one game as much as everybody wants to be in the building that night You know Quinn Hughes has been through a long injury absence. Obviously the Canucks season is getting up and rolling again it doesn't make sense for him to come in just as a You know just just to watch the game and be a cheerleader and you know Obviously his brothers on the team and all those sorts of things

But you know you have to think he's gonna find his way in you know, what where it stands right now is just to watch the game and be a cheerleader and obviously his brothers on the team and all those sorts of things. But you have to think he's going to find his way in. Where it stands right now is what the league and the players association have said is basically there would have to be another injury for him to actually be activated and join the roster and have a chance to play. I don't know if that position is going to change, Joe Doug. I know you were in Montreal. You understand the rules have been kind of fluid on this thing. uh... model that position to get a change your dog and all your Montreal media you understand

the rule of incandescent fluid on the thing uh... maybe the u.s. has another injury behind you know what you're saying that i was really j like yeah are these guys making up a playbook as he's day goes on or what are you know i i don't i don't think he did though i mean and i'm glad canada have to play a game with five defensemen and 13 forwards. I think that would have been absurd and they were potentially in that position with, you

know, the situation with Makar after Theodore got injured. You know, they were able to avoid that. Quinn Hughes was part of the American team, was, you know, had to miss his tournament, was ruled out on the last day in favor of Jake Sanderson because of his injury. I mean, you know, there's some risk to playing in too, as great a player as he is. His last game I believe was January 31st and he hasn't been part of the team. So, you know, we'll see how it all shakes out here, but I'm with you and O-Dog just without, can't report anything, but feels

like he wouldn't come all this way just to watch the game from the press box of the stands CJ how nervous is a bunch of general managers throughout the league seeing all these injuries or potential injuries going to go down right now Well, the general managers are getting especially nervous because maybe some of their owners aren't happy either right? I mean, you know, it's hard to get around the fact that the sort of counter side to the conversation about how great the tournament's been, how awesome it is that the players are engaged and they care, is that, you know, guys are getting hurt and, you know, the US team, we see them obviously players sitting out for precautionary reasons, like Matthew Kachuk last night off to

Matthews. Brady Kachuk was knocked out of that game. Alexander Barkov went hobbling down a hallway in the finished game against Sweden the other day. Obviously, you know, Kale McCartney's Saturday's game. I mean, we're talking absolute all stars players that are counted on for the teams. You know, who knows, you know, who else might come back from this thing and be a little bit nicked up and might need some time off I mean, especially the players that play in the final game Thursday You know Fridays are back with our NHL teams and most of the league plays again on Saturday some some teams on Saturday afternoon I mean the players are going to jump right back into the season and It wouldn't surprise me if even some guys we don't know of right now of is injured after take a little bit of time off after this. But personally, I'm willing to trade it for what we've gotten here.

But you know, some NHL teams, it's a different kind of thing. And we've seen in the past sometimes with these midseason tournaments that can impact on pennings and going way back. But you know, the Ottawa Senators were one of the top teams in 05-06 and Dominic Kasich was our starting role. He got injured at the Olympics and it wasn't the same on the other side. I mean, I hope that isn't the case for any NHL teams coming out of this, but you can't rule it out as a possibility. Well, CJ, we kind of brought it up earlier how it went under the radar. The Austin Matthews

injury was kind of like, oh yeah, he's not going to play upper body soreness and he's expected to play Thursday. But do you think that he's getting a little bit of a a hall pass for how little is being talked about cuz i i would imagine is just based on the way he's playing this tournament sydney crosby wouldn't have taken a night off here why you know i i don't know what that a did i think really not in case there there was nothing to play for in that game i mean it was

just the the last round robin game didn didn't affect literally anything for the US. If you're not feeling quite right, I mean what's the harm in taking a few extra days? I'm sure the Leafs didn't mind that and my sense is the Leafs aren't that concerned about you know with the medical file there that this is something that they expect to linger. So you know I don't know that there's any criticism to be levied his way. I mean, Matthews was pretty darn good in the game, Saturday playing 200 feet for the U S against Canada. And you know,

they want to put him in a position where he's at his best to give them a chance to win the championship on Thursday night. And then we'll see where he's at when he gets back to Toronto. But, um, you know, the, the U S had a bunch of guys sit out that game because I didn't need to win it it was a different circumstance for Canada you had McCarr come back in and play big minutes obviously Crosby McKinnon the star guys you know made sure that they found a way through that one yesterday and we all get the final we want. With Chris Johnson our TSN hockey insider

talking about you know Sidney Cney cross being just the unbelievable tournament that he's having here made a massive play to kind of seal the deal that empty netter uh... uh... just based on the ways play me does this kind of feel like this is his he realizes this could be his final moment to do something big for his country kinda like this is his final stanley cup almost and well i'm sure you've got the got the Olympics circled for next year so we're not at

the final final hurrah but obviously you get to Sydney's age he's the oldest guy playing in the tournament at 37 you know he you know any any professional athlete understands that it's not a long career but he's he's getting towards the real final moments of one and you know it's amazing he's still able to play at the level he is like let's not forget that he missed the last two penguins games before the four nations event i think it's pretty clear he's not at 100 here but you know he's he's just had so much success in these environments i think he brings something even more than we see on the ice to teams like this i think he's a very important guy in terms of bringing

a team together and sort of keeping it together when things get stressful and you know even for all the stars on these teams I think it does get stressful when you're down to single elimination games and then you know a lot of eyeballs on you and you know for some guys it's still also on sort of new territory for them wearing the national team sweater. So you know, Crosby to me is still just such a lynchpin for the Canadian team and, you know, I certainly hope he's there next February, but you know, that's probably it this game Thursday and, you know, what we see next year at the Olympics in Milan for him and a team

Canada jersey. You know, if anyone can pull a Jagger and play into his 40s, that's probably Sid, but And you know what we see next year at the Olympics in Milan for him and a team Canada, Jersey You know if anyone can pull a Jagger and play into his 40s That's probably said but you know there's just not a lot of players doing that at this point And so we should savor all these games that you get a chance to watch him because he's still at a pretty high level You know compared to his peers Do you think he's at least getting a sniff that things could be better elsewhere? An important example is who he's playing with, his linemate Nate McKinnon. Do you think that could fester into anything, CJ?

I don't see it happening in season. I think it's an off-season discussion and consideration for Sid. He thought last summer summer basically all summer long about his contract extension with the Penguins. He ends up signing it in September. But you know he's a very methodical guy and I think the best way to answer that question though is that yes his mind even just a little bit might be on the fact that that's a possibility. You know I think that the writing's on the wall in terms of what's going on in Pittsburgh doesn't guarantee he's ever going to want to leave there, but you

know, I think if it happens, it happens in the summertime. Once the dust settles on a season when he can have more conversations with the people he needs to and his personal life with the organization and, and they go from there, but you know, I sort of feel like he's going to get a chance to write whatever ending he wants in terms of if he wants it to be in Pittsburgh, if he wants to be a career long member of that organization, you know, they're not going to force him out or anything like that. You know, he'll get to do so. And if it's maybe having a chance to chase the Stanley Cup one last one

somewhere else, you know, I'm pretty sure that they would find a way to get him to that team. But, you know, as I mentioned, I don't see that being a relevant conversation before March 7th and this deadline is probably to be dealt with, you know, in the lead up to the draft and at some point in the off season. Any noise around Canadian goaltending heading into this last game? Well, always. I mean, my group text is full of buddies saying what are they doing and you know my only response is well Bennington to me hasn't lost in the

game yet. I understand we can find goals or moments where you're not feeling totally comfortable but I kind of think that that's what this is now. I mean Canada doesn't have an All-Famer net anymore. It's not 2004, 2006, or 2014 with Carey Price. I mean, this is a different deal and the assignment for Bennington is just not to let in too many. And the one game they lost, he only allowed two. And I think a Canadian team has got to score three goals to win a game. So I think quite honestly, if you could have them sign up that he's only going to let in two on Thursday night, the coaching staff would, would take it and would try their chances that, you know, with a lineup with McDavid, McKinnon, McCarr, Rosby, Pointe,

Marner, I mean, that they'll find a way to get three goals in that game. So, you know, I think the time to make a change if they were going to do it was probably before yesterday's game. And so I don't think anyone other anyone other than jordan beddington is even under consideration to start the final all right cj appreciate taking time as always pal will chat uh... again later buddy enjoy the enjoy the festivities in a couple of days to yet we get some we keep down here to get a little too wintry but other than that this has been an awesome event

all the fire has been on the ice that's for sure i right cj take care pal there he goes chris johnson tsn hockey insider lights camera action the 2025 juno awards are hitting vancouver on march 30th and i-har radio is your ticket to the stars the juno goes to hosted anded and performed by Michael Pouble. Good evening, Vancouver! Plus, a final performance by Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees. Sum 41. And more. You can win an iHeartRadio experience with tickets, flights, and a three-night stay at

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