OverDrive - OverDrive - November 21, 2025 - Hour 2 - Mike Johnson/Jeff Gorton

Episode Date: November 21, 2025

Join Aaron Korolnek, Jeff O'Neill and Frank Corrado for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss the Maple Leafs' performance against the Blue Jackets. Canadiens President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton joins to discuss the perspective of the Canadiens' season, the parity in the NHL and the team under Martin St. Louis and Aaron gives his FanDuel Best Bets.

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just got a message from one of our insiders Joe from the bridge who claims that he's seen or it's been reported that OV has been exchanging jerseys how Joe from the bridge would come across this information would be completely beyond me well there's also the implication I don't know. Maybe he's been exchanging jerseys for a long time. I'm sure that people ask for Ovechkin's jersey three years ago as well, right? Yeah. That's fake news from Joe from the bridge.

That's like on telegram or something signal weird like that. That's not mainstream. Maybe it's because he broke the record last year and guys haven't got to see him. So anybody who wants to get the 900 or the Gretzky record with a jersey, they bought the jersey and i don't know but how joe from the bridge came up with that information is fascinating to me how he would get that you got to also keep in mind okay we all we all know ovi's going to be gone at some point soon and if you see him once or twice a year like now's the time if you want an ovi jersey or a stick you got to get your trainer to get in touch with their trainer

ahead of time so they could pack extra on the road trip and you do the little exchange and it's not like joey call up who's doing it you got to have a little bit of a cachet to be a guy who can do that. So maybe that's what's going on right now. You can't ask the guy for yourself. Like you can't, in the NHL, you can't say, hey, can you sign a stick for me after the game? You've got to go trainer to trainer unless you are boys with the guy and you say to him, look, there's a young kid in the team.

He wants a stick and you shoot one over. You can't say for yourself. Do you guys have any jersey swaps, stick swaps from your career? Rears? Anything that you kept? Everything I have. Yeah, everything I have. I have to give full props to my dad because he would pull out a signed autograph stick and tape it up and go and wheel out for Men's League and use it.

Didn't care. Pull it out of the garage. Gretzky, Lemieux, doesn't matter? No, my Gretzky one went to his buddy for a charity. Just pulled that one off the rack and it flew out of my house. Did she give him the green light to take it or no? No, it's for charity, so it didn't matter. But he would just grab a sign stick, fire some tape on it, and play men's league on Sundays.

That's a beautiful thing. I love that. I love that. But all the big guys, I would just go to the trainer and say, hey, can you ask so-and-so if they can sign a stick? And sometimes it doesn't happen because this guys are busy, guys are pissed off, they don't want to do it. That's my biggest regret is not getting more sticks from guys that I played with. Like, I played with some good players, played with the Sedeen twins, played with, I don't know, Funf enough, like one of my favorite guys

I've ever played with. Like, why didn't I get more sticks? I played with Crosby. I was, like, too afraid to ask the trainer, hey, do you have any sticks kicking around that I could snag? I don't know. Do you know what I wish I did?

You're just, Frank, I wish when I played all the sticks that just, like, disappear or you're not going to use anymore, you'd just, like, take them home. And I would probably have 500, because I went through, like, 10 a week. Of your own? Yeah, you want your own.

The ones that you're just not kind of using and you want a freshie, the ones that just got replaced, just shove them in your truck and take them home. And you'd have, like, 500 to give away. Before we bring MJ in, did you have O'Neill written on your sticks, or did you have O'Dog written on your sticks? I just had 92 O'Neill.

It's like stamped or whatever. You didn't have Neeler? Nealer, your old nickname? No, I didn't have that stupid name, but. What about Dogger? No, it just said. 92 O'Neill. Well, let's welcome a man who I'm sure a lot of people were looking for jersey swaps and stick swaps and his NHL career,

joining us on the Maple Toyota Hotline. It is indeed Mike Johnson. No sarcasm. Mike, I would love a stick of yours. I don't regret not getting any. What do you got to do with 5006-0? This is going to clutter your garage. I give away what somebody says.

No, no. You are right about that because I have a bunch of autograph paraphernalia. where ultimately you have to make a decision where it's just like first it started with my parents where it's in their basement and you get a call and it's like got to come and get the stuff and then it goes into your basement and you're like what am i going to do with this like i have some autographed gloves some autographed skates i have i have a patent manning like autographed helmet that cost me a lot i was blasted one night at an auction and i paid like five grand for it and i'm like I just might as well give it to Al's brother because he's like he's a Colts fan so I'm like why do I have that stupid helmet I don't need any of it yeah you just you just shuffle it around from one storage area to another to another to another to you finally give it

away or throw it away so it's just stop I'm not too upset about it now and then you want to talk about using sign six when I was a kid my dad somehow was working with Glenn Hanlon's brother so Glenn Hanlon goalie for the Red Wings and I was like 10 years old and I was obviously into hockey.

My dad brought me home a signed Steve Eiserman game used stick for me to like have. I'm like, oh, that's pretty nice. The next day, I cut it, took it out in the street and played road hockey with it until the blade was this big and then threw it in the garbage.

Like, thanks for coming out for a sign a sign Steve Eisman twig. A Louisville TPS? I think it was a Titan. Yeah. But I'm not a Titan. I'm not. but I'm not positive.

Like 1984-85 kind of era. So, yeah, no paraphernalia here, A.K., for you, for me, for any of... All I got is this thing, whatever is, what are there is? My first goal puck, there it is. So you have those sticks that say, hey, Johnny, like, great playing with you, all the... Nothing. Not one. Not literally not one.

Mike, I regret that, Johnny. I wish I had sticks. I wish I had all my buddies and all the guys I was tight with. I wish I had them. What are you going to do? No, you say that, Frankie. You say that, but then you just look at them and they're just like, that's cool. No, dude, I go down to the garage.

Yeah, you go down to garage, you kind of flex them a little bit. No, you don't flex them. What you do is, here's what you do with those things when you're our age. You look for guys that have the same first name as you that you can hand them to and say, yeah. I have another Johnson in my summer league. Yeah, hey, Frank, do you want a side stick that says, too, Frank, best wishes, you're a great guy? That's what you end up looking for. All right, so, MJ, you were, of course, on the call last night for Leif's Blue Jackets.

They lose 3-2 and overtime. Fantilli scores the winner. Some positives from the game for sure, some negatives from the game. Would you lean more positive or negative when you consider what last night was for the Leafs? I suppose given where they're coming from AK and what we've seen in the previous sort of three weeks, I guess you want to be positive and say the games are more under control.

They're not gorgeous. They're not perfect. Of course not. There still are some issues. But this is, the last three games have felt more like last year where there's not as much going on, which is what happened last year. They don't generate a ton for having last year.

They don't give up quite as much either. And their goaltender, Joseph Wall in this case, has been really good three games in a row. And sometimes you get great plays, William Neeland or John Tavares, and you win those games. And sometimes the other team makes plays and give Adam Fantilly a ton of credit. That was pretty nice night for him to have in his de facto hometown. But I think in that sense, it's just a little bit more organized. I think the other part about last night's game, I haven't looked at sort of the underlying numbers, but just the eye test.

It felt like, so Tavares and Nylander, they're obviously going exceptionally well. But the addition of Lawton back in the lineup and how well he played in that game. And first it was Cowan and Lorenz. That line also looked like it was sort of feeling a chemistry there. And I think like having a couple lines that look like they're going in the right direction, that's also positive because that hasn't always been the case in the last, you know, a little while. Johnny, what is the power play need right now? It's 0 for 9 over its last four games.

Like ultimately, if you could get that going a little bit, those are bonus goals, man. It just helps you so much. It relieves some of that stress to score at five on five. Like, what does this power play need to do in the near future? Before you answer, MJ, I'd just like to comment on it. I think 90% of the comments detailing their power play over the last five years might have been almost, might be negative. Like just saying, what are these guys doing on the power play?

They had one stretch. It might have been the lockout year where they were absolutely insane and then come playoff time, they fell off. But I just can't believe some of these guys with that much talent, they can't figure out that power play. I really can't. And I know, oh, it's gone cold of the wrong time. Like in the playoffs, it has really struggled.

Really struggled. But in the regular season, you know, they've sort of been a top five to ten power play in the league the last several years. So it's not like they've been that bad on the bigger picture. Frankie, for me, there's a couple of different things. One, part of the power play problems is zone entries. And that's not about Mitch Martyr, but that is something he was good at. Flat out, when you don't have Austin Matthews in the lineup, you have Willie who can skate it in.

And who else? Like, is Easton Cowan going to skate it in. Tavares is incredible, but he doesn't do that, like sort of pace and drive it deep. You put McMahon on there, yarn broke, Riley. Like, this doesn't make it quite as easy. The other part about it is what makes sense. good power plays beyond the X's and O's is when inevitably you get under pressure, can you either make a player pressure or buy yourself more time because you're just

physically gifted at spinning and turning and you can't get the puck off me, a la Nylander, ala Matthews. And watching without Austin there, you know, as good as Ethan Cowan, I think last game was probably his best game as a professional hockey player. He was very good. He doesn't yet have sort of the strength and the quickness to just one-on-one, by the point, I'm going to rag it for three seconds, lose this check, and then keep the play going. It just sort of breaks down there.

So I think those couple elements of not being able to get in. And then when they get under pressure, not going to make plays are a part of it. And, you know, then they just need some breaks. Oh, you know, simplify, shoot. Tavares, one of the best in the business. When they went on that hot streak, they were getting pucks to Tavares at the hash marks, like, into the high slot and he would shoot or he'd facilitate out to the boards. But, like, get it to the middle and just not around the outside. I can't stand.

I think these guys have it in their head that this motion is so effective. I can't stand watching it. It's so useless. They just skate around in a circle, and they skate to a guy, and then they pass it to them. It's like, why do you feel the need to do that? I always feel, like, I just get tired of talking like this. It's like William Neelander's got one of the best shots in the National Hockey League. Stand there and be a threat, and if you don't get it, someone else is going to be open

because they're going to be afraid to death of your shot. Like a little low-plate chip, a little play into the middle like he did to Tavares against Buffalo the other day. Like it's just they circle and they skate around and do all this useless stuff. Like that goal that St. Louis scored in Toronto the other night, they were stationary. They recognized a guy didn't have a stick through the box one-timer goal. They never score goals like that because they're always wheeling around. Crazy stuff. Go ahead, A.K., sorry to interrupt you.

Go ahead, Mike. Yeah, like the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, like, and some, you're trying to find a balance between structure and sort of creative instinct, and the guys that are out there are your best guys at that balance, but I'm with you, oh, and, again, I'm not picking on Easton Cowan. He was very, very good, and you know, I like what he's seeing, but, like, I watched him play in London occasion. They freelance, Frankie, they freelanced all over the place, right? Like, he would just sort of go wherever he wanted, and, and firepox here and there, and it would work out, and Sam Dickinson would load up a one-time, or they'd score.

It's not that easy. And, you know, I thought he made some nice plays in the power play. But he got into that a little bit old last night, too, where he just started sort of skating around, and I'm going to interchange here and there. And I don't know if everyone's always on the same page when that happens. But, yeah, in these, like, Frankie, we've talked about the three sort of tent pole things that they won games with.

Great goaltending last year in close games. Superstar players making superstar plays and a pretty good power play. So they're going to be in these close games. they've got to have these things be the difference makers. Well, just quickly on the power play before we move off it, like I don't want to make this a Marner conversation because we've done that enough. But when Marner was like the defenseman on the power play,

it almost had like an Adam Fox, Quinn Hughes-esque feel to it where he's not loading up a big shot, but what he's doing is he's making passes that beat players. And when a power play goes cold, it gets stagnant, you can work it around the outside of the ice. You can skate it around the outside of the ice. Do you do anything that beats some kind of coverage and now gives you a two-on-one where you can take advantage of a situation?

I don't think Toronto's quite doing that right now, and that takes a special talent to be able to beat someone. When they're where they're supposed to be, you can still beat them and get an advantage. But that's why they're out there. We shouldn't look at the Maple Leaf power play and say, well, if they only had better players, that should not be, that's why sometimes Columbus doesn't have a good power play. That should not be why Toronto, when healthy, doesn't have a good power play.

Johnny, I don't know what you thought. I know you guys just mentioned his name, but I thought that that play to John Tavares and the overall play in the minutes logged by Easton Cowan could potentially be a kickstart game where it's like if he can build on that, maybe he's got something there. I mentioned him last night, and I talked about the opportunities he's getting in front of the net, some of the breakaways. He had to produce. He got a big point last night.

And I really think that if he can do not change that line. I don't care who comes back, give them a chance to grow, and maybe they can be something. Because I thought he looked good. I thought it was one of his best games in the Kickstart game where it's like, man, this is fun, and I'm not just kind of skating around chasing the puck. I feel like I'm a part of it, and I feel like I can be a good player. I was really happy for him. I thought he had a great game.

100%, oh, 100%. And there's like a couple of parts there, right? One is the way he will feel about himself. Yeah, which is big, more at ease. which is huge and the other part about being around that bench does Craig Barubi

now kind of touch trust them clearly he was he was putting out their extra shifts inoff as his own situation trying to get him

more touches we know when everyone's healthy the Leafs are short a top six winger for sure maybe two and at Easton

who ideally would play in that position we didn't know if it'd be this year or eventually if he could be that and given what we've seen from the other players

who've had shots at those rules rules. Why not give them a run narrow? Why don't? Why not? And I get keeping a short leash and making guys earn it. But there's also something to be

said for continuity. Like give guys four or five games. Same line mate, same roles. Get Austin Matthews back with Scott Lotton taking defense his own faceoffs. Make it look a little bit different and consistent and the same. And when Nize and Matthews get back, that's your second line behind Tavares, Neelander

and Cowan. And then, Scot, lot in place with Lorenz and whoever. Like, you know, maybe there is something there that we have, the kind of stability that we haven't seen so far this year. TSN Hockeyano is Mike Johnson with us here on Overdrive. Let's talk about Joseph Wall and his return in the last three games. I think he's been really solid for the Leafs. And every excuse in the book was right there for him, right?

Coming off the long absence, didn't have training camp, was joining a team that was playing horribly defensively. and he's been a great stabilizer for the Maple Leafs. I think you can make a case that Joe Wall could be one of the team's most important players going forward. What did you see from him last night, Mike? And what have you seen from him in the three starts? Same exactly what you talked about. Making saves, looking calm, you know, giving you a sense of confidence or down there on the ice.

Every good chance you don't think it's going in, you think it's going to get stopped. And, you know, he's beat on a pant tip. and a wicked shot off a wrist or off the post. The only concern, A.K., is the same concern we have for Stolars. With Stolars hurt, and it doesn't seem like, you know, timelines are fuzzy, but he hasn't been back on the ice yet. They've talked about it being maybe more significant than they thought. So I don't know what that means for, like, how much can you play a guy who didn't prepare

properly, like you just mentioned with the training camp and missing time, I didn't think he would play last night. I probably would not have played him if I was the Toronto Maple Leafs. I'm like, okay, you can't play every game. We know this. Because now we want to play them on Saturday against Montreal, but that's four in a row, four in a week. That does start to add up.

But he's done everything. He's given you the kind of performance that they were getting last year that they need and that he is capable of. So excellent, excellent and timely, because they have needed his stabilizing presence. My only concern, oh, I've heard you talk about a million times. times like you want a goalie just to take the ball and say hey Joseph like here it is

go be the guy you could be a starting goal tenor in the national hockey league and a damn good one yeah like don't give Stolars the chance when he comes back and to say oh it's my net whatever you it doesn't have to be like that you could say it's actually my net now bud yeah and he absolutely could I just

given the concerns about workload and apparently what's interesting is that and I don't know if goalies get described this way, but talking to the coaching staff, they've mentioned that Joseph Wall works very hard in practice, which I don't know if that should be a news item, but like it's part of managing his energy. Like they can't even let him practice because he, he expends so much while practicing. So trying to figure out how he treats his body oh to be the guy who demands the net and plays well every night, that is also part of what they're figuring out real time right now. Johnny, let me ask you this about your practice habits. Did they ever have the

same concern about yourself? So I was an efficient practitioner. So was I, buddy. So was I was I. No, but I was never, I was never the true. I remember when I was trying out, I was in college and not a very good player or whatever. I got invited to a national team camp and it was like college kids and Ontario University kids and it was to try to make the national team when there used to be one.

And my coach has said, listen, Mike, whatever you do, it's going to be hard to stand out. There's 60 guys in the ice you're playing two sessions. But what you can do, pay attention and go first in every drill. And I sort of used, and I did that, and I guess I was noticed enough, whatever. But like that sort of stuck with me in my pro career. I was a good practice player in that way. Not that I tried that hard, but I always knew what was going on. So I didn't screw up because, you know, don't be a drill buster.

Then the coaches don't ever get mad at you for however hard you may be trying. or not trying. The practicing hard thing is a very real thing, though. Like, you hear it from coaches, especially now, because practices are like 30, 40 minutes at the most. And I can't help but feel like these guys that practice really hard, they're more susceptible to getting injured. And we're seeing a ton of injuries around the league right now.

Like, it feels like, doesn't it feel like, Johnny, it's higher than any other year at this point with the condensed schedule? You feel like guys are getting knocked off? It does. but it doesn't like you would think Frankie with the cadet schedule would be stuff like groin pulls and strains and back out whatever

it seems like it's broken bones and torn knees and bad short like significant injuries not sort of soft tissue injuries but listen this is what it's going to be every team's going through it and that's why you don't practice very hard if at all unless you're in a bad way like in the past few weeks

we've been down at the least practice and Craig Brubay's been grinding them three on three down low coverage five on five The stuff that every player hates to do, but you do when you're not playing well, they've been doing that. But generally speaking, yeah, part of practicing hard for a positional player.

I mean, I can go through odd man rushes to the cows come home and never really get that worked up by it. So that's what practice they're like now. Mike, I think everybody respects Max Domey the way he plays the game. He's had a tough go this season. The way that it ended last night, a really, really ugly play where Fantelli scores on his turnover. He has not had a very good year.

And yet Craig Barubei, practice today has him as the number two center. Well, what do you make of the way they're using Domi? And how would you advise him to turn it around? So obviously we all have a relationship. I've known Max since he was, you know, two years old. You know, I root for him. I want him to do well.

It hasn't been a great fit. I think Max airs a ton. Sometimes to his detriment. Like he wants to be such a positive influence that maybe he gets away from his game. I think at this point, despite working hard at it, He's probably not ideally suited to play center in this team, in this system. It's just not for him. The reason why he's there against at AAK, who are you going to put there in lieu of him?

If Nick Waugh is not available on Austin Matthews, you're going to put what, Lorentz again? Like, who are you going to put there? There's no one else. Like, Quillen, Jake Quellan is great, but I mean, like, you know, he's played two, three games. You can't, like, there are no other option, so he's got to go there. And if I were to tell, talk to Max, and I'm sure he's going. through it right like you can tell when that goal went in

it was written all over his body language how frustrated and disappointed that he was he's trying to make a play he's out there in overtime he gets an opportunity he turned it over he like not a lot of forwards are going to get fantilly on a pivot so he probably should have just skated backwards and let him take a shot but

these things happen if I were to tell him what to do AK far be it for me to listen to me I would just say what makes him really good is he's fast so I would be primarily just concerned about playing and when in doubt, drift towards the net. I find when he gets in the office zone, because he is a past first guy, like I was,

you try to buy yourself time away from the net, and then they break down and nothing good happens. I'm like, Max, you are strong enough, physical enough to get to the net. Just take more stuff to the net all the time. You do that a few times, things will work themselves out and everything else open up. But yeah, you, kids, tough. And I imagine, as soon as one of Wah or Matthews is available,

he no longer plays in the middle. I don't think he has that spot when guys get healthy. Johnny, I would really simplify with him, and I used to do the same thing as a winger and a guy who played center a little bit. And whenever I got, like, the ice time was reduced or Paul Maurice was pissed, when I got out of it,

I morphed into just a simple, hardworking winger. Like, I'm talking, like, really simple. Corner, finish your check, get the puck to the point, and go to the net and crash and bang and it's amazing what happens one goes off your ass or you just you get an assist on a grinding play and your confidence comes back and then all of a sudden a game later you're back to being a good player but that's the only where to start forget about the skill stuff and turning up and looking for saucer passes and any of that stuff simplify and be like beyond basic like just literally straight lines and finish every single check that's in front of you and then after that everything will follow into place it's amazing how much it works and oh you are an incredibly skilled player and but like whether you're a high-end guy like you or a medium-end guy or like that that's it when in doubt dumb it down become it down like lloyd christmas dumb it down loy christmas chip your tooth

and dumb it down yes you chip your tooth is the key that's that's it like that's going to turn everything around and also when you stop putting pressure on yourself to make all these plays, you can start feeling good about a game where nothing happens. I got three hits. I had a shot from the boards and strangle. I didn't even get a point,

but I felt good about it because I did what I was supposed to try to do. You want your goal for him to start this is for the coach to go up to him and say you were the hardest working guy on the ice tonight. I loved it. Keep doing it. And there's your start and everything.

The points and stuff will fall into play. Elite point getters, whatever stage of your career on, even if you were one earlier, Like you just, you got to do something different. You got to find a way to bring something different. And that's the way I would start with him. Be the hardest working guy on the ice because he's fast as hell. He can surprise defensemen.

And when you can do that, you can hit people hard when they're unsuspected. And you can hurt them and be really effective. That's where he should start with his game. He's a bowling ball, man. He's a tough guy to play against sometimes that way. Dude, that guy could knock people on their asses, man. That should be the start of his new Max Domey, a hardworking. guy that finishes every check and has some great hands around the net and can pot some

goals. But not like end-to-end rushes curling up, back passes, toe drags. Forget about it. Start with simplicity and he can be effective. Amazingly, it's funny to think about this. I'm just hitting me now. But you know we went on that run, was it two years ago where he led the team in five-on-five points or assists, whatever was?

The last 30 games in Austin scored 70 goals, he was like, I sit there on every one of them. I almost wonder on some love that has hurt him because he's become so deferential to trying to pass because he had so much success with his time here in Toronto passing and like I'm down there between the benches and you know I'm watching the game and like I can see what he's thinking and I can see what he's trying to do and it's always sort of looking to set someone else up

as opposed to sort of create for himself like his first second and third instinct is like where can I go to find time to pass it to someone and I would just try to try to change that a bit and be a bit more direct like I was talking about and then we'll see what happens, A.K., see what happens. Yeah, he's got a good shot. He just doesn't use it. And if this guy ripped it, I think he'd score a lot of goals, but for whatever reason, that hasn't been part of his repertoire

as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Mike, thank you for this. Have a terrific weekend. We'll catch up with you again soon. All right, fellas, have a good weekend and go sort through your garages and see what sticks we can throw away. Where I grew up, Frankie, I put my used sticks under the curb, all the Italian families would come take them to their tomato plants.

Bingo. Do you want? Cut off the blade, tomato plants. I got some old CCMs in the garage. You want one of mine? I'll bring it to you. Bring it, Corrado. Cannot. Cannot wait. Perfect. That's my number on it anyways.

Yeah, exactly. That is Mike Johnson, who joined us on the Maple Toyota hotline, get in and go, where adventure takes you in a new 2025 Tacoma from Maple Toyota near Canada's Wonderland in the Maple Auto Mall. Visit Maple Toyota.

When I was a kid, I used to send in self-address stamped envelopes to hockey teams for like my favorite players. I remember Danny Heatley sent me back like a whole care package of signed cards. I got to dig that stuff out of my parents' storage locker one day soon because I got a lot of thick stuff there. Like you just wrote sticks? Yeah, sent in cards and they signed it. Sometimes they included other stuff.

Maybe it's a players of the PR people. So you're a seeker? He was a seeker. It was through the mail. It was through the mail, Frank. I wasn't standing outside of the hotel. You're a good friend of mine. I didn't need new friends when I met you,

but there's no chance in hell I want one of your hockey sticks at all. Dude, I'll sign it for you. No problem. Dude, I've got some of the most famous players in my garage collecting dust. No disrespect. I don't know what I would use that thing for. Tomato plants. Tomato plants.

I guess. Jeff Gorton, the president of hockey ops for the Montreal Canadiens leaves habs tomorrow night. He joins us. next. Mail it in Friday is brought to you by Boston Pizza's NFL game day menu. Stop by your local BP for $7 touchdown pints, dialed in shareables and weekly prising up for grabs. Football game days are better at BP. Coralnik Corrado O'Neill with you until 6 o'clock. Raptors in action tonight against Washington. Raps are 14 and a half point favorites against the Wizards

who are horrible, horrible. And they have been. been horrible for a long time. Raffs with 10 wins. They're playing great basketball. So we'll get to that with our fan dual best bets. And, of course, Leaves Habs tomorrow night. You guys play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. You're rolling a Montreal on a Saturday night. Anything better than that? Nothing. I've asked Joe from the bridge since I started on the show to try to find the clip of me scoring an overtime winner on Jose Theodore on Saturday night in Montreal. It's maybe my most favorite thing in the world. Hockey Night in Canada. like top cheese one-timer, and then Matt Sundeen comes and gives you a hug, Brian McCabe, ugly face, and Cabberle.

There's no better feeling. There's no better feeling Saturday night in Montreal. Joe hasn't found the clip yet? No, he's never found it, and he never has even tried, I don't think. He's having a tough show, is my point. Yeah, we got to get our best people on that, because that, like, I mean, regardless of what side of that rivalry you're on, like Habs or Leaps, it's old, there's history.

The buzz in the building is just different than when any other team is in town. It's hard to describe, man. Even in Warma. I think I played in Carolina for a long time. The buzz in warm up in Montreal on a Tuesday, Saturday, anytime, it's just way different. Like my dad would always say in Montreal, I always made a point of getting there for warm up because it was just that exciting. It was, it's just an amazing place to see a hockey game.

Four nations. I had a buddy. I had a buddy who was an assistant coach, and he was like coaching for a team, let's call it like not in a traditional hockey market. And he goes to me, he goes, man, you get into Montreal. Like, that's the real NHL. Like, it wasn't like trying to put anyone down, but like, it's just, it's another level, man. And then you add the rivalry of the Leafs in there.

It's pretty special. So it should be a good night. And, I mean, both these teams, Montreal is going through. it right now. They can't get a save. A lot of the old kind of defensive stuff is creeping back into their game. It's come crashing down here pretty quick for them. They've lost five

in a row. And Toronto's been what Toronto's been all season, right? Like really inconsistent, a little bit of a failure to launch, tons of injuries. It makes for a pretty exciting matchup. Who's going to come out on top? It's two teams that need a win. And Montreal's been struggling five losses in a row. The Leafs, one, four

and two over their last seven game. So, yeah, it's been a little bit of a grind for both teams. And, I mean, the Montreal goaltending situation has been something that we've talked a lot about. Let's welcome a man who knows it well. He's the president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens, joining us in Overdrive. Here's Jeff Gordon. Hey, Jeff, how are you? Hey, gentlemen, how are you doing?

Excellent. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you for doing this tonight. We were talking about... I didn't get the invite where we're on top of the league there. I got the invite where we're on a losing streak. That's Goralic.

Gorse, that was not my decision I asked to get you early on, but they didn't do it. I think it was haze, and he didn't even show up. I think there's a good chance, that's true. A very good chance, that's true. So the Leafs in town on a Saturday night, what does that mean for you? I know O'Dog and Frank talked about it as former players. I mean, for you running the show in Montreal, having the Leafs in town on Saturday, what is the buzz like leading up to this one?

I mean, Toronto, in Montreal, or, I mean, in Toronto, it's always something Saturday night's special. I think both teams are not playing particularly well, so it's going to mean a lot, right? Maybe it's something that can turn us around here. We're both going through a little tough stretch, so the game itself means a lot. I mean, in Montreal, Saturday night, any night is fun, but anytime the Leafs come to town, it's a little more fun, too. Gorts, what do you make of the wild swings this year, not just from your own club, but basically it seems like 90% of the league. It's just like there's a two-week stretch where you're undefeated.

It doesn't seem like too long ago. Marty was up on the podium talking about how proud he was with the group, and then two weeks later it's a completely different scenario. Is that parody? Is that something that you just think is part of the game now with the way the league is set up, the scheduling short training camp? Like, what do you make of it? it's probably a little bit of everything i mean like you said we had a good start where we

were we really a 10 and 3 team i'm not sure but i hope i hope we're not a you know oh and 5 either but um yeah i think it's a a little bit of everything you know the games come fast and furious and if you're losing uh it's it's hard to get out of it whereas if you're winning you know you're rolling you're feeling good let's play every the night right now we're not winning so it's like how about a little week off here you know so it's it's a grind i think the teams are all pretty close um you know you're seeing a lot of these teams that have rebuilt come out and play really well and young and energized uh you're seeing more teams like that that are coming out of that rebuild so uh it's fun it's listen there's not too many teams running away and hiding

usually we have a few teams by now that are doing that it seems like colorado is the only team right gorts you got some significant injuries now Alex new hook Kirby doc Patrick Linae, Kate and Gouli, like those are pretty big players for your team. I'm sure you'd want to see what's out there on the market. Like how quiet are things or how hard is it to complete a transaction right now with everyone just kind of being jumbled up in the standings? Yeah, I think you hit it right on the head.

It's pretty tough because everybody feels, you know, they're one good week away from being right in it, right? So, you know, we've kind of showed both things. You have a couple good weeks. you're at the top you have a bad 10 days you're you're heading out so it happens pretty quickly so i think it's probably premature that you see too many trades uh you know we're all kind of getting a handle on what we are i think around the league there's tons of injuries there's very few teams that don't have them um so so that means there's probably less players on the market

because you know we're all dealing with injuries and it's hard to give rid of players or you just mentioned trades like i was mentioning my frustration and i know that presidents and general managers, they don't care about my feelings or Brian Hayes feelings, but it seems like it would be so much better for the game if there was more kind of player movement. And I know it's so difficult with the salary cap and the way contracts are structured and guys that have no movement clauses. But, man, it was fun during the day when it was like a team was struggling.

You want a little bit of a shake-up. They went out and got a guy. And not just a guy that was off the scrap heap, like a good player. It just seems like those deals are so hard to make and they never happen anymore. And I don't think it's good for the game. Yeah, I mean, I don't disagree with you. It's more fun and guys in my position to be able to wheel and deal. But, yeah, there's a little less of that, I understand.

It's cap-related. It's probably the fact that everybody's so close, you know, you could kind of throw a blanket over a lot of teams, right? so it's uh i i agree it's definitely more fun when uh there's some player movement um maybe the players like it a little better they can go to bed at night knowing that uh you know you're not dangling that over their heads right jeff gordon's are you probably always played you always played better when we were hangling and that over your head right yeah that's oh it wasn't around my head much but it was always out there jeff gordon with us the president of hockey ops for montreal go Jeff.

Yeah, sorry. I was listening to O'Dog earlier. He was talking about dumb it down. I was going to, if he didn't have a Toronto Maple Leaf Blazer, I was going to have him speak to our team tomorrow. Goritz, it's so true. It seems like we're in a day and age, and I see these kids where they're like they have to be told so much about the details

and the details about playing simple. I think it's from when they're younger, man, and they all think they're Connor McDavid, and they're wheeling 100 miles an hour round. and they all think they're 50 goal scores and they don't finish checks and they don't simplify and therefore you get a team or individuals that make life difficult on themselves.

Yeah, I mean, there's no doubt, too. Like, right now we're in a funk, right? We're not getting much of anything, and we're just in it. And it just, it's like one bad thing turns into two and, you know, you just got to get out of it. But you're right. You know, it's, we're doubling down.

You know, we're heading to the table, and we're going to get out of it. We're going to go rink wide, and we're going to try to make as many plays as we can, and there's, you know, other teams are shoving it down our throat right now. So I was listening to you thinking about two things. One is maybe you can talk to our team, and the other is you can talk to my son, too. I tell them that all the time. Just go to the net, dummy it down a little bit. Maybe your coach will fall in love with you.

Yeah, exactly. And the other thing, like, you're doing this with the youngest roster in the NHL, And one of the other things about dumbing it down is I find when it's younger players, like game management, managing the score, managing the clock, like, oh, we've talked about that so many times on this show, right? Like, that's something that is just, it's not taught the way that it used to be because everyone's doing, like, the pylons and the YouTube stuff. Like, how do you guys kind of internally manage your, I don't want to say expectations

because you have high expectations for your group? But, like, how do you manage the youth of your team and what you guys think you should be accomplishing on a night-to-night basis? Yeah, I mean, it's a good question, Frank. The thing is, I think Marty's, the one thing he's always done is let them play. You know, and now, as we're getting better, you know, there are those times where we're going to have to look in the mirror a little more and say, you know what, you can't just make plays any time you want to make plays, right?

Games are, we're always in one-goal games, or we were until the last week. So just staying on it, managing it. I mean, it's something you're right. These guys are coming in the league. They're so skilled, and they've never really had to play that way. So I don't know. Some guys figure it out quicker than others, you know. Jeff, I promise I'm not trying to get you fined here.

But I need to ask you about the Tom Wilson, Jake Evans situation from last night. What's the latest on Jake and what did you make of the play as a whole? I mean, hopefully Jake will be fine. We'll find out tomorrow more. But, you know, it's just a hard play. That's, you know, Tom Wilson's been doing that forever. He's figured out where the line is, I guess, better than others. You know, most teams in the league would be happy to have a player that plays that physical brand of hockey and the impact he has. So I'm not naive to that.

I just think that he's he's somehow towed the line better than others and he's got a better understanding of what's okay and what's not okay I guess I've been on a I've been on the wrong side a couple of his hits for our players so

it gets a little frustrating but I understand what he's doing I understand how unpathfully is we played against him in the playoffs last year so it is what it is but it's it's a different error I guess When you look at your roster, and I'm sure you're always trying to make improvements

while allowing the players that are on the roster to prove themselves, do you see that and be like, you know, we could always use a forward who has a similar type of effect, like someone big, fast who's going to do those types of things? Like there's only one Tom Wilson, but like is that something that you look at with your group and I'm in like, I would welcome something like that? Yeah, without question. I think all 32 teams would welcome a guy. that can skate and has that kind of impact

every night so you know like I said we're not naive to it we all are looking for players like that but they are harder and harder to find right so it's when you get them you hold on to them like Washington has I guess thank you for doing this tonight Jeff we appreciate it we'll make sure the O Dog

will be speaking to your son and maybe your team tomorrow night who knows well and when you're back and first you come back on the show I'll take him up on it yeah anytime anytime anytime Oh, dog, by the way, I noticed I was hanging around here on the show. You seem to be way behind in these football bets.

It's surprising to me. You know what? It's very surprising to me as well, Gorts, because my partner is a former NFL player, and I kind of lean on him, and he's really jamming me up in this situation. So, like a good afternoon, I won't take responsibility. Thanks for doing this, Gors. Yeah. All right, guys, anytime.

See you. Thank you. That is Jeff Gordon, the president of hockey ops for the Canadians, Leifes-Habs tomorrow night. See, they're keeping track of the big battle between Owen Wilson and Hazembrough in LeBelle-Provence. I was going to tell him, like, hashtag, now we go, but I didn't think that was an appropriate time.

I think he's an overdrive. You told him that? Like, you told the president of hockey operations like, hey, Gortz, Saturday night at the Bell Center, now we go. And then started chanting, now we go. Go, Leaves, go. He would have hung up his phone. Probably rightfully so.

But thanks again to Jeff Gordon for joining us. We'll have our Fandul Best Betts to wrap up the Friday afternoon edition of Overdrive next. Mail it in Friday brought to you by Boston Pizza's NFL game day menu. Stop by your local BP for $7 touchdown pints, dialed in shareables, and weekly prizing up for grabs. Football game days are better at BP. Time now for today's best bets. They're powered by Fan Duel. picks and assemble a same game parlay in

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Cup is available on the Fandual Sportsbook app. Please play responsibly 19 plus physically located in Ontario. Seeing a tweet from the Atlanta Braves moments ago, the Braves today, declined to tender contracts for Alec Manoa. So they claimed him off waivers, and they're not even offering him a contract for the upcoming season.

I wonder if this is the end for Minowah. Maybe they got to look at him, and they thought, no, thanks. Dude, what on earth happened to that guy? I thought he was kind of out of shape when the pitch clock, and then he got in shape, and then he had the surgeries. That guy could be facing the reality that he's doing something other than pitch. a baseball like he never really made money either like he never cashed in and he was top three in a l siong voting and was regarded as one of the best young pitchers in the game and just fell apart so

fast he started an all-star game yeah i know like not that long ago a couple years ago exactly doesn't that doesn't that scream like you're you're going to go over to asia and see if you can try playing baseball there and play there for the next 10 years try and make some cash if you can do it I guess. Well, it kind of reminds me of a golfer like Hunter Mahan, who was like a top player on the PGA tour for a time. And then he just stopped being able to play. Dude, David Duvall was the number one player in the world. And then he could not put it on the earth.

Like, he could not hit a fair way. And then you just disappear, man. That's one of the scary mental things about pro sports. It's like every morning you wake up, Frankie, I don't know if you have this, but it's like, do I have it still? Like, am I going to score? Am I going to score ever? Like, am I going to play good? Dude, my daily was like, am I getting sent down today?

You know, like, that was, it depends. You're in different tiers of, like, players at the highest level. That was usually my tier. Like, can I get in the lineup? And, okay, if I'm not, am I getting sent down? Like, that's where I kind of lived usually. Well, it's crazy with Menoa and, I mean, the Blue Jays, they're going to be aggressive. And I wonder if we see Alec Minowah pitching the majors again.

And just think about a couple of years ago, if you had even suggested such a possibility, it would be impossible, but that is very much the reality facing Alec Manoa. Terrific to be with you guys for the last couple of hours. AKA, buddy, I just want to tell you, great to be with you too. You were awesome at the Great Cup. You've become an awesome broadcaster, and I'm happy for you. That's very nice. That's very nice for you to say.

Thank you, Jeff. Brian Hayes will be back on Monday at 4 p.m. We'll chat then. Mail it in Friday brought to you by Boston Pizza's NFL Game Day menu. Stop by your local BP. for $7 touchdown pints, dialed in shareables, and weekly prizing up for grabs. Football game days are better at BP. It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas with IHeart the holidays.

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