Real Kyper & Bourne - A Week Away From the Deadline with Doug MacLean

Episode Date: February 28, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Gord Stellick and Sam McKee look back on the Panthers' victory over the Oilers in the Stanley Cup final rematch last night and Connor McDavid's recent struggles. Doug MacLean (4:30) joins the show for his Off-the-Rails Friday appearance to share his thoughts on Brayden Schenn, Scott Laughton and Mikko Rantanen as potential trade targets for the Leafs, Columbus' playoff push, the Senators' trending down as they approach the deadline, and much more. Finally, Nick and Gord regroup with Sam McKee to discuss the Lightning's near-undefeated February and to answer listener questions on the text line.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Welcome back in to the Real Kipper and Bourne show on our national hour. We are live on Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver, Sportsnet 960 in Calgary. This hour of Real Kipper and Bourne brought to you by Bet365. It's Off the Rails Friday, which can only mean one thing. Doug McLean will join us in a few minutes to completely drive it in the ditch. Just prior to coming on air, Gord Stehlich here, Sammy McKee. You asked me how Doug is doing, but you really sounded concerned. Yeah, well, no, I mean, he likes to stay involved.

We all like to stay involved. How's Doug? Yeah, true, I did say it that way. You really did. Yeah. Is he in the home. How's Doug? Yeah, true, I did say it that way. You really did. Yeah, is he in a home? I, I,

we're gonna find out really soon. Okay, good. Because in all honesty, I haven't got a clue. Like he could be the happiest guy or he could just, he could show up in a minute with the biggest chip on his shoulder. Oh yeah, when he, yeah, he enters the room, you kind of know, right? You know, what does frame of mind is? I think he's got potentially

another book maybe coming, I don't know, which is scary because that means... What could he milk out of anymore? I don't know. What? I don't know what he could milk. Working with Jack Armstrong? That's where it started remember whether they did that show What was it? Show called Puts and balls. I think yeah, that's right. Yeah, I don't know what it was called Well, no, but it was but they did you guys go? They did it that that's gonna find out that's his start on the fan as far as a regular host was whatever that show was

Called yeah, and we have to ask him about His level of concern for the Edmonton Oilers. Five losses, closer game last night in Florida. Better. Better, but not good enough. Yeah. No, and they, and, and, uh, Nablack called them a fragile team. I wouldn't have said that last night, but yeah, they're off. They're off and what a, you know, the one time you go, tough teams though,

they're playing, but still, you wanna put up a better showing when you're the Stanley one way away, one win away from the Stanley Cup against those kind of teams that you might be playing if you go that deep. I wouldn't, I feel lucky as a Leaf fan to sit here and say that, you know,

haven't said this in years past but Watching Stuart Skinner right now makes me very thankful for Anthony Stolar's and Joseph Walle Stuart Skinner, I think he made some good saves He's just it's not it's not so much as saves that he's made or it's just Bad body language looks like he's expecting to be beat on a lot of them The one that's the Schmidt would I think was that end of the winner or no maybe not the winner but the Schmid. The Verhage one the Schmidt one I just the Verhage one bothered me because it's a one on two shouldn't go in and it just shouldn't go in so how about the dry side I'll go oh my wow I mean he's playing

phenomenal right now it's in and itself it it tells you that like still a team very dependent on 97 and and 29 and Leon is as good as ever. Yes there there there's a drop-off on on McDavid and the more I'm thinking about it the more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm going, that guy has hit a wall here. And I think if you look back at his last month, including not just the Four Nations. Before. But before, and the amount of responsibility that they put on his shoulders to promote the Four Nations.

And I'm watching him do every interview that they put on his shoulders to promote the Four Nations. And I'm watching him do every interview and then go back to Gene and push, push, push. And it's like, what do we do to him? Well, he embraced it. I know he embraced it, but he's tired, Gord. And then we make him play Thursday night, and then we tell him Friday jump on a plane

and go play at one o'clock. Oh yeah, I'm sure he hated that Thursday night game, Kipper. Like, I'm sure. No, it's the turnaround, Sam. That sucks. Okay. For sure, but like, he loved the, he played for Canada, he was one of the main guys fighting for it.

That's great. Yeah, but right now I get it. But don't you go back to him and say on Saturday and Sunday, you gotta play at 1 p.m. For sure. Okay, so let's get some blood you gotta play at 1 p.m. For sure. Okay, so let's get some blood out of a stone right now. That was crazy scheduling. I don't know how the hell they ever thought

that that was okay. Okay, from one of the craziest schedules in hockey history to one that really has no schedule, zero schedule, let's throw it to Doug McClain, president, former this, that, and author. How's Gord? You know what Gord just asked, how are you? He said it with some concern. Are you still working Gord? I haven't heard from you. The only time I ever hear you is with Bruce Boudreaux. You guys still have the show together? Anyway, Doug, we got to get you on again.

I will say when Doug comes on, it tends to rattle cages. We're in a partnership with the NHL and Doug tends to rattle. Is your new show called The Sheet? No. Oh, okay. Hey, what was your show called with Jack Armstrong? What was that called? Are you kidding me? No, that was. What was your show called with Jack Armstrong? What was that called? Are you kidding me? No, that was what was it? Game time. Game time. Game time. Okay. I was in close with pucks and balls. You said that because Jill and Dina are at the golf tournament in West

Palm today at the hunt. Not the hot. It used to be the Honda classic. Now it's called the Cognizant or something. So you mean this Jack Jack's bride and your bride you're still friends that's great yeah yeah Jack I got Jack to buy a place in Delray so their neighbors of ours well George McPhee's just a two-minute walk from me and Ron Hextall's just down the street and Dale Talon's here and of course Jeff Rimmer's here you know he's trying to hang out with all of us. He's one of the boys. He's trying to be one of the boys.

You're making sure that doesn't happen. Do you guys send group texts that don't include him? And then as he walks by, you duck or anything? Is that what it's like? Yeah, exactly. Oh my god, is he a pain in the ass? You guys are like the Kachuk brothers, texting each before the game and you know making sure that's group chat I already fight sorry to argue sorry to interrupt, but the show wasn't called game time. Doug was called the game plan

Okay, I am I'm gonna draw on your General manager and president expertise here. Oh my god Is is is Braden Shen the next Connor McDavid or what listen to you guys a little earlier? I think they watched him play lately. Oh my god. So you want to start there? with centers potentially available and I look I look at Braden Shen and and Lachlan there are that Lachlan lot and they're both Lot and they're both NHL right there. They're fours right now with you. Have you watched them in the last month and a half?

They have not been very good so I I'm look it reminded me when you were talking. I remember in Florida, we were, we, we went to the Stanley cup the first year. Then the next year we had a good team and we brought in Kirk Mueller and I thought, Oh my God, this is going to put us over the top. Kirk is going to, you know, and you know what? It, it, it hurt our team. It hurt our team. So you got to be careful when you're making these type of moves. Kurt's behind the bench at Washington right now.

And if he's watching it, he may have derailed his season now. Hey, listen. No, look, the most fun I've ever had in my life was going to a bar with Kurt. The most fun I've ever had in my life. And I was their coach, their assist. I had Gilmore in St. Louis and I had Kirk in Florida. And it was the best night of my life. I mean, bar none. But it just, and I love Kirk Muller as a player.

He just wasn't the right fit for our team at that time. Nothing against Kirk. There's another variable that you bring up with this trade deadline about these sexy names that really, if you're really watching them, are no longer sexy. And you still have some that they have a soft spot. And so then, whatever Braden Shenn's value is,

Doug Armstrong loves it being talked up, right? You know, it's gonna take a boatload. And media experts, gonna take this, that, whatever. That's a real danger about just assessing what you're getting in 2025. And what's his term and what's his dollars right now? Six and a half with, I believe, three left. I gotta double check it. Sammy, you let me know. And you guys are seriously, seriously,

you're actually considering this? You know, but when you talk about, when you talk about not just the Toronto May Police, but any market right now, and I'll include the Edmonton Oilers, on this is the year, this has to happen now. How do you weigh as a general manager the difference between

doing something and not doing something just sometimes for the sake of, of, of alleviating the pressure. Then let's talk Retton. Let's talk about him. He's 27 years of age and he's a star. In his prime. And he's 27. He's 27. He's still in his prime. He hasn't had a good run in Carolina, but how good was he in Colorado?

Just before he was traded. So you're the one that brought his aim up that he was gonna be available. Well, I don't know. I mean, they're still gonna take a run at signing him. But do you like their chances of signing him? It doesn't sound like he's he's doing, you know, he's not he doesn't sound like he's that excited to be in Kerry, South North Carolina by the sounds of it. I mean, he's not, I mean, number one, how

do you make this deal and not be sure you can get him signed? I know the guy's a genius in Carolina, the GM there, I know he is, but this is a tough deal to make and not have this guy guaranteed that he's going to sign or have rights to talk to him prior to that and be close to having a deal done. And all of a sudden he's going to go to the wire with a guy like this and not get them signed. What this could set Carolina back. Oh, by the way, aren't playing very well right now too. They don't need another hit to their team. Would, would, would rent, would rent to them be holding up a few things right now too. They don't need another hit to their team. Would, would, would rent, would rent to them be holding up a few things right now with other teams trying

to figure it out and would they run the risk of waiting too long and missing out on some other things? Well, that's the problem. And you know, you know, guy, you like to get things done early. I mean, Jimmy Rutherford's always said that, Burkies always said that, you know, you try to get things done early, especially if you are a contender, especially when the Leafs are a contender. By the way, I watched Tampa the other night and I thought Tampa is going to struggle and I watched Tampa the other night and all of a sudden Tampa looked really good.

They're not gonna be easy in the playoffs guys. And you know, we know there's a lot of teams playing pretty well right now, but you got them to me bringing in, I know the Leafs won a third line center, I get that, but I'm certainly not tying up three or four years at that kind of money, I'm not doing that. So on the flip side being a seller and you know you mentioned Tampa so I'll talk about Stamco.

Like all those players that went to Nashville or when you're Seattle it ain't happening there. Chicago we know about Seth Jones like would you say hey I'm gonna go get Stamco so I'm gonna get Marches so I'm gonna get Shea whatever maybe they'll eat part of it. Or do you think Barry Trotz is going to say, you know what, this is a team that we're going to hold firm a bit and go at it again next year? What do you think those potentially stellar teams are thinking? Well, you know, what bothered me with the Trotz deal, and I said it on this show months ago, Trotz, they lost their identity with those acquisitions. Their identity since day one as a franchise was one of the hardest working teams in the

league and they lost their identity. They became too cute and played that way for most of the year. So I mean, I think they've got to get back to what made them a hard team to play against and they certainly have. I mean, they have been in spots, but not so much, but I look at the trade deadline, you can, you can do some damage to your team too. And you can become slower, which when I talked about Kirk,

that's what happened to our team. We became a slower team. You got to be careful in today's game. If you're going to add a Braden Shen and it makes you slower as a team. And a guy with 12 goals. Isn't that what he's got, 12? That's six and a half million?

You're watching and listening to Doug McLean, former NHL president, GM, and head coach on Off the Rails Friday. So Mac, typically what happens is that your team would have your scouting meetings just around the new year and you a lot of talk about an up-and-coming trade deadline you leave those meetings with your scouts in your administration offices thinking that you have some idea going into a trade deadline and then you lose five games in a row like less than a week you know into

the trade deadline how would that of might be changing the way Edmonton would think right now between now and Friday or would it at all? I'm sure they're a little bit nervous and it's funny, I've watched them a couple of times recently. I don't have them anywhere close to where they were last year as a team. I'm worried about Skinner. Arvidsson was a bad pickup. The kid from Buffalo was a horrendous pickup.

I don't like the way they're playing and you know, Connor and Dry Cytl can make it happen but I mean you look at Dry Cytl and he's playing with with the two Arvidsson and what's the kid from Buffalo that went there? Skinner. That's Dry C's strike side was lying. Like the last couple of games. Like is that, are they serious? A second line. What Skinner got for production this year? What's Arvidsson got? And they're playing with the one of the best players in NHL. It's not pretty. So I'm nervous and Boucher Boucher has not been nearly as good. Skinner hasn't. I mean, he was real good in the playoffs last year at Times.

I mean, I'm with Speck. Speck can't sleep at night right now. He's so nervous about the order. He's on med, I think Speck's on medication. He's on med. Oh God. So, okay, your old stomping ground. First of all, 90,000 people, an outdoor game.

I was fired by seven teams. What's my old stomping ground for? Well, okay, well, figure it out. Not all of us got to be general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Okay, stomping ground for 20. It's where an outdoor game is being played on Saturday. I've put Doug McLean's former stomping grounds. Who would think 90,000 people and Columbus and Detroit fighting tooth and nail? And you are a huge part about, we're talking about selling the game in that hockey

area for so many years and what it's come to. And should Columbus and Detroit be active in trying to leave no stone unturned or do you not want to screw around with what they have going because they're both pleasant surprises right now? You know what? It's really, I'm getting a real kick out of the outdoor game. You know, they're going to have 90,000. There's 10,000 short of a sellout, which is unbelievable. When I think of the number of Kinsman meetings I went to and how many mugs I got for going to speak

and try to sell hockey, and it's pretty bizarre. Our business group and myself talked in the early years there. I would say in 2003, how would it ever be if we could get a game at Ohio Stadium with the Detroit Red Wings? How big would that be? And then I see it come to fruition. We didn't ask the league for it. But I remember Mike Yumes and myself, who was my business ops guy, talking about a game like that. And to see it happen in Columbus is pretty cool. I mean, there were 700 kids playing minor hockey when I went to Columbus and there's 8,000 kids playing minor hockey. They're producing NHLers and pros almost every year. It's become a great hockey town.

If I'm Don Wedell, yeah, I would not want to play Columbus in the first round. I watched them play Dallas the other night, guys. I watched them play Detroit. This is a good hockey team. The way they're playing it, Mersly Kins keeps it going. And they add, you would not want to play them in the first round. Those two Russian kids are unbelievable. The way they're playing together, Marchenko and the, and the big six foot

four guy, they're, they're not a, they're not going to be an easy out. Well, Renske, you know, you guys keep pushing who you guys got up for defenseman to your Tannis or McCabe. I mean, he's right there with Quinn Hughes guys. So we have this guy. He's good. Morgan, Morgan Riley for me. Yeah, no, I forgot.

Yeah, I forgot about Morgan. Columbus is stock going up. Ottawa is going down. No Brady Kachuk. The last couple of games. Think about this. Tell me what's going on. You give Perron $4 million. Can't play in the league. You bring in Amodio. Borderline at best.

Gregor, I don't know where he is. Is he hurt? And Omar is like, I mean, what's going on? The only time he was happy this year was when they played in Boston and he was hugging Swamen in the morning skate. I mean, what is going on here? And I know Brady's out, Norris is out, Pinto's out, but they've got to make the playoffs that this organization, they have got to make the playoffs. And right now, their best goalie is playing in Belleville. They got, Omar's got to get it together here and help them. I want them to make the playoffs.

Are they in desperate need of doing something between now and Friday? You think they can? You know, they're good hockey people there in Sto. But is he ready? I just listed his acquisition. Can he do something between now and Friday? Well, I mean, I think the people in the dressing room are hoping something's going to happen. I got to believe that because like, you know, Kippy,

you were involved in that Ottawa group. They've got to make the playoffs. No, it's important. It's real important. And the way they're playing right now and the way Columbus is playing in Detroit have been playing it's and the way Columbus is playing and Detroit have been playing. It's and the Rangers are up and down. But I mean, it's a dogfight. It's two teams going to make it out of about seven teams.

And it doesn't look pretty right now. Now Omar could change that, I think. I mean, I mean, he may be the most expensive backup goalie in the league next season because the kid in Belville is better than he is. Or at least he's been playing better. Now, Doug, you mentioned the seven stops along. This show's depressing today. I'm sorry about being so negative.

I want to apologize. You got some time still. So you mentioned about the seven stops you've been at. Another variable, and I to believe it still happens is Whether it's an owner or president. I know you were president I heard the Columbus owner very much was hands-off the boy. Oh boy. They have loved trades are sexy They love sticking their nose into things and you start getting this pressure about I want to I want to be seen that I'm doing Something the fans want to see some whatever I know if you're more veteran, you don't buy into that.

I certainly felt that pressure, I gotta say. Does that still come into play in 2025? I'll tell you how hands-on he was. He would phone me, he said, I need you to come out and have lunch with me at Double Eagle Golf Course today. We've got to talk about the team. So I would drive out 25 minutes out to Double Eagle,

which was his course, his home was right on the property. I'd go in the restaurant, beautiful restaurant. He and I, the only two people in the restaurant. And I would sit down ready for this big meeting and three minutes into the meeting, he was sound asleep. And then I would get up and leave and go back to the office. That's how hands on.

I mean, the guy was 80. This is young by the way now is that what you meant by hands on board? Well, my owner was in his 80s. And he was he didn't fall asleep after three minutes. He slept in the building. Mr. McConnell was a genius. He paid 80 million for the franchise. And I saw the other day it's worth a billion. So he wasn't too slow. Can you leave our watchers and listeners with the idea

that this is the best league in the world and it's so run so professionally then guys sleeping on meetings? I phoned Mr. McConnell. I phoned Mr. McConnell when I heard there was a new franchise going to be in Columbus and I phoned him and I said, I got through to his office at Worthing Industries and I said, Mr. McConnell, Doug McLean, I'd like to talk to you about a job with the Blue Jackets.

He said, oh, you're the coach that just got fired in Florida. And I said, yeah. And he said, I'm not interested in the coach right now. This was two and a half years before they started. And I said, no, no, I'd like to be the general manager. So he said, oh, okay, let's get together next week for lunch. So I have lunch with him the next week. Then Jill and I go out to his home.

He just lived five or 10 minutes from here in Florida and I go out to his home. We just live five or ten minutes from here in Florida. We go to his home and we have dinner him and his wife and Jill and I and at the end of the meal he calls me and said he said I've decided I'm gonna hire you as my general manager but we're going up to Columbus next week I'm gonna fly you and I are gonna fly up to Columbus next week and we're gonna meet with the mayor and my son and three or four my key business people up there but you can't tell them I've hired you because they think I'm bringing you up there to interview. So I go up and do a fake interview and they're all wishing me good luck at the end and I think I already got the job. So yeah it's a top notch. I mean, it is the best league in the world, you know?

So that was my interview process. How would you compare him to an owner like Jeremy Jacobs in Boston? And what would maybe Don Sweeney would be thinking right now going into a trade deadline on a team that is obviously underachieved. But Mac, some devastating injuries as well. Can he hang his hat on that? Listen, I got to tell you, Mr. McConnell also phoned me at 11 o'clock one night in my office

after we just lost at home to Nashville five nothing. And he said, how are you doing? I said, not very good. He said, fire Dave King tomorrow morning. I said, Mr. McConnell, who's gonna coach? He said, you are. So A-Race and Portsline, the two genius writers in Columbus ripped me because they,

I wanted to coach really bad. Mr. Mack thought I was running a Pee-Wee travel team and that I could do president, GM and coach. So he was hands on. He wasn't always hands off. How is Jeremy feeling right now? Look, he is one of the toughest owners in the league. There's no denying that. I love listening to him in board of governors meetings because he really, he was just a great resource he was like a Lou Lamorello type of resource in a board of governors meeting but he wants to win so bad I don't know how involved he is right now but Sweeney would be

uncomfortable right now for sure it would not be pleasant there and they I don't know do they have any chance of getting in any chance? It's in right now. That franchise is, is reeling. Just watching him against the Leafs this week. And I'm like, they only have one game breaker right now. And that is Pasternak. Yeah.

Again, last night. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I know. And so, yeah, I don't know how involved Jeremy is, but I mean, Jeremy's a tough guy and I don't know how Charlie is his son, but who knows? But to me, they're a non-factor right now.

They really are. And I sort of said the same thing about Tampa two months ago, but hey, I'm watching McCarr this week and I'm watching these young great defensemen in the league. And I watched Tampa the other night and I said, like, I keep hearing about, you know, these great young defensemen. And I'm sitting there saying is headman. Who would you want a head of head men of all those guys, but the way he's been playing for the last month and bass, you know, so, I mean, I know what they're

young stars, but headman is such a horse. He's such a horse. He went second to John Tavares in that draft, didn't he? Yeah. He didn't go first. He went second. Yeah. Yeah.

Now, that was a consensus at that time, too. Well, a guy they thought might go first or second went fourth, Seth Jones. Like, you just talked earlier about Braden Shen, you know, what you believe his playing ability is right now, that it's not quite what a lot of other people do. Like, so it seems like he's going to go somewhere, given... I didn't say, look, I didn't say I didn't like Braden Shen. I said he reminds me of Kirk Muller. That's what I said.

No, but you also said that his play of late is not kind of commensurate with what some people are depicting, in your opinion. So. Okay, let me rephrase it. He plays like he's a third line player. That's what he plays like. Like I feel we're on Dateline and you're in the interrogation studio there. What, you want a lawyer?

You want a lawyer for the rest of this? Okay, I know I'm not Bruce Boudreau. But I'm trying to impress you. He won't be a lawyer, okay. I'm trying to impress you. But there's a level of grit out of Shen. He didn't answer Jones Okay, go ahead Seth Jones like what what is Seth Jones 2012? I mean is it like a Doug McClain would be making a call kind of thing or is Seth is Seth part of the problem in

Chicago or is it like when he's out ago? Yeah, he gets a chance to see what he can do, you know Well, yeah, I haven't watched. You know what? To be quite honest, when I look and I see Chicago's playing, I don't put the game on. So I haven't really watched much, but you know, he was a horse in Columbus, especially early on. He was a great junior in Portland. You know, I mean, look, everybody would want Seth Jones

at playoff time because you always need Those type of defensemen to be around. So yeah, I would take a chance on Seth Jones But then again, you look at the dollars and it's frightening. Did you catch his comments? Earlier this week about we we aren't we aren't any better and paraphrasing We're not any better than game one What what what does that do to the general manager and the coach when they hear a guy say that? I think I said that to hitch in Columbus Mac Kyle Davidson who's still trying to what show he's a hundred

He's a hundred percent right to Seth. He was 100% right in his comment. And he could have said I want Eddie here, but he was trying to be nice, you know? Yeah, because he wants out obviously. And you know, it's been ugly there. I mean, I watched some fire Luke Richardson, and then I watched their practice the next week and they're doing passing on the blue lines Like a peewee Benham or peewee bee drill, you know, and i'm thinking like what are we what am I watching here? We're teaching passing anyway Stationary passing mind you not even on the not even the horseshoe Is is vegas gonna go big again?

Like Thomas Hurdle last year, it's like trade deadline, okay, expected, expected. Whoa, Thomas Hurdle goes to Vegas. It just seems every year they got one in their back pocket. Like how many goals have they given up in the last five periods? Is it nine or 10 goals that Vegas have given up? And I'm a little nervous about Vegas. They look, they just look a little sluggish. They look a little long in the tooth right now.

I don't have them there. I don't, I did early in the year. They were so hard to play against, but if you've watched them in the last couple of weeks, you're a little bit nervous about them. Didn't they, who did they give up five goals to the other night? Well, Chicago, they won. They't they, who did they give up five goals to the other night? Well, Chicago, they won, they won seven five, but they gave up five to Chicago.

That's right. That's where I saw, that's where I saw Chicago. But they look a little, I just, I'm a little nervous about Vegas with the way they're playing right now. Anything else you want to get off your chest at all? You're good. Well, George McPhee, when I was in Vegas, on a book tour out there, I, I met George at a game and he told me he thinks there's 11 teams that could win the Stanley cup this year. And you know, I, I don't know if he's wrong. I mean, I think there's some,

I think there's some teams that are gonna surprise at playoff time And I think some people I look at Winnipeg. I Watch them and I mean how how good are they and is hella but gonna finally come through for them? He couldn't win the four nations That's a hard assessment and he's been so good and Winnipeg have been so good. What are they gonna do? I mean, I don't know. They look pretty good right now. They're gonna be tough, tough. And that makes it that much. Washington, Washington, I mean, both those teams have got something going for them right now. You'd be scared to death

to play them in the first round. I think 11 puts a lot of teams in play here for the trade deadline coming up on Friday. So before we let you go, I'm not sure. You're a guy that has really nothing to do, so I'm sure you scroll through your phone on Instagram throughout the day. Did you happen to catch our very own lovely and talented Gord Stehlik on a mechanical bull this week. I don't follow Gord.

Because I told him yesterday I think that you know it's a coincidence that we have Doug McLean on and he's got a mechanical bull story. Do you not? My first training camp with the Panthers were in Greensboro, South Carolina Dwayne Sutter my Great assistant coach and Lindy rough my great assistant coach. We go to a country bar and of course Lindy and Dwayne think they're cowboy Alberta Lindy climbs aboard the Mechanical Bull.

Lindy's on IR. He had a hurt his groin when he was throwing off the Mechanical Bull. So I said to Brian Murray the next day, my first practice as head coach, Brian, Lindy's on IR. Lindy got hurt last night. Brian says, what the hell were you guys doing? I said, Lindy got thrown off a bull.

You feel better about that, Gord? That you and Lindy now have something in common? I think you should all give thanks for my health. The fact that our setup was more like a jumpy castle. So I was on a full second, Doug. And yeah, it wasn't, it took me an hour to get on the bull, which is videoed, and then about a one second ride. So anyway, at least I tried it.

I call bull on the one second, by the way. Was that at the Con Smythe dinner? No, the Con Smythe dinner. Which I've never been, which by the way, tell Christine and Scott Morrison, I've never been invited to it. Wow! Just maybe mention that okay

Well, they only he should be on the guy It's been I'm the only guy that's been fired by seven NHL teams and have never been invited to that Banquet well, you're well your string is still intact. Anyway, that's good He'd be a we'll get him next year for sure be a little young for the head table What do you know he'd be young for head table. He'd be young for the committee. Yeah, you're too young for the committee. Okay, are you gonna write another book by next year and you and I can set up a book stand before the dinner starts? And then I'm getting pressured too because I think we've hit the 50,000 in sales with draft day, which is pretty, not bad.

I didn't think PDI had 50,000 people. Oh, I know. It's unbelievable. But anyway, yeah, I think I'm sort of looking pretty seriously at it. I've been approached to do it and it's going to. Oh, it's going to. You're going to love it, court, because I might be able to get you in there because it's so you want to be an NHL general manager? Are you kidding me?

Yeah, I could give you good, I mean, I can't give you longevity, but I can certainly give you a lot of different insights how it goes. So, but ConceiWite dinner next year for sure, okay? Honestly, because it was a great dinner. It'll be the 75th and Berkey was pissed that he didn't get invited either. So we'll see you guys together.

Now you need first class flights. I just got a text, I just barely got a text. Yeah. And it says, how are you? And guess who it's from, Brian Burke. Oh. Every six weeks I get a text from Berkey and it says how are you?

And I send back, I'm doing great, how are you doing? Nice to hear from you. And then I don't hear from him again for another six weeks and I get a text. How are you? So obviously he's got me on a formatted AI type of thing, but it automatically comes to me every six weeks. How are you? Don't care about the answer. Hey, once again, great job. It's great. Gord. It's great to see you. Great to see you. I haven't heard from you in about two years since I, since I did the book and you had me on to fill an hour on your show. But anyway, I haven't seen, I haven't heard a thing from you and I it's great to see you. And I, I messaged via to me. I really appreciate you

getting me on message. Whatever I can do to get you another book deal. You just let me know. All right. Doug McLean, everybody say goodbye to them real fast. See you Doug. Take care guys. Okay. Let's go. We're going to go to break and then we'll come back with some game time and, uh, we'll read a few texts, right? Yeah. 59590 if you got a few. Texting them right now. That was just the longest goodbyes ever with Doug.

Oh, it's horrible. I hate long goodbyes. They're horrible. Horrible. All right. Let's go to break. Back after these words. Diving deep into Leaps, Raptors, Jays and NFL.

The JD Bunkets podcast. Subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. ["Gord's Delicacy"] Nick Kiprio, Sammy Key, and for the vacationing, Justin Bourne, Gord Stehlik, and it's Sammy, Little Game Time. Game Time, presented by Bette 365. Visit the app, Playdastods, and the other side of the money line plus 100. A good one in Dallas tonight the LA Kings visiting the Dallas Stars the Kings are slight underdogs in that game plus 110. Dallas

Stars are minus 130 on home ice and the other game on the on the ice tonight is the Minnesota Wild are in Colorado to take on the Avalanche. Minnesota, big underdogs in that game, plus 270, Colorado is a minus 340 favorite in that game. And I quickly wanted to bring up the favorites again, just to check in on the outright favorites for the Stanley Cup this year. We checked on this last week. Not a lot of movement.

They still have the Edmonton Oilers as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup on Bet 365 at plus 700. Winnipeg Jets come in at second at plus 800. Caps plus 900. Leafs right there with them plus 900, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes at plus 900. Any of that surprise you? I got a $10 voucher on the Leafs.

I had $10 on the Buffalo Bills and $10 on the Leafs before I left a Vegas hotel in August. So I'm 50% done. Wow, I love that. And to go down the list here, a team that I think could be actually one of the best teams in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning at 16 to 1 to win the Stanley Cup is a very good number to me. Anyways, game time presented by bet three six five visit the app for the studs and find out why several ordinary at bet three six Five must be 19 plus. I'm very only please play responsibly You know what? Maybe a very

underrated move For Tampa Bay was getting Ryan McDonough back. Yeah. And a lot of people thought once the Tampa Bay Lightning got rid of him, he eventually ended up in Nashville that his best years were behind him. But there's something still works,

very much so with McDonough back. And they gave up Sergechev, they got rid of that contract, and quietly McDonough has filled that void for those guys. You know it's kind of thing that to be honest when you when you want to call it a mistake let him go in the first time but whatever we're kind of saying okay we missed him more than we thought but also they were stuck with contracts that do something so they're big

enough to bring him back it also shows the kind of organization they have that he wants to come back and The circuit you have trade, you know brought you geeky and he's a high first-round pick So that's the guy they think can replace Stamkos I know Stamkos play center on the wing but just as far as bringing younger players in I mean they're there Julian Brizbois had a very Intelligent way about going about it, like Steve Iserman did when he was in Tampa Bay. It's what Vegas does. It's nothing personal.

But at the end, we got a somewhat an odd man's got to be out. So was Ryan McDonough. And they and they kind of pushed a bit said, well, if you don't, we're going to put you on whatever may put you on waivers or whatever the deal was. So he acquiesced. But yeah, he kind of recognized we're going to lose Sergei Chev, we're going to to get a lot of money and there's intangibles and we've lost Stamkos, who's a big presence. So there's an intangible that McDonough brings and you're bang on about. So I think sometimes it's overrated. Like we got Sammy McKee, always great in the room.

Well, so is my mom. I mean, in a different way, just about, but it's just about being a nice person or whatever, you know, just that kind of thing, you know, so To me I was kind of lame like he what what don't you want someone to go out and help you win a Stanley Cup instead? Of all these all these great guys in the room, but he's a perfect spice Do you know who leads the National Hockey League in plus minuses here? Is it Ryan Ryan McDonough? He's plus 36 in the season But who cares what he's like in the room if you're plus 36? Plus 36. Just 19 points in 58 games, you're never going to judge him by his point production.

But you look over at his career, we talk about plus minus as a, you know, people, you can have the conversations on how valuable the stat is. When you are for your career are plus 282 that's that's meaningful yeah that tells me that tells me a story about the kind of hockey player you are plus 282 for your career that is a high number it's just and then nine games in a row that's the last he wants to go keep going and he is kind of saying okay Connor Hellebuck and others I used to be the guy right when you talk Vezina trophy and he's got numbers he's got Vezina Trophy numbers up right now

and I don't know if they're gonna hit the playoffs like this but they really have that mojo going together in a big big way. It was slow at the start, I mean there were kind of similarities to them in Boston and you thought are they both gonna be out of the playoffs? Which a lot of teams would like, you know, but they really, there's too much talent there, which they don't have in Boston anymore. There's still too much talent there. I, you know, I think a lot of people, myself included, were critical, surprised of them making the Steven Stamkos decision they made this off season.

And I really couldn't believe that they did it. And you know, you think back to some of the best franchises over the years, you know specifically the the Patriots and football who always made the cutthroat decision and you know Think of the st. Louis Cardinals when they got rid of Albert Pujols and they went on to win World Series after him You know them letting Stamco go and then bringing in Gensel who you know We watched him at the Four Nations play for USA was he there most dangerous Forward a lot of the nights every playoff this guy shows up and he's having a fabulous year. He's got 27 goals already

He's a playoff performer. I had Dave. They've done a fantastic Hagel's been well believe a goal. He's gone to another level They're just there's a very scary. Yeah, there's a guy that's been like Plus almost 20 in the last like four weeks. He also says they didn't weeks He didn't it wasn't Genselin stamp coast out. It was a whole bunch of things even on the service They're a dangerous team again. Okay, let's let's talk the other one I've talked to you before about the accordion very difficult instrument. I didn't play it when I was a kid I told you that remember the schmengi brothers did it and then Donning for dollars in Buffalo Johnny and Jimmy the accordion the drum

So anyway, who could forget Eastern Conference the Eastern Conference is like accordion, right? Okay, and going like this Well, it's been like this for a while. What about the West? I gotta find another accordion like like the West so last night Vancouver and Calgary lose Utah St. Louis Anaheim like the Anaheim Vancouver game last night is almost Calgary lose, Utah, St. Louis, Anaheim. Like the Anaheim-Vancouver game last night is almost a four-pointer now. Like I said in retrospect, because they're coming and the Canucks blew a two-goal lead, Anaheim beat them, and don't look now, the nine-team race for eight spots is all of a sudden, according in effect, becoming maybe a 12 team race.

And how does that change in the next week, the mentality of sellers now thinking they may be buyers? I mean, that's a big change over the last, I don't know, 10 or so days, Kippy. Did your parents make you play the accordion when you were a kid? I just only talk about my childhood to professionals. That's all, I cannot go, you know what?

I saw a bead of sweat coming down your forehead. They taught, you know, I learned how to play the piano. Only one problem, we didn't have a piano, right? Which is an impediment. So my dad couldn't afford it, so we had like a cardboard thing. And then Inga Meraz and Mills Meraz had a apartment over in Roehampton.

And I would take the subway there and play piano twice a week there. That may be one of the saddest things I've ever heard on the real Kipper and Born show. I took the subway by myself. I stopped at Garfield and got some candy on the way back at Laura Seacourt, so it was a positive. I didn't know I'd be pouring all this out here

on a late Friday. We've so far out the rails here, but honestly, it explains a lot of things right now you well the accordion stuff to explain but no I you know I'd be a line to you if I told you I was really Pouring over the Western Conference standings at all times because he like you said it was the two-team race Yeah, but take a look now St. Louis apparently is trading everybody and their three spot there three points out of the last playoff spot

Yeah, it's you know yeah, Anaheim now is at 59 points. There's three points out of the last playoff spot. Yeah, it's, you know, Anaheim now is at 59 points. There's six points back, maybe a little bit over the long shot, but Utah, like you said, only two points back. Honestly. It's crazy. How about Clayton Keller? There's a quiet, really good hockey player right now. He's closing in on averaging almost 100 points this season.

Like it's... And he was the one guy the old ownership group committed to. I remember they committed to nobody except he signed on and that. So yeah it's nice to see. Like you know the new owner of things done a good job. One thing I like Kipi, he was very loyal to the organization. Like I thought you know some people say oh okay this is where half the people get rinsed. Right? You know quite often someone new comes in and this guy's been the opposite. And then who was the broadcaster? Was it Shane? Who was the, anyway, he found another job

because someone got left behind in Arizona. Might have been Shane, I don't know, whatever. But anyway, he took care of everybody. Everybody that wanted to go to Utah, he took care of. And I got a lot of respect for that. I think it speaks volumes. I don't think there'll be many more US best on best teams that don't include Clayton Keller on it.

That's a guy that can really fire it in the net. He's been great for them. Another reminder that this Real Kipper and Bourne brought to you by bet365, Gordo, what a fantastic week, right? Well, I'm back Monday too, I think. You are back on Monday. I think we get JB middle of the week.

Tuesday. Tuesday. Yeah, no, it's fun, always enjoy. You brought it this week, my friend go to the to go to the childhood Accordion memories. Yeah, that's a lot. Not only that we This week we had a doctor doctor doctor segment where you got Excellent medical advice for the rash on your ass From the mechanical bull right right? Yeah. Yeah, but that's been cleared up

Well, then the rough had to miss games from a he had a mechanical cool. Yeah, I didn't go on the IR like Doug McClain explained Lindy rough did How about this for a text from somebody in Edmonton I know that because of the 7-8-0. Yes, very good. Would you trade? Stuart Skinner and Evan Bouchard to the St. Louis Blues for Jordan Bennington and Colton Pareco. Drive them the whole way in a limo. Oh you would drive Bouchard and yes yeah and yes yeah that's like but that's that's not happening and normally they throw a third round picket people use always think that you know kind of lopsided trade then you throw throw a third round pick in. People always think that, you know, kind of a lopsided trade, then you throw,

and a third round pick. It was always Connor Brown in a second in Toronto and they were talking about Coastal. But that's what, hey, we got another week for this, and it's fun. That's part of being a sports fan, is you're a general manager of whatever team you like. There's not a big market if in fact that

Doug Armstrong is thinking about maybe moving Bennington at a very high point of his career so far. He's got some kind of no like no move classes. He's got 20. Yeah. And Edmonton's on the list. That's what I'm saying.

But I also hear he would lift it for a possibility to win a cup with Connor McDavid. Wow. Okay. But I mean, that's just a cup with Connor McDavid. This is surprising. But I mean, that's just a big lifestyle change from St. Louis to Edmonton. He's quite happy in St. Louis. He's got two years left. If he was to win another Stanley Cup, he'd be in a terrific position the following year

to sign a nice contract as well. But again, what other teams? Carolina needs a goalie, but I don't think he'd lift it to go there. Detroit, could they be in the market or is it too early for them to go get a goalie now when Talbot's done a decent job? No, I think he's stick with Talbot.

I'm intrigued by the camp space. Detroit doesn't seem quite ready right now to go get a guy like Bennington right now not a goalie but Edmonton may yeah, but me but the fact that just who's so salary Clearing salary like like like the predates quite often a deal that you're fine trying to find capsules I have no idea. I may are they in on Seth Jones? I have no idea but you know, whatever may be I just I just get that sense because those teams one Big move can make can make a huge difference.

Like it's a spice on what you have. It's not the be all end all. You got something good going and you get the right kind of player there. And like, I mean, they have it. They traded Philip Ronick for a first round pick, right? You know, a year or two ago. So they were doing that more. But just, I just think the time is right if the right kind of player.

Well, once again, Gord, great job this week and I'll see you on Monday How many trades this weekend Friday seems to be a the day right because we had JT Miller on a Friday so soon So soon so well, let's keep in the other big trade Renting it was on a Friday. Maybe we should start early on Monday. All right, okay Our thanks to Doug McClain, as always, on Friday. Have a terrific weekend. Thanks for watching. Thanks for listening.

We're back on Monday.