OverDrive - McKenzie on Canada's superiority on the ice, the triumph against the USA and the winning mentality

Episode Date: February 21, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around Canada's victory against the USA, the foundation of the Canadian team leading to the victory, the superiority and dominance in the matchup, the track of the roots of the team 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 he is, the hockey outsider, Bob McKenzie. Bobby Mack, what was that like last night watching that game? Hello, gentlemen. Nice to talk to you. Yeah, you know what? It was a lot of fun because you're right, I did watch it as a fan.

I think it's got to be probably the first major international event, like not Olympics or Olympics and World Cup, whatever, that I haven't been working for. So it was a unique perspective and it allowed me just to be a fan. And that's different for me because as O will tell you, and I think I told you guys this story before, I try not to be emotionally invested in international hockey. Hey listen, I'm a very proud Canadian. Always have been, always will be and now maybe more than ever for all the obvious excuse me all

the obvious reasons but in 1996 the World Cup I was so sideways and emotionally upset that it was a lot to the Americans when Brett Hall booted the puck into the net that afterwards I worked for the Frontal Star at the time and I was like I was fit to be tied and I was like this this is a stupid way to do my job, I'm too emotional. I need to be more rational. So I said, if I'm gonna do international hockey, I do a lot of it at TSM World Juniors every year. I gotta back off the cheerleading

and the wanting team candidate to win and be a lot more cool and analytical. And that's exactly what I did. And to the point, 2010, I might have been the only person in the rink in Vancouver when Sydney scored the golden goal and I was like 10 feet behind the net where he scored it. I was right told there's that year. You started sending emails and writing pieces on it?

No, I just sat there. Everybody just sat there and celebrated and I just sat in my chair and didn't do anything. It's not because I'm not a proud Canadian. I'm happy when Canada wins for them. But you know what? I got to know a lot of Americans and international people over here. Jimmy Johansson, the late Jimmy Johansson, USA hockey, was just the prince of a guy. When they won, I was happy for him. That's kind of where I went with the cold detached approach. But now that I'm not covering it, and now that Canada is in a trade war and who knows what else, and the total lack of disrespect our country feels because of the Donald Trump and the annexation and 50 per state BS. I was like a raving lunatic

watching that game last night and in the grand scheme of things the winner of a loss really in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter and I can look at that part of it analytically and just say whatever's gonna happen on the trade war whatever's gonna happen on all this annexation talk and everything else it's gonna happen regardless of whether Canada won or lost last night. But I've got to be honest with you, it wasn't so much about celebrating the win as just getting an opportunity to avoid what would have happened if the Americans had won. I don't think I could have taken it and I think most Canadians probably feel the same

way. Bobby, the term political undertone was involved in almost every panel we did. Do you think that crossed the mind of the players before that game or do you just think they're good Canadian boys, stick, puck, let's play hockey, we want to win the game? I think it's a mixed bag oh and I got to be honest with you. I mean let's be honest. This whole thing between Canada and the United States is even harder for those of us involved in the NHL and Hawking because it's almost like there is no Canada in USA when it comes to the NHL. Everything's it's like reciprocity, total free trade, back and forth. The whole NHL community is a community and it's a mixed bag of Canadians, Americans and

obviously Europeans. And a lot of the, let's be honest, a lot of the players, a lot of the coaches, a lot of the managers, they support Trump, they're Republicans or what have you. I think that's pretty well documented. And so I don't think that the Canadian team was sitting there saying, we've got to do this to the annexation. But I thought John Cooper was very eloquent after the game last night when he talked about the fact that the players are aware of it and I was really happy that they addressed it as directly as he did

to make the Canadian fans know that they were aware of the political overtones of the entire thing and It wasn't their reason for wanting to win the game They want to win the game because it's Canada and they haven't lost a major international competition at the senior level for who knows how long. But they were aware of it and as I said, you know, some of them might not give a damn about the political side of it. Some of them maybe are aware of it but they certainly understand stakes on a hockey level and I think they were well aware of the other stakes that they might not in their own mind have a direct

connection to but certainly they're smart enough to know how the The Canadian public is feeling yeah, and how the Americans like you said would have responded to a win last night It would have been so over the top With with Bob McKenzie. So let me let me offer you these two stories of these two players. Let's say you're in the press box last night. You got to write an article or you're going on Sports Center and you can talk about one of these two stories. Sidney Crosby winning again or McDavid, you know, finally having that moment. Which one would you choose? Which one do you think is the more compelling story?

that moment with which one would you choose which one you think is the more compelling story uh... i'm i'm like the huge biggest said booster in the world but but that i probably would have said mcdavid and i and and i thought you know when i were talking a little bit by texture in the game not much but little bit and uh...

and and i saw his head on sports center last night and he he nailed it and then connor himself said it it wasn't his greatest game. I thought he really had a tough time keeping the puck on a stick. Pucks were bouncing over a stick uncharacteristically. He was, he was just things weren't in sync for him but at the end of the day he gets alone in the slot. I don't know how he got that alone and he puts it in the back of the net and beats a really, beats the best goalie in the National Hockey League with a clean shot, one on one, boom, in the back of the net.

So that was Conor's moment. It's always going to be Conor's moment until there's other Conor moments to deal with. So I would probably go down that road. The one other thing I would say is, and I've always believed this idle and i know like you need in one of the old we want to get him we never lose we we beat them in two thousand ten we beat haze just said that the start the show i say that all the time and i'm saying that i hear that

uh... that week we we beat them were the best where the best for the best and i would say fair enough when you when you get to claim We're the best. We're the best. We're the best. And and I would say fair enough, when you win, you get to claim you're the best. And when the Americans finally do get around to beating Canada, and at some point they will, they're going to say they're the best. And they're OK to say that.

But I got to be honest with you, everybody talks about how far American hockey's come and it has. They get some brilliant players. I mean, that that slaveven pair last night was on. They were unbelievable. Wyrinski's being incredible. So now that they're producing an astronomically wide swath of really good players, it's going to make it difficult for any nation to beat them coming up.

But you know what? In 2010, the Americans won the round robin. They lost in the gold medal game on Sydney's Golden Goal. In this one, they lose in the round robin and they lose on Connor McDavid's Golden Goal after Bittington has to stand on his head. And I've always believed this about hockey, especially short tournament games like Olympics, World Championships, World Juniors. There's so much luck involved it's not even funny. And to be able to draw a pronouncement and say based on winning the world, winning the four nations face-off last night, Canada is the dominant superior

hockey nation. If the Americans had won that game in overtime I wouldn't say there'd be a whole bunch of the Americans would say it and there'd be a bunch of Canadians who would be a little upset about the way things have gone. And they would say, you know, well, we're not, we're never going to catch up to them. They're, they're beating the pants off us now. These things tend to run in cycles and a hockey game is a random series of events. And I mean, between Austin Matthews and Brady Kachuk, the chances they had in overtime last night, how they didn't end up Kachuk, the chances they had in overtime last night, how they didn't end up in the back of the net, how Bennington got those, I have

no idea. That easily, easily, easily, easily could have been an American win. And nobody would be talking about, oh, we're the best, we're the best. And they would be talking about, we're the best. And I would say tone that down, because it's just a hockey game in a short tournament. And it goes, it goes both ways. So I mean if in 2010 we needed a golden goal to beat them and in 2025, 15 years later we needed a golden goal, I mean have they gained that much or have we lost that much?

And the answer is no, it's two great hockey nations and the game is better for them playing each other and best on best. And we get to do it again next year and every two years from then on. So it's it's gonna be fun to have best on best finally back. Bob, it's always great to catch up with you. We appreciate you doing this today. That's awesome. Hey, ZB, I just want you to know I'm going to see your former OHL team tonight to Barry Colter's Memorial memorial auditorium in Kitchener. So I know what number did you wear because I'm sure that number is being retired by now. Number four.

I was probably the greatest number four defenseman possibly to ever play in the OHL because Bobby Orr wore number two I believe for the Giants. That's right he did. I believe he wore number two. So I could take claim to that. Yeah, well go Colts. Henry, if you want to get kicked in the nuts, Bobby, ask somebody from Sarnia or Berry about Brian Hayes and they hated his guts so much they'll just kick you right in the pills. Yeah. Enjoy yourself, Bob. One final thing. We were in LaMonna Bakery in Pickering. My wife and I

picking up some stuff one day and the guy behind the counter We were picking up lasagna and the guy behind the counter says hey, you go Hey, Brian Hayes talks about his lasagna all the time. He talks about how great it is. You know how good it is And I said I have no idea and he goes I'm sure it's good, but it can't be that good I mean not like this look at all good this party is and i said you know what if you want me to welcome hate is a fraud is a lot of the product uh... he obviously didn't get the get the dope for the shed

i wouldn't go so far as to call it on your fraud and i i just can't imagine my wife is he can't she can imagine to get a barrel well i put it to the test that's a great place to brilliant brilliant bakery but uh... i love it doesn't he doesn't say well haze is a fraud my lasagna is in a fraud would go back for us to say my lasagna is a fraud but i'll put it up against anyone bob whenever you want some you you just let me know it's all yours but it's crazy how many of the islands you've offended

i was very very good you have to decide i am out to offend as many people as I can. That is my man. Great talking to you guys boys. I'll have a good one. Alright Bob. There he is. See you Bobsy. Lights, camera, action!

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