OverDrive - OverDrive - February 11, 2025 - Hour 1

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

Join Jeff O'Neill, Jamie McLennan and Frank Corrado for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the 4 Nations Face-Off's line construction for Canada, Jordan Binnington starting in the crease for Canada, and the rosters for the United States, Sweden and Finland. TSN Reporter Mark Masters joins to discuss Canada's matchup against Sweden, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon playing on the same line and Connor McDavid's role for the team.

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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. This hour of Overdrive is powered by FanDuel. FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Alrighty, fellas. This is our opportunity. Overdrive players only edition. If we have a good show, you never know.

Maybe there's a spinoff available and Hazy B can just do the Brian Hay show and we could do Overdrive the players edition every day. We do what we want. We'll rid ourselves of him. Brian, it would be what would it be? So Overdrive players only and then it would be Brian. It's a spinoff of Overdrive. Brian Hay show does his own thing and we do a spin off players only NHL players only we

do our own thing. He doesn't shake his head at us or yell at us. We just do players only stuff all day. Like you want to give people a little peek behind the curtain. You know when we're doing an interview and especially when when we're remote, there is a group chat. And if you send the thumbs up, it's like you are asking the next question. If there's no thumbs up, that means it's Hazy's question. And he loves when there's no thumbs up, doesn't he? Oh, he loves that. Is there anything we could do today on this show that would get his attention? Like to send a text to Doogie saying, what's going on there?

What's happening? He already did it. Doogie already did it. He photoshopped my face on Hayes' body, which is so unacceptable in so many ways. I like that move. I can't believe Doogie would jam me up like that. I love that though because the picture is when Hayes is skinny, right? It wasn't when it was pre-Hayes.

That wasn't a Blue Lunch picture of Brian Hayes. There is no more pictures of him being a monster circulating. It's almost like he hired somebody to go into a computer to scrub the internet. Scrub the internet, man. He paid a lot of money. He paid a lot of money. He went on the dark web because his buddy Al's brother, very familiar with the dark web because of all his football stuff, he found the Toronto Ray Donovan that just scrubs

the internet and takes care of all these problems and has his best buddies with him. He got it scrubbed. Yeah. I think it's possible. I was, I will admit though, I felt like, okay, if today somehow goes off the rails, I was going to say we might have an opportunity to phone a friend or something. I had a good chat with Gord Miller, our buddy today, and Gord's like, hey, let me know if things go sideways in a segment or something.

We could phone a friend and have him talk us through it. But I believe that... I love talking hockey with Gord. We I love talking hockey with gordon we can call him at any time I call him at any time is that this is the other question about haze I was wondering is there anybody in the hockey world sports executive that would catch wind of haze not being on the show and would say yeah if he's not there I'll come on because he's offended he has taken some markets and absolutely tossed them in the toilet. You know what? You're right.

I think it's like anyone from Jersey, anyone from Buffalo, maybe anything to do with Utah Hockey Club, because he has absolutely taken them and flushed them out of the toilet. Throw Philadelphia in there as well, because he loves getting on torts, doesn't he? Yeah, he does. You know what? You're right. There are marketplaces. I guarantee you all of a sudden if we called Ken Danico in New Jersey, he'd be like, I'm

coming on the show. No problem. But before, I'm not sure. Not sure if I'm available. Bryce Salvador, same thing. Those guys are aware of our show. You know why? Because he has a classic line.

It goes like this. Nobody cares about anybody in New Jersey and what they think. No one cares what they think in Buffalo. When he hates a market and it's low, like it's just kind of a bottom feeder, and that market is struggling, that guy turns into a shark and he wants to attack. Let me ask you guys this. Let's say like it's a, I don't know, it's a social environment, you know, there's like it's cocktail hour somewhere and Matt Barnaby and Rob Ray are hanging out and Hayes has to walk right by them. How do you think that interaction goes

down? Is that just like a little bit of like, I can't see you. Maybe not Rob Ray, but I think Matthew Barnaby would shake his hand. The thing about all of us is whenever we dump on somebody, we're generally not making it up. Like we're not going after somebody for no reason. No, but it just, it feels like there's times where it's unnecessary. That's the thing. Like it's like, like we'll be talking about anything. Like the sky is blue, whatever.

It's not blue in Buffalo. Like somehow it'll get spun back to. And I will say there's a thin layer and Brian gives the market, the city and rightfully so lots of love just because of how beautiful everything is and how storied. But it's Montreal too. When Montreal came back to beat the Leafs, that was a devastating loss, right? That one still chaps his ass. There are times where I feel like there's an extra dig for Montreal, but it's because it's like, nah, I got to get it.

Yeah, there's scar tissue there from the Montreal Canadiens. There's some built up scar tissue. I get that, but he loves the city so much. We all do. We love that city. It's an amazing... Frankie who called games there. We've been there as overdrive, nothing better than the bell setter on a Saturday night playing the Leafs, all of that type of stuff. That's a storied franchise, but I do believe there is that a little bit of a rivalry in Brian's mind, because listen, the Leafs have had a long storied history with the Montreal Canadiens. So there is that little bit of a rivalry in Brian's mind because the Leafs have had a long story history with the Montreal Canadiens. So there is a little extra there.

Other organizations, I don't think he really goes after that much. He gives love to Ottawa because he knows I'm there all the time. For the most part, he just points out what's honest. It's true. No one cares about what people in New Jersey think. Thank you. It's one of the... It's a hall with some plaques in it. That's been scrubbed from the database as well. Noodles, you

know what that is? A whole lot in there. You know, like you talking about him in that manner remind just kind of reminded me of if they were ever going to do like a documentary on Brian Hayes, and they had sit-down interviews with all of us, and you had to talk about Hazy B, that's a 45 second on how much he reveres Montreal, but hates the fact that they came back and beat the Leafs that year. That's one of the saddest times I've ever seen them, when they lost that series. We've

dealt with Heartbreak, where it was like the Boston Bruins in Boston and then that what happened. I didn't know because I Just didn't know where his headspace would be like we all were they were up 3-1. We're talking about moving on We're talking about you and Montreal wasn't a great team They were a team that just kind of found lightning in a bottle all of a sudden Kerry Price became Kerry Price again that was Kerry Price's Swanson because that was it like he came back and after the injury played one game got back lightning in a bottle all of a sudden, Carey Price became Carey Price again. That was Carey Price's swan song, because that was it.

Like he came back and after the injury, played one game, got back, but like that was his swan song. Take the team to the finals and we'll see you later. We'll see you in the Hall of Fame next time he's really brought to the forefront. But that was, I mean Cole Caulfield, Nick Suzuki, were on that team.

On that team, right? Like there was Josh Anderson, I believe was on that team Gallagher, like there's a few guys left. Armia, I think there's a few guys left over. Now it's been a turnover, but that one, I will say, and I don't know. Oh, you weren't on the show when the comeback, it was just me and Brian, wasn't it, or was it the three of us? What comeback? No, the Bruins one. Boston in 2013? Yeah, the 2013.

I was working with Tadi at the time. Oh my god. Yeah, I was doing the, you guys were doing Leafs Lunch, and I was doing the games with Tadi in intermission. I didn't even know how to react. I think you guys, well documented, my dad passed that week and game four that day we were on the panel or whatever and he passed and I flew home for a week but I was still obviously tracking everything and then

when that happened I didn't know what to do. Like I called Hayes and he actually took my call which was weird but him and I were very close and I just was like I don't even know what to say. What do we mean? He was beside himself. He was in shock. We all were but it was just the most random ever thing. That was my kind of welcome to Toronto moment because I was about a year into my media career

or whatever and working with Brian and that was like I remember seeing you on a backhaul you went to some of the games in Boston did you not well we went down to Boston now I'm wondering if that was a different maybe later in the playoffs they sent me in drags but Hayes and I went to Boston for yeah you're right maybe for some of those games I thought didn't you come to Boston too or was it just me and Hayes? No, it was just you. So it was earlier in that series then. Brian and I went down and we had a, I think J-Mac set us up at a bar across from the garden. We had great shows from down there and I remember, it was awesome but the ending stunk. Well that's part of like, we're goofing on Hayes but truth be told, we're all very lucky

to be working with the guy. He's probably the best in the business doing this job. And the one thing that he, I think the one thing that fuels him for his passion with the Maple Leafs and the upsets and losing, it's like, he's been a Leaf fan since he's been a kid. And he's been a kid. And he's watched the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup, he's watched the Cubs win the World Series, and he's just thinking to himself, why can't I just watch this one time? Right.

And that fuels, like, his disappointment. And for people that are like, you're irrational and you go nuts all the time, I feel the same thing, and I played for the friggin' team. Like I played, so did you, Frank. We were a part of it. But just watching it from afar, you're like, can't they just do this one time? And they've had some pretty good teams and they just, I don't know, they just keep having let down.

Speaking of the least, we got Masters Nation, by the way, Overdrive, Chesco, Noodles, myself, Jeff O'Neil. We've got Masters from Four Nations I'm sure he'll be bringing us the heat with some transactions and before we get into the Four Nations we're gonna do one last mood meter before we go to break noodles yeah you are gonna let us know where all the Canadian coaches are as far as where they lie going into this break because I'm sure there's some that are on cloud 9 and then some that are Pretty pissed right now. We got a firmer denied Tyson Nash your buddy from Arizona

Who does the Nash cast who you probably had seven million vodkas with this past weekend and Michael Russo Who's tied in with the USA team at four nations and there's some news out of Canada's camp today. What happened with the practice yesterday? McKinnon is going back to center ice. Did Cooper look at it and say I didn't like what I saw? Okay yeah and the other just before you go for it the other news is the goaltender Bennington's been named the starter. Jamie what are your thoughts on that? That didn't surprise you and you're comfortable with that? I'm comfortable yeah because here's the thing. Jamie, what are your thoughts on that? That didn't surprise you and you're comfortable with that? No, I'm comfortable. Yeah, because here's the thing. I think there was one guy that

was on the team last year and it was Jordan Bennington. I think we all said, okay, Bennington's going to make that team. Who's going to play with him? Is it Stuart Skinner? Is it Aiden Hill? Is it Logan Thompson? Is it Darcy Campbell? But is that from the St. Louis, like his play with the St. Louis Blues? Or is that Army up above saying if you just put that guy in that, he'll do the job or a combination of both? Two things. Both of them, exactly.

Army knowing the guy. Also, I said this today. This guy, when we all were growing up, the three of us, when we played road hockey with our friends, outside, inside, street hockey, you named it, what was the game? It was always game seven of the Stanley Cup final. It wasn't, hey, Tuesday night in New Jersey or it was, hey, game seven of the Stanley Cup final, I'm Wayne Gretzky. I'm whoever your favorite player was.

So I look at it, the two goaltenders that that made this team, but the first one we're just start talking about, Jordan Bennington has played a game seven Stanley Cup final on the road and won it. He's actually made it to the dance and delivered. So I think there's other people and Brian brings us up all the time and he makes a great point on paper with all the other organization or all the other countries Canada is the weakest that you know with the Mark Strums and all mark and you know Hellebock and all of these guys around

him but I will say this Jordan Bennington has done it at the highest level and has had success same with Aiden Hill. Montembeau I thought was the outlier, but he has a history with Team Canada. Logan Thompson could be there. So it wasn't a surprise to me. That's a long answer to the question. It wasn't a surprise to me that Bennington was gonna get the net for game one, just based on pedigree. And I thought he had a really good statistical season last year for the st. Louis Blues it was kind of a bounce back for him so it wasn't a big surprise yeah and it's a hard tournament to gauge on how important goaltending is ultimately going to be right is Canada could go out

there and absolutely pump teams and then you're like I was 6-2 we never really needed a guy back there but there's going to be one point and I don't know if it's in the finals or just before that But you're gonna have a tight game and it might be hella buck It might be mark who knows who it's gonna be right There's might be a game where somebody's got to go in there and play a hell of a game or else the whole country is gonna Go nuts and say what's up with our goaltending? Yeah, you know what it is with Bittington as well Like he plays on a st. Louis team that is leaky below average go nuts and say what's up with our goal-tending. Yeah, you know what it is with Binnington as well? He plays on a St. Louis team that is leaky, below average,

whatever you want to call it. They're not a great team. Aiden Hill, if you're going to compare if it's Binnington or Hill who starts, Hill plays on one of the best defensive teams in the NHL in Vegas. So you know what he looks like behind a good decor, a good team, all that kind of stuff. Bennington's got something going on between the years where I feel like he will

really rise to the occasion, like he can have the confidence. And then you put a guy that's played on not a great team, now all of a sudden he's behind these world beaters and it's like, he goes from driving an average car to driving a Rolls Royce or a Ferrari. What does that do for the guy? I think that that goes such a long way with that guy. It does. I say this all the time. These guys to have success, they don't have to win you games.

They just can't cost you the game. They can't lose you the game. So that's where we're all going to be judging this. If Canada wins, and you're right, oh, they cruise to, they cruise to hey in the final six to they beat whoever they won't even be talked about Nothing. Hey did a good job made a couple good saves I'm sure but if we if they can't score because the guy at the other end is Standing on his head or you know, they struggle and they're losing game six three or maybe they're losing six four they're putting up four but they're Giving up six and the goalie is not making saves

We're gonna we're gonna be talking about it and saying hey goalie summit. We need you know we don't have we don't have Marty Breder Roberto Luongo Kujo Patrick wah like, Grant Fear, you go back generations, it's always, Canada's always had a huge marquee name. Carey Price, a Hall of Famer driving the bus with another, a bunch of Hall of Famers. It was said to me, maybe this team just needs Chris Osgood. You got a bunch of great players in front of you and he did the job and he was a good goaltender that did the job at the right time. To me, maybe that's what Team Canada is going to be, get a good goaltender playing on a great team and he delivers. That's all you need to do if you ask me.

That's what happened with the USA and the World Juniors, they're a goaltender. He had some wobbles in the middle of the tournament and they said, you're a guy, you just got to get the job done when need be. Yeah. And that's exactly what he did. Yeah. And it's not that complicated, the breakdown of what you're looking for from Canada's goaltender.

It's the standard saves and you're probably gonna be asked to make two or three that are kinda out of the norm. Isn't that like the normal breakdown recipe, Jamie, for the goaltender? It is, that's what the goalie has to deliver. You just can't cost them. Like, make the saves you should, maybe a couple that you shouldn't a couple great saves here They're the timely ones and that's all you need from the goaltenders. I think they're capable of doing it

I think Bennington let's not forget this guy's got a little chip to him like if you ever talk to him Yeah, that's what it is. There's something between the ears with this guy like he's got a different disposition. He almost lives for this kind of stuff. He hasn't had that in St. Louis in a long time. He will rise to the occasion. Jamie, you're right about he just can't lose you the game. I think the way, if you look at John Cooper, I don't think we've spent enough time talking about John Cooper and how he does things. Like how he does things with Tampa and how that can be applied to this team. Andrei Vasilevsky, he just played back-to-back games on the weekend. Cooper has no problem saying, it's your net, you're going to run with it, we're not even thinking about anything else.

By the way, Frankie, it would also be, we got two games that we must win here against the visual opponents. We need you to go both games. He always talked about it and he mentioned today, we got gamers and winners. Vasilevsky is a gamer and would have shook his head and said, absolutely, I'm playing both. Yeah, exactly. And both games that Tampa just played on this past weekend, Vasilevsky won both of those

games for them. Now, I'm not saying that's going to be the case for Bennington in Canada. I think he's going to be a good goal tender in there. I think if you start to evaluate how Cooper does things, it's like if he's saying Bennington is the guy, Bennington is the guy. He would have to fall off a cliff in one game for Cooper to say, we're going to go to eight in hell now. I think they want it to be Bennington.

And the other thing, when it comes to what they're gonna do now with McKinnon and Crosby down the middle, all that kind of stuff. Jamie, you just called two games Sens versus Tampa. I've called three games now this year where Tampa has played Montreal. I try and look out for the lines and see who's coming over the boards at certain times. John Cooper loves tweaking with lines. He loves playing head games with

the other coach. He does it all the time. You'll see a line in warm-up and he'll start the game with that line mixed up with one player not on it already. So I think we can evaluate the lines all we want and say this guy's playing with that guy. We're going to see a blender early and often with this guy Well, how much do you guys put stake in coaches on the bench looking at their paper saying? Oh those those lines that are out there taking the three on twos like you put stake into that I would never have my I would say any combination go ahead and warm up because it doesn't mean anything Well, you're right. I think these guys in a short tournament that haven't played together

I think in those two practices they have and then a morning skate you want to get a little bit of familiarity But you do it in pairs. So McKinnon and Crosby they skate together You know their best buddies like you're gonna know I think in their minds are like well play those two together I don't know who's is risky though with them being best buddies like you're gonna know I think in their minds are like well play those two together I don't know who's there's really though with them being best buddies Oh, Jamie if it doesn't work you have to say guys and this ain't happening Wow, you're right But I guess my question would be if it doesn't work like how do we know it doesn't work? Is it an off game and you come back with them or is it sit?

You know his pace doesn't look like, I mean, it's in game adjustments like Frankie just said. John Cooper is a master of finding an extra shift for a guy that he feels he's going. You'll see Kuturov and it's Kuturov and Point and instead of on that left side, Gensel, I saw them slide Cirelli there the other day. I saw them, you know, like they'll find some. They put Paul there all the time. Yeah, Paul.

He'll throw like, they had this kid called up Goncalves he was throwing him up there. It's like he was there He'll do anything he can to like throw off your rhythm on the bench And like I wonder how the US kind of counteracts that the other thing that comes to mind is we all know who the Shooins We're gonna be right like, you know, we could pick six guys It's like those guys are non-negotiables on the team. But the US had some guys that they picked that were not controversial, but those were guys sitting around the boardroom kind of banging the table saying, I want this guy, I want that guy. Canada would have done the same thing. Now, when those two teams

play, who made the right choices there? Which group was banging the table for the right guys and who got the upper edge in that bottom six? I think that's going to be a fascinating thing as well because a guy like Dylan Larkin and a guy like Brandon Hagel, those guys, they're kind of self-starters, right? They're single kind of engines and they're playing lower in the lineup here. Those will be just as much as the top six will be interesting storylines. Who's winning the bottom six battle? Those are valuable minutes.

What do you think about the line combos? Why after one practice did the coach see something where he was like, you're going to go back to center ice? You want to know my honest opinion? Nathan McKinnon is pushing up to Conor McDavid as the best center man in the world right now. I mean what more does Nathan McKinnon have to do to be considered you know one A one B with McDavid. I know but do you understand it wasn't some pigeon at center ice it was Sidney Crosby? I realize that. I do I saw yesterday and there were some stats floated you know

you look at McKinnon's face-off percentage is like 44, 46 I believe, and Sid's is like 52. He's, you know, a lot like, Tavares is a lot better on draws than Matthews, in my opinion. And I think stats would lay it out there if you're a Leaf fan. So you look at it and go, I could see Sid maybe getting that assignment. Again, maybe it's trying it, but you have to think. Like, center men have to do the most skating. Like who?

Now, I thought to myself, why would Sid be at center ice when you've got arguably one — now, you've got McDavid, then you've got McKinnon as far as speedsters. And I thought, okay, maybe this is a systematic thing where they're going to blow the zone with the strong side winger and have him go, and maybe that's going to be McKinnon. Blow the zone and try and stretch the play and force, whether it's Team Canada or your opponent to have to back off because we're going to be sending this guy every time to blow the zone. So you're going to have to actually stretch out coverage.

To me, that's where I was thinking about tactical stuff where if Nathan McKinnon is a winger Man, you got to keep an eye on him center. He has to build speed, right? He comes back and build speed if he's a winger and blowing the zone off the draw That's just a foot race now you you fire it down. He's gonna win that race not at a ten time I think he's one of those players Jamie anywhere in a forward position You could put that guy on defense and you'd have to be on full awareness of where he's at. He's yeah insane Yeah, yeah, he is so him him and said they will like they it's like they almost have this cooked in chemistry already so regardless of who's down the middle and who's on the wing like I think those guys have like a

Nonverbal communication thing going already that's going to work for them. Okay, boys, we got through the first segment. Well, I have one comment, too, that was brought to my attention. You want Hazy B's head to blow off his body if we took callers. I'm fully... Doogie, when we... These guys took calls. We open the phone lines later in the day maybe just a couple here and there give me a number and when we come back from break and I'll blurt it out and we'll take some calls later and watch that guy's head from Florida explode.

All right, we're gonna do it. Overdrive with Frankie Corrado, Jamie McLennan. We got Masters Nation coming up next overdrive on TSN 1050 and TSN for Alright, we're gonna head down to Montreal in a bit and talk to Masters Nation. Who's probably I saw an outrageous Clip of him from Ryan Rashad. He was eating a bowl of bird feed with his Spoon or something. Do you guys see that dry like a dry mix and he was eating it out of a spoon. Yeah, that was really concerning and maybe even more concerning was the look on Kenzie Lalonde's face as she watched that go on.

Yeah, she's the one that called it bird food. She looks disgusted. Oh my god. Anyway, before we officially get into the Four Nations noodles, you put together the final mood meter before we close this chapter on the NHL regular season and get into the Four Nations. So give me your final mood meter. Who's in the best mood at the top of the Canadian teams and who's in the worst mood? All right.

Well, I'm going to start it off. I mean, do you want me to go 7 to 1 or 1 to 7? Go ahead, yeah, 7 to 1. Okay, 7 is going to start it off. I mean, do you want me to go seven to one or one to seven? Go ahead, yeah, seven to one. OK, seven is going to be Marty St. Louis. I mean, for the longest time, not the longest, but we're talking, well, Frankie, month, six weeks. Montreal was fired up. The city's fired up.

The team is like 13 and 2 and 15. And then now it's kind of fallen off a cliff. And Patrick Lainey is in the doghouse and the goalies aren't making saves and the team is not scoring. Like it's just there's so much going on. So I think it's been such an emotional roller coaster. Marty St. Louis cannot be happy with what's going on. I don't know how you guys feel.

Can't argue with that one. Cannot argue with that one. Go ahead, number six. Number six is Ryan Huska in Calgary. So again, this has been a playoff team, surprise playoff team for the longest time. They were up two Cobb the other night. Two nothing with seven minutes left. They lost three-two in overtime.

And now Vancouver has leapfrogged them Vancouver has been much maligned and now Vancouver is a playoff team and it seems like if they get their act together they're heading one direction Calgary not so much so I think Ryan Huska has got to be pissed heading into the break. Yeah they had some little bits ups and downs but the last two or three games before the break here they just had some poor performances but you wonder what they're going to do come deadline time like do they finally say maybe we do move some guys out number number five number five is rick talkett in vancouver has to be happy with his team at least responding uh but still got

to get the house in order we got to get that that Patterson guy playing. So for me, he's number five Four. Yep. Four is Travis Green I know they lost three in a row in in Tampa But if you said to him at the start of the season you're gonna be a playoff spot by the four nations Take it every day of the week their goaltender. Just hopefully he gets in and yeah, he's got the Swedish gear on today I saw him. He looks good. He loves it. He better not miss a game the rest of the season.

No kidding. No, I miss a game. Number three noodles. Craig Barube. They went three for four on the road. You know, teams on pace for a hundred points, kind of up and down, had some injuries, but I think he overall, he likes where they're at

or potentially could be heading there. He'll probably be a little bit chippy closer to the playoffs. Yeah, literally setting a tone number two Chris Knobloch in Edmonton You know that team was a tire-fire art slow start all of that type of stuff And now they're tied for third in the National Hockey League So I think he's got to be pretty happy Edmonton set a real good record there since I think I think he's got to be pretty happy. Edmonton set a real good record there since I think November 15th. They've been one of the best teams in the league. He has got to be jacked with that start they had and obviously number one.

Scott Arneal, they're the best team in the NHL as far as points, I believe. Yeah, number one in the National Hockey League. Washington has a game in hand, but if you told Scott Arneal you're gonna be number one in the league in points since the start you know from the start of the season and at the Four Nations you'll take it. All right there it is the final edition of the mood meter before we take a deep dive into the Four Nations which we are gonna do now and we are gonna head down to Montreal and get the bird food eating Toronto bureaucrat Mark Masters. What's going on Mark? Is he there?

Maybe he's up. Are you going to roll your eyes like the... Yeah. Are you going to do a haze roll your eyes? Oh dog. I know where haze is coming from now because I was told to speed it up a little bit we got mark masters on the phone so I'm like all right let's bring in mark masters and he's not there I know where he is I guarantee you I know where he is he's in the rink and there's no reception in the

rink and it's probably gonna be ahow. I am a little worried just based on the fact that he was eating that bird food and it's so dry like what if this guy just took like a big spoonful of it and now like it got stuck or something and he can't talk to us. You know what I'll be honest though like it's a bit of a hero move don't you think it's like hair like I going to eat this bird feet. You know where he learned it from? Jonas. The old Mark Masters, that's a hot dog, that's chicken fingers because Jonas packs nuts and

carrots and stuff like that. He learned that from his buddy. We got to talk to him about it. Apparently he's there. I don't know if he's there. Masters, are you there? Are you going to stiff us or what's going on? I'm here. I don't know if he's there. Masters. Are you there? Like are you gonna sniff us or what's going on? I'm here. I don't know what happened before I think the reception down here and the bells of the Bell Center can be a bit

Spotty, but I am here now What is with the food you were eating with Rashad and? Kenzie, can you explain that before we get into the hockey stuff? Yeah, it's just some homemade granola Very lucky that my wife back for me and uh... the needy and i can't remember how long it started but surely jones with a big influence early on in when i first joined the least beat i would you know gov win the pop in the press box and going out and eating that i'd help you guys really put me on that

on the straight line to to pick up i feel like in healthier snacked uh... granola and stuff i i know uh... both Kenzie and Ryan were really impressed with me yesterday. So that was, you know, I'm getting older now on the beach and being at TSN, I try and take on more of a leadership role. So it was great to kind of set an example for them yesterday that way. I know, but it's like the four nations, I bet, I actually know that all the media members, the old-school guys are fired up to be in Montreal like have you not joined them because I know they

would be cocktails later in the evening when everyone's filed their piece away and it's time to go out no I mean I did you know I had a great night last night here LeBron took us out which was great for team TSN meal it was awesome TJ Chris Johnston was there, you know Ryan Rashad, it was awesome. Bruce Garriott, we had a great meal and then went out with, I had some great Perrier, some great sparkling water at a local watering hole with some of my colleagues because obviously got to keep the mind sharp for today's big media day

but yeah we had a good time last night. Montreal such a great city and feels like everyone's here so yeah, let my hair down as much as my hair will go down these days. Well, let me, you know what, I just, we'll put a bow on it. Montreal can be done so many different ways as far as enjoyment. You know, so did you see, have you seen anybody from the media side really enjoying? Without naming names? You know naming names, but where you're like, okay, this guy's really here, you know

Four nations comes in second as far as his efforts because it's the nightlife of Montreal Then four nations will get to it today Haven't seen that yet. I can't say that I mean it's early yet in the four nations face-off So we'll see but so far it seems like everyone's been well behaved. But then again I'm not staying out perhaps as late as others. Alright, Masters, let's get into a little Four Nations talk. Like you're there, you're on the scene. What is, you know, when everyone's getting together for the scrums, what is the number one storyline that everyone boots on the ground wants to get to first? Yeah I don't I mean I think there's just so

much going on here. The availability is just overwhelming to be honest with you like everyone's available every day it's crazy. Obviously Sidney Crosby you know was the big focus on day one from the Team Canada side and then today was the naming of the starting goaltender Jordan Finnington was the big story on the Canadian side so those those two stories the goaltending and the return of Sydney Crosby from injury and then to this kind of the captaincy of Canada has been has been big and just from the Leaf side of things I know I've been focusing in on Mitch Marner on the top line, Officer Matthews as the captain, William Nylander taking on a front line

role all three of the Maple Leafs are in our pretty premier positions here. So there's been a lot. It's just hard. It's just everywhere you look there's interesting stuff being said. Drew Doughty was holding court. He's hilarious. He's amazing. So fun to talk to him. Brad Marchand. Yeah, there's just a lot going on. This is what makes these kinds of events so special I think. Masters, as far as the one thing we've been talking about and wondering about is the intensity of what's going to be happening on the ice. Have you got any sense from any of the players on any team what's going to be happening when

the puck drops as far as like intensity, checking, hatred? Do you think it'll all be there? I think so. I mean that's actually the story I'm writing up right now for Sports Center Was like you kind of drilling on a Matthew Kachuk and Brad Marshand who are two are the premier kind of agitators past Whatever you want to call him in the NHL like are they gonna do that to their teammates like is Brad Marsh and gonna get after Charlie McEvoy Elias Lindholm on Chief Swede in there like is he gonna go after them as Matthew Kachuk gonna You know take a run at Sam Reinhardt? I was curious and Matthew Goodchuk with all his

business, he says Team USA is treating this as four game sevens, like this is as meaningful as it gets for them. They've all waited basically their entire hockey lives to get to best on best for this generation of player for the most part and they're taking this very seriously and yeah, I I think I'm sure Saturday night for sure I'm convinced Canada US is going to be something special and they're gonna they're gonna take it very seriously and it's gonna be intense I don't know I don't know what the crowd is gonna be like tomorrow I don't know how the players are gonna do it deal with it for Canada Sweden I know

I can tell you like Marner, Nylander, Matthews say they're not talking to each other since they landed like they're just in with their teams, so they're taking it serious in that regard Like there's no you know, they'll be friends when this is over basically kind of thing So I think it's gonna be intense. I mean, that's certainly what they're saying Well, that's there's some uncertainty with it. We'll see exactly how you know crazy Is it a game second like Matthew Kachak says I'm not sure but we'll find out a little bit more tomorrow night So what do you make of? Sydney Crosby and and Nathan McKinnon, you know, it's Crosby at center of a sentence McKinnon

You know, do you think that's maybe some gamesmanship from John Cooper or you know, what's the thought process of how he's gonna deploy his lines? Yeah, you do wonder if maybe there's something tied to the injury that he was dealing with that would make it easier for him to play the wing instead of center, because it certainly looked like he was going to be Crosby in the middle yesterday and now today McKinnon. Ultimately, you're in good shape with either guy. As long as they're together, the question is, what's Crosby going to look like once things get going for real?

He's looked good in practices, looks like himself, but he hasn't played for a bit. He missed those two games. Is he going to be able to rev it up to the Sidney Crosby that we've come to know? So that's a big question mark going into the game. I mean, they have an extra guy that can always rest them. But the way the tournament is built is like if you lose game one that could be it like there could be a three-way tie at two and one and the 13th out of course back in 2016 we saw North America get eliminated on a

tiebreaker they didn't quite understand what they had to do to pull the goalie late in the third period to get a win in regulation against Sweden so it's gonna be tight there's very little margin for error and yeah I'm not for error. I think that's a big question, Mark, going into tomorrow. Is Crosby going to be as close as he can be to 100%? In your conversations with people there, is it kind of turned into a little bit of a, it's Canada versus USA and Sweden and Finland are out of sight, out of mind or a tear behind or are people giving all four nations that are in this tournament a legitimate chance to win? It does feel like there's that upper class.

That's just my sense, Canada and US. We'll see Sweden maybe and then Finland. Just because of the injury they had to hasten in and they've been dealing with some injuries especially in defense. They're pretty thin on the depth chart there. It does feel like it's Canada, US and then Sweden and then Finland. But yeah, I've been at too many just the world juniors. You always Finland always goes in being doubted and then they end up

being a surprise in there. They're at the end somehow. So I think it's cautious the way the people are approaching it. I think Canada and the US, if the US isn't the favorite, their joint favorites of Canada and then Sweden is certainly capable of beating either team although you know could they beat both of them in the tournament that's that's a question mark and then Finland is seen as the big underdog that's just the sense being here. Mark since this I mean they've only been there on the ice a couple times but the one guy that I haven't really heard

from or and it's the guy that I think we could be saying when this is over it was the McDavid tournament. Have you seen anything from him kind of off the ice on the ice where you're like this guy looks kind of he's got that look in his eye or it's just kind of been quiet around the McDavid front because it's usually he's the main guy and everything's about him. Yeah it is he has kind of been quieter in terms of just kind of coming into this tournament uh... mike who was uh... i have actually you know we've been dividing conquering obviously we've got uh... kenji

is here in ryan rishad and i don't i haven't been in a in a mcdavid's grunt yet but i've reviewed it and i i i've looked back and obviously if you know i can look like mcdavid look like himself that he doesn's hard to read right in terms of like fired up or why not it's there's you know you'd expect like this is gonna be we've been waiting a long time to see this you know McDavid Crosby on the same team Crosby the captain but McDavid kind of the number one center how's it all gonna come together and is he gonna take control of this event like he's capable

of doing and you know he's playing with Marner, a guy he's never played with before, he's been pumped for that. Marner, you know, it's two practices and then you're into the game tomorrow. There's just not a lot of time to generate chemistry. So yeah, I don't know. It's hard to get a read on him again. As you mentioned, it's only been a couple of practices, but you know, it's hard to imagine you know, Canada winning the tournament if McDavid's not, you know, top level McDavid.

So that's added to the list winning the tournament if McDavid's not top level McDavid. That's added to the list of things to watch tomorrow. Just speaking quickly of Marner, what do you make? Do you think this tournament could be a game changer for him on a lot of different levels? We know what he's like in the regular season, but playing some best on best or best against other countries best, do you think this can help him in a small amount learn some next level type of compete and playing and maybe learning from some of the best that are on his team?

Yeah I think so. I mean it was a little bit of a light hearted moment in his media session he was getting asked about losing to Nylander at the Worlds and I guess he has a losing record against Austin You know internationally as well, and he's just like wow you guys are really bringing some fun stuff here And it was kind of a light-hearted thing But I'm sure for him to have a story where he's the guy and his team wins And he got a silver at their World Championship lost in the gold medal game to Sweden and William Nylander You know in the I believe is the 2017 world so I think for him to have a run where he's the top,

kind of one of the top guys in Canada, goes on to win an inter, big, best on best international event can only help him. Same thing for Austin Matthews, same thing for William Nylander. If you're a Leafs fan, you're hoping that someone's walking away from this event, feeling really darn good about themselves

and full of confidence for what they can do at the pressure levels. But I guess if you really wanted it to be someone it would be Marner just because he's taken so much flack in the market over the years because of the you know the playoffs rightly or wrongly so yeah I mean I think it'd be great he's right there with with McDavid McDavid's been praising him I was in Edmonton right before the Leafs played there and McDavid was comparing him to Dry Settle with the way he's able to slow down the game there's a legitimate

excitement and genuine enthusiasm for those two guys to play together for the first time in their careers. So yeah, I mean I think it could be a big big moment for Mitch Marner, kind of a coming out party of sorts just for a lot of guys just because they we haven't seen this kind of best on best stuff but for Mitch Marner for sure he's certainly capable of it. He's having a career season, he's coming in with a lot of it. He's having a career season He's coming in with a lot of confidence This could be as this could be one of his you know big moments

You know mark because we haven't had best on best and you know Crosby hasn't gone to the men's worlds in a long time There's a lot of guys that this would be the first time that they get to see him You know in the dressing room kind of do the day-to-day stuff, see the leadership, all that stuff that you would notice behind the curtain, maybe if you were a player only. What do you make of the, is it like everyone's wanting to see what Sid does on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, or is it just like he's one of the guys

and we're all cool with it, but it seems like with Sid, it's like there's like a mystic kind of thing about him that everyone would want to see. Yeah, that's certainly what they're saying, and it's hard to write. It's like it sounds like a real person when the guys describe of it. It's almost a God-like figure with just the human he is

and the player he is and what he's done in his career. So I think that there's a good chunk of the Canadian dress room that's just kind of looking over at him in awe and just grateful for the chance to work with him. And John Cooper waxing poetic today about texting with him and calling him and talking to him and getting to know him a bit more over this process. And everyone is just so excited for that and that's one of the big things. I remember when Crosby had the injury and Marner was asked about it, I think we were

in Seattle and they were like, what about this injury, he might not play and Marner was like, that would suck so much and really worried about it, not because necessarily of the player he was but of course that's part of it because they wanted the uh... he wanted the opportunity just to be in the dressing room and teammates with the guy that he grew up idolizing so but the fire and the faded when it comes to to cross the status that he looks good to go back it's a really good world here

well done let me just ask you before we get you out of your masters if some media members say tonight's the night like we're kicking off the tournament we want everyone hanging from the ceilings tonight will you partake in that or we need to know a lot on a game night now we got a get rested up to the injured you're not a player i'm red darn i got a that's them i got to be there for reporting to the morning i don't know i think i use the angel is doing a reception today that's a little earlier

they'll be good for the media i don't know what the yet the field feelings like but the term it's just get going here you want to keep yourself well will be and should be other mood strike alright now we appreciate doing this mark ronnie thanks guys pre-kidna right you later. There's mark masters Who's in Montreal one of the greatest places for hockey people to gather and? He's eating birdseed out of a ziplock bag with a spoon

It's I don't know that's quite a scene man And there's there's players that'll be out there's players that'll be out later than him tonight And he's like I don't know it's it's amazing There's players that will be out later than him tonight. And he's like, I don't know, it's amazing, but it's also a little bit like, it's like a missed opportunity. I think there will be. I think there will be players that will say, let's just go out and have a nice dinner, have a nice, have some wine.

It doesn't mean you have to be hanging from the rafters, but I feel like there will be players that will be out later than he will be. But he's a pro. That's why he's one of the best and that's how you mascot noodles you just start with dinner and you just extend dinner in dinner could take a right till midnight if you really want exactly it takes it gets ugly can get ugly quickly at lunch break you were you old school did you go out the night before games uh... i know you didn't i can tell

is a uh... there is there a little talk I know you didn't, I can tell. We'll talk. We'll talk. Alright, let's take a break. We got MJ coming up. We got our buddy Wes Chang. Raptor signing. Luka's debut with the Lakers last night. It looks more and more like that trade was just an absolute gong show for the Mavs.

But we'll get to MJ soon after the break. This is Overdrive TSN 1050 on TSN 4. So this JT Miller from the New York Rangers was asked about his transaction from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers and had this to say about it. I just feel super lucky that things worked out that way the way they did and I couldn't be happier to be a Ranger. Like, Frankie, you played in the Vancouver market. How is his exit viewed there? Like, is it just, we need to move on?

Because they got rid of a real good player, man. Like, I know there was issues, and apparently it had to be done, but how are they viewing that there? Dude, they went from- Because I'd be pissed. Wow. I mean, and you know how explosive stuff can get in that market. They went from chanting this guy's name a year ago to saying, he's the guy that has to go.

Not one of these guys has to go. He has to be the guy. I think stuff like that, when you leave and then you say something that might disparage anyone back there, that's not going to play overly well there. But like, I don't know that they play at some point this year, I think in March, but it's not in Vancouver. It's like a one o'clock game at MSG. I can't wait to see that game. And I know Miller and Pederson are going to play each other in this tournament, but like that's not that'll be overly well there.

Like for the longest time when it was Miller, Pederson in Vancouver, I'm like, that's not that'll be a playover really well there like for the longest time when it was Miller Pederson in Vancouver I'm like that's a cup contender Yeah, and then this transaction goes down and you're like I don't know if they are with that heat'll guy as a replacement Anyway, we got Mike Johnson coming up. We'll ask him about JT Miller the four nations Canada roster goaltending all of it We're gonna do that next TSN 1050 in a TSN 4. You've been listening to Overdrive, powered by Fandual. Fandual, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score.