OverDrive - OverDrive - February 25, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: February 25, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jamie McLennan and Dave Feschuk for Hour 2 on OverDrive! NHL Defenseman Mark Giordano joins to discuss his career around the league, the trade deadline experience and the Maple Leafs' team additions. The guys go around the sports world in the latest edition of Confirm or Deny diving into Elias Pettersson's status in Vancouver and the potential ban of the tush push in the NFL.

Lights camera action the 2025 Juno Awards are hitting Vancouver on March 30th and IHAR radio is your ticket to the stars Hosted and performance by Michael Pooble Plus a final performance by Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees some 41 and more you can win an IHAR radio Experience with tickets flights and a three-night stay at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Head online to answer the Daily Junos trivia question at iheartradio.ca. Hour two overdrive continues powered by FanDuel, bringing you everything from the opening line

to the final score. Brian Hayes, Dave Festruck of the Toronto Star, Jamie Noodles-McClennan, and look who we have in studio. There he is, looking good too, Mark Giordano. What's up, Gio, how you doing, man? Doing well. Doing well. Great to see you. Great to see you. Yeah. Yeah that's your that your A suit like what kind of my A suit's on for you guys first time in so I love it. Forget I try and look as good as I could. How did your suit game develop throughout your career? Like rookie compared to you know Norris

season did you feel like you had to bring more to the table when you were really under the spotlight or what? Yeah, I think rookie season I might have been wearing some of my dad's old suits and baggy pants and Randy River Jack Frazier. Definitely not fitted. And then as I got older, started getting fitted suits, tighter pants and nicer shoes. And then towards the end of my career actually had a nice suit deal with a company in Toronto here, Tilly Monroe and credit to them for

all my suits now. There you go. They dress me up nice. I always find that funny when you see like flashbacks of kids when they come into the league and you could tell they've just got a suit right off the rack naturally, maybe don't have the money yet, not established and then in their could tell they've just got a suit right off the rack naturally maybe don't have the money yet not established and then in their primes there just like decked out with a suit and i wish he started in calgary had darryl sunder

with a sweater vest on right well a lot of the coaches they have brutal suit games well there are some coaches in the league awful so i really want to say the guy behind the bench in toronto now his suit game is a lot better. I don't know what Ruby Oh, like the suit he was wearing the other night. I'm like that is not from Kalahue, Alberta, right? That is Toronto suit that's a Toronto suit

I got fined actually might one of my first years in the league for wearing The guys didn't I thought they were dress shoes, but the guys deemed that they weren't dress shoes and they find me 500 bucks or something for it. So your teammates did that? My teammates are like you cannot be wearing those shoes. Unacceptable. Unacceptable and it was too late I was on the road I had no way to get back home and change him so took the fine. Well we're talking about Ovechkin, OV walking on the plane with like a subway bag, bag of chips, his hair is everywhere. I guess like no one's finding him in Washington. No one's going to say anything to him naturally. But the rules on the plane, like the fact that you guys are supposed to wear suits,

like is that generally the case throughout the league, like in the NHL that you're supposed to wear your suit even when you're on the plane? It's changed. It has? It's changed, yeah. Okay, because I was of the impression that was the case back in the day, like you had to wear a suit all the time. There was two rules, you don't take a dump on the plane unless you have to. And then the other one was, you know, you got to be presentable. Even on the plane? Yeah, you walk on the plane. No cameras

or anything, but that has changed. That's what you're telling us? Yeah, it's just transitioned into tracksuits for the most part, which is like, it just makes sense. Yeah, because you don't see anybody, you get on your own plane and then you get right to the hotel and it's changed. But I remember, Noodle's, I don't know if you remember, but we used to have to wear suits like even to dinner on the road. You couldn't leave the hotel without wearing a suit. Now you can wear nice jeans and a nice shirt, but before you'd have to wear a suit everywhere. Right. When you're on the road. And was

that like the owner or the GM that would mandate that? I think it was the GM's decision but it could get kind of dicey and grimy right if guys wore the same suit the whole trip. There is a few pigs that would take one suit for a 10-day trip you know but for the most part though it was all about presenting yourself. Right. Like you're representing the team but I like the trip you know but for the most part though it was all about presenting yourself right like you're representing the team but I like the track suit thought process guys back in the day you wear your suit you get on the plane and guys are just stripping down anyways yeah because you're icing you're doing whatever you got to do on the trip especially after a game so it does make

sense to have the track suits but on the road you should be able to change into jeans you should be able to normal and casual but you're right it it was when we play together with suits you know where suits even go movie the night before the game you're all here to get sitting in state that that's a me would have the like the reverse effect where people would look at you make you that are you doing in a suit yeah but your point in a movie it It's like, we get it, you're a professional athlete. Like, you don't have to wear a suit, man.

The 430 movie in Boston, and you're like in a suit. Right, exactly. Before they just meal. You stick out, and like a guy like, superstar like Crosby or something, you don't wanna get noticed, and all of a sudden you're in a suit, someone's looking at you like,

why are you wearing a suit? And they make you pick them off even easier, I would you know you can thank covid too right because look at the the nba coaches used to have to wear suits every game and now they're all in and they'll never go back they'll never go back like we interviewed nick nurse and i asked him about that i think by 21 or 22 so like what's the plan here because we understood it in the bubble everyone's kind of it's a different world right now and it's you're more comfortable you can't leave everyone's doing the golf shirt thing and Nick was adamant that he didn't want it to return and he's a relatively young coach in the league so if he's pushing

that and the older guys in the league like pop or whoever were cool with it too it was never gonna go back and now it likely never will probably never will like now they love a quarter zip in the NBA man. But Torz. Love it. Torz is trying for the NHL. Yes he is. We had Danny Brieira on the show and he said he lets the coaches dress the way they want but they have to look the same.

So they're all kind of wearing like. Like a uniform almost. Yeah it's almost like a uniform but it's like three-quarters zip like hoodies. Yeah. Which I don't mind. Like I always felt it was weird for the coach. Why does a coach have to stand back there in a suit? I think it's classy though, man I like it during the game. I do too. I like it during the game

I think the staffs got to look pretty presentable professional right? Yeah work with Bruce Boudreaux a little bit like his suit look it's hanging on by a thread You know like yeah, but what's he wearing if you go Bruce you can wear anything you want That guy's got a talked-in t-shirt That's the problem isn't who takes advantage of that situation right because the suits are a lot of people will tell you like It's easier because it's you just you know, you gotta wear a suit. Yeah, like you don't have to put any thought into it I'm just gonna get this suit and that's what I'm wearing I got a tie up my tie and I'm going where if you allow for them to go anywhere

Some guy could really take advantage of it. It's interesting, right? This is like this week We just saw the Yankees relaxed that really old George Steinbrenner Military school rule about no beards on right? Yeah So there's one team in North American pro sports that I'm aware of that has any sort of rule on grooming and it's old Lou's rule. Yes, the Islanders, right? The Islanders. Yeah, Lou's not coming off them. The last stand of Lou Lamarello.

Yep. But he was part owner, I think, at one point of the Yankees, that he was involved in that group. A lot of people credited the fact that he and Steinbrenner were really good friends. The late Steinbrenner, not the Steinbrenner. George Steinbrenner. George, the late George. They were good buddies and kind of had a similar look on life. And so the Yankees beard ban was a big inspiration for Lew instituting that with the Devils and he still carries it on. Do you think, Gio, that guys in this league, in the NHL, because the Yankees removed it

because they were worried they weren't gonna get players. Right, they were worried that, hey, if you, you know, do I have to shave my beard is the first question a free agent asks, they're worried about that. Like, have you heard many guys say, I'm not going to the Islanders, or I'm not going to lose team because I wanna wear a beard?

Yeah, I don't know, I haven't heard that, but like, guys like Burnsy, I don't know, I guess. heard that but like Guys like burns. Yeah, I don't know. I guess Brent burns you can't do it man. I mean for me too, like you got to shave every day if you want to be clean shaver Not because you don't want to be clean shaver it's just like oh my god Yeah, you know after a 3 a.m Road trip you come home that you gotta wake up the next morning early to shave. I don't know. I haven't heard many guys saying that I think at the end of the day. You do it if you have to. I haven't seen guys like Bogosian and Bernsey

or anything like that go and play for the Islanders. Not going to work for them. Keep in mind, Anthony Duclair, they gave him $5 million Islanders. So I know work from it. Keep in mind Anthony duClair They gave him five million dollars a year you take the fight like he said Oh, I'm gonna take less money somewhere else or I'll cut my hair or whatever. He ended up doing I can't remember Yeah, so I mean yeah you get offered my well, I mean that's the thing it's it's a one-off it is unique to Lou It's not the end of the world for anybody, but it is unique to Lou. It's not the end of the world for anybody but it is unique to them. Mark Giordano joining us here in studio. So March 7th trade deadline next Friday, big day around here, big day around the NHL and I guess we're making this announcement on behalf of TSN. Gio you're gonna be a part of our

coverage. You're gonna be in there that day. It's gonna be a great day. We're excited. I know the whole company, everyone at TSN is Jack to have you here Take us through what you're expecting being a part of this for the first time Well, it's kind of cool to be on the other side of it to be honest I think even being here today like Always watching from you know TV and stuff you get a different feel for sure You get a different feel of how everything works, but that day I think from what I've heard from everyone here, it'll be a little more chaotic and

It's gonna be cool I just want to give a little bit of my sort of experiences and insight into like what goes on on that day from uh, maybe from a players point of view and You know for some guys, it's really nerve-racking for other guys It's exciting some guys want to get get get out of Dodge and some guys like are nervous because they don't want to move their family so just give my insights and I think it'll be a fun day and have a lot of familiar faces around here that I know you know starting off with noodles and oh dog so we'll go from

there and see how it is I just want to try it out yeah it's gonna be great Mark Giordano again it'll be a big part of our trade deadline coverage here on TSN and think about it as teammates like nowadays guys find out they get traded from the insiders from the other ticker and stuff because Everything happens so quickly. That's the biggest challenge I give you I'm trying to remember like on any deadline where you like a little nervous going Hey, are you more just hey? What what's my team bringing in? I remember being nervous like one year in Calgary when we were we were in our middle of a rebuild sort of and I was

Like I wasn't an older guy, but I was getting up there I'd been there for a bunch of years and I was like, you know what like I might have some value to the team If I get traded I wanted to stay there. Obviously, I I might have some value to the team if I get traded. I wanted to stay there obviously. I remember being nervous one year but the year that I did get traded from Seattle to Toronto I was excited. I'm not gonna lie. We were a non-playoff team. I was older. I felt like throughout my career I never got those opportunities. We were in a rebuilding Calgary for a bunch of years, I wanted to play in playoffs, so obviously I was excited to get traded and then coming home was just an added bonus, right, to a great team.

So there's different spectrums, right, like guys are, some guys are really nervous, some guys are like antsy to get out of where they are, so it all depends on your situation, I guess. So are you calling your agent generally, or any point you feel like you have the ability or the comfort with a GM? Like to call your GM and say can you lay it on the line for me, what should I be expecting here? So Ron Francis was unbelievable in Seattle and about a month before the deadline I think

he just, we had a meeting, we were on the road and he said come down for breakfast. And basically he said, Jill, you know, where's your mind at? And I told him, honestly, I said, you know Ronnie, I have a lot of respect for you and the organization for naming me captain. And that part I felt guilty about, but I said, you know Ronnie, I really want to play in playoffs. And he said, okay, I'm going to work on making a move. And I think it was like two or three weeks later he traded me so I have a lot of respect for him obviously in Seattle for that. Yeah that's pretty cool. I mean so at what point did you know it was Toronto? I mean you get the call and it's like or immediately gets announced and your phone just blows up because you're

coming home. Yeah so I had a lot of interest, I guess, from the Eastern Conference that year for some reason. I think there was a few teams kicking around and Toronto was one of the names. Once I heard their name, I was like, okay, that'd be pretty cool, like going back home at the end and having a legit shot of playing on a contender.

And actually it was funny, I was at the rink on a day off and I was in the steam room and I come out of the steam room and one of the trainers was Ronnie wants to talk to you and I'm like Ronnie I'm like what's he doing here and anyways he came down and he broke the trade to me I didn't find out from anyone else they found out directly from him which was cool and then as soon as he told me they sort of announced it later and yeah the phone just goes the phone just goes wild for about 48 hours that transition into the new room like especially with a team like the Leafs you're from the Toronto area grew up

loving the Leafs you know you would have played in that building so many different times but you've been in the West your whole career. What was the biggest challenge for you like walking into a room with established veterans, good team, everyone knows who you are, you've been in the league for so long, but what did you feel you had to do to kind of set a tone like all right I'm here I feel comfortable I'm gonna be a part of this ride? Yeah I think I had been in the league for long enough where I think guys I knew a lot of guys like walking into their room wasn't intimidating at

all I think it was nerve-racking that first game it was here in Toronto playing Jersey like it was nerve-racking for sure you want to make I think more for me it was like you want to make it make sure you make a good impression on your teammates but you know I'd known Johnny for a long time I know Moe for a long time I mean I felt like it wasn't intimidating at all in that sense but it was it was intimidating in the fact that I was like you know you're gonna come and perform there they traded two second round picks for you you feel that that that little expectation for sure right Mark Giordano with us so at what point

did you have to draw a line for Floater Central for tickets and stuff like that? I mean like, right away. Like establish like there's no free tickets or I can't, I mean because there would be people coming out of the woodwork being like I was in grade 7 with you and can you get me four behind the glass? Like I experienced it in Alberta. I can't imagine coming to this market with how hot this ticket is but what you have to do just set some parameters you know what it's always uh... it's funny because it's always

people who you would never expect to ask for a ticket or otherwise you come out of the woodwork and friends and family know they get it they've been around you long enough they're like this i'm not asking this guy for a $600 ticket every night, you know what I mean? But it's always the most random people and I mean, at that point, you just, you either hit the decline or the A&R and- Yo, Flush. Nice to see you. See you later.

Well, you're obviously still close to the team, following the team closely as we get closer to the trade deadline. You're going to be asked this a lot, I'm sure on March 7th, we might as well get out in front of it. Do you have an idea of what you think Brad True Living should be attacking? Like if you could add the perfect piece for the Leafs, do you have anything in mind? Yeah, I was sort of like going through the roster actually knowing that I was coming on here today and just looking at it I think he'll probably look at a

centerman I think Shen, Braden Shen's names come up and I really like Scott Lott and I train with him in the summer from Philly his names come up but I was kind of wondering looking at the roster just if you wouldn't take a look at like a right-handed centerman they don't really have a righty through the middle and you know that right-handed centerman sometimes gives you that that big advantage in the D-zone draws on their strong side It's you know sometimes as a coach you can throw two centerman So I I don't know if he would look at that or not

But I would assume like that boots that is our players attract. Yeah, it's games out there Yeah, and then on D like their D's been good I think the goal ten has been solid their their team games been been really solid in my opinion, but I don't know Shen or Luke Shen on the back end like him and Mo gelled so well I was looking at that one the other day too and I was like you almost have to look at it right because they played so well together in that playoffs the one year, but They got a good thing going going I think especially with the goaltending looking so great I mean I think they're playing a really good

style north-south like harder to play against style this year and I know you know I know Tree knowing Tree he'll be in and on everything like he'll look into everything but I I think he's really aware that you don't want to you know you want to tweak but you don't want to make too many changes where it disrupts what they have going. Mark, what's the balance? We've been talking a lot this year about the secondary scoring and the need for it, obviously.

They got it on the weekend, you know, Marner and Matthews didn't have to do the heavy lifting, and scoring off the back end, right? They got some on the weekend, McCabe and OEL's, chime in with goals. They've been few and far between. They've been among, if not the last, they've been right at the bottom of the league in terms of offensive production from the D. Morgan's not having the kind of year Morgan

Riley that he normally has. Is there an argument made that playing this Barube style, the North Stowe style that they're trying to play makes it tougher for the D to contribute? How are you viewing that? Maybe a little but I think maybe not taking as much risk in your game but I don't I don't think too much I think more more so like they've been running a five forward power play for a long time like as an offensive defenseman like I you know I was there one way back in my career but you get a lot of your points and your goals in the power play.

You really do as an offensive defenseman, so that hurts. That'll hurt a guy like Mo a bit. But yeah, they're playing way more direct, I feel like, and I feel like they're not taking the high risk. When they're down a goal, down two goals, what I'm seeing this year is they're sticking with their game. They're not taking the starting to play run and gun and high risk and all that and it's translating to better like a better team game in my opinion. Yeah. Well, listen there it's interesting with the East like we talk about it daily if if there's one team in

particular that you're concerned about or that really kind of owns the conference and I think Florida deserves Probably that title because they won the cup last year and they've been to the cup final two years in a row but it doesn't appear as if there's like a top team that should terrify anyone that's our viewpoint do you see it similarly or like if you're if you're looking at it from a leaf perspective and looking out at who you could play in the first round second round third round is there any reason why you would be concerned or any team in particular that might shake you up a little bit?

Yeah, no. I think Carolina was a team I looked at when they got ran in the other week and I was like, wow, that's a big move for them getting Taylor Hall too. I'm like, it's a pretty good team. They're looking pretty good on paper, but the Leafs have handled them pretty well this year. The other team that surprised me and I think has surprised a lot of people is Washington. Right.

They're the one team that when they've played the Leafs I feel like they've played well against Toronto and they've helped play Toronto in a few of the games. But yeah, like you said, it's wide open. There's no team that I think the Leafs can look at and say, we're intimidated to play that team. In their division I think obviously Florida is Florida but Tampa is actually having a nice little run here I think nobody's talking about them lately but they still have that guy in net Vasilevsky like as much as everyone wants to say oh he hasn't had the numbers or he hasn't had the numbers lately like he's an intimidating goalie

to play against and the coach there is an intimidating coach. He's the one coach you're like, wow, this guy, this guy's a really good coach, line matcher, all that. Yeah, you could feel that. Well, and I was gonna, you're a great guy to ask about the amazing work of Ovechkin, because he's doing it at 39, goals per 60, he's at his highest rate of his career.

You've been the oldest skater in this league very recently, playing past 39. I mean, when you watch this guy do what he's doing, I mean, we're talking about older athletes because we got Max Scherzer playing for the Blue Jays this year at age 40. I mean, what's the challenge? What's the biggest challenge that you found

keeping it together, staying the player you are as the years move on. It's the speed, it's the speed for sure. I think no matter what you want to say, things come at you quicker, things happen quicker. The thing with Ovi is just like, I don't know, it looked like he was slowing down there a couple years ago and I was like, okay, finally this is it. And it seems to me like he makes these adjustments, right? And he's made an adjustment this year again it's like

He bombs everything at the net he shoots everything which is one thing But he still finds those spots and and he gets there and the run he's on right now is incredible Like I didn't see this one coming. I thought after the broken leg. It was like, okay next year Maybe but that one could almost derail your career at that age and he bounced back. He's arguably better than ever. He's looking great. Like, Hattrick the other night, it's kind of... You see him playing soccer?

During the break, he was playing in a pro league and he was running people over. Ask Joe from the Bridge, see if you can pull up that video. It was insane. I don't know if that was like a couple weeks ago, but he was literally playing soccer and a guy was trying to check him and he just mowed the guy over. Okay I gotta find that I've seen him do that in the offseason So he goes over to Russia and he kind of gets the treatment Yeah, he's playing a pro-ant, yeah But they're like don't touch this guy because if you mess with Ovechkin you are in serious serious trouble

And your family will disappear. There's a chance. We're not gonna see you Have you ever blocked one of his one timers? You know what? He's on the other side I I never played the right in my career. That's one thing. I never did I played the left? I cannot remember blocking. I'm sure if I did I would I would have remembered it But I was grateful I was on the other side a lot of the time Tannin I let Tannin and guys on the right side that I played with eat those ones. Oh they just eat those ones. The thing about Ovi is half the time he doesn't know where it's going, he just rips it, right?

He's just trying to get it anywhere, hit it anywhere on net and if he doesn't know you sure as hell don't know. So it's scary. That's scary. Like you can't go down. Like if you go down, you may take one off the head. Anything could happen. But was there one guy in particular, I guess on the left side that you remember like blocking

a shot or if he was winding up, you thought I got to get out of the way here? Not on the left side. The one guy who scared me was Sheldon Surrey. Oh my God. He scared me when he had such a heavy shot and he would always zip it high and I remember playing I think he was in Dallas and I remember playing him and it was just like being on the PK in front of the net and emptying him up it was scary. Yeah really scary. That would be

terrible. He went shelved from the point and didn't care like literally did not care. And his own players like cuz he had hit them just as easily and he had no remorse like if he had a guy in the head or in the shoulder like he has your problem worse than standing there yeah yeah well that's it like chara comes to mind yeah but he would generally control the shot to an extent but get it on the on hey yeah I know didn't know where it was going on time and he was going high a lot of the time. He hit the glass a lot in his career.

Did you ever play with Deon as a partner though? Yeah, one of my first games, I think it was my first game in St. Louis, I was paired with Deon. He played the right side with me and man, he was a treat to play with. He let me live with him to the first year my first sort of full year in Calgary and yeah he's a lot different public than his problem percent a hundred percent he's like misunderstood a lot of the time he's a great guy and he's funny and he we had a laugh you the funniest part of a new was in in practice and Dion in, like he would get the team

going, it'd be the quietest day, guys are tired and he would be like let's go and like getting the coaches fired up and chirping guys so I had a blast playing with him. A lot of value in that, eh? The guy who's constantly got that energy. Yeah it would piss guys off a lot a lot of the time but yeah I would just sit there and just laugh at him though. Practicing was hilarious. He's a big personality. Big person, yeah I could see that like if you're an older player and he's buzzing at 20 you're like can you stop please? I saw something on Instagram the other day there was a clip and he was chirping Phil because Phil was walking by eating a cookie he's

like Phil that's your fourth cookie. Phil's like what are you talking about that was my first he's like I watched you eat three earlier yeah he just like that's what he was like he would always get under your skin and chirp you but it was kind of always from a good place yeah I was a teammates alright March 7 trade deadline March year Dano is gonna be a big part of what we're doing here at TSN and it's great to have you man we appreciate you doing this yeah we'll catch up again down the road and what do you make it tonight at least Bruins and it's gonna be a you, man. We appreciate you doing this. Thank you. We'll catch up again down the road. And what do you make it tonight? Leafs-Bruins? It's gonna be a tough game for the Leafs tonight. I think Boston's gonna be really desperate in Boston. I just looked at their home record. It's their home records actually really good.

I think they're 18 and nine or something. So it's gonna be a tough game. It's gonna be desperate. I think it's gonna be close. Probably an overtime game. Yeah. I think Stollers is going tonight. Well, that'd be good. I mean, at some point you gotta have I mean Mitch just had some success there You know Austin played a good game like it is a back in the building It's a fun building to play in if you play well, so Joe says he's got that Oh Vetchkin viz Oh, we have this. Okay. This is do we know when it's time? This is in 2022. Okay, so this is in the off season him just barreling

over people. I love that video. That's outstanding. Like he's a big guy. He's massive. That looks like it's June in Russia. Oh, yeah. And Ovi, maybe they went out in the first round. in Russia and OV maybe they went out in the first round and he's been enjoying himself. All right Mark Giordano joining us here in studio. Great seeing you Gio thanks for doing this. We'll catch you on catch you on Deadline. Yeah gonna be great. There he is Mark Giordano. Confirmed and I coming up Overdrive continues DSN 1050N on TSN 4. and four. We're shining a light on the music, stories and culture that inspire us all. Black history is our history. Celebrate with us. History to make it.

Listen on the free IR Radio app. I can neither confirm or deny that this is in fact a segment. Austin trades Andrew Raycroft to Toronto in exchange for the rights to Tuca Arras. It's been my honor and a privilege to serve as the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club. It's time for Confirm or Deny. Do you regret giving all those gentlemen the no trades or no movement clauses? I can either confirm or deny that. I can't confirm or deny.

Alright, Confirm or Deny, here we go. Statements are made, we go around the table, we either confirm them or we deny them. Very simple stuff, easy to follow along. Let's begin with an Elias Pedersen. Confirm or deny. I'm sure we've done this before. Bring in the heat right away. Confirm or deny, Elias Pedersen will be a Vancouver Canuck on July 1st. I'm confirming it. Okay. Now, listen, we, for the sake of what we do for a living, wouldn't it be crazy if he was traded next week?

Oof, man. Right? But I think the Vancouver Canucks look at a 26 25 or 26 year old player who's gotten a hundred points before they just traded away JT Miller Yeah, yeah, it's not TJ JT Miller and look how he's reacted since Miller's yeah Oh, he's done nothing I think even if you look at it and this season gets flushed down the toilet You're going this still is a core piece of our bars that that's the way I look at it and this season gets flushed down the toilet you're going this still is a core piece of ours.

That's the way I look at it. Patience, off season, you're not going to have your best season. But he's a hell of a talent. We talked about it at Nausium. He looks awful. He's not playing well. But at some point you feel like the game will get its act together. So I'm saying.

Alright. I'm in the minority all right I'm in the minority I know on this I think I'm gonna confirm it I'll jump in okay I or I'm gonna deny it I think they're gonna flip them I think really I think it's so ugly there and there's there's obviously something went down there right that got ugly to the point where they were publicly admitting there's an issue between two guys in the rather for didn't pull any punch no and when that happens that has the ability to hang around and yes they moved off miller

but peterson still there i don't know i don't know what that relationship is like but based on the way he's planned the commitment there's an owner element to this as well i said this a a few weeks ago there's a chance the owner walks in and goes I can't look at that anymore I just paid him more money than I've ever paid anybody in the history of the franchise that's what the Aqualini's did he's the highest paid player and now listen they can't score and if you get rid of him I have no idea who's going to score there because if you move off Miller and Pederson I don't know what they're gonna do. And Besser's a pending UFA. Besser's a UFA there's no guarantees he's gonna return. So who

is possibly gonna play offense for you but I just I think it's just so ugly and it looks so off right now and his no movement clause kicks in on July 1st. Once that happens you lose control of your Vancouver. I mean it's really almost a no-win situation for Jim Rutherford in a lot of ways because if you you know if you do what Noodle says and you just keep him around and right be patient and hope for better well I mean this guy isn't exactly paid you back for moving out the guy that apparently who could not coexist with right to date now, maybe that'll change

But there's no sign of it changing But if you trade him to your point Hayes you're trading with the lowest possible value That's that's yeah a position of weakness where the whole league knows something's gone on here It smells like you know what and so how do you win that negotiation and actually come out of? The Elias Pettersson situation with something tangible and valuable? You probably don't. You're just punting them.

There's a chance that, there's a good chance, a 98% chance that you lose the trade because the best player will go out, not coming in. Exactly, and maybe he'll play great somewhere else where all this baggage is behind him and all the whatever is left over from the bad will that was brought into that room by that conflict is a distant memory for him but it lingers in Vancouver right Miller for he'd oh there you go Miller's the better problem yeah there you go on he'd oh exactly is not anywhere close to the same

player JT Miller exactly but if you had to bet I'm actually the more I think about it I think noodles might be on to it because you know you almost have to just hold on and hope But that makes sense if you feel like you can overcome it and he can as well He may be thinking I got to get out of here, too That's true like this just isn't working for me, and I don't know if it ever will but you you you run that risk Like you say, the minute the clock strikes July 2nd, now a lot of that hand is gone.

Well, everything goes through Pedersen. Right, it runs through him. Doesn't mean you can't move him. We all know guys have been traded with that. But your hands are a lot more tied. They control a lot of it. With your partners. Who says no?

Uh-oh. Who says no? The Carolina Hurricanes call up Vancouver and say, we'll trade you Miko Ranton and straight up for Pederson Wow, who says no not Jimmy Rutherford. That would be an absolute But Ranton is not not guaranteed to sign with you long term now like he's fine It's a rental Pederson for the next three months of Ranton and maybe you get to keep Ranton in long term Maybe you get a man you can give him the eighth year and you can keep them. Who says no, Vancouver or Carolina?

I think Vancouver, Pedersen's a center man, Rantonson winger. Ranton is a winger. And it's a three month scenario where, okay, so Vancouver's in one. They're one point up on Calgary. Calgary plays in Washington tonight, I believe. Yes. They could miss the

playoffs or they could get into the playoffs and do some damage if everybody gets healthy and plays well. I still think Vancouver would say no because they at least know what they have with Patterson. Yes, right now it's's ugly Rantinen could get to Vancouver and play the way that he's playing in Carolina Yeah, and going jeez I it's not a fit. I think Rantinen is still shell-shocked. I think that trade caught him off guard and Although his best friend Sebastian Naho is on that team It's a different style. He you know, everything doesn't run through him You don't have McCarr and McKinnon passing you the pot. That's the biggest thing. That's a different style. You know, everything doesn't run through him. You don't have McCarr and McKinnon passing you the pause. That's the biggest thing.

That's a big thing. Ajo's a good player. He's not, he's not either one of those two. So there's an adjustment. And it might take him months to adjust in Carolina. And if you do it again, it might just wash his season. So I'm saying, Vancouver says no,

Carolina probably says yes. Cause that while then they like by all accounts they were in on Patterson or at least kicking tires on the idea of bringing him in. I mean, obviously look, let's not, let's not jump to conclusions on Carolina. They're obviously, they were obviously confident they could convince. Yeah. And they still might. They got plenty of time to do so. Might play a time to do it now. Obviously. Yeah. If you're Jim Ruther Jim Rutherford you yeah it would be great to get a player of that quality with the

assurance that he might be interested in staying in your town for more than three months that's the thing that's the big that's the big i know he doesn't play center but ranted in one hell of a hockey player that's what i mean that that would be my thing is like it's going to be so hard to emerge with anything resembling that kind of a talent from a Pederson trade at this point, right? And then it comes back to your philosophy. Pedersen's 11.6 goes out, Rantanen, what is he at? Nine, we'll call it nine right now.

Less than that because Colorado 8, a lot of money. And then UFA, you've got cap space, you You know if he decides not to sign with you So you're using the leverage or you're using the cap space as the equity that you got back technically for peterson Mm-hmm. I just we don't know the nature of the problem out there That's the thing if JT Miller was the problem if peterson was the problem a combination of both They might say hey, we'll take the ranton in for three months, and we're just gonna reset anyway Yeah If we if we walk up everything so be it if randon and walks then but at the end of the day I still

Maybe it's just me on the solution. I mean that is since he can do it He's a hell of a player when he's when he's rocking and he's playing well. He's a hell of a player All right, confirm or deny Let me move past the second one, Joe from the Bridge. I'm going to move past the award one. I want to get to this because it sounds like my Packers, Green Bay Packers have presented the idea of banning the tush push. They are, they have formally put out a request to at least review the idea of the NFL

trying to banish the tush push which has become famous by the world champion Philadelphia Eagles. Confirmed deny the tush push should be banned by the NFL. Well this is a big deny. This is the ultimate deny. You know what this also is? This is an embarrassment to the franchise that you love Mr. Hayes. Yeah, I can't stop him man. I've always had an issue stopping the run. This is a stain on the franchise that gave us Vince Lombardi and the frozen tundra

and all those great football traditions. This is just sore loser stuff. Well, they just got pumped in filling up. They got killed by the Eagles, and now they're saying, oh, that's not fair what they do when they get behind that quarterback and they make it impossible to stop them in short yardage situations because they're very good at it but guess

what they're the only team that's good at it if it was a if it was an NFL wide given that every time there's a fourth and one every team could just line it behind their quarterback and push them over the line and therefore fourth one became irrelevant maybe I would think about yeah you know what that doesn't really help football but these guys are specialized in it noodles like they've they've perfected a play that is essentially unstoppable and everybody's mad about it because they're the only ones that can do it well as my home's good at the tush push no Buffalo was Buffalo was pretty was very good at it did it a fair amount of times until they

didn't and they got stopped but Allen famously fourth and one got Kansas City the Super Bowl yes now I think they may have gotten the first down if they had the proper technology but still he didn't get it they didn't get the call and you have to have a certain type of quarterback who's a mutant to push him through and be able to take your contact right purchase that and an offensive line though that can do it as well. You need a center that basically drops. Right.

Like that's what it is. Okay, to ban a play, I still think that's weird. Yes. And it's situational. Like it's, it's reactional and situational going, okay, they won because of that, so let's ban it. And, and see, like, I just think that would be weird. Like that's's is that

three in the key in basketball like it's almost like a you know it's it's become a play that works for some and not work for the other so they're like well we can't have that that's a mismatch or disadvantage disadvantage to me get a quarterback that you can tush push well and join them now I would I would do wonder if it is the packers stepping up here representing other teams who were willing to do a publicly uh... and they're trying to do a privately well or yes they were eventually it was reported on a big dayan ursini center was a packers

sources indicate the packers put it forward but someone's got to put every possible rule changer alteration out there someone's got to be like the soul team that presents it and then everyone else Responds to it, but there could be an element of the NFL trying to be proactive here before it does spread to 32 teams Because it is so effective and so predictable which I don't think being predictable is necessarily great for sports Right like if every team can if it turns into a four down league all the time where all you got to do is get within a yard, you know you're moving the change and change and effectively that's what's happening. It's entertainment in the end.

Like the shift in baseball is it's not quite the same but eventually baseball said this isn't good for our product. But Hayes, I agree with you on that but there's no indication that all 32 teams are anywhere close to be able to do this valid is only one there's one team that's good at it well the bills again they did it a fair amount of time like i know the last time i tried it it got hit two out of thirty i get it all right i get it but it's only been in the league for like two years it's not it hasn't been around but it's a copycat league if it was if every team could do it and implement it they would have done it by

now possibly yeah maybe it's something tocat league if it was if every team could do it and implement it they would have done it by now Possibly. Yeah, maybe it's something to keep your eye on because if teams start to adjust to it a year from now You have that conversation and go man There's 12 teams that are doing it now that are really good at it, right? Like, you know right now you're saying to there's probably a few more that well, yeah There's other teams that are trying don't get me wrong But I'm saying there's one team that is by far and away. The mastered it. The mastered it. Turn it into a weapon. But if it becomes watered down to the point where, what you just said, every fourth down

just, yep, tush push and away we go. Right. Then that's where the rule has to, you have to look at it and go, okay, let's try and make that illegal so we can have some more excitement. Well, it's, again, you can still like quarterback sneak it. It's about the formation that makes it the tush push, like the way that they form it, the way that they push the quarterback forward. There is a player safety element to it.

One that I'm not overly familiar with exactly what the league could be thinking of, but they have completely altered the kicking game because of player health and safety and I think there could be some concern that that is what is going to happen here where we saw it in the playoffs as well I think it was Washington when it's on the one yard line these teams are like we're just going to sell out and sell out and sell out and sell out and it got it got kind of embarrassing and goofy remember the refs had to step in and say you do it again and you jump the

line it's just a touchdown. But that's what these teams are doing. Like if you have a play that is a basically a hundred percent successful, it's a cheat code that credit to Philly for figuring it out. Yeah, they've applied it. Right. But I'm not surprised the league is going to look at that and say that's not good for the entertainment product. And it might have an issue in terms of health and safety. If you have linemen diving towards knees and, you know, on the bottom of piles and somebody's going to get snapped in half. It's a very unique play. Like it's an incredibly unique play. That's very effective and it's worked.

And Philly would be the one that would take the brunt of the pain here because they've created it and they've benefited greatly from it. They just want a Superbowl, not just because of that clearly, but it's a it is a very unique play that you can police. You're not you're not saying we shouldn't have running backs who can you know cut left or you can't have anyone run go-routes anymore because of this that or the other. It's specifically a formation thing that you could eradicate from the game. It's like no hands on the quarterback's butt guys. That's basically it. Right, but let me ask you this. You guys are big football fans Dave, you've covered it forever. If

they got rid of the tushbush would that affect you at all in terms of your viewing experience? Like if they banned it so then what does it even matter? Well no, but to me it's the spirit of competition here. These guys have figured something out that works. Doesn't mean they're wrong. Why should they be punished for being in you know ingenious and smart and really good at something that is as you point out a cheat code like I don't think you should punish a team That's ahead of the curve, you know, like why would you do that to them? Like that that is just that's a bunch of sore losers sitting there making up excuses for why? They don't want the Philadelphia Eagles to dominate the line on fourth and one. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, yeah Well, that's I mean that is effectively what it is.

But there's just, I think the league the defenses are saying with the way the rules set up and the way that things are set up, we can't stop it. Yeah, like we don't how do you tell me how to stop it within the rules of football? That's because of the athletes, you're making a compelling argument, to be honest about it because if it's 100% non-stoppable then if you're a defense they're going to try and figure out and go okay well this is going to happen I'm going to go and hurt somebody in there I'm going to go and do something you want to do this to me I'm going to take my pound of flesh I'm going to do something if you're on the defensive side because you're going to get on anyways so I I still think you should keep it in there and see if if teams try to do it

more teams but I don't think it have happens in this offseason yeah well maybe not and now it's been presented and I don't know I I do don't get me wrong it is coming from a position of defeat by these other teams that are right. What are we supposed to do? We can't stop it credit to you, but Again from an entertainment standpoint, I don't unless you're an eagle fan It's the greatest play ever created right if you're the other teams and the other fans. I Don't think it brings entertainment value and if it were to be eradicated I don't think it brings entertainment value and if it were to be eradicated from the game. Because your team is losing.

Yes. That's not an argument. But not just my team. Not just my team. Oh, I know. But the other teams are losing. Every team that plays them cannot stop it. So it would almost be termed as like an illegal formation.

Well that's exactly. It would be so easy to eradicate. For sure. Right? So it's just illegal formation. Yeah, you can't set up that way. Right. So they would just have to adjust.

Because the tush push is literally guys from the back or pushing the quarterback over the line. Like they're the line dives down and then it just creates chaos at the line where the defense is halted because they can't go over. And then they just get pushed over the line. The interesting thing will be the adjustment because as you know, coaches and management and players, they're always looking for the new thing okay can't do that okay we're gonna do something else right like that's what would be an interesting for me is what is the adjustment off of that yeah I'm sure hey I got news for you Jalen hurts is a big part of this like

like he's a powerful athlete a huge body absolutely and you know what I think you'd be pretty good at just sneaking it on his own without the tush push too like he'd be a hell of a weapon it on his own without the tush push too. Like he'd be a hell of a weapon doing that for sure. And that's the way the game existed, you know, for 40 years prior to this, as is Josh Allen and you know, all these big, big, big, good athlete quarterbacks that can stand up to the linemen and go right through them. Yeah.

Now that's the injury that will change it for Philly is if hurts gets hurt doing it if he gets pushed and Gets hit in somewhere and someone says screwed. I'm coming through and he takes something off the head Yeah, which he didn't get tried late exactly. Yeah, that's Where it gets a little bit scary if you're Philly because the league could say listen All right, you want to keep it in go ahead Yeah, but my guys are coming for you like my my guys are, and they're coming for number two. That's who they're coming for. You know, they're coming for your quarterback.

Yeah. You know. Good luck, they haven't got him yet. They haven't got him yet. All right, there you go. Confirm it, deny. More on the Leafs in action tonight. Raptors in action, Luca and the Lakers at home

against the Mavs as well, and our best putts still to come. Overdrive continues, TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. Lights, camera, action. The 2025 Juno Awards are hitting Vancouver on March 30th. And I Heart Radio is your ticket to the stars. The Juno goes to... Hosted and performance by Michael Poblet. Good evening Vancouver. Plus a final performance by Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees. Some 41 and more more you can win an I heart radio Experience with tickets flights and a three nights day at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver To answer the daily Junos trivia question and I heart radio dot CA All right, we sent out his brother out in the city with a pair of league tickets

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