Real Kyper & Bourne - Contenders and Pretenders with Mike Rupp

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne go around the league with NHL Network's Mike Rupp (3:13). They look at the Sabres' playoff hopes, what moves are next for the Rangers, why the Avalanche's struggles go beyond goaltending, the Islanders' roster construction missteps, Kevyn Adams's 'palm trees' comments, and much more. Later, Nick, Justin and Sam McKee discuss JT Miller's return to the Canucks lineup, his unclear address to the media and project what Brock Boeser's next contract might cost.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.

all right let's take it national on the real kipper and born show we are live on sports at 650 in vancouver sports at 960 in calgary this hour of real kipper and born brought to you by beth 365 nick kiprios justin born sammy mckee in a couple of minutes we'll'll welcome in Mike Rupp. I dare call him Rupp-er because we're not a nickname kind of show. Rupp-er. Rupp-er. Rupp-er's the most obvious one ever.

Hey, before we go any further, I wanted to wait for the national audience for this. It is Justin Bourne's birthday today. Hey! Happy birthday, Mr. Justin Bourne. I believe the serpent has put up a birthday boy. And I'm dressed like a bar mitzvah or something. Happy birthday, Mr. Justin Bourne. I believe the serpent has put up the birthday boy. And I'm dressed like a bar mitzvah or something. So an extremely happy birthday to you.

I love you, buddy. I didn't know, so I have an excuse for not getting you anything. Yeah, I mean, you guys both forgot mine. You knew it, and you still brought him nothing. He brought me a font under my name. Also, I believe, I think it's Luke luke fox's birthday really we share a birthday wow there you go happy birthday luke fox if that's true is there anyone well known that shares your birthday uh not that i'm aware of um yeah dan murphy's family both uh both luke fox and justin

born could celebrate their birthday by watching the anaheim Ducks. Oh, this is what I've always dreamed of. Let's go. 14 games on tap. Oh, sorry, Kip. I want to interrupt you one second. No, go ahead. It was 16 years ago on my birthday that I took the slap shot to the face. This is the last pro hockey game I ever played.

On your birthday? Do we have that picture? You sent those pictures? Yeah. I'm like, why are you sending me a picture of a stranger? I know. And it's you. My face is like Tom Wilson out to here.

Didn't even recognize it. Freaky, hey? I lost 30 pounds with my jaw wired shut for two months. On to the show. So how fast did you play? What's that? Like how quickly did you come back? I never did.

A fishbowl? I never came back. It was over. It was over. The end of that year, There's like March or something. I could have come back playing on a bad ECHL team. I was like, what am I doing? I'm going to become a writer.

I started a blog. I was ready for the hockey news before I was. You got to give Wilson some credit here. Don't you? I put the fractured sinus cavity or something. I think that is one of the true great Canadian sports moments of all time. Him doing that interview with Sean McKenzie and just like got the...

I commented on Sportsnetport. I'm like, LeBron would be in the hospital. And it's like, you got... I would like to clarify the difference between Sean Wilson and I. My jaw broke clean down the middle into two separate pieces. That's so gross. And shattered over here. So I got screws. I got an X-plate that keeps together in my jaw.

So I wouldn't even do an interview. You know the first thing I thought of when I watched him being interviewed with that face? Why'd they ask him? No. Just, that's Tom Wilson looking in the camera going, hey, Team Canada. Yeah. You couldn't use some of this toughness?

Went and scored twice after it, yeah. He's a weapon. I don't know that he's not going to end up there yet. He's a weapon. He is. Wow. I mean, still got a lot of hockey to play between now and then. Yeah.

Somebody's going to go down. For sure. Right? And is he next up? Could be. Okay, let's welcome him in. Mike Rupp, NHL Network analyst, former NHLer, Stanley Cup champion. Rupp, how are you?

I'm good. My head was very zoomed in right there. I have a big head on your program right now what's going on boys we're good we're good uh last night was an interesting game in buffalo against the rangers and and the sabers uh two teams that a lot of people are kind of questioning right now uh where is where's buffalo right now we'll start with the Sabres for you where are they in terms of digging themselves out to the point where everybody wants to talk between Buffalo Ottawa Anaheim tonight versus the Leafs they want to play meaningful games in March

is that is that still possible for the Buffalo Sabres? I mean, it's possible. The Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, I mean, we've said this for three years now, right? Like, which team's going to turn the corner first, which one? And all three of them kind of stumble on their own feet or over their own feet. The first period of last night's game was really bad.

Like that was a, Lindy Ruff said so in his, after that first period. I mean, that was a, for a team that needs to be desperate, that was a terrible effort by Buffalo in that first period. Now they got going a little bit as the game got on, made it interesting. But I also think that's part due to the the rangers in some regard um yeah i find that the the eastern conference in particular is really interesting because there's a grouping of teams i think they're going to be the bubble teams that a lot of years we sit there and we say well this team's a bubble team that team's a bubble team who's going to be playing at the right time of year to earn their way in?

To me, it kind of feels like maybe what we've seen in the East the last couple of seasons, teams kind of backing their way into the playoffs and getting those last wildcard spot in the East has kind of been, oops, we made it. Congratulations. And that's kind of what it feels like right now. I mean, just I know it's still a lot of season left ahead, but just the inconsistencies, it doesn't scream to me that they're a playoff team.

Okay, so for the Rangers then, do you think that now it's just a matter of they got some good players and they're going to play their way through what's going on there? Or is there still more player movement, coach movement, manager? Is there still more movement to come

on the actual personnel front? I think there's more player movement, coach movement, manager? Is there still more movement to come on the actual personnel front? I think there's probably still movement. They're a team that we know they don't defend very well, and they're a team that is super talented. We know that. I mean, there's no mistake that it wasn't a mistake that they won the President's Trophy. But with that being said, they have been a team over the last few years that when they are uncomfortable

they don't really have much other things to fall back on in their game and um so i think i would categorize what they're going through this year not just when things when it's hard on them when things kind of fall apart they they're looking for something to cling to or somebody to lead them out of this. I just don't know if that's the right mix. It's a great mix when they're comfortable. When they're uncomfortable, it has been proven that that team is not the right mix. So I don't know if it's adding a new player in there i don't know if one player does it's got to be a different shift in the

mindset um it's this is a team that gets sleepy and they need to get unsleepy real quick as far as the the club's chasing right now are are they the ones that you think that could be on the outside looking in? If I'm Ottawa right now in a wild card, is it Tampa? Is it the Bruins after getting shellacked once again against the Winnipeg Jets? What team's most vulnerable right now? Yeah, I don't know if you're mentioning the rangers in there i don't consider that i think they figured out in there they get they get in the playoffs pretty okay i think they're too good so i don't know if i would i don't even know if you're

insinuating them being part of that grouping um but not not them boston uh i mean man it's it's i'm gonna say the same thing i've said last two seasons is i think ottawa has the mix of this some discrepancy up and down their lineup and different players they've got skill they've got a little bit of this a little bit of that they should be able to be that team i think this should be the season that the ottawa senators i mean maybe displace the team like the boston bruins and it's available for them and but they're still kind of battling the same things that we talked about with the buffalo sabers just that consistency and there's nights that the ottawa setters man they look like world beaters like they look like

a team that some nights where i'm like i don't know if i'd want to play them in the playoffs maybe just a naive group that just goes out there and plays hard and but then there's other nights where i'm like oh give me them in the playoffs. So I don't really know what they are right now, but if there is ever a year, and we've said about it for numerous seasons in a row, the same teams in the Atlantic have been the same teams in the Atlantic for a while now. This is the year. If someone's going to do it, it's this year.

I'd probably lean into Ottawa if they can get some more consistency in their game. So we watched a game here recently where Toronto played Sheldon Keefe's New Jersey Devils, and they kind of looked a lot like the Toronto Maple Leafs used to look like, which is very good, very fast. They lost a game maybe they should have won. But one thing happened that stood out to us, we talked about Jack Hughes got crushed by Pacioretty,

and nothing happened. Nyes ran Kes got crushed by patch ready and nothing happened nize ran kovacevich from behind and nothing happened we've had you weigh in on this sort of stuff before how important is it that there be a response from a team in december when these sort of things are happening to your best players yeah um i don't know i feel like guys you when you i don't want to say that because there has been times where this team has responded. They have in New Jersey, they have that pushback and they've shown it, but it can't be here and there. It's got to be every single time, right? It's got to be a knee jerk reaction.

I would almost rather my teams overreact in those situations. And I think there's still sometimes where I played on teams where maybe you add a guy or you add two guys or you address it and there's still the looking around like, oh, is someone going to do something here? No, no, no. If you see it, you react. And I think that's where teams kind of, those gaps are filled. i thought it was an awesome hit by patchy ready uh i love that part of his game that he's been bringing for the leafs uh but from the devil standpoint yeah you want it to be a knee jerk i don't care if it's jesper bratt i don't care if it's the smallest guy on the team just stand in there for one another and and and that seems like it slipped a little bit in that game but i this isn't the same team as last year i think they're still trying to figure it out but i think you you can't look around and be like all right where's curtis

curtis mcdermott where is uh where's paul cotter like no no no no this is this is on everybody those guys are there to help in those situations and to maybe be uh the the lightning rod in some other situations but it's's gotta be everybody. You mentioned Curtis McDermott, which basically was a guy that they targeted once they saw Mike Rempe run around and, and destroy other players. And he couldn't get in the lineup with Ryan Reeves in it. And then you watch Jack Hughes go down and I get it.

You're not going to play every day. But at the same time, if you're going to make a commitment to a guy like that and not even paying the minimum, I believe he's making close to a million and a half dollars, what's the deal here? You've got to have a bigger presence than the one he has now, don't you? You know, it's funny that when I think back to playing, at the end of my career, I certainly was fighting more or less.

That was what I was there to do. But for most of my career, I was a depth player that kind of picked up those things later on. But the reason why I'm saying this is there was nights and there was games in Pittsburgh where I had Eric God had eric goddard as a line mate as a teammate when godsey was in the lineup he was there for a purpose and he was awesome at his role we loved him as a teammate i i i got a little bit bigger too and all of us did but when eric goddard was out of the lineup when he was a scratch i I think this is really important.

I don't know how I, some veteran players probably taught me that. That's just how it was. It's just kind of, it is what it is. He wasn't in the lineup, so someone's got to fill those shoes in that role for that night. And there was games where Eric Goddard was not in the lineup. We play against teams where I'm like, ugh, I don't really want to be this tonight, but that's what it is. And that's the job I have. So, you know, it's I understand what you're saying there. I just don't know if Curtis McDermott was ever going to be that guy that's in all the time.

Right. Like we know originally he's a defenseman. He's turned to forward. He could be effective in some ways, but this is a team that they've got to have a plan B, and I think that falls on these players, just changing their mindset a little bit, depending on the personnel in the lineup. Ruppert, looking around the NHL, I'm struck by the JT Miller situation in Vancouver where he's come back, he's been away for a month.

In my own experience, it's crazy when you're on a team realizing how much people are going through and how much it affects the on ice product um you know during your playing days i'm sure this sort of thing happened how does the rest of the team handle it when you know someone is having and i'm not speaking to specifically what miller has but you know is going through something and you want to pick up a teammate when the fans can't really understand what's going on? Yeah, I think that, man, it's I mean, you could even use it just from injury standpoint. Like, I think it's really important to make people feel on a team welcomed back.

And that welcome is probably the wrong word excited to have him back yeah and i i just i just saw an interview with with mccabe talking about matt sundin what a great leader he was and just talking about how he was he would genuinely go around and kind of say to guys like basically make them all feel important no matter what their role is on the team i think that's really important for a close-knit group and when when you get a guy like that back, don't just think that that guy knows how important he is. Like, you let him know he's missed. Our boy's back, and that's where we're getting all the fun stuff.

You talk a little smack in the locker room and, you know, put some money on the board. You do all those different things because I think it's – I've seen players so many times, and, again, just to stick with maybe even more just the injury side of it, it's a lost spot. When you're on the lineup, you're not traveling with the team or you're stepped away for a while, you feel like you're forgotten about. You feel like you fit in right away. So I think it's huge to get guys back.

All of us just kind of starve for that camaraderie, right? Make fun of me a little bit. I'll make fun of you and have a good time. And that's, I think, the best way to kind of get everything and everybody back on the same page. You're comfortable for the Vancouver Canucks moving forward like you are. The Rangers, not a real threat from some teams in the West to, to steal a playoff spot right now? They're, they're in with Colorado, but you know, Calgary, St.

Louis, Seattle, can they keep pushing them? Yeah. I mean, I, I'm, I feel pretty confident in, in Vancouver and maybe some of that is due to my lack of confidence, maybe with some of the other teams, like you mentioned. You know, I still think I mean, for me, I I think Colorado is going for me. I think Colorado is going to be a wildcard team. And I know that many people probably don't think that. I just I think they have bigger problems than their goaltending and they address the

goaltending and certainly it was an upgrade but i think they're going to be in the mix but i don't think they're going to be outside looking in the playoff so to me there's like one spot available when you're looking in the west so i think it's going to come down for a team like vancouver what what are the la kings going to look like all season long? I just don't know if there's enough there for Calgary for me to believe in. There's not for Seattle. I mean, I thought that Utah would be a team that would maybe take a big step, but I don't necessarily see that.

St. Louis is another one. I don't, I don't really believe in. So I think it's there for Vancouver. They got a lot of talent. We know this. I think they're a well-coached team.

It's about getting, getting their groove. And maybe this is good. Also, last year they started off so hot, and they went on such a tear. They weren't really playing that great a brand of hockey, I thought, as the season went on. And it seems to be a little different now. You get to deal with some injuries, deal with some guys out of the lineup.

I think it will make them stronger down the stretch. Just real curious on where you think maybe the weakness then lies. If you're not pointing it in Colorado in net, is it the blue line? Is it the fact that they haven't replaced Landis Cog? I just don't. I watch their games, and I don't think they have details in their game. I think they severely lack defensive details. They are a team that has three players that you could argue for all three cases are hard trophy candidates.

Now, that's great as long as you get that from them every single game, and every single game, if you're going to go try to win a cup, 16 wins in the playoffs. That's a lot to ask from those guys. I'm not saying i don't believe in the build of their team i know they were severely banged up is this early on in the season but i i also sit there i did i don't think they have a defensive conscience i i don't and i think they're a different team than they were when they won their cup when they won the cup i almost think of it as standpoint if you think back to the the penguins of 16 17 you remember the penguins were that team that played fast quick straight lines they didn't play physical mike sullivan was like our power play is going to be the deterrent all those different things that i probably didn't believe in at the

time but it got it done for them in those two years they were ahead of the curve a little bit i think the abs when they won the cup what was that that was 21 22 22 thanks uh so they they played a style the other team didn't simply didn't have the puck like they were so dominant in the possession game uh i just i don't think they can win a tight check series i don't think the details are there and i think this is all masked because they had a goaltender that was really really struggling and everybody wanted to pin it on that and it was that but it was also a lot more so we'll see if they address those things but uh you know kipper i just i just i don't think they have details in their game i gotta tell you it's very impressive when you talk to someone who can go around the league team to team like this.

So we're going to continue to test your knowledge around the league. You're in the New York area there. I follow the New York Islanders. Frustrating year. If you're rooting for the Isles to have success, the building partially empty, the team partially uninspiring. What do you make of where they're at and what's got to happen? Man, I have no idea.

Oh, man. This has been a weird – I always – I want to be very – I'll speak freely, but here's the thing. Lou Lamorello loved the man, what he did for me in my career. He is one of the most loyal guys in hockey. Okay? I think he was too loyal to this group. I think this group, I think the worst thing that happened to this group

is that they made it to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. In the years that they did it, and I hate when people say that was the COVID Cup for Tampa. That doesn't count. There's an asterisk. I don't believe in any of that crap. Sam, you can close your ears. But that year for a team like them, I think they thought they were much further along than they were.

And so a lot of these guys and this is the tough part a lot of their players i love their players individually speaking if you can pluck this guy out of new york islanders put them here there and everywhere i love them but i don't love them all together and all together in the way they play they just play play a style that I just don't know if it can win in the National Hockey League right now. And it's been hard to really get a good gauge on them too because you have Matt Barzello's missed time, Anthony Duclair. Those are your two game breakers that have been unavailable.

But, I mean, are those guys really going to move the needle that much as far as the way your team is and the way they play? I don't know, Borny. I don't know. They kind of backed in. they backed in last year and it didn't the last two years they kind of backed into they not or am i messing up no no no you're you're on point i'm sitting here in pittsburgh right now getting ready to do the the pre and post of the pens canadians and i remember if it wasn't for the pittsburgh penguins self-destructing,

New York Islanders never would have gotten the playoffs. So I don't know. It's a tough spot. I don't know where the answer lies. I feel very confident to say this is not a team that can make a threat in the playoffs. They've got Chicago in tonight. Oh. So, I mean.

I like their odds. They don't win tonight. They are getting Barzal back. Pellick, I think, is coming back. They're starting to get healthy anyway. Just one more note. Like, they're only, what, a point or two out of a wild card spot, right? So, you know, Lou, you're going to have to kill him before he gives up on the season.

Yo, 100%. There's no give up on it. Or trade those assets that you're talking about away yeah and i i think that that's the the tough part is because you're you're you're there but you're not for this franchise has been they're close enough but they're but we all kind of feel like they're not and so i i don't know what they do if he pulls a what he pulls out of his sleeve this year but i mean they need they need something i don't know if there's one thing i i listen to patrick wall his his post games and his his press conferences i love i love

his demeanor in believing in this group too if i'm in that room i want to go through well i know some guys who have been in that room over the last number of years and they tell me it is a special special group it's tough it is they've never really parted from and i get it but it's it's not working so i don't know what the answer is yeah patrick waugh had the comment uh i don't know a couple weeks ago i said this is the team lou gave me and it's like ah you know that was that was an interesting choice of of words Yeah. It might have been very specific and on purpose. Yes, exactly. Speaking of words of interest, Kevin Adams, just to go back to Buffalo on this, I want to get your thoughts because he was pretty candid on the challenges

that the Buffalo Sabres have, and he had a bit of a list of, we don't have palm trees. We got high taxes. Not exactly a destination. Rupert, are you okay with that? Do you like the honesty and being transparent on his challenges? Or in that instance, would you have liked to have said, okay, Kevin, why state the obvious and maybe make our players feel like, you know, it's not a great place to attract other good hockey players right now?

Yeah, when I first heard it, my knee jerk was, ooh. I don't know if that was the right thing to say. Because then what are you trying to sell? Because you're not winning, they haven't been at the playoffs so in a place like that like you could sell me in winnipeg right now because that that franchise is pretty good and they got a chance to compete and win so you can't really sell me buffalo on what the product is on the ice with the direction of the organization so i it just kind of feels like that was some self-inflicted uh and kind of dirt being kicked in their own face.

But then I started thinking about it more and I'm like, I mean, he's not he's telling us, like you said, what everybody knows. I respect the honesty, but I don't know why it would be. Why would you throw it out? I just feel like what they're going through, that doesn't help them. And I don't know if that was meant to almost give an excuse. It kind of feels like an excuse. And you don't want excuses around or anything to be perceived as an excuse because then it starts becoming contagious. And I think that that's a problem for a lot of teams to kind of turn the corner. So I don't know. I feel like I appreciate the honesty, but I think at the state of the team right now and where they're at,

it to me felt like more of an excuse than anything. Well, it won't get any easier for them. I think they got Washington on the weekend, so we'll keep an eye on that story. Hey, Rupert, great stuff as always, man, going around the circuit with you. Thanks for doing this. Anytime, guys. Hey, Rupp, great stuff as always, man, going around the circuit with you. Thanks for doing this. Anytime, guys.

Thanks, Rupp. Appreciate it. Mike Rupp, NHL Network analyst, former National Hockey Leaguer, and, of course, Stanley Cup champion. Glad we got him back. Oh, yeah. He's been trying.

He's a busy guy. This guy's on TV every day. Very popular analyst. Doing the Pittsburgh games as well, so busy guy, but happy to have him back on. Great hockey player, too. All right, we want a little game time or we're good What do you want to get into I love this talk about the avalanche

Yeah that was interesting I also want to talk more about the Islanders He didn't say it And I didn't follow up with him But that's a direct Finger point At the head coach In Colorado Just they don't pay attention to details Now, that's a direct finger point at the head coach. For sure.

In Colorado. For sure. Just they don't pay attention to details, doesn't think they're a— Yeah, that's what I guess he was implying. I think there are coaches who, when they have elite talent, are really good at understanding when to get out of the way. I had this talk with uh luke gazdik last night um like al arbor for my dad's islanders teams they one of the things they

gave him credit for was knowing when to push when to lay off but when you had the great talent you just sort of like get out of the way and let them go some coaches like maybe this is bednar can handle elite talent like when it's landis kog natchushkin going, McKinnon, Makar. But like when it wasn't those guys, when they're missing a couple of them and you're relying on a couple guys and you need everyone else to tighten it up, maybe that's an area where he's not as strong.

Yeah, like he's had success. I mean, the man's a Stanley Cup champion. Isn't Bednar, isn't Bednar, isn't he like one of the longest tenured? I feel like maybe behind cooper or sullivan oh sullivan too but like he's been there for a long time and you know messages always it always happens eventually but like i like him anytime i hear him talk it feels like he's a yeah i i didn't you know i don't know how to judge a coach i'm not watching every single game i'm not

listening all the time but anytime i hear him talk he seems like he's well put together guy but you know some point but maybe the new goalies will help the woods uh i mentioned it briefly woodsies i mentioned it briefly but like i don't know if people really appreciated what landis cog meant to that team i mean he was conscious as important as Nate and Rantanen. I mean, those three guys, man, oh, man. Last thing you did. They were the heart and soul of the Stanley Cup championship team. Yeah. And unfortunately.

I'm not sure how you replaced that. He was a unique animal, Landis Goggin, that he was motivated and driven and pushed people. He played defense. He was physical. He could finish. There's not many guys in no he was five five tool guy yeah he's the captain he just he's just gone right like it's tough one all right game time game time it's game time presented by bet365 visit the app latest odds and find out why it's never ordinary at bet365 us for 19 plus ontario only. Please play responsibly.

Lots of games on tap like Kip was bringing up. This is just a fun one to talk about. The one that you guys are covering tonight on the SportsCenter Regional. The Toronto Maple Leafs are minus 450 favorites on home ice against the Anaheim Ducks. That means you can bet 10 bucks and win four. 450, yeah. If you want to bet 10 bucks and win uh 35 you could bet on the uh you bet on the anaheim ducks they're plus 350 on the other side of the money line i also i did make a bet today 365 uh i parlayed the the leeson regulation with uh matthews and neil and are both

getting three shots which they certainly should okay i like that you just try to juice up the odds a little bit so there's some ways to try to get some value out of it. And later on game, we're going to talk about a little bit after the break with JT Miller coming back. Good one. The defending Stanley cup champion, Florida Panthers are in Vancouver to take on the Canucks. Heavy,

heavy favorites for the Florida Panthers tonight. Minus one 80 on the money line. The Canucks are plus one 50 getting JT Miller back. I haven't seen anywhere, but I'm assuming that maybe they're going to go Demkoko again tonight I don't know if you've seen anywhere I'm sure talk you would tell us Petey's been awesome lately he's produced a bunch just don't ask him about Petey give me the Vancouver Canucks in an upset tonight plus 150 and if you want to do that you could parlay it with a comeback goal for JT Miller but give me the Vancouver Canucks on the money

line tonight against the Florida Panthers. And that was Game Time presented by Bet365. Visit the app, play to the odds, and find out why it's never ordered at Bet365. It's 19+. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. We never played talkie yesterday, did we? We didn't. No. And do we have maybe after the break we can find it? Yeah, yeah. Got it. We'll find it.

No problem. Okay. As Sammy has alluded to, JT Miller back in. They'll get a big boost. He spoke to the media. I'm not sure if it left enough people satisfied or not, but we'll get into it when we return after the break. You're watching and listening to Real Kipper and Born. get smarter when you listen to hockey talk the hockey pdo cast with dimitri filipovich subscribe and download the show on apple spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

all right let's bring it home on the real kipper and born show a reminder this hour of real kipper and born brought to you by bet of real kipper and born brought to you by bet 365 nick kipper is just important sammy mckee why are you smiling right now okay so i'm gonna ask borny's permission on this before because we were talking about how your face got smashed yeah i have the picture i sent it to the serpent would you like to show our tv audience your face all right we could pop up this uh pop up this. There you go. By the way, can you see the redness there? Yes. That's an actual infection is what that is.

Oh, my God. You're storing nuts. That's not your real face. Got the mumps like Sid. That's rough, man. Yeah. And it was a stick or a puck. Slapshot.

Slapshot. You know what's fun is so when you're wired shut, you actually have to carry wire cutters because you're wired together. And if you get sick, you'll choke and die. So you have to carry these things around in case you have to wire cut. Oh, my God. Really? Oh, it's a nightmare.

The birthday boy. The birthday boy. The birthday face. Oh, my. 16 years ago. Wow. Anyway. There you go.

All right. As we mentioned before the break, JT Miller will play tonight against the Florida Panthers. It's been a while. He mepped the media, and we have the sound of it. Do we not, Sammy? We might even have the video. Yeah, I think we can roll that there, Jake.

Okay, let's have a listen. JT Miller back. Real quick, I just want to say something. I am playing tonight, and I really would appreciate if we just stayed away from the reasons why I wasn't here from all of you guys. I am playing tonight, and I really would appreciate it if we just stayed away from the reasons why I wasn't here, from all of you guys. You can ask all you want, but I'm not going to dive into

the reasons why I wasn't here the last three or four weeks. So I'm here with the team, and I am ready to look forward to what's going to happen in the future, not necessarily what has happened in the past. So I know you guys are going to ask them, but I'm not talking about it. I just want to let you guys know ahead of time. How are you doing now?

Yeah, I'm excited to play. I want to play. And, you know, obviously a fun game to play against the defending champions. So just happy to be around the guys and looking forward to tonight. What have you seen out of this team since? Didn't seem like the answer to that was good. I'll let you go first. I guess, you know, first off, I thought it was a very good follow-up question.

And a fair statement from Miller, very good follow-up question. But the answer to the question was not great, Bob. You know, he doesn't seem to be doing awesome. So I am concerned for him him i think it's hard to launch yourself back into the high stress environment of nhl hockey now yeah i feel the same way like i i don't know i don't watch a ton of jt miller media availabilities i know he's had the right i mean i had the reputation of being kind of fiery not dismissive but, but like not condescending, but like combative a little bit. That's what I'm looking for.

I don't know if that's combativeness that he's saying. I don't know what really what that is, but I didn't. It just didn't feel great. I don't believe he prepared enough for that statement or no, the statement's fine because he's not the first athlete. He will not be the last athlete to ask for privacy. That's totally okay with me. That was perfect.

He can ask that I'm not going to get into it. He can do all of that. But if I'm not mistaken, the follow-up question wasn't, why have you been away? It was, how are you feeling? Yeah. Right?

Yeah. That one you dodged. That one you hesitated on as if it's, now I'm insinuating because either the body language or the lack of an answer, tends me to think you're not okay, but you're coming back anyways. And I'm not sure that you want to leave that feeling or message to either the media or the fan base. It's as if I was out for, what, three weeks? Yeah. Four weeks. 17th to the 12th.

And the reason why I was there is because, you know, I was seeking help, right? We don't know. No, we do know. We do know he was seeking help. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. And the impression that he gave us there was that

i don't know i may have not gotten the help but i'm coming back anyways and i don't think that's necessarily a good thing for him or the club moving forward and i'm not suggesting that he should have lied. But maybe he could have just said that I'm good enough. I'm excited. I feel good enough to come back. Something that would just. He did say he was excited to play after. But it wasn't the feeling. The question was how are you feeling.

And he should have said I felt better or i feel good enough or something that suggests that the time off did me well or well enough to come back he didn't even give us that no i think it's a really hard spot like let's say something bad has happened that has affected you a great deal um you know he he's not he wasn't ready in the immediate aftermath of that event to play hockey but you can't not play forever just because you're ready to come back and play hockey doesn't mean you're okay with whatever that event was so when someone says how you doing now referring to that event or that time away i think it's tough to be like good i'm over it i'm but he's not over it no he gave it i'm but he's not over it

he gave us the impression that he's not over no it doesn't mean that but what it also means is that all the bs and the speculation is going to come creeping in you're playing well the team's winning you get left alone you start struggling the team starts, and all of that comes back into your face. All of it. It'll just come back. You'll have to dodge more questions. It'll be, are you still battling what you battled before? Don't tell us what's the problem,

but tell us are you still having issues with whatever kept you out for a month ago? Are they back in the room? Fair questions. Are they back in the room? Fair question. Are they back in the room? I will say, I get the sense from a lot of, you know, from Canucks fans and, you know, engaged with Canucks fans or whatever.

And, you know, you see like Murph was talking about at the WWE event about like them chanting his name. And I do feel that for a fan base, and if you're listening to Vancouver Plug years, it can be a little toxic from time to time. And I think they're fully aware of that. That they have been pretty supportive of his privacy and of how he's been battling with this. I don't think anyone's like, oh, he's got to be back.

I don't get that sense. Agreed. But I do agree with Kipper in the fact that it was like, oh. Even better. I would have liked better. I feel good enough. I feel better. I want to liked better. I feel good enough. I feel better. I want to do this.

I'm excited. I think, and not pause on the question. What if he said, I'm not over what has happened, but I'm ready to play hockey? Yeah, then that's a problem. Okay. It's a problem. He can't play hockey until he's over whatever his personal life issues are?

I believe that the Vancouver Canucks and the league have a responsibility to put people in positions to succeed and be at their best if there are issues then vancouver should step in and say listen you want to play you're excited but you may still have issues i think it puts you in danger or it puts the team in a vulnerable position no go get better come back look at us look at the media and say i'm better you hurt your knee you're out four to six weeks the guy comes back i feel great again yeah i'm ready to go it's 100 it's 98 i'm healthy i'm ready to go i'm not saying that he needed to announce that it's completely clear, but to give us the suggestion that maybe three weeks or a month off

did nothing to help you and you're still in a position of what, a week later you disappear again? What's tough, though, is like these guys, and you know this, I mean, they're not politicians, they're not actors, they're not even media members, they're hockey players. And so, you know, his job is to play hockey what is the obligation to come out there in front of the mic and say the right things whatever he's ready to play in his opinion he's ready to go do the thing that he's paid to do i mean if i got issues at home with my wife or i got issues with my next door neighbor or whatever, you're going to expect me to come in here, Ken. Even if I'm not quite feeling great, like I got to come in.

No. It's my job. No, not today, buddy. Not today. You can come in and you can tell everybody I'm not in a good place and people respect it now. That's the way, that's the new world. That's the new world.

Yeah, but at the same time when you do a problem, sometimes it doesn't feel. I'm 58 years old. I'll be the guy that says, you know, get your ass in here and suck it up. But back in our day. It doesn't help to just sit around and feel bad. Sometimes you just got to get back at it. Maybe this will help him get to a better place.

I just think if he just could have come out and just painted a little bit more. Didn't sound. It just left him a little vulnerable. That's all all that if he doesn't play well people are going to question it and they're going to wonder you know are you going to disappear on us again i think do you guys think there's any chance that he just had like a fu match with his coaches and they yelled at each other he said they said go get out of here for a month i i honestly feel like that i mean mean, the last game he played was in November.

He played 11 minutes and got benched. I don't know. Yeah, benched his last game. I can't imagine an FU with Rick Tockett. Leading to a month off. Would lead anybody. Like, it's one of those where even if you fought like rick talk it physically yes rick talk it's that guy that he fight anybody and still have a beer with him in a bar as long as

you know no one got sucker punched yeah that's the type rick rick would never hold anything like that over somebody's head over over a disagreement. Particularly a competitive emotional guy like Miller, which he likes that he's like that. Yeah, yeah. So, no, no. Anyway, he's throwing things at the wall. There's a problem when you don't know, we throw things at the wall. There's a million things it could be, and we're not guessing any of them,

but that one would shock me. All right. Okay. That it's just between, it's a personal thing between Rick Toc and him. The interesting, I mean, that's a really interesting game to watch now. To have him back, to see how he plays. Be interesting. They need him.

Do you want to talk, I mean, we could just do this all Canucks. But, I mean, Kipper, you sent, I saw, I mean, to the Canucks fans that I follow again. Yeah. You sent them into a bit of a tizzy with the trade board yesterday and the number that they were looking at there. What was the number you sent? Why a bit of a tizzy with the uh with the trade board yesterday and the number that they were looking at there what was the number you said tizzy eight million when i say tizzy people were talking about it well and he's one of those guys where he had uh 40 goals and that's a nice number for a 27 year old you scored 40 goals you get eight million dollars a plus yeah like that's like the

floor but there's a lot of people out west that think that would be a mistake and that's fine that they may be right yeah but you've earned bigger numbers at 40 goals at 27 years old where do we have vancouver as one of what eight teams that could win a Stanley Cup or a good team on the outside and not in a handful of teams that can win the Stanley Cup because it's a big difference between renting your own player and then possibly losing him for nothing. And that's really the focus on why I find some of these names so intriguing on my list that you can find on sportsnet.ca

is that I think more teams will explore finding assets for some of these big names now. And I'm not suggesting that any of them are going to get traded, but those are the conversations that are going on behind the scenes, I can assure you. The guys in your trade board, you're not suggesting could get traded? I do. Intriguing board.

Not trade board. When you ask that question with the Canucks. Lincoln is starting tonight. I do believe, if you look at the Western Conference, it does feel very wide open. If you look at the best teams in it, the Minnesota Wild, they're very good.

Are they going to win the Cup? Do you put them in the Champions League champions league like the winnipeg jets are they gonna win the cup love the champions league talk all right hl champions yeah we should actually see what we've got for this year but i i just you know are the canucks in the champions league this year like i really do think if they're healthy and demko's back and they have everybody going heronic back like healthy can they make a trade they're healthy and Demko's back and they have everybody going, Hronik back, like, they make a trade, they're in there. 100% they're in there. We all thought that preseason.

I still think it. Look at the West. Who's good in the West? If I could sign Brock Bester right now to 64 times 8, I think I would do it. 8? Yeah, 8 times 8. That's 64 million total for 8 years.

I think so, too. Caps going up. Scoring's hard. He shoots it in the net. How do you replace him? He's really good. How do you replace? And 27. I mean, he's Caps going up. Scoring's hard. He shoots it in the net. How do you replace him? He's really good. How do you replace? And 27, I mean, he's going to turn 28,

but that's a nice age to commit that. I don't think of him, for sure, I don't think of him as a guy who drives the play or, you know, can take over a game, but he is a guy who can put it away. Puck lands on his stick in the sweet spot. He knows where to be. He knows how to finish.

And there is, you know, Sam Reinhardt. I don't think of him as like, you know, an elite driver either, but he shoots it in the net when he gets his chances, and those guys have a ton of value. Yeah, absolutely. How about Reinhardt's contract? $8.6 billion? It's a joke.

57 goals last year? Thanks, Gary. Jeez. Yeah, he doesn't have to pay tax so he's getting the whatever that contract's wild like if you're if the leafs bring that up to marner everyone goes we'll throw that out that's just not a relevant contract here that's not but he but marner could go somewhere and take less and still make more money than he'd ever make in toronto toronto's's taxes are high. Cost of living. That's not a competitive advantage for the Southern teams at all.

Better weather, no tax. Why would that be a competitive advantage? Kevin Adams, we're all giving him a hard time. It's like, he's kind of right, though. He shouldn't have said that, but he's kind of right. 100% he's right. Yes. Right?

But listen, it wasn't that long ago we were talking about the Edmonton Oilers and nobody wanted to go and play there. And all they've done quietly has become one of the most revenue-driven teams in the league. They're making it hand over fist in Edmonton. Same Edmonton that nobody wanted to go 10 years ago to. Yeah. Why?

They have Josh Allen. People.k.a. David. And Dreisaitl changed everything for them. People want to play with elite players. Say what you will about Toronto. Winners. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau and those guys don't come here without Matthews and Marners. They come here because you want to play with good players.

And they believe that they can win. They believe they can. Yes, they see the elites win. And, I mcdavid is literally the dry side i'm sorry the josh allen comparison that kevin adams made yeah where it's like they have josh allen everybody wants to come it's like yeah they'll go to northern alberta because they have the best player in the world go find that guy that's your job i mean but no it's jack eichel wasn't it but i'm not just saying be bad enough to get uh gavin mckenna from that's coming out of the western league here that's lighting it up and underage

like be bad enough to get him there's an nhl draft where there's not a guy who's definitely the number one pick i'm like it's yakupov here no slavkovsky this gavin this gavin mckenna coming out of the western league mcdavid bedard. Like, he's the next generational guy. So, I guess you want to be bad enough in two years so you can draft him. That's how you get one. How do you get one? Like, how do you get one? You just get lucky.

You just get lucky. You get lucky. The stars align. Or, you know, it's rigged. He believes the stars get aligned. Yeah. Well, no, I believe, and this is a great one for the National Hour, I believe the stars should have been aligned

for the Leafs. That's what I believe. On that note, we'll remind people we're on TV today. Man, you've had a busy week, eh? Yeah. And I kind of feel bad because you tell me your kid's

in a Christmas pageant tonight and you're working away. Yeah. Bad dad. I'll pay for their therapy. If it makes you feel any better, I went to a few of those as a dad and I videotaped all of them

and I never went back once to go watch it. Zero. I promise my kids I'll watch it with them tomorrow. Get the live bar. Got the live bar. The live bar.

Yeah. Also, my daughter is singing in French, and I don't know a lick of French, so what am I really talking about? You need the Versteeg clever app for your pageant. You're just missing one snotty kid on the stage. Probably better not to be in that gym, to be honest. I do wish I was. I'm not i do wish i was 14 games on tap there's some nice ones here too is uh i think uh edmonton and mini yeah could we see that as a that's a yeah that could be a conference final conference final

uh vegas and winnipeg love that another one jets 21 and 9 now after a 15 and 1 start yeah um i don't know they it was just slaughtered and one was unlikely the bruins though they kicked we didn't even talk about that yeah we should uh give a little standing over an eight to one beat down where the bruins acted like children and the coaches were mad at each other and marchand was like someone asked marchand about uh swayman yeah yeah did you hang out your goalie to dry he's like no he's like us he just stunk too i love that they gave him like a total out like oh you know you guys made it hard on your goal he's like i'm sorry did you see him play yeah last time i checked he stunk like the rest of us. It's a perfect answer. Didn't excuse him.

That was great. He's wearing equipment. Tampa Bay and Calgary. Tampa Bay, Calgary. Did you see the disallowed goal at the very end? Tampa Bay's disallowed goal. Against Edmonton? Yeah.

I thought that was going to count. Why? Do you think it, I mean. Well, I think. Did it go in the net? It went in the net. Yeah, I thought it went in the net too. And I thought it bounced off of, I don't know if it was Bouchard or somebody.

Hit somebody and went in. Did you see the goal review in Ottawa, Anaheim? Everyone on earth. No. But anyway, there was a close one. Tell us about it. They used a crossbar camera. You could see the back of the puck, but not the front of the puck to prove it was a cross.

But it was. But it was it. It was like a judgment call. You need a sketch artist to try it out for us. Here's what happened. All right. Told you it was the fastest two hours in hockey. Our thanks to Mike Rupp at the top of the hour.

And Scott Niedermeyer, of course, in our Leaf Edition hour. Have a great night. Pick your game. And we're back tomorrow on Off the Rails Friday. Pick Toronto Anaheim. We'll be on.