OverDrive - OverDrive - May 7, 2026 - Hour 2 - Peter Laviolette/Evan Bouchard

Episode Date: May 7, 2026

Join Mark Roe, Jamie McLennan and Jason Strudwick for Hour 2 on OverDrive! Former NHL Head Coach Peter Laviolette joins to discuss the headlines from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs winning the NHL Draft Lottery and his playoff experiences behind the bench. Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard joins to discuss his season with the Oilers, missing out on the Norris Trophy and the team's performance and Roe gives his FanDuel Best Bets.

Second hour of Overdrive. Overdrive is brought you by Fandall, bringing you more ways to play your game, Your Way, Mark Row in for Brian Hayes, alongside Jimmy McClendon and Jason Strudwick. The boys are out at Cope Town Woods today, and we have some video. I should mention Peter Lavillat's going to join us in about five minutes, and Evan Bouchard at 5.30.

I'm just, we don't have the video necessarily ready for you at the moment, but I can explain to you guys that not only, did O and Hayes get like a Costco-sized box of Snickers but they got T-shirts that say in the Snickers logo O'Dong and Hayes So I love it This is really all worked out to their

Like to the, if they had a plan It's worked out to their plan I'm more concerned of how they played Because apparently O is like a very great I mean we all know he's a great golfer But apparently he's a very impatient partner. Like, he doesn't, he doesn't want you, you know, let's move it along here.

And if you're holding him up, he just drives ahead, that type of stuff. So I don't know if you'd like to golf with him. Stradi, are you a decent golfer? Yeah, I'm pretty good. I mean, I can swing the wrench just pretty well. You know, I was out the last couple days and pretty happy with my performance, actually. That guy you scratch? Are you kind of like a 10 handicapped?

No, I'm like a 10 handy. 10, 10, I think I'm 10 or 11. How do you feel about some of the guys here, and I know they're not alone, who go on to the Gulf Canada app and check on the handicaps of their colleagues? Like, like, stuffy. It's public information. If you could put it on that app, you can look at anyone's because I can follow anyone's, can I?

That's my understanding. No, no, for sure. But is that something that you do with your buddies? They're just like, oh, I see your handicaps up to 13. What happened there? I don't care. My favorite thing to do is, yeah, I don't mind. People inflate them or whatever.

I don't mind, but I just love chirping on the course. Man, do you remember a guy named Dorff? He was a character. If you remember Dorf on golf. So Dorff on golf, so I play with this guy. He's a local doctor here in Empton, and he was standing in a Samtrap, and he's already a short guy. And I said, this looks like a recreated Dorf on golf. I couldn't play the rest of the round.

My buddies are laughing so hard, and he lost it. And it made it worthwhile. Well, it was better than a hole in one. He lost it for the rest of the round, and so did I. You got into his head, basically. That's what it was. All over this doctor, this surgeon, actually. Just ask him how smart he is.

And I threw him off. He was done the rest of the game. Well, you guys, like, who's the best golfer you ever played with? Like, is it an athlete? Like, is it, you know, do you ever play with, like, Ray Whitney or somebody like that? Yeah, I played with Ray for a little stinker. He can hit the ball. Ryan Whitney's pretty good, too.

You know, for a guy that looks unathletic, he hits the ball a long ways. Don't say that he looks unathletic. I'm just going to let that sit and it's going to get clipped and played somewhere else. Yeah, exactly. Do not do that. But, yeah, like I'm trying to think, like Ray Whitney is, I'm believe, I had a teammate named Jeff Nielsen in Minnesota in the year expansion. I think I've told this story.

We went to Pebble Beach, and he was like in flip-flops, and he shot like a 72. He literally, what shot? He was unbelievable. Apparently, he had a golf scholarship and a hockey scholarship in the University of Minnesota and somewhere else for golf. He told me, he's like guys on the tour, he goes, I would destroy them in college. But he goes, I wanted to be a NHL player. And he was like a fourth line, really smart, like player, made $500, $600,000 a year as a, you know, a fourth line winger. But he could have been an unbelievable golfer.

Like, people tell me that all the time. golfed with them. I just sat in the cart and watched him put an absolute clinic on at Pebble Beach. It was unreal. Struddy, how much did you golf during your career? I didn't like to play during the season too much. You know, although this one time with the orders, we had a, our owner took us out, and in the first hole, there was a few drinks, so we had a pretty good day. So there was Ladislav Smead in his back, I don't know how it happened.

I was kind of walking. My arm kind of went in front of me. He wrapped his pitching weds around my arm, and it snapped the pitch. pitching wedge. Not my arm to pitching wedge. I was like, you can't break this. I'd had a few drinks by this time, right? I'm like, you can't take this down. And we were just going crazy. And the worst part it was our caddy's club. He lost it. Oh, no. He lost it. I'm like, you should be impressed. You saw a club break over another human's arms. It's impossible. That is literally a flex, right? It was unintentional. It was unintentional, but still impressive. Love it. That's crazy. I don't know,

But I, going, like golfing during the season, when you go to those warm, wetter climates, you just have to win games, though, Ro. That's the biggest thing. Because if your GM or coach sees you having a good time and then you throw up a dud the next day or the following day, they're pissed because, you know, the coach will come in and go, oh, for six this year in the sun. Like, you know, we'd go into Tampa, into Florida, through California and get rinsed. And then he would have the stats sitting on the board. Any warm weather climate, we were 04.

So you'd be pissed about it. Yeah. That's the fun of being in those markets as well. In contrast, when you're in Toronto or Edmonton, you're not golfing during the season. And, you know, the joke is that the day after the season ends that the Leafs are golfing. And that's not something that, you know, anyone wants to be in April or early May golfing if you're playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And joining us down the Maple Toyota hotline is Peter Laveo. so I don't know if I should be talking golf at this point

because I know he's all business usually when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs but you know when you're Peter when you're might as well ask you when your season ended how quickly were you out on the course and getting away from the game and playing something that you're you know you try to hold off on playing golf as long as you can during the hockey season.

Yeah I mean I don't play at all during the season. I'm not a huge golfer so I do get out. I find my best rounds probably like the first or second round of the year when I don't have any stress. And as it moves into August and close to training camp, everything just comes. The wheels just fall right off the car, literally. But I don't play that.

I don't play that much. I think probably because I'm down here in Florida, the humidity is just wicked. Like my boys grabbed me, who were out and play nine holes, 18 holes, maybe a couple times a month, but nothing every day. So, Labby, what was your philosophy as a coach

where you knew your boys were teeing it up? I mean, your players, not your sons, your players on the road. You know, say you guys are heading out to California and maybe it's a day off in between games. Were you fine with it? Would you look the other way? Or was it more result-based if they threw a dud up the next game

where you, like, pissed off that they went out to the course? Yeah, I mean, I think when you go on those long trips, you know, the players kind of work it out and they go golfing. Listen, they're going to do what they want to do on their days off. I think when you're in the playoffs, or close to the playoffs or coming down the stretch, I think there's always conversations just to say, hey, these are, these are good things to do that help you. These are things that probably will take away from your game and put you in a different direction. And you try to control what you control.

I think there's always those type of meetings. There's no question that the guys are slipping off to play golf when they go out to California or down to Florida. They're trying to find a place to tee it up. Well, I always found the problem, but I don't know what your philosophy as a coach was, but the pool day. If we had a pool day, the next day, my legs were nothing. I didn't have the best legs to start with. Those were frowned on, I got to believe, by a coach. Yeah, again, I think anything that's going to take away,

I mean, you're going out, you're going out at night, you're going to a pool, you're going golf, and whatever it is you're going to do. But I also find, too, that guys that, you know, they're professionals, and they try to manage that. So if it's the day before the game, maybe they're trying to manage what they do a little bit more as opposed to two days before a game.

Or if you get caught three days out in California and you decide you're going to go to the beach or something like that. I mean, those are your own days and you can do what you want to do. But I don't know, I'd like to think that, but I could just be naive too. You know what I mean? I'd like to think that the players realize where they're at and count on them.

But I do realize, though, when the games are big, when some things are big, it's the responsibility of the coach to kind of jump in there and say, hey, we got a big one tomorrow. This is for first in the conference, or this clinches our playoff spot, or we're in the playoffs, so knock it off, you know what I mean? And hopefully they listen.

I had a teammate that fell asleep by the pool for his pre-game nap, and he missed the game that night with his son. Can you imagine? And then to come in red like that, too, like a lot of time. Because there's a good chance of coming from someplace with no sun. and so it's nothing but a red lofter walking in the room. Well, Lavia, you know, unfortunately, the team that plays in this city has been able to golf for the last few weeks because the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time since 2016 did not make the playoffs.

And it has been, to put it mildly, a wild week for this organization. Take me through the coach's perspective of you have that press conference, you have your best player potentially deciding, I want to move away from this situation and he might be playing somewhere else next year. And then you get the number one pick in the draft. How quickly, especially with the best player element, how quickly are you talking to your GM when you read a story like we saw on the athletic this week? Yeah, I mean, it was a, it was a crazy week for sure. You know, the best player thing in a GM, I think all that's going to work itself out. I don't really have the input on that.

The new GM getting named, and so that's a lot of talk and a lot of conversation in a city like Toronto for sure. I mean, for me, kind of the icing on the cake for the week was getting that number one pick overall, watching the draft lottery.

It was actually really cool to watch it. I'm down here in Florida, and I'm out of it a little bit. I'm not in Toronto. And so to put that on and watch that and happen, how it happened live and for them to get it, that's a huge pull. I mean, that's a huge pickup,

Because they do have, you know, their last pick was Austin Matthews, right? Number one pick overall was him. Yeah. And so they have him and now they go and they get, you know, potentially another star player like him to come in and probably provide immediate help for their team. So you pick up a young player that could be with you for, you know, 10, 15, 18 years, whatever it might be. And so that's just a huge, that's a huge pickup on a busy week for Toronto.

I'm sure any coach who was watching that was jumping through the moon because, you know, he's clearly the consensus coming out of it that I'm reading and that I'm seeing. He's the number one coming out of it. And that's a big boost for your lineup. You get a young, big player like that that can produce, that's good stuff. Yeah, it certainly is. And let's turn our attention to the teams that are still playing. So, you know, you look at Montreal Buffalo last night and, you know, they've got through to the second round.

It's kind of first time around for these cores. I mean, I know the Suzuki and Caulfield made it to the finals in the bubble. but outside of that, what do you make of that game last night? I don't know if you laid eyes on it, but two very fast, skilled young teams, you know, how do you like that matchup? Yeah, I mean, a little bit different than the, a little bit different than the Montreal Tampa series, I thought, but you're right, skilled fast, moving up and down the ice.

I actually, I don't think it was as bad as what the score says. I mean, two power play goals, especially teams that just dictates play. It can dictate games. I don't know if it can dictate a series, but it can absolutely dictate a game. So two goals on the power play. You know, for Buffalo, I think, is big. You win that advantage is a good chance.

You're going to win the hockey games. So, you know, for me, I still think that Montreal played a pretty good game. I don't think it was a horrible game. They blocked a lot of shots. They forced a lot of shots to the outside. They kept them from a defensive standpoint, I think under 20 shots in the game. And so, again, a pretty good game from them defensively.

I said it before. I honestly think it's going to come down to them creating. And I said Buffalo is going to score three or four and maybe five. So in order to win a game, you have to score four or five or six. Six is not easy to do, but unless you're in a different series than this one, then it's really easy to score six or nine or whatever it might be. But this series from what Montreal was, that was the big thing for me, is that they have to produce more than they did against Tampa.

They did a great job of blocking shots. They did a great job defensively. Their goalie played really well. But in order to move on, you have to produce. That top line's got to get going from a five-on-five standpoint, just production-wise. Power play's okay, but you've got to have the big dogs, you know, producing in order to get past Buffalo.

I don't think it was a terrible game. I don't think it was necessarily the score and a shalacking by Buffalo, but they've got to put some, They've got to continue the good defense, and they've got to put some offense on the board. They've got to put some goals in the back of the net, especially five-on-five. Watching the canes and flyers, I just have nightmares about the way the canes play. They're so disruptive, and they put so much pressure on you to make quick plays. Yeah.

So if you're looking at that series, how can the flyers just find just a little bit more time to make a play? You know, just a couple years ago, we were in New York. We ended up playing the canes in the second round. And you're absolutely right. I don't know if there's a team that forces things or disrupts things more on the ice. There's games that you can go down into Carolina and you can walk off with a 3-1 win and you're in your room just hating the way you play. I mean, you got out attempted at the net 95 to 38 and you're like,

gee, how do we even? But the wins and win in the playoffs and you take it. And that happened a couple times for us. And I think the one thing for me is that you have to match. them in that aggressiveness, that skating and that physicality and that battle that they have, you have to match it. And a lot of teams have that already in the playoffs. But the one thing for me with them is you have to be physical, you have to be heavy on the puck.

You have to play the game fast. And if you don't, you're going to be second everywhere against that team. It's their forecheck. It's the way that they slam the offensive zone. It's the way that they close forward in the neutral zone on defense. It's not this passive, backward game. And then in the D-Zone coverage, I mean, it's quick to close as a five-man unit. So there's not a lot of time and space.

It's about winning races back to the net. It's about getting above them on the rush. And so all of that thing has, all those things have to be done really quick and with pace. And then you get a chance. But there's been so many teams that have played Carolina. And really, if you look at it, they don't come out on the right, maybe they come out on the right side of the score, but they don't come out on the right side of the analytics. or the numbers or the scoring chances, whatever it might be.

Lavia was going to say, you know, yeah, your former team looks pretty good as they play your former team. And there are two teams that you've got a lot of success with. And it's so great to get your perspective of the Stanley Cup playoffs because you've gone on deep runs and they've all looked a little differently with different types of teams. And, you know, we're still just getting into the second round. But who's the team that impresses you the most so far this postseason? I mean, it's too easy to say that it's Carolina and Colorado, but it is. If you just watch them play, and they're both playing good teams, especially Colorado,

play in Minnesota. I mean, and yet Colorado seems to have their way with it a little bit. And the one thing about Colorado is that you've got to make sure defensively that you're above them all the time, from the offensive zone, the neutral zone, and then the interior and the defensive zone. Like, you have to make sure there's so much speed and attack. back off of that game. It seems like they're, they're hard to beat.

It seems like Carolina's going to be hard to beat. It seems like they're lining up on a path, just the way they're playing the game. I mean, they both kind of play it similarly. I mean, and what a series would that would be? You know what I mean?

Just from a speed and from an attack standpoint. But, you know, I think somebody could catch Carolina. I don't know if, I don't know if somebody, if Minnesota can't do it. I don't know. I'm not sure there's,

there's something on the other, and the other division in the west that can take that down. So they look dynamic to me. They look fast. They look like they have scoring chances all the time. They defend pretty good as well. They have star players, like elite players on their team that can make a difference. And those two teams, to me, look like they got it going on.

Labby, it's a bit of a strange question, but is it hard to coach ultra-elite players? You know, you just talked about system and being above it, all of that type of stuff. But you see in the NHL now there's a cut above players that kind of free wheel. And, you know, how hard is it to allow them the long leash to make plays, but also they make mistakes and keep them accountable? Is it a lot tougher than you make it? No, I think there's coaching that goes on with what you're talking about. you know, everybody

needs a message and a direction and a plan out on the ice. I do think that you don't want to curb the creativity. I mean, I've worked with some really good players. Like in New York, Artemmy Panarin, I think he's brilliant. Like, I think he's brilliant out on the ice. And so the last thing you want to do is,

you know, we had one year, I think we had 100 and my first year at 125 points or something like that, 121. He was up there. And the last thing you want to do is, take that and try to tone that down. But again, it gets to a point where you need some structure and they need to understand. They still have to be taught or shown

or what it is that we're trying to do, whether it's back checking or getting above the rush or off of a forecheck, whatever it might be. And I'm not saying him. I'm just saying I think there's coaching that goes on with all players, but I do think that there's more, you know, there's a little bit more leeway, a little bit more wiggle room with the elite players.

Roman Yosi was a really good offensive defenseman. You know, back when I had him, he was, you know, he's 25, 27, 28, 29 years old. He was elite. I mean, he could attack the ice. He was an effortless skater. He could put up points. He was a great defender. He was a great leader.

You know, his game, to me, there's still room to coach and to show and to teach. But in the same sense, you want to make sure that he's, you're not handcuffing him, and he's taking what he needs out on the ice as well. And you're right. There's, you look at the defenseman. You look at the two defensemen and the Colorado Minnesota series. You look at Donlein. I think Buffalo's top four defensemen are really good.

I think that that could be a difference maker. You know, Donaline really getting a chance to show like with those other two guys the impact that he could have as he grows through a playoff series. And, you know, he gets that opportunity to shine. I think he's as good as the others. But he's certainly in that category. And he has that opportunity in the playoffs here. but I don't think you want to do anything to try and curb that either. Peter Lavillette joining us on Overdrive,

and Lavi, you've seen it all in the Stanley Cup playoffs, including a very improbable run in 2010 with the Flyers. You were hired in the middle of the season. You got to the Stanley Cup final. You had that epic comeback against Boston, but I want to take you back to game five of the Easter conference final when you eliminated Montreal to go to the Cup final. And I'm bringing it up because I was in the building simply as a fan.

and I was a neutral fan, and yet I happened to be wearing, I guess, some sort of hockey Canada shirt. And I had like 10 and 12 year olds say things to me that I can't say on air right now. And it was, and like, I don't know if you remember when Halak came out to, he got aggressive and tried to poachek and he missed it. And Mike Richards scores that goal. And like the building is shaking. It was my first real experience of a crowd being intimidating and just, you know, having a factor in the game. And I bring it up because you've been in so many different places, you know, where are the spots where you can point to and say that crowd has a difference?

Well, you're talking about like moving the building a couple feet by the fans and the way they react to the game. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I think Montreal is one of those buildings. It's hard not to get used up when you walk onto the ice of Montreal and sometimes it goes dark and they've got the, they've got one of those songs going on and the old, the, the, the, the older, the players that were around 40 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years ago, and the highlights, and you can just feel it kind of building inside of it.

Buffalo, I think, is a really tough place to play. You know, my first year was, my first year was in the Nassau Coliseum. And, you know, it wasn't a, it wasn't a wow type of building, but the ceiling was really low. We played Toronto in that first round. I could not even, there's nobody that could hear me on the, on the bench. You know, not my players, not my assistant coaches. It was just so loud in there.

I think a lot, it's playoffs, and everybody kind of gets that way. Everybody's building is probably pretty good. I've been in Vegas, and Vegas can be really loud, really crazy. There's just great building. I think it's just a playoff hockey that brings it out, you know, and out of the fans and out of the players. And they see the product on the ice, and then they react to what they're seeing.

And usually their reactions are warranted. The game on the ice is so good, especially in the playoffs, that it just makes it really, really easy for the fans to become super involved in the game and to really shake that building. Of the teams you took into the playoffs and the runs you had, do you remember a moment where,

and it could be a great player, a moment where someone settled the team down or took over a game for your club, or you're like, you just like that, you know, I coach younger kids. I just have moments where I remember the kid just, he just does it. He just takes over. So if you had that or a moment of talking that you can share with us,

So the biggest one for me is probably in the finals in Carolina. And we had lost in game five at home, and we got a power play with one second left in the third period. And so we were going to get a minute 59 on fresh ice in our building. You know, they showed on the TV. The TV might have been a TV on the locker room and the guy was polishing the cup up and he was getting it ready. and then power play goal. And I remember that they scored a shorty about 30 seconds into the period,

and we had to go back to Edmonton. We were up, I think, 3-1 in the series, so that made it 3-2. So we had to go to Edmonton for game six. And I'm telling you that we got destroyed. I mean destroyed. I remember looking up at the second period, and the shots were like 28 to 6.

And we ended up losing the game. I think it might have been 4-0 or 5-0, something like that. and something had to be said after the game. You know, like that was one of those times where I would go in the locker room because you had to regroup and you had to adjust and something needed to be said or needed to be done. And I got about halfway there and Rod Brindamore had stood up and you could hear his voice in the locker room as he was addressing the team

and the confidence in which he spoke. And I pumped the brakes right there and I said, Roddy's in there. I'm out of there. I'm not going in there now. I'm not following that. That message and that voice. I think when a captain stands up in a room, even during the regular season,

if he can stand up in the room and grab the team, that's when the coach would just turn around and walk the other way and let those words stand. And so we were lucky, too. We had to fly back to Carolina for game seven. There was a couple days before the game seven. And so we could lick our wounds on the first, you know, on the flight home or whatever.

But then you have a practice before the game because it was a couple of days. And it was a chance to go out there and sweat as a group and get really positive and take Rod's message and put things together and have meetings and feel good about it. And arguably one of the best games that our team played the entire year was game seven against Edmonton. I think it was a three two hockey game. Kim Ward made a save with I think maybe six minutes to go that kept us at three two and Justin Williams scored. scored an empty netter and we ended up winning. But it was just a, that was a phenomenal moment for me when Rod, and that was his leadership.

You know, that was Roddy and his leadership in what he was capable of. He didn't go in there a lot. He didn't, but when he did, like, that was it. People stopped and they listened. And that was a big moment for us in that, certainly in that series. And you probably knew in that moment, one day he's going to be a great head coach, and you would be right as he continues to lead the hurricanes

in that series against the Flyers, which resumes tonight. Peter, really appreciate you, join us. Love your work so far on TSN and looking forward to seeing more of it on Sports Center. Great guys. Have a good night. Take care. There you have it. Peter, Lauduette, joined us on the Maple Toyota Hotline.

Rag tag days are here. Check out the Toyota Crown Signia. Effortless, tranquil, beautifully designed and remarkably distinctive. Visit Maple Toyota near Canada's Wonderland in the Maple Auto Mall. A lot of good stories coming from Peter Lovia.

You think of how many teams he took to a Stanley Cup final, won a Stanley Cup, even the Islanders who was early in his career at Nassau Coliseum. You guys all have Nassal Coliseum stories, it seems like. Of course, of course. I mean, Stradi and I were both drafted to the Islanders, so we've got plenty of NHL and minor league stories there. You've heard that franchise around, like Matthew Schaefer. Yeah, exactly.

Well, speaking of great defense bin, Evan Bouchard is. going to join us next after a great season with the Oilers as he now prepares to play for Team Canada, the World Hockey Championship. His overdrive continues right after the break. The newest tracks, let's go. New Music. And the next big thing. Always on the new music first.

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Always first. Stream now on the free IHart Radio app. Overdrive, continuing on TSN 4 and 5, the TSN app, your home speaker is in live on YouTube. Mark Rowan in for Brian Hayes today alongside Jamie McClendon and Jason Stredwick. Joining us now is a man who not only had 95 points to lead all defensemen in the NHL. He had 14 more points than the next defenseman. It has been an incredible year for Evan Bouchard, who now joins us. on overdrive. Evan, appreciate you joining us today. How you doing? Good. How you guys doing? Thanks for having me.

We're excellent. It's great to be able to chat with you. I know it would be your preference to still be playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But at what point, like how many days do you need to properly reflect on a year where at least individually you took your game to another level? Yeah, I guess you kind of never really do get over it. You know, it's weird to kind of having hockey. done with with the oilers start of May. I'm definitely not used to that. But, you know, you kind of got to take it to the Grand Sault. Now you get a little more time to rest recover and get ready for a good one next year again. So, Evan, are you, you know, what goes through the process of you joining Team Canada and playing the World Championships as opposed to maybe take a little extra time to let the, you know,

the body heal and all that type of stuff? Yeah, I mean, with Team Canada, it's always. is an honor when you get the ask. And for me to have hockey over, like I said, early May is something that I'm not too familiar with. So to get the call from them to go play, I feel like it was a no-brainer and get a few more games with Team Canada. Switzerland is not a bad place to go.

Let's be honest. There was maybe another place would you be quite so anxious to jump on a plane? Yeah, exactly. That definitely helps the decision for sure. And what about you, Darnell? You guys are both going. Would you guys do it independently, or did you talk about it, you know, after the season ended? We honestly didn't talk about it much.

I got a message and I, you know, hopped on board. And I think it was a day later, and she called me and asked what I was doing, what the plan was. I let him know. And I think he made the decision pretty quickly to go as well. Well, it's great to have you as part of a team Canada roster that, I know it hasn't officially been announced, but has a ton of talent and looking forward to seeing you guys compete for a gold medal. There was some news today when it came to individual awards, and the finalist for the Norris Trophy have come up. And a lot of the talk is just on how there are some great defensemen who weren't part of the finalists.

And just it was one of the deepest years for your position. You unfortunately did not make the cut, but I just wonder how much was that on your mind? And how much is that a goal of yours each year to be a part of the top three going for the Norris Trophy in your position? For sure. Yeah, when I saw that come out, it's definitely, you know, upset a little bit. But you can't really let that bother you. You don't really think about it too much during the season. You got a bigger picture team thing.

So, yeah, I didn't think about it too much until it came out today. It stings a little bit. But, you know what? you get back at it and you forget about it. And like you said, there's a lot of great defensemen in the league, so it's kind of hard to pick between three of them. So, Evan, your game has evolved over the years. And, you know, when you look at it, you've never had the issue putting up the points

because you've always been offensive, a great first pass, and a big shot from the point. But, you know, how have you worked at rounding out your game to be a complete defender so that, you know, we talked about it in the 4 o'clock hour. You're out on the penalty kill a lot, too. So you're being trusted in all different situations. Is it something that it's a conscious effort? Is it working with Paul Coffey? Is it just through experience over the years?

What have you been able to do to help round out your game? Yeah, I think it's definitely a conscious effort. And now it starts to come a little more naturally. For me, I'm not going to go run around, be the big, heavy, hard defensemen to usually play against. They try to do that with having a good stick, denying blue lines. I think little things like that in ways that I'm trying to

especially evolve on the defensive side of things. So you talk about evolving on the defensive side. Is it more like you try to copy other guys? Is that calm or the coaching stuff? Like where are you kind of stealing or mimicking these ideas from? I think it's a lot of game film. You kind of watch yourself play and you can see little things if it's gaping up a little better at the offense.

the blue line to make things easier. Denying the blue line, little things like that. Playing with the guy like Eki makes it a lot easier. If I try to do something, make a mistake, he's usually there to cover up for me. So that helps too to give you confidence in the D-Zone. Boyler's defenseman, Evan Bouchard, joining us on Overdrive. And when we always hear about the exit interviews, you know, it's the coach or it's the management team talking to the player and evaluating the year that they had.

but when you're at the level that a player like you're at, I'm sure they want to get your thoughts as well. Give us your assessment of the situation right now with the Edmonton Oilers and what you guys need to do to take that next step. Yeah, I think everyone's very much on the same page out of the disappointing year for everyone as a group. Like I said, I just don't think we were a complete group, everyone on the same page.

And I think everyone's aware of that. I think everyone's really going to push to get back to where we were last season, a couple seasons ago, to get back to getting the end goal, and that's getting to the cup finals and winning the cup of the sun. Now, how hard was it when you're in the playoffs and you're battling, but then you also see Connor's injury, Leon's injury, Dickinson's injury, Henrique's injury, that's pretty much your four centermen right down the middle. I mean, it's a walking mass unit.

Everybody plays hurt. We all know that. But at the end of the day, you know, was it just injuries? And you mentioned inconsistencies that just you couldn't overcome against Anaheim. Yeah, that definitely doesn't help when you got four guys that got injured. But at the same time, it's, you know, time for other people to step up. You know, unfortunately for myself, I didn't do that. And I think there was other guys that, you know, could have stepped up a little more too.

But in the end, you know, we're a team. And when guys are hurt playing through injuries, you're, you're, really have to find a way to step up. And, you know, a few of us didn't do that this series against Hainterheim. Yeah, so you guys, you know, ran up a little short this year. The last two years were unbelievable for Oeders fans. So, you know, is there a point here where, I know you're going to go play in the world champs and you just kind of relax, but is there a reflection on maybe, you know, what, you know,

year one, two, three kind of look like and as a group, what you guys can maybe alter or adjust to kind of get back to where you want? I think first and foremost is everyone getting healthy after that I think there's a few system changes we can do I think there's a team aspect in the D zone everyone playing together in the D zone

you know with the Oilers we you know we score enough goals to win it's about keeping the puck out of our net I think if we have a team first mindset protecting the puck keeping out of our net But things will go up for us. So what's your thought process now? You go play for Team Canada.

What's the break for you in the off season? Once you're done, do you take a week off? Do you take a couple weeks off? Let the body heal up and right back at training? Today's athletes are a lot different than me and strutty when we played. We'd be drinking and smoking right until August and then fire back up. On the way to camp. Yeah, I mean, for me, it was, like I said, no-brainer to go get a few more games in with Team Canada.

I'll be back June 1st, hopefully, and take a few weeks off, you know, at least for now. Good to stay in the hockey mood. That June 1st, take a couple weeks off, get back at it, and get ready for camp in September. Awesome stuff. Well, Evan, congratulations on a great season. We're looking forward to you, suiting up for Team Canada and winning that world championship and ending your season on a high note. But we appreciate you joining us here on Overdrive

and best of luck in Switzerland. No problem. Thanks for having me, guys. There you have it. Evan Bouchard, defenseman for the Edmonton Oilers and for the Canadian team that will be going over to Switzerland. And again, they haven't officially named the roster, but we've heard a lot of reports like Macklin Celebrini, John Tavaris, Ryan O'Reilly, Robert Thomas, Evan Bouchard. I would think on paper will have the most talented team there.

Yeah, that looks like a rock star. team if they you know if everybody commits to it and it sounds in an Olympic year too like i i know evan didn't get named to the Olympic team and that was a disappointment but like i i i wasn't expecting maclin celebrini to say yes given his year so it'll be great to see him there yeah yeah i was i was more surprised that bouchard and nurse went and it just you know he just played so much and obviously they're healthy compared to you know some of the guys you mentioned noodles um for the orders and other guys around the league, but I would have thought maybe let's just take a break.

Take your two weeks now, you know, like it did. You know, it does take a while to kind of get healthy. Even if you have no real injuries, I was found it took two or three weeks just to work out the kinks and kind of get yourself feeling good. That's if you had no real injuries and then start feeling good and get after it again. This is a little bit, maybe this is out of left field,

but don't you think Bouchard's trying to maybe develop that relationship with Team Canada? Sure. I thought he was snubbed. And, you know, to me, if you, you know, you don't, you know, you heard stories of Nick Suzuki didn't go to the worlds and maybe that, you know, like that type of stuff. That's why in four nations. And I don't know how that is. To me, if you're the best players get taken, regardless if they go to the world championships or not. But at the end of the day, you know, Bouchard, I think you're still trying to develop that relationship with Team Canada.

I think next time around, he has to be in the conversation too. be there just based on, you know, Drew Dowdy's aging out, that type of stuff, Colton Pereko aging out potentially. So I think he already would be in that conversation. But there has to be more to it than just say, I want to keep playing hockey. So that might be a layer to it. Like saying that there's politics has such a negative connotation, but when you have such a deep talent pool like Canada does,

you might have to show your federation what you can do, not just at the NHL level, but at the international level. And again, I haven't seen the whole roster, but let's just presume he's the number one guy. And he can show them something that, you know, not only can I be the guy that's going to lead our team offensively from the blue line, but in a two one game,

I'll be that guy that can shut down the opposition as well. And maybe their opinion changes a little bit. Yeah, it's different when you're in front of someone, right? When they can actually see you and see how you, behave and act. Not that he's either one of those things are a problem, but I think that's a good point, noodles.

It's clear that everyone wants to play for their country, especially the Olympics. There's nothing I would have done, not done to get onto the Olympic team. Yeah, yeah, and he might be there in four years. I think you should be, but my point being as I think you also have to know, he knows his body and knows that he wants to keep playing.

But if that's the tipping factor, I think he also has to focus on, you know, Not him a bounce back year because he had a great year, but I think a bounce back year for his team and do what's best for, you know, if they want to get back to having a long run. Take advantage of a real offseason because the Oilers and the Panthers have not. And that's one of the reasons why we're all kind of watch out for Florida next year

because they're actually going to get a real off season. Get a break. Exactly. Before we break, two real athletes who were out on the golf course today, we mentioned that they got their snickers. We mentioned that they got their t-shirts. There is video evidence

for those watching on TSN 4 and 5 in on YouTube of them getting their gift bags from the golf course. And in case O didn't get enough, the last time he was at Cope Town, there you have it, the Hayes and O Dog t-shirts, which I pray that they're wearing tomorrow on the show. Love it. And then they will go deep into, like I said,

this is like a Costco-sized snickers. Like that's what like a convenience There's the handshake again from O. O loves hand in the handshake out to everybody. But, you know, honestly, I'm disappointed. Maybe there should have been a noodles one, but I was cut out of the loop. Cut right out of the loop. Stock and Snickers has gone through the roof over the last week because of that show.

Anyways, good for them. I'm glad they had a good day on the golf course and gave me an opportunity to hang out with you guys. We're going to take one more break. Our best bets are next. throwing it back. 2010s, the decade. To the days of huge hits. And unforgettable items.

A nonstop stream of the biggest and best. Drake, Rihanna, Beyonce, Katie Gaga, the weekend. And more. All your decade defining favorites all in one place. Hi, it's Katie Perry. Hey, it's Bruno Mars. This is Keshe. Find 2010's The Decade on the free IHeart Radio app.

Preset the station so it's always one tap away. Today's best bets are powered by FanDuel. Make your picks and assemble a same game. Parlay in seconds on the FanDul Sportsbook app. We are hammering the Flyers-Kane's game. We're going to take the Flyers plus one and a half. Port-A-Martone, three plus shots. And we're going to take the over, which is set at five and a half goals.

That pays plus 5.91. Today's best bets are powered by Fan Duel. Same game parlays are available for every Stanley Cup playoff game on the Fan Duel. Sportsbook app. Place play responsibly, 19 plus and physically located in Ontario. Mark Row in for Brian Hayes today alongside Jamie McClennan and Jason Strudwick and Noodles. It is always so much fun to be on this show and get to work with you and get to work with Struddy, who I find is one of the most entertaining guys in the business.

I know that he was a good hockey player. I wasn't aware that he is not the best hockey player in his family. Isn't this crazy? he is so listen you know joe put up the picture here because his son look at that cane strudwick was drafted fourth round isn't that unbelievable tri-city americans man that's unbelievable big cane like that's uh he's got good feet not like his old man is awesome is his play to fart it off the glass as well strutty no no how's canner yeah those those dates are we know what i'll say this this guy's dad was way more invested in getting a power skating lessons than my dad was.

I always tell my dad, if you invested in me like other people had, I might have been an all-star. I would have been one of the greatest sixth defensemen of all time, but no, my dad spent it on furniture and my sister's braces. Yeah, well, there you go, but Kane goes to, so I didn't know, like, I don't know any that my kids aren't, my son's not old enough to be involved in all of this stuff, but, so tell us the story. Like, is this Western Hockey League draft?

Like I thought it was, you know, I forgot how old Kane was. So I'm like, he's even eligible to be drafted of the Western Hockey League, and he was. Yeah, so we do it a year earlier then, I think, for sure, the O HL, and I think the Q, or whatever they call it now, we do it when they're, you know, after their U-15 years. So, yeah, so today, last time was the first round, and today was it. And it's interesting process, right? These poor kids feel a lot of pressure. You try to insulate it from them.

But a good experience, and then, you know, if you get drafted, great. You now know what team you go play for, and if you don't. Well, then you've got to keep working because, you know, not everyone's going to make that it was drafted. So, yeah, it's really interesting. It was an interesting year. I helped coach the team, you know, morally the higher skill is what I taught them, obviously. You guys are going to be able to ask them. But it was fun, you know, and anyone who's been through it and just being around it, the energy of the boys or any team is a lot of fun.

So, yeah, so it was a good day for him and for his buddies that also got drafted. Most more importantly, did Kane attend your hockey schools, and are you now going to market the fact that he is now going to go play in the WHL and thus you're going to make more money off of these hockey schools. Yeah. So I actually brought that to his attention. I said, you're now the poster boy of my camps. It's not you, right? The problem is he's a forward.

I run D-Man camps. Oh, no. Okay. He's going to dump and chase on your D-Man. That's what he's going to do. Run him over in the corner. I love it. Try cities, too.

Man, that's a gritty building there. Our old buddy Terry Degner was the captain back in the day. And, you know, I had a line brawl in Tri-Cities one night. I came in third in a fight. Their tough guy beat me up at the end of the game. It's ridiculous. I still have nightmares about this guy. So Cain's going to be playing in that building potentially.

It would be awesome. Yeah, I played in Calum, so we used to spank Tri-Cities for fun. So hopefully it was a little bit different now. You know, we had Damon Lankow. Pretty good player. Terry Ryan was there as well. He shut him down. Yeah, exactly.

Love it. Well, congrats to Cain. Congrats to Cain, the star of the Strudwick family. I love it. Yeah. Awesome stuff. Always appreciate getting to work with you guys. Always appreciate it to fill in for Brian Hayes.

Noodles was fun working with you last night. We get set now for game two between the Canadians and Sabres tomorrow, and we get set for a wild offseason for the Leaps. The boys will be back tomorrow at 4 p.m. We'll chat then. Hello, Canada. This is Brian Adams Radio. Hosted by Brian Adams himself.

We'll play a few of mine, a ton of my favorites, and some must-hear behind-the-scenes stories from the world of rock and roll. I'm coming to get you. One thing about doing rock and roll so long is you end up meeting a lot of the people that you admire. Sometimes you even get to work with him. Brian Adams Radio.

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