OverDrive - OverDrive - May 21, 2025 - Hour 1

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys dive into the Maple Leafs granting the Islanders permission to Brendan Shanahan, the outlook of the management in Toronto and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the NBA MVP. Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach Rick Tocchet joins to discuss the hiring with the team, his departure from the Canucks and perspective of the progression of the Flyers. They also discuss the Oilers kicking off the conference final against the Stars and the Panthers beating the Hurricanes to open the series.

Are you age 16 to 30 and ready to make a real impact? The Youth Thrive program, funded by Canada Service Corps and delivered by the Career Foundation, is your chance to develop leadership skills, connect with mentors, and gain real world experience, all while giving back to your community. Best of all, it's a no-cost program, available across Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and BC. Thoughts are limited, so register now at careerfoundation.com. That's careerfoundation.com.

Join today and be part of something amazing. How do we prepare for longevity? And what does it mean to age well? An aging well plan should include five key conversations you should have with loved ones. To learn more about those five conversations, start a conversation with Kelvin the Money Guy. Kelvin will show you how to develop

a personalized aging well plan to help you or loved ones live safely, securely and independently. Call 416-457-PLAN or visit askkelvin.ca. All right, here we go over drive off and running. TSN 1050 on the TSN app your home smart speaker up on TSN for also of course as we know up on YouTube live. Yes sir.

Yes sir. Brian Azeo, Jeff O'Neil and Jamie Noodles-McClennan. It's garbage time of year. We got to just grind it through. It's always kind of that. We gotta just grind it through. It's always kind of that lull after the leaves go out. We gotta find some energy, just like we're down in a game. We gotta just bring something to the table, get some excitement and bring it home till July 1st.

That's true, but you know what? It's a little later this year. Don't you think? Yeah, it is. Well, I'll be honest. There's times where... Way to be positive. You're right, Noor. It's 10 days later this year. Well, regardless. I'll take 10 days later.

I'll take a lot more later, to be honest, but in the end, there is some stuff, and it's going to be newsworthy. There's so much going on. I mean, Brandon Shanahan might be a New York Islander. Yeah, it sure sounds that way we i mean we just have breaking news before we came on and i find this report a little bit greasy not the shanahan one will get to that just a moment but i'm curious where you guys stand on this

the nba announces this morning tonight's the night we announce the mvp on the nba on tn t right so it's this big production at the garden you got the necks then you got the Pacers and what do you mean the panels announcing it yeah it was supposed to be like a big kind of pregame announcement and I'm sure they had plans for the winner to zoom in or Skype in or whatever's still

around teams maybe they were gonna teams in and so that was the plan and that was the announcement this morning because it was a little bit a little bit strange that they made that announcement like we didn't know when they were going to tell us who won and then all of a sudden this morning they go tonight's the night you're going to find out yeah so again it's on tnt tonight so who breaks it five minutes ago shams shams Shams Sharania from ESPN that Shay Gildjus Alexander has won the MVP. So what amazing Canadian third time ever. That's an awesome story. Just feels like a greasy unnecessary report before it happens live.

Like why do you have to break that story? It's not a contract. It's not a trade. It's obviously he knew, it's not a trade. Obviously he knew, obviously someone told him, maybe Shay told him, I don't know, maybe Shay was probably made aware of this. Hey, we need you tonight because the panel's gonna have you on.

I would guess possibly, but that just seems like, why do you need to break that before we see it? It's like the lottery, you know what I mean? Like why announce, hey, by the way, you know what I mean? Like why announce? Hey, by the way, the Islanders got the first pick before the show even happened. Dude, we we can't talk. We named Team Canada our insiders before they were even. I understand that.

I understand the journalism side of things. And that's a big part. I can guarantee you, if this was on ESPN tonight, I don't think Shams would have reported it. Someone else probably would have possibly that works with DNT. I get how that works. I get how that goes. And it's not a downer. It's a great story because Shay ends up winning. Ready Play great last night. Oklahoma City's up one nothing. They're three wins away from the NBA finals and you got another Canadian, a second Canadian, third time you got someone winning the MVP. So awesome for Shea, an unbelievable season and now he's an MVP. But it is a bit greasy, like the league must be furious

don't you think? Yeah it's a sponsored thing like I think Kia, like if you're Kia, if you're the Kia guy you're like we kind of sponsored the MVP announcement you know is there any way we kind of sponsored the MVP announcement. You know, is there any way we could possibly keep people captivated for that announcement? Like now who's dying to watch it? You don't need the announcements done. And what I'm curious from a broadcasting standpoint, cause you guys have been in this situation before where it is where everyone kind of knows what's coming. It's been leaked or whatever. And yet you have to go on there and broadcast it pretend as if it hasn't been leaked yeah like

that's what I'm curious about tonight like this Barkley just I could see him start the show to say what are we doing this for like you'll just say one you know muddy the waters he'll be like you want to butcher this already let's just butcher this and I'll make it real. He might do something crazy be like I'm not even watching basketball I don't care about this Dallas and Edmonton are playing. The Oilers are playing tonight. Yeah because he's all over the Oilers right now so it might be like something ridiculous for he's like I don't need to do this this guy's already won I saw it on Twitter I'm

watching that Oilers Dallas game like He might do something crazy like that. He might. He might. That would be in his nature. He'll have something planned, I would think, for tonight. But anyway, that's obviously a great story. Shea Gilder's Alexander. I knew he had won a Northern Star Award, the Canadian Athlete of the Year.

It was in 23. That's when he helped them reach the Olympics. The men's team make the Olympics for the first time in a long time he had a great season but this basically wraps up a second one for him because if you're gonna win the MVP they're probably gonna get to the finals they might win it there's no way he's not gonna win the Canadian athlete of the year I'd be shocked if he doesn't but that sets up you mentioned the Eulers plan tonight like McDavid has never won it McDavid's never won this particular award

and yet they could win a stanley cup and what if they were a company wins a cons might then then that could actually turn into a great debate and hopefully that happens we need more canadian athletes doing great things yeah i mean it's fair i mean dallas is a hell of a team like this is this will be how could i say that this would be that this would be Ebbetson's biggest test and then I watched that

Florida team just go you know go what they did what they did to the Leafs in game seven yeah Carolina last night that wasn't even even break stride by the way Hayes that award then what is it the northern northern star if you haven't you should be one of the main people. Do you vote on that? I do not vote. Well that's why we do the little brown awards. I think you need to stay away. I think there's like this conference call. I don't know if you need to get involved in that. No I'm not. Because I think that you would like you're an alpha dog and I think I don't know if that's right. You on the car there'd be fights in there for sure

he would give the JP behind the glass there if he didn't have the audio ready like I don't know I don't know if that's for you no I I haven't been invited I'm not holding my breath again this is why we launched the Lou Brown Awards because none of us get invited to this everyone else in media in the city what are we doing the Lou Browns well they're supposed to be in December when this gets announced on the day of the announcement we get we launch our Lou Brown awards I think we should do maybe we got to do the Lou Brown awards you

know in June or something I think that might not be a bad idea let's do the Lou Brown awards in June there was there some things on the docket. We've been talking for five years about a salad rebuild. We need to start fresh and that Scotty Scheffler might be up there on the salad rebuild. Yes, he might. He might be up there. So we're doing a full salad rebuild sometime in June. Yes. We're going to do the Lou Browns. It's the year anniversary of you guys introducing yourselves to Mike Crapper, my buddy. Oh, yeah. We still have to do Crapper versus Hayes, the golf match. That's right. Mike Crapper came into everyone's world this time last year. That one was amazing. That caught us off guard. Yeah. That one was, you can't prepare for Mike Crapper. No, you're like my buddy Mike Crapper. You're like Straight face and Michael Crapper congrats on winning the club championship. Oh really? Really? Not a Sandbagger I hope he gets out there and plays and does his thing. Okay makes every putt dialed in. I love it

Yeah, you know what speaking of of the the salad rebuild the the inaugural winner of our salad rebuild was of course our boy strutting yeah and uh... i saw a mutual friend this morning who was the captain of that famous camloops blazers team and acts yeah they won their third uh... was a w a chill championship i guess this this day thirty years ago i think that come up with the he had to keep brought that up? Well, he had mentioned it was, we were talking about hockey and we were talking about something else, but the reason he brought it up is he showed me a picture of Struddy, the team picture, and

Struddy had the most glorious hair I've ever seen in my life. That's what he was showing. He's like, you got to see this picture of strud because i guess you know it'd been someone had sent them a was thirty years ago blah blah blah and uh... struddy's hair was so dialed in he must have been eighteen or nineteen years old it looked it looks spectacular there was a time said that looks good that actually looked amazing honest about it is in and and you can't hold this up or whatever. I'm not lying.

There was a time where Struddy had this long Fabio hair and he was a man dime. Like I'm not lying, like he was 6'4", 230 jacked with this long Fabio hair. He's got the bum chin. He's got like the chiseled face. He was a man dime. And then what happened, he's turned into Big Earn from from Kingpin Yeah, that's salad is now in a circle and you know, he's like he's not in the back in yes He's earned McCracken now

But there was a time and we'll have to pull this picture off the internet because it is He's got this like look to him with the long lock not that like that's that's that's not him. That's that's that's Tucker That's not even that's not good job from the bridge why are we showing a glamour shot of talks what's he doing there with the boards open and the leg up on the on the board barely even look like tucks like that no it looked like him but Nash or all those guys, but there was a time I think Struddy would have been about 25 to 27 and he was right I was wheelhouse like that was his nickname was the night train He was literally the night train you go out and that guy was a dime

I love now he's now he's 10 out of 30 like that's what it is. I think now we say it is There's a picture. Yeah, that guy looks like he he lives in the hollywood hills yes and uh... every woman on earth is swiping right we gotta get some bigger and drops and we gotta go back to kingpin his like bill murray has about seven or eight lines in that that are some of the greatest lines you ever heard in your life and and some of them greatest lines you've ever heard in your life. And some of them obviously like... Very offside.

Offside, because of the world we live in, like we can't play. But there's one where Woody Harrelson's eating the yogurt and he's like, okay, go outside and finish that off and come back and talk to me. He is such a piece of garbage. So mean to people. So arrogant and rude and so awful. But I... Big Earns. Sometimes Big Earns even there, he's still there in the morning when he's... In the morning. He's like, he keeps talking about his mom. Like, yeah. See, Struddy's not his...

There's Strud. There's Struddy back in the day. Okay. He's not a dime there. He's not a dime there. He's working on it. He's working on it, but he'll be prepared for tonight So yeah, we'll look ahead to the game tonight clearly Rick Tauke will join us in about 10 minutes So we'll catch up with him the new head coach of the the Flyers get his take on what you know Why'd you leave Vancouver? And what does he make of this this Stanley Cup playoff because he's been doing analysis work for TNT But you referenced the Shanahan news so the report came out this morning cj reporting that uh... the new york islanders

and ask me please sports and entertainment for permission to speak the brennan shanahan about their opening as a president or president's role down there on uh... on the island and now in the last hour so it has been reported that that permission has been granted which is never a good sign for a guy sticking around in a market right i mean i believe it was reported that the islanders wanted to chat with jeff gordon of the habs and the habs said

actually no that's not gonna happen because they didn't want to believe so this would suggest if if permission has been asked and permission has been granted that that's probably it for shantan in Toronto I mean I would be I would be very surprised and it also may be coming from him He made he may be prepared for a new gig He may have gone to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment his contract is up at the end of June and said I

I'm leaving or you guys you know I know you're not bringing me back give me an opportunity to go get another gig and that might be exactly what's happening here. Yeah, I would think so. Like I think they're going to give him an opportunity and and listen, I was trying to think about it before too, like his legacy, all of that, because there has been right now everybody's a little bit down and I get it. But there was a lot of good things he did in his tenure here But in the end they didn't win and that's that's what people that's what you know

You're you're you put in places to win like that's what you do It's but there was a lot of good things that you could tie to his legacy You could speak to it a lot better Brian and and oh as far as Legends row and Dave Kian and you were here you guys were here when this Harold Ballard was acting up yeah you know that type of stuff I don't you know I'm not privy I didn't live that every day but you you know it was a mess from afar I'll tell you that you know yes I mean if listen if you're if your legacy or the ending of of your tenure is because the team just couldn't go from like the fifth last team to be playing

to the first team overall. Like if that's your legacy or that's how you're leaving, that's pretty good all things considered, right? That's not a cop out, that's not to suggest he isn't responsible for not getting them over the top. When he took the job, he said, our plan now is to win a Stanley Cup He's had 11 years to do that But there are a number of presidents and GM's that took over a dumpster fire and left it as a dumpster fire

Or right they just spun it around into some different dumpster fire Yes, and or took over a pretty good program and left it as a dumpster fire That's not what Shanahan did like Shanahan if this is the end of the road for Shanahan is the man at the top with the leaves he took over a Circus that's what it was. It was an absolute gong show it was an embarrassment the state of the franchise and the Just everything about it from from the the the history the legends and and the it just everything about it from from the the the history the legends

uh... to the planet ice to the the way the way they operated everything from top to bottom it was not a good scene eleven years ago and although there is no it is fly if they left they should if he does leave they should fly wherever he is to personally thank them all of it because he

believed in all of those guys and they got everything man like everything do you think do you think Mitch Marner will give him a shot on July 1st if he's in Long Island I guarantee you I that's the first thing I thought about is like why if you are let's again like this is the cart way before the horse. But if somehow a Brendan Shanahan's available, I'm sorry, if he is with the New York Islanders, you don't think that he would want Mitch Marner? You don't think Patrick Wobb would go get that guy here for me right now? Like there again, Pierre Lebrun was not wrong when he said there will be a lineup for people for Mitch Marner July 1st. There and will be that's just the truth and if you are a team

that is dying which is the new york islanders at the definition of it of a team that's looking for an upgrade offensively flat out like that's yeah new york i had some star power like to get the first overall pick and maybe you get you know shanahan's a big big name uh... also if you were to bring in a guy like marna what's what's interesting is it's kinda like full circle where to borrow his left while i was and i was having years later marter goes back

i was gonna go a step further and say why would the islanders bring back j t yeah i don't know i mean by uh by that's a good question have bygones become bygone seven years later. Does John really want to go back he may be like dude I left for a reason like everything I everything we hear and everything he said publicly he want he has no interest in leaving like he may go to the islanders or somewhere else if the Leafs say we're not bringing you back that's a different story but I think if the Leafs show interest in him staying John will be here but yeah yeah, that would be interesting. Like if Shanahan

left and brought Marner with him, you remember the movie Any Given Sunday with Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx were at the end. Pacino leaves the Miami team and brings Willie Beeman with him as his quarterback to the expansion team. That's what this would be like. Like Shanahan's like, all right, we tried, we couldn't get get it done here I'm out of here and I'm bringing this guy with me that would not be at all surprising more on that later this afternoon Rick Tuckett will join us Shay Gilder's Alexander according to a Shams Serenia not don't say it according to tonight yeah exactly I should say that make sure you tune in tonight to find out but there's a chance

Shea Gilgis is about to win His first MVP after winning game one of the Western Final last night So more on that potentially later this afternoon overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN for Alright game one Oilers stars tonight the Panthers they struck first last night picking up game one pretty fun game badminton right in the middle of everything again last night soft fight the playoffs you don't see that a lot i have a feeling our next guest

had to have had a fight in the playoffs at some point for sure had a clip of them the other day where there's a guy that turtles on the ground and he started punching him in the ribs. The body blows. It was the body blows. He was like get up, he was standing there, then he'd take occasional rib shots. Where was the ref? I saw that too. What the hell's the ref gonna do? That's when you act like there's another fight and you gotta go help out there so you don't have to deal with the clock. Just leave target to throw body blows at people in the middle ice. Here's the head coach of the Flyers, Rick Tocket. Do you know the fight we're referencing here, Rick?

Yeah, I gotta defend myself. Okay. Wow. I get kinda ripped on that, like how I can hit a guy when he's down. So Paul Baxter, who was a tough player player but he was a pretty dirty guy and about a minute before that he honestly just missed me with his stick almost hit me in the eye. It wasn't like a spear but it was close to being a spear. The wires crossed and then we squared off. Obviously the videos show that and I hit him. I connected, he went down

but I was still pissed because it's like, man, this guy was taking my ass, so I wanted another shot. So I'm defending myself. But there you go. That's the backdrop of the story. Okay, fair enough. Totally reasonable. We totally understand.

Did you have any fights in the playoffs? How many did you have in the playoffs? Well, you gotta remember back then, like mid-80s, even like early 90s, there's more fights than there is now. Maybe it's stupid or not, but one team's up by three or four, the last four minutes would probably take a half hour back then. I think they cleaned it up for the better.

I mean, you don't want just guys fighting it in, but you want to send messages and all that stuff. So yeah, there was a lot of fights back then, 100%. Yeah, for sure. Well, you're back in Philly as the head coach, and I'm curious, you know, as you were a Flyers legend as a player, how does that translate into being a coach? Like the whole market knows you, they all love you,

they all remember you as a player. Like is there a reintroduction? Do you feel like you've gotta kind of, in a way, let the market know, okay, I'm this as a coach, even though I was that as a player? What's this transition gonna be like for you? Yeah, I mean, so obviously a big part of my career is in Philly as a kid, and back then Mr. Centero and the team was a family atmosphere.

Really helped me shape my career as a person too. But I've been gone for like 25, you know, a lot of years. So I know the narrative, bringing old flyers back and they haven't done well the last bunch of years, but you know, I've been gone. Learned a lot of new things on my way you know different people different ideas so to me it's a win-win I know the area I know the organization where they want to go obviously when you have Comcast back in your team with the resources I mean they got the state-of-the-art new, I mean, the Pax facility,

and you know, even being in the arena, walking around, they have all the tools. That's great. Love the plan by Danny and Jones here put in place. So I think it's a win-win for me. You know, they feel that, you know, the next couple years, they still wanna grow the team before they really swing the bat, I guess.

There's some, you know, they got a lot of, a ton of cab space the next couple years. So I don't know, it's just the plan. The plan, you know, I guess. They got a lot of time to cap space in the next couple years. So I don't know, it's just the plan. I'm back on the East Coast, it's a good fit. Talk, there's been a lot of talk on the Toronto market about the media, the coverage, fairness, unfair, just leaving Vancouver. How did you view being in a Canadian market?

Do you think there was some stuff where you're like, this isn't really necessary to cover a hockey team, or is it passion from the fan base, passion from everyone caring about what's going on? Just your overall view of a Canadian market. Well, I was in Vancouver and it's like, you're dealing with 25 guys a day. See, I think it's a positive.

I'm sure other markets are craving, you know, they're craving for attention and media. Now listen, obviously, there comes with a price. You know, I had a really good relationship with the guys in Vancouver. I mean, you got the odd, you know, little tiff here and there. I think the one thing that we both appreciate each other's respect is, you know, I try to educate them on things I see and believe. I think when you educate the press you know they give you a break. They appreciate that. Now if you're giving them one-word answers and

you're defending every decision I mean then they could be in trouble. I thought Chief did a hell of a job in Toronto and I think he welcomes that pressure and dealing with those guys. Same thing with myself in Vancouver. But there's, you know, I remember you got to dig a line in the sand every once in a while. I remember one of the couple of guys were throwing crap on the wall where, you know, I didn't give Vester an assistant captain.

You know when you rotate the assistant captains and they made a big deal after you. Well, I disrespect those trade deadline and talk in the organization, disrespected Mark Fessler. Well, I think it's okay as a head coach to call a couple of guys out and say, you know, that's, that's not the truth. There's no disrespect. And I, you know, we patched it up these, uh, I touched up with a couple of guys, but I think it's important that coaches can call out the press if, if they're throwing stuff on the wall. Um, so I don't know if I answered your

question, I think it's a welcome thing because you're getting the attention and every organization wants the attention. So how hard was it to navigate last season compared to the season before where everything fell into place and then last year it just, you know, between injuries and then, you know, the Pedersen Miller stuff, it was just, it felt like, again, from the outside, and this is us viewing from a long range away, that it felt like again from the outside and this this is us Viewing from a long range away that you felt like you were putting out fires left and right You know how difficult in contrast were the two seasons? Yeah, you're right deals. I think if you look here before a lot of things went right not many injuries

I'm gonna go to have seven guys what six or seven guys what the all-star game? Yeah You know road record was good, our home record was really good. There's a lot of good things, positives going. And then, last year, we just couldn't, there's just no traction. Whether it was, and we don't, coaches don't like these excuses of injuries, but you know, couldn't get a full line up in.

Obviously the P.D. Miller thing was, you know, obviously a front page thing that we were dealing with. You know, you assign different free agents. Like, you know, there's a lot of different moving parts and, you know, I gotta take some responsibility where, you know, can I have done some different things? Yeah, I mean, I take a deep dive every year. I think as a coach you gotta evolve.

Can't be the same guy. I mean you are who you are, but there's certain part of you. You got to evolve as a coach and Maybe you learn from sort of those things when you have like a tough year like that But I will say I got to give a lot of I'm gonna give a lot of those guys Kudos because I don't know what two or three points out of the playoffs for what we went through as a group I to hang in there and almost get a shot at the layoff last week or two of the playoffs, I really commend the players. But saying that, we all have to take responsibility.

With Rick Tuckett, I found it interesting last week, Adam Foote, when he was announced as the head coach and he spoke with the media, he was talking about some of the things you and he had gone over. And obviously, he was with you in Vancouver. I'm sure he's a close friend of yours. I'm curious how often that happens, how rare that happens. I mean, I understand this is a unique scenario because you and Adam are close. But do coaches help each other out?

Now that you're in Philly, would you reach out to John Tortorella and pick his brain on what he saw when he was there like how does that work in the coaching fraternity? Yeah great question I have a little bit of a roundtable guys that I call like coaches NHL coaches I mean I've really actually got to know Pete DeBoer I knew knew Butch before that, but the four nations, I've been close with Coop for a while now. So it kind of helps me to have those type of guys if you have to pick the brain. Obviously we're not sharing stuff because we're playing each other, but there's some

stuff that we do help each other. Obviously Craig Berube probably talked the most, him and Travis Green a lot this year, I mean over the years of picking brains. Um, so I'm a guy, I don't like to have a huge, uh, uh, list of people you want to call because I think you can get confused, but there are some guys that are when there's decisions to be made or checking up on a guy or something or you're ready to hire a guy. There's certain guys you call because you really trust them.

Um, so yeah, that's what, that's what I try to do. With Rick Tuckett, so you mentioned that you really kind of liked the vision of the Flyers brass down there with Danny Breyer and everyone down there and what they're trying to do in the future. You know, you're walking into a scenario, it was a tough year last year for the Flyers, especially down the stretch. So, you know, how,

I guess the question that I'm sure everyone in that market is wondering and everyone outside of Philly is going to, is going to ask you. And we'll ask you right now is like, how quickly can you turn this around? And will it be difficult to show patience because, you know, it may, it may be a tough start, you know, year one anyway, in terms of wins and losses. Yeah. So, you know, to answer that the best of start, you know, year one anyway, in terms of wins and losses. Yeah, so, you know, to answer that the best, and I'm gonna probably use the most over word, and probably you guys will puke as a process, right?

So, um. Come on, Greg, give us something better. You guys have a different word? You guys have a different word? I gotta come up with a different word, community maybe? I don't know, I gotta. You're right. I can't keep using that

because it's making me too, but I will say, from the plan with Dan and Jonesy, and they know me, I gave them a game plan. When a player walks in the rink, what is he getting? I think that's what I try to supply the player. Is there trust? Am I maximizing his talent? Am I, you know, am I putting him in the right situation?

Am I putting the team in the right situation? Are the departments that they have now, that they have the science, they have the strength coach? Is everyone saying the same message, is the same messaging? That's what you're really gonna be judged on and when you do those things right, the results will happen.

So how quickly, I don't know. I do know these guys have patience. I mean even talking to Danny, you know, hey what about this guy, this guy and it's like well we're not ready for this guy yet, maybe next year, that type of player, that kind of money. So I think they're preaching patience but I think they're looking for to see people develop. You know, like there's some really good hockey players like an Owen Tipett. You know, like there's some really good hockey players, like an Owen Tipett, you know, is there another level for that guy?

Big guy, strong, can shoot and skate, you know, where can you take him? Things like that. And we know the weaknesses that our team, that we have to, we gotta address. So yeah, so let's say the community, I gotta, you know, the community or whatever the word is, I gotta find, like I said, I gotta find that word,

but just the process to, you know, for the end result of the wins and losses that everybody wants. Talk, you just mentioned all the things available, the sports science, the, like, do you ever think organizations may look into just shrinking that because although they're all trying to help and a lot of them do help, it seems like it's almost a crutch for some guys

where if something's going, like, it just seems like the guys that get it and know how to get to the deal which is playing great and consistent, they're just, they just do it. And they're not like veering off going to that guy or this guy. They have a plan, they're very focused, and they execute.

Yeah, that's, honestly, that honestly, you're exactly right. You don't want people tripping on each other. You don't want excuses. You don't want like, you know, something doesn't go right. It's right away, they abandon that thought, they wanna go something else. You gotta be careful, and you gotta make sure

that the departments are speaking the same language and there's not people tripping on each other. Sometimes people think the more is better and that's not true. I think you gotta just kinda find that sweet spot. I'm looking forward to meeting the staff in Philly. I know there's a lot of good people there and just make it a cohesive group and make sure that we're taking care of the players but we're not tripping on each other.

So what do you make in watching the playoffs now and sitting back and seeing the teams and how hard they battled to get to the final four and even the final eight there were some great teams, some cup contenders that ended up bowing out but what do you make of the playoffs so far and the entertainment factor and some of the guys who step forward? Well, the hardest part for me is sitting on the sidelines. I do watch a lot of hockey games. I watch a lot of playoff games.

Try to put your coach's hat on. Who's doing what? The matchups. You almost try to be a coach in there from the sidelines. I think it helps me at least. But also there's a burning desire to get in there. And then when I watch game seven, Winnipeg and St. Louis, what happens? You see the Leafs two up going against Florida.

I think they're up three to one in game three. Things like that, I mean that's just what playoff hockey's all about. You know, you can't count things out. You know, you see the different storylines of certain players, certain coaches, matchups. I think it's incredible. I mean, and I think that's what, as a coach and player, you strive for that.

You know, I mean, if you're a player that's not making the playoffs and you're in the Bahamas watching the playoffs, I mean, what are you doing to get in the playoffs? Like, are you trying to raise your level of getting better to be a piece of that, you know, that puzzle to get you in? So yeah, I think it's important

that everybody watches these things, especially the guys that are out watching it and get you motivated. It's terrific, I love watching playoff hockey. Yeah, it's gonna be a great run, man. Western Conference finals starting tonight and I mean and it's only the third round we still we still have at least a month left of hockey so it's gonna be a lot of fun congrats on the new gig down there in Philly Rick we'll be rooting for you

we'll be tracking you and we'll chat again down the road thank you for this okay guys thanks man appreciate it got it there's a Rick Tuckett of the Philadelphia Flyers and He was a teammate with Craig Barube back in the early 90s. I love I love doing the hockey DB Like I just I'm like, alright, what do we have here? Okay, the 9091 Flyers They had talk it they had Terry Karkner, he was pretty tough man. Very tough, yeah.

They obviously had Barube, Scott Mellonby was pretty tough. Mell was very tough. Yeah. Jeff Chickren was on that team. Interesting. Oh yeah. Yeah. There's definitely some guys who were pretty tough on that team.

Couple of Scarborough boys too, you had Mike Ricci, you had Rick Tocket. Wow. Yeah. Ricci had like the weird hair, not the weird hair, but just the big puffy hair. Long hair forever. He was known for the hair.

Oh yeah. He was known for the salad forever. Absolutely. Well he got traded for Eric Lindros to Quebec and then went on to Colorado and won a Stanley Cup. That's right. Yeah, he had a great career man. I don't know why I can't open his page. Something's going on here but yeah, Ricci had a really good career but yeah, Rick

Tauke and Craig Barupi on the same team in their mid-20s. That would be trouble, I would think. Running amok. Yes. That's what they would be doing absolutely yeah you're right yeah reach he played he played one thousand ninety nine games almost eleven hundred games and uh... yeah really good career in philly quebec colorado san jose ended in phoenix road junior player fourth overalls peter brook p as you say he's a seventy one i think he's my age i believe he's a seven year

he is he was there at the ninety believe he's a 71. Yeah, he is. He was, yeah, the 90 draft. He was drafted in 1990. So I played in that Quebec Esso Cup. It was all the 71 born. It was like Sundine, Pavel Biré, Mike Ricci. Like that was, I look back, I actually have a brochure from that. Felix Potvin was my age, like there. I have a brochure from that tournament.

And my goalie partner was a guy named Byron Defoe and he was really good. He made it to the NHL for a while. Oh yeah, he played in Boston for a while. He played in Boston and Washington. He was actually drafted. Him and Ole Kozik were drafted in the same year. They drafted both of them.

They're best buddies too. Wow. Unbelievable goaltenders, both of them, different types of goaltenders. Like Ole was a monster and Byron was probably an inch smaller than me, but he was a good, good goaltender. But that Quebec Esso Cup, I remember like Pavel Bury was the best player. He wasn't even close how good he was in that tournament. He wasn't even close how good he was in that tournament. He had the best gear and then the backup goalie had literally catalogs on his legs. The Russians came over and we had a fight with them in the dorm because they were stealing

our jeans. It was a non-sense. Crazy stuff. It was crazy. Yeah, crazy. I remember that as a kid. There'd be teams that would come over from Russia or come over from like the Ukraine. Yeah.

Remember, oh, they'd play like the Red Wing. I remember they'd play. Dude, they'd come over here for a month at a time. Yeah. They played everybody. Played all the MTHL teams back then. The buildings would be, I went to one. My dad brought me to one.

It was packed barn, right? They were just unreal teams. And then you'd hear stories about like they'd lose and the coach would like turn the lights off and leave them in the room for three hours. Yeah. Like stuff like that. And you're like, what the hell is going on here? Like, this is wild.

Like who's sanctioning this on our end? You know what I mean? Like we're bringing these people over. Like maybe you need to go tap the coach on the shoulder and say, actually, we don't do that over here You know like you want to come over and play you can play but it was different times. I mean clearly back then But yeah, yeah, that's right. Bray McGilney and federal they all came over at the same time. Yeah, right Those were the big three. Yeah. All right, Craig Button coming up in about 25 minutes

We promised a mashup a part. What did we call it again a potluck? We got we're doing the potluck today. We got I got a I got three role plays I got three mini Jerry's I got a few confirmed denies. We got them all coming up. All right We're gonna start sprinkling these in throughout the afternoon overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 4. Alright overdrive continues powered by FanDuel bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. We've got game one of the boilers and stars tonight Craig Button will join us in about 20 minutes his take on what he saw to Florida and Carolina last night.

Carolina they've lost 13 conference final games in a row., that is bonkers man. That's a crazy stat. Crazy, crazy man. Like that's three sweeps and now you're into the fourth time and you're not feeling great about your chances. It's only one game but there are now there you lose first one on home ice now you're already up against it and the pressure you want to talk about pressure Freddy Anderson needs a game the next game yeah yeah he's played very very well yes but he didn't play well last night neither did I mean the rest of their group didn't play well either and he got to give credit to Florida again because they're in Florida just continued to mow along like it was they look very comfortable yeah just they play and they spread it out right they had stars scoring they had depth players scoring they had Brad Marsh and right in the middle of everything again last night yeah I was gonna bet you guys

something that something would happen come but I'm not gonna do it I'm not gonna go what it was is no go ahead finish your thought we don't have to bet on it but what do you what are you talking about like what what do you predict was going to happen well what would you say what would use predicts going to happen very soon with freddie anderson and all you're calling that you know that i a and i

don't know that's that's on the top of the friday i i hope not i don't i don't want that type energy now it's not going's not gonna do you know what i'm getting at i know you're getting at night can understand that that's a possibility and even bob bob got hit last night in a special call him for a while from my thought that was in a little accidental on purpose left me right to the head type of thing when that was that's Vechnikov he's played very well for them but I thought he did that on purpose yeah he leaned the hip in there he could have got that out of the way

and then he was prepared for someone to come at him and no one really did immediately yeah I don't know if the team caught that but Bob certainly like well he's been hit a couple times like Bennett smoked him in game six I believe right that was in Florida when when Domi was going to the net like Bennett crushed him yeah and this is the thing about Bob I don't know what it is with him the Vasilevsky types these monster maybe Russian goalies I don't know but it's like play they just never get hurt seeming yeah you know like cuz it's like they just never get hurt seemingly. You know, like, cause Bob's taking some pretty big licks.

And he just keeps getting up and you know, have a squirt of water, put his helmet back on and just keeps playing. Yeah, but that's the reason why these guys play 60 every year. They've got durability to their game. Like they just play every night regardless of what's going on.

Like, it's pretty impressive. Pretty valuable thing to have right in your back pocket. If you're Paul Maurice like last year you had Stolarz this year it doesn't even matter who your goal is. Like they traded Spencer Knight. They're like whatever. Yeah we don't like what do we care? Well they got Vanaček. Like people forget that. That's the backup. I couldn't remember his name. That's why I started talking about Spencer Knight. You caught me. You know, I don't even know the backup. You'll never see him. He never plays.

You'll see him if Bob has an off night or there's an injury. Or in the handshake line with a Stanley Cup. I love his name on the cup. Yeah. Caroline is going to have something to say the next game, but I always find it fascinating and sometimes it sucks when you happen, it happens in the finals because that's what happens to our team in 2002 like sometimes you're just at the end of the line man Washington was at the end of the line when they met Carolina

Montreal was at the end of the line when they met Washington like that's the different levels and tiers where teams are at and If Carolina gets dummy the next game they they're at the end of the line or they'll be close to it yeah well and you'll notice now the evaluation of the metro division is red hot you know there's a lot of people saying man that division sucked this year it was trash it was and that's and that's the truth this is the truth about Carolina they did what they had to they played Jersey and Washington and they got through and the guys are you do is play a part of the florida is going to get through no but it wasn't that hard to figure out there might have been some kind of opportunity

there if you could pull it up when you're up to nothing that's what's disappointing for the leaves is your own thing like rick tockett said you're up three two nothing in three one in game three it goes over time you have game seven on home ice you know it's it's zero zero going into the second period like it was a 40-minute series that's what it turned into like when all was said and done the first six games split and the first period was was a wash the thing came down we kept saying that like shrink the series shrink the series shrink the series I don't think I naturally look at it that

way I don't think many people would, but it's the old, if I had it told you, it's zero, zero with two periods to play on home ice. Would you take that? Yeah. Like, yeah, I would take that. What happened? Well, we lost six, one the rest of the way.

And now you're out. And yes, you're right. Carolina will have a response. Carolina is still a really good team, but you know, Florida's more battle-tested clearly and Florida you wonder if they're just gonna get better and better as it goes on right you know they're just they're just gonna continue to grow more and more powerful and somehow they stay healthier as opposed to going the other way and

getting more and more banged up and they are a very formidable foe they are a they're a really good team and right now i'm curious what you guys would think would be the best possible stanley cup final is it a repeater last year would it would you if you could have a i don't know because i think dollars i don't know dallas is an intriguing team or the canadian markets obviously

we're gonna be pulling for the Edmonton Oilers I am anyway I love the Canadian content I want to have Struddy on a couple times a week right exactly it's more like but I know the team yeah but Dallas is really good and Edmonton as much as they've been cruising along here I think they really got their work cut out for them but they did last year too when they prevailed yeah I mean in the end it it might be be a repeat which might be the most intriguing but this Dallas team like I don't see any the weakness I had with them was their right side their

right D but you've got some left guys that are playing on the right side now and you're gonna have Lebushkin and Sisi which are both really good players it was when they started to get to you know Gamba and guys like that and you're gonna have LeBouchkin and Sisi which are both really good players. It was when they started to get to, you know, Gamba and guys like that and, you know, I like Petrovic is actually his real name. It's Petrovic to people but, you know, he's done a great job. It's a guy who played the minors for them and came up and scored the, you know, the propel goal, we'll call it. Yes.

That was Petrovic. The propelled goal, that's right. Yeah. That's what Jimmy said to me he didn't put it into the net he propelled it yeah we'll never forget that we will never ever forget that but yeah Dallas is a good team though and yeah to be it i still think it comes down to it probably might just come down to goaltending can evanston solve autinger and can skinner hold up that's really what it's going to be you know in the end yeah

well that's kind of what it was last year we know what happened right at the admittance prevailed in the end so um... yeah i would choose i would choose a repeat at minton florida uh... that i think would be like if i could have a choice that would be the most compelling final but i don't think you can miss again with all the respect to carolina

i'd push carolina therefore compelling final but I don't think you can miss again with all the respect to Carolina I push Carolina there forth like in terms of my interest level although you know I'm a Rod Brindle more fan I'd be cool and all that but yeah I would go Florida in and then either of the teams out West but I'd probably pick Edmonton just because of the McDavid element like him chasing the cop and greatness well and something that you you shop, stop short yesterday. You stop short. Do you remember this? Oh, he stopped short saying something yesterday and I don't know what it was. And I feel like it was like, I'm intrigued. I don't remember. I don't even remember. I remember this because. I Frankistanza'd. I stopped short. You stopped short. You were

about to say like, I felt like, and maybe I'm wrong on this, if McDavid wins a cup, all bets are off of him resigning an admittance, something like that. Well, yes. I think what I was referencing was, you know, we keep talking about the cap space available this year. Next year, and again, a lot of these guys are not going to get to free agency because none of them can sign extensions until July 1st this year, and a bunch of these guys are not going to get the free agency because none of them can sign extensions until july first this year and i can a bunch of them will right but if you look at the names available next year potentially

mcdavid mccarr eichel capri saw quinn he was connor that uses in two years to use some of the chance of having any of those guys become available and then probably not probably not probably not but uh... you never know he he he had never ever

no actually alright yes i was i don't think that's where i was stopping short file a app i'll take it but did you stop short based on i i do think you're winning a stanley cup actually it opens the door to him possibly maybe exploring a change possibly i don't know or or what it does is he looks at it and goes we're a dynasty I want to be a dynasty

like why would I ever want to leave all we do we win here and I they built around me which is what he always has been asking for I think that's that's very possible as well all right we've got a potluck coming up at 530 we got Craig J button joining us as well into the next hour. Overdrive continues, TSN southeast, and west Asian artists. We're honoring the voices shaping our world. Listen now on the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca.